FEEDING FRENZY: Pupils at some schools in the borough would have to go without school dinners because of sanctions being imposed by teachers in support of a fight for more pay. Some places were even preparing to send youngsters off the premises during
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Sequence and Ballroom Dancing with MCs Frank and Denise, Tony's New Empress Ballroom, Town Hall Street, Blackburn, 7.30pm-11pm. Football Coaching, Towneley Hall, Burnley
North West Counties League Division One Squires Gate...2 Ramsbottom Utd...1 RAMSBOTTOM United's five-match unbeaten run came to an end when they travelled to the coast to take on relegation rivals Squires Gate. The Rams made just one change to the team
RFU National League Two Sedgley Park...9pts Penzance & Newlyn...34pts DEPLETED Sedgley battled gamely against the full-time players from the West Country, but never seriously threatened the Pirates on their march towards Division One. Playing down
AIR MILES Manchester League Premier Division Monton Amateurs...1 Elton Vale...1 TWO points lost rather than one gained was the verdict from the Elton camp after second from bottom Monton just held out against some strong pressure. Vale couldn't quite
BLACKBURN MP Jack Straw has admitted he was surprised he caused the Government so much trouble as a student. Documents released by the Public Records Office yesterday revealed he had been branded 'chief troublemaker' by the British Ambassador in Chile
I WOULD like to thank all the people who came to the inaugural meeting of Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide in Blackburn. The number who attended proved that this service is greatly needed. We say a special thanks to the Community Regenerative Board
I COULDN'T agree more with Mr Joe Beardsworth (Letters, February 20) about having to pay a licence fee for a channel which, at best, is archaic with its programmes and, at worst, insulting with the amount of repeat films which we have to endure, especially
AN UNUSUAL version of Hamlet takes to the Blackpool stage next month as Arc Dance Company leaps into town. "Choreographer Kim Brandstrup was first inspired to interpret Shakespeare's Hamlet in 1993 when it was then entitled Antic," said a company spokesman
HEYWOOD Model Railway group will be arriving in town this weekend, stopping off at Holy Cross College. The Manchester Road venue will host an exhibition of around 15 model railway layouts and trade stands from 10am to 6pm tomorrow (Sat March 8) and 10am
BURY Hospice has received another helping hand from the Freemasons. Mr Phil Mountford, the chairman of Bury and Radcliffe Freemasons, presented cheques totalling £2,150 to the Dumers Lane Hospice. Hospice fund-raising manager Mervyn Reeves said: "One
SPORTS lovers will find it's no sweat keeping up to date about their favourite leisure activity. Bury Council has unveiled the third edition of Bury Sports Directory, which can be picked up free of charge. It contains contact details for sports groups
THE fun-packed itinerary for Radcliffe Carnival has been revealed. Saturday June 7 and Sunday June 8 are the dates to circle in your diary for the town's annual celebration. On the Saturday the carnival parade will set off at 2pm. Back at Red Bank Playing
A YOUNG couple are being hunted after an arson attack on a flat in Bury over the weekend. The pair gained entry through the communal door of the apartment complex in Walmersley Road on Saturday night (March 1). The woman was carrying three plastic bags
A WIDOW from Colne has been attacked by a knife-wielding gang while in South Africa for her granddaughter's wedding. Kathleen Strachan, 72, was assaulted as she walked to a railway station in Kraaifontein, 25 miles from the capital Cape Town, with her
STUDENTS won't have to travel abroad to fill up their Passport to Learning. The service for adult learners, based at Bury College's learning resource centre, has been extended to provide a more comprehensive service. The resources of the John Rylands
MAY is going to be a fruitful time for hundreds of schoolchildren throughout Bury. They will be among a quarter of a million pupils in the North West who will ultimately receive free fruit every school day. It's thanks to a rolling £42 million scheme
THE new Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, will bless specially-commissioned artwork at Radcliffe Parish Church on Sunday (March 9). The bishop has given permission for the church to install an aumbr, a small safe where bread and wine consecrated
GARRY Flitcroft has been impressed by David Dunn's recent return to form and fitness. Dunn has endured a difficult couple of months in which he has come in for criticism from manager Graeme Souness. But the England midfielder has responded with two winning
ROVERS striker Hakan Sukur hopes to step up his comeback plans in tonight's reserve game at Aston Villa. Sukur has been pencilled in to play a part against Villa by reserve boss Alan Murray. But Damien Duff will not be risked in the Midlands after Rovers
GARRY Flitcroft today said Rovers are ready to finish the season with a flourish following their short break in Marbella. Flitcroft and his Ewood team-mates have spent the last five days resting and recuperating in the Spanish sunshine. And the 30-year-old
A PRESTON student has landed a place at Oxford University and, by a twist of fate, so has her long lost cousin. If that was not coincidence enough, Lucy Hawarden, of Lyndale Grove, Lostock Hall, will be studying on the same chemistry degree course as
THE council could be forced to bring in 24-hour security to protect a community centre from vandals while it is rebuilt following a fire. The Tanterton Community Centre, Kidsgrove, Ingol, was badly damaged in a blaze, thought to be started by arsonists
