CRITICISING plans today for millions of pounds to be spent on upgrading the North West's road network, Green Party campaigners can afford to be idealistic about the need to curb traffic -- whereas the people in power have to grapple with reality. And
MANCHESTER Storm Ice Hockey Club have secured the services of Corey Spring, a 6ft 2in defence-man who originates from British Columbia, Canada. Twenty-nine-year-old Corey weighs 220lb and has an impressive background, having played for the University
WALMER had victory from just one of their teams in this week's fixtures in the Bolton Tennis League. That sole victory was gained by the Mixed A team in their Division Two, home fixture with Markland Hill C. A convincing 6-2 set from Andy Foster and Zara
CAN I suggest a use for one or more of the Pavilion Buildings on Church Street, Blackburn? They would make excellent offices in which to pay parking fines. The present offices are out on a limb in George Street -- bad enough to get to with Church Street
A COUNCILLOR is campaigning to "turf out" plans to erect telecommunications antennae on two stands at Burnley Football Club. Vodafone Ltd are asking for planning permission to put antennae and equipment cabins on the James Hargreaves and Jimmy McIlroy
FURIOUS ambulance crews claimed people had been "robbed" by Health Secretary Kenneth Clarke. He gave away £3.8million to buy life-saving equipment for ambulances -- but Lancashire would not get a penny because the public had already supported the "Heart
AN investigation has been launched into claims that the stepson of an East Lancashire deputy mayor has received preferential treatment from council workers. Leader of Hyndburn Council, Peter Britcliffe, launched the inquiry after receiving an anonymous
ANDY Payton is rated as "touch and go" for Burnley's First Division opener at Bolton on Saturday week following confirmation that the striker has fractured a toe. The injury was revealed following checks yesterday and Payton could now be out of action
Burnley 0, Newcastle 1 THE LAST time Kevin Ball took on Newcastle in a summer monsoon he helped hasten the demise of Ruud Gullit. There are those in the North-East who would therefore say he did two clubs a favour on that rain-lashed evening when Sunderland
A BURY woman has been awarded honorary life membership of the Royal Lifesaving Society. Mrs Sabina Carr (64), of Kibworth Close, Whitefield, received the prestigious award in recognition of more than 40 years of voluntary service to the society. She said
A HIT and run victim has died just two weeks before the birth of his first grandchild. Mr John Crompton suffered head and chest injuries when he was hit by a car on Sunday of last week. The vehicle had earlier been reported stolen. Mr Crompton was diagnosed
VANDALS have ruined swings on a popular children's playground after going on a wrecking spree. Councillors David and Karimeh Foster have blasted the attack at Whitehall Park in Darwen. Mr Foster said: "We spent a lot of time campaigning for improvements
A RETIRED magistrates' clerk today criticised Home Office plans to phase out lay magistrates and replace them with paid professionals. Laurence Loft, who recently retired as clerk to the justices for East Lancashire, said he would be sad to see lay magistrates
EAST LANCASHIRE has been given a jobs boost by the decision of seven European nations to buy 225 A400M millitary transport aircraft. BAE Systems at Samlesbury, and Hurel-Dubois UK in Burnley, are two of the firms which could benefit from the orders which
CHRIS Schofield, the forgotten hero of Lancashire's NatWest Trophy quarter final win at Surrey last week, is hoping for another capital show at the Oval tomorrow. Lancashire return to South London for a crucial Championship game against the First Division
Preston North End 0 Everton 5 IT'S never easy being beaten 5-0 but Preston manager David Moyes found a crumb of comfort in their pre-season defeat against Everton at Deepdale last night. The Second Division champions were simply outclassed -- and the
Blackburn Breast Care Support Group, Beardwood Hospital, Preston New Road, Blackburn, 7pm-9pm. "Alexander Technique." Blackburn Fellowship for the Hard of Hearing, Ardley Centre, Bent Street, Blackburn, 7.30pm. Annual Miners Reunion, Miners Club, Plumb
GREENMOUNT run machine Mick O'Rourke just goes from strength to strength. The talented Aussie took his total for the season to 940 with a devastating 159 not out from 156 balls when the depleted villagers took on Eagley. His knock consisted of two sixes
WHEN they modernise the Roman Road estate in Blackburn, I think they should take out the garden fences and replace them with hedges. The English hedge sparrow is on the verge of extinction and we need to help it while we have the chance. PAUL WHITEHEAD
It used to be said that watching television had killed the art of conversation. With the huge increase in the use of mobile phones, this is no longer a true statement. Unfortunately, for all public transport users, the same cannot be said for the quality
I'LL be surprised if Chris Wrigley (Letters, July 27) is old enough to remember the inhuman crimes of Myra Hindley. If he were, his sympathy would, instead, lie with the families of the tortured children whose lives this evil woman destroyed. He's welcome
I WAS delighted to read the editor's comment 'Boldly going forward to a better future' (LET, July 24), which, in the main, was supporting Blackburn with Darwen Council Labour groups new strategy. I was beginning to get a little concerned at the constant
REGARDING the proposal (LET, July 21) for reviving Blackburn Road, Accrington, I think it is disgusting. I have lived in the area for 34 years and having all those smelly eating places on my doorstep is not my idea at all. We have enough of them in Accrington
HAS Chris Wrigley (Letters, July 27) no sense of feeling, or has he been living in cloud cuckoo land for the past month? For his information, on July 1, a little girl, aged eight, vanished. For the next two weeks the majority of the country sat waiting
