A RUNDOWN library in Rossendale is set to benefit from a cash injection from county hall. Nearly £500,000 is set to be spent on improving Crawshawbooth Library, in Adelaide Street, as part of a project which will also improve youth facilities locally
Chorley Harriers recently held their annual awards evening to celebrate the achievements of their young athletes during 2007. The overall winners of the club's Junior Grand Prix were Ella Crabtree and Mark Brown. In the age categories, the winning U11s
A PROMOTER who has worked with a host of musical stars is hoping to kickstart a live music boom in Pendle. Gemma Taylor, of Linden Road, Colne, wants to raise hundreds of pounds through a charity gig for Oxjam at the Cornerhouse Pub, in Market Street
A NEW headteacher has been appointed to turn round the fortunes of a failing school. Martin Burgess has been named as the successor to Andrew Mackensie at Shuttleworth College in Burnley. Mr Mackenzie resigned as the school's headteacher last Thursday
The first weekend in June of this year will bring the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Blackburn track at Witton Park. On June 6 1958, the Lancashire Track and Field Championships were staged at this venue. It was the policy of the County Committee
MORE than 160 jobs are to be axed at a Lancashire brewery, it has been announced. Staff at Inbev, the company that makes Stella Artois at Samlesbury, have been told that 168 workers will be made redundant when a 90-day consultation period is completed
Roy Flanagan has become the second member of his family to earn international honours in little more than a year. The Rossendale Harrier has qualified for the Great Britain Duathlon Team which will contest the 2008 ITU Duathlon World Championships in
A HEALTH worker from East Lancashire has scooped a top international award in recognition of his work at home and abroad. Andrew Clarke, 38, a community health visitor from Ramsbottom, was handed the prestigious Robert Tiffany International Nursing Award
NOISY neighbours can make life hell for those living nearby but residents often know little about how to tackle the problem. We spoke to those on both sides of the noise debate. TO SOME people the thought of rap music blaring out of a stereo at all
A DRUNKEN woman who abused police had three fixed penalties for being drunk and disorderly, a court heard. Marcia Sinkinson, 37, who had a host of other difficulties as well as a drink problem, had not turned up for court and was absolutely petrified
Police today slammed the defendants' 'disrespectful' parents for laughing and joking at times during the investigation into Sophie Lancaster's murder. After today' verdict, Det Supt Mick Gradwell, senior investigating officer at Lancashire Police,
RESIDENTS living near a newly refurbished swimming pool will be the focus of a pioneering initiative aimed at making them more active. The joint campaign between Ribble Valley Council and Lancashire Sport was unveiled at the reopening of Ribblesdale
Harrowing images of Sophie Lancaster and her boyfriend Robert Maltby in their hospital beds have been released by their families and police. Lancashire Police said that they, along with the victim's parents, wanted to show the true horror of the injuries
A GROUP of horse riders and walkers raised hundreds of pounds for charity after a trek around an East Lancashire reservoir on Easter Monday. They travelled around Hurstwood reservoir in Burnley on foot and horseback, raising money for the mayor of Burnley's
To all lovers of quality Rock music.The Rock Project is to decend on the Buchannan Sports and Social Club on Buchannan Street in Ramsbottom on Friday 18th April. Rossendale Rock Cover Bands Big Lix and Bronx will be centre stage.Admission is £5.Tel.Chris
A FORMER college lecturer who is studying for a degree has had five years of "irreplaceable work" stolen from her home. Julie Slater, of Elswick Street, Darwen, said she had barely stopped crying since the robbery in the early hours of Easter Sunday
Detective Superintendent Mick Gradwell, Senior Investigating Officer at Lancashire Police, said the Sophie Lancaster murder was one of the most violent he had come across in his lengthy career. He said: "It was a totally unnecessary and appalling set
AN historical riddle which showed up during a renovation project has left Clitheroe Castle bosses scratching their heads. The castle is undergoing a £3.2million redevelopment, but now historians are asking who is WT? A section of crumbling wall between
A GANG of youths are being hunted after a series of attacks on teenagers on their way to school. Pupils at Blessed Trinity RC College's Ormerod Road site in Burnley have been assaulted in a series of unprovoked attacks. The attacks took place on Wednesday
A TINY East Lancashire village was the inspiration behind an episode of a popular television drama, it has been revealed. Slaidburn, in the Ribble Valley inspired a fictional village featured in one episode of the Inspector Lynley Mysteries, which were
ROBERT Maltby has told how he wished his girlfriend had saved her own life by running away and leaving him to die. And he said that the moment he saw her lying in hospital he wanted to rip his heart out and give it to her in an attempt to bring her
THE Christine Goodfellow Memorial Trophy was kept close to home this year when Blackburn's Sue Cheetham of the North Lancashire Road Club was presented with it after her club's 10 mile promotion on Saturday at Garstang. Cheetham had clocked 27 minutes
BURNLEY winger Wade Elliott has today agreed a new three-year deal, which keeps him at Turf Moor until 2011. The Clarets' Player of the Season's contract was due to run out in the summer.
