A LARGE contingent of the more mature members of Tees Rowing Club took part in the National Veteran Regatta at Nottingham. Paul Buckworth gave an outstanding performance to win three medals, winning gold on his own in the Veteran B single sculls, gold
A MAN from Sunderland has been charged and is due to appear before the city's magistrates following a series of drugs raids by police. The 34-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday in an operation co-ordinated by West Yorkshire police's drugs and organised
FARMERS have welcomed a deal to end 50 years of restrictive European subsidy rules. The Government announced radical reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) yesterday, so that farmers will no longer be paid purely on the amount they produce. Instead
CRIES of Lights! Cameras! Action! could be heard at a mining museum after it was transformed it into a film set. Called The Accident, the silent film at an ironstone mining museum in Cleveland has been made by primary school children. The film depicts
As pocket money jobs go, I suppose mine was one of the more unusual. While schoolpals were cutting grass, doing paper rounds or washing cars, I would help my father with his work as an undertaker. I was just eight when I went on my first "removal". By
A WOMAN who is alleged to have assaulted staff at a restaurant on Valentine's night has been committed for trial at Teesside Crown Court. Karen Taylor, of Church Street, Toronto, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, is charged with threatening unlawful violence
DURHAM Amateur Operatic Society is staging a lavish production of My Fair Lady. Following three sell-out productions at Durham's Gala Theatre, the society is staging the classic musical from now until Saturday. Based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion
Darlington chairman George Reynolds last night revealed the club's ambitious plans to bring a high-profile striker to the Reynolds Arena. Reynolds is keen to keep the identity under wraps, especially after seeing the collapse of his audacious bid to land
A PLANNING inquiry will be held after a North-East council rejected plans for a lake and nature reserve on the grounds that high-flying birds could put airline safety at risk. The Association of Teesside and District Angling Clubs applied for planning
Bernard's Bombay Deam (C4) BERNARD Manning is a sad old man who thinks it is acceptable to make a living peddling racism and other offensive material. Knowing his views and his boast that, given a microphone and five minutes, he can make any audience
VITAL flood defence work around Northallerton could take longer than was first thought. The man heading efforts to deliver solutions says funding is a problem. But Mike Moore also stressed that preparation work to put schemes in place would continue.
A MAN was mugged shortly after withdrawing money from a cash machine near Durham police station. Police have appealed for witnesses to the mugging which took place just off New Elvet, near the city police station, on Monday at around 9.15am. The victim
IN these lazy, hazy days of high summer, I found myself extremely grateful on Tuesday night that I wouldn't have to endure any more Twenty20 cricket as Durham failed to qualify for the semi-finals. For those of us who appreciate the way a four-day game
SPEEDING bikers are being blamed for bringing mayhem to a moorland road. People living in the beauty spot of Bilsdale say the B1257 Stokesley to Bilsdale road is being used as a race track. Motorcycling magazines are even flagging up the national park
SCIENTISTS have discovered a pill that it is hoped could virtually wipe out heart disease and save the NHS hundreds of millions a year. Trials are due to start shortly of the new treatment - a pill containing aspirin, folic acid and drugs to lower cholesterol
Sir, - Mr A Shaw (head of North Yorkshire County Council minerals unit) has said that the site subject to an imminent mineral extraction application at Ladybridge is not in close proximity to the Thornborough Henges. He will, of necessity, know that this
RADIO presenters showed off their costumes for a summer pantomime yesterday. Century FM presenters Bill Steele and Judie McCourt donned their outfits as the Baron de Waldridge and a fairy for Celebrate II, at Chester-le-Street, County Durham, on Saturday
Last week's matches saw the league reach the halfway stage for the season. With no report received from Silton's game with Maltby, Ingleby Cross winning and East Harlsey winning two games, there is a three way tie at the top. Last week's cricket also
A PROPOSAL to build homes on allotments in Sacriston has been called in by the Deputy Prime Minister's office. Sacriston Parish Council has applied for outline planning permission to build an undisclosed number of homes on Cross Lane allotments. But the
RESIDENTS in a Wensleydale village are urging planning officials to save one of their pubs from closure. An application by the owners of the King's Arms in Redmire to change the pub into a private dwelling has outraged many villagers. Objections to the
A NEW regional drugs team will be based in Durham. The five-strong police team, which will be known as the Regional Drugs Intelligence Unit, will monitor street trends and gather intelligence on dealer networks across the North-East. The unit, believed
RIGHT ROYALLY we had Mark Johnston as winning-most trainer last week at Ascot, just as we predicted, with five winners to top the table. Furthermore, he passed the 70 winner mark this week. Thursday in Berkshire was another double day for the Kingsley
A DURHAM City restaurant is at the centre of an investigation into 131 cases of salmonella. But as The Advertiser went to press, neither Durham City Council nor Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust, which are jointly looking into the outbreak
RAF pilot Steve Kenworthy flew back to the North-East yesterday to help launch this year's Sunderland International Air Show. Teesside Airport laid on a VIP reception for Flight Lieutenant Kenworthy, who arrived in a Hawk trainer jet, at the official
