Accrington Observer
Paedophile is brought back from Australia to face justice
APAEDOPHILE who abused young girls was extradited from Australia to face justice for his ‘abhorrent’ crimes. Robert Crompton, 67, committed the offences in the Accrington area several years ago before going to live on the other side of the world,...
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Cricket ‘has lost great servant’ after joiner’s death
TRIBUTES have been paid to a “lifelong supporter” of Accrington Cricket Club after he died at the age of 96. Peter Westwell, who lived in Accrington for the majority of his life, died on December 18 last year at the Royal Blackburn Hospital. The...
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Tragic swimmer is named
A MAN who drowned in the River Ribble while swimming last month has been named for the first time. An inquest opened into the death of Amin Ul Haq Khan, 23, from Great Harwood, at Preston Coroners’ Court on Tuesday, January 6. Amin, who was born in...
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Cruel thug repeatedly tormented partners
AJEALOUS and cruel thug who repeatedly attacked and tormented his partners during campaigns of abuse and controlling behaviour has been jailed. Karl Atkinson began a relationship with the first victim in July 2019 and presented as a ‘nice, caring...
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Mum dies just days before Christmas
ABRAVE young mum from Accrington has lost her fight for life just days before Christmas. Charlie Ainsworth, 38, battled cancer and health issues throughout her life and tragically found the disease had spread in the last few months. After doctors were...
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Ex mayor ‘was a loving community champion’
HeARTFeLT tributes have been paid to a former mayor and councillor who ‘loved supporting and championing’ her community. Janet Storey, of Clayton-le-Moors, (pictured right) suddenly passed away at Royal Blackburn Teaching hospital after a short...
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Axe thug cries in dock as he’s jailed
AMAN who ran around in the road with an axe as children were walking home from school cried in the dock as he was jailed for his crime. Declan Ainsworth, 31, got out of his Ford Transit van and approached a Volkswagon Golf, on Haslingden Road,...
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Family tribute to tragic crash victim
THE family of a ‘truly special’ man who died following a collision on the M65 have paid tribute to him. Wojciech Trzebinski, 34, from Accrington, brought ‘warmth’ into the lives of his family, who described him as a dear friend to many. Paying...
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Mum died after marrying soulmate
TRIBUTES have been paid to a woman who died just weeks after marrying her soulmate. Nicola Jane Page, of Clayton-leMoors, died peacefully earlier this month at East Lancashire Hospice. The retail supervisor at Oswaldtwistle Mills, 49, was diagnosed...
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‘What is wrong with you? Die, just die’
ATHUG broke into a bedbound man’s home and brutally attacked him with knives and a frying pan. Daniel Laming has been jailed for four years for the assault, which took place at the victim’s home in Accrington on August 27, in 2022. The victim, in his...
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£8bn fighter jet deal secures 6,000 jobs at factories
BAE Systems Lancashire military aircraft factories received a major boost with an £8billion deal to supply 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey. The contract will guarantee 6,000 jobs at the defence giant’s Samlesbury and Warton factories. It is the...
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‘Disgusting’ sex predator urged girl, 14, to self-harm
ADANGEROUS sex offender who groomed a girl online and encouraged her to selfharm has been jailed. Kai Edmundson from Oswaldtwistle, 18, befriended the 14-year-old on social media using platforms including Discord, WhatsApp and Telegram in order to...
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Key projects delayed in town square revamp
The completion of two key projects for the regeneration of Accrington town square was originally March 31 next year. The completion date for the works to Accrington Market Hall, pictured, and Burton’s Chambers are now expected to be in July 2026. The...
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Theatre group on Road to recovery
ATHEATRE group has announced its upcoming production of Jim Cartwright’s award-winning play, Road. Oswaldtwistle Players are set to perform it at ReAct Studios, Church, from October 22-25 at 7.30pm. Founded over half a century ago, the society has...
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Two schools in frame for awards
THE Educate Awards has announced two schools from Accrington have made this year’s shortlist. St Christopher’s CE High School has been shortlisted for the Lord Frank Field Community Partnership Award after demonstrating a longstanding commitment to...
