Fire crews were called to a flat fire in Peel Road, Colne at around 9.35pm tonight. A fire service spokesman said firefighters had to rescue someone from the flat when they arrived but was currently unable to give details of any injuries suffered.
RESIDENTS close to Colne town centre have objected to a pub's plans to extend its weekend opening hours to 4am. If the licensing application is successful the Shepherd's Arms, in Church Street, would be allowed to open as late as the Union Exchange
NIKOLA Kalinic twice hit the post as Blackburn Rovers were unable to recover from James Milner's first-half goal in tonight's Carling Cup semi final first leg against Aston Villa. Milner turned home Stewart Downing's cross in the 23rd minute and that
A PARLIAMENTARY candidate for Rossendale has been slammed for describing his Valley duties as a “pastime.” Dale Mulgrew, prospective Lib Dem MP for Rossendale and Darwen, caused controversy after comments he made on accepting his new job as
JAMES Milner's goal has put Blackburn Rovers behind in tonight's Carling Cup semi final first leg against Aston Villa after a disappointing first-half display. Ro vers had the first chance of the game when David Dunn's shot was deflected inches wide
NEW Burnley manager Brian Laws is determined not to let David Nugent slip through his grasp, after losing out on him once before. The Clarets had begun talks with Portsmouth before Owen Coyle’s departure over extending the striker’s loan deal
A NELSON town councillor has been arrested on suspicion of assault following an altercation in an Asda supermarket. Police said a mother-of-four alleged she was assaulted by Liberal Democrat Coun Debbie Cragg and her partner Joseph Martin in the Colne
RESIDENTS were left in the dark during the bitter weather after a utility giant switched off the power lines in a village. The power cut, affecting 150 homes in Mellor, left some people without central heating and means of cooking hot food during the
ONE of Hyndburn’s most historic shops has closed. Clarkes of Accrington has sold motorcycles from its Whalley Road base for more than 50 years. But now the Suzuki dealership has shut, leaving nearby traders and the borough’s council leader bemused.
NIKOLA Kalinic, Michel Salgado and Pascal Chimbonda have been brought into the Blackburn Rovers line-up for tonight's Carling Cup semi final first leg at home to Aston Villa. Kalinic starts in place of Franco Di Santo in the lone striker's
AN aid worker from Blackburn ‘exploded with rage’ when an Albanian judge ruled he had sexually abused orphans, according to local reports. Dino Christodoulou, who has begun a 20-year jail sentence, screamed at judges in the Tirana hearing, Albanian newspapers
A WOMAN dieter is celebrating after a Burnley weight loss scheme helped her to shed five stone in a year. Jacquie Dann began Burnley Council’s Lite 4 Life programme at the beginning of 2009. As well as losing five stone, Jacquie, who
AN EAST Lancs MP has repaid £5,700 she overclaimed in petty cash. And Janet Anderson, Labour MP for Rossendale and Darwen, denied it was a 'secret deal'. It has emerged that Mrs Anderson was one of 16 MPs allowed to make a repayment
BIN services in East Lancashire are beginning to return to normal after the recent extreme weather conditions. BLACKBURN WITH DARWEN Council chiefs have appealed for 'patience and co-operation' as they bid to work through a backlog caused
LANCASHIRE County Council is looking for organisations that help people get into employment through training and skills. Already 42 organisations have been supported with funding of up to £6,000 from Grants for Growth benefitting around 400 people.
A BLACKBURN man was left lying by the side of the road with a fractured skull after an unprovoked town centre attack, a jury heard. A woman who witnessed the assault on Shaun Baxendale outside the Ibiza Bar in the early hours of Sunday, May
Running time: 98 mins. Starring: Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong, Howard Hesseman, Beth Grant, DJ Qualls, Katy Mixon, Keith David, MC Gainey. Director: Phil Traill. Sandra Bullock was the undisputed queen of Hollywood
A BLACKBURN charity has broken its Christmas fundraising record, despite facing adverse weather conditions. Over the festive period in 2009, the collection raised £3,884.21, just topping the 2008 total. Blackburn Round Table and Ladies Circles'
NO wonder the taxi drivers were standing idle. I got a taxi to Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, and he charged £6.45. I said I only had £5 – he said that would do. I wonder how much the real fare was. L CLARKSON, Owlet Hall, Darwen.
