TONIGHT, the son of arguably the most high-profile victim of the World Trade Centre attacks, will collect a £32,000 cheque to support a fund set up in his father's honour. David Higgerson spoke to Chris Ganci about the fund, his father and why his trip
Winsford 2 Ramsbottom Utd 0: RAMSBOTTOM, with four players out through suspension and missing full back Mike Langhorn allowed Winsford comfortable revenge for an earlier 6-0 drubbing at the Riverside Ground. The home side took the lead after only five
UniBond League Division One : WITTON ALBION 0 RADCLIFFE BOROUGH 2: GOALSCORERS Simon Kelly and Jody Banim were the toast of Radcliffe Borough at the Bargain Booze Stadium on Saturday as Kevin Glendon's men got their promotion challenge back on track.
ONE of Blackburn's largest churches is to get a new priest-in-charge. Canon Arthur Ransom, who is vicar at St Ambrose Church in Leyland, will take over at St Silas' Church, Preston New Road, following the retirement of the Rev Brian Stevenson last year
ORGANISERS across Lancashire are being encouraged to help their employees 'get on their bike'. Bike Aid, part of Lancashire County Council's campaign to promote and fund greener travel, is making cash available for the second year running. Over 50 schools
INDIVIDUALS and voluntary groups across Blackburn and Darwen are invited to an 'Open House' at Blackburn Central Library to help promote an event to celebrate the Commonwealth Games. The Spirit of Friendship Festival takes place from March 11 to August
HERE we go again -- more homes for the elderly to shut (LET, February 1), more consultation, more tears. We know by now that it is no good us ranting and raving. Nobody is listening. We seem to be able to support half the world apart from our own who
CHANGING the county council's Red Rose emblem (LET, January 26), will impose upon the budget for new notepaper, forms with new letter headings, new motifs on the vehicles and the cost of signwriting. It would be much better to scrap the idea of changing
REGARDING the proposal that 40 residential homes for the elderly in Lancashire should be closed and 13 refurbished, mostly to accommodate those with dementia, the hope is that most other elderly people will remain in their own homes. The Woodlands day
THE curtain has gone up at a Bury school to reveal a brand new auditorium. Broad Oak High School's stage facility has been created from an open area in the grounds off Hazel Avenue. Builders fitted out and roofed the space between existing buildings and
A LEADING clergyman and traders today spoke out over plans to turn one of Blackburn's oldest shops into a nightclub or bar. Canon Andrew Hindley said he was considering objecting formally to planners at Blackburn with Darwen Council about the proposals
GIVING themselves bags of exposure! That's Bury Photographic Society whose annual exhibition is now up and running. And visitors will be able to see the cream of the output of Society members who have well and truly put the long-established club in the
LEIGH RMI manager Steve Waywell is hoping to keep hold of goalkeeper Mark Westhead for as long as possible to aid the Railwaymen's fight against the drop. The former Bolton and Wycombe Wanderers keeper was targeted by League of Wales side Barry Town as
LEIGH Centurions may be100-1 outsiders to win Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Challenge Cup, but they have been given a great chance of reaching the quarter-finals after earning a fifth round home draw against Whitehaven. Only half the 12 Super League clubs are
METZ midfelder Mario Esperatero was at Brockhall yesterday and impressed Rovers manager Graeme Souness but the Scot confirmed this morning: "He will not be coming back. "He is a good player but he is not what we expected and he is not what we need at
A DRINK-driving dad was caught out the night after the night before, Burnley Magistrates heard. The court was told Mark Bailey had committed a similar offence some years ago -- and he ended up with a three-year ban. Bailey, 29, of Squire Road, Nelson,
RESIDENTS of Burnley are being asked to comment on the new Local Plan which will influence the way the town is developed over the next ten years. A workshop and forum about the new Local Plan is being organised by the Sustainability Action Partnership
