NEWCASTLE UNITED'S Laurent Robert is convinced Champions League rivals Liverpool have not gained the psychological edge in the race to qualify for Europe's premier competition. The Frenchman's blistering free-kick - his 11th goal of the season - was not
CRICKET legend Ian Botham knocked shoppers for six at the weekend when he turned up in their midst. The great all-rounder attracted a big crowd when he arrived in Richmond to re-open the town's Help the Aged shop following its facelift. He happily signed
Although best known for her TV roles, Penelope Keith is happy to be touring in a JB Priestley play, due to arrive in the region next month. She tells Steve Pratt about the legacy of her past and her love of the theatre. SOME actors regard matinee performances
A HIGH Court battle for fair compensation for families whose relatives had organs removed without their consent by the NHS was launched yesterday. More than 2,000 claimants who say organs were taken from their dead babies without their knowledge are demanding
HARTLEPOOL UNITED are ready to bid for Darlington's top scorer Barry Conlon. But the good news for Quakers' fans is the 25-year-old wants to stay and help the club out of its current plight. Northern Echo Sport understands that Pool boss Neale Cooper
FROM outside, Auckland Castle, in the County Durham market town of Bishop Auckland, appears to offer palatial living to the Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Tom Wright. But inside it is far from just a lavish home for the bishop and his wife. It provides
THE courageous exploits of the only man to win a Victoria Cross on D-Day are to be highlighted in a major new exhibition. Stan Hollis, a sergeant major with the Green Howards, showed astonishing bravery on June 6, 1944, when he landed on the beach at
CASH from a wishing well has boosted the charity fund of the Mayor of Durham, Councillor Ray Gibbon. Parents waiting with their youngsters to see Father Christmas, at the Prince Bishops Centre grotto, were invited to make a small cash donation in the
A SERVICE for victims and survivors of domestic violence has been launched in Sedgefield borough. Support available at Number 31 and Soda, a one-stop shop in Newton Aycliffe, is being provided by professionals and volunteers specifically trained to work
A PENSIONER was knocked to the ground by two teenage robbers who left her with a broken arm. The 69-year-old woman was walking along Northumberland Avenue, Bishop Auckland, when she was struck from behind, causing her to fall, last Thursday at 10.10pm
COUNTY Durham's oldest theatre is enjoying a renaissance after major restructuring. The Empire Theatre in Consett re-opened last March after a troubled, nine-month refurbishment programme. Since the overhaul, audience figures have soared, takings are
A GROUP of young men yesterday denied charges relating to violence during which part of a man's ear was bitten off. A woman who tried to intervene also suffered a broken toe during the alleged incident in Spennymoor, County Durham, last June. A 17-year-old
MATHS and English took a back seat for pupils at a primary school yesterday when they found out more about the value of a hearty breakfast. In total, 110 pupils from Saltergate Community Junior School, Harrogate, were breakfast guests of the Yorkshire
A CONSULTANT in emergency medicine has been identified as one of the rising stars of the National Health Service. Dr Helen Law, who works for the Harrogate Healthcare Trust, has been chosen by an independent charity, the Health Foundation, as one of its
I'M glad I don't have to earn my living as a full-time satirist. Any absurdity a satirist might invent in the morning will be 'out-dafted' by real life come the afternoon, now that the world has gone completely insane. For example, I quote two factual
A CAMPAIGNER whose haemophiliac husband was infected by contaminated NHS blood products has described a £45,000 Government compensation offer as abysmal. Carol Grayson, of Jesmond, Newcastle, was speaking after Health Secretary Dr John Reid announced
THE European Union has stepped up the fight to stop foreign plastic manufacturers destroying hundreds of jobs in the UK. Member states voted in favour of raising tariffs to stop illegal and unfair competition from abroad. The measure was taken following
AN exhibition exploring the diverse and changing nature of people in the Yorkshire Dales opens next month. Part of the Landscape will be on show at the Dales Countryside Museum, in Hawes, from February 7, and aims to explode the myth that only one type
STUDENTS from two sixth form colleges will travel to Spain on a ten-day fact-finding mission relating to drugs awareness and youth culture. The students from Prior Pursglove College, Guisborough, and Stockton Sixth Form College, will be talking to young
