A PRIMARY school has been twinned with a counterpart in Africa. St Paul's Constablelee Primary in Rawtenstall has forged a partnership with Kabakoto Lower School in The Gambia. The twinning was set up after Dr Paul Shore, a governor at the Hollin Lane
A TRAINEE betting shop manager could go to prison after a winning streak' was uncovered by an internal audit as theft. Blackburn magistrates heard that John Joseph Holden was settling bets in his favour even when they were losers. And over an 11-day
A 12-year-old girl was resuced by a firefighter after she was locked in the bathroom of a house in Tythebarn Street, Darwen, this evening. She had been trapped for 15 minutes when the firefighter climbed a ladder to the bathroom window to rescue the
MOBILE phone users can text their votes for a nature reserve to be given a revamp. Foxhill Bank Management Group is appealing to residents to vote for the Oswaldtwistle reserve in BBC Radio Lancashire's Breathing Places campaign. Winning the competition
A man who carried out a glass attack in a Blackburn pub which left the victim's lip hanging off has been jailed for a year. Victim Scott Melia, refused medical assistance and seemed more interested in getting another drink, a court was told. At a sentencing
A CHILDREN's centre is celebrating after being named a finalist in a prestigious national awards scheme. The Maden Community and Children's Centre, in Bacup, is in the running for a 4Children National Star Award, after being the team was nominated by
RISHTON opened up a 14-point gap at the top of the Lancashire League after a 48-run victory at Bacup. The visitors racked up 224-8 at Lanehead, with pro Saeed Anwar junior top scoring with 65 and skipper Andy Bartley adding 36. New Zealand professional
BLUEPRINTS have been drawn up by an entrepeneur for a mini-brewery in the heart of Darwen. Julian Fallon, of Redearth Road, is asking the borough council for planning permission to convert a unit at Mayfield House, on Tockholes Road, into an ale manufacturing
THE director general of a pensioners' charity has called for a change in the law to stop care homes closing at short notice. It comes after Astley House Care Home, Whitehall Road, Darwen, was closed at six hours' notice, leaving families and social services
A DAD assaulted his wife in front of their 22-month-old daughter, Burnley magistrates heard. Elahi Ihsan, 25, was said to have attacked the victim before during their four-year marriage. She would say he was a "complete control freak" who had slapped
A DISUSED fishing site is to be turned into an urban oasis after a residents' association obtained a cash injection of £25,000. Fern Gore Residents' Association plans to turn three derelict lodges into a haven for nature lovers and is looking for an
A SECURITY guard who stole a blank cheque from a company was spared prison but his brother who tried to make almost £8,000 out of it was jailed. Burnley magistrates heard how Raheel Mohammed, 28, was supposed to be guarding Smurfit Corrugated Packaging
MARIGOLD stormed home to win by a snout at the first "Ham National" held in East Lancs. Hundreds flocked to watch the first pig race in the area with the likes of Desert Porkid, Francis Bacon, Le Jambon, Red Ham and Frankie Deporky in the running.
