BOLTON Council has made a dramatic U-turn on its plans to loan out the town's industrial heritage following a huge public outcry led by the BEN and its readers.

Councillors unanimously agreed last night that the controversial move to loan historic textile machines, including Crompton's famous Mule, to two out-of-town museums for the next five years - be referred back to committee.

Councillors originally agreed to lend Bolton Museum's collection of early cotton textile machinery to two North-west museums because it hadn't the space to display it in town.

For the past two years the machines have been stored in Bolton Enterprise Centre, Washington Street. The general public has been unable to see the collection since 1993 when its permanent home in Tonge Textile Museum was closed.

Tory councillor Colin Higson told the meeting that he was sympathetic with the museum's current plight.

He said he realised that the service did not have the resources to fund a permanent home for the collection but that before taking the drastic decision of shipping the collection out of town every avenue should be explored.

Labour councillor Steve Hyne argued that the machines were important to the town's growing tourism industry and said: "I suggest we look towards the National Lottery for the money to fund a purpose-built unit which could house these machines."

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