AN UNDERCOVER police operation to crack down on street level dealing of Class A drugs in Blackburn resulted in two brothers being jailed. Gavin Lewis, 29, of Yates Street, Chorley, got two years and his elder brother Paul Lewis, 32,of the same address
A WOMAN refused to make a statement against her husband who slapped her across the face during a row. But the couple's daughter, who got between the couple during the incident, told police what had happened enabling them to prosecute Colin Duckworth.
Johann Vogel could make his Blackburn debut on Saturday after finally receiving international clearance. The 31-year-old has now been cleared to play in the Premier League and manager Mark Hughes has hinted he could feature in some capacity against Reading
HARDENED detectives were left sickened by the attack on Sophie Lancaster and Robert Maltby. Senior officers said it was the "one of the worst" cases they had ever dealt with. During the horrific assault Sophie's hair was pulled so hard that a piece
A MAN who put another man in hospital with a fractured jaw and eye socket has been jailed for two years. Christopher Ankers, 32, of Richmond Road, Accrington, lost his temper after missing out on a loan of £7, Preston Crown Court heard. At the time
"SOPHIE was an individual. She was an intelligent young girl and always marched to her own beat." Those are the memories of Sophie's mother Sylvia Lancaster. Sylvia said would miss her daughter's presence and her laugh. "She had quite a sense of humour
England are refusing to put a date on Andrew Flintoff's return to international cricket following their Test series success in New Zealand. England face the Black Caps again at home this summer before playing four Tests against South Africa, but they
STUNNED drivers are being forced to hit the brakes by groups of ducks crossing a main road in their annual pursuit of sanctuary. The birds bravely make the short trip from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to the River Darwen each year to escape the icy
An inquest has opened on a 68-year-old woman who was found dead in a chair in the lounge of the nursing home where she lived. Eva McCann, a retired carer, was discovered by staff at Birch Hall Nursing Home, Darwen, last Thursday. A post mortem exam-ination
A 15-year-old boy has been found guilty of murdering Sophie Lancaster - who was kicked and stamped to death for being dressed like a goth. After the jury's verdict, the judge lifted an order so that Brendan Harris and Ryan Herbert, 16, who had previously
POLICE have been accused of not doing enough to tackle Asian men who groom white teenagers into prostitution for fear of being branded racist. National Muslim organisation the Ramadhan Foundation said that extremist political parties like the BNP benefit
It's fair to say that last year's contestants came in for some criticism - and much of it brought on themselves. I include myself in that - we all said one or two outrageous things, some more than others. The producers love it, those little soundbites
Lancashire County Cricket Club declared an after-tax profit of £185,174 for 2007. Cricket match receipts grew by 4 per cent boosted by a Test Match which went to a fifth day, but non cricket related activities also to played an important part in the
Lancashire CCC have recorded another strong financial result for 2007 with a declared profit after tax of £185,174. Despite the poor weather endured during the summer months of July and August, the club still achieved a sold and positive set of financial
TWO former Darwen schoolgirls are organising a reunion 20 years after leaving school. Donna Martin (nee Townsend), 35, and Tracy Shepherd (nee Nuttall), 34, left Darwen Vale High in 1988, and are trying to get in touch with old friends through the website
A COMMUNITY event raised hundreds of pounds for a young boy who is battling cancer. Hundreds of people braved the wind, rain and snow to help raise money for eight year-old Bradley Dean's holiday fund by attending the charity event at the White Lion
