RESIDENTS in the Wear Valley are being told this month which 12 community centres are to be closed as part of a good Best Value exercise, which could save the council up to £48,000 a year. While one of the area's Homeline Community Centres, in Edgar Grove
I SAT and watched in utter disbelief and with sadness as violence erupted within five minutes of Bishop Auckland's FA Trophy third round tie at Burton Albion's Eton Park getting under way. Stewards and then police moved in to restore an uneasy peace and
THIEVES broke into a North-East school and broke more than 20 windows in a late-night raid at the weekend. The attack on Teesdale School, in Barnard Castle happened late on Saturday or early on Sunday morning. A small quantity of items were taken but
PEOPLE in north Hartlepool can now cast a wider net in the search for jobs. The Employment Action Centre, in Miers Avenue, offers Internet sessions so job-hunters can search the worldwide web for a job. The centre can also help people who need to get
POOR Bishop Auckland. Its name, and that of its football club, is being dragged through the mire by the violence that erupted at a match in Staffordshire at the weekend. But some of the statistics are revealing. The police say about 250 people from Bishop
AN exercise initiative in Hartlepool is aiming to help less active people and those with health problems. Musical Chairs is part of the Hartlepool Exercise for Life programme, and involves gentle work-outs, starting in chairs and progressing to standing
A County Durham day nursery has been given permission to build an extension to accommodate more children. Eden Day Nursery, in Rushyford, applied to Sedgefield Borough Council to allow an additional 20 children on site. Councillors gave their approval
HOLIDAYMAKERS flocked to Darlington for The Northern Echo's annual travel fair at the weekend. Spring and summer breaks were on everyone's minds as thousands of people visited the annual exhibition, in the town's Dolphin Centre. The event, sponsored by
CURIOSITY has saved a school from being engulfed by flames. A woman looking out of the window of her home at fire engines arriving to put out a house fire in the street, spotted smoke billowing from the nearby comprehensive school. The firefighters were
AN ambitious five year project which will aid economic revival in rural communities, and aim to halt the brain drain, has been launched in the region. The Cornerstone scheme will encourage young farming entrepreneurs to develop long-term sustainable agricultural
A PENSIONER has received a tall order - from Russia. Devout Roman Catholic Elsie Tebbs, a former midwife, has been asked to send a statue of Our Lady, at least 3ft tall, out to a priests' seminary at St Petersburg. She sent a crib set to a church in Ghana
PARENTS are to be given the final say on what equipment will be going into three new play areas in Ferryhill, County Durham. A £30,000 grant from Sure Start means that the development of the Mainsforth recreation ground, Surtees play area and King George
MORE trouble-shooters are being set to work in east Cleveland with a brief to clean up the streets. Community wardens Peter Pears and Steve Sanderson will, from this week, patrol the streets of Normanby, near Redcar, imposing on-the-spot fines for litter
A PAIR of enterprising brothers are set to clean up with a miracle healing soap formula. For eight years, Eric and Albert Rutter, from Trimdon, County Durham, had been making soap in their garage until ex-bricklayer Eric, 51, stumbled upon the soap almost
EXPERTS are being called in to defuse a potential time-bomb on the edge of a village. For 18 months, the east Cleveland community of Loftus was almost cut off following a landslide. More recently, it was hit by devastating floods. Now, it has been revealed
A boy has been mugged for his silver scooter. The ten-year-old was approached by three youngsters, aged about 12 or 13-years-old, and threatened if he did not hand over the toy. The incident happened between Sinderby and Colsterdale Close at High Grange
PARENTS fear there may not be enough places for their children at a village school this September. Mothers and fathers in Coxhoe are calling on Durham County Council to provide extra classroom space to ensure all the youngsters who want to go to Coxhoe
THE MP taking part in today's meeting with senior European competition officials says he remains hopeful of winning £40m of aid to bring the new Micra to the North-East. The money could mean the difference between the Nissan Micra being built at the company's
YOUNG swimmers from across the North-East took the plunge in a quest for competition success. About 130 youngsters, aged ten to 12, from eight clubs, including Billingham, Consett and Newcastle, took part in a gala staged by Peterlee Swimming Club, in
A TOWN council is organising free day excursions for the pensioners of Newton Aycliffe and Aycliffe Village this summer. A choice of destination will be offered to either the Lake District, the Scottish Borders, Blackpool, or Scarborough. The trips will
A NIGHTspot chain has acquired an interest in the freehold of a doomed cinema. National company Luminar says the Odeon, Middlesbrough, is "a landmark leisure site". The four-cinema picture house is closing, with the loss of 29 jobs, because of the imminent
