Rossendale Free Press
Firefighters tackle early hours inferno
FIREFIGHTERS tackled a huge blaze at a commercial building in Stacksteads in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Crews were called to Railway Street at 1.43am after the fire broke out and by 3.22am there were 10 fire engines in attendance along with...
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Great granny died after son reversed his car into her
ASON reversed into his mum with his Range Rover after she fell in a tragic accident outside a doctors’ surgery. She died 10 days later in hospital. Great grandmother Celia Adams was from Rossendale and ran a shop in Rawtenstall. At the time of the...
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Council says sorry for the hold-up in town works
ROSSENDALE Borough Council has apologised for the delayed roadworks taking place in Haslingden town centre. Work on Deardengate, which involves converting Higher Deardengate to a northbound one-way system, initially started in July as part of...
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Drug gang member locked up for 6 years
AMEMBER of a drugs gang which sent more than 120kg of cocaine across the UK has been jailed for six years. A court heard how the gang had supplied cocaine across ‘the length and breadth’ of the country with an operation which was run ‘like a...
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Parents fight for change in law after gravestone boy tragedy
AMUM is continuing to fight for change and save lives after her little boy was killed by a falling gravestone in Rawtenstall. Eli Testa was just four years old when he died after the cross on top of a gravestone at Rawtenstall Cemetery fell on top of...
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‘Jack made our theatre a home’
TRIBUTeS have been paid to a ‘one in a million’ theatre member who remained devoted to the arts for more than 75 years. Jack Martin passed away from heart failure at his home on Bacup Road, Waterfoot on December 4, aged 91. he joined Bacup empire,...
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Swimming teacher scraps lessons amid neighbours row
AFORMER Lancashire county swimmer who has prompted objections with a planning wrangle over holding commercial swimming lessons at her Rossendale home, says she now uses public pools instead. Sarah Makin runs the Above Surface Swim School and has used...
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Dramatic photos as church hit by blaze
EMERGENCY services rushed to put out a fire raging through a historic church. Six crews and an aerial ladder platform from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service were called to Haslingden Baptist Church on Bury Road on Sunday afternoon. They were alerted...
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Arrest made as woman ‘sexually assaulted in bar’
POLICE have launched an investigation into an alleged sexual assault at a bar and restaurant. Officers arrived at Bakehouse and Bar on Newchurch Road, Stacksteads after receiving a report of a sexual assault on November 8, about 11pm. It was reported...
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Two charged with murder of popular model Luke
THE devastated family of a man at the centre of a murder investigation in Bacup have paid tribute to a ‘special son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, uncle, boyfriend and friend’. Luke Harden’s loved ones said ‘there are no words to describe how...
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Man in court over brother’s death after ‘assault’ at club
AMAN has appeared in court charged with manslaughter after the death of a “charismatic dad” who died following an alleged assault at a social club. Police rushed to Waterfoot Social Club, Rossendale at 11.50pm on Saturday November 23 last year to...
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‘Tubbytern’ drugs boss jailed for 16 years
l Ian Ogden, 36, of Rossendale, has been jailed for 16 years and eight months for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs and money laundering. Ogden used the aliases ‘Tubbytern’ and ‘Integralrhino’ and was a criminal who ran his own drug business.
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Outdoor activity plans a step closer
AROSSENDALE outdoor education site with activities including tomahawkthrowing and air rifles looks likely to get planning permission and more flexible opening hours, following a council meeting. A partly-retrospective planning application for...
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‘He was so kind and loving and had time for everyone’
TRIBUTES have been paid to a ‘kind and loving’ father who delivered essential medication to elderly and poorly residents. Gary Barker passed away peacefully from heart failure and liver cancer at his home in Rawtenstall, aged 66. He worked at...
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Motorbike rider left in coma following horror crash
THE Bacup community has rallied round the family of a teenage boy who has been left in a coma after being involved in a horror crash. Emergency services were called to Burnley Road in Bacup at around 6.40pm on Monday, September 22, after a crash...
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Corrections and Complaints
If we have published anything that is factually inaccurate, please contact the editor at [email protected] or at Mitchell Henry House, Hollinwood Avenue, Oldham OL9 8EF and, once verified, we will correct it as soon as possible. The...