AN Inland Revenue clerk who tried to cash a stolen cheque after threats from drugs pushers, has walked free from court. Burnley Magistrates heard Gavin Peter Marr, 27, had now got debts to the tune of about £10,000 which his father was trying to sort
THE curtain has gone up at a Bury school to reveal a brand new auditorium. Broad Oak High School's stage facility has been created from an open area in the grounds off Hazel Avenue. Builders fitted out and roofed the space between existing buildings and
THE devoted wife of Burnley soccer legend Jimmy McIlroy has died. Barbara McIlroy, 72, was taken ill at the couple's Burnley home on Saturday morning and died in the afternoon at Burnley General Hospital with members of the family by her bedside. Mrs
BURNLEY Borough Council today pledged that after-school and evening play activities will continue despite budget cuts of £43,000. The assurance came after a detailed review of play schemes across the borough. But staff, including nine full-time and four
PROJECT managers for the proposed merger of the hospital trusts for Blackburn and Burnley are due to unveil draft plans by the end of this month. John Thomas, based at Burnley General Hospital, is putting together the draft of the consultation document
THE parents of a nine-year-old girl who became trapped under a bus following an accident described how their daughter was "unbelievably lucky" to be alive. Jackie Gregson is recovering in a high dependency unit at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
CAMPAIGNERS who are fighting to keep Cravenside residential home in Barnoldswick open have already collected more than 2,000 signatures for their petition. Shopkeepers, residents and councillors in Barnoldswick and Earby have joined forces to save the
A MAN faced a nightmare five months after he was arrested over the murder of one of his best friends, a court was told. Burnley Magistrates heard how Glen Verdon, 45, could have faced the terrifying prospect of possibly life imprisoment after Jesse Kirkbride
BARNOLDSWICK councillors today called for a public meeting after seven homes were flooded for the third time in two years. Lancashire Fire and Rescue were called to houses in Ghyll Meadows yesterday as residents tried to save their furniture from rain
AND so to Barnsley, the land that gave us Michael Parkinson, Dickie Bird and, less famously, Toby Tyke. For those of you unfamiliar with the latter, Toby Tyke is Barnsley's answer to Bertie Bee. But it is there that any similarities end. Whereas Bertie
THE Library Theatre bring Bernard Shaw's classic comment on society and the English class system, Pygmalion, to the stage with a swagger and a whirl of crinoline. Shaw's tale of the cultivation of Eliza Doolittle from flower-girl to duchess, scandalised
CAN things actually get any worse? Ten defeats out of 12 and dumped into the bottom three for the first time this season. The kid gloves are going to have to come off I'm afraid. Readers of a nervous or sensitive disposition should look away now because
RESIDENTS today welcomed news that years of flooding misery could be over as £45,000 is spent on renovating ageing sewers. The old sewers in New Lane and Thwaites Street, Oswaldtwistle, will be renovated and reinforced in the eight-week project by United
RIBBLE Valley residents are being urged to embrace recycling in a bid to help the environment. A community conference is being held at 6pm today at St James's CE Primary School, in Greenacre Street, Clitheroe, to encourage local groups, schools and organisations
MANAGERS breathe a sigh of relief when their goal-machines click back into gear and both Ronnie Moore and Stan Ternent will be happier after the weekend. Ternent watched Welsh international Gareth Taylor take his League goals tally this term to 11 with
THE battle in the middle will be the last factor to be decided for tonight's Millmoor showdown. Rotherham boss Ronnie Moore waits on Kevin Watson while opposite number Stan Ternent gives a late fitness test to Tony Grant. Both players hold key roles in
