Archive

  • Hope completes his hat-trick

    Rob Hope is not a man to take the easy option. In October, he delayed his return from the World Trophy in New Zealand so that he could explore the country, but got back so late that he almost missed the English Fell Championship decider. He arrived in

  • Get together to help elderly

    AS we now live longer than ever before and the number of over-65s grows, it becomes important that pensioners are able to travel comfortably. For many, just keeping a car on the road is an enormous financial struggle on a small fixed income. Others feel

  • Charges will kill off soccer interest

    I MUST protest at the proposed charge for parking at Towneley football fields, Burnley. It seems the council is intent on ensuring the local population is obese. Charges like these will mean more people do not play at the weekend and totally kill off

  • Make the most of wheelie bin space

    A LOT is said about wheelie bins not being big enough. If householders use them properly they would hold much more. The first rule is to recycle into the containers provided. Always use a wheelie liner, but put a bit of tape at each corner to stop the

  • Rubbish collection should be weekly

    I AGREE with the writer of the letter concerning rubbish collection (LET, February 7). Collection of rubbish once a fortnight is ridiculous for a family. When we are paying council tax of over £1,000 a year I expect to have my bins emptied once a week

  • This is no way to treat our elderly

    IT is said the way society treats its elderly defines how civilised it iIf this is true, then after reading recent reports about the abysmal treatment meted out to two pensioners by Gloucestershire County Council and nearer home, our county council's

  • Youth music cafe to open

    A vision of a thriving 'artistic quarter' in Chorley will be given a boost by the creation of a youth drop-in cafe in the town's transport interchange. The cafe will be used as a base from which young people will be encouraged to take part in a range

  • Blooming heck, you can make difference

    RESIDENTS in an East Lancashire town are being urged to make a difference with flowers. Chorley Council is planning to enter the North West In Bloom competition and is looking for local people to help establish a Bloom Group' to co-ordinate the effort

  • Hometown gig for Starsailor's James?

    Global rock giants Starsailor look set to top the bill at a huge summer concert being planned for Astley Park. Hopes are high that a 10,000 capacity show will go ahead in the park on June 18, with promoters and leisure chiefs close to reaching agreement

  • Union slams hosipital unit 'privatisation'

    Plans to outsource the sterilisation services based at Chorley Hospital have been dubbed "privatisation by the back door" by unions. The Hospital Sterilisation and Decontamination Unit (HSDU) cleans and sterilises surgical equipment used in operating

  • Hotel, pub, offices and 500 jobs

    Up to 500 jobs could be created if a £21million development near Botany Bay gets the go-ahead. Plans have been submitted for a 110 room hotel, a pub, industrial units and office accommodation by developers Bluemantle. The site comprises part of the land

  • Probe man found dead

    A DAD-of-two hanged himself on a garden swing the day after finding out he was at the centre of a police and social services probe, an inquest heard. The coroner said Gary Wynne, 42, of Ruskin Avenue, Colne, was so worried about a police investigation

  • Question Time comes to city

    The BBC's Question Time programme will be broadcast from Preston's Guild Hall for the first time today (Thursday). Allan Baker, manager of the Guild Hall, said he has been trying for years to attract the programme and was delighted it was finally going

  • 'Roman tombstone should stay here'

    Museum bosses have vowed to try and retain a Roman tombstone being held at Preston's Museum of Lancashire. The stone, which dates back more than 2000 years, is being dried out and cleaned at the Stanley Street museum following its discovery in Lancaster

  • Cash find honesty pays off

    A Preston schoolgirl has learnt that honesty really is the best policy, after a good turn pocketed her £350. Catherine Lonergan, 10, of Gaythorne Avenue, found the cash on the seat of a London Underground train. She was in the capital with her mother

  • Ballot on changes to wages

    UNION leaders are to ballot Burnley Council staff on proposals that could see some employees face pay cuts of up to £5,000 a year. More than 200 staff attended a Unison meeting at Burnley Mechanics yesterday and voted in favour of a postal ballot on whether

  • Council says 'no' to sale of parkland

    COUNCILLORS have voted not to sell off parkland needed for a new super school by just one vote. Burnley Council last night passed a motion by former mayor and Liberal Democrat leader Coun Gordon Birtwistle calling on the authority to refuse a county council

  • Cup win could boost PNE academy bid

    North End chairman Derek Shaw believes a win in the FA Cup over Middlesbrough on Sunday would go a long way to ensuring the club's academy dream becomes a reality. The club has finally managed to get past council planners and get permission for a dome-like

