THE chairman of Durham County Council, Councillor Alan Fenwick, was given a spell behind bars - without committing a crime. Coun Fenwick agreed to spend time behind bars in a mobile cell used by the No Way Trust, a national charity that tries to deter
CRIMEFIGHTING youngsters from Langbaurgh will receive an early Christmas present today after winning a competition organised by the police. Junior schools from across the district were invited to design a card with a message of "please look after our
A SCHEME to encourage people to get more active is celebrating its first anniversary. The Go Passport to Leisure initiative offers discounted membership to council-run leisure centres in the Hambleton district. So far, more that 2,000 people have signed
THE bid to break up a toxic fleet of US navy "ghost ships" in the North-East was in disarray last night following a second High Court victory by protestors. A senior judge ruled that planning permission relied upon by Able UK did not actually cover ships
PUPILS have been entertaining residents with candlelit carol singing on their doorsteps. The singers, from Durham School, walked to South Street and surrounding areas in Durham City for a performance, to raise money for charity. The group of 14 boys sang
ROTARIANS have teamed up with an ambulance service to form a rapid-response team. Stokesley Rotary Club and the Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (Tenyas) are promoting the scheme, which will consist of trained volunteers who will be equipped
IT may be considered no more than an occupational hazard that there are places after all these years where the column is, shall we say, less welcome than in others. We have been shown the door more often than a foreman joiner, barred out of everywhere
Persuading up to 30,000 civil servants to move out of London and into the provinces was never going to be easy. And so it has proved. Gordon Brown confirmed last week that the final version of the Lyons report - named after Sir Michael Lyons, the director
Q Some of my staff have complained about secondary or passive smoking caused by members of staff who smoke in the staff room. How can I get over this problem? Should I provide separate facilities for those members of staff that smoke? A My view on this
THREE people have been arrested over the murder of a convicted paedophile who was beaten to death in his own home, police said today. The battered body of 73-year-old Arnold Hartley was discovered in his dilapidated terraced home in Redcar, Cleveland,
WHILE the Reach (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) legislation is not expected to have much effect on larger companies such as Huntsman, it could damage small to medium-sized businesses that produce a wider range of products, but
SPEED CAMERAS: SPEED cameras have been such a success in the Cleveland area that more than £80,000 was collected in a little over four hours on the A179 road Hartlepool. This caused so much controversy that the limit was increased from 30mph to 40mph.
CHARITY NIGHT: Bob Allison and Dave Foster will perform at a Country and Western evening in Crook Cricket Club on Saturday, December 27. Tickets for the event, which is to raise money for the Heart Foundation, cost £2 and are available on (01388) 766564
THE calm of the countryside will be available to people in the heart of town thanks to a new nature reserve. Schoolchildren have begun the next phase of work to turn a former allotment into a nature reserve in the Berwick Hills area of Middlesbrough,
THE Government's plans to raise the audit exemption threshold received a cool response from the region's business advisors. Chartered accountants warn that the move, included in Chancellor Gordon Brown's Pre-Budget Report, could lead to an increase in
Leamington Spa, its waters said to work wonders for aches, pains and "sundry paralytic conditions", was also the home of Britain's first lawn tennis club, of world middleweight champion Randolph Turpin - Dick's brother - and of Samuel Lockhart, described
PREPARATIONS for the 32nd charity Boxing Day Dip at Seaton Carew are well under way. So far, 302 people have registered for the event, organised by Hartlepool Lions. It will start at 11.30am at the Seaton Carew Social Club, in Station Lane, when fundraisers
A CONSTRUCTION company is changing the way it operates on the recommendation of one of its delivery drivers. John Barker has been a driver with Bishop Auckland's M&M Plasline for eight years and, during that time, had a number of ideas about how to
THE city stockbroking firm which masterminded Northumbrian Water's flotation has put in a bid for the Telegraph Group. Collins Stewart yesterday confirmed it has made an offer thought to be worth up to £500m. The broker said it would seek an immediate
Body Shock: Wild Child (C4): Hear The Silence (five): A GIRL found living in a kennel is caught on camera on all fours, barking like a dog and lapping water from a tap with her tongue. A mother wants to know why her young son has stopped speaking, become
