TWENTY-two balloons will be released in Blackburn town centre to mark foster care fortnight which starts this week. The balloons represent the fact that a child goes into care – and needs a foster family – every 22 minutes. The balloons will be
A RETAINED firefighter has been cleared of a string of child sex allegations. Azar Khan, 40, was found not guilty of four charges of indecent assault, three of sexual assault on a child, three allegations of sexual activity with a child, three of engaging
ONE of East Lancashire’s top restaurants, run by celebrity chef Paul Heathcote, has closed after 22 years. The Longrdige Restaurant, in Higher Road, was the Michelin-starred chef’s flagship site, but served its last customer at the weekend. Mr Heathcote
AN EX-INTERNATIONAL athlete from Burnley is set to become ‘the voice of gymnastics’ during the London Olympics. Craig Heap, 38, himself a former Olympian, double Commonwealth gold medal winner and word championship competitor, has landed the
A NEW panel is set to be created to run the rule over town centre shopfront improvement grants in Colne. Last year £13,365 was handed out to overhaul premises nine locations including China Garden, Delicious in Richmond Court, and Grahame’s Poultry
THREE men have been jailed after admitting kidnap, false imprisonment, assault and theft of a vehicle during a ‘vicious’ attack. Damien Noonan, 25, of no fixed address, was sentenced to six years and nine months, Dwayne Devaney, 23, of Cotter Street
Regarding potholes in Darwen being a serious problem, no they are not. They have been a town feature for the last decade along with the old cemetery. Work in Darwen is imminent, say council chiefs. Does that mean impending, threatening
Even in this, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year, I am forever hearing how the UK would be better if we got rid of the monarcy. Nonsense! The Queen is more democratic than a president of the UK ever could be, because she represents all her people
Why should we, the people of England, not have a say when Scotland holds its referendum on breaking up the UK? But then again, England has much more to gain from independence than Scotland does, so maybe we should hold a referendum on English independence
A YOUNG drinker was pulled over while drink-driving in a tractor through an East Lancashire town centre. Joshua Kane Greenwood, 22, climbed into the cab of the Massey Ferguson tractor when it was parked on a town centre car park in Clitheroe, Blackburn
CHARITIES generally have a tough task raising the cash they need to help others. In a recession it becomes much more difficult because people are less likely to give when they fear they might not have enough money to meet their own needs. But thanks
DUETS – Garrick Theatre Club, ACE Centre, Nelson, May 16 to 19. STRINGERS LAST STAND – Blackburn Drama Club, Thwaites Empire Theatre, May 16 to 19. THE BEST OF G&S – Barnoldswick Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Barnoldswick Civic Hall, May 17 to
PAWNBROKERS in East Lancashire have also been weathering the recession well. Eric Carter, manager of Baileys jewellers and pawnbrokers, in Blackburn’s Northgate, said many people were selling their jewellery at present, and those buying were more interested
BLACKBURN Drama Club’s season comes to a close this week with the Stan Barstow and Alfred Bradley play Stringer’s Last Stand. A hornets’ nest is stirred up when domineering father Luther Stringer’s eldest daughter finds something unexpected in his
A FORMER Accrington solicitor is facing a displinary tribunal after being con victed of transferring criminal property. Martin Wilcock, who used to practice at Alton and Co Solicitors, in Abbey Street, Accrington was found guilty of transferring
AN examination board chief has suggested that teenagers should not sit more that 10 GCSEs. Rod Bristow, president of Pearson, which owns Edexcel, has said that new rules should limit the numbers of exams students can take. It comes as the exam
EDUCATION for children at pupil referral units is being transformed as part of a major shake-up to save money. Lancashire County Council has announced it will be closing and merging schools that teach long term sick children, pregnant teenagers, excluded
BRITISH record holding pole vaulter Holly Bleasdale has spoken of her hopes – and gruelling training and diet regime – ahead of the Olympic Games. Blackburn Harrier Holly, 20, has been training hard ahead of London 2012 and is highly tipped
CHARITY shops in East Lancashire say they are experiencing a boom and are attracting younger customers. Shops in the area say customers are spending larger amounts and they are seeing more ‘first time’ charity shoppers month by month. Shops report
Former Ewood boss Sam Allardyce has started legal moves against Steve Kean and Blackburn Rovers following footage put on YouTube last night. We can confirm that Allardyce has instructed his lawyers after comments apparently made by Kean
Turbulent times, not just at Ewood Park but in our local ‘paper & radio station, all regional, national & global TV channels, radio stations & ‘papers including the Times of India & Pune News. Every possible opinion expressed in work places, places
THE RSPCA is appealing for people in East Lancashire with room for horses to open up their stables as foster homes. An emergency appeal has been launched because the number of young horses in the charity’s care has doubled in the past year. The
NEW plans to modernise the process of recording public rights of way have been welcomed by ramblers’ associations. The proposals, announced by environment minister Richard Benyon, aim to cut the time it takes to record a right of way, so that routes
IT seems that the country is in a bit of a mess, so I’ll have a go at ‘reviewing the situation’. I’ll do what most women do and take a good look at the housekeeping budget, to see where savings can and should be made. My thoughts are that visitors
A MAN caught stealing from Marks and Spencer in Blackburn was described in court as a professional shoplifter. Blackburn magistrates heard Ali Ahmed had travelled from London when he was caught trying to leave the store with £864 of clothing. Catherine
AN Oswaldtwistle shopkeeper who torched his store for an insurance payout of up to almost £40,000 has been jailed for four years. Saddaqat Ali was found guilty of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered on August 11, 2010 and
NEW Burnley professional Cameron Howieson has earned his first call-up to the senior New Zealand squad at the age of just 17. Fresh from signing a two-year contract with the Clarets and making his debut towards the end of last season, the attacking midfielder
A FAMILY, including a six-week-old baby, had a lucky escape after a blaze ripped through their home while they were sleeping. Firefighters said the family ‘left it to chance’ because there was no smoke alarm in the terraced property.
