A BUSINESS Ambassador scheme which helps students prepare for the world of work now has more than 70 volunteers in the Darlington area. The Tees Valley scheme, which includes Darlington, has only been running for a year but already has almost 200 ambassadors
SPOOKY. No other word will do. Harewood Grove is one of Darlington's spookiest corners. A hulking, forbidding terrace, unlike anything else in town, rears up out of nowhere. In its heyday, it was the home of the wealthy with cast iron balconies for them
AN enhanced learning experience will be on offer to students in a refurbished higher education college. Last week, Durham City Council granted planning permission to Durham New College, allowing it to redevelop a 23-acre site at Framwellgate Moor. Work
CHILDREN in north Hartlepool can watch puppet shows and take part in craft sessions at the start of their half-term holiday next week. The events, which take place on Monday, are free but places must be booked. Pat's Puppets, for children aged five and
A REMARKABLE North-East surgeon is preparing to fly to the other side of the world to help the victims of war. Charles Viva, a retired plastic surgeon from Middlesbrough, is answering a mercy call from the island of Sri Lanka. Peace has finally returned
CAR crime in Darlington town centre is set to fall to a record low level - to the delight of community safety chiefs. Figures released this week show that there was only one offence committed in town centre car parks throughout January. Officials at Darlington
CAMPAIGNERS are threatening to go to the High Court in an attempt to bring a long-running dispute over a flood-damaged bridge to an end. Creet's Bridge, which crosses Kex Beck at Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, was partly washed away in freak floods two-and-a-half
A BLINDFOLD bowling challenge has been set by a charity in a bid to boost funds. Volunteers are needed to take part in a sponsored event for the Royal National Institute for the Blind. Money raised from the challenge, which will take place at the Hollywood
SCOUTING teenagers Michael Drew and Ben Kelsey have returned from the trip of a lifetime after meeting thousands of scouts from all over the world. Ben, of Newton Aycliffe, and Michael, of West Cornforth, enjoyed three and a half weeks in Thailand which
SCHOOL entrepreneurs have been making waves in the world of commerce by helping to keep a struggling swimming pool project afloat. A-level students from Wolsingham School and Community College acted as business troubleshooters for the Weardale Open Air
MUSSELBURGH'S Anderson Strathern Challenge Trophy is a much sought after piece of silverware, but if Night Fighter (2.30) comes out all guns blazing he could turn the race into a procession. When Night Fighter is on song he combines eye-catching efficiency
Singing for their starring chance NOT so much Operatunity as Operatunity Knocks. This looks like opera's variation on Pop Idol as hopefuls compete for the chance to sing in an English National Opera production at the London Coliseum, but turns out to
MOTORISTS in Darlington will soon face on-the-spot fines for leaving their engines running while their cars are stationary. The proposal caused a controversy when it was first mooted last year as part of a crackdown on drivers unnecessarily polluting
LOST pets could soon be a thing of the past thanks to the launch of a microchipping roadshow. The National Canine Defence League (NCDL) has teamed up with Scarborough Borough Council to allow more dog owners to have their pets microchipped, and to give
A SENIOR detective has been disciplined following reports about his behaviour in a pub. Simon Orton, a former acting CID chief inspector in Derwentside, was given a written warning following allegations he made "inappropriate comments" to another customer
NEWCASTLE University chancellor Chris Patten, 58, yesterday declared his candidacy for the chancellorship of Oxford University. The EU Commissioner and former Governor of Hong Kong will stand against Lord Bingham, who, like him, was an undergraduate at
NEWCASTLE University chancellor Chris Patten, 58, yesterday declared his candidacy for the chancellorship of Oxford University. The EU Commissioner and former Governor of Hong Kong will stand against Lord Bingham, who, like him, was an undergraduate at
MENTAL health workers have won a leading award for promoting good practice in Derwentside. Staff from County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust have won a European Week of Health and Safety Award. It follows the trust's work to promote
Sedgefield Borough Council, the Warm Front Team and Tees and Durham Energy advice have joined forces to help householders save energy by staging a roadshow offering grant information and home energy checks. It will be in Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre
A PUB is appealing for past winners of a traditional North-East sporting event to come forward for a reunion at this year's match. The Hardwick Arms is the starting point for the Sedgefield Ball Game, which has taken place in the village every Shrove
As a Newcastle fan and acclaimed academic, Tom Wright may want to take the Gospel into the community. But what can he do for the clergy cricket XI? Mike Amos sees the next Bishop of Durham arrive at the crease. THE next Bishop of Durham is a Morpeth lad
