Archive
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Date
Crystal’s set to sparkle
SHE'S been described as "Gwen Stefani on a bad acid trip". Aptly-named Crystal Grenade is the lead singer of the Manchester-based glitter rock band Sadie Hawkins Dance and they're coming to Accrington on January 13. Grenade is said to be explosive, with
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Yates quits Turf
BURNLEY first team coach Mark Yates has left the club to become Kidderminster Harriers' new manager. Yates, who used to play for Harriers, decided to make the switch late last night to take his first managerial role. Yates, who was appointed by Cotterill
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The final farewell to Betty
FRIENDS and family of a popular Burnley Football Club cleaner turned out in force to say a final goodbye after she died aged 67. Betty Finnerty, of Brunshaw Road, worked for the club for a number of years after a stroke forced her to quit her full-time
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College tutors prove such good sports
SPORTS students at Burnley College got the chance to put one over on their tutors at a festive fun-day held at the Thompson Centre. Organised by students studying for the BTEC National Diploma in sports development and fitness, the event aimed to raise
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Drugs crackdown in pubs and clubs
POLICE officers will be visiting pubs and clubs in the Valley this weekend in a crackdown on hard drug users. Officers will visit premises in Haslingden tonight and tomorrow to clamp down on suspected users and pushers. Flat surfaces, such as toilet
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Date
£125k prize to build village hall
A COMMUNITY which has been without a village hall for 10 years was celebrating today after winning at least £125,000 to finally start building one. Villagers in Weir have been trying to raise money for a new community centre on the site of the former
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Police tighten screw on car plate crime
AN INNOVATIVE crime-fighting tool devised by a Nelson policeman could be used all over the country. Former engineer PC Mark Wilcock came up with the idea of fitting special tamper-proof screws on number plates to prevent thieves stealing them. Registration
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Date
Fergie backs Syd’s MBE
SPRIGHTLY Barnoldswick Town physio Syd Parkinson, who scooped an MBE in the New Year's honours, was nominated for his gong by leading Premiership managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Sam Allardyce. The Manchester United and Bolton Wanderers bosses were among
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Child abuser, 24 cries in dock
A 24-YEAR-OLD man is facing jail after stripping naked and sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl. Ralph Stokes cried in the dock after a Burnley Crown Court jury convicted him and Judge Barbara Watson remanded him in custody. The defendant was found
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72-year-old gran accused of benefit fraud
A GRANDMOTHER accused of claiming £2,000 in benefits despite allegedly having £200,000 in savings has a warrant out for her arrest after failing to appear in court. But today Kathleen Barker, 72, was at her home in Burnley, and said she was too ill to
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Mullen: United we must stand
STEVE Mullen is calling on his players to stand up and be counted' as Darwen travel to Gigg Lane to take on league leaders FC United. The Anchor Ground boss fears his side could be embarrassed if they turn in another below par performance as they did
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Cup run can be our cash lifeline
THE FA Cup will always have a special place in my heart. I went to the final with Leicester in 1969 and despite losing to Manchester City it was still a memorable day. I can remember saying at the time that's it's a must occasion for any professional
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Grant: I’m sitting on the fence!
LEE GRANT will be staying firmly on the fence when Derby and Burnley face off in the FA Cup tomorrow. The Rams stopper, who's on-loan at Burnley but is ineligible for the game, could be viewed as a spy in the camp' by both clubs - but he is hoping to
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Coleman waiting for quality
John Coleman has insisted strengthening his Stanley squad during the January transfer window could be easier said than done. Their three-point gap at the top of the Nationwide Conference is an attractive proposition for targets, and the Reds manager
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Win, win situation for Coleman
MANAGER of the month; unbeaten in 10 games; three points clear at the top of the Nationwide Conference; scoring in every match so far this season John Coleman has a lot to smile about. But there is still a steely resilience in the Accrington Stanley
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'I cried after Rovers axe'
LIFELONG Blackburn fan Gareth Ainsworth will finally fulfil a childhood dream tomorrow when he steps out at Ewood Park in the colours of Queen's Park Rangers. The 32-year-old midfielder, who started his career as an apprentice with Rovers, has had to
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Jansen can follow Ainsworth’s example
IF Matt Jansen needs some inspiration in his bid to get his career back on track then he should look no further than the example set by Gareth Ainsworth. I remember Gareth when he was a young apprentice in the days when Don Mackay was Rovers' manager
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Pedersen: Cup is my lucky charm
MORTEN Gamst Pedersen is hoping to be the inspiration behind another famous Cup run as Blackburn Rovers kick-off their FA Cup campaign with a third round tie at home to QPR tomorrow. The Norwegian international was something of a lucky charm last season
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Play-offs are the priority - Cotterill
STEVE Cotterill is hoping for a repeat of last year's FA Cup exploits - but not at the expense of a play-off place. The Clarets travel to Derby County for the third round tie hoping they can emulate their heroics of last season, which saw them make it
