CHRISTIAN KAREMBEU is in danger of being axed for Middlesbrough's crucial game at Charlton on Saturday. Under-fire Boro boss Bryan Robson admitted he was mystified by Karembeu's dire performance in Monday's 3-1 defeat at the hands of derby rivals Newcastle
KENYA'S marathon world record holder Tegla Loroupe and Great Britain's World 10,000m silver medallist Paul Radcliffe renew their intense rivalry in Sunday's BUPA Great North Run. The two stars last clashed in the Olympic Games 10,000m final, and both
NISSAN last night stepped up pressure on the Government to embrace the euro with a warning that its car component base could be switched to Europe. On the eve of the British Motor Show in Birmingham, the Japanese giant issued a warning that could spell
A TEENAGE killer who kicked and mutilated his victim, then set her on fire, was jailed for life yesterday. John Rowland, of Haughton Road, Darlington, admitted killing Justina Harrison, 23, also from the town, last February 6. He changed his plea from
A SPORTS mad schoolboy has been left with permanent eye damage after a trip to collect conkers went badly wrong. Last night, 12-year-old Adam Farn's father Michael, speaking from their home in Cheviot Place, Peterlee, revealed that the accident had left
MIRACLE tot Georgia Wilkins defied the odds to be born - and is now confounding medics again by leading a normal life despite having three kidneys. The smiling, blue-eyed two-year-old looks like any other child but is on daily medication to counter the
A VIOLENT drunk who attacked hospital staff trying to treat him walked free from court yesterday. Anthony Griffiths, 32, was put on probation for 18 months to curb his drinking after pleading guilty to an affray which tool place in April. But Judge Michael
PARAMEDICS used a forklift truck to rescue an injured passenger from the top deck of a crashed bus. Steve McKean and Allan Hunter faced a tricky situation when they found the man with suspected back injuries. They had to strap him to a spinal board to
asbestos has been removed from a village building site. Residents of Middleton St George, near Darlington, had expressed concerns about the effects of asbestos at the former Arctic Milburn site. Health and safety experts and environment chiefs said the
FEARS that the electronic tagging of hospital patients could be abused are to be aired at a national conference in the region, where the UK's first tagging scheme is being extended. Tagging patients has proved so popular at the Newcastle Royal Victoria
CRIMINALS are sticking to their own back yards instead of travelling further afield to commit offences, according to new research. A Home Office study has punctured the belief among rural police forces that most of their crimes are committed by people
DURHAM County Council has paid £1,000 to a man wrongly charged for home care for his disabled wife. The council's social services department has also changed its procedures for assessing whether people should pay for care. The council took action after
BOSSES at Newcastle United predicted a bright future for the club yesterday despite revealing annual pre-tax losses of £19m. With the on-time and within budget completion of the redevelopment of St James' Park increasing stadium capacity to 52,000, and
WORK is to start on a bridge that will help complete a major piece of the national cycle network in County Durham. The cycle bridge will be installed across the A689, near the site of the former Wynyard station, on the old Castle Eden railway line, at
A BUS operator in Darlington has informed passengers that it might have to withdraw its services by Christmas. Paul Thompson, owner of Leven Valley Coaches, says he is owed a five-figure sum by rival companies in the town. Leven Valley accept other companies
A COUNCIL is developing plans to persuade people to leave their cars at home. School Travel Plans (STP) and Employee Travel Plans (ETP) are initiatives being considered by Darlington Borough Council. STP looks at all aspects of travel to and from school
Racing's bosses yesterday insisted the industry is in line for an annual £50 million boost once a future funding plan comes into effect. The extra cash will flow into the sport once the levy is scrapped. The blueprint for the future was unveiled by the
