A WORKMAN sustained serious leg injuries after falling from a hospital building. The incident occurred around 4pm on Friday at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. The unnamed 33-year-old is believed to have fallen four floors onto the ground.
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THEY have a saying at Houghall College: if it grows here, it will grow almost anywhere. They're referring to the difficulty of rearing plants in the frost pocket' in which the college gardens are situated. Some of the lowest temperatures in the country
Among the features at the Houghall College gardens are: Two water gardens, one being left wild and just tended from time to time. "We let nature take its course," says grounds manager Dave Miller. A woodland garden boasting a wide variety of daffodils
It was a crime which horrified the nation - a little girl enjoying bathtime with her brother one minute, the next snatched by a stranger, sexually assaulted in his car then abandoned, naked, in a back lane on a snowy evening just after Christmas 2005.
AN elderly man died after his car crashed through a hedge and into a shallow stream. The accident happened on an unclassified road between Easingwold and Stillington, North Yorkshire, at 11.45pm last night. Police said the man was driving a silver Honda
PLANS for a £24m factory which will help secure the future of one of County Durham's largest employers have been approved by Sedgefield Borough Council. Thorn Lighting, which employs almost 700 people in Spennymoor, had applied for planning permission
THE steelmaker which employs almost 3,000 people in the region agreed to be taken over by Indian rival Tata Steel this morning. The board of Corus - formerly British Steel - backed a 455pence-per-share bid which values the company at £4.3bn. The new
A FAMILY of six were rescued from their house after fire broke out early this morning. The couple and their four children were plucked to safety by firefighters from a first floor bedroom of their smoke-filled home in Hill Top View, Langley Park, County
AN 11-year-old boy was taken to hospital for a precautionary check-up, following a house fire in the early hours of this morning. He, his 10-year-old sister and their mother escaped the fire, thought to have been started by a candle, only because their
SMALL businesses will be able to borrow up to £1,000 interest-free for 12 months under a new loan scheme. The project aims to give start-up businesses a helping hand. Companies will not have to make any repayments for the first three months. Hambleton
ALMOST 40 youngsters have been invested into the Scouting movement with the launch of a new group. Volunteers have spent more than a year setting up the Holmedale Scout Group, based at Dalton and Gayles Village Hall, in Dalton, near Richmond. County
A GROUNDBREAKING ceremony yesterday marked the start of work on a multi-million-pound shopping centre. Developer Modus is creating about 105,000sq ft of retail premises in the heart of the former mining community of Seaham. The scheme, which promises
A FATHER-and-daughter team who have delivered newspapers to 150 homes for 15 years are retiring next week.Sheena Cockerill, 61, has never missed her round delivering one of The Northern Echo's sister newspapers, the Darlington, Aycliffe and Sedgefield
VILLAGERS whose homes have been regularly blacked out by power cuts were promised yesterday that urgent repairs will be done to prevent further problems. Residents protested that there had been ten blackouts, some lasting for up to ten hours, in the past
YOUNG people are being invited to join sport and craft fun days during the October half-term holiday. Sedgefield Borough Council's leisure centres are holding activities between Monday and Friday, October 27. They include a tae kwon do fun camp every
TRIBUTES have been paid to one of the region's first male hospital matrons. Rex Lowson MBE died aged 75 in the Richardson Hospital, in Barnard Castle, where he took charge in the Eighties, and was known for his ability to cheer up patients. He often played
A COUPLE who run a Yorkshire Dales mountain bike centre have re-submitted expansion plans. Members of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority threw out a proposal by Stuart and Brenda Price to redevelop their business at Fremington, near Reeth, in
PARISHIONERS have reacted with anger over a decision to lay 38 headstones down for health and safety reasons with no apparent consultation or warning. Friends and relatives visiting St Andrew's Church, Aycliffe Village, earlier this month, were shocked
PUPILS have been hitting the high notes after a piano master-class. From beginners to grade eight students, young musicians at Barnard Castle School have been perfecting their piano skills, with the help of nationally renowned pianist and music teacher
