Archive

  • Crewe Alexandra 0 Blackburn Rovers 1

    GRANT Hanley's 11th-minute goal gave Blackburn Rovers victory in tonight's pre-season friendly at Crewe. Hanley headed home from Ruben Rochina's corner, with Jake Kean saving from Byron Moore before sub keeper Matty Urwin denied Dominic Smith late on

  • Arson suspected in Burnley chicken shed blaze

    SMOKE from a fire which ripped through a demolished chicken shed could be seen across the Burnley skyline. Nine firefighters were called to tackle the blaze at Heckenhurst Farm, off Heckenhurst Avenue, near Worsthorne, around 5.20pm on Sunday.

  • Firm from Barrowford lands £5m airport deal in Middle East

    A FIRM has landed a major £5million deal to light up an airport in the Middle East. Barrowford-based acdc have secured the contract for Muscat International Airport, in Oman, in what will be one of their biggest and brightest ever projects.

  • Margo Grimshaw: Heads up – the summer has arrived

    Summer has arrived, and now that is official! How do I know? How can I tell? Well I have actually been outdoors without a jacket or cardigan, and isn’t it grand! That’s the one thing about our unpredictable climate – we don’t half appreciate the

  • Comment: It all adds up to a bright future

    WE hear a lot of complaints about today’s youngsters not getting a proper grounding in the basics at school. The grumble is that the old-fashioned ‘three Rs’ are no longer taught and memorised, leaving teenagers unable to spell correctly or work

  • Letter: Let them start drilling for gas in Blackburn!

    I MAY get condemned for saying this, but – let’s get Blackburn with Darwen Council banging on Cuadrilla’s door and get them in to Blackburn drilling for shale gas. The old Blackburn gas works has been empty for years and it’s a contaminated brownfield

  • Letter: Game, set and match

    Wasn’t it refreshing to watch a major sporting occasion in the proper way? I’m referring to the BBC’s professional coverage of Wimbledon. They had the expert people doing their jobs, from the summerisers and commentators to everybody else who

  • Letter: Law largely ignored

    WITH reference to your story headlined ‘Health fear as dog bins are left full in Blackburn park’ – once, there was a legal requirement to own a dog licence. But due to local authorities not keeping on top of this, it became a farcical law to uphold

  • Letter: Slow going on the rail front

    IT’S gone very quiet on the Colne to Skipton railway front. What’s happening? I was a member of the campaign group SELRAP, but I think maybe the line will never reopen – though I pray that I am wrong. I’t been over 10 years and there’s still

  • Letter: Set up food collections

    Most supermarkets have collection boxes for food for cats and dogs, so why not have the same for foodbanks? I have given in the past but, as I can’t drive at the moment, I am unable to get there. Some people are finding it difficult to manage

  • Letter: Town needs a lot more cash

    Taking into account that only £2million was spent by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Darwen town centre has improved slightly (‘Town centre is a winner, says heritage team’, LT, July 10). Most residents would agree that it will take huge investments

  • Letter: Pie’s the limit for Rammy!

    I WANTED to take the opportunity to thank Gregg Fletcher, of Purple Tiger/ Ramsbottom Business Group, and Ruth Shedwick, of Bury Council, for organising yet another highly successful event – Ramsbottom’s first (and hopefully annual) Pie Festival. The

  • Letter: Clubs looking after greens

    How can Blackburn with Darwen council afford to build and maintain a new pool when they couldn't even maintain the four bowling greens in Darwen which are only in use for six months in the year? The clubs now have to maintain the greens, the surrounding

  • Letter: How to deal with the travellers

    Travellers move from private land to council land and “it usually takes a couple of weeks” to sort out because they have to get a court order. This sums up what is wrong with the majority of our overpaid and underworked public servants – two weeks

  • Accrington man sold drugs at work

    A CANNABIS dealer who sold drugs for two years to supplement his low income and feed his own habit was spared jail. Burnley Crown Court heard how Thomas Metcalfe, 33, who was arrested at work, owned up to police, saying he had been making about

  • Oswaldtwistle Players in fundraising event

    OSWALDTWISTLE Players and The Civic Arts Centre are joining forces for another night of monologues and sketches. The fundraising event Telling Tales Two will take place on Saturday, September 7 at the Union Road arts venue. A get together for

