BRAINS: The new Brain of Bury was 15-year-old Bury Grammar School pupil Nicholas Hoyle of Hilltop Drive, Tottington. Nicholas answered all questions correct in the local heat of the national Superbrain contest organised by MENSA, except for the second part of question nine.

DOGS: Packs of dogs roaming Bury's streets due to irresponsible owners were causing concern to the public. However, Bury Council decided the problem was not serious enough to merit the employment of dog wardens.

HOUSING: A survey revealed that there were more than 7,200 houses in Bury, 11 per cent of the council's housing stock, which needed improving. KIDNAP: A Whitefield man was jailed for 12 years this week for his "cool calculated" abduction of a pools winner's daughter. The 39-year-old was convicted of kidnapping the Radcliffe youngster, who was six at the time, and blackmail. He demanded £100,000 ransom for her safe return from her father who won £507,000 on Littlewoods Pools in April of that year.

HI-TECH: Bury Area Health Authority, the smallest in the region, was preparing to become the most computerised authority in the North West with all medical details of the borough's schoolchildren set to be stored in a new database for easy access.

WANDERERS: Garry Johnstone got the 18th birthday present of his life when he signed on as a professional footballer with Bolton Wanderers. Garry of Hawthorn Crescent, Tottington, played for his school team and was also selected for the schoolboy county team.

SAFETY: Plans for the creation of a special security unit for violent psychiatric patients at Prestwich Hospital were being strongly opposed by worried nurses who feared the new wing would threaten their safety and that of the community surrounding the hospital.