ROTHERHAM United defender Chris Swailes is looking for a positive reponse as the Millers face up to the Clarets tonight. With first division survival at stake against Burnley's promotion seekers, the ex-Bury player - who worked under Burnley boss Stan
AFTER three weeks on inactivity the Clarets youngsters are getting ready to play three games in a week that will decide where they finish in the Youth Alliance. At the start of next month a new league will be set up with the teams from the North West
A TEAM of educational experts is to look at how surplus primary school places in Leigh and Atherton can be reduced. Wigan Council said the move has been prompted by a dramatic fall in the birth rate which could lead to 11 per cent of places being free
BEDFORD High School, Leigh, is preparing to throw open its doors to more than 100 invited guests to share in the official opening of the school's new science building and community conference resource centre, the latest in a string of state-of-the-art
MORE national acclaim has been bestowed on one of Leigh's top primary schools. St John's CE Infants, already a respected Beacon School and one of the flagships of Leigh Education Action Zone, has now been named among the best in the country. The honour
THE search is on for Britain's prettiest pub with a free trip to Spain up for grabs. The Golden Jubilee Green Apple Heritage Awards are looking for the pubs with the most charm and character. The judges for the awards - in their ninth year - will be looking
MEDITERRANEAN food will be available at a new exclusive restaurant in Blackburn due to open next week. The Woodlands, Preston New Road, Blackburn has completely refurbished the former Greek eatery to create a candle-lit restaurant. Debra Warner, 37, licensee
AND your starter for ten is which Bury lad has reached the semi-finals of University Challenge? No conferring! Clever TV viewers know the answer. It's former Holy Cross College student Paddy Hayes, with his team from Imperial College, London. The quartet
GIRLS at Bury Grammar School could be heading for a major UN conference in Johannesburg. They are taking part in a North West competition to design the ideal school for the year 2050. The Schoolbuilding competition is being staged by Sustainability Northwest
NORTHERN IRELAND international Damien Johnson wants to leave Blackburn immediately after being told he will not be offered a new contract. Rovers chief executive John Williams told Johnson last week that they will be releasing him in the summer when his
THE hard yards start here as the Clarets begin their chase for promotion. A three-match losing run has been ditched but, with 15 games to go, finding the correct pace is of the essence. Burnley go to Millmoor tonight looking to claim seven points from
HELP! I'm going out of my mind. If people don't stop talking about Pop Idol I'll flip. I never saw it, nor did I want to. But I feel, overwhelmingly, that by not watching this programme I'm not entirely human and that I should have watched it simply so
FORMER England Under-21 defender Jamie Stuart is the latest Shakers player to put pen to paper on a new contract. The former Charlton Athletic and Millwall full back signed a new two-and-a-half year deal last week. Stuart, who initially joined the club
A WOMAN subjected to a terrifying attack at the hands of her estranged husband has spoken for the first time about the ordeal and said: "My son saved my life." Anna Jones said her case should act as a warning to other victims of domestic violence after
A ROSSENDALE teenager missing for nearly five days has returned to her home in Helmshore. Rebecca Stuart, 14, disappeared from her parent's house in Campion Drive last Thursday. The family had distributed posters of Rebecca around the Rossendale Valley
FORMER Burnley footballer Steve Kindon will be putting budding Beckhams through their paces at the Asda store in Rawtenstall on Saturday, 10am-noon. Under-13s can show the professional footballer their skills. He will then select one girl and one boy
FIREFIGHTERS from Burnley, Accrington, Bacup, Rawtenstall and Rochdale were called to a fire in a mill in Whitworth yesterday . The fire, which had started in disused machinery on the factory floor at Facit Mill on Market Street, took just over half an
