A tot born weighing less than a pound in weight was back home for Christmas against the odds.

Little Edgar Morris was born in August at only 25 weeks weighing just 770gms.

Proud mum Rachel Morris, 27, from Lytham, who works as an assistant business manager at Selfridges in central Manchester, and her fiance Peter Morris, 29, who works on the family dairy farm near Lytham, are over the moon that Edgar, or Eddy, as he is known to family and friends, is safely home for Christmas.

Rachel and Peter are engaged to be married and, by coincidence, already share the same second name.

Eddy is now 17 weeks old and was originally due on December 6.

Rachel said: “Eddy is perfect. He’s doing so well.

“He was only 770gms when he was born – he was miniscule.”

Eddy is Rachel’s first child and he is all the more special as she had been pregnant once before but lost the baby late in the pregnancy.

While she was pregnant with Eddy, Rachel coped with a number of health problems and did everything in her power to make sure her unborn son was protected.

Rachel said: “I had a late miscarriage and they couldn’t find any reason for it so for my next pregnancy I was told I had to be really careful and plan ahead.

“However, I started to feel really unwell and eventually it turned out that I was pregnant again. I couldn’t believe it. When I went for my first scan I found out I was 17 weeks and three days pregnant. I nearly fell off the bed! I was so shocked. Pete was completely shocked as well.

“Thankfully I don’t drink and I don’t smoke so there had been no risks to the baby. When I went for my 20 weeks scan I was told there was a problem with my cervix. It couldn’t cope with the weight of the baby. I had to have a stitch put in to protect the baby.

“The consultant was excellent. He said the stitch might give me two weeks or I might go full term. I knew that there was a possibility that I might have a premature baby.”

Rachel got to 25 weeks and was feeling great but then suddenly she started to go into labour on August 23.

She went straight to Blackpool Victoria Hospital where she had the stitch removed.

She said: “I was terrified because it wasn’t what we’d planned but the birth was actually quite calm.

“Eddy had to be taken in an incubator to the Blackpool unit straight after birth due to extreme prematurity and because he was in respiratory distress so I didn’t see him until 4pm on August 24.

“It was amazing to see Eddy – he was microscopic. Firstly, he had to be transferred to the Royal Preston Hospital for seven weeks and then, once stable, he returned for another seven weeks to the Neonatal Unit at Blackpool. He came home two weeks ago weighing 4lbs 6oz.”

Rachel said hospital staff had been great with her and gave special thanks to midwife, Lucy Atkins, from Blackpool Victoria Hospital who was with her during the birth.

Rachel explained: “Having a baby is the scariest thing ever.

“Lucy was just really calm and so good with me. She gave us space and she was there when we needed her.

“The staff were all amazing. You become good friends because you are spending so much time on the unit.

“They do such a good job looking after the baby and looking after you as well.

“I could not have asked for better people to have looked after Eddy.

“I’d like to thank everyone who cared for us.”

Rachel’s dad Keith Morris and Peter’s parents, Helen and David Morris, are overjoyed with the arrival of Eddy and are looking forward to seeing him over the festive season.

Rachel added: “Christmas is going to be very special this year. Eddy is going to be a very spoiled boy! Having him is just magical.”

Contractors working on Blackpool’s new multi-million pound rollercoaster have told how they are digging up the past as they pave the way for the future.

At Blackpool Pleasure Beach work has begun on the £16.25m Construction 2018, a twin launch coaster which will snake its way around some of the park’s most historic rides.

It will include a ‘high five’ pass with the Big Dipper and will dive under the world famous Big One.

Wes Bagot, of Blackpool-based Roger Bullivant, is part of the team leading the way on the 18-month construction.

He said: “It’s a unique environment to work in.

“We’re working in and around the rides with extreme precision, the whole project has been mapped out with lasers.

“And the park is an interesting place to be doing this.

“We’re putting in the foundations and as we’re doing it we’re digging up more than 100 years of history.

“There’s spots where old rides have been, we’re uncovering things all the time.”

Wes is proud to be working at the Pleasure Beach and helping to build an attraction which will boost the town’s tourist industry.

He said: “It’s cool working here. I’m from South Shore, I’ve been coming onto the Pleasure Beach all my life.

“As a Blackpool lad and working for a local firm I’m so proud to be a part of it.

“We all know what the Pleasure Beach means to Blackpool and it’s great to be part of the future.”

Wes and his team are working to a tight schedule with work on the first phase to be completed before the park re-opens for spring.

He said: “It is a very intense schedule.

“We have to have 800 foundations in before February.

“Work will then stop for the summer before the steelwork starts going up next winter.

“It’s all got to be ready for then.

“People won’t really see the ride take shape until this time next year.”

The new Rollercoaster has been designed by German firm Mack and will feature the latest technology.

Pleasure Beach deputy managing director Nick Thompson said the ride will be ‘the best in the world’ when it opens for the 2018 season.

It is the biggest investment at the Pleasure Beach since the Sky Force ride opened and is the largest project undertaken since the Big One which was opened in 1994.

Ten years ago Sandra’s life was turned upside down, as she waved her husband off to work for the last time.

It was a night like any other for Sandra Potton.

Family members had been dropping in and out of the house, the clear up beginning after a busy Christmas. It was 27 December 2006.

She made husband Steve his dinner before he headed out of the door to work.

It would be the last time she saw him.

Just four hours later Sandra’s life had been turned upside-down by tragedy.

“The last time I saw him was after he’d had his tea,” said Sandra.

“I can’t remember what it was, it was nothing special.

“He went off to work, just like any other day.

“I didn’t tell him I loved him or anything like that.

“I remember him telling me not to forget to tape Coronation Street, I think that was the last thing I heard him say.”

Steve, 52, was a helicopter pilot.

Based at Blackpool Airport he flew workers between gas rigs in Morecambe Bay, a job frought with danger, even if the couple didn’t admit it.

