AT this time of year burglars know there are rich pickings in a lot of homes. Presents waiting to be wrapped and extra cash in people's purses and wallets are there to be taken if windows or doors are left unlocked. It's also a time of the year when stolen
I WENT to see my granddaughter's Christmas school play at St Charles' School, Rishton. Before the performance started the headmistress said to the audience: "This will probably be the best £1 that you will spend this Christmas," and she was right! It
AN Unsworth man was found hanged at his family home on Friday night. Stephen Breheny (22) was discovered by his father suspended from the stairwell by a cord at the house in Randale Avenue. He was taken to Fairfield General Hospital but was pronounced
WO masked raiders brandished a handgun at a post office assistant before fleeing with cash from a branch in Holcombe Brook. The robbery occurred at the Post Office on Longsight Road on Friday night when the duo, wearing balaclavas and dark clothing, forced
TERRITORIAL Army medics from Bury have returned home after an extended tour of duty in Iraq. The soldiers from 207 (Manchester) Field Hospital, which has a unit based at Burys Castle Armoury Drill Hall, have spent more than six months working in the 200
A GRANDFATHER who attacked a 15-year-old boy after louts made his life a misery for three years said today: "I just snapped." Burnley magistrates heard how father-of-four Arthur William Hines had been in his dressing gown and slippers when he went outside
A BURNLEY-born property developer today pledged to help regenerate part of the town by transforming a former factory site into a modern housing estate. The £10million scheme to regenerate a derelict factory site at Gannow Lane goes before Burnley Borough
A DETECTIVE who probed the stabbing of a man by his ex-lover today denied the killer's jail sentence was too soft. Detective Inspector Pete Broome backed Judge Peter Openshaw QC's decision to imprison Kelly Hyslop, 20, for two years - adding that it was
FORMER Manchester City goalkeeper Alex Williams has been testing his soccer management skills at the Skills for Life event, run by the Learning and Skills Council Greater Manchester (LSCGM). Held at the City of Manchester Stadium, the event was attended
DRAMATIC changes in employment law which came into force in October have been underlined by an expert with Bury-based GLP Solicitors. Mr Frank Griffin, who works in the firm's employment department, has warned that employers face serious penalties if
A NEW resource centre for Home-Start Bury has been launched in Whitefield. The volunteer-led charity has set up a new facility for families and volunteers at the Elms Community Centre. The centre, in Green Lane, will offer a regular drop-in session, stay
PEOPLE are being urged to beware of delivery notices which tell them to ring a £1.50-a-minute phone line for details of undelivered packages. And Trading Standards officials today admitted lax British laws meant the public were left open to premium rate
MARSDEN Building Society Challenge Trophy competition second round draw to be played week beginning January 3, 2005: Chorley v Radcliffe Borough; Skelmersdale Utd v Ramsbottom Utd; Atherton LR v Accrington Stanley; Burscough v Colne; Barrow v Fleetwood
TERRITORIAL Army medics from Bury have returned home after an extended tour of duty in Iraq. The soldiers from 207 (Manchester) Field Hospital, which has a unit based at Bury's Castle Armoury Drill Hall, have spent more than six months working in the
A CHARITY born out of a desire to give sick babies a real fighting chance turned 25 years old this month. And those who owed their children's lives to Fairfield Hospital's special care baby unit, as well as medical staff and friends of the unit, attended
EAST Lancashire employees will be the first in the north to benefit from a pilot scheme that offers savings on home computing equipment. The scheme is being run by East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and follows the rusults of a a survey that revealed
RAWTENSTALL debt management company Compass Finance has announced it wants to create 100 new jobs. The firm - which arranged loans and remortgages worth £180 million in the year to September 30 - has seen its profits rise 18 per cent to more than £2 million
A SCHEME to combat drink-related crime has had a massive impact in Darwen, police and licensees claim. The BAR-U partnership, which sees every town centre pub linked by radio, has been hailed a success with 14 yobs being banned in the first 18 months.
