Sunderland 2 Hull City 0 The Black Cats promotion charge was back on track on Saturday with a hard-fought win over Phil Brown's side with goals from Jonny Evans - his first for Sunderland - and a late gift for substitute Stern John. The win took
Hartlepool equalled a club record unbeaten run of 21 games thanks to a thrilling 3-3 draw at Stockport. Pools fought from three goals down in the opening 36 minutes to grab a share of the spoils in an exciting end to end League Two contest. Danny Wilson's
Middlesbrough 0 Manchester City 2 FORMER Middlesbrough target Sylvain Distin struck to keep Stuart Pearce in a job, while it also put a serious dent into hopes of a top seven place at the Riverside Stadium. The Frenchman, knowing it has been widely
TOMMY Wright's second half strike ensured victory for Darlington as Dave Penney's men moved to within one point of the play-offs. The 1-0 win extends Darlington's unbeaten run to 13 games. And, after Wycombe were held to a draw by Walsall, Quakers are
HERE we go again. Another Red Nose Day is with us. There are tens of thousands of charities in this country. What does this say about this socalled civilisation in which we live. With the productive capacity of capitalism, all the charities should
We are constantly reminded by the Government of the "Respect" agenda and bar room talk wants us to return to the good old days of the village bobby administering instant justice by way of a clip round the ear. Yet as soon as a drunken, violent
EVERYONE knows that there is massive unemployment in the North-East where major industries have been decimated. The Labour Government has given industry and manufacturing a low priority. I appreciate Thorn lighting at Spennymoor going for a new
AT long last our Government has done something to be proud of - although it had to be dragged kicking and screaming to it. The new pension deal for the Gurkhas, brave and courageous soliders who help protect us, was long overdue. Stephen Twigg
RALPH Hughes stated that Tony Blair took Britain to war (HAS, Mar 12). The Prime Minister had no other choice, as terrorists were training in Afghanistan, and Iraq was being ruled by an evil dictator at the time. Mr Blair does have a lot to answer
CONGRATULATIONS to Dr Ian Paisley and the Democratic Unionist Party on an excellent result of 36 seats in Northern Ireland's Assembly elections. This proves there are still some sane-minded people that do us proud in this United Kingdom. Ian Paisley
I AM writing to express my shock and disgust at the article by the Rev Peter Mullen (Echo, Mar 14). How someone who is a minister in the Christian church can think that it is morally acceptable to squander money on weapons that would bring absolutely
IN view of Thursday's announcement that the current cost of the Olympics is £9.5bn, is it not now the time to pull the plug and cancel the games. These games only benefit a minority of people, but the cost is borne by the majority, who will be
Kate Peers is serious about comedy Dead Funny but jokes about her links with TV's The Simpsons. STARRING in a play called Dead Funny shouldn't cause you any concerns about keeping a straight face, but actress Kerry Peers has exactly that problem as glowering
PRIMARY school pupils are collecting memories of a recreation field where generations of Bishop Auckland children have played. Pupils at Etherley Lane are contributing to plans for improving the town recreation ground by making a film about its history
A query has come in from a Sedgefield woman about RN Goldsborough, who was a Barningham publican in the late 1800s. She came across a reference to him being landlord of the Royal Oak in the village, as well as working as a cordwainer. She wanted to know
ORGANISERS of weekly lunches for pensioners are facing an unexpected problem - they do not have enough cooks to prepare meals for an increasing number of diners. In the past five years, the number of people taking part in the Teesdale Day Club lunches
A TEESDALE school came alive with the sounds of Africa yesterday as students prepared for a tribal drumming performance. About 90 pupils from Green Lane School, in Barnard Castle, took part in workshops about playing African Djembe drums. After a day
FURTHER controversy has broken out over Darlington borough council's schools admission policy. Parents are angered that despite being offered a choice of schools, the council appears to have disregarded their wishes. One parent said he would risk going
BEER connoisseurs have been visiting Darlington for the town's 21st Spring Thing folk festival. Almost 50 draught real ales are on offer at a beer festival running as part of the event. Eight breweries have also produced special beers for the festival
A £1M affordable housing project in Barnard Castle has won praise from the Government for the environmentally-friendly way in which they were built. The development of ten, two-bedroomed apartments, in Tannery Lane off Birch Road, has recently been completed
