WE continue our reveiw of 1995 which saw moorland fires raging above Darwen, student Paul Wells kidnapped by Kashmiri militants, Blackburn recommended for unitary status and Hyndburn introduce community safety wardens to cut town centre crime. JULY

BLACKBURN student Paul Wells was kidnapped by Al-Faran militants while on holiday in Kashmir with girlfriend, Cath Mosley. The Al-Farans demanded the release of militants from Indian prisons in return.

Wholesale market traders moved from Blackburn's Penny Street to the former GEC site in Clayton-le-Moors. The site will be developed for a bingo hall and benefits office.

Blackburn Council urged the public to back their bid for unitary status. The latest review by the Local Government Commission would see social services and education controlled by the borough if the recommendation goes through.

Lecturers at Blackburn College voted five to one against a no-strike offer, which stated that hours would not be raised from 828 to 940 until April 1997.

Angry Darweners pledged to fight a proposal to close Darwen Police Station's inquiry counter at night.

And more entries than ever were received for the Citizen/Crown Paints annual Community Awards. Cash totalling £4,000 was shared between 12 local groups.

AUGUST

SOARING temperatures saw Blackburn Royal Infirmary dealing with a flood of minor injuries. Critical care manager Barbara Moss, said: "The hot weather makes people tired and a little careless."

Rovers' new manager Ray Harford led the Premier League Champions onto the Ewood Park pitch for the first time. They beat Queen's Park 1-0 Rangers in the first match of the season.

With the region's reservoirs at an all-time low, North West Water banned the domestic use of hosepipes for the first time in 11 years, with a £1,000 fine for anyone caught using one.

But in Darwen, firefighters needed all the water they could get. In the summer heatwave, two massive fires wiped out half of the area's moorland above Bold Venture Park.

Peat continued to burn for weeks after the blaze and countryside rangers said it would take around 10 years to regenerate.

Local schools bucked national trends, recording an improvement in GCSE results.

SEPTEMBER

BRYON Mercer's DIY store in Clayton-le-Moors was hit by fire three times in two days. The building was extensively damaged, but business continued as usual - from a mobile office outside.

Furious Darweners from Avondale Road clashed with the council after an 8.5m high factory building was erected behind their homes. Red-faced council officials later revealed the decision was a mistake.

Around 120 people lost their jobs when Priestley's Footwear in Great Harwood, closed down. Employees first heard the news when they turned up for work one Monday morning.

Glyn Webb wallpaper and DIY store in Accrington was destroyed by a fire thought to have started in a rubbish skip. The company said they will rebuild the store on the same site.

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