TOWN centre bosses are hoping a touch of continental European cuisine can help draw shoppers to Darlington. After successful French markets in neighbouring towns, including Shildon, the borough's Town Centre Forum will be told on Thursday about plans
A PENSIONER died in an accident on an unclassified road near Bedale. Una Corner, 62, from Burrill, was driving a red Daihatsu Applause when the accident happened at 12.30pm on the road between Bedale and Newton-le-Willows, at the Crakehall and Burrill
A service marking the affects of the foot-and-mouth crisis in North Yorkshire will be held at Ripon Cathedral next month. The aim of the event, to be held at 2.30pm on Thursday, February 28, is to bring together all those in the area affected by the outbreak
PLAYERS hoping to take part in the second round of the Darlington Junior Grand Slam Badminton tournament must sign up before next Monday. The event, for children under 16, takes place at Haughton Comprehensive School on Sunday, February 3. Grand slam
PLANS to create a synthetic sports area at a special school look likely to win approval. Durham County Council's planning committee will be recommended on Wednesday to grant permission for the development at Harelaw Special School, Catchgate, near Stanley
A WOMAN was killed after a cow escaped from its field and was hit by two cars on the A66. Three other people were injured as the animal crushed the first vehicle and then fell into the path of the second, leaving a trail of devastation on the A66, near
A MAN is fighting for his life after suffering serious head injuries when his car was hit by a stolen vehicle. The unnamed 33-year-old, from Seaham, County Durham, is on life support at Newcastle General Hospital, where his condition was described last
SUPPORTERS of home rule for the North-East are demanding to know when a long-awaited White Paper on regional devolution will be published. Members of the North-East Assembly say the region's hopes of self-governance by 2005 are slipping because the Government
GATESHEAD Council is looking for a member of the public to help its councillors maintain high standards of conduct. In 1999 the council established a standards committee to ensure that local people had confidence in the way it, and the 66 councillors
WORK is to start soon on the construction of a £500,000 road bridge in Seaham. Contractors PSB Construction (NE) will begin replacing the Cornelia Terrace Bridge, on the B1287, next Monday. The work, which is expected to take 30 weeks to complete, will
Passengers will be able to judge for themselves improvements to Britain's run-down railway system with a £30bn "route map", Downing Street said yesterday. With the prospect of more crippling strikes on the horizon, the Prime Minister hopes that by the
THE growing popularity of Harrogate's Spring Flower Show could see it go into the attendance record books this year. The event, being held at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, from April 25 to 28, drew 52,621 people last year
PEOPLE could be charged to park outside their homes in areas of Darlington if the council agrees to take action over parking blackspots. Darlington Borough Council's cabinet will decide whether to proceed with residents' parking schemes in two areas of
STAFF at some of Newcastle's trendiest boutiques will model the latest styles at a charity fashion show. The event, at the city's Assembly Rooms on February 26 and 27, will raise money for children's charity, The Sunshine Fund. The 30 employees are from
A FARMERS' group is calling for the same restrictions on lamb as are in place for beef, in light of new fears that sheep could have BSE. Pat Walker, of the North Yorkshire Smallholders' Society, said that after hearing about the possibility of BSE in
COACH loads of Sunderland Football Club fans were delayed at services on the M62 motorway in West Yorkshire as they travelled back from a match against Everton on Saturday. Police boarded the coaches in search of a man wearing a red and white shirt who
THE largest residential-only regeneration scheme in Darlington could soon get under way. Darlington Borough Council is hoping to announce the new owners of a 32-acre site, which once made up a quarter of the Firthmoor estate, within a month. Up to 400
CRAIG BELLAMY has claimed Kieron Dyer is a better player than Manchester United's Ryan Giggs and warned Newcastle that Europe's big guns will soon be training their sights on the England starlet. Dyer scored his first goal of the season to give Newcastle
DURHAM City manager Brian Honour hasn't ruled his side out of the title running after their 4-1 home win over Dunston on Saturday. City are now sixth in the table with games in hand on all the clubs above them, and they also gave themselves a boost for
