Archive

  • News in brief: Improvements to be unveiled

    THE WRAPS have come off an £800,000 revamp of historic buildings in Hartlepool. The Borough Buildings and adjacent Borough Hall have played an important part in Headland life for more than 100 years, including as a venue for community activities, meetings

  • Football ref to open sports centre

    A FORMER international football referee is to open a new £2.6m sports complex tomorrow. George Courtney MBE, whose career saw him take charge of matches in the 1986 and 1990 World Cup finals, will open Hartlepool's Brierton Community Sports Centre. A

  • Man's miracle escape on rail line

    A NORTH-EAST man who was hit by an express train travelling at 100mph was able to walk away from the accident. John Scouler was exercising his dog when he was struck on the East Coast Main Line. Amazingly, even though he was injured, Mr Scouler was well

  • Schoolgirl believes rocky visitor to be out of this world

    University scientists and the national media are in a frenzy over whether a teenage girl saw a meteorite come crashing to Earth in her street in Northallerton. Siobhan Cowton, 14, has been the centre of attention since she was struck on the foot by a

  • News in brief: Theatre study opportunities

    A FREE, ten-week course in theatre studies will begin at Chester-le-Street community centre on September 18, running every Wednesday from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. It will cover all aspects of theatre from practical work, to studying plays and criticism. It can

  • Cash for small improvements

    FINANCIAL help is on the way for small projects that will play a part in establishing the future of one of North Yorkshire's market towns. A special fund of £30,000 is being set up to support the small projects which, it is hoped, will play an important

  • Change of luck for Aussie Hodge helps Durham claim victory

    BRAD Hodge's determination to shake off his dreadful luck and make his mark with Durham paid off with a match-winning innings at the Riverside yesterday. Proving the value of having a senior batsman at one end, the Victorian shared a stand of 129 with

  • Women dominate drama festival

    DRAMA groups from Richmond and Northallerton are among those taking part in the annual Sedgefield Festival of One Act Plays. There will be seven plays, with Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society presenting Olive and Hilary by Geraldine Aron and The Allerton

  • Marine biologist asks for help with African adventure

    A BUDDING scientist is hoping for help from people from her home county as she plans a field expedition off the coast of Africa next year. Ellie Harrison is newly qualified as a marine biologist after successfully completing a degree course at the University

  • Young and old excel at carnival

    NORTHALLERTON Mayor Jack Dobson has praised young people who helped with last month's charity carnival. Coun Dobson, carnival committee chairman, particularly singled out youngsters from the ATC who volunteered their services in a number of ways. He revealed

  • Mother calls for heroin on prescripton

    The mother of a heroin addict has backed a North-East MP's call for the drug to be made legally available on prescription. Tina Williams, whose 32-year-old son is addicted to the killer drug, agrees with Dari Taylor, MP for Stockton South, that free heroin

  • Dyer pulls out of England squad

    KIERON Dyer was last night withdrawn from the England squad to face Portugal this Saturday after suffering a recurrence of his shin splints problem in Newcastle United's 2-2 draw with Liverpool. Dyer was in pain after the game at Anfield after failing

  • Demolition at hospital site wins approval

    COUNCILlors have given the go-ahead for part of an historic hospital to be demolished, despite strong opposition. Two outbuildings on the site of the former Mount maternity hospital in Northallerton are to be pulled down in a move objectors claim is '

  • Tykes joy is cut short

    After a weekend of wild celebrations, Yorkshire played as if their heads had not quite cleared at Headingley yesterday when they lost by nine wickets to Glamorgan Dragons, who re-established themselves at the top of Division One of the Norwich Union League

  • Borough's future is greener with cleaner energy drive

    A Borough council is switching to "green" electricity to supply its large sites. From October this year, Sedgefield council's offices in Green Lane, Spennymoor, Chilton Depot and the leisure centres at Newton Aycliffe, Spennymoor and Ferryhill and the

