POLICE and health officials are working to help the slam the door on bogus officials. Cleveland Police have joined forces with the Tees and North Yorkshire NHS Trust to prepare crime prevention information packs for residents, following a spate of cons
I BET Ellen MacArthur didn't get a lift to school every day. I bet she wasn't encouraged to lie on the sofa and watch videos, or just play nicely in the house because it was "safer". And any girl who can shin up a 90ft mast in stormy seas has probably
COUNTY Durham council tax payers are facing increases in charges of at least £20 from April. The 4.1 per cent rise will add £19.14 to the charge for a Band A house, which rises to £480.60. People in Band D properties will pay £720.90, an extra £28.71.
A BUDDING North-East actor is finding success in a performing arts academy set up by former Beatle Paul McCartney. Now he hopes to catch the eye of a leading agent and become a professional actor. Michael Imerson, from Spennymoor, County Durham, is taking
A LONG-RUNNING investigation into a cigarette smuggling ring in North Yorkshire is not over yet, even though almost 1.5 million were seized in a raid on a farm, on the edge of North-allerton, over the weekend. Police and Customs officers linked up for
Darlington are hopeful of completing the signing of defender David Brightwell from Hull City today, writes RAY SIMPSON. If the deal goes through, Brightwell arrives at just the right time as star defender Craig Liddle will miss Saturday's game at Barnet
A VETERINARY practice in the region, designed and run by a husband and wife team, has won a prestigious national award. CVS, Myton Park in Ingleby Barwick, run by Penny and Derek Copeland, was named the winning practice in the British Veterinary Hospital
THE vultures are gathering over the perceived corpse of Peter Mandelson. And we are talking not just politics here. Under the heading, Has Mandelson Gone Mad, The Sunday Telegraph devoted a full page, signalled by a front page story, to picking over the
FILM star Richard Griffiths has joined The Northern Echo's campaign to make steel giant Corus think again about its plans to axe thousands of jobs. The Cleveland-born star slammed a decision by Corus to axe jobs in Wales and Teesside as "wicked". The
PUBLIC relations consultant Di Burton and personal assistant Vicky Raspin found themselves acting out Tom Hanks' predicament in the film Cast Away after agreeing to take part in a TV survival programme. Armed with just a few essentials and recorded by
THE family of a three-year-old boy with autism have thanked generous sponsors who helped raise £2,700 to pay for his treatment. A race night at Stanley's Central Club helped raise the cash for Matthew Gibson, who was diagnosed with the condition after
DISGRUNTLED fans of Darlington FC made their feelings clear at the weekend. A banner draped across the town's famous brick train read: "All aboard the Reynolds express - next stop the conference." The message was aimed at the Quaker's flamboyant chairman
RESIDENTS in Hartlepool are being warned to watch out for a string of suspicious letters circulating the area. Trading standards officers have been made aware of three overseas offers being sent to people and businesses in the town. In the first case,
A HELP group hopes to throw a lifeline to those who care for people with disabilities. The Wear Valley Carers are to visit surgeries in the district to provide all those who are caring for disabled children or adults with information and support. They
PLANS to ban animal circuses on council land in Chester-le-Street have been put on hold while the public are consulted using a coupon system. A meeting of the executive at Chester-le-Street District Council this week agreed to quiz the public on the issue
A VARIETY of free information and taster sessions is to be provided by the Adult Education service in Redcar and Cleveland. On Monday, February 26, there will be a chance to get creative with spring flowers in Lingdale. The taster session is being held
RUGBY fan Francesca Wedel became the 20,000th patient to use Europe's busiest scanner yesterday. Newcastle Falcons player Richard Arnold and coach Peter Walton were on hand to help the gallery administrator from Northumberland when she visited Newcastle
THERE'S nothing like the personal touch when it comes to training thoroughbreds and the Welsh wizard Milton Bradley has proved himself a brilliant exponent of keeping his horses sweet. Wolverhampton-bound Juwwi (3.35) illustrates the point beautifully
