Archive

  • Drivers urged to 'think bike'

    Motorcyclists continue to be disproportionately represented in casualty statistics accounting for 17 per cent of fatalities. With 585 bikers killed and 6,063 seriously injured in 2004, bringing the figures down is a top priority for the Department of

  • Motorists pay to government

    More than a quarter of everyday motoring costs go to the Government through a variety of taxes, research claimed today. Car maintenance firm motoreasy.com said 27 per cent of the money spent on running a car ended up in the coffers of HM Revenue & Customs

  • Hawks hopes are skating on thin ice

    THE title nerves are certainly jangling for Blackburn Hawks. They suffered a costly blow in losing 5-4 at home to Nottingham Lions, which dropped them to third place English National Ice Hockey League. That means with just one game of the campaign remaining

  • Our chance to vote for change!

    THE report Where's the opposition?' (LET, January 31) made me smile when I read Coun Kate Hollern's comments when she said she hoped it would make some people come forward who can actually get involved in a debate and talk some sense. But I feel this

  • Andy Payton column: Canaries singing a different tune to us

    IF you need Burnley's current situation putting into perspective, look at today's Championship table. There we are in the top half of the table on the same points as Norwich City, one place above them on goal difference. It's all looking so good when

  • Boy, 7, escapes school

    A MAJOR police operation was sparked after a seven-year-old boy walked out of a Burnley primary school and went missing for several hours. An investigation was today under way into the incident which happened at Cherry Fold Primary School, Cog Lane. And

  • Hughes delivers rollicking

    Mark Hughes has admitted he delivered a rare "rollicking" to his Blackburn players following Saturday's defeat at Goodison - a result which dented the club's European aspirations. After beating Manchester United 4-3 on their last outing at Ewood Park,

  • Kop call to switch date

    LIVERPOOL chief executive Rick Parry has reassured fans the club is doing everything it can to re-schedule their match against Blackburn, which falls on the 17th anniversary of Hillsborough. Relatives of the 96 supporters who died in the 1989 disaster

  • Defender in line for new deal

    MARK Hughes is set to reward Michael Gray with a new contract after the former England international has succeeded in resurrecting his career under the Blackburn boss over the last six months. The former Sunderland defender, who is relishing the chance

  • Boy, 7, escapes school

    A MAJOR police operation was sparked after a seven-year-old boy walked out of a Burnley primary school and went missing for several hours. An investigation was today under way into the incident which happened at Cherry Fold Primary School, Cog Lane. And

  • Sewage works plan gets the axe

    PLANS to build a new sewage treatment works at a Pendle abbatoir have been scuppered after councillors rejected proposals. Members of Pendle Council's Colne committee refused planning permission for Woodhead Bros to build the new plant at its Junction

  • Girl, 12, sees 'woman kidnapped'

    POLICE are probing a suspected abduction after a woman was bundled into a car by a man on a busy street. Police today said they were not sure whether the incident, witnessed by a 12-year-old girl, was an abduction or a domestic incident which had got

  • Plans to freeze out 'cold callers'

    RESIDENTS in the Milnshaw area of Accrington are being urged to attend a meeting about plans to launch a new "no cold calling" scheme. Residents in the proposed zone, which is bounded by Queen's Road West, Pansy Street, Lancaster Avenue and Gloucester

  • Work of art set for quarry

    A NEW work of art designed to attract visitors to the Ribble Valley has been planned for a site overlooking a quarry. The scheme, which has been backed by a Ribble Valley Council steering group, also came under fire after a poll on the council's website

  • Michael Short column: Why Tony Blair is an ace ID card sharp

    SO IT looks like ID cards are going to get the nod then. As Tony Blair put it: "With the real problems people have today with identity fraud, which is a major, major issue; illegal immigration; organised crime: it's just the sensible thing to do." Hear

  • Cotterill: We are victims

    STEVE Cotterill believes referees are giving Burnley a rough ride against bigger Championship rivals. The Clarets saw two penalty appeals waved aside in last night's 1-0 Turf Moor defeat to bogey side Wolverhampton Wanderers. And after slumping to a second

