CHILDREN at a village primary school are looking forward to using their new school hall for physical education lessons. Durham County Council is expected to start work on the hall at Witton-le-Wear Primary School, near Bishop Auckland, in the next few
FOOTBALL'S rewards were rather humbler when Ron Davies-Evans was a linesman in the 1960 Amateur Cup final at Wembley - £3 13s 6d or a gold medal, wrote the FA, adding in three foot between the lines letters that it was definitely one or t'other. It was
Residents of Teesside's former steel working communities launched themselves into cyber space this afternoon. Called Steel Valley, the event at the University of Teesside saw the official launch of Tees Valley Communities Online project which has put
IT READS like a plot from a Dickens novel, something akin to the tragically jilted Miss Faversham keeping her wedding feast and her home in a timewarp in Great Expectations. For more than 30 years, the house numbered 5a Station Street, Tow Law, has stood
A TRUSTED treasurer ruined his good reputation and standing in his home village by stealing community centre funds. Jeffrey Dean, a founder member and treasurer of Quarrington Hill Community Centre, near Durham, failed to bank all its income and spent
HAWES. - Annual show & sale of registered Swaledale aged rams & ram lambs for Swaledale Sheep Breeders' Association. Fwd: 206 rams & ram lambs. Aged rams to £1,600 av £291.97 (down £4.09 on year); ram lambs to £600 av. £183.05 (up £28.55).
A new report on prospects for growth and employment paints a bleak picture of a north-south economic divide in the UK. The survey, by economic analysts Business Strategies, said the southern regions of England, including London, the south east, the south
BARNARD CASTLE. - Tues. Fwd: 402 cattle. Breeding cattle. - Lim hfr calf £900 Little Newsham Farms. Lim cows & calves: £660, £645 GI Armstrong; £650, £630, £590, £575 F&P Stephenson; £640, £620, £550, £540 GS Archer; £600 P Barker; £580 LE Harrison
DARLINGTON boss Gary Bennett believes big names mean nothing in the third division. That's why his side should not be fearful as they prepare for successive tough trips to Scunthorpe and Cardiff, both seeking quick returns to the second division after
MIDDLESBROUGH have been rocked by the loss of leading scorer Alen Boksic with a knee ligament injury. The Croatian striker, who has scored five goals in six starts for Boro since his £2.5m summer move from Lazio, misses today's crucial game against Charlton
SCOTTISH star Don Hutchison could pay for his on-field indiscipline this season by starting tomorrow's tough game at Aston Villa on the bench. The 29-year-old Tynesider missed last week's 1-0 home win over Chelsea - regarded by manager Peter Reid as his
TWO schoolgirl bullies who left a teenager in hospital with a fractured cheekbone and a cracked skull have both been locked up for two and-a-half years. Marie Booth and Hayley Short, from Darlington, were said to have carried out a "prolonged and vicious
TWO schoolgirl bullies who left a teenager in hospital with a fractured cheekbone and a cracked skull have both been locked up for two and-a-half years. Marie Booth and Hayley Short, from Darlington, were said to have carried out a "prolonged and vicious
A WOMAN died and a man was left fighting for his life after their car left the road and ploughed into a lamppost yesterday. The woman, who was in her twenties, and had last night not been named by police, died from her injuries in hospital, just after
PREGNANT Coronation Street star Denise Welch has become the patron of a children's charity after hearing of heart-operation girl Sally Slater's fight for life. Denise, who is expecting her second child next year, was so moved by Sally's plight that she
THE Domnick Hunter Durham County team embark on the Liberty Trophy trail next Saturday, hoping to emulate the summertime success of their outdoor brethren by winning the National Inter County competition for a seventh time. The Thornaby Indoor Club will
According to the charity ChildLine, which receives more than 1,000 calls from children in the North-East every month, bullying is now callers' biggest worry. The survey was backed by research from the University of Hertfordshire in 1999, which said that
A TEACHER has appeared in court charged with sex offences against young girls. Hartlepool man Robert Michael Pendlington, a former teacher at the town's Dyke House Comprehensive, faces allegations dating from 1975 to 1998. The 51-year-old appeared before
