OVERCROWDING at one of the Fylde Coast's top schools is set to be eased thanks to a £173,000 boost. The money will be used to provide 43 additional places at Manor Beach School in Cleveleys, after being set aside for a school in the area by Lancashire
DEFIANT Shakers boss Stan Ternent (pictured) is backing his struggling charges to bring Charlton Athletic's impressive run of home results at The Valley to an end tomorrow. The Addicks boast one of the best home records in the section, a run which has
Harrogate 48 LSH 12 A BELOW-par display by Liverpool St Helens saw them crash to a heavy defeat against a Harrogate side whom they had beaten 26-11 at Moss Lane in October. This was a game the visitors had been looking to win as they seek much-needed
OWEN Oyston's lawyers may take his case to a parliamentary commission set up to review suspected miscarriages of justice. The move was suggested by the Attorney General, John Morris, in reply to a question from Dale Campbell-Savours MP about the conviction
A Lancaster teenager was killed on the M6 near Ellel in the early hours of Sunday morning. Cheryl Godfrey, 18, of Green Street, was walking along the M6 with three friends after a night out when she was hit by a car in the first lane at about 5am. A fifth
A STRAPPING Rugby League starlet who burst onto the oval-ball scene only two seasons ago has signed for a top professional club - at just 15 years of age! Back-row forward or utility back Yugo Anyiam, who plays for National Youth League side St Helens
PREMIUM Bond Ernie's original St Annes home could make way for housing when the civil servants move out - possibly in 2001. As controversy raged nationally this week over housing encroaching on greenfield sites, Fylde may largely escape, due to the number
LANCASTER'S City Museum latest exhibition contains some truly bizarre items. Entitled 'Weird and Wonderful' it reveals the wealth of oddities that the museum has collected over 75 years, some of which have not been on public view for years. The subjects
TALKS tomorrow (Jan 30) between Blackpool Football Club and Whyndyke Farm landowners could kick off towards the common goal of a new stadium at long last. Relations between landowners' spokesman Martin Perry and club chairman Vicki Oyston broke down last
IN welcoming recent press comments on the City Council's attempts to 'green' the district, firstly at the expense of the motorist and traders, and now to the detriment of certain council staff, one thing is abundantly clear, namely they are following
Rossendale United 1 Prescot Cables 2 PRESCOT made it nine away wins this season with this hard-fought success at Rossendale. Experienced goalkeeper Ian Plumley, making his debut in the Cables goal, performed confidently throughout, although he didn't
THE funeral took place on Tuesday of Lady Mary Hulton, widow of Baronet Sir Geoffrey Hulton. Aged 79, she inherited his 2,500 acre Hulton Park Estate off Newbrook Road, Atherton, on his death more than four years ago. The couple had lived there together
Garswood Utd 2 Glossop NE 2 UNITED looked to be heading for a convincing victory over First Division Glossop in this NWC Challenge Cup quarter-final after taking a 2-0 half-time lead. But as so often happens in cup football it was a game of differing
ST ANNES is on the verge of an historical rebirth say town chiefs looking at plans to create a colossal £20 million development. The ambitious proposals for the town centre were unveiled by Safeway this week to show how the company intends to create a
TWO businesses are set to take centre stage for their support of the arts. And the rallying call has gone out to other East Lancashire firms to follow the lead of Moorhouses Brewery, Burnley, and Peter Jackson's Jewellers, Blackburn. Peter Jackson sponsors
Simms Cross 12 Thatto Heath 18 BACK in action after several weeks without a game, Heath gained two more valuable league points with this determined and hard-earned victory, to push them nearer a top spot in the NWC Premier Division. Heath grabbed an early
LEIGH MP Lawrence Cunliffe is backing a drive to make motoring greener. The Cleaner Vehicles Task Force, a high level group established by Premier Tony Blair, met in London last week. And its aim is to create a partnership between the government and private
A HOWE Bridge gardening group has been given a 12 months reprieve - thanks to its oldest member rooting out a binding contract. The 30 members of the old LUT Gardening Unit, first set up in 1954, were given their marching orders recently by the First
FORMER stand-up comedian Paul Johnson has given up the stage and is now entertaining colleagues at a Preston pie factory. The driver, who works at Ashworth's on Havelock Street, has worked with top showbiz names including Status Quo and Leo Sayer. Director
THOUSANDS of ex-miners from Leigh, Tyldesley and Atherton, could be eligible for compensation for chest illnesses caused by coal dust. But the National Union of Mineworkers has warned former pitmen to be careful of signing any legal document before reading
WITH World Cup fever mounting, a Preston museum has announced plans for an exciting exhibition all about the most famous football trophy. Goal will be held at the Museum of Lancashire from May 18 to September 19 and is being prepared by representatives
PRESTON'S cancer unit has reached phase two of the development - a £3.7 million scheme providing extra rooms, equipment and staff. The money from the NHS and private sector will fund a third linear accelerator for radiation treatment, a scanner, more
VOLUNTEERS at a Preston youth club are calling on good old fashioned community spirit in a last ditch bid to stop it closing down. Workers at Ingol Youth and Community Centre on Whitby Avenue are few and far between and it could only be a matter of time
RESIDENTS angry over drivers speeding along local roads have had a knockback from the council. For a 45-name petition from householders demanding road humps in Abbey Crescent and Chancel Way in Darwen to slow drivers down has been refused. Chancel Way
