THE former leader of Darwen Town Council has hit out at councillors after he claimed that suggestions he made about Darwen Live were ignored. Steve Duncan attended the council’s meeting this week and suggested a number of ways he thought the council
A NURSE who started a sexual relationship with a vulnerable former mental patient has been struck off by a health watchdog. Julie Cank, 43, who worked at Calderstones Hospital in Whalley when she began the affair with a man 15 years her junior,
A FLASHER is being hunted by police after exposing himself to a schoolgirl in Padiham. The girl was left terrified by the incident and now police have launched a hunt to track down the pervert. The man performed a sex act in front of a 15-year-old
A STUDENT will be rubbing shoulders with the best in the pop world at the Grammy Awards this weekend after winning a global competition. Jack Watkins, of Cherry Tree, Blackburn, scooped the Best Remixed Recording at the SAE (Sound/Audio Engineering
MPS described East Lancashire’s hospitals as being ‘overwhelmed’ as a probe was launched into the trust that runs them. Hyndburn’s Graham Jones and Burnley’s Gordon Birtwistle said reports from constituents were causing them fears over Royal Blackburn
ENFIELD have moved quickly to replace star professional Werner Coetsee - and have snapped up Dolphins, Easterns and KwaZulu-Natal Inland ace Brad Moses. The Foster's Lancashire League side had agreed terms with Coetsee for a third season but the
AN eyewitness feared one of two brothers targeted in a racist attack in the middle of Blackburn might be killed, a court heard. Speech therapist Mark Holman was arriving for work in Preston New Road when he saw James Christopher Edwards and a 17
My morning radio routine is: any time prior to 7am, Radio 5, 7am-8am is Radio 4’s Today, then Graham Liver on our local BBC radio. Could I believe my ears? The TV bit of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin empire may be sold off to another conglomerate
COMMUNITY organisations in East Lancashire are being urged to apply for their share of £75,000. The Spirit of the Community Awards has been launched by Yorkshire Bank and will make donations to voluntary groups in three categories; education, employability
A GOVERNMENT report into sexual offences by young people has praised Lancashire's Youth Offending team. Criminal justice inspectors visited seven local authorities, including Lancashire, to gather evidence about good practice and what could be
A BLACKBURN firm has acquired 45 Esso service stations in a multi-million pound deal. The acquisition takes the number of Euro Garages to around 120, making it one of the UK’s largest independent operators. The portfolio’s existing retail space
A BLACKBURN man who stood naked in the street and acted indecently has walked free after being locked up on remand for seven months. Rizwan Shah's behaviour had alarmed some passers-by, Burnley Crown Court was told, The hearing was told Shah, 27
FRIED chicken takeaways seem to be the next big thing as far as fast food in East Lancashire is concerned. They vary from the good to the bad and in some cases the ugly. Some aren’t particularly inventive when it comes to their branding. A
CHURCH of England worshippers across Lancashire are being urged to mark the beginning of Lent on Wednesday with a day of prayer and fasting. Blackburn Diocese is encouraging all members to spend part or all of Ash Wednesday in contemplation.
