WORLD-RENOWNED fingerprint experts from Durham will share their knowledge with police in the Middle East early next year. Instructors from the National Fingerprint Training Centre, based at Durham Police headquarters, Aykley Heads, will travel to the
A REPORT which ruled out full dualling of the A66 trans-Pennine route has been condemned by a man whose family was almost wiped out in an horrific accident on the road. Mr Rod Hall claimed consultants commissioned by the Highways Agency had placed a monetary
Thornaby made a sound start in the mixed fours event on the opening day of the Festival of Bowls at the Morrison Indoor Bowling Centre in Darlington. A total of 32 teams are competing for the top mixed title, which will be decided today. The tournament
Mick Watson, a Durham policeman, has landed a national award for steering youngsters away from crime by getting them hooked on fishing. PC Watson won acclaim from the angling community when the scheme was launched at Witton- le-Wear, near Bishop Auckland
Bedale Athletic stretched their unbeaten run in the Camerons Teesside League to six matches with a 4-3 win at Carlin How who fell behind after only 20 seconds, Russell Edwards on target. Carlin How were then shocked when Paul Taite made it 2-0 after 16
LAST year saw us full of optimism for a new year, decade, century and millennium. In reality, it could not have turned out much worse for British farmers and growers. The ravages of the over-valuation of sterling and continuing unnecessary red tape have
WHILE rock star Eric Clapton prepares for his first British gigs in four years in February, the North-East's own version of the legendary guitarist will be performing 22 gigs across the country from January to June. Durham-born Clapton sound and look-alike
A VICAR is leading a campaign against a phone mast scheme in Great Ayton. The Rev Paul Peverell also hit out at the siting of a planning notice which he claims could easily be missed by residents. To mobilise objections, the clergyman has written to and
An air cadet squadron is calling on past members to join in its birthday celebrations. The Chester-le-Street squadron will be 60 in March and it plans to mark the occasion with a presentation night at its headquarters behind the Territorial Army drill
Leyburn maintained their one point lead when they visited Reeth and came away with a 3-0 victory. James Wilkinson put them in front from the penalty spot after only nine minutes and the same player made it 2-0 five minutes from the interval with a 20-
CHILDREN at a local drama group look like the cats that got the cream - after receiving their second generous grant this month. The Children's Amateur Theatre in Shildon, known as Cats, has just been awarded £250 from leisure group Whitbread. The drama
A COUPLE have returned from the US with renewed hope that one day they will hear their four-year-old son call them mum and dad. Jake Burgess suffers from autism, spending his life in a world full of sound and colour but without the ability to express
A WOMAN whose home was flooded twice has ended a miserable year in the perfect way after being recognised with an MBE. Nellie Bowser, known as West Auckland's fairy godmother, will help just about anyone, whether they are hospital patients, theatre amateurs
A MURDER hunt was launched last night after crowds of horrified shoppers saw a stabbing victim collapse in the street bleeding from a fatal wound. The victim, who has not been identified, died in Middlesbrough General Hospital last night after being attacked
HOUSE prices rose by 1.2 per cent this month and 9.3 per cent over the year as the property market ended 2000 on a high note, the Nationwide said. While next year would not see growth of the same levels - with the annual rate expected to be around seven
A COUPLE who have lived in the same house, in James Street, Spennymoor, since they arrived there a few hours after their marriage at Swalwell, have celebrated their golden wedding. Ernie Aungiers met his bride, Sheila, on Tyneside after serving in the
FIVE generations of the same family celebrated Christmas with the news that there will be an additional member of their clan next year. Sabrina Bell, 19, of Ferryhill, is expecting her second baby in July, a sister for eight-month-old Emily. The rest
LIMOUSIN cattle with Djerk bloodlines continue to prove their consistency as prime carcase animals, winning the supreme championship at the National Festival of Meat. The premier carcase competition, staged by the Royal Smithfield Club at Smithfield Market