NODDY is likely to gain new friends in Toy Town after his owner, Chorion, revealed it was trying to acquire the rights to the Mr Men characters. The company has entered exclusive talks with the Hargreaves Organisation to purchase the 79 Mr Men characters
THE Wm Morrison group was last night on the brink of becoming the fourth force in a nationwide supermarket battle. The company, based in Bradford, offered a cash sweetener on top of its existing bid in a move that looks almost certain to be accepted by
A WRITER famous for his Horrible Histories is helping traditional rural crafts to flourish in his home village. Best-selling children's author Terry Deary is giving a community group access to his land in Burnhope, near Stanley, County Durham, to run
A DECISION is due this week on whether an auction mart can relocate from its home of almost a hundred years. The application to move Thirsk Auction Mart to a new 20-acre site off the A19, at Blakey Lane, was deferred last month so councillors could make
POLICE officers have been lining up for flu jabs in a management attempt to bolster staffing in the run-up to Christmas. The North Yorkshire force has spent a £6,000 Home Office grant on a comprehensive immunisation programme in an attempt to stave off
PATIENTS in the North-East are likely to be the first to receive home visits from nurses rather than GPs as part of a radical shake-up in healthcare provision. Five primary care trusts (PCTs) serving 670,000 patients from Redcar to Darlington have invited
PATIENTS in the North-East are likely to be the first to receive home visits from nurses rather than GPs as part of a radical shake-up in healthcare provision. Five primary care trusts (PCTs) serving 670,000 patients from Redcar to Darlington have invited
A TRANSSEXUAL is fighting to have laser treatment on the NHS to remove facial stubble. The 37-year-old, from Seaham, County Durham, who wishes to remain anonymous, is taking hormones to change his body shape from male to female, before he has an operation
IRISH pop star Ronan Keating gave a one-off live performance for an invited audience in the North-East last night. The former member of boy band Boyzone has been presenting his own exclusive Sunday afternoon show, Turn It On, for radio. It is a mix of
FUNDING of £94m will be pumped into the region over two years to tackle its most pressing housing problems, it was revealed last night. The North-East Regional Housing Board, set up this year, has received the Government cash to create decent and affordable
THE family of a girl who drowned at a leisure centre two years ago watched yesterday as the council responsible for the swimming pool was fined £20,000. Sedgefield Borough Council was ordered to pay the maximum fine after it admitted failing to ensure
FEW places of comparative size to Brancepeth possess as much history as this small village four miles south-east of Durham. Despite recent small-scale housing developments, Brancepeth is still a small village by Durham standards, and its neat old-world
Leamington Spa, its waters said to work wonders for aches, pains and "sundry paralytic conditions", was also the home of Britain's first lawn tennis club, of world middleweight champion Randolph Turpin - Dick's brother - and of Samuel Lockhart, described
IT may be considered no more than an occupational hazard that there are places after all these years where the column is, shall we say, less welcome than in others. We have been shown the door more often than a foreman joiner, barred out of everywhere
NEIL MULHOLLAND has been handed a peach of a ride aboard Family Venture at Musselburgh (2.45) following Davy Russell's crashing fall at Cork on Sunday. Russell, who was knocked unconscious after tumbling from Camden Tanner, has been stood down for the
Garden Court, MetroCentre, Gateshead, 0191-4930219 SET within the busy surroundings of the MetroCentre, this Santa is easy to reach via public transport or car and there are free car parks on site. The grotto is set within garden court, the yellow quadrant
HOUSEBUILDER George Wimpey is confident of further progress next year after putting investors on standby for strong 2003 results. Buoyed by a healthy UK housing market, Wimpey said it expected figures for the year to December 31 to be at the top end of
From sales rep to managing director, Vas Agridhiotis rose quickly through the ranks at ntl. Mike Parker met the man taking cable to Teesside. EVEN for a man whose business is built around television, Vas Agridhiotis' TV is big. The monster beams out a
The yard was a mess, the laundry was not done, the pantry was bare and the only art on the wall was a poster of Noah's Ark. Saddam Hussein's hideaway on a farm in northern Iraq looked more like a derelict property abandoned by squatters than the lavish
PEOPLE in Cleveland are six times more likely to he searched by the police than residents in North Yorkshire, new figures reveal. And people in Cleveland are more likely to be stopped than those living in London and other big cities in England. Cleveland
