FUTURE entrepreneurs received expert advice at a university masterclass. More than 100 pupils from schools across the North-East attended Sunderland University's Business School for the event, organised as part of the national Young Enterprise Awards.
A NEW organisation is being launched to highlight the needs of young disabled people and give them advice. Disability Outlook plans to set up a young disabled person's forum aimed at 14- to 30-year-olds around Durham. The organisation is looking to form
RESIDENTS are being asked their views on £60m regeneration plans for a port area in the latest phase of a study. The study, commissioned by Sunderland City Council and One NorthEast, and being led by consultants Halcrow, covers the 112 hectares of land
The Governemnt is to pump almost £120m into some of the North-East's poorest areas, it was announced today. Ministers are determined to crack down on petty crime, health and poor housing. They have earmarked 14 agencies tasked with the job of tackling
IT MAY not be as famous as Gateshead's version, but Durham's very own Millennium Bridge is already turning heads. The 51-metre bridge, the first footbridge to be built in the historic city for decades, was lifted into place on Saturday and now proudly
ONE minute they're riding on your shoulders. The next, they're so big you can't lift them. Then, suddenly, they're spreading their wings... Our eldest, aged 11, had begged to go on a school skiing trip to Italy. Italy? Times have changed - the furthest
PEOPLE have stepped up their campaign against a £50m housing development by drawing up a petition. The plans to build 800 houses on land next to Whitworth Hall, the ancestral home of folk hero Bobby Shafto, in Spennymoor, has angered people living on
TWO men beat up a friend for half an hour before tying him to a chair, slashing him, stabbing him twice, cutting his ear, threatening to kill him and shaving his head, a court heard. Newcastle Crown Court heard that Peter Elvin, 21, and David Stobbart
ONE minute they're riding on your shoulders. The next, they're so big you can't lift them. Then, suddenly, they're spreading their wings... Our eldest, aged 11, had begged to go on a school skiing trip to Italy. Italy? Times have changed - the furthest
CHILDCARERS are being offered money for training to raise standards. County Durham Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership is inviting anyone employed in early years education and childcare to apply for the money, which can be used to gain qualifications
SICK thugs who slaughtered a clutch of prize hens and burned down their shed are being hunted by police. The birds, which were recently bought by John Welden for his eight-year-old son Michael, were killed by mystery attackers at their shed on allotments
A railway station could be on line for a multi-million pound facelift. A £2m call is being made on Government funds to spruce up the station buildings, restoring some of the original Victorian features and improve pedestrian and disabled access at Middlesbrough
Satley WI - THE February meeting was held in the parish hall. Mrs M. Bell presided over 14 members. The minutes of the previous meeting were read by Mrs S. White. The speaker for the evening was Eric Landesbrough, a life long JP. After giving a brief
A SOCIAL history on celluloid is being amassed at a North-East university. The regional film and television archive, spanning more than 80 years, will be housed at the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough. The project was launched yesterday by veteran
SENIOR police officers have reacted with outrage after a building labourer with a history of violence was told he could serve just two-and-a-half years for the killing of a promising university student. Christopher Woolley, who already has a conviction
YOUNGSTERS from across the UK will be visiting Darlington over the weekend for the Disability Sport England National Junior Swimming Championships. With more than 230 swimmers aged ten to 18 competing at the town's Dolphin Centre, it will be the biggest
Chester-le-Street TG - THE February meeting was opened by the chairman Doreen Yeates, who welcomed everyone. The meeting began with the fire drill arrangements. A letter from Mary Myers was read to the members. The speaker was Viola Makay, whose talk
A MAN who left the daughter of former Middlesbrough football manager Bryan Robson scarred for life was jailed for three months yesterday. Mark Bregazzi, 20, must also pay £1,000 compensation to Claire Louise Robson for injuries inflicted with a head-butt
Darlington striker Barry Conlon will be out for at least the next three weeks after limping off at Leyton Orient on Tuesday. The results of a scan undertaken yesterday afternoon will be received this morning and will determine the extent of the damage