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Market on brink of major revamp
COUNCIL bosses are close to agreeing a deal which would see hundreds of thousands of pounds invested in Accrington's historic market hall. Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe said he was in talks with three potential investors this week. And he
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Park restoration work hit by delay
WORK to restore Towneley Park's 300-year-old pond has fallen behind schedule due to bad weather and the need to make unexpected repairs. The work, part of a multi-million pound scheme to restore the park, was due to be completed by the end of December
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Struggle after blow to head
A 35-YEAR-OLD man who had been hit over the head struggled with police because he couldn't understand why he was being handcuffed, a court was told. Magistrates heard that Nicholas Simpson was disoriented at the time and Kevin Preston, defending, said
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£14,000 prize for Ann
A BLACKBURN launderette worker is celebrating after winning £14,950. Ann Kominsky scooped the prize after guessing four mystery voices on a competition run by Preston-based radio station Rock FM. The competition was launched in early December and the
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Jobs hope ‘goal’ of training plan
UNEMPLOYED people in Blackburn are being given a sporting chance to get back into the world of work. A new training scheme, the first of its kind in the North of England, is being launched at the end of this month aimed at finding jobs for people through
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Bawdy Pam lifts the winter gloom
WITH the credit card bills landing and diets placing chocolate and alcohol firmly off the menu, January appears to the month when laughs are in very short supply. But fortunately, the Lock 'n' Load Comedy Club returns to King George's Hall, Blackburn
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Murray brings the cheese
DJ Mark Murray is behind the decks at Calamity Jane's in Burnley tomorrow night. It is a disco and pop night called Stop! In The Name of Party and it's all about mayhem, fun and frolics. Mark brings chart, cheese, disco and party to the night with a
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It’s so great to be Bach home again
Organist and conductor Indra Hughes returns to his home town of Blackburn after 10 years in New Zealand for a special concert at Blackburn Cathedral where he will be introducing and performing JS Bach's monumental work The Art Of Fugue. Indra is the
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Premier for desert maestro
A SHOW about the extraordinary life of Lawrence of Arabia will be premiered at the Thwaites Empire Theatre in Blackburn next Friday. The Warrior and the Poet, written and performed by Ray Sergant, tells the story of the later years of the life of the
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TV review: Richard Hammond Five O’Clock Show. ITV1
That's an hour of my life I'll never get back. The Richard Hammond Five O'Clock Show. "I am Richard Hammond. It's Thursday 5 January." So far, so what? The man-boy is a crossbreed of Nicky Campbell and that bloke from Rogue Trader. "We're supposed
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Dancing queen Jen gets lucky break
A TEENAGER has won a part in a professional ballet production despite breaking her foot dancing with Wayne Sleep! Jennifer Smith, 13, a pupil at Dorothy Bruce School of Dance, Accrington, fractured two bones during a lesson with the legendary dancer
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Festive drink turned into a melee
A Christmas day booze-up turned into a punch-up at a Blackburn pub, a court was told. Magistrates heard that the fight started between a number of women and ended with Trevor Walter Bamber punching another man in the face and then repeatedly in the stomach
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Inspectors’ praise for caring Blackburn school
A BLACKBURN school has been praised for being "outstandingly caring". Shadsworth Infant school, Rothesay Road impressed government inspectors when they visited in September. The Ofsted team concluded the school's "outstanding level of care" helped its
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Promised Land dream comes true for ‘Elvis’
AN Elvis fan on a mission to prove he is the King of impersonators has got one step closer to his hero by recording from Graceland for a new DVD. The DVD, Promised Land, shows Steve Preston, from Haslingden, as Elvis driving through the gates of Graceland
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Lunchers make wishes come true
ON behalf of everyone at Make a Wish, I would like to thank everyone who has supported the Well Wishers Luncheon Club over the past year. For the third consecutive year, the ladies have chosen to support Make a Wish the charity that grants wishes for
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Remember the homeless
I WAS delighted to support Silentnight Beds as they revealed the results of a poll which voted me the person whom British women would like to snuggle up to on the longest night of the year! However, I am also keen, along with Silentnight and Shelter
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Bus routes loss will cause hardship
I MUST express my disappointment at the attitude of both Blackburn Transport and Blackburn Borough Council with regard to the bus services. Firstly the withdrawal of the Blackburn outer circle routes 5a and 5c and now the threat of the withdrawal of
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Whelan and Wigan did us really proud
I NOTE from last Saturday's LET that people were disappointed when Dave Whelan's free pie gesture was downgraded to a half price pie. I too felt disappointed but not about the changed gesture, I was more concerned that the LET chose to fill its page
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Don’t put your foot in it with etiquette
I normally know what I'm doing and where I'm going.Okay, I get lost from time to time but the general plan is in my brain somewhere. I understand that there are certain things that can be said and that there are other things I must not say in case I
