CONCERNS have been raised about ‘bed blocking’ at the Burnley General and Royal Blackburn hospitals after statistics showed a spike in the number of patients whose discharge was delayed. NHS figures showed that delayed transfers of care led to
A TEACHER has admitted downloading hundreds of pornographic images and videos of young children. Darren Lee Tattersall, who taught students with profound learning disabilities, said he had an addiction to pornography, visiting explicit websites
A BLACKBURN author is returning home to hold a book signing. Author, poet and voiceover actress Christina Gabbitas, will be holding a storytelling event based on her children’s book Felicity Fly next week. The storytime and book signing at
A 13-YEAR-OLD boy suffered an ankle injury when he was knocked over by a car in Accrington. The crash happened as he crossed Blackburn Road. It is unclear whether the driver of the car involved in the collision stopped at the scene, police
MUSICAL students from Haslingden High School delighted crowds at Birmingham's Symphony Hall. The brass band and wind band were playing at the Music for Youth concert after being selected following a heat held at the high school. Now they might
LANCASHIRE’S police and crime commissioner joined 31 officers on a cross-border operation aimed at tackling travelling criminals. Clive Grunshaw accompanied officers at a checkpoint on the A671 Market Street, Whitworth, for Operation Voyager.
THE number of people diagnosed with dementia has soared in the last seven years, new figures show. The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) said the number of patients with a recorded diagnosis of dementia has increased by 62 per cent
ONE-to-one help to quit smoking will be offered at Longridge Hospital from 10am to 5pm on Monday. For details call 01254 283370 or 0800 3286297.
THE Ribble Valley Visually Impaired Group meets every Monday evening at the St Michael and St John’s Parish Centre, Lowergate, Clitheroe. Call 01200 426822.
BLACKBURN’s support group for dementia carers will meet at Blackburn with Darwen Carers’ Service in Greenhurst Place on Tuesday, August 19. There will be a presentation from Christine Slater, of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, from 1pm to 3pm
JUNK food could be off the menu in hospital canteens as overweight doctors and nurses are encouraged to slim down to set a good example to patients. Burgers and chips will be swapped for healthier options and staff will be able to take part in
MORE than a million people suffering from asthma are missing out on key yearly checks, a charity has warned. Asthma UK found that 31 per cent of asthma patients did not receive an ‘essential’ annual review to check whether they are on the right
FOREIGN Secretary Philip Hammond has sought to reassure the public over fears the ebola virus could spread in Britain. He said the possibility of people contracting the deadly virus in West Africa and falling sick in the UK was being contemplated
A FORMER marathon runner has praised staff at Burnley General Hospital for the ‘wonderful’ care he received while undergoing two hip replacements. George Edgington, of Victoria Court, Haslingden, said he was keen to highlight the hard work and
Dear MASSI I recently broke up with a long-term boyfriend. My family and cousins knew about our relationship but due to some circumstances we broke up. Recently, I have been talking to a childhood friend who hadn’t been in contact for over six
We now live in a climate that demands transparency and a culture that dictates sometimes ludicrous levels of political correctness. From Ba Ba Rainbow Sheep to Humpty Dumpty being ‘made happy again’ – although the revised version sounds even more
MORE than 2,000 people took advantage of a park and ride scheme on Eid when visiting Pleasington Cemetery, Blackburn. Managed by the council, police and volunteer marshals, the scheme aimed to minimise disruption and congestion in the cemetery.
Kareena Kapoor takes on a new Bohemian look in her film ‘Singham Returns’. Kareena will be seen sporting a chic, ‘Boho’ look in the film, as she works vibrant colours and retro styles, such as flared trousers, long skirts and chic crop jackets.
