POLICE have seized a large quantity of fireworks which were being stored in a dangerous place. Officers from Middlesbrough police district support unit used a magistrate's search warrant to enter a house in Pallister Park, which they suspected of containing
DETAILS have been announced of how a Government crime-fighting fund will be shared out in the region. The North-East will receive £248,000 to improve the security of shops in rundown areas. Though specific spending details will not be announced until
A TAKEAWAY shop owner put his hand up the skirt of a customer and indecently assaulted her, a court heard. Hussain Aboudi is said to have touched the woman while she was using the phone in the American Fried Chicken Shop, in Darlington. Mr Aboudi, 46,
CHILDREN dished out some seasonal cheer to their elderly neighbours at harvest time. The 20 members of Surestart Wear Valley's Get Crafty class packed fruit and vegetables for pensioners at Henknowle, near Bishop Auckland. Aged between one and four, the
THE worst racehorse in Britain did not disappoint yesterday when he finished last - in a race sponsored by the much-mocked Robin Reliant. Quixall Crossett had failed to win any of his previous 100 races and was trying to break his duck at Wetherby racecourse
A YOUNG tennis player fulfilled one of her ambitions when she played at Wimbledon with British tennis star Tim Henman. Ten-year-old Jessica Courtnell, from Plawsworth near Chester-le-Street, won the regional round of the girls' ten years and under Robinsons
ANTHRAX terrorism hit the very heart of the US Government last night leading to the unprecedented shutdown of the House of Representatives after the potentially lethal biological agent was found in the building's ventilation system. Anthrax was also discovered
A CHARITY pub quiz night was staged in memory of a popular figure in the local licensing trade. Keith Embleton died in August, aged 58, after losing a seven-week fight against cancer. The licensee of the Duke of Wellington, in Merryoaks, Durham, was also
DOG wardens, better street cleaning and more police are wanted by people living on a Darlington estate. Darlington Borough Council has been awarded a government grant to involve residents in decision making while improving the Whinfield area of the town
SEDGEFIELD Village will have the services of its own First Responders team - starting this weekend. The team will be launched on Saturday when members attend the Organisations Fair, being staged in the parish hall from 10am to 3pm. Coordinator John Carr
DANGEROUS driver Philip Rochford was jailed yesterday on the evidence from a camera in a police car which gave chase. A patrol car clocked him at 87mph on the A19 on Teesside. Rochford, 29, at the wheel of a Vauxhall Vectra, pulled off at the A689 exit
A HOSPITAL ward sister has denied claims that she carried out a bullying campaign against one of her nurses. Susan Thompson is accused of mocking, harassing and humiliating Mary Lanigan over a 12-month period at North Tees General Hospital, Stockton.
A PARISH council protesting about a proposal to build two homes says enough houses have been built in its village. Green Hammerton Parish Council, near Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, is urging a Harrogate Borough Council planning committee, which meets
SPORTS and outdoor retailer Blacks Leisure said it was winning the battle to boost sales in the wake of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. The group, which owns the Blacks and Millet chains, said promotions were helping revive demand for hiking and camping
ALL seems set fair for Dancing Mystery to record back-to-back success in the £15,000 Pearl Coutts Handicap at Newmarket today. Twelve months ago, Eric Wheeler's sprinter blew away a decent field with a blistering pillar-to-post success. It was a not unexpected
COURT appearances are providing prisoners with an easy opportunity to arrange drug supplies, according to one of the leading prison officers in the North-East. Richard Phelan, acting deputy governor at Durham Prison, told an inquest into the drug-related
The former North-East student dubbed the "limbs in the loch" killer has launched a bid for freedom. Lawyers for William Beggs lodged a notification of intent to appeal with the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh, a Scottish Executive spokeswoman confirmed
A bogus tradesman hid behind a string of aliases to produce fake medicines which could have been lethal, a court heard. David Barclay, 44, was the "brains" behind an operation which packaged peanut oil to be sold on as anabolic steroid injections and
NORTHERN Venture Managers has helped the bosses of Stainton Metals secure a £9m buy-out of the business. The company, on the Teesside Industrial Estate, Thornaby, is a market leader in the manufacture of lighting columns for the UK. The company was established
A COUNCIL facing unlimited fines after illegally using ash from an inner-city incinerator to coat allotment footpaths will now be sentenced early next year. Newcastle City Council was to have been sentenced at the city's Crown Court today, but the hearing
WORK has started on creating an historic cycle path, following the line of the Stockton and Darlington railway. Darlington and Stockton borough councils have joined forces to bring the route back to life as part of the National Cycle Network. Workers
