Police were called to deal with a report of a sexual offence in a Lancashire school almost every month last year.

Newly released figures have revealed Police received 28 reports of sexual offences – including rape and sexual assault – between 2011 and 2015.

There were six allegations of sexual offences on school premises recorded in 2011/12, six in 2012/13, five in 2013/14 and 11 in 2014/15 with two suspects being charged.

The figures were obtained by global children’s charity Plan International UK, which is calling for more lessons on sex and consent in schools.

While parents have revealed their worry, Det Chf Insp Simon Dent, said: “Almost all of the incidents referred to were instances of sexual touching over clothing, and were resolved in partnership with schools.”

Reported incidents included rape, sexual activity involving a child and sexual assault on a child.

Mum-of-two Corrina Talbot Lunn, from Marton, hopes common sense is being used before the police are becoming involved.

She said: “I hope schools are using common sense and only calling police when it’s justified, and not to deal with incidents such as kids playing kiss chase.

“ That said, I feel any incident where there’s an age difference or coercion or both needs to be investigated and dealt with properly to ensure everyone understands it’s unacceptable.”

Nicki Bamford, from South Shore, questioned precisely what the figures included.

She said: “It shocked me to learn that the police are being called in to schools so often.

“When my children go to school I expect them to be safe.

“Where are the staff when these offences occur?

“Saying that, how does Lancashire compare with other counties?

“It would be interesting to know how many of these ‘sexual offences ‘ are actual offences and not merely children playing kiss chase.

“It is good to see that people are more aware of sexual abuse and reporting it however; it has produced a society who are scared to even look at another person, without the fear of being arrested for indecent conduct.”

Plan International UK is calling for the government to commit to mandatory sex and relationships education which covers sexting, consent, healthy relationships and the law.

“This shows that we’re failing young people when it comes to learning about healthy relationships and consent,” says Plan International UK Head of Girls’ Rights Kerry Smith.

“Quality sex and relationships education helps young people to develop healthy attitudes towards sex and relationships while helping to tackle inappropriate and aggressive sexual behaviour.”

Paula Garratt, 40, from Kirkham, who has a 12-year-old daughter, said: “It’s always something I worry about with having a daughter, not because I’ve ever been given any reason to worry but just because of how often you see it on the news. Sex is everywhere and all I hope is that my children and others are educated on the topic properly.”

An NSPCC spokesman said: “Schools should be safe places where pupils can fulfil their potential, so it is worrying that children have been victims of sexual offences.

“These figures should prompt schools to review their safeguarding procedures and ensure all pupils feel able to speak out and seek help whenever they need it.

“And all children need to be educated about what sexual abuse is and how to get help immediately if they or someone they know has suffered abuse at school.

“Help for children and young people concerned about abuse is available confidentially from Childline on 0800 1111.”

DCI Simon Dent, of Lancashire Police, said: “As a force we channel a great deal of resources into this area, which includes carrying out preventative work through campaigns and delivering educational packages in schools to promote healthy relationships.

“We also take a joined-up approach with other agencies, such as social services and the county’s safeguarding boards, to ensure appropriate advice and support is available to all young people.

“As a result our figures are low compared to other forces.

“The figures also offer a snapshot rather than a complete picture of each incident – for example, one of the offences was committed outside of the county. Almost all of the incidents referred to were instances of sexual touching over clothing, and were resolved in partnership with schools. The outcomes were also agreed with the victims and their families and, where relevant, the offenders were referred to social services for further intervention.

“We take all reports of sexual offences seriously, especially where children are involved, and all allegations made to us are investigated robustly. Offenders are dealt with in a way which is proportionate to the crime.

“We would urge anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to contact us on 101, confident in the knowledge they will be dealt with sensitively and professionally.

“More information on the warning signs of child sexual exploitation can be found on the force website at www.lancashire.police.uk/help-advice/child-safety/child-sexual-exploitation.”

New branches of the supermarket add an additional £5,000 to local property values within months of a store opening, compared to the national average, research has revealed.

The study, carried out by My Home Move, also showed that 32% of home owners choose their property based on its close proximity to local shops and amenities.

Aldi is now the UK’s sixth largest supermarket chain - and planned to open around 80 stores across the UK this year.

Of the 11 stores that opened between February and April, nearly all locations saw an increase in property values.

Prices in Chipping Norton, David Cameron's then constituency, went up by 133%.

Doug Crawford, CEO of My Home Move, said: “Our own research has shown that a third of home movers chose their new property based on its proximity to shops and local amenities – and as such we are not surprised that the recent popularity of Aldi, with its cheaper lines and award-winning products, has had a positive effect on the value of local homes.

