IN the crazy world of football management it seems Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric has adopted a new approach to finding a suitable candidate to fill the Fratton Park hot-seat. Unlike so many of his Premiership counterparts, who tend to try to keep
A PALLIATIVE care unit set up in memory of a former MP was opened yesterday. The Joan Maynard Room at the Rutson Rehabilitation Hospital, Northallerton, has specialist equipment and en-suite facilities. It has been designed to give support to terminally
SCHOOLBOY Christopher Chapman came face-to-face with his family's heroic past during a field study trip. The 11-year-old, a pupil at Gainford Primary School, in County Durham, spent a week at the Earls Orchard field study centre, in Richmond, North Yorkshire
A MIDDLESBROUGH man who helps look after unruly schoolchildren has pleaded guilty to assaulting a disabled man. David Boyle admitted punching his neighbour in the face after he confronted the man over his grandson's abusive behaviour. The 32-year-old,
REDCAR and Cleveland Borough Council is asking for the public's help to establish the borough as a top caring authority. The annual social services department's stars awards is looking for nominations for team of the year and manager of the year along
A SURGERY offering advice on benefits opened in Stokesley this week. It will be held weekly at the Hambleton District Council offices in Town Close. People can make appointments to see a benefits officer between 2pm and 4.30pm on Wednesdays. The opening
JUST when David Hodgson thought things couldn't get any worse, the Darlington manager was last night facing up to the fact that Brian Close faces three months on the sidelines. The 23-year-old has been told by a specialist that the ankle injury, which
TEENAGERS as young as 15 are risking their health by experimenting with anabolic steroids, according to a study. And some of the youngsters are taking the drug to help them stand up to bullies, the research has revealed. Carl Bell, a young men's health
MOTORISTS in Hartlepool are being warned to think of schoolchildren's safety or risk being fined. Council officials have launched a new initiative to improve road safety near schools. The initiative arises from the council taking over from police traffic
A GARDEN of discovery is being created for children with special and educational needs - with a little help from some friends. Cleveland Assessment Unit at the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, will soon get a sensory garden to give youngsters
The events surrounding the carjacking of a man in Wakefield and the gunpoint confrontation with Darlington shop workers were described in court as a single day of madness. Liz Lamb reports. Security staff at Morrisons store still bear the scars of the
UP to half a million people are expected to attend the funeral of George Best today in his native Belfast. Not since the death of Princess Diana in 1997 will there be such a remarkable display of mourning. Although many may feel a personal loss at the
CONTROVERSIAL proposals to build a cutting edge "green" power station in a national park look set to win the backing of planners. Plans for the £1.2m station at South View Farm in Yatts, near Pickering, have split the local community. Waste-to-energy
AN INQUEST found that a prisoner had taken her own life at the women's centre in Durham Prison. Wendy Booth, who was serving a life sentence for murdering a friend, was found hanging in her cell on November 12, 2003. She had been placed on suicide watch
Last weekend, British football mourned the passing of George Best, a footballing genius who spent most of his latter years mounting an unsuccessful battle against alcoholism. Today, one of Best's kindred spirits, Paul Gascoigne, will lead his Kettering
JUNGLE FUN: RE Grumble in the Jungle (HAS, Nov 29). I AM writing to say how much my colleagues and I are loving the jungle commentary by Lindsay Jennings. The light-hearted look at the misadventures of television's jungle posse is a breath of fresh air
A DOG owner says her pet was castrated by a vet after she took him in to be treated for an ear infection. Janet Miller said she was furious at the mix-up with her dog, Norman, and is devastated that he will not be able to produce puppies. Mrs Miller,
AN entertainer has spoken of his pain and sense of loss at the deaths of two respected musicians and friends - and warned: don't drink and drive. Tim Dalling, of the Old String Rope Band, told of his sadness during the regional launch of the Christmas
DARLINGTON are hoping to get through their next three games, two of them derbies, without any front row injuries as Dan Miller is to have a knee operation next Thursday. He should be fit to return after the two-week festive-season break, but the last