  • Parents fear for girl denied place on faith school bus ruling

    PARENTS of a Darlington schoolgirl fear for her safety after council bosses refused to allow her on the school bus, because she is not a Roman Catholic. Victoria MacKenzie, 12, who lives in Lawrence Street, had free school transport to Carmel RC school

  • Shearer strikes to claim unlikely draw

    AFTER an evening in which Newcastle United were outfought and outthought, the most dramatic and unlikely of fightbacks salvaged a point from Anfield. Trailing 2-0 with ten minutes remaining, Newcastle's players were a bedraggled bunch and appeared resigned

  • Last Night's TV: The Tartiest Men In Britain (ITV)

    Meet Britain's tartiest men. Tomo, John and Simon are three mates from Leeds who like to do what "normal" blokes do - go out on the pull, have a few beers, a bit of dancing and a bit of crack with the opposite sex. "That's why God invented boys and girls

  • Dim family to promote sharp safety message

    They may be known as the Dims, but a family of dolls have been giving the life and death task of getting across a vital safety message. Mummy, Daddy and Baby Dim have been enlisted to persuade children to belt up in the back of the car. Countless safety

  • Time of year for Triplemoon to shine

    AUTUMN is traditionally the time when fillies hit top form and Brighton-bound Triplemoon (4.00) is no exception. Triplemoon has taken time to get her act together, but as is so often the case once she was blessed with some much-needed sun on her back,

  • Doctor accused of kerb crawling

    A married village doctor accused of kerb crawling in a town centre red light district appeared in court yesterday. Patrick Holmes, 33, a GP from Middleton Lane, Middleton St George, appeared before Teesside magistrates to answer a charge of soliciting

  • News in brief: Theatre study opportunities

    A FREE, ten-week course in theatre studies will begin at Chester-le-Street community centre on September 18, running every Wednesday from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. It will cover all aspects of theatre from practical work, to studying plays and criticism. It can

  • Farmers live in fear of burglars

    Farmers are "living in fear" of gangs of burglars who are travelling across the region to raid remote country premises, it has been claimed. Thieves have broken into several rural properties in the villages just south of Northallerton, North Yorkshire

  • Quakers left to wait

    Darlington's home game this Friday has been postponed due to international call-ups as opponents Wrexham yesterday lost a third player to the Welsh under-21 side. They already had two players in the squad, and a third - Mark Jones - was called up so the

  • Eatingowt: The Quay question

    Contrary to appearance and to insult, a fair degree of thought precedes the venues where this column sticks its size tens uninvited beneath the table. Like the Great Stupendo, it's a hell of a balancing act. One week the main meal may be relatively expensive

  • Brighter days for steel in the dale

    ONE of the last major employers in a County Durham dale has been taken over. Weardale Steel, of Wolsingham, in Weardale, has built up an international reputation for manufacturing ships' rudders in recent years. Birmingham engineering firm Eastwood Industries

  • Councillor dismayed at state of village

    PARTS of Aiskew have been labelled 'disgusting' by a parish councillor. Coun Bob Pocklington told the parish council last week that the village had so many untidy blackspots that it was 'going down the nick.' Weeds growing out of a wall on Aiskew Bank

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Vehicle examiner, Bishop Auckland, £13,628pa, full time, must have served recognised apprenticeship and hold City and Guilds 1 and 3. Ref: BIS 11635. Driver HGV

  • Villagers help fight blaze

    VILLAGERS rushed to help as fire ripped through a farm barn and surrounding buildings. Eight fire tenders tackled the blaze at Grange Farm, Spaunton, near Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire,where firefighters had to contend with difficulties getting water

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Electrical service technician, Chester-le-Street. 16-24hrs pw, Mon-Sat. Experience essential. Auto electrical experience an advantage. Current driving licence beneficial

  • Comment: Playing for high stakes

    FIREFIGHTERS enjoy the utmost respect from the public they serve. They do a skilled job, often in life-threatening situations. It is fair to say that in a pay dispute they are a profession who could generally expect significant popular support. However

