OUR disclosure today that hoax calls made from just one pair of telephone boxes in an East Lancashire street are costing the fire service tens of thousands of pounds in wasted turn-outs is disturbing enough in itself. But it is a truly chilling thought
Goole 2 Ramsbottom Utd 1 RAMSBOTTOM UNITED were knockd off the FA Cup trail by a Goole side who looked far hungrier for the challenge. Ramsbottom kicked off into a strong wind and Goole were first to show, Mike Smith charging a shot down. A lengthy delay
1885: Jumbo the elephant was killed by a train. Owned by Phineas T. Barnum, he was believed to be the largest African bush elephant ever held in captivity. After a show in Ontario, Jumbo, along with his tiny stablemate Tom Thumb, was being led back to
CUTS: Bury Council approved local government expenditure cuts totalling £603,000. LIGHT-FINGERED: A sneak thief who stole £700 from a jacket pocket missed out on a further haul. Had he looked in the other pocket he would have found another £500. The thief
WHAT I find truly astonishing about the fuel crisis, is how a small number of people could almost bring this country to a standstill in less than a week. To avoid a repetition of this unacceptable situation, wartime legislation needs to be introduced.
AS a small business person -- a coach operator -- trying to survive in this cruel world, I find the total arrogance shown by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown over the fuel crisis beyond belief. Over a 12 month period I have suffered five fuel price increases
WE are endlessly bombarded with the evils of the motor car. We are told it is a hugh drain on the world's natural resorces, a polluting, gas-emitting curse responsible for resperatory diseases, nervous breakdowns, road rage and terrible accidents. Yet
BURNLEY Council today aborted its £6.5million bus station redevelopment scheme -- just three months before the major new shops and airport lounge-style station project was due to start. Regeneration bosses broke off negotiations with Manchester developers
PORTSMOUTH are not the best travellers -- just ask Steve Claridge. The roguish Pompey forward was due to link up with a few team-mates on a recent stag party trip to Amsterdam for team-mate David Waterman. Having been the victim of a seat mix up for the
OUR 'Dunk the Fireman' event held in Church Square was a great success. More than £450 was raised for the National Fire Service Benevolent Fund and we would like to place our appreciation on record. Local firefighters would like to thank everyone who
IS it possible for most of the pupils at Bleak Hill CP to walk to school for the next 12 months? Many parents drive a very short distance to deliver children rather than taking the healthy option of a 10 or 15-minute walk. While the new school is being
THE Friends of the Theatre Royal held a Garden Party at Windle Hall on August 27. Despite the weather threatening to drown everyone in the morning it stayed fine and sunny all afternoon. Unfortunately, Ken Dodd was unable to attend. But after the event
LIFE as part of the staff at an historic hall more than 100 years ago was re-created for visitors to Gawthorpe Hall, Padiham. Maureen Fenton, who played cook/housekeeper Mrs Fairfax, and Bill Hemingway, who took the part of Mr Wingfield the butler, gave
A CAMPAIGN to put the people and the pleasure back into parks has taken a major step forward with discussions being held to introduce a 'Park Watch' scheme. St Helens Council, community police and members of the public have been discussing an initiative
SHOP owner Kanchad Patel was back behind the counter today after being robbed at knife point by two masked men. Mrs Patel, 38, who runs a corner general grocery store in Florence Street, Burnley, said: "I was shocked rather than terrified. "They were
A MAN infected with HIV spat at police and bit one officer as he was arrested outside a nightclub. And now David Harold Trickett, 38, of Monmouth Street, Burnley, may face jail after magistrates heard he became upset outside the town's Genesis nightclub
A POLICE crackdown on cabs, which saw more than a quarter of the taxis tested immediately ordered off the road, has helped persuade council chiefs to order an age limit on private hire vehicles in Burnley. Spot checks by police and licensing enforcement
BURNLEY Council today aborted its £6.5million bus station redevelopment scheme -- just three months before the major new shops and airport lounge-style station project was due to start. Regeneration bosses broke off negotiations with Manchester developers
BRAINY Peter Gaynor walked away with £64,000 after hitting the jackpot on TV's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire -- but was kicking himself after missing out on an extra £61,000 by the width of a piece of paper. Peter, 46, of Nelson, kept smiling and kept
CARL Gregory scored Ramford Ranger's 'first' goal in the St Helens Combination, to reply to the 50 goals scored against them in their first season. Other goals in a 3-11 defeat by Bold Miners were put away by Shaun Beardwood and a Phil Anders penalty.
