Robert this is the basis of a story we hope to be running this week... any problems give us a bell EXPERTS reviewing the case of Morecambe man Robert McEwen have this week confirmed they are seriously considering further investigation of his case the
THAT'S the way to do it! The Citizen has helped make a dream come true for a puppeteer who longs to stage a Punch and Judy show on Blackpool's seafront. For after hearing about Ivan Walters' yearning, the resort's tourism department has agreed to give
LOCAL people living close to Heysham's nuclear power stations were reminded that accidents can happen on Monday when a locomotive carrying nuclear flasks was derailed. The front two wheels of the train came off the track as it headed back to the Heysham
MOST people approaching 70 are concerned with taking it easy but one local man has written a book, started another and has a third in the pipeline. During a frenzied 23-day writing session, former solicitor John Knape hardly slept or ate as he scribbled
Pilkington Recs A 48 Leigh Miners B 14 RECS kept up their challenge for the Alliance Division One title with two more valuable league points. They scored as early as the second minute when long-striding centre Andy Traverse crashed through. Prop Stu Wilson
ONE of Hyndburn's long-standing civic traditions to raise money for charity has been scrapped - after just nine tickets were sold. The annual mayor's dinner dance, which was organised for April 3 at the Berkley Manor in Accrington, failed to attract local
A LEIGH firm has helped to put a war-torn African country back on line. Lord Street South-based Digital Exchange Products (DXP) were given the task of helping to reinstate connections in Somaliland following an outbreak of civil conflict in the North
IF you want another glimpse of Darren Day in Summer Holiday you'd better make it quick. For when he drives his red London bus back into Blackpool's Opera House this summer, there it will stop. A singing career is calling Darren, but he is determined to
Ruskin Park 50 Collegiate 10 AFTER their mauling at the hands of Southport last week, Ruskin returned to winning ways with this demolition of a Collegiate side, which lacked the size, pace and ability of the home team. Although they took an early lead
IT'S not just the time of year that's put a spring in the step of big-hearted Mary Eagles. For Mary, of Lords House Farm Special Needs Centre, Iin Rishton, has just received a very late Christmas present - a £184,792 lottery hand-out! The money will help
HARD-working receptionist Nicola Baron was swapping her dentist's chair for a deck chair when she heard she had scooped a national award. Nicola was soaking up the sun on holiday when she found out that she had been named Receptionist of the Year at the
A NEIGHBOURHOOD watch spokesman has hit out at his noisy neighbours - a factory. Grandad Mr Francis Duckett, 63, of Enfield Road, Huncoat, says he is "sick to the back teeth" of the noise coming from Smallshaw Precision Plastics Ltd in Whinney Hill Road
RESIDENTS in the Lovers Lane, Atherton, area have lost their battle to stop a crematorium being built at Howe Bridge Cemetery. Despite a 50-signature petition Wigan Council's planning committee gave the scheme the green light following a site visit. Now
ACCRINGTON Police are hunting two women and a man who stuffed more than £800 worth of sports clothing into a bag at a store and ran off. The thieves distracted the sales assistant's attention while they put items into a plastic bin liner before fleeing
A LEIGH family are losers - and they couldn't be happier! (writes PAUL SMITH) Julie Williams has lost over 3 stones since October. And together with her mum Joyce, sisters Alison, Gillian and Janet (pictured), they have lost more than 13 stones on the
DRIVERS in Lancashire could be asked to take part in roadside drugs tests after a pilot scheme was launched at the police force headquarters at Hutton on Monday. Lancashire Constabulary is one of four forces chosen to carry out tests over a three-week
DEREK TAYLOR will next Tuesday bid a fond farewell to a life in local politics. But the Big Goodbye comes an astonishing SEVENTEEN years after his group last met. The former Tyldesley councillor - Chairman of Baths in the early 70s - is acting secretary
RUNSHAW College will receive its first ever royal visit when Princess Anne officially opens the new Eskdale building on the Langdale Road site. HRH The Princess Royal, is coming to the North West on May 14 and is expected to spend about an hour at the
THE Citizen has helped make a dream come true for a puppeteer who longs to stage a Punch and Judy show on Blackpool's seafront. For after hearing about Ivan Walters' yearning, the resort has agreed to give him a spot in this summer's Kidz Mega Fest. Ivan
A CHARITY concert set up by enterprising young students in aid of Derian House Children's Hospice has rocked a local park. Runshaw College leisure and tourism pupils organised the event which took place at Worden Park, Leyland. Chorley band Sunflower
IT'S a long way from a run out with his old club Preston Grasshoppers to leaping into the record books with England. But Paul Grayson made the sensational journey at the weekend when he became the first Englishman to complete a full scoring sweep - try
CITIZEN Smith (whoever he is) is surely living in another world. His article last week, knocking Blackburn Rovers, was complete hogwash. I am not going to comment on the whole piece, except the last part when he said he was 'at Leeds - where were you'
TRAINS into Preston railway station are to be manned with special security patrols in a bid to combat violence and vandalism on late night services. More than 300 special constables are being recruited by the British Transport Police after a pilot scheme
I WONDER if I am alone in being unimpressed by the claim of the Xanadu developers to have taken notice of the critics of the original proposals. It seems to me that the public reaction when the scheme was first unveiled was entirely predictable, irrespective
ALLEGATIONS of town hall corruption by rebel councillor Terry Cartwright, have proved groundless according to Preston Borough Council. A spokesperson from the local authority said the bitter row within the Labour group has been resolved following a thorough
A BRAVE seven-year-old miraculously escaped serious injury when a midnight feast went horrifically wrong. Jason Carter suffered severe burns when he and brother Daniel, aged five, crept downstairs during the early hours of the morning and lit candles
LANCASHIRE'S amateur radio buffs will send signals across the globe to tell the world about the 350th anniversary of the Battle of Preston. But first they have a battle of their own - the Central Lancashire Amateur Radio Club needs letters of support
