CUSTODY sergeants from Lancashire Police have been briefed on new initiatives which aim to bring more offenders to justice. Around 60 operational custody sergeants, who work full time in the county's nine custody offices, were taken off site for a day
ON July 11 I went to Paris with family and friends of the Blackburn band, The Burn. When we arrived at the Olympia there were over 2,000 invited fans of the Rolling Stones there. We watched The Burn give an excellent performance and go off to a standing
REGARDING recent letters about bullying at work, I wholeheartedly agree that something must be done rather than sweeping it under the carpet. I speak from experience. I work as a clerk in a town centre office and arm currently off sick with a stress-related
A 40-YEAR-OLD man was shot and seriously injured outside a Blackburn town centre bar. John Hoburn, was attacked near barlife, Northgate, at around 11.30pm yesterday after being involved in a fight. A man, described by police as local and in his 30s, has
DAMIEN Duff today headed for talks with Chelsea, describing the £17m price-tag on his head as "silly money." The Rovers winger dramatically pulled out of the team's American tour at the 11th hour after the mega-rich Londoners had a fourth bid accepted
PRESTON will be the place to be in June as from next year. Plans are already in the pipeline for a massive celebration of all that the city has to be proud of. The event, dubbed a mini-Guild, could see seven days of music, arts, drama and food designed
A WEIGHT Watchers' leader who became a bank manager has now taken up one of the dirtiest jobs in Preston. Sonia Scowcroft is the council's new litter education officer, and most days of her life are taken up talking and thinking about rubbish. The 30-
POLICE in Preston are awaiting a landmark court decision which could give them a new weapon in the fight against prostitution. If the case goes in their favour the floodgates could be opened for imposing anti-social behaviour orders (ASBO) on street workers
A PENSIONER has won his battle for extra security measures at the cemetery where flowers were stolen from his wife's grave. Extra security patrols are due to be posted and the gates at Burnley Cemetery will now be locked in the evening following a plea
LIVE music is to hit the streets of Morecambe once again as the town continues to rock its way through the summer. Just when you thought the resort had enjoyed its fair share of crowd-pleasing events for 2003, the Festival of Light and Water makes its
OLIVE Hartley is 92 not out -- and about to be bowled over by the chance to play cricket for the first time in 30 years. The sprightly pensioner will be pulling on her pads to face one of the top bowlers at Padiham Cricket Club. Olive, of The Mews, Chapel
A MOTHER-OF-THREE touched by the plight of a baby with an undiagnosed illness has come to her aid and has vowed to start a fundraising campaign. Donna Booth, area manager for catalogue retailers Betterware, was so moved by Chloe's story that she is to
AN HISTORIC part of Lancaster looks set to showcase more public art following news of a £246,000 windfall this week. The Millennium Commission's grant for Lancaster City Council falls well below the £1 million bid made earlier this year to extend the
A LANCASTER judo champion and former nightclub bouncer has taken a new career direction... Judo black belt Charlie Hill has kicked back at his former career - and joined the ranks of the clergy. The former Lancashire County judo champion has been ordained
A SCIENCE student with a creative streak has had his first breakthrough into the film industry. Tim Walton's entry into the Lancaster Film and New Media Festival won him the award for best film by a new filmmaker, pipping dozens of other works to the
OF the many acts of blind valour in the in the First World War, among the most legendary is that of soldiers of the East Surrey Regiment dribbling a football across No Man's Land as they headed through a hail of machine-gun bullets towards the German
PETER Shearon, chairman and managing director of Zonebox and vice chairman of Business Link in East Lancashire, said: "We are proud to be sponsors of the Gift Of Life award which is an award which will show some of the true spirit of the people in this
A HEROIN addict went on an £11,000 wrecking spree in Accrington town centre because he wanted to try and kick his habit in jail. Burnley Crown Court heard how Glen Bowers, 23, smashed 21 shop windows with a hammer in the early hours after setting his
A KENNEL owner has lost her battle to stop her neighbour opening a similar business doors away. Kathy Dewhurst, who says her Glencoe boarding kennels and cattery in Haslingden Old Road, Oswaldtwistle, has been established 13 years, objected to neighbour
