Archive
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Man found with 64 cannabis plants given caution
A LOFT full of cannabis plants was discovered by police in a raid on a Colne house. The 40-year-old occupant of the house in Bond Street was arrested but will not be taken to court, despite having 64 plants, 35 of them mature. Instead, he was given
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Assault in bar
A man walking across the dance floor in a heavy metal bar was punched in the face for no apparent reason, a court heard. Blackburn magistrates were told that Ryan McInerney was blinded by his own blood flowing from a burst nose and a burst lip. And
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Clitheroe 'nothing to fear' for FA Cup clash
CLITHEROE manager Neil Reynolds insists his side have "nothing to fear" as they look to pull off a major FA Cup shock tomorrow. The Blues make the journey across the Pennines for a daunting third qualifying round tie at Blue Square North leaders Harrogate
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Grayson: Semi will be tough
PAUL Grayson knows all about being brought up in a football heartland as he played for Accrington Stanley before becoming an England Rugby World Cup record-breaker. The Chorley-born fly half famously stepped out for the Reds in late 1980s before channelling
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Fletcher: Pitch battle is all in the head
FIFA's head of artificial turf has told England's team psychologist the players need to overcome their mental fears of playing on a synthetic pitch in Russia next week. Wednesday's match at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium is set to determine whether the team
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Road accident victim, 3, returns home
A LITTLE girl who was critically ill after a collision with a motorbike has defied the odds and come home in time for Eid. Aisha Rasool, three, suffered a broken skull and suspected brain damage after being "flipped" into the air when she was hit by
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Stroke victim in claim for constructive dismissal against MEP
A WOMAN who worked for a Euro MP says she was "harassed" to return to work just weeks after suffering a stroke. Hilary Harris told an industrial tribunal she was regularly phoned by a UK Independence Party agent asking when she would be returning to
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Driver jailed for a day
A man refused to give a breath sample after police stopped his father's car outside a Darwen home. Defence solicitor Adam Whittaker said his client still maintained he was not the driver and had been picked out by the police when he admitted the car
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Stanley skipper's play-off target
ACCRINGTON Stanley skipper Peter Cavanagh insists the Reds are still harbouring play-off hopes despite an inconsistent start to the season. Stanley make the long journey to Dagenham and Redbridge on Sunday aiming to improve on their current mid-table
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Balshaw: The day our boys ruled the world
AS a member of England's East Lancs Four', Iain Balshaw can still barely believe he is the local boy who became a World Cup winner. Four years ago, Blackburn-born Balshaw and Will Greenwood; Paul Grayson, from Chorley, and former Stonyhurst College student
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Boozy yobs assaulted men
TWO drink-fuelled louts who attacked two men as they walked home from their first night out in Bacup have kept their freedom. Burnley Crown Court heard how father-of-two Peter Lewis, 27, who has a record for assault, started the violence on victims Tristan
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Curfew order
A MAN who subjected a reveller to an unprovoked street attack in the early hours of New Year's Day has received a three-month curfew. Daniel Spedding, 22, headbutted victim Simon Lampard to the ground in the beating in Burnley town centre, Burnley Crown
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'Fine buster' gets parking ticket cancelled
A FINE-BUSTER who has won legal battles across the country claims parking restrictions in a Blackburn street are 'unlawful'. Neil Herron, who has waged a one-man war against decriminalised parking enforce-ment, has claimed victory' for people in the
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£300k revamp for pub
A DARWEN pub which has undergone a £300,000 makeover is reopening tonight. Daniel Thwaites Brewery has refurbished The George with a high tech plasma screen and three big screens and sound systems. Brand new signage now greets customers at the Hollins
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Councillors back bowls protesters
TORY councillors have criticised their own officers and backed a campaign to keep an indoor bowling club in Blackburn. Councillors said they believed that appeals to the town hall for help would "fall on deaf ears" as they kept getting "passed from pillar
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Hidden money sentence
A MAN found with a knuckle duster in his car and cash hidden between his buttocks was given a community order. Burnley magistrates heard how Daniel Thomas, 19, was also discovered to have drugs. The defendant, of Leamington Avenue, Burnley, admitted
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Days of dolly blue and tin baths
A BOOK of memories has been compiled by members of Belmont Community Centre, in Burnley. For they have created their own reminiscence book, setting out their recollections of days gone by, in a year-long project. The book was officially launched this
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Cadet’s career really took off
IT was the summer of 1952. The air was crisp and clear, with not a cloud in sight - perfect flying weather. Indeed, a group of ATC cadets were learning how to fly in a two-seater Magister training plane, at Blackpool and Fylde Aero Club, at Squires Gate
