Archive

  • Corus: We've had no French buyers here

    STEEL manufacturer Corus last night denied reports that a delegation from a French company had toured its Teesside works with a view to buying the operation. The rebuttal comes at a time when the Anglo-Dutch company is in financial crisis with looming

  • 25/02/03

    THE result at Wrexham on Sunday was a good one, especially considering that if they had won they could have gone fourth in the table. It really does show how even this division is and apart from our good friends at Hartlepool there isn't much in it. I

  • Woman killed as fog wreaks havoc

    ONE person was killed and 13 others were injured - seven of them seriously - in at least ten accidents which brought chaos to a fogbound A1 yesterday. North Yorkshire Police have not released the identity of the woman who died, but a spokesman confirmed

  • Cleared star Matthew heads for the Civic

    Television presenter Matthew Kelly spoke of his relief yesterday after police ruled out further action over an allegation that he sexually abused a young boy. Detectives said they were taking no further action over the allegation, which dated back to

  • Birdman of East Cowton rekindles talent

    THE view outside Harry Sissen's kitchen window was as pretty as a picture, a colourful array of exotic birds flying around in his aviaries. Yet it wasn't until the renowned breeder of macaws, cockatoos and parrots spent eight months behind bars that he

  • Little animals prove to be big business

    A FONDNESS for small, furry animals has become big business for a couple who had been planning a quiet retirement in the Yorkshire Dales. When they were living in Whitley Bay John Ogbourne and wife Joyce were so inspired by their daughter's guinea pigs

  • Comment: Time now to kick the drugs

    MATTHEW Kelly will arrive in the North-East today a mightily relieved man. With allegations of child abuse rejected, he is assured of a warm reception at the Civic Theatre in Darlington. Although the seriousness of the revelation that he is an occasional

  • Dated village hall awarded grant

    A GRANT from the National Lottery community fund has boosted a programme of improvements to a 73-year-old village hall at Leeming. The £23,310 award will help towards alterations, new equipment and roofing maintenance costs at the hall, which serves Leeming

  • Sex shop owner accused of running a brothel

    The owner of a North-East sex shop appeared in court today accused of running a brothel. John Middleton, 59, was charged with two counts of living on the earnings of prostitution at South Durham Magistrates' Court in Darlington. Mr Middleton, of Barrenthwaite

  • 25.02.03

    WAR ON IRAQ: I HAVE always ignored left-wingers. They would probably like to see their own grandparents receive less pension so that the Third World and asylum seekers in Great Britain would obtain more money from our government. They may have been one

  • Asylum hope as rethink ordered

    IMMIGRATION officials are looking at new evidence in the case of asylum-seeker Tayyip Oruc, who fears he will be killed if he is deported back to Turkey. The Kurdish man, who lives in Yarm, near Stockton, said he would be imprisoned immediately and could

  • Tait hoping Whitehead is clear to play in Feethams derby

    Darlington caretaker boss Mick Tait was last night counting the cost of Sunday's battling draw at Wrexham after it was revealed defender Stuart Whitehead had damaged ankle ligaments. The former Carlisle man now faces a race against the clock to be fit

  • Train plan confidence

    RAIL enthusiasts declared yesterday they were more confident than ever of bringing a prominent steam train to Darlington. A campaign to transport Blue Peter, one of the most famous names from the golden age of the railways, to the town has received overwhelming

  • Band leaves on optimistic note

    LAST week, military bandmaster Captain Kevin Roberts was at home with wife, Sally, celebrating their twin daughters' birthdays. Yesterday, he had to say farewell to Sally, and Jasmin and Madeline, without knowing for certain when he will see them again

  • Coroner plans appeal

    DISGRACED coroner Jeremy Cave is to appeal against his sentence. The solicitor was jailed for 3 years earlier this month after a jury convicted him of stealing £155,000 from dead clients' estates over a period of ten years. Cave, 53, who faces a Law Society

  • Pupils given strong lead

    A powerful campaign that aims to help children to recognise the impact of bullying and how to deal with it was launched yesterday. Muscle-man Dave Gouder went to Wensleydale School in Leyburn and Risedale College in Catterick Garrison yesterday showing

  • Community devastated by woman's death

    A community was today struggling to come to terms with the death of a "charming" old lady in an horrific accident. The 86-year-old, named locally as Jenny Spedding, was killed as she crossed the road near the exit to the bus station, on Durham's North

