Stories for 23 May 1996

Blackburn News

A tough stand -but will it work?

BLACKBURN MP Jack Straw has cast himself in the role of hard man. The Shadow Home Secretary's new proposals to deal with young offenders are certainly a step in the right direction, though they don't go far enough in the eyes of many ordinary, law-abiding citizens, who have been victims of these young thugs.  more...

Businessmen launch rescue bid for pavilions

A CONSORTIUM of local businessmen are preparing a rescue plan to save three historic town centre buildings earmarked for demolition.  more...

Jason's the comeback kid!

IF Jason Wilcox completes his remarkable comeback by gate-crashing England's European Championship party, there will be one man who will feel it's a job well done.  more...

Donald set to deliver

RISHTON'S season could all hinge on this weekend's double header despite having the world's fastest bowler amongst their ranks.  more...

Should the pavilions be demolished or not?

BLACKBURN'S pavilion buildings are a political hot potato which refuses to go away.  more...

LETTER:There's no need for airs and graces

WHY be offended by the word "gormless"? In Haslingden I think it would be spoken as "gawmless" - more of an "ahh" than "oor".  more...

Ossie's Naz-ty task!

OSWALDTWISTLE face the unenviable task of having to do what no other side has managed to do this season - stop Shadid Nawaz!  more...

LETTER:No future for the Pavilions

I AGREE that it would be a pity to demolish the Church Street Pavilions but can't think what could be done with them.  more...

Worldwide interest in hospital's ground-breaking scheme

A PIONEERING training course to promote breast feeding has been launched at a local hospital and is already attracting attention from around the world.  more...

LETTER: Pavilions fight

I APPLAUD the Citizen's recent coverage of the plight of the Pavilion buildings on Church Street in Blackburn.  more...

LETTER: Everyone reads the Citizen!

THANK you, thank you and another thank you. A few weeks ago I e-mailed a message to the Citizen regarding a dear friend who resides in Blackburn with whom I had lost contact. I am pleased to report that she is well and has responded to me with a letter via the mail. She opens her letter by stating: " I did not realise that so many people read our local free newspaper, never mind the Postbag. We have had many people phone us, stopping us in the street and knocking at the door to tell us about the letter." She included a copy of your May 2 edition in which my original letter appeared. If not for your help and courtesy this would not have been accomplished. While experts debate the value and impact on society of the Internet, here's a great example of how a well estabished medium such as the Blackburn Citizen can use the futuristic technology of Internet e-mail and succeed in reuniting old friends in an almost pre-technolgy small-town kind of atmosphere. I am forever in your debt for helping reunite our two families again. Best regards from the Big Apple. Sincerely  more...

LETTER: Author got it right!

I AM writing in response to the "Gobsmacked" article (Hyndburn Citizen, May 16), because I feel I must support Bob Dobson.  more...

LETTER: Get real, it's only a joke!

SO Oswaldtwistle councillors want an intelligent conversation with Bob Dobson?  more...

Mayoral first - Tories put row behind them

HYNDBURN councillors have united behind their new mayor as the borough prepares to make local government history with his installation tonight.  more...

Gnomes pack their bags for Corfu!

MISERABLE May has proved to too much for a pair of sun-seeking gnomes!  more...

Citizen comes to swimmer's rescue

EPILEPTIC Richard Greenop is back in the swim - and it's all thanks to the Citizen.  more...

Blackpool News

First Lady of the Fylde

DORIS Thompson was already in her 80s when she retired from riding roller coasters.  more...

Oyston jailed for six years

OWEN Oyston was last night (May 22) sentenced to a total of six years in jail after being found guilty of raping a young model and indecently assaulting her.  more...

From miner's son to millionaire

MINER'S son Owen Oyston who worked his way up into a millionaire, was facing retiremnt in jail last night (May 22).  more...

Clean up Gynn mess-age!

ANGRY North Shore hoteliers and residents are campaigning for a clean-up of the area in time for the summer season.  more...

Porky the cat!

A TRIO of little kittens could be forgiven for being confused about their identity - they have the body of a cat and the curly tail of a pig!  more...

Bus stop!

ANCHORSHOLME residents have won their battle to stop a new 30-seater bus from driving down their street.  more...

Bolton Business

Training centre in line with the law

A TRAINING centre costing £200,000 has been opened at the headquarters of Greater Manchester Waste Ltd in Higher Swan Lane, Bolton. Cllr Richard Fletcher from Bury, the chairman, unveiled a plaque at a ceremony this week. The company, which is the privatised arm of the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority, is owned by the districts in Greater Manchester, including Bolton.  more...

Starting date for Business Link

THE official launch of Business Link Bolton and Bury is to be on Tuesday, July 2.  more...

