Lancashire Times

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Traffic Cops Numbers Continue To Fall As More Than Half Of Drivers Say Careless Driving Won't Be Caught – The AA

Latest policing figures show further reduction in Roads Traffic Units. 55% of drivers think middle lane hoggers and tailgaters get away with it. More than eight out of 10 say more traffic police would make communities safer. “The public wants to see a proper visible presence on our roads, not just an assumption that a camera will deal with it” says AA’s head of roads policy

P.ublished 24th July 2026

YouGov: Nearly Three In Ten Britons (28%) Don’t Do Any Financial Planning

New YouGov research reveals that nearly three in ten members of the British public (28%) say they are not planning ahead financially. Of the rest, a fifth plan less than one year ahead (21%) and the same proportion plan 1-3 years ahead (21%). Some 12% plan 3-5 years ahead, but only a quarter (25%) plan more than five years ahead.

P.ublished 23rd July 2026

Remembering Former Anglican Bishop Of Lancaster, Stephen Pedley, Following His Death At 85

Pictured in more recent times is Rt Rev. Stephen Pedley, the former Anglican Bishop of Lancaster, who has died aged 85. Picture: Family handout

The former Anglican Bishop of Lancaster from 1998 to 2005, Rt Rev. Stephen Pedley, has died at the age of 85. Bishop Stephen was also Honorary Chaplain to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth between 1984 and 1998.  A priest's son, Stephen was born in Coventry in 1940 at the height of the Battle of Britain and the subsequent bombing blitz of many British cities.

P.ublished 22nd July 2026

Women Overestimate How Difficult Investing Is – But A New Study Shows That Can Change In Just Seven Days

Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay

Millions of UK women believe investing is far harder than it really is — and that misconception, rather than any lack of money or opportunity, may be a key driver of Britain's £574bn gender investment gap, according to new research from trading platform eToro.

P.ublished 22nd July 2026

Healey Named Chancellor As Burnham Unveils Front Bench

The Rt Hon John Healey has been confirmed as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first major appointment, ending weeks of speculation and drawing swift reaction from business and rural groups over the direction of the new government's economic policy.

P.ublished 20th July 2026

CBI Urges New PM To Scale ‘Manchesterism’ Nationally

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has issued a "Roadmap for Growth" to incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham, calling on the new administration to abandon political drift and partner with industry to drive national economic renewal.

P.ublished 20th July 2026

UK economy grows 0.1% in May as Middle East tensions cloud outlook

The UK economy grew by 0.1% in May, official figures from the Office for National Statistics have shown, with warm weather lifting retail sales even as renewed conflict in the Middle East threatens to disrupt global supply chains and dampen business confidence.

P.ublished 16th July 2026

End Of The Line For Fare Evaders: New Ticket Barrier Overhaul At Railway Stations Across England

New ticket gates for stations across England with £33 million to crack down on fare evasion and deliver a fairer railway Funding to tackle deliberate fare evasion to recover up to £400 million lost annually and reinvest in better journeys for passengers Passengers already seeing the benefits of a simpler and fairer ticketing system ahead of the creation of Great British Railways with expanded Pay As You Go and digital ticketing trials

P.ublished 16th July 2026

One In Four Parents Sacrificing Their Own Financial Future To Support Adult Children

Image by Versipedia from Pixabay

Parents across the UK are increasingly risking their own financial resilience to support their adult children, according to new research from Aldermore Bank’s latest Savings Tracker¹, highlighting the growing financial pressure facing families across generations. The findings reveal that parents of adult children have given an average of £8,096 from their savings to provide financial support.

P.ublished 15th July 2026

Bank Bonuses Hit £25 Billion As TUC Says Hike In Bank Windfall Tax “Long Overdue

Photo: Markus Winkler on Pexels

New analysis from the TUC reveals bank bonuses have hit a post-crash record – as the union body calls for a hike in the bank windfall tax, which it says is “common sense and long overdue”. Ahead of the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech on Tuesday, the TUC is calling for an increase in the bank surcharge tax to permanently cut energy bills for the majority of households through a social tariff.

P.ublished 14th July 2026

Staycation Push Leads To 21.6 Million Driving In The First Week Of School Holidays, Warns AA

Photo: Milada Vigerova on Pexels

The summer getaway is expected to peak as schools break up in England and Wales, with one in five drivers considering a road trip of more than 100 miles between Friday 17 and Thursday 23 July, according to a new AA survey.

P.ublished 14th July 2026

Temp Billings Rise At Strongest Rate In Two Years, But Permanent Placements Fall In June

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: North of England survey revealed divergent hiring trends in June, as a fall in permanent staff appointments contrasted with a rise in temp billings. While there was a sharper reduction in permanent job openings, growth in temp vacancies slowed.

