A 55-year-old man had a lucky escape after his tumble dryer caught set on fire overnight. He had put the machine on before going to bed at 11.30pm on Wednesday but it developed an electical fault. He was woken by the smoke alarm in his apartment in
A £323,000 war chest set aside for Bolton Council's fight against yobs and nightmare families, has been handed over by the Government. The Whitehall grant is being awarded to the town because it was made one of 40 "Respect Zones" earmarked as needing
A SKIP full of plastic was set on fire at Matalan. Firefighters were called to the blaze on Tonge Moor Road at about 8pm this evening. It is believed the fire was started deliberately.
HARRY Potter mania is sweeping across Bolton as thousands of bookworms dash to reserve their copy of the boy wizard's final adventure. The seventh instalment of JK Rowling's hugely popular series is released on July 20. And the book, Harry Potter and
CAMPAIGNERS battling to keep a family who fled a war-torn country in Bolton are appealing for funds to ensure their fight continues. They say they need money to keep up their campaign of post-card and letter writing, as well as leafleting and raising
FINISHING touches are being added to scarecrows ready to go on display around Blackrod on Saturday. This weekend sees the first scarecrow festival being held in the village after residents voted to give it a go. They remain optimistic that it will be
FINISHING touches are being added to scarecrows ready to go on display around Blackrod on Saturday. This weekend sees the first scarecrow festival being held in the village after residents voted to give it a go. They remain optimistic that it will be
A FIREFIGHTER from is asking golfing fans to get into the swing of a charity event he is organising. Stacey Jeffries, aged 36 from Bradshaw, has organised a charity golf day at St Anne's Old Links Course, in St Annes, near Blackpool. He is raising cash
A VICTORIAN fair which was due to be held this weekend has been postponed because of bad weather. The Egerton and Eagley Heritage Society organised the event at Egerton Park, which is in its sixth year. But due to the recent rain and more forecast for
A MAN has appeared in court charged in connection with a car crash at Asda in Farnworth. Anthony Dereck George, aged 27, of Calder Road, Great Lever is charged with two counts of driving without insurance and two counts of aggravated taking without consent
TWO Czech nationals who were extradited to the UK to face murder charges have appeared in court by video link. Jiri Motl, aged 33, and Vladimir Brandejs, aged 27, both from Prague were brought back to Bolton last week before being charged with murdering
TWO men from Atherton are facing jail after admitting to their part in a gunpoint robbery at the town's railway station. Shane Francis Scally, aged 25, of Devonshire Road, Atherton, pleaded guilty to robbery at Liverpool Crown Court before he was due
A ROAD safety charity has criticised magistrates who chose not to ban a driver caught using his mobile at the wheel because it would cost him his livelihood. A police patrol spotted Zabir Kapadia on the phone while driving his Audi on March 1. They
THERE is more than just a Cross Cup final place at stake when Golborne host Spring View in Sunday's semi-final clash thanks to a renewing of old acquaintances. The two Anthony Axford Bolton Association clubs will be hoping to get underway after last
Markland Hill triumphed in the final of the Howarth Cup with a 63-42 victory over local rivals Hawkshaw. A keenly-contested final was played at Bradshaw Tennis Club, with Hawkshaw afforded a seven-game start. The match began with the mixed sets, with
A FARMER in Westhoughton has been given the go-ahead to build a horse arena despite opposition from residents. Malcolm Greeley will build a 40 metre by 20 metre fenced menage on green belt land used to store machinery at Snydale Hall Farm off Bolton
A ROW over plans for a detached home on the side garden of a Westhoughton home on "green belt" land ended with councillors narrowly approving the scheme. The application by Graham Hargreaves at 313 Bolton Road divided Bolton Council's planning and highways
Dozens of web viewers are commenting on news there is renewed transfer speculation about Nicolas Anelka. Gordon Sharrock reported earlier: Sammy Lee's resistance is likely to be tested to the limit as Nicolas Anelka becomes one of the hottest properties
I NEVER thought the day would come that I tired of hearing the scandalous minutiae of celebrity life. For years I have found myself sardonically bemused by tales of who's sleeping with who, who's taking what, and why so-and-so was kicked off their latest
Dramatic footage of a police interview with Omar Altimimi, aged 37, from Bolton, who has been found guilty of six offences under the Terrorism Act 2000 is online now. Altimimi says: "I am going to have to say something here now. Morally I can't take
MORE than a decade after becoming one of the first woman priests in the country, the Rev Cherry Vann has been installed as a an honorary canon for her dedicated service. Miss Vann, aged 48, who is area dean of Farnworth, now holds the post of team rector
A WONDERLAND of enchanted characters, fire spinning and fine Champagne will greet revellers at this year's Phoenix Arts Centre charity gala ball in Bolton. The Phoenix is hosting a Midsummer Night's Ball at the Last Drop Hotel on July 20 and it will