LANCASHIRE County Council today pulled out of the North West Regional Assembly and demanded its subscription back after accusing it of breaking government guidelines. A resolution calling for withdrawal from the unelected body was passed by ruling Labour
COUNCIL tax will continue to rise by around ten per cent a year unless the Government gives authorities more cash, finance chiefs warned today. Lancashire County Council has also launched a campaign for better government funding for the second year running
RESIDENTS in Burnley and Padiham have been asked to contact a local pressure group campaigning against the potential dangers of mobile telephones. On the weekend of Friday March 14 Together Against Masts (TAM) will visit local homes to measure radiation
ROSEGROVE Action Group will be working on creating a peace garden and are appealing for help. Anyone able to buy bedding plants or make a donation can call at the group shop in Lowerhouse Lane and enter their name on a list of benefactors. The group are
FRIENDS and relatives of people involved in the Hapton Valley pit disaster will mark its 41st anniversary later this month. A service to remember the 19 miners who died in the disaster on March 22, 1962, will be held at St Mark's Church, Rossendale Road
A MAN and a woman pleaded not guilty today to killing a 10-year-old girl thought to be Britain's youngest Ecstasy victim. Jade Slack died in hospital in Lancaster, Lancashire, in July last year after falling ill at a house in Galgate near her home. Rebecca
POLICE are appealing for information after a 90-year-old Lancaster man was let down by workmen who failed to return to his home after he had paid out £900. The workmen carried out work to the man's front porch at his home in Lymm Avenue. Police said he
OBJECTORS to controversial development proposals for the Lancaster Canal corridor have stepped up their campaign to 'safeguard the future of local jobs and heritage'. Bristol construction company Chelverton created a stir last year by unveiling its vision
THIEVES have once again threatened Heysham's heritage by stealing ancient stones from St Peter's Church. Twenty large roof stones were being stored at the 1,000-year-old village church for when the existing ones needed replacing. It is believed thieves
A 30-YEAR-old Morecambe woman who spun a web of lies to obtain £3,000 by deception has been jailed for 18 months. Preston Crown Court heard that Mandy Dunbar, of Ennerdale Avenue, told a series of lies - including one that she was going to die from leukaemia
BURY player-boss Andy Preece is ready to throw himself back into the starting 11 in a bid to stop Shakers' promotion bid coming off the rails. Despite Tuesday night's shock defeat to strugglers Bristol City, Bury remain on the shoulders of third-placed
FOUR people were arrested and a quantity of drugs believed to be heroin and cannabis was seized during dawn raids on houses across Pendle. Warrants were executed in six addresses in the borough as part of an on-going scheme to tackle drug users and dealers
MUSICALLY-minded pupils from a dozen local primary schools will be kings and queens of the Castle this weekend. For Bury's Castle Leisure Centre is the venue for the popular annual Children of Bury Sing event on Saturday night. Each will perform their
RADCLIFFE High School headteacher Graham Rollinson jets off to Washington DC next week to share his leadership skills with America. The eight-day visit has been organised by the International Headteacher and Senior Leader Placements Programme and is designed
PING pong balls were flying at Preston College during the annual Table Tennis Championships. Nine tables were set up for the all-day event as winners prepared to defend their titles with a flick of the wrist at the St Vincent's Road campus. Reigning champion
IT'S a visitor attraction now -- part of the new tour based on author William Woodruff's international best-seller, 'The Road to Nab End,' on growing up in Blackburn during the Depression era of the Twenties and Thirties. The former Belper Street Baths
I READ with interest that the Interchange in Bury is receiving a £1 million facelift. This is good news, but I am alarmed that it may mean that the poster advertising Shallow Grave, Killing Zo and Reservoir Dogs (circa 1995) will now have to be removed
A 41-YEAR-OLD man accused of murdering former Colne teenager Kim Newson was often alone with her in her flat, a court heard. Miss Newson's boyfriend Jason Brown, 30, told a jury at Lincoln Crown Court that Stephen Charles Hughes was an almost daily visitor
IT has to rank as one of the more unlikely theatre appearances which sees a legendary figure of the stage and screen heading to the intimate surroundings of Darwen's Library Theatre. Honor Blackman means something to people of all ages, from her role
UNION leaders have begun ground-breaking legal action in a bid to secure a £10million pay rise for 4,000 county council workers. UNISON, which represents white collar public sector workers, has lodged its claim on behalf of mainly female teaching support
A COUNCILLOR has revealed that Preston's new city centre street drinking restrictions could be extended if the scheme is a success. From April it will be against the law to drink on the streets of Preston, in a scheme that targets most of the city centre
A PRESTON councillor has been put on the sex offenders' register for life after he admitted 18 charges involving internet child pornography. William David Chadwick, pictured, pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to 18 offences of making indecent photographs
RUBBER faced local legend Phil Cool is returning to the area from a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival. The comedian stars in his own show at the Charter Theatre, Lancaster Road, Preston, from 7.30pm, on Sunday, March 16. Tickets are £10 to £12.
