RAIL staff are feeling the heat of passengers' frustration over months of delays since the Hatfield crash. Disruption caused by track repairs and flooding have left many commuters facing severe delays, cancellations and crowded services, with rail employees
STAGECOACH is riding to the rescue of Darlington estates left without essential bus services. Arriva is due to axe early morning, late night and Sunday services operating to and from Skerne Park as from Sunday because they are not paying their way. Other
DURHAM University is looking at a different site for a new base for a fast-growing department, after the original scheme ran into opposition. Officials were hoping to build premises for the university's Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies next
A PRIMARY school teacher has told how she helped save the life of a boy who plunged into an icy lake. Jamie Guiheen, aged eight, was playing with friends on a steep bank beside the lake in Silksworth, Sunderland, when he tumbled on to the ice, on Wednesday
A DISTRICT council's chief executive has refuted a claim by the district auditor that his authority has shown undue procrastination when deciding its new political structure. Teesdale District Council has held off making decisions about what form its
POLICE are seeking a gang of teenage muggers who attacked a pensioner in a supermarket car park. The 67-year-old woman was walking through Morrison's car park, in Bishop Auckland, from the Prince's Street entrance, when she was approached from behind.
A windfall of £10,000 that was to have been spent on improvements at a notorious Bedale crossroads, may now be channelled into other projects in the market town. The cash came from York-based Persimmon Homes in exchange for permission to build new properties
The second edition of Tyke Travels is yet another thoroughly professional work from Steve Penny, covering all aspects of non-League football in Yorkshire - just as the title suggests. And now the author is, in his own words, 'planning to spread his wings
THE following Redcar and Cleveland councillors are holding ward surgeries this week: Today: Thelma Bennett, 156 High Street West; Vilma Collins, Cliff Houlding, Peter Todd, Park Court Community Centre; Keith Pudney, Stumps Cross Community Centre; Jean
THE interest in alternative meats has been growing in recent years, with people, including Spectator, prepared to taste some of the more exotic varieties now available. At one time ostrich was trumpeted as the meat of the 21st century with 400 farms in
THE building blocks of the region's past are being commemorated in a tram shelter built from bricks from 500 North-East brick works. A wall of Beamish Open Air Museum's new tram stop will be made with bricks bearing the names of nearly every brick works
A STRING of shops has opened to sell a range of equipment designed to make life easier for people with disabilities. County Durham Care, a wing of the county's social services department, has opened Home Independence shops within day centres for people
IF YOU want to share your news and views, or would like to publicise a forthcoming event, contact Clarion and Northern Echo reporter Lucia Charnock: telephone (01642) 480397, fax (01642) 498910
A TENANT farmers' leader has called for commonsense on rural issues. In a new year message, Mr Reg Haydon says the country's land area should not be treated as a political football. "Let us listen to what farmers need and then implement sensible, commonsense
A WAR hero who excelled in the sporting and business worlds has died at the age of 87. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Braithwaite OBE was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. He was honoured during the Second World War for the part he played in wiping out
NEW Year celebrations almost ended in disaster for one Cleveland village. Gale force winds and a blizzard tore down a marquee put up for the festivities in Maltby on New Year's Eve. The canvas had to be weighed down with sacks of sand and gravel to make
COUNCIL bosses under fire for their strict no smoking policy say health is their top priority. Plans by Chester-le-Street District Council to force workers to ask permission every time they wanted a cigarette had provoked outrage and ridicule among objectors
A FORMER Indian restaurant overlooking Richmond's Market Place is to be converted into flats. District councillors have given their blessing to a new lease of life for the property next to The Talbot pub - as long as the design complements the listed
A CHARITY that helps vulnerable youngsters is seeking volunteers to help run two of its shops. The Children's Society is on the look-out for helpers to work at its charity shops in Middle Street, Consett, and Mautland Square, Houghton-le-Spring. Area
THE Kirkleatham Old Hall Museum is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and is planning a series of events, starting with a Meccano exhibition. The exhibition, Mechanics Made Easy, opens later this month and promises to be a celebration of Meccano
IF ANYONE lived in Oldman's Terrace in the 50s I knew two things about them, for sure. First, for historic reasons and via a long-dead Aunt Oldman, they were all somehow my relatives. Second, they were all fully-paid-up devotees of The Archers. Actually
A REDCAR schoolgirl has high hopes of following in the footsteps of ballet dancer Billy Elliott. Faye Heather Anderson, 14, has her heart set on performing ballet at the highest level, and dance teacher Lynn Wardell, of the Wardell School of Dance, believes
