Archive

  • Charitable soldiers

    CHILDREN at a Darlington school celebrated the harvest festival by collecting hundreds of food tins for the Salvation Army. Pupils at Red Hall Primary School, in Headingley Crescent, Darlington, brought tinned and fresh fruit and vegetables from their

  • Harley-Davidson fans back care unit appeal

    FANS of one of the world's most famous motorcycle marques have helped to boost a North-East hospice's fundraising appeal. The regional group of the Harley-Davidson Club of Great Britain donated £225 to St Teresa's Hospice, in Darlington. The money was

  • Protest meeting to debate plans for new junior school

    HUNDREDS of parents and residents are expected to voice concern about plans for a £2.9m school in Darlington at a public meeting tonight. The meeting is being held to discuss the possible relocation of Alderman Leach Primary School to a site in the West

  • Cricket lessons

    A SIX-WEEK cricket coaching course for girls and boys under 11 years old starts at Carmel School sports hall, in Darlington, on Friday. Sessions take place from 5pm to 7pm each Friday and the cost is £2 per week. For further information and to book places

  • Charity success

    THE Stanley branch of Cancer Research UK has raised about £4,000 during a sponsored walk by more than 100 people on the Derwent Walk. Abbey Well Water provided drinks. A further £2,300 was raised during Stanley Fun Day. A race night will be held at the

  • News in brief: Thieves raid showroom

    A NEW police car awaiting delivery was among several vehicles damaged in a "mindless and reckless" raid by thieves on a showroom. North-Eastern Motors, at Lemington, Newcastle, was entered after thieves rammed a fence in the early hours of Saturday. Eight

  • Beach survey winners dine with celebrity

    TWO competition winners dined with a celebrity after completing beach litter surveys. Television impressionist Alistair McGowan asked people to submit their own studies as part of a national beach litter survey led by the Environment Agency. Of the North-East

  • So who is the greatest?

    As part of the BBC's Great Briton debate, anyone wanting to pick their favourite Briton of all time can vote online at Stockton library. The ten-programme series, which started on Sunday night, will reveal the top ten nominations from a list which includes

  • News in brief: Firefighters tackle blaze

    A SHOP was badly damaged by fire at about 7am yesterday in Milton Street, Saltburn. Four engines attended the fire but 50 per cent of the basement was damaged and other parts of the building suffered significant smoke damage. SCHOOL REUNION: To mark the

  • Scheme builds a route to work

    A NEW way back to work has opened to help unemployed people in Hartlepool. Called Work Route, it helps jobless people to gain the experience and qualifications they need to become self-employed in the construction industry. It is a partnership between

  • Cameras are fitted to fire engines

    FIRE engines are being fitted with cameras in a bid to tackle arson, hoax calls, and attacks on firefighters. Under an innovative new partnership between Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade and South Tyneside Council, closed-circuit cameras are being fitted to

  • Hear All Sides: Middle East

    I WAS glad to see that your editorial (Echo, Oct 15) recognised the link between international terrorism and the Palestinian problem. UN pressure, including at least an arms embargo, must be put on the Israelis to withdraw from the occupied territories

  • Students targeted in democracy campaign

    A CAMPAIGN is under way to raise young people's awareness about democracy and encourage them to vote. As part of Local Democracy Week, council chiefs in the Hambleton district are targeting sixth-formers by sending each of them a special pack. They are

  • Households encouraged to go green

    MORE households in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire are being encouraged to think green. Three more mini-recycling sites have been set up in the district, in Morton-on-Swale, Thrintoft and Allanbrooke Barracks. The five banks at each centre can

  • Tree-mendous food day effort

    YOUNGSTERS from a North Yorkshire primary school marked World Food Day by raising money for the hungry. Children at Barton CE school learned that 25p would provide enough rice to provide for a family for a day, so they decided to sell leaves for a Giving

