NATHAN Dyer has thanked Burnley for giving him the chance to make his first team breakthrough at Southampton. The teenage winger is finally starting to make an impact at St Mary's and set up Dexter Blackstock's winner against Brighton on Monday. The
PEOPLE living in a part of Burnley once blighted by crime say they feel safe again as police continue to clamp down on drug dealers in the area. Chairman of Burnley Wood Action Group Brian Fenn said residents had begun to enjoy living in Burnley Wood
A NAKED man allegedly sexually abused a little girl and afterwards gave her cash, a jury was told. Ralph Stokes, 24, was said to have exposed himself to the seven-year-old child and got her to undress. He was then said to have performed a sex act on
WORK is under way to create a sensory garden for disabled youngsters in a Nelson park. Brierfield-based charity Caring Today and Pendle Council are working on the project in Victoria Park which will link the children's playground with the sunken garden
A BURNLEY man has appeared in court in connection with an assault which left another man fighting for his life. Jeffrey Bonney, 31, appeared before the town's magistrates yesterday, charged with wounding with intent. Bonney, of Glebe Street, is accused
A GANG of car thieves are targeting Burnley homes to steal vehicles to order, police believe. Seven cars were targeted last weekend. The crooks are believed to be part of a car-ringing gang which is stripping down the vehicles and selling off the parts
I DON'T mean to be rude but don't start wishing me Happy New Year yet. Because at Burnley that all depends on whether we can hold on to Ade Akinbiyi in the transfer window this month. This club has a habit of selling its top scorers, like it has in
RAMSBOTTOM have moved to replace Murali Kartik with fellow Indian spinner Sunil Joshi. The 36-year-old Test star, who has a best bowling performance if 5-142 in Test matches and 5-6 in One-Day Internationals, replaces Kartik who has international commitments
Stanley defender Mike Flynn looks set to make his move to Hyde United permanent this month. Manager John Coleman said: "We wish him all the best. "He has shown a great attitude and character while he has been here."
AMBITIOUS Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman believes his side has never had a better chance of clinching promotion from the Nationwide Conference. The Reds have a three-point lead at the summit of the non-league pyramid they have climbed with such
ROVERS will feature in three more live television Premier League fixtures following the release of Sky's schedule for the second half of the 2005-2006 campaign. The trip to White Hart Lane to tackle Spurs has been put back from Saturday, March 4 to Sunday
Blackburn defender Ryan Nelsen is facing a possible four-match ban after being charged with improper conduct by the Football Association for accusing referee Mark Halsey of having "a nice track record" of dismissing Rovers players. Nelsen's comments
BLACKBURN Rovers have extended the deadline for half season tickets until Saturday after receiving a fantastic response to the offer. The original deadline was Monday evening but such was the response, officials are to extend the promotion with a special
BLACKBURN Rovers have blamed a burst pipe for the postponement of last week's Premiership game with Sunderland. Club officials launched an immediate investigation after the undersoil heating system failed to cope with a sudden drop in temperature before
ROVERS stopper Brad Friedel said the team were exhausted but happy after the frantic festive period. In 13 hectic days, Rovers won through to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup and then picked up nine points from their Premiership games against Middlesbrough
BRIAN Jensen has admitted he got himself caught in no man's land for Queens Park Rangers' equaliser on Monday. The Beast wandered off his line to allow Gareth Ainsworth's looping header to arch over him on the stroke of half-time during the New Year
League One side Huddersfield Town are the latest club to be linked with a move for striker Matt Jansen. The £4.1 million signing from Crystal Palace looks set to quit Rovers during the current transfer window. The 28-year-old's advisers were due to
MORTEN Gamst Pedersen today poured cold water on speculation linking him with a January move to Tottenham Hotspur by insisting I want to win something with Blackburn Rovers'. The Norwegian international, who has been in sparkling form over the festive
A 37-YEAR-OLD man who assaulted his partner in the early hours of New Year's Day asked to be kept in custody so he could address his alcohol problem. Blackburn magistrates heard that Mark Anthony Murray could not remember the incident involving his girlfriend
JESSICA shouts "whore" at pretty women, Michelle has uncontrollable violent body movements and Ben can't stop himself sniffing and shrugging, even in his sleep. From the opening credits, it was obvious last night's Teenage Tourette's Camp (ITV) was classic
A £2,600 project to improve Sunnyhurst Wood for out-of-town visitors could be installed by next month. The scheme, co-ordinated by the Friends of Sunnyhurst Wood, will include installation of six directional finger posts at various points. Each sign
A REWARD of £1,000 has been offered for the return of a stolen Jack Russell dog which could go blind without its medication. The cash has been put up by owners Vincent and Lisa Gregg, who have had nine-year-old Newey as their family pet all his life.
