A MOTORING menace with more than 200 previous convictions has been spared jail. Paul Jackson's sentence was deferred for three months after judge Peter Armstrong heard he was turning his life around. Former drug addict Jackson, 29, admitted aggravated
POLICE are to carry out surprise roadside swoops to catch drink-drivers. Officers will also use intelligence-gathering techniques to target specific areas where drink-drivers might take to the roads across Teesside. Static checkpoints will be another
JONNY Wilkinson will be one of four internationals on the bench for Newcastle Falcons at Murrayfield this evening, plus two who have recently trained with England. While all eyes will be on the England captain as he awaits his return in the Heineken Cup
A STAFFORDSHIRE bull terrier named Hooch caused havoc in a suburb for months before nearly killing another dog, a court heard yesterday. Vets had to operate to save the life of three-year-old Barney, another Staffordshire, who was in danger of bleeding
VILLAGERS gave the Prince of Wales a warm welcome when he visited their community yesterday. The prince visited Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, to open a new building at the Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services (Utass) and switch on the
Richard Cawley blames his star sign for his multi-faceted career. The Yorkshire-born Gemini lad, who wanted to become a ballet dancer, has been a fashion designer, TV chef, a writer and now a pantomime star. Being a Gemini, Richard Cawley says he's always
A PAIR of border collies who were rehomed five months ago by an animal charity now need another new home. The pair, Katie and Kim, are described as very intelligent, with lots of energy. When The Northern Echo featured their plight in June, the dogs were
This week sees Middlesbrough's rising stars of 2004 embark on their voyage to retain the FA Youth Cup they won for the first time in the club's history. April's success was just another sign of a successful operation working well. Sports Writer Paul Fraser
A WIFE who plunged a kitchen knife into her husband's chest after a night out at the bingo was spared jail yesterday. Judith Doyle, 54, had drunk five pints when she started rowing with her husband, Michael, over his lack of help with the decorating.
GAVIN Strachan has called on his teammates to show some mental toughness to try to end Hartlepool United's miserable away form. Pool entertain Stockport this afternoon and aim to maintain their magnificent home form - they have dropped only four League
FROM SANTA: Dear People of Darlington, I am writing to you as in no time at all it will be Christmas again. As you should already know, I believe the Spirit of Christmas should last all year. Do you know what the Spirit of Christmas is, everyone? It is
A FRENCH folk singer based in the North-East has released her fourth album. By day, 36-year-old Florence Malavialle is a supply teacher who works in schools in the Tees Valley. But she is better known as Flossie, a singer who moved to Darlington after
FOOTBALL, like fashion, moves in cycles. Green is the new black - or at least it seems to be for referees - and trends change so quickly it's often difficult to keep up. Still talking about Arsenal versus Manchester United? God, that was so last season
'WE won't let you down' - that was Darlington manager David Hodgson's promise to fans who have become accustomed to countless false dawns in recent years. On the back of two straight wins Quakers lie seventh in League Two ahead of this afternoon's clash
A COUPLE who allowed their 17 cats to starve were banned from keeping animals for the rest of their lives yesterday. South Durham magistrates, sitting in Bishop Auckland, ordered the RSPCA to remove Alan and Marie Humphrey's remaining two cats and a dog
RONNY Johnsen has told his Newcastle team-mates "It's good to talk" - although the veteran centre-half would like Alan Shearer to keep quiet about a certain five-goal drubbing. Johnsen was part of the Manchester United side that suffered a 5-0 thrashing
A POLICE officer who received a bravery commendation in September has been banned from entering pubs and clubs in a town for a year. PC Richard Baranovsky was named on a list of 11 people banned by Harrogate Pubwatch. The group operates a system which
GRAEME Souness last night admitted that it remains almost inconceivable to imagine Newcastle lining up with Alan Shearer on the bench. The Magpies skipper will go straight back into the first team as his side take on Portsmouth this afternoon, despite
A WOMAN has been evicted from her Darlington home and two more families face the same fate in the New Year as part of the council's crack down on anti-social behaviour. The woman, from Skerne Park, was told to leave her house after her partner was jailed
MICK McCARTHY'S double boost on the defensive front this week has lifted hopes that Sunderland can erase memories of an X-rated display when they last visited Cardiff City. The red card Steve Caldwell had rescinded on Tuesday means he will be able to
