Archive

  • Mac attack for Shrimps

    Morecambe 1 Macclesfield 4 THE Shrimps were sent tumbling out of the Spalding Cup on Tuesday night by a brilliant performance by Sammy McIlroy's Macclesfield. Morecambe, missing Ian Cain, Ian Monk and 'keeper Glenn Johnstone through injury, were rarely

  • Locals attack business plan

    COMMUNITY spirit and thriving wildlife are set to be discarded in favour of a blot on the landscape, according to outraged residents in Poulton. The residents have been backed by the business community in a plan to stop a four-acre site off Garstang Road

  • Birthday celebration for oldest resident

    SIX monarchies, two world wars and a lot of happy memories - all in the life of a 108-year-old Fylde woman. Louisa Aspland, of East Beach, Lytham, celebrated the mammoth birthday in style on Tuesday (March 5) as she supped sherry with Fylde Mayor George

  • Hang on to shares - experts

    INVESTORS are being advised to hang on to shares in several East Lancashire firms. Stockbrokers Henry Cooke Lumsden believe stakes in Airtours, P&P, Scapa, Seton Healthcare and TDS Circuits are worth holding. And analysts have put buy recommendations

  • 'My Toby wasn't a killer'

    A 10 YEAR-OLD family pet died in vain says its owner. Beverley Sumner, of Abbey Lane, Leigh claims her dog, which she and her boyfriend MIck Balmer decided should be put to sleep, had been wrongly branded a killer. She had owned Toby, a cross-bred collie

  • A touching tribute

    A TOUCHING tribute is being made in honour of a brave drama lover who died of bone cancer. Despite her illness Rene Morrison had been a regular member of the Jennifer Smethurst Drama School before she lost her battle for life last September in Trinity

  • Frances is a Yankee Doodle granny!

    GLAMOROUS gran Frances Maloney always does things in style. Beauty contestant Frances left Leigh for the life in California after being whisked off her feet by United States Air Force retired Master Sergeant Sam Pastoucha. Sam, who served at RAF Burtonwood

  • From scrap metal dealer to author

    HAROLD Steptoe is alive and well and working in Darwen - well at least you'd think so if you met Bob "Willie" Wilson of Darwen Car Dismantlers. And now everyone can read all about the larger-than-life character in a 350 page book which documents his remarkable

  • Young actress wins top award

    YOUNG actress Paula Angus could soon hit the big time! The 16-year-old took the Burnley Festival of Speech and Drama by storm and came away with the top prize and the chance to perform in front of a celebrity crowd later this year. Paula, of Whalley Road

  • Campaign to stop pollution

    ENVIRONMENTAL officers will be making house-to-house calls in Leyland in a bid to stop river pollution. The National Rivers Authority (NRA) is visiting about 30 homes this week to warn householders and farmers how to prevent dangerous contamination of

  • Into the next millenium

    AN inquiry into South Ribble's local plan for the next millennium opened this week at Leyland Motors and Social Club. Residents and action groups in Leyland, Bamber Bridge and Penwortham turned out to have their say in the shape of South Ribble until

  • 'Super sport' banking on locals

    A MAN who led the crack police TAG team is the new head of Leigh Police. Superintendent David Edge's near 30 years experience of policing includes being in charge of the special Tactical Aid Group operation when Moors Murderer Myra Hindley returned to

  • Jobs axe threat at Blackburn College

    COLLEGE lecturers in Blackburn voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action if any of their jobs are axed as a result of cutbacks. Bosses announced earlier this year that jobs cuts could be imminent. Part-time lecturing staff have already suffered

  • Pig rustling warning to farmers

    EAST LANCASHIRE farmers are being urged to be extra vigilant to save their bacon following the latest wave of livestock thefts. The National Farmers' Union is calling upon members to take extra security measures in the wake of a recent spate of pig thefts

  • Bid to boost Preston as tourist attraction

    PRESTON could soon be attracting as many holidaymakers as Blackpool if leisure chiefs have their way. Business people from all over the world will be told about its attractions at a series of conferences aimed at boosting tourism business in the town.

