Archive
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Woman foils robber
A robber was foiled by a 48-year-old Morecambe woman who refused to give in to his attempts to grab her bag. The woman was approached from behind by the man in an alleyway who twice demanded she hand over her shoulder bag. She refused and tried to walk
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Man denies 'revenge rape'
A MORECAMBE man has appeared in court accused of raping a teenager in revenge for a sex attack on a member of his family. But Stephen Tyson, 39, Carleton Street, picked on the wrong 'victim' after forcing his way into her flat wearing a balaclava. A jury
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Gray Away!
BURY were turning their attentions to the transfer market this week following the sale of Andy Gray to Millwall. The 33-year-old midfielder parted company with the Shakers on Wednesday for "personal reasons", despite previously hinting he would sign up
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Warning on bogus gas men
Lancashire's Trading Standards officers are warning Lancaster homeowners to be on their guard against bogus gas men who use bullying tactics to get cash. The department has received more than a hundred complaints and queries from worried residents who
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Birth of the super show
AS the atmospheric first notes of a lone bagpipe resound around a packed Blackpool Grand Theatre an all-star gala evening will begin, thanks to the efforts of a local producer. The all-singing all-dancing show called Being Alive, is the brainchild of
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Work to begin on Waring's building
WORK to convert Lancaster's Waring and Gillows showrooms into a cosmopolitan shopping and leisure complex will begin next month. Local businessman, Mr Trevor Bargh, has finalised deals with a furniture retailer and a Manchester-based pub chain. An upmarket
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Crusaders sound rallying call
A WELL-established Rugby League club is on the lookout for new recruits. St Helens Crusaders run teams from from under sevens up to Open Age. If you are interested in playing at Bobbies Lane, Crusaders train between Tuesday and Thursday nights as well
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Cut-price mobility
DISABLED people can get mobile at a discount thanks to a new scheme from Blackpool Disability Services. The charity has arranged a contract with suppliers to sell wheelchairs and scooters on to customers without the high mark-up normally charged in shops
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Topps profits boom
TOPPS Tiles, which recently opened a new store in Blackburn, has seen profits rocket. The firm announced pre-tax profits increased by 56 per cent to £2.13 million in the six months to December last year. Turnover rose by 25 per cent to £15.3 million.
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Halton and Carnforth driving duo Steve Head and Andrew Dugdale will be driving at Silverstone on Sun
Everybody will be in identical cars and tyres will be regulated. All that will separate the crews will be experience and driver skill. Andrew is confident the team will do well. "It will take a few events to get to grips with the new car and the tarmac
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Council tax slashed
BLACKPOOL council tax bills are set to go down at least ten per cent this April - with no cuts in services. As forecast in the Citizen last week, Blackpool householders will be winners in this year's council tax stakes, while neighbouring Wyre and Fylde
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Crusaders fade
St Helens Crusaders 14 Culcheth 16 THE previous week's game took its toll on Crusaders. For, with several players carrying injuries, Crusaders struggled against a younger side. They found themselves behind after Culcheth crossed the line twice. But they
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Chief attacks 'secret police' claims
THE public in Leigh are not being kept in the dark about what is happening in the Police Force. Chairman of the Greater Manchester Police Authority, Stephen Murphy, hit back at claims that a review of all police property has been kept secret - including
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Phil of promise!
THE Seasiders' 1-0 win against Bournemouth on Saturday (Jan 17) was their most promising since they beat arch-rivals Preston North End at Christmas. Phil Clarkson and Andy Preece looked hungry throughout and were a constant threat to the visitors, who
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Estate to give old mill site new life
AN industrial estate of 20 factories is set to replace a mill and mill lodge in Haslingden. Plan to demolish the mill occupied by Automet Filtration on Charles Lane and build the estate of modern small to medium-sized units is set for approval by Rossendale's
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Yickers in spying mission
HAYDOCK coach Kevin Thompson travelled North on Sunday for a spying mission on Silk Cut Challenge Cup rivals Workington Town. For Town, a Super League outfit, 18 months go were hammered in a friendly by the merged Barrow and Carlisle clubs. A crowd of
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We love you Arthur!
KIND hearted customers and staff at an Astley pub have raised £1,200 to pay for a holiday for one of their regulars who is terminally ill. Arthur Wilcock, 45, of Cranworth Avenue suffers with a brain tumour and has been receiving treatment at Christie
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Get out of town - and stay out!
LEIGH'S 'Shopwatch' scheme and radio link between traders has proved a huge success, cutting crime in the town centre and boosting morale. The good news came as traders met for the first time after the Christmas holidays to assess the success of the scheme
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Health chiefs renew call for fluoridation
HEALTH bosses have renewed their plea for fluoride to be added to Leigh's water supply. A report by Wigan and Bolton Health Authority condemned North West Water's repeated refusal and said it is "unethical and inequitable" that children in other parts
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On tap at the beer bash
GOOD beer, good atmosphere and good advice are all on-tap at the amazing Bent and Bongs Beer Bash. Now in its ninth year the Beer Bash has continually proved to be flavour of the month raising a total so far of £56,000 for local charities. All down to
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Party 'loner' gets life for sex murder
PRIVATE investigator Stuart Hulse started a life sentence on Wednesday for raping and strangling a Lowton college student. Hulse, a father-of-two, attacked divorcee Shirley Brown after watching a hard-core pornographic video showing a woman being tied
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Doctor in court on harassment charge
A DOCTOR has appeared before Preston magistrates a second time, charged with harassing a nurse. Dr Michael John Dale, aged 43, who worked at Royal Preston Hospital before being suspended last September, was charged under new stalking and harassment laws
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Clinic's search - for a skeleton!