CHILDHOOD sweethearts Alf and Margaret Wilson celebrated 60 years of marriage yesterday. The couple, both born and bred in Castleside, Consett, have been inseparable for 80 years. "I was the girl next door," said Mrs Wilson, 83. "We went to school together
PLANS to build a landscaped link from a residential street to a park are in jeopardy after residents objected to the scheme. Developer Strathmore Homes hoped to build what it called a heritage footpath across woodland, known as Top of the Park, in Aynsley
A FAMILY doctor has been cleared of serious professional misconduct. Dr Nabil Naroz, from Hett Hill, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was brought before the General Medical Council's (GMC) professional conduct committee in Manchester, over the treatment
EXHIBITIONS of work ranging from local painters to Monet are being shown in a packed calendar of events at a County Durham museum. As well as its permanent displays, the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle is hosting a variety of special showings. Exhibitions
A writing competition launched earlier this month is already attracting huge interest from authors. The Short Story Competition is organised by Darlington-based Inscribe Media Ltd, backed by The Northern Echo, telecommunications company Orange and Darlington
THE first phase of planned improvements to the volunteer-run Ritz Cinema, in Thirsk, are now under way. The upstairs area of the cinema is being completely redeveloped with the funding for the scheme being split between the Market Town Initiative and
SELDOM has a Prime Minister with such a handsome majority faced such a testing couple of days. Tony Blair, with a nominal majority of 161, goes right to the wire tonight in his bid to avoid defeat over university tuition fees. With such a high stakes
LAWYERS acting for North-East conman George Steen are to press on with his appeal despite being told they cannot question a jury member over her flirtatious behaviour. Barristers claim the jury in fraud case of Mr Steen, from Darlington, could have been
THE design team at Aker Kvaerner Engineering Services is embarking on a £1m contract in Ireland. A 22-strong team, from the company's headquarters in Stockton, is providing engineering and construction management services for the Lisheen Paste Backfill
COUNCIL chiefs last night sought to justify a possible 8.4 per cent increase in council tax this year. The proposed rise comes despite Darlington Borough Council benefiting from a £7.7m cash windfall following its legal wrangle with Durham County Council
DOZENS of child abuse cases could be reopened because of the evidence of a controversial expert. Calls have been made for an urgent review after a man had his conviction for raping a boy overturned because of the evidence of Dr Camille San Lazaro. Dr
A BET has failed to come up trumps for an animal charity. The wager came about after bookmaker BetFred offered £500 to anyone who managed to safely capture Dwain, the dog which roamed wild around Sedgefield Racecourse, County Durham, for several months
SOLDIERS who served in Iraq last summer have a new commanding officer. Troops from 19 Mechanised Brigade, who controlled Basra and the southern deserts immediately after the war last year, have welcomed Brigadier Chip Chapman, who takes over from Brigadier
Care assistant, Wheatley Hill. £4.50ph, 10-30hrs pw, some sleepovers. Must be 21-plus. Experience in residential home environment an advantage but not essential. NVQ 2 in Care desirable or prepared to study towards qualification. Ref: WIQ 2980. Cook,
A TODDLER will have surgery this week to change her life. Two-year-old Alice Skinner, who was born without kidneys, will have a bladder operation that will allow her to undergo a kidney transplant. Her 30-year-old father, George, said: "Alice will spend
Anyone wishing to cast their vote in a dog competition for Raven, a 20-month-old black Labrador from Darlington featured in The Northern Echo last week, will have to dial a new number. Organisers of the Drontal Coolest Canine competition have changed
YOUNGSTERS from the Tees Valley will be able to show off their sporting skills next month. An under-13s and under- 15s indoor athletics event will be held in the Thornaby Pavilion, on Teesside, on Monday, February 16, from 11am to 4pm. The event, which
YOUNGSTERS from a Darlington school have been finding out how the town could be improved as part of a geography project. More than 40 pupils from Eastbourne Comprehensive School have been interviewing residents in six council wards surrounding the school
PEOPLE who want to lose excess pounds should volunteer to push trolleys in North-East hospitals, voluntary organisers said yesterday The Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) is looking for volunteers to visit Sherburn House Residential Home, Durham.
