Archive
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School tables a valuable lesson
EVER since they were introduced by the Tories ten years ago, the school league tables have provoked controversy and opposition from those in teaching. So the threat today by the head of East Lancashire's leading independent school, prestigious Stonyhurst
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School's stage treble
THEATRICAL students at Westholme Upper School, Blackburn, have won places in the fiercely competitive National Youth Theatre. Sally Crawshaw, 17, Caroline Shuttleworth, 18, and Holly Marsden, 14, secured places in the theatre group and are regular performers
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Owners of house haul sought
POLICE are hoping to reunite a haul of stolen goods with the owners after a house raid by officers. A selection of items were recovered after police swooped at an address in Shadsworth, Blackburn. A 37-year-old man was arrested and released on police
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College days over
THE end of school bell has rung for a 51-year-old who has been a student at Blackburn College for 26 consecutive years. Masud Ahmed, known to his neighbours as "college boy", enjoyed his last ever lesson after arthritis made it difficult for him to leave
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Athletes lap it up!
MORE than 600 pupils headed for the track and field of Witton Park as the annual Blackburn athletics competition took on a Commonwealth Games theme. A total of 32 schools adopted the names of countries taking part in the Games which take place for real
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Minister briefed by top council
THE leading role played by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council in modernising local government gained national recognition when council leader Bill Taylor was invited to meet Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford. The council was one of the first
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Reunited through your columns
AFTER reading the appeal you printed for information on my family's history, I phoned the sender and as a result I met two cousins from Canada for the first time and found out I had four more in their family. We spent a lovely time together and promised
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Good book shop on the doorstep
REGARDING Joe Beardsworth's remark about Blackburn not having a decent bookshop (Letters, June 26), we, the staff of Bookland (formerly Seed and Gabbutt), on Ainsworth Street, would like to point out that we have been on this site for six years and have
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Can you give Kye a home
EUNICE Faulkner, of Blackburn Cat Rescue, is in desperate need of homes for special animals in her care. Timid cats, which may have been pets but have been thrown out and left to fend for themselves, need sympathetic, understanding new owners. Some may
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City trip switched
ROVERS' trip to Manchester City in September has now been switched for the TV cameras. Originally, the game was due to take place on Saturday 14th September but the match has now been selected as a pay-per-view game which means it has now been put back
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Grabbi makes Rovers return
ITALIAN striker Ciccio Grabbi will report back for pre-season training with Blackburn next week after Serie B side Messina have abandoned plans to sign him permanently. The former Juventus star, who joined Rovers in a £6.75 million deal from Ternana last
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Hospice Care gets new van
KIND-HEARTS from the Hospital Servings Association have donated £13,802 to Hospice Care for Burnley and Pendle to buy a much-needed transit van. Hospice chief executive Brian Hartup said " We are delighted to receive this fantastic donation from H.S.A
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Dino-dig teacher in Med expedition
A TEACHER who attended a recent dino-dig is now looking forward to a trip to Majorca to take part in another archaeological project. Suzanne McGroaty, of Trinbity Towers, Burnley, is a science teacher at Hollins Technical College, Accrington. She won
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Clarets strip pride of place in marathon
THE Prime Minister's press chief Alastair Campbell has taken up a challenge to improve his lungs and support a national charity by running a marathon. Mr Campbell, Tony Blair's director of communications and strategy, has already been seen leaving 10
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Worsthorne Bulletin
PHILIP Walsh has been co-opted on to the parish council to fill a vacancy. Chairman Coun Tony Lambert, said "We are very fortunate to have attracted someone with the experience of Philip. "I am sure he will make a significant contribution to the village
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Jealous youth's missile at car
A 'LOVE triangle' could end with one of the three involved in custody after a jealous teenager flung a bottle at a rival's passing car. Burnley Magistrates heard how labourer William Michael Green, 18, smashed the passenger windscreen, cutting the driver
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Ten years ago
MOTORISTS between Great Harwood and Whalley faced an unexpected hold-up in the early hours - a herd of deer. The animals strayed onto the A680 at Portfield Bar. Motorists reunited a confused fawn with its mother.
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Five years ago
LOL Sullivan, landlord of the Bay Horse in Baxenden, was bowled over at the prospect of serving lunch to the Australian cricket team. But when a lesser-known club from Maroochydore in Queensland turned up his hopes were knocked for six.
