FOR many, it is bad enough that the NHS patients' watchdog bodies, their local Community Health Councils, are being abolished and replaced by a less-independent system that many suspect will be toothless. But it is wrong and ridiculous that, until the
A WORKER who suffered chemical burns after an industrial accident was comfortable in hospital today. Andrew Shone, 30, was taken to Blackburn Infirmary yesterday suffering chemical burns, a punctured lung and abdominal injuries. Today his condition is
A MAJOR project to preserve some of Lancashire's most historic 'criminal records' has received a £32,950 boost from the lottery. The Lancashire Record Office has made a successful Heritage Lottery Fund bid for cash to complete conservation work on the
A SECOND graduation programme is being produced by Blackburn College after the students on a computer course were missed off the list. Twenty-seven graduates from the Higher National Diploma Computing course were omitted from the official programme for
ANDREW Blackburn booked himself a one-way ticket to the cells after police saw him kicking at the door of a travel agents' shop in the early hours, a court was told. Blackburn, 28, of Worcester Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to damaging a glass door
A MAN has admitted wounding four people in shooting incidents in Blackburn. Ian Taylor, 35, faces sentencing next month after a judge at Preston Crown court adjourned the hearing so background reports can be drawn up. Taylor, of Preston New Road, Blackburn
THEFT of a pair of shoes from Debenhams was a "slight hiccup" in the transformation of former drug addict Shaun Derry. Blackburn magistrates heard the ladies shoes had nothing to do with funding the addiction he had kicked following a custodial sentence
FINALLY, Blackburn with Darwen Council has agreed the new service area on the M65 should be named after the town which it is in (LET, February 4). However, after the viewing of Christmas trees and lap dancing clubs, wasting the people's money on needless
WHEN they have finished with the campaign to change the name of the new M65 services (What about 'East Lancs Services?'), could there be a campaign to get the lights turned on on the slip road there? Those blocks just as your turn left are very nice,
AS the cold days do not encourage us to go out shopping, never mind anything else, it was rather a nice surprise to join up with the 'Stepping Out' group of walkers. We do Monday morning through Rishton and the afternoon n Clayton-le-Moors. There is also
REGARDING recent reports on how the Inland Revenue has confessed to fouling up one in four tax bills, involving more than two million people last year alone, the self-assessment system is a flagship government initiative where the taxman agrees to do
IS it any wonder that people in Burnley who try to make a difference in their own areas feel totally disenchanted when they are obstructed by councillors and council officers reputedly acting in the 'best interests' of the town? Why I have such a negative
A £1.3MILLION scheme to rejuvenate Blackburn's rundown Pavilions is to start within weeks after council bosses finally secured cash to pay for the project. The three buildings - in Church Street - will be joined by glass structures before Blackburn with
BLACKBURN defender Craig Short has signed a 12 month extension to his contract. Short, who will be 35 in June, had an option of another 12 months and he has decided to take it up. He will remain at Ewood Park at least until the summer of 2004. Short said
GERMAN starlet Sergio Peter made an immediate impact at Brockhall last weekend by scoring the winner on his Under 17 debut. "He's a player we've had here for a while but we haven't been able to play him due to problems with international clearance," said
A NEW scheme aimed at boosting learning in the community has been launched in Burnley. The Rosehill Regeneration Programme, supported by the Community Empowerment Fund and overseen by New Era Enterprises, will offer a variety of opportunities for residents
LANCASHIRE County Council has asked for permission to put a 1.2m high section of replacement fencing, incorporating a pedestrian access gate to Brownside Road, on the boundary of Worsthorne Primary School. THE speaker at the Mothers' Union meeting on