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Help comes from the art
Keith Melling has given Pendleside Hospice permission to use reproductions of his landscape paintings in its 2008 calendar. This is the third year that Keith's paintings have helped raise charity cash. The 2008 calendars are on sale for £5 from
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Dancers on their toes for awards night
Dancers from the Stephanie Bridge School of Dancing at the 40th annual prize night at Fearns Community Sports College, Bacup. And returning to the school, now run by Mrs Kathryn Burridge, to present the prizes was the founder Stephanie Bridge. There
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Housing association boosts its workforce
HOUSING association Calico has further boosted its skilled workforce by adding a team of 10 gas engineers to their 50-strong repairs team. The gas servicing and repairs contract, the most important service for the comfort and safety for Calico's 4,600
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Man had knife in street ‘to protect himself’
A MAN seen walking down a Darwen street in the early hours of the morning brandishing the butt end of a pool cue told police he was carrying it for his own protection. Blackburn magistrates heard that when Shaun Trayner was arrested again five days later
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Woman faces two-year wait for psychiatric care
A LAWYER has hit out at the psychiatric services after it was revealed a woman who attacked her father and sister may have to wait two years for help. Burnley magistrates heard how Dana Doherty, 21, who is suffering a "mental disorder" and whose health
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Church flagstones stolen
HISTORIC flags that have paved the way to a popular Blackburn church for over a century have been stolen. Church leaders at St Mark's in Buncer Lane said it was a "sad reflection of the times" and appealed for anyone with information to contact the police
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Church Folk
There will be a folk music evening at The Sunnybank, Helmshore on Friday, 12th October. The evening is organised by St Thomas Church, Musbury. Steve Langridge and friends will be performing and admission is £5 for adults, £3 for children including
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African church donation
The former vicar of St Lawrence with St Paul's Church, Longridge, returned to the parish to receive a cheque for £2,500. The Rev Simon Aiken received the money to help to build a church of St Matthew's in Botshabelo, South Africa. The current church
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Chairman retires
Rodney Swarbrick has retired from his position as chairman and member of Bushell House trustees. He has been a member of the Goosnargh establishment for 24 years and chairman for the past six-and-a-half-years. Andrew Penny has been elected new chairman
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Bikers' tea party wonderland
Philip Youles (Mad Hatter) and his wife Louise (Alice) at their open evening. Philip, a Triumph motorbike dealer, held a Mad Hatter's Tea Party at his showrooms in Pendle Street, Copy Nook, Blackburn. Around 80 bikers called in for tea and cakes
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Summer house looks set for nod
PLANS to build a summer house at a property in Trawden are due to be discussed by councillors tonight. Councillors on Pendle Council's Colne committee will be asked for their views on plans submitted by Mr and Mrs C Butterworth for a property at Hollin
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Driver's escape as van overturns
A DRIVER escaped injury when the van he was driving overturned yesterday morning. A blue Mercedes Sprinter van slid 50 metres before turning on its side on the embankment after the Rising Bridge roundabout on the A56. The van had been travelling
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Man, 29, slapped parking attendant
A bottom-smacking prank didn't go down very well with a male parking attendant. And it led to businessman Gavin Pilkington, 29, who had been on a birthday bash, spending 13 hours in a police cell. Manchester magistrates heard that victim Peter Kelly
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Plans for three retirement villages
PLANS are being drawn up for three retirement villages as part of a massive revamp of care services in Blackburn with Darwen. As part of its bid to transform the way adult social care is provided, social services chiefs have unveiled plans for the "community
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Teen ran onto Ewood pitch for players' shirts
A TEENAGER who ran onto the pitch at Ewood Park and asked for the shirts off two players' backs has escaped a football banning order. Blackburn magistrates heard that 18-year-old Ashley Edward Jepson had been going to Ewood since his dad started taking
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Business help for young farmers
A SCHEME that will provide business advice for the next generation of Lancashire farmers is up and running. The county's farmers of the future will soon be able to enter the industry on a stronger footing with the help of Fresh Start Lancashire, part
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Learner driver 'caused motorway pile up'
A LEARNER trials bike rider caused a motorway pile-up which left six people injured after failing off his bike, a court heard. And Burnley magistrates were told that Jason Metcalfe, 24, got back on his bike and rode off after the accident. Metcalfe
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Bad news for Bacup
BACUP'S new signing, former Maltese international, Ian Stevens, will be out of action for three weeks. The striker, who made his debut on Saturday, broke a finger in a freak accident while fell walking on Monday.
