A FURIOUS Freddy Shepherd last night branded John Barnwell a "disgrace" because of the League Managers' Association's refusal to back Glenn Roeder's candidature for the Newcastle job, writes Scott Wilson. Roeder was officially unveiled at St James' Park
THE founder of an organisation that is in the running to operate a North-East-wide business support service is giving a talk in the region tomorrow. Emma Harrison is the founder and chairman of A4e (Action for Employment), which she established to provide
THE Duke of York officially launched a ground breaking new business centre today. Prince Andrew was given a guided tour of the Springboard Business Centre in Stokesley, North Yorkshire. On arrival, he was greeted by children from Stokesley Primary School
BARELY-perceptible it might be, but the end of the football season has brought more than the biggest disappointment in Middlesbrough FC's history and a classic FA Cup Final. Less widely recognised is an outstanding example of how much we are now under
A TECHNOLOGY specialist in the North-East expects to break through the £10m turnover mark within a year and double it to £20m by 2011. IT Professional Services (ITPS) has added to its 70-strong workforce in Gateshead and is looking to take on up to another
A HEARTBROKEN mother, whose daughter died after allegedly being stabbed with a Samurai sword then run over by a car, has lost her entire family in a year. Carie Burns, 21, was taken to hospital at 6.30am last Friday after being found with stab wounds
BUS and train group Arriva last night widened its stronghold in Europe after acquiring a stake in a family-owned Portuguese transport company. The Sunderland-based group said it paid £41m for 21.5 per cent of privately-owned passenger transport group
Bill Shankly once claimed that football was more important than a matter of life and death. As Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson learnt yesterday, Glenn Roeder begs to differ. THREE years ago this week, Glenn Roeder was lying in a hospital bed fighting
HARTLEPOOL United club captain Micky Barron has insisted he wants to stay at the club, writes Will Scott. Barron is currently out of contract at Victoria Park although he has a testimonial game against Leeds United in July, and admits he is keen to commit
A TALK by a best-selling author at a Darlington library has been cancelled. Anthony McCarten, author of The English Harem, was due to visit Darlington's Crown Street Library on Tuesday, at 10am. The library apologised for the inconvenience.
A MOTHER with a taste for novelty has branched out in her first business venture at the age of 37. Maxine Moore, from Darlington, has set up Novelty Avenue selling novelty items, including Betty Boop hairbrushes, novelty mugs and cake-shaped candles.
A CAT trapped in a car engine would have been killed if it had not cried out for help. The frightened animal's cries were heard by the car owner as she approached her Ford Focus. She had parked in the car park of The Clubhouse in Delves Lane, Consett,
MUSIC from around the world will be performed in Darlington tonight. Darlington Orchestra will present Around the World in 80 Minutes, in the Arts Centre, Vane Terrace, at 7.30pm. Special guests include youngsters of the Polam Hall School Ensembles. Conductor
DARLINGTON has become the best place in the region to eat, according to a new guide to restaurants in the town. A total of 27 places to eat have opened in Darlington in the past year, prompting the borough council to launch a restaurant guide called Dine
Police have made a fresh appeal for a missing North-East man to get in touch. Michael McCutcheon, 46, of North Shields, North Tyneside, was last seen on April 25. He has withdrawn money from Halifax banks since then and it is believed he is sleeping rough
RESIDENTS have called for a greater police presence in their neighbourhood after an abandoned house was set on fire for the third time. Darlington police have said they will step up beat patrols in Ridsdale Street after youths are believed to have started
AN award-winning North-East park received a fragrant addition to its sensory garden yesterday. As part of ongoing developments at Roker Park, in Sunderland, a range of herbs and aromatic shrubs were planted in a community event. The planting was undertaken
ARMY officers are have been swapping the battlefield for the classroom after qualifying to mentor their soldiers in numeracy and literacy skills. Officers and non-commissioned officers from The Green Howards passed the teaching course while on operational
AFTER 12 years serving as a town councillor, Robert Kyle has been elected the mayor of Peterlee. Councillor Kyle was presented with his chain of office at Peterlee Town Council's annual meeting this week. Accepting the post, Coun Kyle, who represents