“I used to say he was a glorified bus driver and that’s how I thought of it.

“I didn’t think of the danger, although Steve was a helicopter pilot, you always knew at the back of your mind there was that risk.”

A phone call out of the blue changed Sandra’s life forever, a nightmare moment she will never forget.

“I got a call from one of his bosses,” she explained.

“Nobody came calling to the house, nothing like that.

“It was a phone call.

“They said the helicopter had gone down and there were seven onboard and that the lifeboats were out searching.

“I just went into a panic, I knocked on the neighbours’ window.

“Jill and her husband Rob and I explained what had happened. I managed to phone my sister Pat who worked at the helicopter terminal, I phoned her up and she came round to see me.

“Gradually we got hold of the family who had been heading home, then it was just a wait.”

With words from Steve in her mind, all Sandra could do was wait for work from the search operation, which had been scaled up to include Search and Rescue Sea King helicopters. Steve always said to me if it’s winter and we go into the water, forget it.

“Gradually I started to hear about them finding people.

“Every time I thought it might be Steve.

“The longer it went, the more I knew. But you just thought they might find him, not necessarily OK, but alive.”

That wasn’t the case.

At around 1.30am Sandra received the call she had been dreading, the news that Steve’s body had been found in the waters of Morecambe Bay.

He died along with co-pilot Simon Foddering, 33, from Preston, Leslie Ahmed, 48, from South Shields, Alfred Neasham, 57, from Co Durham, John Shaw, 51, from Kirkcaldy, Fife, Keith Smith, 57, from Stockton-on-Tees, and Robert Warburton, 60, from Heysham.

She said: “My world just fell apart. It was just horrible.

“I’d been drinking whisky all night to calm my nerves.

“I was just waiting for something.

“In truth, I just felt numb.”

Family members who had been heading home from the Christmas celebrations turned around and rushed to Sandra’s side, her house becoming a hive of activity as the recovery operation continued.

“If it hadn’t been for the family, I don’t think I’d have got through,” said Sandra.

“It was important to have them there. My daughter came round and they were there for me.”

A special service will be held today at Fleetwood RNLI on the Esplanade at 10.40am to mark a decade since the tragedy.

Ten years on Sandra, 61, still feels the absence of her husband around Christmas time.

But it’s nothing compared to the months and years of hurt following the accident.

She said: “It’s not like illness where you have time to prepare yourself.

“This was literally he was there one minute, gone the next. When they brought Steve ashore he was taken to the hangars at the airport but I couldn’t go to see him.

“He was so close.

“Then there was the inquest, during which we heard, in some detail how our loved ones had died.

“It was tough, a lot of the family members cried every day.

“But at least I knew for Steve it was over quickly.

“I’d hate to think of him drowning, suffering.

“It was over in seconds.”

That wasn’t the case for Sandra, who spent months in counselling following the accident.

But with help from cocker spaniel Dylan, bought six months after the crash, she gradually came to terms with the tragedy that rocked her life. Sandra said: “I had to go through counselling for what happened. It was very intense, twice a week for a long time. Gradually it came down to once a week, then once a fortnight, once a month and eventually I was able to bring it to an end.

“Life goes on but there’ll always be that something missing. Steve was unique. He was so full of life.

“I don’t think I’ll meet anyone like that again.”

Steve and Sandra loved to travel. And it was in one of his favourite spots Sandra laid him to rest.

She said: “We were lucky, luckier that most because we were able to travel.

“Steve loved holidays.

“The last one we went on together was to the Maldives.

“I remember he went diving with a whale shark, a massive thing. I stayed in the boat.

“After the funeral I took his ashes to Tobago, that was one of our favourite places.

“One morning I hired a little boat from a local and we took him out and scattered his ashes in the sea.

“He always said that’s what he’d have wanted, to be somewhere tropical, somewhere he loved.”

And gradually, with family and friends around her, Sandra has regained her strength.

She said: “I have a wonderful grandson now and he’s amazing. They aren’t blood relations but I see so much of Steve in him.He’s so happy, so loving, I’m reminded so much. It’s wonderful being a grandma.”

‘I wish Lauren knew him better’

For Lauren Potton the night of December 27 was the one and only meeting with her father in law.

Steve Potton’s son Andy called on him at Blackpool Airport as he prepared for the evening’s flight, one from which he would never return.

And he took with him his new girlfriend, the woman who would go on to be his wife.

Sandra Potton, Steve’s wife explained.

“Steve’s son was coming to the house.

“On the way he called at the airport, he wanted to introduce his new girlfriend to his dad.

“They came round here after and she was so lovely.

“That was the last time Andy got to see Steve and I’m glad he was able to meet Lauren.”

The couple moved to Calgary in Canada five years ago and married in 2014.

Sandra said: “That’s the only time she ever met her father in law.

“I cannot imagine how it felt to be thrown into all this tragedy.

“Steve was a wonderful dad, both to Andy and to my daughter Deborah.

“She wouldn’t have gone into the RAF if it wasn’t for him and she wouldn’t have the fantastic job she has now, at BAe in Warton working as a controller.

“I just wish Lauren had been able to get to know him better.”

Andy, 37, is unable to come over to the UK for the commemoration but has recorded a special video message which will be shown during the service.

‘Everyone seemed to know they had an important job to do’

Some moments remain burned in the memory long after they have passed.

One of those in the life of this writer came in the aftermath of the Morecambe Bay helicopter disaster.

As a 27-year-old reporter I was sent to Fleetwood lifeboat station from where rescue crews had been dispatched.

By more fortune than judgement my arrival co-incided with the return of the lifeboat and its crew.

They had spent many hours scouring the cold, dark waters in search first of survivors then bodies and wreckage.

On their return the grim task began of unloading what had been pulled from the water.

The wreckage was barely recognisable as a helicopter, the size of the fragments testament to the force of the impact.

