Archive
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Phone rage as gas line engaged for a month
A COMPUTER cock-up at British Gas has left hundreds of Preston people fuming. Angry customers trying to sort out problems with bills have complained the only telephone number given on gas bills is constantly engaged. Cindy Knight, who lives off Garstang
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Memorial service for student
JANET was an extrovert whose laugh used to reverberate around the school, said her former teacher at a memorial service held for the murder victim. Des Callahan, a teacher at All Hallows RC High School, was addressing the hundreds of mourners packed into
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Points mean prizes for East Lancs
BILLY Stelling goes gunning for the big boys this weekend with the words: bonus points mean prizes, ringing in his ears. For the powerful South African all-rounder, who blasted East Lancashire into the top three of the table last weekend, knows that his
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Controversial terminal gets the go-ahead
LEYLAND'S controversial rail freight terminal is set to gp ahead after councillors voted in favour of the plan. A majority of one saw the development passed while calls for 'Labour out, Labour out' by members of Wheelton Lane Action Group echoed around
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Guns amnesty hailed a success
POLICE in Lancashire have hailed their part in a nationwide arms amnesty as a success - despite only receiving about a quarter of the weapons of a similar project after the Hungerford massacre, in 1988. During the month-long event, held as a direct result
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Brain-op boy bounces back
BRAVE David Astbury has astounded friends by the speed of his recovery from major brain surgery - by joining them on a bouncy castle at his school fair, just FIVE days after his life-saving operation. Plucky David's remarkable return to health is all
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Benefit ruling unfair claims accident victim
AN accident victim who has suffered more than a year of excruciating pain has slammed a Benefit Agency ruling to send her back to work as 'unfair and diabolical'. And she will no longer be entitled to incapacity benefit. Instead she can claim unemployment
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Bid for Shearer wide of the mark
MANCHESTER UNITED were ready to splash out a staggering £21 million plus in cash for Alan Shearer! Suggestions at the weekend of a £19 million cash-and-player deal in which Andy Cole was valued at £7 million were wide of the mark. United, desperate to
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A scale model master
A TEENAGER from Oswaldtwistle will be representing his country in a European car racing championship later this week. John Isherwood will be blazing a trail of glory when the European remote control car races get under way in the French town of Dijon.
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10 YEARS AGO: Enterprise blunder
A MASSIVE £70 million blunder involving Enterprise Zones throughout the country - including seven in East Lancashire - was revealed. Fierce criticism of the entire Enterprise scheme was levelled by the Commons Public Accounts Committee. It claimed that
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Refurbishment
THE £100,000 refurbishment of a grade two listed building is nearing completion. Ramsbottom & Co solicitors received a grant to improve its Victoria Street offices under the Community Improvement Scheme run by Blackburn Council. "We are delighted
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CYCLING: Gareth's national pride
GARETH Wiseman a fourth year student at Primet High School, Colne, pulled off a major success on Sunday when he won the English Schools Cycling Association National Criterium Championship at Southsea, near Portsmouth. Six-foot one-inch Gareth, who is
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ATHLETICS: Northern delight
THE second Northern Women's League Division Three West match of the current campaign saw Blackburn Harriers playing host. The club showed themselves to be short in numbers, but long in quality, finishing fifth in a match dominated by a very strong team
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CRICKET: Northants exposure
THERE will be no danger of complacency when Lancashire take on Northants again in the Benson & Hedges Cup Final on Saturday. Sure, Lancashire won the first round of the contest in the NatWest Trophy at Old Trafford, and were today installed as new
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GOLF: Trevor's On course
TREVOR Foster dragged himself out of his sick bed to put himself within sight of playing in next week's Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes which he briefly led the last time it was staged there in 1988. The Accrington greenkeeper, who shot
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Club banking on luck of the Irish
A CAMPAIGN to save a piece of Nelson's history depends on the luck of the Irish. The Irish Democratic League Club, in Walton Street, could close unless it gets a new lease of life. It has always been known as a friendly spot, where the blarney and the
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Cemfuel green award 'joke' anger
A DECISION to present Castle Cement with an environmental award for burning controversial Cemfuel has been branded a joke. The Clitheroe-based firm has been chosen from among 70 entries to be rewarded by the Green Organisation, a privately-funded national
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Barlick 'ballot' sparks row
LABOUR politicians have called for an investigation into controversial events on polling day at the end of a vitriolic by-election campaign in West Craven. They claim electoral law was twice breached by the Liberal Democrats: the first time when orange
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Leading way in the war on crime
THE first annual meeting of the Safer Merseyside Partnership has been held in St Helens to underline the massive steps forward being made in reducing crime in the borough. There to hear about the pioneering partnership were representatives from the Northern
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It's three cheers for Sutton
AN investment of almost £7 million by St Helens Council has helped to transform Sutton. Pictured here are some of the residents who have played a major part in bringing the Sutton Village Initiative to its completion. They were congratulated by Councillor
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Rowley raps pussy cats!
