Most people would be happy to get a phone call telling them they had won a competition, but it may not turn out to be as lucky as you thought. Nick Morrison looks at one of the fastest-growing frauds in the country. IT was about the sixth such call I'd
THE firm that organises the county's out-of-hours GP cover has set alarm bells ringing by revealing it is short of money. Primary care trusts have been contacted by North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors to say it is facing 'financial challenges'. The quality
I EXPECT you've all been on tenterhooks again waiting for the famous Mullen Round Robin at Christmas! This is the annual letter we send only to our very special friends - that is those who last year were kind enough not to tell us where we could shove
STRIKING workers at a manufacturer are being balloted today after bosses returned to unions with an improved pay offer. About 60 staff at The Fin Machine, in Sedgefield, County Durham, stayed away from work yesterday in a one-day strike. The workers,
THE administrator of collapsed furniture chain Courts said last night it had agreed the possible sale of 14 of the group's stores to a retail turnaround specialist. KPMG Corporate Recovery said SB Capital, which holds stakes in Land of Leather and Furnitureland
COLIN Cooper is eagerly awaiting Stewart Downing's England debut, after Sven-Goran Eriksson yesterday confirmed that the youngster has been pencilled in for February's friendly with Holland. Downing, who scored Middlesbrough's last-gasp leveller against
WORKERS have voted against striking in protest at the ending of car production at Jaguar's Coventry factory, it was announced yesterday. Members of the Transport and General Workers Union, Amicus and the GMB rejected taking industrial action over the
SAVING energy can give businesses money for nothing and firms in the North-East are being given help to make it happen. Action Energy, a Government-funded agency set up to cut greenhouse gas emissions, is offering a free New Year starter pack to businesses
REHEARSALS are well under way for the 59th consecutive pantomime from Hutton Rudby Dramatic Society. The Scarlet Pumpernickel will run from January 7 to 15 in the newly-refurbished village hall, officially opened at the end of last month. Tickets cost
A PREACHER who told a schoolgirl she should not have sex before marriage raped her three times, a court heard yesterday. Born-again Christian Robin Brown, who is also accused of indecent assault, was the leader of a religious group when he was alleged
NEWCASTLE Brown Ale has returned to tradition after a move away from the olde-world image made no difference to sales. Four years ago, marketing gurus decided the word ale should be dropped from the label because it carried an image that could not compete
A LANDMARK building in Middlesbrough is now fully occupied. Owner Marchday last week completed the final letting in the 17-storey building. Occupants have included Garlands Call Centres, Walkabout Inns and Middlesbrough Town Centre Company, and now two
Transport group Arriva started selling motorcycles and scooters in Sunderland 70 years ago. Seven years ago, the company made its first foray into the European market, with the purchase of Scandinavian bus operations. Business Editor Julia Breen visited
FACTORY gate prices have risen to their highest level for eight years. Output price inflation, excluding food, drink, tobacco and petrol, rose three per cent in the year to last month, the highest since March 1996, figures from the Office for National
COLIN Cooper is eagerly awaiting Stewart Downing's England debut, after Sven-Goran Eriksson yesterday confirmed that the youngster has been pencilled in for February's friendly with Holland. Downing, who scored Middlesbrough's last-gasp leveller against
POLICE are appealing for help to trace a father-of-two who has been missing for four weeks. Officers are becoming increasingly concerned about 30-year-old Gary Cole, who has not been seen or in touch with his family since mid-November. Mr Cole has family
FANTASTIC costumes, terrible jokes and a beanstalk Alan Titchmarsh would be proud of... the panto season is back, and this year it's the tale of young Jack Durden and the great Giant Blunderbore delighting audiences at Middlesbrough Theatre. Fighting
MIDDLESBROUGH marketing consultancy Rocket Science has recruited an academic to help in the company's research and development. SAM LAWS, research fellow at Rocket Science, is a psychology graduate at the University of Teesside who, as part of a scheme
NORTH-East regional web portal n-e-life.com has appointed CAROLYN DOUGHERTY to help with a funding initiative designed to help the region's small businesses grow through the use of IT. In her role, she will spread awareness of the Grow Your Business scheme
A COMMERCIAL property specialist has been appointed at law firm Crutes. GARETH JONES has joined Crutes as a partner and will work in the commercial property sector in the firm's business services departments and in the Teesside area. Crutes, which has
The London Stock Exchange has rejected a £1.35bn takeover approach from German rival Deutsche Borse. The LSE said the 530p-a-share proposal undervalued both the company and potential savings from a tie-up with the Frankfurt-based exchange. Concerns that
HOUSE price inflation in the North-East is higher than anywhere else in England, figures showed last night. But elsewhere, fresh evidence of a slowdown in the housing market emerged when official figures showed price growth faltered in the rest of the