NEWCASTLE United ace Laurent Robert left passengers flying on a wing and a prayer when he inadvertently caused a full-scale bomb scare on a flight home to France. The French wing wizard was shown the red card by fellow passengers after a language mix-up
A DISABLED cricket fan is sending his season ticket back in disgust after Durham County Cricket Club bosses raised the car parking charges. Billy Wilson, 63, who sufferers from emphysema and arthritis of the spine, is a life-long cricket fan and has been
NEGLECTED underpasses are to be brought back up to standard in a £60,000 clean-up operation. A massive regeneration programme which began in Peterlee 18 months ago failed to tackle the town's ten underpasses. A traditional haunt for vandals, the underpasses
A leading dyslexia campaigner has urged parents to badger their doctor for a promising new food supplement which is being tested by North-East children. A total of 120 County Durham children are taking part in the world's first major study of omega three
A CONSETT barman has won the trip of a lifetime to Cyprus - courtesy of the British Army. Andrew Gailes, of Consett, is among ten winners from the North-East and Yorkshire who took part in a competition during Operation Northern Spirit - the Army's recruiting
The novel was originally called The Un-dead, and certainly in publishing terms it remains one of the longest-lived successes in horror history. First issued in 1897, the book has sold millions and is still in print, has been translated into 44 languages
Anglers can look forward to hooking shoals of super trout in Northern reservoirs and rivers at the start of the fishing season later this month - thanks to foot-and-mouth. After months of being starved of their sport, with waterways declared out of bounds
Top-heavy trusts - SIR - I am disgusted and somewhat suspicious having read your latest article on the suggestions and proposals for our health authority. Not so long ago we were informed that having two hospitals, at Durham and Shotley Bridge, was unnecessary
Top-heavy trusts - SIR - I am disgusted and somewhat suspicious having read your latest article on the suggestions and proposals for our health authority. Not so long ago we were informed that having two hospitals, at Durham and Shotley Bridge, was unnecessary
TWO young tae kwon do stars have had their dreams of representing their country shattered after being suspended by the sports' controlling body. Katie Wallace, 21, and Kris Martin, 16, were hoping to take part in selection trials for the Olympics and
A CHIEF constable has hit back at claims that comments he made could prejudice the disciplinary hearings of six of his officers. As revealed in The Northern Echo this week, the Police Federation is taking legal advice on behalf of 20 serving Cleveland
THE tradition and heritage of the Durham Miners' Gala is being kept alive through the brush of artist George Robson. A former National Union of Mineworkers' finance officer in Durham, he has helped to organise the Big Meeting for the past 27 years. Despite
RELATIVES of a former beauty queen who committed suicide after being convicted of blackmailing a famous footballer have dropped their bid to clear her name. Carolyn Pick, 36, was granted leave to appeal against her conviction a day after she was found
YOU know Wesley Pegdon, that geriatric grease monkey in Last of the Summer Wine who would propose holy matrimony to an internal combustion engine if only he could find the piston ring? Brian Stringer's a bit like that - enthusiastic, obsessive, refers
AN inquest was adjourned yesterday into the death of a toddler following a car crash. Dylan Taylor, of Beaconsfield Street, Northallerton, in North Yorkshire, was in the back of a Peugeot car when it was in collision with a Ford Transit on the A168, near
INCREASING numbers of parents face legal action if they fail to send their children to school. The tough warning comes from Durham County Council director of education Keith Mitchell, after the mother of a ten-year-old pupil was fined £100 with £50 costs
AN avenue of golden roses is part of a town's tribute to the Queen in her 50th year. Children from Ox Close and Rosa Street primary schools, in Spennymoor, helped the town council to plant 24 standard rose bushes which will provide a summer display in
CANADIAN detectives have confirmed that their inquiries into a disgraced surgeon are continuing. The investigation continues as fresh efforts are made to persuade North Yorkshire Police to reopen the file on Richard Neale. Former Northallerton mayor John
