DAVE Cox is a North-East motor mechanic who has forged a £1m business out of supplying jaguar car parts using skills he gained from handling multi-million-dollar deals in the Middle East. The Darlington businessman admits he is beginning to doubt his
This week is Real Nappy Week and Moira Neish is determined to convert mums and dads everywhere to the cause. Sharon Griffiths reports. DO you have a new baby and want to save yourself at least £200, maybe as much as £500? - then forget about disposables
WHERE do the business advisors helping small organisations to become the big names of tomorrow get their information? While they may be extremely knowledgeable, advisors still need to check their facts. One organisation making a name for itself in the
Eleven years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, courageous Kevin Cooper has been named the North-East Over 40s League's manager of the year. "It's one of the most wonderful football stories I've ever heard," says League secretary Kip Watson
AN ENGINEERING business is about to expand following its acquisition by a pharmaceutical expert. Ian Shott has bought WH Promation, in County Durham, from owners David Weir and Nigel Hall, for an undisclosed sum. The new company, to be called Ian Shott
ONE man's campaign against genetically modified (GM) maize has won support from all over the UK. Farmer John Clark, who is a Liberal councillor on Ryedale District Council, has offered to supply organic maize plants for people to grow at home. They would
THE urban regeneration company tasked with revitalising dilapidated parts of Sunderland has taken control of a vital area of land. Sunderland arc has a vision for transforming strategic sites in the city, including the Holmeside area. The urban regeneration
LITTLE terns, one of the rarest seabirds in the UK, thrive on the east coast thanks to a project driven forward by Inca. Last year, the birds had another successful year, with 44 pairs nesting on the beach at Crimdon, in east Durham, producing 55 chicks
THE former Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, has come in for a lot of hate mail for his criticisms of Islam. What did he say to land himself so deep in the doghouse? He said that Muslim civilisation has not contributed effectively to world development
SEVEN matches remaining and David Hodgson wants to make sure the last few games are pressure free. Darlington have lost just one of their last 12 games to lift them out of the relegation zone, but they are still involved in the dogfight. They are fifth
A theatre has won its second award less than a year since it reopened after a £1.5m restoration project. The Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond won Stage magazine's award for achievement in regional theatre at the Theatrical Management Association's annual
CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown and the European Commission clashed last night when they met to discuss the fate of £575m of Euro aid earmarked for Durham and Tees Valley. Michel Barnier, the Commissioner for Regional Policy, said the Chancellor's plan to "renationalise
COLLEGE students have launched a fundraising campaign in memory of a friend who died after her body rejected a heart transplant. Pathways students at Darlington College of Technology were devastated when Rachel Wakeford died earlier this year. Known as
TEACHERS and pupils from Poland have been welcomed at a Darlington school as part of an exchange programme. The visit to Hurworth School Computing and Maths College is part of a European Community initiative designed to encourage schools from different
CHILDREN from a school near Darlington proved top detectives in a chemistry event. The team from Hurworth School Computing and Maths College took part in the Salters' Festival of Chemistry at the University of Durham's Queen's Campus, in Stockton. The
A £1M super-surgery in Darlington is to be named after the man who prevented it from being the "dirtiest town between London and Edinburgh". A competition to name the medical centre in King Street has been won by local historian George Flynn, who selected
NOTICES are being put up in buses across the Darlington borough today informing customers about extensions on passes due to expire tomorrow. All bus passes operating in the town, including urban, borough and half-fare passes valid until March 31 can now
A MOTHER who decided, with a friend, to buy and run a children's nursery after giving birth is celebrating its success. Adele Jaab, 35, took over the Secret Garden Day Nursery, in Haughton Green, Darlington, last month, less than a year after giving birth
