A CRACKDOWN on benefit cheats has been launched in East Lancashire. Ribble Valley Borough Council has joined forces with the Department for Work and Pensions to prosecute two benefits cheats. One claimant rec-eived housing and council tax benefit of
FRIENDS of murdered Haslingden student Sophie Lancaster have launched an annual Coast to Coast Walk in her memory in a bid to raise £10,000. Brian Stack, 25, and his friend Stuart Kemp, 27, both from Manchester are currently aiming to walk 167 miles
A Rossendale optician who specialises in diagnosing rare conditions has been named as Contact Lens Optician of the Year 2012. Nick Howard, who works at Rawtenstall’s David Gould Opticians, in Bank Street, Rawtenstall, has been recognised for
FULL details of a £40,000 refurbishment scheme of Memorial Gardens in Barnoldswick have been unveiled. The gardens, opened 60 years ago to remember those killed in the Second World War, have not been well maintained over the years. Debbie Taylor, of
THE CAST of reality TV show Geordie Shore have become the latest to sign up for the Soccer Six event at Turf Moor on June 2. The programme shot to fame in 2011 as the UK version of the US MTV hit Jersey Shore. A reality TV show based around Newcastle
North London’s finest, Bombay Bicycle Club, have quietly sold more than 350,000 albums in a whirlwind two years since their debut was released in 2009 – achievements include two Top 10 albums, an Ivor Novello nomination, a No.1 on Spotify ahead
A MOTORCYCLIST has been knocked off his bike in a serious collision in Blacko. The male cyclist who is unconscious at the scene collided with a van in Gisburn Road, Blacko, near Nelson, shortly after 4.30pm. Police and paramedics are now at the scene
THE mugshot of a Blackburn man, who was jailed indefinitely after a series of robberies, is to feature in a police poster campaign. Christopher Corkin, 19, of Ravensglass Close, Blackburn, last summer attacked a 59-year-old Lithuanian woman who suffered
THE first phase of a major new empty homes regeneration scheme is to get under-way in Burnley, with 20 properties set to be bought by the council. Officials at Burnley Council have a list of 20 properties they are looking to make Compulsory Purchase
A WORRIED family wants help to find a 21-year-old woman who has been missing from home since Friday. Natalie Phillips has not been seen since her father dropped her off at Blackburn Railway Station at 6pm on Friday. Natalie is white,
NEW bus station plans for Accrington have moved a step closer after council bosses approved recommendations to buy land for the development. Lancashire County Council’s leader Geoff Driver agreed that a Compulsory Purchase Orders for land in the town
A WOMAN whose brother died just days after passing out as a marine 25 years ago will cycle more than 500 miles in his memory. Martin Craig, from Darwen, was 17 when he died in a motorbike accident on November 15, 1987. He had passed
SHARP razor security wire left overhanging a former gas station yard in West Craven is posing a serious risk to school children, it has been claimed. The site in Skipton Road, Barnoldswick, has been earmarked for a new Aldi supermarket, but is surrounded
PLANS for an enterprise zone which could bring 2,000 jobs to Lancashire are steaming ahead. Despite only securing approval for the project from the government in November, the Lancashire Enterprise Zone is one of the first in the country to be granted
A CONTROVERSIAL planning application to demolish the former Rossendale General Hospital building for houses has been submitted. Housing giant Taylor Wimpey has submitted the plans, that would see 139 homes built on the site, off Haslingden Road, in Rawtenstall
THE family of 21-year-old who took her own life when she couldn’t find a job are championing a suicide prevention charity in her memory. Despite having 10 GCSEs, three A-levels and a place at South Bank University in London, Antonia Victoria Harrison
My eldest daughter is a thrill-seeker. On a visit to Flamingoland she couldn’t get enough of the most terrifying rides, confessing after she’d ridden each about three times that she wanted more. “I love it,” she said, “Can I go skydiving for my 16th birthday
A PEDESTRIAN has been hit by a car in Haslingden. The man was crossing Manchester Road when he was collided with a Ford Fiesta shortly before 11.40am today. The North West Air Ambulance was called but the man, thought to be suffering from a broken leg
FAMILY and friends of a Haslingden man thought to have died after being struck by lightning have paid their final respects. Scores of mourners turned out on Friday to see 41-year-old bricklayer Justin Feber laid to rest. The dad-of-one, who lived in
A PLAN to build a £6million extension to Blackburn College’s University Centre is now with council bosses. Blackburn College has submitted an application to build a new science, tech-nology, engineering and technology, or STEM, centre to Blackburn with
FORMER Blackburn Rovers captain Chris Samba has been banned from driving after being caught doing more than 130mph on the M65. A police officer told Blackburn magistrates Samba left him behind “as if I was standing still.” When asked
CORONATION Street stars added a showbiz twist to a charity gala. Actress Jennie McAlpine, who plays Fiz Stape, and other stars from Coronation Street helped raise funds for Mood Swings, which offers advice, information and support for people with severe
