Students will be able to discuss censorship issues with a British Board of Film Classification examiner as part of the National Schools Film Week programme this week. A seminar on film classification will follow a special screening of the French film,
NATURE lovers young and old turned out at the weekend for a day of seed gathering and planting. Parks and grounds across the region opened up for the annual Seed Gathering Sunday, organised nationally each year by the Tree Council. In the grounds of Middlesbrough's
TRAIN operator Arriva could be hit by a strike by office and station staff. The workers are unhappy they will not benefit from a proposed pay rise for drivers. The company has recently cancelled services because of driver shortages, and as part of an
WHILE she may be used to the dog-eat-dog world of politics, an MP could face her tensest moment when her pet takes part a parliamentary contest. Labour MP for Redcar Vera Baird will take her Bedlington terrier, Zack, to compete in the final of the Westminster
MAGPIES stalwart Rob Lee's decision to hand in a transfer request has been met with dismay by his teammates in the United dressing-room. The 35-year-old delivered his bombshell to Bobby Robson on Friday, and full-back Robbie Elliot was in no doubt - all
RURAL communities in North Yorkshire are being urged to put forward ideas to help regenerate the county's towns, villages and countryside. An ambitious scheme has been set up in partnership with the county council, known as the Community Investment Programme
PRESIDENT George Bush last night flatly rejected a Taliban offer to hand over Osama bin Laden to a third country if the US halted the bombing of Afghan-istan. Deputy Prime Minister Haji Abdul Kabir told reporters that, before giving up the terrorist mastermind
WHEN Ricky Smith receiv-ed a poison pen letter ten years ago, he immediately had his suspicions about who had sent it. But it was not until another eight years had passed, and more than a hundred hate-filled letters had arrived at his home in Manfield
A CONVICTED criminal who was assaulted and maliciously prosecuted by police has had his £21,500 damages slashed by a third. But two judges dismissed Cleveland Chief Constable Barry Shaw's appeal against a jury's findings that Darren Watson had been attacked
THE PREMIERSHIP and pressure - they go hand in hand like Posh and Becks, or even Torvill and Dean for those who can remember. While Bobby Robson was blissfully unaware of the goings on 30 miles west of him, the 68-year-old wouldn't have the game any other
TRUTH, it is said, is the first victim of war. At all times we must distinguish between fact and fiction, honesty and hyperbole, proof and propaganda. The military campaign in Afghanistan is as much a war of words as it is a war between opposing forces
DEFEAT at Charlton would have seen all the calls for Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren to quit his England coaching post resurface again. Instead his players produced a performance that vindicated his dual-role - all that was missing at the Valley
WITH injuries taking their toll, Darlington were unable to take the chance to return to the top of North Division One as they suffered their second successive defeat. With Craig Lee and Bryan Dixon already out, three more former Stockton players joined
PLAYER-COACH Kevan Oliphant sang the praises of flanker Darren "Billy" McKinnon after Mowden Park reached the fourth round of the national cup for the third successive season. "Billy is keeping us going at the moment without our other back row regulars
The F-word will have been muttered several times by the disgruntled hordes who departed Feethams after seeing Darlington lose their unbeaten home record. Frustrated is the word which best describes Darlington supporters' mood this morning. They're frustrated
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 for the cast and crew of the famous show. Filming
THERE'S a vivid police presence outside the door of the former Lutheran church. The fluorescent jackets glow in the gathering gloom, fireworks explode unseen and the sound of their detonations ricochets down the streets while sirens wail across Middlesbrough
MARK Tinkler is doing his best to follow in the goal-laden footsteps of Tommy Miller. With four goals to his name this season, the midfielder is picking up the mantle left by Miller when he departed for Ipswich in the summer. Tinkler headed Pool in front
THE future of one of the region's leading rugby union sides is in jeopardy after the club's hopes of moving to a new site were thwarted by local councillors. Harrogate, a National League second division side, wants to relocate from Claro Road, in the