TAXIS in Pendle are being fitted with CCTV cameras as part of a pioneering scheme aimed at cracking down on attacks on cabbies. The cameras, which will monitor entire vehicles and record sound and images, are being fitted in Hackney and private hire
A NEW group has been launched to boost the economy of East Lancashire. Pendle will host the PLACE Pennine Lancashire Joint Committee to bring together leaders of Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Lancashire County, Pendle, Ribble Valley and Rossendale
A growing fruit and vegetable business which residents said was making their lives a misery is set to move to new premises after a bumper year. Bosses at Richard Wellock and Sons, which supplies hotels and restaurants across the country, want to switch
Just as I thought Gordon Ramsay had completely lost the plot, he pulled it back from the brink. The multi-millionaire chef has not had the best of times recently — with revelations about supposed extra-marital affairs and stories about his economy with
Comedy Drama. George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, Melanie Lynskey, Danny McBride, Jason Bateman, JK Simmons. Director: Jason Reitman. Unemployment is no laughing matter . . . although Up In The Air begs to differ. Directed by Jason
A SHOE store which has traded in Clitheroe for 110 years has announced its closure — prompting a call for extra help for independent shops in the town. D. Lord and Son which has been run by five generations of the Lord family over the decades will close
A JUDGE has criticised trading standards chiefs for bringing a “flawed” prosecution against a Ramsbottom businessman to court, at a potential cost of millions of pounds to the taxpayer. Vance Miller, aged 44, was accused of cheating customers by
CAR owners are being urged to be vigilant following a spate of number plate thefts. Opportunist thieves have been removing number plates to place on their own vehicles and using them to fill up with fuel at petrol stations without paying. Key streets
TALENTED twins got their new year off to a musical start — by recording their first CD single at the age of 14. Mille and Hope Katana, who live in Summerseat, got a taste of the celebrity lifestyle on Tuesday as they worked in a studio with a top producer
PLANS are in the pipeline to renovate the war memorial in Hoddlesden. The East Rural Network is looking at ways of raising money to sandblast, and repoint, the cenotaph, which stands in the middle of the village green. It carries the names of
MORE and more teenagers in East Lancashire are gaining vital English and maths GCSEs, according to new Government figures. Performance tables show Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council meeting the Government’s 30 per cent
EX-Villa and Rovers striker Chris Sutton believes the claret and blues could have the edge tonight – but insists you write Rovers off at your peril. Sutton, a Premier League title winner at Rovers in 1995, prospered with Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill
A bid to to install solar panels at an Accrington business has been submitted to Hyndburn Borough Council. Dalton and Co Printers, off Oxford Street, have submitted an application to install the panels on the south facing elevation of the building
WITNESSES to a ‘fail to stop’ accident on a Baxenden street have been asked to come forward. A stationary Peugeot 307 was hit between midnight and 8.30am on Wednesday but no incident was reported by the driver involved. The other vehicle, thought to
CHEF Paul Heathcote’s restaurant empire reported losses of more than £650,000 last year – less than half what it lost in the previous 12 months. To survive the economic downturn the firm, which owns the top Longridge restaurant, has undergone
COUNCIL bosses in Blackburn with Darwen say they want to avoid a costly public inquiry in a planning battle with their Preston counterparts. The two authorities are at loggerheads over Preston’s plans for a £700million regeneration of its town
A STRUGGLING farmer said to have run a “filthy” dairy at his farm in Colne has been fined a total of £1,700. John Leslie Allison, 64, had earlier admitted 14 allegations under food hygiene legislation and three concerning animal welfare. He was also
A MAN branded with an iron in a 'gruesome' attack screamed in agony when it was pressed against his stomach then begged for his ordeal to end, a court heard. Nicholas Hodgkinson, 25, was also punched, kicked and thrown about a room by two men
A SPURNED dad-of-two who tortured and slaughtered his ex-partner’s pet rabbits in revenge after she dumped him was given 18 months supervision. Clifford John Whitbread, 31, branded “sick” by his victim Sarah Roberts, had twisted the heads of the two
A ‘POTENTIALLY serious’ fire at a Burnley factory is under investigation. The blaze started in an industrial unit at Elm Street just before 7pm on Tuesday. Crew manager Caroline Harrison, from Burnley Fire Station, praised a ‘diligent’ night shift worker
