THE UK northern premiere of The Scarlet Pimpernel will be at Preston's Charter Theatre spinning a web of intrigue over the audience this week. The Broadway smash hit is based on the best-seller by Baroness Orzy and through its various scenes captures
THE interview of a rape victim by Thames Valley police officers in a hard-hitting television documentary 20 years ago was a landmark event. It exposed a system of care for rape victims that was, at its best, inadequate. Lancashire now has the country's
A 23-YEAR-OLD man was critically injured after being stabbed on the doorstep of his home. The man, who has not yet been named by police, was involved in an incident in Hereford Road, Blackburn, around 8pm yesterday. His girlfriend alerted the police and
DURING the Golden Jubilee celebrations I was proud to be British and flew the Union Jack from my car. My husband and I have just returned from a holiday in the United States. I was struck by how clean it was. No litter anywhere, no graffiti, no dog fouling
A TRAGIC father, whose daughter died of a brain tumour six years ago, has donated bone marrow to help save another life. Rachael Barlow was aged just two when she was diagnosed with the illness. Despite the best efforts of doctors, she died three years
ATHERTON traders fear that high street road closures in the run up to Christmas will ruin business at their busiest trading time of the year. They are furious that they were left to find out about the six weeks closure order -- which runs from Monday
AN INQUIRY has been launched after a convicted sex offender spent four months as a driver for special needs children. Philip John King lied his way into a variety of jobs driving taxis and buses in Hyndburn, despite the sex offences and a string of driving
Southport 3 Leigh RMI 4 - NEIL Tolson has played less than 45 minutes in a Leigh RMI shirt but he etched his name into club folklore with a memorable winner at Haig Avenue last night. The first round LDV Vans Trophy battle with fellow Conference side
ANGRY Blackburn boss Graeme Souness has accused football bosses of ruining the game after he was hit with a three-match ban and a £15,000 fine following a ruling by the FA. Souness was given the punishment after he was banished to the stands during Rovers
I thought perhaps I was dreaming when I read Hilton Dawson's letter last week. A petulant reaction to a reasonable point which I hope by now he will be regretting - and one which other local voters will have taken note of... It certainly fails again to
IN the Citizen dated October 17th MBI councillor Eve Ashworth says her colleagues on the council should pull together and 'forget party politics'. It's a pity she didn't take her own advice when writing her letter which is an example of prejudiced party
PRESTON'S Salvation Army band will be striking the right note on Remembrance Sunday when they appear on Granada TV's 'My Favourite Hymns'. The programme will be broadcast on Sunday, November 10, at 11am although the band and choir actually performed for
A YOUNG whipper-'snapper' has made it through to the finals of a national photography competition, for the second year in a row. Animal-lover Jenny Lea, 13, impressed judges so much in the RSPCA Young Photographer awards with her picture of a pet praying
VICARS in Preston and South Ribble may be taking off their dog collar and dressing down for Sunday services. Traditionally, priests are required to wear formal robes when preaching, but in a bid to bring services up-to-date church officials will be considering
TWO teasing horse riders have bared all for a fundraising calendar. Maureen and Gregory Sikora, from Cottam, stepped into the limelight to become instant pin-ups for the Heavy Horse Riding Club Of Great Britain. The pair, founder members of the club,
PRESTON and South Ribble firefighters will go on strike on Tuesday for the first time in 25 years unless a last minute agreement can be made. Nearly nine in ten firefighters voted in favour of the action, but community leaders are concerned it could put
PROPOSALS to save more than £1m on Burnley Council budget have been outlined after bosses revealed a massive projected overspend. Arts and leisure services and parks were set to be hardest hit by the cuts with bosses told to slash more than £300,000 from
SUPERMARKET giant Tesco is still unable to say when work will start on its new store in Burnley, despite being granted planning permission over a year ago and promising to start building as soon as possible. Burnley Borough Council gave the go ahead for
