Archive

  • Own goal robs Wilkinson of first win

    JUST when Sunderland thought their calamitous season might be on the verge of a seismic shift towards a brighter future, Phil Babb's own goal brought their fledgling revival crashing to a halt. Howard Wilkinson was just ten minutes away from his first

  • Settling the debate over Lindisfarne

    Q IN the name Lindisfarne what is the meaning of the prefix Lindis? Is it some long-forgotten Celtic saint or an adjective no longer used? - Mary Ellery, Peterlee. A THE name is something of a mystery and has never been satisfactorily explained. However

  • Jobs hope over huge order

    CONTRACTORS battling to win the Royal Navy's £9bn aircraft carrier order will this week pledge thousands of jobs for Britain's beleaguered shipbuilding industry. French consortium Thales is set to pledge that much of the work will be carried out in the

  • News in brief: Fears grow for missing woman

    Police are asking for help from the public to trace a woman missing from home. Amanda Jane Tindle, 34, of Knowles Farm, Hawsker, near Whitby, North Yorkshire, was reported missing last Tuesday. She was last seen at 4.35pm on the Monday at a petrol station

  • Teachers pass on knowledge in Estonia

    NORTH-East teachers have flown out to Estonia for a European education conference. The nine, from schools in Gateshead, set off yesterday for the event in the country's capital Tallinn. They will share their experiences of new technology with other delegates

  • Parents 'confused' as plan to merge schools collapses

    PLANS for a merger between two independent schools have been dropped just weeks after they were announced. Queen Mary's School, at Baldersby Park, Topcliffe, a girls' school, looked set to become co-educational after proposing closer ties with neighbouring

  • Safety costs increase

    The cost of renovation work at a castle in the region has risen to £9,000. Town councillors in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, were told that English Heritage had agreed to provide up to £4,500 to make Neville Castle safe. North Yorkshire County Council

  • Man took woman's purse to fund drug habit

    A MAN who snatched a 73-year-old woman's purse to get cash to feed his drug addiction was caught thanks to two have-a-go heroes, a court was told. Brian Boyes, 22, of Eggleston Court in Skelton was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to robbery

  • Appeal for traffic calming is backed

    PROPOSED traffic calming measures at West Witton are to be examined by North Yorkshire County Council, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and the parish council. The Richmondshire area committee of the county council agreed that measures should

  • McClaren was target for Leeds job

    CHAIRMAN Steve Gibson yesterday revealed for the first time how close Middlesbrough came to losing Steve McClaren to Leeds. Former Boro head coach Terry Venables was installed at Elland Road as David O'Leary's successor, but McClaren was also a target

  • News in brief: Fears grow for missing man

    CONCERN is growing for the welfare of a 54-year-old Alan Passmore who disappeared from his home in Boosbeck, Saltburn, on Friday afternoon and has not been seen since. Cleveland Police are appealing for anyone seeing Mr Passmore to contact them on (01642

  • Appeal goes out for park recruits

    RECRUITS are being sought to join the 150-strong voluntary ranger service on the North York Moors. The rangers support the full-time team which covers the 554 square miles of national park. They work mostly at weekend and bank holidays and help with tasks

  • Warning after woman foils holiday scam

    RESIDENTS are being urged to watch what they say in the latest telephone scam. A crook using a plausible American accent is telephoning Teessiders, telling them they are lucky competition winners - and asking for credit card details. Cleveland Police

  • Bollywood glamour in the playground

    THE moors of northern Britain are not exactly the typical scene for a grandiose Bollywood film. Nor are a school in central Middlesbrough, the beach at the east Cleveland town of Saltburn, or the cobbled streets of York. But then Bollywood film producer

  • Yvonne's passion for countryside is on display

    AN artist is indulging her passion for country pursuits through an exhibition of her work. Yvonne Preston, of Darlington, a keen horsewoman, is staging an exhibition of drawings and paintings of country sports and animals, in Witham Hall, Barnard Castle

  • Mentor aids Caroline's beautiful dream

    A MOTHER-of-two has realised her dream of opening her own beauty salon with the help of a mentor from The Prince's Trust. Caroline Mason, 30, from Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, trained as a beautician and held several part time jobs, including three