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‘We’re not greedy’ – bakery hikes prices
THE twin sisters behind one of Great Harwood’s most beloved bakeries have shared a candid message with their loyal customers, shedding light on the hidden challenges of running a bustling small business – even one that sells out within minutes. Rachel...
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Questions set out for borough’s local plan
HYNDBURN’S Green councillor has set out the key questions he believes a government inspector should answer in his assessment of the borough’s local plan. The controversial blueprint for new housing, job-creating industrial and commercial developments...
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Take a peek at old home of women’s vote campaigner
AHISTORIC building will be opening to the public for the first time. Moorside House in Altham is a Grade II-listed building which was once home to pioneering suffragist Lydia Becker. The building will open to the public for the first time on...
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Town’s Xmas factor winners revealed
THE winners of the Accrington Xmas Factor were revealed at a family fun day. Zoltar were crowned winners by a panel of judges during St Paul’s Scouts Family Fun Day held at Oswaldtwistle Mills. They will now perform at the #AmazingAccrington...
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Boy, 5, badly injured in hit-and-run
AYOUNG boy is in hospital with serious injuries after he was hit by a car. The five-year-old was on Belfield Road in Accrington at 5.44pm on Friday, when he was hit by a white Toyota Prius. The driver of the car then left the scene. The boy suffered...
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Students chip in with bus project
APPRENTICESHIP students from North Lancs Training Group ( NLTG) and businesses have played a key role in breathing new life into a rare piece of local and national history through their work on the exciting Heritage Bus Project, led by the Accrington...
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Showground road is set for approval
APROPOSED new access road to a showground is set to be approved by councillors at the second attempt. The Great Harwood Agricultural Society’s planning application to Hyndburn Council for the new track to its site off Harwood Lane in the township was...
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Jailed sex abuse head was seen as ‘safety expert’
ADISGRACED headteacher jailed for abusing three teenage girls at a Lancashire school he ran was regarded as a ‘safeguarding specialist’. Mark Bocker, 65, was found guilty of sexually assaulting the girls in Oswaldtwistle between 2007 and 2016. He was...
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Tributes to newsagent Geoffrey
TRIBUTES have been paid to an owner of a newsagents which was run by three generations. Geoffrey Cronshaw of Accrington passed away from a combination of heart failure, pneumonia and heart disease on Sunday, July 27 at Royal Blackburn Hospital, aged...
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County council urged to maintain nursery funding
LANCASHIRE County Council says it has not ruled out continuing to provide nurseries and early years providers with the same level of funding they currently receive to deliver free childcare entitlements. It comes after the county’s Labour MPs earlier...
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Errors delay show road decision
ADECISION on a proposed new access road to a showground has been put off for a month over errors in the planning officer’s report. The Great Harwood Agricultural Society’s planning application to Hyndburn Council for the new track to its site off...
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Council responds to M&S proposal
HYNDBURN Council has responded to a new legal application concerning Tesco and Blackburn with Darwen Council’s additional bid to throw a legal spanner in the works of a new £10.1million Marks and Spencer food hall on the Issa brothers’ Frontier...
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Stanley tribute after lifelong fan’s tragic death
TRIBUTES have been paid to a lifelong Accrington Stanley fan who has died at the age of 48. The football club posted a tribute to Dan Greenwood and said everyone was “saddened” to hear of his death. Dan had been undergoing kidney dialysis at Chorley...
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Jailed: Cruel thief who targeted OAP twice
AMAN from Accrington has been jailed for almost a decade after robbing an elderly man. Michael Boothby targeted a vulnerable man in his own home twice in the space of just two days. Boothby carried out a robbery and a distraction robbery over the short...
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We believe Joanne was murdered - insist family
THE family of a woman whose body was found in a river four months after she disappeared remain convinced she was murdered. Joanne Nield, 50, was reported missing to the police on April 11 in 2023 after her support worker had been unable to get in...
