THE race for the Lancashire League title is hotting up with just five games, three weekends and 16 points separating the top four teams. Bacup are now in the driving seat after long-time leaders, Ramsbottom, lost the top spot after losing to rivals Haslingden
DARWEN completed the first phase of their quadruple trophy trail after winning a low scoring Thwaites Northern League Twenty20 final. Batting first, Darwen were bowled out for 78 with professional Imran Ali (15) and Keith Semple (16) top scoring. In
BURNLEY trio Michael Duff, Steve Jones and Kyle Lafferty have all earned call-ups to the Northern Ireland squad. Lawrie Sanchez will be hoping the three Clarets stars can help his side get their European qualifying campaign off to a good start against
CHRIS Stammers has been given seven games to prove he's the man to replace Mark Smitheringale as the new manager of Clitheroe. The former Burscough coach took charge of team affairs last week after Smitheringale was sacked. And he's wasted little time
ROSSENDALE United manager Derek Egan will be aiming for a positive response to his side's 5-0 defeat by Bradford Park Avenue in their first home game of the season. Dale, who have gone into the new season with a number of injury problems, entertain unbeaten
THE LEADER of Rossendale Council is calling on the people of the Valley to post positive comments on a controversial website which takes a hard-hitting dig at the borough. His call comes after the Lancashire Telegraph revealed that Rossendale had been
DON'T you just love the names that pizza places give to their dishes? Pizza Planet, which is in itself a fine name for a takeaway, offers the Italian Stallion, the Planet Deluxe and the one we opted for The Universe! Pizzas come in three sizes so we
A BLACKBURN pony rider represented her country in the British Show Pony Society Summer Championships. Westholme school pupil Sophie Scott, 15, of Wilton Close, Beardwood, has already amassed 16 winning titles this year. And on Wednesday she joined
LAST Saturday I rang Blackburn Transport to inquire if there were any buses from Darwen to Royal Blackburn Hospital on Sunday. The gentleman said that unfortunately they don't run. I said it was a shame that patients would miss having a visitor, as
WITH much sadness I read the article (LT, August 19) about Rossendale being the 'chav' capital of Britain as the picture it painted is very different to the reality. I do not deny that there are aspects of life in the borough that I would like to see
TWO cyclists are getting ready to ride 130 miles in one day to raise money for charity. Mick Cassidy and Nick Stiller from Blackburn are riding from Leeds to Liverpool and stopping off in their home town along the way. They will start at 4am on Sunday
TRADING Standards chiefs today named a Clitheroe damp-proofing outfit which they claim has taken thousands of pounds from pensioners. Lancashire Trading Standards officers launched a joint investigation with police after they received more than 70 complaints
Blackburn Rovers bosses and fans have slammed a company for making football hooligan dolls wearing Rovers kit and brandishing miniature knuckle dusters. The Little Hooliganz characters are kitted out in the colours of the top clubs which include a figure
YOUNG arm wrestlers are celebrating receiving a cash grant that will allow them to compete on the international stage. The 10-strong team from Hyndburn will be representing Great Britain at the three-day world championships in Manchester, thanks to the
LEE Sculpher will have to run late fitness tests over Lee Cryer and Ryan Dervish as Ramsbottom United aim to bounce back from their FA Cup exit when they travel to Nantwich Town tomorrow. Cryer suffered a slight back injury while Ryan Dervish picked
GRAHAM Howarth is desperately looking for a forward to fill the boots of Michael Holt. The Nelson manager admitted life after the striker, who scored 37 goals last season but left the club in the summer, has been tough, after scoring just one goal in
THEY'VE got a virus down at Turf Moor that's for sure ... and it's not just from Tuesday's game. It wasn't the same Burnley team that played against QPR in the first game of the season and whatever it is, they've got to put it right. I keep saying that
Burnley have not appealed against the red card shown to Wayne Thomas. The Clarets skipper was dismissed 14 minutes from time in the 1-0 defeat to Hartlepool, deemed to be the last man when he fouled Joel Porter in the penalty area. And after reviewing
IAN Dunbavin has thrown down the gauntlet to fellow Accrington Stanley goalkeeper Rob Elliot in the battle for the number on jersey. Summer signing Dunbavin has featured in every game so far this season, with on-loan stopper Elliot sidelined since with
STEVE Cotterill has insisted there is no need to push the panic button after watching his side lose two on the spin. The Burnley boss today admitted it had been a difficult time for the Clarets, watching them lose their unbeaten run at the start of the
BLACKBURN striker Benni McCarthy has vowed to put sentiment firmly to one side this weekend by gunning down his friend and mentor Jose Mourinho. The South African international, who scored his first Premiership goal in Rovers' 1-1 draw with Everton on
A £1MILLION bid for cash to transform Hyndburn's parks has been launched by the council. The local authority wants to see the 11 parks in the area used to host free public events as well as introducing three countryside rangers. Lottery cash would be
ROVERS bosses and fans have slammed a company for making football hooligan dolls wearing Rovers kit and brandishing miniature knuckle dusters. The Little Hooliganz characters are kitted out in the colours of the top clubs which include a figure from
A TEENAGER banned from being drunk in public was caught out after staggering up to a police officer and asking the time. Burnley magistrates heard how Mark Roberts, 19, was the subject of a two year anti-social behaviour order imposed in October 2004
POLICE today warned businesses to be on their guard after a spate of thefts from companies that store large quantities of metal. And one company boss has told how she has been left counting the cost after thieves stole thousands of pounds worth of valuable
A bandstand in an historic Burnley park which was destroyed in an arson attack could be replaced. The man in charge of Burnley's leisure facilities, chairman of the Civic Society and former mayor, Coun Roger Frost, has asked council officers to investigate
PENDLE'S annual balloon festival is set to be the biggest yet, say organisers. Balloons over Barlick is to take to the skies tomorrow and because of its growing popularity will, for the first time, last all bank holiday weekend. Highlight of the three-day
THE future of one of the most historic shows in Pendle's calendar has been secured. Barrowford Show will go ahead for the next three years after Barnfield Construction and Howard Rigg Properties agreed to put up a total of £5,000 a year until 2008.