  • Bringing festive cheer to orphans

    PUPILS at a Darlington school have been collecting items so orphans in Romania can have a happy Christmas. Head girl Sacha Buckley organised the collection for the shoe box appeal at Hurworth Comprehensive School. She asked year 7 pupils to bring in toiletries

  • MEP opens school facilities

    EURO MP Stephen Hughes opened a school's new facilities for disabled pupils and adult learners. Wellfield Community School, in Wingate, near Peterlee, has installed specially adapted toilets, showers, a rest room and physiotherapy facilities for disabled

  • News in brief: Striding the ghostly past

    THE ghostly past of the banks of the River Tyne will be uncovered this Halloween. Gateshead Borough Council is organising an evening ghost walk on Thursday along Gateshead Quays and Newcastle Quayside. The free walk will be led by Anthea Lang, the council's

  • Settling the debate over Lindisfarne

    Q IN the name Lindisfarne what is the meaning of the prefix Lindis? Is it some long-forgotten Celtic saint or an adjective no longer used? - Mary Ellery, Peterlee. A THE name is something of a mystery and has never been satisfactorily explained. However

  • Crash victims thought to be brother and sister

    Two people killed in an horrific fly-over crash at the weekend are thought to be brother and sister. The 30-year-old man and 19-year-old woman died when a Fiat car smashed into barriers on the A19 fly-over between Middlesbrough and Stockton on Sunday

  • Grassroots: Chester-le-Street, Birtley and District

    ON THE WAY: Feisty Scottish singer Shona, who recently cut her new CD, This Side Only, with RFG Records, is appearing at the Waldridge Fell Club, on Saturday. FOLK NIGHT: Derek Gifford is the guest of Birtley Folk Club at 8.30pm on Wednesday, in the Birtley

  • Grassroots: Derwentside

    CUMBRIAN MUSIC: Derwent-side Accordion Club will be entertained by the Runmar Accordion Orchestra, from Carlisle, on Thursday, in Castle-side WMC from 7.30pm. NIGHT TO REMEMBER: The Blue Boar is holding a Halloween Night to Remember with the Chestwigs

  • Wolviston end Birtley's Cup dreams

    A flurry of second-half goals earned Wolviston a decisive 5-1 victory when they hosted Birtley FC in the Durham Challenge Cup. Just one goal by Andrew Steele separated the sides at half-time but David Dowd quickly made it two before David Hardy raised

  • News in brief: Mayor staging charity night

    WEAR VALLEY District Council chairman Councillor Margaret Pinkney is holding a charity night on Friday, at Willington Prospect Club, at 7.30pm. Proceeds will go to Coun Pinkney's charities, diabetes research and the Butterwick Hospice. Tickets at £3 are

  • News in brief: Fears grow for missing man

    CONCERN is growing for the welfare of a 54-year-old Alan Passmore who disappeared from his home in Boosbeck, Saltburn, on Friday afternoon and has not been seen since. Cleveland Police are appealing for anyone seeing Mr Passmore to contact them on (01642

  • Brewery cash demand blow to soccer club

    A VILLAGE football club has accused a national brewery of using bullying tactics to force it to pay back almost £4,000. Officials of non-league club Willington AFC were shocked when they received a demand for payment of £3,795 from solicitors acting for

  • Promise of action to curb vandals

    LATE-night shop floor duty is "scary'', says a store manager whose life has been threatened. When Rob McKenzie, assistant manager of the Kwik Save store in Eston, caught vandals covering the shop front with graffitti on Friday they told him they knew

  • Shed and the art of knitting

    In just ten years, it has gone from an obscure village hall to one of the country's most renowned arts venues. Nick Morrison meets a man who has made his reputation through music, poetry - and knitting. AFTER leaving the beaten track, you head down the

  • 'Fire us to safety' Wilko orders hot-shot Phillips

    KEVIN Phillips was last night ordered to become Sunderland's fox in the box and fire his club to Premiership safety by rediscovering his shooting boots. Howard Wilkinson has noted that Phillips's lean run in front of goal has coincided with Sunderland's

