A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Accrington and Blackburn CHA Club meet in the clubroom at the Mind Centre, Regent Street, Blackburn, 7.30pm. 'China' with Rita Kay. Hyndburn and Ribble Valley CVS drop
RESIDENTS in East Lancashire who have spare mobile phones after getting new ones for Christmas are being urged not to throw them out but help an appeal. The charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People can turn unwanted mobile phones into cash to train rescue
MAY I appeal to readers to boycott the sale of cats in a basket? These cats look cute but are made causing horrendous suffering to real cats and dogs. These products have already been banned in America after investigation by The Humane Society International
HALF of one per cent of the host town's population was the target for asylum-seeker dispersal proposed by Blackburn's MP Jack Straw, when he was Home Secretary. Seven hundred is Labour's target for the town. Yet the United Nation's recommendation is one
YES, as Michael Morton, managing director of Blackburn Transport urges (Letters, January 9), let's look at the bigger picture regarding town-centre congestion in Blackburn. He says traffic will ease on Railway Road (left). I doubt that and there is still
IN attempting to defend his son's earlier comments on car parking in Blackburn town centre, it appears that Councillor Ron O'Keeffe (Snr.) (Letters, January 4) has missed the main issue raised by your previous correspondent, Mrs Janet Lockley. While I
POLICE recovered a firearm and arrested a 20-year-old man after a gun was brandished on a late night Metrolink tram. The drama happened after 11pm on Wednesday (Jan 15) when the man produced the weapon on board the tram, terrifying passengers. Police
A BURY woman's English springer spaniels are well and truly groomed for stardom. They were on their best behaviour when a TV crew called at the Brookfield Road home of Mrs Barbara Lynch-Cowdrey. The animals will be the stars of a Granada Reports feature
BURTON 0, LEIGH RMI 1: MARK Patterson has finally got his new team on the winning way with a 1-0 Conference win at Burton Albion. Full report and reaction on Monday
BURNLEY butcher Stephen Berkin has added one more award to his collection -- as the Cheeriest Butcher in the North of England. His tasty regional specialities, like Lancashire dry-cure bacon and Cumberland sausages, were served with a beaming smile from
A SERIAL house breaker who tried to target yet another property was today starting a 20 month jail term. Ex-convict Simon Barras, 29, who had 18 previous convictions for burglary behind him, was armed with two screwdrivers. Judge Raymond Bennett said
THE owner of one of the world's leading fashion brands has written a personal note of thanks to trading standards bosses after they busted a £2.5million international fake clothes racket. Bernard Lacoste, chief executive of the global sports fashion house
PLANNING bosses have rejected moves to build 125 homes in the centre of Radcliffe on the grounds that the 4.5 hectare site should be used for business and industrial use which would create more employment in the town. But Merseyside developers Morris
LORRY driver Kevin Elleray was left with only the clothes he stood up in after a blaze ripped through his mobile home at Doffer Fold Farm off St Andrew's Road in Radcliffe. The 44-year-old had spent the last four years converting a 32-seater coach into
A YOUNG dad's first night out in his new home town of Barnoldswick ended with him suffering a smashed skull. Burnley Crown Court heard Dominc Heys was punched by James Cooper and knocked to the ground, hitting his head on the cobbles outside the Seven
PEOPLE across East Lancashire are set to benefit from a one stop hotline offering information on county and borough council services. And a new central call-centre with just one phone number is to be created where staff will be able to direct people to
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst Road; Geloo Bros, Cleaver
FLOOD hotspots in Clitheroe are to benefit from a £33million flood defence scheme. Studies are to be undertaken in Low Moor and the Taylor Street areas to see if further flood defences are needed and those already in place are up to scratch. Increased
BURNLEY Football Club's Leisure and Community Centre is to open its doors to female footballers. The Centre runs popular coaching sessions for schoolboys both in and out of school hours. And, on the back of their success, they are set to extend those
A COMMUNITY time capsule is to be be buried in East Bury and residents are being asked to provide items which will be retained for posterity. The appeal comes from one of the area's two artists in residence, Louise Brookes. The capsule will be placed
Swansea City...2 Bury...3 SOMEONE should point out to Bury that it's not against Football League rules to win a game by more than one goal! The Shakers reclaimed the third automatic promotion place in Division Three but they made hard work of things against
