A motorcyclist has died after being involved in a crash with a car in the Ribble Valley.

The 47-year-old man, from Adlington, Chorley, was travelling along Bolton-by-Bowland Road, near Spring Wood, towards Sawley and Clitheroe, when he was involved in a collision with a Nissan Navara travelling in the opposite direction around 1-40pm yesterday.

Police said the rider, who was thrown from his bike, received “substantial injuries” and died at the scene.

The driver of the car, from the Wyre area, was unharmed.

Sgt Gareth Hill, from Lancashire Police’s Road Policing Unit, said: “An investigation is underway but I would appeal to anybody that witnessed this collision or saw the motorcyclist riding his distinctive blue Yamaha YFZ-R1 in the Clitheroe or Bolton by Bowland area prior to the collision to contact police on 101.”

The road was closed for more than three hours due to the crash.

Three career criminals have been jailed for harassing a vulnerable man for money in a campaign that went on for months.

Luke Franks spotted Mr Paul Horan as a likely prey and he was later joined in his campaign by Dean Mortimer and Mark McConnell. They called repeatedly at his house in Crabtree Street, Colne, at first saying they had done work on his house, and later just demanding cash.

Mr Horan was walked to a cash point four times in one week, taking £958 from his account. In total, the men acquired £1,880 from him.

Franks (24), of Talbot Street, Colne, and Mortimer (42), of Derby Street, Nelson, were each jailed for 16 months. Mortimer is currently serving three years for burglary and committed the con while on bail. His 16 months will be added at the end of his the sentence.

McConnell, of Duke Street, Colne, was jailed for 10 months. He had just been released from prison on licence and has been recalled to serve out his sentence.

Judge Beverly Lunt said their enterprise was despicable. She issued a restraining order against the three men. They must not contact their victim by any means, including social media, for 10 years, neither must they enter Crabtree Street.

The court was told Franks first identified Mr Horan in December last year when he told him he needed work doing on his roof. Franks, and another man, spent an hour there and charged him £768.

Franks and McConnell went round to the house in March, saying they were owed £160 for work, and in April Mortimer went to the house to claim money. He walked Mr Horan to the cash point on consecutive days, taking out £520, £70, £300 and lastly £68.

Mr Horan called the police when the men would call again, so they lay in wait.

Franks was arrested when he arrived, Mortimer was identified on CCTV and McConnell walked into the police station of his own accord. All three denied any involvement.

A new photographic exhibition has been launched at Colne’s La Dolce Vita.

“Northern Perceptions” is an exhibition of black and white prints by Foulridge photographer, David James, who is a member of the Padiham and District Photographic Society, Ilkley Camera Club and the Postal Photographic Club.

The exhibition launched on Wednesday, December 11th and will run until January 30th in the Foto Galleria above the Italian deli and coffee shop.

David James explained: “The photographs show my perceptions of northern people and places.

“Most were taken in Pendle on the Yorkshire/Lancashire border including Walton Spire above Colne and images of people and places alongside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

“I’ve used the monochromatic style to emphasise some of the perceived grimness to be found in these parts!.

“To me, it displays the tonal range found in the landscape to much greater effect than any colour print.

“And a portrait in this style gives more depth and insight into the person’s character than a colour print could.”

These stunning images are free to view so why not pop in for a cappuccino or Italian beer while you browse.

Other work by David can be seen on his website at www.townandcountryimages.co.uk

What better way to satisfy them nostalgic taste buds this Christmas than with the rebirth of the legendary home console, SNK’s Neo Geo.

At the time of its era, it was a pricey piece of kit as it was extremely advanced compared to that of the other consoles in that time period being the Super Nintendo and the Sega Megadrive/Genesis, so advanced that arcade video games were powered by it. The Neo Geo marked the pinnacle of the 16 bit generation however didn’t see much popularity due, not only to the hefty price tag, but poor marketing and availability. Now though, we are treated with the reimagined Neo Geo X, a hybrid console developed by SNK Playmore and manufactured by Tommo, which is homage to its age old descendant.