  • Probe man found dead

    A DAD-of-two hanged himself on a garden swing the day after finding out he was at the centre of a police and social services probe, an inquest heard. The coroner said Gary Wynne, 42, of Ruskin Avenue, Colne, was so worried about a police investigation

  • Your chance to be the next Sven

    Football fans who fancy their chances of following in Sven Goran Eriksson's footsteps when he retires as England coach later this year can get 'On The Ladder' thanks to Chorley's innovative sports scheme. The coach education programme organised by Chorley

  • Warning on purse theft

    SHOPPERS in Accrington have been warned to watch out after two elderly women were targeted by purse snatchers. The women, one 86 and the other 64-years-old, had cash, cheque books and bank books stolen in separate incidents last Friday. PC Caroline Worden

  • Ex-vice chairman arrested

    THE former vice-chairman of Clitheroe FC has been arrested by police investigating alleged theft and deception at the club. Mark Gidlow was interviewed at Greenbank police station, in Blackburn, for eight hours yesterday before being released on police

  • Shirley's goal lies in States

    A SPORTS coach has swapped the frozen pitches of East Lancashire for the most glamorous women's football league in the world. Shirley Veevers, 24, of Clitheroe, is jetting off for a new career as a soccer coach in America. Based in Kansas City, Shirley's

  • Armed raid

    Two masked raiders armed with a sledgehammer escaped with a substantial amount of cash from Higher Adlington Post Office yesterday. The men, described as between 5ft 10ins and 6ft, burst into the post office around 10.30am as a delivery driver was delivering

  • Knife threat to schoolchildren

    Police are hunting for a vicious gang of teenage thugs who robbed two terrified young groups of friends at knifepoint in a Blackpool park. The gang, of up to four youths, targeted two separate sets of youngsters - all aged 12 and 13 - as they played on

  • Cotterill set to recall Kyle

    BURNLEY teenager Kyle Lafferty could have his loan spell at Darlington cut short at the weekend. The Irish striker, 18, has relished his first taste of Football League action with the Quakers, scoring three times in eight starts since joining on loan

  • Bellamy double fires Rovers to seventh

    MARK Hughes last night declared we are back on track' after his Blackburn Rovers players secured a vital 2-0 win over Sunderland that boosted their hopes of qualifying for Europe. After back-to-back Premiership defeats against West Brom and Everton had

  • Homes planned to follow demolition

    THE developers of the Belgrave mill site in Darwen intend to expand their work in the town after applying to build eight town houses close to Bolton Road. McInerney Homes, based in Bolton, has sought planning consent from Blackburn with Darwen Council

  • Five on £1m cigs charges

    FIVE people have been charged as part of an investigation into a £1million money-laundering operation. Lancashire Police's serious and organised crime unit charged the suspects, including a chartered accountant, with offences including smuggling, money

  • Family video theft misery

    BURGLARS who ransacked a couple's home took a video record of their daughter's early years. Leanne Baxter and her partner Paul Irvine, of Maria Street, Darwen, lost £5,000 worth of property in the break-in. But they were devasatetd when they realised

  • Threat to axe Civic Hall in cutbacks

    RAMSBOTTOM'S Civic Hall could be axed under controversial cost-cutting plans. The move is being considered as Bury Metro Council battles to make cuts, blaming a poor block grant from the government. Council officials, and deputy council leader Mike Connolly

  • Police-probe 'doctor' may face charges

    A DOCTOR' who treated his ex-wife's cancer using alternative therapy could be facing criminal charges after police revealed they were preparing a file to pass on to prosecutors. The Crown Prosecution Service will then decide whether any action should

  • Secrecy comes under scrutiny

    MATTERS of public interest are being decided in secret by Rossendale councillors, it was claimed today. Now the local authority's Labour group leader Coun David Hancock is calling for a review of how private issues are dealt with in the council chambers

  • Spare a thought

    There's nothing better than putting your feet up, and drinking a cuppa, be it tea or coffee. But spare a thought for those tea and coffee farmers in the developing world who don't get the breaks they deserve. On March 10 during Fairtrade Fortnight, you

  • Health fears

    I am appalled that Lancashire County Council is considering cutting the daily hot meals service and replacing it with a weekly delivery of frozen meals. As your article explains, the meals on wheels service is not just about food, it's about regular daily

  • Taking daily food from eldery is soft option

    I read your article regarding the proposal to alter the current meals on wheels operation, (Citizen, February 9). One again the wrong people are on the receiving end of "cost cutting" plans. The council in their wisdom, who continue to increase council

