A CHARITY is looking for a new home after claiming Bolton Council had told them to move out of its headquarters.

Bolton Neighbourhood Investment in Community Enterprise (NICE) has been based at the community centre in Victory Street, Halliwell since its inception five years ago.

But volunteer Martin McLoughlin said he recently received a letter from Bolton Council, which owns the premises, that the charity's lease would not be renewed and it had to move out by the end of August.

Mr McLoughlin said the charity had been looking for a new home, and had made enquiries about the Quest Centre in Brownlow Way, but claims to have not been helped at all by the council.

He said: "We just got a letter in the post, no reasons why, it just said they weren't renewing our lease and asked us to remove our container on the car park and move out.

"We had volunteers crying in here, some of the managers were in tears and people were really upset. Some of them have worked here five years, even on Christmas Day.

"A lot of people are upset. The implication of how it affects us is not just staff. The knock on effect will be like a stone in the water. We work all over the place.

The charity does a wide range of services including courses, foodbanks and helping people gain employment opportunities.

But Mr McLoughlin, aged 67, said they would be willing to continue their services in the street if it came to it, but is looking for help from the community.

Bolton Council has been contacted for a comment.