The Neo Geo X comes in two forms, the handheld console and a docking station which can be connected to any television. The handheld console is smartly designed with a generic rectangular shape with a shiny plastic front and a rubber grippy rear with the iconic SNK logo dead centre. I found myself using this more than the docking station as the picture quality was great and it was extremely comfortable to hold and all the buttons were perfectly placed. It’s an impressive piece of kit and feels really well built; I didn’t experience any problems whatsoever.

The docking station is in the shape of the original Neo Geo AES console complete with fake top loading cartridge slot. There is a reset button, the clasp to open it up, HDMI out, A/V out ports and two USB ports to connect the included joystick and another if you have one. Even though there is a HDMI port, the Neo Geo X doesn’t render the games in HD.

There are 20 games pre-installed in the handheld console which includes gems such as Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting and Metal Slug but the mega pack which also comes with the gold edition contains a further 15 games so there’s plenty of variety and each game renders perfectly. With the rarity of these games in circulation today, it pretty much justifies the £125 price tag on Funstock but you’re getting an excellently manufactured product.

Summary

The Neo Geo X is a nice return to the past with so many legendary games in the palm of your hand, playing this thing made me ask myself why I never invested in a Neo Geo in the first place. I play with the handheld more due to the comfort but the docking station is nicely designed and renders each game nicely on any TV. It may be a bit pricey for old games but you’re getting excellent value for money. A perfect gift for Christmas. I score the Neo Geo X Gold Edition 5/5

Neo Geo X Gold Edition

Manufacturer: Tommo

Developer: SNK Playmore

Available from: www.Funstock.co.uk

Price: £125.00

Design – 5/5

Usability – 5/5

Performance – 5/5

Overall – 5/5

Burnley Football Club is pleased to announce that long-time supporter Brian Nelson is to join the Board of Directors with immediate effect.

Brian, who was born in Nelson and is still a Pendle resident, has been a lifelong Burnley fan since watching his first game at Turf Moor in the mid-1950s.

Burnley Co-Chairman John Banaszkiewicz and Mike Garlick said: “We are delighted to welcome Brian to the board of directors.

“This appointment represents the next logical step for Brian, given his close association with the club over many years.

“He brings with him not just a wealth of business acumen and contacts, but also a passion for the club and the town - a vital combination in helping the board deliver our ambitious strategy.”

Mr Nelson, co-owner of the established textile manufacturers Parklane Textiles Ltd, added: “I am proud to join the board of the club I have supported all my life and an institution that I have already demonstrated my commitment to over the years.

“The board has done a great job in positioning the club for a sustainable future and joining the team gives me an opportunity to support the club in a very practical way.”

Brian, who is married to Sandra, has enjoyed a strong relationship with the Club over many years.

The 65-year-old has paid for team flights to away games, sponsored new equipment for the Academy, became an Associate Director in November 2011 and, most recently participated in the Turf Moor Bond; a process which enabled the club to repurchase its spiritual home and Gawthorpe training base.”

Burnley FC and its well-known names have been making the national headlines ...

Ipswich Town set to beat Leicester and Burnley to the signing of Sylvan Ebanks-Blake - East Anglian Daily Times

Fleetwood Town: Graham Alexander furious at FA Cup exit - BBC Sport

Howe: Ward is making good progress - Vitalfootball

Rumour Mill-Dyche and Ings Latest Gossip - Vitalfootball

United ease though in FA Youth Cup - Manchester Evening News

Big night for youth team against Manchester United - Clarets Mad

Leicester City 1 Burnley 1: The draw feels like a defeat, admits Liam Moore - Leicester Mercury

Blackpool 0 - QPR 2: Charlie Austin drops friendly act - Daily Star

Leicester City 1 Burnley 1: We need to be more ruthless, says City boss Nigel Pearson - Leicester Mercury

A missing sex offender from Burnley has been arrested by police after he failed to notify them of a change of address.

Michael Andrew Smith (29) had been living in the town but was arrested in Leeds after failing to inform the authorities of his whereabouts.

Smith was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in 2011. He was given a 12-month suspended sentence, placed on a 12-month drug rehabilitation programme and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Southampton have made an initial 1,000 tickets available to Burnley fans for the FA Cup third round tie at St Mary’s on Saturday, January 4th.

