Archive

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'Shipman' mistrust spurs complaints

GROWING mistrust following the Harold Shipman murders are two reasons behind rising complaints by patients, it has been claimed. Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Community Health Council has seen a 26 per cent rise in complaints against the NHS over

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New programme

A THEATRE group has unveiled its season of six plays. The Burnley Garrick Club programme will begin with Rattle of a Simple Man by Charles Dyer at Burnley Mechanics Theatre from October 2 to 5. It will stage The Late Edwina Black by William Dinner and

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Hanging is not the answer

COUNCILLOR Paul McGurty (Letters, September 11) is right -- prison time served seems to be unrepresentative of the offences. But on hanging, I part company with him. We hanged people (some innocent) for centuries, so it never was a deterrent. "Thou shalt

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Speed limits save lives

MY husband and I have a wonderful 42-year-old daughter. She has given us a superb son-in-law and three fantastic grandchildren. As a nurse, she has spent the last 24 years helping people -- truly, a daughter to be proud of! However, if the car driver

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Dad in court after bullying claim

AN enraged father who head-butted a 13 year-old boy he thought had bullied his daughter has escaped a jail sentence. Philip Smith, a man with no criminal record, lost his temper when his 13-year-old daughter came home hysterical and in tears. After she

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Local people afraid to go out at night

POLICE are investigating after a council officer said he was attacked as he took photographs at a travellers' camp. Pendle Council's estates and property services manager Bill Hargreaves said he was assaulted and his car was damaged when he visited a

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Head to head

WITH Andy Cole set to be missing tonight, all eyes will be on Ciccio Grabbi who could make his first start of the season as his replacement alongside Dwight Yorke. Grabbi has had to wait patiently for his chance since he returned from a loan spell in

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Berg still carrying Trelleborg scars

VETERAN defender Henning Berg plans to banish the memories of Rovers' embarrassing exit at the hands of Trelleborg when Rovers meet CSKA Sofia in the UEFA Cup tonight. Berg was a member of the Rovers team who lost to the Swedish part-timers at the same

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Sofia boss warns Rovers

STOICHO Mladenov insisted CSKA Sofia will go into the UEFA Cup clash against Blackburn with nothing to fear as they aim to add another scalp to their growing European collection. As Rovers prepare to return to Europe after a four-year absence, Graeme

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Innocents pay blood price

THE paucity of argument revealed by those who favour a 'regime change' in Iraq leaves me incredulous and angry. I can't believe that leaders of modern nation states, especially those who describe themselves as champions of democracy, can act like war-crazed

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Bypass is a must

I GET fed up reading about people saying the Lancaster bypass is not a viable option (Anne Chapman, Citizen Sept 12) for one she obviously lives on the Marsh estate and does not need to travel down Morecambe Rd every day. All lorries above 12ft 9ins have

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We've already paid for hotel

THE Grosvenor Hotel, Heysham, will not become a listed building (common sense has prevailed) But the Midland Hotel is listed and I can't make any sense of that. One is a splendid stone built hotel where the Midland is only Accrington brick, cement rendered

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Maggots on menu

FORGET being King or Queen of the Jungle - how about being King or Queen of the Corporation instead? For one quick-thinking landlord has taken the success of ITV1's bush reality gameshow I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and is hoping to raise money

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Nicki-James mercy trip right on cue

A SPONSORED pool tournament has provided the final push to send a young cerebral palsy sufferer for treatment in Hungary. Around 40 people took part in the event at Riley's American Pool and Snooker Centre in Burnley on Tuesday night. More than £400 was

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Local people afraid to go out at night

POLICE are investigating after a council officer said he was attacked as he took photographs at a travellers' camp. Pendle Council's estates and property services manager Bill Hargreaves said he was assaulted and his car was damaged when he visited a

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Police in axe attack plea

DETECTIVES investigating an axe attack which left a man in hospital with a fractured skull want to speak to a woman seen by other witnesses close to Colne Sports Centre in Albert Road in the early hours of Monday. Warren Manley, 24, was admitted to Burnley

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Tuition on offer at annual art show

PENDLE Leisure Trust's prestigious 19th annual art event is now only weeks away. Pendle In Paint, the area's leading exhibition of local art and crafts, will showcase some excellent examples of amateur and semi-professional art. Pendle Leisure Trust is

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Art fan Ethel's trip down memory lane

ART fan Ethel Ashworth relived 80-years of memories when she visited Haworth Art Gallery. The 90-year-old began visiting the Accrington gallery in 1921 when she was nine years old. In 1968 she started working there as a cleaner for a while and ended up

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New move to combat phone thefts

NELSON'S COLUMN by Dt Sgt Bill Nelson THERE has been a lot of recent publicity about the theft of mobile phones and the ease with which they can be reactivated once stolen and the SIM card changed. From October 4 there will be two major developments to

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Prison for a man who 'flouted' the law

