FIVE times NODA award-winning society the Oswaldtwistle Players are on the look-out for a new director for their next production. Currently in rehearsal for Theft by Eric Chappell, directed by Bill Walker which runs at Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre from
A NAKED Gun-type spoof awaits theatre lovers in Blackburn Arts Club's Inspector Drake and the Perfekt Crime by David Tristram, which runs from tonight until October 4. Inspector Drake faces his greatest ever challenge, as he attempts to unravel a twisted
I SHARE the frustration felt by Pendle MP Gordon Prentice (LET, September 20) and those who wish to see the houses in Nelson's Whitefield ward demolished. In fact, I wouldn't stop there. Why not demolish another eyesore -- Bradley? It is an absolute disgrace
STAR Wars legend Kenny Baker was the guest of honour at Leigh Model Railway Society's annual exhibition. The 3ft 8ins tall entertainer, who was the man inside the loveable droid R2D2 in the classic sci-fi films, was at the exhibition at Lowton Civic Hall
HENNING Berg plans to stay at Rangers until the end of the season, despite the prospect of managerial jobs in Norway. The 34-year-old defender has made it clear he regards the current campaign as his last as a professional and will return to his homeland
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness is ready to send an SOS to on-loan defender Andy Todd as he attempts to solve his deepening defensive crisis. Rovers are down to the bare bones at the back after Markus Babbel joined Craig Short on the sidelines at the weekend
COMEDY legends Cannon and Ball are heading to Burnley to help raise money to support terminaly-ill people and their families. The duo will be performing a show called Rock Around the Church at Burnley Football Club on October 8. The show, in the Hargreaves
BURNLEY police are warning people to be on their guard when using cash dispensers after thieves used a device called a Lebanese Hook to steal a bank card. The gadget is put into the cash machine causing the customer's card to be retained. The thief, who
THE new boss of a Burnley pub says he is detemined to make a go of the role after spending years as a relief manager in the Midlands. Kevin Arnold has settled into the Brunshaw Hotel, Brunshaw Road, with his partner, Nancy, after the pair decided Burnley
THE government is considering a crackdown against British National Party activists trying to use trade unions to spread race hate. Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt today promised action to allow union bosses to discipline or even expel racists
BURNLEY'S new green champion today pledged she would ensure people in the borough learnt more about environmental issues. Sarah Catterall, 31, has taken on the new role of being Burnley Council's rethinking waste officer, based at Padiham Town Hall. Her
AN investigation has been launched after scaffolding along a row of terrace houses in Burnley collapsed causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to parked cars. The scaffolding in Clarence Street, which came crashing down in the early hours of Sunday
TWO new police community support officers (PCSOs) have taken to the streets of Burnley. PCSO Bill Ogden will cover the Burnley Wood area, working alongside community beat manager PC Andy Thornhill, while PCSO Nigel Keats will patrol the Queensgate area
LABOUR party leaders in Burnley are to take legal advice over claims that a rival party's election leaflet defames their candidate. Party lawyers are to probe the leaflet, which includes a cartoon which they claim shows Lanehead candidate Julie Cooper
INJURY-PLAGUED midfield star Terry Dunfield reckons he is finally ready for a return to action this weekend. The Canadian playmaker's hard luck story takes some beating, having twice recovered from a dislocated shoulder injury only to suffer the same
SHAKERS manager Andy Preece is hoping new signing Glenn Whelan can kick start Bury's struggling season on Tuesday night. The 19-year-old Manchester City midfielder was snapped up on a month's loan after a third consecutive defeat convinced chairman Albert
POLICE are appealing to people who live in and around nursing homes to be vigilant after a string of break-ins. Officers have issued descriptions of two men thought to have broken into at least two homes last weekend. They are also contacting nursing
POLICE in Nelson are appealing to people who live in and around nursing homes to be vigilant after a string of break-ins. Officers have issued descriptions of two men thought to have broken into at least two homes last weekend. They are also contacting
A CAR turned into a fireball when it crashed into a parked vehicle. The male driver of the Ford Escort managed to scramble free seconds before the car burst into flames in Spring Lane, Radcliffe. It is believed the driver had lost control after apparently
A COLNE woman who filled in a council survey has landed a £200 prize. Kathryn Thompson won first prize in a draw among council tenants who completed a survey into the repair and maintenance of council properties. The survey was carried out by a research
"IT'S wrong" fumed Stan Ternent at Saturday's post-match press conference. "You know it and I know it." As it happens he was talking about David May's sending off, yet he could just as easily have been referring to Wimbledon Football Club's shameful relocation
A GIRL who lost her right eye and was "millimetres from death" after being kicked by a horse today vowed to get back in the saddle. Anya Wheatcroft, 16, of Waddington Road, Accrington, said: "I'm addicted to horses." And the brave girl impressed her cousin
EVERYTHING was beautiful in John and Barbara Maudsley's garden as it won first prize in a national competition. The beautiful display at Abbey Fields, Whalley, beat 800 entrants to clinch one of Garden News magazine's top titles.
