Preston, Leyland & Chorley News

A support worker from Leyland is taking on a huge challenge to swim from Dover to France.

New rules are to be introduced to crack down on the menacing use of e-scooters, powered bikes and pedal cycles in and around Chorley town centre.

Lancashire is gearing up for one of the most consequential weeks in its local government history as it awaits the outcome of an overhaul that will see the county’s 15 main councils abolished.

The government is being urged to make a regional outpost of one of its biggest departments the centrepiece of a long-planned transformation of Preston city centre.

The government has rejected criticism of its response to calls for support to secure the future of Preston’s Guild Hall.

Police are appealing for information and footage after two people died following a collision earlier today in Wrightington.

A wholesale review of Preston City Council’s waste collection service is under way in an attempt to rectify problems that emerged following a recent overhaul, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has learned.

The Reform UK group that runs Lancashire County Council says Nigel Farage has done “the right thing” by quitting as an MP to trigger a parliamentary by-election.

A long-awaited upgrade of one of the main routes linking South Ribble and Preston will not be scrapped to help pay for increased defence spending – but it will be another year yet before work on the scheme begins.

Lancashire Police joined with other agencies as part of a crackdown on organised immigration crime.

The bodies of two Preston men reported missing more than a week ago have been found in a crashed car.

There's just one year to go until the world's top cyclists race through Lancashire and our county is showcased to a global audience.

This weekend will see one of the biggest military parades to march through Preston in many years, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, along with marking 100 years of the Cenotaph.

Lancashire Police are urging motorists not to drink or drug drive throughout the summer, warning offenders they will face the full force of the law if they do, like any other time of year.

A multi-agency action plan launched in December to tackle retail crime and anti-social behaviour in Preston City Centre is already delivering positive results, six months on.

A Preston retailer who sold a knife to a 15-year-old during test purchasing has been fined £10,000.

Controversial plans to build 350 homes on the former Camelot Theme Park site in Chorley have been given the go-ahead – 12 years after the first bid was made to redevelop the derelict site.

Some Preston households may see their bin collection day changed for a second time since the spring in order to resolve problems that have arisen following a major shake-up of the city’s waste service.

The multi-million pound improvement works planned for Friargate South, Cheapside/Market Place and Orchard Street in Preston are due to get underway next week.

A 33 year-old woman who died following a tragic incident at a level crossing in Lancashire has been named as her family pay tribute to their much loved daughter, sister, partner and devoted mum.

The cost of taking a taxi in South Ribble could be set to increase after drivers asked for permission to put up fares.

Funding has been obtained for a long-proposed leisure development that will see a water sports lake, dry ski slope and mountain bike track created on the banks of the River Ribble in Preston.

Preston City Council has moved a step closer to striking a deal that will see local authority-owned social housing return to the area after an absence of more than two decades.

An investigation has been launched after a train crashed into a car at a level crossing in Hoghton, killing the driver.

Plans to bring new homes to the former Woodlands site in Chorley have been given the green light.

A Central Lancashire MP says Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation has created a “huge opportunity” for the government to be more bold in dealing with the daily challenges faced by households across the country.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has called on Government to look again at the reclassification of Ketamine to a Class A drug.

We should continue to make the case for a new road bridge over the River Ribble near Preston, says the Ribble Valley MP.

The Chair of the Bar Council taught children how to disagree agreeably as she returned to her former primary school in Chorley.

More than a hundred cannabis plants have been seized and a man has been arrested after a cannabis farm was discovered in South Ribble.

Lancashire County Council's Trading Standards has issued an urgent food safety warning after a Preston restaurant and its director have been issued a £12,000 penalty for mis-selling dairy free burgers twice.

Preston’s iconic telephone boxes are set for a new lease of life following the approval of planning and other associated consents to repurpose the structures to become an eye-catching digital art installation in the heart of Preston’s cultural Harris Quarter.

Four new ‘communication hubs’ are set to be rolled out in and around Preston city centre.

A new supported living scheme has opened in Preston, which will provide long-term affordable accommodation for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

A former village butcher has been jailed for indecently assaulting two girls more than 50 years ago.

A total of 210 taxis have been stopped and inspected as part of large-scale safety operations across Preston, Chorley and South Ribble, bringing together police and partners to protect the public.

A government planning inspector has been told that building 350 homes on the former Camelot Theme Park site in Chorley would bring “a great deal of public good with precious little harm”.