  • More laptop computers for teachers

    HUNDREDS more teachers across North Yorkshire will get laptop computers as the technological revolution continues to sweep across the county. The laptops, complete with software, will be given to more than 700 teachers at a cost of £700,000. It will take

  • Domestic violence is placed in spotlight

    THE misery unleashed by wife-beaters comes under the spotlight at a conference in the North-East later this week. Delegates from across Teesside gather at the Oakwood Centre, Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, on Friday, for a conference examining domestic

  • Strategy update

    THE public will have the chance to have their say on a strategy to regenerate rural east Cleveland tonight. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council will deliver an update on progress on its Rural Strategy at Loftus Town Hall, at 6.30pm.

  • Grant allows for extra play places

    A NEWTON Aycliffe nursery will be able to double the number of places it offers, thanks to a substantial grant. The Playday Nursery plans to create 26 places by extending its premises in Simpasture Gate. The nursery has been awarded £122,822 by the New

  • Extra snow clearing cash call rejected by council

    A REQUEST for Sedgefield Borough Council to allocate extra funding in next year's budget to clearing snow from footpaths has been refused. Liberal Democrat Councillor Ben Ord made the request after Durham County Council's decision to cut its winter maintenance

  • Extra snow clearing cash call rejected by council

    A REQUEST for Sedgefield Borough Council to allocate extra funding in next year's budget to clearing snow from footpaths has been refused. Liberal Democrat Councillor Ben Ord made the request after Durham County Council's decision to cut its winter maintenance

  • Expanded nursery is relaunched

    A NEWLY expanded nursery has opened in Barnard Castle. The extra facilities at Green Lane Nursery and Childcare Centre have been welcomed by parents. The need for expansion became apparent soon after the launch of the popular nursery in September 2001

  • Iraqi in hospital after knife attack

    AN Iraqi asylum-seeker yesterday told how he helped one of his countrymen when he collapsed on his doorstep with serious stab wounds. The teenage refugee had been stabbed in the neck and upper body and was losing blood when he knocked on the window of

  • Road closure

    The A61 in Thirsk will be closed from March 2 to 6 for work on a road scheme. The stretch involved is a section of Finkle Street from the one-way system to the junction with the Market Place.

  • News in brief: Talking about the Wild West

    A professor of cultural history at the Royal College of Art, and chairman of the Design Council, will be in Scarborough on Friday. Sir Christopher Frayling will give an illustrated lecture of Sergio Leone's Western films at the School of Art and Design

  • Pupils sample culture of the townships

    AS the eyes of the cricketing world are on World Cup matches in South Africa, County Durham students are being given a taste of the culture of the country's townships. Soweto-born Raymond Otto is spending three days with year nine pupils at Sunnydale

  • Traditional horsepower helps sensitive nature reserve project

    WORK has begun to create a local nature reserve in Middlesbrough. Linthorpe Cemetery will be turned into a reserve and work began yesterday to enhance the area for wildlife by creating small clearings to allow the planting of healthy young trees. However

  • Crackdown on unruly youths

    POLICE are to step up a big crackdown on unruly youngsters after receiving overwhelming public support for the campaign. The Darlington force is adopting a zero tolerance approach to the escalating problem in parts of the town. Drunken teenagers have

  • Push pledges

    A SPONSORED wheelchair push in aid of a cerebral palsy charity will raise more than £1,500. Paul Hodgson is being pushed 112 miles from Darlington to Scunthorpe and has already been pledged £1,600. To sponsor him, call (01325) 255310 after 5pm.

  • Tucking into a charitable feast

    AN 18-year-old cancer victim is doing his bit to promote the treatment that saved his life - by tucking into Britain's biggest all-day breakfast. Jimmy Griffiths, of Redcar, east Cleveland, who is in remission after successfully fighting the disease last

  • Staff seminars defended despite cash shortage

    A HARD-up local authority has defended its decision to hold a series of seminars for its staff. Durham County Council has invited all its social services staff, as well as elected members, to a series of seminars on the theme of Managing the Future. Beginning

  • Beauty therapy course on offer

    A FREE taster session into the art of beauty therapy will be held at Saltburn Community Centre today, from 10am to noon. The session will give people a chance to find out about a five-week course on manicure, pedicure and skin-type recognition. It is