Leigh 20 Carlisle 27 STAND-IN coach Allan Rowley didn't mince his words as off-key Leigh handed Carlisle a first-ever Hilton Park league victory on a plate. Rowley, Leigh's Football Director deputising for Eric Hughes (his sister has suffered a heart
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Council bids to buy pit sites
ST HELENS Council is negotiating to buy three former colliery sites for £1 each. They will be restored under the 'Wasteland to Woodland' project as part of the Mersey Forest. In an innovative partnership with the council, British Coal - owners of the
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Nursery firm plans triple growth
AMBITIOUS plans to take a Darwen manufacturer into the 21st century have been unveiled. The Supercover Group - which includes the Quilty nursery products site - aims to triple its size by the year 2001. The group has set a target to increase turnover
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Golden era of cafe society
WHALLEY'S WORLD THERE was once a thriving 'cafe society' in the St Helens of immediate post-war times. Snack bars and pop-in cafes abounded and were so well patronised that some of these haunts of teenage courting couples, gossiping housewives and local
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Family's home appeal is blocked
ALAN FISHWICK has lost his battle against red tape in a bid to move into his 'family home'. Last week the St Helens Star featured the Fishwick family's fight to win the tenancy of the council house which had been the family's home for more than 25 years
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2,000 chip in with support
A BATTLING businessman is hoping that people power will help him to overcome what he believes are unfair restrictions on his trading. Alan McClurg, proprietor of 'Alan's Village Takeway' in Church Road, Rainford, wants to open in the evenings to provide
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Talking about our Civil War ghosts
WHALLEY'S WORLD A BLAST of musket fire has been shot through a recent Cromwellian theory as to how Thatto Heath got its unusual placename. Kevin Heneghan, retired teacher and eager delver into the past, writes: "If Oliver Cromwell had been forced to camp
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Trying to contact
I HOPE that one of your readers may be able to help me locate members of the Mitchell family who used to live at 14, Bury Road, Rawtenstall. On behalf of cousins in New Zealand, I am trying to contact Andy or Ruth Mitchell, or their son James (Jim) Mitchell
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Drive against unsafe cabs
TAXI drivers in Hyndburn are facing tougher restrictions after series of spot checks revealed a worryingly high number of defects in cabs. Police carried out the random checks on taxis in the borough late last year and, as a result, a number of vehicles
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Ann salutes our young athletes
INTERNATIONAL runner Ann Griffiths is pictured with members of the St Helens athletics team who finished second in this year's Merseyside Youth Games which were held in St Helens. The games attracted thousands of youngsters from all of the county, competing
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Fat and fiction
DO you know the facts about fat? Probably not, according to TV health guru Liz Earle. She has joined forces with Flora after a new survey revealed that many people are ignorant about the dangers and potential benefits of different types of fat Britain's
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It's better late than never!
Saints 42 Leeds 16 FIRST-HALF strugglers Saints ultimately found their free-flowing flair with a belated purple patch to cling to the Super League leadership and leave lacklustre Leeds wallowing in the table's lower reaches. But victory was achieved at
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Main line to a drought-buster
A NEW £2.2 million water main is being built to combat the drought in Pendle and Burnley. Heavy rainfall has helped restock supplies, but local reservoirs are still less than half full. North West Water will begin work next month an eight-mile pipe which
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Bikers and bobbies team up for pal
WHEN former policeman Alan Ripley fell ill, he provided the inspiration for a group of cyclists to raise money for charity - but he died before the money could be handed over. Mr Ripley, who died a few weeks ago, was in everyone's thoughts as £750 was
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Wee problem annoying traders
SHOPKEEPERS in Burnley town centre are calling for action to stop people using their doorways as urinals. The traders say they often arrive at work on Monday morning to find the mess left by weekend drinkers who have spent a penny on their premises. "
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Pupils shock for father time!
