ACTIVISTS for Central Park in Morecambe expressed relief this week after a motion threatening the future of their campaign was defeated. The move by a splinter group of councillors to salvage part of the meadow earmarked for housing and incorporate it
MAKE no bones about it, Sam the Old English Sheepdog is barking up the right tree to become a howling success as the new shaggy dog hero of the world of paint. And now, after putting his best paw forward Sam, from Swan Drive in Cleveleys, has been shortlisted
KEEP your ears tuned for the next singing sensation who could hail from Bispham. Twelve-year-old Tara Cragg will be hitting television screens some time in the new year after being selected to appear on Michael Barrymore's My Kind of People. Tara impressed
WIGAN Council is warning local people to 'watch out for the Waltzer'. Environmental health officers are telling people to be on the look out for an itinerant showman who is thought to be touring the area with a children's Waltzer ride. They have already
ENJOY an evening of naughty secrets with Cynthia Payne and help raise funds for a worthy cause! Madame Cyn will be the guest speaker when The Darwen Friends of The Anthony Bone Marrow Trust holds a charity dinner at Ewood Park's Centenary Suite on October
CHEEKY thieves entered a house in Selwyn Street, Leigh, on Saturday morning and made off with a handbag containing cash, cheque cards and keys, while the occupier was upstairs getting dressed. Joanne Rothwell, 22, had pegged washing out in the yard of
MOVE over Michael Caine and make room for the real Italian job. Four Darweners wowed a Mediterranean crowd when they picked up their drums and cymbals and gave the performance of a lifetime. The talented group are all members of the Darwen District Scout
KIND-hearted licencees of Atherton pubs have raised £500 towards a headstone for the final resting place of tiny Ellise Martin who died in August, aged three months - a tragic victim of cot-death. Now her mum Nicola, former landlady of the Red Lion in
A SMACK in the eye was not a welcome present for 14 years-old Daniel Heaton on his birthday. But that's just what the Leigh teenger got at the hands of a pair of thugs while on a 'peaceful' fishing expedition. Daniel, his brother Nicky, 10, and their
FORTY projects have so far been agreed to regenerate Haslingden and improve security and living conditions in the town. A total of 101 projects will be undertaken by the Action for Haslingden Partnership working with the public, private, voluntary and
PLAIN speaking has won the day for Hyndburn Borough Council whose no nonsense council documents have scooped them a top award. The council's housing report to tenants 1995-1996 earned it a Crystal Mark from the Plain English Campaign. The Crystal Mark
THE net is closing in on thieves who broke into Leigh's Yoshin-Rhu Judo Club stealing samurai swords and other items worth £2,500. For a local man saw the thieves making off with their booty in two wheelie bins later found to have been stolen from a house
A FATHER of 11-year-old twins claims traffic islands designed to stop speeding motorists are putting his family's lives at risk every time they step outside their front door. Now Peter Warren, of Oaks Barr, Longsight Road, near Copster Green is calling
HYNDBURN Trades Union Council has withdrawn its representative from troubled Accrington and Rossendale College's board of governors. In a stand against college management's decision to sacked part time staff and use employment agency ELS, Councillor Les
ARTHUR the gnome has been kidnapped from his Atherton home. Now his owner, Mrs. Edna Smith of Prestwich Street, is appealing for his return. Police have been informed of the disappearance of 'Arthur', a two foot high gnome and weighing in at a hefty 20lbs
FROM far and wide four generations of the Randolph family gather for a Golden Wedding celebration. What follows is comedy and drama combined, the tears and laughter of many a family reunion. 'Dear Octopus' - this week's enthralling play from St Joseph's
BURNLEY are tracking a fresh Premiership target. Manager Adrian Heath confirmed today that he has held preliminary talks with a Premiership manager as he bids to strengthen his squad for a Second Division promotion charge. The Turf Moor boss added that
THE father of Leigh model Tracey Grainey who was raped and abused by her model agency boss boyfriend has spoken of his relief that the sex beast has been jailed for 20 years. Former Leigh Rugby Club player and coach Tommy Grainey believes ex-policeman
