SIMPLY the best - that's John Carter, who won the top award at Bury Council's annual Oscars ceremony. Mr Carter, borough culture and lifelong learning officer, won the David Burton trophy at the town hall's Employee Achievement Awards. He has worked for
THE unsolved murder of a 14-year-old girl more than 20 years ago is to be featured on BBC1's Crimewatch on Tuesday night. Police hope to uncover fresh evidence on the killing of Lisa Hession, whose body was found dumped in an alleyway after being sexually
A TABLE top sale will help raise funds for a roof at Stand All Saints Church in Whitefield. The event will be held in the church hall, in Church Lane, on Sunday at 11am. Refreshments will be available and proceeds will go towards the church roof restoration
RESIDENTS in Whitefield and Unsworth should make a note in their diary for the next area board meeting. The meeting will be held at Ribble Drive Primary School in Whitefield on Monday, February 7, from 7pm. Residents will be given the chance to have their
PUPILS from a Bury high school have raised more than £2,000 for people suffering from HIV and Aids after learning about the devastating impact it has on lives. Youngsters from Bury Grammar Boys School on Bridge Road held a week of fundraising events,
LOCAL police chiefs have "mixed feelings" about the Government's plans for 24-hour pub opening. Councillor Sam Cohen, Bury's spokesman on the Greater Manchester Police Authority, said it was vital to tackle binge-drinking for the new laws to succeed.
BURY taxpayers will save money under Tory plans to curb asylum seekers, says General Election challenger David Nuttall. He says that £2.3 million has been spent in Bury on the "crisis" since 1997, and that the national bill is £3.1 billion, equivalent
POLICE officers took a youth to hospital after he had been arrested for smashing two windows during a disturbance in the garden of a house in Bury, a court heard. Marc Titmass, of Hornby Street, Bury, had wrapped his hand in a bandage but he needed hospital
VIOLENCE and threats involving pupils from two Blackburn schools have prompted a police operation to prevent revenge attacks and protect children. Police said officers were called to Our Lady and St John's Catholic Arts College after a male pupil was
AN amateur swimmer is preparing to swim her own personal marathon of almost four kilometres for charity - despite suffering from cerebral palsy. Mrs Anne Kenyon, of Churchill Avenue, Ainsworth, is determined to complete the challenge at the Jubilee Centre
TOWN Hall bosses are ploughing money into a road safety scheme which could save lives in one of the borough's poorest areas. Residents in Redvales will benefit from the £50,000 project, following evidence that shows people living in less well-off parts
LEIGH RMI boss Geoff Lutley has resigned after only two months in the job. He took over on November 18 but has cited work commitments as the reason behind his decision. He was in charge for only ten games, but in that time RMI failed to win in the Conference
SIMON Garner is proving that the old instincts have never left him when it comes to Burnley v Blackburn Rovers. Rovers' record scorer found the net four times in three league games against the Clarets, including the only goal at Turf Moor in 1982. And
WOMEN are invited to a special church service on the Women's World Day of Prayer this Friday. The service, entitled Let Our Light Shine, will be conducted by the Christian women of Poland at Elms Methodist Church in Whitefield. The church is situated
THE Minister at Bolton's Unity Church turned chef to make a meal for 24 church members in aid of the tsunami appeal. The Rev Beryl Allerton's culinary efforts produced an enjoyable lunch, and £300 for survivors in south Asia. Another church, Bury Unitarian
SHAKERS' boss Graham Barriow has issued a plea to the club's supporters to stand by his players as they battle to retain the club's league status. After Saturday's disappointing defeat at the Moss Rose, where Bury went down 2-1 to Macclesfield, Barrow
WOMEN are invited to a special church service on the Women's World Day of Prayer this Friday. The service, entitled Let Our Light Shine, will be conducted by the Christian women of Poland at Elms Methodist Church in Whitefield. The church is situated
WEST Craven has been given a £1 million boost which could finance new jobs and a new community cinema. The cash from the North West Development Agency will be used to create a community resource centre at Barnol-dswick's former Rainhall Road School and
