TURNOUT in North-East referendums on whether to introduce directly-elected mayors appeared to be up significantly last night. Early indications suggested that about one in three of the 400,000 entitled to vote in the region appear to have taken part in
A UNION boss has described plans to draft volunteers into libraries as "absolutely outrageous". John McCormack, branch secretary of Unison in Redcar and Cleveland, said he was totally opposed to the proposals from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
CHRISTMAS may seem to come earlier each year, but one North-East town is now preparing to switch on its festive lights on Bonfire night. The Christmas lights in Stockton will burn for almost two months once they are illuminated on November 5 - prompting
Darlington Football Club was back in court today after a barmaid who was late for work 66 times and absent 60 times said she was given the boot unfairly. Mum Tracy Bailey, 28, worked as a part-time barmaid in the club's Striker's bar, before being made
THE television botanist and conservationist Dr David Bellamy has helped to launch a bold new vision for old sand and gravel workings alongside the rivers Swale and Ure in North Yorkshire. Washlands for the Future is a three-year project designed to reclaim
PRESCRIPTION charges are seriously damaging the health of sick people on low incomes, claims the Citizens' Advice Bureau in Richmondshire. The CAB is concerned that many ill people are putting their health at further risk because they cannot afford to
RESIDENTS fear their homes may be damaged by the removal of trees to make way for bungalows. Bulldozers have been brought in to clear land to the rear of Woodley Grove, in Ormesby, Middlesbrough, in preparation for the development. To allow for access
A SITE owner has vowed to fight a plan to place waste skips behind his rural riverside caravan park. Durham County Waste Management wants to deposit ten skips in a compound behind the Oakleaf park at Wolsingham. But families on the site, owned by Robsons
A WORKER at Orange has won an award for helping to improve customer relations. David Pimm has worked at the Orange Communications Centre, in Darlington, for five-and-a-half years, as a team supervisor. He piloted an initiative to improve customer service
MIDDLESBROUGH winger Allan Johnston believes former Sunderland teammate Kevin Phillips is destined to win back his place in the England set-up. Phillips has been overlooked by coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, despite hitting six goals this season. But Johnston
A TEESSIDE maternity unit will receive £640,000 to help it improve, it was announced on Wednesday. The maternity wing at the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, is among several nationwide to receive extra Government funding. It coincides
A TEESSIDE choir sets off on a week-long tour of northern Germany today. The group, from St Peter's Church, Stockton, will be singing at the Marienkirche, a church in Lubeck. The 30 singers have also been rehearsing for a recital at St Nikolaus' Church
FIVE people were arrested yesterday in a series of early morning drugs raids at addresses on the North Yorkshire coast. A total of ten different premises were raided in the Whitby area and heroin with a street value of £400 was confiscated. The operation
Bishop Auckland General Hospital has a new access to its accident and emergency department. The new road will be about 30 metres closer to Cockton Hill Road from Monday, as part of the hospital redevelopment project. There will be disabled car parking
AN old working tram and former chicken coop was decked out in style to celebrate its 100th birthday yesterday. Beamish Museum's 114 tram, which used to run in Newcastle, will be decorated in bunting until Sunday night. Built by Hurst Neilson and Co Ltd
Hartlepool and District Angling Club's Annual event to raise funds for the Hartlepool Hospice this year took place on the Lower Tees at Bowesfield with the normal Crookfoot Reservoir still out of bounds due to foot & mouth restrictions. The 50 supporters
THE senior North-East detective accused with giving his wife a stolen hi-fi for her birthday, still wrapped in a bin-liner and covered in finger print dust, faces the prospect of a retrial. After more than eight hours of deliberating in the case of Detetective
THE past will be coming alive at Britain's most popular heritage railway this weekend. The North York Moors Railway will help visitors to relive the spirit of the 1940s when they turn the clock back along the line from Pickering to Grosmont. Over two
SWASHBUCKLING sprinter Bahamian Pirate (3.25) has the class to plunder the Listed Travis Perkins Stakes at Newmarket for the second year in succession. The North Yorkshire-trained raider triumphed last year on the back of a much more valuable win in the
A training centre designed to give added realism to police self-defence training has been set up in County Durham. Until now, probationary officers, and experienced officers on refresher courses, have done most of their learning in the gym. But the new
THERE'S a ghost living in our house - our Max told me so. Max, aged four, came into the kitchen, wide-eyed, and said: "Dad, guess what, there's a ghost living in this house." "Really? How do you know?" I asked. "Because there was a glass of juice in the