WIGAN Council has sent off its bid to the Millennium Commission for support for the amazing Xanadu project in Leigh. The project will be the largest water, snow and ice sports complex in the western hemisphere. Named after the "stately pleasure dome"
A GROUP of hard core drink-drivers continue to flout the law and put themselves and others in danger. Lancashire Police's summer anti drink-drive campaign revealed a worrying minority of motorists continue to buck the general downward trend of drink driving
A SUMMER drink-drive campaign has been hailed a success by Lancashire police, despite 545 people testing positive in just six weeks. They represent almost nine per cent of the 6,086 motorists stopped - a dramatic improvement on last year when 16 per cent
STRESSED out teachers looking for a sympathetic ear now have the opportunity to pour out their troubles. A telephone counselling service, which has helped school staff in the Burnley area since November 1995, is now available in Blackburn, Hyndburn and
NEIL and Elaine Pickup make sporting history next month when they become the first brother and sister to captain the British team in the World Arm Wrestling championships. And the couple have the unenvious task of taking their teams to Virginia Beach,
LIVES could be saved by a traffic beating paramedic motorbike that cuts emergency response time. The new £14,000 Fast Response bike is being tested for six weeks by Lancashire Ambulance Service on the congested streets of Preston. Used in life-threatening
A TEENAGE girl was told by a health visitor to wash and dress her disabled dad when her mum slipped a disc and was too ill to look after him. The horrified mother refused to subject her daughter to such intimate work and the family had to rely on a neighbour
DETECTIVES have used police psychologists to build a clear personality profile of Janet Murgatroyd's killer. It is now thought the murder was carried out by a young man with a history of violence towards women. Superintendent Graham Gooch, leading the
BLACKBURN Hawks will be up to full strength for Sunday's visit of Dumfries Vikings after completing the signing of experienced Finnish winger Ismo Rokala. The Flying Finn completes the trio of Scandinavian stars after Swedes Patrik Ferlander and Johan
HIGHLY rated midfielder Mark Rankine has signed for North End from Wolves in a £100,000 deal. The 26-year-old player who canoperate in many roles but prefers central midfield, signed for £75,000 with a further £25,000 going to Molyneux depending on appearances
I WOULD like to reply to the letter from Mr Jones about the drop-outs in town. Has he ever been subjected to abuse by one of these unfortunate people? I have - when I was with my three-year-old granddaughter - by a man who was banned from the town centre
AFTER a blank weekend, Great Harwood were back in action on Tuesday night, drawing 0-0 draw with second placed Curzon Ashton. Manager Martin Eatough was pleased with the result but after hitting the woodwork three times, believes it was a game Harwood
RECOGNISING shopping as a necessary evil, I voted in favour of extending the disc parking scheme in Accrington town centre to three hours. It was interesting to see that Tory opinion to disc parking seems to have undergone something of a U-turn. It seems
SUPER soldier Jay Brassington is facing the toughest challenge of his life - to hunt down Big Bertha. The beefy Royal Marine is racing against time to find 'Bertha' - the name of his gigantic golf club. The special £400 driver - made from expensive Titanium
Preston Grasshoppers 28 Stoke-on-Trent 10 HOPPERS opened their Pilkington Cup campaign with a win, but at the cost of injuries to three-quarters Andy Taylorson and Nick Booth. Stoke took the lead with a penalty by Ascroft, but Kerry responded with two
Preston North 0 Bournemouth 1 THE injury crisis which has hit Deepdale meant that if you took your boots along to the ground, you had a reasonable chance of getting a game. Not surprisingly, North End were penned back in their own half in the initial
THE rugby league season has started - and what a game for the Leyland Warriors U9s. They travelled to Shevington St Anne's Crusaders where a good team performance was displayed when everyone contributed to this good win in the first game of the season
A FURIOUS pensioner has slammed the council for taking 18 months to repair a dangerous leak in his kitchen. George Nelson bombarded Blackburn Council's housing department with complaints. After phone calls they eventually sent round a plumber who took