GRAHAM LEE'S rise through the ranks from journeyman jockey to top-class rider means the modest lad from Ingleby Barwick now gets to sit on class acts like Oneway (2.35) in the £25,000 Tingle Creek Chase, writes Colin Woods. The Sandown showpiece is the
SUNDERLAND'S recent performances might have been nothing much to boast about, but Justin Hoyte is still hoping to leave White Hart Lane this evening with his bragging rights intact. The Black Cats full-back, who was born in North-East London, is a lifelong
As millions prepare to say a final farewell to George Best today, a replica shirt company in the North-East has been selling 100 of his vintage strips a day. Orders for the replica Best shirts have been coming from as far as Australia, Dubai and the US
THE North Yorkshire port of Whitby was reeling yesterday after virtually its entire fishing fleet was convicted of wholesale breaching of European quotas. The skippers and masters of nine vessels - all but one of the fleet - were fined a total of £122,800
STEVE McClaren's biggest fear is not travelling to Stamford Bridge to take on a rampant Chelsea - it is the prospect of having to tell Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink he is not starting the game. Hasselbaink is desperate to be involved this afternoon after he
Since its humble beginnings, Corporation Road Baptist Church may have had its share of hardships, but it's still hanging on. CORPORATION Road Baptist Church celebrated its centenary last Sunday, people - good, zealous, warmly welcoming people - still
It's a long time since Willington won four successive matches - but that's the aim when they visit Annfield Plain this afternoon. "We have racked up three and confidence is good but it will be difficult at Derwent Park. Annfield Plain have beaten us twice
AFTER identifying West Brom as the blueprint for Premiership survival, Mick McCarthy has admitted that his Sunderland side need to win two of their next five games to have any chance of emulating the Baggies' dramatic escape act. While the Black Cats
CAMPAIGNERS who are opposed to radical changes to North-East NHS boundaries have been given new hope. It has emerged that Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has heeded the outcry from MPs and councillors over plans to cull most primary care trusts (PCT)
AFTER identifying West Brom as the blueprint for Premiership survival, Mick McCarthy has admitted that his Sunderland side need to win two of their next five games to have any chance of emulating the Baggies' dramatic escape act. While the Black Cats
AN engineering company in North Yorkshire expects turnover to reach £750,000 in the next two years thanks to a loan from UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE). Janggus Hydraulics, which recently moved to larger premises on the Terry Dickens Estate, in Stokesley,
A MEMBER of the General Medical Council who gave two job references for disgraced surgeon Richard Neale without mentioning he had been cautioned by police has kept his place on the medical register. Professor James Drife, 58, knew Neale had been caught
CONSETT insist that their promotion hopes are still on course even though leading scorer Craig Tate has gone to Morpeth. Tate is the second top scorer in the Second Division with 14 league goals and 26 in all competitions, but has decided to swap Consett's
DEFIANT Graeme Souness has vowed never to quit Newcastle United because he holds a burning desire to enjoy a successful end to his managerial career. The frank-talking Scot insists that whatever happens at the Magpies, whether it be today or in ten years
WEDDING dresses from the last 70 years will be on display at a charity exhibition this weekend. The treasured gowns are being dusted down and exhibited at Tudhoe Community Centre, near Spennymoor, on Sunday. The event has been organised by Tudhoe couple
FREE bus pass schemes could be rolled out across the Tees Valley in a move to better Government standards. All five local authorities - Darlington, Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool - are to meet bus operators to discuss the
AN animal sanctuary is holding a fundraising event this weekend. Weardale Animal Sanctuary's Christmas extravaganza will be at the Durham Dales Centre in Stanhope, with proceeds going towards looking after animals. The event takes place tomorrow between
RESIDENTS claim their village will be spoilt if two large semi-detached houses are built on one of its remaining open spaces. Twelve of them turned up at an appeal hearing to oppose Enid Bainbridge, who wants to put up the houses in the garden of her
THE company building the world's largest biodiesel plant has been bailed out by financial backers following crisis talks, it emerged last night. Last month, Biofuels Corporation suspended trading of its shares on the stock exchange. The move was believed