A COMMUNITY-minded team which has spent the past four years knocking on doors for the good of their neighbourhood was praised yesterday. Maureen Craig and John Burrows were at the centre of a heartfelt tribute to members of Burnley's Accrington Road Residents
BURNLEY MP Peter Pike has urged ministers to "bang their heads together" in the battle to bring a Jobcentre Plus to the town. Mr Pike spoke out during a Commons debate and told Minister for Work Nick Brown, that he still hoped the Government office could
YOUNG engineers from Lancaster & Morecambe College are ready to go out into the big, wide world of work - if firms can take them on. Youngsters have completed the second level of a performance engineering course after two full years of training and
TWO women who went missing in the Lake District have been rescued by an RAF search helicopter. They were found on Tuesday afternoon after the pair, aged 39 and 37, had been missing since 4.30 pm on Monday when one of them contacted the police to say they
HOMEOWNERS in Pendle are being offered the chance to win £100 during February and March as part of Lancashire Waste Partnership's ongoing campaign to encourage people to recycle more of their rubbish. Last year people in Pendle recycled 935 tonnes of
RESIDENTS in Barnoldswick are being urged to shop thieves to the police in a bid to crack down on sneak-in burglaries in the area. Police issued the appeal after revealing that burglaries where the occupants were in the house at the time and thieves crept
STAFF in the box office at Blackburn's King George's Hall were bracing themselves for a stampede as tickets for a Robbie Williams concert went on sale. Robbie had just won a Brit award and was topping the charts with his single 'Angels'.
AN EAST Lancashire pensioner has been brought to her knees with gratitude after a Lancashire Evening Telegraph reader stepped in to solve a timely problem. Ada Gibson, a well known TV celebrity and charity swimmer, wrote a poem lamenting her loss after
A 22-YEAR-OLD man who "went off the rails" because of drugs had put himself back on track by moving to Accrington to live with two people who are reformed addicts. And defence solicitor Kevin Preston asked Blackburn magistrates to help Graham Heys build
THERE are plenty of smiles at Fresh Fields Enterprises. The green company, which nurtures life skills as well as plants on the outskirts of Burnley is, it seems, not just an environmentally friendly company but friendly in the conventional sense too.
CLITHEROE-born entrepreneur Martin Myerscough is refusing to give up on his dream of launching the world's best washing machine. He has paid just £1 to buy the rights to the revolutionary Titan washing machine he invented 10 years ago. And for the man
BLACKBURN company is at the heart of a new international drive to stamp out shoplifting. The Distronics plant at Whitebirk is inserting a new generation of security tags into the music CDs it makes. A pilot project run over Christmas and the New Year
BELEAGURED investors in East Lancashire's Stock Exchange-quoted companies began the new year as they finished the last -- losing yet again. The 16 companies that make up the East Lancashire Index saw millions of pounds wiped off their value as share prices
NEAL MERNOCK was only weeks into his new job as managing director of Silentnight Beds when a boardroom battle erupted over him. Bill Simpson, the chief executive of the Silentnight group who recruited him, was locked in a bitter fight for control with
THE diversity of the local economy is vast, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the small and medium sized business sectors. From cottage crafts to new media exponents, East Lancashire is bustling with business activity. Business Link services are
TWO teenage boys aged 13 and 14 were robbed at knifepoint by a gang on bicycles in Danesway, Prestwich. A gang member threatened one of the victims with a knife on Tuesday night, while another threatend the second boy with an iron bar. They were ordered
A BURNLEY soldier hit the ski slopes to compete in the Army Snowboarding Championships in Austria. Neil Vance, a vehicle mechanic with the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers, took part in the Stubai Glacier championships for the first time this year