Prices are adults £20, over 65s and under 22s £15, under 17s £10 and under 11s £5.

Ticket prices on the day are increased by £2.

They are on general sale as of Tuesday, from the Turf Moor ticket office, by phone on 0871 221 1914 (option 2) or online.

Burnley Supporters’ Club are taking bookings for the game, to 421234 or 07910549633.

Coaches depart from Colne bus station at 7 a.m., Nelson bus station at 7-10 a.m., Queensgate at 7-20 a.m., Turf Moor at 7-30 a.m., Tim Bobbin at 7-40 a.m. and Rawtenstall at 8 a.m.

For the game at Wigan on December 29th, there are 4,600 tickets (unreserved seating), priced at £20 adults, £15 over 65s and under 22s, and £10 under 16s.

Sean Dyche feels the youth team’s performance against Manchester United gives great encouragement for the future.

Dyche has already had right back Cameron Dummigan in his first team squad, with the first-year scholar on the bench for the goal-less draw with Watford a fortnight ago.

And he was impressed with what he saw on Monday night: “There are some good alignments with the first team, you can see the energy, the organisation and the belief in the group, and we want that running through the club.

“There were good signs of that, some good moments of quality and I think there were a number of good performances.

“There are no guarantees with youth players but there are some good signs.

“There’s a lot of work to be done but it’s certainly going well at the minute.

“Let’s hope there’s a lot of potential there.

“There was certainly a nice drive and momentum to try to affect the game, and some good quality as well and created a lot of chances.

“But you’ve got to take those chances, that was probably the difference on the night.”

A devastated family have said they are left playing “a waiting game” to see whether their beloved home and business will be destroyed by a proposed Pendle bypass.

Stephen and Rachel Boothman have worked tirelessly developing a bed and breakfast at Blakey Hall Farm, in Red Lane, Colne, for the past 30 years.

But now they fear that it is going to be snatched away from them by Lancashire County Council as the Colne bypass’ “brown” route appears to cut straight through their Grade Two listed building.

The couple, who are helped by their children Lucy (24) and Ben (22), are also concerned the bypass would cause a blight on the surrounding countryside, and have an impact on tourism and local businesses.

Mrs Boothman (54), whose home overlooks around 90 acres of countryside, said: “I have got an awful feeling that they want it so badly, it will go ahead – it is such a mess down North Valley now. But it’s not going to alleviate the situation to the extent they think it is.

“It will be like an artery right through the crown of Pendle.

“It is the waiting that is upsetting me. We need a decision quickly, so then everybody can try to move on.”

And her daughter Lucy added: “The final stage of the B&B was only finished last year, yet all their hard work is to be undone. During the building work the council refused to allow many minor concessions, such as windows that could be seen from the canal, as it was considered that as they were not original they would be out of place. Yet it seems perfectly plausible to construct a whopping great bypass feet from the very same canal.”

In an almost “unbelievable” set of circumstances, this is the second time that the Boothman family have been faced with losing their home. In 1978, Mr Boothman’s family-run business in Silsden was made subject to a Compulsory Purchase Order for the Aire Valley Trunk Road.

Mrs Boothman, who found out about the plans after reading them on the front page of this newspaper, added: “Talk about lightning striking twice – we are devastated.

“We can’t plan anything, we can’t alter things, we just don’t know what we are doing.”

Responding, Marcus Hudson, head of planning for Lancashire County Council, said he hopes people will be reassured that the options shown in the transport masterplan are only indicative.

He added: “Any new transport infrastructure on this scale will affect people across a very wide area in different ways and we simply haven’t got the level of detail to consult with individual residents and businesses in a meaningful way at this stage.

“We’ve only just begun to review the responses to the consultation, but if the decision is made to move forward with the proposals in the plan, much more work will be needed before we can put forward detailed route options and we’ll carry out more specific consultation as appropriate at every stage.”

Pendle star Natalie Gumede is looking forward to her final ballroom battle on the Strictly Come Dancing floor.

But before her journey comes to an end, the former Colne Park High School student has taken time out of her hectic schedule to thank every reader that has got behind our “Back Nat” campaign.

