THOUGH there is never one time that is better than another to be the victim of a burglary, thieves chose an exceptionally cruel occasion to ransack Blackburn mother Vicki Ainsworth's house. On the brink of Christmas, while she was staying with her mother
Nature Watch, with Ron Freethy SEASIDE resorts market themselves by showing images of holidaymakers basking in hot sunshine. But it is worth while going to resorts in winter when the wind blows and the sea crashes on to the beach, especially if you want
MAY I congratulate Blackburn on getting a government road grant of £5million (LET, December 14)? May I also relate a story of a visiting American friend after his first car ride through Blackburn town centre? "Is this little town of yours twinned with
THROUGH your newspaper, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff, volunteers and the public for the tremendous support they have all given to the East Lancashire Hospice in 2000. Looking back over the past 12 months, it amazes me how
AFTER recently researching the funds needed for me to attend university, I was horrified about the fact that I may have to reconsider if it is at all possible for me to go to university. At the start of the year, Mr Tony Blair was talking about how he
ALMOST every day in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph we read of a violent act locally. Recently, two of them have caused me to ask: "Where did we go wrong?" I refer to the 80-year-old lady who was mugged and badly injured in Pleasington by an attacker
A HEALTH boss has urged parents to "trust their instincts" this winter if they suspect their child may have meningitis. More cases of the killer bug are recorded in winter with children aged under five and between 15 and 17 at particular risk. The advice
A MIDDLE-AGED man was rescued from a smoke-filled flat after collapsing at the top of the stairs following an arson attack early today. Edwin Hall was found by firefighters at the home in Holmes Square, Burnley, and was given oxygen before being taken
A MOTHER wept as police returned her son's Christmas presents just 24 hours after they had been stolen. Vicki Ainsworth had feared she would have nothing to give three-year-old Connor, after thieves ransacked her Nuttall Street, Blackburn, house just
Blackburn Rovers 2 Birmingham City 1 A DOUBLE dose of magic from Matt Jansen provided the perfect remedy for Graeme Souness's Christmas indigestion and left Birmingham boss Trevor Francis nursing a Boxing Day hangover. Ewood chief Souness had spent the
MENCAP St Helens and District would like to express a very big thank-you to everyone who donated to their collection day in Asda on December 2. Your generosity enabled the group to raise £322.45 for local people with learning disabilities. Their thanks
LARGER than life cricket star Neil Hawke has died in a hospice in Adelaide. The paceman who played for Nelson Cricket Club and East Lancashire CC, died in the Mary Potter Hospice on Christmas Day, aged 61. The former Lancashire Evening Telegraph sports
BACK-to-back champions Saints are to jet to sunnier climes to prepare for another long season with the ultimate aim of a triple Grand Final triumph. However, the immediate hurdles are the World Club clash with Brisbane Broncos and the opening rounds of
GENEROUS folk in East Lancashire gave nearly £3,000 towards needy causes in the run up to Christmas. Members of Blackburn 83 Round Table and the town's Ladies Circle raised £2,500 towards a variety of local appeals, plus a further £500 for the SuperScan
A TEENAGER was hailed a hero after he saved a young pal from drowning in a swollen river. Stephen Emmett, 9, was out riding his Christmas present bicycle on the banks of the River Blakewater at Blackburn with his brother Mark and a friend, Craig Martland
THE leader of a green pressure group has slammed the Environment Agency for timetabling a public consultation in the busy run-up to Christmas. David Mortimer, chairman of the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley branch of Friends of the Earth, blamed
IRATE Burnley boss Stan Ternent ordered his players in for extra training today after they crashed to a fourth successive defeat. The Clarets lost 1-0 to an 89th-minute goal from Barnsley defender Chris Morgan at Oakwell yesterday. And Ternent was so
Division One: Barnsley 1 Burnley 0 - Pete Oliver's match verdict BOXING Day and Stan Ternent was certainly pulling no punches. Burnley's fourth defeat in a row was the straw that broke the camel's back as the manager spelled out a few home truths for
TWO managers from the world's biggest wallpaper maker, Darwen-based Imperial Home Decor, have polished up on their management skills. John Gibson and Sharon Canavan said the training programme helped do their job better and brought benefits to Imperial