MAJOR General Sir Henry Havelock once famously told his troops: "Soldiers . . . your valour will not be forgotten by a grateful country." And so it has proved. For 140 years, Gen Havelock's statue has looked on impassively at the millions of tourists
Newcastle fear an imminent FA approach for Bobby Robson to take over as caretaker England boss. Robson yesterday flatly refused to discuss whether he's the short-term solution to the FA's problem. "Don't ask me about England. All I'm prepared to talk
REPUBLIC of Ireland international Kevin Kilbane fears that his "moment of madness" against Chelsea could cost him his Sunderland place. The 23-year-old winger plays his last game at Aston Villa tomorrow before starting a three-match suspension after being
HUMAN rights activist James Mawdsley, expected back in Britain today after 13 months in a Burmese prison cell, vowed last night not to return to the country. The 27-year-old pro-democracy campaigner was scheduled to touch down at Heathrow Airport at 5.15
Paula Radcliffe believes tomorrow's BUPA Great North Run will help her decide when she will move up to the marathon. After finishing a gallant fourth in the Olympic 10,000 metres final in Sydney, the British team captain will race against world marathon
A LEADING councillor is urging the Government to embrace the Christmas spirit by offering cheap stamps for festive cards. Stephen Smailes, a ward councillor for Hartburn, and leader of the Stockton Conservatives, plans to write to Alistair Darling, the
AN annual health and welfare roadshow takes place next month at a Darlington college. Every year, the roadshow is an important part of Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College's health education programme. Health and social care students work with professionals
A CHINESE caterer has been fined £4,000 for a having a filthy kitchen and defrosting food in the back yard of his takeaway. Chang Ping Kung, proprietor of the Junbo Chop Suey House in Middlesbrough's Acklam Road, pleaded guilty to eight contraventions
PLANS to increase the number of heart operations at a North-East hospital have taken a step forward. County Durham and Darlington Health Authority has backed a plan to expand facilities at the cardiothoracic unit at South Cleveland Hospital, Middlesbrough
A FORMER seafaring probation officer has bowed out of the service after 20 years. Friends and colleagues from Teesside Probation Service bade farewell to Jim Wheatley at the service's headquarters, on Middlesbrough's Longlands Road. They presented him
UGO EHIOGU yesterday became the most expensive English defender in history as Middlesbrough boss Bryan Robson splashed out £8m and backed him to revive his international career. Ehiogu signed a five-year deal to finally draw a veil over an unhappy end
DARLINGTON Borough Council will again call on Guy Fawkes and Dennis the Menace this year to preach a fireworks safety message to youngsters. The duo are part of the council's fireworks safety team, which visits schools before the annual bonfire night
A CHARITY concert in aid of the Soldiers', Sailors and Air Force Association takes place in Darlington next weekend. The Big Band Bash 2000 will be held at the Dolphin Centre next Saturday, from 7.30pm. Darlington Big Band and the Royal Signals TA Band
YOUNGSTERS in Darlington are to perform an encore for people who were unable to see them represent the town at the Millennium Dome in London. The Darlington Partnership has arranged for the children who entertained Dome visitors to repeat their performance
TWO schools just a mile apart have been forced to close after their ageing boilers were condemned as unsafe. Half term began early on Thursday for 215 youngsters at Coxhoe Primary, near Durham City, and a similar number at West Cornforth Primary were
A 19-YEAR-OLD soldier was sent to prison for four years and put on the sex offenders register for life yesterday after he was convicted of raping a young girl in his barrack room. Private Gordon McGratton, who served with the Transport Regiment at Catterick
A 19-YEAR-OLD soldier was sent to prison for four years and put on the sex offenders register for life yesterday after he was convicted of raping a young girl in his barrack room. Private Gordon McGratton, who served with the Transport Regiment at Catterick
CUSTOMS officers seized 900,000 cigarettes in a raid on an industrial unit yesterday. The team of seven officers, based in Newcastle, targeted the Middlesbrough site in their latest bid to clamp down on illegal smuggling. They removed 900,000 Regal cigarettes