FIVE new nature reserves will be designated in North West Durham, through a project aiming to get more people into the countryside. Karen Fisher, 31, has become the first local nature reserve officer for Derwentside District Council. Her first job will
A NEW regional drugs team will be based in Durham. The five-strong police team, which will be known as the Regional Drugs Intelligence Unit, will monitor street trends and gather intelligence on dealer networks across the North-East. The unit, believed
A NORTH-East train operator has won two honours for improving safety on its routes. GNER, which operates services on the East Coast Mainline, has won a gold award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, which recognises high levels of
UNWANTED Jamie McClen last night revealed how he fears Newcastle United's talented schoolboys will be overlooked for big money buys in years to come. The 24-year-old midfielder is still waiting to hear where his future lies after being placed on the transfer-list
A RICH vein of horseracing history in the North-East will have its lifeblood returned thanks to a massive cash injection. The Heritage Lottery Fund yesterday announced it was awarding £1.5m to the National Trust to buy and restore the derelict stables
COUNCILLORS swept in an inflation busting 13 per cent pay hike today which their leader described as: "not a fortune". Only five members of Durham County Council's 61 members voted against the rise which will see their basic allowance boosted from just
DURHAM will parade new signing Shoaib Akhtar before their fans this morning, but have decided not to play him in the four-day match against India A at Riverside. They are also resting Martin Love as they turn their attentions towards the resumption of
THE spirit of the circus came to a former pit village as it held its annual carnival. Four floats, decorated on a circus theme, paraded through Sacriston from The Daisy Hill to Fyndoune Community College on Saturday. One of the vehicles carried carnival
THE matriarch of a drug dynasty who took charge of the business while her husband was in prison had her ten-year sentence cut yesterday in London's Appeal Court. Maureen McPartland, of Middlesbrough, who said she was dominated by the "malign influence
A WORLD leader in the calibration of aircraft navigation and safety equipment has won a major contract with one of Britain's biggest airports. Flight Precision has agreed a five-year deal at Manchester Airport to make sure all equipment needed to guide
A STARTING date has been announced for public inquiries into proposals to upgrade Britain's most dangerous road. The Highways Agency announced last year it had finally given in to a 20-year campaign and would redevelop much of the A66 across the Pennines
TOP-FLIGHT apprentice jockey David Allan has found the perfect stage to further advertise his talents by lifting this evening's Northern Rock Gosforth Park Cup aboard Piccled (7.20). Newcastle's leading sprint race invariably attracts a field full of
ROLLING countryside surrounding a Roman Catholic seminary provides an impressive setting for an evening of music and song. The Roman Catholic overseas aid charity Cafod is staging a Proms in the Park event at Ushaw College, near Durham, on Saturday, July
ROLLING countryside surrounding a Roman Catholic seminary provides an impressive setting for an evening of music and song. The Roman Catholic overseas aid charity Cafod is staging a Proms in the Park event at Ushaw College, near Durham, on Saturday, July
FIVE hundred free bus tickets have been provided to get unemployed people to a jobs fair. The complementary travel passes have been provided for the one-day Skills Village, at Redcar and Cleveland College, on Wednesday. Bus company Arriva teamed up with
VILLAGE councillors deny they are being killjoys after suspending discos for youngsters. A petition is circulating Skelton, in protest at a decision by Skelton and Brotton parish council to suspend discos in the community's civic hall until further notice
A PSYCHIATRIST told a jury yesterday that in his opinion a farmer's wife was suffering from depression when she stabbed her husband to death. Professor Alan Gruben was giving evidence at the trial of Jayne Lovegreen, 34, who denies murdering her husband
PRIME Minister Tony Blair has been accused of snubbing organisers of the annual Durham Miners' Gala. With just over a fortnight to go before this year's event, the North-East National Union of Mineworkers' leadership last night said it had not received
AN Iraqi Kurd is threatening to kill himself unless the British Government puts him on a plane for Iraq - or provides him travel documents to leave Britain on his own. Dhafer Raheem Jasim is desperate to return to Iraq. He has been trying to get back
A MANUFACTURING firm is preparing to expand only months after 45 jobs were secured when it was bought out. Bonlea, which makes door kits and door sets for the house building and construction industry, is set for further expansion following its sale to
KEN Hodcroft is hoping a touch of the Sir Alex Ferguson magic will again rub off on Victoria Park. After former Manchester United goalkeeper Chris Turner revamped Hartlepool United, the Pool chairman yesterday appointed his second manager to come under
A County Durham man was among five arrested at Retford, Nottinghamshire, by Customs officers who seized 5.9 million cigarettes worth £1.35m hidden in furniture at a warehouse. The men have been bailed to return for further questioning
A MOTHER-of-four had to go into hiding after her former husband waged a year-long campaign of terror against her, a court was told yesterday. Clare Amos, 42, of Darlington, was subjected to months of harassment and abuse at the hands of her ex-partner
MORE young people than ever are continuing their education after they leave school in a part of the North-East, according to a report. Youth support service Connexions has published its Destinations 2002 report, which shows what young people in the Tees
PEOPLE who fancy abseiling, parachuting or other dare-devil stunts while raising money for charity are being sought by a charity worker. Linda McDonough is the new fund-raising manager for the Chester-le-Street and Durham branch of Marie Curie Cancer
