Archive

  • Reports due into theme park death

    MAGISTRATES adjourned a prosecution against the owners of Camelot Theme Park to allow time for forensic engineers to submit reports. Prime Resorts Ltd, which runs the park at Charnock Richard, Chorley, is accused of two offences under the Health and Safety

  • Have a rethink - and recycle rubbish

    EAST Lancashire people are being urged to go green in 2003 as part of the national Reth!nk Rubbish campaign. Lancashire County Council's waste minimisation team have joined forces with organisers to provide some tips for getting rid of waste after the

  • Flying the flag and proud of it

    NOEL Eke (Letters, December 30) is spot on. We visited friends in America last May and were struck by their patriotism. Many people had flags outside their homes, in their gardens and on their cars. When we told our friends that we aren't allowed to be

  • Shop 'till you drop in Darwen

    WHY did Sam Spence (Letters, December 30) go to Accrington when he decided not to do his shopping in Blackburn? Why didn't he come to Darwen, where there are lots of excellent shops, a good quality market and free parking? Perhaps he's been reading too

  • Little red buses are a winner

    I REMEMBER when the little red buses started running in Blackburn that the boss of Blackburn Transport branded them as creaming off the profits of the bus companies that run all year round. How right he was! They could not be seen between Christmas and

  • 'Diddy jackets' were issued go thousands of pupils

    YOUR article (LET, January 1) on the scheme to teach children road safety, showing a picture of some wearing reflective jackets brought back memories. I attended Lammack Primary School, Blackburn in the 1960s and I was involved in a similar campaign.

  • Teddy bear sparks anthrax scare

    A TEDDY bear sparked a bio terrorism scare after a postal worker thought the parcel it was in contained a batch of anthrax. The incident resulted in the Bank Parade sorting office in Burnley being evacuated for two and a half hours. Now an investigation

  • Sunderland 0 Rovers 0

    BLACKBURN Rovers had to settle for a point after failing to make their superiority count in this scrappy Premiership clash at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland, deep in trouble at the foot of the table, spent most of the game on the back foot as Rovers

  • I'm not a playboy, says Dunn

    BLACKBURN Rovers star David Dunn seemed to be living every boy's dream - but an expert is warning how fame and fortune can be a nightmare. Seven years ago he was a working class boy from Great Harwood who had just left St. Augustine's RC High in Billington

  • Pike rejects government hospital plans

    BURNLEY MP Peter Pike has refused to back government plans to give so-called Foundation Hospitals new freedom to borrow money, set pay rates and develop new services. Yesterday he abstained from a government vote on the issue over his concerns that the

  • Court clash threat in soccer sponsor deal

    A £250,000 shirt sponsorship deal between a Burnley-based internet company and Dundee United has collapsed with the two sides threatening a court battle. Jini Global -- set up by Burnley businessman Bob McCallum -- claims that the Scottish Premier League

  • Ex-teacher joins NHS board

    A FORMER teacher and charity worker from Pendle has been appointed a member of the board which runs mental health services in Lancashire. Frances Lawman has taken up her post as a non-executive director of Lancashire Care NHS Trust. She currently works

  • Glue sniffer 'high as a kite'

    A GLUE sniffer said to have been upsetting locals in a Nelson park was "high as a kite," a court was told. Burnley Magistrates heard how a policeman told Alan Mark Murgatroyd, 34, he could not let him harm himself, but the defendant replied: "I have been

  • Brothers accused of attack in back street

    TWO brothers attacked another man because they blamed his relatives for vandalism, a court heard. A jury at Liverpool Crown Court was told Hanif Khan grabbed Tariq Mahmood by the neck forcing him to bend over double and his brother Mohammed, known as

  • 'Help us' plea by by croquet club

    THE chairman of a popular croquet club which faces closure unless it finds a new home has issued a heartfelt appeal to Pendle Council for help. John Beech, chairman of Pendle Croquet Club, spoke out after the club was told it could no longer operate from