LOSING a good player always hurts, but when it's a local lad who has come up through the system the disappointment is somehow multiplied. Clarets everywhere will be absolutely gutted by Richard Chaplow's sale, and understandably so. As Bryan Robson said
LANDLORDS have been warned not to let their properties become substandard after a property owner was fined more than £2,200. Hyndburn Council and fire officers carried out an inspection of a property containing five flats in Whalley Road, Accrington,
THE brother of a stab victim urged mourners at his funeral to cherish every day they spent with their loved ones. Speaking at Accrington Crematorium yesterday Sean Embley, 32, said: "If you have a relative that you haven't seen for some time, go and see
ABOUT 400,000 north west employees carried out unpaid overtime worth more than £1.5 billion during 2004, according to TUC analysis of official statistics. On average, each employee who did overtime without getting paid would have earned £4,124 for their
A TOTAL of 73 per cent of people in the north west believe that employers who fail to train their workforce properly should be fined by the Government, according to a new national survey. And six in ten say that people cannot depend on employers to take
THREE north west companies, voted amongst the very best in the UK by their own employees, are urging other organisations in the region to look to their workforce to achieve real business success. St Ann's Hospice in Manchester, Timpsons and law firm Cobbetts
BURNLEY last night smashed their outgoing transfer record for the second time in a month after Richard Chaplow sealed his £1.5million move to West Bromwich Albion. The teenage midfielder became the most expensive sale in the Clarets history after the
BURNLEY boss Steve Cotterill cannot wait for his first taste of a red-blooded East Lancashire derby, following the FA Cup draw that paired the Clarets with old foes Blackburn Rovers. And illustrious names from Burnley's past and present reckon the fifth
SURVIVAL and the need to learn lessons of the past were among the themes of Bury's fifth Holocaust Memorial Day service. Around 350 people, including the borough's political and religious leaders, attended the event at Radcliffe Civic Suite on Thursday
A BIG band swing evening was a fitting success for a big-hearted lady, determined to raise money for cancer treatment. Businesswoman Hilary Craft has already raised £100,000 for a Gene Machine at Manchester Royal Infirmary's department of Haemotology.
BURNLEY last night smashed their outgoing transfer record for the second time in a month after Richard Chaplow sealed his £1.5million move to West Bromwich Albion. The teenage midfielder became the most expensive sale in the Clarets history after the
THE British National Party is to contest Janet Anderson's Darwen and Rossendale seat at the General Election. The announcement has come just weeks after the far-right party announced it was also putting up a candidate against Blackburn MP and Foreign
A ROSSENDALE greengrocer has launched a search to trace the artist who painted a scene of Bacup more than 40 years ago. Steve Taylor, of Steve's Greengrocers, Bacup Road, Waterfoot, wants to learn more about the painting's history. He recently inherited
AN East Lancashire youngster who underwent a life-saving double transplant operation has returned home to celebrate the Christmas he missed out on with a special party. Six-year-old Connor Hurst is looking forward to enjoying a delayed Christmas that
COUNCIL and health bosses are considering a smoking ban in enclosed public places across Blackburn and Darwen. If talks are successful, the area could become one of only a handful in the country to try and push through the move. Health chiefs are hopeful
VIOLENCE and threats involving pupils from two Blackburn schools have prompted a police operation to prevent revenge attacks and protect children. Police said officers were called to Our Lady and St John's Catholic Arts College after a male pupil was
BLACKBURN Rovers and Burnley supporters are cock-a-hoop after the magic of the FA Cup conjured up a bumper fifth round derby. The meeting between the fierce rivals at Turf Moor on the weekend of Saturday, February 19, will be the first since Rovers- 5