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No uniform: Carry your bus passes
A BUS boss has demanded more co-operation from schools over non-uniform days after a group of children feared they would be stranded near a busy road. A row erupted after youngsters from St Christopher's High School, Accrington, forgot their bus passes
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Teenage girl who broke ASBO jailed for 16 weeks
AN 18-YEAR-OLD Clitheroe girl who breached an Anti-Social Behaviour Order six weeks after it was imposed has been jailed for 16 weeks. Blackburn magistrates heard that Rachel Linford was found in Clitheroe town centre in breach of a curfew, under the
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Phone boy's stab threat
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a young boy was threatened by a teenager into handing over his mobile phone. Officers say the 12-year-old victim was waiting for a bus on the Boulevard, Blackburn, between 11.15am and 12.10pm on New Year's Day
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Wait agony in rape charge
A BAR manager accused of rape in Tenerife is still waiting for the results of DNA tests which he hopes will prove his innocence. Andrew Logan, 34, of Clitheroe, moved to the Spanish island just months before the allegation was made in August last year
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Thanks for the life of Joseph!
THE family of a young boy who survived a deadly virus has raised more than £4,000 for the hospital that treated him. Joseph Wilkin, four, was struck down with a form of severe brain disease, called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), which left
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NHS worker quits over ‘vile’ texts
A NURSING assistant who admitted sending "vile and abusive" text messages to a work colleague has resigned. Julie Hodgkinson, 49, gave her notice to Calderstones NHS Trust, Whalley, before disciplinary proceedings against her came to an end. An investigation
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Breach of bail by ex officer on indecency charges
A FORMER police officer facing charges of indecency involving children at his allotment had been arrested for breaching bail conditions. William Thomas Black, 72, of Whalley Road, Read, admitted breach-ing a condition of bail which prohibits him using
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Club’s hope for unity
A NEW £260,000 clubhouse which, it is hoped, will unite the community will be opened at Edgworth Cricket Club next week. An open evening will be held on January 134 at the Bolton Road ground to mark completion of the pavilion. The club successfully
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Attackers break teenager’s jaw
A TEENAGER'S jaw was broken in two places in an attack yesterday. Police say the 19-year-old was sat in the Pyramid takeaway, Darwen Street, Blackburn, at about 2.30am, when he was approached by two men. He was hit repeatedly in the face and required
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Birthday ban
A HEADTEACHER has banned pupils from giving each other playful birthday digs' after two children were left badly bruised. Children at St Augustine's RC High School, Billington, will face instant detention if they continue the playground custom of punching
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Vanda’s red hot stocking thrillers
A BUSINESSWOMAN from the Ukraine is aiming to warm things up in the bedrooms of East Lancashire after setting up her own lingerie shop But Vanda Lofthouse, whose own country has an average winter temperature of between minus-8 and minus-15 degrees, believes
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Woman 72, faces arrest
A PENSIONER accused of taking £2,000 in benefits despite allegedly having £200,000 in the bank is facing arrest after failing to turn up at court. Reedley magistrates issued a warrant with bail for Kathleen Barker, 72, after she failed to appear to answer
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Paint yob’s vow
A TEENAGE graffiti artist who daubed his name across Blackburn town centre has offered to clean up the mess in a bid to avoid prosecution. James Alexander Bonnick is responsible for painting the word 'Minki' at dozens of sites between July and December
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What's on listings
What's on in Lancashire on Saturday, January 7. BLACKBURN "Snow Queen," King George's Hall, Northgate. Caligraphy Classes, Portfolio Arts and Crafts Centre, 3 Simmons Street, 9am-11am. Details: 01254 665053. The "X Factor" (music, singing, dance and drama
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Keeping the right balance
SOME children have always revelled in making the lives of others hell at school. You only have to look at examples of Victorian literature like Tom Brown's Schooldays to realise that there is nothing new about bullying and physical violence in and around
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Bus routes loss will cause hardship
I MUST express my disappointment at the attitude of both Blackburn Transport and Blackburn Borough Council with regard to the bus services. Firstly the withdrawal of the Blackburn outer circle routes 5a and 5c and now the threat of the withdrawal of Route
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Date
Lunchers make wishes come true
ON behalf of everyone at Make a Wish, I would like to thank everyone who has supported the Well Wishers Luncheon Club over the past year. For the third consecutive year, the ladies have chosen to support Make a Wish the charity that grants wishes for
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Date
Paint yob vows to clean up his act
A TEENAGE graffiti artist who daubed his name across Blackburn town centre has offered to clean up the mess in a bid to avoid prosecution. James Alexander Bonnick is responsible for painting the word 'Minki' at dozens of sites between July and December
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Simon Garner column: Jansen can follow Ainsworth's example
IF Matt Jansen needs some inspiration in his bid to get his career back on track then he should look no further than the example set by Gareth Ainsworth. I remember Gareth when he was a young apprentice in the days when Don Mackay was Rovers' manager.
