From the Bury Times October 22, 1974

MURDER: Police hunting the killer of Bury garage owner and ladies' man Tom Hewitt, 30, eliminated a mystery phone caller from their inquiries. The woman, who rang Salford Infirmary to ask after him, left a false name. Later she came forward and satisfied police about the call.

CROOKS: A middle-aged doorstep con man tricked a Hornby Street woman into handing over cash. After telling her she had won a Labour Party draw, he gave her a phony £24 cheque as "first prize" and asked for £12 "change" to take along to another winner with no bank account. Meanwhile, a man who asked another householder for £8 up front to buy materials for a house repair had not been seen since.

VEHICLE: Motoring writer Roy Brooks tried out a Llama - a basic, tough fibre-glass car with a Hillman Imp engine aimed at third-world countries. Prices here started at £1,150, and you could even set up a factory to build the vehicle with a capital of only £12,000! SAFE: Thieves hacked a safe from the wall at Hilton Park service station, Bury New Road, Prestwich and stole £300 from it. One thief injured himself on broken glass while breaking in, said police.

OLDIES: Forgetful Bury pensioners were losing their concessionary travel passes at the rate of 50 to 100 a week, the social services committee heard. But they voted not to charge the oldies 10p a time for replacement cards.

MP: Newly elected Labour MP Frank White, 34, vowed not to be mere lobby fodder in the Commons. He wanted to make society fairer, he said, and would defy a three-line whip if necessary to further the interests of his constituents.

THEFT: Thieves raided a garden in Fairfield Drive and made off with three tame polecats from a hutch.

DEBTS: Despite council grants of £80 a month, the cash-strapped Unsworth & Sunny Bank Youth and Community Centre was sinking deeper into debt, the youth management committee AGM heard.

DEATH: The rector of Holcombe, Canon Cecil William Lewis, 64, died in Ramsbottom. He was a former head of Manchester Cathedral Choir School.

PRIZE: Derby School pupil Julia Brown, 13, of Milner Avenue, Bury, won a prize in the annual Shell painting contest, for her Farmer at Work.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.