THE number of homeless people in the North-East has increased by 50 per cent during the past year. Homeless charity Shelter says the rates - the largest of any English region - means 910 families will face this Christmas in temporary accommodation. Latest
VANDALS wielding chainsaws hacked down three mature trees - then sped off without them. The destruction of the 30ft-high maples for no apparent reason has bemused council officers and police in Darlington. They are hunting for two men who were spotted
Store manager, Cattterick. 39hpw, 5 out of 7 days, between 8,30am-7pm, inc evenings and weekends. £16,000pa. Must have at least 2-3 years' management/supervisory experience, good leadership and interpersonal skills. Must have a good standard of education
TWELVE days before Christmas, a dog has been found abandoned and half-starved. Despite being all skin and bone, Cracker - as he's been named by veterinary nurses - still manages to wag his tail and let out a whimper. The RSPCA suspects he may have been
A THIRD of sick days taken by teachers are as a result of the stress of the job - according to new figures. Teachers across the North-East, Yorkshire and the Humber missed half a million school days last year through illness. According to research by
PLANS to build 167 homes on the site of an auction mart could be approved this week. Persimmon Homes wants to build the houses on the site currently occupied by Thirsk Auction Mart. The mart was given planning permission to move to a 20-acre site off
EXTRA funding has led to a dramatic county-wide reduction in arson, fire chiefs said last Monday. Deliberate fires in North Yorkshire dropped by 8.9 per cent in the 12 months up to April this year, compared to the previous year. The reduction comes after
DARREN Carter has thanked Sunderland for getting his career back on track. The 20-year-old midfielder was last week recalled early by Birmingham City from his loan spell on Wearside and pitched straight into the white-hot atmosphere of a Midlands derby
MAKING predictions in politics is a perilous business. But it is our belief that Home Secretary David Blunkett will still be in the Government at the end of the year. There is a vociferous school of thought in Westminster which is adamant that Mr Blunkett
A MAIN line station serving a North-East town is celebrating after gaining three extra services as part of a timetable shake-up. Chester-le-Street Station, which narrowly avoided closure during the 1960s, will now run a train to Paignton, in Devon, and
A YEAR after a bewildered and dishevelled Saddam Hussein was pulled from his underground hideout, the bloodshed continues in Iraq - with more civilians and US troops killed yesterday. Saddam's capture was greeted with great enthusiasm, President George
A GROWTH in demand for more retail space at Durham Tees Valley Airport has led to the availability of retail units in the main passenger terminal. The airport, formerly known as Teesside International, is expected to expand next year as it prepares to
Workshop Depot-Based Engineer, Newton Aycliffe. 40hpw, £15,349-£16,750pa. Must be time-served and preferably have experience with mobile plant. Ref: NEU 19045. Delivery Driver, Newton Aycliffe. 39hpw Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, meets NMW. Must be 26+ with full clean
THE appetite for new cars among European buyers shows no signs of slowing - giving hard-pressed manufacturers a respite from slowing sales in the rest of the world. According to research released by the JD Power-LMC group, sales last month totalled 1.15
The City is already starting to wind-down for Christmas. It's all right for some, but many of us still have plenty to be getting on with. Having said that, the drinks parties seem to happen every night and, in what must be pure coincidence, the flow of
Christmas parties are not the best occasions at which to negotiate salary increases, as the parties found in the recent case of Judge v Crown Leisure Limited. Mr Judge, the special projects operations manager at a company that managed gambling and amusement
LLOYDS TSB said it was on track to make further earnings progress next year, despite becoming the latest bank to report a slowdown in consumer borrowing. The bank, which transferred its Newcastle call centre operations to Mumbai, India, last month, with
MIDDLESBROUGH are preparing a sensational January swoop for Newcastle contract rebel Olivier Bernard. The French full-back is out of contract in the summer and has become locked in a bitter dispute with United officials over their offer of a renewed deal
A DOG killed two sheep and a goat in two attacks five days apart, a court heard yesterday. The 15-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier killed a Swaledale ewe and a ram on a farm at Brompton-on-Swale, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, on September 5. On
MARINE accident investigators began examining a fishing boat which went down with the loss of two crewmen - as a requiem mass was being held in their memory yesterday. About 400 people packed into St Michael's RC Church in Houghton-le-Spring to remember
A BUILDER threatened with court action over an empty seafront building says he will vigorously contest any legal action. A leading Redcar and Cleveland Borough councillor said last month that legal proceedings would be taken against the builders and/or
