Three royal sisters, daughters of one of English history’s most ambitious families... all faced the wrath of queens and all were destined for tragedy.

Ella March Chase’s fascinating historical novel brings us an exciting new slant on the lives of Lady Jane Grey and her two younger sisters, innocent pawns in the race to fill the throne after the death of Edward VI, only son of Henry VIII.

The Nine Day Queen is not just the story of Lady Jane’s short and ill-fated tenure as Tudor monarch but a revealing insight into the events that led to her demise and the devastating ripple effect on the lives of her siblings.

Their proximity to the royal succession was a disaster for Jane, Katherine and Mary Grey; all three were sacrificed by their ruthless parents who had set their sights on using their daughters to keep England Protestant and to pursue their own self-seeking goals.

In an age of dangerous manoeuvring and politicking, there could only ever be a tragic outcome...

Lady Jane Grey is the eldest daughter of the scheming Duke and Duchess of Suffolk who firmly believe that the imminent death of the ailing boy King Edward will put their star into the ascendancy.

Fifteen-year-old Jane is fourth in line to the throne but, shy, scholarly and devoutly Protestant, she is happier in the company of her sisters than with the intrigues of court. Brought up in a prison of her parents’ anger and cruelty, solitude has provided the sanctuary she loves best.

Forced into marriage to Guilford Dudley, the handsome but spoilt son of the Duke of Northumberland, the young king’s chancellor and the man who holds the reins of government, Jane knows only too well that her parents have sold her to the ‘devil.’

And on the same day that Jane weds Dudley, her younger sister Katherine – beautiful, gregarious and eager for love and happiness – is married off to Lord Henry Herbert, son of the Earl of Pembroke, another powerful player in English politics.

And youngest sister Mary, crook-backed, stunted and an embarrassment to her parents, is like a wild and wary animal. Starved of affection and a stranger to diplomacy, she speaks her mind and asks too many dangerous questions.

Each daughter has the power to hold back the Catholic tide threatened by Mary Tudor, the country’s natural heir, but the plan being hatched by their parents puts all their lives at risk...

March Chase, an Anglophile author who excels in making historical figures credibly and often painfully human, has done a sterling job in recreating the three Grey sisters, enabling us to view their fates from a very intimate and personal perspective.

The first person narrative weaves between each girl and as the story unfolds, we witness the shared hardships, the calls to duty, the growing despair and the strong ties of familial love that ultimately bind together three very different sisters.

The Nine Days Queen is a riveting, well-researched and cleverly imagined story about the corrupting power of vaulting ambition and the helplessness of those innocents – particularly women – who become trapped in the power play.

A revealing and thought-provoking addition to the eternally entertaining Tudor saga...

(Ebury, paperback, £6.99)

both of the Thomas Cook offices in Pendle have escaped the closures across the country announced by the travel company at the end of last week.

The branches in the Pendle Rise Shopping Centre, Nelson and Park Road, Barnoldswick will remain open in the latest phase of the transformation of the company’s operations, a spokesman said on Friday.

Across the country, 195 stores and the company’s offices in Accrington have been closed.

AFTER conceding a late equaliser to relegation threatened Barnsley on Tuesday night, Burnley’s hopes of a playoff are still in the balance.

Tonight the Clarets face a Hull side looking to clinch an automatic promotion spot. Sean Dyche’s men have won their last seven against Hull and are 9/5 with Blue Square for the home win. The Tigers are available at 9/5 with the same bookie and the draw is best priced at 12/5 with Betfred.

Nine of Hull’s last 12 goals have been in the second half whilst four of Burnley’s last 8 have come after the break. The second half to be the highest scoring half is best priced at 6/5 with Bet Victor.

Leading odds comparison site oddschecker.com can reveal that three out of the last 4 between the two have ended up in a 1-0 victory for Burnley. A repeat of this score line is best priced at 9/1 with Bet Victor. Hull come off the back of two defeats in their last three, conceding 4 goals on each of those defeats. Burnley to score four or more goals is available at 16/1 with Coral.

Having scored in his last two outings, in form striker Charlie Austin is best priced to score first at 4/1 with Betfred. The bookie also offering double delight and hat-trick heaven whereby if the first goal scorer goes on to score again at anytime or score a hat-trick, they will double or treble the first goal scorers odds.

Hull have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 3 games, whilst Burnley have only kept two in their last 8. Punters may look at backing both teams to score, an option best priced at 5/6 with Stan James.

Sean Dyche’s men are now 40/1 with bet365 to reach the play offs, this may well be an attractive bet having drifted from 9/1 just two weeks ago.

• The Burnley Express has launched a FREE football app which is now available to download on {http://bit.ly/LkG6ap|iPhone|Download our football app on iPhone} and {http://bit.ly/IdEJgn|Android|Download our football app on Android} devices.

THE legendary ninja Ryu Hayabusa is back in the palm of our hands with Tecmo Koei and Team Ninja’s PlayStation Vita port of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 simply titled Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 plus.

It is a straight port of the PlayStation 2 title which brought new features to the already successful but flawed release for the Xbox 360. It carried on Ryu’s unique set of abilities and brought us updated visuals, a more modern setting, new weapons, bigger and badder enemies and a relentless combat system that was a bit too much to bear for casual gamers.

