RESIDENTS are continuing to fight plans to extract more than a million tons of sand near their homes after a company launched an appeal. A planning application submitted to Lancashire County Council by The Mineral Planning Group for a quarry at Sandons
AN appeal to raise £80,000 to restore the organ at Bolton Parish Church has raised £13,000 in three weeks. Parts of the organ date back to 1795, when it was built at a cost of just £400. Repairs are expected to cost £200,000. The Markland Trust has
THE Grey Mare at Belthorn looked a little different inside to when my wife and I last visited it 21 years ago, but there was the same intimate, friendly atmosphere. On that occasion, we enjoyed a drink on our first date. This time we returned for a
IT'S not often that a menu makes me laugh out loud but the one at the Millstone, in Anderton, did just that. On the Light Dishes/Starters menu I was amazed to see deep fried spam fritters with onion chutney. Spam is certainly good for a laugh especially
THE perfect dining experience depends on many things but most of us could probably narrow it down to three - quality food, decent-sized portions and a reasonable price. And you get all three in abundance at The Red Bridge in Ainsworth. Our family
FRANKIE & Benny's Italian Restaurant and Bar heads a pretty short list of restaurants I choose to return to time and again. Put simply, it does everything an eaterie should do when catering for families who want a treat but don't want to remortgage
STANDING impressively near the top of a steep hill high above Harwood, The Baci restaurant always manages to attract plenty of customers despite being somewhat off the beaten track. Formerly the Nab Gate pub, the dining area has extended in size
PHIL Gartside revealed today how he is aiming to establish Wanderers as a permanent fixture on the European scene. The Bolton chairman says his first ambition is to see the Whites qualify for Europe in successive seasons and he is ready to give Sam Allardyce
IVAN Campo believes Wanderers' elimination from the FA Cup could be a "blessing in disguise". The Spaniard admits the Arsenal defeat was a bitter blow but is consoled by the fact that the Whites can now focus exclusively on securing a place in Europe
MOTORISTS are enduring rush-hour gridlock caused by roadworks at a busy junction in Westhoughton. The works at the junction of Manchester Road (A6) and Bolton Road are also causing chaos for shopkeepers and residents. Traffic has been reduced to one
Wanderers Chairman Phil Gartside has explained that supporters' opinions prompted the club's announcement yesterday that season ticket prices next season would be cut by 10 per cent. Wanderers became the first Premiership club to announce a cut in season
ANGRY bus users and councillors have slammed a decision to axe yet another Bolton service. The 559 bus from Bolton to Wigan via Westhoughton will be withdrawn from April 15, along with other services which bus company First says are "failing". The
RESIDENTS in Horwich are invited to a police surgery to discuss any problems or concerns with officers. The sessions are held each week at the Public Hall in Lee Lane, Horwich, on Tuesdays from noon until 1pm and on Fridays 2pm to 3pm.
A HEALTH walk is being held in Longsight Park in Harwood. The walk, which will last between 45 minutes and one hour, is guided. People who want to take part can meet at the entrance to Morrisons, off Lea Gate at 1.30pm on Wednesdays.
A NEW outdoor activity programme has been launched in a bid to get residents active and healthy. The year-long series of outdoor activities will kick off at the Astley and Tyldesley Miners Welfare Club, Meanley Road, Gin Pit, Tyldesley, next month.
THE DRUG and alcohol team in Bury has been given a cash boost thanks to improvements made in the service last year. Nationally, the average budget rise for drug teams is six per cent, but in Bury is has gone up by 16 per cent. Funding is usually used
A BLUES Brothers tribute act aims to have people shaking their tail feathers at a night of entertainment. The Brothers Committed hope to raise funds for the Royal Bolton Hospital's neonatal unit when they stage the musical as well as an auction at
Tickets for Lancashire Lightning's four home matches for this year's twenty20 cup are now available. The action gets underway on June 22 against Durham Dynamos! Fixtures: Lancashire Lightning V Durham Dynamos, Friday, June (225:30pm)
FIRE officers are looking into the cause of a blaze in an outdoor store room at a house in Bolton on Tuesday night. Crews were called to Briercliffe Road at 7.30pm. The spent an hour tackling the fire and clearing the house of smoke.
A bank has launched an investigation after fraudsters targeted personal accounts in Bolton. One woman customer of the NatWest Bank lost £700. The bank alerted account holders when its fraud system picked up rogue withdrawals by people in Jamaica and
The Bolton News TV Bulletin with news, sport and weather for February 22 is online now.