A BAZAAR to be held in Barnard Castle tomorrow will raise funds to help buy extra equipment for the new Richardson Hospital, which is now being built in the town. The event, from 10am to 2pm, in the Witham Hall, will include an annual prize draw as well
YOUNGSTERS are swapping school uniforms for judo kit as they prepare to put their martial arts skills to the test. Boys and girls from Cundall Manor School, near Thirsk, are putting in the practice for an inter-school match against pupils at Aysgarth
MOTORISTS are being urged to be patient as a major flood defence scheme gets underway to protect homes. Northumbrian Water will invest £500,000 to upgrade and increase the capacity of the sewage network in the Fens area of Hartlepool. The six-month scheme
FEARS that three community swimming pools will close have been dismissed. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council last night insisted it had no plans to close any pools at Loftus, Saltburn and Guisborough. Concerns that the pools were under threat surfaced
CATHOLIC students are to be welcomed to a North-East university with a Mass said by the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. About 160 newly-arrived Durham University students are expected to attend the service in St Cuthbert's Church, Old Elvet, Durham City
AN annual Parade of Sail held to mark the anniversary of the birth of Captain Cook will take place on Wednesday. The pageant will see scores of home-made crafts sail down the River Leven in Great Ayton. Judging to find the best boat will take place at
FIRE safety experts are to blitz a hotspot neighbourhood in a bid to reduce the number of arson attacks. Ninety per cent of all Cleveland Fire Brigade call-outs are to arson attacks, and Middlesbrough's Gresham ward of terraced streets is one of the worst
WORK will start in the next two weeks to transform a run-down shop into a learning centre. The £552,000 project will see 17 Market Place in Bedale turned into a base for Business Support and Development Ltd, a sub-franchisee of York and North Yorkshire
AN annual Parade of Sail to mark the anniversary of the birth of Captain Cook will take place on Wednesday. Scores of home-made craft will sail down the River Leven in Great Ayton. Judging to find the best boat will take place at 9.30am at Low Green,
FOOTBALLERS at a Teesside school are playing in style thanks to a local company. The football team at Norton School Humanities College, near Stockton, is being sponsored by T Joyce and Son. The company, based in Queensland Road, Redcar, which had done
THERE are still more than two months to go, but Christmas shopping is now under way in Hambleton. Two Cards for Good Causes shops opened in the district this week, and the greetings cards are already selling well. The tourist information centre in Thirsk
PLANS to build homes on the site of a garden centre have been altered. The developer is seeking permission to build 46 houses and 36 flats at Harpers Garden Centre, in Norton, Stockton. Miller Homes has submitted the revised application to Stockton Borough
SCHOOL pupils have created scarecrows to keep hungry birds away from a Teesside nature reserve. The Bowesfield Nature Reserve needs to keep geese away from the tender shoots of newly-planted reeds. Pupils from Harewood Primary School, in Thornaby, have
TRIBUTES have been paid to a priest who helped raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease. Doctors were unable to save the Reverend Bryan Middlebrook, 73, from Durham, after he suffered a brain haemorrhage. He died on Monday morning. A former teacher, he
RESIDENTS will be asked next week to put forward suggestions for a community garden. A tarmaced area off Reeth Road, in Richmond, has been earmarked for the project. A consultation day will be held at the site on Wednesday. The scheme is being part-funded
A NOTORIOUS young offender has been sentenced to three weeks in custody for the "heinous crime" of riding his bike on a grassed area. Sean Conroy, one half of the infamous Teesside brothers known as Maggot and Worm, pleaded guilty to breaching his anti-social
A TEENAGER who had to be freed by firefighters from the wreck of his car was last night recovering in hospital. The 17-year-old suffered head injuries when his Ford Fiesta left the road and crashed into a tree. The accident happened near the Morrison
A HEADTEACHER said yesterday that all his teachers and 800 pupils were thrilled after receiving an award for their projects involving other countries. Broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby presented an engraved glass trophy in London to Paul Harrison, head of
THE England squash North-East area championships were held at Pontefract on October 7/8. The area covers Sheffield to Berwick and finalists are invited into the regional training academy. Four Durham and Cleveland players were involved in the six finals
