I'VE just read (LET, October 24) that both Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt and her Deputy Norman Warner have refused to attend the official opening of the new Darwen Health Centre. Our MP Janet Anderson was shocked and angry that it took a Labour Minister
I READ with despair Michael Short's column (LET, October 18) in which he disparaged the efforts of teachers and jumped on the age-old bandwagon of discussing the holidays that teachers are 'lucky' enough to get. He stated that 'teachers are a bunch of
A couple were subjected to a terrifying ordeal when they were held captive by masked raiders who took thousands of pounds worth of jewellery from their home. The gang of three or four balaclava-clad men stormed into a house in Cam Lane, Clayton-le-Woods
An international movement which provides accommodation and day support for people with learning disabilities is opening its doors as an educational centre for schoolchildren in Chorley. Lisieux Hall Farm and Gardens, Dawson Lane, Whittle-le-Woods, is
Volunteers for the poppy appeal will be on sentry duty this year to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the campaign store in Chorley town centre. Each year the appeal sets up in an empty store in the town, and for 2005 it's on the corner of High Street
A NURSING assistant has been suspended from an East Lancashire mental hospital after sending "vile and abusive" text messages to a colleague. Julie Hodgkinson, who works at Calderstones Hospital, Whalley, was cautioned by police after admitting sending
A GANG of car thieves is travelling into East Lancashire from Bradford to target luxury and high performance vehicles, police have revealed. The thieves are breaking into houses with top of the range models parked outside, taking the keys and driving
BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes is hoping there won't be any fireworks from Charlton striker Darren Bent tomorrow as Rovers look for a third successive home win in the Premiership. Bent has been on fire so far this season, notching up nine goals in 11 appearances
Two kind-hearted nurses swapped their hospital uniforms for builders' scruffs on a trip to Africa to help poverty stricken children. Staff nurse Anne Lewis, and colleague, Ann Davies, an auxiliary nurse at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, travelled
A consultant at the Royal Preston Hospital is leading efforts to launch a support group for men with prostate cancer. Consultant Oncologist Dr Alison Birtle is determined to break the taboo associated with prostate cancer which she said remains in the
Police are hunting a group of thieves who broke into dozens of cars in the Ashton and Plungington areas of Preston and made off with satellite navigation and speed camera detecting devices worth between £200 and £500 each. Officers say more than 100 motorists
Four separate investigations have been launched by traffic police after seven people were seriously injured in four accidents on roads in Preston and South Ribble at the weekend. In one, four people were taken to Royal Preston Hospital after a blue Nissan
X Factor finalists watch out as entertainers in South Ribble prepare to race for a place in a contest with a difference to find fresh new talent. Contestants in the Top Talent competition, will have to go through a gruelling audition process just like
You could say that some children find walking to school too much to bear, but one schoolgirl has scaled new heights as she put her best foot forward to climb Britain's highest peaks. Seven-year-old, Katie Littlefair, of Avocet Court, Leyland, has just
Lancashire Constabulary could merge with Cumbria if the county's police chiefs get their way in a national shake-up of the police forces. The constabulary's preferred option, to merge with Cumbria, was sent to the Home Office on Monday as part of a national
A 62-year-old man is to be prosecuted over an accident in which a Preston motorcyclist died, an inquest was told. The move was revealed as witnesses told of the moment caretaker, George Johnson, 54, was "thrown into the air" on the A59 at Clitheroe on
Money collected in the city's mosques will be used to build a new village to house 1,000 families living in earthquake-stricken Pakistan. More than £130,000 donated by people in Preston since the disaster struck on October 8 will be used to build corrugated
UNION leaders have voiced their opposition to council plans to move 60 staff from Burnley to Nelson as part of steps to privatise services. Staff in Burnley Council's council tax and benefits sections were told earlier this year the council was thinking
A TEENAGER has been banned from football matches for three years for hurling a shoe on to the pitch. Today Paul McLaughlan, 19, apologised for his "stupid" actions but added that he didn't mean any harm and called the penalty "ridiculously harsh." The