A PUPIL from St Helen's primary school in Morecambe has a burning ambition to be the first man to have a baby! That was just one vision of the future from pupils in four local primary schools as they buried a time capsule to mark the opening of a nature
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Cameras roll at high school
BUDDING Steven Spielbergs and Alfred Hitchcocks at a Burnley's Barden High School are through to the semi-final of a top film-makers' competition. The Barden boys, aged 13 and 14, were picked from hundreds of teams for the next round of the Disney Videos
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John takes up tennis challenge
BRITISH tennis has at last regained some pride - and while Tim Henman's Wimbledon feats have put him at the top of the tree, some of the country' brightest hopes for the future come from Burnley and Pendle. One of them is 15-year-old John Chesworth. He
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Security fears over Clarets tour
BURNLEY expect their pre-season tour to Northern Ireland to get the go ahead-despite the worst political unrest in the province for 25 years. The Clarets have organised a testing four-game schedule of games-including two fixtures in Belfast. Now Burnley
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Hospital Trust 'in good health'
BURNLEY Health Care is one of the top trusts in the UK, according to NHS Performance Tables announced this week. Burnley scored top marks in 38 out of 57 categories, and has plans well in hand for where standards could be improved. Trust chief executive
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Spotlight on the cheats
RAIDS on Lancaster people leading a double life - illegally claiming social security benefit while they're in full time jobs - netted a staggering £6,000. Operation Spotlight a campaign by social security investigators to weed out cheats in the region
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Sutton's ready for action
CHRIS Sutton is bang on course to start pre-season training next week along with the majority of Blackburn Rovers' first-team squad. And that's a terrific boost for the player, as well as manager Ray Harford, who will welcome having the £5 million striker
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Council slammed over mill closure
COUNCIL cutbacks have forced the closure of a Burnley training centre which has helped hundreds of unemployed people find jobs. Leading local politicians have described the decision to close Livingstone Mill as a tragedy, and say government spending limits
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Back in the hot seat
FORMER schoolteacher Elsie Sadek is no stranger to Mastermind's famous black chair. Back in 1987, Elsie, of Annesley Avenue, Layton, came third in the first round of the show and has returned for a second time in the new series. But the former Millfield
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Diana's the queen of Lee's heart
THE next best thing to being visited by Princess Diana must be receiving a signed leather bound photograph from her. Well, that was what happened to lucky six-year-old Lee Pedder of Morecambe who received the royal gift complete with a personal message
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Mamma miaow!
IT WAS handbags at 30 paces for the stars of Funny Girls as a big decision had to be made - which of the girls would go to Milan to model Katherine Hamnet clothes. Funny Girls boss Basil Newby had to decide which three lucky ladies would catch a flight
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NHS finds hospital staff in rude health
HOSPITALS and health workers in Lancaster and Morecambe have been awarded five-star status in the government's annual NHS league tables. Lancaster Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and the Queen Victoria Hospital in Morecambe
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Tennis club is served an ace
A SMALL local tennis club is celebrating a lottery windfall of more than £8,000. The modest club, based on Lime Grove, Thornton, has been awarded £8,671 from the Lottery Sports Fund towards the cost of upgrading its two existing tennis courts to all-weather
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CITIZEN SMITH: Justices have the edge
I'M not sure who gets further up my nose - the young nerds who break into our cars and drive them off, the police who don't seem to catch many of 'em, or the magistrates who slap 'em with a kid glove when they are finally caught. If ever they are. On
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Labour man walks right out!
A SOCIALIST councillor from Blackpool has turned his back on the Labour Party - but hopes electors won't turn their backs on him. Royston Jones has represented Greenlands ward since 1991, but now believes the party has become too much like the Conservatives
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Yanks for the memories
AMERICA'S stars and stripes will be flying above St Oswald's church near Lancaster once again to mark one of the most prestigious days in the country's calendar. Tourists from all over the country will be flocking to the church in Warton, to honour the
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City is hot spot in guns amnesty
MORE weapons were handed over in and around Lancaster during the June firearms amnesty than anywhere else in the county. Figures released as the amnesty came to an end on Sunday evening showed that 75 of the 282 firearms surrendered in the county were
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Don's in peak condition!
MISSION Impossible reached new heights this week as one Lancaster man took on France's famous Mount Blanc with a blind climber in tow. An expedition that few of us would dare to contemplate was warmly embraced by expert climber David Ridley when he was
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Tony's guide to the 'Sixpenny Rush'
THE great days of cinema will be returning to Leigh, Tyldesley, Atherton and Astley in the autumn, thanks to local history expert Tony Ashcroft. For Tony, who is the Local Studies Officer at Leigh Library, is busy writing a book titled 'The Sixpenny Rush
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Tower, waste of cash
HOW can the cathedral justify spending £700,000 on its lantern tower which in its own right is ugly and does nothing to complement the period structure Above all, it is unbelievable that it can cost even more to take it down. I accept repairs are needed
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Footpath chief steps into row
FOOTPATH watchdogs are threatening to take obstructors to court. Regional footpath expert Derek Taylor says the Peak and Northern Footpath Society is prepared to take High Court action to have a Tyldesley pathway re-opened. Mr Taylor, an ex-councillor
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Heavens above!