ACCRINGTON Royal British Legion has been saved from closure after a decline in members sparked fears for its future. The branch has kept alive the memory of the Accrington Pals -- the battalion of local men almost wiped out on the first day of battle
NEXT door neighbours Kerry Burrows and Heather Peet are stepping out on a new career by opening their very own children's designer shoes and dancewear shop. After developing itchy feet, Kerry took the key decision to ditch her previous job with a computer
REGARDING the Action Plan for redeveloping Morecambe, those behind this project are seeking the justification of tick-box consultation democracy in support. They consist mainly of people who were involved in earlier schemes that have squandered millions
FEW people doubt that war with Iraq is about oil - and you can bet your bottom dollar that the oil companies have been fully consulted about the strategy, feasibility and desirability of conflict. You can also bet that the weapon's makers, banks and the
RUGBY league returned to Giant Axe on Sunday as the new Lancaster Rugby Club met for its first training session. A healthy turn-out, backed up by a growing number of registered players, brought a mix of skills together for the first time. Players at the
A TRAINING organisation with a base in Bury is in the premier league when it comes to promoting team building and achieving key business goals. During May and June, Bolton's futuristic Reebok Stadium will be the venue for a series of one and two-day corporate
A SUCCESSFUL entrepreneur is returning to his Bury roots by opening a new £80,000 hair salon in one of the town centre's most distinctive listed buildings. And Stephan Gibson's Mop salon, which officially opens tomorrow (Sat March 8) will be well placed
YOUNG Clarets defender Earl Davis has joined Conference side Southport on a one month loan. The 19-year-old did enjoy a successful spell on loan with Stalybridge Celtic earlier this season but was recalled to Turf Moor in January following an injury crisis
FOR the first time this season, Stan Ternent was able to put his full first team squad through its paces at Gawthorpe this morning, a perfectly timed boost ahead of Sunday's massive match at Watford. "It is great to have everyone back and I was really
SEVENTEEN years ago, Mark Lawrenson was part of the Liverpool side that won 2-1 at Watford in an FA Cup quarter-final. This Sunday, he will be on BBC duty at Vicarage Road as the Clarets look for similar success against the Hornets, and he admitted: "
KEVIN BALL will delay his summer holiday if Burnley get through to the FA Cup final. The former Clarets midfielder is due to go on holiday on May 17, FA Cup Final day, but he said: "I have already told my wife she will be flying alone if Burnley get to
A LEYLAND shopkeeper is taking strong measures to stop under age drinkers trying to get their hands on booze from his shop by putting up a £200 reward to catch people who buy it for them. Matthew Tomlinson, manager of Thorougoods, Canberra Road, fears
IT takes a special kind of volunteer to join the fight against crime. And, for one weekend, Bury's 41 Special officers, a team of dedicated and unpaid volunteers, flooded the streets of the borough as part of a massive nationwide recruitment drive. The
FALKLANDS war veteran Chief Superintendent Andy Holt has taken over as the new Divisional Commander of Bury Police. In 1982, the father-of-three was a Lieutenant and Second-in Command of 45 Commando, the Royal Marines, which helped liberate the Falkland
RETIRED postal worker Geoff Blackford is calling for the return of the birch after he was attacked by three masked thugs who stole his Range Rover worth £48,000. The 64-year-old believes public flogging is the only way of dealing with such violent offenders
NINE people were killed on the borough's roads last year. And in the first two months this year crashes have already claimed five lives. The tragic start to 2003 has seen the deaths of two young rugby stars, a teenager, an elderly pedestrian and a cyclist
RADCLIFFE-born songwriter Martin Isherwood will be proudly flying the flag for the UK in May after achieving the biggest accolade in his pop music career. His self-penned funky dance track Cry Baby has been chosen as Britain's entry for the Eurovision
HAVING reached the last 32 of the Boddingtons team darts championship, the Swan & Railway from Radcliffe came within a whisker of taking the top prize. The squad was made up of Mick Hilton, Martin Holt, Craig Mansell, Mick Bushby, Pete Smith, Jamie
THE major cup competition of the Air Miles Manchester League season, the Gilgryst Cup, has now reached the semi-final stage. One of the ties will be staged at Prestwich Heys' Sandgate Road ground tomorrow (Saturday) when Heys take on local rivals Elton
Radcliffe Amateurs...2 Bolton County...2 FOR two weeks running, Radcliffe Amateurs have had to take on Bolton County in league matches and in 180 minutes of football, neither team could break the deadlock. Last week at County's ground, the score was 1
COLDPLAY, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Foo Fighters, David Gray, Queens of the Stone Age, Underworld, PJ Harvey, Ash and Lemon Jelly are just a few of the names to be announced for the V Festival this week. Tickets for the popular weekend event, due to
A BAND of music's great survivors come to Preston Guild Hall next Saturday night. The Levellers do not feature prominently in many charts or grace covers of teen magazines but continue to draw a huge following wherever they play. Without technology, however
IF you fancy your chances as pop's next big thing, then take a trip to Jumpin' Jak's in Blackburn. The venue, in St Peter Street, is running a This Is Your Moment a competition for wannabe singers who could eventually pit their vocal talents against the
THIS year marks the 31st anniversary of one of Lancashire's best loved comedy folk groups. And Fivepenny Piece are set for a triumphant return to their home county next week when they play a one-off concert at Burnley's Mechanics Theatre in aid of the
BURY and Radcliffe Sea Cadets are on the crest of a wave as they celebrate their 60th anniversary this year. The Mayor and Mayoress of Bury, Councillors John and Stella Smith, joined them at their Marsden Street base in Bury for the annual presentation
PUPILS at Tockholes Primary School have declared war on speeders -- by designing their own warning posters. Speed bumps and chicanes were already installed on Tockholes Road to create a 20mph limit, making it safer for children at the Rock Lane school