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Date
College tutors prove such good sports
SPORTS students at Burnley College got the chance to put one over on their tutors at a festive fun-day held at the Thompson Centre. Organised by students studying for the BTEC National Diploma in sports development and fitness, the event aimed to raise
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Date
Park restoration work hit by delay
WORK to restore Towneley Park's 300-year-old pond has fallen behind schedule due to bad weather and the need to make unexpected repairs. The work, part of a multi-million pound scheme to restore the park, was due to be completed by the end of December
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Date
Gran with alleged £200k savings accused of benefit fraud
A GRANDMOTHER accused of claiming £2,000 in benefits despite allegedly having £200,000 in savings has a warrant out for her arrest after failing to appear in court. But today Kathleen Barker, 72, was at her home in Burnley, and said she was too ill to
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Date
Fergie backs Syd's MBE
SPRIGHTLY Barnoldswick Town physio Syd Parkinson, who scooped an MBE in the New Year's honours, was nominated for his gong by leading Premiership managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Sam Allardyce. The Manchester United and Bolton Wanderers bosses were among
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Date
No uniform: Carry your bus passes
A BUS boss has demanded more co-operation from schools over non-uniform days after a group of children feared they would be stranded near a busy road. A row erupted after youngsters from St Christopher's High School, Accrington, forgot their bus passes
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Date
Dancing queen Jen gets lucky break
A TEENAGER has won a part in a professional ballet production -- despite breaking her foot dancing with Wayne Sleep! Jennifer Smith, 13, a pupil at Dorothy Bruce School of Dance, Accrington, fractured two bones during a lesson with the legendary dancer
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Date
Wait agony in rape charge
A BAR manager accused of rape in Tenerife is still waiting for the results of DNA tests which he hopes will prove his innocence. Andrew Logan, 34, of Clitheroe, moved to the Spanish island just months before the allegation was made in August last year
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Date
Teenage girl who broke ASBO jailed for 16 weeks
AN 18-YEAR-OLD Clitheroe girl who breached an Anti-Social Behaviour Order six weeks after it was imposed has been jailed for 16 weeks. Blackburn magistrates heard that Rachel Linford was found in Clitheroe town centre in breach of a curfew, under the
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Date
NHS worker quits over 'vile' texts
A NURSING assistant who admitted sending "vile and abusive" text messages to a work colleague has resign-ed. Julie Hodgkinson, 49, gave her notice to Calderstones NHS Trust, Whalley, before disciplin-ary proceedings against her came to an end. An investigation
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Date
Play-offs are the priority - Cotterill
STEVE Cotterill is hoping for a repeat of last year's FA Cup exploits - but not at the expense of a play-off place. The Clarets travel to Derby County for the third round tie hoping they can emulate their heroics of last season, which saw them make it
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Date
Grant: I'm sitting on the fence
LEE GRANT will be staying firmly on the fence when Derby and Burnley face off in the FA Cup tomorrow. The Rams stopper, who's on-loan at Burnley but is ineligible for the game, could be viewed as a 'spy in the camp' by both clubs - but he is hoping to
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Date
Yates quits Turf
BURNLEY first team coach Mark Yates has left the club to become Kidderminster Harriers' new manager. Yates, who used to play for Harriers, decided to make the switch late last night to take his first managerial role. Yates, who was appointed by Cotterill
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Date
Pedersen: Cup is my lucky charm
MORTEN Gamst Pedersen is hoping to be the inspiration behind another famous Cup run as Blackburn Rovers kick-off their FA Cup campaign with a third round tie at home to QPR tomorrow. The Norwegian international was something of a lucky charm last season
