MARK Hughes has defended his decision to give Lucas Neill the Blackburn Rovers captain's armband, insisting the contract rebel is the best man for the job'. The decision to appoint the Aussie as skipper has not won universal approval on the terraces,
THE axe has finally fallen on Burnley General Hospital's A&E department in what campaigners have called a "dark day" for the town. Bosses yesterday voted to slash services so the most serious A&E emergencies go to Royal Blackburn Hospital instead of
A "FLYING saucer" will be built on a former landfill site after councillors gave the artwork the go-ahead. The artwork - called "Halo" - on hills above Haslingden is part of the Panopticons project aimed at creating sculptures across East Lancashire
A driver who got behind the wheel of a car for the ninth time while banned has been jailed for 120 days. Mark Smith, 46, told police who stopped him he had deep vein thrombosis and was unable to walk far. Smith, of Ford Street, Burnley, admitted driving
A POLICE officer was left with damaged teeth and needing extensive dental treatment after he was headbutted by a man said to be wanted on warrant, a court heard. Burnley magistrates were told how the prosecution claimed Samuel Robert Longworth, 23, deliberately
ONE of Burnley's most famous sons was brought back to life in a bid to boost Friends of the Earth's campaign on climate change. Sir Richard Towneley, who began the science of meteorology more than 300 years ago, was among a number of guest speakers at
A DIVORCED man stalked a Burnley Jobcentre employee with whom he had become besotted while signing on, a court was told. The town's magistrates heard how Nasseer Ahmed, 41, gave Caroline Faulkner red roses and a "soppy" card and stared at her as she
NEARLY 2,000 jobs are to be created in Pendle after permission was granted to build a business park - for the second time. Pendle Council's development control committee have passed plans to build the centre on 24 acres of land between Barrowford Road
ARMY bomb disposal experts were called in after the discovery of explosives at a house in Barnoldswick. A 100-metre area surrounding the house in Rankin Close was sealed off from 10.50am on Wednesday while the devices were recovered. The cordon was
A packer who abused an Asian police officer was given a community order. Burnley magistrates heard how Aynsley Bordycott, 26, who struggled violently when police tried to arrest him in the early hours, said he would blow the officer's head off, upsetting
A TROUBLED drug addict has gone home to mother in a bid to put her problems and her habit behind her. Burnley Magistrates Court heard how Samantha Delaney, 40, went thieving in Colne Asda in front of staff just to get arrested as a cry for help. She
BURNLEY Football Club has donated a shirt signed by players and a club pennant as prizes in the good neighbours' initiative being run by SW Burnley Community Enterprise Centre. Information and good neighbours' nominations forms have been sent out to
A MOTHER of four attacked her then-boyfriend and her pregnant sister because she thought something was going on between them. Burnley Magistrates Court heard how Lesley Jean Fallows had spotted partner Sean Cookson standing in her sister's neighbouring
A BUS driver spat at by a thug has become the first in the county to take a sample of his attacker's DNA with a new saliva swab kit. Now forensic experts are analysing the sample in the hope that it identifies the person responsible for the assault on
TODMORDEN is to be entered in the national Britain in Bloom competition next year after the success of a group of residents in brightening up the town. Judges for this year's regional heats praised the residents and said their work had been good enough
COUNCIL chiefs are set to appoint tourism advisers in a bid to boost visitor numbers to Rossendale. It comes months after councillors controversially voted to close the Valley's Tourist Information Centre in Kay Street, Rawtenstall. But the authority
AN ANGRY hod carrier created a racial rumpus and smashed windows because he claimed he had been short-changed at a newsagents, a court was told. Lee Gibbons, 20, abused owner Abdul Merchant and then kicked in the windows at the front of the premises
Burnley have a special ticket deal in place for schoolchildren for tomorrow's clash with Southampton at Turf Moor. All children and their parents have the opportunity to purchase a pair of tickets (one adult and one juvenile) for just £5 for the game
STEVE Cotterill insists he is in the dark over speculation linking him to the vacant manager's job at West Bromich Albion. Burnley maintain that no official approach has been made from the Baggies for Cotterill, whose shortened 5/4 odds for the role
BLACKBURN Rovers manager Mark Hughes has jumped to the defence of Andre Ooijer, insisting it's only a matter of time before the Dutchman finds his feet in the Premiership. Ooijer has made a shaky start to his Rovers career, conceding a penalty on his
FRANCIS Jeffers can rediscover the scoring touch that made him one of the hottest properties in the Premier League under the expert tutelage of Blackburn manager Mark Hughes. That's the verdict of former Rovers favourite Craig Short, who knows Jeffers
Steve Cotterill is delighted with the level of team-spirit in the Burnley camp. Togetherness among the players was emphasised as they arranged a Karting outing following a hard slog in training. Cotterill said: "They came in Tuesday, absolutely
Burnley's Jon Harley has been hailed by Steve Cotterill as the Championship's top left-back. Harley is poised to come face-to-face against Clarets old-boy Nathan Dyer tomorrow as Southampton lock horns at Turf Moor. After landing the Clarets' player
FLYING winger Nathan Dyer admits his brief loan spell with Burnley kick-started his career. Dyer, 18, scored twice for the Clarets during a successful five-game stint last year, netting in home wins over Millwall and Crewe. He came to East Lancashire
Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman today admitted switching goalkeepers in the dying seconds of Tuesday's Carling Cup tie against Watford was a mistake. Ian Dunbavin, who has featured in every league match so far this season, was substituted for on-loan
Curzon Ashton visit Darwen's Anchor Ground tomorrow and manager Steve Mullen is quietly confident of beating their Division One visitors. He said: "It'll be a tough test but we have been playing well at home this season. "We have ambitions of playing
COLNE manager Nigel Coates is hoping for a good run in the FA Vase, starting with a win over Northern Counties East League side Maltby Main. James Blackburn returned to the squad for the midweek game and he will be in line for a start tomorrow.
