EAST Lancashire business leaders will discover how ‘next generation’ broadband can transform their businesses at an network event later this month. James Roberts, Engineering Manager at 6G internet, will talk about the importance of connectivity
AN elderly lady was last night in a serious condition in hospital after being assaulted by two youths. The 81-year-old pensioner was walking to the post office in Whalley Banks, Blackburn when she stopped to put her hood up and put her bag down
BRADLEY Orr has tonight become the 14th player to leave Blackburn Rovers during this month’s transfer window after he completed his year-long loan to FC Toronto. The right-back will remain with the Major League Soccer side – managed by former Rovers
BREWERY bosses were left red faced when their iconic lighted sign was turned into a profanity. Some of the Thwaites Brewery letters atop the Blackburn building fell into darkness as people left town centre shops and offices last night. With
A DECISION to stage a snap by-election, after the resignation of a Ramsbottom councillor, has been slammed by the opposition. Coun Joanne Columbine has stepped down from the seat she won for Labour three years ago, when she beat Conservative Robert
A HEALTH regulator which revealed several failings within the emergency department at Royal Blackburn Hospital is finally heading in the right direction, according to MPs. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been monitoring improvements at East
A GIANT Accrington Pals banner will be installed after plans were given the green light. The 7.5m by 65m banner will wrap around the Broadway Offices building, above shops such as Greggs, British Heart Foundation, and Nationwide. The banner will
HYNDBURN MP Graham Jones said he was ‘concerned’ about poverty in the borough. The gap between the highest and lowest-earning families grew by 14 per cent in the past three years, a report by Aviva found. Mr Jones said the Family Finances Report
RESIDENTS in Great Harwood will get the chance to air their grievances about local crime during a meeting with police on February 7. The meeting will be held at the library in Queen Street from 10am. Previous issues included inappropriate and inconsiderate
TWO faulty street lamps in Rishton have been reported to Hyndburn Council. The lights, in Bridge Street and Burton Street, will be repaired soon, local councillor Ken Moss has revealed.
HOPSTAR brewer Natalie Tyson has been named January 2014 ‘Brewer of the Month’ by the Lancashire Beer Circle. Natalie looks after the brewing operation of the firm, launched by dad Barry in 2004. Working out of a unit at Rinus Business Park, off Grimshaw
AN Oswaldtwistle man has applied for planning permission to build an extension at his home. Joe Cirino wants to build the single storey extension at the back of his High Street property. The application will be considered by Hyndburn Council.
DARWEN Subscription Bowling Club, in Anyon Street, will host a children’s party on Sunday, from 12.30pm. PC Roadshow will entertain from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. Entry is free, but children must be accompanied by an adult.
A PARTY will be taking place tonight to celebrate the official twinning of Darwen with Lamin, in Gambia. There will be a celebration in Gambia, which the president is scheduled to attend and, to mark the occasion, Darwen Music Projects has arranged
A CHARITY quiz night, in aid of Oliver’s Fund, set up in memory of Oliver Hayes, stillborn son of Mark and Natalie, will be held at Hollins Road Conservative Club, Darwen, on Saturday, February 8. Teams are restricted to four, with entry fees of £2
A SCHOOL is looking for feedback after launching its new website. Vicky Weddle, acting headteacher at St Peter’s CE Primary School, in Darwen, said: “Any comments will be gratefully received. We hope you will find it as exciting as we do.” Visit
THE Crown pub, in Redearth Road, Darwen, has karaoke tonight, from 9.30pm. Tomorrow, Doug Perkins and The Spectaculars will perform from 9.30pm, while on Sunday, it’s blues and acoustic open mic from 8.30pm, with guest Richard Kitson, a singer/songwriter
PENDLE MP Andrew Stephenson has signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment in the Commons. The book honours those who died during the Holocaust, as well as honouring the extraordinary survivors who work tirelessly to educate young
TURTON and Edgworth Primary School will host its annual general meeting on Tuesday, from 7.30pm, in The White Horse pub, in Bury Road, Edgworth.