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Conservation area could be boost for town’s economy
WATERFOOT could be given conservation area status, which supporters say will help economic regeneration, boost its appearance and raise public awareness of its important features. Rossendale Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee has approved a...
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Views are shared on battery plant ruling
GREEN belt protection, the community and environment, construction jobs, utility company profits and benefits for local people were among the themes in a Rossendale Council debate about a proposed energy storage site east of Scout Moor. The plan by...
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‘I thought I was going to die – but Siri saved me’
AYOUNG woman has shared the story of how “Siri” saved her life during a brutal attack by her convicted criminal partner who was part of a gang that flooded Rossendale with class A drugs. Emma-Louise Kelly, 34, was assaulted by her then-boyfriend Lee...
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Footballers to tackle mountain challenge
AGIRLS football team have been given kits from a sports brand to help the young athletes tackle a mountain challenge in aid of a mother battling stage four Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Rossendale Valley Falcons Under-10s girls football team were gifted...
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Road to stay shut until next year
A£3MILLION programme of work to reopen a key road closed by a major landslip will not start until February next year, with the highway remaining shut until the summer of 2026. The B6236 Haslingden Old Road, which connects Rossendale with Hyndburn, has...
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‘Devoted and loving’ father is killed in crash horror
A“DEVOTED and loving partner, dad, stepdad, grandad, son and brother” was killed while crossing the road. Mark Dickinson, 57, died in a crash that took place in Burnley Road, Crawshawbooth, on Friday, August 8. Police said Mark, a painter and...
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Fraud gang targeted 150 pensioners
FRAUDSTERS who targeted more than 150 mainly elderly victims in a £6m investment scam have been jailed. The gang, which included three people from Rossendale, targeted mainly elderly victims aged between 60 and 90 with highpressure sales tactics to...
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NHS cleaners go on strike for better pay
NHS cleaning staff walked out for a further day last Friday in a dispute over being routinely underpaid. Domestics and supervisors employed by private firm Mitie at NHS health centres in Rossendale, Burnley and Blackburn staged their eighth strike day...
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Fabulous creations enjoyed at Wakes procession
HAND-CRAFTED creations based on inventions and innovation made for a fabulous procession which weaved its way from Edgeside to Waterfoot. Waterfoot Wakes was originally a traditional time when mills would close and all the workforce would have a...
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Boy, 4, is killed in gravestone horror
AFOUR-YEAR-OLD boy tragically died after a gravestone fell onto him. Eli Testa died following a ‘freak accident’ on Saturday. He was visiting Rawtenstall Cemetery when the grave marker fell on him. Emergency services rushed to the scene at around 1pm...
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Mum’s anger after twins are given places at different schools
ASINGLE mum has hit out at the education authorities after her twin boys were given places at different secondary schools. Candice Connelly says sons William and Nathanial will be facing one of the biggest chapters in their lives completely...
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£20k drug farm raid
POLICE have uncovered a large cannabis farm on a residential street worth more than £20,000. Officers were called to the address in Russell Street, Bacup, following reports of ‘strong smells’ coming from a particular property. They raided the building...
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Tragic dad’s legacy to save lives
AN ‘ultra-fit’ dad-of-three who died while running with pals at a beauty spot has left a life-saving legacy. Andy Haines, 45, suffered a fatal heart attack while running on Holcombe Hill near Rossendale with five other members of the Holcombe Harriers...
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Almost 900 take part in schools’ cross country
NEARLY 900 runners took part in the Rossendale School Sports Partnership organised cross country races. Out of Rossendale’s 32 primary schools, 23 took part in the Year 3 and 4 girls’ and boys’ races on May 15 and 28 schools brought a team to the Year...
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Tributes to star Codie after her tragic death
FRIENDS and relatives have paid tribute to a woman following her sudden death at the age of 22. Codie-Leigh Meakin from Haslingden died suddenly last week. The circumstances of the former Haslingden High School pupil’s death have not been made public...
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MacNae wins benefits promise from PM
CAMPAIGNING MP Andy MacNae has taken his call for the government to boost investment in East Lancashire’s “left-behind” towns direct to Chancellor Rachel Reeves. The Rossendale and Darwen Labour backbencher staged a special debate in Parliament’s...