OH dear! Now we've reached the stage of voting Britain's most truly averagely-talented band Busted as The Record Of The Year 2004 (ITV1, Saturday). How is it possible when they are more manufactured than the Thunderbirds puppets they are singing about
THE former civil servant investigating the David Blunkett visa row last night rejected Tory demands to widen his inquiry. The Conservatives had asked Sir Alan Budd to probe other claims against the Home Secretary, but he said he would not go outside his
A MAN walked free from court with his clean record intact after being cleared of an alleged indecent attack on a girl. Mark John Robert Jackson, 20, was arrested nine days after an incident in which a seven-year-old girl was followed along an alleyway
Terrified Carol Symington is living in fear after becoming the target of a hate mob who believe she is Maxine Carr. Mum-of-three Carol, 44, says she resembles Soham killer Ian Huntley's lover -and she has gone public to ask her neighbours to leave her
The column finds plenty of Christmas cheer at the church of St Nicholas, Husthwaite. FIVE minutes before the service begins, ball point pens and little circles of paper are being handed out to the 10.30am congregation at the church of St Nicholas, Husthwaite
A burglar who bit an elderly widow before stealing her treasured wedding ring was jailed for five-and-a-half years yesterday. Lilian McTomney, 83, was found traumatised wandering the streets in her blood-stained nightgown. But pitiless Michael Hardy walked
A NATIONAL charity has brought some Christmas cheer to a family that has lost three children in tragic circumstances. Daniel and Anne-Marie Readshaw were both 13 when they died in almost identical circumstances two years apart. Anne-Marie died in Spennymoor
A COUPLE who allowed their 17 cats to starve were banned from keeping animals for the rest of their lives yesterday. South Durham magistrates, sitting in Bishop Auckland, ordered the RSPCA to remove Alan and Marie Humphrey's remaining two cats and a dog
IT IS said that the ghost of Dr Robert Stirling still haunts the back lane that runs past the ruined leper hospital between Burnopfield and Rowlands Gill. The ghost is a chilling sight, its throat slit and its face caved in. And its piteous wailing cuts
TONY Dobbin's Cheltenham hoodoo might be about to end if, as expected, Monet's Garden (1.30) triumphs in the Relkeel Hurdle. "I think the world of this horse," said trainer Nicky Richards after Monet's Garden had made a successful re-appearance at Windsor
MIDDLESBROUGH set off for the south coast yesterday afternoon with a definite sense of deja vu surrounding the trip. Today's Premiership game at Southampton will be the third time this season the Teessiders have faced a team on their travels with a newly
THE BBC Sports Personality of the Year award is a prestigious honour - but it has not always gone to deserving winners. The roll of honour features truly great sportsmen and women whose achievements in a particular year were outstanding. It also includes
OH dear! Now we've reached the stage of voting Britain's most truly averagely-talented band Busted as The Record Of The Year 2004 (ITV1, Saturday). How is it possible when they are more manufactured than the Thunderbirds puppets they are singing about
Being a Gemini, Richard Cawley says he's always ready for a challenge. This need constantly to do something new is only too evident from looking at his list of past and present work. The Doncaster-born lad who wanted to become a ballet dancer has been
MICK McCARTHY'S double boost on the defensive front this week has lifted hopes that Sunderland can erase memories of an X-rated display when they last visited Cardiff City. The red card Steve Caldwell had rescinded on Tuesday means he will be able to
EVEN Prince Charles noticed how cold it was in Middleton-in-Teesdale yesterday afternoon. But despite the chill, residents, visitors and schoolchildren lined the streets and the prince joked he could be blamed for an outbreak of hypothermia in the village
WORKERS at the Federation Brewery in Gateshead are to go on strike next week in a dispute over pay and the brewery's acquisition earlier this year by Scottish Courage. About 70 staff - the majority of the employees at the site - will take part in the
POLICE are to carry out surprise roadside swoops to catch drink-drivers. Officers will also use intelligence-gathering techniques to target specific areas where drink-drivers might take to the roads across Teesside. Static checkpoints will be another
Terrified Carol Symington is living in fear after becoming the target of a hate mob who believe she is Maxine Carr. Mum-of-three Carol, 44, says she resembles Soham killer Ian Huntley's lover -and she has gone public to ask her neighbours to leave her
