East Lancashire News

More than 1100 knives have been taken off the streets across Lancashire’s East Division as part of Sceptre, a national week-long initiative to tackle knife crime.

The cost of repairing and refurbishing Blackburn’s King George’s Hall has soared by 50 per cent from £9million to £13.5m.

A man has been convicted of attempting to kill a man in Blackburn earlier this year.

A man has been found guilty of killing Kirk Marsden in Blackburn.

A man who lured a child to a house in Blackburn before sexually assaulting her has been jailed.

A family have paid an emotional and loving tribute to a ‘truly special’ man who died following a collision on the M65 last week. 

A paedophile has been jailed after sexually assaulting young girls in Burnley.

Pendle Rise shopping centre in Nelson has closed its doors for the last time ahead of demolition, as part of the huge Nelson Town Deal regeneration scheme.

A £250,000 project to upgrade an East Lancashire town’s ‘green lung’ and protect it from motorbike riders is now moving on to its second stage aimed at making it more wildlife friendly.

Two men have been jailed after assaulting a man and stealing his bank cards and phone in Burnley.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man in his 30s died in a collision on the M65 near Burnley.

Clitheroe’s hugely popular food festival could be extended to a two-day event. next summer.

Blackburn have beaten Preston 2-1 in the Lancashire derby in the Championship.

New affordable homes on a Blackburn ‘eyesore’ have been hailed as good news for the area.

Lancashire County Council will tell the government that just two new local authorities should be created to replace the 15 that currently exist across Lancashire, as part of a radical shake-up being ordered by ministers.

Accrington Stanley supporters will have several opportunities to meet players from Accrington Stanley and Accrington Stanley Women as part of the Christmas Lights Switch On.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has been served with an ‘improvement notice’ by the Heath and Safety Executive over the death of a mother-of-two hit by a falling tree branch in one of its municipal parks in August.

A council boss has promised his authority is working to resolve its row with a football club over noise from its function suites as residents express concern over lack of action.

A Burnley man has been handed a lengthy jail term for raping a 15-year-old at an address in the town.

A man who stamped on an unconscious man in Blackburn has been sent to prison.

A man who broke into the bungalow of a bedbound man and carried out a sickening assault on him with weapons has been jailed.

Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain says he’s stepping away from the team setting up Your Party - the group headed by Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn.

Two brothers who carried out a string of house burglaries across Lancashire have been jailed. 

A man has been jailed after a cannabis farm was discovered in Accrington.

A man has been jailed for raping a woman he met on a night out in Darwen.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a motorcyclist suffered serious injuries in a collision in Great Harwood.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after another man was found with several injuries at a property in Church.

Three men have been sentenced for their part in the supply of drugs in Blackburn.

A song celebrating Darwen is now available to pre-order in advance of its release with hopes high it will feature on the streaming charts.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a pensioner died following a road traffic collision in Blackburn on Saturday.

A man has been jailed for committing a sex act in front of a child in a restaurant toilet in Rawtenstall.

The government could be asked to cancel some of the local elections scheduled to take place in Lancashire next year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands.

Police have launched a murder investigation after a man was fatally injured in Bacup this morning.

Rossendale Police, alongside partner agencies, conducted another successful day of action to address concerns raised by residents in the local community.

A man from East Lancashire who encouraged a child to self-harm has been jailed.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is inviting public feedback on its draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy as it seeks to further cut the number of people living on its streets.

An East Lancashire shop has been ordered to close for three months after hoarding  illegal vapes and tobacco and selling a vape to a child.

People in Blackburn with Darwen can access free support across key public venues.

The completion of two key projects for the regeneration of Accrington town square has slipped back to July next year.

A child rapist from East Lancashire has been given a sentence totalling 16 years.

The repurposing of Great Harwood’s historic Mercer Hall has taken a major step forward towards its reopening schedule for December.

A Burnley man has been jailed in his absence for the attempted rape of an 11-year-old girl.

