Archive
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He's a jolly good Fellows!
GRAHAM Fellows' newest character is a nouveau riche concreter called Dave Tordoff. "He's like a northern Loads o' Money," says Sheffield-born Graham, 43, referring to the Harry Enfield creation. "But he's more rounded. He's not a caricature. "He's got
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Lady sings the blues
IT was a car crash that, surprisingly, gave Dawn Hope a new lease of life. For, after wowing audiences in London's West End since the age of 16, Dawn needed all her resilience and energy to pick up the fragments of her tap dancing career. "I couldn't
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Jack signs up for lottery at hospice
BLACKBURN MP and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was visiting East Lancashire Hospice today to sign up to its in-house lottery. More than 3,200 members have signed up and organisers are hoping to hit 7,000 by the end of the year. Lottery manager Harry Grayson
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Caught green handed
STEVEN Stuart Charnock did a quick about turn when he turned a corner and saw police officers dealing with another matter. Blackburn magistrates heard the officers' suspicions were aroused and when they caught up with him they found Charnock was carrying
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For and against at the same time
ONE of the claims of the British National Party is that they are not like the other 'old style' parties. When it comes to policies, this seems to be the case when you look at these two statements taken from their website -- "The imposition of 'equal opportunities
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Vote has inflicted self-damage
THOSE who voted for the BNP on May 1 have done considerable damage to the image and economic prospects of Burnley and damaged their own interests in the process. It is no longer possible with any credibility to say that voting for the BNP was some form
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War, bigger divider than debate
WHAT sort of hypocrite is Coun Bill Taylor? (Letters, May 1)? He speaks glibly of peace and harmony and of those who would divide through race and culture, all the while ignoring the fact that our troops occupy a foreign land by force of arms under the
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Take the plunge
IF YOU'VE always fancied trying your hand at sailing, now's the time to take the plunge. For Elton Sailing Club is giving all locals the chance to try out the sport free of charge at a series of open days. Both children and adults are invited to have
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Daredevil Derek does it for the Rascals
MEMBERS of Ramsbottom Swimming Club completed a daring sponsored abseil to raise funds. Sixty people took part in Saturday's abseil down Peel Tower, including 63-year-old Derek Bevin, one of the coaches at the club, based at Ramsbottom Pool. He said later
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Arrests at BNP protest
NINE people were arrested after violence erupted outside Burnley Town Hall as the British National Party's new councillors attended their first meeting. People were left with bloodied faces and councillors were pelted with eggs and flour during ugly scenes
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Hula Hula gala nets £5,500
BURY Grammar School for Girls hosted a successful May Gala Day organised by the school's Guild of Parents and Friends. Hundreds of visitors attended the event on Saturday, which had a pirates and South Seas theme, and raised £5,500 for the school. Teacher
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Chief's appeal to the fans
BLACKBURN Rovers chief executive John Williams today urged fans to get to Ewood on Sunday to show their support for Simon Garner -- and Graeme Souness's UEFA Cup-bound heroes. Garner is set to be honoured with a special Testimonial game between the title-winning
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Duff can be a great
ENGLAND legend Tom Finney today said Damien Duff has the potential to become one of the game's all-time greats. Finney, who is widely regarded as the finest winger of all-time, has singled out Duff as one of the players who excites him most in the modern
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Armed bank robbery arrests
DETECTIVES investigating a string of armed bank robberies committed since December 2002 in the Midlands and North West have arrested two men. A 29-year-old was detained in Merseyside, and a 40-year-old in Milton Keynes. Both were arrested in the early
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Terror of man, 88, with a burglar in room
A PENSIONER today spoke of the terrifying moment he woke in the middle of the night to find a burglar in the room. But defiant Frank Miller, 88, today refused to be frightened in his own home and brushed his ordeal aside. He spoke openly about the incident
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'Chilling' killing by spurned wife
SPURNED wife Rena Salmon accomplished her mission to kill her rival in love with chilling deliberation, the Old Bailey heard. "We suggest she did what she intended to do and there was a deliberation about it," said Peter Clarke, prosecuting, in his closing
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Arrests at BNP protest
NINE people were arrested after violence erupted outside Burnley Town Hall as the British National Party's new councillors attended their first meeting. People were left with bloodied faces and councillors were pelted with eggs and flour during ugly scenes
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Snub doesn't spoil big day
CELEBRATIONS to mark the election of Pendle's first Asian Mayor were marred last night when only a quarter of the Liberal Democrat councillors took their seats for the ceremony. The majority of the group, including the council's newly-elected leader Coun
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CD reviews
A LOOK at the new releases on the music scene. BLUR: Think Tank THEY may be down to a threesome following the departure of Graham Coxon but Blur make up for in quality what they may lack in numbers. Gone is the brashness of their Britpop days to be replaced
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Lib Dems opt out of top committee
COUNCILLORS in Pendle's Liberal Democrat group refused to place any councillors on the borough's executive committee -- despite 44 per cent of voters supporting the group at the recent elections. In a shock decision, the council's new leader Councillor
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Ten years ago
BAD weather put a damper on Pendle croquet club's open demonstration for National Croquet Day. Rain kept many people away at Nelson and Colne College, but organisers said there was still a lot of interest in the game.