A failed asylum seeker from Bolton who hoarded manuals on how to carry out bombings is facing jail. In a chilling echo of the failed Glasgow and London attacks, nightclubs and airports were amongst the "suitable targets" identified in the "vast library
AN intrepid pair of drivers embarking on a 10,000-mile rally in a 24-year-old Citroen have been given a helping hand by a 2CV fanatic. When former showroom manager Robert Grant, aged 84, read about Mark Whitworth and Graeme Mullin's drive from London
A FORMER Horwich councillor and ice-cream maker, believed to have been the town's oldest resident, has died aged 103. Leslie Fearnhead, who was also a greengrocer, a lorry driver, a taxi driver, a petrol station owner and a grocer during a long and varied
EDITORS, currently at number one in the album charts with An End Has A Start, have announced that they will go on tour in October. They play the Manchester Apollo on Sunday October 14. Tickets went on sale at 9am this morning. They cost £15. To book
SCIENTISTS at the University of Bolton are at the forefront of developing the next generation of flak jackets. Professor Subhash Anand, of the university's centre for materials research and innovation, has already had a prototype of the armoured vest
A CONMAN who tricked his girlfriend and almost a dozen other people into handing over more than £9,000 has been jailed for 21 months. Brendon Flannigan, aged 47, of Ley Crescent, Astley, worked for Paramount Windows in Astley and conned people into paying
OVERWEIGHT youngsters can have fun fighting the flab - thanks to a new scheme. And organisers want their parents to join in the enjoyment at Bolton Lads and Girls Club. Youngsters who are overweight or obese are being invited to take part in a project
CONMEN stole £200 from the home of an elderly man after posing as water board officials to trick their way inside. The gang struck at the home of the 72-year-old in Hill Lane, Blackrod, at 1.05pm on Tuesday. One crook knocked at the door of the house
A revolutionary "green" housing development constructed by a Bolton building company has been hailed as a model for housebuilders nationwide. By using modern methods of construction, recycled building supplies and renewable energy sources, the New Inn
THE UK trade association for invoice finance is changing its name. The Factors and Discounters Association will become the Asset Based Finance Association, reflecting the growing number of companies that are turning to financial solutions that release
AN award-winning video production company has received top marks after completing a film about the National Union of Students. Horwich-based video production company DWF has produced a quirky new film for the Manchester creative agency Tequila. The two
SMALL and Medium Sized Enterprises companies in the North-west now have the benefit of their own recycling adviser, thanks to the Waste and Resources Action programme's Recycle At Work Advisory Programme. Neill Gatley has been appointed to the new post
TWENTY staff from Knightsbridge Business Sales, based on Folds Road completed a 46 mile bike ride from Manchester to Liverpool in support of children's hospice Derian House. All twenty riders raised sponsorship through friends and family and the directors
A GROUP of leading figures in Greater Manchester's property and business community have signed an open letter stating their support of the congestion charge proposals being considered by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities. The 35 signatories
THE council rubbish tip at Raikes Lane in Bolton is to be moved to another site. A purpose-built waste transfer station would be built at Raikes Lane industrial estate as part of a scheme to boost levels of recycling in the borough. Doorstep recycling
A HOUSING developer has failed in its bid to overturn Bolton Council's refusal to allow it to build homes on industrial land. Leyland-based Rowland Homes applied to build the homes on the land in Lorne Street, Farnworth. The firm wanted to demolish
BURY teenager Catherine Rawsthorne has been elected as the town's representative to the United Kingdom Youth Parliament. Catherine, aged 15, topped the poll of 5,000 high school children from across the borough, with 17-year-old Tamoor Tariq and 15-year-old
TWO Czech nationals who were extradited to the UK to face murder charges have appeared in court by video link. Jiri Motl, aged 33, and 27-year-old Vladimir Brandejs, who are both from Prague, were brought back to Bolton last week before being charged
WINGATES Band is hoping to take its sound transatlantic. The award-winning brass band has been invited to take part in the 2007 US Open Brass Band Championships in Chicago. But members need some help getting there. The Westhoughton-based band, which
GROUPS specialising in activities for the over 50s - from rock-climbing to coffee mornings - are being asked to get in touch with Bury Council. The council wants to create information packs to offer a "menu" of events and activities which could be picked
Westhoughton Rotary has made its annual appointments to its top positions. Steve Harrington, who has been involved with the Rotary for seven years, has been made president while vice presidents are Ronald Bell and John Forshaw, all of Westhoughton.