Investors' award first for a charity

BURY Crossroads Care Scheme, which provides a relief service for carers in the community, has become the first charity to be awarded Investors in People by Bolton Bury Training and Enterprise Council. The Scheme, which was established four years ago, employs 19 part-time care attendants, four part-time administrative staff and a full-time manager.  more...

Bolton News

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, May 22, 1971  more...

Getting tough

JUDGES are not above the law or criticism. In his attack on Home Secretary Michael Howard's tough sentencing policy, Lord Chief Justice Lord Taylor seems to wish they were.  more...

Theatre boost

THE injection of £1.68 million of National Lottery cash into Bolton's Octagon Theatre means that much-needed building work can be completed.  more...

Success story

THE way that Bolton woman Lesley Glover fought her way back to normal living after a brutal assault makes a heartening modern story. She used the experience to re-shape her life, and is now a successful businesswoman.  more...

Plea to save rare photo collection

A BOLTON man who unearthed a "photographic treasure" is searching for a buyer to keep them available to the public.  more...

Labour posts delight

DAVID Young, the Labour MP for Bolton South East, says he is pleased at the news, revealed in the BEN, that the District Labour Party has filled the posts which were made vacant when three of its top officials resigned following a row with regional officers.  more...

Give us more beat bobbies

MORE than 1,300 residents in Blackrod have signed a petition calling for an increase in community policing.  more...

Poet's Corner

Up they went in all their glory,  more...

Eurospeak is an ECU-va problem!

COUNCIL chiefs have been urged to use "plain English" ... even when they are bidding for Euro cash.  more...

Water wheels speed up specials' duties

SPECIAL constables in Astley Bridge have been given a new set of wheels to help them speed up their voluntary duties.  more...

Golfing gardener has green fingers!

A LANDSCAPE gardener who learned his trade on a Bolton golf course has struck gold at the Chelsea Flower Show.  more...

Charity clothes plea

DONATIONS to Bolton charity shops could be storing up trouble instead of helping the needy, a local councillor has warned.  more...

Royal breakfast in Bolton

A SENIOR member of the Royal Family enjoyed breakfast in Bolton today before a visit to the North West.  more...

Parties to share council posts

TORIES and Liberal Democrats have agreed to share the opposition posts on Bolton Council.  more...

Barn up in flames

A DISUSED barn at the former Burnthwaite Children's Home was set alight last night. Firemen believe the blaze, at the Old Hall Lane building, was started deliberately.  more...

He's so selfish!

SIR: I write in response to your article 'Suite and Sour Alec' (May 18).  more...

Liberal backing welcome

SIR: Mr Peter Thurnham, MP's endorsement in the Bolton Evening News of the Liberal Democrats in Bolton North East is very welcome, as is the support of all those who have re-thought the politics of the last 17 years and look to a fairer society with a return of a sense and a spirit of community.  more...

Leave traders alone

SIR: As you go round the town you see shop after shop empty, or a notice in the window closing down.  more...

Campaigning against ageism

SIr: A number of large employers have launched a campaign against "ageism", discrimination against older workers. It would be interesting to see how local authorities and other public sector employers measure up in this regard. It is now virtually unknown for a Public Sector worker to continue working until their 65th birthday. Immense pressure is put on these individuals to leave, as they are regarded as "inflexible" which usually means that they are unwilling to kow tow to the latest aggressive management regimes.  more...

Cockle hunt

SIR: I am trying to trace Mrs Doreen Cockle - she used to live at 5 Vigor Road, Hartcliffe, Bristol, until 1968. Her sister lived in Bolton. We were great pals but unfortunately lost touch when she lost her husband, Len Cockle. Can anyone help me to trace her?  more...

Public condemns loo closure

BOLTON shoppers and workers have unanimously condemned Bolton council's decision to shut the public loos in Bridge Street.  more...

Save our Sixth Form!

PUPILS, staff and governors at a Bolton special school have launched a campaign to save sixth form classes from closure.  more...

Supermarket staff put on art exhibition

SUPERMARKET staff made a clean sweep of Bolton Art Gallery's shelves for their own exhibition, which opens today.  more...

'Botch job took life savings' - pensioner

AN elderly widow claims home improvement work which cost her most of her savings has been left unfinished.  more...

Mayor opens doors again to town's Hall

THE Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton have officially reopened Hall i' th' Wood after its £450,000 refurbishment.  more...

Howzat for rainy night

TYPICAL Manchester weather greeted the stars of Coronation Street at Egerton Cricket Club last night.  more...

Mayor's charity cash share-out

BOLTON'S retiring Mayor Cllr Alan Rushton celebrated a successful year's fund-raising - to the tune of £20,000!  more...

Inspectors lose out on contracts

BOLTON'S inspection unit is battling against the odds to secure contracts in the secondary sector.  more...

Jack's hobby keeps him in stitches..