THEY thought he was joking when Arthur Birkett vowed to cut his girlfriend's head off for ending their relationship. But three days later he had sliced Alice Beetham, 18, from ear to ear with a razor blade in front of horrified work colleagues at Jubilee
DISAPPOINTED Steve Halford fears his days with Accrington Stanley are numbered. The central defender has been loaned to Conference North side Droylsden for the rest of the season after failing to re-establish himself in the first team following his recovery
STRIKER Paul Mullin believes a trip down Memory Lane could inspire Accrington Stanley tonight. The Reds recorded a 2-1 win over Jim Harvey's Morecambe at the start of the season courtesy of what Mullin described as their best away performance this term
SEDGLEY PARK 20, HENLEY HAWKS 21: "Taking nothing away from Henley but we were simply awful and we gave them the points," was player-coach Tim Fourie's assessment of his sorry Tigers, who once again gave away a lead through poor decision making and an
AT a recent meeting I gained a public assurance from Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw that angling will be exempt from the forthcoming Animal Welfare Bill. The Countryside Alliance had previously expressed concern that under the Draft Animal Welfare Bill
ONCE again I am amazed by Bury Council. I have contacted the council many times to request a pelican crossing on Knowsley Street, so that the children who walk from the interchange via the subway near Pyramid Park have a safe place to cross. I was told
THE letter signed "Gagged Former Labour Voter" (January 25) looked very much to me like it had been cobbled together by a committee of Tory activists. It also appeared in the same week that Michael Howard launched the Tories new immigration policy which
WHILE Russia has completely electrified the Trans-Siberian Railway, and Australia has built a 900-mile new railway from Alice Springs to Darwin, the UK still struggles to build an integrated transport system (outside London), despite North Sea gas and
RABBITS, roosters and rats were let loose in a primary school as the children learned about the country of China. Pupils at Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School, in Parr Lane, Unsworth have spent several weeks studying the Eastern country and a big
An OFF-road biker broke a leg in a crash while riding around a disused coal mine. The man, who is in his 20s, lost control of his scrambler bike after he hit a rut at around 2.30pm on Sunday. He suffered a serious leg fracture. Bolton Mountain Rescue
PLANNING councillors will make their mind up over plans for a detached dwelling at Hollins Brow following a site visit . The proposal is for a split level development with access road to the south of White Brow House. Members of Bury's planning control
MACMILLAN Cancer Relief is looking for volunteers to take part in a two-day supermarket collection at Radcliffe Asda. Helpers are need to collect funds for the Macmillan North Manchester Appeal which helped local people living with cancer. The collection
A WOMAN stole a £35 handbag from Marks and Spencer in Bury, a court heard. Cathryn Margaret Mullins (25), from Bacup, admitted the theft when she appeared before Bury magistrates. Defending solicitor Mr Anthony Shimmin told the bench Mullins had genuinely
CULTURE secretary Tessa Jowell has been urged to bring BBC Freeview to every Bury resident as soon as possible. David Chaytor, MP for Bury North, told Ms Jowell on her recent visit that he had received several complaints from constituents who were unable
CONGESTION charging in Greater Manchester may be the price that local councils have to pay in return for the "big bang" expansion of Metrolink. Tony Blair is expected to announce this week that money will be given to extend the tram system to Oldham,
GREATER Manchester Criminal Justice Board is continuing to get better at bringing offences to justice, according to the latest quarterly statistics published by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. The figures show that 178 offences are brought to
A FORMER Bury Times employee who spent his retirement working in the heart of the community has died at the age of 87. George Hamer, of Alfred Street, Bury, passed away in his sleep at Fairfield General Hospital on Friday. He had been admitted to hospital
BURY is being held up as a model of good practice for councils across the country. The Audit Commission has asked town hall bosses to prepare a discussion paper explaining how the council moved from a "weak" council to a "good" one in just two years.
