EAST Lancashire's newest theatre has unveiled an exciting programme of events for the new season. The Thwaites Theatre on Bolton Road at Ewood opened in a blaze of publicity at the end of October. Denis Lotis, the former singer with the Ted Heath Band
HE was a member of one of the most influential groups of all time. And now Glen Matlock is set to come to Blackburn next week and share his experiences of life on the road with the Sex Pistols. Matlock, the original bassist with the band which defined
THE silver screen had already faded to grey for the last time, bringing an end to more than 90 years of cinema history in Whitefield. And this week, the Mayfair building was finally razed to the ground. Bulldozers have been at the Bury Old Road site for
A NETBALL league set up to give teams the opportunity to play indoors has been so successful it now has a waiting list! The Blackburn Rovers Indoor Centre already had 27 teams in three leagues of nine and the inaugural Thursday night league saw plenty
FOR someone who doesn't like cross country very much Leigh Lennon is giving a very good impression of someone who does. And the thing is she is very good. So good in fact, that Leigh goes in to the latest round of the Reebok Challenge in Cardiff on Saturday
THREE stunning second half goals warmed up this entertaining encounter on a bitterly cold afternoon. Strikes from Lammack pair James Croak and Daniel Wilson and a reply from Saints skipper Richard Geoghan were the highlight of one of the few games to
WATER polo players are a difficult breed to fathom. For instance, you could call them failed swimmers or maybe water-treading basketball players -- or even those who enjoy the rough and tumble of the rugby field knowing a match will never be called off
REGARDING the plan for Blackburn to have Lancashire's first Muslim state school (LET, January 10), education should be free from religious influence. Separate schooling leads to separate lives and does nothing to help understanding of the separate religious
I BECAME very ill recently and was taken to the Accident and Emergency Department at Burnley General Hospital and later admitted to Ward 2. I am 83 and want to express my appreciation for the kindness and care received from the doctors and nursing staff
I FIND it remarkable that some Darwen residents have nothing better to do than complain about the signing of Blackburn services on the M65 (LET, January 3). The Highways Agency has got it right when it indicates the bigger town on its signs. The junction
WHAT is wrong with Blackburn councillor Alan Cottam's idea of renting rooms to tourists (LET, January 4)? It is the perfect solution to help people stay in the area and at rates that will be affordable, too! Not everyone wants or needs the facilities
I MUST object to the phrase "a gaping hole in terms of non-credible meaningful opposition" used in your leader (LET, January 4) to describe the Conservative group on Blackburn with Darwen Council. At the recent planning and highways meeting, which your
YOUR report (LET, January 11) on the re-introduction of community policing was welcome news, but will the scheme actually make a difference? For example, will the so-called beat bobby be on the streets "shop hours" or in the evenings when required? When
MOSCOW City Ballet conjured up a timeless tale of deceit and doomed love as Swan Lake took flight in Blackpool on Monday. The well-known company, which has given nearly 2000 performances in the UK, stuck to an atmospheric and traditional rendition of
STEVE Bruce was quick to hail Christophe Dugarry as Birmingham's answer to Eric Cantona when he swooped to sign him from Bordeaux a fortnight ago. And te French World Cup winner certainly caught the eye on his debut last week in the Blues' 4-0 defeat
A NEW communications head has been appointed by Burnley Council -- more than 12 months after the Task Force report into the riots recommended it. Gerry Crookes will take up the post as head of communications on Monday. The position was created to help
BUSINESS leaders in Burnley have been asked by the council for advice on how to save money. The council are trying to fill a £1 million hole in their budget and have admitted that cuts must be made to services. It sent a questionnaire out to 100 people
A DISCRIMINATION row has broken out over plans to draw up an all-female list of Labour candidates to fight the Burnley seat in the next general election. Labour councillor Paul Moore today said he believed that senior figures within the Burnley Labour
UNLUCKY Shakers ace Matt Barrass is praying his injury jinx has not returned to haunt him again. The defender had to be helped off the training ground on Monday after a freak accident left him with a damaged left knee. Barrass has been plagued with problems
A KEEN weight trainer died after falling down the stairs at home and suffering a brain haemorrhage, an inquest heard. David Cardwell, 30, collapsed in the house in Barclay Street, Brierfield after the fall on October 27. Police, who were called to the
A CHURCH ravaged by fire has won a £70,000 cash boost to help it rise from the ashes. Christ Church in Nelson will be rebuilt and transformed into focal point for the community thanks to funding from Pendle Partnership. The group will provide money to
FORMER Lancashire Evening Telegraph businessman of the year, Steve Hollis, has moved a stage closer to taking over two of East Lancashire's leading aerospace companies. Cleveland Guest in Colne and Pendle Aeroform in Burnley are part of the aerospace
CHILDREN at St Philip's Primary School, Leeds Road, Nelson, got a cheque worth £1,500 to improve their playground. The youngsters and their parents got the chance to suggest ideas that would make the playground a more fun place.