DARLINGTON could benefit from up to £3m of investment aimed at improving and developing services for young children and their families. The town is hoping to tap into the millions of pounds available under the Government's Sure Start programme. The scheme
THE Tom Leonard Mining Museum, in Skinningrove, east Cleveland, is preparing to end its season with a bang. The museum closes for the winter next Saturday. The final week coincides with the half-term holidays and staff are hoping this means they will
HUNDREDS of youngsters have been competing in a tag rugby festival. About 600 boys and girls from 60 primary schools played seven-a-side games in the non-contact version of the sport at Durham University's Graham Sports Centre, at Maiden Castle on the
AN inquiry has been launched into the death of a quarry foreman who was crushed under a skip. Mark Armitage, a 24-year-old father of two, died in Middlesbrough General Hospital on Thursday following the accident in Teesdale, County Durham. His family
DARLINGTON boss Gary Bennett believes big names mean nothing in the third division. That's why his side should not be fearful as they prepare for successive tough trips to Scunthorpe and Cardiff, both seeking quick returns to the second division after
Durham City can go joint top of the table if they beat Newcastle Blue Star at New Ferens Park today. Durham have won their last two games 5-0, and manager Brian Honour said: "Our win at Hebburn was the best performance since I became manager. The lads
AMBULANCE officials have hit back at claims they are using fire engines to plug an alleged gap in their service. After an incident earlier this year in Hartlepool, when a fire engine responded to a 999 call for an ambulance to help a heart attack victim
AMBULANCE officials have hit back at claims they are using fire engines to plug an alleged gap in their service. After an incident earlier this year in Hartlepool, when a fire engine responded to a 999 call for an ambulance to help a heart attack victim
A MEDIATION service is urging families to make use of its expertise on the eve of National Parents' Week, which starts on Monday. The Cleveland Family Mediation Service, in Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, aims to use the campaign to highlight how it
CONSULTATIONS to decide which improvements should be implemented as part of a £330,000 traffic scheme have received an enthusiastic response. From Monday to Saturday last week, an exhibition was staged at Brotton Library, in east Cleveland, setting out
THE clock is ticking in Ingleby Cross - quite literally. For the new millennium timepiece in the village, between Northallerton and Stokesley, has now been unveiled after a year of fundraising and a donation from the parish council. The community's oldest
AN environmental study has produced important data on how Teesside's waste could be put to better use. A year-long survey into the waste produced on Teesside has been completed by the Middlesbrough Environment City organisation. During the course of its
THE chief executive of one of the region's charities has condemned a young man for collecting money on false pretences. The man, claiming to be collecting for the Butterwick Hospice, attempted to obtain money from several shops in the Redcar area between
UNLIKE the Millennium Dome, a North-East version is guaranteed to be packed every summer - even if it is with salt. A 50ft high dome-shaped barn became the region's largest salt cellar when it was opened yesterday. Christened The Derwentside Dome by locals
UNLIKE the Millennium Dome, a North-East version is guaranteed to be packed every summer - even if it is with salt. A 50ft high dome-shaped barn became the region's largest salt cellar when it was opened yesterday. Christened The Derwentside Dome by locals
A WEEKEND of events to promote faith on Teesside started last night. The congregation of St John's Church, South Bank, launched an initiative to encourage people to think about ways they can get involved in the community. A service was held, which included
DRUGS Tsar Keith Hellawell visited the region yesterday to speak to people about the way drugs have devastated their lives. Following his controversial comments that cannabis use does not lead to harder drugs, Mr Hellawell was in Teesside to talk to drug
