Archive
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Nature Watch: Ferocious fight for the best berries
WHO'S the boss of the holly bush? If there's a battlefield in your backyard, at first sight it's an uneven contest. A mistle thrush - one of the largest garden birds in this country - defends its winter larder against all-corners. Perched among the branches
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Helium killed charged man
A 43-YEAR-OLD man killed himself by covering his mouth and nose with a surgical mask attached to a cylinder of "balloon gas," an inquest heard. The hearing in Blackburn was told that Stephen Clucas died as a result of an air embolism caused by the inhalation
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Aggrieved woman burgled home of ex-partner
A 23-YEAR-OLD woman who broke into her former partner's home to collect some of her belongings helped herself to some of his while she was there, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard that Clare Cleary stole a laptop computer and a mobile phone
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Speed situation now ridiculous
I WOULD like to say I agree fully with Dave Snape's letter 'Speed limits won't remove the hazards' and I can also add that I believe more than 20 new cameras have been put up in the past few days. The money wasted on these would be much better spent on
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Forewarned about council buck-passing
REGARDING your report 'Stop court threat in benefits delay' (LET, Nov 4). The report refers to the backlog by Capita of 18,400 items of benefits of one sort or another in July 2003 being reduced in October to just 4,600. And just how fed up Blackburn
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Will next move be random testing?
LANCASHIRE police, with a detection rate of 25 per cent, an apparent inability to understand why they are not loved and who dispute statistics that are proven when those statistics show them in a poor light, have found another avenue to harass the motorist
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Disgusted over cenotaph row
I THINK it's disgusting not to be able to have a memorial service around the cenotaph in Harwood. There has been one for years. I come from Clayton-le-Moors, but now live in Coventry, where we all stand round the cenotaph in the street and pay homage
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Burglar's £4,000 home haul
BURGLARS took jewellery, electrical items and cash with a total value of more than £4,000 from a house in Padiham Road, Burnley. Police are appealing for witnesses to the break-in and hope someone could identify some of the jewellery because several items
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Winifred fundraises from her hospital bed
A FORMER Lancashire Woman of the Year whose life story has been published presented a cheque to charity from a hospital bed. Winifred Cowell, 90, of Moorland Road, has spent the 38 years since her daughter left home raising money for charity. Her most
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Residents flee raging house fire
TWENTY residents were evacuated from their homes to a nearby church after a serious house fire today. One elderly woman had to be saved by police after the blaze in Todmorden Road, Burnley, at 3.15am. The woman was discovered unconscious on the floor
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Pensioner in blaze rescue
AROUND 20 residents were evacuated from nearby houses after an unconscious pensioner was pulled from her terrace home moments before it became engulfed in flames. The woman, named by neighbours as Annie, was found slumped unconscious in the Todmorden
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Councils in homes dispute
BURNLEY Council has hit out at a neighbouring authority over its plans to build hundreds of houses on greenfield land. Councillors say Pendle Council's plans will undermine proposals to regenerate previously developed sites that have been earmarked by
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Homage to organ builder
A BOOK has been published celebrating the life of the man who built some of Pendle's most famous organs. John Laycock, a former weaver from Crosshills, made organs for both Colne and Foulridge Parish Churches during a long and successful career. The book
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Police see 'changed man' with invitation to home
A ONE-TIME petty criminal who flouted a court order was given a chance by magistrates to prove he can stay on the straight and narrow. The Burnley bench heard how Darren Thomas Storey, 33, was now living a normal life rather than one involving drugs and
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Display shows town of the future
PLANS for the future of Colne were unveiled to residents at a town centre exhibition. Dozens of people packed the Lesser Hall at the Municipal Halls, in Albert Street, to hear consultants reveal ideas for development in the area. The plans were the result
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50 years ago
FOUR members of an Oldham family were taken to hospital after the floor of their home collapsed and flung them eight feet into the cellar. Twenty Ashton-in Makerfield, Wigan, Grammar school boys playing on the school fields claimed to have seen a "flying
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10 years ago
EIGHT-year-old Janette Higginson saved her asthmatic mum's life thanks to watching a video on what to do in an emergency. Janette, a pupil at Griffin Park Primary School, Blackburn, kept her cool and rang 999 for an ambulance after her mother Carol collapsed
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Light shed on station fears
A GRANDMOTHER has been left in the dark by poor lighting at Accrington railway station car park. Hyndburn Council officials have promised to rectify the problem as soon as possible after being told up to 50 per cent of the lights don't work. Margaret
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999 hoax accident caller branded 'a lunatic'
