RAIL worker Frank Bond was on the right track when he tied the knot with his wife May. The couple (pictured) have spent 60 sparkling years together and celebrated their diamond anniversary today. Frank, 81 and May, 80, married at Blackburn Register Office
JOHN Garvin's hopes of asking an ex-girlfriend from Blackburn to drop a court case against him put him on the wrong side of the law. After telephoning in the middle of the night he went to Angela Scullion's home and allegedly made threats. The 39-year-old
THE baby daughter of actress Jane Horrocks was fixated when she came face to face with her mother's double. Nine-month-old Molly couldn't take her eyes off the chest of the waxwork model of her mum, unveiled at Madame Tussaud's in London. Film and television
AN investigation into the cause of a helicopter crash which killed three people was due to resume today as police identified the victims. Neil Andrew Waterfall, 38, and James Roe, 40, from Derbyshire, and Wayne Burgess, 32, from Coventry, were aboard
COUNCIL jobs are to go in Rossendale as town hall chiefs aim to slash up to £450,000 from budgets. Council leader Alan Fishwick dismissed rumours that more than 40 jobs could be axed in a major review of costs and services, but agreed that over 20 posts
BOSSES at a bus company in Blackburn are clearing up after another vandal attack put six of their buses out of action by graffiti artists whose "talents have gone to waste." Paul Critchley (pictured), boss of Mill Hill-based Powercraft Coach Hire, found
A BUSINESSMAN from the Ribble Valley is still in intensive care suffering from suspected meningitis. The 53-year-old from Hurst Green is in Blackburn Infirmary where public health officials said his condition was "stable and comfortable". The businessman
CHILDREN at a Blackburn school gave up their pocket money to help children in need. Lammack Primary School pupils paid to wear what they liked to school on a non-uniform day in the last school week of the millennium. They raised £162 for the Children's
PLANS for a hot food takeaway in Longridge have been thrown out by Ribble Valley Councillors. The proposals sought to change an electrical shop into a hot food takeaway at 89 Berry Street. Planning officers John Macholc told members of the council's planning
COUNCILLORS from Blackburn and Darwen are to be checked out by police to make sure they have never committed any sexual offences. The 20 members of Blackburn with Darwen Council's social services committee last night approved the measure. The council
Middlesbrough Reserves 0 Blackburn Rovers Reserves 0 ROVERS reserves ground out a hard-earned point at Billingham Synthonia last night to frustrate Boro strike duo Hamilton Ricard and Alun Armstrong. Influential midfielders Garry Flitcroft and Billy McKinlay
CLARETS chief Stan Ternent is refusing to write off Burnley's automatic promotion chances as they prepare to take on Second Division leaders Bristol Rovers at Turf Moor on Saturday. Fifth-placed Burnley are 11 points behind Rovers with one game in hand
SOLDIER Gary Mark Woodhouse became aggressive when police told him to leave the scene of an argument. Blackburn magistrates heard that the 21-year-old private in the Queen's Lancashire Regiment eventually had to be arrested. Woodhouse, of Beverley Street
THE chairman of ELTEC says he quit over the increasing demands of the job and a potential conflict of interest over the setting up of a new small business service for East Lancashire. Roger Collinge, who is also chairman of Business Link locally, suddenly
STAFF at the Blackburn branch of the Skipton Building Society have been presented with the Branch of the Region award for the North West. Area manager Simon Bergara said the award reflects an excellent overall performance in a number of different areas
FIVE young entrepreneurs from Ribblesdale High School, Clitheroe, have won an all-expenses paid trip to Brussels. Steven Hickey, Laura Eastham, both 16, Andrew Fletcher, Tara Begi and Adam Kenyon, all 15, will leave on Friday to compete in the next stage
A CHURCH which wrote to every household in its town in a plea for funds has raised £1,750 as a result. The Rev Chris Cousins, of All Saints' Church, Clayton-Le-Moors, said: "This is a magnificent first-off effort and the finance committee are most grateful
A CONCERT where pupils imitated stars such as Geri Helliwell and George Michael was among the highlights of a series of fund-raising events by pupils at St Christopher's High School, Accrington. Yesterday, the students presented a cheque for £1,437 to
FOR the second time in weeks, East Lancashire has witnessed the harrowing aftermath of an old folk's home going bust with elderly residents being forced out. The private-sector residential care business should be made to have a bond system - like the
