STANLEY boss John Coleman was hoping he could sit back tomorrow and watch other results filter through with the Reds celebrating a win. Instead it was Exeter who took advantage of an early kick off as Paul Tisdale’s side moved closer to the play-off
A REPORT published by the Health Service Ombudsman revealed that the top three reasons for hospital complaints were poor communication, errors in diagnosis and poor treatment. Other reasons for complaints were staff attitude, lack of apology and unnecessary
ONLY a tiny proportion of people who use e-cigarettes had never smoked before, latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show. There had been concerns that e-cigarettes would normalise smoking or provide a gateway to nicotine addiction
THE health service will be promised a £1.5 billion cash boost in the Autumn Statement to deal with winter pressures in 2015/16, Nick Clegg has signalled. The extra funding has been a prominent Lib Dem demand. But the Deputy Prime Minister said
SAVOURY pies are being sought by the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals. East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has asked suppliers to bid for the right to supply pies to 2017.
ALLEGATIONS that Ian Michael Otobo, 25, of Smalley Way, Blackburn, drove carelessly without due care and attention and failed to stop after an accident were withdrawn by Blackburn Magistrates’ Court.
A MAN sleeping on the steps of the Salvation Army Hostel was assaulted by another resident. Steven Brian Fielding, 28, of Entwistle Street, Darwen, was remanded on bailed to await sentencing for the preparation of a pre-sentence report by when
A NEW group for babies through to five-year-olds is being held in Nelson. A Thursday morning group at Little Marsden Parish Centre in Hibson Road has started alongside another group. The morning session will run 9.15am to 11.15am and the afternoon
EARBY Clarets are offering 20 lucky dip prizes as part of their annual special draw for their Lucky 4 fundraiser. The draw will take place on Sunday, December 7, and tickets will be available from a number of outlets around the West Craven town
THE Blackburn support group for dementia carers will next meet on Tuesday, December 16. There will be festive celebrations and a Jacob’s Join in Room 2, at Blackburn with Darwen Carers in Greenhurst Place, from 1pm to 3pm. For details, contact
PENDLE MP Andrew Stephenson has asked members at the Houses of Parliament what steps are being taken to accelerate access to innovative medicine and health care technology in the NHS. He was given a response by George Freeman, the parliamentary
TWO live bands play for free entertainment at Darwen’s Park Inn. this weekend. Mod-influenced r Rockers 5ft Fez will play the Cemetery Road venue from at 9pm tonight (Friday), followed by The Jam Collective at 9pm the same time on Saturday.
SOUTH Pennine Singers will be the special guests at Towneley Hall on Tuesday, December 9, for a fundraising concert in aid of the Burnley and Pendle branch of the NSPCC. Tickets for the gathering, which begins at 7.30pm, are £13.50 and include a buffet
PADIHAM Christmas lights switch-on will take place tonight at 6.30pm. The town council-organised event will take place in front of the town hall. Talented singer Grace O’Malley will perform songs, including some from the hit Disney film Frozen.
TWO annual events have raised more than £1,000 for Pendleside Hospice. The ever-popular annual Autumn Ball and Cabaret Evening, presented by Martin McCarthy and Keith Varley, collected £1,383 for the cause. The fundraisers were held last month
A 26-YEAR-old MAN found with cocaine and cannabis was fined £110 by Pennine magistrates. Scott Robinson, 26, of Cambridge Street, Brierfield, admitted possessioning the drugs at Brierfield, on June 21. He must pay was also ordered to pay £85 £105
A CHRISTMAS shopping night will be hosted by Brook Farm Nursery at Kelbrook Village Hall on Friday, December 5, from 7pm to 9pm, including nearly a dozen local traders. Entry is £2 per person and proceeds from the event will be split between Millie
AN ART exhibition is being held at the ACE Centre in Nelson until Monday (December 1). It features work by Ben Hunt and Aimi O’Donnell-Vogarth. For more information, please call 01282 661080.
DETAILS have been shared for a series of Christmas lights switch-ons in Rossendale. The lights at the Valley Centre in Rawtenstall will come on tomorrow at 4.30pm. Haslingden Library will also hold an event on Tuesday, from 4pm and the lights
PRIORITIES from police and community action together (PACT) will be discussed at the West Craven area community safety working group at 7pm on December 9 at the Rainhall Centre in Barnoldswick on Tuesday, December 9, from 7pm.
