A BINMAN who indecently exposed himself to 10 women has been jailed. And the court was told that during one incident Vincent Mills, 40, had his 20-month-old son with him. Mills, of Oswaldtwistle, was today starting a 10-month jail term after making
A YOUNG dad needed 26 stitches after a thug bit through his ear in a horrifying town centre attack. James Armstrong, 19, of Basnett Street, Burnley, was left with part of his ear "hanging off" after a frenzied assault in the early hours of the morning
THREE young men were stabbed in a Burnley street in what police have described as a particularly nasty' attack. The men, aged 18,19 and 23, were injured in the incident which took place the Burnley Wood area of the town at around 2am on Saturday morning
A 'MINI Glastonbury' festival which will showcase some of the best bands in Pendle is taking place this weekend. The Summer Out Day' music festival, at Barn-oldswick Town Square, will feature music from seven local bands ranging from rock to folk. Saturday's
WARNING! Don't invite Doug Metcalfe to a dinner party ... unless one of your main interests is grass. "I can talk about how a pitch grows for hours," he admitted. Burnley's likeable stadium manager, though, could probably hold a discussion about any
THE latest phase of a £48million upgrade for hundreds of homes across Rossendale has been announced by housing chiefs. Contractors ROK have already started on the latest phase of a three-year programme for Green Vale Homes, which manages the borough's
POPULAR language classes are luring students from as far afield as North Wales. Ramsbottom Library and Adult Learning Centre offers evening classes in a number of subjects ranging from flower arranging to English classes. Brenda and Joe Szakacs, both
A CHILDREN'S play area has been transformed into a makeshift beach. Rossendale Council teamed up with Groundwork Pennine Lancashire to invite children and families to play in the temporary sandpit at Victoria Park, Haslingden, yesterday. Children were
AN appeal launched in the wake of the murder of Sophie Lancaster has collected nearly £20,000 in under a year. Supporters of the charitable foundation, which is being established in the gap-year student's name, including her mother Sylvia, have now formulated
A Food Festival (part of Rossendale Weekend) is being held at Rawtenstall Market on Saturday 21st June from 10am to 3pm. The festival features local food produce, cookery demonstrations and a variety of market stalls. Admission is free. Contact details
On Friday 20th June at nearby Rawtensatall Cricket Ground "The Chars" (indie/ska/alternative) are playing together with support band "Wiretrap". It's free admission and from 7.30pm until late.
STEVE McClaren has held an interview with officials from Blackburn Rovers today with a view to becoming the club's next manager. The former England boss, who has been out of work since he was sacked by the FA last Autumn, is on Rovers' shortlist of targets
THOUSANDS of parking fines could be torn up if campaigners win a landmark case, it has been claimed. According to campaigners the case turns on the precise wording used on fine notices. They said it could trigger refunds worth millions of pounds. But
TWO men burgled an Oswaldtwistle house half an hour after the owner had gone out. Hyndburn magistrates heard one of the thieves had phoned the householder and asked for a loan. But when the request was refused and he and his accom-plice went to help
A LEADING healthcare expert - and ardent Clarets fans - has been awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. Prof Brian Duerden, 59, who has led the fight against hospital-acquired infections like MRSA and clostridium difficile, has been commended
A BLACKBURN-born man has admitted planning a mini-explosion in the Houses of Parliament to cause the public 'alarm and panic'. Tanvir Hussain, 27, helped friend Ahmed Ali, 27, build a device which would make 'a loud bang' in the hope that the Government
A law student has been accused of murdering her husband who was stabbed to death in a hotel. Yasira Pervez, 23, of Pendle Street, Accrington, and co-defendent Ian Priddle, 46, of Jubilee Road, Haslingden, are accused of 21-year-old Khurum Mukhtar's
A ROBBER who took part in a robbery on a pizza delivery man has been jailed for five years. The vulnerable victim was targeted after calling at a customer's home in Montague Close, Bank Top, Blackburn. He was punched and kicked and his wallet stolen
