Archive
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Comments show party's colours
ONE of the hallmarks of a good political party is that it is able to encompass various strands of thought. Each of the main parties contains a fair range of opinion among its MPs and grass roots members and it is discussion of these differing views that
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HEALTH: Lifestyle creates obesity timebomb
EAST Lancashire is clogging up a national obesity league table which ranks the country's fattest boroughs. Four councils have been included in a top 20 of local authority areas with the biggest waist lines. Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Burnley and
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The hero of Caesar's camp
WHEN Jack Kay kept hearing stories about his great uncle being a war hero he wanted to find out more. He did not know what had happened to Jimmy's Victoria Cross or even which war he had fought in. But last week he finally uncovered the truth and saw
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Indoor riding event is out there on its own
Riders from across the North of England descended on Osbaldeston for the latest Pony Club competition. The event, which attracted 54 riders from across the region, is unique in the Pony Club calendar as it hosts one of the few indoor cross country courses
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Torpedoes destroy Cup hopes of glory
Queens Park Torpedoes lived up to their name by destroying the opposition to be crowned the kings of five-a-side football. For the Blackburn side beat Golden Cup 2-0 to win the senior category at the grand final held at Darwen Leisure Centre. The grand
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The water wonder!
Alan Moorhouse is a man whose dedication to swimming is unquestionable. He formed his own club so that swimmers -- including his two daughters -- did not have to travel out of the town to train. He's committed his time, energy and money to bringing the
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Players in good spirit
OSWALDTWISTLE Players' performances are typically spirited affairs. But the players' April production will prove a little more spirited than usual. The show - Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit is an improbable farce that tells the story of Charles Condomine
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Buddies on the crest of a wave
A CAPTAIN'S daughter in love with a lowly seaman? Such a scenario means the course of true love certainly isn't going to run smoothly - especially out on the open sea. But in Buddies' Youth Theatre's HMS Pinafore there are plenty of toe-tapping tunes
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How can such cruelty be called a sport?
AFTER seeing the news showing 'shocking' images of hare coursing, I think it is appalling that Lancashire could hold this alleged 'sport' event. In my eyes frankly it is pathetic, how people could find it remotely entertaining watching an innocent animal
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Post offices hub of communities
YOUR readers will probably know that my county council colleagues and I have been lobbying the powers that be over the Post Office closure programme since last year. Many people regard their Post office as a hub of the community and felt they have little
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Man on imitation firearm charge
A TYLDESLEY man accused of a series of offences including possessing an imitation firearm appeared for the first time at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday. Lee Weatherilt, aged 24, of Ely Drive, Astley, was remanded on bail until May 10 when he is expected
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Teacher facing years in Thai prison
AN English teacher is facing up to 28 years in an overcrowded Thai jail after being arrested for drugs offences. Today the devastated father of Christopher Egan was preparing to fly to northern Thailand in a bid to free his son. Foreign Office officials
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Jay-Jay a no-no
BLACKBURN Rovers have officially ruled themselves out of the race to sign Bolton superstar Jay-Jay Okocha. Several stories in the national Press had claimed that Blackburn boss Graeme Souness was poised to swoop for the Nigerian international in the summer
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Trees have silver lining for energy saving
BURY schoolchildren are branching out to take part in a nationwide tree-planting programme. The project will provide the youngsters with an understanding of recycling as well as giving them an important link with their environment. Springside, Tottington
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Divers hunt missing man
DIVERS searched the River Lune and Lancaster Canal yesterday (Wednesday) for the body of a man who has been missing from home for three weeks. A police underwater search team was called in after a bike and clothing found on the canal towpath were identified
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New city 'gateway' wins go-ahead
A DERELICT bus station is to be demolished and listed buildings restored to generate a brand new 'gateway' to Lancaster. Work on creating retail units - including a PC world and a Pizza Hut - and 100 apartments is expected to get under way in the coming
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Students plan cash dash
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to recruit hundreds of supporters for a fun run to help boost charities' coffers as part of Lancaster University's 40th anniversary celebrations. A team of volunteers is gathering pace on its mission to sign up as many residents
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Far right party looks at policy
BRITISH National Party bosses could change selection procedures for elections after a former councillor revealed her political hero was Nelson Mandela. The far right party, which has six councillors in Burnley and also won a seat in Mill Hill, Blackburn
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Green idea halts car park
VISIONS of a new car park at a well-loved Lancaster beauty spot have been blocked - at least for the time being. Residents are urging Lancashire County Council to designate the Priory graveyard at Lancaster Castle as a 'town green'. The application -
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Hundreds remember cocklers
A MEMORIAL fund has been set up for the families of victims who perished in Morecambe Bay's cockling disaster. The news was announced as hundreds of people united at Lancaster RC Cathedral to remember the 20 Chinese cockle pickers who drowned after being
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Happy to help...
