SOMETIMES it seems that there's hardly a village or town in the North Yorkshire Dales or Moors without its resident potter. They flock there with grand plans and high ambitions and most last little more than a season or two. A few, however, have the skill
VOLUNTEERS who have made a real difference to the Crook community are being sought by Kathleen Halton, of Crook Community Partnership. She said: "I'd like to ask the people in Crook to nominate volunteers who they feel provide an outstanding service in
SPACE, the band behind the hit song Female of the Species, will be among the acts at a music festival next month. Following the success of last year's BBC Music Live event, Middlesbrough Borough Council is launching an annual music festival every Spring
ONE of the Aycliffe Angels was joined by her family ahead of her 100th birthday with the traditional message from the Queen, yesterday. Dora Baron now lives at Nightingale Hall, Richmond, North Yorkshire, close to daughter, Jean, and her husband Philip
FARMERS in the Vale of York met their MP last week, to voice their concern about the way the foot-and-mouth crisis was being handled. Miss Anne McIntosh met farmers, feed suppliers and others from the agricultural industry at Thirsk, when the main issues
THROUGHOUT the year, children at Richmond CE Primary School have demonstrated their sharing and caring attitude in numerous ways. Just before Easter, the school invited groups of older residents to an afternoon's entertainment in which the school choir
ON any argument, it was flying a kite at the Stadium of Light - "outrageously audacious" admitted the letter that landed on Sunderland chairman Bob Murray's desk. Now, however, the Premiership giants have agreed to roll out the red and white carpet for
Fears were mounting yesterday for a 12-year-old girl who vanished as she walked to a friend's home. Natasha Brown, who is not thought to have run away, was walking to her friend's house on Wednesday morning but never arrived. Police have searched gardens
THE OLD-fashioned role of matron is poised to make a comeback on hospital wards. But patients can take heart that the fearsome character made famous by Carry On star, Hattie Jacques, will play no part in the modern-look matron. The return of matrons is
Byers Green St Peters beat Willington Cottles 1-0 in the final of the Colin Waites trophy, Gavin Dunnett scoring the winner with a 25-yard effort. A double could still be on for Byers Green who stay in contention for the league after beating Howden Australian
FEARS are growing for an au pair who has disappeared in the North-East. Brown-haired Gulchin Yilmas, 21, was last seen heading across Newcastle to catch a train back to Teesside, where she was staying with a family. Cleveland Police say the Turkish woman
Maxine Hamilton has been appointed as personnel officer for Cleveland Potash, based at the Boulby Mine. Ms Hamilton joins the company after 17 months as a human resource adviser for B&Q and three years as general manager with Middlesbrough-based Saks
PUPILS at a Hartlepool primary school can start planning a giant mural to celebrate the town's history. It will include the monkey-hanging legend, St Hilda's Church and the town's maritime history, including the new marina. It will be unveiled to celebrate
Fly-tippers, who dumped potentially dangerous plastic containers, in a Hartlepool lay-by are being hunted by council officials. The two 10ft caustic-water washer towers, abandoned in Marina Way, could have led to anyone who tried to take the tops off
A NEW licence scheme has been launched to help non-infected farms near confirmed foot-and-mouth outbreaks move livestock. The lifeline will allow farmers move their animals to fresh grazing areas even if they are under a 'Form D' notice within a three-kilometre
Weardale Ladies League Top met second and victory went to second side Hare and Hounds over leaders Blue Bell B. Despite the defeat Blue Bell still hold a 12 points lead. Results: Stanhope Pack Horse 6, St Johns Chapel Blue Bell A 2; St Johns Chapel Blue
VILLAGERS have secured cash to design and build works of art depicting the community's heritage. The features, which will depict the industrial heritage of the village of Leadgate, near Consett, will be placed at the entrances to the village. The Leadgate
TEESSIDE airport's new boss intends to shrug off any Doubting Thomases as he prepares a strategy fit for 2015. Mr Hugh Lang told the airport consultative committee on Wednesday that a health check was being carried out on all aspects of the business.
THE new season in the North Yorkshire and South Durham League, which starts tomorrow, has already fallen victim to the winter weather with postponements due to unfit grounds. In the premier division, two games have been delayed with champions Saltburn
Bishop Auckland League Bishop Auckland Cumberland Arms won the battle for the first win of the season when they visited fellow losers, Witton Park Rose and Crown and came through by three points but still remain below their hosts. The Rose and Crown had
A NEW community scheme that will see uniformed wardens patrolling the streets of a North-East community will be launched today. South Tyneside is the first of the five Tyne and Wear authorities to introduce the community safety wardens scheme - a new
THE devotion of two sisters, whose close bond spanned the Atlantic, will culminate at a mayor making ceremony next month. Last year Mrs Christina Castle was fighting for her life in Houston, Texas, while her sister, Coun Pat Walker prayed for her recovery
DURHAM City's popular farmers' market returned to the Market Place last week following an enforced closure due to foot-and-mouth. Organisers cancelled the March event to help to prevent the spread of the disease but decided to go ahead this month after
IN COMPILING this weekly budget, I am supported by a library of reference books assembled over many years, along with a filing system of newspaper cuttings and other scraps which is ever-expanding and which has also been assembled over more years than
OFFICE workers are being invited to bond at the beach as part of a new training scheme. Rosemary Hepworth, of Smile Training and Development Consultancy, has joined Nick Noble, of Saltburn Surf Shop, to offer team building through a day on the waves.