COUNTY councillors have visited the site of the proposed animal waste incinerator at Hapton Valley. The visit was followed by a presentation of the case, and issues, in Rosegrove Unity Club. The decision on the planning applications will be made by county
THE Forest of Burnley's plans to plant one million new trees in and around the town have been jeopardised by a row over land at Worsthorne. The Forest of Burnley, an environmental group committed to planting a million trees in Burnley, wanted to plant
BURY manager Andy Preece faces a tough fight to keep his freshly bolstered squad from falling apart. It has been an exciting week or so at Gigg Lane, with victories over Rushden and Rochdale, Pawel Abbott and Terry Dunfield extending their Shakers contracts
THE reopening of an inquiry into a controversial clearance scheme for a rundown district of Nelson has been postponed. The hearing into plans to clear the Whitefield ward was due to begin on November 5 but has been put off by the Secretary of State. Pendle
THE first 40 minutes of Hoppers first ever meeting with Broadstreet was eminently forgettable. The visitors big rumbling pack ensured little decent rugby was played but Hoppers did not help matters. Too many unforced errors and suspect handling prevented
BOXING returns to Preston Guild Hall next week with local heavyweight Paul Buttery and middleweight Tony Byrne the main attraction for local fight fans. For big punching Buttery his opponent Colin Kenna who is undefeated in his five contests as a pro,
GERI Halliwell, Rick Astley and Cher are just some of the singers being impersonated at a 'Stars in Your Eyes' charity evening in Preston. Organisers hope to raise the £1,350 needed to provide a toddler suffering from cerebal palsy sufferer with a 'second
STREET crime in Lancashire has fallen by 11 per cent, according to figures released by the Home Office this week. The news comes six months after Lancashire Constabulary was controversially put on a list of ten forces across the country to suffer from
LANCASHIRE'S director of social services has announced she is to retire early. Pauline Oliver, who has been in the post for 11 years, will step down next spring. Hazel Harding, leader of the county council, said Mrs Oliver will be making way for new blood
PRESTON Film Society will be showing Amores Perros on Tuesday November 12 at Galloway Hall, Brackenbury Road, Fulwood, at 7.30pm. The film shows three contemporary stories which blend together in a intense plot set in Mexico. Admission is £3. The film
ILLEGAL dirt riders were stopped in their tracks during a weekend police operation in the Higher Folds area. Riders were stopped and machines seized as the authorities stepped in on the Red Rose Forest reclamation site. Police Superintendent Mary Boylan
A MOTHER today spoke about the diary of hope she began as her baby daughter battled for life. Heather Pope was born weighing one pound four ounces, just 23 weeks into her mother Pearl's pregnancy. Doctors feared she would not survive the early birth -
AN INQUIRY has been launched after a convicted sex offender spent four months as a driver for special needs children. Philip John King lied his way into a variety of jobs driving taxis and buses in Hyndburn, despite the sex offences and a string of driving
THE plight of 350 workers who face an uncertain future was raised in Parliament by Leigh MP Andy Burnham who called for an urgent debate on UK textiles and manufacturing. The threat of closing Bentwood's Leigh clothing factory has put doubts more than
POLICE are seeking three raiders who broke into an animal sanctuary and stole a distinctive African grey parrot. A reward has been offered for the return of the caged bird, which belongs to Leigh Animal Sanctuary manager, Linda Clements. It was wheeled
WHEN Pennington's newest curate arrived in Leigh on a dark evening in April he wasn't too impressed. Five months on and Christ Church's Reverend Evan Cockshaw and his family have grown to love the town. Writing in the parish magazine he says: "Try as
WHEN Bernard Swift's appeal to find relatives of two war hero brothers -- killed on World War Two bombing missions -- failed, he refused to give up. The Wigan man, who had rescued medals and photographs of Leigh brothers George and Alfred Wilkinson, stuck
PUPILS at Oakhill College, Whalley, strode the corridors of power when they took part in a citizenship workshop at the Ribble Valley Town Hall, Clitheroe. The workshop, attended by Year 11 pupils and college principal Philip Mahon, was led by Ribble Valley
A REALLY neat use of the internet is being employed by the USA Aviation Administration in Alaska (www.alaska.faa.gov). They have placed a series of web cameras on mountain passes, rocky cliffs and remote villages so pilots can see beyond the horizon.
