STANDING up to the knees in the waterhole, the herd of buffalo lap at the water, which instantly clouds as the beasts' hooves stir up the mud beneath. Flies buzz everywhere, attracted by the effluent deposited by the animals, and feed off their backs
MIDDLESBROUGH centre-back Ugo Ehiogu has been ruled out of action until at least February. The England defender had a scan on a groin injury picked up at Arsenal on Saturday and it revealed he will be out for several weeks. Boro could hand Italian defender
Chance to pass on presents PEOPLE are urged to recycle unwanted Christmas presents by taking up a stall in Spennymoor's Bavarian-style Christmas market. The market and ice-rink, in the town's Festival Walk, has proved a popular attraction. Stalls are
A BIRTHDAY present for a Darlington woman has raised £1,400 for St Teresa's Hospice. Kevin McAreavey decided to fulfil his wife's ambition to record a CD by buying studio time to celebrate her birthday. Tess McAreavey recorded a CD called The Long Weekend
A FORMER Teesdale garage owner is almost as old as the car industry itself. Bill Bowman, who was born in Sunderland but moved to Barnard Castle when his family went there seeking work, has celebrated his 100th birthday. He marked the event with friends
HOPES of finding missing war veteran Robert English alive have all but vanished, after weeks of searching. The 77-year-old former prisoner of war was last seen buying a newspaper at a newsagent's shop in Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, on November
ENVIRONMENTAL officer Bob Pailor has been awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours List for his work during the foot-and-mouth crisis. The 49-year-old, from Hartlepool, was awarded the honour for his efforts while working in the Darlington office of the
SOME parish councils in the North-East have been categorised as "sleeping" in a Government league table. Windlestone and Rushyford Parish Council, in the heart of Prime Minister Tony Blair's Sedgefield constituency, found itself among councils described
THE Government handed thousands of the region's farmers a much-needed New Year boost last night as the spectre of foot-and-mouth was finally lifted. But for one area there will be no early relief. Three of the final four counties in the North were confirmed
THE operator behind one of the region's most important transport links said last night it was confident of staving off a strike in the New Year. About 300 Metro workers on Tyneside are to be balloted on action over a pay dispute in which unions rejected
THE president of the HMS Trincomalee Trust has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list. Captain David Smith, RN, was recognised for his contribution to the restoration of the world's oldest floating warship, moored at Hartlepool. The HMS Trincomalee
A BID to revive an old railway through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales appears to have been untouched by the gloom and despondency which has plagued the national network for much of the year. Railtrack's future may be in doubt and cancellations may be
A MUSIC group is keyed up for fundraising after a grand gesture towards its piano fund. Bishop Auckland Music Society has been bringing professional musicians from across the world to Wear Valley over the past decade, but has not achieved its ambition
A bid to stage the entire works of Shakespeare has won a cash boost in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The York Shakespeare Project has received a £5,000 grant from the National Lottery's Awards for All scheme. It will go towards the project's
JUNIOR school pupils will be starting lessons in an improved classroom this month, following the completion of a £100,000 scheme. Work on the Pickering Community Junior School building, which replaces a temporary classroom, has been completed by North
DESPITE the best efforts of Tommy Taylor and assistant Mick Tait, Darlington 's match at home to Lincoln was postponed yesterday afternoon. Sunday night's heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures meant the game always looked likely to become Feethams'
FORECASTERS were last night predicting an end to the 48-hour big freeze which has gripped Britain. The cold weather should be easing in the next few days, with the worst already believed to be behind most regions. A number of sporting fixtures fell victim
THE long-expected march of giant pylons across the heart of North Yorkshire is due to accelerate in the New Year. Several pylons have already been erected on the Lackenby to Picton section of the controversial power line and now the first has been completed
A FORMER lighthouse keeper is using his musical talents to help rescue a crumbling memorial built more than 150 years ago to celebrate Britain's greatest maritime heroine. Rod Hall, who has written a song in honour of Grace Darling, was spurred into action
GNER last night revealed it was on track to boost services on the East Coast Mainline in the coming year. The region's biggest train company dismissed fears that it could be among a number of operators forced to make cuts to restore punctuality levels
