A soldier who helped co-ordinate the disposal of animal carcasses during the foot-and-mouth crisis has received an MBE. Bombadier Martin Corfield, 28, of West Rainton, County Durham, was stationed in Gloucester for about eight weeks at the height of the
Darlington's New Years Day clash with Lincoln at Feethams has been postponed due to a frozen pitch. An official from Middlesbrough inspected the pitch this afternoon and it was decided the game should not go ahead. Pitch covers had protected the playing
A CONFERENCE to discuss ways of developing the railway line between Darlington and Bishop Auckland has taken place in Shildon. The event, which involved community representatives from Darlington, Newton Aycliffe, Bishop Auckland and Shildon, was held
JIMMY YOUNG, the Grand Old Man of British broadcasting who has interviewed every Prime Minister for the best part of three decades, gets a knighthood in today's New Year Honours list. The evergreen 80-year-old said he shared his award with millions of
A TOWN council hopes to stage its version of the Three Tenors opera show. Councillors at Seaham propose to spend more than £7,500 on providing music, entertainment and attractions during the town's summer carnival. One of the highlights is Tenorissimo
A woman, who has not been named, was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital suffering from multiple injuries yesterday morning after her car collided with a fence. Emergency crews were called to the accident, on the B1432 road between between Murton and Seaham
NOW that Christmas is over, many youngsters are riding around on new bikes and micro-scooters. But, with thieves likely to be tempted by the new toys, South Tyneside Council has set up bike-marking sessions to deter them. The council says that the best
THE chief executive of a North-East council has been awarded an OBE for his dedication to his job. Brian Dinsdale was appointed chief executive of Hartlepool Borough Council in 1998, when he took over the role from Nat Abram, who retired. He was born
FORMER chief executive of the Rugby League David Oxley is made a CBE in recognition of his services to sport since retiring in 1992. Already an OBE, the 63-year-old remains involved in Sport England, the sports branch of the National Lottery. Until standing
THE author of a report which found higher than expected levels of throat cancer among steelworkers in Consett, County Durham, has been awarded a CBE. Professor Peter Blain, chairman of the Chemical, Biological and Human Technologies Board, is a professor
NEWCASTLE United fan Mitsuo Manabe flies 11,500 miles from his home in Japan just to watch his idol Alan Shearer. He made his fourth trip to St James' Park this year for the top-of-the-table clash with Chelsea on Saturday, only to see the Magpies crash
NEW classrooms at a Newton Aycliffe school are proving a boon for one group of pupils. The Ican group at Greenfield Community and Arts Centre was set up by teacher Jill Burdis two years ago. Mrs Burdis said: "What I found was that a small number of children
A DARLINGTON group just missed out in their bid to win a Battle of the Bands competition. The Shining, which also has members from Newton Aycliffe and Aycliffe Village, battled through to the final of the competition at The Studio, in Hartlepool, on Saturday
Thieves snatch jewellery A gold T-bar necklace worth £350 and a gold sovereign necklace with gold chain, value unknown, were stolen from the bedroom of a house in Jubilee Crescent, Shildon, between 1.10pm on Saturday and 1.45am yesterday. Burglars forced
NEW Year revellers have been warned to wrap up warm with sub-zero temperatures forecast to continue over the next few days. Snow caused problems for motorists in parts of the North-East yesterday, with the A1 north of Alnwick so treacherous that police
NEW classrooms at a Newton Aycliffe school are proving a boon for a group of pupils. The Ican group at Greenfield Community and Arts Centre was set up by teacher Jill Burdis two years ago. Mrs Burdis said: "What I found was that a small number of children
A DEER park is now open to the public after being closed since March as a precaution against foot-and-mouth disease. The park is a feature of the Whitworth Hall country park, between Brancepath and Spennymoor, in County Durham. It is free to the public
RURAL hoteliers are hoping that in 2002 they will be able to put the foot- and-mouth crisis behind them. Gary Wilson, landlord of the High Force Hotel, at Forest-in-Teesdale, said that they just wanted business to return to normal after a terrible year
