A 13-YEAR plan for play facilities in Rossendale has been published. The document, set out after a borough-wide consultation, proposes improvements this year in Green Field Memorial Gardens, Sunnyside Park, and Whitaker Park. Other park areas are set
A PIGEON fancier who had £33,000 hidden in a bird loft has admitted supplying ecstasy. And police said Keith Mason, who was on disability benefits, was facing a confiscation hearing in a bid to seize the cash which they suspect was from the proceeds
A PROUD mum has praised her son for becoming a Royal Marine Commando - as fears grow for 15 of his colleagues seized on the Iraq/Iran border. Jacob Bilbie, of Radfield Avenue, Darwen, has just turned 19 and passed out at the Commando Training Centre
FOREIGN workers are being given a helping hand in settling into Pendle by police. Once a month PC Susan Main and PCSO Martin Croasdale are running classes to offer advice on subjects ranging from buying a car to working in the force. The workers helped
MINISTERS are being urged to follow Darwen train station's lead in installing CCTV cameras. Three cameras go live' at Darwen station on April 6 and MP Janet Anderson wants funding for similar projects across the country. It is hoped a £20,000 system
Blackburn with Darwen Council announced its Building Schools for the Future plan last October with many seeing it as a golden opportunity to increase the level of integration in schools. But is the council really intent on grasping this nettle or is it
A ROW over rent for a staircase is set to end up in court. As reported in the Lancashire Telegraph last month, police were called to Padiham Snooker Club, Livesey Street, after bosses at the United Irish League Club blocked up the shared entrance in
HUNDREDS of people are expected to watch the Britannia coconut dancers set off on their traditional "boundary dance" over Easter. The event has taken place for more than 200 years and sees the clog group skipping through Bacup stopping at various places
Author Simon Entwistle tells the story of the plug drawing riots in Blackburn. Simon, who is famous for his spooky ghost walks, will be telling a different tale of East Lancashire's past each week on the Lancashire Telegraph website. To listen to
ALMOST a dozen vehicles had their tyres slashed in an early morning attack in the Highercroft area of Blackburn. Eleven vehicles were attacked in Lytham Road, Pilmuir Road and Manxman Road. Police called it "a mindless act of vandalism". The attacks
Mental Health nurse Gill Luke is just a couple of steps away from realising her dream of competing in a top women's racing championship. Gill, from Oswaldtwistle, has a real passion for cars and has previously been involved in quarter-mile racing at
Blackburn with Darwen's first Muslim state school could move into the site occupied by Beardwood High School, council chiefs have confirmed. Beardwood High School is earmarked for closure in 2011 as part of Blackburn with Darwen Council's £150million
Burnley voters are urged to make sure they are properly registered ahead of the local elections in May. With less than six weeks to the borough elections, Burnley Council has asked all residents to make sure they do have the means to vote on election
AN INSPECTION has revealed that a council rated the worst in the country three years ago is improving. An independent report says general service performance at Rossendale Borough Council continues to get better. The good news comes after the authority
FRIENDS of a man who died after a football match paid tribute to him on his birthday. Martyn Burton, 31, of Ramsbottom, had been playing for the Manchester Deaf FC, in Cardiff, when he died after the match on February 4. After his funeral, friends
LOCAL historian Ken Spencer has this week revealed the Burnley connection to children's story writer Beatrix Potter. Behind the tales of Peter Rabbit, her personal life involved a childhood sheltered to the point of repression, a long courtship with
NO evidence was heard during the third day of proceedings in the trial of a Clayton-le-Dale lorry driver accused of three counts of causing death by dangerous driving. Neil Margerison, 23, of Ribchester Road, denies the charges. His lorry collided
AN AMATEUR recording studio was destroyed in a fire believed to have been caused by a discarded cigarette. Fire crews were called to a house in Tor View, Haslingden, just before midnight on Tuesday after a smell of smoke was reported to them. The basement
EVERYONE remembers where they were the day President Kennedy was shot - and I bet it's the same for old Colners the day Riddiough's timber yard caught fire! The date when the town's biggest blaze was fought by more than 100 firemen, from 15 brigades
HIGH flyers from schools across East Lancashire took part in an aviation challenge to design and build a prototype aircraft fit for the stars. Pupils from Blackburn, Burnley, Colne and Oswaldtwistle kitted out their paper planes with plasma screens,
