WHAT will be Lancashire's most common garden bird in 2004? You can help the RSPB find out by taking part in the 25th Big Garden Birdwatch. Last year 5,721 people took part across Lancashire, when the starling was the most common garden bird in the county
Raz Begum was recently awarded an MBE for her work among young Asian people. She spoke to JENNY SCOTT... RIAZ Begum's childhood memories span two continents and include the joys and difficulties of growing up in multicultural Coventry and a comic misunderstanding
A SCHEME showing people in Blackburn and Darwen how to improve their neighbourhoods has been shortlisted for a Learning North West Success Award. The Neighbourhood Learning Planning Project, developed by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council's Lifelong
WITH reference to Mr Pratt's letter (LET, January 15) regarding the Arabs and their culture. Yes they did have a great deal of culture long before we (in Britain) had anything similar. As for Astrology, Stonehenge has been around a lot longer than the
I HAVE no particular regard for Robert Kilroy-Silk, seldom watch his programme and have not read his notorious article. However, the wider issues highlighted by his treatment disturb me greatly. What, exactly, was his crime? He has 'offended' a remote
THOUGH Mr Andy Payton must be applauded for his belated message that drink-driving is fundamentally wrong (LET, January 14), I must take exception to his view that whilst a "well known player" he had to face the "indignity of going on buses." For decades
IN response to Mr D Pratt's letter (LET, January 15) I do not know whether he is right about the Arabs being far more advanced than us, but it appears we continued to evolve and they regressed. Mr Pratt refers to a handful of extremists. I think you will
WHAT on earth possessed you to plaster the face of a convicted serial killer on the front page? A simple couple of column inches on page four would have been sufficient to announce to the readers that this evil man had had the decency to suffer the ultimate
BRIAN McBride's decision to plump for Fulham ahead of Blackburn might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Graeme Souness will be disappointed to lose out on a player he's tracked for sometime. But when push comes to shove, if the 31-year-old isn't
CHAIRMAN Barry Kilby is to hold showdown talks with creditors next week in a bid to secure Burnley FC's future. The move came as the club unveiled a five-point battle plan for survival. The club is £5million in debt and in danger of being plunged into
A TEENAGE student died after being mowed down by a Nelson motorist on a pelican crossing, a jury has heard. Jonathan Roberts, 19, who was in his second year at Manchester Metropolitan University studying computer science, was hit by the speeding car when
I QUITE agree with the letter from Wendy Western (LET, January 17) re the fuss over Robert Kilroy-Silk's comments. If anything, Mr Kilroy-Silk should be applauded and that hook-handed racist troublemaker, Abu Hamza, be deported forthwith. Mr Kilroy-Silk
A COLNE county councillor said today residents would be "disappointed" with plans for a controversial new art project. Coun Tim Ormrod spoke against plans for an oval structure in Wycoller Park, Trawden, as part of the Panopticons project, which have
STRIKE-weary East Lancashire was hit again when thousands of public service workers added to mounting industrial chaos. The one-day national pay strike closed hundreds of schools throughout the region. Accrington's 'Mr Snooker' -- Elite Club owner Mr
REGULARS at the pub where a hit-and-run victim worked have revealed how shock has turned to hate for the driver involved. Shaun Metcalfe, 34, was returning home from a night out at the Hare and Hounds, in Oswaldtwistle, at the weekend when he was killed
A COMMUNITY group which represents thousands of Hyndburn residents has accused Hyndburn Council of secrecy over its £1.8million cash crisis. Hyndburn Community Empowered Network (Hycen), which represents more than 150 community groups in the borough is
EAST Lancashire's lone Tory MP has launched a takeover bid in a Labour rival's neighbouring constituency. Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans has asked a government body to re-think proposed Parliamentary boundary changes and hand him a large chunk of Chorley
TERRY Pashley claimed his young Clarets were ring-rusty after falling to a 3-1 defeat at Oldham. Rhys Carpenter's penalty was not enough to earn Burnley any reward in their first game for almost a month. And youth team coach Pashley admitted: "It was
Dave Thomas, nicknamed Ticer, became the youngest player ever to represent Burnley FC when, at 16 years of age, he turned out against Everton. "It was only a year after joining the club as an apprentice (1965) that I got my chance. I had been spotted
TWO promising young stars of the future have been given a helping hand up bike racing's ladder of success. Accrington motorcycle dealer Keith Dixon has donated a racing bike each to Lance Cronshaw and Mark Cronshaw for the 2004 season. And the pair, who
DOUGIE Lampkin scored a morale-boosting victory at the French Invitation Trial, held in Toulouse. Lampkin, who failed to qualify for the fourth round of the World Indoor series last week, bounced back with a comfortable win over his rivals. The Sandiford
BURNLEY chairman Barry Kilky is set for showdown talks with creditors as the battle for survival moves into overdrive. Kilby will hold crucial meetings in London next week to try to postpone payments of £3m-worth of debt due to kick in this summer. And
A 15-YEAR-OLD who took part in a racially aggravated group attack on a teenager has been locked up for six months. Blackburn magistrates heard the offence had been committed against a background of racial tension in the Audley are of the town. But Basharat
