AN annual getting-started-in- business exhibition is being held in Darlington today. The event will showcase products and services available to people interested in starting a business. More than 20 exhibitors have signed up to the event, which will offer
A TIDY village trophy has finally been erected, three months after it was awarded, to the delight of people in Aycliffe Village. The village won The Northern Echo Trophy for small general villages in last year's County Durham Tidy Village Competition.
A MIDDLESBROUGH street which was once seen as unsafe and run-down now has a waiting list of people wanting to live there. Endeavour Housing Association claims that a year spent building up community spirit in Granville Road has paid off and people are
A MAN appeared in court yesterday to deny the murder of his girlfriend who died in a house fire. John Collings, 47, is accused of killing 30-year-old university graduate Victoria Barker on August 12, 2000. Mr Collings entered a not guilty plea during
The Teesside Mohawks locked horns with staff and pupils at Dyke House School in Hartlepool yesterday in a basketball match to launch the Reach for Success scheme. Reach for Success is an innovative strategy, which uses sport and role models to work with
THEATRE groups will be flocking to the seaside for a drama festival. Groups from across the region will be descending on Saltburn, east Cleveland, for the Saltburn 53 Drama Festival. The festival begins on Monday, March 11, and continues until Sunday,
Earlier this week, Ray Mallon answered the 14 disciplinary charges facing him. Today, Middlesbrough MP Stuart Bell says the police should now get back to fighting crime. WILL Operation Lancet ever end? The answer is yes - when the final disciplinary proceedings
A NORTH-EAST trio which can count Prince William and Tony Blair among its fans has picked up a second award. Reagan, who perform on the club and holiday camp circuit, have been named Regal Fame Game's Clubland Entertainers of the Year 2002. The County
PROPOSALS for a new medical centre that have divided public opinion in a village are expected to take a big step forward next week. Trinity Medical Properties has submitted plans for the facility to be built opposite the cricket pitch at Aldbrough St
A DETERMINED sculptor is making a fresh bid to immortalise one of the region's greatest heroes with a Mount Rushmore-style work of art. Darren Yeadon believes he could carve the face of legendary seafarer Captain James Cook into the ancient sandstone
VISITORS to a shopping centre were treated to the unexpected sight of a "fight" when they were confronted by a boxing match set to music. Golden Boy - a play being presented at Middlesbrough Theatre - centres on the dilemma of a young boxer who is torn
Spurs bounced back from the disappointments of a Worthington Cup final defeat at the hands of Blackburn Rovers to complete a double over Sunderland. But the Wearsiders, looking for their first top flight win at White Hart Lane for over 32 years, made
In the aftermath of an amazing fans' forum, when George Reynolds' wife, Susan, implied the team deliberately lost at home to Torquay last week, Darlington take on Exeter this afternoon looking for a massive improvement. With accusations of "throwing matches
A life-saving children's charity based in the North-East is joining forces with the Anthony Nolan Trust to try to raise £50,000. The Bubble Appeal, which supports the work of Newcastle General Hospital's Children's Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, is holding
AN historic site, renowned for its Roman remains, is to become a public park. The Castle Garden Project is being developed behind the Old Lodge Hotel at Malton, a site designated as an ancient monument because of its Roman fort, the remains of Malton
A bizarre own-goal from Frank Sinclair proved enough to hand Middlesbrough all three points at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday. With just three minutes on the clock Foxes centre-back Sinclair, under no pressure at all, put the ball beyond his own 'keeper
THE Queen and Prince Philip will enjoy a real North-East music night to remember during the Queen's Golden Jubilee visit to Tyneside, in May. A Royal Gala concert in the City Hall on May 7, hosted by singer Sir Thomas Allen, will highlight the area's
THE beleaguered manufacturing industry has shown its first signs of growth for more than a year. According to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) purchasing managers' index, there were signs of marginal growth in manufacturing activity
DARLINGTON FC chairman George Reynolds poured petrol on the flames at the beleaguered club last night by hurling fresh insults at his players - as their union considered legal action. Despite calls for cool heads in the wake of Thursday's fans' forum
VOLUNTEERS are being sought to help stage an agricultural show at a newly redeveloped site. The multi-million pound Herrington Country Park, in Sunderland, will mark its opening on the weekend of July 13 and 14, by hosting the Durham County Show. Organised
