The company, which has millions of UK subscribers, say that no financial information such as bank account details were accessed in the data breach, which affected more than 130,000 customers.

The National Crime Agency are currently investigating the attack and three people have been arrested.

Three have reassured customers that their details are not at risk. If you're a customer with Three:

Change your password for your online accounts. Make sure it’s unique and strong. For advice on creating a password visit GetSafeOnline: https://www.getsafeonline.org/protecting-yourself/passwords/

Contact your bank/credit card company so that they can monitor for suspicious activity on your account.

Monitor your account for any suspicious or unexpected activity.

Watch out for signs of identity crime. Use Experian, Equifax or Noddle to check your credit rating to make sure no one has applied for credit in your name.

If you think you have fallen victim to fraud, report it to Action Fraud (http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud) and get a police crime reference number.

Beware of fraudsters that claim to help

Fraudsters often try to take advantage of a publicised large-scale cyber attack by sending emails or making calls that claim to be from the affected company to help protect you from the hackers.

Look out for targeted phishing emails. If you receive an email that claims to be from Three, never reply with your full password, login details or account details. Don’t click on any links as you could end up downloading a virus.

Be wary of anyone calling asking for personal information, bank details or passwords. If in doubt, just hang up.

If you receive a call or email from Three, treat it with caution. Do not respond with personal information, particularly passwords or banking details.

Lilac Tree, Walton-le-Dale

Lilac Tree, located within Holland House Nurseries, in Higher Walton Road, has only been open eight months but topped our online poll.

It specialises in up-cycling and revamping old furniture to add a bit of classy vintage look. It also stocks a variety of ornamental goods and soft furnishing to make the home a more comfortable place.

Owners Lisa Gildert and Sarah Lucas said: “We have a passion for re-loving tired furniture, and transforming it into something lovely. We take great care with everything we do.”

Pretty Things, Blackpool

Pretty Things, in Lytham Road, Blackpool, is a long established business offering unusual gifts and souvenirs to customers in the local area.

It was set-up in 1987 and has more than 25 years of experience in the gifts trade.

It has a huge range of wind chimes, dream catchers, Betty Boop merchandise, thimbles, Buddhas, sun catchers, fairies, dragons, swords, walking sticks, Royal Wedding china and grave ornaments.

It also sells also personalised hand-engraved mugs with any name while you wait.

Peppermint Cottage, Leyland

Peppermint Cottage, in Hough Lane, is the home of re-loved ‘shabby-chic’ furniture, such as rocking chairs, chest of drawers and dressing tables, as well as chalk paint and beautiful homeware gifts.

Each piece of furniture is worked on individually, which means that no two pieces are ever the same.

In addition to the vast array of furniture available, Peppermint Cottage stocks beautiful East of India gifts as well as many other pretty items that compliment the furniture range perfectly.

Pepperberry, Eccleston

Pepperberry, in The Green, Eccleston, specialises in home accessories, gifts, jewellery, and cards. It sells a range of goodies, from beautiful wooden desks and dressers, to elegant lanterns and glassware. It also has a Christmas shopping event on Tuesday December 1 and 6.

Gorrills, Lancaster

Gorrills, in Penny Street, is a china and glassware shop. It was first established in 1891 by John Wesley Gorrill years ago and the business has been passed through the family and is now run by the fourth generation of relatives, with Paul Gorrill at the helm. Paul’s dad, Michael, who ran the business until 1988, sadly died earlier this year.

Macmillans, Penwortham

Established in 1991, Macmillans of Penwortham, in Liverpool Road, stocks a wide range of gifts for all occasions, selling jewellery, children's gifts, handbags and accessories, It also offers a complete picture framing service and complimentary gift wrapping is available all year round.

This and That, Ashton

Located in Lane Ends, this gift shop proved popular by online readers.

It only opened earlier this year, but was rated second in our online poll.
Based in Woodplumpton Road, Ashton, it is one business that has been split in half. Antiques and collectables are located in one side and new household furnishings and gifts are in the other.
It also makes up gift boxes and hampers, providing inspiration and provide the personal touch.

To view the online poll click here http://www.lep.co.uk/news/where-are-the-best-gift-shops-1-8239156

A musician who has recently supported the likes of Sir Tom Jones, Burt Bacharach and Jools Holland has chosen the Fylde Coast as the set for his brand new music video.

AJ Brown releases his new single ‘Loving Spell’ on Friday, co-written by Julian Hinton and Graham Archer who have worked with artists such as Sam Smith, Seal and John Legend.

The accompanying music video was shot almost entirely on the Fylde, featuring locations such as Lytham Hall and the sand dunes at St Annes, before a breath-taking finale filmed in the sea off Fleetwood and Knott End, which provides a perfect backdrop to the haunting vocal.

AJ said: “I love the song, I feel it’s right up there with my best work and I cannot wait for people to hear it.

“The video is really atmospheric, it captures the mood and tone of the track beautifully. It was a lot of fun to shoot and to have the beautiful Fylde coast, where I’ve performed many times, as the backdrop was perfect.

“There is one scene where I have to fall backwards, fully clothed into the sea and believe me it really was a cold as it looks, but the end result was stunning.”

AJ is represented by Fylde-based music management and event company Cuffe and Taylor and has supported some of the biggest names in music.

Cuffe and Taylor director Peter Taylor said: “Over the last two years AJ has not only performed alongside some of the biggest names in music, but established himself as one of the real acts to watch.

“Loving Spell is a stunning song and has already created a huge buzz on social media and in the industry after we premiered the track a few weeks ago. We predict 2017 is going to be a massive year for AJ Brown.”

AJ will embark on a promotional tour of the UK over the coming months, with an album announcement due in 2017.

The music video, which also stars Leyland actress Rebecca Eastham, is available to watch now on YouTube – https://youtu.be/bfYGs76tIXI.

• Loving Spell is released by Brown Bear Records on Friday, November 25. It is available to pre-order now from iTunes and Amazon.