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Train thrill for Dylan the poet
LITTLE Dylan Allcock's prize-winning poetry has put him on track for an exciting train journey. Train and bus enthusiast Dylan, six, from Knuzden, has won a children's poetry competition organised by Arriva Trains Northern, and will ride 'up front' with
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'Lone crimewave' loses his freedom
A TEENAGE "crimewave" who went on the run after appearing in court has been given an 18-month detention and training order. The 13-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted three charges of burglary and one of absconding from a youth offending
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Police in conman warning
POLICE are warning pensioners to be on their guard after a conman targeted a 94-year-old woman. The thief persuaded the woman of Princess Street in Whalley who is hard of hearing, house bound and partially sighted to hand over a pension book. The man
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Luxury mansion on sale for £2.5m
A FORMER maternity hospital in the Ribble Valley converted into a luxury mansion by the late property developer John Ashworth is on the market at £2.5million. And the house, which attracted rock stars like former Wings guitarist Denny Laine to use its
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Battle on to save village post office
A ROW has erupted over the planned closure of a post office in a Ribble Valley village, with the area's MP accusing bosses of incompetence. And the race is on to find a replacement post office in West Bradford when sub-postmasters Marilyn and Bill Wood
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Time for a clamp on drugs
POLICE in Blackburn fear they may lose the battle to keep some youngsters off drugs after accusing an allegedly illegal sex shop of switching to the business of promoting the use of cannabis. But despite their frustration at the business in town-centre
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Club chiefs to lead protest
DOZENS of Football League chairmen will descend on Carlton headquarters next week to protest about the collapse of ITV Digital. Some of the most powerful people in football will be reduced to waving placards and banners on the street in a bid to make
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Mills brothers pay their way into Shakers squad
ANDY Preece's latest signings could prove surprisingly worthy additions to Shakers' squad writes Chris Hall Mills brothers Gordon, aged 12, and Stephen, 15, have been unveiled as winners of the 'Live The Dream' auction and immediately joined the playing
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Pressure group disgusted by 'worst council'
CONCERNS have been voiced by a group campaigning for best practice in local Government about the way members of the public are treated at Rossendale Council meetings. Rossendale Chartists secretary Brenda Wilkinson has written to the borough's Mayor Coun
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Former soldier jailed for party knifing
A FORMER soldier who knifed the father of his girlfriend's child during a scuffle was today starting a 12-month jail term. Carl Hellawell, 22, who has no previous convictions, cried as he was led from the dock at Burnley Crown Court, where Judge Lesley
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'Miracle' boy's brother given jail
THE brother of a boy said to have made a 'miracle' recovery after a ravine plunge will not be able to share the first weeks of his homecoming. Christopher John Bennett, 24, was yesterday jailed for 28 days after an attack on a neighbour in a row over
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Order for Eurofighter is major boost
AIRCRAFT workers at Samlesbury were celebrating today after BAE Systems announced the sale of up to 24 Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets to Austria. The multi-million-pound order is the first from a country outside the consortium developing the plane and
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Nurse in sex terror attack
A NURSE was pushed to the floor and sexually assaulted by a man who pounced on her as she walked to work. The terrified 21-year-old was attacked in Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, close to the junction with Haslingden Road, as she made her way to the maternity
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Flats to go in shake-up of housing
MORE than 150 flats are to be demolished as a housing association starts to reduce its surplus stocks. The 159 flats in Lincoln Road, Blackburn, make up the first phase of Twin Valley Homes' stock reduction programme. It is aimed at clearing properties
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It's the really relaxing reiki
WHEN the heat's on in the school kitchen these three dinner-ladies know exactly how to put the lid on rising tempers and temperatures. The stressed-out trio turn to the mysteries of the East to cope with the daily pressures of serving up 800 lunches to
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A class double act
A JOINT reunion for Westleigh High School classes of '77 and '78 is being held on July 13. The night includes a disco and buffet, from 8pm, at Leigh Miners. There is a door charge of £5. For information, contact Gail Hesketh (1978) on 01942 607515 or
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Hoax caller clampdown
PERSISTENT hoax callers to the ambulance service face prosecution under a new crackdown. And the move to issue "zero tolerance" guidelines to the service throughout the country has been welcomed by Whitefield-based Greater Manchester Ambulance Service
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Nothing common about Natterjack
ONE of the best places in Britain to find the threatened Natterjack toad is among the sand dunes at Ainsdale near Southport. The scientific name for this species is Bufo calamita and few animals have come closer to a calamity than this species. The Natterjack
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Delights of the seaside
AS we enter the holiday period a visit to the seaside on a hot summer's day wants a lot of beating. I visited the sand dunes at Lytham and soon my list of attractive flowers became impressive. I found lots of marram grass, the fibrous roots of which bind
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Ossie Rangers win special award
Ossie Rangers have become the first club to win the Dave Smith Memorial Trophy for outstanding achievement in the Accrington and District Boys League. Rangers scooped a string of individual and team awards but it was the trophy to remember a man who had
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Sam Tucker's Wicket Whispers
A WEEK last Wednesday Church U15's entertained Burnley at the West End Cricket Ground. Much to the delight of all involved, it was a very warm and pleasant evening which has been lacking over the past few months. Church won the toss and Sam Holt took
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Peter pressed into action
It was a job he some what stumbled in to but now Peter Taylor would not have it any other way. For he became the East Lancs Tennis League press officer quite by chance after the previous holder of the post unexpectedly quit midway through the season.