25 years ago - A young married couple and their 13-month-old daughter were forced to flee their Fern Grove home in Bury after petrol spilled on to the living room carpet and burst into flames. After visiting relatives Mr Gerard Hisscott returned home
GLEN Little is hoping to win his fitness battle and take on Portsmouth at Turf Moor at the weekend. The Clarets winger limped off at half time against Ipswich Town with a calf injury and he admitted: "It has been a bit sore but I worked with Sos (phsios
PORSTMOUTH may be the pace-setters in the first division but manager Harry Redknapp insisted the race for the Premiership is wide open - with the Clarets in the thick of it. "There are seven or eight sides that have a realistic chance of a top two spot
TERRY Dunfield's Gigg Lane loan experience is to continue a while longer. Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan this week agreed to let the young Canadian midfielder stay with the Shakers for another month and that's music to the ears of his Bury counterpart
A NATIONAL conference highlighting the role of public art in the regeneration of historic towns and cities is to be held in Lancaster. The district's leading role in the area of regeneration is said to be why the English Historic Towns Forum has chosen
A LANCASTER teacher is hoping to take his favourite hobby of potholing to the people of China. Richard Gerrish, a Carnforth High School science teacher, was part of a four-person expedition, which has spent the last two months in the Yunnan province.
LANCASTER residents are calling on planners to "get real" and back community ideas for the city's canal-side land earmarked for development. At a packed public meeting local residents called for a cultural quarter with affordable housing, recreational
A BRAND new recycling group is urging local people with recycling ideas to get in touch. The Agenda 21 Recycling Group is producing a local recycling directory to help to encourage everyone in the Lancaster district to reduce, re-use and recycle more
LANCASTER'S popular fireworks display will go ahead a week on Saturday, despite the fact that it clashes with the second two-day fire brigade strike. There were fears that a lack of fire cover could prevent the Castle Hill spectacular, which draws tens
LANCASTER firefighters are claiming 100 per cent public support for their first national fire strike for 25 years. And members of the Fire Brigades Union say they are happy to answer the public's questions during the strike. The first 48-hour strike is
A MORECAMBE father has been re-united with a priceless picture of his late son - thanks to a kind-hearted Citizen reader. As we reported last week, Mark Knight's only picture of his son, Ben, who died aged just three months old from Halls-Pallister syndrome
PORSTMOUTH may be the pace-setters in the first division but manager Harry Redknapp insisted the race for the Premiership is wide open - with the Clarets in the thick of it. "There are seven or eight sides that have a realistic chance of a top two spot
PRESTON boss Craig Brown will order his players to make up for last week's woeful performance away at Walsall and promised fans, 'We won't let you down again!' With chairman Derek Shaw this week feeling the need to ask fans to be patient with Brown, everyone
FIRE, Police and Paramedics were called to Edge Green Lane in Golborne after a three car pile-up on Sunday. The accident happened at 3pm and roads outside Golborne Asda were blocked for about an hour and a half.
THE funeral of a man found hanging on Monday, October 14, takes place at Howe Bridge Cemetery tomorrow. Paul Hilton, aged 41, was discovered by his wife, Louise, at their Barton Street home in Tyldesley. The coroner has opened and adjourned an inquest
FIRE contingency plans are in place at Leigh Infirmary should fire fighters carry out their strike threat. Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust have set up a dedicated 24 hour fire response team and staff have received additional fire training. Ian
POLICE have issued a forcewide warning to shopkeepers with fireworks to increase security after at least three supermarkets were burgled over the weekend. J Sainsbury's in Parsonage Way in Leigh lost around £5,000 worth when another container was broken
UNDERCOVER operations are being planned to catch off-licences selling booze to underage drinkers. Trading Standards officers have reacted with dismay after a 15-year-old volunteer managed to buy high strength alcohol in four out of seven visits to premises
DAY trippers who fancy an early pre-Christmas shopping expedition can take advantage of an annual event next month. The 35th annual rail outing, organised by St James's Church, Blackburn, will leave on Saturday, November 9, for a trip via the famous Settle
LEIGH Music Society present their latest concert, starring Stewart Death on piano and Catherine Wilmers on cello, on Sunday, November 3, at 2.15pm in the Derby Room, Leigh Library. Admission is £4.50, children and students £2.