Each item was carried by a crew member from the boat and placed inside the lifeboat station, barely a dozen pieces of metal and plastic, the largest a piece of seating from the cabin.

The atmosphere was heavy but everyone seemed to know they had an important job to do.

As an observer it was comforting not to be called upon to support the 
volunteers in their grizzly work.

The bond the crew members have since formed with the families of the seven men who died shows what an impact the mission made on their own memories.

It is one dark day in Fylde coast history which will never be forgotten.

A furious homeowner was burgled a second time as he went to confront the thieves responsible for the first break in.

Preston Crown Court heard the victim had returned to his home on Walmsley Street, Fleetwood, to find around £3,000 of possessions, including a tablet had been stolen.

He used a tracker device to pinpoint its location and went to the street the following day, April 18.

The court heard he saw a group of young men loitering outside a house there.

When the victim arrived back home his LG television had been stolen – but a quick thinking decorator who was working close by, stepped in to help.

The court heard the plucky painter had seen suspicious activity at the house with someone carrying a large flat screen TV out, and he chased two men.

One of them threw the TV at him but the workman was able to punch him in the mouth before he fled.

He later identified Callum Joshua Garry Geddes, to police and most of the stolen goods were recovered.

Geddes, a 19-year-old car wash worker from Lingfield Road, Fleetwood, has admitted handling stolen goods in connection with the burglary.

Judge Simon Newell said: “I’m afraid you have used up all of your chances – the next one will be an immediate jail term.

“I’m just about persuaded to take a chance.”

Geddes was given a six- month jail term suspended for 18 months and must do 150 hours unpaid work and a 15 day rehabilitation activity.

He was also given a curfew.

Defending, Julie Taylor said: “He now recognises the company he was keeping at the time was not desirable.

“He wishes to move on with his life.”

A count of burglary will lie on the file

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

Loren Sirbu, 21, drink-driving

A care assistant was more than twice over the alcohol limit when police described him as driving in Blackpool town centre in an unsafe manner.

Loren Sirbu, 21, of Pleasant Street, North Shore, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and having no insurance. The proceedings were relayed to him in Romanian by an interpreter.

He was banned from the road for 21 months and fined £370 with £85 costs plus £37 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said police saw Sirbu driving a Hyundai Coupe along the resort’s Queens Street in an unsafe manner on September 12 at 3.45am.

A blood test showed 191 micrograms of alcohol in his body – 80 is the limit.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had come to the UK just over a year ago.

The night of the offence Sirbu had been to a party, drunk more alcohol than he intended to and foolishly decided to drive his car. His insurance had lapsed only seven days previously.

Stephen Morris, 58, possession of heroin

Getting arrested proved to have a silver lining for a man who had heroin.

Stephen Morris had viewed his arrest as a wake-up call and weaned himself off drugs.

Morris, , 58, of Peter Street, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to possessing heroin.

He was fined £40 with £30 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said police in an unmarked car were driving down Coronation Street when they saw what appeared to be a hand-to-hand exchange between Morris and another man on September 7.

When searched four ŵraps of heroin valued at £35 were found on Morris, who had two previous drug-related convictions.

Allan Cobain, defending, told magistrates that Morris said there had been an exchange between him and the other man, but only of a cigarette lighter.

Mr Cobain added: “He says he had been dabbling in taking drugs again and this arrest was a wake-up call. He started to wean himself off drugs and tells me for the last month he has been drug free.”

Kerri-Ann Banning, 26, theft

A woman asked a staff member near the main door of a shop if they had been watching her and then tried to leave with stolen goods.

Kerri-Ann Banning, , 26,of Victory Road, North Shore, pleaded guilty to theft of razors valued at £72.

She was sentenced to a six weeks curfew from 9pm to 7am and ordered to pay £15 costs with £85 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said Banning walked up to a staff member near the door at the resort’s Wilkinson store on November 28 at 12.45pm and asked if they had been watching her before walking out with the stolen razors and setting off the alarms.

She told police she intended selling the razors to pay for drugs and for a debt she owed her drug dealer.

Martin Hillson, defending, said his client had been introduced to drugs by a boyfriend when she was 23 and became drug dependant.

After spending five months in hospital with health problems some of which were caused by her drug use she stopped using them.

Recently she had started dabbling in drugs but after stealing the razors she got help from drugs specialists and was on a methadone prescription.

Paul Anderson, 49, theft

A man stole from a supermarket because he had no food or electricity.

Paul Anderson, 49, of Charles Street, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to three thefts.

He was sentenced to an eight weeks tagged curfew from 7pm to 6am and ordered to pay £15 costs with £85 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said a witness at Sainsburys, Talbot Road, saw Anderson put two sets of DVDs valued together at £100 in a bag and walk out without paying on December 3 at 9.30am.

He had previously admitted twice stealing tools from B&Q.

Anderson told police he would have sold the items as he had no cash to live on.

Peter Manning, defending, said sometimes Anderson suffered from anxiety and depression for which he received medication from his doctor. His benefit money had been sanctioned because he had had difficulties getting a sick note.

Leighton Milne, 38, distributing and possessing indecent photographs of children

A man has admitted making and distributing indecent pictures of children at the most depraved level.

Leighton Milne, 38, of Chadfield Road, Blackpool, now living in Birmingham, pleaded guilty to three offences of making, three offences of distributing and one offence of possessing indecent photographs of children,

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said Milne was found with 81 category A pictures of children, the most indecent.

He also had 19 category B and 25 category C pictures of children.

The offences took place between August 2014 and February this year at Blackpool.

Brett Chappell, defending, said his client had been abused as a child and suffered from mental health issues.

Milne was bailed to appear for sentence at Preston Crown Court on January 25 by Blackpool magistrates.

He must not have any contact with children under 18 as a condition of his bail.

Flavio Stingu, 42, fraud

A man accused of fraud by taking out a financial agreement intending to cause loss to MotoNovo Finance has appeared at court.