CLARETS striker Gareth Taylor is hoping to win his 11th cap for Wales tonight at the Millennium Stadium. Mark Hughes's side is going for a record breaking ninth game without defeat and Taylor is set to start on the bench with Celtic striker John Hartson
ROVERS defender Lucas Neill believes Australia's Socceroos can send a powerful message out to the rest of the world by beating England in tonight's friendly at Upton Park. Neill is set to be named in the Aussie team for the match against an experimental
BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent today admitted he would love to sign Matt Jansen - but his ambitious attempts to lure the Blackburn striker to Turf Moor look doomed to failure. Clarets chief Ternent has contacted Rovers about the possibility of signing Jansen
WORK on a £3,000 youth shelter will begin in Belmont this month in a bid to stop youths wandering the streets. North Turton Parish councillor Ian Bevan said: "Together with the Belmont Youth Club we have decided to put up a brick structure which will
A BUSINESSMAN urging people in Darwen to 'buy local' has distributed 150 posters to shops and market stalls. And demand is still high for the brightly coloured A3 posters which ask shoppers to keep money in the town. Ashley Reece, 30, who works at India
A VILLAGE hall is to get its own theatre lights thanks to £3,000 from North Turton Parish Council. The lights at the Barlow Institute, Edgworth, which seats up to 110 people and features dance nights, drama productions from touring companies and the annual
A WOMAN thought the Manchester gangland violence she had fled from had caught up when her partner went missing from their Darwen home. Blackburn magistrates heard that Tracey Todd got in a car to go and look for him, despite the fact that she was disqualified
A 22-YEAR-OLD man was celebrating today after being told he would not lose the sight in his right eye after a glassing attack. Simon Frith, who lives with his mother on St James' estate in Darwen, had to undergo emergency surgery in January after an incident
MARKET traders in Darwen are establishing a group to speak up for them on important issues. Traders came up with the idea at a recent meeting with Blackburn with Darwen Council's new Darwen market superintendent, Karen Turner. She said: "The traders expressed
STORE bosses have been told to be more understanding by a tribunal chairman after they sacked a pregnant assistant who gave away 200 carrier bags. David Leahy sent out the message to Netto management, despite ruling that Kim Fielding, of Queen Street,
A ROSSENDALE councillor has blasted environmentalists after a number of trees were removed. Coun Michael McShea launched the attack on the Environment Agency after mature trees were chopped down along the River Irwell in Stacksteads. Coun McShea, who
A CRUSADING pensioner wants his favourite footpath improved. Retired Arpad Magyar, 75, of Countess Road, Blackburn, said the path had been left muddy and waterlogged following work there. It runsd from Milking Lane and Mr Magyar said it was often used
AN ELDERLY man who died in a fire at his home tried to tackle the blaze instead of escaping, it was revealed today. Eric Laycock, in his late 70s, poured pans of water on his bed after it caught fire at his home in Denville Road, Blackburn, yesterday
A GIANT billboard featuring a model dressed only in a thong could soon be causing a hubbub in Blackburn on the back of the latest saucy venture in town. A new Ann Summers store, which sells sexy underwear, toys and novelties, opened its doors on King
A NEW team is working to improve care for people who suffer from one of East Lancashire's biggest health problems -- chest diseases. The Home Care team at Blackburn Royal Infirmary helps speed up discharge times for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary
WITH its green fields and fresh air, Ribchester is an unlikely base for a new internet-based company headquarters. But, when deciding to move away from London and to turn his passion for cooking into a business venture, Colin Hinkley could think of no