A MAN accused of the brutal murder of a seven-year-old boy before dumping his body on a golf course once kidnapped another schoolboy on the same golf course, it was revealed. Ronald Mariner, who denies killing Ryan Mason by bludgeoning him with a hammer
LOCAL history librarian Sandra Davies will tell Leigh Local History Society about "The Cellar Dwellers of Salford" between 1851 and 1861 at their October 30 meeting at 7.30pm in the Derby Room, Leigh Library. The meeting is open to everyone.
AN extra £230,000 is to be spent giving one of Blackburn's main shopping streets a face-lift. Council bosses have secured the cash to continue environmental improvements in Darwen Street. Earlier grants paid for cobbling the stretch of road in front of
SHOPPERS are being urged to have their say on a 10-year plan to help shape Blackburn town centre. A three-day roadshow was due to start today showing shoppers, visitors and workers how the council wants to turn the town into the capital of East Lancashire
A CHARITY which won Government praise for its work rehabilitating former prisoners is in the jaws of a dilemma. Volunteers at the Catholic-faith project THOMAS -- Those on the Margins of Society -- are struggling to find dentists for their clients. Damian
TEEN sensation Nicola Ford sets off on a dream trip to Sun City, South Africa, tomorrow to compete in one of the world's most prestigious junior golf competitions. The 17-year-old from Chorley has qualified for the final of the Daily Telegraph/Kellogg's
IT has been a good week for Ben Rusius and Neil Tattersall. On Friday evening they were the joint winners of the Raymond Wild Trophy at Pendle Athletic Club's Presentation Evening. The award is given to the Athletes' Athlete of the Year. Ben also took
SCHOOLBOY athlete Curtis Pearce enjoyed the best result of his fledgling career - after ignoring his coach's instructions. The 12-year-old Blackburn Harrier - son of former Burnley goalkeeper Chris Pearce - took on and beat the nation's best Under 13
NORTH End have signed a new striker. He is 6ft 7ins tall and is an All England 200m champion despite the fact he has only just turned 18. Fola Onibuje has signed on a junior contract until the summer of 2004, mirroring the current YT contracts. Fola,
WALSALL has never been a favourite venue for PNE. We have had some bad results there over the years, but last Saturday's match was as bad as it gets. Forget the fightback, the performance was disgraceful and but for the opposition 'keeper getting himself
SPORTS stars are going for gold after receiving a £2,885 lotto jackpot. The windfall from the National Lottery's Awards for All programme will allow Atherton's Parklee Community School to fund specialist football coaching, targeted especially at girls
WESTHOUGHTON has a new pub in Market Street named after its most famous son, the Holywood actor Robert Shaw, born in a little row just across the road. The star of Jaws and The Sting first made his name as Dan Tempest in TV's"The Buccaneers". Isn't that
IT'S not often praise is offered for public services. However, reader Peter Molyneux, of Gin Pit, offers congratulations to Wigan Register Office. He was impressed by their detective skills after he sent for a copy of his father John Thomas's birth certificate
BURGLAR Michael Redford was caught red-handed by two passing police officers alerted by an alarm. At the back of the house they found a broken kitchen window and Redford standing nearby. Redford claimed at the time that he had been chased by three men
A MAJOR restructure of Burnley and Padiham Community Housing is on the cards after bosses admitted they could not deliver a good enough level of service. The group is set to axe 21 positions and create a further 26 jobs in a bid to improve their performance
FIVE England fans, four from the Burnley area, have spent more than a week in an Austrian jail after soccer hooligans went on the rampage following the team's 2-1 victory in Slovakia. The travelling supporters were due to fly into Manchester last night
Rochdale 0 Bury 1 - SHAKERS boss Andy Preece was left purring at Bury's bright future after watching his fringe fledglings clinch a brave derby win and a place in the LDV Vans Trophy second round. A spectacular strike from veteran defender Colin Woodthorpe
MOTORISTS were today urged to be extra vigilant as police battled against a rise in car crime. Detectives in Pendle want people to help them reduce the number of thefts from vehicles in the area. They said many took place because vehicles were left unlocked
FROM the doghouse to the Grand Ole Oprey, Charlie Landsborough has certainly come a long way. This singer/songwriter first came to prominence in 1995 when his song 'What Colour is The Wind' took the Irish charts by storm and, virtually overnight, transformed
PUNK Icon Joe Strummer, is to perform at the Arena, Blackpool Winter Gardens, on Wednesday November 13 as part of his 'Bringing It All Back Home' ten-date UK tour. The former frontman with The Clash will appear with his band, The Mescaleros, playing a
FASHION guru Wayne Hemingway, who set up his first clothing factory in Blackburn, won the Street Style Award at the British Fashion Design Awards.