A TOWN centre casino is gearing up for new smoking laws by asking for permission to erect a shelter for smokers outside its Higher Bridge Street building. Bosses at Stanley Casino have lodged a planning application with Bolton Council. New laws will
THE Government is to step up its efforts to take on "poisonous" far-right groups like the British National Party. Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly, MP for Bolton West, accused far-right extremists of promoting violence and division by peddling "myths
RADIO 1 DJs Sara Cox and Vernon Kay are to go movie mad on the eve of this year's Oscars by hosting special screenings of their favourite films. On Saturday, the Bolton pair will be at the National Media Museum in Bradford for a special six-hour broadcast
AN EXTRA train will be run for tomorrow's rugby World Club Challenge rugby match between St Helens and the Brisbane Broncos at the Reebok Stadium. Northern Rail will provide the extra service from Horwich Parkway to St Helens Central following the
COMMUNITY groups are to be consulted about how best to spend a government grant to tackle Muslim extremism. Bolton Council was one of 50 local authorities selected to share a £5million fund, billed by Prime Minister Tony Blair as a "radical and head-on
A STOLEN horse was found wandering miles from home in a farmer's field in Bolton. The three-year-old black cob, named Summer, was stolen from a field in Blackpool along with another black and white cob called Dolly, aged six. Owner Laura Gradwell
CHILDREN have been helping to make a difference. Pupils at Tonge Moor Primary School, Bolton, took part in the UNICEF Day of Change to raise funds to support education for children in Kenya. Youngsters paid 50p to take part in a day of PE to raise
A CIVIL funeral service has been introduced by Lancashire County Council following consultation with funeral directors across the county. The funeral is described as "a non-statutory" service aimed at offering a dignified yet formal alternative to
TOP foodies from across the region gathered to tuck into the finest fare at the judging of the North West Fine Food awards. Around 300 local products - from across Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Manchester and Merseyside, battled for the coveted crown
CCTV images of a mass pub brawl involving rival football fans have identified 10 suspects from the Bolton area. Violence erupted close to Doncaster Rovers' Keepmoat Stadium last month as about 40 fans hurled bar stools and bottles during a series of
A PERENNIAL favourite, Dick Whittington returns to the stage in the capable hands of S.S. Simon and Jude's ADS. And what a fun family production it is. In this traditional retelling of the tale, noble Dick, played by Helen Walsh, must overcome bad
ALL the fun of the fair rolls into Radcliffe today. It will be set up on land off Pilkington Way. Rides are open at 5.30pm until 9.30pm on weekdays and 1pm until 9.30pm on weekends. The fair will remain in town until Monday, February 26.
THEY looked stunning . . . and were Nicola Farrell's pride and joy. She bought two pet fish from an aquatics shop more than two years ago - and admired them as they graced her home aquarium. But then she decided to offer them to Bolton Aquarium -
MACHETE-wielding robbers escaped with £25,000 after they bundled two security guards into a storeroom and forced them to open a cash box. The two masked men struck as guards were refilling a cash machine at a petrol station in Sharples. After leaping
COUNCIL tax bills in Bolton will increase by 3.5 per cent, it was confirmed last night, as a budget which includes £10.6 million of savings and 202 job cuts was approved by the town's councillors. It means people living in an average Band D home will
AN MP has welcomed a move by Bolton Wanderers to cut season ticket prices. Dr Brian Iddon, MP for Bolton South-east, said he hoped other top football clubs will now follow suit. The Wanderers announced yesterday that they were cutting season ticket
A GRIEVING mother has told how she battled to keep her son off the streets of Moss Side where gangs were "just a way of life." Bridget Austin also described the moment she discovered her son, Richard - an alleged hitman - had died in a pub shooting
A MAN got trapped under a tram which derailed in Manchester city centre. The incident happened just before 5pm yesterday in Piccadilly Gardens. The man suffered head injuries and was taken to hospital. The tram has been taken out of service and returned
An appeal has been launched by the family of a woman with links to Bolton who has not been seen for almost seven years, and is now feared dead. Dorothy Carre, originally from Oldham, was last seen in March, 1999, when she moved from her home in Bacup
Elderly Leigh residents are being warned to be particularly vigilant after a man tricked his way into an 81-year-old woman's house and stole money. The man knocked at the door of the woman's house on Orchard Close in Leigh at 6.30pm on Tuesday and