A 14-year-old fell runner went missing for five hours when he became lost in freezing fog on an East Lancashire hill. The incident has prompted officers to urge anyone out on the region's fells to take a mobile phone in case of emergencies. The warning
I AM the local agent for the War Research Society which was founded over 30 years ago by serving police officers and ex-servicemen. The society supports a number of causes including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Normandy Widows and Veterans
HRH Prince Charles, assisted by the Duchess of Cornwall, recently unveiled our national Battle of Britain monument in central London. Sadly, the BBC and ITV both chose to ignore the event so many family and friends of The Few' are even now unaware of
THE editorial comment, Church must be united (December 27) suggests the difference of views between the Bishop of Blackburn and some perhaps many of his clergy on the issue of the ordination of women as bishops may be a reason why church attendance
AN EAST Lancashire man jailed for drug offences in Thailand has returned to the North West. Christopher Egan, who endured a Thai prison nightmare after being jailed nearly two years ago, has now been transferred to Kirkham Open Prison. He was repatriated
Pupils from an Accrington primary school attended a prestigious ceremony in London after winning a national competition. The Year 1 youngsters at Woodnook Primary were chosen from thousands of entrants to attend the 21st Nestle Children's Book Prize
THIS is the battered face of man attacked by a gang of yobs who laughed as they knocked one of his teeth out. Today Paul Barker, 43, of Rothesay Road, Shadsworth, told how the unprovoked attack had left him scared to go out of his house. And police
HEADTEACHERS are opposing plans for a new sixth form at an Accrington high school amid fears it would damage standards elsewhere. Heads at five of Hyndburn's six high schools have written objecting to the plan by St Christopher's High School and insist
TWO young men attacked a Darwen man in his home in a row over money, a court heard. Victim Steven Fay was punched and kicked at his address in Thorncliffe Drive. His partner was the mother of one of those responsible for the assault, Preston Crown Court
A BIRD market manager has slammed an animal welfare group for claiming his event could help spread the avian flu virus. Clitheroe Auction Mart will tonight host the UK's first pet bird market since a Government ban aimed at halting the spread of bird
TODMORDEN councillors are to discuss the future of land at Blind Lane which was withdrawn from the market in October and has now been offered for use by Calderdale Council. They have invited Calderdale officer Stuart Elwin to the amenities committee
A MAN who raped a disabled woman in her home has been given a jail sentence of at least four years. Sadique Rafique, 26, of Dundee Drive, Blackburn, was told by a judge that he had acted with contempt towards the woman in committing the offence. He
A MAN has been charged with assault after an alleged stabbing which left a Blackburn man in hospital with serious injuries. Daniel Warburton, 21, is alleged to have been assaulted early on New Year's Day in the Shaw Heath area of Stockport. He was found
A MOBILE police station in Accrington town centre helped cut crime over Christmas. Town centre sergeant John Kennedy said the unit, which was set up outside the market hall, was a "huge success". The mobile station and other measures were taken as part
A HUSBAND today told how he was taking his seriously ill wife on a pilgrimage to Mecca in the hope of a miracle cure. Sayeeda Mulla, 46, of the Queen's Park area of Blackburn, faces a transplant or dialysis after her kidneys started to fail. She has
A PRISON van overturned on a busy motorway after being shunted from behind in an accident with a car. The incident happened around 3.40pm yesterday. Witnesses told police a black Ford Focus hit the white prison van from behind. The van, operated by
SHOPPERS will be hit with parking charge increases of up to 28per cent from tomorrow while hundreds of council officers escape any rise at all. Councillors were today accused of driving people away from town centre stores and of showing favouritism
Since word broke that Ang Lee was directing the film version of E Annie Proulx's short story Brokeback Mountain, there has been much salacious nudging and winking in the press about gay cowboys and headlines such as 'gays on the range'. But the film
THE recent success of King Kong has shown that you can make a film three times and have it evolve. But Susan Stroman's big screen version of The Producers is a remake of the stage play, which was a remake of the 1960s film by Mel Brooks, and adds very
