WE have reported in detail the tragic events surrounding the death of Joshua Massey Hodgkinson at the home of his childminder last year. And every parent must have shuddered when they read how childminder Wendy Barlow admitted manslaughter and drunkenly
BAD weather on Saturday prevented free blood pressure checks for shoppers at Tesco in Prestwich. The Rotary Club of Prestwich and Whitefield had organised the tests in conjunction with the Stroke Association and Bury Primary Care Trust (PCT). Strong winds
THE victim of an alleged indecent assault in Summerseat is being urged by police to come forward. A witness has told detectives that the woman was in Summerseat Park at 2pm last Tuesday when she was assaulted by a man. The victim has yet to report the
TWO-thirds of schools in Bury are protecting their pupils from the danger of second-hand smoke by being declared officially smoke-free. Since October, 12 more schools have eliminated smoking from its buildings and grounds as Bury Primary Care Trust (PCT
IN answer to Adam Howarth about Tesco (LET, April 13) may I set the records straight. I have been going to the Blackburn store and when they were in Accrington and I have had nothing but good manners and friendly faces. As I am disabled I have a lady
VICTIM Support, the national charity that helps people cope with crime, needs your help. It has launched its first ever national fundraising appeal to help it support even more people affected by crime. All over the country, people are planning to 'make
BURY'S Index store will shut or be sold off following the announcement that the catalogue shopping business is to close with the loss of nearly 4,000 jobs. The store in Kay Gardens is one of 163 Index branches nationwide affected by the decision. Argos
WESTLEIGH will have a desperately needed new community centre next summer if everything goes to plan. A lottery bid, backed by Wigan Council Leader Lord Smith of Leigh, has recently been submitted for the multi-purpose centre on land in Westleigh Lane
A NEW £1 million park and ride site is on the way for the Whitefield Metrolink station. When it opens in the late summer, the site will have 133 car parking spaces, including eight for disabled car users, eight motorcycle stands, three cycle stands and
THE gate is being shut on anti-social behaviour at a Bury housing estate. Thanks to £13,000 worth of Home Office and local authority funding, 10 special steel gates have been fitted to ginnels in the towns Lower Chesham. The regeneration work, which has
BURY'S East Lancashire Railway has been given the green light to steam ahead with plans to renovate the town's historic Bury Transport Museum. A £50,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) means that the museum, at the former Castlecroft goods
COLIN Todd today leapt to the defence of his son, Andy, accusing the southern-based media of conducting a 'witch-hunt' designed to destroy the Blackburn Rovers defender. The 30-year-old Rovers skipper has been castigated in the national press since his
MARK Hughes today insisted he will not change the way his team plays even though Rovers have been battered in the national media over the last 48 hours for the way they approached their cup semi-final with Arsenal. Hughes has been shocked by the way the
RADCLIFFE Civic Suite will host a St George's Day gala concert by Smithills School Band in aid of Bury Hospice on Saturday. The event will start at 7.30pm. For ticket details call 797 1748.
BAD weather on Saturday prevented free blood pressure checks for shoppers at Tesco in Prestwich. The Rotary Club of Prestwich and Whitefield had organised the tests in conjunction with the Stroke Association and Bury Primary Care Trust (PCT). Strong winds
THE Lancashire Cup Final scheduled to be played on Mondaynight between the Shakers' second string and their Rochdale counterparts was postponed due to a waterlogged Spotland pitch. No new date has been set as yet for the re-arranged game.
FORMER Shaker Dave Nugent edged the Gigg Lane side nearer a £25,000 windfall by scoring two goals in Preston's 3-0 victory over Cardiff on Saturday. The win virtually assures the Deepdale outfit a Championship play-off place that would trigger the sell-on
GOAL hero Dave Flitcroft admitted his sensational 81st minute winning goal at Wycombe on Saturday had more than a touch of luck about it. The combative midfielder was honest enough to admit after the game that his spectacular 25-yard chip was more of
A 12-YEAR-OLD Nelson girl died after falling from a tree while playing with friends. An assembly was held at Walton County High School today to say prayers for Year Eight pupil Rachel Stewart. The accident happened as she was playing on land behind Fisher-More
A NIGHT of dance and entertainment will be held to mark spring. The Spring Dance will be held at Radcliffe Civic Suite on Saturday, May 7. The evening will provide modern ballroom, Latin American and popular sequence dancing to the music of MC Nick Atack
BRITISH Waterways could be forced to clean up Foulridge Wharf by Pendle Council. The old dairy and tearooms both belong to British Waterways, which is responsible for the upkeep of the canal. But councillors have become increasingly concerned about the
NORTH west businesses which use IT for social and environmental benefits have until the end of the month to enter the prestigious UK Well-Being Awards. Now in their third year, the awards seek to showcase the benefits of ICT (Information and Communication
A BURY design company has "hooked" a state-of-the-art printer from Prestwich firm BIGFISH. MeanMagenta has been presented with the machine, worth nearly £700, after its name was selected as the winner of a prize draw which ran on the BIGFISH website page
SMALL local charities and their volunteer chartered accountants will not be faced with unaffordable costs due to new professional training requirements. The Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICA) says voluntary work by members should be enhanced following
A LOCAL solicitor is demonstrating that where there's not a will there's a way - on the worldwide web! Mark Hatzer has launched a Law On Line self-help legal website to professionally assist members of the public prepare their own wills and divorces.
