Stories for 20 November 2007
The Northern Echo News
First edition of Viz comic goes to auction
A first edition VIZ comic is to be sold at auction. more...
'Ethical' crusher arrives at shopping centre
A MULTI-MILLION pound extension to a shopping centre reached a milestone yesterday with the arrival of a giant crushing machine which gnaws its way through 2,800 tonnes of concrete and brickwork. more...
Two seriously injured in head-on smash
TWO people were seriously injured this afternoon when a car and a van were involved in a head-on smash near Leyburn, North Yorkshire. more...
Judge grants drug addict's wish - and jails him
A JUDGE acceded to an addict's plea to go behind bars to help him to kick his drug habit. more...
Man injured in tree smash
A MAN had to be cut free from a car which hit a tree near the Honest Lawyer pub on the A167 near Durham at 6.24pm tonight. more...
Man jailed for life for murdering friend in jealous rage
A CIVIL servant who kicked and stamped a pal to death for flirting with his girlfriend has been jailed for life. more...
Two hurt in kitchen fire
TWO men were taken to hospital tonight after a fire broke out in the kitchen of a house in Stanhope Road North, Darlington. more...
Rock shares sink to a new low
SHARES in Northern Rock took a fresh battering today as investors bailed out of the crisis-hit mortgage lender. more...
Breaking news: US giant bids for Northern Rock
PRIVATE equity firm JC Flowers has made an offer for crisis-hit mortgage lender Northern Rock, it emerged today. more...
Boro are "market leaders" - Blair
A PREMIER football club has won top praise from former Prime Minister Tony Blair. more...
Drinkers and landlords warned as Christmas approaches
HAVING one too many drinks could land both revellers and the landlords who serve them in court this Christmas. more...
Breakdowns cause traffic headaches
TRAFFIC chaos descended on a North-East town this morning after two trucks broke down on the same road. more...
Update: Northern Rock will be saved if US deal goes ahead
THE Northern Rock brand will survive if a deal with US giant J C Flowers goes ahead, sources have indicated. more...
Breaking news: Police raids
THE Metropolitan Police have carried out a raid on the child benefit offices in Tyneside. more...
Woman killed while tending to injured dog
A WOMAN who stopped to help an injured dog was hit and killed by a car. more...
Police raid on child benefit offices - latest
POLICE have raided the new child benefit centre in Washington as part of a probe into a major security breach. more...
Archaeologists unearths buried treasure
Hand grenade hand-in causes panic
Soldier wins compensation for training exercise injury
A SOLDIER has been awarded £25,000 from the Ministry of Defence after suffering an injury when he was told to act like a 'psycho' during a training exercise. more...
Police have been at benefits office "for several days"
SOURCES claim teams of police have been using crowbars to open locked desks at the child benefit centre in Washington. more...
Man dies in collision
A MAN died after his Jaguar was in collision with a van. more...
Teenager to be charged with brother's murder
A TEENAGER will appear in court tomorrow morning charged with murdering his brother. more...
Age is no bar to Olga, still working at 85
A BARMAID who first pulled a pint 54 more...
Junction safety call after road tragedy
A SLOVAKIAN nanny may have more...
Date set for chef’s trial for alleged hare-coursing
A CELEBRITY chef will be tried more...
Firestarter admits blaze
Man tells jury - my wife disfigured herself
Cameron announces plans for parent-run acadamies
FLAGSHIP plans to rebuild every secondary school in the region would be ripped up by the Conservatives - in favour of new 'parent-run academies'. more...
Royal jewellery unearthed
A ROYAL Anglo-Saxon burial ground and some of the finest gold jewellery ever unearthed in the country has been discovered by a freelance archaeologist in the North-East. more...
Teenage cyclist assaulted by motorist
DETECTIVES are appealing for witnesses after a teenager told police he was assaulted by a motorist whilst out riding his bike. more...
Barton appears on assault charge
NEWCASTLE United footballer Joey Barton has appeared in court charged with assaulting a former team-mate. more...
Nitrogen chef wins top award
CHEF Sean Wilkinson doesn't just have a kitchen - he also has a laboratory. more...
Teesside tops for drug addicts in treatment
MORE drug addicts are being treated for their habit on Teesside, than in other parts of Britain. more...
Hopes high of 800 jobs at £50m port depot
MORE than 800 jobs could be created in the region over the next two years after PD Ports announced plans to build a new £50m imports depot at its flagship Teesport terminal. Hundreds more jobs could be created through construction of the 1.2m sq ft regional import centre at the Teesside port, which is expected to be used by an unnamed major UK retailer. PD said its plans would complement its existing application to construct a deep water terminal at Teesport - through a scheme known as the Northern Gateway - allowing direct imports from the Far East and creating up to 5,500 jobs in the region. The scheme is awaiting Governmental approval. Plans for the import centre, which could be operational by 2009, were welcomed last night as "fantastic news" for Teesport, the Tees Valley and wider North-East region. The warehouse and goods handling facility will be built on an undeveloped site within PD's 700-acre Tees Dock estate, and will be three times the size of the Asda Walmart import centre, which is in operation at the venue. David Robinson, group chief executive of PD Ports, said: "Today is another very important day for us and the whole region. "We are very optimistic that we will soon achieve planning approval for the Northern Gateway, and therefore we can move forward to secure the shippers and customers who will bring their containers through the Tees. "The planned new centre is entirely consistent with our overall Northern Gateway scheme and therefore most of the details in today's planning application are already well understood and fully acceptable to the relevant authorities." The plans are due to be considered by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council in the coming weeks, with construction due to start early next year if they are approved. Alan Clarke, chief executive of regional development agency One NorthEast, said the plans would be a boost for the whole of the North-East. "Delivering 800 jobs by 2009 would provide a significant boost to the regional economy, strengthening our bid to narrow the productivity gap between the region and the rest of the UK, and helping us achieve our aim of being a leading location for national and international business."This is an exciting time for PD Ports and Teesport with the Northern Gateway project also gathering pace. One will continue to offer its support for appropriate development at Teesport going forward." more...
