A £3million refit of the Asda store at Colne has begun. The refurbishment will see a new pharmacy, a new restaurant and a new technology centre selling the latest MP3 players, music, DVDs, games and consoles. It will create a total of 50 new permanent
THE Salvation Army band is celebrating its 125th birthday next month. The 25 band members will play a variety of pieces including a piano concerto by bandmaster Eric Millest at a concert on March 3. Celebrations will continue as the band, who are set
SCENTED envelopes and safety gates for babies were among the inventions trialled at an event for innovators from across the North West. The Saturn Centre, a Blackburn College campus site in Challenge Way, Blackburn, hosted the inventors convention over
SOME of the country's top bands including the Arctic Monkeys and Idlewild have been quietly heading to Blackburn College to record their future hits. And college students have been helping them head for chart success. Blackburn College has launched
A man who struggled as police tried to arrest him had seen red after his girlfriend was pushed to the floor by an officer, a court was told. Burnley Magistrates heard how Loran Britcliffe, 31, was aggressive, unco-operative and swore at police after
A MAN who plotted to blow up his mother's house with a home-made bomb has been spared jail. Michael Tillotson, 26, was instead given three years supervision by a judge who said he was not a danger to the public. Fifty people had to be evacuted after
RESIDENTS are being asked for their views on the future of Darwen Library. A bid is being submitted for cash to improve the building, and library chiefs need to know what Darwen residents want for the facility. Darwen Library and Theatre must make a
A GROUP of teenagers are hoping to break the world endurance record for netball by playing a 56-hour match. The netball squad at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School will attempt the feat next month, playing the equivalent of 40 back-to-back games.
DARWEN academy will take the name of its millionaire backer Rod Aldridge, it was revealed today. And the news was immediately attacked by opposition councillors and union chiefs who branded the move "egotistical". The academy is due to open in September
A BEREAVED mother has spoken of her anger after she was told to take mementos away from her dead baby's grave. And Samantha Hawke has vowed to continue leaving gifts on her son's grave after staff at Burnley Cemetery removed the items. The 23-year-old
A MEMBER of staff at a Blackburn club was slapped then dragged over the bar by a customer. Mark McArthur, 25, of Hastings Close, Blackburn, admitted assaulting Richard Young and was made subject to a 28-day curfew and ordered to pay £250 compensation
HEALTH bosses welcomed new figures showing a drop in teenage pregnancies across Blackburn and Darwen. The Office for National Statistics said the rate of conceptions in 15 to 17-year-olds had dropped by 18.2 per cent since 1998. In a single year alone
A COUNSELLING and support charity has scooped £200,000 from the Big Lottery Fund. Caring Today, a Brierfield-based charitable organisation, gained a share of the £1.8 million awarded to several projects in the North West in its Reaching Communities programme
NELSON's defence was pulled apart as they suffered their heaviest defeat of the season at Congleton. The Blues competed well in the first-half but went behind after 10 minutes when Jordan Johnson beat goalkeeper Jim Davies. Congleton doubled their lead
PADIHAM improved their promotion aspirations with a lively Division Two win over Staffordshire side Eccleshall. Michael Morrison shot the Storks ahead on 10 minutes after the visiting goalkeeper Steve Intimar fumbled the Padhiam striker's close range
CLITHEROE slipped to their first league defeat in four outings despite taking the lead against Colywn Bay. Former Blackburn Rovers and Accrington midfielder Joel Byrom gave the Blues a great start with a fifth minute opener. But the Welsh side struck
RAMSBOTTOM manager Lee Sculpher has set his side a top six target after demolishing Formby with a superb show at the Riverside Ground. The Rams ran up seven goals - with Steve Maden netting after just 33 seconds - to keep alive their Division One promotion
COLNE'S injury crisis deepened as Anthony Murt limped out of the warm up before Saturday's game and Scott Gizon was stretchered off after five minutes. In spite of this, Colne made a bright start with new boys Chris Gallagher and Jeff Mounton soon settling
WHO said variety was dead? After watching When WiIl I Be Famous? on BBC1 on Saturday night you certainly couldn't accuse television of not offering something different. Whether different equates to quality, I remain to be convinced but the sight of a
RECYCLING DESTROYS MARRIAGES' - I'll wager my biggest green bin that it won't be long before that headline appears in the paper. The way things are going I might just make the front pages myself, as the first woman in the country to file for divorce
