Christians angered by the Jerry Springer musical broadcast by the BBC are to pursue a private prosecution against the corporation for alleged blasphemy. Critics were angered by the show, shown uncut on BBC2 on Saturday night, because of foul language
NEALE Cooper admits it wasn't Hartlepool United's day as they failed to break down a stubborn Boston rearguard. Pool couldn't make it 13 consecutive victories at Victoria Park and they now have to travel to York Street a week on Wednesday to try and secure
WATERCOLOUR PAINTING: The next meeting of Skelton Men's Group is on Thursday, January 20, at 7.30pm, at the Annandale, Station Road, Skelton. The subject will be Watercolour Painting by Janet Outhwaite and all materials will be supplied. SOCIETY MEETS
RAM raiders used a mechanical digger to crash into a village store and rip a cash machine from the wall. Police arrived to find the cash machine in the road with the JCB surrounded by debris, at the Co-op, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham. The
A TEN-YEAR-OLD quad-biker who is severely disabled is moving up a gear in his quest to become a champion. Richard Flaherty, from Hartlepool, has secured the sponsorship to move up a class. Richard, who has cerebral palsy and spastic quadraplega, has already
SUPPORTERS flew the flag for Darlington FC at the weekend, as the high-flying Quakers battled it out with Oxford United. The first flag day at the Williamson Motors Stadium encouraged fans to take along their own designs. Proms-style music also preceded
PERHAPS the most unexpected thing was the mud. The accepted view of Ethiopia is of a parched desert land, where drought and famine are regular visitors. So for Paul Brockway, the mud came as a bit of a surprise. "People imagine it being very dry, but
A NORTH-EAST novelist has made an emotional return to The Gambia, where she has been closely involved in providing much-needed water wells. Philippa Gregory's African visit is shown in BBC1's documentary series Inside Out, which returns for a new series
A television show is seeking families in the Stockton area to take part in a programme aimed at tackling waste. No Waste Like Home will focus on the wasteful behaviour of families and hopes to show viewers that real savings can be made within the home
BEING involved in a promotion campaign is a whole new ball game for Darlington defender Matt Clarke. The big defender is the first to admit that relegation battles have been somewhat of a recurring theme during his career. After failing to make the grade
A teenager has been remanded in custody for seven days after admitting stealing tsunami relief collection boxes from stores across Teesside. Stephen Sparrow pleaded guilty to raiding five shops during his theft spree, on Sunday, where he was driven around
AN environmentally-friendly business development in Durham has won £835,000 in European funding. Rivergreen Developments will get the money to provide 48,000sq ft of office and conference space for small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) at Aykley Heads.
Redcar and Cleveland College plans to extend virtual learning to key departments. The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) was piloted last year in the computing department and is due to be applied to other departments including travel and tourism, business
An attempt will be held today to break the world's biggest pillow fight record. The Millennium Volunteer Team, from Hartlepool, has organised the event at the town's Sixth Form College, Catcote Road. People of are welcome to join in with registrations
A YOUNG graduate is taking her first steps to success with a new business venture. State-registered chiropodist Laura McNamee will be caring for all types of feet at the Podology clinic, in Saltburn, East Cleveland. The 24-year-old, from nearby Skelton
AN environmentally-friendly business development in Durham has won £835,000 in European funding. Rivergreen Developments will get the money to provide 48,000sq ft of office and conference space for small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) at Aykley Heads.
A NEW hostel will provide "a stepping stone to independence" for young homeless people in Darlington, according to the organisation behind the scheme. Homeless charity The 700 Club says it has high hopes for its hostel, which will be sited in the vacant
IF recent studies are to be believed, the latest generation of children is facing obesity meltdown as exercise is declining and poor diet is increasing. Many schools are now encouraging children to eat more fruit and vegetables as well as bringing in
IF recent studies are to be believed, the latest generation of children is facing obesity meltdown as exercise is declining and poor diet is increasing. Many schools are now encouraging children to eat more fruit and vegetables as well as bringing in
Harrogate International Centre hosts Harrogate and Skipton School's Music Centre Gala Concert on Saturday, January 22, at 7pm. For ticket details, call 01423 537230.