POLICE have warned home owners to secure their houses after three burglaries took place in one day in Colne. The warning was issued after three homes were burgled on Saturday, June 7. Police said the burglaries may be connected. An Acer laptop worth
A 32-year-old man went round to his sister's home in a drunken state and smashed a window despite a non-molestation order having been made by the county court. But Hyndburn magistrates heard that at the time of the offences the order had officially lapsed
A COLLEGE is set to become the first in East Lancashire to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma programme. St Mary's College, Blackburn, has been accepted as the borough's nominated provider of IB, an internationally recognised two-year
BOSSES are preparing to force entry to a house believed to be the source of a long-running leaky pipe. The move could end months of misery for residents affected by the "dangerous" stream of water running down their road. And the council is to ask United
A DARWEN aerospace manufacturer which employs 450 people has been sold to an American company for £43million. Brookhouse Holdings, based at India Mill, has been bought by Kaman Aerospace Group, part of Kaman Corporation based in Connecticut, USA. Earlier
A CENTRE which helps disabled children in Barrowford is in the running for a top National Lottery Awards 2008. Rainbows at the Holden Centre in Gisburn Road will battle it out against other lottery-funded projects from across the UK for the chance to
A NATIONAL exhibition exploring different faiths and religions will start at Burnley Central Library this week. The library will host "Sacred on Location" in June - a national touring exhibition by the British Library exploring different faiths and religions
HOME owners are being advised to stay calm after it was revealed more than 23,000 people in the UK faced owing lenders more than their property was worth. Data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders shows that more than 23,000 people who took out 100 per
TWO drunken brothers who beat up an innocent shopper in a "mindless" attack are both behind bars for 36 weeks. Burnley Crown Court heard how Peter Lancaster was set upon by Jonathan Farrell, 19, and his brother Karl, 23. The attack happened in front
HOUSE prices in the Ribble Valley have bucked the county-wide trend and soared by 17.1 per cent in the last quarter. Official figures from the Land Registry also reveal that Blackburn with Darwen has been hit hardest with a fall of 11.2 per cent in
A 64-year-old man has appeared in court on firearms charges after weapons and ammunition were seized from his home. Leslie Anker, of Watson Street, Mill Hill, Blackburn, is charged with possession of a .22 Rimfire revolver, ammunition and possessing
A FORMER village pub is set to be demolished to make way for houses - despite complaints from neighbours and a campaign group. Developers want to knock down the disused Gordon Lennox pub, Burnley Road, Cliviger, and build four town houses with parking
CLARETS boss Owen Coyle has travelled to the Euro 2008 Champion-ships in search of a "hidden gem". Coyle only arrived home from a holiday in Turkey late on Friday night, but he was back on the plane again the following day to spend a week in Austria
AS the price of fuel spirals ever higher many East Lancashire businesses are starting to feel the pinch as overheads and costs continue to soar. We spoke to hauliers, road industry chiefs and other businessmen to gauge the impact astronomical fuel prices
AN East Lancashire business dedicated to serving the community has been granted Community Interest Company status. Blackburn-based Community and Business Partners, the company behind the Guardian Angel Network, Employers Forums, Employee Community Involvement
AFTER nearly 20 years working for the same person, the time came for Graham Garswood to make a crucial decision about his future. Since leaving school the 38-year-old had worked for a firm called Ideal Vending, but when the owner sold-up Graham decided
THREE Rovers Ladies will soon be playing at Wembley after reaching the national finals of the second annual FA Umbro Fives. Natalie Preston, Lynda Shepherd and Karen Burke were part of the all-conquering Liver Birds team who became the first women's
BLACKBURN College is spreading the word about its higher education (HE) opportunities with its biggest-ever open day. The college, which includes the East Lancashire Institute of Higher Education, will be open to the public from 10am to 8pm on Wednesday
