I HEAR that the City of Preston is debating should they in the future have a Mayor? I must admit that up to this moment, it's not something I've given a great deal of thought to. But thinking about it I must say that I do like a bit of pomp and ceremony
I WRITE to highlight the reaction to the release of the Asian men who have been held in detention without trial at Guantanamo Bay. The Press, particularly the Murdoch tabloids appear to have convicted and sentenced these young men. And, how dare they,
THE Government should give more money for local police, says Tory election challenger Alex Williams. Mr Williams, prospective Parliamentary candidate for Bury South, said: "The tapering of grants to support the Government's new police community support
DRUNKEN Wayne Kelleher got more than he bargained after he turned nasty and bit a man's finger. For his victim, Leigh Donnelly, frogmarched him to a public phone in Piccadilly where he called the police, magistrates in Manchester were told. And despite
ETHNIC minority pupils could suffer because of cuts in language classes to help them learn alongside native English speakers. Bury Council says it is unable to meet the shortfall caused by a cut in Government grant to the Curriculum and Language Access
THE devastated family of a woman who was knocked down and killed while walking her dog today spoke of their love for a wife, mum and grandma. Lynda Walters, 56, died following the crash involving a car driven by an 18-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, close
RESIDENTS in Walshaw Road, Bury, are digging out their wellington boots to fight their way through a slurry of mud outside their backyards. The back street running behind the homes opposite Andrews Textiles is continually flooded when it is pounded by
DURING the course of a football season there will be things uttered by people within the game that will trigger a whole range of different emotions within the football fan. There's the humour from people such as Ian Holloway and Gordon Strachan, the surreal
TOM Kennedy is backing the Shakers to bring their miserable run of results to an end sooner rather than later. The 19-year-old full-back reckons the club are due a change in fortune after Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Scunthorpe stretched their unbeaten sequence
GRAHAM Barrow is set for a busy week searching for defensive cover in the wake of Danny Swailes' recent transfer. Swailes moved to Macclesfield Town late on Thursday leaving the Bury manager short of central defensive options. If Saturday's match at Scunthorpe
GREATER Manchester Chamber is to help firms who are bowled over by tax issues and feel they are on a sticky wicket. The Small Business Tax Workshop, organised by Greater Manchester Chamber in conjunction with HM Customs and Excise, Inland Revenue and
EMPLOYERS and their staff should be compelled to pay contributions to defuse the pensions "timebomb", according to new research by the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICA). A survey of more than 1,000 chartered accountants in senior pensions roles
AN EXCLUSIVE gated village which is home to businessmen and celebrities is being blighted by drug-taking on its disused bowling green. Police today said youngsters from outside Brockhall Village -- and some residents -- were using the green and they were
MARK Yates could be in line for an early birthday present after answering Burnley's SOS for tonight's FA Cup clash with Liverpool. Steve Cotterill's first team coach is set to be named as a substitute just one week before celebrating his 35th birthday
LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez will again turn to his young guns at Turf Moor tonight. With the likes of Djibril Cisse, Harry Kewell, Xabi Alonso, Josemi, Kirkland and Steve Finnan all out injured, Benitez is forced to turn to the same youngsters who
PRIOR to Saturday, it had been almost three weeks since the Burnley public were entertained by their team at Turf Moor. After Saturday they were still waiting. Some nil-nils provide great entertainment: end-to-end football, near misses and moments of
STEVE Cotterill today sounded the rallying call as Burnley look to spring an FA Cup shock by beating Liverpool. The Clarets boss admits some of the sheen has been taken off tonight's tie by the long delay caused by a frustrating postponement 12 days ago
HOW often have you heard the expression: "They deserve a medal"? Well, the Bury Times may not be in the business of presenting medals but we are always eager to give public recognition to those unsung heroes in our community; those men, women - and maybe
A DARWEN pre-school faced with closure four years ago now has a new much-needed extension and is going from strength to strength. In 200,1 Kittens Pre-School, in Veronica Street, was faced with premises that were too small for the number of pupils it
STAFF at the Black Horse Hotel in Darwen are expecting to be rushed off their feet this weekend when they hold their Winter Beer Festival. Landlord Andy Harding is expecting around 500 ale fans to pass through the pub doors during the four-day event.