THE East Lancashire Sports Club reported a loss of £632 for their last financial year. Club accounts for the year ending September 30, 1999 show that the deficit was cut from £3,611 from the previous 12 months. Income rose from £59,909 to £82,047 thanks
REGARDING Mrs Doris Bilsbrough's remarks on the plastic bags nuisance (Letters, January 25), all mine go to the Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary's shop in King Street, Blackburn. Sometimes I take at least four bags full of them. And theirs is such a good cause
A JUNIOR psychiatry doctor at Burnley General Hospital has received a new shield for his training achievements during the last six months. Spanish doctor Ricardo Sainz, who is based at the Lamont Clinic, was the first person to be presented with the Henry
WHEN the going gets tough, Tough Guys get going writes Martin Harrington. Fourteen Chorley Harriers, one from Chorley AC, three Darwen Dashers and a Clayton Harrier were among the 5,000 entrants to take part in this year's Tough Guy Challenge. Held in
WITH regard to Neil Redmayne's comments on the present tax system in the UK (Letters, January 25), I agree wholeheartedly with his observations. The government has been hailing the new Family Tax Credit as the saviour of mankind recently. Well, I would
IS it not time the national press and all the experts who contribute to their columns to stop telling us that the NHS is in serious crisis? After all, it is we who know through the lack of beds, cancellations and lack of treatment how bad the crisis is
A RENT freeze ceiling will benefit higher paying tenants in Burnley for several years. Rent increases have been decided for Burnley's council houses which are due to be transferred to Burnley and Padiham Community Housing at the end of this month. The
YOUR leader column and report "MPs allege secret deal to drop river pollution case" (LET, February 1) does much to mislead your readers. There has been no "collusion" over North West Water's decision to offer no evidence in the case against Nipa Laboratories
A YOUTH has been convicted of attacking a pregnant teenager who asked for a cigarette. Burnley magistrates heard how Christopher Pagani, 19, later pushed the girl's grandmother and went on a wrecking spree, smashing three cars' windows, causing £800-worth
HEALTH chiefs have switched on to bringing pay-per-view TV to patients' bedsides at Burnley General Hospital. Private firm Patientline has been given the go-ahead for a £1 million investment to provide television, radio and telephone services at the hospital
AN intrepid husband and wife team from Burnley will make their TV debut next weekend when they will be seen white water-rafting through the Grand Canyon. Ann and Ian Waddington, of Higher Reedley Road, accepted and completed their challenge as of one
AN unnamed businessman has rescued an animal refuge threatened with closure by giving it a low-interest loan of more than £140,000. The Only Foals and Horses Sanctuary in Oswaldtwistle has run a desperate two-year campaign to raise £200,000 for the site
ONE of Hyndburn's biggest employers Lucas Rists was today sold to a German firm in a multi-million pound takeover - and the new owners said it was too early to say if jobs would be affected. The deal struck by American firm TRW to sell to Leoni AG ended
CLARETS chief Stan Ternent is refusing to write off Burnley's automatic promotion chances as they prepare to take on Second Division leaders Bristol Rovers at Turf Moor on Saturday. Fifth-placed Burnley are 11 points behind Rovers with one game in hand
BURNLEY MP Peter Pike wants the Environment Agency to appeal against a "lenient" fine imposed on chemical company Nipa Laboratories following a gas leak at its Hyndburn factory. He has written to the agency demanding that it asks for the sentence to be
GARRY Flitcroft and Billy McKinlay both stepped up their comebacks in the reserves at Middlesbrough last night. The midfield duo came through 90 minutes unscathed to provide manager Tony Parkes with a timely boost ahead of Rovers' game against Bolton
THIS year millions of visitors to the Millennium Dome Exhibition will see the work of Lancashire Evening Telegraph freelance sports photographer Peter Hartley. Peter's picture of Andy Beaty from Cumberland Fell Runners, competing in the 1996 Ben Nevis
Mike Ribbeck's diariy on quitting cigarettes ALTHOUGH I have not noticed any dramatic improvements in my energy levels, there has been a definite upside to packing in the cigarettes. A 20-a-day habit does have an effect on your health in more ways than
A COMPUTER firm is expanding into Ireland. Distributor PSL, based in Haslingden, has opened a new operation in Dublin. The move is aimed at capitalising on the growth in demand for internet services. Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some
