Archive
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ANIMAL AID: Black beauty
Blackie is a black cross breed who arrived at the Manchester Dogs' Home via Cheshire Police on 8th October 2003 after he was found wandering in Widnes and handed into the Police. Blackie is a very friendly dog with a loving character. He is very playful
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Post Office shoots itself in the foot
EXPECTATIONS make this time of the year notoriously expensive for those in work with families to support. How much more difficult it must be for people who rely on pensions or benefits to meet bills and pay for food. It is hardly surprising, then, that
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Joy and laughter, tragedy and tears
THE past year has been filled with celebration and successes as well as heartache and pain. Not only have we toasted the ordinary people who did extraordinary things during 2003, but we have also laughed and cried and been left shocked and surprised.
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Alex warm up for LFA test
Darwen Alex warmed up for next weekend's LFA Sunday Trophy quarter final clash with a hard fought 2-0 victory against the young guns of Knuzden. Goals from Lyndon Howarth and Martin Horsfield pushed the experienced Alex side up to fourth place in Blackburn
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Saints hold their nerve to win
St Wilfrid's 'B' under 13s showed they had nerves of steel to win their age group in the second Blackburn with Darwen Schools Girls Football Tournament. For the super Saints lifted the cup after a sudden death penalty shoot-out win against St Bedes who
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Motorist should be compensated over 'ticket'
REGARDING motorist Lesley Shorrock and the excess parking notice wrongly issued (LET, December 24). Looking at the sequence of events this stinks of the cowboy mentality. The notice, although it states various identifying details, fails crucially because
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Deaf people are good pet owners
RE your story (December 24) about the woman who was refused a cat by an animal refuge because she was deaf and told she was therefore unable to look after it. I am a deaf owner of not one but three cats (one of which needs special lifetime care after
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Riddle of M62 death man's last movements
DETECTIVES are still trying to trace the last movements of a 31-year-old Leigh man who was hit by a car as he walked along the M62. Anthony Stuart Williamson, of Hooten Lane, died instantly after he collided with a Nissan Micra near to the junction seven
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Sex pest gave boss '6 months of hell'
AN unhappy employee bombarded her married boss with 40 lurid letters in what he described as "six months of hell," magistrates were told. Susan Duckworth, 48, of Brunshaw Road, Burnley, admitted sending sordid letters to her boss, Ian Forster, who worked
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Huge loss
MARKUS BABBEL believes the loss of influential midfielder Barry Ferguson will be huge for Blackburn Rovers. Ferguson is out for the rest of the season after breaking his knee-cap against Newcastle on Sunday. It is a bitter blow for Rovers, who have already
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Souness sets targets
GRAEME Souness has set about targeting the midfield men he wants to replace Barry Ferguson. The Blackburn Rovers boss has revealed he started working on filling the void left by the Scottish international's horrific injury almost immediately after Sunday's
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Advice to beat domestic violence
A LEAFLET for women and children suffering domestic violence has been released by Burnley's Community Safety Partnership. It contains information about where they can go for confidential help and support. The leaflet will be available through a number
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Drug addict under jail threat
A DRUG addict with a history of breaking into vehicles has been warned to steer clear of car theft or face jail. Gary Stoiles, 28, of Colne Road, Burnley has been made the subject of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO)in a bid to stop his prolific offending
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MP's call over threat to jobs
AN East Lancashire MP says he will press government ministers to make public a report which could affect 800 jobs in the region. Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, has a file of recommendations from the Competition Commission
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Education shake-up decision is delayed
A DECISION on £150million plans to transform secondary education in Burnley and Padiham has been deferred by the government. Lancashire County Council put a bid in to the Department for Education and Skills in October asking for cash to bulldoze secondary
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Back in business
A NELSON charity shop has re-opened in time for the New Year after being destroyed by fire six months ago. The British Heart Foundation shop, Scotland Road, was opened by the Mayor of Pendle, Coun Mohammed Iqbal. The first floor of the shop was targeted
