Detectives investigating the murder of an 11-year-old boy in an alleged arson attack on his home today arrested a man. Police said a 42-year-old Sunderland man was being questioned on suspicion of murdering Dean Pike. The schoolboy's heavily pregnant
A RURAL community transport service relied on by scores of pensioners is facing closure because of a cash crisis. The project was launched nearly three years ago to link residents of remote Swaledale to Richmond and other neighbouring towns. But the Reeth
THE parents of a missing Richmond teenager have appealed for her to get in touch. Brian and Ann Nicholl say they are 'desperately worried' about their 19-year-old daughter, Jenny, who they last saw almost three weeks ago. They urged anyone with information
POLICE yesterday continued to search for a missing bather as more warnings were issued about the dangers of swimming in open water. The 23-year-old man was out with his family at Cod Beck Reservoir, near Osmotherley, on Saturday when he decided to go
The Church of England's decision, approving in principle the ordination of women bishops, is threatening to splitthe Church. Lindsay Jenning speaks to two women with opposing views. YES The Rev Jean Mayland, 69, of Barmston, near Bridlington, is chairwoman
AN actress's one-night appearance in a play in a public hall has led to a boost that could be worth thousands of pounds to a North-East museum. When Rachel Lawrence starred in the drama Ladies of Cranford at Witham Hall, in Barnard Castle, County Durham
RESEARCH has established for the first time that smokers are more likely to lose their teeth prematurely than those who quit. The findings were revealed yesterday by dental researchers at the University of Newcastle. For the past 12 months, experts have
A GRADUATE from the University of Sunderland has been elected president of The Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain for the second time. Hemant Patel first took the helm of the society in 1998. Mr Patel, of Essex, who studied pharmacy
CAMPAIGNERS are planning to put an extra sparkle into Masham's Christmas lights this year. They are preparing for the switch-on by raising money from a Yorkshire Festival Weekend on July 30 and 31. For several years, Masham has had the pre-Christmas attraction
A CHARITY golf day raised £13,000 for a hospital at the weekend. The event was organised by York estate agents Hunters and Easingwold Golf Club. Forty teams took part in the event and all proceeds went to Easingwold's St Monica's Hospital. Kevin Hollinrake
YOUNG people are being given the opportunity to develop their creative skills in a summer project. Youngsters aged between eight and 19 are invited to try their hand at script writing and sketching cartoons to produce an illustrated radio script, which
A FAMILY business closed with a parting tribute to the town it has served for more than a century. Generations of children have had their feet measured and bought their first shoes from Robinsons shoe shop, in Bishop Auckland, since it opened in 1887.
THE following cases were heard by South Durham Magistrates sitting at Newton Aycliffe Youth Court yesterday: l A 16-year-old boy, from Ferryhill, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly and destroying a taxi wing mirror, worth £100. He was ordered
DOCTORS have welcomed a new agreement reached with Primary Care Trusts (PCT) in North Yorkshire after earlier out-of-hour service cutbacks had sparked anger among thousands of patients and GPs. Dr Charles Fletcher, who along with colleagues had objected
THOUSANDS of youngsters are still waiting for their A-level results - but are being urged to apply for their student loans immediately. The student support section at North Yorkshire County Council said the teenagers should act now. To try to avoid any
THE latest set of walks organised by the Hambleton Strollers saw one man becoming the 600th member of the group. John Brookes, from Northallerton, was presented with a certificate after taking part in a walk that set off from his workplace at County Hall
A SYSTEM which allows people with reading problems to access pages on the Internet has been added to a council website. The ReadSpeaker system, which is aimed at people with dyslexia, learning disabilities or English as a second language, has been installed
SOME artistic new seating based on a marine theme has been unveiled at a seaside resort. The hand-carved granite and stone seating - three clam-shaped seats and two benches featuring a fish motif - has been installed overlooking the sea near the Block
AN actress's one-night appearance in a play in a public hall has led to a boost that could be worth thousands of pounds to a North-East museum. When Rachel Lawrence starred in the drama Ladies of Cranford at Witham Hall, in Barnard Castle, County Durham