AN initiative to promote the need for a support network for rural churches is to be launched by the Archbishop of York next week. More than 100 church leaders and lay people from different denominations will meet at a one-day conference at the Great Yorkshire
TODAY is "democracy day" and nearly 400,000 people in the North-East have the chance to vote on the way in which their council is run. We urge them to take that chance and exercise their democratic right. But which way they should vote is a different
THE long wait to find out this year's winner of the Northern Echo-sponsored lifetime of achievement award will soon be over for the shortlisted hopefuls. On Thursday next week, the business community of the Tees Valley will gather at the Tall Trees Hotel
THE huge old oak door announces the building as part of York's historical heritage. Pass through the entrance, climb the stairs to the upper floors of the 16th Century house and you'll find yourself in the 21st Century world of computers. This is home
*TROUBLED North-East computer software firm QSP has gone into receivership. The future of 200 workers at the Gateshead company has been plunged into uncertainty, along with that of 250 other staff around the globe. No one from the receivers was available
TRANSPORT bosses agreed yesterday on the location of a new road to handle traffic from the New Tyne Crossing when it opens in 2006. The Tyne and Wear Passenger Authority, meeting in Newcastle, decided to adopt the Jarrow junction option, instead of the
FIRE tore through a foundry early yesterday destroying high voltage cables. Firefighters from all over Teesside tackled the blaze at Clydesdale Forge, Hartlepool. It is believed an electrical fault sparked the fire, which spread from air compressing machinery
A DURHAM hall is playing host to a mixture of music and art this weekend. Wall to Wall Creation features the work of eight local artists and the music of the DJs of the Pony Club, which meets monthly at the Beamish Mary Inn, No Place, near Stanley. The
NEARLY 400,000 people in the North-East have the chance to decide today whether their towns should embrace the concept of a directly-elected mayor. Apathy among the electorate has been running high, but there are a few signs that, as polling comes to
THE funeral of a teenager, who has lost his battle against leukaemia, will be held tomorrow. In April, Lee Donovan, 18, came close to having a life-saving bone marrow transplant, only to be told at the last minute that the donor had pulled out. Then in
NOT many 90-year-olds get to be film stars or to command such fierce loyalty. But Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge, the grand old lady of the River Tees, is a veteran of the big screen and television. Recent appearances include Billy Elliott, Spender
FAMILY and friends of a woman who received care at a hospice during her battle against cancer raised more than £13,000 in one day in her memory. Jane Sunley, of Richmond, died on October 29 last year, but her struggle against the illness had been eased
Letters from The Northern Echo GERRY ADAMS AFTER seeing your article mentioning that Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams was to speak in the region, I was left thinking you were hopelessly nave or a sympathiser with Gerry Adams and his activities. In effect,
MIDDLESBROUGH were yesterday locked in talks with Inter Bratislava officials in a bid to thrash out a fee for Slovakia striker Szilard Nemeth. A two-man delegation from Bratislava flew to Teesside to try to bring an end to the cash wrangle which has dragged
A PENSIONER'S body was found next to his front door after he tried to flee his burning home yesterday. It is believed the intense blaze, which ripped through the ground floor and spread upstairs, was started when 74-year-old Wilfred Swindon fell asleep
THE London stock market's blue chip FTSE 100 Index recently dumped eight technology, media and telecommunication stocks from its constituents, making way for more defensive "old economy players", in its most dramatic shakeout since 1984. Leading those
BRITAIN'S first anti-stalking service has been launched in the North-East. The brainchild of forensic psychiatrist Dr Rajesh Nadkarni, the Stalking Consultation Service is being offered by by Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust to a wide range of
TRADING standards officers in Sunderland have launched a crackdown on illegal fireworks in the run up to Bonfire Night. Bangers, jumping jacks, some mini-rockets and fireworks with erratic flight patterns are all banned under the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations
PARENTS and children were invited to the launch of childcare facilities. Mayor of Sunderland Councillor Ken Murray opened the parent and creche room at Usworth Colliery Nursery School, yesterday. The room was funded by the Sure Start initiative, a Government
A MAN has died after being hit by a lorry. The victim, who was not being named last night but is believed to be in his late twenties, was walking towards the A174 Marton Interchange with the B1365 Hemlington Lane, in Middlesbrough, when the incident occurred
THERE is a new face at Durham Town Hall - and it is not a pretty one. The building has gained a new gargoyle - one of four looking out over the river from the roof. It replaces one of the originals that were put in place more than 150 years ago, and is