A BLACKBURN Rovers player was caught drink-driving hours after putting in a man-of-the-match performance, a court heard. Blackpool magistrates were told Bryan Hodge, 19, had shone in midfield during his debut on loan for League Two outfit Mansfield
HASLINGDEN looks set to get a state-of-the-art fitness centre. Rossendale Council is expected to back Rossendale Leisure Trust's £1.2m investment plans for a new health and fitness suite at Haslingden Sports Centre and is considering options for millions
A MAN who smashed his way into his former friend's home and gave her a beating will win his freedom when a place is found for him at a rehabilitation centre. Drug addict Steven McGowen, 32, punched terrified vicim Linda Whipp at least 10 times and headbutted
CHILDREN and parents from the NCH Sure Start South West Burnley Children's Centre have created a willow den in the centre's garden. The creation was part of a series of workshops during the half term, with local willow artist Stephen Thompson. The den
A SERIES of events are planned for this year as Hyndburn environment charity the Prospects Foundation celebrates its 10th birthday. The first Prospects Panel was set up in 1996 but the organisation has chosen 2007 to celebrate. The charity, which is
A TEENAGER who was over the limit and led police on a high speed chase has been given a curfew. Burnley Magistrates heard how Michael Mannion, 18, clocked up 70mph in an 30mph zone and was not insured - although his cover had lapsed just four days before
A man suffered bruising after being jostled by two would-be robbers as he left a newsagents. The 41-year-old was coming out of the shop in Nuttall Street, Accrington, at 6.20pm on Sunday when he was approached by two teenagers. One of the males
TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular Burnley landlord who has died, aged 67. John Hirst began his career at The Royal, Colne Road, and went on to work as a steward at Burnley Cricket Club before finishing at the Coach and Horses Inn on Church Street.
A CHEF who has worked in Michelin starred restaurants will be tantalising taste buds in Lancashire after taking the helm of a Mellor pub. Steve Midgely says he is determined to transform the Feilden's Arms, Whalley Road, into one of the county's leading
A police drama filmed in Rossendale will premiere on TV tonight. The two-part drama Instinct' follows talented detective DCI Thomas Flynn (Anthony Flanagan), who pits his wits against a serial killer. "The murderer has been stalking the Pennines, with
BLACKBURN Rovers defender Stephen Warnock believes a top-six place is still achievable following yesterday's thumping 3-0 win over Portsmouth. Rovers kept their slim hopes of qualifying for Europe alive with a resounding win over a Pompey side that also
FRANK Burnley manager Steve Cotterill believes that he may have been too loyal to under-performing players in their winless streak. The Clarets have come under increasing pressure having not earned three points since their 2-1 win over Leeds United on
BURNLEY manager Steve Cotterill admitted he was delighted to leave Colchester United with a point and a clean sheet. The Clarets boss believes the performance at Layer Road is a solid platform to build on as his side seek to earn their first win since
A NEW look for a deprived area has been unveiled by architects. Developers R-Gen said refurb-ishment of the Whitefield area of Nelson will mean innovative use of space to give Victorian terrace houses a new lease of life. There is a big emphasis on
YOBS attacking emergency services face a £5,000 fine after the law was changed this week. And a Blackburn firm is at the forefront of the fight to stop attacks on fire crews by fitting cutting edge technology to record incidents. The Emergency Workers
ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman hailed his goal hero Paul Mullin and said the striker is "the envy of every club in the Football League". The Reds captain grabbed his second goal in successive games against Lincoln City on Saturday to take his tally
THE Duke of Lancaster's regiment has confirmed its soldiers will not be among the 1,000 extra British troops being sent to Afghanistan. The 2nd battalion of the regiment, which encorporates the former Queen's Lancashire Regiment, is due to return from
A Darwen teenager kicked his mother's car after arguing when she asked him to help with the housework. Blackburn magistrates heard that Daniel Lee Taylor then shouted at his mum that he was going to smash her face in. Taylor, 18, of Redearth Road, pleaded
BURNLEY councillors have agreed to spend £20,000 on a feasibility study into a proposed 'fashion tower' in the Weavers Triangle. The council's Executive committee voted in principle to spend the money on the study which will look into the ideas put forward