WOW! Just look at her now! Leyland mum-of-two Jayne Ashworth is sitting pretty after winning our competition to who have a £300 new-look make-over. The 44-year-old from Long Moss was treated to four hours of pampering which included full make-up, a new
TEENAGER Elaine Gorton is limbering up for the run of her life - something she and her family thought she'd never achieve. Elaine and her mum Christine, of Carus Avenue, Hoddlesden, are preparing for the 26-mile London Marathon to raise money for the
WHAT price a child's life? ask angry residents who have mounted a very public campaign to stop a nursery being established on their doorsteps. Despite planners saying no to the plans, a businessman is making a second attempt to push them through to create
GHOSTLY goings-on thought up by Shakespeare centuries ago were brought to life in the C'est Tous Theatre Company's production of Macbeth. Set in the cosy Marsden Theatre at Worden Park, Leyland, the stage, scenery and props were basic but spot-on. The
IF you have a keen interest in local history and enjoy dipping into the past, an exhibition at Blackburn Cathedral could be right up your street, writes Rachel Pinder. The Parish Chest is an exhibition of records dating back 400 years, and charts the
IMPROVING local cricket was the main reason for Tuesday's meeting at BAe Preston Cricket Club on Broadgate in the town centre. Representatives from the Lancashire Cricket Board and professionals from around the county were there to talk to different clubs
THE Government has been attacked by a local teachers' leader for its "naming and shaming" policy of so-called failing schools. The criticism came at the first annual meeting of the new Blackburn with Darwen Division of the National Union of Teachers held
THE leader of the Conservative group on Bury Council is at the centre of a car ramming investigation. People living near to a business belonging to Tory councillor David Higgin claim he rammed a car during a row over parking. Coun Higgin vehemently denies
AVID runner Marie Newsham remembers exactly what she was doing the day Diana, Princess of Wales died - she was ready to go jogging. The 32-year-old Di fan was lacing up her trainers on that dreadful day when she was rocked by the tragic news on the radio
A FLEET of model boats gracefully floating on Moor Park's Serpentine Lake could help keep vandals at bay. Preston council has given the go-ahead for the new Ribble Model Boat Club to use the lake for weekly sailing sessions. The authority hopes that regular
TV FOOTBALL pundit Alan Hansen has hit back at Blackburn Rovers' fans who have accused him of ignoring the club's success this season. Former Liverpool player Hansen, who has worked on TV's Match Of The Day for six years, said he was hurt by accusations
EXCELLENT teaching and a "calm, caring and happy" environment impressed inspectors when they visited Bury Catholic Preparatory School. The team of inspectors from Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, visited the Manchester Road school to find
A CHARITY has launched an SOS - Staff Our Shops - appeal. Organisers of Imperial Cancer Research say the shops in Blackburn and Acrrington are facing part-time closure because of a staff shortage. Profits from the shops go towards financing 1,000 doctors
THE parents of a teenager who killed himself after years of bullying have vowed to set up a group to help other victims of playground violence. Lee Harwood died last September when he stepped on to the railway line at Boys Lane and faced the oncoming
BUSINESSMAN Patrick Slattery was left with nothing when his counterfeit clothing operation was smashed, a court heard. Slattery, jailed for 12 months after admitting 35 offences of breaching trademark laws, was described by his solicitor as "a man of
ST CATHERINE'S Hospice is getting ready to take in an extra eight day care patients as the new extension storms ahead. The development will be ready in March thanks to a great response from kind-hearted Citizen readers in our Brick by Brick appeal. It
A LIFE-saving transplant operation has dramatically changed the life of a 52-year-old Darwen man. It is now five years since Mike Kenlock was given a new heart - and a new lease of life. And in that time he has become a fanatical golfer, regularly swapping
A MOURNING mum has paid moving tribute to her tiny tot who lost his fight for life after being born two months early. Susan Smith was only 28 weeks pregnant when a routine scan showed her unborn son wasn't developing properly. Doctors discovered problems
POLICE and council officials are to join forces to tackle drug-crazed youths who are jeopardizing Hyndburn's hopes of success in the national Britain in Bloom contest. Teeny-terrors have been using the award-winning greenhouse complex at Oak Hill Park
PEOPLE power is being mobilised to save a Bury family from deportation. More than 1,300 friends and neighbours have signed a petition to prevent Javed Iqbal, wife Samia and their four young children from being sent to Pakistan. The couple say they came
A MUM is demanding a school reinstate her son, who has been expelled for a second time. Mrs Denise Williams acknowledges 12-year-old Christopher Wild can misbehave when bored, but blames this on a medical condition called ADD (attention deficit disorder
A SCHOOL and the community which surrounds and supports it have been doubly praised for excellence. That is the result of two detailed looks at life in and around Christ Church Ainsworth CE Primary School. Ofsted inspectors were joined at the school by
IRATE drivers stepped up a campaign to improve "difficult and dangerous" parking facilities in Great Harwood. Residents from Spring Avenue were due to meet with Hyndburn Labour MP Greg Pope to discuss why there were only 16 spaces for 32 houses. Severe
A FATHER, who narrowly escaped death as his car was crushed by a gigantic road-going crane, today said 'thank you' to the mystery motorist who gave him first aid. Andrew Foster, 29, said thoughts of his 11-month-old son Callum and wife Debbie, rushed
A MOTHER has blasted a school's "ridiculous rules" after her 12-year-old daughter was excluded for having hair extensions. Georgina Vickery, a year eight pupil at Darwen Vale High School, was sent home three weeks ago and has been told she can only return