STAFF at a clinic are on the lookout for a skeleton - after thieves walked off with theirs! The skeleton, worth around £250, disappeared from the Darwen Physiotherapy Clinic in August and has not been seen since. Now staff are appealing for a replacement
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Chris Kershaw talks to new PNE's Pat Elliott
GLAMOROUS North End assistant secretary Pat Elliott has a wealth of experience that can only be assets in her new role at the Deepdale club. Born and bred in Preston, Pat has had a wide range of jobs from being an air traffic controller in the RAF to
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Compant fined for polluting stream
A COMPANY has been fined £8,000 for polluting a stream with waste in the latest case to be brought by the Environment Agency. Land Feeds Environmental, of Ribblesdale Place, Preston, pleaded guilty to two charges of polluting Shaw Brook at Tockholes and
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Baxi closes social club down
RESIDENTS in Bamber Bridge, Preston, have slammed a decision by Baxi to shut down a social club in the heart of the community. Locals who use the licensed function room and bowling green provided by the heating giants hit out after hearing the decision
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It's an early morning road jostle
DID the designer of the Twist Lane/Atherleigh Way, Leigh, roundabout practice on the Greyhound roundabout first? Travelling south on Warrington Road at 7.45 each morning I am greeted by two lanes of traffic on a road marked as single lane. At the roundabout
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Family's tragic plea after road death
THE family of a teenage girl who was killed in a car crash are backing calls to control the traffic in Fulwood. Salma Coser Khan, aged 16, was killed last December when her car collided with a motorcycle on Garstang Road/Regents Drive in Preston. Her
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Mother loses inquest battle
THE mother of a young woman who died in her sleep hours after being hypnotised in a Leyland pub has lost her battle for a fresh inquest into her daughter's death. Margaret Harper, aged 52, launched a nationwide campaign for a ban on stage hypnosis shows
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Student wins a trip to trace his roots
A STUDENT has won a dream trip to trace his family's roots in Hungary this summer. Adam Nagy, aged 17, will act as an ambassador for Preston after scooping a travel scholarship in a scheme set up by Thwaites Breweries. The trip is extra special for Adam
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Benita sees the funny side..!
LOCAL author Benita Moore always finds her copy of the Citizen an entertaining read. But when she picked up a recent edition she laughed in disbelief as she read that, according to a survey, Southerners were funnier than Northerners. So much so that Bentia
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Landlords complain about new super-pub
FURIOUS landlords in Leyland near Preston say they could face a fight for their future if a new super-pub and restaurant is built. Early plans for the redevelopment of run-down Towngate by developers Lansbury Holdings have delighted most people after
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Nursing home suspends three staff
A RADCLIFFE home for the elderly is at the centre of an investigation after three staff members were suspended. The disciplinary action came after allegations that one of the staff had been aggressive during the handling of a patient at the Rose Court
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Tom Parker on Preston's game at Watford
It was a case of missed chances for new Preston boss David Moyes (pictured) whose side started brightly against high-flying Watford. After his first league match as Preston manager he was understandably disappointed not to bring home a giant killing result
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Finney laughes off spy claim
SOCCER legend Sir Tom Finney this week laughed off national newspaper speculation claiming footballers were asked to be spies during the Cold War. The 75-year-old former North End idol chuckled at a story which said he and other greats were approached
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Young skaters in bid for skate park
A DETERMINED in-line skater is leading a group of Preston schoolchildren in their bid for a skate park - at the tender age of just eight! Ambitious Ben Hull is still at junior school but he's already enlisted the help of a councillor and gathered a petition
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Pub team wants a new ground
SOCCER-MAD salesman Mark Marle will put his powers of persuasion to the test to campaign for a football pitch for his pub team to play on. Mark says that fields behind the Sherwood Pub would be ideal for his team to entertain rivals from other Preston
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It's Tubby-hell for model Emma!
THE word "tubby" would send shivers down the back of any potential supermodel. So when former Accrington beauty Emma Bridgeman turned up for a fashion photo-shoot she was stunned when stylists transformed her into one of the most famous tubbies around
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Youngsters dodging death on m-way
DARE-devil youngsters are risking their lives by taking a "suicidal" short-cut across a busy motorway. Police have issued an urgent plea to parents and children after receiving two reports of youngsters seen running across the new M65 at Knuzden. Inspector
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Boogie nights sweep in to Preston
DIG the groove and join hundreds of other swinging 70s fans for Night Fever which is sweeping through Preston. The nostalgic dance event, organised by Preston promoters, started last October and tickets sales have soared. It regularly fills the university's
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Chile outlook for Allison!
A ONCE in a lifetime opportunity has become reality for a school girl from Darwen, who has been chosen from hundreds of applicants to represent East Lancashire in South America. Lucky Allison Barton, 15, of Sandon Street, Darwen, was nominated to take
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Backing for quarry fight
LOCALS objecting to plans to extend Scout Moor Quarry in Ramsbottom have won the backing of councillors in Rossendale. Since the plans came to light last year residents of Turn Village in Edenfield have been leading a high-profile campaign to block the
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Couple celebrate 60 years of marriage
A PROUD Preston couple who were married minutes after Winston Churchill's daughter walked down the same aisle celebrated 60 years of wedded bliss. Jim and Nan Wood, who live in Frenchwood, had their 15 minutes of fame when press photographers jostled
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Geoff gives up tables fight
A SNACK seller has branded market management as "spiteful" after giving up his fight to place tables and chairs around his mobile stall. Geoff Hindle, who has worked from his van outside Darwen market for more than 20 years, was the toast of the town
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North End fail to put away chances
WATFORD 3 NORTH END 1 IT was all so familiar, North End created chances but failed to put them away. So David Moyes, in his first league fixture as Preston manager, travelled back without priceless points. Preston had a fine early chance when Mark Rankine
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Bury's schools top tables - again!
BURY'S primary schools have put in another table-topping test performance. Results for the Standard Attainment Tasks (SATs) for 11-year-olds in the borough's 67 schools show a marked improvement on last year, when they were in the country's top five.