  • Brockholes Nature Reserve to host 10k run

    TEAMS are set to compete in a gruelling 10k run at Brockholes Nature Reserve. The first Lancashire ‘No Ego Challenge’ will be hosted by the reserve, in Preston New Road, on Saturday, September 14. Businessman Brian Lee developed the obstacle

  • East Lancashire MEP to fight for e-cigarette users

    EAST Lancashire MEP Chris Davies vowed to continue to campaign for e-cigarette users after a key European Parliament committee voted to restrict e-cigarettes. MEPs voted to treat e-cigarettes as medicines earlier this week. It means e-cigs will

  • Ribble Valley International Piano Week to end this Saturday

    RIBBLE Valley International Piano Week runs until Saturday, July 20 at the Theatre at Westholme School, Blackburn. Events include solo recitals by Kathryn Stott, and by Sofya Gulyak, winner of the 2009 Leeds International Piano Competition.

  • Spate of raids in Rossendale due to open windows say police

    PEOPLE who leave their windows open during the hot weather risk falling victim to crime, police warned. The advice follows three raids on homes in Haslingden within 24 hours where property worth thousands of pounds was stolen. The thieves got

  • Turton pupil wins university scholarship

    A TURTON High School pupil has won a scholorship to study at Aberystwyth University in Wales next term. Patrick Johnson, 18, will also have guaranteed accommodation for the duration of his film and television studies course.

  • Rimington FC celebrates 'greatest season'

    RIMINGTON FC celebrated the greatest season in the club’s history with a sparkling presentation awards evening at Whalley Golf Club. The first team won the West Riding County FA Challenge Cup at Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium, the East Lancs

  • Rugby ace Abigail lands a place at Sale

    Abigail Birkbeck has been awarded a place at Sale Sharks Premiership Rugby Academy. The Blackburn RUFC youngster earned her place after impressing one of the Land Rover sponsored Premiership Rugby Academies, which consists of over 200 courses nationwide

  • Westholme enjoys clean sweep of badminton titles

    WESTHOLME have completed a clean sweep of Lancashire badminton titles after winning county crowns at under 14s, under 16s and under 19s. Throughout the autumn and spring terms, the Blackburm school has competed against teams from across Lancashire

  • Blackburn football league holds annual awards

    THE Blackburn Combination held its annual end-of-season presentation evening at St Marks Conservative Club on Preston Old Road. Teams and individuals were honoured for their triumphs throughout the campaign while accolades were handed out to those

  • Gardening Club to hold show in Bowland Village Hall

    THE Bolland Gardening Club will hold a show at Bolton by Bowland Village Hall on Sunday, August 18 from 2pm. The event will also include an auction of cakes and plants, with the presentation of trophies and prizes being held at 4pm. The aims

  • Ribble Valley Art Studios launch art competition

    RIBBLE Valley Art Studios is calling for entries for its Annual Open Exhibition. Entries, with the theme ‘Looking Back - Moving Forward’, are being accepted for 2D and small 3D pieces. The deadline for applications is Wednesday September 11

  • All Black Craig Newby is guest at Burnley rugby dinner

    FORMER New Zealand player Craig Newby was guest speaker at Burnley RUFC’s player dinner. Newbyentertained guests with his recollections of life with the All Blacks and in the professional game. Burnley’s junior section also held their annual

  • Pressure group slams homes and school proposals in Whalley

    AN application for 260 houses and a primary school in Whalley has been slammed by the village’s housing pressure group. The proposal is due to be debated by Ribble Valley Borough Council’s planning committee on Thursday and both Whalley and Wiswell

  • Dramatic victories in East Lancashire Golden Cue competition

    SAM Shepherd and Lee Bannister reached the semi finals of the Golden Cue competition for the first time after they both staged impressive victories in their respective quarter final clashes. Shepherd, playing for Lamb Club, beat Gary Brelsford

  • Messy church event at a Colne church hailed a success

    A ‘MESSY church’ event at Holy Trinity, in Colne, has been hailed a success with more than 80 people attending. Lynne Mitchell, parish development worker, said: “The session was absolutely brilliant – adults and children making sheep, masks, biscuits