A presentation was held at Blackburn Cathedral by the fire service, police and past and current members of the Prince's Trust Team to mark the end of office of the High Shefiff Mr Peter Robinson DL. The presentation outlined the personal development
STEVEN Caldwell believes one win will change the outlook on the rest of Burnley's season. The Clarets' bid to end an 18-game winless run was put on hold for two weeks after defeat at Preston North End due to international fixtures. But with back-to-back
KEEN cyclist Doreen Walkden proved a very good sport during the celebrations of Blackburn's centenary, back in 1951. For she was the only woman with any inclination to attempt one particular event - a hill climb up Shear Brow and 1 in 7 at its steepest
A FIREFIGHTER whose wages were docked for having time off to donate bone marrow is to get his money back after a U-turn by bosses. Mark McCracken, 44, of Colne, who is based at Blackburn station, is to be given back the five days' pay after the Lancashire
A MISSING 15-year-old girl could be in Blackburn. Donna Shears, 15, was reported missing from her home in Grimsby on Friday March 23. She was last seen by her sister on Wednesday 21 March. Donna is described as white, 5ft 3ins tall, with dark
A RECORD number of truants were found on the streets of Burnley and Padiham this week. And now parents are being warned they face court action if they fail to ensure their children go to school. The warnings follow a truancy sweep, where a record number
A PRIMARY school headteacher has been sacked after a convicted paedophile worked on her school's website. Kathleen Tyson was dismissed for gross misconduct by the governing body at Holy Trinity Primary School, Darwen, following a disciplinary hearing
ATHLETES across the North West have been shocked by the death of Dave Clarke on Saturday morning after a fall at home last Wednesday. Road racers at the Coniston 14 Mile Road Race on Saturday were told on the start line and responded with a warm round
A FLASHING interactive speed sign has been installed on Pole Lane, Darwen, often used as a short-cut to the motorway. The sign tells drivers their speed and tells them to slow down if it is too high. Coun Frank Connor, who has been working to improve
A 12-year-old girl was rescued by fire crews after getting stuck up a 32 feet tree in Hoddlesden Cemetery. Firefighters used the ladder to bring the girl to safety at approximately 7.40pm on Wednesday. She had climbed the tree to retrieve a ball
A FACTORY has fixed a fault which caused a fire, causing over 30 homes to be evacuated. Production at Wardle Storeys, Grove Mill, off Skipton Road, Earby, is up and running after a fire broke out in a machine making synthetic leather coatings for the
A MAN used a cheque belonging to a mosque to get £600 from a pawn shop and then spent it, a court was told. Burnley magistrates heard Safwan Mahmood, 20, who claimed he found the cheque, had a spree with his friends. He had a caution for stealing from
A MOTORIST has told how he swerved to avoid a lorry involved in a crash which killed three members of a family. And the van driver said his vehicle was showered with glass as the HGV went into the back of slow-moving, queuing traffic. Neil Margerison
A DRAMA teacher from Blackburn is returning for a school's drama spectacular - with a little help from her friends. When Gaynor Stubbs, headteacher at Wensley Fold Primary School, wanted to teach youngsters the value of friendship, she turned to one
WE have been used to being the focus of attention over the last 12 months, but tomorrow it will be for matters off the field. The Football League hearing for accusations of fielding ineligible players is something that is being dealt with by our chairman
BLACKBURN Rovers defender Andre Ooijer has ruled out a return to action this season. The Dutch international defender broke his fibula and suffered ankle ligament damage after a freak collision with Manchester City's Bernardo Corradi in the middle of
A DOCTOR from Blackburn - guilty of groping two young female hospital patients - has been kicked out of his profession. Indecent examinations on two patients, aged 17 and 20, by Dr Shakir Laher, were too serious to be dealt with by any other means than
A CAR owner disturbed by voices outside looked out to see a man kick the wing mirror off her car, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard that the woman's husband went after the three men who had been seen near the car and confronted them before
Blackburn Rovers defender Zurab Khizanishvili has revealed he would relish the opportunity to return to Rangers later in his career. The Georgian centre-back moved from Ibrox to Ewood Park in 2005, initially on loan, and made the switch permanent last
Nelson came from behind to beat Flixton last night. Steve Tobin put Flixton ahead in the first half. But goals from Alex Mugan and Dave Ashton after the interval sealed the win.
Some offices within Hapton Town Hall are available for rent. More information is available from the town clerk on 01282 779961 or by calling in between 10.30am and 1pm on weekdays.