AN accident triggered by a careless rambler who did not shut a gate has sparked an Appeal Court test case. The walker, who was not identified left the gate of Cam House Farm, Chop Gate, near Stokesley, North Yorkshire, swinging, on October 26, 2000. A
Fire crews who saved eight children after they got stuck at the bottom of a cliff when a beck flooded have won a mother's praise. The children, aged between five and 15, were playing in the beck in woodland near Loftus Bank, in Loftus, east Cleveland,
A SOLDIER is to be awarded a certificate for good service. Sergeant Major Jonathan Carroll, of Cleveland Army Cadet Force, will be presented with the certificate by Lord Crathorne, Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire. Sgt Maj Carroll joined the force in
Traffic will be banned from travelling along Chapter House Street, York, from 8am tomorrow until 4pm next Tuesday in order for a water supply to be installed. An alternative route for traffic will be available via Ogleforth, Goodramgate and College Street
A fraudster facing jail for conning £40,000 from his bosses was on the run today. Paul Hepple was due before Newcastle Crown Court after admitting a cunning scam at Akyo Nobel paintmakers in Gateshead. But the 25-year-old salesman failed to turn up and
Secretary/receptionist, Northallerton. 24hrs pw, Wed-Fri. Required for architects office. Knowledge of Microsoft and Sage accounting desirable. Ref: NOE 20998. Senior care assistant, Thirsk. £11,500pa, 37.5hrs pw, 5 over 7. Must have experience in NVQ
UK FIRMS must spend more on innovation and stop moving jobs abroad, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said. Addressing a conference in London on advancing enterprise, Mr Gates warned the challenges of globalisation meant Western companies had to focus on
GEOFF HOON: YOUR Comment (Echo, Jan 20) makes Geoff Hoon the scapegoat for what are failures beyond his responsibility. The media are out for a scalp for what could be considered a vendetta. The skiing holiday is irrelevant and the Dr David Kelly incident
GLAXOSMITHKLINE'S position as the world's second largest drugs firm is under threat from an expansion drive by a French rival. Sanofi-Synthelabo has tabled a takeover bid for its larger rival Aventis, which rejected the hostile approach. If the move goes
A STRIKE by thousands of workers at Land Rover brought production to a standstill yesterday. Union leaders are due to meet today to decide their next move in the industrial action, which crippled production at the Solihull plant in the West Midlands.
SILLY ties were the order of the day at a hospital yesterday - although there was a serious reason behind the stunt. Staff at Harrogate District Hospital took part in the fifth annual Loud Tie campaign to help raise awareness of bowel cancer. Literature
Microsoft chief Bill Gates is being awarded an honorary knighthood for his contribution to enterprise in the UK. Christen Pears looks at the life of the world's richest man. BILL Gates is a mass of contradictions. On one hand, he's the quintessential
TONY BLAIR will make a last appeal to rebel Labour MPs today not to plunge his Government into crisis by voting down controversial plans for university tuition fees. The Prime Minister spent 90 minutes last night trying to woo the doubters and will return
HOUSING management company Tristar Homes is introducing a new financial system. Following consultation with staff, the Stockton company plans to introduce Comino's advanced IT solutions to manage its finances. Tristar says the system will help improve
As well as being an award-winning special constable, Michelle Robson cares for adults with learning difficulties, brings up a family and still finds time to play a full part in the community. She talks to Sharon Griffiths about her hectic life. WHILE
MPs are set to ambush Tony Blair in an effort to win justice for workers "robbed" of their pension when their companies went bust. Five North-East Labour MPs have signed a parliamentary motion demanding that the Government compensates staff who have lost
COMPLAINTS about door-step sellers shot up by almost 200 per cent in one part of the region during the past year, it was revealed yesterday. Property repairs, maintenance and services were the biggest problem, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the complaints
As we brace ourselves for the icy weather that's forecast, here are some hearty, meaty meals to help keep warm IF the Big Freeze sets in this week, it's probably best to forget your post-Christmas diet of lettuce and raw carrots. Instead, cook up some
An abseil instructor was hailed a hero after he dramatically rescued a teenager hanging perilously 100ft above the icy depths of a river. Andrew Vince, 34, swooped over the edge of the Tyne Bridge and carried the 19-year-old to safety yesterday.