  • Protestors take fight to Blair

    HUNDREDS of people and their dogs marched through Tony Blair's backyard in a show of strength to protest a proposed hunting ban. An estimated 300 people took part in the Countryside Alliance rally in Trimdon Village, County Durham, yesterday. They were

  • Goal hero Griffin thankful to Solano

    ANDY Griffin last night paid tribute to Newcastle United's Nolberto Solano for his hard-working displays. Griffin and Solano have been in tandem down the right flank for the Magpies for most of the season. And the young defender believes his own success

  • Staff swamped as people rush to buy homes

    Council staff are being swamped by people rushing to buy their homes as tenants seek to cash in on the housing boom. In many areas, the number of applications to buy council-owned houses has doubled amid fears that the Government is about to radically

  • Echo appeal puts Joy in touch with her relatives in Britain

    IT was a time when things were left as they were, when there was no point stirring up the past. Margaret Woodhall was seven when her brother, Joseph Carr, met his sweetheart in Canada while serving with the Royal Navy during the Second World War. He returned

  • Patients spending too long in A and E - doctor

    The doctor who speaks for hundreds of North-East specialists has described the situation within the NHS as "very bleak" after a major new survey suggested A and E patients were still waiting too long. Dr Bill Ryder, chairman of the British Medical Association's

  • Radebe warns Smith to control himself

    LEEDS skipper Lucas Radebe has warned striker Alan Smith he must learn to curb his temperament if he is shake off his bad-boy image. Smith, 22 today, was sent off for the eighth time in his career in Saturday's fiery clash with Middlesbrough. Leeds boss

  • Darlington topple leaders

    DARLINGTON dropped a strong hint that they might climb into the North One promotion frame when they won 20-16 away to previously unbeaten leaders Morley. Full back Kieron Thompson, who had previously struggled with his kicking, slotted two straightforward

  • Girls who beat couple hunted by police

    Police on Teesside are hunting a gang of teenage thugs who beat up a couple with a golf club, sticks, bottles and a broken chair. Former triple heart by pass patient John Dawes, 43, had to be admitted to hospital with a broken cheek and nose, an eye which

  • Quakers' goal quartet hots up case for Tait

    The 27 applications already received for the vacant manager's job at Darlington could well findthemselves at the bottom of a bin this morning. That was the figure chairman George Reynolds revealed on Friday, but if caretaker manager Mick Tait can get

  • Fury as time runs out for claimants

    HUNDREDS of widows whose husbands suffered from Vibration White Finger (VWF) could miss out on compensation after the Government refused to extend a deadline for claims. Solicitors have been pressing Energy Minister Brian Wilson for more time to allow

  • Fire talks raise hopes for peace

    Local authority employers are meeting today ahead of fresh talks with firefighters' leaders which have raised hopes that the threat of strikes can finally be averted. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has called off two 48-hour walk-outs planned for Tuesday

  • Sack racer Kevin is crowned King Coal

    A POOR weather forecast affected the number of entrants at this year's charity Coal Hump. A field of less than 30 stalwarts, well down on previous years, took part in yesterday's 27th Coal Hump event at Scarborough, in what turned out to be fair weather

  • High flying Glen lands top job

    The son of a former North-East miner has been appointed managing director of one of Britain's biggest holiday airlines. Glen Chipp, born in Grangetown, Teesside, and educated at nearby Eston Grammar School, is boss of the Thomas Cook-owned JMC Airline

  • Artistic accolade for Ken

    AMATEUR artist Ken Small, 68, is preparing to show six of his paintings at a national Christmas exhibition. The British Watercolour Society show in the Winter Gardens, Ilkley, is the largest exhibition of original paintings in the country. It holds four

  • Town is brought into focus

    PEOPLE in Bishop Auckland have been rediscovering their town through a photography project. Photographer Louise Taylor thought up the idea, which saw people responding to an advertisement. Those interested attended a session at the Discovery Centre, in

  • Baby's arrival a special date in more ways than one for family

    OCTOBER 25 has become a special date for a North-East family. When Heather Laing gave birth to her daughter on Friday, it gave the family a third reason to celebrate. Mrs Laing, from Tow Law, in County Durham, was in Bishop Auckland General Hospital's

  • Base radar 'sets off car alarms'

    WORK at a top secret spy base is driving motorists mad. Residents within a ten-mile radius of the RAF Fylingdales base on the North York Moors are becoming increasingly irritated by the screaming of car alarms and disturbance on their television sets.