THORNLEIGH Salesian College has been awarded specialist sports college status -- a fitting accolade following years of being strong on the track and field. The Astley Bridge school, in Sharples Park, will get more PE staff, extend coaching opportunities
THE family of a young rugby league player killed in a car crash in Bury have spoken of their grief. Craig Johnson's family said they were devastated by his death. The 18-year-old died along with his friend and fellow Wigan Warriors' under-21 player Billy
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. "The Remarkable Mr Pennypacker," New Millennium Theatre, Burnley Road East, Waterfoot, 7.30pm. Burnley ladies Speakers Club, Nelson House, Nelson Square, Burnley, 7.30pm
FOR years Blackburn's Church Street Pavilions have been allowed to crumble and decay so that the Grade ll listed buildings have become nothing more than an eyesore. It doesn't take a lot to imagine what these proud Georgian structures could become and
AS the snow swept over East Lancashire I watched a flock of rooks defying the weather and rebuilding their nests ready for the breeding season. Looking at the nests from a distance they resemble an untidy collection of sticks. The interior, however, is
LAST week in the middle of one of the coldest spells for years, I visited the Yorkshire Dales Falconry and Conservation Centre at Giggleswick. The centre is open every day and there are daily regular flying displays. Look out for a competition in the
FORMER Blackburn Rovers and Accrington Stanley player David Hargreaves is awaiting sentence after the theft of about £17,000. Hargreaves, boss of a business collecting cash for landlords, admitted theft of £11,000 in housing benefit at Burnley Crown Court
TWO men ejected from Blackburn shopping centre for shouting abusive comments about local people returned to confront security staff, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard that during the fracas that followed security officer Kenneth Brogden was
BURNLEY'S players are currently out in Portugal as they prepare for the FA Cup tie against Fulham on Sunday afternoon. And if they come back with their batteries recharged and firing on all cylinders it could be the best few grand the club has spent this
AN ARMED gang is being hunted by police after launching a series of attacks on town centre shops before speeding off in a getaway car. Traders today revealed how the gang - which uses hunting-style catapults or an air rifle - has caused thousands of pounds
LEIGH RMI earned a semi-final date with Chorley in the Marsden Lancashire Trophy after a 4-2 win at Rossendale United last night. They raced into a 2-0 half time lead with goals from Dino Maamria and an own goal before Stuart Whittaker and Wayne Maden
ROVERS defender Lucas Neill believes Australia's Socceroos can send a powerful message out to the rest of the world by beating England in tonight's friendly at Upton Park. Neill is set to be named in the Aussie team for the match against an experimental
LEEDS defender Henry McStay ended Rovers' interest in this season's FA Youth Cup after converting a hat-trick of penalties at Elland Road last night. McStay kept his cool from the spot to beat keeper Steve Drench on three separate occasions to book United's
BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent today admitted he would love to sign Matt Jansen - but his ambitious attempts to lure the Blackburn striker to Turf Moor look doomed to failure. Clarets chief Ternent has contacted Rovers about the possibility of signing Jansen
TO loan, or not to loan? That is the question. One of the biggest stories emanating from Ewood this week has centred around the short-term future of Matt Jansen. And I, for one, would firmly support the idea of a temporary move elsewhere in order to get
A BURNLEY church is about to lift the curtain on its annual panto production. Sion Baptist Church will give their first performance of Aladdin on Tuesday, February 25. The Sion Pantomime Society was formed in 1971 and, with the exception of a couple of
A BANNED motorist who got behind the wheel and drove to Fleetwood, has kept her freedom. Michelle Smith, 26, also flouted court orders, but was given a chance by the bench who told her to get her life in order and put an end to her cycle of offending.