THE 14.5 per cent council tax rise facing householders in Durham City will hit some residents hard, councillors have been warned. The Labour-run city council has approved a 12.5 per cent rise in its share of council tax bills, following 14.8 per cent
A POLICE officer was injured last night during a high-speed chase across two counties. About a dozen police cars and the force's aircraft were involved in the chase after a Mercedes van refused to stop for officers at about 7.45pm, on the A689 in Cleveland
A PENSIONER who still lives in her own home celebrated her 101st birthday yesterday. Margaret Stewart has lived in the Fulwell area of Sunderland all her life and worked until she was 79. Her first job was in a dairy and she had a number of cleaning jobs
AN avenue of golden roses is part of a town's tribute to the Queen in her 50th year. Children from Ox Close and Rosa Street primary schools, in Spennymoor, helped the town council to plant 24 standard rose bushes which will provide a summer display in
RESIDENTS are being asked for their views on £60m regeneration plans for a port area, in the latest phase of a study. The study, commissioned by Sunderland City Council and development agency One NorthEast, and led by consultants Halcrow, covers the 112
A SEPTIC tank installed without permission will have to be removed, councillors decided yesterday. The request for planning permission was retrospective, as the replacement tank had already been installed on agricultural land adjacent to Hilton Lodge
A MAN who assaulted the daughter of former Middlesbrough football manager Bryan Robson outside a Durham taxi office is beginning a three-month prison sentence. Mark Bregazzi, 20, was also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation by Durham Magistrates after
Two men are helping police with their enquiries after a police officer was injured and another had to run for his life during a high-speed pursuit. One Cleveland Police officer suffered whiplash injuries and bruising and a force car was damaged during
He was neurotic, rude and a manic depressive - but he was also a comic genius and the inspiration of The Goons. Nick Morrison looks at the legacy of Spike Milligan. HE was the zaniest, wackiest comic genius of his generation. Spike Milligan dominated
STATUS Quo are to perform at a special concert in the North-East this summer. The famous rock band will be performing in the grounds of Ormesby Hall, near Redcar, on August 24 as one of three concerts to be held this year at the Teesside venue, which
The parents of a Darlington mum strangled by her boyfriend have urged for a change in the law to give the victims of such horrific crimes greater rights. Don and Lynn Littlefair have been angered by the four year sentence handed down to Billy Clifton
HEALTH bosses have called for much higher priority to be given to the prevention of road accidents involving children. The call came during a children's health debate on Teesside. Every year 1,200 children attend an accident and emergency department on
A DEAF and dumb man died following surgery to remove a tumour which did not exist, an inquest heard. Dennis Daniell was admitted to the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, after complaining of diarrh-oea and difficulty swallowing. Teesside
NORTH-East electricity workers have donated £1,700 to the Marie Curie cancer team, in memory of a colleague's brother who died last year. The fundraising efforts of workers at Northern Electric and Gas in the Team Valley, Thornaby and Carliol House offices
PLANS for a luxury housing development on Wearside were unveiled last night. Representatives from Bowey Homes and Durham County Cricket Club launched the Willow Green apartments scheme at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland. Overlooking Sunderland's
CRISIS-hit manufacturing will not recover until next year, a new report has predicted. The TUC called for a £900m package of measures in the next 12 months to help rebuild the sector. A report by the union organisation warned that the productivity gap
COUNCIL tax payers in two South Durham districts are facing hefty rises after rates were set yesterday. Wear Valley's tax rates will be the seventh highest of any district authority in the country, even though this year's increase has been pegged back
THOUSANDS of homes hit by floods could be left without insurance cover by early next year, a leading industry body warned yesterday. Hundreds of houses in the North-East and North Yorkshire have been devastated by floods during the past 18 months, but
Survivors and relatives of those killed and injured in the Selby train crash met at the scene of the tragedy today to mark the first anniversary of the disaster. At 6.15am - the time the GNER express train and freight train collided on February 28 last