A STUDENT whose body was found in a suitcase in North Yorkshire had stayed in the same London house as another Korean girl who has gone missing, detectives have revealed. The remains of Hyo Jung Jin, 21, a student of French at the University of Lyon,
DESPERATE Sunderland manager Peter Reid is preparing to smash the club's transfer record in a last-ditch bid to blast a way into Europe this season. But Valencia striker John Carew will not be the man he will target as a new partner for goal-ace Kevin
BISHOP Auckland manager Alan Shoulder admitted that his team "isn't out of the mire" after they went down 2-1 to Colwyn Bay. Bishops' home record has been poor this season, but Shoulder saw plenty of encouragement in their performance on Saturday. "When
FRONT-line health care providers across North Yorkshire are expected to be given their biggest-ever cash boost next week. Overall, the health organisations in the county will get more than £50m of extra funding for the next financial year. That represents
SHOPPERS will be given a helping hand in the romance stakes during the build up to St Valentine's Day. The winner of a competition at Darlington's Cornmill Shopping Centre will be presented with a diamond ring on February 14, at the end of the five-day
POLICE in Sedgefield have vowed to continue to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour following a successful pre-Christmas operation. The annual Operation Bullseye, from November 26 to December 24, was rated one of the biggest successes of its
SEASIDE town residents are hoping a crime wave is over. Police, who said Redcar's Ayton Drive was proving a hot spot for walk-in burglaries, visited every house with crime prevention advice. With about 100 homes now fitted with alarms and window and door
A BUILDING firm has stepped in to keep a popular road race on track. Yuill Homes, of Hartlepool, Teesside, is taking over sponsorship of the Redcar Half Marathon from troubled power group Enron, which backed the event last year. Joanne Hodgson, events
POLICE have questioned a professional footballer after an alleged assault on a rival player outside Hartlepool United's ground. Shrewsbury Town striker Luke Rodgers was arrested over the incident involving Hartlepool de-fender Chris Westwood. The drama
THREE little boys have thanked firefighters for saving their fathers' jobs. Edward Maynard, aged nine, his six-year-old brother, Robert, and Matthew Gornall, seven, have presented Cleveland Fire Brigade's benevolent fund with a £1,000 cheque on behalf
ANOTHER rock-bottom away performance left Sunderland's large band of travelling supporters once again despairing at the embarrassing inadequacies of a team still trying to blow a European trumpet. But while there is plenty of noise the tune is badly off-key
THE £4m revamp of Scarborough's police headquarters, in Northway, is due for completion by the end of the summer, North Yorkshire Police Authority has said. The redevelopment of the station includes building an extension, an extra storey, and providing
VILLAGES in the Ryedale area of North Yorkshire are being offered cash for environmental projects. Jo Reilly, the district council's community projects officer, said an environmental action fund had been set up with £15,000 to allocate to a range of schemes
RESIDENTS of Oswaldkirk, near Helmsley, have been awarded a grant by the Heritage Initiative Fund towards producing a history of the Domesday Book village. Helen Goodman - one of the team collecting documents, photographs and artefacts - said it was likely
A FINAL attempt is to be made to halt the closure of public toilets in the Esk Valley. Local councillors intend to lobby a Scarborough Borough Council Cabinet meeting which will decide the fate of the conveniences. The council wants to close three of
A ROW over the future of a narrow, flood damaged 18th Century bridge, which has divided a community and has been closed for the past year, could be settled this week. Creet's Bridge, at Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, was shut by North Yorkshire highway
THERE is no mention of Harry Potter or hint of wizardry in J R Rowling's new book, written on Teesside. Even so the work could be poised to be a bestseller spelling out its own formulae on how to be a top school manager. It's author, Nunthorpe School
VANDALISM and lack of funds have forced a Methodist church to close its doors after more than 150 years. Members of the Methodist church in Collingwood Street, Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, met last week and agreed their only option was closure. Doreen
He sings like an angel but Pop Idol finalist Gareth Gates took 20 seconds just to tell the judges his name at the auditions for the TV show in August. Thanks to an intensive course of therapy, the 17-year-old singer has now almost conquered his stammer