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Free workshops are being held before spectacular parade
ACELEBRATION of inventions and innovation will be the inspiration for a spectacular parade through the streets of Waterfoot. The procession, on Saturday, July 12, will assemble at Edgeside Park on Park Road and then weave its way through to the...
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Family devastated after cat is poisoned
AMUM-OF-FOUR has been left heartbroken after her family’s cherished cat, Sky, was believed to have been poisoned. Leanne Roberts, from Bacup, found the threeyear-old feline looking unwell in her front yard last Wednesday and immediately took her to...
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Fury over 400 homes planned on rural site
ACOMMUNITY is enraged over plans to build 400 new homes in their backyard. The Edenfield Masterplan encompasses hundreds of new homes in the Rossendale village of Edenfield. However, residents are unhappy about the plans, stating their village will...
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Appeal as man stabbed in street
POLICE descended on a road in Bacup after a man was stabbed in his stomach. Emergency services were called to the town at around 12.55pm on Tuesday, April 29. This was following reports of an assault on Bold Street. Attending the scene, a man in his...
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Man, 70, is hurt as car flips in crash
AMAN in his 70s was hurt when his car collided with a stationary vehicle and overturned. Police closed the entirety of Burnley Road in Rawtenstall after a road traffic collision on Monday at around 1.50pm. They urged motorists to find an alternative...
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Councillors back new Valley Plan
WASTE collection and recycling in Rossendale, and the recent political row over Bacup’s Henrietta Street waste site, were discussed at the latest full borough council meeting. It came as Rossendale Council discussed public feedback about local issues...
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Tributes to teen found dead in woods
TRIBUTES have flooded in for a teenager who was tragically found dead in woodland following a huge search to find him. Luke Fingleton, from Bacup, was found nine days after he had been reported as missing, having last been seen on Thorn Bank at around...
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Wildfire rages on moorland
AMOORLAND has been left charred after firefighters battled to extinguish a raging grass fire for four hours. Crews rushed to a wildfire located on Scout Moor between Lee Quarry in Bacup and Rooley Moor Road, Rochdale last Thursday at 8.24pm. Flames...
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Residents’ joy as waste plan is scrapped
ACONTROVERSIAL waste transfer station will not be upgraded following pushback from the nearby community. Rossendale Council has announced it is scrapping its planning application to make changes to its site on Henrietta Street, Bacup, as a result of...
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CLUB NEWS
●●ROSSENDALE Ramblers ON Wednesday, perhaps an unlucky 13 ramblers had very mixed weather on a tough 10-mile walk from Heptonstall. There was no rain, just snow, hail, some sunshine, and a biting wind! Nevertheless, this very varied walk was...
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Paramedic who stole City star’s boots is spared prison
ATRUSTED paramedic who saw Manchester City as ‘fair game’ and nabbed Sergio Aguero’s football boots in a £75,000 crime spree has avoided jail. David McNally, 47, was said to have ‘thrown away’ his lengthy medical career because he simply wanted a bit...
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Valley town to get up to £20m from Whitehall
RAWTENSTALL is to get up to £20million from the UK Government intended to make sure local people have “control over where the Whitehall cash goes”. Around £1.5 billion money will be shared around 75 ‘deprived’ areas across the UK, to be used for...
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Council blames water firm as decision delayed on waste site
ADECISION over the future of a controversial waste transfer site has been delayed with the council blaming United Utilities (UU) for the hold up. It comes as campaigners against the upgrade of the council’s waste transfer station on Henrietta Street,...
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Tributes to organiser of black pudding festival
TRIBUTES have poured in across social media following the news that one of the organisers of the Ramsbottom Black Pudding Throwing Championships has sadly passed away. Described as a “huge figure” in the local community, Phil Taylor died on Wednesday,...
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Museum’s debt ‘could hit public services’
WARNINGS about a Rossendale museum’s financial debt, and the potential impact on other leisure, culture and public services in the borough, are being highlighted to councillors. The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery at Rawtenstall faces financial...
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Axe attack on HQ leaves carers’ group ‘devastated’
RESIDENTS have rallied together to support a community group after its base was ransacked and hundreds of pounds of donated goods stolen. Kath Proctor and Angela Forster, who run Stronger Together Carers Group from The Ashcroft in Whitworth, felt...