A TEACHER who works with special needs students could face action by education bosses after she was found drunk by the side of the road. Elizabeth Ann Whitall pleaded guilty to two charges of driving with excess alcohol when she appeared before Blackburn
A WOMAN was thrown into the air when a car was deliberately driven into her as she walked along the pavement, a jury has heard. Lynn Poole suffered a broken neck in the incident near Montague Street, Blackburn, at around 7pm last June 22. An eyewitness
A "DANGEROUS" man jailed for torturing a frail pensioner was at the centre of a major search today after going on the run for eight days. Police revealed that they had received few sightings of 58-year-old Winswell Sutherland and made a desperate plea
A TRIO of madcap motorists drove 4,247 miles for charity in a clapped-out Austin Montego car. And today the three told of how they had returned from the trip with a new outlook on life after witnessing extreme poverty in some of the world's poorest places
LEE McEvilly is known to many Rochdale fans as 'Evil' - albeit an affectionate nickname. Among Accrington Stanley fans, however, he could by dubbed the Devil, short for devilishly good, after becoming an instant hit on his debut for the Reds despite taking
BLACKBURN Under 15s are through to the quarter-finals of the North West Alder-Owen Cup afer beating Mid Cheshire in their first Round clash. The local lads suffered an early set back when they went behind to a first minute goal but they bounced back to
YOUNG Argentinian midfielder Gaston Sangoy has been given a week to prove himself while on trial at North End. PNE have confirmed that the 19-year-old has come from Buenos Aires' side Boca Juniors, after North End's chief scout Clive Middlemass was tipped
YOUNG Argentinian midfielder Gaston Sangoy has been given a week to prove himself while on trial at North End. PNE have confirmed that the 19-year-old has come from Buenos Aires' side Boca Juniors, after North End's chief scout Clive Middlemass was tipped
AMERICAN winger Eddie Lewis is set to return to action for North End - less than a fortnight after his father died. Lewis flew back into the UK earlier this week, trained in the gym yesterday and was due to join with the rest of the team for training
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Blackburn Flower Club, Brownhill United Reformed Church Hall, Brownhill Road, Blackburn, 7.30pm. "A Garden Affair," by Zena Stone. Lunchtime Concert, Knowle Green Village
ANYONE in East Lancashire who lives near or regularly uses an area of public open space will be familiar with the problem. Youths, usually in their early teens, roar around on noisy off-road motorbikes churning up paths, football pitches and hillsides
FAMILIES in one of the most deprived areas of Burnley are being given a welcome helping hand by a centre offering a range of support. As the area waits for news about the success of the Elevate scheme which could help transform the town, NICK EVANS spoke
WHAT Kilroy stated about Arabs is true. How do I know? Well after 12 years working in Saudi Arabia I think I know their way of life better than most Islamic people in the UK. When I was there last just two years ago I was talking to a young Saudi who
YOUR leader and the piece by Michael Short both draw attention to the plight of the council over claims against it for compensation, but you both seem to be blaming the claimants or the "no win no fee" law firms for this. You have both disregarded the
AN interesting letter from Mr Pratt of Accrington. No doubt that much of modern civilisation emanated from what is now known as Arabia. Also, there is no doubt that places like Afghanistan were the cradles of civilisation, so what went wrong? Perhaps
I HAVE never had cause or the inclination to write to a newspaper before I feel I cannot resist any longer. I am sick to death of reading the blurb from Darwen Councillor Dave Smith. Sure as eggs is eggs, as soon as letters appear from the public of Darwen
I FEEL I must respond to a letter printed in the Telegraph on December 16. "Moving Backwards" and also to a previous letter by the same author "is the next move surgery closure?" Firstly there are no plans to close the Preston New Road surgery, now known
BEGGING bowls, bike rides and bucket collections now appear to be the level we have reached. Yesterday was probably the most depressing I can recall since the initial announcement that Burnley Football Club was on it knees financially. A press briefing
A "DANGEROUS" man jailed for torturing a frail pensioner was at the centre of a major search today after going on the run for eight days. Police revealed that they had received few sightings of 58-year-old Winswell Sutherland and made a desperate plea
A COMMUNITY group which represents thousands of Hyndburn residents has accused Hyndburn Council of secrecy over its £1.8million cash crisis. Hyndburn Community Empowered Network (Hycen), which represents more than 150 community groups in the borough is
PROMISING striker Joe Garner enhanced his growing reputation with a cooly-taken hat-trick as Rovers' Under 17s thrashed Manchester City 7-2. Rovers completed an impressive win double over their City rivals, having beaten them 6-2 at Brockhall earlier
ARRIVEDERCI and good riddance! That was the message I felt like sending to Dino Baggio this week as he packed his bags for Ancona. And I'm sure I would have been speaking for every Blackburn fan in the land as the former Italian international sloped off
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness has been dealt another injury blow after being told that Steven Reid could be out of action for another month. Reid was expected to make his comeback from a hamstring problem in last Saturday's game against Manchester City
