Archive

  • Gladiator Warrior on song

    GLADIATOR Warrior is planning to carve out a new career ... in the record business! Warrior, alias muscleman Mike Ahearne, has been considering a musical career for some time, possibly linking up with pop group The Firebirds, who specialise in singing

  • Saints' route to Wembley

    SAINTS' path to a repeat visit to the Twin Towers reads: Fourth round: Saints 26, Wigan 12. Tries Perelini, Newlove, Hammond, Hunte. Goals Goulding 3, Martyn 2. Fifth round: Saints 54, Hull 8. Tries Newlove 3, Sullivan 2, Hunte 2, Hammond, Northey, Briers

  • Freedom fighter

    TYCOON Owen Oyston has launched his fight for freedom - almost 12 months since being jailed. A file of new evidence has been sent by lawyers to London where three judges are expected to consider in the next few weeks whether to grant him leave to appeal

  • £5,000 reward after robbery

    RAIDERS threatened to shoot a security guard before fleeing with tens of thousands of pounds in a daylight robbery. Securicor is now offering £5,000 for information leading to the conviction of the three attackers. The Securicor guard was leaving the

  • LETTERS: Catastrophe

    There has been recent publicity to the mysterious disappearances of cats from the Halton area. I have now lost three cats since January, the most recent vanishing on April 13. Someone knows who is responsible for this or knows directly where these cats

  • Saints' homecoming plans

    WIN or lose, Saints will stage a bumper homecoming celebration at Knowsley Road on Sunday May 4. It includes 2.00pm Gates open; 2.15pm local radio roadshow; 3.00pm Kenny Weathers; 3.45pm Saints showcase including official welcome by the Mayor of St Helens

  • Cunliffe backs Christine's care call

    LAWRENCE Cunliffe has called for carers to be registered by the Local Authority. Mr. Cunliffe, who is fighting to retain his Leigh Parliamentary seat for Labour, pledged his backing to get carers on a register and issued with a licence to practice in

  • Axe clue in post office robbery

    A THIEF used a three-foot long plastic-handled axe to bludgeon his way through Skerton Post Office in a raid last Friday afternoon. He smashed the glass security screen, reached behind the counter, grabbed a money box and made off with a substantial amount

  • Blackpool in push for play-offs

    BLACKPOOL 3 BRISTOL ROVERS 2 SIX wins in their last seven home games has lifted Blackpool from mid-table obscurity to the possibility of a play-off place on the last day of the season If the Seasiders were to sneak into the play-offs, it would be an incredible

  • £1m boost unveiled for manufacturers

    A MILLION pound boost for East Lancashire manufacturers has been unveiled. Lancashire Enterprises is co-ordinating a major package of funding aimed at helping firms in areas of declining textile industry diversify and create new jobs. The RETEX programme

  • Sneak wrecks Sammy's charity ride

    CYCLIST "Sammy" Jones' aim to provide a memorial for a teenage pal has been hit by a cruel thief. The Atherton charity pedaller was hoping to ride from Manchester to Blackpool to provide a lasting tribute to former neighbour David Brown who died last

  • Terry's trip to unzip banana threat

    BIG money banana traders are skinning traditional producers. Long time traditionalists' campaigner, Leigh-based Euro MP Terry Wynn, is off to the West Indies as part of a team trying to resolve the threat to the Windward Islands' economy. Mr Wynn will

  • Rage over double yellow lines

    RESIDENTS living close to an M65 construction site have blasted the county council for trying to take their doorstep parking spaces away. People living at the top of Craven's Brow in Darwen, close to where the M65 extension will cross Blackburn Road,

  • Pesky bird decides to check out of Asda

    A BLACKBIRD which took roost in a local supermarket for more than five weeks has finally flown the coop to safety. Staff at Asda in Accrington tried everything to release the protected song bird after it decided to set up nest in the rafters of the Hyndburn

  • Furore over footpath blockade

    LEIGH residents are fuming over the closure of a footpath off Atherleigh Way while work begins on building a new Sainsbury's supermarket. The closure, close to Sportsman Street and Clifton Street means pedestrians have to "dice with death" crossing the

  • Row couple set for stardom

    FLY-on-the-wall television cameras follow the trials and tribulations of an Accrington couple as they leave Lancashire for the wilds of Scotland. This Tuesday's Moving People programme, on Channel Four, reveals how Anne and Mike Kenyon quarrelled their

  • Purrfect partners

    IT was a purr-fect day for Pringle the pussycat when he scooped the top award at a Preston cat show. The win was a real boost for the Cats Protection League which organised the event - for Pringle had been rescued by CPL volunteers just weeks ago. The

  • Chris takes his art to the boyos!

    A FORMER Leigh College student has opened his own art gallery - in Cardiff. Christopher Lunn, 28, who is also a past pupil of Lowton high School, has been in the Welsh capital since 1992 where he gained a BA Honours Degree in Fine Arts from the Cardiff

  • Driven round the bend

    A CHAUFFEUR who has driven many a councillor round the bend en-route to official visits has been awarded an MBE. Arthur Nutter, aged 64, has driven for Lancashire county council's chairmen, chief executives and councillors since 1953, and was chauffeur

  • Oyston launches freedom fight

    TYCOON Owen Oyston has launched his fight for freedom - almost 12 months since being jailed. A file of new evidence has been sent by lawyers to London where three judges are expected to consider in the next few weeks whether to grant him leave to appeal

  • Full of beans

    BEANS means a lifeline to starving youngsters - and local bobby Mick Harrison is taking 57 varieties to Romania in a bid to save thousands of deprived infants. The big-hearted police constable travelled to the stricken country by truck a fortnight ago

  • Leigh end with a dash

    LEIGH RU ended the season with optimism for 1997/98. A 43-25 victory against Fleetwood earned them fourth spot, a deserved effort for a team showing a healthy mixture of experience and young blood. Tries by Jim Bridge 2, Barry Yates 2, Ross Bullough and

  • One step at a time

    MARATHON man Dimal Patel is preparing to conquer the Big Apple just two weeks after completing the gruelling London Marathon. The blisters have hardly healed for the 18-year-old student - and he already has his sights set on a possible run-out in the

  • Blaze boy row

    TEACHERS are calling for a reform of the appeals procedure after a Preston school was forced to take back a teenager thrown out following a fire which caused £2,000 worth of damage. A pupil of Our Lady's High School in Fulwood was excluded after a blaze

  • Motorbike paramedics for county

    MOTORBIKE-riding paramedics could soon be on the roads countywide after a six week trial period proved highly successful. During the trial, paramedics using motor cycles and an estate car responded to emergency calls more than 50 per cent quicker than

  • Trained to heal

    LIVES will be saved thanks to the pioneering efforts of a Nursing Studies lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire. Ann Alty from Lostock Hall, near Preston, has given hundreds of young people in Romania the chance to be properly trained in providing

