THE Prime Minister of Malta is to officially open the new head offices of a Padiham-based transport firm. Dr Lawrence Gonzi is to visit East Lancashire on Friday, January 12, when he will officially open the new Fraser Eagle offices, Pendle Court, Shuttleworth
THE mother of a schoolgirl who was bitten in the face by a bull mastif has called for tighter controls on the owners of dangerous dogs. Jane Dalby spoke out after being horrified by the case of five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson, who was killed by her uncle's
A "VITAL" deal to bring DIY giant Homebase to Rossendale is close to being signed. And developers The Hurstwood Group told of the deal's importance as they said it would help finance the rest of its £40million New Hall Hey development. Homebase will
MAN mountain Mark Felix has revealed how mental strength helped become the fourth strongest man in the world. The 40-year-old from Rishton came fourth in the final of the World's Strongest Man, due to be shown on Channel Five at 8pm tomorrow. And now
A MAN has spoken of the "terrifying" moment when he was subjected to an "unprovoked" attack after visiting a bowling alley. Mohammed Nadeen, 28, lost a tooth in the assault as well as suffering a black eye and extensive bruising. He said he was punched
Commonwealth Games finalists Stuart Stokes and Helen Clitheroe were the winners of the Ribble Valley 10K Road Race at Edisford Bridge, Clitheroe on New Year's Eve, highlighting the quality of competitor that this event now attracts. Sale Harrier Stokes
POLICE investigating the murder of a man in Pakistan say they have arrested his East Lancashire wife. Officers in Rawalpindi said Yasra Parvaiz, 22, from Accrington, was one of two people detained when a Pakistan International Airlines flight landed
A PREGNANT teenager who has stayed away from school for almost three months will still carve out a decent career, her mum has insisted. But education chiefs have warned that Nina Dixon's mother faces punishment and the possibility of three months in
ALMOST £2,000 was donated to Lancashire hospices by Ramsbottom Rotary Club. Club president Eric Walmsley handed over cheques for £600 each to Rossendale Hospice, Derian House Children's Hospice, and Bury Hospice. The money was raised from the Rotary
DANIEL Barritt has one main goal for 2007 - to win the Production World Rally Championship. The Hapton navigator has agreed to hook-up again with Japanese driver Fumio Nutahara, with whom he finished second overall at the end of his debut season in the
KIND Salvation Army volunteers are helping improve conditions for record numbers of firefighters attending incidents. In Lancashire last year, the Salvation Army launched a mobile canteen which was staffed by volunteers and sent to an incident involving
We asked: "Do you think that East Lancashire is in a retail recession?" Here are the results. Yes 50.0%. No 50.0%. So our users were split down the middle on the subject. Take part in our current poll - scroll down and it's on your right.
A PENSIONER'S home was burgled and ransacked - days after his wife had died. And police have urged anyone with information that might help catch the person responsible to come forward. Detectives were so disgusted by the burglary, in Padiham Road, Burnley
EAST Lancashire has been in a "recession" for a year, a trade boss has claimed. Across the area, traders saw a slow start to the festive shopping season, which picked up with the new year sales. But David Cottam, the president of the Blackburn Chamber
Happy New Year indeed! We certainly kicked off 2007 in style with the win at Wrexham, and it was no more than we deserved, despite the fact we had five teenagers on the bench and only 12 available professionals to choose from with suspensions and injuries
POLICE are appealing for help to find a man who has been missing since going out to celebrate the New Year. Joseph Culshaw, 30, has not been seen since putting his sister in a taxi at 1.30am on January 1, outside the Postal Order pub, in Darwen Street
CONSULTANTS were paid £11.7million last year over plans for new fire control centres, prompting an angry response from union leaders. The Fire Brigades' Union (FBU) has attacked the money spent on the plans, which include closing Lancashire's control
POLICE in Burnley are urging residents to be on their guard following concerns that bogus workmen may be visiting homes in the area. In one case, a conman got away with a Freeview box and £27 cash from a 79-year-old woman in Williams Road after claiming
A 36-YEAR-OLD woman was indecently assaulted as she walked home from a works party. And the victim has relived the moment when the attacker struck, as she walked passed Sunnyhurst Woods, Darwen, on the way home from Blackburn in the early hours of yesterday
A CHOIRMASTER is appealing to singers to come forward as he attempts to set up a specialist choir for Lancashire. Neil Shepherd, of Spa Garth, Clitheroe, is hoping to establish a new choir that will be known as a "Schola Cantorum Chamber Choir." And
