CAMPAIGNING Pendle MP Gordon Prentice is calling for immediate introduction of new rules aimed at reducing the number of accidents involving police drivers responding to emergencies. He wants the latest proposals drawn up by the Association of Chief Police
BAKER Tracey Walker follows the news from the war-torn Balkans closer than most people. Her fianc, 31-year-old Jonathon Bull, is a sergeant with the Scots Guards stationed in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, only a few miles from the Yugoslav border. Tracey
AN independent Green candidate is bidding to woo voters in Pendle Council elections by claiming his home is in Colne- although his mother says he lives in Sheffield! Peter Hartley, who is standing in Vivary Bridge ward, Colne, in next month's local elections
A HIGH level report out today has given Lancashire's police a clean bill of health. Last summer, the police came under fire when Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary published a damning report on the force. The inspector, Mr Dan Crompton, has just
A VERY young Rovers team picked up a well-deserved point in their Pontin's League Premier Division game at Goodison. "I was babysitting last night," laughed reserve team coach Terry Darracott, who was proud of the performance from a side in which Tim
PAUL Cook's loan extension has been sorted out by Burnley boss Stan Ternent who will now be able to keep the midfielder at Turf Moor until the end of the season. Whether he then tries to negotiate a permanent move with Cook's club Stockport remains to
BRIAN Kidd is hanging onto the hope that Lee Carsley will be able to solve one of his midfield problems after Billy McKinlay was ruled out of Saturday's relegation six-pointer against Southampton at The Dell. But the Blackburn Rovers boss has already
THE 'unsung heroes' of Ribble Valley were presented with special awards by borough Mayor Dave Smith at the Ribble Valley Council Chambers in Clitheroe. The Mayor told the recipients they represented the unsung heroes of Ribble Valley who gave so much
ANGRY parents held a stormy public meeting to protest against plans to send their children to secondary schools in neighbouring boroughs. And the Mellor parents are threatening to keep their children off school rather than send them to school in Accrington
POLICE joined an MP in calling for parents to be more aware of the dangers their children faced from solvent abuse. Hyndburn MP Ken Hargreaves was shocked when he saw evidence of glue-sniffing on a late-night tour of the Spring Hill area of Accrington
WE would like to say a few words of appreciation to the caring couple who came to the aid of my son and me when his car broke down on Easter Monday. They proved to us that a friend in need can truly be a friend indeed. P AND R COPE, Plantation Road, Blackburn
I AM seeking any information which would help me research the war service of my great uncle, 17378 Lance-Sergeant John Barker, who was a member of the 8th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment during the First World War. Killed in action on February 27,
IN THREE weeks of NATO's air war in the Balkans, there has been no end of horror and human tragedy on the ground - virtually all of it suffered by the innocent Kosovar Albanians for whom this conflict is waged. And none, surely, has been more heart-rending
IN the Spring issue of the Blackburn Diocesan magazine, 'The See,' two factions joined with Home Secretary Jack Straw in a programme to warn youths of the perils of drug taking. Mr Talha Wadee speaks for the Lancashire Council of Mosques and Mr Ilyas
TIGHT, exciting matches are in prospect when the semi-finals of the Blackburn Philanthropic Youth League Under-12s Cup competition are played at Pleckgate this weekend. Blackburn Dynamos Boys play Mill Hill St Peter's on Friday evening, while West End
I WAS sorry to read of the struggle Peter Cunliffe had in obtaining a new fridge for £25 for his mother (Letters, April 7). I was totally amazed at the service I received, when I applied for a fridge from the 'fridgesavers' scheme. I picked a leaflet
THE independents in Burnley are fielding a record nine candidates for next month's council elections and looking to take over from the Liberal Democrats as the official opposition group to Labour. The group, with five sitting councillors - most of them
