Archive
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Mum and daughter ran a drugs farm from their Accrington home
A MUM and daughter had a £30,000 cannabis farm in the cellar of their Accrington home. Wendy Pearson, 46, and Cassie Yardley, 21, had never been in trouble before and were naive. Yardley had a dream of joining the Armed Forces and working with
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Designer from Bacup achieves 'instant homes' dream
AN East Lancashire designer will this week see his vision of ‘instant homes’ become a reality in Blackburn as he starts to recruit 300 workers by next summer. Ian Chew’s modular houses, built in a factory and put up in days, are the first of their
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Man killed on railway track near Blackburn
A MAN was killed after he got onto the railway track near Blackburn. The man, thought to be in his mid-50s, was hit between Cherry Tree and Pleasington by the 4.47am Northern Rail Preston to Colne train in the early hours of yesterday morning.
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Colne paedophile got 15-year-old victim pregnant
AN ex-youth leader and councillor who lived a double life as a paedophile has been given another jail term for sex with a second schoolgirl. John Duffy, now 52, was jailed for 12 years in December after grooming a besotted girl and having hundreds
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East Lancashire's over 50s fear home loss
NEARLY a quarter of people in their early 50s are afraid of falling on hard times and being forced out of their homes. An age UK report surveyed 971 people between the ages of 50 and 55 and found that 23 per cent of them harboured fears about keeping
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Volunteers’ pool marathon in Clitheroe helps raise £1,500 for forces charity
FUNDRAISERS in Clitheroe have gone to great lengths by swimming 15 miles for Help For Heroes at Ribblesdale Swimming Pool. The group of 15 was put together after mum-of-five Michelle Starrier, 46, put an appeal on Facebook asking for volunteers
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Blackburn College worker admits stealing £21k
A COLLEGE worker who spent more than £21,000 on a work credit card on holidays, shopping and a trip to Alton Towers has been warned she faces jail. Shaheda Lorgat, a purchasing officer at Blackburn College, used the card which was meant to buy
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Darwen Street was the centre of our universe
DARWEN Street was the feature of where is this recently and it got Mrs Marion Gregson of Feniscowles thinking about all the shops which have traded there over the years. And, at 90 years of age, she can certainly remember quite a few. As a
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Meeting the challenges in mid air
BRITAIN’S bread may well have hung by a Lancashire thread, but there were many other industries which added to the industrial fabric of the county. In Blackburn, for instance, was a company which is believed to have been the only one in Britain
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Nelson house raiders who risked gas explosion are jailed
TWO house raiders who caused £3,000 of damage and flooded an empty home have both been jailed. Burnley Crown Court was told Sean Hanley, 21, and Andrew Kramer, 25, struck at the Nelson property the day before it was due to be rented out. They
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Burnley MP to present talk
GORDON Birtwistle, MP for Burnley, will be presenting a talk titled My Faith and My Politics at Molly Rigby’s in Mill Street, Padiham, on Monday August 12 at 7.45pm. Entry is free and chip sandwiches will be available for £1.
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East Lancs not for profit groups get free trees
NOT-for-profit groups in East Lancashire can apply for free trees to plant. Twice a year, the Woodland Trust gives away 4,000 free packs of either 30, 105 or 420 trees. The deadline for applications is September 13 and groups have been encouraged
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Blog: Lives enriched by good neighbours
LAST week saw a gathering of about 120 people in Blackburn who shared something that seemed to have gone missing over the years in a lot of towns and cities. The word that linked them was neighbourliness – a quality that began to disappear during
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Letter: Great gesture, but do the numbers add up?
