Archive

  • Hospital staff are wonderful

    MAY I express my sincere thanks for all the wonderful help I received after my recent accident. The paramedics, A&E team, surgeons, doctors, sisters, nurses and all staff on Ward 6 at Blackburn Royal Infirmary were so kind and helpful in a cheerful

  • School failure down to lack of discipline

    I FEEL I must comment on the closure of Queen's Park Technology College. As I understand it, the school would close at the end of one term and reopen at the start of the next with a new name and possibly some new staff. Who dreamed up this idea? What

  • Residents rescue crash driver

    THE driver of a sports car was pulled to safety after his car collided with two parked cars and burst into flames. The red Ford Escort Convertible crashed into two cars next to the Howe Bridge Sports Centre, Leigh Road, Atherton, at 1.45am on Monday.

  • Man in critical condition after attack

    FAMILY and friends are being urged to help piece together the "missing hours" of a man left fighting for his life after a street attack. Damien Philip Smyth, 29, was found unconscious by a passer-by in Albert Street, near the junction with Ridge Road,

  • Extra special Leigh finally hit big time

    Leigh Centurions 32 Whitehaven 16 (aet) by Mike Hulme: LEIGH'S long and winding road to a place in Super League has ended in success but not after another rollercoaster ride. Finally, after five years on the brink, Leigh are back with the big boys after

  • Oil me up I need a work out

    I used to go to the gym but I don't any more. There's too many of my cousins there! There is something quite peculiar about the gym. Something strange when you go there after a while. There's an atmosphere. A funny one. The kind only Rangeela knows about

  • Your 'Keesee' is all wrong!

    "Listen if I don't go now I'm going to unload all over my Shalwar and then what are you going to do?" I screamed at my cousin. He looked at me and then ran for cover. They need to warn you about these things. At Manchester Airport they should have a leaflet

  • Boost ensures gala's return after 12 years

    BRIERCLIFFE Gala will return to Burnley for the first time in 12 years after a massive financial boost. The Awards for All lottery group have given a grant of almost £4,000 to the community gala, once a staple event in the town. The gala was an annual

  • MP wants power agreement

    TALKS to stabilise Burnley Council must continue despite Labour returning to power, the town's MP has warned. Peter Pike said agreement needed to be reached to find a way forward for the authority, which has no party with an overall majority, as there

  • Bury wake up to grab point

    Leyton Orient 1 Bury 1 by Phil Thorp: BATTLING Bury showed plenty of character to fight back for a point after a poor first half display. Graham Barrow's men weren't at the races in the first 45 minutes but demonstrated their resiliance in a typical '

  • Trawler tragedy probe to reopen today

    THE public inquiry into the loss of the trawler Gaul and its 36 crew - including the husband of a Brierfield woman - will reconvene today. A former Royal Navy chief petty officer, who previously claimed he overheard a Polaris submarine officer claim his

  • 'Wicked' heroin addicts targeted elderly

    TWO heroin addicts who stole from the elderly in their own homes are both behind bars for nine months. Burnley Crown Court heard how pizza chef Abid Ali, 24 and graduate and charity worker Abid Rafique, 28, both took cash from their victims. One claimed

  • Scooter fans ride in for charity day

    HUNDREDS of scooter enthusiasts took part in an event in aid of charity. Scooter fans from across the North West came together at the Craven Heifer, Kelbrook, on Sunday for the annual meet organised by the Cheeky Monkeys Scooter Club. The event brings

  • English language demands: What you should know

    The Government has recently announced that those seeking British Citizenship will have to show that they have a sufficient knowledge of the English Language before Citizenship is granted to them. Currently in the UK as from the 28th July 2004 all applications

  • Hotel bloom win

    THE Railway Hotel, in Station Road, Accrington, was a regional winner in the Heritage in Bloom competition. The Heritage Pub Company, run with Coors Brewers, competed for the accolade of Best Flower Box. Sandra and Mark Lorente, tenants at the Railway

  • Traders set to oppose market hall cash plan

    TRADERS are preparing a campaign against plans to 'sell' Accrington Market Hall to investors. Recently Hyndburn Council announced they were planning to look at buildings - including the Town Hall - for ways of raising cash. Now it has revealed they are