BANDS from across the region are being urged to enter their music into a competition to win a day in the North-East's newest recording studio. The contest is being run on Revolution, The Northern Echo's music website, in conjunction with O2 Studios and
DOWNING Street's response to urgent foot-and-mouth questions has been described as "stupid and late." The broadside was fired by Mr Robert Campbell, who waited ten weeks for the reply, and then found it did not address the concerns raised. He was particularly
WITH tough away games at Shrewsbury Town and Swansea City looming, Quakers received a timely boost with Tuesday night's 2-1 win over Macclesfield Town in the LDV Vans Trophy. The competition may be dismissed in some quarters as meaningless - only 1,591
IN 1836 Landseer painted Dash, Queen Victoria's favourite dog, a King Charles spaniel. Dash was part of the family and became a national pet. The potters of Staffordshire jumped on the bandwagon and produced spaniels by the thousand, for the mantelpiece
WH SMITH has reported a fall in profits as it paid the price of tough conditions in its US and news distribution businesses. Pre-tax profits for the year to August 31 fell further than expected, to £114m, from the £140m recorded last time. The drop came
Letters from The Northern Echo RELIGION IT is not religious hatred to say we do not want our country to be swamped with religions that are not Christian. Italy is a Christian country, as is Spain, and many more countries can be similarly described by
PERHAPS the real reason Rodney Marsh has agreed to run the England Cricket Academy is that he suspects his own countrymen are becoming a bunch of wimps. The modern Aussie is as likely to hero worship Jason Donovan as Marsh, the tough-as-teak ex-wicketkeeper
DARLINGTON Mowden Park could have seen the last of their No 8 Aaron Radaelli. After a sneezing bout left him in pain, the New Zealander went back to hospital and it was discovered that he had, after all, suffered a fractured jaw against Morley two weeks
THE debate over a new road or rail link between Guisborough and Nunthorpe continued this week, when a council leader asked his counterpart on a neighbouring authority to rethink his opposition to a bypass. Coun Ken Walker, leader of Middlesbrough which
STUDENTS in the North-East are to get payments of up to £1,000 a year for bills they run up gaining teaching experience. The cash, available under a pilot scheme to a selection of students at Sunderland University, will cover expenses for travel, childcare
A NORTHALLERTON brass band moves into its new, £82,000 home this week. Northallerton and District Silver band has expanded its premises after making do with one room in a house on Romanby Road since 1978. The room was rented out for a peppercorn rent
PERHAPS the real reason Rodney Marsh has agreed to run the England Cricket Academy is that he suspects his own countrymen are becoming a bunch of wimps. The modern Aussie is as likely to hero worship Jason Donovan as Marsh, the tough-as-teak ex-wicketkeeper
WITH the benefit of hindsight, Christopher Hird says that being sacked from The Sunday Times by newly-installed editor Andrew Neil was "rather a good thing", although it didn't feel like it at the time. He was editor of the newspaper's investigative Insight
HER angelic face framed by a mop of Shirley Temple blond curls, little Sophia Carter regards the world with inquiring eyes from the safety of her brightly coloured push chair. She looks a normal, healthy toddler. But ask her to walk, talk, stand or sit
REPAIRS costing £200,000 are likely to be carried out to prevent further damage in a flood-risk area. Last November, at the height of the flooding in east Cleveland, there was a huge landslip at the south slope of Whitecliff Valley (Loftus Bank). The
BIG Brother mania came to Darlington yesterday with the opening of a new music store. Dean and Bubble from Big Brother 2 were among the special guests who attended the official opening of the new HMV store in the Cornmill Centre. Doors to the store opened
THE row over the booking of Thirsk and Sowerby town hall for a lecture by Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, continued at a meeting of Thirsk Town Council this week. The mayor of Thirsk, Coun Freda Roberts, survived a call for her resignation made by
Hungry Jacks played Thirsk Falcons in a league game and came out on top 3-2. Thirsk scored early in the game. Hungry Jacks equalised with a well-taken goal by Daniel Fox who raced on to score from a good pass from Graeme Noonan. In the second half Hungry
THERE'S a ghost living in our house - our Max told me so. Max, aged four, came into the kitchen, wide-eyed, and said: "Dad, guess what, there's a ghost living in this house." "Really? How do you know?" I asked. "Because there was a glass of juice in the
A MAN'S dying wish to have his unique museum preserved looks likely to be granted. For several years before his death in May, Jack Anderson, of Anderson's shoe shop, painstakingly built up a collection of historical artefacts, documents and photographs