TEESDALE District Council has agreed to sell off some of its land to be used as a private garden. The sale of the land adjoining 10 Bartlemere, Barnard Castle, is on condition it will be used as a garden and will not have any structures built on it. The
A COMMUNITY turned out in force to help their neighbourhood bloom this spring. Residents of the Dean Bank area, Ferryhill, mounted a tidy-up and planted spring bulbs along the roadside, focusing on the corner of Sieman's Street and Merrington Road. Pupils
VOTERS in a Durham suburb will go to the polls on Thursday to elect a new city councillor. The by-election at Belmont was caused by the resignation of Liberal Democrat Kathleen Atkinson in a row over the composition of a new regeneration scheme's panel
A NIGHTCLUB is preparing for its busiest day of the year - a charity fundraiser. For the past 25 years, Crocodillos, in Front Street, Chester-le-Street, has staged a pantomime on New Year's Day, which features a group of friends dressing up and miming
A lesson on religious ceremonies at a County Durham primary school turned into a wedding. Pupils and staff at Barnard Castle Preparatory School ended up recreating the full wedding, complete with pupils taking on the roles of the bride and groom, father
A NORTH-EAST bakery famous for its pasties has come to the aid of women with eating disorders. A charitable trust set up by Greggs the Bakers has donated £30,000 to the Northern Initiative on Women and Eating (NIWE). The grant will allow NIWE to offer
A HOSPITAL trust has announced tighter restrictions on smoking by staff or patients in or around its hospitals in County Durham. County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals Trust announced the changes yesterday in response to complaints from staff and
SOCIAL care staff in County Durham are to work throughout the Christmas and New Year break to deal with emergencies. Hundreds of Durham County Council's social care and health staff will ensure that, while services will be limited over the bank holidays
HEALTH programmes in north Durham to fight child obesity and help older people lead more active and independent lives have received a £300,000 boost. The Healthy Horizons project has won £220,000 from the lottery-funded body, Active England. The initiative
YOUNG people who cause trouble in a town centre after dark are being warned to move on or face a curfew. Police and traders are urging teenagers who gather in Aycliffe Shopping Centre, in Newton Aycliffe, to make use of the town's new park instead of
MIDDLESBROUGH are preparing a sensational January swoop for Newcastle contract rebel Olivier Bernard. The French full-back is out of contract in the summer and has become locked in a bitter dispute with United officials over their offer of a renewed deal
CROWDS of young Army cadets saw the tables turned on their leaders at their festive celebrations. A total of 114 youngsters from across North Yorkshire travelled to Strensall Camp, near York, for the Yorkshire North and West region Christmas dinner. And
YOUNG artists were rewarded yesterday for their unusual card designs promoting the role of fathers. Pupils at Greencroft School, Annfield Plain, near Stanley, were asked to come up with greeting cards aimed at raising awareness about the importance of
THE ports of Scarborough and Whitby are hoping to attract more tall ships to boost the Yorkshire Coast's holiday industry. Charges are to be reduced for tall ships and other vessels registered with Sail Training International to encourage more interest
A FATHER threatened his lifelong friend at knifepoint after his daughter accused the man of sexually abusing her. The attacker, from Stockton, Teesside, who cannot be named, became bitter after his 14-year-old child told him his friend of 20 years had
RESIDENTS of three communities across Durham City are coming together to give their neighbourhoods a winter spruce-up. Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council, which is creating a BMX track on Parkhill Estate, held a clean-up event at Parkhill Recreational
A SCHEME encouraging schools and community groups in Darlington to plant trees is to begin. The borough council's Free Trees project is an annual promotion and next year will run from January to March. Application forms to receive free trees will be provided
EDUCATION bosses at Darlington Borough Council have requested a meeting with officials from the Department of Education and Skills after the town missed out on vital funding. The council, which is also the local education authority, had hoped to be part
THE number of homeless people in the North-East has increased by 50 per cent during the past year. Homeless charity Shelter says the rates - the largest of any English region - means 910 families will face this Christmas in temporary accommodation. Latest
A BUS route which serves some of the most deprived parts of Darlington has been axed by the council -leaving elderly residents looking for alternative transport. The Green Bus services 10 and 11 were launched a year ago and link Firthmoor, Red Hall, Albert
HOMELESS people enjoyed a Christmas lunch to remember, courtesy of a Darlington church and college catering students. For the second year running, Darlington College of Technology catering students cooked for people who do not have anywhere to live. They
Bus company Go North-East is to reinstate easy access buses on the 47/47A route between Blackhall Mill, in Gateshead, and Newcastle. The buses were removed following a shake-up of services in August, prompting complaints from passengers.