  • 5 - star Tranmere end Pool's LDV Van's hopes

    HARTLEPOOL United were tonight blown out of the LDV Vans Trophy by Second Division Tranmere Rovers. A Pool team - which was more like a reserves side - were never able to come to terms with Rovers and were defeated for the second time this season by the

  • Sniffing out a perfectly pleasant lunch

    WERE the bairns still at home, they'd be crying for their daddy. Last week's evenings overflowed from Monday to Saturday - never off the roads, as they used to say in Shildon of Geordie Ellis's horse. Today's column is largely about lunch. We broke off

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Assistant manager, Northallerton. £5.00ph, 40hpw, 5/7 days. Previous retail experience preferred. Driving licence essential. Ref: NOE17586. Tractor driver/pig person, Thirsk. £220pw plus overtime, 39hpw, tba. Experience preferred. Duties involve tractor

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Assistant manager/ess, Peterlee. £4.20hp, 40hpw, 5/7 days, 10am-10pm, Must be 18-plus. Ref: PEV19060. Care NVQ trainer, North East. Exceeds NMW. 9am-5pm, Mon-Fri, 35hpw. Must have minimum NVQ 3 in care and be willing to undertake D unit training. Ref:

  • Bacon market slump forces switch to 'farming tourists'

    A SLUMP in the bacon market has forced one of the few remaining pig farms in Teesdale to switch to the tourism industry to remain viable. The family-run Thorpe Farm, at Greta Bridge, near Barnard Castle, has been hit hard by competition from cheap continental

  • Folk gather to perform rare music manuscripts

    FOR almost 200 years, the notes of George Sanders' musical manuscript lay buried beneath the plaster of a wall - until rediscovered by a builder in the 1970s. And now the jolly cadences of one of his tunes, The New Road to Rothbury, have been brought

  • Let your troubles float away

    Floatation therapy can be a wonderful way to escape the stresses and strains of everytday life, as Women's Editor Christen Pears finds out. I'M floating in a tank of water, completely enclosed. After ten minutes, the music fades out, and I'm left in silence

  • North-East Jaws

    Prawn fishermen caught more than they bargained for when they landed a 21-stone shark in their nets. The trawlermen could not believe their eyes when they found the 8ft-long Porbeagle shark thrashing amongst their catch. The beast, a cousin to the man-eating

  • Meeting to hear station proposals

    ONE of the four bidders hoping for permission to rejuvenate Richmond's former railway station has broken cover to confirm details of a proposal for the historic building. Richmondshire District Council has called a public meeting at the Town Hall tomorrow

  • Boro contract talks frustrated Mustoe

    ROBBIE MUSTOE last night revealed the frustration he felt when Middlesbrough refused to budge during contract negotiations. The veteran midfielder ended 12 years at the Teesside club when his deal expired at the end of last season. And Mustoe, who was

  • Company unveils waste tip proposal

    A WASTE disposal firm has released more information about its bid to move onto an industrial estate on the edge of the A1. Firms in Brompton-on-Swale are worried that having Yorwaste as a neighbour could have an impact on their own trade. But Yorwaste

  • PC 'used police Land Rover' to move home

    POLICE chiefs last night confirmed they had launched an inquiry into claims that a constable used a police Land Rover to move home. Durham's Professional Standards Department is conducting the investigation. It has been claimed that the officer, who has

  • Last Night's TV: Dead Gorgeous (ITV)

    Chance meeting which leads to deadly deeds. Programme makers are becoming increasingly desperate to disguise the fact that the series may be different but it's the same actors turning up time after time. Some even give the same performance no matter what

  • Wife's tribute to hospice's service

    A WEEK before Rob Niven was diagnosed with inoperable cancer he was training for a triathlon. He cycled from his village home in Ingleton to Darlington, swam 40 lengths and cycled back. The next day he complained of feeling tired, and when his wife Meg

  • Taylor to hand Keltie his debut

    Under-fire Tommy Taylor is set to hand Clark Keltie his full debut when Darlington travel to Stockport County in the LDV Vans Trophy first round tonight. The 19-year-old has spent most of his time in the reserves since joining the club from local amateur