Hartlepool United's play-of hopes took a huge blow when they lost 3-2 at rivals Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday. The defeat, on the back of Tuesday's reverse leaves Pool trailing the home side in the race for a top seven spot. Pool went in front through
A PARTNERSHIP has helped achieve a 25 per cent drop in one area's overall crime in the past three years, the latest figures reveal. When the District of Easington Community Safety Partnership was set up in 1998, the area was a crime blackspot, with one
A REPORT outlining universities' contribution to the region is launched on Monday. The Regional Mission report, covering Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland, Teesside and the Open Universities, will be distributed to employers, policy makers and
Firefighters had to strap a car to a fire engine to stop it falling on to the East Coast main line only hours after a van smashed through a wall and was hit by a train, it emerged last night. The Renault Clio was teetering on the edge of a bridge in Berwick
A LAST-DITCH attempt to reduce a 12.5 per cent rise in council tax for the Sedgefield borough to less than one per cent has failed. Liberal Democrat members on Sedgefield Borough Council urged fellow councillors to reconsider the authority's share of
Warning over bogus callers BOGUS house callers have struck again in North Yorkshire, prompting police to issue a fresh warning. On Wednesday, a man claiming to be a water board official tricked his way into a house in Aiskew, near Bedale, and stole cash
POSTMEN have made a special delivery in support of a new citizens panel. More than 20,000 Sunderland residents are being invited to have their say on the city's future as part of the panel. Postmen showed their support for the initiative by delivering
AN inquest has been opened into the death of an accounts manager who died in a road accident on Tuesday. Simon Robert Hooper died after his Audi car was involved in a collision on Newton Aycliffe Industrial Estate. Mr Hooper, 38, lived in Tamworth, Staffordshire
CLEAN-UP campaigners have come up with a canny idea to help the environment. Residents of Middlesbrough are being encouraged to collect aluminium cans scheduled for the bin and make a few bob in the process. Middlesbrough Council is asking people to take
ROOKIE Middleham handler Andy Crook suffered a temporary setback when one of his stable-stars, Heidi lll, flopped in last month's Great Yorkshire Chase. But hope always springs eternal in the racing game and Crook reckons things could be different for
OLD Abraham, who featured in one of Sunday's readings, became a first time father at 100 - Sarah, his wife, was just 90 - begat a few more offspring when he was 125 or so and provided the hand that rocked the cradle for 50 years thereafter. "Full of years
A PREACHER who was once voted the best in the country is coming to Middlesbrough to spread the word. Pastor Ian Sweeney - the winner of The Times Preacher of the Year competition in 1998 - will give biblical presentations during March at the Seventh-Day
DARLINGTON residents are being given an opportunity to personally pass on their congratulations to the Queen as she celebrates her golden jubilee. The town's MP, Alan Milburn, joined the leader of Darlington Borough Council, Councillor John Williams,
YESTERDAY, we called for cool heads in the wake of the potentially disastrous supporters' meeting at Darlington Football Club. Despite the explosive suggestion from the chairman's wife that they may have thrown games, the players remained admirably dignified
housewife Marion Nolan hopes to grow a new business after bringing back a banana seed from her summer holidays in the Canary Islands. The seed grew into one of many tropical plants, which she plans to sell or hire out as she cultivates her own horticultural
DARLINGTON Football Club remains confident it will continue to use the Feethams ground once the Neasham Road stadium is completed. The club's public relations director, Luke Raine, said they would continue to use the ground for training and reserve matches
RENAULT has exercised its rights to increase its stake in Japanese car firm Nissan. Renault originally announced plans to increase its share in the company from 36.8 per cent to 44.4 per cent in October last year, while Nissan took a 15 per cent stake
A swimming instructor has been jailed for 13 years for sexually assaulting three schoolboys. Former swimming coach and landscape gardener Shaun Bowron, 36, was also placed under a restraining order, meaning he cannot work with children or go to any public
TOP international mountaineer Alan Hinkes opened a massive extension to a rock climbing club's facilities yesterday. Peak conquering Mr Hinkes, who lives near Richmond, North Yorkshire, is a regular user of the facilities at Rock Antics, in Newton Aycliffe
PLAY-OFF chasing Chris Turner has handed his players a nine-point target. Turner takes his Hartlepool United squad to Kidderminster today on the back of a 3-0 defeat at Cheltenham on Tuesday. And the Pool boss, who celebrated his third year in charge