THE emotive pleas to reintroduce capital punishment following the tragic death of Sarah Payne is understandable. However, the reactionary instinct must be curbed by sensible and reasonable debate. Many have argued that the death penalty will act as a
JOHN Farrer (Letters, July 25) misses the point. Democracy as practised in Athens all those years ago relied upon the majority taking part, not the minority, so that decisions were truly representative. Of the 32 per cent who voted in the Netherton Ward
A CHURCH official fought off a man armed with a knife who attacked him inside Blackburn Cathedral. Head verger Howard Waddell, 45, was checking the interior of the cathedral at 5pm yesterday before locking up when he came face to face with the man. And
A BRAVE 90-year-old suffered a head wound as she tried to fight off an attacker in her home. The woman was pushed to the floor and her head was split open, as the raider escaped with a handful of coins. The pensioner, who has asked not to be named, spoke
DARREN Peacock could be set to join Rovers' First Division rivals Portsmouth on a free transfer. The 32-year-old defender travelled south yesterday for talks with Pompey boss Tony Pulis. And, if he can agree personal terms, then the former Newcastle man
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today called on supporters to get off the back of want-away midfielder Lee Carsley. Angered by the player's desire to leave Ewood this summer, the Republic of Ireland international was booed and jeered by fans during Saturday's
A BRAVE 90-year-old suffered a head wound as she tried to fight off an attacker in her home. The woman was pushed to the floor and her head was split open, as the raider escaped with a handful of coins. The pensioner, who has asked not to be named, spoke
A RETIRED farmer, a party of schoolgirls and a leading motorway protester prepared to take on the might of the M65 construction army. The siege at Copster Hill Farm, Haslingden Road, Guide, began when contractors threatened to demolish a ramshackle barn
POLICE today revealed a fresh sighting of missing teenage Ruksana Khatun on the day she vanished from East Lancashire. Following widespread media appeals last week, detectives searching for the missing 15-year-old say she was seen at Burnley's Manchester
NEW signing Kevin Ball is eagerly anticipating the visit of Wimbledon on August 19 after getting a taste of the Turf Moor treatment last night. Ball made his unofficial home Burnley debut in the Clarets' 1-0 defeat by Newcastle United in front of 11,441
GREATER Manchester's top cop is to visit Bury tomorrow (August 2). Chief Constable David Wilmot will meet with Bury Council leaders to further promote the working partnership which has developed between GMP, the local authority and other agencies to help
CHRISTMAS came early for clients of mental health group Making Space. They enjoyed a "Christmas in July" party at the centre in Parsons Lane, Bury last Thursday. And volunteers who raised more than £500 from a sponsored walk around Burrs Country Park
TENS of thousands of fish were killed after a devastating pollutant flooded the River Irwell. Now Environment Agency experts are working to trace the source of the pollution, which affected four kilometres of the river between Irwell Vale and Stubbins
AN investigation has been launched after inmates at a local prison rioted for more than six hours. Up to 40 prisoners at the privately-run HMP Forest Bank, on the Prestwich border, barricaded themselves in on Sunday evening. The rioters started fires
A MONUMENTAL memorial restoration programme is to be carried out at a borough cemetery. Bury Council intends to restore the structural integrity of the headstones in Radcliffe Cemetery following the recent death of a child who was crushed by one in Yorkshire
A NEW row has broken out over a controversial mobile phone mast and its ability to interfere with car alarms. The mast is sited on the roof of Prestwich Longfield Suite and local woman Mrs Margaret Barratt claims that she has been forced to abandon shopping
CRACKING start in the Isle of Man, now for a top six finish in the league. That's the confident battlecry from Shakers boss Andy Preece, delighted at his team's form on the eve of the new season. And though the Shakers didn't quite manage to bring home
A GROUP of 200 guides from across the North West will take up a ride challenge at the Camelot theme park in Chorley this weekend. Guides, on a millennium camp, will take part in a day-long contest to see how many rides they can experience throughout the
A CHURCH official fought off a man armed with a knife who attacked him inside Blackburn Cathedral. Head verger Howard Waddell, 45, was checking the interior of the cathedral at 5pm yesterday before locking up when he came face to face with the man. And
GREEN campaigners are claiming that plans to spend millions on upgrading the North West's road network are deeply flawed. Local authorities across the North West, including Lancashire, are bidding for hundreds of millions of pounds to improve roads. The
A COUPLE who set up and ran a rescue centre for unwanted rabbits and guinea pigs have been convicted of animal cruelty offences. Alan and Lynda Vernon have been banned for life from keeping any animals after Blackburn magistrates heard of the gruesome
KEVIN Ryan's remarkable success story continues with a double at Ripon on Sunday. There's Desraya, owned by the Pendle Inn syndicate, and Gralmano, owned by Colerton Moor Racing which is another public house partnership in Leicestershire. Gralmano 11-
YOUNGSTERS are having a busy time in a Blackburn summer literacy school. Witton Park High School is running its third event of this type, for pupils about to move into Year 7, and is again making use of our NIE Super Story Search literacy resource. "Pupils
A LANDLADY has told how her customers were forced to barricade themselves inside her pub to protect themselves from a baying mob of thugs. Around 20 people were arrested on Saturday evening after rugby league fans attacked the Jolly Waggoners pub in Manchester