A HOUSING association is celebrating after receiving an award for the second time in three years. The Durham Three Rivers Housing Group has again won a Chartermark for all its operations. The association was the first in the North-East to receive the
FIREFIGHTERS had to cut free a driver after a collision on the A688 road between Bishop Auckland and Middlestone Moor, Spennymoor. Hydraulic equipment was used to free the woman from her Vauxhall Corsa car, after which she was taken by ambulance to Darlington
ANNE Wallace has narrowly missed out on a real-life needle match between Britain and the USA - by eight stitches. For the 41-year-old, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was pipped to the title of Britain's Fastest Crocheter and the chance to repel
SWIMMER Christopher Surtees has been given a cash boost to help with a gruelling training schedule. The teenager, from Hunwick, near Crook, has been presented with a cheque for £250 from Crook Rotary Club. Christopher, who has already represented his
ARSONISTS are being accused of turning a blazing house into a giant "blow torch", risking the lives of nearby residents and fire crews. Vandals started a fire then severed a supply pipe to the house's gas meter - turning the empty terraced property into
Q: While travelling through Luxembourg last summer I passed through a small town called Clervaux which had a castle of the same name. I recall that there used to be a Clervaux Castle near Croft. Do you know if there is any connection between these two
DARLINGTON Borough Council should be seeking more help from central government to keep council tax down, a Conservative councillor has claimed. The council's Labour leader, Councillor John Williams, has already said that the authority is proposing to
A SCHOOL has received top marks in an inspection report. Headteacher Judy Butchart, said Offsted's description of Dormanstown Primary School, near Redcar, as "exemplary" was a tribute to pupils and parents as well as governors and teachers. Government
A £1m medical centre was opened on Saturday. The two-storey building in Colburn, near Richmond, was opened by local district councillor Lynn Miller. The centre, overlooking Catterick Road, was built by Randall Orchard, on behalf of Trinity Medical Properties
WIN or lose, Zoe Birkett has been a wonderful ambassador for Darlington. The 16-year-old is now in the final five in Pop Idol and is likely to go further still in the competition which has become a national obsession. On Saturday night, singing Abba's
GOLF enthusiasts have been handed a one-off chance to save their municipal golf course in an innovative new scheme. The amateur golfers of The Hobson golf course, near Burnopfield, north of Stanley, have been told they can run the course and clubhouse
BUSINESSES and shops were left without power yesterday after a fourth fault in five days at an electricity substation. Since early on Wednesday, the primary substation next to the Yarm Road and McMullen Road roundabout, in Darlington, has suffered two
A MESSAGE in a bottle is saving lives on Teesside. Emergency workers are applauding an initiative launched by pensioners' help organisation Age Concern where elderly people put identification, medical and contact details in a canister, which is kept in
AN east Durham village's efforts to record its mining past have won funding from the National Lottery. The Awards for All grants programme has given the Wheatley Hill Heritage Society £5,000 towards the cost of a model depicting the village in 1919, just
A TELEVISION presenter is making a flying visit to a new childcare centre. Kirsten O'Brien, of Children's BBC TV, starring as Peter Pan at the Sunderland Empire, is visiting her native Nunthorpe, to open an Early Years Centre, on Thursday. A day nursery
A FAMILY of Newcastle United supporters have appealed for the return of their signed Magpies shirt after it was stolen earlier this month. Bryan Hailes' nine-year-old daughter, Rebecca, won the autographed shirt in a raffle and, in a festive act of goodwill
A MILLENNIUM National Lottery grant has helped villagers put on a show about the history of Sadberge, near Darlington. With the help of the grant, children and adults from the village will perform But History Is So Boring, at Sadberge Village Hall on
THERE are only 17 days left to nominate young people for awards to recognise their achievements. The Positive Young People Awards 2002 will mark the good things Darlington's youngsters do in the community and their efforts to battle against personal circumstances
MORE than 30 young dancers from a Darlington academy are celebrating distinctions in their latest examinations. The Tiffany School of Dance took more than 50 pupils for their Royal Academy of Dance ballet examinations, with six attaining over 90 per cent