A REAL ale named after the first witnessed UK meteorite fall has been launched by two Yorkshire Wolds farmers, close to where that meteorite hit the earth more than 200 years ago. Tom Mellor and Derek Gray have set up the diversification project with
A FACTORY based in a high unemployment area is so desperate for staff that it is distributing 9,000 recruitment leaflets. SK Chilled Foods need to fill 20 vacancies at their site in Skelton and despite more than 300 jobs being lost from three factories
THE new Bishop of Durham is to take part in a special ceremony next week - only the third of its kind to be staged in 250 years. Canon Tom Wright will travel to the most southerly part of his diocese to receive the Conyers Falchion sword on Croft Bridge
Buying a ready-made fruit salad can seem like the ideal way to help towards your five portions a day of fruit and vegetables, but it can be a let-down if your mangoes are mushy, your grapes grotty and your apples appalling. Fancy something fresh and juicy
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to close residential homes have said they may resort to fresh legal action. Under plans by Durham County Council to modernise elderly people's care provision, it has announced that 16 homes will be closed and replaced by extra-care
STEELMAKER Corus has joined the fight against international terrorism by designing Europe's first compact detection system cap able of discovering dirty bombs. The lightweight system can detect small amounts of radioactive material which could be attached
TWO children's play areas have been officially opened following an investment of more than £150,000. A range of new and improved equipment has been installed on a new site at Grayfields and at the existing King Oswy Drive playground, both in Hartlepool
SOUTH Park could gain a sports pavilion, five football pitches and a cricket pitch if the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, approves a swap. The Cleveland Group of companies has applied for outline planning permission for a residential development
A SOCIAL housing development is to be created on the site of a former country store. The Three Rivers Housing Association plans to build six bungalows, four houses and a block of four flats at Eden Lane in Gainford, Teesdale District Council planning
A NETWORK of cycle paths linking communities and providing access to a nature reserve has opened. The Kyo Greenways Project in the Great North Forest has been completed after three years' work. The project, which is part of the River Team Revival Initiative
THE family of a North-East soldier killed in Iraq spoke last night of their pride for their "wonderful" son who lived life to the full and of their anguish over his death. Lance Corporal Benjamin Hyde, 23, of Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was one of
HIGH up in the Cumbrian hills, the crack of a gun is heard and the bullet whistles through the air. This could be any desolate, windswept war zone and for a second the tension is palpable. It's only the laughter that follows and the fact that someone
STEEL-MAKING on Teesside has a profitable future, according to a Government Minister. Patricia Hewitt, Trade and Industry Secretary, said that if management, unions and the workforce continued to pull together, there was no reason for Corus to fail in
THE Post Office has confirmed that it will close a Durham branch next month. The company said the office at Fieldhouse Lane will shut as part of a shake-up designed to safeguard the future of other branches in the city. The closure is part of a national
POLICE have appealed for help after a child was seen struggling as she was being put into a pick-up yesterday. The incident was seen at 9.30am in a layby on the southbound carriageway of the A19, between Houghton-le-Spring and Sunderland. There are no
A MAJOR gamble in switching the day of North Yorkshire County Show seems to have paid off. For despite the event being on a Sunday for the first time in its history, thousands flocked to the South Otterington venue to help the show celebrate its 25th
Sir Denis Thatcher was the perfect consort for a prime minister - ever loyal but always in the background. Nick Morrison looks at the man behind the image. HE was permanently sozzled, a gin-swilling chauvinist whose opinions had much more to do with the
RADIO presenters showed off their costumes for a summer pantomime yesterday. Century FM presenters Bill Steele and Judie McCourt donned their outfits as the Baron de Waldridge and a fairy for Celebrate II, at Chester-le-Street, County Durham, on Saturday
DETAILED plans for a £34m "education village" in Darlington are already being drawn up, it was revealed yesterday. Darlington Borough Council said developers had begun drafting their vision for the development, on the site of Haughton Comprehensive School
A SCHOOL governor says a successful primary school in Darlington is having to cut back on teaching staff because of a funding crisis. Colin Telfer, a governor at Reid Street Primary School, and a campaigner for the Liberal Democrats, also said the school
A BOOK shop owner found herself hiring minders, in preparation for a midnight party for Potter fans. At 12.01pm on Saturday morning, the first copies of JK Rowling's latest installment, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, exchanged hands at the
PARENTS and carers in Hartlepool are being urged to take advantage of free child car seat safety checks to ensure they are correctly fitted. Hartlepool Borough Council's environmental standards team has joined forces with the town's Asda store and staff
Police are hoping the public will be able to help them trace vandals who smashed four school windows. Stones were thrown through kitchen windows at Hipswell School between Wednesday night and early yesterday morning. Anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious
VOTERS in Stanley will go to the polls again next month for a Durham County Council by-election. It is being held after the town's Labour county councillor, Keith Murray-Hetherington, lost his seat for not attending enough meetings. Dean McAdam is standing