A DRINK driver said by the prosecution to be a menace and a danger to other road users was today starting a 120-day jail term. Burnley magistrates heard how Imran Khadam had clocked up three drink-drive related offences in just eight months. The defendant
THREE new litter teams have been launched by Burnley Council at a cost of almost £250,000 as part of its campaign to make the borough cleaner, greener and safer. A special meeting of the council's executive on Wednesday approved £200,000 funding for
A WOMAN arrested after causing late-night trouble in a pub kicked a police officer in the groin and had two knives in her handbag. Burnley magistrates heard how Susan Carter, 36, had been abusive and was shouting and swearing after officers were called
PLANS to create a £70million national centre for extreme sports in East Lancashire have been scrapped. Earlier this month project leaders vowed to continue with plans for an Adrenaline Village in Stacksteads, Rossendale, despite a bid for Big Lottery
A SENIOR Burnley councillor has accused the town's ruling executive of putting children's futures at risk because of its decision to refuse to sell land needed for one of the new super schools. Mark Townsend, a member for Gannow ward, accused Council
TWO people were today being quizzed by detectives in connection with the death of an 11-month old girl from Nelson. A woman and a man said to be in his 40s, who are not the child's parents, were arrested yesterday in connection with the incident. Police
A report saying Blackburn with Darwen Council was wrong to order the demolition of 150 homes will be met by a legal challenge. The council will appeal to Communities Secretary, Ruth Kelly MP, against the decision about Darwen's Redearth Triangle
POLICE hunting the killer of a mother and her three children have arrested a Blackburn woman on suspicion of murder. Detectives today confirmed that 35-year-old Musarrat Iqbal, had been arrested in connection with the murder Uzma Arshad, 32, her daughter
"INSPIRATIONAL" Katie-Lee Lingard had more reason than most for celebrating her GCSE results. For the brave Blackburn pupil has put a life-threatening brain tumour behind her to triumph in her exams. A decade ago Katie-Lee was battling for her life,
JUST a year ago, Tom Smith would have been walking out at Chorley's Windsor Park as the club's professional in the Northern Premier League. Tomorrow, he'll walk out in front of a packed house at Lord's for the C&G Trophy final against Sussex and he reckons
PETER TAYLOR has revealed it will be an entirely different side that faces Burnley to the one that crashed out of the Carling Cup during the week. The Crystal Palace manager gave opportunities to a number of fringe players for the Notts County match
BURNLEY boss Steve Cotterill is looking for inspiration from Manchester United to get the Clarets season back on track. Supporters' expectations were high at Turf Moor at the start of the season after an impressive unbeaten run. But the Burnley faithful
MICHAEL Welch will put friendships to one side tomorrow as he aims to inflict another shut-out on rock bottom Rochdale. The Stanley defender was pals with Rochdale front man Rickie Lambert when they were team-mates at Macclesfield in the 2001-02 season
JOHN Coleman has called for his battle-hardened troops to keep up the good work-rate. The Accrington Stanley boss believes his players' labour in closing Nottingham Forest down was key to them claiming yet another cup scalp on Monday night. And he has
A TEENAGE burglar has been sentenced to 40-days in custody after he was caught red-handed. Burnley magistrates heard how Lee Nolan, 18, had a long criminal record but was not violent or aggressive. Nolan, of William Street, Nelson, admitted burglary
A MAN struck a chicken with a spade and hit a neighbour over the head in a row about animals escaping from an allotment. Frank Sutton of Fernhurst Street, Blackburn, appeared at Preston Crown Court and admitted actual bodily harm. A judge gave 42-
CULT comedian Frank Sidebottom will be in Blackburn on August 31 when he appears at the North Bar. He may have been out of the public eye but he has certainly been busy in that time working for Hot Animation, the company that make Bob The Builder and
I DON'T know what it is about grumpy men who aren't short of a bob or two (think Simon Cowell, Jeremy Paxman) but when Dragon's Den's Duncan Bannatyne and Peter Jones savage the clueless hopefuls, it makes my knees go weak. Maybe the clue is in the question
AUDIENCES at Blackburn Arts Club's latest production of The Mysterious Mr Love on September 1 and 2 can enjoy a cracking show and feel charitable at the same time- for the profits are going to the East Lancashire Hospice. The play, by Karoline Leach,
