Home Officers enforcement officers were seen visiting numerous locations on Orchard Street in Preston on Monday, 15 June.

One person was arrested at one of the businesses on suspicion of illegal working and an investigation will now take place.

Read more: Death on the line at Leyland sees major rail disruption

The Home Office was unable to confirm which business was subject to the arrest – and even if the business was on Orchard Street – but one business has been served with a Civic Penalty Referral Notice which can result in a fine of up to £45,000 per worker if the employer is found to have failed to conduct pre-employment checks.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “Illegal working undermines honest employers, undercuts local wages, and fuels organised immigration crime. This government will not stand for it.

“Since coming into power, we have increased immigration enforcement action to the highest level in British history. This has delivered an 83% rise in illegal working arrests and 77% rise in raids.”

Two arrests were made after similar raids at businesses in Penwortham earlier this month.

Over 1,000 people have already been registered to walk in the parade that runs through Leyland town centre to Worden Park.

The parade will start at 12noon and is expected to finish by 1.30pm, whilst there will be live music on three parts of the park starting from 12.30pm.

Read more: £1.2million plan to turn fire-damaged Occleshaw House into council-owned homes

One stage is the main stage which will feature The Frolics, House of Ska, Modern Dolly and more.

The other two are a music tent to house local artists and a DJ tent that will feature soul DJs.

It’s free entry to Worden Park on the day and all council run car parks in the town centre will allow for free parking.

As well as this, there will be a dog show that carries on the country theme with the ‘Waggiest Tail in the West’ and Worden Motor Village is returning with a vast showcase of cars.

A stunt motorcycle display team and an Alive 2 Drive display from Lancashire Rescue services will also be available to view.

Over 200 stalls will be on the park with plenty of options for food and drink.

Worden Park’s Walled Garden will be hosting a heritage zone, Leyland Morris dancers and other local singers.

Children will get to enjoy an expanded kids zone with workshops and showcases centred around the country theme.

Festival chairman Martin Stringfellow said: “The small band of volunteer committee members have worked hard all year to put the event on and I would like to thank them for all their hard work and dedication to serving the community.”

More news and information on the festival can be found on the Leyland Festival Facebook page.

The suspect was ushered down Fox Street towards Fleet Street at 9.47am on Friday morning (19 June). Police had received reports that a man had been seen carrying a knife.

Two police vehicles, including a van, waited on Fleet Street for the man who was put into the van while a search took place.

Read more: Death on the line at Leyland sees major rail disruption

But no knife was found in his possession during the search and the man was therefore released with no action taken.

The initial report was made elsewhere in Preston city centre rather than on Fox Street or Fleet Street.

The presenter and chef died of cancer aged 66 and this will be the third mass ride out in his memory known as ‘Dave Day’.

It will also the final one as organisers have badged it as The Last Ride Home saying the costs and difficulties of organising the festival across two days in his hometown of Barrow mean they will not stage it any longer.

Read more: Cameras planned to catch motorists at problematic Preston junctions

Preston’s motorway bridges have been packed for the last two Dave Day rides and are expected to be so again on Saturday (20 June).

An estimated 30,000 riders are expected to join the convoy as it passes through Lancashire.

The ride will be at Knutsford services between Junction 18 and 19 until 12.15pm before they head northwards.

It’s likely they will start to reach Leyland from around 12.40pm/12.45pm and be heading around Preston through to Forton services where they arrive at 1.45pm.

So expect to see them heading along the Preston stretch of the M6 approximately 1pm or slightly before on the route.

The ride will depart Forton Services, between Junction 32 and Junction 33, at 2.15pm and arrive at Barrow Town Hall around 3.30pm.

Myers had strong links with Preston as he studied art at Preston Polytechnic in the 1970s and in 2015 became an honorary fellow of the University of [Central] Lancashire.

Named Babyzone, the programme is being delivered at Inspire Youth Zone on Chapel Street and will see the introduction of early years support aimed at communities who may need it most.

The new facility has been part-funded by Chorley Council and is designed to run alongside its existing early years services, such as Homestart, rather than instead of them, while the location was chosen for its accessibility, transport links, and facilities that support children and families with additional needs.

Read more: Cameras planned to catch motorists at problematic Preston junctions

Babyzone aims to strengthen support for families with children aged 0 to five, promoting school readiness and making support accessible to all, with a particular focus on communities who may need it most.

