Archive

A MAN who landed in hot water for not doing community work has had his sentence extended. Craig Eccles has not complied with the requirements of an 80 hours community service order. On appearing before Preston Crown Court, a judge ordered that another

JUST into March - and already the champions of Leigh & District Amateur Football League have cracked the champagne. Higher Fold LC took the Division One title with Leigh Sportsmen kingpins of Division Two. The big race sees Higher Fold a full TWELVE

RAMPAGE: A 32-ton bulldozer from a quarry at Castle Hill Road, Bury, careered driverless on a 1-mile £1,000 trail of destruction, barely two hours before the people of Birtle had fixed a public meeting to protest against quarry workings. NAUGHTY: Two

GIANT sponges will be pushed through water mains beneath the streets of Blackburn and Darwen over the next few weeks at a cost of £200,000. North West Water is splashing the cash to swab the inside of its biggest trunk mains in the towns. About 50 kilometres

A DRIVER died early today after collapsing at the wheel of his Land Rover. The man, who is in his seventies, was delivering milk and was driving in New Row, off Burnley Road, Weir, Bacup, at 5.45am when the vehicle went out of control, crashed into a

HOMELESSNESS charity workers have asked Home Secretary Jack Straw for guidance after day centre staff in another part of the country were jailed after drug dealers were found in the garden of a day centre. Six workers from Blackburn drop-in centre Nightsafe

But because the mayor is a (shock horror) woman, so she's been banned! So her husband and consort, Philip, will be taking over the chains for the night to host the event, with proceeds going to the Mayoral Charity Fund. Ex-Liverpool star Joey Jones and

A HUGE wave of angry protests by customers of a town's bank have led their MP to demand a rethink over closure proposals. Residents of Earby are outraged that the Barclays branch will close down on April 7. Now Pendle MP Gordon Prentice has written to

THE entire world is waiting to help Bury's young students with their homework, questions and queries. The borough's library service has linked in to the Internet to open up the vast resources of the world-wide web for pupils. Now, virtually at the touch

RESIDENTS of Bury's East Ward can find out for themselves just what future improvements are planned for their area. An exhibition opened to the public on Thursday (March 2) and will be staged again this Saturday (March 4). It details some of the initiatives

Division Two: Burnley v Preston North End - Pete Oliver's match preview WITH Preston striker Jonathan Macken topping the Second Division scoring charts and last season's hot-shot Steve Basham champing at the bit again, it's not the best time for Burnley

FEARS that one of the area's biggest historic halls is in financial difficulty are to be investigated by concerned county councillors. Members of Samlesbury Hall claim the building, in Preston New Road, is running out of cash and has been forced to make

THE wife of a former Blackburn special policeman being held in India accused of drug smuggling believes her husband is innocent - saying he was in the country to undergo specialist massage treatment. PC Shabir Mubarak, 40, was arrested with four other

A GLOWING tribute to retired Detective Chief Inspector Fred Taylor, whose reminiscences appeared on this page recently, has popped up in my mailbag. It comes from Ray Douglas of Kiln Lane, Eccleston, who writes: "I would regard him as being the best-

Division One: Tranmere Rovers v Blackburn Rovers - Peter White's match preview JUST under a decade ago, it was the Rovers of Blackburn who were on the march. Now it's Tranmere's turn and, while no-one expects the Premiership title to turn up at Prenton

PNE Women 7, Morecambe 0 PRESTON pressured Morecambe throughout this U16 women's football game in what proved to be a comfortable victory. Preston went ahead after earlier misses when Natalie Brewer's pass to Gemma Turner was knocked on for Joanne Ball

ON-SONG Burnley will look to deliver the loudest warning shot yet to their promotion rivals by beating second-placed Preston North End at a packed Turf Moor tomorrow. An undefeated seven-match run has lifted the Clarets to within five points of their

TALL people being buried in Bury will incur extra funeral charges because of the cost of digging bigger graves! The council is to bring in a £50 charge for burying anyone whose coffin is longer than 6ft 4ins. The news has astonished the town's lofty Labour

BAMBER Bridge are suffering a goal drought, which chairman Dennis Allen believes will soon be over. Brig have scored just 33 goals this season, more than 20 less than league leaders Leigh. Brig crashed 2-0 to Droylesden and drew 0-0 with Hyde last week

COULD the countryside margin of Blackbrook be the spookiest place in Britain? Certainly, they seem to be hot contenders for the title, according to all the mail I have received on this haunting subject. Following earlier readers' submissions, mentioning

DESPERATE times call for desperate measures. Jobless former soldier Andy Wightman (35) said he is left with no option but to publicly degrade and embarrass himself in his fight for employment. Mr Wightman, of Ripon Close, Whitefield, has taken to the

PEOPLE with a few hours to spare each week are needed to work in the Blind Welfare Society's charity shop, in Liverpool Road, Penwortham. Society director Peter Taylor said: "The charity relies on public support and donations to continue with services

IN last week's issue you reported on problems caused by speeding motorists and the inconsiderate parking of cars. I am well aware that police cannot be in constant attendance at the roadside to apprehend speeding motorists. However, they can call upon

SOLICITORS representing a father and son who were jailed following a feud between two Huncoat families have lodged an appeal against the conviction. Father-of-four Duncan Johnstone, 36, was sent to prison for nine months and his son, Duncan Cash Johnstone

Launch of International Women's Week, clock tower, Town Hall, Blackburn, 12 noon. Angie Palmer and Kath Cross in Concert, Darwen Library Theatre, 7.30pm. Clinical Open Day, Gynaecology Department and Colposcopy Unit, Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn,

A BRAVE teenager, whose life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with cancer, is to throw a life-line to other sufferers by abseiling down Peel Tower. And Sarah Hutchinson, pictured against the backdrop of the monument, is hoping local dare-devils

I WRITE to enquire whether council officers have published a programme yet for the building of the new bus station? The last news I heard was that the County Access and Mobility Officer was having a look at the plans. It seem that by an oversight, the

A WOMAN who helped lead the victorious campaign against the M62 relief road is demanding Whitefield's Hillock Estate shares in the "spoils" of WARR. And Mrs Ann Holt has claimed the area is being "discriminated" against after losing out on the distribution

AN AUCTION to match the finest Sotheby's sale is set to take place at the Mayor's Ball, next Friday, March 10, at Preston's Guild Hall, as an elegant dolls house goes under the hammer. The beautiful toy has been crafted by skilled members of Guild Enterprises

JEFF French can almost taste it now . . . the sizzling, sweet home-cured bacon of his youth, available by the freshly-cut slice from his neighbourhood farmer. Picking up on our blind milk-float pony theme, which has been cantering across this page for

MR Wilf Ainscow, former chairman and editor of the Bury Times, has died at the age of 92. He passed away suddenly on Saturday (Feb 26) while undergoing respite care at Bealey Community Hospital, Radcliffe. Radcliffe born and bred, he attended Stand Independent