A PENSIONER has been cleared by a jury of exposing himself and fondling a nine-year-old girl. Frederick Brown, 78, was found not guilty of indecent assault after a two day trial at Burnley Crown Court. He was discharged from the dock by Judge Stuart Brown
POLICE in Rossendale today issued a stark warning to drug dealers after a series of raids in the borough this week. Officers who took part in the dawn swoops said the operation was just the start of an on-going campaign to rid the streets of illegal substances
Radcliffe Borough...2, Alfreton Town...4: RADCLIFFE Boro went from champs to chumps in the space of eight disastrous minutes at Stainton Park on Tuesday night writes STEVE BOTT. After dazzling Alfreton and the 355 spectators alike with some brilliant,
HE'S one of the masters of the mixing art -- and he's on his way to Lancashire in less than a fortnight. Carl Cox comes to the University of Central Lancashire on March 18 for a one-off gig in association with Smirnoff. Normally, Tuesday night's Free2Dance
LATESTresults: U11 Division: Moston Brook 3 Beechfield 4. U12 Division: Brandlesholme 0 Boothstown Jnrs 0; Elton Fold 1 Woodbank A 9; Horwich St Mary's Colts 4 Moston Brook 5; Little Lever 1 Horwich St Mary's Eagles 1; Moorside Rangers 2 Marauders 1;
A CONVICTED killer on the run from a local prison for more than a month has been re-arrested in Blackpool. Neil Morrison admitted manslaughter after kicking a man so violently that it aggravated a condition which led to a ruptured spleen. Despite the
BLAKEY'S Bar in King George's Hall, Blackburn, on Monday, March 24, will be the setting for the annual memorial concert to commemorate the life of Jack Smith. Jack, who died three years ago, was one of the most charismatic and popular musicians in East
PEOPLE who don't know local businesswoman Kara-Jane McGill often marvel at her professional appearence and fantastic organisational skills. But behind this young woman's polished exterior lies an inspirational story of drive and determination against
DEPRESSED stock markets, fears of a war... it's enough to drive investors to distraction. But for Blackpool it's not all bad news as the money-minded rush to put their money into premium bonds instead. At the National Savings and Investments (NS&I
BLACKPOOL Zoo is helping save drivers and elephants from car crashes on the unlit roads of India. Experts from the zoo have been called in to help find a solution to the massive problem of road safety for the world's biggest land mammals, and have come
A KIND-HEARTED mum has given a welcome cash injection to a Blackpool hospital ward to thank staff for their compassion for her late mother. Janet Foran donated £3000 win in a company competition to the haematology ward at Blackpool Victoria Hospital saying
A BLACKPOOL teenager faces an overnight curfew and ban on entering the grounds of a local school after a landmark court order last week. The anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) against 16-year-old Sunshine Wood, of Powell Avenue, South Shore, is only the
LYTHAM CC overseas player Peter Fulton, joined an elite group of New Zealand batsmen and broke a 66-year-old record when scoring 301 not out against Auckland in Christchurch on Tuesday. The 24-year-old Canterbury right-handed batsman joins other New Zealand
A SEMINAR looking at pensioner poverty and care issues is taking place today in the council chamber at Blackburn Town Hall Organised by Blackburn with Darwen Council, the guest speaker will be Rodney Bickerstaff, president of the National Pensioners'
A 14-MONTH long industrial dispute cost a train company an estimated £4million, it has been revealed. However, the Arriva group still recorded a 30 per cent increase in profit for its rail division last year. Ray Price, managing director of Arriva Trains
A 72-YEAR-OLD man is to run the London marathon to raise funds for research into miscarriages -- four decades after his wife lost four babies. For Fred Eastham, age poses no barrier as it will be his eleventh marathon since 1984 -- and he will be joined
MAY I draw your attention to the fact that I have a copy of the Joint Staffing Watch... a very informative document relative to England Ireland and Wales. The Conservative Government at the time made a significantly modified statistical survey available
MAY I, through the pages of your newspaper, thank the people of Blackpool for supporting Len and Barbara Curtis in creating Donna's Dream House on Chapel Road, Central Blackpool. I say 'creating', as this house has had so much love, care and attention
THE RSPCA is requesting that all those in support of tighter restraints on the use of fireworks should write to their MPs, urging them to back a Private Members Bill to control these explosives. Fireworks cause huge distress and injury to animals. An
BOLTON started like the home team putting Preston women's team under a lot of pressure but as the half progressed PNE slowly got into the game. And, with the dulcet tones of their manager ringing in their ears, Preston took the lead against the run of
POLITICIANS have joined a chorus of support in favour of Whalley Parish Church vicar Rev Chris Sterry's decision to stand for election as a Conservative Party candidate. Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, a practising Anglican, said he was delighted the vicar
I AM very concerned at the number of recent letters damning asylum-seekers and in praise of the BNP. Economic migrants and asylum-seekers are not the same thing and as one of the richest nations on earth, we should be proud to be able to help those fleeing
TWO pupils at St Gabriel's High School came to the rescue of a teacher after he collapsed during a lesson. Danny Spensley (16) and fellow Year 11 student Mark Dunne rushed to the aid of Mr Peter Larkin on Wednesday afternoon (March 5) when he keeled over
1876: Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone. 1900: A fire at Buckingham Palace destroyed part of the roof. 1908: Women were declared unfit to drive in Cincinnati. 1912: French aviator, Henri Seimet, made the first non-stop flight from Paris to
BLAKEY'S Bar in King George's Hall, Blackburn, on Monday, March 24, will be the setting for the annual memorial concert to commemorate the life of Jack Smith. Jack, who died three years ago, was one of the most charismatic and popular musicians in East
SWIMMING champs Emma McKenna and Gemma Bromby were in sparkling form at the Central Lancashire championships held at the Commonwealth Games pool in Manchester. But although acclaiming the efforts of the Ramsbottom Rascals squad, and in particular Emma
AIR MILES MANCHESTER LEAGUE Division One Wythenshawe Town...0 Unsworth...2 UNSWORTH continued their good form with a superb win at promotion-chasing Wythenshawe Town, boosting their own hopes of a high finish. This match was switched to Town's Ericston