  • Her response was not encouraging

    COUNCILLOR Sharon Briggs (Letters, October 1) is mistaken in stating that the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) fixes the level of elected members' allowances. They can only make recommendations; the final decision is taken by the council which comprises

  • Music maestro's take centre stage

    Legendary Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar scored a hat trick at the Sangeet Awards held at the Royal Albert Hall. He picked up the awards for Best Lyrics in the Indi-pop and film music categories for Oh Sahibaa and the blockbuster film Kal Ho Naa Ho respectively

  • Whitefield's Park and Ride boost

    A MAJOR new Park and Ride is on the way for the Whitefield Metrolink stop after transport bosses gave the go-ahead for enabling works to start on site as soon as possible. Friday's meeting of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority's Policy Committee

  • Equestrian centre a step nearer

    PLANS for a new equestrian centre in the heart of the Ribble Valley have moved a step closer. Revised proposals for 20 stables, an indoor arena and a manager's house were deferred by Ribble Valley councillors at a meeting of the authority's planning committee

  • College uncovers memories of screen legend

    A PHOTOGRAPH of Hollywood star Charles Laughton, taken 90 years ago when he was a pupil at Stonyhurst College in the Ribble Valley, has been discovered in the college archives. ADRIAN WORSLEY talked to college film buffs to ask whether it hints at the

  • You're so vain, you probably think this article is about you

    Nearly 15 years ago, when I was deep into my studies, there were not many young 'ethnics' around, believe it or not. It's not that surprising considering 80 per cent of the current ethnic minority community is under the age of 25. So in a college, or

  • What a load of rubbish!

    It affects all communties everywhere, so much so that many Councils have declared war on rubbish and fly-tipping. SARVAT JABEEN KHAN reports on one Council's battle to get the message home and how we as a community can help. Eighteen inch Sony stereo

  • Dream day for Chappy

    RICHARD Chaplow was today the toast of Burnley after opening his England goalscoring account. The Burnley midfielder was gutted at being named as a substitute for yesterday's U20 friendly clash with Holland. But Chaplow, 19, turned the game on its head

  • Prestwich Co-op Camera Club

    MEMBERS of Prestwich Co-op Camera Club were given a specific target for their competition prints and slides this month. They all had to have something to do with glass. Not only that, they had an outside judge -- Bill Edwards -- from Altrincham and Hale

  • It's your choice

    DEAR MASSI, You had a letter from a woman who said she was being told how to act, dress and live by her husband. It is easy for men to say how we should do things because they don't know what it is like. Some men get all possessive because they are all

  • I won their hearts but lost my own

    DEAR MASSI, After months of trying I have finally forced my parents not to look for a husband for me. They were adamant that I get married to someone from London. He's a distant cousin of ours and the family is very respected. But I didn't want to go

  • What ever happened to real Labour Party Conference debates?

    FOR years, I have tried to watch the coverage of the Labour Party Conference to hear the views of the real Labour people, the rank-and-file workers who brought a breath of fresh air and sincerity to it. I could hear these people speak for or against motions

  • Padiham 2 Chadderton 2

    ON PAPER this was two points lost by the North West Counties League Second Division leaders Padiham, but in reality it might prove a point gained as they found themselves 2-0 behind and down to 10 men following the dismissal of Scott Derbyshire after

  • Trophy trail hits an early dead end

    FA Trophy preliminary round A SPIRITED second half fightback failed to salvage CHORLEY'S FA Trophy hopes at Stocksbridge Park Steels on Saturday. The opening goal on 17 minutes came as no surprise as Ross Hannah lobbed John Gillies before adding his second

  • Dream day for Chappy

    RICHARD Chaplow was today the toast of Burnley after opening his England goalscoring account. The Burnley midfielder was gutted at being named as a substitute for yesterday's U20 friendly clash with Holland. But Chaplow, 19, turned the game on its head

  • Never mind the G-spot, my research is spot on

    IT'S alarming news -- women don't have just ONE G-spot. They have FOUR. Alarming not because we have three more than we have always been led to believe, but because it is a well-known fact that men have trouble finding even one -- yet all the time they've

