Archive

  • Teenager died after snorting heroin

    A TEENAGER died after snorting heroin which he thought was cocaine, an inquest heard. Francis Clapham, 16, died in Burnley General Hospital two months after taking the drug at his home in Hallam Road, Nelson, with a friend, the hearing at Burnley Magistrates

  • Park's £200,000 funding boost

    OVER £200,000 is being spent at a park to improve safety and make it more attractive. Work started on creating better lighting and removing trees in Walverden Park in Nelson on Monday as part of a three month long improvement scheme. The money has been

  • Man admits raping schoolgirl

    A MAN has been warned that he is facing a lengthy' jail sentence after he admitted raping and sexually abusing a schoolgirl. Burnley Crown Court heard how Timothy Pennington groomed the victim over a number of years and the allegations he had admitted

  • Site for health hub unveiled

    A NEW health hub for Rossendale has been unveiled for the first time but has already met with criticism from residents. Plans for the replacement Rawtenstall health facility were launched by East Lancashire Primary Care Trust during a public meeting

  • Statue planned for heroic dog

    A BRONZE statue is being created of a heroic Burnley dog that stayed with his dead master for 11 weeks after his death in the Welsh hills. The Friends of the Settle to Carlisle Line are behind the bid to immortalise border collie Ruswarp at Garsdale

  • Drug dealer behind cannabis factory has cash seized

    A DRUG dealer behind a "sophisticated" cannabis factory made almost £12,000 from his activities, a court was told. Peter France, 48, could have produced drugs to the tune of £10,000 a crop from his terrace home on Whitworth Street, Nelson, Burnley Crown

  • Man cleared of abusing girls wants to rebuild his life

    A MAN has asked to be allowed to rebuild his life after being cleared of sexually abusing two young girls. Retired crofter Graham Gadd says the windows of his Griffin Close home in Burnley were smashed after it was revealed that he was on trial for indecently

  • VIDEO: 40 police in organised crime raids

    FORTY police raided homes across East Lancashire following an 11-month investigation into an organised car crime gang. Three men from the same family were arrested in the raids in Accrington, Church and Burnley. The action followed the investigation

  • Mosque marshal hailed a success

    AN army of mosque marshals' have been enlisted to enable youngsters to cross one of Burnley's busiest roads. More than 900 children have been helped to cross Colne Road, in Daneshouse and Stoneyholme, since the Safe Routes To Madrassa scheme was launched

  • Two options for town council bid

    TWO options for a Darwen town council are being considered, it has been revealed. Thousands of people have signed petitions calling for the move and a town council is a key aim of the Lancashire Telegraph's We're Backing Darwen campaign which aims

  • Hapton Post Offics

    Along with many others at the present time, Hapton Post Office is under threat of closure. The residents of Hapton have shown their objection to the proposed closure by complaining to their MP, their local Councillors and to the Parish council. All

  • Dance, Dance, Dance

    Adult dance classes including Salsa and Jive are about to start at Sparkle Dance Studio in Haslingden. Ring 01706 225004 for more details.

  • Tommy Ball's rise to the top

    IN a career spanning 40 years, Tommy Ball rose from a pram-pushing rag-and-bone man to head of a nationally-known business. Mr Ball, who was born in Blackburn in 1925, started off his business with just a £5 note and a pile of second-hand clothes. In

  • Tributes as Tommy Ball dies, aged 83

    TRIBUTES have been paid to shoe king Tommy Ball after he died aged 83. The pioneering shoe trader died at home on the Isle of Man on Sunday, it has been revealed. Friends and former colleagues spoke of their sadness at the news and called for permanent

  • Cole to face no charges over assault allegations

    STRIKER Andrew Cole will face no further action over allegations he assaulted his wife, police have said. Cole, 36, was arrested in the early hours of February 25 at his home in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. He was due to answer bail on Tuesday but a Cheshire

  • Keedy: Flintoff wait is Lancashire's gain

    GARY Keedy feels Andrew Flintoff's available for Lancashire is a major boon for the Red Rose county - as England maintain a softly-softly approach with their all-rounder talisman. Flintoff was yesterday omitted from the MCC side that faces Sussex in

  • £1.3m woodland project unveiled

    PLANS to create a £1.3million woodland tribute to the ring of oak trees which gave Accrington its name have been announced. Environmental charity the Prospects Foundation, along with Hyndburn Council, are bidding for lottery funding to create the large-scale