A GROUP of Ribble Valley youngsters (pictured) mixed with royalty on a visit to the high-profile London Eye. The Year 7 pupils from St Mary's Hall, Stonyhurst, were next in line behind Prince Andrew, the Duchess of York and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie

I FULLY sympathise with Cllr Denwood's comments about split litter bags and scattered rubbish on collection day (letters, February 17). However, if she were to venture into the West End she would find that we have to live with that same situation almost

COUNCIL tax bills in Bury are to go up at twice the rate of inflation. A 4.9 per cent increase in bills will come into force from next month. The increase will add £26 to bills in Band A houses, meaning residents will have to find £567 in 2000/2001. People

HAVING read the article by Dave Watts in the Star, I feel angry at the implication that we are trying to take away people's rights or frightening. What we are trying to do is to tell them the facts, and the effect this bill will have, which is frightening

THE whole of Hag Fold estate is invited to a fun day which could help map out the future. Being held between 11-4 on Saturday at Meadowbank School the family fun day is a joint venture between Wigan Council, the community mapping team and regeneration

PUB regulars were left to drown their sorrows elsewhere when their favourite watering hole was closed by flooding. The washout at the Pack Horse Hotel, Grane Road, near Belthorn, came as rain caused flooding across East Lancashire yesterday. Roads, homes

THANKS you for this website. It has made my day to find it and catch up on local news. I am formerly of Lancaster, now residing in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and it was with some interest I read a letter from a lady in Bowerham re: bullying. I emigrated

BLIND and partially sighted people are being trained to help other visually impaired people find work. Action for Blind People and Wigan and Leigh College have joined forces to pilot a training course developed by visually impaired tutor Derek Hitchen

AT last the District Auditor is to interview council officers and members, past and present, about the unresolved scandal of Blobbygate. Let us hope that his thoroughness is as great as his slowness so that Messrs Pearson, Corker and Wilson will finally

HOW pleasant it is to see how much the condition of local parks and Bury cemetery has improved over this past year. Clarence Park, on Walmersley Road, and Manchester Road Park both now look tidy and cared for. New railings and playgrounds for children

THE disclosure (LET, February 24) that 20 per cent more people are killed on East Lancashire roads than the national average, and that some traffic schemes are actually making roads more dangerous, shows how wise the people of Netherton in Great Harwood

BIG-hearted Leigh bakers will dough-nate part of their profits to help needy children. Waterfield's 30 shops are taking part in a charity extravaganza to raise money for Save The Children, by pledging six pence for every doughnut sold during National

ONE of my responsibilities is as chairman of the Bury Drug Action Team, which exists to co-ordinate efforts to prevent drug abuse and minimise its harmful effects. I therefore deplore the puerile letter (Bury Times, Jan 28) from Martin Ball, Campaign

ONCE again, the traders of Blackburn have had the benefit of Councillor Ashley Whalley's 'wisdom' regarding the proposed closure of Church Street (LET, February 22). He seems somehow desperate that the penny should drop among the majority of Blackburn's

ANCHOR man Dave Jones has a pile of tapes in his locker. His Hindley Green based video production company Anchor Video has been upgraded following a grant from Wigan Cultural Industries Development Fund. Now wedding, sports and party film specialist Dave

YET again I read that 'bobbies' are being invited to travel on buses, in an attempt to reassure passengers that public transport is safe (Citizen, February 24). This idea was mooted a couple of years ago and, at that time, I pointed out that responsibility

A LOCAL superstore has issued a funfair challenge to help sick children. Golborne Asda is seeking teams of between seven and 10 people to join in the car park contest which runs until Sunday. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Pendlebury Children's

IT was with almost disbelief, and certainly a very heavy heart, to hear of the passing of the greatest soccer player ever to have played the game: Sir Stanley Matthews. It was as a young boy that I was privileged to have seen him play for England at Wembley

IN response to R Pickup (Letters, February 8), I would just like to say that 88 per cent of the public prefer using dishwashers. I hope you can see the point of this statistic - that it isn't true. Anyone can conjure up a figure and say it's the truth

GREAT gran Vera Walters is in the prime of her life at 84. For this week Vera was "leaping" for joy when she celebrated her 21st! Born on February 29 she has only had an official birthday every Leap Year. "I didn't have a 21st in 1937, I had one in 1936

I WRITE in response to Mr Magnall's letter (Feb 18) headlined: "Would they have done all this?" Firstly, the initial meeting between Ramsbottom Angling Society and Mr Magnall took place at the Rostron Arms in Edenfield, not the Footballers in Summerseat

STAFF at a Preston resource centre for the unemployed found out that it was to close by reading about it in the Citizen. Preston Borough Council voted to scrap Open House as part of its savings for the year's budget, but it seems no-one consulted staff

LEIGH Labour MP hopeful Mark Hale has admitted to The Journal that he is one of four councillors involved in 'Town Hall computer pornography' allegations. And he said he would do the same again -- to protect his family. "But I would have spoken to senior

I REFER to Mr Robinson's letter, suggesting greater priority to dog excrement than litter. I am a dog owner but am just as revolted as he is when a walk in the park involves shoe, clothes or even small children being covered in dog faeces. This is so

I WISH the residents of Lonsdale Street the best of luck in their "battle of the fence" (Bury Times, Feb 25), but I suspect their protests and petition will be met with the bland indifference we have come to expect from our "caring, listening, Labour

AS someone who makes a living by driving heavy lorries in and out of places like Woolfold Trading Estate, I feel I must reply to the letter in the Bury Times (Feb 25). While I fully sympathise with the views and fears of correspondent Ms Dunning, I would

ZIMBABWE leg-spinner Paul Strang is one of a handful of targets being considered by Haslingden as professional for this summer. Bentgate chairman Ernie Taylor confirmed today that Haslingden had, in fact, spoken to Strang who is currently out of favour

CHAOS is set to reign over Preston town centre for the next 30 weeks after work began on upgrading the town's Victorian sewers. North West Water is pumping £480,000 to reline 750 metres of sewer which runs from Syke Hill via Avenham Lane, Syke Street,

THERE has been some recent criticism directed at police officers who issued fixed penalty tickets to vehicles parked on Chapel Street, Tottington, in the vicinity of St Anne's Church. On a short section of this road there is a system of single yellow

PRESTON police chiefs have hailed Operation Dividend a success - and the tactics will be used again in the future. The five-week operation saw large numbers of officers flood problem areas in an attempt to find the cause of local crime from law-abiding

ENTREPRENEURS have been given the chance to make their mark on Preston by investing in the town's toilets! That's the verdict of the borough's environment supremo Councillor Albert Richardson, following the decision to close all but a few of Preston's

IAIN Balshaw is dreaming of another taste of Six Nations action in England's crunch battle with Wales at Twickenham on Saturday. The former Stonyhurst College student came on as a second half substitute in England's victory over the French at the Stade