BLOOMING Bury is planting the seeds of success in the hope of winning a UK award for its parks and gardens. Bury won first prize in the 2004 North West in Bloom contest (best large town category) and has been chosen to represent the region in the national
MEMBERS of the Embroiderers' Guild, Rochdale area branch which has members from the Bury area, held a practical workshop when Mrs Mavis Bentley demonstrated the craft of Temari described "as embroidering the surface of a ball". The history of this craft
RABBITS, roosters and rats were let loose in a primary school as the children learned about the country of China. Pupils at Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School, in Parr Lane, Unsworth have spent several weeks studying the Eastern country and a big
A RECORD number of people living in Bury received the flu jab this winter. Seventy-three per cent of people aged over 65 received the vaccine, together with many people under that age who suffer from chronic conditions. The high uptake of the vaccine
A MAN breached his bail conditions because he went drinking with the woman he was barred from seeing. Slawomir Paplinski (51), of Arbour Close, Bury, is awaiting trial on February 16 in respect of an accusation of assaulting Teresa Gwizdek. But, in the
YOUNG mums in Prestwich will be able to make friends and learn new skills at the Phoenix Centre. The centre, in St Mary's Park, is the venue for a new group called 4 U and Baby 2 which is aimed at teenage mothers from the age of 16 to 20. The group is
IN spite of the atrocious weather, the January meeting of Greenmount Evening WI was very well attended. Members agreed that braving the wind and rain was well worth the effort to listen to Beryl Shepherd as she portrayed some aspects of Victorian life
SCHOOLS in Burnley are set to close early on one day a week to allow teachers to prepare for the massive re-organisation of local education. Headteachers have said the controversial move, which could continue for up to three years, is vital for the changeover
PATIENTS are being told to continue using Mile Lane Health Centre as usual, despite the retirement of its resident family doctor. Bury Primary Care Trust (PCT) has employed a locum general practitioner at the Bury practice following Dr Kialash Bhalla's
JAVIER De Pedro has cut his ties with Blackburn Rovers to sign for Italian side Perugia on a free transfer. The Spanish midfielder failed to impress in England after joining Rovers from Real Sociedad last summer, making only three appearances for the
BLACKBURN Rovers' chief executive John Williams today said the club had little choice but to sell Barry Ferguson back to Rangers. After weeks of speculation, the two clubs finally struck a deal late last night which sees Ferguson return to Ibrox for £2
RESIDENTS in Whitefield and Unsworth should make a note in their diary for the next area board meeting. The meeting will be held at Ribble Drive Primary School in Whitefield on Monday, February 7, from 7pm. Residents will be given the chance to have their
WITH education high on the current public agenda junior education minister and Bury South MP Ivan Lewis has never been busier. The father-of-two was born and bred in Prestwich and, after developing an avid interest in politics at the young age of 10,
STAFF at a new Burnley call centre are set for stardom after appearing in a national television commercial. The new call centre for internet search engine www.searchers.com was only opened on Friday by Burnley MP Peter Pike. But staff already have their
SCHOOLS in Burnley are set to close early on one day a week to allow teachers to prepare for the massive re-organisation of local education. Headteachers have said the controversial move, which could continue for up to three years, is vital for the changeover
IT was standing room only at Bury FC Social Club on Thursday evening when Neville Neville chaired a Forever Bury supporters' trust meeting about the financial situation at Gigg Lane. The former commercial director, brought in to remedy the cashflow problems
FIVE volunteers at a Nelson-based Muslim charity organisation which has raised more than £50,000 for tsunami victims have flown out to Indonesia to distribute the aid. The Minhaj Welfare Foundation, an international charity group which has its home in
A BIG band swing evening was a fitting success for a big-hearted lady, determined to raise money for cancer treatment. Businesswoman Hilary Craft has already raised £100,000 for a Gene Machine at Manchester Royal Infirmary's department of Haemotology.