HINDU Sukhi Gohel has a congregation of saints looking over him while he sleeps. The father-of-three couldn't believe his eyes when he stripped off his bedroom wallpaper - and uncovered a huge religious mural. The scene, which covers the entire wall,
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Mileage marathon
A TEAM from Preston is taking part in the race to find the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the world. More than 100 vehicles from all over the world will line up at Mallory Park for the Shell helix mileage marathon on July 29 - including a team from the
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Children should be seen AND heard, says Andy
NEW Children's Rights Officer Andy Bennett says children should be seen AND heard, contrary to the old Victorian tradition. Andy is so sure of his position of helping children in the future that he has produced a pamphlet setting out the rights of children
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First Pakistani curate's warm welcome
THE CHURCH of England's first Pakistani curate says his fears about being accepted have been dispelled by the warm welcome offered by local people. The reverend Christopher Peter, who was ordained at the weekend, will serve at St Peter's Church in Darwen
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Lancashire Volleyball League
THE LANCASHIRE Volleyball League has completed another season, with local sides enjoying various levels of success. Ashton A topped Division 1, with Ashton B ending up in third place, followed by Leyland-based BNFL Springfield A. Division 2 saw newcomers
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Police want someone special
THERE is a very 'Special' type of part-time job waiting for people in Leigh, Tyldesley and Atherton who feel they can help with law and order. For a recruitment drive is underway by Greater Manchester Police to attract 250 new recruits to the Special
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Police band dates
ONE of Canada's top police bands is making a rare visit to England. The 70-strong Waterloo Regional Police Band will be appearing at St Walburge's Church, Preston on July 25, after performances at Fleetwood's Marine Hall on July 22 and the Ashton Hall
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Briarcroft demolition last resort
HARD hats are a must when house buyers view a prominent Atherton property. Derelict Briarcroft is poised for a new lease of life - provided a buyer can be found to renovate the fire and vandal ravaged Victorian building. Once the focal point of Fletcher-Burrows
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Martial arts with Mark Strange
MOST martial arts are physically and mentally challenging. Whether you practice Kung Fu, Karate. Judo TaeKwondo of Kickboxing, a certain amount of fitness is required to perform at high levels. Of course, if you are new to martial arts, this degree of
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LETTER:Citizen Smith's column is prophetic
LAST week's Citizen Smith column "Baying tabloids threaten national sporting pride" turned out to be prophetic. A couple attacked in Trafalgar Square because their car was made in Germany and a Russian student stabbed in Sussex because he for 'foreign
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Maritime festival is almost sunk
PRESTON'S annual Maritime Festival was almost sunk when the rains came. But crowds braved the unseasonal weather to enjoy what has become a spectacular event over the years. Pride of place in the docks was taken by the magnificent tall ship, the Zebu
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Residents demand action on speeding
SPEEDING drivers wreaking havoc on a Preston Council estate have enraged residents who are demanding action. Hundreds of signatures were collected in the Larches Estate and handed over to Mayor Ron Marshall at Preston Town Hall last week. This push for
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Put on your dancing shoes
A HOST of top stars are expected to draw crowds of more than 100,000 to Preston's Avenham Park this weekend for the town's biggest ever Party in the Park. Chart-busting artists Let Loose and former Eastenders star turned singer Sean Maguire are just some
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Aussie hunk's panto promise
NEIGHBOURS heartthrob Stonefish paid a flying visit to Preston to promote his Christmas panto - and appealed to grannies to book their tickets! The Aussie hunk, real name Anthony Engleman, 23, will play the lead role in Dick Whittington at the Guild Hall
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Diver Mark aims for 10-day underwater record
CALL him mad, call him wacky, but dotty diver Mark Webber is a man on a double-edged mission - to pull the plug on a world record and save his scuba club. Mark Webber (pictured), from North Road, Blackburn, is an M65 construction worker by day and a scuba
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Hospitals getting better all the time
HOSPITAL patients in Preston are benefiting from improved services and shorter waiting times. A national Audit Commission study of NHS trusts and health authorities published this week showed a highly successful year for Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
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Alert over bogus callers
WARNING letters have been issued by a Leyland-based housing association to all its tenants in a bid to stop bogus callers preying on their elderly residents in the Bamber Bridge and Preston areas. Posing as a New Progress Housing Association official,
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Danger booze warning
CONSUMERS and traders in the Hyndburn and Blackburn area are being warned to look out for potentially lethal Russian vodka and illicit whisky which can lead to blindness. Trading standards officers are asking the public to be vigilant about a fake Russian
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Look, dad, I can walk!