LANE end refuse collections imposed across Hambleton during the foot-and-mouth crisis are to be lifted today. District council officers have been advised by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) that biosecurity measures are
A NORTH-East university has won a contract for a £95,000 flagship scheme to improve businesses in the region. Douglas Alexander, a Department of Trade and Industry Minister, has announced that Durham University's Barclays Centre for Entrepreneurship will
DARLINGTON'S darling, Zoe Birkett, last night thanked all the people who have helped her get into the last five of ITV's Pop Idol show. The 16-year-old's performance of Abba's Thank You For The Music on Saturday night's show received the highest praise
THE future of a North Yorkshire resort will come under scrutiny at a meeting today to start a regeneration strategy and bring prosperity to the town for the next 30 years. Representatives from major companies, organisations and professional bodies in
PEOPLE could be charged to park outside their homes in areas of Darlington if the council agrees to take action over parking blackspots. Darlington Borough Council's cabinet will decide whether to proceed with residents' parking schemes in two areas of
POLICE are hunting vandals who hurled a missile at the cab of a high-speed passenger train. The driver of the Kings Cross to Glasgow express escaped injury as the toughened windscreen did not shatter. But officials at train operator GNER say the vandals
RAIL users are appealing to Transport Secretary Stephen Byers to intervene over the axing of train service on the MP's doorstep. Passenger watchdog Transport 2000 is furious at the two-week cancellation of trains between Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Sunderland
PLANS to introduce traffic calming in four village streets have won approval despite objections. Durham County Council will install speed cushions and speed humps in Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street. Cushions will be laid in Medway - a bus route -
THE family of a holidaymaker who died in a Greek hospital plan to take their campaign for answers to the country's authorities. Christopher Rochester, 24, of Chester-le-Street, County Durham, died after a balcony fall while visiting his brother in Rhodes
SEASIDE town residents are hoping a crime wave is over. Police, who said Redcar's Ayton Drive was proving a hot spot for walk-in burglaries, visited every house with crime prevention advice. With about 100 homes now fitted with alarms and window and door
THANK you little sister! Matthew Algie is pictured with two-year-old Rebecca, who saved his life. As reported in The Northern Echo on Saturday, the seven-year-old was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of three and underwent years of unsuccessful chemotherapy
YOU could be forgiven for thinking that exaggerating high fashion to the point where it becomes impractical, even unwearable, is a modern phenomenon remember Naomi Campbell's famous catwalk stumble on her enormous platform shoes? But in fact, not much
Graduates in fly-past STUDENT pilots at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, near York, will graduate on Friday. Between 9am and mid-day there will be unusual air activity when several aircraft overfly the unit, in tribute to the efforts of the students in passing the
A recording is being planned to celebrate the first visit of the founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, to Weardale. More than 130 musicians, including two choirs and a silver band, have been lined up to record the compact disc at High House Chapel
Motorists are being urged to drive carefully when changes to traffic signal priorities are introduced in a market town from today. The changes, being made on a trial basis, affect Church Street and Bow Street in Guisborough, east Cleveland. Three-way
GREAT BRITAIN international Dominic Bannister earned a special cheer winning yesterday's re-scheduled Morpeth-Newcastle road race as he crossed the finish line beside the Town Moor wearing black and white stripes. But it wasn't a Newcastle United top
DARLINGTON now look very capable of gaining a sixth promotion in seven years, despite losing four of their first eight games in North Division One. It has taken some of their youngsters a while to adapt, but prop Dan Miller, lock Richard Snowball and
IMPROVEMENTS are to be made at a notorious accident blackspot. Teesside's first fixed position speed camera is to be installed in a conspicuous position at a road junction that has claimed lives and been the scene of many serious injuries over the years
ALMOST a year after he was extradited from Britain, a former Teesside pizza bar manager is still being held without charge in a Swiss prison. Lawyers have filed an application with a judge for the early release from custody of Majid El Hamri who managed