CONSERVATORY manufacturer Amdega and Sensor technology company Analox, have reached the final round of the "export oscars", a competition designed to recognise the achievements of British businesses exporting to Europe. Darlington-based Amdega and Stokesley-based
AN animal charity is urging County Durham people to dig into their pockets to help it save stray and abandoned dogs. The Durham and district Branch of the RSPCA is seeking more people to join its sponsor a kennel scheme to help with the cost of keeping
A FORMER seafaring probation officer has bowed out of the service after 20 years. Friends and colleagues from Teesside Probation Service bade farewell to Jim Wheatley at the service's headquarters, on Middlesbrough's Longlands Road. They presented him
A DILAPIDATED boathouse could be saved and put to a new use, a planning inquiry has been told. Leftbank Developments says Brown's Boathouse, next to Elvet Bridge in Durham, has serious structural problems that are too expensive to repair. It is seeking
"THERE was only one thing wrong with that movie," said a mortally offended ex-miner's wife after a special screening of Billy Elliot in the very North-East town where it was set - "and that was the decoration. No one I know would ever have been seen dead
A WOMAN whose newborn baby died after disgraced surgeon Richard Neale allegedly refused to carry out an emergency operation is taking legal action against his hospital trust. Solicitor Simon John claims that if the facts were proved, the circumstances
PUPILS at a Darlington school are taking part in a fitness initiative. Having already received a Heartbeat Award to celebrate their approach to healthy eating, Abbey Junior School has set targets for the pupils' physical education skills. Pupils' running
FOOTBALL'S rewards were rather humbler when Ron Davies-Evans was a linesman in the 1960 Amateur Cup final at Wembley - £3 13s 6d or a gold medal, wrote the FA, adding in three foot between the lines letters that it was definitely one or t'other. It was
POLICE investigating the murder of a Newcastle man last month are appealing for help to trace a stolen car possibly involved in the shooting. Freddie Knights, 38, from the Longbenton Estate, Newcastle, was shot on September 20. Police want to trace a
PLANS to train horses for National Hunt racing have been dashed after councillors refused planning permission for a caravan at a stables. The stable block, at Middridge Lane, on the outskirts of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is used to train horses
DARLINGTON boss Gary Bennett believes big names mean nothing in the third division. That's why his side should not be fearful as they prepare for successive tough trips to Scunthorpe and Cardiff, both seeking quick returns to the second division after
AIRPORT bosses were celebrating last night after landing a new airline to take-over a well established route. Management at Teesside began the day expressing their "disappointment" at Gill Airway's decision to end the Teesside to Aberdeen service. But
SINGING hedgehogs are to spearhead the latest campaign to cut the number of children killed and injured on the roads. New TV adverts from today will show the hedgehogs singing a version of the Bee Gee's hit, Staying Alive, with lyrics adapted to focus
A PLACE on the fringe of the Norfolk Broads is clearly in the backwaters of English rugby. But North Walsham will not be taken lightly when they visit Darlington Mowden Park in the third round of the Tetley's Bitter Cup today. They are an unknown quantity
PENSIONERS in a County Durham town celebrated receiving a cash handout by dancing the night away. Age Concern Consett branch received £2,700 from the National Lottery. It will be used to buy audio equipment so members can stage dances. The group will
GIRLS from north Durham will become the first young females to break into a previously all-male sporting project this weekend. The ten girls, aged between 11 and 13, from the Stanley area, will take part in a fishing project designed to prevent youngsters
A SPORTY writer is combining his two passions as the Great North Run's poet-in-residence. Middlesbrough poet Andy Croft won the job after impressing the Arts Council of England, which is behind the scheme, with his dual talents for writing and running
THE first stage of proposals for an Advanced Centre of Excellence in Nanotechnology has been boosted by £400,000 of funding from Regional Development Agency One NorthEast. Widely predicted to lead to the next technological revolution, Nanotechnology is
