A Colne man has described the site of a demolished mill in the town as a potential death trap.

Oak Mill, in Skipton Road, was knocked down earlier this year after standing empty for several years.

But local resident Keith Hill said the boundary fence around the site had partially collapsed and it was now open for people, and more worryingly children, to wander on to.

“There are deep open excavations immediately adjacent to the footpath and children are walking past this dangerous site on a daily basis on their way to and from school,” said Mr Hill.

“The shocking thing is that it has been done without any consideration to the local residents and even less to those who have to walk past this site and who might find themselves tripping up over the fallen fencing and head-first in one of the open excavations.”

Pendle Council planning manager Neil Watson said the contractor had been served with a notice under the Building Act on Thursday requiring them to make the site secure.

This was due to expire yesterday and if the work had not been done, the council could take the contractor to the magistrates court.

Mr Watson also said that as the site is considered as an active development, the Health and Safety Executive had been asked to investigate the position.

Pendle’s first business awards were held at the Fence Gate Inn in February 2008.

And Pendle Today was there to capture the excitement on video.

Coun. Allan Buck, then Mayor of Pendle, congratulated the winners who included Loop Publishing. H.W. Petty, Malkin Tower Farm and Giddy Kippers.

A Brierfield man assaulted his partner while throwing her out over text messages on her phone, a court heard.

Thomas Smith (46), of Chapel Street, pushed on-off partner Anne Marie Garlick to the ground after questioning her about the mystery texts on her mobile, Burnley magistrates were told.

The defendant had tried to “evict” his partner from the house and pushed her, causing the victim to hit her head on the oven.

The defendant admitted assault at Burnley Magistrates’ Court.

An argument had broken out over messages on the victim’s phone which she claimed no knowledge of who they were from. The court was told Smith repeatedly shouted at her then pushed her to get her out of the property.

The court heard this made her stumble and bang her head on the cooker. She suffered minor injuries and went to the doctors.

The prosecution said there had been 24 call-outs to the police in the past.

Graeme Parkinson (defending) said there was a restraining order in place which the defendant was adhering to.

He said: “There has been a lot gone on between the two of them. They tend to argue which I would say is is six of one and half a dozen of another.

“He is then pushing her towards the door asking her to leave. He uses too much force and she stumbles and bangs her head.”

The case was adjourned until December 11th for a pre-sentence report. Smith was granted conditional bail. He must not contact the victim or go within a mile of a named address in Colne Road, Burnley.

A Coroner has highlighted his concerns following the unexpected death of a new mum at Burnley General Hospital.

East Lancashire Coroner Mr Richard Taylor raised recommendations in the conclusion of an inquest into the death of building society manager Mrs Jane Whiteside (41) days after she gave birth.

These included the quality of statements provided by hospital staff, and that it had taken a death for East Lancashire Hospitals Trust to enact changes.

Mrs Whiteside, who suffered from the spinal condition scoliosis, had given birth by caesarean section without problems under general anaesthetic, and was due to go home when she was found unresponsive in a chair in her room.

There had been a gap of an hour in which Blackburn woman Mrs Whiteside was not seen by any clinical staff.

Recording a conclusion of natural causes, Mr Taylor said: “I am concerned at the quality of statements given by staff who attended to Mrs Whiteside as they do not tally. There is also concern that problems (in the maternity unit) also only came to light following her death.

“The discrepancies in the timings given in the statements at best confused the family and at worst made them suspicious.

“I will invite the Trust to invite me to talk about the quality of their statements.”

The Coroner did agree with the opinion of the eight staff who attempted resuscitation that Mrs Whiteside had already died by the time she was discovered.

He added: “I feel that all that could have been done had been done.”

Mr Taylor accepted the findings of pathologist Dr Richard Fitzmaurice who said Mrs Whiteside’s death was a cardiac arrest caused by sepsis, due to her scoliosis.

He discounted the opposing view of pathologist Professor Sebastian Lucas who said Mrs Whiteside had died as a result of Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome (SADS).

The four-day inquest at Burnley Town Hall heard there had been no follow-up visit by the surgeon or anaesthetist as the surgeon was on leave and observations of her blood pressure and heart rate had been normal.