A recruitment team is back from a Mediterranean mission to match Army wives to North Yorkshire jobs. Joanne Lorenz, of the Richmond JobCentre, joined Lesley Simmons, from the Liz Dargue Employment Agency, and Liz Armstrong, from Catterick Garrison's Army
CONCERN at the "appalling" health of Britain's prison population could lead to the UK's first professor of prison health being appointed in the North-East. Officials from Durham University, County Durham and Darlington Health Authority and the North-East
ANOTHER late-night attack has been reported in a village where a young woman was the victim of a serious sexual assault 18 months ago. The latest assault in Colburn, North Yorkshire, was reported in the early hours of Saturday - and detectives want to
young children are being given safety lessons in handling the latest craze - micro-scooters. Lessons are being organised by a watchdog concerned about the safety of the trendy toys, which topped many letters to Father Christmas this year. The lightweight
TRIBUTES have been paid to a councillor who served his community for 48 years until his death from thrombosis this month. Jimmy Jones, 79, was born in the Deerness Valley, and, since 1953, served on various councils and committees in Tow Law, County Durham
A CONVICTED child killer, on the run from prison, was caught yesterday during a North-East dawn drugs raid. Christopher Brophy was arrested at his girlfriend's house in Wren Street in the Oxbridge area of Stockton, when police stormed the address. Brophy
AMBITIOUS Sunderland boss Peter Reid, who has guided his side to second place in the Premiership, last night insisted the hard work is still to come. "Everything is going great - but we have to got to the next stage and get up there with the big boys,
Newcastle are poised to finally get rid of Didier Domi after washing their hands of the mixed-up French rebel. The Geordies plan to sell Domi to his former club Paris St Germain for £3m this week and use half the cash to buy Wayne Quinn from Sheffield
NEO-Nazis may have been behind violence which cast a shadow over the reputation of a proud North-East football club. Propaganda was found linking extremists Combat 18 (C18) to a wrecking spree in a pub prior to non-league Bishop Auckland's FA Trophy tie
Darlington manager Gary Bennett is looking for another improvement from his players when they take on Shrewsbury for a place in the last 16 of the LDV Vans Trophy tonight. After two below par games against Chesterfield and Rochdale, Quakers suddenly burst
HE had seen things no man should ever have to see - the twisted, scorched bodies of men and boys trapped in an underground mine blast. As County Durham's mining rescue team captain, he camped at the site of the Easington Pit disaster of 1951 for two weeks
CONSTRUCTION group Taylor Woodrow has gatecrashed the marriage of housebuilders Bryant and Beazer with a £523m bid for Bryant. The move follows York-based Persimmon revealing it was also interested in making an offer for Beazer. Woodrow, which made two
TOWN twinners in east Durham hope to strengthen their friendship with their German partners this year. Last year, Easington celebrated 25 years of its link with Baesweiler, a pit town in northern Germany, which is home to 25,000 people. Now, two trips
A NORTH-EAST local authority has pledged to continue to get tough with council tax dodgers. Sunderland City Council's warning has come after seven residents appeared in court for failing to give details of their income. The information is required by
AN international children's charity is looking for caring people in Hartlepool to help make a difference to the lives of young people. Spurgeon's Child Care is working with Hartlepool Borough Council to provide an independent visitors' scheme for children
A GERMAN artist's work examining how a person's perception can be questioned goes on show next month. Rolf Wojciechowski will display his exhibition, The Art of Deception, in the Mall Gallery, at Crook Civic Centre, in Crook, County Durham, from February
A DARLINGTON man bowled over the opposition in a recent competition. Bill Tiley, who works for PMB car dealership in the town, triumphed in the Darlington Festival of Bowls, held at the Morrisons Bowling Centre. Bill has been bowling for nearly 30 years
CONCERNS about ecological damage and commercial exploitation of the countryside feature among images of the countryside at an exhibition of landscape photographs in Stockton. Mark Rowland-Jones, Stockton Borough Council's museums and heritage officer,
THE Samaritans have gone online to help people who are suicidal or desperate. For years, people have used the telephone, or had face-to- face meetings with volunteers to pour out their troubles. However, the world of computer technology means they can
SPECULATION over the future of a residential home in Teesdale has ended after it was announced it had been sold to a care home operator. Since it was announced in September last year that the Whorlton Grange residential home, near Barnard Castle, County
A COUNTY Durham service station is due to extend after councillors gave it the go- ahead. Owners of the OK Service Station, on the A167 at Chilton, near Ferryhill, applied to Sedgefield Borough Council for permission to add a workshop and MOT testing