AN 80-year-old woman was taken to hospital with a broken arm after a thief grabbed her shoulder bag as she walked in a quiet side street in Crawshawbooth. Police are appealing for witnesses to the attack at 12.30pm yesterday. Detective Inspector Stuart
ROSSENDALE's touring theatre company the Horse and Bamboo is soon to leave its base for a five-week national tour of The Girl Who Cut Flowers. The production toured for ten weeks last autumn, and proved to be a great hit with audiences all over the country
STORIES about the White Lady of Samlesbury Hall, the ghostly figure alleged to haunt the historic building, are among the material included in a new archive designed to record and preserve the "voices of history". The Edge Hill Archive at Wigan Pier features
PROJECT managers for the proposed merger of the hospital trusts for Blackburn and Burnley are due to unveil draft plans by the end of this month. John Thomas, based at Burnley General Hospital, is putting together the draft of the consultation document
THE Dean of Blackburn has joined England coach Sven Goran Eriksson and TV maths wizard Carol Vorderman in this year's guide to the world's most famous and influential people. The mountain climbing Very Reverend Christopher Armstrong, 54, is one of 1,000
A NEW multi-million pound police helicopter is to take to the skies over Lancashire after a police bid for cash succeeded. Police say the present helicopter has become too expensive to maintain after running costs hit £260,000 a year and that the replacement
DRUG dealers arrested during a series of dawn raids have received nearly 70 years in prison, police have revealed. Thirty-four suspected dealers of heroin and crack cocaine were arrested during the two-day operation codenamed Hurricane last September,
DARWEN player/manager Steve Wilkes will be first up to take a penalty if his side win one tonight when they welcome NWCL Division One high fliers Leek CSOB to the Anchor Ground. The former Preston player stepped up to score two spot-kicks, including a
FROM chauffeur to commissar, Brian Whitfield has come a long way since driving his mountain bike-mad lads to competitions. For since giving his sons Chris and Ged a lift 10 years ago, Whitfield has now been handed the chance to give the sport its biggest
TOWN centres which thrive do so because they attract a wide range of people by having plenty to offer all ages. Shops, restaurants, pubs, places to visit and a night scene are features which together cater for a variety of tastes and give town centres
RESIDENTS of a Burnley estate claim their lives are being made hell because of the crime and nuisance taking place in a derelict row of flats and shops near their homes. And if these run-down properties that no-one wants are the cause of so much trouble
TWO members of Blackburn Rovers staff, who were arrested by police investigating an alleged sex assault, will not face any charges. The men, who have not been named, were quizzed after attending Blackburn police station voluntarily following an alleged
AFTER reading the pitiful tale of the homes for the elderly closures (LET, February 1), here'smay I put forward an obvious solution: Re-categorise old age pensioners as asylum seekers, which, after all, is what they truly are, and the money will magically
THE proposal by Lancashire County Council to close 35 of its 48 homes for the elderly is totally unacceptable and the pathetic excuse that it would have to spend £14.5 million pounds on refurbishment to bring them up to government standards by 2007 just
'repossession' of homes IWAS horrified to read (LET, February 1) that five out of the six county council homes for the elderly in Burnley are earmarked for closure. Several of these have been refurbished in recent years to a high standard. Residents are
A SERIES of special events have been unveiled at which people can find out more about Wigan Council's new township programme. The whole of the borough has been divided into nine "township" areas -- Orrell, Billinge and Winstanley; Leigh; Atherton; Wigan
LOCAL people heading for the seaside this summer needn't bother because for the seaside is coming to Bury! Kids can make sandcastles, ride on donkeys and enjoy candy floss when the town stages a novel Bury Beach and Barbecue Weekend. The Bury Times Group