BOSSES in Burnley today warned the business community they could face a desperate skills shortage unless they start employing more disabled people. And Remploy, which promotes opportunities for disabled people urged Burnley businesses to take part in
MAIN contractors are preparing to move in to build a new £1million healthy living centre in Burnley. The centre, which has received cash from the National Lottery's New Opportunities Fund, will be based in the Daneshouse area of the town and is due to
PARENTS in Burnley are celebrating today after the town's childminding network became the first in Lancashire to be named a Children Come First network approved by the National Childminding Association (NCMA). The network was given the honour after childminders
LEADING councillors in Burnley will discuss a government proposal to replace local authorities with a North West regional assembly next week. The council's executive committee will hear how government proposals for an elected regional assembly will replace
GREEN Party councillors from Lancaster will be joining national demonstrations against war on Iraq on Saturday. Councillors Jon Barry and Patricia England will be travelling to London along with four coachloads of local people, while Councillors Jonathan
A LANCASTER school has been singled out by the Government to become a specialist sports college - earning itself a £100,000 cash grant. Our Lady's Catholic High School is one of three schools in the county to have been awarded special status. Alder Grange
LANCASTER people are being offered a chance to have their say on the future of special educational needs provision in the area. The service is being reviewed by Lancashire County Council, which says it wants to give as many special needs pupils as possible
BURY FC are to wage war on their own fans who are making life a misery for their black players with racist abuse and threats of violence. Manager Andy Preece and midfielder Chris Billy suffered fierce verbal abuse from the stands during Saturday's draw
NELSON Brass Band have added another trophy to their cabinet after scooping first place in the fourth section of the annual Brass at the Guild contest in Preston. They played a piece entitled Lydian Pictures which was written by student Simon Dobson,
RESIDENTS are being urged by Pendle Council's Environmental Health Officers to be particularly vigilant in the choice of pest control services following the BBC programme "Rogue Traders". The progamme transmitted last week featured examples of blatant
A 13-YEAR-OLD has been indecently assaulted in public toilets in Radcliffe. The teenager walked into the toilets in Market Place, Short Street, on Monday at about 10.30am and, as he headed towards the end cubicle, he was grabbed from behind. The offender
A WOMAN found with two stolen cards, including a bank card, told police she found them and forgot to hand them in, Burnley magistrates heard. Catherine Smith, 34, was arrested after police searched a house wanting to speak to a man who was living there
AN ARMED gang is being hunted by police after launching a series of attacks on town centre shops before speeding off in a getaway car. Traders today revealed how the gang - which uses hunting-style catapults or an air rifle - has caused thousands of pounds
THE St George's shopping centre car park in Preston was closed on Tuesday after a the breaks reportedly failed on a lorry, sending it rolling into a wall. The wall, at the back of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Fishergate, was found to be unstable, and the
COUNTY Council staff were left short of parking spaces this week after structural problems were found in the authority's main car park. Engineers inspected the 150-space multi-storey car park on Pitt Street and closed it on Tuesday. The move will leave
A POPULAR Preston community centre was partially destroyed by arsonists at the weekend. Firefighters were called to Tanterton Community Centre, Kidsgrove, Ingol, on Saturday, at 1.30am, after a suspicious blaze started in the roof of the building. The
LANCASHIRE was reeling from a jobs blow as receivers axed 900 jobs at two Leyland DAF sites in the county. Union officials organised ballots for strike action to fight the losses.
RESIDENTS in Hyndburn are to receive a letter urging them to check their names are on the electoral register. Hyndburn Borough Council will deliver letters to every household in the borough to ensure those eligible to vote are registered before the May
A WOMAN eating supper in her Accrington town centre flat was disturbed by two men attacking the steel shutters on the Originals Clothes Store with sledge hammers. Blackburn magistrates heard that two other men came from the rear of the store and, with
A TRADER has put out an appeal for help to find the owner of land next to his business. Graham Waywell, of Romers Hifi, Great Harwood, said he wants to trace the owner of the plot next to his electrical dealership in Lomax Street so he can carry out renovation
LESS than a month after being released from a prison sentence imposed for driving while disqualified, David Ainsworth was caught behind the wheel again. Blackburn magistrates heard that at the time Ainsworth was subject to three separate disqualifications