A man has today been found guilty of murdering and sexually abusing a baby boy he was in the process of adopting. 

Residents are being invited to have their say on plans to expand moving traffic enforcement at key locations across Lancashire.

“Janet Murgatroyd, my only child, was brutally murdered 30 years ago. The perpetrator is still at large; someone knows who this man is.''

Preston City Council has given an update on its current position on the future of the Guild Hall.

A number of local people from across Preston have been recognised in King Charles’ Birthday Honours List.

The first council house tenants in Preston for more than two decades could be moving into their new homes by the start of next year, the city’s leader has said.

A bid to build a 95-home estate in the Preston countryside, which had twice been rejected by councillors, has now also been thrown out by a government planning inspector.

A stark warning of the potential dangers of illegal squishy, sensory toys has been issued by  Lancashire County Council's Trading Standards after 200 toys were removed from sale in a fortnight.

A Leyland man has been ordered to pay compensation after pleading guilty to an animal cruelty offence that left a pet cat with serious injuries.

Twenty-two nuisance vehicles, including illegal e-bikes and e-scooters, have been seized in Preston as part of a day of action targeting anti-social behaviour.

Two men who carried out knife point raids at four shops in Preston and Chorley, have both been jailed for 11 years.

It is a name that has endured for almost two centuries – even when changed circumstances meant it no longer made much sense.

The football pitches on Preston’s Moor Park are getting an upgrade – thanks to silt removed from the lake on the site.

A man in his 60s has died following a collision between a bicycle and a car in Chorley.

Work to expand a primary school in suburban Preston has been completed – and the headteacher hopes the new facilities will “inspire” her pupils.

Lancashire residents will get the chance to be at the heart of the Tour de France when it races through the county next year.

The family of a teenager who died after getting into difficulty in the River Ribble have paid a heartbreaking tribute to him.

An £8.6m pot of grant funding has been secured from Homes England to facilitate major redevelopment of the former Park Hotel in Preston city centre.

A man has appeared in court following a rooftop standoff with police in Chorley over the Bank Holiday weekend.

A nationwide furniture retailer is set to open its first store in Preston, planning documents have revealed.

Teenage ‘test purchasers’ were able to buy knives from one in four shops during undercover operations across Lancashire.

A man has been jailed after losing control of his car and crashing through a central reservation during a high speed police chase in Preston.

Lancashire County Council has announced it will spend an extra £5m on road maintenance over the next 12 months.

Hundreds sought out the best viewpoint and lined the banks of Avenham Park to witness the reopening of Preston’s Tram Bridge as the Mayor of Preston cut the ribbon to reopen the much-loved landmark.

Chorley and South Ribble Police have teamed up with Lancashire Trading Standards and young volunteers to conduct an under-age sales operation as part of Operation Sceptre - a national, intensive week of action to tackle knife crime.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after four people – including two young children – were seriously injured in a collision in Gisburn.

Preston City Council will be run by a minority Labour administration after the authority’s leader was re-elected to his post.

A bus route that stopped operating in Preston seven years ago will be able to run again once a range of Traffic Regulation Orders are introduced.

The Labour leader of Preston City Council will be challenged for his job at a meeting on Thursday that will determine how the authority operates in the wake of this month’s local election results.

The problems that have beset bin collections in Preston in recent weeks are partly due to a delay in the delivery of the new vehicles needed to pick up food waste, the leader of the city council has said.

Chorley Council has been successful in securing an additional £1 million of funding to ensure Brinscall Pool stays fit for the future, enabling work to take place to improve the efficiency of the 100-year-old building.

A former high school teacher from Chorley who took more than a million upskirt images of pupils using secret cameras hidden in pens.

Preston’s colourful calendar of community events will soon receive a further investment boost, as an uplift in funding has been confirmed.

Lancashire County Council is asking people to have their say on plans to create 220 extra SEND places in the county.

Works are now underway to deliver major improvements at two of Preston’s much‑loved parks, Moor Park and Waverley Park, following approval for multimillion‑pound investment last year.

Matthew Brown is set to remain the leader of Preston City Council after the Labour group on the authority backed him to stay in the post.

Preston’s new Tram Bridge will officially open to the public on Friday 22 May, with a grand opening ceremony and a week-long community programme to celebrate.

A controversial bid to build up to 1,300 homes on farmland in South Ribble has been kicked out by councillors – with one of them condemning the planned development as “an absolute crime”.