CIA agent Sonia visits Hayabusa’s mentor old man Muramasa looking for him to inform him that about the imminent return of the Arch-Fiend. It’s not long before the Black Spider clan raid Muramasa’s shop and capture Sonia.

When Ryu returns to find he is too late to rescue her. Muramasa fills Ryu in which sets Ryu on his way to stop the Arch-Fiends resurrection and rescue Sonia. The story is more complex than that brought forward by short but sweet cut scenes and voice acting that isn’t bad but it’s nothing amazing.

Ryu is as badass and as care free than ever which makes him a joy to play as and the Sigma version allows control of fellow ninja Ayane giving the story more depth. The story in itself kept me playing wondering what was coming next and made the unrelenting gameplay worth battling through.

Ninja Gaiden has been renowned for its brilliant battle system and its high difficulty level however things have changed now thanks to the newly added “Hero” mode. What is new to Sigma 2 Plus however is the fact that “hero” mode no longer automatically guards for the player, instead it makes decapitations easier to perform making enemies easier to defeat.

Ryu’s combos, attacks, special moves and Ninpo magic is all here fully intact and feels just as good as it did the first time round. Combatting even the most generic of enemy requires careful thought as enemies are intelligent and difficult to predetermine so button bashing is a definite no-no as you will be dead in seconds.

Luckily though Ryu’s health is refilled after battles, apart from any permanent damage that must be refilled by health pickups or save points scattered throughout the game world. The gameplay unfortunately is spoilt by the frustratingly terrible camera which devastatingly ruins the whole experience and is by far the toughest battle in the entire game. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus doesn’t really utilise the Vita’s capabilities apart from using the rear touch pad to aim shurikens and arrows shot from the bow.

New to Sigma 2 Plus is the inclusion of “Ninja Race” which players have to fight through a map full of enemies within a set time limit collecting essence from dead enemies to gain extra time. The other is Tag Mission is which the player has to eliminate specific enemies using the rear touch pads targeting system. Both are nothing more than tacked on game modes designed to increase replayability which may be good for veteran Ninja Gaiden fans but for casual gamers, they won’t really play these much.

On the Vita, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 plus looks as fantastic as it did the first time around, graphics on the characters and stages are nice and sharp and filled with detail, the action is fast , frantic, seriously entertaining and satisfying to watch. Bosses are just as tough looking and intimidating and some are huge screen fillers which look great on the Vita. Some cut backs on visuals have been made such as less blood and downscaled textures but these are easily forgiven if only we could see them through the awkward camera angles. Speaking of the camera, during the larger battles, the camera is low down and far behind making the action hard to see through foreground artefacts at times and the enemy hordes blocking the view, this led to many deaths and was seriously frustrating, perhaps a patch to fix this?

Summary

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus looks and feels superb on the PS Vita, no slow down and sharp visuals are perfectly ported however the overall experience is bogged down by the frustrating camera. It’s a constant battle throughout the entire game which is a shame considering the outstanding action that this game offers. The tacked on game modes are nothing but forgettable distractions from the superb story mode. A superb port of a classic game, minus the silly camera.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 plus

Developers: Team Ninja

Publishers: Tecmo Koei

Playstation Vita

Playstation 3®

Genre: Hack and Slash

Release date: 1st March 2013

Story – 4/5

Graphics – 3/5

Gameplay – 4/5

Overall – 3.5/5

{http://www.theleet.co.uk|www.theleet.co.uk|www.theleet.co.uk}

A BRIERFIELD teenager who was involved in a raid on a bookmakers and committed a string of driving offences has been spared youth custody.

The 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Burnley Youth Panel where he admitted robbery, dangerous driving, driving without a licence, failing to stop and driving without insurance.

The court heard the teenager was one of three hooded youths responsible for the robbery at Ladbrokes in Scotland Road, Nelson, on February 26th where a terrified shop worker was forced to hand over £941 in cash.

Mrs Alex Mann (prosecuting) said the teenager and two others went into the shop around 7pm. All three had their hoods up and the defendant stayed by the door while another threatened the shop worker.

“She said she was very frightened, terrified, her legs were shaking and she thought she was going to get hurt.”

The shop assistant was forced to hand over the contents of the till and open gaming machines in the store .

“They were all getting agitated and shouting at each other. Then they all ran out of the shop.”

The court was told the shop worker was now too frightened to be left in the bookmakers alone. Mrs Mann said the teenager’s involvement in the robbery was low level.

He also admitted the driving offences, on Christmas Eve last year. The teenager was spotted driving a car in the Daneshouse area of Burnley. Police gave chase but he accelerated and continued driving at 40 m.p.h. before crashing into a lamppost in Elm Street.

Magistrates sentenced him to a youth rehabilitation order with nine months’ supervision and a six-month curfew between 7pm and 7am. He was banned from driving even though he does not have a licence and ordered to take an extended retest. He must also pay £200 compensation for the loss of the money that was stolen, £100 compensation to the victim and a £15 victim surcharge.

The chairman of the Bench said he was extremely lucky to avoid youth custody.