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Banned motorist used his mobile while driving
A MAN driving a white sports car who attracted police attention because he was using a mobile phone was recognised as a banned driver. Blackburn magistrates heard that Kelvin Baker sped off and evaded the police but they went straight to his house on
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Farmers’ anger at £12m aid package
THE Government's aid package to help farmers has been criticised by East Lanc-ashire union leaders. The package, estimated at £12.5million, falls short of losses of over £100million farmers have sustained after foot and mouth outbreaks. National Farmers
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Harriers make way at Witton
The summer sun met the winter calendar on Saturday afternoon when Blackburn Harriers hosted the opening fixture of the cross country season at Witton Park. The Red Rose League has made one significant change to the rule book this year with the under-
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Rovers keen on French starlet - reports
Blackburn Rovers are reported to be interested in Grenoble midfielder Sofiane Feghouli. The 17-year-old French starlet is being linked with a move to Ewood Park in the January window.
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Roque: My big gamble
BLACKBURN Rovers striker Roque Santa Cruz is hoping his decision to rest his injured knees now will save him from facing months on the sidelines. The Paraguayan international has withdrawn from his country's World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Uruguay
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Magilton charged after Turf Moor incident
Ipswich Town boss Jim Magilton has been charged by the Football Association for his actions during the recent 2-2 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor. Magilton is charged with a breach of FA rule E3 - the use of abusive and/or insulting words. The Tractor
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McCann: Time for me to grow up
BURNLEY midfielder Chris McCann admits it's time he became a man. The 20-year-old is among a crop of promising youngsters to have come through the youth ranks at Turf Moor who have been shielded from the limelight by manager Steve Cotterill. But after
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Knuckle duster found in jacket pocket
A MAN found with a home-made knuckle duster claimed he had found it. Burnley magistrates heard how Brian Hedgecock, 34, who has 85 previous convictions, told officers he had discovered it near the probation office when he attended for an appointment.
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Coaches are the most valuable resource
After my comments last week, I have been taken to task for allegedly inferring that none of the work done by the National Coaches in the days of the AAA scheme is covered today. That was not my intention, nor is it true. What is my impression, however
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MP hits out at plans for cuts at BBC
A Conservative MP has criticised the director general of the BBC over plans for budget cuts in news and factual programmes. Nigel Evans, MP for the Ribble Valley and a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, said: "Mark Thompson's plans
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Back to the sharp end of business in Parliament
PLEASE don't think that we spend all the 11 weeks of Parliament's "summer vacation" sunning ourselves on the beach. I did take a good holiday, but that finished eight weeks ago, in mid-August. Since then I've been busy; from the end of August very busy
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Fare-well to cab for Syd
CAR enthusiasts among you might recognise this Austin 24 pictured on the road from Hoghton Bottoms in the forties. Although the road had been asphalted, there were still cobbles down one side for the local horse and carts. The shiny motor had been in
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Tunnel drama as people flee blazing train
THIS month is the 40th anniversary of the Sough Tunnel train drama in Darwen. In October 1967, passengers were forced to leap from a blazing diesel in the mile-long tunnel after its oil tanks exploded. The two-coach train, the 8.30am from Blackburn
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Nelson 1 Bacup Borough 4
Bacup Borough grabbed an outstanding 4-1 win at Nelson in the Lancashire Co-op Trophy. And that was despite playing with 10 men for 50 minutes after Brian Herbert was sent off for a second bookable offence. Captain Stuart Shepherd opened the scoring
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Barritt and Morrow take Mitsubishi title
BURNLEY co-driver Daniel Barritt has guided Philip Morrow to a coveted works drive with Mitsubishi for next year's British Rally Championship. The duo clinched the top prize after winning this year's Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge - a works
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Plastics firm in 4.35m euros deal
A plastic manufacturer has bought a Dutch firm in a deal worth 4.35million euros. RPC Group plc, which includes RPC Containers Ltd, Haslingden Road, Guide, has acquired injection moulding company Raytec BV. The Dutch firm manufactures glue sticks, cartridge
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Win a copy of James Whale's new book!