A rogue roofer who scammed an 82 year old Preston householder out of thousands of pounds has been given a five-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months.

A man has been charged with making a bomb threat and sending threatening communication in Preston.

Labour has lost its sole grip on power at Preston City Council after the authority slipped into no overall control following the local elections.

Reform UK has surged to become the official opposition on Chorley Council after winning half of the seats that were contested at the local elections.

The family of Philip Hayes, who died following a collision on Preston Road, Coppull, last week, have paid tribute to him.

A Preston student has won the prestigious Alice Guy Blaché Award as part of this year’s Film Buddy Festival.

Three men from Liverpool have been jailed for a series of cash machine thefts in areas including Fleetwood and Chorley, and stealing emergency cutting equipment used to save peoples’ lives.

A man from Chorley has been charged with making antisemitic comments aimed at the Jewish community.

Preston’s flagship cultural event, Encounter Festival, has been awarded £79,000 from Arts Council England marking a significant investment in the city’s creative future.

A leading member of Reform UK-led Lancashire County Council has announced his plans to withdraw the local authority from the government’s refugee resettlement scheme.

Lancashire Police has no immediate plans to introduce a new type of speed camera that can see into vehicles and capture other motoring offences, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

A legendary Preston nightspot that reverberated to the music of the moment for more than half a century is to be turned into a storage facility.

A Preston resident has branded an overhaul of bin collection rounds in the city “chaotic” – after three of his pick-ups were missed in the space of a week.

A former butcher has been found guilty of seven counts of indecent assault around 50 years after he committed them.

A 30-storey building that will become the tallest tower block in Lancashire is set to spring up in Preston city centre after being given the go-ahead by councillors.

A seasonal bus service linking Chorley, Adlington and Rivington will return from Sunday 3 May, helping people travel to Rivington on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

A woman who launched a knife attack on a man outside a pub in Penwortham, has been given a sentence of more than 10 years.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a man died following a collision in Coppull this morning.

Police have made two arrests after they attended a funeral directors in Preston earlier today.

Runners will take over the town centre for the return of the annual Chorley 10K and 2K Family Run over the weekend.

A family have paid tribute to an ‘outgoing woman who would do anything for anyone’ who died following a road traffic collision in Preston.

A burglar has been jailed for more than three years after carrying out two high-value break-ins in Poulton-le-Fylde and Preston. 

A man has been given a hospital order after stamping on and kicking a Preston dad to death last year.

Two men from Preston have been convicted – and one jailed for more than 20 years - following the collection of cocaine worth £26.5 million which was dropped off at sea off the Somerset coast.

Preston City Council has formally submitted expressions of interest to include two of the city’s most cherished traditions - Preston Guild and Preston Egg Rolling - within the UK’s UNESCO Living Heritage inventories.

More than £140,000 worth of illegal tobacco has been taken off the streets following a coordinated day of action involving police and partner agencies in Preston.

Teams from local businesses and charities across Preston will come together to compete in the annual Preston City Games.

The historic setting of Lancaster Castle will host a prestigious honours ceremony later this week, as local recipients are presented with the British Empire Medal.

Plans to build what would become Lancashire’s tallest skyscraper in the heart of Preston are set to be given the go-ahead by councillors.

There are not yet any confirmed tenants for a major industrial, retail and leisure development planned for South Ribble – almost two-and-a-half years after it was given the green light.

The new incarnation of Preston’s Old Tram Bridge will open on 22nd May, the city council has announced.

Preston Bus passengers will no longer be able to enjoy £1 travel on more than half a dozen of the firm’s services after it announced it was withdrawing from a scheme that capped fares for some off-peak journeys.

More than 98% of Lancashire children starting primary school in September have been offered a place at one of their three preferred primary schools.

Police are investigating after a large cannabis grow was discovered in Preston.

Preston City Council’s series of new waste and recycling initiatives begin next week

The family of a man who died in a collision in Rivington have paid a heartfelt tribute to him.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a man in his 30s died following a single vehicle road traffic collision in Rivington.

The hunt will begin within months for the person who will spearhead preparations for the next Preston Guild – even though the event itself is another six years away.

Vandals have left drivers at risk of inadvertently breaching the rules at a controversial bus-only zone in Preston – by turning around a key warning sign.

Preston Caribbean Carnival has been awarded a significant grant from Arts Council England to support the delivery of its 2026 programme.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a motorcyclist was left with life-changing injuries following a collision in Euxton.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a pedestrian died following a serious collision in Chorley.