“On both occasions you had the opportunity to stop what you were doing. The harm caused in the robbery was the considerable distress of the person behind the counter. It doesn’t bear thinking about that someone was too scared to go back to work.”

Mr Lee Hammond (defending) said the teenager maintained he did not know about any plans for a robbery when he went into the shop.

He was from a good family and did not cause any problems at home.

“This is a young man who is testing the boundaries. His father is at a loss what to do with his son.”

THE number of Pendle Council employees fell by 67 between 2010 and 2012, according to figures from the GMB trade union.

The reduction is part of a drop of 45,000 local authority workers in the same period, said the union.

The council with the highest fall was Lancashire County Council, with 6,284.

In a “league table” of 41 North-West authorities, Pendle was placed 33rd with a drop from 407 employees to 340, a reduction of 16.5%.

Paul McCarthy, GMB Regional Secretary, said “The terrible extent of the cuts that the Tory/Liberal government has imposed on local authorities is plain to see in these new statistics.

“In the North West alone, numbers employed by the 41 councils in the region are down by 45,000 since the general election in 2010.

“These are the people who provide local services so cuts are a disaster for local communities and for those workers who have lost their jobs. Council budgets are still being cut this trend in falling employment numbers is likely to continue into 2014.”

You can always rely on master storyteller Barbara Taylor Bradford to provide a welcome escape from the humdrum of daily life.

Her epic and sumptuous novels have been thrilling readers since her first novel, A Woman of Substance, published back in 1979, launched her career as one of Britain’s most iconic authors.

Bradford, who set out as a journalist on the Yorkshire Evening Post, now lives in New York but the magic continues from across the ‘pond’ and Secrets from the Past, her twenty-eighth book, contains all the passion, romance and drama that have made her one of the world’s favourite writers.

In a compelling, emotion-packed saga of deeply buried secrets, passionate love, obsession and redemption, Bradford takes us from smart Manhattan to the beautiful hills above Nice, from the shimmering canals of Venice to the riot-filled streets of Libya in the Arab ‘spring.’

At its heart is a young war photographer struggling to come to terms with her charismatic father’s death and unprepared for the minefield she explodes when she delves into his life history.

Thirty-year-old Serena Stone is a talented American photojournalist who has followed in the footsteps of her famous war photographer father Tommy Stone on the world’s battlefronts. But when he dies unexpectedly from a heart attack, she steps away from the war zone to reassess her life.

With her mother also dead now, Serena’s mission is to collect memories of her beloved father and she has set about writing his life story. She approaches Harry Redford, Tommy’s best friend and front line colleague, to help fill in some of the gaps in her biography but Harry has a request of his own.

He wants her to go to Venice to take care of Zachary North, her former lover and another war photographer, who has come out of Afghanistan ‘a dead man walking.’ Zac is suffering from mental and physical exhaustion and is asking for Serena even though their six-year romance ended in a huge row nearly 12 months ago

Reluctantly, Serena flies out to Zac, who is holed up in her father’s old Venetian apartment, and almost inevitably they rekindle their passion. As they tackle her father’s huge legacy of iconic photographs, Serena unearths a collection that has never been seen before and amongst them is a photograph which turns her family history upside down.

The search for the truth about her father’s marriage to Serena’s movie star mother Elizabeth Vasson takes her back to war-torn Libya where she must risk death if she is ever to piece together a chapter of their lives that she never even knew existed.

As always, Bradford fills her book with high drama and vibrant characters in a moving story that portrays love in its many guises... and the power of the past to control both the present and the future.

(HarperCollins, hardback, £14.99)

TWO drunken Lithuanian men who attacked one of their workmates because he was Russian have been jailed for four years.

Audrius Andriukaitis (42), of Leeds Road, and Rygintas Bloze (26), of Pine Street, both Nelson, were seen to kick, hit and stamp on Igor Kuznecov over and over again in the Boxing Day attack.

Mr Stephen Pickles (prosecuting) said all three had been drinking vodka and had gone into Nelson by taxi to find a shop where they could buy more alcohol. The attack began after words were exchanged when Mr Kuznecov hit Bloze. In response, the men carried out a sustained and repeated attack, lasting 15 minutes, and threatened to put him in a kennel.

Witness Mr Mohammed Daah told police he thought somebody was being murdered. Mr Pickles said the victim’s face was so covered in blood his flesh could not be seen. Two bones in his face were broken and he had a CAT scan to check for brain injuries, but did not need surgery. He had lost £1,000 in wages by the time he was able to return to work and kept having flashbacks about the attack.

Mr Daah rang the police and was able to give a running commentary on the attack outside his home in Cliffe Street, Nelson. He saw Bloze pining the victim against his car in a headlock, punching him in the stomach, and saw both men punch and kick Mr Kuznecov in the face, grab him by the legs and throw him on the ground. When he tried to protect himself, Andriukaitis sat on his stomach and rained at least 10 blows at his face.

Mr Daah said the worse part of the attack happened when the victim was unable to stand on his own. The men pulled him to his feet but he dropped to his knees and spoke to Andriukaitis, who seemed to go into a frenzy. Both picked him up, held him by the arms and threw him 20 to 25ft across the road and then both stamped on his face, over and over again for what seemed to be a long time.