A NIGHTCLUB-style atmosphere will be created at a theatre next month. For the first time, Durham's Gala theatre will be converted into a flat-floor venue and have its seats replaced with cabaret tables and chairs. The alterations are being made to accommodate
A BUS driver suffered cuts and bruises after youths fired an air pellet at the window of the vehicle. Police in Hartlepool are trying to trace the youths who attacked the Stagecoach bus with an air gun pellet as it travelled down Bamburgh Road in the
Top-heavy trusts - SIR - I am disgusted and somewhat suspicious having read your latest article on the suggestions and proposals for our health authority. Not so long ago we were informed that having two hospitals, at Durham and Shotley Bridge, was unnecessary
THOUSANDS of old phone books were magically turned into film characters yesterday by young fans of the Wizard of Oz. Following a competition to collect old directories, pupils from 18 schools have been working with artists to build their own Yellow Brick
COUNTY Durham is at the centre of pioneering international medical trials which could lead to new treatments for dyslexia and other learning disorders . A total of 120 children aged between six and 11 at 13 primary schools across the county are being
A SEARCH for a 12-year-old boy who failed to return home after leaving to walk his dog was called off several hours later when he was spotted by members of the public. Johnny Dunn left his home at 7.45am yesterday with his golden retriever, Tess, but
A national conference, aimed at bringing design and technology alive in the classroom, is taking place on Teesside tomorrow. BBC presenter, and king of the "swingometer" Peter Snow will be compering the Young Foresight conference at the Tall Trees Hotel
A top council chief has cast doubt on the proposed national timetable for tackling railway bridge safety. Chris Tunstall, Durham County Council's senior engineer, said action on dangerous bridge approaches was needed immediately. Reports by the Health
THE farming industry drew a collective sigh of relief yesterday as fears of a new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease receded. Early tests on samples taken from two suspected sheep on the North York Moors proved negative, although it will be the weekend
An international conference will today be held at the academic home of a university professor who died in the Selby rail crash. Prof Steve Baldwin, a University of Teesside lecturer, had centred his research on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
THE Chester-le-Street District Council is allowing planning applicants to speak at committee meetings for the first time. Under the old system, people were able to go to the meetings at the Civic Centre, but could not speak and had to rely on written
LONDON Electricity officially opened the doors to its extended customer contact centre yesterday. The extension of its existing building at Sunderland's Doxford International Business Park, has created 200 jobs, with up to 300 more in the pipeline. The
A MOTHER of two subjected to a sickening attack by a schoolboy sex offender warned last night: "He could turn into a serial rapist." The Darlington woman, who cannot be named, spoke of her anger that her 15-year-old attacker had not been locked up for
Plans to build one of the world's biggest medicines plants has been given a multi-million pound boost by the Government. Biotechnology group Avecia, in Billingham, plans to create 300 jobs over the next three years at a new £70m production plant, next
Grocery Aid - Volunteers are wanted for the Durham depot of Grocery Aid, the charity of the food and grocery industry, serving over 80 sites in the Durham area. Companies donate surplus products and deliver them to the depot. Charities can then register
A STRETCH of one of the region's busiest coast roads will be closed for two weeks to allow the completion of an improvement scheme. A 1,200-metre section of the A174, which connects east Cleveland with Whitby, between Cowbar junction and Staithes, will
POP Group Atomic Kitten were visiting the North-East yesterday to help a radio station's charity auction. TFM and Magic radio stations were holding the live phone-in event to raise money for their Make A Child Smile charity, which helps local children
MIDDLESBROUGH have completed the signing of French midfielder Michael Debeve until the end of the season. The 31-year-old, who was released by Le Championnat side RC Lens, has been brought in as extra cover in the middle of the park. And Debeve will go
A DEAF and dumb man died following surgery to remove a tumour which did not exist, an inquest heard. Dennis Daniell was admitted to the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, after complaining of diarrh-oea and difficulty swallowing. Teesside