WHEN disabled Skelton resident Bob Simmons asked his council for double glazing to help him sleep at night, he didn't get the new windows he expected, but earplugs. Mr Simmons is partially sighted and suffers from sleep apnoea, a life-threatening condition
YOUNGSTERS may have been responsible for a wheelchair theft which has left a disabled grandmother trapped in her home. The £900 machine went missing from a hallway outside Pauline Gill's flat in Crook while she was out in her car for a short while on
THE search is on to find the finest school cricket team in the region. A total of 47 schools have entered The Northern Echo/Local Heroes Under-15s cup competition. The prize for the winning school will be £300 in sporting equipment, with £200 to the runner-up
AN animal home will soon start rehousing strays for the first time since the start of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The Newcastle and Northumberland branch of the RSPCA at Ponteland have been given the good news by Maff officials. Restrictions preventing
A NEW era in the regeneration of Teesside began yesterday with the launch of a new-look committee to lead the development of the area. Government minister for local government and the regions, Hilary Armstrong, was in the area to see how successful regeneration
TORY leader William Hague became caught up in the foot-and-mouth crisis as the disease tightened its grip on North Yorkshire. One of the three new cases confirmed in the last two days was at Home Farm, in Catterick - only half a mile from the home Mr
A TRAFFIC warden could soon be the envy of colleagues across the UK. While the kit issued to Britain's wardens does not run to a pair of shoes, Middlesbrough Borough Council are set to supply their planned first ever lone ranger of the kerbsides with
Chilton YC will play Crook Town in the final of the Auckland and District Ebac Youth League Cup after contrasting semi-final wins. Chilton beat Bishop Auckland 3-2, while Crook won 9-0 at home to West Auckland. Bishops finished top of the League Cup Group
OCCUPANTS of a residential home are looking forward to a trip down memory lane at a fashion show with a difference. A range of classic outfits ranging from the 1900s to the 1960s will be on display in the fashion show at Glenroyd House, in Consett, tonight
Crook League Crook Queen's Head A slipped to the foot of the First Division after they only took two points from the visiting Crook Travellers Rest A. The home points came from singles wins by Dougie Smailes and Neil Harker. The Travellers had singles
York and District League LEAGUE Cup winners Dunnington had a convincing victory over champions Easingwold in the President's Challenge Trophy winning by nine wickets. But the success of Simon Kellett and Collis King denied the crowd the opportunity of
If you've got a question for the Darlington MP, here's your chance to have your say. The MP and Health Secretary Alan Milburn has put himself online to answer reader's questions at The Interview-e. Questions have already started to come in so don't delay
WORK will start in the next few weeks to add more than a thousand names to a memorial for Hartlepool's fallen heroes. Specially-made bronze plaques listing 1,797 names will be added to those from the First World War already in place, on the town's war
NEW Marske Junior Football Club is looking new members, boys and girls, aged six-nine years. Call Kevin Morley on (01642) 477776 or Gary Jackson on (01642) 481837.
THE Wensleydale creamery has lost almost half its milk suppliers in the foot and mouth crisis - but early contingency plans have paid off and full production continues. Twenty-one of the 46 dairy farms which supply the Hawes factory have had stock slaughtered
AFTER a decade of fighting the powers that be, Prof Mike O'Carroll is looking to join them. As chairman of the Revolt group, he has fought long and hard against the National Grid's plans to build a 50-mile, 400,000-volt line of pylons from Lackenby on
ACKLAM Steelworks clinched the league title last Saturday when they earned the necessary point in a dramatic finish to their match at Bedale Athletic. The first half hour was very even, but Acklam took the lead in the 33rd minute through Eric Warburton
Classic Trophies UK Sunday League THE league's two cup finals will be staged at Billingham Synthonia's ground on Sunday, April 29. Priory SC and D and E Locksmiths will contest the Classic Trophy final (2pm) and the League Cup final will be between Parklands
A SMALL team which came to the rescue when floods struck hundreds of homes last year has won a national award. Staff at the Wear Valley Volunteer Development Agency swung into action last June, when heavy rain swelled rivers and streams in their area.
THE inside of the ship was lined with a thin sprinkling of white powder most days, as if it was Christmas all year round. Robert Brown was an 18-year-old apprentice welder on Redheads, the North Shields shipyard, and to him, it was like working in some
Mandale Harriers ABibby (Mandale Harriers) was the star of the Cyril Elliott open meeting at Clareville Stadium, Middlesbrough. Fresh from his triumphs with the English Schools rugby team he bounded out to 13.05m in the U-17 triple jump and then roared
Crook Town have been accepted into the North Alliance League for next season. The competition is for Under-19 teams and a spokesman for the Millfield club said: "We feel that it would be more beneficial for youngsters to have an extra year in youth football
Junior football club Spraire Lads have received a double-boost after winning two national competitions. The Darlington-based club have won an Under-16s tournament in Great Yarmouth and have also taken receipt of a £200 cheque from Gillette after winning
A MEDICAL student transformed himself into sandwich-board man to help his home town. Osteopathy student Drew Crichton, 27, thought he had landed a few days modelling work in London, where he now lives, to help him out with his student grant - but was
NAPPY days could be here again for parents across the region after an environmental initiative with the emphasis firmly on youth was launched. Real Nappy Week has been promoting ways to combat the enormous amount of household waste generated by babies
A SENIOR official from the Ministry of Agriculture's regional base at Leeds is due to address Richmondshire councillors about the foot and mouth crisis. A representative of Mr Stephen Hunter, regional director, reports on the handling of operations in
