Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.
In March, we told you that a senior teacher had been arrested on suspicion of running a brothel.
Today, though the arrests are not linked, we bizarrely find ourselves reporting almost the exact same story.
Blackpool briefing
⚽ This year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony has been moved from Paris to London in tribute to the gong’s first winner, the late Blackpool hero Sir Stanley Matthews.
It is 70 years since the award, given each year to Europe’s best player, was handed to Matthews.
The England international won the prize three years after his performance in the famous Matthews final of 1953 and when he was, even at 41, still at the top of his game.
Matthews, who also played for Stoke before going on to manage Port Vale and Hibernians, died aged 85 in February 2000.
On this year’s Ballon d’Or shortlist are the likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Erling Haaland, holder Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, Rodri and Bruno Fernandes.
The ceremony, held in the English capital for the first time, is on October 26, with Bayern Munich sharpshooter and Three Lions captain Kane considered the bookmakers favourite to lift the trophy.
🍔 A bid by a Blackpool town centre restaurant and takeaway to open until 5am has been refused after police raised concerns – particularly after several assaults on the premises were reported.
Fusion Bites, based at 54 Talbot Road, submitted an application to Blackpool Council to obtain a premises licence for the first time.
Applicants CM worldwide Ltd requested permission for the provision of late night refreshment, covering Monday to Sunday between the hours of 11pm and 5am, with opening hours from 8am through to 5am each Monday to Sunday.
The applicants stressed that the licence would not be used to allow alcohol or live music, but simply to provide food at a later hour each night.
However, police objected to the plans, raising concerns that the operators had a lack of experience of early hours opening, had no current CCTV provision at the time of the application and no door security in a location on a busy street close to late night bars.
They also raised concerns about an incident in which a customer assaulted members of staff and his own girlfriend on the premises.
🚃 Blackpool Transport is on the lookout for a suitable location from which to temporarily display the town’s iconic and much-loved heritage fleet.
And the council-owned transport firm is keen to hear from anyone who has a suitable site for the venture.
The company’s long-term plan is still to restore the original tram shed at the Rigby Road depot, creating a refurbished home for the heritage fleet.
This will house operational trams and static displays in the original tramway workshop.
Work has also begun reconfiguring overhead line equipment (OLE) in the area in preparation for the demolition of the old workshop and refurbishment of the original tram shed.
However, in the meantime the pop-up plans are also a priority.
Fylde coast teacher is second in 2026 to be arrested on suspicion of running brothel
By Michael Holmes
A second Fylde coast teacher has been arrested on suspicion of running a brothel, it can be revealed.
The man, a senior teacher at a primary school, has been quizzed by detectives about a property allegedly being used for prostitution in “Thornton Cleveleys” and released on bail, police said.
The case is not believed to be linked to the arrest of a Blackpool teacher - and his female partner - on suspicion of the same offence in March.
Neither the teachers nor the schools can legally be named.