Flavio Stingu, 42, of Cambridge Road, Ansdell, was bailed for further inquiries into the case by Blackpool magistrates.

Jordan Leeming, 19, theft

A teenager caught stealing a sound bar asked if he could go and get some money to pay for the item and then ran off.

Jordan Leeming, 19, of Crystal Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to theft.

He was given a 12 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 costs with £20 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said a security officer at Asda, Cherry Tree Road, saw Leeming and another man go to the self-serve area on September 21. 
The £60 sound bar they had did not scan but they walked out with it.

When apprehended they asked if they could get money to pay for it and then ran off.

David Charnley, defending, said Leeming had kept out of trouble for more than a year and the offence was out of character for him.

More than 500 crimes involving the sexual abuse of children were recorded in Lancashire in just three months, police figures have shown.

Authorities believe the figures show more and more people are gaining the courage to report and discuss what has happened to them.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show for the first quarter of this financial year, police in Lancashire recorded 44 offences of sexual activity involving a child under 13, a further 142 involving a child under 16, 151 sex assaults on girls over 13 and 67 assaults on girls under 13.

There were 20 sexual assaults recorded on boys over 13 and 18 on boys under 13.

In the same period 22 rapes of girls under 13 were recorded, with 23 rapes of girls under 16.

There were also 23 rapes of boys under 13, and six of boys under 16

The figures are monitored by the NSPCC.

An NSPCC spokesman said: “Operation Yewtree helped give Kimmy Savile’s victims a voice, but it also helped give many other sexual abuse survivors the courage to come forward and seek justice for the abhorrent crimes they were subjected to.

“There is far more emphasis on safeguarding today. Improvements in prevention as well as early detection of child sexual abuse means more children are kept safer than ever before, but we need to do more.

“The NSPCC is asking internet providers to do more to prevent children being at risk online, and we are working with O2 to ensure parents have as much information as possible to help them keep their children safe online.

“We visit schools across the UK to help children understand the importance of speaking out to stay safe when they have concerns, and make sure Childline is always there for children and young people when they need help.”

The figures show an increase in boys under 13 coming forward compared to the same quarter last year.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said the force was committed to preventing child sexual abuse, helping victims and bringing offenders to justice.

He said: “It is a crime that can affect any child, anytime, anywhere – regardless of their social or ethnic background.

“It involves offenders grooming youngsters and using their power to sexually abuse them. It can take many forms, whether it occurs through a seemingly ‘consensual’ relationship with an older boyfriend, or a young person having sex in return for attention, gifts, alcohol or cigarettes.

“Sexual exploitation is child abuse and, although they may not realise it, it puts the young victim at huge risk of damage to their physical, emotional and psychological health.”

• Contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.

Campaigners are calling on town hall chiefs not to axe a grant which helps hundreds of people get back to living a normal life after suffering a stroke.

The Stroke Assocation receives £26,000 each year from Blackpool Council but the funding is under review as part of proposed budget cuts of £18.7m.

Jean Sherrington, 72, of Lawson Road, Marton, addressed a meeting of the council’s executive to appeal for them to protect the funding.

She said: “I suffered my first stroke in 2011 and then a second one in 2014.

“The help sufferers get thanks to this council grant is monumental when it comes to helping recovery.

“The role of the Stroke Association is priceless for supporting us to get back to a normal life, and stroke is affecting people of all ages in our town including many young people.

“The better supported people are after a stroke, regardless of age or circumstances, then the less dependent we are on the NHS and other council services.”

Chris Larkin, regional director at the Stroke Association in the North West, said: “We are very disappointed Blackpool Council is considering ceasing the funding for the Stroke Association’s Life After Stroke Service in Blackpool.

“Stroke is one of the largest causes of disability and a third of all stroke survivors need help with everyday tasks.

“Through our vital services, around 200 stroke survivors each year in Blackpool have received practical advice, emotional help and one-to-one support to help ensure they can make their best possible recovery.

“Stroke leaves people feeling frightened, isolated and alone.

“For a lot of stroke survivors in the area, the support received has been a lifeline and has given them hope for the future.”

He added the association would continue to try and ensure services were available for people in the town.

Coun Amy Cross, cabinet member for adult services and health on Blackpool Council, said: “We will be having budget consultation and the points raised will be taken into consideration as part of that consultation, and we’ll use that as part of the evidence base when we make our decision.”

‘I would have gone back to my old ways and not got any help’

Bill Clements, 52, from Blackpool, was a heavy smoker and drinker.

He was at work running his washing business, Billy’s Power Washing Restoration Specialist, when he started to experience strange feelings in his arm.

He ignored it and carried on working. After three weeks of the same feeling, he visited the doctor who prescribed medication for a trapped nerve.

After returning to work, a few days later he woke and could not open his right hand.

A trip to A&E at Blackpool Victoria Hospital resulted in Bill being told he had had a stroke.

After several brain scans and four days in hospital, Bill returned home to his partner’s house, as he could not climb the five flights of stairs in his own building.

He was left with weakness in his right arm and hand, meaning he was unable to grasp anything properly.

Bill was visited by the Stroke Association’s local Life After Stroke co-ordinator Sharon Hardman to support him throughout his recovery.

As well as advice and guidance about his stroke and its effects, Sharon supported Bill to return to work.

His weakness in his right hand meant he could no longer operate the machinery he used to run his newly formed business.

Sharon supported Bill to receive a Life After Stroke Grant from the Stroke Association, to pay for a new piece of machinery that would enable his return to work.

Bill said: “If it wasn’t for the Stroke Association I’d still be drinking and smoking, and certainly wouldn’t be in the situation I am now.

“Without Sharon’s visits, I would have gone back to my olds ways and not got any help.

“My stroke woke me up and encouraged me to put myself and my business first. I now no longer smoke, rarely drink and have completely turned my life around.”

An abuser who lured his victim under a blanket with the pretence of watching a movie has been caged for 12 years.

