TODAY we are told our health services may suffer in East Lancashire because the Trust in charge of our hospitals is losing money. Last year East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust pledged to cut its £3.9million deficit by introducing a series of cuts that
I FEEL that I must take up Councillor O'Keeffe's remarks concerning being a magistrate. His claims of being a magistrate tend to give the impression that they are on the same conditions as a councillor. This is quite wrong. As a former magistrate I remember
A BUSINESSMAN who lost everything following an arson attack today told of his anger after the derelict premises were targeted again. An emotional Kevin Shanley, 60, spoke after two blazes at Rockfield Mill, Blackburn. He closed JS Shanley Motor Engineers
TOWERING defender Jonathan Smith cannot decide whether to let his heart rule his head. The 28-year-old has been targeted by at least three Conference North clubs after failing to secure a regular first team place at Accrington Stanley. After five years
Drive & Stroll, with RON FREETHY I STARTED my walk on the bridge at Gayle. In one direction I could see a cascade of beautiful little waterfalls which have been a photographers delight since Victorian times. On the opposite side of Gayle Beck, however
By the time they reach the age of 70, many people think about slowing down and taking things easy. But not Jim Penny, who is eager to sample more of life's challenges. He spoke to JENNY SCOTT. . . IT'S not every pensioner who can do 86 press-ups in a
BLACKBURN Hawks cross the Pennines today for a 'Roses' battle with Bradford Bulldogs. The Hawks are looking to maintain their 100 per cent record and hold on to their lead at the top of the English National Ice Hockey League North, but player-coach Bobby
TILTING trains travelling at 125mph? Wonderful - but try your local rail network and it's a different story. One day last week I decided to take the train to Blackburn. The indicator board in the station entrance hall wasn't working so I couldn't be sure
HEALTH chiefs have warned that East Lancashire's hospitals are in a "serious financial crisis" that could harm health care in the area. East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust are heading for a £5.5million debt - despite bringing in a series of cutbacks designed
BLACKBURN Rovers striker Matt Jansen today opened his heart and spoke of the depths to which his career had sunk under Graeme Souness. The 26-year-old forward, who is currently enjoying something of a renaissance under new boss Mark Hughes, believes Souness
PRESTWICH-born Doris Milam had plenty to smile about when she celebrated being 100 years old. Doris, who used to live off Bury Old Road, Prestwich, received a visit from her daughter Sue France who had travelled over from South Africa. And Dr Dovid Freed
A CHURCH has had its prayers answered with permission for its grade II listed building to be converted into flats. The application for a major redevelopment at Heaton Park Congregational Church was passed by councillors last Tuesday. Developers plan to
A 41-year-old woman had been drinking heavily the night she caused a three-car accident, a court heard. Roseanna Bermingham, of Duckworth Road, Prestwich, did not bother to stop and when arrested told police her ex-partner had been driving. Empty bottles
PADIHAM police are hopeful of raising £900 after a gruelling 25-mile charity trek. Seven officers took part in the Three Peaks race climbing Pen-Y-Ghent, Whernside and Inglenook in North Yorkshire - which took 13 hours. Money raised will go to the Pendlebury
MOVING up to high school is no longer a daunting prospect at a Prestwich school thanks to a group of older pupils pledging to look out for them. More than 40 pupils at Parrenthorn High in Heywood Road, have been trained as "peer supporters" to help the
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a new college for Burnley were voted through using an out-of-date map, claim campaigners. People living in the Springhill Road area were livid when councillors approved Burnley College's construction of a education department.