AT about 6pm on Wednesday evening I was expecting to write this week's column in two parts. The first one describing an abject performance in Turkey and the second of how we turned it around against Fulham on Sunday. I was wrong! I cannot think of one
POLICE were today hunting three men who punched and robbed a 16-year-old in Accrington. The attack happened on the railway bridge over Scaitcliffe Street. Detectives said the youth was approached by three men who attacked him and stole his navy blue record
A 16-YEAR-old schoolboy told of the terrifying moment he was hit by an airgun pellet fired by a gunman during a shooting spree in Accrington. Leon Harwood, of Wellington Street, Accrington, was walking through Oakhill Park with a friend from Accrington
A DISABLED charity has closed after the chairman quit following a police caution relating to two charges of indecent assault. Richard Day, 59 quit the Accrington ShopMobility scheme after people were told he had been put on the sex offender's register
RESIDENTS banking on a better environment will have their wishes granted by Barclays. Prestbury Close residents and the wider community of the Springs estate in Bury have been given £6,500 from the Barclays SiteSavers grant scheme. The central area of
CHILDREN were being warned to be extra vigilant after a spate of bike thefts on the same day in Whitefield. Thieves pushed three teenagers off their bicycles in three separate incidents on Thatch Leach Lane on Monday. Police are advising young people
FIVE members of the same family have appeared before Blackburn magistrates following an incident in Longridge on September 7. Lynn Greaves, 48, of King Street, Longridge, is charged with escaping from lawful custody and assault; Michael Francis Greaves
BURNLEY MP Peter Pike has welcomed the announcement by Gordon Brown that the minimum wage will break the £5-an-hour barrier within two years as goods news for East Lancashire. The Chancellor said that the salary floor would rise from £4.20 at the moment
A VISIT to Vicarage Road might seem a sobering thought for many Burnley fans tonight, but for Stan Ternent the hangover has long since cleared. Burnley will be back at the scene of last season's FA Cup quarter-final, the match that signalled a dramatic
A PLAN to give pensions to Bury councillors has been turned down by members of the council's standards committee. They voted unanimously to reject the proposal, put forward by an independent remuneration panel, and will be advising all elected members
DELROY Facey is looking to kick off the second month of his loan spell at Burnley by keeping up his 100 per cent Vicarage Road record tonight. The Bolton Wanderers striker, along with team-mate Gareth Farrelly, is spending another month at Turf Moor in
DARWEN police are appealing for information about three teenagers who broke into a house in St Cuthbert's Close over the weekend. Nothing was stolen but the white youths, aged around 15 years, were seen playing football on the driveway shortly before.
WORKERS at Darwen's Crown Wallcoverings received the news they have been dreading today -- Belgrave Mills will close by the end of the year. All manufacturing jobs will be moved to the company's Morecambe site with 100 production and admin jobs expected
A MAN was arrested today after a blaze gutted a town centre flat. Police, fire crews and paramedics attended the incident in Manchester Road, Haslingden, at 8.30am. The flat, next to Oscars Fine Art and Framing, was badly damaged by the fire. Police are
POLICE in Rossendale are warning the public to be on their guard following a spate of "sneak in" burglaries. Since August 1, almost 50 people in Bacup and Rawtenstall have fallen prey to opportunist thieves who have gained entry to homes by simply walking
PLANS for a new health centre in Stacksteads have been deferred after concerns were raised over access to the proposed site. Councillors have put off making a decision about the plan because of access problems. They also want further information about
YOUNGSTERS in Lancashire can become busy bookworms thanks to a month-long series of library events. The Shout about Books festival will see 10 children's authors visiting libraries to speak to youngsters about their work. Writer David Orme, who has penned
A DECISION is set to be made within weeks over the future of a new council ward which two East Lancashire Labour MPs don't want. The announcement comes as local Tories accused Blackburn MP Jack Straw and Rossendale and Darwen's Janet Anderson of bad politics
TOP of the table Clitheroe look to stretch their lead in the North West Counties League Division One - and quickly put a disappointing performance behind them. John Paul Fagan scored for Lee Sculpher's side at the weekend, but it was a salvage job as
ACCRINGTON Stanley defender Jonathan Smith is enlisting the help of a specialist in an effort to cure a long-standing neck problem. The injury, which Smith said can occur without warning or reason, flared up again after the central defender landed awkwardly
STUDENTS who lost out on a university place because they did not get their expected A-level grades have another option. Bury College is offering three new foundation degrees in early years, community performance and tourism and leisure management, which
DOCTORS have admitted mistakes were made in the case of a Bury patient who killed his housemate six months after being discharged from a psychiatric ward. The results of an inquiry into circumstances surrounding the murder of 30-year-old Liaquat Ali highlighted