POLICE have condemned vandals who pushed over headstones in a graveyard. Around a dozen stone crosses and other monuments at St Cuthbert's Church in Kirkleatham were felled in the incident. Among the casualties was a cross dating back to 1917. Most of
A SKEWBALD Shetland pony originally bought as a family pet made a highly successful journey to the recent British Piebald and Skewbald Association World Championships of Colour at Addington equestrian centre, Buckinghamshire. Hercules and his seven-year-old
A HIGH Court judge was today handing down his decision on a £100 million compensation claim by more than 400 former employees of chemical giant ICI who claim the company broke pay and pensions agreements. The claimants have each invested thousands of
STANDING more than 1,700ft above sea level at the top of Arkengarthdale, the Tan Hill Inn may inhabit the wilderness but that has not stopped the visitors. Seasoned walkers and casual day-trippers alike have always made a point of calling in at the highest
THE headteacher of an arson-hit school is appealing to residents of a town to help catch those responsible for the blaze. The fire, which is being investigated by Teesside's arson investigation team, was started during a basketball match at Bydales School
AN ACTION group's two-year battle with planners has ended with an "unreserved apology" from the leader of Darlington council. At Tuesday's cabinet meeting, Coun John Williams accepted the findings of an ombudsman's report which found the council guilty
Sir, - The policy makers at Page Street (Defra headquarters in London) have once again thrown us into confusion by moving the goalposts in a politically-correct fashion. The much-heralded and eagerly awaited autumn movement scheme has dispensed with the
STOCKTON rider Darren Smith scored a double win at the Stainsby Grange junior show on Sunday with the nine-year-old mare Lady Millennium. Darren, who was a finalist at Wembley in the National Junior Foxhunter Championship, is trained by Peter Allen. He
THE mayor of Stockton, Coun Terry Bean, explains the finer points of civic tradition to Mrs Marie White, during an open day at the historic Town House. The building opened its doors on Wednesday as part of Local Democracy Week. Mrs White, who was born
TWO young riders from Stokesley have partnered their ponies to outstanding results at the Horse of the Year Show at Wembley earlier this month. Cnapaton Tambourine, owned by Tomorrows Office and shown by six-year-old Chantelle Joslin, was runner-up in
Everything stops for tea in the Marie Celeste world of James Herriot. In the kitchen where Herriot's veterinary creator Alf Wight took afternoon tea, dainty cherry buns adorn a plate. Mouth-watering Victoria sponges are on offer, along with date and walnut
SEVEN members of the Thirsk White Horse swim team produced some excellent performances when they represented their schools in the heats of the English Schools Swimming Association competition at Huddersfield recently. Hannah Creelman, 15, won gold for
PARALYMPIC gold medallist Tanni Grey-Thompson is the new patron of an organisation that provides disabled people in County Durham with sport and leisure facilities. Tanni, who lives in Redcar, has agreed to be the official figureheard of the Durham Area
SUNDERLAND Football Club has set itself a target of finishing in the top five in the Premiership this season. That, according to Hugh Roberts, chief executive of Sunderland plc, will show how far along the road to success the club has come. Sunderland
PUPILS from schools in Sunderland and Newcastle have been battling it out for the title of Army tug-of-war champions. Twelve teams from four schools in Sunderland and Newcastle took part in the competition at Sunderland's Seaburn Centre yesterday. Teams
HEALTH club chain Fitness First is limbering up for expansion with the launch of a new outlet in Stockton. The new gymnasium, in Yarm Road, Eaglescliffe, forms part of a UK-wide expansion by the Dorset group. Fitness First is the third largest health
POT noodles are banned in our house. They are on a blacklist along with Pop Tarts, Sunny Delight and any food moulded into the shape of a space ship, animal or cartoon character, on the basis that their relationship with proper food is, to say the least
WITH the benefit of hindsight, Christopher Hird says that being sacked from The Sunday Times by newly-installed editor Andrew Neil was "rather a good thing", although it didn't feel like it at the time. He was editor of the newspaper's investigative Insight
A PENSIONER faces prison after a 40 year war with neighbours whose homes didn't match his own idea of perfection. Newcastle Crown Court heard how John Bushell, is a 75-year-old bookmaker whose pride in his pristine home and impressive gardens has bordered
Middlesbrough today gave a resounding Yes to having an elected mayor, with more than 80% of those who voted being in favour. A total of 29,067 voted in favour with 5,422 voting against. Turnout was 34%. A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: "There has
SUNDAY saw a clash of two of the big guns in Division One, as Coundon Forrester's and Newton Aycliffe Sports Club produced one of the rarest scorelines. As boring as the scoreline may sound, however, the football was of an exceptional standard. Indeed
