THE chair of a local LGBT+ group has reflected on Bolton’s attitudes towards the community over the last three decades - and has said hit drama It’s a Sin brought back some dark memories.

With the show receiving millions of views and highlighting a dark chapter in the UK, Steve Sherry, 59, has remembered what life was like growing up as a gay man in Bolton during the 80s AIDS epidemic.

And with scenes from the show filmed in the town, the memories came flooding back for Steve, who is chair of Bolton LGBT+.

He said: “We did have a couple of gay bars back then but there was a very homophobic atmosphere in Bolton - many people hid their sexuality for fear of reprisals to be honest.

“They called HIV the gay plague and at the time we were under the most oppressive Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable in James Anderton. Gay bars got raided often under his watch and it was a very dark time.

“We fought back and took part in demonstrations, but we got spat on, hit with batons and called names - but we slowly got there.”

It’s A Sin follows the lives of a group of friends throughout the 80s and their journey through the AIDS crisis. Steve was going to “four or five”funerals a month - as he lost close friend to the disease.

He added: “It was probably about nine months into it and within a week, three friends had gone. The families didn’t attribute it to that but we all knew.

"You would walk down the street and someone would say ‘have you heard such a person has it’. You’d know it would be three months or six months but they’d be gone. It was a dark time and a death sentence if you got it.”

Steve said huge changes had been made to help with attitudes over the last 30 years. He cited Bolton Pride and other events that have helped the LGBT+ community become more mainstream and recognised in Bolton.

He said: “There has been very little homophobia in response to these events, so we’re a lot better off than when It’s A Sin was set. I hated GMP in the 80s but I am so proud of what they are doing now.”