JACK Eva is a familiar sight sitting at his front window busily engrossed in his latest sewing project.  more...

Home's best for some hospice care

BOLTON Hospice is taking its caring service into patients' homes.  more...

Bolton Sport

Wanderers pre-season line up

WANDERERS have lined up a seven match warm-up in preparation for their bid to bounce back off the relegation ropes.  more...

Wigan aim to sink Bath at their own game!

TWO weeks ago, Wigan trounced rugby union glamour club Bath 82-6 at rugby league in a code-breaking game at Manchester City's Maine Road ground. On Saturday it's the turn of rugby union to stage the 15-a-side game when the two sides meet at RU headquarters Twickenham. The BEN's RL correspondent DAVID MAGILTON previews the encounter. BATH beware! Wigan are looking for the double.  more...

Boyd aiming to blast back

NICK Boyd will be aiming to put two years of disappointment behind him when he fights on the Steve Collins-Nigel Benn world championship bill at the Nynex Arena, Manchester in July, writes Gordon Sharrock.  more...

Tim takes charge

TIM Wallwork will lead a strong Bolton League Xl in their revenge mission against the Northern League at Leyland on Sunday, June 9.  more...

Neil blasts back to lift top title

NEIL Stirling of Harwood won the Bolton Golf Association's Past Presidents Trophy over 36 holes at the newly formed championship course at Deane.  more...

Ex-captain wins at Horwich

THE Horwich Golf club season started on a bright note with most of the early competitions being sponsored by local companies.  more...

Burnley News

Liam dreams of dolphins

KIND-HEARTED Burnley folk are aiming to raise thousands of pounds to send a little handicapped boy to the USA for a course of treatment known as dolphin therapy.  more...

Clarets fan puts pen to paper

MOST Clarets fans feel the team's ill-fated return to the first division in 1994-5 is best forgotten. But not Stephen Cummings, author of 'Burnley Were Back!'  more...

Brenda thinks scheme is so flashy!

A WOMAN who invented a device to help amateur photographers take professional-looking portraits is one of a group of disabled businessmen and women who are putting Burnley on the economic map.  more...

Clarets rumour mill goes into overdrive

THE lack of any transfer action at Turf Moor has not stopped rumours circulating about which big-name players could be coming to Burnley.  more...

Letter: Bad teeth caused by bad parenting?

Here we go again - the we-love-fluoride brigade campaigning to force us all to take compulsory medication in the water supply because a few people can't be bothered to look after their teeth.  more...

Cavers going up in the world

CAVERS will be leaping off the top of a hotel in Burnley centre to raise cash so they can continue to help others.  more...

Burnley's phones are going digital!

A SIX year plan costing £10 million comes to fruition when Burnley's telephone system goes totally digital next Wednesday morning (May 29).  more...

Lowerhouse toppled by Rams

RAMSBOTTOM put an end to Lowerhouse's Lancashire League winning ways in an exciting and high-scoring match on Sunday.  more...

Camel racing at carnival

RACING camels are going to be one of the many highlights at Burnley's summer carnival, now only 10 weeks away.  more...

Big boost for road safety

BUSY roads in Burnley where dozens of children have been injured will soon be much safer.  more...

Mayor says: 'I'm no Scrooge'

PENDLE'S new Mayor is furious at being cast as the Scrooge who refuses to give a Christmas gift to elderly people.  more...

Rolls ready for take-off

BOSSES at Rolls Royce have told the area's MP that the plant at Barnoldswick has a rosy future.  more...

No big 'star' for Colne gala

COLNE Gala is all set to take to the streets next Saturday (June 1), and organisers say it will be a fun-packed day for all the family.  more...

Axe falls on tourist info sites

TOURIST information centres are to close and outside bailiffs brought in to chase debtors in a review of how Pendle spends its cash.  more...

Letter: Why should we suffer 'mass medication'?

Regarding fluoride in drinking water (Citizen, May 16), why should we all be subjected to mass medication with a poisonous substance simply because the youngsters of today can't resist eating sweets and fizzy drinks?  more...

Bury News

Ambulance service runs first-aid courses

CHILD minders, nursery nurses and nannies throughout the region are being offered a fist-aid course run by the Greater Manchester Ambulance Service in a bid to reduce accidents among young children.  more...

Tracey makes England squad

TRACEY Neville, a 19-year-old student from Bury, has been selected by the All England Netball Association as part of the England U21 side due to play in the World Youth Cup in Toronto, Canada, from August 11 to 24.  more...

Rugby club touch down for new look facilities

ADDITIONAL car parking facilities, a new access road and improved playing facilities are on the cards for Sedgley Park Rugby Union Football Club.  more...

Young ambassadors receive certificates

DRAWN together from schools around the Borough, Bury's young ambassadors - known as the magnificent seven - have received official thanks and praise for their starring role in the National Conference on Youth and Crime organised by the Association of Metropolitan Authorities earlier this year.  more...