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Top pops at the funeral...
WHEN the time comes to face the music, which song will you choose?, writes RACHEL PINDER. A national survey of funeral undertakers revealed that Elton John's latest version of "Candle In The Wind", reworked for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales,
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We launch our very own weekly Internet column
MEET Spiderman, the Citizen's very own Kristian Jack who will take you on a virtual voyage round the Net. Each week the webbed writer will bring you all the latest Newsquest news from the information superhighway. He will reveal what's available on our
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Council cause a pain in the drain
A DISABLED householder claims Bury Council bosses are using his property to help pinpoint a drainage blockage in his street. Mr Abdul Karim is angry a closed circuit television camera has been fitted to a water inspection chamber in the basement of his
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Tenpin grandad Ernie gets maximum 12 strikes
GRANDFATHER Ernie Barker achieved the ambition of all tenpin bowlers - and knocked off 12 consecutive strikes! Demon bowler Ernie, 55, of Clifton Street, Rishton, achieved the 300 points maximum to become the new record holder at AMF Bowling, Burnley.
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FIVE YEARS AGO: Saudi deal joy
A £4 BILLION deal to sell Tornado aircraft to Saudi Arabia saved thousands of Lancashire jobs. The news of the deal, clinched by Prime Minister John Major in a visit to King Fahd, was welcomed by workers at British Aerospace's Samlesbury and Warton sites
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Teenager's Himalayan adventure
A TEENAGER is back in Britain studying at university after surviving an avalanche, a landslide and a perilous river crossing. Mark Walsh's travels in India were anything but a holiday. He swapped his Riverside Walk home in Radcliffe for a six-week Himalayan
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TEN YEARS AGO: Health cash row
PRIME Minister Margaret Thatcher waded into the row over the cash crisis facing East Lancashire hospitals - and told Burnley Labour MP Peter Pike he should say 'thank you' to the Tories for what they had achieved in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale. Mr
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£200,000 energy programme for the Valley
OUTDATED central heating will be replaced as part of a £200,000 council home improvements scheme. The money will be spent on newer, more efficient systems in dwellings owned by Rossendale Council. The work will go hand in hand with a three-year programme
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CRICKET: Boycott shown the red Test card
Neil Bramwell speaks out THE BBC were spot on to boycott Geoffrey Boycott's coverage of the West Indies tour - but for all the wrong reasons. Programmers decided to bounce Boycott out on his ear while his appeal for assaulting former girlfriend Margaret
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Think green, council
IN reply to Jean C Lewis's remarks regarding recycling (Letters, January 12), I fully support everything she stated. I do know where there is a facility for recycling plastics. As I have worked in Bolton for many years, I have been taking plastic bottles
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Happy Eid!
FOR thousands of people in East Lancashire today is not any ordinary winter's day, but a specially happy and hallowed one. For today is Eid, the Islamic festival marking the end of the month of Ramadan during which devout Muslims express their faith with
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Brian's Express route to glory
LOWTON'S Brian Kenny is feeling champion! He has just won the Daily Express Matchplay Golf Championship. Brian, a Wimpey Homes production director, has been a member of Haydock Park Golf Club for more than a quarter of a century. And he needed all his
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Britain is fast losing track
IS IT not absurd that this country which brought railways to the world cannot now build one for today's trains? In France, trains hurtle at 186 mph to and from the Channel Tunnel. They had their high-speed link to the tunnel ready a year before it opened
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Relocated - not closed down
AS a former chairman of the Blackburn with Darwen Council's community and leisure committee, I am fully aware of the difficult choices involved in making enforced cutbacks to the leisure, cultural and sporting services. However, I think that your correspondents
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Murray's a mint as Leigh fold
LEIGH RU were below-par in their defeat against Egremont, Tony Murray bagging a brace of tries. Minis & Juniors: U16s beat Newton 46-5 with tries from MoM Hartley 3, Devall 2, Wood and Fitzmartin; U12s beat Vale of Lune 14-7, Ashbrooke scoring two
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Fury as Metro blow soccer whistle
SOCCER players are kicking their feet in frustration. And, as they hit back in anger, Wigan Metro has become their prime target. The Leigh & District Amateur Football League has not played a match since December 13 - and the backlog is rapidly becoming
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Apollo muscles in to help fund
PICTURED: HEAVY metal... Saints' Samoan star Apollo Perelini wheels the cash into Barclays Bank watched by Gordon Crosby. WHEN big-hearted businessman Gordon Crosby launched an appeal in the St Helens Star to raise vital cash for an African orphanage,
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Date set for landfill enquiry
A PUBLIC inquiry into St Helens Council's refusal to grant planning permission for a landfill site at Haydock is to be held at the town hall, starting on Tuesday, March 17. The inquiry is expected to last around six days with evidence being submitted
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Company fined £4,000 over pollution
A DETERGENT blending and packing company has been fined £4,000 by Wigan magistrates for polluting a stream with detergent causing foam up to 12ft high on Newton Lake. Chilwood Limited, of Windsor Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, pleaded guilty to polluting
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Miners on the up
Wigan Tech 12 Bold Miners 14 BOLD took a giant stride towards promotion in this top-of-the-table clash. Both teams tackled courageously in the first half. Bold opened the scoring, however, with a Darren Anders penalty. But. Tech fought back to grab a
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Schoolboys hand out a lesson
St. Helens Schools under 16s 15 Wigan Schoolboys 4 SWITCHED to Edge Hill because of a waterlogged Moss Lane pitch, this NASUWT Trophy quarter-final proved a typical derby affair before a 500-strong crowd. Mike Loughlin opened the scoring with a drop goal
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Foam firm fined £4,000
FOAM on a stream in Golborne led Environment Agency inspectors to a factory discharging detergent. And the trail led to a court appearance for Chilwood Limited, a detergent and packing company from Ashton, who were fined £4,000 on Friday after pleading
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Tree-mendous plan!