  • East Lancs bowlers just miss out in Battle of the Roses

    STAGED by the East Lancashire Federation of Crown Green Bowls, the second round of the 2013 Junior and Youth Championships, attracted another bumper entry. East Lancashire fielded two teams – a youth team and a junior squad – with the competition

  • Colne bowlers leave it late to seal victory

    DARRYL Wright and Steve Clamp staged a late, late show to win the Youngs Brewery Open Doubles in the fading light at Greenhill Bowling Club. The Colne pair beat Graham Pilkington and Kevin Taylor from Leyland 21-18 having stormed back from 18-13

  • Haslingden hockey player gets in festival spirit in Portugal

    A FOURTEEN-year-old student from Haslingden High School got the chance to play hockey against teams from Portugal and France at an International Youth Sports Festival. Year 9 student Nick Wheeler plays hockey for Bury Jaguars and they entered a

  • Video: Ice queen Faye shows she has what it takes

    IT started off as an invitation to a school friend’s birthday party but now, 10 years later, Faye Hammer is a British Championship ice skating medal winner. She was just eight-years-old when, along with big sister Grace, they headed along to Blackburn

  • Burnley MP in fight with council over £900k underspend

    COUNCIL bosses in Burnley have been in a clash over a £900,000 underspend which it is claimed could have led to lowered tax bills across the borough. Council resources boss Coun Mark Townsend said that the sum, from the 2012-13 budget, would be

  • Drunken men start fire with barbecue in Burnley

    THREE drunken men started a fire when they lit a barbecue in a park after midnight. Firefighters were called to Pit Top Park, near Bank Hall in Burnley at 12.30am yesterday after the barbecue set fire to grass. Watch manager Neil Ashworth from

  • Friends of Pendleside raise over £22k for Reedley Hospice

    CAMPAIGNERS have proved that a friend in need is a friend indeed with an impressive array of charitable fundraisers. The Friends of Pendleside volunteers have collected more than £33,500 over the past 12 months alone for the Reedley hospice.

  • Burnley rider Kate ready for GB outing

    Kate Atkinson showed she has the endurance to succeed after she was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2013 FEI World Young Rider Endurance Championships in Tarbes, France at the weekend. The 15-year-old from Burnley will tackle the tough

  • Haslingden karate kids make the grade

    KARATE Kids from Year 9 at Haslingden High School are preparing to be graded for their black belt just five years after starting the sport. Fourteen-year-olds Fraser Chapman and Harrison Hanson attend training sessions in the martial art several

  • Clitheroe Cobras' county eleven

    Clitheroe Cobras are certainly bucking the trend of falling members and fewer junior teams as far as cricket is concerned. The Ribblesdale League outfit are in a stronger position than ever – in this their 10th Anniversary year. A vibrant primary

  • Blackburn man jailed for attacking his mother

    A 27-YEAR-OLD man who attacked his mum because she told him to tidy up after himself has been jailed. Blackburn magistrates heard Aaron Taylor was arrested but returned the following day and when his mum could not tell him where his ‘weed’ was

  • Residents seek deal over popular Burnley community centre

    A DEAL should be forged to redevelop a Burnley community centre before a popular venue is bulldozed, says the town’s MP. Housing giants Keepmoat have unveiled long-awaited plans for 132 homes across three sites in Burnley Wood. But the controversial

  • Sabden CC set pace at the top of the table

    IT was a return to league action in the Clitheroe Midweek Cricket League following a five week break for the cup competition – and both games were played on balmy summer evenings. And it is Sabden who are leading with way after opening up a handy

  • Liverpool too strong for Ribblesdale cricketers

    A YOUNG Ribbledale League Under 12s side slipped to defeat against a Liverpool Comp team who brought out the big guns. The Ribblesdale League, that had two under 11s and an under 10s player in the squad battled against Liverpool who had the luxury

  • QEGs cricketers beat rivals to the borough double

    THE sixth annual Blackburn and Darwen Schools U13s Cricket festival was held recently were teams from a across the borough took part. A total of eight schools – St Bede’s, St Wilfrid's, QEGS, Witton, DACA, Darwen Vale, Blackburn Central and Our