A FATHER of three who loved extreme sports before being stricken with a rare lung condition has died. Paul Duffy, 41, of Wales Terrace, Waterfoot, lost his fight for life at Burnley General Hospital after battling Alpha 1 Antitrypsin, a protein deficiency
A MURDER trial jury has heard how police installed secret recording equipment at the home of a man accused of helping to dispose of a schoolgirl's body. Charlene Downes, 14, from Blackpool, disappeared in November 2003 and Blackburn man Iyad Albattikhi
OLYMPIC ace Craig Heap is hoping that his plans for a gymnastics school of excellence could be teamed up with East Lancashire's new hospital project. Health chiefs are currently considering sites for a new 100-plus patient mental health unit. And Burnley-born
I AM fed up with my name. Helen Mead': after all these years it has started to look boring. Look at the top of this column - see how dull and uninspiring the letters look. They don't jump out and scream at you in the way that some names do: Britney Spears
Burnley Football Club have confirmed that they will be entering a team in the Pontin's Holiday League West next season. The Clarets opted to withdraw from the competition last season due to the small size of their squad but have now reapplied to take
A FORMER paratrooper has set up his own company to help tackle the problem of staff stealing from their employers. Damian Ozenbrook has launched Blue Square Global Ltd to investigate workers who are suspected of pinching, passing on trade secrets to
ROBBIE Savage will snub a £40,000 a week offer from Sheffield United to stay loyal to Blackburn Rovers. Savage is wanted by new Blades boss Bryan Robson as his first major signing. United were relegated in dramatic circumstances at the end of the season
YOUNGSTERS are risking serious injury if they continue to use a disused mill as a playground, police have warned. Even though the former Vernon Carus mill, on Johnson New Road, at Hoddlesden, has been boarded up, children are still managing to get inside
A CHARITY has slammed police for giving four rapists only a caution for their crimes. Lancashire police have issued more than 200 cautions for sex offences in the last five years, official figures have revealed. A total of four of the 213 cautioned
A FORMER disc jockey who locked a schoolgirl in a house and molested her was today starting a nine- month jail term. Craig Morrison, 36, was convicted of the offence seven-years ago but had avoided justice by moving to Spain to work, Burnley Crown Court
A NEW generation of mobile fire stations are being deployed across the county. One of the three new units, the size of a domestic garage, will be based in Blackburn for use across East Lancashire. The new £171,345 state-of-the-art stations have
A ROBBER who threatened a Darwen pensioner in his home with a knife has today been jailed. Preston Crown Courrt heard how the 74-year-old victim handed over his wallet and credit cards and attempts were then made to withdraw cash from his account. His
THE young Irishman was a snip at £8,000 when he was signed by Frank Hill from Glentoran, and in the eyes of many Burnely fans he is the club's all-time greatest player. In over 12 years at Turf Moor, he fell just three games short of 500 appearances
BURNLEY manager Steve Cotterill looks certain to miss out on another summer transfer target as South-ampton close out a deal for striker Marek Saganowski. Cotterill confirmed last week that the Polish marksman was among the names he was monitoring as
THE Royal Lancashire Show is moving out of the Ribble Valley after organisers struck a deal for a new site. Next year's event will be held at new facilities at Myerscough, near Garstang, and show chiefs hope the new showground will provide a long-term
Baxenden remain on top of the Veka Ribblesdale League senior division thanks to a narrow victory over Earby. The leaders won by four wickets, but only three balls remained when they hit the winning run. Callum Waddington's half-century was vital as
DRINKERS in Colne look set to be huddled at doorways if they want a cigarette. Councillors have given the thumbs-down to new beer gardens and terraces at town centre pubs, after two planning applications were submitted ahead of the smoking ban, which
A CHAMPAGNE reception kickstarted the 200th birthday party celebration for Blackburn brewers Thwaites - but there was always a drop of ale close to hand! Bosses at the Eanam brewery laid on a glittering bash in a marquee at Blackburn Rovers Ewood Park
A LONG-running scheme to improve the canal towpath running through Pendle is near completion. Work has started on the final stages of covering the path alongside the Leeds to Liverpool Canal in a bid to attract more tourists to Pendle and improve the
FOR more than 40 years, Edgar Hepworth has been the "rock" of community services in his area. But now, at the age of 90, the former company director has decided to hang up his accounts book and take a well-earned rest. Being a trustee of the Waterside
A TEENAGER is in hospital after he was engulfed by flames when petrol was poured on to a barbecue'. The 18-year-old man had been on a night out with friends and they returned to Sawrey Court, Clayton-le-Moors, in the early hours of Saturday. The group