Through an interpreter, Mr Recorder J.M. Barrett said he would have jailed both men for six and a half years had they not pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and been of previous good character.

A MAN has been dramatically cleared of allegations he killed an 80-year-old woman in her Colne home.

Angry scenes erupted in the public gallery in Preston Crown Court as George Portsmouth was found not guilty of murder and an alternative accusation of the manslaughter of Connie French.

There were gasps before one man jumped up to shout and swear at the jury, claiming it was a “joke”. A woman cried “I can’t believe it” before leaving the courtroom.

The jury had deliberated for more than 11 hours before filing back into court to deliver its verdicts following a two-week trial.

Judge Anthony Russell QC told them outbursts did sometimes occur when verdicts were returned. He acknowledged they had taken two days to consider the matter.

The judge then told defence QC Mr Andrew O’Byrne the defendant, who had been on remand in custody, could be discharged.

It had been claimed he had murdered the grandmother of his then partner, who died last April. She had been found with neck and rib injuries at her home in North Street.

During the early hours of March 27th, Mrs French had been found lying in the front room of her home. A pillow had been placed under her head.

Mrs French went on to give police a video recorded interview from her hospital bed, in which she appeared to claim the 25-year-old, from Varley Street, Colne, had harmed her.

In the interview, recorded 12 days before she died, she had written down his first name for officers and mouthed his surname as being the man responsible.

The prosecution claimed she had also indicated a pillow had been placed over her neck and face and money taken.

George Portsmouth asserted in his evidence that Mrs French mistakenly identified him to police. He queried why Mrs French had earlier told an ambulance driver a man had been in. “Why not say ‘George’? She has known me for five years. I think it’s mistaken identity”, he told the court.

He also insisted officers had arrested the wrong person over her death.

His DNA in the form of a blood spot was found on a pillow case which Miss Kate Blackwell QC (prosecuting) alleged was used by him to try to smother the pensioner. Blood staining and saliva from Mrs French was found on the opposite side of the pillow case.

The defendant accepted his blood had been found but said he did not know when it got there as he worked with steel in his job and this could get stuck in his fingers.

The defendant also said in evidence that, from time to time, the gran would lend him money. His financial situation had been tight, but he had been coping.

He accepted having had a gambling problem and lieing about losing money on gambling machines. He had been to the home earlier the previous evening to deliver £200 cash Mrs French had wanted withdrawn.

Speaking after the verdict, Detective Superintendent Paul Withers, from the Force Major Investigation Team, said: “While I respect the decision of the court, naturally Connie’s family is disappointed with the decision of the jury to clear the defendant on the charge of murder.

“The Force Major Investigation Team carried out a full and thorough investigation into the death of Connie French and both the Constabulary and Crown Prosecution Service felt it was the correct decision to prosecute George Portsmouth.

“I am disappointed for Connie’s family who have conducted themselves with dignity from the outset and we will continue to offer them support for as long as they need it.

“In relation to the investigation, we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this offence.”

A WOMAN has been taken to hospital for assessment after she was found walking along the rail tracks between Burnley and Colne.

British Transport Police and Lancashire Police were notified of the incident just before 11-50am this morning.

It is believed the woman was heading towards Robinson Lane, in Reedley.

A Northern Rail spokesman said that passengers travelling between Burnley Central and Colne faced delays of between 10 and 15 minutes.

Trains were running as normal by 12-30pm.

The big thing at the moment is the resurgence of PC gaming with tournaments sprouting up all over the place and some amazing new free to play and regular games available.

Now playing a game on your pc is fun yet you do need a good sound system to appreciate it, as we are all aware the sound of constant gunfire and explosions might be amazing if you’re a gamer and you’re in a fight to the death situation, yet that’s not what people around you think, so logically the next step is get a headset.

There are endless amounts of choice in the gaming headset world and if you’re on a limited budget why blow £200 on a headset when you can have something that’s almost as good for a fraction of the price?

The Plantronics Gamecom 780 7.1 surround sound headset is perfect for the casual gamer on a tight budget and you do get a good deal for the money

The Plantronics Gamecom 780 7.1 surround sound headset, is a remarkable piece of kit with nice big 40mm speakers and really comfortable ear cushions the Gamecom 780 7.1 surround sound headset is light and fits nicely on the old noggin, I wore them for about two hours to start with and after a while didn`t notice them,they are not the prettiest of headsets, yet they are very light and fit just enough to avoid slipping when you bend forward, the mic swivels up out of the way so you don`t end up dunking it in your beverage.

The first thing I noticed about the Plantronics Gamecom 780 7.1 surround sound headset apart from the solid build quality, is the usb connection which is the way PC headsets are going these days, once you have loaded the simple software (a disc is provided) you can enjoy amazing quality Dolby ®sound, and for such a low price these are just as good as more expensive headsets.

The Plantronics Gamecom 780 7.1 surround sound headset has three control buttons mounted on the headset itself which is way better than an annoying control module , one for volume , another to activate the Dolby®7.1 and a mic switch simple yet very effective.