COUNCIL house tenants living in Ramsbottom are to be given the opportunity to have their say next week on what kind of future they want to see for their homes. Throughout 2002, a series of consultation events have taken place about the levels of investment
TWO teenagers who took part in a "ferocious and brutal," attack which put another girl in hospital, have kept their freedom. Judge Barbara Watson told the 16 year olds, who cannot be named for legal reasons, they could not have complained if they had
THE controversial "peace-keeping" advertising campaign by BAE Systems has come under sustained fire. Only a week after advertising watchdogs cleared the defence giant over the allegedly sexist "Nagging Nora" advert, the company has faced another Advertising
A 41-YEAR-OLD Blackburn man downloaded 1,380 pornographic images of children during nearly three years of trawling the internet, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard that Paul Stuart Bielby's sordid secret was eventually uncovered with the help
DETECTIVES investigating the death of a 37-year-old Blackburn man were today trying to discover why his car plunged into the River Darwen before his body was discovered two miles downstream. Officers said the Ford Mondeo left Tower Road, Pleasington,
A COMMUNITY worker today spoke of her "devastated life" after an angry father threatened to shoot her and tried to mow her down in his car. Brigid Oliphant said she had lived life to the full before being subjected to the terrifying ordeal at the hands
CHORLEY Lynx start their new campaign when they travel to Craven Park to take on Barrow in the first group game in rugby league's Arriva Trains Cup tomorrow (kick-off 2pm). The competition was supposed to promote local derbies, but Lynx find themselves
STANDING near the halfway line at Anfield as a young boy, John Coleman fell for football hook, line and sinker. And, to this day, the 40-year-old lives and breathes the game. It's hard not to when you grow up in close proximity to Liverpool, so it's pretty
I HAVE this fail-safe system of high finance. A sure-fire winner. I've let many friends in on it over the last 32 years. Half my parishioners swear by it. And now, for all friends of this column, all is revealed in The Confessions of a High Financier.
Elton Vale...1 - Dukinfield Town...0 IN what was the only game to take place in the entire league programme and one of only a handful that got underway at any level throughout the north west, Elton bounced back from the disappointment of the previous
PRESTWICH Cricket Club has made a prize catch to boost its junior players. An Awards For All grant of £4,630 has been given to the Heys club, which is now being used to improve training for its youngsters. The money is being spent on several projects,
IN reply to your story headlined 'Donna's Warning' (LET, January 3), having a baby myself at only 15 years old I feel that I have come out on top, despite all the nasty comments, family arguments and the pain. People told me that life wouldn't be my own
THIEVES smashed a Vauxhall Nova into a fence before setting fire to it. The blazing vehicle was spotted by residents close to a dirt track near Danesmoor Drive in Chesham at 11.30pm on Sunday (Jan 12). Firefighters from Bury turned out but they were unable
THE countdown to the first Bury Man of the Year has begun. The award winner will be announced on January 25 at a dinner dance at the Longfield Suite in Prestwich. In October last year, the borough's six area boards were asked to put forward deserving
TRADING standards staff are advising people of their rights before taking back faulty or unwanted Christmas gifts. Firstly, they remind shoppers that it is up to the seller, not the manufacturer, to remedy problems. Angela Lomax, Bury's principal trading
ROVERS striker Matt Jansen is on the look out for a new room-mate unless Nissa Johansson can change some of his nocturnal habits. Jansen used to share with John Curtis on away trips but, now that the full-back rarely features in the first team, he's hooked
THIRTY new coach driving jobs are to be created by a leading travel group. Fraser Eagle's coach division is recruiting drivers to work from its £2 million purpose-built premises at Shuttleworth Mead Business Park, Padiham. Its search for new drivers is
TEACHERS and pupils proved that dropping out of mainstream education for a few months can be a major key in improving grades a tough education inspection has revealed. Burnley Pupil Referral Unit was praised for having a "sound range of social skills"
POLICE in Burnley are hoping to reduce the number of violent street robberies after smashing an illegal mobile phone ring. Officers in Pennine Division raided an unnamed Burnley business and recovered machines used to unlock stolen handsets, barred by
Shakers 0, Boston 0: SHAKERS failed to break down Boston but stay third in the Division Three table after defeats for Torquay and Scunthorpe. Full report and reaction on Monday Earlier, Shakers boss Andy Preece paid tribute to bottom-of-the-table Swansea
