IF Phoenix Nights is known as the TV series which has made Peter Kay a star, then it should also be responsible for turning Dave Spikey into a household name. The white haired comedian, who co-wrote the Channel 4 comedy series, proved that he's right
PROTESTERS burned a US flag and images of Jack Straw on the steps of Blackburn Town Hall as part of an anti-war demonstration by the Muslim community. The march, organised by the International Peace Movement, swelled to more than 600 as it made its way
AN Iraqi Kurd today pleaded with people to understand the plight of his nation after revealing how he escaped to East Lancashire from the brutal torture of Saddam Hussein's regime. Asylum-seeker Ata Arif, 39, fled his home in northern Iraq just eight
HOW very strange -- my council tax has doubled this year when there are no local elections. I expect we will see only a little increase next year. With Labour hoping to keep control of Blackburn with Darwen Council. I hope the public has long memories
WHAT a pity your article (LET, March 17) on the public meeting held by the council to look into the plans for the new health centre in Darwen failed to report any of the reasons for the centre and benefits it will bring to the local community. Unfortunately
REGARDING Mrs Jean Allison's view that New Labour has lost the plot in tackling crime (Letters, January 28), according to the statistics crime doubled between 1979 and 1997 when the Tories were in power. Margaret Thatcher declared that there was "no such
YOUR consumer rights column (LET, February 17) highlighted the banning of the commonly-used herb, kava kava, by the Medicines Control Agency. Kava is used for anxiety, with related pain and muscle spasm. As a practising professional medical herbalist
VILLAGE road humps were at the centre of a health row today after ambulance staff said they could have a detrimental effect on patients. But Blackburn with Darwen Council defended the traffic calming scheme in Tockholes, Darwen, and said the speed bumps
A LOOK at the key moments from the game against Rovers. ROVERS: BRAD FRIEDEL: The big American will probably still be wondering how the ball ended up in his net five times...7 MARTIN TAYLOR: Given a torrid time by Lauren Robert and struggled to make an
A TEAM of more than 20 firefighters continued their battle to bring a moorland blaze under control today. The fire began on land off Gorple Road, Worsthorne, at 6pm yesterday when flames could be seen to light up the night sky above Burnley. Fire crews
A JUDGE has scrapped a pioneering anti-social behaviour order made on a prolific night-time thief. Ex-convict and drug addict Roy White, 30, had been given the two-year order by the Pennine Magistrates who had been told police believed he was behind much
Bury 2 Lincoln City 0 by Chris Hall: SHAKERS' hard-fought first win in five matches gave the strongest indication yet that their luck may be changing. Impressive performances by Andy Preece's charges have rarely been rewarded with maximum points, as last
A MAN died after falling into a stream while walking home from a night out. Police said Donald Sprout was returning home from his local pub along Water Street, Earby, just after 11pm on Saturday when he appeared to slip and fall into a narrow brook. Mr
THREE hundred trout were given a new home in Swinnel Brook, Helmshore, after hard work by resident and nature-lover Colin Standley. The fish were released to increase the brook's population and in turn attract other wildlife.