REGARDING your story ‘Homeless get free food at 'fast' festival in Blackburn’ – I really do not want to appear cynical and I applaud events which bring people together. However, where does the figure of 150 homeless people come from? I have just
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Comment: It’s hard times for the early-50s
ANEW report has revealed that nearly a quarter of people in their early 50s are afraid of falling on hard times and being forced out of their homes. The findings by Age UK show that mortgage or rent payments were a real concern for many heading
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Letter: New mums are different
IN response to the article ‘Mums must breastfeed’ – yes, health wise, it is beneficial to the baby and, yes, it is the natural thing to do. However, not all mums can manage to do it, even with help. A stressed mum is a stressed baby, so there is
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Letter: Buck-passing by managers
Having totally failed to ensure that patients receive the level of care to which they are entitled, the Care Quality Commission is, if you will forgive the pun, adding insult to injury. The latest idea by these highly-paid ‘experts’ is to get us
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Letter: Park properly, fines will drop
I WAS interested to read about Blackburn’s parking fine hotspots (LT, July 29) The answer, though, is simple – don’t park illegally and they won’t collect any revenue. In any town centre throughout the country, it is safe to assume there are parking
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Letter: Other towns in Rossendale
IN reference to the story ‘Land swap deals could safeguard Rawtenstall to Rochdale route’ – the Labour Party closed the old Bacup baths, now they want to close Haslingden. What next? Why not close the local markets and make people go to Rawtenstall
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Letter: Regret over garden loss
RE: ‘Project at Blackburn nature reserve aims to help threatened species’ – we had a beautiful butterfly garden complete with an ornamental pond which cost £1million to build at the top of the road before the entrance to Pleasington Cemetery. It
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Letter: Torture for animals
Stunning the animal doesn’t de-sensitise it to pain and is therefore no more humane. If anything, stunning is less humane as you are causing the animal pain by giving it an electric shock prior to killing it. Causing an animal needless pain
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Letter: Halal meat shouldn’t be exclusive
I READ about the former Lancashire county leader being criticised over ‘imposing his animal welfare views on the Muslim community’. The government’s own Animal Welfare Council has consistently found that Halal slaughter is cruel, but political
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Dementia cafés to open in East Lancashire
EAST Lancashire Community Dementia Forum is holding Dementia Cafés through the summer. The cafés offer a selection of reasonably priced refreshments in a relaxing atmosphere where everyone is welcome. The cafés will be held on the last Thursday
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East Lancashire homes to get faster broadband by the end of the year
THOUSANDS of homes and businesses in Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, and Pendle will have faster broadband speeds by the end of the year under the latest phase of a Lancashire County Council/British Telecom project. Work began this week on the second
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Haslingden man made a scene outside Royal Blackburn Hospital
A 29-YEAR-OLD Haslingden man ‘kicked off’ outside the accident and emergency department at Royal Blackburn Hospital. Blackburn magistrates heard Garth Anthony Rowbottom was warned twice by a police officer to moderate his language and his own father
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Wire thief from Accrington was caught red-handed
A SCRAP thief who followed in a friend’s footsteps found they led straight to the arms of the law. Blackburn magistrates heard Kevin Andrew Leonard was caught red-handed as he stole wire and metal from the water tower at the Sappi Paper mill in
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Footballer from Burnley jailed for race rant after red card incident
A FOUL-mouthed amateur footballer who subjected a referee to a torrent of racist abuse has been jailed. Wasar Ahmed, 23, hurled a string of offensive remarks and expletives at Ian Fraser during a 20-minute rant when he totally ‘lost it’ during
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Lancashire tourism awards to be held at Blackburn Cathedral
THE REVAMPED Lancashire Tourism Awards are set to be presented this year by celebrity travel writer Simon Calder. The awards, which celebrate the £3.4billion brought to the local economy by tourism, are now set to mark their 10th anniversary.