A JURY has retired to consider its verdict in the case of a man allegedly murdered at a Metro station. Jurors at Newcastle Crown Court had heard how 26-year-old Claire Park urged her partner, Sean Clarke, 25, to stab her former lover to death after a
CHILDREN from a primary school took to the stage yesterday to put on their own Christmas plays which will pay for a professional pantomime early in the New Year. Children at Bournmoor Primary School, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, invited parents
BUSINESSES in the region are being challenged to carry out projects to help preserve wildlife. The Durham Biodiversity Partnership is overseeing a programme in which a series of challenges have been designed by organisations including the Durham Wildlife
A TEENAGER arrested at the weekend for begging had been locked out of his lodgings and had no money, a court heard yesterday. Magistrates at Harrogate were told Shane Varela, 18, had been seen by police, who were monitoring the town's closed-circuit television
ANIMAL lovers are being urged to spare a thought this Christmas for some of the less fortunate cats and dogs. About 20 dogs and more than 30 cats will be spending the festive season at the Blue Cross Centre, at Topcliffe, near Thirsk, this year. And staff
A MAN lashed out with a table leg in a late night street fight, a court was told yesterday. James Jones, 20, left his flat to settle a disturbance and witnesses saw him strike a man across the back of his head with the table leg. Jones claimed that the
MIDFIELDER Adrian Webster believes the class of Darlington's former Premiership stars is rubbing off on the rest of the team. Quakers moved up to fifth in League Two after Saturday's 3-0 win over Leyton Orient. David Hodgson's starting XI at the weekend
MULTI-million pound business developments in the North-East are attracting a flood of highly-skilled workers to the region, a recruitment specialist has said. John Tempest, managing director of executive search company Tempest Search and Selection, said
BOSSES at the Federation Brewery, in Gateshead, say strike action planned for this week could threaten the future of the site. More than 70 staff - the majority of the workforce at the Dunston site - will take part in a 48-hour walkout at the weekend
ONE of the region's universities has been named among the best in the world in a survey of leading scientists. Durham University has been named second in the UK and 95th in the world in a league table published by the Times Higher Education Supplement
A BUILDER threatened with court action over an empty seafront building says he will vigorously contest any legal action. A leading Redcar and Cleveland Borough councillor said last month that legal proceedings would be taken against the builders and/or
The column is uncharacteristically unequivocal in its praise of The Abbey Inn, Byland Abbey. JUST as the Master Pedants would argue that nothing can be fairly unique - either it's unique or it isn't - so it may be supposed that no claim can be almost
SHOPFITTING and interiors manufacturer NJL Yorkline has appointed KAREN ROBSON and HAYLEY ANDERSON. Ms Robson, who holds a diploma in graphic design and an HND in information design, will represent the company as a sales manager to shop owners and architects
A REVOLUTIONARY approach to treating heart attack victims is proving to be a big life-saver, according to North-East doctors. Since April, heart specialists at James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, have treated heart attack victims by unblocking
A WOMAN who faced many dangers during the Second World War has died at the age of 89. Diana Luxmoore was in charge of a platoon that drove ambulances around London at the height of the Blitz, before joining a unit which manned anti-aircraft guns to protect
The Second World War may have seen an end to traditional Christmas festivities, with the menfolk away and rations in place, but families still found ways to make it a special time, as Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings reports. THE tantalising aroma of the
Three Albany Northern League teams got the home ties they wanted in the fourth round draw of the FA Vase. All four ANL sides are up against teams who have come through from the southern half of the draw. Billingham Town play Lymington and New Milton from
A HIT and run driver who left a female motorist shaken on a road was being hunted by police yesterday. The woman was driving an X-type Jaguar towards the Malt Shovel public house at Wham, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, when a vehicle came over the
