He shot to fame making a monkey of himself in front of 2,000 football fans on windy Saturday afternoons. Now the extraordinary story of H'Angus The Monkey seems set to be told before a worldwide audience of millions. Since shocking the political world
NEWCASTLE United have opened talks with UEFA Cup finalists Feyenoord in a bid to push through a deal for £12m-rated Brett Emerton. United boss Bobby Robson meets chairman Freddy Shepherd today to outline how he intends spending his £20m summer transfer
A corruption trial involving North-East police officers and one of the world's biggest drug barons collapsed yesterday after a judge threw out phone tapping evidence. In a case that could have far reaching national implications, a judge ruled that secret
A FARMER must have known his pigs had foot-and-mouth disease up to 12 days before the epidemic swept Britain - but failed to raise the alarm, a court heard yesterday. Inspectors who raided Bobby Waugh's farm found 80 per cent of his 527 pigs were riddled
THREE youngsters won medals in tae kwondo only three months after taking up the sport. Ashleigh Booth, 12, James Wood and Callum Smith, both nine, fought off a challenge from about 100 martial arts students from the North-East to return to their homes
A CELEBRATION of punk music saw a Darlington first for the world of digital video disc (DVD) recording. Six German bands, visiting the country as part of a cultural exchange with Mulheim, Darlington's twin town, recorded live on to DVD at Circulation
THE benefits of business grants on offer in Darlington are being highlighted after a successful year in which such support schemes have helped to create more than 450 jobs. The extra employment was generated at 130 businesses, with the help of £175,000
THE first woman to follow in her father's footsteps and become Mayor of Durham has taken office. Labour councillor Eileen Rochford has been inducted as the city's civic figurehead for the next 12 months. Her father, the late Michael Rochford, was Mayor
A UNIVERSITY'S female rowers aim to go one better and emulate the success of their male counterparts. The Durham University women's eight is completing preparations for this weekend's sixth Northumbrian Water Boat Race Challenge, on the River Tyne. Durham's
A COMPANY boss charged with the manslaughter of a worker who fell to his death through a roof told a jury yesterday that the tragedy would never have happened if his staff had followed instructions. Factory Cover managing director John Elders told Teesside
SCHOOLS across County Durham have been selected for a shortlist of projects bidding for more than £7m of Government money to improve sports facilities for young people. Seven projects have been selected from 50 proposals submitted to a Durham County Council
THERE are two ways to look at the "spingate" saga which involves Stephen Byers, Martin Sixsmith and Jo Moore. One is that this story is about a hitherto inconsequential civil servant who may, or may not, have resigned. In the absence of anything more
A TOWN has launched a search for its own queen and princess as part of preparations for an annual carnival. Women and girls from Shildon aged between 13 and 25 years are being invited to enter the competition for this year's carnival queen. Girls between
A drama group is trying to find video footage of New York for its forthcoming production. Riverside Amateur Operatic Society is staging a production of Summer Song at Park View Theatre Complex in Chester-le-Street from Tuesday, May 14, to Saturday, May
The North-East comprehensive school caught up in a row about elitism in universities when Laura Spence was rejected by Oxford is offering degree-standard courses to sixth-formers. Monkseaton Language College, in Whitley Bay, north Tyneside, has been awarded
CONCERN is growing that another revamp of local government could undermine the voice of rural communities. In the early 1990s, the Boundary Commission redrew the regional map, resulting in Humberside disappearing and York becoming the master of its own
BUILDER Malcolm Daniels is facing his biggest challenge - rebuilding his life and the lives of others. The 65-year-old stroke victim from Redcar wants to set up a stroke support group. Seven months after losing the use of the left side of his body Mr
A WITNESS to a car smash told how passers-by showed no regard for their safety as they fought to rescue two men. Maurene Ward told how a black Honda CRX convertible had overturned on the A68, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on Sunday afternoon. She
There are no signs of any new players joining Darlington to replace those sure to walk out of Feethams this summer. Several first-team players are out of contract this summer and most, if not all, are likely to leave for pastures new, but as yet no fresh
SUNDERLAND primary pupils have won an international award for their outstanding environmental efforts. The after-school Eco-Club at St John Boste Roman Catholic Primary School, Oxclose Vilage,Washington, has won a green flag in the Eco-Schools initiative
YOUNGSTERS on Teesside are being given an insight into the world of work thanks to a new scheme. The Business Ambassador programme trains people from all walks of working life to go into schools and talk to pupils about their experiences. Lisa Daley,