ROSSENDALE residents will have another chance to meet leading local politicians and discuss important issues at a Lancashire Local meeting to be held at Haslingden Community Link on Thursday. The meeting will begin at 6.30pm and is organised by Lancashire
SUPERMARKET giant Asda has thrown a spanner in the works of the plans of a rival retailer for a new store in Rossendale. An application for proposals to build a store on the site of the present Asda in Bocholt Way was due to be passed at a meeting last
A VAN overturned and two cars collided in separate incidents on the M65 as snow covered much of East Lancashire today. The van came to a halt at about 7.30am, close to junction six on the eastbound carriageway at Whitebirk. Fire crews were called to help
ELDERLY people are being targeted by two women thieves who are believed to have struck at least three times in a week. Officers have warned pensioners to be on their guard and not to let anyone into their homes after three separate incidents in the Oakenhurst
EXAMINATION results for A and AS Level students in Bury are once again below the national average - but are showing signs of catching up. The figures were released with the GCSE performance tables for Bury and Bolton last Thursday. They show an average
A MAN found dead in the boot of a burnt-out car in Bury is believed to have links to the area's drugs world, police have revealed. Detectives investigating the gangland-style killing suspect the man is a 31-year-old from Prestwich. But formal identification
THE case for putting a ban on heavy lorries using the Grane Road between Blackburn and Rossendale has been proved. After years of campaigning for safety improvements on the notorious accident blackspot, residents were thrilled when they were promised
SPECSAVERS in The Haymarket, Bury, is searching for the town's sexiest wearer, with the national winner receivng a year's modelling contract and holiday in Mexico. Entry forms are available by calling 763-3916
I WOULD like to say how much I agree with Mr Neil Aspden's letter about pubs (LET, January 8). I am retired and often find myself in the same boat. I have lived in the Four Lane Ends area of Blackburn all my life and recently we have seen the demise of
I DIDN'T watch Jerry Springer -- The Opera so I can't comment on that, but Martin Smith (LET, January 13) should realise that many people (just under 50 per cent according to one newspaper) no longer believe in God. Where was this caring, loving saviour
RESEARCH recently conducted at Cardiff University clearly links the contracting out, (privatisation), of hospital cleaning services with a drastic reduction in standards of cleanliness in hospitals, and even the development of often fatal "super bugs"
READERS will be outraged by the Home Secretary's recent decision not to back our campaign for a change in the law to provide greater protection for homeowners who are attacked by intruders. The present law is tilted too far in favour of burglars and The
A RESCUE operation was carried out when a woman from Leigh fractured her ankle while walking on the moors at Rivington. The 57-year-old woman was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital on Sunday night after being carried to safety by rescuers. Rescue workers
WORK has begun on a new local community plan for Radcliffe. Area co-ordinator for the town, John Slater, has already been asking residents for their input and also plans to consult the towns business community. The local community plan takes borough-wide
ASDA supermarket in Bury is literally coining it in for charity. Staff and customers have been awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from Bury Hospice acknowledging their fundraising efforts. Recently the store raised £383 through customers donating their
ALTHOUGH he had assaulted his wife after she had locked him out of the house, Stephen O'Riordan had been forgiven and accepted back in to the home, a court was told. O'Riordan, a 38-year-old car park attendant, of Ferngrove, Bury, had previously admitted
A THIEF attempting to steal a car radio was cornered by a police dog in a garage, a court heard. Steven John Grocock (31), of Horridge Street, Bury, admitted attempted theft of a car radio from Radcliffe Discount Car Centre in Radcliffe Moor Road and
BLACKBURN Rovers midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen is at the centre of a club versus country tug-of-war. Norway coach Age Hareide has named the former Tromso winger in his squad for a tour of the Middle East later this month. If Pedersen was to go on the
ETHNIC minority pupils could suffer because of cuts in language classes to help them learn alongside native English speakers. Bury Council says it is unable to meet the shortfall caused by a cut in Government grant to the Curriculum and Language Access
EXTRA police will be out on the streets tonight for the re-scheduled Burnley verses Liverpool FA Cup clash. Officers will be carrying out high visibility patrols throughout the evening because of the number of fans expected to watch the match. The popularity
SHAKERS' second string take on Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park on Wednesday in the Pontins Holiday League. Kick-off 2pm.