EVIL DEAD: A FISTFUL OF BROOMSTICKS. Publisher: THQ. Format: PS2, Xbox. Price: from £39.99. THE massive success of Spider-Man the movie probably put paid to any lingering hopes that Sam Rami could be tempted back to make a fourth instalment in the Evil
DURHAM should still get a radio station despite a shake-up in the regulation of broadcasting. The Radio Authority, which controls the airwaves, is due to be replaced by Ofcom, a new body that will also be responsible for other communications. The Radio
A VILLAGE launched its 2003 festival programme yesterday. The Northern Aldborough Festival began with a few concerts and musical performances at venues around the community, which adjoins the North Yorkshire market town of Boroughbridge. However, as its
TWO burglars who raided a home while a family slept upstairs have been locked up. Brian Redman, 20, and a 16-year-old also took a car belonging to the householder's son. Newcastle Crown Court heard how the pair targeted the home in Devonshire Street,
THE Japanese sport of power chair soccer could soon be propelled into the premier league thanks to the efforts of the Percy Hedley Foundation. The foundation is halfway towards the £500,000 it needs to build a sports centre. The centre will become a permanent
TALENTED young cricketers and novices to the game have come together in fun competition at two club's grounds this week. Seventeen primary schools from east Durham have entered teams for the District of Easington Kwik Cricket Festival. Murton CW and Peterlee
A MAN was shot in the eye with a pellet gun at the weekend, police revealed last night. The 24-year-old, who has not been named, was making a telephone call in West Sunniside, Sunderland, at 12.55am on Saturday when he was hit. The pellet lodged under
THE Japanese sport of power chair soccer could soon be propelled into the premier league thanks to the efforts of the Percy Hedley Foundation. The foundation is halfway towards the £500,000 it needs to build a sports centre. The centre will become a permanent
GIPSY VISIT: A gipsy caravan will be on show in the Colliery Village at Beamish Museum from July 5 to 11. The museum's annual festival of traditional music, song and dance will be held on Sunday, July 6. WEDDING FASHIONS: Pupils of the Hermitage Comprehensive
COMPETITION hotted up between rival North-East curry chefs this week Three finalists of east Cleveland's Curry Chef competition created mouth-watering dishes for the judges. The winner will be announced soon and will compete in the North-East final -
ST Cuthbert's Hospice's Sunflower Flag Day, in Durham city centre last month, raised £539. A collection the same day outside Sainsbury's, at the Arnison Centre, Pity Me, raised £412.
VOTERS in Stanley will go to the polls again next month for a Durham County Council by-election. It is being held after the town's Labour county councillor, Keith Murray-Hetherington, lost his seat for not attending enough meetings. Dean McAdam is standing
JOHN Craven, presenter of Country File, the BBC magazine programme which, every Sunday, highlights rural and environmental issues, officially launched a new programme to help and encourage young farmers on Tuesday. The launch of Growing Routes was organised
RISING sports stars will receive expert coaching at a summer school. The Easington District Sports Summer School programme, sponsored by Dalton Park, provides opportunities for talented youngsters. It is run in partnership with Durham University and East
PARENTS and carers in Hartlepool are being urged to take advantage of free child car seat safety checks to ensure they are correctly fitted. Hartlepool Borough Council's environmental standards team has joined forces with the town's Asda store and staff
FROM 1722 to 1869, Saddler Street had been the home to Durham's Theatre Land, but it all came to an end with the disastrous theatre royal fire of 1869. Durham's next theatre would not open until 1884, this time a little further outside the city centre
VOTERS in Stanley will go to the polls again next month for a Durham County Council by-election. It is being held after the town's Labour county councillor, Keith Murray-Hetherington, lost his seat for not attending enough meetings. Dean McAdam is standing
PLACARD-WAVING protesters won a victory in their fight to stop new homes being built in their village. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's planning committee deferred a decision on an outline plan for new homes near Coach Road in Brotton. About 20
PRIMARY school children turned builders yesterday. The Branksome Builders day, held at Branksome School, Darlington, allowed year six pupils from local primary schools to work as architects, bricklayers, joiners, electricians and plumbers. They also found
A ROW has erupted over the imminent closure of a training service geared toward vulnerable young people in Derwentside. Parents, community leaders and young people who have benefited from the scheme have demanded that the Learning Skills Council reviews
A SUSPECTED thief is recovering in hospital after plunging 25ft through a factory roof while trying to evade police. Northumbria Police said the 19-year-old, who has not been named, was one of three people who climbed to the roof of a building belonging
Martin Bell is spreading the flavour of Teesdale far and wide, thanks to the succulent beef and lamb he produces at Westholme Farm, Marwood. His regular customers queue at farmers' markets across the North-East, including Darlington, where last Friday
DURHAM Amateur Operatic Society is staging a lavish production of My Fair Lady. Following three sell-out productions at Durham's Gala Theatre, the society is staging the classic musical from now until Saturday. Based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion
THE Japanese sport of power chair soccer could soon be propelled into the premier league thanks to the efforts of the Percy Hedley Foundation. The foundation is halfway towards the £500,000 it needs to build a sports centre. The centre will become a permanent
BRITAIN'S steel industry can survive if Corus, unions and the Government work together to help save it, a former union leader has told Parliament. In a House of Lords debate on the future of the industry, Lord Bookman, former general secretary of the
