Archive

  • Family devastated by death of man

    A BOLTON family has been left devastated after a young man was found dead in his bed. Christopher Brooks, aged 31, was found dead by his sister Donna Burgess at their home in Briscoe Mews, Burnden. The cause of death is unknown and an inquest will be

  • Are bus passengers getting a raw deal?

    EVERYONE knows businesses have to pass operating costs on to their customers - it is the way the world of commerce works. But users of First buses have faced seven price rises in just 30 months with the latest increase pushing ticket prices up from between

  • Market stall traders form ‘breakaway’ hall

    STALLHOLDERS at Bolton's Market Hall are heading for pastures new after being forced to leave this weekend. The Market Hall closes on Saturday for a £30 million revamp, which means stallholders must move out so that a modern shopping mall can be built

  • They were wanted - now they've been caught

    THREE convicted criminals who went on the run from police are back behind bars today after being identified from pictures published The Bolton News and this website. Police released four pictures on Tuesday in the hope members of the public would help

  • Caught with his hand in the till

    THIS is the moment a shop thief was caught with his hand in a till. He helped himself to £80 - but was stopped seconds later when have-a-go hero Tommy Dowie wrestled him to the ground. The terrified thief handed over the money to the burly former security

  • Locked up over a speeding fine already paid

    DRIVER Dayne Smith found himself locked in a police cell and ushered into court in handcuffs - over a speeding fine he had already paid. The 21-year-old from Radcliffe had appeared in court after a police officer with a radar gun caught him speeding

  • Pervert’s chest pain delays sentencing

    THE sentencing of a pervert was adjourned after he complained of chest pains. Karl Scramell, aged 36, of Watt Street, Horwich, was due to be sentenced at Bolton Crown Court yesterday for making and possessing indecent pictures of children and inciting

  • VIDEO: Watch millions of starlings gather to roost

    An amazing video showing millions of starlings gather to roost is now available to watch online. Watch this amazing sight as millions of the birds gather over Patton Bridge, near Kendal, Cumbria, before their evening roost. This video comes courtesy

  • End school flood misery, say parents

    PARENTS want action after children arrived at school with wet feet because of a flooded footpath. The path, off Appledore Drive, which leads to Harwood Meadow Primary School, Harwood, is used by parents and children who have been soaked because of flooding

  • Wanderers double on the cards - Fred Done

    There's another local derby to savour in the Premiership when Manchester City travel to the Reebok to take on Bolton Wanderers tomorrow. A City revival has been taking place of late with the Blues recording three successive victories in the Premiership

  • Improving D'argent to take some beating

    THE pick of this weekend's racing is over the sticks at Warwick tomorrow, with the first ever running of the Classic Handicap Chase. This Grade 3 contest, run over three miles five furlongs, looks set to be a competitive affair and could even provide

  • A new chapter starts in library’s history

    A NEW central library, to be shared with Bolton University, could form part of Bolton's multi-million pound Cultural Quarter development. Bolton Council has expanded the scope of its plans to include the university library. A research centre for textiles

  • Wild weather storms into North-west

    STORMS battered Bolton yesterday as wild weather continued to wreak havoc across the North-west. Storm-force winds, reaching speeds of 60mph, prompted highways chiefs to issue a warning to drivers to take extra care while travelling on the region's motorways

  • Man died after being hit by minibus

    A FATHER was hit by a minibus while on a night out with friends. Christopher Dain, aged 34, of Turnstone Road, Bolton, was struck by the private-hire vehicle as he crossed Blackburn Road, near to the junction with Halliwell Road, in the early hours of

  • 130 Royal Bolton Hospital jobs to go

    UP TO 130 more jobs could be axed at the Royal Bolton Hospital. NHS chiefs have announced plans to privatise some medical services. It means many initial tests in ear, nose and throat, urology, gynaecology, general surgery and orthopaedics will not

  • No faults found on crash bus

    THE bus which crashed into Bolton Crown Court was not faulty, it has been revealed. A single-decker Arriva bus crashed through a bollard on the pavement, hit a ramp for disabled access and came to a halt on the steps on Friday afternoon. An investigation

