It is quite sickening to see a peace activist shackled and pleading for his life. It seems quite absurd that the kidnappers in Iraq who have abducted Norman Kember and others do know that this will achieve absolutely nothing to further their cause. If
Blackpool and Fylde Athletics Club member, Gemma Titterington, took first place in the women's race at the annual Wesham 10k closely followed by club mate Karen Watkin. Wesham Road Runner Joanna Goorney came in third with clubmate Jo Frodsham finishing
EVERYONE should be willing to do their public duty and help the police tackle crime.But, as this paper has reported this week, people often feel they have good reason not to do the right thing when they see a crime being committed. So the police should
IF we give up any of our rebate from the EU without getting more back in any deal, Mr Blair should think about not coming back to this country and living in the Eastern European country where he's been trying to get a deal done. Why is it only a few months
AM I the only person totally frustrated and disillusioned with the public's over-reaction to the premature death of George Best? I don't normally sit in moral judgment but the media have spoken about him in reverent tones describing him as a 'national
A GANG of 40 teenagers is travelling across Blackburn to terrorise a quiet neighbourhood after a police clampdown in their own high-crime communities. The children, aged between 12 and 14, are travelling from Griffin, Highercroft, Mill Hill and Shadsworth
BLACKBURN Rovers defender Lucas Neill has admitted he's enjoying a new lease of life under forward-thinking manager Mark Hughes. The Australian international, who will make his 175th appearance for Rovers against West Ham tomorrow, has returned to form
ON-LOAN defender Zurab Khizanishvili has hinted he's ready to turn his back on Rangers and sign for Blackburn Rovers in the summer. The Georgian international, who was snapped up by manager Mark Hughes on a season-long loan in August, admits he is loving
MARK Hughes probably woke up with a banging headache this morning - and all because of a certain pair of fiery Welshmen! Yesterday's news that Craig Bellamy could be missing for the whole of the Christmas period must have come as a hammer blow to the
THE response to the annual Light Up A Life campaign has overwhelmed fundraisers at Pendleside Hospice. Almost £60,000 has been donated in memory of loved ones. Light Up A Life allows a donation to be made to the hospice in order to dedicate a coloured
A MAN who had a baseball bat in his car -- flouting an anti-social behaviour order in the process -- has kept his freedom. Bodrul Alam, 20, was banned under the two year order from possessing anything intended for use as a weapon in public. He was said
A PENSIONER was recovering in hospital today after a blaze at his home. Fire bosses said the man was lucky to be alive and added: "He owes his life to an aerosol can." The 70-year-old was sleeping upstairs at his home in Colne Road, Burnley, shortly before
A 107-YEAR-OLD painting of a Padiham country house is going under the hammer at a prestigious auction house -- and expected to sell for thousands of pounds. The 3ft by 4ft oil painting was commissioned in 1884 by Colonel Patrick Starkie whose wealthy
EDUCATION chiefs have taken another step towards building the first "super schools" in Burnley and Pendle. Lancashire County Council has applied to itself for planning permission to build two of the new schools in the £250million revamp of secondary education
THE tragic story of a Burnley war hero who died in poverty at the age of 36 is being re-told to ensure he is never forgotten. Thomas Whitham is to feature in the final programme of Channel 4's Not Forgotten series which will focus on the fate of soldiers
A MARCH against plans which could see critical care beds stripped from Burnley General Hospital will take place in Nelson tomorrow. Pendle residents are being urged to "spend an hour and save lives" by Azhar Ali, former chairman of the now defunct Burnley
VISITORS to Nelson will be walking on air when classic Christmas character The Snowman comes to town. Raymond Brigg's loveable cartoon character, who comes to life and takes a little boy on a magical adventure, will be making a guest appearance as part
A CHILDREN'S charity has received a grant worth thousands of pounds from Barclays Bank. Now Caring Today, based at Brierfield Community Centre, Colne Road, plans to launch a support group for parents and carers of disabled children. The money will pay
There are times in life when something you see just doesn't seem right. The coming together of novelty rappers Goldie Lookin Chain and much-travelled rockers Feeder is almost as odd as the Empress Ballroom is beautiful. Feeder's decision to pick GLC as