HUNDREDS of North-East sufferers of asbestos-related diseases are pinning their hopes on the House of Lords overturning a controversial ruling on compensation. A High Court and Court of Appeal judgment that compensation could not be paid where a worker
THREE bands from the same college are to take part in the finals of the National Festival of Music for Youth, one of the top events of its kind in the world. It is the first time Northallerton College has had three bands reach the finals - although two
TWO directors of a second-hand plant dealership have agreed to be disqualified from acting as company directors. Raymond Richard Ferguson, of Rosebay Court, Darlington, agreed to a two-and-a-half-year ban, while fellow director Alistair Forster, of Peterhouse
A GROUP of Teesside students is leading an international hunt for entrepreneurs. International business students at the University of Teesside are scouring Britain and mainland Europe for brilliant, yet selfless entrepreneurs who do not work for financial
POLICE investigating a rape are distributing leaflets appealing for information about the attack. Officers are hoping the leaflets and posters put up around Darlington will help them catch the two men who attacked a 21-year-old woman as she walked home
With rare exceptions, writers are usually heard but not seen. Pete Straughan is one of those exceptions, says Steve Pratt. PETER Straughan admits he was a terrible actor. He's having more success as a writer. A few years ago he was an unknown from Gateshead
A Stockton student has been nominated for a top national education award. Grangefield School pupil Rebecca Farley, 16, has made the shortlist for the vocational and academic achievement award at the Edexcel Achievement in Education Awards 2002. If she
Toon barmy Pete Osborne travels 13,000 miles every season to watch his team - and that is just for home games. Mr Osborne is a Newcastle United nut, but lives 350 miles away from St James's Park. He sets off for home matches at 8am to make sure he is
PLANS for an athletics track to serve youngsters across Teesside have taken a step forward. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has agreed to award £40,000 to the East Cleveland Athletics Association, which means the group can now apply to the National
SARAH Bennett is using skills learnt on a training programme to make sure her country business thrives, despite the effects of last year's foot-and-mouth outbreak. Ms Bennett, 25, set up Silver with Elegance, a silver and gifts business, when she was
THE UK's largest designer and manufacturer of large-scale Christmas decoration schemes has bought the UK's largest manufacturer of animated models. Centre Design, which has offices at Team Valley, in Gateshead, and Prudhoe, has acquired Animated Displays
THE curtain goes up on a three-part theatrical production tonight. Journey to the West tells the story of a culturally-diverse family and how its fate is decided by events in history. The shows, at Darlington's Civic Theatre, can be watched individually
Northern Precision Engineering is playing a vital role in the search for life on other planets. For when the Mars Express probe blasts off from Kazakhastan in June next year, a component critical to the mission's success will have been built at NPE's
DUBBED the "coolest" jockey in the Weighing Room, Richard Hughes will today attempt to steer Rainbow High (2.55) to an historic third victory in the £100,000 Chester Cup. Richard is the ideal foil for Rainbow High, a top-class yet quirky stayer who has
A FEISTY new arrival is turning heads and proving to be a big hit with visitors at a bird of prey centre near Thirsk. Edwina the year-old cara-cara is the latest attraction at Falconry UK, at Sion Hill Hall - and she is the feathered equivalent of a teenage
The City of Durham Trust is urging people and businesses in the city to back this summer's Britain in Bloom competition efforts. Entries are free and must be registered by Friday, July 5. For further details call Andrew Jackson at Durham City Council
UNION leaders said firefighters could only safeguard the 999 service by going on strike. A Cleveland Fire Brigade strike ballot, the result of which is expected on May 14, was not taken lightly or frivolously, said the Fire Brigades' Union (FBU). Cleveland
Body-in-the-suitcase accused Kyu Soo Kim denied two charges of murder when he appeared at the Old Bailey, in London, yesterday. Mr Kim, 30, pleaded not guilty to the killing of Hyo Jung Jin, a 21-year-old South Korean whose gagged body was found in a
SO what would you have done? The joke that Tory MP Ann Winterton told at the rugby club dinner wasn't even funny. Just offensive. Which makes it all very odd. She is, say all the people who know her, no racist. Maybe not. But to tell such a joke at such
ICE cream group Richmond Foods said a deal with food giant Nestle had "transformed" its business after posting a surge in half-year sales. The firm picked up a host of brands, including Rollo, Smarties and Kit Kat, when it bought Nestle's ice cream business