CHRISTMAS came late for around 150 Beaver Scouts who got a second bite of festive fun. The belated bash was held at Audley Sports Centre, Blackburn, and Mayor of Blackburn Eileen Entwistle took the place of Santa as guest of honour.
LIKE Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure but for Bolton boozers, Bents & Bongs Beer Bash is always a popular event with those fond of a top-notch tipple. Once again Formby Hall in Atherton is the lucky host venue of this series of majestic drinking
A NEW entertainments magazine, produced and published in Ramsbottom, will hit the streets later this month. The Profile is the brainchild of young businessman John Isherwood who has latched on to an earlier Bury College project for his livelihood. His
A CONTROVERSIAL £600,000 CCTV system will be officially launched in the Ribble Valley next week. But one borough councillor has stood by his claim that the system may prove costly and ineffective. Nine cameras installed in Clitheroe town centre in 1994
A MASSIVE machinery sale at a Ribble Valley auction mart, which attracted buyers from across Europe and raked in £400,000, is to be repeated. Auctioneer David Sunderland, 24, of Stonyhurst, hosted the sale of agricultural and construction machinery at
HE learnt his trade alongside Sir Stan, helped England win the World Cup and narrowly avoided the Munich air crash... but then former Seasider Jimmy Armfield needs no introduction to those who know their sporting legends. For the Manchester-born defender
A BURY travel agent has proved its expertise in supplying foreign exchange to holidaymakers by winning a top award. Travelcare in The Mall has been voted Travel money Bureau Branch of the Year 2002, beating off competition from more than 370 other branches
THE injury pendulum has swung from one extreme to the other at Turf Moor and manager Stan Ternent has been handed a selection problem this weekend. Midfielder Lee Briscoe came through a midweek reserve match unscathed, striker Gareth Taylor is available
RAMSBOTTOM United bid to get back into action with a trip to Curzon Ashton tomorrow. The Rams will be without defender Ged Walsh, midfielder Danny Goodall and striker Dave Gardiner as they continue their fight to lift themselves off the bottom of the
Weekend walks Sunday, January 19: Gargrave (10 miles moderate). Meet Bury Interchange car park 9am. Leader: Reg Norris (773 8640). Thursday, January 23: Annual dinner at Smithills Coaching House. Tickets from Paul Tarry (01204 884080). BURY HF: Saturday
BOTH A and B sections of the club were out last Sunday. The early starting B section decided on a flatish ride out to Southport with the highest point on the route out being Parbold Hill which is only about 300 feet above sea level. It does though give
RADCLIFFE Borough have taken steps to develop the club's youth and community affairs following the appointment of a full-time community football development officer, writes STEVE BOTT. Robin Philp will be based in an office at the new complex currenty
All last weekend games were postponed due to the weather. FIXTURES FOR SUNDAY CHALLENGE CUP Elton Vale Sports Club v Heaton Park Prestwich. PRESIDENTS TROPHY Broadfield FC v Coach & Horses; Halfway House v Tudor Glass; Whitefield Wanderers v Bridge
FIT-AGAIN striker Matt Jansen today warned his Blackburn team-mates Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke: 'I'm after your places'. Jansen recently marked his return to action with a deadly double against Aston Villa in the FA Cup a fortnight ago. Those were his
THE injury pendulum has swung from one extreme to the other at Turf Moor and manager Stan Ternent has been handed a selection problem this weekend. Midfielder Lee Briscoe came through a midweek reserve match unscathed, striker Gareth Taylor is available
THE 2001 box-office breaking "Schools Alive" returns to the Grand Theatre with four dates this year to showcase the outstanding talent of Blackpool youth. This production presents a fantastic opportunity for local schools to perform on the theatre's main
THE GMB trade union today launched a major recruitment drive at Time Computers' head office in Simonstone in its fight for official recognition. North West official Neil Holden said the GMB already represented a "large percentage" of the sales staff and
BUSINESS leaders in Burnley have been asked by the council for advice on how to save money. The council are trying to fill a £1 million hole in their budget and have admitted that cuts must be made to services. It sent a questionnaire out to 100 people