A NEW leisure complex with a swimming pool and health and fitness centre is the latest addition planned for the Ravenhead Retail Park, near St Helens town centre. JJB Sports has unveiled plans for a development, which will attract a considerable number
NEWTON-le-Willows Library has been selected as the venue for the new Government-funded Reading Lifelines project. Reading Lifelines, which is running in 18 boroughs across the North West until June, 2001, aims to encourage more 16 to 25 year-olds to join
Stoke City 2, Bury 1 A CONTENTIOUS refereeing decision and an incredible miss left Bury pointless from their Boxing Day trip to Stoke City. On a day when Shakers boss Andy Preece would have been justified in using the old footballing cliche ''We woz robbed
POLICE are investigating a robbery in which three men threatened and assaulted a motorist before demanding the keys to his car and driving off in it. The stolen vehicle was later used in a robbery at Westleigh post office, Leigh. The 55-year-old victim
A SECURITY firm are offering a substantial reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of armed robbers who stole a substantial amount of cash from a security guard. The incident happened at about 11am on Wednesday, December 20, at
POLICE at St Helens have secured funding of £397,000 from the Home Office for a pioneering initiative to cut car crime in the borough. The money will be used to develop a comprehensive scheme, working together with other local agencies such as the probation
A MAN who claims he has been the victim of racial harassment, is refusing to pay his rent until the council agrees to re-house him. Kevin Sartorius, who lives in Sutton Heath Road, says he has had windows broken and been subjected to a torrent of racial
A POLICEMAN was knocked unconscious as he tried to remove a man who was lying in the street. PC Wayne Curness of Blackburn police was travelling along Sudell Close, Darwen, when he saw the man in the street shortly before 11.45pm yesterday. When he tried
MEMBERS of the Lancashire St John Ambulance received two Christmas gifts which could prove to be life savers when they attended a service of thanksgiving at Blackburn Cathedral. Divisional nursing officer Paul Raynor and member Tim Standing, both from
FIREFIGHTERS are used to cutting people free from damaged vehicles but their latest problem was on a completely different scale. For 10-year-old Matthew Walmsley needed expert assistance after getting his finger trapped in a van only four inches long.
SCUFFLES broke out and people were trampled as bargain hunters stampeded to the sales in Blackburn today, security staff said. Around 50 people gathered outside the town's shopping centre to be first in line to the stores. When the shutters were raised
A MOTHER wept as police returned her son's Christmas presents just 24 hours after they had been stolen. Vicki Ainsworth had feared she would have nothing to give three-year-old Connor, after thieves ransacked her Nuttall Street, Blackburn, house just
Stoke City 2 Bury 1 BURY played well enough to have earned, at the very least, a point, after taking the lead through Paul Barnes' third goal in as many games. But Stoke struck back through Rikhardur Dudason before half time. Bury had the better of the
Holker Old Boys 3 Darwen 5 A PAUL Baker hat-trick inspired a remarkable comeback for Darwen, who came from 3-1 down with half an hour to go to win 5-3. Confidence was high after Saturday's 1-0 win over Blackpool Mechanics but Steve Wilkes's side had a
Great Harwood 1 Clitheroe 2 CLITHEROE hero Martin Aspinwall piled the misery on his former club with a brace in a competitive derby at Great Harwood in the NWCL Division One. Aspinwall, who played for Harwood last season before moving to Shawbridge in
Ramsbottom Utd 3 Rossendale Utd 0 ROSSENDALE opened in a positive manner forcing Ramsbottom on to the defensive and with the home side's wing backs being fully occupied as Jim McCluskie's United attacked down both flanks and little was seen of the Rams
St Helens Town 5 Flixton 0 TOWN put the disappointment of their defeat by fellow title contenders Clitheroe behind them to get firmly back on track. Despite missing regulars Hengihan, Fearns and Clarke, the home side still had too much for the struggling
What's On with Sue Gerrard CHRISTMAS has come and gone for another year but the festive season is still in full swing and the New Year has some great entertainment in store. THERE is still time to enter the magic world of panto at the Theatre Royal which
ST HELENS Council's efforts to prevent accidents in the home have received a £10,000 funding boost. Much of it will be used to buy home safety equipment such as carbon monoxide detectors and safety stair gates and on other aspects of home safety. For
CARING pupils at the Eccleston School of Dancing helped to raise £500 for ChildLine North West with a dance spectacular. The school staged 'A Night at the Movies' which featured dances to well-known film themes and children as young as two took part.