THE COMPANY behind a multi-million pound housing development in Burnley has won its appeal against having to complete a road safety scheme costing just £3,000. Rocketfine Homes Ltd today came under fire for going back on a three-year-old promise to improve
UNION leaders have voiced their opposition to council plans to move 60 staff from Burnley to Nelson as part of steps to privatise services. Staff in Burnley Council's council tax and benefits sections were told earlier this year the council was thinking
Grasshoppers' top-of-the-table clash turned out to be what is at best described as a game for the connoisseur, i.e. not much of a spectacle. Two evenly matched teams conducted a battle of attrition, the intensity of which was reflected in the number of
Michael Jennings' next fight could be for the European crown after he came through a real toe to toe scrap with Welshman Bradley Pryce to retain his British welterweight title. Jennings' army of fans held their breath as their hero survived an early score
Fylde host what has been dubbed their biggest club match since 1999 when they welcome Plymouth Albion on Saturday (kick off 2.15pm) in a Powergen National Trophy fifth round tie. The Club will be hoping for a big crowd to cheer on the underdogs on a day
A TEENAGE girl has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a man who was found with stab wounds at a house in Accrington. The 17-year-old, who was 16 at the time of the offence and cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted killing Ken Embley, 34, of Charter
CELEBRITIES love flash cars -- and an East Lancashire firm is helping stars to make their motors hip. Clitheroe's Auto Installs, based in Lincoln Way, has completed work for a number of high-profile footballers and celebrities since being set up ten months
Fylde host what has been dubbed their biggest club match since 1999 when they welcome Plymouth Albion on Saturday (kick off 2.15pm) in a Powergen National Trophy fifth round tie. The Club will be hoping for a big crowd to cheer on the underdogs on a day
A mother of two pleaded guilty after claiming more than £3,000 in benefits she was not entitled to. Adele Mercer, 37, of Pennine Road, Chorley, claimed the extra cash in income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit after stating she was an
BURNLEY duo James O'Connor and Micah Hyde have both been cleared to face Luton Town. An FA Disciplinary Commission last night rescinded the red card O'Connor received from referee Richard Beeby against Millwall on Tuesday after reviewing video evidence
ROSSENDALE United players held a team meeting last night to try to talk their way out of trouble. Manager Mark Molyneaux arranged for his UniBond First Division strugglers to get together, without the management team present, to discuss where they think
ONE of punks great surviving bands, The Vibrators, will be playing in Blackburn on November 11. In their long career spanning nearly 30 years, The Vibrators have flown the flag for the punk movement with singles such as Baby Baby and Pure Mania. The gig
Jo was the one with the voice in S Club, so it's little surprise that she's finally released her solo debut. Songs like To Ease Your Pain, Never Felt Like This and Rainbow's End feel like she's trying to shake off the pop tag, but then bright and breezy
Rhythm and blues veterans Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, widely hailed as "the world's greatest bar band", hail from the shores of New Jersey. Now they're coming to the shores of Lancashire on November 16 for their first ever gig at Blackpool's
A FOLK Christmas album doesn't sound like the most promising idea. When you've voices like the McGarrigle sisters you can make anything sound wonderful. Then when you call on a few friends from the world of folk and country to lend a hand and suddenly
BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes has called on his players to put in a 'Chelsea power show' against high-flying Charlton Athletic. The Addicks arrive in the North West boasting a perfect away record in the Premiership having won five out of five on the road
The Doggfather's musical career is not to be laughed at. With 18 albums under his belt, going back to 1992, The Best Of includes classics such as Snoop Dogg (What's My Name Pt 2), Gin & Juice II and Still A G Thang, as well as newer hits like Beautiful
IGNORING the incorrect spelling, this was a surprise. I expected to dislike it intensely but the Bullys version of electronic dance grew on me. There's an extended version of the hit single Shot You Down and a quirky offering with Suggs from Madness on
Jemal Johnson believes his new team mates at Preston have all the talent to get to the Premiership. The 20 year-old American arrived at Deepdale on a month's loan from North End's Premiership neighbours Blackburn Rovers last Friday. He was thrown in at