HUNDREDS of people braved the cold and weather to see the Queen in Blackhall. Those who waited in the damp conditions said it was well worth it just to see her. Hundreds of residents, including pupils from the village's three primary schools, lined the
NEWCASTLE United striker Alan Shearer was crowned the Player of the Year at the Prince's Trust North-East Football Awards last night. The former England striker, whose superb form has helped the Magpies achieve a Champions' League place, also picked up
A NATURE reserve which is home to more than 150 species of bird throughout the year, has enjoyed a successful open day. Guests at the event run by the Nosterfield Nature Reserve, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, praised the new visitor centre at the 105-acre
NEW efforts have been made to increase the fish population in the rivers of North Yorkshire. Thousands of fish have been introduced into tributaries of the rivers Rye and Derwent to boost stocks. The Environment Agency has placed almost 10,000 fish in
A HEALTH walks scheme has been such a success it is to be extended. Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust has organised the scheme and is so impressed with the project's success in the Hemlington area of Middlesbrough that it has decided to extend it
VISITORS to a wildlife attraction learned all about with flamingos at the weekend. The Wildlife and Wetlands Trust, in Washington, held a Flamingo Festival, which included talks taking place next to the flamingos, and children's activities were held with
A TEESSIDE town is celebrating its place in Europe this week with an exhibition aimed at local businesses. The display, in Stockton Central Library until Friday, shows small businesses how they can branch out into European markets. The event has been
FORMER Tory leader William Hague is giving his support to an appeal to extend the work of a charity which helps people with learning difficulties. Chopsticks, in Northallerton, provides work activities and training - and is hoping to move into larger
A SYNDICATE snapped up the £6,399 jackpot - the biggest for over two years - at Sunderland Regal Stadium. Punters had to select the winners of six races and the group of investors had four tickets going into the final leg, a 640m six bend race. They spread
THE Queen will be clearing a space on the shelves in Buckingham Palace for a special gift given to her by three Easington men today. The three surviving members of the rescue party involved in the pit disaster that shattered Easington more 50 years ago
Staying Up (BBC Choice) Soon you'll be in a dark and terrible place with violent fanatics screaming for your blood," suggested one character in this half-hour drama, part of BBC Choice's football-themed Waiting For The Whistle series. "What, Sunderland
Care assistant, Medomsley. £4.10ph, 27.5hrs pw, 5 days from 7, between 7.30am and 9.30pm. Required for private residential home. Experience preferred but not essential as training given. Ref: CON 14986. Sales person, Consett. £4.10ph dep on exp, 9am to
THE banks of the Tyne were awash with colour as thousands of excited people waited for the Queen to officially open the £22m Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Hundreds had small Union flags and others wore red, white and blue Union flag hats. Some people tied
BUSTLING young centre-forward Kevin Kyle could find himself playing at international level for Scotland before he makes his full League debut for Sunderland. New Scotland coach Berti Vogts will name his squad for a tour of the Far East later this week
THE traditional spring surge in the number of people looking to move house helped keep the property market in the North buoyant during the first quarter of the year. According to Northern Rock, house prices rose by 1.9 per cent in the North-East and Cumbria
SO what would you have done? The joke that Tory MP Ann Winterton told at the rugby club dinner wasn't even funny. Just offensive. Which makes it all very odd. She is, say all the people who know her, no racist. Maybe not. But to tell such a joke at such
Green areas throughout the region are set to benefit from an £80,000 injection of cash. The money is part of a £1 million fund from Barclays Sitesavers to revitalise derelict areas. The Sitesavers initiative helps groups of residents carry out work in
THOUGH given appropriate prominence in the news, the death of Barbara Castle did not cause flags to fly at half mast throughout Britain. It did not bring queues to sign books of condolence. It did not have archbishops falling over themselves to tell us
On Wednesday, May 8, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will be welcomed to Seaham by schoolchildren and visit a memorial garden commemorating the Easington Colliery mining disaster of 1951. After meeting 34 Easington couples who are celebrating their
Unmarried couples - including gay couples - will be able to adopt children under proposals put forward by Health Secretary Alan Milburn yesterday. Nick Morrison reports. WHEN Carol and Mark decided they wanted to adopt a child, there was one hurdle they
THOUSANDS of people lined the streets today to welcome the Queen to Darlington for the first time in 35 years. More than 10,000 royal watchers packed into the market square and surrounding roads to catch a glimpse of the Queen. Palace officials said it