A service has been set up to help residents in North Yorkshire returning home from hospital. People in the Hambleton and Richmondshire area who have to go back to an empty house can benefit from the new Home from Hospital service provided by the Red Cross
A BUSINESS centre built to nurture new ventures has been so successful that it is to be extended to meet demand. Innovation House, at South Church Enterprise Park, near Bishop Auckland, was opened last year by Prime Minister Tony Blair. At the time Mr
AN environmentally-friendly business development in Durham has won £835,000 in European funding. Rivergreen Developments will get the money to provide 48,000sq ft of office and conference space for small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) at Aykley Heads.
THE first professional Christmas Panto to be staged at Consett's Empire Theatre has been hailed a success. Jack and the Beanstalk, by Stage Further Productions, ran from Saturday, December 18, to Thursday, December 30, and sold more than 5,300 tickets
A COUNCIL is being urged to abandon plans to introduce pay and display parking in two city centre streets. Durham County Council, which has introduced on-street parking charges in the centre of Durham to reduce congestion and parking problems, wants to
A DRIVER involved in a head-on collision with a bus was rescued from his car and taken to hospital on Saturday. The accident took place in Skelton Road, near Brotton, east Cleveland, and involved an Arriva bus and a Mitsubishi space wagon. The male driver
A GROUP of people will see their efforts recognised when they are presented with community sports leader awards this week. An intensive training week in July last year was led by Jimmy Wattis and Leanne Oxley, from Middlesbrough Council's sports and leisure
A DOG was denied food for so long that it starved to death despite attempts to save it. The dark brindle Staffordshire Bull Terrier-cross was found in a garden in Crook, County Durham, before Christmas and taken to Paul Wilson's veterinary surgery in
BUSINESSES in Bishop Auckland are to be offered free advice about the Disability Discrimination Act at a two-day event at the end of this month. The Wear Valley Disability Access Forum is hosting the drop-in sessions in The Newgate Centre in the town
AN ARTIST made a successful return to her old college to guide students to create a series of public artworks. Georgina Peak won a commission from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's arts development department to produce work with a theme of the local
MIDDLESBROUGH'S newest teenage star Danny Graham has admitted he could have been plying his trade at the Williamson Motors Stadium this term if Steve McClaren hadn't given him the incentive to stay and fight for his Riverside future. The 19-year-old was
PEOPLE at Brancepeth held a party to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the village hall. The hall, run by the Brancepeth Community Association, has hosted church services since a blaze gutted St Brandon's Church in 1999. The hall was opened in December
A MAN was told he could not cash a cheque and donate the money to the tsunami appeal despite having ten forms of identification. Alan Reay tried to cash a £102 cheque at the HSBC branch in Gateshead. He was going to give the money to his children for
WINNERS of a national aviation award have been given a VIP tour. The five-strong team from Leeds Grammar School were given a tour of RAF Linton-on-Ouse after winning the 2004 Schools Aerospace Challenge with a design for a future aircraft. The team had
HUNT organisers are writing to North Yorkshire landowners to ask their permission to continue legal activities on their land when hunting with dogs is banned. Masters of the Derwent Hunt and Sinnington Hunt have written to landowners and the Middleton
GRAEME SOUNESS last night saluted his Newcastle United players for avoiding a humiliating FA Cup third round exit at the hands of Ryman League minnows Yeading. After Conference side Exeter's amazing goalless draw at Manchester United on Saturday, many
A murder inquiry has been launched after a man was stabbed to death. Northumbria Police officers went to Rock Farm House, Rock Village, North Northumberland, at about 1.15am yesterday. A 34-year-old man was taken to Wansbeck District General Hospital
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a holiday log cabin in a rural village have been given the go-ahead. Residents in Liverton Mines, east Cleveland, were divided after proposals were put to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council for a holiday let log cabin. Following
