Central Radio News

Blackburn with Darwen borough is to hold its own VJ Day celebration on August 15 in honour of the twice forgotten service people who fought in the Second World War’s Far East campaign.

Hospices across the North West are set to receive £9.2 million from a new government end-of-life care fund.

A charity dragon boat race is being held on the Fylde coast and teams are wanted to take part.

Residents who campaigned against a forthcoming works compound in front of their seafront homes are to get a chance to see some designs intended to lessen the visual impact.

A new bus service has launched in Blackpool linking major attractions directly to Blackpool Zoo.

A man has been charged with attempted murder after a woman was stabbed at a probation office in Preston.

Preston Parks awarded coveted Green Flag Awards as they are officially recognised as some of the country's best parks

Two Chorley shops have been shut down after repeatedly selling illegal tobacco and vapes—some even to children.

A Burnley man has been jailed for over 11 years for sexually assaulting two 14-year-old girls.

The granting of an emergency injunction prohibiting any further works to an unauthorised travellers’ encampment at Hall Moss Farm in Darwen has been welcomed by a local councillor.

Fylde Council has officially taken back ownership of the long-closed Kirkham Pool, marking a key step toward its potential reopening.

A potential roadblock to multimillion plans to regenerate a landmark pub on Blackpool seafront has now been removed.

Lancashire Police has seized 40 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters during an anti-social behaviour operation in Ribbleton. 

A proposed 12-hole mini adventure golf course at a Blackpool golfing centre has been approved by planners.

BAE Systems has welcomed draft deal between the UK and Turkish governments opening the way for new orders for the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft which are partly manufactured and assembled at its Lancashire factories.

A second man has been charged after a series of violent attacks outside a mosque in Accrington

A man has been charged after a shotgun was discharged in Leyland last Friday night.

As the main summer school holiday season gets underway, Fylde Council has created an eye-catching campaign to encourage everyone to dispose of their litter responsibly.

The North West Ambulance Service has secured nearly £300,000 to install electric vehicle chargepoints at nine sites, including Preston.

A person has been rescued from the sea off Blackpool, around 250 metres from shore, in what the RNLI called its most serious call-out this week. 

Four people have been injured after a shotgun was fired near a pub in Leyland. 

Ambitious multi-million pound proposals by Blackpool Football Club to build an elite training ground and academy have taken a step forward this week.

Lancashire residents are being made “poorer” by “unachievable” attempts to hit net zero targets by 2050, according to the new environment cabinet member at Lancashire County Council.

Officers were busy overnight in Blackpool and Fylde as part of the NightSafe operation, ensuring public safety in the nighttime economy.

East Lancashire’s historic Towneley Hall will reopen to the public on Friday.

Police have arrested three people following serious incidents in Accrington.

A long-awaited revamp of one of the busiest roads in Central Lancashire is set to get the government funding needed to make it a reality.

Fleetwood’s iconic Tram Sunday – officially known as Fleetwood Festival of Transport – celebrates its 40th anniversary this weekend.

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

A man has been jailed for a cowardly attack on a woman outside her Blackburn home.

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

Police have warned motorists after footage circulated online following a collision on the M6 in which nine people were injured.

The price of parking at Preston Bus Station is to increase by 20 percent.

Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP Lorraine Beavers has joined calls for action to be taken over Norcross roundabout and the continued congestion problems on parts of the A585.

Volunteers are helping to ensure that rail visitors arriving directly outside Blackpool’s famous Pleasure Beach Resort have a good impression before they even enter the amusement park.

A new film festival is being launched on the Fylde coast which has an international dimension and also invites local filmmakers to take part.

Major changes coming in for Blackpool’s bin collections have met with an unfavourable reaction from some residents, although others have been more supportive.

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.

A man has been jailed for 12 years and nine months at Preston Crown Court following an investigation into a stabbing which took place in Ingol last September.

A £7.5m project to transform a historic building in Blackpool into a hub for small businesses is to be officially launched next month.

A patch of land once used as allotments is set to be redeveloped as new homes.

The skyline is changing in central Blackpool as one of the town’s landmark buildings is reduced to rubble.

Liverpool have announced plans to pay tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva during this weekend's friendly at Preston.