  • The White Hot Years: Your memories

    I went to all three of the famous victories and these are my highlights. David Lee dancing round defenders for fun in the first half at Anfield, the incredible reception the Liverpool fans gave to the Bolton team at the final whistle & Andy Walker back

  • Rights fighter now in a safe haven

    HUBERT KAYONDA from Democratic Republic of Congo. Hubert was born in 1966 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, close to the capital, Kinshasa. His father was a headteacher and Christian pastor, and the family moved around the country from village to

  • Love on internet led to move to England

    DIANE WALSH from Jamaica. Diane was born in St Andrew, Jamaica, in 1964. "My dad was a mechanic. He did moonlighting at the weekends, fixing people's cars, and I'd tag along with him. "I remember hiding behind his pants, peeking out. Customers loved

  • American RAF man committed to English roots

    AMALIA and BERTIE LEWIS from Austria and the USA. Amalia is one of identical twins born in 1931 in a little village in the east of Austria, close to the border with Hungary. She grew up on a hilltop farm. When the Second World War ended, Austria was

  • Island farmer found work down mines

    MARIA & CARMELO GRACEFFA - From Italy. Maria and Carmelo were born in Sicily, in villages 20 miles apart - Maria in 1939, Carmelo in 1933. Maria grew up among vineyards while Carmelo's family farmed fruit and corn. Carmelo remembers the end of the

  • Burglar caught... trapped in stolen car

    A teenage burglar who stole a car from the drive of a house, was caught after crashing it into a bus. Christopher Legg, aged 18, of Buile Hill Avenue, Little Hulton, pleaded guilty to burglary, driving while disqualified, driving with excess alcohol

  • How pupils are building bright future

    EDUCATION leaders have championed the benefits of vocational courses after it was revealed the majority of pupils in Bolton are leaving school without GCSE passes in maths and English. The latest secondary school league tables, published yesterday, showed

  • Bolton: A place to call home

    ONE of the biggest shocks for some of Bolton's recent immigrants, especially those from warmer climes, has been the cold and damp weather. The weather is a recurring theme at the Home From Home exhibition which is being held in the Natural History section

  • Rebels in crunch clash with rivals

    FC UNITED take on fellow title contenders Curzon Ashton at Gigg Lane in the glamour fixture of the day. Curzon are on an amazing run of form that has seen them win 11 out of their last 12 games and remain unbeaten in all competitions since October

  • Commons call over sentence for paedophile

    A FURIOUS MP has called for a review of an Appeal Court decision to cut the sentence of a paedophile who filmed himself raping a schoolboy. Labour's Lindsay Hoyle told the Commons that the original sentence was too lenient and that reducing it further

  • Cash to help improve the neighbourhood

    GRANTS of up to £1,000 are available to groups in Great Lever to provide activities or projects for people in the area. The funding is available to groups covered by the area's Neighbourhood Pathfinder, which was set up in 2002 to give residents the

  • Entries open for digital awards

    THE Big Chip Awards for North-west companies excelling in the use of IT and digital technology are back. Organiser Manchester Digital is inviting companies from all sectors across Bolton to submit their entries for the 2007 awards. Digital sector companies

  • Bumper half-year for IT company

    HEALTHCARE IT company Ascribe has a strong order book after a record half year. In a trading update, chief executive Stephen Critchlow said that the company, based on Branker Street, Westhoughton, took orders for more than £3 million in December alone

  • Dunn in talks with Wanderers, confirms Sam

    SAM Allardyce has confirmed he is in talks with Bimingham midfielder David Dunn and could finalise a deal in the next 24 hours. Dunne, who has been hampered by back and hamstring injuiries since he mioved to St Andrew's from Blackburn in a £5.5m transfer

  • Kelly refers son’s story to watchdog

    Cabinet minister Ruth Kelly said last night she would refer the Daily Mirror to the press complaints watchdog over its coverage of her son's private schooling. The Communities Secretary said she felt the paper had breached his right to privacy after

  • Focus needed as Phoenix road trips loom

    Manchester Phoenix coach Tony Hand is urging his players to remain focussed as the club embark on four straight away games starting this weekend with a trip to the Hull Stingrays. Speaking from his Edinburgh home, Hand said: "We've had good results recently