AN inquest was adjourned for toxicology tests on samples taken from a pensioner found dead at her home. Margaret Mary Riley, 78, of Wheatcroft Avenue, Fence, was discovered by her husband Eric last Friday - the day before her 79th birthday. She had been
ANOTHER Burnley Labour councillor has quit the council - at the height of the local election campaign. Padiham member Granville Lord said today he had been the subject of a witch-hunt by party bosses and has left the party in protest. He said he was also
TRAVELLERS who have set up camp at Huncoat's derelict power station site may face an injunction ordering them to leave. Previous visits to the area have resulted in rubbish being dumped and vehicles churning up fields. Up to 30 caravans have set up at
LABOUR MP Gordon Prentice has urged the Government to promote compressed natural gas as a vehicle fuel. The Pendle member raised the issue during transport questions and asked Transport Minister Glenda Jackson what was being done to persuade people to
A TRADER who runs market stalls across East Lancashire was fined £500 by magistrates for selling a mouldy tart to a customer. Glyn Watson, 34, of Croft House Farm, Roughlee, was also ordered to pay £420 costs to Rochdale Council who prosecuted him. Watson
WORK has started on a £167,000 refurbishment of Colne's indoor market. The project involves improving the appearance of the Market Street hall and its entrances. A glazed colonnade will be added to the front of the hall, new canopies bearing the trader's
Bramwell Speaks Out column, by sports editor Neil Bramwell ENGLAND cricket coach David Lloyd has one last major decision to make before stepping down at the end of the World Cup. And that is to install a new skipper before the tournament begins. For Alec
A COUPLE brutally killed in their jeweller's shop have been laid to rest. Mohammed "Tony" Karim, 52, and his wife Bilquis, 48, were buried at Pleasington Cemetery, Blackburn, three weeks after they were found dead at their shop, Tony's Jewellers in Church
LANCASHIRE police force is drawing up a strategy to improve relations with ethnic minorities, police chief Pauline Clare has revealed. The move comes after Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw announced all police forces are being set targets to
THE Clarets face an uphill task in their bid to avoid relegation from the Pontin's League First Division after losing to an experienced Wolves team. The Clarets made a decent start with Phil Eastwood going close on 11 minutes. But Steve Bull broke the
HOME Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw is the toast of East Lancashire's licensed trade today after he gave marathon New Year drinking sessions the thumbs-up. Landlords from across the area welcomed his decision to allow licensed premises to open
FRIDAY the 13th may be unlucky for some but it is the birthdate of a flying legend. Within minutes of lifting the prototype Canberra off Warton's runway on that day in May 1949, test pilot Roland Beamont knew that the English Electric Company had created
FRIENDS of the "gentle giant" found dead in a Clitheroe town centre brook have launched a campaign to raise charity cash in his memory. Pals of Anthony Leecy want to raise money for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. A collection
REFUGEES who flee the strife-torn Balkan war could be found a new home at Calderstones Hospital in the Ribble Valley, it was revealed today. The NHS Executive has contacted health managers at the Whalley-based site about the possibility of housing Albanian
Valerie Cowan Surfs the Net NO-ONE is arguing with the fact that Everest is the highest mountain in the world. But exactly how high is a matter of some dispute. The last official measurement was 29,028 feet or 8,848 metres. But more accurate measuring
TOP class horse riders were put through their paces at a prestigious two-day show. About 200 horses entered the North of England Spring Show at the Osbaldeston Hall Equestrian Centre for some serious competition. It attracted entrants from as far afield
MY parents lived in Africa and I am now writing a short novel about the Masai tribe - with a bit of romance to accompany it. During my visits, I acquired two elephant-hair bracelets, made from the hairs at the end of an elephant's tail. But I was burgled
THE Nelson Wheelers Classic Cycling promotion - The Circuit of the Dales - was held at Ingleton on Sunday in showery conditions with a strong headwind to hinder more than 100 starters on the final 15-mile leg from Hawes. Due to roadworks on the A65, the