Seaham Red Star badly need to win their home game with fellow strugglers Newcastle Blue Star - or face up to the reality of relegation to the Second Division. Seaham are rock bottom of the division, ten points adrift of safety, and need a victory this
Firefighters had to strap a car to a fire engine to stop it falling on to the East Coast main line only hours after a van smashed through a wall and was hit by a train, it emerged last night. The Renault Clio was teetering on the edge of a bridge in Berwick
A DETERMINED sculptor is making a fresh bid to immortalise one of the region's greatest heroes with a Mount Rushmore-style work of art. Darren Yeadon believes he could carve the face of legendary seafarer Captain James Cook into the ancient sandstone
A FIRM which has outgrown its village site and wants to relocate has tabled a planning application for housing development in a bid to finance the move. But the plan by Simair Graphics Equipment, to secure outline planning permission for homes at its
TWO fed-up squaddies are facing a carpeting after thinking: "Blow this for a game of soldiers" during a night-time exercise. The Army's motto, Be The Best, did not carry much weight with the pair, who decided they had had enough after the exercise in
TWO North-East men made waves yesterday when they unveiled the boat they plan to row across the Atlantic. Brothers-in-law George Rock, 39, and Nigel Morris, 38, from Ingleby Barwick, on Teesside, will make their world record-breaking attempt in June in
A DRIVE to stamp out domestic violence in Stockton began yesterday after it emerged only one third of all victims can be accommodated in the local refuge because the situation is so bad. Stockton Domestic Violence Forum launched the campaign in the town's
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
FRIENDS of a devoted single mother who leapt to her death with her autistic son are raising money for a commemorative seat in their memory. The seat will be placed at St Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay - a favourite landmark of the boy, who was taken
Four market traders, who were told in the High Court last week they could not sell their goods in pounds and ounces, have taken their fight to the House of Lords. Lawyers representing Stephen Thoburn, from Sunderland, and who are also acting on behalf
CAMPAIGNERS fighting for a better deal over noise from the North-East's leading motor-racing venue have won a small victory over the council they hold to blame. Richmondshire District Council has won few friends among residents who live around Croft,
DURHAM County battled their way through to the final of the Liberty Trophy after being given an hour's "grace" when several team members on the way to the semi-final at Gedling, Nottingham, were help up after a pile-up on the A1. Two Durham officials
A UNIQUE piece of sporting memorabilia yesterday found a new home - in a museum usually devoted to matters military. A football used a month ago during the soccer match between British troops and an Afghan side in Kabul has found a permanent home in North
Telewest 'in good shape' CABLE operator Telewest Communications has reported bigger losses for the last year. But the group, which employs 500 staff on Tyneside, said it was in "good fundamental shape" with turnover and revenue-per-household up. The former
The case against a 17-year-old youth from Redcar charged in connection with a machete attack on a train last month has been adjourned. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Teesside magistrates charged with possession of an offensive
TO the impartial observer it must be difficult to understand why Darlington is a football club in crisis. The club sits in mid-table without any danger of being relegated to the Conference and is in no danger of folding because of debts like so many other
GOVERNMENT inspectors have approved a plan to demolish a farm and its buildings to make way for eight houses. Hambleton District Council had previously refused plans by J Charlton and Sons for the development at Ainderbery House, just outside Ainderby
Fishburn Community Centre is hosting a day of relaxation and information, organised by the Pioneering Care Partnership, Age Concern Durham County, PRT Carers Centre, and Health Promotion, on March 19, from 10am to 3pm. The day will feature a free therapy
A CHARITY concert featuring local songs is being held in County Durham. The Annfield Plain Glee-men will host the event, in aid of the Friends of Durham Hospitals, at All Saints Youth Centre, Langley Park, on Friday, from 7pm. It will include many Northumbrian
A DARLINGTON woman celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday with family and friends. Violet Archer, who has lived at the Adelphi Court sheltered accommodation in the town for 20 years, marked the day with a party at King William Community Centre. Mrs Archer