A FARMER appeared before Bishop Auckland magistrates yesterday, charged with illegally dumping waste. Marcus Leonard Nimmo, of Creebeck Farm, Neasham Road, Darlington, is accused of depositing bricks, tiles, plaster, guttering and wood on land at Lingfield
A NEW bereavement support group has been launched. The Teesdale Friendship Group has been set up by the Darlington branch of Cruse Bereavement Care to coincide with Cruse Awareness Week. Members have held the first of monthly meetings at the Carer's Centre
POLICE investigating the death of a mother-of-three whose body was found on wasteland have ruled out foul play. The body of 45-year-old Sue Borthwick was found on the site of the former Parkfield foundry, Stockton, on Thursday. The wasteground was cordoned
AN action plan outlining how a council aims to work with the community to improve the environment is being launched today. Councillor Ken Walker, the leader of Middlesbrough Borough Council, will be at the town's central gardens for the launch of the
SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid is set to hit "model professional" Kevin Kilbane with a hefty fine after the Repunblic of Ireland international's red card during the 1-0 home win over Chelsea. The 23-year-old winger, who had not been booked this season
RUMOURS that Prime Minister Tony Blair's Government has decided to send a crucial £1bn ship order overseas were denied by ministers last night. A Ministry of Defence (MoD) decision on the contract to build and manage six roll on/roll off (roro) ferries
A CHURCH congregation is celebrating after learning that it is well on the way to its target to save its crumbling tower. The National Lottery Heritage Fund is to make a £62,500 donation to St Cuthbert's Church fund, to repair its weathered tower, a landmark
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a burglary at a North-East factory. Thieves stole thousands of pounds worth of aluminium mouldings from Aycliffe Engineering, in Beaumont Way, on the Aycliffe Industrial Estate, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. Red
CELEBRATIONS took place yesterday when the first baby was born in one of the region's new maternity units. Jake Thomas was born at North Tees General Hospital, Stockton, at 1.23pm, weighing 3580 grams - which is just over seven and a half pounds. Proud
A DENTIST tricked the National Health Service out of thousands of pounds by claiming for work he had not done, a court heard yesterday. David Ratliff, 54, claimed money for gold fillings and expensive crowns when he used standard materials, it was alleged
DURHAM County Council has paid £1,000 to a man wrongly charged for home care for his disabled wife. The social services department has also changed its procedures for assessing whether people should pay for care. The council took action after the un-named
EVERY week, it seems, there is another story emanating from the Nissan plant in Sunderland about worries for the future. This week's version is that even if Sunderland does win the new Micra, much of its components will come from the euro-zone. This is
THE NEW junior teaching block at Durham High School for Girls has been officially opened. Blue Peter presenter Matt Baker cvisted the school to carry out the opening ceremony at the building, designed by architects Browne Smith Baker. Margaret Stone,
FIREfighters had to use cutting gear to free a driver trapped in a two-coach crash. The man, thought to be in his 30s, was trapped by his feet, but also sustained a shoulder injury. His face was cut by slivers of flying glass. Fire Station Officer Bob
OPPOSITION is growing to council plans to bulldoze parkland and build a car park. The open space, planted with mature trees and flowering bulbs, is next to the site of a former highways depot at Guisborough. According to local people, it was designated
THE NORTH of the region can learn from Teesside's more enlightened- approach to out of town retail, says Tim Catterall, partner at Sanderson, Townend & Gilbert. "The debate between city centre and out of town retail continues to provoke controversy
AN entrepreneur is making heroes and heroines out of North-East youngsters as part of a storybook venture. Dave Stones first came up with the idea of starting a personalised book firm after being stumped for what to buy his 18-month-old twins for Christmas
