AD 54: Stubborn Emperor Claudius was murdered a bit at a time by his wife Agrippina. First of all she fed him a dish of poisoned mushrooms at dinner. He collapsed but his servants just thought he was drunk again and carted him off to his room, There Agrippina
TRADING Standards bosses are urging people not to take part in fax votes which are currently flooding firms in East Lancashire. The Preston-based department has been deluged with complaints from businesses about faxes being sent to their firms urging
YOUNG people about to leave care met up for a skills taster day at Bangor Street Community Centre. Blackburn College, the Army and other agencies provided career advice while Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust gave health checks. The youngsters
THE British head of the Methodist Church attended a meeting of the Churches Together in Lancashire at Blackburn Cathedral crypt. The Rev Inderjit Bhogal, who has a Sikh background, joined the informal meeting of about 20 people from the Sikh, Hindu, Christian
WHILE they are asking people how they should spend the £8.6 million they have got from the government, I think the council should adopt all the back entries in Blackburn and resurface them, making them clean and tidy -- including mine. MRS L PURCELL,
NORTH West Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies (Letters, October 9) seems to think that unless we join the euro, we will suffer economically and be shunned by Europe. I suggest he picks up a history book and sees that, for 1,000 years, we managed without
SO, now we are told by the government-commissioned report on the 'Future of Multi Ethnic Britain' that the word British has racial connotations. The way this trend of political correctness is going, it is soon likely to be a criminal offence to be proud
IN reply to Eric Leaver's generalised article concerning farmers (LET, October 11), I would like to point out how damaging it can be to a precarious industry to print that farmers put £28,000 in their back pocket for no work at all. I have never read
ARMED police today arrested six people in connection with the shotgun murder of Burnley warehouseman Iain McKay. Four men and two women were arrested following raids on three houses in Burnley and one in Padiham and were today being questioned at Burnley
CHEMICAL company bosses were today criticised for a catalogue of safety and security problems at a plant which inspectors said was rundown and neglected at the time of two controversial toxic gas leaks. And today Hyndburn MP Greg Pope pledged to talk
Black's spot on as RMI rescue a point SPOT king Tony Black came to RMI's rescue with the 88th minute penalty that preserved his team's six-match unbeaten run. Trailing to a freak own goal, RMI needed Black's fourth successful spot kick of the season to
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today conceded automatic promotion now appears to be out of reach in the wake of yesterday's 2-1 defeat at Fulham. Rovers now trail Jean Tigana's league-leaders by 18 points after the Cottagers rattled up their 10th successive
Fulham 2, Rovers 1 FULHAM boss Jean Tigana recently turned his considerable talents towards wine-making and launched his own label at a certain department store in Knightsbridge. Domaine La Dona Tigana, a vin blanc from Cassis, the coastal region of Provence
THE NEW European Convention on human rights should be invoked to protect residents living close to a proposed hostel, a Burnley councillor urged. Labour's Coun Carole Galbraith said councillors were being kept in the dark over the future use of the former
ARMED police today arrested six people in connection with the shotgun murder of Burnley warehouseman Iain McKay. Four men and two women were arrested following raids on three houses in Burnley and one in Padiham and were today being questioned at Burnley
HAIRDRESSER Robert Brannon is back at his salon in Burnley after taking part in the world's largest hairdressing exhibition. Robert (pictured), 45, who has two salons in Burnley, as well as ones in Colne and Barnoldswick, was asked to perform a 20-minute
A TOMATO plant has grown in the middle of a town centre street and borne fruit! The plant, which has three green tomatoes and plenty of flowers, probably started life as a bit of discarded sandwich. It has grown next to a lamppost in Hall Street, Burnley
"OLD Labour" has come to life in an East Lancashire town once known as Little Moscow because of its left-wing politics. Labour stalwart Len Dole has put his life-long collection of Party memorabilia on display at Nelson Library. The display traces the
St Helens Town 4 Great Harwood 0 TWO St Helens goals in the last ten minutes resulted in a scoreline that flattered the home side. Harwood boss Denis Underwood changed to all-out attack late in the game to try and salvage something but it left his side
Darwen 4, Warrington 0 DARWEN got revenge on the only team to have beaten them this season to progress through to the next round of the Worthington Challenge Trophy. Darwen boss Steve Wilkes hadn't even taken his seat in the dugout when Mark Isherwood