A BLACKBURN mother and her son passed their driving tests on the same day Supul Yip, 17, passed the test six hours before his 40-year-old mother Cheun-Tal Yip did.
THE flag of the Welsh dragon will fly high on Friday when a renowned Welsh choir performs in Lowton. There'll be a distinct railway flavour with Bagillt, Flint and Connah's Quay represented when Flint Male Voice Choir performs, supported by Lowton St
GO Freeze is showing until Saturday October 26 at the Museum of Lancashire, Stanley Street, Preston. It is an exhibition illustrating the athlete as a hero in sculpture and photography. For information call 264075.
FUNNYMAN from popular television comedy Vic Reeves Big Night Out -- Charlie Chuck -- will be performing his special brand of entertainment from Friday November 1-2 at Worden Arts Centre, Worden Park, Leyland. For details call 603030.
CREATIVE types are being invited to art workshops which are open to everyone regardless of age. They will be held at the Unity Community Centre gallery, Shepherd Street, Preston, on Thursday October 24 and Friday October 25 2002. The theme will be seasons
RENOWNED sax player Snake Davis, who has played with some of the music world's biggest stars, is stopping off in Leyland for the second time. Snake will entertain local fans with his unique sound at Worden Arts Centre on Saturday, October 26. During his
FIVE people were treated for whiplash injuries after a road accident at 4.55pm yesterday. Police say a BMW 318, driven by Farha Hussain, 23, of Logwood Street, Blackburn, collided with a Vauxhall Nova on a bend on Stanhill Road, Oswaldtwistle. The driver
A SUPPORT worker will be among an elite team of runners who will put their best feet forward for a good cause. Warren Quail, of Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, is heading Stateside next month to take part in the New York Marathon on November 3. The 36
A BUILDING society's charity trust has bought a new electric scooter to help struggling shoppers. The Abbey National Charitable Trust Ltd handed over a donation of £1,500 to help the work of The Friends of Shopmobility. The society answered an appeal
WHEN it comes to slimming Carol Howard and Maureen Hope are double diamonds. The Weight Watchers' leaders stepped up to take sparkling titles at a company presentation in Manchester at the weekend. Area service manager Jan Matthews is delighted that two
TWO new schemes aimed at reducing juvenile nuisance and crime have been revealed. Wigan and Leigh Community Safety Partnership has unveiled its Youth Action Project (YAP) and Fix It - aimed at cutting car crime and reducing the thousands of complaints
AN amazing award winning nurse, forced to retired because of a rare genetic disease, still helps others. Paulene Scott, who suffers from degenerative neurofibromatosis type 11 and acoustic neuroma, faces the prospect of total deafness with great fortitude
AN Astley grandmother has written a touching history of 20th century life in the village as a lasting gift for her family. Dora Rawlinson, who celebrated her 80th birthday on Tuesday, spent many hours reliving her past to present 118 unforgettable pages
MOTORISTS are being warned to expect further delays on the M62 due to work on a new junction at Prestwich. A 40mph speed limit will be in force from Friday as the final stages of the work are carried out at junction 18. The Highways Agency has apologised
PARISHIONERS of St Mary's RC Church and everyone at St Mary's Primary School, Chipping, are mourning the loss of their recently retired Parish Priest Father Alfred Hughes. Father Hughes came to Chipping in 1994 and retired due to ill health in January
A TAXI driver was punched several times by two men after he turned up late for a fare in Clitheroe. Blackburn magistrates heard that after the attack Raja Khan used his car to form a barricade to stop Robert Mark Rodgers leaving in another taxi. He was
NINE of the 13 computer servers that manage global internet traffic were crippled by a powerful electronic attack on Monday, officials said. But most internet users didn't notice because the attack only lasted an hour. Its origin was not known, and the
WHAT electronic gadgets have you got hidden away in your spare room? Because a growing problem is the increasing number of printers, scanners and computers being dumped in landfill sites. It is common practice in Britain to replace domestic gadgets like
PLANS to get Burnley on the information superhighway have been approved by the council's executive. By 2005 people should be able to pay bills, receive benefits, book theatre tickets and arrange funerals via computer or digital TV. The council has applied
BLACKBURN Rovers reserves return to Christie Park next Tuesday for the latest in their series of seaside fixtures and one of the club's top players could be on the team-sheet. Following on from the excitement of Diego Forlan's four-goal salvo on Manchester