EMERGENCY services have branded a hoax caller a "lunatic" after a malicious call left Hyndburn without any fire cover. Police say they are investigating the call which they believe was made by a child using a mobile telephone. The call, saying someone
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Time is ripe for jobs lift
FIFTY new jobs are being created by East Lancashire computer giant The Time Group at its Simonstone base. The firm is increasing manufacturing operations following the expansion of its Computer Shop stores and new orders with supermarkets and high street
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Citroen will not be punished - Mosley
MOTOR racing chief Max Mosley has insisted Citroen will not be punished for turning the World Rally Championship finale into an anti-climax by telling Sebastien Loeb to back off. Mosley - president of the sport's governing body, the FIA - claims the situation
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Skipper Branch points the way
GRAHAM Branch has set Burnley a six-point target from their next two games to get the season back on track. The Clarets skipper shares manager Stan Ternent's frustration at not turning possession into maximum points in recent weeks. And Branch is urging
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Garden centre access route agreed
CUSTOMERS driving to a garen centre will find access easier next year after plans for a new entrance road were passed by Blackburn with Darwen Council. Main access to the Four Seasons Garden Centre, off Redearth Road, Darwen, was formerly Ashton Bridge
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Ex-Crown workers' cash help
WORKERS made redundant from Crown Wallcoverings in Darwen are taking advantage of a new scheme which helps ensure they keep a roof over their heads. Alan Evans, founder of the Ormskirk-based charity UNAFUND, which grants interest-free loans to stop repossession
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Celebration pair's gift for children's hospice
A CHILDREN'S hospice is more than £1,000 better off thanks to a celebrating Darwen couple. Harry and Sue Watson used their silver wedding anniversary and a party for Harry's 50th birthday to make money for Derian House, Chorley. And the pair were amazed
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Fall killed pensioner
A PENSIONER died after falling down the stairs at his home, an inquest heard. Gordon Ritson, 66, of Heyhead Avenue, Waterfoot, was found by his mother Annie found slumped at the bottom of the stairs after the accident in May. He was taken to Wythenshawe
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Search for games of the past
MEMBERS of the older generations in Rossendale are being asked to share the fun and games of their youth with the schoolchildren of today. The Rossendale Family Forum has received a grant of £5,500 from the Local Heritage Initiative to research local
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Awards ceremony success for film director
BLACKBURN-BORN director Michael Winterbottom tasted success at the British Independent Film Awards in London. The former Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School pupil won two awards for technical achievement and production on his film, In This World, about two
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Hunt is on for memorial frame
THE HUNT is on to find the frame for a First World War memorial which was returned to East Lancashire after a 40-year absence. The wooden memorial contains the names of 64 Blackburn soldiers and is believed to have been housed in Bank Top Sunday School
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Queen's soldiers quizzed over death
TWO soldiers from the Queen's Lancashire Regiment are at the centre of a military police investigation into the death of an Iraqi prisoner. The men were arrested and questioned following the death in British custody of 26-year-old Baha Musa. The family
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Rapid rise in flu brings jabs call
YOUNGER people in the 'at risk' category are being urged to get their flu jabs as more cases have been reported so far this year. Flu levels in Lancashire have risen rapidly in recent weeks. Health officials say the majority of cases involve people under
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Car theft spree boy 'reformed'
A 15-YEAR-OLD Blackburn youth who admitted 27 charges of car theft in just two months told magistrates he did not think he would be returning to crime. Blackburn magistrates heard glowing reports of his progress since he was remanded to an out of town
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Horse-mad Bethany's bravery award
A YOUNG girl who nearly died after falling from a horse has been presented with an award for outstanding bravery. Bethany Smalley and a friend were galloping through a field close to Waddington Farm, Tockholes, last September when the horse she was on
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Pay more or risk losing beat police
EAST Lancashire taxpayers are being asked to back an inflation-busting rise to help fund the county's police force or face a cut in the number of police officers on our streets. People are to be asked if they mind paying 26p a week extra for policing
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TV bosses slammed for police drama blunder
TV bosses were today accused of dealing a massive blow to crime fighting in Lancashire with an inaccurate storyline in hit police drama Prime Suspect. Officials at Crimestoppers, the anonymous freephone tip-off service which provides information to police
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Boys night for BAcup Borough
BACUP Borough will be looking to build on Saturday's 4-3 victory over Abbey Hey when they host Holker Old Boys tonight. The attacking play at the weekend thrilled manager Brent Peters, but he still feels improvement is needed in defence if his team are
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Haworth happy asa sandboy