RESEARCH by amateur historians together with the family archives of readers of The Northern Echo is beginning to reveal the final resting places of those who died in the area's worst mining disaster. Archivists at Durham County Council were shocked to
THE first Dales Festival of Food and Drink was a victim of its own success at the weekend, attracting so many people that traders were swamped by demand. Now, there are plans to make the event in Leyburn and Middleham an annual occasion, with more stalls
THE Army officer who led the North-East foot-and-mouth cull launched a devastating attack on the Government's handling of the crisis yesterday. Giving evidence to the Cumbria inquiry into the epidemic, Brigadier Alex Birtwhistle said: * When he answered
THE father of a baby girl returned to her family after she was abducted from hospital last night described the "crushing desperation" he and his wife felt during the ordeal. Richard and Deanne Rice's daughter, Elizabeth, was taken from the cot she was
Sedgefield Borough Council, in conjunction with the Positive Youth Project, will be showing the Harry Potter film in Sedgefield Parish Hall on Saturday, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. The show is among a number of initiatives which the Positive Youth Project
A DISABLED man says he was left without hot water by his landlord for five days. Mark Bryan, of Wycombe Street, Darlington, said his housing association, Home Housing, took five days to fix his boiler. Mr Bryan, 38, has kidney problems which means he
A Roman sculpture, which pre-dates British civilisation and is valued at a stunning £3m, is to be offered for sale to help finance the restoration of a North Yorkshire country house. The Jenkins Venus goes under the hammer at the London office of Christie's
Yorkshire's visit to Taunton in the County Championship today marks the beginning of a fortnight long southern tour which could make or break their season. And while Yorkshire get to grips with Somerset, Darren Gough will be making his comeback with the
A good Samaritan who rescued a motorist from the wreckage of his burning car has been honoured for her bravery. Sally Harris, 41, pulled the deaf/mute driver out of his car following a three vehicle smash that included a mini-bus full of children. Mrs
FIREFIGHTERS were called to release trapped animals in two separate incidents yesterday morning. An emergency special crew from Sedgefield was alerted by RSPCA inspectors after a deer became trapped in railings in the village's Butterwick Lane. It took
A CONTROVERSIAL new police station has been officially opened. Durham Police Authority chairman Councillor Joe Knox performed the ceremony at the Spennymoor station, in Wesleyan Road, next to the town's leisure centre, which has been operating since November
Darlington's Woodland Bowling Club is seeking new members. The club, opposite the main entrance to Darlington Memorial Hospital, was founded in 1947. It holds activities for its members throughout the year. An open day has been organised on June 16, for
A GROUP of youngsters have won the regional heat of a national competition. The team from Branksome Comprehensive School, Darlington, set up a company called Tweety Pie Bird Supply, selling birdseed, nuts and hand-made nest boxes. They formed a board
VOTING in a "monkey" as mayor, did the people of Hartlepool not realise they were confirming the nation's prejudice that the town exists only as a blot on the back of beyond's nether region? Probably most have more sense, and did not bother to vote and
A WITNESS to a car smash told how passers-by showed no regard for their safety as they fought to rescue two men. Maurene Ward told how a black Honda CRX convertible had overturned on the A68, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on Sunday afternoon. She
TEN of the North's leading artists are to share £100,000 as Northern Arts completes a massive payout in the North-East and Cumbria. The region's Arts Council-funded organisation decided that The Encore 10x10 awards would be the largest given to individuals
THREE youngsters won medals in tae kwondo only three months after taking up the sport. Ashleigh Booth, 12, James Wood and Callum Smith, both nine, fought off a challenge from about 100 martial arts students from the North-East to return to their homes
A DOG, whose blindness was cured thanks to the generosity of readers of The Northern Echo, is enjoying a new life. Four-year-old whippet-cross Meg developed eye problems when it was two years old. Owners gave it to the National Animal Sanctuary Support
A MAN who tried to snatch money from a woman at a bank cashpoint was jailed for 18 months yesterday. Richard Bennett, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court that the attack had happened at the Co-op in Marske High Street, in January A woman had taken
PLANS for a housing development on former industrial land are expected to be rejected this week. McCarthy and Stone Developments has submitted plans to Hambleton District Council to demolish disused buildings behind Bedale's market place, to make way
AN artist is celebrating 25 years in business by opening his studio to the public. John Degnan and his wife, Janet, started up their artistic business in 1977. Mr Degnan, who used to work for the United bus company, turned his talents to producing sculptures
