BURNLEY councillors have given their backing to a proposed "super'' Racial Equality Council for East Lancs. They have gone ahead despite a claim that the local ethnic community has been ignored during consultations. The new four-district REC will cover
TOUGH laws aimed at ridding the streets of stalkers are set to be used against debt collectors in East Lancashire who resort to strong arm tactics. Trading standards officers are planning to take on powers under the anti-stalking bill introduced last
A CHILDREN'S hockey team had a dramatic escape when their minibus crashed, blocking an East Lancashire road. Nine 12 and 13-year-old girls suffered minor head, leg and back injuries in the smash, which ripped off part of the axle, and a front wheel. Some
A THUG lashed out with a craft knife and cut his terrified woman victim on her cheek in a town centre robbery. The victim, aged 31, suffered a half inch cut, just inches from her eye, and was robbed of cash and jewellery on the car park behind Haslingden
HIGHWAYS bosses have set aside £25,000 for two traffic safety schemes. The projects are part of a £1.4 million package of safety improvements for the county's roads over the last 12 months. But there are still more than 400 roads waiting for improvements
AN AMBITIOUS scheme to convert a former hospital into a retirement village looks set to fail. The scheme for over 55s at Hartley Hospital, Colne, is not expected to be included in the Housing Corporation's 1998 list of successful cash applications, when
A CLOSE colleague and friend of building society boss Eddie Shapland who was found dead at his East Lancashire home said he could offer no explanation for the tragedy. Martin Mulligan, operations general manager at Nelson-based Marsden Building Society
FLYING Finn Ismo Rokala is back at Blackburn Arena - but Lancashire Hawks have parted company with fellow Finland import Mika Pynnonen. Rokala, a fans favourite last season, has flown in to rejoin the struggling Hawks as officials look to add new life
I THINK your Opinion (LET, December 30) misses the point in backing up New Labour. At least the Conservative Party when in power for 18 years stayed true to its name, unlike Labour. I agree with everything MEP Mike Hindley says about New Labour and Tony
THE UNREMITTING ordeal suffered by a disabled single mother at the hands of a gang of teenage thugs is one that no-one should have to endure. But, lamentably, it is all too typical of the lives that are made a misery on East Lancashire housing estates
Drive & Stroll, with Ron Freethy: Waddow Hall SOME time ago I wrote a brief article about 19th century Clitheroe, which had a spa and at one time this looked as if it might be a rival to Harrogate. Alas, the fountain of inspiration trickled and eventually
TRANSPORT chiefs in Lancashire are calling for a national safety standard for potentially dangerous bull bars. The bars, fitted to the front of cars, can cause serious injuries to pedestrians and cyclists. But some car makers have started making the bars
Friday Folk TAKE one step into pensioner Harold Bale's house and it is not difficult to work out what his favourite animal is. His passion for horses has taken over the walls and floors at his home in Blackburn Road, Great Harwood. More than 60 pottery
CHRIS Waddle is pinning his faith in new signing Andy Payton to get the goals Burnley need to survive in the Second Division. And the Burnley-born striker, linking up at last with his hometown club, has no intentions of letting him down. "I am hoping
Bristol Rovers v Burnley - Peter White's big match preview CHRIS Brass has pinpointed the next six weeks as crucial to Burnley's chances of Second Division survival. Boosted by last Saturday's morale-boosting win over promotion favourites Watford at Turf
Blackburn Rovers v Aston Villa - Peter White's big match preview STAN Collymore's critics have not been short of ammunition to fire at their favourite target so far this season. A scoring record of just four goals from 25 starts is an indictment of the
A CRANE hire firm is hoping to get a lift from its new name. Graytson, White & Sparrow, which has a branch at Great Harwood, has changed its name to Initial GWS Crane Hire. The firm is part of Initial Plant Services, a division of the Rentokil Initial
A £7.6 million investment ready for production of components for the Eurofighter at an East Lancashire aerospace factory is nearly complete. The high tech tooling facility at British Aerospace's Samlesbury site will produce some of the most complex tools