ONCE again there was a change of crew members when Garstang and Preston Motor Club had three cars entered in the Trans Auto Spares sponsored Stage Rally at Three Sisters Circuit, Wigan. The circuit was dry when the Vauxhall Nova of Richard Leach with
BURY'S poorest people could be losing out on a staggering £12 million of unclaimed welfare benefits. That is the shock claim from the Bury Anti-Poverty Action Group which is demanding a fully-funded welfare rights advice service for the borough. Group
PRESTON North End had to encounter two away games in the league prior to the FA Cup semi-final with Aston Villa which was looming on the horizon. The first was a mid-week match against struggling Huddersfield Town which Preston won comfortably 3-1. The
A NEW training scheme has been launched to find the surgeons of the future. The Basic Surgical Skills course, which will be attended by surgical trainees from across the country, will take place at the recently set up Blackburn Education and Surgical
LEGENDARY soccer knight Sir Tom Finney certainly stirred up a hornet's nest of footballing emotions when he lambasted TV soccer barons for trying to shift all FA Carling premiership fixtures to Sundays. The Preston Citizen took to the streets to ask townsfolk
MOB law threatens to take over Elton after a catalogue of drug-fuelled burglaries. The crime wave, blamed by residents on local addicts, culminated in a burglary on the home of a man who had died only hours earlier. Now a stark message has been sprayed
A STUNNING new development at the Worden Arts Centre in Leyland is to be unveiled at a special ceremony next month. A £200,000 grant from the Lottery's Art Council has paid for a conservatory-style extension featuring new foyer, bar, seats and tables,
THE PARENTS of a teenager, tragically killed along with two others last October, are calling for action to prevent further lives being lost. John and Cathie Keen, whose son Martin died when his Mini Mayfair lost control on Manchester Road, Ramsbottom,
CASH-strapped college students face an anxious wait before they discover whether they will lose vital grants to help them in further eduction. Under plans being considered by Lancashire County Council's education committee, the axe could fall on the free
A BURY woman's dream at restoring pride to the town's Clarence Park could become a reality. For Bury Council will consider tacking a whole range of repairs and improvements aimed at attracting families back to this once-popular recreational area. Clarence
A PREGNANT widow has launched a High Court action against a brewery after her husband died of lung cancer following exposure to asbestos. A jury returned a verdict of death from industrial disease on David Ellison, 41, of Mellor Lane in Mellor, at an
A FAMILY has slammed the "appalling state" of care for mentally ill youngsters in the UK after the inquest into the death of a teenager who hanged himself at a Whalley psychiatric hospital. A jury returned an open verdict on the death of Christopher Lee
USE it or lose it is the message to theatre lovers in Bacup as the Empire is left counting the cost of a rock musical which only filled a fifth of the seats. There were 2,000 seats available for the performance of Robin, Prince of Sherwood, but only 400
A NEW law banning the open promotion of homosexuality was branded a "witch hunt" by a Hyndburn county councillor. Labour councillor Peter Billington spoke out against the introduction of Clause 28 of the Local Government Bill. He said: "As well as being
CONTROL of council housing in Blackburn and Darwen may be handed over to a private company, or estates could be sold in a bid to head off a cash crisis. The options are in a report put together by finance specialists KPMG who were called in last year
TWO councillors quit the Labour group and crossed the council chamber to the independent benches as the Burnley housing row exploded again. And there could be further turmoil in the wake of the council house queue-jumping storm today if more party members
A NINE-YEAR-OLD girl was killed in a road accident only hours after coming home happy and excited from her first day at a new school. But Jolene Lindsay's family have been praised by a coroner for allowing her death to give new life to others, by donating
BOTH early matches in the Atherton Charity Cup went to penalty shoot-outs - Hindsford losing out in both. Little Hulton beat Hindsford A 8-7, the scores 0-0 after extra time, while in another thriller Tyldesley United beat Hindsford B 5-4. That match
REGARDING Mrs Eileen Eastham's remarks on traffic calming (Letters, March 25), for the last few weeks we have had workmen on Brand's Hatch - sorry, St James's Road - and so far they have laid loads of red tarmac. We were informed that it was a traffic-calming
LEIGH, already wilting under a crippling casualty list, have been dealt another injury hammer blow. Classy centre Andy Fairclough, the club's second leading try scorer with five, will be out for at least six weeks with a stress fracture of the shin. Fairclough
PEOPLE voted with their feet when they attended a special Consultation Day at Bold Miners Institute, Parr. The one-day event, organised by environmental charity Groundwork St Helens, attracted more than 400 visitors who enjoyed a range of entertainment
THE 1998 Sharman Cup Final will be a repeat of last season's all-Tyldesley battle. Champions Butchers Arms will play the competition runners-up for the last three seasons, Union Arms. In the Leigh & District Football League semis Butchers Arms beat
THE Chancellor's spring Budget was almost universally welcomed by representatives of local businesses across St Helens when they met for a special Luncheon event organised by St Helens Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber itself welcomed Gordon Brown's Budget
THINGS are really busy at the moment, I'm currently moving house which is the most stressful thing in the world to do and there's lots going on here at Radio City 96.7. Keep listening because very soon we're starting a great competition where you can
A BURY building company has been attacked in the Commons for constructing "sub standard homes" by 11 North West MPs including Bury MPs David Chaytor and Ivan Lewis. The MPs' motion "deplores the activities of Kiely Homes, also known as Kiely Developments
A CONTRACTOR was left red-faced after getting his white lines crossed and putting down 'give way' markings at the wrong road junction. Bemused residents telephoned local councillor Ian Gilhespy after the mix-up in Oak Street, Colne. As part of a package
BURY'S Castle Buildings redevelopment has been shortlisted for a coveted Civic Trust Award. And the accolade would be a fitting tribute to the remarkable transformation of the Market Place building, which originally served as the town's tram terminus.
