Police and fire crews are investigating after a suspected arson attack in Chorley last night.

A fire broke out at a building on Friday Street at around 10.45pm on Tuesday, after the fire service received reports of a suspected fire bomb.

It’s unclear whether the building was a house or commercial premise.

Three fire crews attended the incident.

Friday Street has made headlines in recent years after a controversial swinger’s club opened up on that road.

A young woman who is fighting for her life after a tragic quad bike crash in Australia could be heading back to England after Tasmanian government officials have stepped in to help.

Holly Raper, 23, of Whittle-le-Woods went to the southern hemisphere in November for the holiday of a lifetime.

However, disaster struck with a smash on a dairy farm on King Island in Tasmania.

She has been in hospital since the incident last week the Guardian reported that her dad Chris Raper said they did not know how they were going to meet the £100,000 bill to get her back.

It came after her insurance company argued they would not pay out to cover the costs to go home.

Now, a close family friend Ann Harrison said that there was a glimmer of hope for her return.

She said: “Last Friday, they were told us that the Tazmanian Government had a Worker Compensation Scheme which will cover her even though she was out there only three weeks.

“It is a huge weight off their shoulders as it felt like they were stranded out there.

“Holly is still in a very deep coma and there are no signs of her waking up.

“She is not fit to travel at the minute but at least it gives everyone hope that she could get back in a few weeks.

“It will be a long journey because she will have to fly from Tasmania to mainland Australia then on to Singapore and London to Manchester.

“I think it is going to cost over £100,000 to get back because they need doctors to travel back and also arrange overnight stays at hospitals.

Friends and family have rallied behind the former Runshaw College student as villagers in Brindle and Whittle-le-Woods have been fundraising to try to get her back.

More than £16,000 has been donated to the ‘Help Holly Home’ appeal and Ann believes the support from people back in Chorley is helping them.

She said: “It is dreadful what they have had to put up with the insurance company not helping them as you pay money and then this situation comes around and they cannot help.

“Aside from raising money local people have been praying for her which is great to know that they are in their thoughts.

“The family need the monetary support because Holly’s dad is a tree consultant and her mum is a nurse so they are over there not earning anything.

If you want to donate to the appeal then you should visit the site: www.charitygiving.co.uk/helphollyhome

Council tax will be CUT and action taken on grot spots as part of budget proposals by Chorley Council.

Bosses will reduce their share of council tax by one per cent – £1.79 for a band D household – and still find £345,000 to get tough on dog fouling and town eyesores. Setting out how they would spend their £12.9m budget over the next 12 months, authority bosses plan to make £200,000 savings with a senior management restructure, and by driving a harder bargain with contractors to save £400,000.

The council plans to spend £500,000 to buy the former McDonald’s site off Market Street to clean up it up.

They also announced plans to kick-start the much-awaited Friday Street surgery with a £6.5m cash injection.

Leader of Chorley Council, Coun Peter Goldsworthy, said: “We know there are many hard-working families out there who are struggling to make ends meet and we know that every penny counts.”

- For the full report, see this week’s Chorley Guardian

This sizeable three-storey terraced cottage is situated in a sought-after part of Wheelton village.

The property has a 24ft living area, as well as a dining kitchen, two bedrooms and family bathroom.

A sense of tradition has been maintained within the house, with original features including stone chimney breasts, beamed ceilings, wooden flooring and french doors that lead to a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ balcony in one of the bedrooms.

There is also gas central heating, loft access, and outside, there is a stone flagged garden, with steps to the lower ground floor.

For extra security, there is a stone wall on the property boundaries.

Address: 206 Blackburn Road, Wheelton

Price: £187,500

Estate Agent Details: Entwistle Green - 01257 279315

New licencees have taken the helm at a Chorley pub, and they’re hoping to fly the flag for British food.

Jamie Rankin and his wife Amanda have taken charge of The Railway in Euxton.

Jamie has 18 years of fine dining from across the Atlantic under his belt, including experience as an executive chef in restaurants and resorts in New York, Florida, Massachusetts and Chicago.

He said: “We’re really looking forward to building a reputation as a destination pub that’s great for food.

“With my background in fine dining, we will be serving dishes that are well designed and presented, all prepared from local ingredients with great care.”