IT IS Westminster's version of the Grand National, a frantic scramble over hurdles that is so chaotic that potentially any of the 12 or so runners and riders could win. Monday's election by MPs of a new Commons Speaker to replace the redoubtable Betty
HARTLEPOOL United could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Plymouth Argyle. Returning Kevin Henderson put Pool in front with his seventh goal of the season and in the absence of knee injury victim Anth Lormor forged a lively first-half front line partnership
Thursday's prices Kenneth Wilson, Thorpe Arch. - Wheat: Oct £57; Nov £58; Dec £59. Barley: Oct £60; Nov £61; Dec £62. Oilseed rape: Oct £122; Nov £122; Dec £123. GrainCo, Tyne Dock. - Wheat: Oct £57; Nov £57.50; Dec £58.50. Barley: Oct £60; Nov £61; Dec
HARTLEPOOL United go looking for home comforts this afternoon, boosted by the return of Kevin Henderson. After successive home wins over York and Darlington, Pool have stuttered on their travels with defeats at Rochdale and Brighton in the last seven
IT READS like a plot from a Dickens novel, something akin to the tragically jilted Miss Faversham keeping her wedding feast and her home in a timewarp in Great Expectations. For more than 30 years, the house numbered 5a Station Street, Tow Law, has stood
MAJOR-GENERAL Sir Henry Havelock is one of the North-East's greatest war heroes - a reputation he won in a revolution sparked by cows' fat. He was born at Ford Hall, Bishopwearmouth, on April 5, 1795, the son of a wealthy Sunderland shipbuilder. His mother
AUTUMN is here and your garden may be entering that period when it doesn't need so much attention, but just imagine never having to cut your grass again. No more feeling guilty because you haven't got around to it. No more hours trudging up and down the
HAVING already come off second best in a confrontation with a big game hunter, Fred the Polar Bear is now coming under attack from groups of curious children. Although the stuffed bear was put behind barricades in the children's section at Darlington
Newcastle United 0 Everton 1 Newcastle's Premiership home goal famine stretched to three games as prodigal son Paul Gascoigne played a key role in their downfall. United old boy Gazza, making his first competitive appearance at St. James' Park for 12
Yorkshire and North-East. - Thurs. Ex-farm in growers' bags: Estima, Nadine, Marfona and other whites, main range £70-£80 a tonne, best quality £90-£100 a tonne. Maris Piper £80-£115. Bulk: Cara and similar £60-£90, Reds £90-£110. White varieties £50-
STUDENTS have held a protest at the continued sale of arms by British companies to dictators and repressive regimes. Members of the Durham University branch of the human rights group Amnesty International staged the demonstration on Kingsgate Bridge,
MIDDLESBROUGH have been rocked by the loss of leading scorer Alen Boksic with a knee ligament injury. The Croatian striker, who has scored five goals in six starts for Boro since his £2.5m summer move from Lazio, misses today's crucial game against Charlton
Bobby Robson believes Paul Gascoigne is in better condition than he was when he took on the world a decade ago. The Newcastle boss yesterday ducked out of answering whether Gazza should be back playing for England - just as he sidestepped questions on
MAJOR-GENERAL Sir Henry Havelock is one of the North-East's greatest war heroes - a reputation he won in a revolution sparked by cows' fat. He was born at Ford Hall, Bishopwearmouth, on April 5, 1795, the son of a wealthy Sunderland shipbuilder. His mother
SCHOOLS are right to be vigilant at all times against the menace of bullying. It can have a devastating impact on victims and needs to be eradicated at the earliest opportunity. It can disrupt school life and have a detrimental impact on academic achievement
SCHOOLS are right to be vigilant at all times against the menace of bullying. It can have a devastating impact on victims and needs to be eradicated at the earliest opportunity. It can disrupt school life and have a detrimental impact on academic achievement
HAVING already come off second best in a confrontation with a big game hunter, Fred the Polar Bear is now coming under attack from groups of curious children. Although the stuffed bear was put behind barricades in the children's section at Darlington
PREGNANT Coronation Street star Denise Welch has become the patron of a children's charity after hearing of heart-operation girl Sally Slater's fight for life. Denise, who is expecting her second child next year, was so moved by Sally's plight that she
