NEWCASTLE chairman Freddy Shepherd called time on Graeme Souness' spell as manager of the Magpies yesterday - by sacking him in a letter. After weeks of speculation regarding Souness' future, Shepherd bowed to the inevitable and relieved him of his duties
IT HAD been on the cards for quite some time, with many expecting Graham Souness' imminent demise. When he was finally given the boot it was met with universal satisfaction. Within half an hour of the news breaking yesterday morning fans started filtering
AN AMBITIOUS catalogue of aspirations including building affordable homes, creating jobs and clamping down on anti-social behaviour are among 26 aims and objectives drawn up by Ryedale District Council. The authority's policy committee wants to see 75
A RESTAURANT worker was caught drink-driving for the third time in eight years because of the concerns of a fellow motorist. Magistrates in Harrogate were told yesterday how Alexander Murdoch decided to follow 56-year-old Graham Gater's car when it pulled
A MAN who acted as a look-out during a grocery store raid was yesterday told he will be jailed. The warning was given to Clifford Anderson after he was convicted of taking part in the knifepoint robbery at the Co-op branch in Coxhoe, near Durham, last
DOZENS of youngsters have had alcohol taken from them during a three-month blitz on a troubled estate. Complaints over the anti-social behaviour of youths in the Attlee Avenue and Hart Crescent areas of Blackhall prompted the police, the Anti-Social Behaviour
A LOCAL authority is planning a council tax increase in-line with inflation. Richmondshire District Council this week voted to increase its share of the tax by 2.2 per cent. Councillors rejected calls by several members for no increase. If the rise is
A SOUTHERN radio DJ has walked out after finding he earned less than his northern counterpart. Alex Dyke, co-host of the North-South Divided Show, broadcast on several local radio stations in the region, quit after learning fellow host Mike Elliott had
A FORMER prison chef paid to smuggle drugs into a top security jail made estimated gains of more than £16,000, a court ruled. Ian Stuart Clarke, 43, was jailed for two-and-a-half years at Durham Crown Court, last October, after admitting six counts of
GROUPS looking to boost membership and raise their profile are being offered free publicity. Sedgefield Borough Council and partner organisations are creating a website for children and young people and a sports directory. The website -www.offthestreet
A VILLAGE postmistress has closed her counter after 21 years to make way for a mobile service. But Norah Davidson's tiny general dealer's store will still be at the hub of village life in Toronto, near Bishop Auckland, for the next three years at least
CHILDREN are being encouraged to take an interest in the environment around them by joining a newly-launched group. Middlesbrough Council is looking to recruit youngsters from eight to 12 for its Stewart Park Young Rangers Club. Meeting the first Saturday
DARLINGTON are to field virtually a full-strength team for tomorrow's Durham Cup tie at West Hartlepool, despite anger over last season's competition persuading Phil Lancaster and Craig Lee to resign as county coaches. Lancaster has also stood down as
THE possible death of historic County Durham loomed yesterday when the Government signalled its plans to re-organise local government. David Miliband, the communities minister, announced a quickfire consultation, paving the way for replacing two-tier
ARCHITECTURAL firm Waring and Netts has extended its services with global retailer Aldi to provide 3-D modelling for its planned developments in the UK. Waring and Netts, of Benton, Newcastle, is using the latest technology to provide 3-D images of proposed
TEESPORT owner PD Ports said it had seen a record year with 55.8m tonnes of cargo going through its ports last year. The Middlesbrough company increased volumes by almost two million tonnes on top of 2004's figures. More than 64 per cent of the volume
DARLINGTON yesterday closed in on the signing of former Newcastle United striker Guy Bates. Pending international clearance, Bates will go into the squad for tomorrow's game at Boston. The 20-year-old has agreed to join Quakers on a short-term deal until
RESIDENTS opposing a controversial housing development have been given breathing space after a planning meeting last night. Wear Valley District Council's development control committee was due to make a decision about Yuill Homes' plans to build 106 houses
DANGER FEARS I AGREE with the writer's letter (HAS, Jan 25) about road works in Crook. Numerous people have complained about the way the work to the water system in the town is being done. I agree, this is an essential task, but the way the work is being
Victims of a North-East horse box scam which saw customers across the country conned out of hundreds of thousands of pounds today hit out at their pitiful compensation payouts. Gary Upson and son Ryan fled their Darlington business, Just Trucks, in May
MILLIONS of pounds worth of gift vouchers have become worthless on the high street after North-East voucher supplier Choice went into administration. Thousands of stores across the UK have stopped accepting Choice Gift Vouchers and customers are being
A FOOTBALL stadium has announced plans to build a huge wind turbine as part of a £1m scheme to supply its own power. Middlesbrough Football Club is hoping to build the 130ft turbine outside its Riverside Stadium. It would be twice as tall as the neighbouring
A MAN who sold fake Cartier and Rolex watches on an Internet auction site was yesterday jailed for six months. Brian Elgey, 21, advertised the watches trading under fictitious company names, Fine Design and Comz Supply, accompanied by corporate