  • Duffy sees red as Radcliffe suffer

    Unibond Premier Division: Matlock Town 3 Radcliffe Boro 0: LEE Duffy was sent off as Radcliffe Borough crashed to defeat at Matlock. Kevin Glendon's side survived three early scares before the home side went in front in the 22nd minute, just seconds after

  • Advice shows the road to happy families

    A PILOT fun day, the Family Matters Roadshow, will be launched in Rossendale on Thursday. Organised by Rossendale Family Forum, it will offer free advice, information and activities for anyone needing help with family life - from education to benefits

  • Fundraisers visit Downing Street

    PUPILS from a Rossendale school will travel to Downing Street tomorrow to meet pop stars and government ministers as a celebration of their charity work. Young representatives from Haslingden High School, Broadway, will join around 60 other young people

  • Hospital to pay out for tragedy

    HOSPITAL bosses have apologised and agreed to pay damages to the family of a Ramsbottom teenager who died after doctors failed to spot 18 fractures across his body. Nicholas Hitchen, 19, died after medics at the former Bury General Hospital failed to

  • Ricky Hatton at Boro

    WORLD boxing champion Ricky Hatton is to hold a question and answer session at Stainton Park. Hatton will be the star attraction at Radcliffe's ground on Thursday, November 25. Tickets are priced at £20 each, available from the club.

  • It's a Live and Kicking celebration

    AN OUT-of-school club started by a working mum has celebrated its first birthday. And it has proved a double celebration for non-profit making company, Live and Kicking, which has just been granted permission to start up a pre-school for two to five year

  • 'I hope Muhummed has seen paradise'

    THE mother of a blind toddler who died suddenly at home said she hoped her smiling baby had now seen paradise. Sahada Patel, 29, had devoted her life to looking after her youngest of three sons, two-and-a-half year old Muhummed, who was born blind and

  • Churchill's grandson backs QLR campaign

    WINSTON Churchill's grandson has thrown his weight behind the Evening Telegraph's campaign to save the identity of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment. Nigel Adams, the prospective parliamentary candidate for Rossendale and Darwen, said that the QLR's uniqueness

  • Home hunters flock to former 'asbestos estate'

    AN estate once blighted by asbestos has become one of Blackburn's most sought-after locations for home hunters. Hundreds of people have applied to live in homes on the Delph Lane estate, after landlord Twin Valley Homes began massive renovations of the

  • Double knockout for Yaqoob

    Boxing coach Yaqoob Hussain was named Blackburn with Darwen's top coach in the Lancashire Sports Awards recently. His club Audley Boxing Club also picked up the Blackburn with Darwen Club of the year award. He said, "I am delighted to have won the award

  • Interfaith cup sets the standard

    More than 40 youngsters were nominated from mosques and churches to take part in a five-a-side football tournament in Blackburn. All the players aged 12 to 14 were then picked at random and placed into different teams at the competiton held at St Wilfrid's

  • Negative

    I disagree with the article 'No longer the Good Old Days' which paints a very negative picture about how we treat elder members in our community. In my household like many others we would not dream of leaving our mum and dad to fend for themselves. It

  • Think first!

    I would like to ask those people who drive their cars at high speeds through congested areas to think again. I was recently walking with my young son and stopped at a zebra crossing. I was about to cross over when I heard a sound of a car engine fast

  • Such high achievers

    I just wanted to say keep up the great work that your newspaper is doing. I have only started reading your newspaper earlier this year and I love reading it! It keeps me up to date with all the news that concerns the Asian community. Having once been

  • Cowardly?

    Regarding the Saimina Virmani Column I say that the US government has done nothing except conduct a few cowardly attacks from the air which largely affected innocent civillians. We are led to believe that they have been successful in ousting the Taliban

  • In Need of Islam

    Living in Fear it was dark My Life was wasted and devasted Missing the road above me I went down underground Too Blind to see nothing was clear Through hussle and bussle bumps and grazes I couldn't heal Crowds of scieties around me imprisoned by human

  • The 'unnoticed' have a tale too

    Things in life are never black or white. There are grey areas as I discovered. Entwined into our diverse Asian society is a minority of women who go unnoticed. 'Unnoticed' not in the least because they are not seen, but rather because they are not wanted