The Local Heroes Awards judging panel yesterday sifted through a record number of entries and the winners have been chosen ahead of next month's ceremony. After a day of deliberations at Darlington FC's 96.6TFM Darlington Arena, the judges emerged with
Norton Girls: NORTON Under-12s Girls enjoyed a deserved a third straight victory against Bishop Auckland. The goals were scored by Jess Thomas and Maddie Naisbitt. Norton Ladies competed very well in first half and more than matched Bolden, who eventually
When budding football manager David Bogg was crowned at the Local Heroes Awards he had just led his school team to glory - and now he's set his sights on taking the Darlington hot-seat. The Darlington teenager won the overall honour at the 2004 Local
Darlington Indoor Club: A BUSY week saw all four of Darlington's representative teams in action with a 50 per-cent success rate. In the Durham County Seniors Inter Club Leagues, two Darlington teams experienced mixed fortunes. The Seniors 'A' team had
County Pool: The three Durham County teams entertained South Yorkshire in the Region One Inter Counties and were successful in both men's matches but lost in the Ladies game. The Men's A team won 25-19 with Steve Thompson and Dave Harrop both winning
Whitley Bay manager Ian Chandler has revealed that he never thought his side had missed their chance to reach the last qualifying round of the FA Cup. Whitley became the second Northern League club to reach the FA Cup fourth qualifying round when they
Darlington Spraire Lads: SPRAIRE Lads Under-11s, sponsored by Astra Transport, maintained their unbeaten run with a 7-4 win at Nunthorpe. Spraire started brightly with Robert Green scoring early on and Shane Turner adding a second soon after. Despite
The Northern Echo Darlington Sunday Invitational League, Sunday, October 15, , Division One Cup Quarter-finals. LEAGUE leaders Spraire RA met Hurworth Albion for the right to a semi-final spot and it was the RA side that progressed with a hard fought
He'd played for New York Cosmos, Miami Toros and Dallas Tornado, for Bolton Wanderers, Bradford PA, Southport, Stockport and Hartlepool, and for half the non-league clubs in the North-East.It was the day that Ralph Wright became a Doncaster rover, however
Turkey may enjoy being part of European football, but there's still along way to go before it can join the EU club. Scott Wilson examines the controversy over its EU membership bid. WHEN Turkish side Fenerbahce took on Newcastle United in the group stage
TAX AND VOTES: ONE of the demands that led to the American Revolution was that there be "no taxation without representation". One of the demands that will herald a revolution by the overtaxed workers of Britain will be that there should be "no representation
A chance visit to a flower show led to a whole new way of life for a man who proviously had no interest in gardening or plants. RICHARD Reah blames it on his parents. About 12 years ago, when he was 22, they somehow persuaded him to accompany them to
Thirteen years ago, Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing's younger sister, Vicki, died after she developed a malignant tumour. Chief Football Writer Paul Fraser tells of the enormous impact it had on the family and how, using their international footballing
STUDENTS at a North-East college have been asked to "pee in the pot" in an attempt to protect their sexual health. Darlington College staged a day-long health awareness session, advising young people on the dangers of chlamydia, the most common sexually
FIVE fundraisers were refused entry to a bar because the door staff thought they were in fancy dress. Sue Graham, 45, Karen Wandless, 46, Jill Richardson, 46, Julie Wray, 45, and Helen Richardson, 21, tried to get into Avalon in Darlington, after attending
RIVER FALCON (4.40) rates the most promising bet of the day at Newbury, where underfoot conditions are set to be perfect for Jim Goldie's soft-ground specialist. It's been 18 long months since the selection last delivered by blasting his way to a clear-cut
A MAN accused of luring a schoolgirl to a meeting to check out her modelling credentials told police he would be "very surprised" if he was picked out in an identification parade. James Jerome Brennan is alleged to have arranged the meeting in a pub car
THE facts about life in Malawi make grim reading and are getting worse. Life expectancy in the African country is 36 - that's five years fewer than it was 50 years ago. There are one million orphans in the country and in the vast majority of cases their
AS HE looked forward to tonight's opening match in the European Challenge Cup, at home to Petrarca Padova, Newcastle Falcons' director of rugby, John Fletcher, hit out at the "double standards" of the disciplinary system. Lock Jason Oakes was yellow carded
THREE men are to appear in court over an alleged £20m fraud following an investigation lasting more than three years. The case follows allegations surrounding the now defunct Middlesbrough-based National Distance Learning College (NDLC). NDLC ran correspondence