SOME well-known names from the world of television have been adding their weight to a charity fundraising campaign. The National Heart Research Fund's Treasure Chest campaign involves collecting old and damaged pieces of jewellery as well as complete
NEW POWERS: Samantha Mumba has continued her quest for Madonna-style world domination by heading into a new career in Hollywood. The 18-year-old Irish pop star has already enjoyed enormous success in Europe and the US with her debut album Gotta Tell You
A greengrocer dubbed the Metric Martyr could face ruin if he has to meet a council's £55,000 court costs. Steven Thoburn, of Sunderland, was given a six-month conditional discharge by a district judge at the city's magistrates court in April, for selling
THE colourful past of a former colliery village on the coast is outlined in a new publication produced by local historians. Cliffs, Caves and Coal charts the growth and development of Blackhall, County Durham, up to the year 1920. The book is a combined
A MASTER bowman has appealed to Darlington Borough Council for financial help to allow him to compete in championships. Donald Allen, who is ranked 15th in the country, has asked for £400 towards the cost of replacing specialist equipment to help him
THE parents of a County Durham youngster who has battled back from three major operations in the first two years of his life are hoping he can start nursery school next year. Liam Lyons was born on March 12, 1999, with an interrupted aorta , and has suffered
JEREMY Beadle almost put paid to the early career of Scarborough actress Joy Brook. The 32-year-old was born Joy Beadle, but was advised to change her name from J Beadle while studying drama at London's Guildhall. "It was felt it would damage my chances
FAST asleep and lying spread-eagled across his mother's chest, little Louis Baxter is unaware that he's attracting so much attention. At nine days old, he's oblivious to the flowers filling the living room and the hundreds of congratulations cards on
PRESCRIPTION charges are seriously damaging the health of sick people on low incomes, it was claimed yesterday. The Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB), in Richmondshire, is concerned that many ill people are putting their health at further risk because they
A NINE-month reduction in the prison term of a man whose reckless driving resulted in a woman's death has been branded a mockery by her parents. Nichola Payne, 28, from Darlington, died in the accident on the A1M in September 1999, after probation officer
HARTLEPOOL Burn Road Harriers came from behind to win their first North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier League senior men's cross country relay championship. The Hartlepool quartet found themselves in second place after Mandale Harrier Robert Cole
NINE young writers from the region have won places in the final of a national competition. To reach regional round of the Department for Education and Skills' Write Here, Write Now 2001 contest, the youngsters had to complete a piece of writing started
Q I have noticed that a lot of new registration numbers in Darlington seem to begin with NU51. I assume NU stands for Newcastle upon Tyne, but what does the number 51 mean and what are the last three letters for? - Mrs B.Anderson, Darlington A The very
A COUNCIL is embarking on a bid to restore a Victorian park to its former glory. Thousands of bream, roach, and carp have already been removed from the silted-up lake in Middlesbrough's Albert Park and rehoused nearby while the pool is cleaned out, its
ELDERLY and isolated people will have a chance to get together for lunch and take up a hobby, following the launch of a new club. Lunch Stop will take place every Wednesday, at the recently relaunched Holy Family Community Centre, in Grindon, Sunderland
A WOMAN was almost crushed under the wheels of a car as she tried to prevent her handbag from being snatched. The 48-year-old was putting her shopping into the boot of her red BMW, at the Parkway Shopping Centre, in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, when
A POTENTIAL world champion martial artist has had a tough struggle raising enough cash to help him achieve his dream. Steve Harbisher, who works for Cleveland Police in the force photographic studio, is flying out to South Korea next month as a member
AIRMEN at RAF Leeming have been honoured for the work they did during the foot-and-mouth crisis. Men from 34 Squadron RAF Regiment were heavily involved in Operation Peninsular - culling, assembling and disposing of animal carcasses. The squadron played
A RECORD 48,305 crowd at the Stadium of Light witnessed the huge gulf in class between Premiership champions Manchester United and a Sunderland side with illusions of glory. On this display there can be no question that the Wearsiders are nowhere near