A FORMER chairman of Pendle Labour Party quit today after claiming it was "not a credible political force". Coun Roger Abbiss made his shock decision because of wrangling over his wife's bid to become a Labour member of Pendle Council. She was to stand
A RAMSBOTTOM mother jailed for two months for drink driving by Bury Magistrates was freed at Bolton Crown Court on appeal yesterday (March 26). Joanne Knight (33), of Nuttall Lane, was sent to prison for two months after they had heard how she had been
LIBERAL Democrat councillor Carole Kavanagh is calling for bus timetables to be installed at local bus stops. The Moss Bank councillor said: "Many residents use the bus service, yet no timetables exist at the stops. People can be waiting for ages for
PILKINGTON under 12s just got the better of St Aloysius by 2-1 in their Midland Bank Cup replay in the St Helens McDonalds JOL. RESULTS Under 16s: Penketh United 9 Bickerstaffe 0, Rainhill United 0 St Annes 3, East Sutton 2 Whiston Juniors 3, Cuerdley
A RIBBLE Valley clergyman has been removed from his post - and no-one is saying why. Mystery surrounds the decision of the Assembly Commission of the United Reformed Church to remove the Rev Geoff Rodgers from his post as minister of his church in Moor
BURY's MPs are on a collision course with the party leadership over a radical policy shift. Bury North's David Chaytor was in emergency talks with fellow Labour MPs from across the North West yesterday (March 26), with a back-bench revolt looming. But
Worcester 78 Liverpool St Helens 22 THE inequality of the Jewson National Division One was highlighted once more on Saturday, when fully amateur LSH travelled to fully professional Worcester, and suffered their heaviest defeat of the season. The Worcester
A MAJOR study has found no link between the burning of Cemfuel and bad smells in the Ribble Valley. But campaigners have asked: "If the smells are not from Cemfuel then where are they from?" The Environment Agency carried out monitoring over two months
SOPHIE the black cat is this week being carefully nursed by her distraught owners. The three-year-old was shot by a mindless thug while out on her usual night prowl. She crawled back to her home in Cartwright Grove, Leigh, two days after going missing
RADCLIFFE Town Hall will be back in use by the end of the year. Work should be finished on the transformation of the former civic headquarters into 10 self-contained flats, office space, and a communal area by November, councillors say. The new unit will
Blackbrook 24 Eastmoor 4 A FINE defensive display and three tries either side of the break were sufficient to give Blackbrook a morale boosting victory in this Conference League Division One relegation battle. Inspired by a superb performance by prop
A MAN has appeared in court charged with wounding with intent after a Newton man was shot in his own home. The incident happened last Thursday just before 8pm when the 37 year old man opened the front door of his home in Earle Street to two men who shot
Thatto Heath 21 Wigan St Patricks 18 THATTO Heath won through to the quarter-finals of the BNFL Barla National Cup with this pulsating win over a strong Wigan St Patricks side. The home side opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a well-taken try
A LYTHAM road-injury blackspot that suffered more than 80 accidents in five years is to be traffic-calmed. Lancashire County Council is putting £58,000-worth of improvements into Lytham's main seafront road, Central Beach, where 81 accidents happened
PR0-XANADU councillors are seen by some as the 'Abominable Snowmen' of Leigh! (writes MALCOLM RYDING) But undeterred, three of them are set for a fact-finding mission in the snow. Hope Carr trio Brian Jarvis, Kevin Anderson and Mark Hale will visit Acer
BLACKPOOL bingo players have their very own living lucky mascot. For since Mark Jones became a customer service manager at Mecca Bingo a year ago, a string of members have called "House!" in national games, winning a grand total of £700,000. The Talbot
WITH the big Super League kick-off at Salford just nine days away Saints have been rocked by an injury situation of crisis proportions. And the villain of the piece was Sunday's ill-fated friendly trip to Bradford, when forwards Apollo Perelini and Paul
WRITER Elizabeth Lloyd has realised a lifetime's ambition by having her first novel published. The 40-year-old wordsmith from Ranmore Avenue, Garswood, has had a number of short stories and poems published in magazines and anthologies over the years.