Bury...14pts Kirby Lonsdale...0pts: BURY played host to fellow league strugglers Kirby Lonsdale hoping to improve on their last meeting which resulted in a draw, writes MIKE JONES. Not only was the weather much changed, but so was the Kirby Lonsdale side
POLICE have come up with a scheme to save them extra cash -- waterless urinals. It is one of a variety of initiatives Lancashire Constabulary has introduced during the past year as part of its environmental strategy. The waterless urinals have been installed
I WOULD like to know why Family Allowance is paid if you are poor or rich. Why is the heating allowance paid to the poor and rich? Also, free TV licences are granted to over 75s whether they are poor or rich. Why aren't these benefits means-tested like
I WISH to complain about the appointment system at Dr P Tidswell's surgery at the Blackburn Infirmary. My wife has had her appointment cancelled three times since last October, the latest being when an appointment for February 20, 2003 had been postponed
A WOMAN was trapped for more than an hour after a manhole cover collapsed under her feet, plunging her into the drain below. The 32-year-old woman was walking along Chapel Street, Leigh, on Thursday when the manhole cover gave way. The woman, who has
CLASSIC romance by candlelight arrives at The Grand this Sunday (March 9) as the Locrian Ensemble returns with another delightful programme for strings. Strauss, Saint-Saens, Mozart and more are promised, along with the group's usual witty banter, oh,
IF MATTHEW Kelly could journey through the misty doors of his own karaoke show, would you expect a polished actor to emerge? I certainly wouldn't have. But after Kelly's moving Of Mice And Men performance in Blackpool this week, I have to admit I was
A TRUCK was set alight in an arson attack in Radcliffe, causing thousands of pounds of damage. Arsonists targeted a Ford tipper truck in Eton Hill Road on Saturday night (March 1). The blaze destroyed the HGV's cabin and engine. Firefighters managed to
BURY Lions have raised around £2,500 thanks to a sportsman's dinner. The event, held at the Bolholt Country Park Hotel, in Bury, attracted 140 guests. They enjoyed a meal and an evening of entertainment. Speakers were Wilf McGuinness, who spoke about
AN alert neighbour raised the alarm after a cigarette sparked a fire at a Radcliffe home. The blaze ripped through the ground-floor lounge and destroyed an armchair in the School Street property. The owner went out at 1pm on Saturday (March 1) and it
A GOLD bracelet worth £300 was ripped off the wrist of a 17-year-old after he was threatened by three thugs at Bury Interchange at 3.40pm on Thursday (Feb 27) when the bus station was busy with schoolchildren and shoppers. The first offender is white,
TWO thugs threatened to stab their victim unless he handed over cash. The street robbery happened at noon on Friday (Feb 28) in Spring Street, Bury, and police are now appealing for help in tracing the armed duo. The 26-year-old male victim was walking
MUSICALLY-minded pupils from a dozen local primary schools will be kings and queens of the Castle this weekend. For Bury's Castle Leisure Centre is the venue for the popular annual Children of Bury Sing event on Saturday night. Each will perform their
A MAN and a woman pleaded not guilty today to killing a 10-year-old girl thought to be Britain's youngest Ecstasy victim. Jade Slack died in hospital in Lancaster, Lancashire, in July last year after falling ill at a house in Galgate near her home. Rebecca
A RAMSBOTTOM youth group will on Friday discover if they are MAD enough to take a top community award. SK 8 ON, which fought for funding so a purpose-built skateboarding park could be built in the village, is one of 11 groups representing Greater Manchester's
FLYTIPPERS are being blamed for turning a former playground at Fernhill into a haven for vermin. Land behind homes on Athlone and Marquis Avenue has been targeted by dumpers who have left masonry, hedge trimmings, old furniture and carpets at the site
COMMUNITY groups wanting to promote mental health care are being invited to apply for grants to fund projects in Preston. Cash up to £4,000 is available from Preston Primary Care Trust and applications need to be in before Friday April 11. Catholic Caring
A PRESTON model will be dressed to kill this weekend when she struts down the catwalk Naomi Campbell-style. Student Eseyoma Sodje, 24, will join 26 budding models on Saturday when they parade in the latest designs for a two-day conference at the University
EMPTY shop units located yards from Preston's new city centre post office are still standing idle -- nearly six months after the retail arcade in Theatre Street opened. Despite claiming to have had plenty of interest, letting chiefs for the site say there
REGIONAL Assembly chiefs today denied they had misused money to campaign in favour of a directly elected North West parliament. And they accused Lancashire County Council, which made the accusation as it announced it was pulling out of the North West
WIND turbines could be put up on school fields and spare land across Lancashire as part of a green energy drive. Lancashire County Council is carrying out a feasibility study into the project in a bid to raise cash for energy conservation schemes. The
THE North West could get its own regional government -- if the people want it. Supporters say the move would boost local democracy while detractors say a 'mini parliament' will be a useless tier of bureaucracy. But will changes involved actually mean
A PARANOID schizophrenic who knifed his girlfriend and then turned on two neighbours who went to her aid has been jailed for life. Robert McKenzie Wilson, 31, was given the mandatory life term at Burnley Crown Court because he has already been convicted
KEEN swimmers can sign up for the Butlin's charity Swimathon at Padiham Leisure Centre later this month. The event, between March 17 and 23, is part of a national fundraiser which expects to see 40,000 people raise £2million for Macmilllan Cancer Relief
BURNLEY council were runners up in a national award this week thanks to their campaign against dog fouling. The campaign scooped second place in the Best Management of Litter and Waste Award 2002. Impressionist and star of BBC2 comedy Dead Ringers Jon
A FORMER footballer from Burnley is suing a fellow professional over a tackle he said ended his career. Chris Casper, who starred in the same Manchester United youth team as David Beckham and Paul Scholes, suffered multiple leg injuries while playing