A POLICE operation to stem the tide of handbag snatches and doorstep conmen has been launched in Radcliffe. The Coronation Road area is to be flooded with extra officers in a bid to catch or deter offenders from preying on vulnerable residents. The move
NURSERY are staging a sponsored walk to raise money to revamp their building. The one-mile walk will be enjoyed by children, parents and staff at Dewhurst Clough Road nursery, Egerton. Manager Nicola Chadwick said: "A lot of things have been changed since
THE campaign to get a sign for the new service station off the M65 changed from Blackburn to Darwen could be on its way to Parliament if the Highways Agency declines to act. In a defiant second letter to the agency, Darwen MP Janet Anderson said the logic
NEIGHBOURS who tried to save a man from his blazing home spoke today about losing a "one in a million" family friend. Such is the effect of 38-year-old Neil Whalley's death that the family can no longer stay in their home in Blackburn Road, Darwen, and
A BLUEPRINT is being drawn up to ensure Darwen becomes a thriving market town once again. All aspects of life in the town centre will come under scrutiny, including the possibility of increasing the number of trains and making the A666 safer for shoppers
VOLUNTEERS aiming to breathe new life into a community park have received a cash boost to fund the final stages of the redevelopment. Rosemount Community park, off Huttock End Lane, Stacksteads, has already enjoyed a number of improvements over more than
A FATHER-of-two who smashed his way into a friend's house set the place on fire with a lit cigarette. Burnley Magistrates heard how victim David Roberts had 'gone away' after receiving threatening text messages but returned to find a window broken, the
KEVIN GLENDON and his match-starved men will be itching to get at Bishop Auckland at Stainton Park on Saturday after going three weeks without a game writes Steve Bott The Boro were last in action back on December 28 when they lost 4-2 at North Ferriby
SCORES of Blackpool residents were given the key to a safer future this week as the town's alley-gating scheme began. Community safety wardens, beat officers and crime prevention officers handed individual keys to around 240 Claremont and Grange Park
PERSISTENT shoplifter Lilly May Smith was jailed for 28 days by Blackburn magistrates after pleading guilty to two offences. Smith, 34, of the Islington Motel, Bolton Road, Blackburn, admitted stealing brandy from Morrisons when she was on bail for stealing
A 36-YEAR-OLD man fed up of being used as a "dogsbody" by his boss used his company petrol card to buy nearly £2,000 worth of fuel which he then sold on or gave to friends. David Alfred Collinge later told police he had committed the offence because he
TWO education experts are the envy of their colleagues after enjoying a 10-day conference -- in Honolulu! Now with the palm printed shirts tucked back in the wardrobe, the globetrotting researchers are sitting down to reflect on the more serious aspects
ORGANISERS of the Magic Eye appeal are delighted that fundraising is steaming ahead at the rate of £10,000 a week. And the Lancashire Evening Telegraph fund now stands at a whopping £251,000 to buy life-saving equipment for cancer patients across East
A COUNCILLOR has called on the police and the local community to help stamp out litter-bugs. Maureen Bateson made the appeal after shopping trolleys and scores of bread trays from Kwik Save were found in the Leeds and Liverpool canal. The problem that
RADCLIFFE Carnival Committee will make its annual selection of carnival royalty on Sunday. Anyone interested in being considered should attend the East Lancs Club in Cheetham Street (off Cross Lane), Radcliffe, for 1.30pm on Sunday, January 19. Queens
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
ROSS Baxter was unusually guarded when the Lancashire Evening Telegraph contacted him about his Safe Hands award for December. The Colne keeper thought it was the gaffer winding him up! "I thought Andy (Lawson) was winding me up because he's always playing
THE Nationwide Conference has been forced to shelve ambitious plans for a new format after the FA rejected the move at the first stage. The Conference were hoping to add a second tier to their current division for the start of next season - a move backed
IT is time for the current Clitheroe side to step out of the shadow of the 1996 FA Vase finalists. That is the verdict of midfield general Andy Cowking, who says today's team will never be considered as good as the '96 side unless they get to the final
THOSE in favour argue that single faith schools offer parents the basic right to choose where their children should be taught. The issue has been brought to a head in Lancashire with plans for the county's first Muslim state school, which would be based
