ZOMBIES raged through Bolton town centre on Saturday — to raise money for charity.

The ‘undead’ fundraisers — covered in fake blood, maggots and blistering sores — terrified and delighted shoppers around Victoria Square as they collected money for the Wipe Your Tears children’s charity.

The event was organised by Crystal Skull in St Andrew’s Court, who laid on free zombie makeovers in exchange for a donation to the Bolton-based cause, which offers financial assistance to the families of children with serious health problems and life-limiting illnesses.

Business owner Stuart Preston �— or Scooby �— said the store offered participants a short acting class, showing them how to drag their feet and scream for ‘brains’ before they took to the streets for real.

“We’re a new business — we opened last year — and we haven’t done anything like this before”, he said.

"We wanted to do something like this for Halloween, and we decided to do it for charity — and what better cause is there?

“All the make-up has come from us, and the charity has donated some spare clothes for us to rip and use as costumes.”

Teenager Matthew Davies, who lives in Bolton town centre, was transformed into a zombie for the day.

The 19-year-old Blackburn College student said: “I’ve just come back from a sleepover at a friends and just decided to come down.

“I haven’t had much sleep, which might help with the zombie walk.”

Christina Howarth, aged 53, travelled from Salford to take part in the zombie invasion.

She told The Bolton News: “I heard about this as I go to the shop quite regularly.

“I’ve done a lot of fundraising in the past — I organised a dragon boat race in the past, which raised more than £1,000 for St Ann’s Hospice. It’s important to give back.

“I don’t think people will be terrified of me when they see the zombies.”