A new £2million home for children with complex mental health needs and challenging behaviour is to be developed by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

A host of outdoor pursuits including tomahawk axe-throwing, air rifle shooting and archery are planned at a forest school site in Rossendale.

Youth football teams in Pendle potentially face having to leave a college’s playing fields in Colne.

Illegal e-bikes, e-scooters and off-road bikes have been seized from the streets in Blackburn as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

The opening of a controversial and problem-plagued new East Lancashire sports and fitness centre will be celebrated with a weekend of free events and taster sessions later this month.

A night under the stars at the Wham Stadium will raise vital funds for local charities next month, as East Lancashire Hospice and Accrington Stanley Community Trust team up for the Stadium Sleep Out.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has received expert advice that there was nothing it could have done to prevent the tragic incident in which a mother of two was killed by a falling branch in one of its parks.

A man has been jailed after admitting multiple rape charges.

A family have paid tribute to a ‘clever, caring and compassionate’ teenager who died in a fatal collision near Blackburn earlier this week.

A man has been arrested after drugs were discovered when a car was stopped in Darwen.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a teenager died following a collision near Blackburn.

24 illegal off-road bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters have been seized in Burnley as part of a day of action to tackle anti-social behaviour and nuisance vehicles.

A woman in her 60s has died after being hit by a lorry in Colne.

Burnley Nature Festival is back at Towneley Park on Sunday 5th October 2025, 11am–3pm. This free, family-friendly event will feature over 30 organisations and activity providers, all coming together to celebrate Burnley’s great outdoors.

A new cricket ‘dome’ has opened in Darwen allowing players to pursue the sport in all weathers.

Burnley town centre was firing on all cylinders over the weekend as visitors from across the region flocked to the return of the Vintage & Performance Car Show.

A woman has been given a hospital order after pleading guilty to manslaughter in East Lancashire.

An East Lancashire councillor has resigned over a social media comment she posted about the assassination of American right-wing figure Charlie Kirk being ‘good riddance’.

The growth of women and girls’ football in Rossendale, from large clubs to small community teams, and other sport and leisure trends were highlighted to councillors in a new report about local pitches and public demand.

A paedophile has been jailed after he was extradited from the United States to face justice for crimes he committed in East Lancashire almost 50 years ago.

A man from Blackburn has been convicted of sharing incident images of children on social media.

Two e-scooters were seized in Rishton last week as part of Operation Centurion.

Lancashire residents, businesses and community groups are being invited to have their say on the biggest council shake-up in the county for more than 50 years.

A £750,000 plus energy-efficiency upgrade a major East Lancashire fitness and recreation hub has been completed.

An East Lancashire local authority has taken to Facebook to combat ‘fear and intolerance’ after a property in the borough rumoured to be being turned into a house of multiple occupation or “illegal migrant housing” was hit by a possible arson attack.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s environmental crime team have secured another nine waste prosecutions for eight people, totalling almost £5,000.

A man who sexually and physically assaulted a woman in East Lancashire has been jailed.

An e-bike rider has been jailed for causing the death of 86-year-old man in Burnley.

The contract for the roof repairs to Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre and Theatre will go out to tender later this month with works set to start urgently.

All future options for potential waste transfer sites available to Pendle Council will increase costs, after a Lancashire County Council agreement with a landfill site in Hyndburn ends next year, councillors are being advised.

A man has been jailed after leaving a baby with significant injuries in Burnley.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s finance boss has warned that the authority faces a potential cash gap of £7.8million by the end of the financial year based on spending figures for the three months to June 30.

A row has broken out over whether plans for a Lancashire school to teach some of its students maths using a teacher in Devon amount to a return to the remote learning of the Covid lockdown era.

Police have arrested three men following a fatal collision in Clayton-le-Woods on Thursday.

Police are investigating a serious collision after a car travelled the wrong way on the M65 in East Lancashire.

Police are appealing for information and footage after a pedestrian was fatally struck by a vehicle while crossing the road in Crawshawbooth on Friday night.