HARTLEPOOL United fans could be forgiven for thinking they weren't watching their team come 3.45pm on Saturday. But an hour later, they were brought back to reality. Pool dominated the first half against Shrewsbury, tearing their fourth-placed visitors
A steward at the centre of a workingmen's club row will learn this week whether he has a future there. Members are furious and bar staff have walked out after Malcolm Jones, steward of Langley Park club, near Durham City, was suspended for breach of contract
FIREFIGHTERS had to cut free a driver after a collision on the A688 road between Bishop Auckland and Middlestone Moor, Spennymoor. Hydraulic equipment was used to free the woman from her Vauxhall Corsa car, after which she was taken by ambulance to Darlington
ANY parent knows that to raise a child is to tackle the toughest obstacle course ever created. It requires hard work, courage, a great deal of luck, and even then no one is guaranteed to emerge unscathed at the finishing line. Prince Charles has had to
POLICE in Sedgefield have vowed to continue to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour following a successful pre-Christmas operation. The annual Operation Bullseye, from November 26 to December 24, was rated one of the biggest successes of its
SWIMMER Christopher Surtees has been given a cash boost to help with a gruelling training schedule. The teenager, from Hunwick, near Crook, has been presented with a cheque for £250 from Crook Rotary Club. Christopher, who has already represented his
NINE months after they were promised fast-track surgery the victims of Richard Neale are still waiting in vain, it was claimed last night. The disgraced surgeon was struck off after leaving large numbers of his former patients in agony after botching
A CULT North-East Mod band has reformed and is recording their latest album. The Threads regularly played capacity shows around UK and Europe in the 1980s, despite receiving little airplay or exposure in the music press. But, with guests artists joining
WHILE Darlington Mowden Park cruised to a 58-5 home win against lowly Whitchurch in National Division Three North, Blaydon almost brought off a shock victory away to leaders Doncaster. They were winning 15-11 with two minutes of normal time left when
FORMER Middlesbrough midfielder Paul Okon has launched a stinging broadside at Riverside chief Steve McClaren. And Okon, who ended his Boro misery when he joined Gianluca Vialli's Watford last week, indicated he has never been treated so badly during
SVEN-GORAN Eriksson left St. James' Park with more questions than answers about his England hopefuls. Under the scrutiny of the inscrutable Swede, Leeds' quartet of Lee Bowyer, Jonathan Woodgate, Alan Smith and Danny Mills did themselves few favours in
Mark Ford made his long-awaited comeback from what he calls "the longest three-match ban in history" on Saturday, but he's desperate to see Craig Liddle and Barry Conlon join him in the starting 11. The trio make up just a handful of several players who've
Elderly driver freed from car An elderly woman was airlifted to hospital after her car overturned on the A689 at Eastgate, Weardale. The woman, who is believed to have been shocked but not injured, was cut free by firefighters after the accident at 11am
Darlington's defeat on Saturday typified just how ironic football can be. Two months ago, a depleted Darlington side, hit by injury and suspension, put themselves on the road to a potential clash with Newcastle with a satisfactory 1-0 win at Kidderminster
THE Kirkby Malzeard Millennium Banner, featuring houses from the village and surrounding area, has gone on show in Ripon. The banner made by local people is getting a special showing at the Fabric Hall shop, in North Street. Residents living in 300 homes
A MOTHER recorded a fairy tale legacy for her two children as she was dying from cancer, so they would never forget the sound of her voice. Sonya Short, refused treatment to save her unborn child, but the breast cancer, diagnosed six years ago while she
SPORTING enthusiasts are to be given better access to information about clubs. Darlington Borough Council's leisure services department has produced a booklet with information on more than 70 clubs in the borough. Copies of the booklet, or information
WHEN Steve McClaren promised to bring entertainment back to Middlesbrough matches nobody would quite have guessed that it would be at his own team's expense. Indeed, after a match which saw Boro comfortably beaten by a Fulham team brimming with ideas,
THE EURO NOW that the President of the European Commission, together with Gus O'Donnell, senior aide to the Treasury, have made it crystal clear that the introduction of the single currency has been a purely political process, can we expect Tony Blair