Youngsters told that they are the next generation of survivors on visit to Nazi death camp

Each year hundreds of students from across the North West visit Auschwitz-Birkenau to learn about the genocide of Europe’s Jews by the Nazis. Gemma Sherlock joined a party of Lancashire youngsters at the death camp.

“You are the next generation of survivors.”

This is what hundreds of A-level students across Lancashire were told during a visit to the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz.

As those words sunk in, darkness had fallen and the faces of 200 pupils were lit by candlelight as they gathered in prayer on the memorial steps.

Just a few hours earlier this next ‘generation of survivors’, including pupils from Baines School, in Poulton, and Kirkham Grammar School, was boarding a plane to Krakow, Poland, from Manchester Airport. Organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust, the trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau aims to increase understanding of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime and the Holocaust in the Second World War, and signal what can happen if prejudice and racism becomes acceptable. For Hussain Hassan that statement couldn’t be more true, “It’s trips like this that are quite important to me just with hate issues,” said the 18-year-old.

“It is important to go back and remember what happened and why we should become more unified rather than creating divides in society.”

Some were unsure of their reactions towards visiting a place which became the graveyard to 1.1m Jewish people and families.

“It is quite horrific to think about, six million Jews died in the Holocaust, it doesn’t seem real,” said 18-year-old Rebecca Morse.

“It makes you realise it’s not just a statistic, these were real people. A lot of people know the extent of what happened but to see it is another matter,” said George Sanderson, 17.

The first thing to greet our group was the famous Arbeit Macht Frei sign, which translates to Work Sets You Free.

The statement couldn’t prepare for what was to come.

As the guide and educator, Steve Richardson, led the group through to the personal belongings exhibitions the silence became more prominent.

A poem entitled Pigtail was handed to the students before they were warned of the dark room ahead. Some of it read: “In huge chests, clouds of dry hair, of those suffocated, and a faded plait, a pigtail with a ribbon, pulled at schools, by naughty boys.”

A glass display containing 40,000 kilos of hair, representing 40,000 men, women and children, stood to the side.

Despite the students leaving the room quickly, those few lines of the poem will have resonated for a long time after.

“The hair was horrific, it made me think of my little sister going to school,” said Alicia McGooga.

“I do her hair in the morning and seeing that makes it more real, those people were real, the children will never wake up the next morning to go to school.”

More exhibitions followed, treasured kitchenware, shoe polish and brushes and thousands upon thousands of pair of shoes.

“This tiny brogue was just sat there, it would have belonged to a little girl, they had no power whatsoever, they were doomed,” said Rebecca Wakefield.

The final stop at Auschwitz 1 ended with a walk through one of the gas chambers, or “showers”, as millions of Jews believed they were going for a quick wash rather than to die.

It is believed some took 20 minutes to die as the cyanide Zyklon B gas was dropped by German SS soldiers.

Scratches could be seen along the walls – a last attempt at survival.

“The gas chamber was overwhelming,” said Rebecca Morse. “It was quite eerie, it makes you more aware in a way, it is a very odd and upsetting feeling as the reality sets in.”

If emotions weren’t running high enough the next stop was Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial.

This was nothing like any film or documentary.

The sun set behind the famous Birkenau tower as the groups left the coach once more.

As far as the eye could see metal fencing lined the road; fields stood behind, cordoned off to the world.

Students gathered on the railway tracks before entering at the same spot as Jews were transported from as far away as Hungary.

Scarves and gloves came out of pockets upon entering, but the cold was more than just physical.

Some wiped away tears as the guide led the group to the spot where a doctor decided whether you lived or died.

A trip to witness the horrific toilet facilities where 800 Jews slept followed.

Rabbi Garson, of Manchester, gave advice to the students ahead of the final part of the trip.

He said: “Think about these three words as you are here; fear, hunger and evil.

“Fear is not knowing whether you’re going to live or die the next day, hunger is wondering what your next piece of bread will be, when you will no longer feel the pain in your stomach, evil is not the friend who comes to play a prank you, evil is monsters like Hitler.”

A warm room waited for the students at the end of the walk which stretched for miles to the back of the camp.

Brightly lit frames of black and white family portraits, happy children laughing, adoring couples holding each other and babies gazing into the camera stood all around.

The room of memoirs, the room of the dead.

The display was very much a personal one for 17-year-old Jessica Scragg.

The student explained how her great auntie was a survivor of Auschwitz.

“I didn’t know her personally but the day has still been very emotional for me,” said Jessica.

“She got married to one of the officers who came and freed her from the camp. They travelled back to England to get married but they had to wait until four years had passed.

“She would always keep re-using a tea bag, I think the idea of saving everything you owned never left her.

“She never got rid of her Auschwitz tattoo because she wanted people to be reminded about it.”

And they were reminded in hundreds of photographs.

Rabbi Garson ended the day with a speech focused on gratitude, family and re-humanising the victims. A line of 200 candles sat on the tracks as the students headed for the coach home – each flicker of light representing life, the Jews’ memories and hope for a better future.

Victim whose husband and daughter were killed in separate road crashes says change is needed to deal with motorists who cause people to die on the roads.

“Half my family has been wiped out because of someone else’s reckless behaviour on the roads.

“It is a life sentence for me, but not for the culprits.”

Sign our petition to lobby for change here

People say lightning doesn’t strike twice but Catherine Smith lost both her husband and daughter in two entirely separate incidents on the road.

Catherine says her grief was compounded by what she says was the unduly lenient sentences given to the culprits.

Catherine, who lives in Wrea Green, a grandmother-of-four, explains: “When someone dies of an illness, that is bad enough but to think their death could have been avoided is really difficult.

“If someone was shot dead on the streets, there would be a public outcry and rightly so.

“But a death on the road does not seem to be viewed in the same way as other crimes.

“I always say my husband and daughter were killed. They did not die – they were killed. It was not an accident, it was a crash. Road deaths can be just as violent as murder.”