AN all-singing all dancing show is being planned to raise cash to help save Morecambe's historic Winter Gardens theatre. Local amateur and semi-professional actors, singers and musicians have pledged their backing. And Lancaster City Council is now being
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100 launch anti-BNP campaign
A HUNDRED people turned out to the launch of a new campaigning group formed to oppose the BNP in Pendle. Representatives from different religions and political parties attended the meeting, which coincided with the launch of a national Unite Against Fascism
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Health centre is planned for old warehouse
HEALTH chiefs in Pendle have launched plans to turn a Grade II listed building in Nelson into a £6.3million state-of-the-art health centre. A ceremony was held at the site of the old Yarnspinners' Wharf Warehouse, next to Morrison's supermarket, off Scotland
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Headteacher's tribute to tragic Natalie
THE headteacher of Radcliffe High School has paid tribute to a 15-year-old pupil who died in a crash last Friday. Pedestrian Natalie Danielle Pickwick-Jones was fatally injured when she was in collision with a sports car as she crossed Bolton Road, Radcliffe
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New store opens way to jobs
THIRTY-four new jobs have been created as a new food store opens today. Somerfield are opening a £400,000 store at Blackburn with Darwen services, off junction four of the M65. The new store is the first of its kind for Somerfield, being in the motorway
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Prentice points out pensions benefits
PENDLE MP Gordon Prentice has backed government moves to help pensioners. He said he was delighted that new figures show that 4,517 pensioners in his Pendle constituency are benefiting from the new pensions credit with an average award of £42.33 a week
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Petrol boss put public at risk
A PETROL station operator has been fined £11,000 plus costs for breaking health and safety rules and posing a serious threat to the environment. Firoz Patel, who runs two filling stations in Manchester Road, Baxenden, appeared at Hyndburn Magistrates
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Stop horse exports
BRITISH horses and ponies could once again be exported live from the UK to face a long and uncertain journey to their death in Europe. A British law that has prevented ponies from being exported alive for slaughter for 67 years looks like it could be
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Black plague must be stopped
AT A recent Countryside Alliance angling conference, one key message emerged from the representatives - cormorants are destroying our fisheries. Fifty thousand cormorants are now wintering in the UK and predating our native small, silver fish stocks.
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Parents warned of internet sex fiends
PARENTS were today warned not to fall for the psychological tricks of Internet sex fiends after a mum was fooled into letting a man get close to her daughter. Rachel O'Connell, director of research into paedophile activity on the Internet at the University
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Change is not always best
HAVING served for many years on Lancaster City Council and its predecessor prior to reorganisation in 1974, I wish to appeal to residents of the area to think very carefully about plans for new boundary changes. I have not written to the press since my
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They're all missing the point
I'VE been watching the debate over the England First Party unravel over the past few weeks and I can't help thinking they seem to be missing the point entirely I'm 18, have just become a legal adult and, touch wood, have my entire life in front of me.