PLANS for a supermarket in the centre of Barrowford are set to see their first debate tonight. A report from planning officers showed more than 100 residents had written letters of objection over plans to build a Booths superstore at the former Pendle
Liverpool are still the favourites to land Blackburn Rovers contract rebel Lucas Neill, whose future could be decided later this week. West Ham and Newcastle have also been linked with the Aussie defender, but Rafa Benitez could hold the trump card
A FAMILY of eight will have to squeeze into a three-bedroomed terraced house after councillors turned down their plea for permission to build an extension. Peter Ellison, 44, wife Tracie, 32, and children Rebecca, 15, Kirsty, 14, James, seven, and Adam
ADAM Lakeland has replaced Andy McNally as the manager of Blackburn Rovers Ladies. The 22-year-old, who has coached ladies' football at Rovers for nearly four years, has Kieran Bentley as his assistant. Adam, of Hurst Green, spent five years working
A FRAIL pensioner was confronted in her home by a burglar and locked in her front room. Detectives said that they are "desperate" to catch the offender who threatened his 82-year-old victim before stealing £130 in cash. The burglary took place at
SURGEONS are battling to save the life of a man who was "brutally" attacked in a Blackburn street by a stick-wielding gang. The 34-year-old was transferred to the special head injuries unit at Preston Royal Hospital yesterday after his condition deteriorated
ACCRINGTON Stanley have adpoted Ipswich Town as their second team after Gary Roberts' transfer to the Tractor Boys included a promotion bonus'. The talented winger, who the Reds snapped up from non-league Welshpool in February 2005, completed a three-and-a-half-year
CLARETS winger Wade Elliott is urging his team-mates to stay positive as they look to try and get back into the Championship's play-off places. Steve Cotterill's side have dropped down the table to 12th place after just one win in their last 10 games
BLACKBURN Rovers may have to play a game of patience in their pursuit of David Dunn because Birmingham City have slapped a £2 million price tag on the midfielder's head. Blues boss Steve Bruce is eager to recoup as much of the £5.5 million transfer fee
A MOTHER has appealed for help to find a man who assaulted her 16-year-old daughter in the street. Stacey Meechan was headbutted as she went to meet her mum, Christine Hall, early on New Year's Day. Miss Meechan, of Chester Close, Blackburn, suffered
INDIAN police are investigating whether a man with "a grudge against Westerners" was behind the murder of Burnley charity worker Michael Blakey, the organisation he worked for has said. Michael, 23, of Mayfair Road, Pike Hill, was killed in the Dharamsala
ROSSENDALE Museum in Whitaker Park is hosting an exhibition of masks used by the Horse and Bamboo Theatre in Waterfoot. The exhibition, which begins next Wednesday, will display masks used in past productions by the Bacup Road theatre over the years
ONE of East Lancashire's business leaders has claimed the area has been in the grip of a "recession" for the last 12 months. David Cottam, President of the Blackburn Chamber of Trade, said the area had suffered over the last 12 months. But the festive
WALKERS had the chance to start the year in energetic style after taking part in a New Year trek around Huncoat. The six-mile walk saw ramblers scale the Coppice and Hambledon Hill around the village on New Year's Day. Local councillor Brendan Shiel
KEITH Baxter saw friends and family die from smoke-related diseases but it wasn't until he suffered a brush with death that he decided to do something about it. The 58-year-old, of Newfield Drive, Nelson, last smoked in June - less than a fortnight after
HERE'S another quiz question. Who is the biggest consumer in the world of natural vanilla extract? Answer - the Coca Cola Corporation, the world's largest soft drinks manufacturer. I learned this piece of useful information (well, one never knows
A plan has been submitted to Calderdale MBC's development department for housing and shops to be built on three acres of land from the Hippodrome Theatre to the Hope and Anchor public house, Halifax Road, Todmorden. And Calderdale Primary Care Trust
A ROW has broken out after a promise to install special parking bays to make life easier for elderly residents was broken. The Labour group and Liberal Democrat groups on Pendle Council have been arguing over who is to blame for the failure of the scheme
CHARGES made against Bacup Borough Football Club after a fight broke out at its grounds have been upheld by the Football Association. An investigation was launched by the Lancashire Football Association following the incident at Bacup's derby against
MOTORISTS face dearer car parking in Burnley for the first time in two years. Burnley Council exec-utive board is being asked to approve plans to bring in £100,000 extra at a meeting next week. Short-stay car parks in the town would increase from 50p