Parr Hare & Hounds 22 Leigh Royal Oak 38 ILL discipline and a failure to retain possession proved costly for Hounds. Having moved into a deserved 10-4 lead at the end of the first quarter, with a try by strong-running second-row Barry Dearden and
Portico 40 Pilkington Recs 10 PORTICO powered to an impressive win against their local rivals. They opened their account with a penalty from Mike Hobin. Pilks came back with a penalty converted by Mike Forber. But Portico stepped up a gear with a try
Thatto Heath Crusaders 58 New Earswick All Blacks 20 HEATH demolished the visitors from York with a 10-try blitz by Heath at Red Rocks on Saturday. The early exchanges promised a close game with All Blacks leading with a penalty goal from full-back Dave
London Broncos 12 Saints 38 SHORTHANDED Saints completed the treble over the Broncos without having to slip into top gear at the Valley on Saturday. Tipped as a potential 'banana skin' for Saints, the reality was they were rarely extended in this top-versus-bottom
PLUMES of poisonous smoke filled the air above Huncoat after an arson attack on a paint factory. Residents living close to the Church Paint and Varnish Company on the Huncoat Industrial Estate were warned to stay indoors with the windows shut while firefighters
A BUILDING in danger of collapse caused disruption for commuters travelling on the main street through Oswaldtwistle. The front wall of the empty shop, which was undergoing renovation, began to crack and crumble, causing diversions for traffic and pedestrians
AMERICAN-style school buses could soon be providing a door-to-door pick-up service for Leigh's children. First Manchester Buses unveiled a yellow school bus before local children. In the United States, the buses are driven by someone the children know
AN EPILEPTIC man who became depressed after the death of his daughter was found dead from an overdose of anti-depressants. An open verdict was recorded on 53-year-Terence Kennedy, of Kane Court, Lowton, because acting coroner Simon Nelson was not satisfied
By Paola Alvino PLANS to merge Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust with Wrightington Hospital are now out for consultation. The proposal has been welcomed as "a great step forward" by the Community Health Council (CHC). And the people of Leigh are expected to support
CAT lover Betty Jones is the purr-fect foster mum. The Leigh pensioner, who has six felines of her own, is one of an army of carers who looks after the area's abandoned, sick and ferrel pusses until they are re-homed. Treasurer of Atherton & Wigan
THE PARENTS a four week old baby who tragically died have paid tribute to their brave little son. "He had real character even though he was so young we will never forget him," said his father Stephen Mannion. Acting coroner Simon Nelson recorded a verdict
PETROL has started leaking into the Leigh area again after petrol stations ran dry on Tuesday as the fuel blockade tightened its grip on the North-west. All local petrol stations put up "Sold Out" signs and long queues formed at those with fuel left.
A DEPRESSED man seen by a police officer banging the headset against a telephone kiosk was upset over the death of his grandmother, Burnley Magistrates heard. The court was told Paul Finch, 28, had only recently found out about her death two months ago
BURY companies are invited to attend a major conference to learn how to benefit from the Internet revolution. The Reebok Stadium in Bolton is the venue for the event which is being staged by 3es, linking e-business, exports and the Euro. Backed by the
BURY business bosses have been urged to be aware of new legislation giving staff the right to be accompanied in dispute hearings at work. The Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF) says the new legislation, which came into force earlier this month, allows
LOCAL business leaders are backing calls for radical tax reform. Bolton and Bury Chamber has supported pressure to persuade the Government to ease the burden businesses face from an "over complex" tax and payroll system. The Chamber has endorsed the response
Cummings and goings with Steven Cummings IT WOULD appear to be open season on Andy Cooke. From opposition defenders who haul him down in the penalty area without punishment, to self-appointed pundits on local radio phone-ins who are similarly intent on
SUBSTANTIAL discounts are on offer for Leigh Centurions fans who buy their season tickets early. To qualify for the knockdown prices, fans must purchase their tickets before November 25. After that date they will revert to the full prices. Another new
