Bristol Rovers 0 Hartlepool 2 LATE goals from Ben Clark and Darryl Duffy brought a second away win in the space of five days for Hartlepool United. After victory at Notts County on Tuesday, Pools won 2-0 at Bristol Rovers to make it four League Two
Sunderland 2 Luton Town 1 DARYL MURPHY showed Luton Town exactly what they missed out on by grabbing one of the goals that helped Sunderland to a third successive win in the Championship. The 23-year-old, who spent 17 months with the Hatters as an
Blackburn Rovers 1 Newcastle United 3 NEWCASTLE extended their unbeaten run to eight games with an incident-packed 3-1 win over Blackburn at Ewood Park. Utterly dominant in the opening period, Newcastle took a deserved two-goal lead into the interval
GLENN Roeder has named an unchanged side as Newcastle look to extend their unbeaten run to eight games at Blackburn. With ten first-team players unavailable, the Magpies manager has named the same starting XI that accounted for Reading on Wednesday night
ANDY Monkhouse has seen enough of Hartlepool United this season to expect them to be in the end-of-season promotion shake-up. The left winger, on loan from Swindon, has played only two games since moving from the County Ground. But those two wins, against
THERE are 16 shopping days left until Christmas but Dave Penney is already looking forward to the January sales after describing Darlington's defensive crisis as "desperate". With the transfer window not due to re-open until January 1, Penney admits
FOR most players, the prospect of scoring 206 against Australia and yet still ending up on the losing side would seem incredulous. For Paul Collingwood, though, it was merely par for the course. Rarely has a cricketer achieved so much without ever threatening
A HAMSTRING injury to Dean Whitehead has left Sunderland boss Roy Keane reassessing his defensive options ahead of today's visit of Luton Town. Yesterday, Whitehead jogged for the first time this week after suffering the problem against Norwich City last
Bannow Strand (2.40) is fancied to justify a lorry load of ante-post cash by landing the Boylesports Gold Cup at Cheltenham this afternoon. Earlier this week the David Pipe-trained gelding was available at 33s. That was before owner David Johnson waded
IT was 13 months ago that two of the Premiership's most respected managers traded insults publicly after Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho called Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger 'a voyeur'. Mourinho claimed to have a 120-page dossier on the Frenchman and a
The former Yorkshire abd England spinner, Richard Dawson, writes for the Northern Echo. It is great to see Monty Panesar in the wickets and I am backing him to start for England in Perth, though not necessarily at the expense of Ashley Giles. Two spinners
CHANNEL 4's cameras make a rare visit to Market Rasen where Kitski (3.00) has the opportunity to come good in front of a much bigger audience than usual. Kitski's trainer, Ferdy Murphy, will be hoping for better luck than yesterday at Cheltenham when
DOUBLE North-East road race champion Stephen Hepples could provide Teesside with their first senior men's winner for 13 years in this afternoon's 101st North-East Cross Country Championships at Herrington Country Park, Sunderland. Redcar-based Hepples
DARLINGTON left for Bristol last night with high hopes of reaching the fourth round of the national cup for the first time. Their EDF Energy National Trophy hosts today are Clifton, who play at the same level as Darlington but have won only one game in
Royal roles abound for Michael Starke, as the hospital porter becomes the Emperor of China in pantomime at York. He explains why he stayed so long in the Scouse soap, Brookside, and why he's pleased his family is following in his footsteps. ONE minute
'NICE column on the Polish immigrant dwarf," said the man in the bookshop. "How about doing one on the German immigrant who created Middlesbrough?" The man's eyes widened in wonder at what was floating into his head. "D'you know, I think it's his birthday
POWERLESS: AS winter approaches, the North-East faces record energy prices. T he cost of keeping warm may be too high for many. The Government claims it is powerless to regulate the energy market. Under European law this is true. However, some European
POLICE are to launch a pre-Christmas crackdown on illegal drugs in pubs, clubs and bars. Tests for drugs are to be carried out at up to 40 nightspots across Stockton and Yarm. The action has been prompted by raids on five pubs in the area when a trial
A PRIMARY school and a junior school in Stockton are to merge from next September. The school organisation committee for Stockton borough has approved a proposal to amalgamate Roseberry Infant School and Roseberry Junior School. The amalgamation will
THE tale of how a market town got its most unusual Christmas decoration has been told by pupils in their end-of-term play. The Christmas Parrot was adapted from a book by Richmond resident Tom Carr and tells the story of a novelty illuminated parrot that
