A NUMBER of off-licences are being targeted by police in a bid to call time on under age drinking. Police say anti-social behaviour caused by teenage tearaways is often fuelled by drink bought from off-licences - and they mean to cut off their supply.
A GROUP of girls are learning the art of Indian dance thanks to a Lottery grant. The Lottery's Awards for All gave £3,740 to the Hindu Cultural Art Society to enable it to run the dance classes. Now 15 Middlesbrough girls, aged nine to 14, are being taught
A CHESTER-le-Street secondary school is inviting members of the public to come and use its state-of-the-art technology centre. The Hermitage School was recently awarded £220,000 to open a UK ICT On-Line Centre as part of a Government initiative to take
THE NFU this week issued the D&S Times with an overview of the position on animal movements. Movement to slaughter. - Livestock may move to slaughter anywhere inside 250km, except from an infected area (IA) to a free county. Movement of livestock
COUNCIL chiefs have been showing their support for National Democracy Week - and turned to television for their inspiration. North Yorkshire County Council's Connect Youth Culture project has held two TV-style chat shows to let young people have their
A SUPER-FIT Stockton sixth form college student has become the Great Britain Under 20 decathlon champion. Sophie Dewell, from Elmtree, Stockton, fought off tough competition from around the country to win the title at the decathlon championships at Wentworth
IT'S that time of year. University application. We are knee deep in glossy prospectuses, UCAS forms and endless drafts of the Personal Statement. There are course details reprinted from websites, instructional booklets from UCAS, the universities' central
Two police officers who were injured when marauding youths ambushed their car and lobbed a brick through the windscreen today won the right to substantial compensation at London's Appeal Court. Constables John David Robinson and Michael Mohon were in
A RUNDOWN estate is to be transformed with unspent regeneration and housing cash. More than 40 homes at the gateway to Skerne Park are to be improved with a windfall of more than £300,000. After significant savings being made in each of the first four
improvements to a community's playing field and woodlands will be celebrated tomorrow. A family day at Hollyhill Gardens Playing Field, South Stanley, will include a range of activities, from 11am to 4pm. Volunteers can help the Craghead Woods Group bring
THREE tribute bands will feature in the line up of music next month. On consecutive Tuesday nights, November 13, 20 and 27, there will be live entertainment at Elgins Bar, in Redcar. The acts will be The Company, who perform a tribute to soft rock bands
Middlesbrough have received international clearance for French defender Franck Queudrue to make his Boro debut at Charlton tomorrow. The 23-year-old France B international completed his loan move to the Riverside earlier today although there were doubts
This weeks fixtures were heavily disrupted by many first division teams participating in the Heart Foundation Cup. Division Two saw leaders Hurworth Albion lose their 100 per cent league record in their top of the table clash against Jack Horners. The
Sir, - So the George and Tony show has finally hit the road. I call it that because yet again the rest of the world, while making all the right noises for the US audience, has voted with its feet and refused to have anything to do militarily with yet
A HOTEL which has regularly attracted the stars of TV drama Heartbeat has been put up for sale - for £1m. The Mallayan Spout Hotel, in the heart of Goathland, on the North York Moors, has become the local watering hole for the cast and crew of the famous
IT'S that time of year. University application. We are knee deep in glossy prospectuses, UCAS forms and endless drafts of the Personal Statement. There are course details reprinted from websites, instructional booklets from UCAS, the universities' central
THREE blood donor sessions take place in east Cleveland in the next few days. On Wednesday a session is being held at the Parochial Hall, Bow Street, Guisborough, from 2.30pm to 7pm. The following day - Thursday, October 18 - the BSC Sports Centre, South
A WEBSITE has been launched to offer support and advice to children coping with their parents' divorce. The Durham and Darlington Family Mediation Service's site went on-line yesterday. The Children's Information website will provide help and advice to
Darlington RA were on cloud nine at the weekend after recording what manager David Woodcock described as their 'finest win' since he took over as manager four years ago. There is no doubt that RA have caused eyebrows to be raised since entering the league
A CHARITY that provides sheltered accommodation for vulnerable youngsters is gearing up for its tenth birthday celebrations. Coatham House started life by providing supported accommodation in one hostel for seven youngsters who would otherwise have been
THE niece of a man whose dying gift to a children's hospice will dramatically increase the care it offers has told of how he chose his beneficiary. Bill Reynolds left £40,000 in his will to the Butterwick Children's Hospice, in Stockton, which staff say
THE FBI warned last night there was a high risk of more terrorist attacks on America within days. The agency, which is investigating the September 11 atrocities, called on local police to be on the "highest alert". The warning is the strongest yet that
A DAIRY farmer who has lost a fortune because of foot-and- mouth disease will make an impassioned plea for help today when he meets the president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU). Jackie Stephenson, 58, whose farm is in Butterknowle, near Bishop Auckland
