Central Radio News

A man has been found guilty of murdering Luke Harden in the Stacksteads area of Rossendale.

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.

Residents who are against plans to build 99 new homes on fields in Carleton are planning a demonstration this weekend.

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 married couple who are both councillors will be taking up their chains of office as the mayor and mayoress of Blackpool this week.

Preparatory work got under way this week for a project to improve the area around Countess Street in Accrington.

Three people have been sentenced for committing contempt of court by discussing evidence whilst a defendant was part-heard during a manslaughter trial.

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.

It’s Foster Care Fortnight, the UK’s largest campaign to raise awareness of the positive impact of fostering.

Blackburn’s landmark Exchange building is preparing to unveil the completion of the £1.5million redevelopment of its iconic octagonal tower on the weekend of May 30 and 31.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach has been mapped in detailed 3D for the first time through a partnership involving Ordnance Survey, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and the Lancashire Local Resilience Forum.

Councillors in Blackpool’s Brunswick ward are looking to have CCTV cameras installed in a fly-tipping blackspot.

Cheryl Taylor has been named chair of the new Ribbleton Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board, which will manage £20 million of Government regeneration funding over the next decade.

Criminals targeted more than a dozen Lancashire churches a month last year.

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

North West Ambulance Service chief executive Salman Desai has been named in the Health Service Journal’s Top 50 NHS Chief Executives list for 2026.

Lancashire Police says officers from the Hyndburn Task Force discovered a cannabis grow during a warrant at a property on Gloucester Avenue in Accrington.

Rosemere Cancer Foundation has thanked cardiac physiologist Kat Smith after she completed the Manchester Marathon as part of a major fundraising challenge

Lancashire Police says a man has been charged following the theft of a charity collection box from a McDonald’s restaurant in Leyland.

The creation of a new railway station in Blackburn with Darwen and the long‑awaited extension of the East Lancashire line from Colne to Skipton have been identified as priorities for the new Lancashire Combined County Authority.

Lancashire Police has charged two men following an incident in Blackpool on 29 April.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s leader has called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to resign after the Labour Party lost control of the authority in Thursday’s local elections.

A thug who attempted to kill a man and then boasted about it on voice notes to friends has today been jailed for 24 years.

Plans have been put forward to open a ‘Parrot Experience’ at premises in Blackpool town centre.

The Blackburn Bus Company will replace Blackburn Private Hire as the primary operator for three local bus routes from May 18.

The Conservatives have claimed a double win in last night’s Ansdell Park and Kirkham South wards parish by-elections, holding both seats.

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 new late night rail service is being introduced for this year’s Lytham Festival.

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

Blackpool Zoo has been given the green light by planners to put up a huge safari tent on the site.

The main works for a coastal protection project in Blackpool have started.

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.

Progress continues to be made on the £45 million Ministry of Defence office in Blackpool town centre – with residents now seeing notable changes on site.

Blackpool’s newest attraction is nearing completion and already proving to have true blue appeal.

The landlord of an East Lancashire pub has been fined and had his personal licence revoked after serving alcohol to a teenager who later died in a crash.

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.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a man died and two people were seriously injured in a collision in Haslingden.

A man from Burnley has been jailed for sending sexual messages to someone he thought was a teenage girl.

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.

The creation of a ‘mini–Canary Wharf’ is promoting Blackpool to an increasingly global audience as an all-year round international visitor destination, according to the manager of one of the resort's leading hotels.

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.

An investigation is underway after a major fire at the Warburtons factory in Burnley.

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.

Pupils at a Blackpool pre-school got fed up of the rubbish that kept blowing off the street and into their playground.

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.

Rossendale’s dry ski slope could be closed in a review of council-owned leisure centres.

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.

More details have emerged of what will be on offer as the huge new Tenpin centre, based at the former Odeon site on Rigby Road in Blackpool, takes shape ahead of opening next month.

Colne Market Hall has officially opened to the public, marking the completion of a £3.5 million regeneration project in the heart of the town centre.

The Splash park in Promenade Gardens, St Annes, opens its gates for the 2026 season today.

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.

Wyre Council has issued an Abatement Notice to the operator of a landfill in Fleetwood.

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.

A new access road from Common Edge Road to Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone on Amy Johnson Way is set to open next week.

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

Police have charged a man with attempted murder after a pedestrian was struck by a car in Blackpool.

Fylde Council has announced its the latest round of Community Projects Fund awards, with eight local organisations and an new heritage initiative set to benefit from grants.

Full details of a series of weekly overnight closures at Junction 5 of the M65, starting next month, have been revealed.

Blackpool’s Tramtown museum has been forced to close permanently after the main building used by the public was found to be unsafe.

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

Some 21 residential roads in Blackpool – including many with the worst potholes – have been resurfaced as part of a huge council investment in extra road maintenance.

Speculation has continued over whether the Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool is preparing to take in asylum seekers, despite assertions from politicians that it isn’t.