THE world's top Mini stunt driver was on hand yesterday to help launch a development that could provide space for 1,000 office workers. Russ Swift, of Darlington, was showing off his driving skills with handbrake parking, two-wheeling and reverse spins
A FASCINATING look at the history of Consett through archive photographs has been published. County Durham Books, the publishing arm of Durham County Council, has put together a nostalgic "walk" around the town in Memories of Consett. It draws heavily
A large housing development designed to breathe new life into a former pit village moved a step closer last night. Progress came with Easington District Council's decision to submit compulsory purchase orders on two properties in Thornley Village that
A woman who survived a 40ft plunge from a second-floor window has spoken for the first time about lucky she was to survive - but still cannot remember anything about the fall. Samantha Hopper, 21, suffered serious head injuries when she fell from her
BURGLARS escaped with designer clothing worth several thousand pounds when they broke into a town centre store. The raiders broke in through the roof of Jury Man and Woman, in Front Street Consett, County Durham, on Thursday night. Among garments stolen
A NEWLY-BUILT school is preparing to celebrate its first Christmas - and pupils chose the tree they want to be the centrepiece for celebrations. Five youngsters from Alderman Leach Primary School in Darlington went to Elm Ridge in the town to select a
FREE bus pass schemes could be rolled out across the Tees Valley in a move to better Government standards. All five local authorities - Darlington, Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool - are to meet bus operators to discuss the
BUY BOOKS: HOW many more times are the people of Darlington going to have to listen to senior local politicians offering what I believe to be completely misleading information on academies? Once again we have Councillor Chris McEwan (HAS, Nov 18) stating
BUSINESS gurus are to give their opinion about an innovative 3D chocolate company on a television show next week. Choc Pix, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, is to feature on the BBC show Dragons' Den. The show gives entrepreneurs the chance to impress
STEVE McClaren's biggest fear is not travelling to Stamford Bridge to take on a rampant Chelsea - it is the prospect of having to tell Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink he is not starting the game. Hasselbaink is desperate to be involved this afternoon after he
WORK is under way on a council regeneration project in east Cleveland. The Tees Valley Housing Group has started work on 52 homes at The Courts development in Redcar. Working alongside builders Bellway Homes and Persimmon, the housing group is building
A MUSIC group is heralding the coming of the festive season with a concert next week. Sowerby Music is hosting a performance by the Beningborough Singers in St Oswald's Church, Sowerby, next Saturday, at 7.30pm. It is their third visit to Sowerby Music
WARM-hearted youngsters are bringing some seasonal cheer to pensioners in their neighbourhood. Earlier this year, about a dozen boys and girls aged eight to 13, who live in Easington Colliery, formed a group aimed at improving quality of life in the area
HOSPICE patients have a new multi-media computer to keep them entertained - but they need the DVDs and CDs to go with it. St Catherine's Hospice, in Scarborough, bought the equipment thanks to a donation from AOL. But there is not a single disc to play
PLANNING matters involving North Yorkshire County Council can now be accesed electronically. The council's website can handle everything from general planning inquiries to submission of applications. Forms completed online will be sent straight to officers
FREE bus pass schemes could be rolled out across the Tees Valley, exceeding Government standards. Councils are to consider whether a pensioners' free bus pass project could cover the whole area from next year. All five authorities - Darlington, Redcar
AN entrepreneur hoping to break into the big time is to make his pitch on BBC's Dragon's Den next week. Sunderland-born David Mlynski has ten minutes to persuade five millionaires to back his product, the Yakibox - a Japanese table-top cookery set. The
THE dedication of more than 50 volunteers was recognised at an awards ceremony this week. Thursday's event, hosted by Durham County Council, saw 59 volunteers receive medals from Sir Paul Nicholson and TV agony aunt Denise Robertson, for their involvement
A NEW directory of mental health services has been produced by a primary care trust. Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust has compiled what it says is a comprehensive guide to organisations offering information and support for people living