WIGAN Council members will hold the following advice surgeries: TUESDAY, March 25: Community Centre, Dorset Road, Atherton (10-11) B Strett, D Kelly; Atherton Town Hall (9.30-11) B Splaine; Golborne Library (5.30-6.15) P Franzen; St Richard's School,
RED noses turned to red faces after one of the bosses at Holland's pie factory, Baxenden, won a Comic Relief competition for a day off work. But in the true spirit of the fundraising day the 'day off' was handed back and auctioned off later. Workers at
POLICE have appealed for residents to be on the look-out for two bogus waterboard officials who tried to con an elderly pensioner. The two men aged about 20 and 30 gained access to the 93-year-old's house in Church Street, Great Harwood, after the first
MORE than 200 people got the chance to examine plans for a flagship arts centre and cinema in Clitheroe. And the Clitheroe Library exhibition, which gave details of how a redundant gasworks will be transformed, was so successful, another is to be held
BLACKPOOL blew a 2-0 lead - and kissed goodbye to their play-off hopes - in just over 45 minutes of madness at Edgeley Park. The Seasiders were cruising just a minute before the break when a 35-yard free kick from old boy, Rickie Lambert, caught Phil
STAN Ternent will be without Alan Moore as he plans for the visit of Bradford City to Turf Moor tomorrow night - but he can select his other Moore. The Irish winger was stretchered off at the weekend with what appeared to be a serious hamstring injury
BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent has refused to give up all hope of making it to the play-offs this season, but he confessed: "It's a tall order." Saturday's 1-1 draw against Grimsby Town at Turf Moor at least ended a run of four straight defeats but the Clarets
FIRSTLY, I apologise for exploring such a trivial subject when our country is at war. But a little light relief is surely not to be sniffed at. According to researchers, women begin flirting with men as soon as they meet them. And they do all it - hair
BLEAKHOLT Animal Sanctuary's new official mascot will be unveiled at a special event next month. BAS was named from the initials of the sanctuary off Rochdale Road, Edenfield. The silver retriever will make his first public appearance at the spring fair
PUBLIC nuisances are to be hit in the pocket after councillors voted to charge £25 an hour for those who defy environmental health regulations. Owners of defective burglar alarms, homeowners with faulty roofs where leaks affect neighbouring properties
DOMESTIC violence victims in Rossendale are set to receive a new wave of help thanks to a £231,065 National Lottery hand-out. The Rossendale Valley Inter-Agency Domestic Violence Forum was given the boost from the Community Fund to help address the problem
FIREFIGHTERS issued a warning today after dry conditions led to dozens of grass and bush fires. Fire crew attended 27 grass fires in total over the weekend. Leading Fire Fighter Dave Hilliard, of Blackburn Fire Station, urged the public not start grass
DETECTIVES are trying to trace a man who approached a 19-year-old woman and made lewd suggestions. The incident happened in Corporation Park, Blackburn, arond 2pm on Thursday. Police want any witnesses to come forward as well as any other possible 'victims
THE Preston man knocked down as he crossed the M65 at Blackburn last week is still to be questioned by police about a house burglary in Sabden earlier that day. Three men, who were in the same silver coloured Renault as the injured man when it broke down
A MAN and a woman from Blackburn have pleaded not guilty to offences relating to the sale of so-called stealth weapons over the internet and through mail order. Mark Philip Hilliard, 39, and Linda Marie Hilton, 30, both of Sunnybower Road, Blackburn,
A TEENAGE driver died after he lost control of a van and hit a tree. Sean McNally, 18, of Briarcroft, Lower Darwen, was travelling in the white vehicle close to Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park ground when the accident occurred at 2.55am yesterday. Police
ORGANISERS of East Lancashire Hospice's lottery, which is set to begin in less than two weeks, have smashed through their first target. They had hoped to sign up 2,300 players by the first draw on April 4, which will guarantee one lucky person a £1,000
A 40-YEAR-OLD woman who ploughed a Mitsubishi 4 x 4 into a grass bank on Pendle Hill at lunch-time was later found to be nearly four times the legal drink driving limit. Blackburn magistrates heard that alcoholic Tina Katrina Victoria Bracewell was "unsteady
CLITHEROE eased their way into the NWCL Worthington League Cup final by drawing in front of Padiham's biggest crowd of the season. Player manager Lee Sculpher, whose Clitheroe side won the first leg 4-1 two weeks ago, said: "It was a job well done and
