A PENSIONER has appeared before Burnley magistrates accused of poisoning his estranged wife by putting mercury in her tea. William Terry Dowling, a 69 year-old grandfather, is alleged to have used mercury from a supply he is said to have kept
A FORMER police officer who claimed colleagues dubbed him “PC Sicko” has had his tribunal claims for racial, religious and disability discrimination rejected. Tabarik Zabier, who joined Lancashire Police in 2000, said he had been treated differently
BLACKBURN MP Jack Straw will lobby the New York bosses of a CD factory in a bid to save it from closure. EDC announced this week that it was moving its production from the factory in Whitebirk, Blackburn, to another plant in Hanover, Germany
RAIL-users at Blackburn Station’s busiest platform will have to brave the elements for another winter before a shelter can be built. Plans to build a canopy over platform four - used by passengers travelling towards Preston and Manchester - have been
THE last beekeeper in Darwen has accused the council of ‘destroying’ the insect’s natural habitat. Bob Fulton, of Pole Lane, who is also the swarm catcher for Blackburn, Darwen, and Mellor, says the borough council’s policy of mowing meadows, cutting
OLDER people have been warned to take extra steps against burglars this spring. Figures from Age Concern show that although Lancashire has four times fewer burglaries than Greater Manchester, older people are more likely to become victims in the county
A TEENAGER needed hospital treatment after an argument with a dog walker. The 14-year-old was in a group of around six youths walking along Burnham Gate, Burnley, close to McDonald’s, when he got into a row with a man, police said. The pair then got
A RUN-DOWN Burnley railway station will not be renovated for at least two years, it has emerged. A county transport boss has said work on the town’s Manchester Road station cannot begin until 2011 at the earliest because of a cash shortage.
Featuring the voices of: Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Paul Rudd, Stephen Colbert. Directors: Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon. Just when it seemed that no one could challenge the computer animated
COLNE entertain Runcorn Linnets tomorrow looking to stretch their unbeaten run to seven games. The Holt House club have found some form in the run-in and five wins in the last six games has steered them away from the foot of the Vodkat Premier League
Running time: 101 mins. Renowned comedian and satirist Bill Maher takes an irreverent look at organised religion in this tongue-in-cheek documentary, which sees the funny man journey around the world, asking probing questions about faith and absolution
Running time: (135 mins). Starring: Bill Nighy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Chris O’Dowd, Tom Wisdom, Rhys Darby, Will Adamsdale, Tom Brooke, Tom Sturridge, Kenneth Branagh, Jack Davenport, Emma Thompson. Director: Richard Curtis.
I WISH every town had a Claire Robertson. She's the former Woolworths branch manager from Dorchester who refused to give up when her store closed its doors after the firm went into administration last December. Instead of trying to find
DOUG MacLeod is one of the last remaining bluesmen who learned from the old masters, lived the music, survived the life and carries forward the tradition. Within the blues world, MacLeod is known for his superb songwriting, guitar wizardry, warm soulful
BURNLEY Town hall chiefs still hope to get back £1million invested in the failed Icelandic bank Landsbanki, which was nationalised in October. Burnley Council’s resources executive member Margaret Lishman said: “The council is working with
IT’S like the rock version of Mamma Mia. You never know, I could be doing that one next — all I need is a blonde wig,” actor Kevin Kennedy tells me when I ask him to describe the latest West End musical to tour the country, Queen’s We Will Rock You.