A DENTAL practice gutted by an arson attack could reopen this week after three months of repairs. The Mark Wilkinson Dental Practice, in Whalley Road, Accrington, was torched after a burglary last November but is booking appointments for next week. A
ORGANISERS of the annual Young Enterprise Programme have announced a new location for this year's final presentations due to overwhelming support last year. Young entrepreneurs in Hyndburn and Ribble Valley have previously given their final presentations
A RENTED nurse's fancy dress outfit cost a British company more than £100,000 after a promotional stunt went wrong. It was just one of a number of controversial sex discrimination claims handled by law firm Wacks Caller last year which could have big
A SMALL Blackburn company is making a big name for itself in the glamorous world of the international cosmetics industry. Coursegreen Ltd has pioneered a new technology to colour the glass bottles used for top-selling fragrances and other beauty products
HE'S got perfect pitch and awards to prove it. But, he's not a performer, quite the reverse. He actually prepares the stage for the performances of others - displays which often attract audiences of millions worldwide. For Steve Patrick, head groundsman
EAST Lancashire exporter Robert Patterson reckons he has just made one of the best business decisions of his life. The Darwen company boss recently switched to the internet fast lane when he converted to broadband -- after taking expert advice from the
BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent today admitted he would love to sign Matt Jansen - but his ambitious attempts to lure the Blackburn striker to Turf Moor look doomed to failure. Clarets chief Ternent has contacted Rovers about the possibility of signing Jansen
MUCH as Ribble Valley Council has benefited from extra government grants, many people, I think, will be struck by the difference in its increase in council tax -- at 3.27 per cent, one of the lowest rises in the country -- and the thumping 9.46 per cent
ACCORDING to my arithmetic, almost a quarter of a million pounds was 'dodged' last year by TV licence evaders in Blackburn and Burnley alone. Until the 2,229 offenders were caught, that is -- and helped to place the towns high in a 'League of Shame' that
BLACKBURN'S BNP councillor has been quizzed by police over an allegation that he attacked his wife. Coun Robin Evans, who won a seat in Mill Hill in November, attended Darwen police station voluntarily on Saturday after his estranged wife, Gwen, lodged
MEMBERS of the Rossendale Valley Motorbike Show gave a total of £20,000 to 30 charities during a presentation night at Haslingden Cricket Club. The money raised from their 10th annual show, held in Rawtenstall last September, was split between local and
A COUNCILLOR has urged young Muslims celebrating the religious festival Eid to do so peacefully. Coun Hussain Ahktar, who represents the Shear Brow ward in Blackburn, has warned young Muslims to think about road safety during the festivities. Coun Ahktar
A BUSINESS woman has recruited pupils from 12 local schools in a bid to ensure her new venture is a success. Smiles on Faces, a £250,000 play complex funded by a combination of bank loans and family fundraising, will officially open to parents and children
WEDNESDAY, February 12: Leigh Town Hall (10.30-noon) B Jarvis, A Turnock. THURSDAY, February 13: Golborne Library (10-11) B Strett, D Kelly; Lowton Civic Hall (6-6.45) P Franzen; Abram Library (10.30-noon) E Smethurst.
A SOLDIER returned from manoeuvres in Canada to be told his wife was having an affair with another squaddie, a court heard. Blackburn magistrates were told Jonathon Wayne Coker, 34, was driven to kick down a glass door panel at his wife's house in an
KHALID Saifullah developed an early taste for business when he used to accompany his father carrying out deliveries around the UK. Watching his father Allah Ditta, the founder of Blackburn-based paper tissue manufacturer PPC Ltd, gave Khalid the drive
A SURGEON whose mistakes led to the death of two patients made errors which could have happened to any experienced doctor, the GMC was told. Julian Mason, 38, who also cut into a Blackburn with Darwen Council social worker's artery by mistakenly using
PATIENTS across East Lancashire are being warned they could be left without support and advice for six months when community health councils are abolished. Staff in East Lancashire CHCs are worried about a 'black hole' between their axing in September
A £1.3MILLION scheme to rejuvenate Blackburn's rundown Pavilions is to start within weeks after council bosses finally secured cash to pay for the project. The three buildings - in Church Street - will be joined by glass structures before Blackburn with
CLITHEROE battled back from their FA Vase disappointment with an all-action display to defeat Skelmersdale United in the Worthington Trophy quarter final. A crowd of over 200 saw the Blues win through to a two-legged semi final derby against second division
BLACKBURN Hawks beat arch rivals Whitley Warriors in a Premier Cup tie, but it was scant consolation as the tables were turned in a vital league clash 24 hours later. In the most exciting finish of the season so far, Hawks skipper Gordon Whyte hit the