BURY FC are holding a Fundraising Mixed Dinner on Saturday, March 22 at the Social Club. Tickets are £25 for the event which includes a four course dinner and top entertainment from singer Keith Washington-Campbell; female vocalist Danielle with the ever-popular
BURY travel to runaway Third Division leaders Hartlepool United on Friday night knowing only a massive improvement will prevent them falling to a second defeat inside four days. Tuesday night's miserable 1-0 home defeat at the hands of struggling Bristol
A MAN found hanged in a Nelson park yesterday may have been the victim of an "assisted suicide". Police said their investigation was focused on finding out whether someone helped Andrew Forrester take his own life. Mr Forrester, 30, was found hanging
AN offer by the Heritage Trust for the North West to buy 50 houses earmarked for clearance and renovate them has been supported by the Association of Preservation Trusts. A letter from the association's chairman, Liz Davidson, was handed into the on-going
RESIDENTS and community groups in Pendle are being encouraged to apply for a cash grant of up to £400 to improve their local environment. Grants between £100 and £400 are on offer to local people, including parish councils and schools, from a community
A WIDOW from Colne has been attacked by a knife-wielding gang while in South Africa for her granddaughter's wedding. Kathleen Strachan, 72, was assaulted as she walked to a railway station in Kraaifontein, 25 miles from the capital Cape Town, with her
CHILDREN hoping to brush up on their ball skills attended a football in the community day at Kingsfold Primary School, Penwortham. The youngsters, aged between seven and 12 years old, were coached by professionals from Bolton Wanderers and all received
PUPILS were all kitted out in the latest sportswear at St Michael's CofE Primary School, Grimsargh, after receiving £1,000 worth of tracksuits. The lucky children at the Preston Road school were given shirts, shorts and socks for playing hockey, football
DIANE Heyes (Your Letters, Feb 21) does not understand the BNP policies. So why didn't she have a closer look while she was on the website; they are clearly defined. Why did she pick up on only two of the thirty-odd frequently asked questions on their
I WRITE regarding the possibility of extending the licensing laws by one hour so that pubs can open at 10am. It is not that I object to the pubs opening earlier but surely, if there is going to be any change in the laws, we should be applying it to the
A LOOK at the latest CD singles and album reviews. SINGLES: MELANIE C: Here It Comes Again (Virgin) THE Spice Girls' most talented member returns with a very disappointing single. Chiselled from the same stone that gave us her Northern Star single, when
A YOUTH who escaped custody after sex with a schoolgirl in a park is now in detention, after police recognised him burgling a house. Judge Raymond Bennett had deferred sentence on Daniel Brown, 19, after admitting unlawful sexual intercouse, but he was
A TANKER filled with hydrochloric acid overturned and caused eight hours of traffic chaos through Colne yesterday on the busy North Valley Road. The incident happened shortly before 10am, close to the junction with Vivary Way, and the road was closed
POLICE have released six men they had arrested in connection with a £2m armed robbery at a Royal Mail sorting office in Preston. Police said on Friday that five of the six men questioned over the raid were released on bail, and one was released without
A DECISION on proposals to build more than 600 houses on the site of the former Whittingham Hospital site near Preston has been put on hold for talks to continue. The NHS have applied for planning permission for the development, which includes provisions
FOLK music legend Julie Felix is performing in Preston next week as part of her new UK tour. Felix rose to fame in the the sixties as part of a folk movement that included Bob Dylan and Joan Baez and was the resident singer on the Frost Report in her
THERE ain't no mountain high enough for an estate agent from Walton-le-Dale who will be taking part in a ski-marathon in Switzerland despite never trying the sport! Tony Corrigan, pictured, who works as a mortgage advisor for Moving Works, Longton, will
A TROUPE of majorettes marched in March to raise funds to help them perform around the country. The Wolstenholme Ambassadors carried out the sponsored march around Blackburn's Roman Road estate.
VOLUNTEERS, dressed as Viking warriors, put on their wellies to help clean out a stretch of river. The team from British Aerospace in Samlesbury helped clean out the River Ribble as part of a 'Grime Watch' campaign.
A BUS company has caused a furore after it announced plans to cancel part of a bus route because of "excessively harsh" speed bumps. Pensioners in Lower Barnes Street, Clayton-le-Moors, want Lancashire United to keep the 300 yard section of the 6/7 Hyndburn
A TOP local solicitor has warned that those killed or injured on icy roads will have no recourse in law unless primary legislation is swiftly introduced. Mr Neil Sugarman, managing partner of Bury-based Graham Leigh Pfeffer, has stressed a definite decision
A SERIES of discussions about issues which affect the community have been organised by the Ribble Valley Strategic Partnership. There will be the chance to have a say about different matters and to hear from people 'in the know.' The discussions will
SO Councillor Airey, the leader of the Conservative Group on the City Council, has chosen to take himself and his colleague off the Cabinet. What sort of behaviour is this from a person who has pretentions of standing as Member of Parliament for Morecambe
MORE than 50,000 trees are to be planted in the Forest of Bowland as part of a conservation scheme. The Forestry Commission is planting the young trees around Gisburn and the Dunsop Valley. The saplings are among nearly half a million being planted throughout
A TEN-YEAR-OLD high-flyer's dreams came true when he was invited to become a pilot for a day after writing a letter to the RAF. Oliver Farnsworth, a year six pupil at Whalley C of E Primary School, is infatuated with the RAF and dreams of becoming a fully-fledged
AM I alone in feeling a sense of dismay and disillusionment as proceedings in the city council chamber in recent days took yet another turn in the downward spiral? The tactics employed by some mature councillors bordered upon the politics of the playground
ONCE upon a time in Heysham you could walk up on to Heysham Head, or if you preferred, you could ride up on a small train. When you got to the top of Heysham Head, there was a place where you could get a drink, a snack or a meal. Once up on the Head,