FORMER Northern and North-East cross country champion Andy Caine led Scotland home in 18th place on a gale-swept and muddy Stormont Castle course in the fifth Reebok Cross Challenge in Belfast. The Tynedale Harrier clocked 31 mins 30 secs, finishing 20
THE first professional Christmas Panto to be staged at Consett's Empire Theatre has been hailed a success. Jack and the Beanstalk, by Stage Further Productions, ran from Saturday, December 18, to Thursday, December 30, and sold more than 5,300 tickets
Behavingbadly, who is suited by an extreme test of stamina, is likely to get conditions to suit in the Mechplant Handicap Chase over three miles and six furlongs at Newcastle this afternoon. Andrew Parker's ten-year-old has taken a while to realise his
A DIRECTOR of a struggling amphibious vehicle company said his invention would have made a perfect rescue vehicle following the tsunami. David Royle, the managing director of Covelink Marine, in Staindrop, County Durham, believes his Jet Truck would have
NEILL COLLINS revealed his pals had asked him to get Andy Johnson's shirt after Sunderland's FA Cup victory against Crystal Palace. But after the Premiership hotshot spent the game in the stopper's back pocket, he thought better of it. The Eagles' striker
CURTIS FLEMING'S post-match pint of Guinness was half-full, rather than half-empty on Saturday. After receiving his man-of-the-match award from corporate sponsors in the Platinum Lounge, the former Republic of Ireland international remained positive despite
TWO years ago, while chasing promotion, Hartlepool United went to Boston and, in atrocious wintry conditions and on an atrocious surface, ground out a single goal win. Having already managed it once, now they will have to call on that experience to do
A FORMER police inspector has criticised aspects of the search for Britons who died in the tsunami disaster. Fred Farley, 66, an officer with Durham Police for more than 30 years, has dedicated himself to helping good causes overseas. He visited Bosnia
THE General Medical Council (GMC) said it would not be in the public interest for disgraced surgeon Richard Neale to be restored to the medical register. The GMC, which monitors UK doctors, was responding to concerns the former North Yorkshire gynaecologist
ADVENTUROUS Steve Coupland is to undertake a mountainous challenge to raise money for a breast cancer charity after his wife overcame the disease. The 54-year-old, of Gresham Close, Darlington, will climb Mount Aconcagua, in Argentina, on behalf of Breast
A SCHEME aiming to improve housing in a North-East town will be launched. Darlington Borough Council is planning a landlord accreditation initiative as part of efforts to reverse the spiral of decline in some of its most deprived wards. Officials believe
David Hodgson blamed the linesman for Craig Hignett not coming on as a substitute on Saturday. Hignett has been suffering from a virus in recent weeks, only playing an hour of the win over Macclesfield last week, so Saturday was dropped to the bench and
A RADIO station is calling for support to apply for a full-time broadcasting licence. Due to licensing restrictions, Radio Hartlepool can only broadcast live on the FM band for two 28-day periods within one year. Whilst broadcasts continue on the Internet
FROM fields to fairytales. The match-day programme could not have described Yeading's finest occasion more fittingly, although it was one that Newcastle United ensured did not have a happy ending. Football's greatest ever mismatch in the FA Cup's 133-
THOUSANDS of people were last night bracing themselves for the prospect of entering a third day without power, as the full extent of the storm force winds that battered the region emerged. More than 150,000 properties across the North-East and Yorkshire
A BUSINESS centre built to nurture new ventures has been so successful that it is to be extended to meet demand. Innovation House, at South Church Enterprise Park, near Bishop Auckland, was opened last year by Prime Minister Tony Blair. At the time Mr
AMBULANCE chiefs last night condemned a "cowardly attack" that left a paramedic needing hospital treatment. The 36-year-old suffered a dislocated shoulder in an incident involving a taxi driver in Richmond, North Yorkshire. A spokesman for the North Yorkshire
Mick McCarthy admitted revenge over Crystal Palace was sweet, but it was clear that the manner of last season's play-off defeat to the Eagles still leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. Goals from Andy Welsh and Marcus Stewart cancelled out an unfortunate
A JOINER who crashed into a fallen tree on his way to work had a lucky escape when a second tree fell on his car. Minutes after the crash, a second tree fell onto Richard Bell's empty Mitsubishi Shogun as he called police from his nearby home. He set
