ADMISSION charges could be introduced at Bolton museum and art gallery for the first time in the new year.

Management are to explore the possibility of charging the public to go into special exhibitions.

But museum boss Dr John Gray strongly denied the move is the first step towards making people pay to go into the main sections of the museum, art gallery and aquarium.

He said charges will only be used for one-off exhibitions which the town could not otherwise afford to put on.

The arts sub-committee gave Dr Gray and his staff the go-ahead to start a feasibility study into charging for such displays.

Dr Gray told councillors his staff were considering using a special exhibition featuring tapestries owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber, scheduled for next January, as a trial for the pricing policy

Staff are also due to meet organisers of a planned touring exhibition of animated dinosaurs to see if they can come up with a financial package, based on a nominal entrance fee, to bring it to Bolton.

Museum bosses told councillors they cannot afford to finance such exhibitions out of their budget and want to find out if the public would rather pay than miss out all together on popular attractions.

After the meeting Dr Gray said: "I cannot see us ever charging to go into the central museum, art gallery and aquarium.

"Indeed some authorities who have gone down this road are having problems with falling attendances.

"All we are doing is examining the situation to see if we can bring such exhibitions to Bolton with minimum financial risk to the council."

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