Archive
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Crime levels remain the benchmark
MANY people may find it hard to understand how forced cuts in Lancashire Constabulary's overtime bill can be achieved without a risky knock-on reduction in policing. Indeed, the government-ordered chop - slashing current overtime spending from more than
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Police chief retires at end of month
THE police chief for the Eastern Division, covering Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, will retire at the end of March, it has been confirmed. The retirement of Chief Superintendent John Thompson, 51, will pave the way for his deputy,
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Nothing to be shocked about
COME, come, Mrs Christine Wilkin-Wyke (LET, March 4) -- what's wrong at being called cock? You say you were shocked and offended. All I can say it doesn't take much to offend you, but travel the world my dear and I guess you could be called more than
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Memories of donkey stones
REGARDING the recollections about donkey stones by Mrs C. Knowles (Letters, February 22), I have known her for more than 60 years and at the time she speaks of I had a corner shop in Haslingden Road, Blackburn. During that time I sold hundreds of them
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Looking for crew relatives
I AM seeking relatives of Sgt John Burrow, of Blackburn, who was stationed at RAF Driffield, Yorks, with 77 Squadron, in August 1940. Sgt Burrow was aboard a Whitley bomber which collided with a balloon cable near Southampton on August 15 1940, crashing
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Sam would make a true friend
SAM is a two year old, black and white medium sized cross collie who was brought in to Manchester Dogs' Home. He was found by the Oldham Dog Warden in June 2002 after being found wandering in the Fitton Hill area of Oldham. Sam is a very friendly and
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Treatment of old folk is sad
I AM very angry and also very sad about the treatment this Labour government has handed out to residents of care homes. It was obvious to anyone with half a brain that the National Care Home Standards were unobtainable without spending an enormous amount
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Cash plea over three-legged cat
A CAT rescuer is making a plea for help from the public to help pay a £500 vet bill after a young feline had her leg amputated in a life-saving operation. The twelve-month-old cat was rescued from the moors by an anonymous walker and delivered to Moggies
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Come on down to the fair
MANCHESTER Dogs' Home will be holding its annual Spring Fair at Crofter's House in Manchester on Sunday, 6 April. The Home is opening its doors to the public to come and view the facilities which, this year, include a new bonding pen. This is a secure
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Tip plans will bring misery to residents
IN the same week that we welcomed Hyndburn Council's plans to get us all to participate more actively in recycling, we learned of plans to extend the landfill site at Whinney Hill, Altham. Hyndburn aims to fulfil a 25 per cent recycling target -- which
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Bus livery didn't link two towns
INQUIRING about the logos that appeared on buses within the borough many years ago, Mr R Davies (Letters, February 15) seems to remember them showing 'Blackburn with Darwen Transport' on the fronts and sides. This is not the case. Indeed, the concept
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Failed director's promise
A DIRECTOR of a Bury motorbike shop which failed with debts estimated at more than £1 million has given an undertaking not to hold directorships or take part in company management for 10 years. The undertaking by Simon Marcus Timothy Parry, of Basford
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Crash soldier fights for life
A FATHER today told how his soldier son was lucky to be alive after being thrown from his car when it crashed on the M65. Thomas Oliver, 20, a private in the Royal Engineers and known to friends as Tucker, was making his way home from his Army base in
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Centurions stay top with victory
Rochdale Hornets 32 Leigh Centurions 34 by Mike Hulme THE Centurions stay two points clear at the head of the Arriva Trains National Cup West Group - but they came close to being de-railed. Although Leigh were only behind once, they could never quite
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Souey plays down £8m raid
BLACKBURN Rovers today played down speculation linking Newcastle United with a multi-million pound swoop for David Dunn and Lucas Neill. A story in one of yesterday's tabloid newspapers claimed Bobby Robson is planning to launch an £8 million raid for
