A CHURCH will once again be able to hold services in its main building following a £76,000 grant towards essential repairs. The money will pay for a new staircase and wooden panelling at Barnoldswick Independent Methodist Church and allow services to
FIREFIGHTERS threatened to stop attending fires in an area of Burnley without a police escort after they were attacked by a gang of yobs. A fireman on White Watch had a burning piece off wood thrown at him as he tackled a blaze started by the youths
GRAFFITI hotspots are being targeted during a four-day operation to clean-up Burnley. Work removing graffiti, cleaning up litter and pruning back shrubbery started on Monday and is being carried out by the probation service and youth offending team.
A PUBLIC meeting to discuss plans to build two supermarkets in Colne was dealt a blow when the stores failed to show up. Tesco and their developer pulled out of the meeting at St John's Church Hall on Albert Street, Colne, last night just hours before
THE A56 Haslingden bypass is closed after a serious road accident. Police shut the southbound bypass from the A680 Blackburn Road junction to the A681 junction in Haslingden, early this evening to investigate the accident, which was described by the
A DRUG dealer recently jailed for almost five years has been locked up for an additional eight months after lying over a speeding allegation. Burnley Crown Court heard how Asim Rauf blamed another man in a ruse to try and stop police identifying who
BACUP manager Brent Peters has dismissed any fears that the club could be relegated. But he has admitted they need to start scoring goals and winning games as soon as possible to secure their Division One status. Borough entertain Squires Gate tonight
A MONTH-long festival will replace Arts in the Park and the Blackburn Mela, it has been revealed. The 'Celebrate Blackburn' event will take place throughout July, including a concert outside the town hall, canal boat trips and town-centre sports contests
ORPHANAGE Cup holders Blackburn Teachers have a first round bye in this year's competition. But last year's runners-up and previous winners, Thwaites have a tough match against Accrington Fire - another side to have lifted the trophy in recent years.
KYLE Lafferty has been called-up for Northern Ireland's friendly at home to Georgia next Wednesday, while Steve Jones, who is battling back from a knee injury, has been named on stand-by for Nigel Worthington's squad. The match, at Windsor Park, kicks
IT'S getting a bit too one-sided these days. The Fylde Coast used to put up a real fight in the annual two-leg snooker matches against East Lancashire for the Gascon Trophy. But their hopes of avenging an 11-4 thrashing early in the season faded in
Well there are Cheerleading Classes with Burnley Football Club taking place on Mondays between 4.30 - 5.30pm. Sessions are open to all primary school children and it costs just £3 per child. If you want to book a place ring 01706 230116 or contact
A KNIFEMAN who threatened young children just half an hour after carrying out an armed robbery has been jailed for six years. Lawyers representing Anthony Denial, 36, claimed at Preston Crown Court that the series of offences on April 27 in Darwen last
KNUZDEN Juniors clinched the LFA Under 14s Youth Cup glory but they made hard work of it. It took extra time to see off a spirited Foxhall side when it had looked like the Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and District Junior League side would breeze to victory
Members of the Huncoat Forum met informally on Monday night in the Black Bull pub. Among the topics discussed were Chris Wilkinson's Herculean litter picking around Altham Lane, the general problem of litter all over Huncoat, The Huncoat Trail right
Lancashire will play Yorkshire in three days of friendlies at Old Trafford next month. There will be one-day match on Monday, April 7 and a two-day match on April Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9. Play will start at 11am and admission is free.