TWO businesses have been included on the Northern shortlist for a Countryside Alliance competition to find the UK's best rural retailer. Carricks Fish, of Snape, near Bedale, and Skelton village stores and post office, near Ripon, were congratulated on
VALE of York MP Anne McIntosh has highlighted research by a leading charity that shows 20,916 people face responsibility for looking after relatives and friends in North Yorkshire each year. The results of the research were released to mark Carers Rights
PICTURE POWER: WHAT a brilliant couple of photographs (Echo, Page 4, Dec 5). The eye-catching silhouettes of trees and a walker, by Stuart Boulton, illustrating the article on Guisborough Forest, and then, in complete contrast, the delightful picture
A COUNCIL is inviting residents to have their say on how their area is developed. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is ready to commission its Greater Eston Masterplan, which includes plans for South Bank, Grangetown and the Greater Eston area. The
PANTO COSTS I WONDER if someone from Durham City Council would be kind enough to reply to a question I have? It concerns pantomimes in village halls. I have been informed that the cost of staging these seasonal events has risen from £350 to £400. I
AN arts organisation has given an early Christmas present for youngsters in hospital. Durham City Arts, which organises events, including the city's annual festival of literature, has sent more than 100 books to the Tree Tops Ward at the city's University
EFFORTS to brighten a town have brought a community project a national award. Flower Power for Redcar has become one of the first groups to win the It's Your Community award from communications company O2. The group was presented with a cheque for £350
A TOWN hall service advising hundreds of people struggling with debts has won a top award. Middlesbrough Council's Money Advice Service has been awarded a Specialist Quality Mark by the Legal Services Commission. In the 11 years it has been operating
A SUPPORT service for disabled people will be revived on Tuesday, to help with Christmas shopping. The Redcar Shopmobility scheme, which was formerly run by the Redcar and Cleveland Disability Access Group, was forced to close its doors in the town's
CHILDREN from Great Ayton performed a nativity play with a twist recently. Pupils from Marwood Infants School performed Jesus' Christmas Party, with six-year-old Ewan Benson as an innkeeper based on TV character Victor Meldrew. Ewan even delivered the
PROSECUTORS are cracking down on racially motivated crime in North Yorkshire after a rise in reported incidents. The county's Crown Prosecution Service successfully prosecuted 91 per cent of racial crimes in the courts over the past year. There were 56
A NINE-YEAR-OLD girl's poster has been chosen as the winning design to warn youngsters about the danger of fireworks. The poster, by Lucy McCabe, from Newbottle Primary School, warns: Fireworks are ace, but they can blow up in your face. It has been chosen
SERVICES at a medical centre are being disrupted because of vandalism by young people. Stanley Health Centre, in Clifford Road, has been targeted by gangs of teenagers, believed to come from the town. Windows at the centre are repeatedly broken and appointments
A KNIFEMAN who held up an off-licence in Gateshead is being hunted by police. The man threatened staff at Drinks Express, in Low Fell, at 8.50pm on Thursday. It is not yet known what was taken, but police are keen to catch the man. He is described as
INFORMATION packs to support people who move into houses in Consett are being delivered by police. The New Occupancy Packs contain leaflets with advice on crime prevention, fire safety, Neighbourhood Watch and who to contact to deal with anti-social behaviour
A METHODIST congregation has been left with a bill of £20,000 and forced to move out of its church after it was discovered that floorboards were rotting. The Methodist Church in Ingleton, near Barnard Castle, must now raise the cash for repairs before
A COUNCIL has agreed to extra collections over Christmas. Richmondshire District Council will collect up to four additional bin bags of waste from residents covered by new fortnightly collections. Refuse teams will remove bags left next to grey wheelie
TICKETS are on sale for a charity Festival of Songs for Christmas concert in Thirsk. The festival is run by Thirsk Rotary Club and Thirsk Inner Wheel Club. Northallerton Male Voice Choir and pupils from Thirsk Primary School choir will perform. The festival
A school has received a national award for its use of computers in the classroom. Hartside Primary School, in Crook, was given £3,000 after being named joint winner of the primary school category of the Becta ICT excellence awards. The school, part of
ST MARY'S CENTRE, in Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, is holding a traditional Latin mass tomorrow, at 6pm. For more details call 01642-249456.