  • Olympic hero praised

    Amir Khan was honoured by the Pakistani community of Bolton for his Olympic achievements. The 17-year-old and his family listened to Manchester's Pakistan vice-consulate, Chaudry Salauddin, talk about Amir's silver medal and his influence on other Bolton

  • It's all in a name for peace campaigner

    INSIGHT: How could it be that a world renowned peace activist was stopped from going to the US. Yusuf Islam - a threat to national security? Anyone who has ever met Yusuf Islam would surely agree the man is as peaceful and understanding a man as you would

  • Homelessness rate rises twice as fast

    Homelessness has risen twice as fast among ethnic minorities compared to the general population. A report published by Shelter entitled 'The Black and Minority Ethnic Housing Crisis' reveals that homelessness increased by 77 per cent among BME (black

  • Nadeem is a class act

    Some people may have got overawed appearing in their first big film alongside the likes of Om Puri and Sophie Dahl. But Accrington's Nadeem Ahmed just took it in his stride. The 29-year-old is one of the highlights of the film The King of Bollywood which

  • 'I forgive him'

    The wife of a man killed by a former 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, pleaded guilty

  • UK Hajj Help Forum donates compensation

    A group which aims to the improve the service for pilgrims on the annual Hajj has donated compensation money it won to a hospital. The British Hujjaj Help Forum was set up earlier this year following complaints by pilgrims concerning the service they

  • Plea to help stamp out 'feud' violence

    Gang violence will not be tolerated in Lancashire says a police chief - and he appealed to members of the community to help put a stop to it. Detective Inspector Steve Chard said people would not be allowed to take the law into their own hands and vowed

  • Handful turn out as rallies are a turn off

    Two different demonstrations took place in the constituency of Jack Straw MP and both called for his resignation. However, in both cases the turnout was embarrassingly low for the organisers and the first had to be called off. The Muslim Council of Europe

  • Nightmare continues for RMI

    Leigh RMI 1 Stevenage 2 by David Magilton: FOUR successive Conference defeats have added to the pressures mounting on Phil Starbuck, but Leigh's manager remains defiant that he can turn the club's fortunes around. "I have never known anything like it

  • Don't take any chances

    During Ramadan every one is busy preparing samosas, kebabs and other delights. By Sumaiya Patel It seems that in a month where there is an abstinence from food and drink, there is a greater concentration on this than anything else! However for those suffering

  • A marriage made in hell

    Married at 15 and then raped, beaten and forced to have child after child. That's what happened to one Lancashire woman, who's now fighting to help others. BY JENNY SCOTT As a teenager, Nazia (not her real name) was known by her teachers and friends as

  • EVENTS in East Lancashire on Tuesday, October 12

    BURNLEY Friends of Memorial Park Meeting, Knight Hill House, Padiham, 7pm. Shakespeare Schools Festival, Mechanics, Manchester Road, Burnley, 7pm. Simonstone Mothers' Union, Simonstone Old Hall, 7.45pm. "A Wedding in India," by Margaret Taylor. War Games

  • Orbital route must do its job

    YET more complaints about traffic chaos in Blackburn - and no prizes for guessing that they centre on the town's orbital route. The system aimed at reducing congestion, which has still to be completed three years after the first sections were opened,

  • A View form the Lords, with LORD GREAVES

    LORD Palmerston was a famous British statesman and Prime Minister in the 19th century. He's been largely forgotten in our modern era when people seem to think history started with Mrs Thatcher. But Palmerston still gets the occasional mention - in the

  • Time to scrap this tradition

    WOULD any readers care to justify keeping that World War I obsolescence British summer time? We seem the only nation to employ such a measure of dubious benefit and so disruptive. Why? JOHN STIRTON, Avondale Mews, Darwen.

  • Planners should listen to majority

    I DISAGREE entirely with Roy Martin (LET, September 27). If the majority of residents in Clitheroe don't want a mosque, then they shouldn't have one forced on them. I can understand how they feel. GLADYS ROBINSON (Mrs), Edge End, Great Harwood.

  • Can we expect a U-turn?