WHETHER you are standing outside its new office base at St Mark's Basin or on the edge of its development site at Teesdale Business Park, the achievements of the Terrace Hill Group, since establishing a Northern base for itself on Teesside some six years
A COUNCIL leader has slammed a binmen's petition for "seriously misleading" the public. As reported by the Northern Echo last week, refuse workers in the Redcar and Cleveland area have drafted a petition in a bid to gain public support in their protest
THE mystery of what happened to a statue at a County Durham country park has deepened. The statue of Neptune disappeared from a plinth in the Serpentine Lake, at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield, about 50 years ago. One theory was that it had fallen into the
FOOTBALL fan Paul Hodgson will be signing copies of his autobiography, Flipper's Side, next Monday. Paul has been a Darlington fan for 30 years and has travelled the country to support his side, despite being in a wheelchair. He wrote the book to show
A PEDESTRIAN injured in a road accident nine days ago has died in hospital. Geoffrey Lishman, 46, from Millfield Road, Fishburn, in County Durham, suffered multiple injuries in the accident at the junction of the B1278 and Salters Lane, Sedgefield, at
FUTURE Steps, Teesside's careers service, has been recognised nationally as an organisation which provides quality careers information, advice and guidance by achieving accreditation to the Guidance Council's Quality Standards. The company is the first
VOICES is a new magazine published by the Government offering advice and information to women. Produced in association with Good Housekeeping magazine, the glossy magazine offers suggestions on balancing work and home life, returning to work, health and
WILF MANNION'S glittering future was foretold by a gipsy - when he was only two years old. Pat Wilson, Wilf's niece, said: "I remember my father told me when Wilf was only a little boy a Romany gipsy came to the door. The gipsy said there was gold in
Egg on-line to cook up profits INTERNET banking group Egg has announced it has signed up more than 120,000 customers during the last three months and is on track for its UK business to break into profit next year. The group, which was floated by Prudential
THEATRICAL persons, classicists and those who scraped O level English Lit may be familiar with the phrase deus ex machina - pronounced day-us ex mackiner and literally meaning "a god from the machines". Figuratively, however, a deus ex machina is a great
ONE of its most famous advertising slogan reads "you can with a Nissan". But when it comes to predicting where the new Micra model will be built it appears you most certainly can't. A decision is expected by December at the latest, and the smart money
TONY Thompson, aged 18 from Stockton, is currently working through a Modern Apprenticeship with Hickson Motors, also of Stockton. There is nothing particularly remarkable in that fact as hundreds of young people in Stockton will be working through similar
When he signed from Shildon in 1922, Archie Brown cost Sunderland £650. Whatever that equates in new money, he was clearly a useful lad. We'd mentioned him a couple of columns back, the chap who scored on his Sunderland debut - against Manchester United
WE played a great game on Saturday against the Ayr Scottish Eagles. We never quit and ended up on top with a great goal by Eric Fenton with 2.30 left in the game to make it 3 - 2. I am really impressed with the way things are going with our team lately
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Christmas sales assistant. £3.80ph, 12hrs pw. 5 days over 7. Experience essential. Ref: DUR 23819. Kitchen assistant. £3.25ph 18-21, £3.70 age 22-plus
POLICE last night ruled out a bomb blast as the cause of a train crash which killed four passengers and injured 34 yesterday. The high-speed train, on the East Coast main line, came off the rails at more than 100mph, buckling carriages. Hertfordshire
A POLICE dog called Bosco has landed a North-East police force with a legal headache amid claims that he is too good at his job. The German shepherd is at the centre of mounting calls for it to be banned following a series of attacks in Middlesbrough.