INSTALLATION of double-glazed windows has begun in the latest stage of refurbishment to Skeeby village hall, near Richmond. The work is funded by a £6,500 grant from Yorventure, and marks another milestone in villagers' efforts to give the 100-year-old
A SERIES of taster courses are taking place at an educational centre in Darlington during January. Lasting only an hour and free of charge, the events at Bennet House, in the Horsemarket, must be pre-booked. Everyday psychology is the first, on Wednesday
A MOTHER has retrained to give youngsters in Hartlepool a sporting chance of success. Susanne Clark, of Hartlepool, has been appointed Sports Development Officer for Young People in North Hartlepool. She is one of five parents who run a series of after-school
SHOPPERS caught short while visiting Northallerton may have to suffer a little longer. The town centre toilets were deemed beyond repair and closed two years ago. Others are still available at the Applegarth car park, but it seems not everyone can make
VILLAGERS are hoping that councillors will answer their call to reject a housing development. People at West Rainton are worried about the scheme planned near their homes, because it will involve creating a traffic light junction on the A690 at Rainton
AN Army student from the region received a top educational prize when she graduated from foundation college. Louise Liddle, 17, who lives in the Denes area of Darlington, beat 391 other students at Harrogate's Army Foundation College to win the prize
SOME of the North-East's industrial heritage will be saved for future generations thanks to a new storage building. The £1.7m building, in the style of a nineteenth century railway wagon works, will be located at Beamish Museum. It will enable the museum
Christmas last year was just another day for toddler Ben Collins, locked in his own lonely world of autism. He did not realise that the day was special and took no notice of family celebrations. But this year, Ben, who has just turned four, knows what
A CALL has gone out to radio listeners to take part in a phone-in programme which will be recorded and kept in the archives for the ten years. BBC Radio Newcastle will record an audio time capsule on its 30th anniversary next Tuesday. Mid-Morning presenter
FORECASTERS last night predicted snow to sweep across the region today as Arctic conditions continue to grip the country. Heavy falls were blown in off the North Sea yesterday afternoon, with coastal towns such as Redcar and Whitby among the first to
A POPULATION shift away from town centres is forcing the twinning of Roman Catholic parishes in the region, according to a clergyman. Bishop John Crowley, head of the Middlesbrough Diocese, has announced proposals to amalgamate parishes in Scarborough
ATTEMPTS to tackle social exclusion in Stockton are being given a £10m boost. More than 60 people attended meetings held before Christmas to discuss the development of regeneration projects in central and north-west Stockton. Residents and local groups
A LOCAL authority is enlisting the help of academics to reduce its high crime rate. Middlesbrough has the fifth highest crime rate in England, and although levels are falling faster than elsewhere, there are concerns that partly due to persistent problems
A COUNCIL has been hit by further accusations of meanness for not allowing nursing home staff to accept gifts from grateful residents. James Hutchinson says he regularly gave a box of sweets and biscuits to carers working at Darlington's Gladstone Hall
THE YOUNG orphan opened up his shoebox of presents and pulled out a bar of chocolate - something he had never seen before. But, instead of eating it, he broke it up into squares and ran after the strangers who had given it to him, insisting on sharing
NORTH Yorkshire police said yesterday that they were encouraged by the number of people interested in joining the service. Figures released by the Home Office showed that 437 people in the county had expressed an interest in joining the police service
A hotline has been set up to handle complaints from east Durham residents about council services. It has been launched by Easington District Council to look into gripes residents, tenants and businesses have about the way things are run. Its customer
ONCE again, Northallerton AC has managed to attract a good quality field for the annual Food Weighouse Christmas Stages rally starting at Catterick Garrison tomorrow. Heading the entry on the gravel tracks around the vast military base is last year's
