TO leave 400 pensioners fearing they will lose their benefits is an error of immense proportions. These are people in the latter years of their lives who have worried enough. To give those such as 84-year-old Ellen Hogg the fright of their lives has potential
THIS week, with Malcolm Smith, of the Independent Monitoring Board for prisons, who has been awarded an MBE. MEMORY: A deep snow drift in the 1940s on the farm I was born on in Staining, near Blackpool. I remember we had to cut pathways across from the
ON May 29, 2002, Mary Pagnamenta arrived at Cape Reinga, on the northern tip of New Zealand. By that stage Mary and her two horses, Foggy and Borrie, had been on the road for seven months and had travelled over 3,300 km. "I had established an amazing
THE cries for 'Help!' from newly-hatched orphaned ducklings John and Paul led to their dramatic rescue on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. They were named by Beatles fans and British Waterways employees Paul Jeffries and John Morrell, who found
IF the staff at Blackburn with Darwen Council are really suffering from stress, leading to the extraordinary sick leave (LET, June 11) then I am sure the ubiquitous Councillor Andy Kay will be able to regenerate them! K C REYNOLDS, Wyre Crescent, Darwen
CAN Greg Pope or Jack Straw tell us when all the conditions are right to scrap the pound in exchange for the euro, what happens when those 'right conditions' change, as they will? Do we go back to the pound? If not, what's the point of waiting for the
REGARDING Mr J Walsh's query (Letters, June 7) about Bleasdale's Band, I remember it from before the war when it played regularly at Ewood Park. It was known locally as "Old Reno's," but the name on the big drum was Blackburn Prize Band. I remember watching
I HAVE read with interest the recent comments regarding the road-calming measures on the main road going through Tockholes village. Most came from people not living in the vicinity. Meetings were held at the Visitors' Centre and the Village Hall about
VICIOUS thugs kicked a young girl and pushed her into a river after she refused to hand over her mobile phone during a violent robbery in Burnley. Police have warned youngsters to be on their guard following the attack on the 12-year-old who was with
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today said Egil Ostenstad could still have a role to play at Ewood next season. It had been mooted that Rovers were considering offering the Norwegian international a pay-off this summer as he enters the final year of his
A MENTAL health nurse has been struck off for committing an indecent act at an old people's home. The Nursing & Midwifery Council's (NMC) professional conduct committee heard that Paul Statham, 62, from Todmorden, was found with an elderly female
A GLITSY "Black and Diamonds" gala fund raising evening with funnyman Phil Cool helped raise more than £9,000 for charity. The event, sponsored by Burnley company, Pulse Audio Information &Technology, was held at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel, Clayton-le-Moors
BATTLE lines have been drawn over plans for a £500,000 ecology centre in a rural area of Burnley after the parish council came out against the scheme. Supporters of the proposed residential centre claim it will be a valuable resource for schools in the
TOWN hall chiefs have revealed they are lagging behind government targets when it comes to employing ethnic minorities. Pendle Council is hoping to boost the number of people from the ethnic community who work for the council in the coming years. Currently
HOW many mums and dads reading these words know exactly what their children are doing at this moment? I'm not compiling a list of accountable parents here. I always assumed that anyone who took on the job did so in the certain knowledge that they had
A ROTTWEILER responsible for attacking five dogs and a woman on a three-hour rampage in Oswaldtwistle has been put down. Police have confirmed the dog has been destroyed with the permission of its owner. The owner has been interviewed but no decision
SUNDAY. JUNE 22 BLACKBURN: 10am-1pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road; 10.30am-4.30pm: Superdrug Pharmacy, 5 Stonybutts; noon-1pm: Roe Lee Pharmacy, 450 Whalley New Road, Blackburn. DARWEN: noon-1pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 103 Blackburn Road. ACCRINGTON:
FRIDAY, JUNE 29 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: Moss Pharmacy, 314 Bolton Road; The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; The Surgery (Chiropody), 132 Lammack Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: The Pharmacy
A TEA shop run by a mum and daughter is officially home to one of the best brews in Britain after reaching the finals of a UK competition. The Toby Jug Tea Shop in Whalley, owned by mum and daughter Marie Ireland and Jane Lee, was pipped at the post for
PEOPLE living in rural communities are often unaware of local services, a Ribble Valley meeting heard Lancashire County Council led a discussion entitled Partnership Solutions to Real-Life Situations at a meeting of the Ribble Valley Rural Forum. The
IF you want to improve your popularity at dinner parties make sure you do some homework first at hookedonfacts.com. The site has hundreds of useless, but incredible, facts that will ensure you are the life and soul of any party. One of the ones I saw
BIRD lovers have the chance to watch a pair of sea eagles, one of Britain's rarest birds, online. Nest cameras, set up by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland (www.rspb.org.uk) in partnership with other bodies, will beam live pictures
