RE the continued debate regarding the suitability of Platform 4 on Blackburn Railway Station. Surely the debate should be about the remainder of the station. When the station was remodelled platforms 1 and 2 were earmarked the heart of operations and
I FIND recent remarks by Pendle MP Gordon Prentice, very unhelpful at this delicate time in the history of the North West's THREE infantry regiments. I highlight the word 'three' because MPs in southern and eastern Lancashire seem to forget that the merger
A BURGLARY by a Leigh man was the final straw for a local company which has now gone out of business. Clifford Lally broke into the offices of Lanyard UK in The Cavern House in Ellesmere Street, Leigh, and stole £7,500 worth of equipment including laptop
A HEALTH minister has pledged to investigate why dentists in the Burnley area are going private despite Government attempts to stop them abandoning the NHS. The vow came after Burnley MP Peter Pike urged action, just days after yet another dental surgery
LENNIE Lawrence remains 'quietly confident' his Cardiff City players can spring an FA Cup upset at Ewood Park tonight. The Bluebirds travel to Blackburn Rovers to resume their FA Cup third-round duel after the original tie ended in a 1-1 stalemate at
BLACKBURN Rovers manager Mark Hughes has set his sights on FA Cup glory as he prepares for tonight's third round replay with Cardiff City at Ewood Park. Rovers have an excellent chance of progressing in the competition with a home match against Colchester
BLACKBURN Rovers' man of the moment Morten Gamst Pedersen today said he's starting to feel more at ease in England following a rocky start to his Premiership career. The 23-year-old winger, who has scored three goals in his last three appearances for
COMPENSATION payouts for trips and slips on a borough's streets have fallen by more than £1million following a clampdown on bogus claims. Blackburn with Darwen Council estimates it will have spent £249,000 paying out for accidents caused by trips and
A HEALTH minister has pledged to investigate why dentists in the Burnley area are going private despite Government attempts to stop them abandoning the NHS. The vow came after Burnley MP Peter Pike urged action, just days after yet another dental surgery
JOB losses to cut £1million from Burnley Borough Council's spending plans will keep council tax rises under five per cent, civic chiefs have revealed. But while financial bosses try to make savings, Government plans to make the council responsible for
A 26-YEAR-OLD Nelson man who was told shoplifting was easy at mill shops was caught three times in three days. Blackburn magistrates heard that Adam Rickhuss was detained as he left Boundary Mill with more than £400 of clothing on Saturday. And despite
I AGREE with "A Resident" and his ode to Bury Council (Letters, Jan 7). When you take a council house you agree to keep the inside in good condition, which I do. But my house is only 12 years old and the windows and doors are a disgrace. What do we council
BLACKBURN was dubbed the luckiest town in the country after it was the home to a second big lottery win. Organisers Camelot confirmed the town was the only to have had two jackpot winners since the lottery began. But although the two winners both matched
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after armed raiders bulldozed their way into a bank as staff were locking up on Friday night. The raiders drove a flat back Transit van into a rear wall of the Halifax in the Longfield Centre, Prestwich,at 5.15pm as
THE Bolton and Bury Junior badminton squad are holding trials, for new players, of all standards, girls and boys, aged between 7 and 19. The trials will be held at the Bolton Arena, from 1pm-3pm on Sunday, January 24, and Sunday, January 31. The cost
RESIDENTS are being asked to help formulate a masterplan to shape the future of Bacup and Stacksteads over the next 15 years. Local folk are to be asked to help draw up initiatives, including crime and housing, so officials know where they should be spending
PLANS for a £10million leisure complex on a 130-acre site blighted by illegal landfill tipping were unveiled today. Four East Lancashire businessmen are behind the scheme to build 180 holiday chalets, an education farm and a state-of-the-art equestrian
COMPENSATION payouts for trips and slips on a borough's streets have fallen by more than £1million following a clampdown on bogus claims. Blackburn with Darwen Council estimates it will have spent £249,000 paying out for accidents caused by trips and