A TEESSIDE mayor has inherited a special family forest and took part in a poignant tree planting. Coun Arthur Dobson, Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, inherited the Family Wood, in Borough Park, Redcar, from last year's Mayor, Coun Mike
THE many hunts which graced the countryside of the region on Boxing Day went about their traditional activity in a strange atmosphere. The siege mentality has been a part of fox hunting life for some time now, but nevertheless there was an unmistakable
MORE and more people are swapping the grey skies of an English winter for Christmas and new year in the sun, according to officials at Teesside airport. They say flights over the holiday period to sun spots such as Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and
Albany Northern League. Division One DUE to heavy overnight frost Guisborough's annual Boxing Day home match against local rivals Marske United had to be postponed and will be re-arranged as a mid-week game later in the season. Dunston Federation Brewery
Q AT this time of disastrous floods, I would like to know what you can tell me about the Great Flood of 1771. I understand most of the bridges on the rivers Tees and Wear were destroyed. - Stan Dack, Newton Aycliffe. A THE Great Flood of November 17,
MUSIC mixers in the region are being invited to take part in a DJ contest in January and February. Heats of the event, sponsored by Grolsch lager, take place at the Dickens Inn, in Southfield Road, Middlesbrough, with the two most popular performers getting
PARALYMPIC stars Tanni Grey-Thompson and Terry Bywater were the toast of their home town last week. Redcar and Cleveland Mayor Arthur Dobson invited the Sydney heroes to a presentation at Eston Town Hall to congratulate them on their achievements. Tanni
IT has been revealed that Saltburn's Victorian pier has become a victim of the winter storms. One of 60 legs on the 20 refurbished cast-iron trestles is missing from the recently renovated Saltburn Pier - smashed and washed away. Redcar and Cleveland
NATURAL springs could provide alternative sources of heating for homes and businesses. Mr Peter Woods is using the energy from a spring to heat his house at Rosedale Intake, Danby, and he has invited North York Moors national park officials to see how
A SCHEME to regenerate the Dene Estate in Willington is continuing with approval given for 15 new bungalows. The homes on Appleton Crescent are being built by the Three Rivers Housing Association on a recently cleared site. The bungalows will form a cul-de-sac
THIRTEEN new houses being planned by a leading developer would swamp West Rounton, according to villagers. Despite local objections, however, the scheme which would increase the size of the village by about a third might be approved by Hambleton planning
POLICE believe four Asian men may have vital information on a stabbing. The attack happened at 9.20pm on Christmas Day, as a 21-year-old man was walking along Southfield Road, Middlesbrough. As he reached the junction with Abingdon Road, he was stabbed
PEOPLE who dream of becoming the next Delia Smith or Jamie Oliver are being invited to sample free hotel and catering courses. A man in the kitchen, bread- making for beginners or an introduction to the pub and licensed trade course are all on offer at
A COUPLE who hardly saw each other for the first six years of their marriage have celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary. Doreen and Les Scott were married in St Paul's Church, Darlington, on Boxing Day 1940, but they hardly had time for a honeymoon
A COUNTY Durham chef got top marks for her new restaurant from her former cookery teacher - 17 years after telling her that she would be a chef when she grew up. When Marisa Lenaghan walked into Susan Collins' restaurant in Chester-le-Street, she knew
NORTH Yorkshire County Council has come under fire from the British Horse Society (BHS) for not following its own policy on ensuring bridleways are kept open. The BHS says the authority is failing to meet the needs of horse riders using a bridleway near
BOTH Darlington clubs have home matches tomorrow as they continue to make inroads into the fixture backlog following last Saturday's victories. Mowden Park's casualty list grew with injuries to both wingers in the 29-21 win at Driffield and they are hoping
A GROUP trying to set up a youth facility in Ferryhill has identified suitable premises in the town centre. Now all it needs to do is find enough money to buy the property. The location of the building has not been divulged, but the Ferryhill Community
A CHRISTMAS theft has sparked a plea for more police on the beat in an East Cleveland town. An appeal is to be made to Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, after thieves stole 76 lights from the town square in Marske. The raid was keenly felt as this was the