IT WAS a case of both shaken and stirred when a squadron of air cadets held a 007 evening to raise funds for The Bolton News' Garden of Tranquillity appeal. Members of the 80 Bolton Squadron Air Training Corps held a James Bond night, with male cadets
A DEAF 12-year-old boy and his 14-year-old brother have been robbed at gunpoint. The elder boy explained to one of the raiders about his brother's condition, but he ignored him and threw the deaf boy to the ground. He then threatened the pair with
A THREE-storey apartment block planned for Westhoughton has been criticised by the town's councillors and residents. Developers Romor Ltd have submitted blueprints to Bolton Council for 36 two-bedroom flats in Chorley Road. Parking spaces are also
MADDOCK is a big, shy, handsome cat and is looking for someone to take care of him. He was taken to Pets in Need, in Turton Road, Bury, and is looking for a new home. With a black and white short coat, Maddock is affectionate, mild mannered and good
YOUNG choristers from Chester will be putting on an afternoon performance at Canon Slade school next week. The Abbey Gate College Chamber Choir, made up of young people aged 11 to 18, will give a 45-minute programme covering music ranging from choral
A DISABLED woman was left with her kitchen window boarded up for two months after care workers smashed their way in to come to her aid. Kathleen Tomlinson, aged 83, fell in the bedroom of her bungalow in Great Lever, on December 23. She pulled her
YOUNGSTERS with hearing problems are being invited to a circus-themed workshop organised by the National Deaf Children's Society. The event will take place at the Royal School for the Deaf, in Cheadle Hulme on March 18. Professional performers and
A man brandished a toy gun at the boyfriend of his ex-wife, believing that he had taken his dog. But a court was told that Barry Ruffley was mistaken, as his dog had just wandered off and later came home. The gun was clearly an imitation, but people
Rescue workers have warned walkers to make sure they are properly prepared after a baby and five-year-old boy had to be rescued from England's highest mountain. David and Sally Naylor and their two young children were stranded in a ravine at 1,800ft
CAMPAIGNERS who claim Government minister Ruth Kelly is obstructing a Bill aiming to save local shops and services have written to Bolton's Labour councillors in a plea for help. Local Works - a coalition of 25 organisations supporting the Sustainable
RESIDENTS hoping to set up two community libraries in Dumers Lane and Coronation Road, Radcliffe, are putting in a bid for Lottery funding next month.
THIRTY volunteers will take on a challenge to plant 10,000 trees this weekend. The group, led by Richard Greenwood, of Bradshawgate, Bolton, and Simon Harrington, owner of The Bar in Nelson Square, will travel to Colchester, Essex. The pair have
SCOOBY devotees will be able to see their favourite canine and his team of teen sleuths when "Scooby-Doo! Live on Stage!" comes to The Lowry early next month. Scooby and the Mystery Inc. gang will arrive at the Salford Quays theatre in their Mystery
A SUMMIT meeting is being held in a bid to beat bogus callers who prey on some of the most vulnerable people in society. United Utilities is joining forces with Greater Manchester Police and Trading Standards departments across the North-west to discuss
A HEROIN addict shoplifter who assaulted a store manager has been jailed for 15 months. Andrew Baratinsky then went on to shoplift again while on bail, Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday. Baratinsky, aged 24, of Kingsley Street, Leigh, pleaded
A COUPLE of nature lovers have sent out an SOS to save dozens of frogs during the spawning season. Tony and Anne Unsworth's pond in their Tyldesley garden has been used by the amphibians for 25 years. But this year, the 2ft deep, 200 square-foot pond
BOLTON Council has again been named as one of the best performing local authorities in the country after retaining its four-star rating. Only 32 per cent of councils achieved the top four-star rating, which Bolton has now been awarded for four years
Manchester Phoenix fought back bravely on Wednesday night only to finally lose 4-3 to the in-form Sheffield Steelers. Missing injured forward Ales Parez and not having played competitively for ten days, the lack of match sharpness for the Phoenix proved
VISITORS to a new advice centre in Bolton are really seeing the light when it comes to saving energy. Various types of energy-saving aids are on display, including a 3D model of a house, measuring 6ft by 6ft, which is cut in half showing loft and cavity
VIDEOGAME fans can be crowned King or Queen of the PlayStation 2 in a competition being run by libraries in Wigan. Aimed at children aged from 11 to 17, the PS2 competition will pit youngsters against a variety of games. The overall winner will win
MORE than 200 pets have been reported missing in Greater Manchester since the end of last year, according to new research from the Missing Pets Bureau. The figures, released yesterday, reveal that 5,700 pets are lost or stolen in the UK each week.