The Coronation Street actress could barely contain her excitement as she talked all things glitter, glamour and grace, and reflected on how it would feel to pick up that coveted glitterball trophy.

In her first Strictly interview with Leader Times Newspapers, she said: “Thank you to your readers from the bottom of my heart.

“We could not have done this without local support, and that is what we come back every Saturday for – to show everybody how lucky we feel and how grateful we are.

“To win would be mindblowing, but we are certainly not expecting it. It would be a massive celebration of all the work we have put in, and a cherry on top of a glittery rich cake.”

For Natalie (29), who now lives in London, Strictly has been a whirlwind of highs and lows – as she has battled health issues, remained a judge’s favourite and formed friendships that will continue away from the bright lights of the BBC cameras.

Her highlight has been dancing the American Smooth during Musical Week.

Her main frustration came from the criticism she faced over previous experience at the Chippendale School of Dance.

She has also enjoyed showing a lighter side to her character, after becoming widely recognised for the villainous role of Kirsty Soames on the Corrie cobbles.

“It has been so surreal – I am the Strictly Stalker Superfan, so I sometimes feel the same as when I was on Coronation Street”, the performer, whose next venture will be on the Strictly Come Dancing tour, said.

“I stand on set and realise that this is a massive thing I am part of, and I am a tiny piece of the show’s history. It’s wonderful.

“Artem and I have been working together for 13 weeks and have come through the process together.

“We have had challenges and frustrations, have pushed through our limitations, and we are still laughing – it’s very special.

“I think there has been some overinflation of my dance experience.

“I have never danced professionally, and I haven’t danced for 10 years.

“It has been a little frustrating here and there, as it has still been a learning process for me.

“I have worked hard and had some very technical dances to do.

“Nobody goes into the dance studio on a Monday, and after two hours says ‘I’ve got it’ – there are 30 to 40 hours that are put in to achieve what we do on Saturday.”

Despite jointly topping the leaderboard and scoring a perfect 40 for her salsa, Natalie still found herself in the last dance off with Casualty actor Patrick Robinson.

To watch her in action, as she competes against finalists Abbey Clancy, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Susanna Reid, tune into BBC One at 6-30pm and 8-40pm on Saturday.

A Read practice nurse has been suspended over allegations she pretended to be a patient’s relative to fraudulently get painkillers.

Gillian Bacchi (49) claimed to be a patient’s granddaughter to get a prescription of codeine medication from a pharmacy, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.

But she was arrested by police and given a caution for fraud by false representation.

Ms Bacchi has been put on an 18-month interim suspension order as the NMC carries out a full investigation into the allegations.

The case could be reviewed in February of next year but she has indicated she may apply for voluntary removal from the NMC register.

The NMC heard when the incident happened Ms Bacchi had been off sick from work at her post as a practice nurse and nurse prescriber at the Little Harwood Health Centre in Blackburn.

The hearing was told how Ms Bacchi purported to be a patient’s granddaughter in order to have a prescription for codeine dispensed.

When challenged by the pharmacist Ms Bacchi ran out of the pharmacy on May 15th and the police were contacted.

She was given a police caution for fraud by false representation on July 1st.

The NMC panel imposed the 18-month interim suspension order on the grounds of public protection.

Miriam Karp, who chaired the NMC hearing, said in a report: “The allegations Ms Bacchi faces are serious, involving dishonest conduct.

“There is information before the panel to indicate that she suffers from ongoing health problems which are linked to the police caution she received.

“The panel therefore concluded that some form of interim order is necessary on the grounds of public protection.”

Ms Bacchi informed the NMC by letter in August that she has been off work on sick leave since June 2013 and does not intend to return to work.

The report stated that she intends to apply for voluntary removal from the NMC register.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “A 49-year-old woman from Read was arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation and received an adult caution.”

It’s full speed ahead for the new Steven Burke closed road circuit and sports hub for Pendle!

Coun. Joe Cooney, Leader of Pendle Council, this week announced two wins for the development of the state of the art sports hub.

The council has been successful in its bid to win £170,000 from British Cycling towards the new closed road circuit, which will include lighting to extend its use over the winter months.