Highly experienced lock or flanker Alistair Atkinson, 27, has joined re-joined Fylde RFC from Sedgley Park. Atkinson has had extensive National One experience in two spells with Orrell and was part of the Fylde squad at the end of the 2001/2 season and
A BLACKBURN tanning salon owner has been given a 12-month conditional discharge after a man she paid to dispose of rubbish from the shop dumped it in Oswaldtwistle. Business owners have a duty of care to dispose of waste from their commercial premises
A CHARITY has been honoured with a National Lottery blue plaque for its 'fantastic' work. Lords House Farm, Rishton, caters for disabled and disadvantaged adults and children, and has received more than £185,000 of lottery cash to help its work. Now lottery
A MAN who was arrested when his girlfriend was found dead in the bath at his home today told of his frantic attempts to revive her. Stuart Jones, 49, had been seeing Accrington woman Carole Abraham for a week before she died suddenly while taking a bath
A HEROIN addict died of a drug overdose the day his pregnant partner discovered she was going to give him a son. An inquest heard that Geoffrey Wilson and his partner Samantha Herd, who both had drug problems, had dreamed of a fresh start when she discovered
CIVIC leaders have slammed new research which claims the Ribble Valley is among the country's 50 wealthiest areas. Research by Barclays Bank, into what it calls the real wealth of the country, puts the Ribble Valley 34th in the 50 most well-off places
Highly experienced lock or flanker Alistair Atkinson, 27, has joined re-joined Fylde RFC from Sedgley Park. Atkinson has had extensive National One experience in two spells with Orrell and was part of the Fylde squad at the end of the 2001/2 season and
RAWTENSTALL have signed Aussie pace bowler Allan Wise for next season's Lancashire League campaign. Wise, 26, a left arm attack bowler, is currently top of the averages in his native Victoria and will link up with last season's pro, Andrew Payne, who
"MY wife of 14 years met a doctor and fell in love. Now I live in hotels on the road a lot." It sounds like the kind of thing a blues player would say. But Tommy Emmanuel, who plays Burnley on December 10, is more of a melody man. He's explaining why
Your diary of the big gigs coming to Lancashire soon, including the likes of G4, Doves, Shakin' Stevens, The Strokes, Saw Doctors, The Coral, Australian Pink Floyd, The Magic Numbers, The Levellers and Fun Lovin' Criminals. DECEMBER 9 Shakin' Stevens,
A 43-year-old man who had spent three of the last four festive seasons in prison will be spending this Christmas behind bars. Martin Shilvock, of Olive Lane, Darwen, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and without insurance and was jailed for
A ROSSENDALE mum today told how she became trapped in the middle of a riot in Uganda while on a mercy mission to help Aids victims. Betsy Keating, of Waterfoot, a reflexologist who was in the African country to pass on her skills to 70 people, was trapped
Parents who buy this year's latest Christmas craze -- mini-motorcycles, gopeds and buzzboards -- could be encouraging their children to break the law, police have warned. Both Blackpool Council and police are urging mums and dads to think twice before
A Blackpool school destroyed by arsonists two years ago is set to face an exciting new future. Cllr Ivan Taylor, Blackpool Council's lead member for children, laid the foundation stone at the new-look Devonshire Road Primary School. It is hoped the £7m
Lancashire's top detective is hunting three gang members who went on-the-run after a vicious late night attack left a man critically injured on a Blackpool street. And today he appealed for witnesses who might hold vital information to come forward. Detective
A Blackburn brewery chairman cycled 300 miles to raise money for charity. Ann Yerburgh, chairman of Thwaites Brewery, took part in the race from London to Paris to raise £5,000 for Action Medical Research. The total amount raised by the ride is expected
A 19-year-old Blackburn man has been sent to Preston Crown Court for sentence after admitting drug supply charges. Safdar Ali Patel, of Ash Street, pleaded guilty at Blackburn Magistrates Court to possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply
A BLACKBURN tanning salon owner has been given a 12-month conditional discharge after a man she paid to dispose of rubbish from the shop dumped it in Oswaldtwistle. Business owners have a duty of care to dispose of waste from their commercial premises
