COUGH UP CASH: Doctors in Bury were claiming that a shortage of GPs in the area was intensified by a higher rate of disease. They also said that if patients had to make an initial payment for treatment, it would cut out the minor complaints and given doctors time to concentrate on people with serious illnesses.

NOT PLAYING BALL: One of the highlights of Bury borough's civic year, the Mayoress's charity ball, was cancelled because of lack of support. Town Hall officials were not saying how many tickets had been sold for the Radcliffe Civic Hall event. Their only comment was "not enough".

BLIND SPOT REMOVAL: After fourteen years of campaigning, a former general greengrocers shop in Tottington was pulled down. The shop, which was at the corner of Market Street and Wesley Street, was always a "blind-spot" for traffic going up Market Street. The situation worsened over the years with the increase of traffic through the village.

NF's ENOUGH: Mrs Elsie McBriar resigned from the National Front for which she was to stand locally in the next General Election. Mrs McBriar from Radcliffe, was organiser of the Front's Bury and Radcliffe branch. She quit over the party's treatment of a Warwickshire man who was jailed for trying to sell his house to a white family only.

A LOTTA BOTTLE: A 15-year-old Bury youth was placed under a local authority supervision order for one year after taking a bottle of milk, valued at 10p, from a doorstep.