A WOMEN-only Desi night to celebrate diversity in Bolton will take place on Tuesday, February 27. The night of food, music and entertainment will be held at Bolton Town Hall, from 7pm. Entry is free and there is a traditional dress code. For more
A vehicle workshop and offices have been approved as part of a plan to bring derelict industrial land in Westhoughton back into use. The 2.7 hectare site at the junction of James Street and Long Lane is being developed by Walter Forshaw Holdings Ltd
A FORMER hypnotherapy patient was so inspired by his treatment, he is now running the practice where he once lay on the couch. A decade ago Philip Monaghan, aged 45, underwent 12 weeks of analysis under the expert guidance of hypno-analyst Nigel Isherwood
A LOCAL history day will be held at St Peter's Church, Belmont, on Saturday, March 3. A photo display will be put up in the church, in Rivington Road, from 12pm to 5pm. Books and paintings by local artist Brian Barlow will be on sale. Entry is free
DEVELOPERS are threatening the future of two businesses for the second time in three months. Paul O'Rourke and Daniel Booth used their life-savings and took out second mortgages to open outdoor sports shop Alpine Extreme in Bolton Road, Westhoughton
FIREFIGHTERS think a mechanical fault started a fire which destroyed a Vauxhall Omega in Countess Lane, Radcliffe, at 6.15pm on Tuesday.
FOUR new homes will replace stables in Westhoughton, despite objections from residents. The detached houses, each with a garage, will be built at 42 Chew Moor Lane, backing on to the M61, and will be accessed from Corner Brook. Proposals for five
THE mother of a teenager killed when riding a mini-motorbike has warned parents against buying the "death traps" for their children. Linda Bateson, of Great Lever, spoke out following the latest police clampdown on nuisance bike riders. Police are
I LOVE to hear from readers of this column, with the exception of the guy who let on to me in the taxi rank a few years ago because a) I was drunk and b) I was affronted that he recognised me from the incredibly unflattering (but, as it turns out, wholly
AMID reports of rising gun crime among youths, ASBO culture and the findings that children in Britain are physically and emotionally worse off than anywhere else in the developed world, it seems surprising that a 100-year-old organisation dedicated to
FIRST Bus is pursuing the future of their number 95 service because of a lack of customers. As a frequent user of the service, I find the route to be well patronised, but the practice is prevalent of drivers not issuing tickets to free bus pass holders
THE withdrawal of buses 553 and 554 will mean no bus service for the residents of Willows Lane area. The solution is quite simple. 1: Restore the original 578/580 Willows Lane/Hulton Lane circular. 2: Put double yellow lines on the route, including
MR Guy Harkin talks about people who make mistakes (Letters, February 14). My first thoughts were, wasn't Mr Harkin the one to say that the Trafford Centre would be a white elephant, and isn't Mr Harkin the former Deputy Leader of the then Labour Council
I FELT compelled to write following the recent article on the Unicef report on child wellbeing. I thought it was necessary that some balance was added to the article. The article ignored the fact that in the two decades before Labour came to power
I THINK by now most of us know where the new police station is - behind MFI on Manchester Road. However, I wonder how many strangers driving into Bolton along Manchester Road, from the direction of Farnworth, would be able to find it. I ask this because
FAR be it from me to instruct recycling officer Mark Husdan on the finer points of recycling, but as the picture shows on page 13 of The Bolton News February 17, he hasn't crushed his can. Roy Caswell Beverley Road Bolton
WE realise that many residents of Westhoughton may welcome the addition of a new supermarket to provide people with more choice than the limited provision that exists now. We understand that Sainsbury's have stated that they will be consulting widely
IT may have been said before, but it is worth repeating: think twice before buying your child a mini-motorbike. Linda Bateson's 18-year-old son John died when the bike he was riding smashed into a barrier. Mrs Bateson says the bikes are death traps
IT appears that our money is not safe wherever we keep it these days. Years ago, elderly people were often chastised for hoarding it in drawers or under pillows. Nowadays though, everyone has a supposedly high security bank account, with individual
FA Cup winner Tommy Banks will head a list of Bolton Wanderers legends who will take part in a charity football quiz to raise funds for Farnworth Social Circle Cricket Club tomorrow night. The former Wanderers and England full-back, who is president
Simon Yeo broke Shakers' hearts with a penalty in the last minute to condemn Chris Casper's side to an 11th successive game without a win. The former Lincoln City striker scored from the spot on his home debut after Bury had matched their hosts stride
BOLTON'S sensational lightweight prospect Amir Khan has been given formal recognition by the World Boxing Organisation in their latest rankings. Khan has been moved into the WBO's top 15 following a string of impressive victories and finds himself at