COUNCILLORS' surgeries are being held in the following Redcar and Cleveland wards: Today: Guisborough, Chapel Beck Community Centre, 6-7pm. Tomorrow: Longbeck, New Marske Sports Club, 11am-noon; Guisborough, Guisborough Library, 11am-noon; Kirkleatham
A PUB is looking for brave volunteers to take part in a sponsored firewalking event. It will be hosted by The Oaklands pub, in Peterlee. Those taking part will be invited to walk over glowing wood embers to raise money for The Clarke Lister Appeal. The
A PARTIALLY-sighted student is one of a trio of promising teenagers from Prior Pursglove College who won a regional award. Launched by the Northern Region of The Association of Colleges, the North-East Student Oscars promote a "can do culture". Partially-sighted
DAREDEVILS are being asked to volunteer for an extreme fundraising event only held once before in the region. The National Kidney Research Fund is looking for people interested in enjoying SCAD diving, which involves throwing yourself off a platform 90ft
Chester-le-Street Town Juniors The Under-17s ensured their season didn't end trophy-less when they beat County Cup finalists South Shields in the New County League Cup final at Moor Park. The game was not a classic and the under-strength Cestrians battled
DRUGS worker David Moralee, 19, has been honoured by councillors for his tireless efforts to educate young people about the dangers of substance abuse. Labelled disruptive at 13, David, of Low Mown Meadows, Crook, took a Prince's Trust course which included
AN Ingleby Arncliffe man recently spent an exhausting four days as editor of the Unitarian movement's conference daily newspaper. Mr Neill Warhurst had worked on the paper before, but this year volunteered to edit and mastermind the GA Zette, which is
LIVESTOCK farmers will have greater scope to move animals between their own premises from tomorrow. The local movements will still require a licence, but these can be given by local veterinary inspectors. Baroness Hayman, minister of state at MAFF, said
OUR report of the conviction of the teenagers responsible for the fire which destroyed a primary school at Sedgefield will gladden the hearts of all those depressed by the modern-day incidence of seemingly mindless vandalism. The young idiots who razed
YOUNGSTERS in schools throughout Derwentside are being given special information packs to teach them about good health. Throughout April, reception class children are receiving free, colourful health packs developed by the Specialist Health Promotion
THE first campaign in the country to help wardens deal with 'lollipop rage' has been a success, according to organisers. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council launched the campaign last year following concerns about the abuse school crossing patrol wardens
ALMOST every day someone in the North dies as a result of working with asbestos, according to a report. The region's industrial heritage has saddled it with the highest death rate from asbestos-related diseases in the country, through the widespread use
A LEGENDARY rock club has been resurrected at one of the region's leading music venues. Newcastle's Mayfair Rock Club was one of the best and biggest in the country until it was closed down for the building, in Westgate Road, to be redeveloped. And when
A HOSPICE has agreed to leave its current premises and must now find somewhere else as a base. But management at Willow Burn Hospice, currently based in the grounds of Maiden Law Hospital at Maiden Law, near Lanchester, are hopeful of securing a brand
PARENTS are hoping to build a playground for their children by holding a fair and auction. Proceeds from the event will go towards the £6,000 that the Pity Me Play Park Initiative needs to pay for work it hopes to carry out this summer. The group was
TREASURED vehicles belonging to an avid collector who died before they could be fully restored go under the hammer at the weekend. Eric Shaw built up his small fleet during the 20 years he ran Auckland Motor Cycles, at Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
PERFORMING art students at a Guisborough school enjoyed an action-packed final week of the spring term. A full audience enjoyed a varied musical evening provided by the Laurence Jackson School's orchestra, choir, wind band and several ensembles. A particular
A Redcar grandfather is angry with Northern Spirit for refusing to allow his disabled grandson on to a train. James Sproxton and his wife Maureen, both in their seventies, planned to give their 13-year-old wheelchair-bound grandson, Daniel Gott, a treat
London lawyer Vera Baird, the woman planning to step into Mo Mowlam's shoes as MP for Redcar, is experiencing a baptism of fire. The prospective parliamentary candidate has been tackling issues affecting the constituency as a result of redundancies announced
Fairs Software Tyneside Junior League CONSETT had the edge on Newcastle East End winning a close-fought match by the odd goal in three. Andrew Pool and Chris Elliott scored for the Steelmen while Steve Lovelle's goal kept East End in with a chance until
PEOPLE in Northallerton are being urged to join a project to bring jobs and prosperity to the town. Community groups and local councillors met at the town hall on Wednesday to discuss ways to attract funding to Hambleton. The district council wants its
THE Under-15 retained the Houghton Festival Trophy for a record-breaking third consecutive time, the first side to do so in the history of the festival. In their league during the morning session they defeated Durham City 19-0 with tries by Ian Graham
TOURISM bosses are targeting pathways at key visitor attractions in a campaign to reopen the countryside. The drive aims to throw a lifeline to struggling tourism businesses, many of which have had no money coming in since the start of the crisis, in
A BUS driver caught transporting special needs children while almost twice over the drink-drive limit has been banned for life from holding a public service vehicle (psv) licence. The disqualification was imposed on Kevin Elliot, 35, of South Pelaw, Chester-le-Street
Darlington assistant manager Mick Tait yesterday told his players: "Don't waste all your hard work." Quakers go to bottom club Halifax today after a deflating spell of three successive defeats which follows a run of just one defeat in the previous 12.