COURAGEOUS little Jack Boyers has taken his first steps towards fulfilling his dreams - by walking for the first time in his life. Jack, six, suffers from cerebral palsy, which has left him partially paralysed down his right side. He also has no sense
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Pop world beckons for student
PAUL McCartney has given a student from Preston the chance to make it to the big time. Sam Rankin has won a prestigious place at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA). Sam, 20, of Broughton, hopes to follow in McCartney's footsteps and become
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LETTER:Stop meddling with our education
YOUR correspondent Mr Burns obviously didn't learn much history during his school days or he would have known that the national education system he laments was set up by the 1870 Education Act, long after Dickens, Austen et al finished whatever schooling
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Salute to the pals
YOUNG and old have turned out in force to pay tribute to the local men who lost their lives in bloodiest battle in the history of the British army. A major month-long exhibition has opened at Accrington Town Hall to commemorate the 80th anniversary of
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Preston hit for 26 for five
FLEETWOOD'S slow left-armer Jeremy Newman took 5-26 to send Preston crashing to an 8 wickets defeat at West Cliff. Preston are now two points adrift of Leyland at the bottom of the table. Batting first, Preston struggled to 121-9 off their allotted 50
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A Cruise launch!
CHAMPAGNE corks will be popping in St Annes tonight (July 4) with the gala opening of the town's new cinema. The long-awaited attraction at the Pleasure Island complex opens with an invitation-only premiere of US blockbuster Mission Impossible starring
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Belinda stays the course
IT has taken three years of hard work, but the Citizen's dancing girl has finally come to the end of her studies in London. Talented Belinda Blight has rewarded the anonymous benefactor who paid her course fees of £21,000 by completing a degree at the
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Clothing firm up for award
UNIFORM firm Simon Jersey has been short-listed for a top award. The Altham-based company, runner-up in the recent Lancashire Evening Telegraph Business Awards , is one of six North West finalists in the 3i Quest for Growth competition. The £50,000 contest
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Death of pitman poet Jimmy
ANYONE with an inkling of interest in local heritage will mourn the death this week of pitman poet Jimmy Jones, aged 83. He died on Tuesday of a heart attack at his home in Derwent Street, Tyldesley. Jimmy Jones saw his beloved home town through the eyes
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Convict to curate
AFTER claiming to be visited by God in his jail cell, Malcolm Worsley turned his back on a life of crime for Christianity. And now, 26 years later, Malcolm is a non-stipendiary minister at St Christopher's Church, Hawes Side, Blackpool. The 58-year-old
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Rocking through summer
FYLDE'S favourite funnymen are all set to rock Blackpool this summer with their show at the Grand Theatre. Rock with Laughter stars Cannon and Ball and kicks off tonight (July 4) with the help of comedian Peter Piper and Sheila Ferguson's tribute to the
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Top of the ops
DIDN'T we do well! That's the cry echoing through the wards of Fylde Coast hospitals and clinics at the unveiling of this year's NHS league tables. Nurses, doctors, in fact all the medical staff, are giving themselves a well-deserved pat on the back after
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Manchester Cougars 1 Bobcats 12; Manchester Cougars 12 Bobcats 2
PRESTON Bobcats easily took the first game of this double-header. The second half saw a complete turn-about due to the lack of an experienced pitcher to replace the absent Howarth. On Sunday Bobcats play an exhibition game at Moor Park against Eastern
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QUOSHED! Drinks firms axes 63 jobs
ONE of Britain's biggest soft drinks' companies is axing its local factory with the loss of 63 jobs. Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd has decided to concentrate its dilutable soft drinks operation at the expense of its Hindley Green factory. The company has told
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Jubilant parents celebrate Elliot's winning battle
THE parents of a toddler who spent months fighting for life after suffering serious head injuries in a road accident have spoken for the first time about their ordeal. Mick and Sue Donlon, of Dill Hall Lane, Church, are celebrating the news that two-year-old
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Straw leads pay stampede
BLACKBURN MP Jack Straw defended joining in the vote to give himself and his colleagues a massive £9,000 pay rise which today caused an angry backlash. Mr Straw was joined by Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson and Burnley's Peter Pike in backing
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Demolition fuels row over site
THE demolition of derelict Huncoat Power Station has done little to calm campaigning locals. After a long-running dispute over the site ownership, National Power has agreed to flatten the eyesore by September this year. The land - and a neighbouring 10
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Town's traders blast two-hour parking limit
ANGRY traders claim a new car parking scheme is driving potential customers out of town. Cafe and restaurant owners in Accrington say new regulations - introduced by the council in May, limiting parking to two hours - has hit their business. It is understood
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Love is in the air - again
LOVE is not dead. And if proof was needed cynics need look no further than happy Leigh couple Christine and Philip Hedley. For the couple from Hope Carr Road (pictured), have just 'married' for the second time in 13 years - and without a single divorce