A North-East education leader is to retire at the end of the academic year. Peter Shuker has been principal and chief executive of Darlington College of Technology for 14 years. He announced his decision, which will take effect in July 2001, to the college's
REPUBLIC of Ireland international Kevin Kilbane fears that his "moment of madness" against Chelsea could cost him his Sunderland place. The 23-year-old winger plays his last game at Aston Villa tomorrow before starting a three-match suspension after being
ORGANISERS of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal in Darlington and the surrounding areas have issued an urgent appeal for volunteers. Volunteers are needed for a street collection on November 10 and 11 before the Remembrance Sunday service. Last year
GIFTED youngsters in Darlington took part in a languages day yesterday. Groups of pupils were sent into the town centre on a listening trail, which involved them listening to a tape and answering questions in French and German. They also took part in
MONTHS of fundraising came to an end yesterday when £7,340 was presented to a charity. The money was raised by the Spennymoor Friends of The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust. The group was founded after publicity about Troy Murdoch, six, from Spennymoor
A TEENAGE schoolgirl missing from home for nearly a month has been traced to the Charing Cross area of London. Gail Pooley, 14, who lives with foster parents in Leam Lane, Felling, near Gateshead, has not been seen by her family since September 28, when
DRUGS Tsar Keith Hellawell visited the region yesterday to speak to people about the way drugs have devastated their lives. Following his controversial comments that cannabis use does not lead to harder drugs, Mr Hellawell was in Teesside to talk to drug
Great Britain swept to the head of the medal table after a magnificent day on the track and in the pool at the Paralympics in Sydney yesterday. British athletes and swimmers produced an amazing five gold medals, with the only disappointment coming in
THERE'S a singing surprise in store for shoppers in the region this weekend. Isla St Clair, who hosted television's The Generation Game with the late Larry Grayson, is singing folk music in the Cleveland Shopping Centre, Middlesbrough. She makes her appearance
UGO EHIOGU yesterday became the most expensive English defender in history as Middlesbrough boss Bryan Robson splashed out £8m and backed him to revive his international career. Ehiogu signed a five-year deal to finally draw a veil over an unhappy end
A BRAVE woman begged a soldier not to harm her boyfriend, but he slashed his throat and then stabbed another of her friends to death, a court heard. Tawny Goldsmith told the court how she sensed her friends were about to be set upon by David Tillen, moments
BT has admitted responsibility for a botch-up in communication, which left a couple without a phone line for three weeks. The fiasco started on September 28 when a car collided with a telegraph pole outside the home of Geoffrey and Rosa Walton, Eggleston
A TEACHER has appeared in court charged with sex offences against young girls. Hartlepool man Robert Michael Pendlington, a former teacher at the town's Dyke House Comprehensive, faces allegations dating from 1975 to 1998. The 51-year-old appeared before
MORE than 50 years after they first met as new girls at a County Durham grammar school, a group of former school friends are planning a reunion. Margaret Gent and Pat Harvey want to trace as many women as possible who started at Bishop Auckland Girls
TWO schools just a mile apart have been forced to close after their ageing boilers were condemned as unsafe. Half term began early on Thursday for 215 youngsters at Coxhoe Primary, near Durham City, and a similar number at West Cornforth Primary were
AN enforcement notice has been served on the owner of a derelict former chapel targeted by vandals. The Northern Echo reported last week how youngsters had started fires inside the chapel in Hurworth Place. Fire chiefs warned that lives could be lost
SCOOTERS could soon be on offer to youngsters from the Richmondshire district struggling to get to work or college. The district authority's green team yesterday backed an initiative dubbed Wheels 2 Work. The authority's next full meeting will be asked
