EDUCATION bosses visited one of the final Building Schools for the Future projects in Blackburn to view its progress. Director of schools and learning Lisa Bibby, and Coun Dave Harling, executive member for schools and education at Blackburn with
DOZENS of people will take part in a five-mile ‘angel’ walk in memory of a 21-year-old who took her own life after years of unsuccessful job applications. Darwen job seeker Vicky Harrison died in March 2010 after her frustrating two-year hunt for
A PAIR of teenage bakers hope their new cupcake business will supply schools across Lancashire. Boyfriend and girlfriend Joe Jones and Jess Davies set up A Piece of Cake confectionery firm and have high hopes for the future. Both are students
RECYCLED rainwater is being used to clean the streets of Hyndburn as the council looks to drive down costs and its carbon footprint. It is one of a number of green projects, including a £24,000 scheme to install solar panels at the council’s headquarters
JOBS and services have been saved thanks to lottery cash grants handed out to community groups. The SPACE bus, which works with young people in Burnley and Padiham, received £208,158 to continue its work for the next three years. The money
CAMPAIGNERS for older people have called on ministers to change the proposed £72,000 cap on elderly care costs after it emerged only one in eight people will benefit. The revelation that the new scheme in England, to be introduced in 2016, would
A VETERAN councillor has called for the profits from revamped homes in Burnley to be reinvested in the same area. But former planning committee chairman Coun Anne Kelly has been told that the proceeds from the Empty Homes Cluster programme must
Silk purse, sow's ear? A month of Sundays. The life of Riley. Happy as Larry. Cheap as chips. Keeping up with the Joneses. Raining cats & dogs? They'd have to close the roof at Wimbledon then! Imagine the cricket: 'Erratic feline and canine
ROYAL Blackburn Hospital’s under-pressure casualty unit had one of the highest rates of admissions for assault victims in England over last full year. New figures from the government’s Health and Social Care Information Centre show that its accident
A 24-YEAR-OLD man who went out for ‘an hour’ came home drunk eight hours later and assaulted his mum, dad and brother. Blackburn magistrates heard Matthew George’s disgraceful behaviour was witnessed by his young daughter who was in his arms when
A HALF-NAKED pensioner who performed an indecent act while talking to a young boy in Bacup has been banned from the town. Burnley Crown Court heard how Barry Pettet, 68, had been caught by his horrified, and shocked, next door neighbour at his
AIR rifle attacks on wildlife and domestic animals have increased over the past year years, RSPCA figures show. There were 15 such incidents in 2010, 23 the following year, and 26 last year. There have been 10 so far this year. Among the attacks
SMOKERS have been urged to seek help as health experts pointed to the high rates of lung cancer in East Lancashire. According to figures published by the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN), 63 people per 100,000 in Blackburn with Darwen
THE problem with this country is, we run out of things too fast. When it snowed we ran out of grit and when it rained we ran out umbrellas (well I did anyway). Now, they have run out paddling pools. Yes, there are no paddling pools left on the
Every time we get a hot spell, some people in East Lancashire lose all trace of common sense. In the past couple of weeks since temperatures soared, a total of 13 people around the country have drowned in rivers, lakes and reservoirs. There
IN response to claims that the proposed new housing development in the Ribble Valley will harm Clitheroe and its market – just how many of the outside market stalls are occupied on so-called busy days? It’s practically a ghost town down there,
I’m impressed – the day after the Lancashire Telegraph published my letter about Medical Records at the Royal Blackburn Hospital not answering their phone, I received a call from Ms Duckworth at the hospital. She thanked me for drawing this to
A couple of weeks ago I parked my car on the Fleming Street shoppers’ car park in Blackburn, and bought and displayed a ticket. When I returned to my car I’d been fined. I appealed the fine and it hasn’t been overturned. The reason? I have