IDENTITY CARDS: HAVE those who promote the idea of identity cards forgotten that the biggest threat to individual freedom has always been, not terrorism, but totalitarian government? Identity cards enabled the Nazis to separate the Jews and others for
Niven Architects, based in Darlington, has appointed CARL ROSS as an associate. Mr Ross will be responsible for strengthening the company's service to commercial, educational and healthcare clients. Based in Coniscliffe Road, Niven Architects' portfolio
WALLACE and Gromit's favourite cheesemaker has signed a lucrative deal to promote Wensleydale cheese using the animated characters. With a feature-length Wallace and Gromit film due for release, Wensleydale Creameries, which employs 170 people at its
A NIGHTCLUB is preparing for its busiest day of the year - a charity fundraiser. For the past 25 years, Crocodillos, in Front Street, Chester-le-Street, has staged a pantomime on New Year's Day, which features a group of friends dressing up and miming
Can't Buy Me Love (ITV1): DONNA Harris reflects, at the end of this modern day morality tale, that we're all going to the same place sooner or later and it's all a case of how we get there - by slow boat or rollercoaster. She feels she's "a rollercoaster
A TRAINING organisation specialising in early years training and playwork has won the backing of Schools Minister David Miliband. Training in Childcare, which is based at Tedco, in South Shields, South Tyneside, operates as an independent college, primarily
THE Bank of England last night warned of spiralling levels of credit card borrowing as it revealed household debt was growing at 15 per cent a year. It said in its twice-yearly Financial Stability Review that debt was likely to remain strong over the
A Christmas concert featuring Cockerton Band and Spennymoor Youth Band will be held at Spennymoor Town Hall, County Durham, on Saturday, at 7.30pm. Tickets, priced £3, can be obtained on (01388) 815276. Published: 14/12/2004
DAVID BLUNKETT was looking increasingly isolated last night after he was slapped down for his behaviour by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. The Home Secretary publicly accepted he had been "arrogant" to make scathing comments about Cabinet colleagues
POLAR SCOUT is on the right trail to secure victory in the feature event at Folkestone today, the David Edwards Memorial Handicap Chase. Charlie Mann's seven-year-old should already be on the score-sheet this term, but having looked all over the winner
After becoming seriously disillusioned with gymnastics - "humiliated," says her mum - Katy Dunn might have had enough of life's up and downs. Instead, however, she twisted and turned to trampolining - and has just become British Under 13s champion. "She
The Second World War may have seen a end to traditional Christmas festivities, with the menfolk away and rations in place, but families still found ways to make it a special time, as Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings reports. THE tantalising aroma of the
A WOMAN who attacked teenagers with dog chains after she had been abused while walking her pets avoided a jail sentence yesterday. Harrogate magistrates heard how 47-year-old Theresa Hunt had snapped after been driven to despair by the antics of gangs
IT was about the sixth such call I'd received in the past month. I had been pre-selected, the recorded message told me, as a winner, and I would definitely receive one of the following: £1,000 cash, a £5,000 prize award, or the star prize of a limited
TWO centuries of banking in a town is to be highlighted in an exhibition. Ledgers and photographs dating back to 1792 will be on display in Barclays in Richmond until Christmas. Richmondshire MP William Hague visited the exhibition last week. He said:
A MAN who attacked his girlfriend's parents has been given an 18-month community rehabilitation order. Durham Crown Court heard how 31-year-old Wayne Jobson punched his girlfriend in the face, giving her a black eye, after getting angry following a drinking
A TOWN centre will be transformed into an open-air gallery this week when a public art display complements its festive decorations. An innovative arts project, launched in Spennymoor tonight, will see art and film projected on to large buildings around
ENTREPRENEUR Mike Warren is expanding his chain of Bang and Olufsen dealerships in the region, following the lease of a store in Newcastle city centre. Mr Warren opened his first Bang and Olufsen store in Jesmond, Newcastle, six years ago. He has since
GUY Wilks will be thrust into the world rally spotlight next season after Suzuki announced their entry on to the big stage. The 23-year-old Darlington driver, British rallying's brightest hope, drove for the Japanese team in both the Junior World Rally