Details of 25 million people "lost in post"
POLICE are investigating the loss of discs containing the personal data of more than 25 million benefit claimants, chancellor Alistair Darling admitted this afternoon. more...
Plan is unveiled for university campus
DARLINGTON is to become a university town, forging a new partnership between Darlington College and the University of Teesside,The scheme could go ahead as soon as 2009, The Northern Echo can reveal.Senior staff at the two education establishments have started negotiations that will see a university campus built alongside the college in Darlington's Central Park development.The project would create an enhanced further and higher education campus to boost an existing partnership between the two.Darlington College moved to its £35m campus in Haughton Road last year. In May, the University of Teesside opened a wing on the top floor. It was the first of a network of higher education centres across Tees Valley.Now, the two boards want to expand the operation with a new purpose-built campus which could more than double the 700 university students in Darlington within three years.Plans are still at a very early stage with the final buildings dependent on the courses offered in the town. They could include management, leadership and health courses.The university's board has already agreed to the idea, with the college due to discuss the project shortly, before a further meeting between key partners to agree on business plans.Professor Graham Henderson, vice-chancellor and chief executive of the University of Tees-side, said: "The new initiative is designed to deliver a much greater step change in the level of higher education in Darlington than originally envisaged by not only providing greatly enhanced access to higher education for residents of the town, but also providing an improved gateway to higher education for individuals and employers in those part of the west of the Tees Valley, South West Durham and North Yorkshire which are currently not well served by existing local higher education provision."I'm delighted by the progress the joint plans have already made. The University of Tees-side has a long history of widening access to higher education within the Tees Valley."We've felt for some time that the absence of a major physical university presence in the west of the Tees Valley has been constraining the level of engagement of both individuals and employers with university education and the development of the higher skills that are so desperately needed if the Tees Valley is to have a successful future."The town's excellent transport links to the East Coast Main Line and the A1 were also instrumental in choosing the site.Sarah Robinson, principal and chief executive of the college, said: "We see the proposed new development as complementing and extending the excellent progress that has already been achieved by the college in raising and broadening educational achievement."The college is ambitious to further develop its involvement in the delivery of higher education, and is very keen to work towards this end in partnership with the University of Teesside."Darlington MP Alan Milburn has been instrumental in promoting the project. He has long- wanted Darlington to be put on the university map.He said: "There have been discussions for many years about a university college for Darlington. I asked the University of Teesside and Darlington College to talk about how we could do this."Darlington's future lies in bringing high-skilled and high- quality employment to the town."Having our own university centre is a new educational opportunity for school-leavers and we are making great progress on the plans."Councillor John Williams, Darlington Borough Council leader, said: "The prospect of Darlington becoming a university town is very exciting. Our potential to do this has always been there, given the high degree of quality that exists within the borough."The council will do everything possible, working with our partners, to turn these plans into a reality." Comment - Page 18 more...
Stripping the light fantastic
ONLOOKERS compared it to a famous scene from Only Fools and Horses - but, thankfully, this chandelier was safely removed.The unique Chandos wooden chandelier, valued at £880,000 and thought to be the most expensive in Britain in private ownership, has been a feature at the chapel at Kirkleatham Almshouses, near Redcar, east Cleveland, for more than 200 years.Yesterday, it was removed and safely packed away ready to be repaired and auctioned.It underwent a major restoration 50 years ago, but is now again in need of extensive repair.Over the years, the value of the chandelier has escalated, but so has the insurance premium. The Almshouses Trustees - which provides sheltered accommodation for people over the age of 63 - was facing a £2,600 bill each year just to insure it.Watched by residents yesterday, the chandelier was removed and replaced with a 120kg brass chandelier of the same age. A winch fitted just last week meant the operation to switch the chandeliers was "Del Boy proof".The wooden chandelier will be inspected before being sold at Christies, in London, next year.Peter Sotheran, chairman of the trustees, said: "Everyone is sad to see it go, but it makes sense. Having seen the new one in place, we are all absolutely delighted."Proceeds from the sale will be used to build up to ten bungalows designed to accommodate people with restricted mobility."The balance of the funds will be invested to create a charitable endowment that will help to offset some of the running costs of the 330-year-old almshouses."Planning permission has been granted for the project.The gilded chandelier was made for the home of London MP James Bridges in 1721. Later, it was bought by the family of Sir William Turner at a knock-down price of three guineas (£3.15) at a bankruptcy auction, and moved to Kirkleatham.The almshouses are Grade I-listed buildings, and permission to remove the chandelier was needed from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. more...
Gold found in Anglo-Saxon cemetery
A ROYAL Anglo-Saxon cemetery - with some of the finest gold jewellery to be found in Britain - has been discovered. more...
Man admits torching girlfriend's home
A MAN has admitted starting a fire under the stairs at his girlfriend's home. more...
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