A £300,000 investment to open up new markets has been completed. A four-month project at Bootham Engineers has seen a new radio-controlled crane and lathe installed as well as an extension to its Bacup site. "The extra space and machinery means we will
A CANNABIS farm of drugs with an estimated street value of a quarter of a million pounds has been found in an attic above a Burnley garage. A dozen detectives and uniformed officers carried out an early morning raid at Burnley Auto Spares garage and warehouse
FURIOUS cabbies are to fight plans for dearer testing and licensing. Private hire drivers and operators organised a mass meeting to decide on action and are planning a demonstration when Blackburn Council meets next week to approve the rule changes. The
FURIOUS Adrian Heath made a public apology today after the crushing 5-0 debacle at Wycombe Wanderers, writes TONY DEWHURST. The Clarets crashed to their biggest League defeat in over a year at Adams Park as their Division Two play-off hopes took another
YOU can't blame Elmo the iguana for looking glum. The five-foot reptile is supposed to be the star attraction at Graham Bielby's pub, but instead everyone is watching a live sex show...featuring six chipmunks! Drinkers at the Florence Hotel, Moss Street
ANDREA Holt from Ramsbottom helped Great Britain to a 4-0 mauling of India to set up a crunch encounter against Australia today in the Commonwealth Games table tennis championships in Glasgow. She rallied back from a one-set deficit to beat Mylacore Mythili
NETHERHALL 0BLACKBURN 32 BLACKBURN took a step closer to promotion last weekend with a solid win over league strugglers Netherhall. Netherhall, who were propping up North West One prior to Saturday's match, presented a potentially difficult task at home
THE FOLLY of shamed Burnley councillor Peter Swainston has already cost him the privilege of being the town's first citizen. He resigned as Mayor last month after admitting a sex offence offence in public toilets at Nelson. And he was right to do so -
BURGLARS have virtually emptied a Rawtenstall fashion shop in a copycat smash and grab raid. The thieves broke into Together ladies and children's wear on Bank Street in the town last night - just two weeks after a similar raid on the Remy's men's fashion
THE father of Blackburn hostage Paul Wells says he has been pleased by the response so far to his new mission to find his missing son. Mr Wells is in India along with Paul's girlfriend, Catherine Moseley, Julie Mangan, the wife of fellow hostage Keith
A NETWORK of "grassroots crimefighters" is to be established across Pendle in a bid crack crime and tackle anti-social behaviour. The aim is to tailor anti-crime schemes to the needs of different areas of the borough by involving local people. Lancashire
A £10 MILLION fund to help local businesses with cash injections has been launched. Investments of between £100,000 and £600,000 are being made available to up to 30 businesses. The fund is supported by United Utilities, parent company of North West Water
A WORKMAN was seriously injured after falling 40ft through the roof of a building. Tony Knappet, 23, of Hapton Road, Padiham, was dismantling the East Lancashire Coach Builders building in Whalley New Road, Blackburn, for Clitheroe-company Ashworth Demolition
WAYS of saving the planet will be discussed at a national conference at Burnley College on Saturday week. The conference, in which community groups and co-operatives will give practical advice, has been devised by Co-operative Retail Services, Lancashire
WATCHDOGS have left it too late to force a re-think over the way a controversial drug abuse contract was handed out. Community health councillors' request for a judicial review into why the £880,000-a-year drug misuse service was awarded without public
OPPOSITION is growing to plans to build a major leisure complex on the outskirts of Blackburn. Developers are lining up rival bids for leisure and business parks based around a multi-plex cinema in East Lancashire. They claim anywhere between 300 and
THE story of how German POWs were befriended by the people of East Lancashire will be published next week. A reception to celebrate the launch of "Enemies Become Friends" will be held at the new heritage and visitors' centre, Oswaldtwistle, on April 24
ONCE again council tax bills seem to have risen by several times the rate of inflation. In 1994, the Health and Safety Executive estimated the cost of stress to taxpayers and industry at over £4 billion a year. One of the main, but least recognised, causes