THE National Secular Society believes single faith of any religion schools are divisive. Its vice president Terry Sanderson said: "Children should be getting to know each other. We feel faith schools are posing a threat to the future of community relations
MY thanks to Ring and Ride for the service we have been given. It is so nice to be able to go to whist drives and evening meetings, which would be impossible if this service was not available. MRS M. NIDDRIE
I REFER to your headline "Fears for Market" (Jan 2). On Monday, Dec 23, I made a visit to Radcliffe town centre and was surprised to see just how many people were there; many were looking through the closed doors of the market with its lights on and people
THERE has been a lot of publicity about PFI funding for Bury's high schools, with its associated £100,000 consultancy costs. This will build a new secondary school in Radcliffe, thus reducing the surplus place problem there at a stroke. The initiative
I WONDER if P. Kaiserman (Yes, we fought to end fascism, Your Letters, Dec 27) is aware of the "holocaust" that befell the German people in the aftermath of World War Two? Reprisals against German military personnel, civilians and ethnic Germans resulted
I OBJECT most strongly to the proposed new Metrolink tram stop at Buckley Wells, and all four "options" proposed. I attended the consultation meeting on December 11 and was told by the Metrolink representative that the stop was necessary because there
A NEW year sees a new head teacher at Bury Grammar School (Girls). Mrs Roberta "Bobby" Georghiou is the eighth head teacher in the Bridge Road school's 119-year history, and the first one to have been married. A graduate of Manchester University in English
A CRACKDOWN on truancy in Bury revealed that many unnecessary absences appear to be condoned by parents. Results showed that out of 302 children of school age stopped during a week-long sweep in November, around two thirds were accompanied by mums or
JON Roper, Leigh's number one centre last season, has joined Rochdale after a brief spell playing union with Rugby Lions.
A MAN has been found dead in a town centre car park a day after a 30-year-old was jailed for killing his brother. The body of Richard Satchell, aged 36, of Bury, was discovered yesterday morning in Knowsley Street car park, Bury, by council electrician
PLANS for Lancashire's first state-funded Muslim faith school look set to go ahead - even though half of the controlling Labour members of Blackburn with Darwen Council's cabinet are against it. Four leading councillors are to be congratulated on standing
LATEST results PREMIER DIVISION Blackburn Independents 36, Sumner Brown 17; Suburb Ladies 40, Convent 26; Spotland Reform 46, Garage Locator 14; XYW 34, Delph 25; GPO 29, Toto San Roco 23; NST Parkside 31, Radcliffe Arms 22. FIRST DIVISION T&C Motors
A LETTER from the trenches tells the poignant story of a First World War soldier who was all too aware of his likely fate. Private Thomas Hubbard wrote a letter to his father two weeks before an allied attack on Montauban, Flanders. Aged 24, he was fatally
IN THE morning of September 26, 1916, the Great War came home to the Bury area. It came in almost silently from the North East, in the shape of a gigantic airship. German Naval Zeppelin L21 was nearly 600 feet long and 60 feet in diameter. Commanded by
IN his haste to be one of the 'Big Boys' has Tony Blair asked anyone in Britain if we want our armed forces and reservists to go to war in Iraq? Has he thought of the implications of thousands of Britain's young people being killed? His wife was upset
THE Red Cross bans Christmas, a policeman can't have the Union Jack in his vehicle, burglars are banned from prison, crime soars while speed cameras are top priority. Truants are treated to nosh-ups: there are new cushy police cells for miscreants, but
THE Foreign Secretary said recently that British Muslims have 'wide understanding' of the Government's position on Iraq. I wonder which British Muslims he consulted before arriving at this conclusion. Let me inform the Foreign Secretary that it is not
REGARDING your report (LET, January 8), the decision-making process at Blackburn with Darwen Council has been changed beyond recognition -- so much so that any councillors who are now not members of the 'Executive Eight' stand little, if any, chance of
A MAN'S body has been found in the River Darwen after a car accident at Pleasington playing fields. A car was discovered partially submerged in the river and passers-by reported to police that there was a body floating in the water at Hoghton Bottoms.