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Musicals evening to be held in Blackburn
AN ‘Absolute Musicals’ evening will be held at The Empire Theatre, in Ewood, Blackburn on Sunday, September 1 at 7.30pm. Internationally acclaimed stars of the musical stage will present an evening of musical highlights from hit shows including
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Haslingden High School pupils walk on custard for charity
YOUNGSTERS walked on custard and guessed the number of balloons inside a Mini to raise £2,400 for good causes. The charity event at Haslingden High School saw students run an array of stalls and competitions and select the organisations they wanted
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Whalley Methodist Church to hold art exhibition
BUDDING artists and photographers are being sought to showcase their work in an exhibition in September. Whalley Methodist Church is holding a craft fair and art exhibition on Saturday September 28 and Sunday September 29 and local artists and
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Russian for beginners to return to Ribble Valley
‘RUSSIAN for Beginners’ classes are set to return to the Ribble Valley in September. The eight-week course, which will run at The Inn at the Station in Clitheroe, will be held each Thursday from September 12 to October 31. Each session will
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Gisburn Festival Hall gets lottery funding
GISBURN Festival Hall has been awarded Big Lottery funding for the installation of professional catering facilities. The grant of more than £9,976 has been made under the ‘Awards for All’ programme and will allow for the refurbishment of the kitchen
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Nelson mum-of-three secures place at Cambridge after UCLan course
A MUM-OF-THREE has swapped consulting for counselling to embark on a new career path. Alyson Andrew, 39, from Nelson, spent 17 years working as an IT education consultant, but has now graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a first-class
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Survey deadline for Rossendale Minor Injuries Unit
TODAY is the final deadline to fill in a survey about Rossendale Minor Injuries Unit, which Coun Gladys Sandiford has warned could close next year if people do not show their support. Since the MIU opened, figures show there have been fewer patients
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Pendle Tourism Forum is axed by council
PENDLE Tourism Forum, which spearheaded the promotion of the Pendle Witches’ 400th anniversary last year, has been axed. The forum, which brought together councillors and business leaders in the borough four times a year, is to be replaced by a
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Vintage market to relocate to Rawtenstall
A VINTAGE market previously based in Ramsbottom has now relocated to Rawtenstall and will open on September 8. Manchester Vintage, which is run by Helmshore resident Charlotte Mitchell, was not able to secure the number of markets it required after
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Brass band from Rossendale to participate in prestigious contest
A BRASS band from the Valley has been selected to perform at a prestigious contest. Stacksteads Band will participate in the Hardraw Scar Brass Band Festival, which is now in its 130th year and is the second oldest outdoor event of its kind.
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Walkers risk their lives using dangerous footpath in Rossendale
WALKERS are putting their own lives at risk by using a dangerous path where a wall is on the verge of collapsing, a council boss said. The footpath is alongside a 20ft retaining wall which supports a housing development in Weir and has been closed
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Hyndburn council considers selling vacant land in Great Harwood
HYNDBURN Borough Council will today decide whether to sell two vacant pieces of land in Great Harwood. The end-of-terrace sites, at Cross Street and St Edmunds Street, have become neglected since their acquisition in the 60s and 70s. And they
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Man stole coffee and cheese from Hyndburn store to pay for alcohol
A 42-YEAR-OLD man caught stealing from an Oswaldtwistle store was thieving to pay for alcohol. Blackburn magistrates heard Frederick Jason Sagar had turned to alcohol after beating a heroin addiction and fully accepted that he needed help.
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East Lancashire hospital bosses say emergency care is of 'the highest standard' despite patients' concerns
HOSPITAL bosses have claimed emergency care in East Lancashire is ‘of the highest standard’ despite the A&E ward receiving the eighth worst score in England in a new patient survey. Data from the NHS Friends and Family test, which asked patients
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Summer internet lessons begin in Accrington
SIX weeks of summer internet lessons started in Accrington. Staff from theSWITCH were on hand with laptops and internet to help residents get online with a range of activities from health advice to money management. Paul Campbell from theSWITCH
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Staff numbers were too low at Darwen care home
A CARE home in Darwen has increased its staffing levels after a watchdog found there were ‘insufficient’ numbers of carers to meet residents’ needs. The Care Quality Commission raised concerns about Oldfield House, in Hawkshaw Avenue, following