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SUMMER TARGET: Sam Allardyce doesn't look like giving up on landing Sukur and could submit a bid for
Sam eyes Sukur for summer swoop Bolton manager keen to sign Rovers striker BOLTON boss Sam Allardyce is ready to launch a fresh raid for Hakan Sukur in the summer if Wanderers can win their battle to beat the drop. Allardyce is a big admirer of the Turkish
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Play plan rolled out by council
CHILDREN in Burnley will be able to make the most of play thanks to a series of sessions launched by Burnley Council. Children aged five to 13 are invited to join in the fun at the new play sessions to be run by playworkers who have organised string of
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Thank you for saving my life
A BURNLEY schoolboy who was savaged by a pack of dogs met his hero for the first time yesterday and said: "Thank you for saving my life." Sam Leverett, of Broughton Street, met up with quick-thinking Robert Ashworth at his home in Tunnel Street, Burnley
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Crash soldier fights for life
A FATHER today told how his soldier son was lucky to be alive after being thrown from his car when it crashed on the M65. Thomas Oliver, 20, a private in the Royal Engineers and known to friends as Tucker, was making his way home from his Army base in
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Gang's attack victim to fly home
A PENSIONER who was attacked by a knife-wielding gang in South Africa is preparing to fly home on Friday. Kathleen Strachan, 72, suffered a seback on her quest to return home to Colne when doctors in Cape Town discovered her blood sugar level had risen
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Good play, shame about the intervals
THE problem of a Noel Coward play is that his signature is stamped so indelibly on the production that there is always a hint of a museum piece being taken out and given an airing. Private Lives is one of Coward's most popular comedies and this revival
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Toby death file goes back to lawyer
THE case file of the death of Accrington baby Toby Woods has been passed back to the QC who advised in the initial investigation. Four-month-old Toby died in September 1999 less than a year after his brother Ashley. Their mother, Donna Hanson, lived with
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Centre for elderly hopes are dashed
PLANS to convert a former church school in Accrington into a resource centre for elderly residents have been axed after the costs doubled. Age Concern Hyndburn say the £500,000 refurbishment costs at the old school house in Cannon Street, Accrington,
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Whispers on horse control
A RENOWNED 'horse whisperer' is visiting East Lancashire to pass on the secrets of her trade. Mary Wanless, who has written five books on the subject, will visit Osbaldeston Riding Centre, Osbaldeston Lane, Osbaldeston on Wednesday, March 26 from 7.30pm
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Plans for flats are approved
PLANS to turn a three-storey house in Clitheroe into six self-contained flats have been approved, provided the developer builds a car park at the back of the property. Ribble Valley Council's planning and development committee gave the scheme in Whalley
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MP has to wipe out website obscene graffiti
RIBBLE Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans has had to airbrush out obscenities on his website. He was so outraged by the spread of graffiti across his constituency that he put a picture of one of the more offensive items on his computer notice board along with
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Pupils' play expresses concerns
YOUNG actors in the Ribble Valley are to tread the boards at a professional theatre, in a play about the foot and mouth epidemic. Youngsters from Bowland High School, Grindleton and St Augustine's RC High School, Billington, will appear at the Dukes Theatre
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A bad day at Bloomfield
BLACKPOOL'S play-off chances suffered a major blow at a soggy Vale Park, where a second half penalty made it three defeats in four games. Steve McMahon's side now face an uphill struggle to reach the top six as they now trail QPR by six points. McMahon
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We should have beaten them
DEJECTED Clarets defender Graham Branch admitted: "This is the biggest disappointment of my career because it was the biggest game of my career. "No disrespect to Watford but we know we should have beaten them." And the left back confessed that the sheer
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Clarets fail to turn up!