Companies fined on Health and Safety charges

FINES and costs totalling £11,294 were imposed by magistrates in Bury after three companies were found guilty of Health and Safety at Work offences.  more...

Buses make Bury 'Big Orange'

NEW name, new livery and new owner is the order of the day for Bury's largest bus operator GM Buses North who have sold out to First Bus plc which operates in Scotland, the Midland, Yorkshire and the South West.  more...

Hard workers from Hollins

MEMBERS of the Hollins Conservation Group in Bury have cleared rubbish, planted trees and wildflowers and improved footpaths, and done a host of other environmental tasks in Hollins Plantation..  more...

Planners say No to pond in-fill.

PLANNERS in Bury are recommending that Patrick Slattery, the owner of the controversial Taylor Nicholson Lodge, should be refused permission to lower its water depth by partial in-filling. Located off Mather Road, the picturesque lodge has so far been the subject of two meetings by local residents, who are opposed to a plan to 'provide roosting areas for wildlife'.  more...

Wizard innings from the Oz

AN UNBEATEN 100 from Aussie amateur Kevin Geyes and 66 from professional Andy Williams blasted Greenmount into the next round of the Bolton League's Hamer Cup. Opponents Westhoughton had totalled 192 for 8 but the Mount cruised through with nine wickets to spare to compensate for a league defeat at Tonge the previous day when Richard Ankers top scored with 62.  more...

Communications firm celebrate first 20 years

LAST week Bury-based Pennine Telecom, who are one of the UK's leading independent radio and telecommunications companies, celebrated 20 years in business and to mark the special occasion the company staged a series of luncheons at their Salford Street headquarters. Among the guests of honour was one of Pennine's first customer's, Greater Manchester Buses.  more...

For God's sake, No!

MEETING on Wednesday as the Journal was going to press members of Bury Metro's planning control sub-committee were being recommended to refuse planning permission for a revolutionary, six-sector antenna to be housed in the tower of Stand Church at Whitefield. If the project does eventually go ahead the proposal from a telecommunications company is to erect six antennae on the tower's four mini spires. This would mean a lot of work inside the tower, including the laying of steel floors. Planners say the antennae would be about 1,900 mm long and probably 200 mm wide. They would be fixed by brackets to the stonework and be visible from the ground.  more...

College shows off its skills

AT Bury College's art department in Albert Road, Whitefield, students are learning their skills and finding out how to go about getting a job afterwards.  more...

Emperor Oatey slays Christian Harry - but ...

IT WAS with great delight that I read Harry Smith's comments on the extremely successful Streets Ahead festival held earlier this month and it is difficult not to agree with most of his observations.  more...

Small school gets big boost

BOASTING just 82 pupils St. Paul's CE Primary School in Ramsbottom is top class say OFSTED inspectors who recognised that big isn't always best.  more...

Ainara's story helps raise Hospice cash

LAST September we brought you the story of a brave little girl, desperately ill with a rare terminal illness and in need of a special bed so she could go home to Calder Crescent, Bury, and be with her mum and dad. Seven years old Ainara Manzanares-Smith, who suffers from Faziolunde, got her wish - thanks to a local anonymous business man who paid more than £1,500 for the multi-adjustable bed.  more...

Indian dancer helps tackle bullying and racism

THANKS to extra cash from Children In Need dancing and story telling are currently helping to tackle bullying and racism in Bury's schools. As part of a pioneering project almost a dozen primary, secondary and special schools in the Borough are currently being visited by Indian dance expert Sita Kumari.  more...

Helen says get involved in Europe

AFTER attending a special European Youth Conference in Brussels as the guest of Euro MP Gary Titley, 21-year-old Helen Nugent's verdict was that Britain must become more involved in Europe, otherwise we are going to be left behind! Helen, from Hey Croft in Whitefield, was chosen to represent Greater Manchester West at the Conference by Gary Titley's Euro Constituency Labour Party.  more...

Chorley News

It should've been me!

A TEENAGER ran off to the toilets in tears after wrongly being announced the winner in an amazing carnival queen contest cock-up.  more...

It's here we Euro for town

RUSSIANS rambling around Rivington? Czechs checking out Chorley?  more...

Stars shine for Citizen charity

IT WAS an autograph hunter's dream when the stars came to Chorley, bringing a feast of fun, laughs and football.  more...

Victory for crime-busting cops

CRIME-busting Chorley cops have slashed the number of offences in the borough for the second year running.  more...

Epilepsy week highlights illness

IT AFFECTS one in every 200 people in the UK with three-quarters of these diagnosed before the age of 20.  more...

Distraught mum's plea ignored

A YOUNG mum is furious at passers-by who ignored her pleas for help when her six-year-old epileptic son collapsed.  more...

