Bolton Marks and Spencer ‘squatters’ could be film crews

Passers-by reported earlier this month that they had seen people going into and out of the site on Deansgate, which has been closed since April 2023.

But after council staff check inside the building and found no sign of people accessing the inside, it is understood that film crews may have hired and made use of the site.

Last week, a Bolton Council spokesperson said: “Security staff have done a check of the building and found no evidence that anyone has accessed internally.

“However, we are aware that on occasion, there have been individuals residing behind the hoarding.

The building has been empty since 2023 (Image: Newsquest)

“Our next step will be to arrange a joint site visit with the Homeless Welfare Team and Greater Manchester Police so that we can engage with the individuals, offer appropriate support, and safely move them from the area.

“Once this has been completed, the site can be secured.”

Bolton has proved to be a popular location for film and television crews in recent years and in 2025 the council capitalised on this by establishing a film unit.

The town has been dubbed “The Hollywood of the North” with 140 days of filming having taken place over 2024 alone, a significant jump on the 80 days of filming seen in 2023.

Since 2020, Bolton has hosted 95 productions and 370 days of filming ranging from student films, documentaries, and light entertainment to high-end TV.

Peaky Blinders, Ridley, Happy Valley, A Gentleman in Moscow and many other productions will have backdrops familiar to Bolton viewers having been filmed partly in the borough.

Other television series featuring the town include It’s a Sin, Brassic, Top Gear, Alma’s Not Normal, Coronation Street, Cobra, Years and Years, Ridley, Red Rose, Sherwood and Talamasca.

Bolton Council bought the Marks and Spencer building for £15m back in 2019 as part of its wider £1 billion town centre masterplan.

Marks and Spencer announced it was closing the Deansgate branch in 2023 in response to changing retail habits but has maintained and expanded its Middlebook branch.