Catherine had been married to Peter for 30 years at the time of his sudden death at the age of 54 on 1 December 1992. Dad-of-two Peter, a former bank manager, had recently taken early retirement.

Remembering that fateful day, Catherine, then a civil servant working as a tax officer, recalls: “Peter was coming to my workplace in Preston to pick me up.

“I usually drove myself. But we had been to Yorkshire the night before and were late home so Peter suggested I got the train into work and said he’d pick me up.”

Peter was meant to collect Catherine at 4:15pm but he didn’t turn up.

“At first I thought maybe traffic was busy, but when it got to 4:45pm, I was worried.

“I rang a neighbour to ask her to check if Peter had set off. I thought he might just have forgotten.

“ She called back and told me Peter must have set off as the lights were out and the car had gone. Then the man on the desk at our offices who was a retired policeman said there’d been an accident and traffic was at a standstill so Peter was probably stuck in that. I felt a deep sense of foreboding.”

Catherine’s friend called to say she would collect her from work as Peter was likely to have been caught in the traffic caused by the accident.

As they drove home, her friend tried to reassure her that it wouldn’t be Peter.

But as they approached the scene of the collision on Blackpool Road, Preston, Catherine suddenly saw the back of Peter’s car in a hedge.

Catherine says: “The policeman at the scene shouted at us to drive on – of course he didn’t know it was my husband’s car.

“I said to my friend: ‘That’s Peter’s car’ and she was crying and asking what she should do. I said: ‘Take me home.’”

When they arrived home, a policeman was waiting for Catherine. Catherine pleaded: “I want you to tell me he’s not dead” to which the policeman replied: “Mrs Smith, I only wish I could.”

Catherine faced the ordeal of telling her daughters the news.

She recalls: “It was awful having to tell them. What can you say?

“I had spoken to Peter half-an-hour before he was due to pick me up. The next moment, I was told he’d been killed.”

Catherine was told the court case would start on the anniversary of the day Peter was killed. However, after she objected, it was changed. She says: “I felt it was quite callous.”

The crash was caused by a Frenchman driving a 32 tonne lorry to the Springfields site in Salwick, near Preston.

Catherine says: “He had never driven in England before and didn’t speak any English.

“He had been into a garage asking where Springfields was and then must have seen the sign and turned across three lanes of traffic. I was told Peter’s car had actually set on fire and another motorist had tackled it with an extinguisher.

“The police said my husband had done nothing wrong and this Frenchman had just turned across three lanes of traffic. They said if it had been an eighth of a second either way, Peter would not have been killed. It was so sudden and awful. All our plans for life after retirement vanished in that split second.”

Catherine could not face attending the trial but her younger daughter went. Catherine explains: “I hated the person who had done this, but I did not want to know what he looked like and be haunted by that face. All the trial was about the lorry driver and things like finding him a translator. It was not about our family.”

The lorry driver was cleared of causing death by dangerous driving. He admitted driving without due care and attention and was fined £250 and banned from driving for three years –but only from England.

Catherine says: “His boss came over from France and said: ‘It does not matter, he can still drive in France.’ He got away with it.

“Many people say if you want to get rid of someone, it’s easier to kill them on the road as you get such a light sentence and time off for good behaviour or like this lorry driver, no sentence at all.”

Catherine says Peter’s death affected the family deeply and she had counselling.

She says: “I used to wake up feeling like I had a brick in my stomach and drag myself through the day. It was the first thing that hit me in the morning and the last thing when I couldn’t sleep at night.

“Peter’s mum had Alzheimer’s Disease and every time I saw her, she’d ask: ‘Where’s Peter?’ Each time I told her about his death, she’d react like it was the first time she’d heard it and burst into tears.

“In the end, I began telling her he couldn’t come that day. I couldn’t have her grieving again and again.”

Then on April 2 2006, Catherine’s world was thrown into turmoil once again when her daughter Janet O’Toole, a mum-of-three, was killed after being hit by a car.

Janet, 41 who lived in Scarisbrick near Southport, had been out for a meal with her partner and they were walking home.

Janet, who had worked as a nurse looking after terminally ill children at Derian House Children’s Hospice, was hit by an oncoming car driven by a drunk driver.

Catherine says: “There were two young men in the car and they’d been drinking all day as it was the driver’s birthday. It was a hit and run and they ran to the nearest pub planning to ring a taxi.

“But an off duty policeman heard the commotion and suspected they’d been up to no good and detained them. Otherwise the police said they might never have caught them.

This time Catherine went to the court case and the 23-year-old driver was sentenced to three-and-a-half years for causing death by dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.

Catherine says: “I felt anger because even 10 years ago, everyone knew you don’t drink and drive.

“Janet’s children were 17, 15 and six at the time. It was horrific for them to have their mother snatched away.

“Janet was very caring and loved children. We got on really well and she was more like a friend than a daughter.

“I couldn’t believe it had happened again. I felt life was really unfair.

“I had already lost my husband and then my daughter. Half my family has been wiped out by other people’s bad behaviour on the roads. I felt the sentence did not fit the crime in either case.

“In my opinion, judges are not using the powers they have and not giving the sentences they should.

“You never get over it – we suffer the life sentence, not the culprits.

“I feel those responsible for causing deaths on the road should get a sentence that fits the crime. It will never bring back your loved one, but at least you’d feel you had some sort of justice.”

What we are lobbying for

Drive For Justice is seeking to give families affected by the anguish of road deaths as a result of reckless and criminal driving a voice to bring about change and better justice.

Our campaign aims to:

Call on the Government to re-work sentencing guidelines and give judges specialist training so they can use the full powers that are available to them when deciding sentences for offenders

To have tougher sentences for the worst offenders

Have all culpable deaths treated as manslaughter

See more driving bans and longer driving bans handed out to those who kill or seriously injure on the roads or risk injury and death

Close the loopholes that exist such as with hit and runs where failure to stop carries a maximum of six months in prison while drink driving penalties are tougher meaning those who have been drink driving can get a lesser sentence if they flee the scene

Look at the charges of Dangerous Driving and Careless Driving. Bereaved families feel “careless” undermines the severity of the offence when someone is killed or seriously injured by illegal and risky behaviour.