ON Pendle Hill there is a cairn dedicated to the memory of two Clayton Harriers. This month marks the fifth anniversary of the tragic death of Judith Taylor from Blackburn, while competing in the Kentmere Horseshoe fell race. Despite her careful preparation
MANY readers are likely to be concerned for the fate of whales and dolphins off the coast, which face many threats - including pollution, competition for food and shipping movements. The Seawatch Foundation was set up in 1991 to monitor their distribition
THERE was only one fixture in A Division this week, but it signified the first dropped points for Hotshots. Proceedings started as expected with Steven Riddiough and Matthew Hamer both winning their opening games against the Unbeatables. However, Demha
RISHTON have moved quickly to secure a replacement professional for South African Corrie Jordaan. The Lancashire Leage club have signed New Zealand all-rounder Paul Wiseman (left). The 28-year-old off-spinner has played five Tests, taking 13 wickets including
REGARDING 'When a man's not a man' (Letters, April 6), this mother has the same problem as many parents - pure tunnel vision. First she is 100 per cent correct to say that it is not acceptable for obscene and abusive language to be aimed at anyone, let
OSSY VILLA A 0 WHALLEY TIGERS Under-10s 2 A GOOD solid all-round team performance in which keeper Aaron Catchpole made three great saves early on to keep Whalley in the game. Eventually Whalley got on top and deservedly took the lead with a fine goal
LANCASHIRE coach Dav Whatmore refused to criticise his young players after a difficult Championship baptism at Old Trafford yesterday. They struggled to cut the ice in freezing conditions, with Sussex moving comfortably to 285-5 after winning the toss
WHAT a brilliant idea by K Hunter (Letters, March 30), for a get-together of youngsters of the 1950s and 1960s from Grimshaw Park, Blackburn. I, too, was one of the Croft Gang, all through the Fifties. They were wonderful years and I am always talking
IN response to 'When a man's not a man' (Letters, April 6), I too witnessed an apparently unnecessary attack on a child. Some weeks ago, my husband and I were shopping in Blackburn town centre in the middle of the Saturday rush hour. Outside the lift
A BANNED driver got into his cab after his mother threw all his belongings out into the street, Burnley magistrates heard. Kevin William Vickers, 22, got behind the wheel just three weeks after being disqualified a second time. Vickers, said by his solicitor
A SHOPKEEPER who plied a schoolgirl with drink and sexually assaulted her has lost his right to sell alcohol. Hyndburn licensing justices decided Tahir Mohammed was not a fit and proper person to have an off-licence. Licensing officer Sgt Brian Hopwood
GARDENERS at Oswaldtwistle welcomed the team from BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time - 26 years after they invited them. Oswaldtwistle Civic Society originally wrote to the BBC in August 1972, and the Gardeners' Question Time team have at last visited
WORKING parents who rely on free nursery places for their children fear they may have to give up their jobs if plans to demolish a nursery are approved. The day nursery in Queen Street, Great Harwood, will be flattened if plans to build a 18,000 sq ft
Peake Practice. Weekly food news column featuring restaurateur Ray Peake, of Callums Bistro, Accrington. I BELIEVE I am qualified to write about chocolate not only with enthusiasm but with true passion.FOR THE CONNOISSEUR: If you take your chocolate seriously
GLOBE-TROTTING teacher Jackie Hunt has swapped lives with a teacher from Down Under in a bid to see the world. Jackie, from Holy Trinity Primary School, in Darwen, stepped into the shoes of Fiona Ridley, 33, who gave up her job and home in sunny New South
ANOTHER Burnley Labour councillor has quit the council - at the height of the local election campaign. Padiham member Granville Lord said today he had been the subject of a witch-hunt by party bosses and has left the party in protest. He said he was also
REFUGEES who flee the strife-torn Balkan war could be found a new home at Calderstones Hospital in the Ribble Valley, it was revealed today. The NHS Executive has contacted health managers at the Whalley-based site about the possibility of housing Albanian