With the added bonus of being able to lay them flat, (handy for storage or transportation) these are well thought out and economical. Comfortable ear pads are also an added bonus especially for us glasses wearers and these perform well, they aren`t sound proof, yet when the volumes cranked up you can`t hear anything outside anyway.

I used these for gaming to start with and my voice can be heard very clearly the sound is very impressive, with plenty of bass for those big explosions.

The next test was with Skype, again a faultless performance with no drop in sound on the mic and I could be heard clearly, this is all due to the noise cancelling mic which filters out background noise, a nice addition and something you usually find on headsets 3 times the price.

The Dolby ® 7.1 sound is excellent and really brings a game to life, they also perform well with music, and watching a film with these is a bonus as well there is no adjustable EQ yet the sound is pretty good with just the right amount of bass and treble.

As they have only a USB connection you can`t use them with other devices it would have been nice to have a 3.5mm jack adaptor so I could plug them into an mp3 player or a TV but I am sure there is an adaptor out there that can do this.

Summary

Personally I love the Plantronics Gamecom 780 7.1 surround sound headset it doesn`t rely on fancy gizmos it does exactly what it says on the box, they are not the most stylish headset around yet they do the job, superb sound, really comfortable and above all the price is right, you don`t get any EQ settings so you have to set those on your PC, yet for the price you do get a lot for your money and if you’re a casual PC gamer then these are the ones for you.

Plantronics Gamecom 780 Headset

7.1 Dolby ®Surround Sound

40mm Speakers

Noise Cancelling Mic

Easy to reach controls

Tough build quality

Price: £39.99 (varies depending on retailer)

Plantronics.com

Usabilty: 5/5

Comfort: 4.5/5

Value for money: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

{http://www.theleet.co.uk|www.theleet.co.uk|www.theleet.co.uk}

BACK in his favoured central role, striker Martin Paterson is hoping to end the season on a high by hitting double figures.

After top-scorer Charlie Austin, with 26 goals before last night’s meeting with Hull, you have to go back to Paterson, with five, as the next in line.

The 25-year-old has been disappointed with his return so far, having enjoyed his most injury-free campaign since scoring 19 goals as the Clarets were promoted to the Premier League in 2009.

He had made 24 starts before last night, most of which came out wide, with Austin primarily preferred as a lone, central forward.

And he admits: “I’m not happy with my goal tally at all, but there are no excuses.

“No matter where you play you can still score goals, so it would be an excuse to say it’s because I’ve been playing out wide.

“I’ve been unlucky this year – there have been some good saves against me, some bad misses – we’ve got 10 games left and I’m looking to put my goal tally right in those 10 games, if I play.

“I’m not happy with it but I’m looking to change it every day.

“I’d take double figures.”

Paterson is due a bit of luck, having had a perfectly-good goal ruled out for off-side in the 1-0 win at Charlton a week on Saturday, and he smiled: “It was onside,” he said.

“I’m completely level.

“But there’s nothing you can do.

“I think there’s a couple more goals in me until the end of the season.

“At the moment I’d be happy with double figures.”

And Paterson feels his bid for goals will only be helped by partnering Austin, stretching defences in behind with his pace and movement: “I love playing up front.

“That’s my position. I’ve said all the time I’m a centre forward.

“When I’ll be judged is up front and running in behind defences and getting after centre halves.

“That’s what I do very well.

“I haven’t had a full season up front, whereas other seasons I have.

“I think it would be unfair to say ‘he’s only scored five this year’ but you’ve got to look at times the work I’ve done going the other way on the flanks.

“I don’t want to use it as an excuse because it’s not in my nature.

“If the team required me and if the manager requires me to play out wide to do jobs for the team I never ever refuse, I always work hard.”

• The Burnley Express has launched a FREE football app which is now available to download on {http://bit.ly/LkG6ap|iPhone|Download our football app on iPhone} and {http://bit.ly/IdEJgn|Android|Download our football app on Android} devices.

Stephen Quinn fires Hull second after Steve Bruce shake-up - The Independent

Burnley U18s 1 PNE U18s 0 - PNEFC

Championship: Burnley 0 Hull City 1 - Soccerway

Hull climb with win at Burnley - Teamtalk

Hull go second after freezing out Burnley - Times of India

Hull City edge past Burnley with Stephen Quinn’s decisive strike - The Guardian

Swindon win lifts the Clarets closer to promotion - Clarets Mad

Burnley Hope its Toothless Tigers at Turf! - Vitalfootball

MacDonald prolongs Pirelli stay - EatSleepSport

Turf Moor hosts its first game since sale of Jimmy Mac - Clarets Mad

Gallagher and Gilchrist join the Bloods - Clarets Mad

Burnley boss Sean Dyche casts doubt over whether deal can be done for Alex Kacaniklic - Daily Express

Flicker - Team Selection Wrong At Burnley - Vitalfootball

Burnley boss Sean Dyche doubts Alex Kacaniklic will remain with club - Teamtalk

Permanent Burnley switch unlikely for Kacaniklic - Goal.com Singapore

Jimmy McIlroy is no longer a Burnley player - Clarets Mad

Dyche doubtful Burnley can sign Fulham loanee Kacaniklic - Tribal Football

Burnley boss would splash his own cash on Kacaniklic but expects Fulham return - London24

Burnley boss talks up Fulham loanee - Clubcall

Burton Albion extend Alex MacDonald’s loan from Burnley - Burton Mail

CIVIL servant Vajid Ashraf masterminded a nationwide fraud to claim pensioners’ allowances.

