FIREFIGHTERS are urging peopleto check their smoke alarms have batteries after a man was taken to hospital following a flat fire. He had left a chip pan on and fallen asleep at his home in Woodcock Close, Eston, near Middlesbrough, late on Saturday. The
A SENIOR councillor has resigned as deputy leader of her party's group over plans to move the council's headquarters. Councillor Ann Higgins gave up her post with the Independent Group, which forms part of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's ruling
A BEER has been launched to celebrate the restoration of a Roman wall painting. The Malton Goddess has been painstakingly restored in laboratories at the University of Durham. Now completed, it has gone on display at Malton Museum. It is believed that
ADVENTUROUS youngsters are being offered the chance to go on safari and explore the wilderness on their doorstep. Woodland rangers working for the Forestry Commission are running a school holiday event in Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland, County
ELDERLY people living in Redcar and Cleveland will be able to stay in their homes for longer, rather than moving into residential or nursing care. Care services in the borough are already focusing on helping older people to remain independent for longer
THE big push to persuade people in the region to be more active reaches an important stage this week. Halfway through the four-month-long Everyday Sport campaign, organisers are hoping that North-East families will flock to a major promotional event.
CUSTOMS officials are trying to give back £150,000 of alcohol and cigarettes they took from Britain's first offshore off-licence, but the owner is refusing to have them. Yachtsman Philip Berriman last night said the cut-price stock would stay where it
Hollywood has a reputation for rewriting history, but the latest movie about the legend of King Arthur has pleased the historians, even though it has made Arthur a Northerner, based near Hadrian's Wall. Steve Pratt reports. JOHN Matthews is a historian
LONDON'S Burning TV star Steven Houghton has been cast in the starring role of Chris for the UK's biggest-ever touring musical, Miss Saigon, which will visit Sunderland's Empire Theatre next year. The newly-revamped venue is staging Cameron Mackintosh's
A GUIDE has been published to give developers and inward investors facts and figures about opportunities in Tyne and Wear. The Tyne and Wear Development Company decided to produce a second, updated version of last year's Investors Guide to Tyne and Wear
A SENIOR solicitor has made an outspoken attack on falling standards of care in the region's hospitals. Dr Nick Wilkes, an experienced medical negligence lawyer with North-East firm Browell, Smith and Co, said poor care in NHS hospitals was becoming widespread
MIDDLEHAVEN: THE Middlehaven project in Middlesbrough will not work because it is something dreamed up in the minds of developers. It takes no account of the history, traditions and culture of this Victorian town. This development does not grow organically
THOUSANDS of fans turned out to see the TFM Live concert at the 17th Stockton International Riverside Festival. A weekend of music kick-started the festival, which climaxed last night with performances by Pop Idol favourite Will Young and Hell's Kitchen
LONDON'S Burning TV star Steven Houghton has been cast in the starring role of Chris for the UK's biggest-ever touring musical, Miss Saigon, which will visit Sunderland's Empire Theatre next year. The newly-revamped venue is staging Cameron Mackintosh's
A MILL in the Yorkshire Dales will star in BBC2's Restoration programme tomorrow night. Viewers will be able to vote for restoration work to be carried out on the 18th Century Gayle Mill, near Hawes. Funding has been raised to convert the building into
The latest ways to find a mate have revolutionised the dating game. Women's Editor Christen Pears meets a 47-year-old who found love the fast way and a new book explores romance on the world market. PAM Cook was driving to work when she spotted the sign
X-Rated: The Pop Videos They Tried To Ban (C4); The Ancient Greek Olympics (C4): Questions need to be answered. Why did the chicken cross the road? Why do fools fall in love? Why is Jason, the king of preen, still in the Big Brother house? And why do
HUSBANDS are used to carrying their brides over the threshold. But the latest wacky innovation at a County Durham racecourse will encourage them to lug their wives over the finishing line. The first annual wife carrying race will be held at Sedgefield
INCREASING numbers of abandoned cars have been dumped on streets and in alleyways across the region over the past two years. Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary Norman Baker said figures showed Chester-le-Street, in County Durham, and Stockton
MICK Fitzgerald makes the long trip to Sedgefield this afternoon and the Irishman can be rewarded with a winner aboard Scamp in the bet365 Call 08000 322365 Mares Only Novices Hurdle over two miles and one furlong. Steve Gollings' five-year-old showed
MY suggestion after the first day against Derbyshire, when the ball swung and 17 wickets fell, that Durham might have done better with Neil Killeen in the team instead of Andy Blignaut, did not go down well. The report pointed out that as Killeen's 12
A WOMAN who stole more than £25,000 from her employer has been ordered to pay it back - at the rate of £5 a month. Barbara Crewe's victim, Mike Johnson, fears he will never recoup the majority of his money because it will take 416 years. Crewe, of Jasmine
THE big push to persuade people in the region to be more active reaches an important stage this week. Halfway through the four-month-long Everyday Sport campaign, organisers are hoping that North-East families will flock to a major promotional event.