  • Brush with success

    PRESTON College scored a hat-trick at the Young Decorator of the Year Competition when students won first, second and fourth places. The three took time out from studies and their work to enter the Northern heats of the contest, organised by the Painting

  • Bands rally round for rape victim

    A PUB landlord has organised a mini band aid concert to send a rape victim and her family on a holiday of a lifetime. Sean Finn, of the Lamb Hotel, Church Street, Preston said he was sickened to hear how 12-year-old girl had been brutally raped two weeks

  • Brownies hit by a cash crisis

    PACKS of Brownies, Guides, Cubs and Scouts face an uncertain future if the county council stops paying subsidies for out-of-hours use of schools. LCC plans to slash subsidies from £430,000 to nothing in the next financial year. And this means groups which

  • Keeping the guns going in Bosnia

    AMONG the troops keeping the army's biggest guns in Bosnia in working order is Bury soldier Staff Sergeant Mark Ferguson (34) of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. He is serving with 4 Regiment Royal Artillery as part of the British contribution

  • Preston man with stars in his eyes

    FRIENDS of Leeward Francis could be forgiven for not recognising their pal when he appears on television on Saturday night. For the Preston singer will be transformed into his pop idol - Seal - when he takes to the stage in ITV's Stars In Their Eyes.

  • Be on Guard

    FEARS of an IRA terrorist attack have put Preston police on top alert. They have warned people to be on their guard following the recent London bombings. At a high level meeting between police and community leaders, Lancashire's Assistant Chief Constable

  • Chamber supports Met's street project

    WITH a donation of £500 Bury's Chamber of Trade is supporting The Met Arts Centre's Streets Ahead festival which comes in May. Fred Bowen, the Chamber's president has already presented the cheque to Arts Centre director Alan Oatey. He said this week:

  • Let everyone have a nice day!

    WE would like to send a message of congratulations to Susan and Stephen, who recently got married. They obviously received some very nice presents. What a shame WE were given an unwanted gift - six bags of discarded present boxes dumped quite deliberately

  • Hawks ready for the play-offs

    WITH a near full strength squad to choose from, Blackburn Hawks go into their Premiership play-offs full of confidence. A recent poor run of just one win in their last nine games is behind them and manager Mike Cockayne is looking to guide the Hawks into

  • Vitamins advice for mums-to-be

    MUMS-to-be in South Ribble are being urged to pass the acid test to help ensure their babies are born healthy. A major campaign funded by the Department of Health has been launched with the full backing of local health chiefs. The campaign is amed at

  • Juggernaut hits bridge in Ramsbottom

    BRINGING down a stone wall and crushing several motor-bikes a 38-tonnes articulated juggernaut overturned on the bridge at Bridge Street, Ramsbottom, on Tuesday afternoon and came to rest on an 11,000-volt electrical transformer. Firemen and police were

  • In a poor state of repairs

    BAD housing conditions are making Preston pensioners ill. Age Concern reckons 84 per cent of pensioners' homes are either too cold or damp and illnesses caused by poor housing conditions cost the NHS £1 billion a year. And Care and Repair - a Preston

  • Soap opera finale to brothers' Aussie reunion

    BRIAN Chappell unashamedly wept tears of joy on Australian national television when he met up with the brother he never knew he had. And as the cameras rolled, his emotional embrace with his brother Roy ended his amazing year of discovery. As the Citizen

  • Blind student's miracle eye op

    AN African student is free of pain for the first time in 15 years thanks to the skill of a Preston surgeon and the kindness of a missionary. Solomon Wakumire, 20, was blinded in one eye in an accident in his home town in Uganda when he was five. But the

  • Battle of wills in crisps war

    PARENTS of children at Lea County Primary School have launched a healthy eating campaign. So far 60 parents have signed a petition demanding that cakes, crisps, sweets and biscuits continue to be banned from the playground. The campaign follows complaints

  • Homes tax shock

    BLACKBURN borough residents will soon have to pay 17 per cent more Council Tax - while their Hyndburn neighbours face an increase of seven per cent. Although Blackburn Council's budget is to stay at £27.1m for the fourth year running, the ruling Labour

  • Shakers up with leaders

    BURY made it three wins out of three on Saturday with a convincing 3-0 victory over Scunthorpe United. It added another three vital points to the Shakers promotion campaign and kept them firmly in the play off picture. Skipper David Pugh, scorer of a

  • Rovers European hopes are fading

    WHERE do we go from here? That is the question being posed by Ewood fans as the Rovers' season seems to be slipping inexorably into frustrating limbo. With only nine more matches to go in the Premiership, the slim hopes of Euro qualification are fading