AS respite from electronic shows, Howard Jones and guitarist Robin Boult occasionally treat fans to an acoustic treatment of the keyboard wizard's back catalogue, blending hits with new songs and album tracks. Within the intimate confines of Darlington
A man has been arrested in connection with an arson attack in which a schoolboy died. Police investigating the death of Dean Pike arrested a 42-year-old Sunderland man this morning. The 11-year-old died in a house fire at his home in Mordey Close, in
A FORMER organ factory converted into a training centre is pulling out all the stops to get young people into work. For more than a century, Harrison and Harrison was famed throughout the country for making organs, including those in Westminster Abbey
STAFF and pupils at a Darlington primary school are celebrating after achieving a prestigious award following years of hard work. Heathfield Primary School, in The Broadway, has been presented with an Inclusive School Award by Darlington Borough Council
Twenty two cadets, some are pictured above, from the town have joined St John Ambulance. They were enrolled by the chairman of St John council, Sheenah Davies, and county commissioner Brian Hays. The division in Darlington is the first unit in the region
NEWCASTLE UNITED will have to act fast in their bid to land striker Nicolas Anelka after Tottenham emerged as rivals for the Frenchman. Despite Anelka's insistence over the weekend he intends to stay with Turkish side Fenerbahce, the Magpies have not
MORE than 70 women complained of sexual abuse in North-East hospitals over a 40-year period - but no one listened. And last night, doctors and NHS managers were finally called to account for disregarding their claims. The delayed report into how the NHS
A VETERAN British comic will raise laughs in a village hall this week. Actor Frank Williams paraded as the vicar in Dad's Army, before he was promoted to a bishop in You Rang M'Lord. He will appear in Tudhoe, County Durham, tomorrow night. His appearance
PLANS for a major development on the outskirts of a town have moved a step closer. Urban regeneration company Tees Valley Regeneration has applied to Darlington Borough Council for permission for a £170m development at Central Park, off the town's Haughton
DAVID HODGSON insists Akpo Sodje can play a major role in Darlington's quest for League Two success next season - as long as he is prepared to fight for his place. Hodgson believes Sodje must remain upbeat, despite being told he will be behind Clyde Wijnhard
THE infamous Richard Neale case, involving the disgraced and incompetent gynaecologist who was allowed to blight the lives of women patients at The Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, exposed glaring failings in the National Health Service. It was a classic
THESE days Barry Wardle admits his job in a crisp factory is fairly tame. But the 60-year-old is about to reveal an altogether more colourful chapter of his life - combating terrorists in the former African country of Rhodesia. His book Operation Hurricane
A SEARCH for the remains of a woman murdered by her husband more than a decade ago has been called off after the skeleton of a dog was found at the site. Last night, the family of victim Laura May Al Shatanawi told of their disappointment that the lead
CHILDREN and parents had fun in the sun at an event designed to encourage them to be more active. Scores of people from Branksome and Skerne Park attended the Hop, Skip and Jump session at the Wave 5 SureStart centre, next to Mount Pleasant School, in
TEN-FURLONG specialist Rotuma (3.15) rates the best bet of the day at Ayr this afternoon. Last season Rotuma reeled off three wins during the course of a highly successful campaign, but the handicapper made him pay by whacking the gelding up 13lbs in
STAFF and governors fear for the future of their village primary school if Hurworth Comprehensive is relocated to a new site. The governing body of Hurworth Primary School has released a statement which tells of its "extreme concerns" after finding out
Left-hander Michael Lumb, man of the match in Yorkshire's weekend C&G Trophy quarter-final triumph, has not been able to win back his Championship place in the game against Leicestershire which starts at Scarborough tomorrow. But left-arm fast bowler
Business Link Tees Valley has appointed PAUL WHITECROSS as a start-up service manager. Mr Whitecross spent 27 years with HSBC Bank, including 15 years as a manager and, most recently, as a relationship manager, working with about 200 small and medium-sized