  • Chocaholic Stephen starts work on his dream

    WHEN chocoholic Stephen Gallagher was offered a job at a dessert manufacturers, he jumped at the opportunity. Nineteen-year-old Stephen, from Winlaton, Gateshead, was not sure what he wanted to do for a career after completing a GNVQ in business. He enlisted

  • Strongman gives powerful talk about school bullying

    A FRESH initiative which aims to help children recognise the impact of bullying was launched in North Yorkshire yesterday. Strongman Dave Gouder visited Wensleydale School, in Leyburn, and Risedale College, in Catterick Garrison, to demonstrate his strength

  • Visit boosts exports

    FOUR North-East firms are hoping to boost their European exports after strengthening ties between their community and its twin towns in France. The companies, all from South Tyneside, took part in a trade mission to France to promote closer ties with

  • News in brief: Sports centre work to start

    IMPROVEMENT work will soon be started on outdoor sports facilities in Gateshead. The work, at the Elgin Centre, in Carr Hill, will include the resurfacing of playing courts, as well as bringing the floodlights back into use. Councillor Brian Coates, chairman

  • Tucking into a charitable feast

    AN 18-year-old cancer victim is doing his bit to promote the treatment that saved his life - by tucking into Britain's biggest all-day breakfast. Jimmy Griffiths, of Redcar, east Cleveland, who is in remission after successfully fighting the disease last

  • Have a say on proposals for improvements

    RESIDENTS are being urged to help shape the future of sports facilities on Hartlepool's Headland. People are invited to attend a meeting in the Borough Hall tomorrow, at 6.30pm, to consider options for improving the facilities. The meeting has been organised

  • Appeal is made to help fill aid convoy lorry

    PEOPLE are being urged to help victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster by donating food and clothing. Durham City Council is supporting one of a convoy of lorries due to set off for Chernobyl in March. It is being provided free by one of the council's

  • Decision day for house bid

    VILLAGERS find out tomorrow whether their community centre will be flattened to make way for housing. More than 700 residents in Sunniside, Gateshead, have objected to proposals to demolish the village hall and build two houses on the site. A planning

  • Videolink aid for the deaf is unveiled

    A MAJOR event for deaf people in the North-East will take place next month. Hundreds of deaf and hearing-impaired people are expected to attend the second annual Spotlight on Deafness open day, at County Hall, in Durham, on Thursday, March 13, from 10am

  • Group launched to assist domestic violence victims

    A SUPPORT group for isolated victims of domestic violence was launched yesterday. The Bridges scheme, in Stanley, aims to provide support and advice for women in north-west Durham who have been mentally or physically abused by husbands, boyfriends or

  • 'Don't move here' warning

    DRUG dealers being forced out of one corner of the North-East by a high-profile police campaign, have been warned they will not find new homes in neighbouring towns. Anti-drug operations in Cleveland under the local force's Dealer A Day campaign appear

  • Partnership providing lifeline for the homeless

    A SCHEME that was set up to combat homelessness, drug misuse and unemployment has been praised for its work. The Solid Foundations Tenancy Support scheme was established in October 2000 as a partnership project between the Salvation Army and York Housing

  • Warning on repairs con

    RESIDENTS in Middlesbrough are being warned against people knocking on doors offering to carry out building work. The principal trading standards officer at Middlesbrough Council, Sinead Upton, said: "We have received complaints that the town is currently

  • Action plan to protect wildlife

    A PLAN to protect and enhance wildlife across Hambleton will be launched later this week. The district's biodiversity action plan will also mark the opening of the district's first designated nature area - Nosterfield Local Nature Reserve. Aimed at raising

  • 25/02/03

    THE result at Wrexham on Sunday was a good one, especially considering that if they had won they could have gone fourth in the table. It really does show how even this division is and apart from our good friends at Hartlepool there isn't much in it. I

  • 'Badgers not to blame for spread of TB'

    BADGER campaigners have hit back at claims that the animals are to blame for the spread of tuberculosis to cattle. Last week, farmers said they would back any Government initiative to cull badgers in the North, after Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett

  • Burglar is hunted

    POLICE are hunting a thief who has been targeting elderly people. The thief, aged between 16 and 20, is thought to have struck three times in one night, at Knayton, Thirsk and Shipton-by-Beningbrough, North Yorkshire. In two incidents he tricked his way