A SOLDIER left fighting for his life after an alleged pickaxe attack is to receive a visit from his two-year-old son in a bid to revive him. Lance Corporal Konrad Bisping, 26, from Clitheroe, was injured during manoeuvres with the 1st Battalion of the
INSTEAD of lining up for Oldham against the Centurions on Sunday, Aussie forward Darren Shaw could be sitting on Leigh's bench! writes Mike Hulme Shaw has emerged as one of the front-runners to take over as coaching assistant to Hilton Park boss Paul
FIT-AGAIN striker Matt Jansen today warned his Blackburn team-mates Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke: 'I'm after your places'. Jansen recently marked his return to action with a deadly double against Aston Villa in the FA Cup a fortnight ago. Those were his
EWOOD goal-ace Matt Jansen today backed Christophe Dugarry to provide the inspiration necessary to keep Birmingham in the Premiership as the Blues head for Ewood tomorrow. Jansen performed a similar task for Rovers during the second half of last season
PARENTS at Burnley's DIY school face an inspection by Local Education Authority officers today. Members of Lancashire County Council's LEA will visit the school at the Valley Street Community Centre to ensure that children are getting a decent level of
BURNLEY was branded a "town betrayed" after residents lost their long fight against a controversial industrial development near their homes. Despite impassioned pleas over worries about increased traffic near a school and the loss of a green field area
FIRE safety measures must be installed at eight schools across Burnley and Pendle because of the risk of arson attacks, according to a report. The report, compiled by Lancashire County Council and the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority, contains a suggested
A SCHEME for a shopping gateway into Burnley has moved closer after a rival bid to create a job centre was turned down. Rival plans for the site of the old Co-op superstore, Curzon Street, put businesses and politicians in opposing camps, with the town's
BURY have a great opportunity to steal a march over their Third Division promotion rivals when they take on Nationwide League new boys Boston United at Gigg Lane tomorrow (3pm). Six of their fellow pacesetters are in action against one another with Hartlepool
EAST Lancashire MP Gordon Prentice has told Tony Blair not to attack Iraq without a new United Nations Security Council Resolution authorising military action. As the Prime Minister prepared to meet sceptical Labour MPs at Westminster, the Pendle government
A FORMER businessman who smashed into a car tried to cover up his tracks to avoid the police and having to own up to his insurers. Burnley magistrates heard how former police interpreter Mohammed Abbas, 47, was haunted by the memories of how he had lost
A RAPIST who was caught by his wife sexually attacking a schoolgirl was today starting a six and a half year jail term. Matthew Peters, 31, was found guilty of rape and indecent assault on the girl after a four-day trial. Judge Raymond Bennett ordered
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
AUDIT inspectors have given Pendle Council's planning department a one star rating and said it had made slow progress on improving services. An Audit Commission report branded the development control service was 'fair' but with uncertain prospects for
A TEENAGER who was crushed in a machine at work has been discharged from hospital. Keiran Rhodes-Taylor, 18, of Central Avenue, Oswaldtwistle, was being trained on a machine used to flatten bags at Joseph Metcalf Ltd, Vine Mill, Brookside Lane, when he
POLICE today appealed to a missing teenager to get in contact with them. Aysha Begum, of Fountain Place, Accrington, has been told she can ring the police in confidence to confirm she is okay. Officers are concerned about her as running away is out character
GLOWING praise has been given to a primary school with "no major areas for improvement" following an Ofsted inspection. All Saints CE Primary School in Clayton-le-Moors was hailed as an excellent school for the second time from the education watchdogs
A SCHEME which helps people in debt by offering a safe alternative to unscrupulous loan sharks has branched out into Hyndburn. East Lancashire Moneyline, which has helped 500 people since it was set up in Blackburn a year ago, has opened offices in Accrington
STAR-GAZER Mystic Meg brought a lotto luck to East Lancashire yesterday to kick-start a charity appeal -- and made some intriguing predictions. The Accrington-born astrologer was guest of honour at the launch of East Lancashire Hospice's in-house lottery
