PREDICTIONS of a flooding crisis proved unfounded last night, but angry homeowners still warned that the lessons of past disasters had not been learnt. As the majority of flood warnings in place across the region were removed by the Environment Agency
SHOPKEEPER Vera Garrick sent a masked gunman fleeing by pelting him with Rollos. The armed robber levelled a handgun at the pensioner's head and demanded cash. Undaunted, the 70-year-old picked up packs of the sweets and started throwing them at the thug
WORKSHOPS to create a huge wall hanging for Durham Cathedral are being launched. The Discovery Centre, in Bishop Auckland, is working alongside Green Explorers to develop the workshops for young people between eight and 18. Activities included are working
WORKSHOPS to create a huge wall hanging for Durham Cathedral are being launched. The Discovery Centre, in Bishop Auckland, is working alongside Green Explorers to develop the workshops for young people between eight and 18. Activities included are working
A LIVELY diabetic terrier bitch is in need of a loving new home. Lady, a two-year-old border terrier-cross, is in the care of the National Canine Defence League's Darlington Rehoming Centre. The dog is diabetic and would need two simple injections every
THE winners of an adult learning scheme have been presented with their prizes. The Passport to Learning scheme has been running since March last year, and encourages adults across Darlington to take part in a variety of learning opportunities. Each time
TWO escaped prisoners were back behind bars last night after being recaptured by police. A police helicopter was used to track down the fugitives, who had been on the run for four hours after escaping from a working party. The pair, exhausted and soaking
A BIG street party for all residents could be how Ferryhill marks the Queen's golden jubilee this year. Members of the Ferryhill 2000 committee have discussed how the town could take part in the celebrations. One idea had been to establish a fund which
MAGISTRATES told a 29-year-old man who admitted striking fear into a couple that it was time he grew up. The dressing down was given to Ian Blackshaw when he pleaded guilty at Harrogate court to using threatening behaviour which put Jeff Gascoyne in fear
North Yorkshire County Council has defied protests from English Heritage and decided to press ahead with widening an 18th Century Grade II-listed bridge. Creet's Bridge, at Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, has been shut for 15 months following flood damage
Residents and business leaders were breathing a sigh of relief this morning after the threat of serious flooding appeared to have eased. River levels in York were dropping gradually today after the River Ouse hit its peak last night, the Environment Agency
DRUGS officers carried out a major raid yesterday as part of a crackdown on dealers. Police in Middlesbrough carried out the operation as part of the Dealer A Day campaign launched two months ago. The swoops took place on two houses in Deepdale Avenue
As the trial of former Yugoslav dictator Slobodan Milosevic gets underway, Nick Morrison looks at the most important test for international law since the Nuremberg tribunal. BREAKING his impassive mask only to cast the occasional contemptuous glance around
THE prospect of an earlier-than-expected rise in interest rates has become a possibility after official figures out yesterday revealed that inflation soared above forecasts last month. City experts said the Bank of England might need to act soon to dampen
WITHOUT treading over old ground, after two years of slowing economic conditions and disappointing stock markets, it is perhaps no surprise that companies should now be looking to their long-suffering shareholders for assistance. BT began the current
A couple who were sued after they failed to tell a housebuyer of their noisy neighbour said last night they never intended to mislead the new owner. Colin and Gladys King had to pay compensation to Tony Pemberton following a hearing at York County Court
ONE of three east Cleveland schools is to be bulldozed to make way for a city academy. Last September, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council amalgamated the three schools in rural east Cleveland - Warsett in Brotton, de Brus in Skelton and Rosecroft at
A VILLAGE bus shelter has a new lick of paint, thanks to two local councillors. Tony Pelton and Pat Brennan, who represent Catterick with Tunstall ward on Richmondshire District Council, volunteered to kick-start work to improve the look of Catterick
Letters from The Northern Echo EUROPE MURIEL Green (HAS, Feb 7) says we will still be in control of our own laws, taxes and government if we join the euro. She is mistaken. The treaties signed by successive British governments, starting with Edward Heath
NEWCASTLE United last night vowed to stamp out misbehaviour by the club's players after midfielder Jamie McClen dragged the Magpies' name through the dirt. And furious chairman Freddy Shepherd has hit out at rules which restrict the club from fining errant
DRUGS officers carried out a major raid yesterday as part of a crackdown on dealers. Police in Middlesbrough carried out the operation as part of the Dealer A Day campaign launched two months ago. The swoops took place on two houses in Deepdale Avenue