“A few years ago people were talking about the Waitrose effect, but today it seems homebuyers are choosing to take the ‘swap and save challenge’ to heart, as locations such as South Ruislip, Billingham and Poynton have increased in popularity.

"The only exception in our research was Reading, where prices have dropped – but with three stores within a two mile radius of the city centre it maybe that consumer demand has now been met.”

We may put it off all we like, but eventually the time comes to admit your home is too small.

Whether you have been late for work due to the morning queue outside a single bathroom, find yourself considering triple bunk beds to house your growing brood, or just need a space for paperwork that doesn’t need to be cleared away when a meal is served, the signs that we have outgrown our current home are obvious.

Louise Ferguson, a freelance home search agent says that a growing family is by far the most likely reason that people make the decision to move house.

“People see it as a natural progression, from a starter flat to something a little bigger when they get married or move in together. Moving to a house with one extra bedroom every time a

new child arrives is sometimes no longer enough however.”

“There are so many homeworkers these days that often a couple will require an office each, plus a spare bedroom, so you are talking about a four-bedroomed house even before they have thought about starting a family.

“If they do go on to have children, they are often loathe to give up this luxury of space so will always be looking for something bigger.

An ensuite bathroom or two is a luxury that many would move house to achieve too, even if they have enough bedrooms.

New relationships these days are likely to include so-called blended families, but whether or not the whole number are together all the time, space is needed for everyone - step- and half-brothers and sisters too.

There is also the importance of entertaining and the value we may place on hosting large events and seating all guests comfortably. If you find yourself squeezing everyone in and being embarrassed about your lack of space at parties or Christmas, it might be time to consider upsizing.

Ferguson says that it is not until children have fled the nest that buying a smaller home is usually considered but that this doesn’t always follow: “Many householders have elderly parents to consider at this stage in life, with their grown-up children returning for spells living at home too so, for many, a larger house is still a must.”

It isn’t just a restricted indoor square footage which might start homeowners yearning for a move. Many flat or apartment owners move to get access to space outdoors.

A garden is top of the wish list for house hunters looking for that second step on the housing ladder. A need for outside space also often coincides with the arrival of children; a safe enclosed garden is the perfect place for a toddler to learn to walk while a driveway for ease of parking and the ground floor entrance to park a pram is seen as a must. Space

for family picnics or just a place for teenagers to let off steam kicking a ball is highly desirable.

Unfortunately it is also true that the arrival of children can coincide with a drop in income as one or other parent decides to work part-time but, if possible, Ferguson says that this is one of the situations where she would advise considering a move to a less expensive area to be able to afford the space you need.

“We tend to think of the property wisdom: location, location, location. But if your household is threatening to burst at the seams, a move to a larger house, even if the area is less exclusive, should give a huge improvement in your day-to-day quality of life.”

A 55-year-old woman has died after after falling from a scooter in Blackpool on Sunday afternoon.

The woman, from Southport, was a passenger on a Vespa Piaggio PX 125 scooter being driven by a 51-year-old man, also from Southport.

It’s thought the exhaust fell off the scooter around 2.25pm on Sunday as the vehicle travelled along Queens Promenade.

The woman was taken to Royal Preston Hospital but died on Monday. The male rider suffered a suspected fractured shoulder.

Sgt Adam Dawson said: “This appears to be a tragic accident and our thoughts are with her family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”

Anyone with information should call 101.

The Government should step in to support small airports like Blackpool and help them compete with major regional hubs.

That is the view of Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden –a former shadow aviation minister who believes there is still hope for the Squires Gate operation.

Mr Marsden’s comments come after airline Jet2 revealed it would not look to return to Blackpool even if the airport re-opened to large commercial jets.

The Labour MP thinks there could be scope to grow the passenger operation at Squires Gate.

But he believes the Government should be getting involved to improve regional airline connections.

Mr Marsden said: “There remains, I believe, good prospects with a committed owner for the future of the airport, both for passenger flights and also expanded commercial activity via the new Enterprise Zone.

“In my previous role last year as Shadow Aviation Minister, I urged the previous Government to look very practically at ways in which the cost obligation on smaller airports like Blackpool could be reduced with Government intervention.”

Mr Marsden believes regulations make it difficult for airports like Blackpool – and other struggling smaller operations – to compete with the likes of Manchester, where millions of passengers annually offset the costs of providing stringent security checks.

He said: “It is unreasonable that smaller airports like Blackpool should have to equal their costs on security and other requirements, as airports elsewhere such as Liverpool and Manchester with at least six or seven times as many passengers a year.