A MAN who flouted a court order was given a "short sharp shock" by a judge who told him he had had it coming to him for a long time.. Ryan Spencer, 24, had not completed the community punishment part of a combination order and Judge Anthony Proctor, urged

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Taxi rank thug gets jail term

A MAN needs reconstructive surgery following a violent attack at a town centre taxi rank. Raymond Kirkham was punched so hard in the face that he was knocked unconscious and fell to the ground in Leigh town centre. His attacker, 25-year-old Stephen Topping

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Gang gag truck driver

A SLOVENIAN truck driver asleep in his cab in Golborne was awoken by a gang who bound his legs and arms together before stealing his lorry containing 190 television sets. The driver managed to struggle free and jumped out as the lorry was being driven

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Machette attack disabled MD

THE managing director of an East Lancashire company was left disabled by a machete attack, a court has heard. Andrew Holt, 37, was violently assaulted at the firm's premises in Huncoat. A man had denied a charge of attempted murder, but earlier admitted

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CAB boss stands down

MANAGER Christine Garner, honoured with an MBE in the Queen's New Year list for services to the Citizens Advice Bureau, is stepping down after 22 years. She hands over the reigns to her long standing deputy, Mark Pilling, and will work part-time as quality

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Ofsted inspectors praise pupils and staff

LEIGH CE Junior School is attractive, vibrant and a good school according to education watchdogs. For the second time in a row teachers, pupils, parents and governors at the Henrietta Street school are celebrating success following a recent Ofsted inspection

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Homes put on floods alert

HUNDREDS of properties in the Ribble Valley will receive a test flood warning from the Environment Agency next Wednesday. The agency will issue test warnings to homes and businesses in the Low Moor area of Clitheroe and Ribchester to check its communication

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Villagers triumph in footpath appeal

VILLAGERS have won their campaign for a footpath along a busy unlit road leading to their community hall. West Bradford Parish Council had called for a footpath to the village's community hall, which is a short walk outside the village, along a 200 metre

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MP sets out to tackle 'spammers'

DEREK Wyatt is the MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey and has been a keen Internet user for some time. What annoys him more than anything else is spam -- unwanted e-mail advertising that plagues almost everyone who uses the net. So he has decided to try

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Off the Ball with Steve Dunthorpe

'GOING once, going twice, yours... sold to the men in the Armani suits, this 100 per cent genuine promotion place.' £100 million - that's the going rate, according to the PFA's chief executive, the Premiership clubs should pay to their Nationwide counterparts

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Morecambe struggle

Kettering Town 3, Morecambe 2.. ANOTHER fine solo goal from young winger Lee Elam wasn't enough to secure a share of the points in Morecambe's trip to struggling Kettering on Saturday. The former Southport winger kept up his prolific goal scoring feats

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Hungry for my European debut

TONIGHT'S game against CSKA Sofia has been a long time coming for me. Four years after my last 'taste' of European club football, I'm hoping to make my UEFA Cup debut -- if selected! And a couple of good performances against the best team in Bulgaria

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Festival cash up for grabs

BIDS from Atherton-based charities and other community organisations are welcomed by Atherton Festival Committee who want more volunteers to boost festival fortunes. The organisers are grateful to everyone who supported the successful 2001 Festival but

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Get steamed up with this model rail display

RAILWAY enthusiasts will gather in Lowton for one of the region's major exhibitions organised by Leigh Model Railway Society. And what a show it promises to be. The exhibition at the spacious Civic Hall in Hesketh Meadow Lane will feature some marvellous

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Green Conference offers array of solutions

I saw the bike first and then the profuse, wiry 'chin insulation.' He looked like a contestant from University Challenge and whizzed past on a recumbent tricycle. This was the Green Party conference and the stereotype I'd hoped to ditch had materialised

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Benefit paperwork baffles

A PARTIALLY blind 90-year-old woman was shocked to find 13 pages of complex information - to tell her she needed to pay just £11 after a housing benefit miscalculation. Lancaster City Council has admitted it would like to be able to make the information

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Tom's ready for a fight!

TOM Boardman enters the final two rounds of the 2002 Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship this weekend (Sunday, September 22) ready to roll up his sleeves for a big fight. For he will be slugging it out with three rivals in a bid to grab third

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Horwich Jubilee run results

MEMBERS of Astley and Tyldesley Road Runners Club recently competed in the Horwich Jubilee 4 mile Series at Rivington. In the final race, in which over 200 took part, Mike Entwistle finished 23rd overall (22:37 1st V55), Mark Riches was 50th (23:58) and

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Atherton put skids under title challengers

THE curtain came down on the 2002 cricket season at Higham Park on Saturday with the visit of Walshaw and while Atherton were well out of contention themselves they did end up having a major say in where the league title ended up. The visitors turned

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Sofia boss warns Rovers

STOICHO Mladenov insisted CSKA Sofia will go into the UEFA Cup clash against Blackburn with nothing to fear as they aim to add another scalp to their growing European collection. As Rovers prepare to return to Europe after a four-year absence, Graeme

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Bishop drops in for visit at St John's

THE Bishop of Bolton, the Rt Rev David Gillett, went back to school on Monday. Guest for the day at St John's, Mosley Common the Bishop is pictured reading to nursery children Sinead Rogers and Rebecca Hayes and an impressed head teacher Jill Brennan.

