I REMEMBER in 1953 when a friend of mine travelled from Blackburn in an ancient and clapped out Morris 8 to Norfolk in order to see Britain's rarest bird -- it was a collared dove. A year later a scientific report stated that this delicate bird which
THE Bolton Association pulled off a superb victory over the Northern League in the semi-finals of the MEN Lancashire Knockout writes Peter Mensforth But the hopes of an all-Bolton final ended when the League were surprisingly beaten by 24 runs by the
JAMIE Diffley's column (LET, July 12) was cynical about National Vegetarian Week and had complete disregard for people whose concern is for animal welfare. If he wishes to eat meat, that is his choice. But why the criticism of people who care about millions
A NIGHTCLUB where a teenager was allegedly attacked shortly before his death has closed down because of a drop in business. Churchills, in Cannon Street, Accrington, was the scene of an incident that led to the death of 18-year-old clubber Gavin Tattersall
LEIGH RMI have secured the signing of local lad Andy Heald for the new season. The versatile youngster played at both full-back and midfield last year.
Kidsgrove Ath 1 Leigh RMI 1 by Martyn Hindley ON trial midfielder Ged Courtenay scored on his Leigh RMI debut to earn the Railwaymen a draw with Kidsgrove Athletic last night. Steve Waywell's new look side showed glimpses of skill in a tricky fixture
BLACKBURN Rovers have cooled their interest in Leeds defender Michael Duberry. Speculation in the national Press this morning claimed Graeme Souness was ready to make another move for the former Chelsea defender as a follow up to his initial enquiry earlier
POLICE in Burnley are appealing for information about an incident in which a car hit an oncoming vehicle in Red Lees Road before driving off. They said a silver Vauxhall Cavalier lost control near the entrance to The Hollins house, in Red Lees Road, and
AN investigation has been launched after 30 workers were evacuated when fire broke out at a chemical plant. The blaze at William Blythe, in Manchester Road, Hapton, started at 6.30am. Bosses at the plant said that there was no danger to employees on site
A COMMUNITY leader said a sex shop's announcement of record sales was a sad indictment on society. Former Burnley Mayor Rafique Malik said there were damaging moral and social issues associated with shops like the one in Colne Road. Mr Malik's comments
SHOPKEEPERS and licensees in Burnley town centre have rallied round to organise a giant raffle after hearing about the ordeal of an 80-year-old woman who was mugged for £10 last week. Landladies at the White Lion pub and Yates Wine Lodge decided to hold
A FATHER who sacrificed the remainder of his life to save his daughter from drowning has been hailed a hero by his heartbroken family. Kevin Whalley, has died, aged 43, eight years after he saved four-year-old Laura Jean from drowning in the sea off Jersey
HEALTH and safety chiefs today confirmed they were investigating why 15-year-old Down's syndrome sufferer Salma Saleem, who plunged 30ft to her death from a fairground ferris wheel, was riding in a carriage alone. Officers from the Health and Safety Executive
WEST Bromwich Albion have apparently turned their attentions elsewhere after the Whites rejected a third offer for skipper Sean Gregan. According to the Baggies website, they tabled a '£2million package' yesterday morning and made it 'crystal clear' that
A CAMPAIGN group hoping to see the Skipton to Colne railway line re-opened have welcomed a feasibility study which has been commissioned by North Yorkshire County Council. The study will be into the possible enhancement and extension of the railway branch
A NIGHTCLUB where a teenager was allegedly attacked shortly before his death has closed down because of a drop in business. Churchills, in Cannon Street, Accrington, was the scene of an incident that led to the death of 18-year-old clubber Gavin Tattersall
A DEVOTED father has died suddenly at the age of 46, just two weeks before he was due to become a grandad for the first time. Norman Garner, a well-known sporting and charity figure in the Ribble Valley, had been the steward at the Royal British Legion
APPARENTLY, the police-council quango behind Lancashire's speed camera overkill considers it is the victim of negative publicity. As a result, it is considering employing a marketing team - spin doctors, in other words - to counter the flood of complaints
HOW jolly and magnificent of Lancashire County Council to offer employees interest-free loans of up to £700 to buy bicycles for them to ride to work on instead of coming in those nasty, politically-incorrect motor cars. Of course, some might question
BLACKBURN Rovers have cooled their interest in Leeds defender Michael Duberry. Speculation in the national Press this morning claimed Graeme Souness was ready to make another move for the former Chelsea defender as a follow up to his initial enquiry earlier