Fears grow for missing man Police are becoming increasingly concerned about a 36-year-old man who has not been seen since Thursday. Gary Paul Smith, who lives at Stakesby House, Guisborough, left home on Thursday. He has been spotted once, in the Westgate
HOUSEHOLDERS have been issued with guidelines to prevent them being ripped off by bogus charity collectors. Licensing officers are concerned that criminals can take advantage of people's generosity at this time of year by posing as collectors for charities
SPANISH born Carmen-Jeanete Hurtado has swapped the sunshine of her home country for the North-East, where she has introduced flamenco to aerobic lessons. Since July, Carmen has been one of several instructors involved in the delivery of the aerobics
HOUSEHOLDERS are being invited to recycle their old Christmas trees. Ryedale District Council is providing recycling facilities for the trees throughout the district. The scheme is now in its sixth year and recycling officer John Brown said: "Over the
A teenager who was told he would never have the use of his legs is walking tall after pioneering surgery in France. John Dockray, 16, of Catton, Northumberland, was paralysed from the chest down after falling off his motorbike in May. He was told by doctors
THE New Year means a new beginning as January rings the changes for another of North Yorkshire's local authorities. An overhaul has taken place at Ryedale District Council at both members and senior officer level in an effort to provide "best value" for
SHELL-SHOCKED Sunderland goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, who picked the ball out of the net five times at Ipswich, hopes to be able to commiserate with the man he replaced in the Danish team - Peter Schmeichel - after a victory over Aston Villa at the Stadium
TWO Hutton Rudby sisters perform leading roles in the forthcoming village pantomime, Sinbad the Sailor. Emma Richardson plays the swashbuckling Sinbad, while sister Anthea is the beautiful Princess Yasmin. The new production is the 56th consecutive pantomime
A university's physics department is carrying out pioneering research into distant galaxies. Durham University professor Roger Davies and his colleagues are playing a key role in the development and operation of new, state-of-the-art equipment at the
THE EURO TODAY sees the launch of the euro in 12 EU Countries, now commonly known as EuroLand. This does not mean that it is inevitable that the UK will have to replace the pound with the euro. Of course, it would not just be a case of replacing the pound
A MATHS lesson with a difference arrived right on time for train-loving children in County Durham involved in an imaginative education scheme. Pupils from Cotsford Junior School, in Horden, Peterlee, took part in a Peterlee Education Action Zone project
SURFING septuagenarian Arthur Davidson got more than he bargained for when he logged on to a council website. The 73-year-old, of Lobley Hill, Gateshead, won a new Internet-ready home computer when his name was drawn from thousands of local people who
Seals are starting to colonise a northern river. Grey seals are being seen regularly on the Esk at Whitby, according to naturalist Gordon Woodroffe. Mr Woodroffe, a senior member of the Mammal Society, of North Yorkshire, said seven seals had been spotted
A CITY watchdog is protesting about plans to create a modern-style security cash counter in Ripon's second most important building. Ripon Civic Society is objecting to a planning application to provide a secure cashier facility in the town hall, saying
POLICE are looking for a teenage mugger who targeted a 73-year-old woman. The thief, who was riding a bike, snatched the pensioner's handbag as she walked in Ropner Park, Stockton, Teesside, at 3pm on Sunday. He was forced to flee when a passer-by's dog
SCHOOLS have been given more than £500,000 to combat the effects of vandalism, arson attacks and trespassers. The cash, announced today from the Government's Capital Modernisation Fund, will be used to boost security measures such as perimeter fencing
A NORTH-EAST policeman told last night of the horrifying moment he pulled a knife from his neck, as he chased his attacker. PC Bill McKnight thought he had been punched as he set off in pursuit of a 19-year-old man. It was only then, as he felt the knife
ENVIRONMENTAL officer Bob Pailor has been awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours List for his work during the foot-and-mouth crisis. The 49-year-old, from Hartlepool, was awarded the honour for his efforts while working in the Darlington office of the
A HOSPITAL is being scrutinised on how effectively it is run, as part of national assessments. The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) has begun a routine assessment , known as a clinical governance review, of the University Hospital of North Durham
Youth club in plea for help A Derwentside youth club is looking for volunteers to help on Monday and Wednesday nights. People are needed to supervise the youngsters at Manor Park Youth Club, in Lanchester. Anyone who can give their free time, between
NEWCASTLE boss Bobby Robson is ready to pull a "shattered'' Kieron Dyer out of tomorrow's showdown with Manchester United. Robson has revealed that midfielder Dyer is in need of a rest after making nine appearances at senior and reserve-team level in
