A FOOTBALL-mad boy who is bravely battling leukaemia received a letter of support from Sir Alex Ferguson. Joshua Almond, 10, from Darwen, was forced to stop playing his favourite sport after he was diagnosed with the disease last month. The
A PLEA has been made for volunteers to get involved in the first community-run festival of its kind in Blackburn. Bands and organisers behind the Blackburn Festival, on Saturday, June 15 in Witton Park, hope the event will breath life into the
TEAMS from across the North West have been travelling to Blackburn to play in a specially-designed football league for vulnerable adults — thought to be the first of its kind in England. The 12-team league has grown from six people turning out
A DOZEN Palestinian students will visit Pendle this weekend as one of the first visits since the borough twinned with the town of Beit Leed. The students will work with 12 UK students on a project to improve links between the two areas. They
A ROSSENDALE businessman who was jailed for conning investors out of £80,000 for a doomed film has seen his prison term cut. Mohammed Suba Miah, 33, had been part of a project to attract inves-tors to a new picture, ‘A Town Called Arthur’, London
I think it is quite appropriate to do my first pub review on one of the most popular ‘watering holes’ in the area. Burnley’s multi-award winning Bridge Bier Huis is without doubt a premier drinking establishment, offering a amazing selection of
Don't miss this Saturday's bigger, better Lancashire Telegraph, featuring your brand new Weekend Supplement. Our bumper new 40-page pullout, is packed with local leisure and lifestyle articles, PLUS a 7 Day TV Guide. The first edition includes
AN EARBY man credited with bringing Lancashire County Cricket captain Glen Chapple to the county, has died. Jack Cross, 85, died on Tuesday at the Glossop flat he shared with his wife Barbara. Born on August 23, 1927, Jack worked as a teacher
A QUAD bike and tools were stolen from an outbuilding in Briercliffe. Neighbourhood Watch liaison officer Keith Sandham is based at Burnley police station. He said: “They stole a red and black Polaris quad bike, a Planet X exercise bike, Bosch
A ONE-stop shop offering advice for serving and ex-military personnel and their families has opened. The initiative is a joint venture between the Armed Forces Group and Chorley Council as part of the council’s ongoing commitment to supporting
AN MP has voiced fears that the NHS is under severe strain as new figures claim emergency waiting times are soaring. Haslingden and Hyndburn MP Graham Jones said figures showing ‘unacceptable’ numbers were waiting more than four hours. Mr Jones
GOVERNMENT ministers have been accused of ‘playing to the gallery’ by promising to give local communities more say over windfarm developments. With controversial ‘green energy’ projects proposed or constructed around Darwen, Oswaldtwistle Moor
AN application has been submitted to extend the rear of a primary school to form a sheltered play area. Brennands Endowed Primary School, Slaidburn, want a sturdy, weather resistant structure which would provide the children with the chance to
STAFF from a Mellor hotel are putting their best foot forward by competing in the National Waiters Day race. Stanley House Hotel and Spa’s Stuart Aspin- Lammack, Patryk Guzowski, Louise Wood and Zandra Grimshaw, make up the four-strong team to
THE record of a Ribble Valley Borough councillor has been criticised after she resigned last week. Lib Dem councillor Sue Knox has spoken out over Christine Conner’s two year tenure representing the Littlemoor ward, Clitheroe. Mrs Conner resigned
A CYCLIST is taking on his biggest challenge yet in memory of his nephew who died from meningitis. Little Clark Pinder was just 12 months old when he contracted the disease and died four weeks later. His death has inspired his uncle Lee, 42
POLICE discovered a £20,000 cannabis factory ‘just in time’ before the drugs were released onto the streets of Burnley. Officers raided a house in Stafford Street and found 50 mature plants growing in the upstairs bedrooms. Daneshouse and Stoneyholme
KIMBERLEY Cowburn, 49, indicated a not guilty plea to a distraction burglary against an elderly victim, at Burnley Magistrates' Court. The defendant, of Thursby Road, Nelson, is charged with stealing £200 cash and a £200 cash card from a property
JAKE Berry MP has raised the issue of a controversial development in Rossendale in Parliament. It follows the MP meeting Rawtenstall residents concerned about Rossendale Council and Calico Homes’ plans for a 65-bed specialist dementia care centre
LIBERAL Democrat peer Lord Tony Greaves has told a House of Lords debate that 302 postal votes sent in for the recent Lancashire County Council elections in Pendle were not counted. He said this was due to discrepancies on the postal voting statements