  • Self-storage idea opens door to new career after job loss

    EAN Parsons has found the key to success with his innovative self-storage business, U Hold The Key, which is now set to expand rapidly across the North-East. Mr Parsons started Parsons Containers on the Sedgefield Industrial Estate in County Durham when

  • The pulling power of the no-frills airlines

    EasyJet's announcement that it plans to fly from Newcastle marked a further growth in a burgeoning industry once greeted with disdain by sceptics. When they first took to the air many shunned cheap airlines as a second rate service, but now airports are

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Kitchen appliance installer, Stockton. £10ph, 40hpw, Mon-Fri. Must be ACOPS-registered or CCN equivalent. Must have previous experience from kitchen fitting background. Ref: STL35304. Route leader, Stockton. £4.50-plus ph, 25-35hpw, 8.30am-5.30pm, Mon-Fri

  • Museum would be a boost, says study

    ABOUT 1,500 people would directly benefit from the ambitious scheme to create a northern outpost of the National Army Museum, a new report claims. An economic impact study into the £19m proposal shows it would have major positive knock-on effects for

  • War legacy that reunited family of a soldier hero

    THE yellowing letters and creased photographs were the only tangible reminder of Richard William Jones - who died following a gas attack on the Western Front 85 years ago this month. But these treasured mementoes, and the determination of his nephew to

  • Officer helping to heal the wounds of Falklands war

    TWENTY years ago they were deadly enemies. Yesterday, the British and Argentinian armed forces embraced each other like long-lost friends. Lieutenant Caesar Amadeo Fragni - a member of the elite Argentine parachute regiment - became the first officer

  • Dot makes last patrol

    FOR nearly two decades, come rain, wind or shine, Dot Lazell has ensured the safety of literally thousands of children. Day in and day out she's made sure that youngsters in the Bedale area get to and from school without harm. And last week the youngsters

  • Teenager's attacker jailed for three years

    A 26-YEAR-old drug addict who mugged a teenager for his mobile phone, was jailed for three years yesterday. Craig Embleton, of Netherfields, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to robbery when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court. Prosecuting, Michael O'Neill

  • Emergency call

    TEAMS of firefighters from across the Cleveland area were called out to deal with nine drums which contained an as yet unidentified oily substance. The emergency services were called to the allotments, at the rear of Hutton Grove, at Dormanstown, Redcar

  • New seats unveiled

    YOUNG volunteers have unveiled their latest project in their drive to change the face of a Bishop Auckland estate. Four new navy blue seats at Henknowle have been designed by Millennium Volunteers with the help of Groundwork West Durham and Wear Valley

  • Comment: A case of genuine need

    THE case for the North-East to be fed a bigger slice of the government cake has long been argued by The Northern Echo. In doing so, we are acutely aware of the danger that those backing such a call are branded - in the famous words of Margaret Thatcher

  • Further charges dropped against ex-pig farmer

    FURTHER charges against a pig farmer believed to be at the centre of last year's foot-and-mouth outbreak have been dropped because they were not in the public interest, a court heard yesterday. Bobby Waugh, 57, of St Luke's Road, Pallion, Sunderland,

  • Fugitive guinea pig samples life as a goldfish

    ALEX the runaway guinea pig had a taste of life as a goldfish after making a dash for freedom. Wilma Campbell, of Lychgate, Hurworth, near Darlington, got more than she bargained for when she went to hang her washing on the line and discovered the animal

  • Village hall books high-profile American band

    FANS of blues and soul music are being encouraged to attend a performance by a high-profile band next month. Mickleton R'n'B Club, in Teesdale, has scored a coup by booking American group the Marcus Malone Band. The group will travel straight from a recording

  • Horrible Halloween roadshow

    CHILDREN'S author Terry Deary is coming out of temporary retirement to stage one of his popular roadshows. The County Durham writer, famed for his Horrible Histories, quit live performances but will tread the boards on Saturday to ensure the Horrible

