A COUPLE have had their hotel booking cancelled due to fears over the Indian variant of coronavirus currently present in Bolton.

Paul Rosimus, 60, and wife Ursula, 57, from Lostock, had planned to visit the Aqua Hotel on the Isle of Wight on June 12 for a four-night stay.

However, the day after booking the hotel last week, Paul had the reservation cancelled - and he says hotel bosses explained it was due to the situation in Bolton.

Bolton continues to have the highest rate, with 1,106 new cases in the seven days to May 17 – the equivalent of 384.6 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up from 225.0 in the seven days to May 10.

While Blackburn with Darwen has the second highest rate, up from 108.2 to 187.0, with 280 new cases.

He said: “This is my first experience with anything like this and what I want to do is highlight that Bolton people are being treated like lepers. When is it going to end? Are we not going to be able to use anything or go anywhere if we are from Bolton?

“Bolton people are starting to be alienated because of the virus. We have had both vaccines. Truly that should allow us to live a normal life. I booked it on Thursday and it was an automated system that confirmed it.”

Paul noticed that at the bottom of the booking, an offer stated that if you called the hotel, they could arrange for a cheaper ferry across. When he rang the hotel however, he was told the booking would be cancelled due to him being from Bolton.

He said: “She asked me to confirm my address and I thought it was just a security question. Then I told her and she said she was cancelling and it was as blunt as that.”

A spokeswoman for the hotel confirmed to The Bolton News that Paul’s booking had been cancelled, but insisted it was to protect staff and other customers.

The Indian variant of the coronavirus has led to an increase in cases in Bolton, with the town topping the country’s infection rate list in recent days.

She said: “In the news that we see here, the virus is rampant (in Bolton). There are staff under 30 here and who haven’t been vaccinated. It is a worry. The rooms do have to be serviced by staff and the protection of them and other guests is important.

“I feel very sorry for him but it wouldn’t be a problem later in the year. I was very apologetic when I spoke to him and didn’t dismiss it out of hand. He wasn’t singled out and it is very difficult.”

The spokeswoman added that under previous tier systems, travel was banned for high-risk areas. Paul said that he “understood the thinking” for the cancellation - but still wanted to highlight what people from Bolton can face.

A councillor has expressed concern for travel bans on people from the town, saying that "we are getting into very dangerous territory."

From today onwards, travel restrictions will be imposed between Scotland and three local authority areas – Bedford, Bolton and Blackburn and Darwen, due to those areas having a high virus infection rate.

Scotland First Minister announced the news last week.

And Cllr Andy Morgan is worried about the potential discrimination that people from the town could face.

He said: "I think we are getting in to very dangerous territory, if we are in a position where people from Bolton can't go to places.

"It is completely unacceptable. We have vaccinated more than 10,000 people in the last week and we are doing all we can. With someone like Nicola Sturgeon saying it, it can have a rippling effect on how people view Bolton and its people.

"We have thousands of volunteers working on getting as many people vaccinated as possible and this is what Bolton is all about. We should be being supported to do the right thing, not have cheap potshots taken at us."