BOLTON weathered the storm before being transformed into a winter wonderland. The region had braced itself for Storm Christoph which threatened to cause havoc, with flood warnings in place - but fortunately the borough seemed to have escaped the worst of it, with emergency services taking action to prevent major flooding. Fire crews were mobilised to Stoneclough yesterday. Firefighters from Bolton Central worked hard to stop the flood water, caused by a nearby brook that had burst its banks, affecting a number of small businesses in Vale Street. They used specialist equipment to stop the flood water. Crews were on the scene into the early hours of today after being called on Wednesday afternoon.