Food News, with Amanda Killelea IF the millennium festivities haven't exhausted your partying potential, why not celebrate New Year all over again - Chinese style? February 5 sees the beginning of Chinese New Year with 2000 being the Year of the Dragon
DISCOUNT retailing chain North Shoe Limited has agreed a £22.9million takeover by department store company Brown & Jackson, reaping a multi-million pound fortune for its founder. North Shoe, which trades as The Famous Brunswick Warehouse and has a
A NELSON town centre car park was due to re-open today after work to extend it for use by "drop-in" shoppers. The Manchester Road car park, previously for disabled drivers only, has been extended into the town centre pedestrian area to increase the number
A MURAL depicting a modern Lowry-style landscape will brighten up a wall in Nelson town centre. Councillors are recommended to grant planning permission for the mural, which will also feature 12 galvanised steel sheets, to be mounted on the wall next
PLANS to put down speed "cushions" on a busy street seem to have sent local people to sleep. Pendle Council sent 70 letters to residents who would be affected by the traffic calming scheme in Railway Street but only two replied - a 2.9 per cent return
A CLUB is proposing to use Victoria Park lake for course fishing. Barrowford Angling Club wants to stock the lake with suitable fish such as roach, tench and carp for use by both able and disabled anglers. The club would pay Pendle Council £350 a year
AN under-fire tenants' group has been given a financial clean bill of health after being called to account by council bosses. Housing chiefs called for an inquiry after Padiham and Hapton area management committee was accused of misusing funds and spending
A TALENTED young performer has won a place with the prestigious National Youth Music Theatre. Adam Bowles, 18 (pictured) of Bird Street, Brierfield, impressed judges at two auditions attended by 1,500 people and was awarded one of 100 places with the
A SETTEE and chair were set on fire after being left outside the door of a flat in Ellenshaw Close, Darwen. It is believed children were responsible for starting the blaze which forced about 10 residents to leave their homes at 8pm yesterday when the
A MAN leapt to safety from a first-floor window as fire ravaged his home early today. Firefighters said John Markham, 39, broke through the window of his bathroom after he woke to find his home in Bonsall Street, Mill Hill, Blackburn, on fire at 2.40am
TODMORDEN Working Men's club will hold a charity night for the area's proposed £800,000 Macmillan Cancer Unit, on February 23, at 8pm. Artistes have to be confirmed, but club president Terry Barber said: "We are making this our main fund-raiser of the
TEACHERS in East Lancashire have blasted the 3.3 per cent pay rise they have been offered by the Government. Union leaders from the area have spoken with one voice to say their pay continues to fall behind those of other professions. Simon Jones, secretary
WHEN Rosalyn Lord decided to set up a support group for parents with autistic children, little did she know that just four years later she would be nominated for a national award. Rosalyn (pictured) has been running the group from her home in Goodshawfold
ABOUT 8,000 electors in Barnoldswick are taking part in a local referendum to gauge where new homes could be built to meet government house-building targets over the next six years. "Everyone registered to vote will get a form asking how strongly they
COLNE gala will be cancelled this summer unless enough volunteers come forward in the next few days. The organising committee has warned that, unless it gets between 15 and 20 people to come forward by its next meeting on Tuesday, the event, which attracts
A LOFT was slightly damaged by fire at a bungalow in York Road, Wilpshire, at 1.05pm yesterday. An alarm engineer was working on the alarm system, and was in the process of testing it when it caught fire. The blaze was confined to the alarm panel, and
FEARS were growing today for the safety of a disabled Blackburn woman who has been missing from home for more than 24 hours. May Elizabeth Lloyd was last seen by her husband John around 9.30am yesterday morning. When Mrs Lloyd failed to come home in the
PROPOSALS for a housing development in Whalley has been refused by councillors in the Ribble Valley because of the number of houses currently being built in the area. The application by Crosby Homes Ltd details the construction of 14 two and three storey