  • Sam blasts back at critics

    TOP boss Sam Allardyce has blasted the critics who havequestioned his managerial integrity. The Wanderers chief won the Barclays Manager of the Month award for December after the Whites hoisted themselves into Champions League contention with five successive

  • Driving ban for mother who fled accident

    A SINGLE mother was fined £100 for driving without a licence or insurance and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. Bolton Magistrates' Court heard how Tara Whittaker, aged 21, of Battenberg Road, Bolton, had been driving towards Bolton town centre

  • Fares rise by up to 10pc on First buses

    BUS passengers will be hit with a second inflation-busting price rise in 12 months, transport chiefs have announced. First Manchester, the biggest bus company operating in Bolton, is to raise fares by up to 10 per cent from Sunday. The cost of the popular

  • Home truths come from far-flung fields

    IT is a widely accepted point of view that you have to experience life in other parts of the globe before you can accurately assess the quality of it in your own. Put more succinctly, people who spend holidays in sun-soaked zones, taking in the rays

  • Keep it central

    THERE has been much talk about developing a cultural quarter in Bolton, and it is vital that its existing components - the library, museum, art gallery and Octagon Theatre - remain as its core. New plans talk about the possibility of a central library

  • Local control over bus firms

    PITY those who are dependant on bus travel, for they have been hit with the seventh rise in just 30 months. First Bus has put its fares up by between six and 10 per cent, citing rising energy and fuel costs and increased investment. No doubt their costs

  • Charge council bosses to park — but not us

    THE latest idea from the local council to charge for parking in our parks has appalled me. The aim is to raise around £30,000. What about the costs? 1. Installation of machines and regular emptying. 2. Traffic wardens to check and maintain such machines

  • Bus travellers stuck at home during sales

    I AM extremely disappointed that bus operator First Manchester decided not to run services in Bolton on Boxing Day ("Lack of buses to blame for poor sales", Bolton News, January 3). Boxing Day is traditionally a very busy shopping day. I am sure there

  • We’ll select our candidate for election

    I AM writing in response to the letters published regarding future candidates for Bolton South-east. I am confused as to how this speculation has arisen, especially as there is potentially another three-and-a-half years before the Prime Minister is required

  • Blocked road is safer

    I AM writing in response to the letter by R Swindells regarding the closure of Seymour Road. I am a resident, and this closure affects me. I am offended by the comments that we should pay for it. Do our council tax and road tax not pay for such things

  • No row over flower baskets

    HANGING Baskets Row (The Bolton News, January 10)? What row? As the new, nave, independent Horwich Town councillor, I am amazed that a reporter from The Bolton News, who was not in attendance at the meeting at which the hanging baskets for Horwich town

  • Do we really still need a town council?

    "THE town council still divided" (January 4) raises the question, do we need a town council? As well as the reporting and counter reporting to the Standards Board, there was the incident of the losing of documents apertaining to the closure of the Drop

  • Practise what you preach, councillor

    I WRITE regarding the article on Thursday, January 4, and the comments from Cllr Wilkinson about reporting six councillors to the Standards Board, in which he stated that "the people of Westhoughton have a right to know if councillors have breached the

  • Charges are dropped over parking ticket attack

    A MOTORIST who was arrested after allegedly attacking a parking warden after he was issued with a ticket has had all charges against him dropped. The attendant, who works for NCP, had issued the driver a fine for staying too long in the limited-parking

  • A Chinese Christmas special

    I had meant to post some observations about Christmas in China a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, as readers of a previous blog will know, technical problems with the internet caused – according to official explanations – by an earthquake in Taiwan

  • Wanderers in cut-price tickets move

    BOLTON Wanderers have made fresh moves to boost crowds at the Reebok with a cut price ticket offer. Season ticket holders can take friends or family members to the upcoming Premiership games against Charlton Athletic and Fulham for £5 apiece. The "Bring

  • Amir strikes a blow for the sake of the children

    TEENAGE boxing sensation Amir Khan is pulling no punches in his latest role - as ambassador for the NSPCC. The 19-year-old from Bolton encouraged children to be brave and speak out if they are suffering cruelty. His NSPCC appointment was officially