WORKERS at Land Rover are to ban overtime as part of industrial action in a dispute over pay. Union members will also withdraw flexible working time arrangements in the New Year unless the row is resolved. But union leaders pulled back from calling workers
A FIRE at a bakery has forced the closure of a family firm's shops across the region. Peter's Cathedral Bakers' 70 shops were closed yesterday and will be shut again today after the despatch area of the company's bakery was gutted on Sunday night. Five
Eight months after George Bush announced the end of major hostilities, US troops finally got their man. But capturing Saddam Hussein could be just the start of their problems, as Nick Morrison reports. IT will not go down as one of the most profound of
ELECTRONICS business Filtronic is on track for recovery, after several years of poor results. Shares in the company, which employs 250 staff at Newton Aycliffe making mobile phone products, have just been promoted to the FTSE-350 index from the FTSE All-Share
A less-than-perfect Berwick Kaler pantomime is still far better than virtually any other Christmas show in the land. The press night performance had only been going a few minutes before a technical hitch brought the curtain down again. The show resumed
A FAMILY team of doctors are celebrating after opening a new medical centre. The Pinfold Medical Practice, at Butterknowle, was opened by retired GP Dr Kenneth Pickworth, who practised in Barnard Castle for more than 40 years. The surgery, which has taken
CRICKET club members mounted a high-speed fundraising effort to keep a roof over their heads for the busy festive season. With rain pouring through the clubhouse ceiling at Crook, Christmas could have been a washout for the Readers Durham County League
TWO men have pleaded guilty to having faulty tyres on a car involved in a road accident. Philip Atkinson, 61, of Ruskin Road, Darlington, had borrowed Daniel Aidan Holland's green Mondeo on October 20, when it was involved in an accident on the A1(M),
HOUSE burglars in County Durham are to be targeted by dedicated specialist police officers in the New Year. The county's force will introduce six burglary support officers, each responsible for a particular area, in February. The officers, chosen from
HOUSE burglars in County Durham are to be targeted by dedicated specialist police officers in the New Year. The county's force will introduce six burglary support officers, each responsible for a particular area, in February. The officers, chosen from
OFFICIALS are celebrating news of two grants awarded to a North Yorkshire theatre. The restoration of Richmond's Georgian Theatre Royal was expected to cost £1.1m, until problems during construction of an extension increased the bill by £400,000. Some
A HEROIN addict hanged himself in prison after voices in his head told him to kill himself, an inquest was told yesterday. Unemployed labourer Mark McGrogan, 28, of Boswell Street, Middlesbrough, was found dead at Holme House Prison, in Stockton, on June
THE owner of a power tool firm angered at being a repeated victim of crime has put up a £1,000 reward following another raid on his business. Bob Nicks made the offer for information leading to the conviction of three masked raiders who were caught on
New legislation could lead to some chemical companies leaving Europe, Businness Correspondent Jonathan Jones reports. CONTROVERSIAL proposals by the European Union to regulate chemical production will not only affect chemical producers, but the entire
'It's clearly a Budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it." Those were the classic words chosen by George W Bush to describe one of his earliest Budgets, on taking charge of the US administration. The phrase could equally be applied to the Chancellor Gordon
CHRISTMAS is typically a time of year when most people expect to enjoy some well-earned time off work, to relax with the family and recharge those batteries ready for the New Year. But what rights do your staff actually have to take holiday over the Christmas
RESIDENTS moving into new houses are to be given a seasonal welcome by primary schoolchildren. Endeavour Housing Association has completed its scheme in Sycamore Way, Hardwick, Stockton, in partnership with Stockton Borough Council's housing and social
A STRATEGY to encourage Darlington residents to participate in the town's kerbside recycling scheme is being developed, a meeting was told last night. A report to Darlington Environmental Forum revealed that participation rates for the Time to Recycle
AN Army brigade in Catterick could be affected when a shake-up announced by the Government begins to take effect. A Defence White Paper, announced in the House of Commons by Geoff Hoon last Thursday, indicated British Forces will rely on technology rather
YOUNGSTERS took to the stage to perform their Christmas play for friends and families. The pupils of Heathfield Primary School, Darlington, performed The Twelve Days of Christmas. The year five and six children dressed in colourful costumes for the production