  • Lice advice expands

    A SERVICE offering help and treatment for head lice is being expanded. Since September 1999, all pharmacists in Sunderland have provided the service for people registered with a doctor in the city. It has proved so successful that it is now being made

  • Supervision order for teenager

    A TEENAGER who set fire to his school bus packed with fellow pupils walked free from court yesterday. The 14-year-old held a lighter to a fluorescent light which caused molten plastic to drip onto the upper seats of the Go Ahead Northern double-decker

  • Recognition for hero who saved future mum-in-law

    A MAN who plunged into a burning house to rescue his prospective mother-in-law from an arson attack has been honoured for his bravery. Dave Selby, 30, of Beverley Gardens, Consett, County Durham, has been given a commendation by the Society for the Protection

  • Teenager in court over death of Iranian

    A TEENAGER yesterday appeared in court in connection with the killing of an asylum-seeker in a confrontation on a North-East street. Eighteen-year-old Steven Richard Roberts is accused of the murder of Iranian Peiman Bahmani in an incident in Hendon,

  • Jesters' joy in wages battle

    PLAYERS at the former Newcastle Jesters ice hockey club celebrated yesterday after an industrial tribunal awarded them about £148,000 in unpaid wages. But question marks were raised over whether the cash will ever be paid, and top staff at the club such

  • Stocksbridge slaughter

    Firstly, as you would expect from so well ordered a column, the preliminaries: Stocksbridge Park Steels 17 Oldham Town 1, FA Cup preliminary round, August 31 2002. The tally is by no means a record, though Paul Jackson's ten goals in an FA Cup match equals

  • Gardens draw crowds

    THIS year's Sedgefield Garden Open Day proved so popular that many visitors had problems finding a parking space. More than 300 visitors viewed 11 gardens and ended the afternoon with a cream tea at the home of Sedgefield in Bloom bloom secretary Sue

  • Dream comes true for pop fan Stephanie

    A YOUNG music fan's dream came true yesterday when she won the chance to meet some of the biggest names in pop. Stephanie Thompson, 11, jumped up and down so much when she found out she had won the competition that she broke her toe. The youngster, of

  • Frank display inspires inmates

    THE story of Anne Frank and her fight for freedom is being used to inspire prison inmates. An exhibition outlining the struggle of Anne Frank and her family against the Nazi persecution of the Jewish community in Holland during the Second World War was

  • Soccer star's unavoidable date on pitch - not in court

    ENGLAND and Newcastle United star Kieron Dyer ducked out of a court appearance yesterday - so he could play against Liverpool. The 23-year-old midfielder was expected to appear before magistrates in Grantham, Lincolnshire, to face trial on a speeding

  • Farmer in court over poor records

    A FARMER advised by police to leave his home at the height of the foot-and-mouth outbreak has pleaded guilty to poor record keeping. Maurice Dickeson, from Orchard Farm, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, appeared at Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court yesterday

  • Quartet are world class acts

    FOUR young Taekwondo stars from South Durham have qualified for the world championships in Crete. One of them, Kirsty Lowther, 13, who trains at the Baek Ho school in Butterknowle, is one of the youngest athletes ever to qualify for the junior world championships

  • News in breif: Appeal follows theft of car

    POLICE are appealing for information after a car was stolen from a driveway in Teesdale. The blue Ford Fiesta, registration K548 GWE, was taken in the early hours of Sunday, from Luke Lane, Butterknowle. Anyone with information is asked to contact Barnard

  • Whitbread happy with sales increase

    LEISURE group Whitbread posted an increase in sales after strong showings at its Travel Inn hotels and David Lloyd Leisure health clubs. Travel Inn saw like-for-like sales growth of 6.5 per cent in the 24 weeks to August 17, while David Lloyd shot up

  • Campus shares its third birthday

    A COLLEGE'S satellite campus was celebrating its third birthdaywith a special guest yesterday. Darlington College of Technology marked three years of learning at its Catterick campus by inviting Dylan Morgan-Beattie to celebrate his third birthday with