A ROUND-UP of the Coulton Cup match action. Blackpool Rangers 0 Foxhall 1 Foxhall were quick out of the blocks catching Rangers napping in the first minute, after a mazy run slotting home through a crowd of players. Rangers finally got into their stride
AN Open meeting to discuss the launch of a new American Football Club for the north west will be held at Lancaster Cricket Club, Lune Road, at 2pm on Saturday. The aim is to establish an academy for American Football and offer an alternative to more established
SHRIMPS boss Jimmy Harvey is confident his team can clinch a place in the end of season play-offs following the demolition of Northwich Victoria on Saturday. The match saw Morecambe rise temporarily to the heady heights of fourth place in the Conference
BUSINESSMEN and women in Bury can now be put to the test to gauge how good they are at their jobs. The test has been devised ahead of the first-ever National Small Business Week scheduled to take place in April. Manchester will host one of many regional
DOUBLE Seasiders player of the year John Hills is set for a leap into the unknown at the end of the season after snubbing a new contract at Bloomfield Road. The club has withdrawn its offer to Hills and say there is no more money on the table for the
BLACKPOOL'S play-off hopes took a battering in a miserable midweek defeat at Bloomfield Road. A brace by Barnsley's Mike Sheron made the relegation strugglers only the third side to leave the seaside with maximum points. To add injury to insult, Paul
BURNLEY fans travelling to Sunday's FA Cup Quarter Final with Watford at Vicarage Road are being urged to show their colours in support of the team. More than 4000 Burnley fans will be making their way to Hertfordshire from all over the country and the
BRIAN Flynn has more than enough on his plate at the moment, trying to make sure third division Swansea don't crash out of the Football league into the Conference. But the Clarets legend's thoughts will be with Burnley on Sunday afternoon when they chase
A FORMER footballer from Burnley is suing a fellow professional over a tackle he said ended his career. Chris Casper, who starred in the same Manchester United youth team as David Beckham and Paul Scholes, suffered multiple leg injuries while playing
STEVE Davis is hoping to put a nightmare year behind him to help the Clarets end the season on a FA Cup high. The skipper returned to action in the reserves this week and today admitted: "It is great to be back." Now he is hoping that a second successive
Bury 0 Bristol Rovers 1 by Chris Hall: SHAKERS slumped to a shock home defeat against relegation strugglers Bristol. All the momentum gained by the gutsy win over Bournemouth on Saturday was embarrassingly thrown away in a performance devoid of cutting
HUMBLE boss Andy Preece heaped the blame on his own shoulders after Bury slumped to a shock home defeat against relegation strugglers Bristol. All the momentum gained by the gutsy win over Bournemouth on Saturday was embarrassingly thrown away in a performance
Bury 0 Bristol Rovers 1 WHEN, if ever, are they going to learn? That has to be the question after the Shakers, once again, slipped up against lowly opposition at home. All the optimism generated by Saturday's victory over third placed AFC Bournemouth
MORE than 80,000 people on the Fylde coast suffered mental health problems last year, it was revealed this week. Problems ranging from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia and other psychoses affected around a quarter of the local population, with
BRAVE Dana Carroll has suffered a setback in her fight against cancer. The seven-year-old from Bury has undergone major surgery to remove her arm after intensive chemotherapy failed to cure a rare form of bone cancer she contracted last October. But the
PENSIONERS across the borough have suffered again at the hands of conmen. Police are hunting a man and woman who they believe are responsible for two botched distraction burglaries. The duo first struck at 2pm on Thursday (Feb 27) when they tried to steal
FEELINGS ran high as 300 people crammed into the Longfield Suite to have their say on the controversial plans to redevelop the former Sainsbury's site in Prestwich. Many wanted to know more about the proposed Richardson's development, some tentatively
RADCLIFFE AC kicked off their 2003 Road Race Championship with a trip to the Trafford 10k at Partington, last Sunday. On an excellent day for a run, and on a reasonably flat course, Eileen Royle did the club proud by winning the ladies' over-55s section
Lancashire Cup 2nd Round Manchester...0pts Sedgley Park U16s...17pts THIS long-awaited fixture finally took place at Manchester on Sunday. The Lancashire Cup holderss made hard work of it, but finally ran out 17-0 winners. Last-minute injuries and illness
Prestwich Heys...2 Wilmslow Albion...2 PRESTWICH Heys' home form in recent weeks has been their downfall and so it proved again as they dropped two valuable points. They allowed a ten-man Wilmslow side to retrieve a point from a seemingly impossible situation
GARRY Flitcroft today said Rovers are ready to finish the season with a flourish following their short break in Marbella. Flitcroft and his Ewood team-mates have spent the last five days resting and recuperating in the Spanish sunshine. And the 30-year-old
STEVE Davis is hoping to put a nightmare year behind him to help the Clarets end the season on a FA Cup high. The skipper returned to action in the reserves this week and today admitted: "It is great to be back." Now he is hoping that a second successive
AT one time they were arguably the biggest band in the world -- and also one of the reasons critics would argue for the rise of punk rock. Love 'em or loathe 'em, the impact made by one of Accrington's finest sons, Jon Anderson, and his group Yes cannot
HE'S one of the masters of the mixing art -- and he's on his way to Lancashire in less than a fortnight. Carl Cox comes to the University of Central Lancashire on March 18 for a one-off gig in association with Smirnoff. Normally, Tuesday night's Free2Dance
AS ONE of Britain's best loved bands The Levellers are known for their pint-swilling, stomping student pub anthems. But why is it that this gang of West Sussex boys are quite often mistaken for being Irish or a band with strong political roots? In fact
THREE East Lancashire bands will throw their hats into the political arena next month, when they play a benefit gig for the Anti Nazi League. Held at Burnley's Mechanics, the special event will be headlined by local favourites The Milltown Brothers, with
SPORTS lovers will find it's no sweat keeping up to date about their favourite leisure activity. Bury Council has unveiled the third edition of Bury Sports Directory, which can be picked up free of charge. It contains contact details for sports groups