A PENSIONER who still lives in her own home celebrated her 101st birthday yesterday. Margaret Stewart has lived in the Fulwell area of Sunderland all her life and worked until she was 79. Her first job was in a dairy and she had a number of cleaning jobs
IT is hard to imagine anyone other than Spike Milligan calling the future king "a little grovelling bastard" and, not only getting away with it, but enhancing his friendship with the heir to the throne. Through his comic genius, Spike could cut through
Plans to construct a new £139 million road tunnel under the Tyne River took an important step forward today when Tyne Wear Passenger Transport Authority (PTA) decided to press ahead with an application for the powers needed to proceed. Yesterday's meeting
A YOUNG mother says she and her family owe their lives to a tiny carbon monoxide detector distributed free under a council scheme. Vicky Collins, from Ferryhill, County Durham, believes her family could have been overcome by the deadly fumes from a faulty
INTERNATIONAL engineering, construction and shipbuilding business Kvaerner has announced massive pre-tax losses. The group, which employs about 1,500 staff on Teesside, made a pre-tax loss of £405m in the year to December 31, 2001, compared to a profit
STUDENT William Oliver is preparing to take his place beside the County Durham Lord Lieutenant to welcome the Queen to the North-East. The 17-year-old from South Stanley has been bestowed with the highest honour an army cadet can get - Lord Lieutenant's
POLICE and community groups have welcomed a major audit into crime in Derwentside, which showed crime falling by 15 per cent across the district. But the figures also show that violent crime has risen significantly in the district, making it one of the
A charity shop volunteer refused to hand over cash to a knife-wielding robber. The 75-year-old woman was helping at the Imperial Cancer Research shop, Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, on Tuesday when the man threatened her with the knife and demanded money
High-profile speakers from industry giants Ford and Daimler Chrysler will arrive in the region next month for the fifth International Automotive Conference. Andy Yearsley, director of global sourcing development at Ford of Europe and Winfried Feldkamp
A DEFUNCT quango at the centre of a missing millions investigation was an accident waiting to happen, it is claimed. Social sciences expert Tim Blackman said that the Teesside Development Corporation (TDC), wound up four years ago, found itself walking
A LIMITED number of tickets for the Queen's golden jubilee concerts are being offered to County Durham residents. A total of 242 tickets have been set aside for the county for two special open air concerts celebrating the anniversary, in June. Organised
YOU know Wesley Pegdon, that geriatric grease monkey in Last of the Summer Wine who would propose holy matrimony to an internal combustion engine if only he could find the piston ring? Brian Stringer's a bit like that - enthusiastic, obsessive, refers
A GROUP of soldiers are to attempt to run the equivalent of four marathons to help save endangered wildlife. Members of the 101 Regiment Royal Artillery, known as the Geordie Gunners, are undertaking the challenge in aid of animals in Zambia, central
A FLY-TIPPING epidemic has been predicted as councillors backed plans to charge for removing bulky rubbish such as old furniture and fridges. Councillor Jane Parlour said a large heap of rubbish on a disused road at Dalton-on-Tees, near Darlington, gave
AREAS with high levels of dental decay in the North-East need to give urgent consideration to adding fluoride to water supplies, according to a new report. The call for action to improve children's dental health comes from the Northern and Yorkshire Public
Excavator manufacturer Komatsu UK is celebrating after securing a deal right on its doorstep. The Birtley, County Durham-based business has won an order to supply a PC 210-6 hydraulic excavator to MGL Demolition in Newburn, Newcastle, thanks to an ability
GATESHEAD Millennium Bridge, over the Tyne, will be tilted by a member of the public for the first time this weekend. Ann Porter, of Low Fell, Gateshead, won the honour, in a competition in Gateshead Borough Council's newsletter, Quays Update. Gateshead
COUNTY Durham village hall management committees can find out how to make their buildings warmer for less. The Durham Rural Community Council (DRCC) is holding a series of information days that will teach officials how to conduct their own energy audit