A SCHEME to boost the economy of Ryedale, create jobs and build thousands of homes within 15 years has been launched. The detail is contained in Ryedale District Council's new planning masterplan, the Local Development Framework. The document envisages
BEDALE residents are being urged to help highlight safety issues in the town. A public meeting will be held in Bedale Hall from 7pm to 9pm on Tuesday at which members of the police authority, Hambleton District Council and Hambleton Community Safety Partnership
A GUISBOROUGH student has become the first in the country to achieve a first class honours degree in her chosen subject. Elspeth Alexander, a specialist social worker for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust, was also named best overall student after
RESIDENTS who lost a fight to stop an £8m wind farm being built on their doorstep say they have not given up the battle. Fifty campaigners from the communities of Sunniside and Stanley, near Crook, saw councillors approve the development by just one
POLICE are appealing for information after a boiler was stolen only 20 minutes after it had been removed by workmen installing new heating. The copper boiler was taken at about 10.15am, on Wednesday, after being removed from a house in Clarence Close,
WHEN the leading lady pulled out at the last minute, there were fears the show could not go on. But Hurworth House Nursery's annual nativity play, held yesterday, was still a resounding success. Eve Watson, four, was cast as Mary. But late on Thursday
RESIDENTS are to be asked for their views on dealing with neighbours from hell. A councillor says it is essential as many people as possible contribute to the debate. The call is being made by Councillor Gerard Hall, who chairs Hartlepool Borough Council's
HEALTH officials in Darlington have urged the town's elderly population not to be duped by the mild weather and visit their doctor for a flu jab. The town's 11 surgeries have received their stocks of vaccine against the potentially dangerous virus. Every
ELECTED MAYOR: FOLLOWING the meeting of the Darlington Referendum Group on Wednesday (Echo, Dec 7), I am more than ever convinced that an elected mayor would be good for Darlington given the present attitude of the council towards the residents of the
TRIBUTES have been paid to the founder of a boys' club, whose legacy is still being enjoyed by youngsters 100 years on. Sir Stuart Bell, Middlesbrough's MP, and Ray Mallon, the town's mayor, joined members of Joe Walton's Youth and Community Centre, at
THE winner of a children's Christmas card competition will see his work winging its way to the Prime Minister's post bag. Ferryhill Town Council and the Ferryhill 2000 committee asked some of the town's schoolchildren to design Christmas cards. The winning
DURHAM university rowers covered 252km yesterday without taking to the water. Durham University Boat Club held a row-a-thon, using rowing machines in The Gates shopping centre, in Durham, to raise money for its running costs. Members of the club took
A TEENAGE football prospect from the region was celebrating last night after he won a ticket to the big league. Carl Magnay has given up his A-level studies after he won a potentially lucrative contract with the multi-millionaire players of Chelsea. The
THE search is on for sporting stars of 2006. Nominations are now open for the annual Easington District Council Sports Awards, which will take place in February. The awards have been devised to honour the achievements of residents of all ages, including
A TRAINING centre for adults has opened in Chester-le-Street Learning Links (Europe) Ltd's first County Durham branch is based at the Empower 2 building, in Waldridge Road. It has a computer area with up-to-the-minute equipment and space to run workshops
THREE teenagers have admitted robbing other youths of money and possessions in a public park. The 13-year-olds faced a series of charges following alleged incidents where young people were forcibly deprived of possessions at the Riverside Park, in Chester-le-Street
A BUSINESSMAN has told of his terror as he was confronted by three masked raiders wielding a knife and a baseball bat. John Willets, 58, founder of John Willets Fireplaces, based in Spennymoor, County Durham, was having a bath on Thursday night at his
PLANS by a mobile phone company for a 17-metre high mast in the centre of Northallerton are likely to be rejected next week. O2 wants to put up the mast and an associated equipment cabin in front of a car showroom at the roundabout junction of Malpas
TO his many friends and patients, David Heppleston was a pillar of the community. The genial dentist had treated NHS patients in Scarborough for almost 20 years. He remained true to the service at a time when people in the town were queuing for hours
COMPUTER kiosks offering round-the-clock access to information on local services will be launched next week. The iPlus Points, the first of their kind to be introduced in County Durham, will enable members of the public to report environmental problems
A CAMPAIGN to increase the take-up of free school meals has been launched. Durham County Council's welfare rights team is urging people to check their entitlement to the meals and benefits. The campaign, which runs until January 18, is part of a drive