HOSPITAL workers are being recruited to become special constables as a part of a crackdown on attacks by patients. Lancashire Constabulary want the specials to volunteer to patrol the Royal Blackburn Hospital site in their own time, for up to 16 hours
CONVENTIONAL has never been a word which best describes Ian Anderson, driving force behind Jethro Tull. So, it should come as no surprise that for his latest live outings, he is playing not just one concept album in its entirety, but two. The first
A 31-YEAR-OLD Billington woman crashed into two parked cars while unfit to drive through drink. Blackburn magistrates heard at the time of the collision Jennifer Palmer had her three-year-old daughter in the car and she was not in a booster
A CHARITY which promotes healthy living has been given a £25,000 boost after winning a top award. Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living beat 351 charities to take the Impact Award for its outstanding contribution to improving health in the borough, according
THE SANDS CENTRE PRESENTS RUMOURS OF FLEETWOOD MAC The Sands Centre Carlisle Sunday, May 6 8pm The ultimate tribute to one of rock and roll history’s most truly remarkable stories, Rumours Of Fleetwood Mac, perform at The Sands
AN axe attacker ‘gang leader’ has been locked up for six years for a vicious assault in a Nelson shop in 2006. Ittazaz Ilahi, 33, fled the country after he and two others had targeted Amjad Hussain in a family feud at the mobile phone store in Railway
The Lady, directed by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element), is the extraordinary story of Aung San Suu Kyi (Michelle Yeoh) and her husband, Michael Aris (David Thewlis). The epic story of the peaceful quest of the woman at the core of Burma’s democratic
”Terrifically smart and funny” – Sixty Second Preview Seann William Scott and John C Reilly star in the quirky off-beat comedy The Promotion which is released by High Fliers on retail DVD on April 23. Living the American Dream, happily
LANCASHIRE star Oliver Newby may well have been the star attaction and the name on most people’s lips as he returned to action for his home club – but Read’s elder statesman Jon Harvey stole the headlines with a five-wicket derby day haul to steer his
CHURCH’S Lancashire Cup adventure lasted just one game as they were soundly beaten by Bolton League side Westhoughton on Saturday. The West Enders, led by Levi Wolfenden for the day, seemed to be on course for glory when they reduced the home side to
OUTSTANDING Kiwi Jamie How smashed his second ton of the season in the second game of the season as Darwen were forced to dig deep to gain a Northern League draw at Kendal on Saturday. The 30-year-old New Zealand Test man broke the Cumbrians’ batting
DAVID Dunn believes Premier League survival would be a “great achievement” for Blackburn Rovers after admitting dramatic changes at Ewood have proved costly. The midfielder celebrated his 250th Premier League appearance by helping Rovers to a priceless
PAUL Cook hailed his side’s character as he saw Accrington Stanley come from behind to deny Shrewsbury and his former boss Graham Turner promotion on Saturday. Cook played under Turner at Wolves during the early days of his career but a 1-1 draw at the
BLACKBURN Harrier Sophie Hitchon has smashed her own British hammer record for the second time this year with a superb throw of 70.47m in California. Last month, the 20-year-old Burnley-born athlete topped 70 metres for the first time in her career when
STEVE Kean insists Blackburn Rovers’ bravery and courage can keep them in the Premier League – after insisting survival is their only focus. The under fire Rovers boss was adamant no one was getting carried away with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Norwich City
SAMANTHA Murray boosted her Olympic hopes by winning the first Modern Pentathlon World Cup medal of her career when she took bronze in Russia. The 22-year-old from Clitheroe followed up her fourth place in Hungary a week ago and sixth in the USA last
After such a good season on the road, Saturday’s mauling at the hands of promotion-chasing Blackpool was a major shock. Blackpool are a decent side but the 4-0 drubbing hurt a lot, especially given the Lancashire rivalry. And it could have been so different
DEFENDER Daniel Lafferty felt the 4-0 scoreline flattered Blackpool, but accepted that Burnley were the architects of their own downfall at Bloomfield Road. The Clarets were unlucky to go into the break a goal down after creating a host of first-half
A RECORD crowd at the Blackburn Arena saw the Hawks take a slender one goal advantage over Billingham Stars in last night’s play-off final first leg. An English National Ice Hockey League North record of 1,276 packed into the Arena to see Blackburn Hawks
BOSS Eddie Howe has encouraged Burnley to use Blackpool’s top six celebrations as an incentive to host their own promotion party next season. The Tangerines staged a lap of honour after guaranteeing their place in the play-offs with one game to go, thanks
THE TITANIC in Lancashire Museum is set to miss out on bringing Wallace Hartey’s last letter home, after bidding rocketed to over £50,000 in just four days. Bosses at the museum will now ask the winning bidder if they can loan the letter to display
PLANS for the new Enterprise Zone in Lancashire, which could bring 2,000 jobs to the county, are one of the most advanced in the country. Despite only securing approval for the project from the government in November, the development is steaming ahead