A BURY-based high quality heat treatment company hopes to have generated business after taking part in a special exhibition. Wallwork-Tecvac was one of only two Greater Manchester firms represented at last weekend's annual Autosport International exhibition
BUSINESSES in the North West are showing good progress towards e-business, according to the International Benchmark Study 2002. The study, by DTI-led UK online for business, shows that 77 per cent of businesses in the region have a website, slightly under
DETECTIVES are investigating two separate incidents where men posing as electricity board workers conned their way into the homes of pensioners on Friday (Jan 10). One pair struck at 4.40pm when they called at the home of a 70-year-old woman in Moss Lane
COMMUNITY and voluntary groups in the Ribble Valley are being offered free effectiveness training. Sessions have been organised by the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Council for Voluntary Service. Spokesman Liz Patten said: "Sessions are aimed at smaller
A SOLDIER left fighting for his life after an alleged pickaxe attack is to receive a visit from his two-year-old son in a bid to revive him. Lance Corporal Konrad Bisping, 26, from Clitheroe, was injured during manoeuvres with the 1st Battalion of the
BORN in Radcliffe, a black pudding fan, Shakers supporter and a well-known businessman, There's no-one more loyal to his roots than Gordon Lomax, apart from the fact that he now lives in Florida! But home is where the heart is they say, and Gordon's northern
BOLTON and Bury Chamber has welcomed the Government decision to scrutinise the UK liability insurance market. Lobbying by The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) on the issue of soaring costs of liability insurance has paid off with a decision by the Office
THE behaviour of a former Lytham anaesthetist who stalked a female colleague for three years was "out of character" a General Medical Council inquiry heard. And the inquiry committee ruled that Dr Michael Dale, formerly of West Beach, Lytham, was now
CRYSTAL Palace may lie ninth in the first division but they have their sights firmly on a play-off place. The Eagles are flying at the moment and go into tomorrow's meeting with the Clarets at Selhurst Park on the back of a seven match unbeaten run. For
COMPETITION for places isn't just hot among the strikers, it's positivley sizzling between the Clarets goalkeepers as well. Nik Michopoulos and Marlon Beresford will be battling for the number one jersey this weekend. And Michopoulos hopes he has done
LEIGH Lions Club's first osteoporosis test day is on Saturday, February 1 at Leigh Conservative Club from 10am until 10pm. The scan to detect thinning of the bone is quick, painless and accurate and results are available within minutes of the consultation
LAST Sunday's run was well attended and started with the group heading towards Ainsworth village. We proceeded through Harwood and Eagley before passing both Bolton and Delph sailing clubs, before reaching the highest point of the day as we went over
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
FORMER professional footballer Joe Carroll has travelled all the way back from Australia to Bury to improve his prospects as a soccer coach. Radcliffe-born Joey played for Oldham Athletic, Halifax Town, Sacramento in America, Barrow, Morecambe and clubs
LATEST details William Hill Ladies Darts RESULTS PREMIER DIVISION Royal Oak A 3, Hamers Arms 4; Roach Hotel A 6, Derby Hotel A 1; Summerseat A 4, LLWMC 3; Staff of Life B 1, Staff of Life A 6; Rainsough Brew 1, Church Inn (SpSt) 6. FIRST DIVISION Rose
THE first league matches of the second half of the Bury Table Tennis League season 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, despite Graham
TRADING Standards bosses today warned businesses to be on their guard against a bogus letter demanding cash. Officers from Bury Metro are investigating a number of complaints from the Ramsbottom area. Local businesses are concerned about letters demanding
A FATHER-of-three who set fire to the mill where he worked has been jailed for two and a half years. The court heard that the fire caused an explosion and that many people were put at risk. Fire officers who investigated the blaze at Gillibrands Mill,
RESIDENTS are a step closer to building a much-needed games area to stop youngsters playing on dangerous roads. Springfield and Alice Street Residents' Association in Darwen is to receive £2,500 from a local charity trust for the proposed play zone. And
COUNCILLORS are to decide the fate of a farm building erected without planning permission. Brothers Andrew and Brian Lyth carried out extensive improvements on the derelict Sheephouses Farm, Stacksteads, more than two years ago. But council planning officers
