THREE young members of a Blackburn martial arts club have made the grade after achieving their junior black belts. Tom Watts, 11, Chloe Hynes, aged nine, and eight-year-old Liam McIlvenney all passed with flying colours after a special grading ceremony
SCHOOL children can get free help with homework with a new scheme at Rawtenstall Library. The library is running a homework club in conjunction with the Lancashire Ethnic Minority Achievement Support Service, which is providing teachers to help with
AN amateur operatics society has won a hat-trick of nominations in regional drama awards. Two of the Rossendale Players, as well as their stage and design team, have been nominated for awards from the National Operatic and Dramatic Association. The
THE Lancashire Wolverines got their first victory of the 2007 British American Football League season with a 34-8 defeat of local rivals Merseyside Nighthawks. The Wolverines, based at Blackburn RUFC, took control of the match from the start and Sam
CHILDREN have now-here to play after land set-aside for a village "kick-about" area was covered with rubble, a councillor has claimed. Coun Graham Sowter, who represents Billington and Old Langho, said children in Brockhall Village had nowhere to play
A RESTAURANT owner who organised a Chinese lion dance to promote Blackburn was given a parking ticket during the event. And when Ming Fu wrote to Blackburn with Darwen Council to complain about the £30 fine it was doubled after a mix-up over his appeal
IT was the year that saw the Falklands War begin and end, Michael Jackson release his mega-selling Thriller album and the first ever Rubik's Cube World Championships were held in Hungary. And 1982 just happened to be the year the YMCA went on an incredible
BRIDGE Inn showed Church Town just what they have to aspire to if they are to overhaul them as the Accrington Combination's top team. For the recently crowned league champions denied Church Town turning what has already been a memorable first season
BLACKBURN'S chairman of rugby, Gareth Dyer, admits his side did not do themselves justice after a comprehensive 40-15 defeat against Leigh in their promotion play-off. However Dyer believes his players should be proud of their achievements during the
THE dog attack which left a two-year-old girl with serious facial injuries was the second tragedy to strike her family in four years. The toddler was savaged by what police believe is a Staffordshire bull terrier, as she visited friends in Borrowdale
A STUDY aimed at tackling racial tension in schools has begun, after Blackburn and Burnley were identified as being among the country's most divided areas. More than 3,000 Muslim and non-Muslim young people in Blackburn will be asked to give their views
IT was honours even for Lancashire Girls Under 15s handball team following their recent two match series against the Scottish youth development squad. The county team, made up of players from the Rossendale area, showed no signs of jet lag' in the opening
Clayton-le-Moors Harriers Wendy Dodds and Lawrence Sullivan were age group winners at the Paddy's Pole Fell Race as the English Fell Championship visited our region for its second round. The 4.5 mile long race is organised by Preston Harriers and starts
ACCRINGTON chairman Eric Whalley insists Paul Jewell "does not know what he is talking about" following the Wigan manager's claims that a punishment handed to Stanley played a part in West Ham escaping a points deduction. The relegation-threatened Hammers
Burnley have lined up a pre-season friendly match with Premiership outfit Middlesborough. The fixture will take place at Turf Moor on Saturday, July 21 at 3pm.
Have the "For Sale" signs gone up outside Ewood Park? The news this week that Rovers have hired a money man to advise on potential purchasers following on from chairman John Williams' comments in his revealing interview in this paper a few weeks ago
Gunnar Nielsen, a goalkeeper who hails from the Faroe Islands, is currently on trial at Blackburn Rovers. The 19-year-old, who plays his club football with Danish side BK Frem, has spent the last few days at Brockhall.