I WRITE to say I am surprised and disappointed to learn Lancaster Priory has won planning consent for a proposed car park on one of Lancaster's few green spaces - a scenic and historic site regularly visited by locals and tourists alike. I believe the
THE MP for Lancaster and the city council leader are reported to be concerned about the rise in homelessness in the district. The MP is calling for action and the council leader is quoted as saying that over the last year homelessness has increased seriously
I WRITE in support of 'Non Christian, Non Parent, Non Liberal' (Letters last week), who is correct in the assumption that everyone has gone soft. It's about time the silent majority became a bit more vocal and demanded that parents be accountable for
MORECAMBE opened their pre-season warm-up campaign in winning style with a 3-1 victory at old rivals Barrow on Saturday. Despite leaving at least half a dozen first team regulars at home and giving debuts to two new signings and the latest academy graduate
FORMER Clarets goalkeeper Marlon Beresford has seen his proposed move to York City collapse. Player-boss Chris Brass had hoped to sign the 33-year-old last night following his release from Turf Moor this summer. But the Minstermen have now pulled the
A SCHEME to combat drink-related crime will have a massive impact in Darwen, police and licensees claim. Eleven licensees at town centre pubs yesterday launched BAR-U, a partnership between police, the council and pub owners to make the town centre safer
PUPILS from Fearns Community High School have been chosen to take part in a summer school research project on a Haslingden shopping centre. The project is part of a government scheme to identify and encourage gifted learners in inner city and urban schools
THE COMPUTER illiterate in Rossendale are being encouraged to throw away their computer L-plates following the launch of a new technology course that draws its inspiration from the driving test. The learndirect team at the Kingfisher Centre in Burnley
DON'T do it Duffer. You'll hate it down in the big smoke. Give us one good season and you might only have to wait 12 months for Champions League football with Blackburn! Antony Hawkins, Bolton Road, Blackburn
I REALLY hope Damien doesn't go. He will be a great loss. I can't understand why Rovers are selling all our good players. Okay, I know we've added to the team but we're not supposed to get rid of our existing players. Elaine, via e-mail
A MAN killed when he attempted to cross a busy motorway had only been reunited with his long lost sons for two years. Today Andrew Renshaw said he and his brother Paul Benson, who had been separated from their dad for 16 years, were glad that he had the
IN today's climate, £17m for Duff is not to be sniffed at. He's the best player we've got but let's not kid ourselves, he's too good for Rovers. We are not championship material anymore and I think good luck to him. Think of all the has-beens we can buy
DISAPPOINTED music lovers today demanded to know why one of Britain's most patriotic songs was not played at the Arts in the Park weekend. The Union flags were out and the crowd was ready for one of the highlights of the event, at Blackburn's Corporation
IT makes me sick that somebody with money can hope to buy the Premiership. It was said about the Jack Walker years that is what he did at Blackburn, but I beg to differ. What Abramovich is indulging in is a billionaire's hobby - one that he can easily
A COMMUNITY group has had a £1,900 grant for a fact-finding trip to Madrid recalled after an investigation by council bosses. The move came just hours after the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed strong opposition to the use of the money -- awarded
FOREIGN Secretary Jack Straw will find out the strength of local feeling about the treatment of so-called terrorists at America's controversial Guantanamo Bay camp tomorrow. Members of the Blackburn with Darwen Stop the War Coalition plan to hand over
WEDNESDAY 16th July 2003: The date will be etched on many Rovers minds. The news has come through that all Rovers fans have dreaded - the proposed sale of Damien Duff to Chelsea for the magic figure of £17 million. Give credit to Graeme Souness who has
SIMON Lynch has backed North End boss Craig Brown and coach Billy Davies to make him one of the hottest properties in the Nationwide First Division. Lynch told The Citizen: "Craig Brown and Billy Davies have been great to me since I switched across the
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Tae Kwon Do, Padiham Leisure Centre, 5.30pm-7pm. 60s Music, Churchills, Bank Parade, Burnley. Museum, Gift Shop, Tea Room and Art Gallery, Pendle Heritage Centre, Park
