A CAR company has got the go-ahead for a £3 million development project which will create a brand new state-of-the-art showroom in Blackburn. The Sanderson Bramhall Motor Group plc, parent company of Blackburn's Westwood Mercedes and Sanderson Ford dealerships
BLACKBURN Rovers soccer star Lee Carsley was accepted a cheque on behalf of Blackburn Queen's Park Hospital special care baby unit after staff at a Blackburn bar raised £100 for charity. Workers at the Piano Cafe in Northgate organised a raffle and donated
POOR weather didn't dampen enthusiasm at Rawtenstall Market as stallholders staged their 10th annual Christmas Fantasia. The day of costumes, decorations and special attractions attracted flocks of visitors. There was an appearance by the Britannia Coconutters
JOHN Mullin hailed Burnley's best performance in his time at Turf Moor as they dumped Premiership Derby County out of the FA Cup at Pride Park on Saturday. Mullin was at Burnley the last time they reached the fourth-round and helped the Clarets hold Liverpool
A SCHOOL administration manager has become the first student at Blackburn College to pass all seven parts of the European Computer Driving Licence course. Frequent information technology user Roger Simpson, who works at St Wilfrid's Church of England
A WATER worker distributing leaflets found the body of 30-year-old Stephen Thompson on a garden footpath in Sandfield Road at lunchtime on Saturday. Det Sgt Mike Collins, from Rawtenstall CID, said paramedics were called but Mr Thompson, of Sandfield
PAUL CRICHTON: Faultless performance capped by three excellent first-half saves ... 9 DEAN WEST: Rose to the occasion magnificently and was never afraid to get forward ... 9 GORDON ARMSTRONG: The skipper led by example by giving Burnley a tight grip on
The 24-year-old rising star, a former St Wilfrid's pupil, is currently appearing in the comedy Dr Willoughby with Joanna Lumley and has also appeared in the popular "Sex, Chips, Rock 'n' Roll" drama series which was penned by East Lancashire writer Debbie
A FATHER-of-two, who has committed 17 burglaries, has been jailed for three and a half years. Gary Sutcliffe, 37, who also supplied heroin to his girlfriend, knew that he would be going to prison - and that every time he offended "the price went up" -
A NEWSAGENT from Blackburn has been thrust into the national spotlight after his building society branded him their worst customer in the country. And Nawab Khan, a 46-year-old father of five, is now considering closing the Britannia Building Society
TONY Parkes will lead Blackburn Rovers promotion charge until the end of the season. Jack Walker and his board approached Parkes over the weekend about extending his fifth stint as caretaker. And the 50-year-old coach has decided to accept their offer
AN EAST Lancashire MP will quiz Government ministers about their plans to help arthritis sufferers. Lindsay Hoyle, MP for Chorley, has backed the Arthritis Care Campaign to raise awareness of arthritis, Britain's largest cause of disability. He said:
AN intensive care nurse who was sacked from her job in Saudi Arabia after being caught taking an anaesthetic, died after getting a job at an East Lancashire hospital and taking the same drug, an inquest has heard. Derbilah Doherty was found dead in her
A MAN caught drink driving just two months after he had been banned for a similar offence was sent to prison for three months . Stipendiary magistrate Jonathon Finestein told Paul John Lynch that his public duty would not allow anything other than a custodial
Friends In Bereavement meet Day Hospital, Leeds Road, Nelson, 7pm. Christmas Get-together. Burnley Camcorder Club meet Central Methodist Church, Burnley, 7.30pm. "How to film Christmas well." Blackburn Afternoon Townswomen's Guild meet St John's Centre
The show is based on the fairy tale and teachers Helen Campbell and Glynis Hutchinson have been helping the children prepare the show. Head teacher Peter Corbett said: "We are doing three performances and every one is completely booked up. All the relatives
FOUR men were remanded in custody when they appeared before Blackburn magistrates, charged with a £10,000 burglary at a Clitheroe menswear shop. Christopher Wayne Garlick, 24, Lee Littlehales, 24, James Ryan, 21, and Nigel Paul Younas, 22, all of Rochdale
THE mention in Looking Back last month of the end of home-based handloom weaving in Mellor in 1890 was followed by the rediscovery in our archives of a charming photograph of the last old-time weaver of the lot still at work - at a time when the ancient
BLACKBURN Infirmary stopped all non-urgent admissions as the flu epidemic reached crisis level in East Lancashire. Whalley's Bramley Meade maternity home also closed after dozens of nurses were struck down with flu. Nursing staff were working to the limit
ANGRY union leaders at engineering giant GEC demanded top-level talks with bosses over impending job cuts. Almost 200 employees at the firm's premises in Clayton-le-Moors were set to lose their jobs within months. But union bosses said they had not given