A man has been further charged with attempted murder as part of an investigation into two serious incidents in Accrington last month.

Kebabs containing completely different meats to what they were advertised as, have been discovered during food sampling investigations across Lancaster, Preston and Burnley.

A gang who worked to flood the streets of East Lancashire with cocaine have been jailed.

A man from Burnley has been sent to prison for ten years for drug dealing.

A taxi driver who engaged in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl while working as a taxi driver in Burnley, has been jailed.

Police have served a closure order at an illegal waste site in Great Harwood.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is to scrap some of its dedicated buses to four of the borough’s biggest secondary schools and increase fares for pupils on those that remain.

A new campaign has been launched to tackle street begging by asking people approached for cash to donate to local charities rather than hand over their change.

Tributes have been paid to a murdered Blackburn man as the investigation into his death continues.

A two-day Lancashire music festival due to be held in Accrington later this year has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales.

The leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council has expressed his enthusiasm for next weekend’s ‘showcase’ Festival of Making.

Work will start on the first £400,000 phase of the transformation of Great Harwood’s historic Mercer Hall leisure complex later this summer with a view to it fully reopening in December with a pantomime.

Lancashire urged to shine a spotlight on its hidden heritage with National Blue Plaque nominations

A man who targeted a vulnerable victim twice has been jailed for nine and a half years.

A man has been jailed for a total of 22 years after being found guilty of the rape of two women in Blackburn.

Three people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was found dead at a home in Blackburn.

The Premier League fixtures for the 2025/26 campaign have been released and Scott Parker and his men will kick-off the season away at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday 16th August.

A mum from Blackburn is fronting a fundraising campaign for Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, which provides vital support for her seriously ill daughter, Layla. Rainbow Trust supports families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness.

A new planning application has been submitted for a multi-million-pound post 16 Special Educational Needs centre in Blackburn town centre.

Raids by police and trading standards officers aided a detection dog on four Blackburn businesses have seized more than £50,000 worth of illegal cigarettes and vapes.

More attractions have been announced for next month’s Blackburn’s National Festival of Making including TV architect George Clarke.

The Environment Agency has declared drought status for the north-west of England following the driest start to spring in 69 years.

A Blackburn man has been given a 14-year sentence for robbing women in Blackburn.

A man has been jailed after a three-year-old girl from Burnley was killed when she was hit by a van in Manchester city centre.

Blackburn with Darwen Council are looking for as many people as possible to share their views on the future of the iconic Corporation Park conservatory. 

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a car was deliberately driven into a house in Great Harwood.

A Nelson man has been jailed after raping and sexually assaulting two teenagers.

Hyndburn Police were out again this week, continuing with Operation Rally, a dedicated day of intensified action to tackle the top concerns raised by local residents, visitors and businesses in the area.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a cyclist suffered serious injuries following a collision in Barnoldswick.

Officers from the Blackburn with Darwen Neighbourhood Team were joined by Trading Standards this week to conduct an underage sales operation.

A man has been jailed for five years after killing a football fan in Blackpool.

A pensioner has died following a collision in Burnley earlier this month.

A Burnley fan has been given a five-year banning order after invading the pitch.

A man has been jailed after killing a woman in a fatal collision in Nelson last year.

Rossendale Police, in collaboration with partner agencies, conducted a successful day of action this week to address concerns raised by the local community.

Police are appealing for your help following a fatal collision in Blackburn yesterday afternoon.

East Lancashire men who volunteered to fight fascism in the 1930s Spanish Civil War have been honoured in a new memorial in Burnley.

Police are appealing for information after a collision in Blackburn left a man with serious injuries.

The chief executive of a cash strapped East Lancashire football club which last week closed its academy for aspiring young players has said its financial position is ‘grim’.

A care worker from Hyndburn has been jailed for sexually assaulting a vulnerable woman.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a man was seriously injured in a collision in Blackburn.