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

It has been an eyesore since it closed seven years ago but finally Blackpool’s former police station is coming down.

Huge changes to Blackpool’s bin collections are on their way after getting the green light.

A petition has been set up in support of the continuation of the historic Fleetwood to Knott End Ferry service.

Campaigners against a stinking landfill site have welcomed confirmation that an end date is finally in sight.

Blackpool’s iconic heritage trams are on track for a return to service on the seafront this autumn as work is underway to get the trams and track ready.

BAE Systems has rejected a union’s claim that hundreds of jobs are at risk at its Lancashire military aircraft factories because the government has failed to order more of the Eurofighter Typhoon jet.

Preston’s iconic cultural landmark, The Harris, will officially reopen its doors to the public on Sunday, September 28.

A derelict pub in Preston city centre is to be partially demolished.

An innovative sports skills project for youngsters which launched two years ago is facing closure after losing a planning bid.

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.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has unveiled a new funding initiative aimed at supporting projects that address violence against women and girls across the county.

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.

Plans to extend a Fylde coast community centre will provide the vital space needed to allow more activities there, say supporters of the project.

A man in his 30s has died after a crash on the A6 near Garstang.

A man has been jailed for 30 years after stabbing a man in a frenzied attack in Blackpool.

Major changes to Blackpool’s bin collection service – including domestic waste being collected every three weeks - are being considered by the council.

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

Children at Lea Community Primary School have praised the huge revamp of their school which will see the school's intake gradually double.

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

Preston is to enter into a friendship agreement with the Palestinian city of Hebron.

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

Drugs worth £80,000 were seized when Lancashire Police officers stopped a car which had been travelling on the M6.

Health secretary Wes Streeting said Blackpool was a place he enjoyed visiting when he was younger but was a place he now needed to visit to highlight health inequalities in the nation.

Lancashire is in line for its first branch of a chicken chain restaurant that has more than 1,500 outlets around the world.

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.

Blackpool Air Show is set to return later this summer with two days of spectacular aerial displays from some of the world’s finest military and civilian aircraft over the seafront.

Fylde Council has confirmed it will take over Fairhaven Lake Visitor Centre and shop following the RSPB’s departure next week.

Preston’s Spud Bros look set to be granted permission to replace the city’s iconic hot potato tram with a larger unit.

Blackpool’s three council-run Family Hubs are aiming to reach as many people as possible by launching a new campaign to shine a light on what they offer.

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.

Two delivery men who sexually assaulted a teenage girl in her own home, have been jailed.

A ground breaking £2 million youth and community centre has opened in Preston.

Two high schools on the Fylde coast will be able to carry out vital repairs thanks to a share in a regional funding boost of over £54m.

Fleetwood Carnival is back this weekend as the town prepares for one of the biggest community events of the year.

Two men have been jailed after trying to arrange the sale of a deadly handgun over an encrypted global communication service used by criminals.

During the last two weeks police have carried out a series of warrants targeting people suspected of operating drug lines to supply heroin and cocaine in Preston.

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.

The family of a motorbike rider who died after a collision in Walton-le-Dale this week have paid tribute to him.

A Blackpool charity which provides vital support for vulnerable young people has been awarded £475,000 funding from the National Lottery.

Three friends from Lancashire are aiming to complete an epic charity challenge to climb the ten highest mountains in Scotland back to back as fast as possible.

Senior Preston councillors are being urged to delay plans to demolish an historic pub – and instead consider whether it could be turned to a heritage centre for the city.

The streets outside a Blackpool school were lined with pupils, parents and staff paying their respects to a much-loved teacher who died last month aged just 38.

Blackpool Council has clarified that a huge ‘pothole’ which held up traffic on the promenade Monday was in fact emergency work by a utilities firm.

A multi-agency day of action by a road safety partnership found that none of the part-worn tyres inspected at a series of garages across Preston met legal requirements.

A man who assaulted two nurses and a paramedic as he caused chaos in a hospital ward near to where a seriously ill baby was being treated, has been jailed.

The Force is definitely with Cleveleys after a new brass marker was unveiled, commemorating the town and Wyre’s connection to one of the most iconic film franchises in history, Star Wars.

Proposals to radically transform a shop front in the middle of Blackpool town centre have been lodged with planners.