  • Martin thwarted by crash in Shaw Rally

    An excursion into a ditch cost Terry Martin any chance of a top three finish on the UTS Shaw Trophy Rally. Martin, from Blackburn, and navigator Jerry Hettrick were on course for a good result after cleaning the first section of the event, based in Northumberland

  • Glenn Keeley column: Lack of inches may have cost Rovers

    SIZE matters - especially when you're a defender. Those extra few inches can make all the difference when you're playing against a tall centre forward and I think they've found that to their cost recently. Against West Brom they played against Kevin Campbell

  • Cotterill: We are victims

    STEVE Cotterill believes referees are giving Burnley a rough ride against bigger Championship rivals. The Clarets saw two penalty appeals waved aside in last night's 1-0 Turf Moor defeat to bogey side Wolverhampton Wanderers. And after slumping to a second

  • 40 jobs as firm grows

    UP to 40 telesales jobs could be created as part of the expansion of a new Blackburn-based firm. Over the next 12 months, utility advisory service, Billscutter, will recruit new starters to staff an office, close to its existing building, in Preston New

  • Buyers get chips with everything

    TRADERS were today confident that the "chip and pin" revolution would not cause problems in East Lancashire after the system's formal introduction at midnight. Wherever possible, shops must now use the new pin system, with customers keying in a code rather

  • Hospital is 'being closed by stealth'

    THE last overnight ward at Rossendale Hospital is to close by the summer, sparking accusations that the site is being "closed by stealth." Ward five, which has 14 beds for elderly mental health patients, is to move to Burnley General Hospital as early

  • Fall-out as Paul is branded 'rogue councillor'

    A BLACKBURN politician has been labelled a rogue councillor' by his own party for speaking out over plans to replace a shopping centre's distinctive clock tower. Coun Paul McGurty spoke out after the Evening Telegraph revealed how council planning chiefs

  • Terrified McDonald's staff flee gun raiders

    STAFF at a McDonald's restaurant were left terrified after a late-night raid by armed robbers. But nobody was injured and the would-be thieves left empty-handed. Two members of staff were closing up on Monday at 11.30pm. When they came to locking the

  • Missing dad found in Malaga

    A MAN who missing in Spain has been found battered and bruised in Malaga. Blackburn man Stuart Dalziel sparked a major search when he went missing during a trip to the country last month. But it was called off when the 41-year-old appeared at the foreign

  • Editor's comment: Local care is vital

    Increasing centralisation of our NHS is justified on the grounds that some very expensive, specialised, acute services need to cover a large area to be viable and attract top quality staff. But a host of other hospital services, especially those whose

  • Parking rules are inconsistent

    CAN somebody from the town hall please explain why motorists in the Whalley Range area of Blackburn are allowed to park illegally without being penalised and yet there have been numerous letters and stories in the LET about visitors to the town who have

  • Blair has not solved Iraq issue

    HISTORY will eventually note that Prime Minister Tony Blair was involved in the eventual capture of Saddam Hussein. However, there are to this day many unanswered questions as to the reasons and legality of the war in iraq. The human cost has been high

  • Council leader acting like a hypocrite

    COUN Kate Hollern, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, offended many with her recent rantings and cravings for publicity. Can I ask if she actually knows the meaning of the words hypocrite' and hypocrisy?' No challenge from opposition? Not one month

  • Sports hall plan saved by parent

    A BUSINESSMAN is to donate £1million of his own money to salvage a school sports hall project after a bid for Lottery cash was rejected. Tony Baron, chair of governors and proprietor of Oakhill College, Whalley, is to donate the cash to help rescue a

  • Craig will be strong

    BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes believes Craig Bellamy has the mental strength to keep his mind firmly focused on the job of firing Rovers into Europe as Sunderland head to Ewood tonight for a vital Premiership encounter. Bellamy is still wanted by police

  • Killer mix of Clarets legend's daughter

    THE daughter of legendary Claret Jimmy Adamson died after taking an accidental overdose of alcohol and pills, an inquest heard. The body of Jayne Halstead, 45, was found at her home in Rosemount Avenue, Burnley, by a neighbour in August. The inquest heard