    RESEARCH by the Department for Transport into 36,000 crashes over a period of four years concluded that excessive speed was the main cause of only 18 per cent of crashes causing death or injury. The report ended by questioning the present policy of scattering

  • Vicar's column always relevant

    I JUST wanted to write and thank you for the regular column by the Rev Kevin Logan. He is an excellent communicator and is always relevant to the everyday difficulties we can all experience. I have been particularly moved by his honest response to the

  • Help keep rail fight on track

    IT is with considerable sadness that I am standing down from my involvement with rail re-opening campaign group SELRAP (Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership), and I am writing to say a huge "thank you" for all the support I have had over the

  • Kamran puts them all in their place

    Twelve-year-old Kamran Ashraf has been at it again - this time beating all that came before him in a seniors snooker tournament. The Nelson youngster was entered in the competition at Chalkers snooker Club along with 16-year-old Mohammed Izrail. Both

  • Your number's up over traffic chaos

    FRUSTRATED supermarket bosses printed a council officer's phone number on till receipts so customers could complain about traffic chaos outside their store. Fed-up customer service managers at Asda, in Grimshaw Park, Blackburn, urged people to ring highways

  • Honours snub motivated Centurions for title win

    HAPPY Leigh are at last celebrating reaching Super League. Their extra-time 32-16 success over Whitehaven finally secured their place among rugby league's elite after suffering heartbreak in three previous finals. And Tommy Martyn revealed that the snub

  • Do you see the light

    And so to those who don't have a chance in hell to get anywhere like me. By which I mean the people who suddenly see the light and transform from complete nobody's to respectibility. It's as if they planned it the sons of a guns. For years you used to

  • Why Gabbidon fits the bill

    THE speculation has already begun in regard to who might follow Mark Hughes to Blackburn Rovers in the January transfer window, writes ANDY NEILD. Depending on what national paper you read, Robbie Savage, John Hartson and Jason Koumas are all said to

  • Rovers skipper linked to Liverpool

    BLACKBURN Rovers midfielder Barry Ferguson could emerge as a transfer target for Liverpool in the January window. Reds boss Rafa Benitez is thought to be a big admirer of the Scotland skipper and he may be lining up a bid to take him to Anfield in the

  • Man in critical condition after attack

    FAMILY and friends are being urged to help piece together the "missing hours" of a man left fighting for his life after a street attack. Damien Philip Smyth, 29, was found unconscious by a passer-by in Albert Street, near the junction with Ridge Road,

  • £7m health site under scrutiny

    PROPERTY chiefs at Burnley Council have been ordered to keep a closer eye on plans for a £7million health and leisure centre after the project spiralled £100,000 over budget. Developers, the Eric Wright Group, have been asked by council bosses to look

  • Green cash to change the outlook

    PEOPLE in Pendle who want to make a difference to their local environment are being encouraged to apply for cash for improvement projects. The Green Partnerships Awards grants, of between £100 and £400, are on offer to local people and groups, including

  • Down the years

    10 years ago ACCRINGTON vicar Kevin Logan said children were being "drip-fed" the occult in his new book on the rise of satanism in Britain. Mr Logan, vicar of Christ Church, accused Christians of being "lily-livered, weak-kneed and totally ineffective

  • Tipper driver's prison warning

    A 34-YEAR-OLD man narrowly escaped a jail sentence after pleading guilty to two offences of driving a tipper lorry with excess alcohol and one of driving while disqualified. Blackburn magistrates heard that Carlos Joseph Sillers Price, of Fern Hill Caravan

  • Smash driver hits wall and is thrown from car

    A MAN was critically ill in hospital today after suffering serious head injuries in a car crash in Clayton-le-Moors. Police said the 30-year-old Great Harwood man is believed to have lost control of his car in Whalley Road, near Hyndburn Bridge, at around

  • Firefighters prevent cat-astrophe

    A CAT rescued from a house fire in Accrington was brought back to life by quick-thinking firefighters. The animal had stopped breathing when members of Lancashire Fire and Rescue carried it from the house, in Belfield Road, at around 9.30pm yesterday

  • The stink of suspicion

    EVERY document of rights and independence limits "rights" where speech and action may deny others enjoyment of the same rights. Does anybody have the right to insult or short-change fellow citizens? For the BNP, having stirred the stink of suspicion and

  • A sanitised view of BNP0

    HOW much disinfectant did it take for correspondent R. G. Purdy to come up with his/her sanitised version of BNP policy? (Letters, October 1). With the BNP not just anti-immigration, but with a declared wish to see people with darker shades of skin removed

  • Morrisons plan is an exciting opportunity

    NEXT Tuesday, the community of Whitefield faces one of the most important days in its recent history. Bury Council planning committee will make a decision on revised plans for the development of a Morrisons supermarket. I urge committee members to make

  • What are their priorities?