It’s a nice idea that the old Blackburn gasworks would be an ideal drilling site, but I don’t think Cuadrilla would be interested (‘Let them start drilling for gas in Blackburn’, Letters, 16/7). Unfortunately, the gasworks are the wrong side of the
IT was with disappointment the we, the members of the Burnley & District Motorcycle Club, read the letter (LT, June 22) relating to a road safety scheme featuring posters of naked bikers. Your contributor claims that excessive speed by bike
OF course East Lancashire Health Trust is now in special measures – and rightly so. November 2007 was the date when the ruling Labour government decided, foolishly in my view, to close Burnley’s A & E. Never mind the blame game now that
A TEENAGER from Billington had a close shave to raise funds for East Lancashire Hospice in memory of her grandad. Hannah Croston, 16, has raised around £800 as a tribute to her grandfather, Tommy, after having her waist-length hair completely shaved
CALLS have been made for members of Ribble Valley Borough Council’s planning committee to resign in the wake of ‘disastrous’ housing decisions. The council recently lost an appeal against David Wilson Homes to build 137 properties in front of the
TWO men from Brierfield who tried to stop a young victim giving evidence in a grooming case were yesterday convicted at Burnley Crown Court. Furqan Amjad, 23, of Halifax Road, and Qasim Hussain, 20, of Townley Street, were found guilty of perverting
BEER and barges are both hoving into view for visitors to the centre of Burnley this autumn, tourism bosses have confirmed. Plans have been drawn up for the second Burnley Beer Festival, backed by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) this September
A WOMAN who has disability problems of her own wants to raise money for needy children with a sponsored walk. Deborah Cottrill will raise money and food supplies for Blackburn Foodbank with a walk around Witton Park’s race track in Blackburn.
VICTIMS of a major housing scam are set to receive compensation after being mis-sold buy-to-let properties in Burnley and Pendle. Profits from a fraud involving 21 refurbishment properties across the two boroughs were estimated at nearly £602,000
TWO people are facing trial after denying burgling an elderly woman in Burnley. Charlie Smith, 32, of Bath Street, and Kimberley Cowburn, 49, of Thursby Road, Nelson, are alleged to have stolen £200 cash and cards on April 17. Smith also pleaded
FUN in the sun is guaranteed in East Lancashire at an array of attractions this weekend. A reunion will take place tomorrow, at the Ace Centre, for former pupils of Nelson Grammar School, from 1946 to 1972, and its predecessor, Nelson Secondary
AN 82-YEAR-OLD woman died from asphyxiation after choking on food in a care home, an inquest heard. Ivy Potts, a resident in Sun Hill Residential Home, in Manchester Road, Burnley, was admitted to Royal Blackburn Hosiptal after she choked on food
A RISING culinary star won a prestigious apprenticeship culinary award. Lauren Routh, 21, took the Advanced Apprentice of the Year from Nelson and Colne College. Her college tutor, Joe Hargreaves, said: “Lauren is a star and she deserves this
WORKMEN are moving in this week to start the construction of the £2.3m community athletics complex at Witton Park, Blackburn. There will be a ‘ground breaking’ ceremony to start the transformation of the 30-year-old track into a state-of-the-art
CAMPAIGNERS are waging a battle to preserve one of Padiham’s most historic pubs. Plans have been lodged with Burnley Council to convert the 116-year-old Alma Inn, in West Street, into two residential properties. But Burnley Civic Trust has
AN open-air production of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors is set to be staged at Gawthorpe Hall, in Padiham, later this month. The classic performance around mistaken identity will be presented by Off the Ground Theatre at the venue on July 27.
A TEENAGER has been cleared by a jury of molesting two 13-year-old schoolgirls at a house. Mark Hagans, 19, of Tong Lane, Bacup, was found not guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a girl, after a four day trial at Burnley Crown Court.
