Jack Stott

The UK is holding its first National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism, with ceremonies across the country and a central gathering in London. Travis Frain, who was seriously injured in the 2017 Westminster Bridge attack, helped campaign for the day and said it should ensure victims and survivors are not forgotten while educating the public about trauma support and the warning signs of radicalisation. The event brings together survivors, bereaved families, emergency responders and government representatives, and includes a two-minute silence. Andy Burnham and Security Minister Dan Jarvis expressed support for the commemoration and its message of unity against terrorism.

The second stage of the Tour of Britain Women began in Clitheroe and was disrupted by rain, a delayed start and a police motorbike crash on the Nick O’Pendle ascent. The climb was neutralised before racing resumed near Whalley, with the peloton later catching breakaway leader Katrine Aalerud. Lorena Wiebes of Team SD Worx-Protime won the sprint finish on Blackpool Promenade, extending her overall lead to 14 seconds and her points lead to 27. Steffi Haberlin leads the mountains classification, Fleur Moors the young-rider standings, and Josie Nelson is the highest-placed British rider. The race continues with two stages in Wales before its final stage in Royal Leamington Spa.

The Tour of Britain Women's race was temporarily halted near Nick o' Pendle in Lancashire after a road traffic collision involving a police motorbike at a cattle grid. The incident was unrelated to the race, according to Lancashire County Council. The climb was neutralised and no Queen of the Mountains points were awarded, with Steff Haberlin subsequently receiving the jersey ahead of Lauren Dickson. Riders resumed the event at 1.45pm, with the race due to finish in Blackpool after earlier delays in Clitheroe.

Eamon Brewster, 70, was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Preston Crown Court after admitting that he breached a Sexual Harm Prevention Order by buying and using a laptop without notifying police. Officers discovered the unregistered device during an unannounced compliance visit and found he had used it for several weeks. Brewster has been subject to the order and on the sex offenders register for life since 2019.

Aaron McCabe, 22, of Blackpool, has been charged with Section 18 wounding with intent after an alleged stabbing in the Cocker Street area of Claremont. The victim, a man in his 30s, suffered stab wounds described as not life-threatening. McCabe appeared before Lancaster Magistrates’ Court and was remanded to appear at Preston Crown Court. Police are continuing efforts to locate a second suspect.

A section of the westbound M65 between junctions 12 and 14 near Nelson was closed overnight while Lancashire Police responded to a welfare concern. The incident was resolved safely, and the road reopened at around 4 a.m.

Cat rescue volunteers working across Blackburn with Darwen report increasing verbal abuse, threats of physical assault and unsafe conditions while rescuing stray, injured and pregnant cats. Rescuers say police are increasingly needed to support late-night operations, which often take place in areas affected by drug use and large cat colonies. They attribute the growing crisis to uncontrolled breeding, insufficient foster capacity and rising veterinary costs, and urge owners to neuter and spay their cats.

Porsche Preston and Blackburn-based Ainsworth Jewellers have collaborated on a promotional video launching the Porsche Cayenne Electric SUV. The film follows Ainsworth director Helen Dimmick through her working day across Lancashire, highlighting shared values of craftsmanship, heritage, precision and innovation. Dimmick and Porsche Preston representative Amy Lancaster-Hall describe the collaboration as an authentic story focused on the people and expertise behind both businesses. The campaign will be distributed through the companies’ showrooms, marketing channels and social media.

Kimberley Whitehead, Lancashire’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, has joined the board of trustees of Accrington Stanley Community Trust as governance portfolio holder. Trust leaders praised her more than 20 years of experience in public service, governance, community safety and partnership working. Whitehead said she would support the charity’s work using sport, education, health and community engagement to create opportunities for local people, as the Trust expands its programmes and develops new facilities across Hyndburn and East Lancashire.

The Tour of Britain Women will bring its second stage to East Lancashire, starting in Clitheroe and passing through the Ribble Valley, Forest of Bowland, Whalley, Longridge and other Lancashire communities before a 110km sprint finish on Blackpool promenade. The five-stage race covers 650km and features elite women's cycling across England and Wales. Rolling road closures and temporary closures in Clitheroe will be used to protect riders and spectators, with motorists advised to wait for the broom wagon before crossing the route. Local officials and British Cycling Ventures expect large crowds and economic benefits, while urging residents and visitors to plan ahead. The race will be broadcast daily on ITV4 and ITVX.