CHILDREN can meet Father Christmas in his grotto in Rawtenstall this weekend. The main man He will be at Woodcocks, Haworth and Nuttall, in Bank Street, from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. Proceeds raised will go to Rossendale Hospice.
Taking part in Strictly Come Dancing alongside my role in Casualty has made this winter even busier than normal for me. I’ve had a blast, but I’m looking forward to spending quality time with my family. Seeing the joy on our loved ones’ faces makes
RE, Blackburn businessman calls for council action over fly-tipping While we’re at it, what about the lovely area of grass and trees on Wensley Road? This area is an absolute disgrace. The guy from the council who litter picks this area must despair
RE, Blackburn businessman calls for council action over fly-tipping. I used to live on a lovely terraced street (with a back alley) when I was young and the whole place was immaculate. Everybody used to clean and scrub both front and back and help
RE, ‘No hope’ for youngsters with mental health issues in East Lancashire, says charity worker Reading this really hit home, I’m going through this right now with my adult son who was once supported by children’s services, until he became an adult
MANY of East Lancashire’s schools and surrounding roads weren’t built to cope with parents dropping their children off at the gates in the car. Not too long ago, everyone went to the local school and walked the short distance to lessons, rain or
The National Theatre played host to a celebrity-packed audience to showcase a new stage play - ‘Behind the Beautiful Forevers’ which stars Meera Syal. The latest production from the National Theatre, the play tells a gripping tale of poverty and
THIS week I went to London for a weekend with friends for Christmas shopping. Every time I visit London I just want to go back. I love the whole hustle and bustle and being in the fast line and the vibe it has. So I did all the usual sightseeing
THE nominees for this year’s Asian Wedding Awards have been announced. Winners will be revealed on December 8 at the Manchester Marriott Victoria & Albert Hotel. The AWE Asian Wedding Awards are now in their second year. They reward creativity
THE Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust has announced the generous contribution of Dr Rami Ranger to the installation of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in London’s Parliament Square. Social and political activist Dr Ranger, company director of Sun Mark
IT was a phrase first coined by British Cycling supremo Dave Brailsford, and it seemed to work pretty well for him. Over the last few weeks the mantra ‘marginal gains’ has been mentioned around Turf Moor, with in-form striker Danny Ings twice using
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an Asian couple were racially abused in a Blackburn park. The couple were approached by two men with three dogs in Queens Park at around 5pm yesterday. MORE TOP STORIES: The men were racially abusive
ARRANGED marriages are an arduous set-up at the best of times. But what do you do when you physically meet your future partner for the first time and find them utterly repulsive? Such a scenario presented itself to a Saudi groom. The man agreed
A NEW trailer to the timeless classic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge has been released The film that redefined romance in Indian cinema, will complete is completing 1,000 weeks of showings on Friday, December 12. A whole host of activities are being
ACTOR Sanjay Dutt says he was happy to do his own stunts during the filming of Ungli. The “veteran” actor makes a welcome return to the screens after a tempestuous few years in his personal life. “It just so happens I am in the best shape of
THE people of Haslingden are ‘reaping the rewards’ of a new community cafe officially launched in one of the town’s school’s last week. Pupils at Tor View Community Special School have lent a helping hand to The Garage in order to gain work experience
A LIFE-SAVING East Lancashire charity has been awarded a grant of £10,000 to buy new medical equipment. Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team (RPMRT) is celebrating after being unveiled as one of 15 winners in a £150,000 cash giveaway that
THE days of using hot coals to heat beds might be long gone, but hot water bottles can be just as dangerous, it was claimed. Ribble Valley Borough Council is warning residents, particularly the elderly, who use hot water bottles to make sure they
PUPILS from five rural Ribble Valley schools have created artwork for a new exhibition celebrating the golden anniversary of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Over the past two months, youngsters have had an opportunity
THE Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals have recruited their first consultant oncologists, meaning they will no longer rely purely on visiting specialists from Preston. Dr Doina Badea and Dr Ana Ferreira have already joined East Lancashire
RADICAL new plans for the NHS will give patients online access to their GP records. The proposal is set out within a ‘bold vision’ from senior figures at NHS England, for how technology should ‘work harder and better’ for patients. MORE TOP