A DRINK-driver who failed to negotiate a bend and hit a tree was later found by police at a bus shelter about one mile away, a court heard. Dominic Phillpott (21) had nearly three times the legal level of alcohol in his system. Phillpott, of Glendevon
A THIEF who took a blind shopper's purse on Christmas Eve has failed in an Appeal Court bid to cut in his jail term. Serbian-born Stevan Jovanovic, 35, of Travis Street, Burnley, was jailed for three years four months by Burnley Crown Court in March after
A MAN jumped from a first-floor window to escape flames which had engulfed his home in Gannow Lane, Burnley, early today. He was taken to Burnley General Hospital suffering smoke inhalation and shock after escaping the blaze from his terrace cottage,
A DRUNKEN fire-raiser who started blaze that could have killed two sleeping children and their family, was today behind bars. Burnley Crown Court heard Peter Stuttard, 25, had been thrown out of a party next door to the home. He had been drinking until
A "COWARDLY" drug addict who terrorised a 93-year-old war veteran with a screwdriver in his own home has been jailed for seven years. Burnley Crown Court heard how Kevin Austin, 46, held Tom Whipp prisoner while he ransacked the house in a bid to fund
A PUBLIC meeting is to be held on controversial plans for regenerating housing in Pendle. New political group Respect: the Unity Coalition, which has a branch in Pendle, will hold the meeting at Nelson Library on Thursday, October 7 at 7.30pm. It says
CASH-strapped Pendle Council is considering cutting highways, social services, tourism, and waste collection spending in a bid to stop it going into the red. Councillors have vowed to fight for the 'missing millions' owed to them by the government after
PLANS to build 36 houses in Earby are set to be approved on Tuesday. Briery Homes Ltd wants to build on the former Wardle Storey site in Grove Street. The company originally planned to put 48 houses and flats on the land, but the site is part of Earby
THE wife of a man who died at the hands of his ex-mistress has forgiven him for the affair. Mohammed Nadeem died when Kelly Hyslop picked up a kitchen knife and stabbed him at a house in Commercial Road, Great Harwood, in February. Hyslop, from Huncoat
PRESTWICH actress Casey Lee Jolleys is looking forward to a new role next year - as a real-life mother. Casey Lee shot to fame as a Thai bride in Coronation Street earlier this year. She played the role of a conwoman who posed as Thai bride Orchid Pattaya
UK researchers are developing a DVD that could store 100 times more information than currents discs. Staff at Imperial College London have produced a new way of storing data which means that every episode of The Simpsons could fit on a disc the size of
STEVE Cotterill is hoping to unearth a gem from the non-league scene that launched his own professional playing career. The Burnley boss has revealed that he is monitoring a player from that level, while also hoping to pluck from the lower reaches of
PRESTWICH NHS Walk-in Centre will be open for the town's walking wounded from Monday, October 11. Located next to Prestwich Health Centre in Fairfax Road, the centre will provide instant access to an NHS nurse for advice and treatment for a wide range
A MARINE caught with ecstasy tablets in a nightclub won his freedom, but it was not enough to revive his career in the forces. Jonathan McKie, of Orford Road, Prestwich, was convicted at Plymouth Crown Court of possessing the drug with intent to supply
SELF-employed plasterer Mark West faces losing his livelihood after his car collided with four parked vehicles, a court heard. West (40), of Beech Avenue, Whitefield, admitted a charge of drink-driving in Bury Old Road, Prestwich, when he appeared before
BACUP Borough travel to Newcastle Town looking to turn up the heat on North West Counties League First Division leaders Fleetwood. While the table-toppers are on FA Cup duty, Bacup boss Brent Peters will be looking to build on an impressive 4-1 midweek
THE sports empire build up by former Blackburn Rovers star David Whelan could be about to change hands in a move that could land the ex-Ewood favourite a £220 million fortune. Within minutes of telling the Stock Exchange there had been an approach for
THE memory of Darwen's Hindle Aviary will live on in the shape of a pergola costing more than £30,000. Work will start on the metal structure, in Bold Venture Park, later this month and is expected to be completed by late November. It will incorporate
POLICE are warning shoppers in Rawtenstall to be on their guard after two women had their purses snatched. The victims, one aged 20, the other an elderly woman, were in a charity shop in Bank Street at about 2pm on Thursday when the purses were stolen
PUPILS of the former Stand Grammar School in Whitefield are to be remembered in a special history project. Old boy Tony Wilding is compiling a history of the Old Standians Association which celebrates its centenary in 2006. Mr Wilding is the honorary