  • KKR pulls out of race for Safeway

    THE number of potential bidders circling supermarket group Safeway fell to five yesterday after a US buyout specialist pulled out of the running. New York-based Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) said it had decided not to develop its initial interest. That

  • Prison names woman found hanged in cell

    A WOMAN found hanged in her cell at a North-East prison has been named. Susan Stevens, 48, from the South, was discovered hanging from a home-made ligature by staff at Durham Prison in the early hours of Friday. She had only been there for three days,

  • Elderly people get in the swing of safety with exercise classes

    AN exercise class to help pensioners avoid injury was launched at a community centre yesterday. People in Thornley, east Durham, who are involved in a project to reduce falls among elderly people, launched the class at Thornley Community Centre. It teaches

  • Vicar's new challenge

    THE Rev Sue Wilkins broke new ground when she joined the Methodist church in Northallerton. She was its first woman minister at the time, and has continued with that pioneering spirit for the last eight years. She leaves in August for Brampton in Cumbria

  • Woman fled after sex led to violence

    A HALF-NAKED woman was forced to take refuge by hiding in a wheelie-bin after a drunken sex session turned violent, a court heard yesterday. The terrified 25-year-old, wearing only a T-shirt, cowered in the back yard bin at 1am as her attacker David Holmes

  • A battlefront recalled

    THE deeds of British forces, including North-East soldiers, in a forgotten First World War battlefront will be recounted at the weekend. The British Army fought in Italy, where three battalions of the Durham Light Infantry joined Allied forces to hold

  • Sharon Griffiths Meets... Rosalind Craven

    Rosalind Craven's fight against pylons has taken over her life and might yet cost her her house. But she feels it's all been worthwhile. ROSALIND Craven is not your typical protestor. She is 61 years old, a farmer's widow who objected to the National

  • A winning start for Woodgate

    NEWCASTLE UNITED'S £9m man Jonathan Woodgate geared up for his long-awaited Magpies' Premiership debut by coming through an 80 minute practice match yesterday. The Middlesbrough-born centre-back, watched by manager Sir Bobby Robson, and teammates including

  • Magpies suffering from TV blues

    NEWCASTLE UNITED fans believe television bosses have showed the club 'a lack of respect' on top European nights this season. Despite their enthralling Champions League campaign the Magpies have only been shown on terrestrial channel ITV1 once this season

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    PVC vehicle fitter, Bishop Auckland, £7.49ph, 30hrs pw, must be time served, experienced and skilled fitter, experience of work on Dennis and Leyland vehicles. Ref: BIS 12272. Flat machinist, Shildon/Bishop Auckland, £4.20ph, 39hrs pw, must have experience

  • £12m tower block facelift well on

    THE first phase of a £12m waterside apartment complex has been completed. Sunderland Housing Group's landmark Lakeside Towers are well under way with external work completed and internal renovations in hand. The 17-storey blocks of flats will have replacement

  • Juninho lined up for a Riverside return

    JUNINHO is buzzing about the prospect of kick-starting his Middlesbrough career tonight. The World Cup winner will make his return to action in a reserves fixture with Bradford City in front of an expected 20,000 crowd at the Riverside. Juninho has not

  • Volunteers sought for historic site

    VOLUNTEERS are being sought to join the team at one of the National Trust's most popular properties. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Trust taking over at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal near Ripon. To celebrate the occasion an open day was

  • Last Night's TV: You'll never eat sausages in this town again

    Meades Eats (BBC2); Loving You (ITV1); Weapons Of World War II (five) Presenter Jonathan Meades reminded us that someone once said that a history of a nation's table is a reflection of a nation's civilisation. This doesn't say much for the British who

  • Knife thrown at boy went through skull

    A SWISS army knife thrown at a teenage boy penetrated his skull, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday. Appearing before Judge Les Spittle, a 14-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty to unlawful and malicious wounding

  • Vertex team in talks over potential sale

    KITCHEN worktops company Vertex could be about to change hands again. The Shildon business, which was brought out of administration in December by a management buyout (MBO) team led by managing director Joe Martoccia, is in negotiations with an as yet

  • Anti-war 'die-in' at tank plant

    ANTI-WAR campaigners staged a "die-in" outside a tank factory yesterday to show their opposition to any conflict in Iraq. Wearing white boilersuits and face masks spattered with red dye, they lay down at the entrance to the Vickers plant, in Newcastle