And planning permission has also granted for the exciting new sports facility.

“It’s a win win situation,” said Coun. Cooney.

Work will start next month to create the new closed road circuit around the cricket and football pitches at Swinden Playing Fields on the Nelson-Colne boundary.

The closed road circuit should be complete by the end of March, with work on the lighting, car park and pavilion finishing around August.

British Cycling’s Chief Executive Ian Drake said: “British Cycling is very pleased to partner with Pendle Council and other funders to build this fantastic new cycling facility.

“The new circuit will allow many more young people in the North West to participate in cycling and help develop the sport in the region even further.

“Last year we made significant progress in delivering new facilities, with closed road circuits opening in Bath and York and a Mountain Bike trail in Manchester.

“But in order to continue to build participation, we need to create a new network of traffic-free cycle sport facilities with appropriate facilities such as this.

“We are very excited with the development and look forward to the opening in 2014.”

The new closed road circuit will be named after Pendle’s Olympic gold medallist Steven Burke and will be suitable for complete beginners right up to prospective Olympic champions.

It will be used by local schools as well as being suitable for disabled people using specially adapted bikes through the Wheels For All project led by Pendle Leisure Trust.

Steven Burke said it was “an honour” to have the hub named after him.

“The Hub will be fantastic for Pendle and for getting boys and girls into cycling.

“It’s a great sport that will stay with them for life,” said Steven, who is in training for the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

In addition to the British Cycling funding, Pendle Council and Cycle Sport Pendle have successfully won £150,000 from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities fund.

Peter Boast, of Cycle Sport Pendle, has been pursuing the vision of a cycling hub in Pendle for the last five years.

He worked on the successful bids with Pendle Council, cycling clubs and local schools.

He said: “It’s been a great team effort and it’s fantastic that our vision of a wonderful hub for cycling; including coaching, racing and cycling for leisure, will become a reality.

“Pendle Council, its Colne and Nelson Area Committees and the Lancashire Environment Fund have already provided £150,000 for this new facility.

“The additional funding from British Cycling means we can start work!

Steven Burke said: “I’ve no doubt the closed road circuit will help in my preparations for Rio Olympics in 2016!

“But more importantly it will get youngsters out on the closed road circuit and hopefully get the same opportunities as me.”

The combined funding will pay for the old pavilion at Swinden to be refurbished and the car park will be resurfaced to attract cyclists, cricketers and footballers from all over Pendle to the Steven Burke Sports Hub.

A body found in a disturbed Oxfordshire grave is believed to be former Pendle schoolgirl Jayden Parkinson.

The 17-year-old, who had moved from Pendle in Year 8 to live with her mum, had been last seen at Didcot Railway Station on December 3rd.

More than 100 officers and detectives were assigned to the case of the ex-pupil of Colne Primet High School, now Central Pendle Academy. And on Wednesday Thames Valley Police confirmed that a body, believed to be Jayden’s, had been found in the cemetery of All Saints Church, Didcot. A formal identification had not taken place yesterday morning.

In a statement police said: “Officers and forensic scientists will continue to work at the cemetery.

“Jayden’s family has been informed and is being supported by specially trained officers.

“Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult and distressing time.

Jayden’s ex-boyfriend Ben Blakeley, of Christchurch Road, Reading, has been charged with her murder and perverting the course of justice.

And a 17-year-old Didcot boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has also been charged with perverting the course of justice.

Rumours have been circulating that Jayden may have been pregnant, but these have not been confirmed.

A “RIP Jayden Parkinson” Facebook page has now been set up, allowing people to pay tribute to the teenager.

One user wrote: “Jayden I didn’t know you but rest in peace – it will be a horrible Christmas for your family – can’t imagine what they are going through.”

Another said: “Poor baby....God Bless and RIP. At peace now honey. Lots of love support and prayers with you and your family at this sad time xx”.

And in a touching post, one of Jayden’s friends wrote: “I can’t believe your gone, so young and so beautiful, we argued and we laughed and even cried together, rest in peace tiny pee, love you sweet dreams <3 <3 <3 zxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.”