SUNDERLAND supporters' Player of the Year, Don Hutchison, believes that the club can still qualify for Europe. Starting this afternoon at Southampton Peter Reid's men have three games to make a last ditch bid for glory - and Hutchison maintained: "There's
GREG Blewett yesterday found an unwelcome way to reward Durham's new coach Martyn Moxon as he scored 133 on his Nottinghamshire debut. Moxon spent hours trying to coax runs out of Blewett for Yorkshire two years ago but had to wait until yesterday to
ONE of the region's top museums is launching an appeal to save a unique piece of furniture from being lost to public view. Officials at the Bowes museum in Barnard Castle believe the miniature botanical cabinet belonged to Mary Eleanor Bowes, grandmother
A DAREDEVIL mother has taken the plunge to raise money for the medical staff who are caring for her diabetic daughter. Yesterday, Gail Hall, of Coulby Newham, bravely allowed herself to be strapped into a helicopter simulator, which was ditched into three
ELECTION fever has come early to one of the area's schools. Pupils at Roseberry Comprehensive School at Pelton, near Chester-le-Street will be holding their own General Election on Thursday - the date Prime Minister Tony Blair was originally expected
A PLAY-OFF place is in Hartlepool United's grasp at Kidderminster this afternoon. Pool make their first trip to the Aggborough Stadium knowing a point is enough to secure a top-seven place for the second season in a row. And despite the uncertainty surrounding
A POOL of "super" supply teachers is to be created in a bid to address the lack of stand-in staff for schools. Durham County Council is hoping to woo more people back into teaching with courses to bring their skills up to date and promising more of a
A TERRIFIED young man pleaded for his life when he was subjected to a vicious attack by a stranger. The 21-year-old was attacked as he walked home from work in Darlington on Friday, April 6. The man, a factory operator, says he was approached by another
DURHAM Constabulary's male voice choir will be ending its season on a high note. The choir, which has 28 members, is rehearsing for its annual concert due to take place on Saturday at 7pm, at police headquarters in Durham. Also on the bill will be the
JUST 36 hours after auditions, the curtain went up on a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Durham Youth Musical Theatre is used to rehearsing over a short period, but last Saturday's performance
ERIC Davey has retired as chairman of the Newcastle Building Society. He stepped down at the society's annual general meeting held at the Copthorne Hotel in Newcastle on Thursday. His position will be taken by Chris Hilton, with James Heppell becoming
MARKS & Spencer's chairman and chief executive Luc Vandevelde has waived his £816,000 bonus entitlement this year. A meeting of M&S' remuneration committee accepted the decision and said the move was a "very significant gesture". Mr Vandevelde
A NORTH Yorkshire village's plans for a new sports pavilion could be in jeopardy, unless it can reach a compromise over access to the site. The project, spearheaded by Barton Playing Field Ltd, seemed all set to win planning approval in February. That
Breakthrough Breast Cancer will hold a sponsored walk at Newcastle Racecourse on Monday, May 28. Members of the public are invited to walk around the jumps course to raise cash for research. It is not a sponsored event and admission costs £4 for adults
POLICE are urging parents to be on their guard against a potentially deadly drug craze being taken up by a town's youngsters. Teenagers are consuming bottles of the cold remedy, Night Nurse, for its sedative effect. The craze seems to be concentrated
RUNNERS are being asked to follow the example of one woman and raise money for cancer research. Sue Waters, 38, of Yarm, Teesside, has signed up for this year's Great North Run and is collecting sponsorship money for the Cancer Research Campaign. Sue
A PENSIONER died after a massive heart attack at the wheel of his car, an inquest was told yesterday. Another motorist thought there was a problem with the slow moving R-registration Rover, which mounted the kerb, in Middlesbrough. Graham Keenan who ran
HURWORTH Primary School is planning a new information and communication technology (ITC) room. It will be a conservatory-style building, behind the Westfield Hall. The building will cost £14,000 plus another £6,000 to cover the cost of the computers and
OUR school opted to take part in Red Nose Day and I decided that I was going to try to be silent for the whole day. I am a chatterbox, so my parents thought that I could not do it. They even offered me £100 to keep quiet. I woke up on the morning, and
A DRIVER died after a head-on crash with another car. Gary Beasley, 40, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, had been driving along the A688 near the Dunn House Quarry, at Staindrop, when he was involved in the smash with a Volvo car just before midnight
A heroin addict died locked in his bedroom where his mother thought he was sleeping, an inquest was told yesterday. Philip Naughton, 26, had hammered nails in the door frame, which could be turned to act an bolts. His brother-in-law kicked in the door
THERE are striking similarities in the battle to speed up compensation payments to victims of asbestos-related diseases and those miners struck down by chronic respiratory problems. Both groups were working in conditions which were thought to be acceptable
DEAN GORDON last night warned Middlesbrough of a mass exodus if they fail to make Premiership survival a formality. Left-back Gordon admitted that managerial uncertainty on Teesside is preying on the minds of players who don't know for sure where their
RESIDENTS and potential users of a proposed new YMCA centre have been given a chance to look round the buildings that will house it. The plan is to convert the former Farmway in Newgate, Barnard Castle, to create a healthy living and fitness centre, a
A DISABLED man has appeared in court charged withsex offences against young girls. David Courtney, 59, of Mill Lane, Billingham, was charged with ten indecent assaults on seven girls between 1974 and 1990. The youngsters were aged between eight and 14
COMMUNITY spirit helped a village bobby catch two teenagers who destroyed a primary school when they started a fire to keep warm. Children and adults in Sedgefield were devastated when Hardwick primary school was ravaged by fire. The replacement cost
LENNOX Lewis appeared to forget one of the oldest maxims: to fail to prepare is to prepare to fail. The only person who didn't think Lewis arrived too late to get ready for a fight at 6,000 feet was George Foreman, who said: "Once you get in a fight it
FORMER Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, interviewed in The Northern Echo this week, talks about how he is enjoying his second chance at family life with his third wife and three young daughters. His first child, Stephen, was only eight months old when Wyman