A couple were banned from keeping animals for five years yesterday after an RSPCA inspector found their three dogs were thin and infested with fleas. David Waldock, 48, and Elaine Walker, 49, from Meadow View, West Auckland, admitted causing unnecessary
A TEENAGER punched a supermarket worker in the face before returning the next day and threatening to kill the store's security guard. When he was told he was barred from the Morrison's store, in Darlington's North Road, the 16-year-old left, but smashed
AN author taught the magic of reading to children in Darlington this week. GP Taylor spoke to 100 youngsters when he visited the town's Crown Street library as part of a project to increase reading. Mr Taylor, the author of the best-selling Shadowmancer
A CAMPAIGN group today launches its manifesto to increase cycling in Darlington tenfold. Darlington Cycling Campaign is urging the council to take a national lead on traffic policy to help reduce needless car journeys. The campaign group wants to see
PEOPLE living in part of Darlington have asked the council to look into the state of the verges in their neighbourhood. Residents have called for some of the grass verges in Cockerton West to be tarred because parked cars are blocking the roads. Labour
BELLY dancing and blood pressure tests will be offered to Darlington residents next week at a free health event. The event, at the Dolphin Centre on Wednesday, will give people the chance to receive advice about staying healthy and getting fit. Alongside
A SCHOOL near Darlington has been awarded three certificates to celebrate its role in the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT). There are 2,695 specialist schools and academies in the country and the latest tables put Hurworth as the 29th best
A PROLIFIC offender narrowly avoided being locked up yesterday after magistrates had a last-minute change of heart. Two police officers were called to court to take the 15-year-old, from Darlington, into custody, but then the case was adjourned, and he
THE family of a man who died the day after he was the victim of a drunken assault said last night his assailant's 16-month prison sentence "was nothing". But the family remain angry with 31-year-old Neil Hodgson, who was said to have been "a friend"
A CONVICTED blackmailer was starting his second spell behind bars last night for waging a campaign of terror against a young couple. Nell Thygesen was jailed for six years for what a judge described as "heinous crimes" against Liam Thompson and girlfriend
AN artist who draws inspiration from the world around him is launching an exhibition of his work. John May's Dreams - An Exhibition of Energy will be on show at The Art Shop, in Darlington, at the end of the month. The 67-year-old, from Skelton, east
A BUSINESS village will be built on the edge of a Spennymoor industrial estate creating jobs and supporting existing companies. The development to the north of Green Lane Industrial Estate will provide office space for about a dozen businesses. It will
A SURVEY which singles out a North-East street as the cheapest in the land been branded "ridiculous" after research centred on homes marked for demolition. Tower Green, in Middlesbrough, has been labelled as the cheapest in England and Wales, with an
A training cafe for adults with learning and physical disabilities is opening in a Bishop Auckland community centre. The Time Out cafe is being set up in the Four Clocks Centre, Newgate Street, by Durham County Council and the building's owners, Bishop
DARLINGTON MP Alan Milburn has been out and about in the town to talk to people about their concerns. Mr Milburn joined councillors Ian Haszeldine and Frank Robson at the street surgery on Wednesday night. They were joined by Lynne Haszeldine, the prospective
PEOPLE living in Teesdale are being encouraged to take advantage of a scheme that will provide them with free training for a national qualification. Teesdale Village Halls Consortium is providing the training, which is open to people in Teesdale who are
Joan Clark, 44, of Stanley Way, Billy Row, admitted drunk and disorderly behaviour in New Road, Crook, when she appeared before Bishop Auckland magistrates yesterday. She was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and was ordered to pay £43 costs
CHILDREN have been brushing up on their road safety rules by painting road signs. The children at St George's Primary School, in Middleton St George, came up with ideas for the signs to illustrate a 20mph speed limit. Sam Giblin and Andrew Morrison produced
A monthly music showcase featuring bands and DJs starts at The Forum, Darlington, on Thursday. The first Switch Off night features The Freys and The Modes, from 7.30pm. Tickets cost £3.