RESIDENTS are protesting against a proposal for new speeding restrictions where they live. Bolton Council is consulting residents in Ainsworth Lane, Tonge Moor, over plans to install new speed humps and make the road a 20 mph zone. The traffic calming
A FORMER news-agent who became a pillar of the community has died. Alan Booth, who played a role in various aspects of community life in Bury, lost a long battle against cancer. Mr Booth, whose popular shop was in The Mall, died at Bury Hospice on Sunday
A DELIVERY driver has told how he was ordered to pay a £60 parking fine - despite never having been given a ticket. And his protests sparked a U-turn by parking bosses who admitted he should not have been fined. Steve McVey parked in Le Mans Crescent
AN ASYLUM seeker and her two children could be deported back to the Cameroon after losing the appeal to stay in Britain. Halima Oboubacar, and her two children three-week-old Farida and Bailey Junior, aged one, lost their appeal to remain in Salford,
JUNIOR Whites are helping the Reebok Stadium celebrate its 10th birthday with a huge party at the Premier Suite on August 30 between 6.45pm and 8.30pm. It will feature games, competitions and appearances from Wanderers stars. Tickets are £3 for members
I'm starting to think that the end of the world might be nigh. Or at least nigh-ish. I mean, you may not have noticed but the weather seems to be going completely doolally. Tropical sunshine in April. Murderous rainfall in June. Gusts of wind capable
THERE is something striking about both England and the West Indies' batting line-ups - they both seem to overly rely on one player. In England's case it is Kevin Pietersen, while the West Indian runs burden has fallen to Shivnarine Chanderpaul since
THE only times that most of us read about young drivers is when there has been a bad accident and inexperience may be to blame. Unfortunately, this negative image is backed up by road safety statistics. For one group of local driving enthusiasts, however
INITIAL signs are good that the smoking ban is helping Bolton people to quit the habit. The number of people who contacted the town's stop smoking service and vowed to quit ahead of the ban increased by more than 300 per cent in June. In Bolton 29.6
THE old grey herd of elephants which used to stand in Newport Street in Bolton town centre will be migrating to a new safer home - courtesy of the Royal Bolton Hospital. The much loved elephants were vandalised and after suffering the effects of weather
A SPORTS club manager stole more than £1,800 from his employers after lying about a conviction for theft to get the job. Mark Glover, aged 31, of Royal Court Drive, Bolton, did not tell JJB Soccerdome bosses he had received a suspended prison sentence
ALAN Eastwood, Bolton's director of legal and democratic services, has invited Westhoughton Council for "training" (The Bolton News, June 28). As classic an example you will come across of the patient being attended to by the doctor responsible for the
I AM appalled at the treatment my daughter received from an Arriva bus driver. She suffers from absence seizures which entitles her to a free, disabled bus pass. On this occasion, my daughter showed her pass, but the driver refused to believe it was
I WOULD just like to write in to say a big thank you to my school bus driver, Raf - he is incredibly friendly and always happy to see everyone when we get on the school bus. I am a pupil at Canon Slade, and I catch the 987 bus to Little Lever every night
I ACCEPT that the residents of Chew Moor have rightly got concerns with speeding motorists. Recently, when travelling through the end of the 20mph section, a car overtook me travelling at least at 40mph. However, I am a little concerned that the hand-held
IN response to Christine Bessell's letter, "Cats cause damage, too" (June 21), I am sorry to say that she is naive if she believes that most people who own guns use them safely at gun clubs. If only! The cases of animals shot by airguns that reach the
A LANDSCAPE gardener from Bolton will be showing off his talents at Tatton Park later this month. Andy Walker, who has his own company, Walker Landscape Designs, will travel to the Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show next week to start building his
I DO not smoke, do not pollute the atmosphere and do not contribute to any illness resulting from passive smoking. But, there are two sides to a penny and two points of view. My mother, as a child of 14, working part- time in the cotton mills of Bolton
HAVING attended the Sharples and Smithills area forum on June 21, on arrival we were presented with a booklet named "Bolton Our Vision", a pamphlet entitled, "Meet Your Councillor" and what can only be described as an update letter for the above forum
