DISTRICT councils in East Lancashire have come under fire from the Government for being too slow in dealing with planning applications. Figures released by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions show that none of the authorities
POLICE hit squads carried out a series of dawn raids across Blackburn as part of an operation aimed at drug dealers and burglars. Around 10 people were arrested in today's swoops and substances believed to be heroin, cannabis as well as stolen property
A WIDE-ranging review of the standard of door staff in Blackburn town centre has left the council happy with the way clubs and pubs operate. Blackburn with Darwen Council introduced a door supervisors scheme in a bid to reduce crime and make sure undesirable
MORE old people's homes in East Lancashire may be forced to close as cash strapped councils fight to save money in a bid to keep down council tax rises. And elderly and disabled bus users may be hit if Lancashire County Council axes its concessionary
SOCIAL services bosses have refused to attend a meeting to discuss the proposed closure of a home for the elderly after claiming they were not given enough notice. Campaigners battling to save Shadsworth House, in Dunoon Drive, Blackburn, invited members
A HEARTBROKEN 87-year-old woman has become sick with worry over council proposals to close down the home for the elderly in which she lives, her relatives claimed today. Clara Crosby is a resident at Shadsworth House in Dunoon Drive, Blackburn, one of
RAY Ingleby has made an offer which he hopes will earn him a role at Burnley Football Club. But it remains to be seen if it is considered acceptable enough to gain the America-based businessman a seat on the Turf Moor board. "He is still expressing an
Jack Straw MP Advice Surgery, Mill Hill Community Centre, New Chapel Street, 4pm-5pm; also Little Harwood Community Centre, Whalley Old Road, 5.30pm-6.30pm, both Blackburn. St Mary's Panto Group present "Mother Goose," Civic Theatre, Oswaldtwistle, 7.30pm
THE so-called prizes-for-all ideology in education that opposes elitism is delivered a telling blow today by a report showing that primary school children of all abilities benefit from being separated by aptitude for individual lessons. This "setting"
CASH-strapped Blackburn Hawks have parted company with four players - with half their English Premier League campaign still to run. Canadian hitman Chad Brandimore along with long-serving British trio Simon Mills, Tim Dempsey and netminder Colin Downie
TWO East Lancashire runners battled it out for top spot in the over-60's section of the Garstang 10K road race. Eventually, Doug Brown of Clayton finished ahead in 42.37 to inflict a narrow defeat on Accrington Road Runner Brian Scully (42.44). This was
Wember-glee for ex-Claret Fletcher FORMER Burnley striker Paul Fletcher is back on the road to Wembley after being named as the Director of Commercial affairs at the new English National Stadium. Wembley is being redeveloped to create the new national
THE streets of Burnley are lined with litter say householders who have given a massive thumbs down to the standard of cleaning them. A new council survey shows that while a big majority of participants were satisfied with refuse collection, there was
LABOUR council stalwart Granville Lord today threatened to quit the party after claiming he was wrongly suspended for failing to pay his annual party subscriptions. The ex-bus driver, who has been a Burnley councillor for seven years, is fuming over the
ONE second - that was the time it took for Steve Packer to lose the chance of winning a cool £1 million! Steve is a business development manager with Veka PLC, Farrington Road, Burnley. Last night viewers to the hit TV quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
PRIME Minister's Press Secretary Alastair Campbell has angrily rejected claims that he is defecting from supporting his beloved Burnley FC to Manchester United. The Clarets' highest profile fan, however, was forced to admit that he had been seen at United
RAY Ingleby has made an offer which he hopes will earn him a role at Burnley Football Club. But it remains to be seen if it is considered acceptable enough to gain the America-based businessman a seat on the Turf Moor board. "He is still expressing an
SEBASTIEN Perez's £3 million move to Marseille is back on again after further talks between Ewood officials and representatives of the French club. It is now a distinct possibility that a deal could go through in the next few days. But, while Perez might
A YOUNG girl from Hyndburn has become the latest person to be struck down by suspected meningitis. Health officials confirmed that she was the 11th East Lancashire person thought to have been hit by the deadly brain bug in the past three weeks. Dr Roberta
STUNNED staff at an Oswaldtwistle store have been told they could be out of a job in less than two weeks. And furious councillors have asked the owners of the Late Shop in Union Road to reverse the decision which would see 17 workers axed. The two full
SHARES in bed giant Silentnight are being tipped for a strong performance in 1999. The Barnoldswick-based bed giant has been named as one the share tips of the year by stock market magazine Investors Chronicle. Neighbour Rolls-Royce is also in the list
FOR years it has divided medical opinion. Sceptics have called it "yuppie flu" and believe it is a figment of the imagination, while sufferers say it has ruined their lives. The chronic tiredness condition, ME (Myalgic Encephalitis), affects dozens of