IMAGINE what would go through your mind if the boss walked in one day and asked you to take a 20 per cent wage cut. Even the wealthy among us (which doesn't include any employees of this newspaper, I might add) have made commitments based on a reasonable
FOOTBALL has a nasty habit of making scapegoats out of people - just ask England goalkeeper David Seaman. Not so long ago, Highbury's number one was a hero throughout the land after his heroics against Argentina in the World Cup secured our safe passage
A PORTRAIT of a prima ballerina who began dancing in Leyland could take pride of place at South Ribble Museum and Exhibition Centre. Marian St Claire, 56, is a top ballerina who started her dancing life in the Old Age Pensioners' Hut in Leyland when she
MORECAMBE bid for their third run to the FA Cup proper in as many seasons on Saturday, but must avoid a slip-up against unheralded Grantham. A possible first-round glamour tie awaits, with the likes of QPR, Cardiff City and North-West neighbours, Blackpool
A FORMER Lancaster University student has a double reason to celebrate as she makes her way in the world of literature. Sarah Waters, who studied for an MA in Creative Writing at Bailrigg, was on the Booker Prize shortlist for her third novel, Fingersmith
THE catwalk comes to Golborne today -- thanks to a forward-thinking bunch of fashion starved girls. The Lowton and Golborne Young Women's Group is staging a clothes show at the Linc Centre, Worsley Street, between 1pm and 2pm when they and their children
A £4 MILLION grant has been given to academics at Lancaster University to study the ethical aspects of advances in genetic research and engineering. The award, given by the Economic and Social Research Council, will be used to set up a collaborative '
RETIRED police chief Ken Clark had murder on his mind at Tyldesley Probus Club. The former chief superintendent spoke on the organisation of an inquiry, first securing the crime scene then working with a team of specialists, detectives and officers to
More than 100 local people can now see clearly thanks to a hospital blitz on cataract operations. The ambitious scheme to reduce the lengthy waiting lists has been made possible by the arrival of a 40 strong South African healthcare team. The first sessions
COUNCILLORS serving on Wigan MBC will be holding the following advice surgeries: THURSDAY, October 24: Golborne Library (10-11) B Strett, D Kelly; Lowton Civic Hall (6-6.45) P Franzen; Abram Library (10.30-12) B Hampson. FRIDAY, October 25: Howe Bridge
A THIEF wielding a bloody syringe forced a shop assistant to hand over cash at a Lancaster newsagents. The man walked into a newsagents on Market Street, Lancaster at around 8.25am on Sunday and walked up to the counter before pulling out a hypodermic
LANCASTER City try again this week as they bid to re-start their league clash with Burscough just a fortnight after the original game fell victim to a floodlight failure. They take on Sean Teale's side at Giant Axe in a re-arranged match as both clubs
A WOMAN managed to escape from a man who was indecently assaulting her by hitting him over the head with her mobile phone. The 31-year-old woman was pushed to the ground as she walked in Ryelands Park, Lancaster, at 12.01am on Monday. The man pinned her
ANGRY Blackburn boss Graeme Souness has accused football bosses of ruining the game after he was hit with a three-match ban and a £15,000 fine following a ruling by the FA. Souness was given the punishment after he was banished to the stands during Rovers
MP Janet Anderson has declared war on the scourge of the plastic shopping bag. She wants a tax of up to 10p on supermarket carriers to tackle the problem of dumped rubbish. The Darwen and Rossendale MP is horrified by the waste involved in production
BRAVE youngster John Mark Riding is celebrating his sixth birthday today -- two months before the actual date. The former Lancashire Evening Telegraph Baby of the Year, who used to live in Beech Grove, Darwen, has been given just weeks to live after doctors
LANCASHIRE Police are bracing themselves for an increase of 4,000 emergency calls if the county's firefighters go ahead with industrial action. All 999 calls are usually directed to the Fire Service headquarters in Broughton, where trained operators give
AUTOMATIC gates in place to stop traffic entering Leigh's pedestrianised zone are to be reinforced -- to make shopping safer. The move follows complaints about thoughtless motorists pushing through the gates during restricted times. Traffic is banned
MAJOR road changes which come into effect in Atherton on Monday will create a safer and more pedestrian friendly environment. Mealhouse Lane has been widened to become a two-way street between Church Street and Bag Lane New traffic light junctions have