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New lease of life for derelict mill

A PROPERTY development company has brought a new lease of life into Rossendale, after purchasing a derelict mill. B & E Boys have acquired the three-storey former bed springs manufacturer, Doric Siddall Springs premises, in Burnley Road East, Waterfoot

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Mining benefit

MINING families in Leigh are among hundreds to have benefited from the £1 billion that has been paid out under the miners' health compensation schemes. Energy Minister Brian Wilson announced that the schemes, which compensate miners for damage done to

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Girl, 14 missing

POLICE are appealing for information to trace a 14-year-old girl who has been missing from the Leigh area since August 31. Stacey Louise Pearson, pictured above, was last seen at her home at around 3pm on the last Saturday in August. When she left she

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TV star visits school fun day

TV star Will Travis will be guest of honour at Saturday's fun day at Lowton High School. Travis, star of 'Where The Heart Is', will join the Journal's Sven Goran Eriksson lookalike Colin Lyne for the event which starts at 11am and runs until 3pm. The

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New lighting plan for Civic Square

THE final phase in Wigan Council's renovation plans for Leigh Town Centre involves a revamp of lighting on the Civic Square. Local councillor and chairman of Leigh Town Centre Risk Management Group, Brian Jarvis hopes the project, which will improve public

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Raiders strike at charity shop

HEARTLESS thieves stole a collection box and stock worth hundreds of pounds from a Leigh charity shop. They broke into the town's branch of the PDSA -- a veterinary charity which has been helping animals since 1917. After smashing a second floor window

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Festival cash up for grabs

BIDS from Atherton-based charities and other community organisations are welcomed by Atherton Festival Committee who want more volunteers to boost festival fortunes. The organisers are grateful to everyone who supported the successful 2001 Festival but

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Councillors surgeries

COUNCILLORS serving on Wigan Council will hold advice surgeries at the following venues: THURSDAY, September 19: Golborne Library (10-11) D Kelly, B Strett; Lane Head Methodist Church, Lowton (7-7.45) P Franzen; Abram Library (10.30-noon) A Bennett. FRIDAY

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Busway inquiry

NATURE and environmental matters have been this week's topic for discussion at the public enquiry into the Leigh Guided Busway. Now into its second week, the enquiry intends to hear the arguments both for and against proposals to build a guided bus route

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Gun raid at Astley shop

SHOPPERS were terrified when a masked gunman forced a woman to hand over cash and cigarattes on Sunday night at an Astley store. Police are appealing for information following an armed robbery at the Alldays store on Coach Road which happened soon after

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Just one hunk of sugar, please!

A GROUP of mums enjoyed a tasty coffee morning with a hunky difference after winning a national competition. A bronzed Adonis butler waited hand and foot on Jeannie Fox and her pals after she fought off stiff competition from across the UK in a Cadbury's

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Popular support for deli bar boss

MORE than 1,100 people have backed a businessman's bid to keep his deli bar open. Now Ian Finch has instructed solicitors to apply for an informal hearing with a planning inspector in a bid to get Blackburn with Darwen Council's planning committee decision

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Man accused of raping holidaymaker

A MAN has been quizzed over the kidnap, assault and rape of a Blackburn woman in Ayia Napa. The woman suffered a terrifying ordeal after leaving a nightclub in the resort. A police spokesman said a 26-year-old man had been remanded in custody by a court

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Quest for cash is no trivial pursuit

TESTING trivia will be pushing locals to the limit during a mammoth quiz in aid of the Magic Eye Scanner Appeal. Anything from Elvis Presley's early hits to the name of Liz Hurley's boyfriend could crop up so the advice is swot up now! Hoddlesden Conservative

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Give field events a try

BURNLEY Athletic Club will be holding an Open Field Night Meeting tonight at Barden Track, Burnley. The meeting, for Senior and Veteran Athletes only, has no track events and will be held under floodlights starting at 7pm. The events will be discus, long

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Athletics Round Up

BEV Whitfield (nee McWade) was second woman in the Ben Nevis Fell Race - beaten only by new British Champion Andrea Priestley. Bev completed the ten mile course from virtually sea level to Scotland's highest peak and back in 1:58:53. Ian Greenwood and

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Sprinter Danny is seeing double!

DANNY Whittaker left it late. The 16-year-old Burnley Athletic Club sprinter has been flying all year, but had narrowly missed the big win. It arrived finally at the last major meeting of the season, the Northern Inter Counties match at Cudworth where

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Behaviour that means misery for majority

LEIGH people have welcomed the newly announced multi million pounds development of the former BICC site - moreso because it is not being built on a green field site. Now neighbours want to see some investment in their Rugby Road- Bonnywell Road estate

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It makes you think...

