THE public are being urged to be on the guard against bogus charity collectors claiming to help people in the Third World. The advice service Consumer Direct has received a number of complaints from people in Yorkshire who have received misleading flyers
Stunning scenery, fantastic food and virtual tourism - Perrott Phillips discovers some of the delights of northern Spain IMAGINE creating a life-size replica of the Tower of London or Durham Cathedral to relieve tourist congestion - and then finding
JEEPS have a reputation for being all rough and tough and rightly so, because they are. But sometimes you need a touch of luxury to get you through the day and that's where the Overland comes in. It's based on the Grand Cherokee, so that's no bad
BECOMING a parent entails making a few sacrifices. The car you drive rarely survives the transition. Babies may be small but they travel with a quite incredible collection of paraphernalia. A people-carrier can usually be transformed into an excellent
Middlesex v Yorkshire (County Championship) : Day Three Yorkshire's season continued to lurch from one disaster to another yesterday when they lost their Championship match against bottom club, Middlesex, by eight wickets inside three days at Southgate
WITHOUT an acting lesson in his life, ginger-haired Chris Rankin landed the role of Percy Ignatius Weasley and is now part of the Harry Potter movie industry. Percy is about emerge in the fifth Harry Potter (and the Order of the Phoenix) film as a Ministry
A YOUTH group has shown off its community spirit by unveiling a garden and play area. The Grangetown Youth Ground Force Group designed and constructed the £1,700 garden and play area at Grangetown Library. The area includes outdoor seating, play equipment
A CAMPAIGN to reduce the number of road accidents is starting to pay off, especially for children. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's commitment to promoting road safety has produced a reduction on the number of annual road casualties - to 399, a
A DRUNK driver who struck a pedestrian after a high-speed police chase was jailed and banned from driving yesterday. Mark Haylette drove his Fiat Punto at terrifying speeds while he was pursued by a police car through a residential area and on the A66
CLEVELAND Fire Authority has elected Councillor Brenda Forster as its new chairwoman. Coun Forster, who represents Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, is a former chairwoman and has also been vice-chairwoman for the past two years. She replaces Councillor
CHILDREN from three Middlesbrough primary schools have been sharpening up their badminton skills. Pupils from Acklam Whin, Archibald and Kader schools have been taking part in a tournament to encourage more people to take up the sport. It was organised
A BURST water main closed a number of schools and brought major disruption to about 3,000 properties in Middlesbrough. The problems were caused after an 18-in main burst at the junction of Cricket Lane and Ormesby Road on Thursday. Northumbrian Water
FOOTBALL fans are being urged not to over-indulge and to drink sensibly during the World Cup. The appeal has been issued by the Safer Hartlepool Partnership, in conjunction with Cleveland Police and the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust, as part of
A CAMERA designed to catch drivers who jump red lights has been out of action for five years. The device is placed at the traffic lights on the A689 at Sapper's Corner, near Greatham, Hartlepool. Hartlepool Borough Council modernised the lights in 2001
A STORE owner has been ordered to pay a total of £1,700 after a 14-year-old girl was sold a bottle of alcopops by a member of his staff. On the same day as Dinesh Kumar Puri appeared in court, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council warned other traders
SCHOOLCHILDREN are putting a cap on the amount of sun they get this year to protect them from the harmful effects of ultra violet light. Pupils at Barnard Castle Preparatory School have just taken delivery of caps which they will wear when they are playing
POLICE have been encouraged by the response of a Teesdale villager to a new crimestopping measure. Forms were sent out in Cockfield last month asking people if they would be interested in protecting their property with Smartwater. Once Smartwater has
A MAN invited on holiday by his neighbours attacked them during a rowdy first night at a caravan park. Steven Clarke accepted the offer to accompany a neighbouring family, from Thorney Close, Sunderland, on a week's break at Witton Castle, near Bishop
POLICE are searching for thieves who escaped with thousands of pounds-worth of jewellery. A 42in plasma television and a freeview box were also among the items taken from a bungalow near the Canney Hill roundabout, Coundon, on Thursday. Police are appealing