DARLINGTON is to get its own Drug Action Team under a new Government scheme. At present the town is covered by the Durham Drug Action Team, but new guidelines state each local authority should have its own team. Darlington's team will start work before
GIRLS from Polam Hall school in Darlington returned triumphant from the Durham County hockey tournament. After finishing first in their section, Polam Hall defeated Durham school 2-0 on penalties after the final ended in a draw. Goalkeeper Katie Wray
AN extra £750,000 has been awarded to North Yorkshire social services to ease the pressure on hospital places. But while the Government cash has been welcomed, county council officials say it will not be enough to solve the problem. The county's social
FASHION-conscious youngsters are turning on the style for a catwalk show which will help their youth club. Over the past two months a team from Wolsingham Youth Club has been making and adapting clothes for a dance show on November 7. They have trawled
BCTG. - 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 dates Oct 30 and 31, and Nov 2 and 3
South West Durham League - In one of the closest matches of the season, John Hall of Crowtrees, the league's most improved player just failed on a long pot on the red to lose to the visiting Heppell Hodgson of Tow Law by three points. There was never
NORTHERN farm incomes have plummeted for the fifth year running. The annual farm survey by Deloitte and Touche shows its northern clients returned a loss of £74/hectare, compared with a £27 loss last year, the lowest level since the survey began 12 years
A PRESSURE group that helped secure protection for Guisborough's green space two years ago is urging people to back its latest fight. Guisborough Against More Building on Open Land (Gambol), was set up in response to plans to build 56 houses in the town
A HEALTH chief has defended the creation of a £97m NHS hospital with private money. The 450-bed University Hospital of North Durham in Durham opened earlier this year to replace the city's ageing 520-bed Dryburn Hospital. It was built under the New Labour
PAST skulduggery has won an award for Saltburn. Smuggling was once big business in the town, a culture and tradition which stretched back 300 years. Contraband is no longer being shipped into the coastal community, but the story of the town's involvement
POLICE in Spennymoor are appealing for help from a car driver who may have seen an accident in which a 16-year-old girl was injured. The teenager had just stepped on to a zebra crossing outside the Kingfisher pub, in Oxford Road, when she was clipped
DEEPDALE lost their 100 per cent league record in a thrilling encounter at Deerbolt between themselves and RA Youth which ended all square at 2-2. Baxter and Hewitt notched for Deepdale with Dean Lawson and Shaun Monger replying for RA. Both teams commented
A WARD at Darlington Memorial Hospital could be opened up to solve the bed-blocking crisis. The solution has been suggested to try to free up beds occupied by elderly people who can not be accommodated in nursing and residential homes. The proposal was
FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - On Wednesday afternoon a horse broke away from a cart at Kirklevington and galloped back to Yarm with shafts dangling behind it. The High Street was crowded with caravans, owing to the approach of the fair, and there
THE president of the NFU last week said sheep farmers were being "ripped off" by certain buyers. Mr Ben Gill said there was no justification for the low prices some were offering and he accused them of using the misery farmers were enduring to tie the
THE family of a tragic student have told how she died because she was carrying the troubles of the world on her shoulders. University student Claire Lynn, 26, worried about the plight of refugees and the increasing list of trouble spots across the globe
THE long wait to discover this year's winner of The Northern Echo-sponsored Lifetime of Achievement Award is almost over. On Thursday, the business community of the Tees Valley will gather at the Tall Trees in Yarm for the Business Show, at which Echo
FIGHT Your Corner gave Mark Johnston his eighth successive seasonal century of winners when landing the Tom McGee Autumn Stakes at Ascot under a fine Kevin Darley ride on Saturday. The Kingsley House handler was also the first British trainer to achieve
NISSAN'S amazing fight-back from crippling losses was confirmed last night when delighted bosses reported a £1bn profit for the first half of the year. The transformation of the company will come as a major morale boost for the 5,000 staff employed at
A TRACT of woodland almost unchanged for 400 years is to be protected as part of a £600,000 Woodland Trust programme in the Yorkshire dales. Preston Springs wood, above Preston-under-Scar, near Leyburn, is the subject of a £70,000 project to preserve
A WILDLIFE centre has won an award for its efforts to become more accessible to disabled people. The manager of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) at Washington, Wearside, Chris Francis, collected the Ease (Ease of Access, Service and Employment) award
