DETECTIVES hunting a group of persistent shoplifters in Blackburn have released CCTV images of men they want to question. Officers said they were keen to trace the people captured on CCTV cameras at the One Stop Shop in New Bank Road, and also at Proctor's
FIREFIGHTERS have slammed "irresponsible time wasters" who have made 32 hoax calls in the last four months. Watch manager Peter Frazer said malicious callers in Accrington were putting lives at risk by reporting incidents that do not exist. In the latest
A BLACKBURN man was taken to hospital with burns to his face and arm after lighting a barbecue his friend had doused with petrol. Firefighters said James McArthur, 40, was "lucky" to escape serious burns following the incident in the back garden of a
A TODDLER who has bravely battled a large tumour for 14 months celebrated her second birthday - a day it was feared she would never see. And little Madison Allan, of Lord's Crescent, Lower Darwen, was given a special birthday bash to celebrate with a
ACCRINGTON STANLEY'S two-goal hero Paul Mullin admitted their match with Mansfield had everything. The sides shared the spoils in a thrilling end-to-end encounter. And Mullin said: "It was a funny game, two missed penalties, players hitting the crossbar
Keeper Ian Dunbavin made a fool out of his manager John Coleman ... but the Accrington boss doesn't mind one bit. Instead Coleman was celebrating the heroics of his shot-stopper after Dunbavin saved two penalties and played a starring role in only Accrington's
WAYNE Thomas spoke of his pride at taking the Clarets captaincy before a ball was kicked this season. But the centre-back faces the prospect - just eight weeks into the Championship campaign - of having the honour and armband stripped away following
STEVE Cotterill praised the great courage of his players - captain Wayne Thomas apart - that went down bravely 3-2 to Southampton. "The boys worked very hard," said Cotterill. "Some of the effort and courage that they showed at times in the second-half
BLACKBURN Roversmanager Mark Hughes singled out Andre Ooijer for special praise after the Dutchman played a key role in Saturday's 1-0 win at Middlesbrough. Before the weekend, Ooijer had come under fire in some quarters following some less than convincing
MARK Hughes' skill in the transfer market has been one of the key factors in his success at Blackburn over the last two years. In his first season at Ewood Park, Hughes struck gold with the signings of Ryan Nelsen and Aaron Mokoena, both of whom went
Steve Cotterill has reiterated that he has received no contact from West Brom despite being strongly linked to the managerial vacancy at the Hawthorns. He said: "I've not had any contact with them and I don't think my chairman (Barry Kilby) has had
STEVE Cotterill says a moment of "unthinkable stupidity" from captain Wayne Thomas was the reason behind Burnley's 3-2 defeat to Southampton. Thomas was shown his second red card of the season after seemingly elbowing midfielder Jhon Viafara while the
ROBBIE Savage reckons Blackburn Rovers are ready to prove last season's top six finish was not just a flash in the pan. After taking just one point from their first three games of the new campaign, Mark Hughes' team was being written off in some quarters
HYNDBURN'S disc-parking scheme has been dumped by the council - although free parking in the borough will remain. Leader of Hyndburn Council Coun Peter Britcliffe said: "People have been telling me that they love the free parking in Hyndburn, but they
Three men on police bail in connection with the hit-and-run death of a seven-year-old girl have had their bail extended. The men were due to answer bail yesterday but officers have postponed the date for four weeks. Olivia Whiteside, of Goldhey
CARELESS smokers are counting the cost of the most expensive cigarette of their lives - after being fined up to £100 for dropping their fag ends. Blackburn with Darwen Council is using new government legislation to prosecute any smokers who are seen
A COUNCIL has been blasted for discussing plans for a controversial piece of land "in secret". The fly-tipped land at Lowerhalgh Farm, Brokenstone Road, Feniscowles has been a thorn in the side of the borough for more than seven years. About 70,000
CHILDREN as young as eight risked their lives in an act of "utter lunacy" - by playing chicken on the M65 in rush hour. A gang of youngsters was spotted playing the "game", in which they have to get across a road by dodging oncoming vehicles, across
A LORRY driver attacked his partner and a police officer after losing his temper because of pressures at home, a court was told. Burnley magistrates heard how Stephen McDonald, 37, kicked then girlfriend Elizabeth Sharples and spat at both her and the
Police are continuing to investigate a bomb scare at a house in Barnoldswick. Officers were called to Rankin Close on Wednesday following reports of a disturbance and found explosive materials and the surrounding area was sealed off while the devices
A NEW £16.5 million college campus will provide the very best facilities for students and the people of Pendle, the man behind the scheme has said. Nelson and Colne College's deputy principal John Farrington made the declaration as he announced building
A FORMER supermarket in Pendle could be turned into a new health centre. Councillors have been in talks with bosses at Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust (PCT) about setting up health facilities in the abandoned Kwik Save, in Craddock