PUPILS in Blackburn re-invented themselves as code-breakers when they got their hands on a machine which helped defeat the Nazis. Pleckgate High School Mathematics and Computing College, in Pleckgate Road, welcomed one of only three remaining Enigma machines
A POLICE community support officer has been appointed for Blackburn town centre. Louise Booth will support the town centre's community beat manager Graham Davis. Sergeant Rachel Baines, in charge of town centre policing, said: "It is the first time we
I AM a retired miner trying to find old brass pit cheques or tokens and tallies as they were sometimes called from different collieries. But I seem to have come to a standstill. I wonder if any former miners who may have any of these would be kind enough
DON Rishton (LET, December 2) hits the nail on the head regarding the decline of the state pension in this country. Link-Age is the only UK-wide non-party political pensions pressure group in the UK with a manifesto campaign calling for UK state pensions
THE half-term report for Burnley reads 'Couldn't do much better'. Well, not without a whopping great injection of cash anyhow! Twenty three games in, following tomorrow's game at Sheffield United, there can't be any Burnley fan seriously downbeat about
EFFORTS to save the jobs of more than 200 Burnley workers at engineering company Viktor Achter have failed, it was admitted today. Staff at the firm are now desperately trying to find new jobs, as the Rossendale Road based company is due to be wound up
BLACKBURN Rovers defender Michael Gray today warned his team-mates it's vital they beat West Ham if they want to get their season back on track. After back-to-back defeats in the Premiership, Rovers are about to enter what is arguably the most crucial
A MAN who got behind the wheel while banned was now keeping his nose clean -- or else he would have his mother to answer to. Burnley magistrates heard how ex-convict Benjamin Mason, 22, had got in with older, professional criminals, but his mum now monitored
A fashion student's creations could soon be on sale in London and Hong Kong. Alice Clarke, 17, has set up her own label and six of her designs, based on the 1960 Italian film, La Dolce Vita, are to go on sale in the spring. Alice, a Burnley College student
A SPEEDING cyclist put a pensioner in hospital for a week after he smashed into her in Burnley's shopping centre. Kathleen Testa, 77, fractured her right wrist, had to have surgery and was left shaken after she was hit by Steven Hurles, 26, on his BMX
EFFORTS to save the jobs of more than 200 Burnley workers at engineering company Viktor Achter have failed, it was admitted today. Staff at the firm are now desperately trying to find new jobs, as the Rossendale Road based company is due to be wound up
TEN people arrested on suspicion of violent disorder as part of a police investigation into a stabbing in Barnoldswick last month have been bailed. The group, some Polish, some English, were arrested on Wednesday and taken to local police stations where
WHEN Hard-Fi came on stage to the score from Once Upon a Time In The West, the irony was lost on no-one. For it was frontman Richard Archer's own unconventional melodica that ultimately set this band apart from anyone else I've seen this year. The instrument
A local junior rugby club is celebrating after their chairman was judged to be a local hero. Blackpool RUFC Junior's Chairman, Paul Moran was awarded the Contribution to Sport award at the recent Heroes in the Community Awards which recognises people
A PASSENGER who suffered suspected head and chest injuries after a car overturned in Haslingden Old Road, Oswaldtwistle, on Tuesday has been discharged from hospital. The man was injured in a Volkswagen Polo, heading towards Haslingden, about a mile from
MORE THAN 2,000 people descended on Whalley to soak up the sights and sounds of a Victorian Christmas at the village's traditional Pickwick night festival. The annual street fair took over the entire village, with streets closed until 9pm to make way
A 45-YEAR-OLD Clitheroe woman altered a prescription to increase the amount of tablets she would receive. Blackburn magistrates heard it was the third time Barbara Ann Millington had been dealt with for a similar offence. And she was warned that if she
FIRST, they handed out police radios in a desperate bid to combat car crime. Now, officers in the Ribble Valley have come up with a new weapon -- mobile phones for milkmen. Police say they are considering giving milkmen mobile phones before they go out
Blackpool and Fylde Athletics Club member, Gemma Titterington, took first place in the women's race at the annual Wesham 10k closely followed by club mate Karen Watkin. Wesham Road Runner Joanna Goorney came in third with clubmate Jo Frodsham finishing