DURING the 20th Century, members of the human race have slaughtered each other on an unprecedented scale. So what can be done to make the 21st Century less violent? For a start, in this nuclear age, nations can no longer conduct their foreign and defence
A 78-year-old woman gave chase after a track-suited man pushed her in the back and grabbed her purse. The robbery occurred yesterday afternoon as the pensioner walked on Springfield Bank, Burnley. A passer-by also gave chase but the man, said to be in
FATHER Christmas arrived by boat as Burnley Weavers' Triangle Trust held its annual Victorian Christmas over the weekend. He was inspired not so much by a past week of heavy rainfall, but by the opportunity to come in by barge to the canalside visitor
A POLICE crackdown on anti-social behaviour in Padiham has been welcomed by a local councillor who spearheaded demands for a greater presence in the town . Coun Granville Lord said recently-announced plans for high visibility police patrols on the streets
FIREFIGHTERS broke into a smoke-filled flat in Avenue Parade, Accrington, at midnight last night to put out a kitchen fire. The occupier had left a pan on the stove before going out. The pan was destroyed and the flat was slightly damaged by smoke. Converted
A HUNCOAT man with head and neck injuries had to be airlifted to Sheffield. The 20-year-old was transferred from Blackburn Infirmary to the specialist unit at Northern General Hospital by the North West Air Ambulance, based at Blackpool Airport. He is
POLICE believe thieves are targeting older vehicles in Clayton-le-Moors and want residents to help track them down. The criminals have been stealing cars such as older Vauxhall and Austin models, which have been taken from the Pickup Street area of town
A TWENTY-four-hour call centre will be set up by Hyndburn Council to deal with any disruption over the millennium. The centre will operate from the council's Dowry Street offices where officers from across the council will be able to make a rapid response
BURNLEY have been sent to Coventry - but there's no chance the Clarets will be ignored after creating an FA Cup sensation at Derby County on Saturday. Stan Ternent's heroes dumped the Premiership side out at Pride Park and were rewarded with a fourth-round
MANCHESTER-based Norweb Contracting has been selected to install a new generator at Burnley General Hospital. The contract involves the installation, testing and commissioning of the power generator which will provide full power back up to its critical
A SCHOOLBOY was today recovering from surgery after being left scarred for life when his head was smashed through a car window by a youth. Robert Oldham, 12, was left with severe cuts to his face and hands after he was assaulted outside Hyndburn Sports
HOSPITAL bosses are reviewing the operation of the physiotherapy unit at Pendle Community Hospital following complaints by patients about cancelled appointments. The issue was taken up by Frank Clifford, chairman of Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Community
A MILLENNIUM tree will be planted at the site of Lumb's Millennium Green on Wednesday. The tree will be one of the special features of the site, being developed as an open space for all to use by villagers. Pupils from Water County Primary School will
CRUMBLING schools in East Lancashire are set for a multi-million pound cash boost as part of the government's £1 billion nationwide repairs scheme. Lancashire County Council will receive more than £3 million, while Blackburn with Darwen Council's final
ANOTHER plan to build new homes in Guide has prompted anger among residents in the village, who have vowed to fight the project. Blackburn with Darwen Council has submitted plans to its own planning officers to establish the principle of land near School
MARK Anthony Barnes, 22, of Carling House Road, Blackburn, was remanded in custody until December 22 by Blackburn magistrates after pleading guilty to handling stolen credit cards and two charges of obtaining property by deception, with five similar offences
PLANS to redevelop a petrol station on Whalley New Road, Blackburn, have caused uproar among residents who live nearby. More than 230 people in the area have signed a petition opposing the scheme to demolish the existing petrol station and buildings,
A COLNE-based charity which recycles unwanted furniture for disadvantaged and unemployed people has received a £20,000 boost. The cash grant has been announced by the Lloyds TSB Foundation, one of the UK's largest charitable trusts and will be used over
A HUGE pageant involving hundreds of youngsters from colleges and schools across Blackburn will be held to mark the dawn of the new millennium. The massive concert is the brainchild of Blackburn College lecturer Michael Greenhalgh and will be staged at