A YOUNG quad bike rider died after he tried to negotiate a slope which proved too steep, police said today. 15-year-old Matthew Hunt, of Holly Avenue, Haslingden, was crushed under his four-wheel vehicle on farmland near Buckden Wood, Stubbins, Ramsbottom
THREE workers at a Blackburn company who were given shares by the chairman have become overnight millionaires. Blackburn based Berkeley Morgan Group plc has been bought out by its larger competitor, AIM listed Personal Group plc, in a £12.3 million cash
A 13-YEAR-OLD pupil had his head split open after allegedly being hit with a metal chair leg during a lesson. The boy was taken to hospital after the incident at Witton Park High School, Blackburn, at 3pm yesterday. A 13-year-old boy was immediately suspended
A DIABETIC man has called for needle-free injections to be made available to more East Lancashire patients. John Cramsie, who is 61, of Downham Street, Blackburn was the first in the town to have the device after becoming dependent on insulin to help
WE wish to complain about the lack of recycling facilities in Bury. In January 2003 we moved to the Bury area, having previously lived in Yorkshire. We wrote to Bury Council customer services department about the lack of recycling facilities. Unfortunately
RADCLIFFE Boro are holding a soccer school for children before Christmas. The course begins next Monday (December 20) and runs until Christmas Eve, costing just £38. For more information, please ring Pete Lofthouse or Kevin Glendon on 0161 724 8346.
We apologise to customers and correspondents who may have been trying to contact the Bury Times on Monday during an eight-hour power and phones blackout. The power supply has now been restored.
RECENTLY I have read reports that those of us who complain are pulling the "nice little town" down. We have six bin bags dumped across from our gate and on the opposite corner there is a larger pile. They have been ignored by binmen and road sweepers
THE National Blood Service is calling for people in the borough to give a little bit more this Christmas. In previous years, blood stocks have dipped by as much as ten per cent in December as regular donors struggle to find time to donate in the busy
IT is not every day that an Olympic hero attends a school Christmas fair, so the pupils at Woodbank Primary School in Bury were stunned when silver medalist Amir Khan showed up. The teenage boxer, who trains at Bury Amateur Boxing Club, attended the school
A 13-YEAR-OLD pupil had his head split open after allegedly being hit with a metal chair leg during a lesson. The boy was taken to hospital after the incident at Witton Park High School, Blackburn, at 3pm yesterday. A 13-year-old boy was immediately suspended
MARK Hughes today insisted Morten Gamst Pedersen still has a future with Blackburn Rovers. The Norwegian international winger has only started one game under Hughes during his three months in the Ewood hot-seat. But Hughes has told the 23-year-old to
PRESTWICH Ken Yu Kai Karate club, who train at St Hildas Hall, impressed in the recent National Championships. Sam Boyle won bronze in the individual Kata (a series of attacks and defence against an imaginary opponent) during the championships held at
Rovers all view with Jason Whalley SINCE the introduction of the transfer window December has generally been the start of 'silly season'. That time of year when the speculation starts as to who will be bought in January when the purse strings are loosened
A MAN with learning difficulties who has attacked six people in three outbursts is to be assessed by a psychiatrist. Magistrates heard that Usman Bacha told two victims he did not like their colour. Bacha, whose Accrington address the bench earlier ordered
LATEST figures for this year show that the value of private equity investment realisations in the north west is heading for an all-time high. According to statistics published by Deloitte and Barclays Private Equity, the exit value for the year to date
TWO teenagers have been suspended from a Clitheroe high school after being caught smoking cannabis after class. The 13-year-olds have now been referred to drug counselling services -- while other pupils at Ribblesdale High School have been warned that
BURNLEY are set for a £150,000 windfall from their FA Cup clash with Liverpool. Sky Sports have confirmed they will screen the third round Turf Moor showdown live on Friday, January 7, kick-off 7.45pm. The news will come as a welcome boost to Clarets
THWAITES Brewery has been commended for a pioneering initiative aimed at guiding tenants and managers through the maze of licensing legislation set to revolutionise the industry. Thwaites has been staging a series of 'licensing roadshows' across its estate