BURNLEY fans have backed new Clarets boss Brian Laws to fill the void left by Owen Coyle. Supporters said they were happy to welcome him back to the town and were looking forward to him leading the team. Former Government press chief
A BURNLEY man who had caught the hospital shuttle bus to visit a friend assaulted a 12-year-old boy inside Royal Blackburn Hospital. Blackburn magistrates heard three nurses had to pull Andrew John Fancy off the boy who he had earlier encountered outside
CALLS are being made for a Tory councillor to step down after he admitted making racially offensive remarks at a committee meeting. Pendle Coun Smith Benson accepted that he used the word ‘Pakis’ to describe the Asian community at a committee
A PROSPERING company has taken on five new recruits in just two months. Bosses at ACDC Lighting Systems, based in Gisburn Road, Barrowford, have ignored the recession by making the appointments. The five new starters are customer sales
THREE pubs have closed in a matter of weeks in a town once famed for its thriving nightime economy. Drinkers in Todmorden have seen their choice of watering holes decim-ated recently, and the iconic White Hart Hotel, in Station Road, is the most recent
I WAS going to give Rossendale snow chaos a miss as there has already been a blizzard of opinions on the subject. However, I have been amazed by how many people have tackled me, asking what I intend to do about it! That surprises me. I hold no elected
MORTEN Gamst Pedersen is determined to banish his Blackburn Rovers semi-final pain and create some lifelong career memories in the process. Tonight’s Carling Cup first leg visit of Aston Villa will be Pedersen’s fourth semi-final in his five and half
ACCRINGTON Stanley are appealed for volunteers to help clear the snow at the Crown Ground ahead of Saturday's home match against Rotherham United. Staff and players were expected to join volunteers today in a bid to give Saturday's game every chance
Two Haslingden Schools have been awarded grants to make major improvements to their provision. Haslingden High School and Tor View Special School will benefit with the special school now being able to build a new sports hall.
BURNLEY were soundly beaten by a five-star Manchester United display in the FA Youth Cup fourth round last night. The young Clarets made a spirited start in front of 1,036 at Turf Moor, but struggled to get into the game once Davide Petrucci had broken
AFTER the feeling of betrayal over the departure of Owen Coyle, new Clarets manager Brian Laws was a breath of fresh air at his Press conference yesterday. Laws was clearly bursting with pride at being appointed to the club where he started his career
Walkers are urged to join the Bury Ranger Service on a guided walk which will be held on Sunday 19th January. The walk is from Burrs Country Park and follows the Irwell Sculpture Trail. Contact 0161 2537984 for further information and your local GP on
Steve Hartley from Rawtenstall has had two childrens' books published entitled "The World's Biggest Bogey" and "The World's Awesomest Airbarf". Two more titles will be published in July; "The World's Loudest Armpit Fart" and "The World's Stickiest Earwax
Letters are being received by people telling them they have won large sums of money in the National Lottery. They are then asked for £160 to cover charges that will be incurred. This is a con-trick and should be ignored with details given to the local
A LANCASHIRE radio personality has been forced to live in a caravan enduring freezing temperatures following a catastrophic flood at her home. Alison Butterworth, 45, is the producer and co-presenter of BBC Radio Lancashire’s breakfast show
AN ex-ambulance officer with long-term lung disease has told how a community matron has battled through the snow to deliver his medication. Ron Kellett, 60, has had COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) for nearly 10 years. He is housebound
BOBBY Robson's former right-hand man John Carver will not be joining Brian Laws' backroom staff at Burnley. Carver had been strongly linked with a move to Turf Moor but he has opted to stay in his current role as assistant manager to Paul Mariner
I got the shovel out again yesterday morning. It's been behind the front door for the past four weeks. It had snowed overnight. There's a surprise – after all, after the last few weeks it feels as though snow is now a permanent fixture. I cleared our
TEMPERATURES in Britain have been colder than the South Pole, but many readers will no doubt remember some equally freezing winters in years gone by. The winter of 1947 was particularly brutal as people recovered from the war years, while that
Lancashire Telegraph comment: Blackburn's orbital route was one of the town’s most contentious issues of the last decade. And here we are, a fortnight into the new year, and fresh changes to the town’s road network that could prove just as controversial