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Five years ago
FACE-PAINTING and biscuit-making were all part of the fun as a Blackburn nursery celebrated its seventh birthday. Children at the Nook Barn Nursery, Cheery Tree, enjoyed the fun day along with nursery workers and parents.
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I'll sue over green belt land dispute
A BUSINESSMAN says he will sue the council over a row about whether his premises are on green belt land. Noor Hussain wants to demolish his Laneside Garage business and replace it with a bigger one. But planners at Hyndburn refused his application when
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Mecca crook on the run
A CROOKED businessman who stole £150,000 saved by Muslims for pilgrimages to Mecca was on the run today. Mohammed Adris, 30, of Blackburn Road, Accrington, was due to be sentenced but fled when he saw Press waiting outside crown court buildings, a judge
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Valley of the price crisis kids
YOUNG people are quitting cash-rich Ribble Valley because they can no longer afford to live there. The area has been named one of the wealthiest 20 in Britain. But properties are now beyond the reach of many first-time buyers, who are moving to neighbouring
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Wary f Whalley return
TERRY Braithwaite is hoping his Ribblesdale Wanderers team can bounce straight back up from the knock-out blows Russell Whalley delivered to them last Saturday. The Great Harwood batsman smashed the Ribblesdale League record with 214 runs in the Ramsbottom
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Student choked on drug
THE death of a talented young Bury man dedicated to helping others was a message to others of the risks of dabbling in drugs to any degree, a coroner said. Bury District Coroner Mr Simon Nelson was conducting the inquest into the death of 29-year-old
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Chief's appeal to the fans
BLACKBURN Rovers chief executive John Williams today urged fans to get to Ewood on Sunday to show their support for Simon Garner -- and Graeme Souness's UEFA Cup-bound heroes. Garner is set to be honoured with a special Testimonial game between the title-winning
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Blues day sets scene for festival
FOR the first time blues fans are being treated to a Bank Holiday taster of one of the country's biggest blues festivals. Thanks to the popularity of the annual Colne Rhythm & Blues Festival which will be held in August, the organisers have decided
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BNP 'won't win a seat'
A LIB-DEM councillor today issued a stark reply to potential BNP candidates in Darwen. Members of the far-right party last week announced that a new branch would open in the town but Coun Paul Browne insisted they would not win a single seat. He said:
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Expert biker's battle for life after crash
A MOTORCYCLE instructor suffered serious injuries when his bike was hit by another rider on a remote moorland road. Blackburn magistrates heard Reynolds Withnell was airlifted to Royal Preston Hospital where he was detained for four weeks with extensive
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RSPCA inspector is calling it a day
LONG-SERVING and respected RSPCA inspector Brian Oxley has retired -- bringing an extraordinary 150 year family connection with the Society to an end. Brian, 65, became an inspector in 1970 and spent his entire career covering the Bury, Radcliffe, Rossendale
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Local lads have a date with five live
THEY'RE equally at home singing The Beatles or Britney Spears. They're Darwen band If All Else Fails and they're rapidly becoming a name to be reckoned with -- both on the local music scene and in the eyes of London music agents. The band, consisting
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Raquel's-ex out to make his Mark
THREE men in a butcher's shop surrounded by knives and mincers. It's such a good idea as a setting for a play you wonder why nobody's thought of it before, but Mark Chatterton isn't complaining. The former Coronation Street actor turned writer has certainly
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Lady sings the blues
IT was a car crash that, surprisingly, gave Dawn Hope a new lease of life. For, after wowing audiences in London's West End since the age of 16, Dawn needed all her resilience and energy to pick up the fragments of her tap dancing career. "I couldn't