HEALTH services in a struggling North-East community are being starved of almost £14m of Government cash, an NHS watchdog warned yesterday. Easington, County Durham, topped a list of ten primary care trusts (PCTs) most under-funded compared to their "
A CAMPAIGN group for women's rights celebrated its 110th birthday with a service in Durham Cathedral. After the service, the Northern Region of the National Council of Women (NCW) lunched at Durham Castle. The theme of the service was Reflections with
POLICE divers yesterday continued their search for a bather who has been missing since Saturday afternoon. The 23-year-old Teesside man went missing at 2.30pm after going for swim in Cod Beck Reservoir, near Osmotherley, North Yorkshire. He is believed
A LEISURE centre attendant has gone on trial accused of sexually assaulting a schoolgirl swimmer. Teenage pool attendant Christopher Peart denies touching the 11-year-old on the bottom three times after a swimming session. A jury at Teesside Crown Court
A leisure group is expanding into Cumbria. Aquaclear Leisure, of Washington, Wearside, has acquired Robertson's, in Lowther Street, Carlisle. The two-storey caf bar is in the centre of the town, close to shops and offices. Operations manager Stuart Young
THE largest operator of care homes in the UK has moved some of its staff into new offices to cope with expansion plans. Four Seasons Healthcare, which owns dozens of care homes across the region, already has 130 employees at its finance department at
BUSES and trains group Arriva last night moved closer to its aim of becoming the largest transport operator in Europe after winning a public transport contract in Holland. The contract, which starts in December and lasts for six years, will see Arriva
RESEARCH has established for the first time that smokers are more likely to lose their teeth prematurely than those who quit. The findings were revealed yesterday by dental researchers at the University of Newcastle. For the past 12 months, experts have
A COUPLE sold their home to pay off their son's drug debts, a court was told yesterday. Addict Mark Snowdon owed £2,800 and was given almost weekly beatings as pressure mounted from the dealers. His devoted parents were desperate to stop them, so they
UNIONS last night urged business leaders not to write manufacturing off as a dying industry. The call came as regional development agency One NorthEast came under fire from manufacturing organisation the Engineering Employers' Federation for placing too
A RECRUITMENT company has launched a website encouraging people to move to the North-East. Pearsons, in Middlesbrough, has worked with local authorities and public sector bodies to create an Internet site dedicated to the benefits of living and working
POLICE searching for missing teenager Jenny Nicholl say house-to-house inquiries have failed to provide clues to her whereabouts. Officers said links between the 19-year-old and the Holly Hill area of her home town Richmond, North Yorkshire, remained
PROFIT warnings issued by listed companies in the North-East and Yorkshire increased for the third consecutive quarter between March and last month, a report showed. Ten listed companies in the region issued a total of 12 profit warnings in the quarter
A WOMAN who had sex with a 13-year-old boy narrowly escaped an immediate prison sentence yesterday. Marie Williams, 37, twice seduced the boy, the first time after she plied him with alcohol, before the consensual sex took place. Durham Crown Court heard
OFFICIALS at one of the region's biggest angling clubs say it could take years to fully recover from an outbreak of disease in one of its lakes. Ferryhill Angling Club has been forced to close one of its most popular sites for the rest of the season after
HOW can we stop the bombers? How can we prevent Britain's streets becoming battlegrounds between the different races and faiths? An enormous amount of twaddle has been talked about this since the bombs in London. This is partly understandable because
Eight new starters have joined the Learning and Skills Council County Durham. MELANIE HORNER and STEVEN LOWDEN have been appointed as external funding contract managers and are new to the organisation, as are head of finance and contracting STEVE HALEY
THE Northern Echo asked Jim Knight, Minister for Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity, whose area includes forestry, to assess where the industry is going as the national strategy is launched, placing greater focus on preserving ancient woodlands
One of the UK's largest renewable energy projects is taking shape on Teesside. Costing £60m, the wood-burning power station at the Wilton International chemical site, near Redcar, is being developed by utilities and services company SembCorp Utilities