A PRESTON man was the victim of a daylight attack in Chorley town centre on Tuesday. Mehl Singh, 26, was knocked down by a car in Water Street at 6pm, then set on fire by the driver. He is now recovering in the Royal Preston Hospital where his condition

THREE of last year's most acclaimed and best-selling games, Tomb Raider 111, Commandoes - Behind Enemy Lines and Warzone 2100, are being released by Eidos Interactive on its Premier Collection budget label. The titles will be available on PC CD-Rom in

A PRESTON man died after being involved in a horrific accident on the M6. Anthony John Anstery, 52, of Teil Green, Fulwood, Preston died instantly when his van was hit from behind and piled into the crash barrier. A lorry driver has been arrested on charges

ACCRINGTON Stanley striker Liam Watson believes his new team-mates have nothing to fear when they take on Worksop Town in the semi-finals of the UniBond Challenge Cup tomorrow. The Tigers are currently eighth in the UniBond Premier Division and go into

READERS of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph voted against a bill to ban hunting. Just over 59 per cent of callers who rang our telephone voteline asking if they agreed with the Wild Mammals (Protection) Bill said a big 'no'. Out of the 436 who responded

POLICE are searching for a man who indecently assaulted a 17-year-old college student in a Leyland park. He dragged the girl, who was on her way to a college party, into bushes in Worden Park, Leyland, late on Saturday evening. He tore her clothes off

ROSSENDALE UNITED can strengthen their position in the race for promotion from the FNWTL First Division when they make the short trip to lowly Bootle. Leaders Vauxhall, and fellow title rivals Newcastle and Mossley are all locked in Carlsberg FA Vase

THE wife of a Leyland bobby being held in India accused of drug smuggling believes her husband is innocent. Leyland Police Station's PC Shabir Mubarak, 40, was arrested with four other men on Friday, February 18, after officials at Bombay airport found

A PRESTON mum who endured a childhood of rape and sexual abuse, plans to celebrate the anniversary of her abusers' conviction by holding a rally to help other victims. Samlesbury mum-of-two Bernadette Rogers will spend Thursday, March 23, at Preston Flag

THE axing of 450 jobs at the Burnley works of car components makers TRW - formerly part of the Lucas empire - is a bombshell blow to the region's economy. Halving of the factory's workforce will end many well-paid jobs and reduce East Lancashire's skills

BURNLEY MP Peter Pike supports an application for permission for a leisure complex and equestrian centre at Crow Wood Farm, Burnley. The application has been put to Burnley Council by Andrew Brown Leisure Ltd and is being studied by the Government Office

A THIEF who helped himself to £130 from a market stall till - and who has 42 previous convictions for theft - has kept his freedom. Burnley magistrates heard that John Magnus Gilbert Meikle, 31, a former heroin addict who was put on probation the week

ST GEORGE'S High School, in Marton, has opened its new science labs. Science has come a long way in the last 43 years and the school felt it was time for a change. Virtually all students leave St George's with two GCSEs in co-ordinated sciences, and the

YOUNG cross country runners at a Lytham school have completed their league. Thirty athletes from King Edward VII and Queen Mary School competed in the Stanley Park series of four races. Nick Hamilton, Emily Wildon and Matthew Appleby all won individual

HAYDOCK Park is first past the post in another major awards competition. Along with its caterers, Letheby & Christopher, the course has won the 1999 Boursot Racecourse Catering Awards. Sponsors managing director, wine merchant Guy Boursot presented

A MAN found hanged in the stairwell of a multi-storey car park was under police investigation, an inquest heard. The body of Bryan Woodford, 40, of The Moorings, Burnley, was discovered by an attendant at St Peter's multistorey car park on Saturday. Police

Bridlington 26 Vale of Lune 17 Vale's game lacked its usual snap in this defeat away to Yorkshire rivals Bridlington on Saturday. They tended to go down the same channels and their failure to engage the backs proved unproductive. Brid on the other hand

WHEN it comes to drinking ale, there's one Fleetwood man who DOES do things by half! Ninety-two halves in fact as he tried to taste every beer at a real ale festival over one weekend. Ian Shergold (pictured) had a mission to try every single ale on offer

NORTH Lancashire Victim Support is looking for new volunteers as a new survey reveals that many local people are losing faith in the criminal justice system. With the Government setting new targets to cut crime, a nationwide survey by Victim Support has

A BUMPER basketball and hockey sports package for youngsters has been launched by St Helens Council. Hockey sessions for boys and girls aged seven to 16 are being held on Thursdays from 4.30 to 6pm at Broadway Leisure Centre, Grange Park. These cost just

THESE two gymnasts from a Lancaster primary school won gold this week. Amy Appleton, 8, and Jordan Sparks, 10, won gold medals at the North West Schools Championships in Wigan. They are now through to the national finals. Willow Lane School made a clean

I AM in total agreement with the person who calls for Section 28 not to be scrapped. I am the parent of a 10-year-old and I do not wish my child to be taught about homosexuality in school. I also believe it is up to our Christian leaders, Conservative

PENSIONERS and other vulnerable people could be left without a doctor following the retirement of Plungington's only GP. Councillors fear nearby family doctors will turn away those who need to visit their GP most, because they will be too much of a drain

REIGNING 250cc British Champion John McGuinness heads off to Daytona next week to defend another one of his many titles. The 25-year-old from Morecambe became the first British winner of the 250cc Florida classic last year following Luis Lavado's controversial

Parr Hare & Hounds 0, Adlington 46 HOUNDS were no match for promotion contenders Adlington but they could at least take some comfort from a spirited second-half display. Rangers began impressively with the strong running of full-back Roden and back-row

THEY'VE done it yet again! Lancaster's phenomenally successful water polo were crowned as British Champions on Sunday at Salt Ayre. They won the right to host the championship finals this year after winning the treble last season when they also won the

THE family of 94-year-old Molly Potter who died after being mugged outside her Lancaster home spoke of their sadness this week. Molly was badly injured as a result of the robbery on Edenvale Crescent on the Vale on Monday, February 21 as she returned

SIDAC dumped Warrington Guardian Cup holders Whiston Cross out of this year's competition. Their scorers in a 3-2 victory were Graham Mitchell, Mark Fairclough and Mike Clarke. And in the Warrington League's Rylands Cup, Sidac Reserves overwhelmed Beeches

Morecambe 3, Altrincham 3 MORECAMBE very nearly got their first win of the millennium on Saturday but a goal four minutes from time robbed them of victory. Although conceding a late goal was disappointing the Shrimps will take heart that they at least

Wigan St Judes A 12, Thatto Heath Crusaders 75 HEATH completely took apart their National Cup fourth round opponents on Saturday. However, the first half saw St Judes use their knowledge of the pitch to put up a strong resistance to the constant Thatto

A GROUP of Lytham volunteers are making it their mission to free political prisoners from around the world. Lytham St Annes Amnesty International group has already helped secure the release of a professor from a Korean jail and now their attention has