TWELVE pupils at Tudhoe Grange School have gained national awards in recognition of their voluntary work with children. The year 11 students all qualified as young sports leaders by giving up their spare time to organise sporting events with younger children
AN orienteering club has won a national title - a year after being runner-up in the same competition. Cleveland Orienteering Klub (Clok) has been named as the 2006 British Orienteering Club of the Year. The trophy and a £300 cheque were presented to club
YOUNG bookworms on Teesside have been bringing their stories to life after receiving help from a housing developer. Harron Homes answered a plea from Skelton Primary School, in east Cleveland, to sponsor its new concept of "story sacks". The sacks are
SHERBURN Village Parish Council has launched its own website. It was produced for the parish council by Dr Simon Stobart, a principal lecturer and postgraduate programmes co-ordinator, and Michelle McNay, a student from The University of Sunderland's
YOUNGSTERS can get shipshape and fly their flags next week at a museum event based on the Royal Navy. Ahoy There! will take place at Preston Hall Museum, in Eaglescliffe, Stockton, from Saturday, May 27, to Sunday, June 4, from 10am to 4.45pm each day
A WIDOW who accused a former fire chief of raping her said that he had offered to cook her a meal at his home. The woman told a jury that she was cold after waiting for a bus when she arrived at Peter Glover's home. She said that she had fallen for the
YOUNG people have an opportunity to join park rangers on a bird survey. The Junior Bird Count will be on Monday, May 29, from 10am to noon, at the Billingham Beck Valley Country Park. Park rangers will show youngsters how the birds living in the park
A VACANT apartment that is part of a housing project in Easingwold must be filled in the next four weeks. Housing officers must find an occupier for the shared ownership scheme if they are to meet all the planning requirements. The one-bedroomed second-floor
DIGNITARIES from a French town will arrive in the county next week to sign an official twinning agreement. A ceremony will be held to mark the twinning of St Aubin du Cormier, in Brittany, and Richmond. John Culpan, secretary of Richmond Town Twinning
LESSONS came alive to the sound of music thanks to a charity formed by the late violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Two professional young musicians from Live Music Now! visited Henshaws College, Harrogate, to inspire the visually impaired students with sounds
A CAR salesman is swapping cars for cues this month as he aims to retain his World Billiards Championship crown. Chris Shutt, 28, who works at Sherwood's Vauxhall and Chevrolet dealership in Northallerton, will defend his title against the world's best
WHEN pregnant Georgina Hughes was sent home from hospital with labour pains, she was told it could be days before her baby arrived. But daughter Carmen made a surprise appearance less than two hours later in the back of an ambulance outside her home in
CIRCULAR walks around two Weardale villages are being mapped out with the help of residents. The routes, which start and finish from Wolsingham and Frosterley stations, are included in leaflets being produced by the Mineral Valleys Project. Groundwork
Could a North-East aristocrat have been at the centre of the world's biggest mystery - the whereabouts of the the Holy Grail? As the movie version of Dan Brown's best-selling book, The Da Vinci Code, premieres Tony Kearney goes on a quest to Northumberland
A COUNCIL has hit back at the Government after it was named one of the poorest performing recycling authorities in the region. Richmondshire District Council was listed among the worst ten performers in Yorkshire and Humberside by Department for the Environment
PLANS to develop a visitor centre at a 5,000-acre beauty spot are going on display. The Forestry Commission is giving visitors to Hamsterley Forest the chance to comment on the proposed scheme during an open weekend. Concept designs for a visitor centre
CLEVELAND Chief Constable Sean Price has moved swiftly to initiate an independent inquiry to establish the facts behind the beating of an innocent man by police officers. There are clearly very serious questions facing the Cleveland force over the injuries
RESIDENTS are being urged to help keep beaches clean and tidy. Hartlepool Borough Council officials want public support on two fronts - by disposing of all litter when visiting beaches and by careful disposal of personal sanitary products in the home.
