A MAN was due to appear before Blackburn Magistrates this morning charged with the rape and abduction of a 26-year-old prostitute in Blackburn last month. Detectives arrested a 39-year-old Blackburn man yesterday. Converted for the new archive on 14 July
BACUP junior scout band provided the music and pupils from the church school gave a display of country dancing at a Vicarage Garden Party at St Saviour's Church, New Line, Bacup. The successful event also included traditional sports included egg and spoon
LIVING to be a grand old age is something of a tradition for Edith Aspinall's family. Her brother lived to be 93, and her sister lived to be 98, but today Edith celebrates her 100th birthday. And all her friends at Feniscliffe Bank Home for the Elderly
FIRE crews had to run the last few hundred yards to tackle a fire at a remote Rossendale farmhouse because their vehicles were too wide for the narrow track. The drama began at 1.15am yesterday when Ian Binns, of Hey Meadow Farm, Edenfield, was woken
FIREFIGHTERS have renewed their warning about candles and the importance of smoke alarms after a man had a lucky escape from a bedroom fire. Gary Maddon, of Lamlash Road, Shadsworth, woke in the early hours of today to find his bedroom smoke-logged. The
TEACHERS in East Lancashire have attacked a government plan to set up a national council for classroom staff and charge £20 for membership. Members of the NASUWT have written to education secretary David Blunkett to tell him how much opposition there
A BLACKBURN high school has won a £20,000 award for an innovative high tech scheme aimed at setting up better links with another school in the area. The cash has been awarded to Queen's Park School, where a communications centre will be set up to link
A KOSOVAR father who was forced from his home and beaten for two hours by Serb police today spoke of his joy at the birth of his daughter in Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn. Arben Ademi, 23, and his wife Valdona, 20, came to Blackburn from a refugee
RICCARDO Scimeca has finally ruled himself out of a potential move to Ewood Park, saying he intends to stay and fight for a first-team spot with Aston Villa. So Blackburn Rovers are almost certain to start their pre-season friendlies in Sweden on Thursday
A SCHOOLBOY karter bidding for a possible future career in Formula One motor racing had a poor finish in the finals of a top competition - but has vowed he will be back to race another day. Jonathan Walker, 10, a pupil of Oakhill College, Whalley, was
YOU could have said, quite legitimately, that Church were ill-prepared. Propping up the Lancashire League, without a win since mid-May, shot out for 46 hours beforehand - hardly the sort of build-up for a visit from Rawtenstall, or anyone else for that
WHETHER or not the prime aim of the Tory promise to raise the speed limit on motorways to 80 mph and bring in a new 50 mph minimum is, as advanced, to ensure a faster, safer flow of traffic, it is obvious what William Hague is really driving at - the
DID we not recently have a council election? Ian Forrest's remarks (Letters, July 5) brought doubts to my mind. For some unknown reason, the electorate chose not to vote overwhelmingly for his party. I met a councillor from a neighbouring authority who
JOE Scuderi continued his magnificent form for Colne in Saturday's scorching sunshine as four of the top five in the EW Cartons Lancashire League won and Haslingden were involved in a dramatic tie at Todmorden. He underlined precisely why he is rated
PETER Caswell's remarks (Letters, June 30), concerning the residents of the Roman Road estate in Blackburn, and its long-standing problems were spot on. However, his warning that other estates should take note of such fiascos is a little late. For the
LEAKING sulphuric acid caused the closure of a street in Burnley town centre today . Firefighters were called when the driver of a lorry containing about 50 plastic drums of acid pulled up outside Burnley Police Station to report a minor bump with a Holland's
A SCOTTISH company looks set to buy Burnley's ailing Lucas Aerospace factory - a move that could save around 100 remaining jobs at the Heasandford estate plant. Privately-owned engineering and plastics group Motherwell Bridge, of Motherwell, says it is
MEMBERS of Accrington Camera Club rounded off a season of talks on photography with a taste of the future. Club president Harry Emmett took along computer equipment to allow members to experiment with digital technology. The next meeting of the club will
FUND-RAISING footballers kicked off to raise money for two local charities. This is the third year running Accrington Clarets have organised a charity five-a-side football tournament. Supporters cheered on the 16 teams in the competition which was won
STEVE Davis believes Burnley boss Stan Ternent has made a shrewd "buy" in the shape of experienced campaigner Mitchell Thomas. Davis is delighted to be linking up again with Thomas, his former defensive side-kick at Luton Town, who has joined the Clarets
HERON Clough today hugged her brother Jan and said: "Thanks for saving my life." Youth worker Heron sank unconscious into the murky depths of a lodge after she fell from a rope swing 35ft above the water. When brave Jan, 15, saw that his sister had disappeared
A GROUP of trainees have taken a step up a new career ladder, thanks to a course. Of the 14 unemployed trainees who started the course in supervisory management, six have already found work. The course was staged at the East Lancashire Lifetime Learning
FIRMS in East Lancashire are urged to go green and save money. An initiative is offering a team of specialists to go into companies and show them how they can save money, become more efficient and stay on the right side of new environmental legislation