THE council's latest financial cock-up has been settled the Citizen can exclusively reveal. This week officers had an offer to settle the long-running dispute with Civic Illuminations Ltd accepted by the legal team representing the Cumbrian-based company

THE town's rising football stars are aiming for a cup final spot. The St Helens McDonald's JOL under 16s side meet the Craven Minor League in the semi-final of the Merseyside Inter-League Competition at Edge Hill, Ormskirk, this Saturday. And the under

IN reply to Robert McDougall's letter "Churches have no relevance today" in the Citizen (February 17), I would like to invite Mr. McDougall to come to our church, Fylde Christian Service Church, St Andrew's Road North, St Annes. Our church is full of

BLACKPOOL boss Steve McMahon looks to have fallen out with David Bardsley once again. The Seasiders defender is worried his Achilles injury could be career threatening, but boss McMahon has pencilled in Bardsley to play against Notts County on Saturday

JAMAICAN Christopher Dawes has left Deepdale after failing to impress North End bosses. The World Cup star flew in from the Caribbean and played in the reserve team in the 2-2 draw against Burnley, without even training with the players. But manager David

I WOULD like to pay a very big thank you to The Citizen for the well written and truthful report of the proceedings from the meeting at the Town Hall on Wednesday (Feb 23) regarding the elephants at Blackpool Zoo. I would also like to thank the minority

Leeds Rhinos 26, Saints 20 THE ultimate in heart-stopping cliff-hangers -- that was the feast of Challenge Cup fare at cauldron Headingley on Saturday. For in this compelling fifth round tie underdogs Saints' led 12-2 at the break, then reeled in face

PLANS to create a huge primary health care trust to cover the whole of North Lancashire and Cumbria are to go out to public consultation. The proposals for a merger between primary care groups in Lancaster, Kendal and Barrow will be presented to the public

A SELL-OUT crowd will fill Turf Moor on Saturday when Preston arrive at Burnley on Saturday for what could prove to be the most important game of the season. But before Preston get too excited about their popularity, it's the appeal of Ian Wright which

UNDER normal circumstances, I would not bother to respond to letters in the local paper. Mr McDougall's jaundiced view of the modern Christian Church (Citizen, Feb 17) makes me respond on this occasion. Let me deal with his points in turn: Firstly, the

THE Pontin's chain of holiday sites, including the one at Blackpool, is to be sold. Fourteen holiday sites will be disposed off by Scottish and Newcastle Breweries in addition to its group of Centre Parcs holiday villages. Pontin's public relations manager

A NEWSAGENT and his wife spoke of their fight with a masked robber wielding a knife this week. Richard, 62, and Julie Liver, 39, were working in their shop on Torrisholme Road on Scale Hall at about 2.45pm on Tuesday when a masked man entered brandishing

Newcastle Town 0, St Helens Town 1 TOWN upset the Newcastle bandwagon with a great win on Saturday, when a minute's silence was observed before kick-off in respect to Sir Stanley Matthews. Town had endured a gruelling two hours Floodlit Trophy tie against

EVER since I've been involved in local politics Mr Peter Roscoe has regularly used the letters pages of the local press to attack me. Reasoning that the experience is "rather like being savaged by a dead sheep", it's been a long time since I felt the

A FLEETWOOD museum has netted a multi-thousand pound award to help it make a hi-tech "voyage." The "Netting the Bay" project has received £54,000 from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to improve its information technology-based maritime exhibits

DAVID Moyes now has the squad he believes can win the Division Two title. The North End manager revealed that with his latest signings, he feels that his side are better than last season, and that he doesn't need to bolster it any more. He signed Ian

CARR Mill FC and Shoe FC areopening up a gap at the top of the St Helens Star Premier Division. Carr Mill won 5-1 win at East Sutton Labour, with goals from Gary Ball (2), Tony Costello (2) and Paul Barton, the reply being scored by Peter Cummings. Shoe

OWEN Oyston has won a legal battle with the Parole Board that will set free hundreds of prisoners fighting to clear their names. The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Bingham, and two other appeal court judges turned down an appeal by the Parole Board on Wednesday

PUPILS imagined what it would be like to live 100 years ago when mugs were handed out to mark an Accrington school's centenary. Children at Spring Hill Primary School, in Exchange Street, were handed the mugs by Queen Victoria, who was played by Doreen

SEDGLEY PARK trio Rob Moon, Andy Kimmins and Adam Smith played their parts in a thrilling 29-22 victory for Lancashire against the RAF at Park Lane on Wednesday night. Forward Kimmins and Moon, on the wing, started the game and Smith came on early in

DAVID Moyes has shrugged of the threat posed by Ian Wright ahead of the weekend's derby game. Speaking to the Citizen, Moyes revealed that the ex-England international was not even a passing thought for him before the game. The North End manager revealed

THE plight of hard pressed hospital staff was highlighted during the recent flu crisis. But many hospitals rely too on the help of volunteers to provide services which make visits more comfortable. The Leigh Infirmary WRVS shop is just one of them - and

POLICE are looking for volunteers to help in a campaign to crackdown on crime. Operation Arrival V will target car crime, anti-social behaviour and burglary and will initially run over the Easter and May Day holidays. As with last year's operation the

LEGAL action has been authorised by St Helens councillors pressing for the removal of cars and car parts from land at Rainhill which is within the Green Belt. A council officer who visited the site at Yew Tree Farm, Bell Lane, reported up to 50 vehicles

FRIDAY: CHAIRMAN Bryan Gray pledged more cash for manager David Moyes to strengthen the squad for the end of season run, which explains why every new player is on loan! SATURDAY: DAVID Moyes urged fans to look at the bigger picture following the 2-0 defeat

A 24-year-old Darwen man has appeared in court charged with assaults and a kidnapping involving three 15-year-old Darwen youths. Sultan Aslam, of St John's Avenue, is charged with assaulting one of the youths on February 11 causing actual bodily harm,

CRAIG RANDALL will come into the reckoning as Swinton Lions get back into action at Whitehaven on Sunday (kick-off 3.30pm). The former Salford, Halifax and Widnes second rower will be in the 17 that travel to the Recreation Ground in Cumbria on Sunday

MEETING the Queen is becoming a regular date for Atherton councillor Joe Clarke. Last Tuesday he and his wife, Minnie, were at Buckingham Palace to collect the OBE he was awarded in the Millennium honours list. Joe received the distinction for his role

THE St Helens Schoolboys under 11s A team were held to a 1-1 draw by visitors Newcastle-under-Lyme at the weekend. The A team dominated but allowed the opposition a few breakaway chances. And from one of them Newcastle scored a super solo goal. With five

Oh dear, has our fan put the kabosh on Preston's great run to promotion? North End has lost top spot on the table, and they can't find many transfers wanting to live in this neck of the woods . I WISH I'd never mentioned wobble, or wheels coming off last