A SANDPIT in a Newton Aycliffe play area is to be transformed. The pit, in Simpasture Park, has become dangerous to play in, because of broken glass and dog dirt. Now it is hoped that instead of sand, the area will be replaced by a basketball hoop for
AN east Durham gardening guru has helped pupils to turn their schoolyard into a colourful haven. To thank voluntary conservationist Derek Brown, children at Horden's Cotsford Junior School made a presentation to him. It was after receiving funds from
HUMAN rights activist James Mawdsley, expected back in Britain today after 13 months in a Burmese prison cell, vowed last night not to return to the country. The 27-year-old pro-democracy campaigner was scheduled to touch down at Heathrow Airport at 5.15
HEALTH Secretary Alan Milburn has been told to "stop faffing about" and help the poor, in an article by a leading independent health expert. In a tongue-in-cheek attack on Mr Milburn's radical credentials, Professor Alan Maynard, of York University, accuses
A JOBS bonanza is expected to hit the both banks of the Tyne next week, with two of the most famous names in shipbuilding set for a new lease of life. The Swan Hunter site in Wallsend, North Tyneside has emerged as favourite to land a huge £130m Ministry
The National Karate Championships at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre will be held on Sunday, November 12, from 10am, not on October 29 as previously reported. The error originated in Sedgefield Borough Council literature.
FAMILIES in Guisborough are calling for a public meeting to discuss proposals by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to turn the only piece of greenbelt land left in the town into a car park. The council wants to relocate one of its departments at Cargo
A GROUP are hoping that their new CD will strike a chord with international music lovers. The Yangchin Group was formed at Middlesbrough's Hall Garth School nine years ago. Now it has produced a CD, featuring music from Indonesia, Greece and South America
HARTLEPOOL United go looking for home comforts this afternoon, boosted by the return of Kevin Henderson. After successive home wins over York and Darlington, Pool have stuttered on their travels with defeats at Rochdale and Brighton in the last seven
ADULTS from Skelton Social Skills Centre, in east Cleveland, have been helping the Saltburn 500 Club to plant more than 2,500 daffodil bulbs at Queensway, in the town. Jackie Taylor, from Saltburn 500, said the purpose was to make Saltburn look attractive
AN east Durham diving club is offering people the chance to have a go at the hobby. Peterlee Sub-aqua Club is holding a try-a-dive night at the town's refurbished leisure centre on Wednesday, November 1, at 8pm. The club will give newcomers the chance
DRUGS Tsar Keith Hellawell visited the region yesterday to speak to people about the way drugs have devastated their lives. Following his controversial comments that cannabis use does not lead to harder drugs, Mr Hellawell was in Teesside to talk to drug
A CHINESE caterer has been fined £4,000 for a having a filthy kitchen and defrosting food in the back yard of his takeaway. Chang Ping Kung, proprietor of the Junbo Chop Suey House in Middlesbrough's Acklam Road, pleaded guilty to eight contraventions
A SCHEME aimed at keeping Bedale's weekly market alive seems set to be maintained, even though there is no evidence yet to suggest that it is working. Hambleton District Council was urged to step in when concern over the dwindling number of stalls reached
HUNDREDS of youngsters from across County Durham took part in a tag rugby festival this week. About 600 boys and girls from 60 primary schools played seven-a-side games in the non-contact version of the sport at Durham University's Graham Sports Centre
"THERE was only one thing wrong with that movie," said a mortally offended ex-miner's wife after a special screening of Billy Elliot in the very North-East town where it was set - "and that was the decoration. No one I know would ever have been seen dead
DARLINGTON winger Richard Hodgson has been rewarded for a string of good recent performances with a new contract. Manager Gary Bennett has ripped up the 21-year-old's current one-year deal and handed him an extension to June, 2002. Hodgson arrived in
LIFE'S never the same again once you've had children. Take driving. Over the years, you come up with a variety of ways of keeping the kids amused while they're in the car and you end up totally brain-washed. Only last weekend, my wife and I were driving