STARS from television and North-East sporting heroes gathered last night to mark a special birthday for one of the region's most popular actors. Robson Green held a fundraising charity dinner at the Gateshead Hilton Hotel to celebrate his 40th birthday
A business development that will include a college and day care nursery was launched last week in Gateshead. Developers say the Baltic Business Quarter could create up to 7,000 jobs in the surrounding area. On the corner of Hawks Road and Quarryfield
A WORKER who was dragged into an unguarded machine was told by doctors he was inches from death. Darren Foley, 24, has scars and still has weekly visits to hospital after the accident, in which his left arm was trapped in a tyre-shredding machine. An
BLAKE ROBINSON has been appointed operations manager at the North East Chamber of Commerce's training company, NECC Training Limited. The role will see him co-ordinate a range of academic and practical learning at NECC's nine training centres stretching
A NORTH-EAST theatre company is looking for actors, dancers and singers to take part in a stage extravaganza. The Dionysis Theatre Company, of Spennymoor, will hold a series of workshop auditions for the performance of 42nd Street next year. Company spokesman
A business development that will include a college and day care nursery was launched last week in Gateshead. Developers say the Baltic Business Quarter could create up to 7,000 jobs in the surrounding area. On the corner of Hawks Road and Quarryfield
POLICE chiefs warned that drink-drive checks will be carried out on motorists at any time and at any place. North Yorkshire Police will operate at least one static drink-drive check somewhere in the county every day until January 2. The static check programme
A JURY has retired to consider its verdict in the case of a man allegedly murdered at a Metro station. Jurors at Newcastle Crown Court had heard how 26-year-old Claire Park urged her partner, Sean Clarke, 25, to stab her former lover to death after a
A CITY council is promising to get tough on rogue traders calling at people's houses. People who carry out bogus property repairs, or pushy salesmen who call uninvited, could now be prosecuted for failing to show correct details about their business or
DARREN Carter has thanked Sunderland for getting his career back on track. The 20-year-old midfielder was last week recalled early by Birmingham City from his loan spell on Wearside and pitched straight into the white-hot atmosphere of a Midlands derby
Actor David Leonard tells Steve Pratt how, after 18 pantos, he's perfected the art of being a baddie. DAVID Leonard has been getting away with being bad for the past two decades. Every year, the Middlesbrough-born actor does his best to ruin people's
A PENSIONER threatened with legal action when she paid her Council Tax a week late spoke last night of her relief after the prosecution was dropped. Derwentside District Council, in County Durham, summonsed Ivy George, 69, to appear before Consett Magistrates
CHILDREN whose Christmas presents were destroyed in a house blaze were treated to sacks of toys by firefighters yesterday. Five-year-old Alisha Cave and her sister, Caitlin, aged 18 months, suffered smoke inhalation when a chip pan fire ripped through
In the second of a three-part series examining the North-East's top football clubs, Business Correspondent Paul Willis looks at the highs and lows of life at Sunderland AFC. The vagaries of David Beckham's ever-changing haircut aside, the widening gulf
NEALE Cooper believes Hartlepool United won't see the best of Hugh Robertson until the New Year. The left back returned to the starting line-up in last Saturday's win over Stockport after over three months out with a foot injury. Robertson's career was
Chemist, Consett. 37.5hrs pw, between 8am and 5pm, Mon-Fri. Must be educated to minimum HNC or equivalent, preferably in science-related subject. Must have minimum two years' experience in analytical or environmental laboratory. Ref: CON 18461. Assistant
THE magical story of Snow White, the seven dwarfs, the evil stepmother and the dashing Prince Charming is brought to life in this spectacular pantomime. Funny, enchanting and scary by turns, the main plot stays true to the original tale for much of the
DAVID BLUNKETT was looking increasingly isolated last night after he was slapped down for his behaviour by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. The Home Secretary publicly accepted he had been "arrogant" to make scathing comments about Cabinet colleagues
A WOMAN who died in hospital following a road accident on the A66 last month was well-known as a meals on wheels driver for the Women's Royal Voluntary Service. Vera Robertson, nee Henry, of Catterick Village, North Yorkshire, was born in 1918 in Houghton-le-Spring