A spin-off series from popular ITV drama Heartbeat is undergoing a name change. The six-part hospital series set in the 1960s has the provisional title of Whitby Royal and is expected to be shown next year. But makers Yorkshire Television say the name
THE Stockton Renaissance Partnership has been named as one of the country's Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) to be awarded accreditation. The announcement by Lord Falconer, Minister for Housing, Planning and Regeneration, puts the Stockton Renaissance
A FORMER foster parent who told a court that he was a "boob man" was yesterday cleared of indecent assault. Derrick Hubbard, 58, had admitted groping a 24-year-old woman on four occasions in June and July last year, while supplying her with cheap tobacco
BLAYDON have decided not to take the risk of any ill feeling causing an early flare-up by leaving their two former Darlington Mowden Park players on the bench for today's clash at Crow Trees. There is every likelihood that hooker Tasi Tuhana and centre
THE country's leading academic on football research says George Reynolds is a classic example of a chairman expecting instant success. But John Williams, director of the Centre for Football Research at the University of Leicester, also believes Mr Reynolds
FARMERS and landowners in Yorkshire are being advised to take special care when offered advice about obtaining European grants. The Country Land and Business Association has issued the warning after receiving reports from members that bogus consultants
UNDER-FIRE George Reynolds has never been afraid to boast about his spending on Darlington Football Club. The multi-millionaire chairman has, according to wife and fellow director Susan Reynolds, ploughed £20m into the Feethams outfit. About £5m went
THE alleged extent of the club drug problem in Barnard Castle emerged yesterday when a teenage dealer revealed he expected to sell 100 Ecstasy tablets a night in the town. Mark Day, 18, was caught by plain clothes police leaving the Castle Wall wine bar
Darlington failed to win for the seventh consecutive game as they fell to a 4-2 defeat at Exeter City. In the first half Quakers were the better team but failed to take their chances and the 1-1 half-time scoreline was an unfair reflection of the opening
HURT skipper Craig Liddle last night admitted the Darlington squad are unlikely to take legal action following outspoken comments from the wife of chairman George Reynolds. But the Professional Footballers' Association have refused to rule out legal action
A MAINTENANCE technician hanged himself after a long battle with depression, an inquest heard yesterday. Police found the body of Peter Lawrence hanging from the loft door at his home in St David's Close, Spennymoor, on Monday, after they were alerted
PARALYMPIAN Tanni Grey-Thompson will return to competition in her North-East home town this month following the birth of her first child. Last month, she gave birth to daughter Carys Olivia in Cardiff, but she has now returned home to Redcar, east Cleveland
PEOPLE living on a Darlington estate fear for their children's safety after a bus skidded across a garden and crashed into a car. The Stagecoach single-decker bus skidded just after 7am yesterday, and hit Laura West's Ford Fiesta, which was parked outside
CIVIC society members celebrated the colourful history of a former booming industrial site by unveiling a special panel. The panel was hung in the new Mowbray House surgery, Northallerton, together with an advertisement for the area from 1878 and an aerial
A PHOTOGRAPH exhibition featuring work by the older generation in Teesdale will have its final showing at Bishop Auckland Discovery Centre today. Going to the Centre looks at the lives of elderly people living in the Toft Hill, Etherley and Evenwood area
A LAST-DITCH attempt to reduce a 12.5 per cent rise in council tax for the Sedgefield borough to less than one per cent has failed. Liberal Democrat members on Sedgefield Borough Council urged fellow councillors to reconsider the authority's share of
Dutch master Dennis Bergkamp conjured up another magical goal as Arsenal moved level on points with leaders Manchester United in the Premiership title race at the expense of Newcastle's own championship push. Bergkamp, who scored a sublime goal in the
A FORMER foster parent was yesterday cleared of indecent assault. Derrick Hubbard, 58, had admitted groping a 24-year-old woman on four occasions while supplying her with cheap tobacco. But he denied four charges of indecent assault, saying she had consented
A man who was cleared of raping a teenager at a seafront apartment block hugged a guard yesterday, but he received a rap from the judge. Michael George wept with relief and flung his arms around his Group 4 escort when the jury dismissed the girl's story
FORMER African Player of the Year Patrick Mboma will make his full Premiership debut at White Hart Lane today, looking to forge a partnership with England striker Kevin Phillips which could secure him a long-term contract at Sunderland. The 31-year-old