  • Youngsters get sporting opportunities

    SEDGEFIELD Borough Council is offering coaching courses for youngsters in several sports. Activities include table tennis coaching for under-16s at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre, on Mondays, with former Scottish international Keith Rodgers. For details

  • Gateways hoped to reduce traffic speeds

    AN initiative which aims to cut traffic speeds has been launched in Hartlepool. Special gateway features - a mixture of traffic islands, high-profile speed limit signs and road markings - are to be constructed on five approaches to the town. They are

  • Sculpture takes its place in town

    A CONTROVERSIAL sculpture, branded an "abhorrence" by detractors, is to take pride of place outside a Teesside shopping centre. Councillors yesterday gave conditional approval for the 6m-high, sheet metal depiction of fish - called The Seven Red Plaice

  • Young addict home after swoop

    A heroin addict who walked out on her parents four years ago is back home after police arrested her in a drugs swoop, a court was told yesterday. Dawn Moffatt, 21, was the driver of a car which police were tailing because one of the two male passengers

  • Hear All Sides: Iraq

    F WEALAND (HAS, Aug 22) is actually wrong on a number of matters concerning Saddam Hussein. Firstly, the country with the most weapons of mass destruction is not Iraq, but is, in fact, the US. Iraq has carried out atrocities against the Kurds but each

  • Lord Coe at walking pace for fundraising trek with Richmond MP

    FORMER Conservative leader William Hague and former Olympic champion Lord Seb Coe yesterday gave their physical support to a life-saving walk. They joined a team of ambulance staff for part of a coast-to-coast trek in aid of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance

  • News in brief: Open day for football fans

    HUNDREDS of York City fans took advantage of an opportunity to get a close-up look inside the walls of Bootham Crescent. They poured through the gates when the club held its first open day and had the chance to watch the first team training. Youngsters

  • Quartet are world class acts

    FOUR young Taekwondo stars from South Durham have qualified for the world championships in Crete. One of them, Kirsty Lowther, 13, who trains at the Baek Ho school in Butterknowle, is one of the youngest athletes ever to qualify for the junior world championships

  • Churches on course to boost attendance

    ALMOST 300 churches in the North-East are joining forces in a campaign to encourage people back to religion. Churches are to run Alpha courses this autumn, inviting people to supper parties in churches, homes, halls, pubs and restaurants, to introduce

  • Housing scheme near to Mother Shipton is refused

    It wasn't something that 15th Century prophetess Mother Shipton forecast but her cave in Knaresborough has been spared from new neighbours. Councillors have united in a unanimous vote against an outline planning application to develop 30 holiday cottages

  • Manufacturing bounces back with higher demand

    THE beleaguered manufacturing sector bounced back last month as demand recovered. The monthly report by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) showed that the sector recorded subdued, but solid growth in August. Its index measured 51

  • Quayside still big attraction

    A quayside development on Tyneside is proving to be a big hit with businesses. Firms and investors are flocking to St Peter's Basin, with a chartered surveyor reporting three property transactions in the last month. Naylors clinched the hat-trick of deals

  • Schools contracts will keep firm busy

    CIVIL engineering firm Greenfield has won contracts worth £2m to carry out site preparation and groundwork for two schools. The first contract, awarded by the Durham Diocesan Board of Education, involves three months of earthworks at the £8.7m Venerable

  • Housing market boost for Laing

    SLIMMED-down building group John Laing has returned to profit and says it is confident about prospects following a major overhaul in the past year. Laing now focuses on house building and infrastructure investment following the sale of its loss-making

  • A lot learnt in just three years

    A COLLEGE'S satellite campus celebrated its third birthday yesterday. Darlington College of Technology marked three years of learning at its Catterick campus by inviting Dylan Morgan-Beattie in to celebrate his third birthday by cutting a cake. The Catterick

