A NORTH-EAST man is to have a go at one of the toughest world records in the book. Kevin Jefferson, 39, from Stanley, County Durham, is hoping to set new figures for an hour of press-ups using the back of his hands. The record stands at 1,303, but Kevin
A FORMER North Yorkshire firefighter, who was suffering from depression, was found dead shortly after returning from a holiday with his wife, an inquest was told yesterday. Leonard Wilce, of Quarry Hill Lane, Leyburn, had been on medication to help with
WORKERS who found two cats living among their construction tools gave them a helping hand. So after giving them some food and a bowl of milk, they contacted The Grange Veterinary Hospital, in Darlington, which is now taking care of them. Nurses there
YOUNG footballers are celebrating a National Lottery grant which is helping them to start their training as soon as they attend school. Children from all parts of the Wear Valley area are attending a new Saturday morning coaching sessions for five and
THE Darlington Music Festival has changed its name to The Darlington Festival for Performing Arts. The change is to reflect the importance of speech and drama in the festival, which has entrants from around the region. This year's event attracted more
A North-East family doctor has made a potentially life-saving medical breakthrough - using light to treat viruses. Dr Gordon Dougal, a GP in Peterlee, County Durham, has discovered that a narrow waveband of infrared light has powerful therapeutic effects
A CAMPAIGN to re-christen the Worthington Cup "the worthy cup" is being led by Newcastle boss Bobby Robson. The Premiership's elder statesman, who saw his team book a last 16 spot with a win against Barnsley this week, is showing some of his younger counterparts
A £4m mental health unit for older people welcomed its first patients on World Mental Health Day, yesterday. The unit, on the Earl's House site in Durham City, has been named the Bowes Lyon Unit in honour of the Queen Mother's family and will provide
AN argument about a woman using the gents' toilet in a quiet village pub ended in violence, a court heard. Teesside Crown Court heard Alan Blakemore, 41, had been drinking at the Hope Inn at Sedgefield, County Durham, on July 28 last year when he became
A TAKEAWAY owner has been fined £1,000 after a customer was sold a kebab containing raw meat. Kohsrow Hafez-Ghorani, who runs the Big Bite kebab house in Bondgate, Darlington, admitted selling food unfit for human consumption. Darlington Magistrates'
A SEVERELY disabled footballer is determined to pursue his dream of playing for England - despite being disqualified by stringent rules. Although he lacks lower legs and a left arm, David Clark, 18, has been a keen sports player since childhood. A former
THE row over the metric martyrs is due to come to London's High Court today. Five traders are fighting for the legal right to serve their customers in pounds, if that is what they want. The test case battle is being backed by celebrities, including Elaine
A RAPIST who preyed on a damaged and vulnerable girl who had already suffered a campaign of sexual abuse at another's hands, yesterday failed in a bid to overturn his conviction at London's Criminal Appeal Court. John Hind, 56, showed the jury at his
TICKET sales for Channel Tunnel high-speed train company Eurostar held up well in the first nine months of this year, despite the tourist downturn caused by the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Sales for January to September dropped just 0.6 per cent, to 5.87
WHILST the Prime Minister addresses the intense aftermath of September 11, John Burton - his constituency agent in Sedgefield - is helping raise funds for the disaster appeal. For 30 years John's been lead singer with Skerne, a folk group based in Trimdon
PARENTS are celebrating after winning their fight against school transport cuts. Darlington Borough Council was proposing to increase the distance pupils must live from their nearest or most appropriate secondary school, but now it appears the plans have