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88-year-old Ribble Valley hospital volunteer vows to carry on
AN 88-year-old hospital volunteer has pledged to ‘carry on as long as I’m needed’ after being recognised for 20 years’ work with the chaplaincy service. Gordon Bury, from Brownhill in Wilpshire, was given a ‘lifetime commitment award’ by the Community
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Blackburn shoppers targeted by beggars during Ramadhan
SHOPKEEPERS in Whalley Range have asked police to take action to deal with begging in the area. Resident and former councillor Hussain Akhtar, who chairs an action group of shopkeepers on Whalley Range Bazaar, said that beggars had been approaching
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Blackburn fish-and-chip shop worker claimed benefits
A 53-YEAR-OLD Blackburn man continued to claim benefits despite landing himself a job at a fish and chip shop. Blackburn magistrates heard Sadaqat Baid Baig planned to declare his earnings if the job was made permanent but didn’t do so and ended
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Chorley taxi row man in 'serious' condition
A MAN remains in hospital with serious head injuries after what police describe as an ‘altercation’ near a Chorley taxi rank. Police said they believed a 19-year-old, from Chorley, was punched and fell to ground at 4.10am on Saturday on High Street
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Blackburn benefits woman lived with scaffolder
A 22-YEAR-OLD woman claimed benefits as a single parent despite living with her partner who worked as a scaffolder. Blackburn magistrates heard when investigators visited Pariss Ebony Walsh at home she maintained she was living alone and said she
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Darwen woman holds football tribute for ex Blackburn ladies player
AN RAF leading aircraft woman from Darwen has organised a 24 hour football match as a tribute to a former Blackburn Rovers ladies player who lost her battle with cancer. Kaye Widdicombe, 23, wanted to organise something fitting for Emma Mincher
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Great Harwood Councillor writes about experiences in Jerusalem
A GREAT Harwood councillor has written about his experiences in Jerusalem during a recent trip to the conflict-hit area. Coun Noordad Aziz visited the Holy Land and recounted his adventures on his online blog – including the time he bumped into
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Teenage girl suffers head injury after being hit by a car in Haslingden
A TEENAGE girl suffered head injuries after being hit by a car. Witnesses to the collision on Blackburn Road in Haslingden said they saw the girl laying injured in the road, calling for her mother before help arrived. Police closed the road
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Clitheroe Army Cadet Force seeks new recruits
THE Clitheroe detachment of the Army Cadet Force has said that is on the lookout for new recruits. Army Cadets is open to boys and girls aged 12 to 18. And they can line up lots of adventurous activities. Youngsters will be able to take
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Darwen drink driver found hiding in garden
POLICE dealing with a noisy party complaint saw a man come out of the venue, get into the driving seat of his car but then change his mind and return to the party. Blackburn magistrates heard the officers decided to park up at the end of the street
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Bridge to be removed from old market site in Blackburn
THE bridge and circular walkway from the Mall to the old market site will be taken down this weekend as work continues on the demolition of the old six-day market. Ainsworth Street will be closed from 7pm on Saturday to 5am on Monday. Disruption
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Fence to be fitted to Rishton footpath to stop horseriders
THE footpath connecting St Albans Road and Shawbrook Close in Rishton will have an obstacle fitted to prevent horseriders. Several complaints have been made about the path, which is in a state of disrepair, while pushchair and wheelchair users
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Man forces terrified woman to kiss him in her Pendle home
A MAN who subjected a woman to a frightening ordeal in her own home, where she feared she might be raped or murdered, has been jailed. Najaf Khan edged his way into her Brierfield home after earlier chatting to her in the street. Once inside
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Blackburn Rovers holding Spurr talks
DONCASTER Rovers left back Tommy Spurr is at Blackburn Rovers this morning for talks about a deal at the club. Rovers have been looking at a number of left back options following the sale of Martin Olsson, with Matt Kilgallon also a doubt for Sunday's
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Bacup-born actress to star in award winning-play War Horse
EX-CORRIE star Emily Ashton is to take on a new role in an award-winning play. The East Lancashire actress Emily Aston, the sister of Sam Aston, who plays cheeky Corrie teenager Chesney Brown, is probably best remembered as the daughter of Des
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Burnley MP 'insulted' by council leader's comments
BURNLEY MP Gordon Birtwistle has hit back at council leader Julie Cooper’s claim that he had ‘badly let down’ the borough since his election in 2010. Coun Cooper was speaking after she was named as the Labour Party’s candidate to stand in the 2015
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Padiham recycling firm submitted plans for expansion just weeks before arson attack