  • Free travel for pensioners

    Blackpool pensioners are set to get a free ride on the resort's trams and buses when new laws come in this April. Anyone over the age of 60 and people with some disabilities will be able to travel for free on any journey within the borough of Blackpool

  • Linda's breast cancer battle

    Singer Linda Nolan last week revealed the "terrible shock" of discovering she is battling breast cancer. The 46-year-old West End star and former member of all-sister Fylde-based 80's group, The Nolans , is believed to have been given the devastating

  • Rollercoaster spur for Olympians

    It may be a long way from the Fylde Coast to the chilly Italian Alps but two daredevil brothers have revealed how they took their first steps towards Winter Olympic glory at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Millions of viewers will cheer on Karl and Lee Johnston

  • Of course it can improve

    Steve Cross was 'dismayed' - but what about us and his own foolish fallacious push for market forces (also what about their social destructiveness?). There are many good things about Chorley, including the charity shops! It would be trite to say things

  • Smell causes a stink in port

    An unexplained aroma plaguing the streets of Fleetwood has caused a stink between Wyre Council and United Utilities officials this week - and a high tech 'smell monitor' will help sniff out the sources of the problem. The unidentified stench has been

  • Flat Iron belongs to us

    When I was an apprentice the workmen from Chorley used to tell me that the Flat Iron was left to the people of Chorley in a will, to be used as an open space, for the people of Chorley, not to be cluttered with street furniture, etc, etc, or car parking

  • Show me evidence

    I am somewhat puzzled by David Beattie's argument in last week's Citizen letters. It is conjecture if atrocities such as those by Pol Pot would have still occurred without religion, but what is definite is that they did occur despite religion, hardly

  • Security alert over our Eros

    Security at Wyre's 'Eros' monument will not be stepped-up despite news of a daring plot to steal the original statue from its London home last week. Wyre council chiefs have confirmed they will not be increasing CCTV coverage at the currently empty Fleetwood

  • Big round of applause for Les Miserables

    Last Thursday evening I was exposed to a really revolting spectacle in Chorley and guess what? I thoroughly enjoyed it - all three hours of it! Of course, I am referring to Holy Cross RC High School's recent triumphant production of Les Miserables. The

  • Ban will be a lifesaver

    Health chiefs on the Fylde coast are jubilant after MPs voted to ban smoking in pubs and clubs. From next summer, all work places, pubs and clubs, including private members' clubs, will become smoke free. Blackpool's anti-smoking lobby predicted a dramatic

  • A room for the night

    Readers may have noted the recent ecumenical homeless service held this year at Euxton Methodist Church. It was because of the problem encountered by clergy in Chorley that the churches initiated the creation of Help the Homeless Chorley. In Leyland the

  • Councils may merge by 2009

    Preston, South Ribble and Chorley could merge to form a new central Lancashire council by 2009 if the Government presses ahead with plans to abolish the two-tier system of local government. Preston City Council's scrutiny committee has agreed to set up

  • Dad missing in Spain reunited with family

    A MAN today told how he sparked an international search when he was thrown off a plane for being too drunk. Stuart Dalziel, 41 from Whitehaven Close, Blackburn, flew from Blackpool airport to Torremolinos with his son Mark and two friends for a day trip

  • Preston are no ordinary boys

    PROMOTION contenders Preston will live like Premiership footballers over the next month as the club have chartered a private jet to ensure they are in the best condition for their push for the top flight. Tonight's match in Southampton is one of three

  • Southampton 0 Preston North End 0

    Billy Davies left St Mary's a proud man as his side equalled a 124-year club record by chalking up their 22nd consecutive league game unbeaten. Preston held Southampton to a 0-0 draw to equal the "Invincibles" team of the 1888-89 season, in which the

  • Taking away our vote

    Voters across the Fylde look set to be denied the chance to give their verdict on the way their area is run. Government ministers are expected to call off the 2007 elections at which more than 100 councillors from Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre are due to

  • Victory helps league target

    Blackpool 29 Lytham 8: Blackpool having thrown down the gauntlet to the opposition, started as if they had decided not to compete in the contest for league supremacy. Lytham began the game by immediately pressurising the Blackpool defence and their diligence

  • AAAs silver for White

    Becky White has won the silver medal in the women's triple jump at the Norwich Union World Trials and AAAs Indoor Championships at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The ex-Blackburn Harrier from Haslingden registered 13.18 metres to finish

  • Finucane out for Lancs

    The Lancashire Team for the Inter Counties Cross Country Championships at Wollaton Park, Nottingham on March 11 has been announced following the recent Lancashire and Northern Championship races at Blackburn's Witton Park. County Champions Daniel Westgate

