From the Evening News, March 23, 1995: AN ancient tree in the heart of Harwood is to get the chop after being branded unsafe.

Independent experts have backed council arboriculturists who fear the 15-metre high specimen, which is protected by a tree preservation order, has become a hazard.

The ash, which residents and the local civic trust wanted to save, stands next to a bus stop on busy Lea Gate, near the Safeway supermarket.

LABOUR has a 32 per cent lead over the Tories, according to a Mori poll published today.

The Tories have polled under 30 per cent every month since April 1993, said Mori.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News

March 22, 1980

GOVERNORS at St Augustine's RC secondary school, Farnworth, have been rocked by Cllr Peter Johnston's statement that promiscuous under-age girls should go on the pill.

Cllr Mrs Millie Lawton says she and her husband Jack, a fellow governor, will quit the school meetings rather than sit with Cllr Johnston.

LIVERPOOL striker David Johnson heads the First Division scoring list with 23 goals.

Ian Bowyer (Southampton), Glen Hoddle (Tottenham) and Frank Stapleton (Arsenal) still tie in second place with 21 after failing to hit the net during the past week. Others in the list include Sunderland (Arsenal), Dalglish (Liverpool), Mariner (Ipswich) and Kidd (Everton).

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News

March 23, 1955

BOLTON Transport Committee yesterday appealed once again to industrial concerns in Bolton and district to stagger their hours of working.

Cllr Walsh (chairman) said that running more and more buses at peak hours meant that more busmen were on overtime rates which was costly to the department.

MYXOMATOSIS is creating difficulties for hatters, the US Journal of Commerce reported.

Most felt hats are made from rabbit fur and rabbits are getting fewer and fewer since European and Australian farmers started killing them off with myxomatosis.

The Journal said that, as a result, fur prices had risen by nearly 33 per cent in less than a year.

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News

March 23, 1905

THE Swedish authorities, after numerous experiments on soldiers, have concluded most firmly that intoxicants are destructive of accuracy in marksmanship, even in small quantities.

A battalion of 500 men was put in charge of a committee of military doctors, who prescribed their diet and exercise while under an alcoholic course.

It was shown that the effect upon the hand and eye of the soldier was incontestably pernicious.

The committee, after tabulating the results of their very extensive and varied tests, concluded that Bacchus was no friend of Mars and that Dutch courage was detrimental to Swedish accuracy.