THE battle of the two Nationwide Conference new boys ended honours even. But Leigh RMI will be the most disappointed side, needing a late Andy Mason goal to rescue a point in Saturday's 2-2 home draw with Boston United. RMI are still short of the killer
ASSISTANT Daisy Hill manager Brian Smith has his own ideas on how the North Western Counties League Division Two will pan out, putting it in the same three-tier league as the Premiership. He says: "The North West Counties League is made up of 20 teams
Leigh Miners Rangers 26 Wigan St Patrick's 10 LEIGH Miners pulled off a convincing win over their old rivals in a match that had all the typical ingredients of a fiery derby match. If the rugby was not the most fluent that either team has produced in
CENTURIONS chairman Mike Nolan has issued a firm 'hands off' warning to Halifax Blue Sox who are chasing two of Hilton Park's brightest young stars. Leigh claim that hooker Mick Higham and full-back Stuart Donlan have been approached about possible moves
RESIDENTS in the Sunnybank area of Bury will get a chance to discuss providing facilities for youngsters on Thursday (Sept 21). The Whitefield and Unsworth Area Board's youth issues sub-group has called a meeting to be held at Sunnybank Primary School
A SPORTS psychologist has been drafted in to help overweight residents shed their unwanted pounds. Anwar Haq, who is also a behaviour therapist, will be leading the Mind and Body workshops at Images Gym at Bury's Castle Leisure Centre. He is confident
TWO passengers needed treatment after a four-car collision at Heap Bridge. The accident happened at 1.50pm on Sunday (Sept 17) at Rochdale Road-Bury New Road. Sheila Smith (41), of Arran Grove, Radcliffe, who was a passenger in a Ford Orion car, sustained
KEEN conservationists can join a pond clearance project at Philips Park, Whitefield this weekend. Working with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, which is based at the park's Barn Countryside Centre, local people can help tidy up the watery
A SPONSORED bike ride is to be held in Bury this weekend to help a 20-month-old cerebral palsy victim walk independently. Matthew Gaughran needs a special bike to help him achieve this aim and fund-raisers have lined up several events to meet the £600
HOPES of an end to strike action by First Manchester bus drivers have been dashed. A ballot of around 1,750 employees on rejected the latest offer made by the firm. Now the timetable of strikes, temporarily shelved on Friday (Sept 15) and yesterday (Sept
IF YOU would like to leave Bury for a new life in New Zealand local author Joy Muirhead's new book is a must read. Mrs Muirhead left the area in 1972 to live in New Zealand, but returned to her home town last year to spend time with her elderly mother
STUDENT Kay Thompson is hoping to tune in to a career in broadcasting after spending her summer break working for the BBC. The 20-year-old from Crawford Street, Clock Face, secured a month's placement at the BBC's Manchester studios as part of her media
MOST people are ready to settle down when they're approaching the age of 80. But not intrepid Hannah Taylor. For Hannah ,of Saunders Avenue, Prescot, is preparing to make the biggest move of her life. For she is leaving her home of 34 years to live in
ST HELENS Council is calling on the Government to provide local authorities with greater powers to deal more effectively with illegal trespassers. A meeting of full council saw all-party support for the bid, made by council leader, Marie Rimmer, in response
MERSEYSIDE Police are following up new lines of inquiry to trace a sex attacker following hundreds of calls to the BBC's Crimewatch programme. The investigation into a series of attacks between 1989 and 1994, codenamed Operation Dragon, was featured on
ROTARIANS have decided to honour their late president as they come to terms with his sudden death. Businessman Peter Holderness, 57, lost his battle against cancer in July, shortly after being elected by the Rotary Club of Darwen. Club members have decided
ORGANISERS of East Lancashire's motorbike show today confirmed it will go ahead despite the recent petrol crisis. They say next weekend's Rossendale Valley Motorbike Show is expected to draw more than 40,000 spectators, who will witness a cavalcade of
A TROUPE of village dancers tapped into a world record breaking chorus line - and raised almost £200 for charity. The fun loving Glazebury Tappers joined Wayne Sleep and thousands of friends, and the stars of Coronation Street, at Dance Day 2000 at Manchester's
FOURTEEN previously unpublished old photographs of Howe Bridge have been put together for a fundraising "true millennium" calendar. Voluntary archivist for the village, Joan Szymanowski, has dug into her records to produce the unseen pictures in sepia
