A FOUR-storey office block in Radcliffe, once the base of one of the town's biggest employers, is to be sold at auction.

Wilton House in Bury Road is to go under the hammer at a property auction on June 12 and could fetch £300,000.

The 2,166 sq metre building is one of 84 lots to be sold by property auctioneers Pugh and Company on behalf of a number of corporate clients.

For many years, Wilton House was the headquarters of General Engineering, which in its heyday in the 1970s employed 1,000 workers.

But by the time the receivers were called in in September, 1986, after the firm's collapse, the workforce had dwindled to 100.

After the closure of the office block, it fell into disrepair and was targeted by vandals.

According to the auction catalogue, Wilton House occupies a prominent position on Bury Road with a mix of open plan accommodation with carpets and suspended ceiling, small office suites, workshop storage and light industrial space. Outside, there are 48 car parking spaces.

The catalogue says that subject to any necessary consent, the freehold building is ideal for conversion to a call centre or small business centre.

The current owners of Wilton House have not been named. The auction is to be held at Manchester Airport.