YOUNG and old were going red nose crazy today with wild and wacky events to raise money for Comic Relief.

Haslingden's answer to the Spice Girls were hoping to prove a hit with pub goers to raise money.

Susan Henry, Vickke Burnside, Liane Johnson, Heather Astin and Elizabeth Wiltcher from Playsafe Centre nursery, at Haslingden County Primary School, East Bank Avenue, have been sponsored by parents to dress up as the fab five and trawl the nearby pubs collecting cash.

They have already raised £150 for the stunt and aim to double that tonight.

Liane said: "We are also raising money for Comic Relief by holding the children to ransom and parents will have to pay to take them home.

"We have said that if we raise enough tonight we will get up and sing."

The new squeaking noses were out in force as youngsters at St Peter and St Paul's CE Primary School, Rishton, wore red clothes for a fun day.

Other firms and organisations dressed in red for Comic Relief, including staff at Whistles Piano Cafe, Northgate, Blackburn and pupils at Shadsworth Junior School, Blackburn, and Barden High School, Burnley.

Pupils sold cakes at Ivy Bank High School, Burnley, and staff and pupils at Sunnybank School, Manchester Road, Burnley, gave a pop concert for parents.

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