Archive

  • Dust is bad news

    THE new air monitoring report on Clitheroe Hospital is now out. I have looked at it briefly before handing it on to someone more competent to evaluate the information. But it is bad - many times over World Health Organisation Limits. The analysis of the

  • Houses go, but debt remains

    I RECENTLY received a leaflet from Hyndburn Council regarding the transfer of council houses to housing companies. It states that the council wishes to form a housing management board, consisting of a third Hyndburn councillors, a third Hyndburn tenants

  • Trial system could be worse

    THE jury system may not be perfect, but it must be better than putting power into the hands of an individual subject to prejudice, unique upbringing and experience and vulnerable to undemocratic, unhealthy outside influence, not to mention corruption.

  • SNOOKER: 'It's the biggest game of my life' Shokat

    ACCRINGTON'S Shokat Ali faces one of the biggest matches of his career in the Liverpool Victoria UK Championship at Preston Guild Hall tonight. Ali is within one victory of a place in the televised stages which start on Saturday though first he must beat

  • Country grateful for castle restoration

    PUBLIC fury was almost as hot as the flames which gutted Windsor Castle five years ago when it was suggested they should pick up the multi-million-pound restoration bill. Now, with the renovation splendidly complete, an important piece of the nation's

  • School league tables will get better

    EVER-CONTROVERSIAL, the results in this year's school league tables provoke new argument today as refinements showing those which have improved over four years indicate that one in three is a grant-maintained school. This, of course, adds political spice

  • Fire crew fights aerial peril

    FIREFIGHTERS were called to a house in Blackburn after a 12ft television aerial came loose in fierce winds and threatened to send a chimney crashing into a busy street. Blackburn fire station commander Chris Norse called out the Lancashire brigade's £350,000

  • ROVERS: Kenna's World Cup torment

    JEFF Kenna aims to put his World Cup woe behind him by helping Blackburn Rovers to continue their chase for honours in the Premiership. And the next few weeks will be crucial, as Rovers face the other three members of the top four - starting with Chelsea

  • Transfer for steel staff

    MORE than 20 computer staff at British Steel's Blackburn site are to be transferred to a new employer, as part of a £400 million deal. Information technology consultants Cap Gemini are taking over most of the computer support for the steel firm. The agreement

  • Smokers are paid up in full

    WITH the Government in a turmoil over advertising tobacco products on television, campaigners for restriction are once again having a go at the people who smoke. The revenue contributed to the Government by those who smoke is, to put it mildly, extortionate

  • Scheme idiotic

    I READ with utter disgust your article (LET, November 11) about banning of 'A-boards' and pavement displays. I would like to know if the rule applies to the statue of the lady with a child on Blackburn Boulevard or horrible gates on Northgate and Town

  • Mermaid stops the traffic tide

    MOTORISTS were caught up in massive tailbacks as a campaign to catch tax dodgers and car thieves caused rush-hour chaos. Police, the Vehicle Inspectorate and the Benefits Agency caused major disruption on the busy A677 Preston New Road at Samlesbury,

  • State of the arts

    A GRAPHIC design firm which works in the education sector is looking forward to a successful new term. Printoff Graphic Arts, which specialises in publications for colleges and schools, officially opened its new premises on the Lomeshaye Industrial Estate

  • Tax on festive fun warning

    FIRMS are being urged not to fall foul of 'Scrooge' this Christmas. Leslie Bury, partner at Blackburn chartered accountants Kidsons Impey says businesses need to look carefully at any festive events laid on for staff, in case it breaches tax rules. "Many

  • School's fatal accident fear as lollipop man goes

    A HEAD teacher fears that a child will be killed crossing the road outside her school - unless a new lollipop man or woman can be found. Pupils arriving and leaving Feniscowles Primary School, Blackburn, are having to cross busy Livesey Branch Road without

  • Can pole-sliding firemen ever rest?

    FIREFIGHTERS will climb the height of Everest - and slide down again - for charity. Six firefighters will slide down a fireman's pole every minute for six hours on Friday to raise cash for Children in Need. The pole will be set up outside Blackburn Cathedral

  • CLARETS: Waddle faces late fitness check

    CHRIS Waddle will make a late decision on his own fitness before naming the Burnley team to face Millwall at Turf Moor tonight, with a possibility of Paul Smith being handed his first start of the season if the player-manager is ruled out. Waddle, who

  • Revolt against street signs purge

    THOUSANDS of people are backing a campaign to call a halt to the council crackdown on street signs in Blackburn and Darwen. Traders estimate more than 10,000 people in the borough have signed a petition calling on the town hall to halt its blitz on A

  • TEN YEARS AGO: Action urged over teen drinkers

    A LEADING Blackburn vicar was asking the chief constable to tackle the town's under-age drinking problem. The Rev David Wotherspoon was so concerned about alcohol abuse among teenagers that he wanted it made a policing priority. He spoke of his fears

  • FIVE YEARS AGO: Urban aid cash blow

    SCHEMES worth £1.7 million in Blackburn and Darwen had been wiped out, it was revealed. Stunned councillors reacted with disbelief at the news that the Government had frozen plans for £200 million of Urban Programme schemes nationwide. They were starting

  • Hospital praise

    I FEEL very sad when people complain about our National Health Service. I have been a voluntary WRVS worker for 17 years at Blackburn Infirmary and, during that time, I have witnessed great care by all staff in all departments. I also have taken patients

  • Residents fight plan to house schizophrenics

    NEIGHBOURS are fighting plans to build flats on their doorstep for sufferers of schizophrenia. A North West charity is seeking the go-ahead to build the block of flats and three terraced houses on land off Highfield Street, Haslingden. The charity, Making

  • Time travel winners

    CONGRATULATIONS to the intrepid time travellers who correctly matched the captions with pictures of our local towns from the past and identified the three royal celebrations to win books in our prize draw. The competition in our newspaper linked with

  • Losing battle over A-boards

    THE controversy rumbles on about bill-boards or goods on the pavement outside shops. They are classed as dangerous obstacles liable to cause accidents and a hefty fine can be imposed for disobeying. Not able to advertise, small, struggling shopkeepers

  • MP steps up medicinal cannabis campaign

    LABOUR MP Gordon Prentice is to step up his campaign to legalise cannabis for medical use. The member for Pendle is to press health ministers to return to the pre-1973 situation when doctors could prescribe the drug - often in liquid form - for certain

  • Longest wait for hospital treament

    PATIENTS in East Lancashire were today told that the North West has the longest hospital waiting lists in the country. The number of people waiting for hospital treatment in the region rose by 1,410 to 189,290 between June and September this year. The

  • ROVERS: Super sub Paddy sees off Seasiders

    LFA Youth Cup 2nd rnd: Blackburn Rovers 2 Blackpool 1 ROVERS made hard work of seeing off a bruising Blackpool side, who paid for their indiscretions with two bookings and a first-half dismissal at Ewood last night. Yet Blackpool took the lead through