DRAINS for a flooding plain have become blocked – just four years after being installed by environmental chiefs. New drainage systems at Todmorden’s Centre Vale Park were unveiled in 2009, as part of proposals to make part of the beauty spot a
PEOPLE can get up close with Gawthorpe Hall’s textile collection and its curator tomorrow. There will be exploration events and talks in the historic library where visiting experts will teach skills in making textiles from 1pm to 4.30pm. It
A FUNDRAISER is to be held tomorrow in memory of a 21-year-old lifeguard who died after suffering a stab wound to his neck. Jake Harris, who worked at Whitworth Leisure Centre for five years, was described by his family as a “hero”. He now
A DEPUTY mayor has restated a campaign to save a town’s post office from franchise. Burnley’s main branch in Hargreaves Street faces being sold off after the Post Office revealed its plans in February. It is one of 76 crown post office branches
A MAN ‘trying to keep the peace’ and be a good citizen when early hours trouble erupted at a party ended up in police cells, a court heard. Michael Talbot, 26, had been restraining an irate teenage girl in the garden of the house, in Bacup, as
ENTRIES for the Whitworth Scarecrow Festival must be in today. There is a mandatory contribution of £1, and an application form can be found on www.whitworth. gov.uk All money collected will go towards administration costs, and future community
A NEW charity ‘Kids in Rossendale’ for disadvantaged children in the valley, is running a competition for youngsters to design its new logo. The organisation is being run by a committee from Crawshawbooth, including Paula Riley, owner of Riley’
POLICE are warning business parks to be on guard following a theft in Burnley. Watch Liaison Officer Keith Sandham said: “Occupants of a white Transit van approached staff at Network 65 industrial estate in Hapton. They enquired if they had any
A DRINK driver who was almost three times the limit, was fined £500. Burnley magistrates heard how engineer Paul Michael Andrew, 28, gave a sample which showed 98 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when he was stopped by police
A BURNLEY-BORN author is set to release the third novel in his series of medieval mischief. Anarchy, by Stewart Binns, is due to hit the shelves on June 20 through publishing giants Penguin. The 62-year-old, who grew up in Colne and Foulridge,
BLOOD donations will be taken at Darwen Leisure Centre today from 1.15 until 3pm and 4.45pm until 7.30pm. Both new and regular donors can make an appointment by calling 0300 1232323 or by visiting www.blood.co.uk
STROKE survivors will take part in a fund-raising walk in Blackburn on Sunday. The Step Out For Stroke event, organised by the Stroke Association, will be in Corporation Park from 1pm. For more information, call 01254 367432.
A new way of dealing with people who arrive at hospitals is being piloted at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley hospitals has been praised by a patient representative. Russ McLean, of the Patient Voices Group, has been impressed by the ‘deflection
SO, public toilets in Padiham could be closed after complaints that men are using them for ‘unacceptable sexual conduct’ (LT, June 5). Once again, the decent majority lose a facility because of abuse by the indecent minority. In Pendle, there is
THE U-turn the Government has announced on not increasing pupil-to-staff ratios in nursery schools smacks of common sense. The changes had been due to come into force this autumn but were roundly criticised by East Lancashire nursery bosses.
IN response to your story ‘Fly-tippers 'endanger lives of children' near Blackburn school’ (LT, June 5) – cut back on frontline services, ie less street litter cleaning, clearing up back streets only once a year down from four times a year, charging
RE ‘Dig cash appeal to find 'lost' Burnley village’, it’s a fascinating story and one that promises much more to come. Let’s hope enough resources are found to allow a dig on the site of the possible settlement. If only Channel 4 hadn’t pulled
Patient groups not welcome at East Lancashire NHS deaths inquiry? (LT, June 3). These are public meetings and they shouldn’t be able to stop anyone who wishes to attend from doing so. Any attempt to do so is a form of censorship akin to that
REGARDING the story headlined ‘Ribble Valley energy show home to be open to the public’, about a house promoting the benefits of saving energy, I think Ribble Valley is the place to have this house. That’s because having read the posts in Lancashire
I couldn’t even be bothered reading beyond the headline. If the police could actually do something about this problem rather than having an annual one-night blitz, things might change. happycyclist (via website).