Dancing the light away!

MORE than 300 dinner guests were left in the dark when the lights went out at the Mayor's Ball.  more...

Talk of the town

A CHORLEY high school is the talk of the town this week.  more...

Labour chiefs see red over leaflet

LABOUR chiefs are demanding a public apology from Liberal Democrats following a local election row.  more...

Darwen News

Furious residents fight access road plan

RESIDENTS of Darwen's Avondale Road - still reeling from a council error which robbed them of the view from the rear of their homes - are now bracing themselves for a road safety battle.  more...

Church hires minders to thwart yobs

A CATHOLIC priest dedicated to serving the needs of young people is being plagued by a gang of teenage hooligans.  more...

Lancashire Business

Look here

HOLDEN & Hartley of Burnley and Lookers in Blackburn, have been awarded formal recognition as Vauxhall Approved Accident Repair Centres.  more...

Business awards

TODAY we can announce the finalists in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph East Lancashire Business Awards 1996.  more...

Mike at the Foxfields

MIKE Hill has crossed the Pennines to take charge as general manager at the Foxfields Hotel, Billington. He was previously at a hotel in Huddersfield and has also managed hotels for Resort and Hilton National.  more...

Lancashire Leisure

10 YEARS AGO: Societies battle hots up

THE BATTLE over the former Burnley Building Society offices in Grimshaw Street, Burnley, hotted up today.  more...

5 YEARS AGO: Flight of fantasy

ROVERS fans took off last night to taunt luckless Burnley supporters.  more...

Lancashire News

Police crackdown on gang robbers

GANGS of youths are staging roadside robberies while roaming the streets of Blackburn's Asian community.  more...

Meningitis fear for holidaymakers

SCORES of holidaymakers were demanding to be flown home by Rossendale firm Airtours after two children died at the Alcudia Pins complex in Majorca.  more...

Hospice helpers can raise the roof at last

THE roof is on and an eight-year dream for a hospice to serve people in Burnley and Pendle is finally becoming a reality.  more...

College jobs axe promise

A COLLEGE principal says he does not expect further job losses despite being granted less money.  more...

Mayhem on our estates

I SYMPATHISE with your correspondents - 'Disbelief at article' and 'Caring community on estate' (Letters, May 6), about what they consider is misrepresentation by the Press.  more...

Stop selling gas to kids - plea

A POLICE chief today issued a plea urging shopkeepers to stop selling lighter fuel to gas-sniffing teenagers.  more...

Head's death stuns school

A FORMER Darwen headteacher has died after a short illness. Gordon Wright, 53, was head at Moorland High School for four years. He left for Parklands High in Chorley six years ago.  more...

Meningitis 'secrecy' slammed

PATIENT watchdog Frank Clifford has hit back at a health boss who defended secrecy in meningitis cases.  more...

Breakdown of £2.9bn funding

COLLEGES across East Lancashire have been told how much money they can expect to receive over the next year.  more...

A household name

AS one of Noel Wild's fans, I know he will be sadly missed.  more...

Transport workers fear for future

THE worried workforce of Hyndburn Transport are wondering what the future holds after the council gave the green light to selling off its bus company.  more...

Clarets' culture kicks off in CHINA!

WHEN Clarets "super fan" Alan Beecroft told his wife he was going out for "a Chinese" he didn't mean a trip to the local take-away.  more...

14 held in drug swoop

FOURTEEN people have been arrested and drugs with a street value of over £10,000 seized in a crackdown on crack cocaine and heroin dealers in Burnley.  more...

100 workers fear for jobs

THE future of the Liberty fabrics distribution centre and more than 100 jobs in Burnley were in doubt today as the group announced the closure of almost its entire retail network.  more...

Once more our secret society closes ranks

BULLY for East Lancashire patients' watchdog Frank Clifford who barks back today at health bosses who defend secrecy over meningitis scares.  more...

Teachers' campaign is sheer dishonesty

THE mounting campaign in schools against publication of primary league tables was backed today by the biggest classroom union, the National of Teachers.  more...

Match of the day

READING Saturday's television guide (LET, May 11) I noticed it stated that 'Match of the Day' was showing highlights of the FA Cup Final between 'Lancashire rivals' Liverpool and Manchester United.  more...

Howard has better idea

ABOUT to retire on health grounds, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Taylor, today delivered a fierce parting shot at Home Secretary Michael Howard's plan for the minimum jail terms that judges would have to impose on repeat offenders.  more...

No-lose gamble plan warning

PEOPLE are being urged to think twice before handing over money to a gambling consortium.  more...

Wreckers won't win

PUPILS and green fingered volunteers have been taking a close look at the damage caused by vandals at a nature reserve project they have been working on for the last 12 months.  more...