  • Sports scheme

    'On The Ladder', a new sports scheme run by the council, aims to raise standards of coaching and safety across Chorley. The programme will score with soccer fans by staging the Football Association's level one coaching certificate. The course is open

  • 100 new jobs in debt advice

    A Chorley debt advice company is to create up to 100 jobs this year due to increases in the numbers of people with financial problems. Debt Free Direct, based at Ackhurst Business Park, already employs around 200 people and has grown ahead of management

  • Council urged to act on children's home site

    Calls have been made for a recently closed children's home to be either occupied or demolished before it becomes an eyesore or target for vandals. Rydal House, Chorley Hall Road, closed on February 3 following a social services review to place more emphasis

  • Masked raiders strike at village store

    Raiders armed with sledgehammers escaped with a substantial cash haul after robbing a village post office. The masked pair struck at the Chorley Road post office, Adlington, at 10.30am on Friday, (February 10). Police believe the robbers watched cash

  • Felling of park trees begins

    Campaigners opposed to the felling of trees in front of Astley Hall as part of a £1.8m park restoration project have accused Chorley council of a lack of consultation. It comes as the first tree, a 300-year-old yew, was felled this week. More than 50

  • Five on £1m cigs charges

    FIVE people have been charged as part of an investigation into a £1million money-laundering operation. Lancashire Police's serious and organised crime unit charged the suspects, including a chartered accountant, with offences including smuggling, money

  • Bellamy double fires Rovers to seventh

    MARK Hughes last night declared we are back on track' after his Blackburn Rovers players secured a vital 2-0 win over Sunderland that boosted their hopes of qualifying for Europe. After back-to-back Premiership defeats against West Brom and Everton had

  • Match report: Blackburn Rovers 2 Sunderland 0

    CRAIG Bellamy decided to do his talking on the pitch rather than in a Welsh police station last night as Blackburn Rovers got back on track in their quest for European football. The former Newcastle striker, who is wanted for questioning by police in

  • Tips from top trainer

    A Preston landlord who won a training award for the second year running, is planning to share the secrets of his success. Graham Rowson, of the Plungington Tavern, Plungington Road, is the first person to retain the Licensee Trainer of the Year Award.

  • £300,000 spent on promoting art debate

    More than £300,000 is to be spent on temporary public artworks in Preston over the next three years. The project, entitled Here + Now, aims to promote debate about the role of art in the city centre during the planning and early construction phase of

  • Plea to help buy retreat

    A Preston-based charity is appealing for money to help buy a centre in Ukraine that gives holidays to needy children. On top of cash already raised, International Aid Trust have to come up with an extra £42,000 for the building after the local government

  • A horse called Preston

    Fancy owning a stake in Preston? Breeders of a two-year-old filly are betting there will be a lot of interest in the fledgling racehorse, named after England's newest city. Preston, stable named May, was given the city's name by owner and breeder, Stella

  • Church raids

    THIEVES smashed a 200-year-old stained-glass window and stole £700 in two raids on a Pendle church. Church officials and police today condemned the burglars who broke in to St Paul's Little Marsden Church, Hibson Road, Nelson. In the first incident the

  • Hoppers come a cropper

    Nuneaton 55 Preston Grasshoppers 24: Preston Grasshoppers came a cropper at leaders Nuneaton and practically put paid to their chances of finishing in the top two. Conditions were perfect for open rugby; firm surface, dry ball, no wind and wide pitch.

  • Fell race rescue drama

    Torrential rain saw the Bolton Mountain rescue team brought into action at the Winter Hill Fell Race on Sunday as many runners lost their way due to poor visibility. Many of the runners withdrew from the 11-mile race while others had to seek directions

  • Magpies in push for play-off zone

    After putting up a strong fight going down to UniBond Premier Division promotion chasers Frickley Athletic in the Chairman's Cup quarter-finals, Chorley face a tough league double-header over four days - against Stocksbridge Park Steels and Woodley Sports

  • Wheels in motion for Industry

    PLANS to open a £500,000 nightclub in Accrington town centre have moved a step closer. Businessmen Mohammed Mukhtar and Thair Iqbal hope to create a two-storey nightspot in Church Lane. They plan to convert the former Almost Christmas Shop and warehouse

  • New police base at 'heart of beat'

    A NEW police drop-in centre is set to open in Clayton-le-Moors in a bid to allow officers to work even more closely with the community. PC Rob Flanagan, and his colleague PC Stuart Welch, will be moving permanently to offices at the Neighbourhood Management