HUSBANDS are used to carrying their brides over the threshold. But the latest wacky innovation at a County Durham racecourse will encourage them to lug their wives over the finishing line. The first annual wife carrying race will be held at Sedgefield
COUPLES hoping to tie the knot next year are being given the chance to have their dream wedding for free. Redworth Hall Hotel, in Darlington, is offering one lucky pair the chance of an all-expenses paid celebration within the grounds of the four-star
Durham Coast League: A magnificent all-round performance by Shoaib Akhtar earned Dawdon the quickest win of the day which keeps them on the fringe of the race for the championship. Akhtar just about single-handedly demolished the Houghton innings when
NORTH-EAST businessmen and politicians are backing proposals for the powers that a regional assembly would have. Pro-assembly campaigners said last week's Draft Regional Assemblies Bill outlined an increased range of responsibilities in areas such as
PEOPLE are being asked to share their memories of life in Shildon via a live link with the towns new railway museum. Five venues have been chosen to link up with Locomotion: the National Railway Museum using software that will help residents record their
A SECOND century in four days at Scarborough for Australia's captain, Ricky Ponting, counted for nothing yesterday as Yorkshire Phoenix kept on the promotion trail by beating Somerset Sabres by six wickets. Needing to make 254 runs to win - two more than
THE man wanted for questioning over two double murders was arrested at a service station yesterday after a week on the run. Witnesses said Mark Hobson, 34, was recognised when he bought matches at the garage near the village of Shipton-by-Beningbrough
DURHAM'S season is struggling for breath, the oxygen supply dwindling further yesterday when what promised to be a cruise to victory was throttled by Charlie Dagnall and the threat of Duckworth/Lewis. In a totesport League game reduced to 39 overs a side
DARLINGTON will this week offer former Middlesbrough defender Curtis Fleming the chance to end his playing days back in the North-East. Fleming has signalled his intentions to play out the remainder of his career back in the region after rejecting the
A MILLIONAIRE businessman who was expected to win the Hartlepool mayoral race ruled himself out of another election contest last night. Labour Party member Leo Gillen said he would not be seeking to replace his close friend Peter Mandelson as the town's
THE world of medieval technology was among subjects featured in a weekend science exhibition. Science Summer, held at the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery, in Durham, comprised touring items provided by Science Projects Ltd. Visitors could build a castle
THE last Darlington county borough firefighter retires today after 31 years' service. Jeff Ashton was the last to join the town's fire brigade as a junior officer in 1973, before the station was amalgamated with the rest of Durham County the following
TWELVE students from Darlington got an insight into naval life when they visited the south coast as Royal Navy guests. Six engineering students and six students from the uniformed services, with their tutors from Darlington College of Technology, travelled
A COMMUNITY centre that is experiencing a new lease of life needs urgent funds to replace the floor. The Neville Community Centre, in Newton Aycliffe, formerly the Over-60s Club, has been transformed since it was taken over by the Friends of Senior Citizens
A COUNCIL decision to refuse plans for a controversial high-density flat scheme in Darlington has been over-turned by the Government's Planning Inspectorate. Permission has been granted on appeal for 32 flats to be built in the Cockerton area of town,
UGO Ehiogu has insisted that Steve McClaren's spate of summer signings have left Middlesbrough in better shape than at any other time during his three and a half year spell at the club. Ehiogu, who made an £8m move from Aston Villa in October 2000, was
A DAY of fun and relaxation is being planned for the carers of people with severe mental illnesses in County Durham. The free event will be held by Rethink Carers One-to-One Link (Cool) County Durham in Trevelyan College, Durham, between 10am and 3.30pm
MEMBERS of a Lioness Club have raised £500 to help vulnerable people in the Hambleton district. The Northallerton Lady Lionesses donated the money to to Broadacres Housing Association for its Hambleton Lifeline, an emergency system for its customers.
