A SERVICE offering technical computer support to businesses is now available in Hambleton. First Fix was launched earlier this year by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward. Firms experiencing computer difficulties can telephone engineers and
VANDALS set fire to a sports pavilion used by children's football teams. A wooden building, used as a changing room at Smith's Dock Park, Grangetown, was destroyed by the blaze just before 8.30pm on Thursday. Fire crews managed to stop the fire destroying
SIXTEEN cubs can now ride their bikes safely after passing their cycling proficiency tests. The youngsters from the 1st Brompton Cubs took part in six weeks of lessons at their cub meetings under the guidance of North Yorkshire County Council road safety
SICK and injured children visiting a hospital's accident and emergency department will now be given a cuddly lion to help comfort them. Members of Northallerton and District Lioness Club visited the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, to hand over the fluffy
COMMUNITY responders trained to reach emergencies before ambulances arrive have unveiled a new car. The group from Pickering has raised £10,000 to buy the vehicle, which should allow members to reach patients quicker. Volunteers often have difficulties
A DURHAM charity that teaches people how to cook has been given £1,000 for equipment. Electrical store Currys, on the Durham City Retail Park, at Dragonville, has given the money to Hands-on Cooking so it can buy kitchen utensils and equipment for its
A COUNCIL has been forced to take down a flag outside its headquarters - after learning that it was illegal. And now councillors in Wear Valley face the embarrassment of meeting to decide whether they can grant permission for the European Union flag to
ONE green-minded family will soon be enjoying a free autumn break. The Britton family, of Horden, east Durham, has won a mini-cruise to Amsterdam in a competition aimed at encouraging more people in the district of Easington to recycle their household
A MOTHER who left her three children with a 15-year-old babysitter while she flew to Turkey on holiday had her children removed for the second time last night. Social workers removed the two girls and a boy from Kelly Ann Rogerson's care at about 6.30pm
MOBILE phone operator Orange will outsource 700 jobs to India by the end of the year, it was revealed last night. The news follows successful call centre trials, held in Delhi, through outsource companies Vertex and Convergys. The group, which employs
GARY Breen intends to use his wealth of derby experience to help Sunderland bag a couple of firsts this weekend - a first Premiership win and first claim to bragging rights in the season's opening North-East derby. Tomorrow's crucial game against Middlesbrough
THERE'S a very strong possibility that the handicapper has got his sums wrong in respect of Ripon-bound Guto (3.55). The official abacus is, generally speaking, working overtime at this stage of the season, continuously number crunching as the BHB try
TWO men who died in a motorbike accident have been named as devoted fathers John Longstaff and David Tarn. The pair had been friends and work colleagues at Durham Precision Engineering in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, for several years. Last night,
THREE North-East men trapped in the path of the deadly hurricane bearing down on the US last night reassured friends and family they would be safe. Andrew Wright, Ian Brown and Graeme Cole are stranded in a hotel in Houston, the fourth largest city in
STEVE McClaren last night hit back at accusations he was touting himself for the England post and those who say the Premiership has lost its sparkle. Ahead of Middlesbrough's derby clash with Sunderland tomorrow the Boro boss has once again been linked
MORE than 100,000 Britons trapped in the path of Hurricane Rita were preparing for the worst last night as all hopes of escape faded with the monster storm bearing down on Texas. New Orleans - already devastated by Hurricane Katrina - was the first to
WITH critics lining up to accuse Premiership clubs of being boring, Graeme Souness has insisted he will not be altering his philosophy to mirror the prevailing preference for safety-first football. Fifteen per cent of all top-flight games have finished
A MOTHER who left her three children with a 15-year-old babysitter while she flew to Turkey on holiday had her children removed for the second time last night. Social workers removed the two girls and a boy from Kelly Ann Rogerson's care at about 6.30pm
POLICE officers, firefighters and paramedics have been recognised for their bravery and good conduct at a ceremony this week. North Yorkshire chief constable Della Cannings, Lord Mayor of York Janet Greenwood and chairman of the county's police authority
