PAUL Brierley has a cheek attacking Labour's reform of the asylum system. The Last Tory Government left our immigration and asylum system in a complete shambles. After the election, Labour inherited from the Tories a backlog of over 50,000 cases, which
THERE are a number of issues which I feel must be addressed in your article: Bus priority lane a danger to drivers (Bolton Evening News August 17). In the article Mr Pollitt describes the bus lane on Deane Road, Bolton as an "accident waiting to happen
BRITAIN will be flooded writes Frank Rushton (Your Views, September 6). We are flooded already. The National Health Service is near to breaking point; more children are on the poverty line; pensioners are struggling to make ends meet. People died to give
TEA-time turned into a stomach churner for mum-of-four Jacqueline Walker when a slug-like object slid from a tin of ravioli. She was preparing a snack for her 11-year-old son Christopher on Friday when she made the unsavoury discovery. And she feels angry
A BOLTON woman who has played a significant role in helping to combat crime in Halliwell has been shortlisted for a top award. Ella Paul, co-ordinator of a Home Watch Scheme, has been selected as one of 11 divisional finalists in this year's Greater Manchester
SIX Bolton teachers have left their jobs after being told to do better or face the sack. The six gave up their jobs after schools were given new powers to get tough with weak teachers. Under the new rules, headteachers have the power to warn teachers
A STAGGERING 55 cars have been stolen or broken into in the Bromley Cross area over the last month, figures reveal. Most of the crimes have been committed through the night between midnight and 6am. But police chiefs have also revealed that an alarming
WOMEN throughout Bolton have been forced to wait EIGHT weeks for smear test results. Changes in the frequency of tests - women are now recalled every three instead of every five years for cervical cytology - and long term staff sickness resulted in the
FARNWORTH youngsters enjoyed a "swinging" time when parents and residents unveiled their newly-created play area. Neighbours in the All Saints area of Moses Gate were sick of the local children being "bored to tears" and decided it was time to do something
GAS infrastructure company BG Energy Services has opened a new office in Bolton - completing its master plan. The firm, which has located to Chorley New Road, now has regional offices within an hour of 95 per cent of UK gas consumers. And it will now
EXPENSE Reduction Analysts, specialists in the reduction of overheads on essential items, have recently set up an office in Bolton to bring their cost management expertise to businesses in Lancashire. Steve Birt from ERA said: "We are able to provide
I SHOULD like to express my dismay regarding recent reports in both national and local newspapers. These reports concern the vast number of immigrants now residing in the British Isles. As an example there are 50,000 Asians living in Bradford, almost
ALONG with the £3 million makeover of Farnworth town centre does anyone else think more use of the market would be appropriate instead of using it as a car park for four days of the week? It is used only three days out of seven - eg Sunday car boot, Wednesday
POSTIE Shaun Williams will have the biggest 'round' of his life when he heads for Germany to dispatch letters and top-level security orders for the Territorial Army. The Bolton Royal Mail project worker will be covering 22,500 square miles as he joins
A SENIOR Reebok Stadium official's job is secure following revelations that he had an affair with a steward. Former Bolton Wanderers steward Julie Compton from Blackrod spoke to a national tabloid newspaper about her relationship with Reebok chief safety
DO you hanker for the sights and sounds of the 1940s? Or dream of Glenn Miller, the songs that made the decade special and the dress that was all the rave? If so Gordon and Joyce Jones of Ringley are inviting you to a 1940s style dance. Guests will be
Went from Torquay to Jersey, On a hovercraft we did go. It was only a three hour sailing, But oh how it did to and fro. Half the people were sick all the time, Some so ill they did cry. The sea was so rough as we glided across, Some saying: "We're going
TALENTED trio Y2K topped the musical bill at Castlefield Carnival over the weekend. And their tribute to US rocker Alanis Morrisette saw them run off with first prize in the under-15s section of the Young Performer of the Year contest. They were presented
A BOLTON Post Office, at the centre of a fraud probe, opened its doors to customers again yesterday. Last Friday the BEN revealed that detectives and investigators from the Benefits Agency and a special Post Office Counters Ltd team had been called in
DO any of your readers know a pub with a really warm welcome? Homefire smokeless coal is running the second Homefire Real Fire Pub of the Year competition. We are offering the winning pub a prize of £1000, with cash prizes too for regional winners and
MADAM Edith Norcross, one of Bolton's best-loved musical celebrities, has died at the age of 93. After being taken to hospital on Tuesday, Madam Edith (she took the courtesy title when she married her late husband Billy Yates) died peacefully on Saturday
25 YEARS AGO WORK to provide an open-air leisure centre including the development of a park has started along part of the old Adlington to Wigan railway line, at Adlington, at the side of the Jubilee Playing Fields. A SHRUNKEN human head believed to have
