Election race kicks off, nightclub for dogs, Big One breaks down
The Lancashire Lead - April 7, 2024
Hello and welcome to the second edition of the Lancashire Lead. After Scott Benton finally announced his long-expected resignation last week, the eyes of the country were drawn to Lancashire and the ex-Tory’s former Blackpool South seat.
This week, Lancashire politics continued to hit the headlines. First, 20 councillors sitting on Pendle quit the Labour party in protest at the national party. Then, Reform UK - which has announced a well known candidate for Blackpool South - announced it had dropped the man who would have contested South Ribble for it at the upcoming General Election. The negative reaction that decision received on Twitter/X was particularly interesting.
Away from the world of politics, Lancashire has received national attention first after a police officer was injured in a hit and run by a teenage driver, then when thrillseekers were forced to walk down the Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and then when human remains were found washed up off the Morecambe coast. More on each of those stories later.
It’s been a busy week for our hard working regional journos as well with homes ruined by mould, bank and pub closures, and much, much more on the agenda. There’s plenty to get your teeth stuck into below but please do get in touch with any feedback and features you’d like to see included.
The aim is for this newsletter to be shaped by what readers want to engage with each week so if there’s anything you’d like to land in your inbox, do let us know. Contact jamie@thelead.uk with any suggestions, thoughts or criticisms and your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
🚑 A family's Silverdale beach trip turned to horror when they discovered bones in the water. Police said the human remains were believed to have been in the sea for a significant period of time (Lancaster Guardian).
⮑ Oliver Price spoke with the family involved in the traumatic incident and made a somewhat speculative assumption that the bones may be long to the only member of the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster who remains unfound (Mail Online).
🌹 Major upheaval in Pendle as 20 Labour councillors quit the party to go independent (LancsLive).
⮑ The group later said it would continue its role in running the council (BBC).
🚜 Tributes have been paid to a teenager who died after crashing a Farmbike in East Lancashire (Lancashire Telegraph).
😷 The deadly issue of mould in homes was raised in this week's Blackpool Lead. Antonia Charlesworth-Stack reported from one home where the problem is so severe that carpets are sodden and stairs "falling apart" (The Lead).
💷 A fundraiser set up in memory of an 11-year-old boy who died taking part in a dangerous TikTok craze named ‘chroming ‘ has massively surpassed its £3,000 target (Lancashire Post).
⮑ You can donate directly here.
🚓 A 16-year-old boy has been arrested after a police officer was knocked down in a hit and run (Lancashire Telegraph).
🚨 A man has been charged with murder over the death of Colne man Richard Chamberlain. The 34-year-old was found with multiple stab wounds last weekend (ITV).
🚔 Three people have been arrested over an Easter crash in Brierfield which left a man dead (Lancashire Telegraph).
🚨 Two dogs were killed and their owner injured when a motorbike hit them near Worden Park in Leyland. An 18-year-old has been arrested in connection (Lancashire Post).
👨⚖️ Dramatic scenes at Preston Crown Court as a jury was discharged before evidence began at a murder trial (Blackpool Gazette).
⚖️ Over at Liverpool Crown Court, three members of a Skelmersdale family were jailed for their roles in a multimillion pound drugs operation (Liverpool Echo).
📋 Issues at HMP Wymott were laid bare in a critical report which highlighted staff shortages and rampant drug use among various issues at the Leyland prison (LancsLive).
️⛪️ Pastor Mick Fleming, a former gangster who turned his life around, has issued his own warning about potentially "off-the-scale" deaths which he fears could be caused by a newly circulating drug (Burnley Express).
💈 Matthew Calderbank has this extraordinary story of a barber who's life was destroyed when he was wrongly accused and confronted by paedophile hunters (Lancashire Post)
"I locked myself in that toilet with just a pair of scissors to protect me and I didn't come out for four days.
"When I did come out, I was in a very dark place."
⮑ There's an apology here from one of the hunters involved (Lancashire Post).
🐶 A teenager spoke out after her dog required expensive emergency treatment after finding and swallowing cannabis near a children's play area (Blackpool Gazette).
🎢 Thrillseekers in Blackpool were forced to walk down the Big One when safety measures kicked in and the ride stopped near one its peaks. Amy Fenton spoke with some of those were stranded (LancsLive).
😞 More bad news for the resort as one survey has claimed that Blackpool is the country's seaside resort (Express).