Abandoning his best intentions, Phil Derbyshire succumbs to the lazy lifestyle of a beach holiday in Barbados. THERE are plenty of educational holidays to choose from these days that teach you to cook, paint, play golf or even to fly. But to learn the
THE world famous "coathanger", one of the icons of 20th Century design, is 75 years old on Monday. Tomorrow, 100,000 Aussies will celebrate by walking its length - 1,149 metres - and climbing its height - 139 metres. And they'll be doing so on Teesside
One of the most portrayed of all detectives, Sherlock Holmes, is returning to the small screen with some unfamiliar assistants. Faithful Dr Watson is by his side but the Baker Street sleuth will also have help from a ragtag group of street kids. They're
A YOUTH club is looking for premises after part of a community centre was damaged. Consett Churches Detached Youth Project used to hold a drop-in service at Crookhall Community Association, in Crookhall, near Consett. Young people aged 12 to 21 would
COUNCIL tenants have voted for their homes to be transferred to a non-profit making housing association. The controversial ballot on the Chester-le-Street District Council's housing transfer proposals, carried out by the independent Electoral Reform Services
RESIDENTS of Richmondshire are urged to take home a hippo to help conserve water. The devices fit into toilet cisterns to ensure that less water is used each time the loo is flushed, saving about three litres per flush. To coincide with World Water Day
A COMPANY is waging war on smelly wheelie bins. Green Clean (North Yorkshire), in Catterick Garrison, is run by Roy Thorpe and Sue Beaty and washes and deodorises domestic and commercial wheeled bins in a three-minute operation. It is part of a national
AN ambitious plan to turn a former school into an eco-friendly community hall is likely to fail. Residents of Bransdale, in the North York Moors National Park, want to erect a 12 metre high wind turbine erected and fit solar energy panels to the old school
PARKED cars are causing problems for people who live opposite a police station. Residents of Castle View, in Chester-le-Street, complained that police officers' cars were blocking the street and said motorists were showing a lack of respect. Plastic surgeon
DRAMA school students will be on stage at the weekend. The Pauline Cook School of Dancing, in Consett, and the Consett Arts Theatre School will stage a performance of songs and dance at the Consett Empire Theatre at 7pm today, and at 2.30pm on Sunday.
The Guisborough and District Friends of Cancer Research UK will hold a quiz and supper night at Guisborough Rugby Club, on Wednesday, March 28, at 7.45pm. Tickets are £6 and are available by calling 01287-634571 or 01287-634965. Proceeds will be sent
LIFE is going to be twice as convenient for visitors to Bedale. Anyone caught short while attending events in Bedale Hall park can now use toilets opened by the town council in part of a garage behind the building. The toilets were the idea of the council
A TEENAGE drumming sensation is hoping to become the female Phil Collins after excelling in her examinations. Katie Lamb, 15, from Guisborough, recently passed her grade eight drum exam with distinction. The Year 11 pupil at Teesside High School, in Eaglescliffe
EYE-catching art work with a strong Antipodean theme has gone on display in a Ripon gallery. Leeds-based Wendy McArthur, pictured, draws on her time living in Australia for ideas for her art work. She headed to West Yorkshire after spending 40 years living
campaigners battling to keep a plot of land as community open space have beaten developers for a second time. But the battle may not be over yet because the developers of the Eston housing scheme have lodged an appeal with Government inspectors. For the
A SOLDIER from the region has won a physical training award after only 22 weeks in the Army. Sapper Christopher Ward, 17, of the Royal Engineers was judged top of physical training in his training platoon. The former pupil of Risedale Community College
A MULTI-MILLION pound scheme to give a hotel a national reputation has been deferred. Plans were entered with the North York Moors National Park to carry out work on the Feversham Arms Hotel, in Helmsley. They involved extending the hotel to form a new
STAFF at a nursery school are celebrating after receiving the highest award for their commitment to food hygiene. Rosedene Nursery, in Hemlington, has been awarded five stars on the Tees Valley Food Hygiene award scheme, organised by Middlesbrough Council's