  • Enda Brady talks exclusively to Lee Cartwright

    It's an hour before kick-off at Deepdale and the stadium is gradually filling up. You can feel the tension, the pre-match nerves, the adrenaline rush. Lee Cartwright makes his way down the tunnel - the same journey he has made for every home game since

  • Foul gives Solent game : WildCats 85 Stars 87

    THE shrill blast of the whistle echoed around the Castle in Bury with only four seconds left on the clock. Looking on in horror Scott Summersgill couldn't believe that his innocuous gesture, amidst all the frantic challenges for the ball, had been called

  • Old faithfuls who ride the range together

    QUEST is big bold and beautiful. Sue is determined and stubbornly brave. Quest is a horse and Sue is a Bury housewife. And each and every day these two meet in a magnificent orchestration of love, understanding and delight in each other's company. It's

  • 5 YEARS AGO: Poll tax payoff

    THOUSANDS of Burnley people were to see their poll tax demands slashed this year - thanks to a massive Government cash injection. Councillors set a community charge of £349 - £50 up on last year and the lowest in Lancashire. But the average bill was to

  • Connie And Frank stir memories

    LAST week the Bury Journal was asked to turn detective by 14-year-old Denise Collard who is doing research work for a book to be based on her grand-parents, Connie and Frank Woods. And Denise, who lives on Burns Avenue in Bury, wanted the Journal and

  • 10 YEARS AGO: Crisis for Clarets

    BURNLEY FC were £819,000 in debt and were on the verge of bankruptcy. The club owed money to the bank, taxman and trade creditors and was losing £9,500 a month. Commercial director Basil Dearing told the general meeting the situation was "extremely grave

  • Fighter boost to factories

    RIBBLE Valley MP Nigel Evans today welcomed news that Lancashire's BAe factories will share in a £125 million upgrade for the Tornado fighter. Samlesbury and Warton factories will be involved in the upgrade of the Tornado F3 to make it capable of carrying

  • CRICKET: Fallon returns

    WHALLEY have signed Mark Fallon as professional for the coming season. Fallon is a former amateur at the club and was a member of the team that won the Ribblesdale League Championship in 1990. That season he was voted League Player of the Year and won

  • CRICKET: East Lancs capture Stelling

    BILLY Stelling, who plays for Boland in South Africa's Currie Cup competition, will be East Lancashire's professional in the Marsden BS Lancashire League this summer. The capture of the all-rounder, who was sub-professional at East Lancs twice last season

  • Driven barmy

    TODAY we highlight yet another case of bureaucracy gone barmy. The new theory tests for learner drivers are obviously a good idea. But now we're told East Lancashire candidates will have to travel to Bolton or Preston to sit the exams. Why should East

  • Legal system shake-up is long overdue

    AS BRITAIN struggles against rising crime rates we learn today of an amazing attack on Home Secretary Michael Howard and Lord Chief Justice Lord Taylor of Gosforth. Lord Taylor has taken such umbrage at Mr Howard's attempts to reshape the undoubtedly

  • River chiefs target young

    SCHOOLCHILDREN across East Lancashire are being encouraged to prevent river pollution. The National Rovers Authority is giving away education packs and videos to schools in Blackburn, Hyndburn, Burnley and Pendle. The packs feature the "Don't Rubbish

  • County class for winger Gary

    LEIGH RU winger Gary Monaghan's eyes are on Twickenham. He will play for Lancashire in Saturday's (March 9) CIS County Championship semi-final against champs Warwickshire at Preston Grasshoppers. Gary retains his place in a side which shows 10 changes

  • Inquiry after woman found dead in cells

    THE Independent Police Complaints Authority is carrying out an investigation into the death of woman in a cell at St Helens police station. Forty-one-year-old Barbara Noonan, a textile worker from Downland Way, Parr, was found slumped in her cell with

  • Winston hits top spot again

    WINSTON SARSFIELD is back as No 1 in the National League. The Leigh Miners winger swept in for a hat-trick of tries and banged over six goals to restore his lead as the league's top points scorer. It came as Miners scored a confidence-boosting 40-22 win

  • Leigh pulls out all the stops

    TEENAGER Leigh Culshaw is hitting the right notes after beating the odds to teach himself to play the keyboards. For the talented youngster, seen right, suffers from severe sight problems. And the youngster, who was given his first keyboard by his parents

  • Blunkett's message of hope to young

    SHADOW Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett stressed the importance of vocational qualifications to Britain's economic competitiveness in the next century at a two-day North West Education Conference in St Helens. Speaking at the high-profile

  • Rugby League: ACCRINGTON RUFC 28 CLOCKFACE (ST HELENS) RUFC 10

    ACCRINGTON Rugby League club returned to league action after an extensive break due to the weather and serious injury problems and overcame Clockface (St Helens) 28-10. Accrington put on one of their best performances against opposition currently second

  • It's official, the world has gone mad!