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

The 156th Open Championship will return to Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2028 after a 16-year absence.

Wyre Council has issued major updates for two of the borough’s key venues -  Marine Hall in Fleetwood and Thornton Little Theatre.

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

Blackpool Council has formally submitted its Adult Social Care Improvement Plan to the Department of Health and Social Care.

Colne Market Hall will reopen to the public later this week, marking the completion of a £3.5 million regeneration project in the heart of the town centre.

Two Blackpool councillors are raising awareness about dog fouling from an anti-social and public health perspective.

New jobs are now on offer as Blackpool’s ambitious Southbeach Streetfood project moves closer.

The public car park at Burnley Crematorium is to be expanded.

A new attraction for Blackpool is already causing a stir as it takes shape during ongoing construction.

Accident and emergency patients at the Royal Preston Hospital wait less time for a bed on a ward when medics are on strike, new research has found.

Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP Lorraine Beavers has vowed to continue to support women who are fighting for compensation over a “pension age injustice”.

A man has been charged with murder following a fatal collision in Accrington.

A Blackburn amateur football club’s new changing rooms have moved a step closer.

The owners of Blackpool’s Metropole Hotel have responded after calls were made to ‘restore it to former glory’ following almost five years as a base for asylum seekers.

Campaigners are planning a protest outside Longridge Community Hospital on May 9.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has awarded a £67,500-per-year contract for a community bereavement support service to support children, young people and families.

Social media posts suggesting the Norbreck Castle Hotel will be the next home for asylum seekers have been slammed as “unacceptable”.

A special military parade will take place in Leyland today as The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment is granted the Freedom of the Borough.

The family of a man who died after being hit by a car in Accrington have paid tribute to him.

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.

Burnley is preparing to turn up the volume once again as Burnley Live returns with four days of music and entertainment across the town.

Wyre Council has taken firm action to tackle environmental crime by increasing the penalty for fly‑tipping to the maximum level permitted by government.

Central Radio will host a special live programme to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Eric Morecambe.

A popular amusements arcade is making a fresh start with a new name, a new brand and an eye to the future.

Police have launched a murder investigation after a man was fatally struck by a car in Accrington.

A new contemporary building is to replace a shop unit in Blackpool town centre which was destroyed by a devastating fire more than three years ago.

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.

A multi-million pound scheme to construct a gleaming new purpose-built Fisherman’s Friend factory in Fleetwood appears to have been held up – by the appearance of some protected wildlife.

Hoardings are now in place promoting a controversial housing regeneration scheme in Blackpool’s Revoe area.

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.

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

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

Organisers of Blackpool Carnival say this year’s event is going to be the “biggest and best” so far.

A new 91‑home housing estate near Whinney Hill Tip has been proposed.

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.

A Fylde coast park which has fallen on hard times is set for a major revamp before its 90th anniversary is celebrated next year.

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.

Plans to develop Bacup Market have been approved by Rossendale Council, including a landmark wooden canopy and amphitheatre events space.

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

Police are appealing for witnesses, footage and information after a man was left with serious injuries following a road traffic collision in Blackpool.

A man has been given jailed for nine years setting fire to a car which was parked on the driveway of a house in Staining. 

The RNLI have raised serious safety concerns and are formally objecting to plans to include rock groynes on Blackpool’s beaches as part of a major coastal protection scheme.

The occupants of a controversial unauthorised travellers’ camp near Whitehall Park in Darwen have been given another nine months to vacate the site despite losing a court case over their right to stay on the land which they own.

A multi-million pound community sports village for Blackpool has taken a major step forward as new details on the project emerge.

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.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb has declared victory after he was given personal Home Office confirmation that asylum seekers are to leave the town’s Metropole Hotel by July.

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

The Fleetwood to Knott End ferry will continue after a deal was struck to keep the service operating.

A family have paid tribute to a man who died in a collision in Blackburn earlier this month.

The Blackpool South MP has made an urgent call to end the use of the town’s Metropole Hotel to house asylum seekers.

A £478,000 investment in Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery will continue their town’s commitment to culture.

Bowling operator Tenpin has announced the next round of new job vacancies up for grabs in the run-up to opening a new centre in Blackpool this summer.

Secondary school pupils and students from across Blackpool are benefitting from an AI super curriculum designed to boost digital skills and highlight employment opportunities in the cyber industry.

Darwen’s Library Theatre renovation has been given an almost £1million boost by the government.

Residents across the Fylde Coast are being invited to step inside one of the world’s most iconic dance venues as part of a special community celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the Blackpool Dance Festival.

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

Blackpool’s Illuminations attracted in two-in-every-five visitors to the resort in late summer and autumn last year.

Thirteen new East Lancashire free breakfast clubs are among 116 which have opened this week across the North-West as the government overhauls school dinners nationwide.