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Mayor to make big plunge
A DAREDEVIL community leader is preparing to face up to his fears and take a giant leap for charity. Mayor of Pendle Coun Mohammed Iqbal is planning a bungee jump in April to raise funds for the Mayoress' charities -- the Pendle branch of the Multiple
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OAP is dragged from flat blaze
A CALL centre worker from Radcliffe rescued an elderly woman from her burning flat. The pensioner was led to safety by Simon Larkin who raced into the smoke-filled first-floor apartment in Tennyson Avenue, Bury. Unaware if anyone else was in the flat,
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Defence needs work, and jolly quick
TIS the season to be jolly. Apparently. Although after four straight defeats, players being booed from the pitch and Graham Branch rounding on the supporters, the maxim may have to be revised. These are troubled times for the Clarets. As Stan Ternent
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10 years ago
A SADIST with a craft knife slashed a pony in a sickening attack. The maniac left Welsh filly Rosie, who was stabled at a yard in the Clitheroe area, with a nasty wound. Young Rovers fan Paul Arthur left home thinking he was going to the dentist. Instead
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Rovers turn from sinners to Saints
I KNOW it's the season of goodwill but the amount of space and time given to Boro on Boxing Day stretched things a bit. Not only did we manage to 'entertain' Middlesbrough with another dire performance but we made Juninho look like a good player again
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Charities set for phone donation bonanza
CHARITIES are set for a cash bonanza on the back of record mobile phone sales at Christmas. An estimated one million mobile phones have been bought this Christmas, which means the NSPCC and Crisis could be in for a late yuletide present worth up to £5million
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Rugby heroes' mentor spotted star talent
WORLD Cup rugby heroes Iain Balshaw and Will Greenwood were always destined to be stars -- according to the man who introduced them to the game. Phil Mahon, principal of Oakhill College, Whalley, said the "old boys" were budding athletes from the word
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Frustration, but a nice 'present' at the end
I WENT to Brussels last Thursday in the hope that the EU would be able to reach agreement on the draft constitution, preferably in a way which ensured that all the United Kingdom's "red lines" were satisfactorily dealt with. In the event, the negotiations
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PAYTON: Fans are right to whinge
It's okay complaining that the fans are having bit of a pop, but there's an old adage about stones and glass houses. The players have to put their house in order first before the fans will forgive and forget. Far too often at the moment, we sit there
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Clarets chief blasts rumours
BURNLEY have blasted suggestions they are on the verge of being placed into administration. Some reports have claimed the cash-strapped Clarets face financial melt-down in the wake of a gloomy annual general meeting. Chief executive Dave Edmundson was
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Go to the pub for fun
THE local pub is THE place to spend New Year's Eve, according to a licensee association boss. The town centre clubs and big pubs in Blackburn, Burnley, Accrington and other towns throughout East Lancashire will be heaving with folk looking for the best
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Clarets chief blasts rumours
BURNLEY have blasted suggestions they are on the verge of being placed into administration. Some reports have claimed the cash-strapped Clarets face financial melt-down in the wake of a gloomy annual general meeting. Chief executive Dave Edmundson was
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Appeal for action over parish roads
MEMBERS of North Turton Parish Council are hoping for a positive response to their concerns over the state of the roads in Belmont, Chapeltown and Edgworth. The parish council has written Blackburn with Darwen Council to point out the continuing deterioration
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January target for tourism display
A DISPLAY aimed at encouraging more people to visit Darwen is expected to be installed at the M65 services next month. The owners of the services, Lincoln-based Swayfields, have agreed to allow Blackburn with Darwen Council to put up an 8ft by 4ft board
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Last chance to help shape town's future
RESIDENTS in Darwen are being urged to have their say and influence the future regeneration of their town before it is too late. Darreners have just one day left to submit their ideas and opinions about how the town should be reshaped in future years.Council
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Council leader quits for health reasons
LEADER of Rossendale Council, Coun Graham Pearson has announced he is set to stand down from his role. He says health reasons have forced him to make a decision that will also see him step down as chairman of the council's corporate policy committee.