HAIRDRESSER Robert Brannon is back at his salon in Burnley after taking part in the world's largest hairdressing exhibition. Robert (pictured), 45, who has two salons in Burnley, as well as ones in Colne and Barnoldswick, was asked to perform a 20-minute
A TAPAS bar in the Spanish department was among the attractions of an open evening at Norden High School, Rishton. Pupils of nearby primary schools attended the event along with their parents and they were all given a chance to see the various departments
HARVEST gifts brought young school pupils and the elderly residents of a care home together for a celebration. Children from Mount Pleasant Primary School, Clayton-le-Moors, were delighted to welcome their guests to the school harvest assembly to hand
AN animal lover who trained scores of pets to appear on television has died after losing his fight against heart problems. Accrington town centre will come to a standstill on Wednesday when the funeral is held for Tony Jackson, who lived in a farmhouse
FALSE claims by a fish pond supplier has landed the company with a £600 fine. Accrington-based Michael Charles Hewitt, trading as Champion Mouldings, was also ordered to pay £613 costs at Mansfield Magistrates' Court for advertising Koi Carp ponds with
BUS chiefs have blasted Lancashire County Council for launching its new Quality Bus Route in Hyndburn before improving the roads in Accrington Town Centre. The Quality Bus Route, which runs on the old Hyndburn Circular route, was launched in June, promising
TORY MP Nigel Evans and the Bishop of Blackburn, The Right Rev Alan Chesters, spent the weekend at Windsor Castle examining the future of rural England. They were part of a non-partisan meeting to discuss the Church of England's ten-year-old report "Face
BELEAGUERED Stockport County boss Andy Kilner may get the first part of his wish not to sell Ian Moore. But whether he is able to recruit the second striker that he felt might have changed the game at Burnley remains to be seen. With the Clarets seemingly
PAUL Weller has committed himself to the Clarets for the foreseeable future after signing a new long-term contract at Turf Moor. The midfielder's current deal was set to expire next summer and manager Stan Ternent has moved to secure the services of one
Burnley 2, Stockport C 1 WHILE the million-pound strikers that have dominated the headlines around Turf Moor in recent weeks drew a blank in front of goal, it was perhaps inevitable that two who didn't cost a fee would grab the glory. And so it turned
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today conceded automatic promotion now appears to be out of reach in the wake of yesterday's 2-1 defeat at Fulham. Rovers now trail Jean Tigana's league-leaders by 18 points after the Cottagers rattled up their 10th successive
THE power of personality on business success will come under the spotlight during a special workshop at Lancashire CC's Old Trafford ground, Manchester. The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) will host the event on Thursday which will look at the
AN all-female law firm started by a Blackburn-born solicitor has received another feather in its cap. Diane Rostron, of Rostrons Solicitors, based in Lytham, has been granted membership of the exclusive Law Society clinical negligence panel. Only lawyers
INTERNATIONAL corporate clothing designer and supplier Simon Jersey has promoted Geoff Moore to its board as sales director. Geoff (pictured) began his career at the Altham-based company as a sales executive in 1990. Since then the company has enjoyed
THE full value of having a proven goalscorer in your side was never more graphically shown than in Saturday's game at the New Den. In centre-forward Neil Harris the Lions have one of the most sought-after properties in the lower divisions and on this
DARWEN Tower has shut to the public while viewing platforms to be strengthened. The landmark, which celebrated its centenary two years ago, needs major replacement work to its middle platform according to council engineers. Walkers can still reach the
A NEW scheme to map epidemics on the internet has been launched in the North West by the NHS. Until March, 70 GP practices across the region will be reporting the number of patients who come to them with flu and other viruses. The findings will be posted
SUPER swimmer Lauren Eastham overcame her disability to help others. Seven-year-old Lauren raised more than £360 for East Lancashire Hospice when she dived into Blackburn Rotary Club's sponsored swim at Westholme School. The Feniscowles Primary School
OLDER people are to benefit from a £150,000 Community Development fund set up by Lancashire County Council's social services committee. The cash will come in the form of one-off grants for voluntary organisations to support the work they are doing in
EAST Lancashire secondary schools will get a share of £82million to help improve standards for 11 to 14-year-olds. The Government cash will bring the Excellence in Cities programme, which began last year, to Blackburn and Burnley from September 2001.