A FORMER teacher from West Craven has launched his first book as he sets out on a new career as an author. Andy Shackleton, 60, held a special event at Barnoldswick Library to launch Arctic Cycle', which charts his solo journey cycling across the hostile
A MAN left a woman with a serious facial injury after attacking her following a row over a dog, a court heard. John Wayne Crossley, 25, left victim Michelle Edwards with a serious facial injury after turning up at her front door, hitting her and then
BURNLEY'S biggest housing landlord has launched a new advice scheme to help tenants who owe it money. Calico has set up an income recovery team to offer advice to people in rent arrears on how to pay back the cash. The company does not charge for the
AN East Lancashire girl has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer -just three days after her third birthday. And Millie O'Shea's mum Susan, of Valley View, Shawforth, Rossendale, said she was alerted to the disease when she was woke up in the middle
Council leaders whose borough was labelled the worst in the country' now want the government to look again. They believe the "many improvements" made recently will be enough to shake off the Poor' rating awarded in 2004. Rossendale leader Duncan Ruddick
A NATIONAL campaign group has joined the fight to save an under-threat piece of public art ikn Burnley. The Twentieth Century Society, which campaigns for the preservation of the best in architecture and design, has thrown its support behind saving
BURNLEY residents are set to benefit from a better quality of affordable housing. Council bosses said many houses in the town classed as affordable were run-down two-bed terrace homes. And they wanted to change that by ensuring 10 per cent of all new
THE relatives of three pensioners said to have been murdered by suspected killer nurse Anne Grigg-Booth have demanded a public inquiry into her actions. And the families have been joined by a mother-of-two believed to be the only surviving victim who
THE Police Federation has hit out at a judge after a carpenter walked free from court, despite ruining an officer's career in an assault. Kevin Dunn, 45, was said to have "flipped" and smashed Nelson PC Mark Brooks against a stone wall and a pillar in
A LEADING councillor wants to make Pendle's fledgling canal festival one of the biggest tourist attractions in the borough's calendar. Executive member for tourism Coun Frank Wren said he was confident the event could expand after hundreds of people
HEALTH bosses have pledged not to get "nasty" to get staff to leave amid a cash crisis. The East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has to save £2.5million by cutting 320 jobs. And now the first of these staff are starting to leave but bosses need to get
BURNLEY General can't keep its A&E department because it would cost £144million to upgrade, it has been revealed. Cash strapped managers have said East Lancashire can only have one top A&E department and last week voted to have it at Blackburn. They
A YELLOW-themed fundraiser is being staged to raise vital cash for the North West air ambulance. Children across the region are being asked to donate £1 and wear yellow to school on Otober 13 in a bid to help raise some of the £1.3million needed annually
Blackburn Rovers will go into Thursday's UEFA Cup first round second leg with Red Bull Salzburg in confident mood after the win at Middlesbrough. Manager Mark Hughes said: "We're on a run of four games unbeaten now, so it's a decent run and we're looking
AT least ITV has tried to give us something different for Saturday night viewing with its supernatural thriller afterlife' (you can tell that it's spooky and serious because it hasn't got a capital A!). But honestly, what a load of tosh. This week
ONE of East Lancashire's most powerful business leaders is stepping down from the organisation he has led for more than a decade. Dennis Mendoros, OBE, is leaving his role as chairman of the North West Aerospace Alliance, an organisation which supports
POLICE who raided an Accrington house looking for drugs found £40,000 in cash locked in an upstairs bedroom, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard the officers also found a set of electronic scales in the house and two lists of names and numbers
POLICE arrived at a Darwen flat in time to catch a man carrying a mirror climbing out of the window. Blackburn magistrates heard that as they detained him a second man climbed out of the unoccupied home. David Whiteley, 38, of Woodvale Flats, Darwen
POLICE who raided the home of a 54-year-old Darwen man found a sophisticated cannabis production operation. Blackburn magistrates heard that the officers recovered 24 cannabis plants and more than 270 seedlings. Glenn Ball told the officers that the
A HEALTH boss said people who were entitled to a better hearing aid on the NHS would be seen as quickly possible after three-year waits were revealed. Ian Wishton, head of the hearing and balance service at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said staff
LONGRIDGE High School's latest Ofsted report makes for good reading. Inspectors found "achievements and standards are good" at the school in Preston Road. Other highlights from Ofsted's June visit included that "the quality of the care and support students
A NELSON student is dancing with joy after landing a £2,000 scholarship to study performing arts at Edge Hill University. The recipient is Steven Greene,18, from Regent Street who has embarked on a BA in drama, physical theatre and dance from September