Plans for a major expansion of Preston grassroots music venue The Ferret have been given the go-ahead.

A motorbike-riding councillor from Chorley has warned that the number of potholes on Lancashire’s roads is putting the lives of two-wheeled travellers like him at risk.

When it comes to building a 125-metre bridge across a fast-flowing river, some elements of the task are bound to prove tougher than others.

The purchase of the final part of the preferred site for a new Royal Preston Hospital was made possible after the government released funding that had first been committed when the facility was set to be built far sooner, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage following a serious collision on the M6 on Good Friday evening.

A man has been jailed for 12 years for raping and sexually assaulting a child and sexually assaulting another child.

Two new bronze sculptures depicting influential figures from Preston's history will be officially presented to The Harris this month.

A rogue landscaper and roofer who scammed four householders in Chorley and Manchester out of thousands of pounds has been given a suspended 22-month jail sentence.

Patients in Lancashire are being warned that resident doctors are set to strike just after the Easter bank holiday weekend.

Chorley’s Neighbourhood Policing Team have secured a closure order at a problem address.

The NHS has purchased the final plot of land needed to build a new Royal Preston Hospital – even though construction work is not due to begin for more than a decade.

A teenager who was the victim of a sexual assault was praised by a judge during the sentencing of the man who attacked her.

The Chorley Flower Show returns to Astley Park this summer.

Preston residents can now check how – and whether – their bin collection days will change as part of the biggest shake-up of the city’s waste service in almost 15 years.

Lancashire residents who rely on heating oil will be able to access support to help with rising bills as a result of the conflict in Iran.

A man has been charged with murder after a prisoner was found deceased at HMP Garth.

Preston City Council has awarded £200,000 to community groups across the city.

A raft of bestselling and award-winning thriller writers has been secured for the inaugural Preston Crime Fiction Festival.

More than 2,000 people have signed a new petition urging government intervention to support Preston in achieving its goal of having a major venue.

Preston City Council has announced a major £5 million investment to upgrade and expand Preston Cemetery and Crematorium.

Police have charged a teenager after a 15-year-old boy suffered stab injuries in Preston.

Preston’s beloved Easter tradition is back this Easter Monday as Avenham Park transforms into a lively festival of fun, creativity, and entertainment for all ages.

Preston’s green spaces gearing up for major investment in the coming months and years.

A former police officer from Preston has been jailed after admitting to perverting the course of justice.

Nearly 200 taxis were stopped and inspected during a large-scale multi-agency operation across Preston, Chorley and South Ribble, as police and council teams joined forces to keep the public safe.

A total of 31 people have been arrested and significant quantities of cash, weapons and drugs have been seized across South Lancashire as part of a major national operation targeting County Lines criminality.

The backlog in the assessment system for determining the support required by Lancashire children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is on course to be cleared in less than two months.

Parking restrictions are to be widened close to an expanding school in suburban Preston.

The Harris in Preston has announced that it has welcomed a new intern through the DFN Project SEARCH supported internship programme.

There are more than 1,000 empty properties in Preston that could be providing desperately needed accommodation for a range of residents.

The first major shake-up of bin collection rounds in Preston for more than a decade is set to take place next month.

A Lancashire volunteer police officer who works as a long‑distance lorry driver in his day job has been commended for his exceptional bravery and quick thinking following a serious collision on the M6 near Staffordshire.

Preston City Council will decide within the next year whether it is “feasible” to build a replacement for the Guild Hall, it has been announced.

A Preston sixth form college has been given the go-ahead for a major expansion in order to meet demand for places, amid protests from residents living nearby who say they cannot park close to their own homes.

Padel enthusiasts in Preston will have another place where they can play the sport after a new facility was given the green light in the city.

Plans to invest £72 million in maintaining and improving Lancashire’s highways and transport infrastructure in 2026/27 are set to be approved by councillors.

Organisers have launched a crowdfunder to help secure the future of the 2026 event in Preston’s Miller Park.

A man has been given a 20-year sentence after assaulting his partner so seriously she has been left paralysed.

Preston City Council has signed a contract to upgrade the rooftop solar panel array at Preston Town Hall.

Police Licensing officers, working alongside Lancashire County Council Trading Standards, have carried out a recent test purchasing operation targeting underage alcohol and vape sales.

The operators of a popular Chorley park have appealed for consideration from dog owners after waste bags were left piled up around overflowing bins.