A VICAR narrowly escaped a ducking yesterday when he launched his church's latest building appeal event. Father Gary Nicholson tucked up his cassock to float 500 yellow plastic ducks in the River Gaunless, near the Bishop of Durham's home, Auckland Castle
VILLAGERS are celebrating following the news that their newly renovated community centre is to reopen. Boosbeck Community Centre, which was built 21 years ago, will reopen following a two-year struggle to find £125,000 funding to modernise it. The building
A DEDICATED hospital radio producer received a surprise mention at Middlesbrough's Cleveland Show on Saturday. Alexius Lewczuk, producer of Southside Radio, which entertains patients at the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, thought he
MEASURES designed to improve road safety in Richmondshire have been credited with helping to reduce the number of people being injured in accidents.. A new report states that, although the number of fatalities in the district has remained constant over
AFTER a seven-year wait, keen bowls players took to the green yesterday to take part in one of the region's most popular competitions. Mike Priestman, Graham Peacock and skipper Stuart Clarke, of Hundens, were crowned champions of the game, beating 23
Unbeaten centuries by Graham Shaw and Mark Foster propelled Marton to a near-300 total at Yarm and to the top of the table for the first time this season in the NYSD Premier League Division One. Shaw, a prolific scorer with Guisborough in three successful
A COUPLE who set off more than a year ago on a cycle trip across America, touched down in the North-East last night. Beth Cheesebrough, 30, and her boyfriend, Jeremy Evenshed, 32, have covered about 13,000 miles on their bikes, travelling from Alaska
WITNESSES told last night how the hunt for Britain's most wanted man came to an end at a petrol filling station. Mark Hobson, 34, was arrested in a field alongside the A19 in North Yorkshire yesterday afternoon after stopping to buy matches. The arrest
HENRI CAMARA remains Celtic's number one strike target this summer after The Bhoys conceded Newcastle United are unlikely to part with the talismanic Alan Shearer. Celtic are still desperate to find a replacement for Henrik Larsson after the Swede's move
A NORTH-EAST MP has called for more action to protect ambulance crews and other NHS staff from physical violence. Figures have shown an increase in the number of attacks on the region's ambulance drivers and paramedics. The statistics reveal 163 assaults
The elderly garage owner who spotted fugitive Mark Hobson denied he was a hero, saying: "I had to do something." Derek North, 81, realised immediately that it was Hobson when the 34-year-old, who was wanted for questioning in connection with the murders
AN expedition up a Lakeland peak turned into a challenge for a group of youngsters when they helped save three men. The six youngsters, from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, were on an expedition on Bowfell, in Langdale, as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Gold
I WAS rushing to work the other day when the phone rang. I picked it up irritably but there was a hesitant pause on the other end before the person hung up. I put it down and forgot all about it, thinking it was a marketing call with its wires crossed
A WOMAN who stole more than £25,000 from her employer has been ordered to pay it back - at the rate of £5 a month. Barbara Crewe's victim, Mike Johnson, fears he will never recoup the majority of his money because it will take 416 years. Crewe, of Jasmine
Captain Michael Vaughan dedicated his twin centuries - which kept England on course for a seventh win in eight Tests this year - to his all-conquering team. Vaughan entered the opener in a four-match npower series against the West Indians on the back
MICK McCarthy will go back to his roots tonight as Sunderland kick off their domestic pre-season campaign at Barnsley. The Black Cats flew back into England on Friday after rounding off their 11-day tour of the United States with a comprehensive 3-0 win
THE country's newest tour-ist railway line is proving such a hit with passengers that it is on course to reach its targets. More than 2,500 people used the Weardale Railway, in County Durham, last week, making the five-mile journey between Stanhope and
INTEREST in a booklet telling the story of young boy's survival against leukaemia helped to raise £130 for charity at the weekend. Scores of people attended the signing of a colourful pamphlet called Michael's Story - Life, Leukaemia, Life, at Ottakar's