CLAIMS the Labour government is deliberately not spending money on flood defences in a Tory area have been denied. Severe flooding in the Thirsk and Helmsley areas is a major issue in the Tory stronghold of North Yorkshire. The area has suffered tens
PENSIONER Arthur Richmond has become one of the first smokers to make use of a new project to help people quit - ending an almost 60-year habit. The 76-year-old has smoked for the past 58 years but, with the help of specially-trained Age Concern staff
DANNY COLLINS has revealed a car crash was the reason why three players arrived late for the team coach last week, but feels the togetherness within the squad should ensure Sunderland's promotion drive does not skid off track. Anthony Stokes, Marton Fulop
Police are appealing for witnesses to a crash on the A19 on Thursday. The accident happened at 10pm on the northbound carriageway. The driver and three passengers in a Citroen Saxo, who were all in their late teens and from Billingham, suffered cuts and
The Grand Prix season kicks off Down Under with, as Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson reports, the sport desperately searching for Michael Schumacher's heir apparent . IT isn't just a new Formula One season that will begin in Melbourne's Albert Park tomorrow
A MAGISTRATE who devoted nearly 30 years to the justice system has retired. John Charlton, of Ainderby Steeple, joined Northallerton's bench in 1978. Yesterday, courtroom colleagues gathered for a presentation to mark his last sitting. They included
PUPILS at a North Yorkshire school enjoyed a bird of prey show to tie in with their studies. The students at Cundall Manor School, near Thirsk, were entertained by falconer Ben Potter, who showed the youngsters his bird's skills and tricks. His Thirsk-based
AN artist who draws inspiration from the landscape where he lives is hosting an exhibition. John May's Dreams - An Exhibition of Energy is opening at The Art Shop, in Darlington, at the end of the month. The 67-year-old uses the woodland and landscape
A LAST ditch attempt has been launched to prevent the closure of a church known as the Pitman's Cathedral. Dwindling congregations and spiraling maintenance costs means St Hild and St Helen's Church, in Dawdon, Seaham may have to close. A meeting was
ROY KEANE last night admitted he welcomes rule changes in football but feels the idea of having penalty shoot-outs at the end of Football League matches will never get off the ground, writes PAUL FRASER. Clubs outside the Premiership have agreed to consider
A nurse gave a terminally-ill patient the wrong medication - then claimed racist abuse from her patients had left her flustered. Surinder Grewal, 52, also chatted on the phone while a care assistant asked for help with an aggressive patient, the Nursing
YOUNG business brains of the future who are in a race to find the entrepreneurs of tomorrow have enjoyed a day of team-building. Contestants of the Future Business Magnates award met at Maiden Law, in Durham. Eight teams of between eight and ten year
Mike Catt admits England will face a ''massive challenge'' at the Millennium Stadium today as they prepare to exit their comfort zone. England's last four Test wins - against South Africa, Scotland, Italy and France - all came at Twickenham. And their
THE region's links with Saudi Arabia were strengthened this week with the visit of senior members of staff from the University of Jubail. The delegation was invited by One NorthEast and the North-East Process Industry Cluster (Nepic) to see the research
Gareth Jenkins believes James Hook can win the battle of the young fly-half pretenders and lead Wales to victory over England at the Millennium Stadium today. Hook will start opposite England's Toby Flood after moving from inside centre to replace injured
A WETLAND centre is planning a series of family activities for the Easter holidays. Washington Wetland Centre is planning a two-week Spring Into Life event, starting on Monday, April 2, with a series of guided walks, discovery trails and craft sessions
KEEPATEM'S featherweight could be the crucial factor come the finale of Uttoxeter's Midlands Grand National, one of the most bruising races run on the National Hunt calender. David Casey's mount only has 10st 11b to shoulder, a massive plus considering
A CROWN court judge is presenting seven young people with certificates for making a film about anti-social behaviour. Durham Crown Court judge, Richard Lowden, will present the National Open College Network Certificates at Durham County Hall on Tuesday
THEY call the street the murder mile -where all manner of grisly crimes take place -but it is a scene welcomed by forensic experts. The street is part of the redevelopment of an isolated County Durham mansion to keep it at the forefront of fighting crime