Sign our petition to lobby for change here

No-one has received top jail term

There is a backlash from families who have lost loved ones to road crashes that justice is not done with lenient sentences compounding their grief.

Figures from the Ministry of Justice revealed under the Freedom of Information Act show that 1,640 people have been found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving between 2006 and 2015.

Of those convicted, 79 received a suspended sentence with a further 14 just given community services.

A further 10 people convicted of causing death by dangerous driving received just a fine.

Not one person has been given the maximum 14 year jail term for causing death by dangerous driving since the maximum sentence was lengthened from 10 years in 2004.

While some offenders escaped jail, families say others were given unduly lenient sentences and believe judges are constrained by guidelines.

Under rules which apply to all criminals, a driver who pleads guilty before the case goes to trial will have their sentence automatically reduced by a third and most criminals will be released after serving half their sentence.

This means that some killer drivers could be out of jail in a matter of months.

Lancashire health chiefs are urging residents to get tested for HIV as the number of cases rocket.

The virus, which attacks the immune system and can prove deadly if left untreated, is now one of the UK’s fastest growing health issues.

An estimated 103,700 people in the UK have HIV – though more than a quarter are unaware they have it, Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust said.

HIV nurse Sally Myerscough said: “In 2014 alone, some 613 people with HIV in the UK died with the figure increasing each year.”

The earlier the condition is diagnosed, the better, she added, though prevention is ‘the most effective way of reducing prevalence’.

Early HIV symptoms include a fever, rash, and sever sore throat. The virus can be caught through unsafe sex, or by sharing needles.

Here is a round-up of some of the cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court from November 21.

Keith Simpson, 10, breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order

A convicted paedophile set up a false Facebook account so he could communicate with young boys a court was told.

Keith Simpson pretended to be a 10-year-old boy from Switzerland called Cody and had chats with three boys aged 12, 13 and 16.

He was caught when he took a mobile phone to a meeting with police, probation and mental health officers who were supervising him and incriminating messages were found on the phone.

Simpson, 43, of Central Drive, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He was refused bail and remanded in custody to appear on December 21 for sentence at Preston Crown Court by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Simpson had a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a young boy.

He also had five previous offences of making and possessing indecent pictures of children for which he was on a suspended prison sentence.

On August 10, Simpson was at a meeting with police, probation and mental health officers who were supervising him.

He was asked to hand over his mobile phone for inspection. 
At first he said he did not have one, but he had been seen using it in the reception area.

Simpson then handed over the phone. 
There was evidence on it that he had set up a fake profile on Facebook, claiming he was a 13-year-old boy from Switzerland. 
He had exchanged messages with three boys, which he was banned from doing by the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Steven Townley, defending, said his client was one of twin boys and he had suffered brain damage at birth because of a lack of oxygen.

Simpson functioned at the level of a boy in his early teens and had mental health problems. 
He had been given the phone by his brother.

Benjamin Bentley, 24, assault and shoplifting

A shoplifter fleeing security officers threw a can which hit one of the officers on the head.

Benjamin Bentley, 24, of Charnley Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to assault and two offences of stealing from a shop.

He was given a 24 months conditional discharge, ordered to pay £20 compensation to the guard and £15.55 to the shop, plus £85 costs with £30 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said Bentley had gone into the resort’s Marks and Spencer on October 31, and taken £15 of food and drink.

On November 2, he returned to the same shop and stole £9 of food and drink.

He was seen and a security guard chased him.

Bentley had a can of Red Bull in his hand and threw it at the guard.

The can hit his arm and bounced onto his head.

The guard continued to chase Bentley and was soon able to detain him with the help of another security officer.

Mitch Sarangi, defending, said his client had been the victim of violence when he was young.

He had suffered brain injuries and had mental health issues.

Bentley had only moved to the resort five weeks ago, having left Yorkshire after being threatened.

Chad White, 39, escape from prison, burglary and driving while disqualified

A man accused of escaping from Kirkham prison and burgling a nearby house has made his first appearance at court.

Chad White is alleged to have taken purses and wallets containing bank cards and driving licences, a mobile phone and a Nissan car after breaking into an address on Gleneagles, Kirkham.

White, 39, from Blackpool, who was serving a sentence at the jail for burglary, is charged with escaping from the prison on November 18.

He is charged with burglary and driving while disqualified without insurance on November 19.

Prosecutor Pam Smith’s application that case be sent to crown court was not opposed by defence lawyer Steven Townley.

White was remanded in custody to appear at Preston Crown Court on December 21 by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

Andrew Dearth, 51, theft

A man repeatedly targeted a seafront Blackpool pub to steal cash from its gaming machines.

Andrew Dearth was twice successful at taking money from machines at Uncle Tom’s Cabin on the Promenade, but the third time he went into the pub he was caught.

Dearth, 51, of Park Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to two thefts, one offence of attempted theft and going equipped for theft.

He was sentenced to an eight week curfew from 9pm to 7am and ordered to pay £250 compensation with £85 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said Dearth was captured on CCTV at Uncle Tom’s Cabin on August 5, stealing £50 from machines. 
On August 21 he was again filmed in the pub’s games room taking 
£50. On August 26 he was caught in the pub trying to get into the machine cash boxes. 
He had a bag with him containing bolt cutters and a screwdriver.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said at the time his client was homeless and had no money.

He twice succeeded in stealing money at the pub and went back. When he was caught he admitted his guilt straight away to the landlord.

Derek Higgins, 48, breach of the peace

A man who had been drinking knocked a tray holding a hot drink out of his girlfriend’s hands and hurled a pot plant at a window.