HAVING not seen many Woody Allen films before, I was looking forward to seeing what he served up in Match Point, the director's first film made entirely outside New York. The film centres around the fortunes of tennis coach and Irish ex-pat Chris Wilton
THE future organisation and efficiency of health services across East Lancashire is vital to all of us. We need high quality care that can be accessed rapidly, especially in the case of emergencies when it is vital that critically ill patients get to
HRH Prince Charles, assisted by the Duchess of Cornwall, recently unveiled our national Battle of Britain monument in central London. Sadly, the BBC and ITV both chose to ignore the event so many family and friends of 'The Few' are even now unaware of
I AM the local agent for the War Research Society which was founded over 30 years ago by serving police officers and ex-servicemen. The society supports a number of causes including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Normandy Widows and Veterans
THE editorial comment, Church must be united (December 27) suggests the difference of views between the Bishop of Blackburn and some -- perhaps many of his clergy -- on the issue of the ordination of women as bishops may be a reason why church attendance
A GANG of car thieves are targeting Burnley homes to steal vehicles to order, police believe. Seven cars were targeted last weekend. The crooks are believed to be part of a car-ringing gang which is stripping down the vehicles and selling off the parts
SHOPPERS will be hit with parking charge increases of up to 28per cent from tomorrow -- while hundreds of council officers escape any rise at all. Councillors were today accused of driving people away from town centre stores and of showing favouritism
League One side Huddersfield Town are the latest club to be linked with a move for striker Matt Jansen. The £4.1 million signing from Crystal Palace looks set to quit Rovers during the current transfer window. The 28-year-old's advisers were due to meet
BLACKBURN Rovers have blamed a burst pipe for the postponement of last week's Premiership game with Sunderland. Club officials launched an immediate investigation after the undersoil heating system failed to cope with a sudden drop in temperature before
ROVERS stopper Brad Friedel said the team were exhausted but happy after the frantic festive period. In 13 hectic days, Rovers won through to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup and then picked up nine points from their Premiership games against Middlesbrough
MORTEN Gamst Pedersen today poured cold water on speculation linking him with a January move to Tottenham Hotspur by insisting 'I want to win something with Blackburn Rovers'. The Norwegian international, who has been in sparkling form over the festive
LONG-distance swimmer Mark Blewitt is to brave near freezing waters in a first event of its kind in this country. The Preston-based swimming champ, who travels to Rossendale every week to train with Haslingden Swimming Club, will compete in the South
An "isolated" mum who went shoplifting had no cash, Burnley magistrates heard. Renata Kohutova, 28, had come to this country from Czechoslovakia in August, had spent two months ill in intensive care and was not eligible for benefits, the court was told
A BURNLEY man has appeared in court in connection with an assault which left another man fighting for his life. Jeffrey Bonney, 31, appeared before the town's magistrates yesterday, charged with wounding with intent. Bonney, of Glebe Street, is accused
A PRISON van overturned on a busy motorway after being shunted from behind in an accident with a car. The incident happened around 3.40pm yesterday. Witnesses told police a black Ford Focus hit the white prison van from behind. The van, operated by a
PEOPLE living in a part of Burnley once blighted by crime say they feel safe again as police continue to clamp down on drug dealers in the area. Chairman of Burnley Wood Action Group Brian Fenn said residents had begun to enjoy living in Burnley Wood
A GANG of car thieves are targeting Burnley homes to steal vehicles to order, police believe. Seven cars were targeted last weekend. The crooks are believed to be part of a car-ringing gang which is stripping down the vehicles and selling off the parts
WORK is under way to create a sensory garden for disabled youngsters in a Nelson park. Brierfield-based charity Caring Today and Pendle Council are working on the project in Victoria Park which will link the children's playground with the sunken garden
A NAKED man allegedly sexually abused a little girl and afterwards gave her cash, a jury was told. Ralph Stokes, 24, was said to have exposed himself to the seven-year-old child and got her to undress. He was then said to have performed a sex act on the
The beginning of every new year is always a time for reflection on the previous 12 months and a hope that the coming year holds many good times. Blackburn Rovers fans over the past couple of years have looked forward with hope rather than expectation