THE large amounts of public money being paid out to people pursuing compensation has become a big headache for councils. This time four years ago, Blackburn with Darwen Council had dug deep to give more than £1.39million to people claiming because of
Warden systems are totally topsy-turvy WELL someone had to say it - the new wave of traffic wardens are rude and over zealous. Not my words, but the words of the Mayor of Pendle, Coun Dorothy Lord. And the Leader of Pendle Council, Coun Alan Davies. Who
RE the report for Royal Lancashire Show possibly being in doubt this year due to financial losses. It was a bad idea to go mid-week only. This must be one very good reason why the attendances may well have been reduced. I would have thought that more
I REFER to the announcement by the GPO (Post Office) that they are to provide telephone services once again. For some of us they have never been out of the telephone business. I always address my letters to 'The Area Telephone Manager, Post Office Telephones
I AM a "responsible" dog owner. I visit Witton Park daily and no excrement from my dog remains on footpaths or playing fields, it is collected up in "poo bags" and deposited in the appropriate bins. The park offers a wonderful facility for dog owners
MORE than half of managers at Blackburn with Darwen Council claim their job is causing them sleepless nights, an internal survey has revealed. Sixty six per cent of full-time staff claim stress is increasing, a third feel stress at work is affecting their
GOLBORNE Cricket Club are looking for a qualified player coach for the coming season in the Anthony Axford Bolton Association. The club would also be interested in hearing from any players interested in joining the first or second team. Contact Graham
TWO-GOAL hero Sergio Peter will be missing from the Blackburn Rovers youth team that travels to West Ham on their own FA Cup adventure tonight. The German scored both goals in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Bolton but picked up an injury that rules him out
Ewood Park, tonight, 8pm ROVERS (probable) 4-4-2: FRIEDEL NEILL JOHANSSON TODD MOKOENA TUGAY THOMPSON EMERTON PEDERSEN DICKOV GALLAGHER CARDIFF (probable) 4-4-2: WARNER WESTON BARKER GABBIDON COLLINS KAVANAGH INAMOTO McANUFF LANGLEY THORNE LEE Referee
YOUNGSTERS who fancy a taste of life in the police but have not signed up for Pennine Division's 2005 Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme can now text the police to request an application form. Volunteer Co-ordinator PC Derek Mitchell said: "The target audience
WE are sure that some people will have received puppies for Christmas this year, despite all the usual festive warnings. So we would ask people to help their new dog by booking him some training. There is a lifetime of joy and companionship to be had
THE art of letter-writing is often thought to be dead. I joined the International Pen Friends club and was delighted to discover that, far from being dead - and in spite of e-mail - the good old letter is still very much alive and kicking. For a reasonable
UNWANTED cars are being towed away for free over the next two weeks in a bid to clean up Pendle's streets. Fed up with abandoned cars becoming a magnet for drug abuse, vandalism, prostitution and arson, community leaders, police and firefighters have
A MOTORIST saved his blazing car from ruin by dousing flames with snowballs. Frank Douglas, 38, of Rolleston Road, Blackburn, parked up and put a sack over the engine to keep out the cold during freezing weather. But when he returned to the car smoke
ATTRACTIVE Rossendale woman Marjorie Neale was on her way to becoming the first female HGV driver in the county. The 27-year-old, of Wheatholme Street, Cloughfield, celebrated being the first woman on a lorry driving course at the North Lancashire Training
OLYMPIC rowing hero Matthew Pinsent told pupils at an East Lancashire school that he was relieved he'd finally retired. The rower was speaking during a visit to Oakhill College, Whalley, that saw him show off his impressive haul of four gold medals. As
TWO East Lancashire MPs have clashed over a Government U-turn on plans to ban fairground stalls giving goldfish as prizes. The Government had intended to forbid showmen to give goldfish as prizes on grounds of animal cruelty. But a compromise has been