He added: “There was nothing to alert anyone to any significant problems. She was expected to be going home soon. I have come to the conclusion there was no specific failure from the hospital and am satisfied the Trust has made changes since this tragedy.”

Changes introduced include: one observation chart now used instead of two; a consultant leader introduced for the ward; post-operative checks now electronically recorded; and patient buzzers replaced so they can now be heard throughout the ward.

Mr Taylor added: “It’s clear Jane Whiteside was a much-loved mother, wife, daughter and friend to many.

“I have read glowing testimonials of her. In her children she will always be around. This has been a traumatic event for all who loved her.

“Her mother is understandably bemused as to how she could have lost her daughter at the same time as she gained a grandson.”

Speaking after the inquest, the family of Mrs Whiteside said they had grave concerns over the quality of care at the hospital given to “wonderful Jane”.

They added: “Follow-up visits were not conducted and the quality of reports and records were not accurate. Jane herself commented on the heavy workload of the midwives.”

Uniformed groups from St Mary’s Church, Trawden, joined forces to raise £201 towards much-needed funds for the village’s parish hall.

Cubs, Scouts, Guides and seniors held a coffee morning on Saturday in the hall to raise money to prevent it from closing.

The hall is in constant need of maintenance and upkeep and is used regularly by the uniformed groups and others – and the threat to its future also puts that of the users in jeopardy.

Saturday’s event saw the youth groups produce a variety of cakes which were sold with the coffee – and if they tasted as good as they look on our photograph, there would have been little left!.

Organiser Sharon Green thanked all those who supported the event for contributions on the day.

Crowds gathered at Burnley Town Hall to see the arrival of Prince Charles in 2008.

Among them was Harry Dahmke who captured this video of the Royal visitor who was in town to visit the Lancashire Digital Centre in Bancroft Road.

On the day-long visit in February 2008 he was met at Burnley Manchester Road Train Station by the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, Lord Shuttleworth, and taken to Burnley Town Hall where Burnley Air Cadets formed a guard of honour.

The Prince met Burnley Council’s then leader, Gordon Birtwistle, chief executive Steve Rumbelow and mayor Peter McCann before a private meeting to discuss the regeneration of Burnley.

Later, the Prince visited the Lancashire Digital Technology Centre where he opened a new workshop at engineering firm BCW.

He met members of the Muslim community involved in the Mosaic programme, as well as business leaders involved with the Prince of Wales’ Seeing is Believing scheme and popped into Burnley Youth Theatre where young people on the Prince’s Trust’s Acting Up Programme displayed their acting skills.

In his busy schedule, the Prince also managed to explore the Burnley SPACE youth bus and saw the Weavers’ Triangle from a narrowboat on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal

The new Bishop of Blackburn has welcomed the Church of England moves to enable women to be ordained as bishops.

On Wednesday the General Synod approved a package of measures as the next steps towards enabling women to be ordained as bishops in the Church of England. The proposals received broad support: 378 votes for, eight against and 25 abstentions.

In February the draft legislation will return for revision in full synod, a simpler and quicker alternative to the usual method of revision by Committee. The House of Bishops will also present a draft declaration, including proposals for a mandatory disputes resolution procedure for discussion.

Bishop of Blackburn the Rt Rev. Julian Henderson, welcomed the encouraging degree of consensus in the Synod, and the warmth of the proposals.

He said: “The sense of agreement by the majority of synod members over the package of proposals for women to be ordained as Bishops was extremely encouraging and bodes well for the next stages. There was a warmth about the proposals that had not been present before and synod seems to have found a better way of handling its business.

“I am very hopeful we may have found a way forward that for the sake of our mission to the nation keeps those opposed to this development in the mainstream rather than the margins of the Church of England,

Bishop of Burnley the Rt Rev. John Goddard, also welcomed the tone of the debate. He said: “The atmosphere of trust and respect for each other in the General Synod was at a considerable level. We have now voted for the process to bring final proposals before the Synod. The debate on the matter of principle will take place then.

“My hope is that the trust and respect we look for in Christians will continue in that debate.”