TAKING up an entirely new thread this week, an appeal has been made to Looking Back readers for information about three local embroiderers. Gail Marsh of Trawden is researching their life and works for a new book on embroidery techniques in the early
I read the story of the paramedic who was disciplined for remonstrating with a youth who dropped something on to his car with a sense of disbelief (LT, January 7). A few years ago we were at some traffic lights when another delightful youth decided
Following a prolonged stay, the Royal Blackburn hospital sent me a questionnaire. The accompanying letter said the information was required to (a) update their database, and (b) to improve patient care. Having a number of constructive comments to
I AM a 67 year old wheelchair user and never realised fully, until the snow and big freeze, just how selfish humanity has become. For 50 years I have enjoyed working for charities and even as a wheelchair user I still work a few hours a week in counselling
A 38-year-old Darwen man led police on an O J Simpson-style 'pursuit' along the M65 to Preston and back following a suicide alert by Facebook pals. Blackburn magistrates heard Andrew Alan Foxton did not try to get away from police but refused
POLICE in rural Darwen have been handed the keys of a new four-wheel-drive vehicle after an investment of £15,000 by the local council. The Darwen Neighbour-hood Board donated the cash for the Land Rover after a campaign by Coun Julie Slater. She said
PENSIONERS have been warned to avoid potentially deadly slips, trips and falls during the cold snap. More than 5,000 people have already attended East Lancashire hospitals in the first two weeks of 2010 thanks to the freezing weather conditions
A PLANNING application to restore an historic hotel to its former glory after it was wrecked in a blaze has been approved. Bosses at the brewery which owns the Swan and Royal Hotel in Clitheroe have pledged to re-open the business within six
PEOPLE often talk about having an eye for the news but some students have gone further by constructing a nine foot skull out of Lancashire Telegraph newspapers. Visitors are in for a surprise when the enormous skull, which is held together
BRIAN Laws is the perfect man to do the perfect job at Burnley – according to a man who knows him well as both a player and manager. Mark Lillis believes Clarets fans should have no worries over the appointment of the one-time Turf Moor idol
EAST Lancashire's hospitals have been told they must save £50m through cutbacks over the next three years. The Government is demanding the NHS make savings of up to £20bn a year by 2014 as part of its plans to tackle the recession. East
BREWERY Thwaites’ latest shire horse Midas yesterday met the Lancashire Telegraph reader who picked his name. Annette Thompson was chosen ahead of hundreds of others after she suggested the moniker in our exclusive competition. Her prize
A VALLEY stylist is gearing up for a gruelling charity cycle from Vietnam to Cambodia. Matt Threlfall, artistic director at Freddie's salon in Rawtenstall, is one of 30 hairdressers from across the country taking part in the challenge The 25-year-old
SAM Allardyce insists he senses no immediate crisis at Ewood Park as he focuses on guiding Blackburn Rovers to Wembley Stadium rather than ‘inevitable rumours’ about his own future. The Blackburn Rovers manager was quick to dismiss
BRIAN Laws was the stand-out candidate to take Burnley forward, according to chairman Barry Kilby and operational director Brendan Flood. And they had the statistics to back it up. The Clarets chiefs contacted number crunchers Deloitte and
Blackburn Harriers beat the big freeze to stage the Lancashire Cross Country Championships at Witton Park last weekend. Conditions were surprisingly good and with very little ice on the surface, arguably it was easier on the runners than last year
BRIAN Laws has finally come home – 27 years after leaving Burnley on a journey through a fine career that took him to the very heights of the domestic game. And now he has the cherished chance to re-establish a managerial reputation that is
NEW Burnley manager Brian Laws is relishing a return to his first club, and is ready to keep them in the big time. The 48-year-old, who signed professional terms at Turf Moor on his 18th birthday in 1979, was unveiled as Owen Coyle’s successor
A CONTROVERSIAL shake-up of Blackburn’s town centre roads will create more no-go zones for cars. Furious shop-owners claim the move will ‘cripple’ trade and put visitors off the town. But council bosses said the measures were needed
SAM Allardyce is still searching for a ‘big impact’ player to bring to Ewood Park as he waits for offers for some of his unsettled stars. The Blackburn Rovers boss has revealed he is unlikely to bring former Monaco midfielder Camel Meriem to Ewood Park