AN independent hotels portfolio for York has been created in a multi-million pound deal. The 34-bedroom Minster Hotel, Bootham, has been acquired by hoteliers Colin and Sharon Marsh, in a deal worth about £2m. Mr and Mrs Marsh, who entered the hotel sector
YOUNG rugby stars at Barnard Castle School will be watching what they eat this Christmas as they prepare to fight for a place in the quarter-finals of a national competition. Members of the under-15 and under-18 teams at the school are in strict training
PLANS to install an access ramp for disabled people at a tourist attraction are likely to be approved, despite objections. The North-Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group has submitted plans to Darlington Borough Council for the ramp at the town's Hopetown
YOUNGSTERS took part in a fire safety lesson with a difference yesterday. Firefighters from Cleveland Fire Brigade are using life-skills lessons to educate year seven pupils about fire safety and the dangers of arson and hoax calls. The brigade's community
IRISH pop star Ronan Keating gave a one-off live performance for an invited audience in the North-East last night. The former member of boy band Boyzone has been presenting his own exclusive Sunday afternoon show, Turn It On, for radio. It is a mix of
Body Shock: Wild Child (C4) Hear The Silence (five) A GIRL found living in a kennel is caught on camera on all fours, barking like a dog and lapping water from a tap with her tongue. A mother wants to know why her young son has stopped speaking, become
Bewildered by huge adverts of banks and building societies competing fiercely to give them a mortgage, would-be homebuyers might think their big problem is choosing between the 3,000-plus home loans that are usually on offer. However, the Government report
Freemasons in County Durham will donate £11,850 to North-East hospices this week. Charles Marshall, deputy provincial grand master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham, will present cheques to representatives from the region's hospices at a ceremony
A GROUP of North Yorkshire women have succeeded in their attempt to get slimmer for Christmas. Between them, the ten women, who attend Slimming World classes across the county, have lost 40 stones - equivalent to 560 Christmas puddings. Six of them -
PATIENTS have given controversial pay televisions the thumbs down in the first test of opinion on North-East hospital wards. The introduction of bedside pay-as-you-watch TVs at Darlington Memorial Hospital, the University Hospital of North Durham and
BANKING group Lloyds TSB said growth in its mortgage book and credit card business was helping it deliver full-year trading in line with expectations. The bank said it was positioned for an improved performance next year after a difficult year to date
BRITAIN's oldest floating warship will be the inspiration for a jobs boost in a North-East town. HMS Trincomalee, the last of the frigates commissioned by Admiral Nelson, is the centrepiece of Hartlepool's Historic Quay. Now the trust that manages the
Darlington star Craig Liddle is determined to prove to manager David Hodgson that Saturday's disappointing performance at Cambridge was a one-off. Quakers slipped back into the bottom two following the 1-0 defeat at the Abbey Stadium. Hodgson's men have
Having the right information at the right time is crucial to any business. It may come as a surprise to find that one of the biggest providers of such information, The British Library, has a massive operation in Yorkshire, as Business Correspondent Jonathan
A COMPUTER salesman who had an obsession with child pornography has been spared jail, but warned he must seek help for his obsession. Paul Macadie, 32, was placed on the sex offenders' register for five years after he was caught during Operation Ore,
A MAN facing jail for child sex offences was found dead yesterday, just hours before he was due to be sentenced. Former lifeboatman Malcolm Swales is thought to have committed suicide before he was expected in court. The body of 50-year-old Swales was
THE president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said the North-East was a "shining example" of how regions could reinvent themselves after the death of heavy industry. Nick Brooke said the area had used regeneration to its best effect
SUNDERLAND can have Birmingham City's Clinton Morrison but they are going to have to wait until next summer. And that presents a major problem for the Black Cats who are searching for a new striker now in a bid to steer their promotion push back on track
In the New Year, Alex Worrall will become chairman of ThyssenKrupp UK plc, the German owners of TKA Tallent Chassis, in Newton Aycliffe. Business Correspondent Jonathan Jones spoke to him about his new role. No-one could say of Alex Worrall that he has
Durham Local Radio (DLR), bidding for the forthcoming Durham local radio licence, has announced well-known business leader David Bowles as its chairman. Mr Bowles is chairman of Service Challenge and chief executive of Northern Defence Industries Ltd.