Santa’s seasonal shed in Colne’s indoor market has this week been dubbed a “grumpy grotto” - after children were told they are not allowed to sit on Father Christmas’s knee.

A sign has been put in place at the Market Street attraction, scrapping a long-standing festive tradition and forbidding any contact with everyone’s favourite Christmas character.

According to Pendle Council the policy has been in place for three years, in accordance with child safeguarding advice from the NSPCC and other organisations - but for some parents, including father-of-two Craig McBeth, it is “just PC gone mad”.

Mr McBeth (33), from Winewall, said: “I’m there, wandering around, having a browse, and I see a little grotto in the indoor market.

“I thought that’s nice, and then I saw a sign saying children cannot sit on Santa’s knee and there should be no physical contact.

“I just had this image of a child at one end of the room, and Santa at the other. Santa will have been CRB checked, so what’s the problem?

“I don’t want to get too negative about it, but from my point of view the sign gives the impression something is wrong.”

Responding, Pendle Council’s market manager Ian Varley said the grotto brings “happiness to hundreds of children and parents” - and expressed disappointment the focus had not been on the positive outcomes the service produces.

He said: “The grotto at Colne Market Hall is operated primarily by market staff, supported by market traders, who build and run the grottos in their own time to provide an opportunity for local children to visit Santa in the run-up to Christmas. More importantly it raises money for Pendleside Hospice.

“The ‘no physical contact’ policy has been in place for the past three years, since the initial opening of the volunteer grottos, following original child safeguarding advice from the NSPCC and other organisations.

“We are aware the NSPCC guidelines have since been relaxed and, on occasion, where a baby or very young infant has been thrust into Santa’s arms, he has the discretion to allow such contact.

“Child safety is the main priority and, where possible, we wish to avoid any doubt, complaint or accusation that could arise out of such physical contact.

“Parents have, on a few occasions, asked why we operate the grotto in this way, but when we explain why, they immediately understand and accept that we have the best interests of children and volunteers at heart.”

Sean Dyche admits he has some sympathy with Blackpool over their current disciplinary issues.

Paul Ince brings his side to Turf Moor on Saturday without veteran striker Ricardo Fuller and Spanish midfielder Angel, who are both suspended after recent dismissals.

After Ince returned from his own five-match stadium ban for “violently shoving” a fourth official in an expletive-laden rant, Pool picked up three red cards in injury time at Yeovil, and another two in the following game at Derby.

That adds up to eight sendings off this season, and accusations of a lack of discipline, but Dyche admitted: It can be harder now for players - there are some strange moments.

“Michael Duff at Huddersfield was booked after a very poor decision, and then sent off for a second, which was nothing malicious.

“We also had a couple last season, Dean Marney’s which was rescinded, and Kieran Trippier’s which amazingly wasn’t.

“So it is getting tougher in a sense to stay on the pitch, referees have a very tough job to do, and the rules are forever changing - they are more stringent on physicality now, and maybe Blackpool have been unlucky.”

Burnley could be top of the Championship at Christmas if they beat Blackpool and QPR lose or draw with Leicester, and although the prospects of success in May for sides in the top two at this time of year are historically excellent, Dyche is taking nothing for granted: “We’re just looking to keep the performances going. There are no guarantees. You can use the facts and stats historically as markers, and it gives you a marker of where the journey is headed, but it isn’t fact - there are anomalies.

“We are on course, and there are rough markers of key points levels at the top, middle and bottom.”

Pendle Forest’s Harriet Ashworth, Thea Cormack and Freya Bythell recently completed a four-session training program with Lancashire at Stonyhurst, as they aimed to earn selection to the Junior Development Centre for the Under 13s.

And the good news is that the hockey club trio impressed the selectors, with all three called-up, which means they will now have four training sessions in the New Year as they aim to get selected for their age group Lancashire team.

An unidentified object was seen in the sky above Barnoldswick on Wednesday morning.

A Hollins Road resident took this picture from a house overlooking Valley Gardens after seeing the classic disc shaped object, circles in the top right of the image, at around 7am.

If you saw anything unusual in the sky above Barlick on Wednesday, email william.cook@jpress.co.uk with images or information.