  • Burnley Bobcats swimmers are Hungary for success

    TWO members of Burnley Bobcats were on medal winning form when the represented Great Britain Catholic Students at the FISEC Games in Hungary. Kerry Holding won three silver medals while Emma Fothergill picked up a bronze as they did the club proud

  • Staff from Burnley shop raise money for Pendleside Hospice

    A STAFF member from the Wilko store, in Burnley, has raised money for Pendleside Hospice by taking on a charity walk. Stock file controller Karen Hartley walked more than seven miles around the base of Pendle Hill, raising more than £65. The donation

  • Burnley student saves Rossendale cheerleader group

    A CHEERLEADING group which was closed down by its head coach has been saved. One of ex-coach Fayhe-Louise Mitchell’s star dancers, 18-year-old Harriette Hooley, is to take on running the club, with the support of her parents. Dozens of club

  • Colne man charged with burglary

    DEAN James Johnson, 34, of Exchange Street, Colne, has been sent for crown court trial in custody by Blackburn magistrates on charges of burgling a home in North Valley Road and breaking into a store in Glen Street and stealing cigarettes, tobacco

  • Firefighters called to tackle rubbish fire in Burnley

    FIRE crews were called when a rubbish fire in a back yard led to damage at a property. The blaze at Green Street in Burnley began with a householder’s rubbish fire yesterday. Ashes from the rubbish fire were disposed of near the guttering of the

  • Pennine Lancashire 10k set to return to Burnley next year

    THE PENNINE Lancashire 10k is set to return to Burnley next summer. Following the success of the event in the town in June, which saw 1,500 sign up for the inaugural run, organisers For All Events and partners Burnley Council were keen to get a

  • Blackburn three-day market is almost demolished

    WORK to knock down Blackburn’s old three-day market hall, the first step in the redevelopment of the town centre and building of the £25m Cathedral quarter, is just days from completion. The section will make way for a new temporary bus station

  • Cannabis plants worth 15k seized from house in Bacup

    MORE than 50 cannabis plants have been seized from a house in Bacup. Officers raided the Burnley Road property and found around a stash with the estimated street value of £15,000 on Friday. Police struck after a tip off from a resident who

  • Bacup child gets award for special medieval talks

    A PUPIL with a passion for all things medieval received a special award at Fearns Community Sports College’s ‘Oscars’ night. The school hired out the Royal Court Theatre in Bacup for the Key Stage 3 presentation. This year one of the special

  • Police hunt for Accrington flasher with a large stomach

    A FLASHER exposed himself through the front window of a house. It happened in Devonshire Street in Accrington at around 11.20pm on Sunday, where a woman was inside. DS Julie Cross said: “This was very unnerving for this lady and we are very

  • Darwen MP to hold surgery

    DARWEN MP Jake Berry will host a constituency surgery at his office in Railway Road, Darwen, on Saturday, from 4pm to 5pm.

  • Darwen library to screen 'Quartet'

    THE Darwen Library Theatre Film Society will screen the Dustin Hoffman-directed ‘Quartet’ at the Knott Street theatre today at 2pm. Entry costs £3.

  • Darwen Town Council hold public meeting

    DARWEN Town Council meets at the town hall on August 6, at 7pm. The public are welcome and can ask questions – on matters within the town council’s remit – during the public forum.

  • Nursery in Darwen rated 'good' by Ofsted

    A DARWEN nursery was judged ‘good’ after an inspection by Ofsted. Oscar Bears, in Lynwood Avenue, maintained its rating from a previous inspection three years ago. Inspector Frank Kelly noted: “Staff demonstrate a good understanding about how

  • Burnley swimming star Katie set to take on the world

    IT promises to be a hectic few weeks for swimmer Katie Rillet-Young as she prepares to compete on the national and world stage. The talented Burnley Bobcats swimmer takes part in the British Gas ASA National Championships in Sheffield at the end

  • East Lancashire employees fail to keep cool in hot weather

    A SURVEY has revealed that 50 per cent of Lancashire companies require their staff to turn up in formal business attire, regardless of the summer weather. One in three businesses which took part in the online poll allow employees to remove ties