SPORTS stars are going for gold after receiving a £2,885 lotto jackpot. The windfall from the National Lottery's Awards for All programme will allow Atherton's Parklee Community School to fund specialist football coaching, targeted especially at girls
A WATCHDOG group is seeking six independent members to help make the community safer and reduce the fear of crime. The Greater Manchester Police Authority is offering people the chance to play an active part in driving up standards of police performance
YOUTH is being given a fighting chance by Astley Rotary Club. On October 31 at Lowton Civic Hall the club's youth development committee present a boxing dinner show with a programme of amateur bouts organised in conjunction with Tyldesley Centurions ABC
HAPPY birthday Daniel Berry! The brave teenager has defied the odds and on Wednesday celebrated his 18th birthday with his leukaemia in remission. Daniel has spent over a year battling with the bone disease and is now on the road to recovery after a successful
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an arson attack on a house in Mosley Street, Blackburn. An elderly woman next door to the empty terrace property was evacuated. Firefighters were called to the property near the junction with Abraham Street at 7pm
THREE men allegedly hatched a plot to make large amounts of fake bank notes, a jury was told. Burnley Crown Court heard how Mohammed Mumtaz Khan, Michael Hartley, and Liverpool printer Francis Jenkins each played important roles in the criminal business
A BUSINESS park which could create up to 1,500 jobs in Lower Darwen is set to be thrown out, because part of the site would be used for housing. Developer Charles Topham and Son say they need the estimated £3million they would make from using part of
HOSPITAL chiefs in Blackburn have pledged to learn the lessons of a report into allegations of institutionalised racism at Queen's Park. Yesterday's report cleared top officials of racism over claims made by two consultants that they were being discriminated
IT WAS another successful weekend for the Blackburn and District CTC hill climb team but the real test of truth will come this Sunday in the National Championship Title Race in Derbyshire. Last Saturday morning in the Halifax Racing Club two stage hill
A SIX goal thriller saw plenty of goalmouth action at both ends. Dawn Holland provided a brilliant start for PNE when she popped up from the right flank to place the ball into the top corner on five minutes. Darwen immediately fought back and won a penalty
A LEYLAND businessman is playing a leading role in booting racism out of football. The best soccer stars in the business, including Manchester United's David Beckham, Arsenal's Thierry Henry and all of Preston North End's squad will be wearing Stephen
THE headbangers are out in force again. Though the earth didn't move again for me during the latest three earth tremors felt in the area on Tuesday I nearly jumped out of my skin after some idiot let off a huge banger in Bradshawgate. How long do we have
LEYLAND Barracudas are off to the National Swimming finals next month after finishing second in the regional finals in Liverpool. Among the stars for the Barracudas on the day was Jack Thornton who had a great race in the ten year olds 50m freestyle event
A MAN was arrested five months after being spotted on CCTV cameras stealing bottles of booze at a Bury supermarket, magistrates were told. Andrew Farrell, aged 25, of Arley Avenue, Bury, was eventually arrested at his home after a Norweb employee noticed
MYSTERY motorists could hold the key to a crash which killed a teenage car passenger. Andrew James Whitby, aged 18, from Skipton Close, Bury, died after being thrown 20 feet from a car in Bradshaw Road last Friday. Now traffic police are appealing for
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Psychic evening, Todmorden Conservative Club, Todmorden. Parkinson's Disease Society meeting, Christ Church Hall, Mosley Street, Blackburn, 2pm. Community Festival Open
BLACKBURN and District CTC warmed up for this weekend's National Hill Climb championships with victory on the Nick O'Pendle. Victory for the Blackburn team follows last weekend's success on The Rake in Ramsbottom -- where they dramatically won the national
PUPILS from an East Lancashire school have proved that if at first you don't succeed then try again after being crowned English Schools skiing champions at the second attempt. For the under 16s mixed team from Clitheroe Grammar School made up for the
AS wonder goal by Gareth Rennie settled this friendly fixture as Blackburn and Darwen claimed an impressive scalp with victory against a previously unbeaten Bury side. Rennie unleashed a 30 yard screamer midway through the first half that rifled past