The jury in the case of a man accused of dealing Ecstasy to a teenager who later died has retired to consider its verdict. Christopher Hartshorn, 20, is said to have dealt the drug to 17-year-old Martin Dakers, who died after celebrating a new job on
RESIDENTS in east Cleveland are having domestic solar hot water units installed in the roof of their homes, which will save them an estimated £140 a year. Ten homes in Saltburn, Guisborough, Skelton, Loftus and Brotton have been chosen because they are
DURHAM City Council has received recognition for two schemes it has promoted as part of its regeneration policy. The Highgate housing development has been designated silver winner, and the Gala Theatre a bronze winner, in the National Civic Pride Awards
A NORTH-East university has won a training contract to provide courses for a new higher level of teaching assistants. Northumbria University will train teaching assistants, who support teachers in primary, special and secondary schools and help pupils
A TOWN is preparing for another beautiful year - despite last year's attempts to sabotage its chances in the Britain in Bloom competition. People in Saltburn, east Cleveland, were devastated when a mystery saboteur slipped chemicals into a bowser used
A GANG of football hooligans who started a fight with Turkish fans ended up taking a beating themselves, a court heard. The hooligans, from West Yorkshire, were warned they could face prison when they are sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on April 26
FURTHER details have been revealed about a £700,000 scheme to restore a beautiful stretch of County Durham coastline. The ten-month project at Crimdon Park and Dene promises to enhance the area's rich variety of wildlife and its visitor facilities. Last
A police force has announced a streamlining of the number of area commands in a bid to improve its service. Northumbria Police this week moves from 15 to six geographical area commands to match more closely local authority boundaries. It is seen as the
Mark Johnston has an increased team for Hamdan Al Maktoum this year and he sent out Etmaam to win in his blue and white colours in convincing fashion in the Sharp Minds Betfair Maiden Stakes at Newcastle yesterday. It took a while for Etmaam to shake
YOUNG singers and dancers have been gripped with jungle fever over the past few weeks as they rehearsed for their latest show. More than 80 pupils at Wolsingham School and Community College will be taking to the stage for Junglemania, a review of popular
ACTIVITIES to help older people at a hospital day unit has been hailed a success. The Healthy Lifestyle and Memory Day was held at the Hardwycke Day Unit in Sedgefield Community Hospital yesterday. Age Concern has been supporting the unit's memory sessions
NOTICES are being put up in buses across the Darlington borough today informing customers about extensions on passes due to expire tomorrow. All bus passes operating in the town, including urban, borough and half-fare passes valid until March 31 can now
A FARMER, who has been hit by the recession in agriculture, is aiming to boost his income by setting up a shooting range. David Hodgson wants to reserve a 35 metre area for rifle and pistol marksmen in a disused limestone quarry at Hutton Hall Farm, Hutton
NORTH-WEST Durham MP Hilary Armstrong has visited a store opening in her constituency. Matalan is opening a 26,000 sq ft outlet on the Hermiston Retail Park, Consett, on Thursday. Ms Armstrong, who was given a tour by store manager Cheryl Hudson said:
YOUNG people have helped to commemorate a colliery village's mining heritage. Pupils at two schools drew up designs that were featured in a banner commissioned by the Easington Colliery lodge of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). Lodge officials
HERE'S a tip for any comedians appearing in Sunderland - just don't crack any jokes at the expense of the Pennywell Estate. Because if you do, you can be sure that Gladys Chilton will get you. Gladys is a phenomenon. A perfectly ordinary pensioner who
A SUPERMARKET hopes there will be plenty in store to help two hospices. Tesco is supporting the UK's hospices this year as its adopted charity. At the weekend Mary Butterwick, founder of Butterwick Hospice Care, launched the start of a drive by the Tesco
A PUB is the toast of a hospital after raising £1,855 for a baby unit. Jayne and Andy Kitchen, who own the Station Hotel, Picton, near Yarm, wanted to say thank you after their 20-month-old daughter, Ella, had to be taken to the accident and emergency
THE president of the Institution of Civil Engineers will pay a flying visit to the Tees Valley tomorrow. Douglas Oakervee will join Tees Valley Regeneration chief executive Joe Docherty for a helicopter flight over the development company's new sites.