TEACHERS and unions have supported the Education Secretary’s ‘U-turn’ on plans to scrap GCSEs. Michael Gove wanted to replace qualifications in the core academic subjects of English, maths, science, foreign languages, history and geography with
COUNCIL taxpayers in East Lancashire have been warned by town hall bosses about a valuation ‘savings’ scheme. Several residents in Burnley have approached the borough council after receiving calls from a company about reducing their council tax
A HASLINGDEN firm’s plans for a new 92-vehicle car park have been re-submitted to Rossendale Council. Solomon Commercials wanted to construct a new site for its vehicles in Holden Vale Mill Pond, off Kingsway, in September last year, but campaigners
AFTER a 10-year break, Cast are back together and winning as many plaudits as they did first time round. The band, whose debut album All Change, was one of the biggest sellers of the mid 90s play Blackburn next Friday and singer John Power admits
IT’S all the fault of the Christmas Day special. The better half has developed a liking for Call The Midwife. The Beeb’s Sunday evening wallow in nostalgia, set in the East End of the Fifties, follows the lives of, well, midwives as they trundle
A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE entrepreneur from Stacksteads is cutting back on his lavish lifest- yle and donating the savings to charity. Eamon Gaughan, co-founder and chief executive of Birmingham-based investment company JEEG Global Group, usually spends
AN investigation was underway last night in Burnley into a water leak which has affected a rural community for five days. Residents living in Todmorden Road, Briercliffe, have had problems with water pressure since last Saturday. And neighbours
BANDS from all over the UK will be heading to Blackburn’s Live Lounge in April for the first Big Gig Ting. Doors open at 4.30pm on Saturday, April 20, with the first band on stage at 5pm. Already confirmed for the event are local hardcore outfit
CALLING all children! Your favourite CBeebies presenter, Sid Sloane wants you to help him find his shoes and socks — and he thinks they’re in East Lancashire. On his nationwide solo tour named after the man himself, the star of popular children
TWO Burnley girls are celebrating after winning a national enterprise award for students. Grace Hyer and Victoria Stanworth, year ten GCSE students at Hameldon Community College, beat entrants from dozens of other schools to take top prize at the
A BURNLEY woman whose life was almost destroyed by eating disorders has set up a charity striving to help others in a similar situation. Mental health nurse Shelley Perry is now the chief executive of Support and Education for eating Disorders
THERE is plenty of room for improvements in our education system. There are also plenty of changes under way, although it’s fair to say many of them are not universally acclaimed. Free schools and academies, for example, are transforming the traditional
HE’S an award-winning radio show presenter, been host of one of TV’s most controversial programmes, was runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother and now Terry Christian is entering the world of stand-up comedy. The self-confessed ‘gobby Manc’ brings
FIREFIGHTER posts are at risk as the Lancashire Fire Authority is forced to find £6million of savings – the equivalent to 170 full-time posts – it has been warned. A cap on council tax increases and a drop in Government funding has led to a funding
The gay marriage legislation appears to be fraught with problems which seem to have been overlooked. If two young males are involved, which will be recognised as the widow in case of death? If one is recognised as eligible for widow’s benefit
FROM April 1, the subsidy on meals on wheels comes to an end. This means the current cost of a two-course lunch will rise from £2.90 to £4.80. While I am fully aware that times are hard and cutbacks necessary, I also think that this is one of the
A 21-YEAR-OLD man who raped a schoolboy is facing a long term behind bars. Charles Hodgson had sexually assaulted his frightened victim, got him to take part in sex acts and then raped him at a house in Burnley, last June, a jury had been told.
I refer to the column (LT, February 2) and the campaign to have the Unknown Soldier awarded a posthumous VC to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War. Five holders of this most meritorious award are listed, but conspicuous in their absence
PENDLE Council has invited local businesses to a Digital Marketing Seminar at the ACE Centre, Nelson, on February 28. Michael McNicholas from Lancashire Innovation Network and guest speaker Andy Chemney of Ignition CBS will explain how the growth
A LIVE comedy show featuring four of the circuit’s top acts will take place in Nelson on March 1. The performance is at the ACE Theatre from 8pm, tickets £8. Call 01282 661080.
THE Old Stone Trough in Kelbrook will host an evening of soul music tomorrow night. DJ Roman and friends will perform at the Colne Road venue from 8pm.
A CRACKDOWN is being launched on speeding motorists in Reedley. Police will be targeting motorists in the Pennine Way are of Reedley after receiving several complaints from nearby residents.
NELSON’S Second World War working group will present a report to the town council on Wednesday. The meeting takes place at the town hall, in Market Street, at 7pm.