TRADING Standards bosses today warned businesses to be on their guard against a bogus letter demanding cash. Officers from Bury Metro are investigating a number of complaints from the Ramsbottom area. Local businesses are concerned about letters demanding
ANTI-GAMBLING protestors are up in arms after councillors gave casino bosses the go-ahead to turn a family amusement arcade into the first of Blackpool's new breed of the resort's casinos. Despite objections from local groups, council officials have granted
A HUGE charity gala has been axed for the first time in its 28-year history. The Blackburn Lions Gala held at Witton Park, which annually benefits numerous local charities and was set to take place on August 9 and 10, has been cancelled because of a lack
PLANS to create Lancashire's first state-funded Muslim faith school have been given the go-ahead despite a rebellion from half of a council's ruling cabinet. Four Blackburn with Darwen councillors -- including one of the authority's deputy leaders and
A COUNCILLOR has resigned as a director of housing landlord Twin Valley Homes, after an outburst over its record on evicting trouble tenants. Coun Charles Mills, who represents the Shadsworth ward, Blackburn, for the Liberal Democrats, claimed he had
PADIHAM have put seven days on Nelson's top scorer Carl Howarth. Howarth, who has scored 13 goals this season, looks set to follow strike partner David Gray out of Victoria Park. Gray went to Bacup when former manager John Bailey was sacked. New Nelson
STRUGGLERS Ramsbottom travel to Curzon Ashton in NWCL Division One tomorrow just weeks after the Manchester side lost one of their best players in an air disaster. Curzon defender Chris Ringland died in the Turkisk air crash on January 9 and it will be
GREAT Harwood go into tomorrow's NWCL Division Two derby at home to Darwen (kick off 2pm) looking for their second win over their rivals this season. The first game ended 4-2 but Harwood manager John Hughes expects a tougher game this time around. "It
ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman has set his side a target of 11 more wins which he thinks will be enough to secure the UniBond Premier Division championship. The Reds, who have 17 league games still left to play, are five points clear with two games
MARK PATTERSON could be making a return to Rossendale sooner than he thought. The former Blackburn and Bolton midfielder ended his second spell at Dark Lane in December to take over as assistant boss at Conference strugglers Leigh. But just weeks later
IT has been a bitter-sweet week for Padiham striker Ian Pilkington, who has won the Division Two player of the month award for December but also faces a lengthy ban after being sent off for diving. The former Clitheroe marksman, who has scored 16 goals
WITH the Bush/Blair consortium unashamedly committed to the invasion of Iraq whether or not the United Nations Inspectorate discover a 'smoking-gun' the contempt shown by Blair to the growing unrest among its own backbenchers together with some of his
KEVAN Egan (Your Letters, Jan 3) is quite right to say that our council tax is not for spending on "crackpot" ideas. As deputy leader of the council, I agree with him. That is why we have not spent money on "commissioning so-called famous artists". The
HAVING visited the various public displays and consultations, I feel compelled to write on the proposals for a Metrolink stop at Buckley Wells. This is a quiet residential area with properties dating back to the 1850s. The proposed car park and tram stop
IT is interesting to see the usual suspects using the Audit Commission's CPA report, which branded Bury a "weak" council, to justify their usual complaints (Your Letters, Jan 10). Yet again, it has to be said that the decision to take out surplus school
SECONDARY school league tables will be released next Thursday (Jan 23) when the borough's high schools will find out how they have performed. After the summer when it was the pupils themselves who nervously awaited to find out how they fared in their
WARM hearted coal yard customers raised £1,365 to help educate primary age children with multiple and profound difficulties. Regulars of Astley fuel merchant Paul Rogers annually support a raffle for coal and wood with proceeds going to grateful Springwood
LEIGH have still to complete the signing of ex-Widnes second rower Gareth Haggerty. The 22-year-old is training with Leigh and will move to Hilton Park if a financial deal can be struck.
LEIGH Centurions finally got the work-out they badly needed on Wednesday with just four days to go before the start of the new season writes Mike Hulme NW Counties Division Three side Bank Quay Bulls were crushed 62-6 as the Centurions, with nine new