A FATHER on a motorbike scrambling with his young son fell in the middle of wasteland, sparking a huge 999 search. The 35-year-old man fractured a leg and lay helpless with his distressed son, aged eight, on the deserted track off Plank Lane, Leigh, on
ATHERTON'S Gareth Williams hopes opportunity knocks for his career when he takes his script writing talents to Hollywood. The 21-year-old will be taking his work with him in the hope that his two-week stay in the film capital of the world will pay dividends
JEANETTE Brakewell was today celebrating Lancashire's fourth medal of Sydney 2000 and Britain's first Olympic equestrian medal since 1988. The 26-year-old Brindle rider was part of the four-strong Great Britain Three-Day Event team which took a superb
TO the left gleaming curves. To the right more curves. More gleams. A fine feast of fast cars -- the biggest collection that East Lancashire had ever seen. More than 800 Porsches gathered for the National Porsche Festival 2000, the first to be held in
HILL farmers in East Lancashire have been thrown a multi-million pound safety net to protect incomes over the next two years, following talks between union chiefs and government officials. Around 500 hill farmers in East Lancashire will be affected by
Gt Harwood Town 2, Abbey Hey 1 WARREN Peake volleyed home a late goal to clinch Great Harwood's first North West Counties Division One win of the season. Peake rifled home Andy Clarkson's cross with just minutes left on the clock to send third placed
PRESTON may have to throw 17-year-old keeper Tony McMillan into the deep end to ease their goalkeeper crisis ahead of tonight's Worthington Cup second round first leg tie at Deepdale against Premier side Coventry City. McMillan is youth and reserve team
CRICKET: Lancashire captain John Crawley was "surprised and delighted" today after his shock selection for the England A tour of West Indies. Crawley was one of three Lancashire players celebrating with Chris Schofield also included in the A-team and
RAINHILL CC have been confirmed as Division Two champions of the Bromborough Paint's Merseyside Competitionthanks to an emphatic win at Old Xaverians. Captain Mike Rotheram made his 41 runs count to bat their way to victory with help from Geoff Cropper
ST HELENS Recs were beaten at Hightown on Saturday. The home side elected to bat first and Freeman and Galbraith bowled well taking five and three wickets but could not stop the home side from declaring on 180-9. In reply Martindale started well. But
West Park 63 Penrith nil THIS preliminary round Tetley Bitter Cup-tie between the respective county cup holders West Park and Cumbria's Penrith was a one-horse race with the home side running in 11 tries. After only two minutes a superb forward drive
TONY Blair, when he agreed to carry on with the monster that eats money, the Dome, came out with his usual claptrap about it being the envy of the world. Well, two billion Chinese and more than one billion people in the sub-continent have not the slightest
I AM a very angry 56-year-old grandmother from Radcliffe with 13 grandchildren, aged from one to 13. I cannot understand why children with special needs can't get the help they so desperately require. My daughter moved to Oldham with my 10-year-old grandchild
MAY I reply finally to "Bury Pensioner" (Your Letters, September 8) and quote from the declaration that was made when the Bury Pensioners Association was founded in 1984. "The Pensioners movement is a non-party political movement. We accept members from
AFTER reading your article about the closure of Rock House in Radcliffe (September 7) I profess to having a bone to pick with Mr Ivan Lewis MP and the residents of nearby Joseph Street and Stand Lane. As a result of drug and psychological problems some
PROTESTS against petrol increases paid off this week! But who for? Panic buying saw long queues form at pumps throughout Sunday and Monday by which time many were empty. Motorists filled up with the green gold as if there was no tomorrow - despite some
A CHARITY quiz night in aid of the Mayor's Christmas Toy Appeal will be held at Windle Labour Club on Thursday, October 19. Organisers are looking for teams of no more than six people to sign up for the 40-question trivia quiz. The evening, which kicks
A WOMAN suffered from hand and leg injuries after being dragged along a path by a teenager who stole her mobile phone. The incident happened in Holt Lane, Rainhill at 2.15pm on Tuesday, September 5 when the man, pulled up by the woman in a silver saloon