SENIOR councillors have clashed over road resurfacing cash as East Lancashire motorists face daily misery because of a “pothole epidemic” on local highways. Blackburn with Darwen Tory spokesman Alan Cottam said borough Labour leaders diverted £750,000
A SERIES of short films is showing at the ACE Centre, Nelson, on February 16. The multi-media comedy and horror experience is entitled ‘The House That Stank of Death’ and will be shown at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5 – visit www. acecentre.co.uk for more
A top choirmaster from Birmingham and his ex-wife from Haslingden have been convicted of indecently assaulting a former music student more than 30 years ago. Their victim is believed to have killed herself during the trial, it can be reported today
PLANS to install a 64.2-metre wind turbine on land near Bull Hill in Darwen have been withdrawn by the applicant. But campaigners against the proposal for Pleasant View Farm said they were not convinced the saga was over. And agent Dominic
MAJOR plans to reshape part of the Weavers Triangle complex in Burnley have been given the go-ahead. Under the Barnfield and borough council scheme, Sandygate Mill and Slater’s Terrace will be converted into commercial offices. Architects Campbell
PENDLE Council is offering businesses an incentive to recycle. The council can now offer all commercial customers a separate paper and cardboard collection service. The service costs less than the corresponding service for non-recyclable commercial
PENDLE MP Andrew Stephenson has discussed the importance of businesses taking responsibility in preventing suicide. He spoke in the House of Commons during a general debate on lowering the rate of suicides, and brought up the issue of the Pendle
JUNIOR culinary experts have been inspired to come up with their own creations for the ‘Great Pendle Bake Off’. Students at Pendle Vale College were asked by teaching assistant Kath Parker to mirror the skills displayed by contestants on the popular
MORE than 25 clubs, bands, choirs and community groups are set to fight it out after cuts of £134,000 were unveiled to grants schemes in Pendle. Budget cuts look set to see payouts to voluntary, community and other organisations reduced from £474,260
COUNCIL leader Julie Cooper has pledged she will fight to protect the future of Burnley’s main post office after plans were announced to seek new partners for 70 key sites across the UK. The Hargreaves Street branch is one of 70 ‘crown’ post offices
FIREFIGHTERS were called to a flat in Oswaldtwistle after a smoke alarm alerted residents. The crew discovered a contaminant, thought to be oil, had fallen inside a storage heater and begun smouldering. People in the Higher Heys apartment could
A COUNCIL is backing a union’s charter to encourage more work for young people. Hyndburn Council’s cabinet voted to adopt the North West Trades Union Congress Charter for Young People. The charter is aimed at persuading public, private, and
A GANG of burglars responsible for 26 break-ins and attempted burglaries have been jailed for a total of more than 15 years. The intruders ‘snapped’ the locks off UPVC doors to break into properties across Blackburn, Burnley, Brierfield, Accrington
EAST Lancashire’s most celebrated centenarian has marked her 106th birthday. Alice Horne, thought to be the nation’s oldest living freeman, turned 106 on Wednesday. Alice, of Oswaldtwistle, was awarded the honour of Freedom of the Borough in
APPLICATIONS for bands to perform at Darwen Live music festival are now closed. Organisers said they had received almost 150 applications from bands across East Lancashire wishing to play at the festival on May 26 and 27. All bands will be
CHORLEY Olympic cycling champion Sir Bradley Wiggins has landed yet another title — Britain’s greatest living wit. More than 2,000 British adults were asked to choose from a shortlist of 25 celebrities, excluding professional comedians, to select
MENTAL health patients are being asked for their views on the quality of care provided by Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust. The health and wellbeing provider plans to use this feedback to improve service users’ experience and identifying areas
Children and staff from Feniscowles Pre-School in the local Methodist Church turned up in pyjamas to raise money for Derian House Children’s Hospice, Chorley. They made £217 for the worthy cause.
RESIDENTS in the Crosshill Road and Manor Road area of Blackburn have raised serious concerns about drug dealing at all times of the day in their area.