DARWEN'S town clock is to benefit from a £30,000 facelift in the coming months. Blackburn with Darwen Council heard the clock needed maintenance to restore it to its former glory of the late 1800s. The market hall opened in 1882 and the clock was added
WIGAN Council members will hold the following advice surgeries: FRIDAY, March 7: St Mary's Church hall, Newton Road, Lowton (6-6.30) L Liptrott, J O'Brien; Tyldesley Town Hall (6.30-7.30) B Wilson; Higher Fold Community Centre (7.30-8.15) F Walker. SATURDAY
VETERAN Dave Felgate deputises in goal for the suspended Danny Hurst at Matlock tomorrow with manager Kevin Glendon declaring: "Matlock has suddenly become a big game for us. "We have had a tremendous run, losing just two in 22 league games. We just had
A BAND of music's great survivors come to Preston Guild Hall next Saturday night. The Levellers do not feature prominently in many charts or grace covers of teen magazines but continue to draw a huge following wherever they play. Without technology, however
IT has to rank as one of the more unlikely theatre appearances which sees a legendary figure of the stage and screen heading to the intimate surroundings of Darwen's Library Theatre. Honor Blackman means something to people of all ages, from her role
THIS year marks the 31st anniversary of one of Lancashire's best loved comedy folk groups. And Fivepenny Piece are set for a triumphant return to their home county next week when they play a one-off concert at Burnley's Mechanics Theatre in aid of the
THOUSANDS of Irish eyes could be smiling their way to the Fylde after top low-cost airline Ryanair announced announced the launch of their first route from Blackpool Airport to Ireland. Initial estimates claim the service - which will run from Dublin's
WYRE Borough Council may be forced to pay compensation to a resident whose house value plunged after a council cock-up. The man said he had also lost the view across fields from his house because a developer was wrongly allowed to cross his property and
CAMPAIGNERS have pledged to continue to fight for fast internet access across the Fylde coast after winning their battle to bring Broadband to Fleetwood and North Shore. Broadband will go live in those areas on May 21, but Layton, Central Blackpool and
POLICE dragged a worshipper out of a St Annes church 'like an international terrorist' this week, a court has heard. Six police officers in two vans turned up at Our Lady of the Sea Roman Catholic Church to apprehend Simon Frodsham on Tuesday. Frodsham's
PARENTS were today reassured by nightclub bosses after violence erupted after a teenage night at a town centre nightclub. Fights broke out around midnight last Thursday outside the Utopia nightclub in Lord Square, Blackburn, at the end of a dance session
CABINET Minister Jack Straw has asked his own government to prevent the closures of a community chemist. The Blackburn MP said the pharmacy in the Wensley Fold area of Blackburn was vital because of the high proportion of elderly people who live there
ORGANISERS of an anti-racism music festival plan to switch the event to Blackburn because Burnley Council has told them it cannot go ahead. The Anti Nazi League was due to stage the music event in Queen's Park on April 27 but has been refused a licence
ONE of the largest industrial disposals in Bury for many years has just been completed. Local chartered surveyors Paul Nolan & Company has successfully concluded the disposal of the Wood Street Mill complex in James Street, Bury, which amounted originally
BUS company bosses have asked for police to be placed on vehicles working "problem" routes in a bid to stamp out trouble. The move is part of the pioneering scheme where beat bobbies use Blackburn Transport buses to get to their patch from their town
REGIONAL Assembly chiefs today denied they had misused money to campaign in favour of a directly elected North West parliament. And they accused Lancashire County Council, which made the accusation as it announced it was pulling out of the North West
A RADIO enthusiast who cut his teeth on his own neighbourhood station is poised to help Britain's top DJ crack the US music market. Simon Cole, a former Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School pupil who was born and brought up in Beardwood, Blackburn, has signed
COUNCIL tax will continue to rise by around ten per cent a year unless the Government gives authorities more cash, finance chiefs warned today. Lancashire County Council has also launched a campaign for better government funding for the second year running
AWAY wins have been like the proverbial buses -- they're a long time coming but when they do, two come at once! The performances at Sheffield Wednesday and Watford were not the best of the season by any means, but it's the results that matter. And the
PREST0N boss Craig Brown has set his upwardly mobile team a new end-of-season target -- Let's make it to the top half. Tuesday's victory over Watford at Vicarage Road lifted North End above 18th place for the first time this year. In the last six games
THE National Secular Society is a pressure group that fights for the rights of non-believers and opposes religious privilege. Celebrity supporters include Sir Ludovic Kennedy, Sir Jonathan Miller, playwright Harold Pinter and TV agony aunt Claire Raynor
MRS S. Austin (Your Letters, Feb 25) asks if "Bury Pensioner" knows anything about the BNP and then goes on to object to being called "racist". Well, two of the objections of the BNP are to inter-racial mixing and to mixed marriages. So while I presume
I MUST write to express my disgust at the council tax rise in the 2003/04 financial year of 11.7 per cent. It is all very well for our ruling Labour Councillors to give out misleading spin by stating that percentages are not the criteria to use and that
WHILST on the streets asking people to sign our "Stop the War" petitions, I am at one and the same time heartened by the number of people eager to sign-up, and appalled by the number of offensive and racist remarks made. Most of these remarks are directed
IS Chris Davies MEP so naive that he thinks the EU rail directive 91/440 is just about accounting systems (Your Letters, Feb 21). Or does he think that we are naive? Perhaps Mr Davies hasn't read the directive properly because it is no myth that it instructed
R. D. CALROW writes (Your Letters, February 28) that the rise in allowances for councillors is obscene and should be scrapped. Does he/she know what a councillor is expected to do? Probably not. Like many people who criticise councillors, they are not
