MEMBERS of the public are to be asked their views on a multi-million pound new health centre for Nelson. The wraps were last week taken off three new health centres as part of a massive scheme to bring East Lancashire's rundown complexes into the 21st
A GREAT-great-grandmother who always has a smile on her face despite losing both her legs has won a mum of the year award. Winifred Preston, 81, won the competition which was run by The Duke of Wellington pub, Grane Road, near Haslingden. She was nominated
AN owner whose Jack Russell dog was attacked by a rottweiler wants the owner to fork out for the £200 vet bill. Lynette Evans, 39, of Wordsworth Close, Oswaldtwistle, was devastated when three-year-old Molly was attacked. A woman and five animals and
A NEW "Super Chamber" for Bolton, Bury, Rochdale and Oldham is to have its headquarters in Bolton. Traditional chambers of commerce will merge on July 1 to create the North Manchester Chamber with 2,800 member companies employing more than 100,000 people
EMERGENCY services were called out to a home which was struck by lightning as thunder storms hit East Lancashire early hours today. Fire crews were called to a house in Park Avenue, Clitheroe, at 2.30am after a video recorder caught fire following the
A FAMILY business is tightening its security in a bid to protect staff following an armed robbery. Syd Brown's garage, which has been running for 20 years in Longridge, was targeted by a robber who entered the garage forecourt with a handgun on Sunday
ANDY Payton will be light years away from his Parkhead prime when he runs out for the Celtic of Stalybridge next season. The Bhoys' green and white hoops will be replaced by the sacrosanct blue and white worn by the Celts - something the Stalybridge board
YORK City boss Chris Brass is keen to offer two former Burnley stars a new home. Ex-Clarets' defender Brass, who earlier this month became the youngest manager in the Football League at the age of 27, wants to sign experienced ex-skipper Steve Davis and
FAMED East Lancs ales are set to be a hit Stateside. Burnley's Moorhouse Brewery is to push its Black Cat and Pendle Witch beers in a robust US sales campaign to coincide with Hallowe'en. General manager David Grant has recently been over to the US on
THERE are a lot of happy people in Winewall, Trawden, at the moment - according to The Cotton Tree's new landlord Richard Miller. Richard, 45, is the new man at the Winewall Road pub and said an expensive refurbishment and new top quality restaurant is
AN asylum-seeker was robbed at knifepoint in his Radcliffe home just three days after moving there. Now, detectives are hunting the raider who put the 54-year-old Iraqi man through what one officer has described as "a terrifying ordeal". The burglary
A PARTY will be held next week to celebrate 30 years of a Darwen Brownie group. New Methodist Church Brownies will celebrate their birthday by a performing in a dance evening to raise money for Kezia Atkins, a Darwen guide who will travel to Canada in
A POLICY of 'zero tolerance' is needed to stop Darwen's litter problem escalating out of control, claims MP Janet Anderson. Residents are also urged to take more pride in their town and to use Darwen's 128 bins more often. Today, Blackburn with Darwen
ROSSENDALE Residents are being given the chance to have their say about Bacup's new health centre. Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust, who are commissioning the new centre want to consult with locals to meet help meet the needs of people
A MAN who has dedicated his life to safeguarding the rights of prisoners and prison staff today spoke of his delight at being awarded an MBE. Malcolm Smith, 58, of the Independent Monitoring Board, was honoured for his service to HM prisons in the Queen's
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Whist and Domino Drive, West Bradford Village Hall, 7.30pm. St Teresa's Church Charity Shop, Lord Street West, Blackburn, 10am-4pm. Readstone Singers in Concert, St Nicholas
WITH apathy already a strong feature of council elections, it is hard to imagine a rush to the polls in the special referendum next year on whether the North West should get its own mini-parliament and, in turn, a shake-up of local government. But if
AN 'Allo, 'Allo'-style comedy is on its way to the Thwaites Theatre, Blackburn from Wednesday, July 2 to Saturday, July 5. The risqu romp Business Affairs has already gone down a storm in Bolton-by-Bowland and the village's drama group hope it will attract
READINGS for Blackburn Art Club's forthcoming production Inspector Drake and the Perfekt Crime take place tonight at the Club Theatre, Gibraltar Street, Blackburn from 7.30pm. For more information, call (01254) 583568. BLACKBURN Drama Club's readings
ON a recent visit to Blackburn to visit relatives I noticed that if inexpensive grab rails were placed on the door frame of shops with a high step at the entrance, elderly people would be able to enter and leave the shops more easily. KAREN BRANSON, St