Grandfather Norman Fox has become the oldest ever Green Beret at the age of 55. Mr Fox went head to head with soldiers more than 30 years younger in the gruelling 30 week Royal Marines Training course. He endured an arduous assault course and treacherous
AN EMPTY car showroom could be turned into an adventure play centre for children - despite opposition from council officials. Plans have been lodged with Harrogate Borough Council to open the centre, with a cafe, and party rooms in a building on the town's
EDUCATION inspectors have heaped praise on a Darlington nursery school, giving it national recognition. The George Dent Nursery has been included in the Chief Inspector of Schools' annual report after last year's Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted
THREE people accused of money laundering have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Graham Bartlett, 35, of Chapelhouse Close, Darlington, is accused of obtaining property to the value of £17,200 between March 1997 and March 1998. Beverley Grimes, 42 and
TRANSPORT police in Darlington are launching a major operation next week after reports of children as young as 11 wreaking havoc on the town's railway tracks. The half-term police operation aims to crack down on youngsters vandalising, trespassing and
THE family of an IRA bomber have lost a legal battle over their arrest - at a cost of £55,000 to the taxpayer. Mr Justice Potts said police would have been "failing in their duty" if they had not arrested those closest to Sean McNulty. There was anger
TALENTED young boxers will follow in the footsteps of heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis when they train with his former club in Canada. Spennymoor Boxing Academy will join members of the Waterloo Regional Police Boxing Club for a week's training in May
TALENTED young boxers will follow in the footsteps of heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis when they train with his former club in Canada. Spennymoor Boxing Academy will join members of the Waterloo Regional Police Boxing Club for a week's training in May
TWENTY-NINE wraps of heroin, valued at about £300, were recovered by Stockton Community Policing Team, the District Support Unit and the District Drugs Unit during a raid on a house in Zetland Road, Stockton on Monday. Four people, one man in his 30s,
REAL ale lovers can enjoy a pint or two as the 2003 Wear Valley Camra Beer Festival starts today. The popular event, which runs until Saturday, offers four days of entertainment and a wide range of beers to chose from. Bishop Auckland Town Hall is hosting
NO doubt it seemed a great idea at the time. At the heart of the UN building in New York, symbol of the world's optimism after the Second World War, why not display a picture by the greatest artist of the 20th century? An anti-war picture naturally, because
POP, film and TV star Toyah Wilcox is starring in a production of upbeat musical Calamity Jane, which opened at the Civic Theatre, Darlington, last night and finishes on Saturday. It is set in the Wild West and includes classic songs from the original
A CYCLIST suffered serious injuries after a suspected hit-and-run yesterday. The accident happened on the northbound carriageway of the A19, just south of the Holystone roundabout, North Tyneside, at 7.40am, closing the road for three hours. The 50-year-old
FORTY young actors and musicians from a Darlington school are living it up on Broadway . The GCSE music and drama students from Branksome School set off on Sunday to New York, where they were seeing the Broadway version of the musical Cabaret. The show
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a crash that left a driver critically injured. The 45-year-old woman, from Peterlee, County Durham, is in Newcastle General Hospital with serious head injuries. The accident happened on Monday morning on the southbound
SOCCER legend Jack Charlton is to be the guest speaker at a sportsman's dinner being held in the North-East. The former Newcastle United and Republic of Ireland manager will be at the Dolphin Centre, in Darlington, on Friday, February 28. He will be speaking
ENTRANTS for Hartlepool Music and Arts Festival are being urged not to miss the deadline. The festival is organised by music teachers Pat Rutter and Derryck Pinfield, with support from Hartlepool Borough Council. There are about 70 classes of competition
A BICYCLE shop hit by the foot-and-mouth disease crisis is planning to expand. Within weeks of opening Specialist Cycles, in Meadowfield, near Durham, Martin Stout saw restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the disease, which closed much of the
TAKING up sport after a gap of four decades has brought out the competitive spirit in a group of people aged from 50 upwards. The sporting group visit Spectrum Leisure Complex, in Willington, twice a week to prove that age is no barrier to keeping fit
YOUNG performers will be bringing a mix of music, drama and comedy to the stage in Darlington tonight. Students from Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College have teamed up with local children for the production of Beauty and the Beast. Local theatre company
ORGANISERS of an appeal to send a young mother to the US for urgent medical treatment have condemned the theft of a collecting box. A box containing up to £75 was stolen from the British Red Cross shop in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, at about 3.15pm
Britain and the US were on high alert last night amid fears of an imminent terrorist attack. About 450 soldiers with armoured cars were deployed at Heathrow airport in a move authorised by the Prime Minister and based on intelligence of a specific threat