A FAMILY from Todmorden who stayed in a hotel besieged by cockroaches and vermin, with a dining room invaded by dogs, birds and mice, are set to share in a £1.9million compensation payout. The Ward family were three out of just over 400 holidaymakers
A FOOTBALL fun day is set to kick-off at Turf Moor this month. The Burnley Football Club Fun Day will see live music, inflatable slides and a climbing wall. The event on Saturday July 27 will take place right before the pre-season friendly
A CERAMIC artist from Burnley is showcasing her work in Qatar. Shahida Ahmed is renowned as the first female British Muslim ceramic artist in the UK who works in clay. She won a scholarship at the Royal College of Arts, where she studied under
THE family of a Burnley pensioner who died at Royal Blackburn Hospital raised questions about his medication at his inquest. John Purtill, 78, of Lydgate, was admitted to hospital with a bad chest. While in hospital, his kidneys failed and he contracted
A SARSAPARILLA and vintage tea party that marked a care home’s first public open day has been heralded as a success after 30 people flooded through the doors. Townfield and Coach House care home in Great Harwood hosted the event as part of a nationwide
DANCERS taking part in their first ever competition walked away with seven trophies. Forty-four students, aged 11-59, from KTZ Dance Studio in Rishton competed at Dancemania 2013, at Marsden Heights Community College, Nelson. The troupe waltzed
THE heatwave which has seen East Lancashire bathed in sunshine this month will have ‘no effect’ on water supplies, according to United Utilities. The mercury has hit 27 degrees over the past few weeks, with people enjoying record temperatures across
TECHNIQUES to create works of art are being developed at a gallery this weekend. Visitors to Accrington’s Haworth Art Gallery will be taught how to use simple methods to make impressive landscape or creative pictures. Tutor Shirley Williams
HEAD to Regency Fitness Centre in Darwen tonight for Beginners Ballroom class. The hour-long class, which starts at 7pm provides an excellent fitness workout while teaching different styles of dance. Classes must be booked in advance, call 874
FANS of Robbie Williams should head to The Golden Cup in Lower Darwen on Saturday, July 27 when Carl Briggs performs as the star. The show is at 8pm and entry is free.
ELITE School of Music is presenting its 17th student showcase on September 1 at Darwen Library Theatre. Tickets are £7 and are on sale now from the box office. The show will begin at 7pm.
PC Hambley and PCSO Knowles from Darwen Police were at Darwen Aldridge Community Academy yesterday talking to students about the impact of anti-social behaviour.
JUVENILE nuisance in Whitehall Park and along Whitehall Road is causing concern for residents, who reported the issue to police at a recent PACT meeting.
AN empty shop looks set to be turned into a flat after a planning application was recommended for approval. The shop at 10 Cranberry Lane, Darwen, has been empty for many years and Sally Halliwell has sent plans to the borough council. The
IBRAHIM Issa has applied to Blackburn with Darwen council for permission to add a single-story extension to a terraced house in Wimberley Street, Bastwell. Because of an objection by a neighbour, it will be considered by the borough planning committee
A WEEK-LONG dance club is available for schoolchildren this summer. Hyndburn Leisure is hosting a five day ZumbAtomic Holiday Club from Monday, August 12. Sessions take place at Accrington Town Hall from 8.30am to 12.30pm. Cost is £5 a day or £20
BUS company Transdev will run a summer timetable during the school holidays, from Sunday until August 31, to reflect reduced traffic levels. Visit www.lancashire bus.co.uk
PADIHAM professional Chris Holt wants his men to take every game as it comes as they look towards a battle for Houldsworth Solicitors Ribblesdale League survival. In the first year after relegation from the Senior League, Padiham are deep in trouble
RYAN Canning admits he was a little bit surprised when Nelson offered him terms for next season – but says he didn’t have to think twice about putting pen-to-paper on a return to Seedhill. The South African star has made a big impression on the
THE owner of a property in Holly Bank, off Entwistle Hall Lane in Turton, has applied for retrospective planning permission to retain and complete a partially-constructed greenhouse in his front garden. Blackburn with Darwen councillors will decide
A WRITING group is to meet at Haslingden Library. The session will take place on Tuesday, August 6 from 5.30pm to 7.30pm at the Deardengate venue. For more information, send an email to haslingden.library@lancashire.gov.uk
A SPONSORED walk, cycle and run open to the public will be held by the team gearing up for a Tower to Tower charity bike ride. The four cyclists, who are raising money for Blackburn Foodbank and Blackburn with Darwen Carers’ Service, will host
A TRAVELLING group of Shakespearean actors arrive at Hoghton Tower this weekend. The HandleBards are touring from Glasgow to London performing various shows along the way. There are just four members of the all-male troupe and they are doing
A LEAVERS service for year six pupils at Read St John’s CofE Primary School and their parents will take place on Monday. It will be held at St John’s Church, off George Lane, at 9.30am
BURNLEY Council’s healthy lifestyles team hold a low level exercise class every Friday at the Vincent Farrell Community Centre, in Temple Street.