HEADTEACHERS are opposing plans for a new sixth form at an Accrington high school amid fears it would damage standards elsewhere. Heads at five of Hyndburn's six high schools have written objecting to the plan by St Christopher's High School and insist
BURNLEY teenager Chris McCann began the New Year with a dream goal at QPR - and was then given time off to celebrate Christmas! The Irish youngster, who signed his first professional contract last week, came up with a sensational strike in the 1-1 draw
BRIAN Jensen has admitted he got himself caught in no man's land for Queens Park Rangers' equaliser on Monday. The Beast wandered off his line to allow Gareth Ainsworth's looping header to arch over him on the stroke of half-time during the New Year Championship
The SRPCC Cat Welfare Trust charity is holding a charity pet cat show at Worden Sports College on February 18. The show is open to all unregistered cats and kittens and any genuine rescued pedigree cats without papers are also welcome. Classes include
Folk hero King Creosote is coming to Lancaster on February 24 on the back of the acclaim for his recent KC Rules OK album, recorded with the help of Burnley band The Earlies. King Creosote - aka Kenny Anderson - first came into being in 1995 but it wasn't
British hard-rockers Hundred Reasons have bounced back from their split with Sony by signing to V2, dabbling with side projects and playing unadvertised gigs. They're now ready to step back into the limelight with new album Kill Your Own and a tour that
The Strokes, arguably the principal architects of the current rock'n'roll revival, have swaggered back on the scene with a feverishly anticipated third album under their stick-thin arms. And the New Yorkers will be promoting First Impressions Of Earth
Your diary of the big gigs coming to Lancashire soon, including the likes of G4, Joss Stone, The Strokes, Australian Pink Floyd, The Magic Numbers, The Levellers and Fun Lovin' Criminals. JANUARY 5 Katzenjammer, Grand, Blackpool, £9.50 - £11.50 JANUARY
A £2,600 project to improve Sunnyhurst Wood for out-of-town visitors could be installed by next month. The scheme, co-ordinated by the Friends of Sunnyhurst Wood, will include installation of six directional finger posts at various points. Each sign will
A REWARD of £1,000 has been offered for the return of a stolen Jack Russell dog which could go blind without its medication. The cash has been put up by owners Vincent and Lisa Gregg, who have had nine-year-old Newey as their family pet all his life.
A MAN has been charged with assault after an alleged stabbing which left a Blackburn man in hospital with serious injuries. Daniel Warburton, 21, is alleged to have been assaulted early on New Year's Day in the Shaw Heath area of Stockport. He was found
AN EAST Lancashire man jailed for drug offences in Thailand has returned to the North West. Christopher Egan, who endured a Thai prison nightmare after being jailed nearly two years ago, has now been transferred to Kirkham Open Prison. He was repatriated
A HUSBAND today told how he was taking his seriously ill wife on a pilgrimage to Mecca in the hope of a miracle cure. Sayeeda Mulla, 46, of the Queen's Park area of Blackburn, faces a transplant or dialysis after her kidneys started to fail. She has travelled
FIREFIGHTERS have been warned they face disciplinary action for speaking out about sensitive issues like staffing levels. An internal memo from the Lancashire fire and rescue service's management has warned crews they could be brought to book if they
Blackburn defender Ryan Nelsen is facing a possible four-match ban after being charged with improper conduct by the Football Association for accusing referee Mark Halsey of having "a nice track record" of dismissing Rovers players. Nelsen's comments were
BLACKBURN Rovers have extended the deadline for half season tickets until Saturday after receiving a fantastic response to the offer. The original deadline was Monday evening but such was the response, officials are to extend the promotion with a special
ALONG with piles of unwanted turkey and the New Year chimes of Big Ben, you can always tell you're in the midst of the festive season when football managers start moaning about having to put their charges through four games in eight days. Words such as
The beginning of every new year is always a time for reflection on the previous 12 months and a hope that the coming year holds many good times. Blackburn Rovers fans over the past couple of years have looked forward with hope rather than expectation
A MOBILE police station in Accrington town centre helped cut crime over Christmas. Town centre sergeant John Kennedy said the unit, which was set up outside the market hall, was a "huge success". The mobile station and other measures were taken as part