HOUSEHOLDS in Billingham are to be sent an information pack outlining plans for the regeneration of the town and giving people a chance to have their say. Gateway to the Future outlines Billingham Partnership's policy on the proposed Gateway project,
A SUSPECTED thief is recovering in hospital after plunging 25ft through a factory roof while trying to evade police. Northumbria Police said the 19-year-old, who has not been named, was one of three people who climbed to the roof of a building belonging
THE family of a woman fighting cancer for the second time has launched an appeal to send her on a 5,000-mile trip for treatment. Pamela Aston, 46, of Upper Church Street, Spennymoor, County Durham, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, and after a
North Lodge WI : PRESIDENT J Rennie welcomed 33 members to the June meeting. The minutes and correspondence were dealt with by secretary Aileen Piggot. Each member received an interesting newsletter from the tea sponsors, Taylors of Harrogate, and a nationwide
A DRUNK driver who sparked a high speed police chase with two young children in his car was jailed for a year yesterday. Norman Holmes, 23, sped through a red light, drove at 50mph on the wrong side of the carriageway and crashed into a bollard with his
BOTH sides have claimed victory after a High Court hearing in London into a dispute dividing a small community. Protesters had hoped for an injunction against the operation of an animal incinerator at Charltons, near Guisborough. The judge, hearing the
POLICE officers carried out a series of dawn raids yesterday morning. The officers, from Darlington, targeted a number of addresses in the North Road area of the town. They were following up leads from the public, including information supplied on the
A YOUNGSTER is to have her dream come true when she performs at Wimbledon tomorrow. Abi Curry, 11, from Carlton, near Stockton, has been invited to give a display of exhibition drills on Centre and Number One court. Already a star at her club at Tennis
PEOPLE who are aged over 50 are being urged to keep fit while raising funds by taking part in a charity walk. As part of the Health Walk for Hospices campaign, taking place around the North-East, over-50s in Durham and Chester-le-Street are being encouraged
Bernard's Bombay Deam (C4) BERNARD Manning is a sad old man who thinks it is acceptable to make a living peddling racism and other offensive material. Knowing his views and his boast that, given a microphone and five minutes, he can make any audience
STUDENTS have been recognised for their business skills at an entrepreneurs' awards ceremony. The Newcastle Marriott Hotel, at Gosforth Park, was the venue for the Young Enterprise regional finals and awards dinner. It brought together students from across
HARTLEPOOL United supporters could perhaps be forgiven for feeling a little underwhelmed this morning. Neale Cooper and Ross County might not mean much to this Victoria Park just yet. "Ross County?" asked Cooper. "It's somewhere near Iceland." But Ken
BUS company Arriva will issue 500 free bus travel tickets in East Cleveland to help unemployed people to travel to a job and skills opportunity day. The Village Skills event will be held at Redcar and Cleveland College next Wednesday and is expected to
CHEMICALS firm Johnson Matthey Catalysts will today unveil its new £800,000 home on Teesside. The former Synetix company has built a production control centre at its site on Haverton Hill, Billingham. The investment adds to the company's commitment to
THE mother of murdered pizza-delivery girl Julie Hogg is to address the Lords next month. Ann Ming and her husband, Charlie, will travel to London on Wednesday. She will explain why she has campaigned for the ancient double jeopardy law to be scrapped
A MAN who kept a prostitute prisoner in his flat was jailed for three years yesterday. Bachelor Thomas Dawson, 54, met the woman, 33, as he walked home from a pub in Middlesbrough and paid her £15 for sex, said Christine Egerton, prosecuting. When he
THE most heartening sight of the week for Spectator came on the old A1 at Barton, between Richmond and Darlington. Somewhere near the King William IV pub an unmarked white pick-up truck stopped in the Darlington-bound direction, hazard lights flashing
DURHAM University plans to invest more than £8.7m in its prime courses and research ventures during the next four years. But the move will mean closing its East Asian studies and linguistics and English language departments, and phasing out degrees in
MONTI the Recycleable Monster is promoting a scheme to collect cans and glass bottles for recycling at 25,000 homes in East Cleveland. The character has been constructed by children from Kirkleatham Hall School, in Redcar, for the launch of the district's
KEEP-FIT fans from across the region joined forces for the first meeting of an association's branches. More than 220 women from North Yorkshire, the North-East and the North-West took part in the day of dance, fitness and movement at Hummersknot School
WHILE the conversion of a derelict mill into 16 apartments has been welcomed by councillors, the stumbling block of a raised deck for car parking has led to deferment of a planning application. The Building Renaissance Company, of Cumbria, felt its latest
EVERYONE will regret the decision of the Dean and Chapter of York Minster to levy a charge on visitors to the great cathedral. But most will understand why the Minster authorities have had to take this step after a failure of a voluntary donations scheme
AFTER a four month absence, local butcher Richard Welford returned to competition with a superb result on last weekend's Dukeries Rally held in Sherwood Forest. Welford, from Crakehall, who owns the Beavers Butchers shop in Masham as well as the Masham
A GEORGIAN folly in the grounds of a North Yorkshire estate may be much more than it seemed when restoration work began. The Landmark Trust took the unusual step of starting work on the refurbishment of The Ruin at Hackfall before it had all the £500,000