SPIN doctors are curious creatures that live in a peculiar half-light where they are rarely seen but often heard. Quite how many of them get to where they are today is a mystery. They are neither politicians nor journalists, they are not business people
A MAJOR easy-access route across some of the most spectacular country in Britain opens tomorrow. The route loops around Staindale Lake, in Dalby Forest, on the North York Moors, and is the latest in a series of wheelchair-friendly routes. Completion of
A ONE-stop shop for community services may be created in east Cleveland. At a meeting of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's executive, on Tuesday, councillors are expected to approve the development at Laburnum Road, Brotton. The building, a vacant
WINNIE-the-Pooh may have just celebrated his 75th birthday - but when it comes selling books, there's a new kid on the block. It is barely five years since trainee wizard Harry Potter first hit the shops and already he's streets ahead of the "bear-of-very-little-brain
UNEMPLOYMENT figures have shown a surprise fall, despite recent job cuts. The number of people claiming unemployment benefit was expected to rise by about 5,000, but the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reported a fall for the 11th month. The figure
FARMERS were breathing a sigh of relief last night, as restrictions limiting livestock movements showed more signs of being eased. It has been 17 days since the last reported outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK and, yesterday, the Department
THE £9m transformation of the former Wearmouth Colliery site, in Sunderland, has taken another step forward with the completion of a huge public sculpture. Artist Graeme Hopper, from Hunwick, near Willington, County Durham, was commissioned by regional
A MAN appeared in court today after a North Yorkshire Police found heroin with a street value of more than £2,000. A police undercover surveillance operation netted the heroin. Andrew Paul Brown was refused bail by Harrogate magistrates and remanded in
MARILYN Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Tom Cruise and Madonna were just some of the stars who turned out to raise money for a North-East charity. If they did not look quite themselves on the day, it was because staff at the Orange Communications Centre in Peterlee
MEMBERS of the public were given an insight into the workings of an organic farm project which aims to develop a totally new system of small scale commercial food production. Members of Organic Growers of Durham Ltd, a workers' cooperative at Walworth
A pensioner has been found guilty of sex attacks on children dating back about 20 years. Albert Saunders, 62, denied the allegations by four youngsters, but a jury at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday found him guilty of seven charges of indecent assault
A zero tolerance policy is to be introduced at a North Yorkshire resort to stamp out trouble makers on estates. The move by Scarborough Borough Council is backed by the police and other agencies after scores of complaints from council tenants that their
April, 1990 - THE view from the wind-whipped summit of Gruinard Island is staggering. On the mainland, across a half mile stretch of blue-green water, is a sweeping range of mountains stretching far into the distance. The only sign of human habitation
SPIN doctors are curious creatures that live in a peculiar half-light where they are rarely seen but often heard. Quite how many of them get to where they are today is a mystery. They are neither politicians nor journalists, they are not business people
A YEAR after he was released from a rat-infested jail, human rights campaigner James Mawdsley has not ruled out a return to Burma. The 28-year-old from Brancepeth, near Durham was imprisoned for protesting against the country's military dictatorship and
A 45-YEAR-OLD man accused of kidnapping and murdering 16-year-old Leanne Tiernan was remanded in custody when he appeared in court today. John Taylor, of Cockshott Drive, Bramley, Leeds, is accused of kidnapping and killing the teenager in Bramley on
Foot-and-mouth may flare up again in the next few weeks. Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett told the Commons it would be "almost a miracle" if it did not happen. Increased levels of livestock movements in the autumn will create a "real danger" of
JOB hunting has gone high-tech in Darlington with the introduction of the latest technology. The Employment Service has installed 18 touch-screen "Jobpoints" in the town's JobCentre to speed up the process of searching for work. These will replace the
STEEL manufacturer Corus today announced a big increase in an order to supply products to Railtrack, the bankrupt rail infrastructure company now in administration. The order, estimated to be worth over £100 million, will safeguard work at the steel firm's
RAIL chiefs are investigating a gaping hole which opened up underneath a high-speed rail track. The hole was spotted on Tuesday afternoon, by a man walking his dog over a crossing on the East Coast Main line, between Ferryhill Station and Tursdale junction
PICKETS brandishing placards and handing out leaflets were a common sight in the late 1970s and early 1980s. But at a time of industrial unrest and international uncertainty, there was one protest which did not concern job losses or nuclear missiles.