Thousands of people are braced for further days without power after storm force winds battered Britain. As gales toppled lorries on the A1 hundreds of people were forced to draw water from bowsers after heavy flooding burst pipes. More than 150,000 properties
PLANS to make Darlington town centre more breastfeeding-friendly are to be stepped up. Last year, the borough council received a £20,000 grant from the Centre for Public Scrutiny to carry out a review of facilities for nursing mothers. A review group
YEADING striker DJ Campbell will spend this morning stacking crates in a warehouse. But, for 51 minutes yesterday, Campbell and the rest of his Yeading team-mates overcame the odds that were stacked against them to threaten the greatest FA Cup upset of
A GUEST house on the outskirts of Durham is expected to be demolished to make way for a fast food restaurant as part of a shopping development on the outskirts of Durham. Durham City Council has given Sunniside Properties outline planning permission for
THE refurbishment of a Darlington leisure centre has proved a big success, according to council bosses. The borough council recently invested £70,000 in improvements to the Eastbourne Sports Complex and the new-look facility was re-opened by MP Alan Milburn
TWO police forces are teaming up to provide a new training regime for probationer officers. Durham has joined forces with neighbouring Northumbria to introduce the training format, the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP), starting
COUNCIL workers in Darlington are being urged to do their bit to cut traffic congestion by taking part in a car-sharing scheme. The initiative is part of the authority's Town on the Move project, which is aiming to improve traffic flows, encourage greater
A HAIR and beauty salon and pub are joining forces to raise money to build a sensory room for a baby with cerebral palsy. Ryan Gibson will need the sensory room at his home in Hope Street, Crook, to help him develop over the years. The venture will cost
PLANS to construct a new office building on a an industrial es-tate look likely to be given approval. The new office building for JWs Investments on Ellerbeck Court Industrial Estate, in Stokesley, has been recommended for approval by Hambleton District
A HAIR and beauty salon and pub are joining forces to raise money to build a sensory room for a baby with cerebral palsy. Ryan Gibson will need the sensory room at his home in Hope Street, Crook, to help him develop over the years. The venture will cost
A new-look Pickering In Bloom Group is hoping to improve the town's rating in the annual Yorkshire In Bloom competition. The group, formerly a sub-committee of the town council, is now an independent group. The next meeting is in the Memorial Hall on
CHINESE lions roamed the North yesterday during an impressive performance by a Kung Fu expert and his students. Used to ward off evil spirits at the start of the Chinese New Year, which is on February 9 this year, the lions took to the streets of Guisborough
A YOUNG graduate is taking her first steps to success with a new business venture. State registered chiropodist Laura McNamee will care for all types of feet at the Podology clinic, in Milton Street, Saltburn, east Cleveland. The 24-year-old, from Skelton
BUSINESSES in Bishop Auckland are to be offered free advice about the Disability Discrimination Act at a two-day event at the end of this month. The Wear Valley Disability Access Forum is hosting the drop-in sessions in The Newgate Centre in the town
VILLAGERS are calling a public meeting as they fight to save their post office. The post office in Close House, near Bishop Auckland, will close next month if no-one is found to replace the postmaster who is retiring. Councillor Dorothy Hope, from the
A glowing report has reached this quarter about a genial fellow, in a red suit and with white whiskers, who handed out presents and spread good cheer among patients in the Richardson Hospital over the festive period. When an impressed visitor asked the
CHESTER-le-Street's rundown railway station is likely to get a makeover to improve passenger facilities. Durham County Council's cabinet will this week be recommended to approve a £70,000 scheme to build a shelter at the station, which is owned by Network
CHILDREN at York schools have been working to design decorations to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Primary school children from Fishergate, Lord Deramore's and Osbaldwick schools have been working with artist Mei Yuk to design decorations for York's
A COMMUTER has criticised a decision to increase car parking charges at a railway station. Paul Durrant, who commutes from Northallerton to York, said he now had to pay more than double to leave his car at Northallerton station. The increase in charges