THE Ministry of Defence has confirmed that a UK soldier has been killed in action. Military sources are saying that the British soldier was killed in the south of Iraq, near Al Zubayr close to Basra. The next of kin has been informed. Earlier today two
US COMMANDER Tommy Franks has confirmed that a US Apache helicopter was missing with its two man crew. TV pictures from Iraq showed an Apache helicopter in a field to the south of Baghdad, there was no sign of any crew, and men holding Kalashnikov automatic
SCHOOL REPORT: As the smallest school in the borough we have only two classes and we can offer a real family atmosphere where all are valued and young ones are automatically cared for by older children. Our dream is to create a school where we all go
ANTI-WAR walkouts have spurred schools and education authorities to take further steps to let pupils express their views on world events in the classroom. Pupils in Blackburn and Colne quit class to take part in protests at events in Iraq and their actions
Leigh Centurions 62 Swinton Lions 6 by Mike Hulme: NEIL Turley is back in business. Leigh's points machine equalled a club record of 38 points as the Centurions virtually booked their place in the Arriva Trains National Cup quarter-finals. Turley, in
PARENTS desperate to save a pre-school after its building was declared unfit have vowed to take matters into their own hands. Families say they will launch a drive for new accommodation after being told that Lowercroft Pre-School would shut this summer
Telford 1-1 Leigh RMI by Martyn Hindley: HAVING taken a dismal away record to Shropshire, Leigh RMI would have snatched a draw with both hands if offered it before the visit to Telford. But having dominated the second half, they were left to rue several
WHEN the Office of Fair Trading published its report calling for the deregulation of pharmacies, public reaction was swift. We warned that the report would lead to the closure of thousands of community pharmacies because they could not survive if giant
THE Queen's Lancashire Regiment may soon be heading for Iraq. Some 550 soldiers, 99 per cent of whom are from Lancashire, were on orders to provide fire cover in the coming months during the anticipated fire strikes. But, after FBU leaders called-off
THE closure of residential care homes for old people by the County Council appears to be entirely unpopular throughout Lancashire. The impending local government election on May 1 could give Lancashire people a glorious opportunity to register their disapproval
SPEED cameras, both fixed and mobile seem to be prolific in Blackpool and Preston. I suppose there are plenty of others around the rest of Lancashire. Yet it seems unfair to me that Bolton is not, in my experience, equally populated with this dubious
CHILDREN at Westleigh Methodist Primary School in Leigh have raised hundreds of pounds for charity through their Citizenship programme of work. By completing a sponsored worksheet children raised more than £400 for the NSPCC, a figure which equates to
A TEAM of more than 20 firefighters continued their battle to bring a moorland blaze under control today. The fire began on land off Gorple Road, Worsthorne, at 6pm yesterday when flames could be seen to light up the night sky above Burnley. Fire crews
BLACKBURN Rovers are bracing themselves for a summer battle to keep their top stars. Damien Duff was again linked with a move to Manchester United at the weekend after it was revealed the Irish international is being targeted as a replacement for Ryan
AMERICAN Brad Friedel could be forgiven if he called on the help of a friend in the goalkeepers' union after he was beaten five times at St James's Park. Opposite number Shay Given endured the same ignominy as the Magpies were beaten 5-2 as he returned
DETECTIVES in Burnley are warning people to be vigilant after a rise in day time burglaries. Officers said the recent good weather may be the reason for a "slight increase" in the number of break-ins. People should report any suspicious behaviour to the
A NIGHTCLUB bouncer has been cleared of attacking a customer he was said to have dragged from the premises. Andrew Marshall, 32, was found not guilty of assault causing actual bodily harm on the direction of Judge Raymond Bennett, after the prosecution
A MAN suffered burns to his hand when he turned off a calor gas cylinder that had been set on fire by youths. Youths were playing with a propane cylinder at the back of Cross Lane in Radcliffe by releasing gas and setting it on fire. Cross Lane resident
MEMORIES of Burnley and Padiham were recorded on tape for posterity in a special exhibition. "Burnley Talks" at Towneley Hall recorded 30 senior citizens recollecting their lives, events and childhoods.