EMPHASIS is being put on art in Wyre with a number of council-backed initiatives. Until June, windy sculptures are top priority at Marsh Mill, Thornton, where David Swift is the new artist-in-residence. He has already been working with local schoolchildren
A CAMPAIGN warning of the dangers of using mobile phones while at the wheel has been backed by Leigh MP Lawrence Cunliffe. The Goverment fight to increase public awareness has the support of the police, the AA, the Royal Society for the Prevention of
ST HELENS Council is calling 'foul' on irresponsible dog owners who don't clean up their dog's mess. Despite a massive publicity campaign and a clamp-down on dog fouling, the council still receives many complaints particularly about fouling on children's
WORK is progressing on a huge water tank to clean up a health hazard in Lytham The tank is under construction at Ballam Road, adjacent to the existing pumping station. It is the main part of a £5 million project by North West Water to prevent pollution
LEIGH policeman Peter Tomlinson has been commended for his bravery in tackling a robber. Pc Tomlinson, aged 38, (pictured) was off-duty when he spotted a robbery in a Leigh off-licence. He wrestled the offender to the ground. Despite a second thug slashing
PEOPLE power won prospects of relief for a traffic-plagued Poulton road. On Monday (March 23), Wyre MP Hilton Dawson called a site-meeting of council officials and police with about 30 anxious residents of Dodgeons Close, used as a short-cut between busy
A TERRIFIED man was robbed at knifepoint after two men jumped out on him as he took a short cut home through an alley. The 21 year old from Thatto Heath had just collected his giro cheque from a post office in Lugsmore Lane just before 1.30pm on Friday
Re: 'Interest Hots Up' 19 March by Paul Wilkinson. I am writing to fully support Cllr Keith Budden. I believe he is quite justified to question a possible conflict of interest and I am sure the public may well hold a similar view. Who does the poor, distressed
ANYONE who has seen TV's documentary on Sunderland's unfortunate descent to relegation from the Premier League can doubt their manager is, er, passionate. But manager Peter Reid showed he was a man of his word by showing up to Lancaster and Morecambe's
TENS of thousands of pounds in uncollected rent remains outstanding at Lancaster Market with one tenant still owing more than £40,000, the Citizen can reveal. Next week councillors will hear that although reprimanded officers have reduced the original
THE High Court in London has "reserved judgement" on the landmark case involving Ryelands shopkeeper Mal Hussain. Mr Hussain and his business partner Linda Livingstone were in the High Court this week to hear the city council's appeal against claims that
A TRAFFIC timebomb will explode in Lancaster if plans to build a massive housing estate south of the city gets the go-ahead, claim environmentalists. City Council proposals to allow 1,200 new houses in the Whiney Carr and Royal Albert areas could lead
Neil Bramwell Speaks Out SIX years ago saw the birth of a whole new ball game. Big money, big name, all-singing, all-dancing Premiership soccer burst on to the scene when the Sky TV cameras rolled into action. There was widespread uproar. Pay to watch
THE Peter Shackleton bid for control of Burnley Football Club was on the verge of collapse today. The £1 million donation, promised as a gesture of good faith when the Turf Moor board announced the deal, is still stuck in a Swiss bank. And the web of
I now live in Texas, USA but spent much of my 30 years in and around Lancaster. As I read the article about the Nightingale Farm appeal the nauseating smell that emanates from the site literally returned to my nostrils. I recalled turning up for duty
MORE than £10,000 is coming to Blackpool to fund a number of support schemes. Money is in the form of grants from the North West Lancashire Health Authority which have been made to give voluntary groups a chance to publicise their services, as well as
Is the Cllr Stanley Henig who described himself as "not the world's leading expert on business" (Citizen 19 March) the same Cllr Henig who recently said being council leader was like being the head of a multi-million pound company? So the shareholders
SHAKERS fans will hopefully be watching First Division soccer in an all-seater stadium next season. The club has submitted plans to Bury Metropolitan Council for a new £1 million Cemetery End stand that would complete the development of Gigg Lane and
THERE'S no need to worry about the future of the area's economy with the likes of Lancaster lad Gareth Preston around. Upholsterer Gareth has just been proclaimed as having the best young business mind the whole of West Lancashire at the Shell LiveWIRE
Accrington 20 Clock Face 22 A GREAT second-half rally saw Clock Face record their first away win of the season. Trailing 14-0 at the break, Clock had the advantage of the steep slope in the second half and put it to good use. They quickly drew level with
SHAKERS' boss Stan Ternent has brought in cover for goalkeeper Dean Kiely with a beat-the-deadline move for Les Sealey (pictured). West Ham United have released much-travelled Sealey on a free transfer but as the deal is only a precaution the 41-year-old
IN the budget a great deal was made about getting people into jobs. The obvious question is... where are the jobs?" I would like Mr Brown to explain. For example, take a single person aged 30-years-old living in a self-contained flat in Morecambe who
Garswood United 2 Plessey 3 (aet) UNLUCKY United bowed out of the Liverpool CFA Challenge Cup at the semi-final stage with this extra time defeat. After overturning a 2-0 deficit with goals from a Jimmy Woodyer header and an Ian Leather (penalty) Garswood
It was announced this week that the council's chief executive David Corker is to prepare a report on the costly Crinkley Bottom affair for presentation to councillors at the next gathering of the finance committee on April 16. I am assured that the report
LIVE AID legend Bob Geldof is coming to play in Blackpool for the first time - thanks to the singer in a local band. Paul Burton, who has arranged and promoted more than 700 concerts with his band Delaney's Donkey, wanted to bring the superstar to the
Bury 1, Oxford United 0 THE CLOSURE of the A56 in the wake of the Bridge Inn explosion on Saturday morning may have caused mayhem on the town's roads but for real congestion the First Division danger zone is the place to be. Only six points now separate