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. 'Stroll to your Goal' walk (c). Meet Groundwork Rossendale car park, New Hall Hey Road, Rawtenstall, 10.30am. Dockray Fellowship meet St John's Methodist Church, Colne
AS 2,500 workers from factories across the country -- representing the number of industrial jobs lost every week -- were protesting at the Labour Party conference at huge cuts in manufacturing, the grim reality of the haemorrhage was again felt in East
VIRTUALLY every year an appeal goes out from Blackburn for it to be considered for city status. The first thing that needs to be asked is whether the title Blackburn with Darwen City is appropriate. Next, we must inform the Home Office that Blackburn
I HAVE read many views in Your Letters about speed cameras and would like to give my fellow drivers some hope. First, the police's new 'honest' policy of publishing a list of mobile camera sites for the week ahead made no mention of the speed trap outside
A RAMBOTTOM pub hosted a revival of the War of the Roses on Sunday (Sep 28), with the official world black pudding throwing contest! Bridge Street was closed to cars throughout the day as competitors lined up to throw the traditional Bury delicacy at
AN EX-HEROIN addict helped himself to petrol to the tune of £41 using his former bosses' credit card, a court was told. Burnley Magistrates heard how James Pickup, 26, handed over the card at the Star service station, Burnley Road. When it wasn't accepted
SHAKERS' away clash with Cambridge United will be a 'Family Day,' with reduced prices on all tickets sold prior to match day. Adult tickets have been slashed from £12 to £5 per head, with Under 16s paying only £1 instead of the usual £8. Any tickets bought
ARTISTS in Pendle are putting the finishing touches to their masterpieces as the closing date for this year's Pendle in Paint competition approaches. The exhibition, one of the biggest of its kind in the country, is now in its 20th year and last year
ROY Hodgson's brave boys gave the blue and white army plenty to cheer in the UEFA Cup. Injury-ravaged Blackburn Rovers held Lyon to a 2-2 draw but lost 3-2 on aggregate.
DELROY Facey is looking to kick off the second month of his loan spell at Burnley by keeping up his 100 per cent Vicarage Road record tonight. The Bolton Wanderers striker, along with team-mate Gareth Farrelly, is spending another month at Turf Moor in
A DRUGS project will pioneer new ways of reaching young people, thanks to a £166,633 windfall. The cash will spearhead an expansion of Early Break's support services for young people in Bury and Rochdale who suffer drug or alcohol misuse. In 1999, the
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness is ready to send an SOS to on-loan defender Andy Todd as he attempts to solve his deepening defensive crisis. Rovers are down to the bare bones at the back after Markus Babbel joined Craig Short on the sidelines at the weekend
DARWEN'S St Barnabas' School is taking a pro-active approach and going out looking for customers. School governors have produced a glossy brochure extolling the school's strengths of providing a far-ranging education in a friendly and caring environment
WAR veterans are to present the the campaign medals of a teenage soldier killed in World War Two to his relatives. The reason the 95th (Barnet) Branch of the Normandy Veterans Association has taken a great interest in 16-year-old Jack Banks, who was killed
A 46-YEAR-OLD man, arrested for the 11th time in a year, admitted two charges of damaging windows at the home of his former partner. But Blackburn magistrates heard that Janet Dugdale was simply using the court system to punish William Parker whenever
EAST Lancashire's multi-million pound Pathfinder scheme to tackle derelict streets will help halt the rise of the British National Party, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has promised. He told the Labour conference in Bournemouth that poor homes were
A MUf-two confined to a wheelchair today spoke out to highlight the difficulties for disabled people travelling on buses. But Michael Morton, the managing director of Blackburn Transport, reassured Anne Ashton, 43, of Hurtwood Avenue, Mill Hill, that
PATIENTS in East Lancashire waiting more than six months for an operation will soon be given the option to have it earlier at a hospital elsewhere in the country. A new government scheme, Choice, will revolutionise the way patients are referred from GPs
LATEST results PREMIER DIVISION Blackmoor HFFC 1, Cheetham 1; Bury FC Social 2, The Heywood 2; Elton Vale Sports 2, Pleasant View 1; Heaton Park Prestwich 2, Garsdale 7; Tottington United 3, Kings Hotel 5; Westbury Sports 5, The Cave 0. DIVISION ONE Bay
AN accident with a garden rake sets the scene in Rossendale Players' Woman In Mind by Alan Ayckbourn at the New Millennium Theatre, which runs until October 4. One of Ayckbourn's darker comedies, the play charts the gradual mental collapse of a woman
BURNLEY Garrick Club will delve into the supernatural in Laying the Ghost. The Simon Williams-penned play will run from tomorrow until October 4 at Burnley Mechanics at 7.30pm. Tickets can be purchased from the Mechanics box office. Telephone (01282)
REGARDING your 'Looking Back' feature about Home Guard exercises during the Second World War (LET, September 18), I was in the Accrington Home Guard and was "blown up" at Skew Bridge in Blackburn and "machine gunned" at Portfield Bar at Great Harwood.