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Lancashire gig guide
Your diary of the big gigs coming to Lancashire soon, including the likes of G4, Joss Stone, The Strokes, Australian Pink Floyd, The Magic Numbers, The Levellers and Fun Lovin' Criminals. JANUARY 5 Katzenjammer, Grand, Blackpool, £9.50 - £11.50 JANUARY
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Drugs crackdown in pubs and clubs
POLICE officers will be visiting pubs and clubs in the Valley this weekend in a crackdown on hard drug users. Officers will visit premises in Haslingden tonight and tomorrow to clamp down on suspected users and pushers. Flat surfaces, such as toilet cisterns
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Date
Paint yob vows to clean up his act
A TEENAGE graffiti artist who daubed his name across Blackburn town centre has offered to clean up the mess in a bid to avoid prosecution. James Alexander Bonnick is responsible for painting the word 'Minki' at dozens of sites between July and December
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Date
Vanda's red hot stocking thrillers
A BUSINESSWOMAN from the Ukraine is aiming to warm things up in the bedrooms of East Lancashire after setting up her own lingerie shop But Vanda Lofthouse, whose own country has an average winter temperature of between minus-8 and minus-15 degrees, believes
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Date
Remember the homeless
I WAS delighted to support Silentnight Beds as they revealed the results of a poll which voted me the person whom British women would like to snuggle up to on the longest night of the year! However, I am also keen, along with Silentnight and Shelter,
-
Date
Whelan and Wigan did us really proud
I NOTE from last Saturday's LET that people were disappointed when Dave Whelan's free pie gesture was downgraded to a half price pie. I too felt disappointed but not about the changed gesture, I was more concerned that the LET chose to fill its page three
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Date
Andy Lochhead column: Cup run can be our cash lifeline
THE FA Cup will always have a special place in my heart. I went to the final with Leicester in 1969 and despite losing to Manchester City it was still a memorable day. I can remember saying at the time that's it's a must occasion for any professional
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Date
Gran with alleged £200k savings accused of benefit fraud
A GRANDMOTHER accused of claiming £2,000 in benefits despite allegedly having £200,000 in savings has a warrant out for her arrest after failing to appear in court. But today Kathleen Barker, 72, was at her home in Burnley, and said she was too ill to
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Date
'I cried after Rovers axe'
LIFELONG Blackburn fan Gareth Ainsworth will finally fulfil a childhood dream tomorrow when he steps out at Ewood Park in the colours of Queen's Park Rangers. The 32-year-old midfielder, who started his career as an apprentice with Rovers, has had to
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Date
Jobless dad duped out of £84,000
A father-of-three told a jury he was left in a mess after losing £84,000 in a "double your money" fake cash con. Saghir Ahmed has not seen any of his money since handing it over to two men said to have convinced him they had a process for making counterfeit
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Date
Police tighten screw on car plate crime
AN INNOVATIVE crime-fighting tool devised by a Nelson policeman could be used all over the country. Former engineer PC Mark Wilcock came up with the idea of fitting special tamper-proof screws on number plates to prevent thieves stealing them. Registration
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Date
Child abuser, 24 cries in dock
A 24-YEAR-OLD man is facing jail after stripping naked and sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl. Ralph Stokes cried in the dock after a Burnley Crown Court jury convicted him and Judge Barbara Watson remanded him in custody. The defendant was found
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Date
Market on brink of major revamp
COUNCIL bosses are close to agreeing a deal which would see hundreds of thousands of pounds invested in Accrington's historic market hall. Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe said he was in talks with three potential investors this week. And he expects
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Date
Thanks for the life of Joseph!