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man was beaten and robbed in an east Durham street. The attack happened between 11pm and 11.30pm on Saturday, in Woods Terrace, Murton. The 25-year-old victim, who has not been named, was on his way home after
THREE days after I was suspended from Cleveland Police in December 1997, a reporter from the Sunday Times turned up at my door. She sat with Carole, my wife, and I for hours and hours, soaking up information. A couple of days later, a long, knowledgeable
AMBITIOUS plans have been unveiled to create a 40-acre business park which could ultimately have the potential of creating up to 5,000 jobs. Developers want to create a £60m "high quality business community of prestige offices" on the outskirts of York
Letters from The Northern Echo WAR ON TERRORISM I HAVE been staggered by the folly of that stupid Express reporter Yvonne Ridley and even more so by the folly of a so-called responsible newspaper in supporting her fatuous behaviour. Imagine expecting
DEVELOPERS coveting disused and overgrown allotments in a Harrogate suburb are being told to think again after lodging plans for 58 homes. The proposal, for land at The Avenue, Starbeck, runs contrary to the borough council's policy of restricting housing
A STRANGER'S dying wish will help a North-East children's hospice increase the amount of care it provides for sick youngsters by 50 per cent. Bill Reynolds' £40,000 bequest left staff at the Butterwick Children's Hospice, in Stockton, Teesside, stunned
A MAN having his first night out since his wife died ended up being arrested after an ugly confrontation, a court heard yesterday. Michael Timney, 31, of Monmorth Road, Eston, Middlesbrough, admitted a charge of threatening behaviour at Teesside Crown
Darlington have had more than their fair share of injuries this season - but at yesterday's reserve game at Grimsby Town, David Brightwell picked up an injury nobody could have envisaged. The giant centre-half, who has just recovered from a broken toe
IMMIGRATION officers were last night questioning a group of Afghans on the run from the Taliban who were caught trying to sneak into Britain via a North-East port. The four asylum seekers were part of a group of 21 stowaways discovered aboard two P&
A spa which gained notoriety in the Victorian era is about to be returned to its former glory. In the 19th Century, people from throughout the region flocked to Gainford, in County Durham, to take the therapeutic water. As its reputation grew, a fountain
SITTING in the conference hall, Robert Williams watched as speaker after speaker came to the podium to accuse the party leadership of betrayal. It may seem hard to believe now, but this was a Labour Party Conference, although it was 20 years ago. "I had
COMMUNITY groups are being offered advice on how to obtain Lottery funding at a series of meetings. The Community Fund, formerly known as the National Lottery Charities Board, has organised the surgeries to give tips on submitting successful bids. They
BUSINESS Link County Durham has secured £400,000 of funding to help promote community enterprises throughout the county. The Small Business Service (SBS) has redirected Phoenix funding, which used to go to the Durham Co-operative Development Association
A THREE-YEAR project which aims to capitalise on the rich ecology of the washlands of two North Yorkshire rivers was launched by TV botanist David Bellamy yesterday. The Washlands For The Future programme focuses on the old sand and gravel workings along
POLICE have launched a crackdown on underage drinking in Hartlepool, following a barrage of complaints about rowdiness. The operation is targeting adults who buy alcohol for teenagers and children, under new laws introduced in March which state that any
A GROUP of rescuers who formed a human chain to save the lives of an elderly couple were rewarded for their heroism last night. Royal Humane Society awards were presented to four men and a woman who waded into the flooded River Wear at Stanhope after
A long-serving worker at a timber firm was given the axe when her bosses discovered she was pregnant, an employment tribunal was told. Debra Moore, 37, claimed she was first shunted into an administration job and then the position was made redundant.