Tony Parkes was in the dugout as assistant manager for Blackpool for the first time on Tuesday night. The Blackburn Rovers legend, who has been out of full time employment since he was controversially sacked by Mark Hughes 12 months ago, had originally
Seasiders' skipper Peter Clarke has warned his team mates that Saturday's home game against Tranmere has become a 'must win' match. After Tuesday night's disappointing 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth -- a result which left stand-in boss Simon Grayson "gobsmacked
BURNLEY visit their footballing graveyard tomorrow aiming to bury 32 years of misery. The Clarets face high-flying Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, where they have not tasted victory in over three decades and won just once in 23 visits dating way back
BURNLEY'S trip to Sheffield United this weekend marks the mid-point of the Championship season. So far, so good for the Clarets, who have shaken off a miserable start in terms of results to mount a credible play-off challenge - something that looked out
BLACKBURN Rovers defender Michael Gray today warned his team-mates it's vital they beat West Ham if they want to get their season back on track. After back-to-back defeats in the Premiership, Rovers are about to enter what is arguably the most crucial
BURNLEY visit their footballing graveyard tomorrow aiming to bury 32 years of misery. The Clarets face high-flying Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, where they have not tasted victory in over three decades and won just once in 23 visits dating way back
Christopher Millar, 23, of Woodvale, was made subject to a curfew order and fined £100 by Blackburn magistrates after pleading guilty to driving while disqualified and without insurance. The court heard that Millar was stopped at 1.40 am in a Ford Escort
A DARWEN councillor has warned shoppers to be vigilant after falling victim to cash-card crooks. Eileen Entwistle, of Sudell ward, made the plea after fraudsters withdrew £400 from her bank account. They had attached a 'skimming device' on the cash machine
Two Blackpool hoteliers are set to make history this month as they become the first same sex couple to legally 'marry' in the resort. John Blakey, 51, and Leslie Oldroyd, 66, will tie the knot in the town's first legally recognised civil partnership registration
The number of Community Support Officers in Wyre could triple in two years if a police bid for council cash is successful. Another 20 CSOs are needed in Cleveleys, Fleetwood, Poulton, Over Wyre and Garstang, Lancashire Police say. But the force needs
THE opening of a new Somerfield supermarket in Blackburn has been delayed because the garage forecourt was sinking. The supermarket and petrol station on Preston New Road is now due to open next Wednesday. A spokesman said: "We did plan to open but we
A WOMAN who called police to a domestic incident ending up assaulting an officer. Blackburn magistrates heard that when police arrived, Tracey Sweeney said that if they were going to arrest anyone it should be her and punched the officer in the chest.
THE victim of a nightclub assault arising from a spilled drink was later found to have a broken jaw. But Blackburn magistrates heard the prosecution could not link the injury with the single punch thrown by Aaron Coker in Never Never Land. Coker, 20,
A COMMUNITY body has pledged to release tens of thousands of pounds raised for October's South Asia earthquake "earlier rather than later." The promise came after conditions in the disaster area continued to deteriorate and winter cold began to kill more
A GREAT grandma has been targeted in a sinister postal scam by a clairvoyant who warned she was in "imminent danger" - unless she paid for 'protection'. Trading Standards today branded the letter an "unpleasant attempt to extort money from people" and
A GANG of 40 teenagers is travelling across Blackburn to terrorise a quiet neighbourhood after a police clampdown in their own high-crime communities. The children, aged between 12 and 14, are travelling from Griffin, Highercroft, Mill Hill and Shadsworth
Councillors have ordered an urgent report after hearing that Blackpool's foster care system is "overwhelmed." Members of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee turned the spotlight on the resort's Fostering Services department during
A local junior rugby club is celebrating after their chairman was judged to be a local hero. Blackpool RUFC Junior's Chairman, Paul Moran was awarded the Contribution to Sport award at the recent Heroes in the Community Awards which recognises people
