A THIEF with a £30-a-day drug habit was given a "very last chance" by magistrates who said they nearly sent him to jail. The Burnley bench, who had heard Stuart Watson, 23, had hit rock bottom, told him the only way was up. They added they had been very
FIVE hundred businesses in Burnley are being asked to put their hands into their pockets to safeguard the future of the Town Centre Partnership. Funding for the town centre management scheme runs out at the end of the year, after which an annual minimum
COUNCIL leader Stuart Caddy assured campaigners that no reduction in children's play services were being planned, during a face-to-face meeting on Burnley Town Hall steps. But parents, volunteers and children who were carrying out a candlelit vigil were
NORTHERN Ireland Secretary John Reid has warned voters in Burnley that electing a British National Party councillor tomorrow will hit business and investment in the town. The Cabinet Minister took advantage of a lecture on Ulster affairs in Liverpool
THE Rev Lawrence Mutter is hoping to see St John's Church, in Barkerhouse Road, Nelson, filled to capacity on Saturday, December 8, when the Pendle Youth Orchestra will perform a musical extravaganza. The concert, conducted by Stuart Dickinson, will begin
MEMBERS of Pendle Council's executive will be asked to approve a new staff structure in its development control section in response to the recent recommendations by the Best Value Inspectorate. They will be asked at a meeting on Thursday to give the go-ahead
I RECENTLY telephoned the Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre for tickets for a forthcoming concert. Inquiring if buses are available on the route, I was informed of the times and number of the bus which stops outside the theatre from Blackburn and return. In
INSTEAD of having men pushing barrows and using sticks to pick up bits of paper doesn't the Council give them stiff brushes and get some of the leaves and rubbish swept up? They are a danger to the elderly, especially now when the leaves are falling all
COLNE Library has thrown away the rule book and rearranged part of its collection in an 'unclassified' display. The 'unclassified' collection drops the traditional A-Z sequence and classifies books in different ways, some thematically and others by the
YOUNG musicians will flock from across the north to take to the stage in Colne at the weekend for the annual Luther Greenwood Memorial Festival. Junior vocal and instrumental classes will be held at the Muni on Saturday from 9am with a new category for
A BLITZ on crime was launched to tackle Blackburn town centre's car crooks. Police began the initiative despite a fall in the number of thefts from vehicles in the previous three months as officers were given the responsibility of protecting cars and
TWO East Lancashire MPs have clashed over the use of Anti Social Behaviour Orders just a week after one was granted to an 11-year-old troublemaker. Greg Pope and Home Office Minister John Denham have hailed Jack Straw's ASBOs as a success as new research
A SHOCKED man returned home from work -- to find a bus stop outside his front door. Keith Simpson is now trying to get the shelter removed after it was placed just a couple of feet away from his front door. Hyndburn Borough Council put the shelter up
DOG owners on means tested benefits or pensions can take part in a free microchipping scheme for their pooches in Clitheroe and Longridge next week. The NCDL, in conjunction with Ribble Valley Borough Council's animal warden service, will be taking their
PUPILS from Oakhill College in Whalley are sending their very own messages this Christmas to children in need around the world. The kind-hearted youngsters have collected 50 showboxes filled with toys, books, pens, pencils and sharpener, and crayons,
OAKHILL Clarion Cycling Club is inviting all young cyclists in the Ribble Valley to test their skills in a special competition at Oakhill College, Wiswell Lane, Whalley, on Saturday December 1, from 10am to noon. It will include a course to test the children's
DRINKING in public places could soon be banned in three Ribble Valley centres. The move has come from Ribble Valley Borough Council, supported by police, to restrict anti-social drinking in public areas of Clitheroe, Longridge and Whalley using new powers
AN art week at Casterton County Primary School in Burnley was designed to paint pupils a picture of artistic life. Different artist and styles of music, including reggae, Salsa, classical, jazz and opera, were examined by children. Local ceramics artist
ANDY Flintoff has been handed a shock call-up to England's tour of India. And the big Lancashire all-rounder could find himself opening the bowling in the first Test in Chandigarh the week after next. England sent an SOS to Flintoff after Yorkshire's
THE county council is spending £430,000 on 10 new employees in order to give it a better 'locality focus'? No, I'm not sure what it means either. But what I do know is that it is a lot of money. From what I can gather, it's so they can tell county councillors