QUARRY owners have signed up to an agreement which further strengthens their commitment to protecting wildlife habitats. English Nature and the Aggregates and Quarry Products Industry (QPA), some of whose members have operations in the North-East and
INCREASING numbers of businesses and public sector organisations are using environmentally-friendly biodiesel. That was the message to come out of the latest event to promote the fuel, Durham Biodiesel Day, held at Beamish Museum, near Stanley, and organised
Hydraulic fitter, £8 to £8.50ph, 40hrs pw, required for assembling, servicing and repairing hydraulic equipment and systems. Ref: NEU 19829. Accounts/office clerk, 20-24hrs pw, experience with Sageline 50, basic accounts and office procedure preferred
Senior Groundsperson, 40-45hpw Mon-Sat 8.30am-5pm, incl weekends, competitive rates of pay. Must have a full clean UK driving licence and a minimum of two-three years experience. Knowledge of general hand work and the ability to manage and supervise a
A NORTH-EAST software company has joined forces with world leaders in an emerging microchip scanning market. Darlington's Agility Systems is working with Intermec Technology to look at which companies in the region could benefit from Radio Frequency Interactive
EVEN cats need a touch of luxury - that's the ethos behind Lynne Hardy and Ann Dart's new business venture. The sisters have invested £50,000 in a specially designed cat hotel at their County Durham home. Nothing is overlooked when it comes to ensuring
AN American entrepreneur is seeking to unlock the mysteries of information technology for computer illiterate people, in the comfort of their own homes. Cheryl Hamilton particularly wants to help housebound people across the region to access the same
A NEW bagel retailer plans to open ten outlets across the region in the next 18 months. Founder of Wall Street bagel, Mike Wall also hopes to set up franchise opportunities across the country. The 42-year-old has invested close to £100,000 in the company
Starting with one cooking mould and a pan of chocolate, brothers Gareth and Chris East have gone on to create a flourishing tourist busines in the heart of North Yorkshire. Business Editor Julia Breen reports. PASSING a gap in the beautiful stone cottages
The Newcastle office of accountancy firm Deloitte has chosen JULIA FOX to lead its new tax service. Senior manager Ms Fox, from Sunderland, now leads Deloitte's North-East tax risk and resolution service. She has worked for Deloitte since 1997, beginning
The Church of England's decision, approving in principle the ordination of women bishops, is threatening to splitthe Church. Lindasy Jenning speaks to two women with opposing views. YES The Rev Jean Mayland, 69, of Barmston, near Bridlington, is chairwoman
Theakston's bitter and tales from the tea room flowing with equal liberality, the canny cricketers of Ushaw Moor were reunited at a splendid do on Saturday evening. There was Albert Whitfield, who'd never worn gloves while batting and only reluctantly
A FEW weeks ago, one industry analyst asked about the death of MG Rover remarked: "Car companies don't die - they just get taken over." At the time, that seemed unlikely as far as MG Rover was concerned. After all, it had been seeking a takeover with
According to reports, the latest JK Rowling release, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is expected to break all previous advance sales records - even the 1.3 million set by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. But what is really significant
'GO West", sang the camp New York disco group Village People in 1979, extolling the virtues of what is best in the west. At that time, the US was the world's largest economy and Japan the world's second. That is still the case today, despite Japan disappearing
Britain's Finest Actresses (five); Escape To The Legion (C4): ACTOR Simon Callow materialised in various parts of the theatre, talking in hushed tones about "distilling the essence of what it's like to be human". You'd think he was going to present the
MORE than 70 women complained of sexual abuse in North hospitals over a 40-year period - but no one listened. And last night, doctors and NHS managers were criticised for disregarding allegations. The delayed report into how the NHS dealt with complaints
A POLICE officer who killed his wife by stabbing her 96 times has been sacked. Cleveland Police dismissed PC Ivor Jones with immediate effect after a disciplinary hearing at its Middlesbrough headquarters yesterday. Jones had caused additional anguish
A FAMILY business closed with a parting tribute to the town it has served for more than a century. Generations of children have had their feet measured and bought their first shoes from Robinsons shoe shop, in Bishop Auckland, since it opened in 1887.