DURHAM schoolboy Daniel Moore is looking forward to the trip of a lifetime to South America. The 15-year-old, from Belmont, who is a pupil at Newcastle Royal Grammar School, will be taking part in a four-week expedition to southern Peru next year. He
For nearly four decades, director Ken Loach has been fighting the system on film and TV. This man of the people with a political and social conscience has worked consistently, exposing stories of social injustice. Most famously, perhaps, was Cathy Come
A CHURCH that has suffered repeated attacks of vandalism saw four more of its windows broken this week. A church spokesman, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisals, told the D&S Times that the breakages at Barnard Castle Methodist church
CHILDREN at Richmond CE Primary School have always had the opportunity to use modern equipment, but now they have far more access to computers and are rapidly improving their information and communications technology (ICT) skills. When the Telematics
QUESTIONNAIRES on the destiny of local government in Richmondshire have started dropping through thousands of letterboxes across the district. New legislation means the council has to consider one of the most radical overhauls in the decision-making process
YOUNGSTERS from two Guisborough primary schools have been making their mark on the town's history. For the past three years, pupils from Park Lane Infant School and Northgate Junior School have been involved in a regeneration project organised by Guisborough
CRACKING down on its employees' sickness levels could save Redcar and Cleveland council £1.2m a year. The above-average number of people taking time off between October and December last year cost the council nearly £680,000. Social services topped the
TWO care homes for the elderly in Hartlepool are to close because of financial pressures. It has been announced that Granville Residential Home in Granville Avenue is closing after owners decided it was no longer viable. And 27 elderly people are being
A STOCKTON student has been awarded a silver medal in a national competition. Jenny Nicholas, a biology student at Stockton Sixth Form College, took part in the International Biology Olympiad, set by the Institute of Biology, and sat a two-hour theory
A SCHOOL created out of the amalgamation of three others has won praise from Government inspectors. Newker Primary School, in Chester-le-Street, opened in September 1998 after Newker infant and junior schools and the Clarence Nursery school were brought
GOLDEN Wells followed up his Musselburgh maiden win in impressive fashion at Newbury on Saturday, landing the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Conditions Stakes under a positive Kevin Darley ride. This son of Sadlers Wells could go on to greater
A NEW rail company promising luxurious train travel on the Trans-Pennine routes has launched its bid to become only the second new firm since privatisation to take to the rails. The Grand Central Railway Company (GCRC) is on the verge of agreeing a deal
PUPILS at a Darlington school are dancing to the beat of a new set of drums. A shipment of instruments from Johannesburg, South Africa, arrived this week at Haughton Community School, in time for year seven youngsters to begin a course on African music
A COMPANY was fined £3,500 after a worker was speared through his body with a six-foot wooden spike. James Odgers, 35, had to undergo emergency surgery and was given a transfusion of ten pints of blood after the freak accident. The father-of-two was feeding
A POLICE officer is facing an internal disciplinary hearing after being fined for driving without insurance. Three weeks ago charges of theft and fraud were discontinued against PC Steven Abson after magistrates heard he was medically unfit. This week
Gehan Wanduragala and Stuart Bell, both pupils at High Tunstall School, Hartlepool, may soon be on their way to Downing Street, following their triumph in the North of England regional finals of the Motorola Youth Parliament Competition 2001. Gehan was
A PLAN to protect Darlington's abundance of rare and unusual trees has been backed wholeheartedly by councillors. A meeting of the borough council's environment scrutiny committee on Monday discussed a proposed five-year tree strategy drawn up by tree
DOCTORS are warning Health Secretary Alan Milburn that his crusade against heart disease is doomed unless there is a massive injection of resources into surgeries. North-East GP Dr George Rae, who sits on the national council of the British Medical Association
YOUNGSTERS have been doing their bit for National Environment Week by picking up litter. Parkside Infant School worked with Seaham Town Council and the Rotary Club of Seaham on an anti-litter exercise, in Parkside Neighbourhood Park. The annual event
A CLOSURE-threatened cinema has been given a temporary reprieve thanks to opponents of a nightclub planned to replace it. Regent Inns' application for a drinks licence for the Robins Cinema in North Road, Durham, has been adjourned because there are so
ONE Man And His Dog was a hugely enjoyable television programme. Shepherds, partnered by their wonderful sheepdogs, skilfully rounded up sheep into a small pen, to whistles, anxious shouts of "Come by, Meg", and Phil Drabble's whispered commentary. In
A large-scale production of Pushkin's epic Russian play Boris Godunov will receive its UK premiere in the North-East. It was created by a non-Russian team in Moscow last year on a 20m catwalk stage at the Moscow Arts Gorky Theatre, featuring 18 leading
AN inquest has been opened and adjourned into the death of a man following an incident outside a workingmen's club. Terence Raisbeck, 53, of Beech Close, Brandon, near Durham, was found dead outside Ushaw Moor WMC in County Durham on Monday, April 16.
A YOUNG tae kwon do star has returned from an international championships with a silver medal. Kirsty Grainger, 16, of Skeldale Close, Darlington, took part in the open tae kwon do championships in Herentals, near Antwerp, Belgium. She reached the final
SOME of the North's best amateur golfers will be teeing off in an annual competition in east Cleveland this weekend. The men-only Cleveland Salver Cup started in 1969 and is part of a series of tournaments taking place throughout the region in an attempt
RESIDENTS are being urged to protect their area's natural beauty by keeping beaches, parks and other open spaces clean and tidy. The appeal in Hartlepool is the latest phase of the town's Spring Clean, aimed to make it a more attractive place to live
RADIO fans have been invited to join in a live broadcast in the middle of a market, next week. BBC Radio Cleveland presenter Alan Wright will host his mid-morning show from Stockton market place, on Wednesday. The broadcast is part of the new weekly series