TWO colonies of bats are continuing to live in their home in a Yorkshire dale - despite a £7m restoration project going on around them. The bats live in the roof of a former reservoir keeper's house in the Washburn valley, near Harrogate. Yorkshire Water
NEALE Cooper admits Danny Byrne is finding out about the physical and mental demands of Division Two football the hard way. Byrne has yet to make an impression in three performances for Hartlepool United after arriving on loan from Manchester United last
NEIL MULHOLLAND has been handed a peach of a ride aboard Family Venture at Musselburgh (2.45) following Davy Russell's crashing fall at Cork on Sunday. Russell, who was knocked unconscious after tumbling from Camden Tanner, has been stood down for the
VILLAGERS have won £500 in a national competition as the first rural area in the country to get broadband Internet technology. Catterick Village was the Information Technology winner in the 2003 Calor Village of the Year competition, due to the success
Thomas and Tina Robers are well known to shoppers as owners of Darlington's Wrapping Box stall but what do they do the rest of the year? Sharon Griffiths finds out. YOU know it's coming up to Christmas when The Wrapping Box appears on the pavement in
A STATISTICAL insight into the changing face of the North-East has been provided by a report. The State of the Region study is the first publication to come from the new North-East Regional Information Partnership. It has examined areas fundamental to
IT is important not to read too much into yesterday's High Court ruling on the Hartlepool ghost ships. Although it amounts to a damning indictment on the way Able UK, the local authority and Government departments have handled matters, it does not represent
ANY hopes Newcastle United had of securing the services of Greek international Giorgious Seitaridis next month look doomed. Panathinaikos' right back fractured his left leg after a crunching tackle with Proodeftiki star Giorgos Poulopoulos in their clash
ADMISSION charges at one of the region's museums look likely to be increased. The admission charges for Hartlepool Historic Quay were set in 2000 and have remained the same since. However, a review of pricing has taken place, and members of Hartlepool
OFFICIALS are celebrating news of two grants awarded to a North Yorkshire theatre. The restoration of Richmond's Georgian Theatre Royal was expected to cost £1.1m, until problems during construction of an extension increased the bill by £400,000. Some
HEALTH chiefs have been warned they could face strong opposition if patient centres replace out-of-hours doctors in parts of the Dales. A review started in Richmondshire before a national initiative offered GPs a choice over whether or not to operate
A LANDMARK that stands as a testimony to the North-East's engineering expertise has been lit up, 70 years after it was opened. The Newport Bridge over the River Tees has been fitted with a £175,000 lighting system, which has been installed along its 122m
A TEESSIDE video games retailer has opened its 21st outlet and is now one of the UK's leading specialists in its field. Chips, based in Middlesbrough, said its forward-thinking approach and investment in its people and systems helped put it ahead of the
THE London Stock Exchange's blue-chip league, the FTSE 100 Index, went on a rollercoaster ride yesterday following the events in Iraq. Early trading saw shares surge, but expectations that the Footsie would burst back through the 4400 barrier - as it
TWO thugs who poured boiling water on a man and attacked him with a knife were jailed for a total of 12 years yesterday. Carl Smedley, 37, was locked up for seven years, and accomplice David Hepple, 40, was sentenced to five for the "horrific and unprovoked
A BOY who was left severely disabled after being starved of oxygen at birth won a substantial compensation payout yesterday. Stanley Hider, of Constantine Grove, Colburn, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, was awarded the money for his future care in
A COMPANY established to help businesses produce information for their websites is winning more customers in the local government sector. Maxsi Ltd has already signed up blue-chip clients in the business, financial services, travel and academic sectors