P.ublished 13th July 2026

Faith And Fun To The Fore At Joyful Centenary Conference

A joyful gathering of 350 clergy, lay leaders and headteachers from across The Church of England in Lancashire took place this week; marking the Diocese's centenary year with their 2026 conference: ‘Found by Jesus: In Luke and Acts’. The major four day event at Liverpool Hope University combined worship, Bible study, teaching, prayer and celebration.

P.ublished 13th July 2026

Pentonbridge Inn Wins Fine Dining Award

The annual Cumbria Tourism Awards took place this week at Castle Green Hotel in Kendal. The black-tie evening brought together finalists, sponsors and industry guests for one of the biggest nights in Cumbria's hospitality calendar, celebrating the businesses setting the standard for the region's reputation for quality, creativity and service.

P.ublished 10th July 2026

Opinion

What NATO's Latest Summit Reveals About The Alliance's Future

Professor Christoph Bluth, Professor of International Relations and Security at the University of Bradford, argues that NATO emerged from its recent summit militarily stronger but politically more fragile. In this expert analysis, he explores growing tensions over defence spending, Ukraine, Iran and US leadership, and assesses what this means for the future of the alliance.

P.ublished 10th July 2026

M&S Bank, American Express And Homeprotect Named Among June's Biggest Customer Satisfaction Risers

Smart Money People's newly launched "Smart Money Risers" index reveals which financial services brands are winning over customers, and why simplicity, speed and service are driving loyalty

P.ublished 10th July 2026

Food Leaders Urge Future Prime Minister To Back Plan To Strengthen Food System

Image by Ja! from Pixabay

As nominations open for the next Prime Minister, food supply chain leaders have written an open letter to candidates setting out a five-point plan for a more resilient and affordable food system.

P.ublished 9th July 2026

Deliveroo, Pho And Sheffield Hallam University Rethink Delivery Packaging

Deliveroo and Pho have joined forces with Sheffield Hallam University for the return of Deliveroo’s Sustainable Packaging Challenge for the third year. This follows the successful collaboration between the delivery platform and University with GAIL’s in last year’s competition, and the launch of the challenge in 2024.

P.ublished 8th July 2026

Theatres Trust Announces 20th Theatres At Risk Register With Good News For Two Theatres Set To Reopen

Abbeydale Picture House exterior Photo: Andy Gallacher

In its 50th anniversary year, Theatres Trust is marking the 20th year of the Theatres at Risk Register by highlighting both encouraging progress and continuing challenges for theatres across the UK.

P.ublished 7th July 2026

TUC Launches Major Skills Initiative To Tackle Britain's Training Crisis

Image by Dirk Wouters from Pixabay

The TUC has launched a new skills initiative bringing together unions, employers, and education providers to tackle Britain's deepening skills crisis. The union body says the crisis has been caused by years of underinvestment by government, falling investment by employers, a failure to listen to workers, and a skills system struggling to keep pace with rapid technological change.

P.ublished 6th July 2026

YouGov/cebr Consumer Confidence Index Shows Decline In Briton’s Perception Of House Prices

Overall index increased by +0.4. Retrospective (+1.5) and forward-looking (+2.6) household finance figures continue recovery. Perceptions of house prices worsened over the past 30 days (-3.2) and looking ahead to the next 12 months (-0.5). Business activity measures improved over June (+3.6), as did outlook (+1.2)

P.ublished 3rd July 2026

Women Bear Brunt Of Cost Pressures As Savings Take Back Seat, Study Finds

Women across Britain are significantly more anxious than men about meeting everyday living costs over the coming year, with new research warning that mounting financial pressure is forcing many to rely on borrowing and eating into long-term savings rather than building financial resilience for the future.

P.ublished 2nd July 2026

A Third Of People With ‘Red Flag’ Cancer Symptoms Don’t Contact GP

Figures show people with red flag symptoms put off going to the GP and face barriers in seeking help. Cancer Research UK and Tesco have partnered to encourage people to seek help for potential cancer symptoms and support early diagnosis Tesco pharmacists trained by Cancer Research UK available in-store to provide information and support to customers experiencing potential symptoms or concerned about cancer

P.ublished 1st July 2026

Northern Grassroots Football Pitches Baked "As Hard As Concrete" By Climate Change, Clubs Warn

Football clubs across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria say increasingly volatile weather is leaving pitches swinging between waterlogged winters and concrete-hard summers, driving up injuries and landing already stretched grassroots organisations with thousands of pounds in extra costs, a new investigation has found.