MARATHON man Peter Briggs is pledging to run three races in aid of charity this year. The property technician for Coast and Country Housing Association will compete in the London Marathon, Loch Ness Marathon and the Redcar Half Marathon. He will be raising
A television show is seeking families in the Stockton area to take part in a programme aimed at tackling waste. No Waste Like Home will focus on the wasteful behaviour of families and hopes to show viewers that real savings can be made within the home
WITH European football now ingrained in the psyche of Middlesbrough fans, Steve McClaren is undoubtedly exploring every avenue that leads back to the promised land in May. A top-four finish and a Champions League spot appears option one but, if that fails
A COUPLE were lucky to be alive after winds ripped the roof from their home. John Sanderson was asleep in the upstairs bedroom when the ceiling caved in and he was covered in debris. Fortunately, he escaped with only minor injuries but was panic-stricken
Ripon Market Place will host a farmers' market on Sunday, January 23, from 9.30am to 2.30pm, when buyers will have a chance to buy local produce from local farmers.
THE results of a survey into how much council tax York residents want to pay will be announced today. The opinion poll will reveal the city's verdict on what level of tax should be set for next year. More than 80,000 voting leaflets have been posted at
A DOG was denied food for so long that it starved to death despite attempts to save it. The dark brindle Staffordshire Bull Terrier-cross was found in a garden in Crook, County Durham, before Christmas and taken to Paul Wilson's veterinary surgery in
DETECTIVES have vowed not to give up on the hunt for a conman whose 82-year-old victim died hours after being targeted. Pensioner George Sharpe suffered a fatal heart attack after being tricked out of £200 at his home in Faraday Terrace, Haswell, near
AN ARTIST made a successful return to her old college to guide students to create a series of public artworks. Georgina Peak won a commission from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's arts development department to produce work with a theme of the local
A NORTH hospital said it issued an alert after a record number of patients were admitted over the Christmas period. The alert was given by York Hospital to partner groups in health and community care during a hectic period over Christmas. A record 111
THIRTY people have been arrested in police raids that also netted cocaine and cannabis worth £16,000. Officers from Northumbria went to 16 homes in Byker, Walker and Walkergate, in the east end of Newcastle. The raids, part of Operation Lace - itself
YEADING boss Johnson Hippolyte is hopeful that his side's exploits in the FA Cup third round will have persuaded Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd to change his mind about the merits of grassroots football. Shepherd courted controversy last month when
EUROPE: IT is easy to select factors from a complex EU to make a case against the organisation. It is much more difficult to take all the significant factors and come up with arguments that show where the balance is. People forget that, in the recent
A SCHEME aiming to improve housing in a North-East town will be launched. Darlington Borough Council is planning a landlord accreditation initiative as part of efforts to reverse the spiral of decline in some of its most deprived wards. Officials believe
Ultimate Force (ITV1); Jerry Springer - The Opera (BBC2); Sea Of Souls (BBC1): VIEWERS of a sensitive disposition should have be warned. The sight of hard man Ross Kemp wearing a tea towel on his head was deeply offensive in the opening scene of the SAS
Consett are looking for a new manager for the second time in six weeks following the resignation of Tony Harrison. Harrison was appointed just before Christmas, and was in charge of two games against Esh Winning and Durham City, but he has decided to
A THIRD company has entered the race to run Durham City's first commercial radio station. The two firms that have run trial broadcasts over the past two years, Durham FM and Durham Local Radio, have already lodged applications. Durham 2Day FM was the
It's the country of Live Aid, but there is much more to Ethiopia, as one couple discovered when they went to live and work there for two years. Nick Morrison reports. PERHAPS the most unexpected thing was the mud. The accepted view of Ethiopia is of a
Behavingbadly, who is suited by an extreme test of stamina, is likely to get conditions to suit in the Mechplant Handicap Chase over three miles and six furlongs at Newcastle this afternoon. Andrew Parker's ten-year-old has taken a while to realise his