A HALTON farmer was ordered to pay nearly £7,000 this week for allowing asbestos and other pollution to be dumped on his land. Frank Hewitt, of Oakenhead Farm, Halton, was fined £2,00 by Lancaster Magistrates and ordered to pay £4,967 costs to Environment
Bold Miners 22 Adlington 24 THIS defeat was a setback to the Miners' promotion hopes but the game was a great advert for amateur rugby with both teams producing some great play with the lead changing hands on several occasions. For the home side, Wayne
CHRIS Malkin came on in the 60th minute to add a sparkle to an otherwise dull Blackpool performance on Saturday (March 21) against Gillingham at Bloomfield Road. Malkin has come in for a lot of stick from fans recently after not playing at his best. But
Parr Hare & Hounds 18 Portico Panthers 68 PANTHERS continued their title bid with this convincing win against an under-strength Hounds side who battled throughout despite having only 12 fit players for much of the game. The visitors ran in 13 tries
FOURTEEN-year-old Siorna McFarlane hopes to follow in her sister's footsteps to sixth form college. But fares of between £700 and £1,000 a year could block her way to a bright educational future. For Lancashire County Council will decide next month whether
Rochdale 13 West Park 17 AFTER being knocked out of the NPI cup at Red Rocks earlier in the season Rochdale were out for revenge in this re-arranged non-league game at Moorgate Avenue. West Park used the game to give all their 1st XV squad as much of
A TRIO of beauticians has headed Down Under to bring back new ideas from the world of holistic therapy. They left Wigan and Leigh College's School of Hair and Beauty Therapy on a mission to broaden student and staff horizons. The trip to Sydney was lead
LONDON'S famous Comedy Store hopes to put a smile on the face of rising cmics with open auditions in Blackpool. The Comedy Store Hooch Tour comes to the Grand Theatre on April 24 as part of Blackpool's Festival of Comedy and on April 6 local comedians
THE first all RAF crew has taken the controls of Eurofighter over Lancashire. Squadron leader Craig Penrice and Flight Lieutenant Kevin Woof took the Eurofighter out for a 67 minute flight from Warton. "Everyone who has had the good fortune to fly in
IAN Barker (Letters 19 March) should review the history of the last few years before launching into criticism of those who have a genuine concern about the public health impact of Nightingale Hall Farm, particularly tallow burning. The BSE inquiry currently
A MAJOR warehouse site is to change hands as part of a deal worth up to £50 million. The Fenner group has announced it is to sell its power transmission distribution division which employs around 150 at its warehouse in Blackburn. The Blackburn site,
A WOMAN of 83 was left in agony with a broken hip after she was mugged by a teenage thug. The pensioner tried to fight off the youth who pounced as she headed to shops in Church Street, Leigh on Monday afternoon. But she broke her hip when she crashed
BLACKPOOL holiday traders reacted with fury at Labour's snub to the country's biggest, brightest resort in favour of Brighton and Bournemouth. The party, which has favoured Blackpool every second year since 1959, is still coming this year, but rejected
A NEW centre to help firms make the most of technology has opened its doors. The base, at Business Link East Lancashire headquarters in Clayton-le-Moors, is one of 80 planned for the UK under the Government's Information Society Initiative. It aims to
Haresfinch 11 Saddleworth A 20 THIS was a spirited effort by an under-strength Finch team against a Saddleworth outfit bolstered by the inclusion of at least half-a-dozen players from their National Conference Premier Division side. Despite lacking three
SOMETHING'S brewing in Golborne and it's got the locals on the hop (writes BRIAN GOMM). Real ale aficionado Sarah Porter is opening a brewery at the back of her High Street real ale haven - The Railway. It's the first commercial brewing operation in nearly
MEMBERS of a model railway group are 'chuffed' after winning their third title in as many outings. The 24 A Model Railway Group, named after the former train depot in Accrington, won best in show at a recent exhibition in Widnes. The 36-ft model of Marsden
LOWTON is the lose its only lifeline store to make way for a new hotel. After 32 years at the Cost Cutter, Church Lane, shopkeepers Gerald and Barbara Twist, are to pull down the shutters. They are selling-up to Allied Domecq Leisure which on Tuesday
A MAJOR clean-up operation has started to prevent pollution from wrecking Shaw Brook in Tockholes. North West Water is pouring £200,000 into the project, which will involve fitting a new storm water shaft to stop waste water flow during heavy rain. The
A SINGLE point gained at Abbeydale Park was enough to lift Hoppers from fifth to fourth spot in Jewson National Two North. A disappointing opening quarter saw Hoppers lose Neil Ashton with a head injury and trail the home side as Sheffield's Pound kicked
A YOUNG man found dead in a kennel next to a family's pet dog has been identified. Father-of-six Kevin Jones made the gruesome discovery when he walked into the back garden of his home in Keble Grove, Leigh. Mr Jones said he spotted the foot of 22-years-old
THE spectacular world of ice dance is Tony Mercer's theatrical realm. He pioneered the 90s concept of "theatre on ice". He travels the globe touring with multi-million pound productions featuring former Olympic skaters. He is married to world-renowned
THREE men who ambushed and murdered Preston drugs dealer John Dookie have been jailed for life. Anthony Kirk, Stephen Mellor and Stephen Cole were described as 'dangerous young men' by Mr Justice Douglas Brown as he sentenced them at Preston Crown Court
WHY not let readers have a gripe on whatever subject they choose in the Letters page, be it on local or international issues. After all, it would broaden all our minds, including the armchair critics who could be enlightened by those with personal experience
CAMPAIGNERS have lost their fight to prevent a nine-hole golf course being built in Radcliffe. Approval has been given to a controversial scheme to restore the Tower Farm landfill site. Bury Council cannot find the cash itself to fund improvements to
I RECEIVED my Council Tax bill recently. With it as usual was the leaflet 'Paying for public transport'. In this was the statement that they wish to go ahead with the Leigh busway scheme. I wish to pose the following questions about that scheme: 1. What