Derek Higgins, 48, of Orchard Avenue, Poulton, pleaded guilty to breach of the peace and was bound over in the sum of £200 for 12 months by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a woman rang police on November 19, saying her partner had returned after drinking and was being abusive to her and she was frightened. Higgins ran off when he saw police arrive and was found trying to hide behind a car.

Terry Murray, 38, breach of order

A man has made his first appearance at court and pleaded not guilty to breaching a restraining order by sending a threatening text about his ex partner.

Terry Murray, 38, of Albert Road, Blackpool, was bailed to January 12 for trial by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates Court.

Booths bosses have vowed to bounce back from poor financial results with a series of new initiati​ves to win over shoppers.

The Lancashire-based supermarket chain reported losses of £6.2m in its annual report recently.

Its performance was severely hit by horrendous problems caused in 2015/16 by flooding, the high cost of opening new stores and a highly competitive food market.

But Booths chiefs have also admitted that they could do some things better – and are now looking to the future.

Customer service has particularly come under the microscope.

And chief executive officer Chris Dee admitted today that maybe customer service suffered last year while the company was dealing with its other major issues.

He said: “Maybe we took our eye off the ball while were coping with all the other stuff. We didn’t do a good enough job for our customers. That’s a lesson we have learned.

“We have made a lot of progress since last year in that regard and we are constantly listening to what our customers tell us.”

The Preston-headquartered family firm has almost 30 stores across the North West from Cumbria to Cheshire.

It occupies a Waitrose-like position at the high end of the market, and has such has come under pressure like all supermarkets from discount retailers.

Mr Dee said: “We want to be there for everyone.

“We want to attract people who want quality products and good customer service regardless of their levels of income.”

Mr Dee said last year was exceptional and conditions were a lot more stable this year.

He said the firm planned to focus more on its own brands .

Products such its own cheese range had proved incredibly popular and Booths planned more work on other lines.

The store chain is now gearing up for a busy Christmas, with its prestigious Great Northern Christmas book going out nationwide.

It attracts orders from Cornwall to Scotland and last year it sparked a sharp rise in demand for home delivery in London and the South of England.

Drivers are experiencing delays on the M6

A broken down vehicle has blocked the exit slip road on the M6 at junction 31 near Samlesbury.

Traffic is currently queuing and delays are expected.

More to come.

Help us decide where the best cocktail bars are for our Lancashire recommends page.

Vote closes noon on Thursday.

Public transport campaigners and politicians were today waiting for further details over apparent plans to throw Lancashire’s subsidised bus services a 12- month lifeline.

County Coun John Fillis, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, has revealed he is considering extending the council’s tendered public bus service contracts for a further 12 months – until March 31, 2018.

The council says its is “allowing more time to explore and evaluate potential alternative public transport solutions.” The move would end uncertainty for residents across Lancashire about the future of many local bus services a period of controversial cuts.

Today, Chorley County Coun Mark Perks said he would be delighted to learn more – and was puzzled why the announcement had just been made.

He said the proposed axeing of the subsidies given to bus firms to save costs had “obvious flaws” in it from the outset. He said of the apparent rethink: “I’m puzzled as to why this has happened now. Why has this been done now – if there were other options why weren’t they explored right at the start? Where is the money coming from?”

Fylde West independent county councillor Paul Hayhurst who is chairman of the Cabinet Working Group for Bus Services said he would not be surprised to see the subsidies continue but did not expect there to be more money to increase the number of routes.

He said: “I know from being on the working group how important bus services are to the rural community.Many people depend on them and without them we would see isolation in the rural areas.

“I will be lobbying John to keep the subsidies to make sure we keep the busses as they are.”

Lancaster-based County Coun Gina Dowding said today: “I think it is essential that the current support given to bus services across the county now remains in place – not just for another year.

“Many people, in rural communities in particular, are dependent on services for work, study and vital trips.

Coun Fillis said this week: “I have asked officers to continue looking at alternative ways of delivering public transport in the county and I will consider whether to extend funding for the existing LCC tendered bus service for a further 12 months to allow that to happen.”

A decision is expected on December 8.

Police have released a picture of a woman who they believe may be able to help them return a missing purse containing a £6,500 ring and £150 in cash.

On Sunday, October 23, a 30-year-old woman travelling on the 9A bus from Bispham to Cleveleys lost the purse.

The pink leopard print purse is believed to have fallen from a pram she was pushing and police believe the woman in the picture may be able to help reunite her with her missing property.

The purse contained a highly sentimental blue diamond ring cash and some cards.

A police spokesman said: “We think that the purse was picked up by someone but it hasn’t been handed in to us.

Fire and safeguarding bosses are calling for better warnings on emollient skin creams after the tragic death of smoker John Fallon in a fire.

A campaign has been launched to alert the public to the hidden danger smokers could face when using skin creams containing paraffin.

It follows the death of Lancashire care home resident John Alastair Fallon, 69, who died after accidentally setting fire to himself when smoking outside Alston View care home, Longridge, near Preston.

Mr Fallon was using a skin cream to treat a burn he had suffered in a previous smoking incident.

Now the Lancashire Safeguarding Adults Board and the county’s Fire and Rescue Service service say the public must recognise that such creams, typically used to treat eczema, dry skin and burns, can become impregnated in a user’s clothes or bedding –and the fabrics could act as a powerful wick if they come into contact with a dropped cigarette, flames or sparks.

After a three-day inquest, coroner Michael Singleton concluded Mr Fallon’s was an “accidental death”.

There have been at least three other cases across the country, highlighted in serious case reviews.

Safeguarding Board chairman Jane Booth fears more tragedies could occur if smokers, carers and the general public are not alert to the risk.

She is calling for labelling to be changed so that even creams with a small percentage of paraffin/petroleum are labelled with a fire risk warning.

She said: “If they are not 50 per cent or more petroleum-based they don’t have to have a warning on them. We’re saying all products should have a warning label on them.”