A NORTH Yorkshire village is hoping the demolition of an old wooden meeting hall will pave the way for new facilities. Bishop Monkton Women's Institute has agreed to sell its building to developers and then invest most of the proceeds in a new one, part-funded
Drink driving calls increase Record numbers of motorists are being shopped to the police for drink driving - by friends and members of their own families. Police forces have witnessed a sharp increase in people ringing to report drunken drivers. Many
A 22-YEAR-OLD is celebrating after gaining a 2:1 honours degree despite being diagnosed with severe arthritis during his final year. Philip Putson thought he might not be able to finish his computing and maths degree course at the University of Teesside
PEOPLE in Hartlepool are urged to go green when it comes to disposing of their Christmas rubbish. Whether it is discarded packaging from presents, old Christmas trees, or old greetings cards, residents are asked to recycle them. Hartlepool Borough Council
WORKERS in Hartlepool will be able to take advantage of an extended early-morning bus service in the new year. The expansion of the number 20 service will take effect from Wednesday. The Monday to Friday service currently runs from the Saxon Hotel, in
ONCE AGAIN die-hard travelling Sunderland fans were left red-faced with anger and embarrassment after another humiliating away defeat - the heaviest for two seasons. And the rock-bottom display at Portman Road left the faithful wondering if the Boxing
GEORGE HARRISON YOUR controversial columnist, the Reverend Peter Mullen, has caused quite a furore with his acidic comments on the death of The Beatle, George Harrison, (Echo, Dec 11; HAS, Dec 14 and 21). As children, we were taught to respect the dead
A SYSTEM designed to reduce the number of accidentally-dialled 999 telephone calls has proved a boon for the region's police forces. The Silent Solution targets the increasing number of unintentional emergency calls that are made on mobile phones. The
THE president of the National Farmers' Union has spoken of beginning the new year with determination, in a statement issued to the media. Ben Gill says co-operation has to be the key word for 2002, urging farmers, farm businesses and food producers to
It appears Lady Luck isn't paying too much attention to Darlington at the moment. Before Saturday's match at Bristol Rovers, Tommy Taylor was deprived of nine players, including three long-term casualities, only for Brian Atkinson and Richard Hodgson
SIX years ago tomorrow, Graeme Lee broke into the Hartlepool United side. On Saturday he made his 150th League start and believes the win over Leyton Orient was the best display he had been part of since making his bow as a 17-year-old. It all started
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to uncover more details about the death of a North-East man on a Greek island took to the streets with their MEP and MP at the weekend to urge holidaymakers not to go to the country. North-East MEP Stephen Hughes and Durham North
A NORTH Yorkshire city's leading employer seems likely to be starting the New Year with permission for the second phase of a major restructuring programme. Wolseley Centers, which employs about 500 people in Ripon, has already completed a depot at the
NORTH-EAST singing sensation Zoe Birkett is through to the next round of TV's Pop Idol contest. She impressed the judges on the ITV1 show on Saturday, after they challenged the eight remaining contestants to sing Burt Bacharach songs. Zoe, 16, of Darlington
THE Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is looking for dedicated animal lovers to help look after its puppies in the first years of their lives. There are only two puppy walkers for the charity in Darlington, Audrey and Ron Pearson. The couple, who have
A £500,000 revamp at Durham police headquarters will finally enable a multi-million pound radio system to go ahead. The plan to install the digital radio network, called Airwave, has been plagued by problems in the past year. The revamp at Aykley Heads
A group has been formed to promote the study of the history of County Durham. The Friends of the Durham County Record Office was set up by local and family history enthusiasts who delve into the archives at County Hall. Members live in the county, but
Former children's television favourite Timmy Mallett today told how he rescued a woman who had fallen into an icy marina. The 43-year-old star of madcap shows such as Wackaday and Wide Awake Club hauled the stricken woman from the freezing water. The
The detailed history of one of the most famous abbeys and schools in the country has won the seal of approval from those who know it best. For three weeks the monks of Ampleforth have been listening to the book each day during their lunch and supper.