CLYDE Wijnhard admits he may have to find a new club this summer after failing to agree a long-term deal at Preston. The Dutch striker, who is training with Haarlem, has rejected a three-year deal offered by North End and is seeking more money. "My agent
A 78-YEAR-OLD man chased a robber and beat him with a stick to protect a neighbour with learning difficulties who had been targeted by crooks. Horace Toolis tried to stop the raider escaping over a back wall at the home of Gordon Earl, 53, and grabbed
HUNDREDS of people joined a campaign to keep a popular swimming pool open and present a petition calling for the council to "Save Our Baths". More than 200 people gathered at Haslingden Swimming Pool to present a petition to Rossendale Council in a bid
MORE than three million chicks were burned alive in a blaze which destroyed the UK's biggest independent hatchery and put 45 jobs at risk. Firefighters fought for four hours to bring the fire under control at Mayfield Chicks, in Ewood Bridge, Haslingden
LOCAL band Moco will be headlining a charity concert at the Mill at the Pier in Wigan on Saturday, July 27. The Wigan-based foursome has been together for two years and consists of singer Steve Jones, aged 22, lead guitarist Anthony Rigby, 25, bass guitarist
WANDERERS' coach Phil Brown apologised for the fact that nearly all of Wanderers big names were sidelined for last night's 1-1 draw with Radcliffe Borough. Coach Phil Brown felt it was a good run out for some of the less celebrated members of the squad
A BIKER caught doing 102 mph on the M65 near Blackburn turned out to be a police chief inspector. Christopher Marshall, 48, who lives in Bolton and works for the Greater Manchester force, told Blackburn magistrates that he used the 600cc Honda bike to
A HEADTEACHER has praised staff and pupils for maintaining standards while their school became a £12.5million building site. David Whyte said teachers had shown "outstanding professionalism" in guiding students to above average examination results at
IT'S not the place where you would normally go for a good laugh. But shopping centre bosses are hoping to have customers rolling in the aisles -- and not just browsing them. This weekend sees the launch of Sunday Laff-in -- a series of comedy programmes
A GROUP of trees marked the end of Lee Sharples' hope of a top ten finish in the Peugeot 206 Super Cup in Scotland. The Darwen driver, with co-driver Martin Quant from Wrexham, went out of the action during Stage Two of the Jim Clark Rally, denying the
MICHAEL West was still smiling despite failing to finish a rally for the fourth time at the Jim Clark Memorial Rally - although it might have been a grimace! Co-workers at PowerZone and Mini Sport Daniel Barritt and Daniel Harper have been giving him
DANIEL Barritt is on course to clinch his biggest prize yet in motorsport after he and driver David Higgins won the Group N class in the Jim Clark Memorial Rally in Scotland at the weekend. The 21-year-old navigator is eyeing the Manx Rally in two weeks
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Meditation led by June Proctor, Nazareth Unitarian Chapel, Knight Hill, Padiham, 8pm. Eric Knowles -- antiques valuer, Haworth Art Gallery, Manchester Road, Accrington
THE evening primrose is not a primrose but gets its name because of the colour of its flowers. There are several species, some of which are annuals and others are biennials which means that they flower every two years. The species grows in North America
I RECENTLY I spent some happy hours with some children from Chernobyl who have spent a month in Clitheroe as part of a programme designed to combat the effects of radiation in their home area. It has been estimated that one month spent in East Lancashire
I WONDER if parents of children who are about to start secondary education in September are aware of Blackburn with Darwen Council's intention to withdraw school transport for those who live within a three-mile radius of their school, thus putting the
THE transparency of giving Gibraltarians the, to quote Jack Straw, "chance to have dual British/Spanish nationality" is the precursor to giving them "no chance" at all. If the plans confer as quoted, "greater freedom," it will be the freedom for Spain
WHY, when the people of Gibraltar are so set against it, is the British Government so hell-bent on doing a sovereignty deal with Spain? When Argentina attempted to take over the Falkland Islands 20 years ago, we went to war over it and lives were lost
HAVING watched the recent 'Dispatches' TV programme investigating the effectiveness of speed cameras, I was dismayed to read your article (LET, July 11) concerning the plans for increased revenue from fines advocated by the Lancashire Partnership for
MORE than three million chicks were burned alive in a blaze which destroyed the UK's biggest independent hatchery and put 45 jobs at risk. Firefighters fought for four hours to bring the fire under control at Mayfield Chicks, in Ewood Bridge, Haslingden