A FLOWER club has celebrated its 25th anniversary by presenting a sundial to a museum. Shildon and District Flower Club wanted to give something to the former railway town to commemorate its 25th anniversary and chose Locomotion: National Railway Museum
POLICE are using the latest technology to catch criminals travelling through their area. Durham Police are updating six patrol cars to enable officers to quickly identify vehicles. The force has used Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) since 2003
Three garages have begun selling environmentally-friendly biodiesel. Mickleton Service Station and Galgate Service Station, in Barnard Castle, and AC Lowson, in Egglestone, have begun selling the fuel, which is a blend of conventional diesel and biodiesel
POLICE and council officers have joined forces with other agencies to curb anti-social behaviour on a Bishop Auckland housing estate. Beat officers joined street wardens and council officials in Woodhouse Close to clean up the estate. The two-day operation
HOPEFULLY, it is not serious enough to rule him out of this afternoon's game with Paraguay, but Steven Gerrard's back problem has still achieved something few thought possible this week. For the best part of three days, the Liverpool midfielder's torso
A SCHOOL is celebrating after its footballers saw off competition from 40 teams to win a trophy. Children aged between nine and 11 from Etherley Lane Primary School, Bishop Auckland, won the Rudd Cup. The knock-out tournament included schools from across
IN Newcastle, Jon Dahl Tomasson is generally seen as the one that got away. A callow and inexperienced striker when he left Tyneside, the Denmark international has subsequently blossomed into a goalscorer of international repute. Yet while Tomasson's
SVEN-GORAN Eriksson last night insisted that England were entering this afternoon's World Cup opener against Paraguay in better shape than at any other moment during his five-and-a-half-year reign. But, after Steven Gerrard failed to complete yesterday's
JOINT world record holder Asafa Powell says he intends to smash Dwain Chambers' Gateshead Stadium track record and post a sub-ten-second 100m for the third time this season in the process. Powell lines up in a star-studded 100m showpiece event with the
WATCHING Sven-Goran Eriksson deliver his pre-match press conference in Frankfurt's Waldstadion yesterday, I finally began to understand how his mind is working. With his tenure as England manager about to come to an end, dull, predictable Sven has turned
On paper, this afternoon's game against Paraguay should represent the perfect World Cup opener for England. But, in the past, things have not always gone to plan in the first match of the finals. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson looks at England's record
TEACHERS and other staff in a number of North Yorkshire schools are being issued with short-range radios to protect children during playtime. When pupils are injured at school, the incidents often occur during breaks or organised sport, and the county
A HURT Grant Leadbitter last night revealed his Sunderland days are likely to be over unless his contract dispute can be sorted out before the end of the month. Leadbitter will become a free agent when his existing deal expires on June 30 and there is
JAMES MILNER'S move away from Newcastle United came closer after the club made known they have targeted Steed Malbranque as a suitable replacement, writes Paul Fraser. Magpies boss Glenn Roeder has identified the versatile Frenchman to boost his side's
Foster's Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League: Leaders Swalwell entertain champions Tynedale in the match of the day this afternoon and although the teams are separated by six places, just 18 points divide the pair. Swalwell went to the top for
A MAN with power of attorney over his ailing father's affairs misinformed his brother over the amount spent from the estate. Twelve months after the death of Leonard Mortimer, in June 2002, French-based son Guy e-mailed brother David about their father's
LOCAL communities are being encouraged to sign up to one of the simplest - and most successful - crime initiatives in the UK. The Hambleton district already has 620 Neighbourhood Watch schemes operating, but there is scope for more - and to mark National
A FARMER has signalled the end for a controversial race track after being granted permission for a 50-space caravan site. George Barker, from Kiplin, near Scorton, won the backing of Hambleton District Council at the second time of asking. Mr Barker agreed
VETERANS' DAY will be marked with a service at Christ Church, Parliament Street, Consett, at 2pm on Sunday, June 25. Everyone is welcome. Any veteran wishing to apply for their badge can obtain an application form from Derwentside District Council offices