A NORTH-EAST website is encouraging couples to agree in writing how far they are prepared to go in a relationship before they enter the bedroom. A pre-sex agreement, which can be downloaded from the dadcheck.info website, invites couples to tick boxes
THE fifth birthday celebrations of a major tourist attraction got under way yesterday. Almost 300,000 people have visited The World of James Herriot in Thirsk, since it opened in March 1999. The £1.4m centre, which transports visitors to the world of
INTERNATIONAL project management and services company Amec has won a contract to manage up to £2.75bn of oilfield projects in Kuwait over the next five years The Middle East deal could be worth up to £300m to Amec, which has an option to extend the contract
SHAREHOLDERS in BP are looking forward to a windfall after the oil company outlined plans for a three-year share buyback. BP chief executive Lord Browne pledged to return to shareholders all free cash generated by high oil prices, calling a halt to an
A NORTH-EAST search and rescue unit was out in force at the weekend to raise vital funds for its life saving services. On Saturday, 176 suppoprters of the Cleveland Search and Rescue Team took to the Cleveland Hills for its annual survival fundraising
Passer By (BBC1) A TRAIN late at night. Two young men are pestering a woman, making sexual remarks in a threatening manner. A third man, the only other person on the train, tells them to stop. They ignore him and carry on addressing innuendo-laden remarks
EDUCATION chiefs have come up with a way to stop a school playing field flooding. Children at Bishop Middleham Primary School near Sedgefield have been unable to properly use the field for three years and have been confined to a small playground. Poor
HUNDREDS of workers were last night facing the threat of redundancy for the second time in three years after a North-East firm was put into administration. The blow to 520 staff at circuit board manufacturer Circatex is the latest in a long line of failed
ENTRIES for a short story competition launched in the region have topped 350. The national competition was launched in January, organised by Darlington-based Inscribe Media Ltd, backed by The Northern Echo, Orange and Darlington Arts Centre. In addition
HUNDREDS of workers were last night facing the threat of redundancy for the second time in three years after a North-East firm was put into administration. The blow to 520 staff at circuit board manufacturer Circatex is the latest in a long line of failed
CRIMINALS and terrorists need to move assets around without attracting attention. To achieve this, billions of pounds is "laundered"each year. Dr Jackie Harvey is principal lecturer in finance at Northumbria University's Newcastle Business School. She
A 39-YEAR-OLD man was last night recovering in hospital after a shooting in the West End of Newcastle. The shooting happened in Westmorland Road, at its junction with Rye Hill, near Newcastle College, shortly before 10am yesterday. The victim's injuries
ONE of the North-East's rarest insects returned to a nature reserve where reedbeds were restored to save them being lost for ever. The Banded Demoiselle damselfly (calopteryx splendens), which is at the northernmost edge of its British range, has returned
A VILLAGE'S 65-year wait for a bypass will soon be over. Government Minister Alistair Darling confirmed yesterday that work on the £9m bypass for Chilton, in County Durham, first mooted in 1939, will start in May. The Secretary of State for Transport
ONE of the projects on which the organisation has worked is the creation of a network of saline lagoons at Greatham, south of Hartlepool. The project, a partnership between English Nature, the Environment Agency and Inca, has led to the creation of one
THE owner of Sedgefield and Newcastle racecourses doubled annual profits and turnover after completing a landmark deal to become the UK's third largest operator. Chepstow Racecourse now owns nine venues following the tie-up with Northern Racing, a bigger
A DEVOTED husband's gift has given a North-East woman a new lease of life. Olga Carr had to spend 12 hours a week on a hospital dialysis machine before doctors operated to give her a kidney from her husband, Derek. The couple, who were told it was rare
COUNCIL chiefs have come under fire from pensioners who have had their meals-on-wheels service scrapped. Durham County Council has stopped its traditional hot meals service, while continuing to provide subsidised meals for its own staff. The council insists
SHOPPERS were treated to the latest craze from the US yesterday - "flashmobbing" by a gang of students. Nearly 70 performance arts students gained publicity for their latest productions by flashmobbing - lying on the street and jumping up at precisely
FIAT used to sell a rear bumper sticker for its Multipla people carrier. "Wait until you see the front," it said. The trouble was, when people followed the instruction, not enough of them liked what they saw. The Multipla was rightly hailed by motoring