“There’s millions of pounds currently being spent by Government as a subsidy for new one-off flight routes – if some of that were spent on subsidising operator costs for an airport like Blackpool, that would benefit the new owners and the airport’s economic prospects.”

Blackpool Council’s conservative group leader Coun Tony Williams last week wrote off any chance of international flights returning to Blackpool.

He pointed to Jet2’s revelation as the final straw for the airport – which currently has no terminal building capable of handling large passenger volumes and does not have adequate fire cover.

Mr Marsden called on Tories in Blackpool to campaign positively for the airport rather than play down future prospects.

He said:“I repeat my call for the new Government to do something about our operational costs. Local Conservatives would do better to lobby their ministers on such a project, rather than going over a futile past debate on who was right or wrong in the spat between Balfour Beatty and Jet2.com.”

In an exclusive interview with The Gazette, Jet2’s executive chairman Philip Meeson made clear his firm was now committed to Manchester.

The airline left Blackpool on October 2014 when owner Balfour Beatty closed the airfield following an unsuccessful attempt to find a buyer.

The airport owner said the facility had been running at a loss and had fought a court case against Jet2.

Squires Gate was then sold to another Balfour Beatty subsidiary and re-opened to small aircraft and helicopter traffic.

Balfour Beatty said the airport was now operating profitably.

A bus ‘hub’ will be built as part of Blackpool’s £24m tramway expansion.

Talks are under way between Blackpool Council and Blackpool Transport over the plans – but council chiefs say a full bus station will not be built.

The interchange will form a series of bus stops close to Blackpool North Station, bringing trams, trains and buses close together for passengers.

Blackpool Council leader Coun Simon Blackburn said: “The second phase of the central business district has the potential to link up public transport services in the town for the first time in decades, something which Blackpool has been crying out for.”

And Bob Mason of Blackpool Transport added: “It makes sense to bring buses, trams and trains together in one place.”

Coun Blackburn said: “We are also in discussions with Blackpool Transport about using an area of the site as a ‘bus hub’ where people can interchange between bus services, as well as having direct access to the tram and train lines.

“That won’t be a multi-million pound bus station or a replacement of the old one under Talbot Road car park, as our research and experience shows their cost far outweighs their financial benefits. What the bus hub would do however is provide a number of stops in one location so that it is easier for people to change services easily, similar to the one currently in the town centre.”

One example of a bus hub in Blackpool is on Market Street opposite Revolution and MFA Bowl.

Blackpool Bus Station, on Talbot Road, was closed as part of the redevelopment of the Talbot Gateway scheme. It is now a car park with leisure units beneath.

Blackpool Council is hoping to connect the current line to Blackpool North station as part of the second phase of the central business district.

A new tramway terminus will be built close to Blackpool North station on the site currently occupied by the Wilkinsons store.

Blackpool Council is paying £4.7m towards the extension with central Government putting up the remainder of the funding.

Transport chiefs say the scheme, which has already secured funding from the Department for Transport, will improve connectivity with rail services, encourage use of public transport and boost economic growth.

But the tramway extension, providing a link to the national rail network, has not been universally welcomed.

Taxi drivers have expressed concerns over increased delays while a number of members of the public have raised concern about cars and trams sharing the busy street.

The Gazette has received scores of letters and emails from readers saying it is a waste of money – with no bus station as part of the plans a big mistake.

Council leader Blackburn said: “Let’s be really clear about the finances of this scheme.

“The maximum total cost of the scheme will be £24m, including all preparation work.

“Already, at this early stage, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP), of which I am a director, has agreed to contribute £16.4m – so let’s be clear that the maximum cost to Blackpool Council can be no more than £7.6m – but I am confident that (a) we will bring the scheme in at less than £24m (based on the evidence of the promenade tramway), and that (b) we will secure additional contributions from a variety of other sources, including additional LEP funding.

“I would be surprised and disappointed if, when the project is completed, our contribution ends up being much more than £2 to 3m.

“That investment will be repaid by the extra tram fares and passengers that the scheme generates – and will provide a reliable source of income for the Blackpool Transport, the town and the council, for generations to come.

“It is a shame that our detractors do not have the amount of vision shown by the town’s founding fathers, or the level of commitment to the town’s future that people like the Thompson family, Merlin Entertainments, and hundreds of other local businesses and small investors demonstrate on a regular basis.

“The second phase of the central business district has the potential to link up public transport services in the town for the first time in decades, something which Blackpool has been crying out for.

“In every forward-thinking city I visit, I get off the train and immediately meet with bus and tram services that can take you on to your next destination.