Rail passengers suffered a 16-hour nightmare after a series of problems hit a Virgin train travelling from Newcastle to Plymouth. The service left at 3.05pm yesterday - but passengers only arrived in Plymouth on a replacement coach service shortly after
YOUNGSTERS from seven countries are going on the record to learn each other's lingo. Teenagers from France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Slovakia and County Durham are working on a CD and book of valuable phrases for young travellers. The Eurolingo
Takeover target Abbey National yesterday said it had made record results last year, with underlying profits topping £2bn for the first time in its history. The group, which last week rejected a conditional £19bn takeover offer from Lloyds TSB, said underlying
OWNERS of independent care homes say they are under siege because people are accusing them of putting profits before welfare. Care North-East, a group which represents more than 100 independent owners of care homes in the region, has spoken out after
ALLOTMENT holders at the centre of a storm over a toxic ash scare have been offered a payout of £25,000. Newcastle City Council made the ex gratia offer at a meeting attended by hundreds of plot holders affected by contamination from the Byker incinerator
THIS is the face of a teenage tearaway who has been given an ultimatum by a North-East town. Harry French, 15, is due to be released from a young offender's institution in April. And when he is freed, he will face seven restrictions as part of an Anti-Social
A police officer has been forced to quit after being branded a bigamist by the wife he worked alongside. Despite the fact they both worked together at Middlesbrough Police Station, John Cousins had neglected to mention to his estranged wife Karen that
A DETECTIVE will not be prosecuted for an alleged attack because police and the Crown Prosecution Service took more than two years to bring the case to trial. Yesterday, a judge criticised the two authorities for the length of time Edward Hedley's case
THOUSANDS of steelworkers vowed to fight to the bitter end last night as the Government deadline looked set to expire with no reprieve for 6,000 jobs. Ministers and unions were bracing themselves for bad news today as Corus bosses gave no sign of reconsidering
THE FBI has launched an inquiry after a British couple paid £4,700 for a Rolex watch at an Internet auction - but only received a photo of it through the post. Disabled Tom Shead, from Peterlee, County Durham, wanted to treat his wife Carol for her 54th
TERRY VENABLES is counting the cost of Middlesbrough's FA Cup knockout - the possible loss of an entire team. Relegation-haunted Boro face a ten-day lay-off after their 3-1 extra-time exit against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park. But that won't be long enough
HARTLEPOOL moved into fourth place in Division Three, just two points behind Cardiff thanks to a stunning second half fight back at Brunton Park last night. Pool were trailing 2-0 at the break, but second half goals from Tommy Miller, Lee Fitzpatrick
RECORD buy Ugo Ehiogu was the villain of the piece as Middlesbrough suffered another Cup calamity at Selhurst Park. Ehiogu gave away the penalty which brought Wimbledon level in the 75th minute after Hamilton Ricard had given Boro an interval lead with
THE WOMAN who is masterminding the Government's drive to reduce teen pregnancies is in the region this week. Cathy Hamlyn, head of the national Teenage Pregnancy Unit, is visiting Teesside, which has some of the highest teen pregnancy rates in England
MOVES to bring a popular tourist attraction into public ownership has been given a kickstart. Mother Shipton's Cave, in Knaresborough, is currently on the market for £625,000 - raising fears it could be lost to a private buyer. Knaresborough Town Council
CRAIG White is hoping Sri Lanka make the same mistake as Pakistan by targeting him as someone easily put off by sledging. Yorkshire all-rounder White has been a revelation since being invited back into the England fold as a replacement for Andrew Flintoff
GREAT DANE Thomas Sorensen, who has established himself as one of the Premiership's foremost goalkeepers with Sunderland, believes it could be another two years before he finally ousts the legendary Peter Schmeichel at international level. Sorensen got
SADISTIC badger baiters are stepping up their activities to take advantage of the breeding season to produce a sterner test for their dogs. Wildlife protection groups have reported a recent flurry of digging around setts in Cleveland and North Yorkshire
SOME of the last coal mines in the region are due to benefit from a package of Government aid to six UK coal mines, worth almost £60m. Details of the aid, approved by the European Commission, were revealed last night. Trade Secretary Stephen Byers said
