NEW health statistics show East Lancashire had the highest rate of deaths among babies over a month old in the North West last year - and one of the highest in the country. But the area's overall infant mortality rate was in line with the national average
THOUSANDS of energetic youngsters across East Lancashire are this week pounding the pavements as part of Walk to School Week. Two thirds of the schools in the region are taking part in the county-wide initiative, organised by Lancashire County Council
MARK Harvey was handed an early birthday present today - a shock NatWest Trophy debut for Lancashire. Harvey, 23 on Thursday, was called up for the game against Berkshire when Lancashire's other Harvey, Neil Fairbrother, failed a fitness test on his thigh
STAND by for the end of the honeymoon with the new Government. Next week's Budget will not be a pleasant affair. Chancellor Gordon Brown will attempt to plug the black hole in the economy and it looks as though the poor old motorist will be handed a large
ONE of four citizen advice bureaux in Rossendale could be lost or face a cut in opening hours because of a growing financial crisis. The CAB, which relies on local authority funding, has had its grant capped for the last six years and is likely to run
WORK to solve problems caused by large Muslim funerals at a Blackburn cemetery is set to start in the next month. Officials from Blackburn with Darwen Council met Asian leaders and undertakers to discuss traffic problems caused by hundreds of mourners
Evening Telegraph Exclusive ADRIAN Heath was today poised for a sensational return to Premiership Everton alongside mentor Howard Kendall. The Lancashire Evening Telegraph can exclusively reveal tonight that Everton are expected to name Heath as the new
WHAT? - no job for Nigel Evans, he of the "which way I vote on fuel VAT is none of your business" - shock, horror. Um, there's more to William Hague than meets the eye. Still a Welsh job is a bit of a honoured chalice since Wales is a "no-go" Tory area
A CHARITY has launched a major appeal to help deal with the rising tide of drug addicts and homeless people arriving on its doorstep in need of help. The Blackburn-based Thomas group (Those On The Margins of Society) hopes to raise £20,000 to pay for
Tuesday Topic, with Christine Rutter POT-BELLIED blokes are a rare sight at slimming clubs. Those who do enrol are more likely to be women launching a fight on flab. Yet more and more men are breaking the taboo by signing up to beat the battle of the
A WORRYING increase in the number of empty stalls on Blackburn's market looks set to lead to a change in the rules on letting. Council chiefs are planning to get rid of regulations which ban traders from setting up in competition next to rivals selling
WORKMEN chased a sex attacker who pounced on a 15-year-old girl after hearing the terrified victim's screams. The indecent assault happened in Rock Lane, Burnley, just off busy Todmorden Road as the girl was on her way home from school, at about 4pm yesterday
FRENCH full back Patrick Valery has completed his move from Bastia to Blackburn Rovers and will be at Brockhall next week for pre-season training. Hard-man Valery will be joined by Stephane Henchoz, Hamburg's Swiss international defender who has also
WITH so much being heard to the detriment of modern youth, I would like to report the following, showing the plus side. While I was walking down Revidge Road, I was stopped by two pupils from Pleckgate School. They had just found a box of matches on the
A VICAR of a parish where a controversial care home is set to open has appealed to residents to put the children's welfare first. Rural Dean, the Rev John Armes, vicar of St Mary and All Saints, Goodshaw, wrote to parishioners about the publicity given
BELL ringers at St Leonard's Church, Padiham were celebrating today after getting Lottery cash to pay for a new set of handbells. The church was granted £6,572 to buy a three-octave 37 set of handbells and carrycases to replace their present 13 old ones
BLACKBURN police launched a massive blitz on car thieves with a special undercover operation. Plain-clothes and uniformed officers were patrolling Blackburn and Darwen as part of Operation Safeguard, mounted after a dramatic rise in auto-crime. A mystery
A RURAL beat bobby who chased a knifeman for nearly two miles received a bravery award. Rugby-playing Gisburn policeman Colin Corlett chased the man, a suspected burglar, through countryside until he dropped with exhaustion. He was threatened with the
THE prompt action taken by Blackburn with Darwen council to solve the burial problems at Pleasington cemetery is to be commended. Following complaints from people that they could not gain access during Muslim burials, the gates of the cemetery are to
Off The Record, with Peter White THANK goodness for the pride of the Union Lions we sent to South Africa. If the rugby reputation of this country depended on the litter of pussy cats allegedly representing the League code against their counterparts -
IT is a great pity that we seem to be ashamed of flying our national flag. Maybe the National Front Party are to blame because it became a symbol for racialism. Having recently returned from a visit to Norway, I was impressed by the fact that every home