Kieran Curran, 40, now of Hilary Road, Newbridge, Wales, attacked the Fleetwood girl when she was as young as six, Preston Crown Court heard.

Prosecuting, Joe Allman said in September 2014, when the victim was older, he started to send her messages of a sexual nature on her mobile phone.

His sickening crimes came to light when the youngster, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, confided in her friends and teachers at her school in Fleetwood two months after the messages started, prompting an investigation.

Nottingham-born Curran, who worked for a catering distribution company, pleaded guilty to three counts of assaulting a child under 13 and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Judge Graham Knowles QC ordered Curran to serve an extra year on licence after his release and imposed an indefinite restraining order and sexual harm prevention order.

Today Sgt Mike Ellis, formerly of Blackpool’s public protection unit, said: “ She was not aware it was wrong as she was so young. It was only as she got older and he started sending messages to her that she realised something wasn’t right.

“This has just torn the victim and her family apart.

“However it is a positive example of how school safeguarding procedures have worked – it was as a result of the school’s actions and the victim’s bravery that we were able to investigate him.

“We were pleased with the sentence which reflects the breach of trust as he was known to the girl’s family.

“It sends out the right message that even if offences are historic, we will seek to bring people to justice.”

The battle goes on to protect frontline policing staff as the public faces a tough choice on how Lancashire’s force is funded.

The ratio of police staff to population has dropped in the county every year since 2011.

Then there were 3.9 police staff for every 1,000 people. That figure in 2015 had fallen to 3.3.

When front line officers are taken into accout the drop is far smaller, from 2.3 per 1,000 in 2011 to two last year.

It reflects a push in Lancashire to protect front line services, a commitment under increasing pressure as central Government funding diminishes.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw says funding levels can only be maintained by raising council tax contributions at the maximum permitted level.

He is now asking the people of Lancashire just how much they are willing to pay in next year’s bill.

Mr Grunshaw said: “In Lancashire we have had to save £76m a year and we have significant savings to find by 2020.

“The Government is saying they are ‘protecting’ police funding.

“It’s just not true. Government funding is continuing to be cut

“Their announcement states: ‘No PCC who chooses to maximise precept in both years will face a reduction in cash funding next year compared to 2015/16’.

“In other words if I put up the council tax precept by the maximum amount I am allowed, we will maintain our funding.”

And Mr Grunshaw is worried by trends in statistics which are beginning to show a rise in crime and increasing demand on stretched services.

He said: “We are beginning to see a rise in crime in our area along with rising demand as health services and councils are scaled back due to their funding issues.

“Despite this, Lancashire Police will continue to manage these new cuts effectively and provide a quality service. But to suggest that more cuts won’t have an impact on the future of policing in our area is not realistic.

“We will be looking again at our resources and we will make more savings where they will have the least impact on our ability to fight crime and keep people safe.

“With all this in mind, I am launching a consultation on the council tax precept and would urge as many people as possible to have their say.

“I will act on the outcome of the consultation regardless of what the Government may be asking me to do.”

The Commissioner is responsible for setting the budget for the police and for deciding the amount of council tax the public in Lancashire pay towards it. As a police force Lancashire receives over 70 per cent of it’s funding through central government and 26 per cent via the council tax precept.

The public will be asked if they want to freeze the payment, increase it by two per cent (an average of 6p per week) or by five per cent (an average of 16p per week).

You can access the survey at www.Lancashire-pcc.gov.uk

Everything stopped at four o’clock.That’s what they used to say of 4pm on Saturdays in the 1950s through to the late 80s – when British professional wrestling was on ITV.
British wrestling was a national institution back then. Heavyweight stars Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks were household names. Even the Queen was a fan.
Now a new generation of UK grappling stars have the chance to become heroes (and villains!) to a TV audience thanks to a one-off special airing on ITV1 on New Year’s Eve.

But back when Daddy and Haystacks were in their grunting and groaning prime,
Lancashire had a major role to play in the popularity of pro wrestling.
In Preston, venues like the Majestic Skating Rink, the Queens Hall at Saul Street Baths, the Public Hall (better known these days as the Corn Exchange and the Assembly) and the Guild Hall hosted wrestling during its golden age.
During the 1960s two promoters regularly presented shows in Preston. At the Corn Exchange was the independent Cape Promotions, while at the Queens Hall the shows were run by Norman Morrell and Ted Beresford, members of Joint Promotions and able to present the big names like Mick McManus, Les Kellett, Jackie Pallo and Kendo Nagasaki.
Preston has itself produced a number of professional wrestlers, most famously the WWE star Wade Barrett in recent years.
But back in the glory days of TV wrestling, Preston-based Rajendra Singh, a tall, slender middleweight originally from India, made a name for himself on the UK circuit.
Another pro wrestler, Harry ‘Paul’ Duval, died in Preston in 2013. Duval was born in Montserrat in the Caribbean and moved to the UK as a youngster, and later became famous around Preston as a stylish cab driver who always wore a chauffeur’s cap.