Wycombe Wanderers 3, Bury 0 RED Indian totems on the centre circle before the game and tannoyed tom tom drums to herald every Wanderers corner kick -- a trip to Adams Park is like stepping into a Western film set these days! But if that's the case there

A LOWTON retirement estate opens its door to the public on Saturday. Elmridge Court, off Fir Tree Avenue, where freedom and pets are welcome, has been hailed as a real alternative to residential care. Built in partnership between the Hanover Housing Association

A TORY councillor has accused Labour colleagues of being "all spin with no facts" about proposed increases to Lancashire's schools budgets. Coun Bill Thompson spoke out at a Lancashire County Council meeting saying that the eight per cent increase in

DEBBIE Emmott has been appointed environmental and quality manager at Neales Waste Management in Blackburn. Debbie joins the firm from Coloroll in Nelson where she held a similar position. At Neales she will be responsible for helping the firm achieve

PRESTON North End fly into this weekend knowing that the next two games could have a massive influence on their promotion aspirations. David Moyes takes a side to Burnley this weekend which, in theory, is the strongest he has had all season. Steve Basham

COURT closure tactics have brought quick draw accusations from the House of Commons. Probing Leigh MP Lawrence Cunliffe has criticised the actions of North and West Greater Manchester Magistrates' Courts Committee and Bolton Council. He asked justices

A LOCAL family business which has been established in St Helens for more than 90 years has joined the high-tech world of the Internet. Bartons Pickles, based in Lascelles Street, Fingerpost, is now selling its famous products through the Food from Britain

PNE 0, Gillingham 2 THE forty-six hurdle promotion race which is the second divison now has a whole posse of clubs challenging at the top and Preston North End, despite clattering the last two fences, still remain in second place with a vital game in

THOUSANDS upon thousands of words have been written in the last seven days about the life of Sir Stanley Matthews, the football legend who died last Wednesday (February 23). He was indisputably the greatest player ever to wear the tangerine shirt of Blackpool

A LEIGH couple's search for their runaway 'baby' has ended in tragedy. Susan and Peter Brierley, of Scott Road, Lowton, found their four years old golden retriever Gus, drowned in the canal at Plank Lane. A heartbroken Susan, who has been searching for

POLICE are warning Poulton residents to be extra vigilant following a spate of burglaries over the weekend. Between February 25 and 28, eleven houses were broken into, which police say represents a very noticeable increase in crime for the normally quiet

KAREN Ratcliffe, a Modern Apprentice at Lunn Poly's Holiday Shop in the Hardshaw Centre, has won a top prize in a competition run by St Helens Chamber. (The full list of Chamber winners appeared exclusively in last week's St Helens Star) Despite facing

A LEIGH man has launched a lone campaign to improve safety in Firs Lane. He claims the "Beirut-like area is a death trap". Dave Kindley, of Firs Lane, claims he has been working for improvements since before Christmas. It was then he contacted Road Safety

A LANCASTER family were advised by their son's school to hire a minder to protect him from bullies this week. The concerned parents were left stunned by the school's response to their appeal for help to stamp out bullying on the school bus. The shocked

BAMBER Bridge are suffering a goal drought, which chairman Dennis Allen believes will soon be over. Brig have scored just 33 goals this season - more than 20 less than league leaders Leigh. Brig crashed 2-0 to Droylesden and drew 0-0 with Hyde last week

THE Hamblett School has been adjudged among the top 10 per cent of special schools in the country by Goverment inspectors. All the schools were graded by OFSTED based on evidence from their inspections and in each of the three areas, quality of education

A YOUNG man plunged to his death from a fourth floor balcony on the final night of a sunshine holiday in Portugal. But an inquest failed to unravel the mystery of why 22-year-old Shaun Turley's two-week holiday on Portugal's Algarve coast ended in tragedy

THIS Oasis fanatic queued through the night to make the first purchase in the area of the band's latest album release - only to declare: "it's absolute rubbish!" Rabbie Kadhim, 19, was one of about 50 fans to queue outside Lancaster's HMV store which

LABOUR supporters were celebrating today after retaining the Nelson county council seat. But victorious Labour candidate Colin Waite, who won the seat by just 62 votes, will have to go through it all again in just over a year's time. The election, held

A CHARITY line dance evening is being organised to raise money to provide computer equipment for a primary school repeatedly targeted by thieves. Jenny Collins, owner of Way Out West in North Road, is teaming up with the Broncobusters dance group to stage

THOUSANDS of pounds of tax-payers money is being wasted by pranksters who keep pouring bubble bath in Lancaster's Market Square fountain, according to the city's chief engineer. This week police arrested a 14-year-old boy who was caught pouring the bubble

A LEIGH home owner has challenged Wigan Metro to get its own house in order before pursuing private landlords who leave empty properties to rot. He claims that council-owned properties in Plank Lane have been boarded up, empty and vandalised for years

BURY businesses are being given a gilt-edged chance to develop, thanks to Bolton and Bury Chamber's Business Link. A series of business development workshops are to be staged at the Link's headquarters in Walmersley Road, Bury. Later this month, a two-day

A BID to bring £25million government cash to regenerate some of the most deprived wards in the country has been launched. Among the initiatives it would pay for are developing a weekend college and summer school, a "hit squad" to tackle fly tipping and

A ROBBER threatened to shoot terrified staff at a Rainhill bank before escaping with a large amount of cash. The robber made his move at about 4.10pm on Tuesday, February 22 at the HSBC Bank in Dane Court and pointed what appeared to be a gun wrapped

RESIDENTS and tenants on Ryelands claim they are being left in the dark about future plans for the estate. With £4 million in the bank to spend on redeveloping or renovating Ryelands, the council has sent out teams of cavassers to assess local opinion

THE future of a Pendle primary school which faces "serious financial, personnel and educational difficulties" is in doubt. A public consultation exercise has been called for by the education authority over the future of Rainhall Road school, Barnoldswick

A COMMONS debate on the future of the car component industry - which employs thousands across East Lancashire - has been called for after the bombshell news of 450 job losses at the former Lucas plant in Burnley. Top level meetings between union leaders

MEMBERS of a community who feared they would be stranded by a lengthy road closure have been thrown a lifeline by Merseytravel. The company has laid on an emergency bus link for residents of the Broad Oak area of Parr while work is being done on a stretch

BURY-based design and build contractors Thomas Barnes and Sons have won a clutch of new awards totalling £5.3 million. The contracts include a prestige new office for the Bury Times, to be built on a site adjoining its existing base in the town's Market

Cancer couple's heartbreaking wait for a private shower A DISABLED woman who is caring for her 12-year-old grandson claims she has been refused a shower to help her wash her seriously ill husband. Shirley Park, 53, who is awaiting operations on her liver

A COUNCILLOR has resigned from the Labour Party following the vote in favour of using electric goads on elephants at Blackpool Zoo. Councillor Peter Wood, who has been the sitting member for the Stanley ward since 1995, said he had left the party in disgust