POLICE are planning to open an Aladdin's cave of recovered bicycles at the weekend. In recent months, officers from the Wallsend area command of Northumbria Police have recovered scores of bikes from properties across the area, many of which are believed
A CARDIAC support group's funds are falling short of meeting its financial needs despite growing success. The Take Heart Support Group offers practical help and encouragement to recovering cardiac patients in the Cleveland area and, with income from members
Youngsters from schools and colleges across Redcar and Cleveland spent a wet and windy weekend carrying out training and practice expeditions in the Lake District. The Duke of Edinburgh gold, silver and bronze participants explored the footpaths and bridleways
A FOOTBALL club scheme to teach youngsters about the dangers of drugs has won a £10,000 grant. Members of Northumbria Police Authority have approved the donation to train Sunderland Football Club coaches to deliver Drug Prevention Through Football courses
* Between March 1997 and May 1997, without good and sufficient cause, he failed to investigate an allegation by an inspector that a detective had supplied a controlled drug to a female prisoner * In May 1997, he failed to investigate an allegation by
CHINESE artists and performers have kicked off celebrations for the Chinese Year of the Horse with activities at a North-East tourist attraction. A Cookie Trail has been set up at Newcastle's Life Interactive World, where under-12s can start by having
CAMPAIGNERS pressing for a £25m scheme to upgrade the A1 between Newcastle and Scotland to a dual carriageway have been dealt a blow by Government-appointed transport consultants. They recommend that the cost of converting the whole road, which has claimed
THE driver of a car who ran off after being involved in an accident is being urged to contact police. The incident happened at 7.40pm on Monday, in Collingwood Road, Hartlepool. The collision involved a red Nissan Micra and a blue Rover. The driver of
FORTY-TWO years ago this spring, the wedding of Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones took place just a day or two after that of Miss Shirley Parkinson, spinster of Ormesby parish, and myself. In our honeymoon hotel in the Lake District "my wife
AS obituaries go, Princess Margaret's have been pretty mixed. Well, to be right, some of them have been downright hostile. Whatever happened to not speaking ill of the dead, eh? The princess clearly had her problems and her faults in pretty generous measure
PLODGING up to the oxters in dialectic clarts, recent columns have attempted to refresh a feeling for Geordie patter (or patois, as they say in Darras Hall). From another heavy mail bag, therefore, we are particularly grateful to Richard Jones in Darlington
Ray Mallon was today described as a liar who cost the taxpayer millions of pounds in a desperate bid to suppress the truth. Cleveland Police chief constable Barry Shaw launched an attack on the man credited with bringing zero tolerance policing to Britain
EMERGENCY services have been angered by a hoax call that forced the diversion of a helicopter carrying a patient with a heart problem. A rescue helicopter from RAF Leconfield was on its way to a hospital in Hull, from the Rough gas field in the North
POLICE have repeated calls for pensioners to check callers' identification after two women fell victim to bogus officials. Since the start of the year there have been more than 24 distraction burglaries in County Durham, in which thieves have conned their
WHEN you've gone down a storm at Glastonbury, filled arenas around the world and even proved a hit in the West End, a student bar may seem an odd choice. But last night, the Pet Shop Boys performed at Teesside University as part of a mini tour of student
A RESEARCH project into one of the great mysteries of the sea - giant methane bubbles which can sink ships in seconds - will be the subject of a TV programme on Friday night. Britain's Bermuda Triangle, made with the help of experts from the North-East
THE fate of a controversial sculpture could soon be decided after councillors agreed to consult residents. The Apollo Pavilion, in Peterlee, was created during the 1970s by artist and sculptor Victor Pasmore. It formed part of a development including
CATTLE marts closed during the foot-and-mouth crisis are preparing to reopen for the first time in 12 months. Auctioneers at markets across the region will be opening their doors to farmers following inspections by the Department for Environment, Food
A national sporting event is returning to the North-East this summer and is set to be the biggest and best yet. The Chudleys Classic English Whippet Derby, the major event in the sport's calendar, will be held in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, in June
CHEMICALS company DuPont is to split off its Lycra, nylon and polyester businesses. The division employs about 1,000 staff at Wilton, on Teesside. The move is the next step in the transformation of DuPont, which has also announced plans to streamline
THE pancake bell rang out from a cathedral yesterday - marking the start of a series of races which brought a city to a standstill. Children, soldiers, civic leaders and clergymen took to the streets of Ripon, North Yorkshire, for the Shrove Tuesday pancake