TEMPORARY power supplier Aggreko gave investors a boost after reporting signs of a more stable picture in its troubled North American market. The company, based in Glasgow, which has provided power for events including the Winter Olympics and the football
FAMILY and friends of a military policeman killed in Iraq joined staff and students at his former college to dedicate a plaque in his memory. Lance Corporal Ben Hyde, 23, was killed with five other military policemen in June at an Iraqi police station
A WORRIED policewoman has launched a personal campaign to make traffic slow down as it passes the gates of a school near her home. PC Julia Clayton, an experienced motorway patrol driver, has become alarmed since moving into a house close to Teesdale
When the lights went down at the Empire on Friday night there was a great cheer of anticipation. The Fairy Godmother entered and everyone 'ooohed' at her sparkly costume. But then things began to go downhill. Jean Fergusson, who I'm told is in the long-running
I can't remember what I was doing when Kennedy was shot, but I shall always remember where I was when the news of Saddam Hussein's arrest came through. 'd just got in after morning church and I was thinking about putting some warm water in the font for
THE find of a photo album has shed more light on an extraordinary family history dating back to before the Norman Conquest. Kathleen Farrance, 79, has been given a 1920s photo album containing pictures of her family which was found during a clear-out
DRIVERS who risk going behind the wheel after taking drugs could find themselves arrested by specially-trained police. The force in County Durham is putting its 80 traffic officers through Fitness Impairment Training (Fit), to help them detect whether
PHARMACEUTICALS firm GlaxoSmithKline has bowed to shareholder pressure and unveiled revised pay and rewards contracts for executives. The group, which employs 1,170 staff in Barnard Castle, has scrapped two-year rolling contracts for executive directors
Base network control centre technician, Northallerton. £12,719 to £22,444pa, 42hrs pw, Mon-Fri, day time. Must have ONC/CND plus at least two years' structural training or equivalent. Ref: NOE 20763. Nursery assistant, Thirsk. 40hrs pw, shifts, between
Console operator, Trimdon. 12hrs pw, 3-7pm, Wed-Fri; 11am to 3pm, Sat. No experience necessary as training given. Ref: WIQ 2969. Cleaner, Haswell. £4.50ph, 12hrs pw, between 8am and 1pm, 3 days over 7. Experience preferred but not essential. Ref: PEV
FORMER England and Newcastle United player, Peter Beardsley, has helped a school to celebrate exam success. He was the guest when Easington Community School, in east Durham, held its awards evening on Friday, and marked the achievements of its students
THE Tall Ships' Race 2005 is to be the highlight of a newly announced national tourism campaign. Newcastle is the only UK port that will host the race alongside three other European cities, Waterford, in Ireland, Cherbourg, in France, and Fredrikstad,
A RAFFLE of hand-made quilts has raised almost £3,000 for St Teresa's Hospice in Darlington. The quilts were made by the Middleham and Teesdale quilters and hospice volunteer Doreen Sayers. Hospice director Jane Bradshaw said: "What is so wonderful about
A RAFFLE of hand-made quilts has raised almost £3,000 for St Teresa's Hospice in Darlington. The quilts were made by the Middleham and Teesdale quilters and hospice volunteer Doreen Sayers. Hospice director Jane Bradshaw said: "What is so wonderful about
HOUSE burglars in County Dur-ham are to be targeted by dedicated specialist police officers in the New Year. The county's force will introduce six burglary support officers, each responsible for a particular area, in February. The officers, chosen from
RESIDENTS in Ingleby Barwick will be paid a visit by Father Christmas this week. Two years ago, members of Ingleby Community Church decided to tour the estate's streets dressed in Victorian costume and distribute sweets, Christmas cards and an invitation
A NEW character is propping up bars in pubs and restaurants to try to ensure others can safely enjoy some Christmas spirit. Des is the latest recruit in the fight against drink-driving. Eight pubs in Hambleton have offered to supply every designated driver
