A TWIN assault on the beer bootleggers threatening East Lancashire jobs was launched today. The moves come as disturbing evidence was revealed that organised crime gangs in the North West are now involved in the illegal trade. Major van hire companies
DON'T tell Santa or Rudolph, but reindeer aren't welcome in Rishton. Plans for a herd of model reindeer to brighten up a wall in the main street have been axed by Hyndburn Council. The eight "running stags" now look set to be replaced with a mural designed
KENNY Dalglish today emerged as a shock candidate for the vacant job of Wolves manager. The First Division club parted company with former England boss Graham Taylor this week. And a source close to Dalglish confirmed the Rovers director of football was
A STRIKE action ballot was taking place in Burnley today after aerospace workers rejected their firm's two per cent pay rise offer. More than 500 Hurel Dubois employees are demanding increases of between four and six per cent and have already voted to
POLICE have revealed that a teenager found collapsed in school grounds died from a lethal cocktail of drink and drugs. A post-mortem examination was carried out on 18-year-old Mark Hudson, of Norfolk Street, Nelson. A police spokesman said: "He had a
SCOTTISH and Newcastle were to face a beer boycott by up to 20 working men's clubs in East Lancashire in protest at the closure of the Matthew Brown brewery in Blackburn. Four hundred members of Bold Street Working Men's in Accrington were asked to agree
EAST Lancashire schools were to be plunged into chaos this week by crippling two-day strikes. Thousands of pupils were going to be sent home or would have to miss lessons as members of the National Union of Teachers staged a walkout at schools in Burnley
BLACKBURN Rovers aim to call "Lars Orders" on Nottingham Forest's Premiership party. The champions lock horns with the form team in the land tomorrow as Jack Walker cuts the ribbon on the new Ewood Park. And to add an extra ingredient of spice to the
IWONDER how many people remember Jackie and Sunnie Mann. Jackie Mann, a former Battle of Britain pilot, was taken hostage in May, 1989, in Beirut. He was a very frail, old man but he survived the solitary confinement until September 24, 1991. His wife
At the age of 95, the Queen Mother is one of the oldest people in the world to undergo a hip replacement operation. We join millions of others in wishing her a speedy recovery and in admiring her courage. At the same time, however, it would be nice to
RIGHT at the start, when Europe's single market first toppled the trade barriers, we forecast a booming black market in booze. It was bound to happen when the differences in taxes on UK-produced drinks and those across the Channel were so great and people
CHILDREN in Lancashire face a bleak future with larger classes and fewer teachers, the National Union of Teachers warned today. A survey showed that in the summer term alone, 1,150 jobs were lost in the North West And in Lancashire 368 jobs - 2.78 per
POLICE have failed to trace a mystery "gunman" camped in woods. Padiham police were first given a report of a man with a gun being seen close to a tent in Gawthorpe Woods, which surround historic Gawthorpe Hall. A search was carried out but neither the
MAY I offer my own view of the water shortage? We are an island nation, surrounded by the stuff and, because of our geographical location, usually, for 40 weeks of the year, we have millions of gallons thrown at us. We now pay for the convenience of this
A JOBS boost is on the way for Blackburn with the creation of 80 new jobs in a new entertainment complex. First Leisure Corporation - the owners of Blackpool Tower - will open a 2,000 seat bingo venue next autumn on the town centre site of the former
MYSTERY guests have sent champagne corks popping at the popular Sparrow Hawk Inn, in Fence. The anonymous visitors, dined, drank, watched and were waited on at the countryside hostelry. And they left as they came ... silently and without introduction.
THE National Canine Defence League would like to thank everyone who responded to the charity's appeal for second-hand televisions and VHS recorders. The response was so incredible that we were inundated with offers and we have been unable to reply to
CLASS sizes have become a cudgel quickly taken up by teachers in the face of education cuts and job losses. And, in basic terms, it must follow that pupils receive less individual attention when classroom rolls rise - though other influences, such as
LOW staffing levels in mental illness wards in Burnley meant nurses were able to carry out little more than a custodial role, say Mental Health Act commissioners. They heard that bed shortages in the acute section meant long delays for patients waiting
A 25-YEAR-OLD woman appeared in court at Burnley today charged with the murder of 24-year-old Simon Lockett. Kathleen Norwood, gave her address as 57 Colne Road, Burnley - the house where the stabbed body of Mr Lockett was found. She is the third person
SECOND Division strugglers Bristol City were today linked with a move for old boy Liam Robinson. Bristol City manager Joe Jordan watched Robinson score for Burnley reserves in the excellent 3-2 Pontins League victory at Coventry City on Tuesday. And sources
A TRIP down memory lane is proving just a little disappointing for Blackburn exile Ken Houghton, who is visiting the town after emigrating to Australia in 1967. Ken returned to visit Les Whewell, who served with him in the Royal Artillery during the Korean
MAY I warn people to be on their guard against pickpockets, particularly as the Christmas shopping rush gets under way? Last week, I observed two characters acting suspiciously by the bus shelter in Ainsworth Street, outside Blackburn's main post office
ROVERS fans will pay homage to Uncle Jack Walker's generosity at 2.40pm tomorrow, writes NEIL BRAMWELL. The man whose £25 million transformed Ewood Park will officially open the new stadium before the home game against Forest. Celebrations coincide with
PENDLE'S MP is pressing for a Government debate on the crisis-hit textiles industry after moves to save 130 jobs at Bairdtex failed. Gordon Prentice wants the Government to make time for an early debate on the industry's future. He was due to meet bosses
ALAN Harper may not be enjoying the fruits of first team soccer at Turf Moor but he has one eye on a career in management when the curtain comes down on his playing days. Injuries and a lack of selection opportunities has sentenced Harper to a diet of