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Lack of seats in precinct
ON a recent shopping visit to Blackburn, I noted a lack of seats and benches around the shopping precinct. It would be helpful if more seating could be provided especially for elderly shoppers. Other towns appear to have resolved this problem satisfactorily
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Research into workhouses
I AM researching a book I intend to write about the living conditions in the workhouse and orphanages around the country in the early 1900s. Was life hard? Was it sad? Was there cruelty in those establishments? If you would like to share your memories
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Town centre is a sad and desolate sight
IWAS in Blackburn for the first time in several months on Saturday, June 22 and as I walked down Higher Church Street at about 1pm, I thought what a sad and lonely desolate place it was regarding the refurbishment of Church Street. There was not a soul
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Traders struggle to make a living
AS a stallholder on Blackburn Market, I must reply to the remarks about a French market taking place in Church Street (Letters, June 25). Firstly, if Mr L Lawes was a trader trying to earn a living on Blackburn Market, he wouldn't need to ask why local
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Give members a vote plea
I WOULD encourage readers to write to the RMT union, urging them to give their members -- our conductors -- a ballot on the latest offer made by Arriva Trains Northern. We recently increased our offer from three to four per cent after the RMT indicated
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Nurse in sex terror attack
A NURSE was pushed to the floor and sexually assaulted by a man who pounced on her as she walked to work. The terrified 21-year-old was attacked in Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, close to the junction with Haslingden Road, as she made her way to the maternity
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'Villagers in 'don't close surgery' plea
ANGRY residents today pledged to fight plans to close a village surgery and move it into a neighbouring town. The proposal to relocate the doctor's practice in Market Street, Edenfield, to the new St James Medical Centre, Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, has
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RMI Trophy joy
LEIGH RMI are celebrating after being included in next season's LDV Vans Trophy despite finishing outside of the Nationwide Conference top twelve writes Martyn Hindley Tournament rules state that only sides occupying those positions can have the chance
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Addict burglar spared jail by court
A BURGLAR who has vowed to put his drug taking behind him has been given a chance to prove he can do it. Andrew Mark David Campbell, 27, had become a dishonest person because of his addiction and had spoiled his life. He had been on a detoxification programme
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Exclusion zone extended
A TOWN centre exclusion zone is being extended to cover shops in Briercliffe to keep thieves out of the area. Burnley Exclusion Against Thieves In Town (BEAT IT!) was launched by the police in partnership with town centre traders in June 2000. As part
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Bid to get kids to burn off calories
A NEW "activity czar" is to be appointed in Burnley in a bid to get children to burn off excess calories from junk food diets and put the "play" back into playtime. Burnley Borough Council will employ a community children's health co-ordinator to start
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Driver fined after head-on crash
A WOMAN driver ended up in a six-foot ditch and her car was written off after another motorist ploughed into her head-on. Burnley Magistrates heard how victim, nursery nurse Joanne Greenwood, suffered whiplash and bruises in the smash near Lomeshaye Industrial
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Activity break boosts confidence
A PROJECT for homeless single young people in Pendle shifted its activities to the Lake District for a weekend while its Safespace hostel was spring-cleaned. Sixteen residents, staff, volunteers and former residents took part in a range of activities
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Site visit advised on incinerator plan
COUNTY councillors are being advised to visit the site of a proposal animal waste incinerator before deciding whether it should be allowed to go ahead. A report on the proposed development at the former Hapton Valley Colliery was today being presented
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Car trap drama woman leaves hospital
A 51-YEAR-OLD woman left hospital yesterday after a crash which left her trapped in a car for an hour. Lydia Carter, of Park Lane, Great Harwood, was taken to Royal Preston Hospital by air ambulance on Monday suffering from whiplash. She remained in hospital
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Driver denies assault on boy
A COACH driver accused of molesting a schoolboy told a jury it did not happen and nothing sexual ever went on. Michael Ward, 55, said the child had gone to his flat because he was bored at home and he had not been at all upset when he had taken him home
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Headmaster slams league table 'obsession'
THE head of a leading independent school in East Lancashire today welcomed support for a private-sector boycott of this year's A-level and GCSE league tables. Eton and several other 'top people's' schools have said they are unhappy with the way the tables
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Club chiefs to lead protest
