A 71-YEAR-OLD retired engineer was found dead at the foot of the stairs by police who forced entry after neighbours raised the alarm. An inquest heard that Wilfred Handley, of Pleckgate Road, Blackburn, had not been seen for several days and police forced
THE new headmaster of a Todmorden junior school has been praised in an Ofsted inspection report. Inspector Diane Auton said of Shade Primary School, Rochdale Road: "The new headteacher has revitalised the school by bringing staff and governors together
A WOMAN returned to her ransacked home and found the burglar climbing back in through a window, a court was told. Burnley Crown Court heard how Marie Bocking had gone back to her house on Clover Street, Burnley, to find a "scene of devastation" and property
POLICE in Burnley are launching a new initiative to crackdown on sneak-in burglaries. Officers have set up Beat the Burglar after a spate of incidents where thieves have walked into homes through unlocked doors and open windows. Now bobbies on their
A MAN allegedly left a schoolgirl in tears after kissing her face and trying to have sex with her, a jury heard. Burnley Crown Court was told how the alleged victim of David Byrom was said to have told her friend he attempted to "do stuff" with her.
A FORMER hospital vice-chairman has slammed the removal of a plaque bearing the name of her outspoken boss as "offensive and disrespectful". Indira Batra said bosses must put back the plaque, which honoured former hospital chairman Ian Woolley. The
A DRUG addict who mugged a teenager after threatening him with a bottle in an alley has been jailed for two-and-a-half years. Steven Rawcliffe, 21, of Napier Street, Nelson, picked up an empty WKD bottle and threatened to "bottle" the teenager if he
TWO additional bands could be added to council tax with those in the cheapest homes paying less and those in the most expensive paying more. The long awaited review of local government finances was published today by Sir Michael Lyons and also recommends
GORDON Brown's latest budget "gives with one hand and takes away with the other," according to an East Lancashire family. Father-of-four Kevin Savage, 50, of Dill Hall Lane, Accrington, is a full-time carer for his mentally handicapped daughter.
A PRIMARY school for children with behavioural problems received a glowing Ofsted report. Hendon Brook Short Stay School, Nelson, was signalled out by inspectors for its outstanding care, guidance and support it gives to pupils to improve behaviour
TODAY is the first day of spring - so thousands of women across East Lancashire will be digging out their mops and buckets ready for the annual spring clean, right? Not according to a new survey, which today revealed more than half of all households
BLACKBURN could be one of the hottest property spots in the country this year, a local expert has predicted. Graham Ireland, partner and head of conveyancing at Haworth & Nuttall Solicitors, which has offices in Blackburn, Accrington and Great Harwood
MORE than £220,000 extra will be spent on improving facilities in Pendle because of the increased business growth in the borough. Pendle Council will receive £329,000 from the Government's Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme grant instead
A PART-TIME taxi driver has appeared in court charged with trying to rape and sexually assault a teenage passenger. Saghir Ahmed, 36, of Rhoda Street, Nelson, who is also a factory worker, was arrested on Sunday morning after a 16-year-old girl reported
A DEVASTATED teenage road crash victim has told how a few seconds changed her life and destroyed her childhood dream. Nicola Haines, of Beech Avenue, Earby, was three months into a nursing degree when a car accident fractured her pelvis in two places
A BANK teller failed to spot a crucial spelling error which could have prevented a fraudster stealing almost £250,000 from an elderly woman's account. The worker at Abbey National, Union Street, Accrington, did not spot that the pensioner's name had
THREE East Lancashire firms have been selected as some of the best in the county. The winners of the BIBAs (Be Inspired Business Awards) 2007, run by Business Link Lancashire and the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, were announced in
IT'S technology more akin to a James Bond film, but a children's nursery has installed a fingerprint entry system. Blossoms Private Day Nursery, Vale Street, Bacup, has become one of the first in the country to use the sophisticated system to keep intruders
COLNE residents are being given the chance to give their views of the planned South Valley regeneration. The Big Red Bus' will drive around the South Valley on Friday and Saturday, so residents can look at the options on display in the bus, and give
A SEX attacker's victim today revealed how her life had been tormented for 15 years and said: "I only feel safe when he is behind bars." The woman, who was just 14 when she was indecently assaulted by convicted rapist Paul Black, spoke out after his
PARENTS in Edgworth and Belmont have formed a pressure group to secure school places for their children in Turton. The Turton Schools Action Group was formed after a new School Admissions Code threatened a 30-year-old rule agreement which guaranteed
The Duke of Gloucester with Blackburn with Darwen PCT Chief Exec Judith Holbery, PCT Chairman Nick Kennedy and Christine Kirk who showed him around the Royal Blackburn Hospital.