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Estate agent breaks ankle in cellar fall
FIREMEN from Hindley rushed to the aid of paramedics who were treating a man who had fallen seven feet into a cellar. Michael Lewis, 47, an estate agent from Preston, was showing prospective buyers around a vacant shop property in Elliott Street, Tyldesley
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I'm happy being BIG, says Michelle
AN Atherton housewife has slammed a 'fatties' critic. And overweight school cook Michelle Whittle says: "I'm happy as I am". An angry Michelle went on the offensive this week after a Journal Mailbox letter-writer highlighted what they saw as "overweight
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Sefton delivers Vaux Sampson Cup
LEYLAND DAF won their first trophy for 23 years when they beat Netherfield by two wickets in a pulsating finish with only three balls remaining at Sandy Lane. Netherfield won the toss and elected to bat. They struggled against some accurate Leyland DAF
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Vigilantes set to move in
VIGILANTES have threatened to move in to clean-up Westleigh yobs' act. But neither Police nor fed-up residents' champion Cath McGregor are backing muscle power menaces. Crime fighter Cath next week aims to pack-in her post as chairman of Westleigh Tenants
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Food co-op in need of transport
A FLOWERING Food Co-operative is fading fast after being fraught with a mass of motoring mishaps. Clayton Brook residents formed the co-op last year, and the wheels were put in motion when Bamber Bridge Police donated a van to the scheme. The group forked
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Amnesty nets 300 firearms
A TOTAL of 282 guns - including a sawn-off shotgun - have been handed in to county police following a nationwide amnesty in the wake of the Dunblane tragedy. Police all over Britain urged the public to hand in firearms after crazed gunman Thomas Hamilton
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Better than skinny stereotype
YOUR correspondent 'Fed up patient' is disgusted at the "overweight and grossly obese people" of Wigan and surrounding towns. I would prefer to be a few pounds overweight than a skinny stereotype, an appearance which rapidly became unfashionable with
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LETTER: Let the people decide
I AM writing to add a little to Citizen Smith's article in last week's paper on the baying tabloids. I think we should leave it to the decision of the people who but the newspapers. After all the readers are the people who hold the key because without
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County lose court bid to halt unitary breakaway
LANCASHIRE County Council is considering whether to appeal after it lost its bid to halt Blackburn's push for unitary status. A High Court judge ruled that its argument - that the issue could not be debated in parliament until the Local Government Commission's
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Let's stop charity date clashes
WE have recently been undertaking a house to house collection of children's clothing in various parts of town and have discovered that we have 'clashed' with collections being undertaken by other charities, even though we had asked around beforehand to
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Moore and Smalley league
ON a day more akin to March winds and April showers the top two met at Garstang, where the home side, in second place, entertained leaders Longridge. Not surprisingly, the visitors got the better of the conditions -and Garstang- to win with seven wickets
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LETTER: Noisy neighbours a menace
WE ENJOYED the "not in my backyard letter" from Mr and Mrs Lowlands in your letters page. Isn't it funny how many NIMBY's there are about. Every street, every road, wherever you go. I've written this letter because the noisy neighbour menace has been
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Why we blocked footpath
THE residents involved in the recent redirection of the passage between Heathfield Drive and Sale Lane and to the rear of Sycamore Avenue would like to make our intentions and actions clear. As frontages to this walkway all 10 residents are in agreement
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LETTER: Stand up to those selfish neighbours
CONGRATULATIONS to all the writers who have stood up against nuisance, noisy neighbours. I agree with all those who have had the guts to expose these people (if you can call them that), for what they are. To me, they are down right arrogant selfish animals
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Pain of A&E closure
ON Sunday, June 23 1996 at 10am, my daughter, who is eight years-old, had an accident causing a severe cut on her arm. I live very near to Leigh Infirmary so I took her along, to their credit they saw her immediately, however, the cut was too serious
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Old Harry's silent war
A 100-YEAR-old-war hero has become the subject of a display of photographs in a Preston museum - the place where he first signed up for the army over 80 years ago. Harold Hayman, who lives in a Fulwood nursing home, volunteered for service at an army
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LETTER:Citizen Smith's column is prophetic
LAST week's Citizen Smith column "Baying tabloids threaten national sporting pride" turned out to be prophetic. A couple attacked in Trafalgar Square because their car was made in Germany and a Russian student stabbed in Sussex because he for 'foreign
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Baxenden ready to bounce back
A CAPTAIN'S lot is a thankless one and few would envy being in John Bushell's position. The Baxenden skipper steered his team to sixth place in the Vaux Ribblesdale League last season, but this year the Back Lane outfit have been hit for six. With just
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A rave with the Redcoats?