CDM Recruitment has appointed MARK CARRIGAN as construction trade consultant at its Middlesbrough office. With more than seven years experience in sales and recruitment, the 26-year-old from Middlesbrough will be responsible for sourcing and creating
JOHN PEEL by Mick Wall (Orion, £14.99): THE outpouring of grief following the sudden death of DJ John Peel last month has only been matched by the surge of affection for an unlikely national hero. Those strong feelings across at least three generations
A woman who urged her partner to murder her former lover after a chance meeting on a crowded commuter train was jailed for life yesterday. Claire Park, 27, egged Sean Clarke, 26, on like a "banshee" until he plunged a kitchen knife she had given him into
The column is uncharacteristically unequivocal in its praise of The Abbey Inn, Byland Abbey. JUST as the Master Pedants would argue that nothing can be fairly unique - either it's unique or it isn't - so it may be supposed that no claim can be almost
Bishop Auckland Civic Society's town quiz raised more than £650 for the Prostate Cancer charity. A team from Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College won the trophy, with last year's winners Bishop Auckland Cricket Club in second place. The winners gave
POLICE are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a man who has been missing from home for a week. Kevin Lee Keeler, 38, from Scarborough, has not been seen since December 6. He is described as being 5ft 10in, stocky, bald on top with ginger
DURHAM's monthly farmers' market will be held twice before Christmas to meet demand from shoppers. The market, held in the Market Place, has been running for five years, offering regionally-grown produce. Eileen Wood, operations director of the Durham
GARDENERS have been warned to take extra care after four thefts from sheds within a few days. A petrol-engined Mountfield lawn mower was stolen from a shed in Dawson Road, Barnard Castle, and a Flymo mower and strimmer were taken from nearby West View
A HOSPITAL trust has announced tighter restrictions on smoking by staff or patients in or around its hospitals in County Durham. County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals Trust announced the changes yesterday in response to complaints from staff and
A STARK Christmas road safety message is being handed out to thousands of schoolchildren. Lollipop crossing patrols are giving out 8,000 badges, carrying the Stop, Look, Listen and Live message, to youngsters across Middlesbrough. Sixty crossing wardens
STUDENTS from Hartlepool challenged Chancellor Gordon Brown to reduce poverty in the developing world. Mr Brown was so impressed by questions by the pupils at English Martyrs School at a national lecture that he invited them to No 11 Downing Street to
NEWCASTLE surveying practice Henry Riley has appointed two quantity surveyors. STEVEN TIGHE, 22, and BEN HARVEY, 22, have joined the practice to help with project management, quantity surveying and cost consultancy. Mr Tighe previously worked as a technical
SOLDIERS have done their bit to help ensure that every child in the Tees Valley gets a present on Christmas morning. The biggest toy appeal in the North-East, the Make a Child Smile appeal, recruited local regiment the Green Howards to help sort thousands
CHILDHOOD lullabies are helping North-East mother-to-be bond with their "bumps". By combining group lullaby singing, movement, breathing exercises and yoga, Musical Bumps aims to help pregnant women develop a strong bond with their child before birth,
A SHELTERED housing block will be destroyed and replaced with social housing, a Tees-side council has agreed. The last pensioner at Albany House, in Norton, near Stockton, who was thought to be in his 70s, left last year. Stockton borough councillors
A FORMER miner who turned his hand to wildlife management has taken up a new post in charge of one of the region's biggest parks. Ian Graham, 45, is park ranger team leader at Herrington Country Park, near Chester-le-Street. Born in Sunderland, he worked
A HARTLEPOOL firm has won a Government accolade for helping to improve the job prospects of thousands of people. The Department for Work and Pensions said thousands of unemployed people were receiving extra help to brush up on their maths, English and
A FOOTBALL team with a 60-year-old goalkeeper has proved that age is no barrier to success. Belle Vue Leisure has won both the Thursday night five-a-side league and the knock-out cup tournament, at the Belle Vue Leisure Centre in Consett. The squad, which