  • Festival will bring streets alive

    BURY town centre will be taken over by local and international artists - and you're all invited, for free. It's the second "Streets Ahead" extravaganza, Bury's contribution to the Greater Manchester annual festival of street entertainment, and it arrives

  • Persistent offender banned

    PERSISTENT driving offender Jacqueline Martin has been banned four years. Bury magistrates disqualified the mother-of-two after hearing a catalogue of minor motoring matters. Prosecuting, Dr Roger Woods read out details from seven files relating to offences

  • Christine's care: a response

    AFTER reading the article in The Journal 'Christine's Care Crisis Call' (April 24) , I felt the need to respond on behalf of all private care agencies. The management at Hunters Care Line have from the word go always taken seriously the need to employ

  • Lynx punished

    Barrow Braves 32 Lancashire Lynx 30 IN yet another nail-biting match on Saturday (April 26), a twelve man Lynx side battled against the odds to try and save the game. Kevin Tamati has had to make a number of changes to the Lynx squad - Daniel Jones replaced

  • LETTER: My Lottery days are numbered

    I've stopped going on the Lottery. The final straws were the allocation of millions of pounds to £135million-rated Eton for some tennis courts and more millions to the toffee-nosed gentry of the Leander rowing club. Yes, final straws after millions for

  • Drug-pumping pigeons

    PIGEON fanciers beware! You've heard of athletes being tested for drugs, but get ready for the news which is shaking the foundations of the sporting world. Your loveable (and valuable) feathered friends may soon be tested for anabolic steroids - the body-enhancing

  • Borough remembers Gallipoli bravery

    ON April 25, 1915, members of the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, in effecting a landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula, were met by fire from hidden machine guns, which caused a great number of casualties. The soldiers overcame supreme difficulties

  • Dingy do well!

    AN AMPUTEE who learned to sail a dinghy just last June, has set off on an amazing round-the-world yacht race. John Spence from Fulwood, near Preston, was given just a week's notice to board the Time and Tide for the fifth phase of the BT Global Challenge

  • Ashes to ashes...

    DAVID and Barbara Casson's life will never be the same again. The vacuum repair specialists from Accrington may have to learn to repair telephones as well after the overwhelming response they've received following their appearance on the Channel Four

  • Mel's on a mission

    MEL GILLIBRAND is a man on a mission - to bring back the good times to Blackburn Northern. The Pleckgate Road side have started in fits and starts this season - one heavy defeat, one heavy down pour denying them victory - but Gillibrand will be looking

  • Kev Seed - Rock FM's zaniest DJ

    IT seems doctors have identified a condition called Taxorexia - a fear of being without a suntan. I am told patients can be treated in the new Judith Chalmers Ward. Incidentally Judith is stepping down from the next TV series of Wish You Were Here because

  • Life after Donald ?

    MERRYCK PRINGLE is set to make his long awaited debut for Rishton on Saturday out to prove that there is life after Allan Donald. The defending champions - searching for their third successive Lancashire League title - have started in fine form winning

  • Marie is a real jewel

    MARIE Leeming from Preston is an inspiration to all who meet her. The 63-year-old mother-of-five suffers from Parkinson's disease and arthritis. She is confined to a wheelchair and has had seven operations on her hip. Initially, medication staved off

  • Roll of Shame

    POLICE are hatching a plan to shame motorists banned from driving by publishing their names in local newspapers. And the grieving parents of an eight-year-old boy killed in a tragic accident in Preston four years ago have welcomed moves to publicly name

  • Shakers step up safety at Gigg Lane

    SAFETY precautions are to be stepped up at Gigg Lane as Bury FC prepare to play in the First Division. The Shakers will entertain some of the best-supported clubs in the country, many of which attract as many as 5,000 travelling fans. Bury Council chiefs

  • Rovers aim to stay up in style

    ROVERS will be looking to clinch their Premiership survival in style at the weekend knowing that three points at Southampton will banish fears of the drop once and for all. Caretaker-boss Tony Parkes sends his troops into battle at The Dell urging them

  • Street of fear groups in truce

    ANGRY residents have come face-to-face with the teenage gangs they accuse of terrorising them. Now both sides have at last agreed to work together to find a solution. The "ceasefire" comes after what residents in St Andrew's Street, Radcliffe, claim has

  • Deli shut in salmonella outbreak

    A CATERING company has been closed until further notice after a food poisoning outbreak was traced back to its shop. Chocolate mousse from Marc Cooper Catering, of Whitefield, has been blamed for the infection which has hit more than 100 people and put

  • Christian religion to be dropped

    A SCHOOL in Blackburn is to drop the Christian faith at assemblies because 95 per cent of its pupils are Muslim. Governors at Hawthorns County Junior, Holly Street, have asked to be exempted from the rules on religious education. And head teacher John

  • 5 YEARS AGO: Duchess comes home

    THE DUCHESS of York was returning from holiday following a split from her husband. She jetted into London with her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugene, from a holiday in South East Asia. As she drove home to Sunninghill Park, she gave no

  • Doctor quits in protest

    ELDERLY people could die as bed-blocking in Bury's hospitals reaches crisis point. As the number of patients waiting for a place in a nursing home rises to 46, Dr Kevin Snee, director of Public Health at Bury and Rochdale Health Authority has warned:

  • 'Inner relief' plan on town centre streets

    EXISTING streets could be used to create a low cost 'inner relief road' in Blackburn, according to plans put forward at a public meeting last night. Blackburn Civic Society has drawn up its own scheme for smoothing traffic flow around the town's clogged-up

  • Volunteers' RIP mission on graveyard shift

    WORKING the graveyard shift is a labour of love for three conservation volunteers. The retired pals - dubbed the R.I.P. Group for their Restoration, Improvement and Preservation mission - are rescuing the old St Mary's Burial Ground, Altham, from years

  • Parents to buy a teacher

    PARENTS of pupils at a cash starved-primary school are being asked to hand over £99 to 'buy' a teacher. Whalley C of E Primary last night sent a letter to all parents of its 187 pupils urging them to raise nearly £20,000 to pay a teacher's salary for

  • Wild voilets sought

    CAN anyone tell me where to find violets growing wild in the Blackburn-Darwen area - and also where I can find a 78rpm gramophone record of 'April Showers' by Al Jolson? J A MARSDEN, Scarborough Road, Blackburn. Previous news story Converted for the new

  • Wonder of web

    THANK you for having the Lancashire Evening Telegraph on the Internet. It makes enjoyable reading for expatriates of Blackburn and the surrounding area and it makes Blackburn seem just a little bit closer. We read your news and sports stories on a daily