EAST Durham families have been invited to join an organised bike ride along the Hart to Haswell cycle route. It will will take place on Sunday, led by cycle marshals, starting at Castle Eden Village Hall at 10am. The course will cover eight miles of the
TONY BLAIR sparked a huge row over nuclear power last night when he suddenly announced that replacement of Britain's existing nuclear power stations was now "back on the agenda with a vengeance". Opponents of nuclear power accused the Prime Minister of
JUST about everything that Aidan O'Brien touches turns to gold, so backing against the Irish maestro at York's eagerly-anticipated first fixture of the season may prove unwise. O'Brien is sending over a couple of his big guns for the three-day festival
PEOPLE are being warned that charities could lose out because of a business making charity-style appeals for unwanted goods. Leaflets sent to houses in the Brandon and Bishop Auckland areas of County Durham appear to be from a charity collecting for developing
A MAN who sparked an emergency alert at a chemical complex faces jail after he was found guilty of a bomb hoax. Michael Cooke rang the ICI Wilton plant on Teesside and told staff: "A bomb is going to go off now." The 50-year-old defendant's call, which
An eight-year-old boy who was hit by a stolen car as he played with friends in a park suffered severe head injuries, police said this morning. The boy was poorly but stable in hospital after he was hit by a Rover Metro on a cycle path in Riverside Park
TERRY VENABLES last night opened the door for a comeback to front-line management by flashing this message to Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson: 'Make me an offer I can't refuse'. Venables has not worked as a top-level coach since leaving Leeds three
TERRY VENABLES last night opened the door for a comeback to front-line management by flashing this message to Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson: 'Make me an offer I can't refuse'. Venables has not worked as a top-level coach since leaving Leeds three
GOODNESS knows what the Chinese would have made of John McEnroe, or Eric Cantona, or even that nice Tim Henman who's been known to have the occasional paddy and whack the ball right at a ballgirl. But, gosh, I wish we could follow their example. The Olympic
Sol Campbell will go into the Champions League final firmly believing he has dealt with the demons that threatened to bring his career to an early conclusion. Campbell's return to fitness - both mentally and physically - has put him in line for a place
A MOTHER with a taste for novelty has branched out in her first business venture at the age of 37. Maxine Moore, from Darlington, has set up Novelty Avenue selling novelty items, including Betty Boop hairbrushes, novelty mugs and cake-shaped candles.
A double gamble by Yorkshire failed to pay off on a rain-hit first day of the Roses match at Headingley yesterday when Lancashire closed on 228 for three off 53 overs with Mal Loye unbeaten on 113 and Stuart Law on 59. Firstly, Yorkshire dropped off-spinner
His e-mail headed "A grave error" - it could as easily have been a monumental mistake - Bob Williams from Elwick, near Hartlepool, sends a photograph of a tombstone he discovered near Wrexham, North Wales. The quotation - "God removeth away the speech
TWO charities have called for more Government help for pensioners after a report revealed 95,000 over-65s in the region are living in poverty. A survey carried out by the National Pensioners' Convention showed that almost one in five North-East pensioners
Workers at car plant Vauxhall expect to be told today that 1,000 jobs are to be axed, pouring more gloom on to the British motor industry. Company officials will meet local union leaders at the Ellesmere Port factory for early-morning talks on future
NEWCASTLE United ace Nobby Solano cheated death when his 155mph sportscar ploughed into a tree in a high-speed smash. The Magpies midfielder's powerful black BMW 645, hit the pavement then the tree, before it flipped over and burst into flames in his
HIGHER air fares and soaring household energy bills sent inflation back up to the Bank of England's target rate of two per cent last month, official figures showed yesterday. The Consumer Prices Index rate of inflation rose from 1.8 per cent in March
AIRPORTS operator BAA overcame the impact of the London bombings and the Gate Gourmet catering dispute to post an eight per cent rise in operating profits yesterday. BAA, which is the subject of an £8.75bn takeover attempt by Spanish infrastructure group
AN independent police watchdog has begun an investigation after an innocent man was seriously injured during a beating by police officers. Cleveland's Chief Constable Sean Price called on the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to investigate
THE Government is hoping that yesterday's "bonfire of the boundaries" in the NHS will produce a more manageable, efficient health service. The changes to primary care trust boundaries will certainly go some way to simplifying the region's NHS. In most
WITH Sunderland due to announce their retained list for next season today, midfielder Tommy Miller hopes there will not be wholesale changes to the squad. Work on reconstructing the relegated Black Cats' pool of players will carry on over the next six