THEY must be joking! For the giant 'flying saucer' chosen as the winning design for a sculpture on top of Accrington's famous Coppice stands not to be a major attraction, but a laughing stock. The idea of the £1 million Panopticons project to place huge
IT might be the time of year to be thinking about barbecues not bonfires, but a call has gone out for people to starting preparing for November 5 now! The Blackburn with Darwen Community Safety Partnership, an organisation which includes the local council
MAY I congratulate Blackburn with Darwen Council for a fantastic weekend of music at the Arts in the Park I enjoyed both days, helped by the weather, of course. I hope this event continues. My only criticism is with the public. Why, when goods and drink
I THINK it's wonderful that taxpayers' money is going to be spent on Accrington Stanley (LET, July 10), rather than the proposed new bus shelters at the end of Laund Road/Manchester Road, which no more than 10 people catch a bus from in a week. Surely
IN the wake of the famous Accrington Carnival, there are many people to thank - civic dignitaries, Lancashire Police, Hyndburn Council officials, charities and local businesses as well as fellow members of Accrington Lions Club and their partners. All
REGARDING your report (LET, June 4) on the traffic calming measures in Tockholes, first and foremost, the council should assure the residents and patrons of the village that, without doubt, adequate traffic calming measures will remain on Tockholes Road
A 40-YEAR-OLD man was shot and seriously injured in an attack outside a Blackburn town centre bar. The man, who has not been identified by police, was attacked near to barlife, Northgate, at around 11.30pm last night. He suffered a shotgun wound to the
WHEN Blackburn Rovers' Australian recruit Brett Emerton steps onto a Premier League ground for the first time, the sense of elation will be tinged slightly by regret he wasn't able to savour the moment earlier in his career. Emerton has made no secret
NORTH Preston could be represented by a new MP in a shake-up of political boundaries. The proposed changes across Lancashire will see Preston and South Ribble MPs exchanging wards with nearby representatives. Preston's MP could lose eight wards and South
A PRESTON high school is to get several new additions when toddlers pour through the school gates. Ribbleton Hall High School will be the location for a new SureStart nursery for children in the Ribbleton area. Headteacher Steve Roe said he was delighted
TAKEAWAY owners in Preston and South Ribble could get their fingers burnt following an overhaul of the licensing laws. From next March, takeaways selling hot food after 11pm will have to pay a new 'tax'. The new 'premises licence', expected to be made
A FORMER footballer from Preston, who now works as head groundsman at a Danish football club, is making an unusual appeal to North End fans. Chris Hague, who is in charge of the pitch at FC Copenhagen, persuaded his friend, Jon Slebsleger, to rename his
A 26-YEAR-OLD man has been cleared of raping a mother of three in the kitchen of her home. Paul Guy was found not guilty of rape by a Burnley Crown Court jury, after a three day trial. The defendant, of Thurston Street, Burnley, had denied the allegation
ART, literature and music will take centre stage in a literary parade not to be missed at Lancaster's Yorkshire House tomorrow (Friday) evening. For, after storming to victory in last month_s Spotlight 'Open Mike' competition, American writer Dixon Otto
AN ILLEGAL immigrant turned cocaine supplier when he was recruited by a drug gang operating in Burnley. Jamaican Wayne Edwards sold crack to an undercover officer on three occasions. He was then arrested on board a train as it pulled into London's Euston
YOUNG firebugs twice set fire to a one tonne bale of hay close to homes in Heysham. Two fire crews from Morecambe were called to douse the flames on Long-meadow Lane, at the rear of Laureston Avenue. And the fires - the latest in a string of blazes started
MORECAMBE Bay Hospitals Trust has been ranked among the country's top performers this week. The Trust, which covers Royal Lancaster Infirmary, has won three stars in the latest NHS performance ratings, which look at everything from cleanliness to waiting
CAMPAIGNERS for a safe crossing patrol called off plans to blockade one of Lancaster's busiest roads when a lollipop woman came to the rescue. Parents planned to stop traffic on Barton Road to drive home the message that action was needed to ensure kids
A GIRLS' night out came to a dramatic end when one of the friends had to be rushed to intensive care after her champagne was spiked. The 18-year-old student from the Lancaster area quickly fell ill after sipping the bubbly, which she had left on the bar