AN East Lancashire tutor has become the first in the country to offer a pioneering interactive course to improve pupils' reading and concentration skills. The tutor in question is Pauline Vaughan, who for the last 20 years has been helping learners in
Ada Gibson, Grange Street, Clayton-le-Moors. Sunflower, Sunflower, Why look so sad As you try and try To reach up to the sky. Your leaves swish about Like the wings of a dove If only the sun, Would shine from above. Yet I love you as you
I WISH to comment on the validity of Councillor John Milburn's answer to my September 7 question to the Council Forum relating to the legitimate sport and leisure needs of the people of Darwen. Whilst Coun Milburn provided a limited explanation and
IN reply to Mr T Gerrard (LT, September 18). If he wants to be taken seriously in his argument that Blackburn Rovers tickets are too expensive, he should avoid exaggeration. I have been a season ticket holder for years. In my wildest dreams, I could
I CAN'T think of any other religion whose followers would have reacted in such an extreme way to words of criticism by the head of another faith. The Muslim reaction, worldwide, to the Pope quoting from a medieval text has been appalling. Nuns murdered
I HAVE just read "hospital journey time map" and comments made by MP Jack Straw. It's hard to believe that such rubbish can be uttered by someone who should know better. I've already made my views clear in the consultation which took place earlier
A 24-year-old Darwen man who mixed prescribed medication with drink was later seen talking to a parked car pretending to be King Kong. Blackburn magistrates heard that Leon Paul Wilkinson also shouted at the top of his voice that he was King Kong before
AN East Lancashire fireman has told how his own personal tragedy led him to spearhead a fundraising campaign for brave toddler Ethan Naisbitt. Phil Whittaker, green watch manager at Hyndburn Fire Station, has set up a trust fund for Ethan, three, who
PLANNERS will be urged to ditch plans to move a gym to the other side of Darwen as part of a £9million makeover of the town's leisure centre. Councillors fear that having the gym and leisure centre on separate sites will prove impractical, with people
ARSONISTS are being blamed for two separate fires which left an industrial unit and car damaged within half an hour of each other. Watch manager Steve Harrison said two crews from Darwen were called to a fire in the town's Cotton Hall Street at around
Turton Tower turned to flower power at the weekend in a bid to help its survival. The future of the 15th century Tudor house is uncertain after Lancashire County Council threatened to axe vital funding. The former family home, built around 1420, is
EAST Lancs Labour MEP Gary Titley is putting himself in the firing line this Friday on a visit to Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn. He will answer questions on topical European issues during the visit which is part of the school's annual
A DERELICT Blackburn school was targeted in a suspected arson attack. A fire took hold on the roof of a nursery building of the former Highercroft Primary School, Blackburn, just after 4pm on Saturday. It took firefighters over an hour to get it under
PUPILS at Highercroft Children's Centre, Blackburn, have joined its management team. The centre, in Highercroft Road, provides childcare and nursery education as well as other services such as family support services and opportunities for adult learning
AN understrength Clitheroe side came away from Alsager Town with all three points and their third consecutive clean sheet in the league, cementing their position in the top four of the Unibond League First Division. Neither side created many chances
BACUP Borough made a sad exit from this year's FA Vase competition, but only have themselves to blame. Despite dictating play for the entire game, the visitors failed to turn their dominance into goals due to conceding possession when it mattered and
COLNE eased their way into the next round of the Carlsberg FA Vase with a comfortable win against North East Counties League outfit Maltby Main. The home side couldn't have wished for a better start when, after just three minutes, Kieran Roberts met
ROSSENDALE United slipped to a second 1-0 defeat at home in a week when Shepshed Dynamo stole the points in a game which they could and should have won comfortably. Throughout the game, and especially in the second half, Rossendale created chance after
Ramsbottom finally got a win under their belts thanks to a fine team effort. Two goals from Abid Uddin and one from Liam McManus did the damage. After Tuesday night's shock defeat to Maine Road they produced the goods at long last to take maximum points
NELSON cruised through to the first round of the FA Vase with a six goal thrashing of Castleton Gabriels on Friday night. The Blues took the lead after only seven minutes when Dave Gray saw Mark Canning save his header on the line, but he followed
There's something unnerving about a 23-year-old sounding so convincingly like he's stepped straight out of a moody black-and-white flick made thirty years before he was born. Recorded on the vintage equipment in London's Toe Rag Studios, you can almost
DARWEN crashed out of the FA Vase at the second prelimary stage after conceding three goals in the opening half-hour. The visitors stunned Darwen when Moores opening the scoring after just three minutes. And then a double by Garvey on 19 and 31
PADIHAM earned the right to stage a fascinating FA Carlsberg Vase first round home tie against FC United of Manchester on October 7 when they beat Cheadle Town 1-0 in their second qualifying round match at Arbories on Saturday. Paul Barrett hit the