ENVIRONMENT concious parks staff are planning to put trees ravaged by recent storms to good use. The idea is to make trees uprooted by high winds into woodland paths and protective mulch. Altogether 98 trees in Blackpool's parks were torn out from their
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Derby boost for Ruskin
Newton-le-Willows nil Ruskin Park 14 RUSKIN Park eased their relegation worries a little with this hard-fought victory over bottom-of-the-table Newton. The two points gained became even more valuable when it became known that all their closest rivals
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Tubbie trauma for little Ben
THE parents of a two-year-old boy are appealing to anyone who may be able to help them get their son's cherished Teletubbie back. Little Ben Thomas had been given Dipsy - the green Teletubbie - as a Christmas present by his mum and dad, Lisa and Shaun
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Howzat for heart swap Geoff
HEART swap hero Geoff Porter is full of surprises. Twelve months ago Geoff, from Blossom Street, Tyldesley received a new heart in a lifesaving transplant operation at Wythenshawe Hospital. And fund-raising friends celebrated the anniversary of Geoff's
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Bippo's a super trouper
RAMSBOTTOM's favourite clown is a step nearer to reaching the big top after passing his circus exams with flying colours. Eight-year-old Gareth Ellis, who is better known as Bippo the Clown, is the youngest clown in Britain. This week he passed his Level
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Finch take off in style
Haresfinch 70 Irlam Hornets 4 FINCH warmed up for this week's BARLA Cup trek to Maryport with a 12-try mauling of struggling Irlam Hornets. Despite the heavy conditions both sides contrived to play open rugby in a game that, in stark contrast to previous
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Woman tries to beat off robber
A PLUCKY pensioner made a valiant attempt to thwart a cowardly robber who snatched her handbag after creeping up behind her. The incident happened as the 72-year-old victim made her way along North John Street in St Helens town centre at about 1.45pm
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MPs push resort's tourism industry
BLACKPOOL MPs pushed the resort's tourism industry in House of Commons questions on Monday (Jan 19). Joan Humble, MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, probed culture secretary Chris Smith about involving tourism training in the Government's New Deal
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Female bouncer cleared of assault
A JURY took just 20 minutes to clear a female night-club bouncer of assault. Michaela Shaw (26) of Olsberg Close, Radcliffe, was alleged to have punched Elaine Powell to the ground before kicking her seven times in the head. But a jury at Manchester Minshull
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Shop woman in knife ordeal
A HOODED raider left a female shop assistant shocked after threatening her with a knife. The robber burst into The Video Centre in Concourse Way, Parr at about 4.05pm on Sunday, January 18 brandishing what appeared to be a carving knife. He ordered the
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Park stay on promotion course
West Park 25 Aspull 6 DESPERATE for points in their quest to overtake league leaders Chester, Park started well, determined to improve on the drawn result at Aspull earlier in the season. After Cy Latu and Dave Donovan had applied early pressure a touchline
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Man struck with metal bar
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an incident in which a 23-year-old man was attacked with what is thought to have been a metal bar. The victim was walking along Warrington Road, Rainhill, in the direction of Whiston, after a night out at the Victoria
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Blackpool's got it right
A LOCAL government watchdog has praised Blackpool Council for its smooth preparations to go independent. The Audit Commission, which assesses the way councils manage their finances, said Blackpool was on a sound financial footing. It had succeeded in
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Splashing start to 1998
IT was a splashing start to 1998 when the Sandcastle complex in Blackpool opened its doors for the first time this season. Visitors were up 15 per cent on the same weekend last year and, according to operations director John Child, the improvements which
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Last post for village
THE shutters have gone down on Astley village's last proper shop. Astley Post Office, which has stood alongside the canal bridge for at least 110 years, closed on Tuesday when Gordon Baxter and his wife, Jackie, retired. "It's been up for sale 4 years
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Scully set for Saints debut
WORLD record forward signing Paul Sculthorpe is set to make his debut in the Saints team to entertain Swinton Lions in a pre-season warm-up game on Sunday, kick-off 3pm. Paul Atcheson will also make his first appearance; Brett Goldspink takes his Knowsley
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That blast from the past
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD IT was a terrifying moment in time that shook St Helens and grabbed the national newspaper headlines. And now, a gaggle of local froth-blowers has button-holed me to ask if any long-memoried reader can put a date to the huge gas explosion
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Youngster punched in gang attack
POLICE are appealing for help in tracing a gang of youths who carried out a violent, unprovoked attack on a 14-year-old boy. The incident happened at about 5.50pm on Monday, January 12. The victim had just left the Selwyn Jones Sports Centre and was walking
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We need an inquiry now
Recent media comment regarding the Crinkley Bottom fiasco is something which the ratepayers of the district will do well to heed and act upon. Of course Cllr Henig simply wants another scenario in which he apologises, the ratepayers forgive, and we all
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ROVERS: Ripley bounces back
STUART Ripley could be fit to face Liverpool on Saturday as Blackburn bid to steal a march on the Merseysiders in the Premiership title race. Ripley was injured as Rovers knocked Sheffield Wednesday out of the FA Cup on Monday night but a scan on his
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Let's party at Nuffield
A specially written play by Lancaster University's Theatre Studies Department weaves together a drunken night and political show trial in a fast and unnerving production. On show for three nights (February 27 to 29) at the Nuffield Theatre, "Party!" is
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CLARETS: Robertson eyes midfield berth
MARK Robertson has staked his claim for a place in the Burnley side which he believes is well equipped to beat the drop. The Australian under-21 international made his full debut for the Clarets in Tuesday night's Auto Windscreens Shield win over Notts
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Lone woman attacked
A lone woman was attacked by man who tried to rob her in Lancaster on Friday night. The assailant approached her from behind and tried to snatch the handbag between Havelock Street and Adelphi Street. But as the 29-year-old woman fell on her back and
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Don't step on the ping pong balls!