IT'S no coincidence that Hartlepool United's recent up turn in fortunes has coincided with the return of Mark Tinkler. The no-nonsense midfielder returned to the side a fortnight ago after an injury-hit start to the season. His comeback coincided with
NEWCASTLE Falcons' centre Jamie Noon hopes to provide further proof in tomorrow's home match against Bath that he deserves to hang on to his England place. He will be up against Olly Barkley, one of his teammates in last season's Six Nations Championship
Tony Lee yesterday returned to football when he was appointed manager of Newcastle Blue Star. Lee has enjoyed plenty of success in North-East non-league football at Bishop Auckland, Billingham Synthonia, Whitby and Spennymoor and he will watch from the
MICK McCarthy admitted he is relishing this weekend's derby against Middlesbrough at the Riverside. Buoyed by Tuesday night's Carling Cup win against Cheltenham and a draw with West Brom last weekend McCarthy believes the Black Cats may have finally turned
THE NORTH-EAST cross country season gets under way this afternoon as Sunderland Harriers host their popular meeting at Farringdon. The Wearside club has dominated the senior men's relay event, losing only four times since the meeting moved off-road in
A Chinese restaurant has been closed after rat droppings were discovered near filthy food preparation areas. Stockton Borough Council's environmental health officers inspected the premises, which also operate as a takeaway, on Wednesday night after reports
THE EARS fill with a roar that grows louder with every step, and the air's full of a spray that makes you wetter with every step. Nature is building up the drama with a drum roll: faster, louder, wetter as the moment of revelation draws nearer. It is
BRITAIN'S largest ice cream maker has predicted an eight per cent rise in profits - despite falling sales and increased competition. In a trading statement, Richmond Foods, which makes Nestle-branded products and is based near Northallerton, North Yorkshire
AN 89-year-old woman who is partially paralysed has completed a sponsored walk after being inspired by her local vicar. Heather Dill walked just over a mile from her home in Upsall, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, to St Wilfred's Church, in nearby Kirby
AFTER branding Ian Poulter a "Hollywood" golfer on Wednesday, Colin Montgomerie should have guessed that he would be caught on camera dressing him down with an 18-certificate rant. The duo's explosive confrontation overshadowed an enthralling second day
As the new minister, the Rev Julie Martin brings forthright views to Barnard Castle URC - but there's still room for shades of Scottishness IN this part of the world, at any rate, the United Reformed Church tends to be religion with a Scottish accent.
MARK PROCTOR believes a change can go a long way in 'spicing up' a Darlington season he admits has lost its taste in recent weeks. The Darlington squad travelled to Bristol yesterday ahead of this afternoon's League Two game with managerless Rovers at
A COUNCIL has reassured people in Darlington that it has taken action to move two groups of travellers who have moved on to park land in the town. About ten caravans have parked on land between Haughton Road and Devonshire Road, in the Haughton area of
A DELIVERY driver has beenrobbed at knifepoint. The incident happened just before 1pm on Thursday, in Walker Road, underneath a railway bridge near Glass-house Street, Newcastle. When the driver was threatened with a knife, he handed over his wallet and
A POPULAR store in a Teesdale market town is to close next month. The Partners store, at Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, is to close as its owners have decided not take on another lease. The store is run by family supermarket chain Ken Warne. However, managing
A FLAGSHIP music venue is launching a series of concerts next month. Northern Sinfonia starts the series at The Sage Gateshead at11am on October 1, introducing young children to the orchestra. Composer John Woolrich's piece Come and Go guides children
MP Helen Goodman visited a new charity to find out about the work it is doing to help young people. The Bishop Auckland MP met parents who founded the Step Together charity, at Spennymoor Day Care Centre, on Friday. The group was launched to provide free
A TEESDALE parish council is looking for two new members. Etherley Parish Council has two vacancies due to the resignation of Councillor Alan Howard and the death of Councillor John Thompson. Parish clerk Alison Overfield said the role would suite anybody
STAFF at Sedgefield Primary Care Trust are leading by example after winning a regional fitness challenge. More than 40 staff from the trust took part in the Million Mile challenge health and fitness campaign by Sport England to encourage people in the