A cake delivery service run by volunteers has raised more than £75,000 for humanitarian aid in Syria. Islamic Relief's Cakes4Syria appeal has been taking place during the fasting month of Ramadan. More than 15,000 cakes have been delivered
A youth group organised a special evening meal for those on the margins of society in Blackburn. The event was held in Blackburn town centre on the final weekend of Ramadan and organised by the community group ‘FACE’. The team of volunteers
BLACKBURN Cathedral’s reconstructed First World War memorial honouring 72 fallen Lancashire soldiers will be re-dedicated at a special ceremony on Sunday. The service, on the eve of the centenary of the start of the conflict, will see the ornate
AN investigation has been launched after dozens of dead birds were found on a nature reserve. Neighbours raised the alarm after finding dead geese and seeing ducks wandering from mill pond lodges to die in local gardens. People living near
PEOPLE in Darwen can receive next-generation broadband after an iconic chimney was transformed into a giant antenna. Internet firm 6G has joined forces with Pro Light Concepts by using the chimney tower at its Olive Lane base to deliver superfast
TRIBUTES have been paid to the former head of a United Nations school who started her teaching career in Blackburn. Joyce Wakenshaw, who taught at St Aidan’s CE Primary School and Crosby Road Nursery School in the 1950s, went on to become the director
A HEAVILY-pregnant mum had a large cannabis factory with a potential value of £16,000 hidden in the attic of her Oswaldtwistle family home. Burnley Crown Court heard how Kelly Wilson had been reluctant to let police search her property when they
A TRIO who cycled from Darwen Tower to the Eiffel Tower last year to raise charity cash has launched a new community interest company. Having raised £8,437 for local charities, Paul Maher, Emma McNally and Rebecca Winser set up Cycle Roots to continue
A BLACKBURN firm which supplies lighting to a host of global firms has been taken over by the third generation of the same family. Andrew Gibson, managing director at Tyson Lighting, has purchased the remaining shares from its previous owners –
MORE than 200 people are set to join a protest against demolishing the decaying War Memorial wing of the former Blackburn Royal Infirmary. They are urging the borough council to refurbish the 86-year-old building as a home for the elderly rather
EXTRA government cash granted last month is being used to upgrade temporary pothole repairs in Blackburn with Darwen. The latest hot Tarmac technology will run alongside the borough’s £17.5million four-year project to resurface main routes and
SCRAPPING six-month temporary private hire and taxi drivers’ licences in the Ribble Valley has angered local cab firms. They say they are struggling for new staff who cannot afford to wait months before they get behind the wheel and start earning
A CARE home has been rapped by a health watchdog for unacceptable standards of hygiene, maintenance and staffing. Bosses at Rosedale Care Home in Haslingden have pledged to work with the Care Quality Commission to make improvements. The centre
TALK about cool runnings – 37-year-old Paul Tunstill was so eager to raise money for Pendleside Hospice that he ran the Burnley 10k with a fridge strapped to his back! The home care assistant at Heritage Home Care in Nelson ran the race with his
BOSSES at the Fire Brigades Union are concerned the recent closure of Lancashire’s control centre is ‘putting lives at risk’. It comes after Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s emergency call handlers were moved to Warrington in May in a bid to
AN innovative project to rapidly speed up the time it takes to get DNA profiles from crime scenes has scooped more than £400,000 in government funding. Lancashire police and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw submitted a successful bid to the Home
BRITISH Transport Police are appealing for information after a member of rail staff was racially abused and threatened in Burnley. Officers said the incident happened on Thursday, July 24, on board the 7.23am Colne to Blackpool South service as
A NELSON man found dead at his home had been there for ‘at least 72 hours’, an inquest heard. Stephen Robert Plumb’s body was discovered slumped behind the front door of his rented house in Pine Street by his landlord on February 23. The father-of-four
SCHOOL governor vacancies could rise with government proposals to limit access to the role, it has been warned. Following the Trojan Horse investigation in Birmingham, the government has recommended governors are limited in how many schools they
A FILM production company from Rawtenstall has landed a deal to shoot a promotional video for one of Canada’s biggest tourism companies. Bigtank Productions, based at Loop Photography studio in New Hall Hey Business Park, has won a ‘substantial
A HEROIN dealer who was supplying addicts from his Nelson home has vowed to kick his own habit and change his life – and a judge gave him six months to prove he means business. Keith Kavanagh, 47, had denied selling the Class A drug after police
A NEW group is hoping to block Rossendale Council’s sale of the former Haslingden Pool. The Haslingden All People’s Pool Initiative - HAPPI - is to coordinate a community bid for the baths or take them over and run them as a community asset.