Three years ago John Foley was a tree surgeon working for Easington Council. Last night, millions of TV viewers saw the miner's son from Murton take his first step towards becoming an opera singer. He was one of 20 hopefuls chosen to go through to the
Holme House Prison, near Stockton, is searching for volunteers for its visitors centre. Contact (01642) 744304 for more details
A COMMUNITY house project to improve the lives of Ferryhill people is nearing completion. Local groups are already benefiting from the Ferryhill Ladder project. The initiative is the culmination of more than five years of hard work by the Ferryhill Lakes
THE following cases were heard by Darlington magistrates yesterday: CHARGE DENIED: Jon McGuinness, 37, of Norton Crescent, Sadberge, denied causing actual bodily harm on October 11 and using threatening behaviour on December 29 last year. The case was
THE British National Party (BNP) is planning to target Tony Blair's constituency and that of former cabinet member Peter Mandelson in this year's council elections. The right-wing group has announced plans to field candidates in Hartlepool and East Durham
REDUNDANT buildings could be renovated to provide offices and workshops in an attempt to combat a shortage of industrial units. Wear Valley District Council is appealing for people with old buildings or building sites that are not in use to register the
TWO of Wear Valley's main leisure centres are facing demolition as a council reconsiders its options for the future. Glenholme Leisure Centre in Crook, and Woodhouse Leisure Centre in Bishop Auckland, could be replaced with modern facilities that would
A SMALL black poplar tree was planted in Northallerton to symbolise a prosperous future for the Hambleton District. The sapling marks the launch of the Hambleton Community Plan - a long term vision aiming to promote the social, economic and environmental
A WORKER died when he fell off scaffolding at a steelworks. The 44-year-old contract worker was working on the Basic Oxygen Steel (Bos) plant in Lackenby, Dormanstown, near Redcar, Teesside, when the tragedy occurred at 1.45pm on Monday. Police investigating
COUNCILLORS yesterday agreed a rise of 11.5 per cent to their council tax precept to ensure no cuts in services across North Yorkshire during the next financial year. The news comes only a day after the North Yorkshire Police Authority confirmed a 76
THE Wensleydale Railway Association (WRA) celebrated signing up its 3,000th member yesterday with a ceremony in York. Having campaigned to re-open the railway line through Wensleydale since 1990, the WRA celebrated its recent milestone at the National
IRON-AGE entrepreneurs in the North-East proved their salt by recycling bronze coins and making trinkets to sell back to soldiers in the Roman Army, according to experts. Archaeologists say the evidence was revealed in a hoard of Roman coins discovered
Miners' leaders will today lobby the Government to halt the closure of the country's biggest pit complex after a new report raised hopes of making huge savings. Officials from the National Union of Mineworkers will meet Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia
A BOOK featuring Horace and Doris, the North-East's favourite cartoon couple, is back in supply, due to popular demand. The 100-page cartoon book, featuring a stockpile of unpublished drawings, was produced last year in time for Christmas and quickly
SPECULATION is mounting about the future of a former bus depot in Ripon which closed last year as a football fun centre. The Football Fun Go-Ball centre was housed in the former United Automobile bus depot, off Firby Lane, near the city's community hospital
THE Newcastle Falcons rugby club will be putting some romance in the air on Friday by offering one couple a romantic meal for two in the club's new west stand. The meal, worth more than £100, will be given to the 14th person through the turnstiles at
A CANCER charity has launched its biggest appeal yet in an effort to provide more psychological care for patients. York Against Cancer's £200,000 appeal will fund the appointment of a consultant clinical psychologist as well as nursing and administrative
A DRUG addict who burgled the home of former Newcastle United star Duncan Ferguson has been jailed for four years. Carl Bishop, 37, needed two days of hospital treatment after he was caught by the ex-Magpie at his home in Formby, Merseyside. Liverpool
AN elderly woman has fallen victim to a bogus caller. The incident happened at 5pm on Monday in Challender Road, Yarm, when a man called at the 78-year-old's home saying he was fixing the water supply in the area. The woman let him into her house after
A TEACHER who sought solace in drink from the stress of an Ofsted inspection, avoided jail yesterday after admitting a third drink-driving offence. District Judge Roy Anderson, sitting at Harrogate Magistrates' Court, told David Gilman, 54, that as a
COUNCIL tenants who flout safety rules have been warned they may face eviction. By law, Middlesbrough Council must carry out checks for carbon monoxide emissions on gas heaters in council houses every year. Contractors employed by the council arrange
CLAIMS that up to 4,000 men in a North-East village are to be DNA tested in the Milly Dowler murder investigation are exaggerated, say police. Surrey Police investigating the death of 13-year-old Amanda "Milly" Dowler have already carried out swab tests