  • Plea over missing girl of 14

    Fears are growing over a missing 14-year-old girl. Nikki Ross has been missing from the family home in West Denton, Newcastle, since August 25. She is believed to be sleeping rough in the city centre and was described as about 5ft 3in, of slim build,

  • Claim that old tree is a danger

    A decaying tree is posing a danger to houses and to elderly Darlington residents, it has been claimed. John Burdis has applied to the borough council to remove the 11-metre-high horse chestnut tree from Marigold Court. He said large branches were falling

  • Mother gives birth following shock

    A MOTHER went into labour after arriving home to find her kitchen on fire. Beata Wesolowska gave birth to a boy yesterday afternoon after firefighters put out the blaze. Mrs Wesolowska, originally from Poland, returned from a shopping trip with her four

  • Bulldozers move on to brewery site

    DEMOLITION teams have moved in to remove familiar brewery buildings from a city's skyline. New owners Tesco have begun to raze the remaining buildings on the Vaux Breweries site in the centre of Sunderland. The site has stood dormant for more than three

  • Cabbie eviction rumours denied

    THE head of a major taxi company has denied speculation that Darlington's station rank drivers were to be evicted. Rumours had been circulating that national private hire company Taxibank UK, which was awarded the franchise by GNER for the town's railway

  • Trust can deal with chemical incidents

    A LEADING North-East health trust has insisted that it is prepared for anything after a report showed that 90 per cent of hospitals were not equipped for a chemical incident. Researchers who surveyed 227 accident and emergency departments in the UK said

  • Assistance for recycling plan

    EFFORTS to increase waste recycling in the Richmondshire area have been given a boost. The district council has won funding from the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs to employ a new waste management assistant. Based within the

  • Youngsters delight in an early taste of eastern culture

    YOUNGSTERS at a Darlington nursery are spending a month learning about life in China. The project, for the children from Kids and Co in Darlington, includes learning about Chinese food, language and traditions. A Chinese restaurant has been set up in

  • Small is beautiful in town's £30,000 regeneration plan

    FINANCIAL help is on the way for small projects that will play a vital part in helping to establish the future of one of North Yorkshire's market towns. A fund of £30,000 is being set up to support small projects which, it is hoped, will play an important

  • Hunt after 'serious' attack on teenager

    POLICE say a teenager was lucky to avoid serious injury after he was attacked by three youths in daylight. The 18-year-old was head-butted by one of the youths as he sat on his bike outside a chemist's shop in Station Street, Saltburn, on Friday afternoon

  • Fight witnesses sought

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a fight which left a man with severe facial injuries. The man, in his early 30s, was taken to hospital, where he is still being treated, after the attack on Esplanade, Redcar, in the early hours of Saturday morning

  • Garden is a true haven

    A CENTRE for disabled adults boasts a new wheelchair-accessible garden. The green haven at the Westerhope Centre in Newcastle is the first bio-diversity project that Nature's Landscape - Newcastle City Council's social services gardening and landscaping

  • News in brief: Appeal follows theft of car

    POLICE are appealing for information after a car was stolen from a driveway in Teesdale. The blue Ford Fiesta, registration K548 GWE, was taken in the early hours of Sunday, from Luke Lane, Butterknowle. Anyone with information is asked to contact Barnard

  • Platt calls up Piper

    MATT PIPER'S £3.5m move to Sunderland has prompted England Under-21 boss David Platt to call the winger into his squad for the first time. The 20-year-old former Leicester City player is in the party for Friday's friendly against Yugoslavia at Bolton's

  • Investigation launched into mental patient's escape

    AN investigation was being launched last night after a mental patient absconded from a North-East care home and attacked a toddler. Managers at Castlebeck Care, which runs the Hollyhurst nursing home, in Darlington, promised to carry out a full internal

  • Getting shirty could put students in the money

    WHEN Andrew Eastwood embarked on his business management course he didn't expect to be making money quite so soon. The Newcastle University student, 21, who wants to run his own business when he graduates, got the chance to set up a firm with four fellow