A NEW venue has been found for neighbourhood campaigners in Colne – and they are keen to encourage fresh blood for 2014. Members of Waterside Neighbourhood Action Group will now be based in the hall at the top of Blucher Street, off West Street, with
A FUNDRAISING event for the Love Russia charity, including a soup lunch and bring-and-buy sale, will be held on St John’s Church, Nelson, on Sunday, from 4pm. The charity helps ease the poverty of the orphaned and abandoned in Russia.
A SPURNED dad lost control and caused early hours trouble after the woman he wanted to spend his life with found someone else and ‘dropped him like a hot potato’, a court heard. Burnley magistrates were told how Steven Michael Waring, 48, and Katharine
PENDLE MP Andrew Stephenson has welcomed a drop in the number of out-of- work people in the borough. The number of unemployed Jobseekers’ Allowance claimants in Pendle, in December 2013, was 1,512. The number of claimants was 520 lower than in December
FAIRYTALES were brought to life by young actors from a Rossendale school when they performed them in front of their parents. Mini-plays by Year 7 pupils at Fearns Community Sports College, in Stacksteads, included familiar stories such as Hansel and
CAMPAIGNERS have been urged to redouble their efforts after controversial plans for an anaerobic digestion plant resurfaced in Ramsbottom. Bosses at Peel Environmental have confirmed they are making a second attempt to open a renewable power operation
A FIRST World War commemoration project in Earby will launch at a coffee morning tomorrow, at the New Road Community Centre, from 10am to 2pm. Earby and District Local History Society is inviting people to take along photographs, memorabilia, letters
PENDLE Council has teamed up with a local food production company to provide it with advice and support on issues of food safety and hygiene. The Government’s Business, Innovation and Skills Department has approved the partnership between the
NELSON Golf Club members have been digging deep into their pockets for the past 12 months in aid of the captain’s and lady captain’s charities. The local branch of The Samaritans benefited to the tune of almost £2,000 thanks to the efforts of lady
FIRE crews in Lancashire are urging all residents living next door to an unoccupied property to check they have a working smoke alarm. The warning comes after a fire started in the early hours of Sunday, when a burning item was posted through the
TWO Colne councillors have welcomed news that a popular footpath around Lake Burwain is to be improved. The work would be jointly undertaken by Pendle Council and the Canal and Rivers Trust. Vivary Bridge councillor David Clegg said: “Along with other
WORLD famous Accrington runner, Ron Hill, will lead hundreds through Hyndburn as he puts his name to a new 10k event. The world record holder, Olympian, clothing tycoon and MBE encouraged residents to shape up for 2014 by signing up to the Ron Hill
A GARAGE worker who crashed his car, flattening a lamp post, and then reported the vehicle stolen, has walked free from court. Burnley Crown Court heard police did not believe Matthew Stoddart’s ‘cock and bull story’ as a man and woman had been spotted
TICKETS have gone on sale for a pantomime in Great Harwood. Dick Whittington and his Amazing Cat, by Geoff Grundy, will be performed by Trinity Players at Trinity Church, in King Street, at 7pm on February 27 and 28, and March 7 and 8. Tickets cost
PUPILS at Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School in Oswaldtwistle have taken part in a Citizenship Day. The year seven pupils took part in a range of workshops focused on public safety, public transport safety, the dangers of alcohol and risky
ADMIRAL Taverns is to host a recruitment day in Burnley for people who want to take on their own pub. The Pub Company of the Year is looking to attract entrepreneurs from the region who fancy being their own boss and running a pub. The open day