A ROW over a bid to build a bypass has taken a new twist. Councillor Ken Walker, leader of Middlesbrough Borough Council, recently expressed "frustration and regret" that a deadline for seeking Government cash for an East Middlesbrough Transport Corridor
A charity is holding a white water rafting day next Sunday. The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust wants corporate teams to take part in the challenge, at the Teesside white water rafting course. The cost is £15 per head for a team of six to beat the clock
PEOPLE are being urged to take in a young person "as part of the family" to help youngsters overcome the perils of homelessness. The NCH Tubwell Project, which works in Darlington with homeless young people, or those at risk of becoming homeless, is hoping
A TAXI driver was left feeling cut up when his £18,000 taxi was failed by vehicle inspectors - because it contained no scissors. George Jenkinson was issued with an advisory warning by testers because the first aid box on board his vehicle did not have
DETECTIVES are to speak to jailed killer William Beggs about other suspected murders. Police found bloodstains from 17 different men in the flat of the 38-year-old former Teesside student, jailed for life last week for the homosexual killing of 18-year-old
BORO legend Bernie Slaven kick-started a new age of learning for youngsters at a Stockton school. The former striker was joined by Middlesbrough FC mascot Roary the Lion at the launch of Hardwick Primary's £30,000 information and communication technology
NATIONAL and local figures will speak at a conference on youth offending on Teesside this month. Youth Offending - New and Key Issues, is being hosted by the Tees Valley Youth Offending Management Team, at the Samsung Centre, in Stockton, on Tuesday,
SCHOOLS watchdog Ofsted has described the running of Stockton's schools as "effective". In a report, Ofsted praised Stockton Borough Council, the local education authority, (LEA), and said relationships between it and the schools in the area were good
A RARE seabird has seen a turn around in its fortunes off the North-East coast. The endangered little tern has enjoyed a successful breeding year on Teesside - making it the most successful area in the North. An egg collector stole most of the colony's
A NEW advertising campaign has been launched in Hartlepool in a bid to clamp down on car crime. An attention-grabbing advert reminding the public to lock and alarm their cars will tour the town for the next six months on the back of a Stagecoach bus.
A TOUGH no-nonsense policy designed to protect the vulnerable adults in society from abuse came into force today in North Yorkshire. Prompted by several serious abuse cases, the new policy, No Secrets, is part of the Government's planned modernisation
STAND-up comic, writer and actor Alexei Sayle will take to the stage at a Darlington Arts Centre next month. Famous for his own television shows as well as appearances in the comedy show The Young Ones, he will be reading extracts from his second volume
A TEAM of former professional footballers helped raise money yesterday in aid of the relatives of the emergency services workers who died in the terrorist attacks on New York. A charity match organised by Total Care Cleaning Solutions was played at Darlington
A SHIP'S cook suffered head and chest injuries, a suspected broken nose and possible broken ribs during a brawl at sea. The incident happened on the Danish chemical tanker Sichem Asia, three miles off the River Tees, on Sunday night. At around 9.30pm,
TWO of the stars of the hit TV show Big Brother 2 will be on hand to open the region's newest music shop this week. Bubble, real name Paul Ferguson, and Dean O'Loughlin, will be in Darlington for the launch of the town's HMV store on Thursday. The chain
DALES residents who have set aside traditional rivalries to create one sustainable community will join together this week. Formal moves to establish the Weardale Community Partnership are being made at a public meeting in Stanhope on Thursday when a new
THE Government is facing a new foot-and-mouth battle - just as it believes the struggle against the disease itself is coming to an end. Ministers say they are "cautiously optimistic" that the outbreak is finally over, with the last case recorded more
CLERGYMAN John Bunce set about putting a smile on the faces of members of his congregation at the weekend - quite literally. Three-year-old Helena Costello, pictured left, was one of the many children who took on a new look at the newly-opened Stockton
A MAN was charged with manslaughter last night following the death of a father-of-two after a fight outside a pub. Shaun Derek Joseph Brown, 20, from the Newcastle area, will appear before Gateshead magistrates this morning. Four other men, who were also