WILDLIFE experts are concerned that the new Harry Potter film could start a craze among youngsters to keep owls as pets. The film, which is due out in a month and is based on the book by JK Rowling, centres on the adventures of the young wizard and his
The North-East will today learn of the Government's plans to aid the economic recovery of towns and villages affected by foot-and-mouth disease. The report, which will include plans to help other region's affected bu the disease, will investigate how
ANOTHER tented village is growing outside a developer's sales office as potential buyers queue to snap up three-bedroomed homes for less than £40,000. Annington, which purchased former Ministry of Defence (MoD) homes at a number of locations around the
PATIENTS who want to see their GPs on one particular afternoon next month will find every surgery closed because of a training initiative. Darlington Primary Care Group (PCG) is asking the public to go along with plans to close all the town's surgeries
SENDING patients abroad to ease the misery of hospital waiting lists has been branded a "short fix" by doctors in the region. Health Secretary Alan Milburn announced this week that the test patients from Portsmouth, East Kent and West Sussex/East Surrey
PLANNERS are expected to give the go-ahead tonight to a development aimed at boosting business in a Durham dale. The County Durham Economic Partnership announced in July that it would create job opportunities in Weardale by adding extra space at the Durham
A LEAKED document has revealed the tensions within Government over the handling of any future inquiry into the Richard Neale scandal. Campaigners who want a full public inquiry into the affair say the document, from the office of chief medical officer
ACTRESS Dame Judi Dench and celebrity artist Ashley Jackson have added their weight to a national campaign which aims to reforest swathes of countryside in the Yorkshire Dales. Only one per cent of the region's natural woodlands remains - compared with
A BID to set up a heritage centre celebrating the history of a former steel town and its surrounding area is gaining momentum. The Consett and District Heritage Centre, formed with the aim of establishing the much-needed facility, is calling on residents
MEMBERS of the public were given an insight into the workings of an organic farm project that aims to develop a system of small-scale commercial food production. Members of Organic Growers of Durham Ltd, a workers' cooperative based at Walworth, near
A facility allowing for better quality teaching was opened at an east Cleveland school. The £330,000 humanities block at Huntcliffe School, in Saltburn, provides four extra classrooms for 120 pupils, replacing temporary accommodation. The Government's
THE "Costa del Teesside" is being given the hard sell to the British travel trade. More than 30 coach and tour operators from across the British Isles are to be given a guided tour of the sights of Teesside. The councils of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and
PEOPLE in County Durham are being offered the chance to get their teeth into the national debate on food production and safety. Durham City is hosting a seminar, sponsored by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), on Saturday. The event is part of the Government's
CHILDREN in an East Durham town will be able to play in safety thanks to the opening of four recreation areas. Peterlee Town Council had already started a programme of renewing its play areas when it was given additional funding from the Government-backed
CYBER correspondence between North-East residents and Americans has resulted in a transatlantic charity event for victims of the terrorist attacks. Hours after terrorists struck America, County Durham businessman Stephen Longhorn turned his family history