COUNCIL bosses have drawn up plans to manually check 7,000 election papers following concerns over a high-tech electronic system. The technology was introduced in a bid to crackdown on postal voting fraud, such as that carried out by Burnley councillors
A PROJECT which has taken over the running of allotments at Stubbylee Park has been given permission to use a ceremonial coat of arms. The Close to the Hedge scheme, which took over the allotments when Rossendale Council threatened them with closure
A MOTORIST was twice the drink-drive limit when he was stopped by police, Burnley magistrates heard. The court was told how Paul Rogerson, 20, had borrowed a friend's car to do an errand and wasn't insured. The defendant, of Burrans Meadow, Colne, admitted
PRIMARY school children have been given massages to help them relax in the run up to exams. Earlier this month children at St Oswald's CofE Primary School, Stanhill Road, Knuzden, enjoyed a "day off" as experts taught them how to give each other hand
NEW Clarets signing Graham Coughlan's teenage brother was found dead in a canal last month, it has been revealed. Coughlan is on loan to Burnley from Sheffield Wednesday after a deal on the deadline day last week. The deal comes weeks after the
BURNLEY is gearing up for its new £1.2million waste collection service. Contractor Veolia Environmental Service has taken over the service from Biffa. The change sees the introduction of back door recycling pick ups for terrace properties and improved
A TEENAGER was punched in the face in an unprovoked attack in Darwen town centre. The 19-year-old was walking along Bolton Road when a blue Transit van pulled up at about 6.15pm on Monday. A man got out and punched him in the face before he ran back
A SUPER-fit young woman who collapsed and died at home may have suffered a diabetic attack, even though nobody suspected she had the condition. Vicky Stockton, 23, of Beechthorpe Avenue, Waddington, was training for a career in the Army when she died
LEADING football disciplinary expert Graham Bean believes Accrington Stanley have a strong case to argue against a Football League charge of fielding ineligible players. The former FA Compliance Officer will represent the Reds at tomorrow's hearing,
TONNES of building waste contaminated with deadly asbestos has been dumped at a notorious fly-tipping spot. The waste, which appears to have come from a demolition project, was found all over remote King's Highway in Huncoat. The site has been cordoned
RESCUE teams have warned teenagers to stay away from quarries after a teenager fell almost five metres (17 feet). Pendle Mountain and Rescue team stretchered a 13-year-old boy to safety after he fell down Pinner Quarry in Crawshawbooth. Team leader
THE first train in 37 years to run from Colne to Skipton is fully booked. Supporters of the Skipton East Lancashire Rail Partnership, (Selrap) will be getting on board on Sunday for a journey into Yorkshire which will take more than two and a half hours
A BANNED football hooligan was arrested while trying to travel to Andorra to watch England play. David Grimshaw has now been handed an additional 30-month sentence stopping him from watching any games anywhere in the world. The 38 year old, of Oswald
AN ex-drug addict threatened to slit his teenage partner's throat before attacking her, a court was told. Possessive Anthony Callander, 37, had bombarded Annie Wilson with threatening and abusive text messages as she was on a night out with friends,
WE'VE passed the last Sunday in March and clocks have been moved one hour forward, and everyone starts to put their point forward saying that we should stay with one system or another. Well here are the reasons we change between BST and GMT: If we
FOR a Sunday morning walk in the late 1940s my sister and I would accompany our elder brother to the Happy Valley Cafe which was located on the Preston-Blackburn road not far from Samlesbury Hall. I believe it was demolished in the early 1970s and a
MY grandchildren always give me a laugh in some of the things they say. My granddaughter Alice was five years old in January and couldn't wait for her birthday to arrive. The morning after, she woke up and said "Will I be six today, mummy." And only
AS A regular user of Witton Park in Blackburn, I am becoming increasingly appalled at the unnecessary destruction of the woodlands areas by the park's management. For the last six months or more, gangs of workers have been cutting down and burning shrubs
IT'S never easy to dramatically change the way you've been living. I had to. I guess the hardest part is the re-learning of my grammatical skills. I also have had to completely change the way I think. It's like re-programming a computer, because, it
LANCASHIRE'S Intermediate Girls were the team winners in the English Schools Cross Country Championships, after beating off challenges from 41 other counties. Hannah Bateson from Lancaster set up the victory chance with a fantastic sixth place while
A MUSLIM is to promote dialogue between communities from Blackburn Cathedral - in what is thought to be the first appointment of its type in the world. Anjum Anwar will leave her current post as education officer at the Lancashire Council of Mosques
Goalscoring debutant David Nugent insisted Jermain Defoe had no complaints over his poacher's strike, despite the Tottenham man's shot looking like it would cross the line unaided. The Preston striker netted England's third, along with a brace from Steven
Burnley's Kyle Lafferty enjoyed the last 10 minutes of Northern Ireland's dramatic 2-1 win over Sweden last night. The Clarets striker came on as a substitute with the province ahead thanks to a brace from Leeds frontman David Healy, cancelling out
Clarets keeper Danny Coyne had an easy night as Wales strolled to a convincing victory against San Marino in Euro 2008 qualifying Group D. Coyne was hardly ever tested and the Welsh created countless chances, but had to settle for first-half goals
PLANS for a £100million business park have moved a step forward after councillors voted through proposals addressing resident's traffic congestion concerns. BAE's plans for its Samlesbury site include the provision of additional industrial and office
March 1973. I was a young barrister in a case at the Old Bailey. I don't remember all that much about the defendant we were representing - but I vividly remember the old Ford Cortina in deep racing green parked outside the Bailey. I'd passed this vehicle
A CAR salesman from Blackburn avoided the wrath of Sir Alan Sugar and has made it through to the next round of hit television show The Apprentice. Viewers saw Adam Hosker, 27, lose out to Andy Jackson in a vote to be leader of the boy's team. But the
A MOTORIST was twice the drink-drive limit when he was stopped by police, Burnley magistrates heard. The court was told how Paul Rogerson, 20, had borrowed a friend's car to do an errand and wasn't insured. The defendant, of Burrans Meadow, Colne, admitted
A NEW £1.6million children's centre has opened in Little Harwood, Blackburn. The official opening included a commemorative dedication of the facilities to Coun Frank Gorton, who died recently aged 81. Mr Gorton was a councillor in the Little Harwood
AN ANTIQUE rifle donated to a Darwen hotel has been stolen. Burglars struck at the Sunnyhurst Hotel at around 2.45am on Tuesday and grabbed the Flit Lock rifle worth about £1,500. The firearm, which is around 200 years old, was given to hotel owner
