AMERICAN student Dain Sansome came a cropper on his bike the day before his amateur stage debut at Pendle Hippodrome. But Dain is determined that the show will go on tonight despite cuts, abrasions and bruises to his face and legs. Dain, 21, from Minnesota
THE boss of Whitbread's Samlesbury brewery today spoke of his confidence for the site's future amid speculation it could be sold. General manager Paul Porter-Smith said heavy investment in the past three years meant the Samlesbury site was in very good
ONE of East Lancashire's major employers, Castle Cement, is about to come under new ownership after a deal with a German firm. Scancem, parent company of the Clitheroe site which employs around 400, is being sold to Heidelberger Zement following months
MOTORISTS were forced to sit through Chaos Part Two. But the sequel didn't create as big a nightmare as the previous day's horror show, triggered by the closure of Junction 31 of the M6 at Samlesbury. But queues of traffic were down as people found alternative
A MUSLIM backlash over Salman Rushdie was blamed for kicking a leading political figure out of County Hall. Labour's Len Proos was defeated by Conservative candidate Abdul Bhikha. Muslim leaders urged people to vote Tory, because the county's Labour group
CLITHEROE will be aiming to arrest their end-of-season slump in form with a win at Cheadle Town tonight in the North Western Trains League First Division. And Rossendale United can leapfrog Maine Road if they beat the Manchester-based outfit in their
THE Prime Minister was visibly shaken by his own first-hand experience of the plight of the Kosovan refugees - and rightly angered by the evil ethnic cleansing of the Serbs that driven 1.5 million people, 90 per cent of the province's Albanian community
BEEFY batsman Paul Reed certainly isn't making a meal of it when he arrives at the crease this season. Cherry Tree's 18st man-mountain has smashed more sixes than singles in a four game purple-patch which has reaped over 300 runs so far. His run feast
REIGNING Jennings Ribblesdale League champions Padiham have made a perfect start to the defence of their title by winning their opening four games. But new skipper Andy McNicholas, hoping to emulate the success of predecessor Neil Anderson, doesn't expect
THE first casualty in war is always the truth and much of it, as George Davies (Letters, April 26) has shown, can be twisted and used to make the peoples of the NATO countries support what is being done in their name - bombing Serbia. This is illegal
YOUR report (LET, March 31) about sewage pollution in our pond illustrates the constant threat posed by the two surface water sewers crossing our land. They were laid by the local authorities some years ago, and have been responsible for numerous pollution
BURNLEY hospital paediatrician Dr Peter Ehrhardt is the Labour candidate in the Calderdale Metropolitan Council elections in the Todmorden ward. Dr Ehrhardt, 53, lives in the Shore area of Todmorden. He has also worked at the Manchester Children's Hospitals
IT could be some days before the victim of a house fire in Padiham is named. Formal identification of the woman thought to be aged 30 is proving difficult and will have to be done through forensic tests. Experts were today still working to identify the
BURNLEY MP Peter Pike is calling for a public inquiry into the death of baby Jack Shackleton. Sixteen-month-old Jack Andrew, of Bar Street, Burnley, was found to be dead on arrival at Burnley General Hospital on April 17. Mr Pike said he would be asking
A POLICE operation launched this week will target persistent offenders in Accrington in an attempt to drive down crime figures. Police have promised to visit regular offenders in the campaign, code named Operation Effect. Extra uniform and CID officers
ANDY Payton will have a scan on his injured thigh tomorrow as he fights for the chance to challenge his goal-scoring record. The Clarets striker has missed Burnley's last two games after claiming his 23rd goal of the season in a 4-1 win at Stoke City.
BLACKBURN Rovers skipper Jason Wilcox began the build-up to the crucial Premiership game against Nottingham Forest today with a plea for togetherness and a message to team-mates and fans - Let's do it for Jack Walker and the town. Wilcox, Rovers' longest-serving
FRUSTRATED traders in Accrington have vowed to continue their battle to open on Sundays after they were forced to stay shut at the weekend. Stallholders in the market hall have branded a decision not to allow them to trade alongside other town centre
A FORMER amphetamines addict has told how a drug dealer bragged about taking part in the killing of teenager Sajjad Mahmood. Lee Shewan also told how he was warned to keep his mouth shut by the killers, when he gave evidence at the Preston Crown Court
JOHN Whalley is on a mission to help take the North West's aerospace industry into a new century in better shape than ever. He has just taken up his two-year role as chief executive of the Nelson-based North West Aerospace Alliance, which represents more
A DOG died in a fire that severely damaged a terrace house in Nelson. An investigation was under way today to establish the cause of the blaze, which wrecked the living room and smoke damaged the rest of the house in Fleet Street. The living room was
VISITORS to a shopping centre can pick up advice on education as well as a bargain in a new scheme by Nelson and Colne College. The college has opened an advice "shop" in the Admiral Centre, Nelson, and already in its first two weeks in operation staff
BRITAIN'S bled-white motorists, paying for the dearest petrol and cars in Europe, have just received evidence of where the £30 billion a year they pay in road taxes does not go - on roads themselves. For the government's own annual report on the state
A PHOTOGRAPHER has been banned from taking pictures at fire stations across East Lancashire - more than three years after he was warned to stay away from accident scenes. Peter Olive, 65, left, is also said to have told one charity organiser that he takes
A DRUNKEN grandma who claimed an officer beat her up has lost a two-and-a-quarter year compensation battle with Lancashire's police chief. Mrs Monica Mulcahy's claim for damages was thrown out by a judge, who dismissed her claims that a policeman had
A DISTRAUGHT mother today re-lived the moment her husband helped to lift a car off her trapped six-year-old son and said: "My baby is lucky to be alive". Robert West's dad Brent and three pub drinkers had to lift the Ford Granada Scorpio estate car off
A LETHAL cocktail of drink and drugs killed a man as he slept, an inquest heard. The hearing was told that Stephen Boulger, also known as Stephen Snell, had worked hard to kick his drugs habit and turned to a health and fitness regime. But he admitted
A HOSPITAL trust has beaten a Government deadline for reducing the number of patients waiting for surgery. The Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust reduced numbers by nearly 100 every month over the last year. It follows an extra investment
Burnley Reserves 0 Manchester City Reserves 0 A BRAVE fight against a City side with seven regular first-team players wasn't enough for Burnley to gain the win they needed to avoid relegation from the Pontins League First Division. Chris Scott was the
Aston Villa Reserves 1 Blackburn Rovers Reserves 1 JON Topley, who is being released by Rovers in the summer, signed off on the perfect note by claiming Blackburn's equaliser at Villa Park last night. Topley showed a great touch to take the ball down
ANDY Payton will have a scan on his injured thigh tomorrow as he fights for the chance to challenge his goal-scoring record. The Clarets striker has missed Burnley's last two games after claiming his 23rd goal of the season in a 4-1 win at Stoke City.