A DRIVER accused of deliberately reversing his jeep into a man has appeared in court. Jason Greensmith (30), of Fletcher Street, Bury, was charged with unlawfully and maliciously causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Ian Thorley. Greensmith appeared at Bury
INSURANCE company More Than are urging East Lancashire's business owners to implement simple and effective security measures to beat criminals this festive season. To help the owners of smaller shops avoid falling foul this year a team of specialist risk
STAFF at Interbrew UK, the brewing company that makes Stella Artois at Samlesbury, are to be balloted for industrial action. Three unions - T&G general union, GMB and Amicus - decided to ballot members across Interbrew's four UK breweries following
THE Blackburn-based Guardian Angel Entrepreneurs Network has helped hundreds of fledgling East Lancashire businesses since it was set up in in 1992. The idea was simple - experienced business people giving their time to help a new generation of entrepreneurs
SMALL businesses in East Lancashire are being warned they could be targeted by fraudsters who push them into handing over cash. Mailshots have been sent out by the tricksters, which demand hundreds of pounds for "compliance packs" that they claim avoid
BURY Metro Sports Forum have started their search for the borough's sportspeople of the year, and the public are invited to nominate their choices for the various categories. There will be awards for the sportsman and sportswoman of the year, disabled
CAMPAIGNERS against a private children's home opening in Darwen are collecting signatures for a second petition ahead of a planning meeting later this month. Protesters will come head to head with applicant Pauline Ainsworth on December 23 when the plan
YOUNGSTERS in Rossendale can make a splash by signing up for free swimming lessons. Ramsbottom Pool and Fitness Centre is offering the classes to children under the age of 16 over the Christmas period. The offer is to encourage children to take some exercise
RADCLIFFE Boro goalkeeper Barrie George has been selected in the England World Cup squad! For, the 18-year-old understudy to Danny Hurst is between the sticks for the England team in the Partially Sighted World Championships being held at the City of
HSBC BANK is the UK's Best High Street Bank for Small Businesses, an award it has held since 1998, according to the Forum of Private Business (FPB), one of the country's leading small business organisations. The FPB's independent survey of around 5,000
THE family of an Iraqi civilian - allegedly unlawfully killed by soldiers from the Queen's Lancashire Regiment - today won a High Court challenge against the Government's refusal to order an "independent and effective" inquiry. Two judges ruled in favour
BOSSES at the Queen's Lancashire Regiment today refused to jump the gun and celebrate saving the county's regimental tradition until a final decision had been made. The Ministry of Defence is expected to announce tomorrow that the QLR will merge with
HAVING just read the letters regarding the tragic road death of Natalie Pickwick Jones I feel compelled to write with my feelings on the matter. I am a hard-working parent who has been driving for 20 years and the perils involved in being a driver are
I AM afraid that I have to puncture Mrs Allison's bubble of euphoria (Letters, December 3). Whilst it is true that the people of the north east overwhelmingly rejected the government proposal for a directly-elected regional assembly, they will nevertheless
BURNLEY "Garlands For Christmas" Concert, by Helena Kean, St Leonard's Church, Padiham, 1pm-3pm. Pension Service Advice Surgery, Housing Benefits, Parker Lane, Burnley, 10am-12.30pm. Second and fourth Wednesday ofthe month. Senior Citizens Luncheon Club
BURY Amateurs, members of the Lancashire Amateur League, are on the lookout for new players. Anyone interested in signing for the club who play at Drinkwater Park, Prestwich, can attend the club's training sessions at Castlebrook High School, Unsworth
BUDDING stars at Our Lady and Saint John Catholic Arts College are performing the festive classic Scrooge at the school from tomorrow to Friday. Over 60 children are involved in the production and have been rehearsing hard every night since October for
I HAD to laugh at the news that a park and ride scheme has been set up at Ewood Park. Will the cars be airlifted TO Ewood Park in the first place? Ever since the ludicrous decision to insert a set of traffic lights at the junction with the new housing
A BURY man was on Tuesday expected to appear before the town's magistrates after being charged with robbing a Tottington off-licence. The 26-year-old is alleged to have walked into the Bargain Booze store in Bury Road, on Thursday night and threatened