Officers believe young boys are behind a spate of tyre slashings in the Stanley area during the past two weeks. Witnesses have reported seeing a pair of boys aged about 12, one armed with a 12in knife, in Malvern Terrace, Cleveland Terrace and Cotswold
CUPID is redundant. The chubby little baby-faced chap might as well hang up that bow and arrow right now and go off and get properly dressed. He's been replaced by a quiz and a computer. In this week of all weeks, as we're surrounded by red roses, chocolate
CHILDREN in north Hartlepool can watch puppet shows and take part in craft sessions at the start of their half-term holiday next week. The events, which take place on Monday, are free but places must be booked. Pat's Puppets, for children aged five and
WHEN Kate Fearnley bounced on to the stage to collect the top accolade at the Best New Business Awards it capped a phenomenal first year as her own boss. Scooping both the young person award and overall winner at the ceremony, held at Middlesbrough FC's
A company is facing an unlimited fine after human waste and body fluids which should have been incinerated were discovered on a North-East roadside. Truckloads of waste, including human tissue some of which was five months' old, were discovered at truck
A teenage girl has been found murdered in a North-East field. The 14-year-old girl was discovered yesterday afternoon on the outskirts of Cramlington, Northumberland. Although the victim has yet to be formally identified, trained family liaison officers
COUNCILLORS hope to improve County Durham's GCSE results by putting an extra £2m into education. Durham County Council is belt-tightening after getting a disappointing grant settlement from the Government . This happened despite a shake-up in the funding
HEALTH bosses have revealed that an expanded "super-hospital" being built under the Government's controversial private finance initiative will have fewer beds than the hospitals it replaces. Work is well under way to double the size of the James Cook
NEIGHBOURS yesterday spoke of how they tried in vain to save a pensioner from his blazing home. Residents pulled James Bernard Parks, 76, from his ground floor flat in Cleveland Avenue, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, after spotting smoke pouring from
LAURENT ROBERT last night accused Dennis Bergkamp of conning referee Neale Barry in getting the Newcastle United winger controversially sent off last Sunday. Robert is furious that Barry showed him the red card after Bergkamp used his "cunning" to claim
A COUPLE who have brought the news to their community are making the headlines themselves as they celebrate 60 years of marriage. Jack and Olga Hedley are well-known in Eldon Lane where they have served behind the counter of Hedley's store, which they
LYRICAL latecomer to the world wide whatsit, Chris Willsden in Darlington not only discovers on the Internet the Gadfly Guide to Marketing - "On the one hand a gadfly is positive, a stimulus; on the other it's just annoying, a persistent irritating critic
NOT for the first time this season Darlington failed to make possession count as they succumbed to a disappointing defeat at the hands of fellow strugglers Rochdale last night. Former Newcastle supremo Sir John Hall watched from the stands alongside Quakers
A SCHEME that takes books to housebound readers is appealing for more County Durham volunteers. More than 40 Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) volunteers deliver more than 500 books and audio tapes each year to 120 people who cannot get out because
LEADING theologian Tom Wright has been chosen as the next Bishop of Durham. He succeeds Bishop Michael who resigns at the end of April. Dr Wright, currently Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey, was born in 1948 and brought up in Northumberland. He said
TWO of Wear Valley's main leisure centres could be facing demolition as a council rethinks their future. Both Glenholme Leisure Centre in Crook, and Woodhouse Leisure Centre, Bishop Auckland, could be replaced with state-of-the-art facilities that would
KEVIN BALL confirmed his arrival as Sunderland's father figure last night, when he pledged to guide the club's players through the choppy waters of the Premiership survival battle. Ball told the squad that he will be on hand to provide advice and support
SUNDERLAND'S fallen stars were last night warned they faced the axe as the club prepared for an apocalyptic financial future. With the Black Cats saddled with debts of £25m and staring relegation in the face after two years of almost non-stop failure,
INTREPID Amber Powers is appealing for help to embark on a dream South American adventure. The 40-year-old from Darlington is planning to tackle a ten-day trek for charity through the mountains of Peru in September. She needs to raise £3,000 by July for
FOUR years of hard work paid off for community leaders at the weekend with the opening of a first-class community centre. The refurbished St Columba's Church and Clifton Community Centre in Darlington, was opened to the public on Saturday. The development
COUNCILLORS hope to improve County Durham's GCSE results by putting an extra £2m into education. Durham County Council is belt-tightening after getting a disappointing grant settlement from the Government . This happened despite a shake-up in the funding