AN AMBITIOUS blueprint spearheading the rural recovery of the foot-and-mouth blighted North-East has been unveiled. A ten-point Rural Action Plan has been drawn up by a joint taskforce led by One NorthEast, the Countryside Agency, the Government's North-East
EVENTS took place throughout the region yesterday to mark World Mental Health Day, as a new survey showed that most people expect mentally ill people to be discriminated against. Research showed that 64 per cent of people in the North-East would expect
Voters in Sunderland go to the polls today to decide if the city should have a directly-elected mayor. The 220,000-strong electorate is the first in the region to have the chance to vote in a referendum over the future leadership of the council. Should
AN extra £750,000 has been awarded to social services in North Yorkshire to help ease the pressure on hospital beds. But while the Government cash has been welcomed by the county council, officials say it will not be enough to solve the problem. The county's
NORTHUMBRIA Police are making a national appeal on tonight's Crimewatch UK programme for help in tracing a man. Police are asking members of the public for their help in finding Luke Edward Avery, 31, originally from Sidcup, in Kent. It is in connection
SIMPLY getting ready for my "blind for a day" trial presented some interesting problems - just how do blind people cope in high heels? And is it possible to maintain your dignity in a skirt while feeling your way down a street with a white stick? So,
AN operatic group is hoping to hit a high note by performing a Broadway musical. Oklahoma will be performed at Bishop Auckland town Hall from October 15 to October 20 by Bishop Auckland Amateur Operatic Society. The cast received a boost when Aunt Eller
BLACKBURN cut short Middlesbrough's Worthington Cup campaign with an extra-time winner at Ewood Park. Centre-back Craig Short glanced home in the 113th minute to ruin the night for Mark Crossley and book Rovers a place in the fourth round. Boro goalkeeper
THE mother of a young girl who was indecently exposed to in a popular park said she was horrified such a thing could happen in daylight. A group of teenage boys were in South Park, Darlington, when one of them flashed at the 11-year-old and two 12-year-old
A WORK programme promoting better health among vulnerable groups has been launched. The programme, devised by Middlesbrough health professionals, was launched this week to coincide with the publication of a lifestyle survey. It incorporates the views
A SLICE of history was served up for hungry fair-goers in the North-East this week. The first cuts of roast ox were made by the Mayor of Sunderland, councillor Ken Murray, to people at the Houghton Feast celebration, Wearside, on Monday. The ox-roasting
WATER companies in Yorkshire and the North-East are successfully plugging leaks to meet the targets set by regulator Ofwat. Northumbrian Water was given a target to reduce leakage to 165 megalitres a day in 2000-2001 by Ofwat, but achieved 164 megalitres
PEOPLE throughout Teesside will receive more legal help thanks to a Government grant of more than £1m. The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has allocated the money for services in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland. Eight bids from the Tees
A TEENAGE cyclist is in hospital with serious head injuries after he was knocked from his bike when a car door was opened in his path. Scott Templeton, 19, was riding along Murray Street, Hartlepool at 7.45pm on Tuesday when the accident happened. The
THREE days after I was suspended from Cleveland Police in December 1997, a reporter from the Sunday Times turned up at my door. She sat with Carole, my wife, and I for hours and hours, soaking up information. A couple of days later, a long, knowledgeable
ART lovers from the North-East have had a chance to get their hands dirty. People had the chance to try their hand at making a sculpture at the 16th Gateshead Family Sculpture Day. They also took the opportunity to glaze tiles and watch the firing of
A MASONRY firm has been warned it may have to dismantle a large warehouse which residents claim has grown out of all proportion. People living in the hamlet of Howlish, near Coundon, Bishop Auckland, have watched with concern as a huge metal structure
PEDESTRIANS crossing a town centre road could still be in danger, despite a planned £80,000 crossing, according to a ward councillor. Heather Scott, Conservative councillor for Park West, in Darlington, said the crossing, planned for Victoria Road, opposite
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime is showing signs of cracking under the strain of coalition air strikes, British defence sources said last night. As US warplanes began a fourth straight night of bombing raids on the Taliban's defences, officials in
A POLICE inspector told a court yesterday that a laptop he is accused of stealing had simply got lost in the bottom of a wardrobe. Inspector Neil O'Byrne said the police computer he had been given for use in his job as staff officer to Cleveland Chief
THE s-word which will be forever attached to John Major's Government was 'sleaze'. The s-word which history will stamp on the Blair administration is 'spin'. We have stated before that an obsession with information manipulation is in danger of spoiling
A FORMER midwife has won £33,000 in damages after the botched delivery of her baby son destroyed her sex life. Jill Allen, 33, said she felt "raped" and was left with post-traumatic stress disorder after the horrific forceps delivery. She suffered "grievous