DUSTY Miller has the right attitude when it comes to football -- play with a smile on your face and keep your discipline. Ever since Dusty formed Knuzden Youth Football Club back in 1990 those were the two key elements he has installed in to his players
THE touchline whispers were that Phil Wild was the best keeper in the league -- and he certainly enhanced his reputation after this performance. The Brunshaw shot-stopper produced two wonderful full length saves in the first half then kept out a Mark
AS an expatriate on-line reader, I really enjoyed the story (LET, October 11) about the gap year (!) married couple in their fifties planning to cycle half-way round the world. I hope their journey goes well and that we get updates from your paper. All
I WOULD like to thank you very much for printing the article about my blind son Graham Jones, who was made homeless after being the victim of a stabbing attack (LET, October 5) and the trouble you went to. The previous afternoon he was contacted by Social
I WONDER if the report on the effect of fluoride on children's teeth (LET, September 25) was based on scientific experimentation or on purely statistical information. Take ten children, count all their fillings, divide the total by ten to arrive at an
IN response to Natalie Chatterton's remarks (Letters, October 16) where she suggested the Church should embrace Hallowe'en and accused the average Christian of being narrow- minded, I, too, was at the church playgroup where she asked whether they were
AS members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) we share the deep concern of so many other faiths at the determination of the present United States administration, with our own government close behind, to change the regime in Iraq, no matter what, even
APPARENTLY me and Arthur have been stars of the latest fight night on Sky TV. I have heard that there have been pictures of him giving me a clip as we walked off at half time against Ipswich. Flipping heck, I put the corner in for his goal, what more
MURDER, Mystery, Intrigue -- words you would not normally associate with Culcheth. But delve deep into the history of the village and a fascinating story unwinds. The area which was dense woodland until the Norman Conquest gets its name from the Celtic
FIVE England fans, four from the Burnley area, have spent more than a week in an Austrian jail after soccer hooligans went on the rampage following the team's 2-1 victory in Slovakia. The travelling supporters were due to fly into Manchester last night
THE cycle lane marked around the one-way system represents a considerable effort being made at making Lancaster a friendlier city to cycle in. However, when I try to use it I find myself getting stuck behind something that has pulled over and stopped.
How long must the people of Lancaster tolerate the increasing trend of anti-social behaviour displayed by youths before the relevant authorities take appropriate action? We are regularly harassed outside our own home by youths who think it is perfectly
CLLR Ian Barker's challenge over a so-called ' gagging order' is fascinating to say the least. Is this another fine example of 'do as I say, not as I do?' Or is he actually finally agreeing that the £100,000 gagging order the Labour group put on ex-town
LOCAL charities are urging people to be cautious with their cash in the lead up to Christmas, as criminals posing as bogus collectors take advantage of the season of good will. It comes as a 14-year-old youth and a man aged 19 were arrested for pocketing
AEROSPACE staff at BAE SYSTEMS are prepared to strike to save their jobs as they launch a campaign to secure the future of the production of civil aircraft. A full stewards meeting was held on Tuesday, October 22, following news that 400 employees may
PRESTON police took the ground-breaking step this week of inviting members of the public on a series of drug raids. The dawn swoops saw two people from the St Matthew's ward joining the squad, and then watching how suspected drug dealers are investigated
THERE are just three weeks left until the winner of South Ribble Borough Council's Search for a Star competition will be decided. A panel of local judges will pick which of the ten finalists has what it takes to be crowned a star and is most worthy of
A MILL destroyed by fire in Burnley town centre a year ago is to be rebuilt and revamped. All four floors of the Elizabeth Street Mill were destroyed by a raging fire last October and the charred remains of the listed building had to be pulled down after
SEVEN Asian men were due to appear in court for sentence today following the Burnley riots in June last year. The group, including four from Burnley and three from Nelson, all pleaded guilty to various offences connected to the disorder. Earlier this