TROUBLED shipbuilder Swan Hunter is bidding for a ship conversion contract that could bring work to the yard later this year. The contract, if secured, would provide a lifeline for Swans as concerns mount over whether its Wallsend yard will complete the
THERE is only a fortnight left to enter the national short story competition run by The Northern Echo. Orange New Voices is backed by telecommunications company Orange and Darlington Arts Centre and has attracted almost 300 entries already. However, only
A crow is causing a couple sleepless nights by rapping on their windows until they get out of bed. The bird's behaviour has baffled its victims, who have called it Wakey. At dawn each day, the bird raps its beak on the windows of retired master mariner
A TEENAGER who made indecent suggestions to a girl was kneed in the groin. The incident happened as the 17-year-old was walking along St Cuthbert's Way, Newton Aycliffe, at about 9.30pm on Monday. As she approached the junction with Sheraton Road, two
A SCHOOL is to adopt a new name following a merger later this year. Deneside Junior and Infants schools, in Seaham, which opened in 1935, are to amalgamate from the start of the new academic year, in September. The school, based in the present junior
A MOTHER and daughter photography team have swept the boards at an awards presentation. Camera A Photography, from Darlington, received nine awards at the Master Photographers Association (MPA) Northern Area awards. Jane Simmons, 24, was named Licentiate
A TEST on a duvet backed a girl's story that she bit it when she was being raped, a court was told. The 17-year-old's saliva was found during crime scene investigations on the cover in a bedroom at a house where she was babysitting. The girl, who gave
AN elderly woman was assaulted and had her handbag snatched in a frightening attack. The 75-year-old was walking to the rear of the Mecca Bingo, in High Street West, Wallsend, between 12.40pm and 12.50pm on Monday. She was grabbed and her attacker demanded
A COUNCIL had to spend £500,000 fighting a construction firm's claim for £2.7m to be added to its bill for building a town's new swimming pool. Problems with the construction of the six-lane, 25-metre pool at the Louisa Centre sports complex, in Stanley
LIBRARY members in County Durham can now get Internet access to extensive online reference collections. Libraries throughout the county have taken out a subscription that gives free access to the online versions of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
A BARMAN who stole more than £2,600 from his employer has been sent to Teesside Crown Court to be sentenced. Liam Hickson, 23, of Raby Street, Darlington, who has more than 20 convictions for fraud and theft, has pleaded guilty to stealing the cash from
FIREFIGHTERS are taking to the streets to remove fire risks from homes in a programme to prevent needless damage and loss of life. Members of Cleveland Fire Brigade will be in Billingham tomorrow, visiting a number of homes to seek out and remove any
A CAR sales consultant is swapping cars for cues later this month as he aims to retain his World Billiards Championship crown. Chris Shutt, 28, who works at Sherwood's Vauxhall and Chevrolet dealership, in Standard Way, Northallerton, will defend his
AN annual art exhibition has raised almost £3,000 for local charities. Proceeds from the event, which was held in Richmond town hall, were shared by the Friends of Richmond Friary Community Hospital and the mayor's charities. Local artists exhibited 175
TOURING theatre groups and a tribute band will perform at Hambleton Forum, in North-allerton, next month. Full Body and Voice will perform first on Thursday, June 8. It will present its version of In the footsteps of Mr Butler, by Ian McMillan and Jon
A SCHEME to create more car parking in Northallerton will get under way on Monday. The £50,000 project will create another 21 spaces at Hambleton Forum, in the town centre. Motorists are being warned there will be disruption during the work, which is
SWIMMERS are needed to take the plunge at local pools and help raise money for charity. Emmerdale star Lucy Pargeter wants people to help support the ninth annual Tommy's Splashathon. Babies, toddlers and youngsters raise money by swimming a width or
AN environmental charity has been awarded a grant to help teach youngsters how to grow and cook organic food. The Clow Beck Centre, based in Croft, North Yorkshire, has received £6,381 from the York and North Yorkshire Community Foundation's Local Network
A STUDENT has been selected for a national race and gender equality campaign. Jemma Branthwaite, 19, from Hutton Rudby, appears on the front of a booklet promoting equality and diversity and a new DVD, which shows people from a range of backgrounds and
A GUIDED walk across a Teesdale beauty spot takes place next month. The walk along Widdybank Fell nature trail, in Upper Teesdale, will be led by English Nature's Green Guides. Walkers and guides will look at the different plants and how they relate to
COUNCIL chiefs have called for a rethink into the opening hours of a rural police station. In February last year, Durham Police Authority decided to reduce the front desk opening hours of six stations, including Barnard Castle. The cost-cutting exercise
