Archive

  • Market revamp plans

    BLACKBURN'S market halls could be demolished and replaced with a new landmark building as part of a multi-million pound development plan. Blackburn with Darwen Council has signed a deal with major London-based construction firm Bovis aimed at regenerating

  • Club furious over forgery con

    A CLUB secretary today spoke of his anger after being tricked by a conman who tried to trick £60,000 out of Burnley Borough Council. Alan Kennedy, of Burnley Miners' Social Club, said he was disgusted the club's good name had been sullied by Michael Pullen

  • Culture of success at engineering company

    A NELSON company has won a prestigious award in the export business. Fort Vale Engineering Ltd, of Brunswick Street, scooped the medium-sized company award at a recent ceremony in Warrington. The regional awards are a key feature of the National Languages

  • MP backs 'nest egg' plans for youngsters

    PENDLE MP Gordon Prentice has backed the baby bond proposed by Chancellor Gordon Brown. He said the the special Child Trust Fund Accounts, initially worth £250 and available to every child born from September 1 last year, will improve the quality of life

  • A scandal too far for Royals under siege?

    HOW long can the monarchy survive? Will the House of Windsor inevitably collapse if the termites of Fleet Street continue to gnaw away at its foundations? Republicans are having several field days following the media frenzy triggered by allegations of

  • A-level travels may end

    HYNDBURN is the only borough in Lancashire not to have a sixth form centre, a counil has revealed. Lancashire County Council is due to discuss the lack of A-level courses at a meeting next week. Accrington and Rossendale College dropped A-levels from

  • MPs slam purge on booze cruisers

    EAST Lancashire MPs have backed a crackdown on Customs and Excise offiers who persecute booze cruise holidaymakers. Labour MPs Greg Pope and Peter Pike and Tory colleague Nigel Evans have joined Liberal Democrat Euro-MP Chris Davies in welcoming the new

  • Kind cops get Tim on the road again

    WARearted police were so upset when a schoolboy's bike was stolen at knifepoint that they chipped in to buy him a new one. Timothy Baxter, 13, needed the bike for exercise after he had an operation on his hips five years ago. He has a rare condition called

  • Chemists on Duty

    THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohens Chemist, 63 Whalley Range; To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 6.30pm: Donald Wood Ltd, 53 Fishmoor Drive

  • Chemists on Duty

    MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: Moss Pharmacy, 314 Bolton Road; The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst

  • Chemists on Duty

    TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst Road; Geloo Bros, Cleaver

  • Thief to spend yuletide in jail

    A 39-YEAR-OLD man who went "Christmas shoplifting" in Clitheroe will spend the festive season inside after being jailed for 90 days. Blackburn magistrates heard that Paul McCartney, who has more than 100 convictions, mainly for offences of theft, was

  • Record breakers run in the family

    The Saturday Interview: This week, batsman GRAHAM KNOWLES. . . WHEN the Lancashire League statistics are fired around the grounds at the end of the 2004 season, they will have a distinctly unfamiliar look. Whether it's batting averages, run records or

  • Top award for online retail boss

    THE founder and MD of a leading online retailer has been awarded the North of England Entrepreneur of the Year title. Leigh-born David Atherton's Westhoughton based dabs.com business was judged best of 32 competitors and he received his award at Leeds

  • Walker makes instant impact

    CARL Fogarty was provided with immediate proof of the value of new signing Chris Walker during his Petronas Racing team's two-day test at Valencia. Walker was in action on the FP1 for the first time since signing for FPR and joined team-mate Troy Corser

  • Moore up front about Clarets slump

    BURNLEY striker Ian Moore is up-front about the reasons behind Burnley's slide down Division One. Moore feels the Clarets strikers need to rediscover the killer touch after a shortage of goals in recent weeks. And the jet-heeled hitman reckons once the

  • New signing makes impact

    BLACKBURN midfielder Steven Reid today revealed how a pep-talk from manager Graeme Souness sparked a transformation in Rovers' fortunes earlier this week. Rovers had been criticised for a lack of width in the build-up to Monday night's game against Everton

  • Pupils making life better for children

    GENEROUS students at a Blackburn high school have raised more than £15,000 for charity in just one year. And youngsters at St Bede's RC High School are also sponsoring children in developing countries to make a better life for themselves. The pupils were

  • Clean up is just the business

    BUSINESSES in Blackburn are being encouraged to join a new council scheme aimed at improving the cleanliness and appearance of the town centre. The Tidy Business Scheme is part of the council's on-going £1million Thrash the Trash campaign and is aimed

  • ICE HOCKEY: Hawks aim to tame the Lions

    BLACKBURN Hawks are hoping to be crowned "Kings of the Jungle" after this weekend's league action. They take on Nottingham Lions at the Arena tomorrow (Sunday), and player-coach Bobby Haig says it will be a crunch game. Nottingham sit one place and one