East Lancashire business experts warned that small firms could be hit hard by the Budget. The budget will see small firms paying more tax. This is because corporation tax for small businesses - a tax paid by limited companies on their profits - is to
THE number one priority is for the club to stay up. A few weeks ago we were talking about the R-word, as in relegation, but now it's really upon us. We're in the mix and it's time for the players to stand up and be counted. We've got a lot of home games
Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez is predicting that Burnley striker Kyle Lafferty will go on to play at the highest level. But for the moment Sanchez believes the 19-year-old is right to continue his education with the Clarets. Celtic made an
People who know me will know that Paul Simon is my hero. That started for me in the late 60's. In I am a Rock, Simon writes: "I have my books. And my poetry to protect me. I am shielded in my armour." I went to see him perform with Arthur Garfunkel
POLICE and council officials are calling time on crime with high visibility pub visits to tackle anti-social behaviour. Police officers and council licensing officials visited a number of pubs and clubs at the weekend as part of the Padiham and Hapton
It was brrr rather than baa for these sheep on a frosty day, as Steve Holden, of Grange Road, Blackburn, captured with his camera.
ROSSENDALE councillor Leonard Entwistle has spoken out to reveal the reason for his resignation from the council. Coun Entwistle said he was "deeply unhappy" and felt he was being "ignored by the Conservative Party", which he left to become an independent
Residents who lived on a Clitheroe estate in the 1950s took a trip down memory lane when they gathered for a reunion. It was organised by Doug Brownrigg, 68, who lived in Billington Gardens from the age of 14 - he now lives in Shays Drive - and took
SOME people have more money than sense. Take the three couples featured in last night's Selling Houses Abroad on Channel Four. At first glance all seemed perfectly intelligent sane adults. Yet each of them managed to buy a property in France or Spain
A PATIENT who claimed she was groped by a doctor may have been suffering from the side-effects of powerful pain-killing drugs, a hearing was told. Pharmacology expert Prof Nicholas Birch said the patient, who cannot be named for legal reasons, may have
A CHARITY worker is hoping to reunite a couple with family photos after they were accidentally sent in to a stamp appeal. Alysha Sheridan, a volunteer for Hyndburn CVS, set herself the target of collecting 10,000 stamps to raise funds for the East Lancashire
RELATIVES of soldiers who died while serving their country in the two World Wars are being asked to help update a war memorial. Oswaldtwistle's commemorative stone plinth, which stands at the end of Rhyddings Street, is dedicated to those who fell
A FAILING school given a year to improve is now on the road to recovery, government inspectors believe. In August, St Matthew's CE Primary School, Blackburn, was given 12 months to improve the quality of teaching and leadership or face being put into
Five of our Burnley Jury members came together to deliver their verdict on the campaign so far. HOWARD ELLISON: The 51-year-old has following Burnley since he was five years old. He sits in the Jimmy McIlroy lower tier. STUART HENKS: The 54-year-old
A DARWEN Town Council with power over planning and social services is an idea of fantasy', says MP Janet Anderson. The For Darwen party told residents during their first public meeting how they planned to bring about a new Darwen Town Council with powers
A SCHOOL which was badly damaged in an arson attack last year is celebrating the opening of its new main hall. Darwen Moorland High School is holding a concert tomorrow night to mark the end of its refurbishment after the fire in July caused £250,000
BUNGLING workers in Blackburn have painted a 39-inch long set of double yellow lines - probably the shortest stretch ever seen in Britain. The one metre-long lines in Swift Close, are so small they would only stop a unicycle or skateboard being parked
