Police are concerned for the welfare of a 76-year-old man who has gone missing. Barrie Bleasedale was last seen at his home in Dudley Avenue, Oswaldtwistle, at 4.30pm today. He is described as 5ft 7inches tall, has grey hair and wears glasses
POLICE are asking for the public's help in finding a wanted sex offender. Mohammed Emdad Ali was last seen at Royal Blackburn Hospital today. Police said the 30-year-old is wanted for breaching the notification requirements of his sexual harm
A PRIMARY school was evacuated after a cooker hob fire in a classroom. Four fire crews were called to St Oswald's RC Primary School and Nursery in Hartley Avenue, Accrington, at around 3.23pm. Watch manager Gary Drinkwater said the fire was
CHRIS Willcock insists Ramsbottom United should not be written off as they prepare of their FA Trophy third round replay at AFC Fylde this evening. The two sides played out an epic 5-5 draw at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium last week - with
ASHLEY Barnes believes Burnley's strength of character can help them continue their recent revival and pull further clear from the Premier League bottom three. The Clarets were 3-1 winners at Brighton last time out, a win that moved them to 15th
A MAN has been taken to hospital with a broken collarbone after a crash involving a car and motorbike. The smash happened at around 6.25pm yesterday (Monday) on Bolton Road, Chorley, at the junction of Worcester Place, when a Volkswagen Beetle
BRYAN Douglas has paid tribute to goalkeeper Gordon Banks after the England great died aged 81. Rovers legend Douglas, who was inducted into the club's inaugural Hall of Fame last week, played alongside Banks for the Three Lions and faced him on
TWO Burnley FC fans have been charged with racism offences after an incident during the Clarets away tie at Brighton and Hove Albion last Saturday. An investigation was launched by Sussex Police amid allegations that abuse was directed towards
AN MP says he is disappointed at a decision by Northern not to include Church and Oswaldtwistle station in a scheme to improve disabled access. The station has no disabled access on the Church side and passengers have to make their way up a flight
THE owner of a puppy breeding kennels has said he is disappointed after a planning application to sell puppies bred off-site and extend its site was refused. The retrospective application, made by Douglas Hall Kennels in Spenbrook Road, Newchurch-in-Pendle
WHAT is it when a leading Blackburn councillor Salim Sidat flaunts the law by parking on the pavement and just gets away with a police warning? It was no excuse that he had arrived late for a family meal and he even quoted that his own son was
A MAN assaulted a colleague for no reason when they went for a drink after work. Blackburn magistrates heard Darrell Mark Altimas then punched the barman when he asked him to leave. Altimas, 51, now of Cleveland Street, Colne, but formerly of
POLICE have issued images of men wanted in connection with domestic abuse. Shaun Cantwell, who is from Blackburn, is wanted in connection with a domestic-related assault. He is 5ft 9ins, of slim build, with short dark brown hair and brown eyes.
A FATHER who broke into his ex-partner's home then smashed her television and punched her brother has been jailed. Haider Farooq, 21, appeared before Burnley Crown Court to be sentenced for assault, criminal damage and breaching a restraining order
COUNCIL chiefs have named one of their gritters after TV star Holly Willoughby - after hearing she was jealous of co-star Phillip Schofield. Lancashire Councty Council named their newest gritter 'Holly Chilloughby' - her co-star's gritter 'Phillip
A heavy goods vehicle and a car crashed on the Grane Road. The fire service and an ambulance were called to the road, at the Haslingden end, just before midday. A fire service said one of the drivers was treated by paramedics. However
WHAT is it when leading Blackburn councillor Salim Sidat flaunts the law by parking on the pavement and just gets away with a police warning? It was no excuse that he had arrived late for a family meal and he even quoted that his own son was also
A MUM claimed carers allowance for her amputee son at the same time police were investigating him as part of a major drugs ring. Blackburn magistrates heard Mohammed Irfan Patel was eventually jailed for nine years for his part in the conspiracy
A MAN who had been drinking pulled alongside a police car, wound down his window and admitted drink driving. Blackburn magistrates heard the incident was even more bizarre because Mohammed Gujar had called the police and arranged to meet them at
A 10-year-old boy has been taken to hospital after being hit by a car. Police were called to Swinless Street, Burnley, at 9.10am today after reports that the boy had been hit by a Volkswagen Passat. He has been taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital
BURNLEY Under-23 boss Steve Stone was pleased with his side's response after the Clarets youngsters came from two down to beat Bolton Wanderers 4-2 at Leyland on Monday night. Stone's men were second best in the first half although Olowale Tanimowo's
A WOMAN was racially abused as she shopped in Sainsbury's. Police have issued CCTV of a woman wanted in connection with the incident, which happened in the store in Active Way, Burnley. Officers, who have only today issued a witness appeal,
CHILDREN and teenagers today will never know the joys of spending Saturday afternoons stocking up on pick n mix and cassette tapes at Woolies. High street shop Woolworths — which opened its first UK store in 1909 — may seem like a distant memory
A MAN has told of his anger after receiving a letter threatening him with court action if he didn’t pay his dead brother’s council tax. Steven Payne’s brother, Eric Payne, died of liver disease, aged 60, on January 27. From last December, Mr
A WARNING has been issued by police after a doorstep con artist tried to convince an elderly man to part with £4,500 for drive repairs which had never been carried out. Police say the victim, from the Rosegrove area of Burnley, was approached by
Tony Mowbray says Rovers’ league position heading in to the final weeks of the season will dictate the possibility of first team opportunities for some of the club’s rising prospects. Mowbray watched the Rovers youngsters chalk up a seventh win
THE line-up for this year’s Darwen Live Festival has been revealed with organisers saying it offers one of the most diverse offerings yet. Darwen Live will run over two-days of the May bank holiday weekend with Nineties’ favourites Sleeper headlining
A SMALL rubbish fire was put out by firefighters last night. Fire services from Burnley were called out at 8pm on Tuesday, after a bin compound behind the Vincent Farrell Community Centre was deliberately set on fire in Temple Street, Burnley.