BUILDING contracts have been signed for work on a new dales community hospital. Work is expected to start on the new £10million Richardson Hospital in Barnard Castle in early November. Anne Beeton, the chairman of the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust attended
WITH everything from a glowing matchstick on a cheap, white chipboard shelf to a seven-hour film show of West Bank Palestinians dancing to western pop music, the British Art Show 6 will bring the cleverest and most contentious contemporary art to the
MUSICIAN Richard Gratwick is returning to his former school to play a concert for charity. Yarm School's most successful musician is studying mathematics and philosophy at Oxford University. Unusually for a non-music undergraduate, he is playing first
A school gave its pupils a taste of life in Europe yesterday. St John's RC Comprehensive School, in Bishop Auckland, held a European Day based on four countries to encourage youngsters to learn about various cultures. Spain, France, Germany and Italy
SUPERMARKET staff faced a charity challenge yesterday. The Asda store, in Whinbush Way, Darlington, is supporting the Breast Cancer Care Tickled Pink campaign.The most daring event so far saw two employees go beyond the call of duty - and through the
POLICE have warned youngsters that truanting from school will not be tolerated after another successful crackdown in Darlington. A truancy sweep carried out this week by police and Darlington Borough Council found 13 children without a valid excuse for
STUDENTS at a Darlington college have been commended for their outstanding academic performances during the past year. Awards were given at the annual Heckscher-Wolf ceremony at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College for excellence in chemistry, physics and
TWO teenagers appeared before magistrates yesterday charged with the attempted murder of a 40-year-old man. Liam Hodgson, 18, of George Street, Stanley, County Durham and a 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were refused bail when
RESIDENTS fear an increase in crime and noise if a social club's opening hours are extended. The Rise Carr Sports and Social Club, in Eldon Place, Darlington, has applied for a licence to open from 10.30am to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays and 10.30pm to
THE impact of domestic violence on children's education has been highlighted at a conference. Durham Police and Durham County Council's education department met yesterday, at Ushaw College, to discuss how violence in the home affects children aged five
DETAILED plans to ease congestion in a busy town centre have been unveiled by North Yorkshire County Council. Officers have put together a strategy to help traffic on Northallerton High Street flow more easily and cut the risk of the accidents. Changes
A BURGLAR who broke into schools four times within a fortnight of coming out of prison is back behind bars. David Evans was yesterday jailed for a total of two years by a judge who told him non-custodial sentences had done him no good. Evans was described
ONE of Scarborough's best known landmark mansions, Woodend, the former home of the literary Sitwell family, is to get a new role as a major creative industries centre. More than 30 artisans and craft workers, currently working in workshops around the
RESIDENTS in a Middlesbrough high-rise block of flats celebrated their home's 20th anniversary. People living in Milford House, a sheltered accommodation in Brambles Farm, gathered with current and former staff, as well as ex-Middlesbrough councillors
POLICE have been given more pedal power to tackle crime, thanks to a donation to help beat anti-social behaviour. Thornaby Town Council gave £10,000 to Cleveland Police some of which has been used to buy three bikes and safety equipment. Chief Inspector
PLANS to build a three-storey block of five terraced homes have been given unanimous approval for a site in Black Swan Yard, Belle Vue Terrace, Ripon, despite objections from the owners of the Black Swan public house and neighbours at 20 Westgate. The
A COMMEMORATIVE plaque in honour of Admiral Lord Collingwood - the second in command at the Battle of Trafalgar - will be unveiled in the North-East on Monday. Newcastle's Lord Mayor Councillor David Slesenger will perform the honours on the corner of
A SHOPPER accused of swindling thousands of pounds from a cash and carry store told a court yesterday: "I haven't messed with any barcodes." John Morris is accused of stealing five television sets - each costing up to £2,000 - from Makro by replacing
HUNDREDS of council tenants in north Durham have visited two newly-opened show homes to assess a proposed £117m investment programme. More than 600 people have visited the properties to see what improvements would be on offer if Derwentside District Council's