VANDALS wielding chainsaws hacked down three mature trees - then sped off without them. The destruction of the 30ft-high maples for no apparent reason has bemused council officers and police in Darlington. They are hunting for two men who were spotted
A business development that will include a college and day care nursery was launched last week in Gateshead. Developers say the Baltic Business Quarter could create up to 7,000 jobs in the surrounding area. On the corner of Hawks Road and Quarryfield
A SINGLE mother and her two sons are facing a bleak Christmas -living off just £90 a week. Sara Bradshaw, 31, from Darlington, got a letter from the Inland Revenue this week telling her that the tax office had overpaid her child tax credits throughout
A WORKER who was dragged into an unguarded machine was told by doctors he was inches from death. Darren Foley, 24, has scars and still has weekly visits to hospital after the accident, in which his left arm was trapped in a tyre-shredding machine. An
MARINE accident investigators began examining a fishing boat which went down with the loss of two crewmen - as a requiem mass was being held in their memory yesterday. About 400 people packed into St Michael's RC Church in Houghton-le-Spring to remember
Construction company M&M Plasline (MMP), in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, has appointed STEVE THOMPSON as deputy managing director of its pre-fabrication division. The appointment comes following MMP's recent acquisition of Metek Building Systems
SEASONED drinkers have criticised Harrogate's International Centre for failing to sell Yorkshire beers. It follows a pre-Christmas concert by the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band and the town's Gilbert and Sullivan Society. Although a range of ales was
DETECTIVES last night issued a fresh appeal for witnesses to a high street bank robbery that left a security guard needing hospital treatment. Two men in ski masks and boilersuits attacked a pair of Securicor guards as they loaded the cashpoint at the
REHEARSALS are well under way for the 59th consecutive pantomime from Hutton Rudby Dramatic Society. The Scarlet Pumpernickel will run from January 7 to 15 in the newly-refurbished village hall, officially opened at the end of last month. Tickets cost
THE manager of a printing firm is retiring after spending 42 years working for the company. Eric Marshall joined Hillsprint Ltd, based at Dalton, near Thirsk, as a printer in 1962. Over the years he has worked his way up to become manager and will retire
PEOPLE who have failed to turn up at court for trial or sentence are being sent an unfestive message by North Yorkshire Police. The force is sending out more than 200 Christmas cards bearing a variety of snowmen and Santas. As well as season's greetings
THE Workers' Education Association is offering courses in Great Ayton next month. On Monday afternoons, starting January 10, there will be a course on local writers. On Tuesdays, from January 11, there will be a ten-week course called A 19th Century Odyssey
SOCIAL care staff in County Durham are to work throughout the Christmas and New Year break to deal with emergencies. Hundreds of Durham County Council's Social Care and Health staff will ensure that, while services will be limited over the bank holidays
The truth about Dick Turpin is far removed from the glamorised image of the romantic highwayman. But does it matter? Harry Mean reports. DICK TURPIN: THE MYTH OF THE ENGLISH HIGHWAYMAN by James Sharpe (Profile Books, £15.99) HE went to the gallows in
A NORTH-EAST bakery famous for its pasties has come to the aid of women with eating disorders. A charitable trust set up by Greggs the Bakers has donated £30,000 to the Northern Initiative on Women and Eating (NIWE). The grant will allow NIWE to offer
A STUDY is under way to help the environmental business sector in part of the North-East. South Tyneside Borough Council has asked consultants Entec to carry out the review and recommend ways of supporting sustainable businesses. Entec senior consultant
THE keys to Hambleton's newest sports arena have been handed over. The final floodlight tests and tarmac laying were completed at the £475,000 all-weather pitch in Northallerton at the weekend. Contractors have been working for six months to build the
SEVEN famous dresses worn by the Queen Mother during a state visit to France are to go on public display for the first time at Buckingham Palace - but three have already been on show in the North-East. The dresses, worn by the Queen Mother during a state
MIDFIELDER Adrian Webster believes the class of Darlington's former Premiership stars is rubbing off on the rest of the team. Quakers moved up to fifth in League Two after Saturday's 3-0 win over Leyton Orient. David Hodgson's starting XI at the weekend