  • Heads above the rest for ale

    TWO of the county's pubs are celebrating a double award this month for their first rate ale. Real ale campaigners in the Richmond area have voted the Nag's Head, in Pickhill, near Thirsk, as their Pub of the Season, for autumn 2002. The award, from Camra

  • Pig farm switches to 'tourist farming'

    A SLUMP in the bacon market has forced one of the few remaining pig farms in Teesdale to switch to the tourism industry to remain viable. The family-run Thorpe Farm, at Greta Bridge, near Barnard Castle, has been hit hard by competition from cheap continental

  • Cannabis found at the home of recluse

    POLICE who broke into a man's home found 31 cannabis plants in various stages of growth. Teesside Crown Court heard how Mark Lockwood, 22, had become a user of the drug, living as a recluse, after a three-year-relationship with his girlfriend ended. Lockwood

  • Bird charity praises pub for corking effort

    A PUB and its customers have won a charity's praise after collecting more than 1,000 corks for a campaign. The RSPB asked people to collect wine corks to make a huge eagle symbolising the plight of rare birds threatened by the decline of Portuguese cork

  • Territorial Army marksmen strike gold

    TERRITORIAL Army soldiers have won a gold medal at a major shooting competition. The Newton Aycliffe soldiers from 102 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (Volunteers) struck gold at the Bisley Combat Pistol Championships. It was the third

  • Turbines could 'completely dominate' the landscape

    AN MP is backing residents in their fight to block plans for giant wind turbines. Durham City MP Gerry Steinberg has contacted Durham City Council urging it to reject plans for two, 78m turbines at Old Quarrington. The company behind the plans, Eco Energy

  • Passenger dies after car hits pole

    ONE man died and another was seriously injured when their car left the road and smashed into a telegraph pole yesterday. The accident happened shortly after 1.30pm on the B1257 at Newgate Bank, about four miles north of Helmsley, North Yorkshire. Three

  • Would you take money for a life?

    Every year 1,000 patients die on Britain's waiting lists for want of a transplant. Now the Department of Health is thinking the unthinkable: paying relatives to become donors. But is this a step too far? Health Correspondent Barry Nelson reports. THE

  • Korean heroes return

    THE streets of a North-East town have been decked with banners to greet a football team which won a heroic victory in the local football ground. Seven surviving members of the North Korean team who famously knocked favourites Italy out of the 1966 World

  • Fugitive guinea pig samples life as a goldfish

    ALEX the runaway guinea pig had a taste of life as a goldfish after making a dash for freedom. Wilma Campbell, of Lychgate, Hurworth, near Darlington, got more than she bargained for when she went to hang her washing on the line and discovered the animal

  • Pub chain recalls a town's engineering past

    DRINKERS can hark back to a town's heavy engineering past while sampling the wide range of beers on offer at a new watering hole. National pub operator JD Wetherspoon signalled its increasing presence in the North-East with the launch of its latest outlet

  • Village hall books high-profile American band

    FANS of blues and soul music are being encouraged to attend a performance by a high-profile band next month. Mickleton R'n'B Club, in Teesdale, has scored a coup by booking American group the Marcus Malone Band. The group will travel straight from a recording

  • News in brief: Hunt for sex attacker

    POLICE have issued a detailed description of a man wanted for an indecent assault on a woman. The 24-year-old victim was attacked near the Marks and Spencer store in Cumberland Street, Sunderland, early on Monday, May 6. Her assailant was described as

  • Bank staff's investment

    BANK staff are swapping their computers for spades and wheelbarrows to plant bulbs in Ferryhill Station. A public footpath has been allocated funds through Barclays Sitesavers, a major national environmental regeneration programme funded by Barclays and

  • Experts unmask ancient secrets

    ITS past may be shrouded by mystery and time - but at least the future of a 2,000-year-old relic from ancient Egypt has finally been assured for good. A mask that two millennia ago adorned the head of an Egyptian mummy has been painstakingly conserved