A REDCAR couple who have spent their working lives in the North-East retail business have been celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary this week. Jim and Katie Macrea, who are 86 and 88, have spent their professional lives running a number of shops
A TEENAGER admitted a charge of robbery at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. The 16-year-old, who is from Darlington but cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to the offence, which took place on February 24 this year. The case was adjourned
AN observant council worker helped to catch a burglar, a court heard yesterday. Michael McDermott, who works for Darlington Borough Council, saw men behaving suspiciously and called the police, Teesside Crown Court was told. His vigilance saw one of the
For a humble car dealer, Brian Charrington was fabulously well off. Customs officers suspected he was much more than a garage man. From his life as a petty crook on the streets of Middlesbrough, Teesside, Brian Charrington, 45, transformed himself into
A TEAM of crimefighters were last night rewarded for its groundbreaking approach to a murder investigation. Eight officers, including members of the Forensic Science Service and Crown Prosecution Service, were presented with Cleveland Police chief constable's
A GOLF professional has paid off a £9,000 debt after being threatened with bailiffs in a bitter battle at a council-owned golf course. Alan Hartley, who ran the clubhouse, driving range and golf academy at the Roseberry Grange Golf Course, near Chester-le-Street
A privately owned German company is investing £300,000 to set up a factory in Consett. The subsidiary company will produce silicon rubber fabric needed for its range of specialist hoses and hope to eventually create around 30 new jobs. Matzen Schlaugh-Technik
Richmond's King's Head Hotel hosts a fundraising evening in aid of the local branch of the Alzheimer's Disease Society tonight. Leyburn author, Dulcie Lewis, is the guest speaker and will be shedding more light on curious cures. A flower arranging demonstration
UNION leaders said firefighters could only safeguard the 999 service by going on strike. A Cleveland Fire Brigade strike ballot, the result of which is expected on May 14, was not taken lightly or frivolously, said the Fire Brigades' Union (FBU). Cleveland
EVERTON are hoping to make a summer move for inspirational Middlesbrough captain Paul Ince. The Toffees are understood to be in direct competition with Manchester City to sign the battling midfielder. Ince, 35 in October, has been in contract negotiations
RESIDENTS took party in a clean-up of a local beauty spot at the weekend. Families joined the Gilesgate and Pelaw branch of the Labour Party to tackle the rubbish in the ravine spanned by the Silverlink Footbridge, in Gilesgate, on Saturday. Local historian
AN offer to help motorists make their cars more secure has been extended after proving a huge success. Cleveland Police began selling high security Diskloks at discounted prices to owners of older vehicles, in an effort to cut car crime. In five weeks
A top North-East surgeon has launched a £1.5m appeal to help millions of patients in the land of his birth. After 40 years of service as a brain surgeon in Newcastle, Robin Sengupta, has revealed his ambition to build a new neuro-surgery hospital in Calcutta
RESIDENTS of Northallerton are being urged to have their say on the town's future. The Northallerton and Villages Community Plan Steering Group is preparing a ten-year plan for the area that will look at improving its economic, environmental and social
Hospitals in the region will be lucky if any of the new crop of German consultants are seeing patients before the year is out, it was revealed last night. Dr Peter Royle, medical director of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust, organised the recent trip
Hauliers are demanding tough penalties to stop foreign transport companies entering Britain and driving them out of business. Haulage bosses in the region say there are real fears that foreign companies are pricing them out of the market because they
ONLY two out of ten hospitals in the region have electronic tagging measures in place to combat baby-snatching, it was revealed last night. A two-day-old girl was snatched at the weekend from Wordsley Hospital in Stourbridge, West Midlands, which was
THE benefits of business grants on offer in Darlington are being highlighted after a successful year in which such support schemes have helped to create more than 450 jobs. The extra employment was generated at 130 businesses, with the help of £175,000
THE craftsman upstaged the apprentice yesterday as Paul Collingwood stole Gordon Muchall's thunder by scoring his eighth first-class century against the Sri Lankans at the Riverside. Collingwood, 26 this month, looked like a player who has mastered his
THE Queen took the opportunity of her jubilee visit to thank the people of the North-East for their support since the death of her mother in March. During a speech made before lunch at the Baltic Arts Centre, she told guests: "There have been so many