  • 367 job losses as bed company closes

    HUNDREDS of jobs have been axed after a Blackburn bed company went out of business. Bed retailer Sleep Depot, based in the Shadsworth Industrial Estate, went into administration on Monday. But it took the administrators just 24 hours to announce yesterday

  • 'Raving' in Hoddlesden

    A few weeks ago, there was an issue with youths congregating and partying on some allotments. I was chatting to PC Roger Morris about our community website project and he told me about this incident and asked if it would be suitable. Apparently

  • Groping passenger given supervision order

    A BLACKBURN man molested a woman on a Preston-bound train in front of her child. A court heard that Mohammed Ishfaq was so drunk that afterwards he could not remember what happened. Ishfaq, 37, of Winmarleigh Street, Blackburn, was placed on supervision

  • Best Kept Village?

    Speaking with Eccleshill resident, Linda Mason this afternoon, I discovered that Eccleshill has been entered into the Best Kept Village competition. Last year they came second, which is a huge achievement for such a small place and this year Linda

  • Melville back in goal for Bacup

    BACUP Borough are hoping to have Phil Melville back in goal after he missed Saturday's abandoned game against Atherton Collieries. Brent Peters' side travel to face Division One title-chasers Salford City but there are question marks over the fitness

  • Stanley name change is no April Fool

    BOSSES at Accrington Stanley have not ruled out changing the club's name after claiming the town 'doesn't deserve' a Football League team. As an April Fool's joke today, the club website announced that from next season the League Two side would be

  • Thug spared jail due to prison overcrowding

    A JUDGE chose not to send a thug to jail after 'reflecting on the fact prisons are overcrowded'. Christopher Pilkington, 43, gave 65-year-old Keith Harwood an 'extremely unpleasant beating" for no apparent reason in Accrington. The court was showed

  • Easter Sunday Funday

    There's a lot to be said about villages. They are usually close-knit communities and residents have strong links to each other. Foulridge is no different. The landlady of New Inn, Donna Lunt, spoke to me this about the Fun Day they held last weekend

  • Ali named Burnley CC captain

    Qasim Ali has taken the Turf Moor hot seat and replaces Jon Harvey as the captain of Burnley. Also, seamer Billy Jamil has left Nelson and joined his brother Tayyib at Turf Moor.

  • Mental health hospital plans hit hitch

    PLANS for East Lancashire's new £35million mental health hospital have hit another hitch. Councillors on Pendle Council are being urged to back a motion stating that Gibb Hill, on the Nelson and Colne border, one of two preferred sites, is not for

  • Pendle Hill Challenge

    On Monday 7th April 2008 a group of youths from the Burnley Wood Area are attempting to undertake a challenge walk that will take in the famous landmark Pendle Hill. The Youths are hoping to use the event to raise funds for a local charity Pendle Hospice

  • Mym took ex's bank card

    A MOTHER-of-two took her ex-husband's bank card and went shopping, a court heard. Emma Adshead, 35, had taken the card in frustration after he allegedly did not pay up for the children and she went to Asda, spending on £300 on food and household goods

  • Buzz Hawkins Does The Bradshaws An' All That!

    "Once upon a time, on a dark and stormy night, a small thought festered in the broad forehead of a man named Buzz Hawkins. This thought skipped along terraced streets gathering up the memories that you left behind and so grew into The Bradshaws." Rolls-Royce

  • Work order revoked

    A NEW dad given unpaid work for a burglary had the order revoked after a court heard he had "untold" problems. Burnley Crown Court was told how Christopher McKillop's new daughter had been taken into hospital, he had collpased in the street with a blood

  • Woman on arson charge

    A woman is awaiting sentence after admitting arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, at Burnley Crown Court. Elizabeth Kennedy, 30, of Rook Street, Nelson, denied the more serious charge of arson with intent and the prosecution accepted

  • Woman head butted on nose

    A MAN walking out with his clothes in bin bags after a row head butted his partner on the nose. Hyndburn magistrates heard that Nigel Hegarty had behaved totally out of character after being deeply affected by the death of his mother, an opinion expressed

  • Fan, 70, was hit by speeding car

    A PENSIONER on his way to watch Blackburn Rovers ended up in hospital after being hit by a speeding car. The driver, Jacob Fuller, 22, of Grindleton Road, Blackburn, was banned for two years at Preston Crown Court after he admitted dangerous driving,