WHEN it comes to a choice between working with Scarborough's genius of theatre Alan Ayckbourn or sharing scenes with Basil Brush, it's Mr A every time according to actor Terence Booth. He's just begun a long season of being booed and hissed as the baddie
NETWORK Rail has rejected pleas to put on hold plans to rip up sections of the mothballed Leamside railway line until the completion of a study that could lead to it reopening. The company revealed this week that it would take part in a feasibility study
A MAN with a record for violence is starting his first custodial sentence after a court was shown video footage of his latest attack. Stephen Kevin McGill, 24, was yesterday jailed for two years for the brief, but violent, incident, captured on town centre
THE world's top mountain bikers could mix with spa bathers at a proposed tourist attraction already dubbed the "Bath of the North". New plans unveiled yesterday for an eco-village at a redundant cement works site in Weardale, County Durham, include proposals
FINES handed out following the death of a student on a rollercoaster have been described as derisory by the 20-year-old's parents. Durham University student Gemma Savage was killed five years ago, when two cars collided on the Treetop Twister ride at
The Northern Sinfonia, Sage Gateshead: A MUSICAL journey taking in the works of Robert Schumann is unfolding with an imaginatively programmed series of concerts at The Sage Gateshead. The pilgrimage, with the Northern Sinfonia under the baton of its
LONG-PLANNED changes to hospital services in the region come into force within days. These changes will mean that some patients requiring emergency treatment will be driven past their local hospital to a hospital further away that provides more specialist
A TRADESMAN who ripped off householders by persuading them to part with thousands of pounds for kitchen and bathroom work he did not carry out, was last night starting a six-month prison sentence. Paul Golding was told his punishment should act as a warning
A TRUANCY sweep has caught 40 schoolchildren during a week-long anti-crime exercise. The joint operation by police, fire officers and council officials was carried out in the Haughton West area of Darlington. The exercise also involved street cleaning
a Darlington leisure centre will relaunch next week following a £5m refurbishment. The Dolphin Centre will fully reopen next Saturday, with several new features and alterations to existing areas. The new facilities include the Under The Sea soft play
A LORRY driver who stopped on a dual carriageway to use his mobile phone, which led to a fatal crash, has been jailed for causing death by dangerous driving. Richard Brown, 56, from Seaford, Cheshire, was jailed for ten months after a hearing at Oxford
FINANCIAL professionals in the region are being invited to improve their leadership skills with the launch of a new programme. The Leadership Essentials scheme, from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), is aimed at people
A DARLINGTON artist has teamed up with nursing staff to discover the hidden talents of patients at a town hospital. Lisa House, pictured, is using her skills as an artist at the West Park Hospital, where she works as an occupational therapy assistant.
THE owners of a popular DIY store in Darlington are to retire after 25 years, but they are not about to hang up their hammers just yet. John and Dorothy Madden are already planning home improvement projects for when they finish at Darlington DIY. "You'd
MEDICAL data provider Schin has secured a national contract with the NHS, safeguarding 26 jobs in the region. The Newcastle company will act as primary care clinical knowledge provider to the health service, in a deal that was hailed as a major success
BUS company Go North-East last night said it was well on the way to halting its four-year fall in profits after a trading statement revealed it was performing ahead of its targets. The Newcastle company reported that after several years of pressure
MORE than 1,000 Nintendo Wii consoles appeared on eBay yesterday, less than 12 hours after their UK launch. The Wii console was selling online at more than £500 - nearly three times its £179 retail price. Scores of people slept outside HMV's store in
VITAL evidence that could have cleared a North-East man of murder was not followed up because his lawyers did not have enough time, a court was told. Andrew Adams, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of Jack Royal, was said to have been badly
A FORMER soldier who punched his former partner in the face, breaking her jaw, has avoided jail "by the skin of his teeth". Gary Tervit was told by a judge that he deserved to be locked up for 12 months for attacking Susan McCormick. But the prison sentence
SOUTH Park's team of staff has two new members - and they hope to make the Darlington park more popular then ever. Kirstin Unwin has been made education and events officer, and Debbie Hall is the new park ranger. Ms Unwin studied zoology and wildlife