I SYMPATHISE with Sylvia Johnstone, a former nurse at Blackburn Infirmary, who was constructively dismissed because of being bullied at work (LET, June 3). By all accounts, Mrs Johnstone was a popular and respected nurse with more than 30 years' unblemished
THE DANGERS of kitchen fires have been highlighted by firemen after three local people had to be rescued from their homes. A woman was pulled to safety by her next door neighbour in Leigh after going to bed forgetting she had left a chip pan on. And a
FED up traders and council bosses have launched a blitz on pigeons in Burnley town centre. Business leaders claim the pigeon population has spiralled and that the birds bring with them mess and disease. They are calling on signs to be introduced in the
FIREFIGHTERS had to rely on a little help from a passing shopper to free four people trapped in a town centre lift. Officers arrived at JJB Sports in the Bury's Mill Gate centre and struggled to open the lift because it was a model they had not encountered
GRAEME Souness today warned David Dunn he's got to be ready to fight for his shirt with Rovers next season if his move to Birmingham City falls through. Dunn is currently a £5.5million target for Blues boss Steve Bruce, who is desperate to take him to
THE future of a money-raising sewing circle in Burnley was today hanging by a thread. For the Crowther Street Mob -- a band of women who have raised more than £100,000 for hospice care -- has lost all its textile suppliers. And unless other East Lancashire
CORONATION Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh is backing a fundraiser aiming to get residents drinking for a good cause - Hospice Care for Burnley and Pendle. Tea at Three is a nationwide event to raise money for hospice care, co-ordinated by national charity
A TEENAGER with autism is hoping to give something back for the support he has received over the years by participating in a ten-mile charity walk. Zak Lewis, 17, of Peart Street, Burnley, who uses a communications board because he can't talk, wants to
STEPHEN Smith was elected chairman and other officers were appointed at the inaugural meeting of the Cliviger Challenge Steering group last week. Tammy Smith, from the Countryside Agency, outlined her role with the organisation and explained the assistance
THE grieving son of former Burnley footballer David Holt spoke today of how his father found happiness after making a fresh start in New Zealand. Businessman Paul Holt said his father, who died at the weekend, had found a renewed zest for life after leaving
SEVEN high schools in Pendle have launched a bid to achieve specialist status by next year. The schools are now in the process of organising sponsorship for the project following a meeting with businesses in the area. Each school will have to raise £50,000
TALENTED oboe player Justine Crook was set to be star soloist at the Blackburn Symphonia. The 17-year-old pupil of Westholme School, Blackburn, was acclaimed for her previous performance at St Oswald's, Arncliffe.
RESIDENTS have slammed a company after faulty equipment resulted in it releasing fumes which have made their lives a misery. Today the general manager of Metflex, in Queen Street, Great Harwood, said he understood why people were upset but promised the
CHRISTINE Wallwork from Radcliffe, aged 21, has been appointed as personal tax senior at chartered accountants Stafford Worsley Smethurst, in Chorley New Road, Bolton. Christine, who previously spent two years at a medium-sized provincial firm, is part
THE North West could get its own mini-parliament -- if people vote in favour of it in a referendum next year. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott yesterday announced that three regions in the country -- the North West, North East and Humberside/Yorkshire
MURDER victim Mokhler Mostafa leaves an off licence with a deadly cocktail -- his quick-tempered friend and a bag full of beer. Just hours later in a drunken frenzy, Farhan Samsuddin Hamad , 20, stabbed Mr Mostafa, 26, to death with a kitchen knife in
MOKHLER Mostafa arrived at Dover in the back of lorry with 20 other people claiming asylum on September 10, 2001. He had travelled thousands of miles to escape the brutal Iraqi regime. Just over 16 months later, he was sent back to his family in a body
A £1.8 million complex for single homeless people is lying empty because there is no money to run it. The new development at Castlecroft, near Bury's Castle leisure centre, was supposed to be a flagship scheme to help vulnerable people. But the Government
THANK you for publishing my quest for the Booth family (Letters, May 19). I have already been contacted by phone by one of the daughters, Doris Booth, who is soon to visit me. C HILTON, Southfield Drive, Westhoughton, Bolton.