  • Scouts go on parade

    REGARDING the various articles concerning the 'non-celebration' of our national patron saint. Some do not seem aware of the fact that members of the Scout movement all over the country celebrate St George's Day on or near April 23 with parades and a service

  • Net gain for Telegraph

    I AM an au pair from Preston, living in Monterey, California, USA. I recently obtained access to the Internet and think your web page is great. It is wonderful that I can talk to people in Lancashire from my computer here. I live with an American family

  • Teachers should not be a luxury

    SCHOOLS have long used whip-rounds, raffles and so forth to raise money for "luxury" extras, but, if it is not unique, then it is certainly rare for parents to be asked to club up to "buy" a teacher. Yet, that is what parents of pupils at Whalley C of

  • Coffee please, and the chance of a job

    A COFFEE bar has become an informal job centre for people looking for work in West Craven. The idea at New Road Community Centre, Earby, developed because there is now nowhere local for job seekers to find information about the prospect of work. The nearest

  • Claire takes a bow

    YOUNG violinist Claire Robinson added a string to her bow when she won the chance to make music with members of the Halle Orchestra. Claire, 14, was one of 15 lucky Lancashire youngsters to join the world-class musicians for a tuneful workshop. The young

  • Care savings a pittance

    I WISH to protest at the withdrawal of funding for the two part-time breast care nurses. The amount of money saved (which besides their salaries includes administration costs) is a pittance in terms of that allocated to the Hospital Trust. Publicity has

  • King of the road

    BIKER Desmond Bennett is planning his latest continental foray - at the age of 83! It is more than 60 years ago that Desmond first roared along the roads of Europe, but if all goes well he will soon be off with a biking companion to France and Spain.

  • Can you come out to play?

    ORGANISERS of a Newton-based playgroup fear it could be forced to close unless more parents sign up their youngsters to boost funds. The Wargrave Playgroup, which has been up and running for eight years, holds three morning sessions a week at its base

  • Thugs threaten victim with stick

    POLICE are hunting for thugs who threatened a man with a wooden stick before snatching his wallet as he walked behind the NatWest bank in Bridge Street, Newton-le-Willows. The 27-year-old man, had parked his car in Princess Street a about 2.30pm on Monday

  • Future looks bright for Leigh

    LEIGH are building for the future - both on and off the pitch. The ambitious Second Division side are now back on the climb after three years wracked by financial problems and an even longer period of declining results. But now they also feel capable

  • Top health post for Margaret

    MRS Margaret Greenall has been appointed to the board of the St Helens & Knowsley Community Health (NHS) Trust as a non-executive director. Mrs Greenall is the Hospital Director of the Fairfield Independent Hospital at Crank, and is also a director

  • Tattoo 'first' for town

    TATTOOISTS from all over Britain converge on Rawtenstall for the first ever tattoo convention at the Astoria on May 18. The event will raise money for the Phoenix Foundation, set up last year to help charities. Tattooists and body piercers will demonstrate

  • Power pack spurs Dean to double

    DEAN PURTILL again took the scoring honours as Leigh cruised to a fifth straight win, writes MIKE HULME. The classy winger collected two tries and five goals to take his season's tally to exactly 200 points. That keeps him right on target to beat Chris

  • Those good old days at Woolies

    WOOLWORTHS in Earlestown will be taking a memorable trip back in time when they celebrate their 40th year of business this month. And staff at the branch in Market Street, are eager to hear reminiscent tales from nostalgia buffs who remember the 'good

  • Paul's mum in moving tribute

    THE parents of tragic teenager Paul Butler have asked the Star to convey their gratitude to everyone who sent cards and flowers following news of his death from muscular dystrophy. Eighteen-year-old Paul from Haydock was featured in the Star early last

  • Bones rattle round the globe

    ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD THE rattle of musical bones has sounded right across the globe. Just about now, down in deepest Queensland, Frank Edwards will be settling down in his armchair, about to scan my page (he has the Star mailed to him each week) for news

  • Girls in night terror

    TWO teenage girls ran off in terror when a man jumped out of a back alley and tried to grab them. Rosemaire Airey, 17, and Julie Hind, 18, had been walking a friend home and were near the Butty Shop in Stanley Street, Accrington, at 2.25am when the man

  • Soccer boss hits back at letter critic

    A FOOTBALL club chairman has blasted an anonymous critic who attacked him in letters to the local media. Ken Broom, chairman of Nelson FC, who suffered a record 15-2 defeat against Tetley Walker in the North West Counties League, said the phantom letter-writer

  • Silentnight soars to £14.3m profit

    BED and cabinet furniture maker Silentnight today announced a big leap in profits. The Salterforth-based company saw pre-tax profits jump by 29 per cent in the last 12 months to £14.3 million. The firm's beds division did particularly well, with operating

  • Recs go close

    OWENS Corning St Helens Recs escaped the rain that affected most games in the Liverpool Competition on Saturday, but they couldn't produce a victory. They lost the toss were asked to bat first on a wet green top at Liverpool. Scoring was difficult especially

  • Go-ahead paves way for a brand New Era

    FIRST steps towards a new £2.6 million multi-cultural community centre for Hyndburn have been given the go-ahead by council planners. The move paves the way for a total refurbishment of the New Era complex, Paradise Street, Accrington, and now the project

  • Town's horror show

    St Helens Town 1 Holker OB 3 THIS Saturday, at the revised kick off time of 1pm, Town play their 52nd (and last) game of a season which has fallen short of expectations. Relegation battlers Maine Road are the opposition and will be hoping to emulate the

  • Court orders eviction

    A NUISANCE neighbour has been ordered to leave her Prestwich home by the court. The move was the latest in a clampdown by Bury Council. Susan Hill (42) was ordered out of the Downham Crescent council house by Salford County Court, who granted a possession

  • Eric's home from home

    MANY Rugby League stars have spent a lifetime in the game without having the merest sniff of Wembley. But, on the other side of the coin, Saints' chairman Eric Ashton is poised to become involved in his FOURTEENTH Wembley Final when he leads out Bobbie

  • Worried boss killed himself

    A COMPANY director who killed himself had business and financial problems none of his family knew about, an inquest was told. Wednesday's hearing (April 30) heard that father-of-two Mr Atwell Cordeiro, of Randale Drive, Sunnybank, Bury, died after taking

  • Our Gracie's St Helens RL bow

    ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD DID the Rochdale nightingale, Gracie Fields, ever take centre stage at a rugby match in St Helens? The sporty query comes from Joe Jones of Irwin Road, Sutton, who vaguely remembers seeing a picture of Our Gracie kicking-off from

  • Bobbie bounces back

    GIVEN Saints' soaring successes and Bobbie Goulding's peerless performances in1996, suggestions that the season so far has been rather more traumatic for the skipper might appear an understatement. The new campaign dawned with Bobbie in contract dispute

  • Blitzed with replies to hero's tale

    ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD THERE'S been a terrific explosion of response to my article headlined 'A Forgotten Hero.' As I write, the mail continues to pour in and I intend to hold fire until all information is gathered together. Then I'll give it a well-merited

  • Saints fans flock to Anfield

    Saints 42 Castleford Tigers 16 SUPER League champions Saints trod the hallowed Anfield turf for the first time on Sunday, and what was seen as a gamble proved an outstanding success for the enterprising Knowsley Road club. For a bumper crowd of 12,329

  • Brush with fame at 75!