VIEWERS watched in horror last night as medics battled in vain to save a Premiership footballer who collapsed during an international screened live on satellite TV. Cameroon star Marc-Vivien Foe, linked with a possible move to Middlesbrough this summer
A MAN is in a critical but stable condition in hospital after being involved in an alleged assault outside a pub. The incident happened just before 9pm on Wednesday night outside the Kings Arms, in Billingham, Teesside. Police are still trying to piece
NORTH-EAST Euro MP Stephen Hughes has welcomed new European laws that will see passengers receive cash for cancelled flights. The new air passenger rights will see compensation for travellers whose flights have been cancelled or delayed and will be approved
A GIANT Aberdeen Angus bull caught everyone's attention when he was crowned this year's supreme beef champion. The five-year-old beast weighing one and a half tonnes was presented by Victoria Brooks, on behalf of her parents, G and L Brooks, from Little
Police in Darlington are looking for a youth who sparked a police helicopter search. A youth was seen trying to break into a car in Beaumont Street on Sunday. But when police tried to apprehend him, he escaped and sparked a helicopter search around the
A CHURCH was filled with the sound of music as it launched a fund-raising drive for a new parish hall. An eight-hour pianothon was held in St Mary Magadelne Church, Belmont, Durham City, on Saturday, featuring players ranging from beginners to concert
A plan to build 95 homes on a former sports field in Darlington is likely to be referred to the Deputy Prime Minister. Cleveland Bridge UK has applied for outline planning permission for the development on land behind the Copper Beech pub, in Geneva Lane
Planning approval has been given for 12 industrial units in fields off Boroughbridge Road, Ripon. Canalside Developments (Yorkshire) applied successfully for permission from Harrogate Borough Council. The council imposed 30 conditions. They include providing
A DRUNK driver who sparked a high speed police chase with two young children in his car was jailed for a year yesterday. Norman Holmes, 23, sped through a red light, drove at 50mph on the wrong side of the carriageway and crashed into a bollard with his
A FORMER sales representative has been awarded £5,500 after a tribunal found she suffered sex discrimination at work. Lesley Hobson, 36, from County Durham, took dental and medical products company Dexcel Pharma Limited to a Newcastle employment tribunal
A NORTH Yorkshire school has been helping students explore Indian culture this week. Richmond School - which won the Government's permission to develop as a centre for the performing arts earlier this year - began a two-day study of Indian culture yesterday
BUSINESSES are queuing up to take space on a market town's newly-extended industrial park. More than 20 firms have expressed an interest in buying land on the Estate in Stokesley following the release of a further eight acres for development. Hambleton
POLICE have appealed for help after a child was seen struggling as she was being put into a pick-up yesterday. The incident was seen at 9.30am in a layby on the southbound carriageway of the A19, between Houghton-le-Spring and Sunderland. There are no
A PROTEST group has passed a vote of no confidence against a parish council over controversial plans to build a link road between two Teesside villages. Elton Village No-Link Road Action Group members said the elected councillors are not representing
Organisers and visitors celebrated the return of the livestock classes at Malton Show yesterday as the 117th running of the event got under way. Show chairman Ian Hamilton declared the cloudy, cool day a success. He said: "It is ideal because it is not
A festival of music returns to Bishop Auckland next week after a two-year gap. Wear Valley District Council has received funding to hold the festival in the town hall from Thursday to Sunday next week. The festival will open with concerts by the North
A multi-lingual website is launched today to help sell Whitby as an international tourist destination. Euro-MP, Edward McMi-llan-Scott will lead a switching-on ceremony at Sneaton Castle, with help from local teenage motor-racer Edwin Jowsey, and a team
THE Japanese sport of power chair soccer could soon be propelled into the premier league thanks to the efforts of the Percy Hedley Foundation. The foundation is halfway towards the £500,000 it needs to build a sports centre. The centre will become a permanent
A HEALTH chief is to co-ordinate multi-agency work aimed at improving people's quality of life. Father-of-two Colin McLeod is the new chairman of the Middlesbrough Local Strategic Partnership, the body bringing together all the agencies and communities
A market town has suffered a spate of break-ins during the past few days, leading one shop owner to tighten his security after being targeted twice. Police in Northallerton have been questioning suspects after eight incidents were reported since Wednesday
FIVE groups in Hambleton are celebrating receiving a share of £12,697 in National Lottery funding. Northallerton College has been awarded the maximum amount of £5,000 by the Awards for All scheme. The college will use the award to fund indoor and outdoor
A WOMAN who was struck deaf five years ago has won a Millennium Award to help others suffering the same trauma. Jane Atkinson drew on her experience of suddenly losing her hearing to set up a support group for adults struck down by severe or total loss
ABOUT 400 youngsters will show off their dancing skills in a festival next week. Plug and Play, at Durham's Gala Theatre on Tuesday, will mark the culmination of six months' work by 15 County Durham schools, ranging from infant to secondary. The project
A DURHAM City restaurant is at the centre of an investigation into 131 cases of salmonella. But as The Advertiser went to press, neither Durham City Council nor Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust, which are jointly looking into the outbreak
A RADIO station hopes it has started to grow on the residents of a Teesside community. To make sure, BBC Radio Cleveland is leaving The Clarences estates, near Billingham, with a garden at the end of three months of broadcasting from the community. The