AN ANONYMOUS donor has come forward to pay for a specialist piece of equipment that will allow a seven-year-old boy from Ramsbottom with cerebral palsy to maintain his independence. On Saturday, the Lancashire Telegraph featured the story of Alex
SENIOR Pendle councillors have warned that the council’s finances are in a ‘catastrophic’ condition and that they are having to consider job cuts and adding fees to services to make ends meet. The council have to save £1.2million this year, followed
FIREFIGHTERS were called to Calder Mill in Colne after a pile of wood was reported to be in flames in the builders’ yard. One fire engine from Nelson Fire Station arrived at the scene at 8.20pm and crews battled the flames for around one hour.
A YOUNG David Beckham may have blown his first pay packet on a BMW sports car – but trainees at Accrington Stanley will be taking a cheaper option. Rather than clambering behind the wheel of a Ferrari or Aston Martin, the lads at the League Two
A woman who stabbed her partner, cutting his leg down to the bone, was spared jail after a judge said she needed help more than punishment. Gena Peel, 29, had forced a door to get at victim Anthony Altree after they had rowed over her debts.
RIBBLE Valley MP Nigel Evans says excessive housing development is the key issue for residents. Speaking in the midst of his six-day constituency tour, he said: “There is no doubt that planning is the number one issue for my constituents. They
Residents are being urged to make sure their doors and windows are locked following a spate of burglaries. The latest was a break-in in Station Road, Whalley, but Sgt Dave Clarke said officers had received calls about burglaries in Billington,
LIBRARIES in Ribble Valley are mounting a series of events to encourage children to read in the holidays. At Chatburn children can write and publish their own stories online every Saturday until August 30. A reading club takes place every Thursday
PROPOSALS to demolish farm buildings in Ramsgreave and replace them with homes has been submitted to Ribble Valley Borough Council. Mrs and Mrs J Worsley want to knock down outhouses and build four four-bedroom homes and four three-bedroom properties
A CRAFT fair is taking place in Longridge tomorrow. The Let’s Get Crafty event is at Longridge Civic Hall, Calder Avenue from 10am until 4pm. Call 07837641504.
RIBCHESTER Arts Club’s annual summer exhibition will be displayed at the village’s St Peter and St Paul’s Parish Centre. The show, at the Stydd Lance venue, will take place on August 24 and 25 from 10am to 4pm each day.
THE Longridge Brass Band has agreed to send nine musical instruments and uniforms to help a favela group in Brazil. The items will help the musical society on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.
THE Ribble Valley Visually Impaired Group has celebrated its 16th anniversary with its 987th meeting. It was held at St Michael and St John’s Social Centre, in Lowergate, Clitheroe. The self-help group of visually impaired people meets at the
THE charity Home Start is looking for volunteers in the Longridge area to provide regular support for families with young children. The organisation will hold a 10-week preparation course, starting in September for half a day each week, for those
BOSSES at Bury Council are set to be challenged over their decision to make household bin collections every three weeks, affecting Ramsbottom and Summerseat residents. The move was approved by the council’s cabinet committee last month and been
VETERANS are showing off colourful artwork with an important purpose in a pop-up shop. Members of Haslingden ex-services charity Veterans In Communities (VIC) use art therapy as a way to escape from their memories of the horrors of conflict.