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Spinning a tale of the mills
A POPULAR East Lancashire writer has spent 14 years delving into the history of the cotton industry to produce his latest piece of work. Retired Helmshore journalist Chris Aspin, 70, trawled archives and used his personal knowledge of the early cotton
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Thief scoffed stolen snack in shop
A MAN who stole a £2 sandwich from Marks and Spencer ate it before security staff caught up with him, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard that Patrick Jason Carrington still had the crumbs around his mouth when he was detained. Carrington, 26
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Police checks cost rise will hit groups
VOLUNTARY youth projects and organisations working in East Lancashire are to be hit by another police check price increase, according to information from the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services. The Criminal Records Bureau has said that from
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Riddle of the ancient mariner Myles
A MINISTER has joined a transatlantic research project in a bid to prove his church's connections with one of the Pilgrim Fathers. Families across Lancashire are being asked to examine their roots and test their links to Mayflower mariner Myles Standish
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Shrimps boss out to exact revenge
MORECAMBE manager Jim Harvey is looking for his side to improve on their showing at the Interlink Express Stadium in Thursday's rematch at Christie Park. The Shrimps went down 1-0 to a Lutel James strike against Accrington Stanley on Boxing Day and Harvey
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EVENTS taking place in East Lancashire on Wednesday, December 31, 2003.
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. 'Kleptomania!' -- an exhibition featuring collectors and collecting in the town, Towneley Hall, Burnley. Until Jan 11. Life Drawing Class, Mid-Pennine Gallery, Yorke
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ANIMAL AID: A wizard dog
Gandalf was admitted to Manchester Dogs' Home on 24th July 2003 via the High Peak Dog Warden after he was found wandering in the Hadfield area. He is all black in colour and approximately two years old. Gandalf is a very friendly dog and he also gets
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HEALTH: Tips to help to survive winter
AN EAST Lancashire Primary Care Trust has issued guidelines to encourage the best use of health services during the winter. Blackburn with Darwen PCT says prevention is always the best cure and that it is important for people to be prepared. Advice from
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Harriers traditional run is a fancy affair
Rossendale Harriers celebrated the season on the last Sunday before Christmas with their Fancy Dress Handicap Race, which has become something of a tradition in recent years. Around 30 runners turned out at Rawtenstall with Sam Tosh and Emma Flanagan
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Skate expectations!
Next year promises to be a good year for Blackburn Skating School if 2003 was anything to go by. For the Blackburn Arena-based club has just enjoyed its best overall season in its 13-year history, culminating with success at the recent British Championships
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Amy's family need assurance
THE inopportune, infuriating letter by Joan Sourbutts (LET, December 22) is just typical of why many criminals get such lenient sentences. I just hope Amy Houston's family did not read it. Some criminals will commit crime safe in the knowledge they will
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Stamps lacked real meaning
MARLENE Talbot is quite right (December 20) regarding special Christmas issue postage stamps being void of appropriate motifs and images to represent the purpose of the occasion. A couple of years ago I filled in a customer complaint form criticising
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Santa thrilled children despite humble abode
I AM writing in reply to the letter (Tuesday, December 23) entitled: Grotto Needs A Touch Of Magic, about the Father Christmas grotto in Blackburn's six-day Market Hall. Firstly, it had been suddenly announced there was no room this year for Father Christmas
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Parents speak for first time over tragedy
THE parents of murdered police officer Clare Mace today told how they were numb with disbelief at the death of their 'beautiful' daughter. The bodies of Clare, 23, and her husband Richard, 26, were found at their home in Sefton Close, Clayton-le-Moors
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In the market for better business
MORE than sixty businesswomen gathered in Burnley for the Women Into Business Network Christmas market. Local entrepreneurs got into the Christmas swing at the event, held at the town's Business Centre and organised by Burnley Enterprise. The evening
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Best bus station in plaque celebration
THE award-winning success of Burnley's state-of-the art bus station is to be commemorated in a plaque due to be unveiled next week. The futuristic, glass-fronted structure, opened last year, has been officially voted the best in the country, according
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Sex pest gave boss '6 months of hell'
AN unhappy employee bombarded her married boss with 40 lurid letters in what he described as "six months of hell," magistrates were told. Susan Duckworth, 48, of Brunshaw Road, Burnley, admitted sending sordid letters to her boss, Ian Forster, who worked
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Parishes head for 4.4% rise in funds