  • The Quay question

    Contrary to appearance and to insult, a fair degree of thought precedes the venues where this column sticks its size tens uninvited beneath the table. Like the Great Stupendo, it's a hell of a balancing act. One week the main meal may be relatively expensive

  • McClaren fearing worst from United backlash

    STEVE McCLAREN yesterday insisted that Roy Keane is still the heartbeat of Manchester United - and he would have him at Middlesbrough any day. McClaren, Sir Alex Ferguson's former right-hand man, takes his side to Old Trafford tonight fearing a backlash

  • Drivers angry at clamping tactics

    FED-UP motorists in Stockton say they are sick of ruthless wheel-clampers targeting their cars. In recent weeks numerous drivers have contacted Stockton Borough Council's town centre manager, Geraint Williams, to protest at the heavy-handed way wheel

  • Efforts to keep corncrake safe

    One of Europe's rarest birds has successfully bred in the region for the first time in decades - sparking a scramble to keep them safe. The distinctive mating call of the corncrake was heard by a farmer in the Yorkshire Dales earlier in the summer. And

  • Boro pay the penalty

    Man Utd 1 - 0 Middlesbrough - THE sort of refereeing decision that provides Manchester United's ever-growing army of critics with sufficient ammuntion to last them a season undermined Middlesbrough's attempts to replicate March's win at Old Trafford.

  • End of the road for driving by numbers in New Town

    WASHINGTON New Town was supposed to be "an example to Britain and the rest of the world", according to the developers given the job of building in 15 years what would normally take a century. As the last of the North-East's "New Towns" Washington was

  • Magistrate wins appeal

    A Newcastle magistrate struck off for allegedly threatening to have a pub landlord's licence revoked has won the first round of a High Court bid to clear his name. Gordon Gill launched the legal challenge after being struck off last year. The Lord Chancellor's

  • 'Throw away chain letter'

    TRADING standards officials are warning people not to respond to the latest chain letter being circulated. The letter, which purports to originate in Norfolk, urges the recipient to earn £40,000 in cash by sending a gift of £10 to the top name on a list

  • New team makes the connection

    A NEW service was launched yesterday to help young people plan their futures and deal with the big issues in their lives. Connexions York and North Yorkshire is the Government's new advice and guidance service for all 13 to 19 year olds. Events will be

  • Exercising our Christian duty

    DR Rowan Williams, the man who is to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury, has said that we should not make war on Iraq. This is the same Dr Williams who said that he opposed military retaliation after the September 11 attacks. He says we ought instead

  • 'Sven right to call up Leeds' troubled duo'

    BEFORE we start, let's lay to rest some myths and half-truths. FACT: Lee Bowyer was found not guilty of grevious bodily harm and affray at Hull Crown Court last December. FACT: Jonathan Woodgate, who was convicted of affray but acquitted of the more serious

  • Even wind direction is factor in £11m campus building

    PROJECT management and engineering design consultancy White Young Green is helping to create an £11m landmark building which is likely to become a blueprint for sustainable building design. Newcastle University's Devonshire Building, which will be located

  • Spectre of national strike is looming

    THE prospect of the first national strike by firefighters for 25 years loomed large last night after the collapse of last-ditch pay talks. Leaders of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said they would be discussing calling a ballot for strikes after a 90-minute

  • Progress report on leisure complex

    Sports will come under the spotlight at a meeting of Richmondshire district council's community committee next Tuesday. Representatives from the Ministry of Defence give a presentation about the work so far on a new sports and leisure complex at Catterick

  • Blair calls for real change following summit

    Prime Minister Tony Blair wants to see genuine changes following the decisions made at the Earth Summit in South Africa. At a press conference in Sedgefield he said that decisions at the summit in Johannesburg must be translated into "genuine change on

  • A66 road upgrade plan is criticised

    A QUICKER, cheaper and cleaner solution to road safety problems on the A66 trans-Pennine route could have been found, environmentalists have said. Transport 2000, which campaigns to reduce the environmental impact of road traffic, claims the £140m scheme

