LAW firm Asons has transformed the former home of The Bolton News into a new £1m headquarters featuring games rooms and a coffee shop.

The Personal Injury Solicitors firm will occupy the town centre building, formally known as ‘Newspaper House’, in Churchgate. The building, which has been empty since the Bolton News left in 2012, has undergone an £800,000 renovation. It spans over four floors and was bought for £1.1million.

The new-look building boasts a coffee shop and roof terrace as well as ‘gaming' areas with a pool table and table football, a games console and slot car racing.

Imran Akram, Asons CEO, said: “This sort of clean, technology, themed environment is what people want to work in.

“The days of just going to work and going home are gone, as an employer you need to give your staff a high standard of living. People spend more time at work than they do at home.”

The firm has huge expansion plans – it already employs 150 staff and the number is set to increase by another 100.

Mr Akram said he wants employees to “have fun” at work. He added: “It isn’t a pressured environment here, we want to bring a bit of fun into the office. We will be having ‘short Fridays’ where staff finish at 3.15pm, dress down Friday and Mondays and games.”

The firm had planned to build a state-of-the-art £7 million premises in Clarence Street, but after former Chancellor George Osborne announced a crack-down on claims for minor injuries in the legal industry, Asons was forced to restructure its business and opted for the less costly option of converting the existing Newspaper House building. The land was then transferred back to Bolton Council.

A spokesman for Bolton Council said: "As Asons were not able to develop this site, the land has transferred back into the council's ownership and we will now be able to pursue alternative development."

Centrally located, the new office is 24,000 square feet, four times the size of the firm’s former site in Chorley New Road.

There are a number of meeting rooms, hangout areas, kitchens and high specification bathroom facilities, plus open space office areas, a multi-faith room and relaxation room.

The roof terrace, which will open next summer, will also be used as an open top ‘chill-out’ area as well as a work space.

Mr Akram said: “I wanted to incorporate a fun school like environment. I think we can learn a lot from the education system. Everyone is still a kid at heart.”

Mr Akram added: “I think being in the town centre will bring in a lot more custom and it is a very scenic area for staff.

“Bolton Council have been very supportive and we just hope to carry on business as usual when we open and hopefully bring in other areas of law.”