  • News in brief: Appeal after street mugging

    POLICE are hunting a mugger who made off with a pensioner's purse. The thief struck at about 7.10pm on Sunday, when the 79-year-old woman was walking past an off-licence in Neasham Avenue, Billingham. The thief ran off towards Tunstall Avenue with her

  • Pair targeted man in identity parade

    TWO men who were rejected for a police identity parade robbed one of those who took part in the line-up, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday. Darren Hopwood, 21, of East Bank, Ormesby, Middlesbrough, and Lee Tranter, 28, of Kings House, Central Mews,

  • Council porter is ready for action

    A PORTER with a North-East council is bracing himself for a change of scenery with a call-up to join British reserve and territorial troops poised for action in the Gulf. Brian Mullin could soon be leaving behind County Hall, Durham, for the warmer climes

  • 350-mile trip - then suicide in pub toilet

    A TROUBLED man travelled 350 miles from his home then stabbed himself to death in a pub picked at random. It is thought Stephen Whitehead wanted to spare his parents the anguish of finding his body. Mr Whitehead, 27, left his home in Billericay, Essex

  • Alert after fireplace falls on little girl

    A TODDLER is fighting for her life after being crushed by a marble fireplace at her North-East home. The three-year-old girl, who has not been named by police, is still on a ventilator at Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary, three weeks after the devastating

  • Reprieve for swim star as funding promise issued

    A NORTH swimmer's bid for Olympic glory is back on track after councillors held back from a decision to make her coach redundant. As the region's only swimming finalist in last year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester, 20-year-old Caroline Saxby, from

  • Couple killed in crash

    A man and his six months pregnant wife have been killed in a road crash. Adrian Baldwin, 34, and his wife Suzie, 29, from Romanby, near Northallerton, died instantly in the head-on crash with a lorry on Saturday. The couples' pick-up and the lorry were

  • Mansion, with pool, for only £25 a week

    A LUXURY mansion complete with indoor swimming pool is up for grabs for just £25 a week. The 30-room Tunstall Court, one of Hartlepool's plushest buildings, is being offered as a high-class pad by a property management company. Hartlepool Borough Council

  • Gunners interest flatters Thomas

    SUNDERLAND'S highly-rated goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen has admitted he is flattered by Arsenal's interest in him. The Premiership champions are understood to be considering a summer approach for the Danish No 1, as manager Arsene Wenger tries to find a

  • Flood family live in fear

    A FAMILY who have moved back home after six months in temporary accommodation remain in fear of flood water returning to devastate their lives for a third time. Maureen Beauchamp, husband Steven, and daughter Rachel, were forced out of their home in Chantry

  • Eating Owt: Time-wasting earns Red Well a yellow card

    With a wait the length of a football match for an (admittedly good) three course Sunday lunch, visitors to a Barnard Castle pub might be advised to have a hearty breakfast before setting off. WITH the suggestion that the column seemed to be "scratching

  • Feeling positive on the inside

    Two years ago, this market town prison was threatened with closure. Today it is operating beyond expectations and the future looks bright. Kate Bowman reports. FITTINGLY described as "a small prison built on a roundabout", it is difficult to imagine that

  • Decongested London - and a real charge at teatime

    Last Friday was an interesting day to be in London (more in my next travel column) as it marked the end of the first working week of the congestion charge. You'll have seen the reports that last week wasn't typical because of school half term, but the

  • Men honoured for sub rescue role

    Two North-East man were yesterday honoured by Russia for their role in the dramatic salvage of the sunken Russian submarine Kursk. Malcolm Dailey, from Stockton, Teesside, and Captain Alexander Macleod, from Northumberland, were two of three British men

  • All smiles for the Joker

    DESPITE failing to get round last time out, The River Joker (12.45) makes plenty of appeal in the opening Barton Novices' Handicap Hurdle at Catterick this afternoon. John Upson's gelding was seemingly unable to handle the bog-like conditions at Uttoxeter

  • Twin killed in car accident

    A 23-year-old twin has died after the car he was driving crashed into a wall. Lee Winspear, of Skelton, near Saltburn, was driving a Skoda Favorit on Stanghow Road, between Skelton and Lingdale when the car veered off the road and hit a sandstone wall

  • Chairman calls on fans to follow the Pool

    HARTLEPOOL United chairman Ken Hodcroft has issued a passionate rallying call to the region's football fans - "come and join us". Hodcroft is disappointed at the level of attendances at Victoria Park in recent weeks - Saturday's crowd of 4,486 for the