A collection of 130 lots of smokers’ pipes has been sold for over £7,000 at a Clitheroe auction. A rare 17th century ‘Bristol’ Monkey clay pipe topped the lot at £780 at the sale room at Clitheroe Auction Mart in Lincoln Way Meanwhile two cheroot
GALLONS of muddy water flooded the gardens of residents living close to the site of a new ‘super school’ for the second time in a year. Householders near the Marsden Heights Community College building site, Brierfield, said the flooding occurred
THINGS seem to be going from bad to worse for East Lancashire. This week has already seen Blackburn CD manufacturer EDC announce it will close its factory in December with the loss of 260 jobs. Haslingden textile firm JH Birtwistle & Co, which has
A SCHOOL is set to be surrounded by a huge perimeter fence after vandals and burglars ran up a £30,000 bill. Governors at Brunshaw Primary School, in Morse Street, Burnley, want to put up the 2.4metre metal boundary as part of a rolling security progr-amme
A FULL review of a controversial decision to change parking on one of Clitheroe’s busiest roads will not be carried out until January 2010. A traffic order that changed parking to the left-hand side of Moor Lane was approved at a meeting of
A MURDER investigation into the death of a 53-year-old woman from East Lancashire has been dropped by detectives. Police had interviewed a 22-year-old man, on suspicion of murder, after Michelle Howard was found at the bottom of her stairs in Regent
BLACKBURN wedding photographer Paul Brown is offering his services to raise cash for Cancer Research UK. Mr Brown will donate his time free for one lucky couple, after signing up to the fundraising scheme Photographers4Charity. In return, the couple
PATIENTS living in the UK’s most deprived areas are more likely to die after heart surgery than richer people. Data from almost 45,000 patients in the North West and Birmingham tracked for up to 10 years found an increased risk of death even after factors
A MAJOR business park which could create 1,600 jobs will be given the go-ahead - but only if strict measures on traffic are met. Councillors have agreed to let town hall planners approve the sprawling Pollard Moor scheme, on the former Hepworth
POLICE took part in a spring clean of the Accrington Road area of Blackburn. Officers teamed up with Blackburn with Darwen Council, Twin Valley Homes, Lancashire Fire and Rescue, Groundworks and the Probation Service for a “Beatsweep” day around
Haslingden Fly Fishing Club holds its annual open day on Saturday, April 4th from 11.30am to 3pm at Haslingden Cricket Club. New members of all ages are welcome and there will be demonstrations and quizzes.
A local doctor's surgery in Haslingden now has an automated phone service whereby patients can book appointments "24/7". Dr Moujaes practice on Manchester Road has recently adopted the new system to allow bookings and cancellations. Blackburn Royal
PLANS to create a 30-foot wind turbine at a school have inspired ideas for an ‘environmental classroom’. The new £16.1 million Accrington Academy was approved in January – on condition that developers improve its green credentials. The superschool in
REVITALISED Rossendale United look to take another giant step towards UniBond League survival tomorrow when they look to slay Welsh dragons Colwyn Bay. Phil Eastwood’s Stags won for only the second time this year on Tuesday night to give themselves breathing
Haslingden Street Fair will not happen this year. A team of volunteers was needed ensure the success of the Fair. The two meetings held to discuss the Fair for 2009, however, were very poorly attended. It was decided at a meeting held last Thursday
AN operation to disperse large crowds of teenagers is off to a successful start. Police pledged to prevent anti-social behaviour in Oswaldtwistle’s Union Road area, after receiving reports of up to 70 youths causing terror. Following
LANCASHIRE cricketer James Anderson has been awarded one of the game’s biggest accolades. Anderson, who started his career playing for his home town Burnley in the Lancashire League, is one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers’ of the Year. Scyld
A DISTRIBUTION firm scooped a prestigious award and staff were jetting off to the US as a reward. Option Hygiene, Blackburn, was one of five winners of the GOJO Jet Set sales initiative, and beat competition from more than 40 companies with
NEW film ‘The Damned United’ has served as a reminder to what a brilliantly unique manager the late Brian Clough was. Although it focuses on a doomed association with Leeds United, Clough will be more fondly remembered for back-to-back European
WHILE PAUL Robinson can be assured of a heroes welcome from the travelling Tottenham fans tomorrow afternoon, another former Spurs stopper will go almost unnoticed as he takes to the Rovers bench. Compared to Robinson’s four-year Spurs love