HUMAN RIGHTS ACT WHAT a bizarre Human Rights Act it is going to be if Myra Hindley can overturn a decision by the British Home Secretary on her life sentence. Hindley and Ian Brady killed small children and enjoyed their pleading and begging for mercy
DARLINGTON's six-match unbeaten start to their third division home campaign ended in misery as Kidderminster Harriers snatched a 2-1 win at Feethams last night. Gary Bennett's men spurned a host of chances while Harriers took theirs as John Durnin's double
BOBBY Robson last night backed Middlesbrough boss Bryan Robson to beat the boo-boys after his Newcastle side claimed the honours in the Tyne-Tees battle at the Riverside Stadium. The Boro fans booed Robson off the field after the 3-1 defeat which leaves
DOZENS of young athletes braved driving rain to tackle a cross-country challenge. The youngsters from Shildon county and Dene Valley primary schools were taking part in a Fit For Sport 2000 event organised by Shildon Sunnydale School. Year five and six
Alan Shearer fired Newcastle to a convincing win over Middlesbrough which saw the Magpies soar to third in the Premiership table. The former England skipper blasted home in the 38th minute to set up a 3-1 win over their North East rivals, but insisted
A CONSERVATION group says Durham people back its fight to save a landmark from demolition. The City of Durham Trust will be one of the objectors at a public inquiry starting today, arguing that Brown's boathouse should not be pulled down. Leftbank Developments
A COUPLE accused of cruelty against two adopted children have been cleared in court of two charges. The stepmother and stepfather were found not guilty yesterday of stuffing soiled underwear into their adopted son's mouth when he was about eight. The
THE Cleveland Shopping Centre, in Middlesbrough, is planning a packed programme of half-term activities, from October 23 to 27. Among the attractions will be model making with Kidactive Models, clowns Calvero and Jan and a visit by the caricaturist Paul
A NEW department store has been hailed as the future of shopping after attracting massive crowds over its first weekend. About 40,000 people passed through the doors of the Big W store, in Stockton, over its first three days. The shop, on the site of
THE people of County Durham are to have a direct line to the Queen. A new communication system has been put in place to allow people to contact Buckingham Palace directly about landmark birthdays and anniversaries. In the past, the Lord Lieutenant had
THE North-East family of jailed human rights activist James Mawdsley was last night celebrating the news he is to be released after more than a year in prison. Burmese authorities announced yesterday they are to deport the 27-year-old pro-democracy campaigner
Darlington manager Gary Bennett is looking for a repeat performance when his side take on Football League newboys Kidderminster tonight. Quakers moved into seventh place with Saturday's impressive 2-0 win over Torquay, and another win at Feethams could
A MAJOR road linking a town with the rest of Teesside was closed for most of yesterday following a chemical leak. The leak was discovered by the driver of a truck carrying several 45 gallon drums of proprionic anhydride when he stopped in the Claxton
THE launch of a new state-of-the-art IT system looks set to revolutionise the way small and medium-sized retailers conduct their business throughout the region. The new electronic point of sale (E-POS) package is the latest business tool to emerge from
AN Olympic oarsman is hoping to help produce the medal-winners of the future on the waters of the River Wear. Durham University has appointed Wade Hall-Craggs, 32, part of the double gold winning sculls team in the 1992 Olympics, as its first senior rowing
AGRICULTURAL inspectors have spoken of their shock at grim findings brought to light during a sheep dipping blitz in the region. Out of 157 farms visited in random checks, experts from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found 76 that were still dipping
THE glamour of Broadway will be brought to Darlington this week by school pupils and staff. Two performances of Branksome Sings Broadway will take place on Wednesday and Thursday nights. The pupils and staff of Branksome School, in Eggleston View, Darlington
ALMOST one in four people sleeping rough on the streets are former British soldiers, sailors and airmen, according to Government research. Ministers, alarmed by the scale of the problem, last night unveiled plans to cut dramatically the number of ex-soldiers
AN event giving people the chance to visit interesting and historic buildings in Durham was an "outstanding success''. More than 16 properties in and around the city, which are not usually open to visitors, took part in the Civic Trust's Heritage Open
A CHARITY shop has been handed a lifeline. Relate North-East's shop in Tubwell Row, Darlington, is one of the charity's biggest earners. But it looked as though the charity would no longer be able to afford the rent until negotiations with Sanderson's