  • Rejected sponsor offered a better deal, says councillor

    A £12M school for children in east Cleveland looks likely to be in one of the area's smallest towns. However, opposition councillors have criticised the plan for the new school arguing the district's youngsters could have had a better college if a deal

  • Modern new home for bishop

    THE Bishop of Jarrow and his wife are settling into a new home after it was blessed in a special ceremony. The new Bishop's House, at Harlow Green, on the outskirts of Gateshead, has been built as a permanent residence for the bishops of Jarrow. Its present

  • Crash victim identified as Dutch tourist

    A WOMAN killed in an accident in County Durham was a Dutch tourist, police revealed yesterday. Marijke de Ridder, 54, from Vlaaringen, Holland, was a front seat passenger in a Peugeot car which was in a collision with an articulated lorry outside Durham

  • Best foot forward

    YOUNGSTERS taking part in a half-term course have been learning new football skills. The courses, which began yesterday, are run by Middlesbrough's Football in the Community scheme, and give budding stars an introduction to the sport. Also, the winners

  • Report on community wardens

    COUNCILLORS will meet later this week to hear how successful the community wardens in Hartlepool have been. The wardens started patrolling three areas of the town, Owton, Dyke House and Brinkburn, in January. The aim of the community warden scheme is

  • Dedicated insurance call centre puts staff in driving seat

    AN extra 45 jobs are being created by Axa in Darlington following the launch of a dedicated call centre within their Beaumont Street office to take calls for RAC Insure - the new brand name for RAC motor insurance. To mark the opening at the centre -

  • Recognition for building site bosses

    SIX building site managers in the North-East have won major awards. The National House Building Council (NHBC) pride in the job awards have granted seal of excellence awards to several site managers from Teesside and North Yorkshire. The winner of a regional

  • Research cites fears for house sparrow

    RESEARCH, some conducted in the North, has highlighted the perilous position of the house sparrow. National figures show that the population has fallen from 12 million pairs in the 1970s to no more than seven million today. But the research, by the British

  • Homes scheme leads to protests

    VILLAGERS took to the streets yesterday in protest at plans for a major housing development in the heart of their community. Residents of Romanby, near Northallerton, are furious at revised proposals that could see nearly 100 new homes built on the site

  • Restaurant chain ready for the city

    AN award-winning restaurant chain is preparing to open its latest branch. The Oldfields group, which has restaurants in Barnard Castle and Darlington, will launch its latest at Claypath, Durham City, on December 2. It will be a split-level building featuring

  • Supermac steps in for charity event

    A FUNDRAISING night for a cot death charity looks set to be a sell-out. And 1970s Newcastle United legend Malcolm MacDonald will be putting in an appearance. The event will be held onWednesday in Witton Gilbert Workingmen's Club, at 7pm, to raise money

  • A real diet for real women

    For many people dieting means deprivation and suffering but it doesn't have to be that way. Women's Editor Christen Pears finds out about the real diet for real women by real women. WHEN four Darlington slimming consultants realised they were putting

  • Entertainment: 'My true wish is to do less musical theatre'

    Actor Alasdair Harvey's latest part as the cowboy who tames Calamity Jane was no worry for him - he was just relieved he didn't have to sing, despite a long career starring in musicals. AS someone who was awarded an Andrew Lloyd Webber Scholarship, it's

  • Sure Start programme launched

    CHILDREN living in Shildon and Newton Aycliffe's west ward are to benefit from a Sure Start programme. The initiative will support the physical, intellectual and emotional development of young children by working with parents, parents-to-be and carers

  • College caretaker 'raped children'

    A COLLEGE caretaker stood accused yesterday of drugging children with chloroform and raping them while they were unconscious. Two alleged victims of John James Sanderson told police that he sexually abused them for years, until they were adults. The abuse

  • Strike fears allayed

    ARRIVA has attempted to allay rail union fears over safety ahead of a national firefighters strike. The RMT has said it may instruct its members to stay away from work unless they receive guarantees over the level of cover on strike days. The union has