Fans who turned out in their thousands at the weekend for troubled Darlington Football Club were set a new challenge last night - to do it all over again. More than 14,200 supporters packed into the Reynolds Arena on Sunday, creating a carnival atmosphere
CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown has urged British companies and businessmen to adapt to the challenge from India and China. Mr Brown made his comments when addressing an international conference in London on advancing enterprise, and warned that globalisation
FREEZING temperatures threaten today's scheduled fixtures at Sedgefield and Leicester with both courses planning early morning inspections. Should by chance they get the green light at Sedgefield, Emerging Star (1.00) will surely be a hard horse to beat
The column's companion this week swapped his usual Wednesday evening football match pie for something much more sophisticated, though probably not much more expensive. BOTTOM line at the very top, a three course dinner with coffee was £8.50 and was so
A SPEECH in front of 100 delegates helped a teenager to become the first junior member of a national association. Natasha Wood, 15, has become an accomplished face-painter, learning from her mother Hazel, who is a leading member of the Face, the profession's
AN award-winning drop-in service that aims to tackle the health concerns of school pupils is continuing to set new standards. The Ferry-Health initiative, housed in a redundant classroom at Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College, celebrates its first
KEVIN KYLE has warned his Sunderland teammates not to become too distracted by the FA Cup. The Black Cats' reward for overcoming Ipswich Town in the fourth round on Saturday was a home draw with Premiership outfit Birmingham City on the weekend of February
RESIDENTS moved into the first of six new housing schemes for the elderly yesterday. The extra-care housing schemes have been built across County Durham as part of an £18m overhaul of accommodation for older people. It involved closing 17 of the 25 Durham
HEARTBEAT star Derek Fowlds defied illness to open a school project yesterday. The actor, who plays the Aidensfield Arms landlord in the TV series, opened a sports hall and two classrooms at Rossett Acre Primary School, Harrogate. Fowlds admitted he had
DALES farmers have been warned to be on their guard in the wake of a spate of burglaries across Swaledale and Wensleydale. Quad bikes and tools have been among thousands of pounds worth of property stolen in Richmondshire since Christmas. On a number
BAE and Boeing have failed in their bid for a £13bn contract to supply refuelling aircraft to the RAF. The UK/US pair were bidding against a European consortium led by EADS for the contract to replace the RAF's ageing VC10 and TriStar fleet. The Ministry
A VICAR whose church faces being mothballed because it is crumbling has thanked a community for its kindness during the crisis. The Reverend Martin Soar, vicar of St Mary's Church, Harrogate, said that a public meeting had helped people to understand
MIDDLESBROUGH hope to sign a striker and secure Danny Mills on a permanent deal before the transfer window closes this weekend. Boro chairman Steve Gibson told Northern Echo SPORT last night that the Riverside outfit have had discussions with three clubs
TWO law students at a North-East sixth form college have been offered places at Oxford and Cambridge universities. The pair, from Stockton Sixth Form College, were unsure as to how well they had done in their interviews and were surprised when they were
A POLICE officer is aiming to fulfil one of his life's goals by creating a championship netball team. Bryan Marsay is building up a force netball team at Cleveland Police. The police officer with the prisoner handling team at Middlesbrough said from speaking
THREE masked men with a firearm and machete-type knife fled with cash after threatening staff on a North-East industrial estate. A police spokesman said the raiders struck at Shoe City, on the Sands Industrial Estate, in Swalwell, Gateshead, shortly before
THOUSANDS of council house tenants in Middlesbrough are being urged to vote for a new landlord. Ballot papers have been delivered to tenants to vote on a Middlesbrough Council recommendation to transfer its 13,000 council houses to non-profit making organisation
AN attempt to overturn the decision to close a popular sports centre has been defeated by one vote. Councillors Tom Burrows and Clive World believe neither the public nor the Richmondshire District Council's partners were consulted properly before the
A MOTHER has spoken of her horror after her son was temporarily blinded when he was stabbed in the eye. Adam Watson, 15, lost the sight in his right eye in the attack, as he walked home on Boxing Day in Marske, east Cleveland, from his cousin's party.