Up the road in Morecambe, British wrestling was cheap and cheerful entertainment for seaside crowds from the 1930s onwards.
The Native American star Billy Two Rivers was a top attraction at the Winter Gardens theatre in the 1950s. While appearing in Morecambe, the Mohawk chief from Canada romanced a local girl and fathered a child. The young lad grew up to become top designer and TV personality Wayne Hemingway, who recalls as one of his earliest memories being paraded around the Winter Gardens ring on the shoulders of his famous father.
On July 24 1969, while on a UK tour, a gargantuan young Frenchman named Jean Ferre wrestled in Morecambe, beating John Cox by technical knockout. Ferre would go on to global superstardom as the 7ft ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ Andre the Giant, who played Fezzik in The Princess Bride and was the original WWE Hall of Famer.
An ITV World of Sport broadcast taped in Morecambe on August 17 1977 was an exceptional bill, with names such as Cyanide Sid Cooper, Mick McManus, Johnny Saint and the masked man Count Bartelli, a wild double disqualification between Marty Jones and Rollerball Rocco, and a match pitting ‘British Bulldog’ The Dynamite Kid against Jackie Robinson, the European Lightweight Champion.
Jackie loved Morecambe so much, he would in later life settle in the town to run a go-kart track on the seafront.
Another British wrestling legend, Steve Logan – former tag partner of McManus –
also moved to Morecambe and spent his final days living in the resort prior to his death in 2003.
The Winter Gardens closed in 1977 but bouts continued both on the Central Pier and at a brand new venue on the promenade, The Dome, as well as at The Carleton and the old Pontins holiday camp at Middleton Towers. TV wrestling also carried on in the resort until 1981, with names such as Tony ‘Banger’ Walsh,
Steve Grey, Alan Kilby, Mal ‘King Kong’ Kirk, ‘Ironfist’ Clive Myers, Jimmy Breaks, and the Auf Wiedersehn Pet and Raiders of the Lost Ark star ‘Bomber’ Pat Roach on the bills.

The 1980s also saw the biggest household names in British wrestling, the super heavyweights Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks, pull huge crowds to the Central Pier.
In 1991 and 1992, the ageing Daddy was still the star attraction on Thursday evening summer shows at The Dome.
Names such as ‘Burly’ Barry Douglas, ‘Kindhearted’ Keith Myatt and Dave ‘Fit Finlay’ (with Princess Paula) were regulars alongside up-and-comers like Johnny Angel, Tony Stuart and Blackpool-based Steve Regal, who would later earn fame and fortune in America as William Regal in WWE.
Wrestling continues in Preston and Morecambe today, thanks to promoters
Steven Fludder of Preston City Wrestling and Kieran Engelke of Alpha Omega Wrestling respectively. Morecambe even has its own wrestling ‘hall of fame’.
Blackpool, too, has long been a hotbed of ‘grunt and groan’. The aforementioned Regal started out as a teenage wrestler at the Pleasure Beach on shows promoted by Bobby Baron in the 80s. His local contemporaries included Steve Peacock and Tony Francis, who ran a second-hand cooker shop on Central Drive when he wasn’t donning the trunks.
Regal’s first bout for the renowned UK promoter Max Crabtree (brother of Shirley ‘Big Daddy’ Crabtree) was against Barry Sherman, a Blackpool councillor whose ring name was Rex Strong.

Wigan, too, has a rich history. Two of the most decorated UK wrestlers, Davey ‘Boy’ Smith and Tommy ‘The Dynamite Kid’ Billington from Golborne, started out on the British circuit in the 70s before forming a tag team called The British Bulldogs who went to America, Canada and Japan and became huge worldwide stars. Wigan is also the home of Billy Riley’s infamous Snake Pit wrestling gym. From its
origins in the 1940s, the Snake Pit developed talent such as British champions Bert Assirati and Billy Robinson, cousin of Jackie.
Billy took his ground-based submission style all over the world and helped lay the
foundations for the success of Mixed Martial Arts and the Ultimate Fighting Championship today.
Wigan remains a popular haunt for grapple fans as home of Grand Pro Wrestling based at The Rose Club in Hindley.

The two-hour special World of Sport Wrestling is being shown on ITV on Saturday, December 31 at 5.00pm.

Police in Blackpool are becoming increasingly concerned for Daniel Crae, 38 years.

He was last seen in the Blackpool area on Christmas Eve, although he does have connections to the Rossendale area.

If anyone has seen or heard from Daniel in the past few days please contact the police on 101 quoting reference LC-20161226-0325.

At around 8am a driver on Longridge Road in Ribbleton had to have his van recovered after he skidded on the ice and hit a fence post. Police were also called to a collision on Old Bridge Lane in Poulton le Fylde near the Shard Inn after a collision due to icy road conditions. Later, at around 8.30, another driver on Beechwood Drive in Thornton-Cleveleys skidded and hit a parked car. Nobody was injured in any of the incidents, say police.

The police would like to remind drivers of the following tips and advice for driving in icy conditions.

• Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop.
• If your tyres are making virtually no noise this could be a sign that you are driving on ice.
• Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
• Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists and keep your lights and windscreen clean.
• Be especially careful on bridges and infrequently travelled roads, which will freeze first.
• Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
• Do not assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.
• If travelling far, plan accordingly before leaving the house and ensure your mobile phone is suitably charged.

Police also recommend keeping the following emergency equipment in your car:

Properly inflated spare tyre, wheel wrench, functional jack, shovel, toolkit, bag of salt, tool kit, ice scraper, A torch, warm clothes, wellies, rope, first-aid kit, jump leads and a small amount of food and water.

More than 8,000 motorists have been caught drink-driving twice in the past five years.

Nearly 450 people were prosecuted three times, while two were caught on six occasions, according to DVLA data released in response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by the Press Association.

AA president Edmund King described the numbers as “astonishing” and suggested the process for returning licences after drink-drive bans had been served should be reviewed.

The figures relate to DR10 endorsements handed to drivers for driving or attempting to drive while above the legal alcohol limit.

Motorists caught drink-driving face a ban of at least a year, an unlimited fine and in the most serious cases up to six months’ imprisonment, although some are offered places on rehabilitation courses to reduce the length of their disqualification.

Mr King said: “The fact that more than 8,000 drivers have been caught twice in five years is all the more astonishing when they should have been off the road for a year or more.

“The repeat offender figures also suggest that a minority of drivers have a drink problem rather than a driving problem.

“Perhaps it is time to review some of the medical checks and rehabilitation courses before allowing these drivers back on the road.”

A drink-driver not deemed to be a high risk offender can apply to get their licence back once their ban is over by filling out a form, which includes questions about their medical condition.

The DVLA said it was duty bound to issue a licence when a driver had served their disqualification period, but it would investigate and take “appropriate action” if there was any indication of “an ongoing issue with alcohol”.