TWO pub-goers were sprayed in the face with CS gas in Ramsbottom on Saturday (Feb 26). The men were forced to run for air outside the Clarence Hotel, in Bolton Street, after the attack that came just minutes before last orders. Ambulances were called,

STAND-OFF Radney Bowker is earmarked for a quickfire return when Leigh set off for Keighley on Sunday for the second leg of their away games trilogy. A crucial win at Hull KR last Sunday has set Leigh up nicely for the trip to Cougar Park. It's a venue

PHILIP Wheelhouse, advertisement director with the Bury Times Group, is leaving to take up a newly-created post within Newsquest. He has been appointed to the position of Head of Digital Media (Bury, Bolton and Leigh). Philip (40), who lives in Ramsbottom

TWO armed raiders made off with £1,000 from takeaway hot food shop. The men, brandishing a knife and a handgun, burst into the Kentucky Fried Chicken shop in Bury New Road, Prestwich. One man, armed with a gun, detained one shop assistant while his accomplice

GERMAN students are learning the language of business in Bury. Eleven visitors from Roche Diagnostics in Mannheim are spending three weeks in the Bury area to research business training. Their stay is part-funded by the European Union's Leonardo Fund

A BADLY decomposed body discovered in Heaton Park is that of a missing Prestwich lecturer. Jewellery and a watch were used to identify Mr Philip McGinlay who disappeared from his home in Polefield Road on January 8. Mountain rescue teams and search dogs

DAVE Watts has spoken out to assure townsfolk that the Government is committed to giving people a choice on how they have their benefits paid. The St Helens North MP said: "I understand that the introduction of new technology is causing some concern to

TEENAGERS in Bury are being taught hard-hitting life messages away from the classroom and in the theatre. The Rochdale-based M6 Theatre Company is visiting schools in the borough performing a play, entitled Forever, which aims to raise important issues

LEIGH marched to the top of the Northern Ford Premiership with military precision. The raiding party sneaked in behind enemy lines, carried out Ian Millward's battle plans to perfection before gallantly repelling an all-out assault in a frantic last 15

A WORLD Cup qualifier call-up for Bury's Lutel James could spell problems for the Shakers. The diminutive winger will miss no fewer than SIX league games in March and April after being called up for duty with St Kitts. The Caribbean islanders take on

TRAFFIC police have issued some serious "pointers" to prevent holiday mementoes from costing lives. The move follows the arrest of a 13-year-old boy, in the Rochdale Old Road area of Bury, who temporarily blinded a motorist with a laser pen. The pens,

A TEENAGER was attacked and threatened with a gun as he walked through Haresfinch. The 16-year-old youth had been out in St Helens town centre on the evening of Thursday, February 17 and caught the bus back home at 10.40pm. After getting off in Woodlands

WOMEN were given a flavour of future lottery-funded courses during a taster day at Sudellside Community Centre in Darwen. The Blackburn and District Women's Centre gave talks and put on demonstrations during the event. Courses covered included confidence

A GOAL two minutes from time denied Leigh RMI victory at Barrow. But the 2-2 draw takes them six clear of chief challengers Marine in the UniBond Premier Division. The Merseysiders have three games in hand. But, with their ground falling below Conference

SAINTS, and the Rugby League world at large, are mourning the death of a boardroom giant whose ultra-long dedication to the club was woven into the game's folklore. Mr Harry Burton Cook, of Eccleston Park, died in Fazakerley Hospital on Saturday, aged

A FACTORY worker was injured when the fork-lift truck he was driving toppled over. The accident happened yesterday at Europlast Limited, in Blackburn Road, Darwen. The 27-year-old victim, who lives in the Ewood area of Blackburn, suffered injuries to

IF life were fair Leigh East would have returned from Eccles with at least a share of the spoils after a torrid National Conference clash. But life isn't fair. And an Eccles try FIFTEEN seconds from time gave them a 22-18 win - and gave East a kick in

PILKINGTON Glass is to make 111 people redundant from its Triplex plant in Eccleston. The latest redundancies comes on top of the 43 redundancies, which the company wants completed by April this year, making in excess of 150 job lost in total. The company

LEIGH MR produced a classic "game of two halves" with Saturday's National Cup victory. They beat Castleford Panthers 20-0 - scoring all the points in a whirlwind first period. Miners then lapsed into automatic pilot, early dazzle turning to casual dozing

ATHERTON COLLS fell to a second successive 1-0 defeat - but it could have been much worse. "Maybe there were some tired legs on our lads with two games in three days," said club secretary Emile Anderson. "But 1-0 at Rossendale flattered us a little bit

SCHIZOPHRENIC Michael Jackson used cannabis to ease his pain and help him sleep, Blackburn magistrates heard. The court was told he suffered from numerous ailments and had been told that cannabis had certain medicinal qualities. Jackson, 34, of Crompton

LEIGH RMI have sent out a clear message to their rivals in the UniBond Premier Division: Catch us if you can! On Friday they scored a 2-1 home win against fourth-place Lancaster 2-1 - extending their run to one defeat in 15 games. But the final scoreline

A look back at events on March 3 through history with Mike Badham. 1831: George Pullman, the American who designed the posh railway coaches, was born. 1847: Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh. He made a fortune out of his invention, the telephone

HEALTH chiefs in East Lancashire have been told they are among the best in the country at implementing a no smoking policy in hospitals. The Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care Trust has been given the "Health at Work" award by the NHS to

LEIGH RU over-ran a mediocre Fleetwood side - but they should have done better than 37-7. Within 10 minutes they had 17 points in the bag with two tries for Jim Bridge, one for Iain Wright plus a Mark Hudspith goal. By the interval the lead had been extended

A BRIDEGROOM-to-be was seen by police sitting on the 'give way' markings in the centre of a busy road, in the dark, playing his guitar. Burnley magistrates heard how "low grade schizophrenic" Paul Dawson was unconcerned as people watched and cars tried

A 66-year-old Radcliffe man fell through his waterlogged ceiling two years after he first complained to Bury Council about water seeping through. Mr Desmond Ramsey (66) injured his leg and arm and suffered shock after the incident. He had climbed into

A MOUNTAIN rescue team has accused emergency services of being reluctant to call on its members for help. Rossendale Search and Rescue Team is a group of highly trained volunteers who have the equipment and expertise to deal with emergency situations

A MAJOR blow has been dealt to East Lancashire with the news that ELTEC's replacement is to be based in Preston. The Government has quashed hopes that the county's new Learning and Skills Council - which is replacing the training and enterprise network

IT'S just not cricket! Yellow cards are set to be introduced into local league cricket this season, the Citizen can reveal. The move, to be introduced by the Vaux Northern League, follow a series of ungentlemanly conduct incidents during last season.