A former post office clerk was jailed for 15 months yesterday - on her 26th birthday - after a court heard how she had stolen benefit books from unsuspecting customers and cashed them herself. Kirsty Elvin, of St Anthony's Road, Walker, Newcastle, stole
IT will be a case of the split family Robinson when Sunderland enter the volatile surroundings of Ninian Park this afternoon. Black Cats midfielder Carl Robinson was brought up just 40 minutes drive from Cardiff, is a Bluebirds fan, plays for Wales, his
A NEW ranger has been appointed to lead a team responsible for promoting and protecting country parks. Ian Graham becomes park ranger team leader at Herrington Country Park, near Chester-le-Street. He and his part-time colleagues will provide a seven-day
A TOWN mayor said it was lucky no one was killed when a coach crashed into a historic building yesterday. The back of the Abbotts of Leeming vehicle hit the front entrance of 19th Century Richmond Town Hall at about 8.40am. The Mayor of Richmond, Councillor
A MOTHER has told of the nightmare of seeing a thief drive off in her car with her seven-year-old child inside. Anna Hawkes was in tears as she described the moment she saw a man speed away with her daughter, Hannah. The man pushed Hannah from the car
HUNDREDS of jobs have been secured at Swan Hunter after contract renegotiations with the Government put the shipyard in line to receive £84m. The money, which is part of the payment for two Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels, will ensure the financial security
PLANS to encourage more tall ships to come to two coastal towns were announced yesterday. Under the Scarborough Borough Council proposals, berth charges for tall ships and other vessels registered with Sail Training International at Scarborough and Whitby
A MILKMAN who pushed a home-made bomb through the letterbox of his former lover's home as part of a vendetta has been jailed for six years. Judge Peter Armstrong told John Tinkler: "Anyone making a bomb and placing it at someone's house can only expect
No attempt had been made to cover up the evidence. The clues were obvious. The name, for a start, was a dead giveaway. There's no doubting whodunit when the names on the invitation are Agatha Christie and Miss Marple. Clearly, the culprit wasn't Colonel
A burglar who bit an elderly widow before stealing her treasured wedding ring was jailed for five-and-a-half years yesterday. Lilian McTomney, 83, was found traumatised wandering the streets in her blood-stained nightgown. But pitiless Michael Hardy walked
A MILKMAN who pushed a home-made bomb through the letterbox of his former lover's home as part of a vendetta has been jailed for six years. Judge Peter Armstrong told John Tinkler: "Anyone making a bomb and placing it at someone's house can only expect
Richard Cawley blames his star sign for his multi-faceted career. The Yorkshire-born Gemini lad, who wanted to become a ballet dancer, has been a fashion designer, TV chef, a writer and now a pantomime star. Being a Gemini, Richard Cawley says he's always
Smaller companies in the retail and technology sectors are among those in the limelight this week. Investors will focus on trading at retailer Carpetright when it reports interim results on Tuesday amid concerns that a slowing housing market has weakened
UNIVERSITY researchers have designed a virtual reality version of one of the region's busiest towns to help dementia sufferers navigate their way through the streets. The project uses computer-generated images of Middlesbrough, projected on to a cinema
THE RSPCA is searching for homes for more than 100 animals it seized last week. Ninety-nine dogs and 22 cats were removed from a property near Malton, North Yorkshire on December 2. The RSPCA has launched an investigation and a file of evidence is being
A MOTHER has told of the nightmare of seeing a thief drive off in her car with her seven-year-old child inside. Anna Hawkes was in tears as she described the moment she saw a man speed away with her daughter, Hannah. The man pushed Hannah from the car
Brian Clough takes to the road for the first in a motorhome and becomes a happy camper convert. IT'S adventure holidays you're looking for then I can recommend one of the best. I'm not talking of those swim across the crocodile-infested river with lead
RONNY Johnsen has told his Newcastle team-mates "It's good to talk" - although the veteran centre-half would like Alan Shearer to keep quiet about a certain five-goal drubbing. Johnsen was part of the Manchester United side that suffered a 5-0 thrashing
ASBESTOS scattered onto the streets of a Teesside town as a warehouse was destroyed by fire. Firefighters used specialist breathing equipment to extinguish the fire on Dovecot Street, Stockton, in the early hours of yesterday. "There were asbestos fragments
IMAGES just released of what would be the new Stockton show a smart, clean and high-tech town that would be the envy of the Tees Valley. Only the small matters of finding £20m of Government cash and £60m in private finance stand in the way - along with