MANY thanks to everyone who has contacted us about last week's article on Robert Luck and Sons, the high-class haberdashery which stood on High Row until 1966. We are currently wading through the many memories that have been sent in and will report back
NEWCASTLE are set to tie up the £1m signing of Sheffield United wing-back Wayne Quinn. The Magpies last night confirmed they have agreed a deal with the Blades for the 24-year-old Cornishman. Quinn completed a month's loan when he made his fourth appearance
Darlington manager Gary Bennett is expecting to snap up at least one player from crisis club Hull in the next 48 hours. Bennett yesterday held talks with two players, midfielder Gary Brabin and defender David Brightwell, and is optimistic he can bring
The end of the era of the "bog-standard comprehensive" was forecast yesterday as Prime Minister Tony Blair announced plans for a radical shake-up of secondary schools. Private companies will be allowed to help run successful as well as failing schools
An Asian student today told a jury how he "ran for his life" from a group of Leeds footballers before being kicked and beaten unconscious. Sarfraz Najeib, 20, had left the Majestyk nightclub in Leeds when a man knocked him to the ground and sent his glasses
The controversial Operation Lancet inquiry into alleged corruption among Britain's most successful crime-fighting squad in believed to have ended with all 393 criminal allegations being thrown out. There are renewed calls for a public inquiry into the
Seven paedophiles were facing prison sentences last night after a court heard how they helped compile a vast Internet database of horrific images of child sex abuse. The men, all from the UK and members of the Wonderland Club, an international ring of
A 13-year-old boy was in secure custody last night after a court heard how he killed his baby brother by stabbing him 17 times and cutting off his left hand. Bristol Crown Court was told that the boy, who suffers from a serious psychiatric illness, had
PARTS of the region were still on flood alert yesterday, despite an improvement in the weather. The sun may have come out by mid-morning, but rivers and streams in North Yorkshire were still swollen after heavy rain over the weekend, with 13 formal flood
BIG hearted police constable Yvonne Dutson took a leap into the unknown to help her colleague's handicapped son. The 31-year-old Consett police constable and mother-of-two jumped headfirst from a light aircraft at 10,000 feet to raise cash to help her
CATERING group Compass has tabled a £374m offer to buy the remaining two-thirds of Swiss food vending business Selecta. Compass, which has now completed its demerger from the Granada Media group, already owns a 33.3 per cent stake in Selecta. It is launching
HIT cartoon series The Lampies has been given a second series. BBC bosses have commissioned a further 26 episodes of the cartoon following its overwhelming success with the junior audience. Securing the second series is expected to enable further expansion
Tracey Wallis is relishing the challenge as events/sponsorship manager with the North East Chamber of Commerce. Heading the events team, she will be organising occasions such as the annual Teesside and Newcastle Chamber dinners, golf tournaments, celebrity
A GROUNDBREAKING training programme is expected to help thousands of workers develop the skills they need to succeed in the high-technology engineering industry. The Tyne and Wear Further Education Consortium has joined forces with training and development
ALLOTMENT holders in a storm over a toxic ash scare have been offered a payout of £25,000. Newcastle City Council made the offer at a meeting attended by hundreds of plot holders affected by contamination from the Byker incinerator in the city. The cash
Newcastle Eagles, with games in hand over all the clubs in the seven-team Northern Conference, have a tremendous opportunity this week to consolidate third position. But they face a difficult task at London Towers tomorrow night, and on Friday entertain
THE mystery owners of an internationally renowned collection of glass art have put it on display at Sunderland's National Glass Centre. The West Midlands couple, who began their collection in 1990, have stipulated that their identity remains a secret,
Top British film Billy Elliot suffered a cruel double Oscars blow this afternoon. The heartwarming movie about a schoolboy dancer in the North-East missed out on a Best Film Oscar nomination when they were announced in Hollywood. And the hugely popular