I AM all for ways of clearing our roads of drink drivers, but I cannot accept the need for our representatives to visit the state of Victoria in Australia to see how 'booze buses' have been so successful (LET, January 27). In this age of technology, would
REGARDING 'Disgust at dustmen' (Letters, January 27), I, too, have had the same trouble as your reader. In April, 1995, I asked the bin men if they would return my wheelie bin after emptying it to where they collected it - that is, the side of my drive
LEIGH chairman Mick Higgins has paid a glowing tribute to Mike Nolan, his opposite number at Central Park. As a goodwill gesture to their derby neighbours Wigan waived their rights to a half share of Sunday's gate. "They were entitled to a 50 per cent
ST HELENS TUC has organised special registration clinics following on from the High Court decision to agree to compensation claims by former miners suffering from emphysema, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory conditions. The clinics will be held
NEIL McCULLOCH has every reason not to forget his last visit to Spotland. It was a wet, miserable night when the then Leigh winger shattered his leg against Rochdale, an injury that virtually put paid to his professional career. On Sunday McCulloch will
AMATEURS Hunslet Warriors will receive the same treatment Leigh coach Keith Latham dished up against mighty Wigan. He will prepare his side with the same meticulous detail for Sunday's Silk Cut Challenge Cup opener against the Yorkshire League side as
LEIGH RU kept it all for the second h alf as they won 17-14 in a thriller at Carlisle. Down 14 points at the break, their only chance in a blank first period came when Grainey was held up over the line. What a difference the half-time orange made! With
MILKMAN Colin Whittaker (pictured) became a TV 'star' for a day when he appeared on GMTV's breakfast programme. The 30-year-old from Grange Park was featured on the show after producers heard of the caring service he provides for the folks on his round
IT TOOK just 80 minutes to ease Keith Latham's fears. Worried that Leigh may be out of their depth after being fast-tracked to Division One, he was all smiles after seeing his eager youngsters give Wigan a run for their money before losing 32-10. "I know
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD HERE are four short and snappy yedscratters for customers of this creaky column to chew over . . . The first comes from an ex-pitman who asks if anyone can say which was the deepest of the many coal mines which once abounded in the
HELP is at hand for people who have worked with asbestos, or in asbestos-related industries who may now be suffering illness as a result. Solicitors at J. Keith Park & Co., whose head office is in Barrow Street, St Helens, believe that many sufferers
HOPE you're keeping well - it's good to be back after my little break in Tenerife. The weather was really good for the time of year, not too many people about but plenty of bar touts. We went in to one bar and tried one of their knock backs which was
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD WE have blast off! A first-hand account of the day St Helens was rocked by news of a town-centre pub explosion comes from a man who came within a split-second of certain death while serving as stand-in bar chief. Terry Collins, one
BILLOWING smoke rose hundreds of feet into the air during a fierce blaze involving 20 disused cars at a Bury scrapyard. Wednesday's (January 28) fire started after a spark ignited vapours in the petrol tank of a vehicle at the premises of Autosave in
THE mother of a teenage boy who died after taking drugs has slammed the sentence imposed on a youth charged with supplying amphetamine. Andrew Marshall (19), of Peel Brow, Ramsbottom, was ordered to carry out 60 hours of community service when he appeared
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD PUPILS and teachers from half a century ago will once more rub shoulders at a golden reunion of Old Cowleians. One of the old boys, Dave Johnson, now living in the Warrington area, is the springboard behind the get-together, to be
BURY South MP Ivan Lewis has clashed with the Socialist Workers' Party in a row over government benefits plans. The MP has accused SWP activists of "deliberately misleading local people to further their own political ends". His claims follow a lobby by
ANOTHER familiar story for Blackpool FC - a good start and promising first half followed by pressure and signs of crumbling, which resulted in a 2-1 defeat at Wycombe on Saturday (Jan 24). The game was only three minutes old when Harkin opened Wycombe's
AN EARLY-morning car chase led to a trail of destruction. Teenager David Graham refused to pull over for police and Bury magistrates heard on Wednesday how at least twice he tried to reverse into a police vehicle. During a high-speed pursuit Graham (18
West Park 20 Rochdale 17 VISITORS Rochdale belied their three-division difference in league status to go perilously close to snatching a dramatic win in this sixth round NPI cup-tie. West Park relied heavily on the accurate goal kicking of 18 year-old
CHEAPER car parking in Leigh and the problem of making the town centre an alcohol free zone were top of the agenda for members of Leigh Business Partnership this week. They are looking into the possibility of recommending half-hour and one-hour parking
Eagle 13 Ruskin Park 20 THIS second successive away win dispelled all thoughts of relegation and actually raised Ruskin to the dizzy heights of fifth place in the table. With four of the last six games at home, it should now be possible to consolidate
BURNLEY Alliance Silver Band is looking for a sponsor to help them blow their trumpets. The band is staging a major come-back and again entering top competitions after a fall-off in interest over recent years. Competing in the 51st annual North West Brass
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD THE golden age of the 'Co-op Divi' is revived for us by Blackbrook reader Joan Hough. Her thoughts were triggered by my recent piece about the famous 'Bonus Sales' - shopping highlight of the year for customers of the old St Helens