Widnes Vikings 20 Leigh Centurions 25 By Mike Hulme ROUND one of the NFP heavyweights went in the favour of the Centurions as Leigh fought off a determined late assault from the Vikings to keep their 100 per cent record intact. Ahead 19-6 early in the
BLACKBURN centre back Martin Taylor believes Rovers are ready to launch an assault on second spot after their dramatic last gasp victory over promotion rivals Birmingham. For the second successive season, Trevor Francis's men lost at Ewood to virtually
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today delivered a chilling message to the rest of his First Division promotion rivals: 'Our best is yet to come.' Rovers are now up to third in the table after yesterday's last gasp 2-1 victory over Birmingham took their
I FOUND it hard to swallow after reading the problems that Clinkham Wood are having with the vandals and youth problems escalating, that they will not be a part of the £200,000 St Helens Council received in a bid to cut crime. The cash will be used to
MR Peter Peers' letter re: 'New special school next to Scott Clinic' (Dear Star, November 30) poses the question: "Have the councillors made inquiries to the Health Authority to see if any paedophiles are resident at the Scott Clinic?" The Scott Clinic
MAY I, through your letters column, thank all the staff at Whiston Hospital, who over the last 12 months, have taken care of my wife, daughter, granddaughter and grandson. My wife had her second heart attack in January and in September was diagnosed with
THANK you for your tribute to our colleague and friend Ron Hevey. It was very sad news and the members of the St Helens Dance Forum would like to pay their own tribute to our friend and colleague. Ron will be missed by many people and for many reasons
SCHOOLGIRL Kate Redwood has had her faith in human nature restored thanks to a pair of Star goldenhearts. On December 7, the Star told readers how Kate, aged 12, had been devotedly cooking evening meals for her grandmother, Hilda, on a daily basis for
RESIDENTS on an estate are looking forward to a quieter new year after a court muzzled their "neighbours from hell." Householders in Paythorne Avenue on the Brunshaw estate were celebrating the town's first jail-threatening anti-social behaviour orders
A MIDDLE-AGED man was rescued from a smoke-filled flat after collapsing at the top of the stairs following an arson attack early today. Edwin Hall was found by firefighters at the home in Holmes Square, Burnley, and was given oxygen before being taken
A CLAMPDOWN on commuter parking in Burnley could be on the way -- with councillors being asked to consider a 50 per cent hike in charges in 2002. Discouraging workers to come to town by car forms a major plank of the new Burnley Parking Strategy which
THE following duty chemists will be available for dispensing services on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day between noon and 1pm (unless stated otherwise): New Year's Eve: Moss Chemists, The Health Centre, Old Colliery Road, Whiston; Taylor's Chemist,
A FIRM which puts the bounce into beds is set for another multi million pound expansion. American-owned springmaker Wellhouse Wire Products of Barnoldswick has doubled its workforce to 220 since it was bought from Silentnight last year. Now the company
LEUKAEMIA suffer Mick Baines and his family were given the Christmas surprise of their lives when he was allowed home from hospital early. Less than a month after receiving a potentially life-saving bone marrow transplant, Mick, is back at his Bolton
TIME is standing still for a tiny Ribble Valley chapel after its 100-year-old mahogany-cased wall clock was stolen. Frank Robinson, one of the trustees of Harrop Methodist Chapel, near Grindleton, is particularly upset about the theft because it was he
CARETAKER manager Eric Winstanley guided Barnsley to their first win in five games at Burnley's expense, but admitted he was ready to settle for a second goalless draw since moving into the Oakwell hot-seat. The former Tykes playing legend replaced Dave
Northwich Vics1, Leigh RMI1 LEIGH RMI brought Northwich Victoria back down town to earth in their Boxing Day clash at the Drill Field stadium, as a 1-1 draw maintained ninth spot for the local side. However, it was far from plain sailing for the Railwaymen