SCHOOL inspectors have placed a North-East college at the top of the class. Manor College of Technology, in Hartlepool, is celebrating after an Ofsted report with an outstanding grading put it in the top eight per cent of schools nationally. The report
AN attempt to speed up the issuing of anti-social behaviour orders is being made in Durham City. A conference, called and chaired by the city's MP, Roberta Blackman-Woods, was held at County Hall yesterday to discuss the problem of anti-social behaviour
TWO young mathematicians have seen their performances in a national test add up to two gold awards. Aaron Day, 11, and Vibhav Sajjan, ten, from Barnard Castle Preparatory School, in County Durham, each achieved the top award in the Mathematical Association
THE company building the world's largest biodiesel plant has been bailed out by financial backers following crisis talks, it emerged last night. Last month, Biofuels Corporation suspended trading of its shares on the stock exchange. The move was believed
A drug user who burgled a house to help fund his massive £1,000-per-day habit was jailed yesterday. Austin Jobling, 27, took three Ladhro ornaments worth £300 when he targeted a property in Viewthorpe Terrace, Sunderland, with pal William Hughes, 19,
JULIUS CAESAR (2.50) takes another small step towards chasing stardom on only his second start over fences at Wetherby this afternoon. Sticking with the Italian theme, they say Rome wasn't built in a day and Howard Johnson isn't rushing his exciting five-year-old
THE father of a Down's Syndrome patient has criticised changes to the region's home oxygen service. John Hewitt, 72, from Darlington, is the second person to contact The Northern Echo in recent weeks with concerns about large and unwieldy oxygen cylinders
A NORTH-EAST authority with the highest council tax rates in the country has been criticised for spending tens of thousands of pounds on a new logo. Sedgefield Borough Council, in County Durham, will spend more than £72,000 on a new corporate identity
ENGLAND'S oldest road race, the Saltwell 10K, has been saved after lengthy safety talks between organising club Saltwell Harriers and Northumbria Police. Police were concerned about possible danger to runners, but agreed to give the event the go-ahead
JOE Royle predicted it and Martin Scott is sure the words of the Ipswich boss will ring true this afteroon. Hartlepool United meet Tamworth at Victoria Park in the second round of the FA Cup this afternoon, with a place in tomorrow's draw up for grabs
ONE of the most vertiginous walks in the North-East is up the footpaths which scale the Swale's cliffs in Richmond. A few puffing strides and you're high among the treetops with the river a distant snake below. Across the river is a curiosity. On a hill
A GROUP of children have been hard at work with a massive supply of Christmas pudding mix to bring good cheer to elderly residents this festive season. Year ten pupils from Greencroft Community School, Annfield Plain, near Stanley, County Durham, were
DEFIANT Graeme Souness has vowed never to quit Newcastle United because he holds a burning desire to enjoy a successful end to his managerial career. The frank-talking Scot insists that whatever happens at the Magpies, whether it be today or in ten years
A BADLY damaged fence next to the East Coast Main Line - only metres away from where two boys were hit by a train after trespassing on to the tracks - will be repaired after a campaign by residents. The fence, which runs next to the line in the Kingsway
TWO historic airfields are among the latest buildings to achieve listed status. Catterick and Elvington airfields, in North Yorkshire, are two of 255 buildings newly listed by Culture Minister David Lammy. RAF Catterick, now Marne Barracks, began as a
THE health service's loss is television's gain, for earlier this year Professor Robert Winston retired from the NHS and his position as Director of NHS Research and Development for Hammersmith Hospital. It had been a long and illustrious career in which
WHEN Nolberto Solano sealed a dream return to Newcastle United in August, the only thoughts he had were of helping the club back into the Champions League. Now, little more than three months after leaving Aston Villa, Solano's thoughts are of saving manager
A CARJACKER who threatened terrified store security staff and hijacked two vehicles at gunpoint was jailed for life yesterday. Shaun Sidgwick, 39, was branded a dangerous villain by a judge at Teesside Crown Court, who described his criminal past as disturbing
A DOG owner says her pet was castrated by a vet after she took him in to be treated for an ear infection. Janet Miller said she was furious at the mix-up with her dog, Norman, and is devastated that he will not be able to produce puppies. Mrs Miller,