BLACKBURN target Craig Bellamy appears to be edging closer to the exit door at Liverpool after he allegedly admitted he wants to quit Anfield this summer. Former Wales international, Malcolm Allen, claims the striker confided in him at the weekend, and
TWO Blackburn swimmers were a part of the Gallica Swimming Squad that yet again starred at the highest level. For the 10-strong team - which included Blackburn Centurions' Joshua Walsh and Robert Harrison - took part in the recent British Championships
THREE men who invaded a private golden wedding party and started "mob violence" have been jailed. Burnley Crown Court heard how mayhem followed after brothers Elias and Shaun Smith and their accomplice David Varey gatecrashed the function. Edward Peter
RELIEVED Accrington Stanley chairman Eric Whalley insists the Reds must avoid a second successive season in which they scrap away to save their Football League skin. Stanley held onto their League Two status on Saturday after a thrilling 3-2 victory
YOU would never have thought it, but following the fortunes of Burnley Football Club live on Sky TV has become that rarest of things - must-watch television. Few and far between are the programmes for which one cancels social or family gatherings, but
CLARETS teenager Jay Rodriguez has been offered a professional contract. The 17-year-old striker is the only one of seven second-year apprentices to be retained by the Clarets this season. Rodriguez, son of well-travelled former non-league striker Kiko
BURNLEY manager Steve Cotterill believes teenager Kyle Lafferty is facing a big summer. The Northern Ireland international is at a crucial stage of his development, and after his involvement in his country's tour of America last summer, where he earned
Pub, club and off licence owners are being asked how to prevent alcohol causing problems in the community. Over 400 people have been invited to the first ever seminar organised by Blackburn with Darwen Council to discuss issues such as smoke free
A Clitheroe farmer has started a fresh legal challenge in the Court of Appeal against plans to burn animal waste at a cement works next to her farm. Lawyers for Mary Horner, of Higher Heights Farm, Bolton-by-Bowland, yesterday opened a case to the Court
SOME goals enter the history books as soon as the ball hits the net, and as another chapter in the Stanley story was being written on Saturday, Andy Procter's 25-yard screamer instantly became Stanley folklore. Dads will tell their sons in years to come
EXTRA security measures are being put in place to protect election votes stored overnight after the local elections on Thursday. Police officers will oversee the ballot papers being moved to an undisclosed location and secured in a room, which will then
POLICE arrested two teenagers and seized 100 litres of alcohol in a crackdown on underage drinking. Two 16-year-olds were arrested for a public order offence on Friday night in the Towneley Park area, Burnley, and were reprimanded for their behaviour
A 'WATER baby' took the plunge and swam half a mile in memory of her aunt - and raised cash for East Lancashire Hospice. Plucky Alicia Ziane, five, was determined to do something for her beloved aunt Nadia, 31, who lost her battle against cancer in November
A MAN carried out five house burglaries in an hour, a court heard. Jason Talbot was caught soon after his last raid, as a police officer happened to be in that area near Greenway Street, Darwen. Preston Crown Court heard that Talbot had only recently
Tugay has indicated he's ready to commit himself to Blackburn Rovers for another 12 months, providing he gets certain reassurances about his role next season. The veteran Turk's existing contract is due to expire this summer, but the club are willing
Police in Darwen have seized 79 bottles of beer, 80 cans of lager, 12 bottles of cider, six bottles of vodka and other alcohol from young people in recent weeks. And most of it was taken from youngsters in Sunnyhurst Woods. One 18-year-old had to
POLICE Community Beat Manager PC Ian Thompson put a local cub group through their paces - to help them achieve their fitness badges. PC Thompson visited the nine-year-old Cliviger Cubs to give them a talk on fitness, the levels of fitness local police
A DOCTOR has admitted sex assaults on two nurses at the former Queen's Park Hospital in Blackburn. Dr Patrick Chanda, 41, carried out the indecent attacks while employed as a registrar in the obstetrics and gynaecology department at the hospital, which
The funeral of road crash victim Ashley Connell will take place at 1pm on Friday, at St Peter's Church, Salesbury, followed by cremation at Pleasington. Ashley, 23, of Knowsley Road, Wilpshire, died in a smash in Mellor Lane, Mellor. Donations can be
Two people have appeared in court charged with drugs offences. Peter Cunliffe, 40, of Royds Street, Accrington, and Jonathan Wareing, 35, of Haslingden Road, Blackburn, were ordered to be dealt with at Preston Crown Court. They appeared before Blackburn
NHS bosses from across the North West will descend on Nelson tomorrow. Board members from NHS North West, the regional strategic health authority, will meet at East Lancashire Primary Care Trust's headquarters at Kenyon Road, on the Lomeshaye Estate.