CARL FOGARTY finished on top of the leader board after the first round of the World Superbike Championships in Australia after recording a win and a third place. The double world champion got off to a dream start on his Ducati machine in Phillip Island
THE man who helped found Bury's first-ever Muslim place of worship could be a catalyst in solving a power struggle at the town's newest mosque. Mr Syed Zahoor Hussan says he will appeal to religious leaders outside the town to act as peace brokers in
I AM anticipating comments from Cllr Jarvis regarding the Leigh Town Council campaign and must put a few facts in perspective for people. The fact that a precept would be used to finance a Leigh town council is true. It has been made clear from the beginning
A CHARITY worker has hit out at mindless vandals who set fire to his minibus in a bid to make it explode outside his house. And but for the swift actions of a neighbour, a young football team would have been left without vital transport. Geoff Clarkson
EIGHT local schools have been chosen as summer literacy schools in a Government initiative to help under-achievers catch up with their classmates. They are among 562 named throughout the country in a £5 million scheme aimed at pupils about to start at
OLDHAM ST ANNES U15s 34 WARRIORS 32 WARRIORS just missed out on a place in the play-off final by the narrowest of margins. The Leyland team got off to a poor start which allowed Oldham to take a commanding early lead. From this point the Warriors were
WHO can work a 13-hour day, on their feet most of the time, working quietly and efficiently in a very responsible job, without complaint and with a cheerful word for the patients they are caring for? Not superman or superwoman, but the nursing staff on
THIS was a majestic performance by PNE in a white-hot atmosphere in South London and North End collected three valuable points in the fight to avoid the drop. Preston knew they would have to battle hard for even a point but they went about the task in
LANDLORDS! Watch your wallets is the message from Lancashire police. At around 10.45pm on Wednesday March 11 a thief was distubed after sneaking into the private quarters of a pub in Adelphi Street, Preston. He dropped a stolen brown leather jacket as
DAVID Moyes is looking ahead to Saturday's Lancashire hot-pot crunch derby against Wigan Athletic. He knows that the North End should have snatched all three points on their away day to Bristol which ended Bristol rovers 2, PNE 2. He told me after the
DANNY WILSON brings his battling Barnsley to Ewood Park on Tuesday knowing that the support of the country counts for nothing when it comes to Premiership survival. For while the men from Oakdale have caught the imagination for their never-say-die attitude
LAST year the Citizen offered you the chance to reward your favourite eating house in our Restaurant of the Year competition. And we also sorted out fabulous prizes for voters including a free meal for two, a bouquet of flowers, free jewellery, a make
INVESTIGATIONS were continuing yesterday (March 26) into the cause of Saturday's pub explosion. Bridge Inn landlord and landlady Kevin and Pam Farrell and their 11-year-old daughter Stephanie miraculously escaped unharmed from the blast. Gas supply firm
OSCAR night success for James Cameron's epic Movie Titanic brought back special family memories for one Greenmount woman. While the film based on the disaster was collecting a record-equalling 11 Academy Awards, Mrs Wendy Bowker (pictured) of Nabbs Fold
A SHAMED former mayor of Burnley who resigned after being convicted of gross indecency publicly "came out" in the town's council chamber and declared: "I am proud of what I am". Coun Peter Swainston, who resigned as civic leader after committing the offence
CASH-STRAPPED Bury Council is still one of the best local authorities in the country despite its well-publicised funding problems. The council has shown up well in local authority performance indicators issued this week by the Audit Commission. Compared
SNOOKER ACE Dennis Taylor went public about his marriage break. The Blackburn-based former world champion revealed that he had split from his wife Patricia after 23 years together. Ulsterman Dennis admitted being involved with another woman, but said
HOMELESS people are lottery winners after a cash boost of nearly £400,000. Two local groups, Bury Council of Voluntary Service (CVS) and the Rachel House Trust, have both received grants to help their work with the homeless. The CVS will receive £246,780
LABOUR bosses in Burnley have been accused of breaking the law by ordering thousands of pounds of party political literature from the town hall - and getting council taxpayers to foot the bill. The practice, which chief executive Roger Ellis said he believed
DEVELOPERS are set to battle it out for the right to transform Burnley's former Prestige factory site as a major retail centre. A bid by Castlemore Securities to transform the 11-acre site into a 120,000sq ft of non-food units, creating about 500 new
DENNIS Taylor is hoping to line up a second round clash with World number six John Parrott as the British Open Snooker Championships start today. Taylor is in first round action this evening with Joe Perry in the best of nine frames hoping to set up an
TEENAGER Sajjad Mahmood's distraught mother searched near a reservoir for her son more than a week before his body was pulled out of the water by police divers. The 18-year-old's mother said she knew in her heart her son was dead from the day he went
KEITH Arthurton returns to the Lancashire League this summer after being signed by Rawtenstall. The Bacup Road side agreed terms with the West Indies ace this week. Rawtenstall moved quickly following the disappointment of losing original choice, up and
ATHERTON LR's new management pairing of Steve Cunningham and Pete Rust celebrated their appointment with a 1-0 win at Chadderton. The departure in midweek of previous bosses Gerry Luczka and Steve Walton saw players Phil Porter, Darren Zoldan, Nick Harrison
A FLURRY of transfer activity has seen struggling Leigh wrap up three deals - with two more pending. They made a double swoop on Division One rivals Widnes to conclude a deal that brings Anthony Murray and Phil Kendrick to Hilton Park. And on Saturday
I ALSO am bewildered by the proliferation of cycle laws on roads as the letter writer 'Where are the bikes' (LET Tuesday). The question I would ask is where do they go, as cycle lanes run for short distances, then disappear, then reappear, and so on.