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Drug farm kingpin set up factory in ex-hotel
ADRUGS kingpin who ran a network of cannabis factories, including one at an abandoned Hyndburn hotel, is facing a lengthy jail sentence. Roman Le was the mastermind behind the operations in residential and commercial properties, as well as a storage...
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Tragic teen’s family ‘making documentary’ about his death
Jay Slater with his brother Zak and mum Debbie
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Two dogs seized by police after boy is attacked
AMUM has spoken of the terrifying moment her fouryear-old son turned up at her door with ‘his cheek hanging off’ after he was savaged by a neighbour’s dogs in Oswaldtwistle. Antonio Quinn had been playing at his friend’s house on Bank Holiday Monday...
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Playing fields will be back for 26/27 season, says boss
HYNDBURN Council’s parks boss has pledged that an out of action sports ground will be back in use for the 2026/27 football season. Coun Kimberley Whitehead made the promise to Baxenden Tory councillor David Heap who had claimed work on Accrington’s...
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Care worker who abused woman with dementia locked up
ACARE worker who was caught sexually abusing a woman with dementia has been jailed. David Shorrock, 53, used to work as a care worker at a residential home in Hyndburn. It was there that he sexually assaulted a vulnerable resident, who was mute and had...
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Reds to close football academy to save costs
Directors blame ‘significant financial challenges’ as community is described as being ‘heartbroken’
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‘This is the last straw...’ I quit says Stanley owner
Andy Holt to end his time in an executive capacity at Accrington Stanley claiming he is fed up of the club ‘being undermined’
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Club brings back weightloss programme
GREAT Harwood Rovers have launched a second X-Pert Free Weightloss programme for health and weight loss. The programme, which began on April 23, is open to men and women and is free to participate in. X-Pert Free Weightloss is a 12-week programme...
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Grim figures reveal level of child poverty
MORE than 60% of children in Hyndburn were living below the breadline last year- according to the latest figures from the DWP. Across Lancashire, a total of 84,713 children aged 0 to 15 were living in poverty in the year ending March 2024 - the last...
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Save our pub!
APETITION has been launched to save a pub which has been the ‘cornerstone’ of the community, serving generations of residents. Regular customer of The Hare and Hounds in Clayton-leMoors, Liam Loughlin, created the online petition after hearing the pub...
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‘Scourge of town centre shops’ back in prison
APROLIFIC thief who continues to be a scourge of businesses in Accrington has been hauled back to prison. Kristopher Murphy was arrested on March 22 and charged with five thefts from a shop, two breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) and...
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Activities lined up for pupils’ break
AVARIETY of activities will be on offer for families this Easter half term. Great Harwood Events are back again with some new initiatives including a funfair, pop up cinema, an Easter bonnet workshop and a colouring competition. The pop up cinema...
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Stanley noise row: owner says ‘council bullying us’
ACCRINGTON Stanley FC has lost the right to host functions, including weddings and parties, following complaints from neighbours. The club’s venue, which includes Coley’s bar and the 1968 Lounge, hosts live music events and functions, including many...
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‘Hot Cop’ gets sack for info leak on tragic mother
APOLICE officer, given the nickname ‘Hot Cop,’ who was exploiting her role to harvest confidential information about tragic mum-of-two Nicola Bulley has been sacked. PC Molly Bury, of Accrington, who worked for Lancashire Police at Blackburn,...
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Extra security call at hospital site plagued by vandal attacks
NHS bosses have been urged to step up security at the controversially closed Accrington Victoria Hospital after it has been repeatedly targeted by vandals. The call has come from Hyndburn Councillor Clare Pritchard. She is dismayed at the damage...
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Seven years for thug who bit two men on night out
ATHUG assaulted two men on a night out in ‘unexplained’ attacks – biting their cheeks and causing permanent disfigurement. ‘Loutish’ Saul Livesey was on a night out at the Bees Knees bar and DODGE nightclub in Accrington town centre in January 2023,...