Pennine licensing officer Sergeant Michelle Dixon said “We will continue throughout the summer to stamp out under-age drinking in Burnley targeting both the drinkers and those who supply them with the alcohol.” Is it not part of the police sergeant
HOW many of the ‘holier than thou’ brigade did not drink when they were under-age? And I bet none of them had to worry about ID or fake ID back in their day. I don’t deny that it is a problem, but it was ever thus. I think that if you stop
REGARDING the story about police taking more than 120 litres of booze from under-age drinkers in Burnley in one night (LT, June 3), I’m wondering why it is up to the police to do something about it. This is about parental control and responsibility
A mother-of-four was injured when she banged her head during an assault by her partner, a court heard. Burnley Magistrates were told Adeel Akram, grabbed the victim’s arm and shouted at her. She did not think Akram, who then called her a bitch
PICKPOCKETS stole 12 mobile phones from revellers in Burnley, police said. Customers were targeted in several pubs and clubs in the town centre during one weekend. An investigation is under way and officers are examining CCTV footage to find
POLICE were called to a house in Burnley, where a drunken man was said to have been scaring children, a court heard. Gary McKee, 42, had turned up at the home of his ex- partner and had been throwing stones at the windows. Officers arrived
THOUSANDS more people are now able to access the services of Mid Rossendale Credit Union after it was extended to cover an even greater area. The savings and loans provider, based in Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, was previously only allowed to serve
A MUM has called on housing bosses to provide more homes with disabled access, after waiting nearly two years for a suitable property for her wheelchair-bound daughter. Despite the family’s case being made a priority by a housing association, Azra
GENEROUS staff at Pendle Leisure Trust have raised nearly £1,730 for a poorly East Lancashire youngster – and plan to raise even more. Sam Shaw, four, from Hoddlesden, near Darwen, has neuroblastoma, an aggressive cancer. Money is required to send
A FIRE safety campaign has been launched in Nelson. The programme aims to reduce the number of incidents in the Bradley area of the town and encourage residents to help reduce the impact and disruption those incidents cause to the community and
ELEVEN out of 16 taxis stopped during a licensing crackdown failed roadside checks by inspectors. Taxi enforcement officers, with assistance from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and Lancashire Constabulary, carried out the operation in
TWO thieves are due to be sentenced at Burnley Crown Court after damaging a Burnley community centre. Magistrates heard that three defendants admitted stealing lead flashing from the Gannow Lane resource centre, valued at just over £1,300. Bradley
POLICE are hunting a man with links to Burnley who has failed to appear at court twice. The Crimestoppers charity is also offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of Lee Freeman, 21, of Fielding Road, Blackpool. Freeman was
ENVIRONMENTALLY friendly outfits lit up the catwalk as creative students showed off their designs. Pupils from St Augustine’s RC High School, in Billington, had been given the brief of designing clothes and accessories that recycled and re-used
A GROT spot has been cleaned up after residents flagged up the issue to councillors. Milnshaw ward councillors in Accrington said neighbours had asked them to remove crumbling structures and clean up the former garage site on Livingstone Road.
NURSERY school workers have welcomed the government’s U-turn on the decision to increase pupil to staff ratios. The changes, which were due to come into force this autumn, were criticised by East Lancashire nursery bosses, who said the quality
HIGHWAYS chiefs have been urged to investigate road and paving conditions. Residents in Belthorn have voiced their concerns over cracked roads and potholes. Residents also raised concerns over moss-covered paving becoming a problem for slips
CRIME writer Bill Kitson, the creator of popular Detective Inspector Nash, will talk about his Yorkshire-based series in his talk, Killing Time, at Blackburn Library on Wednesday, June 12, from 2pm. Fictitious Mike Nash had been a rising star in
CIGARETTE butts are believed to have caused a house fire in Burnley. Two crews from Burnley Fire Station were called to a mid-terraced home in Leyland Road at around 10.40am today. Both floors of the property were severely smoke damaged.