Billed as a play about Belgium pop phenomenon 'The Singing Nun,' Acts and Revelations is about rock 'n' roll, religion, angels and art. Forget the singing nun, that's a ruse to pull curious minds into the theatre. These are the reflections of writer,
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Trophy tonic for City
Lancaster 3 Bacup 0 LANCASTER City finally got the victory they deserved by defeating Bacup Borough in the Lancashire ATS Trophy on Tuesday. But manager Alan Tinsley is more concerned about league results. "The next couple of league games are crucial
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Jobs in store
PLANS are afoot to create a huge retail, leisure and business park that developers say would create in excess of 1,000 jobs on a site near junction 4 of the M55. A planning application to build a giant B&Q superstore on the land next to Dugdale Farm
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John racks up the Max
HOT-SHOT John Daniels stunned his playing partner when he knocked up a sensational 147 break. The 29-year-old snooker professional was in top form as he rattled up the maximum during a practice match. John, who plays for Bury and District Snooker League
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Translation into Irish!
THE arrival of the Royal Engineers in a sleepy Irish village is the backdrop to the latest play by Lancaster-based Freehold Theatre Company. Brian Friel's 'Translations' looks at how the Royal Engineers set about renaming the Gaelic place names during
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Youth saved by mystery hero
A MYSTERY hero saved a 19-year-old whose face was smashed with a glass in a Lancaster at the weekend. The man pulled teenager Gavin Darby behind the bar of Keystone's pub on Penny Street and applied emergency first aid to his lacerated face. Gavin later
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Gala girl's dream topping
IT must be every little girl's dream to be a gala queen, wearing a flowing white dress and crown, being the centre of everyone's gaze and looking beautiful. But for the lucky girl who is picked to be the queen of this year's Thornton Cleveleys gala, it
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See the stars of tomorrow - at Gigg Lane
YOUTH soccer of the highest quality comes to town tonight (Jamuary 23) when England Under-15s take on their Welsh counterparts at Gigg Lane. It's the first time Bury FC have hosted a schoolboy international and according to Shakers commercial manager
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Isabella's nightmare
CHRIS WEBBER tells how an 85-year-old great grandmother lives in fear... "HE looked so normal. I'd seen him hanging around the street earlier and he seemed all right. Then me and Doreen were walking along with our frames and he pushed us from behind and
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Jeepers creepers!
TARANTULAS, snakes and lizards alike are united in their dismay at being unable to keep their appointments with Blackpool and Fylde schoolchildren. While some creepy-crawly cowards may be sighing in relief to hear this news, many inquisitive reptile and
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Cricket. In January?
THE cricket season may seem light years away after this week's freezing weather but four local clubs have been busy announcing their professional for the 1998 campaign. Central Lancashire League RADCLIFFE have snapped up former Ramsbottom ace Steve Dearden
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Letter:Thanks to Ultramark
WE are a group of residents from the Marsh area and we wish to publicly thank the adhesives company Ultramark for agreeing to reconsider their recent planning application for expansion of their factory. Although we were strongly opposed to the planning
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Safer - thanks to people power
PEOPLE power has won the day for Poulton residents in their campaign for road safety measures near a dangerous junction. Lancashire County and Wyre Borough councils this week announced a series of traffic-calming proposals in busy Hardhorn Road near its
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Letter:First class hypocrisy...
I NOTE that local councillors travelled first class to London as a matter of "procedure," even though the council aims to make its staff pay greater personal contributions to their own costs. As a hospital doctor I am also entitled to be reimbursed for
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Tragedy for sporting family
A MEMBER of a well-known rugby league family has died. Joseph (Joe) Halton, aged 70, passed away in a Shipston-on-Stour hospital, Gloucestershire after a short illness. Joe's brother Fred (deceased), and his youngest brother Ernie, played for Salford
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A living tribute to Les
PLANS to create a light entertainment group as a permanent living memorial to Les Dawson are back on track. The Love 'N' Laughter Entertainers was formed in 1996 with the aim of highlighting all that Les stood for through live shows in the region, but
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New role for Annette
ANNETTE Heyes has been appointed as a financial adviser at East Lancashire solicitors Forbes & Partners. Annette, who joins the practice from the Halifax Building Society, lives in Oswaldtwistle and will be based at the firm's Wellington Street (St
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It's no more Mrs Wobbly!
WHEN Helen Griffiths joined her local Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club in Lowton back in September, she literally wobbled through the door. Now, only four months later, Helen has lost a staggering 33lbs in excess weight and looks great. And it's
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Dinner time!
ST HELENS and District Football Combination will celebrate its 80th birthday with a Sportsman's Dinner at the Percival Rooms, Ruskin Drive, on Friday, February 20, at 7.30pm. Guest speaker will be former England goalkeeper Gordon Banks, and master-of-ceremonies
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JBG hits 50 in style
BRIAN GRIFFIN is celebrating his Golden Jubilee with St Joseph's Players - in familiar backdoor style! "You wouldn't believe the number of roles I have taken as a last-minute replacement," he laughed. And he is back in pantomime next week...having stepped
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Fashion firm's stylish award
A FASHION firm has scooped a top award by turning on the style. Caprice Apparel of Blackburn won £1,000 in the regional 'Making the Difference' awards. The awards, sponsored by the DTI and Shell UK, are aimed at companies which have worked with Business
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Detectives still looking for robbers
DETECTIVES hunting armed robbers who stole £1 million in a raid on a Preston security depot could turn to television again in their bid to track down the gang. Almost a year after Securitas in Ribbleton, Preston was robbed by masked men, no-one has been
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Hero tributes in mix-up
A MIX-UP resulted in few flowers at guerilla war veteran Alec Baird's funeral. Upset mourners were mystified when floral tributes didn't arrive in time for 59 year-old Mr Baird's funeral service at Holy Family Church, Boothstown. "It looked as if nobody
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Gulf vet Thomas angry at betrayal
GULF War veterans from Atherton and Leigh took part in a demonstration on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the conflict and their "betrayal" by the Labour Government. Some of the veterans, who served in the 1991 conflict to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi
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Couple face manslaughter charge
A COUPLE from Ingol appeared before Preston Magistrates charged with the manslaughter of a 22-month-old baby. Wayne Michael Hassall, aged 24, and Samantha Jane Edwards, aged 23, both of Barry Avenue, Ingol, were charged with manslaughter and wilful neglect
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Thieves target quad bikes
POLICE suspect that a black market in expensive quad bikes stolen from homes and farms in East Lancashire is expanding. In recent months several quad motorbikes - the four-wheel scrabblers often used on farms - have been stolen from homes in the area.