COLNE produced a performance that rocked UniBond Premier Southport as they progressed in the Lancashire FA Marsden Trophy with a fine 4-2 away win. Then Colne took a deserved lead on nine minutes when Bernard Morley smashed home from a free kick after
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Whitehall must fill cash gap
SURELY no-one can disagree with the principle of putting more money into fighting crime - especially if the alternative is fewer police officers on the streets. Of course the public has a right to be satisfied that our police forces are as cost efficient
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Working mum? Join the club
School days became a business opportunity for young mum Carla McLoughlin. She spoke to JENNY SCOTT. . . ONE-year-old Jack McLoughlin doesn't normally sleep beyond 6am. And when he wakes up, his mum Carla has to wake up too. As she gives Jack his breakfast
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Director gives pupils a masterclass
FILM director Neil Alderton paid a return visit to Newfield School, in Blackburn, to pass on some tricks of his trade. He visited the school earlier in the year with his crew to film part of the Are You Being Serviced? series, which highlighted the work
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Red wine warning to asthma sufferers
ASTHMA sufferers in Blackburn and Darwen are being warned not to drink a certain type of red wine bought from Lidl stores, after it was found to contain sulphur dioxide. Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council's trading standards service today urged asthma
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Pay deal divides teaching unions
A PAY deal set to cap teachers' pay levels has split two unions. The National Union of Teachers said the two-and-a-half year pay deal spells more pay cuts for staff while the National Association of Head Teachers has welcomed the move. The Government
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'Lethal vodka' alarm
TRADING Standards officials are warning the public about a potentially lethal counterfeit vodka. Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council's Trading Standards Service are warning consumers about the poisonous, fake Kirov Vodka. The drink, which has been found
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Recycling the best thing since sliced bread
AFTER reading about Dennis Edward and the Darwen pensioner's protest about the rubbish recycling scheme, I feel that as a Blackburn pensioner, a 74-year-old widow, I must present an opposite view. I think that the recycling scheme is the best thing since
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Clamp down hard on the vandals
THE remedy for Anti-Social Behaviour is in the title. Social relates to society, so what we have is anti-society behaviour. Instead of hit and miss ASBOs, which are hard to monitor, I suggest isolating the anti from society and everything it supplies.
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Armband is still a prized possession
IN MY amateur football days, it seemed to me the role of captain involved little more than screaming a lot. Well, that and clapping your hands while repeatedly bawling 'Let's get stuck into them'. Hardly Bobby Moore territory, I think you'll agree. Those
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Pensioner in blaze rescue
AROUND 20 residents were evacuated from nearby houses after an unconscious pensioner was pulled from her terrace home moments before it became engulfed in flames. The woman, named by neighbours as Annie, was found slumped unconscious in the Todmorden
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TV bosses slammed for police drama blunder
TV bosses were today accused of dealing a massive blow to crime fighting in Lancashire with an inaccurate storyline in hit police drama Prime Suspect. Officials at Crimestoppers, the anonymous freephone tip-off service which provides information to police
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Blackburn young guns put Gazza in the shade
MIDFIELD duo Neil Danns and Jonathan Douglas upstaged former England star Paul Gascoigne last night as Rovers' reserves cruised to a comfortable win in the Midlands. Danns and Douglas, who recently returned from loan spells with Blackpool, both grabbed
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Babbel can become a Marskman
I WAS almost ready to jump from the stands onto the pitch at Ewood Park myself on Monday night. I would have loved to have been out there when Rovers were flinging in cross after cross from the flanks during the early stages of the Everton game - but
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Friedel pays Souey tribute
BRAD Friedel today praised Graeme Souness and the board for keeping their cool during Rovers' worst ever run in the Premiership. Monday night's 2-1 victory over Everton at Ewood saw Rovers climb out of the bottom three following a depressing sequence
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Rovers on board to ride the storm
IF Graeme Souness wanted a clear sign that he still retains the full support of the fans then it came on Monday night against Everton. Souness had done his best to rally the troops before the game through the columns of this very newpaper. But even he
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We'll prove we're the Bees Knees
THE eyes of the world will be on the pom poms of Burnley Football Club's cheerleaders when they perform at the opening ceremony of the Cheerleading World Championships. More than 100 girls from the Bees Knees will join two other UK cheerleading teams
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Inquiry opens into power plan
A CONTROVERSIAL moorland wind farm would dominate the skyline above the Burnley countryside, a public inquiry heard yesterday. Objectors to United Utilities' plans for 12 wind turbines, a temporary mast and associated equipment on land to the east of
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Worsthorne Bulletin: Residents complain over gang of youths