I FEEL I must respond to the headlines "Wards crisis" (LET, December 3) and the report on page 4 "NHS now in better health." The headline reveals a £5.5million debt in East Lancs. Hospitals and health bosses admit waiting lists could grow, but patient
TWO cars were destroyed in Radcliffe in separate arson attacks. A fire crew was initially called to Hamer Street at 8pm on Sunday after an Austin Metro had been abandoned and torched by thieves. And at 6am on Monday, the same fire crew responded to calls
JUST to add to Mr N Eke's correspondence (LET, November 3) most of us are proud to be born, bred and live in this town. But the rising problem now is that the yobs, muggers, drug-dealers, rapists, burglars, etc., are increasing in greater numbers in the
A BURY man is said to be in a stable condition in Fairfield General Hospital after being attacked with an axe. The 39-year-old, from Lincoln Drive, suffered serious facial injuries as a result of the attack which happened shortly after 9.45pm on Friday
TWO women are to appear at crown court in connection with a Bury insurance fraud following a road accident. Lisa Kathryn Brown (29), of Church Street, Haslingden, and Selma Khan (17), of Orchard Gardens, Bolton, face a charge of conspiring together to
A VERY merry Christmas lies in store for the "residents" at Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary this festive season thanks to caring customers. Travelcare in the Mill Gate Shopping Centre was inundated with donations of pet food, animal toys and blankets for their
ELDERLY residents from two Bury homes got well versed in the seasonal festivities with a special Christmas party at Moorside Community Library on Friday. Pensioners from Hazelhurst elderly people's home and Chestnut Court nursing home enjoyed food, drink
PLANS for new flats close to Bury Bridge are set for approval on Tuesday night. Developers hope to build 34 flats on former industrial land between Crostons Road and Tottington Road. A revised application will be heard by Bury Councils planning control
TWO separate road traffic accidents caused motorway mayhem around Bury on Thursday night and Friday morning. Fortunately, none of the motorists caught up in either incident, which involved a total of six cars, suffered serious injuries. The first smash
A LEADING cancer charity is looking for dedicated people in Bury who can encourage local employees to give a little support to its hardworking home care nursing staff. Those who are interested in joining the Marie Curie Cancer Care's payroll giving team
ANIMAL expert Kevin Horkin showed he was top dog when it came to finding a celebrity couple's new pet. The businessman, owner of the Ramsbottom opticians Spex, was asked to find a perfect pooch for model Jordan by her partner Peter Andre. As the owner
A TEENAGER has died after he was trapped beneath a quad bike on remote moorland near Buckden Wood in Holcombe . Matthew Hunt (15), from Haslingden, was riding the four-wheel bike on the farmland when the accident happened at 1.20pm on Sunday. An investigation
A PLAN to expand leisure facilities for Bury's older folk could be thrown out by councillors tonight. The bid, which would almost double floorspace at the Jubilee Centre in Mosley Street, has been earmarked for rejection. Included in plans for the Age
SOCCER ace Liam Boswell put his dribbling, shooting and tackling to the test at a Bobby Charlton Soccer Schools International Skills final. The St Marie's Primary School pupil won a place in the roadshow held in Knutsford, at a competition in Sale run
ATHERTON LR will meet Eagley in the final of the Goldline Trophy, after beating West Lancashire League side Charnock Richard 2-1 in the semi final. LR dominated the first half and went ahead in the 19th minute, when they beat the offside trap before a
FOURTEEN people have now been arrested under a police crackdown against drugs in Burnley. "Operation Freeze" centred around a series of dawn drugs raids across the town last week. Following the dramatic swoops, four people were cautioned for drug possession
AN opera singer from Burnley will dedicate her next performance in memory of one of her mentors. Helena Kean, made the pledge after concert pianist Rene Atkinson died from lung cancer last week. Mr Atkinson was one of the early inspirations of the mezzo
A NEW mum who got behind the wheel while almost three times the limit was rumbled after her grandmother alerted the police. Burnley magistrates heard how Sarah Howard, 19, had been having problems with her mother, and her former partner had recently tried