A BUDDING author has appealed for the public’s help as she tries to raise £3,500 to publish her first book. Jennifer Swift, 28, of Bolton Road, Blackburn, has written a sci-fi novel, called The Ark. But to realise her dream of having the book published
A COUNCILLOR has urged voluntary and community groups to make submissions for the final slice of a neighbourhood fund in Ramsbottom. Each year Bury Council makes a pot available for good causes, with grants of up to £250 available. Currently there
TWO new canopies have been proposed for the outside of a Rossendale centre – to provide play opportunity whatever the Valley’s climate might bring. Plans have been lodged with borough council for two coverings outside Haslingden Community Link, in
A GROUP for parents and children with additional needs is being held once a month, until March, in Colne. The Little Stars group next meets on Feburary 13, at the Sure Start Centre, in Walton Street, Colne, from 1pm to 3pm. For more information
AN application to covert a barn into two dwellings in West Bradford has been submitted to Ribble Valley Borough Council. The plan, which also includes the erection of a quadruple garage, is for a barn at Brocklehurst Farm in Bowland Gate Lane. The
THE Salvation Army in Clitheroe is appealing for more members for its ‘special needs church’ which offers services designed around different needs. The group, which is based in Lowergate, holds the sessions entitled ‘Just For You’ on the last Sunday
PLANS to open a new takeaway in Clitheroe have been rejected by Ribble Valley Borough Council. Applicant Zobina Kausar sought to change the use of 35 Whalley Road into a hot food takeaway and install a new duct to the rear. The plans also included
A LECTURE on ‘Springtime in the Hebrides’ will be given in Clitheroe in March. The talk at Clitheroe Library in Church Street will include music from the region on March 4, from 7.30pm. Entry costs £2.
FAIRYTALES were brought to life by young actors from a Rossendale school when they performed them in front of their parents. Mini-plays by Year 7 pupils at Fearns Community Sports College, in Stacksteads, included familiar stories such as Hansel
THE next Helmshore neighbourhood police meeting will be held at Stan the Van, in the car park at Haslingden Community Link and Children’s Centre, Bury Road, Haslingden on Tuesday, January 28 at 11am. Among the priorities are reports of speeding on
PLANS have been unveiled for this year’s abseil down Peel Tower, in Ramsbottom, in aid of Bury Hospice. The fundraiser will be held on Sunday, March 30, and those interested are asked to contact organisers on 0161 797 1748.
EDINHO Junior and Curtis Haley have become the third and fourth players to depart Blackburn Rovers today. Edinho has joined Pennsylvania side Harrisburg City Islanders, who play in the USL Pro League, on a free transfer after making only two appearances
MAYOR of Rossendale Coun Amanda Robertston will be attending the Holocaust Memorial Service, alongside other county dignitaries, at The Minster of St John Church in Preston on Monday, from 10.45am.
DEVELOPERS behind plans for a 270-house estate on a patch of land in Colne known as ‘The Rough’ will meet with residents next month. The scheme will be shown to residents, at Colne Cricket Club, on Wed-nesday, February 5, from 4pm to 7pm, and then
HUNDREDS of patients are failing to turn up for planned hospital operations each year – putting extra strain on NHS staff and causing delays. East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) said 1,268 elective patients did not attend on the day of their
A HASLINGDEN care home has been given a makeover worth thousands of pounds. Residents at Lacey Court, in Bury Road, will benefit from refurbished lounge, kitchen, hairdressing salon, laundry and reception areas.