  • Women golfers aid hospice

    The ladies' section at Bishop Auckland Golf Club have raised hundreds of pounds for the town's Butterwick Hospice. The club's ladies' captain, Sarah Davison, presented a cheque for £872 to hospice official Sylvia Stoneham. Hospice merchandise sales at

  • Pak restages his 1966 cup winner

    A PINT-sized legend brought tens of thousands of footballers to their feet as he recreated a landmark goal. Thirty six years have passed since Pak do Ik lobbed a ball into the back of the net for North Korea, sensationally beating Italy 1-0 in the 1966

  • Student party for young and old

    STUDENTS on Teesside have been trying to bridge the generation gap. About 50 pensioners were treated to a knees-up at the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, at the weekend. There was food, hot drinks, bingo, a beetledrive and music provided by the

  • Council to pilot benefit scheme

    A TEESSIDE council could be at the centre of a shake-up in the payment of housing benefit. Middlesbrough is the only borough council in the North-East to have been chosen as a pilot area for a scheme where benefit will be paid direct to claimants. With

  • Hopes for survival of species are growing

    HOPES are rising that the hen harrier - persecuted almost to extinction in the region - may be able to recolonise after the success of a project to rescue the bird. This summer, English Nature launched a nationwide programme to save the species in England

  • Paths scheme celebrates

    A PARTNERSHIP that aims to promote County Durham's network of public paths is celebrating its tenth anniversary. More than 45 parish and town councils and community groups have received funding from Durham County Council's Parish Paths Partnership (P3

  • Fears for music venue growing

    THERE are fears for the future of one of the North-East's oldest and best-known music venues as it approaches its 75th anniversary. Newcastle City Council is looking for firms to redevelop the City Hall to help fund an Olympic swimming pool. The grade

  • Book features young poets

    THE best poems submitted by Darlington pupils in a national competition have been published in a book. The Poetry Odyssey competition attracted more than 50,000 entries nationally. Judges sifted through the entries from Darlington and selected the top

  • Book fair celebrates childhood

    HUNDREDS of people poured through the doors of a hotel to view specialist and second-hand illustrated children's books at the weekend. Books old and new were exhibited at the Crown Hotel in Harrogate on Saturday, and more than 450 people attended. The

  • Carl and Brenda provide boost for charity

    A CHARITY has had a cash boost thanks to a couple who pushed a wheelchair-bound entrant in the Great North Run. Carl and Brenda Bray, from Knayton near Thirsk, raised £725 for the Wilf Ward Family Trust after pushing Sharon Hewson around the Tyneside

  • Police answer youngster's call

    A NINE-year-old girl has launched a campaign to stop motorbikes causing havoc behind her house. Louise Sowerby, of The Broadway, Darlington, was stopped from playing in the field behind her home, which is part of the borough council-owned Hundens Park

  • Steel jobs axe fear as Dutch plan to grab cash from sale

    FEARS were growing last night that hundreds more North-East steel jobs could be under threat. Dutch steel industry leaders are demanding job cuts in England as the price for allowing the sell-off of part of Corus's aluminium business. Corus - formed through

  • Amazing cancer drug hailed

    A MAJOR breakthrough in cancer care - pioneered by scientists in the North-East - is expected to be announced later today. Cancer care campaigners believe the drug could revolutionise the way patients are treated. The breakthrough has been made by a team

  • Cockatoo Carl still on the loose after bid for freedom

    CARL the friendly cockatoo has put his loving owner in a real flap after going AWOL from his home. The grey and pink bird went missing along with his feathered mate Phil from their home in Cumbria more than a month ago and, despite several sightings of