VISITORS to Livesey Library, Blackburn, will soon be offered the chance to step back in time to the era of charabancs and seaside holidays. People from the area will be asked for their reminiscences during sessions under the general title "Didn't We Have

EVEN the smallest donation or fund raising event can make a difference in flood-ravaged Mozambique. The Lancashire Evening Telegraph has joined forces with children's charity UNICEF to urge readers to help youngsters caught up in the tragedy. The Mozambique

Lancashire Lynx 6, Featherstone Rovers 34 IT MAY have been a much-improved Lynx performance on a Victory Park mudbath, but another defeat puts them firmly rooted to the table's bottom. Lynx seemed to be on a hiding to nothing against Featherstone Rovers

POLICE want to hear from anyone who saw a car used to run down a 26-year-old man on Tuesday night. Mehl Singh, of Preston, was run over and set on fire in Water Street, Chorley, at about 6pm. Det Insp Andy Lang said the white Renault Laguna, N350 GKH,

ONE of the top sports clubs in Bury has moved into its £1m purpose-built headquarters after a decade of uncertainty and battles with church landlords. But the move was tinged with sadness as the 200 members of Bolton Bolton Road Sports Club said farewell

RESIDENTS at Haydock Nursing Home, Blackburn, enjoyed a special meal to celebrate St David's Day. They made place mats, decorations, and yellow serviettes, and decorated the room with daffodils to mark the occasion. A raffle was also held with prizes

LATEST yedscratter from the 'mindbenders' of a town-centre watering-hole. They want to know if anyone can settle a taproom argument by an answering the following question: What sort of business originally occupied the main post office building in Bridge

THERE are a few questions I would like to ask Mr Chafer (Citizen front page, February 24) Who does he think he is trying to dictate to us what he thinks he can do? If he is so keen to house refugees, ex-prisoners, probationers etc do it in his home town

A COUNCILLOR has resigned from the Labour Party following the vote in favour of using electric goads on elephants at Blackpool Zoo. Councillor Peter Wood, who has been the sitting member for the Stanley ward since 1995, said he had left the party in disgust

AUDIENCES were treated to a two-night musical trip around the world during a community centre millennium show at Roman Road Family Centre, Fishmoor, Blackburn. Children from St James' School, Lower Darwen, Roman Road Primary School, Blackburn, and Longshaw

WE read with interest your front page story regarding refugees. For one thing, I think we can speak for many people who have been feeling much more proud of Morecambe with the new prom and jetty - not to mention the famous statue. Should the resort be

THE rattle of the lamp-lighter's clogs and rap of the knocker-up's cane were once familiar sounds in the St Helens of yesteryear. And one who recalls them still is reader I. M. Cook who paints a lovely pen picture of those times. During her childhood,

MY name is Scott Hodson. Currently, I am conducting an extensive search to trace my family heritage back as far as I can. I have traced my family back to Lancaster, England where I have seemingly hit the proverbial brick wall. Would you please provide

HOW does your garden grow? If the answer's 'great, thanks', then you could help raise cash for the British Red Cross' Lancashire branch. The organisation is looking for people to take part in their Open Gardens Scheme, which enables people to show off

I APPLAUD every word recently printed about dogs. But I would like to widen the debate to now include cats. Cats are just as great a nuisance as dogs, in my view, even greater. They never seem to do their toilet in their own territory. Perhaps if they

REGULAR customers may recall my bit of well-meaning sniping against wholesale changes being made to traffic routes in and around St Helens town centre, a forest of no-entry signs, blocked-off carriageways and diversions springing up all over the place

I WRITE in response to the press articles published last week from Liberal Democrat John Beirne in which he accuses me of trying to mislead the public. I would like to ask him the following questions which I believe will allow the people of St Helens

MEMORIES of the days when classroom steam pipes brought tingling warmth to ice-cold hands may be recalled at Leigh Grammar School Old Boys' dinner on Friday, March 17 at Leigh Liberal Club. Guest speaker is Fred Passant, who had a distinguished career

MEMBERS of the Ribble Valley Ladies Luncheon Club welcomed guest speaker Paul Kidd, former steward to the Queen, to their meeting at the Stirk House Hotel, in Gisburn. He brought along a signed picture of the Queen Mother, which is part of his private

MR Chafer is clearly exploiting the system (Citizen: February 24) To encourage refugees into a resort with high crime is in my opinion unfair to them and proves Mr Chafer is out to make easy money out of the tragic situation in Kosovo. Mr Chafer has no

STUDENTS at the University of Central Lancashire have been told not to use lockers ... if they want their valuables to remain safe! University bosses issued a warning following thefts from lockers in the Foster Building sports centre. Students are now

RECENTLY I attended the Waterloo Cup Hare Coursing event to protest against this so-called sport. It involves a pair of greyhounds being set upon terrified hares, which literally run for their lives. Many of them end up as a live tug-of-war. It is a sad

HAG Fold community mapping team is holding an open day on Friday, April 28 at the community centre. For the past few months the team has been asking local people what they want to see happen on the Hag Fold Estate and have charted locals' aspirations,

PRESTON'S bobbies took to the streets on Leap Year Day for a special crime prevention initiative. Every available officer from Preston, Lea and Fulwood, around 50 in all, gave up their desk jobs for the day to go oout on patrol in high visibility fluorescent

A TEACHER from Preston is standing for election to the new General Teaching Council for England (GTC). Cliff Anderson, a head of department at Burscough Priory High School, is already a prominent figure in the National Association of Schoolmasters Union

IN reply to "Fed Up" (Your Letters, Feb 18), can I say that racing pigeons doesn't hurt anybody and it is one of the cleanest sports there is. In fact, the Queen is one of the keenest pigeon fanciers in the country. And I don't know what us being "in

LIVE music will brighten up classes at Freddies next month. The north west regional radio station, Jazz fm, has teamed up with Liverpool Hope University College and is taking its "Hope and All That Jazz Workshops 2000" to the Tyldesley high school on

A PUB landlord from Woodplumpton is preparing to take his fight to save rural inns to Westminster. Next Monday Dave McCormick, of the Wheatsheaf, will lead a delegation of publicans to the House of Commons to urge the government to give them the same

A MEETING has been called next week to help Leigh children having difficulties at school. The Wigan and Dyslexia Association wants to consult with anyone who has concerns about the provision available for children with specific learning disabilities eg

I WRITE to express my thanks to all who took part in the recent "Best of Bury" concert staged by the Vivace Charitable Trust. The Castle Leisure Centre hosted a superb evening of musical entertainment, made possible by weeks of preparation by pupils and

A CHRISTIAN community's dream of having a place of worship in Preston town centre has been shattered after details of the £300 million revamp were revealed. Preston's Greek Orthodox Church community had hoped to take over the former Friendship Social

THE mother of a teenager who needs a life-saving bone marrow transplant says he has been given fresh hope following an appeal for help. Razia Nawaz says her son Zeashan, 18, who suffers from Fanconi anaemia, a forerunner to deadly leukaemia, has been

I SYMPATHISE with the predicament of B. Hughes's daughter ("Maths exam is threatening my daughter's future", Postbag, Feb 25). The syllabuses, or syllabi, of post graduate certificate of education courses are "chocka" and students probably need a numeracy