THUGS kicked and punched a young father in front of his terrified young son as they fed some ducks at a pond in Sutton Manor. The incident happened at 2.30pm on Monday, September 4 as the 28-year-old man and his seven-year-old son wandered around the
DRIVERS hoping to get their cars back on the roads following the lifting of the fuel blockades found themselves in for a nasty shock with a number of petrol stations raising their prices. Most of the borough's filling stations were open for business over
Friends In Bereavement, St John's Methodist Church, Albert Road, Colne, 7pm. 'Orkney and Camp 60' by Mary Briggs. Blackburn Rambling Associatio, Oddfellows Hall, Regent Street, Blackburn, 8pm. Games and chat. Humphrey Lyttleton and his Band, Burnley Mechanics
THE last event in this year's Morada International-sponsored Grand Prix was held on the Market Street track and under floodlights. Included in the 12 starters in the 3000m were club chairman Terry Ratcliffe, Manchester Marathon runners Pete Bates and
Blackpool Mechanics 0, Radcliffe Borough...1 RADCLIFFE BOROUGH put their off-field troubles behind them to grind out a win that takes them into an FA Cup second qualifying round home tie with West Auckland on September 30. Ian Lunt was the Boro's goalscoring
I THINK our hospitals should have solar panels on their roofs, because some time in the future we are going to run out of oil. This fuel protest has given us a taste of what's to come and proves we need to find a replacement for oil. PAUL WHITEHEAD, Silloth
RECENTLY, Tony Blair's father in law Tony Booth, said that pensions should once again be earnings-related. The Prime Minister refuted this as being far too expensive to contemplate. What hogwash! £628 million thrown at a dysfunctional Dome! £25 million
NOW that the petrol protest has come to an end, I wonder if any of the activists can assure me that if they are successful in obtaining a cut in the tax, I will see a reduction in the cost of farm produce or taxi journeys. I noticed in my local supermarket
REGARDING the fuel dispute, my daughter awoke on Wednesday morning to find all her car's fuel had been taken in the early hours. We are all in favour of the protest, but she needs her car to get to work in Blackburn each day from where she lives in Burnley
THE British pub was the envy of the world. Countries tried to import it, we tried to export it. What made it so special? The licensing laws. The entire country went mellow at the same time, for the last hour, old and young were in the same place at the
A COUPLE who supplied tablets they believed to be ecstasy to help them get out of debt have been jailed for six months. Jenny Garrity, 23, and James Aston, 19, were arrested after police seized 29 tablets with dove motifs on but they were actually the
FANS' favourite Tim Street will be back in Leigh colours next season - for one last time. The popular prop has agreed a new one-year deal with the Centurions but as exclusively revealed his plans to retire at the end of the next campaign. "Next season
Rovers 4, Portsmouth 0 Worthington Cup second round, September 19 2000, Ewood Park Blackburn Rovers (2) 4 Carsley21, Thomas 23, 60, Ostenstad 53 Portsmouth (0) 0 GRAEME Souness's decision to switch formations and hand fringe players a chance paid immediate
THROUGH the pages of the Star may I ask if there are any of your readers who are 'ordinary women' and who may be willing to help run or support a local Rainbow, Brownie, Guide or Senior Section Group in the Liverpool or St Helens area. You may be surprised
DURING the past weeks we have read much in the local press concerning St Helens Councils 'Peoples' Panels' and more recently that''Question Time' sessions' will give the St Helens public a chance to have their say. We would be more than content to see
A 28-YEAR-OLD Burnley man told a court of his missing hours after a night out in Blackburn. Darren Bailey said he could remember virtually nothing after leaving a pub at 10.30pm until he woke up in a police cell minus his shirt, wallet, watch and all
AN outline plan to build 13 houses in Harle Syke, Burnley, has been submitted to Burnley Council. The scheme has already sparked an opposition campaign among local people who took part in a street protest a month ago. The plan has been submitted to both
ENVIRONMENTAL health officers who monitored the noise from an East Lancashire pub found the loudest sound was passing traffic, while music from the jukebox was so faint it could hardly be heard. A team from the environmental health department of Burnley
Haresfinch 18 Wigan St Cuthberts 16 IT was hard work, but Finch are sitting pretty with two wins from two games. It was all Finch for the first 20 minutes, but they couldn't get over the try line, and St Cuthberts scored first with an unconverted try.