Radio One shock jock Chris Moyles calls him a genius, he attracts more than a million listeners to his TalkSport show ever week but who is the man behind the voice? Almost A Celebrity: A Lifetime of Night-time is s no-holds-barred autobiography of the
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Encke's new idea
BLACKBURN Rovers goalkeeper Peter Encleman's EnckeSport team is to run an initiative next year to help underprivileged youths get started in engineering. As part of next season's single-car effort, one of the team's Renault Clios will be run by teenagers
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All roads are leading to Mull
IT'S that time of the year again, when drivers from across East Lancashire make the journey north of the border to the island of Mull. Autumn leaves and debris will be swept clear of the roads from Tobermory by the high speed of passing rally cars thanks
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Teachers needed in Africa
MANY people feel frustrated when they see pictures of crowded schools in Africa without tables or books or paper. But there is an even more pressing need that cameras don't show - the need for well-trained and motivated teachers. The level of teacher
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Parked cars are a real hazard
I WOULD like to bring to the attention of readers the plight of the pedestrians of Blackburn, particularly elderly and/or disabled ones. The area of main concern to this section of the community is the widespread practice among car owners of parking
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Town centre depressing
MY mother and I fancied a trip into Blackburn to take a look at the market. Gosh, what market? There are hardly any stalls, there is no variety of commodities. People who have helped to make Blackburn, who have traded on the market for years, since I
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'Bright colours for Becky' plea
A FAMILY has asked for mourners to wear "bright and colourful" clothing to the funeral of a 13-year-old girl who died last week. Keen footballer Rebecca Duxbury, known to her friends as Becky, was found dead at her home last Wednesday. The Darwen Vale
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Man, 60 found dead at home
DETECTIVES are appealing for witnesses to help piece together the last moments of a man found dead at his home. The body of Geoffrey Rushton, 60, was discovered shortly before 11am on Tuesday. Neighbours in Branch Road, Burnley, alerted police after
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Johnson has top results
STEVE Johnson and Steve Butler, from Accrington, enjoyed a hugely successful weekend, with top results in the Keith Wood Stages rally and the Three Sisters event over three stage rallies. The duo finished 29th overall, second in up to 1300 class and
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BASIL
Linda Lynn, founder of WhichCraft? and local resident, has set up a new group for community organisations to share and exhange equipment and knowledge. For Free! BASIL (named after Linda's Corgi dog!) stands for Borrow and Share: Inter-Community Lending
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Council care homes may become private
THE care of hundreds of elderly and vulnerable people could move into private hands. Union bosses say it is a "sad day" as bosses at Blackburn with Darwen's cash-strapped adult social services depart-ment planned to off-load staff to the independent
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Marathon
Time is running out if you are thinking of running in next year's Flora London Marathon, as your entry must be in by Friday of next week. The entry form is contained in a free magazine called Marathon News which is available from all major high street
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Young Burke is a golden wonder
THE best rides by East Lancashire racing cyclists over the past week have come from our younger riders, with 19-year-old Steven Burke, of Colne, topping the pile with two gold medals in the British National Track Championships held in the Manchester Velodrome
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Frank Skinner @ King George’s Hall, Blackburn
THERE is something reassuring about seeing a man truly in his element. After 10 years away from the stand-up circuit, Frank Skinner has returned to his roots - and it is as though he has never been away. As a chat show host, Skinner increasingly gave
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Clarets superstore to get new look
BURNLEY Football Club's retail store at Turf Moor is to undergo a refurbishment. The Clarets superstore, in Harry Potts Way, will be redesigned throughout to make it a brighter, attractive and more beneficial shopping experience. As a result, the store
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Man critical after road accident
A 55-year-old man is in a critical condition in hospital after a serious road traffic accident. Police said a 22-year-old man from Chorley was reversing his works van when it was in collision with a 55-year-old pedestrian from Wigan. The 55-year-old
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C.O.M.F.A.
We all live in a society that is losing our community values. Today, we no longer have the 'community spirit', that not so long ago was a part of all our lives. C.O.M.F.A. (Community For All) will be a local group of people, that everyone can be