MINI moto users illegally driving in Arran Avenue in the Shadsworth area of Blackburn are being targeted by police. Anyone caught faces having their mini moto confiscated.
STREET dealers peddling drugs in New Bank Road, Blackburn, at all times of the day and night are being targeted by police.
REDUCING the number of alcohol and drug fuelled assaults in Clitheroe town centre at weekends is the main priority of neighbourhood policing officers. The crackdown comes after an increase in arrests.
SHOPLIFTERS targeting stores in Blackburn town centre are the target of a police crackdown. Thieves targeting shops in The Mall and surrounding areas will face prosecution if caught.
PARENTS dropping and collecting children at Lammack Primary School, in Blackburn are being asked by police to park considerately after they received a series of complaints from residents. Officers will be monitoring the situation.
RESIDENTS have been calling police with complaints about prostitutes working in the Wensley Fold area of Blackburn during the evenings and weekends.
DRINKERS visiting a Blackburn pub are being urged to act responsibly. Police have made the call to customers of the Black Bull pub, in the Roe Lee area, after a spate of complaints of anti-social behaviour from neighbours.
RESIDENTS in Blackburn are being warned not to keep valuable items in their garden sheds after a spate of break-ins. Police in Whitebirk are issuing the warning after an increase in the number of reported shed thefts.
PARENTS and tots are invited to join a weekly group which meets at Ivy Street Community Centre every Tuesday from 9.30am until 11.30am.
ALEXANDER Peake, 46, of Lyndhurst Avenue, Blackburn, was sent on bail to Preston Crown Court when he appeared before Blackburn magistrates charged with three offences of breaching a position of trust by engaging in sexual activity with a 17-year-old
MOTORISTS are being urged to keep their vehicles locked by police following a spate of thefts from vehicles in the Pleckgate Road and Brownhill area of Blackburn.
MARK Anthony McAllister, 32, of Downham Street, Blackburn, was remanded on bail by town magistrates after pleading not guilty to receiving a quantity of stolen CDs.
DRIVERS exceeding the speed limit in Carluke Street, Blackburn, at various times of the day and night, face being fined if caught, police said. Neighbourhood policing officers will be increasing patrols in the area after receiving a flood of complaints
TALES of the heart are being sought for a new publication aimed at raising money for charity and increasing awareness around heart health. Everything from stories around heartache, first love or heartbreak are requested as well as people’s recollections
A VICTORIAN apothecary shop and schoolroom have been created in a market hall using objects donated by the community. Hyndburn Heritage and Community Group was set up last year as a way to use the hidden heritage items stored in people’s homes
WHEN you can’t be bothered to finish a sentence then it’s time to switch the lights off and call it a day. But what happens when you are too lazy to even finish writing a word? I was trying to figure out what on earth the letter ‘k’ meant in
AN East Lancashire MP will hold a free advice event to encourage businesses to ‘Export For Growth’. Rossendale MP Jake Berry will be at The Business Centre in Futures Park, Bacup, from 2pm to 4.30pm on Friday, February 15. Mr Berry said that
Caroline Connelley, 28, of Lynwood Avenue, Darwen, admitted drink-driving between Chapel Brow and Hazel Avenue. Blackburn magistrates fined her £110 and banned her from driving for 17 months.
TO celebrate National Libraries Day tomorrow, John Lockwood of the Company of Fools will demonstrate circus skills and balloon modelling from 11am to 1pm at Darwen Library in Knott Street. Anyone borrowing three or more items from the library will
Crown Paints’ charity 80s night is at Crown Paints Sports and Social Club in Anchor Lane, Darwen, tonight. The event is in aid of East Lancashire Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support Nurses and Dove House Hospice. Doors open 7pm.
PARENTS dropping off and collecting children from Avondale Primary School, Darwen are being asked to park considerately. The call comes after police received several complaints about inconsiderate parking at a recent police and communities together
A SPECIAL bus for Blackburn Rovers fans going to tomorrow’s match against Ipswich Town will leave Hollins Grove Conservative Club at 2pm. A return ticket costs £3.50.