  • Pub manager who took savings jailed

    A PUB manager who disappeared with almost £30,000 in takings has been jailed for six months. Jonathon Tyerman, 32, was "robbing Peter to pay Paul" in a bid to pay off his debts while running the Shepherd's Arms, Church Street, Colne, Burnley Crown Court

  • Kids saw father battered

    TWO men who attacked a dad in front of two screaming children are awaiting sentence. Burnley Crown Court heard Raymond Craigie, 39, suffered broken teeth, cuts, bruises and swelling after he was set upon by his girlfriend's former partner and two other

  • Letters delay 'is a scandal'

    FURIOUS MP Greg Pope has attacked the "gross inefficiency'' of the Department of Health after it took almost a year to reply to a letter about a constituent's problem. The delay was the last straw for the Hyndburn Labour backbencher who had previously

  • Chemists on Duty

    SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 BLACKBURN: 10am-1pm: Astons Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road; noon-1pm: Little Harwood Pharmacy, 149 Whalley Old Road. DARWEN: noon-1pm: Boots Chemists, 8 Market Street. ACCRINGTON: 11am-1pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 13 Peel Street; noon-1pm: Nash

  • Chemists on Duty

    THURSDAY, JANUARY 16 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohens Chemist, 63 Whalley Range; To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 6.30pm: Donald Wood Ltd, 53 Fishmoor Drive

  • Chemists on Duty

    FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: Moss Pharmacy, 314 Bolton Road; The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst

  • lChemists on Duty

    WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; The Surgery (Chiropody), 132 Lammack Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: The

  • Chemists on Duty

    MONDAY, JANUARY 13 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: Moss Pharmacy, 314 Bolton Road; The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst

  • Jamie doesn't regret ending playing days

    AT just 33-years-old, former Clarets favourite Jamie Hoyland blew the final whistle on his playing days. A move to Scarborough from Turf Moor left a bitter taste in his mouth, but the strapping central defender looks back on his four years with Burnley

  • Turf Beat

    A turf Moor round-up Will it be another dose of the yellow peril? THERE could be a theme colour for today's home meeting with Ipswich - yellow! For the third time this campaign the Clarets will be marshalled by the Football League's own version of the

  • Carol's lifestyle swap for TV

    DRAMA coach Carol Godby, known for putting many a youngster on the path to stardom, has stepped out in front on the cameras to star in a new Channel 4 series -- Wife Swap! Businesswoman Carol, who runs the popular Carol Godby Theatre Workshop in Bury,

  • Clarets 1 Ipswich 1

    Stan Ternent and Joe Royle both failed to show for the post-match press conference after Burnley and Ipswich had contested an entertaining 1-1 draw at Turf Moor. The two managers side-stepped the inquest and it was left to home assistant manager Sam Ellis

  • Sunderland 0 Rovers 0

    BLACKBURN Rovers had to settle for a point after failing to make their superiority count in this scrappy Premiership clash at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland, deep in trouble at the foot of the table, spent most of the game on the back foot as Rovers

  • Relax the mind and read the cards

    TAROT card reading for beginners will be staged at the Holistic Centre in Belgrave Square, Darwen. The classes, which take place on four days over a four month period, aim to help relax the mind so readers can form an attachment to the cards and start

  • Church charity still in need of helpers

    DARWEN Churches Action group is still in need of one volunteer to keep its public service in tip-top condition. The group, the biggest local charity in the town, receives 20 calls per day and makes about 50 furniture deliveries each month, but the charity's

  • Drink-drive regret of ex-driving tutor

    A FORMER policeman and driving instructor today spoke of his regret after being caught twice for drink-driving. David Ward, 51, was handed a three-year driving ban by Blackburn magistrates after the court heard he was three times the legal limit on two

  • Festival entries invited

    RAMSBOTTOM Music Festival will be staged in March for people of all ages to try their hand at winning a trophy and perhaps going on to appear in a prestigious local concert. The festival takes place from March 20 to 23. There will be various categories