Sir, - I refer to your front page report "Children 'at risk' as school patrol job stays vacant" (D&S, Oct 5). We have the same problem in Morton-on-Swale when walking to Ainderby School. We have not had a crossing patrol since September 1999, over
A CONVICTED sex offender who evaded justice for nearly two years will be sentenced for his crimes today. Stephen Glen Featherstone, 34, known as Glen, went on the run in December 1999 after a jury found him guilty of six indecent assaults against children
ONE of the region's leading drugs workers said yesterday there was evidence that Derwentside was relatively drugs-free, compared to other areas in County Durham. But he warned that the problem of drug abuse was becoming worse in certain areas. After the
STAFF at a drugs rehabilitation centre opened in Consett yesterday have taken a tip from the Prime Minister's wife, Cherie Blair, to help drug and alcohol abusers. The £250,000 centre, at Fraser House, Palmerston Street, ihas been created with funding
A RUGBY team has adopted a Darlington college that only started playing the game three years ago. The Newcastle Falcons have decided to take an interest in Carmel RC Technology College and its young rugby union players. As part of the fostering scheme
A long-serving worker at a timber firm was dismissed after her bosses discovered she was pregnant, an employment tribunal was told. Debra Moore, 37, said she was moved into an administration job, then made redundant. But Joseph Thompson Ltd, of Sunderland
VANDALS have been warned to stay away from a new fire service training centre currently being built in Easingwold. The state-of-the-art facility, which will train firefighters to deal with smoke-filled corridors and burning rooms, is still under construction
RETAILER GUS has revealed falling sales at its luxury goods brand Burberry, but insists its demerger is on track. GUS, which also owns catalogue store chain Argos, said the US terror attacks had affected it, and between September 11 and September 30 sales
WENSLEYDALE preserves have beaten Prince Charles's Duchy Originals products in a national competition. The Guild of Fine Food Retailers awarded Raydale Preserves a gold medal at a ceremony at the Royal Armouries in Leeds for its winter preserve marmalade
AN INNOVATIVE scheme to transform Darlington's threatened art gallery into a two-tier building was to be put to the borough council last night. The proposal to seek funding from Northern Arts to create an upper level in the Crown Street building was a
NEW York, London, Paris... Sunderland. Cynics would say the North-East's contribution to that list was never going to fit very well. But now residents of the Wearside city will never know. Last night, the eyes of the political world were focused on Sunderland
I WONDER if the sports minister knows the name of the footballer who scored the goal which booked England's place in the World Cup finals. You may remember that when Richard Caborn first assumed high office he was asked who the England cricket coach was
IS Yvonne Ridley a fearless, intrepid reporter who risked her life to tell her readers the story of what was really happening inside Afghanistan, or a foolish, selfish and ruthlessly ambitious woman who put the biggest scoop of her career before the needs
THE Ghoul - in Darlington pronounced as in "fool" and in Hartlepool rhyming with "foul" - was reckoned the Masked Monster of the Mat. "The most sensational wrestler of all time," proclaimed the post-war posters, not least (presumably) because of his fearsome
CAMPAIGNERS are racing against time to mobilise protests over a Guisborough homes scheme. Residents are being urged to lodge objections immediately in a bid to halt plans to build 15 detached homes on open space. An action group has written to householders
UP to 600 new jobs could be created with the expansion of a major call centre in the region. London Electricity, which opened its customer contact centre at Doxford Park in 1995, already employs 1,000 people in Sunderland and up to 600 more are expected
PUPILS at an all-girls school will get a new look when their uniform is revamped after 20 years. Pupils who started at Polam Hall School, in Darlington, this September received a new-style uniform and the look will be gradually brought in for existing
THE shooting season has cautiously resumed in parts of Teesdale amid fears that hundreds of thousands of pounds has been lost in the wake of the foot-and-mouth crisis. Bowes Moor, which managed only two days' shooting in August before its licence was
ENGINEERING business Kvaerner is coming under increasing pressure from its leading shareholder to come up with a rescue plan for its troubled operations. Shareholder Aker Maritime said it would not act as a guarantor for a proposed rights issue designed
A PENSIONER was punched in the face by a thief who approached him in the street and demanded money. The attack on the 68-year-old happened between 11pm and midnight on Tuesday, in Darlington. As the man was walking in Havelock Street, he was approached
OVER the summer months, robins have not been very prominent in our garden, or within the immediate neighbourhood, nor did we notice them coming regularly to our feeding station last winter. Robins are very territorial birds and those living within our
A WOMAN who has championed the cause of sick and dying miners has finally won her own personal battle for justice. Pat Daglish, from Stanley, was spurred into action after witnessing the slow death of her father Thomas, whose lungs were wrecked by years