A 44-year-old Brierfield man used cloned fuel cards on 48 separate occasions in a month, getting away with over £3,000 worth of petrol.

Blackburn magistrates heard former soldier Jason Paul Harwood had used the same Citroen van as he “caned” the forged cards.

Harwood, who is living at an address in Bolton Road. Blackburn, as a condition of bail, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation. He was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Mr Nick Dearing (defending) said Harwood had served 12 years in the army and suffered post traumatic stress disorder.

“He has problems with alcohol and depression,” said Mr Dearing.

Burnley’s Continental Market has always drawn the crowds.

In 2008, our reporter Dominic Collis went along to see what was on offer and chatted to the stall holders.

A drunk man who staggered into a busy road and started to kick out at passing cars before threatening to drop a bomb on a policeman has been given a second chance by magistrates.

Gary Carr (41), of Crabtree Street, Colne, admitted being drunk and disorderly.

Magistrates heard a police officer went to deal with a man who was causing a nuisance in Albert Road. When the officer spoke to him he said: “I’m going to drop a bomb on you.”

The bench decided not to activate a conditional discharge and he fined £90 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Rumours have been circulating in Colne that some of the doctors based in the town’s health centre are unhappy with the facilities being provided in the new facility in Craddock Road and are looking for alternatives.

The Colne Times has been told that the doctors concerned have looked at the possible use of Bank House in Albert Road – recently sold by Pendle Council to another party – and the former Providence Independent Methodist Church behind the war memorial on the other side of the road.

In a statement regarding the rumours, NHS England in Lancashire said: “NHS England has been working with practices to ensure their requirements are met before the handover date, which we expect to be in February, 2014.

“All parties involved such as NHS Property Services and the CCG are working together to ensure a smooth transition into the new premises so that patients can continue to access high quality primary care services without too much disruption.”

The East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, which commissions health care services in this area, said: “Although East Lancs CCG are involved in this as a partner, we do not have direct responsibility for what goes in the health centre or the decisions their member practices make.

“This lies with both NHS England and NHS Property Services. Therefore, the CCG have no further comment to make.”

Pendle Council and its partner Liberata are about to unveil a hidden property gem as they launch a show home to promote a row of beautifully restored terraced properties in Nelson that are up for sale.

The doors of 19 Mosley Street will be open to the public on Saturday – and council leader Coun. Joe Cooney, is urging people to take a look round.

He said: “People may think they know Whitefield, but it has changed dramatically over the past few years.

“Gone are the empty, boarded-up properties and in their place are beautifully restored heritage terraces, offering two, three, four and even six bedrooms, complete with all the mod cons.”

Properties are priced from £80,000 and there are schemes available to help with your deposit.

Matthew Pearson, Pendle Council’s Home Improvement Manager, added: “The regenerated housing in Whitefield has made a massive difference to the area and the quality of housing available to buy.

“We are hoping the show home will demonstrate to potential buyers what can be achieved if they want to buy one of the fantastic houses, not only in Mosley Street, but on the surrounding streets, too.

“It’s just a stone’s throw from the town centre shops and within walking distance of the bus/rail interchange, supermarkets and beautiful Victoria Park.

“Yet it feels tucked away as there’s not a lot of traffic.

“With a brand new school on your doorstep, it is a great place to raise a family.”

The Mosley Street Show home will be open from 10-30am until 3pm and is available to view by appointment only at other times.

If you can’t make the open day, call Liberata Property Services on 878939 to arrange a viewing.

A Nelson man admitted driving while almost twice the drink drive limit.

John Doherty (50), of Barkerhouse Road, was fined £300 and banned from driving for 17 months. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Magistrates heard he was spotted by a police officer driving a van in Reedyford Road, Nelson, shortly after 5pm on November 4th.

He was stopped and a test revealed 69 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35. He was also offered the drink-drive rehabilitation course.

There are many ponderous questions we’re faced with on a daily basis. What’s the meaning of life? Does a one-legged duck swim in a circle? Why can’t women put on mascara with their mouth closed? Why do banks leave the doors wide open yet chain their pens to the counter?