Some of his victims were unable to look after their affairs, and one was dead, a court heard.

Ashraf (33), of Cumberland Avenue, Burnley, worked at the Department of Work and Pensions office in Simonstone, a computer headquarters dealing with pensions and pension credits.

Ten others were said to be embroiled in the scam.

Ashraf has admitted conspiracy to defraud but two of his co-accused, Shakeel Butt (27), of Lambeth Street, Blackburn, and Lucy Gakunga (21), of Birmingham, denied the allegation when they appeared at Burnley Crown Court.

Prosecutor Kevin Slack said Ashraf manipulated computer records.

Because of his role at the DWP, he was able to identify targets and, once he had done that, distanced himself from the fraud by getting someone else to receive cash being transferred into his chosen bank accounts.

Witness Sue Harwood, a security adviser with the DWP at Simonstone, said every payment, such as a state pension, pension credit or winter fuel allowance, could be tracked by using the person’s national insurance number and also by which person dealt with the paperwork, as every member of staff had a password and smart card to access the computer system.

She said most customers had their money paid directly into bank accounts and it was Ashraf’s job to look at instances where money had been returned by the banks because the accounts had been changed or the person had died.

Miss Harwood – described as the equivilant of investigator Andy Garcia in the crime thriller “Internal Affairs” – took the court through four complex audit trails which identified that Ashraf had channelled nearly £26,000 into four different accounts. He went into the pensioners’ accounts, used their national insurance numbers, and made notes on the files saying the person, or their legal representative, had phoned giving new bank details. He also suppressed letters that should have been sent to the pensioners informing them about their rights to appeal to the DWP if they had any queries about money which should have been paid.

“A lot of our customers are elderly and don’t realise what is happening, or they had died,” she said.

The court was told the family of one pensioner had written to the DWP to confirm her death and that pensions paid into her account had been stopped. Six months later, Ashraf used her national insurance number to get into her record. He changed them to say a legal appointee had written to the DWP in Warrington advising that payments had not been paid, and she was owed £3,862.65.

The bank details given belonged to Sima Khan, a student and single mother from Birmingham who had a lot of debt. She told the court she had been befriended by Shakeel Butt after telling a mutual friend about her money worries. She had been offered money to cover her debts and gave Butt her bank account details. On his instruction, she rang him to say the money was in the bank, and it was then he told her to transfer most of the money into another account at another bank.

She said the money was a loan and refused to follow his instructions but was frightened into complying after a group of stone-throwing Asian men arrived at her home and broke a window. Khan had earlier pleaded guilty to converting criminal property because pension credits payments of £117 continued to arrive in her account.

She was allowed to keep £30 or £40 and had to hand over the rest to Butt’s collector, another of the co-accused, Wayne Pecco, of Stoke-on-Trent.

Proceeding

CLARETS boss Sean Dyche admits he doesn’t believe the onset of Financial Fair Play will lead to a more level playing field in the Championship.

From next season, we will see the introduction of a breakeven model based on UEFA Regulations, based on turnover, requiring clubs to stay within pre-defined limits on losses that will reduce significantly over the next five seasons.

Failure to stay within the limits will lead to the imposition of sanctions, such as transfer embargos.

It is meant as a block to clubs who continually make losses and accumulate debt, but, speaking ahead of last night’s home clash with Hull City, Dyche feels it will take time to take full effect.

Asked whether the Championship is becoming a case of the ‘haves and have nots’, he said: “In theory, the idea of the Financial Fair Play kicking in will affect that. Like in life there are possible ways that people might look at to shift it in their favour.

“The taping off period over five years, or certainly the first two years, will allow the rich to throw their power around.

“The idea is that over the next four or five years the game steadies off a little bit.

“When you’re talking about percentages of crowds, it stands to reason, if you’re at a club that gets 25,000 like Brighton and you get 60% turnover of that as your benchmark, if we’re getting 13,000 on average 60% of that is not the same. Even I can work that out!

“I still don’t think it will be parity.

“It will never happen but it would be interesting if everyone got the same, there’s your pool of players, crack on; like the draft system in America.

“There are weirdnesses to all of them.

“I’m sure with the draft system there are coaches who moan about it – getting third pick instead of first pick and 30th pick instead of 20th.

“I don’t think there’s a foolproof way, I think they’re trying to govern it better and trying to bring the margins down slightly, and only time will tell with that.”

Burnley’s planning for FFp is well down the line, having tapered their wage bill and spending accordingly.

But Dyche was able to bring in Fulham midfielder Alex Kacaniklic on loan a fortnight ago, to add variety to his options in wide areas.

He feels the Swede offers something different to the likes of Junior Stanislas, Ross Wallace, Keith Treacy and Dane Richards: “The reason for bringing Kaca in is that the wide players are very similar in their make-up and we wanted something different.

“We’ll see how he goes, but he delivers something different.