“Those interchanges make it easier for visitors and businesses to get around, which in turn help to boost local economies and create jobs.

“Linking the trainline to the tramway will vastly improve connections for the almost two million passengers who use Blackpool North train station every year.

“The plans for the central business district look really exciting and will make a huge difference to the transformation of an area that only a few years ago consisted of surface car parks, run down shops and a whole patch of desolate land.

“It’s easy to forget how far we have come since those days but I am looking forward to phase two creating an entrance to Blackpool that everybody can be proud of.”

Mr Mason, service delivery director at Blackpool Transport, confirmed the company was working alongside Blackpool Council to produce a better integrated transport network, with the tramway extension forming part of their plans.

He said: “We are working with officers from Blackpool Council and one part of that is producing a more integrated transport scheme for Blackpool.

“It makes sense to bring buses, trams and trains together in one place.

“The tramway extension up to Blackpool North Station is just one part of that.

“This will hopefully bring a lot of the resort’s public transport together in one place.

“The nature of our services mean 80 or 90 per cent of bus services already cross the town centre.”

Villagers are being urged to make their voices heard as proposals for a huge new dual carriageway are put to the public.

Highways England is currently asking residents for their views on proposals to upgrade the A585 which links Fleetwood to the motorway network

While towns such as Poulton, Cleveleys and Thornton would be directly impacted by the proposals Over Wyre residents are being asked to think how they might be affected.

The main route from the villages to the motorway network could be radically changed under the preferred proposals.

And people from Preesall, Stalmine and Hambleton are being urged to attend a consultation event in Poulton today.

Coun Vivien Taylor represents Wyreside on Lancashire County Council. She made clear everyone’s views should be taken onboard by the consultation team.

Coun Taylor said: “It is important everybody has there say.

“People might think this scheme only affects Poulton and Singleton because that is where the consultations are happening.

“But it will have an impact on drivers from across the area including all of the Over Wyre villages.

“Any changes to the way traffic enters and leaves Shard Lane could have a big impact as it is the only main road into the area.”

Coun Taylor said delays along Shard Lane had been increasing in recent years and hopes Over Wyre residents will be considered in any new arrangements.

She said: “We do not want that junction getting any worse.

“Any measures which could improve the traffic flow would be welcome.

“But it is important people go out, see the plans for themselves and share their views.”

Several options have been put forward to improve traffic between the M55 and Fleetwood.

Highways England has put forward proposals to widen existing road and create a one-way system.

However the preferred option is a brand new dual carriageway linking Windy Harbour and Skippool.

As part of that proposals through traffic from Over Wyre would be forced away from the current route, along Mains Lane.

That would be achieved either through the closure of junctions or changes to traffic light sequences.

Highways England is looking to invest up to £100m in the scheme which bosses say would significantly reduce delays.

Critics of the proposals say the benefits would be limited because there would still be single carriageway roads either side of the new section.

The Poulton consultation event is at Wyre Civic Centre between 4 and 8pm today.

Workplace experts Acas have published new research on dress codes which shows that employers risk losing talented young employees due to concerns about employing people with visible tattoos.

The new independent study on various aspects of employee appearance found that young people are especially affected as almost one in three young people have a tattoo.

Other findings revealed that:

◘ Negative attitudes towards tattoos and piercing from managers and employees can influence the outcome of recruitment exercises within some workplaces;

◘ Some public sector workers felt that people would not have confidence in the professionalism of a person with a visible tattoo;

◘ And some private sector employers, from law firms to removal companies, all raised concerns about visible tattoos in relation to perceived negative attitudes of potential clients or customers.

Acas head of Equality, Stephen Williams, said: “Businesses are perfectly within their right to have rules around appearance at work but these rules should be based on the law where appropriate, and the needs of the business, not managers’ personal preferences.

“We know that employers with a diverse workforce can reap many business benefits as they can tap into the knowledge and skills of staff from a wide range of backgrounds.

“Almost a third of young people now have tattoos so, whilst it remains a legitimate business decision, a dress code that restricts people with tattoos might mean companies are missing out on talented workers.

“We have updated our dress code guidance today, which also includes advice for employers to help ensure they don’t fall on the wrong side of the law with their dress codes.”

Acas has updated its dress code guidance in light of the research and latest developments:

Following the recent case of a temporary worker who was sent home without pay for refusing to wear high heels at work, Acas’ revised advice is clear that any dress code should not be stricter, or lead to a detriment, for one gender over the other.

A robber who was part of a gang that carried out terrifying armed raids in Preston, the Fylde and Lancaster has been ordered to pay back nearly £10,000 of his criminal gains.