OFF-SITE construction specialist Yorkon has won £8m of contracts in the health sector. The company, which is based in York, has been appointed to work on hospital projects in Teesside, Walsall and Guernsey. The biggest of the three contracts, worth Â
THIEVES made off with bird boxes in a raid on a nature reserve. Pensioner Harold Hogg made the boxes, which he donated to Low Barns Nature Reserve, in High Grange. Four metal fatbole boxes and four nutfeeders were stolen on Thursday night. They were
THE last bottle of HP sauce to be made in the UK rolled off the production line yesterday morning. Production of the condiment ended at the company's factory, in Aston, Birmingham, at 6am, marking the end of 108 years of sauce-making. Parent company Heinz
A NORTH-EAST company has moved into overseas markets and secured more than £500,000 of work. Gate 7, in Gateshead, already exports 90 per cent of its products to Europe and the US, but was keen to explore new opportunities in Japan and China. With the
ceramics artwork that marked the 150th anniversary of Middlesbrough receiving its borough charter features in an exhibition. The 150 white porcelain plates are called One Body Politic - one plate for every year of the borough charter - and is located
THREE pilots are preparing to take to the skies in a light aircraft to fly around the world in aid of African children. Private pilot Neville Tate, from Eaglescliffe, is to join the one-month trip to Darwin, Australia, to raise awareness of the Orbis
A HEROIN addict who inadvertently supplied a fatal dose of methadone was yesterday jailed for two years. David Bellerby gave some of both his and his girlfriend's prescribed heroin-substitute to a caller at the door of his home in Peterlee. But both were
ONLY half of Darlington's worst fears were realised when skipper Richard Snowball and Phil Dawson played for the Newcastle Development XV on Wednesday night. Snowball emerged unscathed, but Dawson suffered a rib injury and misses today's National Three
CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown's 11th budget next week will be a budget for business, he said in an interview yesterday. The budget, on Wednesday, is expected to be Mr Brown's last and will contain a positive forecast for the economy. He told the Financial Times
NOLBERTO Solano has claimed it would be a "tragedy" if Thursday's UEFA Cup defeat in Holland was to represent his final chance of claiming silverware as a Newcastle player. Solano's current deal expires in the summer and, while Magpies manager Glenn Roeder
EMANUEL Pogatetz will happily pile even more pressure on Stuart Pearce's shoulders this weekend - just to prove Middlesbrough can focus on two things at once. The whole of the town are excited about Monday's FA Cup quarter-final replay with Manchester
Sir Alex Ferguson is backing Wayne Rooney to fire Manchester United towards Premiership glory. With Henrik Larsson back in Sweden, Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both on the injured list and Alan Smith still to make a league start this term, Rooney
England paid the price for failing to heed the mistakes made during their build-up to the World Cup and suffered a costly six-wicket defeat to New Zealand in their opening match. A paltry 209 for seven having been put into bat in the heavyweight group
Worcester 23. Newcastle Falcons 21. Worcester gave their Guinness Premiership survival hopes a colossal boost by fighting back to stun Newcastle at Sixways. The Warriors looked down and out at half-time, trailing 21-6 after Falcons scored three converted
ANIMAL lovers throughout the country have been understandably appalled by the highly-emotive case of David Smith, the North-East man who turned the killing of unwanted greyhounds into a business. And there will be many who will view the sentence imposed
AT the tender age of 20, James Brown has done well to have already been on the books of three North-East clubs - Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Hartlepool United. But, after shrugging off suggestions he was too small at the Academy of Light and leaving
Steve McClaren is convinced the return of Owen Hargreaves can help trigger a much-needed return to form for England in Israel next week. After emerging as a key member of the England squad during the World Cup, Hargreaves played the opening three games
After failing to score in each of their last two games, Dave Penney is considering altering the Darlington forward line this afternoon. But it is set-pieces Quakers have been working on this week. Although unbeaten in 12 league games, Darlington have