FAMILIES are being urged to make a healthy start to the New Year by taking part in a ramble. As part of Sunderland City Council's calendar of outdoor conservation events, called Seasons, the New Year ramble on the Coalfield Way, has been organised for
THE New Year wish of two anxious parents is that one day medical science will be able to help their sick little girl - before it is too late. Jon and Alison Carter are hoping that 2002 brings a ray of hope for their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Sophia
EACH New Year can lay claim to being special. The past is put behind us and, full of fresh hope and good intentions, we start anew. This New Year is probably more special than most. Although it has had none of the hype and hyperbole of recent millennial
AN animal rescue centre is becoming concerned that people are buying unusual rodents as pets without knowing how to look after them properly. The degu originates from the Chilean lowlands and looks like a cross between a large gerbil and a small squirrel
COUNCILLORS will meet on Thursday to approve plans to remove a motorcycle barrier which has led residents of Hartlepool to complain of anti-social behaviour. A consultation has been carried out with residents who want the barrier across the cycle path
A SERIES of recycling roadshows held by Stockton Borough Council proved a huge success in promoting its blue-bag collection scheme for waste paper. The roadshows were held in Billingham, Stockton and Thornaby markets last month, and staff from the council's
A MAN was killed and two people injured when a their car left the road and collided with a lamppost on the A19 early this morning. A police spokesman said the three were travelling north in a green VW Passat when the accident happened between Peterlee
MORE than £400,000 is to be spent on improvements to council homes in the Stockton Borough Council area. About 250 tenants in Fairfield, Wolviston and Billingham will benefit from renovations to their bathrooms. The work, which includes improving sanitary
A CHARITY lost £20,000 in the North-East last year because of the foot and mouth crisis. Marie Curie Cancer Care operating in County Durham, North Teesside and South and North Tyneside suffered the losses because so many fund-raising events had to be
THE New Year started badly for one homeowner after a stolen car left a gaping hole in the front of her cottage. A Mitsubishi Shogun 4x4, stolen minutes earlier, crashed into the house in Sunderland at high speed. The driver fled leaving a trail of devastation
From today, 300m people will start using the euro. But arguments still rage over whether Britain should join in. The Northern Echo gives both sides of the argument the chance to put their case in what promises to be the most contentious issue of the year
Peace in Ireland - and a tip for the National Predicting the future may be more hit than miss, but one guide claims to have been surprisingly accurate so far. NICK MORRISON looks at what Old Moore's Almanack says is in store for 2002 PROGRESS towards
THE £76m epic, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, is being touted as potentially the greatest box office hit of all time. It stars some of the biggest names in the film world, including Sir Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee and Elijah Wood. Thanks
A £50,000 package of measures to crack down on accidents on a town's roads is being proposed. The Dyke House School Casualty Reduction Initiative, which has already led to a big fall in accidents in Hartlepool, has received the cash to carry out further
MEMBERS of Sedgefield Junior Squash Club have presented a cheque for £252.10 to Gill Coulson, headteacher of the town's Hardwick Primary School, for the school's appeal fund. The appeal was set up to help replace equipment, books, and teaching aids lost
TWO financial advisors have provided the backing a Darlington band needed to record their debut CD. Mark Horner, of Family First Financial Services, and chartered accountant Nigel Herring, who share offices in Coniscliffe Road, Darlington, also have a
A GROUP of Darlington businesswomen are preparing to spread their practice of working together across the North-East. The Darlington Business Women's Network, supported through the European Social Fund, has 62 members despite being set up just three months
WITH one Christmas only just under the belt, traders and business people in Ferryhill are being asked to help pay for a new set of Christmas lights for the town. The town's lights are 12 years old and are showing their age. It was hoped to have a new
SECONDARY schools in Darlington are not performing as well as some elsewhere in the region, according to latest figures. During a recent audit, comparisons were made between the 2000 Ofsted inspections for all schools in the country. Although, on average
IT WAS not the ideal reception an author dreams of for a book, and even JK Rowling's creative mind cannot have imagined Harry Potter going up in smoke Salman Rushdie-style in a mid-western American town. But on Sunday night, the pastor and congregation
PLUNGING in on sand sprint races can often end up in tears, but there are grounds for cautious optimism that Sharp Hat's bid to hit the jackpot at Southwell this afternoon will result in smiles all round. Like vintage wine, Sharp Hat appears to be getting