  • ANGLING: Lord enjoys birthday treat

    with KINGFISHER ALAN Lord was runner-up in the poor Octoplus Blackburn Open match on the canal in Blackburn last week. However, Lord, who turned 40 last weekend, celebrated his birthday in style by going one better. This weeks match, organised by Dezzie

  • The Saturday Message

    with the Rev Kevin Logan, Vicar of Christ Church, Accrington. . . ME and my dog Lady Sunday strolled by a squad of black shirts and suits. Parading at the cenotaph, they sang and prayed to Jesus, dipped neo-nazi flags, and laid wreaths to all the whites

  • Hall harks back to days of Conquest

    Drive and Stroll, with RON FREETHY: This week - Bramall Hall NOVEMBER is one of those months when fog can descend like a blanket but I waited for a clear day to visit Bramall. I strolled the circular footpath around the hall and read up the long and distinguished

  • Pub landlady jailed for three years

    A LESBIAN pub landlady has been jailed for three years and nine months for a savage attack which left a customer's life hanging in the balance. Michelle "Shelley" Lord's victim, builder Eddie Denton, suffered a suspected fractured skull and other injuries

  • New signing makes impact

    BLACKBURN midfielder Steven Reid today revealed how a pep-talk from manager Graeme Souness sparked a transformation in Rovers' fortunes earlier this week. Rovers had been criticised for a lack of width in the build-up to Monday night's game against Everton

  • Ewood Beat

    THE inside line on Rovers with Andy Neild. . . Roving eye for Matt's finishing BLACKBURN Rovers are weighing up a possible swoop for non-league scoring sensation Matt Derbyshire. The 17-year-old striker, who has been banging in goals for fun in the North

  • Quad bike seized as police get tough

    A QUAD bike has been seized by police in Burnley as part of their continued crackdown on motorcycle nuisance. The vehicle, seized in the Kibble Bank area of Burnley last week, is the fourth to be taken away by police in response to complaints from residents

  • Teenager's sex ordeal man jailed

    A DRUNK intruder who subjected a 13-year-old babysitter to a terrifying sex ordeal has been jailed for six months. Burnley Crown Court heard how machine operator Anthony Ashworth, 24, got into the property, undid the girl's top and asked her for sex.

  • 'Love rival' in baseball bat threat

    A WOMAN turned up at her boyfriend's house armed with a baseball bat when she believed he was seeing somebody else, Burnley Crown Court heard. Yvonne Boulton, 43, then found the woman she thought was her love rival near a takeaway and demanded to know

  • English tutor's third drink-drive shame

    A SECONDARY school teacher was caught drink driving for the third time in eight years after police received a telephone tip-off. Blackburn magistrates heard the officers outside Lesley Patricia Dulling's home found her to have nearly twice the legal limit

  • Pub landlady jailed for three years

    A LESBIAN pub landlady has been jailed for three years and nine months for a savage attack which left a customer's life hanging in the balance. Michelle "Shelley" Lord's victim, builder Eddie Denton, suffered a suspected fractured skull and other injuries

  • Men arrested in drugs crackdown

    TWO men have been arrested following a crackdown on suspected drug dealing in Nelson. Police executed two drugs warrants in Poplar Street at about 8.30am on Friday after receiving a tip off about suspected drug dealing in the area. Officers raided two

  • Designer gear ram raider sent to prison

    A MAN who "ram raided," a designer menswear shop in Barrowford has been jailed. Wayne Thornton, 28, and brother Darren, 27, who also took part in the raid, escaped with clothing worth almost £5,000 from Robert Anthony Menswear, Gisburn Road. The pair

  • Charity in advice visits for housebound elderly

    HOUSEBOUND pensioners in Pendle are to benefit from a new advisory service and confidential sessions offered by a Nelson charity. Nelson Age Concern, in Scotland Road, will start individual home visits as part of a larger information scheme for the elderly

  • Best-ever results - but 'not good enough'

    A NELSON headteacher told pupils, parents and staff that they should adopt the mantra only the best is good enough. Peter Dixon told Mansfield High School's prize evening that pupils' academic achievements had been the best-ever -- but that they were

  • Excalibur is a real switch-on

    LANCASHIRE Police horse Excalibur captured the public's hearts after he was injured when a motorcycle was driven at him. Next week marks the final milestone in his recovery, when he turns on the Christmas lights in Brierfield. Chief Reporter MICHELLE

  • Constuction students a success

    STUDENTS are hounding out cowboys in the construction industry by following accredited courses at college. Sir Michael Latham, the chairman of the Construction Industry Training Board, handed over certificates to Accrington and Rossendale college students

