THE Northern Echo has launched a new website dedicated to promoting foreign, independent and alternative film across the region. The website, called Alternative Film, features previews, reviews, interviews and profiles of directors. It has competitions
THE new operator of one of the North-East's busiest rail routes has unveiled a raft of improvements to stations across the region. FGK, a consortium of First Group and Keolis, intends to spend millions of pounds revamping some of the most run-down stations
A crisis meeting will be held on Monday following the announcement that Darlington Football Club has been placed in administration, The Northern Echo understands. The meeting, attended by the town's business leaders and the Darlington Supporters Trust
Crisis-hit Darlington have eight months to come out of administration - or face starting next season with a ten-point penalty. As from next August, Football League clubs in administration will be docked ten points. If Quakers fail to stave off the threat
BROKEN SWORD III: THE SLEEPING DRAGON. Publisher: THQ. Formats: PS2, Xbox, PC. Price: £29.99 upwards. YOU know a publisher has high hopes for a game when it comes with a special "Making of..." DVD in the same box. Gamers with long memories won't be surprised
STEVE McCLAREN has issued another hands-off warning over Gareth Southgate as the Middlesbrough skipper battles to overcome flu to make his 100th appearance for the club at Blackburn today. Manchester United, seeking a replacement for Rio Ferdinand following
Scientists were crossing their fingers last night that Britain's Mars probe Beagle 2 had not ended in disaster. The spacecraft, which has travelled 250 million miles to search for signs of life on the Red Planet, failed to make contact with Earth early
YOUTHS are believed to have set fire to a house which threatened the lives of neighbours. Firefighters tackled the blaze which was started under floorboards at the house in Deepdale Avenue, Grove Hill, Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough fire station manager
A MODEL who caused a stir when her bare bottom appeared on a pub sign is ending the year with a role in a film, two shows on Sky TV and a bar of her own. Tanya Robinson, of Richmond, North Yorkshire, shot to fame when she won FHM's High Street Honeys
Today is Boxing Day, traditionally the day when we gave out Christmas "boxes" or tips to people who'd looked after us during the year. So it's a good day to look back at some of the people who've been mentioned on this page over the past year. Each week
A COMMUNITY is mourning the death of a charity champion and author. Douglas Vernon, 85, of Woodlands Road, Shotley Bridge, County Durham, was awarded the MBE for services to the community in the New Year Honours of 2000. The former manager at Consett
VILLAGERS are celebrating after Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott turned down plans for opencast coal mining near their homes. He has upheld Durham County Council's decision to refuse a consortium, Eco Energy, planning permission to extract 735,000
JUSTICE can be a brutal instrument, and a blunt one. Even today, when forensic scientists can locate single fibres from a victim's clothes, or identify individual hairs from a murderer's head left at the scene of their crime, there are false convictions
The Queen, in her Christmas Broadcast, paid tribute yesterday to Britain's Armed Forces who helped topple Saddam Hussein. With a military backdrop of armoured fighting vehicles, she spoke of her respect and admiration for servicemen and women. Visiting
OLIVIER BERNARD has confirmed he is ready to sign a new contract with Newcastle United - 18 months before his current deal expires. The Frenchman, who demanded to leave St. James' Park in the summer of last year before penning a fresh three-season agreement
Today is Boxing Day, traditionally the day when we gave out Christmas "boxes" or tips to people who'd looked after us during the year. So it's a good day to look back at some of the people who've been mentioned on this page over the past year. Each week
AN unusual legacy from the First World War has found a home at one of the region's museums. A 4ft snake, made out of glass beads by a Turkish prisoner of war, has been given to Eden Camp museum near Malton, North Yorkshire. The snake was presented to
HARTLEPOOL United are seeking to stretch their unbeaten home run into a third year. Pool play their last home game of 2003 this afternoon, when Barnsley visit Victoria Park. And, if they avoid defeat, they will make it 28 league games without home defeat
TWO thousand and four is the year to finally pack in those fags. That's the message for coughing, wheezing, nicotine slaves who are longing to be free. Darcy Brown, Darlington Primary Care Trust's smoking cessation officer, says there has never been a
A crisis meeting will be held on Monday following the announcement that Darlington Football Club has been placed in administration, The Northern Echo understands. The meeting, attended by the town's business leaders and the Darlington Supporters Trust
POLICE have been criticised for a lack of seasonal spirit after ticketing cars parked at a Christmas Eve market. A number of shoppers in Barnard Castle, County Durham, were shocked to discover five cars parked illegally in the town's market place had
MICK McCARTHY and Joachim Bjorklund are both convinced Sunderland are still serious contenders for promotion despite their inconsistent form. The Black Cats, who earned their first win in seven games against bottom club Wimbledon last weekend, host another
A NORTH-EAST professor is leading a £20m research project into the future of Britain's countryside. Professor Philip Lowe, of Newcastle University, will run the five-year Rural Economy and Land Use (Relu) programme. "Relu will address the complex and
AN independent investigation has revealed it would have been physically impossible for three soldiers at the Deepcut barracks to have killed themselves. Forensic expert Frank Swann has for the first time revealed the full findings of his investigation
A SPECIAL woman celebrated a special day yesterday - and not just because it was Christmas. Christina Yorke had more reason than most to celebrate Christmas Day because it also marked her 100th birthday. The great-grandmother, a resident at Denehurst
Christmas Ruined My Life (five) The Christmas Truce (five) WHILE the other channels were stuffing themselves with traditional Christmas cheer - soaps, old movies, variety shows - five was playing at being Scrooge. There was precious little seasonal cheer
FAMILIES on three estates had festive trips to relatives ruined when their cars were attacked in the early hours of Christmas morning. More than 30 vehicles had their tyres slashed on the estates known as The Agnews, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. It
ARRIVA Trains Northern is reminding customers to pick up a copy of its updated winter timetable which comes into effect from Sunday, January 4, and to take note of some minor changes. Dyan Crowther, Arriva Trains Northern's managing director, said: "We
OLIVIER BERNARD has confirmed he is ready to sign a new contract with Newcastle United - 18 months before his current deal expires. The Frenchman, who demanded to leave St. James' Park in the summer of last year before penning a fresh three-season agreement
POLICE are hunting a man who carried out an armed robbery wearing a Star Wars character mask and brandishing a silver gun. The man, believed to be in his early twenties, was wearing a mask of Darth Maul, from the film Phantom Menace, when he went into
SIR BOBBY ROBSON has told Jonathan Woodgate he can fill the breach in England's defence at Euro 2004 following Rio Ferdinand's eight-month ban for missing a drugs test, writes CLIVE HETHERINGTON. Newcastle centre-back Woodgate is recovering from a hamstring
POLICE are seeking witnesses after a fatal road accident on Christmas Eve. The accident happened at 10.10pm on the A189 in Cramlington, Northumberland, known locally as The Spine Road. A Rover 216 was in the outside lane travelling southbound, about a
STEVE McCLAREN has issued another hands-off warning over Gareth Southgate as the Middlesbrough skipper battles to overcome flu to make his 100th appearance for the club at Blackburn today. Manchester United, seeking a replacement for Rio Ferdinand following