Jane stresses that the creams themselves do not pose any danger and they do not want to discourage people from using them. She said: “We just want some more general awareness. They are very useful creams – we don’t want to say don’t use them. It’s for smokers to just be aware and be careful.”

The campaigners are not identifying any particular cream as they say many contain paraffin and users or their carers need to check contents.

While users of some creams may be advised by pharmacies and health professionals about associated risks, there is a concern that many people buy preparations over the counter from high street shops and just won’t be aware of the potential for danger.

Jane said: “It’s the paraffin element ... we know it gets into people’s clothes and bedding. Older people might be bed-ridden and you don’t change your sheets every day and it builds up. Also, we are all recommended to wash clothing at 30C and it doesn’t get it out (at that temperature).”

She said previously when clothes were washed at 60C and some at 90C, there was a chance to remove the paraffin residues. She added: “We want to encourage people to be careful, to do an individual risk assessment, my worst fear is that someone else will unnecessarily lose their life through lack of knowledge of the risk.”

Mick Dears, protection support officer at Lancashire Fire and Rescue, said: “We are going into all the care homes now and asking the responsible person to make sure they’ve carried out individual risk assessment. Whoever smokes and has emollients is considered at risk.”

He said it is also essential that such risks must be listed in the main fire assessment risk book/list so that when staff change new staff recognise this is a risk for individuals. They should also be aware of the potential risk for staff and other residents who could find themselves trying to put a fire out.

• The fire service can provide fire retardant bedding to those at risk and will carry out a risk assessment at people’s homes.

A widow whose home was invaded in the dead of night by a prolific burglar was shocked to see CCTV footage of him casually enjoying a cigarette outside in the middle of the break in.

Seanene Silliss, 43, bravely stood up in Preston Crown Court to tell intruder Scott Brown how his crimes, which included helping himself to their pile of washing, had devastated their grieving family.

Moments later Brown was jailed for five years by Judge Beverley Lunt who said: “This is the fifth time you have been in the courts for burglaries - nothing seems to teach you that burglaries are serious offences and they cause untold misery and harm to the victims.

“I hope you listened with care when this lady told you how it made her feel.”

Today Seanene shared an image caught on her home CCTV system of Brown brazenly enjoying a cigarette in outside her home on Homestead Road, Fleetwood, in the middle of the burglary, as she and her 13-year-old son were asleep in their beds.

The tearful mum-of-two described how the family lost her husband, businessman Tony Silliss, who used to run a motorcycle shop in Fleetwood, to cancer four years ago aged just 43.

She said: “ We installed the CCTV after Tony died because I felt vulnerable.

“I feel guilty that I was asleep when Scott Brown could have done something to my son – but the police said it’s probably better that I didn’t wake up and confront him as anything could have happened.

“We found later a knife and rolling pin were taken, my head was in a spin and I was sick with worry.

“We couldn’t believe it when we watched the CCTV and saw him going in and out helping himself. He went in our home four times and was smoking a cigarette outside. he wasn’t bothered, We had signs up everywhere warning about CCTV but he did not care.”

Brown, 39, of Westmorland Avenue, Blackpool, had four more house burglaries taken into consideration.

He appeared emotionless as he listened to Mrs Silliss via video link from prison.

She told him: “ Since the incident I’ve felt frightened and vulnerable, very nervous at all times and scared to leave the house.

“I feel violated this person entered my home while me and my son were asleep in our address. He came in four times stealing our personal items.

“ I feel physically sick thinking about it.”

She also revealed she had suffered sleepless nights and at first had to have her friend stay over with her.

She was also overly protective of her son, who was unable to sleep.

Prosecuting, Peter Barr said: “ This defendant appears at 3am, goes to the front gate and goes in and out for almost an hour.

“The following morning at 7am Mrs Silliss immediately saw her lights were on and went into front room where her phone was normally on charge, but it had gone.

“They checked the CCTV system and were able to see the toing and froing.”

Defending, Paul Humphries revealed Brown had asked if he could apologise in person over the video link but was not allowed to.

Here is a round-up of some of the cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court from November 22.

Paula McIntyre, 41, theft and failing to attend court

A conwoman cruelly duped a pensioner who was suffering from memory loss and confusion.

Paula McIntyre distracted the 79-year-old man by hiding his back door key and then stole some of his savings.

She was described as targeting and cruelly abusing the generosity and kindness of a vulnerable elderly man by District Judge, Jeff Brailsford, sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

McIntyre, a 41-year-old mother-of-two, of Chatsworth Avenue, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to theft and failing to attend court.

She was sentenced to 16 weeks jail suspended for 12 months with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, put on six months drug rehabilitation and ordered to pay the pensioner £200 compensation with £85 victims’ surcharge.

District Judge, Jeff Brailsford, said: “This was extremely serious. 
“There has to be a message sent out that those who target the vulnerable to steal from, cheat and con them, that this will not be tolerated.”

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said McIntyre and another woman knocked on the door of a 79-year-old man’s Fleetwood home on October 27.

He did not know McIntyre but let her in and she asked if he lived alone.

McIntyre returned the next day and after he reluctantly let her in she asked him for a couple of pounds. He gave her £5 from a drawer he kept money in.

She then asked to use the toilet and when she returned she asked him where his back door key was.

The pensioner, who suffered from memory loss, confusion and depression, found the key missing from the back door.

McIntyre then suggested it might be under a rug in the toilet. After asking her to leave he found £50 missing from the drawer.

Probation officer, Brian Weatherington, told the judge that in the months leading up to the offence McIntyre had relapsed into taking heroin again and her benefits had been reduced.

The victim was known for helping people in need.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said McIntyre now had her drug problem under control.

She was genuinely ashamed of what she had done.

Stephen Pugh, 34, assault

A man accused of pushing a girlfriend and hitting her in the face has appeared at court.