BACUP manager Brent Peters is facing a selection dilemma as Borough will be without three key players. Lee Anderson (face), Matty Cross (foot) and Lee Kershaw (calf) will all definitely miss the trip to Rotherham to face the Northern Counties East Division
PADIHAM take on Cheadle knowing that a potentially lucrative tie against FC United could await them in the next round. But Storks boss Steve Wilkes is telling his players to keep their mind on the job in hand. He said: "We could never win the FA Cup
After a morale-boosting first win against Formby, Graham Howarth is hoping his Nelson side can do the business at Castleton Gabriels tonight. Lee Scholes and Neil Chapman return from injury and Howarth said his side will be gunning for a place in the
THOUSANDS of mums from Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley will have to give birth at Burnley General Hospital after a shock decision by health bosses. Any mum expecting a complicated birth will be told to go to the hospital under the cash-saving
ROSSENDALE United welcome back Ben Kitchen from suspension for the visit of Shepshed Dynamo tomorrow. But manager Derek Eagan is without goalkeeper Jim Salisbury due to injury and he will be replaced by Mark Andrews. Defender Kyle Ingham is also set
CLITHEROE striker Simon Garner is set to have talks with the club about a possible move to Stalybridge Celtic this weekend. But chairman Carl Garner said: "The manager has made it clear to Simon that he wants him to stay." Garner is suspended for tomorrow's
THE head of a top East Lancashire grammar school has launched a scathing attack on the education system, warning it was in "crisis". Doctor David Hempsall, head of Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, said constant examinations had stifled the
SOME of the most popular songs from West End musicals will be performed at Darwen's Library Theatre on October 7. The West End Show returns to the theatre after a well-received appearance last year. It has played at a number of small theatres ande
EXCITING things are happening to the budding music scene in Blackburn, according to India Mill frontman Alistair Smith. "There's a lot of really great, original bands coming out of the area at the moment," he said. "There's the Ashleigh Coffee Morning
WHEN the tell-tale smell of fish and chips is wafting over you, it's hard to think about ordering anything else. But I'd set out in search of a Chinese and that's what I was going to have. Food City offers a fine selection of Chinese dishes and I opted
TONY Wright has performed in front of thousands of fans at some of the world's biggest rock festivals. He's in Accrington on September 22 - and the former Terrorvision frontman wouldn't have it any other way. "It's just really good to be able to say
COMEDIAN Danny Bhoy was one of the top-selling comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Now he's coming to Blackburn on September 22. He spoke to us before the gig. He also performed at prestigious invitation-only comedy festivals in Las Vegas and
Rockin' and rollin' into Darwen on October 12 are Buddy Holly & The Cricketers on the Buddy's 70th Birthday Party Tour. If Buddy were alive, he'd be celebrating his 70th birthday this autumn. And what better way to raise a toast one of world's greatest
Tribute bands have their work cut out if they want to be like the biggest band in the world. But Us4, wh play Oswaldtwistle on September 29, have pulled it off by bringing some of U2's biggest hits to life. Scott Johnson, the band's bass player, said
THE biggest shake-up of hospital services ever in East Lancashire has been given the final stamp of approval by health bosses. It is the end of 12 months of controversy which will fundamentally change where thousands of people are treated each year
A DISCOUNT clothing store set to move into Blackburn has revealed more than 1,500 people turned up to a job fair in just six hours. QS Discount, set to open in November at the Peel Centre, Lower Audley Street, held the fair at Blackburn job centre on
THE signs they are a'changing - especially in a Ribble Valley market town that is aiming to promote and maintain its heritage. For many of the street signs in Clitheroe are undergoing a facelift to make them more reflective of the town's rich history
COUNCIL bosses have pledged to re-use cobbles dug up from Darwen bus station amid fears that part of the town's history was being lost. The vow from Blackburn with Darwen Council comes after Darwen Civic Society demanded that the old cobblestones be
THE Beatles famously sang about its 4,000 holes - now Blackburn is addressing the problem with the UK's first ever course entirely for highways inspectors. Blackburn College, in conjunction with borough-based highway agents Capita Symonds, is behind
A MOTHER today told of experiencing every parent's worst nightmare' when she ran out into the street to find her daughter had been knocked down by a car. Lynsay Lee, of Within Grove, Huncoat, was waiting for her three-year-old daughter, Jaymie Lee-Slater
By Sheila Brennan, Blackburn. Along the golden mile colours glow Up and down in wonder children go This childhood paradise of fair lights Creating vibrant colours to delight They bring back to us memories Hope they keep going strong We will always
