A BOMBSHELL for jobs fell as a building firm suddenly announced the closure of its Blackburn factory. Two hundred workers were set to lose their jobs at Premier Building Systems on the Whitebirk industrial estate. Owners AAF Industries PLC said the factory
LANCASHIRE boosted their Axa League title bid with a breathtaking success over Leicester at Old Trafford, writes ANDY WILSON. A 20 runs win put them equal top with Essex on 36 points after 12 matches, and it's all set up for a big finish to the 40 overs
ACCRINGTON Stanley take on a Bury XI at the Crown Ground tonight (kick-off 7.30pm). Squads - Accrington Stanley from: J Speare, W Dowell, M Phillips, P Byrne, R Procter, N Doherty, S Baines, J Borland, B Welch, T Black, G Bickerton, T Brown, I Fay, A
DANIEL Cheesbrough took just over 10 minutes to destroy Baxenden in the Vaux Ribblesdale League. Cheesbrough smashed 36 runs including three sixes as his side took a 10 wicket victory over Baxenden. Earlier professional Charles Dagnall did the damage
JUST days after assuring us that they are virtuous chaps really - not bumping anyone off, nor spying on the royals - the Security Service was suddenly showing its sinister side. For as former MI5 officer David Shayler was watching football on TV in a
JASON Lobo produced his best time of the season in the BUPA Grand Prix at Sheffield - but it was not good enough to earn him a place in the squad for the European Championships. In a race ran at a scorching pace, the former Blackburn Harrier ran his faster
MY niece experienced a very frustrating end to a well-earned day out in Blackburn - on the market roof-top car park. After a happy day out she was feeling good - until she went for her car on the car park. She had put money in the pay machine for two
REGARDING your article (LET, July 18) about the council-backed proposal for a giant sculpture to be erected on Musbury Tor, there is mounting opposition to this idea in the vicinity. A petition against any form of 'huge sculpture' already has more than
CARL Fogarty vowed to continue racing after battling against technical problems to keep in the hunt for a third World Superbike crown. The Blackburn bike ace delighted a British record crowd of 82,000 at Brands Hatch to clock up second and fourth place
IDON'T know about Mrs J Lee being able to help G Smith (Letters, July 20) name a battle that William III won besides the one on the Boyne, but I can. It's easier to place William in the context of his nationality which was Dutch and the fact that he was
A FEW years ago, I wrote a poem, for a Writers' Circle competition, about the 1944 D-Day training exercise at Slapton Sands, Devon, that went tragically wrong when hundreds of American soldiers were killed when their landing strips were attacked by German
A MULTI-million pound nightclub plan for a derelict foundry in Burnley town centre looks set to be approved after further talks between council officers and the developer. Councillors granted permission to officers to negotiate with former nightclub boss
A "PRIEST" who stars in a controversial ad campaign for a chocolate bar banned by Burnley FC has confessed: "I'm a Clarets fan!" The magazine campaign for Snickers features Des Cummings as the priest taking Manchester United "bad boy" Roy Keane's confessions
POLICE have welcomed a move by East Lancashire rail chiefs to fence off danger spots where vandals and trespassers have been putting lives on the line. The move by Railtrack comes after a shocking catalogue of incidents where children as young as four
COLIN Hendry's transfer to Rangers should go through later today or tomorrow, with a compromise deal having been negotiated between the Scottish club and Blackburn Rovers for around £3.75 million, writes PETER WHITE. But any suggestions that the money
STAFF at Colletex are ready for E-Day! The Blackburn-based firm, which makes specialist components for the clothing industry, has become the first Barclays Bank customer in East Lancashire to open a 'euro' account. Although Britain is not joining up to
PRODUCTION on the Eurofighter has begun in East Lancashire The first major components for the long awaited fighter plane have arrived at British Aerospace's Samlesbury site. A batch of frames, which form part of the centre fuselage assembly on the aircraft
COUNCILLORS are being urged to agree to a one-acre site in Hollins Road, Nelson being used for a housing development, even though the application does not allow space for a play area. Development of the open land next to Walton High School was granted
MYSTERY today surrounded the whereabouts of a property dealer after receivers were called in at several of his premises. The locks have been changed at a string of shops and houses belonging to entrepreneur Arthur Morgan, who runs the Morgan Salestrack
A HILL farmer has warned that his profession could become a thing of the past if nothing is done to stem the flow of youngsters leaving agriculture. The National Farmers' Union has revealed that young people are turning their backs on hill farming in
THE CLARETS Independent Supporters Association have repeated their call for supporters to boycott all Burnley club merchandise following Ray Ingleby's decision to pull out of the battle to take control at Turf Moor. Ingleby failed with an offer of £3
LANCASHIRE train travellers looking to head across the Scottish border will face severe disruption for up to a week after flash floods hit the line which runs through Preston to Scotland. A 25-yard stretch of line was damaged when floods washed out foundations
A HIGH-priority package of work is set to go ahead at King George's Hall, Blackburn, aimed at bringing back capacity crowds for standing concerts. Top chart bands were banned from playing "stand-up" gigs at the venue which has already undergone a £2.5