ONE of the few teenagers to have the works of Virgil and Sophocles on her bookshelf has taken top honours in a national classics competition. When 17-year-old Lauren Curtis speaks about her love of Latin, it is hard to imagine she is talking about the
MANUFACTURING is in a critical condition and faces even poorer prospects for the next three months, a survey has warned. The crisis-ridden sector is seeing firms report huge export losses, declining home sales and orders and job cuts, the British Chambers
A MAN accused of wounding a pub customer after a row over a woman in a gents' toilet has been cleared. Terence Davison, 33, was accused of wounding Alan Blakemore, 41, in the Hope Inn, at Sedgefield, County Durham, on July 28 last year. Mr Davison denied
Selection for Great Britain capped another fantastic year for twin sisters from Durham. Durham Amateur Rowing Club's 16-year-old twins Alexandra and Jessica Eddie have both had an excellent year as their promising careers begin to blossom. Alexandra came
RESIDENTS look likely to lose their fight against a school's plan for an extension, despite an appeal to the Local Government Ombudsman. Since January, residents of Lodore Grove, Acklam, Middlesbrough, have been locked in a dispute over Acklam Grange
A MAJOR campaign has produced a 20pc improvement in ambulance response times across the 4,500sq miles covered by the Tees, East and North Yorkshire ambulance service Before chief executive Mr Trevor Molton was appointed in June, the service was achieving
THE funeral of a mother-of-four whose body was found on Redcar beach has taken place. The body of 44-year-old former teacher Debra McNicholas was found near the children's paddling pool three weeks ago. Although a post mortem showed she drowned, Cleveland
AN award-winning textile designer will be displaying her art in Weardale tomorrow. Annie Sherburne, who works with wool, is the winner of this year's Peugeot Design Award for textiles. Her work will be on display at Ireshopeburn Literary Institute today
A TEAM of bomb experts was called in this week to explode a device discovered 20kms off the North-East coast. The discovery is the latest of many unexploded objects found on the same stretch of Teesside coast in the past few months. Royal Navy divers
NO indignity is too much for Redcar's Mr Endurance, 47-year-old Ron Gordon, when it comes to raising money for a good cause. He has swallowed 400 maggots, rag and lug worms to raise £800 for charity, been covered from head to toe - save his knee joints
RUGBY bosses visited a North-East sporting college to launch the new England Rugby Academy. Staff from East Durham and Houghall Community College were joined by officials from the RFU and members of the Newcastle Falcons for the opening at the college's
A MARATHON fundraising campaign has raised more than £4,500 in memory of a devoted family man. Friends and family of Joe Hesp, from Crook, began a fundraising challenge to raise money for the British Heart Foundation in his memory in August this year.
CIU League - Crook Belle Vue, the darts section leaders, went down to only their second defeat of the season when the visiting Byers Green won by two points. This offered a good chance for second placed, Cockton Hill to close the gap but they were held
CIVIL SERVICE managers at Northallerton's Defra office have rescheduled a compulsory works buffet to celebrate the office's renaming, after trade unionists announced two days of strikes. The buffet was scheduled for Tuesday but when union members announced
THE Ghoul - in Darlington pronounced as in "fool" and in Hartlepool rhyming with "foul" - was reckoned the Masked Monster of the Mat. "The most sensational wrestler of all time," proclaimed the post-war posters, not least (presumably) because of his fearsome
INVESTMENT in market towns is one of the keys to spearheading the rural recovery in the North-East. It was among the top priorities listed at Wednesday's launch of the rural action plan, designed to help the region recover from foot-and-mouth. The plan
CHRISTINE and Chris Duke from Staindrop returned in triumph from the Horse of the Year show at Wembley after their homebred bay colt Green Barrow Mr Smee won the youngstock section in the Supreme Breeders challenge. The two-year-old, by Rotherwood Peter
Crook League - Despite losing at home to Willington Market, Crook White Swan moved two points clear at the top of the Second Division. The three points gained by the Swan moved them two ahead of the former leaders, Crook Spitfire Club, who are now one
HARTLEPOOL United boss Chris Turner will go in search of new blood on Sunday in a bid to steer his side off the foot of the Third Division. The Victoria Park boss, who is hoping for only Pool's third win of the season at home to York City tomorrow, is
Sir, - Miss McIntosh, MP for the Vale of York, managed to gain a great deal of publicity over the planned visit to Thirsk of Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Fein. Her comments demonstrate the very issue she and others chose to attack: ill-informed views
BCTG. - Training with Jane Gordon, Friday evening. Oct 29: Annual meeting, 8pm, Middleton EC. Tel: 01325 332685. Bedale Hunt. - Oct 22 & Nov 12: Showjumping at Richmond EC, open to all, details 01677 450229. Variety show at Masham town hall. Rescheduled
IS Yvonne Ridley a fearless, intrepid reporter who risked her life to tell her readers the story of what was really happening inside Afghanistan, or a foolish, selfish and ruthlessly ambitious woman who put the biggest scoop of her career before the needs
HUNDREDS will be drawing on their talents at a fun event in Durham this weekend. The Big Draw, organised by Durham County Council, will give people of all ages the chance to work with professional artists. The event, part of the nationwide Family Learning