A MUSIC school in Darlington to nurture the talented stars of the future had a successful opening weekend. Stuie Ellerton, who had the idea of setting up the Northern School of Contemporary Music (NSCM), said he was astonished with the positive response
THE family of a young footballer killed in a car accident joined fans on the terraces to watch one of the oldest teams in the country play his side in a memorial match. Margaret Hainsworth said she and her family were overwhelmed by the support from the
A DAY of fun and relaxation is being planned for the carers of people with severe mental illnesses in County Durham. The free event will be held by Rethink Carers One-to-One Link (Cool) County Durham in Trevelyan College, Durham, between 10am and 3.30pm
TWO south Durham communities are a step closer to setting up town councils in advance of local government reform. Campaigners in Bishop Auckland have collected enough names on a petition to demonstrate that residents support the move, which requires the
A TOWN opened its gardens to the public at the weekend to raise funds for the local church. Nine garden tours were open to view to visitors to Wolsingham. The Reverend Malcolm Goodall said: "We do this every two years and it is a remarkable success. "
AN organisation which was set-up to boost Yorkshire's economy has been praised for its achievements. A report by the Department of Trade and Industry said that during the financial year 2003/04, Yorkshire Forward created, or safeguarded, 16,544 jobs.
SHOPPERS were In The Mood for dancing on Saturday as Bishop Auckland stepped back to the 1940s for a fun event. Hits from the Glenn Miller big band era set toes tapping in Newgate Street and the Newgate Centre where the Fenner Sisters recreated the music
A NORTH-EAST hospital figures in a league table for the most deaths from the MRSA "superbug". There were nine deaths from the infection at The Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle, during 2002. The table, the first of its kind, shows The Freeman in joint ninth
A MILL in the Yorkshire Dales will star in BBC2's Restoration programme tomorrow night. Viewers will be able to vote for restoration work to be carried out on the 18th Century Gayle Mill, near Hawes. Funding has been raised to convert the building into
A SENIOR solicitor has made an outspoken attack on falling standards of care in the region's hospitals. Dr Nick Wilkes, an experienced medical negligence lawyer with North-East firm Browell, Smith and Co, said poor care in NHS hospitals was becoming widespread
DURHAM city centre came alive to the sound of music as folk enthusiasts gathered for their annual get-together. The 15th Durham Folk Party started on Friday and finished yesterday and brought together a wide range of musicians, singers and folk dance
GARDENING tips will be on offer in a series of free talks. The events have been organised by Clayport Library, in Millennium Place, Claypath, Durham, and will take place on Saturdays until early September. They will start on Saturday when East Durham
A YOUNG woman was fighting for life in hospital last night after she was stabbed at her mother's house. Hazel Robinson, 21, was critically ill at the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, following the incident late on Friday night in Heddon
One of the first jobs Yorkshire need to do this winter is to search the world for a top class fast bowler. The lack of a paceman with the killer touch is to a large part responsible for Yorkshire's slump in fortunes this month after going through June
SALTBURN'S Red River, which was inspected recently by council and agency officials, may cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to clean up. The stream, which flows through Saltburn Gill Nature Reserve, in east Cleveland, to Saltburn beach, is known locally
RAIN and clouds failed to prevent families enjoying a day out at Saltburn's annual Swashbuckle event yesterday. Activities took place despite the weather, and were enjoyed by hundreds of adults and children. There were sand sculptures, Punch and Judy,
THE man wanted for questioning over two double murders was arrested at a service station yesterday after a week on the run. Witnesses said Mark Hobson, 34, was recognised when he bought matches at the garage near the village of Shipton-by-Beningbrough
A COMMUNITY centre that is experiencing a new lease of life needs urgent funds to replace the floor. The Neville Community Centre, in Newton Aycliffe, formerly the Over-60s Club, has been transformed since it was taken over by the Friends of Senior Citizens