A DIE-HARD Bolton Wanderers fan is flying the flag for the Whites in New Zealand. George Powrie has lived in New Zealand since 1972, but he is making sure everyone knows he has not forgotten his roots. The ex-Farnworth man has also encouraged his four
IDAN Tal is set to return to Israel after just one season at the Reebok. Wanderers have given Israeli champions, Beitar Jerusalem, permission to speak to the 31-year-old midfielder, who joined the Whites from Maccabi Haifa on a free transfer last summer
LANCASHIRE all-rounder Steven Croft is fast proving his worth in Twenty20 cricket after making a big impression in the longer format of the game. The 22-year-old has played two County Championship matches against Worcestershire and Sussex, making his
EATING pizza is something most children take for granted, but for many children of Chernobyl it is something they can only dream of. But thanks to a local charity, underprivileged youngsters from the disaster-stricken area have spent four weeks in Bolton
PARKING cheats who used blue badges illegally to park in disabled bays have been ordered to pay a total of £2,695. Sixteen people were fined by Bolton magistrates after being caught in a purge on dishonest drivers. All had used blue badge permits belonging
VICTORIAN fun days are being held at a popular park this weekend. For six years, the Egerton and Eagley Heritage Society has organised the event at Egerton Park. On Saturday and Sunday, there will be rides, stalls, organ music, refreshments and other
BOLTON Council has back-tracked on one idea to cut down on paper usage. People who attend area forum meetings were angry at plans to stop sending agendas and minutes of previous meetings to residents on mailing lists. Instead, the documents were to
BLOOD donors are wanted to help boost stocks. Sessions take place at the Rivington Suite, Horwich Leisure Centre, Victoria Road, Horwich, tomorrow from 1.30pm to 3.30pm and 5.30pm to 7.30pm.
A VETERANS' Day celebration concert has been cancelled because of a double booking. A Scots Guards Pipe Band had been scheduled to play at Farnworth Veterans' Club, Brackley Street, on July 20. Raymond Crawshaw, of Farnworth Ex-Services Association,
FC United will travel to Trafford FC or Atherton LR in their first ever FA Cup match. The breakaway club have been drawn away in the preliminary round of the competition on Saturday, September 1. If the Gigg Lane tenants, who have not been eligible
A SCOUT group is appealing for help after camping equipment was stolen from its base. Equipment estimated to be worth around £2,500 was taken by thieves when they broke into the vicarage at St James' Daisy Hill church, Westhoughton. The camping gear
A FATHER accused of playing a part in burglaries involving goods worth £75,000 told a court: "I've never burgled a house in my life". Marius Baama, aged 28, of Embla Walk, Burnden, has admitted handling stolen property but denies three charges of burglary
FIREFIGHTERS under investigation for the alleged bullying of a workmate will face a disciplinary hearing later this month. Brigade chiefs have been examining claims the officer's locker was broken into at Farnworth fire station and sealed with bricks
FRANK McParland has warned the critics and doubters not to underestimate Sammy Lee as a Premiership manager. The worst kept secret in football was confirmed yesterday when the former Liverpool chief scout was unveiled as Wanderers' general manager -
THOSE romantic, misguided souls who believe a soccer league can survive the test of time in the United States should take take a look at what happened when they tried to bring American football to Europe. The NFL European League was finally scrapped
WANDERERS should take a leaf out of the book of Arsenal fans and find an anthem to sing at the Reebok Stadium. Gunners fans want to adopt an old song that will raise the hairs on the back of their necks when 60,000 belt it out at the start of games.
ROGER Draper is shaking up tennis with some timely ruthlessness. The chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association is taking no prisoners in his quest to develop British champions. He sacked 100 of the 300 LTA staff he inherited last year, including
THE Tour de France and Wimbledon have two things in common. They are both national institutions in their own countries and both have gone an awful long time since producing a home triumph. One area in which they differ, however, is that one of them
REBECCA Makin notched a double win in the javelin and hammer as Bolton Harriers put up a strong performance in the National Junior League. Competing on home territory, the Under-20 team finished third behind City of York and Spenborough. Rebecca threw
HORWICH RMI Harrier juniors continued their winning streak in the Young Athletes Track and Field League, convincingly winning their third match on the trot, this time at Trafford. Just for good measure, the club also collected an Athlete of the Match