A SCOUT group raised more than £1,300 for charity. Members of the St George's Scout Group, St George's Avenue, Blackburn raised the sum for their chosen 2008 charity, the Romania Appeal. They held a series of events last month including a Casino Night
THE waiting is finally over for a girls football team who have officially written themselves in to the record books. After months of waiting, Rossendale Mavericks FC and pupils from Fearns Community Sports College have been recognised by the Guinness
LONGSHAW Junior School are the Sportshall Athletics champions of Blackburn and Darwen thanks to some strong arm' tactics. The Blackburn school were head-and-head with St Gabriels after the running and jumping - but clinched victory after impressing in
HE may have been the youngest and smallest on show but Brandon Sharples certainly rose to the occasion. The eight-year-old made his debut in the recent ACU British Supercross Championships - culminating in a podium finish in front of 6,000 fans at London's
BURNLEY'S run in the Lancashire Plate is over after losing to rivals Heaton Moor in the quarter finals. In an entertaining game, Burnley never recovered from two breakaway tries from the home side's outside half - despite crossing for two tries themselves
AN EAST Lancashire sports academy raised hundreds of pounds for Sport Relief. Oakhill Academy in Whalley, which opened in September as an extension of Oakhill College, hosed various events over the weekend to raise money for vulnerable people in the
BLACKBURN secured the one point they needed to claim promotion and with it the North Lancashire/Cumbria league title. However, it needed an injury time penalty from skipper Paul Bleasdale to claim a share of the spoils after having trailed to the hosts
BLACKBURN Rovers have signed experienced Switzerland international Johann Vogel after the midfielder impressed on a trial. Vogel has played at the highest level in Europe with Real Betis, AC Milan, and PSV Eindhoven among his previous clubs. The 31-
A MAN is being questioned by police after four passengers were injured when a car crashed into a wall. The 18-year-old was arrested hours after the red Ford Sierra crashed into a garden wall in Briercliffe Road, Burnley, at around 4am yesterday. Firefighters
AN EYESORE 'gateway' in Hyndburn could be transformed into restaurants, cafes, offies, shops and homes. Plans for the regeneration of the Church and Oswaldtwistle Gateway have been announced by Hyndburn Council. Developers hope the project will see
BLACKBURN Centurions Swimming Club took top honours in the recent North Lancashire Age Group and Youth Championships. Staged over two weekends at the Palatine pool in Blackpool, Blackburn fielded 34 swimmers who between them returned with 81 medals,
THREE East Lancashire workers were honoured in the North West Ambulance Service's annual awards. Personal assistant to the chief executive Amanda Chapman, from Clitheroe, won the Corporate Support Service Person of the Year award, while clerical officer
A BLACKBURN schoolgirl's life has been transformed by a groundbreaking in-ear device which stops her stammering, her mother said. St Bede's pupil Natalie Riley, 11, is one of the first people in the UK to be given a SpeechEasy, which is fitted to the
IN 2001 Moazzam Begg, a British citizen, travelled to Afghanistan to start a girls' school with his wife. Within a year he had been captured by American forces as part of the "war on terror" and was transported to Guantanamo Bay, where he was kept without
Jordan Clarke has been selected to represent the MCC Schools in the Spirit of Cricket' festival which takes place in India next month. The QEGS pupil impressed selectors when he scored an unbeaten century in his school's annual match against the MCC
BRITANNIA Coconut Dancers of Bacup are performing their Easter Saturday dance again this year. Highlights of the Bacup Consortium event include a film festival, art exhibition and children's activities - with a Coconutters theme. At 9am on Saturday
BUDDING radio presenters from Lancashire are invited to apply for a chance to be the next Rock FM star presenters for a day. To mark Save the Children's 'For the Kids' day on March 28, Rock FM is allowing young people aged 12 to 16 to take over the
Children aged 5 and over can have lots of fun with Dr Seuss at their local library this Easter. Libraries in Blackburn with Darwen will be running sessions that are a mix of stories, craft and games and free tickets are available Call in at your local
A HOUSING regeneration group has produced a design handbook to help improve quality of life for East Lancashire residents. Raising Design Quality in Pennine Lancashire, produced with the support of RENEW Northwest, encourages better designed housing
A FAMILY who duped £3million out of elderly and vulnerable customers through a bogus damp-proofing business have been jailed for a total of 15 years. Nigel Hudson, the mastermind behind the scam, used the cash to fund a lavish lifestyle including a
Gabrielle Ford, of Padiham, is heading for the Rocky Mountains for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Army Cadet colour sergeant is one of only three North West candidates to win a place on the exchange trip to Canada, where she will take part various
I remember once working out, a long time ago, that I'd not seen a doctor for about ten years. Now I seem to spend half my life fixing appointments then rearranging them when I'm needed in London. My mother said the other day that "when people were your
CONSERVATIVES have called for the susp-ension of post office closures, saying there was growing public concern over the controversial programme to shut 2,500 branches. The Tories announced it will table a motion for debate in the Commons on Wednesday
SOPHIE Lancaster and Robert Maltby posed for a picture moments before they were attacked in a skate park, a jury was told. Twenty-year-old student Sophie and her 21-year-old boyfriend Robert had posed for the photo in Stubbylee Park, Bacup, after befriending
The Garden Gate Association is holding a coffee morning on the 5th April 10 - 1pm at the Frank St Pensioners' Centre, with a table top sale, tombola and raffle. It is to raise money for the Garden Gate Association, which is a charity offering accessible
A FLOWER show featuring leading nationwide exhibitors and judges has come to Bacup. Over 130 classes ranging from bulbs, ferns and conifers are taking place at the East Lancashire National Alpine Flower Show at Bacup Leisure Hall on Burnley Road. The
EXPERTS have backed calls to improve rail links between East Lancashire towns and Manchester city centre in a bid to boost regeneration. A think-tank says good transport links with cities are vital to improving places like Blackburn and Burnley.
