Archive

  • 'Miracle boy' Callum is smiles better

    BRAVE Callum Taylor has told of the moment he almost died when a large gate hit him on the head as he retrieved a football. And the nine-year-old, who has been left partially paralysed, has vowed to regain the use of his left arm and get back to playing

  • 17-stone Blackburn grandma 'too fat for operation'

    A grandmother who weighs 17 and a half stone has been told she cannot have surgery because she is too overweight. Evelyn Lang, 43, said consultants at the Royal Blackburn Hospital refused to operate on her ovaries, kidneys and bowels because of her size

  • Dougherty has mixed day in Masters

    CHORLEY golfer Nick Dougherty made a storming start in the US Masters ... but saw his challenge fall away with a series of bogeys. Dougherty led the field in Augusta after two birdies inhis first three holes but he went on to register five bogeys to

  • Drugs man spared jail

    A MAN who had cannabis on him whilst subject to a suspended jail term was spared being sent to prison. Burnley magistrates heard how Shafqat Hussain, 21, who was also in breach of a conditional discharge, had a previous conviction for cannabis. He had

  • Blackburn man's Deal Or No Deal nightmare

    LUCKLESS Derek Brown is cursing the gameshow nightmare which left him aiming for £250,000 - but winning just a fiver! And the 63-year-old's performance on Channel 4's Deal or No Deal was so bad that he has been given his own wing in the show's Hall of

  • Major triumph for Blackburn dance girls

    AN East Lancashire majorettes troupe has cause for celebration after gaining scooping trophies at a UK dance competition. Blackburn-based Onyx Majorettes competed against 12 groups in the Premier Dance Association competition. The junior and senior

  • 'Traumatised' former soldier beat up partner

    AN EX-soldier who beat up his partner was suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome after service in Iraq, a court was told. Burnley magistrates heard tarmacer Jamie Lee Wilson, 26, had been discharged from the Army after serving there and was said

  • 'Business as usual' for troubled Nelson club

    A CLUB boss says it is business as usual at a venue where the licence was suspended after a string of violent incidents. Councillors suspended the licence of the Goodnight Club, in Stanley Street, Nelson, on Wednesday for four weeks, after an investigation

  • Burglar told she must tackle drug problem

    A WOMAN has been given a chance to sort her life out after a judge warned that she could die if she did not tackle her drug problem. Samantha Walsh, who admitted a burglary offence, was given a 12 month jail sentence suspended for two years at Preston

  • Glen Chapple: Young talent will always be found at Lancashire

    LANCASHIRE stalwart Glen Chapple reckons the county's future is in good hands thanks to the work being done to promote youth cricket. The stars of Old Trafford have been out and about during the winter helping with coaching clinics around the county.

  • Handbag stolen from Colne pub

    A THIEF who helped himself to the contents of a woman's handbag has been given a 12 month supervision order. Burnley Magistrates heard how drunken Geoffrey Scott Graham, 31, had danced close to the victim in the Union Exchange pub, Colne. She then noticed

  • Blackburn frostbite man jailed for assault

    A MAN who suffered frostbite after being kicked out of home following a row with his wife over a hot pie has been jailed for assault. Keith Traill, 52, lived in a shed at Feniscliffe Allotments, Green Lane, Blackburn, in temperatures as low as -9C after

  • MP rubbishes claim

    JACK Straw has branded claims he threatened to punch a cabinet colleague "absolute garbage". It had been reported the Justice Minister and Blackburn MP had clashed with Schools Secretary Ed Balls over who was in charge of youth crime. But Mr Straw

  • Vote for Darwen town council plans

    DARWEN residents are to be asked whether they want their own town council in an election-style vote in September. Council bosses have confirmed a referendum will take place in the town as part of a major revamp of council structure. Next week ruling

  • Pendle taxi faults shock

    A MAYOR has branded the results of random checks on taxis which found that 14 out of 18 Pendle cabs had faults as "appalling". Coun Allan Buck, this year's Pendle mayor, who is also chairman of the borough's licensing committee, said improvements must

  • Appeal to reunite archive with the Mercers

    IS your name Mercer? Then you might belong to the Burnley family that Jean Mulgrew is seeking to trace. For she has a box of photographs and memorabilia spanning generations in her possession, which she would like to hand over to the family. One beautifully-scripted

  • Club looks Nat-ty for season’s opener

    NatWest staff swapped uniforms for overalls at Burnley Cricket Club to take part in NatWest CricketForce. The staff joined volunteers to help with projects including fence repairs, painting sightscreens, pressure washing patios and staining benches