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Councillors eye rise of 3.5 per cent
COUNCILLORS in Blackburn and Darwen are set to award themselves a 3.5 per cent increase in allowances, just 12 months after they rocketed 10 per cent. A report to next Thursday's annual council meeting recommends that the average rise in allowances fall
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Mayor says thanks to Mystic Meg
A DARWEN councillor has taken over as Mayor of the borough but not before his predecessor thanked Mystic Meg and TV's Pop Idol contestant Sarah Whatmore for making his year in office so memorable. Mention of the two celebrities, both of whom Tony Humphrys
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Benefits fiddle of house claim
A WOMAN pretended she was a tenant in a house she owned to claim £5,775 in benefits. Norin Khan, 33, of Queens Park Road, Blackburn, was given a 100 hours community order by Blackburn magistrates. She had pleaded guilty to providing two false claim forms
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Slip road driver's strange behaviour
THE wife of a man who drove the wrong way up a motorway slip road told an inquest he had been behaving strangely in the days leading up to his death. Judith Uttley, of White Platts Street, Todmorden, said she had asked her husband David, 55, not to go
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Fogarty looking for improvement
CARL Fogarty and his Foggy Petronas Racing team continue the fast-track development of the FP1 when the World Superbike championship returns to Europe for round four at the historic circuit of Monza, in Italy this weekend. Having demonstrated the potential
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Man is killed in steam train crossing accident
A RETIRED council worker has described how he fought desperately to save a motorist's life after an horrific collision between a train and a Land Rover on the East Lancashire railway line. Ken Dickinson battled in vain alongside police to save the man's
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EVENTS taking place in East Lancashire on Saturday, May 17, 2003
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Plant Sale, Heathland School, Broadoak, Sandy Lane, Accrington, 10am-noon. Spring Bazaar and Plant Sale, St Mary's Church Hall, Sabden, 10.30am-3.30pm. Whist and Domino
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Homes for young are needed now
THE housing problem facing young home hunters in the Ribble Valley is neither a new one nor one that is unique to the district. But that does not lessen the seriousness of a situation which forces couples to leave the area where they have been brought
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Raquel's-ex out to make his Mark
THREE men in a butcher's shop surrounded by knives and mincers. It's such a good idea as a setting for a play you wonder why nobody's thought of it before, but Mark Chatterton isn't complaining. The former Coronation Street actor turned writer has certainly
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Pub's non-stop fun raises cash for hospital
STAFF and regulars at a Blackburn pub toasted fundraising success after raising £265 to send to the Christie Hospital in Manchester. The Stop N Rest, in Brandy House Brow, held a fun day with football, darts, dominoes and pool to raise the cash and two
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Margo has my backing
REGARDING Margo Grimshaw's article (LET, May 6) I couldn't agree with her more about Church Street, in Blackburn. I used to enjoy walking down from King Street, but not any more. Now I avoid Church Street if I can. She says she feels like starting a "
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Safety efforts are undermined
IN reply to your Comment and Blackburn with Darwen Mayor's outburst (LET, May 7) about teaching road safety to children, my efforts to teach my child road safety are undermined by the attitude of others. At zebra crossings, she sees others cross nearby
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Grant shouldn't have boundaries
REGARDING the report published in your paper about the distribution of grants being the possible cause of the Burnley riots. The 'all-party' Commons Committee have stated "the way government money is distributed in regions may have heightened racial tensions
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Mystery body