A family say they’re worried that proposals for a quarry in their village will mean the works would be right next to their garden.

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

Three youths had to be rescued after being swept out to sea near North Pier in Blackpool.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Clive Grunshaw, has joined growing calls for urgent government action to address disruptions on the M6 motorway.

A Leyland man has been jailed after a stop and search found him to be carrying a knife.

Nigel Farage has told the new Reform UK administration at Lancashire County Council that how they perform will play a part in how well the party does at the next general election in 2029.

Police have charged two men as part of an ongoing investigation into the death of a baby boy in Blackpool.

The scaffolding is back up on Little Marton Mill, ready for the next round of work to begin.

Lancashire Constabulary is set to benefit from an additional 53 Police Officers, as well as 30 new Police Community Support Officers and 20 Special Constables, thanks to extra Home Office funding.

A rogue trader who scammed elderly and vulnerable residents out of more than £500,000 has been hit with further sanctions to prevent him preying on more victims in the future.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb says he is helping inform pensioners of their entitlements in the wake of the Winter Fuel Allowance U-turn by the Government.

A review is currently underway into the effectiveness of a multi-million pound bypass hailed as the answer to chronic congestion, a road campaigner has been told.

A new indoor sports centre in Preston will be based around padel and five-a-side football, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

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.

King Charles has visited Lancaster Castle, his first engagement in Lancashire since he became Monarch.

People in Preston aged 55 to 74 who have ever smoked and are registered with a participating GP practice, will soon be invited for potentially life-saving lung cancer screening.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb has urged the Government to go further in its new free school meals initiative – by expanding the offer to ALL children.

A man has pleaded guilty to causing the death of a baby by dangerous driving.

A burglar who targeted homes in Preston, including that of a pensioner in his 90s, has been jailed.

The resort’s most famous landmark, the Blackpool Tower, will be managed by the council’s wholly-owned tourism company, Blackpool Tourism Limited, from later this year, it’s been announced.

A new housing development on the outskirts of Preston is set to include a school and care home – if it gets the go-ahead.

Blackpool’s bus service is a shining example of how a council-run amenity can be run in the right way, a Government minister said after visiting the resort.

Lancashire County Council is next on the list to get a visit from a Reform UK team that has modelled itself on Elon Musk’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the United States.

Proposals to set up a new banking hub in Garstang have now reached the planning stage, with an application lodged with Wyre Council.

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

A former Blackpool man who tried to blame an imaginary twin, who didn't exist, for his sexual offences, has been jailed.

King Charles will make an official visit to Lancaster next month, his first trip to Lancashire since becoming monarch, Buckingham Palace has announced.

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

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

Community and voluntary groups in Preston have been told they will not be left in limbo after it emerged government cash earmarked for local projects will take longer to come through than first expected.

Residents fighting to protect a precious greenspace in front of their homes will make their case at a key council meeting next week.

Hospital bosses have moved to reassure cancer patients in Lancashire that they will get the same standard of radiotherapy treatment – regardless of whether or not it is delivered by a new state-of-the-art machine coming to the county.

The opening night of the Lytham Festival has been cancelled after it was revealed the lead singer of Kings of Leon has suffered a serious foot injury.

Preston City Council has announced Asian inspired Japanese restaurant, Wagamama is to open at its newly launched £45million Animate leisure scheme.

Blackpool Council now has the green light to use compulsory purchase powers for its plans to tackle poor housing after a key decision was taken by the authority’s executive committee.

A veteran Blackpool taxi driver says more could be done to keep out of town Uber drivers out of town and protect home-grown operators.

Some big star names, a modern screening of a world famous silent film and the creation of a new mural – it’s all happening at Fleetwood’s Marine Hall this year as the iconic venue celebrates its 90th anniversary.

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.

A Leyland man has admitted kidnapping and raping a woman at knifepoint.

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. 

TV royalty Ant and Dec’s wax figures have returned to Madame Tussauds Blackpool after a transformation.

Preston “desperately needs” more of the top quality office space that could attract government departments to the city, according to a local business group.

A remarkable piece of Blackpool’s transport heritage has been discovered on the edge of Blackpool’s Grade II listed Stanley Park.

The days of notepads and pens are a thing of the past for Lancashire’s police officers – these days they have an array of state-of the technology at their disposal to make to make evidence gathering quicker and more accurate.