YOUNGSTERS at Knayton have been given £18,000 for improvements to their football ground. Hillside Rural Activities Park was granted £18,022 by the Football Foundation. It will be used to drain a site to create a football pitch as part of a multi-sport
A MAN repaid neighbours' generosity in inviting him to join them on holiday by attacking them during a rowdy first night at a caravan park. Steven Clarke took up the offer to accompany a neighbouring family, from Thorney Close, Sunderland, on a week's
FOOD outlets across Hambleton are being urged to sign up to a national campaign to keep the streets free of litter throughout the World Cup. Leaflets showing the St George's flag swamped with food waste and empty cans are being distributed to shops, fast
A LONG-lost roadside filling station left its belated mark on a dales market town yesterday. Firefighters, police and trading standards officers, who deal with petroleum licensing, were all called out after an underground fuel tank was discovered by workers
SCHOOL pupils put their artistic talents to the test to help their local post office promote its foreign currency service. Consett post office invited pupils of Consett Junior School, in Consett, to depict a summer holiday. Their works were put up in
A DAREDEVIL pensioner decided to celebrate his 79th birthday by abseiling from Middlesbrough's famous Transporter Bridge. Alf Gaddas, from Northallerton, abseiled down the landmark to choruses of happy birthday as part of an effort to raise money for
NEW technology could soon mean the number's up for travelling criminals in a police force area. Durham Police is fitting six traffic patrol cars with the latest technology to quickly identify vehicles. The force has used automatic number plate recognition
A PUB has beaten off competition from 1,500 other establishments to scoop a top prize for the second year running. The Mill House, near Birtley, near Chester-le-Street was judged National Pub of the Year in the Scottish and Newcastle Pub Enterprises'
HEALTH chiefs in north Durham are taking steps to tackle the rise in childhood obesity, with the appointment of a health advisor to work alongside the school nursing service. Ashley Parker, a qualified nurse who has worked as a health visitor across County
SCORES of post offices in North Yorkshire are urging people to sign petitions to save them from the threat of closure. Petitions at counters in all offices are aimed at persuading the Government's Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to re-think its
GREEN-fingered pupils are helping to plant sunflowers as part of the Scarborough in Bloom bid. Barrowcliff Infant School pupils are planting sunflowers on Clarence Gardens in a bio- diversity bed. The plants are a dwarf strain of sunflower, growing to
DURHAM County Council has been named a Green Hero. The award comes from the Green Organisation, an independent international group dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting best environmental practice. It annual award has been introduced for
TWO police officers escaped serious injury when they dived for safety as a truck ploughed into their patrol car - while they were dealing with a major accident. PC Craig Gaines, 36, and PC Richard Blamires, 23, had parked their Mercedes 320 diagonally
THE cost of introducing the Right to Roam was strongly criticised yesterday. The Countryside Agency expected a £28m bill, but, by the end of March, it soared to £69m - £74 per hectare - with a further £13m forecast this year. Edward Leigh, House of
A UNION is facing a £1m bill after an employment tribunal ruled it failed to properly represent over 100 of its members during a sex discrimination case. The panel ruled the GMB union wrongly advised the female Middlesbrough Council workers not to take
A TRAFFIC police officer who sparked controversy involving his force and a local council over an alleged speeding offence three years ago has received an award praising his outstanding work. PC Dave Burlingham, of the road policing group at Scarborough
A DECISION to ban whole milk from schools has been branded "preposterous" by farmers. The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has written to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) asking it to reconsider. It is also concerned that from 2008 the ban
THOUSANDS of people will visit a 13th Century castle today as the Antiques Roadshow rolls into town. The popular BBC television show will be filmed from Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, giving people in the region a chance to have their
FORMER US president George Bush Senior was confronted by a veteran peace campaigner yesterday as he arrived at a conference centre in the region. Lindis Percy burst from behind the crowd of photographers and reporters to confront the 41st president as
As participants prepare to run, Deborah Johnson tells why she can't wait to get going. NOT so long ago, I could never have imagined running five kilometres. Even if I tried, I could not have done it. Exercise was something that did not interest me, and
