nFOLLOWING the collapse of the roof of the former Coliseum Cinema in Mellor Street, Radcliffe, a notice has been served on the owners by Radcliffe Council requiring them to make the building safe.

Only a small part of the cinema remained standing following a fire which gutted the building in November 1945, and the rear section of the roof collapsed on Friday morning last week in a cloud of dust.

A small section of brickwork on the corner of the adjoining Civic Hall was damaged as the structure gave away.

Employees of the near-by firm of Pinnington, Dawson and Wood Ltd, heard a loud rumbling noise and ran to the door. Dust was rising from the rear of the building and they telephoned the police.

Police contacted the corporation and a street lights inspection vehicle was used to make sure no-one was trapped inside the building and to remove dangerous slates and masonry.

The premises were afterwards fenced off to keep people away from the building and out of danger. Arrangements were made for minor repairs to the Civic Hall.

nWASHING-UP on Saturday after a hearty meal to carry them through the day’s bike are some of the Radcliffe Scouts who took part in the annual camping competition held at Giant’s Seat at the weekend.

Bury Scouts were for the first time invited to participate in the event but only St Thomas’s Scouts were able to accept the invitation. With eight four-Scout teams from Radcliffe, they took part in a hike of about 12 miles from Heywood back to Radcliffe, answering a number of set questions en route. The boys were examined on their camping and cooking skills during the weekend and they had to make a relief map of the previous day’s hike.

Two teams from the 10th Radcliffe New Church Troop took first and third places in the competition with the boys from the 14th Ainsworth Parish Church Troop in second place.

nELSEWHERE, Radcliffe Council has been recommended to drop plans for the provision of special access facilities for handicapped people at the Public Library.

It is claimed that the cost would be too high in view of the fact that only six handicapped people would use the library regularly.

The Committee has recommended the Council to take no further action after enquiries into the probable use which would be made of the library by the physically disabled and into alternative schemes to permit easy access for them to the building.