GARRY Flitcroft and Billy McKinlay both stepped up their comebacks in the reserves at Middlesbrough last night. The midfield duo came through 90 minutes unscathed to provide manager Tony Parkes with a timely boost ahead of Rovers' game against Bolton
WORKERS today claimed more than 20 people at a haulage firm have lost their jobs. Drivers and mechanics at Stuart Taylor International Transport, of Mellor Brook, were told not to return to work this week. It is understood the firm is now no longer trading
Hyndburn Dance Festival, Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre. From 9am. Helen Lederer's One Night Stand with her date Tim McArthur, Darwen Library Theatre, Knott Street, 7.30pm. Jazz Evening, The Holden Arms, Grane Road, Haslingden, 9pm. Jim Bowen's "Give It
CASTLE Cement has been rapped by the Environment Agency over emissions from its Ribblesdale works. The agency has served an enforcement notice forcing the firm to closely monitor its emissions. The firm must now carry out tests in areas around the site
EAST Lancashire's lone Tory MP Nigel Evans has demanded that "Townie Tony" Blair visits his Ribble Valley constituency to see the misery caused by his "complacent and arrogant approach" to agriculture and the countryside. This week the Prime Minister
REGULAR reviews of boarding accommodation will now take place to protect pupils at St Mary's Hall, says Stonyhurst College headmaster Adrian Aylward. A married couple has been employed to run the redesigned and refurbished accommodation for boys and girls
THE FORMER headmaster of a top Catholic school was branded a perverted hypocrite by a judge after being found guilty of abusing three of his pupils. Rory O'Brien, 57, was jailed for three years following his conviction for five charges of indecent assault
MOST of Robert 'Rory' O'Brien's life has been spent in the enclosed world of St Mary's Hall and Stonyhurst College. He was born in Dublin but his family moved to England and as a youngster he was sent off to the boarding school which would play such a
Val Cowan's Web World HERE'S a nice saying: the e in e-business doesn't stand for English. That's the catchphrase of Aston Fallon, the man in charge of software company Systran, which has a mission to translate the web. If you've ever used Alta Vista's
Fairport Convention, at Burnley Mechanics IT'S 32 years since they first formed and 30 years since this reviewer saw them at Hull City Hall but the wild electric fiddle that's the Fairport trademark still filled the Burnley Mechanics on a cold, wet, winter
THE police station at Nelson reopened after cleaners spent a day giving a family of fleas the flick. Police officers were left scratching their heads when two bobbies inadvertently infested the station after returning from an unhygienic sudden death.
A NEW doctor's surgery has opened near Accrington town centre. Dr T V Suryanarayana, better known as Dr Murthy, has opened the Eagle Street Surgery opposite the former Royal Bank of Scotland branch in Blackburn Road. The surgery is open between 9am and
PIE 'n' peas and tasty snacks could have disappeared from Morrison's supermarket at Blackburn if the management decided to close the takeaway food section. The possible closure had been under consideration, but public relations manager Ken Hounsworth
BLACKBURN Hawks player-boss Bobby Haig will have to make do with the players he has as his side push for promotion - not that he is complaining. Monday's transfer deadline meant that Haig will now be unable to bring in any fresh talent before the end
HAVING come last year to the hard-up North West to tell us Britain has no North-South divide, Tony Blair goes today to depressed Devon and Cornwall to tell rural folk how well off they are. Again, the Prime Minister seems to be wearing a set of blinkers
PADIHAM is to benefit from a £150,000 facelift. The new initiative is aimed at older housing areas which are starting to show some signs of decline but which do not justify large scale renewal activity at the moment. Members of Burnley's housing and community
A TEENAGER who was invited to take a girl home, ended up in police cells instead. Burnley magistrates heard how Kraig Tony Mellor, 19, was over the limit and was also banned from driving. Mellor, of Garrick Street, Nelson, was disqualified from driving
BLACKBURN Harriers earned four top 10 finishes at the Northern Cross Country Championships as gale force winds swept the north east coastline. Sarah Willimott won the bronze medal in the junior ladies race as she passed her biggest test of the season
COUNCILLORS in Accrington are up in arms over a comment made recently in the TV programme Heartbeat to the effect that Accrington was apparently less salubrious than Claude Greengrass's B and B. Nothing to get het up about, I would have thought. However