FISHBURN Band have been crowned champions of the Durham League. The band, conducted by Graham O'Connor, took the honours in section A of the Durham County Brass Band Association's annual grading contest at Spennymoor Leisure Centre. In second place were
BATTLELINES are being drawn over plans to build a block of flats in the middle of a Teesside residential area. Building firm George Wimpey North-East has applied to Stockton Borough Council for permission to demolish a house in South View, Eaglesciffe
A DARLINGTON agency has won a major North-East contract in the face of strong competition. Darlington Business Venture (DBV) is celebrating after its events division won a contract to plan a series of business events throughout the North-East. The events
The next Bishop of Durham said yesterday that it was "tragic" that the only two avowedly Christian leaders in the west were the ones trying to persuade everyone else to go to war. "It's bound to look to the rest of the world as if it's Christianity against
FIVE swimmers have paid tribute to a special little girl this week on what would have been her fifth birthday. The courage of cancer victim Meg Lockey, of Bishop Auckland, has inspired her family and friends to raise money for the hospital which battled
THE creation of a school council has helped put youngsters on the map to clinch a Healthy Schools Award. Children at St Cuthbert's School, Crook, are celebrating after they were presented with the Healthy Schools Award by Durham and Darlington Health
DRIVERS could face an increase in speed cameras after police hailed a reduction in deaths and serious injuries on North-East roads. Cleveland Police said that deaths and serious injuries had fallen from 48 to 34 over a period of two years in areas where
MURDERED ex-pat Jim Green may have had an earlier run-in with his brutal killers, police said yesterday. The retired engineer, from Ripon, North Yorkshire, who died after being knocked on the head, shot and stabbed four times in his chest, had scared
THE region's first gay commitment ceremonies were given the go-ahead last night. Darlington Borough Council has become the first authority in the North-East to introduce the ceremonies, which sparked controversy when they were first mooted last week.
DURHAM-born Eric Clapton sound and lookalike Mike Hall is planning a concert based on the star's Unplugged album. Mike and his band, Classic Clapton, will perform at the Live Theatre, Broad Chare, Quayside, on Friday, February 21, at 8pm. It will be their
A BLOOD donor session will be held in Burn Park Methodist Church, Burn Park Road, Sunderland, from 2.30pm to 7pm, today.
EFFORTS to tackle anti-social behaviour have resulted in a 60 per cent fall in incidents in part of Chester-le-Street. Chester-le-Street District Council and the town's police clamped down on nuisance behaviour in the Chester West ward. Last year there
A TEENAGER died and two others were seriously injured when two cars were involved in a crash on Monday. Paul Christopher Hughes, 17, of Gladstone Street, Eston, Middlesbrough, was pronounced dead at the scene after the Ford Fiesta he was travelling in
RECENT work of artist Gillie Cawthorne is going down a storm at her former college. The former Durham University student is exhibiting her latest watercolours at Trevelyan College, where she is "an old girl". Although she graduated in geology, Gillie
A CHRISTIAN minister accused of sexually abusing young inmates yesterday claimed explicit novels found at his home had been kept for his church work. Neville Husband, 65, is alleged to have asked one of his victims to carry out a particular perverted
A DECORATOR has appeared in court charged with stealing jewellery worth £57,000 from a village tea shop. Anthony Cormack, 37, of Deona Court, Darlington, is charged with taking the jewellery from the Country Tea Shop, in Front Street, Staindrop, County
POLICE have warned young arsonists they could face stiff penalties after three fires in two days in North Yorkshire. A blaze near Richmond on Sunday evening severely damaged a four-bay Dutch barn. Firefighters were still dousing the flames six hours later
A SERIES of public meetings are to be held this month in an effort to rid the district of animal nuisances. Wear Valley District Council wants to hear residents' views about specific problems relating to stray dogs, dog fouling, stray horses and illegal
SPOOKY. No other word will do. Harewood Grove is one of Darlington's spookiest corners. A hulking, forbidding terrace, unlike anything else in town, rears up out of nowhere. In its heyday, it was the home of the wealthy with cast iron balconies for them
TEENAGERS were given the chance to take part in workshops with a leading author yesterday. Gervase Phinn, writer of Head Over Heals in the Dales, held a writing masterclass for a group of 60 year nine pupils from secondary schools across Hartlepool. The
A DARLINGTON marketing consultant has won a sales award. Clare Watson, of Elementary Solutions, won the marketing award at the National Car Rental Franchise convention for work she did with one of her clients, Thrifty Car Rentals, in Darlington. Ms Watson
A DARLINGTON charity shop is in urgent need of volunteers to work as shop assistants. The Butterwick Children's Hospice Shop, in Skinnergate, has a shortage of workers and needs volunteers to work a minimum of three-hour shifts. Tasks include sorting