A DRINK driver almost four times the limit was banned for three years at Pennine Magistrates’ Court. The court had been told how Anthony Kerwin, 38, could have been facing up to 12 weeks in custody for the offence, committed on Chapelhouse Road
STUDENTS dressed up in 1940s costume as they welcomed veterans and OAPs to tea. The youngsters at Our Lady and St John Catholic College, in Blackburn, put on the party to raise money for the Royal British Legion. They were joined by the mayor
A MAN who fell from a multi-storey car park had a history of mental-health problems, an inquest heard. David Howard, 52, fell from Millennium car park in Curzon Street, Burnley, on September 9. MORE TOP STORIES: The inquest heard Mr Howard
A 36-YEAR-OLD single parent failed to tell benefits providers she had become a full-time student and was in receipt of student loans. Blackburn magistrates heard Safina Malik received £7,459 she wasn’t entitled to during a period just short of
A TEENAGER who assaulted two females after a drinking session has been sent to a young offenders institute for 17 weeks. Blackburn magistrates heard one of the females suffered a broken ankle and perforated ear drums in the attack by Tierney Dunne
HEALTH chiefs have admitted it is “unachievable and unaffordable” to meet desired staffing levels for specialist neo-natal care in East Lancashire. Hospital bosses said the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Burnley General Hospital would need
AT this time of year there is always a surge of the number of scam e-mails. They seemed to have started early this year — and already in the past few weeks I have received five letters of interest from people claiming to have a pot of money waiting
A PENDLE school has set up its own foodbank as the first step into creating a charity to help local families. Barrowford Primary this month appealed for food and advent calendars. Now headteacher Rachel Tomlinson hopes to create a charity based
YOUNGSTERS at St Christopher’s Church of England High School, in Accrington, were treated to a First World War performance. Touring theatre company In Yer Face performed their most recent work, All Is Calm, to commemorate the Christmas truce of
A FORMER pub in Burnley Wood is set to be transformed into housing, just six months after it closed. The Stanley, in Oxford Road, was shut in May by owners Moorhouse’s, who blamed a lack of trade in the area. Now Faisal and Rachel Munif have
POLICE are trying to trace six men from East Lancashire who are wanted for separate offences in the area. Sean Davis, 27, from Blackburn, is wanted for a breach of a restraining order. He was described as 5ft 9ins tall, of a proportionate build
DARWEN’S Whitehall Park Supporters Group has changed its constitution to stop any influx of new and former members from taking over and possibly spending their funds unwisely. The decision was announced at a meeting with those who had raised concerns
WORK on the £4.8m link road scheme to speed traffic in and out of Blackburn has had to be rescheduled because of a hitch in buying a key parcel of land. Already preparatory excavations are under way and and a section of the highway from Accrington
SEVEN arrests have now been made by detectives investigating a stabbing in Bacup on Saturday. Jamie Mulcahy, 25, remains in a critical condition in Royal Blackburn Hospital after being stabbed in the chest in Yorkshire Street. MORE TOP STORIES
BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer has made his mind up on who will start in goal against Middlesbrough tomorrow. But he will be keeping his lips sealed until the teams are announced one hour before kick-off. MORE TOP STORIES: Rovers will
RESIDENTS at a care home took part in their very own ‘Bushtucker Trials’ when they got to handle exotic animals and eat some out of the ordinary dishes. The 36 older people and staff from Altham Care Home got into the spirit, emulating local I’
WAYNE WHITE has left Lancashire County Cricket Club to join Derbyshire. Although the Derby-born player had a year remaining on his contract, it was agree a move away from Emirates Old Trafford was in the best interests of both parties. MORE
INJURED Blackburn Rovers defender Tommy Spurr will be sent on a spying mission to his beloved Hillsborough tomorrow. Spurr could have been part of the Rovers party that heads to the Riverside Stadium for their top-six showdown with Middlesbrough
SCOTT Arfield is back in contention for a return to the Clarets starting line-up tomorrow, but they will make a late decision on the fitness of Michael Duff. Arfield missed last week’s win at the Britannia Stadium after picking up a knock in training
THE Clarets have got two massive games coming up in the next week at Turf Moor. And these matches could well define the season. The three points at Stoke City were a huge boost to the side and the back-to-back wins have been a big lift to the players
KIERAN Trippier believes he and his Clarets team-mates have found their feet in the Premier League after two straight wins moved them off the bottom of the table. The right-back has admitted it took him a bit of time to get use to the higher demands