A MOTHER whose baby daughter stared death in the face when she contracted meningitis has spoken out to raise awareness about the disease. Charlotte McDowell, now eight, deteriorated within hours when she was struck down with bacterial meningitis. She
SECONDS before their broken down car was crushed in a motorway pile-up, a young child and his grandmother were pulled free by a brave trucker. Reuben Boyd, 57, then rushed back to the wreck on the hard shoulder as another car smashed into the second vehicle
FLYING saucers made in Burnley have replaced the famous flying ducks on Coronation Street. The silver saucers with wings were spotted in the hallway of the Malletts house on the TV soap opera last week. Potter Jo Bancroft, 30, who made them, shared news
A MASSIVE £30 million plan to take Blackburn town centre into the 21st century was dumped by the developers. The bombshell announcement resulted in the Boulevard site being put back on the market after London-based Hyperion Properties pulled out of the
STAFF at Marsden Building Society, King William Street, Blackburn, were held up at knife-point by a raider who escaped with a large amount of cash. Education minister Kenneth Baker visited Burnley's doomed Stoneyholme Junior School to see for himself
LANCASHIRE'S John Stanworth asked angry Old Trafford members today to remember the good things in a season of highs and lows. The acting-head coach finishes his one and only season in charge over the next four days after sharing in two triumphs and one
BURNLEY Cricket Club have released popular professional Rudra Singh. The Turf Moor club announced that they will not retain the services of the Indian all-rounder after he suffered a foot injury mid-way through the Lancashire League season. "He's done
IT'S a jungle out there - and according to a county councillor if the weeds gets any worse it will be like Triffids taking over Pendle. Now Liberal Tony Greaves is demanding a re-think to put weed killing back as a priority job. County Councillor Greaves
PEOPLE living on Coates Estate in Barnoldswick will have cosier homes if a bid for government cash is successful. Staff at Pendle Council got facts and figures together to support the application after MP Gordon Prentice suggested the idea to councillors
AMY JONES is a double record breaker. The 11-year-old smashed the 50 butterfly record in the hearts of the Central Lancashire Gala. Then the Atherton SC youngster beat it again to win gold in the final. Her double delight followed a silver in the 100
A MUSEUM which houses one of Britain's last working weaving-mill engines has been awarded £55,200 from the National Lottery's heritage fund. Bancroft Mill Engine Trust, Barnoldswick, is one of only four north-west applicants to win in the latest round
HOWE Bridge Aces hit a hot medal trail at Wigan Pool. Golds went to Peter Bithell in the 15+ 100 butterfly, Craig Austin in the 13/14-Year 50 freestyle, Martin Lythgoe in the 15+ 200 individual medley and Anthony Williams in the 11/12-Year 100 breaststroke
LUCKY lollipop lady Hazel Martindale was celebrating today after scooping £106,000 on bingo. The mother-of-three's numbers came up at the new Riva Club in Blackburn last night. But Hazel, who had not played bingo for more than 10 years, has vowed not
PENDLE is leading the way when it comes to rural regeneration - by cashing in on government schemes to boost the countryside economy. In 1995-6 the borough received £100,000 - more than any other Lancashire district - in grants from the Rural Development
A DISTRAUGHT father spoke today for the first time of his horror when he realised the car he was driving had run over his son. "It felt like I had run over a football and I got out and looked under the car and saw my son," said the 33-year-old father
THREE terrified female shop assistants were held at gunpoint by a man who burst in and robbed an off-licence. The women's ordeal happened at about 9.40pm on Thursday, September 12, at the Greenalls off-licence on Islands Brow, Haresfinch, when a man entered
CASH-STRAPPED Leigh could face further cost-cutting in the wake of the re-allocation of the Murdoch money. Leigh, with all nine other Division Two clubs, will be entitled to an across-the-board payment of just £90,000 - well down on the £135,000 guaranteed