A MEMBER of teaching staff at an East Lancashire high school has been charged with sexual assualt and abusing his position of trust. Yesterday afternoon, police charged Christopher Midgley, 26, with four counts of sexual touching of a boy under 16.
A DEER had to be rescued after it got its head stuck in some railings in Blackburn last night. Firefighters were called to St Steven’s Primary School, in Robinson Street, at around 9pm, where a female roe deer had become lodged in the railings
CHARITY bosses and an MP have condemned a thief who snatched bags filled with donations for good causes across East Lancashire. Supporters of the North West Air Ambulance and NSPCC were targeted by Andrius Zygmantas at addresses across Brierfield and
Blackburn Rovers fans have made a last ditch plea to owners Venky’s to sack under fire boss Steve Kean ahead of tomorrow’s summit talks in India. Kean will meet co owner Anuradha Desai at her Pune HQ on Wednesday to discuss the future with
THE Queen last visited Burnley on November 12, 1987, when Her Majesty visited the £2million Mechanics Centre complex. On her visit she was given a trumpeted fanfare by the band of the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment and sampled a special Royal ale, prepared
A CAKE fit for queen is a once-in-a-lifetime assignment for any confectioner. And when Ann Durham was asked to create a four-tier delicacy for The Queen’s visit to Turf Moor, it naturally had to be iced claret and blue. Ann, who has
SPIN star Jonathan Fielding reckons his Ramsbottom men can hit their straps and get on the sort of run that propelled them to the Foster’s Lancashire League title two years ago. Fielding has once again been impressive with 19 wickets in the first four
KEVIN McIntyre looks set to join John Coleman at Rochdale after Accrington Stanley were unable to tie him to a new deal at the club. The 34-year-old’s contract expires this summer but the Reds had offered him new terms in a bid to keep him
HURST Green golfer Mark Young enjoyed a weekend double celebration when clinching his first Northern Order of Merit event victory – just 24 hours after steering Lancashire to a county win over Northumberland. The three-time Order of Merit champion
LAURA Massaro begins her British Open campaign today as the high profile tournament returns after a three-year absence. The Allam British Open, widely regarded as the Wimbledon of squash, has attracted the best players from across the globe – including
BURNLEY fast bowler James Anderson has been named as England’s cricketer of the year. The 29-year-old Lancashire seamer received his award at a special dinner held in the Long Room at Lord’s yesterday evening, hosted by the ECB. Anderson beat off competition
THE royal couple will attend lunch, hosted by Clarets chairman Barry Kilby, in the Jimmy McIlroy Stand, at Turf Moor. The public are invited to witness the visit, with viewing galleries on both the North Stand car park, and along Harry Potts Way.
BURNLEY have had an offer for Mansfield right back Luke O’Neill rejected, but have not made a rene-wed bid for defender Jason Shackell. An unnamed Championship club is believed to have offered Derby County £1million-plus for the 28-year-old
STEVE Kean is at the centre of an internet storm after a YouTube video appeared to show him making an expletive-laden rant about former boss Sam Allardyce. The footage, filmed by fans in a bar during last summer's pre-season tour in Hong Kong
CONCERNS have been raised over a ‘danger’ abandoned church in Stacksteads. Waterbarn Baptist Church, a Grade II listed building in Brandwood Road, has deteriorated since its congregation met there for the final time in May 2010. After
THE Grass Roots Heroes Awards are back! Following the success of last year’s inaugural awards, the Lancashire Telegraph, together with United Utilities, are again searching to find local amateur sporting heroes from across East Lancashire. Last
A SHOP worker was attacked by a robber who snatched two Rolex watches from an Accrington pawn brokers. The watches, worth £6,000, were grabbed from Cash Convertors in Broadway, in town centre. A man had asked to view the Rolex Oyster Perpetual and
Categories Senior Team of the Year This is for a team that has stood out in their particular sport in the last 12 months. It could be for a team that has gone through an entire season undefeated or collectively starred to win honours
A £21million project by a supermarket giant to bring an extra 7,000 pigs to Pendle each week has passed its final hurdle. Plans have been approved to expand the Woodhead Brothers abbatoir operation, off Junction Street, Colne, after residents’ concerns