A 14-year-old fell runner went missing for five hours when he became lost in freezing fog on an East Lancashire hill. The incident has prompted officers to urge anyone out on the region's fells to take a mobile phone in case of emergencies. The warning
A BIRD market manager has slammed an animal welfare group for claiming his event could help spread the avian flu virus. Clitheroe Auction Mart will tonight host the UK's first pet bird market since a Government ban aimed at halting the spread of bird
WELL! I've made my lists and torn them up and then written a lot of new ones. Over the years I could paper a room with the resolutions I have made and which have been broken with astonishing regularity. Oh yes! Was I going to be good, was I going to behave
IT'S nearly two years since I wrote in this column about the little-known story of the shabbily treated Arctic Convoy veterans. They were the men of the Royal and Merchant Navies who helped the Allies to win the Second World War through sheer bravery
Gifton Noel-Williams faces a bizarre fitness fight ahead of Saturday's FA Cup third round tie at Derby County. The Clarets striker missed yesterday's game after both eyes closed following knocks received during the defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday
RAMSBOTTOM have moved to replace Murali Kartik with fellow Indian spinner Sunil Joshi. The 36-year-old Test star, who has a best bowling performance if 5-142 in Test matches and 5-6 in One-Day Internationals, replaces Kartik who has international commitments
BRIAN Jensen has admitted he got himself caught in no man's land for Queens Park Rangers' equaliser on Monday. The Beast wandered off his line to allow Gareth Ainsworth's looping header to arch over him on the stroke of half-time during the New Year Championship
MORTEN Gamst Pedersen today poured cold water on speculation linking him with a January move to Tottenham Hotspur by insisting 'I want to win something with Blackburn Rovers'. The Norwegian international, who has been in sparkling form over the festive
TWO young men attacked a Darwen man in his home in a row over money, a court heard. Victim Steven Fay was punched and kicked at his address in Thorncliffe Drive. His partner was the mother of one of those responsible for the assault, Preston Crown Court
A VIOLENT gang of up to 60 teenage vandals went on the rampage in a night of disturbances in Ramsbottom. Police were called out twice on Friday night to the Bolton Road West area to deal with the yobs. Missiles had been thrown causing damage to buildings
A MAN who raped a disabled woman in her home has been given a jail sentence of at least four years. Sadique Rafique, 26, of Dundee Drive, Blackburn, was told by a judge that he had acted with contempt towards the woman in committing the offence. He had
SHOPPERS will be hit with parking charge increases of up to 28per cent from tomorrow -- while hundreds of council officers escape any rise at all. Councillors were today accused of driving people away from town centre stores and of showing favouritism
THE 13-time PDC dart champion Phil "The Power" Taylor will be the star turn as the 2006 Holsten Premier League Darts returns to Blackburn. The tournament will begin at the King George's Hall on Thursday, February 16 as the tournament returns for its second
PRESTON North End have sold midfielder Dickson Etuhu to Championship rivals Norwich for an initial fee of £450,000. The 23-year-old has put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half year deal after a successful loan spell, in which he has made six starts and
Blackburn Musical Theatre Company (formerly Blackburn Amateurs), will be presenting the wonderful musical My Fair Lady in May 2006. Singing rehearsals start on Wednesday, January 4 at 8pm in the Thwaites Theatre Ewood. Other rehearsals prior to auditions
The Ribchester RATS have had one heck of a year, culminating in Owen Wilson's War Bus' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Here's what The RATS have in store for 2006... The RATS are busy rehearsing for the February production of Wizard of Oz. The part
IF you've been watching Ricky Gervais's award-winning series Extras and fancy having a go yourself, there's an opportunity right on your own doorstep. The Octagon Theatre in Bolton is looking for local budding thespians for a number of key walk-on roles
PHIL Collins? On Room 101? Eh? Are you pulling my leg? Is it all a joke? Phil Collins? The man with the Invisible touch who can feel it (feel what? What's it' all about?) in the air tonight has the gall to go on Room 101? Enough with the hypothetical
YOUNG performers will take to the stage this weekend for a production of Fiddler on the Roof. Brunshaw Action Group will be performing the musical on Friday and Saturday, January 6 and 7 at Burnley Youth Theatre, Queens Park Road. Set in 1905 on the