  • Menu is flavour of the match

    MORE than 500 match day guests enjoyed meals made from local produce when Newcastle United chefs kicked off North-East Food Fortnight. St James's Park executive head chef Ken Thompson chose a range of local suppliers to give a tasty boost to the meals

  • Filipino nurses head for N-E

    TWO Teesside hospitals will soon be welcoming 58 Filipino nurses to their wards. The 17 male and 41 female nurses were appointed by an international recruitment team from North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust which travelled to the Philippines last month

  • Mowden succumb to Blaydon's forward thinking

    BLAYDON enjoyed a rare win against Darlington Mowden Park when their forward strength carried them to a 25-10 win at Yiewsley Drive on Saturday. All Blaydon's tries came from scrum halves as Andy Foreman scored twice and Mick Dungait, who replaced him

  • Lights plan for industrial scene

    BLACKPOOL illuminations with a difference are being proposed for an industrial heartland. It is hoped that multi-coloured laser beams projecting images and colours on to the otherwise austere factory and plant walls will not only bring visitors into parts

  • Plan for houses

    FOUR houses owned by Scarborough Council are to be let to a housing association which provides accommodation to rehabilitate offenders. They are to be used by the Foundation Housing Association to develop a new service to help offenders get back into

  • Survey prompts row over use of brewery site

    A SUPERMARKET chain is facing calls to rethink plans to develop a former brewery. Tesco wants to build a sup- erstore on the former Vaux site in Sunderland, part of which would be given over to housing, leisure and offices. But Sunderland City Council

  • Survey prompts row over use

    A SUPERMARKET chain is facing calls to rethink plans to develop a former brewery. Tesco wants to build a sup- erstore on the former Vaux site in Sunderland, part of which would be given over to housing, leisure and offices. But Sunderland City Council

  • News in brief: Striding the ghostly past

    THE ghostly past of the banks of the River Tyne will be uncovered this Halloween. Gateshead Borough Council is organising an evening ghost walk on Thursday along Gateshead Quays and Newcastle Quayside. The free walk will be led by Anthea Lang, the council's

  • Waste site opponents speak out over plans

    ABOUT 140 members of the public have voiced their opposition to plans for a waste transfer station in their area. Brompton-on-Swale Parish Council called a public meeting after members became aware of proposals for a station at a site off Gatherley Road

  • Barracks deaths to be probed with 3D software

    VIRTUAL reality computer software will be used as part of an investigation into the deaths of four young soldiers at an Army barracks, it has emerged. Detectives investigating the deaths of the soldiers at Deepcut barracks in Surrey will reconstruct their

  • Summit date for teenagers

    Teenagers will represent the region at a national summit on urban regeneration. The event, in Birmingham, on Thursday and Friday, has been organised by the Government as a follow-up to the Urban White Paper and will bring together representatives from

  • Pub offers big chance for would-be stars

    A VILLAGE pub is planning an entertainment night with a difference because the customers will be the performers. The Three Horse Shoes in Brompton, Northallerton, will provide an open stage on Friday to showcase the hidden talents of local musicians and

  • News in brief: Striding the ghostly past

    THE ghostly past of the banks of the River Tyne will be uncovered this Halloween. Gateshead Borough Council is organising an evening ghost walk on Thursday along Gateshead Quays and Newcastle Quayside. The free walk will be led by Anthea Lang, the council's

  • Warm countryside welcome is in the best possible taste

    Day-trippers are being urged to visit North East pubs, cafes and restaurants that serve local food as part of a national campaign to encourage people to enjoy the countryside. Your Countryside, You're Welcome is supporting North East Food Fortnight, an

  • Six die as 100mph winds cause chaos

    SIX people, including three children, were killed by falling trees and debris yesterday as wind gusts of almost 100mph caused chaos across Britain and an estimated £50m of damage. In the North-East, lifeboat crews had to risk their lives to rescue amateur

  • Rapist with North-East accent attacks girl

    A serial rapist has claimed his tenth victim with an horrific attack on a schoolgirl. The man, who has a North-East accent, struck once again last Friday - just hours after detectives had made an appeal on national television for public help. His latest