    TALENTED artist Arthur Deakin is proving that life doesn't come to a standstill once you enter the bus pass zone. For 75-year-old Arthur, from Chancery Lane, Parr, has had one of his paintings chosen to hang in London's Central Hall next month after taking

  • Four charged after 'poison' drugs death

    A MAN police feared was in danger from a "contaminated" batch of drugs has been found safe and well. Police in Leigh were anxious to trace 26 years-old Colin Critchley who they feared may have taken some of the drugs. The alarm was sparked after Marc

  • Saints army heads for Wembley

    AN estimated 20,000 Saints' fans will converge on Wembley Stadium on Saturday for the mouth-watering Centenary Challenge Cup Final with Bradford Bulls, kick-off 2.45pm. The game is a sell-out and local travel firms report massive bookings and many motorists

  • Halls of fame at Leigh

    AUDIENCES may feel they are seeing double when "Daisy Pulls It Off" reaches the stage later this month. Two members of the nearly-all-girl cast of the 20s comedy are Margaret Hall! Margaret No 1 is the eponymous heroine Daisy. Margaret No 2 is dumb Dora

  • Saints fit the Wembley bill

    By Saints historian Alex Service HOW fitting it is to see the Saints back at Wembley to celebrate the 100th Challenge Cup Final. It seems hard to believe that when the competition was first launched in 1897, Batley were our opponents - and the pride of

  • Council crackdown on bad neighbours

    ST HELENS Council has succeeded in obtaining possession of two council tenancies following legal action over alleged neighbour nuisance. On April 23 at St Helens County Court a district judge granted the council immediate possession against a female tenant

  • Denis Whittle talks with Saints' coach Shaun McRae

    DEAD as the proverbial dodo! That was Shaun McCrae's assessment of Scott Gibbs' chances of playing for Saints in Saturday's Cup Final against Bradford Bulls at Wembley. WHITTLE: Reports that Saints were in agreement with Scott's request to turn out have

  • Hit for educational systems

    EDUCATIONAL systems for computers have earned Burnley-based MJN Technology a Direct Hit Award from the PC users magazine, PC Direct. MJN, a division of Time Computer Systems, received their award at a ceremony in London this week. Over a three month period

  • Safe and sound

    VOLUNTEERS at a Burnley community centre have turned it into one of the most secure in the north west. The work came about after a violent robbery at the Vincent Farrell Temple Street centre and has taken six months to complete. It includes some of the

  • Accent on hard sums

    ARITHMETIC is a doddle for French number-cruncher Jerome Franzina... but he just can't figure out Lancashire lingo. Jerome, 24, is brushing up his business studies in Burnley - but while maths is the same in any language, the local accent has got him

  • Surf's up

    IT'S new, it's exciting and it's simply the easiest way to find out What's On in your area - at the touch of a button. For your Burnley and Pendle Citizens are now publishing one of the most comprehensive regional entertainments listings on the Internet

  • LETTERS: Depressing democracy!

    AS an elected politician (albeit on a much smaller scale than those standing in the general election) I find the letter from P Shannon, who believes in a democracy depressing. The democratic process is adversarial. Each party puts forward the strengths

  • Road safety package

    ROAD improvements designed to cut down accidents in Burnley and Pendle are featured in a £420,000 package announced by the county council. The four sites identified by traffic experts have been the scenes of 123 accidents over a five-year span. In total

  • City slickers!

    Lancaster City 1 Buxton 0 RELEGATED Buxton were brushed aside by City on Tuesday night to avenge their worst defeat of the season. Lancaster dominated the match and the few attacks that Buxton made were all coolly dealt with by keeper Mark Thornley. Buxton's

  • Procession will lead Burnley's first Cotton Carnival

    A DAZZLING procession through Burnley town centre will be the highlight of the town's first King Cotton Carnival this summer. Organisers are promising a lively day of entertainment which will celebrate Burnley's industrial heritage and, they hope, create

  • Hendry issues

    appeal to fans COLIN Hendry appealed to Blackburn Rovers supporters today - Do what you did for us two years ago against Newcastle. Rovers need just one point from tonight's game against Middlesbrough - the team who refused to turn up in December - to

  • Princess visits Burnley

    FLAG-WAVING youngsters cheered with delight as the royal motorcade stopped yards from them when Princess Anne came to town. She was in Burnley to meet some of the staff at Grenfell, the royal warrant-bearing outdoor clothing manufacturers in Rylands Street

  • Port on the crest of a wave

    A MULTI-purpose £24 million ferry has been commissioned to run between Heysham Port and the Isle of Man. A combined freight and passenger vessel is expected to take to the waves in July 1988 along with plans to introduce a Seacat catamaran. The investment

  • Ex-skipper Steve heads Heath's clear-out

    ADRIAN Heath wrote off £1 million worth of Turf Moor talent today as he announced his end-of-season retained list. And the major shock was the release of ex-Clarets captain Steve Thompson. The 32-year-old midfielder joins forward Liam Robinson, reserve

  • Top marks for helping pupils

    TWO Pendle high schools are among the first in the county to be recognised for the way they encourage students to make the most of their potential. Primet High School, Colne, and Mansfield High School, Brierfield, introduced the National Record of Achievement

  • OAPs miss out on cash

    PENSIONERS struggling to make ends meet are missing out on millions of pounds of unclaimed benefits. Hard up senior citizens in Lancaster and Morecambe are failing to collect extra payments which could make them better off. Nationally, more than £1 billion

  • Bull's terror rampage in street

    A BULL'S wild bid to evade the knackers' yard came to a sad end when it was shot by a police marksman in a Blackpool garden. The black bull broke out of the Blackpool Abattoir in Coopers Way on Monday afternoon (April 28) and ran into Devonshire Road,

  • Fond memories at final whistle

    REFEREEING is a tough job, ask Lancaster's David Allison - he retires this week after 30 years as the man the fans love to hate. At 48-years-old he's reached the age where all referees have to retire, by rule of the PFA, and on Saturday he travels north

  • County golf queen

    PRESTWICH golf ace Gillian Nutter is Queen of the county set. The 19-year-old who lives on Hilton Lane and learned her golf just a nine iron away, on Prestwich Golf Course, has been crowned Lancashire champion for the third time in four years. Her latest

  • Bury plot championship win

    WHILE the town has been celebrating Bury's elevation to the First Division, the football club's manager, Stan Ternent, has been busy plotting how to lift the championship. He has been boosted by a return to health of utility man Ian Hughes and, apart

  • Fury over bse dump secrets

    COUNCIL chiefs were kept in the dark about a Lancaster landfill site riddled with BSE infected cattle, it was revealed this week. A report in the national press says that up to 200 infected carcasses were dumped at a site in Salt Ayre nearly 10 years

  • Civic reception for promotion squad

    BURY'S promotion winning soccer squad takes to the streets for a colourful civic reception next week. Just like last year, when the Shakers climbed into the Second Division, the town is planning a big party to mark Bury FC's confirmation as a First Division

  • LETTERS: Labour pains...