A MAN awaiting sentence for attacking his mum had his case adjourned for a psychiatric report Matthew Stephenson, 25, had hit the victim but she felt he needed help and was worried he might repeat his behaviour, the hearing at Burnley Crown Court
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to get children reading during the summer break. Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council’s ‘Creepy House’ project challenges children aged of four to 12 to read six books during the holidays. The scheme is in partnership
A 62-year-old taxi driver appeared at Burnley Crown Court, accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl. Talib Hussain, of Richmond Road, Accrington, did not have the charge put to him at the preliminary hearing and his case was adjourned
YOUNG people looking for summer holiday fun can find them in a new Blackburn with Darwen brochure called ‘Off for Fun’. Also available on-line it details a range of free exciting activities for children them to enjoy during the six-week break.
FRONTLINE police staff in Lancashire are facing greater cuts than most other forces across the country, Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has warned. Commissioner Clive Grunshaw spoke out as the Valuing Police report, which assesses how
IT has been no ‘drag’ for an art student to turn his passion for clothing into a potential business. Former drag queen Jay Scott has drawn on his 15 years’ experiences as a performer to inspire his coursework for a two-year contemporary fashion
PRIME Minister David Cameron will be asked to think again on the minimum alcohol unit pricing by county councillors in Lancashire. Public health campaigners insist the cost of alcohol abuse to the county – from the NHS to work-related and policing
MORE than 100 unemployed young people made their way to Blackburn’s King George’s Hall in the hope of finding work. The hall’s Windsor Suite was buzzing with smartly dressed 18 to-24-year-olds yesterday , all hoping to get a foot on the career
THE next Little Harwood Ward Solutions meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 7 at Little Harwood Community Centre. The meeting will begin at 6pm, and all local residents are welcome.
BUDDING thespians at Simonstone St Peter’s CofE Primary School took part in an end of year production of Cinderella Rockerfella. Children from key stage two took part in the play. Headteacher Sally Smith said in a newsletter to parents: “The
LIBRARIANS are conducting a poll for the top 30 favourite family reads. Lancashire County Council has launched the scheme to encourage summer reading. To nominate your favourite family novel or storybook follow Lancashire Libraries on Twitter or
SKY Ride Local is holding another guided bike ride on Sunday. The ‘Wharf to Witton Wanderer’ will go from Eanam Wharf, Blackburn to Witton Park. Meet at 10am. Visit www.goskyride.com for more information.
A SHOPPING centre is on the hunt for a wilderness expert to teach young people. Oswaldtwistle Mills is looking for someone to host a bushcraft workshop for the summer holidays. Anyone who can help is asked to e-mail tleeming@o-mills.co.uk
A SUMMER Caribbean Day will be held at the White Hart pub, in Sabden, on Saturday, August 10. It will include an auction and a tombola stall. Proceeds will go to the village youth club and Sabden FC.
A POET will recite his lyrical verse on a walk from Sabden to Pendle Hill. It will be led by William Neary on August 17, and the route will take in Churn Clough reservoir. The three-mile walk is expected to last around two-and-a-half hours.
A CRACKDOWN on speeding motorists will take place in Great Harwood. Police will be targeting the problem after a number of complaints around residential areas of the town.
DOG owners will be given a chance to show their pets on Sunday, at a Fun Dog Show for charity. It will cost £1.50 to enter a dog, with trophies for the winners of the ten classes, which include cutest puppy and waggiest tail! Entry begins at
THE Warner Arms, in Accrington town centre, has submitted a planning application to Hyndburn Council for a general refurbishment, smoking shelter, fencing, and landscaping, at the Warner Street pub.
A TEAM of year eight pupils from Whalley’s Oakhill College came top out of six schools in a Disaster Relief challenge. They had to build a bridge to transport goods across a river to aid the evacuees.
FIRE crews were called out at 8.55pm on Tuesday to deal with a rubbish fire near Kingfisher Court in Oswaldtwistle. The fire was extinguised within ten minutes.
