THE North-west of England opened for business in Brussels today. A regional office - part of a long-term strategy to help reinforce economic prosperity across the region - was opened a few yards away from the headquarters of the European Commission. The
SIX youths under the age of 17 were among about 500 people prosecuted by Bolton police in the past year for drink driving. The shock statistic was revealed by the head of Bolton Police, Chief Superintendent John Bartlett at the annual Licensing Magistrates
AN historic church has been awarded more than £130,000 lottery cash to complete restoration work. The Georgian St John the Evangelist Church, Kearsley, is a Grade II listed Commissioner's Church, designed by London architect Thomas Hardwick. But the church
A THUG stubbed out a lighted cigarette in a teenager's face as he robbed him of just 70p. The 16-year-old boy was left in agony after the attack as he sat in a car in Lee Lane, Horwich. His attacker walked up to the car, opened the door and demanded money
AN emergency sum of £300,000 looks set to be granted to carry out 'stopgap' measures to ease the problems faced in the overcrowded Bolton Magistrates Court. The Lord Chancellor's Department is expected to approve the spending, providing Bolton Council
DRUGS with a staggering street value of £943,000 have been seized in Bolton over the last nine months, the BEN can reveal today. Eighty six per cent of the haul was heroin - confirming Bolton's reputation as a major centre for distribution of the class
SIR: A few years ago the BEN did a feature on Ian Aspinall, a local actor from Bolton. I was fortunate to see him many years ago at the Octopus Theatre at the Octagon. He sings very well, plays the guitar and is a good actor. In the last few weeks, I
SIR: Tom Sackville should never be forgiven for denying our pensioners the right to stay warm in winter. He says he did not intentionally ensure that Audrey Wise's Bill ran out of time - what garbage! These are just weasel words from a man who filibustered
A BOLTON MP is campaigning for an immediate change to mental health services funding to stop people slipping the net - sometimes with tragic consequences. Peter Thurnham, Liberal Democrat MP for Bolton North-east, is pushing for a change in the law which
A BOLTON charity worker has received a £50 refund and an apology from a national car clamping company. Debra Higson, who works for the National Children's Home family centre in Breightmet, had to borrow charity money to pay a wheel clamper to release
THE former chairman of Bolton Training Group, Mr Bill Calderbank, performed the opening ceremony for the new Pitman Training Centre in Bolton town centre. Horwich-based BTG ran its computer and secretarial training division for five years under the name
THE town council at Westhoughton has given its support to a new code of conduct which has been introduced at the local high school. The council has agreed to give a grant of £350 to help fund Westhoughton High School's RESPECT scheme which rewards pupils
HOPES for a £20 million scheme to create parklands in Bolton's river valleys have been dashed. The Millennium Commission has revealed that the massive plan is not even among the projects being considered for National Lottery funding. It was hoped that
RESIDENTS watched in horror as water flooded towards their homes - from a Bolton reservoir that has been empty for years. The water poured down in two streams from a high banking at the site of Sweetloves Reservoir, off Belmont Road, where two developers
SIR:The pensioners on Kirkwall Drive stand in the rain waiting for the bus that never comes. I think that a bus shelter should be erected at once. J Small, Wardle Stree, Bolton Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting
SIR: I am writing this letter to let people know what a bad area Highfield in Farnworth is. I have lived in this area for the last five years and since that time I have had three cars stolen and none has ever been recovered. It just shows you the vermin
COURTROOM drama takes on a whole new meaning in Bolton later this year when the magistrates court provides the perfect stage for . . . an opera! The wood panelled Courtroom Number One will set the scene for Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial By Jury A yet to
SIR: I refer to the recent article by Bill Jacobs and the remarks about Bolton's "famous" black puddings. May I remind you that the town which has been, for many decades, "famous" for black puddings is, and always will be, Bury. Our puddings are still
SIR: In 1989 the Conservative Party's European manifesto contained the promise to retain zero rating of VAT on domestic fuel and power as well as on food. Despite this pledge the low-waged and the elderly of Bolton are being made to suffer from the imposition
WIGAN'S injured stars are facing a race against time to be fit for Saturday's Challenge Cup crunch with St Helens. Centre Gary Connolly is adamant he will play despite recovering from an operation on a cruciate ligament injury while it is touch and go
SIR: It was very gratifying to see recently in the BEN the very full report on the celebration held by Bolton's Rotary Clubs for the life of Paul Harris and, in particular, the special mention you made of the Life Education Unit. This new and, as yet,
SIR:I refer to the article which appeared recently in Newsnet, regarding a 'sickening attack'. My son, John, who attends Bradford University, was also attacked for absolutely no reason in Bradford. He was on his way back to his house, when a car-load
ATHERTON LR entertain old rivals Bamber Bridge tonight knowing the Lancashire ATS Trophy represents their last hope silverware this season. Both clubs are too close to the relegation zone in their respective Unibond divisions. LR manager Dave Morris welcomes
IF music be the food of love, then why not spend Valentine's Day with the Mayor of Bolton at his charity dinner and cabaret. Top soul band Jimmy James and the Vagabonds and singing duo Ultra-Glow will provide the music, supported by compere Barry Jay
THIRTY jobs are to go at BICC Industrial Cables in Leigh. Workers were told today that the decision followed a strategic review of the firm's business, which is struggling in a recession against strong worldwide competition. A spokesman said: "As a result
Dashing with style as he drives down the way Flashing a smile in a most charming way. Sometimes he talks like a dear gentle lamb, And gullible folks don't know he's a sham. Wolf in sheep's clothing is all that he is Drinker of brandies he likes with a
OPPOSITION to a controversial sports complex plan in Ainsworth village is growing. Letters of objection from around 500 people have been received by Bury Council. Developers want to build football and cricket pitches plus a car park, tennis courts and
A WOMAN was threatened by a thug wielding a metal bar during a smash and grab raid on an Atherton electrical store last night. The woman was threatened as she watched a gang ransacking the Norweb shop in Market Street. The same gang are believed to be
DOCTORS are reaching the end of their tether because some patients are making "outrageous" demands on them. Some older doctors are now desperate to quit the profession. Patients must take some responsibility for their own health, he says, and think twice
A NEW Labour think tank has summed up what many of us have known for some time - white people are not the only ones to show racial prejudice. An inquiry for the Institute of Public Policy Research has revealed that Blacks, Asians and Jews can be just
From the Evening News, February 4, 1972 THE worst industrial eyesore in the Bolton area - 33 acres of poisonous waste on the site of the old Hall Lane chemical works at Little Lever - is about to be obliterated. Lancashire County Council today announced
COLIN Todd insisted today that Wanderers' shock FA Cup exit would have no bearing on their promotion bid. "That one result isn't going to affect what we are aiming to achieve," the Bolton boss pledged after his runaway Division One leaders crashed 3-2
BURY will have to do it the hard way if they are to get to Wembley in the Auto Windscreens Shield. Stockport's victory at Burnley last night, set up a Northern Section quarter-final tie at Gigg Lane next Tuesday, but leaves the Shakers having to beat
WANDERERS were back to square one in their search for a striker today after turning their back on one of Denmark's finest. Burnden officials ditched their bid to sign Per Petersen after his club Odense slapped a staggering £2.5 million price on his head
Bolton Wanderers 2, Chesterfield 3: By Gordon Sharrock THE statistician with the Chesterfield facts and figures at his fingertips offered Wanderers an encouraging word in their hour of need. "The last time we beat you in the FA Cup was in 1911 and you