LEYTHERS born before 1940 must look back and see how the world has changed beyond all recognition. It's bad enough for pre-1950 versions (just) like me. An updated list of comparisons appeared on my desk which I thought readers might like to share. Entitled

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Amy rides into hearts of Centurions

THAT'S our girl! Avid supporter Amy Wood pedalled her bike across the Pennines from Leigh to Dewsbury on a gruelling seven hour, 50 miles fund-raising trek for the Centurions. Accompanying her on the journey were chief 'COP' Jason Donohue, leader of the

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Centurions kids reach final again

Leigh 64 Oldham 26 by Dave Parkinson LEIGH Centurions Under 19s steamrolled their way into a third successive Academy Grand Final with a 64-26 walloping of Oldham at Hilton Park on Sunday. The Roughyeds made a fight of the game in the opening 20 minutes

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Drugs raids continue

POLICE took part in dawn raids at addresses in Blackburn again today as part of Operation Nimrod to crack down on drug dealers. Homes throughout the town were targeted resulting in eight arrests and the seizure of a quantity of drugs thought to be Class

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Brad and brewers top the ratings

WHAT have Blackburn brewers Daniel Thwaites and Rovers' goalkeeper Brad Friedel got in common? Both are rated 'Number One' in the world! For just a matter of weeks after big Brad's sterling displays for America in the World Cup, Thwaites have carried

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Money worries led to sex for sale

A WOMAN resorted to prostitution to help her through a financial crisis as she had done in the past. Blackburn magistrates heard her latest fund raising exploits were quickly spotted by police who are clamping down on activities in the red light area

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Disabled residents in street of fear

A COUNCIL boss has pledged to clean up a street which disabled residents claim has become infested with rats after rubbish was dumped and left to rot. One of the complainants is Peter McHugh, who lives in one of several bungalows for disabled people in

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Bleeding man flees from knife attack

A MAN was forced to flee for his life after a vicious and unprovoked attack by an intruder at his home. Police said the 43-year-old man received cuts to the head and body with what they believe was a knife. He was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary where

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Discipline would lessen crime

HANGING, National Service, caning and the birch should be brought back as punishment does not fit the crime these days. It has got to the stage when you cannot relax in your own home or walk the streets without getting bullied or attacked. I think that

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Centre full of traffic chaos

I HAVE the misfortune of driving four hours a day, Monday to Friday, within Blackburn and Darwen. At least once a day and often up to five times a day, I have no option but to drive through the Boulevard and Railway Road. I have spoken to many other people

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Speed traps welcome on the A666

REGARDING Ian Green's account of his being caught speeding by a police camera (Letters, September 2), I have never read such tosh in all my life. First, he complains about other drivers having the temerity to slow down in front of him which rather inconveniently

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New life for old pit site

THE regeneration of the sprawling former Bickershaw Colliery site has been given a major boost. A further 192 hectares (474 acres) are being added to English Partnerships' National Coalfields Programme which has a £385m budget. The Plank Lane pit site

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We're ready to ride into the Valley

IT may have been close but we managed to maintain our unbeaten run against Millwall in midweek. Now we have to stretch that run to six games when we face a Battle of the Roses at Bradford on Saturday. When we started the season so poorly it seemed that

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Horror of teenagers on hit-list

TWO teenagers today revealed their horror at finding out they were on a killer's hit-list and said: "We're lucky to be alive". Mark Harrington, 20, who has a history of mental problems, kept the names of five intended victims who he threatened to "blow

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Bristow's ban is halved on appeal

CENTURIONS skipper Adam Bristow has been sensationally cleared to play in the later stages of the NFP play-offs writes Mike Hulme The influential loose-forward, originally banned for two games, had his suspension halved on appeal on Tuesday night. The

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Underdogs Leigh one step from Grand Final place

IT'S time for the talking to stop as Leigh Centurions and Huddersfield Giants square up for the biggest game in the Northern Ford Premiership this season. At stake is an automatic place in the Grand Final - just one step away from a place in Super League

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Savour every minute

ROVERS keeper Brad Friedel today told his Ewood team-mates to savour every minute of their UEFA Cup adventure. Friedel has experienced European football before during stints with Liverpool and Galatasaray. And he insists there is something special about

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Tommo vows to repay boss

DAVID Thompson was spared the 'pleasure' of a tongue-lashing from Graeme Souness during their time together at Anfield. In the days when Souness was Liverpool manager, Thompson was on schoolboy forms with the Reds and their paths never crossed directly

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Who is to blame for ABC farce?