PLODGING up to the oxters in dialectic clarts, recent columns have attempted to refresh a feeling for Geordie patter (or patois, as they say in Darras Hall). From another heavy mail bag, therefore, we are particularly grateful to Richard Jones in Darlington
MIDDLESBROUGH were last night given the green light to open negotiations with Muzzy Izzet over a £6m move to the Riverside. Leicester City have confirmed that both clubs have reached agreement over a price for the player, and Boro have submitted a written
A HOME for disabled children and its staff have been recognised by two awards. Mary Wilebore, a residential social worker at Park House, in Sherburn Village, has been named a national winner in the North-East National Training Awards. The home, which
UP-AND-COMING young Sunderland goalkeeper Michael Ingham, who has received an 11th hour call-up into the Northern Ireland squad for tonight's friendly against Poland in Cyprus, has posted a warning to Austrian teammate Jurgen Macho that he wants the reserve
A NURSE sacked from two nursing homes for misconduct - which included referring to patients as "a big fat lump" and "Winnie the Pooh" - was struck off by a disciplinary committee yesterday. The UK Central Council for Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting's
A SCHOOL has defended the majority of its pupils against accusations that they are intimidating people living nearby. Neighbours of Eastbourne Comprehensive School, in Darlington, say they have contacted the school about the problem, but nothing has been
A CHARITY which provides aid for Lithuanian orphans could be homeless if it does not find somewhere to store supplies. The Humanitarian Aid to Lithuanian Orphans (Halo) charity is appealing for storage space for 200 boxes and as many black bin bags full
RURAL projects affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak have been awarded grants of more than £10,000 by mental health charity Mind. Among those to receive £10,400 grants from Rural Minds, the charity's rural arm, are Upper Teesdale Agricultural
A PUB is giving apprehensive partners extra encouragement by offering a free meal to anyone who pops the question on St Valentine's Day tomorrow. Diners at The Fighting Cocks Bar and Restaurant, in Middleton St George, near Darlington, can enjoy free
RAY Mallon last night threw down the gauntlet to his former boss challenging him to a public debate on the Operation Lancet police corruption inquiry debacle. Mr Mallon resigned from Cleveland Police on Monday after being suspended for more than four
A BLACKMAILER who hatched a bizarre plot involving a Nazi chalice and a boxer dog named Benji is considering legal action to recover the unique treasure. The silver chalice, thought to have belonged to Hitler's henchman Hermann Goering but kept after
BODY Shop co-chairman Anita Roddick will be stepping down after the chain she founded called a halt to takeover talks. The group has been in on-off discussions with a range of potential buyers for about a year, but yesterday it ended the latest round
APPRENTICE Leigh Ann Mylchreest walked into a job when she went to inquire about career opportunities. Advisors at Teesdale Training, in Barnard Castle, were so impressed with the 17-year-old from the town that they found her a placement as a receptionist
A NORTH-EAST MP has held talks with the Foreign Secretary in an attempt to save a British man on Death Row in the US. Former barrister Vera Baird, MP for Redcar, east Cleveland, asked Jack Straw to help save the life of Tracy Housel, who has been waiting
Taster sessions have been organised by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Councils Adult Education Service. Courses available include computing, flower arranging and circle dancing and the sessions will be held in Loftus, Boosbeck, Brotton, Saltburn and Marske
A NORTH-EAST police force last night won a national test case ruling when two top judges stripped a Middlesbrough man of a £1,500 compensation pay-out. Cleveland's chief constable went to the Appeal Court after a judge ruled that Mark McGrogan had been
A CLERGYMAN was committed to Newcastle Crown Court yesterday to stand trial on allegations of sex offences against teenage boys. The Reverend Neville Husband, 64, of the United Reformed Church, is alleged to have carried out the assaults while working
FIVE County Durham primary school headteachers are to go on a fact-finding mission to China. The five, plus a primary education inspector, will spend the Easter break in Chinese schools observing different teaching styles and forging links. Organised
RURAL projects affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak have been awarded grants of more than £10,000 by mental health charity Mind. Among those to receive £10,400 grants from Rural Minds, the charity's rural arm, are Upper Teesdale Agricultural
HOT on the heels of the success of Pop Idol, two record producers have discovered their very own Zoe Birkett, whose voice is being heard in bars and clubs across the North-East. Dance records featuring 17-year-old Laura Thompson, from Sunnybrow, near