HUNDREDS of fireworks suspected of being sold illegally have been seized by police after a raid on a house in Dormanstown. The haul of rockets, bangers and other fireworks filled a police transit van. Many more empty boxes were found at the three bedroomed
WHEN the cleaner left a Richmond insurance firm Janet Kinchin was happy to step into her shoes for a little while until managers were able to appoint a replacement. That was 42 years ago and, even now, the family firm of B E Thompson and Company is not
DARLINGTON plan to hold more talks with Bradford City today as they look to bring in forward Gareth Grant as cover for Danny Mellanby and Barry Conlon. The pacy 21-year-old impressed as a trialist in Quakers' 1-1 draw at Grimsby Town on Wednesday, creating
A WOODLAND trade show at Thirsk racecourse next weekend is the second largest regional event of its kind in the country, say the organisers. The third Yorkshire Woodfair, on Saturday, October 20, has attracted more than 50 exhibitors from as far afield
DARLINGTON Football Club chairman George Reynolds is giving his support to a charity match at the club's Feethams ground on Sunday. The game is being played in aid of the families of the emergency services workers who died at the World Trade Centre in
THE final leg of a mercy mission into Afghanistan led by a Guisborough woman has been completed. And already grandmother Hermione Youngs, 58, is planning a repeat convoy next year. "I keep saying to myself 'never again,' but I was already planning next
FOOTBALL fans can get their hands on the shades of the stars in a charity online auction. Big names from soccer, including former Newcastle United favourites Les Ferdinand and David Ginola, have donated their sunglasses to the auction for the Guide Dogs
A SOLDIER from Catterick Garrison has officially claimed the world record for speed marching in full combat dress with a 40lb backpack. Cpl William MacLennan, aged 35, was sure he had beaten the previous record when he completed the Redcar half marathon
New County North Durham Youth League - A hat-trick by Paul Leighton featured in Consett's 5-0 defeat of Winlaton in the Under-16 division. Chris Laws went one goal better scoring four times in Cleveland Hall's 7-2 win at South Shields Abfad while Redheugh
BETTY'S Bakery, in Harrogate, has won a national award for its organic bread, in the annual baking industry awards. The business, which is one of North Yorkshire's best-known firms, makes more than 600 different types of bread, cakes, biscuits and chocolates
PROSTITUTES and kerb crawlers are to be secretly filmed by undercover police as part of a sweeping clampdown on the North-East vice trade. And fed-up locals are offering their homes to vice squad officers as a base to film from. The spy camera initiative
PROSTITUTES and kerb crawlers are to be secretly filmed by undercover police as part of a sweeping clampdown on the North-East vice trade. And fed-up locals are offering their homes to vice squad officers as a base to film from. The spy camera initiative
SCHOOLCHILDREN have been raising money for charity as part of their harvest festival celebrations. Pupils at Blue Coat Primary School, in Newton Hall, Durham City, collected donations for Action for Hunger. They made gift cards in the shape of apples
WHITBY could get its own prime time TV drama series following the news that the makers of Heartbeat are looking to make a 1960s hospital spin-off. Yorkshire Television, which makes Heartbeat, iscurrently negotiating with the ITV network to start filming
SCHOOLS in east Cleveland are to benefit from more than £1.75m of Government investment into their sports and arts facilities. The cash is part of a Space for Sport and Art Scheme which aims to boost facilities in these areas in order to provide more
DARLINGTON society of arts' annual exhibition at the Crown Street gallery has a broad mix of large and miniature paintings, drawings and tapestries, plus some ceramics and crafts. Subject matter ranges from urban and rural landscapes, to still lives of
CEMENT mixers and diggers have become a familiar site in a previously neglected area of Bishop Auckland, as it undergoes a housing boom. In recent years, more houses have been demolished than built to the south of the town at Auckland Park and Coundon
Peace campaigners are to march on RAF Fylingdales tomorrow in protest at the war on Afghanistan and the threat of upgrading the moorland early warning station. A packed public meeting at the Friends Meeting House in Scarborough staged by the newly formed
Delighted Alan Emmerson has just landed the first job of his life - at the age of 50. Alan lives in an unemployment blackspot and has always struggled to find full time work. But after a giant new Tesco superstore opened near his home, he decided to apply
A WILDLIFE haven, which was donated to the children of Ripon 50 years ago, is to be officially opened as a nature reserve today. The limestone grassland at Quarry Moor, which attracts more than 15,000 visitors a year, has been designated as the area's
SCHOOLS in east Cleveland are to benefit from more than £1.75m of government investment into their sports and arts facilities. The cash is part of a Space for Sport and Art Scheme which aims to boost facilities in these areas thereby providing more opportunities
Worthington CIU Team Knock-out - Spennymoor A landed the Team Knock Out Cup for the first time since re-joining the league when they beat Langley Park by 38 points at Willington. Langley Park were conceding 18 points start but were delighted that Stephen
NEARLY a year after completing a record £8m move to Middlesbrough, Ugo Ehiogu is understandably unhappy at the club's low Premiership position. The 28-year-old, signed by former boss Bryan Robson from Aston Villa last October, arrived on Teesside with