    IN your Citizen election special of April 24 Mr Blair twice mentioned "If we win the trust of the people on May 1." How can the people trust a party that has changed six policies in its manifesto, a party that on education issues a different speech to

  • Kiely is top of the pops

    Watford O Bury O "Get about as oiled as a diesel train, Gonna set the stands alight; Saturday night's the night I like, Saturday night's alright." When Bernie Taupin penned those words for newly-installed Watford chairman Elton John twenty-odd years ago

  • Princess goes behind bars

    THE Princess Royal was given a taste of life behind bars on Monday as she met staff and inmates at Lancaster Farms prison. As patron of the Butler Trust, Princess Anne was at the young offenders institute to see first hand the successful work which goes

  • Saints' Cup heroes

    SAINTS have scored a total of 31 tries on their 12 visits to Wembley, and they were touched down by the following players: 1930 v Widnes: Lou Houghton. 1953 v Huddersfield: Steve Llewellyn, George Langfield. 1956 v Halifax: Frank Carlton, Steve Llewellyn

  • Blackpool baby boom

    EXPECT a baby boom in Blackpool if the myth surrounding a pair of unusual visitors from the Ivory Coast comes true. Any day now, the pair of 4 ft. carved ebony fertility statues arrives at Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odditorium and it's believed they

  • Youngsters' Wembley dream comes true

    ST. HELENS Schools Under-11s selectors have named a squad of 22 from which the team will be selected for the Wembley curtain-raiser against Batley Boys, kick-off 11.40am. The lucky lads are: James Graham (captain), Paul Anders, Michael Astbury, Daniel

  • Train driver says 'no' to Palace

    PINT-SIZED Pleasure Beach favourite Ted Askey turned down a Royal request to receive an MBE at Buckingham Palace - to celebrate near his beloved Blackpool. The little train driver politely declined the Queen's invitation, despite the offer of Pleasure

  • Citizen's on the ball!

    THIRTY years of hurt was on the road to recovery this week as the Citizen stepped in to help rally the young footy heroes of Skerton. Just before we went to press, youngsters from Skerton were lacing up their boots for a memorable soccer match against

  • Citizen man's Big One marathon

    ALWAYS pushing volunteers to the limit with fun ways to raise cash the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust this week organised a marathon ride on the Big One rollercoaster. The Citizen sent along fearless - or so he claims - reporter David Higgerson to join

  • Talking City shares

    STOCKS and shares is the subject of the Blackburn Junior Chamber's next meeting, at Kite Computing, Challenge Way, Blackburn, next Tuesday at 8.00pm. It is open to anyone aged between 18-40. Further information is available from Steve Foster on 01254

  • Who'll land Lance Todd Trophy?

    IS a Saints' star about to become the first Knowsley Road player to lift the Lance Todd Trophy at Wembley for almost 20 years? That is yet another intriguing question on supporter's lips as the team brace themselves for the clash with Bradford Bulls,

  • Jackie takes top brew to the tops

    WHEN it comes to climbing mountains there has to be fewer crazier people than Lowton secretary Jackie Greaves. For Jackie, of Rowan Avenue, is climbing the 3,115 feet peak of Helvellyn in the Lake District - carrying 50 cans of Guinness! The stunt, to

  • Election heavyweights visit the Fylde

    THE waiting is over and so - nearly - is the seemingly endless media coverage of the 1997 General Election. And both major parties brought the heavyweights to the Fylde this week in a last minute bid to persuade local voters to back their bids for power

  • Friends say farewell

    WELL known businessman Geoff Livesey, has been given a send-off from friends at the Chamber of Commerce. Geoff, who recently retired as managing director of carpet tufting machinery manufacturer Cobble, has a long association with the organisation and

  • Cardinals whitewash Washington

    Washington Presidents nil St Helens Cardinals 32 THE 300-mile round trip to Washington proved worthwhile for the Cardinals as they recorded their first shut out of 97 and defeated Washington on their own turf for the first time in five years. Any advantage

  • Shopkeepers call for booze ban

    BOOZERS drinking on Leigh's streets could soon find themselves facing the sobering prospect of a court appearance. For Leigh Business Partnership has called for a town centre ban on the bottle and wants to see a by-law to stamp out gangs of undesirables

  • LSH breathe more easily

    Liverpool St Helens 32 Harrogate 27 LSH TOOK a big step towards avoiding relegation at a wet and breezy Moss Lane on Saturday, with a rousing first half display. They denied Harrogate possession for long periods and when the visitors did have the ball

  • Councillor battles to save old tech

    A LOCAL councillor has vowed to carry on fighting for his beloved Darwen Technical College after a bid to the buy the premises collapsed at the eleventh hour. Coun Derek Brindle who has spearheaded a campaign - Darwen Against Demolition - for the past

  • Indecency Charges

    A RETIRED Preston headteacher has been arrested and charged with serious sexual assaults against a young boy. William Stones, aged 72, of New Longton, was headmaster of Ribbleton Avenue Methodist Junior School until he retired in 1987 after almost 30

  • Heartbreak mum's plea just the ticket

    WHEN mascot Ryan Hall walked out on to the Burnden Park turf for his finest moment, his mum thought she was going to miss it all. The soccer-mad Atherton youngster's mother was certain to miss out on her son's historic appearance in the last game at Burnden

  • Canal fence to stop new tragedy

    CHILDREN living near the Bridgewater Canal at Bedford Basin will be safer in future, thanks to the quick action of council officials and the canal owners. Urged by local councillor Brian Jarvis to attend a specially convened meeting, following the near

  • Athletic leave it late

    LEIGH ATHLETIC ended their championship-winning season with a slither and a sizzler. They looked like slithering to a shock defeat at Moston as complacency set in and they were stumbling 3-0 down with 10 minutes remaining. Rob Lysons' header (his 22nd

  • Duck alert as Dyllis and her kids go missing!