Clitheroe 3 Abbey Hey 5 CLITHEROE slumped to their first defeat of the North West Counties First Division season in a bizarre game which produced three goals in the first four minutes. A free kick from Barry Hart gave the home side a dream start inside
Bolton Wanderers 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 AFTER a mini-slump of three League games without a win, Bolton Wanderers got back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Wolves at the Reebok Stadium. Wily campaigner Dean Holdsworth was Bolton's first half
Colne 1 Castleton Gabriels 2 COLNE's woes continued -- not even a break from the league producing any respite. Rooted at the foot of the North West Counties Second Division table, Colne were hoping that their involvement in the Worthington Challenge Trophy
PRESTON manager David Moyes may plunder the Deepdale coffers to bring in a striker ahead of tomorrow night's home clash against Norwich. And one name in the frame is Stockport striker Ian Moore, especially now the Burnley deal has fallen through. North
MOST managers usually want to win at any cost. But the loss of striker Steve Basham with a horrific broken leg was just too costly for Preston boss David Moyes. "The win doesn't matter. It's not important in the context of Steve Basham," said the North
Bedlington Terriers 5 - 2 Accrington Stanley ACCRINGTON Stanley's FA Cup run came to an abrupt end when they were beaten 5-2 by giant-killers Bedlington Terriers. Stanley would have been just one game from the first round proper but crashed out to the
FIRST Manchester bus drivers have ended their series of strikes by accepting a revised pay offer. Around 70 per cent of the 1,750 staff endorsed a pay settlement thrashed out between the company and the drivers' union, the Transport & General Workers
Blackburn and District Probus Club, Lammack Methodist Church, 10am for 10.30am. Speaker: Alan Bowles, "Highlands and Islands." "Bouncers," Hull Truck Theatre Co., Charter Theatre, Preston, 7.30pm. Friends in Bereavement, Day Hospital, Burnley General
IN bringing to secondary schools in East Lancashire a share of the £82million Excellence in Cities cash aimed at improving the standards of 11 to 14-year-olds, the government seems to recognise two weaknesses in the current system -- the neglect of talented
AS the House of Lords Appointments Commission casts the net wider for nominations to the House of Lords, LIAM MURPHY looks at the whole issue of elevation to Parliament's Upper House. IF you always thought you would look good in ermine, now could be your
COLLAPSED: A boy of 16 was hauled from Bury baths after he collapsed during a sponsored swim. Anthony Lowe of Ormerod Street, Bury, had completed 35 lengths when he was pulled to the side and treated at Bury General Hospital. Baths supervisor Raymond
CHILDREN collected tins of food for the homeless at a Harvest Festival at St Peter's RC Primary School, Mill Hill. Their gifts will be passed to the THOMAS centre, Blackburn, which provides meals for the homeless and organises drug rehabilitation projects
REGARDING Carl Fogarty, you don't have to be a politician to become a freeman. I am just an ordinary woman who was awarded this honour in 1996, for my research and writing into the history of Great Harwood, and my work for the Great Harwood Civic Society
REGARDING Eric Leaver's remarks about farmers (LET, October 11), how dare he be so insulting towards people who work extremely hard in all weathers and contribute towards the countryside? We are not featherbedded. He ought to have a good look --it's people
A MAN who helped paint the "Welcome to Leigh" signs on roads throughout the town died after suffering from a drugs overdose, an inquest heard. Andrew Cannon, a sign maker for Wigan Council, was found dead by his wife Anne-marie in the house they shared
A WINNER of one of this year's Lancashire Evening Telegraph Grimewatch awards has had his work recognised by Clayton-le-Moors and Altham area Council. Ian Leaver, 60, was presented with a certificate at the area council's first meeting held at Clayton
FULHAM are bang on course to smash Newcastle's record for the best ever start to a season after rattling up their 10th consecutive victory against Rovers yesterday. But former Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark insists no-one is getting carried away by the
BURNLEY footballer Paul Smith suffered a freak accident last night which looks set to end his loan spell to Oldham Athletic. After unloading his car at home in the Burnley area, Smith fell down an uncovered manhole in the dark and gashed his shin. The
A TREE-mendous time was had by visitors to Towneley Park in Burnley as they explored a woodland festival. For the fourth year the event has been organised by the Millennium Commission sponsored Forest of Burnley project to let people know how the scheme
FIREFIGHTERS said today a mother and her young daughter would have certainly died in an arson attack on their home had they not been staying away. Wendy Jackson was at a friend's house and her daughter Eleanor, aged five, was at her father's when someone
Looking back with Eric Leaver THE disclosure the other day that Nelson's derelict and vandalised landmark -- St Mary's Church, in Manchester Road -- is to be preserved with a £400,000 heritage grant chimes with an event there exactly 67 years earlier
Tetley Walker 1, Nelson 2 TWO LATE goals from Carl Howarth, including a last-minute winner, took Nelson into the first round of the Worthington Challenge Trophy. The Blues looked to be on their way out at the preliminary round stage when they trailed
Millwall 4 Bury 0 Bury's defence, which has kept an admirable seven clean sheets in 12 games, was all at sea at the New Den as Millwall romped to a 4-0 win. The class of the Millwall strikers was aided by poor marking and a sloppy back pass and player
Former Burnley striker Paul Barnes has left Bury for Lincoln City in a loan deal. Barnes joined Bury in March 1999, has never held down a regular place, scoring just four goals. He joins former Shakers Tony Battersby and Stuart Bimson as well as manager
THE Department of Health revealed new figures that AIDS was rapidly spreading into the heterosexual population and hundreds of people across East Lancashire could be carrying the disease. As many as 50,000 people could be infected with the disease.