LIFE as a prisoner-of-war is being recreated in the most appropriate of settings. The reality of life behind barbed wire, be it British, German or Japanese, is being recalled in a museum that was once a PoW camp itself. Eden Camp, near Malton, in North
A SEVEN-year-old was so shocked by the tragic events of September 11 she has spent the past three months fundraising for the New York firefighters' fund. Jade Wildberg, of Fordyce Road, Hartlepool, watched the twin towers of the World Trade Centre collapse
A MANHUNT was under way last night after a pub landlord was shot and wounded during a raid early yesterday. The gun attack in the North Yorkshire town of Masham, on the edge of the Dales, shocked the community in the usually quiet area. With the gunmen
A PARAMEDIC was rushed to hospital after a car crashed into his vehicle as he helped treat injured drivers after a head-on collision. The paramedic had been first to the scene after two vans collided on an icy road near Willington, County Durham, yesterday
THE people of a North-East area had the worst of times and the best times in the last year. That was the verdict of Alex Watson, leader of Derwentside District Council in his New Year's message to local people. In his annual address, published on the
THEY may not last long and their intentions may be well-worn, but resolutions form an important part of the ritual that is the New Year. We asked some of the great and the good of the region what their New Year's resolutions were. Author of the Horrible
A FAMILY of gorillas and giant puppets were among the highlights of New Year's Eve street entertainment yesterday. From about 11am, a free programme of music and street theatre heralded the start of one of England's biggest New Year celebrations, in Newcastle
A MOTHER whose son was snatched from his North Yorkshire home by his father has spoken of her anguish at facing another year without him. Susan Dhanjee, of Staithes, near Whitby, has not seen her beloved seven-year-old son, Milun, since August 1999. The
TWO foster parents have been rewarded for their lifetime of dedication to looking after children. Alan and Margaret Wren, of Stockton, were awarded a silver certificate for their work as foster carers over 25 years. The couple were surprised at a foster
WITH one Christmas only just under the belt, traders and businessmen in Ferryhill are being asked to help pay for a new set of Christmas lights for the town. The town's lights, rated among the best in the region, are now 12 years old and are showing their
A LEADING supporter of the controversial move to amalgamate Teesside's two foremost athletics clubs has urged members of Middlesbrough and Cleveland Harriers to attend a crucial meeting tomorrow night. The club has called the meeting, at Middlesbrough
Parking fines have been suspended in some areas of three towns after yellow line "loopholes" were discovered. North Yorkshire Police took the decision after studying a file of 50 pictures provided by 73-year-old Ripon photographer Bill Robson. Last year
PUBLIC relations consultancy NP has become the first agency in the region to break through the £2m turnover barrier. The Newcastle agency, which is set to move offices in the New Year, is already forecasting even greater success in the coming year. With
AN awards programme which celebrates unique ideas which could achieve commercial success has received a welcome boost from commercial law firm Robert Muckle. The firm's funding will help the organisers of The Spirit of Innovation Awards, including the
CHRIS Turner is backing Ritchie Humphreys to enter 2002 with a bang. Hartlepool United's former Sheffield Wednesday striker has only a single goal to his name this season, after moving to Pool from Cambridge during the summer. Humphreys will have to wait
Building firm submits plans A bid has been submitted to redevelop a row of terraced properties at the foot of Coltsgate Hill, in Ripon. Briahaze Village Homes is hoping to convert the building, which currently houses two shops and three homes, to include
PATIENTS who cannot keep their hospital appointments over the New Year are being urged to let health staff know in advance. Last year, Gateshead Health NHS Trust, which runs the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, lost more than 4,200 appointments after patients
COMPUTER peripherals company Lindy is expanding its operations worldwide with the launch of an international division. The Thornaby, Teesside, business is investing about £100,000 in creating the systems needed to manage, process, fulfill and distribute
A CHARITY which aims to provide friendship for youngsters in the region who have little or no contact with their families, is celebrating a successful first full year. Spurgeon's Child Care was set up in 1866 by the Reverend Charles Haddon Spurgeon as
STAFF at a call centre have ventured away from their computers to join a fitness programme. A ten-week course for workers at Orange Communications Centre, in Peterlee, County Durham, aims to drag people away from their desks and get them fit. As well