A museum dedicated to one of the North-East's famous regiments is launching art and craft workshops. The DLI, formerly the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Durham Art Gallery, in Durham City, is aiming the Sunday afternoon events at children and their
REAL ale enthusiasts plan to oppose the merger of two North-East breweries. The County Durham branch of Camra is concerned that Castle Eden Brewery, near Peterlee, will be closed if it is taken over by Camerons Lion Brewery at Hartlepool. Speculation
RAILTRACK is due to start work next month on a £5m refurbishment programme for Sunderland's railway station. The major upgrade is being carried out as part of the £98m extension of the Tyneside Metro to Wearside. The state of the underground station has
A NORTH YORKSHIRE village is taking on mighty American fast-food giant, McDonald's, over its record on litter. The company, with branches from Moscow to Miami, opened a new burger bar at the service area on the A1 at Leeming Bar at the end of last year
A NORTH-East man who runs a variety show in Scotland is coming home to raise money for a hospital which cared for his father in his dying hours. Arnold Dowson, who works under the stage name Steve Bishop, was so grateful for the care his father, also
DAVID and Sally Rowley must look back and think they were quackers to open an animal sanctuary in one of the region's most rural areas. While some sanctuaries restrict themselves to dogs or cats, the Rowleys have a tendency to take the more unusual animals
A CLOCK to replace one lost at the former Winterton Hospital site could be installed in a new community hospital at Sedgefield, County Durham. Villagers were angry when they discovered that the Winterton clock had been sold to an American buyer. They
MOBILE phone operator Orange has signed up its ten millionth customer, more than doubling its customer numbers in the past 12 months. Over the past year it has added more than five million new customers to its ever-expanding base, and it is continually
A FORMER miner is giving a personal account of his life underground in the form of an exhibition of paintings. Tom Lamb worked for 27 years at Craghead Colliery and Busty Pit, in County Durham, starting at the age of 14. The artist's caricatures and portraits
THE adventures of a globe-trotting little teddy bear are being followed by North-east schoolchildren. Salty the teddy was sent to the crew of HMS Newcastle by pupils from Marine Park First School, in Whitley Bay. The crew embarked on a seven-month tour
DURHAM'S ageing swimming pool could be replaced by a "healthy living centre'' with a wide range of facilities for health and fitness. A new 25m main pool and a learner pool could be built on the site of the existing baths along with sauna, fitness areas
A TEENAGE cyclist was badly injured when he was knocked off his bike by a hit-and-run driver. The 14-year-old, who has not been named, suffered serious injuries and is said to be stable in hospital, although his condition is giving doctors concern. The
AN exhibition dedicated to the Jewish faith and lifestyle opens in the North-East tomorrow. The Jewish Way of Life will be held at the Discovery Museum, Blandford Square, Newcastle, as part of a national tour. Its visit to the city will coincide with
A SCHEME to fine children who drop rubbish outside school has put a local authority in the running for an environment award. Disgusted residents, fed up with dumped pizza cartons and chip papers, urged Middlesbrough Borough Council to step up litter patrols
A NEW team is helping unemployed Billingham residents to find and keep jobs. Billingham Action Team for Jobs gives practical help, advice and support to anyone aged 16 to 65 who wants to find work. Advisors work on a one-to-one basis to try to improve
CAR owners in the College and Park West areas of Darlington have suffered continued attacks on their vehicles. The break-ins come as councillors prepare to meet residents and police to discuss ongoing problems. Last week, The Northern Echo reported on
THE new Baptist tabernacle in Stockton is due to be opened in September. The main structure has taken shape and tiling work will take place on the roof in the next few weeks. The tabernacle is setting up in the new building after moving from its former
A DALES school's bid for signs to warn drivers of children crossing a road for PE lessons seems likely to get the all-clear today. Pupils from the St Peter and St Paul School, in Leyburn, have to cross the busy A684 to reach gym facilities. Road markings
A NORTH-EAST woman who rediscovered her favourite sport after a heart transplant is preparing to represent her country. Joan Whitney, 61, of Montague's Harrier, Guisborough, was a badminton player for many years before a heart attack in 1996. Although
A COUPLE are trying to trace the owner of First and Second World War medals which have come into their possession. The medals have almost been thrown out twice, but were recovered by Chris White when she was clearing out a house in Newton Aycliffe. One