A WINDOW and conservatory company has relocated to a new site. Valley Windows, Doors and Conservatories recently moved to its new headquarters at a 10,000sq ft site on Valley Business Park, Nelson, which now accommodates its showroom, warehouse, trade
A RURAL business which began as an idea on a kitchen table is about to have an impact on one of the region's major redevelopments. Ribble Valley candle company Melt has been approached by international property business Grosvenor - the firm behind Liverpool
A CHAIN of 70 independent petrol stations with a turnover of £230 million is looking to double in size over the next couple of years. Euro Garages, based in Blackburn Road, Darwen, is one of the UK's fastest growing independent petrol station operators
Villagers flocked to the Edenfield Fete on Saturday for a jam-packed day of fun on its 30th anniversary. A gun dog display and performing ferrets were the highlight of the fete, which was last year cancelled due to poor weather. Families enjoyed the
Families flocked to enjoy the midsummer fun at the Foulridge Fun Day on Saturday. The day, at Foulridge village green and hall, offered adults and children the chance to view animals at a mobile zoo and be entertained by musicians, clowns and dancers
A PENDLE landmark is to be lit up after thousands of pounds of funding was granted to pay for floodlights. One of the main "gateways" into Colne, the railway viaduct, looks set to have floodlights by August once the designs have been completed. Three
THE Armed Response Unit was called out after a father of two took his ex-partner and stepdaughter prisoner amid fears he had a a gun, a court was told. Burnley Crown Court heard how drunken Darren Bannister, 38, had turned up at his then former girlfriend
RE the letter from Mr Paul Walsh concerning the mowing of urban grassland Local authorities are under an obligation to increase biodiversity. The incessant and relentless mowing of grass to look like a billiard table results in a sterile, green environment
SAM Allardyce has spoken of his desire to return to management in the Premier League. And despite mounting protests from Blackburn supporters, he is confident that he can take Rovers, or any other club, "onto the next level". Over 2000 fans have joined
I HAVE often written about Spring Wood on the outskirts of Whalley, but it is one of my favourite walks with my black labrador. Last week I visited the wood but had not intended to write about it. Then I came across a really lovely story. I was about
THIS is the time of year to enjoy wildflowers and blossoms at their succulent best. We just enjoy the sights and the scents, but in the old days folk relied on plants. This week I searched out some of the secrets surrounding hawthorn, wild garlic, lady's
Leicestershire's Jim Allenby became the first bowler in Twenty20 history to take four wickets in four balls at Old Trafford yesterday but the medium pacer's efforts could not prevent Lancashire from main-taining their 100 per cent start in the North Division
Clinton Peake had a fit of pique before Barnoldswick completed a vital and controversial one run win over Settle in the Veka Ribblesdale League senior division. The 'Barlick' paid man looked set for a big score when dismissed in dramatic circumstances
MOST pictorial representations of Great Harwood feature our Town Gate clock and the presently defunct Town Hall. Hopefully the latter may soon be restored to its former glory when our new Town Council is elected and Mayor installed. My present concerns
IT was to be no dream exit for East Lancs professional Shanan Stewart as he headed home to New Zealand on the back of a defeat. Stewart, who has been dogged by a persistent hernia problem for much of the season, claimed five victims at Alexandra Meadows
IT was with some dismay that I read the leading article on the threat to close four Lancashire super schools' unless their exam results improve within three years (LT,une 11). I can only comment on my experience of one of these schools, Marsden Heights
AN interesting afternoon's play saw Chorley fight back from a difficult position in the field to gain a winning draw. Batting first, Chorley were once again given a terrific start by John Tolley who shared stands of 57 with Nigel Eastham and 68 with
Blackburn Rovers striker Jason Roberts scored as Grenada drew their home leg of the CONCACAF region World Cup qualifying against Costa Rica. Roberts put Grenada, who are ranked 143rd in the world, 2-0 up in the first half, adding to Patrick Modeste's