ONE of the region's biggest private employers will today ask councillors to back a £24m site swap that could safeguard hundreds of jobs. Thorn Lighting and sister company Tridonic Atco, which employ 700 people, want to move from a factory in Spennymoor
GCSE students in the region have improved twice as much as counterparts across the country, it emerged last night. Since 1998, exam results in this region have improved by about 20 per cent, compared to 11.8 per cent nationally. Yesterday, as the Department
IT STRIKES me that Shoaib Akhtar, known hereabouts as the Rawalpindi Rickshaw, is very much a part of the me, me, me culture, so it's rather ironic that had he taken notice of the 100percentme co.uk website his career might not have hit the buffers as
SUNDERLAND manager Roy Keane has responded to the club's recent defensive frailties by snapping up talented Derby County centre half Lewin Nyatanga on loan. Nyatanga is widely viewed as one of the most gifted footballers outside the Premier League. But
THIS production of the classic play by Bertolt Brecht marks the 50th anniversary of his death. While it was written at the time of the Second World War, it's set within another conflict - the 17th Century Thirty Years War. From this historical perspective
OBAFEMI MARTINS has been singled out by Middlesbrough's Nigerian Aiyegbeni Yakubu for special attention ahead of this weekend's meeting between the North-East's Premiership clubs. Yakubu's warning for the Boro defence has arrived despite the Newcastle
ADMINISTRATORS of collapsed retailer Furniture Express last night warned store closures and job losses were likely. The chain, which is based in Sunderland and employs 70 staff at stores nationwide, including in Darlington, Stockton and Northallerton,
ARCHITECTURAL firm Browne Smith Baker (BSB) is among six companies from the region awarded contracts on a multi-million pound development. BSB director Guy Holmes said the six-figure contract would safeguard jobs and create four positions at its offices
VEGETABLE oils specialist The Kerfoot Group is investing £250,000 in equipment to expand its speciality oils division. The group, based in Northallerton, is installing seed cold-pressing machinery at its Leeming Bar factory. The investment will allow
A DEVELOPMENT that could create up to 125 jobs in the region has been referred to the Secretary of State for a decision. Burdon Engineering is hoping to triple its workforce of 75 over the next five years by building a head office on land east of Stokesley
A ROW has broken out after health chiefs have decided a council should pay when doctors sign forms for a concessionary travel scheme. County Durham Local Medical Committee (LMC) has suggested that GPs should charge Darlington Borough Council for signing
AS much as it can be a powerful tool for good, the internet is also a source of great danger in the wrong hands. And difficult though it may be to tame the monster that is the worldwide web, there is an ever-increasing need for greater control. We therefore
BT is hoping to extend its contracts with call centre company 2Touch and create about 70 jobs in the region. 2Touch, at Doxford International Business Park, Sunderland, has been working with BT since May last year. It has a 62-seat area dedicated to BT
PROFESSIONAL services group Ernst and Young yesterday reported a 20 per cent growth in UK revenue. The group, which has an office in Newcastle, said revenues had increased across all divisions to a total of £1.13bn for the year to June 30. North-East
A VIOLENT internet video filmed in the North-East has led to the Government backing calls for a crackdown on the craze. Cabinet Minister Jack Straw, the Commons Leader and former Home Secretary, threw his weight behind efforts to prevent offensive material
DARLINGTON College's move to its new £35m building has been captured by an artist. Ian Fennelly, a renowned watercolour artist, created a montage showing both the old and the new building. The painting will be displayed
A MAN drove while disqualified because he feared his arranged marriage was over, Darlington Magistrates' Court heard yesterday. Satinder Singh, 28, of Salisbury Place, Middleton St George, told the court he had an argument with his wife in the early hours
A LEADING councillor has declared his personal opposition to the proposed Tesco development in Darlington town centre - barring himself from future votes on the issue. Councillor Jim Ruck said a survey of his council ward had revealed the vast majority
A NORTH-EAST football club has become the first in the country to offer "supercharged" wireless internet in a move that could see thousands of homes linked to broadband. Darlington FC plans to use the 96.6 TFM Arena as the base for transmitting wireless
A TASTE of the Continent arrived in Darlington yesterday when the French market returned to the town. Market traders from across the channel are in Northgate until tomorrow selling freshly baked bread, French cheeses, pastries, olives, gifts and other