PENDLE Council leader Alan Davies has added his name to the list of people to get a fine from new parking wardens. And the Mayor of Pendle Coun Dorothy Lord says the wardens have a bad attitude. Councillors are also worried that the new wardens are giving
PLANS to build 40 houses in Colne have been thrown out after residents and councillors branded them ridiculous. Crownway Homes Ltd wanted to put a mixture of two to three-storey houses on land off Knotts Lane, similar to a scheme dismissed at appeal in
AN OUT-of-control digger careered down a Colne back street damaging properties on the way. Residents of Cliff Street were counting the cost today after the machine cracked walls and even took the roof off one couple's shed. Adam and Vikki Bowater, of
HUNCOAT youth club leader Harry Duffy was forced to quit by louts who vandalised his car then set it on fire. Mr Duffy, of Windermere Avenue, had been helping to run the youth club at Harvey Street Community Centre, Oswaldtwistle, for four years. But
THE kindness and friendliness of Blackburn people was praised by rival football supporters. Swansea Town FC fans, who visited Blackburn in the third round of the FA cup, were so taken with the attitude of fans they wrote a letter to the newspaper. Supporter
THE congregation at an Accrington church could be facing a second Sunday service in the ballroom at a local working men's club. Problems with the ceiling of Christ Church, in Christ Church Square, meant the building was declared temporarily unsafe and
THE devastated family of a woman who was knocked down and killed while walking her dog today spoke of their love for a wife, mum and grandma. Lynda Walters, 56, died following the crash involving a car driven by an 18-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, close
KEY ingredients involved in strategic planning for business owners came sharply under the microscope during a special event held in Bury. The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and NatWest commercial banking teams from Bury and Bolton jointly hosted a strategic
STUBBINS-based Strategic Team Group (STG), one of the UK's fastest growing suppliers of building and property solutions, has invested £60,000 in new machinery. The move is in response to a growing percentage of contracts the company undertakes involving
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after armed raiders bulldozed their way into a bank as staff were locking up on Friday night. The raiders drove a flat back Transit van into a rear wall of the Halifax in the Longfield Centre, Prestwich,at 5.15pm as
A MAN who broke the terms of his 'weekend custody' jail sentence by turning up drunk at a Lancashire prison has been ordered to serve the remainder of his time as a full-time prisoner. Aaron Crompton went to the pub after his train to Kirkham open prison
But Burnley Football Club say they are "confident" tonight's FA Cup third round tie with Liverpool will go ahead at the second time of asking. The Turf Moor pitch covers have been in place since 4pm last night to catch around an inch of overnight snow
* BURNLEY against Liverpool was due to be the first third round tie to kick off, but now because of the postponement of last Friday week due to an unfit pitch, it will be the last initial tie to be staged. Burnley won the Cup for the only occasion in
WHEN referee Mark Clattenburg finally drew his hand across his throat to call a halt to Burnley's original dream date with Liverpool, a solitary hooded figure in the stand tried desperately to hide his elation. A suspended Micah Hyde had been forced to
THERE are two vacancies in Soccer Zone's new six-a-side league on Monday and Tuesday nights at the Ball Zone in Whitefield. The league caters for all team standards and anyone wishing to take a place should call Steve or Andy on 0161-764 6768, 0161-762
BURY Metro Sports Advisory Forum will be making their annual awards for 2004-2005 at a Night To Remember in Sport next month. The event, in conjunction with Bury Metro Sports Development Unit, is to be held at Bury Town Hall's Elizabethan Suite on Friday
BURY man Murray Birnie, vice-chairman of Lancashire County Cricket Club, has died suddenly at the age of 67 in South Africa. Mr Birnie, who had latterly lived in Haslingden, suffered a fatal heart attack on Thursday in Johannesburg where he had travelled
A DARWEN schoolboy will be honoured for both his sporting and academic achievements during a ceremony in memory of a former Darwen soldier. Ryan McKenna, 11, of Darwen Vale High School, will be the first pupil to receive the trophy from the Jack Banks
THE son of a Rossendale man killed when his motorbike was in collision with a car today paid tribute to "the best dad in the world". Shane Butler was speaking at the family home in Cobden Lane, Bacup, after his father, John, was killed in the accident
RAILWAY buffs from around the world can now ride an East Lancashire steam train without leaving home thanks to a new computer simulation. And money made from the game will help pay for the restoration of a historic diesel locomotive. Steam train enthusiast
A MAN was murdered by a drunken teenager after asking him and his friends to keep the noise down, a court was told. Damien Fiocca, now 20, of Whitendale Crescent, Blackburn, hit Andrew Rawes over the head with a TV stand, smashing his skull and causing
THE head of a Blackburn Islamic school today hit back at claims by the head of school watchdog OFSTED that Muslim faith schools do not prepare children for life in modern Britain. And the chairman of the Lancashire Council of Mosques also defended Muslim
PLANS to run express train services through East Lancashire - using Blackburn Station en-route - have been shelved after rail bosses were told there wasn't enough room to squeeze them in. Virgin Trains had wanted to divert its services via Blackburn,
JOHN Coleman would be forgiven for feeling he's gone back to the classroom. For the phrase 'must do better' will no doubt be at the heart of the Accrington Stanley manager's pre-match pep-talk tonight. Coleman was frustrated that his side couldn't dispose