ON form Chris Taylor scored an impressive win for Horwich CC on Saturday in the 40 mile Ted Mercer Mem Road Race at Ormskirk. Chris led out the sprint on the final climb, and was never challenged for victory. This win moves him up to a second category
COUSINS Adam Bleakley and Kim Barnard are a couple of smashing prospects. They served notice that they aim to be big shots in the county table tennis scene when they won the Lancashire junior trials. Their success qualifies them to play for the Lancs
I HAVE always felt an affinity with Smithills Hall. As children, we used to visit there regularly as it was free then. We were intrigued by the footprint of the Protestant martyr, George Marsh in the passageway and there was a room upstairs containing
Theatre, music & dance AFTERNOON of Nostalgia, singalong and dance with Howard Broadbent, Mortfield Social and Bowling Club, 1pm-4pm. Admission £1 including tea and biscuits. BOLTON Music Service activities include Bolton Youth Brass Band practising
IT makes my blood boil to hear again of another young girl age 12 giving birth to a baby. Their parents should be ashamed and should bow their heads in shame. If this had happened years ago this youngster would have been put away. I thank God I have eight
IT WAS a smash hit! Bolton Amateur Theatre Soceties' annual dinner and the BEN's amateur theatre awards evening at the Albert Halls was a complete sell-out. And there was still a waiting list for tickets. One of the highlights of the glitzy and glamorous
STEVE Banks is hoping to make a happy return to his old stamping ground as Wanderers look for a cup boost at Gillingham tonight. The Reebok keeper, who has had to sit and watch while Keith Branagan has secured the No 1 spot this season, is waiting for
THIS was the touching scene yesterday as hundreds of firemen bade an emotional farewell to a courageous colleague. As reported in last night's BEN, Bury town centre came to a virtual standstill as massed ranks of firefighters paid tribute to Paul Metcalf
A TEENAGE soldier is helping to keep the British Forces on track in war-torn Kosovo. Private Sara Bradbury is playing a vital role in organising the movement of troops and equipment by rail throughout the Balkans. The 19-year-old is currently stationed
BOLTON College chiefs are preparing to pay back at least £1.5 million - after claiming money for students they did not have for around four years. Governors at the Manchester Road College are set to repay the first instalment of the money to the Further
BURY'S high profile Community Safety Wardens, the town's "friendly faces" on the streets, are looking for new recruits. It is hoped the scheme, one of the first of its type to be established in Britain, will attract new faces to take up the town centre
WHEN Bradshaw Bowling Club opened a new pavilion fit for a prince, they found the perfect man to do the honours. Cyril Prince, who was 93 on September 9, is not only the club's oldest member, he's also thought to be the oldest bowler regularly turning
A SCHOOL for youngsters with learning difficulties is set to go hi-tech with a suite of new computers - thanks to a £4,000 grant. Woodside Senior School was handed the cash by one of the UK's largest grant-making trusts, the Lloyds TSB Foundations. The
A THUG who mugged a pensioner in a Bolton street was chased by a passer-by as he ran away from the scene. The thief then dropped the bag he had stolen in his desperation to escape. A reward for information leading to his capture is now being offered under
NOBODY has a job for life these days - and that includes teachers. Our story tonight about the six Bolton teachers who left their jobs after being told to do better or face the sack illustrates this. Outside education, incompetent workers have always
THE explanation given by Bolton College chiefs about the £1.5 million claimed for students they did not have for some years is just not good enough. We accept that governors at the college admit they made mistakes but their reason for it "a genuine mistake
YET again we see our planners boob (BEN, September 7: Caged lions). The councillors appeal for sympathy, but obviously they didn't know their business, so perhaps Mr Prescott's Department is slapping their wrists. Fencing upon fencing around Victoria's
HEALTH bosses have gone "on line" in a bid to keep the people of Bolton in touch. And it could eventually mean "live" face-to-face communication between Internet users and health staff. Bolton Community Healthcare Trust has launched the new website so
METRO badminton club had probably its best ever season last year. The club's A team won B Section to give them a first ever taste of A Section badminton. Metro B topped D Section and its C team, in third place, was also put into C Section in the reshuffled
IMAGO won the BSF Rounders League Finestyle Windows final when they beat Bartons A 249-180. Imago batted first and received 150 runs start. They then scored 48 with Leanne Tudge (14) Yvonne Halliwell (10) and Julie Orrell, 11 runs being the main scorers
YOUNGER racing members took a back seat this week, as the veteran cyclists of Lancashire Road Club showed what they could do. The club open 50-mile time trial on Sunday morning was dominated by older racing members, with many younger riders offering supporting
IT all seemed little more than a formality as Tonge, for the second year running, travelled to Piggott Park in search of the League Championship. Three points were all that were required and in view of the fact that only once in their last 77 matches
PREMIER Division early season pacesetters Walkden looked a banker home win on Saturday for the Harriet Street encounter with Ainsworth. Mike Ayres' side had clocked up three successive wins to head the table, whilst the visitors had lost heavily in their