FEARS are again growing that the Lyke Wake Race may not take place this summer due to low entry numbers. The 42-mile walking and fell running race across the North York Moors has been held annually since 1964. The only time it has been cancelled was during
A WOMAN is gearing up to compete in the world canoe polo championships in Japan this summer. Ellie Bridgstock, 25, of Tunstall, near Richmond, is hoping to be selected for the Great Britain senior women's A team. She competed at last year's European Championships
LEADING wheelchair tennis players head to the region this week for what has become an annual North-East tournament. The NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour, which comes under the auspices of the International Tennis Federation, stops off in Sunderland for four
NOT long ago being called granny seemed a long way off for TV's popular blonde actress Liza Goddard, but, at 54, she now has four-year-old Adelaide as an adoring little granddaughter. "She's turned out to be the most wonderful thing that's happened in
The debate for and against a Regional Assembly for the North-East region, with an assembly capital for the North-East being probably located in Durham City, is now well under way. This will culminate in a decision: yes or no, to be voted for by the North-East
MAGPIES' boss Sir Bobby Robson may appear in a new blockbuster movie as Hollywood comes to Tyneside. Newcastle United have been chosen ahead of their Premiership rivals for a starring role in football-themed film Goal! It will be a trilogy focusing on
FORMER Grand National winner Richard Guest has been banned from riding in this year's race at Aintree on Saturday. He partnered Red Marauder to victory in 2001, and took out his trainer's licence last spring. This weekend, he will saddle both Red Striker
POLICE last night warned the public not to approach a man they are hunting in connection with an horrific stabbing. Jeffrey Brown, 31, was left fighting for his life after he was knifed in the back four times during the daylight attack in one of Darlington's
THE new operator of the trans-Pennine rail service declared it had made a good start to the franchise, despite being forced to cut the number of new trains running on the service. The Strategic Rail Authority told First Group to reduce its order of new
THE deputy leader of the local authority has survived calls to resign in the bitter row over the closure of Richmond's sports centre. Richmondshire District Council's community committee voted to close the centre in January in a bid to keep a council
A LOCAL jazz group will perform in the Witham Hall, Barnard Castle, on Saturday, April 17. The Bill Goyder Trio is offering jazz with a touch of Gershwin. Mr Goyder who plays tenor saxophone, is from Gainford, and played for seven years with the Tees
Fine woodworker/finisher, Leyburn. £10,400-£17,000pa, depending on experience. 40hpw, permanent. Involves making precision components in exotic woods. Skills working with metal and other materials an advantage. Ref: NOE 21389. Assistant bar manager, Northallerton
Inca worked with ICI on research at its Billingham site on the wildlife value of reedbeds created to treat effluent before it was discharged into rivers. Large populations of aphids had sprung up on the site thanks to the reedbeds, which in turn support
Electronic test technician, Peterlee. £5-£5.50ph, 37.5hpw, Mon-Fri, 7.30am-3.30pm. Must have at least two years' experience as well as good communication skills. Duties include basic fault-finding, using hand and light power tools as well as using electronic
Nationwide Building Society today said it expected house prices to rise by 15% during 2004 as the market remained strong. The society said it had increased its forecast for the year from 9% after seeing the cost of property rise by more than 5% during
IN 2001, one of the biggest audits of wildlife to take place in an industrial area was completed on Teesside. The project, believed at the time to be the most comprehensive of its kind in Europe, was compiled by Inca on behalf of companies operating primarily
All the world's a stage for actress Liza Goddard, she tells Viv Hardwick. And for her graddaughter too... NOT long ago being called granny seemed a long way off for TV's popular blonde actress Liza Goddard, but, at 54, she now has four-year-old Adelaide
AS we got out of the car at the end of our journey, I saw there was a cow looking over the garden fence. Great, I thought. A real taste of country life for our little city boy; something he'll never see in London. Our grandson had come to stay with us
FROM computer games to television programmes, animation and broadcast company Mere Mortals is helping to turn the region into a centre of technical expertise. As a result, its managing director, David Jeffries, and technical director, Graeme Love, have