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

Police have renewed appeals for help as they investigate the circumstances which led to the death of a man found unresponsive in Little Plumpton.

The operators of the Fleetwood landfill site at the centre of thousands of complaints over stinking emissions say the site is playing ‘only a small role’ in the overall odour profile of the area.

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

A burglar who targeted a home in Preston has been jailed.

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.

The family of a teenage boy who died after getting into difficulty on the River Wyre in Garstang have paid a loving tribute to him.

The county council's new leader and cabinet have been announced at its full council meeting.

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 man has been jailed for life after murdering his friend in his Blackpool home, before stealing his property.

A man has today been found guilty of murder, after stabbing a man to death in Blackpool, before stealing items from his home.

A new date has been set for the start of demolition work on three tower blocks on the outskirts of Preston city centre.

People in Blackpool affected by addiction can now get help at a safe and dedicated space offering holistic support.

Ambitious plans to revitalise Fleetwood are still in the pipeline despite missing out on a vital share of £1.5 billion of Government funding.

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

Construction has begun on a new office building for Ministry of Defence civil servants as part of Blackpool’s Talbot Gateway redevelopment.

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

Asian-inspired restaurant chain Wagamama is set to open an outlet in Preston’s Animate cinema and leisure complex, it has emerged.

Police are investigating an assault which left a man with serious injuries over the weekend.

A teenager has died after getting into difficulty in the river near Garstang.

A former Blackpool woman has co-produced a documentary film which charts the rise of the resort’s drag and LGBTQ+ scene and it is to be screened in the town next month.

A registered sex offender has been sent to prison for possession of a 'paedophile manual' and breaching notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act.

A leading Blackpool hotelier says problems with the over supply of holiday bed spaces in the town is being made worse by the council’s promotion of big new hotel brands in the town.

The owner of a farm which her family have worked on for over a century has blasted the council, claiming they are trying to ‘persuade’ her to sell up her land to make way for a huge development.

The famous heritage trams will return to Blackpool promenade this autumn.

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.

A number of beaches around Blackpool and the Fylde coast have been recognised for their quality with national awards.

Lancashire Police have provided an update on the moorland fire in the Rivington area earlier this week.

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

A Preston shop, trading under the name of PR1 Euro Mini Market, on Church Street, has been banned from selling any tobacco or vaping products for 12 months.

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

A transport advisor on disability issues has raised concerns after hearing that services to London from Blackpool are to be reduced to just one train a day by operator Avanti.

Blackpool Council is looking to press ahead with proposals to use compulsory purchase powers ‘as a last resort’ in its efforts to tackle poor housing and deprivation in the resort.

Blackpool Neighbourhood Police and Task Force teams joined forces with partners to crack down on crime in Blackpool town centre.

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

The next leader of Lancashire County Council is set to be Cllr Stephen Atkinson.

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.

A number of roads had to be closed in Blackpool, after a man escaped from police and climbed onto the roof of a building in the town centre.

A woman has been charged with attempting to abduct a baby in Blackpool town centre.

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.

A free shuttle bus that ferries staff between the Royal Preston and Chorley and South Ribble hospitals is to be scrapped as part of a cost-cutting drive.

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

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.

The defeat suffered by the Conservatives in last week’s Lancashire County Council elections was more a reflection of the national political mood than the result of discontent with local services, according to the new leader of the Tory group on the authority.

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.

A man has been found guilty of killing a football fan in Blackpool. 

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.

Blackpool is preparing a series of events as the town joins the rest of the nation to celebrate the anniversary of VE Day next week.

Preston City Council will proudly mark both VE Day and VJ Day in 2025 with a series of commemorative events in the city centre, following requests from local veterans and community members.

The third stage of a scheme to replace traffic lights at key junctions in Preston is set to begin over the weekend.

The Reform UK group that now controls Lancashire County Council will elect a leader this Saturday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

A pensioner has died following a collision in Lytham over the weekend.

Two of Reform UK’s victorious candidates in the Lancashire County Council elections have admitted to being shocked to find themselves as part of the group that will now take charge of the authority.

A man has been jailed after approaching schoolgirls and making sexualised comments in Blackpool, in 2023.

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