THREE teenagers behind an £80,000 revamp of a park helped to officially open the play area. And Asma Butt, 13, a student at Pendle Vale Community College, Marsden Community College's Alia Ahmed, 16, and 15-year-old Hajrah Kausar, are now being put forward
It's polling day on Thursday and even the sleepiest contests in the safest wards ought to have sprung into life by now. There are still places where teams of people go out on the streets with their blue, red or gold rosettes under the tutelage of an
A FUNDRAISING group set up by a young cancer victim is holding an event which aims to give TV stars Trinny and Susannah a run for their money. The night at the Holden Vale Hotel, Helmshore, has been organised by the family of Catherine Kearney, who died
A free bus service between the town centre and Towneley Hall, Burnley, starts on Saturday. It will run every hour, on the hour, from bus station stand nine between noon and 4pm. The bus will then shuttle passengers between the hall and the park's riverside
Ribble Valley voters are being reminded that there are six new polling stations for the borough and parish council elections on Thursday. Electors will receive a poll card giving the location of their polling station. They will be open from 7am
THE BISHOP of Blackburn has urged people to vote against the BNP in local elections - for the second year in a row. Rt Rev Nicholas Reade, whose diocese covers Lancashire, wrote in the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight that "poison of racial and religious
A MOTORCYCLIST killed while on a ride with friends has been named by police. Anthony Hart, from Rochdale, died after his silver Honda motorbike collided with an oncoming car on Haslingden Old Road, Oswaldtwistle, on Sunday afternoon. The 47-year-old
PROPERTIES in Lancashire have been raided as part of a international operation linked to animal rights extremism. Police officers from Hampshire, who led the nationwide raids, have not said where in Lancashire the raids had taken place. Searches
THE organiser of the annual Burnley May Day festival is stepping down after 20 years in the role. Jack Preston, who is known as Mr May Day', has organised the festival at Towneley since 1988. Trades Union Council secretary Peter Thorne, who has taken
A man had to be treated for smoke inhalation after a fire in a terraced house in Oswald Street, Accrington. The resident was led to safety by fire crews and was given oxygen at the scene as a precaution. Watch manager Craig Etherington said that the
A NELSON man has been added to Lancashire police's list of most wanted suspects. Kamrem Ali, 25, is wanted after failing to appear at Preston Magistrates' Court accused of assaulting a his ex-partner, a 20-year-old woman, in Preston last December. It
Clitheroe will host Accrington Stanley in a specially arranged friendly tonight. The game takes place at Shawbridge with a 6pm kick off. Admission is £5.
HONOURS were shared out among Burnley players in the Supporters' Club's end of season awards last night. Wade Elliott, Michael Duff and Andy Gray all won five prizes, with Steve Caldwell hot on their heels with three awards. The full list is as
RE vandalised cars in the Rockcliffe Street area of Blackburn. Something must be done about this. We can't let them get away with it. Our car was among those damaged. One person, who is disabled, had to do without their car for two-and-a-half days.
POLITICAL apathy in Blackburn with Darwen? I am very sad to report that there is political apathy in Blackburn with Darwen. The Older People's Forum felt that asking all 77 candidates standing in Thursday's Local Government Elections for their views
THE plan to send men on courses about breastfeeding is pure nonsense and yet another example of Blackburn with Darwen Council wasting money. I am sick of subsidising these crazy schemes, whether it be speed humps (that do not slow down the people who
HOW worried and disappointed all the charities who use the shop in Lord Street West, Blackburn, must be at its closure. We ran this shop a couple of times a year to raise vital funds for the Only Foals and Horses Sanctuary and this money has proved
MP JACK Straw is less worried about segregation in Blackburn than he was three months ago. The Leader of the House of Commons put his assesment down to the work of the 100 Voices forum that was set-up in the wake of his comments last year about the veil
STUDENTS had a ball when it came to explaining nuclear power - and winning a competition. Pupils from Westholme School, Blackburn, used paperclips, mousetraps and ping-pong balls. Richa Sinha, from Burnley, Meera Kumar, from Clayton-le-Dale, Laura
ARSONISTS who started four fires on the moors above Darwen have been labelled 'imbeciles'. Firefighters were called to four reports of smoke at the weekend and three times found fires had been deliberately set. It is thought the fourth fire fizzled
A STRIKE by civil servants in Lancashire today is expected to bring a number of public services - from the courts to job centres - grinding to a halt. Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union are staging a one-day stoppage today, Tuesday
MUSIC and television equipment worth almost £3,000 was stolen from two homes in Darwen. Burglars broke into a home in Olive Lane and stole a Sky Digibox worth £100, Stanton mixing desks, a quantity of records, a 28-inch flat screen television and a five-disc
THE pie's the limit for Burnley after securing a six-figure club record new shirt sponsorship deal. Baxenden-based Holland's Pies have put their name to the Clarets kit until 2009, and will have their company logo emblazoned on the club's home and away