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Boundary switch won't change a thing
THAT the departure display has once again broken down at the bus station would not on its own warrant a letter. Nor would the recent debacle over the posts in the footway on Meeting House Lane, or the fact that the nearby pedestrian crossings were placed
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Dragons too hot to handle
HEYSHAM Atoms got their fingers burned by the heat of Wakefield's high flying East-moor Dragons in the first round of the 2004 BARLA National Cup on Saturday - beaten 58-8. Atoms hit the ground running, as so often in recent weeks, with a pinpoint kick
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Jensen brands fans as 'mindless'
BRIAN Jensen has sprung to Mo Camara's defence in the bitter race row with Millwall. The Clarets keeper expressed his disgust at the racial abuse directed at Camara during the two games at the New Den. He insisted: "I especially heard monkey chants from
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Abuse is part of game
I've managed to squeeze in a winter break to Tenerife, and news of Saturday's defeat left me with just another cold beer as consolation. However, even that left a nasty taste in the mouth when I read about the alleged racism Mo Camara suffered. Nobody
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Stan's player crisis
STAN Ternent's 300th game as Burnley manager is marred by a crisis that leaves just 14 players fit to face West Ham tonight. The Clarets have lost the services of Paul Rachubka, as revealed in later editions of the Telegraph yesterday, and also Bradley
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Zarac levels
GREAT Harwood manager John Hughes hailed his side as "outstanding" after coming back from a goal behind to earn a point at home to Leek. Haddrell opened the scoring for the visitors after just five minutes with an unstoppable shot from outside the area
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Manager Overson urges Rams not to panic
VINCE Overson is using the cushion of games in hand as a comfort blanket for his Ramsbottom United squad. The postponement of their home game with Alsager Town on Saturday leaves them with 15 league games and a minimum of two more League Challenge Cup
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Cash boosts new route
A PLANNED new track for cyclists and walkers in Lancaster has earned a cash windfall. The new Marsh Cycling and Walking Safe Route won a boost of £80,000 from the Social, Economic and Environmental Development programme to improve access to work, health
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Jay-Jay a no-no
BLACKBURN Rovers have officially ruled themselves out of the race to sign Bolton superstar Jay-Jay Okocha. Several stories in the national Press had claimed that Blackburn boss Graeme Souness was poised to swoop for the Nigerian international in the summer
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Stan's player crisis
STAN Ternent's 300th game as Burnley manager is marred by a crisis that leaves just 14 players fit to face West Ham tonight. The Clarets have lost the services of Paul Rachubka, as revealed in later editions of the Telegraph yesterday, and also Bradley
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Renowned firm will close down at Easter
ONE of Rossendale's longest established factories is to close at Easter. Rumours have been circulating tfor months about Kearns of Waterfoot closing because of increased competition from abroad. Management at the Cowpe-based dye company, which was established
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Police warn over use of fog lights
DRIVERS in Rossendale face an on-the-spot fine if they use their front fog lights in clear weather. The tough measures are part of a police clampdown on motorists abusing the Highway Code. After complaints from dazzled drivers, officers will issue fixed
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Asbestos - firms are urged to check
COMPANIES across East Lancashire are being urged to check their premises for asbestos. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will present a breakfast briefing at Groundwork Blackburn on Wednesday, March 10 from 8am to 9.30am, on new asbestos regulations
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Euro MP wants action on fuel mix-ups
EAST Lancashire Euro MP Chris Davies today called for action to prevent what he says is the costly misery suffered by hundreds of drivers throughout the region at petrol stations each year. More than 120,000 people across the UK mistakenly put the wrong
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Council tax rise 'con' claim
LABOUR councillors in Blackburn have been accused of electioneering and trying to con voters after agreeing to put up council tax bills by 4.38 per cent. Councillors met at Blackburn town hall last night where finance boss Coun John Milburn said the rise
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Straw stays silent over bugging claims
JACK Straw was today refusing to give details of his involvement in the UN bugging controversy except to say that he and the government had not broken the law. His comments follow a demand by Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans that the Blackburn Cabinet
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Toy gun robber is jailed for life
A MAN who held up a Blackburn petrol station with a child's plastic pellet gun has been sentenced to life in prison. And in sentencing John Swannack Judge Robert Brown recommended that he should serve five years before becoming eligible for parole. Preston
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Brolly good decision!