A GROUP of 20 people from the North-East were arrested for protesting at a Scottish nuclear submarine base yesterday. Others arrested included a Labour MP and several church ministers. The action by nuclear protestors at the Faslane base, on the River
TAXMEN, schools, health trusts, JobCentres, and a salsa dancing university are among a record 61 public sector organisations from the North-East winning the Government's gold medal for customer service today. They are among 744 organisations around the
LOCAL newspaper editors joined forces this morning to present union officials from Corus with a dossier of information to help in the fight to keep steel jobs on Teesside. Chris Lloyd, assistant editor at The Northern Echo, was joined by Paul Robertson
PHILIPS Components in Durham looks set to hold on to its prominent position within the colour TV tube market through the introduction of a 21in version of its Cybertube. The 21in "real flat" Cybertube is the culmination of more than 12 months research
MORE than 1,000 crimes have been cleared up and £161,988 worth of stolen property recovered in a three-month operation coordinated by police across North Yorkshire. Operation Starling was launched last November and the objective was to target thieves
PEOPLE in Hurworth have been watching in fascination as the rendering is removed from one of the village's most curious houses. Their fascination has been rewarded because beneath the elderly plasterwork - some of which was no more than lime and horsehair
AT long last, we have meaningful dialogue over the fate of the 6,000 jobs under threat in the steel industry. At long last, Corus has listened to the concerns raised by its employees, local communities and the Government at the scale of its proposed cutbacks
BEHIND every business there is a band of men in grey suits, faceless executives who inhabit the boardroom with absolute power, which they wield through memos. The archetypal "suit" behind Corus fits the bill perfectly and it's no surprise, then, that
America's top-earning movie and TV stars are jostling for roles in Hollywood's biggest production in decades and one that could cost the industry billions of dollars. The script calls for top earners such as Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts to pick up placards
A JUDGE warned prison visitors that they risk ending up behind bars if they attempt to smuggle drugs into jails. Judge Maurice Carr adjourned sentence on 39-year-old Gary Bilclough yesterday, saying that he will almost inevitably be jailed. Bilclough
COUNTY Durham householders are facing council tax increases of at least £20 from April. The 4.1 per cent rise will add £19.14 to the charge for a Band A house - £480.60 - while people in Band D properties will have to pay £720.90, an extra £28.71. But
VOLUNTARY groups turned out in force yesterday to lobby councillors over budget plans which they claim will cost them dearly. Members of North Yorkshire County Council's corporate policy committee voted for a package which will lead to an increase of
RESIDENTS have been invited to make a lasting contribution to their community by planting a tree at the weekend. The event, held as part of the national Trees of Time and Place campaign, will be staged at Chester-le-Street Riverside Park, from 11am to
A CARETAKER and his pigeons have been taking science lessons at a school, with refuse collectors, school dinner supervisors and guide-dog trainers. People from various trades and professions have visited Crook Primary School to show children the wonders
SAFETY campaigners have accused local authorities of failing to practice what they preach over the safety of children travelling to and from school. Local authorities have backed a national campaign to encourage parents to ensure children wear seatbelts
THOUGH the tunes may not universally be considered glorious, this column has long been much stirred by the bagpipes. It is therefore one of life's very great honours to have been invited to become Chieftain of the Newton Aycliffe Royal British Legion
MORE than 30 Darlington Borough Council employees recently took a green pledge to become more environmentally aware in the workplace. An awareness session was held at the council's Houndgate office by members of the green team. Employees from a number
A HOSPITAL has applied for planning permission to provide extra car parking spaces for staff and visitors. The volume of traffic at Darlington Memorial Hospital has prompted managers to apply to Darlington Borough Council to provide an extra 57 spaces