    A NEWS item caught my attention the other day in the The Daily Telegraph. Apparently a man wielding a knife attempted to rob a store in Barnsley, Yorkshire, threatening the proprietor and his son in the process. In so doing he committed the worst mistake

  • Shakers plan redevelopment fund-raising concert

    MAKING a big bid to raise around £100,000 to redevelop its Cemetery Enclosure Bury Football Club is holding a series of events which start this Easter. An Easter Dinner Dance at Manchester's Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza on April 6 will see dancing and entertainment

  • Images reach another milestone

    GIVEN a VIP welcome when he arrived at the Images Gym recently was Ian Wentworth, from Bury, who became its 10,000th new member! The Castle Leisure Centre's fitness facility in the town has become such a success that last year it was completely revamped

  • Ticket drought attracts touts

    AN Oasis of tickets dried up in Manchester when floods of thirsty fans drank the well dry by splashing out £17.50 each to see their super group perform live at Maine Road football stadium in Manchester. Fans were then left with no option but to cross

  • Lions slash admission prices

    SWINTON Lions Rugby League Club are to cut by 50 per cent admission prices at Gigg Lane, Bury, for the new summer season. Admission to the all-seater venue will be just four pounds for adults and one for juniors up to 15. All home games will kick off

  • Doctor charged with indecency

    FORMER Leigh doctor Christopher Kumar has been charged with two offences of indecent assault. The doctor, who practised at the Siloam Medical Centre in Railway Road, is to appear in Leigh Magistrates' Court when a committal date in April is expected to

  • 200 questions on centres

    OVER the next few weeks over 200 questionnaires will be mailed to local businesses in Leigh and Golborne to find out how the towns can be improved. It is part of an on-going study by property consultants Gerald Eve who have been commissioned by Coalfield

  • History is on Saints' side

    SAINTS will be hoping to extend a Silk Cut Challenge Cup undefeated run against Widnes which stretches back to 1930 when they face the Chemics in their semi-final clash at Wigan on Saturday, kick-off 2.15pm. For after that shock 10-3 reverse 66 years

  • Council knows best

    THE topic of a council for Darwen (LET, February 26) raises several important points. The first is about democracy and the Bill currently going through Parliament to encourage the growth of town and parish councils. Borough councillors should seek the

  • Shadow over Turf Moor...

    EXPERTS are investigating television reception at homes in the shadow of Turf Moor's huge new stand. Dozens of residents claim the multi-million-pound Longside replacement stand is interfering with TV signals and spoiling their viewing. The football club

  • Tragic tot's memorial fund grows

    THOUSANDS of pounds are expected to pour into a charity appeal in memory of a toddler who died from a rare form of cancer. The death of two-year-old Gabrielle Davies, from Accrington, has led to a huge response to an appeal set up by her parents. And

  • Warning over envelope scam

    READER Christine Mitton abandoned her job and left herself out of pocket in a bid to warn people of a home-working scam. Like another Citizen reader, Christine, of Chapel Street, Colne, was taken in by an offer of a job addressing envelopes. She said:

  • Everything went but their teeth!

    WE was robbed! A team of angry footballers were left shouting the old football cliche after their match on Saturday - but this time they meant it literally. Returning to the dressing room after a hard-fought draw at St Helen's, the lads of Nelson FC reserves

  • Keep your eyes open

    POLICE in Lancaster and Morecambe are calling for security in the city to be kept at its highest level in the wake of the recent London bombings. The end of the IRA cease-fire has caused concern throughout the country and last week more than 100 business

  • Probe into dead man's final minutes

    MYSTERY still surrounds the death of a 52-year-old Padiham man who suffered horrific head injuries on his way home from a night out. Detectives are tracing the final journey of George Jarrad, who was found lying outside his Warwick Drive home in the early

  • Come out or else!