A NORTH-EAST man has been charged with causing a disturbance aboard an aircraft returning from North Africa to the UK. David Embleton, 33, of Front Street, in Sacriston, County Durham, is alleged to have conducted himself in a disorderly manner, and committed
PROPOSALS for a phone mast scheme in Great Ayton have been thrown out by Hambleton planners. Despite officers' recommendations that the application by One2One be given the go-ahead, Hambleton District Council planning committee voted unanimously against
Durham League After suffering relegation from the first division last year Hartlepool Hornets A could jump straight back up as they are setting the pace at the top of division two. The team who might stop them won promotion from the third division last
THEY watch, they observe, and they record. From a vantage point above the Zetland Lifeboat Museum, Redcar, volunteers watch the North-East shore and sea, from Hartlepool to Skinningrove. The members of Redcar Coastwatch, part of the Sea Safety Group,
LANDLORD Mark Edwards hopes his pub will be the toast of Cleveland's east coast this New Year. Mr Edwards always has six or seven guest ales on tap in his cellars below The Plimsoll Line pub, in Redcar High Street. But he will be serving up to 100 different
HAVEN'T we all, by now, seen enough pasty, mottled, quivering flesh to last a lifetime? And I'm not just talking about our nearest and dearest. The nude calendar is out-dated, it has had its day. I just wish someone had told the ladies of Haydon Hunt
Camerons Teesside League All matches were wiped out by the weather, all but one were postponed by Friday evening. Richmond Town had hoped their home match against Thornaby could go ahead, but an over night freeze ruled out the last match. Acklam SW lead
DARLINGTON'S council tax is set to rise by at least £110 for the majority of residents over the next two years. This year a band A taxpayer is likely to stump up about £59 extra as bills increase by 12.5pc to £552.79. Next year there will be a 9.5pc rise
A BACHELOR who kept a menagerie of animals in squalid conditions was jailed for six months this week. Magistrates at Chester-le-Street sent him down after hearing a tale of sickening neglect and suffering inflicted on two border collies, two ferrets and
POLICE investigating a New Year's Day assault arrested two more men last night. A 23-year-old from Beech Crescent, and a 28-year-old from Albert Street, both Seaham, County Durham, were being questioned by detectives. A 28-year-old man from Seaham, arrested
THE artistic visions of County Durham youngsters has gone on display at a leading museum. The DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery, at Aykley Heads, Durham, is hosting Durham Schools Art, which features the work of pupils at primary, secondary and special
Sir, - Your readers should feel that their intellects have been insulted by the meretricious statistics listed by the chief executive of the British Wind Energy Association ("High winds not bad news", D&S Dec 28). May I put his claims in perspective
A COUPLE who came close to tragedy during their early years of their marriage celebrated their diamond wedding with a Christmas family reunion. Soon after Bill and Gladys Taylor moved to Bishop Auckland in the early 1940s, Bill was struck down by a brain
YOUNG people in rural Hambleton and Richmondshire are being encouraged to get on bikes of a different sort to find and hold down jobs. Hambleton councillors will be recommended on Tuesday to give up to £1,500 towards the cost of a pilot scheme called
A COUNCIL has been accused of being small-minded for not allowing nursing home staff to accept gifts from grateful residents. Darlington man James Hutchinson says that he regularly used to give a box of sweets and biscuits to carers working at the town's
Tow Law League Top 20 players at the end of the season: 1st Charlie Donaghy (Tow Law FC) played 25, won 22, lost 3, 88%; 2nd Graeme Thompson (Lanchester King's Head) 26, 22, 4, 84.62%; 3rd Scott Nicholson (Tow Law Station) 24, 20, 4, 83.33%; 4th Alan
CAMPAIGNERS have called for more openness surrounding the Christmas drink-drive figures after their publication yesterday. The Campaign Against Drinking and Driving (CADD) said the figures did not give the full picture about the number of motorists who
A recruitment campaign is being launched for people willing to give up some of their time to become school governors. A tenth of the posts available in the city of York are vacant, and the local authority wants to fill them and build up a pool of volunteers
DECEMBER was a disappointing month for the Wensleydale Creamery League due to the adverse weather conditions. On the 9th and 16th only one game was possible and on Saturday the whole of the scheduled programme was cancelled because of snow and heavy overnight
A DUNKIRK veteran's heroic past was celebrated with a display by a drumming corps. Ray Ellar, from Newton Aycliffe, is the oldest member of the Darlington branch of the Green Howards Association. He served in the Middle East during the Second World War
A MIDWIFE is helping mums and pregnant women to take the plunge as part of a community scheme. Sheryl O'Lone and colleague Margaret Hayton of the Priory midwife team, based at Guisborough Hospital's maternity unit, are setting up eight Monday morning
SIR WALTER SCOTT, he who wrote the most evocative hymn to the glories of an Arriva bus route yet to appear in literature, also coined a memorable metaphor for his unbounded curiosity: "I would like to be there, were it but to see how the cat jumps." He