YOUNG County Durham brass musicians will hone their technique at the weekend with one of the country's leading band conductors. Nicholas Childs, conductor of the Black Dyke Band, will lead a workshop for young players at County Hall, Durham, on Sunday
YOUNG County Durham brass musicians will hone their technique at the weekend with one of the country's leading band conductors. Nicholas Childs, conductor of the Black Dyke Band, will lead a workshop for young players at County Hall, Durham, on Sunday
A road safety guide has been launched in Stockton borough. The free guide has been issued to schools, libraries and Stockton Borough Council reception areas, and contains information about the road safety team, cycle routes, how to fit car seats properly
POLICE have arrested 22 people after high-profile raids on suspected crack houses in a North-East town yesterday. In three simultaneous raids in Union Street and Outram Street, Middlesbrough, officers seized crack cocaine with an estimated street value
A FAMILY are demanding an apology from health chiefs after receiving a letter inviting their dead baby son for a hearing test. Kieron Pouton died of heart problems aged seven days, in November 1997, after being born prematurely. His parents, Dawn and
A BAND which is struggling for money to buy instruments is hoping to attract a local sponsor as part of a big fundraising campaign. Cockerton Band in Darlington, which was set up in 1870, needs £50,000 to replace instruments and uniforms, and improve
THE mother of a little girl killed in a hit and run smash has written a moving letter telling of her love for her daughter and hatred for the killer. Sharon Sawyer described her agony as doctors at the hospital where she works battled in vain to save
A CYCLIST suffered serious injuries after a suspected hit-and-run yesterday. The accident happened on the northbound carriageway of the A19, just south of the Holystone roundabout, North Tyneside, at 7.40am, closing the road for three hours. The 50-year-old
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a crash that left a driver critically injured. The 45-year-old woman, from Peterlee, County Durham, is in Newcastle General Hospital with serious head injuries. The accident happened on Monday morning on the southbound
PARENTS who let their children skip school are the focus of a campaign warning them they could face jail. Starting this week, posters will be displayed on buses and the Metro system on Tyneside, warning parents that they could be prosecuted if their children
Fiona Blacke, chief executive of Connexions Tees Valley launches an information and guidance centre at the University of Teesside, today. The Course Information Centre is near the university's main reception in the Middlesbrough tower. Staff will be available
Volunteers in Derwentside are being urged to step into the limelight and claim a cash prize. Derwentside District Council is looking for people who have made an outstanding contribution to their community, to be entered in the Nationwide Awards for Voluntary
IT is hoped thousands of pounds will be raised when Guisborough Round Table Stage Society presents What a Wonderful World next week. The show takes place at Laurence Jackson School, Guisborough, from Monday to Saturday, next week, and has been backed
CONSTRUCTION and infrastructure business Morgan Sindall has reported a record year. The company, which has operations across the UK, including affordable housing provider Lovell in Stockton, reported a 26 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £15.5m. That
MANUFACTURING business the Fin Machine Company has increased its workforce after winning millions of pounds worth of orders in the past six months. The firm, based on the Salters Lane Industrial Estate in Sedgefield, County Durham, has increased its staffing
ARRIVA Trains Northern has scrapped three regional director posts in an effort to streamline operations. But the company has denied it is in response to criticism levelled by some passenger groups who claim their views are not being heard. The Northern
A shake-up of training for military recruits should have been in place before a young North East soldier died, his father has said. Geoff Gray's comments came as the Ministry of Defence announced measures to stamp out the mistreatment of young service
A NUMBER of major firms will today offer tips and advice on how North-East business can benefit from embracing information and communication technology. The Neon 2003 event will act as a platform for the exchange of e-business know-how through exhibitions
A FORMER psychiatric patient who held a family friend hostage was arrested after a four-hour siege in the region yesterday. The 36-year-old woman, who was a recent patient of St Luke's Hospital, Middlesbrough, brought a residential street to a standstill
KEEN walkers gathered for the first in a series of walks designed to encourage people to enjoy a healthier way of living. The three-mile walk following the old railway line between Bishop Auckland and Brandon Way marked the first in a programme that will
A TELEPHONE kiosk in a County Durham village was completely destroyed by a firework in an act of vandalism. Several people contacted the emergency services after hearing a loud explosion in West Cornforth at about 10.30pm on Monday. The noise was so loud
CRICKET can be proud of Andy Flower and Henry Olonga. In finding the courage to wear black armbands in protest at the 'death of democracy' in their country, these Zimbabweans were prepared to put morality and decency before their own personal safety.