  • New initiatives from Richmond YMCA

    Richmond YMCA launches a community shop and weekly lottery on Thursday, when town mayor Stuart Parsons is on hand to perform the ceremony. The shop will raise money for the organisations work in the town, particularly the development of a skateboard park

  • Nursery gets decision

    THE owners of a Northallerton nursery are celebrating after finally finding a new home. Looby Lou's has been told it can move to bigger premises in the town to cater for its growing business. A scheme to build a new facility at Finkills Way - part of

  • Man finds cure after 40 years of fainting

    A man who for 40 years was plagued by fainting fits whenever he was woken by the door bell or his alarm clock has finally found a cure for the problem. Allan Todd, 63, saw more than 20 doctors, none of whom could find the cause of the blackouts. At their

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Factory operative, Northallerton. £4.20ph plus shift pay on second week. 40hrs pw shifts days and nights. No experience required as training given. Ref: NOE 17231

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Cleaner, Yarm. £7,000pa, 30hrs pw, 6am to noon, Mon-Fri. Required for showroom offices to do general cleaning. Ref: STC 34472. Market research interview, Stockton

  • Skateboarders and bikers test theirs skills at new park

    YOUNG skate board enthusiasts finally put their own track through its paces yesterday. Months of planning came to fruition as the Chester-le-Street Skate Park was christened by skateboarders - plus BMX bikers and in-line skaters. The facility has been

  • Pub landlady fined for 'offensive' scarf

    A JUDGE has ordered the landlady of a pub favoured by Newcastle United fans to destroy a scarf - after deciding it was offensive to supporters of arch-rivals Sunderland. But last night Yvonne Mann won an unexpected ally among Wearside fans. Peter Daykin

  • Pensioners are still a ground force to be reckoned with

    GARDENING pensioners have one of the best views in the North thanks to their own hard work. Gardens at Runnymede Court, in Bishop Auckland, were voted runner-up in a best garden award scheme run by the Hanover Housing Association. Flowerbeds around the

  • No more email snubs after manhole query

    PROCEDURES on replying to highway complaints have been changed following an inquiry about a Chilton manhole cover. Peter Crawforth of the Chilton West Residents Association said he emailed Durham County Council's highways action line three times about

  • Conversion is on cue

    A FORMER museum which has been empty for several years may finally be reopened as a snooker club. Plans have been submitted to transform the former Museum Of Automata, in Tower Street, York, into a members-only snooker club. Officials are recommending

  • Less means so much to Kate

    WHEN Kate Colvin saw a photograph of herself and her sister at her 29th birthday party she knew she had to do something about her weight. At 18 stone 11lb and a size 26 she said she could not face being "30 and fat". Two years later, she is a shadow of

  • Man is killed in hit-and-run

    ONE man was killed and another seriously injured in a hit-and-run incident yesterday. It happened as the pair were travelling east from Chester Street to Chester Street East, Sunderland, in a Vauxhall Cavalier, at about 2.20am. When they reached the junction

  • Court hears how goading led to attack

    A STABLE lad with a nervous tic who stabbed his tormentor walked free from a court yesterday. James Roberts, 18, knifed Christopher Chambers, 19, in the hand and leg after a drinking session in Middleham, North Yorkshire. Roberts was using the knife to

  • Rape claim woman will not be prosecuted

    A NORTH-EAST woman who falsely claimed that she had been raped will not face prosecution. The 21-year-old told police that she had been held down by one man and assaulted by another in an alley in Askrigg Street, Darlington, after a night out in May.