Many of the world’s most pressing and paramount conundrums - like those above - often leave us stumped for answers. But it was a spontaneous scenario posed by the panel of NoNayNever.Net that forced me to reach for pen and paper in a bid to resolve my own inquisition.

The question? From Owen Coyle’s promotion-winning squad of 2008/09 and Sean Dyche’s current crop of players, what would be your starting XI? I think I ended up naming enough players for an entire squad.

However, after moments of deliberation and indecision I acknowledged that there was a fundamental reason for my struggle. There were significant differences between the formations and tactics of the respective sides that had been specifically tailored to suit the style and personnel of those squads.

For instance, Coyle’s set-up was unpredictable as he flitted between 4-2-3-1, packed the midfield in a strict 4-5-1, put the impetus on committing men forward in a 4-1-3-2, utilised a rigid 4-4-2 while ending the season with the successful 4-1-4-1 formation that was prevalent throughout the play-off venture. The Scot was experimental to say the least.

But the beauty of Coyle’s compendious squad was that it catered for inconsistency in tactical models and selection. Though it may sound like jargon from a coaching manuel, the various dimensions within the squad made it possible to develop variations of more elemental structures.

Injuries and suspensions would sometimes force his hand, but even with the smallest squad in the division he’d often fluctuate. On occasions he’d opt for the zip and precision of Joey Gudjonsson in the middle, sometimes it would be the composure and coolness of Kevin McDonald though the talismanic Graham Alexander and Chris McCann were ever presents in his selection.

Then there was the invention, drive and flair that the team was reliant and built upon. That came in the form of Chris Eagles, Robbie Blake and Wade Elliott, whether used as wide outlets, or in an advanced role among a three behind the striker to compliment the pace and tenacity of Martin Paterson. And then there’s Steven Thompson who would be employed as a target man when a more direct route was required.

The Scot’s tenure was one based on belief, desire and an imperishable winning mentality. At times it was gung-ho, driving at the opposition. While the leadership qualities of Alexander and skipper Steven Caldwell counteracted a relative lack of organisation, the Clarets worked on the philosophy that they would simply out-score their opponents to win games in contrast to building from the back.

When looking at the statistics from the league campaign, goals and assists came from all areas. Alexander contributed with nine goals, mainly from the spot, and two assists. Gudjonsson scored six times and added two assists; Paterson contributed with 12 goals and five assists; Wade Elliott notched four times with 10 assists; Chris McCann scored six times with four assists; Blake found the net eight times and assisted his team-mates on 11 occasions; Thompson scored seven and assisted twice while Eagles added eight goals and seven assists.

The framework under Coyle only genuinely came to fruition at the end of the campaign when the Clarets kept five clean sheets in six outings, while scoring 11 times.

In contrast there’s Dyche’s footballing philosophy, one of work-rate, endeavour, organisation, balance and precision. Dyche has formulated a structure, a methodical framework that has ultimately bred consistency.

Burnley’s energy and endurance has been unrivalled to date this season. A ruthless defensive five - with nine clean sheets in all competitions - has provided the ideal foundation but it’s been accentuated by the desire of every other player to get behind the ball when attacks break down.

While Coyle had craft, Dyche has graft as well as invention. The energy and willingness to cover ground of Dean Marney and the vision and distribution of David Jones has proven to be the perfect marriage in the centre of the park.

Rather than drive, the focus has been on prising teams open with intricate, one-touch moves, and infiltrating the space in-behind defenders and full-backs. It’s about pressing high up the field, nicking possession on the halfway line and springing attacks with the opposition exposed. We’ve seen it happen on numerous occasions with David Edgar robbing an unsuspecting Richie Wellens in midfield before finding Kieran Trippier for Burnley’s second against Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium. Dean Marney stole possession from Karl Henry before the ball was worked in behind Richard Dunne to Danny Ings via a one-two with Sam Vokes to enable the striker to fire beyond Robert Green. And it happened against Millwall at The Den when Edgar pipped Shaun Derry to the ball, allowing Ings to spring the attack before Michael Kightly forced the equaliser.

It’s a fine balance but so far it’s one that’s paying dividends. Though the bulk of the goals have come from the forward two - who have a combined tally of 23 - it’s the shape of the side that has led to the Clarets boasting the best goal difference in the division with 17.