A REAL stew was stirred up when hospital food in Blackburn was described as 'slop.' First, we had claims that the comments by Central Lancashire University research fellow Samantha Pollitt had been 'taken out of context'. Then, it turned out that the
THE "House Full" signs will be posted at Turf Moor on Friday night - at least as far as the home fans are concerned. The final tickets for the clash with Grimsby Town were sold yesterday afternoon as the club's supporters have responded to the offer of
A PARISH council has objected to plans to convert a detached, two-storey barn into a house. Theaccording to a report to be presented to Blackburn with Darwen's planning and highways committee tomorrowthurs. The owners want to create a three-bedroom house
THE mother of a man who disappeared from home today spoke of her week living in fear before he was found injured in Blackpool and said: "I just want my lad back home." Engineer Leslie Howson disappeared after leaving his girlfriend's house on the way
MOTORISTS in Rambsottom are being urged to find alternative routes if they can to avoid road resurfacing works which begin next week. Whalley Road will be resurfaced from November 27 to December 12 and traffic congestion is expected. Motorists are advised
CHILDREN will have a lesson in literacy if a housing development plan for Weir is resubmitted. Primary pupils from Friar's in Canon Street, Salford, visit the village to see the source of the River Irwell, which is a huge watercourse by the time it passes
A FATHER today issued a plea for help finding the thugs who attacked his ten-year-old daughter with a brick after revealing she may lose her eye. Nadia Butler is being treated on a children's ward in Burnley General Hospital where doctors are keeping
THE owner of a controversial Blackburn nightclub was tonight set to go before licensing chiefs to explain how he was going to overcome noise nuisance problems which have besieged residents. Scott Moon, who runs Cubes in Duke Street, was given a month
A COUNCIL has vowed to fix all faulty street lamps within five days of them being reported broken -- but needs the public's support. Blackburn with Darwen Council is urging people to report any lights they see not working. Coun Florence Oldfield, vice
HELP is on the way for deaf people in East Lancashire who are missing out on valuable disability benefits. A new advice pack on applying for Disability Living Allowance -- DLA -- is being launched in the county by the Royal National Institute for Deaf
POLICE are hunting a teenager who sexually assaulted a young girl in a park. The 11-year-old girl victim was walking home from school along the top road in Corporation Park, Blackburn when she was attacked. As she walked up some steps the teenager, who
BATTLING for her own life after being caught in an IRA bomb has left Blackburn woman Sue Hanisch with a lust for life. The devastating experience, in which she nearly died, left her with severe leg injuries, which resulted in her losing the lower part
NELSON are in Marsden Cup action tonight when they welcome NWCL Division One side Atherton LR to Victoria Park. John Bailey's second division side acquitted themselves well against Division One opposition Clitheroe in the FA Vase last week and will be
RAMSBOTTOM'S South African trialist Alfred Mocheke has had to return home. The 21-year-old centre half was unable to obtain a visa to remain in Britain and flew back to South Africa this morning (Monday Nov 19). Rams manager Mike Kelly said: ,,He cannot
RAMSBOTTOM made it four wins on the bounce when they recorded a last gasp victory over high flying Prescot Cables in the NWCL Division One. Both sides had early chances with Prescot's Gary Jensen testing Rams keeper Allan Fairbrother while Cables goalkeeper
BURY boss Andy Preece was furious with his side as they squandered the chance to win, conceding a sloppy goal in the final moments for the second successive match. A mistake by Mickey Nelson sold keeper Paddy Kenny short and Lee Peacock converted the
LANCASHIRE'S hopes of glory on the Network Q rest on Neil Wearden's shoulders. The highly-rated Poulton-le-Fylde driver will drive a 2001-specification Subaru Impreza WRC, run under the banner of the Prodrive Allstars team, on his home event. Wearden
FOR Colin McRae and Richard Burns, the mathematics are simple. If either wins this weekend's Network Q Rally of Great Britain, they will be crowned 2001 World Champion. In the closest finish seen in the championship's 23-year history, Scotsman McRae goes
DEAR Mr Freethy, I thought that you would be interested in a phenomena we have in our school grounds. In the spring of 1999 two of our resident crows produced one white offspring. It stayed with its parents until the breeding season of 2000 and since
NOW that autumn is advancing, roe deer seem to be recorded in several places and sika deer are in evidence in the area between Bolton by Bowland and Gisburn. Roe deer are native to Britain but the sika deer is an Asian species which is like a smaller