  • Local firm helps to keep the kids safe

    CHILDREN in Rossendale have been given a road safety aid to help make walking to school less hazardous, thanks to a generous donation from a local company. Crawshawbooth Primary School in Burnley Road now has 400 new high visibility vests donated by James

  • Help for reservists and firms in case of war

    THE Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (RFCA) has guaranteed support for mobilised reservists and their employers in the North West and Isle of Man in the wake of the Iraq crisis. The RFCA has confirmed it will provide help and information to any of

  • Assault alleged during ice hockey match

    AN ice hockey player is believed to be the first in the country to be prosecuted for an alleged assault during play, after an incident at Blackburn arena. Robert Nathan Brownbill, 18, appeared before Blackburn magistrates, charged with assaulting Richard

  • 'Remarkable' staff in workload strike

    PROBATION staff are going on strike because of 'over excessive' workloads -- two weeks after bosses hailed them as 'remarkable' for what they did. They will walk out for one day on January 29 and stick strictly to their contracted hours for the foreseeable

  • Back on the beat after six-year gap

    BOBBIES have been placed back on the beat in Blackburn after a six-year absence. The eight community beat managers started work yesterday with the objective of reassuring the public and solving long-term nuisance problems. As dedicated officers for their

  • Fruit and veg pair say goodbye

    MR and Mrs fruit and veg are shutting shop for the last time after more than 25 years of successfully fighting off the supermarkets. Allan and Linda Wilkins retire today , and say they are 'due a rest' from the business in Redlam, Blackburn. Despite opposition

  • Cathedral could miss out on £64,000 grant

    CATHEDRAL bosses may miss out on a £64,000 safety grant, unless the local council refunds cash spent on its aborted Pavilions regeneration scheme. The grant from English Heritage will go towards a state-of-the-art fire alarm and emergency lighting system

  • 'Miracle man' talks of life after horrific injury

    A MAN who cheated death after falling into an industrial mixer today told how the accident had transformed his life. Paul Kelly, 47, suffered horrific injuries when he fell into a grouting machine at his TileMaster factory, Whittle-le-Woods, last February

  • Events taking place on Sunday January 12 and Monday January 13

    A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. SUNDAY Epiphany Civic Carol Service, Blackburn Cathedral, 6.30pm. "Dick Whittington," The Mechanics, Manchester Road, Burnley, noon and 4pm. Until January 18. Tea Dance

  • Letter hold-ups are an outrage

    THE computer age means a fantastic amount of information and statistics can be accessed almost instantly. As a result customer queries to business and industry by telephone are dealt with faster and far more effectively than they were a few years ago.

  • Lancashire Hot Spots with PETER JAMES

    PETER knows the perfect "root" to tranquillity after a busy day in his Burnley salon. It's the short stroll round Rowley Lake, a man-made beauty spot which attracts an abundance of wild life, just a few steps away from the town's bustling streets. Peter

  • The Saturday Message

    This week, with the Rev Kevin Logan, of Christ Church Accrington. IT took hours to tear old white sheets into strip bandages. The church ladies group then rolled them into neat coils and packed them off to the mission field. Many thanks, the missionaries

  • My First. . .

    This week, with Pendle councillor FRANK CLIFFORD HOLIDAY: After spending much of my formative years in hospital after contracting TB, my first holiday was as a young teenager with friends at Butlins in Filey. Compared with what goes on today, I think

  • I love my work . . . honest!