RESIDENTS spent nearly 12 hours without electricity after an underground explosion tore through power cables today. People living in Warwick Avenue, Moorside, near Consett, were woken by the sound of an underground blast and the shower of sparks and thick
REGULAR readers will recall that at the beginning of each new year, I feature reminders of topics which have prompted active interest during the past 12 months. These have invariably involved letters from correspondents throughout this region and further
SCHOOLS are to have a say in how £174m of government money should be spent in tackling truancy and bad behaviour. The money is to be split between local education authorities across the country. The cash will be allocated as social inclusion pupil support
HOUSEHOLDERS are being encouraged to be green when they dispose of their Christmas trees and cards this week. Hartlepool Borough Council has organised a collection of trees over the next few days. The trees will be chipped and mixed with other plant waste
POTATO farmers in the North-East and North Yorkshire will be among those hardest-hit by crop losses. Growers are facing financial disaster because the combination of the autumn's heavy rainfall and the severe frost over the Christmas and New Year period
A YOUNG harpist is to get the musical instrument of her dreams thanks to the Cleveland Community Foundation. Sarah Paterson, 11, from Saltburn, has recently been accepted by the National Children's Orchestra. She needed a full size harp in order to pursue
VETERAN Middlesbrough defender Gary Pallister is fighting to save his season. The former and England centre-half has undergone surgery for a chronic back problem and faces two months' rehabilitation before he hits the comeback trail. Pallister, 35, has
Nicky Summerbee quit Sunderland yesterday then confessed he was baffled by Peter Reid's decision to freeze him out. "I don't know why he treated me like he did," said Summerbee, who is ready to kick-start his flagging career at Bolton. The former Manchester
NEWCASTLE Falcons have their first-choice centre pairing of Jamie Noon and Tom May back in harness for tomorrow's Tetley's Bitter Cup semi-final at home to Sale. No sooner had Rob Andrew released Scotland's John Leslie than Noon and May were both injured
HOSPITAL managers are acting on a staff survey, which highlighted concern about stress levels and personnel shortages. Staff working for Harrogate Health Care Trust were offered the first survey of its kind, and findings have been considered by the trust's
A WOMAN who planned to smuggle dozens of Ecstasy tablets into a prison panicked and left them behind when she saw police parked outside, it was alleged yesterday. But the plot to supply the tablets to a prisoner in Holme House Prison, Stockton, was still
DESPITE the wintry conditions which threatened the event once again, Hornby driver Anth Eaton stormed to his second victory in four years on the Food Weighouse Christmas Stages Rally last weekend. Driving the Autotest Ford Escort Cosworth and partnered
PLANS for bus lanes in two major roads have provoked residents' anger. As part of its local transport plan for the next financial year, Middlesbrough Borough Council has announced a number of measures to make travel easier and safer. Among the suggestions
Darlington Harriers Susie Rutherford, one of Harriers' England International cross-country runners, returned to local competition with an emphatic win in the Great North Cross Country Open 3.5 mile race at a very snowy Consett on Saturday. Rutherford,
A WATCHDOG has found no evidence of wrongdoing over Durham City Council's controversial Millennium City land deal. But District Auditor David Parkin has criticised aspects of the council's handling of the deal and said it could have got the land cheaper
TEESSIDERS are being asked to mark the International Year of Volunteers by helping out at a charity shop. The Children's Society is calling for extra volunteers to help run its shop in North Ormesby. It believes that many would be surprised at the amount
A PIONEERING telephone line for despairing youngsters received just two calls on its first night. In both cases, the callers hung up without talking to the young volunteers who are manning the service run by the Central Durham branch of the Samaritans
SCHOOLGIRL Hannah Cliff's commitment to her lessons won her a mountain bike and a chance to meet her favourite radio presenter. The ten-year-old, from Benton, Newcastle, received the prize from Newcastle City Council for her 100 per cent school attendance
Darlington have an injury crisis as they prepare for the tough home game with Rochdale tomorrow. With utility man Gary Himsworth and midfielder Jesper Hjorth already ruled out, manager Gary Bennett thought Quakers' injury problems were easing with Paul
CONSULTATION to decide who should manage 12,300 council houses has begun. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council tenants have received newsletters asking them to help to decide the future of their homes. The document - Your Home, Your Future, Your Choice
A £10,000 appeal is being launched to fund a scientist to help put pressure on the government and European Union to tackle acid rain effects on the North York Moors. Mr Tom Chadwick, of the moors national park association, says acid deposits of sulphur
CHRISTMAS trees are heading back to their roots as part of a forest recycling scheme. With every Christmas tree sold at Guisborough Forest and Walkway, in Pinchinthorpe, staff issued an invitation to the customer to return it after the festive period.