NORTH-EAST scientists are to build up a better picture of the ocean floor. Durham University is one of five universities sharing a Joint Research Equipment Initiative grant of £826,000 for sea bed imaging sonars. Durham geological sciences researchers
RICHMOND-based artist Mackenzie Thorpe hopes an exhibition in Birmingham next year could lead to wider recognition of his work in the United States. The event, at the museum of art in February, is Mr Thorpe's biggest exhibition to date and directors from
THE mother of a knifeman's victim has welcomed Government plans to spend £22m on making classrooms safer. But Diane Conroy, whose daughter, Nikki was stabbed to death during a maths lesson, believes that radical changes should have been implemented sooner
COLD, grey clinical corridors will have no place at the new Bishop Auckland General Hospital, when building work is finished in early 2002. A £70,000 art programme will see a range of artists working on designs to brighten the building. The project, which
QUAKERS' manager Gary Bennett came under fire from travelling fans when his side were well beaten at table-topping Chesterfield on Boxing Day. A reshuffled Darlington side, missing the injured Jesper Hjorth and Paul Heckingbottom, did not force former
VILLAGERS in Hutton Rudby are being urged to rally round an ambitious scheme for a new community hall. Plans for the £500,000 hall are now off the starting block, and it is hoped to have the building up and running by the second half of 2002. The present
A COUNCILLOR facing expulsion from the Labour Party over an alleged racist remark has announced her resignation. Mildred Brown, former deputy leader of Durham City Council, says she will quit the party she has belonged to for more than 24 years. But she
POLICE investigating the murder of a North-East man on Boxing Day say appeals for information have yielded a good response. Known criminal Kevin Mawhinney, 33, was found with a stab wound following a brawl near his home in James Street, Easington Colliery
A PROBATION officer whose reckless driving killed a young woman driver was jailed for 30 months on Friday last week. David Firbank pulled onto a motorway without looking, causing another car to swerve and catapult across the road. The impact killed 28
A NORTH-East teenager has been chosen to represent the region on a national board which looks at the important issues affecting teenage girls. Sarah Wilson, 15, of Edmondsley, near Chester-le-Street, was chosen to be the voice of the North on the Generation
Sir. - I was interested in your news item concerning hooligans who "target" the congregation at Ripon Cathedral. I do want to acknowledge that the cathedral authorities are in a difficult position. Here they are, representatives of Christ and his church
MONTHS of planning are keeping South Durham hospitals off the sick list as health trust bosses gear up for the worst of the winter months. South Durham Health Care NHS Trust has been working closely with its health and social service partners to prepare
A JOINED-UP approach to working with farmers and the community on the North York moors is having a major impact on the environment, economy and local people. The first annual report of the farm and rural community scheme - one of a handful of national
ONE of the main planks of the Government's attempts to be seen to be tough on crime is the introduction of the anti-social behaviour order. The first such court order in the Prime Minister's Sedgefield constituency has been issued. It is only the fourth
PEOPLE throughout Darlington will come together next month to remember the millions who lost their lives in the Holocaust. Darlington Borough Council has organised a series of events to mark the first-ever national Holocaust Memorial Day, on January 27
REVISED plans for a supermarket in Durham City are likely to be approved, despite concerns about the impact of traffic. Durham City Council's development control committee has given its backing to plans for a Tesco store on the site of the former Hugh
STRONG winds threaten to cause blizzard conditions in some parts of the region in the run-up to New Year. Parts of the North-East woke up to four inches of snow yesterday. Further snow showers were forecast for last night, and more is likely tomorrow
A PAIR of pesky crows are harassing golfers by swooping down on the course and stealing their golf balls. The mischievous pair have turned the 12th and 17th fairways at Blyth Golf Club, Northumberland, into bogey holes for early-morning players who, for