A £1.5 MILLION project should have Blackpool's Marton Mere nature reserve smelling sweeter by the spring. A major construction site on the edge of the resort's main Stanley Park is North West Water's base for a massive sewer replacement scheme. The company
A COUPLE admitted to a coroner that they had been smoking cannabis the night their nine-week-old baby died. Shannon Eve Newton was found on the bedroom floor of the family's home in Victoria Street, Ramsbottom. Her Moses basket and covers were on top
ST ANNES Rovers and St Helens Town shared the spoils in a 10-goal feast in the Rainhill Byrne Hire Junior Football League Under 11s Premier Cup quarter-final. RESULTS Saturday Under 10s Premier: Parr Juniors 2 St Aloysius1; Ravenhead 1 Pilkington 1; SSC
MOVES to discourage housing development on farmland could help boroughs like Wyre, says MP Hilton Dawson. Wyre has few urban sites available for redevelopment - hence a farmland tract big enough for 830 homes on the edge of Poulton has been earmarked
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to stop the Xanadu project in Leigh are to hold a two minute silence at Wesley Guild next month. Led by Green Party activist Chris Maile, the 'No Xanadu Campaign' will hold the ceremonial silence on February 15, marking their disgust
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD THE incredible success rate of our readers in digging out obscure facts from the past never fails to amaze me. And the latest satisfied customer is a Yorkshire lass with St Helens family connections. Shirley McLaughlin writes: "Can
ALL eyes will be on Thursday's draw (Jan 29) for the northern semi-final of the Auto Windscreen Shield. For it could throw up a crucial derby between Blackpool and rivals Preston North End. The Seasiders earned their place in the draw with a 1-0 win against
RICHARD BROWN has been forced the hard way to learn about life without his mother. But, with the love and support of his father, his grandparents and his friends, the courageous 11-year-old is slowly taking his first tremulous steps towards a stable future
SAINTS have turned to the powers of political persuasion in a last-ditch bid to break bureaucratic red tape and bring Australian centre Jamie Ojelnik to Knowsley Road. The club has enlisted the help of St Helens South MP Gerry Bermingham in the ongoing
Skirlaugh 28 Blackbrook 10 THIS was a creditable performance by Blackbrook against the powerful Conference Division One leaders. Skirlaugh had the visitors under constant pressure from the opening whistle but the threatened slaughter never materialised
A SERVICE in memory of tragic Helen McCourt is to be held in St Mary's Church, Birchley on Monday, February 9, the 10th anniversary of her disappearance. The service, conducted by Father Bernard, will start at 7.30pm, candles will be lit in Helen's memory
MEMBERS of St Helens Council's Environmental Health Section are monitoring pollution with the aim of cleaning up air quality in the borough. Locally they are measuring air pollutants - the bulk of which now come from road traffic - as part of a nationwide
AN action plan to give carers in the borough better support has been drawn up by St Helens Council. At a special two-day workshop 40 social service professionals and carers discussed the support services already available and what needs to be done to
SUPPORTERS of Morecambe's Winter Gardens claim they are being 'cold shouldered' by the construction firm which has taken over the historic theatre. Friends of Victoria Pavilion (as the Winter Gardens is now known) say they are "puzzled and concerned"
Neil Bramwell Speaks Out JUST four months before the greatest show on earth, England's ringmaster has sent in the clowns. What a time for Glenn Hoddle to start losing the plot. The friendlies leading up to the World Cup in France provide the perfect opportunity
THE wife of a Morecambe man cleared of a so-called revenge rape has spoken of her family's "living nightmare." A jury at Preston Crown Court took just 20 minutes to find Stephen Tyson not guilty of all charges. But eight months in prison awaiting trial
Castleton Gabriels 0, Ramsbottom Utd 1 THE Rams won through to the last eight of the Lancashire FA ATS Trophy courtesy of a first half header from Neil Rhodes. They travel to Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night to do battle for a place in the semi-finals
ADAM Meya (Citizen 15/198) and anyone else who did not live in the area in the 1970s will, it seems, be unaware of the extremely lively debates which raged over the nuclear issue. A local group was formed called 'Half Life' to oppose the building of two
ARE there any starstruck youngsters out there who dream of making it big? You could be given a helping hand thanks to plans for a Fame-type centre in Blackpool. Fylde folk with aspirations of taking to the stage, playing for the London Philharmonic Orchestra
A LAST gasp goal from new-boy Tony McDonald gave City all three points in this dramatic game. His header in the 90th minute and a Dobie double ensured a much needed league win for City. And the game also saw the 36th player in City's first team when local
RED-BLOODED females will rush to the Grand Theatre from Monday (Feb 2) - all to watch the four actors above reveal more than their artistic talent. The hunks play male strippers in Girls' Night Out, an adult comedy about a hen night, but although they
Bury 1, Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 YOU know things aren't right in the Bury camp when Wolverhampton Wanderers leave Gigg Lane victorious! The last time the Black Country giants picked up a win at the home of the Shakers was in Christmas week 1913 - two
Maryport 16 Haresfinch 22 FINCH produced a superb team effort to overcome an enthusiastic young Maryport outfit in this hard-fought BARLA National Cup clash. Despite a tiring three-and-a-half-hour coach journey, the visitors made a good start and stunned