SUGGESTIONS that North-East hospital bosses have enjoyed above inflation pay increases have been denied by NHS trusts. A report published earlier this week suggested that changes in the way NHS chief executives' salaries are disclosed could conceal large
Professor Robert Wilson, honorary professor of surgical science in the school for health at the University of Durham, is to give a lecture on research into bowel cancer, next Wednesday, at 5.30pm, in the Ebsworth Building, at the University of Durham,
Professor Robert Wilson, honorary professor of surgical science in the school for health at the University of Durham, is to give a lecture on research into bowel cancer, next Wednesday, at 5.30pm, in the Ebsworth Building, at the University of Durham,
George Larkin, known to many as Brother George, of the Order of St John of God, died yesterday. Mike Amos looks back on his life. THE monk the North-East knew as Brother George died peacefully yesterday. Diminutive in sackcloth and glasses, he was 92.
TRADE unionists and Labour politicians will pay tribute to a North-East union leader on Friday. Family, friends and colleagues will attend a memorial service for Joe Mills in Sunderland Minster at 2pm. Mr Mills, 68, of North Haven, Roker, Sunderland,
A fundraising evening in aid of Shildon's Sans Pareil Jazz Band will feature its own version of the Full Monty and a host of pop star impersonations. The show takes place at the Old Shildon Club on Friday, at 7.30pm. Tickets are available on (01388) 775728
A fundraising evening in aid of Shildon's Sans Pareil Jazz Band will feature its own version of the Full Monty and a host of pop star impersonations. The show takes place at the Old Shildon Club on Friday, at 7.30pm. Tickets are available on (01388) 775728
A COACH and driver are needed to help in a cycle ride that will raise money for research into a rare blood disorder. June Kynoch, the grandmother of a child suffering from diamond blackfan anaemia, has arranged a coast-to-coast cycle ride to fund research
A COACH and driver are needed to help in a cycle ride that will raise money for research into a rare blood disorder. June Kynoch, the grandmother of a child suffering from diamond blackfan anaemia, has arranged a coast-to-coast cycle ride to fund research
YOUNGSTERS have boosted their primary school's coffers and helped two national charities with some imaginative fundraising events. Children at Rosa Street Primary School, in Spennymoor, held a Great Tiddly-Wink Challenge to raise £1,600 for school funds
VOLUNTEERS are being sought to join the team at one of the National Trust's most popular attractions. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Trust taking over at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, near Ripon, and an open day is being held on Saturday
A NEW role has been created to encourage more pupils to join in school sport. Alison Raw has been given the post of partnership development manager by Darlington Borough Council. She will be responsible for developing plans to get pupils across the borough
PEOPLE are being given the chance to have their say on how to tackle the region's growing waste problem. Local people, businesses and organisations are being urged to attend a meeting at the Golden Lion Hotel, in Northallerton, next Wednesday, to discuss
Officers believe young boys are behind a spate of tyre slashings in the Stanley area during the past two weeks. Witnesses have reported seeing a pair of boys aged about 12, one armed with a 12in knife, in Malvern Terrace, Cleveland Terrace and Cotswold
A WORKER died when he fell off scaffolding at a steelworks. The 44-year-old contract worker was working on the Basic Oxygen Steel (Bos) plant in Lackenby, Dormanstown, near Redcar, Teesside, when the tragedy occurred at 1.45pm on Monday. Police investigating
A POLICE sergeant has been forced to quit the force following a two-year investigation into complaints about his behaviour. Sergeant Nigel Davies, a former acting city centre commander in York, was required to resign by a disciplinary tribunal after a
A CONTROVERSIAL artist faces a police investigation after a swastika design he made to bring attention to his work sparked fury. Northumbria Police said they wanted to question George French, 53, whose circular 12ft-wide flower bed creation was criticised