POLICE have launched an appeal to identify a man who was found dead at the Trafford Park centre in Manchester. The man's body was discovered in an empty container in Trafford Park on February 22. He died from natural causes. He is described as about 50
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Sixth week of NUJ strike
JOURNALISTS at the Bury Times Group are now into the sixth week of their strike action in support of a seven per cent pay claim. Twenty-one members of the National Union of Journalists started industrial action on April 9 and went on indefinite strike
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Collecting
for ME MEMBERS of the Bury and Bolton ME Support Group will be collecting outside Asda in Radcliffe today during ME Awareness Week. The local group, which has 81 members, is using the Week to campaign for better services for ME sufferers locally. Last
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Best and Parky cheque it out
SOCCER legend George Best helped TV's Michael Parkinson receive a cheque for £5000 on behalf of the Foundation for Liver Research during a charity dinner at the Grant Arms Hotel, Ramsbottom. The money was presented by Kevin Skillin of event sponsors Imperial
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Death of Muslim leader, 65
BURY'S Muslim community is mourning the loss of one of its most prominent figures. Sajawal Khan (pictured) died on Wednesday, aged 65. Mr Khan lived in Bury for 37 years, and spent much of his time working for equal opportunity and welfare organisations
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Students hand over special window
STUDENTS of Bury College have worked on special stained glass windows to commemorate 50 years of St Bernadette's Church in Whitefield. The eight students are all church parishioners and have been commissioned by the church to create the new three-metre
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Carol is a top 'Mancunian'
TEACHER Carol Cain has been rewarded for her dedication to the community. She was commended in the recent Mancunian of the Year awards and received a framed certificate in a ceremony at Manchester Town Hall. Carol, head of geography at Radcliffe High
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A date with local history
AN exhibition, which was the culmination of a local history project in Ramsbottom, attracted hundreds of people. St Paul's School Hall in Crow Lane was set out as a model of the real Crow Lane with a display for each house and building. Some of the houses
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£3m boost for drugs budget
BURY'S health bosses have promised a £3 million boost for the town's patients. The Bury NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT) is allocating more money for prescription drugs, enabling more people to receive the treatments they need. The move was welcomed by Dr
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Life for rejected wife
A BURNLEY woman who burst into a beauty salon and shot her love rival dead has been found guilty of murder. Rena Salmon has been jailed for life at the Old Bailey after being found guilty of the murder of 36-year-old Lorna Stewart. Burnley-born mother-of-two
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Music makers
TALENTED pupils took to the stage to compete in the fifth Young Musician of the Year awards, hosted by the Rotary Club of Tottington and Bury West. Students from Tottington High, St. Gabriels R.C. High, Bury Grammar (Boys) and Derby High schools battled
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Ilness forces mayor elect to step down
SOUTH Ribble's mayor elect, Councillor Jeff Knowles, will not be standing as mayor for the forthcoming year due to ill health. Coun Knowles, who is currently the borough's deputy mayor, has not been well for some time. His wife, Lyn, who was due to become
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Bridging Gulf in language
A SOLDIER from Bamber Bridge is preparing for a stint in Iraq by learning Arabic. Private Neil Williams, from Longbrook Avenue, Bamber Bridge, is set to fly out to Basra with the Queen's Lancashire Regiment next month. The 18-year-old trooper is part
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'Tough guy' with a soft heart
'A TOUGH man in the ring, but soft on the inside,' -- those are a son's moving words about his former boxing champion father who died this week at his Preston home. As a renowned Irish boxing champ Maurice Loughran, of Sulby Drive, Ribbleton, was well
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I'll fight back says victim