THE North West Partnership - made up of the region's most powerful companies and organisations - has appointed Neville Chamberlain, deputy chairman and former chief executive of BNFL, as its new chairman. Previous news story Converted for the new archive
SAFEWAY unveiled ambitious plans this week to build a new superstore in St Annes and to regenerate the town centre. Ahead of a public exhibition which starts today (Jan 29), the supermarket chain revealed its proposals to create 100 new retail jobs and
SUPPLIERS to British Aerospace helped staff raise cash for a children's hospital. Employees from the customer support department at the Samlesbury site collected £500 by holding a raffle with prizes donated by other firms. The money was presented to Alder
BOSSES at a Lancaster factory have redrawn their expansion plans in a bid to placate concerned residents. Ultramark on the Lune Industrial Estate have reconsidered their proposals to save a well-used wilderness area. A pressure group of residents had
CUERDLEY Cross under 16s pulled off a shock 1-0 win over East Sutton in the St Helens McDonald JOL's Dawson Cup quarter-final. And in the under 14s Kevin Grundy Cup Parr Juniors just got the better of a five-goal thriller at SSC Whiston, while Hyex proved
AFTER 44 weeks of dieting Lynn Cassidy is planning to put weight back on in double quick time. But Lynn, from Abbey Lane, Leigh plans to shed it even faster by the end of the year! She has lost seven stones because she wants a baby. She and husband Stuart
OWEN OYSTON'S lawyers may take his case to a parliamentary commission set up to review suspected miscarriages of justice. The move was suggested by the Attorney General John Morris in reply to a question from Dale Campbell-Savours MP about the conviction
PLANS are in the pipeline for a special dinner to celebrate East Lancashire's aerospace industry. The Consortium of Lancashire Aerospace is staging its second annual event at the Stirk House Hotel, Gisburn, on April 4. Last's year's event coincided with
DAVID BROWN is slowly beginning to pick up the pieces of a lost life. The sickening and senseless murder of his former wife, Shirley, has, in 18 horrific months, torn the heart asunder. Now, with the nightmare behind him and murderer Stuart Hulse staring
ONLY the sinking of the luxury liner the Titanic can raise the spirits of Golborne postman Steve Rigby. And with the release of the new blockbuster film 'Titanic', Steve - founder of the British Titanic Society - has booked himself a passage into the
BEER Bashers don't do things by halves. Not unless its dishing out milk-of-amnesia gills of the amazingly potent Baz's Bonce Blower. The Parish brewery's 11 per cent beverage tops the mind-blowing spot at this weekend's Bent and Bongs Beer Bash at the
POLICE who brought sex-murderer Stuart Hulse to justice believe he could have gone on to kill again because of the perversion he had shown in killing Shirley Brown. The murder hunt squad revealed to The Journal this week that they brought in a criminal
SOUTH Ribble residents can have their say on spectacular plans for a £2 million development of Worden Park, Leyland. Plans are complete and South Ribble Council wants to hear what the people think before a final push for lottery cash. Authority bosses
A STUDENT is gearing up for a cycle ride among the volcanoes as a tribute to his father who underwent a triple heart bypass. Adventurous 24-year-old Peter Sladen from Longton, Preston, will pedal 250 miles through beautiful Icelandic scenery to raise
STUART Edward Hulse was his victim's "worst possible nightmare made real". Sentencing the 37 year-old Lowton father-of-two to a life sentence at Manchester Crown Court, Mr Justice Forbes said devoted mum Shirley Brown was an "innocent victim" of his "
FIREMEN who freed a youngster whose hand was impaled on a bike chain have praised the boy's bravery. Ten-year-old Anthony Morrell was removing his bike chain when his hand slipped and became jammed between the chain and the cog-wheel. Every time he tried
A PRESTON school is hosting a pioneering get-together for parents to get to grips with drugs issues. The awareness evening at Middleforth Primary School in Penwortham, Preston, will help parents understand today's drugs scene, approach potential problems
MINGING is a favourite in Lancashire, rank in the Midlands, skanky in Wales and garbage in Scotland. These are the weird and wonderful words which come out of youngsters' mouths when they describe something they don't like. In a national survey conducted
THE PRICE of heroin on the streets of Blackburn and surrounding towns will rocket following a major drugs bust in London, according to a member of the Lancashire police major crime unit. And that could lead to a rise in crime, says Sergeant Paul Edmondson
North End 1 Mansfield Town 0 North End still have the twin towers of Wembley Stadium in sight after battling through to the semi-final stages of the Northern Section Auto Windscreen Shield on Tuesday January 27. It wasn't one of Preston's better performances
WORK on the controversial £15 million Agecroft prison, to be built a few hundred yards from homes in Prestwich, will begin in April. And this week bosses of the private company involved in the project pledged the building would be almost totally obscured
NEW North End gaffer David Moyes enjoys a game of golf when he gets five minutes - but his new appointment may putt an end to that. As Preston's assistant boss, the 34-year-old Scot only managed to get on the fairways two or three times a year, and now
PROJECTS in Preston could be set for a welcome cash boost after the council clawed back £1.3 million of controversial docklands cash. After years of talks, builders Balfour Beatty agreed to pay the money which relates to quayside land deals in the mid
RUTHLESS poachers are slaughtering Hyndburn's deer population in a bid a make a fast buck, and in the process risking lives of countryside lovers throughout the area. According to Lancashire Police's Environment and Wildlife officer Maria Graham, more
THIS week Citizen Spiderman Kristian Jack takes us on a virtual voyage of the web, cruising through Lancashire's most popular tourism sites. Surfing the Net he discovers the most select sites for shopping, leading links to leisure, and some of the most