MORE than £1 million is being spent on a new pub in Bury town centre. Work will begin next week on transforming the former Lloyds Bank building in Market Place, Bury, to create a two-floor entertainment hot-spot. Manchester brewery, Joseph Holt Ltd, is
SEVEN licensees have been warned by police for allowing after time drinking in their pubs. And two of them, both in the Prestwich area, have also received strongly worded written cautions for allowing drugs to be consumed by customers. The seven people
RESIDENTS today demanded action over a derelict row of shops and flats after police said they were plagued by criminals. People living in Parklands, off Manchester Road, Burnley, said they want the troubled units pulled down after claiming gangs of teenagers
THE NET is closing in on drunken trouble-makers in Bury. Nite-Net is a new radio link system which has been adopted by licensees in the town centre area and enables landlords and landladies at every pub to alert colleagues to problems via walkie-talkie
BETHELL Group -- the current Bolton and Bury Company of the Year -- has won a £15 million electrical cable installation contract from United Utilities. It will create 100 new jobs. The contract comes just months after Bethell won a £25 million five-year
ROVERS Under 17s were involved in an exciting finale in their clash at Coventry in the FA Academy Premier League at the weekend. Despite a late show from Coventry, Rovers still found time to make their chance count and extend their unbeaten league run
HALIFAX boss Alan Little today added Rovers striker Marc Richards to his squad for the vital relegation clash against York City. Richards has signed a month's loan deal with the Shaymen from Rovers and Little has welcomed the increased competition for
NORTHERN IRELAND international Damien Johnson wants to leave Blackburn immediately after being told he will not be offered a new contract. Rovers chief executive John Williams told Johnson last week that they will be releasing him in the summer when his
SAPPER Lucy Reed put in an impressive performance at an Army ski championships in the French Alps. Lucy, of Burnley, was one of almost 300 servicemen and women stationed with the British Army in Germany to take part in the 1 (UK) Armoured Division individual
TEACHERS are invited to discover the classroom benefits of the Commonwealth Games at a roadshow to be held at St Joseph's RC School, Chorley New Road, Horwich, on February 15. They will be shown how they can align school activities to the Spirit of Friendship
A MILITARY policeman has scuppered his chances of promotion after being caught over the limit behind the wheel. Burnley Magistrates heard how soldier Brian Hawk, 21, would also have to answer to his superiors in the army as well as the police after officers
GIRLS at Bury Grammar School could be heading for a major UN conference in Johannesburg. They are taking part in a North West competition to design the ideal school for the year 2050. The Schoolbuilding competition is being staged by Sustainability Northwest
CORONATION Street star Nikki Sanderson went back to her old school to launch a campaign to save it from closure. As reported exclusively in the Bury Times, Affetside Primary may be closed as falling pupil numbers leave classrooms empty across the borough
RESIDENTS today demanded action over a derelict row of shops and flats after police said they were plagued by criminals. People living in Parklands, off Manchester Road, Burnley, said they want the troubled units pulled down after claiming gangs of teenagers
A ROCKIN' reverend due to take up a new post as vicar in one of Burnley's poorest neighbourhoods has spoken of his hopes for his new parish. The Rev Philip Chew will take up his position at St Stephen's, in Burnley Wood, on March 6. The former rock band
OUTLINE plans to build nine detached houses in the grounds of Marsden Cottage, in Higher Reedley Road, Brierfield, will be considered by members of the Brierfield and Reedley Committee tonight. The application by Chattan Developments was deferred at the
A MAJOR rail accident was narrowly averted when bricks fell from Sough tunnel in Darwen. British Rail closed a section of the Blackburn to Bolton line causing diversions and delays.