A NEW project to help small firms work better has been launched. Major employers including Lucas Rists and British Aerospace have joined forces with Nelson and Colne College for the launch of the Supply Chain Pathfinder. Backed by funds from Pendle Partnership's
THE plight of children studying in overcrowded classrooms in a village school in Pendle has been brought to the attention of Education Secretary David Blunkett. Pendle MP Gordon Prentice has written to the Minister highlighting the lack of space at Salterforth
FORGET Manchester United for the Premiership title. For Alex Ferguson is making one of his biggest mistakes of his managerial career. The decision to rest major stars might not have cost his side any points in the short term. But it can only create longer-term
A SCHOOL where staff show a high level of commitment to pupils has "many more" strengths than weaknesses, according to a report by Ofsted inspectors. The senior management team at Todmorden High School has changed since the last inspection and it was
THE stock market flotation of Jack Walker's airline business - which will net another fortune for the tycoon - could be cleared for take off soon. Jersey European Airways was due to go public last summer but a collapse in the stock market led to it being
THE Government should make its mind up about whether to fund the new impotence drug Viagra, according to local specialist Dr Bob Wilkinson. In September, the Government advised doctors not to prescribe Viagra on the NHS until it had decided whether to
PRIME Minister Tony Blair is set to visit Blackburn tomorrow to launch the second stage of a revolutionary government scheme to raise standards in schools. He will be accompanied by Education Secretary David Blunkett and Home Secretary and Blackburn MP
SEBASTIEN Perez's £3 million move to Marseille is back on again after further talks between Ewood officials and representatives of the French club. It is now a distinct possibility that a deal could go through in the next few days. But, while Perez might
CHARITABLE organisations in East Lancashire have received a share in a £34 million windfall from the National Lottery Charities Board. A project to refurbish Knowle Green Village Hall in the Ribble Valley and transform the building with a new kitchen,
STORMS kept firemen busy with scores of flooding and alarm calls throughout the night. But it was business as usual at the Brownhill Arms, Blackburn, where staff kept serving despite the cellars being under three feet of water. Converted for the new archive
DISGRACED Westminster Council offered a £400-a-head bounty for Blackburn to take its unwanted council tenants as part of its "homes for votes" gerrymandering scandal. Blackburn Council rejected the offer, saying its waiting list was full. Westminster
SHOKAT Ali missed out on a place in the British Open after his second crushing defeat inside a week at Blackpool yesterday. The Accrington-based snooker star lost 5-1 to world number 68 Dave Finbow in the final qualifier for the £370,000 event at the
BLACKBURN Harriers coach Arthur Almond reckons that his under 17 boys are the best crop of youngsters he has coached. In the Lancashire Road Relays they entered two teams and finished first and second. Robert and Liam Barton are identical twins. Both
THE EU was said to be on the brink of an abyss today, but the censure motion by Euro MPs threatening to topple topple all 20 of its Commissioners in a row over fraud and waste was heading for a fudge compromise likely to save most, if not all, of their
SO, the first sign of snow brings chaos to Darwen again (LET, January 12). Don't make the mistake of thinking that the Council is unprepared, understaffed, ill-equipped or incompetent. The problem, as explained to your newspaper by a spokeswoman, was
THE NHS has been subject to much recent criticism by the media both locally and nationally, some of which, no doubt, has been justified. However, I would like to in some small way redress the balance in praising Queen's Park Hospital in Blackburn, in
I DO sympathise with Ribble Valley Council having the unfortunate dilemma of deciding the fate of the Clitheroe Civic Hall Cinema (LET, January 6) which has a rather quaint and unique attraction all of its own. It would be sad for it to close. But, as
IT was a little hasty for someone recently to jump in and try to take Ron Freethy down a peg, when anyone can make a mistake between 'former' and 'latter.' This doesn't indicate a lack of knowledge regarding a subject, just a slip of the pen, so to speak
AS we approach the new millennium and the 21st century, isn't it amazing how we get the winter's first fall of snow and everything grinds to a complete halt. I would like Blackburn Council to explain why the A666 Darwen-to-Blackburn Road was at a standstill
FORMER school pals are getting together to remember the 'best days of their lives'. Pupils from St Christopher's CE High School, Accrington, are holding a reunion to meet up with long-lost friends and remember the good old days. Ex-pupils who are now
PRECISION engineer firm Wyko, which has a depot in Blackburn, has became the latest industrial company to express concern at poor trading conditions. Chairman Philip White warned November and December sales were hit by its hard-pushed customers cutting
THE head of a Pendle primary school has sent out a letter to reassure parents after a child and his family appeared on TV to talk about how he was bullied by a fellow pupil. Michael Ingham, head of St Paul's school, Nelson, has written to parents asking
AFTER working for Blackburn Rovers for 25 years, it is no surprise that Ann Pollard is a huge fan. Ann, 57, spends her weekday mornings preparing wages for the club and her spare time cheering the team on whenever they play at home. She has been presented