ECONOMIC development firm Enterprise plc has confirmed it is joining forces with another company in an £8 million deal. The firm, formerly Lancashire Enterprises plc, is merging with Inner City Enterprise following approval by shareholders. The chief
ACCRINGTON is the diabetes capital of the UK and, with numbers of sufferers growing all the time, resources are becoming increasingly hard-pressed, say nurses. The number of prescriptions given out to diabetics in Accrington is the highest in the UK,
BOSSES at National Westminster Bank offered a £15,000 reward after armed robbers carried out a daring raid on the bank's Darwen branch in broad daylight. No-one was hurt during the raid, but the two men escaped with an undisclosed sum of money. Darwen
A GRIEVING mother is furious after a coroner decided a children's nursery was not to blame for her young son's death. Catriona Rae said she was "destroyed" after the inquest on her 20-month-old son Alex, who drowned at Hilltop Bunnies Nursery, Belmont
SHOPKEEPERS are mounting a major offensive to stop a giant superstore being built on the fringes of their town. Rossendale Chamber of Commerce is to meet at the beginning of February to start the battle. Tesco announced this week plans to build a 65,000
FAMILY and friends of building society boss Eddie Shapland today told how they were mystified by his tragic death. Mr Shapland, 51, chief executive of the Nelson-based Marsden Building Society, was found hanged at his home in Burnley by his wife Janet
FOR months we were constantly bombarded by Blackburn with Darwen Council telling us that unitary status was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Now that we have achieved this grand status, we find that the Council has decided that we need to have cuts
AS much as they relish their full English breakfast with bacon and pork sausage cooked just so, the people of this country also feast on the exploits of the underdog. Heroes are made of the likes of Eddie the Eagle, British tennis players and the Norwegian
CAN readers help me trace my nephews and niece, with whom I lost touch about 16 years ago? They are Steve, Julie, Wayne and Glynn Nuttall, born in Middleton to my brother Peter, and his wife, Marlene. My brother died in 1964, at the aged 31, and his wife
Political Focus, with Bill Jacobs THE new biography of Gordon Brown has exposed the deep split at the heart of the New Labour government for all to see. It makes clear that the Chancellor considers himself betrayed by Tony Blair over his successful pre-emptive
TOWN centre developers Great Portland Estates are still confident of a spring start to their £12 million shops scheme in Burnley, despite objections which could delay work. A public inquiry is due to hear five objections to road closure schemes included
A COUPLE from East Lancashire are celebrating after relatives scooped £177,356 on the National Lottery. The win was netted by Peter and Jean Howard, who live near Kingston in Surrey. Their son and daughter-in-law, Darren and Sheena Howard, live in Burnley
CHILDREN are playing a deadly game of 'chicken' on the new M65 - and police warn someone will die if they carry on. Reports of groups of youngsters running across the carriageway of the extended motorway have shocked officers. It is just weeks since a
DETECTIVES believe they may have found the place where 17-year-old Christopher Hartley's body was dismembered. The development was revealed as police were in Dublin today applying for the extradition of a suspect in connection with their inquiries into
HASLINGDEN FC are making an appeal to the football fans of the town to get involved with the club. The Ewood Bridge side are desperate for new faces to help out behind the scenes. "We have grown as a club on the field getting promoted to Division One
TORE Pedersen is set to take his usual place on the bench against Aston Villa tomorrow, aware that he could be losing his World Cup gamble. The defender joined Blackburn Rovers from Hamburg earlier this season, hoping to cement a place in Norway's squad
Focus on the battle for control of Burnley FC TYCOON Ray Ingleby intends to run Burnley Football Club from his base in New York. Mr Ingleby is one of three parties interested in buying Burnley Football Club. The multi-millionaire had previously told the