“He didn’t have the ball anywhere near as much as we’d like him to against Barnsley, and he ran 13.5km.

“That’s an amazing total for a winger, so that gives you and idea of his spirit and his will to do it is.

“Obviously like most players we brought him here not just to run around but to deliver with the ball, and we didn’t get the ball to him enough.

“That was something that will change.

“We’ve done pretty well with the ball.

“Against Barnsley we just didn’t control and deal with the ball as well as we have done.

“It’s as simple as that, but they’re the ups and downs of the group, learning and improving and changing and being adaptable.”

The wide areas have chopped and changed, with wingers, by definition, inconsistent performers, and he added: “It’s a tough role because you’re not in the game all the time and your focus has to be there, your shape has to be there, the attention to the moment when you can actually go and grip the game.

“Sometimes it’s that day when the ball either lands at you or people keep feeding you.

“Other times you’ve got to go and grip the game.

“That’s one of the intriguing parts of wide players and how they play.”

While the wide players have found themselves in and out of the side as they search to nail down a regular starting berth, they have continually provided the bullets for Charlie Austin, who had 26 goals ahead of last night’s game.

But the next top scorer at the club is Martin Paterson with five.

Dyche is unconcerned while Austin is still finding the net: “You want as many people scoring as you can, but when they’re scoring as heavily as Charlie there’s always a gap.

“I don’t know what it is at Palace where Glenn Murray’s leading now, but I’m not sure there’s anyone that close to him.

“But Pato has his part to play.”

Barnsley boss David Flitcroft said Austin and Murray were the best two centre forwards in the division last Tuesday night - although Jordan Rhodes, from Sunday’s opponents Blackburn might have a claim.

Dyche accepted: “I think they’re both good players.

“Often you can make decisions purely on goals, which obviously is a massive part of it.

“But I think there are a lot of good forwards in the Championship.

“They don’t always offer the same thing, but as a manager they offer the team something.

“Charlie’s certainly up amongst them, and so is Glenn Murray.”

He sees no barrier to them scoring at any level either: “The Premier League is a tough division, and it’s a real positive sign when players can score in the Championship because equally the Championship is a tough division.

“Whereas if you put those same two players in one of the top end clubs they’d probably do really well, because chances come a bit more freely surrounded by an even better quality of play.

“There is something about goalscorers. We have our own.”

• The Burnley Express has launched a FREE football app which is now available to download on {http://bit.ly/LkG6ap|iPhone|Download our football app on iPhone} and {http://bit.ly/IdEJgn|Android|Download our football app on Android} devices.

A BADGER caused rush-hour traffic disruption for motorists on the M65 this morning.

Drivers were forced to swerve and brake to avoid the dead badger on the westbound carriageway near Junction 11 at Stoneyholme.

The carcass of the animal was laid across two lanes and a rolling road block was set up by motorway police at around 8-15am.

Officers managed to remove the dead badger and has now been reopened as normal.

With 33 novels to her name, Lyn Andrews is now the undisputed queen of the Merseyside saga.

Her warm and compelling stories featuring recognisable northern characters and the struggles and hardships faced by working class communities over the last century have made her one of the UK’s most popular authors.

Sunlight on the Mersey, a gritty, engrossing tale of love and survival set in the aftermath of the First World War, sees Andrews on top form with her now irresistible blend of romance and drama.

Using her keen eye and ear for straight-talking, northern humour and the stubbornness and resilience that mark out the Lancashire character, Andrews’ enchanting story is guaranteed to win hearts and keep the pages turning.

The Great War has left its mark on the Mundy family at their home in Liverpool’s docklands but, with the return of eldest child Charlie after a year on the Western Front, there are hopes that life will soon return to normal.

But Charlie has been hardened by his experiences on the battlefield and three years later he has still not settled back into his job as a shipping clerk. Moody, restless and self-centred, he yearns to make more of his life and to break out from his modest background.

Independent and outspoken Iris, eldest of his two sisters, works in a local shop and also has ambitions but is painfully aware that she is just lucky to have a job.

Youngest child Rose is the darling of her pawnbroker father Bill but her delicate health is a constant worry and after a serious illness, her mother Kate packs her off to the beautiful Welsh village of Tregarron to recuperate with a family friend.

But times are changing and when Rose lands a job as housemaid at Plas Idris, the local big house, she falls madly in love with tragic young hero David Rhys-Pritchard whose war injuries have left him confined to a wheelchair.

At home, Charlie is still keen to improve his social standing and seems to be sacrificing real love for ambition when he becomes engaged to the daughter of a successful coal merchant.

But then tragedy strikes and the whole family must pull together if they are to survive the turmoil that lies ahead...

Another enthralling story from a born storyteller and a spring treat for her army of loyal fans.

(Headline, hardback, £14.99)

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man was admitted to hospital with a serious head injury following an incident in Burnley on Saturday night.

About 8pm, a 31-year-old father of four was found in March Street with a serious head injury. He was taken to Blackburn Royal Hospital but has since been transferred to Royal Preston Hospital where his condition is described as potentially life threatening.

Police are appealing for witnesses who may have seen how the man sustained his injuries.