  • Ex-addict jailed for assault on woman

    A BUILDER'S labourer said to have attacked a woman in an unprovoked assault at her home has been jailed for 28 days. Former drug addict Stuart Robert Leeming, 25, who also helped himself to £129 from a cafe, had used heroin for nine years but was now

  • Gig review: Whole Lotta Led @ King George's Hall, Blackburn

    THE yardstick for Led Zeppelin tribute acts is how good they do Stairway To Heaven. So beloved is the song that to many fans it would be a form of blasphemy to come on stage and annihilate the 1971 classic. Whole Lotta Led claim to be the country's best

  • 26-ton lorry's level crossing rail drama

    A BIN lorry which damaged a level crossing barrier after shooting a red light caused two trains to be cancelled while repairs were carried out. And magistrates heard the bill for the incident in Clitheroe in April was £27,000. Trevor Michael Smith, 49

  • Sports hall plan saved by parent

    A BUSINESSMAN is to donate £1million of his own money to salvage a school sports hall project after a bid for Lottery cash was rejected. Tony Baron, chair of governors and proprietor of Oakhill College, Whalley, is to donate the cash to help rescue a

  • Burnley 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1

    'FOOTBALL is not a matter of life or death. It's far more important than that'. The famous mantra of former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, which rings pretty hollow when you consider the underlying circumstances of last night's Turf Moor defeat. Burnley

  • Champs to miss out on big Mac

    LANCASHIRE League champions Lowerhouse are on the look out for a new paid man after Andrew McDonald confirmed he wouldn't be returning for the 2006 campaign. The Victoria Bushrangers all-rounder played a pivotal role in the Liverpool Road side's first

  • Craig will be strong

    BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes believes Craig Bellamy has the mental strength to keep his mind firmly focused on the job of firing Rovers into Europe as Sunderland head to Ewood tonight for a vital Premiership encounter. Bellamy is still wanted by police

  • Single review: The Fallout Trust - Washout (At Large)

    The intro to Washout is so similar to Razorlight's Golden Touch, you half expect Johnny Borrell to chip in any second. But while their sound isn't all that original, there's something inescapably effective about The Fallout Trust. Rather than blandly

  • Lancashire gig guide

    Your diary of the big gigs coming to Lancashire soon, including the likes of Morrissey, G4, The Strokes, Australian Pink Floyd, The Magic Numbers, The Levellers and Fun Lovin' Criminals. FEBRUARY 15 Diamond Dogs, Library Theatre, Darwen FEBRUARY 16 The

  • Credit union success spans a decade

    Jubilee Tower Credit Union today celebrates its tenth anniversary and a combined savings among its members of £180,000. It began as Darwen Tower Credit Union, trading as a savings and loan co-operative, in 1996 and opened premises at The Circus, Darwen

  • Album review: Sparks - Hello Young Lovers (Gut)

    Sparks continue to set the trend for seriously odd music. Now looking like throw-backs from Rentaghost, mustachioed Ron Mael and brother Russel merge opera, classical and electronics to hilarious, but reliably great effect. (Baby Baby) Can I Invade Your

  • Back in jail just after release

    A 23-year-old Darwen man found himself back behind bars just hours after being released from prison. And Blackburn magistrates heard it was not the first time freedom celebrations had cost James Gorman his liberty. Andrew Church-Taylor, defending, said

  • Drugs courier gets 5 years

    A MAN who brought heroin and cocaine to East Lancashire for sale on the streets of Darwen has been jailed for five years. James Donlevy, 21, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court after admitting two charges of possessing heroin and cocaine with intent

  • Heritage Day to raise society profile

    AN event to celebrate Ramsbottom's history is planned for next month to help raise the profile of the town's heritage society. Ramsbottom Heritage Society is hoping to boost interest, and membership, at a Heritage Day, including a Ghosts of the Grants

  • Drink purge is one of UK's first

    A ROSSENDALE town is to become one of the first in the country to be hit with new police powers to crack down on illegal drinking. Police in Ramsbottom are to use new alcohol test strips to check whether people are disguising alcohol in soft drinks or