A PROMISE of more police on the streets has persuaded one of the area's MPs to do a U-turn in his opposition to changes planned by Chief Constable Pauline Clare. Mrs Clare intends to combine Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale into one police division, an
FOUR St Helens primary schools have been chosen to represent the North West in a national learning project aimed at giving parents a more active role in their children's education. Allanson Street Primary, Parr; Sutton Manor; Chapel End, Billinge; and
TYLDESLEY RU almost pulled off a shock victory against Rossendale in the Intermediate National Cup. Down 34-13 against their higher-division rivals, they looked dead and buried. But they clawed their way back in spectacular fashion, falling just short
TWENTY new jobs will be created in Rainford with the help of two DTI Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) grants announced by Corporate and Consumer Affairs Minister John Taylor. The grants, totalling £105,000, will allow expansion projects to go ahead
WHAT a game! What a finish! What a disappointing result! Sporting fans were treated to an electrifying game of floodlit rugby as Leigh Miners faced derby rivals Wigan St Pat's. In the end it came down to a point...Miners 28 Pat's 29. Even that could have
IT took a heated half-time discussion in Leigh RMI's dressing room before manager Steve Waywell changed his defensive system. They then ran out comfortable 2-0 winners against Alfreton Town in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round. Forced into making a change
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD IT appears that I merely dipped my toe in the water when recently mentioning the exploits of Walter ('Water Rat') Dennett who for decades was a legendary all-seasons swimmer at Carr Mill Dam. Walter was even to be found performing
TWO raiders escaped with hundreds of pounds after hitting a club steward over the head and emptying a safe. The raid happened just after midnight last night at the Rolls-Royce Sports and Social Club in Skipton Road, Barnoldswick. The steward, who has
HERE'S a light-hearted general knowledge quiz for anyone out there who might be of the opinion that the topic this column has as its permanent theme is crime and the lack of suitable punishment! What is the worst and most health-hazardous job in the world
WITHIN hours of last week's Journal hitting the streets, readers had turned a sad Leigh six year-old's scowl into a mile-wide smile. Our front page plea for the return of little Simon Wagstaff's stolen schoolboy scrambles bike resulted in his pink and
EVERTON ladies under 14s and under 12s sides are now based at Ruskin Drive, St Helens. And they are on the look out for new talent. If you're interested in joining them, turn up on Sundays at Ruskin Drive or contact under 14 manager Judith Hughes on 0151
PENSIONER Doris Foster got a welcome tonic when she arrived back home following a hospital operation to remove cataracts. For the first letter she opened told her she'd won £2,000! The 88-year old from Sutton Heath had been suffering from problems with
BUSINESSMAN Jim Wilkinson is celebrating this week after winning a Good Food Award. From his base at Glenfield Park on the Lomeshaye Industrial Estate, Nelson, Jim distributes the Good Grips range of kitchen tools. The American-made products are designed
VOLUNTEERS are needed to run a youth club in Lowton. Wigan Council's Youth Service team plan to start a youth club for 11-14 year olds in Lowton Youth and Community Centre on Friday evenings. Volunteers need no qualifications, except a liking for young
THERE'S plenty happening at Newton Community High School in this the school's twenty-fifth anniversary year. This week the school has taken delivery of a new seventeen seater LDV diesel minibus supplied by Rylands Rover of Warrington. Funding for the
ANY real Rovers supporter might think that the iron monstrosity of Ewood Park that I can see through my lounge window is a godsend. But how do you explain to our two young children why they can't have a lovely house with a bedroom each and a garden to
THE sailors of Morecambe and Heysham Yacht Club took part in the Walter Bell Cross Bay race at the weekend and although the conditions were windless, the contest of light-airs sailing was highly eventful. Paul Long was away the quickest, his Solo crossing
A TEAM from China are tasting life at a Padiham pipe-making factory so that they can help build their country's economy when they return home. The visitors are spending eight weeks with Hepworth Building Products to learn about how the factory works.