Philip James Fisher, 31, of Wet Earth Green, Salford, who is serving a 12 year jail term at HMP Elmley in Kent, was supposed to appear by video link at Preston Crown Court but refused to take part in the proceedings.


Judge James Adkin ruled they went ahead in his absence.


Fisher was part of a Manchester-based crime group involved in a series of armed robberies on vans containing cash for ATM machines, in 2011 and 2013.


The gang netted £285,000 in raids in Preston, Lancaster, Cleveleys, Stoke on Trent and Middlesborough, arming themselves with machetes and axes and targeting cash-in-transit vans.


The crime spree included a £70,000 raid at an off-licence in Langcliffe Road, Brookfield, Preston, in June 2013.


Loomis security guards at Brookfield Newsagent were confronted by men in balaclavas as they made a delivery.


A £52,000 robbery was also carried out in October 2013 at an ATM at Santander, on Victoria Road West, in Cleveleys.


The judge agreed Fisher had benefited to the tune of £42,666 from his crimes.


However, a financial investigation found he only had £9,855 in realisable assets that the authorities could seize back.


He ordered him to pay the amount within three months of face an extra six month in prison in default.


In a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing in July, the gang’s ringleader Seddon, 37, of Snow Hill Road, Bolton, who is serving 13 years and two months for two counts of conspiracy to rob and one count of dangerous driving, was found to have benefited by £40,828.30.


He only had £1,952 of assets, including his car, to pay back.

A Wyre village’s first scarecrow festival proved a huge success after raising more than £750 for a playgroup.

Organisers of Hambleton Scarecrow Festival said some 96 scarecrows appeared in the village from 63 entries by enthusiastic businesses and residents.

A fun day was held to celebrate the entries.

A statement from the organisers on the event’s dedicated Facebook page said: “Big thanks to everyone who joined us for our fun day.

“It was such a lovely day seeing all the community join together to celebrate our first annual scarecrow festival.

“Most importantly we raised a massive £738.82 for Hambleton Under 5s Playgroup.

“That will go towards running costs to keep our group an important part of the community, as it has been since the 1960s.

“A special thanks to Rev John & Lynn Squires, Keely Jones and Roger Cameron who had the very tough decision of judging our scarecrows!”

Paramedics have issued a severe health warning for their own 999 service after it was put on a life support system from Eastern Europe.

Overworked ambulance crews across Lancashire say a decision to draft in medics from Poland is an inevitable consequence of the “intolerable” stress which is forcing frontline staff to either quit or go off sick.

Concerned paramedics have told the Evening Post they are “at breaking point” and facing “constant stress and aggro” trying to respond to an increasing number of emergency calls with fewer trained staff.

And a union official insisted: “Managers need to sit down and listen to the staff more. Our crews are going out there and doing the best job they can under an immense amount of pressure – and it really isn’t appreciated.”

Staff shortages have become so acute across the region that the North West Ambulance Service has been recruiting Polish paramedics to fill gaps in Greater Manchester and the West Coast of Cumbria.

Crews feel Lancashire could be next to get foreign help as numbers dwindle to near-dangerous levels.

One paramedic, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, revealed: “Morale is terrible and most of the staff I know would leave if they could find another job outside the service.

“I’ve been asked to speak on behalf of a number of colleagues who all say they are at breaking point - they have simply had enough.

“We wouldn’t be speaking out in public if we weren’t desperate. Staff are getting burned out trying to cope.

“We are struggling to get breaks during a 12-hour shift which regularly stretches to 13 or 14 hours.

“We are constantly getting aggro from the public because the service is letting them down.

“And we are constantly under pressure from managers. An increasing number of staff are going off sick with stress and because they feel they are being bullied by bosses.

“The ambulance service is struggling because of a lack of staff and a lack of investment over several years. And we are the ones on the frontline who are getting it in the neck.”

Among claims made by crews are:

• Three out of four ambulances regularly don’t have fully trained paramedics on board

• There are times, especially at weekend, when there has been just one ambulance to cover the whole of Preston, with both Walmer Bridge and Broughton stations unmanned

• Lesser qualified ambulance staff (EMT1) who are only permitted to give four drugs - aspirin, paracetemol, ibruprofen and entonox (gas and air) - are regularly used on the front line, some without any support because of the shortage of paramedics

• The impact on A&E at Preston has been “horrendous” since Chorley closed, with crews sometimes waiting three hours or more to hand over a patient, meaning they can be off the road for most of their shift while calls stack up.

• Staff are refusing to volunteer for overtime, especially at weekend, because they have “just had enough.”