BLACKBURN and District Scottish Society has donated £125 to East Lancashire Hospice. President Jimmy Reid and social secretary Susie Allison presented the cheque to hospice volunteer Marie Fairbrother at East Lancs Bowling Club where the society
HYNDBURN would lose one of its three fire engines in cutback proposals aimed at saving £5 million across Lancashire to be announced today. The loss of the Accrington-based pump will come with an assurance that the 18 others at 11 stations across
BLACKBURN Rovers defender Grant Hanley is determined to start the new season on top form – as he looks to secure a place in the Scotland team for their friendly against England. Hanley starred for Scotland in a 1-0 win in Croatia in a World Cup
BURNLEY are in talks with former Sunderland striker Ryan Noble, but have outlined their intent to keep Charlie Austin amid speculation that he is set for a Championship rival. A national newspaper yesterday reported that QPR were lining up a cut-price
FRENCH gipsies said they had found their holiday ‘paradise’ in Blackburn. The group of 23, who are travelling around the UK as part of a four-month summer break, set up camp on a car park in the middle of the Ewood one-way-system. They had
YOUNGSTERS are dicing with death swimming in deep quarries and reservoirs to cool off during the heatwave, authorities have warned. Bosses at Jamestone Quarry, off Grane Road, Haslingden, said parents were even dropping off children so they could
THESE pictures captured the moment young men put their lives in danger by diving into the canal. A group, mostly in their early 20s, decided to cool off yesterday afternoon in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Blackburn, as temperatures rose to
POLICE are trying to trace a good samaritan who helped a man who was punched in the face in an unprovoked attack. The incident happened at the bus station, in Railway Road, Blackburn, when a man approached the victim and threatened him before hitting
AN ex-teacher has denied racially aggravated harassment against travellers in a row over land near her home. Grandmother Josie Hampson, 77, a school governor who runs a family toy shop and is said to be a pillar of her community, is also accused
THE next Security Industry Authority course in Darwen for volunteers from local organisations including the town’s Library Theatre is due to start on July 29. So far Darwen Town Council has received £795 in income from the courses.
AN arts centre is to change its drama sessions over the summer. The Civic Arts Centre, Union Road Oswaldtwistle, say Sparks drama group for young people is the only evening drama session running through the holidays. The sessions are on Wednesdays
A CHARITY are urging older people to stay cool in the hot weather. As the heat wave is extended by the Met Office, Lancashire’s Age UK are urging people in the county to take not of some simple tips to keep cool. For more information visit ageuk.org.uk
EAST Lancashire singer Diana Vickers gave a rendition of her latest single Cinderella on BBC’s Breakfast show.
A CLOTHING company has donated two Disney-themed T shirts to the Raising for Rohan appeal. Grays, which supplies schoolwear in Blackburn, gave the garments to six-year-old Rohan Flynn who suffers from infantile facio-scapulohumeral dystrophy.
BIG-HEARTED Bev Eastwood pedalled to her personal best on her 14th Manchester to Blackpool ride, raising more than £300 for cancer care, and research, in memory of two friends. The Blackburn-born 39-year-old, now living in Darwen, took 16 minutes
A BURGLAR raided his friends’ house while they were on the school run, a court heard. Cannabis addict Adam Walters, 20, broke into the home of his neighbours, Alicia Demain and Nathan Latham, knowing they would be out, and even used Mr Latham’s
Around 100 pigeons died in a fire at allotments in Nelson last night. Firefighters were called to the blaze in Manor Street, Nelson, at about 11.30pm yesterday. Four pigeon lofts were destroyed in the blaze, as well as a shed containing three
A MAN was taken to hospital after unattended tea light candles caused a fire to break out at a house on Oxford Road in Burnley on Thursday night. Fire fighters from Burnley fire station were called out just before 8.30pm after the occupants heard
One person has been taken to hospital after a collision involving three vehicles on the M65 this morning. The incident on the Westbound carriageway of the M65 near Accrington has caused peak-hour delays in the area. One driver was removed from
THE PAINTINGS stored at Towneley Hall have had a condition survey carried out on them by a team of conservators. With paintings of the age in Towneley’s collection, it is essential to regularly check their condition and ensure that they are being
YOUTH groups and charities are being urged to bid for their share of a £5million pot. Hyndburn and Haslingden MP Graham Jones is urging groups in his constituency to consider bidding for funds to improve activities for young people. The Youth