It consists of different zones for learning and play and offers free classes and activities designed to support children’s development and give parents practical tools they can use at home.

Key programmes delivered through Babyzone include:

• Babyzone Everyday Maths – an early numeracy pathway developed with Stanford University, helping families make maths part of everyday routines. Early maths ability at age five is one of the strongest predictors of later academic achievement
• Babyzone NEST (Name, Empathise, Self-regulate, Team-up) – supporting children’s social and emotional development through simple, practical routines shaped by parent feedback
• Reading and literacy sessions delivered in partnership with BookTrust and the National Literacy Trust

Sessions will run every Tuesday during term time until Tuesday 14 July. The programme will pause over the summer and reopen on Tuesday 1 September.

The council has contributed £25,000 to the project to support families and improve outcomes for young children. This work supports the council’s corporate priorities for 2025/26 and contributes to achieving the corporate priorities for 2026/27, focusing on improving early years outcomes and ensuring children have the best possible start in life.

Cabinet Member for Early Intervention, Councillor Beverley Murray, said: “Supporting our youngest residents and their families is a key priority for us. We know there is a real need to strengthen early years support and improve school readiness in Chorley, and Babyzone will help us do just that.

“It provides an inclusive, welcoming space where parents, carers and children can access support, build confidence and prepare for the transition to school. I want to thank Cllr Margaret Franace, who has been a strong advocate for this project and has played an important role in helping bring it forward.

“The introduction of Babyzone reflects the council’s commitment to investing in services that support families, reduce inequalities and ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive.”

CEO of Babyzone, George Looker, said: “I would like to thank Chorley Council for everything they have done to make Babyzone a reality. When we first discussed this project, we didn’t know if we would be able to bring it to life, so to see it open and already supporting so many families is incredibly rewarding.

“The response on opening day was outstanding, with 70 families and more than 160 people joining us, making it one of the strongest launches we’ve seen across our network. That reflects both the clear need in the community and the trust the council has helped build.

“The council’s £25,000 contribution marks an important milestone as our first hub to be part-funded by a local authority, and we’re proud to be working in partnership with the council. We’re excited to build on this success and continue supporting families together.”

You can find out more about what Babyzone offers at babyzone.org.uk

Lancashire County Council has issued a food safety warning after taking action against the operator of Coco’s Soul Food.

Officers say it was twice caught mis-selling dairy-free food in November 2023 and February 2024.

Read more: The Grey Friar closure date as a Wetherspoons confirmed

Director of Coconut (NW) Ltd who operate the restaurant, 51-year-old director Ebrahim Paruk, appeared at Lancaster Magistrates’ Court on 9 June after previously admitting food safety offences.

An undercover trading standards officer visited the restaurant in November 2023 and was served a burger which turned out to contain milk protein at a potentially harmful level, despite having declared a milk allergy beforehand.

The county council issued a warning to Coco’s operator after the incident along with guidance on allergen controls.

The restaurant is ranked in the top 15 restaurants in and around the city on TripAdvisor and has been visited by foodie YouTubers and creators in recent years.

A second visit to the restaurant in October 2024 saw Mr Paruk serve the meals to another undercover officer and personally confirm they were dairy-free – but later tests found they showed milk protein present in the food.

Trading Standards say lax checks and poor allergen control procedures with a decision to switch from ordinary burger buns to brioche buns being the likely cause. The restaurant has a three out of five rating for food hygiene standards according to the Food Standards Agency website with its last inspection in June 2025.

Coconut (NW) Ltd was fined £6,500 by district Judge Thompson and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,600 along with court costs of £1,800.81. Mr Paruk was fined £650 and must also pay a victim surcharge of £260.

Cabinet member for rural affairs, environment and communities, county councillor Joshua Roberts, said: “People with food allergies rely on businesses to provide accurate information and take proper care when preparing food.

“In this case, a simple change in ingredients led to unsafe food being served, despite a previous warning. Failure to keep allergen information up to date and ensuring staff understand the risks could put customers at risk, and even potentially kill someone with a dairy allergy.

“This is why our Trading Standards officers do so much allergen control work, and they will continue to do so and to take action where businesses fail to meet their responsibilities and put customers at risk.”

Coco’s remains open and trading as usual.