Amanda has lived in the Euxton for 28 years and Jamie ignited his passion for cooking at the nearby Leyland Golf Club, before moving to the US and graduating from the University of New York with a degree in business management and culinary art.

He said: “I missed the community feel of home after a while.

“The Railway is a lovely pub with a warm atmosphere and we’re really excited.”

Two new businesses have been given almost £15,000 in grants to help them thrive.

Butter Boutique on Fazakerley Street and Fabulous Floors and Furnishings on Market Street have been handed grant support to the tune of £11,000 and £3,354 respectively by Chorley Council.

Cheryl Moran, who manages Fabulous Floors and Furnishings, on Market Street, said the shop had benefited from a business rate subsidy, shop floor refurbishment grant and shop front improvement grant.

She said: “The grant was a great help getting the business started and trading has been successful.”

Kate McCullagh opened Butter Boutique, on Fazakerley Street, in November last year and applied for the grant to help support her new business. The application was successful and she now receives a subsidy of £3,354.75 – a 50 per cent contribution to her business rate.

Kate, 27, from Heath Charnock, said: “I’ve wanted to open a fashion shop since leaving school so I’d been saving up for the right time.”

Coun Alan Cullens, who has responsibility for town centre development at Chorley Council, said: “One of the council’s priorities is to help local traders and attract new businesses to the town centre.

“These grants were created to do just that and have been an undoubted success.

“It’s important we continue to support new and existing local business in Chorley to help them develop and flourish in these difficult economic times.”

2012 is starting on a positive note for one housebuilder in Leyland, who is reporting a successful start to the year.

The Oaks development, off Golden Hill Lane and developed by Taylor Wimpey Manchester, has seen a surge of interest since the introduction of the Government’s FirstBuy scheme, on top of the success of its own part exchange scheme.

FirstBuy has breathed life into the first time buyer market, offering a lifeline to those without a deposit.

FirstBuy works through a joint loan of 20% from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Taylor Wimpey, which means that eligible purchasers only need put down a 5% deposit and obtain a 75% loan-to-value mortgage.

The loan is repayable at the end of the 25 year mortgage term or when the property is sold.

To be eligible, purchasers must be first time buyers and the total household earnings should be less than £60,000.

This means that, at The Oaks, the starting price for a new home is now £127,995, including a deposit of just £7,999.

A stylish collection of three bedroom semi-detached Croxton and Westerham homes are available with FirstBuy.

Part exchange is valuable to those who want to move but have a house to sell first.

Using part exchange means that Taylor Wimpey will act as your cash buyer for your current property – removing the strain of trying to sell your home on the open market.

Taylor Wimpey will undertake a survey, agree a price and set a completion date, cutting out costly chains and estate agent’s fees.

Anthony Mansfield, regional sales and marketing director for Taylor Wimpey Manchester, comments: “We want to do everything we can to make buying your new home easy – and to keep costs down for all purchasers.

“The FirstBuy and part exchange schemes have really brought this development to life, and we’re finding that many people are now in a position to buy because of them.

“FirstBuy really makes the difference to those who can afford the monthly repayments on a mortgage but not the hefty deposit.

“With only 80 per cent of the property’s value to finance, buyers will have access to a wider choice of mortgage products and more competitive interest rates.

“Part exchange allows those with a home to sell the chance to relax and look forward to their move, rather than wait for a buyer. ”

Located just a few minutes away from the M65, M61 and the M6, the area is well connected to the North West, while rail connections via Preston provide excellent access to Scotland, the Midlands and London.

Leyland itself offers an extensive range of shops, eateries and bars, as well as a number of popular leisure facilities nearby including Worden Hall, Longton Brickcroft and Cuerden Valley Country Park.

For more information about The Oaks call 0845 672 4187 or visit www.taylorwimpey.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can call in to the sales office on Wheelton Lane, off Golden Hill Lane.

Many agents purport to sell distinctive, top end or ‘cream’ houses as we choose to call them, and at Reeds Rains we don’t just market them; we actually achieve sales for our customers.

It is very easy to say you are a prestige agent and have lovely glossy brochures, sharp suited ‘marketing executives’ and attractive ‘for sale’ boards, but it’s delivering sales that is the tricky bit, and that is where hard work, a dedication to property and an ability to work in all different price ranges come in.