A LASTING memorial garden is to be created to the tragic Waddington sisters who lost their lives when fire ripped through their Padiham home. Work is under way to transform a patch of land near the family's Lancaster Drive home into a garden in memory
A NEW book recalling the memories of arguably the greatest team ever to don the Claret and Blue of Burnley Football Club has been launched. The Greatest Burnley Team of All recounts the thoughts of all the members of the legendary 1959-60 championship
A GRANDFATHER who attacked a 15-year-old boy after louts made his life a misery for three years said today: "I just snapped." Burnley magistrates heard how father-of-four Arthur William Hines had been in his dressing gown and slippers when he went outside
SHAKERS boss Graham Barrow could be ready to wheel and deal in the wake of a bad week for the Gigg Lane club. The Shakers went out of the FA Cup then picked up just one point from two home games in the space of eight days leaving the manager pondering
A DECISION to reject plans for 11 houses on a Brierfield farmyard could be overturned next week. The scheme for Waterside Farm, Montford Road, was turned down by Brierfield and Reedley councillors last week but has been referred to another set of councillors
PENDLE Tories are campaigning for people to have the right to use greater force against burglars in their own homes. Conservative councillors want their Labour and Liberal Democrat colleagues to back their party's plans to change the law so householders
I FEEL I must respond to Mr Hill's letter (November 26) about providing smokers with designated areas so that they can indulge in their insensitive habit. Such amateurish demarcation will not cure the problem. Smoking is an addiction; addiction is a disease
AFTER Steve Cotterill has finished locking Robbie Blake in his car boot, he can put his feet up with a nice cup of tea and reflect on a job well done over the first half of this season. After 23 games under his stewardship, Burnley FC sit in a very creditable
FOOTBALL: Accrington Clarets are now taking bookings for coach travel to the following Burnley away games. Only a few seats remain for this weekend's trip to Sunderland (Saturday). Coach leaves The Stanley at 9am. Adult members £12, non-members £14, junior
The Andy Payton column IT'S make your mind up time. Robbie Blake might never be in as good a bartering position as he is at the moment. He's got Burnley Football Club and Wigan Athletic in the palm of his hand. On his current form, he's calling the shots
SHAKERS 0, SOUTHEND UNITED 1: SATURDAY certainly proved to be a day best forgotten for sportsmen named Danny. Brixton boxer Danny Williams' ill-fated attempt to prise the WBC heavyweight title away from Vitali Klitschko in Las Vegas got plenty of publicity
Fourth round draw: Bridgwater Town v Winchester City, Didcot Town v Ledbury Town, Bury Town v Potton United, Stourbridge v Desborough Town, Bodmin Town v Colne or Stone Dominoes, Billingham Town v Lymington & New Milton, Jarrow Roofing or Boldon CA
DETERMINED Nigel Coates doesn't expect to mark any of his players less than seven out of 10 tonight. The Colne manager was disappointed with an all-round team display in Saturday's FA Vase third round clash with Stone Dominoes, which ended in a 1-1 draw
AN RAF operator has been banned from driving for two years after he was found to be over the drink-drive limit when stopped in Hollins. Michael David Ferry (19) also received fines and costs totalling £445 for the offence in Croft Lane, where it was found
BURY has been given a grant of £139,000 to help it meet tough recycling targets. Government ministers say they want to help councils divert waste from landfill sites, but without putting extra financial pressure on them - and ultimately on council taxpayers
MARK Hughes today insisted Morten Gamst Pedersen still has a future with Blackburn Rovers. The Norwegian international winger has only started one game under Hughes during his three months in the Ewood hot-seat. But Hughes has told the 23-year-old to
BURNLEY are set for a £150,000 windfall from their FA Cup clash with Liverpool. Sky Sports have confirmed they will screen the third round Turf Moor showdown live on Friday, January 7, kick-off 7.45pm. The news will come as a welcome boost to Clarets
A NEW Learning Centre has been opened in Blackburn by Foreign Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw. The £12,000 centre at the LG Philips Displays manufacturing plant in the town will provide a wide range of courses including IT, languages and training
BUSINESSES in East Lancashire are more likely to embrace new forms of technology than those in other areas a new survey has revealed. Daily use of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in the North West is 27 per cent, more than twice the national average