Aid worker on new Romania baby-smuggling charge

AID worker John Boast has been charged with smuggling a second child out of Romania.  more...

Protest over mayor's flag

THE FLYING of the Pakistani flag at Accrington town hall for tonight's mayor-making ceremony has been criticised.  more...

Religion lives

IN reply to Michael Haslam's views in 'Speak Easy' (LET, May 9), as a sinner who once turned away from God, I could write pages about why religion should not be banned.  more...

Cabbies and council end dispute

A DISPUTE that helped spark a taxi drivers' strike earlier this year has been resolved, after a series of meetings between operators and council officials.  more...

Lurcher owners put on pressure

A NEW national pressure group for owners of hunting dogs has been launched in East Lancashire.  more...

'Scam' to get rich quick foiled

A GET-RICH company which has attracted more than £12.5 million in investments has been hit by a Government winding up action.  more...

Farewell old friend

LIKE others, I would add my goodbye to Noel Wild.  more...

Lancashire Sport

Given up

SUNDERLAND boss Peter Reid has finally called it quits in his efforts to sign Blackburn Rovers young keeper Shay Given - after having a club record bid rejected.  more...

GOLF: Carman's conquest

THE Volvo PGA Championship, one of the premier events on the European Tour, starts tomorrow at the magnificent Wentworth Golf Club.  more...

BRAMWELL SPEAKS OUT: Wigan without peer

OUR hard-up sports desk are down to their last £50.  more...

Talks denial

ADRIAN Heath (pictured) today dismissed a report that he had held transfer talks with Sunderland defender John Kay.  more...

Lancaster News

Tycoon jailed for six years

LANCASTER millionaire Owen Oyston is in prison today at the start of a six-year jail sentence after being found guilty of raping a young model and indecently assaulting her. The 20-day court case at Liverpool came to an end yesterday (Wednesday) with judge, Mr Justice McCullough, telling the 62-year-old Claughton Hall entrepeneur: "She was young and vulnerable. I don't believe she led you on in any way. It is impossible to know to what extent she has been traumatised by her experiences on that night." Oyston stood impassive in the dock as he was found guilty of the offences against the 16-year-old model known as Miss B and sentence was passed. His wife Vicki smiled at him as he was taken down to start his jail term. A few minutes earlier, after more than seven hours of deliberations, the jury had found Oyston not guilty of the rape of another young model, Girl A.  more...

Armed thugs raid post office

POLICE are hunting three masked men who raided a Lancaster post office brandishing a baseball bat and a gun on Wednesday morning. The Vale sub post office, on Noel Road, was held up after two men followed a post office delivery worker into the shop and made off with a substantial amount of money. Post office worker Andrew Lambert, 27, who was hit on the back of the head with a baseball bat and postmaster John Higson, 60, who was hit in the face with a black handgun were taken to Lancaster Royal Infirmary where they were later released after being treated for cuts and bruises.  more...

Pool of talent

FANCY yourself as a bit of a demon on the old pool table? Now you've got the chance to pit your cueing skills against the best players the world has to offer. More than 400 professional pool masters from all around the globe will be taking part in the first ever World 8-Ball Pool Championships to be held at the Dome in Morecambe starting next Sunday (June 2).  more...

Wheels of misfortune

SHOPKEEPERS in Lancaster are trying to force the city council to cancel their controversial new parking system just three weeks after it started. After a crisis meeting held earlier this week, traders in the city have decided to lobby city councillors over the voucher parking system which they say is driving people away. Wendy Allen, the manager of Pizza Margherita on Moor Lane in the city, called the meeting and was amazed at the response.  more...

TV focus on wood traders

THE import of mahogany into Britain through ports such as Heysham came under scrutiny in a national television programme last night (Wednesday). The programme, filmed by an undercover Channel 4 Dispatches team in Brazil, exposed the felling of mahogany trees in protected reserves which is threatening the lives of Amazonian tribes people. And, the programme claimed, wood illegally logged in the reserves by small local companies is subsequently bought by businesses affiliated to the international timber trade association AIMEX.  more...

Lancaster go five poinys clear

LANCASTER have opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Vaux Northern League after their convincing win at Fleetwood on Saturday. Nearest rivals Chorley had to be content with a home draw against Blackpool.  more...

Model example to fight drugs

A TALKING brain warning children about the perils of drug abuse could soon be visiting Lancaster's schools. The brain, don't worry it's just a plastic model, is part of a planned £60,000 mobile education anti-drugs centre currently on the Life Education Trust's drawing board. The illuminated model shows youngsters where food is digested, how we breathe and the devastating effects drugs can have on the body.  more...

Ash and grab!

Three teenagers were spotted climbing on to the stage at Lancaster's Sugarhouse last Friday, causing serious damage to a number of comfy, pop sensibilities.  more...