A YOUNG North-East rape victim bravely spoke out last night in a bid to catch the sex beast who subjected her to a horrific attack in a town centre park. The 21-year-old told The Northern Echo of her attack and how it had affected her life. Rachel, not
THREE students at a Darlington dance school have special reasons to celebrate. One has passed an audition to perform in pantomime, while two other students have passed a major examination with top marks. Heather Heyburn, 11, of the Born to Dance Studio
AS THE last ambulances left the scene and fire crews put away their cutting equipment, crash investigators last night started picking their way through the mangled remains of the 12.10 from King's Cross. And less than a fortnight after passengers and
A DRUGS courier caught with Ecstasy tablets worth £45,000 was jailed for five years yesterday. Charles Hutchinson, 29, was arrested by a specialist drugs unit after he collected 3,044 tablets from Leeds. Detectives from the National Crime Squad operation
A COUNCILLOR is calling for a shopping centre to be demolished to encourage the regeneration of Spennymoor town centre. Almost two dozen shops stand empty in the town centre, most of them in the Festival Walk precinct. Plans to turn the boarded-up, shabby
AN animal charity is appealing for donations of items that can be sold at a fundraising sale. The community centre at Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, will be the venue for the jumble and bric-a-brac sale being held by the Sunderland branch of the
A £180,000 library will bring more than just books to an east Durham community. The building, which is earmarked for Wingate, will form part of a village complex, designed to bring a package of facilities to residents. Work on the library, which will
A STUDENT with the ambition of one day owning his own business is studying at the University of Durham in order to accomplish his goal. Sam Waterfall, an honours graduate in financial and business economics from the University of Newcastle, is enrolled
TOBACCO workers fighting to save their jobs were in Brussels yesterday to meet with regional Euro MP and Labour environment spokesman, David Bowe. The group of workers from Rothmans in Darlington were there to voice their concerns over the effect on manufacturing
CAPTAIN Cook is making a second journey to Australia - but this time it will be via coins at a shopping centre. Middlesbrough's Teesside Lions Club will be asking shoppers at the town's Cleveland Centre to donate a coin to trace the explorer's journey
HARTLEPOOL United striker Anth Lormor last night backed his teammates to bounce back from Saturday's defeat at Rochdale. Pool set off this morning for tomorrow's game at Brighton and Lormor - whose third goal of the season brought Pool level at Spotland
A FORMER beauty queen told how she sat by the telephone every night for five months waiting for a former football star to call her back after he had phone sex with her. Carolyn Pick, 36, said she was left "devastated and empty" after she was "dumped"
A BELEAGURED chief constable has been accused of attempting to tarnish the clean-cut image of suspended Detective Superintendent Ray Mallon. Police clerk Jayne Thwaites, 34, has made an official complaint that Barry Shaw, head of Cleveland Police, is
A FARMER who showered banks with cow manure has won his ten-year battle against the NatWest Bank. David Cannon, 71, said the settlement, thought to be worth £300,000, would end the dispute which has seen him vent his fury on two branches of the bank with
A charity has been given a cash boost after trainees with learning difficulties took part in a sponsored walk. The train-ees from the Northdale Horticulture project, Northallerton, took part in the six-and-a-half-mile walk with friends to raise funds
A CHARITY shop manager will lead by example by taking part in a sponsored walk in aid of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Shirley Boyle, manager of the Imperial Cancer shop in Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, Teesside, will join her husband for a seven-mile
NEW members have been welcomed to an exclusive club which celebrates their loyalty and long service to their employers. The 21 people have all worked for 25 years at Cleveland Potash, based at Boulby Mine, east Cleveland, and have joined the firm's 25
OFFENDERS have been giving a helping hand with the creation of a garden of remembrance in Redcar. They are on a community service scheme, run by Teesside Probation Service, and are racing against the clock to get the garden ready for its opening, this
A KEEN basketball player was so fed up of not being able to get a game that he decided to form his own team. Now, all Jonathan Thompson needs is some team-mates. Jonathan, of Woodham Village, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, started playing at Darlington
WORK is about to start on a bridge that will help complete one of the last major pieces of the national cycle network through County Durham. The cycle bridge will be built across the A689, near the site of the former Wynyard station, on the old Castle
