MORE than 1,000 workers at Accrington’s largest engineering factory – Platt International – walked out on strike on this day.

The men, including skilled and semi skilled engineers, were protesting over the company’s refusal to pay them a cost of living wage increase, despite a negotiated agreement.

Ken Slater, district secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, said: “Because of recent increases in the cost of living, the men asked for a £1.20 rise across the board. But management said they would only give the increase to a small number of lower paid workers. The shop stewards then gave an ultimatum that unless progress was made they would walk out at noon – and they did.”

Another dispute – this time by drivers and draymen at Whitbread’s Blackburn brewery — threatened beer supplies throughout the North West. Their overtime ban was thought to have started after bosses took out a lorry on deliveries.

Following their refusal to discuss the matter, the men decided to only work their normal eight-hour shift and banned the use of hired transport which they said was unsafe for beer deliveries.

The front page image 39 years ago, was of two youngsters from Atlas Street day nursery in Clayton-le-Moors with two guinea pigs which had been sprayed with paint in an attack of vandalism on the building.

The animals were the favourite pets of the nursery’s 50 youngsters, but after being scrubbed in turpentine and then bathed in soap and water they were none the worse for their ordeal.

Happy to see them back to their normal colours were four-year-old Graham Hindle, of Warwick Street, Church and three-year-old Adam Thompson of Holland Street, Accrington.