Bold Miners 50 Leigh Harriers 14 BOLD made it two out of two in this Division Two game. They opened the scoring when Dave Scott crossed the line. Leigh quickly replied and scored wide out. After a blockbusting run from Dave Davies, Ian Honey scored under
Clock Face 40 UGB Lions 12 CLOCK Face put the previous week's defeat firmly behind them with this impressive win against local rivals UGB. Graham Leadbetter opened the scoring for Clock, when he forced his way over from close range after 10 minutes, then
York Acorn 12 Blackbrook 18 IAN Callaghan was Blackbrook's two-try hero in this hard fought victory. However, full-back Paul Toole started the scoreboard ticking over with an early penalty. Brook's first try came from centre Mark Shaw when smart handling
A COUPLE who supplied tablets they believed to be ecstasy to help them get out of debt have been jailed for six months. Jenny Garrity, 23, and James Aston, 19, were arrested after police seized 29 tablets with dove motifs on but they were actually the
By Lesley Richards A RUN DOWN Hindley shopping centre is to be transformed as part of a major scheme to raise the profile of the town. The major Borsdane redevelopment has been welcomed by councillors and community leaders who say it is just the latest
A CRACKDOWN on hoaxers was launched today after it was revealed that malicious calls from these two telephones boxes are costing firefighters almost £2,000 a week and are putting lives at risk. The kiosks, next to the post office in Garbett Street, Accrington
I WAS having something to eat with a couple of journalists who were on their first visit to the European Parliament. They, like every other visitor, had their eyes opened wide as to the amount of activity that was going on. In this week alone we have
A WEALTHY business executive who killed a doting grandfather during a high speed car chase with another driver was jailed for 5 years on Friday. James Cresswell, a £52,000 a year director for his father's firm was travelling "like a bullet" when his Golf
LEIGH'S champion against abortion Mary T Lavelle was shattered when her premature nephew died at the age of 17 days. Baby Joseph Lavelle had been born 15 weeks early - just a week later than termination is allowed - and looked perfect. Sadly his underdeveloped
THE mother of a 23-year-old man who died from a fast-moving, flesh eating disease has held the first meeting of a new national support group. Dorren Marsden, of Moor Hey Farm, Ribchester, set up the Lee Spark NF Foundation for Severe Streptococcal Infections
RELIEVED to see the usual teenage hangabouts were not present, I drove up to the bottle bank at Sainsbury's last Wednesday at 9pm. On beginning to put my bottles in I was approached by a young girl and a slightly older boy out of a group of six 9-12 year
A BURY funeral home has cashed in on energy conservation to win a top award. Bury Co-op Funerals, based in Silver Street, beat funeral homes all over the North West to win the Co-op Energy Management Award 2000. The winner was announced at the Co-op Funerals
A DRUNKEN man damaged a CCTV camera installed by his estranged wife's new boyfriend at their former home, Burnley Magistrates heard. The court was told Gary Shackleton pulled a wire from the camera, went off in a taxi, but forgot his keys and was arrested
RIGHT up her street when it comes to learning the job. That's Bury woman Patsy Bradbury who has been presented with a top award from her employer, Brook Street, after just two months with the company. Patsy (27) won the trainee of the quarter award after
ONE hundred new jobs are expected to be created in Bury with the opening of a £1.5 million commercial development. And Businesslodge, which has been partly financed through the European Regional Development Fund, is poised to end the accommodation problems
Burnley 2 Crystal Palace 2 GOALS in the last 23 minutes from Andy Cooke and Andy Payton, from the penalty spot, kept Burnley's Worthington Cup hopes alive. Palace looked to have earned a comfortable lead to take back to Selhurst Park for next Tuesday
SATURDAY saw Eccleston win the final game of the season at Merseybus. Batting first on a ground were few boundaries would be scored, Merseybus struggled against a very lively and accurate Eccleston bowling attack. Only Hunter and Sorfleet scored double
ST HELENS primary schools football teams started their seasons off with two very close games. Their opponents were Walsall, and the games were played at Selwyn Jones Sports Centre in Newton-le-Willows. The B Team lost to a last minute goal in a 4-3 thriller
ATHERTON Colls look forward to gracing Wincham Park tomorrow, home of UniBond Division One outfit Witton Albion, in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round. The ground is Conference standard and the Colls lads are all set for a little slice of FA Cup magic