At Reeds Rains we don’t feel the need to employ specialists who only deal with Cream property as each and everyone of our team are suitably trained to be able to support and help any customer whatever their position or needs.

By communicating in the appropriate way to find either a suitable purchase or indeed a suitable purchaser we have built a terrific reputation as the market leader in Chorley and Leyland.

By maintaining a local office presence that sells and lets homes across all price bands you do not need to go anywhere else whether you would like advice on your first purchase, 2nd or even a Cream property of £500,000.

The opposite page speaks for itself, we sold 31 % of property above £250000 and 32 % above £350000.

If you’re looking for a property that stands out from the crowd, then Reeds Rains’ Cream range could be just what you’re looking for.

Launched at the start of 2010, Cream specialises in property that boasts unique features and offer a special, one-off home in a range of prestige locations.

Properties currently on offer include a four-bedroom lodge in Whittle-le-Woods, a four bedroomed detached house in Euxton and a stunning period home in White coppice.

Although there is no particular price bracket for a Cream house, most properties in the range are over £300,000:

Buyers for these properties are not necessarily from the local area, and therefore it needs different marketing.

Bringing Cream’s prestige homes under the Reeds Rains umbrella simplifies the buying process.

Buyers want to buy and sell from one agent, so it make sense to offer these properties within the same portfolio. People don’t have to go to five different places or to specialist agents, they can just come in here.

As we have 200 offices nationwide we have much more reach.

If the right buyer is out there, we will find them.

People are intimidated by prestige ranges. They don’t want to talk to someone intimidating; they want someone on their level.

The special treatment buyers receive when purchasing Cream property begins from the first moment they begin looking.

Cream has its own website with a range of unusual features, including a Google Street View of the property and a huge range of high-quality photographs.

The majority of properties also allow prospective purchasers to take an audio tour, offering a TV-style advertisement for each home.

The exquisite Cream brochure is laminated and features a selection of 11 external and internal photographs to show your home in its best light.

Not only do we take great care and coordinate with you every step of the way during its production, we can offer aerial photography and even add in a blue sky should the Great British weather not be delivering what we need.

There has never been a better time to take the plunge and invest in a luxury home.

Mortgage rates are still the lowest they have been for some time as there’s been no base rate increase for over two years.

Property prices have seen a zero rise in the last 12 months, and as prices fell over the previous two years, luxury houses are more accessible than ever before.

If you’re moving sideways or upmarket it’s definitely the right time to do it.

Food is the best way to a man’s heart so ROBERT KELLY wondered if it was the same for women by taking his wife out.

I always seem to get in trouble every Valentine’s Day...and before you start to ask it was not because I forget to get my wife a card.

Each year I try to surpass my romantic gifts or presents. including getting a bunch of flowers and teddy to be delivered to her in her lectures.

Anyway this was no different as after agreeing to not buy each other presents I decided to get her a card and some roses.

To some that might be not much of a big deal but then I booked a table at one of the first restaurants we ever went to together....Alghero .

We have always had a love and passion for Italian cuisine so I thought that I would not go far wrong by getting a table there.

I had to use all my powers of persuasion to get her to go out for our first dinner as a couple since our baby Eoin was born.

Being Valentines’ Day I was not alone in trying to treat my loved one for all those times I have left my shoes across the floor or the toilet seat left up as we walked to the conservatory.

Even though we were sat in an open space with lots of other couples the owners have obviously taken into account the occasion with lighting giving each table a bit of privacy.

We decided to look at the starters off the specials menu with Carolyn opting for the filo pastry with a hot sweet chilli sauce which started the evening with a bit of a kick.

I opted for the bruchetta which was served with meatballs and a tangy and tasty tomato sauce.

To accompany this we got a tomato garlic bread (£3.75) which was full of flavour but at the same time it was not overpowering with garlic for the breath test after the meal.

At this point, I must admit that my waistline was starting to feel the pressure and I was tempted to loosen my belt.

After scanning through the menu looking at my options I considered the capricosa pizza (£8.25) which was topped with a ham and mushroom.

I even weighed up the Pollo Alla Crema (£13.95) which was sliced chicken with a white wine and cream and mushroom sauce.

Even Carolyn was shocke d when I finally decided on the Tortellini al Proscutto et Funghi (£8.50) which was pasta in a creamy sauce with ham and mushrooms.