JOHN Binks from Pendleside Hospice will be attending the 11am service at St. John's on Sunday to talk about the work of the Hospice, he will also collect the money raised for the Hospice by parishioners at the Christmas Appeal. THE Men's Group got off
TWO bungling surgeons who removed a patient's only working kidney failed in their professional duties, a GMC panel has ruled. The pair, including former Burnley General Hospital locum Mahesh Goel, were yesterday found guilty of a catalogue of mistakes
A FORMER heroin addict took a fatal overdose of sleeping pills after appearing in court charged with killing a man in Leeds, an inquest heard. Christopher Cole, of Holly Street, Nelson, was overcome with depression after being charged with the manslaughter
DO I assume the DHSS has set up a benefit for the 'criminals' caught speeding who have no means of paying the surcharge (victims of crime fund)? You know the ones I mean. The ones with no tax, MoT, insurance or proof of ownership of the vehicle, No. Well
CAMPAIGNERS hoping to see an East Lancashire rail line re-opened have been boosted by a report to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. The report, in a briefing from the Rail Passenger Committee (RPC) North West, said the reinstatement of the Colne to
SOUP boats sailed in Blackburn streets to aid families hit by a huge flood. Rows of houses, several mills and other premises were flooded for a second time at midnight after being hit during the afternoon. A relief fund was set up by the Mayor of Blackburn
NEW speed cameras intended to improve road safety in East Lancashire could be putting motorists at risk, an optician warned. Derek Pelowe from Nelson claimed the flash from the new speed cameras could temporarily 'blind' motorists. Meanwhile Rovers-mad
CRIME prevention bosses in Ribble Valley have called a public meeting about a proposed all-weather sports pitch in the centre of Clitheroe. The Ribble Valley Crime and Disorder Prevention Partnership, spearheaded by Ribble Valley Borough Council, wants
BURNLEY chairman Barry Kilky is set for showdown talks with creditors as the battle for survival moves into overdrive. Kilby will hold crucial meetings in London next week to try to postpone payments of £3m-worth of debt due to kick in this summer. And
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness has been dealt another injury blow after being told that Steven Reid could be out of action for another month. Reid was expected to make his comeback from a hamstring problem in last Saturday's game against Manchester City
A BUSINESSMAN has revealed how redundancy at 50 helped him unlock a whole new career - as a locksmith. Stephen Duncan was forced into a radical reappraisal of his life last March after spending most of his working life behind an office desk as a marketing
A RAWTENSTALL shop assistant was robbed after being lured to a pub car park by men offering to sell her cheap cigarettes. One of the men went into the town centre store and offered staff the cigarettes. He said they were in his car and one of them went
A NEW award to honour the good work of men in Rossendale has been launched. The accolade, Honorary Men of Rossendale Award, follows Rossendale's Woman of the Year Award which was launched to recognise women from all walks of life. Nominations for the
A "SOPHISTICATED" serial conman who went on a £3,500 trail of deceit has been given his second jail term in a week. Burnley magistrates heard Robert William Millar, 23, used a false name and tricked two Rossendale hotel bosses by running up huge bills
AN East Lancashire soldier is helping to train the new Iraqi police force to fight gun crime and help bring stability to the country. Mark Whalley, 27, from Blackburn, a Royal Military Police corporal is one of six instructors based at Fort Apache, a
AN inquiry into allegations of police lies and brutality will release its findings within weeks, it has been revealed. District Judge Paul Firth made the claims when he threw out a case of threatening behaviour and assaulting a police officer last August
EAST Lancashire police forces and councils today promised to use new anti-social behaviour laws to tackle street gangs and teenage tearaways. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, which became law yesterday, has a wide range of measures to give local councils
POLICE in Blackburn are warning parents to get clued up on motorbikes after a dog walker was knocked down in a public park. Ruth Wilding, 61, was thrown to the floor and left battered and bruised when a teenage biker rode straight at her as she walked
A BLACKBURN newsagent has been banned from selling cigarettes and tobacco as part of a clampdown on the multi-billion pound bootleg business. Blackburn magistrates heard that Mustaq Patel, who owns the newsagents at 191 Accrington Road, Blackburn, was
BLACKFORD Bridge A consolidated their second place in the First Division with a good 13-5 away win over Badgercote B. Transport moved up the table after their 10-8 away win over Oakgate. Bottom team Blackford Bridge B closed the gap on the teams above
BLACKBURN Hawks bounced back from losing a nine-goal thriller at Paisley Pirates when they held high-flying Sheffield Scimitars to a tie in the English National Cup 24 hours later. The draw at the Arena keeps the Hawks at the top of the group with a good
ST PHILIPS, fighting for the promotion spot in the Second Division, may well have lost their chance. They could only field seven players against Independent A, and lost the game 9-7. Leaders Stanhill B recorded a huge win over Whitehall and second placed
ALONG the right lines! That's a £2.5million improvement of Metrolink stops along the Bury-Altrincham line which has been praised by a local transport chief. Councillor Gordon Sharkey, the local authority's spokesman for the Greater Manchester Passenger