  • 40 jobs as firm grows

    UP to 40 telesales jobs could be created as part of the expansion of a new Blackburn-based firm. Over the next 12 months, utility advisory service, Billscutter, will recruit new starters to staff an office, close to its existing building, in Preston New

  • My Moira won't be forgotten

    A HUSBAND has vowed to continue raising the profile of the disease which killed his wife. Former Blackburn teacher Moira Coggins bravely battled Alzheimer's for 18 years before dying last month, aged 63. Her husband David paid tribute to her courage in

  • Canaries singing a different tune to us

    IF you need Burnley's current situation putting into perspective, look at today's Championship table. There we are in the top half of the table on the same points as Norwich City, one place above them on goal difference. It's all looking so good when

  • Drink purge is one of UK’s first

    A ROSSENDALE town is to become one of the first in the country to be hit with new police powers to crack down on illegal drinking. Police in Ramsbottom are to use new alcohol test strips to check whether people are disguising alcohol in soft drinks or

  • Election fraud ‘facts on file’

    PENDLE Peer Tony Greaves has revealed he has a file an inch thick on alleged postal voting abuses in Pendle. The Liberal Democrat spoke out in a House of Lords debate on the government's Electoral Adminstration Bill which hopes to increase the turnout

  • Sewage works plan gets the axe

    PLANS to build a new sewage treatment works at a Pendle abbatoir have been scuppered after councillors rejected proposals. Members of Pendle Council's Colne committee refused planning permission for Woodhead Bros to build the new plant at its Junction

  • Killer mix of Clarets legend’s daughter

    THE daughter of legendary Claret Jimmy Adamson died after taking an accidental overdose of alcohol and pills, an inquest heard. The body of Jayne Halstead, 45, was found at her home in Rosemount Avenue, Burnley, by a neighbour in August. The inquest

  • Ex-addict jailed for assault on woman

    A BUILDER'S labourer said to have attacked a woman in an unprovoked assault at her home has been jailed for 28 days. Former drug addict Stuart Robert Leeming, 25, who also helped himself to £129 from a cafe, had used heroin for nine years but was now

  • Heritage Day to raise society profile

    AN event to celebrate Ramsbottom's history is planned for next month to help raise the profile of the town's heritage society. Ramsbottom Heritage Society is hoping to boost interest, and membership, at a Heritage Day, including a Ghosts of the Grants

  • Attack youths ‘pack of dogs’

    FOUR youths described as a "pack of dogs" have been jailed for more than 11 years after their brutal attack on an Earby man. Andrew Thornton was punched, kicked and stamped on, after he complained about different youths using one of his window ledges

  • Call for English day, by George

    BURNLEY-born Labour MP Shahid Malik has called for St George's Day to be made a national holiday to celebrate Englishness. He has put down a Commons motion backing the campaign, led by cricketing superstar Ian Botham, to make April 23, the saint's day

  • Stolen card spending spree

    A COMPANY director went on a spending spree with a stolen credit card and ran up a £2,022 bill, a court was told. Burnley magistrates heard Derek Theodore, 37, had once enjoyed considerable financial success but fell into trouble because his partner

  • Girl, 12, sees ‘woman kidnapped’

    POLICE are probing a suspected abduction after a woman was bundled into a car by a man on a busy street. Police today said they were not sure whether the incident, witnessed by a 12-year-old girl, was an abduction or a domestic incident which had got

  • Boy, 7, escapes school

    A MAJOR police operation was sparked after a seven-year-old boy walked out of a Burnley primary school and went missing for several hours. An investigation was today under way into the incident which happened at Cherry Fold Primary School, Cog Lane.