A SPILT drink.... badly slurped soup... a jogged elbow.... And that's another dirty mark on your suit and a £10 cleaning bill. How much easier to let it all come out in the wash. Washable suits have been with us for a few years now and for men who have
GMTV (ITV1) Challenger: Countdown To Disaster (C4) IS GMTV presenter Ben Shepherd sexier than Conservative leader David Cameron? Not a question that has been occupying the House of Commons of late but breakfast show GMTV knows where its priorities lie
In the third part o fhis investigation into the North-East's feadiness for a flu pandemic, Health Editor Barry nelson considers how we can limit the effects of the potentially deadly illness. EXPERTS are predicting that the North-East can expect to be
THE North-East will not face hosepipe bans and other water restrictions this summer, whatever the weather has in store. Despite the dry winter, there is water, water everywhere in the region's 21 reservoirs, and plenty of drops to drink, Northumbrian
GRAND Central Railway has rejected claims it will run its planned services on the cheap. The York-based firm, which last week won provisional approval from the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) to operate three daily services from the North-East to London
A CONTROVERSIAL race track could be scrapped if planners give the go-ahead for a new caravan park. Farmer George Barker has said he will stop autograss racing on his land at Kiplin, near Scorton, North Yorkshire, if he is allowed to turn one of his fields
HUNDREDS of school children have been struck down by a flu bug. Symptoms of the seasonal virus include fever, sore throat and headache. Some pupils have also complained of earache, nausea and diarrhoea. Pupils of all ages in Darlington and the surrounding
A BADGER has been captured by security cameras trying to grab a last-minute bargain. Cameras traced the early morning visitor past shop windows in the Wellington Square shopping centre, Stockton, and filmed it peering through the window of the H&M
A MAN has been remanded in custody after he appeared in court accused of murdering Lyndsay Kennedy. The 40-year-old father-of-two, of Penshaw Gardens, East Stanley, County Durham, was found dead at 7am on Tuesday behind the Harperley Hotel near Tanfield
ONE of the country's leading musicians will play an outdoor concert in the North. Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra will play at Castle Howard, near Malton, North Yorkshire, on July 28. He will play his brand of high-energy boogie woogie
AN advertising trailer will soon be taking to the streets of Teesside to promote home safety. Cleveland's fire brigade and police force are joining together to get residents to take the problem of fire safety and burglaries seriously. The brigade will
PLANS to move a popular youth centre into a residential area have again split opinion in a market town. Thirsk Clock has reapplied for permission to move from its base in the Market Place to Fourways guest house on Station Road. The centre has proved
A NEW touch-screen screen will help visitors learn more about a museum's collection of 3,800 medals. The display at the Green Howards Museum, in Richmond, includes pictures of the medals. There are also details of the medals' history and their links to
PLANS for east Durham's newest play park were unveiled this week. The park, aimed at young children, will be in Elgin Avenue, in the Deneside area of Seaham. The idea to develop the site came from local councillor Albert Nugent, who commissioned the charity
A CONTROVERSIAL "free travel" scheme for thousands of North-East pensioners and disabled people is expected to be announced today. But the plan was immediately condemned last night because passengers will have to pay for any bus trips that run beyond
FOLLOWING its last stage production before it closes in July, pupils from Murton County Primary School took a mini version of Oliver! to a village home for elderly people. After ten months of preparation, the school staged the musical at Murton's Glebe
COUNCIL officials have come under fire for allowing a block of flats to be built in the middle of an industrial estate. Businesses that have been in Thornaby Place for decades, say if the boot was on the other foot, a busy workshop would never be allowed
A BLACK cloud was hanging over a close-knit community last night due to uncertainty over the future of its second-biggest employer. News that hardware manufacturer Eliza Tinsley had gone into administration - reported in The Northern Echo on Wednesday
REGULARS at Joe Walton's Youth and Community Centre celebrated its centenary year by gathering to wish happy birthday to a friend just seven years younger than the club. The surprise party was for 93-year-old Marguerite Bellars, who is the oldest regular
A SPENNYMOOR school has double cause to celebrate after landing an award and receiving an excellent report from Government inspectors. Ox Close Primary School has been awarded an ICT Mark by Becta, the Government's lead group for information and communication
A SCHOOL committed to technology is appealing to businesses to step in with funding after a Government initiative ends. Computers and digital equipment have transformed lessons at Hunwick Primary School since a Testbed project started in 2002. Pupils
A SPORTS club for young disabled people is seeking members. The District of Easington Sportsability Club is open to children aged nine to 13 who have physical disabilities, sensory impairment and learning difficulties. The club, which meets at Peterlee