A HEALTH regulator which revealed several failings within the emergency department at Royal Blackburn Hospital is finally heading in the right direction, according to MPs. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been monitoring improvements at East
BLACKBURN-based education technology company Promethean World said its fortunes had improved over the past year. Promethean World described 2013 as a year of ‘stabilisation and considerable innovation’, with a ‘noticeably slower pace’ of revenue
THERE were 125 entries in a competition launched by St Barnabas’ Primary School to design a new cross for the school hall. The winning design will be made using wood from the spare church pews at St Barnabas’ Church. The designs were submitted
A PHOTOGRAPHY lecture will be held at Haworth Art Gallery on Sunday. President of Lancashire and Cheshire Photographic Union, Henry Mullarkey, will talk at the free event, which will take place between 2pm and 3pm. There is no need to book for the
BOSSES at St Cuthbert’s Primary School, in St Alban’s Road, Darwen, have submitted plans for an extension. The board of governors has commissioned Capita to build the first- floor extension, which will incorporate a new staff room and resource room
A FAMILY night is to be held by the PTFA at Broadway Primary School in Haslingden. The event will take place at Haslingden High School, on February 13, from 6.45pm to 8.30pm. Children can enjoy activities on the inflatable assault course and a quiz
A WARRANT was issued for the arrest of David James Ackers, 27, of St James Avenue, Great Harwood, when he failed to appear before Blackburn magistrates. He is charged with assaulting Chelsea Maybin, causing her actual bodily harm.
LEE Robert Percival, 28, of High Street, Rishton, was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £100 costs by Blackburn magistrates after pleading guilty to being drunk and disorderly.
TRIBUTES have been paid to a Billington grandfather who died after contracting a deadly disease. Steve Whitehead, 59, was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease after collapsing following a holiday abroad. His widow, Sue, yesterday described
A FAMILY night is to be held by the PTFA at Broadway Primary School in Haslingden. The event will take place at Haslingden High School, on February 13, from 6.45pm to 8.30pm. Children can enjoy activities on the inflatable assault course and a
A COMMUNITY bus to transport elderly residents of isolated villages is to be launched next month. The Little Green Bus will be unveiled in Clitheroe by Ribble Valley Mayor, Coun Richard Sherras, 12 months after a bus in the fleet was stolen.
PENSIONER Annie Moran has very fond memories of Darwen’s newest pub – because she got married there. And the 91-year-old, of Kay Street, was guest of honour, cutting the ribbon as The Old Chapel opened its doors yesterday. The building, which
I hope that the full force of the law is applied to the people who not only broke into someone’s house but then proceeded to stab the owner’s dog to death. As anyone who has a dog will know, they are very much part of the family and I can only extend
I cannot believe what is going on with Blackburn’s heritage. The old fire station is a wonderful example of quality architecture and should be used not closed down only to be burgled and vandalised. Why not turn it into a central youth academy for
RE the call for an end to premium rate numbers for Blackburn with Darwen Council. The matching 0344 and 0345 numbers, available since 2007, offer the same call routing and resilience features as their 0844 and 0845 counterparts. They do so
Well thank you very much Daniel Thwaites/the Yerburgh family for pulling the plug on Blackburn after over 200 years of loyalty from the workforce and the town, not forgetting all the people who have consumed Thwaites ales over the years. Thwaites
THE internet and social media have brought an endless list of benefits and positive possibilities. In many cases, friends have been brought together, yet in others, enemies have moved even closer. Aside from the opportunities to share pictures
Is it cheating to ask Google for everything? While I hate social networking – with a vengeance – I do have s soft spot for Google. You see Google ensures I do not need to converse with people anymore. I know this might seem a little drastic
A ROSSENDALE man has confessed to trying to obtain money from a deaf couple in Berkshire for a non-existent surrogate child. Gino Di Caprio, 52, from Rawtenstall, had been due to face a week-long trial at Reading Crown Court over the scam.
I’VE said it before and - as there seems to be no sign of their popularity waiving - I have no doubt I’ll say it again: I’m not a fan of juke box musicals, as a concept. It’s a shame they seem to have dominated stages in more recent years, taking
TOMORROW’S Derby County match starts what I believe is a massive week for Blackburn Rovers. Games with Barnsley and Blackpool follow in the next seven days and I think if Blackburn can beat Derby they could well be looking at nine points from nine.
ANGRY allotments holders could form their own association to get their voices heard, it has been claimed. Proposed changes to the allotment guidelines would see bonfires, mechanical tools, except any strimmers and mowers, and animals banned.