  • Blackburn shoplifter stuffed vacuum cleaner down trousers

    A SHOPLIFTER put a hand-held vacuum cleaner down his trousers before trying to leave a Blackburn store without paying. Blackburn court heard that on another occasion prolific thief Nawaz Khan removed security tags from a leather jacket before putting

  • Pie donations needed for Chernobyl charity fundraiser

    DONATIONS of cold puddings, pies and cakes are needed for a Pudding festival at St Mary Magdalen’s, Clitheroe, on Saturday August 10. All the proceeds will go to the Friends of Chernobyl’s Children. For more information call Jo Robinson on 01200 428859

  • Ambulance staff rescue Chorley mountain biker

    AMBULANCE staff took a mountain biker to hospital after he was knocked unconscious at Healey Nab near Chorley at about 6pm on Sunday. The biker had regained consciousness when the crew arrived, along with Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team, and was

  • Blackburn Canal Festival to take place this weekend

    THE first Blackburn Canal Festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday at Eanam Wharf, Blackburn from 10am. The event aims to celebrate the history of the Leeds Liverpool Canal and the importance that Eanam Wharf played in the development of Blackburn

  • Cork City 0, Burnley 3

    CHARLIE Austin made his first appearance of pre-season for Burnley last night, exactly a week after the collapse of his Premier League move to Hull City, while midfield target David Jones played the last 15 minutes after being named on the bench as

  • Cannabis grower in Blackburn 'didn't have a clue'

    A CANNABIS cultivation expert was not impressed with the horticultural skills of a 29-year-old man. Blackburn magistrates heard the expert criticised the lighting levels and the growing of plants of different ages and said it was doubtful how many

  • No Blackburn Rovers exit for DJ Campbell

    BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer has insisted that DJ Campbell is a big part of his plans for the new campaign – regardless of who actually signed the striker. Campbell joined Rovers on a Bosman free transfer on July 1, on a two-year contract

  • Amputee from Blackburn hid bottle of whisky in his pants

    A ONE-legged shoplifter tried to leg it with a leg of lamb stuffed down the trouser leg where his missing limb should have been. Blackburn magistrates heard that on another occasion Paul McCartney tried to escape on crutches with a bottle of whisky

  • Firefighters called out to a trio of fires in Blackburn

    FIREFIGHTERS in Blackburn were called to a trio of small fires which took hold on Sunday night. They tackled a grass fire at Albion Street at 6.10pm, a rubbish fire in Whalley Street at 7.40pm and a skip fire behind Next at 12.25am yesterday.

  • Pendleton village fete to take place this weekend

    PENDLETON village fete will be held on Saturday, July 20, from 2pm. Various attractions will be on offer, including a tombola, raffle, family games, and a duck race. For more information, call 01200 425823.

  • Age UK Blackburn with Darwen thank fundraisers

    AGE UK Blackburn with Darwen has thanked the public, and businesses, who housed collection boxes for a borough-wide collection on June 29. More than £1,100 was raised on the day, which has gone towards helping more than 4,000 older people each year

  • Man charged with burglary in Blackburn

    AMIR Saeed, 35, of Palmer Road, Blackburn, was directed to Preston Crown Court by Blackburn magistrates charged with burglary at a house in Holland Street, Blackburn, and theft of cash, a bank card, and mobile phone, and fraudulently using the stolen

  • Blackburn school to get defibrillator

    WENSLEY Fold CofE Primary Academy, in Blackburn, will have a ‘heart-start’ defibrillator machine installed next month, thanks to the Pumping Marvellous charity and a grant from the Lancashire Telegraph’s parent company.

  • Passers-by rescue elderly woman in Blackburn Mall

    MALL staff and passers-by went to the rescue after an elderly lady fainted in Blackburn. As temperatures soared in the town centre, a woman fainted at Ainsworth Street bus stops, near Blackburn Post Office, at 10.30am on Friday. As a man and

  • Gold medal for teenage maths champion from Blackburn

    IT was third time lucky for a teenage maths champion who took first place in a Europe-wide contest. Filip Szary, 13, won gold medals for coming first in Britain and Europe in the competition which was entered by more than 810,000 people from around

  • Blackburn man pleads not guilty to assault

    MOHAMMED Ali Ganchi, 34, of Nottingham Street, Blackburn, was remanded on bail by Blackburn magistrates after pleading not guilty to charges of assaulting Khadija Hussain, damaging her car and three charges of using threatening behaviour towards her

  • Firefighters called to grass fires in Hyndburn

    HYNDBURN firefighters were called to two grass fires on Sunday afternoon. The small fires, in Spring Street, Rishton, at noon and Slaidburn Drive, Accrington at 4.30pm, were thought to have been lit deliberately.