  • Bentley: England friendly half-hearted

    BLACKBURN Rovers winger David Bentley has claimed England produced a "half-hearted" display against France because key players were preparing for this week's Champions League quarter-finals and the Barclays Premier League title race. Michael Owen has

  • Wife attacked as she held child

    A MAN who went to see his estranged wife, seeking a reconciliation, found another man in their house. Hyndburn magistrates heard that Craig Hamer threw the other man out of the house before attacking his wife as she held their one-year-old child. Hamer

  • Asbestos fire at Darwen factory

    AN ASBESTOS fire at a derelict factory in Darwen caused roads to be closed. The fire is believed to have been deliberately started at around 7am today. When a crew from Darwen attended at 7.30am, the former furnishings factory off Hannah Street

  • Taxi fares in Hyndburn could rise

    THE minimum taxi fare in Hyndburn could rise by 50p with a £1 rise for Christmas and New Year trips. Hyndburn Council cabinet will decide whether to approve the plan tomorrow after a request from the Hyndburn Taxi Association. Hackney carriage drivers

  • Farmer admits alcohol problem

    A Ribble Valley farmer convicted of his third excess alcohol offence realised he had an alcohol problem, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard that James Hacking was stopped by police in Clitheroe who had been tipped off that he may be driving

  • 10pm limit for cigs at pub

    LATE night smokers will not be allowed to gather outside an historic Burnley hostelry, say planning chiefs. Council bosses say a new smoking shelter beside the Craven Heifer, Briercliffe Road, can only be used up to 10pm. The proposed smokers den

  • Luke’s at home for new recruits

    AN ARMY recruit from Burnley returned home to try to encourage more people to join the forces. Luke Thornton, 17, from Parliament Street, joined up in 2006 and has spent the week at the Army careers office telling people of about life in the forces.

  • £1.5m warehouse extension open

    ONE of East Lancashire's largest employers has held the grand opening of two new landmark warehouse facilities. Kitchen, bedroom and bathroom manufacturer JJO has spent £1.5million developing the storage unit on Railway Street, Stacksteads. Culture

  • Brother took law into his own hands

    A 28-year-old Darwen man took the law into his own hands after identifying a man who he thought had been selling drugs to his younger brother. Blackburn magistrates heard that Sarfraz Khan twice went to the man's home to confront him and on the second

  • Coleman: Players fighting for their Stanley futures

    STANLEY boss John Coleman believes a number of Stanley players are playing for their futures in the final five games of the season. Players including Kenny Arthur, Ian Dunbavin, Phil Edwards, Jay Harris, Mark Roberts, Sean Webb and Shaun Whalley are

  • Cue for action

    THE second leg of a snooker tournament in memory of a popular Darwen councillor will be held later this month. And the winners will take home a 16-inch silver trophy which was created to honour Fred Slater, who died aged 63 in 2006. Members of Darwen

  • More dodgy elections around the world

    As I write the results in Zimbabwe are still not announced even though everyone knows that the opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai has won with a landslide. And once again it's not simply the act of holding an election that shows whether a country

  • Christie boost

    A CHARITY auction has raised £1,521 for the Christie Hospital. The event, organised by Brian White, in memory of his wife Gloria, was held at Bacup Borough FC. Grandmother-of-two, Gloria, 55, originally from South Africa, died after a three-year battle

  • Bakery burgled

    THE well-known Cordey's bakery was burgled days after it moved to new premises in Bacup. Owner Anthony Cordey, who runs another bakery and coffee shop in Waterfoot, has moved into the former Schofield's bakery in St James Street. He said: "We got the

  • Ribble Valley council houses handover

    A COUNCIL has finally handed over its housing stock to a new management team. More than 1,000 former Ribble Valley Council houses were officially transferred to housing association Ribble Valley Homes at a ceremony at the company's office in York Street

  • Rovers lodge appeal against FA charge

    Blackburn Rovers have confirmed that they have lodged an appeal after they were charged with failing to control their players during the recent win at Newcastle. The club have requested a personal hearing and are now waiting for a date from the Football

  • Bully robbed teen of £10 note

    A TROUBLED youth who mugged a vulnerable 16-year-old was spared jail but a judge labelled him a bully'. Burnley Crown Court heard how Gareth Erangey, 18, knew the Accrington victim was picked on by others but took £10 off him. The defendant, who left

  • Silence din of 'shopping' music

    RE Nick Nunn's column about Blackburn market (LT, March 26). Do we really need howling pop music in market halls and the three-day market? It is a madhouse. It doesn't encourage you to browse around in the mall, supermarkets or many of the stores. I

  • Why do we bother sorting rubbish?