BARDEN Infants' School, Burnley, will have to spend vital cash meant for pupils on security cameras after vandals smashed 62 windows in the latest of a long series of raids. Children - many excited about their first day at school - were sent home in tears
A GANG of highly organised drug smugglers caught off the Cornish coast with £15 million worth of cannabis resin had a man from Galgate as a member, a court has heard. And it has been alleged that Michael Stobbart, of Beech Avenue in Galgate, and his cohorts
A MYSTERY burglar could have put lives at risk when he set a gas main ablaze after breaking into an empty house. Police and firefighters were called to the house in Charter Street, Accrington, after a passer-by spotted flames through a broken glass panel
ALMOST 550 motorists were caught drinking and driving in Lancashire during a summer blitz by police. But officers says the results show the number of people breaking the law is on the decline. The six-week swoop took place in July and August and was aimed
£1 million boost for lights HAPPY Mount Park's illuminations could be set for a £1 million face-lift designed to take the Morecambe tourist trap into the 21st century. And those 12-year plans unveiled this week include new Christmas illuminations complete
BURNLEY'S players travel to Chesterfield on Saturday (September 21) with Adrian Heath's angry words of criticism still ringing in their ears. The manager left no-one in any doubt about his view of the 4-1 thrashing at the hands of first-division Charlton
A COUPLE'S romantic wedding on a sun-kissed Caribbean island almost turned into disaster when a hurricane battered their beach resort. Rodney and Sheryl Hodkinson's exotic marriage ceremony in the Dominican Republic had just finished when dark rain-clouds
PARTY-GOERS have helped Blackpool Pleasure Beach hand over hoardes of cash to the Fylde's newest charity - and this really is the big one. With a staggering cheque notching up £18,000 for the Victoria Hospital's MRI scanner, the Big One Hundred birthday
TRAVEL giant Airtours has taken on five new recruits through the XTEND training programme. They will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of 20-year-old former Clitheroe Grammar School girl Mary Greenwood. Mary, from Sabden, joined the company after completing
Lancaster City 3 Lincoln Utd 2 LANCASTER'S progress to the next round of the FA Cup was marred with a controversial late refereeing decision at Giant Axe on Tuesday night. The Blues had done the hard work on Saturday, earning a replay with a hard-fought
GHOSTBUSTING duo Caroline Roffey and Jayne Lawson have taken on a challenge that made grown men tremble with fear. The fearless Citizen reporter and her sidekick dared to spend a night in the cellar of the Railway Inn in Kirkham, scene of some peculiar
MYSTERY surrounded reports that Prince Andrew would soon be making his second visit of the summer to Lytham St Annes. So much so that London HQ staff at "Lytham landlords" Guardian Insurance panicked and hung up when the Citizen telephoned to ask for
LOW-COST shopping arrives in Cleveleys today (September 19) with the opening of a new Lidl store. The German-owned food discounter is hoping to emulate the success of its Blackpool store, which was launched earlier this year. It is looking forward to
ROVERS fan Mike Goulthorp has been appointed head of a multi-million pound business servicing over 1,000 Co-op stores nationwide. Mike, 44, of Barrowford, becomes General Manager, Buying, Merchandising and Technical Services for the £3 bn sales, Manchester-based
WHAT is arguably Lancaster's most famous namesake flew over the area this weekend to mark the anniversary of its most celebrated hour. The last remaining Lancaster Bomber soared over the Morecambe promenade on Sunday afternoon - the anniversary of the
PREGNANT women in the Leigh area are being offered a new way of caring for them throughout the pregnancy and childbirth. Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust have launched a scheme where every mother will be cared for by a small team of midwives, from first consultation
WHILE Princess Diana revels in her role as "queen of hearts" ... another queen of hearts lives and works in the Fylde, in the form of millionairess Pat Mancini. Okay, so she's rich, well-dressed and a highly successful business woman. She drives a flash
LANCASHIRE County Council is remaining tight-lipped about who the new owners of Darwen Technical School will be. County bosses have revealed that a company has made a successful bid for the town centre landmark and contracts have been exchanged on a provisional