ALLOWANCES paid to members of a council for the past financial year have been published. Each Richmondshire District councillor receives £2,749.05, plus additional responsibility payments. These are allocated to the council chairman and leader, and chairmen
THE chancellor of a North-East university has joined the growing band of politicians calling for Tony Blair to set a firm date for leaving Number 10. Lord Puttnam, the film producer and chancellor of the University of Sunderland, has said Mr Blair should
POLICE were called to a young offenders' institution yesterday after cells were damaged. Four inmates at Deerbolt Young Offenders Institution, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, were being interviewed by police last night and those suspected of being
A HOUSING association is about to break new ground after receiving the go-ahead for its first new-build scheme. Not-for-profit Housing Hartlepool, which took over the running of the town's former council housing stock in 2004, has received a £461,221
MUSICAL instruments worth £6,000 have been stolen from a home on Teesside. A parcel containing the instruments was taken after being left on Thursday by a courier behind a house in Cotswold Drive, Skelton, east Cleveland. The incident happened sometime
GLENN Roeder has identified unsettled Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe as the perfect man to replace the recently-retired Alan Shearer. Roeder, who was officially installed as Newcastle's 23rd permanent manager yesterday, will spend most of the next month
A crow is causing a couple sleepless nights by rapping on their windows until they get out of bed. The bird's behaviour has baffled its victims, who have called it Wakey. At dawn each day, the bird raps its beak on the windows of retired master mariner
Darlington's summer squad rebuilding began in earnest yesterday when manager David Hodgson pointed several of his players towards the exit door while he offered several others new contracts. With the majority of the squad out of contract Hodgson has mulled
REGIONAL QUANGOS: CONGRATULATIONS to Ruth Kelly on her appointment as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. I have given written and oral evidence to the current inquiry into the future of regional government by the Office of the Deputy
THE threat to abolish separate primary care trusts (PCTs) across Teesside and create a single "mega-trust" has been lifted after a Government reprieve last night. Many health care workers were expecting Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt to create a single
POLICE were called to a young offenders' institution yesterday after cells were damaged. Four inmates at Deerbolt Young Offenders Institution, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, were being interviewed by police last night and those suspected of being
A HARD-HITTING campaign to highlight the dangers of misusing level crossings is to be launched by Network Rail tomorrow. More than a million households will be targeted with leaflets, which will run alongside television and radio advertisements in the
DURHAM will have Steve Harmison in their team for the four-day match against Nottinghamshire starting at Trent Bridge today, but not Liam Plunkett. If Harmison proves his fitness there is a chance he will replace Plunkett in the team for the second Test
A MAN has been ordered to pay almost £2,500 in compensation for attempting to smuggle nearly 50,000 cigarettes into the country. Scott Paul Wilkes, of Dorman Road, Eston, Middlesbrough, was warned he faces jail if he is caught trying to evade Customs
AN independent police watchdog has begun an investigation after an innocent man was seriously injured during a beating by police officers. Cleveland's Chief Constable Sean Price called on the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to investigate
BUS and train group Arriva last night widened its stronghold in Europe after acquiring a stake in a family-owned Portuguese transport company. The Sunderland-based group said it paid £41m for 21.5 per cent of privately-owned passenger transport group
Some of our temperamental sports stars could learn a thing or two from the Chinese. GOODNESS knows what the Chinese would have made of John McEnroe, or Eric Cantona, or even that nice Tim Henman who's been known to have the occasional paddy and whack
A MOTHER and daughter photography team have swept the boards at an awards presentation. Camera A Photography, from Darlington, received nine awards at the Master Photographers Association (MPA) Northern Area awards. Jane Simmons, 24, was named Licentiate
A MILLIONAIRE who was jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of kidnapping and threatening to kill two North-East businessmen, yesterday launched an Appeal Court bid to overturn his convictions. Volker Kappler, 41, from Llanfairtalhaiarn, near Conwy
A RARE document that was part of an attempt to de-rail the world's first passenger railway has been obtained by one of the regions museums. Darlington Railway Centre and Museum has obtained a copy of an original petition designed to prevent the Stockton
FORMER Health Secretary Alan Milburn was jubilant last night after his plea to preserve the independence of Darlington's primary care trust (PCT) was heeded. Darlington was among the survivors of a nationwide cull of the trusts announced yesterday by