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Veteran of Iraq died just days after seeking help for his PTSD
AN armed forces veteran was tragically found dead at home just days after he sought assistance for his PTSD. Matthew Paul Mollett served in Iraq between 2005 and 2006 before he was promoted within the British Army. After leaving the Armed Forces he...
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Woman is jailed for making false gun claim
AWOMAN who falsely claimed to have had a gun pulled on her by a man she had a brief relationship with has been locked up. Allicja Smith, 20, told police she had been to collect items from the man’s house in Ramsbottom and saw the gun on the bed. She...
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Daughter injured in horror crash died after ‘accidental overdose’
ADAD has spoken of his ‘amazing’ daughter who died after taking painkillers following a horror smash when she was a teenager. Maria Howe was 13 or 14 when she was knocked down while walking on a zebra crossing in Newchurch Road.
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‘Kind and caring’: tributes to former mayoress
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former mayoress and councillor who was ‘kind, caring and always put other people before herself’. Janet Eaton, of Hoghton Avenue, Bacup, passed away at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital on Christmas Day, aged 74. The...
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Driver’s anger after hitting ‘almost black’ car park barrier
AMOTORHOME owner is fuming at the council after he ploughed into a carpark barrier due to it being painted ‘almost black’ - ripping solar panels off his roof. Liam Dyson was attempting to turn his van around in Rochdale Road Car Park, Bacup, during...
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Plight of cut-off villages highlighted
ROSSENDALE and Darwen MP Andy MacNae has highlighted the plight of villages in his constituency stranded by the lack of proper bus services. Mr MacNae told a House of Commons debate on improving public transport that ‘Edgworth, Edenfield and Weir...
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Students consider future changes up for debate
STUDENTS from Haslingden High School took on Lancashire’s top talkers in The Great Lancashire Debate Final. Year 9 students Roisin Ikin, Sophie Metcalf, Mia Tyborczyk and Phoebe Shaw attended the final at County Hall in Preston. High school students...
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Police arrest two people in murder probe
DETECTIVES arrested two people on suspicion of murder after a woman was found dead at a house. Paramedics first descended on the scene on Harrison Street in Ramsbottom over ‘reports of concern for the welfare of a woman.’ Police officers were then...
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Emergency crew in quarry rescue
EMERGENCY services were scrambled to the scene after a person reportedly fell more than 30ft down a quarry shaft. Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team (RPMRT) were alerted by North West Ambulance Service to the incident at Lee Mill Quarry in...
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Shopkeeper sold illicit cigarettes and vapes
ASHOPKEEPER who sold illicit cigarettes and vapes has narrowly avoided jail. Hawka Mohammed, 31, was the sole director of Bacup Minimarket Ltd when the shop was visited on five separate occasions by Trading Standards in 2023. On the first visit, in...
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Detectorists’ bid to reduce jail sentences fails
TWO metal detectorists – one from Rossendale – who planned to ‘delete history’ by illegally selling Anglo-Saxon coins have had bids to reduce their sentences dismissed by the Court of Appeal. Roger Pilling, 76, and Craig Best, 48, were convicted of...
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Biker ‘had a belly laugh like Santa’
AFAMILY have paid tribute to a beloved motorcyclist who died following a horror crash. Tristan Whyatt from Haslingden is described as having a “heart of gold and a belly laugh so loud he could stand in for Father Christmas” by his heartbroken...
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Masterplan for town’s revival gets go-ahead
AMASTERPLAN that will revitalise Waterfoot, transforming it into a thriving arts and culture centre, has been given the go-ahead. Rossendale Borough Council’s cabinet has officially approved the blueprint that would provide the community with...
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‘Council has mishandled the entire process’ says trader
l●Pictures show artist’s impressions of the revamped market
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Seventies legends set to roll into Chambers
A BOY band are set to perform all of their greatest hits live. The Bay City Rollers (pictured above) are rolling into St Mary’s Chambers in Rawtenstall on Friday, October 11. Scotland’s original boy band are ready to rewind the clock and bring back...
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Shock at death of talented rugby player
HEARTFELT tributes have poured in for a talented rugby player who died, leaving behind a devastated pregnant wife and young children. Liam Canning, who played for Rossendale Rugby Club, died on Wednesday, September 25. His wife Paige, posted a photo...
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