    WILL wrestling ever regain its grip on the public imagination? It will if promoter Jon Farrer has anything to do with it. IT'S hard to believe that the 20-year-old sitting opposite, tucking into a bag of wine gums, is forging a career as an entrepreneur

  • Five-a-side teams battle for title

    THE Indoor Five-a-Side Championships 2003 take place at Shadsworth, Audley and Darwen Leisure Centres next month. Seniors aged16 years and over play Monday to Wednesday, February 17-19, while juniors, boys aged under 15, 13, 11 and nine, and girls under

  • Defendant's 500-mile trip to court

    A DEFENDANT made a round trip of more than 500 miles from his home in Croydon, Surrey, to enter a not guilty plea to speeding -- only to be told he could have made his plea by letter. Richard Prew, defending, told Blackburn magistrates it was not clear

  • Vicars' words of wisdom over the groceries

    TWO East Lancashire vicars will swap the church aisle for the supermarket aisle as part of a new in-store chaplain scheme. An advert for the job at Blackburn's Asda in Grimshaw Park was so successful they have decided on a job share. And now the Rev Andrew

  • Help to quit the smokes

    HELP is at hand for smokers desperately trying to stick to their New Year's resolution to kick the habit. A service dedicated to boosting people's willpower has started new sessions in the Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley. QUEST, also known as

  • B & Bs abroad value for money

    REGARDING Councillor Alan Cottam's call for Blackburn residents to rent out spare rooms to tourists (LET, January 4), we have been using German B and B's for the last 20 years and have found them to be excellent value for money and a good way of meeting

  • Town is caught short on toilets

    COUNCILLOR David Smith (Letters, December 16) says Darwen gets £37million every year. So how is it that all council departments have the same warcry -- "We have no money?" Then in January and February they realise they have loads of cash to spend on ridiculous

  • Rooms for visitors report was incorrect

    YOUR report (LET, January 4) about accommodation for visitors to Blackburn was incorrect and whoever wrote the leader column obviously doesn't read your newspaper. The reference to how Dusseldorf in Germany deals with any overspill of visitors by having

  • Disabled pensioner's freezing ordeal

    A DISABLED pensioner shivered in temperatures as low as -6 after the central heating in her new council house failed to work. Today Age Concern described Margaret Chapman's case as unacceptable and said she could have suffered hypothermia in the three

  • Souness fights charges

    GRAEME Souness today vowed to do everything in his power to fight FA misconduct charges after being reported by match officials at Rovers' Worthington Cup tie against Wigan last month. The Rovers boss faces a third touchline ban in the space of nine months

  • Ewood Beat...with ANDY NEILD

    The weekly round-up from Ewood GUESS which former gameshow host I happened to spot wearing a Manchester United scarf in the crowd at Old Trafford on Tuesday night? I'll tell you what, here's a clue -- just say what you see! ....That's righttt! It was

  • Resurrection results in residing with Saints

    BRETT Ormerod has been on a rollercoaster since his football career began at the tender age of 10-years-old. It was then that he moved from Crewe Alexandra's School of Excellence to a similar set-up at Blackburn Rovers. But while it was his dream of playing

  • Two men attacked in the street

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses after two men were attacked and one had his tooth knocked out after an argument. Police were called out just after midnight on Thursday to the junction of Todmorden Road and Lyndhurst Road, Burnley. Detective Sergeant

  • Woman fights off would-be muggers in street

    DETECTIVES are hunting two men who attacked a woman as she walked home from work. The 34-year-old woman was on her way home from Spring Cottages Residential Home, St Johns Road, Padiham, at around 8.40pm on Thursday when two offenders approached her.

  • MP catches up with latest on the buses

    BURNLEY MP Peter Pike met with bosses from Burnley and Pendle Transport to discuss the problem of people being stranded at bus stops. The move comes after a review was ordered into the operation of Burnley's multi-million-pound bus station after complaints

  • More input sought on draft Local Plan

    RESIDENTS will be asked to help shape the future of Burnley by giving their thoughts on the council's draft Local Plan during a second period of consultation in May. Parish councillors were recently told that 639 responses had been received by Burnley

  • More votes plan is held up

    PLANS for a pilot scheme to get more people voting in local elections in Burnley may be delayed by up to three years. Council bosses want to try out a scheme like postal voting or e-voting to try to improve the poor numbers of people who vote in local