FORMER Rovers striker Yordi has revealed he is desperate to quit Real Zaragoza. The 28-year-old frontman would love to return to Ewood after a spell on loan at the end of last season. But Souness has no plans to rescue him from his Spanish nightmare and
BLACKBURN defender Lucas Neill has admitted he will be as excited as any Rovers fan when the draw for the first round of the UEFA Cup is made next month. Graeme Souness's Worthington Cup winners will proudly take their place alongside some of the biggest
BLACKBURN Rovers are one of 124 teams who will contest this season's UEFA Cup. The majority of the sides in the hat have qualified either by winning their domestic cup competition (like Rovers) or by virtue of the fact they have finished in the top handful
TONY Blair gave Burnley MP Peter Pike a personal promise of extra cash to regenerate the town and prevent any recurrence of last year's racial disturbances. The Prime Minister was quizzed on the issue by Mr Pike when he faced a two-and-a-half-hour grilling
THREE businesses in Brierfield have been loaned computer equipment as part of a Community Economic Development (CED) project aimed at helping the ethnic minority community overcome the practical hurdles of using IT. It has been funded with cash from the
A MOTHER of two told a jury she was allegedly raped by a married man as her children slept upstairs. The woman, who claimed Javid Ali had sexually attacked her three times before, told a jury he had kissed her so forcibly her nose bled, taken off her
A PETROL station manager told today of the moment thieves tried to run him over after a daring forecourt attempt to stop them stealing fuel. Ibrahim Master, 43, manager at the Griffin Head Services in Burnley Road, Huncoat, was left with cuts and bruises
THE Clarets are being held to ransom by cash-strapped media firm NTL over £200,000 in internet fees that are owed to the club. Coming hot on the heels of the collapse of ITV Digital - which left League clubs £178.5million out of pocket - NTL has told
DARREN Gough is all set to take on Lancashire in the Roses relegation battle at Headingley on Friday. Dazzler emerged unscathed from Yorkshire's Cheltenham and Gloucester trophy win over Essex yesterday and pronounced himself fit for the crucial championship
IT takes a brave man to turn his back on a club like East Lancs after 17 years. But that's exactly what 24-year-old batsman Chris Riley did last winter. And now he hopes the gamble pays instant dividends as he attempts to lead Cherry Tree to the Jennings
THE Clarets are being held to ransom by cash-strapped media firm NTL over £200,000 in internet fees that are owed to the club. Coming hot on the heels of the collapse of ITV Digital - which left League clubs £178.5million out of pocket - NTL has told
BURY FC could be pushed back to the brink of liquidation if another media giant reneges on their cash pledge writes Chris Hall Just a week after receiving a rescue package from Sky, following the demise of ITV Digital, Football League clubs could again
VOLUNTARY and community groups are invited to a meeting in Darwen tomorrow to find out how to get a share of up to £150,000 in grant aid. Blackburn with Darwen Council for Voluntary Service will share out the government cash across the borough this summer
POLICE have asked a security firm to work with them in a move to keep Darwen schools trouble-free this summer. Officers will team up with WG Securities and Voyager Ltd, of Clarence Street, Darwen, in a trial which could be extended across the six week
A NEW community initiative dealing with race issues has been set up in Rossendale. The Joint Action for Race Equality in Rossendale was established after a meeting by 25 members of Rossendale's Asian communities and an initial eight-member Steering Group
COUNCILLORS have welcomed a report which could lead to a major overhaul for Todmorden Swimming Pool. The baths, which opened just two years ago after Calderdale Council approved the £4.5million ultra-modern pool, could now be further developed by charity
A DRUG addict who carried out a string of bag snatches in a desperate bid to feed his habit has been jailed for six years. Paul Broadhurst, 39, carried out four robberies and eight thefts over a period of nearly three months. In two instances he violently
A 12-YEAR-OLD girl's disappearance from East Lancashire led to three men taking the law into their own hands, a court has heard. One of the trio kidnapped a student, whom it was thought, may have known something about the girl's whereabouts. After this
SCORES of businesses dug deep into their pockets to support an £80,000 scheme that will make the borough bloom with civic pride for years to come. Almost 600 hanging baskets and street planters were brought and installed throughout the borough thanks