SEPTEMBER was a rather depressing month - definitely autumnal this year. It was cool, only about 0.5C (1F) below average, but enough to make it the coolest September for seven years. This was mainly due to depressed day-time temperatures, especially towards
A COUNTY Durham pub has won an award in a national gardening competition. The Cross Keys, in Esh Village, came second in Pubmaster's Pubs in Bloom competition. Phil Pallister, Pubmaster regional manager, handed over the £100 prize to landlords Devina
Bishop Auckland League - BISHOP Auckland King's Head moved up to share second place with Spennymoor Ashtree after they came through to victory by the odd point in the deciding game at Henknowle Manor House. However the Ashtree have two matches in hand
A YOUNG racing driver from Yarm is hoping to achieve a top finishing position this weekend when he takes part in Formula Renault's final race of the season. Alex Bates, aged 21, has only been driving a racing car for one year, but he has already finished
HOLLYWOOD producers spend millions making movies but a York-based film and multi-media production company has proved that advances in digital technology mean it's possible to make a feature film for next to nothing. Producer Reza Ghadiri and writer-director
THE family of journalist Yvonne Ridley has been celebrating her homecoming after ten days in Taliban captivity. Ms Ridley, 43, was freed as the under-fire Taliban stayed true to their word and took her to the Pakistani border on Monday. Seen for the first
Rob Lee today stunned Newcastle by demanding a transfer. The ex-England midfielder, 35, rocked Toon boss Bobby Robson as he geared up for the Premiership trip to Bolton tomorrow. Lee has acted after failing to thrash out a new deal with the Geordies.
THE mother of a young girl who was a victim of indecent exposure has spoken of her anger at the offence. A group of teenage boys were in South Park, Darlington, when one of them exoposed himself to the 11-year-old girl and two 12-year-old friends near
AN award-winning textile designer will be displaying her art in Weardale tomorrow. Annie Sherburne, who works with wool, is the winner of this year's Peugeot Design Award for textiles. Her work will be on display at Ireshopeburn Literary Institute today
HORRIFIED parish councillors have been told children had to travel in the driver's cab on a crowded train home from school. Some youngsters were even left on the platform at Whitby when their homeward train was too small, it was claimed. Members of Danby
A STUDENT from the North-East has become the Great Britain Under-20s decathlon champion. Sophie Dewell, 18, won the accolade at the Decathlon championships at the Wentworth Stadium in Hexham - fighting off tough opposition from around the country. The
TEN-YEAR-OLD Emily Stead from Richmond and the five-year-old Friars Santa had an unforgettable experience at the Horse of the Year show at Wembley when they finished third in the Mountain and Moorland working hunter pony final. They qualified at the Scottish
LOCK and hinge manufacturer Grorud Industries is sponsoring a multi-million pound yacht in the world's toughest and longest sailing competition. The Consett firm has linked up with its parent company, Assa Abloy Group, in sponsoring the Assa Abloy in
A BRIGHT idea is ensuring a longer life for a crossing patrol officer's old jacket. Mrs Carol Trigg's luminous jacket may be getting too dull for dark mornings, but a safety notion means it can still be useful. Youngsters who benefit from Mrs Trigg's
THE British Wool Marketing Board hopes shortly to be able to collect from parts of North Yorkshire and the North-East still restricted by the foot-and-mouth biosecurity regulations. Under the restrictions, producers in infected areas cannot deliver their
FIGURES published this week show the North-South property divide is continuing to widen, but in some parts of the North-East the demand for luxury homes is reaching new heights. Earlier this week, an apartment in Newcastle's Turnbull Building became the
FRANKLAND maintained their 100 per cent winning start with a fifth straight victory. Langbaurgh were their latest victims as Mick Hammonds side stepped their strength late on to secure a 4-1 win. Ian Gibson and Darren Findley gave Frankland a two-goal
SUPERMARKET delivery boss David Machan found himself handling a particularly delicate load when he helped bring his baby boy into the world. The 39-year-old Safeway manager was given the toughest assignment to date when he found himself playing the midwife
THE first shots have been fired in the High Court battle of the ''metric martyrs''. In a test case that has drawn worldwide attention, five market traders from across the country - including the North-East - are arguing that they have the right to serve
COMPUTER games company Argonaut is pinning its hopes on a successful launch next month of its video games version of bestselling book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The Middlesex company has fallen £3m into the red as it gears up to meet demand
The opening round of the North-East Winter League got underway on Sunday and 120 rods lined the banks of the Wear from Shincliffe to Chester Moor, writes JEFF HERBERT. The venue was carrying a touch of colour fished well with only 4 blanks as chub and
YOUNGSTERS from Teesside discovered how to kick start their careers at an event yesterday. Organised by Teesside's careers service provider Future Steps, the Career Connexions event took place at the BT Cellnet Riverside Stadium, in Middlesbrough. Sessions
CAMPAIGNERS are appealing for funds to bring a ship back to Wearside. The City of Adelaide was built at the William Pile Hay shipyard, Sunderland, in 1864, and is one of only three surviving clippers of its type in the world. It is moored at the Scottish
