SKY-HIGH wages have put footballers in the forefront when it comes to splashing money around. The world's most expensive cars (selections of them - not just one at a time), suits that cost thousands and holidays at resorts that charge more per day than
THE final of the Bolton Hospital Cup takes place tomorrow night (Tuesday) with NWCL Division One rivals Atherton LR and Ramsbottom United set to clash at the Reebok Stadium. The game kicks off at 6.30pm with admission at £3 and £1. Match officials are
Lancashire Cup final: Sedgley Park 31pts, Fylde 3pts COLIN STEPHENS became the first captain in Sedgley Park's 70-year history to hold aloft the Lancashire Cup in Preston on Monday. The game was a little one-sided with Sedgley calling most of the shots
TWO training officers were summoned to the Tower of London -- to receive a top accolade. Cheryl Drinkwater, mentoring co-ordinator at the East Lancashire Education Business Partnership, and the organisation's senior development officer, Kay Renton, were
MEMBERS of the police tactical support unit forced their way into a Blackburn house after a man who had attacked his brother refused to come out. Blackburn magistrates heard Basharat Farid was found sitting on a sofa with a hammer at his feet but offered
BLACKBURN Rovers midfield ace David Dunn showed his sharpness, this time with a knife, as he helped celebrate 15 years of the Bootstrap Company. The England Under-21 skipper was at its Boulevard premises on Friday, where the company was celebrating its
A YOUNG man, said to have had 17 packages of drugs ready to sell on, has been cleared. Bilal Patel was found not guilty of possessing crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply by a Burnley Crown Court jury after a two-day trial. Patel, aged 20, of
FIRE officers are warning of the dangers of deliberately starting rubbish fires after about 50 were reported over the weekend. Extra cover had to be drafted in from Accrington, Darwen and Great Harwood to cover the sheer number of incidents, including
COMPANIES which put workers' lives at risk could face prosecution if they are caught in a new safety blitz. The warning comes from the Health and Safety Executive as they launched inspections of building sites across the North West. The five days of inspections
MY son lives in Palatine Road, Blackburn, and he rings the council, sometimes twice a week, to have rubbish removed from near and at the back of his home. He has had no joy. Then, on Friday, April 26, Tony Blair came to call and it was obvious that certain
WHEN are the police going to stamp out juvenile crime, or at least tackle it? Most crime now is committed by youths who gather in gangs with nothing better to do than hang about drinking alcohol and causing trouble. I had hoped that David Blunkett would
ON behalf of the St James Day Tripper committee, I express sincere thanks to everyone who supported our special train to the Spalding Flower Festival and Peterborough on May 4. Partly as a result of the excellent article you published (LET, April 27),
ALL THE best competitions are on this site - and this week you can win a special edition DVD. For your chance to win, enter HERE/
IF Ann Winterton had said that an Irishman had been thrown off a train as they were 10 a penny in her country, there would have been hilarious laughter and she would still be in a position as opposition rural affairs spokeswoman. I and my fellow countrymen
A CANADIAN couple have been re-united with long-lost relatives in Leigh - thanks to the Leigh Journal website. Retired Leigh couple Ernest and Joan Thomason played host to Canadian relatives that they did not even know they had until they read an article
A DOG trapped in a garden pond in Bury had to be rescued by firefighters. The German Shepherd's elderly owner, who lives in Alkrington Close, had woken up yesterday to find the dog had got his back legs and body stuck under the water. The dog was unhurt
YOUNG fans of Thomas the Tank Engine were given a thrilling ticket to ride over the bank holiday weekend. And it was courtesy of Bury's East Lancs Railway which staged another one of its popular Thomas events. Visitors young and old were also able to
A COLLECTION of early photographs has failed to raise the expected figure of more than £95,000 at auction. Fifteen shots by the Bury photographer Roger Fenton, including some taken in the Crimean War in 1855 when he was the world's first accredited war
A PENSIONER today told of the moment when a blast ripped through his home and said: "It was just like the Blitz." Joan and Dennis Nancarrow's terraced home was condemned after a suspected gas explosion ripped through the house next door, on the corner
ATHERTON CC and Little Hulton went head-to-head at the weekend, meeting in the Bolton Association on Saturday and in the Cross Cup the following day. Both matches produced an amazing 923 runs and included some top class batting performances. The league
EWOOD goal-ace Andy Cole today vowed to give Rovers his undivided attention next season after calling time on his England career. Cole announced his international retirement exclusively in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph last Thursday -- just hours before