  • Friends' internet tributes to Helmshore man

    FRIENDS of a young man who was found hanging in the back garden of his home have set up an internet tribute site to pay their respects. The body of 21-year-old Ryan Breslin was found by a neighbour in Dorset Drive, Helmshore, on Sunday. Emergency services

  • Kitchen firm to create 15 Jobs

    A COMPANY is to create 15 jobs in the borough. JJO, a multi-million pound company based on Newchurch Road, Bacup, one of largest manufacturers in the UK of kitchens and bedroom furniture, has revealed it is to expand into bathrooms. The announcement

  • Olympic theme for Haslingden Street Fair 2008

    HASLINGDEN Street Fair 2008 will have an Olympics theme. The fair, which will include a bonanza of street performances, local talent, and charity stalls, will run from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, September 6. Last year more than 20 stalls, and donations

  • Burnley on red alert over Derek Riordan

    BURNLEY have been put on high alert as Derek Riordan's Celtic career looks to be all but over. The former Hibernian striker was locked in showdown talks with Bhoys boss Gordon Strachan last night at the club's Lennoxtown HQ after comments he made before

  • How Blackburn Rovers stop youngsters turning to gambling

    BLACKBURN Rovers have revealed how they are teaching their young footballers how to resist the pitfalls of wealth following David Bentley's gambling confessions. Rovers' England midfielder told live on TV how gambling had taken over his life, and that

  • Burnley schemes praised at national awards

    TWO Burnley schemes aimed at tackling childhood obesity and getting young people into training have been praised at a national award ceremony. Burnley Council's Strike for Life and Buffalo schemes were finalists in the Sustainable Communities Awards

  • Sign on at Ossy

    Oswaldtwistle Immanuel CCC will hold a "signing on night" at the club on Friday, April 18, starting at 6pm for players for its Under-13s team. Players must be in school year 7&8.

  • Kirkham & Wesham 2 Padiham 0

    Padiham gave a solid display but were beaten 2-0 by FA Vase finalists Kirkham and Wesham. Martin Savigar gave the home side the lead two minutes into the second half, and a last-minute strike by Ritchie Allen settled it. Wayne Morrison had Padiham's

  • Stott’s got the lot for Dales race

    Ian Stott, of the Blackburn and District CTC, rode an excellent race around the ultra-tough Circuit of the Dales course on Sunday to take fourth place overall in a star-studded field. Almost ignoring the bitterly cold conditions around the 50-mile loop

  • Time to sand and deliver for Nick Dougherty

    IT'S the moment of truth for Chorley golfer Nick Dougherty. The former Shaw Hill professional makes his debut in the US Masters in Augusta today. He has been grouped with Swede Robert Karlsson and American Steve Lowey for the first two rounds of

  • Who is this Accrington garden in memory of?

    REGENERATION of a memorial garden has been put on hold - because nobody knows who it is a memorial to. Sponsorship money has been obtained to buy new plants and pay for a general tidy up of the small patch of land in Thorneyholme Road, Accrington. But

  • Fun gardening exhibit

    A BURNLEY-based gardening project is being showcased in Manchester to show people how to turn a city space into a urban oasis. Offshoots, a project based at Towneley Park, run by Groundwork's Pennine branch is being featured at Urbis gardening exhibition

  • Clean-up by residents

    RESIDENTS are cleaning up the streets around their homes this Saturday. The clean-up' session will be around the Shadsworth Road and North Road areas of Blackburn, from noon to 1.30pm. The event, centred around Shadsworth Children's Centre, is being

  • Marathon a dash for Pete

    DARWEN Dashers runner Pete Murphy will be taking part in Saturday's Flora London Marathon to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Pete, from from Cloister Drive, Darwen, said: "It is not only an opportunity to push myself physically but more importantly

  • Burnley man admits stabbing housemate

    A MAN has pleaded guilty to attempted murder after stabbing his housemate with a hunting knife at a house in Burnley. Jonathan Bamber, 33, formerly of Carlton Road, Burnley, was remanded to a secure medical unit after admitting a charge of attempted

  • Darwen girl Caitlin's a Race for Life Number 1

    A 12-YEAR-OLD Darwen girl with learning difficulties will be starting a charity fun run in memory of her father who died from lung cancer. Organisers of Cancer Research UK's Race for Life have offered Caitlin Jones a chance to wear be race number one

  • Driver hit car after drinking to excess

    A DRINK-driver who smashed into another car was more than twice the limit, Burnley magistrates heard. Lithuanian Virgilijus Senulis, 42, told the victim the police should not be called and wanted to know how much compensation he wanted. Senulis then

  • Party guest burgled Blackburn house

    A GUEST at a party repaid the hospitality shown to him by burgling the house. Liam Holt broke in the same evening and stole music equipment but was later seen carrying some of the stolen property to his own home on the same street. The 21-year-old,

  • Rocker back on home ground again

    A DARWEN-born rock star who has toured with rock giants Led Zepplin and Jefferson Airplane is returning to the town next month to play a gig. Guitarist Bryn Haworth grew up in Darwen before moving to London in the late 60s. In the early 70s he moved

  • Stand- in at the MU

    The speaker at the April meeting of St. Mary's MU Mellor will be Rev Norman Atty from Whalley who has taken some of the services at St Mary's whilst a new vicar is appointed.