A CLEANING company boss who paid £3,000 to play in goal at Darlington Football Club's fundraising match was last night nursing a broken finger. Andrew Scullion, who runs Total Cleaning Company, saved a shot from Darlington striker Barry Conlon that broke
RABBIT breeder Alan Belgian showed off his prize asset yesterday. Eight-month-old silver rabbit Findon Donny Boy won Best in Show at the Bradford Championship Show, the UK's leading competition for the animals. Mr Belgian, of Witton Gilbert, near Durham
COMPLAINTS about doorstep selling increased by almost 200pc over the last year, it has been revealed. Property repairs, maintenance and services were the main problem, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all complaints. And a high number of the consumers
COUNCILS are bracing themselves for heavy snow showers and plummeting temperatures. Local authorities, many of whom were caught out by blizzard-like conditions earlier this month, are determined to be prepared to tackle the effects of the latest cold
Darlington 1 Bolton Wanderers 2 November 14 1960 Football League Cup Round Three. A 2-1 home defeat, even by giants from the First Division like Bolton, may be a surprise inclusion in a nine-part series celebrating the history of Darlington Football Club
The column's companion this week swapped his usual Wednesday evening football match pie for something much more sophisticated, though probably not much more expensive. BOTTOM line at the very top, a three course dinner with coffee was £8.50 and was so
COUNCILLORS hope to highlight their concerns about a village's play area in an audit. Members of Sadberge Parish Council want to draw attention to the problems the village has with its waterlogged and under-equipped children's park. Darlington Borough
MOTHERS with young children fear they are risking their lives walking to and from school because they are forced to use a dangerous stretch of road. Governors, parents and the head teacher at Gurney Pease Primary School, in Dodsworth Street, Darlington
ABOUT 70 pupils from a Darlington school had an afternoon of fun with numbers as they celebrated the opening of their games library. Parents and helpers at Reid Street Primary School, with representatives from other local schools, attended the event yesterday
AN independent production company run by one of the region's leading screen actors has won a North-East TV award. Newcastle-based Coastal Productions, co-run by Geordie heart-throb Robson Green and executive producer Sandra Jobling, won the Royal Television
TWO youngsters are to appear on posters across east Cleveland to encourage children to walk to school. Charlotte McLoughlin, eight, and seven-year-old Luke Churchill, from Beech Grove Primary School, South Bank, near Middlesbrough, will feature on 200
TRIBUTES have been paid to a devoted couple who died within days of each other. Joan Clarkson died after a short illness on Tuesday, January 13, aged 70. Her husband, Bill, 72, died at the home they shared in Shildon on the day of her funeral, seven days
YOUNGSTERS from across the Tees Valley will be able to show off their sporting skills next month at an athletics event. The under-13 and under-15 indoor athletics meeting will be held at Thornaby Pavilion on Monday, February 16, from 11am to 4pm. The
AN initiative that aims to make Hartlepool cleaner and more attractive has entered a new phase. Officers from Hartlepool Borough Council have selected the West View and Brus area for a second Operation Clean Sweep blitz, which began yesterday and will
GAVIN Strachan is desperate to beat the big freeze tonight as Hartlepool United aim to put Saturday's reverse behind them. After the home defeat by Bristol City the midfielder knows avoiding defeat at Port Vale is vital to Pool's play-off hopes. Neale
Real Crime (ITV1); Bosom Pals (BBC1); LOVE You To Death, in the Real Crime series, was billed as the first documentary to tell the story of "the case that mystified the nation" - the disappearance of Oxford University student Rachel McLean in 1991. The
Out of sight, if not of mind, the column was at the back somewhere when Tyne-Tees Television screened Late Night Legends live from the Manor House Hotel in West Auckland on Thursday evening. The audience had gathered in the Minstrels' Gallery, as in one
WORKTOP manufacturer and laminate supplier Wilsonart, in Shildon, County Durham has acquired seven fork-lift trucks from Lainsing Linde. The equipment, which includes two high mast and two standard mast lifts, takes the company's capital expenditure on
Fire crews who saved eight children after they got stuck at the bottom of a cliff when a beck flooded have won a mother's praise. The children, aged between five and 15, were playing in the beck in woodland near Loftus Bank, in Loftus, east Cleveland,
OUR appeal to support Darlington's crucial game against Rochdale on Saturday has reached £8,050. Companies, organisations and individuals have pledged to sponsor a minute of the match. To help see the club through its short-term cash crisis, we are offering
BUSINESS leaders have warned that tax and red tape are holding back UK companies trying to face the challenge of globalisation. Heads of companies including drugs firm GlaxoSmithKline and spirits group Diageo told an international conference in London
INVESTMENT Banker Noble and Co has completed a £4m sale and leaseback deal on the Fox Cover Industrial Estate. The company has arranged for a syndicate to buy the sale and lease back of a timber production facility on the estate in Dawdon, County Durham
Stylist, Darlington, £5ph plus commission, 40hrs pw Mon- Sat, must be qualified, experience with NVQ 2. Ref: DAE 37220. Cleaner, Darlington, £4.50ph, 16hrs between 8.30am and 5pm Mon-Fri, experience preferred. Ref: DAE 37828. Cook, Darlington, £5ph, 27hrs
ARCHITECTS working for developer Terrace Hill have received planning permission for the first commercial buildings on the multi-million pound Middlehaven development, in Middlesbrough. The Red Box Design Group has received planning consents for two office