A LOOK at the key moments and stats from the game against Fulham. KELLY: A virtual bystander for most of the afternoon as Fulham offered precious little in attack...7 NEILL: Solid enough defensively and attempted to get forward at every opportunity...7
A TODMORDEN councillor has failed in his efforts to create new jobs in the town. By just one vote the development committee refused planning consent for Shackleton Salads to change from wholesale to wholesale and retail. Coun Myra Townley expressed her
FRIENDS and relatives gathered at Jalna Home for the Elderly in Burnley for a celebration. Resident Annie Hopkinson celebrated her 100th birthday and had bundles of cards and bouquets of flowers. Staff organised a party for her and presented her with
HUNDREDS of Anti-Nazi League supporters converged on Burnley town centre on Saturday to protest against the BNP gaining three seats in the local elections. In the third such protest march in just over a week, around 600 people from across the country
BURNLEY fans have been crowned the UK's dimmest people by a TV show to find the IQ scores of the nation. Around 95,000 people logged on to the internet to take part in BBC1's Test the Nation quiz, which was hosted by Anne Robinson and Phillip Schofield
A HOUSEBOUND former soldier, trapped indoors for three years, said today: "I've got my freedom back." Jeff Atherton had to give up work for the Salvation Army, Blackburn,12 years' ago when he was diagnosed with lumber spine problems and his bones started
LACK of support for youngsters was blamed for causing juveniles to commit crimes by a solicitor at Burnley magistrates' court. Lynne Slater spoke out in a youth court session after defending two young offenders -- boys aged 15 and 17 -- convicted of a
A PENSIONER today told of the moment when a blast ripped through his home and said: "It was just like the Blitz." Joan and Dennis Nancarrow's terraced home was condemned after a suspected gas explosion ripped through the house next door, on the corner
ON holiday in South Africa, by chance Blackburn exile Mrs Joan Potter came across a gravestone in a cemetery in the small town of Heidelberg, near Johannesburg -- and at once recognised the connection with her home town, even though its name is omitted
A GROUP of around 20 people from East Lancashire who have been chosen to appear in a film about the Pendle Wiches were due to receive their scripts and musical scores today. Film writers and composers Pat Hagon and her son Richard have written a script
AN aunt and niece gave birth to boys born within an hour of each other in the same hospital. Nicola Allen, 22, of Whalley New Road and Paula Morris, 34, of Roe Lee Park had messages relayed to one another in Queen's Park Hospital during labour.
A NEW 'drop-in' centre aimed at encouraging young mums to breastfeed is to open in Hyndburn. The advice centre, at the New Era in Paradise Street, Accrington, will welcome its first new mothers on Thursday. Patricia Roberts, a health visitor who works
A LANDMARK Victorian vicarage in Oswaldtwistle may be transformed into a large doctors' practice. Hyndburn council planners have been asked to sanction the change of use of the detached villa in Union Road into a surgery. The house would undergo extensive
AN investigation has been launched into the mystery death of a loner who was found dead in his bath after his landlord broke down the door. Police were today trying to piece together the final hours of Stephen John Marsh after his body was discovered
A BARELY conscious woman was dragged out of her burning home by firefighters who carried out a desperate search of the property on their hands and knees. Visibility was so poor due to the smoke and heat that four officers crawled around a mid-terraced
CLARETS keeper Nik Michopoulos made an impressive return to international football in Greece yesterday. The 32-year-old won his 14th cap when he came on as a second half substitute in the friendly match against Romania at Alexandroupoli. The Burnley number
CLARETS chairman Barry Kilby has given a cautious welcome to the idea of Rangers and Celtic joining the first division but he stressed: "I don't think there is a prayer that it will happen next season." A season of long journeys for Clarets fans is guaranteed
BURNLEY'S last three opponents for next season were confirmed at the weekend as the domestic season finally came to an end, three weeks after the Clarets finished their campaign - and the journeys are going to be long! There was joy on Saturday for Stoke
SEVEN Transco Lancashire League teams came through the first round of the Inter-League Club Challenge Trophy on Saturday. East Lancs beat Ashton by five wickets, with Andy Clague scoring a half-century and the pro Con de Lange taking four wickets. Holders
LEIGH CC drew their second consecutive league match on Saturday in a high scoring game against newly promoted Maghull. Having won the toss and batted first on a good wicket, Maghull started slowly but solidly. Indeed it was in the 31st over with the score