  • Fury over compulsory purchase order

    ANGRY residents fighting to save their homes from demolition said they do not believe council assurances that no final decision has taken over their properties. Hyndburn Council cabinet yesterday agreed to put in place the compulsory purchase order (CPO

  • Save our shops says MP

    RIBBLE Valley MP Nigel Evans has warned that small, independent shops may disappear unless action is taken to save them. The Tory MP, who owns a convenience store in his home city of Swansea, fears supermarkets could squeeze them out of existence. He

  • Free bus fares snag

    A SCHEME to give pensioners free bus travel across East Lancashire has been held up because a council is refusing to begin talks. Blackburn with Darwen Council had hoped to better a government scheme to offer all pensioners free travel within their own

  • We've saved a whole class full of children

    MY driving licence is one of those old green ones. Issued in 1976 it's falling to bits, but if it holds together it is valid until 2016, and I see no reason to change it meanwhile. Except for the fact that when I pull it out of my wallet, the first thing

  • Team need boost ahead of match

    Simon Grayson's Blackpool revival came off the rails this week as the Seasiders slipped back into the relegation zone with two disappointing defeats. Bottom club Milton Keynes Dons thrashed the injury-hit Seasiders 3-0 at the National Hockey Stadium on

  • Fan made 'monkey gestures to Ince'

    A BURNLEY fan faces a life ban from the club if he is convicted of racially abusing former England and Manchester United player Paul Ince. George Jackson, 44, of Lyndhurst Road, Burnley, was thrown out of Turf Moor during Tuesday night's match between

  • Cotterill set to recall Kyle

    BURNLEY teenager Kyle Lafferty could have his loan spell at Darlington cut short at the weekend. The Irish striker, 18, has relished his first taste of Football League action with the Quakers, scoring three times in eight starts since joining on loan

  • Cairns makes final bow

    NEW Bacup pro Chris Cairns will play his final game for New Zealand today as the Black Caps go retro in their Twenty20 contest against the West Indies. As they did against Australia last year, the Black Caps will don the beige strips made famous by the

  • Dan switches focus to Ford

    RALLY Scholarship winner Dan Boardman has scrapped plans to contest this year's Peugeot 206 Championship in order to hitch a ride with Ford. For the 26-year-old from Ribchester has made a last-minute switch to the new, one-make Fiesta Sporting Trophy

  • Asylum seeker jailed for rape

    A twice-failed Iraqi asylum seeker has been jailed for his part in the "terrifying and degrading" gang rape of a Blackpool schoolgirl. Awat Ahmed, 27, of Cookson Street, will serve at least five years in prison after being found guilty of raping the 15

  • City's TV cash bid

    Preston could be coming under the spotlight in a TV competition to win up to £50milllion of lottery lolly. Town Hall chiefs will find out tomorrow if the city has been put on the list of places to appear on ITV's The People's Millions programme. The Restoration-style

  • Bring back carnival

    Regarding the letter by W Southworth, Citizen, February 9. I have lived in Leyland for 25 years or so and Leyland Festival was a lovely day for families and the young and old. Everyone got involved in different ways, I spent a lot of time planning floats

  • What if they don't have a freezer?

    I would like to comment on the story in the Citizen (Thursday February 9) regarding the controversial plans to axe hot food from the meals on wheels service to the elderly people. I am totally against this and fully agree with the comments of Mark Davidson

  • Sign of the times are a coincidence

    It's just coincidence, according to the council! Just a week after a Citizen reader snapped a police van parked across a town centre pavement, Blackpool Council put up 'no loading' signs in the exact same spot. Two notices, prohibiting loading at all

  • Goodness in people

    In the letter Selective About Religion in last week's Citizen David Beattie wrote that without religion "we would not have that amazing example of goodness, the parents of Anthony Walker forgiving their son's murderer." They are indeed good people. But

  • Green dream

    Campaigners hoping to make one of Bispham's few open spaces an official town green say they're not worried that Blackpool Council has objected to the bid. Friends of Leys Farm say they're 'happy' that Blackpool Council's current opposition is the right

  • Clamping pantomime

    In the recent Leyland supermarket parking pantomime, National Clamps (Preston) have been Grumpy, Dopey, Sleepy and less than Snow White and I'm not Bashful to say that I'm not Happy over a clamping attendant who clearly needs to see a Doc! Punishing Ronnie

  • Ground force of politicians

    There was tight security as leading government ministers visited Blackpool at the weekend - but some locals did get a chance to put their point of view to people in power. A number of cabinet members ventured beyond the ring of steel which surrounded

  • Forget the Bible and stick to facts

    Mr Beatties' letter in last week's Citizen regarding Richard Dawkins (Selective About Religion) seems to miss the point. Blind followers of faith have been willing over millennia to go to war with one another, commit genocide, detonate bombs strapped

  • 'Get rid of the rats!'