CHRIS Turner is backing Ritchie Humphreys to enter 2002 with a bang. Hartlepool United's former Sheffield Wednesday striker has only a single goal to his name this season, after moving to Pool from Cambridge during the summer. Humphreys will have to wait
As the world's worst foot-and-mouth outbreak comes to a close, Katie Relton looks at how harsh lessons are still to be learnt Never in their worst nightmares did Britain's farmers expect to face a foot-and-mouth epidemic such as they did in 2001. At its
A paramedic has been hit by another car as he fought to help motorists in a traffic pile up. The horrific accident happened on the Willington to Binchester road in Weardale at about 9 am this morning. Witnesses claimed the paramedic, who was attending
A TANKER driver had a lucky escape when his lorry overturned at a busy interchange on the A1 at the weekend. The vehicle came to rest just a few feet from the embankment above the dual carriageway at Scotch Corner, on Saturday. The driver had to be freed
A policeman was recovering yesterday after being stabbed in the neck as he arrested a suspect. The officer was called to a domestic dispute at a house in Hazelrigg, Newcastle, at 4.43pm on Saturday. He spoke to a 19-year-old man at the house and as he
TRANSPORT chief Roger Elphick has been rewarded for his 36 years service with an OBE. Mr Elphick, 58, of High Shincliffe, near Durham City, is head of highway management services at the authority, and is also involved with the County Surveyors Society
AWOMAN has been rewarded with an OBE for her commitment to the work she loves. Elizabeth Yates, from Darlington, has worked at courts across the North-East but became group manager for the Teesside combined court centre when it opened in 1990. Her job
A FIRE officer who has completed almost 40 years of service has been awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal in the New Year Honours List. The Distinguished Service award has been given to Alan Holmes, deputy chief fire officer at Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade
AWOMAN who took a family-owned countrywear firm and turned it into a global phenomenon is today made a dame. Margaret Barbour's transformation of the fortunes of waxed cotton jacket specialist J Barbour and Sons Ltd in less than three decades has earned
POLICE are facing criticism in a series of landmark legal bids over the way they pursue allegations of child abuse. Lawyers said yesterday that scores of care workers convicted of sexual abuse were preparing to have their cases heard before the Court
TRANSPORT chief Roger Elphick has been rewarded for his 36 years service with an OBE. Mr Elphick, 58, of High Shincliffe, near Durham City, is head of highway management services at the authority, and is also involved with the County Surveyors Society
Gerhard Quinn was filled with an overwhelming feeling of emptiness and numbness as he watched his cattle go up in smoke on a foot-and-mouth pyre. For the flames consumed not only his life's work, but that of two preceding generations of his family as
TWO Darlington women have been thanked for their hard work managing slimming classes. Sandra Cowley and Denise Collinson met entertainer Shane Richie at Slimming World's annual award ceremony, held to celebrate the achievements of some of its 250,000
EACH New Year can lay claim to being special. The past is put behind us and, full of fresh hope and good intentions, we start anew. This New Year is probably more special than most. Although it has had none of the hype and hyperbole of recent millennial
A CRIME-FIGHTING radio system is to be implemented after a £500,000 revamp of Durham police headquarters. Durham Constabulary is planning to replace its analogue radio network with a digital system. The system, called Airwave, was due become operational
BRITAIN prepared to declare itself foot-and-mouth free last night after nearly a year of misery, as farmers urged the Government to heed the lessons of 2001 and ensure it never happens again. The last case of the epidemic, number 2,030, was diagnosed
A CONFERENCE to discuss ways of developing the railway line between Darlington and Bishop Auckland has taken place in Shildon. The event, which involved community representatives from Darlington, Newton Aycliffe, Bishop Auckland and Shildon, was held
FRIENDS and former colleagues of Enron blast victim Darren Higgins took part in a football match yesterday to raise money for charity. Mr Higgins, who lived in Eston, near Middlesbrough, worked for NTL for several years before moving to Enron. He played
Blaze damages former pub THE former Thatcher's Foot public house, in East Stanley, was severely damaged by fire at the weekend. Fire brigade appliances from High Handenhold, Consett and Durham attended the blaze in the derelict building, which was reported
THE owners of the highest pub in England have suffered their lowest ever year because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. The Tan Hill Inn, which stands more than 1,700ft above sea level at the top of Arkengarthdale, North Yorkshire, relies on walkers and
WORK to protect two North Yorkshire communities from flooding could herald a new beginning for a plant on the brink of extinction. The greater water parsnip used to be widespread in swamps and fens which have since been drained for agriculture. Already