I HAVE been following with interest the trouble the Labour Party has got into choosing a candidate to run for London Mayor. People are now encouraging Ken Livingstone to stand as an independent. The only time I have ever felt properly represented was

DEVOTED father Peter Parkinson is in training for the London Marathon to help raise money for the charity which has helped his daughter. Peter, whose employer Napthen Houghton Craven have vowed to sponsor his run, hopes to raise more than £1,000 with

I THINK that "Husband of St Anne's churchgoer" (Your Letters, Feb 25), and anyone else who whines when they have broken the law, should shut up. Parking tickets, speeding tickets, and fines for dropping litter are there to punish people who break the

A PRESTON school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, described as failing in the past, has been praised by Ofsted inspectors for vast improvements across the board. Moorbrook School, for 11 to 16-year-old pupils, had delegated powers

I AM writing with my memories of Preston in the early Thirties. The Hippodrome, in Friargate, put on stage shows, as did the King's Palace, off Lancaster Rd, where I saw the great Harry Lauder. I remember shops and showrooms at Loxhams, on Corporation

PENSIONERS and other vulnerable people could be left without a doctor following the retirement of Plungington's only GP. Councillors fear nearby family doctors will turn away those who need to visit their GP most, because they will be too much of a drain

THE stance of Blackburn with Darwen Council in the enforcement of an outdated by-law that bans karaoke in the borough's pubs is pathetic. We have seen that it is putting mobile DJs out of business and the landlords of the pubs involved could also face

PRESTON North End's most famous footballer Sir Tom Finney has led the tributes for former Blackpool star Sir Stanley Matthews, who died last week. At the peak of their careers Finney and Matthews were the greatest of rivals, playing key roles in the successes

TARA, the cat, has a new nose and is well on the road to recovery. The fluffy feline, found roaming the streets of Ingol, was highlighted in the Citizen before Christmas when she was diagnosed with cancer. Since then, not only has she had the tumour on

'CHALLENGING but realistic' crime reduction targets have been set for Lancashire Constabulary to achieve in the next five years. By March 2005 the force is expected to cut domestic burglary by 34 per cent and vehicle crime by 30 per cent. The ambitious

DARWEN manager Steve Wilkes believes his side must beat league leaders Curzon Ashton tomorrow if they want to win the FNWTL Second Division. The second-placed Anchormen can close the gap to nine points on the long-time leaders with two games in hand if

THE last, tragic flight of a Leyland war hero has been revealed by an amateur historian. Pensioner Alan Brown has spent the past 20 years piecing together details of pilot David Gold's final flight in 1942. The Leyland pilot's final mission, on January

WE'VE seen some right nonsense masquerading as fact arrive in this newspaper's postbag but a press release from Labour's Ian Barker this week contains a proposal of such insincerity it staggered even us jaded hacks. Like all great political spinning,

ONE minute he's pacing the hallowed Wembley Stadium turf, the next he's running around Preston's infamous Moor Park. But to super-ref Phil Richards, it's all in a day's work. He achieved his lifetime ambition of officiating at a Wembley final on Sunday

AN explosion and fire ripped through a college computer workshop causing more than £120,000 worth of damage. Firemen were called to the Burnley College after reports of an explosion, and prevented the damage spreading to other parts of the building. Converted

TRAFFIC police have blasted drivers who got caught up in the 12-hour traffic jam which brought Preston to a standstill on Saturday. Traffic poured into Preston after being diverted off the M6 when a petrol tanker toppled over, tipping its liquid load

FORGET Tyson v Francis: the battle of brute, mind and will take place this weekend in Burnley! Preston North End mascot Deepdale Duck will square up to East Lancashire up-start Bertie the Bee in the first battle of the bird and the bee. Bertie, who will

THE wife of a Leyland bobby being held in India accused of drug smuggling believes her husband is innocent. Leyland Police Station's PC Shabir Mubarak, 40, was arrested with four other men on Friday, February 18, after officials at Bombay airport found

THE problems that East Lancashire housewife Shirley Park has to contend with are so horrendous that they would test the mental and physical resources of the strongest person - and, yet, gallingly they are being cruelly added to by bureaucrats who are

THIEVES who raided a couple's home while they were attending an ante-natal clinic stole a specially-adapted mountain bike, jewellery, a camera and a baby monitor. Paul Battersby and his wife Alicia who is due to give birth to their first baby any day

THE Lucas name has been synonymous with engineering might in East Lancashire since the Second World War. But in recent years controversial takeovers and job losses have dominated stores about its East Lancashire factories. Its sites in Burnley, Hapton

A DRUNKARD who groped a policewoman could remember nothing about it, Burnley magistrates heard. The court was told that Joseph Law, 48, was an "inadequate and vulnerable man" who heard voices and consumed vast amounts of drink to rid himself of them.

FOUR young louts - two aged 10 and the others 11 - have been banned from all of Burnley's leisure and sports facilities after subjecting staff to a catalogue of abuse. The youngsters were arrested by police at the Thompson Leisure Centre after a series

ARNOLD School pupil Matthew Burke is engineering a bright future for himself. Matthew, aged 14, is shaping up to be a promising engineer after restoring a Petter AC diesel engine and made headlines when his work featured in the journal Stationary Engine

DENNIS Taylor will be the star attraction as the Millennium Embassy Roadshow rolls into Blackpool on Sunday (March 5). The snooker legend, who is retiring from competitive snooker at the end of the season, will appear at Rileys Snooker Club for a great

AN economic development boss has pledged every effort will be made to find new jobs for axed workers. Hugh Simpson, who was set to join MP Peter Pike at an emergency meeting with TRW bosses today, said the 450 job losses announced by the firm yesterday

SAINTS are to set up focus groups as part of the club's management strategy. They will include shareholders, Supporter's Club and ISSA members, and those not affiliated to any other group. Professor Denis Smith and marketing manager Alan Rowley will mastermind

Bournemouth 2, Blackpool 0 BLACKPOOL'S superb away run was destroyed by their failure to create chances against out-of-form Bournemouth. The Seasiders' defence wasn't settled three minutes in and Cherries danger-man Scott Mean burst through and put the

Vine 12, Folly Lane A 14 VINE threw away a winning opportunity due to indiscipline. Leading 12-4 midway through the second half, the home side had two men dismissed and another sin-binned in the final quarter, allowing Folly to cash in with two tries

DOG-OWNERS who fail to clean up after their pets in Burnley's parks face £25 on-the-spot fines. Council staff will plant flags on piles of dog dirt to highlight the problem and make owners aware of their responsibilities. From April 1, the council will

UGB Lions 20, Clock Face 29 CLOCK gained ample revenge for their defeat at the hands of their neighbours earlier this season. Their tries came from Neil Delaney, Glynn Walsh, Adam Langley (2), Damian Grimes and Graham Leadbetter.Steve Rybczynski added