    DYLLIS the duck came out in sympathy when Ian and Gill Aldred moved home. For the past two years Journal advertising representative Gill and her husband, Ian, have played "mum and dad" to families of mallard ducks. So, when their Elmridge home was snapped-up

  • Miners forced into waiting game

    ONE hand on the North West Counties Division Two crown may not be enough for Leigh MR. They ended the season at the top on points difference. But league rules dictate there must be a play-off to decide the championship - which leaves coaches Mark Wood

  • Lee points way for A & T

    LEE SMETHILLS celebrated his England Juniors call-up with a super show as Astley & Tyldesley Cycle Speedway won Sunday's Northern Junior match at Bury. He was unbeaten at U16s while Damien Hack followed suit at U13s and Ashley Thorpe rode well on

  • What's in a name?

    ANGRY hairdressers fear for their business after make-up giant Estee Lauder told them to change their company name or face legal action. Origins on Hough Lane, Leyland, near Preston, is owned by partners Sally Clare and Sharon Rushten and they have spent

  • I'm scared of heights!

    A COURAGEOUS climber will set out to scale almost 30,000 feet - despite being terrified of heights! Murray Winters will spend six days back-packing round the peaks of the Lake District, totting up the equivalent height of Mount Everest. Each day, the

  • LETTER: Decision smacks of vote catching

    Despite protests from local residents, and contrary to the borough planning officer's recommendations, at a meeting on Thursday, April 24, Blackburn Council gave the go ahead for a Moslem school, in Eldon Road, Blackburn, to be turned into a mosque -

  • Motor mouth Jo

    LARGER than life comedienne Jo Brand brings her big, bold, brash show to Preston's Guild Hall. And you could see the gig for free if you enter our great competition, for the Citizen has bagged three pairs of tickets for our readers. Jo has wowed audiences

  • Local councillor joins fight to save Pavilions

    A COUNCILLOR has joined the fight to save Blackburn's Pavilions from the bulldozers and see them restored to their former glory. Coun Derek Brindle, who has led the fight to save Darwen Technical College from beiong flattened, admits he is stunned that

  • Rovers show spirit in defeat

    ATHERTON LR gave a typically spirited display - but it still ended in a 4-2 defeat at Bradford Park Avenue. Manager Dave Morris was philosophical. "We did as well as we could do under the circumstances and that's been the story of the whole season," he

  • Long and short of it...

    WHEN Preston teacher Martin Lowe decided to have his hair cut, he thought he'd teach the school a lesson. The daring Information Technology instructor from Fulwood High School in Blackbull Lane, had his locks and beard chopped for the first time in 25

  • LETTER: Be aware

    In the UK, breast cancer affects one in every 12 women at some time in their lives. For those with a family history of the disease their risk is likely to be at least double this. Because we still have limited understanding about the causes of breast

  • Eureka, urinals!

    I WAS greatly surprised to see that three of Leigh's town councillors have finally taken upon themselves to do something about the state of the toilets in Leigh (last week's Journal). I have been a long campaigner to get clean toilet facilities in the

  • Town set to be transformed

    THE 30-year wait is over - work is due to start at Towngate in Leyland within three months. A mystery developer wants give the town, near Preston, a complete revamp to include a new covered market and a mixture of retail, leisure and residential units

  • Charity receives £5,000 worth of donations

    THE money is still flowing in at a cash-strapped charity after its general manager issued a 'back me or sack me' ultimatum to church leaders. After the Citizen highlighted the plight of Blackburn Churches Action, more than £5,000 has swollen the coffers

  • New college principal looks to the 21st century

    THE first female principal in the history of Blackburn College has set her sights on leading the town's higher education into the 21st century. Sheena Ewing, who takes up the £70,000-a-year on September 1, wants to continue the foundations laid by John

  • Pub blaze was arson

    MODEST heroes from a Leyland pub fought a raging blaze that firefighters say could have have had tragic consequences. Hogs Head landlord Brian Watmough escaped with his wife Samantha and a barman, all armed with fire extinguishers, to fight the fire from

  • What a week!

    Bamber Bridge 6 Guiseley 4 WHAT a week it's been for Bamber Bridge. Just as Brig's place in the Premier Division was finally secured with Hyde United's defeat of Buxton in midweek, Irongate was stunned by the resignation of manager David May. May, who

  • Car users failing to belt up

    ONE hundred and nine people in Bury have been reported by police for not wearing seat belts - in just one week. The figures for drivers and passengers, revealed at the end of a seat belt campaign throughout Greater Manchester, were described as "disappointing

  • Watch out, Calvin Klein!

    A FASHION student has pocketed more than £1,000 and a trip to the States in a prestigious design competition. And despite having met a bevy of beautiful supermodels and top designers, Paul Roughley shuns the glamour and glitz of the catwalk and harks

  • Three die in stolen car

    THREE people died when their stolen car smashed into a lamp-post on the M66 slip road at Pilsworth, Bury, while being followed by a police car. And a fourth occupant, who sustained serious injuries in Wednesday morning's horror accident, (April 30) is

  • Taking aim

    ARROWS made by Geronimo, medieval equipment from the Mary Rose and bronze relics from the battle fields of Syria - these are just some of the treasures at Samlesbury Hall, near Preston, this week. The rare artefacts, all held in private collections, have

  • Youth crime crackdown

    A NEW intelligence-led action plan to combat youth crime is being put into place, top officers told the first meeting of a new police and community forum in Blackburn. Chief Inspector Paul Reynolds, new support services co-ordinator, said: "We are putting

  • Away day!

    Shrewsbury O Preston 2 PRESTON North End brought down the curtain on their away fixtures on Saturday (April 26) with a long overdue away win and sent struggling Shrewsbury Town dropping into Division Three. Yet, at half time, Shrewsbury could so easily

  • Accident boy suffers horror injuries to leg

    A SCHOOLBOY suffered horrific leg injuries when a piece of masonry fell on him inside a derelict building in Rossendale. Kevin Hargreaves, 14, of Mayfield Avenue, Haslingden, underwent three hours of surgery last night at Bury General Hospital and was

  • Council welcomes end to rate capping

    THE new Labour Government will ease restrictions on council spending, say Burnley council bosses. But an end to rate capping won't signal a spending free-for-all, adds finance chairman Peter Kenyon. "Labour is committed to abolishing capping, but it will

  • Labour's double Bury election joy

    THE 14 year-old Tory stranglehold on Bury's two Parliamentary seats is over. On Friday morning, Conservative MPs Alistair Burt in Bury North and his Bury South counterpart David Sumberg lost to Labour's David Chaytor and Ivan Lewis respectively as Labour

  • 10 YEARS AGO: Thatcher to name the day

    PRIME Minister Margaret Thatcher was ready to name the date of the General Election after the Tories were victorious at local level. The Premier was expected to go to the country on June 11 in a bid to secure a hat-trick of victories. The local elections

  • Animal waste smell stomach-wrenching'