BAKERY shops in two South Durham towns have been targeted by thieves three times in the past two weeks. But detectives say there is probably no connection between a raid on a Peter's shop in Proudfoot Drive, Bishop Auckland, and two break-ins at another
THE growth of a conservation project in Hartlepool will come under the spotlight at a talk next month. Tony Davison, manager of the Summerhill project, will address a meeting in February to explain the progress so far, including landscaping work and the
POWER SUPPLIES J DAVISON asks (HAS, 8 Jan) why his power supply fails at the first sign of inclement weather. Supply failures arise in the lower voltage local distribution system. The ample high voltage grid is already very secure. National Grid's controversial
HE may be one of our most successful actors, but David Jason can't disguise his feelings on one sensitive subject. Faced with the prospect of becoming a father for the first time at the age of 60, the former Del Boy says he is far too much of a wimp to
MULTI-MILLIONAIRE George Reynolds' court battle with Cleveland Police ended in failure yesterday - and landed him with a £50,000 bill for costs. But afterwards the Darlington Football Club chairman remained defiant, and said he believed the fight had
FOLLOWING David Nicholls' trained runners on the all-weather tracks over the next couple of months is not such a bad idea since he has a proven record on the sand at this time of year. As an extra precaution against both frost and flooding affecting his
Middlesbrough are facing a fight to keep unhappy defender Gianluca Festa at the Riverside. Chelsea are ready to move for the former Inter Milan centre-back, who has refused to withdraw a transfer request made two months ago. Boro now want him to stay
RETAIL giant Kingfisher confirmed it is considering offers for ''part or all'' of its general merchandise division which includes the Woolworths and Superdrug chains. But the group also insisted that it was still pushing ahead with its original plans
THE eyes of the world were focused on a North-East court yesterday as the trial began of the market trader who has become a symbol of the battle against the creeping powers of Brussels. The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times
We have been talking these last two columns about those with a sneaking for Brechin. It is as naught, a mere breeze around the block, compared to the boys who take the high road to join the Ross County set. "I used to support Wimbledon but they got too
A YOUNG Manchester United fan who suffers from severe diabetes and epilepsy, has put his footballing loyalties to good use to raise money for a hospital. Four-year-old Peter Buckle, of Evenwood, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, won a football signed
THE sticker on the wrecked bar of the Navigation Inn boasted the logo of neo-Nazis Combat 18. Around 100 hooligans had left the family-run pub in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, devastated by a mindless orgy of destruction, which included smashing the
CHILDREN are taking the extraordinary step of calling in the United Nations (UN) to stop their council banning parkland kickabouts. Where piles of coats once acted as goalposts and buckets took the place of cricket stumps, a sign now proclaims "no ball
A TOWN'S football pitches are so wet that its teams have hardly been able to play a home game all season. Now, Ferryhill Town Council is hoping to drain the fields to avoid a backlog of games towards the end of the season. Ferryhill has 12 teams playing
A MAILING company is taking on 20 extra staff at its new plant in Peterlee. MetroMail is looking for computer programmers, production team leaders and operators, quality system administrators and maintenance engineers. The firm, which moved into a new
BUS passengers in Durham are being given the chance to tell one of the region's main operators what they think of its services. Go North East, whose Go Northern and Wearside subsidiaries run in and around the city, is holding a special surgery tomorrow
A NORTHERN council is being reported to the Government for unfair practice. Local Government Minister Hilary Armstrong's office says it will look into a complaint that Stockton Borough Council's Labour leaders are excluding members of the opposition Conservative
THEATRE lovers will no longer have to travel long distances to to buy tickets for productions at a town's civic theatre. Now, tickets for all performances at Darlington Civic Theatre will be available from the tourist information centre, in Middleton-in-Teesdale
MORE than 1,400 pints of some of the country's finest beer will be on tap at a North-East pub this weekend. The Beamish Mary Inn, at No Place, near Stanley, County Durham, will be serving 21 brews such as Radgie Gadgie, Love Muscle and Yellow Belly. For
A SCHEME for volunteers to provide first aid to people who have suffered heart attacks is "going live" in a County Durham village for the first time today. Members of the community are on standby in the Trimdon Village First Responder scheme. Volunteers
AYCLIFFE Angels have a second chance to get hold of a commemorative brochure signed by the Prime Minister for a service held in their honour. The rare souvenir was produced for a service at Durham Cathedral to mark the achievements of workers on the Home