A NORTH West Water boss was attacked by East Lancashire MPs after revealing a desire for the company to move into gas supply and telecommunications. The move was seen by the company chairman as 'an obvious step' to take following the £1.8billion bid for
THE Rotary Club of Accrington held its 75th Charter Anniversary Dinner at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel, Clayton-le-Moors. The Mayor and Mayoress of Hyndburn Councillor Douglas and Sandra Hayes were among the guests who attended the event. Pictured from the left
A SUSPECTED home-made bomb blasted a telephone box to pieces -- and police today said it was a miracle that no-one was killed. The device exploded inside a phone kiosk at the junction of Dill Hall Lane and Hyndburn Road, Church, on Saturday evening. An
ONE is a pop star with multi-platinum singles sales and millions of fans worldwide. The other is an up-and-coming songstress from Middlesbrough. But it was Britney double Suzee Wood and not the real thing who played to a sell-out crowd this weekend. DAVID
CHEMICAL company bosses were today criticised for a catalogue of safety and security problems at a plant which inspectors said was rundown and neglected at the time of two controversial toxic gas leaks. And today Hyndburn MP Greg Pope pledged to talk
PAUL Weller has committed himself to the Clarets for the foreseeable future after signing a new long-term contract at Turf Moor. The midfielder's current deal was set to expire next summer and manager Stan Ternent has moved to secure the services of one
WOULD-BE entrepreneurs are being invited to enter the MBA in Entrepreneurship Scholarship competition organised by Manchester Business School and the Federation of Small Business. Small business entrepreneurs, owner/managers and directors of small and
AN East Lancashire company is the first in the North West to benefit from an initiative to forge stronger links between industry and universities. Now bosses in the area who are eager to launch major strategic development projects, but who need an injection
A CRAFT group faces the axe unless it can find more members to join it. The Earcroft Craft Group holds two hour classes each week in the basement of Hollins Grove Congregational Church in Darwen. But because it has only 10 members it faces closure unless
GHOSTLY goings on at the Crown and Thistle pub in Darwen have spooked licensees Stephen Prince and Becky Lampton. The couple (pictured) claim to have been visited by a friendly ghost who returns to the pub on the old Roman road between Manchester and
CABBIES in Rossendale are threatening lightning strike action unless councillors agree to discuss taxi age limits and tests. For two hours during rush-hour today, about 55 cars and 70 drivers mounted a slow-moving protest around Rawtenstall in the third
STAFF and pupils at Westholme High School in Blackburn welcomed French head teacher Monsieur Joseph Blum, who made a special trip to England to present the school's annual prize-giving ceremony at King George's Hall. Westholme has been twinned with French
MORE homes are to be made available for people moving out of "slum" houses which are to be demolished. Following the decision to clear away part of the Blackburn's Bank Top Clearance Area houseowners were told they could be in line for grants to help
A NIGHT out for a woman ended up with her being the victim of an unprovoked attack which resulted in her having her nose broken. Preston Crown Court was told that Gemma Holden had been out in Longridge with her friend Nicola Turnfield. They had been "
A NEW left wing party launched has started gearing up to fight Blackburn MP Jack Straw at the next general election. The Lancashire Socialist Alliance (LSA) today announced the addition of four new councillors to its ranks, including Burnley left wing
A 'DANGEROUS' new firework should be banned before it maims someone, trading standards chiefs said today. Staff at Lancashire County Council's trading standards department say they have been inundated with complaints about the misuse of a new firework
COUPLES who marked the new millennium with a love-in have sparked a mini baby boom. An extra 50 babies have been born so far this year, with the majority of the extra bundles of joy appearing within the last month -- nine months after the world celebrated
Blackpool Mechanics 3 Bacup Borough 2 TWO defensive mistakes and one dubious penalty decision beat Borough in this hard-fought Division Two encounter at high-flying Blackpool Mechanics. Bacup dominated the game from the start and went ahead in the eighth
Ossett Town 3 Chorley 3 A GRIPPING see-saw encounter in which both sides might easily have doubled their score fittingly ended all square. Chorley battled back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 in the closing stages but were denied when Ossett snatched a last-minute
NEIL Hodgson has nothing to fear when he makes his return to World Superbikes next year. That's the view of his team manager Colin Wright, who witnessed another impressive performance by Hodgson in the final round of the series at Brands Hatch. "I've