GRAHAM Ainslie is the last person you would expect to have a destructive nature. But behind his mild-mannered, friendly exterior lurks a man who has been mercilessly ripping up record books and tearing apart bowling attacks for the past quarter of a century
FORMER Burnley skipper Steve Davis is refusing to rule out joining Third Division York City. The long-serving defender, 34, is waiting for new opportunities to arise after his departure from Turf Moor this summer. Davis has been pounding the hills to
CAR tax dodgers in Rossendale West have been targeted by police and the DVLA during a week-long clamp down. The operation in Rawtenstall, Haslingden and Helmshore, between Monday and yesterday, resulted in 51 vehicles being clamped and 120 being reported
A FORMER Rossendale band met up for a reunion and wowed crowds with a spectacular off-the-cuff performance. The In Sect's were well known in the Valley for their cover versions of all the 60s top hits. They played at the Astoria and King George's Hall
POLICE are warning people to be on their guard after men claiming to be police officers conned elderly people into handing over cash. Two men have been going round to houses, mainly in the Tottington and Bury areas asking to check for forged notes. They
A 19-YEAR-old Bacup man was ordered to pay £350 at Burnley Crown Court after pleading guilty to affray. Darren Mounsey, of Regent Street, admitted the offence committed on February 15, in Bank Street, but pleaded not guilty to having a knife. Tony Cross
YOUNGSTERS have been rewarded for their efforts in helping shape their community. Children from Cloughfold Primary, St Peter's Primary, Staghills Nursery, as well as youth and community groups in the area all took part in the initiative -- which involved
EAST Lancashire councils have been set an eight week deadline to put forward an argument for their survival. The time-scale has been laid down by deputy prime minister John Prescott who is overseeing proposals for a new, elected North West regional assembly
AS Harry Potter mania swept the world last night East Lancashire enthusiasts joined in the rush to read the fifth book in the series. Twenty-four hour stores reported brisk business after the JK Rowling block-buster went on sale at midnight. Chris Hindle
AN East Lancashire borough has been given £300,000 to educate children in deprived areas about road safety. The money, from the Department for Transport's 'Dealing with Disadvantage' initiative, has been given to Blackburn with Darwen Council in a bid
A DEFIANT pensioner, burgled for the fifth time in eight years, said today: "I'll just have to get over it." The 75-year-old woman, who lives in the Roe Lee area of Blackburn, vowed not to let the latest break in, on Tuesday afternoon, get her down. She
THE parents of a tragic twin girl today said they still dreamed about the precious milestones she will miss in life -- like walking her down the aisle. An inquest heard that six-week-old Ellie Houghton died of pneumonia on March 28 at Queen's Park Hospital
RED-FACED council bosses today apologised to 400 pensioners after a benefits bungle left them fearing they would be penniless within weeks. One 84 year-old victim today told how she was "distraught" to receive a letter warning her benefits could be stopped
RUNAWAY leader Neil Hodgson experienced mixed luck on the opening day of qualifying for the seventh round of the World Superbike Championships in Italy yesterday. Hodgson, who has won 11 of the 12 races so far this season, set the fastest time during
CHORLEY Lynx go in search of a record equalling fifth successive victory tomorrow when they travel to Craven Park to take on Barrow Raiders. The last time the club enjoyed such a run was back in the days of Lancashire Lynx in their championship winning
SUPERBIKE legend Carl Fogarty today admitted he will be glad when the year is over after his racing team's debut season went from bad to worse in Italy. Wild card rider Lorenzo Mauri suffered a serious knee injury as a result of a crash during yesterday
with KINGFISHER COLNE matchman Paul Smith came out top in one of the biggest open canal matches to take place in many a year, last week on Yorkshire's Stainforth and Keadby Canal. It turned out to be a very comfortable win for Paul, earning him plenty
From ANDY NEILD in Italy IT was a once in a life time opportunity. As I sat hungrily devouring a lunch of grilled swordfish in the Foggy Petronas hospitality area, a tiny devil came and perched on my left shoulder. Bill Philp, a competitor in the World
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Birds, Animals and Insects Exhibition, Towneley Hall, Burnley. Until June 29. Barbara Castle Exhibition, Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, Museum Street, Blackburn. Until
SUNDAY Queen's Park Supporters Group Community Fun Day, Queen's Park, Queen's Road, Blackburn, 11am-5pm. Art Exhibition, Antiques and Lunches, Samlesbury Hall, Preston New Road, Samlesbury, 11am-4.30pm. Rossendale Carnival, Bacup Town Centre. Blackburn
POLICE are asking for help to trace a woman who has been missing for nine days. The last known whereabouts of Kathleen Bootle, 49, were on the morning of June 12 when she got a taxi from her home in Blackamoor Road to Blackburn centre. DS Paul Withers
NOWHERE in his statement to the House of Commons on June 9 about the prospects for Britain join the euro did Chancellor Gordon Brown say where anything would cost us less and not more. People with £100,000-plus incomes will have no problems. But pensioners