THE outlook for jobs in the region has received a major boost from a booming service sector, according to a survey. The quarterly North West Chambers of Commerce survey, which East Lancashire firms contribute to, found that more businesses are looking
A 16-year-old youth has been charged with rape after a late-night assault on a woman as she walked across spare land in Darwen. The teenager is from the Richmond Terrace area of Darwen. He is also charged with an offence of burglary and was due to appear
HUNDREDS of jobseekers queued in the sweltering heat for the chance to join a booming East Lancashire computer firm. More than 1,500 people turned up at Time Computers, Simonstone, hoping to grab one of 500 new jobs on offer. A queue of almost 100 was
STEVE Davis believes Burnley boss Stan Ternent has made a shrewd "buy" in the shape of experienced campaigner Mitchell Thomas. Davis is delighted to be linking up again with Thomas, his former defensive side-kick at Luton Town, who has joined the Clarets
Guided Walk, meet Witton Park car park, Preston Old Road, Blackburn, 2pm. BARSA Better Driving Courses, Blackburn Northern Sports Club, Pleckgate Road, Blackburn, 8pm. Week Six: 'Roadcraft' Video - illustrating all the driving techniques recommended in
A leukaemia survivor has brought his fund-raising total for the Christie Hospital, Manchester, to £24,000. Ian Thompson, 24, handed over £1,000 to the Christie's Against Cancer Appeal. The 24-year-old, of Longridge, raised the cash from a series of events
SPEEDING bikers who dice with death were targeted in a second police crackdown in the Ribble Valley. Traffic police set up speed traps on popular routes in the area and an information stand in Gisburn yesterday.. As well as catching speeding bikers the
Eric Leaver traces the history of the Royal Tournament IT HAS been called the toughest team sport in the world - the battle of the men of iron in the Royal Navy's famous inter-port Field Gun Competition which is the thrilling highlight of the Royal Tournament
PLANS to demolish a derelict bridge caused protests from a nearby estate. Residents said it was a main access, although it had been closed to traffic for more than a year. Andrew Donelan Wipers Ltd wanted to demolish Ashton Road bridge in Darwen. The
BATTLING great-gran Peggy Rawcliffe staged her own one-woman protest against striking town hall staff. She crossed their picket line. She even risked family harmony - as her daughter-in-law was one of the Nalgo pickets. Peggy, 75, marched up to Blackburn
IAN Austin is fighting to get over an Achilles ankle strain to play in Lancashire's championship clash with Glamorgan at Blackpool on Wednesday. Austin was hurt during the Old Trafford game against Sri Lanka A which ended in a deeply embarrassing 179
SIMON Townend's dream of a place at The Open was still alive today as he teed off in the second round of final qualifying at Downfield. But Ged Furey's chances of a trip to Carnoustie hung in the balance after a double bogey on the 16th yesterday marred
DARWEN clung on to their unbeaten league record in a desperate finish against Chorley at Birch Hall, the home side ending on 116-9 as last pair Graham Parkinson and Andrew Mercer doggedly survived the last eight of the final 20 overs. At 12-5 defeat was
WITH the Loyalist drums beating in the background, Tony Blair was today unveiling the legislation aimed at breaking the deadlock in the Northern Ireland peace process. And, confronting Unionist mistrust, it was expected to set out the mechanism that will
CARL Fogarty managed to keep his title rivals at a safe distance as the wild card entries dominated round eight of the World Superbike Championship in California. The championship leader could manage only a fourth and fifth place on the Laguna Seca track
HASLINGDEN'S second batting blitz of the weekend kept them on the heels of the EW Cartons Lancashire League top two, East Lancs and Nelson, yesterday. Run rates soared with the temperatures but Haslingden kept their cool to clinch a 10-point win over
IN reply to Mrs Anne Miller's remarks in "Beggars least offensive" (Letters, July 5), the very people she feels are inoffensive attend the unemployment office every two weeks and sign on, in order to claim Income Support or unemployment benefit. When
THERE are at least eight reasons why we should say "yes" to the proposed Safeway supermarket development in Great Harwood. 1. It will be good for the township - it will strengthen the local economy and create 180 new jobs, plus 200 local jobs during construction
HUNDREDS of jobseekers queued in the sweltering heat for the chance to join a booming East Lancashire computer firm. More than 1,500 people turned up at Time Computers, Simonstone, hoping to grab one of 500 new jobs on offer. A queue of almost 100 was
FIREFIGHTERS have warned about the importance of maintaining smoke alarms after a house fire in Accrington. The blaze started in the kitchen of a house in Sandy Lane after the fat inside the grill pan caught fire and smoke-logged the kitchen. Leading
POLICE are hunting a burglar they believe may be targeting elderly people in Oswaldtwistle. Two elderly women have come face-to-face with a raider in their homes during the last week and police want residents who have seen suspicious people knocking on
HYNDBURN MP Greg Pope has backed a controversial plan to build a Safeway supermarket in the middle of his home town of Great Harwood. He risked the anger of campaigners against the proposal by urging Hyndburn's development services committee to approve
CHURCH leaders have slammed the trend for erotic lap dancers after it was revealed that an East Lancashire nightspot was considering introducing the entertainment. Staff at Brassington's, Altham, have approached council and police licensing bosses about
FURNITURE firm Cornwell Parker has warned that it is still suffering from tough trading conditions with a recovery looking unlikely this year. The firm, which recently opened a multi-million pound distribution centre at the Network 65 Business Park in