THE North-East's universities are to get £36.5m towards scientific research projects. The money is part of £1bn being allocated to 150 universities across the country from the Government's Science Research Investment Fund, for 2004 to 2006. Newcastle
THREE pupils from the same school have shown creative flair to win a writing competition. Pupils at Nevilles Cross Primary School, Durham, were invited to enter the contest by the Team Players theatre company when it visited the school in December. The
CUPID is redundant. The chubby little baby-faced chap might as well hang up that bow and arrow right now and go off and get properly dressed. He's been replaced by a quiz and a computer. In this week of all weeks, as we're surrounded by red roses, chocolate
LYRICAL latecomer to the world wide whatsit, Chris Willsden in Darlington not only discovers on the Internet the Gadfly Guide to Marketing - "On the one hand a gadfly is positive, a stimulus; on the other it's just annoying, a persistent irritating critic
A young mother invented a new identity for herself after she was repeatedly caught shoplifting to feed her heroin addiction, a court was told yesterday. Kerry Parfitt, 24, spent two periods in police cells posing as Kerry Reeder, knowing that her criminal
THE Rotary Club of Darlington has raised thousands of pounds to help blind and partially-sighted people. A series of fund-raising nights was held by the club to raise £2,200 for the Talking Newspaper for the Blind, which is based in The Northern Echo
CHILDREN are being offered the chance to make friends, surf the Internet, and take part in activities at a new club. The free club, for youngsters aged five to 13, opens at Wingate Library, in Front Street, tomorrow. It will run from 4.30pm to 6.30pm
COUNTY Durham businesses are being warned not to fall foul of a new data protection rip-off. Official-looking letters telling businesses they have to register under the Data Protection Act 1998 are being sent out with a demand for £95, nearly three times
The effect of congestion charges to be introduced in London next week will spread to the North-East, according to transport groups. The Freight Transport Association's said that not only did companies based in the region deliver a variety of services
PETER MULLEN: REV Peter Mullen (Echo, Feb 4) told the tragic tale of how he was attacked and persecuted by a miserable bunch of atheistical misfits from the National Secular Society. And all because he invited donations for his marvellous Wren church
Plant fitter, Newton Aycliffe, 39hrs pw, must be time served, LGV 2 an advantage. Ref: NEU 16678. Cleaner, Staindrop, £5.10ph, start 3.20pm Mon-Fri, required for school. Ref: BAJ 4692. Sheet metal worker, Shildon, £6 to £7ph, 40hrs pw, plus overtime,
A village split by a bitter row over the destiny of its allotments has been told all 370 households will have to share the parish council's hefty legal bill. The precept set to cover the Barton administration's annual costs would normally be no more than
A SCHOOL hall was given a facelift thanks to a donation from a charitable trust. Skerne Park Infants' school, Parkside, Darlington, received £200 from the Abbey National Charitable Trust Ltd. The money will be used to replace worn-out curtains in the
TWO communities have joined forces in an attempt to stop a mobile phone firm erecting a 20 metre high mast near their homes. More than 300 residents of Croxdale and Tudhoe have signed a petition against a proposed telecommunications mast to be sited between
LEADING theologian Tom Wright has been chosen as the next Bishop of Durham. He succeeds Bishop Michael who resigns at the end of April. Dr Wright, currently Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey, was born in 1948 and brought up in Northumberland. He said
ELEVEN schools in the region were celebrating their newly acquired specialist status yesterday following months of hard fundraising work. Staff, parents and pupils at the schools threw themselves into raising the £50,000 of sponsorship each needed in
DARLINGTON Building Society has helped to celebrate the retirement of its longest-serving staff member. David Crozier worked at the society for 41 years. He recently celebrated his retirement at the head office with current and former work colleagues.