MY wife, friends and I watched the should-we?, shouldn't we? debate about the granting of a licence for a lap dancing club and say three cheers to Blackburn with Darwen Council for moving with the times. We have had some super nights out at other clubs
I WANT to express my outrage at the EU Food Supplement Directive. I am so appalled at this attempt to deny me the right to be healthy that I attended the march that took place in London on June 15. Food supplements are already required to be safe under
RED-FACED council bosses today apologised to 400 pensioners after a benefits bungle left them fearing they would be penniless within weeks. One 84 year-old victim today told how she was "distraught" to receive a letter warning her benefits could be stopped
A 25-YEAR-OLD Burnley man has been sentenced to four months imprisonment after police discovered 156 images of child pornography on his computer. Francisco Gonzalez-Summers, of Westbury Close, had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of
VICIOUS thugs kicked a young girl and pushed her into a river after she refused to hand over her mobile phone during a violent robbery in Burnley. Police have warned youngsters to be on their guard following the attack on the 12-year-old who was with
OFFICERS from Pennine Division's road policing unit will in Colne Market Hall and Nelson shopping centre next week in a bid to drive home the message about road safety. The officers, joined by representatives from other agencies with an interest in safety
A GP with a sympathetic ear who does that bit extra to make sure his patients are well cared for has been highlighted in our Pride of East Lancashire Awards. Dr Chris Dalton, a GP at Darwen Health Centre, has been nominated by one of his patients for
A CHILD abuser was today starting a four-year prison term after subjecting her stepsons to a catalogue of daily beatings spanning more than a decade. Marilyn Martland, 48, of Hawksworth Road, Accrington, was jailed for 16 offences, including eight counts
THURSDAY, JUNE 26 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohens Chemist, 63 Whalley Range; To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 6.30pm: Donald Wood Ltd, 53 Fishmoor Drive; Healthbook
MONDAY, JUNE 23 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: Moss Pharmacy, 314 Bolton Road; The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst
TUESDAY, JUNE 24 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst Road; Geloo Bros, Cleaver
PEOPLE living in rural communities are often unaware of local services, a Ribble Valley meeting heard Lancashire County Council led a discussion entitled Partnership Solutions to Real-Life Situations at a meeting of the Ribble Valley Rural Forum. The
DOCTORS have turned to mobile phone technology to ease waiting list numbers in a Welsh hospital. Junior doctors at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant, south Wales are sending picture messages of X-rays to specialists. The consultant can then
HARRY Potter may be a children's favourite but author JK Rowling certainly pulls no punches. She has launched legal action against a US newspaper after it allegedly published a sneak preview of the new Potter book on the Internet. The author's lawyers
FORMER Burnley skipper Steve Davis is refusing to rule out joining Third Division York City. The long-serving defender, 34, is waiting for new opportunities to arise after his departure from Turf Moor this summer. Davis has been pounding the hills to
LANCASHIRE Lightning need more than Twenty20 vision to plot a path through to the final after collapsing for the second time in five days at Leicester last night. It must be something to do with the East Midlands air as they suffered a near repeat of
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today said Egil Ostenstad could still have a role to play at Ewood next season. It had been mooted that Rovers were considering offering the Norwegian international a pay-off this summer as he enters the final year of his
A HAULAGE contractor who has admitted his role in a massive drugs importation conspiracy has been ordered to forfeit nearly £20,000 seized when he was arrested. David Scattergood, 31, proprietor of Scattergood International, based at Clayton Business
A MAN who bought child pornography computer discs from a car boot sale is facing jail after admitting a catalogue of offences. Stuart Bulling, 35, of Hobson Street, Rawtenstall, pleaded guilty at Burnley Crown Court to 11 counts of indecent assault, taking
AN East Lancashire employer has been selected to show the way to the rest of the country in helping staff to achieve a work life balance. The Shuttleworth Veterinary Group, based in Rossendale, is being held up as an example by Investors in People UK
A MOTHER and daughter duo are trying to re-unite hundreds of former pupils from a Blackburn primary school, now spread across the world. Lesley Dulling, of Quebec Road, Lammack, left Park Road primary school in Audley in 1967, the year it closed. Her
HEALTH chiefs are planning to increase bed numbers at Blackburn Royal Infirmary to ease the problem of patients being cared for on the 'wrong' wards. They are looking at several options to expand capacity in good time to cope with any increase in demand
THEY'RE both celebrating their 21st birthdays tonight - but while one serves the Queen, the other just calls her grandma! Glasses will be raised during a special celebration for soldier Lee Cruickshanks at a family barbecue - at the same time as Prince
A TEENAGER who kept two boys captive and locked them in the boot of a car was asserting his power and humiliating them, a court was told. He also forced them to kneel on a metal bed frame and forced one of them to have his head shaved, magistrates said