PEOPLE living in a leafy Preston suburb have armed themselves with baseball bats after a spate of attacks by gangs of young thugs. Now Tony Hunt, 63, of Rowan Close, Penwortham, who had his living room window put through by youths, claims the latest police
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Rosegrove Bulletin
MEMBERS of Rosegrove Action group in Rosegrove Lane have issued a heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make the annual carnival a huge success. The event, held on playing fields in Sycamore Avenue, last Sunday attracted a crowd for a variety of activities
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Daniel: Family has not given up hope
POLICE are continuing the search for former Burnley youngster Daniel Entwistle who disappeared almost two weeks ago. The youngster moved to Norfolk three years ago with parents David, 41, and Paula, 30, after living in Peel Street, Padiham. Daniel's aunt
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Driver seen 'to stumble' banned
A 61-YEAR-OLD man caught almost twice the limit was stumbling and struggling to lock his car door, a court was told. Burnley Magistrates heard how a ban for Michael McMahon would have devastating effects on other people's lives. The defendant believed
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Moors murderers are jailed for life
TWO men who brutally bludgeoned a witchcraft enthusiast to death on a Todmorden hillside have been jailed for life. Daniel Antonious Delker and David Terance Sandham, both 24, were found guilty of murdering 44-year-old James Bowman in Cornholme. They
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Minister's top team study schools crisis
EDUCATION Secretary Charles Clarke has revealed a team of officials are working with Lancashire County Council and Burnley Borough Coucil in a bid to sort out the school places crisis in the town. And the minister has not ruled out a return to Burnley
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'Come on and back our show'
PENDLE traders are being asked to get involved in this year's Barrowford Agricultural Show to help make the event bigger and better. Trade stand secretary Martin Stanworth said he hopes to put on extra stalls this year to reflect the agricultural traditions
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Probe looks to housing future
TEN thousand Pendle residents are to be quizzed about housing needs, to help council officers boost funding bids. Data collected as part of the housing study will contribute to any future bids for government cash. Pendle Council recently commissioned
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Do area's traders feel safer?
MAYBE now the shopkeepers of Harle Syke who had second thoughts after they nominated the BNP candidate for their area (LET, April 29) will feel a lot better in the safe knowledge that the majority of Sykers agree with their initial decision. E ROBINSON
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Council on red alert for Stanley party
HYNDBURN Council wants Accrington to grind to a halt next week when Stanley's football heroes are guests of honour at a ceremony to mark their promotion. The council has organised a civic reception outside the Town Hall on Saturday, May 24, from 12.30pm
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Syd's set to face Tarrant
AN ACCRINGTON man will appear on television's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire tomorrow on his way to winning thousands of pounds. Viewers will see Syd Rawcliffe take the hot seat to face the first of a possible 15 questions. The 44-year-old came second
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U-turn over mayor choice
HYNDBURN'S Labour group has done a massive U-turn in the row over who will be the borough's next mayor, accepting the ruling Conservative group's nomination. That means Coun Wyn Frankland will be Hyndburn's first citizen this year, with outgoing mayor
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Shop sale rap for council's leader
THE new leader of Hyndburn Council has been criticised for selling a clothes store to a national off-licence chain. Councillor Peter Britcliffe put ladies' fashion shop Just You, in Whalley Road, Accrington, on the market and has been made an offer by
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A welcome on the mat in Accrington
ACCRINGTON'S bid to attract tourists has received a massive boost after securing £77,000 of European cash. GAIL ATKINSON reports on what Accrington has to offer... NEW cash to put Accrington back on the tourism map was welcomed as a major boost today.