A FATHER-of-two, who has committed 17 burglaries, has been jailed for three and a half years. Gary Sutcliffe, 37, who also supplied heroin to his girlfriend, knew that he would be going to prison - and that every time he offended "the price went up" -
RESIDENTS in the Bastwell area of Blackburn are angry about plans to convert a photographic studio into a mosque for Shia Muslims. Plans have been sent to Blackburn with Darwen Council to convert the studio in Jubilee Mill on Logwood Street into a mosque
ALAN Kelly earned Rovers a replay with a stunning late save to deny West Brom hit-man Lee Hughes. But the modest Republic of Ireland international refused to take the credit and felt he should have kept out Hughes' 65th minute equaliser. "I think I was
MITCHELL Thomas has been all the way to Wembley, but admitted that Saturday's 1-0 win at Derby County had still given him one of his finest ever moments in the FA Cup. The Clarets defender, who played for Spurs in the 1987 final, said: "That ranks among
THE East Lancashire Hospice is nearing its 1999 target of £200,000 towards better day care facilities at the Park Lee site, Blackburn. The fund-raisers hope to reach £200,000 towards the £1.3million cost before New Year and the fund now stands at £166,307
KELLY: Possibly a touch out of position for West Brom's first, but more than made amends with a couple of great saves ... 8 GRAYSON: Growing in confidence and stature with every game and another solid display ... 7 HARKNESS: Adds steel to the back four
BURNLEY have been sent to Coventry - but there's no chance the Clarets will be ignored after creating an FA Cup sensation at Derby County on Saturday. Stan Ternent's heroes dumped the Premiership side out at Pride Park and were rewarded with a fourth-round
VOLUNTEERS with the Prince's Trust have introduced a new group of people to their project to help young offenders back on to the straight and narrow. The Trust has linked with Blackburn with Darwen Council's Youth Offending Team to set up a mentors project
A MAN who absconded from the Iranian air force because of his wife's health dishonestly obtained a £19,000 renovation grant after they moved to the Blackburn area, a court heard. Mostafa Mobasseri dishonestly obtained a grant in the sum of £19,651.73
FA Cup 3rd round: Derby County 0 Burnley 1 - Pete Oliver's match verdict "WE want Stan, we want Stan," demanded the ecstatic Burnley fans as they turned their attention from their heroes in claret and blue to the manager who had just delivered the club's
FA Cup 3rd round: West Bromwich Albion 2 Blackburn Rovers 2 - Andy Neild's match verdict ABSENT holders, lucky losers and ties being played a month too early - they say the FA Cup has lost its magic. But try telling that to the hundred-or-so Cardiff fans
MORE than 29,000 people were stopped and searched by Lancashire Police last year, figures have revealed. The statistic is contained in a Home Office report called Race and the Criminal Justice System. The figures showed that 27,795 of the stop and searches
TORRENTIAL rain brought flooding to the Ribble Valley for the second time in a week as householders battled to keep water at bay. Whalley was the worst-hit area and the main road through the village was turned into a river in the early hours of Sunday
JUST as he was being shunted from the troublesome transport brief, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was today setting out plans for £80-billion transport developments in the next decade. If it is to do something positive about the North-South divide
EVEN if, from the perspective of most of the country, the contest for the mayor of London is but a political sideshow, the ludicrous convolutions that have accompanied the efforts of both Labour and the Conservatives to find an official candidate have
BLACKBURN'S Carl Fogarty was sixth-placed in the Sports Personality of the Year award. The world superbike champion was told after the show that, if six lines had been available, he would have been included in the telephone vote along with Lennox Lewis
A GLORIOUS late strike by recently out of touch front man Ian Barker brought Chorley a deserved share of the spoils from a real humdinger of a contest in atrocious conditions. If the two teams could not be separated, the afternoon did produce one clear
VOLUNTEERS braved wind and rain to complete a fancy dress pub crawl in Burnley town centre. Members of the Freeflow group, an independent organisation providing free counselling and guidance to all women with problems, raised around £175 in the collection
ON A day when Stanley received the UniBond First Division club of the month award for November, two goals in the opening ten minutes made it two league wins out of two in December. The Reds, in front of their second largest home crowd of the season, 437
I THINK that what Sir Cliff Richard has done with his 'Millennium Prayer' is very creative and, of course, this is a world full of material for creation. You can understand Radio 2 and other stations banning it because - "The Lord's Prayer? - this mustn't
