YOUNG adventurers celebrated the end of a two-week summer holiday play scheme with a disco at Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park ground. The group all took part in the Blackburn with Darwen Council Passport 2000 initiative, which began in July and lasted two
KEEN golfers are being invited to take part in a charity competition. Blackburn Rotary Club is holding a competition at Pleasington Golf Club on August 30 to raise funds for the East Lancashire Hospice and Macmillan Nurses. The competition has already
A DRIVER failed an early morning breathalyser the day after drinking to drown his sorrow at the death of an uncle. Neil Riley, 34, of Blackamoor Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and without insurance. He was fined a total
A SPECTACULAR event will be held in one of Blackburn's parks for the third successive weekend. Following the success of the Arts in the Park Extravaganza, in Corporation Park, and Blackburn Lions' Gala in Witton Country Park, the Sealed Knot Society is
I WAS pleased to read that Burnley MP Peter Pike has signed a motion in the House of Commons calling for an inquiry into the animal experiment industry. More than a century ago, painful experiments on animals were counted in hundreds per annum. They have
WHEN are senior citizens going to get a fair deal with their pensions? This very low rate of pay has gone on far too long. A lot of these people are living from hand-to-mouth and are too proud to speak up. What is wanted is someone in government with
SO we can't deport two explosive-smuggling terrorists because of 'European human rights.' As we get sucked further and further towards a United States of Europe, these sorts of abuses of British justice and our sense of fair play are becoming more common
MY late mother once lived in Darwen -- in a house that she described as being on 'stilts.' I can only presume that the rear of the house was built over low land and required support, thus her description of it 'being on stilts.' She was Nellie Danks,
A BLAZE ripped through this shopping centre in Leigh this morning, wiping out businesses and causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. More than 60 firefighters were called to the Boulevard, on Bradshawgate, at 1am today and spent the entire morning
A NIGHTCLUBBER suffered an hour-long sex attack by a taxi driver who offered her a lift home after she missed the last bus. The 33-year-old Rossendale victim was left "petrified and traumatised" by the serious and prolonged sex assault, which occurred
A GRIEVING father who lost his wife and young son in a fire which destroyed their house has been forced to move his family into a shelter for the homeless. Hyndburn Council and Eaves Brook Housing Association were today investigating why Brian Stoddard
A GIRL of six and her father were treated at Bury General Hospital after they fell 50ft down at ravine at Ashworth Valley on Saturday afternoon (Aug 5). The duo, both from Heywood, had to be rescued by firefighters. They were treated for minor injuries
ONE Rovers player who is on the move is Darren Dunning. The 19-year-old midfielder, who has appeared in a couple of Rovers' pre-season friendlies, has agreed to join Bristol City on a one month loan. Danny Wilson watched Dunning in a practice game against
BLACKBURN Rovers keeper Alan Kelly today declared himself fit for Saturday's opening league clash against Crystal Palace. The Republic of Ireland international couldn't even remember the name of his dog at the weekend after being knocked unconscious by
CELEBRITY items including a Daniel O'Donnell waistcoat, a Ken Dodd tickling stick and a shorts from athletics hero Brendan Foster will be up for grabs during a silent auction in aid of Colne Parish Church. Church members Cath Stead and Margaret Watson
THE heat's up on the battle of the countryside with the formation of an East Lancashire group set to fight the proposed "right to roam" legislation. The new group, Pendle Action for the Countryside, includes farmers, gamekeepers, country residents and
DOG owners visiting a vets in East Lancashire are to be given free poop-scoop bags in a bid to cut down on dog mess on the streets. Stanley House Veterinary Surgery, in Colne, has teamed up with the Pendle Pride Initiative to heighten the awareness of
MODEL boat enthusiasts from across the area sailed into Oswaldtwistle Mills at the weekend to show off their little ships. Some 20 boats were put on display at the Accrington tourist attraction on Saturday, ranging from warships to yachts and many more
A GRIEVING father who lost his wife and young son in a fire which destroyed their house has been forced to move his family into a shelter for the homeless. Hyndburn Council and Eaves Brook Housing Association were today investigating why Brian Stoddard
MEMBERS of Clitheroe's numerous branches of the Women's Institute flocked during the weekend to the town's grammar school for their annual area show. The Mayor and Mayoress of Clitheroe, Coun Alan Yearing and his wife Susan, on Saturday joined Ribble
CUSTOMERS were forced to leave a Bury town centre pub after a fire broke out in an office. Closing time was quickly brought forward on Saturday night (Aug 5) as around 60 customers at Yates Wine Lodge were preparing to leave the Market Street pub when
A TEENAGER suffered minor whiplash injuries in a road traffic accident at Whitefield. Miss Hayley Barnes (17) was a passenger in a Vauxhall Cavalier which collided on Saturday evening (Aug 5) with a Renault Clio at the junction of Mersey Drive and Roach
POLITICIANS are working together to press for a new Ramsbottom to Manchester commuter rail link. Bury North MP David Chaytor has joined forces with Janet Anderson, Rossendale MP and tourism minister, to link a new Metrolink station in Bury with the East