LOVERS of Carry On movies will perhaps have mixed feelings about developments within the hospitals of South Durham. The local health trust, which runs Darlington Memorial and Bishop Auckland General, is fully signed up to the government's new idea of
COUNCILLORS have overruled planning officers by approving a farm diversification scheme near Stokesley after months of negotiations. The planning department of Hambleton council had been inundated with objections to a scheme put forward by Stokesley farmer
THE story of a town's smuggling history is recreated at a tourist attraction. The Saltburn Smugglers Centre has opened for its ninth season and part of the centre, which takes visitors back to the 1780s, has been refurbished. The updated room now features
THE western approach to Richmond boasts an unusual landmark. The pre-war road sign, welcoming visitors to the community, was looking the worse for wear earlier this year as no one seemed to know who was responsible for repairs. The town council and Richmond
EXPERTS are in a race against time to save important fish stocks. Icy temperatures and heavy rain hampered efforts to remove thousands of bream, roach, carp and tench from the silted-up lake in Middesbrough's 140-year-old Albert Park earlier this year
THE residents of three villages on the edge of the North York Moors national park are fighting a landlord's plans to close their only pub. The landlord of the Gold Cup inn in Nether Silton, near Thirsk, has submitted a change of use application to the
The 'big guns are taking the spoils at Woodland Lakes as the run up to tomorrow's eagerly awaited Winter League Northern semi-final hots up, writes JEFF HERBERT. Mark Silman of favourites Maver Barnsley produced a cracking weight of 52.5.0 beating the
Junior round-up Billingham Wolves finished top of the English Under-19 Northern Championship play-off group following two victories over Kingston Predators and Nottingham Leopards. Wolves took the lead at Hull against Kingston through Stephen Wallace
TEN young people who made a positive difference to their Wear Valley communities have been honoured by Durham's top crimefighting team. Shrievalty Awards were presented by the Durham Agency Against Crime to winners aged between 11 and 19 who tackled issues
BOB the Builder is a great hit with small children. It's a pity he hasn't got a counterpart who could fire teenagers with enthusiasm for "fixing it". In the next five years, nearly 16,000 of those now worrying about options at school or about this term's
A NEW-look hospital's change of name has received official approval. Lord Crathorne, the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, backs the decision to change the name of the expanding South Cleveland Hospital, Middlesbrough, to the James Cook University Hospital
ALTHOUGH foot-and-mouth precautions have closed the footpaths of East Cleveland and the North York moors, Nell the sheepdog has still been able to walk - in her village hall. Nell, whose two films Nell's View of the North York Moors and Nell's Coast have
TEENAGE snowboarding star Gemma Holmes has been honoured by Wear Valley District Council after winning the British junior championships title. The 17-year-old, from Lindisfarne Close, Bishop Auckland, beat 50 other competitors to win the championships
SOME of the best amateur golfers in the region will be teeing off in Redcar on sunday. The men-only Cleveland Salver Cup, which is part of a series of tournaments taking place throughout the North, is looking for the best amateur golfer in Northumbria
A RIDING centre for the disabled is celebrating a funding triumph. The Unicorn Centre at Hemlington has been awarded £75,000 in lottery cash for a new education wing at the site. And with more cash coming from the Tees Valley TEC before it was disbanded
HUNDREDS of pieces of Roman armour - some of it very similar to that worn by gladiators - have been unearthed in one of the most significant finds ever made in Britain. The rare discovery will provide a fascinating insight into life on the Roman empire's
A NERVOUS young woman, on her first shift in the hot seat plotting the progress of German aircraft over the North-East, pinpointed the lone raider closing in on the coast. "Gotcha" she whispered under her breath - as she pinpointed the Nazi plane and
Monday's games - Wolviston Res. must replay their Raine Trophy against Thornaby YC after fielding an ineligible player in the first game which they won 1-0. The tie will be played on May 5 - four days before the final against Bedale Athletic at Guisborough
AN army of children, residents and bank employees set out to turn derelict land into a green oasis yesterday. The land on the Jubilee Fields estate, Shildon, was neglected, so regeneration charity Groundwork East Durham stepped in to revitalise the area
ONE of the North-East farmers caught up in the foot-and-mouth crisis has written an open letter to all those involved in the culling of his cattle. Jeff Horn, of Ivy Court Manor Farm, Cowpen Bewley, Teesside was told last week that his animals were infected
A NEW pizza take-away seems likely to be approved in Leyburn, despite objections by the town's two district councillors. Edward Forth and Terry Jones have indicated their concern that similar businesses will suffer if planners approve the conversion of
THE foot-and-mouth outbreak has led to the cancellation of the 115th Bowes Agricultural Show. A statement issued earlier this week said that, as Bowes and the surrounding district was within a high risk area for foot-and-mouth, the committee had reluctantly
Sunderland, Newcastle and Middlesbrough all contested the Nike Premier Cup, held at Durham University's Maiden Castle Sports Complex last week. Featuring Under-14s teams from eight Premiership clubs, West Ham United took home the silverware. As well as
IT has been an order directed at children for generations: "Eat your crusts." I was always told to eat my crusts or I wouldn't get curly hair. I didn't particularly want curly hair but ended up with hair so curly that, as a child, I used to secretly go
A scheme aiming to find work for young people living in rural areas is to be launched next week. The Wheels 2 Work initiative, which will cover Hambleton and Richmondshire, is looking to provide access to work for young people by allowing them to lease
Camerons Teesside League HOLDERS Grangetown Boys Club won an entertaining match 5-2 against Cargo Fleet to reach the final of the Macmillan Bowl where they face Thornaby on May 14 at Guisborough Town ground. The match sparked into action in the fourth
A LICENSING decision on a nightspot operator's plan to breathe new life into a disused cinema has been deferred to a two-day hearing later this year. Luminar Leisure's theme bar plans for the Palladium, in Claypath, Durham, are being opposed by the police
RUGBY Union star Jonny Wilkinson kick started a scheme to make sport more accessible to young people. The England and British Lions spot-kicking fly-half was joined by colleagues from Newcastle Falcons at the launch of the Durham Sport Active Sport initiative