THE Yorkshire Air Ambulance Service, which in its first year flew nearly 200 missions across North Yorkshire, hopes dales people will help raise money towards its £1m annual running costs. As the Automobile Association, which funded regional air ambulances
CHESTER-le-Street Ladies are now well and truly ready for action. The sporty girls have raised the necessary funds which has enabled them to buy a new strip, in the hope of ending a long running jinx. Every time the girls pulled on their red and white
BEER drinkers are invited to sample a rich array of real ales at a four-day festival in Durham next week. The Real Oktober Fest will adopt the feel of a German-style seasonal celebration, but with the fare totally made up of traditionally-brewed British
A COUNTY DURHAM school has become the first comprehensive in the North-East - and one of only five in the country - to put entrepreneurship on the curriculum. The aim at Sunnydale School, Shildon, is to instil into students the idea of self-sufficiency
A GREAT Ayton school has been rewarded for its high standards in teaching reading, writing and mathematics. Roseberry primary school has received a quality mark from the Basic Skills Agency, in recognition of the hard work put in by staff, children and
POLICE will hold a series of meetings to advise residents on how to stay one step ahead of burglars with the onset of darker evenings. In a crime prevention initiative starting next week, officers from Sunderland West Area Command will be at venues giving
A fortune-teller has unveiled her vision for the future of a North-East fair. Gipsy Tilly Wood, who is 79 next month, spoke out as controversy raged among businesses, who claimed they were losing 80 per cent of their trade during the three-day Yarm fair
NORTH-EAST voters last night finally embraced the Government's drive to introduce US-style elected mayors with both Hartlepool and North Tyneside backing the idea in a referendum. The results of similar polls in Middlesbrough and Sedgefield are expected
TORMENTED North-East student Claire Lynn worried herself literally to death over increasing world conflict and the plight of refugees. The 26-year-old, who had a map of international troublespots on her wall, was found dead in her flat in Consett, County
FOOTBALL fans are being urged to send in a mountain of mail to save an historic North-East club. Ten times Amateur Cup winners Bishop Auckland need an army of supporters to write in backing their bid for cash so that they can quit their famous Kingsway
THIS week has seen the welcome relaxation of movement restrictions related to the foot-and-mouth outbreak across the north of England. While everybody is urged to remain cautious, it is clear the outbreak may now, finally, be said to be beaten. If the
A HEALTH chief has pledged to improve ambulance response times in the Yorkshire dales. And boosting Bainbridge ambulance station to 24-hour cover would be top priority. Mr John Darley, commissioning and performance manager for North Yorkshire health authority
EUROPEAN Motor Holdings (EMH) has steered towards higher profits in the first half of the year. The company, which operates dealerships across the North-East, including Mill Garages, saw pre-tax profits for the six months to August rise by 12 per cent
DARLINGTON Juniors are on course for national glory after the opening matches In the Junior British League were held at Wolverhampton last weekend. After some superb individual performances in the first three Open tournaments, the Darlington youngsters
A COUNTY Durham dairy farmer, unable to move his cows from a small field for five months because of foot-and-mouth restrictions, met NFU president Mr Ben Gill last week. Mr Jackie Stephenson has lost £700 every week since May because he has been unable
A MOORLAND shopkeeper and his wife are bucking the trend of closure of village stores through an ambitious multi-service operation. As a result, trade at Graham and Jo Slater's shop in the picturesque village of Gillamoor on the North Yorkshire moors
RICHMOND traders are to take themed markets into another dimension as efforts continue to attract shoppers to the Dales market town. A farmers' market is now a monthly event in the cobbled market square - the next held this Saturday. However, stallholders
A CITIZENSHIP day at Hurworth comprehensive school has raised more than £350 for the Red Cross. Members of the school's student council came up with the idea to raise pupils' awareness of events throughout the world in the wake of the September 11 terrorist
A primary school is the setting for The Weakest Link - and it has its own Anne Robinson to prove it. To raise funds for school trips, Abingdon Primary School, in Middlesbrough, has been holding a Weakest Link-style quiz show every day this week. Teacher
OFFICIALS of a club hit by an arson attack have pitched in to keep the doors open for business. The front door and lobby of the Royal British Legion Club in Ferryhill Station were badly damaged by fire in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Officials
A scheme is to be launched to draw together community and voluntary groups to improve local services in Sedgefield. Sedgefield Council for Voluntary Services (Cavos) is hoping the initiative will bring together groups and organisations in an attempt to