A LIFEBOAT was mobilised on Thursday after a fishing boat was reported missing at sea, near east Cleveland. Humber Coastguard co-ordinated an operation which saw Redcar's Atlantic 75 Lifeboat, Leicester Challenge, launched just after 12.30pm after a local
A LITTLE like Chelsea in football and Tiger Woods in golf, when Colin Montgomerie paired Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington together for two days of fourballs he expected comprehensive victories to be a formality. If one Great Britain & Ireland
PROSPECTIVE house buyers are facing big rises in the cost of local authority searches, according to a survey. The searches, which provide information such as whether there are any roads being built nearby and even if land on which the house is built is
A MONK was jailed for four years yesterday after admitting years of sexual abuse against boys. Father Gregory Carroll, 66, from Ampleforth Abbey, near Helmsley, North Yorkshire, was sentenced at York Crown Court. In July he pleaded guilty to 15 charges
There's something about Elizabeth I that attracts the best actresses to portray her on TV and film. Such names as Glenda Jackson, Cate Blanchett, Bette Davis and Judi Dench (whose 15-minute turn as the Virgin Queen in Shakespeare In Love earned her an
MICHAEL JARVIS stirred up a right old hornets' nest this week when he claimed Silver Ring racegoers weren't interested in parades. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to work out that Jarvis has a huge axe to grind on the subject since his stable-star, Rakti
High Force in Teesdale can rightly claim to be the most impressive waterfull in Britain and this week its hynotic power nearly claimed the life of a sightseer who tumbled 70 feet to the river below. Chris Lloyd looks over the edge into this theatre of
AFTER branding Ian Poulter a "Hollywood" golfer on Wednesday, Colin Montgomerie should have guessed that he would be caught on camera dressing him down with an 18-certificate rant. The duo's explosive confrontation overshadowed an enthralling second day
Yorkshire found an ally in the weather yesterday as they continued their bid to go through a whole Championship season without a defeat for the first time since 1928. And they will have achieved their objective if they can hold out today on the final
ACTRESS and author Carol Drinkwater made an emotional visit to the World of James Herriot yesterday. It was the first time she had been to the tourist attraction in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. Carol played Helen Herriot for ten years in the TV series All
A RAPIST who was caught 15 years after his attack was jailed for eight years yesterday. Andrew Russell, 31, was trapped after DNA taken when he was arrested for criminal damage on Merseyside last year was linked to a terrifying rape in the North-East
COMPANIES across the region benefiting from information and communication technology have been recognised at an awards ceremony. Winners of the E-Commerce Awards regional final, supported by regional development agency One NorthEast, will go to next month's
THE British Consulate in Berlin yesterday issued an appeal in the German media in a bid to trace the County Durham pensioner who disappeared in the capital a week ago. Dressed in cowboy gear, 70-year-old John Thomas Hedley, from the former mining community
A TERRIFIED family was deported to Pakistan on Wednesday after a campaign to let them stay in the UK failed. Raheela Sajid fled Pakistan in 2002 to escape abuse at the hands of her husband and his parents. She brought her children, 14-year-old Muhammed
I read this week that many Britons prefer a series of long weekends to the single all-embracing holiday, and that some will go to the ends of the known world to take a break. A three-day break in Buenos Aires may be within reach of the more adventurous
WITH critics lining up to accuse Premiership clubs of being boring, Graeme Souness has insisted he will not be altering his philosophy to mirror the prevailing preference for safety-first football. Fifteen per cent of all top-flight games have finished
GARY Breen intends to use his wealth of derby experience to help Sunderland bag a couple of firsts this weekend - a first Premiership win and first claim to bragging rights in the season's opening North-East derby. Tomorrow's crucial game against Middlesbrough
SIR Jeremy Greenstock, Tony Blair's former special envoy, has warned that British and American troops may have to be pulled out of Iraq if its government breaks down and the country descends into chaos. It is an option which the Prime Minister will surely
A centre for volunteers in the Teesdale area has been officially opened. Helen Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland, opened the centre, in Barnard Castle, which is provided by 2D (Support for the Voluntary and Community Sector of Teesdale and Wear Valley).