Stephen Pugh, 34, of Topping Street, Blackpool, pleaded not guilty to assault and was bailed to January 13 for trial by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

He must live at his given address and not contact his girlfriend or go to her address as conditions of his bail.

David Tuck, 27, breach of bail, North Shore

A man was seen posting chocolate biscuits through the letter box of his former girlfriend’s home which he had been banned from approaching a court was told.

David Tuck, a solar panel fitter, 27, of Boothley Road, North Shore, pleaded guilty breaching bail.

District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court agreed to rebail him.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Tuck had been bailed on the conditions he did not contact his ex or go within 100 metres of her home on the resort’s Milbourne Street.

On November 27 Tuck’s ex first saw him posting biscuits through her letterbox and then saw him again in the early hours very near her home.

He also called her saying: “Can I see the kids.” She got about 28 calls, which she did not answer. She also received numerous texts from a number she did not know but she suspected Tuck was sending them.

Suzanne Mugford, defending, told the judge her client had accepted texting his ex about the children but said he had not posted the chocolate biscuits, which were for their two children. He said he had sent a friend to go that.

Craig Gilroy, 19, theft and assault

A teenager accused of stealing £11 worth of cheese from a Blackpool shop then slapping a woman worker at the store has appeared at court.

Craig Gilroy, unemployed, aged 19, of Clevedon Road, North Shore, pleaded not guilty to theft and assault.

He was bailed to January 23 for trial by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

Gilroy must live at his given address and not enter the Co-op shop, Abingdon Street, as conditions of his bail.

John Lyons, 38, breach of order

A man found himself in trouble with the law after he failed to keep in touch with his probation officer.

John Lyons, 38, of Gorton Street, North Shore, pleaded guilty to breaching a community order.

He had an extra three months put on his community order by District Judge, Jeff Brailsford, sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

Neal Brookes, prosecuting for the probation service, said Lyons had previously been put on a 12 months order for racially aggravated behaviour. He had failed to keep appointments and lost contact with the probation service.

Hugh Pond, defending, said Lyons had been having trouble with his accommodation. He had been sleeping in doorways and several hostels, but now had a place at a hostel.

Ian Miller, 44, breach of the peace

A man threatened to set himself on fire when a council refused to re-house him.

Ian Miller caused a fracas at Fylde Borough Council’s offices after demanding to be found alternative accommodation.

A council officer had tried to explain he could not be found another residence because he already had a home.

Miller, 44, of Lindsay Avenue, St Anne’s, admitted breach of the peace and was bound over in the sum of £100 for 12 months by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Malcolm Isherwood, said police were called to Fylde Borough Council’s offices in Clifton Drive South, St Annes, on November 21 about 4.30pm , where Miller was demanding to be rehoused and refusing to leave.

Officers found Miller in the reception area speaking to a council officer who was explaining to him that he could not be provided with another home because he already had accommodation. Miller said his house was not fit to live in.

A police officer accompanied Miller to his home and saw parts of the accommodation covered in rubbish, alcohol bottles and cigarette ends. The officer understood this was as a result of Miller failing to clear up.

Miller first said: “I’m not staying here tonight. I’ll go out and smash a window and get arrested,” and added that he would burn the house down and set fire to himself.

Miller told magistrates: “All I was doing was begging for help after my father died. You won’t see any more of me because I am emigrating.”

Late-night shoppers in Blackpool will be able to take the tram for £1 over the Christmas period.

The offer, which is being run by Blackpool Transport on selected dates over the coming weeks, is aimed at boosting the number of people heading into the resort to shop.

The £1 fare for travellers heading to or from the town centre has been timed to coincide with four late-night shopping events in the resort – on December 1, 8, 15 and 22 . It applies from 5pm until midnight. All day Sunday, November 27 and December 4, 11 and 18 are also included in the offer.

Jane Cole, managing director at Blackpool Transport said “Blackpool has such a diverse range of local shops, eateries and entertainments venues and we want to make it as easy as possible for our customers to enjoy these delights over the festive period.”

The National Living Wage is to increase by 30p an hour to £7.50 next year, but unions will continue to campaign for the rate to be extended to younger workers.

That was one of the key announcements as Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered his first autumn statement to the Commons today.

Mr Hammond said the increase for over-25s from April was worth more than £500 to a full-time worker.

The TUC countered that workers aged 24 and under would continue to be paid hundreds of pounds less.

Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, which sets a higher voluntary rate for a living wage, said: “We welcome any pay rise for low-paid workers, especially now in these uncertain times with speculations about food and other prices set to rise.

“The reality, however, is that a fifth of UK workers aren’t paid enough to live on. There’s still a gap between the Government minimum and our real Living Wage of £8.45 in the UK and £9.75 in London, which is based on what families need to earn to meet everyday costs.

The Chancellor also revealed plans to cut corporation tax, build more houses and continue with devolved powers to regions around Britain.

Follow our live coverage here

For a full round-up of the Autumn Statement, visit our website or see tomorrow’s paper.

Catch up with all the latest news with our quick round-up of this morning's headlines

HELP FOR WORKERS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT HEART OF PHILIP HAMMOND'S STATEMENT

Measures to help low-paid workers and invest in affordable housing will be at the heart of Philip Hammond's first Autumn Statement as Chancellor.

Mr Hammond will announce a 4% rise in the minimum wage for over-25s - known by ministers as the National Living Wage - to £7.50 an hour from April 2017.

And he will help an estimated three million families with changes to the "taper rate" for Universal Credit, which will allow low-paid workers to keep an additional 2p of every extra pound they earn.

PARLIAMENT WATCHDOG CALLS FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY OVER PUBLIC SPENDING

Ministers must do more to show taxpayers how they are spending their money, Parliament's financial watchdog has warned.

The influential Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has insisted there is currently no adequate approach for safeguarding value for money across Government departments.

A new transparency drive to allow MPs and the public to better scrutinise Government plans and performance is needed, the PAC report states.