A DISTRAUGHT widow could not hold back tears this week when she visited her husband's grave for the first time since thieves targeted his memorial. Almost a year has passed since Jean Woodhouse lost 71-year-old Gordon to cancer but she still mourns him
An 83-year-old woman has died after the car she was driving collided with a tree in the Ribble Valley. Police said Hilda Hargreaves, of Lee Road, Nelson, was driving her Peugeot 205 when it failed to negotiate a right-hand bend on the Settle road at Newsholme
THE lights could be out over Pendle after the MP compared light polution over the borough to Blackpool Promenade. Pendle Council is to look at clamping down on overly bright lighting after criticism from borough MP Gordon Prentice. He urged the council
PRESTON crumbled to defeat at Netherfield when they were skittled out for just 70 chasing a modest total of 134 set by the home side. It looked like Netherfield would struggle to reach three figures at one stage when they were 56/7 but six dropped chances
A DEFENDANT with more than 100 previous convictions thought cannabis was now legal, a court was told. Burnley Magistrates heard how Stephen Shepherd, 38, used the drug from time to time as a relaxant and also to help him sleep. A small piece of cannabis
TODAY we launch our fifth Pride of East Lancashire Award for anyone who has helped save another person's life. The Gift of Life Award, sponsored by Zonebox, is open to members of the medical profession, emergency services or the general public. This is
PEALS of laughter rang through the theatre as three of Britain's foremost funnymen fronted a fast-moving rollercoaster of gags, impressions, magic, music and dance. Billy Pearce appears in his fourth season at the Grand, fizzing with energy, bubbling
A MAN who had spent most of his adult life in prison died as a result of a lethal cocktail of drugs, an inquest heard. The hearing was told that Mark Ellison, 26, of Emma Street, Accrington, had kicked the habit during his most recent period in custody
FAMILY and friends of a man crushed to death by a coach have said their last goodbyes. And there were words of comfort for his grieving widow Kim from his football hero Denis Law. More than 300 people packed into Cannon Street Baptist Church, Accrington
RESIDENTS who have been asking for a new play area for their children say they are "excited" after £130,000 funding was secured for three projects. Neighbours in Church were asked for their preference on a range of ideas for the three sites and have selected
ACCRINGTON Stanley chairman Eric Whalley has taken a novel IOU from a company which owed him money - a horse. Mr Whalley decided to shorten the odds on getting back £5,500 from a racehorse training company. The Reds boss says his Rishton-based company
THE Aliens are landing! A flying saucer is to touchdown on a site overlooking Accrington in a bid to attract more visitors to East Lancashire. The UFO is one of the winning designs in a £1million scheme for new sculptures in the area's six most prominent
THIS Labour government wishes to bind Britain hand and foot into a European state by means of a new constititution. The electorate is not to be given a say - a position supported, I believe, by the two Labour MPs supposedly representing the people in
I REFER to the letter headed 'Justice and decency are lost values' (Citizen last week). Who is this Rev J Williams and where does he get his daft ideas? His blinkered and ill-informed view highlights many problems we face today, but only because it reveals
I WISH to thank Paul Speight for his considered reply to my letter (Citizen, last week). But I believe my argument deserves a little more consideration. I don't doubt that asylum seeker 'holding zones' are primarily for the benefit of this country and
QUALIFIED gymnastic coaches have been touring local primary schools - in a bid to boost an already thriving local club. Jill Trafford, Karen Simpson and Helen Ashcroft, from Lancaster's Salt Ayre Sports Centre, have been teaching the basics of gymnastics
VALE of Lune are set to field an unaltered outfit in the hope of powering through the coming rugby season. All last season's players will be back at Powderhouse Lane again in the hands of Ian Bird, who has been re-elected first team captain and club captain
LOCAL cricket history books were re-written for the second time this season at Hyning Park, Warton, on Sunday. After breaking the record for the highest total successfully chased in a league game against Shireshead earlier in the season, Warton went one