REGARDING the row over a company's new store in Darwen opening under the name of Blackburn (LET, May 23) to solve the complaint call it the borough of Black-wen. That covers both towns. DEREK ANDERSON, Welland, Ontario, Canada.
I WOULD like to congratulate Darwen Music Projects and Blackburn with Darwen Council for the excellent Darwen Music Live festival over Spring Bank Holiday weekend. It was great to see such a wide range of entertainment in Darwen town centre, with thousands
WE are informed that £1million has been added to Blackburn with Darwen Council's £6.2million cleansing budget to 'Thrash the Trash' (LET, May 21). It sounds wonderful if everyone plays their part -- including the 'Refuse Department.' I am still waiting
I SEE Blackburn with Darwen Council is going to have removed at the taxpayers' expense any rubbish dumped in the borough and bring to justice those responsible (LET, May 21). May I suggest they start on Church Street and the bottom of Audley in Blackburn
NORTH West Lib-Dem MEP Chris Davies (Letters, May 7) says Britain will be left behind through joining the euro late. How will adopting the euro affect ordinary people? Will it end our transport problems? Will we get a better health service? Will it restore
POLICE are hunting three masked thugs who threatened a householder with a knife before stealing cash. The 23-year-old victim was confronted by the raiders at the front door of his home in Avondale Avenue, Bury on Saturday (June 14) at 11 30pm. All three
AN early morning arsonist poured an accelerant over the front door of a house in Whitefield before igniting it. The blaze at the property in Dudley Avenue, which happened at around 4.55am on Sunday (June 15), caused £100 worth of damage. The 30-year-old
MURDER victim Mokhler Mostafa leaves an off licence with a deadly cocktail -- his quick-tempered friend and a bag full of beer. Just hours later in a drunken frenzy, Farhan Samsuddin Hamad , 20, stabbed Mr Mostafa, 26, to death with a kitchen knife in
ROVERS target Lorenzo Amoruso is ready to hold talks with Souness later this week. "Graeme Souness is coming to Italy later this week for talks and I am looking forward to meeting him and hearing what he has to say," said Amoruso. "I like the idea of
ALAN Miller was devastated to learn that his career in professional football was being brought to a premature end by injury just two short months ago. It's every footballer's ultimate nightmare but Miller found himself facing such a scenario when he was
POLICE are searching for a woman in connection with fire attacks at three city centre shops. On Wednesday, June 11, four shops were attacked by a mystery fire bug, and thousands of pounds worth of clothes were destroyed. The first fire was reported in
A MURDER trial jury has heard about the Press coverage of the killing of law student Janet Murgatroyd. The battered and naked body of the daughter of a former Chorley FC chairman was found floating in the River Ribble hours after she vanished on her way
BURNLEY MP Peter Pike has welcomed the fact that 1707 householders in the borough have taken up insulation grants to make their houses warmer this winter since the Warm Front grant system was introduced in 2000. A total of £962,578 of Warm Front money
CHILDREN and low income families will be encouraged to eat more fruit and vegetables thanks to a £150,000 grant. The money has been secured by Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust as part of a two-year deal from the New Opportunities Fund
FED up traders have called for measures to deter pigeons from Burnley town centre after they had their feathers ruffled by the birds. Business leaders claim the pigeon population has spiralled and that the birds bring with them mess and disease. They
A BURNLEY man has spoken of his pride after he and his brother were awarded OBEs for helping victims during the Bali nightclub bombing. Mark Wilson, 56, has been working in the Indonesian paradise island as honorary British consul alongside his brother
FED up traders and council bosses have launched a blitz on pigeons in Burnley town centre. Business leaders claim the pigeon population has spiralled and that the birds bring with them mess and disease. They are calling on signs to be introduced in the
SHAKERS boss Andy Preece will be given the cash to bring a new striker and midfielder to Gigg Lane this summer. After their failed promotion bid, the purse strings are tighter than ever at Bury, with Preece forced to release six first team stars and place
A 47-year-old man from Radcliffe left critically injured after his car collided head-on with another vehicle on a motorway is still fighting for his life in hospital. The man's egistered Volkswagen Passat collided with the BMW driven by a 29-year-old
AN 11-YEAR-OLD who was commended for his bravery by firefighters has been nominated for our Child of Courage Award. The award is one of 11 which are aimed at highlighting the good deeds of individuals and organisations throughout East Lancashire. Jonathan
TWO sisters were rehearsing for an appearance on TV quiz show Supermarket Sweep. Katherine Davenport, 34, and Rosalind McInulty, 36, were getting ready with the help of local store Aldi in Ewood, Blackburn.