TWO men, one a 20-year-old, have been found dead in Bury. Police were called to a house in Devonshire Place, Prestwich, on Friday evening (Aug 4) after Daniel Hindle's body was discovered suspended in his upstairs bedroom. It is believed the 20-year-old
BURY soccer star Gary Neville is giving his support to athletes who will raise sponsorship for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign during the Manchester Marathon. The Manchester United and England defender has agreed to be present at a runners' reception
PAY and display charges are to be resumed at a parking area in Bury which earlier this year was the centre of controversy. In April, Bury Council officials suspended the charging system on the area at The Wylde after it became apparent that an error had
ORDERS and deals worth millions of pounds to East Lancashire firms have followed their success at the Farnborough Air Show. Bosses at the North West Aerospace Alliance -- which had its largest ever presence at last month's show -- said they are confident
NEIGHBOURS in Darwen's Portland Street marked the Queen Mother's 100th birthday with a street party. And the event turned into a joint celebration for young resident Marc Fitton's 14th birthday. The day, organised by all the neighbours in the street,
A NIGHTCLUBBER suffered an hour-long sex attack by a taxi driver who offered her a lift home after she missed the last bus. The 33-year-old Rossendale victim was left "petrified and traumatised" by the serious and prolonged sex assault, which occurred
HGV driver Roy Aspin put everything he had worked for at risk by drinking four or five pints of shandy when he went out for his tea, Blackburn magistrates were told. As a result of the drink driving conviction, he was not sure if he would keep his job
A BREWERY is staying tight-lipped over its plans for a Blackburn town centre pub where the publican was found dead. A spokesman for Blackburn-based brewery Daniel Thwaites said bosses would not reveal their plans for the Star and Garter in Railway Road
A PAPER mill is to be prosecuted over an horrific accident in which a worker had all eight fingers sliced off. Health and safety officials are bringing a case against Sappi after the incident at its Blackburn mill last year. They allege that the firm
A NEPHEW has hit out at bogus officials targeting the elderly after his aunt fell victim to thieves. The 84-year-old, who does not want to be named, had almost £400 in cash stolen from her home in the Montague Street area of Blackburn, on Saturday afternoon
NEW kids on the block Burnley and Preston can more than survive in the First Division reckons North End boss David Moyes. While he agrees that Blackburn are one of the favourites for a return to the Premiership, he disagrees with some observers who rank
BURY'S public should be warned: anything they say will be taken down and used in evidence to help the county crack crime! The borough has been chosen to pilot a new scheme which lets residents suggest ways of improving the quality of the police service
AS cynics are sure to claim, there may be a smack of gimmickry about Burnley MP Peter Pike's impending innovation of holding a surgery in a supermarket. And, after all, constituents with personal problems are hardly likely to consider that the town's
TEENAGERS are turning to a new source of information in an attempt to solve their problems -- the World Wide Web. Thanks to a new service launched by Lancashire County Council, youngsters can now fire off an e-mail or log on to a website to get answers
YOUTHS from Bury did themselves proud at the Northern Counties Amateur Swimming Association Highboard Championships, held recently at Oldham Sports Centre. All are members of Oldham Diving Club. The Bury winners were: Men's Highboard: 2nd Michael Jackson
Pet show, Sudellside Community Centre, Darwen, 9.30am-11.30am. Women's Aglow, Accrington Town Hall, 7.20pm. All women welcome. Blackburn Rambling Association, Oddfellows Hall, Regent Street, Blackburn, 8pm. Holiday Auction. Egyptian stories/cartoons -
SCRUM Half Ian Watson swept the board at the Swinton Lions supporters club presentation night last Friday evening. A packed house saw the mercurial Watson collect Player of the Year, Players Player of the Year and Junior Lions Player of the Year. Ian
THE grim weather of last week set the tone for Walmer's league results, with only light relief for the mixed B team. The mixed A squad were visitors to Hawkshaw B in Division Two, and got off to a negative start in the mixed section. Sole victors were
CERTIFICATES were presented to more than 30 children who attended a summer school at Blackburn's St Bede's RC High. The group, who will all begin in year seven at the Green Lane school in September, gave up part of their summer holidays to make new friends
CHORLEY Council has been granted an extra £150,000 to spend on its housing stock. Earlier this year the council claimed it had not had a fair share of the national payout, after the government's annual Housing Investment Programme allocation was announced
A SPECTACULAR event will be held in one of Blackburn's parks for the third successive weekend. Following the success of the Arts in the Park Extravaganza, in Corporation Park, and Blackburn Lions' Gala in Witton Country Park, the Sealed Knot Society is
REGARDING Mrs King's remarks (Letters, July 31) about Jeff Stone and the redevelopment of Church Street and Darwen Street, in Blackburn, Mr Stone has shown commitment, dedication and downright tenacity for the good of Blackburn centre and its people.