High risk offenders - such as those caught drink-driving twice within 10 years or found to be at least two and a half times the legal alcohol limit - must pass an additional medical assessment which includes having blood tests, before a licence is returned.

Work on a £1.5m project to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians on the A585 near Fleetwood is set to begin.

Highways England is starting work on the West Drive to Fleetwood shared footpath and cycleway project on Wednesday, which should be completed by the end of March.

The improvements include constructing a shared use path alongside a mile-long section of the southbound carriageway at Amounderness Way, between the Eros roundabout at the Nautical College and Denham Way roundabout.

A shared footway and cycle path will also be provided on the south side of Denham Way between Copse Road and the A585.

Two new cycle and pedestrian crossings will also be provided – one just south of Denham Way roundabout and the other to the north of Eros roundabout.

All of the work is being delivered as part of a £100m dedicated fund for cycle enhancements along the country’s roads, which is part of the Government’s wider £15bn road investment strategy.

Highways England project manager Philip Tyrrell said the work will result in ‘safer, quicker and better journeys’.

He added: “This is a significant investment in facilities for cyclists and pedestrians along this busy section of the A585 and will provide a safer and more pleasant environment for both.”

Highways England has worked closely with Cycling UK’s North West branch to develop the new cycle path and is considering extending the scheme further south along the A585 to Skippool.

Matt Hodges, Cycling UK representative in Wyre, welcomed the scheme. He said: “It will encourage many people to improve their health, fitness and wealth by active travel to work and for leisure.

“Many people would like to cycle to work or to education but find busy roads like Amounderness Way too stressful. We look forward to the extension of this scheme from the Eros Roundabout to Skippool.”

Narrow lanes, backed by a temporary 30mph speed limit, will be used along the route to help provide a safe space for workers constructing the new shared paths. Work will take place between 7am and 7pm each day with occasional overnight work.

Lancshire County Council is to sell off five more libraries.

The news comes ten days after the Post revealed that Fulwood library on Garstang Road had gone on sale with offers invited over £475,000.

Now Lancashire County Council it is to sell Whalley, Freckleton, Bolton-le-Sands, Barrowford and Earby libraries too, in a bid to raise more funds and cut costs.

The news is a further a blow to local campaigners who had fought to keep their local services open.

Council deputy leader and finance spokesman Coun David Borrow said: “We looked into options for community groups to take on responsibility for these buildings, but unfortunately no viable plans came forward, so we’re looking to sell these buildings and bring in additional revenue. We don’t want to be in this position, but we have to make difficult decisions.”

He continued: “We’re faced with a very difficult budget position. In 2020/21 we will have a funding gap of £146m as a result of ongoing government cuts to our budget and rising demand for services. These buildings are the first to go on sale following the county council’s decision to change how we deliver our services, and develop new neighbourhood centres with services designed for local needs.”

He continued: “People will still have good access to good services, whilst allowing the council to deliver some of the huge savings we need to make.”

District councils and the NHS were also asked if they might like to use the surplus properties. A council spokesman said: “These buildings were initially offered to other public sector organisations, to consider if they could use the buildings for their own services.”

The buildings are being sold as part of the council’s new property strategy which is reducing the number of buildings the council owns and rents and changing where some services are accessed. A network of multi-functional neighbourhood centres is being created offering arrange of different services.

Services affected also include children’s services and centres, young people’s centres and older people’s daytime support services.

Heart surgeons in Blackpool have fitted the resort’s first ‘wireless’ pacemaker.

The landmark operation was among the first of its kind in the North West and saw an 87-year-old St Annes woman fitted with the new type of cardiac pacemaker.

The device – a tenth of the size of its predecessor – is the smallest in the world and was fitted by the team at Lancashire Cardiac Centre, based at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

The surgeons tucked the pacemaker inside the patient’s heart via a catheter.

As it is self-contained, it does away with wiring into the heart needed by normal pacemakers.

And, as the surgery involved with the new device is minimal, it should reduce the danger of infections developing, while at the same time improving the speed of the patient’s recovery.

Consultant cardiologist, Dr Grahame Goode, who performed the operation with Dr Khalid Abozguia, said: “This is a major step forward for the centre and for patients across the Fylde coast.

“Once we know the patient is suitable to have this type of pacemaker fitted there are huge benefits for them as the leadless technology means it is minimally invasive and carries fewer complications.

“Cosmetically there will be no scars and as the pacemaker is implanted there will be no visible lump in the chest.

“The simpler operation takes less time and patients can get back to normal in just two to three days, compared with six weeks currently.’’

The device could be suitable for around a third of pacemaker operations.

Dr Goode said: “This is a big step forward in patient treatment and a milestone for the Lancashire Cardiac Centre.”

A tram driver did not take the safest course of action as he tried to stop a fire on one of Blackpool’s vintage vehicles.

The driver entered the smoke-filled carriage of the Progress Twin Car vehicle when an electrical blaze broke out.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), which has published a report into the incident, has called for more thorough training for drivers.

A conductor also cut his hand taking a fire extinguisher from a glass case and a member of the public made the electrical fire worse by spraying it with water, the RAIB report reveals.

Its investigation into the incident, on September 24 this year, highlighted several key safety messages following the incident, which happened close to the Cliffs Hotel.

The report said the crew of the heritage tram acted quickly to move passengers to safety, adding: “The driver was alerted to an electrical problem by a flash and loud bang from the buzzer unit in his cab.

“The conductor then advised the driver that there was a fire in the motor car.

“The driver brought the twin-car to a stand, and all passengers and staff evacuated without injury.”

He then chose to remove the electrical supply to the vehicle by using a pole, provided for this purpose. To fetch it, he had to enter the smoke-filled saloon, the report said.

It added: “A safer course of action would have been for the driver to place a radio call to the tramway control office and request an emergency isolation of the overhead supply.