BROADCASTER and actress Alex Hall is to start the New Year with a regular slot on radio. Alex, who once worked in the sales department at The Northern Echo, is taking over the late show from Andy Peebles on BBC Radio York. Best known for playing the part
FARMERS looking for new sources of income are invited to a seminar in North Yorkshire next month. The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has linked up with Land-Based and Rural Trading to arrange the event, which will examine
TRADERS have been warned to be on the look-out for fake notes during the January sales after two men were arrested on suspicion of handling forged money. The men, one aged 31 from Barnard Castle, and one aged 27 from Darlington, were arrested in the Glittering
FAMILES enjoyed winter sunshine as they took to the ice in Middlesbrough over the weekend. Dressed up warmly in hats, gloves and scarfs, parents and young children spent hours on the temporary ice rink, in Victoria Gardens, enjoying the last of the festive
TEDDY bear owners in Hartlepool are being urged to visit the town's register office on Saturday. In return for a small donation to the Mayor of Hartlepool's charities, children will be able to meet the registrars who will fill out a mini birth certificate
PEOPLE living in the most disadvantaged communities in Thornaby are to benefit from more than £300,000. Youngsters, elderly, and those suffering from mental ill-health problems will also all benefit from a community-based and outreach health project,
A mother whose son was snatched from his North Yorkshire home by his father has spoken of her anguish at facing another year without him. Susan Dhanjee, of Staithes, near Whitby, has not seen her beloved seven-year-old son, Milun, since August 1999. The
A BAND from Darlington just missed out in its bid to win a music contest. The Shining, which has members from Newton Aycliffe and Aycliffe Village, came second to Hartlepool band God in the finals of the Battle of the Bands contest at The Studio, Hartlepool
THE NHS authority in Health Secretary Alan Milburn's own constituency receives less money per head of population than almost any other in the country, new figures have revealed. Official Department of Health statistics show that County Durham and Darlington
Geoffrey Atkinson was a successful dairy farmer before foot-and-mouth wiped out his entire herd. Like many other farmers he is now having to contemplate his future and is debating whether that lies in dairying. Mr Atkinson, of Wether Hill Farm, at Winston
A SERVICE for community and voluntary groups has proved so successful it is looking to expand in the New Year. Community and Voluntary Organisations Sedgefield (Cavos) is to recruit a network worker, a volunteer bureau worker and a training officer early
THE year 2002 marks the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne of Great Britain. The Northern Echo is planning to commemorate the jubilee by publishing a series of supplements looking at how the lives of the people of Britain have
LIVE music may be one way pubs pull in the punters, but a council ruling means there will be tension at one bar whenever a singer takes to the stage. Ray Leadley-Yoward, who runs The Melbourne, in York, says the council has warned him that dancing is
BUYING and selling houses in Richmondshire has been made simpler thanks to a new electronic information service which is being pioneered by the district council. The authority's planning and development unit has just signed up to a new Government initiative
A landmark ruin has been saved thanks to the Dales Millennium Trust. Crackpot Hall, near Muker, in Swaledale, which dates back to the 1500s, has been abandoned for more than half a century because of subsidence. Now it has been saved from further decay
YOUNGSTERS from a Washington school are looking forward to a free trip to the pantomime. Elizabeth Hackett, ten, of Blackfell Primary School, was one of 80 youngsters who won a competition run by Sunderland's school meals service about the Sunderland
Middlesbrough have been dealt a crushing blow with the news defender Ugo Ehiogu faces up to six weeks on the sidelines. The England international sustained a groin injury during Boro's 2-1 defeat at Arsenal on Saturday and looks set to miss some crucial
Babysitting Jacob aged four-and-a-half days Look at you so bright and new And me, all scared and quaking I dare not touch you Lest I crush you So small Yet so earth shaking. "Hold him," they said And here you are Precious Rigid Screaming! I whisper a
NEWCASTLE may have slipped from the Premiership summit, but their lofty position has convinced manager Bobby Robson that they will be a match for champions Manchester United when the sides meet at Old Trafford on Wednesday night. "We've caught up with
ARIES (March 21 - April 20) AN excellent year for communications, but the onus is on you to get things moving. Plans need working on - they won't come to fruition on their own. LOVE You're adventurous, but one spin-off is an occasionally tempestuous love
A DISPUTED late try sent Darlington Mowden Park to their fourth defeat in six games in National Division Three North on Saturday. They lost 21-20 at New Brighton and will be desperate to get back to winning ways in this week's league and county cup double-header