SVEN Goran Eriksson gave the biggest hint yet that he would not be Blackburn Rovers manager next season. When questioned if he was to take over the Ewood hotseat he replied "Maybe. Maybe not". But Italian sources close to the manager hinted that he did
A FORMER Victorian school building could soon be renovated if plans to convert it into apartments get the go ahead. Aston Properties wants to convert the empty St Mary's RC Primary School at Sabden into seven homes, with the original school playground
THE hard yards start here as the Clarets begin their chase for promotion. A three-match losing run has been ditched but, with 15 games to go, finding the correct pace is of the essence. Burnley go to Millmoor tonight looking to claim seven points from
A CLEVELEYS man was found dead outside his home on Saturday. Craig Miller, 28, of Kelso Avenue, Cleveleys was found shortly before 8am on February 9 by a youth on his way to work at a nearby bakery. A Lancashire Police spokesman said the youth found the
BEDFORD High School, Leigh, is preparing to throw open its doors to more than 100 invited guests to share in the official opening of the school's new science building and community conference resource centre, the latest in a string of state-of-the-art
A NEW manager at a Blackburn pub is celebrating Valentine's with a special promotion. Amanda Johnson, 30, has moved from the Brocket Arms in Wigan where she was shift manager to take over the Postal Order, Darwen Street, Blackburn. She said: "I am sad
AMON Burke has become the new licensee of a pub for the first time thanks to a Christmas present from his wife. Sheila Burke, 51, bought the Duke of Buccleugh pub, Waterfoot, for her husband because it was something he had always 'fancied doing'. Amon
LEIGH MP Andy Burnham will hold advice surgeries tomorrow and Saturday. On Friday he will be available at Hindley Town Hall (6.30pm-7.15pm) and The Sanctuarys Church at Bethel, Hindley Green (7.30pm-8.15pm). On Saturday he will be at 10 Market Street,
COUNCILLORS serving on Wigan Council will hold the following advice surgeries: THURSDAY, February 14: Golborne Library, Queen Street (10am-11am) D Kelly, T Sherratt, B Strett; Abram Library, Vicarage Road, (10.30am-12noon) B Hampson. FRIDAY, February
THIS year's Watery Lane Gala in Darwen will take place on July 6, it has been decided. Attractions include the popular tug of war competition between local pubs, morris dancing, karate and motorbike displays and a visit by barn owl Bill. Community liaison
EXTRA police patrols are being implemented in Bold Venture Park, Darwen, during half-term in a bid to stamp out any trouble from gangs of teenagers. Sergeant Andrea Bradbury, of Darwen police, said they were increasing patrols all this week and at the
LONG-SUFFERING residents today celebrated the decision to ban a teenager dubbed the "Pied Piper" of Darwen from their estate and said: 'We hope it works'. Lee Taylor, who has also been prohibited from talking to the youngsters who live on Darwen's Ellenshaw
RAMSBOTTOM residents will get the chance to have their say at the next area board meeting in the town at Christ Church Centre, in Great Eaves Road, on February 19. Ramsbottom and Tottington Area Board meeting begins at 7pm and the first part is a 45-minute
TWO green-fingered teenagers are helping horticulturists celebrate 90 years by becoming the youngest ever members of the committee. Jonathan Nash and John Wilsher are only 16 but have volunteered to help make sure Edenfield Horticultural Society's 90th
HEALTH chiefs staging a seminar on preventing heart disease have described the problem as a "deadly new plague". The Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust is staging the free seminar at Ewood Park tomorrow to teach local people about the dangers
OLD cooking oil is powering a council dustbin wagon as part of a scheme to look for cheaper alternatives to diesel. Blackburn with Darwen Council believes it has become the first authority in the country to start using a new fuel which is derived from
POLICE federation chiefs today pleaded with force bosses to listen to them after a showdown meeting to discuss planned and controversial changes to officers' pay. Chairman of the Lancashire Federation Steve Edwards met with Chief Constable Pauline Clare
TRUANCY patrols are to be held every term after a council said crackdowns were paying off. A total of 94 children were stopped over a three-day period last week in Blackburn with Darwen, compared to nearly 200 during the first sweep in July 2000. Eighty-three
A LEADING clergyman and traders today spoke out over plans to turn one of Blackburn's oldest shops into a nightclub or bar. Canon Andrew Hindley said he was considering objecting formally to planners at Blackburn with Darwen Council about the proposals
POULTON Police are still trying to identify a mystery body washed up on the beach at Cleveleys on Sunday. The fully-clothed body of a man, aged around 35-45 years old, was found by a dog walker at around 9am on February 9 on Cleveleys beach. Police spokesman
THE long-running Bury Football Club takeover saga has taken another twist with the news that Alex Tarsus has distanced himself from proposed new owners Mansport Developments. The Yorkshire-based Turkish businessman, whose son Edward is a player at Gigg
VIOLENT thieves left a man for dead after a horrific machete attack. Jason Gould was dumped in the River Irwell by his assailants and there are fears he may now be permanently brain damaged. The victim's family said he almost lost an eye and his tongue