BULLIES who threaten or abuse NHS staff could face £1,000 fines in a fresh bid to cut the horrifying number of physical attacks. Under new plans, hospital managers will also be given tougher powers to remove friends and relatives of patients from the
A COUNCIL is looking to recover some of the £700,000 cost of re-routing a gas main after it was ruptured during work to pedestrianise part of a town centre. A day-long review was carried out yesterday in an attempt to find why the 100-year-old gas pipe
THE line-up for this year's free Middlesbrough Music Live festival has been confirmed. Ocean Colour Scene, who have had 16 hit singles, will headline the main stage at the festival, to be held on Sunday, June 18. Also on the 96.6tfm stage will be Morning
BLOOD stocks at North-East hospitals could be hit as football fans shun their regular donor sessions in favour of watching the World Cup. The National Blood Service (NBS) said donations of life-saving blood fell significantly across the region during
Chester-le-Street aim to maintain their super start to the season but are adamant they will take nothing for granted at bottom-of-the-table Hetton Lyons this morning. The Cestrians are one of only two unbeaten sides and last weekend completed a double
Director Jason Reitman's debut movie is already causing controversy, from Katie Holmes's missing sex scene to a squabble over the film rights. Reitman tells Steve Pratt how he hopes his first feature length work will help him emerge from his father's
Prison Break's Wade Williams is best known for playing bad guys but the medical student who fell into acting by accident says he'd love to go back to his theatrical favourites - musicals. PLAYING a TV bad guy means that people are reluctant to make close
FERGAL LYNCH produced two totally contrasting rides aboard Brut and Mr Wolf to claim a sparkling 54-1 double at Catterick yesterday. Both horses are trained by David Barker, based in a beautiful and tranquil setting within hailing distance of the track
VETERAN handler John Dunlop only has to amble a few miles up the road from his Arundel stronghold to enjoy the stunning scenery at Goodwood, one of the septuagenarian's favourite racecourses. Not dubbed "glorious" for nothing, Dunlop seems set fair to
WHINHILL HOUSE heads to Musselburgh with every hope of maintaining the welcome resurgence of David Barker's stable. Barker's team made a slow start to the season, probably down in no small part to the dreadful spring weather, but now that the sun is shining
Q I pay more Council Tax than before my husband died in 2004. What should I be paying? I receive £97.99 a week including Pension Credit and £109.59 a month from my late husband's employer. A You appear to be receiving Savings Credit. This means you
It's back to normal for Silksworth today. Because of severe drainage problems in the outfield their ground has been out of bounds but the second-team fixture with Bill Quay goes ahead. The firsts visit Bill Quay hoping to build on last Sunday's encouraging
It's been a good week for Evenwood, who not only took over at the top of the table with last week's victory at Willington but also defeated their rivals in the League Cup on Wednesday night. In recent years they have had a number of successful West Indian
A TEAM of workers helping young people with behavioural problems has received £100,000 funding. Darlington Children's Services' behavioural support team has been working in schools for the past two years, supporting staff, pupils and families. Their
Middlesbrough skipper Danny Evans is out of luck. Not only has he been unable to win the toss, he is going to be inactive for up to six weeks with a broken finger. "Calling correctly is vital since you have a better chance of dictating the game," he said
STILT walkers, comedians and a juggling cowboy will be in Darlington town centre this summer as part of a street art programme. Professional acts have been booked to appear in the town on Saturdays, between 11am and 11.30am, 12.20pm and 1pm and 2pm and
A NEGLECTED church used as a meeting place by Darlington community groups will receive funding for refurbishment, with the Co-op donating £650. Bondgate Methodist Church hosts meetings of organisations including Alcoholics Anonymous, disabled young adults
A COUNCILLOR has resigned from his party after it was decided he would not be selected as a candidate in next year's local elections. Councillor Bill Maybrey revealed yesterday that he will represent the Middleton St George ward for the rest of his term
CHILDREN had some early work experience when they visited a brick factory. The youngsters, from High Coniscliffe CE Primary School, made their own personalised bricks during the visit to the Ibstock Brick Company, in Birtley, near Chester-le-Street.