    AS a law-abiding resident of Whitefield for 24 years, I feel I must air my grievance about the local police and traffic wardens. On one occasion I was walking the dog past Barclays Bank on Bury New Road, Whitefield, when I witnessed eight youths shouting

  • How would 'courts' work?

    IN his reply (Letters, October 1) Councillor Pickstone says that I have missed the point over the Lib Dem's attitude to local groups on the Prestwich Area Board. I don't think I have. The Lib Dems' first action on taking control of the area board, after

  • My aunt needs help but they won't give it

    MY aunt, who will be 95 in November, took up residence on Elms estate in Whitefield 18 months ago. Due to her age and immobility, she needed the support of the warden who lived on site and was available for any emergency. At that time, I felt that she

  • Plenty of pop but no fizz

    With a strange title you'd think this was a complete waste of time. Well, it isn't that bad. A group of college friends set off to live their respective dreams in a world made up of superficial people living in fantasy land. We normally get a load of

  • It isn't all sweet at home

    Workaholic Dr. Aditya Bhargava (Arbaaz Khan) is married to Trishna (Gracy Singh). A series of strange incidents begin to disrupt their lives. Everything from stones being thrown through their windows to vivid dreams about brutal murders. Trishna begins

  • Without prejudice not a classic

    Bride & Prejudice transplants the classic tale of marriages and manners to modern-day India, England and America, punctuating the giddy affairs of the heart with spectacular, colour-drenched dance sequences. In a small town in the Indian countryside

  • Dodgy copies and clamping down

    It is important to support the Asian music industry. As you're aware, counterfeiting or bootlegging is rife here in the UK, with both music produced here in the UK and Pakistan and India. By DJ FRITZ It is quite easy to recognize a counterfeit product

  • Downloads and all that

    It's that time of the year again, schools, colleges and university have started a new term, summer's over and the weather's turned British (wet and windy) and it gets dark quicker! But I'm not here to write about the weather so lets get on with it. (By

  • No longer the good old days?

    An Asian family sticks together through thick and thin. But is that now the case? SARVAT JABEEN KHAN looks at the apparant breakdown of the Asian family unit and it's consequences. Tradition and religion run side by side so closely that a lot of the times

  • My lies have cost me a good friend

    DEAR MASSI, I have got myself into a very embarrassing situation with a friend and I don't know how to get out of it. We both go to the same college and one day I was talking to a male friend and accidently told him I was going out with her. I am not.

  • Concerned about friend

    DEAR MASSI, I am concerned about my friend; she has been using cannabis for a long while now, but recently has been hanging out with a new group of friends and has started using stronger drugs. How can I help her? MASSI SAYS, Some important things need

  • Admission has left me confused

    DEAR MASSI, I was hoping to get married next year to this guy but I have found out a terrible secret about him. I am 17 years old and he is 32. I have only told my best friend about the relationship and she thinks I am stupid for getting involved with

  • Colne 1 Stone Dominoes 2

    COLNE went down to a second successive defeat when they were beaten by Stone Dominoes at Holt House. The Reds started well with new signing Paul Forsyth having an impressive debut and nearly opening his account, hitting the post after 20 minutes. Stone

  • Bacup suffer Power cut but Paul shines bright

    A CONTROVERSIAL late penalty by Paul Mashiter gave Dave Sharples his first point as Great Harwood Town manager on Friday night. NWCL Division One leaders Bacup were infuriated after being pegged back in the 90th minute by the team at the opposite end

  • United fold in finale

    RAMSBOTTOM left the Bower Fold feeling they had been robbed of the three points after hosts Curzon Ashton scored eight minutes into stoppage time. There didn't seem to be any serious injuries, but it wouldn't have mattered if the visitors had taken their