Rampant Nelson took over at the top of the North West Counties League First Division as their blistering form continued on Saturday.

Mark Fell’s Admirals crushed Daisy Hill 8-0 - despite missing key personnel in the form of the suspended Ben Woodhead, Robert Grimes and George Melling, and the injured Ed O’Neill and Lee Botham.

In came Michael Pilkington, Jake Lloyd and Sakeel Abdullah.

Nelson began on the front foot, as has become the norm of late, and Abdullah fed Peter Wright, whose first-time shot flew wide.

At the other end, Simon Farrell shot over from a good position.

But the Blues continued to press hard, and it was no surprise when Abdullah shook off the attentions of two defenders to beat John Wolfe and put the home side ahead.

Shortly after, an inswinging corner from Wright was headed in by Danny Finch.

The game settled down after that, with play more even, and Nelson suffered a blow when Brandon Barski chased a long clearance, but Wolfe managed to get there f irst and hurt the Blues player in the process, Jonny Hession his replacement.

Ben Hoskin hammered home the third from an inch-perfect cross from Lydon Hodgkiss, and approaching half-time, Wright jinked past two defenders and beat Wolfe easily.

There was still time for Richie Allen to drive a shot against the underside of the bar.

After the break, Daisy Hill enjoyed a brief spell of possession, but Nelson were soon back on the offensive, and Wolfe had to punch an inswinging corner clear.

Jack Brooks came on for Adnan Ahmed, and soon after Wright went through and beat Wolfe for his second of the game.

There was no respite for the visitors as former player Abdullah outpaced the defence to slot home Nelson’s sixth.

Fell then took off Hoskin and brought on youth teamer Will Nolan.

Matt O’Neill went close with a lob, caught under the bar by a back pedalling Wolfe, before Hession’s shot hit the foot of the post and was converted by the ever-eager Allen.

O’Neill then finished off a fine three-man move to make it 8-0.

Tomorrow, Nelson host fellow promotion contenders Formby (kick-off 3 p.m.), and on Boxing Day the Blues are at Holker Old Boys.

Town turned in a decent performance against in-form Ashton, but a failure to take some gilt-edged chances cost them dearly.

Ashton were top of the form table having won their last five matches, but Town had Aaron Hollindrake and Chris Ridehalgh back in the starting line-up, although striker Mark Threlfall was missing due to the birth of his son at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Ashton went ahead after 17 minutes when the failure to cut out a Jamie Harrison cross saw Adam Gilchrist unmarked at the far post, and he he had time to bring the ball under control and beat Lyle Davy’s right hand.

Two minutes later and Town should have equalised, as Joel Melia slipped a great ball through to Ridehalgh, and he twisted past a defender but, with only Ashton keeper Jason Foulds to beat, he lifted his shot just over the bar.

Davy saved well from Stephen Kay before Richard Livingston headed against the bar for the hosts.

Harry Thompson fired just wide after a good run from Anthony Pollard at the other end, and right on half-time, Thompson beat Foulds to the ball, but Melia’s shot was blocked by Kay.

Just after the break, the rain started, and with it the wind increased, making the conditions difficult.

Ashton thought they had scored again six minutes into the half when Daniel Mahoney slipped Michael Downing through, who slotted past Davy, butwas flagged off-side.

Adam Howard had a free kick from 30 yards well saved by Davy just before the hour mark, before Town introduced Melia, who was a constant thorn in the Ashton defence, released Neil Stansfield, but he was caught in two minds and his effort was neither a cross nor a shot.

Hollindrake brought a great save from Foulds, before sending another effort wide from a Melia pass.

But within two minutes. Gilchrist picked the ball up out wide and his shot deflected wickedly off a Town defender and flashed into the top corner of Davy’s net.

Shortly after the game was all over, as a cross saw Howard unmarked at the far post with the easiest of headers.

The match finished with Ashton firmly in the driving seat, Davy having to make another good save from a Kay shot, and Howard hitting the foot of the post as the match moved into injury time.

Tomorrow Town are at West Didsbury and Chorlton, before the Boxing Day derby at home to Silsden.