England captain Michael Vaughan admitted England needed to recover quickly from their demoralising six-wicket defeat to New Zealand before they face Canada on Sunday. After winning the toss New Zealand had England in trouble and only an 81-run stand between
VICTORY for Camden Bella (2.25) in Newcastle's opener would round off an exciting week for trainer Nicky Richards, who sent out Turpin Green to finish third in yesterday's Cheltenham Gold Cup. The seven-year-old mare isn't in Turpin Green's league, however
Forgotten man Gaetano Giallanza is keeping his fingers crossed that he will soon return to action and be able to recapture the form he showed for Darlington at the start of the season. The Swiss striker was a David Hodgson signing at the beginning of
A PAINTER wanting to make a big impression in the art world brought a town to a standstill - with help from an elephant.Karl Coates paid £3,500 to hire the elephant to launch his latest exhibition, in the Yarm art gallery, near Stockton.The 40-year-old
Far from a Lenten fast, the column finds a hearty welcome - and a breath of fresh air in the form of the parish's first woman priest - at St Mary's at Middleon-in-Teesdale.The only problem with that familiar doggerel "Tid, Mid, Misere, Carlin, Palm, Paste
Crazy stunts were staged trhoughout the country to raise money for Comic Relief yesterday. The Northern Echo reports on how the region contributed to the annual Red Nose Day efforts.FIREFIGHTERS from Cleveland Fire Brigade joined college students and
With David Smith throwing the greyhound industry under the spotlight, attention has now turned to smaller, independent tracks with the sport's own regulatory body admitting it has no control over them. Stuart Arnold reports.AWAY from the world of "big
ON-THE-RUN Nell Thygesen must have known his luck had run out when he walked into a pub to discover a group of off-duty police officers at a party.Middlesbrough's most-wanted man had evaded capture for two years by moving around the North-East without
A SANCTUARY boss convicted of a string of animal cruelty charges says he has turned his haven around and will continue to care for wildlife.Clifford Spedding was yesterday handed a four-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to nine charges
WITH two of his closest friends in football struggling against relegation, Middlesbrough's Gareth Southgate has revealed how other managers' misfortune has taught him to go with his instinct. If Southgate celebrates victory over Manchester City at the
A FRESH approach is being taken to tackling unemployment across the region. Agencies in the North-East have worked together to develop a Regional Employability Framework (REF) to help make the £170m spent annually on employment more effective. It comes
THE omission of two Sunderland players from the Republic of Ireland squad has been labelled a 'disgrace' by aggrieved former international captain Roy Keane. And the Black Cats boss, annoyed by what he describes as "politics" within the Football Association
SOUL searching has become something of a national sport on Tyneside, but as the inquest into Newcastle's dispiriting UEFA Cup exit begins in earnest, a reflective Freddy Shepherd has reaffirmed his faith in Glenn Roeder and promised to back his manager
NORTH-EAST health chiefs admitted last night that some bodies of people who died in hospitals could not be released for burial because of an administrative blunder.Bodies needing a post-mortem examination at hospitals in Darlington, Bishop Auckland and
AFTER fining a businessman £2,000 for burying slaughtered dogs on his land without a permit, a judge said the case may prompt a change in the law.Appearing for sentence at Durham Crown Court, David Smith, 57, of Northdene Terrace, Seaham, County Durham
ANGRY residents have confronted a landowner over plans to fund a new visitor attraction by extending a quarry.More than 70 people from Barton and Middleton Tyas attended a meeting about the proposals for Middleton Lodge, between Darlington and Richmond.They
Zack Snyder's fantasy take on one of the most famous battles of ancient history may have angered the classicists but, as Steve Pratt reports, it's certainly pleasing the punters. It's the $64,000 question but not one that director Zack Snyder can answer
A 12-YEAR-OLD girl was injured when she fell down a bank and landed in a stream last night. The girl was with a friend when she fell eight feet into the stream, at Bonemill Lane in the Fatfield area of Washington, at about 10.30pm. Her friend contacted