FLYING Without Wings played as the coffin of attack victim Ryan O'Riley was carried from St Mary's RC Church, Burnley. The Number One hit by pop group Westlife was chosen by Ryan's family. The 21-year-old, who died from head injuries in Preston Royal
A £30,000 ceiling is to be put on the cost of improvements to individual houses under Burnley's group repair programme. The spending limit on individual properties was decided after the housing committee were told the estimated average cost of doing work
TWO retired Burnley teachers received a generous response when they returned to their former schools to ask for financial help. Former St Hilda's art teacher Lois Lamle and her husband Klaus, a former St Theodore's science teacher, plan to travel to Northern
THE Accrington Pals are finally to be honoured with the freedom of Hyndburn - on the 84th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. Although the 11th Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment no longer exists, the freedom of the borough is to be conferred
POLICE have issued a warning against pushy double-glazing salesmen whose tactics have upset people in Clayton-le-Moors. Two elderly residents from the Burnley Road area of town contacted police after they were visited by salesmen claiming to be from a
A BUS company has been fined and banned from operating any extra services because of concerns about an injured pedestrian and late and early services. Pilkington's of Accrington were ordered to repay 20 per cent of their fuel duty rebate grant and banned
HYNDBURN'S lone independent councillor is set to boycott a meeting called to discuss radical changes aimed at modernising the way the borough is run. But the council leader has accused Coun Adrian Shurmer (pictured) of letting down the people he represents
CANCER stricken Keith Kershaw blasted himself in the head with a shotgun when the pain became unbearable, an inquest heard. The hearing was told that the 67-year-old had watched his beloved wife Mary battle against the disease and had told friends he
BOSSES at North West Water finally spoke today about why pollution charges were dropped against a chemical firm - but refused to reveal whether they had received a £100,000 costs payment. Burnley MP Peter Pike has tabled an early day motion in the House
THE horrifying Samurai sword attack on Cheltenham MP Nigel Jones which resulted in the death of his aide, Gloucestershire County Councillor Andrew Pennington, has focused the media spotlight on security for top politicians. Lancashire Evening Telegraph
HEALTHCARE group SSL, which owns the Cupal manufacturing site in Blackburn, is set to strengthen its foothold in the Far East. The firm has said it intends to buyout its joint venture partner in Japan and to increase its sales push in the country. "The
AN investment guru has made a tasty profit after selling part of his stake in a cake firm. Jim Slater has made more than £60,000 in eight months after buying shares in Blackburn-based Inter Link. Last summer Mr Slater, known in investment circles for
FIREFIGHTERS were called when smoke was seen coming from the cellar of the Wine Market off licence in Ford Street, Burnley, at 1.40am today. Fire crews found that rubbish had been pushed through an opening and lit. The fire had not properly taken hold
DRINKERS were evacuated from Burnley town centre pub Sidewalk 53 when a fire broke out in the kitchen area. Firefighters were called just after 11pm. A spokesman said the fire was caused by an electrical fault in a heater. The room was heavily smoke-logged
A HOSPITAL patient who was asked if he had any cannabis told staff he had thrown it out of the window, Burnley magistrates heard. Damien Stacey, 19, refused to be searched and urged the staff to phone police if they wanted. Stacey, a long-term patient
ORGANISERS of a lottery draw which will raise up to £150,000 a year for a local charity have come up with a cuddly image to promote the event. The appeals and marketing team at Hospice Care for Burnley and Pendle are busy preparing for the launch of the
A LEADING Darwen councillor has failed in his bid to have a three per cent rent rise for stallholders on the town's market to be abandoned. Blackburn with Darwen Council's Liberal Democrat group leader Coun Paul Browne criticised the move, saying traders
A TOURIST boss has slammed millennium projects that are behind schedule or that have been abandoned altogether. North West Tourist Board chairman Anthony Goldstone wants the Millennium Commission to review its planning procedures to ensure that projects
THE FORMER headmaster of a top Catholic school was branded a perverted hypocrite by a judge after being found guilty of abusing three of his pupils. Rory O'Brien, 57, was jailed for three years following his conviction for five charges of indecent assault