Martin Fisher, North-East principal officer of the National Union of Teachers, said that although the help for new teachers was welcomed as a positive step, the proposals would not solve the problem of keeping people in teaching. He said: "This shows
A THIEF may have bitten off more than he could chew when he stole a couple's caravette. The crook who drove off in pensioner Fred Yates's Citroen camper, also sped away with the 73-year-old's "vicious'' Jack Russell bitch, Meg, on board. When Mr Yates
Japanese bank Nomura International is to buy 988 unbranded pubs from Bass in a £625m cash deal, it emerged yesterday. The deal brings to an end a four-month battle for the portfolio, with Nomura understood to have seen off competition from rival bidder
PUB-GOERS raised their glasses yesterday to their landlord, who wed a customer he first saw across his crowded bar. Champagne and lager flowed for the Valentine's Day wedding of Adrian Rowland, landlord of the Royal George pub in Shildon and Jane Barber
A COUPLE who once owned a teashop in the village where popular TV soap Emmerdale was filmed, will put their collection of memorabilia up for sale this weekend. The stars were regulars at the caf between scenes, as were the crew, and the lots include one
POUNDS AND OUNCES I WRITE with total disbelief at the way that public money is being spent in the pursuance of a conviction against Steve Thoburn, the market/shop owner from Sunderland who purveys his stock in pounds and ounces. I find it interesting
THERE was new hope for thousands of steelworkers last night after Corus agreed to consider a last-ditch rescue package put forward by union officials. The embattled Anglo-Dutch company has agreed to hold further talks with the unions over its plans to
IF buildings could twitch or shuffle nervously, then many would be doing that now and we would be witnessing some very strange sights across our towns and cities. Recent legislation means that by the year 2004, most structures will have to be accessible
A MAN charged with a shotgun murder on a housing estate denied the killing yesterday. Keith McQuade, 46, said that he had no reason to kill Lee King, 32. The prosecution allege that he was angered that Mr King had insulted his former lover by calling
Newcastle's stars are enduring torture under the sun in the wake of their defeat at Charlton. Manager Bobby Robson is making his squad suffer after reluctantly allowing them to go ahead with a trip to Spain. Robson, furious about their performance at
A CHIP SHOP owner has come up with the ultimate food of love - a heart-shaped pizza for that very special person in your life. Italy may be the traditional home of romantic lovers and pizza, but Beedle's Chippy, in Chilton, County Durham, appears to have
Darlington yesterday made the most of Hull City's financial troubles as they lined up the free transfer signings of defender David Brightwell and wing back Steven Harper. Brightwell 30, and Harper 32, were both released yesterday and will sign 18-month
RESIDENTS and visitors to a seaside town are being asked not to feed the birds - because of the mess they are making. The mess left by the pigeons is causing all sorts of trouble for the residents of Saltburn, and parish councillors believe it is making
SHOPPERS watched in horror yesterday as a toddler was killed when an out-of-control car ploughed into a group of pedestrians. The blue BMW 320 appeared to take to the air before smashing into a lamppost, knocking it over onto the people below. The car
PASSENGERS who suffered a nightmare 16-hour rail journey are set to launch a flood of compensation claims against Virgin trains. The train operator was under-fire after passengers using its cross country service from Newcastle to Plymouth arrived more
THE founder of an international aid charity is being taken to court for non-payment of rates. Rod Jones, 52, is being prosecuted by landlords, Middlesbrough Council, for arrears of £146.10 owed on a shop he leases as a collecting point for supplies bound
CHELSEA are eyeing Newcastle's French defender Alain Goma as a replacement for want-away Frank Leboeuf at Stamford Bridge. Claudio Ranieri's interest has been put on ice while Goma recovers from a broken hand, and the Italian is also known to be keen
A JUDGE delivered a stark message to any drug dealers in a North-East town yesterday as he jailed three men for supplying heroin. Durham Crown Court heard how Michael Graham, 25, played the lead role in the operation supplying heroin deals, mainly from
VILLAGERS in County Durham have held a meeting to examine ways they could save an ancient woodland from neglect. Organisers of the meeting at Tanfield Lea, near Stanley, explained that the small wood near Tanfield Lea Primary School and a neighbouring