PEOPLE who insist on keeping dangerous dogs are idiots. I'm well aware in saying that I'm inviting a torrent of abuse from dog lovers insisting "I have a lovely cuddly Staffy who wouldn't harm a fly", but it's what I believe. This week we heard
CHANGES in senior management at Accrington and Rossendale College will complement the renovated campus to take the establishment into the 21st Century, according to its new leader. Current principal Nancy Cookson will retire from her position at the
DARWEN Tower has been stripped of its crowning glory - by strong winds. The weather vane was ripped off the top of the 85ft landmark on Beacon Hill during the recent gales. It is now in storage waiting to be returned to its rightful place above Darwen
PROPOSALS for a Muslim meeting place in a Blackburn suburb have been turned down because it was out of character' with the area. The Beardwood Muslim Association wanted to put up a three-storey building on a disused car park in Beardwood, Blackburn.
INDIVIDUAL schools will decide whether to ban Lancashire pupils from wearing veils, education chiefs have confirmed. The government has issued guidance which said the freedom of individuals "to manifest a religion or belief" does not give them the right
WHAT can I say about the shenanigans in the game at Ewood against West Ham? I was at the game and I really couldn't believe what I was seeing. You have to hand it to the referee and the linesman - they got it completely wrong. The referee got a number
The Duke of Gloucester visited East Lancashire today to officially open the Royal Blackburn Hospital and the £30m Phase Five Development at Burnley General Hospital. Before unveiling a plaque to officially open the Royal Blackburn, which began taking
A MAN who sexually assaulted a little girl in Burnley was today starting a 15-month jail term. The town's crown court heard how drunken Geoffrey Hall, 37, then living in Burnley, committed an indecent act on the child but claimed he could not remember
GORDON Brown has delivered his 11th budget - here are the main points of his speech. Reaction to follow. * Education spending to rise to £64bn next year from £60bn. Then increase to £67bn, £70bn and then £74bn. * Education
FIGHTING crime is "just like riding a bike" according to one Blackbu-rn police community support officer. Since getting on his bike in April last year, PCSO Nigel Brooke has cycled over 1,000 miles on his beat area of Mill Hill, Ewood and Lower Darwen
A SPURNED 60-year-old man who tried to win back his former "companion" by constantly phoning her has admitted harassment. Burnley magistrates heard how lonely, Barry Kendell, thought he had fould lasting love when he met pensioner Eileen Jennings. Their
ACCRINGTON Stanley's newest recruit Godwin Antwi came through his first test with flying colours. And Reds captain Peter Cavanagh, who joined the Liverpool youngster on Saturday in another new-look Stanley defence, admitted it felt like the 18-year-old
RAMSBOTTOM residents are fighting for their right to have their say. Following an announcement by Bury Council that the borough's six area boards and tasking teams are being reviewed, some residents voiced their fears that the "open forum" would disappear
TWO firecrews battled for over an hour to bring a fire in a unit on an Accrington industrial estate under control. The fire broke out in ducting inside a commercial unit in Chester Street industrial estate just before 3pm yesterday. Firefighters
BOSSES at a factory set to close with the loss of up to 450 jobs have rejected a rescue package put forward by unions. Baxi Heating UK has turned down plans from the union Amicus to save the company's Padiham site which officials said would have saved
THE Office of Fair Trading has been asked to investigate the billion dollar buyout of an aerospace company which runs a facility in Nelson. In January, Smiths Group plc agreed to sell its aerospace company, Smiths Aerospace divison, to General Electric
A SERIES of public meetings have been annouced over plans for a racecourse in Simonstone. They will be held at Read CE Primary School on Friday, April 27 Monday, April 30, Wednesday, May 16, and Friday, May 18. The first meeting on April 27 will