  • Hear All Sides: Brimham Rocks

    WITH reference to your article (Echo, Oct 19) regarding Brimham Rocks, I have visited the area and I am a fan of Emmerdale. So when Rachel fell to her death, I wrote to the TV company to ask the name of the formation used in that sequence. The reply I

  • Flying start for charity Drive to buy vital sleep monitors

    IT was a case of up and away as youngsters gave their support to a charity fundraising drive. A balloon race was held at Sacriston Nursery and Infants School to boost the coffers of the Cot Death Society. The event was held for Christine Oxley, of Witton

  • News in brief: Mayor staging charity night

    WEAR VALLEY District Council chairman Councillor Margaret Pinkney is holding a charity night on Friday, at Willington Prospect Club, at 7.30pm. Proceeds will go to Coun Pinkney's charities, diabetes research and the Butterwick Hospice. Tickets at £3 are

  • Radio stations score double success in poll

    RADIO stations 96.6 TFM and Magic 1170 have proved to be number one with the region's listeners, according to official figures. The sister stations are market leaders in Teesside, County Durham and North Yorkshire, with 78 per cent of the influential

  • Club opens again after £1m facelift

    A NORTH-EAST nightspot is to reopen later this week having had a £1m facelift. Owner Absolute Leisure has given the former Plastered Parrot nightclub in Darlington a new look, which will be unveiled at a VIP party night on Friday. The club, at Commercial

  • News in brief: Play equipment boost on way

    YOUNGSTERS at Kirkbymoorside are to get much-needed new play equipment at the town's two play areas. A public meeting is to be held on Thursday, November 7, to set up a playing fields association which will master-mind the schemes. The town council has

  • Win just the tonic to aid Robson's recovery

    SIR Bobby Robson was given the perfect pick-me-up at St. James' Park on Saturday - three points. Newcastle United boss Robson had to watch the entire 2-1victory over Charlton Athletic from the stands, as he recovers from a fall at his home on Thursday

  • Hey baby, what's your number?

    MATERNITY units throughout the region are getting ready to launch a system to give newborn babies unique NHS numbers. From tomorrow, all babies born in England and Wales will be issued with an NHS number at birth. Until now, babies have no number until

  • Fate plays an electrifying hand

    He's written two books of essays, a play, poems and the libretto for an opera. Next comes the novel, poet Graig Raine tells Steve Pratt. IF HE didn't believe in coincidence before, Shildon-born poet Craig Raine did following a telephone call from Nigel

  • Moors suffer Cup exit

    Spennymoor United's hopes of FA Cup glory were dashed when they were beaten 3-1 at Northwich Victoria on Saturday. But Moors didn't disgrace themselves and with better finishing in the first half could have shocked the Conference club. Northwich took

  • News in brief: Striding the ghostly past

    THE ghostly past of the banks of the River Tyne will be uncovered this Halloween. Gateshead Borough Council is organising an evening ghost walk on Thursday along Gateshead Quays and Newcastle Quayside. The free walk will be led by Anthea Lang, the council's

  • Openshaw romps to victory

    FORMER national cross country champion Michael Openshaw was a runaway winner of yesterday's Blackhill Bounders Fruit Bowl seven-mile trail race at Gibside. The Chester-le-Street based Great Britain international beat former clubmate Stewy Bell for the

  • Boateng plays down ugly scene

    BORN-AGAIN Christian George Boateng went out of his way to make his peace with Nick Barmby after the pair were at the centre of a flashpoint which threatened an end-of-game free-for-all. Middlesbrough midfielder Boateng spat in the direction of Riverside

  • Relief for Toman as Yale strikes late to earn win

    A late goal from new signing David Yale gave former Darlington and Hartlepool midfielder Andy Toman his first victory as player-manager of Peterlee. Toman took over the struggling Division One side a fortnight ago, and now he is looking for a few more

  • City centre manager to quit after Christmas Festival

    A WOMAN who has spearheaded the drive to promote Durham city centre for the last 18 months is leaving for pastures new. Chris Rawlinson, who helped to organise the successful Durham Christmas Festival last year, has announced she is quitting her post