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Life for rejected wife
A BURNLEY woman who burst into a beauty salon and shot her love rival dead has been found guilty of murder. Rena Salmon has been jailed for life at the Old Bailey after being found guilty of the murder of 36-year-old Lorna Stewart. Burnley-born mother-of-two
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Ternent to wheel and deal
STAN Ternent is gearing up for a summer of wheeling and dealing as he tries to rebuild his depleted squad. But, while the Burnley boss has already had talks with a number of transfer targets, he will have to bide his time while players' contracts expire
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Accrington in surprise mode again
THE pretenders to the throne take on the side that has made the Lancashire League crown their own for the past three years tomorrow. Champions Bacup, smarting from last week's run rate defeat to Accrington, go to leaders Colne, who have four wins from
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Harris gets house in order
AUSTRALIAN import Ryan Harris has finally found the form he hopes will lift Lowerhouse up the Lancashire League. Harris made a slow start to his first season in England, but has accelerated into top gear in the past two games. His knock of 85 against
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Gangland 'Mr Big' is jailed for eight years
AN underworld "Mr Big" is being linked to two unsolved gangland murders as he begins an eight-year jail term for extortion. Jason Gillard (32) from Calder Crescent, Whitefield, was arrested during a major police operation in which officers used an expert
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Ternent to wheel and deal
STAN Ternent is gearing up for a summer of wheeling and dealing as he tries to rebuild his depleted squad. But, while the Burnley boss has already had talks with a number of transfer targets, he will have to bide his time while players' contracts expire
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Local lads have a date with five live
THEY'RE equally at home singing The Beatles or Britney Spears. They're Darwen band If All Else Fails and they're rapidly becoming a name to be reckoned with -- both on the local music scene and in the eyes of London music agents. The band, consisting
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Banned driver's town centre mayhem
A 22-YEAR-OLD banned driver sped his car through Darwen at over 60mph before crashing out of control and ending up on the pavement, a court heard. Blackburn magistrates were told Stefan Grant drove down the centre of Bolton Road on Tuesday, forcing other
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Facelift for park on the cards
A FACELIFT for a popular children's park and play area is on the cards, thanks to a group of volunteers in Stacksteads. Parents and residents have expressed concern at the deterioration of Western Road Park and have held a meeting at the Drop-in centre
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Blues day sets scene for festival
FOR the first time blues fans are being treated to a Bank Holiday taster of one of the country's biggest blues festivals. Thanks to the popularity of the annual Colne Rhythm & Blues Festival which will be held in August, the organisers have decided
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He's a jolly good Fellows!
GRAHAM Fellows' newest character is a nouveau riche concreter called Dave Tordoff. "He's like a northern Loads o' Money," says Sheffield-born Graham, 43, referring to the Harry Enfield creation. "But he's more rounded. He's not a caricature. "He's got
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Jury to retire in detective murder bid trial
THE jury in the trial of a former Blackburn detective accused of trying to kill his wife after discovering she was having an affair must be convinced he intended to do it if they were to convict him of attempted murder, a judge told a court. DC Hugh Needham
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Plea for anti-social order on girl rejected
MAGISTRATES have rejected a bid to have a teenage prostitute banned from Blackburn's red light district under the terms of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order. The application was made by Crown Prosecutor Neil White, who said it was an option Blackburn magistrates
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Neighbours rescue man from flat blaze
NEIGHBOURS rescued a man from a blazing flat as firefighters tackled two electrical fires in a building earlier today. Fire crews were called to the blaze in a first floor flat in Whalley Banks, off King Street, Blackburn, at 1.15am. It is thought to
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Police to run new surgeries for public
BEAT bobbies are to stage appointment-based surgeries in a bid to prevent problems being lost through a call-centre system. The idea will be piloted throughout June in Mill Hill, Feniscowles and Galligreaves - areas of Blackburn where the police have
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Waste left in street 'a danger'
A TEENAGE mother today demanded to know why rubbish labelled as clinical waste was left in a residential street for more than a week. Carla Dagg, 19, says a yellow bin and two yellow bags marked 'clinical waste to be incinerated' were dumped across from
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Squaddies return to heroes' welcome
FAMILIES across East Lancashire were celebrating today as the first troops began to arrive home from duty in Iraq. Local soldiers and medics were among the first to return, as SIMON HAWORTH and ROGER AIREY found out... ONE of the first of East Lancashire's
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Shabba's season shines!
HIS team mates back at Deepdale might have cleared off to sunnier climes, but Mark Rankine is still in the thick of footballing things. Farmed out on loan to Sheffield United earlier in the season and still unsure if he has a future at Deepdale, Rankine
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Brown issues warning to players
IT might be all quiet on the pitch, but Preston boss Craig Brown faces a busy summer behind the scenes as he plots a promotion pushing new season. He has waved his squad away on their summer break, but warned them not to go over the top as they unwind