A MASTER PLAN to shape the future of Rawtenstall town centre is being drawn up in a bid to rocket the town into the 21st century. Rossendale Borough Council has appointed international consultancy Arup to work alongside the London-based Matrix Partnership
MOVING up to high school is no longer a daunting prospect at a Prestwich school thanks to a group of older pupils pledging to look out for them. More than 40 pupils at Parrenthorn High in Heywood Road, have been trained as "peer supporters" to help the
AN AMBITIOUS year awaits actors at Whitefield Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (WAODS). After starting the season with a popular musical Scrooge, the group will then focus the rest of their attentions on the drama section with a range of plays to
HEALTH chiefs have warned that East Lancashire's hospitals are in a "serious financial crisis" that could harm health care in the area. East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust are heading for a £5.5million debt - despite bringing in a series of cutbacks designed
The Saturday Interview - this week, with Accrington Stanley's MIKE FLYNN MATTHEW Le Tissier caressed the ball in a manner in which only the Jersey-born star could. The ungainly Southampton striker was on the verge of rescusitating their Coca Cola Cup
By Kingfisher THE third round of the Octoplus Standish Autumn League was held last weekend on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal at Saracen's Head where small roach dominated proceedings. So too did the leaders of Division One, Springview, who won for the third
BURNLEY Towneley Hall Art Gallery and Museums, Towneley Park, Burnley. Comedy Night, Mechanics, Manchester Road, Burnley, 8pm. Autumn Plant Sale, Gawthorpe Hall, Padiham. Ransome Brass Band, Mechanics, Manchester Road, Burnley, 2pm. Aerobics, Barden High
A SHOCK survey has revealed two thirds of nine to 13 year olds in East Lancashire experiment with booze. Here, JEMMA DOBSON speaks to one teenager about his experience of underage drinking. . . ADAM Andrews was just 12 when he was found lying in a gutter
TO avoid any more embarrassing handshakes with tyrants - ie the one with President Mugabe - perhaps Jack Straw should revert to his trademark spectacles. After all he could then have them rose-tinted like all the other politicians! KEITH REYNOLDS, Wyre
I CAN assure Roy Martin that the protest against the mosque in Castle View is not racist! (LET, September 27). The site is never likely to be suitable for any public place of worship or entertainment. The traffic congestion in that area is horrendous!
WHEN reading Naseer Zaman's letter, I wondered which country he was living in. Certainly not mine! Take away our right to speak and democracy is dead! Suggesting that we look at situations around the world was an extremely patronising remark to make.
THE people of Spring Street, Rishton, have only just recently got wheelie bins, and are well into the routine of putting them out once a fortnight and recyclable waste every other fortnight. On Monday, September 27, it was the turn of the wheelie bins
A VIOLENT rapist from Hindley who brutally attacked a schoolgirl and made her 11-year-old friend watch has been found hanged in his prison cell. Raymond Neil Horrocks, aged 24, from Hindley, was discovered dead in his cell at Wakefield jail in West Yorkshire
THE wife of a man who died at the hands of his ex-mistress has forgiven him for the affair. Mohammed Nadeem died when Kelly Hyslop picked up a kitchen knife and stabbed him at a house in Commercial Road, Great Harwood, in February. Hyslop, from Huncoat
PRESTWICH barman Jahn Hanson is aiming to be 'top of the glass'. The 29-year-old, who works at T.G.I. Friday's off Bury New Road, Prestwich, is hoping his high-energy cocktail-making routines will catch the eye of the judges on Monday. He is competing
A NEW look is on the cards for Prestwich Residents Association. The group is looking for new members to breathe new life into their campaign for a better town and hope to adopt a new name. Member Darrell Johnson said: "In response to the redevelopment
PUPILS of the former Stand Grammar School in Whitefield are to be remembered in a special history project. Old boy Tony Wilding is compiling a history of the Old Standians Association which celebrates its centenary in 2006. Mr Wilding is the honorary
A FRUIT machine gambler has pleaded guilty to arson following a huge fire at Birch motorway services which caused £7 million worth of damage. At Minshull Street Crown Court on Tuesday, Jason New (31), from Blackpool, admitted the arson at the service
COMPLAINTS made against Bury police have doubled. In a three-month period from April 1 this year, a total of 27 people made 38 allegations against officers. During the same period last year, 14 complainants made 16 allegations. Incivility and neglect
OLD reminders of a troubled past were buried but not forgotten in a special ceremony last Sunday. Members of the local Jewish community took part in a Holocaust memorial service at Agecroft Cemetery to remember those who lost their lives during the Second
A BIG surprise greeted an unsuspecting guest at TGI Friday's restaurant in Prestwich. Twenty-year-old Katie Powell was treated to a massive party after becoming the Bury New Road venue's one millionth customer since it opened in August 1995. Katie, from