A DAY of fun is being planned for carers of people with severe mental illnesses in County Durham. The free event will be held by Rethink Carers One to One Link (Cool) County Durham in Trevelyan College, Durham, between 10am and 3.30pm, on Wednesday, September
SUNDAY newspaper stories speculate that Peter Mandelson's elevation to Europe wasn't quite the triumph for Tony Blair that it was first suggested to be. At the back end of last week, it appeared that Mr Blair had made the appointment from a position of
THE reclamation and redevelopment of a polluted former cokeworks is expected to start later this year. The 62-hectare Lambton Cokeworks site, between Bournmoor, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, and Shiney Row, will be taken over by English Partnerships
Foster's ECB North-East Regional Premier League: Stockton produced one of their best performances of the season to dent the championship aspirations of Sunderland who went into the game with high hopes of closing in on the leaders. But it was Stockton
A SENIOR councillor has resigned as deputy leader of her party's group over plans to move the council's headquarters. Councillor Ann Higgins gave up her post with the Independent Group, which forms part of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's ruling
Foster's Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League: Ashington's lead at the top was trimmed to only nine points when their game at Leadgate was curtailed by the weather but Tynedale managed to complete their fixture and defeat Lanchester. Following two
TWO people have been questioned by police over the death of a North-East toddler. The two-year-old boy, from Hartlepool, died in Newcastle General Hospital on Friday from severe head injuries. Kyle Fisher had been taken to the University Hospital of Hartlepool
HEALTH officials say hundreds of thousands of pounds-worth of prescribed medicines are going to waste in east Durham. The Easington Primary Care Trust has launched a campaign to try to persuade patients who are on repeat prescriptions to order only the
Brave police officers in Stockton have received commendations for their work. PC Paul Murphy picked up his certificate for performing a stop and search check on a man acting suspiciously outside the swimming baths in the Stockton. His work led to the
A SCHEME providing temporary housing for the homeless has been extended. Richmondshire District Council is to continue running its private sector lease scheme next month. Under the initiative, homeless families with children are housed in empty properties
AN amateur theatre company with its own venue is on the look-out for would-be actors for its Christmas pantomime. The Royalty Theatre, in Chester Road, Sunderland, will stage its version of Jack and the Beanstalk in December and on Friday night will stage
A SUMMER holiday warning has been issued over home and garden security. Police are concerned that residents will drop their guard and leave house, garden shed and garage doors and windows open during warm weather. Chester-le-Street crime prevention officer
A group is calling on thieves to return the distinctive sculpture it recently installed. The 8ft silver-coloured mushroom has been taken from the start of a footpath leading to Walters Wood, Ouston, near Chester-le-Street. It is one of two metal sculptures
EXPERTS have warned that a vast rural area in North Yorkshire could suffer a repeat of disastrous flooding unless better maintenance is carried out on miles of rivers, streams and ditches. Hundreds of acres of farmland flooded and homes and businesses
NEW and lapsed blood donors in the region have been urged to come forward following new restrictions to protect supplies against a deadly disease. Fears that blood transfusions could help to spread variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease - the human form of
A COUPLE entering an anual garden competition for the firsttime have won top prize. Ian and Valerie Dawson were the overall winners of Richmond Town Council's garden competition. The couple only began working on the garden four years ago when they bought
A WALKER had a lucky escape from the incoming tide after he was spotted by a coastguard. The man, who was in his 30s and from Loftus, east Cleveland, was caught by the tide beneath Huntcliff, near Saltburn, also in east Cleveland. Skinningrove and Redcar