Plans submitted to Pendle Borough Council propose installing 30 ground-mounted solar panels in the garden of a property in Newchurch-in-Pendle, within the Forest of Bowland. Planning agent Avalon Town Planning says the array would improve energy efficiency, reduce bills and have minimal visual impact because it would not be visible from Well Head Road. One community objection argues that the panels would damage the appearance of the area, while the applicant cites Pendle’s support for renewable energy. Engineering works for connecting the panels to a battery or fixing them to the ground are not included in the application.

Jamie Reid, 47, of Bury Lane, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court to seven years and eight months in prison, followed by a two-year extended licence period, for sexually communicating with a child and commissioning a sexual offence against a child. The court heard that Reid exploited an extremely vulnerable girl who had recently lost her mother, sending sexually inappropriate messages and attempting to arrange penetrative sexual activity. Judge Darren Preston condemned Reid's conduct and said his remorse was limited, while the victim's father described the lasting harm caused to his daughter.

Blackburn-based Sergeant Helena Bulcock and Constable Sam Gerrard have received awards for outstanding response policing in Lancashire Police’s East division. Bulcock was named Response Sergeant of the Year and placed among the national top 10, while Gerrard was named Response PC of the Year. Both were praised for leadership, proactive policing, securing arrests, supporting victims and protecting vulnerable people.

Kieran Culff, 38, will be released on bail ahead of his trial on charges including sexual assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, intentional strangulation and controlling or coercive behaviour. The prosecution sought to extend his custody after evidence from his phone was not examined until shortly before the scheduled trial. Judge Darren Preston rejected the application, sharply criticising the police and Crown Prosecution Service for delays, poor communication and a lack of diligence, and said responsibility for the failed application lay entirely with the prosecution. Culff’s trial is scheduled for March 1.

Pendle and Clitheroe MP Jonathan Hinder has asked residents to remove or repair three weathered St George’s flags stuck in trees along Kelbrook Road between Barnoldswick and Salterforth. Hinder said he supports the flags as a sign of English pride but objected to their poor condition. The report places the request in the wider Raise the Colours campaign, which supporters describe as patriotic while critics associate it with far-right and anti-immigration movements. Reform UK figures, including Lancashire County Council leader Stephen Atkinson and Nigel Farage, support sensibly displayed national flags, while opinion in Clitheroe remains divided over flags painted on roundabouts.

Former France international and Premier League striker Louis Saha visited the Edisford Bridge Country Pub in Clitheroe while working with Tag Sports North West. Saha conducted a football training session for children from across the Ribble Valley, signed autographs and was praised by pub manager Dan Wade and Tag Sports founder Tom Gavin for inspiring local young players. The article also recounts Saha’s career with Manchester United and other English clubs, including his two Premier League titles, UEFA Champions League win and League Cup victory.

Residents across East Lancashire gathered at pubs, parks and beauty spots to watch a partial solar eclipse on August 12, with about 92.5% of the Sun obscured at its peak. The eclipse began around 6:12pm, reached maximum coverage shortly after 7:09pm and ended just after 8pm. Local venues including the Fox and Hounds in Ewood hosted viewing events, while thousands watched from Manchester’s Heaton Park. The event was described as the largest solar eclipse visible from the UK since 1999, with another eclipse of similar scale not expected until 2081.

Lancashire Police are searching for the mother of a foetus discovered in a bag beneath Hodder Bridge near Stonyhurst on August 11, amid concerns for her health and welfare. The remains were initially thought to be a placenta, and forensic investigations are continuing to establish the gestational age and circumstances of the death. Police are appealing to witnesses, including a man seen in the area with two children, and anyone with photographs or other information to contact them.

Mohammad Miah, 30, of Nelson, and Farhan Uddin, 23, of Burnley, appeared at Preston Crown Court after being charged with possession with intent to supply and conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine. Both denied the possession charges but admitted conspiracy offences relating to activity between June 22 and July 8. They are due to be sentenced on November 23.