THE Northern Ireland peace process was plunged into crisis last night as a gulf emerged between London and Dublin over key aspects of the proposed settlement, with the deadline for an overall political agreement just a week away. This is worrying. For
AFTER a catalogue of complaints about bad smells in the Ribble Valley, chemical waste-based Cemfuel burned by Clitheroe's Castle Cement has been cleared as the culprit. A study by the Environment Agency found no link between the odours and the controversial
I HAVE been following the moans, groans, gripes and complaints of your 'Letters' correspondents concerning Blackburn, with Darwen as an Afterthought, Council and Hyndburn Council, with bemused interest. The main gripes, groans and complaints seem to be
LEIGH RU blasted Fleetwood 31-5 with Chris Lee picking up 21 points. In a bad-tempered match there were some bruising early exchanges before slack defence allowed Fleetwood their sole try. But there was no stopping Leigh in attack. Good work along the
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD ANYONE out there know the whereabouts of Ron Phillips, retired ace bricklayer "and true gentleman"? For months, one of his old chums from half a century ago has been trying to locate him. David (Dai) Beckett from Newport has contacted
LEIGH MR are slowly recovering from a heartbreak weekend. The senior side let slip a 20-12 lead against West Bowling to crash out of the National Cup in an 29-20 shocker. The A Team lost 22-20 in a North West Counties Cup struggle with Parkside Golborne
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD IF ghosts could only speak, then 'Old Harriet' might be able to cast some additional light on our ongoing historic pub saga. For the past several weeks the arm-bending faithful have been chipping in with the names of what they believe
THE old maxim "if it isn't broken don't mend it" certainly applies to Leigh RMI's 2-2 draw with Altrincham. With just 10 minutes remaining they were two up, playing quality football and seemed likely to win by an even greater margin. But the substitution
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD AMAZINGLY enough, the international jersey of legendary Saints winger Alf Ellaby has ended up in New Zealand. It's in the proud possession of Jim Lloyd, pictured right holding the prized souvenir which he has had since he was a kid
A THRILLING swim from Lawrence Carter helped Atherton SC secure a semi-final place in the Bolton District Inter Club League. The 9/12-year-olds produced a magnificent performance, notching 64 points at Woolston against Warrington and Worsley. And Lawrence's
LADY luck is smiling on the folks at St Helens Glass after a SECOND syndicate from the company has hit the Lottery jackpot... in the space of just five weeks. The five member syndicate of glass surveyors scooped £138,153 making each member over £27,000
ALAN BATES is again Leigh's Public Enemy No 1. The Workington referee, who Leigh claim denied them the Division Two championship last season, turned an evenly-balanced game into a total mis-match. Bates, whose controversial injury-time decision at Batley
A £1.12 million package of projects backed by Merseyside's European Objective 1 programme will boost inward investment in St Helens and create and safeguard hundreds of jobs, according to Environment Minister Angela Eagle. Grants totalling £1,119,150
MY brave boy... Sheena is so delighted to have baby Connor back home. (Ref:109/17) MEET the next tiny star of the BBC's hit medical series Children's Hospital. For baby Connor O' Toole is all set to win viewers' hearts as a TV film crew captured surgeons
THE sky's the limit for adventurous Ramsbottom gran Alice Bell. The sprightly grandmother of nine will be taking to the air in her latest fund-raising stunt. But it will not be any ordinary flight. Mrs Bell, of Fir Street, Ramsbottom, will be a passenger
SIX teachers are this week learning lessons rather than delivering them. For they have been taken "into custody" in the nicest possible way by Bury police. The teachers are the latest school staff members to take part in a three-day teacher placement
WALLY ASHCROFT'S WONDER OF PETS CATS are considered to be naturally clean creatures, but is this strictly true, or do they need some training? In the wild state, most members of the cat family are solitary creatures, with the obvious exception of lions
A DECISION to reject plans for a new pharmacy in Walmersley has been described as "bizarre" by health watchdogs. The Community Health Council is to now carry out a survey among residents living in the Chesham, Walmersley, Limefield and Littlewood areas
PENDLE MP Gordon Prentice has provoked a furious row by calling for the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster title to be dropped. He told the House of Commons that the designation of the Cabinet Minister responsible for public services was "a complete
WHIP out your rhythm sticks and drum up a bit of history! That's the challenge from the Met arts centre, who want to recruit people for as record-breaking Samba bid. Zambura, Bury's own Samba band, are out to recruit volunteers to take part in a massive
STUDENTS at Burnley's Ivy Bank High School will soon be the only ones in Lancashire learning moped riding skills as part of their GCSE studies. The unusual course is also offered at Burnley's Barden High, but teacher Anthony Taylor said this year's 10
Food News, with Christine Rutter A DIAMOND of griddled salmon steak on a disc of fatless black pudding and tarragon . . . It sounds like a dish you'd expect to find on the menu of a classy restaurant - but food of this quality is regularly served up at
TRANSVESTITES, T-Birds, Pink Ladies, Sharks, Jets and Che Guevara will be joining forces to help the children of Bosnia next week. Students at Bury College will be taking to the stage of the Peel Centre theatre for a special charity concert for their
SHIRLEY'S Texas Stompers will be holding a fundraising Line Dancing evening at Triplex Social Club, Eccleston, tonight (Thursday, March 26) between 8pm and 10.30pm. All the proceeds from the night will be donated to Clatterbride Hospital for the care
Freemasons give a rare insight into their mysterious world FREEMASONS - targeted by Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw in his quest for more openness in Britain's most secretive society - have declared: "We have nothing to hide - except our handshakes
A ROBBER described as having a similar hairstyle to Simply Red star Mick Hucknall squirted bathroom detergent into the eyes of a Barnoldswick shop owner. Susan Randle, 37, owner of Jammy Dodgers children's clothes shop, Barnoldswick, is recovering at
A BURY family living under the threat of deportation have won backing from their local authority in their fight to remain in England. Bury Council is poised to write to Home Secretary Jack Straw asking him to intervene to prevent Javed Iqbal, his wife
PARR Community High School and St Cuthberts RC Community High School have been named as two of 562 new summer literacy schools. Making the anouncement, Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett said: "This is good news for thousands of children
A PARTY of Palestinian education ministers were given an insight into the way local schools work while on a fact finding mission in the area this month. The party from the West Bank and Gaza visited Westleigh High School, and discussed with Wigan 's assistant