National Rail is reporting disruption to Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express and Northern services throughout Friday (19 June).

Emergency services were called to the scene at Leyland station between Preston and Bolton / Wigan North Western at 7.20am.

Read more: Cameras planned to catch motorists at problematic Preston junctions

A spokesperson for British Transport Police said: “Officers were called to Leyland railway station at 7.20am today (19 June) following reports of a casualty on the tracks. Paramedics also attended, however sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident is not being treated as suspicious, and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

Major disruption is expected to last throughout Friday morning with services being delayed or cancelled. Lines re-opened around 10.30am but disruption is expected until Friday lunchtime.

Travel advice for passengers is on the National Rail website covering all rail operators affected.

Sarah Livesey, from Catterall, Garstang, is still frantically searching for cocker spaniel Mabel and said she had been ‘overwhelmed’ by the response since she went missing from the family farm on 10 April.

Sarah, along with husband Paul and their four children, are even offering a £10,000 reward for Mabel’s return.

Read more: Environment Agency roadworks ending at Victoria Road as lime trees protest to take place

Sarah said: “Mabel’s disappearance has had a huge impact on family life. She is my first ever dog and
I would never have understood the feeling I now have before owning Mabel. The void is horrendous.”

Social media has sprung into action since she went missing, with Mabel’s Facebook page now having 7,000 followers and offers of help are coming in from across the country.

Recently, two people Sarah had never even met before – Sarah Kendall and Paula Rawes – took a ‘Mabel’s missing’ sign up Scafell Pike in the Lake District, which is England’s highest peak, to raise awareness of ongoing search efforts.

“The response has been overwhelming,” said Sarah. “I had a card from a lady recently which had a paw print on the front and it was just so touching for someone to do that. I have had so many kind messages.”

The family is working with the Beauty’s Legacy animal search charity as part of efforts to find Mabel and Sarah said they receive possible sightings of their beloved pet on a regular basis.

She added: “We get lots of messages daily about dog sightings and we follow them up and see whether we think they could be Mabel and whether they need further investigation.

“She could have been dumped anywhere in the UK and we encourage people to get in touch if they think they have seen her. We just want her to come home.”

To visit Mabel’s Facebook page, click here: MABEL, missing spaniel, Facebook

Chorley-based FI Real Estate Management had proposed the pair of ‘logistics’ units – each standing just over 70 feet, or 21.5 metres, tall – for a greenbelt site off Finnington Lane near Feniscowles.

The firm claimed the facilities would bring as many as 1,300 jobs to the area – and that there was a looming shortage of such ‘big-box’ distribution centres across the North West.

Read more: Arts Council England speak for first time on Preston Guild Hall future

Chorley Council planning officers concluded that the economic benefits of the scheme – close to junction 3 of the M65 – outweighed what they acknowledged would be a “widespread” and “significant” adverse impact on the landscape.

However, councillors on the authority’s planning committee took a roundly different view, lining up to condemn the outline blueprint before them – which would have had a combined floorspace of almost 121,000 square metres.

FI Real Estate Management announced on Wednesday (17 June) that it would be appealing against Tuesday’s decision. That means a public inquiry will now be heard by the Planning Inspectorate.

The government may yet have the final say on the proposal after it emerged that the communities secretary, Steve Reed, would consider whether to ‘call in’ the matter and make the decision himself.

At the committee meeting, unfavourable comparisons were drawn by councillors and members of the public with a notorious warehouse development in the Tyldesley area of Wigan, which recently sparked uproar from locals. That building is 60 feet in height.

Almost 300 objections were lodged to the Chorley plans, including from nearby resident Jen Bruce, who questioned the need for the warehouses.

“Botany Bay is still half empty [and] advertising space. Other logistic parks along the M65 [and] M61 [are] not fully occupied. Why are we building more?

“There’s [also] a real safety concern – Abbey Village Primary School sits on this route. These are roads [that] children walk, cycle and cross every day…are we really willing to accept…[a] level of traffic [that] could put children at risk?” Ms. Bruce asked.

Ann Christopher, from the Friends of Finnington group – dozens of whose members attended the meeting a Chorley Town Hall – said independent impact assessments commissioned by the organisation showed that the applicant had “underestimated the harms which would be caused to [the area’s] heritage and landscape”

She added that the estimated number of jobs that would be created was derived from a now “out-of-date” formula introduced in 2015, which could have exaggerated the tally by between 50 and 70 percent.