SO the ABC has closed, leaving a city which until recently was regarded as the cultural jewel in the crown of Lancashire, without a full time mainstream cinema. The closure is not for economic reasons, (not with 20,000 students,) but because the Council

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£20,000 tale of woe for a Clarets punter

A LATE equaliser by his team cost a Burnley fan £20,000 after a sequence of betting which would make a modest punter blanch! The man was convinced his side were going to beat Millwall when they went a goal up in their First Division clash on Tuesday night

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Padiham and Hapton Bulletin

PADIHAM Football Club's secretary Alan Smith is appealing to Padiham people to make financial donations to bring the football ground up to competition standard. He explains that the club needs £65,000 to continue on-going improvements to the ground. These

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Shakers midfielder set to step in from the cold

SHAKERS could be ready to turn to experienced midfielder Ian Kilford to get their season back on track writes Chris Hall It has been a long time between drinks for the former Wigan Athletic ace, who last month signed for Bury on a non-contract basis.

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Ice cream sign taken by drunken man

A GLITTERING karaoke night ended up with a father of three waltzing off with a Walls Ice Cream sign. Burnley Magistrates heard how Ian Landers, 26, was drunk and threw the sign to the floor when told to put it back by police. Landers, of White Grove,

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Five years ago

THE future of the Clitheroe civic hall cinema was put in doubt after councillors gave the go-ahead for a lottery bid to build a multi-purpose arts complex.

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Ten years ago

FIVE East Lancashire skiers reached the British Dry Ski Championships at Edinburgh. Richard Dale, of Bacup, Neil Cocker, of Burnley, Katy Harwood, from Rossendale, Helen Garnett, of Barnoldswick, and Cheryl Wood, of Pennine Ski Club.

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Carpet group faces a major shake-up

RISHTON-based carpet group Gaskell plc is facing a further shake-up after announcing record losses for the first half of the year. But chief executive Gerry Wheeler today assured the 600 workers at the company's three East Lancashire factories that their

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Ward voters go to the polls

VOTERS go to the polls next Thursday, September 26, to choose a new ward councillor for Leigh Central following the resignation of former councillor Kath Thomas. The Labour candidate is Post Office worker Myra Whiteside. Peter Solinas fights the ward

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Get steamed up with this model rail display

RAILWAY enthusiasts will gather in Lowton for one of the region's major exhibitions organised by Leigh Model Railway Society. And what a show it promises to be. The exhibition at the spacious Civic Hall in Hesketh Meadow Lane will feature some marvellous

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Baseball bat attack leaves man deaf

A MAN has been left almost totally deaf after being beaten with a baseball bat in a midnight attack. Victim Stephen German suffered severe injuries in a revenge attack after a 15 year-old boy, accompanied by his mother and another man, arrived at his

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BNP won't be fielding candidate in Valley by-election

THE far right British National Party has said it will not be fielding a candidate in a forthcoming Ribble Valley by-election. The controversial party has been drumming up support in rural Ribble Valley by leafleting homes in the Clitheroe area. Residents

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Prosecutors appeal against death crash sentence

PROSECUTORS are appealing against the "unduly lenient" sentence handed out to a sailor who caused the death of a Royal Navy friend in a car crash. The Crown Prosecution Service is to take the case of Anthony John Caine, formerly of Bowland House, Newton

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MPs see red over 'danger' dumps

EAST Lancashire MPs are to protest to ministers over a new blueprint for disposing of hazardous waste which would site five tips for toxic rubbish in the area. Tory Nigel Evans. Ribble Valley MP, has warned warned the government: "East Lancashire is not

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The senior service

IF there is strength in numbers, then senior citizens are one of the strongest groups browsing the web these days. Research by Age Concern (www.ageconcern.org.uk) found out that senior men and women have different surfing styles. While men are surfing

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Make an Olympic sized splash

P To compete in the Commonwealth Games must be every athlete's dream, especially if you found yourself part of the English National Swimming Squad, achieving major championship success and gaining recognition for the hard work, which has put you in this

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Skip returns

INJURY hit Morecambe were due to take on Northwich Victoria last night, with skipper Dave McKearney returning to the side. Morecambe must also face up to the threat of a ban for Keith Hill after the experienced defender was sent off in Saturday's defeat

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Davis faces fight to face Bantams

STEVE Davis is battling to be fit to face Bradford City at the weekend but he was not risked in the reserves against Bury yesterday afternoon. The Clarets skipper has been out of action with a calf problem since he was injured in a challenge with Paul

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The Hapton Hitman upsets the Clarets

A BRACE for a Burnley striker secured victory at Radcliffe Borough yesterday afternoon - but sadly he was playing for Bury. Gareth Seddon, the "Hapton Hitman", twice rose well to head home from set-pieces to beat the club he supported as a boy. But despite

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Brothers come to Manchester

HAILED as one of the best musicals of all time, the international smash hit Blood Brothers visits Manchester's Opera House for two weeks only. The award-winning show tells the captivating and moving tale of twin boys separated at birth, only to be reunited

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New season starts at Tyldesley