HELLO, good evening and welcome to the first annual Leaver Gongs 'n' Bongs -- the auspicious alternative to the weary old official honours announced at this time of year for the same old assortment of civil servants, school crossing wardens, old actors
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today delivered a chilling message to the rest of his First Division promotion rivals: 'Our best is yet to come.' Rovers are now up to third in the table after yesterday's last gasp 2-1 victory over Birmingham took their
IRATE Burnley boss Stan Ternent ordered his players in for extra training today after they crashed to a fourth successive defeat. The Clarets lost 1-0 to an 89th-minute goal from Barnsley defender Chris Morgan at Oakwell yesterday. And Ternent was so
NORTH West exporters' long-term confidence has taken a downturn, according to an industry survey. The strength of the pound and a rise in the cost of raw materials are blamed for the fall in confidence among bosses whose firms do a lot of business abroad
WITH more businesses failing in the first three months of the year than any other time, this is a potentially perilous time for many small business owners. Almost 24,000 businesses in the UK failed in the first quarter of last year and just over a third
DANCERS of all ages from the Jeanette McCulloch School of Dance took to the boards at St Helens Theatre Royal to raise money for two local charities. The Rainhill-based school staged their Dance 2000 show over two weekends to raise money for the Michael
BULLYING builders drove a a 70-year-old woman to the bank to collect £3,500 -- then gave her £1 to get the bus home! The shocking case has been highlighted by St Helens Council Trading Standards officers, who are again warning elderly residents in the
TWO primary schools have become the first in the borough to install innovative pavement markers aimed at encouraging more youngsters and their parents to walk to school safely. Allanson Street Primary School in Parr, has designed an arrow head letter
A BLUEPRINT for the future prosperity of our town has been rolled out by a united team of partners. The 'Communities Working' Strategy was officially launched by the partners in St Helens committed to Community Economic Development. The aim is to ensure
A SOCIAL services department at the centre of a scathing report has won five government awards for quality. The Lancashire County Council unit was given more of the prestigious Charter Mark Awards than any other department. Overall the council was given
A SCHEME to help heroin users as young as six and seven is to be set up by a Blackburn-based charity. Following a recent visit to India, the founder of Blackburn-based Those on the Margins of a Society, Thomas, Father Jim McCartney has decided to stretch
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Preston North End 1 PRESTON kept their first clean sheet in 10 matches -- much to the delight of boss David Moyes who has been furious at his sides recent record for leaking goals. "We have conceded far too many goals on our
Chorley 1 Congleton Town 1 TRICKY underfoot conditions frustrated both teams in a low key midday encounter in the UniBond First Division. Although Chorley stretched their unbeaten December run to six games, a competitive Congleton carved out the greater
Bolton Wanderers 2 Sheffield Wednesday 0 BOLTON finished this full-blooded Christmas 'Roses' clash with only 10 men, but it was 'two wise men' who clinched the points with a goal in each half to keep the promotion push on track. Seasoned campaigners Dean
A NUMBER of fixtures have been arranged in the St Helens Combination for this weekend in a bid to clear up at least some of the backlog. Saturday, December 30 Hospital Cup 3rd round, kick-off 1.30pm: Rifle FC v College of St Helens, Junction v Earlestown
DILAPIDATED bed-sits causing misery for neighbours are being flattened under a £500,000 scheme. The council-owned properties in Gamble Avenue, Windlehurst, which have become a magnet for groups of youths, are being demolished under a Riverside Housing
A STAMPEDE for flu vaccinations by Bury pensioners could help avert a winter hospital crisis. Doctors have reported a healthy uptake on flu jabs this year, with more people over the age of 65 getting vaccinated than ever before. With 58 per cent of the