SCHOOL building bosses have vowed to plug the source of disruptive roof leaks at Woodbank Primary once and for all. A new roof is on its way after recent water damage forced Reception pupils to vacate their classroom. The leaks were the latest in a series
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Conmen target elderly women
ELDERLY women in Bolton and Bury were targeted by two bogus officials posing as electricians. The conmen tricked their way into the homes of four pensioners in their 80s on Monday. Police are linking the burglaries and are warning residents to be extra
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EVENTS taking place in East Lancashire on Wednesday, March 3, 2004.
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. "The Unlikely Lads," Thwaites Empire Theatre, Bolton Road, Blackburn, 7.30pm. Public Meeting, Christ the King Primary School, Calderbrook Avenue, Burnley, 7pm. Hugh Davies
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Walshaw girls are head-over-heels
Walshaw High School were the stars of this year's Burnley Schools Gymnastics Championships after enjoying individual and team success. Rachel Duerden and Nicole Gilmore triumphed in their respective levels at the annual competition which attracted 80
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England call-up for duo
Sarah Lloyd has confirmed her reputation as an England star in the making after being selected to represent her country for the third year. For the Darwen Netball Club ace has been called in to the England squad for European Championships which take place
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Records tumble at Radcliffe trail race
Sunday was a day of records for Radcliffe Athletic Club. Their 12 mile Annual Trail Race attracted the largest ever field and winner Michael Aspinall posted the fastest ever time. Aspinall's victory in 1:07:32 was by an emphatic three minute margin, and
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Stage Whispers. . .
nIT'S July 1990 and England are preparing for their most important football game since 1966 - the World Cup semi finals versus West Germany. In Majorca Bill and Monica are on holiday trying to rekindle their troubled marriage. Monica has been seeing Dan
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Villagers won't give up fight
IN reply to Mr M J Hawtrey (LET, Letters, February 24) may I point out a couple of things to him. Mellor residents pay their council tax to Clitheroe not Blackburn and no Blackburn taxpayers' money is spent in Mellor or any other part of the Ribble Valley
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Assembly would be more accountable
STUART Finch (LET, February 13) is wrong to suggest people in the Ribble Valley or Blackburn with Darwen should not support an elected regional assembly. 'Yes' is the way to vote in the forthcoming referendum. A 'yes' vote won't, as Finch says, result
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Carry Ann's father jailed for 19 years
A FATHER who murdered his daughter by deliberately driving his car off a motorway was today jailed for life. And Judge Peter Openshaw QC told 35-year-old Sean Brown that he must serve 19 years before being considered for parole. Brown, of Huntington Drive
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Season just won't spring into action
IT would have been expected that, after the last minute heartbreak of the Charlton game, the players would have been like coiled springs, itching to get it out of their system. Southampton at home is one of the games that would be earmarked for three
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Shoplifter needs medical help, says lawyer
A KLEPTOMANIAC who repeatedly shoplifts was given a community sentence in a bid to get her medical help. Burnley magistrates heard Carole Cummings, 41, would not stop offending until she received treatment for the "rare" disorder. Cummings, of Russell
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Police hunt serial sex pest
DETECTIVES are hunting a serial sex pest who exposed himself to a woman as she walked along a Burnley canal towpath. Officers are linking the sex attack to a similar incident late last year and has led police to believe they were committed by the same
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Future players' education boost
FOOTBALLERS of the future are to be given an educational boost thanks to links forged between Burnley Football Club and the town's college. A new 'Centre of Football Excellence' has been established to give talented young players the opportunity to receive
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Hedge your bets for wildlife
LANCASTER people are being asked to help plant a new wildlife hedge at an animal sanctuary in Scotforth. Community group Treesponsibility is organising tree planting days this Saturday and on Saturday, March 6, at Animal Care - with more than 500 trees
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We all stand together
CAB drivers stood shoulder to shoulder in Lancaster in protest at proposals which could open the floodgates for anyone to join the taxi ranks. The Office of Fair Trading has presented a report to Govern-ment, proposing to end restrictions on the number
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Jealous wife killer faces life behind bars
A LANCASTER man who sexually assaulted and bludgeoned his estranged wife with a hammer is beginning a life sentence. Carl Owens, pictured right, was told by Judge Peter Openshaw he should serve at least 16 years before being considered for parole for
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Wind farm inquiry coming?