THE opening track on this debut release from arty Bristol quintet Leave Land For Water runs hot and cold like a broken shower. The Cinders Spread suckers you in at the start with hushed, blissful melodies before being abruptly interrupted by pulsing waves
For a whole generation she was the ultimate rock pin-up. Now Debbie Harry is back in the UK and preparing for an extensive tour with Blondie, including a date in Blackpool on December 2. We spoke to her about her career. You were part of the American
A DISABLED woman has blasted a new pedestrian crossing as "ludicrous" because there is no safe route into town once disabled people have used it Phyllis Fletcher, 74, of Blackburn Road, Darwen, said she used the new crossing in Green Street, Darwen, because
A FOOTBALL club plagued by vandals has criticised police for failing to kick out yobs despite handing them a key to the ground. Bacup Borough manager Brent Peters said anti-social behaviour has escalated in recent months with Thorn Primary School and
I am writing to thank you for your excellent coverage of the Preston Arts Association Festival. This was our fourth festival and the most successful to date. We hope to be bigger and even better next year and I hope that you will be able to help us once
Replying to the letter from Andrew Hobbs, How Can We Make Our Roads Safer? (Citizen, October 13). It's not the roads that are dangerous. The only thing that's dangerous on the roads is that person sat behind that steering wheel, laughingly described as
Dozens of rogue cabbies have been taken off the streets of Blackpool after just one vehicle passed random safety tests. Council licensing enforcement officers revealed the shock figures after a series of random spot-checks since June showed that just
One of the region's biggest fireworks spectaculars promises to be even bigger this year. For the first time Fylde RUFC will be able to open up its new clubhouse to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night. The annual event, which raised around £10,000 for a series
"We've done all we can for now." This was the message from council licensing chiefs amid fears that dozens of Blackpool businesses may have missed the deadline set for new licence applications last Friday. It is believed that - despite a "fantastic" response
Residents of a Blackpool street are fighting back after two nights of booze-fuelled yobbery during which cars were vandalised and a house broken into. Neighbours on Newcastle Avenue are already joining their local residents association, ward councillors
Blackpool's top detective has vowed to continue the hunt for missing teenager - Charlene Downes - two years after she vanished from the streets of the resort. Speaking on the second anniversary of the schoolgirl's November 1 disappearance this week, Detective
Tributes have flooded in for a much-loved former editor of the Blackpool Citizen. Bob Gray, who died on Monday at the age of 64, led the newspaper for much of the 1990's and was a much-loved figure across the Fylde Coast. Born in Scotland, Bob worked
A couple have told how their week-long second honeymoon turned into a ten day nightmare that will take them months to recover from. And Elizabeth and Jason Smith are seeking legal advice after they claim they were "virtually abandoned" to shelter in a
Booze worth hundreds of pounds has been confiscated from a Preston off- licence where it was being sold illegally. The haul of beer, wine, alcopops and spirits, was removed from Fasal's Food and Wine Store, Plungington, following a raid by officers from
AN 18-year-old girl was found dead in her bed just hours after she had been "shouting and screaming" at a televised football match, an inquest heard. The hearing was told that Emma Louise Woodruff, of Glenfield Close, Blackburn, was discovered by her
SIX people have been arrested as part of an investigation into an alleged £1million-plus cigarette smuggling and money laundering operation. Lancashire Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit detained the suspects after an eight-month investigation
A NURSING assistant has been suspended from an East Lancashire mental hospital after sending "vile and abusive" text messages to a colleague. Julie Hodgkinson, who works at Calderstones Hospital, Whalley, was cautioned by police after admitting sending
North End travel to Leeds on Saturday hoping to beat them for the first time since relegation hit the Yorkshire side 18 months ago. Traditional rivalry has nothing to do with the resentment some at North End feel towards Leeds - any bitterness has come
Jemal Johnson believes his new team mates at Preston have all the talent to get to the Premiership. The 20 year-old American arrived at Deepdale on a month's loan from North End's Premiership neighbours Blackburn Rovers last Friday. He was thrown in at