TYLDESLEY Little Theatre's new season is set to kick off with a mixture of drama and comedy -- The Garden Party. Written by Jimmie Chinn, Margaret Speakes directs an experienced cast which includes Winnie Beatty as secret tippler Aunt Hettie, chairman

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Band concert

rASTLEY Youth Band will play on Sunday, September 29 at St Michael and All Angels Church, Howe Bridge. The 6.30pm concert at the Leigh Road church will raise funds for uniformed organisations within the community. Tickets cost £3.50, including refreshments

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Band answers the call to remember

rPROUD bandsmen have answered the call to lead Leigh's Remembrance Day parade in November. A contingent of musicians featuring former members of the now defunct Leigh Silver Band will join with former Bedford Band and other brass players. Leigh Silver

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Snooker ace makes visit

SNOOKER champ and television personality John Virgo, will be in Tyldesley to open a new centre. On Sunday, September 29, the star of BBC's Big Break, will be the celebrity guest at the opening of Han Shen Holistic Centre. An original, Chinese centre it

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Energy efficiency homes discussed

How energy efficient is your house? How could you cut down on waste or recycle old materials? There's been an experiment taking place on Willow Lane where these questions have been considered time and time again. This self-financed project in 'eco-renovation

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Search for cycle track robber

A MAN was robbed of cash and a pendant at knifepoint as he walked along a busy cycle track in central Lancaster on Friday morning. The 25-year-old victim was walking along the path behind St George's Quay when he was approached by two other men. One of

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Board sorts out owner mystery

THE mystery of who owns the Winter Gardens may finally be over - but the answers reveal a complicated arrangement between a registered charity and a construction company. The Buildings at Risk Trust (BART) still owns the freehold on the building but construction

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Princess Royal delights delegates

HRH The Princess Royal attended the Townswomen's Guilds Countryside Conference at Lancaster University on Tuesday. The Princess, patron of the organisation, presented an opening speech and addressed the Townswomen audience. Townswomen's Guilds, one of

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Leigh RU Mini and Juniors

LEIGH RU's Mini and Junior Section season opened with a curtain-raising tournament at Eccles. In their respective pools, both teams were presented with tough opposition. The Under 10s had to face: Lymm, Eccles and Widnes. The Under 12s had to face Lymm

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Red-hot East keep their cool

Oldham St Annes 12 Leigh East 22 - GAMES will not come much harder for Leigh East than Saturday's National Conference Premier League toughie at Oldham St Annes. St Annes, a big and powerful outfit who knew all the tricks of the trade, were no respecters

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Leigh lose double vision

MEMOREX Leigh CC suffered a weekend of double disappointment as they narrowly lost out to Wallasey in their attempt to win the league championship and were beaten at Bootle in the final of the Liverpool Echo knockout competition. The Liverpool Competition

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Super striker Dino does the trick for Leigh again

Leigh RMI 4 Barnet 2 by Martyn Hindley CAST your minds back to the summer of 1970. Brazil are strolling the World Cup final by 3 goals to 1 against the Italians and up comes that famous strike from Carlos Alberto. Maybe Hilton Park is a slightly less

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Nebula at Folk Club

LEIGH Folk Club presents talented duo Nebula on Friday, September 27. Renowned for accompaniments and arrangements of the highest standard using guitars, citterns, concertina, bodhran and bass, Nebula will perform at the Conservative Club in Railway Road

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Davis faces fight to face Bantams

STEVE Davis is battling to be fit to face Bradford City at the weekend but he was not risked in the reserves against Bury yesterday afternoon. The Clarets skipper has been out of action with a calf problem since he was injured in a challenge with Paul

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nTHE United Reformed Church in Union Street, Leigh is hosting a mammoth jumble sale in the church ha

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Band concert

rASTLEY Youth Band will play on Sunday, September 29 at St Michael and All Angels Church, Howe Bridge. The 6.30pm concert at the Leigh Road church will raise funds for uniformed organisations within the community. Tickets cost £3.50, including refreshments

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Churches walk

ATHERTON churches' combined walk on September 22 begins at 3pm from St Richard's school, Flapper Fold Lane. The route is: Gloucester Street, York Street, High Street, Tyldesley Road, Market Street, Leigh Road, Bee Fold Lane, Hamilton Street and Mayfield

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Town centre meeting

LEIGH Town Centre Management group meets every six weeks and aims to improve the prosperity and viability of the commercial centre. Group chairman Cllr Brian Jarvis and Town Centre Manager Helen Stalker are keen to encourage more to join discussions.

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History season opens

THE opening meeting of Leigh Local History Society's 2002/3 season will be held from 7.30pm on Wednesday, September 25 in the Derby Room at Leigh Library. It will involve a slide show featuring Mines of the Lancashire Coalfield and the speaker will be

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Charity coffee morning

A CHARITY coffee morning is being held at Grasmere Street Health Centre in Leigh as part of the MacMillan Cancer Relief's World's Biggest Coffee Morning event. You can join in the annual fund-raising event between 8am-12pm on Friday, September 27. Anyone

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Does anybody know tenor Robert Powell?