Neil Cosgrove, of the union Unite, said: “I’d go along with 99 per cent of what the crews have told you. Staff morale is absolutely rock bottom.

“I’ve been in the NHS for 35 years, first as a nurse and later as a paramedic, and I’ve never know morale so low.

“Staff are chucking in their cards and looking for other jobs outside the service. The pressure has become unbearable.

“Across NWAS we are now desperately short of paramedics. No disrespect to EMU1s, who are doing a brilliant job, but they are limited what they can do.

“Staff are leaving and the service is struggling to recruit sufficient replacement. They either need to be fully qualified paramedics who can go straight out on the road, or they have to be trained and that takes three years.

“That is why NWAS is having to look at places like Poland to recruit qualified paramedics.

“The service is reliant on staff working overtime. And that’s why so many ambulances are off the road.”

Ged Blezard, NWAS director of operations, said: “It is disappointing that some staff feel they have to air their concerns via the media, as we do have a number of channels available for staff to raise issues and concerns.

“The welfare of our staff is something we will always take very seriously and we are aware that staff, at times, can become stressed and we offer support both from the Trust directly and indirectly from our occupational health services.

“The Trust has a zero tolerance of bullying and harassment and any allegations raised are taken very seriously and thoroughly investigated.”

“We are constantly reviewing our working environment and practices to ensure we provide a safe and healthy working environment for all staff. The Trust’s sickness levels are the lowest they have been for a significant time and paramedic staff turnover has halved from last year.

“We have progressive employment policies in place, which are designed to assist the creation of a good work-life balance and, in turn, help support staff who suffer from stress-related illness, be it work or non-work related.

“There will always be occasions where due to short notice absences a vehicle cannot be covered but the benefit of being a large organisation is that we are able to move other vehicles around the county dependent upon activity.

“We are also fully aware of the operational challenges we face in the current NHS climate, some of which are out of our control.

“Over the past 18 months we have invested significantly in clinical staff and vehicles and we have over 558 new staff within the paramedic emergency service; 184 of these are paramedics, 79 of which were Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) that have been appointed following internal progression.

“Specifically in Lancashire many managers are registered paramedics that do regularly attend to emergency calls and by the end of November there will be 17 additional new paramedics and four new EMTs starting work to address the ever increasing demand on our service.”

Hundreds of nursery schools could be forced to close if the Government goes ahead with plans to offer parents 30 hours of free childcare, a teaching union has warned.

Pre-schools in England would “cease to be financially viable” after the planned two years of financial support from the taxpayer ends, because of the costs associated with the extra places, the NAHT said.

The school leaders’ union said analysis carried out with the charity Early Education showed nurseries in the local authority areas with the highest number of nurseries - including Lancashire, Binrmingham city and Hertfordshire - would see huge cuts in funding if the proposal to double the current 15 hours of free time was introduced.

Its general secretary, Russell Hobby, contrasted the situation with Theresa May’s announcement to open a new wave of grammar schools, saying: “The Department for Education’s (DfE) own data shows that any funding approach that does not reflect these costs on an ongoing basis will be a body blow for early years education in nursery schools.

“There is additional funding available, but only for two years. After that point, England’s nursery schools will cease to be financially viable.

“The 30 hours offer will be doomed before it even gets started, additional places won’t materialise and current places will be lost as nursery schools across England close their doors for good. The government has the data - it must rethink before thousands of families, many in the poorest areas of the country, are left high and dry.

“In contrast to grammar schools, high-quality nursery education is a proven method of helping the most disadvantaged families. It is inexplicable that a government serious about social mobility would focus on one at the expense of the other.”

Thursday is the deadline for submissions to the Government’s consultation on the plan to extend early years funding for three- and four-year-old children.

In April, a poll of childcare providers carried out by the Pre-school Learning Alliance found that almost half of childcare providers feared they could be forced to close as a result of the 30-hour offer.

The online poll also found that 48% of providers felt they would have to reduce the number of places they offered to other age groups.

Valerie Daniel, headteacher of Washwood Heath Nursery School in Birmingham said: “The Government seems to recognise the quality of early years education such settings provide, but has no plans to secure their future beyond the two years of transitional funding set out.

“This will lead to a massive loss for nursery schools, with larger settings potentially losing more than £200,000 from their current budgets, which have already been hit by local budget cuts.

“I fear that a significant loss to maintained nursery budgets will create a ripple effect on safeguarding the most vulnerable children in the region.”

John Pugh, the Lib Dem education spokesman, said: “The Government are brick by brick dismantling many of the educational achievements of the coalition government. Evidence shows that solid progress in the nursery sector does more for social mobility than selection at 11 but yet again ideology trumps evidence.