PARISH and Town Councils in Pendle are to receive a rise in the amount of cash they receive in funding from the borough council. A meeting of Pendle Councillors agreed a 4.4per cent increase in the funding, which amounts to about £3,000. The Conservative
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Sign up for classes
NELSON and Colne College is encouraging people to fulfil their New Year's resolutions by signing up for a course. A new spring prospectus for the two-campus college outlines courses for people who want to improve their skills in any area. Anyone wanting
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'Ban blue lights on cars' plea
DRIVERS who use blue lights to decorate their cars are being targeted by Pendle MP Gordon Prentice. The backbencher has called on the Transport Secretary to ban the lights on private cars, after complaints from a constituent. Mr Prentice said: "A constituent
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Disabled drivers set to win battle
PARKING wardens could be employed in Barnoldswick next year to prevent able-bodied people using disabled spaces. The move comes after Steve and Frances Allen, of Gisburn Street, organised a petition earlier this year to defend disabled drivers' rights
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25 years ago
FIFTEEN-year-old Mark Joseph, who suffered from crippling arthritis, received a 'Get Well' card from England cricket manager Doug Insole. Mark, a big cricket fan, was not able to play the sport again because of his condition. And St James' Parish Church
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50 years ago
PLANS for a new Patmos Methodist Church, to replace the sinking building in Peel Brow, Ramsbottom, were taken a step further by church officials. The 80-year-old building was suffering from subsidence. And two Rossendale men were wondering if they had
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Parents speak for first time over tragedy
THE parents of murdered police officer Clare Mace today told how they were numb with disbelief at the death of their 'beautiful' daughter. The bodies of Clare, 23, and her husband Richard, 26, were found at their home in Sefton Close, Clayton-le-Moors
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Drink and drugs warning to party-goers
EAST Lancashire's partygoers are being warned of the dangers of mixing drugs and alcohol when seeing in the New Year. The North West Safer Nightlife Group found in a survey that clubbers are increasingly combining substances either to heighten or to counteract
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Souness sets targets
GRAEME Souness has set about targeting the midfield men he wants to replace Barry Ferguson. The Blackburn Rovers boss has revealed he started working on filling the void left by the Scottish international's horrific injury almost immediately after Sunday's
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Neil's the power behind the throne
A HUSBAND and wife refused to let their portable loo business go down the pan following the foot and mouth outbreak - and are now flushed with success. Portable Conveniences suffered two years ago when the disease wiped out the lucrative market for temporary
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Speakers named for big fluoride debate
THE speakers have been confirmed for a debate on fluoridation to be held in Rossendale. Jane Jones, campaign director of the National Pure Water Association, will speak against the introduction of fluoride to the area's water. Dr Peter Lucas, lecturer
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Big Ron sets a goal for rubbish recycling
SOCCER legend Big Ron Atkinson has been encouraging Blackburn folk to kick rubbish into touch in the New Year. The former Manchester United and Aston Villa manager urged everyone to go green by using their kerbside recycling scheme or taking their festive
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Football legend's final resting place
A BLACKBURN funeral director has donated a new casket for the ashes of a football legend. Talbot Funeral Services has provided an inscribed wooden casket for the final resting place of Tommy Lawton, which has now been presented to the National Football
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Old folk get big lift from elevator repairs
ELDERLY residents were celebrating today after the 'lifeline' lift which left them stranded over Christmas was finally repaired. Many of the pensioners in the Brackendale sheltered flats in Albion Street, Blackburn, were left stranded over Christmas after
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Resolve to stop watching Kylie, says minister
NEW Year revellers have been urged to get serious with their resolutions and do something which will change their lives forever, not just a few days. And the Rev Simon Bessant said people were too caught up in making shallow vows over things such as being
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Post Office 'sorry' for festive blunder
A POST Office was forced to abandon national guidelines on paying benefits over the festive period after being inundated with irate customers. Confusion arose yesterday over when a range of employment and sickness benefits, as well as pensions, should
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Jewel store owner kidnapped by gang
AN "extremely dangerous" gang kidnapped a jeweller at knifepoint and stole £80,000 worth of jewellery from his shop. The ruthless raid took place on Boxing Day when the gang, who police are convinced are from Blackburn, kidnapped 31-year-old Pratim Soni
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Seven flee from kitchen blaze
SEVEN people fled from a house after an electrical fault on a dishwasher caused a fire. Firefighters were called to the property on Bradshaw Road, Tottington, at 12.45am on Tuesday by the owners after they saw smoke and flames in the kitchen of the house
