RE 'Your Views' item headed 'Magistrates Convict Assault Dad' (BEN, May 8). As a child, I got a very good smack on the bottom. It must have been very good for me as I am still here 78 years on. Would I be right in thinking that midwives will face a fine
AS an ex-patriot From Horwich, now living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, I would like to say thank you to everyone who helps to put the local news on the Net. It has brought my husband and I through that inevitable feeling of homesickness we knew would
THE Tories' so-called tough stance on asylum and their crude use of this leading up to the local elections has not just shown how right-wing they have become but reveals they are riddled with hypocrisy. How is it that Tories like Michael Portillo, Sir
RECENTLY my car was broken into, twice within a week, and I have just received two copies of a "form letter" giving me "crime numbers" for each incident. Both copies of the letter advised me that if I discovered that there were additional items that had
YOUR leader writers and letter writers are quite right to draw attention to the continuing decline in local services -- keep it up! However, it is quite wrong to be blaming the council and councillors. They no longer have either the power or money to
TWO local printing companies have merged to form Excelsior Press (Westhoughton) Ltd. Bill Bromilow and Paul Hinkinson from Hindley Print in Market Street, Hindley, had worked closely with June and Jeff Preston from Excelsior Press before the merger. It
BOLTON comes 62nd out of 162 in a list of the UK's most profitable places for doing business. The study by Dun & Bradstreet, the business information service, involved 137 larger Bolton companies. It found 81 per cent of them profitable. Philip Mellor
A GALA weekend, with activities, music and military splendour, will be held at Fulwood Barracks at Preston, on Saturday and Sunday, June 24/25. The Barracks houses the Headquarters of 42 (North West) Brigade and is the focus for more than 6,000 regular
HUSBAND and wife team Mike and Hazel Rimmer play the lead roles of Willie and Maggie Mossop in Tyldesley Little Theatre's production of Hobson's Choice, which starts tonight. Hazel was a little nervous of tackling such a large role. She said: "I have
CRIME experts from Lancashire are bidding to make security cameras on shops and businesses in Adlington, Turton and Edgworth more effective. The campaign has been launched following research by the constabulary's Imaging Unit which showed that only 55
A LANCASHIRE MP is warning health supremos against restricting smoking in pubs and leisure venues for fear of putting off foreign tourists. Tourism Minister Janet Anderson fears that jobs could be lost and hundreds of thousands of pounds in earnings lost
IT'S decision time in Eidur Gudjohnsen's bid to make tomorrow night's play-off semi-final decider against Ipswich Town. Wanderers hope to know by tonight whether the influential striker will be in their ranks at Portman Road. The Reebok's 22-goal top
LONG-TERM injury fears surrounding Leigh Centurions' new signing Andy Leathem have been removed, writes Mike Hulme. The young prop suffered a badly bruised hip as he scored in the first minute of his full debut at Swinton on Sunday. He was taken to hospital
By Steve Bott A CONTINGENT from Bury FC will be in Llanelli tonight casting their eyes over the cream of some of Britain's non-league talent. England clash with Wales in a non-league international and the Bury party, made up of chairman Terry Robinson
25 YEARS AGO BOLTON Wanderers today announced their admission charges for next season and for the first time, the cost of a Centre Stand seat has topped the £1 mark. They will cost £1.20 against 90p last year, and the new Burnden Stand price will be £1.10
HOWCROFT Old Boys made it a league and cup double after overcoming a jaded looking RS Walkden side in the final of the Bolton Sunday League Colborne Shield. Following this defeat Walkden's season can now be summed up in the phrase always the bridesmaid
THE Lennox Bell Trophy is on the Angler's sideboard following their surprise 3-1 win over the Bowling Green in the final of the competition played on the centre pitch at Harper Green. Martin Butterworth, Phil Ryan and Billy Nicholson did the damage to
PLANS for a massive opencast coal mine would improve the environment and bring jobs to the area, a public inquiry was told today. A second enquiry into plans by RJB Mining, to extract two million tons of coal at Cutacre Tip on the Over Hulton and Little
DRUG addicts arrested on the streets of are being offered a new opportunity to kick their habit when they get taken into the police station. Two new drug referral workers have been appointed in Bolton in a bid to divert people who come into police custody
DAREDEVIL pensioner Harold Lever completed another skydive in great style on Sunday. But unfortunately for the brave go-getter, it will be his last. His doctor says that at the grand old age of 82, he should call it a day. The jump was the latest in a
A NATIONWIDE crackdown on counterfeiting was launched in the North-West today with a warning that cheap, fake goods can be dangerous and finance drug dealing. Consumer Minister Kim Howells said in Manchester the "pirate economy" includes everything from
By Angela Kelly A SCHEME pioneered in Bolton to give children experience of working life has been endorsed by the launch of a national campaign. Prime Minister Tony Blair has just announced the powerful new Enterprise Insight campaign. It will involve
A SUPPORT group which offers practical help and friendship to people with a spinal injury has been formed in Bolton thanks to the dedication of a community nurse and a partially paralysed man. Former HGV driver Brian Naylor was left horrifically injured