As any of our regular readers know that my eyes are bigger than my belly but on this occasion I feel the chef had got the portions right as there was a reasonable serving to accompany the chips that I ordered.

The only drawback was that the restaurant was full otherwise I was tempted to lick the plate of its cream sauce

Meanwhile, Carolyn plumped for the linguine pescatore (£8.95) which was a good option for her as she is a lactose intolerant pescatarian - not eat meat but can take fish.

There were no complaints from her and she seemed to be enjoying her meal while I was struggling with mine.

Amazingly, Carolyn asked if I wanted to a dessert so I did not turn it down and ordered the hot chocolate fudge cake while she went for her favourite sticky toffee pudding.

Both of them went down a treat and I am just glad that there were no stairs to climb to get back to our car.

It is all on one level like a massive bungalow and I think it is a taste of Italy - hidden gem off the M65 motorway.

We will be returning soon after this experience and we won’t be leaving it until the next Valentine’s Day.

Factfile

Name: Alghero’s Restaurant

Address: Bolton Road, Withnell

Telephone: 01254 202222

Food: Italian Cuisine with something for all tastes.

Rating: 10/10

Disabled Access: All on one floor but no disabled toilets

Car parking charges have been introduced at Chorley’s railway station.

Visitors to the car park, which is operated by Northern Rail, will now have to pay £2 a day.

At peak times the station is often full, with rail users parking on pavements and double yellow lines.

Rail bosses say the new fees still make the station car park ‘significantly cheaper’ than others in the town centre, and money was needed to carry out improvements at the station.

A spokesperson for Northern Rail said: “We have introduced a £2 daily car park charge at Chorley station that applied from February 20, which is significantly cheaper than other town centre car parks.

“We have recently carried out improvements to the car park, including the installation of CCTV, the cutting back of vegetation, the relining of the surface to create marked bays and the introduction of security teams.

“As our franchise was awarded on ‘no growth and no investment’ the revenue received from parking charges will generate the funding for these improvements and the ongoing management and maintenance of the car park.”

The move comes after plans were scrapped to build a multi-storey car park to tackle the problem of people leaving their cars on yellow lines and pavements when it’s busy.

Bosses previously said they wanted to see how the opening of Buckshaw Village’s new Buckshaw Parkway station affected the amount of people still visiting Chorley before committing to the project.

They also agreed to look into making more room for spaces in the existing car park while assessments were ongoing, but in December they announced there were no intentions to pursue the idea at all.

Coun Alan Cullens, who is executive member for partnerships and planning at Chorley Council, raised concerns about how this would affect the station, with no parking charges currently in place at Buckshaw Parkway. The new station, which opened in October last year, currently has around 2,000 passengers passing through every week.

He said: “The process of the railway is to try and entice customers to use the rail and not the road.

“This will deter people from using the rail. I don’t see there’s anything to be gained from this.

“Why would you pay to park at Chorley when you can park free at Buckshaw at the moment?

“I would also be concerned if Northern Rail put in any plans to introduce charges at Buckshaw in the future.

“They say there has been a dramatic increase in the traffic at Buckshaw and a lot of that has to be coming from Chorley.

“This just reminds me of Chorley Hospital making despicable charges.”

Campaigners were this week celebrating news that a Chorley landmark will be saved.

A £1.6m cash injection by the Heritage Lottery Fund will save the historic the grade 2* listed Bank Hall in Bretherton. It spells an end to a 16-year battle by residents and activists to save the 17th century building, which has been left crumbling.

Janet Edwards, chair of the Bank Hall Action Group, said: “It’s hard to believe after so long something will truly happen.

“We care about this building passionately and it has taken people like me who are slightly mad to keep pushing. But you have to.

“It takes a lot of time and energy and a lot of us have been involved for 16 years.

“Now we’re at this stage, we can hardly believe it.”

The Heritage Trust North West will be working with Manchester-based development partner Urban Splash and the action group to restore the building to its former glory.

Janet said: “This money is crucial to making the project work, and we’re very, very pleased.

“The long-term aim is to restore the whole building.

“The Heritage Trust for the North West will be responsible for drawing the money down from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the restoration of the whole of Bank Hall is one of the first things that will be started.

“If we hadn’t succeeded I dread to think what would have happened to the building. It would have been a diaster.