Recent statistics show that more vets commit suicide than any other profession. Today's revelation that vets in East Lancashire are working round the clock to provide care for our animals is a telling insight into one of the reasons why. The fact that
A church will celebrate the 80th consecutive year of presenting Handel's Messiah later this month. Churchgoers from Spendmore Lane Methodist Church, Coppull, will present the famous oratorial on Sunday, November, 27. Handel's masterpiece is presented
A disabled woman has been left unable to use her shower for three months after flooding damaged her bathroom. Maureen Leach, 59, of Broadfield, Astley Village, has a severe mental handicap and is partially sighted, but lives independently with the help
A new multi-million pound all weather ballcourt for the villages of Brinscall and Withnell is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Latest funding of £84,000 has just been secured for the project, which is part of the ongoing Railway Park development
Proposals to merge the Lancashire and Cumbria police forces have been cautiously welcomed by Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle. It comes after high-level meetings among police chiefs at the weekend to thrash out an option to modernise policing in the county. Lancashire
A series of meetings are to be held in a campaign opposing the transfer of the borough's 2,900 council homes to a new housing association called Chorley Community Housing. Chorley and District Trades Union Council have called the meetings to rally opposition
Outraged protestors have pledged to fight the shock closures of two historic Chorley firms with the loss of almost 300 jobs. The axe fell on both Euxton's Royal Ordinance plant and Adlington's AMEC site in end-of-an-era announcements by their owners within
THERE'S nothing Burnley fans like to see more than a winger in full flight. Supporters have been spoiled down the years, from Willie Morgan and John Connelly, through to Leighton James and, more recently David Eyres and then Glen Little. The faces may
BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes has called on his players to put in a 'Chelsea power show' against high-flying Charlton Athletic. The Addicks arrive in the North West boasting a perfect away record in the Premiership having won five out of five on the road
ROVERS are going to have a tough time against Charlton on Saturday - because they're so much alike. The two sides are very similar in the way they play and Charlton will be looking to bounce back after defeat by Bolton. Charlton's form away from home
American park rangers are swapping the Bronx for Brookfield to share ideas on regenerating run-down parks. Two top New York city park rangers will arrive in Preston on Friday to speak at a conference at the Guild Hall, which will examine how park rangers
THE Crazy Frog, Father Christmas, and Bertie and Bumble Bee of Burnley Football Club, will be joining Jake and Bella, of the Tweenies, for Burnley's Christmas lights switch-on Thursday, November 17. Shells Belles cheerleaders, clowns, Bertie Bee and Bumble
A LANCASHIRE Police scheme aimed at steering drug addicts away from a life of crime has been highly commended at a national awards ceremony. Pennine Police's Tower Project was among three schemes recognised at the National Justice Awards in London, along
PATIENTS will only be allowed two visitors at a time and staff will be banned from wearing uniforms outside hospital as part of new MRSA controls. The East Lancashire Hospital's NHS Trust's new policy of "two's company, three's a crowd" will be "enforced
A NURSING assistant has been suspended from an East Lancashire mental hospital after sending "vile and abusive" text messages to a colleague. Julie Hodgkinson, who works at Calderstones Hospital, Whalley, was cautioned by police after admitting sending
A TEENAGER has been banned from football matches for three years for hurling a shoe on to the pitch. Today Paul McLaughlan, 19, apologised for his "stupid" actions but added that he didn't mean any harm and called the penalty "ridiculously harsh." The
North End travel to Leeds on Saturday hoping to beat them for the first time since relegation hit the Yorkshire side 18 months ago. Traditional rivalry has nothing to do with the resentment some at North End feel towards Leeds - any bitterness has come
Blackpool Panthers have made their first big signing ahead of the new season - and they don't come much bigger than portly comic, Johnny Vegas! Vegas, a fan of rugby league in general and his home-town club, St Helens, in particular, has been named as
Chorley have another chance to break their duck and clinch their first home league win when they take on Spalding United at Victory Park on Saturday. Goals by Chris Thompson and a Peter Wright penalty gave the Magpies a 2-1 victory over the Tulips on