P.ublished 1st July 2026

Public Underestimate Daily Water Use By More Than 100 Litres, New Campaign Reveals

Let's Save Water Jeff Brazier Photo: Venetia Dearden

Only one in ten adults in England and Wales understand how much water they use each day, according to research released to mark the launch of a major new campaign aimed at changing the nation's relationship with water.

P.ublished 1st July 2026

Lancashire: New research reveals reading as secret weapon for sport, sleep and mental wellbeing

Adult reading - National Year Reading Photo: GLL

Whether you're training for a marathon, heading to the gym or playing five-a-side football, a good book could be one of the most powerful tools in your fitness kit.

P.ublished 30th June 2026

Business And Housing Leaders Give Cautious Welcome To Burnham's "Innovation Nation" Vision

Andrew Palmer
Group Editor

Andy Burnham Photo: Scottish Government

Andy Burnham used his first major speech since launching his bid for the Labour leadership to set out an "innovation nation" vision for Britain, built around deeper devolution, a championing of science and entrepreneurship, and a fundamental rethink of how young people are educated and trained.

P.ublished 29th June 2026

Inheritance Remains One Of Britain’s Biggest Taboos In The North West

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Nearly four in ten of over 55s in the North West have never discussed inheritance, with widespread gaps in tax and estate planning knowledge

P.ublished 29th June 2026

“We’ve Given Out 2,700 Bottles Of Water In Two Days” Homeless Charity Founder On Heat Risks

Focus4Hope was originally created as a community organisation but became a registered charity so it could respond to increased demand. It offers a range of services to help people avoid crisis points, including food distribution, advice and guidance, and a low-cost food market. But in extreme weather, crisis can become inevitable.

P.ublished 26th June 2026

Women In The North West Lead On Everyday Money Management, But Men Are Still More Likely To Make Long-Term Wealth Decisions

Women in the North West are highly involved in household finances, with more than eight in ten (81%) actively involved in managing daily finances but are less likely to take the lead on the longer-term decisions that shape future wealth, according to new research from St James’s Place (SJP).

P.ublished 26th June 2026

Letter To Editor: Heatwaves & Hearing Aids

Dear Editor, Around 3 million people in the UK are hearing aid users. With the temperature this week reported to reach in excess of 38C in some places, RNID, are encouraging hearing aid users to give their devices some extra TLC during the hot weather so they can soak up the sunshine without missing out on conversations.

P.ublished 23rd June 2026

Opinion

As Labour Weighs a Burnham Succession, Families Are Already Living the Social Care Crisis

Sir Keir Starmer's decision to step down has triggered a pivotal moment for Labour and for the future direction of public services, with Andy Burnham the leading contender to succeed him. Burnham has previously spoken about the need for stronger community-based services and reforms to health and social care, making the sector one to watch closely as the leadership contest unfolds.

P.ublished 23rd June 2026

LNER Advises Against Travel On Wednesday And Thursday Following Red Heat Warning

Following the issue of a rare red weather warning, LNER is advising customers travelling throughout this week to check before they travel and strongly recommends customers booked to travel on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 June 2026 do not travel.

P.ublished 22nd June 2026

£100,000 Of CrossCountry Community Funds Now Open For Applications

Refurbished CrossCountry Voyager near Chesterfield Photo: CrossCountry

Long-distance train operator CrossCountry has announced that its annual Customer and Communities Improvement Fund, and its Biodiversity Improvement Projects fund, are now open for applications. The two funds are being launched to support local projects that encourage sustainable growth and create a positive impact for local communities across the CrossCountry network.

P.ublished 22nd June 2026

Transport Secretary Makes A Statement On Train Collision At Elstow Near Bedford

Heidi Alexandre MP Photo: Gov.UK

With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the tragic collision between two passenger trains on Friday 19th June. I realise honourable members will be aware of some of the details, but today I’d like to set out the facts as we know them so far. At approximately 17.15 on Friday evening, two East Midlands Railway passenger trains collided at Elstow near Bedford.

P.ublished 22nd June 2026

AA Signs Marks 120 Years Since First Road Sign Was Erected In Hatfield

First AA SIgn

AA Signs, one of the oldest parts of The AA, is celebrating 120 years since its first road sign was erected in Hatfield.

P.ublished 22nd June 2026

Northern Preparing For Lake District Tourism Boom Introduces New Ticket Allowing Passengers To Travel On Trains, Buses And Boats

Passengers are being offered a new ticket that allows them to switch between trains, buses and boats in Cumbria. It comes as a growing number of tourists are booking trips to the Lake District and other popular UK holiday destinations this summer, amid uncertainty over international travel.

P.ublished 22nd June 2026

A Moving Legacy: LNER Unveils ‘Gresley 150’ Azuma Livery To Celebrate Life Of Railway Pioneer

To mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sir Nigel Gresley, former Chief Mechanical Engineer of the original LNER, a special Azuma train livery has been unveiled at Doncaster railway station.