  • Driver escapes prison term

    A MAN convicted of defying a driving ban for the ninth time in 11 years escaped a prison sentence yesterday. David Lee Taylor, who lives in a caravan behind the Black Swan pub, in Devonshire Place, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, was spotted driving in Kent

  • Time-wasting earns Red Well a yellow card

    With a wait the length of a football match for an (admittedly good) three course Sunday lunch, visitors to a Barnard Castle pub might be advised to have a hearty breakfast before setting off. WITH the suggestion that the column seemed to be "scratching

  • Horror as bus drags pensioner half mile

    HORRIFIED shoppers watched helplessly yesterday as an elderly woman died as she was hit by a bus and her body dragged almost half-a-mile through the streets of Durham City. Passers-by tried frantically to raise the alarm after the 86-year-old woman was

  • Deaths of couple prompts call for road upgrade

    THE deaths of a pregnant woman and her husband in a car crash prompted calls for improvements to a road last night Suzie Baldwin, who was expecting her first child, and husband Adrian, were killed after their pick-up vehicle was involved in a head-on

  • Ant and Dec partners in new-look bar

    TV stars Ant and Dec have lashed out £175,000 to set up a trendy bar in their old home town. The award-winning funnymen stumped up half the cost of refurbishing the popular Jonny Ringo's bar, in Newcastle's Mosley Street, and renaming it The Lodge. The

  • Battlelines drawn as Corus seeks to reduce £1.2bn debt

    WHEN Dutch steelmaker Hoogovens agreed merger terms with British Steel to form the Corus Group in 1999 it could hardly have expected the tangled financial mess that would erupt four years later. Crystal balls and foretellers aside, however, someone on

  • Winding up of charity ongoing

    A YEAR since a North-East charity collapsed amid financial problems, the Charities Commission is continuing its efforts to wind up its affairs. Darlington's Dial-a-Ride charity, which offered a taxi service to the elderly and disabled, ceased operating

  • Minds made up over euro

    JUST over half of the country expects the UK to have joined the euro in five years time, according to new research. People living in the South- East are most confident the pound will be phased out, with 61 per cent expecting the UK to join the euro, followed

  • News in brief: Raiders take cash from safe

    Two masked robbers fled with cash from the Tecaz factory, in Norham Road, North Shields, North Tyneside, at 8.30pm, on Sunday. A police spokesman said the men, who were armed with a screwdriver and knife, forced a security guard to open a safe and removed

  • Motorcross bikes theft

    MOTORCROSS fans are being urged to be on the lookout after two children's bikes were stolen at the weekend. The bikes were taken in the early hours of Sunday, from a garage at a house in Carnoustie Grove, Hartlepool. Along with other items, a large quantity

  • Grant allows for extra play places

    A NEWTON Aycliffe nursery will be able to double the number of places it offers, thanks to a substantial grant. The Playday Nursery plans to create 26 places by extending its premises in Simpasture Gate. The nursery has been awarded £122,822 by the New

  • Grassroots: Crook

    HOSTS NEEDED: Crook For Chernobyl Children organiser Veronica Gibson is looking for host families in the Crook area who can give a three-week holiday to children from the Ukraine. She can be contacted on (01388)-763345. IT SKILLS: Crook Library is offering

  • Crash van driver 'did not see horse riders'

    A LONG-DISTANCE lorry driver claimed he had not seen two horses he ploughed into, injuring their young riders, a court heard yesterday. Kenneth Bailey, 53, of Geneva Crescent, Darlington, pleaded guilty by post to driving without due care and attention

  • Police campaign helps reduce drivers' speed

    A HIGH profile police campaign has been successful in cutting the speed of motorists through Chilton. People living in the village say previous attempts at voicing their concerns to police about speeding motorists have been ignored. But a survey carried

  • Former mayors gather

    MAYORS of yesteryear gathered to take a trip down memory lane in east Cleveland yesterday. The current Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Eric Jackson, said he had hoped to reunite all the borough's civic leaders since the council was formed

  • National accolade for maths students

    STUDENTS from a Darlington after-school maths class have gained national honours. The Advanced Student Roll lists children at the Darlington Kumon Centre who have mastered mathematics beyond the level set by the National Curriculum. Kumon centre instructor