THERE are four weeks left for community projects in Rossendale to apply for grants of up to £750 from United Utilities. Rossendale Community Fund was started by the utility company after necessary sewer improvement works caused traffic issues in
YOUNGSTERS are being encouraged to join the cast for Bacup Royal Court Theatre’s youth group production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Eight to 18-year-olds are welcome to join the show, which will be staged at the playhouse in
BACUP residents and members of the Townscape Heritage Partnership Board got the chance to see a shared space scheme in action in Poynton, Cheshire. The visit was organised by Rossendale Council following mixed reaction to plans to transform Bacup
TYRES were punctured in two separate incidents of criminal damage to vehicles in West Craven. Police said three wood screws were used to puncture a rear tyre on a vehicle in William Street, Earby, between July 16 and 23. The week before, a
ST Andrew’s House care home in Rainhall Road, Barnoldswick, has met all the standards in a recent Care Quality commission inspection. CQC officers visited the premises as part of a routine inspection to check that essential standards of quality
MORE than 30,000 people attended concerts, events and workshops during the ten days of Brass: Durham International Festival. The festival featured 119 events, ending with a Streets of Brass finale on the streets of Durham on Sunday July 20, as
NELSON’S Peugeot Dealership, Perrys, has scooped the Dealer Group of the Year accolade at the eBay Motors Awards 2014. The dealership was recognised for its approach in managing online consumer experiences and its exceptional use of digital technologies
LA Dolce Vita in Albert Road, Colne, is reminding customers that it will be open as usual from today. The popular Italian deli had to close yesterday due to unforeseen circumstances.
COLNE Muni will celebrate the 14th anniversary of its Northern Soul and Motown nights with a visit from top soul DJs on August 9. The very best of Northern Soul will be played from 8pm until 1pm. Entry is £5.
THE Friends of Ball Grove Park, Trawden, are appealing for businesses to sponsor them and help them keep the on-site toilets open and in use. Toilets in all the borough’s parks have been closed to save money and friends groups can only open them if
PENDLE Heritage Centre in Barrowford is hosting a farmers’ market and craft fair on August 10 and the last few stalls are still up for grabs. The fair will run from 10am to 2pm and a stall costs £10. For visitors, admission is free and there will be
SEVERAL health workers have been selected as ‘safeguarding champions’ by Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust. The staff will be key contacts equipped with the latest knowledge and can support colleagues with any queries or issues they have.
A PET charity is asking East Lancashire animal lovers to nominate their favourite veterinary nurse for an award. The Blue Cross is seeking the Veterinary Nurse of the Year 2014 to recognise their dedication and support for pet owners. The award
CYCLING enthusiasts are being encouraged to don their shorts and helmets for the Tour de Brockholes this weekend. The bike-themed event takes place on Sunday at the Lancashire Wildlife Trust nature reserve, near Samlesbury. It will feature
A ROAD safety charity is urging East Lancashire residents not to drink even a drop of alcohol before getting behind the wheel. The Brake warning comes as figures from the Association of Chief Police Officers’ summer drink-drive enforcement campaign
A CHILDMINDER has been praised by Ofsted for ‘motivating children to make good progress’. Accrington childminder Pauline Newsham, previously rated Satisfactory was rated ‘good’ by the inspectorate. Ofsted inspector Donna Birch said: “Educational
EAST Lancashire Euro-MP Paul Nuttall has demanded a cut in the six-figure salaries of teaching union bosses. The UKIP deputy leader was reacting to the revelation that NUT head Christine Blower receives £160,000 a year in pay and perks. Mr
FORMER Blackburn Rovers star Colin Hendry is recovering at home after undergoing three operations this week. The former Scotland international defender suffered ruptured tendons in his wrist, which then got infected. Mr Hendry, 48, who recently
LOWER military spending in the UK and US has been blamed for an expected fall in profit at aerospace giant BAE Systems. The firm, which employs East Lancashire workers at its site in Samlesbury and Warton, saw operating profit in the first six
YOUNG parliamentarians joined 400 others at Lancaster University for the annual sitting of the UK Youth Parliament. The event brought together members of the UK Youth Parliament (MYPs) from across the country. Among them were Kelly Swaby from
A QUIZ with a raffle and cash prize will be held at Ighten Leigh Social Club in Padiham Road, Burnley from 9pm next Thursday.
SOUL fans can relive their favourite era tonight at an event at Burnley’s Ighten Mount Bowling Club. The soul night starts at 8pm with free admission.