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Name, set and match
THE new teen-sensation of men's tennis may be a born-and-bred Aussie but the inspiration behind the name comes from a lot closer to home - Accrington Stanley manager Leighton James, to be precise. For while the spelling of 16-year-old Lleyton Hewitt may
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Wesley Guild builder ploughs-in £30,000
MORE improvements are planned for a Leigh park - thanks to the Wesley Guild home builder. Exciting plans to further enhance Pennington Park have been revealed with funding mainly from Wainhomes. They include new tennis courts, roller hockey, basketball
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Your chance to say 'neigh' to bus closure
I AND many others are in total agreement with MPs Terry Lewis and Lawrence Cunliffe in asking for re-nationalisation of buses and trains. What an irony that, when the New Labour Government (I am not New Labour) is supposedly planning a transport policy
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Wind farms: new hope for objectors
DARWEN residents could face a reprieve from a proposed wind farm after a Government-commissioned report recommended that the future for energy-production lay with off-shore wind farms. Now objectors to the controversial plan on Darwen Moors, close to
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Row sparked by gas sales
LANCASHIRE'S Trading Standards officers are warning Preston homeowners to be on their guard against bogus gas men who use bullying tactics to get cash. The department has received more than a hundred complaints and queries from worried residents who have
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Club welcomes sporting chance
DELIGHTED officials have welcomed a compromise deal which could secure the future of their popular Bury sports club. For many years Bolton Road Sports Club and its landlord Bolton Road Methodist Church were locked in a bitter land battle. Controversy
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See sense - for sake of the community
I MOVED with my job 11 years ago when I was 30. Until then I had lived all my days in and around Leigh. My family are true 'Leythers', going back several generations. My parents and only sister still live in Leigh. The Journal has been a part of my life
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Tight lines for angler
AN angler got the new year off to a flying start with the catch of a lifetime while holidaying in Kenya. David Shipstone, 52, of Coniston Drive, Darwen, caught two 11-ft long sailfish in Malindi during a sea fishing holiday with his wife, Carol. The fish
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Aussie help to cut road accidents
POLICE are turning to their Australian counterparts in a bid to cut the number of accidents on the district's roads. Officers hope a scheme piloted in Victoria, Australia, can be adopted to make drivers more aware of their actions when behind the steering
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'All clear' after Aimee's brother is rushed to hospital
THE brother of bone marrow transplant girl Aimee Read was rushed to the same hospital as his sister after a health scare. Eighteen-month-old Jack was taken to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in Pendlebury after a rash was discovered on his leg
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Fire bosses change name of brigade
LANCASHIRE fire bosses are set to splash out a staggering £70,000 on a name change for the Brigade. The change - from Lancashire County Fire Brigade to Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service - will be brought in from April to coincide with Blackburn and Blackpool
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Homeless survey hits the streets
CAMPAIGNERS were meeting yesterday to discuss the next step in a bid to solve the problem of the borough's rough sleepers. Councillors, council staff and volunteers from Bury Unemployed Workers Centre and other groups scoured the streets of the borough
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Gilly and Carter column
WE had a great night out in down town Horwich near Wigan last week when all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood came to the opening of the new Warner Cinema Village. Stars from stage, screen, TV and sport turned out to the official launch party and Dame
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Grandmother's sex attack terror
A GRANDMOTHER told this week how she woke to find a stranger in her bedroom. The teenager indecently assaulted her while her husband watched television in the next room. The grey-haired victim sobbed as she told the court: "He whispered and told me to
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Mum's legal threat after son dies in custody
THE grieving mum of Whitefield teenager Ian Swain is considering legal action against the remand centre where her son was found hanged. Yvonne Swain says she is unhappy about the level of care offered by Hindley Remand Centre. Her comments came after
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Super cyber! Dianne's pet is 49 and still going strong
THERE'S not a grey hair or a walking stick in sight - but this could be the oldest cyberpet in East Lancashire. Eight-year-old Dianne Hawkins was given the electronic toy, christened Baby Dianne, for Christmas. And it is still "alive" now, having reached
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Council homes 'glut'
A COUNCIL is shunning a government scheme aimed at helping tenants buy private homes - because it can't fill its own properties. The government's Cash Incentive Scheme encourages town halls to give council tenants grants of up to £10,000 to buy private
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Textile museum future 'still undecided'
COUNCIL leaders were today adamant that the future of the Lewis Textile Museum has still not been settled. Fears about what will happen to the Blackburn town centre building increased after it was announced Blackburn Artists' Society will have to hold
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GP surgeons' identities under wraps
A GROWING number of family doctors are being given the go-ahead to perform surgery normally carried out in hospitals - but health bosses are refusing to say who they are. The move not to publicly name the GPs who offer the 'in house' treatment has been
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Residents fight plan for homes
WORRIED residents are fighting a plan to build homes on nearby fields and allotments because of the extra traffic the scheme would generate. They have gathered a 180-name petition opposing any moves to build houses on land at the end of Bracewell Street
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Developers put village 'under siege'
A COUNCIL boss has warned that a Pendle village is under siege from developers wanting to cash in on its popularity. Battle lines have been drawn over a second attempt to build homes in a field between Dean Street and Hall Meadows, Trawden. Residents
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Public praised as crime figures tumble
DRAMATIC falls in crime levels in Hyndburn show the borough is winning the battle to beat the criminals, according to police chiefs. New figures reveal the borough has had some of the biggest falls in the county as crime was slashed over the last year
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A Blake with the past. . .