I AM writing to ask for your readers' assistance. I am researching a documentary for Channel Four and am trying to contact anyone who worked as a Butlin's Redcoat between the 1940's and the early 1970's - especially people who have cine film of the time
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Inquest opens into murdered student's death
MURDERED law student Janet Murgatroyd is now believed to have been beaten by her attacker and left to drown. At first, police thought the 20 year-old from Penwortham had died from severe head and facial injuries. But Home Office Pathologist Dr Edmund
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5 YEARS AGO: Landlords in mass rally
PUB landlords from East Lancashire joined a mass rally to protest at their treatment at the hands of brewery bosses. Members of the licensed Victuallers Association joined forces with colleagues from all over the country to protest in Doncaster. The notices
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'Family' services at Colne church
A PENDLE vicar and his newly ordained daughter have formed a unique partnership. John and Rosemary Priestley are the only father and daughter serving in the same diocese. Rosemary followed in her dad's footsteps when she was ordained as a curate at a
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Sounds like a first class idea
THE idea of getting musicians from one of Britain's top orchestras to go into a council estate and work with local people on a major composition sounds like one of the loonier schemes of some out-of-touch arts body. But the fact that they did it, and
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MP Prentice pledges support
STRAIGHT-talking Pendle MP Gordon Prentice has pledged his support to Labour leader Tony Blair after landing in hot water for backing other MPs complaining about autocratic leadership. He said: "It is fair to say that the past few days on the road to
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A lesson in how to lead by bad example
LAST night's vote by MPs to award themselves an inflation-busting 26 per cent pay rise will outrage many people in East Lancashire and the country as a whole. Three local Labour MPs: Blackburn's Jack Straw, Rossendale and Darwen's Janet Anderson and Burnley's
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Royal Bank backs Langroyd Leaders
A NEW venture in Colne could lead the way to a different way of life for young people facing a bleak prospect of unemployment. As yet, the project is in its early stages, but by August the Langroyd Leaders scheme on the North Valley Estate should be up
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Couple is attacked in field
POLICE are seeking a man who launched a vicious attack on a 16-year-old youth and a 44-year-old woman. The attack took place on Saturday, June 15 on a field behind the Bold Equestrian Centre, when the teenager approached the man and a female companion
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The 'Battle of Bootle'
LEIGH Cricket Club lost their unbeaten league record in a thrilling encounter at Bootle. Bootle batted first and made 147-9. Charlson 5-74 and Melia 4-28 doing the damage. Leigh made steady progress towards their 148 target with knocks of 30 apiece from
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The Sunday times!
LEIGH are the latest club to kick Sunday evening start times into touch. Two gates of just over 1000 in recent weeks have persuaded Hilton Park officials to scrap the Sunday evening experiment. "I'm well aware that crowd figures are directly linked with
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Chums facing an uphill battle
A LONG-serving member of the Haydock Male Voice Choir will be exercising his legs rather than his lungs when he takes part in a gruelling expedition to scale Mont Blanc, one of the world's highest mountains, later this month. Denis Greenall, a police
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Justices have the edge
I'M not sure who gets further up my nose - the young nerds who break into our cars and drive them off, the police who don't seem to catch many of 'em, or the magistrates who slap 'em with a kid glove when they are finally caught. If ever they are. On
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'Encouraging' response to gun amnesty
SEVENTEEN firearms and 790 rounds of ammunition were handed in at Leigh police station during the amnesty following the Dunblane massacre. The haul consisted of eight pistols, two air rifles, six shotguns and a flare gun. Chief Inspector Steve Westcott
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Fake whisky warning
TRADING Standard bosses have appealed to the people of Leigh to keep a sharp lookout for counterfeit whisky and contaminated vodka which may be offered for sale cheaply at car boot sales or in pubs and clubs. The warning comes after analysis of seized
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Adoption centre needs £300,000 to beatbomb
ANYONE from the Leigh area who has been helped by the After Adoption agency in Manchester is being asked to dip into their pocket and return past favours. The Chapel Street HQ of the adoption charity, which offers support and help to thousands of people
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New bins backing
A SCHEME pioneered in Leigh town centre has seen 18 new litter bins bought for the town, but more is needed to cope with trash problems. Now litter-busting schools and businesses are putting their money forward to sponsor a bin, with four local schools
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What a bare-faced cheek
DENYS Matthews took a peek in her wardrobe after a party at her Mosley Common home and felt a bit like Mother Hubbard. Revellers had left her cupboard well and truly bare! Jewellry, a leather jacket, raincoat, suits, blouses and even face cream went through
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New canal death fears
TERRIFIED parents fear straying youngsters could end up in a watery grave. Concerned mums Joanne Ecclestone and Janet Aldred of Severn Street, Leigh say a derelict Butts Bridge factory draws children like a magnet to canalside dangers. Mother-of-two Mrs
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Saints face massive injury crisis
WITH two vital points at stake Super League leaders Saints face a massive injury crisis for the trip to third-placed Bradford Bulls tomorrow night, Friday, kick-off 7.30pm. No fewer than eight players are currently under treatment ie skipper Bobbie Goulding
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Market anger at food plans
STALLHOLDERS at Leigh's Indoor Market are ready to revolt over council plans to allow the selling of food on outdoor stalls. They are angry at the plans which were first mooted as part of a campaign to make Leigh Market more attractive to shoppers. It
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Denis Whittle talks with Shaun McRae
OVERALL a sound performance in which several absentees returned to pass the ultimate fitness test. That was the considered conclusion of Saints' boss Shaun McRae following the win over Leeds. WHITTLE: It's a cliche perhaps, but Sunday was a story of contrasting
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Fewer 'proper' jobs
JOHN Farrer's claim (Letters, July 1) that Labour are the party of youth unemployment is completely absurd. When Labour left office in 1979 youth unemployment (those aged 24 or under) was around 300,000 people. Now that figure is nearer 1,000,000. While
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Show us your bloomers, say judges!