RESIDENTS continued to pick up the pieces after a weekend of gales caused damage across the region. As the weather settled, villagers breathed a sigh of relief as a rapidly rising River Tees eventually subsided, averting the threat of floods. Water levels
Ultimate Force (ITV1) Jerry Springer - The Opera (BBC2) Sea Of Souls (BBC1) VIEWERS of a sensitive disposition should have be warned. The sight of hard man Ross Kemp wearing a tea towel on his head was deeply offensive in the opening scene of the SAS
BEFORE Sunderland's FA Cup tie with Crystal Palace, Mick McCarthy claimed there was little to choose between the bottom six of the Premiership and top six of the Championship. On Saturday's evidence this is undoubtedly the case and although there was
A teacher showed an unhealthy interest in a difficult pupil in a bid to "groom" him for sex, a court heard. Philip Nigel Evans who claimed he was trying to help the 14-year-old, took the boy on outings, bought him gifts and made or attempted to make more
CHRIS thought life couldn't get much worse. Living rough on the streets, he began shoplifting simply to be able to eat. It was then, aged 19, that he turned to heroin to dull the pain and, as he put it, to "take the edge off life". He quickly developed
COASTGUARDS who rescued a cancer sufferer's dog from a cliff-face have been honoured by the RSPCA. Officers from the Skinningrove and Staithes units, in east Cleveland, were called when Buddy the sheepdog became stuck on a ledge 100ft below a cliff top
Becoming a full-time carer for a person with Down's Syndrome is not what most people choose to do in their retirement. Rose Allan tells Sam Strangeways why it's the best decision she ever made - and why others should consider it. "IT'S like a therapy
A WORKSHOP is to explain some of the techniques of short story writing. The event is part of Darlington Arts Centre's support for The Short Story Competition, also backed by The Northern Echo and Orange. Designed for writers aged 17 and over, the closing
England boss Andy Robinson was last night reeling from the worst possible blow to his Six Nations plans - losing World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson. The injury-jinxed superstar will miss England's opening two games next month, against Wales in Cardiff and
Mowden Park team manager Jim Dyson tore into the side after witnessing a performance he described as "pathetic". The Darlington side went down 5-0 to Dudley Kingswinford in Division Three (North), the try coming in the sixth minute of injury time. The
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to improve literacy and numeracy in the region. The programme has been initiated by the Northern Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Learning and Skills Council. Staff at Teesside's Coast and Country Housing Association are
A CHURCH celebrating the completion of a £100,000 restoration scheme has been named as one of the country's best Catholic churches. St Joseph's, in Pickering, North Yorkshire, was designed by the leading Catholic architect of the day, Leonard Stokes.
Being the Jekyll and Hyde outfit they are, Darlington have picked up a habit of dropping points against the division's lower clubs this season. However, this was one game they cannot be faulted for not winning. Quakers did their best to get past a determined
TRUSTEES of a North-East charitable foundation have voted to break with tradition and donate £500,000 to help victims. The Northern Rock Foundation, which normally only funds projects in the North-East and Cumbria, will make one of the biggest donations
A LEADING police officer has been recruited to help people read and write. Cleveland's Deputy Chief Constable, Ron Hogg, has joined the Get On North-East campaign to raise awareness of the problem, which affects thousands of people in the area. He will
TICKETS will go on sale today for a behind-the-scenes performance of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. Due to overwhelming demand, the normally private dress rehearsal of the play at Newcastle's Theatre Royal will be public. The one-off performance, when people
THE gales which battered the North over the weekend brought tragedy and chaos in their wake. Thousands were affected by floods, damaged property and a loss of power to their homes. But while we do not for a second seek to belittle the impact of the storms
The weather caused the biggest number of postponements this season when eight of the ten scheduled matches were called off because of rain and wind. Stokesley SC managed to stage their game with Ferryhill Athletic and were rewarded with a handsome victory