KEVIN Phillips thinks his England career is over before it's even started. And judging by the actions of Sven-Goran Eriksson, it's difficult to disagree. Even without the sublime speed and finishing skills of Michael Owen for last week's Greece game,
Shildon manager Ray Gowan admitted that the games can't come quick enough after his side extended their 100 per cent record with a 1-0 home win over Crook Town on Saturday. Shildon have now won nine out of nine in the Second Division, but Gowan is concerned
POLICE arrested five men last night in connection with the death of a man in a fight outside a pub. Two were released without charge but three others were still helping police with their inquiries into the death of 31-year-old James Holland. Mr Holland
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren was delighted with his team's performance at Charlton and hailed substitute Carlos Marinelli. But the Boro boss admitted that he was left frustrated at not being able to kill the Addicks off after an impressive second
NIALL QUINN has warned his Sunderland teammates that the derby visit to Middlesbrough a week tonight could hold the key to their season. Peter Reid's side were outclassed by champions Manchester United on Saturday and rumblings of discontent were heard
A NORTH resort has been given a big boost with news that seabathing waters at the North Yorkshire resort are the cleanest ever. The Environment Agency carried out tests over 17 weeks at Scarborough and now says results were excellent at the North Yorkshire
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
PETER MULLEN PETER Mullen says "many who have committed terrorist atrocities would call themselves faithful followers of Islam" (Echo, Oct 9). Many who have committed evil deeds through the centuries would call themselves faithful Christians - the Crusaders
Let's throw away our labels My mother wore a label, Salvation Army - Blood and Fire, She aided a Seamen's Mission, it didn't boast a spire. She then met my father, his label read C of E, A year or two later came a little C of E, that's me. In my teenage
BINGO prizes with a difference are coming to a town centre venue in North Yorkshire. People calling "house" will earn energy efficient equipment because Yorkshire Electric has given Harrogate Borough Council 700 energy saving kettles and 2,000 low energy
MOST people have misplaced their mobile phone at some point, and found it again down the side of the sofa, in a coat pocket or in the car. But mobile phone companies deal with much more bizarre situations relating to lost phones. One of the strangest
CHRIS Turner has no worries about the long-term future of Hartlepool United - and now the short-term doesn't look too bad either. Saturday's victory stroll over York lifted Turner's men off the foot of the Division Three table as Pool finally saw their
A COUNSELLING charity is celebrating its recovery from near-collapse by launching advertising campaigns. Last December, Relate in the North-East was on the brink of folding, and was preparing to shed 150 jobs and close five shops. It was saved by an 11th
A HEALTHCARE provider will hold its next public meeting in the evening to allow more people to attend. The Board of Middlesbrough and Eston Primary Care Group is encouraging people to learn more about what is happening in the health service by attending
THE former manager of a North-East pizza takeaway is forcing a court showdown with Swiss investigators accusing him of murder. Majid El Hamri, 40, has been held without trial in a Swiss jail, for a crime he protests he did not commit, since he was deported
THERE was standing room only when family and friends gathered to say their final goodbyes to a businessman who lost his battle against cancer. More then 350 people packed into All Saints' Roman Catholic Church, in Ferryhill, to celebrate the life of 61
FLYING Scotsman Stuart Grimes showed rare pace for a lock forward to score the two tries which propelled Newcastle into fourth place in the Zurich Premiership yesterday. It was 10-10 after an uninspiring first half, but the Falcons stepped up the pace
LICENSEES are celebrating success in a pub firm's annual garden contest. The Cricketers Arms, in Barnard Castle, was named as runner-up in the best small garden category of the Union Pub Company's Garden Competition 2001. Malcolm and Doreen Nixon, who
THE man credited with putting the North-East on the map in the sport of fencing leads two of his charges into the world championships later this month. Hungarian Laszlo Jakab was brought to Britain to run the British Fencing Association's newly set-up