A PLAQUE to commemorate a young soldier from Bury who died during a daring offensive on an enemy post more than 60 years ago is to be unveiled in Holland. Pte Frank Woods, from Bury, and Pte Thomas Hambleton, from Horwich, died along with two others when
STEVE Cotterill is clear in his thinking over which out-of-contract Burnley stars he will retain next season. Nine players see their current deals expire this summer, with regular first teamers Tony Grant, Graham Branch, Lee Roche, John Oster, Jean-Louis
MARK Hughes today insisted he will not change the way his team plays even though Rovers have been battered in the national media over the last 48 hours for the way they approached their cup semi-final with Arsenal. Hughes has been shocked by the way the
THE number of local business start-ups in Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley has reached an all-time high, according to new figures. Hyndburn Enterprise Trust and Ribble Valley Enterprise Agency have recorded more than 120 new ventures in the last year --
MANY motorists will have pulled up at the petrol station in the last few years and been tempted to use their bank card to pay at the pump for fuel, rather than queue at the kiosk. Such electronic payment systems are becoming far more common and convenient
WORK on Darwen's new health centre is expected to be completed ahead of schedule next month. And patients could start using some of the services as early as June. Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust has also confirmed that local people can look round
A ROSSENDALE environmental group is hoping to scoop more than £30,000 in funding to create an outdoor classroom for local children. And if the bid is successful pupils at Alder Grange High and Constablelee Primary School could soon find themselves studying
A PENSIONER who neglected 11 ponies -- found near rotting carcasses around a moorland farm in Stacksteads -- could go to jail. The animals were starving, emaciated, had worms and lice and two were in such a bad state they were days from death. The ponies
A POLICE officer has been charged with assault, perverting the course of justice and perjury. PC Jason Livesey, based at the Greenbank station, Whitebirk, appeared before Burnley magistrates yesterday. The charges followed an 18-month investigation by
A HASLINGDEN mum allegedly tried to kill her partner by stabbing him in the neck, a court has heard. Injured James Webster made a 999 call for help with the blade embedded three inches deep in his neck. And a Preston Crown Court jury was told the knife
IT is the first anniversary of Joshua Massey-Hodgkinson's death. Sitting in the front room of her mother's house in Clitheroe, Emma Massey can't help but watch the children playing in the cul-de-sac outside. Alongside her is her partner Simon Hodgkinson
RADCLIFFE Civic Suite will host a St George's Day gala concert by Smithills School Band in aid of Bury Hospice on Saturday. The event will start at 7.30pm. For ticket details call 797 1748.
IT is arrogant of council leader John Byrne, in his reported comments regarding increased car parking charges (Bury Times, April 1) to tell us how we should get about. He talks about greater use of public transport, or cycling and walking instead of using
I CAN assure "Disappointed Taxpayer" (Baffled by the binmen, April 1) that the recyclable items in his or her black box will indeed be recycled. The collectors use a black bin to enable them to transfer the contents of the black boxes into the refuse
THE letter (April 8) describing Ramsbottom as a lawless town was very distressing. However, it has to be said that the deterioration in law and order is something which is of the gravest concern to elected members serving on the Ramsbottom, Tottington
A HEADTEACHER who accessed pornographic websites during school time has been found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct. David Hulmes, formerly the head of Chapelfield Primary School in Radcliffe, has been banned from teaching for two years by
THE Pennine Care NHS Trust has been honoured for its adult mental health services at the first Greater Manchester Health Awards. The trust, which covers Bury, received the accolade at the special ceremony celebrating the best of the NHS after it was one
IN answer to the comments of Mr Howard, of Wilpshire (Letters, April 13) regarding the Tesco store in Blackburn. Firstly, it must be remembered that this particular store has been around for a considerable number of years now and may, naturally, be showing
RE the article on page five of the LET, April 13 concerning potential future problems with paying police pensions. It's about time the gravy train of police pensions was derailed once and for all. Like ALL public sector pensions -- and salaries and other
A 'JUSTICE for Joshua' campaign is today launched by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph calling for an overhaul of the UK childminding system. The launch coincides with the first anniversary of the death of Joshua Massey-Hodgkinson, the 19-month old who
A BURY design company has "hooked" a state-of-the-art printer from Prestwich firm BIGFISH. MeanMagenta has been presented with the machine, worth nearly £700, after its name was selected as the winner of a prize draw which ran on the BIGFISH website page