LIFE proved sweet for 16-year-olds across the region with students again achieving some remarkable results. And none more so than at Blackburn's Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School where the number 13 proved anything but unlucky. For 13 GCSE students achieved
EAST Lancashire's students are toasting record GCSE results, with schools across the county chalking up their best-ever performances. In Blackburn with Darwen, results rose again, with 52 per cent of the borough's pupils gaining five or more GCSE grades
TWO former care homes which were expected to provide new accommodation for the elderly are set to be sold for a total of £1million by the county council. Wheatley Court, Fence and Fell View, Barnacre Road, Longridge will go under the hammer at an auction
HYNDBURN Homes has moved 55 maintenance staff into a new base at Altham. The company, which took over management of all council houses in Hyndburn following the recent housing stock transfer, says the move will provide residents with "improved responsive
THREE men who subjected a 24-year-old with learning difficulties to a terrifying attack in his home have been jailed. A court heard how victim Paul Haworth was punched and kicked and rolled himself up into a ball to try to protect himself. Two of those
HEALTH experts have defended hospital bosses after four babies tested positive for MRSA. The babies, being cared for on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Royal Blackburn Hospital, were not affected by the infection as it was simply being carried on
I am not a fat person. I used to be, but somehow I lost it when I was four. However, that cannot be said for millions of Britons and it looks like there are going to millions more soon. Apparently by the year 2010 there will be 13 million obese people
A £6,000 Vauxhall Zafira was stolen in a burglary at an old people's home in Great Harwood. Mill Lodge residential home, Belmont Road, was broken into early on Tuesday and the car keys taken from a staff room. Property worth more than £400 is also
AN EAST Lancashire family caught up in forest fires in a Greek holiday resort have described how they thought they were going to die. Mark and Carmel Frodsham, of Wycollar Road, Blackburn, had travelled to Hanioti, a village on the peninsula of Halkidiki
By Keith Sowerbutts, Oswald Street, Accrington. I recall the halcyon days of the fifties That makes me an owd un' I guess Happy days and things have altered, You change, or you fall, it's a mess. We got our kicks at Tony's or the Ritz, King
WHAT on earth is going on in Blackburn with the proposed sell-off/handover of the buses? The interests of private companies is solely profit, not providing good services. That's why agreements are made to ensure minimum standards are met. I can remember
A £1MILLION bid for cash to transform Hyndburn's parks has been launched by the council. The local authority wants to see the 11 parks in the area used to host free public events as well as introducing three countryside rangers. Lottery cash would be
JOBS at Baxenden-based Holland's Pies are safe despite parent company Northern Foods announcing almost 700 job losses. The Leeds food firm has revealed it is to close its Trafford Park bakery, Manchester, which produces a range of chilled savoury pastry
UNITED Utilities has been fined £10,000 after a stretch of water became polluted following a leak of raw sewage. The pollution was discharged into a tributary of the River Ribble near Clitheroe as a result of a sequence of problems at the Knuck Knowles
BACUP will be without their captain Ian Hughes for the visit of Stone Dominoes tomorrow. Hughes will be out for the next two games due to personal commitments and is likely to be replaced by the experienced Liam Boardman in the heart of defence. Manager
STEVE Mullen takes his unbeaten Darwen to Eccleshall tomorrow for an early season top-of-the-table clash. The Anchor Ground side currently lead NWCL Division Two but Mullen's men face a stiff test against the Staffordshire club who have won its opening
MARK Hughes's latest signing Andre Ooijer has revealed that Chelsea are running scared ahead of their showdown with Blackburn Rovers this weekend. The defending champions face Rovers at Ewood Park on Sunday, desperate to bounce back from Wednesday night's
GAMES don't come any bigger in the Premiership than Chelsea at home. Jose Mourinho's defending champions are the scalp everyone wants to claim, so Mark Hughes certainly won't need to deliver a Churchilian-style team talk before Sunday's meeting at Ewood
FORMER Burscough manager Derek Goulding has emerged as the early favourite to take charge of managerless Chorley. The Magpies were left reeling earlier this week when Shaun Teale quit as manager following Tuesday night's 3-0 drubbing at Clitheroe. Teale's