“This lethal combination of haphazard planning and prejudice will decimate one of the most treasured and valued sectors of our educational system.”

However, the Department for Education said the funding was for at least two years and it planned to speak with the industry over funding after that.

A DfE spokeswoman said: “Our proposals for supplementary funding, which takes account of maintained nursery schools’ current funding rates, are for at least two years.

“This extra funding will provide stability for nursery schools, which make a valuable contribution to improving the lives of some of our most disadvantaged children.

“The funding is part of our record investment in early years - £6 billion per year by 2020. We will be consulting with the maintained nursery schools’ sector on future funding in due course.”

Fleetwood Royalettes dance troupe enjoyed one of its biggest successes for years in the an end-of-season championship event.

The group emerged with a haul of 15 trophies at the Tameside Morris Dancing Organisation Championships (TMDO), held this year at the Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park, North Wales.

Royalettes won a string of top awards, and came second in others, competing against almost a dozen other dance troupes.

The Royalettes, established in 1986, are run by co-principals Shirley Farrington and Sammy Hemphill.

They are divided into age sections, the Babies, Tinies, Seniors and Juniors.

Shirley told The Gazette: “We’re really pleased with the results, this is one of the best successes we have had in years.”

An internet troll has been fined for posting an offensive comment online about a teenager who died in police custody.

Rowan O’Connell, 23, of Back North Crescent, St Annes, added racist comments to a forum on the Reddit social media news website.

The forum discussion was about the police handling of an incident at the Liverpool One shopping centre in July, during which 18-year-old Mzee Mohammed was arrested.

His death in custody is currently being investigated by Independent Police Complaints Commission.

O’Connell pleaded guilty at Sefton Magistrates Court to sending a communication which was grossly offensive.

Prosecutor David Maxwell said police were conducting intelligence research when they came across the offensive post under the name Rolfie 420. Mr Maxwell said the post referred to articles O’Connell said he had read in the media and which he said referred to witnesses describing Mohammed as having been bare-foot, wielding a 12-inch machete and trying to rob two teenage girls of their mobile phones, before knocking over an elderly woman damaging her 
back.

“He was a good for nothing spice smoking monkey from Toxteth”, O’Connell posted.

Following an investigation officers identified O’Connell as the author of the post and after his details were circulated he handed himself in to Blackpool Police Station, Mr Maxwell said.

Solicitor Nick Archer, representing O’Connell, said: “For lots of reasons my client deeply regrets it.

“He does not consider himself to be a racist.

“The post was on the Reddit website, a national news forum where there were lots of comments denigrating police actions in that case and laying the blame at police’s door.

“He’d had a drink that night and in that context he posted what he posted. If it weren’t for the single word monkey, we would not be here. He would not be here now.”

Mr Archer told the court that a backlash following the comment led to O’Connell getting sacked from his job.

He said: “His then employment had a Facebook account where a large number of abusive comments were sent to the detriment of his employer.

Rejecting a request to grant him a conditional discharge, the magistrates fined him £275 and ordered that he pay £115 in costs and victim surcharge.

Chairman Frank Dainty said: “Trolling always has a victim. As Mr Archer has pointed out that Reddit is a national website, so there are more opportunities for victims. One day you are going to be the victim and that day is today. You need to think about what you say and how it effects other people.

“I make it clear that any racial offence that comes before the court will be severely dealt with.”

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children finally hits the big screen on Thursday – and the film, which features scenes shot in Blackpool, was officially launched this week in London.

Director Tim Burton switched on last year’s Illuminations after filming scenes in front of Blackpool Tower covered in snow.

A trailer for the film, centred on a home for children with special powers, shows one of the main protagonists running along North Pier with the Tower in the background. Emma Bloom, pictured in the air, plays Ella in the film, a character who has the unusual ability to control air and float unassisted.

The coppers in the new crime drama Paranoid (ITV, Thursdays, 9pm) are a bit of a rum lot.

They have so many neuroses, it’s a wonder they get any detecting done when a GP and mum-of-one- gets brutally stabbed in a playground full of kids.

Detectives Nina Suresh (Indira Varma), Bobby Day (Robert Glenister) and Alec Wayfield (Dino Fetscher) put aside their break-up problems, anxiety attacks and mother issues to one side in an attempt to find the killer, but this is one of those cop shows where everything – from a carefully arranged typewriter to a shifty psychiatrist – is imbued with such significance that you quickly get lost.

There are cliches abound here, from the stalker’s-eye-view through the bushes as the cops go a-questioning, to the anonymous messages recieved through the post from a mysterious helper.