  • Prolific offenders targeted over Christmas period

    POLICE in Accrington are targeting a hit list of 20 prolific offenders as part of a Christmas crime blitz. Operation Ebenezer got under way yesterday with the switch-on of the town's festive lights, which also marked the start of late-night shopping and

  • Chemists on Duty

    SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 BLACKBURN: 10am-1pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road; 10.30am-4.30pm: Superdrug Pharmacy, 5 Stonybutts; noon-1pm: Shadsworth Pharmacy, 221 Shadsworth Road. DARWEN: noon-1pm: Geloo Bros, 14 Union Street. ACCRINGTON: 11am-1pm: Lloyds

  • Chemists on Duty

    FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: Moss Pharmacy, 314 Bolton Road; The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst

  • Chemists on Duty

    WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; The Surgery (Chiropody), 132 Lammack Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: The

  • 'Upbeat' woman's drug death puzzle

    A 52-YEAR-OLD old woman with a history of memory loss accidentally overdosed on prescribed medication. An inquest heard that Barbara Ann Orrett was found dead in the bedroom of her home in Painter Wood, Billington, by concerned neighbours who used a ladder

  • Raiders get 20 years

    TWO robbers have been jailed for a total of 20 years for an armed raid on a Royal Mail depot in Clitheroe. A worker was confronted by two masked men armed with a sawn-off shotgun and a handgun who demanded bags of registered mail at 4am on April 23. They

  • Chip mate

    THE world's number one chess player Garry Kasparov has slipped behind in his battle with a computer. In the Man v Machine series (www.x3dchess.com), Kasparov wears virtual reality glasses and calls out his moves, which are posted on a virtual board. The

  • Moore up front about Clarets slump

    BURNLEY striker Ian Moore is up-front about the reasons behind Burnley's slide down Division One. Moore feels the Clarets strikers need to rediscover the killer touch after a shortage of goals in recent weeks. And the jet-heeled hitman reckons once the

  • Turf Beat

    The inside line on the Clarets with Darren Bentley. . . Fans' enthusiasm is just the ticket BURNLEY fans have responded "magnificently" to the special ticket offer introduced just a week ago. The Clarets 'Walk Up For Burnley' campaign is now in full swing

  • Singer's home town charity hopes

    DARWEN singer Natasha Lea Jones stages a special evening of acoustic music for Children in Need. Natasha, formerly of the duo Pooka, became a singer/songwriter more than ten years ago and her music was described as 'cool' by Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher

  • Brewery is primed for computer action

    MEMBERS of a Darwen community group are rapidly becoming computer buffs thanks to a neighbourly gesture from a local brewery. The Darwen Prime Time Club, which caters for the over-50s in the town, has received a donation from the Daniel Thwaites Charitable

  • Garage cashiers in terrifying raid ordeal

    TWO female cashiers were subjected to a terrifying ordeal when armed robbers raided a service station in Ramsbottom. Three masked men burst into the Esso garage shop in Stubbins Lane shortly before 10pm on Thursday brandishing weapons including a machete

  • Christmas with German theme

    A ROSSENDALE venue is to host a traditional German Christmas market this year. The Friends of Bocholt are celebrating their 20th anniversary and have switched the market to Bacup Leisure Hall after three years of trading in the Astoria. Around 30 stalls

  • Millions can help regenerate towns

    PLANS to bring millions of pounds of regeneration cash into Rossendale have been revealed. Councillors have agreed an area development framework for Bacup and Stacksteads which aims to rejuvenate the towns. Government ministers announced earlier this

  • Storms hit East Lancs

    GALES and heavy rain struck East Lancashire yesterday but the area escaped major incidents. The extreme weather was brought about by a storm that passed over the country from Ireland. Gales battered the north and west of Britain with wind speeds in excess

  • No mercy for jailed crack cocaine dealer

    A FOUR-year jail term given to a crack cocaine dealer who burgled her next door neighbour was not a day too long -- Appeal Court judges have ruled. Susan Mack, 27, of Accrington Road, Blackburn, was jailed at Preston Crown Court in January after pleading

  • Alert over canal path bag grabber

    PEOPLE who use a canal towpath are being warned to beware of a thief who cycles up to his victims and steals their handbags. Police fear the thief will strike again and that the same man has already claimed at least two victims. The message went out after

  • Police hunt pair selling stolen gems

    A COMMUNITY was today urged to 'shop' two men who are trying to sell several thousands of pounds of stolen jewellery in the street. The pair have been driving around the Bastwell area of Blackburn in a plum-coloured car and offering the items to passers-by

  • Market revamp plans

    BLACKBURN'S market halls could be demolished and replaced with a new landmark building as part of a multi-million pound development plan. Blackburn with Darwen Council has signed a deal with major London-based construction firm Bovis aimed at regenerating