STAFF looked on amazement as mobile hairdresser Ann-Marie Kennedy shaved the head of office manager Allen Ward at Initial Electronic Security Systems, Shadsworth Road, Blackburn. The firm held a fancy dress and jeans day for Children in Need but Allen
PEOPLE wishing to donate to the East Lancashire Hospice's £4,000 Light Up a Life campaign can send their forms to the hospice directly. People can nominate a loved one or someone who has inspired them, and for a small gift to the hospice a light on a
STUDENTS in the Childhood Studies department at Blackburn College raised £1,080 in just a few hours -- for Children in Need. They organised a sponsored car wash; dressed in Victorian costumes and sold cakes and biscuits at college reception areas. They
THE sites of 50 new speed camera sites in Lancashire were due to be revealed today as part of the biggest ever drive to save lives on the county's roads. The new sites were being announced at the launch of the Lancashire Project for Road Safety which
THINKING on Remembrance Day about all the young men who gave their lives for this country -- like my grandfather who was blown to bits in France -- the last thing I needed that day was to hear fireworks being let off. The noise of them is so loud and
I ANTICIPATE that at the next local elections the ballot paper will have to be issued in the form of a booklet to accommodate the hundreds of people who will be queuing to fill these lucrative jobs. After all, where else can you get an occupation where
I AGREE with Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans that the trouble-making 11-year-old made the subject of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order should be named (LET, November 15). In fact, I think all young people who continually reoffend should be named, no matter
people out REGARDING your report (LET, November 13), how much longer do we have to put up with Blackburn with Darwen Council persecuting people over karaoke evenings? It doesn't take an electrical genius to realise that one karaoke machine and one backing
I WAS interested by your article about the security upgrade at the Adam off licence in Darwen (LET, November 9), and the internet response. As a resident of the area I was particularly interested and then incensed when I was burgled the previous Tuesday
DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott said Burnley may be chosen as the guinea pig for a new government regeneration programme which could solve its empty housing crisis. If given the go-ahead, the 10-year plan would see grants from central government being
A MOSQUE designed for 20 families is set to be closed down during a holy festival after a breach of planning conditions which saw up to 1,000 people attending prayers. Blackburn's Shia Muslim community have been using part of the redundant Jubilee Mill
LEIGH RMI boss Steve Waywell is preparing for Saturday's clash with Conference pacesetters Boston with his spirits lifted. The immediate threat of his players facing a wages cut has been eased by the announcement of a £50,000 bank loan, while three key
EWOOD defender Stig Bjornebye today braced himself for industrial action after the threat of a players strike moved a step closer to reality. PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor last night took the unprecedented step of issuing strike notices to all Premiership
BONNY baby Jennie Walsh died in her mother's arms on the night of her christening. She was just ten weeks old. The cause of her death on June 4 still remained a total mystery, an inquest in Burnley was told yesterday. Despite extensive tests, no cause
NORTHERN Ireland Secretary John Reid has warned voters in Burnley that electing a British National Party councillor tomorrow will hit business and investment in the town. The Cabinet Minister took advantage of a lecture on Ulster affairs in Liverpool
DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott said Burnley may be chosen as the guinea pig for a new government regeneration programme which could solve its empty housing crisis. If given the go-ahead, the 10-year plan would see grants from central government being
A CANALSIDE improvement scheme costing £700,000 could be put in place in Brierfield and Nelson as part of the borough's £12million SRB6 funded projects. Groundwork East Lancashire were commissioned to carry out environmental improvement work to the Leeds
IRRESPONSIBLE landlords in Pendle could be left out in the cold if councillors approve a monitoring scheme to tackle the borough's problem private housing sector. A full-time officer could soon be recruited by the council to set up a landlords accreditation
POLICE were probing a mystery explosion and blaze which badly damaged a showpiece nightclub. Five fire engines were needed to control the fire at Manhattan Heights, Cicely Lane, Blackburn, which caused an estimated £50,000 damage.