It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. Father and son are hot on the trail of a tasty little tale. CHIP off the old block, the bairn has been doing work experience - a euphemism generally meaning to sit around like a nun at a naughty knickers party
The Budget has been and gone - did anyone notice? The new tax year begins next week, and this week is the last to finalise end-of-tax-year planning. Capital gains have been hard to come by in recent years, but long-term holdings may still need attention
IN recent weeks there has been much speculation about the extent of the economic migration that will undoubtedly be caused by the expansion of the European Union on May 1. While EU citizens by and large have the right to travel and work freely throughout
PHARMACEUTICAL advisors are winning the battle against the over-prescribing of drugs in Darlington. Darlington Primary Care Trust's board has been told that the prescriptions budget was likely to break even this year compared with previous years, which
A CHILDCARE business which has brought extra jobs to a Darlington estate is being hindered by vandalism. Jeanette Watson saw a gap in childcare provision in the Cockerton area of the town, so she set up Star Kids 2000 in Nickstream Lane, where she lives
RURAL skills dating back hundreds of years have landed a young North Yorkshire craftsman a job. Peter Hinchliffe, 20, has become the first modern apprentice in a North York Moors National Park scheme to have gained full-time employment. He has been appointed
AMBULANCE chiefs have defended their emergency response times, despite taking nearly 20 minutes to reach a patient who collapsed in the middle of Richmond. The woman, who was thought to be a diabetic, fell from the pavement on to the road on King Street
The next Saltburn and Community Arts Association flea market and collectors fair is on Saturday, in the community hall from 10am until 4pm. Proceeds go to the Saltburn Community and Arts Centre. Refreshments will be on sale all day. Admission is free.
Eastman Chemical Company today announced it is shutting its site in Hartlepool, where 75 people work. In February, the American firm said it was looking at the future of its plant in Hartlepool. On Tuesday, it announced it is to close the site after consultation
PEDAL power will meet petal power at a popular North-East flower show next month. Cyclists are being encouraged to participate in an eight-mile bike ride departing from the Gateshead Spring Flower Show, Whickham Highway, Lobley Hill at 10.30am on Easter
EFFORTS continue to pump new life into a rundown area of Middlesbrough. About 200 houses and flats have already been bulldozed in North Ormesby. Councillors will be asked to approve a multi-million pound masterplan for redevelopment, incorporating completion
SCHOOLCHILDREN have been completing an in-depth study of crime and safety issues. Students at the Allertonshire School, in Northallerton, have spent five weeks on the challenge, run by the Hambleton Community Safety Partnership. The youngsters, all aged
A WOMAN was seriously injured trying to stop a thief taking her car. The victim, 55, was beside her car in the Rift House area of Hartlepool when the incident happened. She had left the keys in the ignition and had just got out of the vehicle when a man
SOLDIER'S favourite, Nicky Parkin, manager at Greggs bakery in Catterick, is bidding her colleagues and customers farewell as she heads off to Germany with her husband, as he takes up a new post. Nicky started working part-time at the shop two-and-a-half
A SCHOOL buddy system has gone from strength to strength with another 13 children applying to take part. Youngsters from Hinderwell Community Primary School, in Scarborough, are going through the interview process before hooking up with their new friends
A FORMER football player died at the age of 35 after a drinking session in his home, an inquest heard. Alcoholic former soldier Colin Nelson, who had played for Conference side Barnet, was found by his father. A month before Mr Nelson died, his father
STORAGE specialist The Space Station is accelerating its growth plans following increasing demand from small and medium sized businesses. The Gateshead-based business has already commissioned 25,000sq ft of new self-storage space at its sites on Tyneside
LORD CAPITAINE'S love affair with Sedgefield looks all set to continue with a repeat victory in the St James Security Handicap Chase today. Competing in precisely the same race 12 months ago, Howard Johnson's game ten-year-old justified massive market
SMALL understated offices disguise the ambition of leisure operator Vimac. The business, based in the Boldon Business Park on South Tyneside, has a turnover of £8m, and employs more than 260 staff - and this has been achieved in only two years. So far
REIGNING champions Bishop Auckland are already making headway in their attempts to retain the Mail on Sunday National Golf Club Classic crown. After beating Stressholme in the opening round of this year's Classic in February, Bishops claimed a crucial