PREPARATIONS are well under way for this year's Lanchester Show. The event, in the village from July 5-6, includes horse and pony classes for most breeds, a wide range of trade stands, a new craft tent, food vans, beer tent and catering. Children are
A NEW administrator will take charge of a major church appeal from mid-August. The Brancepeth Church Appeal was launched in 1998 after St Brandon's Church, Brancepeth, was severely damaged in a fire. Backed by the Duke of York, it aimed to raise £3.5m
COINCIDENCE is an odd thing, but recently I was chatting to a friend in a quiet village when a mongrel trotted past. There was nothing remarkable about the dog except that it had a brown eye and a blue one. The odd thing was that we were standing close
A COUNCIL has been cleared by the local government watchdog after thousands of headstones were laid flat following the death of a boy. The six-year-old was killed when a 5ft headstone fell on him in Grove Road Cemetery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, in
THE Station Hotel in Redcar is getting revved up to host its first ever bike run. Landlord Peter Grant has organised a bike run from the pub on Station Street, to the Whistle Stop Caf in Whitby, on Sunday. Mr Grant said: "The response to this first ride
AN excavation company is asking councillors to give it two more years to restore a Darlington quarry. The firm was due to have completed work to fill and restore Barmpton quarry, by September but says it will not be able to because of a lack of waste
YET another of Saddam Hussein's body doubles has been caught on camera - this time sunning himself in a deckchair in a North Yorkshire village. The former Iraqi leader's latest lookalike has taken up temporary residence on the lawn of a home in a quiet
FAMILES are being invited to an annual vehicle rally this weekend. The event will be held at Preston Park, Eaglescliffe, and will include a selection of vintage vehicles and fire engines dating from the 17th Century to the present day. James Dylan's Stunt
A FORMER sales representative has been awarded £5,500 after a tribunal found she suffered sex discrimination at work. Lesley Hobson, 36, from County Durham, took dental and medical products company Dexcel Pharma Limited to a Newcastle employment tribunal
A COUNCIL has agreed to review its policy on the colour of taxis after doing a U-turn over a cabbie's red car. George Jenkinson threatened to sue Darlington Borough Council for a second time in April after it refused him a licence for his Hackney carriage
IN these lazy, hazy days of high summer, I found myself extremely grateful on Tuesday night that I wouldn't have to endure any more Twenty20 cricket as Durham failed to qualify for the semi-finals. For those of us who appreciate the way a four-day game
A MAJOR initiative to tackle the problem of unwanted and unroadworthy vehicles has been launched. An amnesty has been declared by Hartlepool Borough Council officials, who are working closely with Cleveland Fire Brigade and Cleveland Police. People can
Martin Bell is spreading the flavour of Teesdale far and wide, thanks to the succulent beef and lamb he produces at Westholme Farm, Marwood. His regular customers queue at farmers' markets across the North-East, including Darlington, where last Friday
A BLUE-blooded border collie from Barningham has given birth to her very own canine football team. Three-year-old Misty astonished her owner, Bill Bell, by having 11 pups with her first litter. Mr Bell, 70, a retired hill shepherd, said: "It's unbelievable
A FAMILY have been reunited with their pet after she was found wandering 300 miles from her home. Sadie, a wire-haired fox terrier, was safe in the arms of her owners last night after a dog warden found her wandering in County Durham, a year after she
PARENTS and church authorities are gearing up to fight the proposed closure of a small city centre school. St Oswald's Church of England Infant and Nursery School in Church Street, Durham, is one of 23 schools that the Labour-run county council could
DRUG addicts will be given prescribed heroin while police step up their crackdown on dealers, if new plans to tackle crime in the North-East are approved by the Home Office. Children will be taught the dangers of drug abuse from an early age to complete
EVIL DEAD: A FISTFUL OF BROOMSTICKS. Publisher: THQ. Format: PS2, Xbox. Price: from £39.99. THE massive success of Spider-Man the movie probably put paid to any lingering hopes that Sam Rami could be tempted back to make a fourth instalment in the Evil
CABINET RESHUFFLE: TONY Blair has indeed botched his latest Cabinet reshuffle (Echo, June 18). The worst of his shambolic half-baked after-thoughts is the abolition of the post of Lord Chancellor. Britain has had a Lord Chancellor for well over 1,000
EVEN those in wheelchairs can enjoy much of the Middleham Festival, including some of the gardens, thanks to a couple to whom freedom for the disabled and beautiful surroundings are very important. More than ten years ago, Keith Murgatroyd's life dramatically
ROLLING countryside surrounding a Roman Catholic seminary provides an impressive setting for an evening of music and song. The Roman Catholic overseas aid charity Cafod is staging a Proms in the Park event at Ushaw College, near Durham, on Saturday, July
A MAN was shot in the eye with a pellet gun at the weekend, police revealed last night. The 24-year-old, who has not been named, was making a telephone call in West Sunniside, Sunderland, at 12.55am on Saturday when he was hit. The pellet lodged under
St Joseph's Ladies Circle: Chairman Laura Farmer opened the June meeting and began by thanking Jennie O'Hare for leading the previous meeting in her absence and Elizabeth Wilson for stepping in as treasurer. Apologies were taken and the minutes of the
AS Britain's second best tennis player, Greg Rusedski should be a role model for the sport. In the early evening of Wednesday, in front of a live TV audience of impressionable young children, Rusedski let loose of string of obscenities which would not