EWOOD chief executive John Williams vowed to do everything in his power to keep hold of Rovers' best young players after the club celebrated its most successful season since the championship triumph of 1995. Graeme Souness's Euro-bound stars secured a
THE Clarets today unveiled the new home kit for next season that they hope will be the strip of promotion winners. The new kit is part of a record breaking three-year deal that is aimed at propelling the Clarets into the Premier League. The new deal has
THE Chancellor's latest move to encourage the use of low emission cars may not be as smart as it sounds. Four partners at Burnley accountants Cassons decided to put Gordon Brown's advice to the test - and found themselves more than a little bit squeezed
A WOMAN trying to end her violent marriage looked up from her bed to see her husband standing over her brandishing a chef's knife in one hand and a meat cleaver in the other, a court heard. Blackburn magistrates were told Gay Usman was terrified and shouted
PUPILS from Holy Trinity School, Stacksteads, had a great day out at Cronkshaw Fold Farm in Alden Road, Helmshore. The trip for reception and year one children was funded by the school's creative and cultural development programme. Pupils from year three
PLANS for a major landfill development on the northern part of Fletcher Bank Quarry in Ramsbottom look likely to be refused by county councillors at the development control committee on Wednesday. It would include the importation of 4.4 million tonnes
OVERWHELMING opposition by people in Ramsbottom to the proposed closure of St Paul's CE Primary School has fallen on deaf ears. The council's executive has ignored their protests. After it was threatened with closure, parents with youngsters at the school
AROUND 30 DJs from all over the UK descended on Lowton Civic Hall for a Northern Soul charity extravaganza. The day long event was organised by Carole McCarthy of Bolton, who after being involved with similar events around the UK decided to stage one
TWO major tourism guides were launched in Blackburn today in time for the summer season. And staff at the Blackburn with Darwen marketing and tourism unit have been busy extolling the virtues of the borough to tourism agencies, businesses and organisations
A SCHEME aimed at cracking down on the number of burglaries in one of Blackburn's crime hotspots has been launched. The Anti-Crime Workshop, held in the Accrington Road Community Centre, in the Whitebirk area last week, included advice on how to protect
BUSINESS in Blackburn is booming with the town emerging as one of the UK's top locations for industry and commerce. According to a national survey released today, Blackburn is the most prosperous town for business in the North West. And in a national
STAR striker Andy Cole has swapped his World Cup dream for a mercy mission to help homeless street kids in Africa. The Blackburn Rovers player announced his retirement from international football last week after being left out of England manager Sven
A GROUP of pensioners with a combined aged of 336 have become Blackburn's very own silver surfers thanks to a course in computer skills. The quartet, Marrie Holden, 87, Irene Lowe, 90, Mary Livesey, 82, and Annie Ainslie, 77, have been taking part in
MICHAEL HUNT and Ashley Siddle helped Lancashire to a 9-8 victory over Northumberland at Alnmouth. Burnley club champion and 2001 Harold Ryden winner Hunt, 24, partnered Ken Hudson in the foursomes but lost two and one in the morning. But in the afternoon
BURNLEY'S Neil Hodgson once more confirmed his status as a World Superbike championship contender by taking an outstanding second and fourth places after thrilling races at the Monza Autodrome. After starting from pole position in the opener, Hodgson
REPRESENTATIVES from East Lancashire schools, colleges, training providers and employers were amongst the delegates at a conference in Burnley on the Government's radical new plans to reform 14-19 education. It was organised by the Learning and Skills
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Keighley U19s 10, Centurions U19s 50: LEIGH Centurions Under 19s made it two wins from two with a 50-10 win over Academy new boys Keighley at Cougar Park. While on reflection the final scoreline speaks of a handsome victory, the second half was a scrappy
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. MONDAY "Swollen Tongues," presented by the Cuff Theatre, Darwen Library Theatre, 7.30pm. Pottery and Silk Painting, Standfeld Centre, Stansfeld Street, Blackburn, 10.15am
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Coffee Morning, Bentham Road Methodist Church, Blackburn, 9.30am-11.30am. Tai Chi, Stansfeld Centre, Stansfeld Street, Blackburn, 1pm-3pm. Craft Fair, Greenbrook Methodist
TOO often and for far too long, town centres at night -- especially at weekends -- have been equated in the perception of decent, law-abiding people with drunken hooliganism and violence. As a result, many avoid the town centre altogether because they
BREIGHTMET United and Leigh Athletic contest the final of the Atherton Charity Cup tomorrow night (Tuesday) at Atherton Colls' Alder House ground, kick off 7.30pm. Admission is £1.50 with 50p concessions.