There’s also the obligatory go alone to a dark house in the middle of the night sequence, which ends with the completely non-shocking discovery of a body in a swimming pool.

The only new thing about this, is that the swimming pool was in Dusseldorf, far away from the murder scene in rural Cheshire – I will never view the playground at Tatton Park in the same way again, by the way.

And so things are set up for the next seven – yes, seven – episodes.

The only thing is that the coppers are awful. Varma’s Suresh particularly comes over as a whiny, spoilt child, while there seems to be no explanation for Day’s anxiety other than ‘modern life’: “Why are people so quick to hate? Life’s got claws, it didn’t used to have claws.”

Meanwhile, as eyewitness Lucy Cannonbury, Lesley Sharp revives the slow talking and even slower blinking technique she used in the – actually really good – ITV psychodrama Afterlife, and Michael Maloney does his slightly suspicious, professional-man-gone-to-seed turn we saw recently in the BBC’s River.

It’s ITV’s latest bid to find another hit to rival Broadchurch, but given even the second series of that little gem couldn’t match the first, Paranoid has a fight on its hands.

A fight it seems to be losing.

Having a drink at a bingo session and then driving home cost a woman her job as a manageress.

Nakita Holliday, a part-time pub worker, of John Street, Thornton, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

Police saw Holliday, 29, driving a Fiat Stilo slightly erratically on Hatfield Avenue, Fleetwood, on September 4 at 1.40am

She was pulled over and a breath test showed she was over the limit.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said Holliday, had been to bingo with a friend. She had had a drink because she did not intend driving home, but decided to drive home.

She had just been appointed a manageress and as a result of the offence had been relieved of that job.

Holliday was banned for 17 months and fined £120 by Blackpool magistrates.

A man secretly allowed drug dealers to cultivate a £250,000 cannabis farm in business premises owned by his girlfriend’s father, a court has heard.

Steven Dell, 34, of Waverley Avenue, Fleetwood, sobbed in the dock at Preston Crown Court during proceedings, after he pleaded guilty to allowing a premises to be used for growing class B drugs.

He had worked as a driver for his prospective father-in-law’s fish business, and later said he was using part of the warehouse for a gym.

The area was sealed off from view – but behind it, criminals were growing cannabis with a street value of around £249,000.

Dell, who owed a drug debt, “turned a blind eye”.

Prosecuting, Francis McEntee said: “A warrant was executed on December 1 at premises on Siding Road, Fleetwood

What was discovered was a significant and well-developed cultivation of cannabis. Police established there were 275 plants ready to be cropped. The circumstances are convoluted.

“The background is he had a debt of up to £2,000 to people he had not wished to name.”

The court heard the owner of the building leased it to Dell’s girlfriend’s father.

DRUGS

Neither of the men knew anything about the drugs, the court was told.

Defending, Wayne Jackson said: “It appears [Dell] owed money to people who one way or another put the ‘frighteners’ on him. They let it be known he was expected to provide this premises.

“He will not be marrying his daughter, that is all over.”

Recorder Laprell imposed a nine-month jail term but suspended it for two years.

An argument in a house where the walls were thin caused a row between neighbours.

John Sweeney and his girlfriend were annoyed because the noisy argument next door had gone on for half-an-hour.

Sweeney, a 45-year-old electrician, of Warren Street, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to damaging a neighbour’s front door.

He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £400 compensation with £85 costs plus £20 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Andrew Robinson, said there had been a noise issue between Sweeney and his neighbour because the walls between their two properties were thin.

On July 17 the neighbour and his girlfriend had a noisy argument which caused Sweeney and his partner to become annoyed. Sweeney then hit the neighbour’s front door.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said his client had lived at the address for more than 10 years and kept himself to himself.

The night the neighbours had a noisy row Sweeney’s girlfriend went and argued with them. Sweeney said the neighbour made threats to his girlfriend, so he went round and hit next door’s front door with his shoulder.

A Lancashire walker was shocked when he found a dead dolphin washed up on a beach this week.

The shocking pictures were taken by Julian Heald on Knott End beach after making his way down from his home on Beech Grove.

He said: "It's about five to 10 minutes walk straight out from the slip-way. I'm staying at Beech Grove so it's located out from there seawards, bearing a little to the left.

I spotted a distant hump in the sand, and approached it slowly not knowing what it was or whether it was alive. I could clearly see a large hole in it's side, which may have killed it. I don't know. It looked full grown."

The coastguard said they had not been informed of the marine mammal and the LEP has contacted Wyre Council, which looks after the beach, for a comment.