TOTTENHAM supporters will be casting envious eyes on England striker Kevin Phillips today as he tries to shoot Sunderland to their first top-flight victory at White Hart Lane for over 42 years. Despite consistent denials from the Wearside club, Spurs
NEWCASTLE United goalscoring legend Malcolm MacDonald believes Bobby Robson should take a leaf out of Arsene Wenger's book and turn to French firepower to cope with the loss of speedy frontman Craig Bellamy. Wenger has relied on Thierry Henry to spearhead
PLANS to improve access to Darlington's town centre library have been approved. Darlington Borough Council's plans for the listed building, in Crown Street, were passed to the Secretary of State for the Environment for approval in January. The scheme,
GROUPS or individuals in Derwentside planning an event or project to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee in June have been invited to apply for funding from the Awards for All programme. Projects must encourage a sense of community spirit and community
A TEENAGER last night told how he was robbed of his mini-disc player in a daytime attack by two youths, and then punched when he asked the thugs to hand it back. The 16-year-old Darlington youth suffered broken teeth and a black eye in the attack. The
CHARITY shop thieves have put fundraisers in a spin. Teesside Hospice, Middlesbrough, needs to raise £2,500 every day to keep its doors and range of support services running. A 15-gear mountain bicycle being offered as top prize in a draw at the charity's
Melanie Hill spends a lot of the BBC1 Crime Doubles drama NCS Manhunt in front of a computer screen, using state-of-the-art technology to help track down master criminals, drugs barons and serial killers. In real life, the actress couldn't be more different
OLD Abraham, who featured in one of Sunday's readings, became a first time father at 100 - Sarah, his wife, was just 90 - begat a few more offspring when he was 125 or so and provided the hand that rocked the cradle for 50 years thereafter. "Full of years
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren welcomes Muzzy Izzet to the Riverside today with the message: "I hope you have a nightmare!'' The Leicester midfielder turned down a £6m move to Boro last month and McClaren admitted: "I was very disappointed. "He would
NEWCASTLE United keeper Shay Given joked that he could do with a helping hand between the sticks when Arsenal's big guns roll up at St. James' Park this evening. Given is bracing himself for a fusillade from Arsene Wenger's side following their spectacular
A solicitor who was suspended over claims she handled clients' money dishonestly has been arrested in connection with an alleged charity fraud. Judith Winship, 34, who is being investigated by the Law Society, was one of four people held by police when
A GRIEVING mother's hopes of bringing her daughter's self-confessed killer to justice suffered a cruel blow last night after the Government put changes to the double jeopardy law on ice. A planned Bill to scrap the rule preventing people being tried twice
Durham manager Brian Honour has told his players to believe in their ability for today's crunch quarter-final FA Vase tie with Wroxham. City are looking for a semi-final place in the competition for the first time in their history against the Norfolk
GARDENERS in Kirkbymoorside are turning to the Ombudsman to protect their plots. The allotment holders claim their attempts to buy the 80 plots in the town's Gillamoor Road, are being thwarted by North Yorkshire County Council. The authority's bid, through
Bishop Auckland have asked neighbours Spennymoor about sharing grounds next season. Bishops are intent on leaving their Kingsway home at the end of the season, but only on condition that they have somewhere else to play. And last week they arranged for
Science fun at museum A SCIENCE fun day will be held at the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, tomorrow, from 11am to 4pm. Entry to the museum will cost £4 for adults, £3 for concessions or £12 for family tickets, which admit up to two adults and three children
A man was assaulted in a motiveless attack when he opened his front door to a stranger. The attacker forced his way into the house in the Garden Crescent area of Swalwell, Gateshead, at 7.15pm on Thursday. The victim was treated in hospital for lacerations
CAMPAIGNERS fighting for a better deal over noise from the North-East's leading motor-racing venue have won a small victory over the council they hold to blame. Richmondshire District Council has won few friends among residents who live around Croft,
SHOPS and businesses across the North-East have been put on alert following the discovery of a telephone credit card scam. An assistant in a Middlesbrough shop inadvertently gave confidential card details over the telephone to a caller. In the half an
TRADING standards officers have once more highlighted the problem of counterfeit items sold over the Internet. This week, they secured the successful prosecution of a North-East man who set up a website of more than 900 song titles and Playstation games