    I WAS pleasantly surprised on Good Friday when travelling to Blackburn on the A666 (Blackburn Road) to see the bin lorries collecting rubbish. However, this soon turned to anger when I saw bin men throwing everything in the back of the wagon. Waste

  • More people smoking

    THE idea that more people are giving up smoking because tobacco sales are falling is not true. Some people who gave up are now on the weed again due to the stress of life living with all the problems this Government is forcing onto us. The reason tobacco

  • Market rules don't make sense

    AS the market trader adjacent to the photograph of Mr Mullhearn (LT, March 22), I would like to address some of the comments regarding ignoring "rules," and disagree that "talking to market bosses" would have solved the problem. It wouldn't. The problem

  • Blackburn Rovers Reserves 1 Bolton Wanderers Reserves 2

    BLACKBURN Rovers reserves passed up the opportunity to go fourth in the table after they slipped to a disappointing derby defeat at the hands of Bolton. Glyn Hodges' young charges found themselves two goals down inside the opening 25 minutes to a Wanderers

  • Elliott: Clarets need to win five out of five

    WING wizard Wade Elliott insists the Clarets can only concentrate on their own performances as the season heads towards a dramatic climax. The 29-year-old (below) scored the opening goal on Saturday as Burnley got their play-off bid back on track with

  • Tugay waits on contract decision

    BLACKBURN Rovers' Turkish midfield ace Tugay is still waiting to hear if he will be offered a new contract for next season. The veteran playmaker believes he can still play on at Premier League level for a further 12 months, and would dearly love one

  • Anger after public banned from health meetings

    A DECISION to ban the public from health meetings has been branded "madness". Ruling councillors have decided to hold meetings between the Blackburn with Darwen Council and the borough's primary care trust behind closed doors. Bosses claim hardly any

  • Axe falls on 24 East Lancs post offices

    POLITICIANS have slammed the decision to axe 24 East Lancashire post offices and claimed bosses had 'no intention' of listening to people's concerns. Today's announcement that branches earmarked for closure would not get a reprieve prompted anger among

  • Pleased to Meet you

    Burnley Wood and Rosehill Policing Team would like to introduce themselves: they are PC John Fisher, and PCSO Catherine Clough and PCSO Bill Ogden. You can contact them at Burnley Wood Community Action Group at 112 Branch Road, telephone them on 01282

  • The Man With No Face, Five

    Normally I wouldn't think about reviewing a repeat but so many people had said that I had to watch Extraordinary People on Five that I made a point of tuning in last night. The Man With No Face certainly lived up to the programme's overall title - but

  • Local History - Royal Butterfly Hotel

    At the junction of Hollingreave Road & Huffling Lane stands the Royal Butterfly Hotel, which was built in the early 19th century. The building itself is architecturally attractive, including alterations which have incorporated the former stables into

  • Pub was the cornerstone of community

    I ENTERED the licensed trade untrained and by chance, as I didn't drink and didn't even know the difference between mild and bitter. Fortunately for me the lads in the vault did and I've never regretted it. In those days the pub played a big part in

  • Tell people what they should do

    The argument over whether staff at the former A and E department at Burnley General Hospital, now called the Urgent Care Centre, should be able to administer a potentially life-saving treatment called thrombolysis highlights the dilemma facing people

  • Student elected as new youth MP

    MINHAZ Khelya, 17, has been elected as Blackburn with Darwen's new youth Member of Parliament after a record election turnout. The Blackburn St Mary's College student was chosen after more than 40per cent of 11 to 18-year-olds in the area voted. He

  • Four new workers for child sex crackdown

    FOUR new workers are set to join Engage, the team set up to tackle child sexual exploitation in Blackburn. The team of officers has been formed by the police, council, the Blackburn with Darwen Safeguarding Children Board and other young people's organisations

  • Minister to reveal £1m sport grant

    A £1 MILLION lottery grant is to be given to sports projects in East Lancashire. A minister will announce the cash injection when she visits the area today to look at regeneration projects. Communities minister Baroness Andrews will begin a day-long