So when trying to pick between the two squads, the varying components may not suit. While Juan Mata may not fit in to Jose Mourinho’s plans at Chelsea, similarly the likes of Blake and Eagles would struggle to fit the mould under Dyche. On the flip side, Arfield’s work rate probably wouldn’t suit Coyle’s style.

It’s not just about choosing an XI, it’s also about who’ll be the one operating from the sidelines.

The timbre of John Clough’s voice shivers with a nervous and yet defiant tone.

He’s here to make a difference, to try to save lives, to prevent the same kind of tragedy which has so deeply affected his family from happening to another.

He is a man to be admired.

Most of us will never experience the tragedy of outliving our own child, and even fewer will ever have to go through such a soul-destroying ordeal knowing the monster whose evil ripped them from us may once again be free to walk the streets.

John and his wife Penny have had to do both.

In 2010 their daughter Jane from Barrowford, who had suffered physical abuse at the from her partner Jonathan Vass, died at his hands. The horrific ordeal has left deep and permanent scars.

This week, they are giving their backing to a new campaign which aims to eradicate the scourge of domestic violence from Lancashire.

“We think about what happened to Jane every day – it’s a life changing experience but what we are pleased with is that Jane, through us, can still carry on to make a difference,” says John, as he looks the white ribbon, the symbol of this new initiative, pinned smartly to his lapel.

“Jane stood up to protect herself and her child, and the worst possible scenario came about.

“This is about highlighting to people that have the power to make decision that affect victims’ lives the importance about making a reasonable decision on bail.”

His desire to reach the powers-that-be is understandable – had a judge not granted Vass bail after he was charged with nine counts of rape and four of assault against nurse Jane, she might still be alive today.

Instead, he was allowed to walk from court.

And, heartbreakingly, he then stabbed her to death outside Blackpool Victoria Hospital – the place where she cared for countless patients in the A and E department.

But this campaign is about more than getting judges to think, it’s also about reaching the hearts and minds of not only victims, but also their abusers.

A dismaying survey held by a national newspaper recently revealed three in 10 young men questioned believe domestic violence is acceptable while, even more shockingly, one in 10 young girls also agreed with that sentiment.

The campaign is set to reach out to schools and male-dominated workplaces to encourage men everywhere to challenge the cowards who prey violence on the women they purport to adore.

John adds: “The men who are violent to women need to realise how much impact they have and not only the physical side. It’s mental and sexual abuse they put on somebody that they are declaring they love. The victims need to know they’re worth so much more than that.”

And that, surely, is something we can all agree with.

For more information on the campaign and its aims, visit www.whiteribboncampaign.co.uk.

Today’s nostalgia video captures a great moment for Burnley’s Muslim community and the end of a landmark project moved a step closer

Crowds gathered to see the next piece of the jigsaw put in place for the new £1.8m Shah Jalal Mosque, funded from charitable donations from the Muslim community, being developed on former derelict land between Belford Street and Burns Street.

The white dome, which cost around £100,000, was put in place in front of residents, mosque co-ordinator Mr Mozaquir Ali, secretary Coun. Mohammed Malik, architect Dr Najib Gedal, designer Mr Ian Ferrier and Mr John Devassy from Burnley Metal Crafts.

Mr Ferrier, who works for IJF Developments, said: “It is a Burnley project and I’m a Burnley man so it was nice to be involved with the project. We were obviously very grateful for the work in these pressing times and I am very pleased with the outcome.”

Initially, the town’s first purpose-built mosque was to be a three-storey building with a basement to be used for community and social purposes and was estimated to cost £3.6m. However, a decision was taken to reduce it to a two-storey building due to the cost.

Coun. Malik said: “Myself and the community are really proud to see the dome go on. It was a dream from our perspective to see the dome finally put in place. It is a great achievement for the community and we can’t wait to have the mosque completed.”

A popular Colne resident who is in her 42nd year as a Brownie Guider has been recognised at a special Westminster Abbey service.

Sandra Tetley, of Standroyd Drive, was invited to “A National Scout and Guide Service and Celebration of Thanksgiving” for her dedication to the Guiding community.