ANOTHER new health centre will be built in Blackburn, with millions set to be invested in GP surgeries over the year. Work on a town centre "health hub" to replace the ageing Montague Centre is set to begin off Barbara Castle Way later this year. But
Mark Hughes has revealed that a failure to qualify for Europe will have no bearing whatsoever on whether Blackburn Rovers can keep their top stars. Blackburn's chances of grabbing a European place took a dive following their weekend defeat at Upton Park
DARWEN firms can still sponsor an annual music festival. Last month, WEC Group based in Junction Street, pledged £10,000 to the two-day Darwen Live music event on the Spring Bank Holiday weekend in May. It has sponsored the main stage in Market Street
ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman has urged his side to improve on last season's 50-point finish. The Reds are currently on 45 points in League Two with eight games remaining. But while they are on course to hit 50 points - which should guarantee
RAWTENSTALL police are urging residents to attend PACT meeting this April. The meetings are held monthly in each ward by police for residents to discuss crimes, disorder and community cohesion. The next meetings are: Cribden & Goodshaw: 10am to 1pm
Representatives of Pendle Movie Makers, the local amateur film and video group, are seen here with Colne Police planning a road safety video for young people. If you'd like to get involved in film making like this why not give our secretary a ring
LANCASHIRE Police have named four people they are hunting after naming them on their "most wanted" list. Oficers are appealing to the public for information on the whereabouts of the four who are believed to be in the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble
BURGLARS broke into a pub and stole the cigarette machine. The Millstone Hotel, in The Circus, Darwen, was targeted last Wednesday at around 1.55am. Police believe two men approached the alleyway between the Bridgewater pub and the Millstone Hotel,
A pedestrian who fell after a taxi swerved to avoid hitting him is under observation at the Royal Preston Hospital. Police said the man, who was under the influence of alcohol, had been walking down Blackburn Road, Darwen, in the early hours of Saturday
A PRIMARY school that has been given "notice to improve" is making good progress, its acting headteacher said. Rishton Methodist Primary School was told it was just one grade away from being placed in special measures when inspectors visited last month
A NURSE who has helped develop healthcare schemes for some of the poorest people in Nepal has been shortlisted for a national award. Andrew Clarke, a health visitor for East Lancashire Primary Care Trust, also works as a health adviser for international
BLACKBURN Rovers defender Ryan Nelsen is almost ready to return from a niggling hamstring injury. The Kiwi has been out since January, but Mark Hughes said he was trying to arrange a match to help him step up his fitness fight. "He's not at full
CHILDREN from Shadsworth Junior School, Blackburn, put on their dancing shoes for a special performance for the mayor and local pensioners. The pupils attended the weekly Thursday tea dance in the Players Lounge, Ewood Park, Blackburn. Coun Maureen
A CAT whose owner has died will have to be put down unless a home is found. Len Mack, 81, of Plantation Street, Accrington, died last month, leaving behind beloved pet Blackie, which he took in as a stray six years ago. Now his son and daughter in law
POLICE are seeking information on thieves who removed valuable property off the walls in a Nelson pub. Signed T-shirts from Premier League football clubs were taken off the walls of the Station Hotel, removed from their frames and passed out through
BURNLEY defender Jon Harley has fired a warning to Preston North End ahead of Saturday's Lancashire derby: 'Beware the backlash!' And it is on a double revenge mission that the full back admits Burnley go into the crucial Deepdale clash, as they aim
Lancashire will look to maintain their 100 per cent record in the inaugural Pro ARCH series in the United Arab Emirates tomorrow when they face Sussex in Abu Dhabi. It is an ideal opportunity for the Red Rose county to set an early marker against the
JOHN Coleman has promised to carry out a major defensive upheaval at Accrington Stanley this summer. The Reds manager questioned the quality of his defenders in the aftermath of his side's 4-1 League Two thumping at the hands of Rochdale on Sunday.