THE deadline for nominations for the Ribble Valley Sports and Community Awards is July 5. The awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Grand, Clitheroe, later in the month. Nominations can be made in categories including club of the year
A CROSS-BORDER manhunt has been launched after an ‘unprovoked attack’ outside a nightclub. Detectives have released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the alleged assault, which happened after a Blackburn Rovers
The streets of Blackburn were transformed into 1970s Belfast as a film crew came to town to shoot a new movie. Youngsters from the town are set to get their moment in the spotlight in the new film, titled ‘71’, now being filmed in Bank Top area
SPORTS people in need of help with injuries, stresses and strains can now take advantage of the services of former England cricket team physiotherapist David Roberts at his new clinic in Blackburn. The specialist surgery in Cherry Tree has been
MEMORIAL Park in Great Harwood will again host this year’s Friends of Memorial Park annual prom on Sunday, June 23. Slaidburn Silver Band will play music for visitors – who arrived in their hundreds last year – for the event, which is sponsored
A GUIDE on uncovering a family’s past will feature at a library event. Sessions with the Community Heritage team will give expert tips at the upcoming Nelson Library event. Guests can learn how to start researching history using online resources
HYNDBURN Funeral Services, in Oswaldtwistle, would welcome more volunteers to take part in a sponsored walk to Accrington, tomorrow, to raise funds to refurbish the children’s play area in West End. The event will start at 10am at the chapel, and
A CLAYTON-LE-MOORS care home will open its doors to the public on Friday, June 21, as part of The Big Care Home Conversation. Hope House Nursing and Residential Home will be hosting a Victorian tea party, with people across Accrington invited.
FAMILES need urgent help with a ‘cost of living’ crisis, says Hyndburn MP Graham Jones. He has called for action on affordable homes, and rising energy bills, claiming his constituents in Hyndburn were being left to struggle. He said: “Thousands
VETERANS of recent conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan can join a new group that will decide how a council will look after servicemen and women and their families. Blackburn with Darwen Council recently signed the Armed Forces Community Covenant
Friends Hana Gee and Lauren Osborne, both from Darwen, are under starter’s orders for an eight-mile walk which raises funds for patient care. And to make it a little different, they will be ‘riding’ giant inflatable horses. Hana said: “It’s
This weekend will be hot. It won’t be hot, Pakistan style (where the temperature was 42 degrees C this week) but it is going to be warm for us Brits. Come to think about it, anything above 10 degrees is T-shirt weather. But if you reach a certain
THE son of a Darwen woman who died aged just 25 has launched a fundraising drive in her memory. Avondale Primary School pupil Tommy Tierney has set up ‘Tommy’s Challenge’ – a variety of events being held at Avondale – in a bid to raise cash so
TOWN councillors in Darwen have refused to pay for flagpoles at a high school. Governers at Darwen Vale had asked the council if it would provide the poles to be put up at the school. But Marsh House councillor Frank Connor told colleagues:
A ONCE wealthy businessman’s marriage deteriorated in tandem with the decline of his business. Blackburn magistrates heard Robert Harold Foy and his wife Dawn had bred Purebred Spanish horses, owning more than 50, some worth more than £25,000,
A MYSTERY good Samaritan has been clearing rubbish from fields and shrubs along Bull Hill. Now councillors in the Whitehall area of Darwen want to track the person down to say ‘thank you’. Whitehall town councillor John East said the man had
A CHILDREN’S centre was left with a £1,000 repair bill after raiders smashed their way in. Thieves targeted Care 4 Kids, in Blackburn, forcing their way into the build-ing. They caused irreparable damage to the front door, wrecking reinforced
PRINCE Charles has thrown open a challenge to preserve the nation’s wild flower meadows in the Queen’s honour. And the Prince of Wales has already secured his first grassland in East Lancashire as part of his crusade. Six fields at Bell Sykes
DUNDEE United have asked Blackburn Rovers for an answer on their loan bid for David Goodwillie by the end of today. The SPL club are keen to take Goodwillie back to Tannadice on a long-term loan, two years after selling him to Rovers for an initial