A NEW club for wheelchair-bound youngsters has been launched in Radcliffe. The Wheelies Sports and Social Club had its first meeting at Coney Green Sports Centre on Saturday (Jan 11) and proved a huge success. Youngsters aged four to 16 enjoyed indoor
COMPUTER equipment has been stolen during burglaries at two Whitefield business over the weekend. At 3.30am on Saturday (Jan 11), intruders smashed the front window of Cardwell and Son in Bury New Road to gain entry to the estate agents. They made off
POLICE are investigating the death of a patient at Prestwich Hospital after he fell from a third floor window. Mr Francis Lamb was being cared for at the high security Rivington Unit when he died on Monday (Jan 13). The 41-year-old was discovered in the
UNCONVENTIONAL, alternative and a free spirit are just some of the words to describe artist Alexander Graham Sinclair. And visitors to his latest exhibition at Prestwich Library will not be disappointed to find those qualities reflected in his work. Mr
A COMMUNITY has been saddened by the sudden death of Peter Morgan MBE, who died in hospital on Wednesday, January 8 after collapsing at home the previous Monday. Mr Morgan was chairman of Knowle Green Village Hall, chief executive of the Lancashire Youth
A £600,000 scheme to breathe new life into a boarded-up Bury church has been given the go-ahead. Planning bosses have approved the conversion of the redundant All Saints Church, Elton, into 14 luxury apartments. The discovery of severe dry rot at the
FIVE members of Radcliffe AC decided to start the new year as they mean to go on, by running the Ovenden Fell Race from Ogden Reservoir near Oldham, on January 4. Winter fell races are very likely to be affected by extreme cold, snow, driving winds and
A controversial penalty denied Burnley a first away win in three months at Selhurst Park. Aussie defender Tony Popovic found the net after Marlon Beresford was adjudged to have tapped Dele Adebola's ankle as he ran towards the box. It was a borderline
Read a minute by minute report from this afternoons game against Birmingham. 16:54: Full time Rovers 1 Birmingham 1 A result that was clearly on the cards after Rovers went down to ten men. 16:53: Rovers have an extra three minutes to turn 1 point into
Swansea City 2 Bury 3 by Phil Thorp: BURY reclaimed the third automatic promotion place in Division Three but they made hard work of things against the section's bottom club. A three-goal cushion at the interval became a single goal advantage with 13
'A COUNTRYSIDE ranger today hit out at the rising tide in flytipping, after it was revealed offences have gone up 300 per cent in the past three years. Ian Walker, of United Utilities, described people who dump waste at beauty spots across East Lancashire
DARWEN does no better or worse than any other area of the borough when it comes to funding new projects, it was claimed today. That is the main finding of an internal probe launched by Blackburn with Darwen Council after a petition calling for independence
THE Misfits Theatre Company is to present 'Stick Granny on the Roof Rack' a comedy at the village centre, Crawshawbooth on Thursday, January 23. The story shows a family on holiday which doesn't turn out as they expected. The performance begins at 7.30pm
A CUDDLY draught excluder in the shape of a snake was among a number of unwanted Christmas presents raffled off for charity at Rawtenstall's ASDA. The supermarket in Bocholt Way held a tombola in aid of Bacup toddler Jack Heath, four, who suffers from
A FORMER escort girl jailed for five years after hacking an East Lancashire businessman to death could be freed this month. Jan Charlton, 36, killed former lover Daniel O'Brien at his luxury home in Midgeley, West Yorkshire. She was cleared of murdering
PROTESTERS look set to have won their case to build a new village surgery in Stacksteads. The proposal is to demolish the ambulance station in Commercial Street, and build a new health care facility, after it was revealed by the Farholme Lane surgery
STANDING in front of a classroom full of children can be very daunting but very rewarding. That is the message being promoted by Blackburn with Darwen Council before an annual fair to recruit more teachers to the area. The event is to be held at Ewood
PEOPLE from all faiths and cultures have been invited to remember the victims of oppression and torture across the world at a special service. The National Holocaust Memorial Day will be held on the steps of Blackburn Town Hall, in King Street, on Sunday
A COUNCILLOR has slammed the local authority for the way it informed people of new development plans in his ward. A number of residents are annoyed over the way they found out about a planning application to build six two-bedroom flats on a council-owned
A BUILDING site manager attacked a colleague after someone wrote offensive graffiti on his locker. Blackburn magistrates heard that Andrew Derek Edge threw punches at Mark Tregurther before picking up a four foot piece of wood and hitting him with it.