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Residents ‘plagued by a flock of seagulls’
ENVIRONMENTAL chiefs say they are to take action as a petition was launched complaining about the impact of seagulls being attracted to an area around a landfill site. Just short of 500 people signed the petition in only six days calling on the...
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‘Thieves won’t keep us down for long’ vows shop boss
ATRAVEL shop boss remained defiant after being targeted by a raid in the early hours of the morning. Caitlan Grime, from Oswaldtwistle, was left to clean up the mess thieves had left behind after they ransacked her dream travel agency, The Departure...
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Yob gang wreck food donated for the needy
FOOD donated by kind-hearted shoppers to vulnerable people in Accrington has been destroyed by a gang of youths during a supermarket rampage. Police were called to the incident at the Tesco store on Eagle Street near the town centre last Wednesday...
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Arrests over anti-social behaviour
THREE people, including two youths, have been arrested following months of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage in a small town. The Observer reported last week how residents in Oswaldtwistle say they have been subjected to relentless abuse from...
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Yobs set nativity scene alight
YOBS have been terrorising the community of a small town and set a nativity scene on fire just a week before Christmas. Residents of Oswaldwistle say they have been subjected to relentless abuse from a group of youths who have been running rampant for...
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Michelle Bromley-Hesketh, who runs Snowdrop Doula Cafe and the Snowdrop Doula shop in Accrington Arndale, inset, fears she may have to close the shop due to spiralling costs
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Cash to support community projects is granted
FIVE Hyndburn organisations have been given grants from the council’s Cabinet Action Fund. The £20,000 cash pot, introduced earlier this year, aims to support community projects and enhance the quality of life for residents across the...
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A golden vision of town centre future unveiled
ANEW vision for Accrington town centre aimed at driving its regeneration has been revealed – and the public are being encouraged to share their opinions. The Accrington Town Centre Investment Plan 2022-2032 aspires to create a vibrant, bustling, proud...
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Tributes to ‘adored dad’ who died after assault
TRIBUTES have been paid to an ‘infectiously charismatic’ and beloved dad who died after an assault in Rossendale. Police raced to Waterfoot Social Club on Ashworth Street following reports of a serious assault at around 11.50pm on Saturday (November...
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‘A formidable and empathic’ teacher to thousands
TRIBUTES have been paid to a ‘formidable and empathic’ teacher who taught generations of families – with schools in Hyndburn and beyond asking her to share her expertise with them. Ethel Haydock of Stanhill Lane, Oswaldtwistle, died peacefully from...
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Headteacher speaks out after horrific violence
AHEADTEACHER has described how a small number of terrified kids witnessed a ‘gang attack’ on their way to school. Police and paramedics were called to Wordsworth Road in Accrington at about 8.30am on Wednesday, November 6, to reports of an assault. A...
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Community centre to display town history
THE rich history of a town will go on display next month. A permanent exhibition of Clayton-le-Moors heritage will open in its community centre on November 21. It is the culmination of 18 months of work funded by a £10,000 National Lottery grant - and...
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Tributes paid after death of firm bosses
TRIBUTES have been paid after the death of the owners of two well-known businesses. Jane Clarke Woodhouse passed away after a short illness, aged 79. The beloved mother-of-three ran her own business, Broadfield Care Services in Oswaldtwistle and...
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Club says farewell to the ‘last McStanley original’
TRIBUTES have been paid to ‘the last original member of Accrington McStanley’ who ‘loved’ the town and was ‘proud’ to play for the club. William McInnes died peacefully at home from prostate cancer on October 14, aged 93. The goalkeeper played under...
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Town’s traffic-light upgrade postponed
NEW traffic lights have risen £230,000 over budget, leading highways chiefs to axe Accrington upgrades to cover the cost. Three busy Preston junctions are to get new traffic lights designed to make journeys more reliable – but the projects will cost...
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Light fantastic! Pupils get starring role in new event
SCHOOLCHILDREN will be taking part in a new light event which will see heritage buildings bathed in light. Enlighten at Accrington town centre will feature light displays and performances between Friday, October 25 and Sunday, October 27. One of the...
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