JOAN Mayoh is guest medium at tomorrow’s Darwen Christian Spiritualist Church meeting at 7.30pm in Hawkshaw Avenue. There is also a raffle with funds going to the Darwen Food Larder.
BRIDGE Street Social Club in Darwen has live music all weekend. On Friday, local singer Rick Lee will perform, while Sarah Kirstan Bayliss appears on Saturday. Both performances are from 9.30pm. On Sunday, Jamie Mac will be live from 7pm.
A DARWEN woman admitted being drunk in a public place in charge of a seven-year-old. Blackburn magistrates heard Cheryl Saynor, 38, of Painter Court, was drunk in Darwen Market on January 14. She was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered
A CHURCH of England school in Darwen was judged ‘outstanding’ after a diocesan inspection. Holy Trinity in Darwen was the subject of a National Society Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools last month. Inspector Mike Graham found that the
A WOMAN was robbed of her mobile phone as she walked home through Blackburn. The 35-year-old had her Nokia phone snatched by a man as she walked along Garden Street shortly after 7.15pm on Wednesday. Police said the thief did not use any violence
A TAX freeze for 2013-14 has been agreed by Lancashire county councillors for their portion of the council tax. But county treasurer Gill Fitzpatrick has warned that the authority is facing tough times ahead as it must find cuts of £250million
A COUNCIL has slashed spending by £1.2million after severe funding cuts. The move comes as a number of voluntary redundancies take place at Hyndburn Council, but compulsory redundancies have been avoided. The authority said it had managed to
DJ Campbell and Lee Williamson have completed their moves to Blackburn Rovers QPR striker Campbell, 31, was due to move on a permanent deal on deadline day but, after paperwork issues, had to wait until today to finalise the now loan switch.
A MOTHER and her heavily-pregnant teenage daughter fought off a robber who held them up at knifepoint. The 50-year-old woman was punched in the face before being threatened with a four-inch knife to hand over cash. The woman, who was sitting
A DANGEROUS sex pest who groped a mum-of-two while she slept with her two young children has been jailed. Anamul Hoque, 25, broke into the victim's home in the early hours and entered her bedroom where she was asleep with her two sons aged eight
AS the full back who marked Cristiano Ronaldo on his Manchester United debut, one might expect that Nicky Hunt has had his fair share of scary experiences in football. But the Accrington defender admits that waking up in an ambulance in Plymouth
CHRIS McCann’s Premier League dream ended at the Reebok Stadium three years ago, and the midfielder hopes for a happier outcome tomorrow after admitting he does not want to spend the rest of his career outside of the top flight. Burnley travel
BURNLEY manager Sean Dyche admits he cannot currently offer Brian Jensen the first-team football needed to keep the Dane at Turf Moor – but remains keen to finalise more new contracts as soon as possible. The Clarets announced this week that Ross
MICHAEL Appleton is backing Bradley Orr to play a key role in Blackburn Rovers’ promotion push after hailing the full back as an “infectious character”. Orr’s Rovers career looked doomed when he was allowed to leave on loan to tomorrow’s opponents
EUROPEAN Parliamentarian Paul Nuttall has written to East Lancashire’s MPs urging them to take urgent action over pay day loans. The UKIP MEP said:“I feel really strongly about these loans and the iniquitous rate of interest charged for them.
A FOURTH Lithuanian gang member involved in a terror kidnap and blackmail has been locked up for 12 months. Rimas Vilkevicius, 36, was with four other men, who were said to have demanded £10,000 cash from a factory worker with threats and weapons
A SUPPORT agency in Accrington is looking for volunteers. East Lancashire Advocacy helps people across the county who are struggling to find information, get advice or need guidance with making decisions. The charity was set up in 1998 to aid