There is to be an Easter Celebration at Ashday Lea, Haslingden Road, Rawtenstall on Saturday 4th April between 2 and 4pm, in aid of the Rossendale Hospice. You can make a dedication to a loved one and admission is by donation. Following the service
I HAVE an admission to make. If there’s one thing I love more than anything else it is a good old ‘conspiracy theory’. I am not talking about the theories that say we have been forced to live like human guinea pigs, where our only way out of this mess
AN EAST Lancashire resident has hit out at a housing association, claiming he is only able to live in half his house. Jason Eccles, 40, of Kirby Road, Blackburn, says a problem with guttering at his house, rented off Places for People, has caused leaks
AUSTRALIAN midfielder Vince Grella returns to Blackburn Rovers' squad for tomorrow's Premier League visit of Spurs. Rovers' summer signing has missed most of the season through a series of injuries but comes back into contention for the first
OFFICIAL figures back up East Lancashire health bosses’ claims that the increased numbers of patients attending A&E departments is a wider national problem. The Lancashire Telegraph has obtained statistics under the Freedom of Information Act which reveal
EAST Lancashire has had its funding for vital housing projects cut by millions of pounds. It is feared the “bomb-shell” announcement will hit the region’s housing regeneration and could halt some schemes that have already been started. It comes on the
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former mayoress of Blackburn who has died aged 92. Edith Gorton was the town’s first lady from 1980 to 1981 as the wife of long-serving councillor Frank Gorton. The couple met at Queen’s Park hospital, Blackburn, where Mrs
INTEREST in taking over Shaws of Darwen, whose parent company was put into receivership on Wednsesday, is said to be high. Administrators Ernst and Young were called into the 109-year-old ceramics company after parent company Qual-ceram Shires
A BLACKBURN primary school is looking for sponsorship to compete in a global competition after being hailed British champions. A group of seven Shadsworth Junior School year four pupils saw off competition from 32 school across the country to be named
ROVERS fans have chalked up at least one victory over Arsenal this season - after sparking a U-turn on the Emirates Stadium's national flag ban. Last month the Lancashire Telegraph revealed that Blackburn fans from the Havelock Inn had their
JOHN Coleman isn’t at all bothered about missing out on the League Two manager of the month award - and actually feels for his players rather than himself. Accrington’s manager was pipped to the prize by Chesterfield’s ex-Blackburn Rovers man
THE owner of a blue and white scarf that has been waved on Ewood Park for 59 years is hoping it will be a lucky charm against relegation. Lifelong Blackburn Rovers fan Wendy Howarth, 49, of Hamilton Street, in the Infirmary area of Blackburn, was handed
HOTSHOT Paul Fildes has told Bacup Borough boss Brent Peters to get ready to lose his money if he thinks Tommy Turner will finish as the area’s top striker. Peters reckons his man Turner is the best of the bunch - but Padiham ace Fildes went to the top
A TOTAL of 64 cars have now been reported as scratched by vandals who ran amok in Great Harwood. The Lancashire Telegraph reported on Tuesday that 45 cars had been damaged, but more car owners have since come forward. Cars were damaged in Cliffe
The last Rossendale Farmers Market to be held at Wavel Mill, Helmshore is this Sunday, 5th April from 9.30am to 2pm From May 2009 the maket relocates to the Kingfisher Centre Car Park, Burnley Road, Rawtenstall. Rossendale Farmers Market
CHILDREN had a taste of what life is like for police officers when they went to their local station. Organised by Sergeant Tim Cussans, from Padiham Police, year one and reception children at St Peter’s C of E School, Simonstone, took fingerprints,
A FORMER Woolworth’s store is set to open ahead of schedule. The Best of Oswaldtwistle Mills store, in Broadway, Accrington, is opening tomorrow at 9am, a week before the original opening date. Fifteen local people have been employed
DEPARTING striker Ade Akinbiyi admitted seeing Burnley in the Premier League would be a fitting end to his career in England. The Clarets have six games in which to secure their place in the Championship’s top six, an achievement the 34-year-old
BOBBY Mimms insists former team-mate Alan Shearer will pull no punches in his bid to save Newcastle United from Premier League relegation. Blackburn Rovers’ goalkeeping coach, who played at Ewood with Shearer in the 1990s, admits the Magpies