I WOULD really love to find out how these so-called sufferers get their knowledge of how to practise walking with crutches and sticks, convincing doctors and specialists that they have pain, crumbling bones, such bad backs, etc. Oh dear! Watch them when
I WOULD like to voice my support for the letter regarding the speed of traffic along Belmont Road. I live on Belmont Road and can confirm that many cars travel at speeds well in excess of 30mph. The police do carry out speed checks and this is the only
THE Tories' election victory was a stunning victory by all accounts, and showed just how close they are to becoming a government again. However, they were given a hand. Regardless of the fact that in order to secure short-term gain the Tories have backed
I NOTE with alarm reports on the proposed closure of the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital (commonly known as Pendlebury). My grandson has been both an in-patient and outpatient since the age of 10 months -- he is now nearly 17. He suffers from a rare
I AM writing in reply to James Whelan's response concerning my letter where I regarded the suggestion of a cycle tax as being a ridiculous idea. He believes that cycle lanes are a waste of time and he would like to know my opinions on our Council Tax
A TERRIFIED young Bolton woman fears she may be the victim of a sinister stalker. Natalie Worthington, 24, has had stones thrown at her window late at night and her car broken into eight times in six weeks. A chilling note was left on her car seat saying
SAM Allardyce is giving his overworked Wanderers stars as much rest as possible ahead of the Portman Road showdown. Training has been put to one side before tomorrow's second leg at Ipswich. The players watched a video of the Reebok game yesterday before
IPSWICH player-coach Tony Mowbray gave George Burley a double boost today when he declared himself fit for tomorrow night's play-off decider at Portman Road and signed a one-year extension to his playing contract. George Burley must now decide whether
A RADCLIFFE food company has won an award for its standards of hygiene and production. Martins Foods, a sister company of Martins Bakery, has gained the British Retail Consortium/European Food Safety Inspection Service certificate at the higher level.
THE North Bolton Police and Community Consultative Group holds its next meeting on Thursday May 25. Members of the public will have the opportunity to quiz senior police officers and raise issues of concern as well as getting face-to-face feedback. The
A MAJOR campaign against the fake sports clothing industry was launched today. Greater Manchester Crimestoppers has joined forces with the Sports Industries Federation, the Anti-Counterfeiting Group and local trading standards departments to target product
ATHLETIC bobbies are putting their best feet forward to raise cash for two deserving good causes. A group of seven local officers have already raised more than £4,500 between them by competing in the London Marathon. And now they are in training for two
THE Mayoress of Bury is seriously ill in hospital after suffering a stroke. Mrs Anne Costello, a former teacher at Guardian Angels RC School, has been in Bury General Hospital since the attack last Thursday. The mayor, Cllr John Costello, said: "She's
STAGECOACH Ribble bosses admitted further service disruptions are inevitable this week after bus drivers voted for a second day of strikes. Bus drivers will be leaving their vehicles at the depot again on Friday as they attempt to push forward their increased
A WOMAN got into a car in Manchester thinking it was a private hire taxi and was driven to Blackrod and robbed. The driver threatened the terrified woman before stealing her handbag and pushing her out of the car. The woman, aged 22, got into the car
DETECTIVES have stepped up their appeal to trace thugs who attacked a partially sighted man who tried to stop them vandalising a church. The 52-year-old was hit by a stone in his good eye leaving specialists at Birch Hill Hospital concerned he may lose
LEISURE, SPORT & KEEP FIT BOLTON Excel, Lower Bridgeman Street, tel: 334456: ladies only, 1.30pm-3pm; aerobics, 6pm-7pm; yoga, 7.30pm-9pm. DEANE Leisure Centre, Junction Road, Deane, tel: 334432: junior swimming lessons, 5.30pm-7.30pm; weights room
BOWMAN Stuart Farnworth is proving to be the town's shooting star after winning a place in the Lancashire archery squad. The 27-year-old, a member of the Deane Bowmen Club based at Eagley CC, has earned his reward after spending hours on the practice
GOALKEEPING ace Alex Derbyshire has a chance to impress Manchester United - thanks to the power of Bolton Sport. Alex Ferguson's Premiership champions have invited the Bolton youngster to Old Trafford for trials after being alerted to his potential in
AMBITIOUS plans for a new £6.1 million wing for children at the Royal Bolton Hospital have been boosted with the news that two children's hospitals are set to close. Hospital chiefs have been working on an outline bid for regional planning chiefs to overhaul
DETECTIVES in Bolton are celebrating the success of the free and confidential Crimestoppers scheme -- and urging more people to pick up the phone in the fight against crime. As the scheme, which allows the public to give vital information anonymously,
A TOP detective hopes TV viewers will help track down a gang of gun-toting Westhoughton bank raiders. The police chief hopes a TV re-enactment will provide new clues for the team of detectives working on the case. Crimewatch UK cameras were in Westhoughton
A BOLTON hypnotist has hit back at critics who have branded his first ever TV show too rude. And Peter Powers, who lives in Heaton, has said he is proud to be a Bolton lad and wants the whole town to tune in and watch his Channel 5 show. The show -- which