THE family of a young boy who survived a deadly virus has raised more than £4,000 for the hospital that treated him. Joseph Wilkin, four, was struck down with a form of severe brain disease, called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), which left
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Date
Head outlaws play punches after pupils are left bruised
A HEADTEACHER has banned pupils from giving each other playful 'birthday digs' after two children were left badly bruised. Children at St Augustine's RC High School, Billington, will face instant detention if they continue the playground custom of punching
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Date
Yates quits Turf
BURNLEY first team coach Mark Yates has left the club to become Kidderminster Harriers' new manager. Yates, who used to play for Harriers, decided to make the switch late last night to take his first managerial role. Yates, who was appointed by Cotterill
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Date
Mullen: United we must stand
STEVE Mullen is calling on his players to 'stand up and be counted' as Darwen travel to Gigg Lane to take on league leaders FC United. The Anchor Ground boss fears his side could be embarrassed if they turn in another below par performance as they did
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Date
Crystal's set to sparkle
SHE'S been described as "Gwen Stefani on a bad acid trip". Aptly-named Crystal Grenade is the lead singer of the Manchester-based glitter rock band Sadie Hawkins Dance and they're coming to Accrington on January 13. Grenade is said to be explosive, with
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Date
Club's hope for unity
A NEW £260,000 clubhouse which, it is hoped, will unite the community will be opened at Edgworth Cricket Club next week. An open evening will be held on January 134 at the Bolton Road ground to mark completion of the pavilion. The club successfully bid
-
Date
£125k prize to build village hall
A COMMUNITY which has been without a village hall for 10 years was celebrating today after winning at least £125,000 to finally start building one. Villagers in Weir have been trying to raise money for a new community centre on the site of the former
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Date
Promised Land dream comes true for 'Elvis'
AN Elvis fan on a mission to prove he is the King of impersonators has got one step closer to his hero by recording from Graceland for a new DVD. The DVD, Promised Land, shows Steve Preston, from Haslingden, as Elvis driving through the gates of Graceland
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Date
£14,950 prize for Ann
A launderette worker is celebrating after winning £14,950. Ann Kominsky scooped the prize after guessing four mystery voices on a competition run by Preston-based radio station Rock FM. The competition was launched in early December and the amount was
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Date
Attackers break teenager's jaw
A TEENAGER'S jaw was broken in two places in an attack yesterday. Police say the 19-year-old was sat in the Pyramid takeaway, Darwen Street, Blackburn, at about 2.30am, when he was approached by two men. He was hit repeatedly in the face and required
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Date
Festive drink turned into a melee
A Christmas day booze-up turned into a punch-up at a Blackburn pub, a court was told. Magistrates heard that the fight started between a number of women and ended with Trevor Walter Bamber punching another man in the face and then repeatedly in the stomach
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Date
Plea for witnesses after phone boy given stab threat
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a young boy was threatened by a teenager into handing over his mobile phone. Officers say the 12-year-old victim was waiting for a bus on the Boulevard, Blackburn, between 11.15am and 12.10pm on New Year's Day.
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Date
Inspectors' praise for caring school
A BLACKBURN school has been praised for being "outstandingly caring". Shadsworth Infant school, Rothesay Road impressed government inspectors when they visited in September. The Ofsted team concluded the school's "outstanding level of care" helped its
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Date
Shuiab Khan column: Don't put your foot in it with etiquette
I normally know what I'm doing and where I'm going.Okay, I get lost from time to time but the general plan is in my brain somewhere. I understand that there are certain things that can be said and that there are other things I must not say in case I offend
-
Date
Pedersen: Cup is my lucky charm
MORTEN Gamst Pedersen is hoping to be the inspiration behind another famous Cup run as Blackburn Rovers kick-off their FA Cup campaign with a third round tie at home to QPR tomorrow. The Norwegian international was something of a lucky charm last season
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Date
The final farewell to Betty
FRIENDS and family of a popular Burnley Football Club cleaner turned out in force to say a final goodbye after she died aged 67. Betty Finnerty, of Brunshaw Road, worked for the club for a number of years after a stroke forced her to quit her full-time
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Date
Police hunt for masked raiders
Police are hunting masked raiders who held up a convenience store with a samurai sword. Two men dressed in black, both wearing balaclavas and one clad in a hallowe'en mask, burst into the Co-op late store, Vernon Road, Holcombe Brook, at about 10pm on
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Date
Friends defend child sex case man