IN December Hartlepool United travelled to Bristol Rovers for just 12 minutes of frozen action; last night they made the most of their second chance as they earned their fourth away win of the season. Adam Boyd's first-half volley - his fourth goal in
A senior council leader has described a Government spending formula as "ludicrous" as he explained council tax payers were facing an inflation-busting rise. Councillor Colin Anderson, leader of Sunderland City Council, attacked the Standard Spending Assessment
A £2m project at a top environmental visitor attraction should be ready by Easter, bosses have said. The project to build an indoor eco-centre and hydrophonicum, a giant greenhouse, at Nature's World, in Middlesbrough, has been identified by the Millennium
A MEDIEVAL castle, which has seen an alarming fall in tourist numbers over the past decade, is to get a visitor centre. The 12th Century Helmsley Castle, a Grade I-listed building, is considered by English Heritage to be massively under-used as a tourism
A BRICKlayer was fined £700 yesterday after police found rare birds' eggs in his house. John Penman, 43, of Crook, County Durham, pleaded guilty at Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court to possessing four eggs belonging to the little ringed plover, and six
AS obituaries go, Princess Margaret's have been pretty mixed. Well, to be right, some of them have been downright hostile. Whatever happened to not speaking ill of the dead, eh? The princess clearly had her problems and her faults in pretty generous measure
MORE help is on the way for hard-pressed farming communities in North Yorkshire under a new multi-million pound funding initiative. Remote and isolated areas across the county are set to benefit from a financial package worth £3.4m that will gradually
THE fact large sections of the Feethams crowd left early last night said a lot about Darlington's defeat to Cheltenham, as the Quakers' faint play-off hopes all but disappeared. Darlington couldn't argue with the result - their third home League defeat
A marker stone, welcoming visitors to Hartlepool's Headland, has been unveiled. The 9ft marker, in Northgate, is decorated with Hartlepool's seal on one side and the seal of King John, who granted a charter for town status in 1201, on the other. The stone
A GROUP of volunteers have joined the fight to help older people have more of a voice in a town's affairs. The volunteers will be distributing leaflets and posters to let as many people as possible know about the Growing Older in Darlington strategy being
FORTY-TWO years ago this spring, the wedding of Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones took place just a day or two after that of Miss Shirley Parkinson, spinster of Ormesby parish, and myself. In our honeymoon hotel in the Lake District "my wife
AN engineering company from north Lincolnshire is expanding into Wearside. Balmer Lindley Environmental Engineering Services, of Scunthorpe, has opened premises on the Alexandra Business Park, in Pallion, Sunderland. A total of 15 jobs have been created
TEN budding cricket stars were yesterday treated to a few words of wisdom from former West Indies batsman Alvin Kallicharran. Now a marketing man for Costcutter, Kallicharran was at Durham's Riverside headquarters to help the supermarket group launch
A BUILDING society chief has been suspended following allegations of fraud involving company accounts. Gerald Waterworth, finance director at Scarborough Building Society, is the subject of an investigation "into the use of" £103,000. The cash was held
A FORMER body-building champion and fitness boss told a court yesterday how he feared for his and his sons' lives after a drugs deal went "pear-shaped". Martin Yates-Brown, who owned four Classic World of Fitness gyms in Darlington, Newton Aycliffe, Bishop
concerts are being planned to help music-lovers on the North Yorkshire coast celebrate the Queen's golden jubilee. Evening concerts have been arranged from June 3, at Scarborough Spa, Whitby Pavilion and Filey Concert Hall. There will also be a special
A REGENERATION scheme which has transformed the coal-blackened North-East coastline has been ranked alongside Cornwall's acclaimed Eden Project as a top award winner. Turning the Tide, a project to transform the former east Durham coalfield into a coastal
ANOTHER young Newcastle United footballer has landed himself in hot water with the police over his drunken antics. Jamie McClen's caution for being drunk and disorderly on the Quayside comes a week after Craig Bellamy's caution for assaulting a female
Three of the four suspected cases of measles reported in children in Tyne and Wear were confirmed last night. It was also revealed that the three positive cases in Gateshead and South Tyneside had not had MMR jabs. Doctors at Gateshead and South Tyneside
Darius Vassell celebrated his England debut with a goal as Sven Goran Eriksson's side earned themselves a well-earned draw against Holland on Wednesday night. The Aston Villa striker, winning his first cap along with fellow debutants Wayne Bridge and
Stress-related illness brought on by too many sweeping changes are to blame for high absenteeism at many of the North-East councils, union bosses claimed yesterday. New government figures show that council staff in the region took an average of 11.4 days