A PUBLIC inquiry could be called after wind farm objectors nar-rowly won a battle against plans to re-power Caton Moor with larger turbines. Lancaster city planners rejected a bid by Hainsford Energy to replace 10 turbines with eight larger ones on Caton
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Anyone got a spare tenor?
A WORLD-FAMOUS male voice choir is being forced to advertise for new members because younger men are no longer interested in joining. Membership of the Nelson Arion Choir, which has been based in the town for more than a century, has dropped from more
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'Priority' status of new bus station
PLANS for a new bus station in Nelson have been identified as a "first priority" in a new report. Work on the new town centre project could begin in spring 2005 and be completed by 2006, according to a report to Lancashire County Council's cabinet member
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Window jobs joy
A DARWEN-BASED window firm has invested £500,000 to start manufacturing a new type of window. Octaveward Ltd says the move, to make fibreglass windows, will also create new jobs. Fibreglass windows are used in countries like Canada and Scandinavia, where
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Roadshow success
MORE than 70 people turned out for the first in a series of six roadshows organised by Burnley Council. The event at Daneshouse Community Centre provoked debate on a range of issues, from the clearance of homes in the area, to the work of the police and
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10 years ago
THREE Tories stormed out of a council meeting in anger after being branded 'a disgrace to democracy'. The incident happened during a budget setting meeting of Hyndburn Council when the Tories failed to put forward any plans, claiming there was no point
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50 years ago
VILLAGES, houses and remote farmsteads were cut off by blizzards. On the bleak moorland of Grane Road, Haslingden a Ribble bus was stranded and the conductor, James Ashton, suffered exposure when he struggled through the blizzard. He was stretchered more
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25 years ago
EAST Lancashire motorists were warned that they would see £1-a-gallon signs outside the region's petrol stations by September. Soaring prices of Iranian crude oil signalled the end for small independent companies offering discount petrol. A special breakfast
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'Drugs factory' and weapons in house
POLICE today revealed they had uncovered a "drugs factory" and dangerous weapons at the home of an Accrington man. The discovery is the latest in a sweeping police crackdown on drug dealing and organised crime across Accrington, Clayton-le-Moors and Church
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Bus driver crash case date
A TRIAL date has been fixed in the case of a bus driver from Prestwich accused of hitting a car in Rochdale and driving off. Rex Adair, aged 62, of Brooklawn Drive, Prestwich, has denied driving a single decker bus without due care and attention and failing
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No-one parks free
I AM responding to the letter last week saying that members of the City Council cabinet and town hall workers get free parking and a designated space. This is untrue. Councillors and staff pay for the privilege of a permit and only a handful of people
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We must back tax protest
The stand of Mrs Elizabeth Winkfield on the council tax is something we should all support. Not because the woman in question is 83 years old but because it is high time that councils in England and Wales realised that they have to become as competitive
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Questions remain unanswered
IN the light of the proposed inflation-busting council tax rise, I asked city council leader Cllr Ian Barker specific questions on public accountability. He answered none of them in his letter published in the Citizen, though he did reveal that the loss
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Teacher facing years in Thai prison
AN English teacher is facing up to 28 years in an overcrowded Thai jail after being arrested for drugs offences. Today the devastated father of Christopher Egan was preparing to fly to northern Thailand in a bid to free his son. Foreign Office officials
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City sneak into top 10
A THUMPING Giant Axe win over lowly Burscough on Tuesday has lifted Lancaster City to tenth place in the Unibond League table. And for the first time this season they look secure in the top half of the table after the 4-0 victory - because teams around
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Just champion