Fat chance in the sunshine

One ray of sunshine and they're all out aren't they? Yes you've guessed it the unsightly crew of monsters that think the moment those uv rays penetrate the blanket of cloud (which hovers almost permanently over Lancaster and Morecambe) they have the right to go out dressed like they were in St Tropez.  more...

Odour to a Nightingale

THE slaughter of cattle due to the mad cow disease panic could cause more smells over Lancaster this summer according to councillors in the city. As more cattle are disposed of under the government's BSE culling programme, councillors are worried that the controversial Nightingale Hall Farm reprocessing plant on Quernmore Road will be forced to work overtime. Cllr Jerry Sutton, chairman of the council's environmental services committee, said: "The city council has been trying to find out for weeks now how many culled cattle will be processed at Nightingale Hall Farm. So far we have been told very little."  more...

Vandals attack beauty spot

MORECAMBE'S Happy Mount Park has become the victim of vandals who have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage in the popular tourist spot. Windows have been smashed, doors daubed over, the pond filled with broken glass and the fence pulled up in the park by what is thought to be teenage tearaways. Now, with the all-important summer season just around the corner, tourist chiefs in the resort are set to discuss the possibilities of putting security cameras in the once peaceful park.  more...

Leigh News

Hopes for fume-free walk

A NEW local initiative is being launched to clean up Atherton.  more...

Driver's vintage honour

IN the year The Beatles were becoming famous, one local man was retiring after driving Lancashire United Buses for 40 years.  more...

Guild sale: the missing millions

WESLEY Guild - "selling it for the community". That's one way of using words to hide the fact that Wigan Metro councillors need to sell-off community land to balance the local government budget.  more...

Tragedy cover to pillory law-abiding gun owners

HAS the madness of Ryan and Hamilton reached the higher ranks of the police force?  more...

Don't just blame the kids

I WAS bewildered and amazed to read the recent comments of June Cunningham (Community Association secretary) concerning the Higher Folds estate.  more...

Top gloss hides college facts

I HEARTILY endorse Roy Brooks' criticisms of the management at Wigan and Leigh College (Journal Mailbox).  more...

It's John, Paul, George, Ringo and KEITH!

KEITH BATESON was the invisible Beatle. He was the man responsible, in part, for the incredible Sounds of the Sixties.  more...

It's a shops killer!

SOARING business rates are killing off a once-thriving town.  more...

Parents angry at school shut-down

PARENTS in Westleigh are angry at the sudden closure of a long-established playsheme.  more...

Great balls of fire

BRAVE five year-old Brendan Leigh Foster suffered severe burns on what should have been a fun ramble.  more...

Michiko brings art of Japan to schools

A NEW culture has come to Lowton High School in the vision of Japanese trainee teacher Michiko Takahashi.  more...

We're the tops!

WHEN it comes to showing off their business skills three Leigh firms have proved that they are among the best in the region after walking away with top awards.  more...

Roastin' good fun

FESTIVAL fever hits Leigh's Hilton Park this weekend.  more...

Cath won't let the bad guys win!

PEOPLE'S champion Catherine McGregor has stood the acid test.  more...

Even a cemetery isn't sacred

THIEVES have stripped the roof of a disused chapel at Atherton cemetery of slates worth hundreds of pounds.  more...

It's a big switch-off!

TIGHT-FISTED road bosses have switched off to the dangers of one of the region's most hazardous trunk routes.  more...

Leigh Sport

Nick prepares for Irish joke

NICK SEDDON'S home from home is a dear do! The Leigh angler looked set for an cheap fishing break in Ireland for the annual King of Clubs competition. His parents, Ken and Christine, moved from Astley two years ago and now run a guest house in Enniskillen.  more...

Angry Hughes gets tough

ERIC HUGHES believes he must be cruel to be kind to turn Leigh round.  more...

Leigh hit rock bottom

NEW skipper Tim Street and sub forward Mark McGughan were sent off AFTER the final whistle on Sunday Bloody Sunday.  more...

Preston News

Strike threat by BT workers

BRITISH Telecom could come grinding to a halt if a strike by Preston computer staff goes ahead.  more...

Policeman's lot is now a happy one

A NEW craze has swept the ranks of Lancashire's Mounted Police - treading the boards for a Penwortham Gilbert and Sullivan society.  more...

One try, and radio pair loved it

WHEN schoolgirls Helen Noble and Emma Watkinson went to Radio Lancashire to do a ten minute slot, they were so confident, they ended up hosting the whole three-hour programme.  more...

Lottery mockery

HARD-HEARTED National Lottery bosses refused to fund a special toilet for a disabled girl on the same day they doled out a whopping £125,000 to tart up some rusty old railings.  more...