Glenn McGrath is confident Australia have devised a plan which will derail Kevin Pietersen's hopes of inspiring England to Ashes glory when the first Test gets underway at Lord's on Thursday. Pietersen showed his liking for the Australian attack during
Police searching for a man who disappeared while swimming at a North Yorkshire beauty spot yesterday recovered a body from the waters. A police officer patrolling by Cod Beck, near Osmotherley, spotted the body early this morning. Officers had been searching
Police searching for a man who is thought to have drowned while swimming in a North Yorkshire reservoir have found a body. It was recovered this morning from Cod Beck Reservoir near Osmotherly but has not yet been identified. Police had been carrying
A STAR attraction at a popular open farm is in hot water after taking a liking to her neighbours' produce. Staff at the Big Sheep and Little Cow Farm, near Bedale, are having to rein in Dusty the donkey after she was repeatedly found munching in allotments
PLANS to increase the number of car parking spaces in Northallerton and Thirsk could get the go-ahead today. Officers at Hambleton District Council want to spend £207,000 improving facilities in the two towns . An extra 22 spaces would be created in Millgate
A fit 20-year-old was killed by only his second major asthma attack. David Dorward, of Silks-worth, Sunderland, had suffered asthma since childhood, but had managed to keep the condition under control. However, on July 11, paramedics were called to his
A FUNDRAISING concert takes place on Friday to boost an appeal to repair former County Durham colliery miners' lodge banners. Local band Federation top the bill at Consett Victoria Social Club, known locally as Delves Club, in Consett, starting at 7pm
TWO primary pupils helped their school mark a sporting milestone yesterday by launching a £195,000 playing field. Joe Williamson and Hannah Watson joined Durham County Council chairman Ernie Foster to cut the first turf on a new multi-use games area at
PLANS to turn a former home for the elderly into a community centre look likely to win the backing of councillors this week. The 32-bed Glenroyd House, in Medomsley Road, Consett, was closed by Durham County Council in May last year as it was surplus
EIGHTY boys and girls started their summer break from their classrooms yesterday by going back to school for eight hours of fun and games. They are taking part in a project to help them make friends and avoid bullying when they start at Staindrop Comprehensive
A HEADTEACHER has blamed thieves for risking the lives of hundreds of youngsters after a school blaze yesterday. Up to 300 pupils were led to safety as fire crews fought to control the fire at Tilery Primary School, in Stockton. Eight fire engines attended
A COMMUNITY transport service relied on by more than 100 pensioners in rural North Yorkshire is facing closure because of a cash crisis. The Reeth and District Community Transport scheme will close at the end of August unless funding can be found. The
TWO men have completed a half marathon to raise funds for a cancer care centre. Cancer sufferer June Hart's son Richard Laing and Chris Pawlett, her son-in-law, completed this year's 13-mile Redcar half marathon in one hour and 57 minutes. Together with
CHEMISTS are adding more healthcare services to their duties as part of a re-branding phase. Moss Pharmacies, in Saltburn and Guisborough, will enhance their products and services in line with the new NHS pharmacy contract. It will be part of their re-branding
Trainee architect Carinna Perkins has been named Setpoint North-East's Science and Engineering Ambassador (Sea) of the Year in recognition of her work in promoting careers in construction. The 23-year-old, from Heaton, in Newcastle, is an architectural
AN actress's one-night appearance in a play in a public hall has led to a boost that could be worth thousands of pounds to a North-East museum. When Rachel Lawrence starred in the drama Ladies of Cranford at Witham Hall, in Barnard Castle, County Durham
A MAN has been fined and told to pay costs after admitting to benefit fraud. John Lawson, 56, from Nickstream Lane, Darlington, admitted he did not reveal he had savings after signing on for benefits. Zena Smith, mitigating, told Bishop Auckland Magistrates
MARTIN Scott has paid tribute to his Hartlepool United new boys - as he prepares to make a further addition. Scott has added Chris Llewellyn, Lee Bullock and Michael Proctor to his squad in recent weeks. And, after being impressed with the way they have
A DINKY piece of North-East transport history rolled back into its home town -rolling back the years for those who went on bus trips to Blackpool in the 1950s and 1960s. The 14-seater bus was bought in 1952 by Scott's Greys, and still sports the famous