Meanwhile, Chorley North East ward councillor Jenny Whiffen said the “absolutely enormous” planned development equated to “the size of Chorley town centre twice over”.  She also warned that the new local plan for the whole of Central Lancashire – which is currently going through an approval process with the Planning Inspectorate – may yet prove there is no shortage of employment land in the sub-region, rendering the proposal unnecessary.

However, Keith Jones, co-author of the employment report that accompanied the warehouse application, told the committee that the “overwhelming need” for extra large units was beyond doubt.

“Currently there are only two [others] available in the North West and there are only two more with permission.  This equates to less than one year’s supply based on historic take-up figures. Demand is high, with over 30 known requirements [for] this type of floorspace in the North West,” Mr. Jones said.

He added that even “fully automated” warehouses “still create a significant number of new jobs” and that the logistics industry “pays above average wages”

A report presented to the committee stated that the developer estimates those new roles – up to 849 on-site and 458 in the wider logistics sector and support industries – would be worth £44m a year to the local economy.

Meanwhile, Emily Armstrong, part of the development team at the FI Group, said much of the 40.3-hectare site – alongside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal – is currently “low-quality agricultural grassland” which could actually be improved for nature by the building of the warehouses.

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“The plan retains most of the woodland, watercourses and the canal corridor – and these are the areas most valuable for wildlife , [where] appropriate protection measures will be put in place and monitored by our ecologists.  New woodland will be planted and ponds created…and large areas of retained grassland will be… turned into species-rich wildflower meadows,” Ms. Armstrong explained.

However, committee members were largely unpersuaded by the claimed pros of the plans.

Cllr Russ Green said he did not “buy the argument in the slightest that we can…plant some nice trees” in order to make the development acceptable.

“This thing will just completely destroy the scenery,” he added.

His committee colleague, Cllr Katie Wilkie, said local authorities elsewhere had failed to appreciate the sheer size of “these monolithic…mega sheds” when granting them permission – and lived to regret it.  She said that the need for them was “all of our faults” – because people expect such rapid deliveries of goods.

Veteran Chorley councillor Alan Whittaker derided the proposed development as “the worst planning application I’ve seen in 30 years”, which would sit in the middle of what he said was “plainly a greenbelt area”.

However, town hall planners had concluded that the greenbelt plot was suitable to be further defined as so-called ‘grey belt’.   Under revised national planning rules introduced 18 months ago, building on such a site is not considered “inappropriate development” provided certain tests are met – including that construction would not “fundamentally undermine the purposes of the remaining greenbelt” in the district.

Iain Crossland, principal planning officer, said the land in question satisfied that test because it “does not strongly contribute to checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas”.

He added that the applicant had made the case that there was an “unmet need” for the type of development being proposed – thereby fulfilling another of the grey belt tests.  The site was also considered sustainable because of its proximity to the motorway network.

Nevertheless, the committee remained unconvinced.   Cllr Alex Hilton – who is also the cabinet member for planning at Chorley Council – acknowledged what he said was a “finely balanced” judgement between benefits and harm and said it was important not to “underestimate” the economic boost the warehouses could bring to the borough.

However, he went on to ask:  “At what point do we then stop to respect nature?  I think we’re at that tipping point [now]…and I think now is the time to start to make a stand against these things.”

Cllr Criage Southern also recognised the visual “damage” the units would cause  – whether viewed from Chorley or Blackburn – but said he had looked carefully at “both sides” of the argument.

Noting that there were no other suitable places for such a development in Central Lancashire, he asked:  “If we don’t build it here, where do we build it?”

Cllr Southern ultimately abstained in the vote on the proposal, but the other 10 committee members all refused the application on the grounds of concern over its impact on the landscape.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the meeting, Ann Christopher said the friends group was “extremely pleased…that our councillors have seen sense”.

Firm to appeal against ‘disappointing decision’

Responding to the planning committee’s refusal of the warehouse application, Tim Knowles, founder and managing director of FI Property Group, said: “We are surprised and disappointed by the committee’s decision, particularly given the chronic shortage of available commercial space of this scale in the region.

“This is a carefully considered scheme that will deliver hundreds of jobs and millions of pounds of economic value to the region.