ALMOST three quarters of fresh shop-bought chickens are infected with potentially deadly bacteria, it has emerged. Campylobacter contamination has significantly increased since August, the Food Standards Agency has warned, with every major retailer
LANCASHIRE will begin their 2015 LV=County Championship campaign with a trip to Derby in April before returning to Emirates Old Trafford to face Kent. Leicestershire Foxes are the visitors for the start of the NatWest T20 Blast on Friday May 15th
RAMSBOTTOM United and Chorley will be bidding to reach the first round proper of the FA Trophy tomorrow. Evo-Stik League Premier Division side Ramsbottom make the long journey to Oxfordshire for a tie at Banbury United while Garry Flitcroft’s Magpies
BURNLEY-born England bowler James Anderson was among the many from the cricket and sporting world to express their sadness at the death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes yesterday. The 25-year-old died just two days after being hit by a bouncer
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Aitor Karanka is still to determine who will replace the suspended Adam Clayton against Blackburn Rovers tomorrow. Summer signing Clayton will sit out the Riverside Stadium clash after picking up his fifth booking of the season
JASON Lowe is set to hand Blackburn Rovers a pre-Christmas fitness boost. The versatile midfielder has been ruled out since September with a stress fracture in his foot. MORE TOP STORIES: But Lowe will take a major step forward in his recovery
EXETER City’s Paul Tisdale is known for his longevity in the unpredictable, often volatile, world of football management. With eight seasons under his belt at St James’s Park he is second behind Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger in the list of longest serving
A 46-YEAR-OLD man has appeared before Blackburn magistrates charged with child internet porn offences involving enormous numbers of still and video images of children as young as four. Frank Steele, of Pilmuir Road, Blackburn, faces 17 charges
BLACKBURN are in the top six, winning games and on a run. There’s no need to be scared of anyone and that’s why I really hope they go to Middlesbrough and go for it. MORE TOP STORIES: That means starting with both Jordan Rhodes and Rudy
BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer believes ‘outstanding’ Middlesbrough captain and top-scorer Grant Leadbitter will present a threat to his side at the Riverside Stadium tomorrow. The former Sunderland and Ipswich Town midfielder has netted eight
FREE swimming has helped increase the average life span of Blackburn with Darwen residents by more than three years. The borough, along with Burnley and Hyndburn, has long had some of the lowest life expectancy levels in England. MORE TOP STORIES
DETAILS of a controversial wind farm on the outskirts of Rossendale will be shown to residents as work on the site nears completion. The three-turbine scheme at Reaps Moss, between Bacup and Todmorden, was given planning permission by Rossendale
THOUSANDS of people gathered to celebrate as part of Lancashire Day. The red rose flag was hoisted above town halls and proclamations were read out on their steps. Lancashire Day marks the date in 1295 when the first elected representatives
AN investigation has been launched after an elderly woman was found dead at home. Agnes Johnson, 73, was discovered dead in bed by her son at the house they shared in Blackburn, police said. Officers said they are treating her death as “unexplained
IT is beginning to look a lot like Christmas right across Hyndburn, as Accrington had its Christmas lights switch-on last night. Britain’s Got Talent winner Jai McDowall performed in front of thousandswho gathered in front of the Market Hall before
AROUND 500 frontline officers could be lost from the beat as Lancashire Police looks to save a further £20million from its budget, union bosses said. The force has already saved £60million, and chief constable Steve Finnigan said measures were
SEAN Dyche is delighted his Burnley side have started to prove the doubters wrong - but wants them to stay focused on one game at a time as they approach a crucial week. After being written off when they failed to win any of their first 10 Premier
BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer has hailed the return to full fitness of Chris Brown as good as any new signing. Bowyer was unable to boost his injury-hit squad before the loan window slammed shut last night. MORE TOP STORIES: But any
HIGHWAYS bosses have been accused of ‘dragging their feet’ over road safety as Blackburn with Darwen was named the second worse area in the country for accidents involving children near schools. Community leaders have called for a quicker roll
A FAMILY has suffered a third heartbreak after a mother died from an accidental paracetamol overdose. Speaking after an inquest into his wife’s death, Leigh Noble said Jacqueline had been his ‘rock’. MORE TOP STORIES: He said she had stayed
TWO terrified teenage girls were grabbed by a hooded attacker close to Turf Moor. One of the 13-year-old girls was grabbed by the hair and the other pushed to the floor as the man, who had his hood pulled up over his head, tried to catch them,