A PENSIONER who neglected 11 ponies -- found near rotting carcasses around a moorland farm in Stacksteads -- could go to jail. The animals were starving, emaciated, had worms and lice and two were in such a bad state they were days from death. The ponies
A HASLINGDEN mum allegedly tried to kill her partner by stabbing him in the neck, a court has heard. Injured James Webster made a 999 call for help with the blade embedded three inches deep in his neck. And a Preston Crown Court jury was told the knife
IT is the first anniversary of Joshua Massey-Hodgkinson's death. Sitting in the front room of her mother's house in Clitheroe, Emma Massey can't help but watch the children playing in the cul-de-sac outside. Alongside her is her partner Simon Hodgkinson
A 'JUSTICE for Joshua' campaign is today launched by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph calling for an overhaul of the UK childminding system. The launch coincides with the first anniversary of the death of Joshua Massey-Hodgkinson, the 19-month old who
BURY FC have extended the deadline for cut-price season tickets for another week. Supporters now have until this Saturday (April 23) to apply for tickets at discounted prices. Prices have been frozen and will remain exactly the same as the 2004-2005 campaign
IT has to augur well for the future at Gigg Lane when three 19-year-olds have played such a big part in the Shakers' encouraging end of season run. Tom Kennedy, Simon Whaley and Colin Kazim-Richards have been forced into action on more occasions than
A NEW £1 million park and ride site is on the way for the Whitefield Metrolink station. When it opens in the late summer, the site will have 133 car parking spaces, including eight for disabled car users, eight motorcycle stands, three cycle stands and
A SPORTS centre's future could be in jeopardy after a discount parking scheme for its customers was scrapped, council bosses were warned today. People using Roefield Leisure Centre, Edisford Road, Clitheroe, have until recently been claiming back all
ANY Burnley fan will tell you that supporting the club is a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Moments of euphoria are so often followed by gut-wrenching disappointments. So the Clarets fans who travelled to see their heroes at QPR last October probably
A FATHER-of-two who took a 14-year-old girl to bed after plying her with wine, having first "groomed" her over the internet, had his sentence reduced by six months in London's Appeal Court. John Mansfield, who said he believed the girl was 16 when he
STEVE Cotterill is clear in his thinking over which out-of-contract Burnley stars he will retain next season. Nine players see their current deals expire this summer, with regular first teamers Tony Grant, Graham Branch, Lee Roche, John Oster, Jean-Louis
PLANS to rejuvenate an out-of-town shopping centre are set to be approved, despite fears it will damage businesses in Accrington and Blackburn town centres. The Peel Centre Retail Park, Whitebirk Drive, Rishton, will undergo a transformation, which developers
RED-FACEd council bosses have been forced to rip down posters promoting an anti-social behaviour hotline ... after confusing Darwen with its Australian sound-a-like. Dozens of posters were stuck up inside phone boxes across Blackburn with Darwen promoting
TRAFFIC wardens have been accused of hiding in a doorway before booking a businessman seconds after his waiting limit was up. Paul Taylor, the owner of new job agency, 247 Staff in Darwen Street, Blackburn, is furious he received a parking ticket while
A 'JUSTICE for Joshua' campaign is today launched by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph calling for an overhaul of the UK childminding system. The launch coincides with the first anniversary of the death of Joshua Massey-Hodgkinson, the 19-month old who
MIKE Flynn is used to dealing with pressure situations. But even he admits he has never been involved in a season as tense as this one. As Accrington Stanley's play-off hopes hang by a thread, the central defender will be the voice of experience needed
THE traffic lights at the bottom of Peel Way, Bury, are an absolute joke! While there is invariably a mile of stationary or slow-moving traffic on Peel Way, heading in the Bolton direction, the approaching right-turn filter towards the town centre and
A CORRESPONDENT recently referred to a court case in which a Muslim student had the won in court the right to wear a hair-covering garment. One thing which I think often escapes people is that, in the view of those who follow such a practice, it is an
ONLY in the land of smoky mirrors and image deception could a spin-mad government "loan" money to a local council so that it could devise another road calming scheme which drives all car-users crazy. March madness has struck again in Prestwich! In the
CONGRATULATIONS on your brilliant spoof article in the April 1 issue of the Bury Times. So clever of reporter Peter Doherty to disguise it as a topical subject - the 20 per cent rise in car parking charges! The clues were there of course: "Council bosses
I WRITE in response to correspondent Disappointed Taxpayer (April 1). May I clarify the situation which your correspondent described in relation to the Good Friday rubbish collection at March Drive in Bury and reassure residents there - and everywhere