In today's hectic world Lent is a precious luxury. Lent is all about looking after our deep-down health. Jesus tells us that Lent's three essential ingredients are almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Almsgiving is the old-fashioned word for sharing. Prayer
THE railways are in crisis and getting worse with no Governmental vision of a future for Railtrack. The roads are becoming more congested; the National Air Traffic Control Service has had to be bailed out with £30m of taxpayers' money and the London Underground
A MAN who suffered sexual abuse as a child attempted to take his own life countless times before finally succeeding, an inquest heard yesterday. Ian Fraser, 43, was found dead on August 19 last year after taking an overdose at his home in Roxby Avenue
A MOBILE phone mast could be concealed inside a farm grain silo to appease opponents to a planned antennae. Telecommunications company Hutchison 3G wants to install a 15-metre mast at The Ashes farm, in the centre of Barton, North Yorkshire. Strong opposition
CHILDCARERS are being offered money for training to raise standards. County Durham Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership is inviting anyone employed in early years education and childcare to apply for the money, which can be used to gain qualifications
A COUNCILLOR warned fellow members yesterday that they would be setting a dangerous precedent if they agreed to protect a large oak tree. Councillor William Salvin told fellow members of Teesdale District Council's development control committee (south
CHRIS Turner has called his side's physical strength into question as he aims to steer a route to the play-offs. Tuesday's 3-0 defeat at Cheltenham left the Pool boss frustrated at his players' inability to turn possession into goals - and more importantly
THE reveller in the tuxedo staggered on to the cobbles of North Bailey after a student ball. As he mingled with late-night drinkers spilling out of Durham City's heaving pubs, he had clearly failed to read the section in the university's handbook on '
Letters from The Northern Echo RAY MALLON YOUR report (Echo, Feb 25) "Mallon in the clear" needs some clarification. This was a report undertaken when West Yorkshire Police took over Operation Lancet. That force concluded the investigation which resulted
A NORTH-EAST man is close to achieving his dream of winning the prize of a full season as a professional racing driver. Richard Featherstone, from Guisborough, east Cleveland, has reached the final 30, from a field of 450, in the 2001 Michelin Renault
A TEACHER broke down as she told an inquest yesterday how she saw one of her pupils swept to her death in a fast-flowing river. Liz Schofield, 25, was one of two teachers leading a group of 15 children on a river walk at Stainforth Beck, near Settle,
ITV broadcasters Granada and Carlton Communications have dropped talks about a merger. They said they had been discussing a possible combination of their businesses, in step with proposed legislative changes. Yesterday, they said: "The two boards have
SHOPPERS are in for a big surprise when they visit a British Gas roadshow next week. One lucky person has the chance to win a Mini One by entering a free prize draw. Shoppers can enter the draw by visiting the roadshow at Somerfield, in West Dyke Road
TWO of the region's clothing firms are investing in a new initiative to boost their profile and increase their share of the £431m corporate market. Baird Corporatewear, based in Skelton, east Cleveland, and Dewhirst Corporate Clothing, in Peterlee, are
How To Be A Gardener (BBC2) - NOW I understand why they're called flower beds. As Alan Titchmarsh told us at the start of his back-to-basics gardening guide, it's all about sex. This point was reinforced by shots of petals unfurling, phallic-shaped stems
FOLLOWING an unusually tardy start to the season, it's now all systems go at the powerful Venetia Williams stable. Maybe her horses weren't in the peak of condition prior to Christmas, which would explain the poor performance of Soundtrack at Chepstow
NEW fees introduced for the collection of bulky refuse in Richmondshire have survived - despite being rubbished by some councillors. The district authority's environment committee had already sanctioned a £15 charge for a service which had always been
SHOPPERS will have the chance to improve golfing skills at coaching sessions with a difference. The MetroCentre, near Gateshead, is hosting the free sessions in the Town Square, next to House of Fraser, on Saturday. Throughout the day, coaching will be
STAFF at a small hair salon on the outskirts of Durham City are celebrating after winning two top prizes in a competition. Jaclyn Jordan and Gemma Hamilton, both 18, work as Modern Apprentices at Suma Hairdressing in Langley Moor as modern apprentices