    RESIDENTS today called on their council to clean up back streets and rid the area of a rat infestation for good. Householders in the Intack area of Blackburn said the situation was now so out of control that rats had invaded their homes and caused hundreds

  • Disabled offender saved from streets

    A DISABLED offender has finally been found a place to live at the 11th hour after council officials answered a judge's request to attend court. Wheelchair user Anthony Tasker, 34, looked set to be released from Burnley Crown Court with nowhere to go.

  • Cup win could boost PNE academy bid

    North End chairman Derek Shaw believes a win in the FA Cup over Middlesbrough on Sunday would go a long way to ensuring the club's academy dream becomes a reality. The club has finally managed to get past council planners and get permission for a dome-like

  • Jail bird pupils take to stage

    The Horse and Bamboo Theatre and Haslingden High School's performing arts group will perform The Jail Bird on March 23 and 24. The musical production is about the life and times of Michael Davitt, an Irish immigrant who moved to Haslingden, and centres

  • Secrecy comes under scrutiny

    MATTERS of public interest are being decided in secret by Rossendale councillors, it was claimed today. Now the local authority's Labour group leader Coun David Hancock is calling for a review of how private issues are dealt with in the council chambers

  • Ballot on changes to wages

    UNION leaders are to ballot Burnley Council staff on proposals that could see some employees face pay cuts of up to £5,000 a year. More than 200 staff attended a Unison meeting at Burnley Mechanics yesterday and voted in favour of a postal ballot on

  • Magic for the ‘Witch’ buses!

    A NEW £3million fleet of buses launched for the flagship X43 service from East Lancashire to Manchester has contributed to a major increase in passenger numbers. Burnley & Pendle Travel bosses say its investment in the new leather-seated twin-deck Witch

  • Police-probe ‘doctor’ may face charges

    A DOCTOR' who treated his ex-wife's cancer using alternative therapy could be facing criminal charges after police revealed they were preparing a file to pass on to prosecutors. The Crown Prosecution Service will then decide whether any action should

  • Church raids

    THIEVES smashed a 200-year-old stained-glass window and stole £700 in two raids on a Pendle church. Church officials and police today condemned the burglars who broke in to St Paul's Little Marsden Church, Hibson Road, Nelson. In the first incident

  • Fan made ‘monkey gestures to Ince’

    A BURNLEY fan faces a life ban from the club if he is convicted of racially abusing former England and Manchester United player Paul Ince. George Jackson, 44, of Lyndhurst Road, Burnley, was thrown out of Turf Moor during Tuesday night's match between

  • Threat to axe Civic Hall in cutbacks

    RAMSBOTTOM'S Civic Hall could be axed under controversial cost-cutting plans. The move is being considered as Bury Metro Council battles to make cuts, blaming a poor block grant from the government. Council officials, and deputy council leader Mike

  • Council says ‘no’ to sale of parkland

    COUNCILLORS have voted not to sell off parkland needed for a new super school by just one vote. Burnley Council last night passed a motion by former mayor and Liberal Democrat leader Coun Gordon Birtwistle calling on the authority to refuse a county

  • Probe man found dead

    A DAD-of-two hanged himself on a garden swing the day after finding out he was at the centre of a police and social services probe, an inquest heard. The coroner said Gary Wynne, 42, of Ruskin Avenue, Colne, was so worried about a police investigation

  • Fury over compulsory purchase order

    ANGRY residents fighting to save their homes from demolition said they do not believe council assurances that no final decision has taken over their properties. Hyndburn Council cabinet yesterday agreed to put in place the compulsory purchase order (

  • Five on £1m cigs charges

    FIVE people have been charged as part of an investigation into a £1million money-laundering operation. Lancashire Police's serious and organised crime unit charged the suspects, including a chartered accountant, with offences including smuggling, money

  • Save our shops says MP

    RIBBLE Valley MP Nigel Evans has warned that small, independent shops may disappear unless action is taken to save them. The Tory MP, who owns a convenience store in his home city of Swansea, fears supermarkets could squeeze them out of existence. He