A US-based medical company which employs close to 200 people in Rossendale is set to be acquired in a $925 million deal. Medex Inc, which makes sterile plastic devices for critical care in hospitals, has been taken over by the Smiths Group. Medex Inc's
BRITAIN is the 'bah humbug' capital of Europe for perks at Christmas, a new survey has revealed. Business reporter ANDREW TAYLOR talked to East Lancashire firms to see if they gave a little something back at the end of the year. COMPANY chiefs in East
EMPLOYEES at a Blackburn carpet manufacturer will be toasting a successful year this Christmas after winning six national industry awards. But bosses at Causeway Carpets said the recognition was only the beginning and they hoped 2005 would be even more
A BLACKBURN carpet company has honoured one of its employees after he came second in a prestigious apprenticeship awards scheme. Stuart Ashworth, who works at Leo's Carpets, Blackburn, has been named runner-up in Accrington and Rossendale College's Apprentice
CONGLETON 0, RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 2: THE Rams' travels yielded three crucial points on Saturday as managerless Congleton were comprehensively outplayed at Booth Street. The victory moved the Rams into the top four and with an intriguing encounter at league
A PROJECT to regenerate formal gardens in Bacup has scooped a £25,000 windfall -- although residents are being urged to help generate an extra £8,000 to complete the work. Stubbylee Park Formal Gardens is to undergo a facelift thanks to the cash injection
ONCE, Frank Gillott's Haslingden garden was home to woodpeckers and cuckoos - now all he sees when he gazes through his front window is a stream of heavy goods vehicles. Yesterday police revealed they were planning to get HGVs banned from the notorious
CORGI, the gas safety watchdog, is warning people in Greater Manchester to be on the lookout for "cowboys" who are working on gas illegally. In a drive to improve gas safety and reduce the amount of deaths caused by faulty gas appliances, CORGI is asking
THE founding chairman of the British National Party has been arrested on the suspicion of inciting racial hatred. John Tyndall, 70, of Brighton, is believed to have been questioned over comments he allegedly made during a speech in Burnley in March. Mr
PUPILS transported an audience back to 1914 and life on the home front - complete with the sound of exploding shells and dog-fights. Pleckgate City Learning Centre, Blackburn, was in torch-light while the 25 high school students from around the borough
BURGLARS across the county have been issued a "three strikes and you're out" warning following the introduction of tough new sentencing powers. And the most prolific burglars will receive a personally addressed letter explaining they can expect an automatic
HOMELESS people in Blackburn and Pendle will get better roofs over their heads thanks to a £1.5million windfall announced by deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, civic leaders said today. Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council will get £1million to improve
THE TORY candidate given the task of beating Jack Straw in the next election today insisted: "I believe I can win." Imtiaz A Ameen, a lawyer from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, was selected as the Tory's prospective parliamentary candidate for Blackburn at
Let's get belief back, urges Coleman ACCRINGTON Stanley manager John Coleman believes hitting Leigh RMI for six has helped to restore his side's self belief. The Reds' confidence has been knocked after a mixed bag of results in recent weeks. A 5-0 home
SEDGLEY PARK 38, PERTEMPS BEES 19: "NO disrespect to them, but they are not as good as they think they are and our own self-belief was the difference," said player-coach Tim Fourie after his Tigers muscled aside the early season pacesetters to claim their
YOUNGSTERS trod the boards at Lowercroft Primary School to bring a festive performance to the stage. Pupils from the reception class, supported by years one and two, took part in A Present for the Baby, a twist on the traditional nativity story. And more
LAST week the Bury Times devoted much news space and part of its Letters page to those campaigning for improved road safety on Bolton Road, Radcliffe, following the tragic death of Natalie Danielle Pickwick Jones in a road traffic collision there earlier
TAXI drivers in Bury held an impromptu "strike" in the town centre on Friday after a traffic warden slapped a ticket on a cab - waiting at Kay Garden's taxi rank. More than ten drivers, the majority in Hackney Carriages, refused to pick up waiting customers