HOOKER Tasi Tuhana is one of several players on whom Darlington Mowden Park must decide whether to take a gamble in tomorrow's Senior Knockout Cup third round tie at home to Dudley Kingswinford. With a tough league match at Liverpool St Helens coming
FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - For months past an interesting topic has been the industrial development of Darlington, and the two great factors therein are the extension of the North-road shops of the NER Co, and the building of the new works at
LOFTUS looks set for a by-election after a town councillor was removed for non-attendance. Coun Irene Rye, a member of Loftus Town Council since 1996, has not been attending meetings for personal reasons and has now been disqualified from the council
A ladies charity football match to raise money for the American disaster fund was a great success. Even Elvis put in an appearance. Staff and regulars at the Jubilee Fields Community Centre in Shildon, County Durham, were so touched by the terrorist attacks
A retired university lecturer was today jailed for four months for carrying out a 12-year hate mail campaign against his neighbours. James Forster, 68, was convicted in August of sending a barrage of obscene letters, leaflets and posters including a pornographic
A SCHOOL is still celebrating a massive improvement in its GCSE results. Last year, 26 per cent of pupils at Tanfield School, near Stanley, County Durham, achieved five or more A* to C grades. But this year that figure jumped to 42.5 per cent - its best
Letters from The Northern Echo WAR ON TERRORISM JOURNALIST Yvonne Ridley should think herself lucky that she is free. She knew what she was doing going into Afghanistan with no passport and dressed as a local. People like her are stupid. Why should her
ROLLS-Royce and Bentley workers are being put on a three-day week after US sales plummeted as a result of the recent terrorist attacks. Sales have fallen by 60 per cent in America, which makes up almost half of the firm's market, since September 11. More
ENGLAND'S fastest-flowing river and the countryside it flows through can now be explored on the Internet. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has gone on-line with a website dedicated to the River Swale Regeneration Project. Authority spokeswoman
A man was today convicted of murdering a teenager and dismembering his body. William Beggs, 38, of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, was found guilty by a majority verdict at the High Court in Edinburgh. The jury took two hours and 10 minutes to find Beggs, formerly
CAN you really buy clothes with the baked beans? Yes, if you're picky. One of my favourite dressy black tops cost £8 years ago from Tesco. A top designer once told me all her shoes that weren't Jimmy Choos were actually by George at Asda - twice the comfort
CAN you really buy clothes with the baked beans? Yes, if you're picky. One of my favourite dressy black tops cost £8 years ago from Tesco. A top designer once told me all her shoes that weren't Jimmy Choos were actually by George at Asda - twice the comfort
HOLLYWOOD producers spend millions making movies but a York-based film and multi-media production company has proved that advances in digital technology mean it's possible to make a feature film for next to nothing. Producer Reza Ghadiri and writer-director
A PUBLIC meeting is to be called to give urgent consideration to the future of a stout, stone building known as Winkies Castle in Marske. The 17th century, grade 11, listed building in the High Street, is where the late Mr Jack Anderson kept his enormous
AN ORCHESTRAL suite depicting past, present and future life in Heighington has moved into the digital age. A taped version of A Village Suite for the Millennium, composed by Mr Bill Sneyd, has been raising funds for St Michael's parish church in the village
A MEMBER of the town hall management committee who helped to arrange Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams' aborted visit to Thirsk has resigned. Mr Adams was due to give the Joan Maynard memorial lecture in the town hall tonight. But following an outcry in
POLICE investigating the murder of a man who died 20 months after being injured in a pub fight have had a good response to appeals for information. Kevin Pharoah, 49, of Gateshead, was injured during a disturbance at the Fret and Fiddler pub, in nearby
IAN Pease looks the picture of health as he relaxes in the garden of his Teesdale home. But he is just one of many thousands of patients living with cancer to have benefited from the work of Macmillan Cancer Relief. After he was diagnosed with cancer
A TOP Christian artist is to give a concert in Redcar to mark her 15th anniversary in broadcasting. Nia began her professional career in 1986 at the same time as United Christian Broadcasters - Europe's leading Christian radio network -- was set up. To
A TEESDALE youth hostel, which has lost 65pc of its trade this year due to the knock on effects of foot-and-mouth disease, has begun to fight back. Mr Ewan Boyd, who manages the hostel at Langdon Beck, said despite the problems, he was determined that
A GOVERNMENT minister has promised to look into the possibility of securing more cash for firefighters in County Durham and Darlington. Minister for the Fire Service, Dr Alan Whitehead, met Easington MP John Cummings at the opening of Peterlee's new community
A MAN who was responsible for the schooling of thousands of youngsters is to have a permanent memorial - in the form of a careers award. Fred Evans was in charge of education services in North Yorkshire for 12 years until he retired in 1996, heading a