Former UN weapons inspector Richard Butler suggested yesterday that Iraq could be behind the anthrax attacks in the US as two more victims were confirmed. Mr Butler, who led the UN team inspecting Saddam Hussein's weapons programme, said the Iraqis had
YOUNGSTERS from Queen Mary's school at Topcliffe, near Thirsk, are celebrating after victories in three recent sports tournaments. The under 16 hockey team won the Hambleton and Richmond area championship, while the under 14 netball squad took the honours
The Government has signalled that the Greek authorities are finally trying to resolve the case of a North-East man whose body was returned to the UK with a missing kidney. In a Commons debate, Kevan Jones, MP for Durham North told MPs how 24-year-old
ENTRIES are flooding in for the Local Heroes Awards night. Held at the Tall Trees Hotel on Thursday, November 22, the night promises to be one to remember - whether you are taking part or just along for a great night out. There's still time to get your
A COUNCIL facing unlimited fines after illegally using ash from an inner-city incinerator on allotment footpaths will be sentenced early next year. Newcastle City Council was to have been sentenced at the city's Crown Court today, but the hearing has
A TOWN council is protesting over plans to build 24 homes on an industrial site it says would be ideally suited for starter units and small workshops. Knaresborough Town Council also says building new homes on the site would be over-intensive and out
A PILOT scheme allowing people to rent council homes direct from local letting offices is to be extended. The scheme, launched in May by Darlington Borough Council, allows tenants in Branksome and Cockerton to rent from a neighbourhood housing office,
A MAN caught with 20 Ecstasy tablets in a North-East nightclub was locked up for three months yesterday. At Teesside Crown Court, Craig James Cairns, 19, of Lomond Avenue, Billingham, Teesside, admitted possessing the drug with intent to supply at the
THE man charged with reviving the flagging fortunes of Bishop Auckland's shopping centre has arrived in the town with ambitious plans in store. New town centre manager Ken Wilson, 49, moved from Richmond, in North Yorkshire, where he held a similar role
FITNESS fanatics are being offered the chance to try a sport that is being introduced to the North-East. Sports aerobics is a new gymnastic discipline, which combines aerobic dance with strength, flexibility and jumping. It can be done individually, or
NOT all of Darlington 21st Allstars JFC's teams were in action this weekend but most of those who were gave a good account of themselves to maintain the recent upsurge in Allstars' fortunes. At 11-a-side level, the U12s were at home to Yarm Town Juniors
DARLINGTON FC boss George Reynolds has hit out at an old rival in a row over a derelict nightclub. Residents have long complained about the state of the former Talk of The Town venue in Darlington, which has stood empty for a number of years. The Northern
A YEAR after he was released from a rat-infested jail, human rights campaigner James Mawdsley says he 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
Sir, - In last week's D&S Times you chose to pass comment on Thirsk and also publish letters re Gerry Adams and the stifling of free speech, some from readers who live in Thirsk. Of all the letters, faxes and phone calls received by and representations
TWO ex-army pals have launched a hunt for their North-East colleague so they can hold a reunion after almost 50 years apart. Hugh Croll, of Glasgow, and Don Chambers, of South Wales, met up in September for the first time since they were demobbed in 1957
THE open road and a chance to relive his youth are among the guiding passions of retired businessman Mr Gavin Leach. Hearing him talk about his enthusiasm for biking is rather like listening to the voice of a passionate poet. Having just become the proud
Dales Golf Alliance - The penultimate round of this years competition was played at Bedale and whilst home course advantage could be claimed by Bedale top finish had to be shared with Crook who also finished with the same score. After this weeks round
A PLOT of land where more than 350 houses were demolished in preparation for one of Darlington's biggest regeneration projects is up for sale. Darlington Borough Council is wooing housing developers to the 32-acre site, which once made up a quarter of
TALKS are under way to prevent further problems after 200 fish died in a lake at the weekend. Tests by the Environment Agency show that the main cause of the deaths, at Redcar's Locke Park lake, was a lack of oxygen in the water following the warm weather
TORMENTED North-East student Claire Lynn worried herself literally to death over increasing world conflict and the plight of refugees. The 26-year-old, who had a map of international troublespots on her wall, was found dead in her flat in Consett, County
POT noodles are banned in our house. They are on a blacklist along with Pop Tarts, Sunny Delight and any food moulded into the shape of a space ship, animal or cartoon character, on the basis that their relationship with proper food is, to say the least