Detective Inspector James Elston said: “We’re in the early stages of the investigation and at this time it appears the man has been subjected to some form of assault but we urgently need witnesses to come forward and assist the inquiry.

“It is unknown at this stage why the victim, who is a builder, was in the area, it may have been in March Street to meet someone in connection with his trade.

“It is also unclear how he sustained such a serious head injury but I am considering a number of possibilities one of which being that the injured man was involved in an altercation with someone and that person may not have intended to cause him such serious harm. If this person is you I would urge you to do the right thing and contact the police.

“The victim’s wife and family are understandably very worried and upset and are being supported by a trained officer.

“I’d appeal to anybody that was in the area at the time or saw anything unusual to contact Lancashire Police on 101.”

People with information can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or on-line at Crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

BRIAN Jensen is currently enjoying his testimonial year at Turf Moor.

And Brian’s testimonial committee are delighted to announce a gala dinner/dance in his honour, to be held at Turf Moor on Saturday, April 6.

Hosted by Alastair Campbell and attended by many of Brian’s current and former team mates, this is your chance to honour the ‘Beast’ following a decade of loyal service.

The evening consists of a three-course meal and live entertainment from, among others, ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ comedy impressionist Les Gibson.

Brian will also be recalling the highlights of his Turf Moor career in a special chat with with Alastair, before live music rounds off a fabulous evening.

Gold tickets (closest to the stage) are priced at £50, with Silver and Bronze priced at £40 and £30 respectively.

Dress code is lounge suits.

Tickets for this unique event in the James Hargreaves Stand are now on sale at the Turf Moor reception, or by phone on 0871 21 1882.

They can also be bought from the Burnley Express offices, or on 01282 478164.

• The Burnley Express has launched a FREE football app which is now available to download on {http://bit.ly/LkG6ap|iPhone|Download our football app on iPhone} and {http://bit.ly/IdEJgn|Android|Download our football app on Android} devices.

A GANG of robbers who threatened an “entirely defenceless” Burnley man at knifepoint have been jailed for a total of over 27 years.

Burnley Crown Court heard how 42-year-old Louis Steyn suffered “gratuitous degradation” in his own home on Chestnut Rise, Burnley, on October 25th last year.

The court heard how he was in fear of his life as three of the five strong gang armed themselves with knives from his kitchen.

He was threatened with a 6in. boning knife and was beaten up, tied up and at one point gagged while his possessions were loaded into the back of his £26,000 Audi A4 which was also stolen.

The gang, which included three men and two women, had pushed their way passed Mr Steyn and began listening to music on the TV and drinking alcohol, before ransacking his house, the court was told.

The court heard Mr Steyn was left with bleeding cuts to his face which required nine stitches as the gang then drove to Blackpool where, with Steer at the wheel, the car was stopped by a police stinger after the Audi was clocked at speeds of 100m.p.h.

Steer was over the drink drive limit at the time and driving with no insurance.

Sally Brennand (19), of Laithe Street; Rebecca Greenough (19), of Granby Street; and John Williams (20), of Elizabeth Street, who was on licence for robbery at the time, all of Burnley, David Steer (26) of Studd Brow, Whitworth, Rochdale, and Zak Ward (25), of Richmond Walk, Radcliffe, all pleaded guilty to robbery. Steer also pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking.

Steer was sentenced to seven years four months in prison; Williams was also given seven years four months; Ward was given a seven year sentence; Brennand was handed a three year four month sentence and Greenough two years 10 months.

Amanda Johnson, prosecuting, said at around 7-30pm on the night of the ordeal, Mr Steyn was at his quiet cul-de-sac home watching TV when Williams knocked at his door.

Williams, who was joined by Steer at the door, asked to come in for a drink but Mr Steyn refused. Steer then asked, and after Mr Steyn refused again, the pair pushed past the victim into the house beckoning in Ward, Brennand and Greenough saying that “the party is here”.

Music was put on loudly and a bottle of vodka was taken from the fridge which the group began drinking, despite Mr Steyn’s continual requests for them to leave, the court was told.

Miss Johnson said that Steer then punched Mr Steyn in the face, knocking him to the ground, before he was hit and kicked to the body.

Car keys were demanded and Mr Steyn was dragged upstairs before they were found by one of the others.

Mr Steyn was then told to kneel and put his hands behind his head when Williams held a knife to his face. Mr Steyn pleaded: “Please don’t stab me, take what you want.”

Brennand was holding what was described as a vegetable knife in the kitchen doorway at this moment.

Having had his hands and feet tied up with computer cabling, Mr Steyn then offered to start his car for the gang. He was released but had a cloth tied around his mouth and head.

Miss Johnson said Mr Steyn then “feared for his life” back in the house as he thought Ward was going to stab him. Ward instead insisted “I never wanted anything to do with this” before leaving with the rest.

In a statement read out in court, Mr Steyn said his life had changed, with a “feeling of being afraid at home” and being left with permanent scarring on his face.

Sentencing the gang, Recorder William T. C. Smith, said: “The whole incident was a terrifying one for the victim. He was fortunate to have suffered relatively modest physical injuries but he has, no doubt, the physical scars to go with them.”