AN OFFICIAL complaint has been made to the district auditor about aspects of Richmondshire District Council's finance and administration practices relating to Croft circuit. Mr Bernard Borman submitted a six-page report and asked that his allegations
IT WAS when she was in the throes of death caused by brain cancer that something remarkable happened to Graham Whalley's wife Helen. And it is when he speaks of it that you begin to understand the inspiration behind all that Graham and his young children
PEOPLE can see how Durham looked more than 30 years ago at a new exhibition in the city's library. Photographs taken by the late Des Kelly in the 1960s and 1970s have been put on show at the library entrance until Saturday, January 13. Mr Kelly, who died
OFFICIALS of Ripon's 10k Jolly Holly Jog came close to breaking with tradition and changing the date of their annual race when it fell on New Year's Eve. Ripon Runners, whose chairman Peter Carver spearheaded organisation of the event, were told few people
ONE of north Durham's premier theatres has announced its spring programme of plays and music events. Consett's Empire theatre will present rising star of the USA country scene, Ashleyjay, who will be supported by Consett's own country stars The Rye Brothers
YOUTHS who stole a school crossing patrol stick from a North-East school have been condemned by council chiefs. The stick went missing from Skerne Park Infant School in Parkgate, Darlington, on Wednesday. It was last seen in the hands of a gang of youths
That bah-humbug chap The Grinch tried to ruin everyone's Christmas on the screen but ended up making the festive season a very happy one for Hollywood studio executives. The film starring Jim Carrey as the green, mean Dr Seuss character debuted in early
NATIONAL retailers are joining the queue to be included in a multi-million pound shopping development in Redcar. The Regent Walk Shopping Centre will be next to the High Street, stretching from West Dyke Road to Regent Street, and as far back as the railway
PEOPLE in County Durham are being offered the chance to get tax advice on their doorstep instead of having to travel. The Sunderland tax office is holding advice sessions at Stanley JobCentre today at Consett JobCentre. The session will be held from 10am
A PHOTOGRAPHY club formed just over a year ago has launched itself on the Internet. Pittington Photography Club has had a website set up by club members Andrew and Jacqui Bolam. A club spokesman said: "Together, they have created a website for the club
SELFISH drivers are putting the lives of neighbours at risk, fire chiefs are warning. Cleveland Fire Brigade is appealing to residents to make a New Year resolution to park on their drives, not on the street - and help to save lives. Not a week goes by
So did you buy your teenager a nice warm jacket for Christmas then? Well, that was a waste of time. They don't wear jackets any more. They don't even wear jumpers much. Their aim in life - especially in the middle of winter - seems to be to wear as little
TWO East Cleveland people received an unexpected Christmas present as part of a clothing store's birthday celebrations. Customers at Greenwood's in High Street, Redcar, were asked to put their names into a hat for a prize draw to help the chain of men's
district councillors have approved Army plans to extend its ranges near Gayle and Kirby Hill, in Richmondshire. They agreed a new track could be established, linking firing areas near Park Wood, to the south of the villages. It is hoped the project will
A FARMHOUSE preserves business which has tripled production in six months has won two major awards. Derek and Lesley Kettlewell's Raydale Preserves has won the Great British Foods award and was runner-up in the farming entrepreneur of the year award in
HELP and advice for people worried about Christmas debt is available through the Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) in Sedgefield and Darlington. The message is don't let credit turn into debt and make sure you seek advice. Towards the end of last year the
Crook Ladies Tow Law New Market B, currently in second place in the table, were stretched at home by Willington Commercial before edging through to an odd point victory. This left them 31 points behind the leading, unbeaten Crook Coach and Horses, but
PLANS for a controversial housing development in a North Yorkshire village have been deferred. Despite letters of objection from the parish council and villagers living in West Rounton, the building of 13 houses was recommended for approval by planning
A YOUNG tom cat needs a home after it was found wandering the streets of a County Durham village. The cat, found in Eggleston near Barnard Castle, is being cared for by the National Animal Sanctuary Support League, in Darlington. Pauline Wilson, of the