  • Defender in line for new deal

    MARK Hughes is set to reward Michael Gray with a new contract after the former England international has succeeded in resurrecting his career under the Blackburn boss over the last six months. The former Sunderland defender, who is relishing the chance

  • Burscough 3 Accrington Stanley 5 aet

    SPRING chickens were overshadowed by experienced veterans as Accrington Stanley earned their place in the Lancashire United Co-op Challenge Cup semi-final. Hat-trick hero David Brown eventually wrapped up the tie in the second half of extra time after

  • Craig will be strong

    BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes believes Craig Bellamy has the mental strength to keep his mind firmly focused on the job of firing Rovers into Europe as Sunderland head to Ewood tonight for a vital Premiership encounter. Bellamy is still wanted by police

  • Hughes delivers rollicking

    Mark Hughes has admitted he delivered a rare "rollicking" to his Blackburn players following Saturday's defeat at Goodison - a result which dented the club's European aspirations. After beating Manchester United 4-3 on their last outing at Ewood Park

  • Coleman hit by player block threat

    ACCRINGTON Stanley manager John Coleman risked losing Gary Roberts and Ian Craney for Friday's trip to Gravesend and Northfleet if he failed to make the duo available for tonight's National Game XI European Challenge Trophy game with Italy. Coleman wanted

  • Cotterill: We are victims

    STEVE Cotterill believes referees are giving Burnley a rough ride against bigger Championship rivals. The Clarets saw two penalty appeals waved aside in last night's 1-0 Turf Moor defeat to bogey side Wolverhampton Wanderers. And after slumping to a

  • Champs to miss out on big Mac

    LANCASHIRE League champions Lowerhouse are on the look out for a new paid man after Andrew McDonald confirmed he wouldn't be returning for the 2006 campaign. The Victoria Bushrangers all-rounder played a pivotal role in the Liverpool Road side's first

  • Hawks hopes are skating on thin ice

    THE title nerves are certainly jangling for Blackburn Hawks. They suffered a costly blow in losing 5-4 at home to Nottingham Lions, which dropped them to third place English National Ice Hockey League. That means with just one game of the campaign

  • Kop call to switch date

    LIVERPOOL chief executive Rick Parry has reassured fans the club is doing everything it can to re-schedule their match against Blackburn, which falls on the 17th anniversary of Hillsborough. Relatives of the 96 supporters who died in the 1989 disaster

  • Burnley 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1

    'FOOTBALL is not a matter of life or death. It's far more important than that'. The famous mantra of former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, which rings pretty hollow when you consider the underlying circumstances of last night's Turf Moor defeat. Burnley

  • Plans to freeze out ‘cold callers’

    RESIDENTS in the Milnshaw area of Accrington are being urged to attend a meeting about plans to launch a new "no cold calling" scheme. Residents in the proposed zone, which is bounded by Queen's Road West, Pansy Street, Lancaster Avenue and Gloucester

  • My Moira won’t be forgotten

    A HUSBAND has vowed to continue raising the profile of the disease which killed his wife. Former Blackburn teacher Moira Coggins bravely battled Alzheimer's for 18 years before dying last month, aged 63. Her husband David paid tribute to her courage

  • Green group wins award

    THE Lancashire Environmental Fund is only the fourth such group in the UK to receive a top award from a regulator. The fund has won EB Certification from Entrust, the regulators of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. The certification acknowledges a high

  • Village rat-run misery

    RESIDENTS in a rural village have called on police and council bosses to stop commuters using it as a rat run. Villagers in Belthorn say motorists coming into Blackburn from Haslingden are cutting through the village to jump the long queues of traffic

  • TV review: Masterchef Goes Large, BBC2

    MAYBE because it was Valentine's Day but last night's Masterchef Goes Large seemed a bit, well, saucy. Charisma and stamina were the qualities our contestants needed. An interview with digger driver Dean, 28, was verging on a Carry On movie. "Is it

  • 26-ton lorry’s level crossing rail drama

    A BIN lorry which damaged a level crossing barrier after shooting a red light caused two trains to be cancelled while repairs were carried out. And magistrates heard the bill for the incident in Clitheroe in April was £27,000. Trevor Michael Smith,

  • Work of art set for quarry

    A NEW work of art designed to attract visitors to the Ribble Valley has been planned for a site overlooking a quarry. The scheme, which has been backed by a Ribble Valley Council steering group, also came under fire after a poll on the council's website

  • Blair has not solved Iraq issue

    HISTORY will eventually note that Prime Minister Tony Blair was involved in the eventual capture of Saddam Hussein. However, there are to this day many unanswered questions as to the reasons and legality of the war in iraq. The human cost has been high

  • Parking rules are inconsistent

    CAN somebody from the town hall please explain why motorists in the Whalley Range area of Blackburn are allowed to park illegally without being penalised and yet there have been numerous letters and stories in the LET about visitors to the town who have

  • Our chance to vote for change!