Callum Roberts, 24, of Blackburn, denied charges of false imprisonment, threats to kill, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, theft from a person and criminal damage at Preston Crown Court. The allegations relate to a July 11 incident involving an iPhone and car keys. He was remanded in custody and is due to stand trial on January 11, with a pre-trial review scheduled for November 16; the trial is expected to last three days.

Livesey Parish Councillor Les Cade has called for greater scrutiny of the proposed Watermills development on Blackburn’s former Sappi paper mill site. Wain Homes is seeking permission for 181 homes and related infrastructure, but the application remains unresolved because of concerns over noise, ecology, highways, flooding and contamination. National Highways has objected pending further assessment of impacts on the wider road network and the M65. Cade supports redevelopment in principle but says residents have endured prolonged uncertainty and questions whether the proposed land-remediation measures, including a 400mm topsoil cover, would adequately protect future homeowners.

Two 16-year-old boys and a 20-year-old man were arrested after a police pursuit through Preston’s Ashton area. Police said the vehicle was driven at more than twice the speed limit, on the wrong side of the road, and collided with another car without injuring its driver. The 20-year-old faces suspicion of multiple offences, while the teenagers face vehicle theft, weapons, burglary and dangerous-driving-related allegations. All three remain in custody as enquiries continue, and police are seeking dashcam footage and information.

Four fire engines from Hyndburn, Blackburn and Darwen attended a fire at a commercial building in Whalley Range, Blackburn, at around 6:50pm on Friday, August 7. Crews used breathing apparatus, a hose reel, a gas monitor and a thermal imaging camera to extinguish the blaze and remained at the scene for approximately 40 minutes.

Blackburn nurse Levi Whalley is due to return to Preston Crown Court on December 11 for a Proceeds of Crime hearing to determine the financial benefit gained from importing cannabis and the amount to be repaid. Whalley received a suspended 16-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to involvement in the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on importing a Class B drug. Border Force officers found cannabis worth more than £160,000 in luggage carried by Whalley and co-defendant Sophie Bannister after a trip from New York. Despite the conviction, a professional panel ruled that revoking Whalley's nursing licence would be unduly punitive, allowing a return to the profession while finding that the offence had brought nursing into disrepute and that fitness to practise remained impaired on public-interest grounds.

Home sellers across East Lancashire are reducing asking prices to secure sales, according to Property Solvers analysis of 2,549 transactions. Sellers cut an average of £7,474, or 3.54%, between August 2025 and August 2026. The largest reductions were recorded in Blackburn’s BB1 postcode, followed by Clitheroe and Rossendale, while Darwen, Accrington and parts of Burnley saw smaller average cuts. Property Solvers co-director Ruban Selvanayagam said buyers are increasingly focused on value and that completed sale prices provide a more accurate guide to market conditions than asking prices.

Rossendale Borough Council has approved plans to improve the façade of Haslingden Super Pound Store on Deardengate, with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The external works will remove single-glazed windows, large-scale and existing shopfront signage, and timber infill panels, while retaining window frames and refurbishing shutters. The project is intended to enhance the building’s appearance, reinforce the high street’s architectural character and improve its coherence with surrounding properties. Approval was granted subject to four conditions, including compliance with a construction and environmental management plan.

Great Harwood Showground has condemned abusive and offensive messages received after the cancellation of RA Monster Events’ Monster Truck Motorfest. The showground said it was only a third-party venue and had no responsibility for ticket sales, refunds or the postponement, which was attributed to missing paperwork for emergency services. The event has been rescheduled for October 10 and 11, with an additional FMX display team and free fairground rides for customers who held tickets for the original date.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority intervened in the remainder of Coupe Bradbury Solicitors in Lytham-St-Annes on August 5 after the firm entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation. Stephensons’ Sean Joyce was appointed as intervening agent to take control of client files, financial records and money and address urgent client matters. The intervention was based on insolvency, not alleged dishonesty or professional misconduct. The firm reported creditor claims of £649,895 against estimated recoveries of just £7,000, implying a deficiency of about £642,895, while five employees were owed more than £71,500 in total.