BOSSES at the Padiham recycling depot which was torched by arsonists, had submitted plans for an expansion, just weeks before the devastating fire, it has emerged. Jigsaw Quest, which has managed the Park Road storage facility for the past 18 months
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Dr Zoolittle to appear in Burnley town centre
DR Zoolittle’s mini zoo of fabulous creatures will be making an appearance in Burnley town centre on Saturday. From 11am, the doctor will display his fascinating animal army, which includes meercats, tarantulas and scorpions as well as many more
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Padiham residents take part in a gardening day
CALICO residents in Padiham put their gardening skills to the test as they took part in a planting day. Families who live in the town’s Bedford Place area were able to choose from a variety of colourful flowers and plants to pot and take back home
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Baby from Burnley who never cried dies in tragic bunk accident
AN EIGHT-month-old baby died in a freak accident when she got trapped in a bunk bed. Olivia Leigh Picton was found dead at her Burnley home, trapped between the bunk bed ladder and the mattress, when her father went to check on her. At an inquest
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Ramsbottom man completes 1,000 mile ride for North West Air Ambulance
A RAMSBOTTOM man completed a mammoth 1,000-mile motorbike ride in less than 24 hours to help raise more than £2,000 for the North West Air Ambulance. Lynden Page, of Lancaster Avenue, was joined by Chris Forster, from St Helens, during the successful
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Plea for East Lancashire councils to work together as county faces task of cutting services by £300 million
COUNTY hall boss Jenny Mein is urging Blackburn with Darwen and other East Lancashire councils to share services as she tackles a cash gap which has grown by £30 million. Earlier this month she and finance chief David Borrow warned the giant authority
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Burnley payday loan buster calls on church to help with crackdown
BURNLEY’S own payday loan crusader Dave Fishwick has approached the Archbishop of Canterbury with an offer to help him crackdown on the companies. Mr Fishwick, who runs the Burnley Savings and Loans community bank in Keirby Walk, said he hoped
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Ambulance chiefs in East Lancashire in talks to run 111 service
AMBULANCE chiefs are considering taking over a troubled NHS telephone advice service. The controversial 111 line, for urgent but non-emergency advice, was thrown into turmoil this week when the main provider, NHS Direct, announced it wanted to
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Vicar speaks out on behalf of parishioners against Briercliffe housing development
A BRIERCLIFFE vicar has spoken out against plans for 60 new homes in the village. Calico Homes announced the £6m plans last month to strong opposition from many residents. It wants to build 48 two and three-bedroom houses and bungalows, as
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Engineering firm receives visit from Pendle's mayor
A PRECISION engineering firm in Colne received a special visit from Pendle’s mayor. NR Engineering, based on Skipton Road, welcomed Coun Smith Benson into its 25,000 feet factory for a guided tour. The company, which has been in the area for
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Burnley dogs can be micro-chipped for free at special event
PET owners are being invited to get their dogs microchipped for free on Friday. Calico Homes and the Dogs Trust have organised the event at the Ennismore Street Community Centre in Burnley from 11am to 3pm. There are 400 microchips which can
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Would-be adopters invited to East Lancashire event
LANCASHIRE County Council is inviting families across Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valley, Rossendale and Chorley who are considering adopting to a special information evening. The authority’s children service’s department is looking for families
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Floods cause 'sheer devastation' in Todmorden
A TOWN was left under a foot and a half of water after flash floods ripped up roads. Homes were damaged when water gushed through Todmorden on Monday. A resident described the flood as causing ‘sheer devastation’ which led to a bridge collapsing
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Dare-devil team to climb three peaks in aid of Chorley-based hospice
A GROUP of 17 people have been undergoing intense training in order to complete a three peaks challenge to raise money for Derian House children’s hospice in Chorley. The dare-devil team will climb Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mount Snowdon, all
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Teachers from East Lancashire to tackle educational disadvantage
TEACHERS from schools in East Lancashire are setting out to tackle educational disadvantage. The two-year Teaching Leaders Fellows Programme will see educators receive intensive coaching and training to make them confident middle leaders in a bid
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Building work completed at Darwen retirement village
A NEW retirement village in Darwen town centre has been handed over by the developers. Willow Gardens in Union Street, on the site of the former health centre, will welcome its first residents in the coming weeks. The site, developed by Manchester