  • Eddery to score on Carlton

    FEW jockeys ride Windsor better than Pat Eddery, who has been snapped up by Malton-based handler John Quinn to partner Carlton (3.10) in the richest race on the card, the five furlong £11,750 Castle Restaurant Stakes. Evergreen Eddery has turned 50, but

  • £3.5m hotel bringing 60 extra jobs to town

    A £3.5m restaurant and hotel will open in Darlington in just over a month, creating 60 jobs. Owner Whitbread Restaurants has announced that building work is on schedule, and the Brewsters family restaurant, with its adjoining Travel Inn, will open on

  • Mouse pub helps the birds

    A PUB and its customers have won a charity's praise after collecting more than 1,000 corks for a campaign. The RSPB asked people to collect wine corks to make a huge eagle symbolising the plight of rare birds threatened by the decline of Portuguese cork

  • Weekend TV

    Foyle's War (ITV); Arena: Harold Pinter (BBC2) Christopher Foyle is the latest detective to arrive on the small screen heralded as "the new Morse". The verdict as to whether he'll match up to the real ale-drinking Oxford sleuth remains open on the evidence

  • Barrister to meet former patients

    THE senior barrister chairing an inquiry into Richard Neale has agreed to meet campaigners to discuss their concerns. Campaigners believe it could be the last chance to turn the inquiry into the disgraced former surgeon - who worked at the Friarage Hospital

  • Babb remains relaxed over plight

    PHIL Babb insists he's too chilled out to let the Premiership heat get to him. As Babb prepared for tonight's scrap with Bolton Wanderers, the only club below Sunderland in the table, the defender said: "There's too much hassle going on in the world to

  • EC proposal could end sea fishing

    The virtual shutdown of key fishing sectors, as proposed by the European Commission, could be the death knell for the industry on Britain's east coast. Fishermen's representatives claim their livelihood is being sacrificed for the benefit of their counterparts

  • Wildlife charity fights for life

    THE country's only reptile rescue charity has stopped admitting animals to its sanctuary because of a cash crisis. Based in County Durham, the Reptile Trust has made its education officer redundant and its seven staff have received no pay for two months

  • One win will not clinch hot seat for Tait

    Mick Tait couldn't have asked for a better start than Saturday's 4-0 demolition of Exeter City, although it will take more than one game to convince Darlington chairman George Reynolds that Tait is the man for the manager's job. The former Hartlepool

  • Turner is again linked with Wednesday job

    HARTLEPOOL United are embarking on a huge week which could shape their season - and their future. With home games to come against Bristol Rovers tomorrow and York on Friday, Pool could again have a healthy advantage at the top of Division Three by the

  • Bobby recovering after fall at home

    FORMER England boss Sir Bobby Robson is nursing back and rib injuries after falling down stairs at his home. Newcastle United's veteran manager slipped down seven steps and was in so much pain he was unable to take his place in the dugout at St James's

  • Stalwart fights for political future

    A LONG-serving Labour councillor is to appeal after being rejected by a selection panel. Michael Howarth, 70, of Bearpark, near Durham City, has served on Durham City Council for 16 years and still hopes to contest next May's elections. The Labour Party

  • Police fear for welfare of missing teenager

    POLICE are concerned for the welfare of a teenager who went missing from home at the weekend. Craig Foreman, 19, of The Dene, Medomsley, near Consett, County Durham, left home on Saturday. A police spokesman said: "He is considered vulnerable and believed

  • Cab drivers in strike vote over new tests

    TAXI drivers in Darlington have vowed to strike over the introduction of a driving test for cabbies. The town's 500 taxi drivers are planning industrial action and a protest march through the town centre, after Darlington Borough Council voted to introduce

  • Mini brick train a big success

    LUCKY children were the first to ride a new train at a North Yorkshire station at the weekend. The four-metre long brick train, at Wensleydale Railway's Leeming Bar Station, was built by inmates from Welstun Prison, near Wetherby. It was opened in a ceremony

  • Praise for making quick decisions

    A COUNCIL has been congratulated for its quick decision making. Middlesbrough Council's time scale on planning decisions has placed the local authority in 18th position in a national league table of 293 similar councils. The Government wants 80 per cent

