I AM puzzled by the various opinion polls showing the Conservatives lagging behind Labour. If this is so, can anyone explain why we have gained 24 seats in local by-elections since last May, 11 of them since last month? The Conservatives were attacking
A MAJOR shake-up of county archive services may lead to service cuts and the loss of irreplaceable historic records, Sir Simon Towneley of Burnley has warned. He says Government assurances on the future of the re-organised services have "proved worthless
I AM writing to invite readers to submit entries for the Down's Syndrome Association's Annual Achievement Awards, 1997. Entrants must be aged 18 or over by the end of December, 1996. People with Down's Syndrome are constantly displaying special talents
THERE was a baby boom at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn, with a total of 13 births on New Year's Day. It was a case of ladies first, for babies one, two and three were all girls. Festive revellers ignored the police drink-drive appeal in Lancashire,
REGARDING your article (LET, December 27) on the posters at Wilpshire Methodist Church - with slogans like "If you are weak at the knees, then kneel on them," and "God and Son - spirit merchants for this area" - I think they are nice to see. I have become
NO DOUBT to the delight of Tories, who are frequently charged with having created an underclass since coming to power in 1979, a new report - by a Labour academic - rubbishes the widely-held notion that poverty causes crime. Rather, says sociologist Norman
THE STRONG hint from Labour that it may scrap national primary school league tables seems to be a move based more on having a different policy from the government than on a good reason for doing so. For though Shadow Education Secretary David Blunkett
YOUNG Oswaldtwistle actress Kitty Simpson is seeking sponsorship to take her show on the road. The 21-year-old former performing arts student at Accrington and Rossendale College is now in the final year of a degree in dramatic art at Leeds University
REFEREE George Cain today defended his shock decision to postpone Burnley's New Year's Day clash against Chesterfield - 80 minutes before kick-off. The Bootle official - the same referee who took charge of the Clarets' FA Cup tie against Walsall when
A BENEFITS boss today hailed the success of East Lancashire's fraudbusters - and urged even greater effort in 1997. The benefits agency troubleshooters managed to save the county's taxpayers almost £28 million during 1996. The National Benefit Fraud hotline
Ron Freethy's Winter Walks: River Darwen LAST year saw the beginning of the Darwen River Valley Initiative which is part of the Mersey basin clean-up operation. The River Darwen has always been a good place to walk but as we approach the year 2000, things
I AM writing in the belief that if you are a student, or if you are a parent of students at Accrington and Rossendale College this will worry you. I am a second year student there, about to embark on the mock exams for A levels. We have just broken up
BRAVE Ragen Lonsdale faces a tough battle against cancer in 1997. But the cheerful seven-year-old refuses to let her illness dampen her spirits. Her aunt, Beverley, said Ragen was still enjoying playing with her friends and even managed to return to St
UPBEAT Tony Parkes has refused to rule out a dramatic push for a place in Europe. The Blackburn Rovers caretaker boss saw his side win their first away game of the campaign with an emphatic 2-0 victory at Everton. And while his immediate aim is to continue
AN AMAZING Italian connection is helping young pupils at one of the smallest schools in East Lancashire pick up the language at the tender age of four years old. Two staff at the infant school have Italian parents, and twice a week the tiny language students
"I DON'T care if we get snotted 5-0 now," chirped the Everton fan on hearing of Liverpool's defeat at Chelsea. Well, snotted they were. The fact that Rovers did not score five is a reflection of the continuing difficulty in turning domination into goals
GRAVESTONE victim David Crossley may be transferred back to Burnley early in the New Year. The nine-year-old Burnley boy who was crushed beneath a quarter-tonne headstone at Burnley Cemetery on October 8 remains in a semi-coma at Pendlebury Children's
POP IN and check on elderly neighbours during the cold winter months is the message from Hyndburn Age Concern today. Charity chief executive Barbara Hopkinson suggested people watch out for the tell-tale signs of people who may need help, like unopened
THE NUMBER of drink-drivers caught during the festive season rocketed, police revealed. Hundreds of shamed motorists ignored the 'Don't Drink Drive' message over Christmas and the New Year. New Year boozers were blamed for pushing up the 1991 Lancashire
APPROACHING Accrington along Dunkenhalgh Way and Hyndburn Road, there are no facing traffic lights across the junctions with Henry Street and Oxford Street. Does anyone know why these traffic-light controlled junctions are different from any others in
ALL-ROUNDER Guy Whittall has turned down the chance to re-sign for Lancashire League club Rawtenstall next season. The Bacup Road side were keen to bring back the 24-year-old Zimbabwean, who is currently pitting his wits against England's tourists on
THE NUMBER of crimes against the small shopkeeper are higher in the North West than any other region in the country. According to a newly-published report, despite North West shopkeepers installing more security cameras, crimes such as assault, burglary
IRREFUTABLE evidence of bad workmanship was required before Burnley council could strike off contractors from its approved list of home improvements firms, councillors heard. Finance chairman Peter Kenyon said removal without justification could mean
I MUST confess that David Pearson, vice-chairman of Blackburn Conservatives, really confuses me with his allegations (Letters, December 20) that Tony Blair is responsible for the poor performance of schools in the Islington area. Mr Blair (right) has
POLICE today urged people to remember the tragic drowning of an East Lancashire youngster before taking risks on ice-covered reservoirs, rivers and canals. A spokesman for the Lancashire force said the region's waterways could be hazardous at any time
A £200 reward has been offered for information leading to the recovery of a specialist mountain bike, one of only two in the country, which was stolen on Christmas Day. The bike, which police said was valued at around £3,000, is custom- built to race
A TOP level report on turmoil in a race harmony group was 'completely withdrawn' after a councillor threatened to sue. Burnley's Coun Rafique Malik said he forced the withdrawal of an investigation report which linked him with the introduction of bogus