A WELL-KNOWN agricultural show secretary and her husband became the latest Teesdale victims to lose their stock. Mr Chris Duke and his wife Christine, secretary of Durham County Show, had only 15 hoggs on half an acre of land behind their home at Winston
EUROPEAN trophy success could be the first of many for an under-18 football team who continue on the winning trail, writes HELEN MILLER. Last weekend Crook Town Under-18 football team, pictured, notched up another win against West Auckland to take them
A MULTI-MILLION pound contract went up for grabs yesterday when a city council launched a drive to find a regeneration partner. Newcastle City Council advertised across Europe for a developer to help regenerate a prime part of the city's East End, Walker
FINAL acts: Cliffe Theatre is to represent the region at the North-East final in North Ferriby, near Hull, tomorrow. The appearance follows the group's success last September, when its production of In Room Five Hundred and Four, written by Jimmie Chinn
SELF-EMPLOYED builder Philip Outram hopes to help the fight against cancer by running the Great North Run. Philip, 48, of Mowbray Close, Sunderland, will join thousands of other runners taking part in the half-marathon from Newcastle to South Shields
A FAMOUS pink lady visited Teesside yesterday to open Stockton's newest car park. Barbie was the first visitor at the new Wellington Square car park, with her bright pink soft-top car. The doll's lookalike, Ammie Willmott, drove up as the first of the
STAFF and cadets from the Air Training Corps (ATC) gathered to celebrate the retirement of one of their longest-serving members. Peter Raynor retired from the 234 (City of Durham) Squadron's fund-raising committee this month, after nearly 50 years in
MANAGERS at one of the North-East's leading museums have agreed to offer compensation to its own supporters' group. Beamish Open Air Museum, County Durham, has agreed to pay several hundred pounds to the Friends of Beamish after it was accepted that the
A WILDLIFE garden at a Thornaby school has received a community grant. The £200 award from the North-Eastern Co-op's community dividend fund has enabled St Patrick's RC Comprehensive School to buy four outdoor benches for the garden. As well as being
AN after-school project and family centre which caters for children with disabilities alongside other youngsters has opened its doors to parents. The centre at Tedder Primary School, Tedder Avenue in Thornaby provides day, after-school and holiday care
A Hoggarth and Sons Eskvale and Cleveland League Great Ayton defeated Staithes 3-1 in the league cup final played under the Whitby lights. Ayton went ahead after 20 minutes when David Grainge supplied the perfect cross for Richard Hore to side-foot home
FOUR tourist information centres will be sporting a new look when they reopen next month. The Hambleton District Council centres in Bedale, Northallerton, Easingwold and Great Ayton have undergone major refurbishments. The Bedale and Great Ayton centres
PLANS to alter the layout of Darlington's inner ring road could cut fire brigade response times and save lives. Darlington Borough Council is teaming up with the emergency services to alter the central reservation outside the town's fire station, on St
Leaders Nissan and second-top North Shields show no signs of weakening in their challenge for the championship. Following the midweek programme, Nissan still enjoy a four-points lead over their rivals who have a game in hand and a superior goals difference
Darlington RA with a 2-1 midweek win moved to joint top with Shildon Railway. Cockfield consolidated third place with a 4-2 victory against Brewer and Firkin. They led 2-1 at half time, with goals from Paul Dunn and Stuart Hardaker with Chris I'Anson
ONE of Darlington's oldest family businesses has added its voice to calls for the town to have a new bus station. The depot in Feethams was closed to the public in November 1997, leading to a massive influx of extra buses in the town centre. Shoppers
Guisborough Town, 2 Peterlee Newtown, 2 GUISBOROUGH welcomed Peterlee to the King George V ground on Monday for their second home game in three days. The Priorymen got the breakthrough on 48 minutes when a defensive mix up allowed their prolific goal
A TWO-tonne brick clay sculpture has been given a new home at a Consett school. The Four Apostles, created by Neil Wolstenholme, of Durham, and Kinga Rathonyi, from Budapest, has been moved from Scotland to The Grove Primary School - at the request of
A WEEKEND of dancing and music in an attractive setting, with activities for young and old alike, is promised by the organisers of this year's Teesdale Thrash. The Thrash, run by Black Sheep Morris, sees two days of street dancing around Barnard Castle
A DAREDEVIL teacher is to complete a parachute jump to raise money for school equipment. Michelle Herron is hoping to raise £1,000 in sponsorship for Rosebank School, in Ferryhill. She wants to use the money to buy a sound beam for the school's sensory
Bedale Sponsors AM-AM The club has been extremely fortunate over the years to have firms either sponsoring completely or supporting advertisers on the various tees and to thank these firms the club decided to entertain sponsors to an afternoon of golf
AN angry builder has criticised Thirsk Town Council for not inviting tenders from local firms for the construction of the new town hall annexe. In a letter from Mr Andrew Kendall of F Kendall and Son, builders and contractors, read at this week's Thirsk
TWO American ex-pats are planning a charity auction to raise money for cancer sufferers. Idell Merheb and Paula Garner, volunteer workers with Macmillan Cancer Relief, are visiting businesses across the region hoping they will donate items for the auction
STUDENTS moved into top gear when they got behind the wheel for the first time yesterday. Year ten pupils at St John's RC Comprehensive School, Bishop Auckland, have been given lessons in road conduct and road safety over the past few weeks. Yesterday
Ban second-rate imported meat Sir, - Until we have a total ban on all imported meat from countries infected with foot-and-mouth disease, we are always going to be at high risk from the same catastrophe we are now experiencing. If someone discards a half-eaten
THE FATHER of a girl with a rare condition is gearing up for a fun day to help raise cash for the hospital unit that treats her. Maddison Walton has suffered from apnea - failing to breathe properly while asleep - since she was born last November. Following
RICHMOND swimmer Nicola Jackson's performances in last year's Sydney Olympics have also brought her home town club a financial boost. The 16-year-old was awarded a Kellog's Personal Best Award of just over £1,000 for her outstanding contributions to the
ORGANISERS of the Sunday market at Catterick racecourse have defended the decision to keep the event open in spite of a foot-and-mouth outbreak just over a mile away. More than 240 businesses would be at risk if the market closed and precautions over