⮑ While I would disagree with that claim, one family who endured a 'hotel of horrors with blood on sheets' might not (LancsLive).
🚕 Phil McCann and Jonny Humphries published the story of a Leyland man who said his life turned to a "living hell" when the DWP prosecuted him for overclaiming carer's allowance after what he said was an honest mistake. The taxi driver had to sell his house to settle his debt and now lives in supported accommodation (BBC).
🚗 A car burst onto flames moments after pulling off the motorway. The driver recalled the terrifying incident as he lost power and brakes before the fire started (Blog Preston).
🟢 A Leyland boy who has a critical illness was given a dream day thanks to the Royal Tank Regiment and the Make-a-Wish foundation (BBC).
👻 Preston residents may, like me, have seen Simon Gray entertaining families at events before - now the Ghostbusters superfan has appeared in the franchise's latest film (BBC).
🎤 Another superfan story here from Aimee Seddon, this time involving a civil servant who legally changed her name to include those of her favourite band G4 (National World).
🗳 Reform UK has dropped its would-be South Ribble candidate after a history of racist and discriminatory posts was brought to light (Independent)
❌ The public inquiry held over plans for a hugely controversial prison which could be built near Chorley was halted this week and is not expected to restart for a few weeks (Lancashire Post).
⮑ In other legal process news, neighbours opposed to plans to redevelop Preston's Ashton Park think they've found an unexpected way to stop it (Blog Preston).
👀 The Daily Star turned its unique gaze onto Blackpool this week as it offered an inside look at a "swingers club with dungeon and 'sex machine'" where a woman broke her neck (Daily Star).
🍔 A Preston burger bar has a new name and location in a decision thought to be linked to legal threats from a US giant. Smashed reopens soon in a new city centre location. (Blog Preston).
🥔 Another independent Preston business is planning to share its secrets with other traders. The Spud Brothers have earned plenty of attention online and are joining up with Preston BID to teach others (Lancashire Post).
🍺 In Fleetwood, locals were left shocked and disappointed by the sudden closure of the Royal Oak Hotel (LancsLive).
Elections in Focus
🎙 Plenty of activity in Blackpool South this week after disgraced MP Scott Benton finally announced his resignation. Rob Parsons, of the Northern Agenda, recorded a special podcast examining the situation in the resort which is well worth a watch.
🤢 An early row has broken out between candidates over the heated issue of sewage at Blackpool's beaches (Blackpool Gazette).
🗳 Another candidate has been named - this time by the The Alliance for Democracy and Freedom - with resort resident Kim Knight to be placed on the ballot list (Blackpool Gazette).
📢 The first major campaign visit of the campaign has also taken place, with Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves using a visit to accuse the Tories of being out of touch and attack its tax policies (Evening Standard).
It’s only small steps but Morecambe residents will soon see some sign of change. Eden Project bosses have announced they will be moving into an empty shop unit at Winter Gardens in preparation for the £100m development.
The word legend is thrown around all too easily but Preston North End fans would be right to use it for Sir Tom Finney. The Preston Plumber, immortalised outside Deepdale via the Splash statue, was born 102 years ago on Friday.
He clocked up 433 appearances for PNE over 15 years, registering 187 goals. His England career was also supremely impressive, with 30 goals in 76 games placing his among the country's 10 highest scoring men.
Lots of exciting What's On news across the county this week. First up, I loved this idea when I read about a group being set up to organise alcohol free events across the Wyre and Fylde. You can read more about it here (Blackpool Gazette).
🎵 Big news for Eurovision fans as a fan park will come to Lancashire during this year's contest (LancsLive).
🐕 A 'first of its kind' event will see a Blackpool's Popworld opened up to dogs. All friendly socialised dogs are welcome and there'll be 'puppuccinos' and ball pits on offer (LancsLive).
🤣 The resort will also host a more conventional event with the return of Blackpool Comedy Festival (Blackpool Gazette).
👩⚖️ Elsewhere, a Lancaster museum is back open and admission remains free. A new programme of events and exhibitions has been prepared at Gawthorpe Hall and Judges’ Lodgings (Lancaster Guardian).
🍴 We finish with somewhere I'm very much looking forward to trying - a new Caribbean restaurant promising "flavour-some, tasty, fusion dishes" (Blog Preston).
Thanks for reading this week's edition - I'd love to hear your feedback at jamie@thelead.uk so don't be shy.