MORE help is on the way for owners of old cars being targeted by thieves on Teesside. Crimebusters were "overwhelmed" by a response from motorists to a recent offer of heavily-discounted steering wheel braces. Cleveland Police had negotiated discounts
A MAN died yesterday when the car he was travelling in left the road and crashed into a tree. The tragedy happened near the village of Whixley, between York and Knaresborough, in North Yorkshire, just after 7am. A local man, believed to be in his 20s,
RURAL communities are to get a £1.4m boost from the Durham Market Towns Initiative. The cash will enhance communities and encourage business growth around Barnard Castle, Crook, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Stanhope. The initiative is funded by One NorthEast
A HOUSING company is backing a former pit village's bid for green success. The Sunderland Housing Group, which runs the city's council house stock, has sponsored Ryhope Community Association's plans for this year's Northumbria in Bloom competition. The
TWO supermarket workers were left severely traumatised after being manhandled by armed robbers in a quiet village store. The masked gunmen struck at the Co-operative store in The Leazes, Burnopfield, County Durham, at 7.30pm on Thursday. Police said the
THE beleaguered manufacturing industry has shown its first signs of growth for more than a year. According to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) purchasing managers' index, there were signs of marginal growth in manufacturing activity
TWO NEW senior champions, possibly three, will be crowned at the sixth and final meeting of the North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier League at Windlestone Hall, near Bishop Auckland, tomorrow. Former Great Britain junior international Steven Hepples
HEALTH SERVICE YOUR comment (Echo, Feb 22) makes the issue of the NHS a simple lack of resources, and that a massive tax rise will cure the problem. Such a prognosis lacks substance and will fall flat unless there is commitment and a better managed initiative
FRESH claims that the new owner of a Teesside ship repair yard is stripping it of assets have been denied by the company. In November Southampton firm A&P Holdings was accused of asset-stripping the former Cammell Laird yard in South Bank. But A&
housewife Marion Nolan hopes to grow a new business after bringing back a banana seed from her summer holidays in the Canary Islands. The seed grew into one of many tropical plants, which she plans to sell or hire out as she cultivates her own horticultural
WORK is under way to ease parking problems for residents in part of Hartlepool. A number of grassed or tarmac verges are being converted into car parking spaces in Ednam Grove, Elvan Grove, Farnell Grove and Inverness Road. Due to a lack of space on the
AFTER more than four decades of working for the same family, 64-year-old Herbert Simpson has finally decided to retire. At a special party laid on in his honour, he was presented with a plethora of presents to mark their high regard. Mr Simpson has had
FORMER county analyst Frank Cooke Shenton has died at the age of 78. Mr Shenton, of Newton Aycliffe, joined Durham County Council in June 1955, retiring in May 1982. A county council spokesman said he visited his former workplace once a year and there
A CHARITY shop could be forced to close if more volunteers do not come forward to help out. The Oxfam shop in Northallerton High Street is facing a drastic cut in opening hours due to staff shortages. Four of the shop's 25 voluntary workers have retired
Thursday night's fans forum at Darlington didn't achieve anything other than to confirm what many supporters have suspected since the play-off final defeat at Wembley: Quakers are a club in turmoil. Since that Wembley loss to Peterborough, the club has
THIS is the first picture of killer Billy Clifton, who was given a four-year sentence for strangling his girlfriend, Rachael Littlefair. The sentence has prompted her parents - who claim it is too lenient - to call for a change in the law to give 18-year-olds
LONGER stay car parking will cost more in the centre of Durham from next month. Durham City Council, which is increasing its share of the council tax by 12.5 per cent, is also increasing many of the charges at its car parks. Most of the increases are
Young singers take the stage Park View Community School is staging the musical Babes in Arms in the school's Church Chare Theatre, in Chester-le-Street town centre, from Monday to Friday, March 11 to 15. Performances start at 7.30pm. Tickets, priced at
IT was only when they started trying to put snakes around my neck that it all got a bit much. Watching at what appeared to be a safe distance as the cobras rear up, flare their hoods and sway just inches from their charmers' faces, was obviously not involved
DOG owners are being warned to keep their animals under tight control after a spate of incidents in which sheep were savaged. In the past six months, 18 sheep have been killed and more than 30 injured in a small area between Wolsingham and Stanhope. Police