READER and music lover Pauline Dowsett is seeking any information about tenor Robert Powell who may also have been known by the stage name Robbie McGregar. "He sang mainly classical material and was well-known in the area from the 1940s onwards and would

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Chippy blaze drama

SIX members of the same family had to be evacuated when their chip shop caught fire on Saturday. Fire crews praised the prompt action of the occupants, after the chip range at Jim's Chippy in Ladies Lane, Hindley, set alight at 5.30pm -- the start of

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Friends raise £2,100 for woods

THE Friends of Sunnyhurst Woods have raised £2,100 towards a flood fund to restore the beauty spot. Since the June 14 freak storms, the residents' group has staged two fundraising events to help Blackburn with Darwen Council meet the repair bill, expected

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Chemical scare

ENVIRONMENTAL health officers had to be called out after young children found what was thought to be dangerous chemicals. The children found four bottles of brown-coloured liquid on waste ground in Westleigh, they took the bottles home to Wordsworth Avenue

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Woman 'prisoner in her own home'

A PENSIONER today claimed his wife had been a virtual prisoner in their home for 18 months because of a disabled adaptations backlog. Anne Coughlin, 83, needs a ramp outside her home in Birch Hall Avenue, Darwen, to move her wheelchair. But she is 49th

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Man escapes from secure unit

A MORECAMBE man sent to a mental hospital in a bid to 'protect the public' has become the third person this year to escape from a 'secure unit' where he was being held. Albert Oszmianski, who stabbed a man last year, was sent to a unit in the Ribble Valley

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Band answers the call to remember

rPROUD bandsmen have answered the call to lead Leigh's Remembrance Day parade in November. A contingent of musicians featuring former members of the now defunct Leigh Silver Band will join with former Bedford Band and other brass players. Leigh Silver

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£1,000 donation to homes

rSHELTERED accommodation in Leigh will benefit from a £1,000 donation from the Leigh Freemasons. The cheque was awarded to the Abbeyfield Society -- founded as a Christian concern for the elderly -- who plan to use it towards improvements to their houses

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Lights, cameras to cut down on crime

NEW CCTV cameras and floodlights aimed at improving safety and protecting vehicles in Stacksteads are due to be switched on by the end of the month. The security measures at a car park opposite the Rose n Bowl in Newchurch Road pub include wrought iron

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DIY disaster...

A WEEKEND DIY job could have had dire consequences when a man set fire to the outside of his home while stripping paint with a blowtorch. Bitumen caught fire at the Dalesford Close bungalow in Leigh at midday on Saturday but fire crews attended and prevented

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Three years for 'justice'

A JUDGE has hit out at 'local police inactivity,' after it took three years to bring a Waterfoot burglar to justice. Burnley Crown Court heard how the victim, recognised culprit and then drug addict Graham Byrne, made a complaint to the police and Byrne

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Leisure sites could be saved

THREE leisure facilities earmarked for the axe could be saved after more than 400 protesters lobbied councillors during an emotionally charged meeting last night. Rossendale Council, branded the worst in the country following an inspection by the Audit

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Snooker ace makes visit

SNOOKER champ and television personality John Virgo, will be in Tyldesley to open a new centre. On Sunday, September 29, the star of BBC's Big Break, will be the celebrity guest at the opening of Han Shen Holistic Centre. An original, Chinese centre it

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Trapped pony rescued by persuasive firefighters

FIREFIGHTERS saved the day when they managed to entice a trapped pony out of a ditch with a carrot. The small male pony, named Micky, had escaped from a paddock at Moss Bank Farm in Higher Green Lane, Astley, on Saturday morning and fallen down the eight-foot

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Police appeal for witnesses to bike crash

POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a road traffic accident on Sunday night in which two teenagers were injured when their motorcycle and a car collided. At 8.30pm a 17-year-old local male youth and his 16-year-old pillion passenger were riding

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Organ recitals at church

A PROGRAMME of recitals on the famous Harrison Organ at Bedford Church will begin with Martin Brown. Martin Brown has played the organ since he was 12, he gained a music degree at the University of Wales in Bangor in 1990, was a visiting music teacher

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Toilets reopen after vandal attacks

TOWN centre toilets have reopened in Leigh following further refurbishment to combat vandal damage. But the Bengal Street conveniences could be shut for good if funding cannot be found for new toilets in more prominent locations. Town centre management

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Lyndsey wins top scholarship

AMBITIOUS Lyndsey Bailey is making a name for herself after winning a scholarship at London's Sylvia Young Theatre School. The forward thinking 15-year-old, of Southdown Drive in Boothstown, only began dancing three years ago when she told her parents

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'Amazing' Ethel's 103rd birthday