IN THE build up to yesterday's FA Cup quarter-final at Watford Stan Ternent admitted he just wanted his players to perform. Sadly for him, and even more so for his players, they didn't. Whether it was nerves, the size of the occasion, the enormity of
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Where the deer roamed free
ALTHOUGH it has been used and misused over the centuries, the name Hyndburn suggests what it once was -- a stream where the deer roamed free. Accrington is the unofficial capital of Hyndburn and the river is now culverted beneath the largely Victorian
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A towering presence
PENDLE Hill is almost -- but not quite -- a mountain and from its 1,831ft summit there are spectacular views. To the west, Blackpool Tower can often be seen but much closer is the rolling scenery of the Ribble Valley. From the eastern slopes rises Pendle
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Success is a safe bet
THIS area is full of optimism at the moment. The beaches are starting to pass the European bathing water standards and Blackpool is set fair to become a major casino resort. There is a tendency to compare all the other Fylde resorts with Blackpool but
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Here they come again, the needles and pins
ONCE the domain of grannies in armchairs, knitting has, as they say, finally arrived. The hobby is the latest craze among young women after admissions by celebrities including Julia Roberts, Madonna, Cameron Diaz and even macho heartthrob Russell Crowe
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Over-50s to help research on falls
A PIONEERING initiative to combat falls in elderly people will begin in Darwen at the end of the month. Blackburn with Darwen Primary Trust will begin its 'Slipper Exchange' on March 27 with a number of Darwen volunteers who responded to requests from
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Girl in alley snatch terror
A MOTHER today spoke of her horror after her eight-year-old daughter was dragged into an alleyway and assaulted. The attacker, believed to be in his 20s, snatched the primary school pupil after she called at a local baker's for some cakes. He grabbed
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Charity champion's triathlon challenge
CHARITY champion, the Mayor of Rossendale, has launched a last fund-raiser to celebrate his year in office -- and is calling on residents to get involved. Councillor Jimmy Eaton retires in May but has become famous for fund-raising throughout his civic
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Boro' washed out
BOROUGH went down 2-1 at Matlock Town on a disastrous afternoon in a game that should never have started. Constructive football was impossible on the water-logged surface and it was Matlock who adapted the better. Matlock opened the scoring in the 18th
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Missing officers 'are ill and not skivers'
A COUNCILLOR is defending his officers after they were branded skivers for clocking up a £4million sick-pay bill in just one year. Coun John Milburn said many officers were genuinely sick and they should not feel pressured into returning to work. But
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Kat gets the Corrie cream
MILLIONS of viewers will be sitting on the edge of their sofas tonight as arch villain Richard Hillman returns to Coronation Street. But there is one East Lancashire woman who has had an inside glimpse of the Street's Mr Nasty. Actress Katrina Sudnik,
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Help me to save my area
A FORMER community association chief has issued a strong warning to council bosses: "License private landlords to save my area." Christine Connell, who lives in Hall Street, in the Infirmary area of Blackburn, made the plea because she feels, along with
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Sex attacker on prowl - warning
SCHOOLGIRLS have been warned not to walk alone after a sex attacker struck three times in two days. Two victims were teenagers and one, aged 16, was attacked as she walked to school along a busy street. Police were today set to visit schools in the Whalley
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Family fury over talent show flop
A MOTHER has criticised the organisers of a talent contest which left youngsters angry and upset after the final did not happen. Tracy Bett, 37, says her 14-year-old daughter Carly entered a competition organised by UK Entertainment Services last summer
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MP slams police overtime cuts
LANCASHIRE Constabulary is being forced into cutting its overtime bill to meet government targets -- a move which has been labelled 'a Robbers' Charter'. The force forecasts it will have just £16million to spend on overtime for its 3,000 plus officers
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Ground closed on the inactive Reds
ACCRINGTON Stanley's lead at the top of the Unibond Premier Division was cut to 10 points at the weekend. Stanley's trip to Altrincham was postponed due to a water-logged pitch, but Stalybridge Celtic, Barrow and Vauxhall Motors all played and all picked
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Blues' striker ready for comeback
CLITHEROE will be boosted by the return of top scorer Lee Cryer for tonight's trip to Curzon Ashton. The Blues' striker has recovered from a recurrence of a leg injury sooner than expected and is hoping to play some part in tonight's game. "It's a big
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Game should never have been played