A NOTORIOUS road junction in Whitefield has swallowed up an extra £300,000 - and nobody at Bury Town Hall knew anything about it. Long-running improvements to the A56 junction on Bury New Road and Church Lane, outside the Whitefield Metrolink station,
THE battle to preserve the borough's green fields has taken a new twist, with militant protesters threatening to turn building sites into battle grounds. Their hard line stance comes in the wake of a government announcement that it might curb green-field
GORLIN Syndrome is one of those rare hereditary conditions we hear little about until we meet a sufferer, or come face-to-face with the tragic effects of it. The condition, caused by a mutation in a chromosome, describes a range of symptoms, from multiple
PEOPLE'S right to turn into "clucking chickens" has been denied by killjoy councillors. The town hall which banned professional boxing has now cast out stage hypnotists. Despite new Home Office guidelines saying there was no evidence of risk, members
EDUCATION chiefs have given pupils top marks following a big leap in primary school standards. The 1997 Key Stage 2 assessment results in English, mathematics and science for 11-year-olds show substantial improvement has been made in classrooms throughout
A POLICE blitz on burglars was stepped up last night when officers sealed off a town. Checkpoints were set up at six locations in Darwen as part of Operation Enclosure. Officers questioned motorists entering or leaving the town and searched some vehicles
MORE than 350 young voices will be raised in song in March in one of the biggest school concerts the borough has ever seen. Musical charity Vivace have organised the concert, called The Children of Bury Sing, which will have contributions from ten local
PARENTS of 140 children are set to be disappointed with the Burnley secondary school they are allocated. Peter Pike MP is to meet head teachers tomorrow to discuss the problem after revealing that Ivy Bank, Habergham and St Hilda's RC have been over-subscribed
PARENTS and governors went back to school to learn how pupils at St Anne's Junior School, Edgeside, are being taught science. A science club has been set up and, after three months' hard work, six of the members have earned their bronze award from the
SEXY Christmas cards showing a naked Santa were ordered to be destroyed by magistrates. The cards, which also showed nude women and an indecent act with a reindeer, were found during a police raid on a Blackburn town centre shop. The raid was ordered
COUNCILLORS will discuss moves to unblock a village road where fire crews on the way to a blaze found their route obstructed. They are being recommended to agree the removal of metal bollards along a stretch of Halstead Lane, Barrowford, and provide a
HUNDREDS of people have admired the brilliant show of flowers and shrubs in the garden Emily Carter created from a piece of waste ground. But the call of her native Cyprus has proved too much after nearly 50 years in East Lancashire. Now she is hoping
A CLOTHING wholesaler has paid the price of selling counterfeit designer shirts to a high street store. Saddat Sultan Khan, 26, of Victoria Road, Waterfoot, pleaded not guilty to an offence under the 1994 Trade Marks Act and claimed he himself had been
A PRIMARY school where most children have achieved less than expected when they arrive has been praised by inspectors. A team from Ofsted noted that St Joseph's RC School, Stacksteads, had experienced a period of unsettlement with three acting head-teachers
A GRATEFUL mum has thanked staff who have helped a brave little girl with her battle for a normal life by nominating them for a prestigious award. Eight-year-old Sarah Coupe of Grimshaw Street, Great Harwood, was born with the rare Kauffman McKussic syndrome
I WOULD like to thank Blackburn Council for the new playground on the Galligreaves Estate. My son, aged seven, is really pleased that he now has somewhere to play in the centre of the estate. It is so bright and cheerful and the safety aspects have been
ICE hockey star Adrian Lomonaco has left Lancashire Hawks and returned home to Canada. It's the latest bombshell to hit the struggling Hawks who were beaten 13-1 in a Northern Conference game against Kingston Hawks in Hull last night. Arena officials
COUNCIL leaders, we are told, are 'adamant' that the future of the Lewis textile Museum, Blackburn, has not been settled (LET, January 29). The same night in Your Letters, Councillor Dave Smith says the plans are to relocate its displays. Picking my way
SADDAM Hussein is an evil dictator who should have been toppled at the time of the Gulf War to make the world safe. Now, it is disclosed he has enough nerve gas to kill everyone on the planet. And enough biological weapons to destroy entire nations. Does
THE LORD Chancellor, Lord Irvine, is an unelected government appointee whose job it is to administer the law, not to make it. And Tony Blair would do well to remind his former mentor of this as he sets about trying to bring in a "back door" privacy law
IT IS somewhat refreshing to read (LET, January 29) of a councillor - a Labour one at that - expressing his views on services. "I shudder to think how the public are being dealt with," says Councillor Simon Danczuk, of Earcroft Ward on Blackburn with
LADY LUCK smiled on Leigh RMI as they beat a powerful Colwyn Bay side in a thriller. After the cup exits of the past week there was no doubting the change in fortune as RMI took full advantage to extend their unbeaten League run to nine games - the 3-
A JOINT initiative has been set up by St Helens Council and Merseyside Police, aimed at tackling the problem of under-age drinking in Newton and Earlestown. The hard-hitting campaign has been funded by Newton 21, and local licensees and off-licences have
ANIMAL lover Julie Howell was horrified when she awoke one morning to find one of her pet rabbits had been kicked to death by vicious intruders. The sickening incident took place some time overnight between Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18.