A CIGARETTE stub thrown out of the car window by a passenger proved costly for a motorist. Blackburn magistrates heard police stopped the Honda HR-V to speak to the litter bug and ended up breathalysing the driver. Waldemar Miroslaw Pietruszka
A MAN and a 17-year-old boy have appeared before Blackburn magistrates charged in connection with the knifepoint robbery of a taxi driver in his vehicle. Blackburn magistrates heard the Skoda Octavia car was later set alight near to houses in Linden
A LARGE group of youths causing chaos in a town centre have been damaging cars and vehicles. Officers in Burnley warned last night, Monday 11, that police patrols in the town had been increased to deal with the problem. As well as damaging
A FUNDRAISING page has been set up to help a Blackburn mechanic who needs an operation to battle a rare condition. Chris Hargreaves, 31, a self-employed mechanic, had been feeling unwell for some months but just thought he had a cold. He was
FORMER Blackburn Rovers legend Fred Pickering died at the weekend, age 78. Bygones looks back at the history of a player who was one of the British game’s most expensive footballers when he signed for Everton in 1964. Mr Pickering was born in
A JUDGE is set to sentence a drug-dealing East Lancashire woman caught with her own home cannabis factory. Prosecutors say police also seized a quantity of cash when they raided the home of Victoria Kelly, 48. She pleaded guilty to possession
A FATHER who was suffering with depression took his life by jumping from a town centre flyover, an inquest has heard. Lee Rainey, of Hughes Street, Burnley, fell from a ‘considerable height’ after he crossed the railings on Centenary Way in Burnley
DETAILED plans for the £6million regeneration of one of Blackburn's landmark buildings have been revealed. The Exchange, or Cotton Exchange, on King William Street was built at the height of the town's Victorian prosperity. The Grade II listed
A STROKE survivor has received a Highly Commended Life After Stroke Award from the Stroke Association, in recognition of his determination and volunteering. Stewart Whittaker of Blackburn had a stroke in July 2014 at the age of 38. His stroke left
ON Saturday, April 12, a Blackburn perfume department store were offering customers an exclusive gift from Guerlain. If somebody bought something from the Guerlain counter, which was valued at £2 or over, they would be be lucky enough to win a special
A BLACKBURN care home which closed last year is due to go under the hammer later this month when it will feature among more than 130 lots at Pugh’s next North West property auction. The 8,000 sq ft former Longworth House care home at Ramsgreave
A BUSINESS that was only five years in by 1969, received the Queen's Award to Industry for its export record. Edgar Pickering Ltd in Blackburn received the award for all its success after selling 62 per cent of its production in the home market,
AN unidentified object was seen in the night sky in East Lancashire in April 1969, as people were left baffled. Air Traffic Control at Preston were unable themselves to identify the mystery object, but experts said it was a meteorite. Mr Roy Winstanley
COUNCILLORS are reviewing long-delayed plans to renovate an historic building blighted by arson and vandalism. In 2016, Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Cllr Mohammed Khan said the authority was working with a public partner to maintain Griffin
AFTER having trouble finding young boys to train as gents hairdressers, a barber decided to hire a girl for the job instead. Mr Geoff Smalley was struggling to find any boys for the trainee role for his Mincing Lane shop in Blackburn. To get some
RESIDENTIAL property prices in Blackburn with Darwen are rising faster than the national average, Land Registry figures reveal. The UK-wide body's latest House Price Index shows average cost of a home in the borough has risen by 3.7 per cent in
AS Blackburn Market’s bosses sift through a raft of new applications for stalls, traders are urging potential newcomers to ‘come and join our family’. They have responded to criticism of the town centre retail hub by banding together to say it is
THERE are calls for action to be taken to clean up a fire-ravaged former plastics recycling site. Residents living near to the former V10 Polymers site in Paterson Street, Blackburn, say the area is being used as a dumping ground. They have
AN 'eyesore' former video store on a town's main street could be brought back into use. The empty building once used by Blockbuster on Market Street in Colne is set to be turned into a new refurbished shop and five flats. Owners The Meridian
Tony Mowbray wants Rovers to keep believing they can challenge for a top six spot in the final third of the Championship season. Rovers could be eight points off the final play-off place by kick off at Reading tomorrow night after back-to-back
A RECKLESS driver who ran over a cricket player before fleeing from the scene has been jailed. Mohammed Khan crushed Ayyub Umar’s leg while he was keeping wicket during a game of street cricket, before stopping his car, looking back at the man