BACUP manager Brent Peters says their North West Counties Division Two Trophy semi-final with Stone should never have gone ahead. Peters said he had no need to look for excuses after his side missed out on a place in the final, because they were there
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Our School... Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar
SCHOOL REPORT: A non-fee paying Foundation School with an entrance exam at 11 years old. Over 1,200 pupils attend the school, which has Technology College Status and the motto Fide et labore (Through faith and work). Headteacher Martyn Morris was appointed
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EVENTS taking place in East Lancashire on Tuesday, Date: March 11
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Coffee Morning, Whalley Abbey, 10am-noon. Dusty -- Tribute to Dusty Springfield, King George's Hall, Northgate, Blackburn, 8pm. Five-Penny Piece Charity Concert, Mechanics
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Toddler Waddle a huge success
THE Meningitis Trust thanks toddlers in the North West for helping to raise £320,000 in the fight against meningitis. Thousands of under-fives throughout the region joined in our Toddle Waddle and helped to make this the biggest fundraising event in the
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Nice to listen to an honest man
I WAS listening to Radio 5 on Friday February 21, and on the programme was a Blackburn man who explained why he had torn up his Labour Party card. He cited Tony Blair and Jack Straw, among others, whom he obviously thought did not measure up to his standards
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Stretch your legs, open your eyes -- and enjoy
I'VE just had a great week. On Sunday I walked in the sunshine in some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. On Wednesday evening, I visited a former derelict cotton mill that has been lovingly renovated and turned into a modern workplace creating
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Reg enjoys to play
REG is a three year old, black and tan medium sized cross breed dog. Reg originally arrived at the Manchester Dogs' Home on 30th July 2002 via the Manchester Dog Warden after he found wandering in the Newton Heath area. He was once rehomed but brought
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Allowances rise would be immoral
COUNCILLOR Peter Doyle is apparently referring to himself when he states (LET, February 22) that "at least one person should have the courage of speaking" -- for a 60 per cent increase in Burnley councillors' allowances. I agree. He needs courage to put
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Girl in alley snatch terror
A MOTHER today spoke of her horror after her eight-year-old daughter was dragged into an alleyway and assaulted. The attacker, believed to be in his 20s, snatched the primary school pupil after she called at a local baker's for some cakes. He grabbed
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Getting ready for Arsenal
SOUNESS is hoping to have a virtually full-strength squad to pick from for the visit of the Gunners on Saturday. Damien Duff, Craig Short and Hakan Sukur are all contention for possible starting places but the Rovers boss does have a slight doubt about
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Residents have their say about council matters
RESIDENTS in Padiham were invited to ask questions about their council at a Face to Face roadshow at Padiham Town Hall on Saturday. Job creation, adult education and health living stalls were just some of the exhibitions on offer to help people find out
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Driver hurt in bypass collision
POLICE were investigating a serious road collision in Padiham today. A silver Renault Clio driven by Georgina Whalley, 21, of Ford Street, Barrowford, was involved in a collision with a lorry on the Padiham bypass at the St Anne's Way junction in Fence
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MP calls for funds from Minister
BURNLEY MP Peter Pike has called on Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford to find more Whitehall cash for Burnley Borough Council. He told him in the Commons the extra money was needed to tackle the problems the town is facing. Mr Pike asked Mr Raynsford
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'You'll kill someone' - arsonists warned
FIRE BOSSES today warned youngsters who start fires in derelict buildings they are putting their own lives at risk and also those of innocent people. The stark warning came after a gang of youths set fire to allotments in Gannow Lane, Burnley, on Saturday
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Getting a Grip on teeny nuisances
TINY troublemakers as young as five are being targeted in a ground-breaking scheme to stamp out anti-social behaviour. A new panel -- called Group Intervention Panel (Grip) -- has been set up to refer children and their families to social services, police
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Advice teams need a vision for future
PENDLE Council's social welfare advice service has been described as fair but with poor prospects of improving, according to a report by the Audit Commission. The service is partly funded by the authority and provided through five local agencies. A team
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Shovelling up people's mess
I DON'T have a dog any more, but I do have a shovel, which gives me plenty of exercise clearing up after people who do have dogs, but don't have shovels. M ADAMS, Sunnyhurst Cottages, Darwen.