  • Rovers skipper linked to Liverpool

    BLACKBURN Rovers midfielder Barry Ferguson could emerge as a transfer target for Liverpool in the January window. Reds boss Rafa Benitez is thought to be a big admirer of the Scotland skipper and he may be lining up a bid to take him to Anfield in the

  • Adults face fines for teen boozers

    ADULTS buying alcohol for under-age drinkers face on-the-spot fines in Darwen as part of a joint operation between off-licences and the police. Officers from Darwen are the first in Eastern Division to start issuing fixed penalty fines in the street to

  • Street star officially opens new family centre

    CORRIE'S Chesney Brown opened a new SureStart Centre in his home town of Bacup. Sam Aston, who plays the TV soap's flame-haired favourite, made a guest appearance at the centre's new headquarters based at Maden Baths, Rochdale Road. SureStart is a government

  • Swashbuckling kids look for treasure hidden in books

    LONG John Silver, Blue Beard and Pugwash went treasure seeking at Crawshawbooth Primary. Youngsters turned up to class dressed as their favourite pirate to launch book week at the Burnley Road school, in Rossendale. Crawshawbooth poet Ian Bland also visited

  • Soldier to face charges on hoax photos

    AN East Lancashire soldier will today face a court martial over fake photographs printed in the Daily Mirror that appeared to show British troops abusing an Iraqi. Stuart MacKenzie, 25, from Haslingden, was charged over the hoax, which damaged the Army

  • Seized fakes for charities

    FAKE designer gear seized in a raid in East Lancashire is being passed on to charity. Branded clothes, watches, videos, shoes and perfume worth £7million were grabbed by Trading Standards officers during a raid in Rossendale. Big-name fashion brands faked

  • Watch out! there's a scam about

    The Department for Trade and Industry issued an alert after looking at the most common scams detected in the past year. They include "get rich quick" property schemes and bogus claims about the rental value of buy-to-let properties in poor condition.

  • Some mangos, dhanya and a mortgage please!

    Mr Haroon Chaudry is the proud owner of this successful grocery store based in Burnley - but now he also offers property finanacial services - from the same counter. Having consulted The ABF regarding his ambitions to set up a financial services business

  • Text for a cab - it's that easy!

    The days of phoning for a taxi may be over! For Shakil Dharas and Aftab Hassan of Burnley have launched a new service enabling people to text for a cab. The duo have been friends for four years and were thinking up business ideas while working in Asda

  • Insurance fears are major worry

    Increases in insurance premiums continue to be a major cause of concern for small and medium-sized businesses, with many firms still finding it difficult to find cover at all and others struggling to survive. According to research from leading business

  • Firms warned of new wage rules

    Employers in Lancashire are being warned to prepare carefully for tighter rules governing payment of the increased national minimum wage which come into force in October. Chartered accountants say the changes mainly affect payments to pieceworkers and

  • Longer-term view on mortgages

    Interest rates have slowly started to move upwards, with a 0.25% rise in May and a further 0.25% rise in June, many people are working out whether they are getting a good deal for the mortgage. By Rizwan Sabir A large number of homeowners remain on high

  • A week seeing justice is done

    COMMUNITIES across East Lancashire are invited to take part in Inside Justice Week from today until Saturday. Lancashire Criminal Justice Board will hold events and provide the opportunity to speak with Baroness Scotland, Minister of State for the Criminal

  • Man went berserk in pub after order to leave

    A 22-YEAR-OLD man went berserk after being ordered to leave a Blackburn pub. Blackburn magistrates heard that Paul Donlin caused more than £1,000 worth of damage in the Postal Order as he threw chairs and ash trays around the crowded pub and upset tables

  • Guide dog owner: Open your doors to us

    A BLACKBURN guide dog owner today asked service providers in the town to open their doors to the blind and disabled. Bob Dysart, 51, of Fowler Height Close, Blackburn, said that a lack of thinking about disabled people's needs was causing unnecessary

  • Union to boycott Queen's Park jobs

    MEMBERS of the country's biggest teaching union are vowing to boycott jobs in Blackburn with Darwen in support of staff at the doomed Queen's Park Technology College. Local representatives of the NUT said they had been inundated with messages of support