  • Oh brother, it's Jonny the genie

    UNTIL a few weeks ago fireman Jonny Regan might have been in line for strike action. Instead he is preparing for pantomime and breathing flames about the show that made him famous, Big Brother III. Having been cast as Genie of the lamp for Aladdin at

  • Rail firm asks its customers to 'adopt a station'

    FRUSTRATED rail passengers often claim that their complaints are not taken seriously by train companies and that they could do the job much better. Now they are being given the chance to put things right by one which has suffered from more than its fair

  • Auctioneer's chance find of Cook letter to Admiralty

    A LETTER written by North-East explorer Captain James Cook informing the Admiralty of his safe return from his first epic voyage has been found after more than 200 years. The missive, written after his voyage to Australia on the Endeavour, was found stuck

  • Nursery may expand

    A NURSERY'S new baby unit is proving so popular that it might have to expand. The recently-opened £300,000 unit at the £500,000 Ashfield Nursery and Early Learning Centre, in Gateshead, is in such demand that a reserve overflow amenity may have to be

  • Weekend of fun aids hospice

    A CHARITY was overwhelmed by the support it received at a bank holiday event that raised more than £4,000. The Butterwick Hospice, at Bishop Auckland, held activities throughout the August Bank Holiday weekend to raise its profile and funds. Thickley

  • Plan blossoms for joint effort

    VILLAGERS who are forming a committee to help ensure Fishburn puts on a good show for the Northumbria in Bloom competition next year, want residents of all ages to become involved. The competition is co-ordinated by the Royal Horticultural Society and

  • News in brief: Police plea to find woman

    POLICE are appealing to a 26-year-old woman who has gone missing from home to get in touch. Bernadette Ryan, of Crescent Road, Middlesbrough, was last seen leaving her sister's house in the town at about 10pm on Friday. A Cleveland Police spokeswoman

  • Surviving on a wing and a prayer

    Sleeping on the moors in a round-the-clock guard is a sign of the devotion of the area's bird enthusiasts. John Dean meets two men fighting to proctect Northern England's most endangered birds - the hen harriers. THE birds emerge without warning, gliding

  • The summit of sound and fury

    Leaders at the World Summit on Sustainable Development are making plenty of noise about reducing pollution and feeding the hungry, but how much is just hot air? John Dean reports Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour

  • Model behaviour is just the ticket for Lucy and Matthew

    A young couple are hoping to launch careers in modelling after winning a competition. They talk to Women's Editor Christen Pears. LUCY Osborne and Matthew Wharton make a striking couple. In fact, they're the sort of couple who would make you look twice

  • News in brief: Improvements to be unveiled

    THE WRAPS have come off an £800,000 revamp of historic buildings in Hartlepool. The Borough Buildings and adjacent Borough Hall have played an important part in Headland life for more than 100 years, including as a venue for community activities, meetings

  • Police in stance over double jeopardy

    CLEVELAND Police have declined to follow Scotland Yard's lead and guarantee to reopen cases affected by changes to the double jeopardy rule. It could mean North-East self-confessed killer Billy Dunlop might not face retrial over the murder of pizza delivery

  • Detective cleared of indecent assault

    A SENIOR detective was yesterday cleared of indecently assaulting a woman during a pub night out. Detective Inspector Steve Richards, 41, of Cleveland Police, was accused of pinching a woman's bottom at the pub in Redcar last December. He was formally

  • Missing dog found after town-wide search

    A DOG which caused a town-wide search when it bolted during thunderstorms a month ago, has been reunited with its owner. Jan Mazurk put posters up all over Darlington appealing for information about her black collie cross, Jazz, last month. Drivers from

  • Campaign for animal rescue centre relaunched

    ANIMAL lovers have re-launched a campaign to build a £250,000 all-purpose animal rescue centre. The Cleveland activists say the sanctuary is essential with dog-lovers, such as Sue Sleightholm, stretched to breaking point fostering strays like Collie-cross

  • Support group hails donation

    AN appeal to provide aromatherapy sessions for cancer patients at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton has been given a £600 boost. The money has been donated by the Northallerton Breast Cancer Support Group in memory of Joan Milburn, a former teacher

  • Winner Evelyn gets chance to top up her tan

    SUNLOVER Evelyn Pinkine can top up her already impressive tan after winning a round-the-world trip. The 22-year-old graduate, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, won the air ticket after entering a competition that celebrated women who love holidays. Veteran