REGARDING the request by the chairman of the Youth Recovery Fund in the Ukraine for accommodation at Christmas-time for children who suffered from the Chenobyl disaster (Letters, September 13), this person appears to be a self-invited guest. He is even
HELPING youngsters make an informed choice about drug taking is the underlying message of a drug prevention strategy gaining prominence throughout Lancashire. More and more schools in the county are climbing on board the initiative aimed at advising pupils
A FORMER editor of the Darwen News recalled his time on the newspaper as he celebrated his diamond wedding anniversary. Crawford White, now living in Woking, Surrey, remembers the town as the place where he began his sports reporting career. A keen and
RESIDENTS are being warned of an error on electors' registration forms which have recently been delivered to homes in Hyndburn. On the reverse of the form in the notes: "How to complete your form", 1B asks you to include all 16 or 17-years-old who will
DARWEN artist Adrian Rigby scooped two top awards at a prestigious London art show. Adrian, from Tockholes village, was among 180 artists who fought for four awards in the Wildlife Arts Society's exhibition at Westminster Central Hall. His winning watercolour
IT never ceases to amaze me how much money Blackburn Borough Council continue to waste. A couple of examples from the past few weeks are the town hall office block blunder and the sub-standard paving stones used for the pedestrian crossings in Ainsworth
RESIDENTS have reacted angrily to a mobile home firm which wants to give a protected oak tree the chop - saying profits should not come before people. Harrington Park Homes applied to South Ribble Borough Council for permission to cut down the tree at
WITH reference to the letter by Mr G. Stewart (last week's Journal Mailbox). Many parents let their children out at night, not knowing that they are going to be on motorbikes. My parents were one of these, as my brother, Eamonn, died as a result of being
AFTER spending nearly 14 years trying to find out why so many local children leave school scarcely able to read, I am now completing my doctoral thesis explaining what I have discovered. I need help to gather the proof I need, to convince people who couldn't
SUPER soldier Jay Brassington is facing the toughest challenge of his life - to hunt down Big Bertha. The beefy Royal Marine is racing against time to find 'Bertha' - the name of his gigantic golf club. The special £400 driver - made from expensive Titanium
PEOPLE ask constantly why young people today are so uncontrollable. Let's look at the facts, no jobs, simply no accessible recreational facilities and the probable life on the dole for the foreseeable future. This is apparent to young people today from
NOT a great while ago the taxpayers of Leigh paid for shrubbery to be bought and planted around the car park near Doctor's Nook in the town centre. Recently the taxpayers money was spent on ripping it all up and replacing it with "block-paving". Sian
THE pensioners are on the march, the government can't afford to pay a decent pension. Many of our schools are in need of substantial repair and the equipment and wherewithal to provide a decent education is in short supply. The health service is very
I WRITE to you in my capacity of Secretary of Tyldesley Rugby Club and about an increasing problem being suffered by the rugby club from uncaring members of the community. For years the club has granted access along the footpath that runs paralell with
A JUNIOR football team manager claims a fire which ripped through changing rooms could have put children's lives at risk. Edward Sinclair, manager of Fulwood Town Youth Football Club, said his teams were playing at Preston North End's community pitches
A LOCAL charity has been given a welcome boost by a Blackburn health club celebrating its first anniversary. Ewood Health Club is raising cash for the Blackburn Friends of the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust and life-saving equipment. The Blackburn branch
ROVERS take on fellow strugglers Everton on Saturday with assistant boss Tony Parkes insisting that all is not as bad as it seems at Ewood Park. They may have picked up just one point out of a possible 18 and are stuck on the bottom of the Premiership