P.ublished 20th June 2026

Chester To Host The World Cup Of Town Criers As International Hopefuls Prepare To Do Battle

While the world watches the FIFA World Cup, Chester is gearing up to host its own global tournament, and this one comes with bells on. Twenty-five town criers from across the globe will descend on the city this September for the World Town Crier Tournament, organisers Marketing Cheshire have confirmed. The details were announced, fittingly, by Chester Town Crier David Mitchell.

P.ublished 20th June 2026

Blackpool Celebrates Armed Forces Week

Blackpool’s Armed Forces Week is back with a programme of events and entertainment to honour the nation’s military personnel of the past, present and future. Armed Forces Week is Blackpool’s opportunity to say thank you to our heroes. Since 2006, we have been celebrating the event annually, and it now forms an integral part of VisitBlackpool’s events calendar.

P.ublished 19th June 2026

Home-Buying Reforms Could Ease Path Onto Property Ladder, Says Skipton Chief

Image by Schluesseldienst from Pixabay

Sweeping reforms to England's home-buying system, unveiled today, have been welcomed by one of the country's leading mortgage lenders as a step towards tackling Britain's affordability challenges.

P.ublished 19th June 2026

Northern Improves In Latest Rail Industry Customer Satisfaction Results

Customers boarding a Northern service

Northern's 'Creating Customer Confidence' programme is helping to deliver one of the biggest customer satisfaction turnarounds in the operator's history. Train operator Northern has moved up from the bottom of the national rankings in Transport Focus's latest rail passenger scorecard, in one of the clearest signs yet that the operator's drive to rebuild passenger trust is working.

P.ublished 19th June 2026

Rail Passengers Rate Their Journeys In Biggest Ever Rail Satisfaction Survey

Over 100,000 passengers surveyed in the biggest rail satisfaction survey in British history. 87 per cent of passengers satisfied with their journey. CrossCountry worst-performing train operator in survey with 79 per cent of passengers satisfied. Hull Trains passengers most satisfied with their journey. Results will be used to drive day-to-day improvements for passengers and inform Great British Railways priorities.

P.ublished 19th June 2026

Bank Base Rate Held At 3.75%

The Bank of England was widely expected to keep interest rates on hold this month. But the Monetary Policy Committee’s focus has now shifted towards digesting the implications of the US-Iran deal to extend the ceasefire and restore energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

P.ublished 18th June 2026

Yorkshire Air Ambulance Doctor Shares Lifesaving Open Water Safety Advice During Drowning Prevention Week

As Drowning Prevention Week (13-20 June) continues, Yorkshire Air Ambulance is urging the public to take care around open water following a number of tragic incidents across the UK. The annual awareness campaign, led by the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), follows reports of more than 17 people losing their lives in open water incidents across the UK since the start of May.

P.ublished 18th June 2026

Employers Turn 'Cautious' On Hiring As Vacancies Fall To Lowest Level Since 2021

Overall, the headline figures point to a broadly stable labour market, with little movement in employment and mixed signals on unemployment trends. The UK employment rate was estimated at 75% in the period February to April 2026. This is largely unchanged on both the year and in the latest quarter. The UK unemployment rate was estimated at 4.9% in the same period.

P.ublished 18th June 2026

'Evidence-based' policymaking an illusion

Britain's flagship public health policies of the last fifteen years have not been driven by evidence at all, but rather by political pressure from small, often taxpayer-funded interest groups, according to a new book published by the Institute of Economic Affairs.

P.ublished 18th June 2026

Inflation Stays On Hold, But Relief Will Be Short-Lived

ONS data that shows inflation to have held at 2.8 per cent in May

P.ublished 17th June 2026

LNER Becomes First UK Train Operator To Launch Ask For Angela Scheme

LNER customer Nicola talking to LNER Station Support Assistant Luke

LNER has become the first UK train operator to introduce the ‘Ask for Angela’ safeguarding scheme across its trains and managed stations. The launch comes in Rail Safety Week, an industry wide initiative which focuses on rail safety for all. Now in its tenth year, ‘Ask for Angela’ is widely recognised in the night-time economy and helps people leave situations where they feel unsafe.

P.ublished 17th June 2026

Scottish Friendly Reports 84% Year-On-year Increase In Q1 ISA Opening Values

The amount of money people invest when they first open an Individual Savings Account (ISA) has jumped by 84% in a year, according to proprietary data from Scottish Friendly. The modern mutual’s data shows that opening values have been steadily increasing over the last four quarters, data for Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 shows a 21% increase.

P.ublished 17th June 2026

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