ACCOUNTANCY software group Sage has moved to reassure the City it will be able to ride out the effects of the US terrorist attacks on its business. The Newcastle firm said revenues had been hit by the atrocities, but that results for the full-year, to
WHILST the Prime Minister addresses the intense aftermath of September 11, John Burton - his constituency agent in Sedgefield - is helping raise funds for the disaster appeal. For 30 years John's been lead singer with Skerne, a folk group based in Trimdon
FOR 66 years it had withstood everything the notorious British weather could throw at it. But the gale force winds which recently hit Bedale, North Yorkshire, meant it was over and out for Thorp Perrow Arboretum's gigantic cricket bat willow tree. The
A CHRISTIAN minister accused of assaulting teen-age inmates at a detention centre last night strenuously denied allegations against him. The Reverend Neville Husband, a minister for seven years, has been suspended by the United Reform Church since he
JAPANESE fuse manufacturer Pico is poised to go into production at its County Durham factory, after nine months of research and development work. The company will manufacture a range of surface-mounted fuse products on the South Church Enterprise Park
THE traditional image of male-dominated factory floors is being challenged by training specialist, the Automotive Sector Strategic Alliance (Assa). In response to demands from automotive companies and high-volume manufacturers keen to recruit from all
A LORRY driver accused of causing the death of two road maintenance workers after his HGV crashed into their van said yesterday he thought about the crash every day. Brian Smith told Teesside Crown Court he had not delivered goods for employers Asda since
INTERNET business directory AskAlix is helping a racing driver take the first steps on the road to becoming a Formula One driver. The Stockton firm is sponsoring 21-year-old Alex Bates, of Yarm, in the Formula Renault championships. Alex has been driving
IF a picture paints a thousand words, then the collection maintained by Jim Lawson speaks volumes about the North-East's industrial heritage. Mr Lawson, an archivist at Beamish Museum, is in charge of more than 100,000 photographs, a key part of a new
VETERAN Sheriff Hutton handler Mick Easterby loves to rule the roost at York and in the shape of Dadeland (4.00) he has unearthed another ready-made winner on his local track. Dadeland bolted up at Nottingham seven days ago under a spectacularly confident
PORKY pooches can work off their excess pounds in what is thought to be the North-East's first ever animal hospital hydrotherapy pool. The £30,000 pool has been installed at the Prince Bishop Veterinary Hospital, in Lead-gate, near Consett, to exercise
HARTLEPOOL United's Norwegian contingent was last night reduced to one as Thomas Tennebo was forced to retire. Only goalkeeper Martin Hollund now remains at Victoria Park after striker Tim Sperrevik ended his contract last month. Tennebo suffered an horrific
HOLIDAYMAKERS are remaining bullish and continuing to fly from the region's airports despite the terrorist threat. Both Teesside and Newcastle airports report no decline in the number of passengers on flights since the September 11 attacks on America.
A LOCAL politician says he will fight "tooth and nail" against selling council land for a bail hostel. County Durham Probation Service wants to build the hostel next to Chester-le-Street Civic Centre. A decision on this summer's public inquiry into the
Britons are fighting for the right to their own "cultural space", a judge was told today, as the first shots were fired in the High Court battle of the "metric martyrs". Five market traders from different parts of the country are arguing in a test case
TWELVE refugees, including four Afghans who fled from the Taliban regime, were still being questioned after they arrived in the region as stowaways. The group was one of two to arrive at Teessport on separate P&O North Sea freight ferries on Wednesday
AN all-girl band from Darlington is on the rise to music stardom with the help of a business support organisation. Kelly Menzies went self-employed with the help of the Stockton office of InBiz and put together Yen, with two friends, Claire Hill and Sarah
A £20M deal to help build Greece's longest bridge has been sealed by a North-East manufacturer. Cleveland Bridge has won the contract to supply and erect 17,000 tonnes of girders for the 1.4km Rion Antirrion crossing, to span the Corinth Gulf strait near
FRIENDS and colleagues have paid tribute to a former Round Table chairman who died in hospital last week after a short illness. Les Sloan, 54, was a long-serving member of the Spennymoor Round Table and was its chairman in 1988. The father-of-three, who
FASHION retailer Arcadia is to sell four of its high street chains, including Warehouse and Principles, in a deal worth £35m. The group is selling the chains - in addition to Racing Green and Hawkshead - to a management buy-out team led by Peter Davies
A TRIMDON schoolboy has proved himself top of the class in a poetry competition. Seven-year-old Timothy Jasper, a Year 3 pupil St William's Primary School, won the regional round of a poetry competition in the five-to- eight years category. The competition
A LABOUR of love was completed yesterday with the presentation of a cheque and more than a tinge of sadness. Phil Smee, a volunteer fundraiser for the Teesside Hospice, came up with the idea of providing patients with a conservatory overlooking the centre's