PEOPLE across East Lancashire are set to benefit from a one stop hotline offering information on county and borough council services. And a new central call-centre with just one phone number is to be created where staff will be able to direct people to
THE owner of one of the world's leading fashion brands has written a personal note of thanks to trading standards bosses after they busted a £2.5million international fake clothes racket. Bernard Lacoste, chief executive of the global sports fashion house
FOR the second week in succession, ice proved to be a formidable barrier for canal anglers to overcome. With two or more inches to break through before a line could be wetted, it is not surprising to note that pleasure anglers were nowhere to be found
THE first league matches of the second half of the season in the Bury District Table Tennis League produced much closer results than is the norm in Division One, with 7-3 being the widest margin of victory. The winners were Ramsbottom C over Location,
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Blackburn SchSUNDAY Accrington Naturalists & Antiquarians Society meet Cannon Street Baptist Church Hall, Accrington. 'Ardnamurchan -- Almost an Island.' Rossendale
THE revelation today that cases of fly-tipping have rocketed by 300 per cent in the past three years is not only depressing, but also provokes the question of whether this blight is being worsened by short-sighted council policy. For coming in the wake
A SPORTS mad Leyland teenager is set to front a national health campaign promoting goats milk. Marcus Jackson, 15, from Croston Road, Farington Moss, has been selected by the UK's leading goats milk supplier, St Helen's Farm, to feature in its 'Thank
POLICE in East Lancashire are hoping that violent street robberies will be reduced after an illegal mobile telephone network was smashed. They said criminals who steal mobile telephones and convert them illegally will be less likely to take handsets after
THANKS for everything your newspaper did for my mother and special thanks to reporter Donna McKenzie. The situation my mother was in -- without central heating in her council house for three days (LET, January 11) -- was only solved so quickly because
EXPLORING my family history, I am trying to trace any relatives or descendants of John Thomas and Mary Alice Yates, who both died in 1938/39 and who had previously lived in Hannah Street, then Margaret Ann Street, in Blackburn. If any readers have information
REGARDING the problem of chewing gum and its disposal (LET, December 27), if only we could all dispose of it in the correct manner. It's so easy just to drop it in a litter bin. It is sad that we have come to this state of affairs that we have to use
RAIDERS armed with a sawn-off shotgun and a hammer are being hunted by detectives after a robbery at a Bury post office. They got away with the contents of a safe at Woolfold Post Office in Tottington Road, after confronting a 29-year-old female employee
DETECTIVES are today hunting two masked men who burst into an off-licence brandishing long-blade knives. The men, who were wearing stocking masks, threatened the owner of the Anglesey Off-licence, Angelsey Avenue, Burnley, and demanded cash at 7.40 last
DETECTIVES investigating the death of a 37-year-old Blackburn man were today trying to discover why his car plunged into the River Darwen before his body was discovered two miles downstream. Officers said the Ford Mondeo left Tower Road, Pleasington,
IT was an "Express" delivery this week for Bury Hospice when two nurses were presented with a cheque for £500. The cash came courtesy of a supermarket giant to mark Monday's (Jan 13) opening of the Tesco Express store in Bolton Road, Bury. Apart from
SMILE! You could be representing the UK in May's Eurovision Song Contest. For ex-Bury man Ashley Best has co-written one of eight songs shortlisted for Britain's entry to the colourful event in Latvia on May 24. The song Smile was composed by ex-Broad
WILDLIFE campaigners were left scratching their heads after a mapping blunder showed the Elton lodge they fought for years to preserve had been obliterated by a road. Nature lovers perusing the latest edition of a Manchester A-Z saw that their beloved
CHICAGO Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton is training with Blackburn Rovers ahead of the new Major League Soccer season. Thornton has returned for off-season training with Rovers after making a successful trip to Brockhall last season. The 29-year-old United
LUCAS Neill is confident Stig Inge Bjornebye will come through his latest injury setback. The Rovers left-back needed an emergency ankle bypass this week after damaging an artery, just as he was on the road to recovery from a serious eye injury he sustained
BLACKBURN fans were treated to a possible vision of the future when a young man from Shadsworth illuminated Ewood with an electrifying performance on Tuesday night. Academy starlet Paul Gallagher stole the show as Rovers' young guns romped to a fine 6
PENSIONERS were treated to a post Christmas party at a Burnley pub. Michael Igoe, landlord of the Foresters Arms in Todmorden Road has been putting on a festive knees-up in January for the past three years as a treat for old folk living in the area. Michael
RESIDENTS in East Lancashire who have spare mobile phones after getting new ones for Christmas are being urged not to throw them out but help an appeal. The charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People can turn unwanted mobile phones into cash to train rescue
PEOPLE across East Lancashire are set to benefit from a one stop hotline offering information on county and borough council services. And a new central call-centre with just one phone number is to be created where staff will be able to direct people to