  • Your number's up over traffic chaos

    FRUSTRATED supermarket bosses printed a council officer's phone number on till receipts so customers could complain about traffic chaos outside their store. Fed-up customer service managers at Asda, in Grimshaw Park, Blackburn, urged people to ring highways

  • Stanley keeper breaks his leg

    ACCRINGTON Stanley have been plunged into a goalkeeper crisis after Jon Kennedy broke his leg in training yesterday. The 24-year-old, who has been an ever present this season, will be out of action for up to three months after the freak accident. His

  • Stanley hope to serve up TV treat

    ACCRINGTON Stanley defender Jonathan Smith reckons the Sky cameras are about to witness a Reds' revival. John Coleman's side are desperate to get back to winning ways when Hereford United arrive at the Interlink Express Stadium tonight (7.45pm). One point

  • Albion secure UK championship

    It was a case of 'so near yet so far' for the North West as Yorkshire rivals Albion Sports lifted this year's UK Asian Football championships held in Scotland. Both North West representatives, Asia FC of Rochdale and Canaries of Preston went out in the

  • Where all the real classics take place

    For most of us classic games do not take place in grounds and stadiums. They take place in the parks, school yards and spare bits of land. So it wasn't surprising there was an outcry when St John's Artificial turf in Blackburn was ripped up and replaced

  • Where all the real classics take place

    There are some things that should never change. For most of us classic games do not take place in grounds and stadiums. They take place in the parks, school yards and spare bits of land. So it wasn't surprising there was an outcry when St John's Artificial

  • Why have HQ here?

    Sir, I have to disagree with Ibrahim Master's argument that plans to base a new intelligence HQ in the North West were simply a misplaced reaction to "Muslim opposition to the war". If that were the case then surely it would make more sense to place the

  • The actual WMD's

    Is it not about time the truth was told? We have waged war on Iraq on the premise that there were WMD's which were a threat to our whole well being. We have now seen the destruction these WMDs can bring - 12000 innocent civilians killed and still counting

  • Tigers win at last

    AT last! Newly-promoted Sedgley Park have finally broken their National League Division One duck with their first victory of the season. They beat Penzance/Newlyn by the closest of margins - 28-27 - on Saturday. It was their first win in six attempts

  • Colls go down

    ATHERTON Collieries were beaten 3-1 at home by Maine Road. Chris Simms and Neil Chappell put Road two up in the first 14 minutes. Nicky Fisher pulled one back from the penalty spot five minutes after the break, but Chappell's second goal, with 18 minutes

  • Crompton doubles up

    North West Counties Div One: Atherton LR 3 Congleton Town 0 PAUL Crompton scored twice as Atherton LR marked Ben Obong's return to the club from Warrington Town with a convincing win. Crompton set up LR's first goal after 11 minutes then added their second

  • Hospital's 'little fighter' goes home

    A BABY boy who spent a record breaking 10 months in a hospital's special care baby unit has been allowed home for the first time in his short life. Little Aaron Nolan-Massey became Fairfield special care baby unit's longest patient before he was finally

  • DVD box set winners

    The winners of our Goodness Gracious Me box set competition (Internet edition) were: Kamran Haider, Sonia Close, Watford; Ian Wareing of Liverpool; H Jalil of Preston; Navin Sewak of London and Umar Tahir of Bradford, Yorkshire. Thank you to everyone

  • Brothers jailed for drugs offences

    Two Blackburn brothers have been jailed for a total of more than six years for their involvement in the supply of controlled drugs. Tussis Ashraf, 17, of Whitewell Place, Blackburn, was found guilty of possession with intent to supply amphetamine and

  • New pocket guide aims to dispel fear

    The Muslim Council of Britain has launched a 'Know Your Rights and Responsibilities Pocket Guide' in a move aimed at reassuring Muslims who feel "unsettled and fearful" of anti-terror tactics while stating their responsibilities as British citizens. The

  • Kidney gift gives Hasnain a new life

    Six-year-old son Hasnain Action Man trainers say it all! He's busy with his new skateboard, eagerly trying it for size in the trendy back-pack so he can carry it with him at all times! (By Sally Clifford) Looking at this little boy now, it's hard to believe