“(Restoring it) is a complicated process but it means that everything can be kick-started.

“Most people are captivated by the building. The building itself is in a poor state of repair but the walls are sound.”

It is hoped restoration work can start by the end of the year.

Throughout the project, the entrance hall and Prospect Tower will be opened up to the public access and displays and information boards will be put up.

South Ribble MP Lorraine Fullbrook joined campaigners and representatives from the Heritage Lottery Fund to celebrate the news.

She said: “I know the local community will be as delighted as me that it is to be restored to its former glory.”

Bank Hall was made famous as the runner-up in the North West heat of BBC Two ‘Restoration’ programme.

Over the last few years stabilisation work has been carried out to protect the walls from damage and collapse. This has involved erecting scaffolding at the front.

MONEY saving scheme means Chorley commuters will have to send a 25p text to find out when the next bus is coming.

Lancashire County Council has launched a new initiative to save money on printed and electronic timetables, meaning people now have to send the text to get information.

More than 50 bus stops across Chorley borough are left without timetable information now, leaving customers furious.

Jeff Lostock was waiting at a bus stop on the A6 in Whittle-le-Woods when he saw the notice telling him to text the council. He said: “I think this is discriminating against older people, because a lot of pensioners don’t have mobile phones.

“Some people who use the bus services regularly might know when their bus is due to arrive, but some people will be from out of the area and will have to rely on this texting service.

“I’m only using the buses while my car is being fixed, but I feel sorry for anyone who has to use the bus often.”

LCC said the move is part of a long-term plan to save more than £170m in the run up to 2014.

Tim Ashton, Cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “The timetables at certain bus stops have been removed, as part of county council’s wider plans to save £179m up to 2014.

“We had to make some tough decisions in finalising our budget to protect frontline services and spend £133m less on management and administration over the next three years.”

He added: “There are still many different ways for passengers to find out travel details.

“The county council will continue to provide bus timetable information on posters at bus stations/interchanges, and it will still be available over the internet or by phoning Traveline.”

Jezebel – most recognise her as the notorious Biblical figure synonymous with power but forever tainted by her reputation as a treacherous ‘painted lady.’ Is her Old Testament story the truth, partly the truth or just a pack of lies?

The Book of Kings tells us that the Princess of Tyre who became Queen of Israel set off a period of bitter religious and political strife when she persuaded her husband to abandon the Jewish God Yahweh and worship the Phoenician god Baal.

By angering the vengeful Israelite priests, she signed her own death warrant...

Jezebel is the second sweeping and seductive Biblical saga from Eleanor de Jong who has found fertile territory in the ancient Holy Land for epic tales about some of the most controversial women of all time.

She specialises in taking female figures demonised by a history recorded predominantly by men and reimagining their loves and lives for a modern audience.

De Jong’s first novel, Delilah, featured the woman who famously seduced and betrayed Israelite leader Samson, and now she sets her sights on the beautiful and much-maligned Jezebel.

Jezebel, headstrong and determined, is destined to be married by her father King Ithbaal of Tyre as a pawn in a political game.

Led to believe that handsome Jehu, a Judean prince, will be chosen as her husband, she begins an illicit and passionate affair with him when he stays at her father’s court.

But when Jezebel is told she must instead marry Ahab, the middle-aged and shabby King of Israel, Jehu believes she has cruelly betrayed him.

Her destiny now lies with Ahab in Samaria, a city built on a great flattened mountain, where she is resented by her husband’s first wife and the Israelite priests who regard her as a ‘gaudy Phoenician harlot’ with ‘false gods.’

The years pass, and both Jezebel and Jehu nurse their secret. Jehu, unable to relinquish his love for Jezebel, grows bitter and twisted. But he is unaware of Jezebel’s greatest secret – that he is father to her eldest son, Ahaziah, the heir to Israel′s throne.

As her husband’s health deteriorates, Jezebel gradually assumes control of Israel but hatred of her is being fanned by firebrand prophet Elijah, one of the towering figures of the Old Testament, and his terrifying disciple Elisha.

And as they plot her downfall, Jehu circles closer and it seems the die has been cast. Can Jezebel finally take control of her own destiny or has her time already passed?

Grand in its scope and enthralling in its evocation of a courageous and doomed queen, Jezebel will delight fans of both history and romance.

(Avon, paperback, £7.99)