  • Dan switches focus to Ford

    RALLY Scholarship winner Dan Boardman has scrapped plans to contest this year's Peugeot 206 Championship in order to hitch a ride with Ford. For the 26-year-old from Ribchester has made a last-minute switch to the new, one-make Fiesta Sporting Trophy

  • Finucane out for Lancs

    The Lancashire Team for the Inter Counties Cross Country Championships at Wollaton Park, Nottingham on March 11 has been announced following the recent Lancashire and Northern Championship races at Blackburn's Witton Park. County Champions Daniel Westgate

  • AAAs silver for White

    Becky White has won the silver medal in the women's triple jump at the Norwich Union World Trials and AAAs Indoor Championships at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The ex-Blackburn Harrier from Haslingden registered 13.18 metres to finish

  • Hope completes his hat-trick

    Rob Hope is not a man to take the easy option. In October, he delayed his return from the World Trophy in New Zealand so that he could explore the country, but got back so late that he almost missed the English Fell Championship decider. He arrived

  • Harriers celebrate 40th in style

    Rossendale Harriers is booming as the club moves towards its 40th Anniversary in 2006. The junior section is growing exponentially and the awards handed out at the recent Presentation Evening at Marl Pits reflected a vintage year. Nearly two dozen Outstanding

  • Telegraph got the fans flooding in

    WHAT a fantastic crowd we had on last Saturday. And for that I think we owe a big thank you to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. The We're Back Stanley' campaign has been a big push by the paper to encourage the town to get behind the team, and it's

  • Cotterill set to recall Kyle

    BURNLEY teenager Kyle Lafferty could have his loan spell at Darlington cut short at the weekend. The Irish striker, 18, has relished his first taste of Football League action with the Quakers, scoring three times in eight starts since joining on loan

  • Bellamy double fires Rovers to seventh

    MARK Hughes last night declared we are back on track' after his Blackburn Rovers players secured a vital 2-0 win over Sunderland that boosted their hopes of qualifying for Europe. After back-to-back Premiership defeats against West Brom and Everton had

  • Blackburn Rovers 2 Sunderland 0

    CRAIG Bellamy decided to do his talking on the pitch rather than in a Welsh police station last night as Blackburn Rovers got back on track in their quest for European football. The former Newcastle striker, who is wanted for questioning by police in

  • Reds have Cott what it takes

    CLARETS boss Steve Cotterill has backed the Lancashire Evening Telegraph campaign to get the people of Accrington behind their club. The Burnley superemo knows only to well how hard it is get into the Football League, after having a similar struggle

  • Cairns makes final bow

    NEW Bacup pro Chris Cairns will play his final game for New Zealand today as the Black Caps go retro in their Twenty20 contest against the West Indies. As they did against Australia last year, the Black Caps will don the beige strips made famous by

  • Stanley duo shine

    ACCRINGTON Stanley midfielder Craney was the star of the show as the England National Game XI side beat Italy 3-1 in the European Challenge Trophy last night. Craney played the full 90 minutes while Stanley team-mate Gary Roberts was brought on as a

  • Dentist cash to help fill gap

    MORE dentists are expected to settle in East Lancashire thanks to a £1.5 million NHS cash boost, health chiefs said today. The cash would allow dental students to train in the region for the first time, they said, making it more likely they will settle

  • Warning on purse theft

    SHOPPERS in Accrington have been warned to watch out after two elderly women were targeted by purse snatchers. The women, one 86 and the other 64-years-old, had cash, cheque books and bank books stolen in separate incidents last Friday. PC Caroline

  • ‘Get rid of the rats!’

    RESIDENTS today called on their council to clean up back streets and rid the area of a rat infestation for good. Householders in the Intack area of Blackburn said the situation was now so out of control that rats had invaded their homes and caused hundreds

  • Patients quizzed over ‘GP’ service

    A HEALTH watchdog has launched a review into controversial new arrangements for people who need to see a GP at night or weekends. One of East Lancashire's Patient and Public Involvement Forums watchdogs set up by the Government to monitor NHS services

  • TV review: Davina, BBC1

    THE incredible shouty woman has been given her own chat show. Yes, the High Priestess of Big Brother has moved on from asking so who was your favourite housemate?' to a prime time slot and her name in lights. But the only thing that matters is, can

  • Wheels in motion for Industry

    PLANS to open a £500,000 nightclub in Accrington town centre have moved a step closer. Businessmen Mohammed Mukhtar and Thair Iqbal hope to create a two-storey nightspot in Church Lane. They plan to convert the former Almost Christmas Shop and warehouse