AN upmarket interiors store has not sold a single kitchen - despite being open for eight months. But bosses at Pavilion Interiors, Church Street, Blackburn, insist they are staying put, despite the situation which they describe as a "disaster". Manager
RESIDENTS wanting to know the result of a public inquiry into compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) for Brierfield properties will have to wait three months for the result. The inquiry is looking into objections raised about houses being given compulsory
We have a mixed group of our local youths who are on a sponsor walk to tackle Pendle Hill. Our local Neigbourhood Policing Team,John, Bill and Cath will be supervising the walk and two of our volunteers Lynn and myself from B.W.C.A.G. will also be assisting
BURNLEY manager Owen Coyle is plotting a summer spending spree after seeing his side's promotion ambitions falter. Although the Clarets boss still has sixth place in his sights and is determined to bridge the four-point gap separating them from the final
A 21-year-old man has appeared before Blackburn magistrates on arson offences following an incident at a traveller's caravan site in Appleby Street. James William Young, of Ewood Caravan Site, Blackburn, is charged with arson with intent to endanger
This was the last event that was held at Gerald Court, Burnley Wood. Which brought the Channel 4 Big Arts Project to an end in Burnley Wood. There was a mixture of events during that day from a buffet tea, youth performances, pie'n'peas and a Beatles
FORMULA One will return to the BBC from the 2009 season after the corporation secured a five-year television rights deal. Twelve years after ITV won the rights and began broadcasting the sport, the BBC have managed to bring Formula One back in a major
A FIRST ever ladies night was staged by the Harley-Davidson and Buell dealership in Preston. More than 70 guests packed into the Strand Road garage for a night of glitz and glamour. The event attracted female motorcyclists, pillion passengers and
A UNIQUE chance for motor racing fans to buy genuine kit and equipment used by Blackburn's Carl Fogarty has been announced. The four-time World Superbike Champion is selling hundreds of items from the Foggy Petronas Racing team. Fogarty, known simply
A MAN has been charged after a gang shattered the peace of a Burnley village. Up to 30 men, in high-powered BMWs and Range Rovers, descended on Church Square in Worsthorne on Easter Monday. Police believe the group were looking for a Burnley man, in
A MOTORIST has told of her 'truly terrifying experience" as an 81-year-old grandmother drove towards her the wrong way along the M65. Alison Currie was in the middle lane as Martha Harwood drove past her in the outside lane. As we revealed yesterday,
You might not think it from reading the newspapers, but crime has fallen over the last 10 years. Not that this matters to those unfortunate enough to have been a victim. And nor does it mean we can afford to relax. It does show the gap between the
Here's a young football team from 1954 - Blakey Moor under 12s. They're kitted out in their quarter colour strips, the Blackburn school soccer stars of more than half a century ago. Back row, left to right, Ernie Mason, Les Christie, Clive Scholes
OUR photograph last week of Langho Colony's Pierrot troupe brought back many memories for 91-year-old Harold Eastwood, of Mellor. For he nursed at the hospital for epileptics for 44 years - from 1934 until 1978. He worked under three different medical
A BLACKBURN factory which axed 80 jobs, moving production to China, has started hiring locally again. Bosses at the Promethean plant, Lower Phillips Road, Blackburn, began moving manufacturing jobs abroad in 2006 because production costs in Blackburn
FORTY years ago the Easter break meant an exodus to Europe in organised school parties. In 1966, for example, a host of students from several Blackburn schools went abroad - and for many it was their first visit to the continent. Spain, Greece and the
THE North West Inventors' Expo returns this weekend to the Blackburn Technology Management Centre. Lancashire-based innovation organisation Ideas North West is hosting the event for the third time at the centre on Challenge Way between 10am and 5 pm.