HAILED as "amazing" by carers, 103--year-old Ethel Hunsworth continues to astound everyone with her astute memory and intelligence. Born in Leigh in 1899, Ethel grew up in Leigh Road with her brother Fred and sister Doris. After teaching French and Latin

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On the Menu

SALAD days are nearly at an end this year, unless we are lucky enough to get an Indian summer, so make the most of the remaining mellow evenings with a delicious Salad of Tuna Nicoise from the kitchen of Nigel Smith, chef patron at the Feilden's Arms,

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John's big steps to his high ambition

AN EAST Lancashire walker will hike his way to the top when he becomes one of only 3,000 people to have climbed all 284 peaks above 3,000ft in Scotland, known as Munros. John Ormerod, of Hoghton, will complete the epic journey when he conquers Ben Lomond

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Firefighters' plea for police escorts

FIREFIGHTERS have asked for regular police escorts when they are called out to a Blackburn estate, after being pelted with stones. Crews were called out to Silloth Close, on the Fishmoor estate, on Tuesday evening after a pile of debris from a demolished

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Grade shock Simon blasts examiners

A FORMER head boy caught up in an A-level marking scandal today told examiners to "get their act together". Simon Mather narrowly scraped his first choice university place at Newcastle after some history coursework from Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School

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Negligence claim against hospital

A FOOTBALLER is suing a health authority for negligence over treatment he claims he received after breaking his leg. Rossendale United's Paul Lynch, 25, is taking legal action against Nottingham Health Authority following an accident. The midfielder dislocated

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Secret gifts, public praise

A MUSLIM community has worked tirelessly for the Magic Eye Appeal and received a certificate for a donation of more than £4,000. Bicknell Street Mosque in Blackburn presented a cheque to the appeal co-ordinator Sheila Shaw for £4,087.79. The money has

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Asylum seekers' to get go-ahead

CONTROVERSIAL plans to transform a former nursing home into an asylum seeker complex were set to be approved today. The move has sparked fears the numbers of refugees in Blackburn and Darwen is about to spiral out of control. Opposition councillors today

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All aboard the new specials!

BLACKBURN ROVERS fans are being given a ticket to ride -- as the club relaunches Soccer Special buses. As from this coming Sunday's Premiership date with Leeds United, all Rovers followers will get the chance to travel to Ewood Park on special coaches

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Latest donations

LATEST East Lancs Magic Eye Appeal donations are... Residents of Cleaver Street, Burnley Jubilee event, £15; Mrs C Walsh, Blackburn, £10; Rev R Wilson, Blackburn, £10; Mr and Mrs Slater, Leeds, £20; Mr and Mrs Neary, Burnley, £30; Mr and Mrs McCabe, Feniscliffe

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Horror of teenagers on hit-list

TWO teenagers today revealed their horror at finding out they were on a killer's hit-list and said: "We're lucky to be alive". Mark Harrington, 20, who has a history of mental problems, kept the names of five intended victims who he threatened to "blow

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Late slip denies Darwen victory

DARWEN let three points slip through their grasp after conceding a late goal in a NWCL Division Two stalemate at Blackpool Mechanics. In what Darwen boss Steve Wilkes described as a 'dire' game at Jepson Way, chances were few and far between. Darwen failed

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Great Harwood are the penalty kings

GREAT Harwood keeper Bobby Harris was the hero as the penalty kings made it through to the FA Cup second qualifying round. John Hughes' side saw off Winterton Rangers in the extra preliminary round of the competition, winning 5-3 on penalties. And his

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Fight for survival for Lancs

LANCASHIRE faced a fight for survival in their last Championship game of the season at Taunton today. They had the worst of an action-packed first day when 16 wickets tumbled. Pitch inspector Peter Walker put it down to high class swing bowling rather

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Ofsted inspectors praise pupils and staff

LEIGH CE Junior School is attractive, vibrant and a good school according to education watchdogs. For the second time in a row teachers, pupils, parents and governors at the Henrietta Street school are celebrating success following a recent Ofsted inspection

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Stating the obvious

A THINK-tank working on people saving money has come up with the stunning conclusion that the low paid and single parents don't. Talk about stating the flipping obvious. The government is trying to encourage people to store up some rainy day dosh and

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Jokers parody website

RADCLIFFE Euro MP Gary Titley is calling for action after he was left red-faced by American computer pranksters. Mr Titley, whose office is in Spring Lane, is pressing for tighter Internet security after his own website was taken over and made into a

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RMI fail in Ward bid

RMI have failed in an audacious bid to sign young hotshot Chris Ward from Barrow. Manager Steve Waywell is struggling to find a partner for the in-form Dino Maamria up front with Tony Black and Damien Whitehead firing blanks, and was expected to recruit

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Late goals light up bore draw

Leigh RMI 1, Nuneaton Borough 1by Martyn Hindley TWO spectacular goals in four action-packed minutes at Hilton Park helped this game avoid the ignominious distinction of becoming the most tedious sporting contest ever. Nuneaton came to frustrate the Railwaymen