THE report from a survey on attitudes to politicians that 23 per cent of respondents have trust in government ministers telling the truth is deeply worrying. I simply cannot comprehend how the figure can be so high unless these people are related directly
I AM grateful for the interest which Pastor Kevin Mills has taken in the way in which I fulfil my duties as a priest (LT, Sept 12). I would be interested to hear what you have to say for yourself, Canon Chivers" he says. Despite the aggressive tone
THE Moor End Post Office in Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, is set to close down - and move 300 metres along the street. The move comes after the resignation of the sub-postmaster at the branch and the new office will be located in the Co-op store, also in
A DISABLED charity has made a plea to the public to help save its ShopMobility scheme. The Accrington ShopMobility group, based in Whalley Road, has had to shut down its services after a funding crisis. That means that the scores of people who rely
A HOST of Coronation Street stars are set to appear at an event in aid of two East Lancashire charities. The star-studded event at Stanley House, Mellor, has been organised by Leo Flood, of Blackburn's Leo's Carpets. Up to 180 people are expected at
A FORMER Blackburn Diocese clergyman has been made the Dean of Westminster Abbey. The Rev Canon John Hall, 57, is the former director of education for the Church of England's Blackburn Diocese, which put him in charge of the Lancashire area's church
A 24-year-old man arrested for being drunk and disorderly cracked a laminated glass panel in the door of a police holding cell, Blackburn magistrates heard. Michael Jackson, of Largs Road, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly in Mincing Lane,
UP TO a third of white youngsters in East Lancashire hold white supremacist views, a "disturbing" study into faith and race has revealed. Teenagers in two schools in Blackburn and one in Burnley were questioned as part an investigation into racial and
RETAIL giant Marks & Spencer is to take on 55 new staff across its Blackburn and Burnley stores this Christmas. The firm is recruiting customer assistants, cafe assistants and warehouse assistants as part of a nationwide drive. Applicants must be prepared
A BLACKBURN man's holiday dreams were dashed at the terminal gates when airport staff told him he could not travel to Bulgaria. Despite booking the £1,200 holiday to Elinites 12 months ago, it was only after successfully checking-in and going through
A COUNCIL meeting descended into chaos after a Tory offered the leader of the opposition a fight in a row over post office closures. Hyndburn Borough Council's mayor had to call a temporary halt to the full council meeting, at Accrington Town Hall, to
CHARLES Rennie Mackintosh may have designed the world's first high back chair but Blackburn's very own furniture design prodigy has set a new bar for his peers. Former stained glass window maker Jamie Hough came up with the sleek and stylish chairs for
A SIGNIFICANT' number of jobs could be lost at an historic factory which has existed in Blackburn since the 1920s. Voith Paper Fabrics Blackburn Ltd, Cartmel Road, has announced it is to start a consultation process on plans to reorganise the firm.
WITH a fine pedigree in brutal, uncompromising crime dramas - Scarface, The Untouchables and Carlito's Way - director Brian De Palma would seem a perfect ringmaster for this handsome adaptation of James Ellroy's novel. Unfortunately, Josh Friedman's
Say romantic comedy and you probably think of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan or Doris Day and Rock Hudson in something light, fluffy and funny that leaves you with a nice warm glow inside you. Writer-director Bart Freundlich is aiming for something sharper
The name P D James usually guarantees a mystery story but this film, taken from her novel, strays into science fiction territory. Director Alfonso Cuaron, of And Your Mother Too and Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban fame, has turned it into
A BUS driver from Blackburn has died after his vehicle was involved in an accident with a wagon. The 64-year-old man was airlifted to hospital after the accident, at about 2.45pm yesterday on the A56 near Edenfield, Rossendale. The incident caused rush
LABOUR retained the Spring Hill seat in Accrington with a victory in the by-election called after the death of Hyndburn councillor Edith Dunston. Winning candidate Munsif Dad beat Conservative rival Michael Szewczuk by 281 votes following a count in
More fines have been issued for underage alcohol sales in Lancashire than anywhere else in England and Wales, according to police. More than 150 penalty notices have been issued this year to people in the county selling alcohol to the under 18s, according
Celebrities are backing Lancashire County Council's latest road safety drive. This year's free Roadlife magazine features Coronation Street's Samia Smith, TV and radio star Jim Bowen and EastEnder June Brown. It is available at county libraries,
Time is running out to nominate voluntary groups in Lancashire to win the prestigious Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. The nomination period for the award, given annually and designed to reward those groups of volunteers who devote their time to