    A TEMPORARY reprieve has been granted to two Morecambe homeowners who face eviction from their West End properties. Hours after Sunday's midnight deadline passed for Chris Tague and James Howard to quit their Parliament Street homes, Lancashire's Under

  • Blues pay the penalty

    Lancaster City 2 Netherfield 2 LANCASTER broke their Northern Premier League record of 14 games without defeat on Saturday but had to settle for another draw against local rivals Netherfield. Run-away leaders City seemed to have everything under control

  • 'Soldier' Tim returns home

    WHEN actor Tim Potter arrives in Blackpool next week (March 12) as part of a nationwide tour it will feel more like a homecoming than work. The 38-year-old is taking to the Grand Theatre stage in the West End comedy Hysteria. And for Tim it will be a

  • Hats ON to hardy workers

    HARDY workers at a building supplies firm who braved the elements and went without a day off sick for five months have been been rewarded - with hats. Bosses at Hepworth Building Products, Hapton, were so pleased with their 20-man distribution team's

  • High-fling dough makers

    THE high-flying world of commerce is alive and kicking at Hesketh Fletcher High School in Atherton. And their initiative has won a top prize visit to Malta. The ten pupils, aged 14 and 15, have taken the local business world by storm and are all set to

  • For sale: a whole village!

    PROPERTIES are bought and sold every day - but it's not often a whole village is put up for sale. Yet the cluster of houses, shops, churches and all the things which have become part of daily life in this particular hamlet is spread over just two-and-a-half

  • Any memories?

    I AM writing an article on Darwen Street in Blackburn, and would like to hear from people in the town with memories of this once very active commercial thoroughfare. I can be contacted on Chorley (01257) 269553 between 9am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. I

  • Booming Blackpool

    BLACKPOOL was bright, breezy and booming at the weekend (March 2/3) in the earliest start yet to the summer season. The Pleasure Beach 50p-a-ride deal clashed with good weather to bring visitors to the resort in their thousands. It was a welcome boost

  • Community award for caring Nan

    IT'S a special kind of woman who spends her life caring for others. And that's the reason Nan Birch of Rudyard Drive has been crowned the 1996 Darwen Soroptimists Woman in the Community. For most of her 77 years, the former nurse has done more than her

  • Kicking 'the habit!'

    SPECIALIST nurses are starting a new clinic helping people stop smoking. And what better day to launch the new venture than National No Smoking Day, Wednesday, March 13. Jean Eaton, Lorna McLauchlan and Sandra Dermott are all nurses working for Wigan

  • MP slams college cuts

    CONTROVERSIAL staff redundancies at Accrington and Rossendale College were under the House of Commons' spotlight this week. Hyndburn MP Greg Pope has called on Education and Employment Secretary Gillian Shephard to provide more cash for further education

  • Hunt for 'king of the quiz'

    TYLDESLEY's quiz king or queen is being hunted in bid to boost awareness of the town's library. Residents are invited to enter Tyldesley Library's trivia quiz, which has been distributed throughout the area. And the winner can pick up a first prize of

  • A lott they never got!

    A COUPLE are preparing to sue National Lottery organisers Camelot for negligence because they claim the company failed to pay out more than £140,000 prize money. Roberto Naccarato, 44, of Hodder Grove, Darwen, and his common-law wife Jean Spence, 35,

  • MP's bid to end stalker menace

    MALICIOUS stalkers who subject their victims to long term harassment could soon face stiff jail sentences after a move by Darwen MP Janet Anderson to create a new criminal offence. Mrs Anderson introduced a Bill in the House of Commons yesterday (Wednesday

  • Accident victim fights benefit cuts

    A GREAT Harwood man who was badly injured in an horrific road accident faces another battle after having his disability allowance slashed. Dave Aspden was told he was being taken off monthly mobility allowance - without having a medical to assess his

  • New old images of Leigh

    LEIGH is a town of different things to different people. To some it was until recently a classic mill town with chimneys everywhere, to others a coal-mining town, although the mines have now gone forever. To farmers the world over it was the home of Albion

  • That's our boy!