WITH the Millennium fast approaching and with all the changes taking place in the Blackburn area - the new bus station, probably a new railway station, small parks opening up here and there, sculptures, projects under way and others in the pipeline -
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CRICKET: Clubs say 'yes' to Lancs League revolution
THE Lancashire League have voted to accept radical rule changes for next season. But there was strong opposition to the moves, recommended by a league working party, with voting between the clubs split 10-4 in favour of the revolution. And there is high-level
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Looms tell the story
I HEARTILY endorse the views of Ron Freethy (LET, January 20) that the town's textile heritage be preserved. I implore the council to not only preserve the looms and exhibits, but to go a step further - restore them and give them a place where they can
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Leigh Saint-turions on the horizon
LEIGH are discussing a possible link-up with Super League giants St Helens. Centurions bosses have agreed to talks about a possible tie-up after turning down a similar approach from Warrington last year. Since then other Super League clubs - Bradford,
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Personal interest in museum
MAY I support those readers who have written concerning the Lewis Textile Museum in Blackburn? I think I may have a deeper interest than many as my uncle Robert Hook, who was in business as an antiques dealer and restorer in the 1920s, worked for the
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Outlook good for girls at college
GIRL power is set to hit St Helens College. For a new programme to encourage girls to consider a career in engineering starts next week (January 27, 28 and 29). The course, entitled Wise Outlook, will be based at the college's Technology Centre and will
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Cruel attack on bike boy
A TEENAGER taking a short cut home through a park was assaulted by a man who then stole his bike. Thirteen-year-old Barry Helsby, from Seath Avenue, Parr, was riding through Gaskell Park at about 9.30pm on Friday, January 16, when a man stepped out in
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Shane keeps an eye on Miners
LEIGH MR came under close Challenge Cup scrutiny on Saturday. But Rochdale coach Shane Tupaea will have learned little from his visit to Twist Lane to assess the strengths of his side's Challenge Cup opponents. Miners, convincing 22-6 winners against
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Double injury blow rocks Latham
LEIGH face the prospect of losing both frontline centres for the start of the new campaign. A double injury blow took the gloss off a creditable team effort that saw Keith Latham's collection of promising youngsters, plus the odd old hand, push a strong
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RMI dumped in penalty chiller
LEIGH RMI are out of the Umbro FA Trophy. They were dumped 4-3 by Grantham in a dramatic penalty shoot-out after a tense replay at Hilton Park on Monday. But they know they should have wrapped it up in the first match. Former Nottingham Forest star, Gary
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Silver shock that proved fatal
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD VETERAN nostalgia fan Stan Roberts, who often helps to enliven this creaky page with his colourful recollections, can certainly tell a good tale... Picking up on my recent railway theme, Stan flicks back to his days as a trainee guard
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Leigh capture quartet of stars
LEIGH have strengthened their squad in preparation for the new Division One campaign. And Leigh's move into the transfer market might not have ended with the capture of a quartet of new players. All four newcomers are young players released by their clubs
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Police say drink crackdown worked
MERSEYSIDE police have released their drink drive figures for the Christmas and New Year period and declared the campaign - codenamed 'Operation Nemesis' - a massive success. The aim of the campaign was to decrease the number of people killed or injured
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Helping out with winter fuel bills
DETAILS of new winter fuel payments to pensioners are now available from St Helens Council's Rights Advice Shop. The government recently confirmed there will be help with winter fuel bills. Payment should be made between the end of January and the end
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Police seek help in war on drugs
POLICE chiefs are calling for public co-operation as they step up the battle against drugs in St Helens. Following their successful raid on January 8, which culminated in the arrest of16 people who were subsequently charged with concern in supply of heroin
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Starbeat with Darren Proctor
STRANGE as it may seem, when you read this I'll be sunning myself in Tenerife! Yes, the rain and wind got too much for me so I donned the shorts and shades and headed off to the sun. This was probably a good idea as it seems the only place that you can
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Stepping into a wildlife paradise
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD BET you never knew that St Helens was a mecca for moth-trapping and a hot-spot for a dozen varieties of dragonflies. And, if you know where and when to look, you may chance upon grey squirrel, hawk, hare, red fox, at least 89 species
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A nasty taste: No-one likes to complain - but what should you do if a meal isn't up to scratch?
Food News, with Christine Rutter EATING out is big business in Britain. We spend a staggering £13.5 million on restaurant meals every year. But if your dinner turned into a recipe for disaster, would you know how to complain effectively? Jim Potts, chief
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What's in a name?