A 14-YEAR-OLD stole a nurse's handbag from a hospital and also a DVD player from his own grandfather in order to fund a drug habit. The teenager, who lives in the Eastbourne area of Darlington, pleaded guilty to two charges of theft at a court hearing
A CHURCH which rose from the ashes after being devastated by a fire is marking the end of its 50th anniversary celebrations with a Christmas tree festival.St Paul's, in Spennymoor, was reopened by the late Queen Mother, in 1956 - three years after the
A centre dedicated to offering advice and support to Middlesbrough's 21,000 carers has been launched.Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate opened the centre, run by The George Hardwick Foundation, which was created in memory of the former Boro legend.Since
THE Krankies helped launch the Salvation Army's Pass the Parcel appeal in the region yesterday.The annual nationwide appeal collects presents for children who otherwise might not receive them. In Darlington, new gifts can be left at Asda, Northern Rock
DARLINGTON MP Alan Milburn has met police chiefs to demand further improvements to police response times.Mr Milburn held a two-hour meeting with Durham Chief Constable Jon Stoddart at Darlington Town Hall.After the meeting - also attended by Darlington
TWO police roadshows to inform people how to prevent themselves from becoming victims of crime will be held this weekend. Members of Durham Constabulary's south area Crime Prevention teams and local beat officers will hold the events today.People can
A RIDING centre for disabled children is asking the community to adopt a pony for Christmas.More than 159 disabled children a week benefit from lessons and courses at The Unicorn Centre, run by the Riding for the Disabled Association, in Hemlington,
HUNDREDS of homes in a North-East village have been cut off since Thursday morning after their main telephone cable was severed by a builders' digger.Some residents have had no service, while others have only been able to make outgoing calls.Others have
THE RSPCA is appealing for information after a collie found in Willington, County Durham, had to be put down.The elderly bitch, which was found in Willington High Street, on Friday, December 1, was very thin and weak and later had to be put to sleep,
MOST men could not make a conference on climate change sexy, but Bill Clinton is not most men.He transformed a global warming convention into the hottest event in Amsterdam this year.Security was tight at the former Dutch royal residence Paleis Soestdijk
MANUFACTURER Jeld-Wen last night said the closure of its Darlington plant in the new year was "inevitable", in a move that will cost 140 jobs. But last night, a dispute broke out between the company and unions, which said neither they nor their members
GLENN Roeder last night hailed Nicky Butt's renaissance, claiming the midfielder is playing "better than ever for Newcastle". The 31-year-old midfielder looked to have kicked his last ball for Newcastle when he snubbed fans after an atrocious show against
A CROOKED dentist scooped £64,000 on TV's Who Wants to be a Millionaire - while carrying out one of the biggest NHS frauds in history. David Heppleston, 45, conned the health service out of a total of £448,021 over eight-and-a-half years. At his Scarborough
ROY KEANE has admitted highly-rated Arsenal teenager Anthony Stokes is the young man he is turning to in the search for goals, goals and more goals at Sunderland. With Stephen Elliott the Black Cats' top-scorer with just five goals, Keane knows a prolific
A TAXI driver who was being investigated for alleged child sex offences took his own life, an inquest has ruled. Maurice Fenwick, of Colburn, North Yorkshire, suffered fatal head and chest injuries when his Ford Mondeo hit a roadside tree in May. Recording
GARETH Southgate has ordered his Middlesbrough players to change their celebration routine in an attempt to prevent success turning to failure within the blink of an eye. In each of their last three games, the Teessiders have conceded within four minutes
THINK of shopping in Edinburgh and images of a bustling Princes Street immediately spring to mind. This year the commercial heart of the Scottish capital is on target to being busier than ever, with the switching on of the Christmas lights and the opening
MIDDLESBROUGH'S preparations for this afternoon's game against Wigan suffered a massive blow last night when Robert Huth was ruled out for six weeks with a stress fracture of the foot.The Germany international, who was arguably Boro's best performer as
HOLLYWOOD leading lady Cameron Diaz fell in love with the English countryside while filming The Holiday in Surrey, especially, as she tells Steve Pratt, when it snowed over Christmas. CAMERON Diaz raises her fists like a prize-fighter, flashing me a
THE death of a male student was the first in a series of tragedies that culminated in an 18-year-old girl being found dead hanging by her shoelace, it was revealed yesterday.A community in Redcar is still coming to terms with the deaths of three young
The true spirit of Christmas burns brightly at a popular Christingle serice at a country church. It's a pretty grim old evening, the rain slashing against the dark Cleveland hills, the thermometer falling, the muddy brown beck racing through the middle