MICK McCARTHY insists Sunderland have no major worries on the injury front despite four players being forced to sit on the sidelines in North America, writes Paul Fraser. The Black Cats play their third tour game tomorrow against the Seattle Sounders
MIDDLESBROUGH are ready to launch attempt number seven for Geremi in a bid to ensure new midfield talent arrives on Teesside this summer. Boro have not given up on agreeing a deal for Juventus' Stephen Appiah, and their hopes have been boosted by the
MACHETE and knife-carrying gangs of rival teenagers are staking out a North-East hillside and driving farmers to despair with predatory raids. Two sheep have been slaughtered, cattle deliberately stampeded, fences and hedges ripped up to start fires,
A POLICE officer who killed his wife by stabbing her 96 times has been sacked. Cleveland Police dismissed PC Ivor Jones with immediate effect after a disciplinary hearing at its Middlesbrough headquarters yesterday. Jones had caused additional anguish
THE family of a young North-East woman killed by a terrorist bomb in Turkey were last night preparing to return home with her body. Helen Bennett, 23, of Spennymoor, County Durham, was one of five people killed when a bomb exploded on a minibus packed
A STRATEGY for business in the North-East has virtually ignored the manufacturing sector. The £858m strategy to promote and fund business over the next three years has been created by regional development agency One NorthEast. But the agency has been
MARNIE BURDEN has been appointed as housing advice and support worker for the Sunniside Partnership, in Sunderland. Her main role will be to help the transient population in the area find permanent, supported accommodation, either in Sunniside or elsewhere
Solicitor PETER CLEGG has returned to the North-East to join law firm Ward Hadaway's property team. The 27-year-old, from Hexham, spent the past three years at Lawrence Graham, who are based in the Strand, London, where he specialised in commercial property
Shepherd Construction has appointed PETER HODGES as divisional construction director based at the company's Darlington office. He takes over from Ken Hodgson, who retired after 40 years' service. Mr Hodges has worked for Shepherd Construction for more
PARENTS of children at a Darlington nursery have been discovering their creative side. The group of six mums and dads, who have children at Albert Hill Nursery School, have produced a wall mural with the help of adult and community learning teacher Philip
TWO croupiers were jailed yesterday for a £60,000 sting on a casino. Richard Blackwood, 24, and Mark Ditchburn, 26, said they were paid by a violent criminal to let him win on the tables at the Gala casino, on Teesside Retail Park, Thornaby, Teesside.
AN actress's one-night appearance in a play in a public hall has led to a boost that could be worth thousands of pounds to a North-East museum. When Rachel Lawrence starred in the drama Ladies of Cranford at Witham Hall, in Barnard Castle, County Durham
Former Durham captain David Boon believes Paul Collingwood is in danger of being stereotyped as a one-day specialist when he could also be a cornerstone of England's Test side. Collingwood has played 80 one-day internationals for England and during the
THE fight for MG Rover intensified last night as the first formal offer was made for the company since its collapse. As the long-expected bid by The Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) was being made, a leading businessman announced that he
A LOGISTICS business could create up to 100 jobs after moving to a larger site. Exel, which has operations worldwide and has had a presence in the North-East for 60 years, has consolidated its Teesside businesses at one site in Billingham. The company
CRUTES law firm has become the latest Newcastle practice to open offices in Teesside. The offices were opened by the Mayor of Stockton last week. The firm has invested £500,000 in the premises. Crutes employs nearly 200 people across the region and in
Trainee architect Carinna Perkins has been named Setpoint North-East's Science and Engineering Ambassador (Sea) of the Year in recognition of her work in promoting careers in construction. The 23-year-old, from Heaton, in Newcastle, is an architectural
A FARMER has won praise for helping conserve a piece of long-forgotton history. David Robinson farms at Sutton Howgrave Hall, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, where his land takes in the original medieval village and lordly residence of Howgrave. Mentioned
INTERNATIONAL banks and investors are putting £1bn into the region's chemical and pharmaceutical companies, a survey has found. Thanks to the investment, the biotechnology sector alone will create more than 1,000 jobs during the next year. The study of
PUNCH Taverns returned to the acquisitions trail yesterday with a £219m deal - but its choice of target took many in the City by surprise. The UK's second-largest pubs operator has agreed to buy Avebury Holdings, which owns 409 pubs in England and Wales