RIBBLE Valley MP Nigel Evans has denied in court allegations of sexual offences against seven men. Evans, the former deputy speaker of the House of Commons, entered formal not guilty pleas to all charges during a pre-trial hearing at Preston Crown
WE have entered the second half of the season, and while there are still 20 games to go you can start to call it the big push now. It makes Tuesday’s visit of Brighton a must win game, particularly ahead of next Saturday’s trip to QPR, which will be
PAEDOPHILIA is ‘absolutely horrendous’ and child sex abusers need to be ‘sought out, rooted out and dealt with’, Coronation Street star William Roache said in a TV interview last year. Jurors at his rape and sex assault trial at Preston Crown Court
FOUR vehicles were involved in a collision in Burnley Road, Blackburn, this afternoon. Police and paramedics were called to the scene shortly after 12.15pm. No injuries were sustained to the drivers or passengers in the Ford Fiesta, Jaguar,
BRIAN Jensen doesn’t need long to think about which team he considers to be better, given the choice between the class of 2008/09 and the current crop. For the popular former goalkeeper, there is no contest. “This team hasn’t got promoted yet,” he smiled
BLACKBURN Rovers striker David Goodwillie has completed his loan switch to fellow Championship side Blackpool. Goodwillie has moved to Bloomfield Road for the rest of the season after Blackpool fended off competition from the likes of St Johnstone, Aberdeen
THERE will be a reunion on the touchlines for the managers of Blackburn Rovers and Derby County tomorrow. Rovers boss Gary Bowyer was coaching one of Derby’s junior teams when he first came across Steve McClaren. McClaren was the Rams’ assistant manager
AN NHS business intelligence developer who reported an innocent couple to the NSPCC and told Crimestoppers they were plotting heroin smuggling, has been spared immediate jail. Matthew Sundhu, 31, had claimed to the charity that their children were
ALMOST 800 complaints about abuse involving social networking sites were received by Lancashire Police in three years. It comes as a national debate has been sparked following allegations made by ex-England footballer Stan Collymore that he was
A WAR veteran, who was blinded and lost both his legs after stepping on a mine while serving in Afghanistan is training to tackle a gruelling 100 kilometre trek. Having joined the Army from school in 2003, Kingsman Anthony Cooper was serving with
A TEENAGER has admitted abducting an eight-year-old girl in Padiham and subjecting her to a sexual assault on the banks of a secluded brook. The 14-year-old has confessed to leading the youngster to a metal footbridge between Canning Street and
BLACKBURN Hawks player-coach Jared Owen insists his on-fire side can be make it a perfect 10 in tomorrow’s top-of-the-table NIHL Moralee Conference clash at Solway Sharks (7pm). The Hawks head to Scotland on the back of an incredible winning run which
IN terms of league position, the present Burnley team are better off at this stage than their history-making counterparts. While the current team sit third after 26 games, the promotion-winning team were in fifth place after the same amount of games,
ADAM Henley is relishing renewing his battle for the Blackburn Rovers right-back spot with the fit-again Todd Kane. Kane lost his place in the Rovers starting line-up to Henley initially through suspension and then through a thigh injury which has ruled
CLARETS reporter Suzanne Geldard looks at the promotion team of 2008/09 and the current Burnley side. Who would get into the starting line-up if both squads were combined? BRIAN JENSEN Tom Heaton is having a fantastic first campaign with the Clarets
CLITHEROE boss Simon Garner is confident his side can upset the Evo-Stik League First Division North form book and secure three points when neighbours Ramsbottom United come to town tomorrow. Garner’s men have struggled over the past few months picking
JAMES Beattie has hit out at the Football League following Accrington Stanley’s fine for a breach of new coaching qualification rules, claiming: “It could have crippled us!” The Reds received a £20,000 penalty, with £15,000 of that amount suspended,
A LANCASHIRE Police officer has been accused of wilful misconduct and having an inappropriate relationship while on duty. Lee Haworth, of Bolton Road, Blackburn, has appeared before magistrates accused of deliberately failing to attend an emergency