The redevelopment of Colne Market Hall, which could include a new food hall, bar, arts and crafts, is progressing well, Pendle councillors are being told.

There have been cross-party calls for Reform UK to throw out one of their new Lancashire county councillors after he posted a picture of Hitler on his Facebook page.

A £1.5million expansion to Blackburn’s thriving Making Rooms creative and technology hub can now begin after it was given planning approval.

Police have arrested 15 people during an operation to tackle the illegal supply of ketamine in Burnley and Padiham.

Accrington Stanley have announced the sudden closure of their Academy, due to current financial pressures the club faces.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage following a fatal collision in Blackburn earlier this year.

Thursday 8 May 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day – the historic date in 1945 when World War II ended in Europe.

A man has been jailed for life following the rape of a woman in Burnley.

Reform UK is set to take control of Lancashire County Council following the local elections.

Police have charged two people following a string of shop thefts in Rawtenstall.

Burnley Football Club will mark their return to the Premier League during a civic celebration next week.

Details have been revealed of the £6.8million new relief road key to one of East Lancashire’s biggest ever housing developments which will come with its own orchard.

A man has been jailed for engaging in sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder impeding choice.

The ground floor of the prominent and distinctive Blackburn apartment complex dubbed ‘Margo Towers’ is now to become a church.

Rossendale Police, alongside partner agencies, were out this week, where they conducted a successful day of action to address pressing community concerns.

A service will be held in Blackburn next month to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

Government inspectors who three years ago downgraded Blackburn with Darwen Council’s children’s services department to ‘requires improvement’ have restored it to a ‘good’ rating.

A 44-year-old man who groomed a schoolgirl on Snapchat before drugging and then engaging her in sexual activity has been jailed for 17 years. 

Nelson could potentially have new town centre murals, plaques, a history trail or even a statue highlighting its heritage and people, in small art or community projects linked to the £25million Nelson Town Deal.

Emergency accommodation for some of Blackburn with Darwen’s most vulnerable homeless people will be retained for next winter and town hall bosses will now look at a longer term provision.

Town hall officials are monitoring a plot of land in Darwen after fears were raised it is being developed for an unauthorised travellers’ camp.

Half of a Blackburn town centre car park is to be shut for the duration of the £9million renovation of King George’s Hall.

A man has been jailed for seven years for raping a woman in Darwen.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has been given another £2.786million of government Levelling Up grants.

Police are appealing for information after a man was stabbed in Accrington.

A sexual predator from Blackburn has been jailed after more than a decade of abuse.

Burnley’s James Anderson, England cricket’s record Test wicket taker, is to be given a knighthood for services to the sport.

A man has been found guilty of sexual offences against children in Rawtenstall.

Accrington and Rossendale College has been awarded a £1.5million grant to invest in upgrading its college buildings.

The £13million Covid-delayed second stage of a major Blackburn housing development is now back on the starting grid.

Five East Lancashire Household Waste Recycling Centres will this week be open as normal after closing over the weekend following unprecedented weekend demand during the recent good weather.

Blackburn’s outer circle bus route scrapped in 2016 will start to run again next month – with a new service to and from Ewood Park for midweek Rovers home games.

Darwen’s historic town hall is to close next month for several weeks for a £350,000 refurbishment.

Police in Burnley have charged a man with sexually assaulting two underage girls.

Illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes worth £25,000 have been seized in Burnley.

Police are investigating following the discovery of a large cannabis farm at a property on Burnley Road, Crawshawbooth.

A man has pleaded guilty to causing the death of a woman following a fatal collision in Nelson.

Rossendale’s Marl Pits Leisure Centre looks set for a £1.4million grant boost for new heating equipment and other measures to cut energy use, emissions and bills.

An East Lancashire football club needs a new land lease agreement to help it upgrade its ground in an era of change.

Work on repairing the roof of Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre and Theatre will start in June with a scheduled completion date of October.

Popular Accrington music festival OAK FEST will not return in 2025 due to discontinued funding, organisers announce.