DRIVERS in Edenfield could be among the first to be tested for drug-driving after police launched a pioneering scheme this week. Lancashire Police have been chosen, along with three other forces, to pilot the new trial scheme, and Edenfield is covered
POLICE in St Helens are becoming concerned for a 30-year-old patient from the Scott Clinic, Rainhill, who went missing on Monday, March 9. Paul Wlodarczyk, who grew up in Tuebrook where his mum still lives, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act in
A FIELD archery club is targeting beginners. Ye Olde Delph Bowmen are inviting sportsmen to join practice shoots on Fridays, between 7.30pm and 9pm, at new facilities at the Selwyn Jones Leisure Centre, Newton-le-Willows. Club secretary, Mr B W Pickles
CAMPAIGNERS want to make sure that the future of Prestwich is at the heart of the local election campaign. Candidates for the May vote are being invited to state their case at a public meeting. Prestwich Residents Association jointly with Prestwich Business
Bradford Bulls 62 Saints 22 SAINTS' under-pressure management must have pondered deeply on the old adage regarding the best-laid plans of mice and men following this disastrous trip to Odsal. For, having arranged this friendly fixture in order to keep
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD IN all the years that reader R. Heaton has driven past the Haydock Conservative Club, he's always been plagued by an unanswered question. "The building, in Church Road, has an imposing facade," he writes from his home in Penny Lane
WITH Blackpool's change over to unitary status approaching, council leader Ivan Taylor is confident that most residents will have noticed one big change already. He said: "Changes will become evident quickly as council tax bills are being sent out now
BURY Schools have received praise from the top - but their fight for a fairer funding deal goes on. David Blunkett, education and employment secretary, said Bury "has an excellent local authority with excellent schools" during the budget debate in the
WINDLEHOLME Rovers and Whiston Juniors are through to the under 13s cup final in the Byrne Hire Rainhill Junior Football League after semi-final wins over St Annes Rovers and St Aloysius respectively. RESULTS Saturday Under 10s Premier: Parr Junior 3
A 26-year-old man who supplied heroin from his home has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years. Liverpool Crown Court heard that the drugs operation was penetrated by two undercover officers who had placed telephone orders with Stephen Griffiths of Morley
LEIGH is a vital link in helping save old clothing which is recycled for use by many of Africa's poorest countries. Clothes recycling banks in the town, together with those in Lowton, Hindley and other parts of the borough, have contributed to nearly
CAUGHT on the rebound . . . but the friendly at Bradford was arranged with the best of intentions. So said Shaun McRae after the horrow show at Odsal. WHITTLE: With the benefit of hindsight was Saints' journey really necessary? McRAE: Definitely not!
Burscough 2 St Helens Town 1 (aet) TOWN'S bid to lift the NWCL Floodlit trophy failed at the final hurdle on Monday in the cruelest of fashions. An extra time free-kick by Burscough's Gary Anderson decided the issue against ten-man Town who lost the trophy
AN operation specially mounted by St Helens police to combat an increase in car crime since the beginning of the year has resulted in the arrest of 15 people for theft of motor vehicles. A marked increase in car crime was noted in the Garswood, Billinge
ST HELENS COMBINATION SUB Tony Fargin helped earn Child FC a place in Good Friday's Hospital Cup final at St Helens Town with a superb second-half showing in their semi-final against Anchor. Tony's slightly-built frame casued havoc on both flanks for
POLICE are linking two incidents in which elderly women had money stolen by a man who conned his way into their homes posing as a workman. In the first incident, a man wearing a blue-checked shirt called at a house in Queensland Avenue, Thatto Heath,
THE people of Lancaster have a new man to pray for their souls. The new Bishop of Lancaster was consecrated this week at York Minster. The new bishop, Rev Canon Stephen Pedley, was born in 1940 in Coventry. He went to Cambridge University before beginning
Morecambe 1 Cheltenham Town 0 THE magnificent Shrimps fans roared their team to victory from their new £500,000 stand on Saturday. Morecambe had suffered two five-nil drubbings in their previous two fixtures. And it has been form like that which means
£2m of hard-earned ratepayers' cash has been squandered on Crinkley Bottom and two officers have admitted they knew of unsigned side-letter. This knowledge has been kept from elected councillors who have been put there by the public to represent them.
LOCALS have joined peace groups to protest against the building of a new plutonium dump across the bay at Sellafield. British Nuclear Fuel has applied to build the plutonium waste plant and also to vary radioactive discharges into the sea. The Government's
DAMIEN Duff looks set to return to front-line action for Blackburn Rovers when they tackle champions Manchester United on Monday night in Ewood's biggest clash of the season so far. The Irish whizz kid has been confined to the substitutes' bench in Rovers
NOBEL prize winner Noam Chomsky, veteran MP Tony Benn and TV comedian Mark Thomas have offered their support for jailed Lancaster man Stephen Booth. Mr Booth was jailed for three years following a controversial three-year police investigation. He was
Last week Stanley Henig disclaimed any personal responsibility for the Crinkley Bottom disaster. He suggested that the finger of blame could be pointed in many directions (as long as it wasn't at him). He complains constantly about unfair personal attacks
FURIOUS Morecambe parents have launched an attack on the owners of Teal Bay swimming pool for stopping their children's swimming lessons. The owners of the pool, VVV Health and Leisure Clubs, this week said they were forced into banning the children by
Not a shocking new movie... more a way of life for some desperate students - CHRIS WEBBER reports PROSTITUTION and drug dealing are no longer solely the proclivities of the desperate and criminal... now they are affecting the educated students at Lancaster
A SCHOOLGIRL from Lytham has rescued one of the town's traditions after volunteering to be this year's Club Day Queen. Megan Porter was picked for the job after the United Reformed Church, whose turn it was to pick a queen for the June 27 gala, failed
STAR goalkicker Steve Gartland can't wait to get stuck into his old side on Sunday (March 29) when Swinton Lions take on Rochdale Hornets in Rugby League's First Division. Gartland was on-loan at Spotland last season and was by far the club's top points
MORECAMBE and Heysham Chamber of Trade has called on those responsible for the £2 million Crinkley Bottom fiasco to resign. In a stinging letter to council Leader Stanley Henig (see Citizen letters pages) the chamber president Audrey Jones describes the
Gainsborough Trinity 2 Lancaster City 1 Lancaster returned to action after a three week break when they made the long trip to Gainsborough. The game swung away from them in the latter stages of the first half when Gainsborough scored two goals and although
ANGRY residents on Heys Street in Thornton have decided to take action against Wyre Borough Council over the sale of marshland to Wyre Housing Association for just £1. The residents claim the sale was illegal due to the fact they were not informed of