STAFF at a stately home spent Sunday morning collecting female underwear after a performance by "sex bomb" Tom Jones. About 6,000 people attended a concert by the Welsh singer at Castle Howard, North Yorkshire, on Saturday. Rachel Deighton, events manager
Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League Premier Division: Guisborough, the only one of the top five sides to win, are now neck and neck with Northallerton. They made short work of Darlington RA at Fountains Garth, raising hopes of a fourth successive
A DEAFENING roar filled people's eardrums as the Red Arrows arced over HMS Ocean, leaving a red and white vapour trail and a smell of aviation fuel that lingered in the nostrils. Underneath was one flag that displayed the badge of the city's football
Hollywood has a reputation for rewriting history, but the latest movie about the legend of King Arthur has pleased the historians, even though it has made Arthur a Northerner, based near Hadrian's Wall. Steve Pratt reports. JOHN Matthews is a historian
THREATENING weather failed to deter 10,000 people from enjoying this year's Cleveland Show. Saturday's event at Stewart's Park, Middlesbrough, had more on show than just animals, birds, horticulture and local produce. Hundreds of people crowded round
The Readers Durham County League: Evenwood took a step towards retaining the championship when they saw off nearest rivals Kimblesworth in the match of the day. They are now 29 points ahead but Kimblesworth have a game in hand and although it is now all
A MAN has been arrested following the discovery of suspicious items at a house. The items, including bottles filled with petrol and apparently fitted with makeshift fuses, were found by council workers who were called in to clear a vacant house in Burnsville
The latest ways to find a mate have revolutionised the dating game. Women's Editor Christen Pears meets a 47-year-old who found love the fast way and a new book explores romance on the world market. PAM Cook was driving to work when she spotted the sign
A MUSIC school in Darlington to nurture the talented stars of the future had a successful opening weekend. Stuie Ellerton, who had the idea of setting up the Northern School of Contemporary Music (NSCM), said he was astonished with the positive response
CAMPAIGNERS have welcomed police plans to carry out the first official research into drug rape. The Roofie Foundation, which is based in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, and is Britain's only specialist drug rape agency, said the proposals were long overdue
GOVERNMENT claims that more doctors are working in the NHS have been backed by North-East health bosses. Primary care and hospital trusts across the region now employ more GPs and consultants than in previous years. But, while overall numbers have increased
LANCE Armstrong finished top of the rostrum which mattered most and then shrugged off his position on the bottom step of another podium. The American rider completed his sixth Tour de France victory on the bounce and took his place in the history books
Federation Special Durham Senior League: There is still just one point separating Boldon and Burnmoor but the defeat of Hetton Lyons means they have lost ground in the championship race. Boldon beat Whitburn and the rain to remain top by a single point
HAD the ancients played cricket in the Feversham League, they would never have supposed that the earth were flat and Columbus would have been just another middle aged matelot. The Feversham League has more ups and downs than the British yo-yo championships
JASON PLATO engineered a SEAT double-double at Croft and then scratched his head as to why his British Touring Car Championship rivals didn't adopt the same crafty tactics. The 36-year-old, who regards Croft as his home circuit having grown up in Newcastle
VILLAGERS are to step up the pressure on a council leader to close a country lane. A public meeting of more than 150 people passed a vote of no confidence in Durham County Council leader Ken Manton over the issue of Old Beacon Lane in Sedgefield village
A UKRAINIAN teenager is sharpening up her English by taking part in a North-East opera. Lena Yashenko, from Kiev, will appear in Blaze!, a musical based on Darlington's rail heritage, starting tomorrow at the town's railway museum. The 16-year-old is
AN amateur theatre company with its own venue is on the look-out for would-be actors for its Christmas pantomime. The Royalty Theatre, in Chester Road, Sunderland, will stage its version of Jack and the Beanstalk in December and on Friday night will stage