Champion cyclist is Atlanta-bound

CHAMPION cyclist Paul Jennings, who is a first year student at the University of Central Lancashire, has his sights set on Atlanta.  more...

Scare leaflet a hoax says council

THE LEADER of South Ribble Council has hit back at claims that a quiet Farrington street could soon be overrun with thundering lorries.  more...

Police warn public not to approach Leicester man

POLICE have warned the public not to approach a man who has been missing from home since Monday, May 6.  more...

Elderly and sick need not be alone

CAROL Murphy' s worst nightmare was that she would fall from her wheelchair and be stranded with no-one to hear her cries for help.  more...

You win some, you lose some

WORKERS at the food distribution company Strachan's in Ribbleton, Preston, are celebrating this week after five numbers came up on their Lottery syndicate.  more...

Ghost town fears

LOCAL shopping centres are fast turning into ghost towns - and Preston Borough Council should step in now to stop the decline.  more...

Convoy marks 100 years

A CONVOY of trucks and buses is set to take over Leyland this Sunday to commemorate the centenary of truck building in the town.  more...

New Mayor's vision of the future

PRESTON'S new Mayor, Liberal Democrat Ron Marshall took office this week following the defeat in the local elections of the Mayor Elect, Conservative councillor Audrey Scott.  more...

Burns boys critically ill

A NINE-year-old boy was critically ill on Tuesday last week with 90 per cent burns to his body after falling into a fire left unattended in woods near Warton the weekend before.  more...

Parents will foot bill for children's vandalism

PARENTS of children who vandalise buses could find themselves paying for the damage - and it could cost £200 or more!  more...

Heart-throb's flying visit

EMMERDALE's latest heart throb Mark Cameron was the star attraction at the Merrie England Festival held at Middleforth CE School last weekend.  more...

University defends its record

THE University of Central Lancashire has failed miserably in a new national league table, coming 84th out of 96 institutions tested.  more...

South Ribble firms get helping hand

LABOUR is celebrating its first birthday in charge of South Ribble Council with a present for the unemployed.  more...

St Helens News

Kiddies bring a ray of sunshine

CARING kiddies from schools in Billinge have presented a cheque for £2,000 to the Marie Curie Fund to commemorate all those who have died of cancer in the area.  more...

Riddle of the missing green phonebox

NORMAN Wilson still gets a 'buzz' when recounting his epic battle to get England's only green telephone box installed in a pleasant little hamlet.  more...

Triplex to axe 250 jobs

ABOUT 250 jobs are to go at Pilkington's Triplex works at Eccleston as part of what the company describes as "worldwide reorganisation to improve competitiveness."  more...

Katie's on the road to fame

A TALENTED teenager has taken the first steps to a career in showbusiness.  more...

Pride of new mayor Alex

THE newly-elected Mayor of St Helens has spoken of his pride at being chosen as the town's 97th first citizen.  more...

School rifle scare sparks fence demand

ANXIOUS parents of pupils at Merton Bank Primary School are calling on the council to improve security at the school by building a perimeter fence.  more...

Keith says thanks for the memories

THROUGHOUT the past year Councillor Keith Deakin has devoted all his time and energy to his role as Mayor of St Helens.  more...

Into Africa with £1 million project

KNOWSLEY Council is teaming up with the University of Liverpool to provide a two-year programme of assistance to local government in South Africa's North West Province.  more...

Looking back with Alan Whalley

I'D imagined that the old 'Help to Scholars' booklets, distributed in millions by the Beechams firm to succeeding generations of local children, had fizzled out with the outbreak of the 1939-45 war.  more...

Bank scores with wheelchair squad

WHEELCHAIR basketball teams from all over Europe will be converging on St Helens during the St Helens Show to take part in the Meteors Wheelchair Basketball Club St Helens Show Invitation Tournament.  more...

Andy races into early lead

ST HELENS motor dealer Andy Middlehurst, will have a good lead on the starting grid when he lines up for the fourth round of the 1996 British Saloon Car Championship this Bank Holiday Monday, May 27, at Brands Hatch.  more...

St Helens Sport

Denis Whittle talks with Shaun McRae

STAYING PUT! That was the response of Saints' boss Shaun McRae in answer to reports that he was heading back to Australia to take charge of his old club Canberra Raiders.  more...

Saints aim to silence critics

UNDER fire for recent lack of attacking flair despite topping the Super League table, Saints will seek to silence their critics when Castleford visit Knowsley Road on Monday, kick-off 8pm.  more...

Big Euro boost for Ann

INTERNATIONAL athlete Ann Williams from St Helens has been given a major boost in her bid for a place at the Olympic Games.  more...

Mark has an Olympic aim

MARK Eccleston is a man with a transatlantic mission after being called up by the British Paralympic Association to represent Great Britain in wheelchair rugby in this year's Paralympic Games in Atlanta.  more...

  
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