NHS LABS AT 'TIPPING POINT' PUTTING CANCER TESTS AT RISK, CHARITY WARNS

Crucial tests for early cancer diagnosis are under threat as NHS labs are at a "tipping point", a report by Cancer Research UK has warned.

Pathology services in the UK are struggling to keep pace with the rising number of samples that need analysing in order to spot the disease while it is easier to treat, the charity said.

Increasing demand on services due to an ageing population and inadequate staff numbers have created a "diagnostic bottleneck" that will get worse without urgent action, it added.

VOLUNTARY SECTOR STRUGGLING TO COPE WITH DESTITUTE MIGRANT FAMILIES, STUDY SAYS

Small charities and faith-based groups are struggling to meet the needs of rising numbers of destitute migrant children and families, according to a report.

The organisations are stepping in to provide housing, food and clothing, the study said.

But it warned that the voluntary sector faces a lack of capacity while demand for services increases.

MP ASKS IF SIR PHILIP GREEN'S ASSETS CAN BE SEIZED OVER BHS PENSIONS DEFICIT

MPs have raised the prospect that Sir Philip Green's multi million pound super yacht and other assets could be seized to help plug the hole in the BHS pension fund.

The chairman of the Commons Work and Pensions Committee Frank Field has written to The Pensions Regulator (TPR) seeking clarification as to its powers following the store chain's collapse.

In particular, he asked whether it was possible to settle claims "through acquiring assets other than cash from a person or company from which payment is being sought".

JURY DUE TO RETIRE IN TRIAL OF MAN ACCUSED OF MURDERING JO COX

A jury is due to retire today to consider verdicts in the trial of an alleged far right extremist accused of murdering Labour MP Jo Cox.

Thomas Mair, 53, allegedly shot and stabbed the mother-of-two as she arrived at Birstall library in West Yorkshire for a surgery on June 16, a week before the EU referendum.

The defendant, who allegedly shouted "Britain first", had a stash of neo-Nazi material at his home and had collected a dossier on his 41-year-old Remain campaigning MP, the Old Bailey heard.

CAR TO BE RECOVERED FROM SWOLLEN RIVER IN SEARCH FOR DRIVER MISSING IN STORM

A car belonging to a pensioner who disappeared during Storm Angus is expected to be pulled from a swollen river later as parts of the country remain on flood alert.

Russell Sherwood, 69, went missing after leaving his home in Neath, South Wales, on Monday morning as the storm that claimed at least one life wrought widespread havoc.

On Tuesday evening teams searching the River Ogmore said they had discovered a car believed to be Mr Sherwood's silver Ford Focus lying upside-down in the water.

SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMMUTERS FACE FURTHER DISRUPTION AS 48-HOUR WALKOUT CONTINUES

Workers on Southern Railway are continuing with a 48-hour strike, leading to more travel misery for hundreds of thousands of passengers.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will remain on strike until midnight tonight in the long-running dispute over the role of conductors.

Picket lines will again be mounted outside stations including London Victoria and Brighton. Southern is planning to run 61% of its normal timetable and said more services will be available compared with previous strikes.

HEINZ BEANZ #CANSONG ADVERT BANNED OVER DRUMMING ON CAN SAFETY

A Heinz advert teaching viewers how to use tin cans to drum out a song has been banned for encouraging behaviour that risks health and safety.

The advert featured children, teenagers and adults using empty or full Heinz Beanz tins to drum out the rhythm of the song, with the catchline "Learn the #CanSong".

Nine viewers complained that the advert encouraged "unsafe practice" and six believed it featured behaviour that could be dangerous for children to copy.

DRIVE-BY SHOOTING BY GUNMAN ON MOTORBIKE LEAVES 72-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IN HOSPITAL

A 72-year-old woman has been hurt in a drive-by shooting by a gunman riding a motorbike.

Merseyside Police said the woman is in a stable condition in hospital with a gunshot wound to her leg which is not thought to be life-threatening.

She was attacked while standing in the doorway of a house in Peckmill Green, in the Netherley area of Liverpool at around 6.10pm on Tuesday.

One lane of entry slip road is also blocked.

Emergency services are at scene.

A young Jack Russell dog was left almost completely bald because its owners failed to get it proper treatment for an allergy.

Blackpool Magistrates issued warrants without bail for Christopher Frost, 49, and his former partner Gillian Webster, 58, who used to live with the three year old bitch Libby in Platt Street,Blackpool.

The couple failed to attend the court hearing and were found guilty of Failing to stop Libby’s pain and suffering in their absence.

The court heard how the dog had an allergy to fleas which could have been easily treated. Instead the animal ended up pulling its own hair out, leaving the animal 80 per cent bald.

RSPCA inspector Sarah Hayland told the charity received an anonymous tip off.

She went to Platt Street and could not gain entry. She heard the dog yelping and could see Libby was suffering hair loss from its neck downwards.

A Neighbour later let her in to the house and she took the dog to vet Fiona Connolly who has a practice in St Annes.

Information from the dog’s microchip allowed the RSPCA to trace the owners who had gone to Grimsby.

They were interviewed and Webster denied mistreating Libby and said she and Frost had made arrangements for neighbours to look after 
the animal whilst they were away.

Webster said: “I want her to come home. I miss her everyday. She is my baby girl and follows me everywhere.”

In his interview Frost said: “I think we have done our best. The dog is our number one priority. She is close to my heart and has been wrenched away. She will be missing her Sunday roast.”

Frost said that Libby had suffered from fleas and maintained the couple had got some treatment for her.

The vet gave evidence and said Libby had suffered eighty percent hair loss caused by pulling her own hair out.

“Tests revealed she was suffering from an allergy to fleas. This has been long standing in my opinion.”

“The proper treatment has been given and she has fully recovered.

“It took less than a week of treatment to help her get rid of what we call flea bite dermatitis.”

When Webster and Frost are arrested and brought to court the RSPCA will be asking for an order banning them from keeping pets in the future.