RAFAEL Benitez insists he wasn't guilty of underestimating Burnley. The Liverpool manager chose to field a weakened side for last night's trip to Turf Moor but was made to see the error of his ways as they were dumped out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle
4-1-4-1 JENSEN: Cool, calm and confident as he kept a terrific run of clean sheets intact 9 SINCLAIR: Never shirked a challenge and always kept things nice and tight 9 CAHILL: Came through the biggest game of his career with flying colours 9 McGREAL:
"As soon as I saw the teamsheet I thought Burnley were going to win," he said. "It was a great result and fantastic for the town. "People will look at the teams and notice that Liverpool fielded an under-strength side. "But take nothing away from Burnley
STEVE Cotterill hailed the 1-0 win over Liverpool as his "best night ever in the FA Cup". Burnley earned a fourth round tie at home to Bournemouth thanks to a thrilling victory over Liverpool last night courtesy of a Djimi Traore own goal. And the Clarets
BURNLEY 1 LIVERPOOL 0 BURNLEY fans awoke this morning believing anything is possible after dumping mighty Liverpool out of the FA Cup. The six-time winners suffered an almighty shock as Steve Cotterill's heroes made a mockery of the yawning gulf between
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 0 STONE DOMINOES 2: Following an impressive run in the league that has seen a rise to fourth place, including a significant victory over the league leaders, Ramsbottom were brought back down to earth again by a Dominoes side eager to
RADCLIFFE BORO 1, LINCOLN UNITED 1: Despite seeing his side squander a one goal lead, Boro boss Kevin Glendon was pleased with his side's performance. "I thought it was a game too much for us with the small squad we have, we were short of bodies and "
BOSSES at United Utilities are looking at ways to prevent a repeat of the flooding which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage near Entwistle Reservoir. Repair work to the surrounding paths and bridges, which were washed away last year, is expected
A CARAVAN which neighbours claimed was being used by teenagers in Darwen as a den for drinking, smoking and taking recreational substances has been towed away by the council. Blackburn magistrates granted the council permission to remove the caravan from
PEOPLE in Helmshore are to be consulted over what action should be taken to preserve the long term future of a park that belongs to residents. More than 1,500 questionnaires to homes in the area ask for views on how to safeguard Helmshore Pocket Park,
gfgfdhfdh Council staff take 65,000 days off sick JUST short of 65,000 days a year are lost to sickness at Blackburn with Darwen Council among the authority's 5,055 full time staff - equivalent to 12.8 days each. Those figures are among the worst in the
A GIANT mirror and a 12-metre-high spike are among new statues being planned for East Lancashire. The Panopticon Project will see public works of art in all six boroughs of the region by 2007. So far designs have been chosen for Blackburn, Pendle and
MORE than half of managers at Blackburn with Darwen Council claim their job is causing them sleepless nights, an internal survey has revealed. Sixty six per cent of full-time staff claim stress is increasing, a third feel stress at work is affecting their
HEREFORD UTD 4 STANLEY 0 FA Trophy 3rd round replay Ten men hit trouble after Flynn's early dismissal ACCRINGTON Stanley will not look back with fond memories on their trip to Edgar Street after crashing out of the FA Trophy at the first hurdle for the
BRISTOL SHOGUNS 62 SEDGLEY PARK RUFC 9: The scoreline may suggest a walkover, but for the first hour or so Sedgley proved a tough test for the championship favourites and it was only late on that the Shoguns were able to turn on the style. Early Park
READERS will be outraged by the Home Secretary's recent decision not to back our campaign for a change in the law to provide greater protection for homeowners who are attacked by intruders. The present law is tilted too far in favour of burglars and The
I WOULD be obliged if I may most gratefully thank the public for their generosity in supporting the 2004 Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal for Bury, Walshaw and Tottington. We have raised in excess of £26,500, which is an increase on the £25,000 raised
A MAN discovered dead in the boot of a burned out car in Bury had been shot through the head, police have revealed. The car, a Subaru Impreza, was found close to a bridge over the M66 on Griffe Lane, Unsworth on Sunday. Greater Manchester Police (GMP)