“However, the driver was unaware of this option because it had not been included in his training.”

The driver was not injured. The report also warned over the use of a water-based extinguisher to tackle the fire.

It said: “Applying water to the live electrical system exposed the member of the public to risk and made the fire worse.”

The cause of the fire on the 1935-built tram was the failure of installation on a cable which carried electricity from the pantograph to the main circuit breaker.

The vulcanised rubber insulation was most likely installed in 1960 when the tram was converted to a twin car unit.

The report also suggested damage could have been done during repair work nearby in 2015. Water may also have entered the area, the report said.

Among the RAIB’s safety messages was a recommendation to ensure all crew are aware of appropriate methods for isolating the electrical supply in an emergency.

An RAIB spokesman said: “This incident illustrates the importance of ensuring that staff involved in the operation of electrically-powered vehicles are aware of all means of removing the traction supply from the vehicle in an emergency.”

The difficulties of ensuring safety of electrical systems on heritage vehicles and the design of ‘break glass’ emergency panels were also highlighted.

A Fleetwood pensioner who has devoted 60 years of her life to the scouting movement and a hearing loss campaigner have been named in the New Year’s Honour’s List.

Muriel Freestone, 90, who will mark six decades of scouting work next month, received the MBE

Muriel has been working with scouts in Wyre for 30 years and is currently vice president of the group and chairman of the Live Wyre Gang Show.

She was as shocked as anyone when the letter arrived from Whitehall.

Muriel said: “I used to be in the armed forces so when I received a letter marked ‘on behalf of Her Majesty’ I thought, forget that.

“I left it until last.

“When I opened it and I saw it was from the Cabinet Office I couldn’t think what they wanted from me.

“It was a huge surprise and a huge honour.”

And with family spread around the world, Muriel has had a job keeping her new title a secret.

It was only during the festive get-together she was able to finally unveil the news.

She said: “I have children in Spain, Dubai and Australia.

“My daughter went back to Dubai after Christmas and I told all the family then, I made a few calls to different parts of the world.

“I hadn’t told anyone from the scouting movement because I really wanted my family to know first.”

As for her scouting work, Muriel is proud to still be involved.

She said: “I came to Fleetwood 30 years on and it’s been fantastic work, it’s so fulfilling.

“It’s wonderful to be able to support young people.

“There are some great people involved and this is a real honour.”

Meanwhile, Stephen Hill, former Chairman of Trustees at Action on Hearing Loss and an ex-student of King Edward VII School, St Annes, was awarded an OBE for services to people with hearing problems and charity.

Over his eight years on the Action on Hearing Loss board, including the past three as chairman, Stephen oversaw a period of rapid growth at Action on Hearing Loss, including expansion of its community based services and a doubling of its biomedical research programme.

Stephen stepped down earlier this year to become the new chair of Alzheimer’s Society.

Paul Breckell, Action on Hearing Loss Chief Executive said: “I’m delighted that Stephen has had this richly deserved honour for services to people with hearing loss. It is a fitting end to his successful tenure as Chair of Action on Hearing Loss, who are now directly supporting over 100,000 people every year.”

A host of Lancashire’s great and good have been recognised in the New Year’s Honour’s List.

Thirteen people - including Preston Paralympic champion Stephanie Slater, academics, community heroes and business heavyweights - have appeared alongside celebrities such as Ken Dodd.

UCLan’s Professor of Stroke Care Caroline Watkins, the only stroke care professor in the UK, has been made a Dame for her services to stroke and nursing care.

Tarleton Academy’s chair of governors, Helen Dicker, has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to education.

Stephanie Slater from Longridge has been awarded the MBE for services to swimming. The 25-year-old became Paralympic champion and silver medallist at the Rio Games after previously winning seven European gold medals.

Scott Durant, 28 of Halton has an MBE for services to rowing. The former Lancaster Royal Grammar School pupil was a gold medallist in the Men’s Eight at the Rio Olympic Games.

Ron Farrington, senior pastor at Longton Community Church, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the community.

Elsewhere, Michael Bradley from Colne, director general of resources at the Ministry of Defence, received an Order of the Bath for services to defence.

Six others have been given an MBE. They include Wing Cdr David Forbes from Rossendale, for voluntary service to young people and ex-service charities and Detective Constable Mohammed Abid Saleh from Blackburn for services to policing and the community in East Lancashire.

All aboard... fares please...

Bus conductors are set to become a thing of the past on Blackpool Promenade as disability regulations end the use of iconic Routemaster vehicles.

Today is the last day Catch22bus will be able to run a conductor operated service on the Prom.

And to mark the occasion a bus has been painted in traditional London red.

The 21 service is the only remaining bus route outside of London where passengers can still regularly travel on the traditional rear platform buses and have their fares collected by a conductor.

Due to disability legislation which takes effect from tomorrow, all buses operating on registered services must be fully low floor compliant, this renders the Routemaster bus obsolete.

Dave Hughes, Service Operations Manager for Catch 22 said: “Sadly, after many years of service we will finally say farewell to our conductor operated Routemaster buses.

“ I’m sure visitors to the town and our regular passengers will miss seeing these iconic vehicles operating along the Promenade during the summer season.

“However, things change and to keep up with current disability legislation we must now retire these vehicles from front line service.

“The buses will be retained for special events and private hire work, and our conductors have been provided with alternative work elsewhere within the company.

“From January tomorrow all Catch22 services will be operated by low floor vehicles with no awkward steps.”

To mark the occasion Catch22 is today operating a full heritage bus service on route 21 between St Annes Square and Cleveleys via the Promenade. The heritage service will see both London Routemasters in operation as well as historic Blackpool and Ribble vehicles.

The iconic Routemaster was designed for London Transport in the 1960s.

In 2006, the Routemaster was voted one of Britain’s top 10 design icons.

Those seeking a nostalgic trip along the Promenade will still be able to hop on board one of Blackpool Transport’s heritage trams.