GOLBORNE held their Bolton Association top spot at the expense of Daisy Hill thanks to pro Lee Baldwin and Graham Martson. Daisy Hill had reached a respectable 197-5 but did not have the depth in bowling to test the leaders as Baldwin hit an unbeaten
WHILE a lot of publicity has been given to the proposed closure of old people's homes, not enough people are aware that the county council and Social Services are proposing to shut some day nurseries in Pendle. The plan is to shut the day nurseries and
BRITAIN is fast becoming a nation of hypochondriacs. All politicians, newspapers and TV pundits can talk about is the NHS and the waiting times. I can go back over 70-odd years when we did not have a Health Service. I do not recall anyone complaining
A WOMAN was today cleared of the manslaughter of Darwen teenager Melissa Strickson who overdosed on almost 100 tablets. Sally Corkhill, 41, of Sudell Road, Darwen was cleared after the jury of six men and six women at Preston Crown Court returned a unanimous
SOUNESS, who looks set to make Charlton's Andy Todd his first summer signing this week, is delighted with the way his side have finished the season. Their 10th place is remarkable considering they were flirting with relegation until a fortnight ago. That
VETERAN striker Mark Hughes' 22-year playing career could be at an end after he announced today he had been released by Blackburn. The Wales team boss, in Cardiff preparing for tomorrow's international with Germany, confirmed that Ewood chief Graeme Souness
AN afternoon which started with a rousing rendition of an old Beatles favourite ended with a choral swipe at Sven Goran Eriksson after Andy Cole vented his World Cup anger on the club who helped to launch his professional career. Still hurting following
REVELLERS face a three-month ban from Burnley's pubs, clubs and taxis if they cause damage to property while out drinking. The extended clampdown, introduced by police and licensees, comes after 52 people were given similar 12 month expulsions in the
HEALTH workers are to tackle teenage pregnancy problems in Pendle through a major new project. Claire Jackson, Pendle teenage health development co-ordinator, will reveal the aims of the Teenage Health Project to Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Community
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Spent a superb couple of hours at the Nestle factory in York on Friday. Photoshoot mainly on the lawn outside the reception area with the sweet smell of chocolate in the air. Beautiful weather and folk waiting for autographs! Came away with two packs
RESIDENTS in Foulridge will be able to have their say on how they think their village should be policed during a public meeting to be held at the village hall. The public meeting organised by the Lancashire Police Authority will take place on Wednesday
AN action day to raise money for Christian Aid will be held in the grounds of West Craven High Technology College on Saturday. The fun day for all the family will include a sponsored lap event in which people will either run, walk, jog or push themselves
A GROUP of musicians from Holland who took a liking to Pendle after performing in the annual Rhythm and Blues Festival in Colne have decided to come back for more. Oriental Guitars, who are six men and one woman from Rotterdam, are preparing to take part
A LANCASHIRE police chief called for insurance companies to help the fight against car crime. Chief Supt Michael Heaton said insurers needed to join in the fight to encourage owners to make cars more secure.
A BOY aged 15 suffered burns to his legs when a petrol can exploded on wasteland in Princess Street, Accrington, at 1.50pm yesterday. An ambulance spokesman he had been playing with the can and was trying to light a cigarette when the petrol ignited,
A NEGLECTED stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Church has been relaunched as a scenic visitor attraction. The Donkey Back Picnic Site and Halfway Marker artworks were opened by the Mayor and Mayoress of Hyndburn, Coun David Parkins and Coun Lesley
A LONGRIDGE councillor is all set to enjoy a repeat performance as Mayor. Coun Rose Croasdale was handed the official chains of office by outgoing Mayor Coun David Moon at Longridge Town Hall. It is the second time Coun Croasdale has been Mayor and her
THE Clarets today unveiled the new home kit for next season that they hope will be the strip of promotion winners. The new kit is part of a record breaking three-year deal that is aimed at propelling the Clarets into the Premier League. The new deal has
JENNINGS Ramsbottom Cup holders Great Harwood swept through the first round of the competition as Baxenden's nightmare start to the season continues. Farhan Adil top scored for the Cliffe side with 36 as they reached 149-9 with Andy Cumberbatch taking
WARREN HEGG has pledged to come out fighting after surely the worst weekend of his career. First the popular Lancashire captain was disgracefully snubbed by the England selectors David Graveney and Duncan Fletcher, who did not even have the courtesy to
RAMSBOTTOM pro Michael Clarke got one over on his pal Mark Higgs as the two Aussie pros went head to head in the Transco Lancashire League at Acre Bottom yesterday. Clarke scored 112 and took three wickets for just five runs. "It was like a Jekyll and