  • Sad farewell for tragic fan Nathan

    THE heart and soul of Burnley FC paid its last respects to a tragic football fan who died while following his team. Teenage Nottingham Forest supporter Nathan Shaw died after being hit by a bottle during a violent incident in the town centre before the

  • Plans for job centre look set to fail

    SUPPORTERS of a new retail development for a disused supermarket in Burnley look to have beaten off an opposing bid which wants to create a job centre on the site. Rival plans for the old Co-op superstore in Curzon Street put businesses and politicians

  • Careers advice from public sector

    REPRESENTATIVES from public services such as the police, the armed forces and Lancashire Fire and Rescue will be talking to young people at a careers recruitment day in Nelson. It will be held at Nelson Jobcentre Plus, in Netherfield Road, on Saturday

  • Dad tells of horror over crush accident

    A FATHER today spoke of his horror after his son was crushed and seriously injured at work. Keiran Rhodes-Taylor, of Central Avenue, Oswaldtwistle, is on a ventilator in Blackburn Infirmary after suffering a fractured skull and broken jaw. The accident

  • Disabled pensioner's freezing ordeal

    A DISABLED pensioner shivered in temperatures as low as -6 after the central heating in her new council house failed to work. Today Age Concern described Margaret Chapman's case as unacceptable and said she could have suffered hypothermia in the three

  • Chemists on Duty

    TUESDAY, JANUARY 14 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst Road; Geloo Bros, Cleaver

  • Vote close, but barn gets 'no'

    AN application to convert a barn in Slaidburn into a joinery workshop and house was given the thumbs-down by councillors. Members of the Ribble Valley Council's planning and development control committee heard the barn occupied an elevated countryside

  • Cottage extension plan aborted

    PLANS to extend the back of a cottage in Shaw Terrace, Main Street, Grindleton, have been withdrawn in the face of objections from the local parish council and a number of nearby residents. Ribble Valley planning and development committee heard the property

  • Porch can stay despite eyesore claims

    A HOUSEHOLDER has been told she does not have to pull down a porch at the front of her barn property in Dilworth Bottoms, Ribchester. Members of the Ribble Valley planning and development committee was told the porch contravened planning regulations and

  • Vet's surgery scheme turned down

    PLANS to construct a veterinary surgery at a Whalley business park have been rejected by councillors. Developer Andrew Ronan wanted to construct the surgery at the north end of his Sidings Business Park in Station Road. The business park, at the site

  • Clarets 1 Ipswich 1

    Stan Ternent and Joe Royle both failed to show for the post-match press conference after Burnley and Ipswich had contested an entertaining 1-1 draw at Turf Moor. The two managers side-stepped the inquest and it was left to home assistant manager Sam Ellis

  • Baths volunteers collect £30,000

    VOLUNTEERS fighting to save Whitworth baths from the axe have raised funds of around £30,000 to help their cause. Members of Whitworth Community Leisure Association (CLAW) rallied round to find the money after Rossendale Council revealed the baths figured

  • Crackdown on guns welcomed by RSPCA

    THE RSPCA has welcomed a crackdown on teenagers using guns, after the number of animals shot increased last year. Home Secretary David Blunkett announced that the minimum age of unsupervised airgun use is to rise from 14 to 17. His pledge was in response

  • Legion thanks as Poppy Appeal total rises

    GENEROUS East Lancashire folk have been congratulated by British Legion volunteers after helping break last year's Poppy Appeal total. More than £25,000 was collected by 20 volunteers in ten days -- an increase of £1,000 on last year's figure. And the

  • Council can't see mulch for trees

    GO-GREEN councillors were today branded hypocrites after calling on people to recycle their Christmas trees while the borough's were sent to Norfolk. Blackburn with Darwen Council has been encouraging people to take their old Christmas trees to recycling

  • Angling, with KINGFISHER

    MOST stillwater pleasure anglers spent last weekend tucked up by the fire at home, but match anglers are made of sterner stuff and having to break the ice to enable fishing is merely inconvenient. That is what the 84 competitors assembled for the first