THE Crooked Billet in Worsthorne will host a Thai barbecue on Saturday, from 2pm to 5pm, with chicken satay, pork ribs and king prawns among the delights on offer. Tickets cost £12 with money being donated to charity. From 7.30pm there will be soul
THREE specialist nurses have been deployed in Burnley by East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, to boost care for nursing home residents.
GRASS has been set on fire in Harrison Drive and Birtwistle Avenue in Colne. A spokesman for Colne and West Craven Police said: “Not only is this a criminal offence it is a danger to residents and local wildlife.”
TYRONE Anthony Gill, 25, of Firbank Green, Bradford, was sent in custody to Burnley Crown Court when he appeared before Blackburn magistrates charged with burglary at Britannia Mill, Ruskin Street, Burnley, and theft of an unknown quantity of cannabis
LABOUR’S shadow minister for rail is visiting Pendle today to listen to concerns from the borough’s train users. Lilian Greenwood MP will meet with Coun Azhar Ali, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Pendle and will join a group of campaigners
A CAMPAIGN to help cancer patients is calling on people across Lancashire. Marie Curie has launched new ways for supporters to raise money to provide the nursing service to more people in need. A free pack, which includes posters, banners,
PENDLE MP Andrew Stephenson has a busy few days in the constituency next week following the break-up of the House of Commons for summer. On Monday he starts with a commemoration of the centenary of the start of the First World War at St Mary-le-Ghyll
A NURSE has raised more than £2,000 to give extra support to head and neck cancer patients in East Lancashire. Teresa Lynch, a sister on the day case unit at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, organised a Ladies Lunch at the Whitehall Hotel in Darwen
A TEAM of researchers from Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted for a national Nursing Times Award. The clinical research team works to identify new studies that may help improve the care and treatment for people living with
LANCASHIRE County Council chiefs are looking to refinance their debts in a bid to save £250million. The Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN) programme, under which the council could issue bonds and other forms of debt securities, will help to protect the
THE RSPCA is asking well- meaning East Lancashire bird lovers not to pick up young birds outside of their nest. Inspector Kate Levesley, from the charity, said depending on the age of the bird, human interference could cause more harm than good
MEMBERS of three of the country’s biggest unions have agreed to escalate their dispute over pay with a campaign running into autumn. GMB, Unison and Unite members have called on council leaders to reconsider their pay offers to staff. The three
FIREFIGHTERS are set to take a further eight-day period of strike action. It comes after the government said it planned to continue with proposals to require crews to continue until they are 60. Firefighters in East Lancashire have already
FASHION students could become the designers of choice to a famous cross-dressing artist. Blackburn College students were thrilled to meet the Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry at a London exhibition. Students Victoria Snape, Sophie Bilham and
A FREE-to-enter quiz takes place at the Griffin’s Head pub, Burnley Road, Huncoat, every Wednesday from around 9pm. Prizes can be won and there is supper served at the interval.
MOHAMMED Saeed, 47, of Hove Court, Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report after being convicted after trial of breaching a non-molestation order.
CASTLE Medical Group, based in Clitheroe, and Sabden and Whalley Medical Practice has been asked to identify the number of patients on their registers that have dementia, as East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group continues a drive to discover
THE Campaign For Real Ale’s East Lancashire branch holds its annual beer festival at Burnley Mechanics from Thursday September 4 to Saturday September 6. Day tickets, costing £3, are sold on the day of the event. Visit eastlancscamra.org
NHS chiefs are looking to establish an ‘Integrated Neighbourhood Team’ for the Ribble Valley, which would bring together health and social workers to find ways to improve care for elderly patients. East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group said
AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after a break- in a popular Italian restaurant in Colne. A burglar broke into the staff smoking area at Carlo’s, in Albert Road, at 1.10am yesterday. He waited three hours before kicking the fire door down
POLICE are continuing their search for a man who has been missing from his Bacup home for more than three weeks. Heath Joseph Nield, 31, of Rochdale Road, was last seen by his mother at home at about 7.45am on July 10. He was described as white
OFFICERS are warning residents that setting deliberate grass fires is illegal after an area of Colne was targeted by arsonists. Police said they had been made aware of blazes in the Harrison Drive and Birtwistle Avenue areas of the town at the
A BUCKET collection in aid of the East Lancashire Hospice raised more than £143. Volunteers were at Accrington Tesco asking shoppers for donations.