FRIENDS and work colleagues of man accused of sexually abusing a little girl have told a court of his honest' and genuine' character. Ralph Stokes, 24 was said to have exposed himself to the seven-year-old child and got her to undress before performing
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Date
Driver in crash is banned
A Helmshore driver over the limit injured himself and his passengers when his car hit a lamp post, Burnley magistrates heard. Steven Wharton, 22, who was in a crash in Haslingden Road, Rawtenstall, gave a test showing 122 micrograms of alcohol in 100
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Date
Debt mum’s cash spree
A MOTHER of three who stole a pensioner's handbag after sneaking into her home then went on a spending spree, a court heard. Former drug addict Theresa O'Neil, 38, had got the victim's PIN number as well as her credit card. She then started a £1,000
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Date
Streets closed for gas repairs
FIVE Burnley streets have been closed to traffic as part of a major scheme to replace gas supply pipes. The National Grid is replacing 600 metres of gas mains in the town as part of a multi-million pound package of improvements to the gas supply system
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Date
Children as young as three starting blazes
FIRE chiefs are warning parents to beware of the deadly habit of fire fascination in children as young as three. Firefighters in Nelson have tackled three house fires over the last month started by youngsters playing with fire. The youngest child was
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Date
Pub in with a shout of Crown
BURNLEY pub the Rose and Crown is in the running for an industry award for its services to the local community. The Manchester Road pub is one of three on the shortlist for a Punch Taverns Shine award in the category Best Community Experience. Judges
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Snapshot of real Clarets
CLARETS fans can get a unique insight into the daily life of their heroes in a new exhibition at Mid-Pennine Art Gallery. The club's in-house photographer Andy Ford has followed Burnley FC's everyday routine on an off the pitch including their pre-season
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Man in court on armed robbery charge
POLICE have arrested and charged a Nelson man following an armed robbery at a Burnley garage. Naeem Shazad, 21, of Rook Street, Nelson, appeared before magistrates in Burnley in connection with the service station raid. Shazad was arrested in Nelson
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Date
£84,000 ‘double your money con'
AN off-licence assistant was conned out of £84,000 by two men who convinced him they had perfected a scientific way of making counterfeit cash, a court was told. The scam, which was said to be capable of making £1million a day, involved powder, liquid
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Hodgson under no illusions
NEIL Hodgson is under no illusions about how tough it's going to be to win the 2006 US Superbike Championship. The Burnley-born racer finished the first major winter test down in fourth place - and reigning champion Mat Mladin wasn't even there. With
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Thomas races to trio of titles
WELSHMAN Gwyn Thomas scored his hat-trick after outpacing his rivals on the Neil Howard Memorial Stage Rally. The Puma pilot, winner in 2001 and 2002, finished the two-day event just one minute ahead of John Hardman. Third place went to Mark Skillicorn
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Pair head national rankings
The Final Track and Field National Ranking Lists for 2005 reveal that four East Lancashire athletes can lay claims to being the best in country. Laura Finucane of Pendle Athletic Club and Chris Hart from Blackburn Harriers top the charts outdoors while
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Pleased with our points
LOOKING at our festive fixtures, having the Southport game postponed was a huge disappointment. I went along to the ground before the final pitch inspection and I didn't feel the problem they were having was enough to call the game off. There was one
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Not a window of opportunity
THE January transfer window hasn't been the hive of activity that Premiership and Championship teams have come to expect. And it's a novelty that we are still adjusting to. But that's not to say things aren't going to happen for Accrington Stanley this
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The Axe hoping to cut down African cousins
AARON Mokoena will miss the most crucial month in Blackburn Rovers' season so far after deciding to captain South Africa in the African Nations Cup. The 25-year-old, whose nickname is The Axe, went back to South Africa earlier this week to link up with
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Akinbiyi’s feeling refreshed
ADE Akinbiyi is raring to go again after Burnley's hectic Christmas schedule almost wore him out. The 14-goal top scorer admits he was feeling the effects of four games in eight games during the second half of the Clarets' 1-1 draw at Queens Park Rangers
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Striker Jansen ends six-year spell at Ewood
MATT Jansen's love affair with Blackburn Rovers has finally come to an end after the club last night agreed to release him from his contract. The 28-year-old striker, who joined Rovers from Crystal Palace in a £4.1 million deal six years ago, formally
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Man in attack on his soldier brother
A SOLDIER was assaulted by his 23-year-old brother, who had psychiatric problems, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard the attack was not the worst of its kind and the brother had been well able to defend himself against Paul Curtis Appleby.