    ADRIAN HEATH was today named as Burnley's new manager - 24 hours after watching his son being born. The former Claret, Stoke City, Everton, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Espanol star was overjoyed at the double celebration. He beamed: "Yesterday was

  • SIx hurt on fair thriller

    A GIRL was badly injured and five others were hurt in an horrific fairground accident. Thrills turned to spills when a safety lap bar opened on a newly installed £1/4million ride at Silcock's fair in Leigh Road, Leigh. Ironically the Side Kick thriller

  • Village green fight goes on

    THE fight to save the green pastures of Pennington has come down to history and heritage. And campaigner Dorothy Galvin is pinning her final hopes on a village green. Plans to build 38 houses on the Wesley Guild field just off St Helens Road, Leigh, have

  • ADRIAN HEATH FACTFILE

    WHEN Jimmy Mullen was sacked as manager of Burnley Football Club in the second week of February, it sparked a managerial free-for-all to land the coveted Turf Moor post. Every name from Adrian Heath (pictured) and Mike Walker to Martin Dobson and Trevor

  • Burnden tragedy dead remembered

    SATURDAY is the 50th anniversary of the Burnden Park tragedy. An afternoon when eight men from Leigh, Atherton and Tyldesley died in what was then the worst disaster in the history of football. The sixth round of the F.A. Cup between Bolton and Stoket

  • Wedded bliss

    SIXTY eight years married - and they're still in love! Pensioners Jenny and Jo Ward reckon they could hold the record for being wed the longest number of years in Lancashire. Jenny, 87, and Jo, 92, tied the knot at St Ignatius' Church, Preston back in

  • Taking a trip in centre

    LIKE many people in Leigh who have tripped over projecting flagstones on the pavements in Leigh, I was pleased recently to see the white paint marks indicating that at last something was going to be done about it. This morning having parked my car in

  • Celebrities raise £7,000 for charity

    SURROUNDED by a crowd of friends, family and celebrities, the father of cot-death victim Connor Ryan gazed across the reception for a charity fund-raising event overwhelmed by the support. Around 150 guests including several top celebrities joined Dave

  • £60m buisness park questions

    I WOULD like to ask the Chairman of the Planning and Development Committee, Cllr J.E.Hilton, to explain to me and others like me how you can justify the spending of £60 million to employ 2,000 people at Stonecross Lane Business Park. Surely this is a

  • Table tennis star bound for Atlanta

    A DISABLED table tennis star from Preston is representing Britain in the 1996 International Paralympic Games in America Lynne Riding, 38, plays the sport from her wheelchair by strapping a bat to her hand. She's only been playing for six years but has

  • Geeta is Tories' bright prospect

    BLACKBURN TORIES have scored a political first by appointing an international lawyer as Britain's first Asian woman prospective parliamentary candidate. And they have warned Shadow Home Secretary Jack Straw they mean business. They are convinced Geeta

  • Too litttle, too late

    I AM amazed, but not the least surprised, to read the report in The Journal dated February 22 1996 "Birth shock for people in rush". I wonder where the four councillors mentioned were, when the re-organisation of the Wigan and Leigh Registration Service

  • Abbey's arrival clips dad's TV date

    THE impromptu arrival of a Leap Year baby put her dad's brush with showbiz in the shade. As Abbey Leech was preparing to enter the world, he was poised to take his first tilt at television fame - and possibly fortune. "I was meant to be in Liverpool for

  • Bark is worse than his byte

    BIG Brother is watching your pet - or at least he will be if an 'identichip' scheme for dogs gets the go-ahead. Under an initiative planned by Preston Council and the RSPCA, owners can have a microchip injected under their pet's skin. The chip would contain

  • Calmer traffic

    WITH the approach of the lighter evenings, I must once again raise the question of traffic calming measures on Southwood Drive and Burns Drive in Baxenden. Some five years ago, I finally persuaded the county council to undertake a traffic speed check

  • Rochdale rock Preston

    Preston 1 Rochdale 2 NORTH End's stuttering promotion charge was brought to a halt on Saturday as the Whites slumped to defeat against Rochdale. Preston turned in a disastrous performance and were punished for their slackness. It was a terrible day for

  • Cash will give forest roots

    EURO money injected into the Red Rose Forest should be a big boost for Bury in preserving its woodlands ad developing others. This was the verdict of Manchester West MEP Gary Titley after he had visited Sunny Bank Wood, which will be one of the sites

  • In a spin

    ROCK FM DJ Andy Roberts was left with the sound of silence when his record collection worth more than £20,000 was stolen from the boot of his car. They were taken from outside Park Hall nightclub, Charnock Richard on Thursday night while Andy and fellow

  • Landowners hit back as protest splits community

    A LAND-OWNING family in Tockholes has hit back at protesters fighting proposals to build 55 homes in the heart of the village. Trevor Jump and his 21-year-old daughter Emma believe the village community will suffer, unless the homes are built. The Jumps

  • Youngsters to get sporting chance

    IN an ambitious move by the Sports Council sports equipment, training for teachers, coaching and places to play are to be provided for every child in the North West from the age of four. The big push towards junior sport started last Thursday when it

  • Now or never

    THIS is the big one! North End desperately need to take something away from this crucial clash with the table-toppers and put the promotion charge back on track The past week has been one to forget. Two home games and just one point to show for it - not

  • Super machine was Lindon's saviour

    LINDON Southcott probably owes his life to a SuperScan. Puzzled doctors in Blackburn were unable to make a diagnosis on what was causing persistent problems behind his left ear. Lindon, of Dalby Crescent, Blackburn, had begun to go deaf and he was eventually

  • Too ruff for a dog!