Willington Ladies League Ithe semi-finals of the Darts Doubles Knock Out, Hunwick Joiners Arms shocked the visiting league champions, Willington Club by edging through to an odd point victory. Willington Market had a similar success against the visiting
A Redcar man is furious with thieves who stole and wrecked his Boro Bike. The Honda, which was made to order, was stolen from Ron Brown 49, of Durham Road, some time after midnight on Monday. It was red with Boro badges emblazoned on it and had a Roary
New Marske Harriers THE club held their annual cross-country and fell presentations at New Marske Sports Club and special guests included Ken Oakley, president of the North of England AAA with over 100 present. The award winners were based on best three
BARRING freak results, Quakers are safe from relegation, but they seem determined to finish second from bottom in the Nationwide Third Division. Tuesday night's 2-1 defeat at bottom club Torquay United was their third loss in a row. Adam Reed and John
HOMEOWNERS have told of their anger after the house builders piled up a 14ft high bank of soil outside their homes. The residents of new Consett estate, The Fieldings, say the mound has blanked out light from their homes, cost them their view, adversely
PLAYERS of all ages and abilities are invited to take part in a tennis coaching session in Newton Aycliffe. Greenfield School Community and Arts College is hosing the National Play Tennis event next Saturday, May 5. Those attending will be able to get
GOLFERS from across the district tee-off next week to help raise cash for equipment for the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton. Richmond Rotary Club's third annual tournament next Friday aims to bring in enough to cover the costs of an infusion pump, urgently
THE NFU is stepping up its information campaign in an effort to limit the predicted rise in foot-and-mouth cases as cattle are turned out for the spring. The government's chief scientific adviser, Prof David King, has warned that turning animals out in
Durham League The final week of the season is traditionally a week of cup finals and it gave Tyneside womens team a unique league treble. Having already won the league title with 16 wins from their 16 outings, Tyneside started the week with a 114-108
THE latest medical advances in ways of diagnosing and treating heart patients before surgery may be introduced in Darlington within the next two years. The £1.7m service planned at the town's Memorial hospital will provide diagnostic angiography for patients
Motorists are being warned of a diversion to traffic using the A689 Hartlepool Road, near Wynyard Station this weekend. From 6am tomorrow until 6am on Monday, Durham County Council will close the road to allow a new footbridge to be built. Traffic will
Cleveland League Combined Challenge Bowl Final The match comprises one game of snooker, then one game of billiards (120 up) followed by a final game of snooker. The winner is the person with the best aggregate score. The final was played between brothers
SITTING by the sea one dreary afternoon in Jersey, self-confessed beach-bum Duncan swore he'd turn his life around. "I'd just turned 30 and I'd been happy doing nothing much. Money had never interested me too much but I suddenly decided two things - that
BOBBY Robson will attempt to secure Kieron Dyer's future with Newcastle United in a desperate bid to head-off a repeat of the battle he lost to keep Ronaldo at Barcelona. Magpies' boss Robson is ready to press for contract talks with Dyer following Manchester
NEW sponsors, new trophies, new officials - and hopefully a bright new future. That's the prospect for the Darlington league as its first new-look season ended in this week's prizegiving. When, at the end of the previous season, the then sponsor dropped
EUROPEANS Hoechst £26 Thyssen Krupp £10 NORTH AMERICAN Black & Decker £27 Du Pont £32 AEROSPACE Alvis 140 Chemring 321 -1 Cobham 1152 Meggitt 247 +6 Rolls Royce 212 +4 Vosper 1180 -7 AUTOMOBILES Avon Rbbr 151 -3 Britax Intl 121 +2 G K N 742 -1 BANKS
IT will be busy in the City next week, as market watchers dodge the May Day riots to study figures from a host of blue-chip companies including Whitbread, Shell, Bank of Scotland and Powergen. The City will be interested to hear drinks-to-burgers group
A WOMAN must wait to hear whether she has been successful in a fresh challenge over the burning of waste derived fuels at a North-East cement works. Three of the country's top judges have reserved judgement in the appeal brought by Elaine Lowther, who
Hello Dolly, Darlington Operatic Society, Darlington Civic Theatre ALL dolled up and as dazzling as ever, Darlington Operatic Society has done it again. It manages every production with its own superb style and professionalism that, quite frankly, even
SOCCER ace Kieron Dyer has had another brush with traffic police after he crashed his Mercedes into the back of a car, leaving its driver injured. The prang came only two weeks after the £20m-rated star was stopped by police for allegedly doing more than
A MAN who was framed for a house attack which left two men injured walked free from court yesterday. Telephone engineer Martin Matthews, 25, said that immediately he heard that his fiancee's former boyfriend had been beaten up, he feared he would be blamed
THE body of a missing airman may finally be returned to his native North-East - 60 years after he was shot down over Occupied Europe. Sergeant Charles Rowland Metcalfe, from Darlington, was part of a seven-strong Halifax bomber crew that set off from
LAST December, Mr Graham told us in assembly that Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, was coming to open the school library. He arrived at 2pm in a black limousine. I stood at the classroom door with Chloe Sanderson, to welcome him. Chloe and I introduced
FAMILIES who staged a sit-in to stake their claim to a cherished patch of grass have won the right to call it their village green. The seven households in The Hollow, near Crook, spent £4,000 fighting neighbour Fred Wilson over the half-acre field, where
A MAN tried to get his girlfriend to join him in a suicide pact, an inquest heard yesterday. Lee Skidmore, 26, was found dead at their home in Loftus, east Cleveland, after taking at least 60 pills alongside pints of cider. Susan Appleby, mother of their
A factory worker who left a fellow pubgoer with a broken jaw was jailed yesterday. At his trial last month, Morris Crowe has denied causing grievous bodily harm to Kevin Marlborough during a row at Finnigans bar, in Market Street, Hetton-le-Hole, Wearside
ENGLAND international Kevin Phillips and Sunderland manager Peter Reid angrily refuted reports yesterday that the 15-goal striker wants to leave the Wearsiders and return south. Phillips, who last season signed a new, long term contract, immediately sought