A big step to helping scores of struggling moorland businesses, devastated as a result of last year's foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, is being master-minded by the North York Moors National Park Authority. A project officer is being appointed by the
A performance has marked the tenth anniversary of an initiative launched to give more young people the opportunity to play in a full orchestra. Yorchestra first performed in 1992 after being formed by a number of parents who wanted to give their children
A FOOTBALL club marked the New Year by raising flags for its overseas fans. Sunderland Football Club commissioned permanent flags, positioned on the Carling North Stand at the Stadium of Light, in recognition of its supporter base outside the UK. They
MADCAP children's TV star Timmy Mallett yesterday described how he saved a drowning woman after pulling her from a marina. The former Wacaday and Wide Awake Club presenter, who is starring in pantomime at Billingham, pulled the woman from the freezing
STOCKTON'S top tourist attraction is being allowed to deteroriate because of a lack of funding, according to a Conservative councillor. Preston Hall and Park, near Eaglescliffe, is the jewel in Stockton's crown of tourist attractions, but critics say
WOMEN are being offered free education courses in the New Year. Stockton Adult Education service is offering the courses in subjects, including stress management, dyslexia awareness, aromatherapy, and for women who want to improve their writing skills
MEMBERS of Sedgefield Junior Squash Club have presented a cheque for £252.10, to Gill Coulson, headteacher of the town's Hardwick Primary School, for the school's appeal fund. The appeal was set up to help replace equipment, books, and teaching aids lost
PATIENTS can expect their laundry to be whiter than white at a hospital which has received a quality assurance award. The service, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, which washes more than 150,000 garments a week, has just been awarded ISO 9000
LAST year's Masham Sheep Fair may have been unusual in that it had no sheep - but it was still a financial success. The foot-and-mouth crisis meant that the traditional North Yorkshire fair could not go ahead as planned, so the animals were replaced with
FROM Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl to Harry Potter, Joan Robinson has seen them all. When the long-serving Chester-le-Street librarian retired recently, she reflected on a revolution in children's books over the past 40 years. Joining the library service
PLANS to convert a former police station into a community facility could be dashed after it was put up for sale on the open market. Seaham Town Council proposed converting the town's police station, in the Grade II listed Londonderry House, into a joint
UK car makers saw losses rise to nearly £2bn in the past year. According to a Financial Times survey, restructuring, currency volatility and price cuts, saw Britain's car makers, including Nissan at Sunderland, report losses of £1.7bn between them. Reports
ADVICE on a range of trading standards issues in Hartlepool is now available at the click of a button following the launch of an Internet service. Hartlepool Borough Council's trading standards team has hailed its new website as a boost for consumers
ENGLAND striker Kevin Phillips missed his third penalty of the season as Sunderland managed to salvage a point with a goal from Brazilian defender Emmerson Thome four minutes from time at the Stadium of Light. It looked as though Phillips' miss in the
A deputy centre manager has been appointed at the Middleton Grange Shopping Centre in Hartlepool. This is a new position within the centre, and Nicola Keeling's role will be to implement new systems to conform with current and forthcoming legislation
COMMUNITY groups in Hartlepool are being invited to support a spectacular biennial celebration of the town's maritime heritage. Officials from Hartlepool Borough Council, who are busy preparing for the town's Maritime Festival next year, want people to
A NEW shopping complex on Teesside is continuing to go from strength to strength with the addition of two new national retailers to its malls. Dixons and The Officers Club recently moved into the £43m Wellington Square in Stockton. Since the launch of
PARENTS of children aged up to four are being urged to support a drive to give youngsters the best possible start in life. Their involvement is seen as vital if plans for a Sure Start scheme covering the Dyke House, Jackson and Burbank areas of Hartlepool
FORGOTTEN man Gianluca Festa made a surprise return to mark his 400th career appearance with a crucial winner for Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren. Centre-back Festa, in senior action for the first time this season after two hernia operations, wouldn't
THE huge scale of the problems caused by the foot-and-mouth disaster become clear in a major new report on the state of the region's countryside. The massive impact has spread far beyond farming, affecting town as well as country communities and underlining
RESIDENTS are launching a bid to build a new community centre on an old refuse site near their homes. People living in the Sunnydale area of Shildon have called for some kind of community building to house extra facilities for the area. A questionaire