THE year 1998 has finally kicked off for the Leigh & District Amateur Football League. But it was a close-run thing. After weeks of frustration with the wet weather, several pitches were passed fit - but with no markings. Fast work by league officials
BOBBY Keith Flanagan is all set to pound a beat of a very different nature when he tackles a gruelling 140-mile five-day run across the Sahara Desert. Keith, based at St Helens police station in College Street, is competing in the gruelling Marathon des
WALLY ASHCROFT'S Wonder of Pets OUR appeal for tins or boxes of food for unwanted pets is due to finish on Saturday, Feb 1. If you still have any items you wish to donate you can drop them in at Rutland House Veterinary Hospital or at our shop in College
DUTCH courage paid off for a Ramsbottom butcher whose trip to Holland for a meat championship didn't fall flat! Mr Eric Walmsley of Walmsley's Butchers, on Bridge Street, won a gold medal for his sausage recipe. For the last 13 years, the butcher has
A 47-YEAR-OLD woman from St Helens has died following an accident in Burrows Lane, Eccleston, at about 5.25pm on Tuesday. The woman was taken to Whiston Hospital after the two-car accident, but died from injuries sustained in the collision. Previous news
BURY Council will be in court on Monday (February 2) in a long-running battle over who empties the borough's bins. The local authority are appealing in the High Court over an order issued in 1996 by the then environment secretary John Selwyn Gummer, ordering
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a 10-year-old boy was in collision with a red F registration Hyundai Pony, the driver of which stopped and was interviewed by police. The accident happened at about 3.35pm on Thursday, January
DETECTIVES are hunting a man who raped a teenage girl in playing fields during an early morning attack. The 18-year-old female was approached by the man as she walked in Hoyles playing fields, Bell Lane, at 1.30am on Saturday (January 24). Det Insp Ian
TWO violent robbers pulled out a syringe and threatened to inject their victim unless he handed over money. The 25-year-old man was walking along Liverpool Road on his way to Safeway supermarket at about 1.15pm on Thursday, when he was confronted by the
Food News, with Christine Rutter AN APPLE a day doesn't just keep the doctor away these days. The fruit is also said to nourish the soul, chase away the winter blues and put a spring in your step during the most melancholy of months. "Hot dishes can help
PRIMARY school pupils in St Helens, their parents and teachers have been praised after publication of the Government's tests for English, maths and science taken by seven and 11 year olds. The results for both age groups show the achievement of pupils
A SLICE of history was unearthed this week when Victoria Hospital's foundation stone was removed. The original stone which was laid in 1933, together with one set in place four years later for the hospital's official opening, had to be moved because of
A FIERCE blaze involving 300 tons of baled paper at a Radcliffe mill could have been avoided if the fears of residents had been heeded. That is the claim by Mr Mike Halsall, chairman of Radcliffe Residents Committee which is bitterly opposed to expansion
A £ MILLION investment in a Leigh town centre pub promises fun, games and a brand new experience! Bass Taverns created 20 new jobs when Edison's opened on Friday in King Street. Edison's, the former Eagle and Child, will be a watering hole with a difference
A RECORD number of A-level students from Bury's Holy Cross Sixth Form College have been offered provisional Oxbridge places this year. Everyone at the college is in celebratory mood after 14 students passed interviews, seven each for Oxford and Cambridge
HAYDOCK is in the grip of cup fever as the lads of the former mining village's Amateur Rugby League Club prepare to tackle the professionals of Workington Town on Sunday in the third round of the Silk Cut Challenge Cup. And although the Yickers face a
A ROBBER armed with a mallet forced his way into the home of a 70-year-old woman and took money from her purse. The offender forced his way in to the home of the pensioner in Downway Lane, Parr, at about 9.45pm on Tuesday, January 27. The lady had gone
LANCASHIRE'S Trading Standards officers are warning Fylde homeowners to be on their guard against bogus gas men who use bullying tactics to get cash. The department has received more than a hundred complaints and queries from worried residents who have
LOCAL primary schools have passed the test! They performed above the national average in a series of tests carried out among 11 year olds. And it was found that nearly two thirds achieved the Government's expected level in English and mathematics and
IF you are still feeling a little overweight after the seasonal festivities, here's an opportunity to shed those unwanted pounds and help a worthy cause. Mary Yates, from Newton, who runs the MY Fitness Club, is holding a charity aerobics class to raise
AHOY there! Where on earth have all the pirates gone? That's the question leaving members of Thornton Cleveleys Operatic Society stumped. Costumes have been ordered, the venue booked and rehearsals begun for the company's modern version of Pirates of
THIRTY six temporary staff taken on for the Christmas opening of Sainsbury's in Leigh have been given their cards. But the company say the practice is a normal part of their recruitment programme for temps. The 36, who leave on Friday, were snapped up
A CHAIN reaction of new developments could be started by Bury planning councillors if they approve plans for a new sports club. As reported in the Bury Times, Bolton Road Sports Club reached a compromise with landlords Bolton Road Methodist Church following
Castleford Panthers 18 Pilkington Recs 16 RECS crashed out of the BARLA National Cup in controversial circumstances, despite being clearly the better team. There was no sign of the controversy to come in the first half of a full-blooded cup tie as Recs