FREEZING temperatures and heavy snow transformed the region into an Arctic landscape yesterday. Only a few parts of the region escaped a covering of snow, with many parts getting up to four inches between Thursday night and yesterday morning. County Durham
THIS was the moment when a madman who came within seconds of causing a packed British Airways' jumbo jet to crash was finally overpowered yesterday. North-East singer Bryan Ferry was among 379 passengers caught up in the terrifying ordeal on the flight
A PAIR of puppies have been reunited with their mother after they were left out in the cold to die on Christmas Day. The pups were bottle-fed by RSPCA officers, but it was touch-and-go as to whether they would survive without their mother's milk. However
BUOYANT Sunderland boss Peter Reid believes that this afternoon's demanding test against championship contenders Arsenal at Highbury will give his players the chance to prove they are worthy of their third-top Premiership standing. "It will tell us a
Steven Redgrave's knighthood caps the mountainous success enjoyed by Great Britain's Olympic team in this year's New Year's Honours List. The five-times Olympic gold medallist becomes Sir Steven in a list in which all 21 of his fellow winners in Sydney
CLASSY defender Graeme Lee is ready to hand Hartlepool United a New Year boost. Boss Chris Turner had written the 22-year-old out of his plans this season after he underwent cruciate knee ligament surgery in early October. Lee made only a brief appearance
A £10,000 windfall, which was to have been spent on improvements at a notorious Bedale crossroads, may be channelled into different projects in the town. The cash came from York builder Persimmon Homes in exchange for permission to build properties at
PEOPLE should enjoy the economic good times while they can because they may not last, Bank of England Governor Sir Eddie George warned yesterday. Although he said the picture was still quite promising for the UK economy, a worse than expected downturn
THE Japanese could find themselves with a yen for the stotty after one of the region's most famous baking names welcomed visitors from the Far East. The representatives from a Tokyo bakery spent a week at Greggs base in Gosforth, Newcastle, studying the
DURING the winter and early spring most gardeners regard the unheated greenhouse as unusable. In fact, it often turns into an extension of the garden shed. A place where the folding summer chairs, the bicycles and the stepladder are stored. While it would
A THIRD man has appeared before Teesside magistrates accused of imprisoning and attacking a teenager. Jason Glanville, 29, of Albert Terrace, Middlesbrough, was bailed yesterday on charges involving Andrew Bland, 18, who was treated for a broken nose
PLANNING officers are telling their own council that a scheme for new public toilets in Northallerton is unacceptable. The environmental health department of Hambleton council wants to demolish and fill in the present underground toilets outside the town
NEW Year revellers at a nightspot are being given free entry as part of staff fundraising. There is normally a small charge at the door of the Postchaise Hotel, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, but Sunday will be different. The doormen will carry donation
TRADING standards officers in North Yorkshire are toasting an announcement, which should ensure beer drinkers get fair measure. Whether a pint of beer should include the froth has been a vexed question for more than 30 years, since it was decided that
A CHEF got an A-plus for her new restaurant from her former cookery teacher - 17 years after telling her she would be a chef when she grew up. When Marisa Lenaghan walked into Susan Collins' restaurant in Chester-le-Street, she knew her former pupil must
A MAN accused of mugging a pensioner was released from custody yesterday because the prosecution ran out of time. Lee Jaffray, 34, was granted bail by Teesside magistrates after they heard that the 70-day custody time limit for comittal to crown court
Darlington are hoping to put their Christmas problems behind them when they take on Exeter at St James' Park today. Quakers couldn't have produced two more contrasting performances in their last two games. They played some of their best football of the
JOE Byrne may not have a university education, but can hold his own when dealing with judges, doctors, teachers and ordinary Joes. The car park attendant has become a familiar sight to people entering the government buildings at Elvet House, in Durham
