MUMS-TO-BE who fear their newborn babies may be kidnapped were today reassured that everything possible is being done to protect them. The pledge was made by hospital chiefs in East Lancashire following the dramatic case of Karli Hawthorne who was taken
RECENT letters criticising Stagecoach's abysmal record of service reliability in this area would appear to level most of their accusation at the attitude of its drivers. If this is the case, surely, their attitude is simply indicative of its management
GREAT-grandmother Anne Birchenough got the shock of her life when her shopping trip with her daughter to Preston turned her into a TV celebrity! The 'Girls Who Shop' - Susannah Constantine and Trinny Woodall - intercepted Anne, 80, and her daughter Joan
PRINCE Charles and Princess DI were ready to live apart. A formal announcement that they were ready to live separate lives was expected from the Queen. In the Commons the Prime Minister was making a statement to MPs about the conclusion of delicate negotiations
LANCASHIRE Hawks new golden boy Alan Hough is already the toast of Blackburn after his four-goal barrage against Paisley Pirates on Saturday night. But the young starlet has won the heart of the national ice hockey press too. As if to cement Hawks' born-again
SHOKAT Ali takes on current world snooker champion Ken Doherty in the last 16 of the German Open today in the biggest game of his career. It is the first time the Blackburn-based star has made it to this stage of a major tournament. The Pakistan team
AMERICA - supported by Britain - is putting the pressure on developing countries to sign up to cutting their emissions of fossil fuel gases early next century and will refuse to ratify the Kyoto summit's protocol on reducing global warming unless they
CHRISTMAS has been cancelled in Rishton by order of Hyndburn Council. I am sure readers, residents and visitors to the town will have noticed the pathetic lack of Christmas decoration in the town this year - and not for the first time. While the Council's
HOME Secretary Jack Straw has agreed to look into the case of a teenage soldier who died after being bullied in the Army. The 19-year-old's parents, Elaine and Owen Johnston, have been demanding an inquiry into the incidents surrounding their son Andrew's
Tuesday Topic, with Christine Rutter EVER wondered why you had a hunch about something or instantly disliked someone you met? It could the work of your guardian angels - celestial navigators who play daily mind games to steer the course of your life and
WHY can't the Government let people make up their own mind as to whether or not they eat beef. How many people die from smoking-related illnesses, but they will not ban smoking. Why? Because of all the tax they would lose. They don't care about the farmers
A fan's-eye view of the season, with Stephen Cummings DEPRESSING this weekend, wasn't it? Whilst most teams joined in the annual footballing party more commonly referred to as the FA Cup third round draw, Clarets' supporters were left to lick their wounds
MUG shots of known car criminals and persistent offenders have been issued to car park attendants and traffic wardens in Burnley town centre. They are the latest recruits in the fight to crack down on car crime. Since the introduction of CCTV cameras
A FIVE-year-old girl is back at school three weeks after education bosses told her parents she could not attend because of her epilepsy. Naomi Tyrie is once again playing with her friends at Moor End Primary School, Oswaldtwistle, after an agreement was
I WAS disturbed to read your report (LET, December 2) that if people don't attend the dentist within 15 months, they will be struck off the NHS dentist. This government ruling makes no allowance for the fact that many people suffer great anxiety and fear
A BID for lottery cash to fund an ambitious scheme to create a centre of cricketing excellence at a Pendle High School is expected to be submitted in the New Year. The £2 million project took a step nearer reality when the county council's development
TURF Moor secretary John Howarth today put the blame firmly on Grimsby Town for a simmering row over the lack of concessionary prices for Burnley fans at Blundell Park. And he said that the fault was caused by Grimsby's lack of organisation. Mr Howarth
A TERRIFIED mother-of-five was today recovering from shock after thugs fired a shotgun through her front door at point-blank range. The 27-year-old woman was sleeping with two of her children in her bed upstairs when she was woken by a knock on the door
NORTHERNERS had a more prosperous lifestyle than their counterparts in many parts of the Yuppie south, a study said. The Ribble Valley was one of the "Northern lights" identified in the study which scored highly on the quality of life, based on social
REGARDING the looming loss of 5,000 jobs in the British coal industry, Germany subsidises its miners and we import their coal. Does the Government like seeing Britain's industries being forced into liquidation? Ban those imports. Also, the farmers are
THE government's plans to overhaul the NHS, unveiled today in a White Paper, promise a bonfire of the red tape that the Tories' internal market created and savings of £1billion that will be ploughed into front-line patient care. That, if it is achieved
DISGRACED pop star Gary Glitter has left an East Lancashire family feeling more glum than glam after they paid more than £130 to see him. Jan Pettitt, of Dandy Row, Darwen and her family were looking forward to watching the Glam Rock king in one of his
THE 66 schools throughout East Lancashire who have been using our local history and language resource "Spotlight on the Century", were invited to enter several competitions linked to this theme. Although the entries are still being judged and results
A NEW £2 million fire station for Hyndburn could be on the cards after the scheme won the backing of the Home Office. The plans for the new four-bay station in Church have been awarded Pathfinder Status under the controversial Private Finance Initiative
FA Youth Cup 2nd rnd replay: Manchester United 2 Blackburn Rovers 3 - Peter White reports OWN goals are becoming quite a speciality of the house at Old Trafford but, this time, the boot was on the other foot as Blackburn Rovers deservedly went through
A HUSBAND and wife suffered chest injuries when their car was "sandwiched" in a four car pile-up on a busy country road. The accident happened on the A56 Colne Road, Kelbrook, between Great Hague Farm and the Old Stone Trough Inn, yesterday. Police said
HOME Secretary Jack Straw has vowed to get tough on drunken and drug-crazed louts and says key elements of his Crime and Disorder Bill include anti social behaviour orders on families like Blackburn's infamous nightmare neighbours, the Liddles (LET, December
DAMIEN Duff is closing in on a senior international call, with the possibility of a Republic of Ireland 'B' international appearance in the New Year. The 18-year-old Blackburn Rovers starlet, who has started to make an impact on the Premiership, has yet