VOLUNTEERS are needed to hand themselves in to the police and spend time in the cells. Greater Manchester Police Authority is seeking volunteers to provide help to vulnerable people who are in police custody. These could be juveniles aged between 12 and
PARISHIONERS from Holy Saviours Church, Nelson, got all dressed up to raise money for charity. The fancy dress night at the Parish Centre was to support a calendar for charities Children in Need and the Catholic Children's Rescue Society. It features
THE proliferation in recent years of events preceded by the word "Awards" has diluted their significance to such a degree that most, if not all, of these ceremonies have become just another jolly, attended by B grade "celebs", desperate for publicity
RESIDENTS in Park Lane, Oswaldtwistle, have raised concerns that plans to light a nearby play area will affect their homes. Lights are being installed at Rhyddings Park, to tackle increased vandalism and anti-social behaviour , and would be timed to come
AN Accrington store has risen from the ashes after officially re-opening following an arson attack. GlynWebb, on Blackburn Road, was gutted by the fire in February, which destroyed an estimated £100,000 of stock. Shoppers and staff were forced to run
WAY back in the mists of time, before the arrival of punks and new romantics, rock giants filled the charts and the heads of impressionable youngsters. They were playing a new experimental music called Prog Rock that grew out of a rebellion against the
AN AMBITIOUS year awaits actors at Whitefield Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (WAODS). After starting the season with a popular musical Scrooge, the group will then focus the rest of their attentions on the drama section with a range of plays to
A SALES boss from Whitefield sparked off a major alert when he hurled racial abuse at a bus driver while brandishing an imitation pistol. Manchester Crown Court heard Terence Ward left Mahmood Quraishi "transfixed" with terror when he got the "Magnum
A SPECTACULAR firework display lit the skies of Prestwich to end a weekend of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of St Andrew's Church. And not even the wintry weather could deter the hundreds of visitors who attended the church in Carr Clough,
AN 85-year-old grandmother died in hospital from serious injuries after she had tried to cross a main road in Prestwich, an inquest heard. Mrs Annie Loughrey died on January 8 this year following a collision with a Ford Fiesta in Bury Old Road, near its
GREAT Harwood Town are on the lookout for a new manager after Dave Bradford resigned yesterday. Bradford was finding the going tough with the Robins struggling at the bottom of the North West Counties First Division. Town chairman Bob Holden said: "It
STEVE Cotterill is hoping to unearth a gem from the non-league scene that launched his own professional playing career. The Burnley boss has revealed that he is monitoring a player from that level, while also hoping to pluck from the lower reaches of
BLACKBURN Rovers striker Matt Jansen today opened his heart and spoke of the depths to which his career had sunk under Graeme Souness. The 26-year-old forward, who is currently enjoying something of a renaissance under new boss Mark Hughes, believes Souness
EAST Lancashire's business movers and shakers enjoyed an Indian feast at the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce annual President's Dinner held last night. Guests had an evening of Indian cuisine, music and dancing and were entertained with a display
THE Tory hoping to be Darwen's next MP has slammed Labour's record over dental care. Nigel Adams rubbished claims by Labour MP Janet Anderson that the town's dental service will improve during the next 12 to 18 months. The prospective parliamentary candidate
KEVIN Glendon's hopes of bringing Jody Banim back to Radcliffe Borough have been dashed after the striker signed for Conference North side Droylsden. Accrington Stanley were looking to sign Banim from League Two side Shrewsbury, with a view to loaning
A BLACKBURN jockey has denied biting his girlfriend during a row after a drinking session. Carl Lowther, 30, appeared before Blackburn magistrates for the second time this week and pleaded not guilty to assaulting stable girl Sharon Walker causing her
NEW car parking wardens hit the streets yesterday with town-centre shoppers urging restraint - but residents in communities demanding action. Council bosses pledged that their 20 parking attendants, who have taken over from the police in Blackburn and
A LEADING independent school's new chairman of governors has appealed for donations to help provide places for children from less well-off backgrounds. The last wave of pupils on the Government's assisted places scheme graduated from Queen Elizabeth's
ACCRINGTON Stanley manager John Coleman admits his side will go into tomorrow's game at Farnborough Town buoyant on the back of their LDV Vans Trophy success. The Reds pulled off one of the biggest upsets on their debut in the competition with a 2-1 win