    A COMPANY believes the 'stomach wrenching' smells from a neighbouring animal waste works could contaminate the medicines it makes. The claim was made by Whalley Banks-based Cupal during an appeal by Blackburn Products into strict conditions imposed by

  • Kids' home protesters enlist help from 'Elvis'

    A NEWLY formed residents' association is drawing up battle plans to fight proposals for a children's home. Protesters claim the change of use of New Barn Farm, on the boundary of Shawforth and Britannia, for six children aged nine to 13 is inappropriate

  • Pupils stranded by buses in chaos

    BUS services in Hyndburn have been plunged into chaos following the resignation of 10 Accrington-based drivers. Stagecoach Ribble has been flooded with complaints about passengers, including school children, left stranded by missed services, buses running

  • Ashes of tragic fan Darren, 24, on Rovers pitch

    THE ASHES of one of Blackburn Rovers' most fervent fans are coming home to Lancashire to be scattered at Ewood Park. Darren John Atkinson, who lived on the Isle of Man, was only 24 when he died in an accident at home. And in his honour the son he never

  • Chapple boost

    GLEN Chapple returns to Old Trafford tomorrow hoping to hand Lancashire a Championship boost. The England A paceman has not touched a cricket ball since suffering a dislocated knuckle while fielding in the opening Benson and Hedges Cup tie against Yorkshire

  • Rugby lads show pedal power

    LEG pumping fundraisers stuck their heads down and their backsides up to boost Leigh Miners Rangers. Two years ago a team of 12 representing the club raised £2,000 in a Rugby League Centenary Celebration ride from Huddersfield to Leigh. On Saturday/Sunday

  • A day to remember

    MAYBE we should set aside one special day each year, to remember all those who have died in the previous year as a result of the violence which we read about in our newspapers - the little children, the old and the youth, who are taken away in this carnage

  • Fearick shows some fizz

    ATHERTON beat the bad weather on Saturday. Their match with Adlington was the only one played in the Vimto Bolton Association - and they netted eight points after batting first and totalling 143-7 off their 38 overs. Jonathan Fearick top scored wih 31

  • East's champagne at the double

    LEIGH EAST U15s are happy to be "Best in the North West". Success followed last season's disappointments of runners-up in both league and cup. East clinched the Premier League title three weeks ago when, after going unbeaten all season, they beat third-placed

  • Labour's let me down already

    I AM a single parent family, with three children. I work full time but get Family Credit as I am on a low income. I voted Labour at the General Election because I believed that Labour was for the working class. However, now I regret even voting. I have

  • Higgins rap for top trio

    LEIGH have revealed why three key players missed Sunday's home win over York. Forward trio Matt Nixon, Nick Jenkins and Neil Jukes were all dropped as disciplinary measures after stepping out of line. But Leigh will not be making public the exact nature

  • Schools need to move with the times

    IN A nominally-Christian country, it may come as a shock to find a school seeking to opt out of the long-standing requirement that morning assembly includes recognition of the Christian faith. Yet, the bid by governors of Hawthorns County Junior in Blackburn

  • Heather's a splash hit

    GOLDEN girl Heather Frederiksen is showing the way for Atherton Swim Club. She struck gold in the 12-Year 200 IM at the sixth Central Lancashire Age Groups. There was gold, too, for the club's 9/10-Year 4x50 freestyle team of Iain Howard, Dean Jones,

  • Poop patrol steps in

    DOG owners in Pendle will find themselves in court if they fall foul of the council's poop patrol. Fifteen council staff have been trained to put new legislation into practice and will be scouring the area to ensure owners comply. They have vowed to prosecute

  • Tiny battler Melissa's a supertot

    WHEN little Melissa McHugo was born three months prematurely by Caesarian section and weighing in at just under three pounds, doctors at Warrington Hospital could give her only a 10 per cent chance of survival. And her battle for life took another turn

  • Tyldesley's touch of class

    TYLDESLEY RU are expecting a record number of entries as they again host the Matthew Brown Brewery Touch Rugby Sevens. Last summer saw 12 teams battle it out for a first prize of £250, eventually won by Sinatra's Swingers, a team consisting of players

  • Waywell's deadly dozen

    LEIGH RMI overcame early jitters to demolish Workington 4-0. And now the title comes down to Saturday's final matches with RMI at home to Gretna and leaders Radcliffe entertaining Matlock. "We've put ourselves right back in the frame," said boss Steve

  • Mosaic agreed for arcade floor

    A NEW mosaic floor is a step nearer being installed in the Victorian Arcade, Accrington, after councillors approved the plans. Development services members were told that the present concrete surface was wearing out. An application for grant aid to replace

  • Dealing a blow to fear

    WITH violent attacks becoming more it's not surprising some women are afraid to walk anywhere alone. Now, a local man is trying to change all that with self-defence classes aimed at making women feel confident and secure. Paul Higham runs the weekly classes

  • Amina cooks up a winner

    WALSHAW High School, Burnley, has a "souper'' chef in year nine student Amina Latif. Already Amina has won a cooker for the school's teaching kitchen by reaching the semi-finals of a national competition. If she gets to the final and wins, there will

  • Hanson sparks 50-year celebration

    BACK in the black and white days of the late 1940s, when heavy boots pushed panelled leather footballs around muddy pitches and legends like Tommy Lawton, Len Shackleton and Wilf Mannion plied their golden trade for meagre wages, a plan emerged to stage

  • New SOS from Romania: Can we twin with you?

    CARING cops have a request from the mayor of the Romanian town they visited on a mercy mission - will you twin your town with ours? The 13 Lancashire Constabulary volunteers were asked by Hateg mayor Ioan Glodeanu to help forge stronger links with East

  • Top marks for caring school

    THE OFSTED report on Haydock High School describes it as "an established, friendly and effectively-managed school." Clear vision, firm and committed leadership and drive by the head teacher have successfully brought about a number of significant changes

  • Blue and white Heather is fan of the year!