  • Comment: Talking way out of strikes

    THERE were signs late last week that there was cause for optimism that a solution could be found before the firefighters' dispute escalated into strike action. And hopes have risen further over the weekend with the Fire Brigades Union's (FBU) announcement

  • Book features young poets

    THE best poems submitted by Darlington pupils in a national competition have been published in a book. The Poetry Odyssey competition attracted more than 50,000 entries nationally. Judges sifted through the entries from Darlington and selected the top

  • Extra help on driving tests

    AN information evening for learner drivers is being held in Darlington next Monday. With the introduction of a new part of the driving theory test, research has shown that 50 per cent of untrained drivers are likely to fail, rising to 88 per cent when

  • Pupils do their bit for road safety

    PUPILS from schools in Teesdale are making personal contributions to road safety in their area. The youngsters from 14 primary schools will have their drawings, names and the names of their schools included in leaflets produced to reinforce road safety

  • Looking East to treat health problems

    A WOMAN who turned to alternative therapy to cure her own health problems is now teaching the technique to others. Pam Bracken, from Darlington, runs a business, teaching the Oriental holistic therapy kinesiology and treating patients with a variety of

  • Pupils do their bit for road safety

    PUPILS from schools in Teesdale are making personal contributions to road safety in their area. The youngsters from 14 primary schools will have their drawings, names and the names of their schools included in leaflets produced to reinforce road safety

  • Tributes to the man who died far from home

    UNSEEN hands have been tending the 117- year-old grave of a native North American who was buried on Teesside. Instead of flowers, birds' feathers are regularly placed round the last resting place of the Mohican. The tribute is creating a talking point

  • Extra help on driving tests

    AN information evening for learner drivers is being held in Darlington next Monday. With the introduction of a new part of the driving theory test, research has shown that 50 per cent of untrained drivers are likely to fail, rising to 88 per cent when

  • Protest group throws homes plan into doubt

    Residents fighting plans to turn a former toffee factory into ten flats have decided to buy the site themselves. The move means the future of the land in Harrogate has been thrown into confusion. Residents calling themselves The Toffee Factory Redevelopment

  • £72,000 play area officially opened

    THE latest in a series of new leisure facilities has been opened. A new play area for youngsters has been created at Helford Road, Peterlee, by the town council at a cost of £72,000. It is the sixth play area the council has created in recent years. It

  • Birthday choir helps Jessica celebrate

    A NORTH Yorkshire church was filled with the voices of a newly formed 40-piece choir this weekend. Set up by Jessica Hayne, from Helperby, the amateur vocalists had just one afternoon to rehearse the 40-part song Spem In Alium before the performance at

  • A shaggy dog story with a heart-warming end

    AN emotional reunion has proved there is no stronger relationship than that between one man and his dog. A North Yorkshire man, who had given up hope of ever seeing his pet again, found her 18 months later by sheer coincidence. It was during a visit to

  • Tribunal roles

    Five North-East people have been appointed lay members of the region's industrial tribunals. They are Government manager Carol Wolstenholme, of Newcastle; ex-transport company chief executive John Robinson, of Middlesbrough; retired trade union official

  • Concert in aid of former soldiers

    A concert to provide welfare pensions for former Gurkha soldiers is being held in the North-East this week. The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas and the Pipes and Drums of the 2nd Gurkha Battalion will perform at the Dolphin Centre, Darlington, on Friday

  • Anica does the business for school's pupils

    THE county's new chief constable ensured that a school's fundraising event went off pat at the weekend. Della Cannings, the new head of North Yorkshire Police, was the official invigilator at a novel event on Saturday. A total of 3,162 people bought tickets

  • Inspired by spider's web at craft day

    CHILDREN made spider's web candle shades during a half-term holiday activity day last week. The youngsters were attending one of a variety of free workshops organised by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council throughout the week at Kirkleatham Hall Museum

  • Tapestry will go on display at hospitals

    A TAPESTRY which received national recognition when featured on television has been bought by Hambleton District Council and South Tees Health Authority. It was originally commissioned by Madeira Threads of Thirsk to mark the millennium. The shop in Finkle