A FACTORY worker has died at Castle Cement in Clitheroe after an accident involving a forklift truck. Ian Bradley, 58, was found by colleagues at 11.30am yesterday. He is believed to have been just weeks away from retirement. An investigation involving
Blackpool Panthers have made their first big signing ahead of the new season - and they don't come much bigger than portly comic, Johnny Vegas! Vegas, a fan of rugby league in general and his home-town club, St Helens, in particular, has been named as
Blackpool face a double loan blow ahead of Sunday's FA Cup visit to Doncaster Rovers. Leicester's Tommy Wright, Sheffield United's Chris Armstrong and Leeds man, Ian Morris will not be allowed to feature in the tie and, while the decision on Armstrong
Blackpool wheelchair racing star, Shelly Woods, hopes to take bite out of her marathon time when she competes in the Big Apple this Sunday. The ambitious 19-year-old has been training hard for her November 6 New York Marathon debut, and despite being
A special children's book called Jack goes to Hospital has been produced by a Chorley nurse. Anne Bowen, an A&E modern matron at Chorley Hospital, wrote the story to help explain what happens when a youngster is admitted to accident and emergency.
Former Blackpool assistant boss, Mick Hennigan, is ending his African adventure after just three months. The coach, dubbed a 'seemingly humorous Englishman' by local reporters on his arrival in Africa, had led Malawi's national team in four games, including
A 2-1 defeat at fellow strugglers Gillingham saw the Kent side leapfrog Blackpool and push the Seasiders in to the relegation zone. It all started so brightly for Blackpool when Armstrong, in an unaccustomed role on the left-hand side of midfield, fed
Blackpool face a double loan blow ahead of Sunday's FA Cup visit to Doncaster Rovers. Leicester's Tommy Wright, Sheffield United's Chris Armstrong and Leeds man, Ian Morris will not be allowed to feature in the tie and, while the decision on Armstrong
AGGRIEVED Millwall striker Ben May is considering suing referee Richard Beeby following his controversial sending off at Turf Moor on Tuesday. May, 21, who was dismissed in the players tunnel for allegedly racially abusing Burnley defender Frank Sinclair
A TEENAGER has been banned from football matches for three years for hurling a shoe on to the pitch. Today Paul McLaughlan, 19, apologised for his "stupid" actions but added that he didn't mean any harm and called the penalty "ridiculously harsh." The
STEVE Cotterill hopes that more flexibility can provide the springboard to keep Burnley on the up. The Clarets boss argues that he has more versatility throughout the squad than last season, when they anchored themselves in mid-table to finished a creditable
You could say that some children find walking to school too much to bear, but one schoolgirl has scaled new heights as she put her best foot forward to climb Britain's highest peaks. Seven-year-old, Katie Littlefair, of Avocet Court, Leyland, has just
CHORLEY boss Shaun Teale has been dealt a 'bum deal' with the news that leading scorer Peter Wright could miss tomorrow's home game with in-form Spalding United. The former Blackburn Rovers youth team starlet needed hospital treatment after he tore a
CLITHEROE could be set to lose top scorer Gary Jackson for six weeks. The striker, who tops the UniBond Division One goalscoring charts with 13 in all competitions, suffered knee ligament damage in Tuesday's win over Woodley Sports. He stood on the ball
FORMER busker Scott Rinning makes his first tentative steps into the mainstream music industry with his band The Cinematics, resulting in uplifting, widescreen indie of the Doves variety. Chase soars and broods in all the right places, while Rinning's
It's been seven years since Lene burst on to the charts with Sitting Down Here, and her debut album, Playing My Game. Lost In A Moment is Lene's more grown-up offering, with the similar flowing folk melodies, raw emotions and polished vocals. All the
BURNLEY duo James O'Connor and Micah Hyde have both been cleared to face Luton Town. An FA Disciplinary Commission last night rescinded the red card O'Connor received from referee Richard Beeby against Millwall on Tuesday after reviewing video evidence
RECORDED over four nights in Chicago this double live album will be high on the Christmas present list for those who have discovered the wonders of Wilco. The bands' beautifully observed and simple sound is given much greater depth in their live work
It's often not until a greatest hits is released that you realise just what a wealth of quality a band has produced. The Beta Band were seen as an example of the way the UK music scene was meant to develop post Britpop, with a more experimental sound.