Leigh Miners Rangers 23, Leigh East 16 LEIGH Miners Rangers are top dogs of local amateur rugby league following their play-off victory over the arch-rivals from across town. The Miners have beaten East three times this season but if the Grasmere Street
BUSINESS is booming at air filtration specialists McLeod Russel in Burnley following an intensive phase of investment in technology and staff. Employment numbers at the company are up by 35 per cent to help cope with the increased workload that has followed
A LEADING Lancashire carpet company has floored the competition by linking up with top television star Carol Vorderman. For Chorley-based family firm Harwoods Carpets is to feature in the popular home improvement programme Better Homes. Producers Granada
ANDREW Wilkes and Associates Ltd (AWA), with offices in Darwen, has won the Queen's Award for its integrated site acquisition, town planning, and design for the telecom industry. The Queen's Award for Innovation is one of the UK's most prestigious business
AN award-winning hi-tech Blackburn company hopes to raise almost £1 million to finance its growth by joining Ofex. Millbrook Scientific Instruments will issue 9.5 million shares at 10p each as it seeks admission to the share market for smaller companies
WHEN Morris met Ada in London's East End in the late 1800s, they had no idea they were about to launch a fashion empire that is now a world leader in its field. Morada, the company they created, started selling fashion accessories to the London garment
THE Bowker family's international haulage empire can trace its roots back to the end of the First World War, when a Blackburn-born driver with the Ambulance Corps was demobbed. William Bowker was one of thousands of young men returning to peacetime East
STEVE Hoyle has spent the last 15 years of his career working to attract new jobs and investment to Blackburn and Darwen. When he joined the borough council in 1987, unemployment stood at an unacceptable 18 per cent -- three times the national average
A 'MAN mountain' accused of murdering a Darwen woman has made a brief Old Bailey appearance. Gareth Horton, 29, of Walmsley Street, Darwen, denied stabbing to death Charlotte Flanagan, 22, a former Blackburn with Darwen Council employee, who had beein
MORE than 100 residents are uniting to fight rising crime with community spirit. Neighbourhood watches for three adjacent streets in Darwen come into existence this week seven months after a police appeal for volunteers through the Lancashire Evening
ASDA in Rawtenstall became a hive of activity on Saturday when various characters from the Harry Potter series turned up to mark the release of the film on video. The store organised a competition to find the best Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley
A WOMAN who set up a support group for families of sufferers of a deadly bug has offered her help to the family of Denise Hendry, the wife of former Blackburn Rovers idol Colin. Thirty-five-year-old Denise, who remains 'poorly but stable' in Royal Preston
AN East Lancashire school is one of only five in the county to strike gold in a national sports award scheme. Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn has received coveted Sportsmark Gold status from Sport England in recognition of its "outstanding
A TEENAGER who opened bank accounts and then cashed cheques worth more than £20,000 has been caged for eight months. Natalie Shorrock cashed more than 265 cheques from Halifax accounts she opened before the deception was rumbled. The 19-year-old, of Wimberley
A SCHEME aimed at cracking down on the number of burglaries in one of Blackburn's crime hotspots has been launched. The Anti-Crime Workshop, held in the Accrington Road Community Centre, in the Whitebirk area last week, included advice on how to protect
A TEENAGER who was rushed to hospital last summer with a mystery illness has won a top university scholarship, despite missing months at college. Francesca Lee, from St Wilfrid's Technology College, won the Aberystwyth University award after battling
SHAW Hill's Nick Dougherty missed the cut at the Benson and Hedges International Open at the De Vere Belfry. His scores of 74 and 74 left him four over par at the European Tour event.
BUDDING Bury gastronomes whipped up culinary creations in a bid to become a junior masterchef. Five schools from the town submitted teams for Junior Masterchef 2002, which is in its fourth year. The event, run by the Rotary Club of Tottington and Bury
PRIZE-winning pupils of Tottington High School will walk through the garden of Eden after scooping the honours in a competition. Their colourful, eye-catching display, based on the Eden Project in Cornwall, beat off the challenge of seven other schools
A HI-TECH revolution is sweeping education in East Lancashire. Blackburn and Burnley colleges will be part of a £1.3million New Technology Institute which will link students across the county and provide improved IT training, it was revealed last week
SCHOOLS REPORT: Blackburn with Darwen LEA currently provides education for 25,927 pupils in primary, secondary, special and nursery schools throughout the Borough. We aim to: Secure high quality early years and childcare provision in a variety of settings
A GROUP of Whitefield residents has launched a campaign to save one of the town's major community facilities. Members of Elms Tenants and Residents Association (TRA), backed by newly-elected councillor Joan Grimshaw, have mapped out a plan of action to