BLACKBURN Labour party is backing its former MP Baroness Castle, over pensions, in a major embarrassment to Tony Blair and Jack Straw. The town's activists are calling for immediate action to boost the basic pension. In an amendment submitted for debate
EVERY parents' worst nightmare...the graphically true comment today by an East Lancashire father who ran over and horribly injured his toddler son while reversing his car down his drive. Yet, he has another nightmare - that people might find out who he
THERE ARE two strands to the re-opening of the rift in the Tory Party over the way ahead with Europe. Today the party's grandees, headed by former Prime Minister Edward Heath and former deputy premier Lord Whitelaw, warned John Major not to surrender
HOMEWORK centres set up to help Asian children with their schoolwork are having a dramatic effect on their exam successes. In the last three years results at one school in Nelson have swung from 17.5 per cent of Pakistani children getting no GCSEs to
ST GABRIEL'S almost produced a Coronation Cup sensation at the weekend. The Second Division battlers went two-up against unbeaten Division One leaders Royal Oak. But skill came through as Oak forced the game into extra-time and won 4-3 thanks to two penalties
THE mother of a special needs boy is mounting a kerbside vigil for the motorist who gave her false details after a smash that damaged her Mobility car. The driver of the Y registered Ford Granada told Mrs Vivien Mason, 33, that he was entirely to blame
A WINNING draw wasn't enough to earn Glazebury CC the Cheshire Association crown. The draw against Cheshire County Officers was their last CA match at Hurst Lane and a win would have secured the title. But the visitors hung on at 100-8 in reply to Glazebury's
ST HELENS is top of the TECs... and that's official. All the hard work at St Helens Chamber is paying off and helping create the framework for a world class workforce right here. St Helens Chamber of Commerce, Training and Enterprise has emerged at the
SHAY Given fears he may have to leave Ewood Park to safeguard his international future. The outstanding young Republic of Ireland goalkeeper has had talks with Blackburn Rovers over a new contract. And he stressed today: "If I could get first team football
A FORMER St Helens councillor claims he had to suffer the humiliation of receiving a cut-off letter from the gas board - even though he has regularly paid his bills on time for the last 40 years. Dennis Collins, who also served on Rainford Parish Council
ENQUIRIES from businesses considering moving to the St Helens area have almost doubled compared with the previous two years since the launch in January this year of the new European-style St Helens Chamber of Commerce, Training and Enterprise Ltd. Figures
A HOME furnishings firm which is moving into East Lancashire is looking for 25 new staff in Blackburn. Rectella is due to transfer over 400 employees from Chorley and Atherton to the former Coates Viyella premises in Roman Road. And it is recruiting around
ST HELENS Council chiefs are celebrating a victory in the battle to stop the introduction of "poverty trap" water devices into homes in the borough. They claim the authority's strong opposition to United Utilities installing the devices has resulted in
One of the few things guaranteed to depress me these days is the arrogant and irresponsible attitudes of some newspaper editors up and down the country towards the issue of the moment - paedophiles. Now I know the mere mention of that word will set the
SOLDIER Karl Glynn has been learning new skills during a six-month tour of Bosnia. For the former St Cuthbert's pupil has been helping to restore a bomb-hit hospital in the war-ravaged country. Karl (24), a corporal with 1st Battalion The Queen's Lancashire
TENANTS in the town's 16,600 council houses face a significant change to the way their rent is calculated. With rents already set to rise by an average of £1.83 per week from October, St Helens Council is to introduce a new points scheme for setting rents
I WAS interested to read your article about MP Greg Pope's visit to a boat yard in Great Harwood (LET, September 12). Quite frankly, it might have been better if the photo had been taken with Hyndburn's bus drivers trodden down by Hyndburn Council, or
FIFTEEN people in East Lancashire have died from the AIDS virus in the past year, it was revealed today. Health chiefs said the figure was slightly above the regional average but in line with the UK standard. Statistics showed there were 36 known cases