A WOMAN whose dog went missing a week ago has appealed for her safe return to stop her other dog pining. Catherine Marchbank was walking her one-year-old black, tan and white beagle in Huncoat last Tuesday when she ran off in search of rabbits. But a
CHILDRENS' hospices in Chorley and Manchester benefited to the tune of £20,000 from a charity event staged at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel. The event was the third organised by Leo Flood, owner of Leo's Carpets in Blackburn, and was by far the most successful
RESIDENTS in Great Harwood have aired their views about their town in the hope that a £20,000 study will go some way to improving it. Among suggestions put forward at a public consultation to regeneration experts Business Environments, were proposals
RIBBLE Valley youngsters and parents can learn more about drugs awareness at an information evening at Read Primary School tomorrow. The session has been organised by Ribble Valley police in conjunction with Read and Simonstone parish councils and the
TWO sixth form students from Stonyhurst College have enjoyed an unforgettable visit to Auschwitz - the site of the most famous German concentration camp from the second World War. Head pupil Oliver Spratt and Alexandra Dixon were part of a group of more
BURGLARS got away with more than £3,000 worth of fine wines and champagne in a lightning daylight raid at a secluded hotel. The raiders struck at lunchtime at the exclusive Inn at Whitewell in the scenic Trough of Bowland, near Clitheroe. Director Charles
TWO East Lancashire MPs have clashed over the use of Anti Social Behaviour Orders just a week after one was granted to an 11-year-old troublemaker. Greg Pope and Home Office Minister John Denham have hailed Jack Straw's ASBOs as a success as new research
BURNLEY police want information about a man who snatched a mobile phone from a teenage girl's hand. The 15-year-old was in the Golden Fish Bar, Parker Lane, when the thief grabbed the Nokia 3310 and ran out of the shop. He is white, aged about 20, 6ft
THE "House Full" signs will be posted at Turf Moor on Friday night - at least as far as the home fans are concerned. The final tickets for the clash with Grimsby Town were sold yesterday afternoon as the club's supporters have responded to the offer of
I SUPPOSE that, thanks to the nice, politically-correct checklist issued to every Lancashire police officer on how to organise their Christmas parties, we can free ourselves of much worry. "Use inclusive language when writing to colleagues...Consider
EWOOD defender Stig Bjornebye today braced himself for industrial action after the threat of a players strike moved a step closer to reality. PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor last night took the unprecedented step of issuing strike notices to all Premiership
DARWEN: A 1.8-metre-high fence will be built around part of Chapels Nursery, Winterton Road. Blackburn with Darwen council's planning and highways committee will meet tomorrow to discuss the plans. The 1.8metre fence would be an extension of the fence
BURY FC soccer mascot Robbie the Bobby was given the red card again last night -- for being "stupid." The policeman mascot was dismissed -- for the third time this season-- during the Division Two clash with Bristol City by referee Mike Dean for celebrating
POLICE are warning householders to be vigilant after a spate of burglaries, mainly involving jewellery. In the past six weeks police said there have been more than 40 reported incidents at addresses in the St James area of Darwen. Premises have either
A YOUTH project commended for its commitment to slashing crime has been targeted by burglars. Raiders struck at the Youth Works headquarters, in Sudellside, stealing a PlayStation games console, two controllers and eight games -- valued at around £250
A HUGE project to renovate Darwen's landmark India Mill chimney drew to a close with a special ceremony -- conducted at the top of the 300-foot high building. The 20-week project, costing £170,000, has restored the crumbling tower, off Bolton Road, back
COLLEAGUES at Rawtenstall's Asda didn't get any hassle off manager Andy Lea when he was completing a sponsored silence. He had to wear a sign around his neck to inform customers what he was doing. He only broke his silence once, for which he has to make
FOUR playgrounds out of 15 in Rossendale will close while others will have equipment removed after an engineer inspected play facilities and found a number of defects. The leisure and economic development committee recommended sourcing nearly £63,000
ONE of the North West's largest animal sanctuaries Bleakholt in Turn Village is holding a grand reopening and animal Christmas party on December 2. The sanctuary, on Rochdale Road, had to close for most of the year because of the foot and mouth crisis
YOUNGSTERS in East Lancashire are being told the sky's the limit for a contest to name North West Air Ambulance's new helicopter. Organisers are hoping children will get their thinking caps on and come up with a name for their newest recruit, which will
RESIDENTS are set to fight a drug users' support service being created in their community. A 264-signature petition opposing plans to create a new centre for the East Lancashire Drug Service has been received by Blackburn with Darwen Council. The service
A TEENAGE girl died after taking a mixture of medicine following a drunken night out with her boyfriend which ended in violence, an inquest was told. The inquiry heard that Laura Ann Berry, aged 17, had suffered violent mood swings since her parents split
A MOSQUE designed for 20 families is set to be closed down during a holy festival after a breach of planning conditions which saw up to 1,000 people attending prayers. Blackburn's Shia Muslim community have been using part of the redundant Jubilee Mill