HOW do you pronouce Bury? That was the topic of a nationwide heated discussion on Wednesday's BBC Radio 5 Live breakfast show. The debate was led by Bury woman Victoria Derbyshire who is the show's new presenter. She believes the town should be pronouced
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Head lice petition
ANGRY parents have confronted Bury and Rochdale Health Authority over an alleged head lice epidemic at their local school. Five campaigners presented a petition of 813 names to staff at the authority's Bury offices on Tuesday. They claim that head lice
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Police seek witnesses to savage attack
AND POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an apparently motiveless attack which left a teenager with a broken jaw. The 17-year-old victim was standing outside A & B Taxis in Duke Street, St Helens, at about1.30am on Wednesday, January 7 when a man
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Hello you lovers
VALENTINE'S Day might spell flowers and romance for some, but for others the reality can be traumatic. Connect, Blackpool's young persons' advice and information centre, plans to explain how they can help and encourage young people to take responsibility
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Relatives disrupt road deaths inquest
ANGER threatened to disrupt a Bury inquest yesterday (January 22) when the families of three young men killed in a car crash shouted across the courtroom. Andrew Crane of Essex Drive, Bury, the only survivor of last April's crash, was accused of lying
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Points go begging for Pilks
Pilkington Recs 10 Farnworth 37 NOT for the first time this season Recs enjoyed the territorial advantage but were unable to convert this into points. Most of the first half was close as the game flowed from end to end. After an early unconverted try
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Charity looking for 'cuts'
ST HELENS-based national charity the Disability Advice and Welfare Network has issued an urgent appeal for volunteers. To keep them up to date with local developments the charity are trying to establish a voluntary 'newspaper cutting service.' Paul Brennan
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New look at Kamikaze Corner
KAMIKAZE Corner has gone back to the drawing board! Consultants who created the controversial roundabout servicing the Parsonage Retail Park off Atherleigh Way, have been asked to look again at the design. The Journal was inundated with complaints from
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Democracy is put back on track
PEOPLE power is on its way to the borough - eventually. This week councillors opted for a wait-and-see policy on their plans to introduce area committees aimed at bringing grass roots democracy to the town hall's decision-making process. After detailed
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Club not for sale
BLACKPOOL Football Club chairman Vicki Oyston has kicked a second takeover bid into touch. The new £1.5m bid to take over Blackpool Football Club and its players only, leaving the Bloomfield Road site to the Oyston family, was made yesterday (Jan 21)
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Hounded out of town
POLICE chiefs, who have been reviewing their Christmas security operation, say the combination use of CCtv, Shopwatch, the new Radiolink and police activity was a 'phenomenal success'. Det Ch Insp Mike Whiting said shopkeepers, using the 'rogues gallery
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Victory on the Preston front
Lancashire Lynx 14 Saints Select 34 MADE to struggle in the first half, a Saints side which was an amalgam of first teamers and Academy starlets duly took the spoils in this historic friendly at the rain-sodden Deepdale ground of Preston North End FC,
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Citizen pain!
CITIZEN reporter Chris Dixon is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - to run the London Marathon in under four hours. Having previously completed two half marathons, the 21-year-old is taking a step up and will try the 26-mile trek on April 26. He
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Thanks from 'Home Alone'
THE Higher Folds Home Alone Scheme at Christmas was a huge success. This season 24 people of all ages were provided with Christmas dinner and live entertainment. Betty Goodyear was responsible for cooking an excellent six-course dinner which everyone
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Can you make 'em laugh?
JOURNAL readers who have a reputation for clowning around now have the chance to do it properly! For the Town Centres Management office is looking for anyone prepared to put on a clown outfit to hand out leaflets and bring a touch of cheer to Leigh and
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Exiles' late show sinks LSH
Liverpool St Helens 12 London Welsh 50 A 28-POINT blast in the final 18 minutes gave London Welsh an emphatic but flattering victory at Moss Lane. Until well into the second half, LSH, particularly in the forwards, had given such a good account of themselves
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Robbed by bogus church workers
TWO men posing as parish church officials conned their way in to the home of a 72-year-old woman and stole a bank card and £47 in cash from her handbag while she made them a cup of tea. The men called at the house in Grange Valley Road, Haydock, at about
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Fight for jobs
FYLDE MPs are battling to safeguard the future for thousands of the coast's civil servants. With pay, conditions of service, job prospects and security under threat from privatisation, the resort's MPs have invited social security minister Keith Bradley
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Town blast back to form
Rossendale United 1St Helens Town 3 WITH the game deep into added time and the issue well and truly resolved Town keeper Mike Allison produced a wonder save to deny United's Paul Thomson his second goal of the match. Heroics weren't necessary. A goal
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Well, just who was he?
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD OPINION is divided over the identity of a rugby team's schoolboy mascot from the 1920s . . . two distinct names having popped up. Regulars may recall how that old Knowsley Road warhorse, Duggie Greenall, provided a flashback photo
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Shrimps stroll through cup tie
Morecambe 3 Gateshead 1 MORECAMBE waltzed into the semi-finals of the Spalding Cup on Tuesday night. In truth, Gateshead were poor opposition for the Shrimps to secure their fourth win in a row. But the standard of opposition took nothing away from the
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Letter:The time to act is now
MAY I draw your attention to Citizen letters of January 1 (page 4), 'Look Out Blobby's Behind You!' and 'Heads Must Roll After This Latest Debacle' and your remarks at the end: "There's no chance, they've got skin like rhinos, and it appears no conscience
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'Green' light for travel savings
ENVIRONMENTAL groups have backed the council plans to 'go green' and cut workers' travel subsidies this week. North Lancashire Friends of the Earth claim it is about time the Council reviewed its travel allowances and should press on with the proposed
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CLARETS: Turf Moor board in tycoon talks
THE Burnley board are locked in detailed talks with tycoon Ray Ingleby's right hand man, David Parry. But any decision on a Turf Moor takeover is still on ice. The board of directors held a meeting on Monday night and the buy-out was top of the agenda
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Enough's enough!
Hostel plans horrify locals PLANS to develop a residential hostel in Morecambe's Clarence Street have led residents to protest "enough is enough." With a needle exchange centre close by and another hostel already based in Clarence Street, residents fear
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Panto-monium
AS USUAL, of course, the tots almost stole the show in the Rainbow Dance Studios' version of Cinderella at Lytham's Lowther Pavilion, writes Bob Gray. Almost, but in true panto tradition, oh no they didn't! There was too much talent on view for the tots
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Tourism officers' hearing today...
MORECAMBE Tourism officers will defend themselves against misconduct charges at a disciplinary hearing today, January 22. The resort's tourism boss, David Christley, and marketing officer, Trevor White, were suspended from duty last November. Controversy