    WANTING to give a pet a good home a Bury widow turned to Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary - only to be told that her home wasn't fit for a dog to live in! "I feel hurt and very upset that Bleakholt don't think that I'm good enough to have one of their dogs,

  • Lottery mockery

    WHAT A cheek! Camelot fat cats, with an estimated £65 million profits over the past year, have come up fail-safe system to ensure they never lose out. From the end of this month they're reducing the £10 for three numbers payout if too many people win

  • War declared on pigeon population

    WAR HAS been declared on Blackburn's feral pigeon population, with a council pledge to eradicate birds in the borough by every means possible. Teams of officers will swoop on sites to trap and shoot the offending birds, which carry more diseases than

  • Police arrest 27 after dawn swoop

    A DAWN swoop on suspected burglars has been hailed a major success by St Helens police after £50,000 worth of property was recovered and 27 people arrested. More than 200 officers went into action in early morning raids - part of Operation Bumblebee -

  • Punch Bowl keep it clean

    PUNCH BOWL kept their first clean sheet of the season to keep top spot in their section of the Carl Brown Memorial Trophy. They beat George V1 1-0 thanks to a cracker from Curtis Cooper, shotting in from the edge of the box. Spurred on by Dean Lord, George

  • Colleges join in skills drive

    A NEW initiative to help plug the skills gap in East Lancashire has been officially launched. The Higher Skills Partnership has been formed by the four colleges in the area and ELTEC to offer companies a range of training programmes to take staff up to

  • TV bid to catch raiders

    POLICE hunting armed robbers who ram-raided a security depot and got away with about £1million in cash are hoping a prime time TV slot will help them track down the culprits. Detectives investigating the raid at Security Express Limited, Stretton Way,

  • Neighbours fight on against new store

    RESIDENTS have vowed to continue their fight against a store which began trading in their area without planning permission. Planning chiefs at St Helens Council have since turned down Magnet's proposals for a kitchen manufacturing outlet on the site of

  • Old rivals unite to help 'Ducky'

    ARCH rivals on the field they may be, but Saints and Wigan have rallied quickly to the aid of a recently-married star of both clubs whose career has been shattered by devastating illness. For 25-year-old scrum-half-cum-hooker Augustine O'Donnell has been

  • Needle dangers

    YOUR report "Syringe horror for office staff" (LET, February 15), illustrates a worrying tendency to which we have all become complacent. We should not be surprised to find discarded syringes lying around our everyday environment, for are they not only

  • Top restaurant

    A HIGHLY-RATED East Lancashire restaurant has been honoured for its friendly service. Samrat Asian Cuisine, in Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, has been given a top award from the British Hospitality Association. Proprietor Mohammed Alkas Ali was given the award

  • Angela achieves assessors award

    AFTER completing a year's training within the company she works for Angela Jackson of Brandlesholme, Bury, has achieved an NVG Level 3 Assessors Award. And as manageress of Greggs bakers shop at Minden Parade she will now be able to assess the training

  • MP backed on crime

    THE deputy Prime Minister has backed Ribble Valley's MP Nigel Evans on his condemnation of shoplifting. Mr Evans had slammed comments by Labour Leader Tony Blair, who had apparently condoned theft from shops from some sections of society such as single

  • Woodbank in driving seat

    THE three-horse Tameside and North Manchester Premier League title race saw Woodbank, of Bury, edge into the driving seat this week when Denton Villa came back from a three goal home deficit to draw 4-4 with second placed Radcliffe Borough. Woodbank took

  • Tracey tackles brook clean-up

    ATHERTON Heritage Society's 'Clean and Green' campaign has expanded. Members of the society cleared out part of Hindsford Brook, off Shakerley Lane on Saturday. The Society's environmental officer, Derek Bullock, said: "At the request of and with help