STAN Ternent has whittled the numbers down through choice by deciding not to pursue his interest in trialists Richard Edghill and Amjad Iqbal. Former Manchester City defender Edghill and Farsley Celtic midfielder Iqbal had been hoping to earn contracts
BURNLEY'S pre-season plans have been thrown into turmoil by a mini-injury crisis. The Clarets were already reeling from the news loan signing Luke Chadwick will miss the start of the season following a jaw operation. And now, four more players in Stan
BURNLEY Football Club has announced ticket details for upcoming matches, as follows: Burnley v Leeds United, Sunday July 27, kick-off 12pm: Tickets now on general sale, priced £10 for adults and £5 for concessions in all areas. Wheelchair tickets are
SIX candidates will contest the Overton Ward seat on Lancaster City Council in a by-election on August 7. Those standing are Susan Ayrey and Garry Peter Baxter (both Independent), John Robert Battersby-Hill, (Conservative), Darren Keith Clifford (Labour
SWINGING jazz vocalist Sue Parish appears at three local venues over the next fortnight. Tuesday, July 22, sees Sue at Lancaster's John O Gaunt, and on the following Sunday (July 27) she will be at the Station Hotel in Caton. Both of these evening gigs
BURNLEY'S pre-season plans have been thrown into turmoil by a mini-injury crisis. The Clarets were already reeling from the news loan signing Luke Chadwick will miss the start of the season following a jaw operation. And now, four more players in Stan
DAMIEN Duff today headed for talks with Chelsea, describing the £17m price-tag on his head as "silly money." The Rovers winger dramatically pulled out of the team's American tour at the 11th hour after the mega-rich Londoners had a fourth bid accepted
EAST Lancashire MP Janet Anderson is to scrutinise government law and order policy at Westminster. She is delighted to have been appointed to the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee where she will be able to keep an eye on this key area of policy
MY great grandparents were born in the Preston district about 1834-1836. As I live in Devon, and have no means of transport, I was wondering if any of your readers could help. My great grandfather was John Sutton, born at Longton, 1834, and great grandmother
MY wife is desperately trying to trace her family history and we have come across the proverbial brick wall! The information we have is very limited but her father was Arnold Kendall who served in the East Lancashire Regiment during WW2. He married Kathleen
A NEW £1million health centre in Blackburn will open in November. St George's Surgery is moving to Haslingden Road from Preston New Road. The new site will accommodate five GPs, community nursing staff, a pharmacy and car parking as well as land for expansion
CRIME in Lancashire has fallen by five per cent -- but police are warning that it could rise again because of a change in recording methods. Robbery fell by 12 per cent and domestic burglaries by 21 per cent but firearms offences almost doubled in the
A WAR memorial is to be moved to its rightful home after 20 years of safekeeping in the grounds of Blackburn Cathedral. And the vicar who is overseeing the move hopes it will put the "heart" back into his community. The Celtic cross memorial commemorates
HOUSING bosses are fighting a losing battle with vandals who are "smoking out" residents by starting fires near their homes. Now a resident has called on Twin Valley Homes to reinforce a mental fence surrounding a waste site after the yobs set fire to
THE brains behind a £15million transformation of a borough's child-related services today said: "We're going to make a real difference." A series of one-stop children's centres will be established across Blackburn with Darwen providing a variety of services
AT the end of the day £17M for ANY player in todays financially stricken marketplace is excellent business. Rovers have been lucky to have had players of that calibre (Shearer and now Duff) that warrent such a fee being paid. I'm a lifelong Rovers fan
I AM disgusted with Rovers for agreeing a fee for Damien Duff with Chelsea. When has money become so important? Are Rovers so hard-up that they sell a player who gives 110 per cent in every minute of every game? With all this going on, Damien has been
A 40-YEAR-OLD man was shot and seriously injured outside a Blackburn town centre bar. John Hoburn, was attacked near barlife, Northgate, at around 11.30pm yesterday after being involved in a fight. A man, described by police as local and in his 30s, has
NORTH End kicked off their pre-season fixture programme at Chorley's Victory Park last night (Wednesday) with boss Craig Brown doing a 'Sven.' Brown intends to repeat the trick tonight when the club travel to Irongate to play Bamber Bridge. It means that
