Your Local Independent 199

October 2025 Page 31 AD SALES 01204 478812 TROUBLED health and beauty chain Bodycare has closed more than 60 stores – including its Bol- ton branch - and made hundreds of workers redundant after going into administration. Workers at its Chorley national distribution centre are among those who have lost their jobs. The company’s branch in the town was not on the closure list. The high street retailer specialises in offering skin- care, cosmetics, toiletries, and fragrances and had more than 1,500 employees. According to reports, around 85 staff have also been made redundant at the company’s national dis- tribution centre at Buck- shaw Village. Bodycare was created in 1970 by Graham and Marga- ret Blackledge from a market stall in Skelmersdale. It has been owned by Baaj Capital since 2021 and is run by retail veteran Tony Brown, formerly of BHS and Beales. Joint administrators from Interpath have been appointed and 115 of the group’s stores will continue to trade while the adminis- trators explore “options” – including looking for a buyer. In a statement, the admin- istrators said the company had “faced a number of chal- lenges in recent years which have negatively impacted its financial position.” It added: “This included rising costs, including rent and people costs, a delayed transition to its online retail platform, and the cost-of-liv- ing crisis impacting its cus- tomer base. “In addition, a planned IPO in 2024 was aborted which led to a shortfall in funding. This, in turn, placed strain on sup- plier relationships, resulting in a shortage of stock.” Joint administrator, Nick Holloway, managing direc- tor at Interpath, said: “These remain challenging times for high street retailers as rising costs and reduced consumer spending continue to weigh heavily on trading. “Unfortunately for Bod- ycare, which was also con- tending with a significant funding gap and increasing creditor pressure, these chal- lenges proved too difficult to overcome.” He added: “Our intention is to trade the majority of the company’s stores in order to realise stock while we explore options for a possible sale of the business and its assets. “In addition, and as a matter of priority, we will be providing all support to those employees impacted by redundancy, including supporting them in making claims to the Redundancy Payments Service.” Beauty chain jobs losses Avro: Police were out in force during the day (Photo credit: GMP) The full force of the law those who provided us with intelligence. We listened to your concerns and acted upon them accordingly. “Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you are concerned about crime affecting your area. “You can report a crime by calling 101 or using the LiveChat function on our website at www.gmp.police. uk. Alternatively, call Crime- stoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.” Phil Brickell, MP for Bol- ton West, was an observer on the day. He said: “I accompanied the police on the execution of a number of warrants across Bolton West and saw the fantastic work the police are doing to keep us safe. “Policing by consent is a key principle in our coun- try and Operation Avro is an important way GMP can maintain that trust in the vital work they do.” POLICE made 45 arrests in just one day when Operation Avro returned to Bolton. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) runs Operation Avro in a different district within the force area each month in a bid to tackle the communi- ty’s main concerns. The day kicked off with sev- eral warrants conducted by GMP’s Challenger and Neigh- bourhood Policing Teams and the tactical aid unit of the North West Regional Organ- ised Crime Unit (NWROCU). As a result, 10 individu- als were arrested on suspi- cion of various drug related offences including being con- cerned in the supply of class A substances. Police discovered a can- nabis farm and seized 31 plants before an electrician make the residential address electrically safe. Other recoveries included class A and class B drugs, a zombie knife and criminal assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA). A total of 17 warrants took place, for a range of offences including possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs. A number of weapons were seized. Checks were made on vehi- cles on Manchester Road. That operation resulted in the issuing of 68 traffic offence reports (TOR), nine vehicle seizures, two speed- ing offences and six arrests on suspicion of a range of offences. They included driving under the influence of drugs, possession of ille- gal substances, and driving without insurance. A number of motorists were caught driving without seatbelts and using mobile phones while driving. Elsewhere, the force’s mounted unit was out on patrol, engaging with the community and showed a high-visibility presence. And the Cyber Crime Unit at NWROCU delivered four cease and desist notices to people who have been iden- tified from data relating to sales of illegal substances from dark web marketplaces. Neighbourhood officers and Trading Standards made visits to local shops to check all retailers were in compliance with health and safety regulations. This also resulted in the seizure of a “significant quantity of coun- terfeit goods”. Chief Inspector Chris Boyd, fromGMP’s Bolton dis- trict, said: “It has been great to see the hard work of our specialist teams, officers and partner agencies working together to deliver success- ful results in this operation. “Our focus this Avro has been the Safe4Summer ini- tiative – aimed at tackling crime in town centres, such as anti-social behaviour. “I’d like to thank our com- munities for speaking with us about the issues which matter most to them and to