Bishop Auckland will be hoping to close the seven point gap between themselves and safety when they go to Stocksbridge this afternoon in the UniBond League. Bishops haven't won a game since early October, but manager Brian Healy is confident that the
HOMES were evacuated and traffic around a North-East town was plunged into chaos after a major gas leak yesterday. A 200-metre wide cordon was put up after a gas main feeding most of Middlesbrough was fractured. The pipe was struck by a coping stone after
Entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne moved closer to his target of having a chain of 40 fitness clubs across the UK with the opening of a gym in Shrewsbury this week. Bannatyne Fitness, based in Darlington, now has 100,000 members in the UK. The £5m club in
A PASSION for horse racing has put Brotton couple Alan and Barbara Mitchell on a winning-streak to hotter climes. The couple, from Ripon Road, have so far won two holidays to Paris and an all-inclusive trip to Dubai. But luck was still on their side this
A RIGHTS of way expert has won a three-year legal battle to overturn a £15,000 costs order made against him. Alan Kind, editor of the Byways and Bridleways Trust journal, was ordered to pay the money, along with two representatives of the British Horse
THE Newcastle-Gateshead Winter Festival got off to a flaming start last night when a world renowned pyrotechnic company staged a surprising display. The welcoming ceremony at Newcastle Civic Centre marked the start of Groupe F's three-week residency in
A SWIMMING club dived straight into its latest fundraising challenge to raise cash for a local hospice. The Sedgefield and District 75 Swimming Club raised £250 in aid of St Teresa's Hospice, in Darlington. Club members of all ages and abilities swam
AWARDS to recognise healthcare staff who are making a difference to patients were launched yesterday. The 2006 Making a Difference Awards were revealed by Durham Dales Primary Care Trust (PCT), the second year of the award scheme. The recognition awards
THE artistic talents of youngsters from Sedgefield Primary School will be shared with VIPs across the country this Christmas. Pupils at the school entered an annual art competition ran by Sedgefield and Fishburn beat officer, PC Keith Todd, to design
DARLINGTON CHA and HF Rambling Club stages a ten-mile circular walk around West Burton, in Wensleydale, tomorrow. Anyone interested should meet in Darlington Market Place at 9.15am.
MUSICIANS in Darlington are preparing to embark on a programme of festive events. After a summer of outdoor appearances, Cockerton Band is tuning up for the Christmas season. One of the highlights this year will be the band's first concert at The Forum
TWO crime-fighting initiatives have been launched to make sure the festive period stays merry for residents of Sedgefield. The schemes aim to tackle car crime across the district and anti-social behaviour and shoplifting in a town centre - both of which
Q My husband, who is 61, has developed swollen hands as a result of his job and fears he may have to give up work. I am 66 and my only income is a pension of £225 a month and another of £73 a quarter. If he stops work, what can he claim? A As you are
A FOOTBALL club has won praise for its efforts to cater for disabled people. Darlington FC scooped the top accolade in the annual Darlington Association on Disability (DAD) awards scheme. The Quakers won the large organisation category in the Access for
SCHOOLCHILDREN were entertained by stories from a Darlington builder-turned-writer. Bill Stenson, also a Darlington Conservative councillor, was the guest of honour at Cockerton C of E Primary School, in Newton Lane. He told children about the writing
EDUCATION chiefs in Darlington have again been condemned by school governors over plans for a £25m city academy. Darlington Borough Council's proposals to merge high-flying Hurworth School and troubled Eastbourne Comprehensive have sparked anger among
THERE'S no more hanging around for the members of one North Yorkshire out-of-school club. They've now got their own minibus to get them about. Staff at the First Steps Day Nursery at Carlton Miniott, near Thirsk, used to use their own vehicles to pick
A HOUSING development on the site of a former school has won a design award. St Andrew's, in Castle Howard Road, Malton, was the overall winner in the Ryedale District Council Good Design and Construction Awards 2005. Two semi-detached houses have been
A GROUP of children have been hard at work with a massive supply of Christmas pudding mix to bring good cheer to elderly residents this festive season. Year ten pupils from Greencroft Community School, Annfield Plain, near Stanley, County Durham, were
A MOTHER told her young son his babysitter was in the house and then left him home alone, a court heard yesterday. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the seven-year-old not to disturb the babysitter because she was revising and then