A SHOP owner believes vandals may have targeted his window because of a book he is selling. A panel of glass at John Shotton's antiquarian bookshop in Elvet Bridge, Durham City, was smashed by two men early yesterday. Behind the broken glass is a display
A SCHOOL has received top marks from Government inspectors. Good teaching, leadership, excellent pupil behaviour and relationships between the children and teachers were all mentioned in the report on St Alphonsus RC Primary School, in North Ormesby,
GENERATIONS of people in Shildon are tracking their family histories through a project backed by the region's first national museum. Locomotion: The National Railway Museum, is providing people with an unusual way to record their memories. Backed with
A GROUP that helps recovering cardiac patients has received almost £10,000 from Corus. The Corus Teesside Works Employees Charity Funds, formerly part of British Steel, has donated the money, through its voluntary payroll scheme, to the Take Heart Support
General catering assistant, meets NMW, 20 hpw. Uniform supplied, Health and hygiene certificate an advantage. Ref: NEU 18293. Administration clerk, meets NMW, 37.5 hpw, 9am to 5pm Mon-Fri. Must have good communication and IT skills. Required to carry
A SCOUT group for children with special needs is about to celebrate its first birthday. Friarage Scoutlink, in Northallerton, is holding a birthday party on Saturday for its members and people who have helped out. The group aims to enable children who
A GYMNASTICS coach who decided to tackle a 97-mile coast-to-coast walk to raise funds for the club has returned home with £3,000 and a few blisters. Brian Everett, from Darlington, encountered steep hills hailstones, snow and dozens of stiles and sheep
RESIDENTS are being urged to clean up their town. Saltburn was named best small coastal resort in last year's Northumbria in Bloom competition and judges will visit the town again on Thursday, April 15, for this year's spring judging. Determined that
YALE has announced it is bringing 50 jobs to Derwentside following a move from the Midlands. Yale Door and Window Solutions, part of global lock group Assa Abloy, has refurbished its premises on the Castleside Industrial Estate, in Consett, which were
JOHN Byrne is already assured of his place in Sunderland folklore - and the former favourite is backing the club's current crop of stars to etch their name into the record books this weekend. The Black Cats take on Millwall for a place in the FA Cup final
FOOD company Nestl is to cut 270 jobs at a factory which makes Easter eggs and Quality Street chocolates. The jobs will go during an 18-month period from June at the plant in Halifax, West Yorkshire, although the company said 200 seasonal posts would
BOLO ZENDEN wants to ensure Middlesbrough's historic 2003-04 campaign ends with a bang rather than a whimper. With eight games to go in the Premiership, Boro have already secured a place in the UEFA Cup next season, for the first time, having won the
SIR Peter Ustinov had a gift for story-telling which delighted audiences in every country he visited. It was a truly extraordinary gift he possessed to dominate a stage or TV chat show as a raconteur. He was one of the great all-round entertainers Britain
Detectives investigating an horrific stabbing, which left the victim fighting for his life in hospital, have today arrested a 29-year-old man. Wayne Armstrong was apprehended by officers in Durham City at about 10am and is now being questioned about an
A NEW out-of-hours medical service will be put in place in part of the region this week following a change in GPs contracts. The five NHS Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in Tees Valley have arranged for a company called Primecare to deliver out-of-hours care
Shildon's Barry Johnson had only intended it to be a run out, but instead he came away victorious from the North Humberside Forest Rally at the weekend. Johnson, who competed in his Subaru Impreza World Rally Car formerly owned by Petter Solberg, finished
STAND-IN skipper Ritchie Humphreys is urging Adam Boyd to keep up the good work. Boyd has netted three goals in two starts since returning to the Hartlepool United first-team after an all-too familiar spell in the wilderness. The Hartlepool-born striker
TELEVISION vet Trude Mostue was at a popular tourist attraction yesterday to kick off its fifth birthday celebrations. She opened an interactive children's gallery at the World of James Herriot, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. The gallery is part of a £100,000
FANS of Middlesbrough FC have defeated those of neighbouring Hartlepool United to reach the last 16 in a nationwide hunt for the most generous supporters. Boro fans are now in the running to win the Send Shirts to Skopje Cup, for the supporters who send
INVESTORS' confidence in the stock market continued to grow last month, with investment trust sales soaring by 42 per cent, figures showed. Net sales of unit trusts and OEICs (open-ended investment companies) reached £716.7m during February, well up on