Urgent demands have been made for flooding to be tackled on the M65 in east Lancashire, ‘before any more loss of life or injuries’.

Blackpool and the Fylde College has been chosen to provide major new courses linked to Britain’s defence industry and potentially “highly-skilled, well-paid jobs”, thanks to a £10m investment.

A predatory paedophile from East Lancashire who sexually abused two young girls has been jailed for 26 years.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has announced the new eagerly-awaited driving test centre for Blackpool will open later this week.

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.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb has hailed a major £1.8m Government boost for the town’s SEND schooling provision.

One of Blackpool’s smallest libraries has been shown to generate huge economic and social value for local residents, according to a new report.

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.

Shops selling non-compliant vapes, illicit tobacco, and supplying age-restricted products to children in Blackpool have been shut down by public protection officers.

The Blackpool Dance Festival team has launched an urgent appeal to trace a historic bronze and ivory figurine that was once a treasured trophy from the early days of Blackpool Winter Gardens.

A demolition crew this week have arrived on the site of boarded up terraced houses at the back of Blackpool FC’s stadium, Bloomfield Road.

Hyndburn MP Sarah Smith and the council’s Labour group have backed a union proposal for the staff of the East Lancashire BT offices scheduled for closure in the Blackburn telephone exchange.

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 have launched an attempted murder investigation after a woman was stabbed at Carleton Crematorium in Poulton-le-Fylde.

Blackpool Council has welcomed figures that show a notable fall in anti-social behaviour in the resort – including areas associated with the holiday trade.

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.

The Fylde coast is feeling the fuel pinch as the war in Iran hits the petrol pumps – but some believe the fallout could actually help Blackpool’s tourist trade.

A gym user has blasted the ‘disgusting’ state of amenities at a council-run leisure centre in Bispham.

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.

A group of inspiring young people from Blackpool are celebrating after being selected to represent the UK at the World Scout Jamboree 2027 in Poland, an experience that will see them step boldly onto the global stage.

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.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a man died in a collision in Blackburn.

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

An online petition has been launched in a bid to save a Fylde coast church from demolition.

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.

Two people have been arrested as part of an investigation into the death of a man from Blackburn.

Two residents at a care home in Blackpool were rushed to hospital following a fire and 21 others were treated at the scene.

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

New weekly food waste collections are to launch alongside household bin collection changes in Blackpool.

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.

Upgrade works on tram tracks in Fleetwood are set to resume following the Easter holiday.

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

Five men who ran or assisted in running the ‘Max’ drug line, based in Bradford, bringing drugs across into East Lancashire, have been jailed.

A man has been disqualified from driving for a year and jailed for eight months for dangerous driving to avoid police.

A contractor has been appointed to deliver the next stage of the complex repair project on Haslingden Old Road.

Campaigners against a stinking landfill site in Fleetwood are challenging data provided by statutory bodies in regard to air quality and public safety.

Blackpool Council has responded to concerns over the safety of proposed rock groynes for Blackpool beach – and insists they are the best option to safeguard the resort’s famous golden sands.

A registered sex offender has been jailed for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

​​​​​​​Wyre Council has formally signed a new contract with Parkwood Leisure, working in partnership with the charitable organisation Creating Active Futures, to manage the borough’s leisure centres from next month.

Families across Hyndburn are being invited to enjoy a packed programme of Easter activities at Accrington Market

Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery celebrated a landmark cultural moment as it welcomed guests to an exclusive preview event to mark the arrival of a rare Monet masterpiece.

Police and partner agencies in Blackpool are to take part in a new Home Office funded pilot project aimed at improving the response to spiking reports.

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.

Work is now under way for a new Tesco store in the heart of Blackpool town centre.

Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, and Pendle Councils have each been awarded a £270,000 grant to improve playgrounds.

A catchy but thought-provoking rap song about Blackpool by a local music duo has gone viral – and caused some controversy as well.

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.

The public consultation opens today on plans for the proposed merger between Blackpool and The Fylde College and Furness College in South Cumbria.

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

A council meeting at Blackpool was dramatically adjourned when protesters against plans to demolish their homes interrupted proceedings to air their grievances.

Plans have been revealed to bring padel tennis, one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports, to Burnley’s flagship park.

Councillors have approved a new visitor attraction for Blackpool – the Upside Down House.

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

Two significant improvement projects are near completion at Fairhaven Lake.

Burnley has been awarded £20 million through the Government’s Pride in Place programme, with funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), supporting the next phase of regeneration in the town.

A drug dealer who sold heroin and crack cocaine in East Lancashire has been jailed for 10 years. 

Blackpool’s holiday trade is in optimistic mood for the forthcoming season and anticipates that the resort is on the up again.

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

Blackburn’s revamped Audley and Queen’s Park Children’s Centre is nearing completion after a major upgrade.

A man has been jailed after admitting the rape of a ten-year-old girl in Burnley.