BLACKBURN Rovers are still sweating on the fitness of Brett Emerton. The Australian international was substituted at half-time in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at West Ham after suffering a recurrence of a groin injury. Emerton, who missed the draw against
A MOTORIST is now expected to make a full recovery after he drove down a closed section of the Accrington by-pass and crashed into a maintenance lorry, police said. The driver, aged 21, is said to have escaped death by a "matter of inches" after rods
BURNLEY face an anxious wait over the fitness of Stanislav Varga. The on-loan Sunderand central defender is a doubt for Saturday's derby with Preston North End after a recurrence of a foot injury forced him off in the second half of the defeat to Wolves
WHAT has happened to our post? Birthday cards I have sent haven't been received. I haven't received two sent to me. Are they being stolen to see if there is money in them? If you have had mail missing I urge you to write to the post office then this
I HAVE noticed both on national news and in national newspapers, people are still having trouble with fortnightly wheelie bin collection. So it's with a feeling of relief we have a council who saw the problems with fortnightly collections and took what
AS I waited at a town bus stop, a car drove into the parking bay opposite. The passenger window opened and something small like a sweet wrapper was thrown into the road. Seconds later the door opened and the passenger spat into the road. A few days
I WAS really sickened by the story about the killing of the 100 pigeons (LT, March 10). I am not vicious but I think those responsible should be put in a shed and the same done to them. This is the second time this has happened to this poor man and
LIKE many boys leaving school in the late forties, I was found employment in engineering works. Due to the restricted environment of the workshop floor, I spent most of my leisure time rambling in the beautiful countryside that surrounds Blackburn.
I just wanted to let everybody know to be on their guard in the Corporation Park/Revidge Road area. On saturday night some kind souls stole the front grille and passenger mirror from my Saab car which was parked at the top of New Bank Road. Very nice
Indoor Car Boot Sale is taking place at Haslingden Community Link and Children's Centre on Saturday 29th March 2008 from 10am - 3pm. Stallholders from 9am (£10.00 per stall-table provided. Tea and coffee available. To book your stand ring 01706 230116
ROSSENDALE Thirdsmay have missed out on a place in the Halbro Plate final but they left high-flying Wigan with compliments ringing in their ears. Wigan, with five former professional rugby league players in their ranks, lived up to their pre-match billing
BEING good at business, I think, is a bit like being able to draw or sing - a knack you are born with. But, also like drawing or singing, you can also learn. Nurturing definitely helps, but the nature you are born with, well, that's always with you.
THERE has been plenty of debate about the need for people who come to this country as immigrants to learn English at the first possible opportunity. Those who cannot speak or write English inevitably find it difficult to integrate and play a full role
POPULAR Clayton-le-Moors street cleaner, Paddy McLaughlin has said there is "no way" he will retire, despite turning 65. Paddy said: "I'm not ready to retire yet. I love this job. I wouldn't swap it for the world. "My bosses are great and so are
An event celebrating African culture came to Darwen Library Theatre. The event, set up by the African Community Action group, was designed to show the integration between cultures. As well as African paintings, there was a presentation, live African
BURNLEY defender Graham Alexander has been called up for George Burley's first Scotland squad, for the friendly with Croatia at Hampden Park next Wednesday. Alexander, who is set to return to Deepdale for the first time since leaving Preston to join
HOAX callers have been branded as "reckless" after firefighters were called to the scene of two suspected fires which turned out to be false alarms. Engines from Blackburn fire station were called to the suspected fires on Monday afternoon. Crew manager
On a day when the cathedral hosts a Passover Supper led by a Rabbi from the Jewish community in Blackpool, Canon Chris Chivers argues that the confessional nature of Lent needs to take Christians where they perhaps don't want to go. Lent and now Holy