A SECURITY guard who received an award normally reserved for police today spoke of the terrifying night he prevented a man from jumping from a high-rise car park. Zain Khan Kiyani, of Blackburn, received a Divisional Commanders' Commendation, along with
CAMPAIGNERS were today celebrating as the Government looked poised to reject plans which could lead to the closure of thousands of community pharmacies. The Lancashire Evening Telegraph has been at the forefront of the drive against proposals by the Office
PEOPLE can have their say on a transformation scheme for the borough's biggest traffic bottleneck. Planners want reaction to proposals on how to solve Hindley's road chaos and boost its town centre. Experts say because of the tight layout of the Bird
YOUNG drivers are being targeted by a new play which aims to cut the number of deaths and injuries by dramatising issues about speed, peer pressure and having a bad attitudes behind the wheel. Lancashire County Council's Road Safety Group has enlisted
THE key stats and moments from the game against Burnley. BURNLEY MARLON BERESFORD: Was left exposed for the goal, flapped at a couple of crosses but also made a couple of good takes ...6 DEAN WEST: Is not hitting the heights he achieved week in week out
IN bright Spring sunshine, with some fans in short sleeved shirts, Saturday's match had the feeling of the last day of the season. And, after failing to beat lowly Grimsby, it could prove to be the day when Burnley's roller-coaster campaign finally fatally
BLACKBURN Rovers are bracing themselves for a summer battle to keep their top stars. Damien Duff was again linked with a move to Manchester United at the weekend after it was revealed the Irish international is being targeted as a replacement for Ryan
A TEENAGE Girl Guide is to join an elite band of six for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Canada. Moorland High School pupil Kezia Atkins, 14, will leave her home in Newton Street, Darwen, alone for the very first time on a long-haul journey to New Brunswick
VILLAGE road humps were at the centre of a health row today after ambulance staff said they could have a detrimental effect on patients. But Blackburn with Darwen Council defended the traffic calming scheme in Tockholes, Darwen, and said the speed bumps
A GOVERNMENT minister was due to open a new hi-tech job centre in Rawtenstall today. The new Jobcentre Plus, in Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, was due to be officially opened at 3pm by Andrew Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The Jobcentre Plus
A CODE of conduct has been drawn up for councillors and officers working in Rossendale Borough Council's planning department. The move is designed to avoid allegations of malpractice after the Local Government Act 2000 introduced a new code of conduct
LEIGH MP Andy Burham's surgery times have been revised. The Leigh surgery has been put back one week and will now be on March 29 from 12 noon to 1pm at the Leigh Advice Centre, 10 Market Street.
WIGAN Council members will hold the following advice surgeries: TUESDAY, March 25: Community Centre, Dorset Road, Atherton (10-11) B Strett, D Kelly; Atherton Town Hall (9.30-11) B Splaine; Golborne Library (5.30-6.15) P Franzen; St Richard's School,
A MAN with an "appalling record and a blatant disregard for court orders" was jailed for three months by Blackburn magistrates. Dennis Hallsworth, 33, of the Islington Motel, Bolton Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to burglary of a cabin belonging to Top
FORMER pupils of Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School will be travelling half way round the world to attend a weekend reunion. About 200 former pupils and teachers are expected for the event with at least two jetting in from Canada especially for the occasion
A NIGHTCLUB was forced to close part-way through a busy evening when 13 doormen walked out. More than 200 people were asked to leave Jumpin' Jaks, St Peter Street, Blackburn, at 11pm on Friday following a disagreement between security staff and general
A LATE equaliser by Danny Whittaker salvaged a point for Nelson against Chadderton in the NWCL Second Division. Bottom of the league Chadderton tightly marked Nelson's attackers and relied on swift counter attacks while the Blues struggled to break down
SHOT-shy Darwen were beaten by a solitary goal in their NWCL Division Two clash with Daisy Hill at New Sirs. Steve Wilkes' men had just three efforts on goal in the entire game - a towering Matt Anderton header, which was strangely ruled out for a push
RAMSBOTTOM travelled to Staffordshire confident they could return with at least a point. And from the outset they were camped in the Newcastle half, but without ever really threatening the goalkeeper. Ramsbottom should have snatched the lead on 35 minutes
ROSSENDALE and Lincoln met for the second time in seven days, and as was the case a week earlier, late goals played a major part in deciding the outcome of this highly entertaining game. Rossendale should have won comfortably after they raced into a 2
BACUP got back to winning ways with what turned out to be an easy win as two of the form teams in the league met at West View. And hat-trick hero Mickey Bartholomew was the man to thank for keeping Bacup on top of the league. The home side started much
FEARLESS defender Jonathan Smith kept Accrington Stanley's unbeaten home league record in tact with a brave late header. Smith was off the pitch having a head wound bandaged when Whitby used their one-man advantage to take the lead early in the second
ADULTS undertaking courses at college or at the work place find it rewarding and enjoyable, a new survey can reveal. More than 90 per cent of people attending further education courses and training at work said they felt more confident and happy. The