A COMMUNITY centre, which will open the door on a range of new opportunities for people in Hartlepool, is almost completed. The Community Initiatives Centre will provide a variety of facilities for people from the Central Estate in the town. The £800,000
A NEW initiative to encourage green travel in Hartlepool is looking for funding. The borough council is to bid for money from the Government to employ two staff to coordinate green travel and school travel in the area. The Department of the Environment
THE North-East's only sanctuary for abused and abandoned reptiles has had to close a quarter of its facilities because of a lack of funds. Staff at The Reptile Trust in Burnopfield, near Stanley, County Durham, had considered a 50 per cent shutdown to
A CONTROVERSIAL Christmas card sent out by Darlington Borough Council has been defended by the mayor. The card features a painting of the town's popular landmark - the brick train - in a snow setting, surrounded by skiers, snowboarders, huskies, and two
HAVING looked forward to the year 2000 for so long it was perhaps inevitable that it would disappoint. The word Millennium will for a long time be associated with a certain four letter word, i.e., dome, but for a while it was pushed off the front page
AN INQUEST is to be held on a former male patient of serial killer GP Harold Shipman, serving life for the murders of 15 elderly women. Charles Killan, 90, who died at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, in February 1997, while being treated by Shipman
A WORKOUT for old, young, fit and not-so-fit was held in memory of a leisure centre worker who died earlier this year. Staff at Spectrum Leisure Centre, in Willington, County Durham, wanted a special way to remember colleague and friend Janice Slack,
A REVOLUTIONARY lorry designed by an engineer from the Richmond area could be the basis of a safe and efficient new transport system for the 21st Century. Carl Henderson hopes to win European backing for his extra-stable and manoeuvrable vehicle, one
A campaign to make adults think twice before smoking in front of children is being launched in the region. Tyne and Wear Health Action Zone will unveil the campaign on February 1. Using the slogan, Stub It Out - There's a Kid About campaign, the healthy
LEISURE chiefs have added another string to Hartlepool's sporting bow. An indoor archery course has opened in the visitor centre at Summerhill, a 100-acre site off Catcote Road, which is being developed by Hartlepool Borough Council for recreation and
A TRAFFIC calming scheme costing £34,000 is to be implemented as part of improvements to an estate. The William Sutton Trust has offered the money to enable the introduction of a 20mph speed limit in the Sutton Trust area of Saltersgill, Middlesbrough
A NURSE is undertaking the challenge of a lifetime to raise money for the Royal National Institute for Deaf People. Sister Jackie Burlison, from Birtley near Chester-le-Street, decided to raise funds for RNID after reading about the charity's Moroccan
CHILDREN from a north Durham primary school continued their long-standing festive tradition of cheering up factory workers recently. The pupils of Birtley East Primary School performed their annual carol concert for staff at Birtley excavator manufacturers
NO WONDER the exhibition of Northern quilts, on display on the top floor of the Bowes museum at Barnard Castle, has been extended from its planned January closure to March 4. It presents richness, colour, craftsmanship and design from the 18th to the
A HEALTHY lifestyle course is kicking off at Guisborough Football Club in the New Year. The six week programme of activities for people of all ages has been set up by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. Activities range from salsa dancing to self defence
A PROJECT that helps community groups build their own website free of charge has been praised by a government minister. Redcar and Cleveland MP and Minister for the Cabinet Office Mo Molam has offered her congratulations to The Northern Echo and The Clarion
A SCHOOLGIRL has high hopes of following in the footsteps of ballet dancer Billy Elliott. Fourteen-year-old Faye Heather Anderson, of Redcar, has her heart set at performing ballet at the highest level, and dance teacher Lynn Wardell, of the Wardell School
A TEESSIDE council will deliver the goods next year, the council leader has promised. In a New Year message, David Walsh, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said a number of projects the council has been championing will come to fruition.