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Church puts the focus on need for fair trade
MEMBERS of the Barnoldswick Baptist Church will hold a coffee morning beween 10.30am and noon on Saturday to highlight issues relating to Fairtrade. The members of the church have been actively involved in Third World issues for many years and members
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Ten years ago
A MUM and son who go to the same school joined Mensa as members of the nation's brainiest one per cent. Nine-year-old Geoffrey Kendal, a pupil at Heathfield School, Blackburn, and teacher mum Judy, 41, passed with flying colours.
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Five years ago
PRIMARY school pupils put their thinking caps on to design their way out of a disaster. The annual competition, organised by Rossendale Rotary Club, asked children to devise a means of escape in a catastrophe and was won by Broadway CP School, Helmshore
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Fab finds at Beatles souvenir day
BEATLES fans had the chance to Please Please collectors by exchanging their treasured keepsakes for cash. And one woman from Oswaldtwistle was offered £2,500 for a photograph taken at a Weston-super-Mare concert with a set of autographs on the back. Around
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Council tax rise 'for local people'
A CONSERVATIVE councillor who voted against his party's proposed zero per cent rise in council tax said he did it for local people. Coun Douglas Hayes voted against the Conservative's budget amendment at Hyndburn's last full council meeting because he
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Landscape plans for unused area
UNUSED land at a housing development in Billington is to be turned into a wild flower area. Ribble Valley Council's planning and development committee gave housing developer Redrow the go-ahead to landscape the ground in Dale View, off Whalley Road. The
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Strengthening relations
A SYMBOLIC exchange of religious books took part in Clitheroe, as part of a bridge-building exercise between Christian and Islamic communities. Rev Richard Atkinson described the ceremony as an important step in promoting understanding based on mutual
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Flooding row puts office block on hold
PLANS to build an office block on the banks of the River Ribble near Clitheroe, have been put on hold in a row over potential flooding. Ribble Valley Council's planning committee last year rejected plans by Gisburn developer Hamilton Associates, to construct
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Clarets still get a share
CLARETS chairman Barry Kilby may have been disappointed at seeing his club knocked out of the FA Cup but he could at least reflect on a canny deal that earned his club £200,000. Before a ball was kicked, the two clubs, both having suffered financial crises
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Ternent stays positive
BURNLEY'S dejected players will not be allowed any time to lick their wounds after yesterday's FA Cup exit. Manager Stan Ternent is still chasing a trip to the Millennium Stadium, and he said: "I prefer to look at the positive side of it, we are making
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Form guide...
THE key stats and moments from the game against Watford in the FA Cup. BURNLEY MARLON BERESFORD: Having made a great stop from Helguson was beaten by a scrambled effort - should have done better with Glass free kick ... 6 DEAN WEST: Disappointing day
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A Bee Line for Burnley
BURNLEY has a history of hard work, which is reflected in its town emblem of a busy bee. It still carries what have been described as the "Scars of Industry" but most residents and visitors agree that its industrial archaeology is second to none. Queen
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City with high cultural hopes of being
OVER the next few years there seem likely to be major and exciting changes around the docks of Liverpool. These developments may well push forward its claims to become a City of Culture -- but for those who know Liverpool there is a strong case present
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The town that kept its heart
DURING the 1960s many towns had their hearts ripped out of them by planners intent upon making all settlements look the same. Fortunately, some towns turned back from the brink, with Blackburn and Darwen having the good sense to retain some of their character
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Souey plays down £8m raid
BLACKBURN Rovers today played down speculation linking Newcastle United with a multi-million pound swoop for David Dunn and Lucas Neill. A story in one of yesterday's tabloid newspapers claimed Bobby Robson is planning to launch an £8 million raid for
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Ternent stays positive
BURNLEY'S dejected players will not be allowed any time to lick their wounds after yesterday's FA Cup exit. Manager Stan Ternent is still chasing a trip to the Millennium Stadium, and he said: "I prefer to look at the positive side of it, we are making
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Job events paying dividends