  • Eco schools in East Lancashire to be celebrated at ceremony

    LANCASHIRE’S greenest schools will be celebrated at a ceremony on Thursday. The It’s Our Planet Awards 2013, organised by Groundwork Pennine Lancashire, will see winning schools presented with their awards at a ceremony at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel

  • Blackburn Diocese to home six Diocese of Bradford parishes

    THE Church of England’s Blackburn Diocese to set to be the home for six parishes that previously sat under the Diocese of Bradford. The parishes were set to move as part of changes to create a new ‘super-diocese’ of West Yorkshire and The Dales

  • Blog: Spy's the limit for the World Wide Web

    JUST because you're paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not after you. And now, in fact, we know that they definitely are after you. Yes you, sitting there on your beige-coloured sofa, reading this newspaper while eating Crunchy Nut Cornflakes for breakfast

  • Travel: Summer weekend breaks

    In need of a vitamin D fix? SARAH MARSHALL recommends the best summer weekend breaks in Europe . . . LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND The Swiss may be renowned watch makers, but there’s little need for clock-watching in this lively university city overlooking

  • Darwen drink driver was blinded by the sun

    A WOMAN driving to collect shopping for her mum crashed after being temporarily blinded by the low sun. Blackburn magistrates heard the car being driven by Tracey Roberts collided with a parked vehicle, flipped onto its side and then hit another

  • Walk: Formby dunes

    There are not many places left in England where red squirrels can easily be seen. We do, however, have one wonderful exception which is quite close to us. This is at Freshfield Dunes near Southport and I chose a hot day and the squirrels did not disappoint

  • Blog: Parks are ideal to see herons

    OVER the years I have often mentioned the value of wildlife watchers close to home and how good town parks are. This is especially true of those parks which have lakes. Some of our parks have become neglected but local people have come to the rescue

  • Effects of alcohol cost Blackburn with Darwen economy £68m

    THE negative effects of alcohol consumption cost the Blackburn with Darwen economy more than £68million each year, new figures suggest. A report by Drinkwise North West found the average costs for dealing with alcohol related problems came to £486

  • Almshouse talk to take place in Livesey library

    A TALK on a shocking scandal which threatened to destroy the wealth and position of a prominent Blackburn businessman and one of the town’s first MPs will take place at Livesey Library today at 2pm. Barbara Riding will lead the ‘Almshouses and

  • Blog: Finding out about the catch of the day

    Antony Shirley is executive chef of the Seafood Pub Company’s four gastro pubs – the Oyster & Otter at Blackburn, the Assheton Arms at Downham, The Fenwick at Claughton near Lancaster and the soon-to-open Farmers Arms at Great Eccleston . . .

  • Mill Hill Tai Chi class cancelled due to illness

    Mill Hill Community Centre has issued a notice that the weekly Tai Chi class hosted by Age Concern and held from 11am to noon on Wednesdays will not go ahead this week due to staff illness. The class will resume next Wednesday unless otherwise

  • Two hurt after car crash in Brierfield

    TWO teenagers were injured when a suspected stolen car they were travelling in smashed into a wall. The driver of the Rover 214 SE lost control in Clitheroe Road, Brierfield, at around 11.15pm on Sunday and the car collided with the wall of some

  • Blackburn man stole phone from restaurant

    A DRUNKEN man who went into a restaurant to use a pay phone ended up stealing a mobile while staff were using the house phone to call him a taxi. Adam Mark Pilkington, 28, of Temple Drive, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to stealing a Samsung Galaxy

  • Knife thug holds up staff at Wheelton village store

    STAFF at a village store were threatened by a knifeman demanding money. The man, whose face was partly covered by his jacket, got away with the contents of a till following the armed hold-up at a shop in Wheelton, near Chorley. Police have