DOZENS of Football League chairmen will descend on Carlton headquarters next week to protest about the collapse of ITV Digital. Some of the most powerful people in football will be reduced to waving placards and banners on the street in a bid to make
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A real film fiasco
THOUGH it has earned a British Board of Film Classification 12 rating banning under-12s from seeing it because of its high levels of so-called 'fantasy violence,' I'd guess the hit film Spider-Man is no worse than what kids see on TV every day nowadays
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Grabbi makes Rovers return
ITALIAN striker Ciccio Grabbi will report back for pre-season training with Blackburn next week after Serie B side Messina have abandoned plans to sign him permanently. The former Juventus star, who joined Rovers in a £6.75 million deal from Ternana last
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Neighbour's noise alert
A NEIGHBOUR inspecting the house next door after hearing noises saw two teenagers running away with a Playstation Two. The man knew that his friend's house in Hazel Avenue, Darwen, was supposed to be empty at around 2pm on Monday. He described one of
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Darwen Tower 'beats Eiffel'
THE GREAT-great grandson of a man who built Darwen Tower said the local landmark is better than the Eiffel Tower! Wesley Lewis, of South Carolina, saw the tower for the first time when his family were invited as special guests at its official reopening
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'Ringo' stirs up beetle mania
THERE was a time when the Beatles played on the wireless and fans would screech with appreciation. But when Ringo made a surprise appearance on the radio at an East Lancashire factory workers screamed with fear. Far from being the lovable mop-top of the
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Song and dance is spectacular
YOUNG dancers and singers took to the stage at Haslingden Public Hall to perform in a song and dance spectacular. The three night production, performed by youngsters from Waterfoot-based Rossendale Dance and Drama Studio, played to packed houses and on
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Brothers' machine to satisfy demand
TWO brothers cut the ribbon as a rare machine they jointly spent 76 years operating rolled back into production. Albert, 77, and Alan, 73, Yates opened the new factory in Belgrave Mill, Darwen yesterday, where future generations will produce Lincrusta
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Food 'cruise' for charity
IT will be all aboard on Friday for a 'cruise' which will set sail from St Mary's Chambers in Rawtenstall to tour the culinary world and raise money for Rossendale Hospice. The captain will welcome people on board at 7.30pm when passengers can enjoy a
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Graham steers to success
BUS driver Graham Schofield steered his way to success in Rossendale Transport's bus driver of the year competition. Graham has to sit a theory test based on the highway code and bus driving regulations, an on-road assessment and a manoeuvring skills
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Pensioner was 'so very indepedent', inquest told
A FIERCELY independent 85-year-old woman died after she collided with a car while crossing a busy main road to get to a care home for dinner. At an inquest in Rawtenstall, witnesses told how Mary Smith, who had hearing problems and strong glasses, would
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Norma's pride in Games uniform
A COMMONWEALTH Games volunteer today defended her new uniform after it made a dramatic appearance on Coronation Street and said: "I like it!" Norma Horne, 47, of Waterfoot, was delighted to be accepted as a volunteer for the Manchester Games, which start
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Life-saving hero dies
A WAR hero who went on to found a well-known East Lancashire estate agency has died in the south of France aged 78. Thomas Shaw, who retired to Nice on the French Riviera 12 years ago, was decorated for bravery as a flight navigator in 1944. He was already
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No evidence of TB in woman's death
THE family of a woman thought to have contracted TB after a trip to India have been told she died of natural causes. Zubida Ahmed, 48, of Crompton Place, Blackburn, was admitted to Blackburn Royal Infirmary but her condition continued to deteriorate and
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Police deny crime report order
POLICE in Lancashire have denied Pauline Clare has been ordered to report to a government minister on the battle against street crime. It was reported that the Chief Constable had been told to report weekly to Salford MP Hazel Blears about the force's
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Charity praised for rehab work
AN East Lancashire charity has won praise from Government experts for its work with former prisoners. THOMAS - Those on the Margins of Society - is a Catholic-faith project which targets ex-offenders and tries to rehabilitate them. A report by the Government's
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New nursery joy - in former pub
A COMMUNITY has finally got a new nursery -- inside a converted pub. Care 4 Kids opened its doors to the first youngsters in Mill Hill, Blackburn, just three months after the owners received £70,000 from the Government to support the project. Michelle
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Claims headache looms for county
EXPOSURE to asbestos in Lancashire County Council properties could become the next big compensation headache for the authority, it was revealed today. A Law Lords ruling that employers can be found liable for exposing staff to asbestos -- which can lead