THIRSK'S flagship tourist attraction, the £l.4m World of James Herriot, has suffered a dramatic drop in income due to foot-and-mouth disease. The £95,000 lost admission and shop sales income is £80,000 more than forecast earlier in the year. In a report
Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers - Last month Walter Busuttil of Thirsk & Sowerby Harriers, represented the Great Britain Age Group Team at the World Duathlon Champion-ships in Rimini, Italy. Walter completed the event (10km Run, 40km Cycle, 5km Run) in
THE Indian summer hadn't quite arrived in Stockton one day recently while winds straight from the North Sea swept the high street. The bleakness was intensified for Spectator watching a low-profile conman plying his trade. Not even a man but a teenager
SUPERMARKET workers gave up their weekend to bring a dash of colour to their local hospice. Staff at Asda supermarket in Spennymoor gave up their opportunity to paint the town red, so they could brighten up the walls of the Bishop Auckland's Butterwick
RADICAL plans to tackle the problems of an ageing population, coupled with a decline in residential homes, have been revealed by County Durham and Darlington health authority. It is proposed that five extra care units be built in partnership with housing
POLICE confirmed yesterday that a suspicious package sent to a factory did not contain anthrax. Tests at Government laboratories showed that a white powder found in a parcel mailed to the Raflatac plastics factory, in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, was
COUNCILLORS have approved plans to spend about £340,000 on transforming a run-down estate. The money, to be spent on more than 40 homes, in the Coleridge Gardens area of Skerne Park, Darlington was approved by Darlington Borough Council's cabinet this
Sir, - I have recently moved to Leyburn and have been impressed with the friendliness of everybody. I am disturbed therefore by the new gates to the local bus shelter. I have asked people why they are there. It has been suggested that they are to keep
VILLAGERS pressing for a disused road to be closed to nuisance traffic and fly tippers were dismayed to see part of it had been resurfaced. Beacon Road, in Sedgefield, is used as a country walk, but has become a stopping point for travellers en route
DURHAM City are set to launch an appeal against Richard Ord's sending off at Washington last Saturday. Furious City boss Brian Honour has set the wheels in motion after Ord was sent for alleged retaliation in the second half of their 3-2 win. He was actually
A SMALL library has been given a big cash boost to install the latest technology. The library at Dormanstown - the smallest of 13 in Redcar and Cleveland - will double in size thanks to Monday's announcement of Government funding. It has been chosen to
ONE of the fascinating aspects of folk tales and legends is that many of them have origins in real events. With repeated telling over many centuries, it is inevitable they become distorted, exaggerated and changed to such an extent that the event which
MEMBERS of Saltburn's Victorian Society joined nature lovers 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
ART foundation course students at Darlington sixth form college have entered enthusiastically into a project to learn about Japan and translate their discoveries into visual images. At the college on Monday evening, students, their parents and other visitors
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 battle for the Ferodo Ford Puma 1400cc Championship between Durham driver David Henderson and Heighington's Guy Wilks took a dramatic twist in the Kent Rally, based in Ashford last weekend. Both drivers encountered a variety of problems, but still
POLICE in east Durham are launching a crackdown on house burglaries and drug-related crime. Operation Darc will run until early December, aimed at detecting house burglaries, arresting offenders, reducing crime levels, and encouraging crime prevention
A DOG owner is appealing for information about a missing family pet. Tommy, a collie-cross, has not been seen at its home in Darlington since August Bank Holiday Monday. The black and white dog, with a black face, was wearing a red studded collar with
AN outstanding student destined for a military career plunged to his death from an embankment after a late-night fight, a court heard this week. Patrick Daniel Brown, 21, became embroiled in a fracas after a night out in Newcastle to celebrate a friend's
Sunderland last night insisted striker Kevin Phillips was going nowhere. The Black Cats said the £15 million-rated sharpshooter, 28, was staying on Wearside - despite being linked to Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea. Chief executive Hugh Roberts said: "
A VAST collection of memorabilia detailing almost every aspect of North-East life has a new £1.1m home. The regional resource centre at Beamish Museum, was opened by Professor Richard Bailey, chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fund Committee for the North-East
A REBEL councillor, who took his own authority to court to recover legal expenses incurred in a wrangle over allegations of sexism, has lost his case in Middlesbrough. Tony Pelton, who represents Catterick and Hudswell on Richmondshire District Council