CALLS have been made for Pendle’s area committees to “chip in” with funds to repair rundown ginnels across the borough. The urban walkways are classed as countrys-ide access, meaning they are not the responsibility of the county or borough
BLACKBURN Rovers Ladies will be looking to lift the Lancashire Challenge Cup for the sixth year in succession when they take on Rochdale AFC Ladies in the final tonight. Adam Lakeland’s side have beaten Curzon Ashton, Manchester City and Preston
CLITHEROE face the testing trip to the North East to face league leaders and title favourites Durham City. That is a huge game for Peter Smith’s men - but they go in full of confidence after their impressive win over Garforth Town in midweek. It is
CHILD fares will soon be increased on Rossendale buses. From April 5, GMPTE will increase the standard child fare by 10p. Children will now have to pay 80p on schooldays before 4.30pm. After 4.30pm on schooldays and all day on
LANCASHIRE County Cricket Club have defied the current economic crisis to announce record pre-tax profits of £258,664. That shows a rise from £184,364 in 2007, although those figures were recorded over a 15-month period. Lancashire chief executive Jim
TWO Accrington Stanley players, along with Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard, have today denied a charge of affray after an incident at a bar. Goalkeeper Ian Dunbavin, 28, of Guildford Road, Southport, and midfielder Robert Grant, 18, of Enstone Avenue
A TRACTOR driver is being hunted by police after a collision with a school bus in Sabden. Police are appealing for information on the crash, which happened around 4pm on Monday, on Whalley Road. The driver of the red tractor and trailer
Some of the pupils at Lowerhouse junior school have been enjoying and taking part in the Primary Dance Activity which is run in conjunction with Burnley Council. School closes Friday April 3 at 3pm and re-opens April 20 at 8.55am.
CHORLEY are without a game tomorrow and return to action at Skelmersdale on Tuesday. There is bad news for boss Tony Hesketh, though. Veteran former Preston and Accrington defender Martin Clarke says he will not be fit again this season.
THE latest scandal with Jacqui Smith's husband watching adult movies at the taxpayers’ expense only proves one thing: MPs just claim for everything regardless of the taxpayer. They are very unlikely to get caught and when they do they plead error and
I read the front-page story (LT, March 30) concerning waste disposal sites with some amazement, because as Portfolio holder for Enviromental Services in Rossendale and a member of the Lancashire Waste Management Committee, I thought someone may have
WITH reference to the appoint-ment of ‘Super Council’ boss, Max Steinburg (LT, March 28), a reference was made to the fact that Mr Steinberg’s believed salary for that position was in the region of £140,000 per annum. This fact was not established and
I AM writing to highlight the plight of those infected and affected by the contaminated blood disaster, and to ask for your readers’ help. So far, over 2,000 people have died as a result of infections such as HIV and Hepatitis And it was recently
ACCRINGTON Stanley’s second biggest shareholder Ilyas Khan has said he will invest up to £200,000 in the cash-strapped club - and believes that David O’Neill could match that figure. Khan revealed yesterday that he will not support takeover
BURNLEY are battling to get their walking wounded fit for the final stages of the promotion push. The Clarets head to Derby County tomorrow without injured talisman Steven Thompson, while doubts remain over the fitness of leading scorer Martin
DAVID Dunn is confident he can still have a positive impact on Blackburn Rovers’ fight to beat the drop – even if he has to settle for a bit-part role in the season finale. The injury-plagued Rovers midfielder admits he might have to settle
A MOTHER was not allowed in a school parents’ evening — because she was wearing a veil. Our Lady and St. John Catholic Art College, North Road, Blackburn, said all visitor’s faces must be identifiable for ‘health, safety and security grounds
CLARETS striker Robbie Blake has been shortlisted for the Powerade Championship player of the month award for March.
BOY racers targetting Colne and Nelson for late-night ‘rallies' are being warned by police their cars will be impounded if they continue. Illegal car ‘cruises' have been taking place at North Valley Retail Park, in Colne, and the Tesco store
BURNLEY FC is hosting an evening with ex-players Andy Payton and Mick Docherty on April 9 (7.30pm). Tickets are priced £10 (including supper).
WHEN Burnley take on Derby County tomorrow, they will face one of football’s great characters. But we can always rely on Robbie Savage to shoot himself in the foot. Savage, of course, spent three largely successful years at Blackburn Rovers