SOME of the most spectacular vessels afloat will drop anchors off the North-East this week. The first to arrive, this afternoon, will be one of Britain's most formidable warships, the 20,000-tonne aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. The veteran of the Falklands
The regional forestry strategy identified a number of steps which need to be taken over the next 20 years by public and private bodies in order to achieve those goals. They include: * Supporting timber processing and helping smaller operators set up in
Chef, 36hrs pw 5 days from 7 between 8am and 10pm, experience preferred, NVQ 1 or 2 and advantage, further training provided. Ref: DUR 45262. Laundry/domestic assistant, £5ph, 37.5hrs pw 5 days from 7, required for nursing home, standard disclosure required
A MOTHER has set up an online business after struggling to find unusual children's gifts. Sarah White launched the web-based Little Present Company to provide unusual presents for occasions such as christenings and birthdays. Darlington design company
The video games market is booming and the cost of creating them is expected to increase sixfold. Deputy Business Editor Kate Bowman finds out how the region's games companies will cope. The release of Microsoft's Xbox 360 this year, the Sony PlayStation
A company in the region is gearing up to launch the worlds's most popular advanced commercial electric vehicle. Business Editor Julia Breen looks at how technology born out of the humble milk float is about to power the next generation of urban delivery
Lawyer Josh Wong is a specialist in helping companies trade in the Far East but he warns that many companies have an over-optimistic view of what developed parts of China can deliver. Business Editor Julia Breen reports. THE lure of China has been tempting
A CHANGE in focus for a major business event is being seen as evidence that the region's companies have made rapid advances when it comes to protecting the environment. The Environmental Industries Federation (EIF) has announced that the main emphasis
THEY have been providing for the needs of Man for centuries - a natural, sustainable resource which has numerous uses. Now, as the 21st Century gets under way, trees are the major focus of a Government-led initiative to boost the British economy, and
North Yorkshire seems to have had more than its fair share of problems in the health service in recent years. Health Editor Barry Nelson listens to the lastest instalment. ANYONE taking a keen interest in the health scene in North Yorkshire could be forgiven
Design graduate JILL PORTER is joining leisure management company Vimac Leisure as a marketing assistant. She will support the PR and marketing manager with marketing and public relations for Vimac, including a wide range of duties, from designing promotional
FAMILY: Photographers Photograph Their Families, edited by Sophie Spencer-Wood (Phaidon, £24.99). IT is an image that could come out of any family album. Taken in 1953, the photographer George Albert Newton Smith notes: "Even though it was a cold day
A HISTORY OF NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY ARCHITECTURE. Volume 3: Bell and Beyond by Bill Fawcett (North Eastern Railway Association, £23.95): THIS is the final part of Bill Fawcett's exhaustive trilogy about the railway architecture that characterises practically
On July 12 the Employment Tribunal Service published its annual report for the 2004/2005 financial year. Perhaps the most interesting statistic in the report was confirmation of a 25 per cent decline in the number of tribunal claims registered - 86,181
LONDON BOMBINGS: I FEEL compelled to write having followed the fall out from the atrocities committed by "British born Muslims". The media rather predictably focuses on the "Disaffected young Muslims", and the "Risk of a backlash" from an angry public
DAVID HODGSON insists Akpo Sodje can play a major role in Darlington's quest for League Two success next season - as long as he is prepared to fight for his place. Hodgson believes Sodje must remain upbeat, despite being told he will be behind Clyde Wijnhard
OFFICIALS at one of the region's biggest angling clubs say it could take years to fully recover from an outbreak of disease in one of its lakes. Ferryhill Angling Club has been forced to close one of its most popular sites for the rest of the season after
Britain's Finest Actresses (five) Escape To The Legion (C4) ACTOR Simon Callow materialised in various parts of the theatre, talking in hushed tones about "distilling the essence of what it's like to be human". You'd think he was going to present the
YOU may have heard or read about The Alnwick Garden, how everything's coming up roses - or delphiniums, or whatever - how there are more water features than Aintree on Grand National day and how the 6,000 sq ft tree house spreads pectorally like so many