Nearly two million British women suffer from endometriosis but very few people have heard of the condition. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports. THERE were days Christine Mills couldn't walk because the pain was so bad. Every time she moved, it felt
NORTH Durham MP Kevan Jones has thrown his weight behind a campaign to save a Post Office from closure. The sub-Post Office in Picktree Lane, Chester-le-Street, is scheduled to close in August, as part of a national shake-up of the service. Nationally
There are new horse classes at this year's Cleveland Show to be held on Saturday, July 26, at Stewart Park, Marton. Coloured horses and ponies have a choice of four classes, both ridden and in-hand and are judged in the morning and qualify for the coloured
A NORTH-East firm said a contract with the US Navy to break up 13 obsolete warships would bring jobs to the region. Able UK hopes to sign a contract with the US Maritime Administration within the next few days. Peter Stephenson, managing director of the
BRITAIN'S steel industry can survive if Corus, unions and the Government work together to help save it, a former union leader has told Parliament. In a House of Lords debate on the future of the industry, Lord Bookman, former general secretary of the
BARNARD CASTLE. - Tues. Fwd: 104 store cattle. Breeding cattle: Lim hfr & bull calf C Penk £750; BB hfr & hfr calf ER Thompson £710; BA hfr & bull calf £675 WT Elstob & Son; Simm cow & bull calf £665 C&E Gaskin; Lim cow & bull
CHILDCARE places for thousands of families across the North-East will be funded by more than £1.8m of National Lottery cash. The 20 awards from the New Opportunities Fund were announced yesterday and will create 3,828 childcare places and 338 jobs. Among
RAIL campaigners are warning that lives are being put at risk as vandals tear down freshly-printed notices warning against trespassing on the revived Northallerton to Redmire line. They fear it could be only a matter of time before someone is killed or
A 90-YEAR-OLD who lost both his legs six years ago due to diabetes, is planning his second tandem parachute jump next month to mark his birthday. Bert Moss had severe problems with blood circulation, and doctors decided amputation was the only solution
Tributes from political friends and foes alike poured in from around the world last night after the death of Sir Denis Thatcher. Margaret Thatcher's devoted and protective consort died peacefully in a London hospital yesterday with his family at his bedside
A BUDDING football star chosen to play for England has put his success down to the support of his biggest fan - his grandmother. Supergran Shirley Henderson, who has brought up 16-year-old Paul Henderson by herself, recognised his talent from an early
HUNDREDS of children took part in the Darlington Primary Schools Athletics Championships. They pupils competed over two days in field and track events at Eastbourne Sports Complex and Abbey Junior School. The events were split into competitions for pupils
As pocket money jobs go, I suppose mine was one of the more unusual. While schoolpals were cutting grass, doing paper rounds or washing cars, I would help my father with his work as an undertaker. I was just eight when I went on my first "removal". By
YOUNG singers and dancers are putting the gloss on their performances before the grand final of a regional talent contest at the weekend. The best 25 acts are preparing to go head-to-head at Durham's Gala Theatre on Sunday to find the winner of TalentSTAR
HOW would you like to "shop" while sipping a cup of coffee, then drive round to a pick up point to collect your order - or even go home to await delivery? In the supermarket of the future, the "hub" is a caf, taking up 60pc of the floorspace, where shoppers
RESIDENTS concerned about the threat of developers changing the face of their village learned more about the planning system at a public meeting this week. More than 80 Eaglescliffe residents packed Tereshkova House at Egglescliffe School to quiz Stockton
THE NFU has welcomed the deal to reform the Common Agricultural Policy, but expressed concern about some of the details. The EU Agriculture Council agreed to break the link between support payments and production, but gave different options, and even
A BUDDING football star chosen to play for England has put his success down to the support of his biggest fan - his grandmother. Supergran Shirley Henderson, who has brought up 16-year-old Paul Henderson by herself, recognised his talent from an early
FROM 1722 to 1869, Saddler Street had been the home to Durham's Theatre Land, but it all came to an end with the disastrous theatre royal fire of 1869. Durham's next theatre would not open until 1884, this time a little further outside the city centre
TWO teenagers have been arrested following a police pursuit through a busy town centre. Officers were alerted at around 1.15pm today that a suspected stolen vehicle had been spotted in Whessoe Road, Darlington. The white Ford Escort car, containing two
TODDLERS Abby Waugh and Lois Wright may only be three-years-old, but have already proved they have an eye for design. Abby won a contest to create a logo for the new Sure Start West Derwentside. The group was set up in Catchgate Primary School last December
X-RAY technology firm Bede plans to raise £3.65m to capitalise on growing demand for its products. The Durham company wants to place more than 28 million new shares at 14p to generate the money. The move will give Bede working capital to accelerate the
A series of heritage open days was launched in Middlesbrough yesterday to mark National Architecture Week. The open days will include tours of the Town Hall civic suite, Newham Grange Leisure Farm, the Teesside Archives, the Transporter Bridge visitor
A shopping development's flagship store welcomed its first customers after its official opening yesterday. The Marks and Spencer outlet was launched with a ribbon cutting ceremony at Dalton Park, in Murton, County Durham. The 6,500sq ft store is the latest
A RETIRED police superintendent whose 35-year-long "beat" covered most of County Durham has died aged 71. Shildon-born Colin Neal was assistant divisional commander at Darlington when he left the force in 1987. He joined the police cadets in 1948, taking