Bishop Auckland Derby strengthened their hopes of landing the runners-up trophies when they beat their hosts, league leaders, Crook Olde Horse Shoe. The Shoe had singles points from Gavin Witton, Cliff Owens and Steve Hunter, whilst the Derby had two
PEOPLE living on South Tyneside are being given the chance to air their views on a planned health service shake-up. The Department of Health is consulting on proposals to reduce the number of health authorities in Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. Instead
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 in a parliamentary contest. Labour MP for Redcar Vera Baird will take her Bedlington terrier, Zack, to compete in the final of the
THE Swaledale cheese company picked up two prizes at the British cheese awards, held at Stow on the Wold. The Richmond company pitted its products against more than 600 producers at the end of September to collect a silver and a bronze award. The silver
A TEENAGER has set himself a special goal in a bid to help other youngsters in his village, Robert Green, aged 16, of Nursery End, Ingleton, became so fed up waiting for the old, rusty and too small goalposts on the village field to be replaced that he
HEALTH bosses have confirmed that there is widespread support among GPs for the next big shake-up in NHS services. Family doctors are overwhelmingly in favour of setting up six primary care trusts, according to reports presented to County Durham and Darlington
Cleveland Billiards & Snooker League - Division 1 In week three, Grinkle Park chalked up an impressive whitewash against Redcar Lakes B team . Young Steve Page got the home team off to a great start when taking two frames from Keith Thompson (62 -
HARTLEPOOL Burn Road Harriers came from behind to win their first-ever North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier League senio0r men's cross country relay championship. The Hartlepool quartet found themselves in second place after Mandale Harrier Robert
THE tragedy of Diane Pretty's plight was not in dispute yesterday. No one, even the most fervent opponents of euthanasia, could fail to be moved by her appearance in the High Court. Within the space of two years, this cruel and devastating illness of
Tow Law and Bishop Auckland Derby strengthened their hopes of landing the runners-up trophies when they beat their hosts, league leaders, Crook Olde Horse Shoe. The footballers moved into a two points lead with wins from Arthur Henderson and Keith Muse
THE closure of Britain's public footpaths during the foot-and-mouth crisis did nothing to halt the spread of the disease - while pushing thousands of rural businesses to the brink of bankruptcy, a senior Government advisor said yesterday. Lord Haskins
AN employee at a Binns store who stole £5,000 from a till claimed in court yesterday that she was underpaid. Claire Heathcote, 24, admitted she had been stealing for six months after money was found missing from the Darlington store, in April, said Catharine
HOSPITAL chiefs are to be presented with two high-tech pieces of equipment. The monitors, valued at £6,000 are being given to York District Hospital for use on the ophthalmology and medical admissions ward. They can be used by nurses to quickly and accurately
It's taken them three attempts, but Nissan finally clicked into gear this week to record their first Durham League division one win of the season, a comfortable 99-63 home victory against guests University of Teesside. The students were lining up for
WARM weather killed 200 fish in an East Cleveland pond at the weekend, and popular wildfowl may have contributed to the problem. Roach, bream and eels at Locke Park, Redcar, were starved of oxygen, due to the mild conditions. However, oxygen levels may
A MODERN advertising panel is incompatible with the conservation status of Great Broughton and will not be allowed. Primelight Advertising had appealed against the refusal of Hambleton council to allow the panel to be built in the garden of the Black
A MOTHER-OF-TWO out celebrating her brother's release from prison was caught with a bag of Ecstasy tablets, a court heard yesterday. Faith Oliver, 25 - who is studying to be a drugs counsellor - was searched by door staff at the Zanzibar Nightclub, in
SPENNYMOOR have failed in an attempt to sign Guisborough midfielder Darren Mowbray. Mowbray has starred for Guisborough this season as they have climbed into the top eight of the Northern League table after a slow start. And Moors boss Peter Quigley submitted
A WHEELCHAIR-bound woman was robbed of cash, a television and books after a man conned his way into her home. The thief gained entry to the house, in Sledmere Drive, Tollesby, Middlesbrough, by pressing the buzzer and announcing himself as the 46-year-old
MR WILLIS Tuer of Birkby Gate Farm, Northallerton, pictured right, is one of 200 dairy farmers who began supplying First Milk this month. Mr Tuer, who has a 200-cow herd, is pleased with the way things have gone and urged more to join to help sustain
FIVE hundred boys and girls from across County Durham have been trying their hand at rugby. The youngsters, playing in mixed teams of seven, touched down at Durham University's Graham Sports Centre at Maiden Castle for the seventh annual Tag Rugby Festival