  • Fire boss applauds ban on smoking

    THE Chief Fire Officer of Lancashire, Peter Holland, today welcomed the Commons vote to introduce a ban on smoking in public places. And he said he hoped the ban would have a knock-on effect of cutting the number of house fires. He said: "The ban on

  • New police base at ‘heart of beat’

    A NEW police drop-in centre is set to open in Clayton-le-Moors in a bid to allow officers to work even more closely with the community. PC Rob Flanagan, and his colleague PC Stuart Welch, will be moving permanently to offices at the Neighbourhood Management

  • Shirley’s goal lies in States

    A SPORTS coach has swapped the frozen pitches of East Lancashire for the most glamorous women's football league in the world. Shirley Veevers, 24, of Clitheroe, is jetting off for a new career as a soccer coach in America. Based in Kansas City, Shirley's

  • Free bus fares snag

    A SCHEME to give pensioners free bus travel across East Lancashire has been held up because a council is refusing to begin talks. Blackburn with Darwen Council had hoped to better a government scheme to offer all pensioners free travel within their own

  • We’ve saved a whole class full of children

    MY driving licence is one of those old green ones. Issued in 1976 it's falling to bits, but if it holds together it is valid until 2016, and I see no reason to change it meanwhile. Except for the fact that when I pull it out of my wallet, the first

  • Rubbish collection should be weekly

    I AGREE with the writer of the letter concerning rubbish collection (LET, February 7). Collection of rubbish once a fortnight is ridiculous for a family. When we are paying council tax of over £1,000 a year I expect to have my bins emptied once a week

  • Charges will kill off soccer interest

    I MUST protest at the proposed charge for parking at Towneley football fields, Burnley. It seems the council is intent on ensuring the local population is obese. Charges like these will mean more people do not play at the weekend and totally kill off

  • Make the most of wheelie bin space

    A LOT is said about wheelie bins not being big enough. If householders use them properly they would hold much more. The first rule is to recycle into the containers provided. Always use a wheelie liner, but put a bit of tape at each corner to stop the

  • This is no way to treat our elderly

    IT is said the way society treats its elderly defines how civilised it iIf this is true, then after reading recent reports about the abysmal treatment meted out to two pensioners by Gloucestershire County Council and nearer home, our county council's

  • Volunteer and cop more cash

    POLICE chiefs in Lancashire could volunteer for a merger with Cumbira to guarantee millions of pounds in Government help. Lancashire Police Authority met yesterday to discuss Home Office plans to merge the force with neighbouring Cumbria, as part of

  • Homes planned to follow demolition

    THE developers of the Belgrave mill site in Darwen intend to expand their work in the town after applying to build eight town houses close to Bolton Road. McInerney Homes, based in Bolton, has sought planning consent from Blackburn with Darwen Council

  • Family video theft misery

    BURGLARS who ransacked a couple's home took a video record of their daughter's early years. Leanne Baxter and her partner Paul Irvine, of Maria Street, Darwen, lost £5,000 worth of property in the break-in. But they were devasatetd when they realised

  • Keeping busy at half-term

    Half term activities at the Longridge sports centre will run from Monday to Friday, February 20 to 24. Smarty Pants fun sessions for four to eight year olds take place every day except Wednesday at 10 to 11.55am, costing £2.60. There will be a soccer

  • Ex-vice chairman arrested

    THE former vice-chairman of Clitheroe FC has been arrested by police investigating alleged theft and deception at the club. Mark Gidlow was interviewed at Greenbank police station, in Blackburn, for eight hours yesterday before being released on police

  • Disabled offender saved from streets

    A DISABLED offender has finally been found a place to live at the 11th hour after council officials answered a judge's request to attend court. Wheelchair user Anthony Tasker, 34, looked set to be released from Burnley Crown Court with nowhere to go

  • Bottle hit car

    A Rishton man who threw a vodka bottle through the window of a moving car was fined £50 by Hyndburn magistrates. Jan Clough, 21, of Spring Street Rishton, had been drinking before the incident. He said he had drunk vodka and lager before attempting

  • Dad missing in Spain reunited with family

    A MAN today told how he sparked an international search when he was thrown off a plane for being too drunk. Stuart Dalziel, 41 from Whitehaven Close, Blackburn, flew from Blackpool airport to Torremolinos with his son Mark and two friends for a day trip

  • Baby talk!

    A REVOLUTIONARY system could help end the communication nightmare which sends East Lancashire parents ga-ga. All parents know the frustration of getting to the end of the what's wrong with baby?' checklist (not hungry, doesn't need changing, isn't teething