RESIDENTS from Annarley Fold attended last night's Parish Council meeting to complain about the gangs of youngsters congregating in the ginnel between Church Square and Annarley Fold and on the wall outside the Reading Rooms. Empty cans of beer and vodka
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Bid to beat malls
BARROWFORD traders are banding together to beat the lure of out-of-town shopping malls on cold winter nights. A bar in the town will be taken over by shopowners from the village's 'designer mile' in Gisburn Road for a night of indoor gift shopping on
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PC's 'teeth smashed by man outside club'
A PLAIN clothes police officer had half his teeth smashed after he went to arrest a man outside a nightclub. Burnley Crown Court heard how Gavin Wesley was left bleeding from his nose and mouth after he was punched by Lee Dwayne Alderson who later threatened
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25 years ago
A BUFFET at Norden School in Rishton looked like sinking in the middle due to a bakers' strike. But first-year mini-chefs Lynda Sagar and Diane Riley heard about the school's need for bread and decided to knead their own. Workers at Blackburn textile
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Burglar's £4,600 haul from pub
THIEVES escaped with a £4,600 haul in cash and cigarettes when they burgled a pub by candlelight. The culprits scaled a six-foot brick wall at the back of the Village Inn, in Water Street, Great Harwood, before forcing a service hatch to the cellar. After
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Camera card porn shock for grandma
A GRANDMOTHER who found pornographic photographs on her new camera card says the incident could have landed someone in trouble with the police. Doreen Bond, 75, of Friar Court, Accrington, was shocked when the 27 images, including one of a naked woman
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Drink-drive chase hero a bright spark
A QUICK-THINKING council worker told told of how he caught a drink driver after chasing him for four miles in his rubbish truck. Phil Parkins, 33, was driving his Hyndburn Council flat-bed wagon along Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, when he saw a blue
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Skipper Branch points the way
GRAHAM Branch has set Burnley a six-point target from their next two games to get the season back on track. The Clarets skipper shares manager Stan Ternent's frustration at not turning possession into maximum points in recent weeks. And Branch is urging
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Let's keep youngsters on the rails
WHAT is it about over privileged footballers making complete prats of themselves? Why are so many going off the rails and why can't they deal with the pressures that the profession brings? Do the clubs do enough for their talented stars to keep them on
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Solberg dedicates win to team-mate
NEWLY-crowned world rally champion Petter Solberg has dedicated his triumph to retiring team-mate Tommi Makinen after winning the Wales Rally GB. Solberg saw off the challenge of Citroen's Sebastien Loeb to win comfortably in south Wales, giving him the
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Friedel pays Souey tribute
BRAD Friedel today praised Graeme Souness and the board for keeping their cool during Rovers' worst ever run in the Premiership. Monday night's 2-1 victory over Everton at Ewood saw Rovers climb out of the bottom three following a depressing sequence
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Police want to hear people's worries
POLICE and support officers are to hold a series of surgeries across Rossendale for people to share their concerns. Anyone with worries or concerns about local policing is asked to go and meet the local community beat manager to discuss any problems.
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Lottery brings joy to clubs
CHILDREN in Stacksteads will be able to benefit from two new after-school clubs thanks to a lottery award of more than £60,000. Stacksteads Out of School Care Committee, a Stacksteads Riverside Park Group project, is celebrating after securing the cash
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Why Emma's freaking out
AN EAST Lancashire acrobat who has joined a macabre travelling circus today said of her colleagues: "They may be freaks but they're lovely people." Emma Lewis, 22, who grew up in a cottage on the side of spooky Pendle Hill, is set to appear in 'The Circus
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War on waste of medicines
A SCHEME to make sure patients get the best out of their medicines has been launched in Blackburn and Darwen. It aims to ensure people take the right drugs in the right way to reduce waste and inefficiency -- it is estimated £500,000-worth of unwanted
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Deadly duo bring Stanley sunshine
JAMES and Mullin, Mullin and James. Which ever way you bill them this is a double act that is currently more famous in Accrington than Morecambe and Wise. Strikers Lutel James and Paul Mullin, who helped themselves to over 60 goals between them as the
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Darwen blow it
DARWEN fell at the first hurdle in the Lancashire FA Marsden Trophy after letting a three-goal lead slip against Squires Gate at the Anchor Ground. Steve Wilkes' side were coasting at 3-0 with just over 20 minutes to play, yet panic set in once Lee Webb
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Form sides lock horns
PADIHAM and Nelson will both gain a good indication of their North West Counties Division Two title prospects tonight. The teams clash at the Arbories in the first round of the Lancashire FA Marsden Trophy hoping to continue their recent run of good results
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Hawks bring down the Bombers
BLACKBURN Hawks enjoyed back-to-back wins, narrowly overcoming Billingham in ice hockey's English Cup and defeating Sunderland Chiefs in a Challenge at the Arena 24 hours later. The victory over Billingham was a first for the Hawks over the Bombers on