Indie rockers, Ocean Colour Scene, will drop into Preston on November 19 for a special gig at The Mill as you have never seen them before. Simon Fowler and Oscar Harrison will be live and unplugged, without band mates, Steve Cradock, Andy Bennett and
LEGENDARY East Lancashire punk/new wave outfit The Stiffs return to their home town of Blackburn on November 11 when the original line-up play together for the first time in six years. "The last time we played together was at the Cob Wall Working Men's
SIX people have been arrested as part of an investigation into an alleged £1million-plus cigarette smuggling and money laundering operation. Lancashire Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit detained the suspects after an eight-month investigation
WORK to create a state-of-the-art new sports hall at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School will be officially completed later this month. The Waterfoot school's new headteacher, Marc Morris, told parents, pupils, teachers and governors at last evening's
AN addict died from a cocktail of drugs and drink after an impromptu New Year party at his flat, an inquest heard. Keiron Rhodes, 43, who "liked to enjoy himself", drank heavily and had had a drug habit for 20 years, was found dead in bed by his father
There's nothing wrong with re-establishing a sense of community in Leyland and a Leyland town council seems, on the face of it, a good idea (Citizen, October 27). But would that be Leyland town council within South Ribble Borough Council, within Lancashire
Dozens of new jobs are set to hit the Fylde coast after one of the UKs leading pizza chains unveiled plans to open a restaurant in the area. Bosses at Pizza Hut revealed they have earmarked Bispham as one of seven new sites due to be opened across the
Blackpool's leading shopping centre has changed hands again in a multi-million pound deal. Manchester based property developer, Modus Properties, has paid London-based Academy Land Ltd £65 million to buy the centre, currently in the midst of its biggest
Draughty corridors, cold showers and crowded dormitories - that might be the perception of boarding schools for those who read the books of Enid Blyton. But one leading Fylde independent school is throwing off the traditional image with a high-tech overhaul
A FORMER mayor of Blackburn has died. Florence Lewis, who was 92, was mayor for a year in 1967 after representing St Michael's ward since 1956. She made mayoral history when she succeeded a female mayor, meaning two women in a row represented the town
PEOPLE who have successfully battled drug addiction have been presented with special awards for their "determination, commitment and dedication". Twenty former drug users received accolades from Blackburn with Darwen Mayor, coun Yusuf Jan-Virmani, in
A pensioner who accessed child porn on the internet has been given three years' community rehabilitation. Arthur Page was on the sex offenders register at the time, having earlier been jailed for charges including indecently assaulting a young girl. A
THE cost of keeping a library book for too long in Lancashire could rise as the number of fines rockets. Almost £300,000 worth of fines was collected by Lancashire county council libraries last year. And the problem with people not bringing back their
VETS are set to cancel their 24-hour emergency service because, they claim, it is putting a strain on their family lives. Animal lovers say pets will be put at risk if they have to travel to find another vet in the middle of the night. Anti-social working