PARADES, galas and shows have played a big part in Lancashire life over the years. They were events eagerly awaited by townsfolk, who lined the streets in their thousands to watch processions, and thronged onto the show field. This photo, dating back
THERE are many low-paid people whose wages are a long way from accurately reflecting the qualities, dedication and responsibility they show in their jobs. And lifting their salaries to somewhere much nearer what the majority would agree to be their true
BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes has reassured Jason Roberts he is still a major part of his plans for the future. After his goal against Wigan Athletic at the weekend, Roberts admitted he still faced an uncertain future at Rovers, having previously spent
THE 'Hairy Bikers' will be the main attraction at the Lancashire Food Festival to be held at Accrington Town Hall next month. The TV culinary duo - Simon King and Dave Myers (below) - will officially open the 11th festival on Saturday, April 5, at 10am
The next Police and Communities Together meeting for the Rosehill with Burnley Wood ward has been planned. On Thursday April 3, at 10.30am, why not come to the Sure Start centre on Brunswick Street and share any of your concerns with your local neighbourhood
A PHOTOGRAPH of a duck trapped in rubbish on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal has sparked outrage from walkers and councillors. The stretch from Rishton to Church has been branded "horrendous for wildlife" after the picture was taken on Bank Holiday Monday
Burnley's reserves ran up a massive 7-1 win over their Morecambe counterparts last night. The Shrimps took a 1-0 lead into the break, against a Clarets side fielding nine first team players. But second half goals from Burnley boss Owen Coyle (2), a
Steve Jones will today join his former club Crewe on loan until the end of the season. The midfielder has struggled to earn a place in the Burnley team under manager Owen Coyle. "Crewe and Huddersfield have been on for him in the last couple of months
IT WAS the night that one 'DB' had been waiting for - but last night could have been the final time David Bentley plays second fiddle to David Beckham. As widely tipped, David Beckham replaced the Rovers star on the right hand side of midfield to win
I THINK the Todmorden curve railway line should be reinstated because it would be an improvement to the poor service we have at the moment to Manchester from East Lancashire including the Colne branch. WALTER STAFFORD, Todmorden (via email)
I AM very angry and upset to read that our MP Janet Anderson voted with the Government on closures of post offices. She was helping our fight to save Sunnyhurst PO and then voted against us. The other two local MPs who also did the same are Jack Straw
WITH regard to the recent difficulties experienced by Padiham Unitarians. Although I have lived in Blackburn all of my life, for the past 13 years my chosen place of worship has been the Nazareth Unitarian Chapel in Padiham. I, as were so many people
I WOULD like to correct the impression given by your article about forced marriage, "155 pupils disappear from school rolls," that 149 of these are children who have "gone missing" from schools in Lancashire. Of these 149, 146 are not "missing" - they
OWEN Coyle hopes to have on-loan Sunderland duo Andrew Cole and Stanislav Varga available for selection for Saturday's home game against Barnsley. Varga missed last weekend's defeat at Preston with a foot injury but, with central defender Clarke Carlisle
PADIHAM residents are being invited to take part in a world record attempt in May organised by the Mayor, Coun Maureen Whittaker. People wearing wellies will run the half mile from Burnley Road, along Stockbridge Drive, to Gawthorpe Hall. More than
THE jury has been discharged in the case of a 31 year old man accused of sexually attacking a Burnley grandmother. Paul Aspinall had been on trial at Burnley Crown Court, charged with two allegations of sexual assault, said to have taken place between
BLACKBURN Rovers are sweating on the fitness of star striker Roque Santa Cruz after the Paraguayan limped out of his country's friendly against South Africa last night. Santa Cruz was replaced after 21 minutes when he was injured in a poor challenge
A FIRE at a Burnley house smouldered slowly before becoming a huge blaze, firefighters said. Crews were called to Townfield Avenue just before 4.30am, where flames were coming from the roof of the house. Burnley Fire Station's Watch Manager Alan Ashworth
A PENSIONER has spoken of her terror after her home was targeted in an arson attack. Firefighters were called to a house in the Padiham Road area of Burnley just after midnight after a wooden shed belonging to Dorothy Higgin was set alight. Mrs Higgin
IT WAS the night that one DB' had been waiting for - but last night could have been the final time David Bentley plays second fiddle to David Beckham. As widely tipped, David Beckham replaced the Rovers star on the right hand side of midfield to win