NEXT week sees the moment of truth for Padiham, Hapton and Worsthorne - the local entries in the North West in Bloom competition. Two judges from the Tidy Britain Group will be visiting the area on Friday afternoon to grade the efforts of local folk to
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Top clubs eye Clarets' target
BURNLEY boss Adrian Heath is on the verge of clinching his first new players for the Clarets. The Turf Moor chief is ready to sign Portuguese striker Bambo and Exeter City's Jon Richardson - two young players guaranteed to bring some excitement to Burnley
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Scheme to halt marsh flooding
WORK to create a brand new, £2.9 million pumping station and sewer project in the Marsh area of Lancaster started this week. The scheme, designed to relieve problems of flooding on the Marsh estate, involves laying new sewers in Willow Lane, St Thomas
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Taylor made
ACCRINGTON Stanley have signed striker Stuart Taylor for a four-figure fee from Guiseley. The 28-year-old has been given a 12-month contract and Stanley's director of football Brent Peters is delighted with the capture. "He is a prolific striker and has
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Life-saving bonanza from Rotary efforts
RESEARCH work to find a cure for a killer disease could be hindered without massive fund-raising efforts from big-hearted local clubs. Chairman of Blackburn and Darwen Leukaemia Research Fund Mrs Mavis McDonald spoke out after learning that the charity
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Feet shift on parking plan
PLANS to end the arguments surrounding Lancaster's notorious voucher parking system have been unveiled. Lancaster City Council has devised two-point proposals to make the scheme more user-friendly. That includes the installation of pay and display machines
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Stanley kick-off cup campaign at crown
ACCRINGTON Stanley will start their FA Cup campaign with a home tie in the first qualifying round on Saturday, September 14. Either Ossett Albion or Brigg Town, FA Vase conquerors of Clitheroe at Wembley, will be the visitors to the Crown Ground. Four
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Full steam ahead for Weaver's Triangle
THE historic Weaver's Triangle in Burnley has won a big National Lottery cash handout to help bring the area's industrial past back to life. The £60,000 grant will help volunteers restore a 110-year-old steam engine at one of the oldest factories in the
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Mystery over death of perfect daughter
FOUR days after a 12-year-old Morecambe schoolgirl collapsed and died during a PE lesson, her parents still don't know what caused her death writes Julie Seddon. Nicola Pace, a pupil at Lancaster's Ripley St Thomas school, died at the Royal Lancaster
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Warmth? you're welcome to it!
THERE really is a warm welcome for visitors to Morecambe if the nominations for a recent competition are anything to go by. More than 130 entries have already been received for the 1996 'You're Welcome in Morecambe' contest which encourages tourists to
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Midland's French connection?
MORECAMBE'S world famous Midland Hotel could be on the verge of yet another new life, this time as a top French restaurant. The art deco masterpiece which stands proudly on Morecambe prom has been the subject of great speculation over the past few years
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Rail services gather speed
RAIL services along the line which serves the Fylde Coast could become quicker and more efficient, according to the Department of Transport. In a letter from the DoT, Fylde MP Michael Jack has been assured an investment programme is being developed to
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New MD named
PAUL-INGVAR Ohlsson has been appointed managing director of Thorsman UK Ltd. Thorsman employs more than 200 in Blackburn. It is a leading manufacturer and supplier of cable management systems, fixings and tools. Mr Ohlsson moves to the site from Holland