    THE report Where's the opposition?' (LET, January 31) made me smile when I read Coun Kate Hollern's comments when she said she hoped it would make some people come forward who can actually get involved in a debate and talk some sense. But I feel this

  • Council leader acting like a hypocrite

    COUN Kate Hollern, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, offended many with her recent rantings and cravings for publicity. Can I ask if she actually knows the meaning of the words hypocrite' and hypocrisy?' No challenge from opposition? Not one month

  • Terrified McDonald’s staff flee gun raiders

    STAFF at a McDonald's restaurant were left terrified after a late-night raid by armed robbers. But nobody was injured and the would-be thieves left empty-handed. Two members of staff were closing up on Monday at 11.30pm. When they came to locking the

  • Buyers get chips with everything

    TRADERS were today confident that the "chip and pin" revolution would not cause problems in East Lancashire after the system's formal introduction at midnight. Wherever possible, shops must now use the new pin system, with customers keying in a code

  • Credit union success spans a decade

    Jubilee Tower Credit Union today celebrates its tenth anniversary and a combined savings among its members of £180,000. It began as Darwen Tower Credit Union, trading as a savings and loan co-operative, in 1996 and opened premises at The Circus, Darwen

  • Drugs courier gets 5 years

    A MAN who brought heroin and cocaine to East Lancashire for sale on the streets of Darwen has been jailed for five years. James Donlevy, 21, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court after admitting two charges of possessing heroin and cocaine with intent

  • Sex-shame mascot to sell outfit

    DISGRACED former Accrington Stanley mascot, Alan Smith, has come under fire for selling his Stan the Monkey suit on an internet auction site. Smith, 51, who was given a six month jail sentence for indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl last year, put

  • Hospital is ‘being closed by stealth’

    THE last overnight ward at Rossendale Hospital is to close by the summer, sparking accusations that the site is being "closed by stealth." Ward five, which has 14 beds for elderly mental health patients, is to move to Burnley General Hospital as early

  • Fall-out as Paul is branded ‘rogue councillor’

    A BLACKBURN politician has been labelled a rogue councillor' by his own party for speaking out over plans to replace a shopping centre's distinctive clock tower. Coun Paul McGurty spoke out after the Evening Telegraph revealed how council planning chiefs

  • Fire safety visits success

    LANCASHIRE Fire and Rescue Service is one of the best in the country for home safety check visits and fitting smoke alarms, new figures show. Fire officers made 36,125 visits and fitted 35,832 smoke alarms last year double the totals for London and

  • 40 jobs as firm grows

    UP to 40 telesales jobs could be created as part of the expansion of a new Blackburn-based firm. Over the next 12 months, utility advisory service, Billscutter, will recruit new starters to staff an office, close to its existing building, in Preston

  • We’ll win for Tom

    THOUSANDS of football fans stood in a minute's silence to pay tribute to a Ribble Valley boy. Tom Smith, 14, of Forrest Beck, Bolton-by-Bowland, died last week after a three-year battle against a brain tumour. And, after Burnley FC players had attended

  • Back in jail just after release

    A 23-year-old Darwen man found himself back behind bars just hours after being released from prison. And Blackburn magistrates heard it was not the first time freedom celebrations had cost James Gorman his liberty. Andrew Church-Taylor, defending,

  • Missing dad found in Malaga

    A MAN who missing in Spain has been found battered and bruised in Malaga. Blackburn man Stuart Dalziel sparked a major search when he went missing during a trip to the country last month. But it was called off when the 41-year-old appeared at the foreign

  • Sports hall plan saved by parent

    A BUSINESSMAN is to donate £1million of his own money to salvage a school sports hall project after a bid for Lottery cash was rejected. Tony Baron, chair of governors and proprietor of Oakhill College, Whalley, is to donate the cash to help rescue a