At the half-way stage of the season Royal Oak, promoted from Division Two last season, head the Division One table by five points from last season's champions, Northallerton Police who have games in hand of the leaders. Police, beaten only once in seven
MARY REVELEY rang the holiday bells in the same fashion as she started the year, with superb victories either side of the break. Newcastle saw a Reveley double, while Wetherby's Boxing Day gift delighted the Irish. Alan Dempsey partnered Highbank to win
A DAYTIME drop-in centre for young people is responding to popular demand by opening one night a week from next week. The OK4 Young People centre, which recently moved into new premises in Coatham Memorial Hall in Redcar, has been open since 1992. Now
SEVEN Tees Valley Further Education Colleges have formed a partnership called FEplus to ensure that together, they can oversee the best strategies for the benefit of education, training and economic growth. FEplus consists of Cleveland College of Art
A CONTROVERSIAL drive-through restaurant has opened in Redcar but the battle continues for nearby residents. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council reluctantly granted planning permission in November to McDonald's to build a drive-through restaurant on
CHARITIES in Teesside have shared in a £69,000 handout from the Cleveland Community Foundation. The sum includes £6,100 from the foundation's Teesside Power Fund, £33,105 from the Teesside Youth Development Programme and £29,530 from the Cleveland Fund
CHRISTMAS last year was a normal day for toddler Ben Collins, locked in his own lonely world of autism. He didn't realise that the day was special and took no notice of family celebrations. But this year Ben, who has just turned four, knew exactly what
A NEW scheme will give trainee physical education teachers experience of their chosen profession. The would-be teachers will learn at 12 schools in Tyne and Wear and Northumberland, which make up a consortium managed by Northumbria University, Newcastle
The Butterwick Hospice at Bishop Auckland is asking people to collect aluminium cans and Christmas cards to be recycled. They should be collected in carrier bags or bin liners and dropped off at the hospice, in Woodhouse Lane, between January 4 and January
IT'S hats off to a North-East college designer who has been given a rare chance to showcase her head-turning talent. Lynne Waterfall-Brown, who teaches on the millinery course at Darlington College of Technology was given the opportunity by the High Sheriff
POLICE have renewed their appeal for help in tracking down burglars who forced their way into Skeeby Post Office in November. The intruders first managed to get into a barn in the village near Richmond, and stole a ladder and tools, which they used to
DARLINGTON has hit the jackpot for Christmas spending this year, thanks to rail chaos on the East Coast line. Major town centre stores recorded Christmas sales increases of up to 40pc against last year while other branches in Newcastle, York and Leeds
HOMESICK Geordies from around the world are expected to bombard a Tyne Bridge website on New Year's Eve, pushing visitors to the site to over a million just weeks after it was launched. Gateshead Borough Council's website, at www.tynebridgewebcam.com,
HUNT members and supporters demonstrated their determination to fight the government's attempt to ban hunting with dogs by turning out in their thousands on Boxing Day. The Countryside Alliance claimed more than 325,000 people turned up at nearly 300
FEARS that government proposals for the development of renewable energy will lead to a rush of wind turbines have been raised at a district council meeting. It would take 46,000 turbines, of the kind rejected for Barningham Moor, to produce the amount
COUNCIL "Scrooges" have been criticised for banning Christmas gifts for care workers. Staff at old people's homes which are threatened with closure say Darlington council added insult to injury by telling them not to accept gifts from the public this
ANTI-CRUELTY campaigners dressed up as a blood- splattered butcher and a chicken to enact a slaughter outside one of the region's busiest McDonald's restaurants yesterday. The Newcastle Animal Rights coalition was trying to persuade McDonald's customers
DAIRY farmer Mr Gordon Tweddle can enjoy the new year knowing his gamble of a lifetime has paid off. His unique organic milk doorstep delivery service in the Darlington area has proved a success and his farm in Wensleydale is also supplying all the milk
NORTHALLERTON college has improved and grown even further in the past four years to become a "very effective college." This is one of the conclusions in a report by Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education. It says the college has improved significantly
ALL the tickets have been snapped up for one of the biggest parties the region has ever seen. The New Year's Eve celebrations on Newcastle's Quayside and Haymarket promise to rival the best in the country, with all 36,000 wristbands needed to gain access
IT WAS the year celebrities were done out of a job by the man and woman in the street. Quite why the actors' union Equity hasn't launched a campaign to protect members is unclear but they should have been worried, very worried, as the public took over
A SET of maps showing the new moorland designations is available for inspection at MAFF's Northallerton regional service centre. But farmers attending a seminar at Barnard Castle earlier this month were advised to make an appointment to view them, to
A community leader has told of plans that he says will transform a town. Leader of Derwentside District Council Alex Watson said 2001 will see the 'renaissance of Stanley' because of three major proposed developments. He outlined proposals for a £50m
BARNARD CASTLE. - Wed. Fwd: 945 sheep. Store lambs to £27.50. Lambs lt to 75.5p av 75.4p; std to 97.5p av 89.8p; med to 99.5p av 95.3p; heavy to 97.4p av 90.9p. Cast ewes: Mule to £30; Cont to £28.50; Swale to £20.50; Leics to £27; Suff £26.50. BISHOP