A CENTURY from Australia debutant Nicole Bolton thwarted England Women’s first attempt to retain the Ashes as they fell to a 26-run defeat in the second one-day international in Melbourne. The tourists came into the contest with an 8-0 lead on points
DONCASTER stage an excellent two-day meeting this weekend and I am very sweet on the chances of Victor Hewgo (2.10) in the Novices’ Chase and Up To Something who is stepping up to 3m for the first time for Charlie Longsdon. The selection ran an excellent
A DATE for work to start on the new Booths supermarket in Barrowford has been announced. The upmarket food retailer first unveiled plans to open a supermarket, in Halstead Lane, in 2006, with plans eventually being approved in 2008, despite objections
CHELSEA’S decision to sell Juan Mata to Manchester United is part of a plan to land Everton’s 20-year-old midfielder Ross Barkley. MANCHESTER UNITED striker Wayne Rooney, also linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, wants to stay at Old Trafford and
A BURNLEY student has seen a dream come true after being selected to play for the Manchester United Deaf Football Team. George Stockton, a second year undergraduate at UCFB Burnley, was picked from thousands of hopefuls to play for the Premiership
A BLACKBURN restaurant is to serve up a ‘w-hole’ lot of food for lucky competition winners. Lynne Terry, 50, and her daughter Lauren, 10, from Darwen, struck lucky in the latest Bid-Lo competition run by the Lancashire Telegraph. Care home
FABIO Nunes has left Blackburn Rovers to join Italian side US Latina Calcio on a free transfer. The Portuguese winger made only eight appearances in 18 months at Rovers and was surplus to requirements at Ewood Park. The 21-year-old has cut his ties
BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer has been told by Venky’s he has funds to bolster his squad in the final week of the transfer window. Bowyer received reassurances from the Rovers’ owners during talks in India this week that he could go back into the
AFC Wimbledon have confirmed that they have cut short George Porter’s season-long loan from Burnley. Porter made 24 league appearances for Wimbledon but the League Two club had the option to assess the situation in January and the winger has now returned
THE Queen will come to Blackburn in April to distribute her historic ‘Maundy Money’ at the Cathedral. It will be Her Majesty’s first visit to the town since May 2006. The trip will also see her first visit to the town’s premier place of Christian
CLARETS striker Sam Vokes insists he is not swayed by goal records, as long as he can help fire Burnley to promotion. The Wales international has already achieved a career personal best return with 13 goals in 36 league and cup games. Together with
A NECKLACE worth more than £1,000 was snatched from a market stall worker. Police are trying to trace a man captured on CCTV who took the men’s gold chain from Gold And Times in Darwen Market. The man approached the store, in the centre of
FIVE people have been arrested after a suspected handgun was found in a car. Police were called by a motorist travelling on the M65 who reported that someone in a red Fiat Punto had pointed what they thought was a firearm towards them. The
THE parents of a baby boy who died at just three days old have told an inquest he should not have been discharged from hospital. Fletcher Kennedy was not sleeping, refused to feed and had turned grey but was still allowed to return to his Nelson
BURNLEY will hold a minute’s applause for club legend Arthur Bellamy ahead of the Championship clash with Brighton at Turf Moor on Tuesday night. Bellamy, who made 250 appearances for the Clarets, died on Wednesday aged 71.
BLACKBURN Rovers' Championship match at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, February 15 will have to be rearranged if the Seagulls progress in the FA Cup. Brighton travel to Port Vale in the fourth round tomorrow.
FORMER Burnley striker Chris Iwelumo, 35, has joined St Johnstone after being released by Scunthorpe. The Scottish side had been interested in Blackburn Rovers forward David Goodwillie.
ACCRINGTON Stanley have been fined £5,000 for appointing manager James Beattie before he had the relevant coaching qualifications. The Reds will have to pay a further £15,000 if Beattie does not complete a coaching course by May 1. But is this punishment