DIRTY old town - that's the view of Thirsk which visitors and residents alike see each day. The chamber of trade is to call for a "zero tolerance" policy on litterlouts, and will ask Hambleton District Council to make the town the first to have a warden
BREAKFAST is being served at a Darlington secondary school following concerns that hungry pupils are unable to concentrate on lessons. The service at Hummersknott school has two aims: to stop pupils going hungry and to persuade others not to buy sweets
I WONDER if the sports minister knows the name of the footballer who scored the goal which booked England's place in the World Cup finals. You may remember that when Richard Caborn first assumed high office he was asked who the England cricket coach was
WHILE most girls her age spend every spare minute socialising with friends, nine-year-old Rachel Huxley is more likely to be at home with her disabled brother. Rachel, from Hutton Henry, near Wingate, County Durham, has just won an award for helping to
MORE consultants are to be brought in before decisions are made over the future of what is thought to be the best-preserved Georgian racecourse grandstand in the country. Richmondshire District Council owns the building, which overlooks land on the outskirts
WATCHING from the stand, Derek Fraser had no choice but to hide his disappointment when the team he had supported for more than 50 years crashed out of the play-offs. Throughout the frustration of seeing Birmingham concede a last-minute goal to take the
HARD-AS-NAILS handicapper Celtic Mission (2.30) has the perfect profile to notch an eighth successive century of domestic winners for Mark Johnston at York today. Short-head scorer Kayo made it 99 for the Middleham maestro on the Knavesmire yesterday,
SICK thieves rifled the pockets of a dead man whose body they stumbled across when breaking into his house. After turning out the pockets of the unnamed pensioner, the burglars ignored the corpse as they ransacked his Redcar home, opening cupboards and
A CONVERSION plan for a barn in Wensleydale has been boosted by a surprise gift of £25,000 - thanks to the Quakers' principles about lottery funding. As part of regeneration plans for upper Wensleydale, the Quakers at Bainbridge want to convert the old
TWELVE refugees, including four Afghans who fled from the Taliban regime, were still being questioned last night 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
YARM Preparatory School played host to some of the top independent junior schools in the North East for their annual U11 rugby sevens tournament on Saturday. Malsis School, from Skipton, ran out 10-0 winners in a close final against Ampleforth College
IT sounds like one of the harder questions on Who Wants to be a Millionaire that comes when all lifelines have been used up. Which is the only county in England not to have a consultant in palliative care? The answer is Durham. How the county came to
The top division one game of the week took Middlesbrough Mavericks on the short trip to Billingham where hosts Teesside Huskies handed out a 109-61 derby defeat. Huskies led from the start. Rob Harland missed most of the last two seasons, but he is still
RESTAURATEUR Khadim Hussain has dished up a treat for charity. He donated the price of a day's meals served at his Cleveland Tandoori, Middlesbrough, to Macmillan Cancer Relief's Teesside Appeal. Customers included the Mayor of Middlesbrough, Councillor
ENRON staff on Teesside have escaped the axe as the US energy group announced plans to cut jobs across Europe. Enron plans to cut between five and ten per cent of its European staff - between 250 and 500 of its 5,000 workforce. The job cuts come as the
A NOSTALGIA programme on Tyne Tees Television has been such a hit with viewers that a video of the series has been rush-released. The six-part documentary series When We Were Kids uses archive film and family photographs to tell the stories of eight people
MR DAVID Curry, MP for Skipton and Ripon, has called for an emergency debate on what he describes as a crisis in nursing care in North Yorkshire. "The suggested title of my request is no exaggeration," he said. "Within the past two weeks, and after months
GREAT AYTON residents are preparing to travel to a county council meeting to lobby for a public footpath diversion. They want the council to divert a short section of path, which runs from Easby Lane to Suggitt's field. They want a section behind Wainstones
A MOTHER, who was reunited with her daughter after 35 years, is setting up an agency to help other adoptive families. Freda McGarth of Darlington reluctantly gave her daughter up for adoption in the 1960s. In 1998 she decided to try and trace her baby
A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD Cleveland girl is parting company with her prize-winning pony - and handing her on to her young brother. Treowen Rhianon, a six-year-old Welsh Section A mare and Hannah Atkinson, of Low House Farm, Carlton, have had a great year in the
AT the age of 37 Mr Bert Langthorne decided he was too old for football ... and took up rugby instead! And, at 61, he showed there was still life in the old prop forward when he scored a try during his last game. It is that typical grit and determination
QUAD action in the ACU British Championship switches this weekend to the fast, open Long Edge Motoparc alongside the A68 trunk road in County Durham. Paul Winrow, 27, from Chester le Street, is right on course to close down the open championship title
RESTRICTIONS because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic will deny Romanian youngsters an annual treat. This year, gift-filled shoe boxes from the congregation of Guisborough Parish Church will not be able to reach the needy children because of restrictions