RESIDENTS planning to make their homes more environmentally friendly have been warned to make sure they do it legally. Solar panels and wind turbines which can be installed in homes may require planning permission, according to Darlington Borough Council
A FATHER-and-daughter team who have delivered newspapers to 150 homes for 15 years are retiring next week. Sheena Cockerill, 61, has never missed her round delivering one of The Northern Echo's sister newspapers, the Darlington, Aycliffe and Sedgefield
Brian Little has been denied an emotional return to Darlington after the club ruled him out of the reckoning for the vacant manager's job. Northern Echo SPORT understands Little is not on a final shortlist of four, who are to be interviewed shortly as
WITH injuries biting into his squad, Danny Wilson, the Hartlepool United manager, is delighted with the impact his fringe players have made this week. Tuesday's win over Rotherham in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy gave Wilson the chance to cast an eye over
AN elderly hospital patient died after she was mistakenly given the wrong drugs by a nurse who was under pressure, an inquest heard. Mother-of-four Miriam Malham died in 2004 after a ward sister gave her another patients' prescription. Mrs Malham, who
Newcastle United 1, Fenerbache 0. BRAZILIAN legend Zico is infamous for never having got his hands on the World Cup. Last night both Fenerbahce and Newcastle United illustrated how huge improvements need to be made for either the South American great
POLICE last night charged the owner of a North-East care home and a care assistant with manslaughter following the death of a pensioner. Cleveland Police said Frank Hutchison died after being given the wrong medication. It is understood to be the first
MIDDLESBROUGH'S midfield sensation Lee Cattermole is on the verge of signing a new three-year contract at the Riverside Stadium. Cattermole, who does not turn 19 until March, has become an integral part of the Boro midfield since making his Premiership
IT all finally became too much for Harold Steptoe. The endless humiliations, the daily provocation, the pickled onions in the bathtub... His foul-mouthed and irrepressible dad is found on the loo with his trousers round his ankles and a spear in his
No Going Back: More Chaos At The Castle (C4); Sex, Lies And Soaps (C4): The title gave the game away about the return visit to Patrick and Colette Bergot's chateau in the South of France. But chaos is what we want to see in reality shows. A happy ending
A PROJECT designed to save and improve hay meadows has got off to a flying start. The Hay Time project was launched in May in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It aims to collect seeds from flower rich meadows and spread them on those
A HAULAGE boss whose family were left shaken by an arson attack which could have wiped out his whole truck fleet, has offered a £2,000 reward to help bring the culprits to justice. Agricultural haulier Billy Marley, who lives and runs his business at
A RELIEVED Glenn Roeder last night hailed the character of Antoine Sibierski after the Frenchman's winner handed Newcastle United the perfect start in the UEFA Cup group stage. Sibierski bundled in his second goal for the Magpies - both have arrived
STRIKES due today at clothing manufacturer J Barbour and Sons have been suspended after workers were offered a revised pay deal. The Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) was in talks with Barbour for more than five hours yesterday after a five-month
ELECTRICAL goods company Electrolux has been hit with the maximum fine available after a worker suffered serious burns in a factory explosion. Electrolux Household Appliances, which employs more than 600 people in its factory at Spennymoor, County Durham
Health Editor Barry Nelson meets a North Yorkshire couple who have travelled thousands of miles to bring the benefits of modern medicine to the roof of the world. THE painting which hangs on the wall of John and Angela Dickinson's living room is a daily
SHEPHERD Ken Stead drew on a lifetime's experience of lambing to add to his own personal flock.For Mr Stead, of Weardale, County Durham, decided he could not wait for the ambulance to arrive when his partner, Corrina, announced she was giving birth -
ONE of the region's largest employers today backed a £4.3bn takeover which could affect nearly 3,000 steelworkers on Teesside.The steel operation of Indian conglomerate Tata now looks set to take over former British Steel company Corus. However, city
AN elderly couple have no idea what will happen to their severely disabled son eight months after it was announced his specialist care home was closing.Brian and Maureen Walker, from Darlington, said they have been left in limbo by Tees, Esk and Wear