  • Chip in to help Pendle mayor’s charities

    GOLFERS in Pendle are being asked to take part in a charity tournament. The mayor of Pendle's Charity Golf Tournament is being held at Marsden Park Golf Course, Nelson, on Wednesday, May 14 and will be one of the mayor and mayoress's final engagements

  • Preparations are continuing!

    'Colne in Bloom' volunteers are starting their work to prepare Colne for the North West in Bloom competition in the summer. They have already tidied up the grassed area next to the main road at Primet Bridge where litter had blown and been thrown.

  • Teen star Bradshaw ready for Donington

    SINGLE Seater star Tom Bradshaw has got this year's Formula Palmer Audi title firmly in his sights. The series kicks off at Donington Park this weekend, and Bradshaw, 18, is considered one of the UK's brightest young talents, having won the 2006 North

  • ‘Possible postal vote fraud’ probe

    A POLICE investigation has been launched in the run-up to next month's local elections after reports of possible postal voting fraud. Officers from Pendle CID confirmed they were investigating complaints from several political parties in the borough

  • Victim cabbie calls for CCTV

    CABBIES are calling for CCTV in taxis after a driver was robbed in Bacup. Shahid Mahmood, who works for Royal Taxis in Waterfoot, was punched and kicked in an unprovoked attack at 4.15am on Saturday. He was pulling up in the Rossendale Crescent area

  • Wilkinson just misses record

    Clayton-le-Moors Harriers attracted 200 athletes to their second race of the season on Pendle Hill, and there were also 75 juniors from six to sixteen taking part in their own series of events. The Pendle Fell Race from Barley Village is only 4.5 miles

  • Death linked to asbestos work

    A FORMER farmer died from asbestos poisoning 30 years after making a contaminated pig shelter, an inquest heard. Brian Shepard, of Cross Barn Close, Darwen, died at East Lancashire Hospice on December 28 after suffering from mesothelioma - cancer of

  • OAP, 89 tricked by cruel burglar

    AN ELDERLY woman had cash stolen from her house after a burglar forced open a door with a stolen spade. The 89-year-old woman was confronted by the intruder after he broke in to her home in Worston Lane, Great Harwood, on Sunday. The man, described

  • Burnley chef Michael is a Michelin star

    A YOUNG chef has earned himself expert training at a Michelin star restaurant after wowing the judges at a national cookery contest. Michael Eminson, 20, from Ightenhill, Burnley, cooked up a treat at the Robbie Millar scholarship awards, earning himself

  • High Court overturns BAE corruption probe decision

    The Serious Fraud Office's decision to drop its investigation into alleged bribery and corruption involving arms deals between BAE Systems and Saudi Arabia was overturned by the High Court today. The ruling was an extraordinary victory for anti-bribery

  • Tickets for Burnley's awards night

    Tickets are still available for Burnley Football Club's official Player of the Year awards at Turf Moor on Wednesday, April 30, 2008. This year, awards will be presented to the Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year, Goal of the Season, and

  • Murder charge dropped

    A BLACKBURN man accused of murdering a 14-year-old girl who vanished in 2003 has been cleared after the charge was dropped. Schoolgirl Charlene Downes, from Blackpool, disappeared after telling her mother Karen that she would not be late home. The man

  • Protest over Great Harwood cafe closure

    PROTESTERS have vowed to save a popular cafe, which was a focal point of the community for 25 years. Cafe Rian, part of Mercer Hall Leisure Centre, Great Harwood closed last week - even though local people said business was thriving. Owners Hyndburn

  • Mark King to return for Accrington Stanley

    MARK King is set to return to Accrington Stanley's squad this weekend to help solve the club's defensive crisis. With Aswad Thomas and Leam Richardson suspended, and with Darran Kempson's loan spell cut short by parent club Shrewsbury, former Blackburn

  • Burnley drivers earn fourth in SMC Stages

    EAST Lancashire drivers carried off a share of the silverware at Stockport Motor Club's SMC Stages. Top finisher was Burnley's Peter Tattersall and Stephen Riley (Ford Escort) who claimed fourth overall, first in class and first two-wheel-drive car -