Dozens of apartments could be created within Preston’s Miller Arcade as part of a major redevelopment of the historic city shopping precinct.

A paranoid schizophrenic who stamped on and kicked a Preston dad to death has admitted killing him.

A councillor has warned of “absolute chaos” on the roads if plans to build 350 houses on the site of the abandoned Camelot Theme Park in Chorley are given the go-ahead.  

Lancashire Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a man suffered serious injuries in a collision near Longridge.

Preston City Council will introduce weekly food waste collections across the city from April 2026.

Lancashire will get almost £29m more in transport funding from the government in two years’ time than it does today.

Preston is poised to get its first council houses in more than 20 years – with new-build properties in the north of the city being eyed up for purchase.

Dozens of new homes are to be built in a Chorley village amid concern over the lack of services for the people who will eventually move into them.

Chorley Council has given the green light to a £4m refurbishment of one of the borough’s leisure centres.

Political leaders across Lancashire are readying their troops to fight local elections that it appeared were never going to happen, after the government staged a dramatic U-turn over a previous decision to scrap electoral contests.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a woman in her 70s was left with life threatening injuries following a road traffic collision in Preston.

A teenager driver and his passenger suffered serious injuries following a collision involving two cars and a lorry on the M6 last night.

Disabled people across Lancashire are being encouraged to think about taking up curling after a wheelchair club in the county was given a cash boost to help it fund the cost of training sessions.

A man has been jailed after admitting to killing his baby son in Fulwood.

Lancashire County Council has appointed a professional design team to work in partnership with the authority to deliver the £13.2m Innovation Hub at the Samlesbury Enterprise Zone.

The demolition of a historic Preston city centre pub will definitely go ahead after a senior councillor said he could not “justify” the cost that would be involved in keeping it standing.

Chorley is getting ready to turn the page on an exciting new chapter as What’s Your Story, Chorley returns bigger than ever this March.

A paedophile who a targeted teenage girl at a house in Leyland has been given a lengthy jail term.

A man has been charged with the murder of Preston student Carla Georgescu.

A popular Italian restaurant in Preston wants to create a dedicated parking area for one of their regular customers – who usually drops in by helicopter.

Building work has officially finished on a new ground for Lancashire County Cricket Club, which has been created at the heart of the county.

King Charles visited Lancashire today, stopping at Clitheroe, Samlesbury and Inglewhite.

A man has today admitted to killing his baby son in Fulwood.

Preston’s Animate leisure complex is celebrating its first birthday this February half term with a full day of free family fun.

An investigation into the death of a student in Preston is continuing.

King Charles visits Lancashire today.

A pervert who sexually abused two young girls has been jailed for almost 20 years.

Preston Bus has defended a recent rise in its fares, claiming that it has been left more than £100,000 a year out of pocket by central and local government funding for two price-reduction schemes for passengers.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has pledged that his 5.4 % increase in the council tax charge he levies on households will be used to boost neighbourhood patrols, digital and financial investigations, roads policing and modern IT systems.

A temporary school planned for the outskirts of Preston might never be constructed.

A teenage boy suffered a fractured skull when he was hit by a vehicle during a car meet in Preston over the weekend.

Officers from Preston’s Neighbourhood Policing and Prosper Partnership Team have carried out another ‘Skip the Whip’ - a multi-agency operation to tackle illegal and abandoned vehicles.

A potentially life-saving stroke treatment will be available around the clock in Lancashire for the first time from next week.

A facelift planned for Preston station has been given the green light – in spite of concerns that one aspect of the revamp might affect the “appreciation” of the Grade II-listed building.

A burglar was traced after leaving blood at the scene of a break-in.

The University of Lancashire’s School of Veterinary Medicine has been given the royal seal of approval by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal.

Plans to increase school capacity across Preston have been approved by councillors.

Government plans to slash the number of police forces must not damage the relationship between local communities and the officers who serve them, the man who oversees Lancashire Constabulary has warned.

A new bus lane in Preston city centre will go live next month, with warnings issued to drivers who use it incorrectly to begin with.

Drivers will be fined if they attempt dangerous manoeuvres at four locations across Lancashire, under new powers being rolled out for enforcing moving traffic offences.

Six of the seven local elections due to take place in Lancashire in May have been called off by the government.

The future of five Lancashire care homes appears to have been guaranteed after months of uncertainty about whether they would be refurbished or closed.