A REVOLUTIONARY lorry designed by an engineer from the Richmond area could be the basis of a safe and efficient new transport system for the 21st century. Mr Carl Henderson hopes to win European backing for his extra-stable and manoeuvrable vehicle, one
THE fierce independent spirit of the dalesmen is well known and has been put to the test many times. In the remote areas of the dales local people have always sought to help themselves. In the past the provision of self-help in the form of a friendly
A FORCE-WIDE crackdown on crime launched across County Durham and Darlington in the run-up to Christmas has been hailed as successful by police. Durham Constabulary's head of CID, Detective Superintendent Ian Scott, revealed last night that 271 men and
A NORTH-EAST housewife is almost £60,000 better off after scooping a bingo prize. The 42-year-old Darlington woman, who has asked not to be named, won £57,000 in the National Bingo Game at the Gala Club, in the town's Skinnergate. The woman was at the
DALES villagers are gearing up to stop a mobile phone mast going up in one of the most picturesque parts of the Durham countryside. Leaders of the campaign, Mr Brian Shieldhouse and his wife Pauline, fear that the 15 metre mast would blight their idyllic
NOW that Christmas is over, the new computer is out of the box and you're fed up with the free games which came with it, you could be wondering where to go for the best Internet access. Whether you are a new surfer or you just fancy shopping around to
A PRIVATE railway more associated with preserved steam locomotives is now trying to save a 38-year-old diesel engine built at Darlington. Hundreds of Class 37 diesels were built for British Rail in the 60s but one originally numbered D6769 was the first
DISABLED and unemployed residents are to be encouraged to use sports facilities in Hartlepool. A report to the borough council has revealed that leisure centres in the town mainly attract the most advantaged people, although the more disadvantaged residents
INACCURACIES in the portrayal of a rare liver disease on ITV's Peak Practice caused distress to a number of sufferers throughout the country, including one who lives near Thirsk. Mrs Gwen Webb, aged 56, from Baldersby St James, was diagnosed with the
SCHOOLS across North Yorkshire are planning to improve their surroundings in a fresh bid to help pupils' development. Research carried out in the county shows that schools are starting to appreciate the value of their grounds and their impact on both
HERITAGE is priceless and every community should be proud of the traditions which combine to make it what it is. Many towns have markets which date back many hundreds of years but remarkably Bedale's market charter dates back much further. This year the
Chester-le-Street Ladies attempt to pull-off their second FA Cup shock of the season when they travel to Newport tomorrow. The Cestrians beat Sheffield Wednesday 4-2 in the previous round and a win against their Welsh counterparts, who play at one level
AN expanded shopping centre enjoyed a Christmas trading boom. The Bridges centre, in Sunderland, which opened its £40m extension last year, saw its usual takings double during the festive season. A third more customers visited the city centre complex
HTHE government is ordering an inquiry into the scandal of disgraced surgeon Mr Richard Neale. The decision, revealed this week, has come as good news to the women patients of the former Northallerton consultant. A 200-strong group has been campaigning
Auckland and District Ebac Youth League Ferryhill Athletic juniors start 2001 in the unusual position of being top of the League and bottom of their league cup group. With the league cup qualifying group matches coming at the start of the season, the
THE publisher of a free community news sheet has been accused of a sexist attack on three women members of Richmondshire District Council staff. The authority's standards committee meets next week to consider complaints made by two women councillors against
A LEADING car industry expert has criticised "doom and gloom merchants" predicting mass redundancies at Nissan, claiming it was more than capable of withstanding the loss of the Micra model. With fears growing that bosses at the car giant's Tokyo headquarters
THE man accused of the 'limbs in the loch killing' of a Scottish teenager is being sent back to Britain to stand trial for murder. The Court of Justice in The Hague has refused an application for an injunction to block the extradition of former Teesside
ALL that was missing from Paula Radcliffe's glorious triumph at Consett on Saturday was the voice of David Coleman saying: "It's Radcliffe first, the rest nowhere." The Great North Cross Country should have brought down the curtain on Coleman's 46 years
NEW and expectant mothers are poised to take the plunge at special swimming sessions. Sheryl O'Lone and Margaret Hayton, members of the Priory midwife team, at Guisborough Hospital's maternity unit, are setting up aqua natal classes at Loftus Leisure