    TEENAGER Heather Clark is glowing blue and white with pride after being named Blackburn Rovers' supporter of the year. The 18-year-old student, of Foxstones Crescent, Blackburn, combines her love of the team with a desire to help others. She is a member

  • Man knifed and clubbed in underpass attack

    THREE attackers knifed, clubbed and kicked a 28-year-old man in a midnight assault in an underpass near to Gannow roundabout, Burnley. Police believe the incident to be an attempted robbery although the offenders ran off empty-handed. The victim, who

  • Those glory days are bulldozed

    ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD THE two old soccer skippers turned up for their last appearance on the hallowed turf of Vista Park, once among the most illustrious non-league venues in the North. But for Jack Jaundrill, newly celebrating his 80th birthday, and 63

  • Traders driven out by crime

    SHOPKEEPERS in East Lancashire are giving up their trade because of the rising tide of crime against them. A survey has revealed nine out of ten independent retailers questioned had been the victim of crime in the last year. Half said they felt like giving

  • Safety swoop puts six buses off roads

    FUEL leaks, defective brakes, nails in tyres and steering faults were discovered in a safety blitz on buses yesterday. The crackdown by police and vehicle inspectors on school and service buses in Hyndburn and Blackburn led to six out of the 31 vehicles

  • Pollution fears over industrial laundry

    FURIOUS residents believe an industrial laundry planned for a quiet area of Blackburn will cause disruption and pollution. People living around Vale Mill in Emerald Street are angry at moves to open a denim washing and dyeing works. And they want the

  • Kids today? They have no respect

    I will no doubt receive brickbats and bouquets for the following, but so what? My moan this week is about the apparent lack of respect that youths show to anybody over the age of 21. I'm talking about an incident at the weekend when a couple of young

  • Bishop to attend 125th birthday.

    THE Bishop of Manchester is to help celebrate the 125th birthday of one of Bury's oldest churches on June 29. The Rt. Rev. Christopher Mayfield will attend a special mass at St Peter's Church which was built at a cost of £4,500. The Manchester Road church's

  • Council homes bid to new Minister

    PENDLE Liberal Democrats are to call on the new Housing Minister to visit the area as part of a campaign to keep council estates under local authority control. The ruling administration's housing spokesman, Coun David Clegg, is to move a motion at the

  • Arson attack at empty college

    THE former Whitefield College, which is due for demolition, was the centre of a weekend arson attack. Firebugs struck at the building in Albert Road and set five small fires, three in the gymnasium and two in the main building. Now, detectives are continuing

  • Steve's Wembley verdict

    RELUCTANTLY transfer-listed he may be, but Saints' exciting full-back Steve Prescott has put contract talks with the club on hold until after Wembley. "All that matters is that we retain the Challenge Cup, and with Saints now hitting top form and team

  • Andy has a word for it!

    WORDS of wisdom from time's great thinkers are the motivating force of a popular Saints' star. For larger-than-life character Andy Northey is a disciple of Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle, along with their Chinese counterpart Confucius and even

  • Lottery son again refused bail

    THE son of Leigh lottery millionaire Ken White, accused of drug smuggling, had a second bid for bail refused by magistrates in Manchester. Father-of-two Richard White, aged 33, of Meadowbank Gardens, Glazebury, was among seven men on remand charged at

  • Locals share in pools win

    FIVE local men and women are among a 14-strong syndicate sharing a pools win of more than £1 million. And the man who filled in the coupon and received the cheque didn't win a penny! They all work for the NatWest Bank at Bolton or Wigan and have been

  • Dorothy's £50,000 'House!' delight

    AN Atherton housewife who regularly plays bingo with her identical twin sister will now be able to buy a bungalow after shouting 'house' on Monday night. For Dorothy Keen, 60, a mother of four, won a whopping £55,000 at the Shipley Bingo Club in Leigh

  • Jailed tycoon launches appeal

    TYCOON Owen Oyston has launched his fight for freedom - almost 12 months since being jailed. A file of new evidence has been sent by lawyers to London where three judges are expected to considers whether to grant him leave to appeal against his six-year

  • Women's salute for dedicated Helen

    A SPECIAL Needs teacher who has spent two years living and working in Romanian orphanages has received a top accolade from a St Helens womens' group. Helen Boardman from Vincent Street, St Helens, was awarded the annual 'Woman in the Community Award'

  • The hottest show in town

    THEY'RE back and they're better than ever. This Saturday, May 3, sees the return of the Hot Ice Show to the Blackpool Pleasure Beach, with a cast of 26 - including 15 champion skaters, 300 costumes and some of the world's most advanced laser displays.

  • High fliers get a Royal boost

    THORNTON firm Victrex has soared to win a Queen's export award - thanks to a high-strength plastic used in aircraft. The award came after a phenomenal 60 per cent increase in exports over just three-and-a-half years since Victrex was formed by a management

  • Man's brutal ordeal at midnight

    TWO brutal thugs attacked a man and robbed him of £50 in St Helens town centre. The incident took place at about midnight on Friday, April 25 as the 31-year-old victim was walking through a passageway on to Ormskirk Street. He felt a blow to the back

  • Thai's the way!

    YOUNG Aimie Bell is heading a trio of Thai boxers from Burnley and Pendle who look set to become stars of the sport. Aimie, 12, from Burnley, has won all of her three fights so far, her most recent triumph coming at Middleton in a North-West junior 37kg

  • Victim was robbed then burgled

    POLICE are hunting for two men who attacked a youth before snatching his keys and burgling his house. The 18-year-old victim was walking his dog along Peasley Cross Lane, Peasley Cross, at about 10.45pm, when he noticed he was being followed by two men

  • Juninho threat

    TONY Parkes picked out Juninho as the greatest threat to Blackburn Rovers' survival hopes at Ewood tonight but dismissed suggestions he might give a special man-marking role to someone. "I thought Middlesbrough were excellent in the first half at Old

  • Facing the real world

    LOCAL politicians were invited to Lancaster's Market Square for a taste of the 'real world' on Saturday. All the candidates involved in the race to be the city's member of parliament were put on the spot at an open air debate organised by the Lancaster

  • Number's up for prison

    LANCASTER Farms Prison is full to bursting point with inmates languishing on remand for months because of prison service cut backs. The institution, regarded as the 'jewel in the crown' of the prison service, is facing a daily struggle to find places

  • Hignore him at your peril

    COMPARE Craig Hignett to Juninho and most people would say there is no comparison. One hails from Sao Paulo in the land of the Samba and has 'world-class' stamped on his CV, while the other learned his trade in the shadow of the railway cuttings at Crewe

  • Avon calling

    THE detective who masterminded Operation Avon, the investigation which led to the arrest and conviction of 19 drug dealers in Burnley, says the sentences they received should serve as a strong deterrent to others. A judge at Preston Crown Court jailed

  • MRI magic raises £18,000

    A SELL-OUT concert at the Grand Theatre, Blackpool, has raised much-needed cash for the Victoria Hospital MRI scanner appeal. Campaigners are now almost halfway to their target of £1.9m for the life-saving equipment, which is used to detect early signs

  • Jim fixes it for Shrimps

    Morecambe 2 Southport 1 SUPER sub Jim McCluskie broke Morecambe's scoring duck on Tuesday night to give the Shrimps a superb victory in front of an appreciative home crowd. For 78 frustrating minutes Morecambe bobbed and weaved their way through the Southport

  • Police grant a little boy's wish

    SIX year-old Matthew Hurley's wish came true when he was invited to Bispham Police Station for a VIP tour. Matthew of Moor Park Infants, Bispham, wrote to his local constabulary to tell them about his interest in the police and ask if he could come for