LEIGH Centurions Lifeline scheme is set for a major revamp with huge cash prizes up for grabs. From October 1, Lifeline will be renamed Super Leigh 2000 - a name synonymous with the Centurions and which will be easily recognisable as one of the club's
Wigan St Judes 40 Leigh East 22 IT was hard to imagine that the Leigh East side which made such a good start to the new season was the same one which came unstuck in Saturday's National Conference game at St Judes. Yet it was the same side - only this
ANDY Batterley lit up Genlec Leigh CC's final home game of the year with an innings of pure class against North Wales' leading side, Colwyn Bay. The statistics only tell half the story but for the record his 125 included 16 fours, two sixes took just
LEIGH RMI are left to ponder what might have been. Tuesday night saw Telford United nick all three Nationwide Conference points in a 2-1 triumph in front of a sparce crowd of just 281. RMI fell two behind and then almost snatch a draw with a spirited
A PENSIONER was robbed of her shopping as she walked home on Thursday afternoon (Sept 14). The 71-year-old was approached from behind in Tarn Drive at 2pm. She had her carrier bag snatched by a man described as white with dark hair and wearing a grey
A CLOSED Bury primary school was the target of firebugs at the weekend. Arsonists broke into the boiler room at the former Brandlesholme CP School before setting fire to a quantity of rubbish. Two crews from Bury spent an hour tackling the blaze which
LUCIEN Mettomo was set to fly into the country this afternoon to put the final touches to his on-off move to Blackburn Rovers. The protracted deal with St Etienne is at last set to be completed with the central defender undergoing a medical before putting
NIKOLAOS Michopoulos will make his Burnley debut against Crystal Palace tonight as manager Stan Ternent hands the goalkeeper a chance to impress. Michopolous will replace Paul Crichton in the Worthington Cup, second-round, first-leg at Turf Moor. The
THE profitability of companies in the North West has dropped to its lowest level in three years, according to latest figures in a "corporate health check". Experian, an information solutions company, reports that profitability fell by a fifth in the last
A FRAIL pensioner had her life savings stolen from her house less than a minute after popping out on a short errand. The 95-year-old victim left her home in St George's Avenue, at around midday on Monday, September 11, leaving her front door open. However
A VALUABLE vintage motorbike which two brothers have spent the last seven years lovingly restoring from scratch, has been stolen from a workshop in Prescot. The 1929 Scott TT-replica model was taken from an address in Warrington Road in the early hours
PILKINGTON is to 'mothball' a small glass manufacturing unit in St Helens. The closure of the unit, which has been used for experimental glass production and the manufacture of thin glass for the electronics industry, will result in 70 job losses. According
SHAKERS boss Andy Preece will this week be putting his mind to a goalscoring conundrum. Only five goals have been scored by forwards in the first ten games of the season and as Preece points out that's a figure that needs a rapid improvement. The club's
CARING Angela Murray has proved that she is a chip off the old block. She's being selected to undertake a 12-month community voluntary project with disabled and unemployed people in Hungary. The 22-year-old from Elgin Avenue, Garswood, is following in
MEMBERS of the public are being given the chance to air their views about issues in the community. St Helens Council is staging a second series of Area Forums on Wednesday, September 20 at six venues throughout the borough. Items on the agenda will include
A SCHEME to crack down on counterfeit replica sports clothing will be launched at Saints' big match with Wigan at Knowsley tomorrow (Friday, September 15). The Counterfeit Replica Sports Clothing Scheme is the latest activity in the anti-counterfeiting
AS the petrol crisis starts to ease with NW blockades being called off, the Government has earmarked priority petrol stations which will be supplied first. Locally they include: LEIGH: Greyhound Service Station, East Lancs Road. HINDLEY: United Co-op,
A REUNION for all ex-pupils and staff of the old Westhoughton Sacred Heart School has been arranged for September 29. The Lord Street school reunion will be held from 8pm at Greenfields Club in Wigan Road, Westhoughton. Past pupil Frank Gorringe explained
A FORMER Journal reporter has been found dead in the sea off the Cornish coast. Andrew Hunter, our district reporter in the Atherton area, was part of a Scottish scalloper crew fishing off Penzance. Mr Hunter, aged 43 and married, worked as a freelance
THE Government is being urged to get tough on water companies after people in Leigh were hit by a dangerous bug. Wigan Council want the law changed so North West Water could face prosecution if their supplies contain a high reading of Cryptosporidiosis