POLICE are hunting two men who killed a prized bird of prey. Geordie, a four-year-old Harris hawk, was shot with an air rifle as his owner, Terry Warne, was exercising him near his home in Darlington. The bullet shattered the hawk's leg and he was rushed
Local councils are likely to reject a key component of the so-called Darzi Plan when they meet on Monday. Health bosses across Teesside and Hartlepool have already backed a controversial plan to re-organise local hospital services. The plan, which was
SIX lucky youngsters have received football tickets to reward their outstanding work and effort in homework clubs. The six, aged ten to 13, have been presented with tickets to Hartlepool United's home game against Chesterfield next Friday. Homework clubs
A SERIAL conwoman who siphoned off £25,000 from her employers has won a cut in her sentence on appeal. Louise Winskill, 35, of Langwith House Farm, Heslington, North Yorkshire, paid off credit card bills and gave money to her boyfriends. The mother-of-two
IN terms of climate, the sheikhdom of Umm al Qiwain is about as far from the ice and snow of Antarctica as it is possible to get. Temperatures in the desert state, part of the United Arab Emirates, exceed 35 degrees Celsius in the summer, and rarely fall
THE family of a four-year-old girl have alleged that she and her sister were left to walk home in the bitter cold by a bus driver. They say four-year-old Sophie Timmins and her 14-year-old sister, Ashleigh, had to walk two miles in sub-zero temperatures
A DENTIST was warned to pay closer attention to his practice as he was cleared of misconduct allegations arising from a set of braces. Timothy Puttick's patient said she had not been made aware of the price of the treatment, which was double what she
A FURNITURE group in the North-East yesterday announced it was shedding 30 jobs after falling victim to tough trading conditions. The 161-strong workforce at County Durham-based Europa Sofabeds and Brundellwood Upholstery, both run by the same management
A SPILT drink.... badly slurped soup... a jogged elbow.... And that's another dirty mark on your suit and a £10 cleaning bill. How much easier to let it all come out in the wash. Washable suits have been with us for a few years now and for men who have
A GLASS manufacturing firm in the region has been acquired by entrepreneur Ryan Green. The 29-year-old has secured all 130 jobs at Clayton Glass, in Stanley, County Durham, in a multi-million pound deal. The firm, which has increased its turnover by 12
A refreshed Retief Goosen put his share of the lead after round one of the Dubai Desert Classic down to taking a leaf out of Tiger Woods' relaxation book. The South African put his feet up over Christmas, like his American rival, and the extended break
THE company building a biodiesel factory in the North-East said last night that it would start production at the end of this month. The Biofuels Corporation, which chose Seal Sands, Teesside, as the site for one of the world's largest biodiesel plants
A FOOTBALL stadium has announced plans to build a huge wind turbine as part of a £1m scheme to supply its own power. Middlesbrough Football Club is hoping to build the 130ft turbine outside its Riverside Stadium. It would be twice as tall as the neighbouring
RITCHIE Humphreys last night insisted it's business as usual at Hartlepool United. Despite the uncertainty over the future of manager Martin Scott, who was suspended from his duties on Wednesday, the Pool squad are focused on tomorrow's vital game at
DARLINGTON are to field virtually a full-strength team for tomorrow's Durham Cup tie at West Hartlepool, despite anger over last season's competition persuading Phil Lancaster and Craig Lee to resign as county coaches. Lancaster has also stood down as
MARTIN O'NEILL has been earmarked by chairman Freddy Shepherd as the ideal candidate to succeed Graeme Souness as Newcastle United boss. A disillusioned Shepherd sent a letter to Souness yesterday morning to end a 17-month reign on Tyneside - as Wednesday
JEREMY Hyatt believes Sunday's British Basketball League Trophy final will bring the best out of him. The Newcastle Eagles guard says he expects to rise to the occasion when the holders take on the Leicester Riders at the Coventry Skydome. Both teams
THE home of what was once one of the biggest names in confectionery is about to enter a new era. The site of Terry's of York, overlooking the city's Knavesmire, is being bought in a deal thought to be worth about £26m. The huge factory closed last year
A FURNITURE group in the North-East yesterday announced it was shedding 30 jobs after falling victim to tough trading conditions. The 161-strong workforce at County Durham-based Europa Sofabeds and Brundellwood Upholstery, both run by the same management
MICK McCARTHY last night painted a clear picture of his thoughts after six depressing days by suggesting two of his long-term absentees can walk back into the Sunderland team and pick their position. Two defeats inside 72 hours, to Brentford in the FA
IN TRUTH, we should have seen what was coming. When Graeme Souness replaced Sir Bobby Robson as Newcastle boss in September 2004, he was forced to take a week of gardening leave as his former club, Blackburn, visited St James' Park. The resultant 3-0
GAIZKA MENDIETA doesn't feel a lowly position in the Premiership means Middlesbrough's hopes of a European place should be written off this season. The Spaniard believes Boro's emphatic victory in the North-East derby with Sunderland on Tuesday could
FREDDY SHEPHERD stood in front of Newcastle United's managerless squad yesterday to explain his reasons why there has been a change of regime. In truth, he might as well repeat the action in the dressing room tomorrow. Given that his search for the fifth