LANCASHIRE all-rounder Tom Smith is hoping to start his cricketing new year with a bang in Bangladesh after his inclusion in England's A side. The former Chorley pro has been included in the 14-man squad, that will play two Test matches and three one-day
Firefighters were called to Enfield Road in Huncoat after a car was abandoned and set on fire. Two crews from Accrington arrived at the scene and found a burning Vauxhall Vectra. Watch manager Colin Byers said: "The car has been driven down the
The Meningitis Trust - the UK's leading meningitis charity - has issued a New Year warning to Lancashire residents. It asks people to be vigilant of the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning). Meningitis is an infectious
HEALTH bosses are urging East Lancashire smokers to quit once and for all with a new drug which has just been released on the NHS. They said residents can kick the habit this New Year with the help of Champix, which reached the UK last month. Research
PIONEERING work at Lancashire schools has led to delegates from around the world attending a conference in the county, an education chief has insisted. Lancashire County Council is hosting the three-day North of England Education Conference, which began
PEOPLE have been warned to expect on-the-spot fines as part of a crackdown on dogs fouling in public. Ribble Valley dog wardens have started issuing the fines to residents and are also threatening to name and shame repeat offenders if they continue to
RE police riding round on high-powered motor cross bikes to catch youngsters on mini-motos. Is this what we pay our council tax for? To have police enjoying themselves at our expense? Kids on the pavement with skateboards are a bigger danger. Why
REGARDING the Lewis Textile Museum, the words which need to be looked at are "council" and "grant". Someone's eyes must have lit up on the committee when they found out that the council had no money to keep the museum open, but a change of use could
NOW that the bowling season has come to a close, wouldn't it be an ideal opportunity for the council to upgrade the facilities at Green Park bowling green in Blackburn. The pavilion is badly in need of repair and modernising. The disabled facilities
THE Americans, British and the French are far more two-faced than the phantom of the opera, with their double dealings with Saddam Hussein. They rubber stamped providing him with vast quantities of weapons in 1980 as the Iraq leader waged war on Iran
UNDER the heading of "Straw still thinking of Deputy bid" (LT, December 30), Jack Straw enthusiastically throws his support behind Chancellor Gordon Brown as the leader/Prime Minister and at the same time keeps his powder dry as to whether he stands or
FORMER Accrington Stanley player-coach Paul Cook has parted company with Conference club Southport. Manager Cook left the bottom-of-the-table side by mutual consent after a run of three straight defeats over Christmas. The former Burnley midfielder
FORMER Blackburn Rovers defender Keith Hill has been appointed Rochdale manager until the end of the season. Hill, 37, had been caretaker at the League Two club since Steve Parkin left on December 16, and guided them to successive 4-0 wins over Boston
ACCRINGTON Stanley assistant manager Jimmy Bell hopes the capture of Alan Rogers will be "just what the doctor ordered". The former Nottingham Forest left back, who cost £2 million in his first spell with the club, became the Reds' first signing in the
A GROUP of fundraisers is celebrating raising more than £50,000 for a cancer hospital. The Christies Grafters, who are based in Rishton, have collected the cash with a series of events over the last 10 years including sales, fetes and auctions. Chair
A MAN who played Santa to help collect more than £3,500 for charity got a parking ticket while he was delivering the cash to the bank. Blackburn Round Table member Andrew Bridge spent three nights dressed as Father Christmas while gathering money in
PEOPLE have been warned to expect on-the-spot fines as part of a crackdown on dogs fouling in public. Ribble Valley dog wardens have started issuing the fines to residents and are also threatening to name and shame repeat offenders if they continue to
JIM to win - that's all I'm saying on the TV car crash that is Just the Two of Us. Seeing EastEnders' Jim Branning clinging to soul sister Jocelyn Brown like a life raft, I almost expected him to start clutching his chest and start wailing "Dora-fee,
A THANKSGIVING service for the life and work of a canon will be held today. Canon Eric Chard, former Lancashire county ecumenical officer and vicar, died on December 20, aged 82, following a stroke 10 days earlier. The service will take place at St
ENTERTAINMENT store chain Music Zone, which has branches in Accrington and Burnley, has gone into administration. The firm is looking for new owners and is blaming "challenging trading conditions" and weak pre-Christmas spending. Administrators