AN APPEAL has been launched for information on Newcastle Theatre Royal for a centenary celebration in December. The theatre will see a day of entertainment on December 31, to commemorate 100 years since it was reopened after the fire of 1901 which destroyed
THE committee responsible for organising the annual Joan Maynard memorial lecture at Thirsk had no doubt congratulated itself on what amounted to something of a coup - securing the services of Gerry Adams to deliver the 2001 lecture. Unfortunately, the
Willington League - Hunwick Quarry Burn suffered a double blow when they entertained Willington Black Horse Tavern for they went down to their first defeat of the season and also lost their top spot. The home side had singles points from Dave Edmundson
Quad action switches on Sunday to the fast open Long Edge Motoparc alongside the A68 trunk road in Co Durham in the Falcon MXC Zip Wear ACU British Quad Championship. Paul Winrow, 27, from Chester-le-Street , is right on course to close down the open
QUAKERS fans will be hoping for as much entertainment in tomorrow's Feethams clash with Mansfield Town as was provided at Kenilworth Road last Friday night, but with a different result. Darlington went down 5-2 at the hands of Luton Town in a match which
A MAJOR appeal was launched last night to improve care for patients with incurable cancer. County Durham is the last county in England not to have its own consultant in palliative care - relieving symptoms without providing a cure - even though local
A PLANNING inspector has approved plans for a disused cinema to be turned into a new-style theme pub. The Palladium, in Claypath, Durham, has stood empty for years but the inspector's decision paves the way for it to become a Chicago Rock Caf watering
THE chance to get behind the wheel of a car and drive is on offer to youngsters. Megadrive, set up by Langbaurgh police and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council road safety department, is targeted at 16-year-olds from the Redcar and Cleveland area, including
LINGFIELD Point? It wouldn't ring much of a bell with many present-day Darlingtonians who won't remember the days when part of the present-day McMullen Road was still called Lingfield Lane, a name which featured on bus destination blinds. To those who
A HIGH-SPEED pursuit took place through country roads and villages as a police patrol vehicle followed a burglar fleeing in a car. Mark Bell was at the wheel of the Rover car which sped away as the patrol vehicle officers came across it on the Satley
WINNERS, we are sorry, but this week the lead is for a gallant Yorkshire trio who filled the minor berths in the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp in Paris on Sunday. David Nicholls' Bahamian Pirate was only half a length behind John Hammond's winner, Imperial
POLICE have launched a crackdown on under-age 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
PLANS for a swimming pool have taken a major step forward after a funding group offered to finance the first stage. At a public meeting organised by Get Redcar A Swimming Pool (Grasp) on Saturday, the West Redcar SRB group, which handles Government money
A CENTURIES-old mystery involving a supporter of Bonnie Prince Charlie is about to be unravelled in a new book. Sunderland-born author and journalist Arthur Appleton spent 35 years gathering evidence about the life of the Duke of Perth but died before
Bishop Auckland suffered another injury blow in their victory over Bamber Bridge on Wednesday night. Central defender Mark Salmon suffered a shoulder injury just before half time, and despite playing on until the break, stayed in the dressing room for
A WOMAN who has championed the cause of sick and dying miners has finally won her own personal battle for justice. Pat Daglish, from Stanley, was spurred into action after witnessing the slow death of her father Thomas, whose lungs were wrecked by years
A ROTTING goat carcass dumped on a bridleway has sparked residents to call for the area to be cleaned up. The grim discovery near Eldon, was made on Friday by Timothy Hillary, from Alexandra Gardens, Shildon, who has now criticised Sedgefield Borough
TWO men accused of hoarding weapons at their home appeared at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. John Lambert, 54, and Raymond Fothergill, 66, of Kexwith Moor Close, Darlington, appeared accused of firearms charges and accusations of conspiracy to make explosives
THE first lambs to reach organic status on a Swaledale farm have gone on sale at three butchers' shops in North Yorkshire. Hazel Brow farm at Low Row, run by the Calvert family, supplied ten lambs each to butchers in Heworth, near York, and Ilkley, and
Northallerton Swimming Club travelled to Eston Leisure Centre to compete with swimmers from Eston, Bedale, Stokesley, Saltburn, Marske and Guisborough in the Moors League annual individual gala and brought home 35 medals from the 40 events. That haul
MR BEN Gill, president of the NFU, is due to meet farmers in Northumberland and Durham today, to hear how foot-and-mouth continues to wreak havoc on the region's farming industry. Northern England has been hardest hit by the disease, with Northumberland
Peterlee manager Eddie Freeman isn't too downhearted about being bottom of the league. They've missed out on some league fixtures this season because of FA Cup and Vase commitments, and last weekend they dropped to bottom spot following their home defeat
DRIVERS can sell their old bangers for cash under a new scheme. The aim of Operation Magpie is to remove and dispose of the growing number of abandoned, end-of-life vehicles, that have tripled over the last two years. The joint police, fire brigade, and