THUGS kicked out a man's two front teeth during a violent robbery in Radcliffe. The 24-year-old man was walking along Duke Street at 2am on Saturday (Jan 11) when he was set upon by at least three men. He was pushed to the floor and kicked about the head
"A BRILLIANT opportunity" is how plans to create a super school to replace Coney Green High School and Radcliffe High School have been described. Coun Barry Briggs gave his verdict at the latest meeting of Radcliffe Area Board, where he is chairman. He
BURY South MP Ivan Lewis has met with bosses of a Radcliffe company to try and prevent 130 job losses. Mr Lewis had talks with chiefs at Dumers Lane-based confectionery manufacturers Adams on Friday (Jan 10) following the news that it wants to cut its
ORGANISERS of this year's Accrington Carnival today issued a plea to any company willing to dig deep to help the event. But it's not money they're after -- instead Accrington Lions, who stage the bi-annual extravaganza, need a digger and some hard core
A GREAT Harwood woman has been banned from keeping animals for five years after one of her two cats died when they were left without regular food for up to 10 days. Carol Ashton, 30, of Blackburn Road, admitted two charges of neglect when she appeared
There's a re-arranged league game for Radcliffe Borough next Tuesday at Witton Albion. It will come as a boost for Boro boss Kevin Glendon, who will be desperate top avoid a fixture pile-up following the recent enforced lay-off.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 19 BLACKBURN: 10am-1pm: Astons Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road; noon-1pm: Livesey Pharmacy, 238 Livesey Branch Road. DARWEN: noon-1pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 103 Blackburn Road. ACCRINGTON: noon-1pm: Bentley's Chemist, 42 Avenue Parade; noon-1pm
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohens Chemist, 63 Whalley Range; To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 6.30pm: Donald Wood Ltd, 53 Fishmoor Drive
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: Moss Pharmacy, 314 Bolton Road; The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; The Surgery (Chiropody), 132 Lammack Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: The
MONDAY, JANUARY 20 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: Moss Pharmacy, 314 Bolton Road; The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst
A 44-YEAR-OLD Clitheroe woman refused to give a breath sample to police after she crashed her car into two vehicles in the town late at night. Blackburn magistrates heard that a man walking his dog saw Carol Ann Reilly "slumped" over the steering wheel
A NEW rehabilitation unit designed to help older people return to independent living has opened its doors in Clitheroe. The Castleford Unit based at the Castleford Home for the Elderly, Queens Road, is a six-bed unit for people aged 60 and over who are
A POPULAR garden centre and horticultural nursery in Clitheroe will close its doors for the last time tomorrow after nearly a century of trading. Barker's Primrose Nursery, Whalley Road, is shutting following the retirement of proprietors Bill and Barbara
PEOPLE across East Lancashire are set to benefit from a one stop hotline offering information on county and borough council services. And a new central call-centre with just one phone number is to be created where staff will be able to direct people to
BURNLEY'S Dean West and Gareth Taylor have spoken of their frustration at their recent suspensions. West picked up a two-game ban and Taylor was suspended for three matches after both were sent off in the Clarets 4-2 defeat at Gillingham last month. But
BURNLEY Football Club's Leisure and Community Centre is to open its doors to female footballers. The Centre runs popular coaching sessions for schoolboys both in and out of school hours. And, on the back of their success, they are set to extend those
A PENSIONER who died after his car was in collision with a double-decker bus had been to buy his wife flowers for their wedding anniversary. Mr John Moore (81) and his German-born wife, Elke (79), were due to celebrate 55 years together the day after
GOVERNMENT reforms will cost lives and lead to the death of Britain's fire service. That is the view of Bury firefighters who are set to take part in a new series of national strikes over pay and conditions. Local authority employers have until 9am on
A SECRET quota system dumped Bury into the fourth division of council competence. That's the claim of town hall bosses, after the Audit Commission branded Bury as a "weak" council. Labour leaders also blame a last-minute change in how data was counted
BURY boss Andy Preece paid tribute to bottom-of-the-table Swansea City for a stirring fightback that almost denied the Shakers three vital points but reckons his side should never have allowed them back into the game. The Gigg Lane men looked to be cruising
IT's four months now since Bury Boxing Club upped sticks and moved from their old gym in Willow Street to new surroundings at the Seedfield Centre off Walmersley Road in Bury. And coach Mike Jelley, as keen as ever, reports that things are going well
A FORMER NHS worker is still looking for a Darwen woman he caught the train with almost half-a-century ago. George Kelly, 82, of Albert Road West, in Bolton, bumped into the woman in question one month ago at a Halle Orchestra performance at the Bridgewater
PEOPLE across East Lancashire are set to benefit from a one stop hotline offering information on county and borough council services. And a new central call-centre with just one phone number is to be created where staff will be able to direct people to
DARWEN does no better or worse than any other area of the borough when it comes to funding new projects, it was claimed today. That is the main finding of an internal probe launched by Blackburn with Darwen Council after a petition calling for independence