  • VIDEO: Gibson and Neal power to Ilkley win

    MARTIN Neal and Andy Gibson turned in a spritely performance in their Austin Healey to win the Ilkley Jubilee Historic Rally. The pair beat off the similar car of Simon Parson and Trevor Cattermole to win by almost a minute. Top seed James Tyson and

  • Winners in Mid Lancs Cross Country presentation night

    Karl Billington and Barry Mitchell were individual winners in this winter's Mid Lancs Cross Country League, which covered six races at Leyland, Burnley, Liverpool, Lancaster, Hyndburn and Blackburn. It was an unfortunate irony that Billington couldn't

  • Hot tubs are not eco-friendly

    I read the article Blackburn Hollywood' with dismay. Has Margo Grimshaw not heard of climate change and the threat to the environment? Hot tubs on the roof? How much energy will these consume, just to give wealthy professionals a "touch of Hollywood

  • Good to see return of full democracy

    RESTORATION of a full-fledged democracy in Pakistan is a great step forward in the history of Pakistan. Many British Pakistanis, including myself, have been campaigning consistently hard, are delighted that we have finally achieved our goal. I must mention

  • Pension was not intended to live on

    WE are becoming a nation of whingers and whiners and, topping this unsavoury list are the many old age pensioners who, being old enough to remember, seem to have conveniently forgotten what was made clear on the inception of the NHS: That the old age

  • Cubbon leaves a miserable legacy

    FEW people in Burnley and Pendle will be sorry to see the back of Jo Cubbon, departing chief executive of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. On several occasions recently, I have visited a friend in Burnley General Hospital and been saddened and appalled

  • Blackburn Rovers: We don't fear Liverpool, says Mark Hughes

    BLACKBURN Rovers boss Mark Hughes says he doesn't fear a trip to Anfield - even after Liverpool's famous Champions League win over Arsenal on Tuesday night. The Reds left it late but recorded a 4-2 victory, to win the tie 5-3 on aggregate, and set up

  • David Bentley is not your average footballer

    I tend to know about the bad news in the front. So I turn to the better news at the back, and work forward. This week was, however, different. My eye was drawn to an Observer Sports Monthly cover story about Rovers' David Bentley. He's a fantastic footballer

  • Engineer honoured by Prince Albert

    AN idea to name the new Freckleton Street bridge, in Blackburn, after the philanthropic Harrison family prompted one local historian to recap its achievements. Roger Frost believes it would be tragic if the name was not remembered in the town in some

  • 'Swinging sixties' school reunion

    PUPILS who attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, in the 'swinging sixties' are getting together again at a school reunion. The school will be welcoming former pupils and staff on Saturday, April 26, and everyone who studied there during

  • Acts which hurt all youngsters

    We are always hearing the complaint from teenagers that there is nothing for them to do in the evenings and during school or college holidays. A perceived lack of youth clubs, sports facilities and places to "chill out" is often held up as a reason,

  • Rovers fans’ mixed reaction on gambling

    BLACKBURN Rovers fans outside Ewood Park gave a mixed reponse to David Bentley's admission with some saying it's a sign of decadent times while others defending his right to privacy. Colin Heaney, 47, has supported Rovers all his life. He said: "It's

  • Burnley reserves beaten

    GOALS in either half for Wrexham condemned Burnley Reserves to back-to-back defeats. Chances were at a premium until midway through the first half when Alex MacDonald and Mark Randall went close for the Clarets. Wrexham responded by taking the lead

  • Knifepoint raid on couple in their home

    THREE masked raiders broke into a family's home and threatened a couple with knives while their children slept upstairs. Police have launched a major investigation after the raid in Kingsway, Lower Darwen. The thugs made off with property including

  • Clerk office opening times change

    With effect from Monday 14th April, the Town Clerk's Office hours are to be from 10.00am - 1.30pm. To make the most effective use of these hours, they will be split as follows: 10.00 - 11.00am drop-in sessions for members of the public, 11.00am - 1.30pm

  • David Bentley speaks about '100 bets a day' gambling habit

    BLACKBURN ROVERS winger David Bentley has revealed he would place up to 100 bets a day when he was gripped by a gambling habit which threatened to derail his football career. Bentley admits in an interview on Setanta Sports' Football Matters how gambling

  • Blackburn pub restoration 'on track'

    RESTORATION work on a famous former Blackburn pub is progressing "very well", according to regeneration bosses. The King's Head building on King Street, built in 1765, is to be converted to offices. Number three Freckleton Street, the building next