Blackburn Rovers' Brett Emerton may succumb to the lure of a celebration match in front of his home crowd next Sunday at ANZ Stadium, despite craving time off from a club-and-country schedule. Two goals from Emerton and a clincher from Harry Kewell
ARON Pollard produced arguably the performance of the day as he helped basement boys Colne to a seven-wicket win over Rishton. The 22-year-old right-hander made 130 from 132 balls at Blackburn Road, combining with professional Blake Snijman (78) to put
A BRAND new series for Sunday night was what we were promised. Well, certainly Commercial Breakdown with Jimmy Carr on BBC1 last night was being broadcast for the first time in a nine week run. But to call this programme brand new was stretching the
A councillor is in line to become the leading newsagent in the country. Suleman 'Solly' Khonat has been elected the vice president of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents - and will take over as chairman in June 2009. Coun Khonat, who was elected
VINTAGE steam engines, cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles and tractors descended on Slaidburn at the weekend. The Slaidburn Steam Rally took place on Saturday and Sunday at the centre of the Ribble Valley village. There were also fairground organs
THE idea of a relatively small group of people holding the rest of the country to ransom to improve their own livelihoods very rarely finds support with the majority of the population. For a start sensible people old enough to remember the widespread
A SPOT of rain did not stop large crowds flocking to the annual Longridge Field Day on Saturday. And there were plenty of wacky and wonderful costumes on show to entertain those who had gathered along the field day route. One field day participant
THERE'S not a lot gets up my nose. Apart from ill-mannered drivers, onions, short-head defeats, litter, elf 'n' safety, Madonna, political correctness, empty houses left to rot, mad taxi drivers, back-to-front baseball caps, cyclists, grabbing politicians
RECYCLING and environmental issues came under the spotlight as part of the Darwen Goes Green day on Saturday. A recycling relay race was one of the attractions, where teams competed to put the most rubbish items into the correct bins. There were also
POLICE have appealed for witnesses after a window was smashed on a Colne church. St John's Church, in Albert Road, was targeted by vandals who smashed the window on a door overnight earlier this week. The church has been targeted by vandals in the past
On Saturday 21st June 2008, The Feildens Arms will be hosting a Karaoke night from 8pm onwards. Admission is free and all are welcome!
BURNLEY kick off the 2008/09 campaign with a trip to Sheffield Wednesday on August 9. The Clarets' first home game in the Championship is the following Saturday, when Ipswich Town are the visitors, and that is swiftly followed by home derbies against
BLACKBURN Rovers open their 2008/09 Premier League account with a tricky away fixture at Everton on August 16. They follow that up with a home clash against top-flight new-boys Hull City on August 23, before making their first trip to London, to face
ACCRINGTON Stanley open their third season in the Football League with the same fixture that began their pursuit of Conference glory - at home to newly promoted Aldershot on August 9. For the second successive season, John Coleman's men will end the
A 21-year-old woman who had gone missing from her home in Blackburn has been found safe and well in Hertfordshire. Officers searching for the Blackburn College student, of Whalley Range, found her at 9.30am this morning. Police said the woman's
US President George Bush yesterday arrived in Britain insisting that he had done "the right thing" in overthrowing Saddam Hussein. At the start of what is almost certainly his final visit to the UK as President, Mr Bush said that he was "sorry" that
A MACHINE that detects knives was used in East Lancashire for the first time as part of a police crackdown on alcohol-related crime. Set up at Soprano's bar in Great Harwood on Friday night, the mobile metal detector was used as part of an operation
BLACKBURN Rovers chairman John Willi-ams has told wantaway midfielder David Bent-ley his fate rests in the hands of the club's new manager. Bentley dropped a bombshell on managerless Rovers last night when he publicly stated he wants a move this summer
EAST Lancashire's hospitals are meeting government hygiene targets, bosses said. More than one in four UK hospitals failed to reach all the government's cleanliness standards over the last year. But health chiefs at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
