A GOVERMENT minister has praised a wildlife area that just 10 years ago was an industrial wasteland.

Ian Mcarthy described Wigan's flashes as the environmental jewel in the region's crown.

Mr McCartney a former Wigan planning councillor, said : "What has happened in Wigan is nothing short of a miracle. This intricate network of waterways and habitats is contributing to the sustainability of the planet."

The flashes, covering 620 acres, were once a coal mining site.

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