A FAMILY caravanning weekend ended in violence when a woman was attacked by her husband because she wouldn't sleep with him, a court heard. Blackburn magistrates were told that Paul Chadwick-Wood kicked his wife of 13 years out of bed. When Gillian slapped
SHOPS in Accrington were today given a boost in their fight against burglary and petty crime as part of a £5.8million blitz announced by the Home Office. Customers of thousands of small shops in rundown North West communities are to benefit from the cash
BURNLEY MP Peter Pike has welcomed the announcement by Burnley and Pendle Travel that the X43, running from Manchester via Rawtenstall and Burnley to Skipton and Grassington National Park will now be running throughout the summer on Sundays and Bank Holidays
A SUCCESSFUL six month reign at The Crown will hopefully get even better for Accrington pub couple Steve Bentham and Barbara Thistlewate. The pair are hoping Accrington Stanley's continuing success will mean even more trade next season for the pub, which
THE Queen's Birthday Honours List sparked royal celebrations in the households of four eminent people in the borough. They are: Bury's first Man of the Year, Ainslie Dures; Dr Helen Gilchrist, principal of Bury College; Greater Manchester Police's first
YORK City boss Chris Brass is keen to offer two former Burnley stars a new home. Ex-Clarets' defender Brass, who earlier this month became the youngest manager in the Football League at the age of 27, wants to sign experienced ex-skipper Steve Davis and
GRAEME Souness today warned David Dunn he's got to be ready to fight for his shirt with Rovers next season if his move to Birmingham City falls through. Dunn is currently a £5.5million target for Blues boss Steve Bruce, who is desperate to take him to
EARCROFT residents will be getting into the swing of things at the Darwen Gala this year. The residents association will be giving the organisers a helping hand on the Saturday, August 16. Melanie Hargreaves, treasurer of the residents association, said
YOUNGSTERS have been helping to shape their own community in the development of an area of open space. Children from Cloughfold Primary, St Peter's Primary, Staghills Nursery, as well as youth and community groups in the area all took part in the initiative
BATTLING Brandy and Frances have defied the odds to become the UK's only surviving Shire horse twins. And their Rossendale owners believe their survival is partly thanks to homeopathic powers used after one of the foals was born. The week-old horses,
STUDENTS from St Bede's High School in Blackburn left their desks for discs at their very own radio station. Pupils from the school ran their own Teenwave 106 MHz FM radio station for three days, thanks to sponsors East Lancs Creative Industries Development
A BLAZING row with his partner landed Stephen Gregson with a five-month prison sentence. Blackburn magistrates heard that the police were called after witnesses saw a car swerve across Bolton Road outside Kwik Save and come to a halt with the male and
THE BISHOP of Blackburn received a standing ovation after he tackled the issue of gay clergy in a last 'state of union' speech before retirement. But the Rt Rev Alan Chesters did not waver from an official Church of England point of view -- which permits
A COMPANY manager has spoken of his deep regret over the death of a "friend and colleague" who drowned in a vat of paint. Christopher Shute, 30, worked for Philips Services when he died at Ford's giant Swaythling plant in Southampton in August 2000. Manager
THE Conservative Party is investigating after a banned solicitor applied to become a Parliamentary election candidate. Tories in Blackburn are to contact Central Office to pass on details about Bushra Anwar after it was revealed she had been shadowing