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Head’s anger over schools ‘overload’
A HEADTEACHER has accused the government of forcing schools to "solve what is wrong with modern society." And David Whyte, at St Wilfrid's C of E High School and Technology College, Blackburn, fears schools face the point of "total overload" if the situation
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TV review: World's Strongest Man, Five
SO that's where they got to! Yes the men with the inflatable shoulders and improbable tattoos haven't disappeared off our screens after all. I was getting a bit worried for the Christmas/New Year period is the traditional time for the sighting of the
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Older folk will learn to surf the internet
BLACKBURN'S older residents are being dubbed silver surfers as they are introduced to the world wide web through a new Places for People scheme. One hundred residents from Ferrier Court residential home, Carluke Street, will be able to learn a variety
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My first festive feast in 11 long years
AN East Lancashire woman is celebrating after tucking into her first Christmas dinner for more than a decade over the festive season. Christine Mills was given a new kidney last year, after waiting 11 years for a transplant. While living without healthy
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New B&B habit
ONE of East Lancashire's most historic landmarks has opened its doors to bed and breakfast visitors. Whalley Abbey, which was founded in 1300, is offering rooms at its newly-refurbished retreat and conference house. Overnight guests are to be charged
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Alert over ‘poachers’
WILDLIFE wardens fear poachers are hunting deer in the countryside around Tockholes. Rangers at Roddlesworth Woods have received reports of deer being chased by lurcher dogs and of people dressed in camouflage and carrying firearms. Now residents and
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Joy for clubbers
ACCRINGTON'S nightlife is set to get a massive £1million boost with the news that the Opium club is to reopen. The nightclub, on Willow Street, has been closed since fire struck more than a year ago. But now Opium boss Mick Cookson said he was almost
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Well done stores for festive fare
HAVING been put on a gluten free, wheat free diet, I and many others have to shop around for gluten free food. Sainsbury's at Darwen deserves top marks, as does Hill Street Tesco in Blackburn. Bottom of the list is another well-known store which took
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My best Christmas present as Minister
I've often thought that one of the world's greatest, if shortest, works of fiction was the large notice which is hung outside on the Private Office door in the Foreign Office. Put there in anticipation of Ministers in this case me daring to take some
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Pothole repairs were no problem
FURTHER to the story (LET, December 29) my experience in reporting potholes in the stretch of Parsonage Road, Blackburn, leading from Whalley New Road to the New Inns public house was completely different to that of Mr Steve Catterall. In early June
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Watch out for the back door invasion force
DURING 2004, the office of the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, floated a proposal that three areas of our country should be used as a sounding board in an attempt to establish if later regionalisation of the country as a whole would be acceptable
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Man, 86, died month after table accident
AN 86-year-old man who broke his hip when a table fell on him died in hospital more than a month later, an inquest was told. John Entwistle, of Grange Road, Blackburn, was admitted to hospital on November 20 after injuring his hip folding the table,
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Muslim leaders’ plea over evil rapist
MUSLIM leaders are urging the Asian community to help detectives catch a New Year's Day sex attacker. The man struck as his 16-year-old victim walked home from a friend's house close to Bolton Road, Ewood, between 1am and 1.30am on Sunday. Police said
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Driving out hate crime
POLICE have joined forces with Burnley FC to try to drive down hate crime in the town. The club's Turf Moor stadium is to host a series of drop-in sessions for people who have fallen victim to such crimes. Officers want people to blow the whistle on
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Stop-gap shop is planned as store closes
STORE bosses in Whalley are to set up a temporary shop selling essentials when the village's only supermarket closes for a £250,000 refit next week. The Spar supermarket in George Street will close next Thursday for seven weeks while a major refurbishment
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Firm aims to slash £1m waste bill
AN East Lancashire paper making company is set to slash its £1million a year sewage costs after taking part in a groundbreaking experiment. Georgia Pacific GB, Ramsbottom, underwent trials using water filtration material at its Stubbins Mill site. And
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Share worries with police
BLACKBURN residents are being urged to tell the police what they want their local bobby to crack down on. Officers have announced the latest Police and Community Together (PACT) meetings. Ewood and Mill Hill residents can attend a meeting on Monday,
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Fight to save glass factory
ADMINISTRATORS were today hoping to secure the future of an Accrington glass factory after one of Lancashire's premier conservatory companies was placed into administration. Polar Glass which employs 40 people at Junction Seven Business Park, Clayton-le-Moors
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Jack-ing in the extra pounds...
FOREIGN Secretary Jack Straw has embarked on a new year diet after he realised Britain's presidency of the European Union had made him podgy. Six months of back-to-back meetings, including dozens of working lunches and late night meals with fellow ministers
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Traffic calming scheme praised
A councillor has praised life saving' traffic calming measures which have been built in his ward. Coun Iftakhar Hussain, the Bastwell representative on Blackburn with Darwen Council, has welcomed the new Mitton Street scheme, built at a cost of £9,000
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Knife embedded in thigh after ‘attack’
A MUM today told of her horror after her son was "attacked" and left lying in a hospital bed with a knife sticking out of his leg. Daniel Warburton, 21, from Blackburn, was seriously injured on New Year's Day as he tried to remove people from a friend's