  • The Butty King

    PAUL IRELAND knows a thing or two about successful sandwich making - he has won the Great British Sandwich Competition. The purchasing manager from Brierfield beat off competition from around the country with his delicious "Pendle Sandwich" in the contest

  • Denis Whittle talks with Shaun McRae

    THERE'S no magic formula! That was the reaction of Saints' boss as his side prepare for the last hurdle before Wembley against Widnes on Saturday. WHITTLE: All the signs are that this game is going to be a real 'tough 'un,' would you not agree? McRAE:

  • Gulf syndrome under spotlight

    VETERANS of the Gulf War from Burnley and Pendle are being encouraged to come forward if they are feeling ill. The Soldiers Sailors and Airman's Families Association wants to contact veterans suffering from Gulf War Syndrome so they can be helped and

  • Thugs take charity parcels

    EVIL thugs stole Third World food parcels collected by pupils at a vandal-plagued high school. Now drastic action is being taken in its battle against burglars, vandals and intruders. Governors and teachers at St Hilda's are sick of the rising tide of

  • Fallen arches - McDonald's sign has to come down

    IT'S just too big Mac. The sign advertising Morecambe's new drive-thru McDonalds has got to come down. The sign was put up on a huge pole last week as the take-away restaurant on Morecambe Road in the town opened its doors for the first time. But bosses

  • Players pleased

    BURNLEY striker David Eyres welcomed the news of Adrian Heath's appointment at Turf Moor and declared: "He will make a good manager." Eyres added: "I'm delighted with the news and I am sure most of the lads will be very pleased as well. "This appointment

  • Burnley's rich tapestry

    AN AWARD winning tapestry has been handed over to Burnley's new-look library. The unique work was created by artist Christine Sawyer for a national competition. Her £4,000 design was commissioned after it was chosen from design ideas displayed at the

  • Police are back on line

    EMERGENCY calls are already being dealt with more quickly thanks to the return of the Police Communications Centre to Lancaster. And, according to Lancaster's Chief Supt Bernard Kershaw, every second counts when lives may be at stake. The new centre was

  • New boss Heath says:

    "THIS is the job I've always wanted ever since I came to be connected with Burnley Football Club. "It is a club of tremendous potential. A superb place to work. I'd love to think I would be the man to help revive it. "I want to get Burnley back to the

  • It's a wharf winner!

    AN entrepreneur is planning to turn Burnley wharf into a major tourist attraction with a £ million plan to build a marina and amphitheatre. Dennis Bull, 64, wants to transform the canal berth at Finsley Gate into a waterside pleasure garden which will

  • Never on a Saturday for market traders

    TRADERS in the West End of Morecambe breathed a sigh of relief this week as plans to turn their street into a Saturday market were turned down. Plans to create a non-food market operating on Yorkshire Street between 9am and 4pm every Saturday were submitted

  • Frustration for Harford

    RAY Harford suffered a frustrating visit to France to run the rule over Spartak Moscow's star pair, Ilia Tsimbalar and Yuri Nikiforov. Tsimbalar was substituted at half-time as a disappointing Spartak lost 2-0 in Nantes. But Nikiforov was outstanding

  • Byway plan will sink says guide

    A PLAN to create a public right of way across the sands of Morecambe Bay is inviting trouble, according to the Queen's Official Guide to the route, Cedric Robinson. A public inquiry into the Lancashire County Council proposal was held at Morecambe Town

  • I'll make Burnley great

    TURF Moor fans' choice Adrian Heath was installed as Burnley's 17th post-war manager today. And the new man at the helm told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: "My task is to revive Burnley." And his goal is take Burnley back into the top flight within

  • Place your bets - Morecambe to become new Las Vegas?

    LAST week Home Office Minister Timothy Kirkhope named Morecambe as one of 13 towns around the country where new casinos will be allowed. And it now looks as though Morecambe will definitely become home to at least one casino with Diane Huddleston's Midland

  • Life for M6 murderer

    THE man who bludgeoned his wife to death with a metal wheel jack during a prolonged and frenzied attack on the M6 near Lancaster has been jailed for life. Anthony Flanagan, 55, carried out the "appalling attack" on his third wife Jill while they sat together

  • Blueprint for teenage jobs

    BRITISH Aerospace in Lancashire's proposal to attract 15 to 17-year-olds with the promise of help towards a university education and a high-tech job to follow has been praised as a blueprint for the future. Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, said: "British