FINANCE chiefs at East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group said they are ‘cautiously confident’ the organisation will meet its savings target of £9 million for 2014/15.
HOGHTON Tower will host an arts and crafts session for children at 11am and 2pm on Wednesday, August 27. The session will also include a brief walk around the house. All children must be supervised by an adult. Tickets are £2 per child and
PEOPLE living in Blackhill, Sabden, have raised concerns about anti-social behaviour in the area. Police have pledged to step up their patrols in the area after meeting with locals during a Police And Communities Together meeting.
CARERS and friends of Alan Hedges took part in a sponsored parachute jump yesterday to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Alan, from Blackburn, has been diagnosed with the incurable disease, and wants to raise £1 million before
GPs and community nurses in Burnley are set to meet next week to discuss their priority areas for the borough. They will discuss patient case management and workloads for specialist nurses.
A HOSPICE fundraiser event is taking place at a social club in aid of a children’s hospice. The Free and Easy event will feature a potato pie supper and raffle on Saturday from 7.30pm until late at St Stephen’s Conservative Club, Robinson Street in
EAST Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group has agreed funding to boost care for over 75s in the Ribble Valley. Further details have yet to be announced.
HAPTON firm Birchall Foodservices has applied to extend its office space at Network 65 Business Park. The company, based in Bentley Wood Way, wants to add a further 46 square metres of office space to its existing unit.
AN outdoor theatre performance of Jason And The Argonauts will be staged at Gawthorpe Hall, Padiham tomorrow. The show will start at 6.30pm, and tickets are £11 for adults, concession are £8, and under 21s are £5. Tickets are available online
ACCRINGTON Pals historian Les Bond is to give a talk about the battalion’s history at Blackburn Library on Tuesday. About 1,100 young men from East Lancashire answered Lord Kitchener’s call for an army during the early months of the First World
A JUNIOR doctor at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust is hoping to run more events to get school pupils interested in working for the NHS. As we reported yesterday, Dr Carmine Grasso recently organised two information days for sixth form pupils
TAGGING criminals with alcohol monitors will not solve the long-term issues of problem drinkers, UKIP health spokesman Louise Bours has warned. The Blackburn-College educated East Lancashire Euro MP was reacting to the news that next year courts
A ‘Pack Up Your Troubles’ wartime-themed Luncheon is being held tomorrow in aid of equine welfare charity HAPPA. The First World War commemorative luncheon will feature entertainment by 50-Something Theatre Company and will remember all those who
NHS PROPERTY Services are assuring Colne residents that the pharmacy will be ready to move into the new Colne health centre by this autumn. The announcement comes after councillors spoke of their anger about delays in opening the pharmacy.
POLICE say they are tackling the issue of motorists speeding through the the Brunshaw and Wycoller area of Burnley by putting on extra patrols. Officers said this was in response to concerns reported by residents.
THREE schoolboys are awaiting sentence after admitting an attack in which they are said to have kicked their victim on the ground. The group of 15-year-olds all admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm in January, at Burnley Crown Court. The
A VACANT old people’s home in Padiham could be turned into six flats. Blackburn developer Darwen Estates has lodged an application with Burnley Council to turn the building, at the junction of Spenser Street and Victoria Road, into housing.
GARY Bowyer says Josh King has put himself in contention to start Blackburn Rovers’ opening match of the season as the Norwegian begins to add an end product to his game. King impressed in Wednesday’s pre-season friendly at Bury, winning the penalty
TOM Heaton is relishing the extra competition provided by Matt Gilks this season after putting pen to paper on a new three-year contract at Burnley. Heaton has followed Ben Mee by extending his deal at Turf Moor, committing his future under the