TWO youths appeared in court yesterday after they were caught with a stolen satellite navigation system by police. Darlington Magistrates' Court heard that the 16 and 17-year-old boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were seen carrying the system
A council officer has been appointed to be the face of a £2.5m street repair plan in Darlington. Melanie Morley will keep residents up to date with the campaign, called Let's Get Cracking, which was launched yesterday. Darlington Borough Council has
POLICE are using the latest technology to catch criminals travelling through their area. Durham Police are updating six patrol cars to enable officers to quickly identify vehicles. The force has used Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) since 2003
FOUR men have been arrested in Darlington supected of being linked to about 40 car-related crimes. The four, all from the town, were arrested on Thursday and Friday as part of Operation Droplet. Police launched the operation in March to crack down on
A GOVERNMENT worker who dishonestly obtained thousands of pounds worth of fuel has been spared jail. Sean Bell, 23, used a fuel card given to him by the Environment Agency to obtain about 6,000 litres of petrol, worth nearly £6,000 - before selling it
THE Great North Run has grown into an event which makes the North-East glow with pride. It is a wonderful spectacle which has played a huge part in putting the region on the map and its value should not be underestimated. But the 25th anniversary of the
A WEEK of many fascinating digressions. Following last week's boundary-breaking column, I learn of a stone in a hedgerow on the A684 from Northallerton to Teesside which has "Allerton Wapentake" inscribed upon it. Then comes news of a stone in a hedgerow
KEITH Lamb flew out to Germany with new Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate yesterday to complete the signing of Chelsea defender Robert Huth. Huth, a member of the German squad that opened the World Cup by defeating Costa Rica last night, is understood
BIODIESEL made from crops grown and processed in the North-East could help reduce carbon emissions by up to 94 per cent, compared with fossil fuels. A survey into the environmental impact of a complete biodiesel supply chain in the region has been carried
SMALL businesses in the region are moving away from relying on grants for funding, a study shows. The survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows that small businesses in the region have become more self-reliant than ever before. John Wright
ALMOST 17,500 recruits are needed in the North-East construction industry in the next four years, new figures have revealed. The industry needs an average of 4,360 new employees every year across the region in order to cope with demand, according to the
The Daily Mail may be mellowing.The new Archbishop of York, it claimed right across a square footage of newsprint usually reserved for outraged articles on The End of Civilisation As We Know it, may at last be the man to save the Church of England. On
AS part of The Northern Echo lifeblood campaign, which aims to encourage people to give blood, here are details of forthcoming donor sessions in the region: MondayCommunity Association, Tyne Road, Stanley, 2pm-7pmVillage Hall, Colburn Lane, Colburn, 2.30pm
HUNDREDS of workers and students got stripped to raise money to buy a wheelchair for a paralysed teenager.A story this week in The Northern Echo about the plight of Oliver Edge, pictured, prompted a huge response to the appeal.Radio station 96.6tfm is
FOUR thousand women will tomorrow raise thousands of pounds for charity when they pull on their trainers for the Darlington Race for Life.The 5k event, held in aid of Cancer Research UK, will see women of all ages and running abilities from across the
AFRICA: HUGH Pender's letter (HAS, June 3) saying the Americans and British have killed millions shows his ignorance of the facts.Journalist John Pilger is a Marxist and it is the policy of Marxism to heap criticism on those whose land they wish to take
Warwickshire v Durham (County Championship) : Day Three ON another glorious day at Edgbaston Durham's hopes of a three-day win were plunged into a deep freeze by a man named Frost.They partially de-iced in time to bring victory within sight as, needing
RICHMOND Foods shareholders yesterday rubber-stamped the plc's £182m takeover by Ruby Acquisitions Limited.Shareholders approved the deal with Ruby, a unit of US investment firm Oaktree Capital, at a court meeting and it was subsequently passed at an
A TEENAGER who died following a street fight was a father of a three-month-old girl. Police have launched a murder inquiry after 16-year-old Daniel Ransom died. Daniel, of Londonderry Road, Stockton, died in hospital on Thursday from head injuries sustained
A CORONER last night called for better medical arrangements at the Great North Run after the deaths of four men last year. Gateshead and South Tyneside Coroner Terrence Carney said he hoped organisers would look in particular at ways of improving emergency
A GP who earned £130,000 moonlighting for the police while off work sick was struck off yesterday. Nabil Awadalla Naroz also took money from two other jobs despite saying he was suffering from a "stress reaction" for 14 months. The General Medical
JOBS at outsourcing firm Capita were under threat last night after the Government announced the end of one of its contracts. Capita, Darlington's biggest private employer, confirmed it was in talks with staff after the Department for Education and Skills
ENGINEERING company The Tanfield Group yesterday signed a deal to buy an Irish manufacturer of cherry pickers for about £13.7m, which will see 400 jobs transferred to the region. Tanfield, based in Stanley, County Durham, is taking over the lease on