THE author of forthcoming Burnley book the 'Clarets Chronicles', Ray Simpson, has so far devoted 12 months to penning this historical document. By the time the official launch is made in October, it may feel like a lifetime. "I've spent more time in
SICK thugs have been blasted for impaling a pet kitten on a three-foot-long electrified metal fence post. Incredibly, the animal survived following emergency surgery as the fence post, which passed through its leg and body, missed all its major organs
A CHEERLEADER group has appeared on an ITV show to find the nation's best talent. Shell's Belles beat off competition from nearly 50,000 other hopefuls to make it to the last 100 of Britain's Got Talent. On Saturday night footage of the Burnley-based
A MAN turned a terrace house into a training centre for vicious fighting dogs using a treadmill and muscle-building tablets to build their strength. Police found the nine illegal, unlicensed pit bull terriers chained up around the home used by Nasar
A MOTORIST had to be airlifted to hospital and five others were injured in a head-on smash involving a car and a pick-up truck. The crash happened on the A6068 Padiham by-pass when a Nelson-bound blue Ford Ka and a blue Ford Ranger pick-up, travelling
A PUBLIC inquiry into Blackburn with Darwen Council's right to demolish homes for a proposed £48million academy will start on Tuesday. The Redearth triangle site is the proposed location of the controversial Darwen Academy which will replace Darwen Moorland
THE government talks much about the need to curtail inhalation of smoke from cigarettes. But what about car exhaust emissions? Surely nitrous and sulphur oxides, along with carbon dioxide and particulate matter that spew from car engines is equally poisonous
THE bus shelters around the new Royal Blackburn Hospital are not places visitors would want too much time in. Why? They are strewn with litter discarded by addicts who frequent them several times a day. Visitors are lucky if they can shelter, never
LEUKAEMIA Care would like to take the opportunity during National Carers Week (June 11-17) to draw attention to those people who find themselves supporting and caring for family members and friends who are experiencing a journey of leukaemia or an allied
I AM writing in support of sacked postman Chris Eccles, as the quotes about him appear to be all one-sided. As a Royal Mail worker for several years, most of us seem to get on with one another. There are remarks about one another, which we accept and
I must re-enter the debate concerning the outcome of the recent Blackburn with Darwen Council election. Was it a victory for democracy, or just a farce? As I see it, the party with the most seats, in this case the Labour Party, won. Until three other
TRIBUTES have been paid to a business entrepreneur and mother-of-four who collapsed and died suddenly at her home. Marketing firm bosses Mark and Annmarie Carlton had been taking a break from projects when tragedy struck. Annmarie, 42, collapsed and
AN HISTORIC church which houses a famous chapel dedicated to the Accrington Pals has been forced to close. St John's Church, Addison Street, Accrington, shut last month because of electrical problems that could cost around £20,000 to repair. The 143
GARY Keedy hailed big-hitting Brad Hodge after the Australian star slammed his third unbeaten Friends Provident Trophy ton of the season to guide Lancashire to victory at Derbyshire. Hodge blasted 119 off 134 balls, including 12 fours and four sixes
"SIMMONS!" said Mrs Archer, the geography teacher at Accrington Tech. "I've noticed in last night's paper that you are playing for Enfield in a two-night match next week. The next day is your O-level geography exam. Have you ever realised that you can't
MATT Derbyshire will be hoping to outshine Three Lions golden boy David Nugent as the England U21s today begin their bid for European Champ-ionship glory. Rovers hot-shot Derbyshire is one of five strikers looking to be among the goals for England, who
HOW ironic that Simon Cowell's new showpony of a show, Britain's Got Talent, should highlight the exact opposite. But "Britain's Not Got Talent" doesn't sound as catchy I suppose. The show is fresh from the US where it was a smash hit - like everything
A TOP judge is to chair a panel to investigate arms deals at defence giant BAE Systems. Lord Woolf, the former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, is to chair the committee set up in an attempt to bring an end to allegations of corruption in its
This Manc two-some might just have come up with their ticket to the big time. That's Not My Name features plenty of hand claps, attitude and a surprisingly good pop sensibility for an under-produced recording of an unsigned band. They've also managed
RESIDENTS attending the first public meeting where name-change plans for Hyndburn Council were revealed have given the proposals their backing. The 90 people who attended the Oswaldtwistle area council meeting voted to change the borough council's name
A pensioner is awaiting sentence after admitting stabbing her daughter. Hazel Beanland, 69, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding, at Burnley Crown Court. She was bailed to July 6 for a pre-sentence report and ordered to live at Queen Street and not