I WONDER if Jack Staw, the Home Secretary, realises what a can of worms he will open, should he get legislation through to compel members of various groups to register membership of Freemasonry, whether or not it is right so to do (LET, July 31). Either
LAST Wednesday, along with two other people from Blackburn, I attended Rossendale magistrates' court to give evidence in a case of driving without due care and attention committed on the Grane Road, Haslingden, some nine months previously. The offence
A QUEEN-sized cake was up for grabs in a right royal raffle at Tesco in Bury. To commemorate the Queen Mother's 100th birthday, Macmillan Cancer Relief invited customers to enter the raffle last Friday and Saturday (Aug 4 and 5). The winner was Mrs Veronica
PAUL Anderson rounded off a top class season when he was named as Leigh Centurions' first team Player of the Year at the club's awards ceremony. Anderson, converted from back rower to centre at the start of the campaign, ended the season with 16 tries
AN EAST Lancashire choir will raise its voice with singers across the globe as part of the world's largest, simultaneous singing event. Nelson Arion male voice choir will on October 14 take part in the BT Voices for Hospices 2000 fundraising "sing-a-long
BRITISH Aerospace made plans to airlift hundreds of its staff families -- mainly from Lancashire -- out of Saudi Arabia as the Gulf crisis deepened. The firm chartered two civil planes to fly home the wives and children of staff living in the Eastern
FIREFIGHTERS at Burnley were called to free seven-year-old Jason Severn, who became stuck when playing with a pair of handcuffs. A fire crew had to saw through the metal cuffs which became stuck above his ankle. He was no worse for his ordeal, and was
ANDY PAYTON may be forced to miss Burnley's First Division curtain-raiser at Bolton on Saturday -- but doesn't plan to be off the scoresheet for long. The Clarets striker is highly doubtful for the trip to the Reebok Stadium after fracturing a toe in
A METROLINK user was punched in the face and robbed of her mobile phone. The 18-year-old was standing on the platform at the Stanley Road tram station in Whitefield on Thursday night (Aug 3) when she was approached by a young girl who tried to snatch
TWO men claiming to be roofers tricked their way into an 80-year-old Tottington woman's home to steal. The thieves called at the woman's home in Scobell Street at noon on Thursday (Aug 3) and initially asked to speak to the pensioner's husband before
BURY WRVS is seeking volunteers to help run its contact centre. The facility is a haven where children of divorced or separated families can meet up with family members they do not live with. Helpers are needed on a rota of two hours each month to assist
SIX people, including three fire fighters, escaped with minor injuries after an accident in Bury on Thursday night (Aug 3). The fire appliance from Whitefield was turning out to a fire alert at Bury General Hospital when it was in collision with a Range
CHIEF executive John Williams today hailed Blackburn Rovers 'brilliant' fans as the Ewood faithful throw their weight behind Graeme Souness's promotion charge. After the disappointments of last season, Rovers were anticipating a backlash through the turnstiles
A MYSTERY virus could force Shakers defender Matt Barrass to miss the start of the new campaign. The talented local lad missed Saturday's 2-1 pre-season friendly defeat against rivals Bolton Wanderers and has been banished from Gigg Lane by the club until
MARKET traders in Rawtenstall roared out a welcome to visitors at the start of Great British Market Week -- and the event's lion mascot was on hand to greet the young at heart. This year's theme for the week is Lancashire and local produce was to the
POLICE frogmen dredged a section of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal following reports that a woman had thrown a baby into the water. A section of the canal was sealed off close to a bridge in Lower Audley Street, Blackburn, after two people reported the
WORK on a new £40million power station -- designed to cut a major employer's massive electricity bill -- is to officially start this week. Scottish Power is building the electricity site at the Sappi's paper mill at Feniscowles, Blackburn. The station
JAVAID Feroze was determined to help fight cancer after losing his father to the disease and so organised a fundraising football tournament. And Javaid's efforts helped realise more than £2,500 for the cancer research charity Christie's Against Cancer
A FATHER of a young child is demanding action against a nearby "health hazard" for which no one is taking responsibility. David Hayhurst (pictured) said an alley close to the street where he lives is littered with rubbish including broken bottles. He
CAMPAIGNING residents have pledged to fight for open space even though a major new residential and leisure development near their homes is now under way. Development company Arrowcroft Northwest claims that up to 1,400 jobs could be created as part of
AN organisation founded more than 50 years ago to look after the interests of "corner shop" greengrocers has been forced to fold -- and the rise of supermarket shopping has been blamed. Dwindling membership has spelled the end for the Blackburn branch
SUSSEX laid on bungee jumping under the Hove floodlights last night -- but Lancashire are heading for a crash landing in their defence of the National League title. Lightning slumped to their fifth defeat in nine matches to leave them joint bottom of
MEMBERS of the Guide Association from all parts of the North West enjoyed more activities than you can shake a tent pole at, including media workshops provided by our Newspapers in Education project. The Millepede 2000 Camp at Waddow Hall, Clitheroe,