TRAINING 2000 is expecting a record number of applications after more than 450 school and college leavers attended two modern apprentice job events. The event was staged so that young people wanting the first step on the career ladder could meet with
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Polishing up on poetry
BUDDING poets celebrated World Book Day at Darwen Library with a touch of professional help. Just Poets, residents at the theatre, were on hand to whisk up tales of heroes and villains through poetry with children from Holy Trinity Primary School. Norman
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Chippy's clean sweep
A CHIP shop has proved its commitment to hygiene is not just a flash-in-the-pan by winning the borough's top hygiene awards for the fourth year running. Lee's Cantonese Kitchen in Sudell Road, Darwen, has been given the Golden Platter Award, presented
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Hot legs! Michael to feel the burn for charity
COMIC relief is striking fear into the heart of a Darwen man who has agreed to have his legs waxed for the cause. Michael Lyons, Darwen Leisure Centre manager, will be getting hot under the collar, and on the legs, in a few days time when the heated wax
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Cash plea over three-legged cat
A CAT rescuer is making a plea for help from the public to help pay a £500 vet bill after a young feline had her leg amputated in a life-saving operation. The twelve-month-old cat was rescued from the moors by an anonymous walker and delivered to Moggies
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Holiday bid for St Patrick's Day
A BLACKBURN pub landlord has made a tongue-in-cheek bid to have St Patrick's Day declared a public holiday so his customers can join in the celebrations without taking a day off work. Customers were keen to sign up when Tim Norton, manager of O'Neill's
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Polling is opening four young candidates
EAST Lancashire youngsters will be making their choice this week as 14 candidates go head-to-head to become a youth parliament member. From today until Friday, youngsters aged from 11 to 18 will be asked to elect one representative of their peers who
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Green wastebins revolution
COUNCIL bosses have unveiled the areas which are to pilot a waste revolution in Blackburn by making residents recycle their rubbish. Around 12,000 homes will be included in the first phase of a new scheme which involves householders having to split their
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Mini-hotel plan set for refusal
A PROPOSAL to help people turn their homes into mini hotels is set to be kicked out by councillors. Backbench members put forward the idea of the council helping people rent out their spare rooms to visitors following all-party discussions on the future
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Colne take Woods from the Valley
COLNE have snapped up Matty Woods from Unibond First Division side Rossendale United. And player-chairman James Webster is expecting to see more new faces at Holt House later this week. "I think there will be two or three more new players coming to the
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Bolan makes Whites' happy day
BOLTON started like the home team putting Preston women's team under a lot of pressure but as the half progressed PNE slowly got into the game. And, with the dulcet tones of their manager ringing in their ears, Preston took the lead against the run of
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Brown dismisses top six
PRESTON manager Craig Brown has played down any thoughts of making the Division One play-offs, despite his side romping to their fifth win in six games. Preston raced into a 4-0 lead at home to Derby County before two second-half strikes by Fabrizio Ravanelli
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Parents' guide to... Coping with children
SUPPORT for parents is the key to protecting babies and toddlers, according to the latest five-week education drive by the NSPCC. A series of television adverts will be broadcast as part of the Full Stop campaign, which aims to challenge and change attitudes
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No need to suffer in silence
EAST Lancashire teachers cite pupil misbehaviour as one of the main reasons they leave the profession prematurely. And it is not surprising when a classroom can sometimes be a daunting place rather than a calm oasis of learning. But in a landmark ruling
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Truancy figures "underline need for action"
ONE in seven pupils who were stopped in a truancy sweep in Bury were absent without permission. And a poll shows that some parents think this will not harm their education, despite the facts proving otherwise. Bury MP Ivan Lewis, minister for young people
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RMI revival gets stuck in the mud
Leigh RMI 0 Scarborough 2 by David Magilton: EVERY manager has to gamble at some stage but Mark Patterson's decision to go ahead with a game on a waterlogged pitch backfired when his side failed to deliver. RMI have battled their way out of the bottom