A DENTIST has denied claims that he sexually assaulted two members of staff at a Blackburn practice. Martin Kono Abe is accused of grabbing one woman's breasts - on one occasion while she was working on a computer. It is also alleged that he unzipped
A DOCTOR accused of inventing qualifications to fulfill his ambition of becoming a psychiatrist has had part of the case against him dropped. The General Medical Council heard how Dr Kelvin Chatoor told bosses at the former Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn
ROBBIE Savage today backed his team-mates to go all the way in the FA Cup, claiming practically everyone in the country wants us to beat Chelsea'. Rovers will go head-to-head with the defending Premier League champions in a semi-final showdown at Old
SHOPPING in Accrington market hall the other day, I saw on a fancy goods stall a nine inch high statuette of a Taliban Fighter. It was dressed in combat gear and flourishing a Kalashnikov rife. I would have thought this was offensive to the relatives
ONE year on from the official roll out of the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening programme (NHSP) and every child in England is now screened for deafness as soon as they are born. The test ensures that hearing loss and impairment is identified on average
THE cheek of Mr Arif Waghat is beyond belief, saying he hoped that people would appreciate the difficulties he was in as regards to not paying his council tax. No, Mr Waghat, we do not. Have you not the sense to realise that if everyone else did the
I WOULD like to comment on the recent news that red tape and regulation have cost businesses in East Lancashire almost £150m since 1998. Many people in the UK think that it is the European Commission which is responsible for so much of the red tape
LANCASHIRE all-rounder Tom Smith is determined not to suffer from "second season syndrome" as he readies himself for a new domestic campaign. The 21-year-old former Chorley pro announced himself on the county stage with a fantastic debut season, with
Blackburn Hawks ended their season on a losing note, but the management insist that the local ice hockey club can look forward to an exciting future. Despite a 6-2 defeat on the final day to Solway Sharks, Hawks finished just one place outside the play-off
A CAR salesman from Blackburn has beaten off 10,000 other hopefuls to become one of 16 would-be entrepreneurs set to appear on TV's The Apprentice. Viewers will see former supermarket shelf-stacker Adam Hosker, 27, face the wrath of business guru Sir
A £1MILLION package of grants to improve the quality of people's lives has been announced. A number of groups are to receive cash as part of the initiative, including schemes which help the elderly live independent lives. Blackburn with Darwen Local
Tickets are now on sale for Burnley's away game at Birmingham City, which takes place at St Andrews on Saturday 7th April, with a 3pm kick-off. Tickets are priced at £15 for adults, £12.50 for senior citizens and students aged under 22 with a valid
The share price of Inter Link Foods, Blackburn, fell by almost half this morning after the company announced fresh money troubles. In February the firm announced it would not meet market forecasts for the year, and would make a loss. Now the Shadsworth
A BLACKBURN school has a new eye-catching sign, thanks to its success in the Lancashire Telegraph anti-bullying competition. The poster competition was sponsored by Clitheroe-based Trutex, who asked children to design an anti-bullying poster. The
MORE young people are returning to work or training than last year, it has been revealed. Figures from advice agency Connexions show that during the three months from November 2006 to January 2007, the volume of young people in Lancashire who are not
LANCASHIRE parents are being urged to take up their childcare entitlement in a new government campaign. The campaign is aimed at parents of three and four-years-old in a bid to raise awareness of the playgroups, pre-schools, registered childminders,
ONE million pounds is being offered for projects to improve the local environment. The Lancashire Environmental Fund is celebrating its 10th anniversary and is offering charitable groups funding for buildings, amenities and the environment. The