It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. Father and son are hot on the trail of a tasty little tale. CHIP off the old block, the bairn has been doing work experience - a euphemism generally meaning to sit around like a nun at a naughty knickers party
SHOPPERS were treated to the latest craze from the US yesterday - "flashmobbing" by a gang of students. Nearly 70 performance arts students gained publicity for their latest productions by flashmobbing - lying on the street and jumping up at precisely
A MOTHER who discovered skin samples from her stillborn baby were taken without consent has won a four-year battle for compensation. Zoe Clarke, from Darlington, said she was pleased after a High Court judge ruled she will be compensated for the suffering
A French language student smiled at his victims as he embarked on a frenzied knifing spree - just hours after being cleared of raping a woman, a court was told. Less than 24 hours after he was acquitted, Eric Samo struck in Middlesbrough, targeting people
YOUNG people from 27 countries gathered in the region yesterday for the opening of the 45th European Youth Parliament. More than 250 youngsters are staying in Durham City for the week, and on Friday and Saturday, in Newcastle, they will debate issues
American billionaire Malcolm Glazer today told Manchester United he had no intention of making a takeover bid for the Premiership champions. The announcement from Mr Glazer, who owns former Super Bowl champions the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, came as the club
Cyclo-cross expert Shaun Snodden proved a winner on the road when he took the Tour of Derwent Reservoir race over a 102-kilometre course at Edmundbyers. Snodden won the under-23 National Trophy cyclo-cross series for three consecutive seasons and was
A COUNTY Court judge found guilty of being drunk and disorderly following a kebab shop fracas has begun an attempt to clear his name. Solicitor David Messenger, who runs a practice in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, is appealing against his conviction following
IT was back in 1989 that a group of industrialists and environmentalist took the first step towards a brighter future for wildlife in industrial Teesside. Motivated by the belief that natural habitats could prosper even when surrounded by industry, they
MOTORWAY message signs business VMS is creating 15 jobs following investment in its research and development facilities. The facilities at the Hebburn, South Tyneside, site enable the business to simulate the climatic conditions experienced by its variable
A REPORT into the financial crisis gripping a North-East police force has been delayed. The Audit Commission was hoping to finish its investigation this week and release details about the £7.3m black hole in the Cleveland Police budget. Now, it could
COUNCIL TAX: MR Groves (HAS, Mar 25) complained about council tax and challenged would-be politicians to answer three questions: about people on fixed incomes, about whether regional government would reduce costs, and which party will be best to vote
BUSINESSES in the North-East are being warned to be on their guard against approaches from companies purporting to be from the Data Protection Agency. Victims are asked to send a cheque for £135 to an address in Rochdale, along with details of their company
In his own words, he was "irrevocably betrothed to laughter", and rarely missed an opportunity to perform. As tributes pour in for one of Britain's best loved actors, and a multi-talented genius, Nick Morrison looks at the life of Sir Peter Ustinov. IF
LIFESTYLE group Steel River is selling its designer retail stores. The group plans to sell The House in Yarm, Teesside, Leopard, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, and Brills, in Leeds, to concentrate on its chain of shoe stores, its Harley-Davidson franchise
Passer By (BBC1): A TRAIN late at night. Two young men are pestering a woman, making sexual remarks in a threatening manner. A third man, the only other person on the train, tells them to stop. They ignore him and carry on addressing innuendo-laden remarks
NEWCASTLE striker Shola Ameobi last night revealed his frustration at being unable to hold down a place in Sir Bobby Robson's side. The 22-year-old has started just four games for the Magpies since returning from a fractured cheekbone in mid-January.
CONSUMERS' appetite for debt appeared undiminished during last month despite the rise in interest rates, figures have shown. Mortgage lending increased by its highest amount for four months, while people also borrowed a record £18.03bn through credit
Watercolour artist Jason Lowes presents an Easter exhibition next week. His landscapes, wildlife and rural scenes from around the region will go on show in the Lime Tree Gallery, Stanhope, County Durham, from next Monday until April 13, from 10.30am to