A NEW initiative offering a range of activities and information or just a chat for women over 16 is being held every Wednesday between 1 and 3pm at Newton College. The Women and Girls Drop-In is just one of several schemes funded by the SRB through the
RESIDENTS are on the warpath after stone flags were ripped out of their street without warning. Workmen turned up to Martin Street in Bury last Friday morning (January 23) to remove the flags which were to be replaced by tarmac as part of Bury Council's
St Helens Town 1 Chadderton 2 TOWN began this match attempting to climb up to fourth in the table but by the final whistle they had slipped to seventh and in the process Chadderton leapfrogged over them. Particularly disappointing was that it was Town's
A WOMAN was the target of a gang of young robbers who snatched her handbag after she returned from a cashpoint machine in St Helens. The theft happened at 9.50pm on Thursday, January 22 in Ormskirk Street where the woman was walking back to her car after
A WIFE has appealed for witnesses after a mystery attacker kicked her disabled husband's head "like a football," breaking his nose, palate, jaw and cheekbone. Doctors said they had never seen a worse beating, said Margaret Waddell, still shocked after
MALIGNA, the wicked witch, has cast a spell to forever wipe the smile from the face of pretty Princess Petra. It's pantotime with St Joseph's Players, this season's hit show - "Puss In Boots" - kicking off a fortnight's rollercoaster run in style on Tuesday
Saints 50 Swinton Lions 28 FIFTEEN well-worked tries on a nippy afternoon no doubt warmed the cockles of many hearts in this ever-so-friendly scoring extravaganza at Knowsley Road. However, to the more discerning, there were long periods when it appeared
TEACHER Susan Harrison is heading Down Under after being awarded an Earthwatch Millennium Fellowship. She is one of 57 teachers and education officers to be awarded one of fellowships which are funded by the Millennium Commission (90 per cent) and Royal
RADIO newsman Andy Mitchell is dodging crocodiles and walking the plank this week in his new role as dastardly pirate Captain Hook. Andy, 34-year-old head of news at Blackpool's Radio Wave, swops airtime for fun-time as he dashes from the studio to the
SWAMPY'S mate is setting-up camp preparing anti-Xanadu protesters for possible confrontation. Eco Warrior and Manchester Airport protester 'Pixie Matt' will give anti-snowdome campaigners the low down on digging-in at Leigh. 'Pixie Matt' set the underground
SQUEAKY comedian Joe Pasquale, singer Berri, former Joseph star Aled Jones and the madcap Lee Evans are just a few of the names making it a summer of fun at Blackpool's Grand Theatre. The venue's silver anniversary line-up - it is 25 years since it was
CONGRATULATIONS to Sunday Division outfit Commercial FC who have fought through to the quarter-finals of the Liverpool CFA Sunday Intermediate Cup, a 5-1 win seeing them through on Sunday. In a Rainford Potteries Cup game on Saturday, Holy Cross Reserves
Kidderminster 1 Morecambe 4 MORECAMBE moved to second place after ending up easy winners in this pulsating match. But manager Jim Harvey is still refusing to talk about his team's chances of promotion. And, it has to said, the Shrimps are still 10 points
Liverpool Reserves 2 Blackburn Rovers Reserves 0 ROVERS Reserves' failure to turn possession into goals cost them the chance of going top of the Pontin's League Premier Division last night. Victory would have seen them leapfrog Leeds but they still have
VIOLENT thugs arrested by local police will no longer be allowed back on the streets. As part Lancaster and Morecambe police's latest crackdown on crime they have stopped granting police bail to violent criminals and are targeting drugs as a major problem
AN elderly Skerton woman claims she is being victimised by stone-throwing youths who have made her life a living hell. Margaret Trifonova, 61, claims she is repeatedly abused and attacked by the youths and believes her appeals for help have fallen on
KEVIN Henderson could save Chris Waddle a foray into the transfer market after announcing his arrival as Burnley player with a dream debut goal. It's early days for the 23-year-old striker but his last-minute strike and performance in the Clarets' Auto
POLICE across Lancaster and Morecambe began routinely carrying CS spray this week. And Lancashire Police were keen to dispel fears that the spray posed a serious health threat. CS Gas is banned as a weapon of war by international convention and there
CHRIS Sutton today revealed why he felt he had to turn his back on Glenn Hoddle, even though his shock decision is likely to cost him any chance of playing in the World Cup finals this summer. And the Blackburn Rovers striker, who has sensationally refused
THE row surrounding Westgate's Altham Road Meadow re-ignited this week with local campaigners accusing Lancaster City Council of a dramatic U-turn. Hundreds of residents have protested against city council plans to allow Westgate's last remaining green
STILL on the sick list! That's the message of Fylde's community health watchdog after a spot-check on Blackpool's casualty unit revealed average waits of two hours. The check was part of a nationwide survey of waiting times by community health councils
BLOOD splashed on a wall and window horrified civil servants as they arrived at work on Monday morning (Jan 26). The blood was evidence of a mass shooting of rabbits over the weekend at the Norcross DSS site. Despite protests from workers, the DSS went
THE Rugby League season kicks off at Gigg Lane this weekend with an historic confrontation between two arch rivals. Swinton Lions entertain amateurs Folly Lane in round three of the Silk Cut Challenge Cup in what promises to be a pulsating, bone-crunching