COUNCIL confusion over parking permits has caused more anger from residents living in the Ewood area of Blackburn. Residents living in homes in the Ramsey Road, Abbotsford Avenue and Malvern Avenue area of the district had been told that the prices for
THREE bus drivers and a plastics technician had a smashing time raising money for Children In Need. John West, Andy Robinson and Frank Walsh -- all drivers with Stagecoach Ribble -- plus Frank's son Neil, a plastics technician for RPC in Blackburn, are
A SPECIAL post for an 'e-government' and internet expert is to be created at Lancashire County Council. County Hall top brass believe the time has come to appoint a specialist councillor who will have a place in its new cabinet-style committee. The county
COUNCIL taxes in most parts of Lancashire look likely to rise by around 6.3 per cent next April, according to latest estimates. The increase would mean the average bill for a band D property would see bills go up from £770.82 to £819.38. The increase
TOWN Hall chiefs are celebrating after it was revealed they could be in line for more than £5million-worth of grants to improve vital services in the borough. The news came after it was announced Blackburn with Darwen Council has been chosen as one of
A GRANDMOTHER and her neighbours are pleading with a building company to stop rainwater flooding into their homes from a nearby site. Sandra Yates, of Westbury Gardens, Blackburn, said cement and even diesel are mixed with the water draining from the
CARL Fogarty today provided a strong indication that he is set to call time on his racing career. The four-times World Superbike champion was hoping to be in a position to make a concrete decision on his future after the first real work-out for his injured
TEEN golfing sensation Nick Dougherty swept the opposition aside to lift one of the most prestigious junior golf titles for the third time in four years. The 18-year-old amateur, who lists legend Nick Faldo among his closest golfing pals, won the Faldo
RUBEROID Sutton Cricket Club defeated St Marys College Old Boys by two wickets at New Street on Saturday. Batting first St Marys made slow progress against the Sutton attack but lost wickets regularly to be all out for 112 in 57 overs. Sutton then batted
DESPITE again scoring insufficient runs St Helens made Sefton struggle to earn a win at Windleshaw Road on Saturday. With three wickets down for seven and seven down for 41 the home side were always on the back foot and it was left to Gary Sheppard with
WITH just eight balls of the season remaining, the lights went out on Rainford's double bid as Skelmersdale leapfrogged both Mawdesley and Rainford to clinch the title on a day with more twists than an Agatha Christie novel. When Dave Hilton fell LBW
THE stars of the St Helens and District Rounders League received the rewards at their annual presentation night. Award winners included: Division One Winners Joan Toole Shield: Pilkington Spartans Division One Runners-Up Taberns Trophy: Windle Division
YOUNG Gate have hit the highs and lows in the early part of the season. The under 16s side won 6-0 in a midweek Rainhill Junior League fixture. But on Sunday they last by the same margin. RESULTS Wednesday, September 6 Under 15s: Basildon 0 Seneley and
A JUNIOR soccer squad have struck a rich vein of form. It's brought 17 goals in two games from Whiston under 16s in the St Helens McDonald's JOL. RESULTS Tuesday, September 5 Under 14s: Captains Lane 1 Blackleyhurst 4, Knowsley South 10 Bleak Hill Rovers
Nantwich Town 0 St Helens Town 4 Salford City 1 St Helens Town 1 LYING in third place behind leaders Clitheroe and Mossley, Town can take stock of a promising start to the season which has seen them unbeaten in six outings, five of them on opponents'
ONE way of addressing the problems of rising oil prices would be to set up a "pendulum" system that would counter any percentage rise in crude oil by an equal percentage drop in duty. This would allow the Government to keep its revenues on target and
ON behalf of Christian Aid we want to thank the people of Bury and district for their wonderful support during Christian Aid Week in May. The house-to-house collection amounted to £17,218 and the final total for the year, including contributions and donations
I FAIL to understand the logic of the Chancellor who, with his constant increases in fuel tax, is actually reducing not increasing his revenue. A set number of haulage journeys must be made each year for any business to supply its retail outlets or customers
CAN you lend a hand? Home Start-St Helens are on the lookout for volunteers to help local families. Home Start is based at the YWCA Centre in Nunn Street, Parr, andits staff and volunteers offer emotional and practical support to parents trying to cope