WHILE it is good to see Jack Straw is doing his best to rid the streets of criminals, he seems to be overlooking the fact that even the police cannot get a conviction without evidence. Unfortunately, although society wants criminals imprisoned, it is
JOHN Mullin hailed Burnley's best performance in his time at Turf Moor as they dumped Premiership Derby County out of the FA Cup at Pride Park on Saturday. Mullin was at Burnley the last time they reached the fourth round and helped the Clarets hold Liverpool
JUBILANT Clarets fans were on top of the world today celebrating the club's David and Goliath victory over premiership side Derby. Burnley have only lost three out of the last 32 games, but Saturday's 1-0 FA Cup shocker, thanks to a second-half Andy Cooke
CLARETS hero Andy Cooke celebrated pulling another FA Cup cracker after the club's epic third round victory and said: "We can do it again!" The striker whose goal earned magnificent Burnley a shock at Derby County on Saturday is relishing another tie
LIBRARIES in Accrington and Rossendale will celebrate a Dickensian Christmas this year with special events, colouring competitions and quizzes for children. Stories by candlelight evenings will be held for five to 10-year-olds with carol singing at 6pm
A TEENAGER with a fascination for cars fell to temptation when he was left with the keys to his friend's vehicle. Blackburn magistrates heard how he took the vehicle for a spin despite not having passed his driving test. Neil Anthony Haworth,18, of St
A HOUSE breaker has gone to jail for three years - but the man who helped him sell the haul as won his freedom. David Watson, 26, now with 13 convictions for burglary, was told by Judge Raymond Bennett that the only good thing that could be said about
TONY Parkes will lead Blackburn Rovers promotion charge until the end of the season. Jack Walker and his board approached Parkes over the weekend about extending his fifth stint as caretaker. And the 50-year-old coach has decided to accept their offer
POLICE are investigating the deaths of a four-month old boy and his ten-month-old brother who died within a year of each other. An inquest into the death of Toby Woods, of Pendle Street, Accrington, who died on September 28, was adjourned earlier this
STAFF at a metal fabrication company are celebrating after scooping one prestigious training award and narrowly missing out on another. Victoria Forge Nelson, which employs 90 people at its Trawden site, has been named as one of the North West finalists
EVERY year, homelessness campaigners sleep rough on a December night to highlight the problems thousands face every day. Reporter AMY BINNS joined them to get a taste of what life on the streets means in East Lancashire. "PARASITES," he shouted, "----
SUMMIT Foods, the Bamber Bridge-based producer of frozen sausages, burgers and hand-held microwaveable snacks, has been awarded the Higher Level European Food Safety Inspection Standard at both its plants. Vanessa Sutcliffe, group technical manager, said
LOCAL businesses could benefit from special clinics giving advice on future expansion. BDO Stoy Hayward, the UK's sixth largest accountancy organisation, has organised the Grow How Clinics to give growing businesses the know-how to manage their expansion
STUDENTS at Nelson and Colne College have won through to the heats of the Nestle Toque d'Or competition, the country's most prestigious student catering contest. They will compete against 31 other selected teams in eight heats during Hotelympia 2000,
A RAILWAY campaign group has managed to avoid being shunted into the sidings and scrapped after a new committee was formed. STELLA (Save The East Lancashire Line Association) called an extraordinary meeting to discuss its future after three of the four
KIND-HEARTED students from Holker House in Darwen donated the proceeds from their festive raffle to the East Lancashire Hospice. The students from the Adult Education Centre in Darwen, raised £100 and were delighted to hand it over to Stan Whyte, fund-raising
YOUNG and old have teamed up to help record details of much-loved recipes from their village before they are lost forever. Neighbours Ann Peters and Judith Jackson have compiled the Tockholes Village Favourite Recipe Book, to celebrate the new millennium
SOAP star Christopher Chittell joined hundreds of hardy runners to take part in a race dedicated to the memory of tragic teenager David Staff. David, whose parents Sue and Granville live in Carus Avenue, Hoddlesden, died while he was taking part in a
FIRMS across Blackburn have volunteered their services to make Christmas a brighter and more enjoyable time for people in need. More than 25 different companies, ranging from wallpaper manufacturer Graham and Brown to administrators from Blackburn College
CLARETS hero Andy Cooke celebrated pulling another FA Cup cracker after the club's epic third round victory and said: "We can do it again!" The striker whose goal earned magnificent Burnley a shock at Derby County on Saturday is relishing another tie