Don't miss the Lancashire Telegraph TODAY for interviews with two East Lancashire footballing legends. Derek Fazackerley of Blackburn Rovers and Paul Fletcher of Burnley talk about their playing careers and life after football. Fazackerley
A CYCLIST found a man’s body floating in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The man rang police after seeing the body near lock gates behind the Novia Scotia Retail Park in Blackburn at around 1.30pm yesterday. Emergency services and passers-by
A CAMPAIGN has been launched in Blackburn with Darwen to raise awareness of the dangers of second-hand smoke in enclosed spaces. The council will support national television and radio adverts which show smoking by a window, or the back door, is
FOR many people, the most enduring memory of Roy Castle, was the genial host of BBC children’s show Record Breakers. While presenting the series, he broke nine world records; from playing the same tune on 43 different instruments in four minutes
HENNING Berg says he takes no satisfaction from his £2.25m pay-out for only 57 days’ work as Blackburn Rovers manager – insisting he would prefer to still be in the top job at Ewood Park. Speaking exclusively to the Lancashire Telegraph Berg spoke
MARTIN Paterson is today set to decide whether his future lies at Turf Moor or elsewhere. The 26-year-old has spent the close-season so far mulling over a new deal tabled by Burnley, but the offer is understood to have fallen below the striker’
CALIFORNIAN songstress Jesca Hoop, fresh from a tour with Peter Gabriel, will headline Lancashire’s newest festival, Cloudspotting, next month. Elbow’s Guy Garvey was the first to champion Hoop in the UK after the Mercury prizewinners chose her
THE World of Comedy is returning to the Thwaites Empire Theatre, Blackburn, next week, giving members of the public to try their hand at stand-up. Following a sell-out show in April, organiser Junaid Musa, is bringing the event back and hopes it
WILKO Johnson is set to bid an emotional farwell to the Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival in Colne. The former Dr Feelgood guitarist who quit live shows after being diagnosed with cancer has asked to play one last date at the festival on Monday
It’s a busy time to be Mark Owen. His new solo album is out on Monday and he’s embarking on a solo UK tour which comes to Manchester later this month. Sammi Wild spoke to one fifth of Take That. Your fourth studio album The Art of Doing Nothing
THIS is the moment a sneak-in burglar plunged to the ground after diving head first through a first floor bedroom window. Stuart Marsden had earlier been captured on CCTV shimmying up a drainpipe to climb into the home of 85-year-old Jean West,
A MAN who was stabbed in the back in the street was later arrested on suspicion of assault. Police were called and found the man bleeding outside a house in Manor Street, Nelson. The 36-year-old man was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital for
BLACKBURN Rovers have announced that operations director Paul Agnew has left the club. In a very brief statement, Rovers said: "The club would like to announce that Paul Agnew is no longer employed by Blackburn Rovers Football & Athletic Plc and
CHEAP coastal trips for older people have been axed as part of council cost-cutting measures. Opposition leaders have criticised the decision by Hyndburn Council to end the popular £1 bus trips for older people, despite a financial underspend.
AMBULANCE chiefs have highlighted the crucial role played by volunteers who provide life-saving support in rural areas. Dozens of people in hard-to-reach villages across East Lancashire have been recruited as Community First Responders (CFRs),
FORMER Blackburn Rovers ace Benni McCarthy has announced his decision to retire. The South African international is his country’s all-time leading scorer and has been playing in his homeland for Orlando Pirates since leaving West Ham in 2011. The 35-
SUPPORT for a teenage girl is flooding in after she shaved her head for charity. Libby Shepherd, 13, from Oswaldtwistle, collected more than £2,000 for East Lancashire Hospice after being inspired by popstar Jessie J. The Mount Carmel High
THE North West Air Ambulance is calling for volunteers to help raise funds for its service at supermarkets across East Lancashire. They are asking people to spare two hours to help raise awareness of their work and collect donations from customers