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's ideas to make local government more appealing to voters have been given a mixed reception by council leaders. American-style elected mayors with a cabinet of top councillors, the rooting out of corruption and setting
Rochdale 0 Burnley 1 - Pete Oliver's match verdict HE may not be an emerging talent, or the kind of big money buy the Burnley fans are hoping for, but Ronnie Jepson could still be a major signing for the Clarets. Jepson, picked up for nothing after leaving
COLIN Hendry's transfer to Rangers should go through later today or tomorrow, with a compromise deal having been negotiated between the Scottish club and Blackburn Rovers for around £3.75 million. But any suggestions that the money will be used to fund
RONNIE Baxter saw the PDC World Matchplay Darts Championship slip agonisingly through his fingers after a thrilling final with top seed Rod Harrington at Blackpool. Church-based Baxter missed a shot at double top to take the crown before he was dramatically
Barrow Border Raiders 12pts Lancashire Lynx 21 LANCASHIRE Lynx extended their lead at the top of the league to three points after a comfortable victory over Barrow in an error-ridden encounter at Craven Park. Lynx suffered two early blows within the first
REGARDING John Prescott's plans for motorists to use the bus instead of the car. I wonder if he could tell us how a woman with £45-worth of shopping in various carrier bags and, perhaps a pram with two children, could possibly board a bus with no conductor
MARJORIE Cawtherley's garden just grew and grew - organically. It began seven years ago as a small front garden at her Sagar Fold Farm home in Burnley and spread as the retired college lecturer found time to pursue an interest in horticulture. And at
BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent admits his side is not good enough to win promotion - yet. Ternent has so far added only Ronnie Jepson to the squad that finished last season fifth from bottom of the Second Division. And having also lost first-team regulars
A WOMAN was killed and her husband is fighting for his life after their powerful motorcycle collided with a car and a van. An hour later a second rider died when another 1100cc machine hit a car less than three miles away. Stanley Wheatcroft, 62, and
Summer Playscheme, Sudellside Community Centre, Darwen, 1.30-4pm. Summer Playschemes, 1.30-4pm, Ivy Street Community Centre; Daisyfield Community Centre; and Mill Hill Community Centre, all Blackburn. Children's Summer Library for ages five upwards, Mill
THE FASCINATING, but unfinished, tale of East Lancashire's forgotten castaway David Ashworth - brought to Looking Back last week by 84-year-old Mr John Fowler, of Blackburn - comes to a dramatic conclusion today, more than 130 years after the shipwreck
LORA Fairclough all but secured a Solheim Cup place when she held off a late charge from fellow-Briton Joanne Morley to win the German Open at Treudelberg. The 28-year-old from Chorley shot a final round 74 for a 10-under-par 282 to claim the £15,000
HEALTH watchdogs were shocked and sickened by conditions for the mentally handicapped at Brockhall Hospital in the Ribble Valley. Burnley Community Health Council were reported to be staggered by the stink of urine and felt the quality of some of the
AH, where would we be in a sodden summer, without the silly season stories that bring a little substitute sunshine into our lives - such as the one today that suggests that the British men are among the most vain and fashion-conscious in Europe? The UK
A THIRD unbeaten century in eight innings from professional Peter Sleep saw Darwen to storm into the Vaux Bitter Cup semi-final with a 104 run victory over Blackpool. Darwen set a formidable total of 189 from their 40 overs thanks to a fine opening stand
REGARDING the proposal for a millennium sculpture on the Tor at Helmshore, I strongly object to the idea. As Len Dickenson, of the local residents' association states (LET, July 18), it was not so long ago when the planning application for a communications
THE head of Burnley's troubled council house repair team, Fred Gurnsey, has been suspended on full pay under the council's disciplinary procedure. Councillors have been told it is not possible at present to give any further details of the allegations
BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent admits his side is not good enough to win promotion - yet. Ternent has so far added only Ronnie Jepson to the squad that finished last season fifth from bottom of the Second Division. And having also lost first-team regulars
A LONG established builders' merchants has been taken over. J F Lord , which has branches in Accrington and Chorley, has been bought by the Builder Center chain. Builder Center currently has branches across the country including one in Burnley and is
FEWER than half of firms in East Lancashire should have to complete forms as part of the national review of business rates. The Valuation Office Agency in the North West is sending out tens of thousands of forms to firms to help calculate business rate
A MAN who bit off the end of a man's finger in a struggle has walked free from court. Lee Mills, 26, who suffered post traumatic stress after being the victim of an earlier assault in 1995 which could have killed him, sobbed in the dock as a judge told
THE Crown Prosecution Service is to move into new premises at Burnley Wharf, in Manchester Road. It is leasing a Grade II, mid-nineteenth century former warehouse, which has been refurbished to provide 12,000sq ft of office accommodation. Acting on behalf