FAMILIES bursting with pride helped to celebrate the achievements of their loved ones at a ceremony for students with learning difficulties. More than 300 people, some coming from as far away as Haltwhistle and Cramlington, in Northumberland, attended
A HOUSING association is celebrating after receiving an award for the second time in three years. The Durham Three Rivers Housing Group has again won a Chartermark for all its operations. The association was the first in the North-East to receive the
DEDICATED Jennie Tarn has been rewarded after almost 40 years work for the voluntary scene in north Durham. At a ceremony in the town's Civic Centre on Friday, the WRVS volunteer, from Chester-le-Street, was presented with a clasp for her efforts during
TWO nursery nurses impressed their boss when they painted murals for the youngsters in their care. Stan Henry, who runs the Ashfield Nursery and Early Learning Centre, in Low Fell, Gateshead, liked the artwork so much, he asked them to paint murals at
What's hot... GLAMOUR PUSSES: If the TV is anything to go by, little girls will no longer want to be nurses or hairdressers but will instead be dreaming of life as a footballer's wife. The new ITV show Footballers' Wives lifts the lid on the so-called
GATESHEAD Council is looking for a member of the public to help its councillors maintain high standards of conduct. In 1999 the council established a standards committee to ensure that local people had confidence in the way it, and the 66 councillors
Four injured in two-car crash FOUR people were hurt, one of them seriously, when two cars were in collision on the edge of Middlesbrough last night. Firefighters cut two people from the wreckage, one of them, a man, was admitted to hospital with head
VILLAGERS are to be given a rare chance to see a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore in the coming weeks. Lanchester and District Choral and Operatic Society will perform the show in the school hall of St Bede's Comprehensive School, on Wednesday
Bridge repair approval likely PLANS to replace a sub-standard bridge over the East Coast Main Line near Durham look set to win approval. Durham County Council's planning committee will be recommended on Wednesday to grant permission for a new Relley Bridge
THE Professor leading the inquiry into the foot-and-mouth outbreak in Northumbria last night criticised the Government and the Army for refusing to attend. Northumberland County Council is hosting a five-day investigation into the spread of the virus
YOUNGSTERS have moved a step closer to getting their own skateboarding park with an application for a National Lottery grant. A detailed application for a £90,000 skateboard park in Shildon has been submitted to Sport England. If the bid is successful
A MAN who stabbed his girlfriend to death while she lay in bed was jailed for life today. Former Northern Echo electrician Anthony Keith Hilton, 31, of Sparrow Hall Drive, Darlington, admitted killing his fiancee Nicola Gina Impett, 27, between August
METRIC martyrs Steve Thoburn and Neil Herron have donated prize money won for their tireless campaigning to charity. Greengrocer Mr Thoburn and fellow trader Mr Herron won the money when they were crowned Campaigners of the Year at a glittering award
A multi-purpose town centre ranger will be employed in a three-month trial scheme starting in Darlington next month. Darlington Town Centre Management hopes to make the scheme a permanent feature, with the ranger taking on the role of a janitor and information
MONEY can't buy you love, The Beatles sang, but love of the Fab Four can earn you money. Fans of the Liverpool mop tops, who changed the face of popular music in the 1960s, found out just how valuable their teenage memories can be. A company that specialises
A SCHOOL is taking its shirt off to a nine-year-old soccer- mad schoolboy. Rhys Gething, a pupil at Park End Primary, Middlesbrough, scored with the judges of a national competition with his design for a new football strip. Contest sponsor Wash and Go
STRESSED university students are to be taught how to chill out - through meditation. The University of Teesside Students' Union is organising meditation classes this week, in an effort to raise mental health awareness among young people. The classes are
RESIDENTS can take steps to keeping a New Year resolution, by putting on their walking shoes. People living in Middlesbrough are being directed to a fun walk around Lingfield Farm, in Coulby Newham, on Sunday, to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation
UP to three Chinook helicopters will be operating from Teesside Airport for a fortnight later this month. The helicopters will also be making use of RAF Leeming airfield, in North Yorkshire, during their stay, from next Monday to February 1. They will