Firefighters from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service are tackling a fire on the Shadsworth Industrial Estate, Sett End Road in Blackburn.

Senior councillors have called for the temporary closure of a major East Lancashire rubbish tip plagued by smells and flocks of gulls.

Officers and staff from Lancashire Police were joined by the Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw, alongside contractors Willmott Dixon at the site of the new Pendle Police Station as it reaches a significant point of its build.

A man has been jailed for historic sexual offences against a ten-year-old-girl in Blackburn.

A plan to build a new waste transfer site in Bacup, which prompted hundreds of objections, has been cancelled.

The completion date for an £11million revamp of an East Lancashire heritage-listed Victorian market hall has slipped from the end of this month until late summer or even autumn this year.

Residents of an East Lancashire village are to get a new free to use cash machine.

A criminal gang who smuggled drugs and phones into prisons in Preston and Lancaster have been given lengthy jail sentences.

Four Lancashire branches of Santander bank are to close, it has been announced.

A new agreement between Burnley Borough Council and Cliviger Parish Council will make the playing field on Mount Lane available for community use.

Recently, the Mayor of Padiham, Cllr Mac Harrison, residents, councillors, partners and funders came together to celebrate the official opening of the Hive in Padiham.  

An East Lancashire teenager has been jailed after trying to escape from officers in Blackburn.

Former textile worker turned Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery’s oldest volunteer is set to spend his 90th birthday telling stories of the industry which made the town.

Police have charged five people following a spate of burglaries across East Lancashire.

A new planning application has been submitted detailing plans to transform Darwen Market Hall as part of the £100m Town Deal.

A burglar who targeted multiple homes in Preston City Centre has been jailed for more than six years.

East Lancashire football club has been banned from holding events with live or amplified music at its two function venues.

The multi-million pound renovation of East Lancashire’s premier entertainment venue has taken a major step forward.

Police are investigating following the discovery of a large cannabis farm at a property on Trafalgar Street, Burnley.

A man has been jailed for driving his van dangerously through East Lancashire.

A man has been jailed for 10 years for an assault which left his victim with a bleed on the brain.

A man has been given a three-year football banning order after entering the pitch during Burnley fixture with Middlesbrough in December.

The starting gun for the restoration of the west wing of an historic East Lancashire stately home is set to be fired.

An East Lancashire local authority is to spend £200,000 to persuade the almost one-fifth of its borough residents to give up smoking.

Lancashire highways bosses have revealed they plan to carry out 126 road resurfacing schemes over the next 12 months.

A man has been jailed for carrying out a knife-point robbery at a shop in Nelson. 

Six fraudsters have been jailed for a combined total of over 25 years for conning elderly victims out of over £1 million from a call centre in Blackburn.

The Conservative leader of Ribble Valley Council is to step down from the position after six years and hopes to take on a new role.

Two men have been charged, after police received reports of a number of burglaries and attempted burglaries in Blackburn.

Burnley Council will oppose any plans to merge the borough into a single East Lancashire all-purpose local authority including neighbouring Blackburn with Darwen.

A man has been jailed for engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour with a woman he was previously in a relationship with.

An elderly driver who killed his wife after carrying out an illegal U-turn on a busy A road has been sentenced.

Businesses and organisations across Burnley have voted in support of continuing the town’s Business Improvement District (BID) for another five-year term.

A Burnley man has been given a lengthy prison sentence for sexual offences against a vulnerable teenager.

Pendle Council-owned leisure centres look set for investment in the borough’s new budget, along with funds allocated to buy empty homes through compulsory purchase and get them back in use.

The 115-year-old Blackburn Empire Theatre can now create a new dance studio, reception office and entrance.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage following a serious collision in Hapton.

Police are appealing for information after a collision on the M65 left two people, including a child, injured.

NHS bosses have been urged to step up security at the controversially closed Accrington Victoria Hospital after it has been repeatedly targeted by vandals.