STUDENTS at St Wilfrid's High School and Technology College in Blackburn achieved some of the best sociology results in the country, while helping to make their school one of the top in sport at the same time, said headteacher David Whyte. Mr Whyte, speaking
CLITHEROE produced a fine all-round performance to secure victory over UniBond League side Radcliffe Borough in the first round of the Marsden Challenge Trophy. Neil Spencer was the the NWCL Division One hero with a goal in each half to make sure Lee
THE Magpies' miserable run continued against fellow-strugglers Gretna last night as they went down to the only goal of the game for the third time in consecutive UniBond First Division matches. Chorley have now gone eight league games without a win and
ROSSENDALE produced a magnificent fightback to claim a point after trailing 3-1 inside the first 20 minutes. Their performance in that time can only be described as shambolic, as they gifted the visitors all three goals with some woeful defending. There
BIOLOGISTS have developed a very interesting theory which has become known as the Ecological Niche. This means that no two similar organisms can live in the same environment and eat the same food. When two organisms are too similar one will out-compete
ABBOTT Brow, Mellor, is to be temporarily closed from Monday from its junction with the A59 Longsight Road to the junction with Mellor Lane. The alternative route for traffic is via Mellor Lane, Mellor Brow, Myerscough Smithy Lane, A59 Mellor Brook bypass
A FIRE which started in a house in William Street, Blackburn, last night spread smoke to three other neighbouring houses. Firefighters were called to the house at just after 9.30pm, after a fire which had started in the backyard spread to the house, filling
POLICE executing a search warrant at an address in William Street, Blackburn, were abused by Darren Robertson. But Blackburn magistrates heard that when Robertson was arrested as a result of his behaviour he said: "OK, I'm sorry, let me go." Robertson
PLANS to extend a former church in the heart of Blackburn are set to be approved, despite objections from neighbours. H&S Furniture, of Montague Street, have applied to rebuild a workshop to the rear of the building, which was a church before becoming
HIGHWAYS Agency staff across Lancashire are getting ready for a busy Autumn as they prepare to plant thousands of trees alongside the county's motorway and trunk road network. Since 1958 the agency has planted nearly 50million trees and shrubs and is
EAST Lancashire shoppers are to get a helping hand this year when it comes to buying their Christmas turkey. The National Farmers Union today launched a hotline giving shoppers top tips on where to buy local fresh, turkey direct from the farm. The hotline
A STRING of tough conditions are set to be attached to planning permission for a canalside housing estate on the outskirts of Blackburn. Plans to build 34 houses on land running alongside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal off Livesey Branch Road, Feniscowles
CHILDRENS' hospices in Chorley and Manchester benefited to the tune of £20,000 from a charity event staged at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel. The event was the third organised by Leo Flood, owner of Leo's Carpets in Blackburn, and was by far the most successful
ALTHOUGH I am in favour of our hospital service being on one site, I am afraid the name 'Royal Blackburn Hospital' is a bit lame. The other alternative sounds like a football team. I do not have a problem with the Royal title but should we not look to
REGARDING Mrs Mari Thompson's defence of "orange badge" holders (Letters, November 14), I agree with the original remarks by Mr N Holt (Letters, November 8). Come to Lower Darwen on days when there's a match at Ewood Park and watch the orange badge holders
THE Labour group has steamrollered through a new constitution for Blackburn with Darwen Council. Decisions will be made by just eight councillors on an executive board with the two opposition leaders listening in. At the same time, they propose increasing
I SUPPOSE we must all be grateful to Councillor Maureen Bateson for alerting the public to the dangers of karaoke (LET, November 13). Just 30 miles away in Blackpool, the council has totally ignored all the safety warnings coming from Blackburn with Darwen
GOING off his remarks in "Wonderful world of hindsight" (Letters, November 14), I take it that Neil Farras does not want to live in 'Lib Dem' land and would rather live in 'Labour I-don't-care-about-you' land. But he doesn't seem to live in the same borough
NO matter what the temperature is at Turf Moor on Friday night, Grimsby Town defender Marlon Broomes can expect a hot reception. The reason - he is currently on loan from Blackburn Rovers of course! Now that is not to say his "welcome" will be anything
ITALIAN giants Bologna are ready to join the race for Rovers striker Ciccio Grabbi. As we reported yesterday, Ewood chief executive John Williams confirmed the club have received a number of enquiries about the former Juventus star via a third party.
I'M not normally a big fan of chess! But Saturday's game against Liverpool felt like a battle between two grand masters and I must admit I found the whole experience quite fascinating. Okay, perhaps we didn't see the kind of free-flowing attacking football
A WORKER who was struck by a car while installing a bus shelter in Manchester Road , Hapton, is in a 'comfortable' condition in Burnley General Hospital today. Michael Smith, 28, of Normanton, Derbyshire, was working for bus shelter supply company Macemain
WORK to replace a dilapidated footbridge in Padiham is due to start this week. The new bridge will be at the end of Canning Street and take pedestrians over Green Brook. The present bridge is thought to be in a poor condition but it is not believed to