It just had to be didn't it? All the talk from Rovers fans following the safe passage to the fifth round of the FA Cup was not who we would play but whether we'd be at home or away to Burnley. So when Burnley's number came out first, it was inevitable
A 29-year-old Salford man, arrested in connection with the death of Stacey Lloyd, has been released on police bail until March 17. He was detained by officers last Wednesday and underwent questioning by detectives investigating the death of 31-year-old
Richard Chaplow finally completed his move to West Brom last night, in a £1.5 million deal with the Premiership strugglers. The 19-year-old signed a three- and- a- half- year contract but will not make his debut until the weekend, after signing too late
BURNLEY FC could receive a whopping £500,000 pay-day after being drawn against rivals Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup. The Turf Moor clash is a sure-fire sell-out and with the likelihood the game will be live on TV it looks like the Clarets will cash in
THE gravy train long since pulled out of the station, leaving clubs like Burnley in the sidings and without pulling power in a deflated transfer market. Premiership giants have flexed their muscles so often that the weaker have fallen by the wayside and
A POLISH woman who had hitched her way into Bury to find work snatched a purse from an elderly shopper, Bury magistrates heard. Agata Mickiewicz (27) pleaded guilty to stealing the purse, with £80 cash inside, on January 7 from 73-year-old Mary Gorrill
A VIOLENT street brawl broke out in Bury town centre when two feuding groups were ejected from a nightclub, magistrates heard. Donovan Panayiotis (23), and Nedzim Gakenyi (22), both from South Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to using threatening and unlawful
IT'S February and love is already in the air at the Mill Gate! We have a number of exciting events happening at the centre and are even hoping to break a world record! For more details on Valentine's Day and events at the centre, plus lots of other information
WHEN keen sportsman Graham Holt started playing badminton as a 13-year-old pupil at Stand Grammar School in Whitefield, perhaps he did not envisage still running round the court 40 years later. Such a thought probably never entered his head when he suffered
BLACKBURN Rovers' chief executive John Williams today said the club had little choice but to sell Barry Ferguson back to Rangers. After weeks of speculation, the two clubs finally struck a deal late last night which sees Ferguson return to Ibrox for £2
TICKETS for Amir Khan's first fight in his quest for an ABA title are now on sale. The Olympic silver medallist will make his senior domestic debut at Preston Guild Hall, on Monday, and anyone requiring tickets can pick them up in Bolton. Five hundred
WHEN keen sportsman Graham Holt started playing badminton as a 13-year-old pupil at Stand Grammar School in Whitefield, perhaps he did not envisage still running round the court 40 years later. Such a thought probably never entered his head when he suffered
DARWEN heart-throb Rob Sharples had reason to crack open the bubbly when his band's debut single stormed into the UK singles chart. And victory was all the sweeter for the generous up-and-coming East-Lancashire boyband D-Rail as more than half of all
WHEN keen sportsman Graham Holt started playing badminton as a 13-year-old pupil at Stand Grammar School in Whitefield, perhaps he did not envisage still running round the court 40 years later. Such a thought probably never entered his head when he suffered
WOMEN are invited to a special church service on the Women's World Day of Prayer this Friday. The service, entitled Let Our Light Shine, will be conducted by the Christian women of Poland at Elms Methodist Church in Whitefield. The church is situated
YOUNG mums in Prestwich will be able to make friends and learn new skills at the Phoenix Centre. The centre, in St Mary's Park, is the venue for a new group called 4 U and Baby 2 which is aimed at teenage mothers from the age of 16 to 20. The group is
WHITBY TOWN 0, RADCLIFFE BORO 2: Third placed Whitby Town, unbeaten in their last 12 league matches, were no match for Radcliffe Borough at the Turnbull ground. With Steve Foster and Ciaran Kilheeney restored in attack, it was business as usual for Boro
POLICE have issued descriptions of three conmen who stole cash from an 80-year-old woman in her home. Three white men in their 30s posed as water board workers to get into the property in Haston Lee Avenue, Blackburn, by saying they needed to check water
I HAVE been following with interest the fate of the Re:d Centre in Morley Street, Bury, which provides a support service for people with disabilities. I was in Bury the evening that the parents and children gathered outside the town hall to make their
PUPILS from a Bury high school have raised more than £2,000 for people suffering from HIV and Aids after learning about the devastating impact it has on lives. Youngsters from Bury Grammar Boys School on Bridge Road held a week of fundraising events,
IN a recent letter, Bury North Labour MP David Chaytor claimed that Tory voters defected in droves in June's elections; that most Tories are not just desperate but suicidal; and that in such a situation the Tory lurches to the extreme right. This is,
TWO thugs, who broke the hip of an 89-year-old woman when they attacked her in the street, have started jail sentences totalling eight and a half years. Andrew Chadfield (20), of no fixed address, and Matthew Craig (18), of Halter Close, Bury, had targeted