REGARDING the decision to ban bonfires in the Audley area of Blackburn (LET, September 24), I support the comments that organised bonfires are the only way to a safer future. When I was growing up in the Mill Hill area of the town, we used to have the
A TEENAGER has died from stab wounds after a street fight in Colne. Sean Whyte, 17, of North Street, Colne, was found collapsed close to his home by police at about 10.20pm last night. He was taken to Burnley General Hospital and was pronounced dead shortly
WORKERS at Darwen's Crown Wallcoverings received the news they have been dreading today -- Belgrave Mills will close by the end of the year. All manufacturing jobs will be moved to the company's Morecambe site with 100 production and admin jobs expected
LEIGH Centurions stars Paul Rowley and Ricky Bibey will both plead for leniency when they appear before disciplinary chiefs in Leeds. The Hilton Park pair were sent off in the defeat at Salford 10 days ago. Any suspensions will rule them out of next Sunday's
CLIVIGER Guides held a coffee evening on Thursday in support of the Macmillan Nurses appeal. A good number of parents and friends enjoyed coffee or tea and cake and biscuits, with the entrance fee of £1 going to the charity. There were also cakes for
A TEENAGER has died from stab wounds after a street fight in Colne. Sean Whyte, 17, of North Street, Colne, was found collapsed close to his home by police at about 10.20pm last night. He was taken to Burnley General Hospital and was pronounced dead shortly
AN award-winning head teacher who failed her 11-plus has told how she was invited to meet Prince Charles to discuss excellence in education. And Glynne Ward, head teacher at Ribblesdale Technology College in Clitheroe, told the awards presentation: "It
RESIDENTS banking on a better environment will have their wishes granted by Barclays. Prestbury Close residents and the wider community of the Springs estate in Bury have been given £6,500 from the Barclays SiteSavers grant scheme. The central area of
A COMPANY controlled by the trustees of the late Jack Walker has closed down with the loss of more than 70 jobs. Workers arrived at car component supplier B Robinson & Co to be told that that they no longer had a job at the firm, which has been in
WORKERS at Darwen's Crown Wallcoverings received the news they have been dreading today -- Belgrave Mills will close by the end of the year. All manufacturing jobs will be moved to the company's Morecambe site with 100 production and admin jobs expected
DARWEN Tower Credit Union is going from strength to strength and recently recruited its 500th member. The credit union, which is the town's own savings and loans co-operative, was set up in February 1996. Three years ago it opened premises on The Circus
AN EAST Lancashire charity and a women's group are holding a special meeting to raise awareness about breast cancer. UK Survivors and Blackburn with Darwen Women's Forum are holding the meeting to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October
POLICE have charged a man with manslaughter following the death of a 47-year-old man in Blackburn town centre. Ricki Hickmott, 33, of Brookway, Waterloo, Blackburn, was due to appear before Blackburn Magistrates today. He was charged after being questioned
A COMPANY controlled by the trustees of the late Jack Walker has closed down with the loss of more than 70 jobs. Workers arrived at car component supplier B Robinson & Co to be told that that they no longer had a job at the firm, which has been in
GREAT Harwood Town moved into the next round of the Division Two Trophy after defeating neighbours Nelson at the second attempt. Town earned the right to take the Pendle side back to the Showground after Saturday's 3-3 draw and they controlled the game