A TODDLER was recovering from surgery to his face today after being attacked by a neighbour's pit bull-Staffordshire terrier cross. Two-year-old Ryan Flynn is thought to have angered the dog when he accidentally stepped on his paw. The youngster, of Meadow
TIME-WASTING tactics could be used to stamp out debate on Burnley's shamed ex-mayor, Coun Peter Swainston, tonight. Labour bosses are understood to have issued a "Stop Harry" order to prevent a motion by Independent Harry Brooks, condemning "acts of gross
BIRDS of prey in Lancashire are to be protected by a DNA database set up to combat thieves who snatch chicks and eggs from their nests. Information collected from feather samples from 100 birds in the north of England are to be kept in a scheme launched
WE are writing to protest about the loss of a safe play area adjacent to our houses on Ox Hey, Clayton-le-Moors. Our families moved here 10 years ago and have used this area since we were toddlers. Unfortunately, some residents have complained about us
A CUSTOMS hit squad has busted £1 million worth of bootleg operations and VAT frauds in the last year. The real-life equivalent of the TV series The Knock moved to Blackburn last year as part of a reorganisation of the Customs and Excise operation in
IT seems that, finally, justice has been served in the two cases of the tragic deaths of Tim Davies and Belinda Coffey, who were being treated for leukaemia when they died from a drip feed infection, although, in time, the leukaemia itself may have been
A DRIVE to keep roller skating youngsters in off the streets of the Ribble Valley and out of danger has been given a major boost. Youngsters are being asked to sign up for Clitheroe's first roller hockey club which is set to be launched this week. Organiser
THE annual May Day parade will not take place in Burnley this year, although the festival will go ahead as usual on Monday, May 5. The festival is organised by the North East Lancashire Trade Union Councils and Co-operative May Day Committee. Secretary
PAPER boy Mark Hacker had his brand-new bike stolen from a policeman's drive just minutes after taking it out on his rounds for the first time. The 13-year-old, of Danvers Street, Rishton, spent months saving up for the mountain bike to help with his
BLACKBURN homeowners faced with the loss of their homes in a slum clearance drive were sent extraordinary 'improve your homes' advice by a government minister. Housing Minister John Patten even suggested they seek grants from the council to help them.
WHILE Lancashire were opening their season at Headingley today, three of their players must wait two more days before launching their bid for an Ashes place. Jason Gallian, Warren Hegg and Glen Chapple were all unavailable for the four day Roses friendly
A PROFESSIONAL motorcyclist has been killed in a head-on crash while on holiday in Scotland on his new "dream" bike. David Thomas, 42, a fan of the BBC drama Hamish Macbeth, was heading for Kyle of Lochalsh to stay at the Plockton Arms, where part of
TEENAGE prodigy John Carew, a long-time transfer target for Blackburn Rovers, has decided to stay put in Norway, writes PETER WHITE. His decision will also disappoint Newcastle United who, as we exclusively revealed recently, had also started to show
CAMPAIGNERS of the crippling brittle bone disease osteoporosis have given a frosty welcome to their new patron, Camilla Parker Bowles. The Prince of Wales's friend will champion the cause of the National Osteoporosis Society in a bid to raise awareness
A NURSERY school has been given top marks following a visit by inspectors. Kelsall Avenue Nursery School, Blackburn, was said to provide good opportunities for its pupils with a rich and varied curriculum. Inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education
I APPLAUD the report by Stewart Pimbley (LET, April 7) on drag hunting as fox, stag and deer hunting has the same purpose as the now-illegal pastimes of dog fighting, bear-baiting and cock fighting to provide amusement for human beings. It is not a form
A SCHOOL'S ambitious plans for a multi-million pound move look set to fail for a second time. St Wilfrid's High School desperate search for a new site looks likely to continue because Blackburn town hall bosses are urging councillors to block the latest
Nature Watch with Ron Freethy THE woodlands which surround Towneley Park at Burnley and the wonderful hall which dominates the area have probably been studied more than most in Lancashire. The reason is not hard to find. In the 1940s and 1950s Clifford
ASHLEY Bradburn has taken over the managing director's reins from his father at family firm Partwell. The Blackburn company, which specialises in cutting equipment, was founded by Ashley's father, John, in 1978 and now employs more than 20 staff and has