The 64-year-old, who runs weekly Brownie sessions at Colne’s Christ Church, sat through a 45-minute service, which was conducted by the Dean of Westminster.

Talking of her experience, she said: “It was superb – it really was nice.

“I came back to the invite from my holiday, and I was shocked.

“It was an absolute privilege and an honour to be there – I think there were only three of us from Lancashire East.

“One of the things that sticks in my mind was the fact the Abbey was full of Scouters and Guiders, who have done so many years service.”

Former teacher Mrs Tetley started her Guiding life as a Burnley Brownie, making her way through the Guides and Rangers, before becoming an assistant leader at Burnley’s St Cuthbert Church.

She moved to Colne when she got married in 1973.

She heard that Christ Church were in need of a new leader and so she decided to put her expereience to use and offered her services. She has not looked back since.

She added: “I think my love of it really does come down to meeting people.

“I have been able to go to Switzerland, Mexico and India, meeting people from all walks of life, from all over the world.

“I would never have been able to do that had I not been in Guiding.

“It is also lovely to see the girls develop.”

An elderly woman was treated for smoke inhalation following a fire at her home in Park Drive, Nelson.

The elderly lady dropped a towel on to her gas fire, which set alight then spread to her carpet around 6-50pm.

She managed to get the attention of a neighbour who called the fire service, then tackled the fire stopping it from spreading to her furniture.

She suffered from slight smoke inhalation and was taken to hospital for a precautionary check up.

Six members of the Public and Commercial Services union working for Capita at the soon-to-be-closed Department of Work and Pensions Filestores based in Brunswick Street, Nelson, took their case to the House of Commons and staged a protest in central London last week.

The low paid workers are angry at the decision by Capita to close the “Archives”, which stores sensitive data and the union has accused Capita of putting “profit before people” as the decision to close the Filestores will affect nearly 100 much needed jobs in an already depressed part of the country.

The union claims Capita wants to close the site as quickly as possible to maximise cost savings and despite owning their own training company, are using a local charity to pick up the cost of retraining workers.

PCS official Caroline Turner said: “We believe the public has been denied a say in whether companies should be allowed to profit from providing services. Capita is a hugely profitable company, currently receiving some £1.6 billion a year from public sector contracts.”

“Our members earn as little as £6.67 and many are reliant on food banks and in-work benefits to survive. Capita have refused to pay the living wage, saying it would cost jobs and make them uncompetitive. This means that the taxpayer subsidises Capita as a bad employer.

“The redundancy consultation process with Capita has been very disappointing, They have taken a penny pinching approach to dealing with the situation and refused to offer enhanced compensation and rejected our call for them to fund vocational training.”

The group also met Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson and he agreed to support them by writing to Capita.

In a statement, a Capita spokesman said: “As of Thursday, July 11th, Capita’s record storage site at Nelson started to securely transition its manual file holding in line with the electronic platform that is in place across the rest of the contract.

“This will lead to the eventual closure of the site at the beginning of 2014.

“The transition will mean that files currently held in Nelson will be available via the same electronic system as the other files held and allow DWP to gain the significant service delivery benefits that this system provides.

“In addition, this will enable DWP and Capita to effectively streamline the file holding with the advent of the new benefit types, Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment, and rationalise the estates due to a decreased physical file holding.”

A wedding guest fuelled by alcohol and cocaine sexually assaulted a woman after going into her room and getting into bed at the Oaks Hotel, Reedley.

Burnley Crown Court was told David Rawson could remember nothing about the night, but when the woman and her husband confronted him the following morning he hit out at them. When he calmed down he broke down and cried.

Former serviceman Rawson knew both the woman and her husband very well, and was at the wedding with them. It had been agreed that the women in the party would sleep in one room and the men in another.

He pleaded guilty to the assaults and was given a 14 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with 12 months of drug and alcohol counselling.

Mr Mark Lamberty, defending, said Rawson, of South Park Road, Bury, had been at a very low point in his life when he went to the wedding. His career with the Forces had ended because of an injury, he had fallen out with his girlfriend and only a week earlier he had tried to take his own life.

He was truly sorry and hoping to mend the rift in their friendship.