ROWING boats which used to grace a park lake 140 years ago are to be restored by young offenders serving sentences at Deerbolt, Barnard Castle. The work is part of a council project to restore Albert Park, in Middlesbrough. Thousands of bream, roach and
THREE people had to be rescued from a fire caused by pranksters playing with matches. The blaze, which was started in the hallway of a three- storey block of eight flats on Teesside, is being treated as suspicious by investigators. Angry firefighters
POLICE are hoping that weekend shoppers in Lanchester can help them trace thieves who made off with roofing slates worth about £12,000. About 13,000 slates, which had been salvaged from Lee Hill Cottages, in the village's Front Street as part of a development
A LAND drainage pumping station may be needed to avoid any repeat of flooding in which more than 100 homes were inundated. Expert consultants Arup Water have completed an investigation into the causes of the flooding in the York suburb of Rawcliffe last
DETECTIVES have called off their investigation into disgraced North Yorkshire surgeon Richard Neale after concluding that there is 'no realistic prospect' of criminal conviction. Mr Neale was struck off the medical register in July 2000 after the General
A TRIO of police constables are helping to keep it in the family by signing up for the boys (and girls) in blue. The Howarth family, from Sedgefield, County Durham, have all joined the Northumbria police force within the past 18 months. First to cross
PARENT power has helped to see off proposals to mount mobile phone masts on two church towers. Overwhelming opposition was raised over the possibility of masts being erected at St Godric's and St Bede's Roman Catholic churches, in Durham. Concern was
VOLUNTEER Steve Carne has the golden touch when it comes to driving - and he can prove it. Mr Carne, of Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, has just passed MiDAS (Minibus Awareness Scheme) examinations - a nationally recognised qualification showing that
THREE athletic airmen have presented almost £530 to charity - after taking part in the Great North Run. The men from RAF Leeming, from left, Corporal Lee Corke, Sergeant Paul Phillips and Corporal Dean Bishop, took part in the event last month. The three
TEENAGER Philip Lickley is hoping his property buying skills will propel him to a board-game title next month. The 15-year-old, of Wheatlands Grove, Acomb, York, is competing against 15 others for the Yorkshire Monopoly champion title. If he wins, he
CHILDREN in Derwentside will "spice" up the district council's events during local democracy week, with a live webcast from council chambers. The Special Project to Implement Children's Elections (Spice) will launch the site before inviting visitors from
A REFERENDUM which will decide on the future of a directly-elected mayor is to be held in a North-East town on Thursday. The referendum is taking place in Hartlepool by postal vote, and the forms have been mailed to voters throughout the borough. They
HER angelic face framed by a mop of blonde curls, Sophia Carter regards the world with inquiring eyes from the safety of her pushchair. She looks a normal, healthy toddler. But ask her to walk, talk, stand or sit - everything a two-and-a-half year old
THE man who has overseen the development of a North-East women's prison into a model for best practice is handing over the keys after six years. Under Mike Kirby's governorship, Low Newton, on the outskirts of Durham, was converted from a remand centre
AN MP will call for action this week over the circumstances surrounding the death of a North-East man on a Greek island. Christopher Rochester, 24, died after falling from a rooftop flat in Falaraki, Rhodes, in June last year. But an inquest in Durham
DALEKS are to invade the North-East as sci-fi fans gather to share their passion for an enduring television series. Dr Who enthusiasts from all parts of the country, plus some from overseas, are to stage their latest convention in Newcastle, next month
A RAIL summit is being launched to ensure safety measures are taken up in the wake of the Paddington and Selby train smashes. Train crash survivor Pam Warren today said the summit was being organised by the Paddington Survivors Group and had the backing
A WOMAN reported missing from home was last night understood to be safe and well in Cyprus. Mother-of-seven Jacqueline Seed, 39, left home, in Eden Hill Road, Peterlee, County Durham, with a suitcase on Saturday, October 6. Nothing more was heard from
A DERELICT house was gutted and another two had roofs destroyed in a blaze late on Saturday night. Firefighters from Bishop Auckland, Newton Aycliffe and Darlington were called to the fire in Eldon Lane, near Bishop Auckland at 10.04pm. One house was