MUD-THROWING yobs seem to have a second sight when it comes to the expected arrival of police cars (LT, February 21). Wouldn't it be a good idea to keep a camera handy in the homes of victims and catch these mindless idiots on camera so the pictures
RE the letter (LT, February 19) about the election of Julie Slater. I live in the East Rural area of Darwen, and Julie Slater is the person the majority of people wanted. She has worked non-stop addressing issues in the ward. In a short space of time
BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes last night said bring on the Arsenal' after he watched his Rovers side bounce back from their European nightmare with a thumping 3-0 victory over Portsmouth. Rovers shrugged off the disappointment of their UEFA Cup exit at
RE the letter (LT, February 16) regarding dog fouling. To all the irresponsible dog owners of Mellor who walk their dogs and allow them to foul the pavements and can't be bothered to clean it up and dispose of it properly, I would ask: do YOU really
FROM small acorns, big trees grow. Similarly, while a point at Colchester didn't have a massive impact on the Championship table, the value of all that Saturday's game encompassed to Burnley could have immeasurable benefits for the rest of the season
AT the start of this match John Coleman must have thought he had smashed a mirror or walked under a ladder on his way to the Fraser Eagle Stadium. Lady Luck has never shone a bright light on the Reds on their return to the Football League, and for the
SHABANI Nonda breathed new life into Blackburn Rovers' flagging European aspirations - just three days after his late miss had effectively cost them a place in the UEFA Cup. Vilified for squandering a golden chance in the dying seconds of last Thursday
TWO East Lancs businesses are celebrating after winning at the North West Fine Food awards. The Fence Gate Inn, Wheatley Lane Road, Fence, won the best sausages with natural additives' category for its National and Lancashire's Champion Sausage. The
Firefighters were called to Duralay in Broadway, Haslingden, at 7.45am today after a suspected electrical fault caused fire to break out in the motor of a gas heater in a storage warehouse. A crew from Rawtenstall spent 30 minutes at the scene and
A MAN sustained facial injuries in a hammer attack at his home in Rothesay Road, Shadsworth, Blackburn. Police said two offenders entered his home around 11.15pm on Friday. Anyone with information ishould call CID on 01254 353564.
Alexisonfire know what they like, and what they like is teenage angst. Boiled Frogs, from its title onwards, pours out a torrent of anguish. Much of this rage ends up muffled by the screaming vocals, though there are some clearer passages in there
Trouble is an interestingly twisted pop song, starting out like a piano-led cocktail bar band but soon adding subtle, suspended guitar notes to the choruses. The lyrics deal acerbically with some unnamed musician ("pop star" seems the wrong choice
The first single from ex-Ash strummer Charlotte's second album is as mad as a bag of foxes on a hot day. I Want You To Know has a pop-punk aesthetic that wants to be 'jagged', though it actually it sounds a Kids In America-era Kim Wilde decided to
Thankfully not quite as annoying as the Gwen Stefani song of the same name. South African born, London-based singer Mpho Skeef - pronounced Mm'poh - has a fantastic voice, but the hackneyed song structure, lyrics, backing loops and production all leave
Polytechnic's latest single has a catchy, retro sound that could segue between The Magic Numbers and Arcade Fire at your local indie-disco. The hairy five-piece formed in Manchester in 2005 and quickly scaled the slippery jangle-pop-punk pole of success
It isn't surprising for a Leeds indie band to sound like The Cribs and be championed by The Kaiser Chiefs. What is noteworthy is the energy of this galumphing floor-filler - it might be predictable but it is damn good fun. If their stage show is
David 'Pottsy' Potts - best known for his stints in RAM and Peter Hook side-project Monaco - ventures out on his own with this debut solo album. One might fairly have assumed the title was inspired by George Orwell's classic novel of the same name,
A MAN took a cricket bat to his ex-girlfriend's mobility car after learning she had spent time with another man. Burnley Magistrates heard how Ted Alderson, 42, had issues with drink and depression and was on incapacity benefits. Alderson, of Heap
PLACES are still up for grabs for teams wanting to take part in a charity tournament with some of footballs great former players. Legends such as Ian Rush, Neil Ruddock, Dave Watson, John Aldridge and Bruce Grobbelaar are putting their football boots
COUNCILLORS hope the mystery buyer of an historic warehouse will work with them over redeveloping Hyndburn's Gateway site. The Grade II listed Hargreaves warehouse at Canal Wharf Works, Church, was bought at auction last week for £160,000 - £10,000 more