A COUNCIL has been forced to take down a flag outside its headquarters - after learning that it was illegal. And now councillors in Wear Valley face the embarrassment of meeting to decide whether they can grant permission for the European Union flag to
STEVE McClaren last night hit back at accusations he was touting himself for the England post and those who say the Premiership has lost its sparkle. Ahead of Middlesbrough's derby clash with Sunderland tomorrow the Boro boss has once again been linked
A PLAYER-CADDIE partnership has more peaks and troughs than your average relationship with the mother-in-law and a few coarse words were exchanged around The Wynyard Club throughout the day. In fact it would come as no surprise to learn that the difference
The owner of Pepsi may be about to bid for the European drinks operation of Cadbury Schweppes. US soft drinks company PepsiCo is understood to have asked for information on the unit that makes Oasis and Orangina ahead of the first round of bidding next
A North-East law firm has helped mobile phone company MonsterMob to acquire one of China's biggest providers of mobile content services. Dickinson Dees, which employs more than 700 people in its Newcastle and Tees Valley offices, has overseen MonsterMob's
A FIREWORKS extravaganza last night illuminated plans for the transformation of Darlington town centre. Work has begun on the £6.5m pedestrian heart project, with traffic being diverted away from much of the centre. And the borough council last night
GIVEN everything he has achieved in the game, it is staggering to think that Michael Owen has never scored 20 league goals in a season. Staggering, and after last weekend's strike at Blackburn, potentially short-lived. With plenty to prove following his
THE proportion of North-East toddlers being immunised with the MMR triple vaccine is on the increase for the first time in years. Statistics published by the Department of Health this week show that 85 per cent of North-East children were immunised by
MORE than 100,000 Britons trapped in the path of Hurricane Rita were preparing for the worst last night as all hopes of escape faded with the monster storm bearing down on Texas. New Orleans - already devastated by Hurricane Katrina - was the first to
Q If my mother has to move into a care home, how much money could she gift to her family from the sale of her former home? A I would never advise anyone in that situation to make any such gifts. If the benefit authorities think somebody has given money
HAVING been given a rare lesson in golf by English pair David Howell and Paul Casey yesterday, Jose Maria Olazabal is bracing himself for another rough day at The Wynyard Club. Olazabal and fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez suffered the ignominy of
DURHAM CRICKET: AS a member of Durham County Cricket Club, I am of course delighted that the team has achieved the double promotion. I was disappointed to open the paper (Echo, Sept 19) to see a photograph of the victorious team with several empty bottles
CHILDREN at a Darlington school have spent two weeks designing and writing newspapers. About 90 pupils in year five at Whinfield Primary School have learned about what makes the news, different newspapers, articles, puzzles and advertising. In groups
A SCHEME set up six months ago is battling against a tide of rising crime in the countryside. The Darlington West rural watch covers an area with a population of 5,000. It has 70 members and a core committee of 12 people. However, crime in the watch area
A SECTION of Grey Street in Newcastle is closed today for street theatre sessions. The eighth annual In Town Without My Car Day takes place between 11am and 3pm. Street theatre, live music, a bike clinic and information stands promoting fitness, health
A decision is expected to be made next week about whether the North-East can hold on to its latest landmark. The giant Ferris wheel, dubbed the Gateshead Eye, on the South Quayside, only has planning permission until September 30. But Gateshead Council
AN exhibition of paintings at a North-East university invites people to take a step back from the frantic pace of modern life and consider the forgotten things that once made us happy. The Boy is Made of Plastic is an exhibition of watercolour paintings
A FORMER village gardener and a mayor were among the winners at the Sedgefield and District Rose Society show last week. Long-serving gardener Les Parrish took the Albert Blakey Salver for most points in the rose classes. The Christine Booth Trophy, for
A FOUR-YEAR project to build a new community hall will come to an end today when the building is officially opened. The hall has been built as an extension to Carthorpe Methodist Church in Carthorpe, near Bedale. It has modern toilets, a kitchen and easy
ALLOTMENT holders have been handed a temporary reprieve after developers wanting to build houses on their gardens agreed to consider a compromise. Gardeners at Howden-le-Wear allotments feared that they would have to leave their site after more than 60
TRADITIONAL West African music is coming to Teesdale. Jali Sherrifo Konteh, one of Gambia's top performers of the 21-string Kora, is to tour five county libraries as part of the Live in the Libraries series. The Kora is unique to the Manding people of
A TOWN centre bar and nightclub has applied for a licence to stay open until 4am seven days a week. Atlantic Bar and Club, in Duke Street, Darlington, has also requested to stay open for an additional hour beyond this time, Friday to Monday, for pre-arranged
FEARS have been raised about cold callers who could be using customer details for identity fraud. Consumer watchdogs in Hartlepool are reminding people to be exceptionally vigilant if approached by door-to-door salespeople. The warning from Hartlepool
A VILLAGE church is celebrating the harvest this weekend with a songs of praise event and a supper. St Cuthbert's Church, at Shadforth, will hold the ecumenical songs of praise at 6pm, tomorrow, featuring music from the Sherburn Hill Salvation Army band
Seaham Harbour, which opened a commercial lifeline for east Durham's once-thriving coal industry, celebrates its 175th anniversary this weekend. Marjorie McIntyre reports. IT was the desperate need for a port to export precious fuel which prompted the
A TALENTED athlete has struck gold in a national championship. Douglas Roberts, 13, from Romanby, Northallerton, took first place in the national triathlon for 11 to 16-year-olds held in Speke on Merseyside. He is one of 30 youngsters in Hambleton who