FREE basic computing courses leading to qualifications are on offer to residents on Teesside. They are run at South Bank Community Forum, near Middlesbrough, with qualifications awarded by Redcar and Cleveland College. The course teaches basic keyboard
TRADING standards officers in Hartlepool are urging businesses to ignore requests for compliment slips to help a young child with cancer. The appeal, which arrives by letter or fax, asks people to send business cards or compliment slips to an address
YOUNG mother Joanne Holmes can splash out on her two sons after a visit to a North-East water park. Mrs Holmes, 23, from Delves Lane, near Consett, County Durham, won a dream holiday to Disneyland Paris for her young family when she was the two-millionth
A DARLINGTON band is returning to the live circuit after taking time off to work on new material. Lucas have played few live dates this year, but released their second EP, Down Hero Way, in the summer. On Friday, November 3, the trio will headline a show
THREE lecturers at the University of Northumbria will present a key session at a major retail industry conference to be held in Glasgow from November 1 to 3. The lecturers, from the University's School of the Built Environment, have been asked to facilitate
THE French rail company touted as "white knights" set to rescue takeover target Go-Ahead have ruled out the possibility of making a formal bid for the bus and train group. Via-Cariane, a subsidiary of French state railway group SNCF, said it shared the
RESIDENTS are being urged to use time switches to fool burglars. Cleveland Police are bracing themselves for a seasonal increase in burglaries. Eager to protect a 20 per cent fall in break-ins across Teesside, the force says crooks will take a shine to
A RIVERSIDE town may be about to land a first for disabled anglers. Plans are being drawn up to spend more than £100,000 on special staging on a bank of the River Tees, at Thornaby. Thornaby Town Council hopes to secure fishing rights for part of the
A POLICE force says it is battling against the odds to try to reduce motorcycle accidents North Yorkshire Police are two places from the bottom in a league table of areas showing reductions in motorcycle accidents on the nation's roads in 1998. Three
TRADING standards officers in Hartlepool have thrown their weight behind a campaign to warn people of the dangers of shopping on the Internet. The advice comes during National Consumer Week, a campaign aimed at raising awareness about buying goods on-line
THEY may not be as scary as goblins and ghosts, but a cute collection of animals at a County Durham farm will provide a treat for children this Halloween. Hall Hill Farm, near Lanchester, is holding a Halloween week during half-term. As well as the chance
RESIDENTS in Hartlepool will get another chance this week to hear about plans which could see their local council run differently. Three options for the way Hartlepool Borough Council makes decisions are being considered. They would involve a council
A GRIEVING fiancee is urging people to carry organ donor cards to help save people's lives. Noel Thompson's partner, Sue Bishoprick, lost her fight for life, aged 36, on September 21. Her family has since drawn comfort from the knowledge that her organs
Billingham Arms Hotel changes hands THE Billingham Arms Hotel, on Teesside, has been sold to Wallsend businessman David Ladhar. Christie & Co was instructed to dispose of the high turnover, three star commercial hotel, comprising of 69 letting bedrooms
PARENTS have opted to take over their village nursery in a bid to stave off closure. People in Kirk Merrington reluctantly decided to take over management of Kirk Merrington Pre-School Nursery at a meeting attended by dozens of villagers. Spennymoor Town
A mother who tragically lost two sons to Aids has launched a personal mission to help thousands of young victims of the disease. Zebunissa Cooke, 51, left her home in the central African state of Malawi in 1984 after marrying a British man. She desperately
ALAN SHEARER and Co ensured there was no end to Middlesbrough manager Bryan Robson's derby misery at the Riverside Stadium last night. Former England skipper Shearer showed the finishing finesse his nation are missing now he has retired from the international
A DEDICATED office set up to help North-East firms exploit business opportunities in China is being opened in Billingham. The office is the result of a new local partnership which is pooling business skills and experience to help local companies capture
I felt sorry for those freed hostages when I saw them disembarking at Heathrow's terminal three. It's a hell hole. I know, because I was there the other evening putting my 84-year-old Aunt Doris on her plane back to New Zealand. We had an hour or so to
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Secretary/mortgage administrator, Northallerton. £10,000 to £12,000pa, 9am to 5.30pm, Mon-Fri and alt Sat morning, 10.30am to noon. Office experience
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Cleaner, Thornaby. £3.70ph, 12.5hrs, 3.30-6pm, Mon-Fri. No experience required. All successful candidates vetted prior to appointment. Ref: THN 5076