  • Treasures reach all corners of the district

    MUSEUMS are sending some of their most prized exhibits on the road to reach out to the whole community through some more unusual, but well-used venues. An innovative scheme has been launched in the Hambleton and Richmondshire area to give people throughout

  • Joie de vivre for firms on export drive

    FOUR North-East firms are hoping to boost their European exports after a visit to France. The South Tyneside companies took part in a trade mission to France to promote closer ties with the borough's twin-towns of Epinay-Sur-Seine, and Noisy-le-Sec, near

  • Bananas about Varadi

    Inflatable bananas were a football craze which blew up out of all proportion. The man who unwittingly started it - not many people know this - was former Newcastle United number nine Imre Varadi. "I was just jogging out at Manchester City one day in 1987

  • Co-op travels to top flight

    THE Co-op has announced plans to create a £1.1bn buying and marketing group at the heart of its travel business, designed to push it into the travel retail top flight. Five Co-operative travel businesses have agreed to form the Co-operative Travel Trading

  • Centre's open day success

    YOUNG people tried their hand at sports and arts events at a youth support group's open day. The Durham Connexions youth centre held PlayStation games competitions, tile and T-shirt painting and other art workshops throughout the day at their recently

  • News in brief: Sports centre work to start

    IMPROVEMENT work will soon be started on outdoor sports facilities in Gateshead. The work, at the Elgin Centre, in Carr Hill, will include the resurfacing of playing courts, as well as bringing the floodlights back into use. Councillor Brian Coates, chairman

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Senior care assistant, Consett. £4.20ph, 32.5hrs pw, over 7 days, shifts. Must have experience caring for the elderly. Ref: CON 15999. Cook, Consett. £5.10, 16hrs pw, inc alt weekends. Must have relevant qualifications and basic Health and Hygiene Certificate

  • Royston plans to fly the flag

    AN engineering company plans to fly the flag for the Newcastle-Gateshead Capital of Culture bid by staging a conference in Newcastle. Royston Engineering Group, of Walker, is planning the conference in November for suppliers and distributors of Volvo

  • News in brief: Sports centre work to start

    IMPROVEMENT work will soon be started on outdoor sports facilities in Gateshead. The work, at the Elgin Centre, in Carr Hill, will include the resurfacing of playing courts, as well as bringing the floodlights back into use. Councillor Brian Coates, chairman

  • Stray greyhound remains on the run

    ANIMAL welfare officers are asking for help in locating a stray greyhound which has been on the loose since before Christmas. The tan male has a white mark on his chest and is very nervous. He has been eluding animal welfare officers from Stockton Borough

  • News in brief: Appeal after street mugging

    POLICE are hunting a mugger who made off with a pensioner's purse. The thief struck at about 7.10pm on Sunday, when the 79-year-old woman was walking past an off-licence in Neasham Avenue, Billingham. The thief ran off towards Tunstall Avenue with her

  • £100,000 drugs seizure a 'serious dent' to dealers

    DRUGS squad officers are celebrating after intercepting a £100,000 haul of narcotics from a house on Teesside. Police are hailing the recovery of a massive haul of Ecstasy tablets, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, and steroids from a house in Norton,

  • Elderly to get priority under flooding evacuation plans

    ELDERLY people living in flood-hit areas of Middlesbrough could be placed on priority lists under emergency evacuation plans. Councillors will today discuss proposals to put elderly people on a list so emergency evacuations can be prioritised in future

  • Crime awareness on school timetable

    SCHOOLCHILDREN have taken up a challenge to learn about crime and safety in their community. During the next five weeks, pupils at Allertonshire School, in Northallerton, will be focusing on different areas of crime as part of the Community Safety Challenge

  • Concert with a touch of glass

    THE enduring sound of classical music will ring out across Richmond this weekend, thanks to a North Yorkshire brewery. Organisers of the Richmondshire Subscription Concerts have invited Masham's Black Sheep Brewery to sponsor part of the town's 55th classical

  • News in brief: Giant leap to aid charity

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  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Gents hairdresser, Billingham. £4.20ph, 22.5hrs pw, 9am to 5.15pm, Mon and Fri; 8am to 3pm, Sat. Must be qualified and experienced in all aspects of gents hairdressing, including clipper work. Ref: BIG 12823. Trainee manager, Stockton. £14,000pa, 9am

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