Crook League Leading individuals in the First Division are Neil Campbell (Travellers Rest B), Gavin Witton and Gerald Parkin (Olde Horse Shoe A) in equal first place with nine wins each. With eight wins each John Mason, Jim Ainsley and David Haygarth,
WORK and study have proved a winning combination for a student who achieved an award as well as his degree. Anthony Stubbs, 25, of Salcombe Way, Redcar, took a manufacturing and business course at Teesside University to improve his career prospects. During
IT'S panto time in Northallerton later this month when the town's variety company stages its performance of Dick Whittington. The production takes place at the Hambleton Community Centre from Sunday, January 21 to Saturday, January 27, with all proceeds
SUNDERLAND striker Kevin Phillips is hoping his international prospects will benefit from the new England regime. Phillips has played for his country just five times, despite scoring 40 Premiership goals in 17 months. Despite being a regular squad man
A NORTH-EAST woman who fell in love with a convicted murderer has announced she is to marry him. Murderer Keith Mawhinney, 21, proposed to Anna Degnan during a recent prison visit. The couple fell in love after Miss Degnan, 30, from Sunderland, agreed
NEWCASTLE United want Wimbledon striker Marcus Gayle to fill Alan Shearer's boots. United, without knee trouble victim Shearer for a further ten weeks, were last night battling to thrash out a deal with the Dons. Talks have reached stalemate because they
A TEESSIDE charity is appealing for help to find temporary homes for homeless young people in east Cleveland. The Nightstop Supported Lodgings Scheme, based in Redcar, aims to provide temporary accommodation for young people in the Redcar and east Cleveland
A HIT-and-run driver ignored the plight of five people in a car he had sent spinning across a motorway and fled from the scene drunk, a court heard yesterday. Wayne Fieldhouse, 34, consumed six pints of beer before setting off up the A1(M), heading for
A TEENAGER who was orphaned after his mother contracted Aids during a blood transfusion was jailed yesterday. Andrew Paxton, 18, turned to crime after his mother, father and baby brother died of the virus. Newcastle Crown Court heard how his crime spree
POLICE have renewed their appeal for witnesses after a woman was punched in an unprovoked attack. The 50-year-old was walking along an alleyway between Welbeck Avenue and Salters Lane South, Darlington, when she was pounced on by a man. He grabbed her
BARNARD CASTLE. - Fwd: 3 calves, 1,014 sheep. Bull calves to £170. Store Lambs to £33. Lt hoggs to 95p av 87.8p; std to 114.lp av 108.6p; med to 113.4p av 109.2p; heavy hoggs to 106.9p av 103.4p. Cast ewes: Mule to £31.50; Cont to £32; Swale to £24; Suff
A SEVEN-year-old boy has been killed in an accident involving two casrs after he darted out into the road. Peter Hope died after being hit by the cars as he made his way to play with his best friend, near his home in Wallsend, North Tyneside. The youngster
A CRACKDOWN on crime in the run-up to Christmas across County Durham and Darlington led to 271 arrests and the recovery of £57,000 worth of property. The 18-day Operation Bulls-eye involved hundreds of frontline beat bobbies, traffic officers and detectives
SHARP contrasts and challenges face people living in the rural areas, according to a new report by the Countryside Agency. Key concerns are lack of affordable housing, low incomes, jobs, transport and access to services and facilities. A vivid picture
A recreation area is to be created from wasteland, despite the concern of residents that it could become a magnet for vandals and troublemakers. Richmond Town Council has been working on a partnership with the district authority, which owns the overgrown
A SHEEP breed which once almost decreased to the point of extinction is enjoying its largest membership since the 1920s. The Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders' Association now has more than 220 members. In 1920 few members lived outside North Yorkshire
ROAD deaths across the Durham Constabulary area reached a record low last year, according to figures revealed by the force this week. Accident investigators said people's willingness to heed road safety measures and a year-round crackdown on speeding
A BROTHER and sister, who face a total of more than 80 charges of cruelty to animals on their farm, have been told they will stand trial at the end of the month. Solicitors acting for William and Dorothy Tinkler, of Village Farm, Faceby, on the border
A DURHAM fish and chip shop has tasted success by landing a top national award for standards in the industry. Morley's, at Cheveley Park, on the outskirts of the city, picked up the Sea Fish Friers' Quality Award following a tough inspection. Judges looked