“We are a long-term investor in Chorley and our commitment to the area remains unchanged. We will be appealing the decision.”

As part of a planning agreement, the firm said it had agreed to make “significant contributions towards local infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to local roads, a new pedestrian crossing, public transport enhancements, traffic management measures, canal towpath improvements, landscaping and ecological works”.

The developer said it had also worked closely with the Canal & River Trust on proposals to enhance the ecological corridor along the canal, improve towpath accessibility and support bridge repair works.

Government steps in – briefly

Just hours before the meeting had begun, the government had stepped in with an order that prevented Chorley Council from giving the green light to the warehouse plans without “specific authorisation”.

The move followed lobbying from Blackburn and Chorley MPs Adnan Hussain and Sir Lindsay Hoyle, as well as members of the public. It meant that the committee would only have been able to indicate that it was ‘minded to’ approve the scheme.

However, the order – known as an ‘article 31′ direction – did not preclude the authority from rejecting the proposal outright.

The LDRS understands that because the decision was one of refusal, the holding order now falls away. – and the final decision will rest with the independent planning inspector who will chair the public inquiry at a time yet to be determined.

Nina Papierniok was found dead at her home last September in non-suspicious circumstances and a coroner has now ruled her death was not intentional. 

An inquest into Nina’s death took place at Preston Coroners Court on Tuesday (16 June) and concluded that while the 13-year-old had a history of self-harming, she did not want to end her life.

Read more: Teenagers arrested after stolen car chase ending in Penwortham crash

Nina, who attended Archbishop Temple Church of England High School and was also known to her family as Lucy, was described as a kind, helpful and open-hearted girl who was artistic and generally considered to be easygoing. The youngest of four siblings, she was very close to her family and had grown up without her dad who died shortly before she was born.

The hearing was attended by Nina’s mum Justyna, who was assisted by an interpreter, as well as sister Klaudia and one of her cousins.

Concluding the inquest, assistant coroner Sian Jones said: “This is a really, really sad case of the death of a young girl who was obviously well loved by her family which I understand is a large family both here and in Poland. 

“The love of her and the support they tried to give her is very clear in the evidence I have.”

According to a family statement read out by Ms Jones, Nina found school to be difficult and had long-running struggles with issues relating to her own image of her body, with eating and with her self-esteem. Mental health difficulties were a problem before she had finished primary school and Nina had been known to self-harm from the age of 11.

Her unhappiness at school was not considered to be anything unusual for a child of her age and there were no increased concerns in the time leading up to her death even though she had spent two days in the Spring Room – effectively a form of isolation – after dying her hair pink which is against the school’s rules.

Giving evidence at the inquest, assistant headteacher and safeguarding lead Jessica Banner said the week ended with Nina speaking to her form tutor and the pair laughing and joking about her managing to last half a day before anyone noticed the hair colour. The teacher, Mrs McClean, had wished her a good weekend and said she would take her under her wing on Monday.

According to Mrs Banner, pupils dying their hair to unusual colours was not an unusual occurrence and Nina was not the only one to do this around this time. The school’s response was in line with its usual procedures and it was expected that a pupil would continue being moved to the Spring Room until they returned their hair back to its normal colour.

The following Monday, Nina was found dead in her bedroom by her family having inflicted a fatal injury on herself. Paramedics and police attended and it was quickly determined there were no suspicious circumstances or third-party involvement.

As such, the matter was referred to the coroner’s office and the inquest heard details of Nina’s mental health history which began in primary school and involved talking therapy which was deemed to have had a positive impact. 

In 2024, evidence of self-harming had led to concerns from the school and referral to mental health teams but at no point did Nina express to anyone that she intended to take her life. Laura Sowerby, Time to Thrive programme manager at Barnardo’s, said her case would have been escalated to another service had she done so.

After her death, Nina’s phone, iPad and laptop were searched by police and the only item of relevance was a note in which she described an almost identical incident from February in which she had managed to bring herself back to safety.

Concluding the inquest, Ms Jones said she was satisfied that Nina’s family and the school had taken appropriate steps to access agencies and services to support her. 

She said there had been no history of significant bullying and no major events in the days or weeks leading to her death, with both the school and Nina’s family considering her response to the punishment for her dyed hair as no more than “typical teenage annoyance”.

A verdict of misadventure was recorded.