A TRUSTED treasurer ruined his good reputation and standing in his home village by stealing community centre funds. Jeffrey Dean, a founder member and treasurer of Quarrington Hill Community Centre, near Durham, failed to bank all its income and spent
WIDOWED Hilary Scotto, who is single-handedly holding out against Northern Racing's plans to take over control of Sedgefield Racecourse, will take her case to the Court of Appeal, on Monday. Mrs Scotto, whose husband Frank was course chairman for 17 years
A COUNCIL has been condemned in an independent report for sending a boy back to his North-East father who sexually abused him. Doncaster Borough Council gave the 13-year-old child and his 17-year-old brother train tickets to Gateshead so they could stay
HOT on the heels of the British Olympic success a group of athletes stepped on the podium yesterday to collect medals marking their own equivalent. Competitors in the Spinal Rehabilitation Programme Olympic Challenge 200 are hospital patients undergoing
AIRPORT bosses were celebrating last night after landing a new airline to take-over a well established route. Management at Teesside began the day expressing their "disappointment" at Gill Airway's decision to end the Teesside to Aberdeen service. But
A HEALTH worker has been arrested after confidential health files were dumped in a lay-by. The records, which contain details of mental patients cared for by Gateshead Health Trust, were found at Cramlington, Northumberland. A 42-year-old employee of
POOL fanatics in North-West Durham stayed in the pub all night to play their sport. The players staged a 24-hour charity competition to raise £800 for the Macmillan Cancer Nurses Appeal. The event was staged at the Golden Lion Hotel, Leadgate, near Consett
STUDENTS from Darlington College of Technology chipped in and did their bit for the Butterwick Children's Hospice during their annual rag day. About 20 students dressed up in fancy costume to collect donations from town centre shoppers yesterday. They
AFTER a career dedicated to children, County Durham teacher Thomas Baker has been shortlisted for a national lifetime achievement award. Thomas, 55, was nominated by colleagues at Chester-le-Street's Red Rose Primary School after 34 years sterling service
CHINESE treasures which have been locked away for decades will be on public display today when the University of Durham's Oriental Museum reopens its doors. Thanks to Lottery funding, the museum has been able to create a Chinese Gallery, as well as providing
TWO east Durham schoolchildren have shown how to turn healthy living into an art form. Barry Page, nine, from Glendene School in Easington, and ten-year-old Donna Burrell from Easington Primary each designed a prize-winning logo in a competition. Easington
ONE of Teesside's most innovative technology firms has signed up to a mentoring scheme. Pearson-Harper, of Billingham, is one of 20 companies across the UK teaming up with leading operators in the oil and gas industry to build business relationships.
VOLUNTEERS will be sprucing up a churchyard later this month as part of a national initiative sponsored by The Woolwich. Make a Difference Day challenges community groups to tackle projects aimed specifically at tidying up litter-strewn or overgrown areas
THE first stage of proposals for an Advanced Centre of Excellence in Nanotechnology has been boosted by £400,000 of funding from Regional Development Agency One NorthEast. Widely predicted to lead to the next technological revolution, Nanotechnology is
Residents of Teesside's former steel-working communities launched themselves into cyber space yesterday. Steel Valley, an event at the University of Teesside, saw the launch of Tees Valley Communities Online project, which has put the ex-steel areas on
MAJOR General Sir Henry Havelock once famously told his troops: "Soldiers . . . your valour will not be forgotten by a grateful country." And so it has proved. For 140 years, Gen Havelock's statue has looked on impassively at the millions of tourists
A CHINESE caterer has been fined £4,000 for a having a "filthy'' kitchen and defrosting food in the back yard of the Junbo Chop Suey House on Middlesbrough's Acklam Road. Proprietor Chang Ping Kung pleaded guilty to eight contraventions of the Food Safety
Two North-East schoolgirls have been locked up for their "dreadful" record of attacks on other girls. Marie Booth and Hayley Short, both 16 and from Darlington, were renowned for their violence, the court was told. Their last victim spent four days in