A PHOTOGRAPHER has been banned from taking pictures at fire stations across East Lancashire - more than three years after he was warned to stay away from accident scenes. Peter Olive, 65, is also said to have told one charity organiser that he takes photographs
BLACKBURN Rovers skipper Jason Wilcox began the build-up to the crucial Premiership game against Nottingham Forest today with a plea for togetherness and a message to team-mates and fans - Let's do it for Jack Walker and the town. Wilcox, Rovers' longest-serving
Blackburn Artists' Society meet St Gabriel's Church Hall, Brownhill, Blackburn, 7pm. Models - Cowboys. East Lancashire Arthritis Therapy Group's Charity Shop, Lord Street West, Blackburn, 10am-4pm. Clothes Party, Tullyallan School, Salisbury Road, Darwen
POLICE were called to the house of a candidate in tomorrow's local electionsover an alleged threat. Officers visited the home of Conservative Brian Lever, in Blackburn Road, Ribchester, after receiving a call at 2.30 yesterday afternoon.. Mr Lever, who
IT'S not only Manchester United who are targeting European glory in the merry month of May. The lads from Calder Vale RUFC are also hoping to triumph on the continent when 47 players and officials depart this weekend for a solid week of competitive rugby
RESULTS - Premier Division: Blackrod Town 2, Springfields 2; Burnley Utd 1, Charnock Richard 5; Dalton Utd 2, Feniscowles 0; Kikrham & Wesham 5, Fulwood Amateurs 0; Leyland Motors Ath 2, Freckleton 1; Wyre Villa 1, Lansil 3. Division One: Garstang
BACUP Borough boss Brent Peters has backed Andrew Connolly's decision to bail out Rossendale United and believes it can only be good for football on both sides of the Valley. Connolly joined forces with Peters at West View two months ago in a bid to make
LIKE so many others, local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been praying and collecting funds for the refugees of Kosovo. Their world president, Gordon B Hinckley, has announced that enough clothing and blankets for about
FOR most clubs, next Sunday will see the final matches in a long hard season for the Memorial Sunday Football League. Only in Division Two are there clubs with more than one match to play, but most issues will be settled next week. Champions of Division
ISN'T it noticeable how the letters pages in most local papers are devoted to local issues, even when there is a war in Europe. Is this because the editors consider our opinions on the subject are too hot to handle, or are they just playing it safe? On
MOTHER Georgina Shackleton appeared before Burnley Magistrates' Court today charged with wilful neglect of her 16-month-old twin children. An order made under Section 39 of the Magistrates' Court Act last week at Burnley Magistrates' Court banned the
A MAN with 335 offences to his name has become has committed just one since joining a crime-busting initiative. Burnley Dordrecht Initiative targets persistent offenders and deters them from re-offending. It is modelled on a similar scheme in the Dutch
LEGENDARY football minnows Accrington Stanley have won a David and Goliath battle by striking a compensation deal with financial giants Pearl Assurance after a wrangle over an advertisement. Crown Ground bosses claimed the £17billion insurance firm used
Nature Watch, with Ron Freethy MAY is one of those months when nature seems to be in a hurry. New species of flowers seem to come into bloom every single day and for those with patience there are breeding birds everywhere. It is at times like this that
LANCASHIRE'S largest accountancy firm has undergone a name change. Chorley-based Latham, Crossley & Davis will now be known as Lathams. "Generally we are known as Lathams so it makes sense for our clients, contacts and staff to adopt the simplified
THE Liberal Democrats on Labour-run Blackburn with Darwen Council deserve to be blessed for their sweet innocence - in suggesting that if councillors are taking away the free-parking perk that town hall workers have long enjoyed at public expense, then
HAVING in his 22 months as leader done damn all for a Tory comeback, William Hague - whose principal achievement is to have become even less popular than that disaster Michael Foot was when he led Labour - is looking at oblivion. Tomorrow's council elections
MOTHER Georgina Shackleton appeared before Burnley Magistrates' Court today charged with wilful neglect of her 16-month-old twin children. An order made under Section 39 of the Magistrates' Court Act last week at Burnley Magistrates' Court banned the