LANCASTER City swimmers are the water polo champions of Britain again - for the fourth time in six years. The city men retained the title won last year by beating Rotherham 5-3 in a tense finale at Manchester Aquatic Centre. And to add extra spice this
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It's time we really kicked out racism
"SOMETIMES, I despair." So said Stan Ternent yesterday in the fall-out from the unsavoury scenes at Millwall last Saturday. The Burnley manager speaks for every decent thinking Clarets supporter. It is depressing beyond belief that sickening cries of
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300 not out
STAN Ternent tonight reaches a milestone in his managerial career by celebrating his 300th competitive game in charge of the Clarets. The rollercoaster, five-and-a-half year ride has undoubtedly included more highs than lows, with a promotion and two
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United come to the rescue
MANCHESTER United are helping Bacup Borough move a step nearer the UniBond League. For the Old Trafford outfit have donated 54 seats from the South Stand to the West View club. League inspectors gave Boro a list of things to do to meet required standards
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Sculpher seeking to bolster defence
LEE Sculpher is on the look-out for another defender to shore up Clitheroe's bid for the North West Counties League title. The championship-chasers are five points clear at the top with a game in hand on Woodley Sports going into tonight's game at St
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Firm leads historic theatre revamp
LONDON'S cultural elite are getting a glimpse into the work of a Darwen firm. One of the capital's most historic venues reopened this weekend, and Shaw's of Darwen helped make it all possible. Shaw's, based at Waterside, helped carry out a massive restoration
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Resignations leave council in limbo
NORTH Turton parish council is in limbo after four councillors resigned. The resignations follow the censuring of two councillors by a local investigation commissioned by the national Standards Board. Last month, Coun David Holden and Coun David Smith
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Carry Ann's father jailed for 19 years
A FATHER who murdered his daughter by deliberately driving his car off a motorway was today jailed for life. And Judge Peter Openshaw QC told 35-year-old Sean Brown that he must serve 19 years before being considered for parole. Brown, of Huntington Drive
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Show of pride over Valley work
AN exhibition of Rossendale graft and craft is to be held in Bacup later this month. The Valley at Work exhibition will be open to the public and businesses at Bacup Leisure Hall between noon and 4pm on Tuesday, March 23, and will feature a range of companies
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'Blight' turbines set for approval
COUNCILLORS are set to approve plans for a wind turbine that will provide two homes with electricity, despite objectors claiming it would be a 'visual blight'. The plans will be approved subject to acceptable noise levels which will be established by
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Civic leaders mourn former mayor's death
CIVIC leaders in Blackburn with Darwen were today mourning the death of a colleague, Labour stalwart Mary Leaver. The former mayor has died after suffering a suspected brain haemorrhage. Coun Leaver, who represented the Earcroft ward for Labour, passed
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Big cash boost for IT centres
YOUTHS will be able to communicate at the touch of a button thanks to a £380,000 investment in 17 ICT learning centres across the county. Lancashire County Council's youth and community service has won backing from groups such as the North West Development
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Armstrong turns back on full-time
VETERAN Gordon Armstrong has revealed he could be on the verge of hanging up his boots. The Accrington Stanley defender says he won't be joining the Reds' adventure when the club turns full-time in the summer. However, the former Burnley and Sunderland
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Win or bust for PNE
CRAIG Brown has admitted what the fans have been saying ever since Saturday - it's win or bust tonight against Reading. Just one win in the last six games has seen North End tumble from the top six into the bottom-half of the table, six points off sixth
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Masked gang ambush security men with sword
FOUR masked men threatened two security guards in Bury with a samurai sword and threatened to kill them if they did not hand over cash. A van pulled up at the Nimra petrol station on Bolton Road (A58) at around 2.45pm on Monday to make a delivery to the