A CONVICTED sex attacker who preyed on women for almost half a century has been jailed for 12 years. John Cairns had already served a ten-year sentence after he attempted to rape one woman and tried to strangle another during street attacks in 1966. He
Leeds manager David O'Leary is desperate for Mark Viduka and Alan Smith to recapture their goalscoring touch tonight as he pins his hopes of further Champions League glory on a shot-shy strike force. O'Leary is without Robbie Keane for the visit of Anderlecht
ENGLAND striker Kevin Phillips has launched a scathing attack on Premiership referees after receiving a two-match suspension for picking up his tenth booking of the season. Speaking on the club's official website, the 14-goal hitman accused match officials
MIDDLESBROUGH are in the midst of a new injury crisis as Terry Venables bids to avoid an unlucky 13 defeat in tonight's FA Cup fourth-round replay against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park. Manager of the month Venables, unbeaten in 12 games with Boro in League
The Northern Echo issues a challenge to schools across the region today - harness the power of the Internet and get your electricity bill paid for a year. The paper has joined forces with Northern Electric to offer youngsters the chance to win enough
MAN of the moment Chris Turner last night brushed aside reports linking him with an emotional return to Sheffield Wednesday. Hartlepool United chief Turner, who two weeks ago signed an extended contract to keep him at Victoria Park and was also crowned
THE threat of a further 2,000 job losses at electrical firm Electrolux is not as bad as many feared, the Swedish firm said yesterday. The company's chief executive, Michael Treschow, announced the cuts last week, leaving staff at its Spennymoor plant
TEESSIDE'S newest cyber cafe is in business. QM Training, which runs Pitman Training Centres in Middlesbrough and Sunderland, has opened the doors to its centre offering Internet access to the public five days a week. The Cyber Cafe gives people in Middlesbrough
BUS passengers in Ferryhill have been left scratching their heads because a bus stop has been moved without warning. The stop in Ravensworth Road was moved around the corner to Raby Road last week , but no one knows why. The switch baffled passengers,
A HOUSING estate's new £600,000 centre is proving a hit with residents and will play a key role in a jobs and training project. The Pelaw Centre, in Hilda Avenue, Sherburn Road, has been flooded with interest from local people and groups since it opened
WITH the surname Lovelady, you would expect a couple to have a romantic story to tell for Valentine's Day. And Margaret and Trevor Lovelady live up to their name with a tale of lost love - rediscovered at a bus stop. The couple, who live in Gilpin Road
THE RSPCA has launched a research programme across the North-East in an attempt to prevent the UK's cat population spiralling out of control. Earlier this month, the nation's most popular pet was also dubbed its biggest killer, accounting for millions
TALKS on ways to ease the number of heavy goods vehicles using a road in Shildon have been held between residents and council officers. People living off Spout Lane met Durham County Council highways officers yesterday to try to find a solution to their
A 17-YEAR-OLD trainee soldier has died while on a training run at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire. The youngster, who has not been named, was on a run at the Infantry Training Centre at the garrison, where he was based, on Friday morning when the
THOUSANDS of Australians could receive a cut of the compensation cash available to British miners and their families, it has been revealed. Australian law firm Ryan Carlisle and Thomas is to hold talks with Department of Trade and Industry lawyers over
A FORMER police officer who took up scuba diving when he was no longer able to compete as a professional runner has taken the plunge into the world of guide books. Laurie Cummins served for 31 years with Durham Constabulary, having originally trained
A 90-YEAR-OLD man escaped serious injury when his gas boiler exploded as he carried out repairs on it. The man, who has not been named, suffered only minor burns in the blast which badly damaged his semi-detached house, in the Fulwell area of Sunderland
HAPPY Valentine's Day, and firstly to a Safeway promotion that dropped breathlessly through Richard Jones's door - and doubtless many more - in Darlington. Regulars may recall that the column has recently suggested that Safeway might have erred from the