TWELVE Rainhill High pupils have reached the final of a national debating competition. The team, of sixth-form students, succeeded in the contest organised by European Youth Parliament UK and will take part in the National Selection Weekend at York University
LICENSEES Judith and Bernard Ledwith certainly can't be accused of burying their heads in the sand - even though they have ostrich on the menu! For the innovative couple, who run The Red Cat in Crank, have just won their second Greenalls Catering Excellence
St Helens Town 0 Gateshead 0 TRAVEL-weary Town hit the road again on Saturday when they make the trip to Newcastle (Staffs) to face Eastwood Hanley. It comes just three days after travelling to Gateshead in Wednesday night's FA Cup replay in the National
POLICE are seeking a thief who snatched a bag full of cash from a man in broad daylight in St Helens town centre. The incident happened at about 2.15pm as the victim headed for the bank to deliver takings. Having walked up Westfield Street past the Royal
WARRINGTON'S want-away stand-off star Lestyn Harris is not set to become a Saints' player - for the time being at least! That was the message from Knowsley Road yesterday, Wednesday, as speculation mounted that the player on offer at a record £1.35 million
POLICE in St Helens are urging shop owners and workers NOT to tackle armed criminals who threaten them during robberies. The warning comes following a spate of incidents at off-licences and other late shops in the area, in which either knives or what
THE discovery of gold under parts of the Pennines could bring a rush of prospectors to the area, landowners are being warned. The British Geological Survey, a government agency, has found the precious metal in several areas of north-west countryside.
IF you have ever thought of tracing your family tree, but don't know where to start, call in at Burnley Central Library. Library staff and genealogy enthusiasts are combining their know-how for a Family History Day on Saturday, September 21, from 9.30am
SOME new ideas on how to rid the streets of litter will be introduced next week - Keep Burnley Tidy Week. Burnley council will launch a litter hot-line and announce plans for a neighbourhood waste watch scheme. A fun day at Towneley on Sunday September
MORE than 500 drivers were caught over the alcohol limit while behind the wheel thanks to the major anti drink-drive campaign run by Lancashire Police this summer. The six-week campaign including areas such as Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham, caught
ANGRY residents are demanding police take action against groups of youths they claim are terrorising their neighbourhood. And people living in the Marshall Avenue, Station Road area of Huncoat say their own youngsters are being targeted by adults selling
A MORECAMBE pensioner has been conned out of her life-savings by a bogus plumber who turned up on the doorstep. The housebound woman, who has asked not to be named, was cheated out of £700 which she thought was going towards the cost of installing central
Brandon United 0 Morecambe 6 NORTHERN League side Brandon United offered little resistance as Morecambe's FA Cup campaign got off to a winning start up in Durham on Saturday. Six goals, two from Dave Leaver, two from Mark Ceraolo, a stunner from Andy
RAY Harford went abroad again yesterday, attempting to take Blackburn Rovers' interest in Germany's Euro 96 hero Oliver Bierhoff a stage further, writes Peter White. But whether Rovers can persuade Udinese to part with the 28-year-old striker soon enough
CHARITY workers have made a statement on the Fylde catwalk while raising cash for the British Heart Foundation. Fourteen lovely ladies aged 18-60 plus went to the Glendower Hotel in St Annes to strut their stuff in a fashion show made entirely of stock
FUND-RAISING for the Citizen-backed Colin Rabbich appeal goes on with several events planned for the next couple of months. Eleven-year-old Colin suffers from Chronic Spinal Atrophy which means he can't stand or walk. Seven years ago, the Citizen helped
THE people of Lancaster and Morecambe are being called on to get involved in exploring ways to help the planet at a major conference backed by David Icke next month. The conference, set for Morecambe's Headway Hotel at the start of October, has been organised
WORMS are causing a holey problem in the historic church of St Chad's in Poulton. But now in a bid to combat the pesky wood-boring beetle larva from doing any more serious damage, parishioners are going to raise the roof of the church - quite literally