  • Initiative to tackle drug issues

    A SIX-WEEK programme for young people focusing on drug awareness and anti-social behaviour is to start in Darlington. The scheme will be based at the POD in North Park, which opened earlier this year. POD is a mobile unit that provides a safe environment

  • 'Illegal' wires are killing pigeons

    AN ANIMAL welfare worker is considering taking legal action against those responsible for trapping and killing pigeons in a town centre. Ray Mackinlay, of the National Animal Sanctuary Support League (NASSL), has condemned the measure as an act of cruelty

  • Thieves take sick child's jewellery box

    HEARTLESS thieves have stolen a jewellery box belonging to a sick child. The family of five-year-old Shelly Dodds are trying to raise enough money to build a sensory room for her. But the family home in Dean Road, Ferryhill, County Durham, was burgled

  • Famous stairs need repair work

    THE cost of restoring the famous 199 Church Stairs at Whitby has been put at £150,000. The stone steps, which link Whitby's harbourside with the 850-year-old cliff top parish church of St Mary's and Whitby Abbey, have become so worn through hundreds of

  • Exhibition of works by Renoir and Monet

    ONE of the largest groups of French Impressionist paintings to come to the North-East will feature as part of an exhibition next month. The Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, has secured works from artists such as Renoir, Monet, Pissarro

  • Bishop licenses Trust chaplain

    THE chaplain at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust has been officially welcomed with a licensing service. The Bishop of Jarrow, the Right Reverend John Pritchard, led the ceremony yesterday to officially sanction the Reverend Lynn Purvis to work within

  • Fans kick up a stink over soccer club's nickname

    FOOTBALL chiefs who launched a promotion which asked supporters to come up with a nickname for their club were shocked when fans suggested the Sulphurites. The name has been given the cold-shoulder by Harrogate Town club historian and supporters' club

  • News in brief: Thieves raid showroom

    A NEW police car awaiting delivery was among several vehicles damaged in a "mindless and reckless" raid by thieves on a showroom. North-Eastern Motors, at Lemington, Newcastle, was entered after thieves rammed a fence in the early hours of Saturday. Eight

  • News in brief: Thieves raid showroom

    A NEW police car awaiting delivery was among several vehicles damaged in a "mindless and reckless" raid by thieves on a showroom. North-Eastern Motors, at Lemington, Newcastle, was entered after thieves rammed a fence in the early hours of Saturday. Eight

  • Time running out for anti-crime grants

    MONEY is available to groups and organisations in the Owton Rossmere and Seaton Grange areas of Hartlepool to support small community safety and crime prevention schemes. Grants of up to £2,500 are available from the Tackling Crime Together Project, which

  • 10,000 vow to 'vote for life'

    THOUSANDS more people in North Yorkshire have pledged to "vote for life" by agreeing to join the NHS Organ Donor Register. Hambleton District Council joined forces with UK Transplant, the national health authority supporting transplants, in a bid to get

  • Youngster shortlisted for photograph award

    A YOUNGSTER from the North-East has been shortlisted for a prize in the RSPCA young photographer awards 2002. The picture by Amy Cumming, aged 16, from Stockton, will be unveiled at an awards ceremony on Thursday, December 12, in the Grosvenor House Hotel

  • News in brief: Cash boost for healthy walking

    A NEW initiative promoting the health benefits of a brisk stroll, and providing new opportunities to walk in York, was launched yesterday. The primary care trust, Age Concern and the local council have teamed up to launch the £20,000 Walking the Way to

  • From Etherley flop to Test all-rounder

    Just three years after barely stirring the flags in the Durham County League, Gareth Breese made his Test debut for the West Indies last week. Breese, born in Montego Bay in 1976, was professional in 1999 for the village team at Etherley, near Bishop

  • Bramble out to prove cynics wrong

    TITUS BRAMBLE last night warned his critics that he is ready to kickstart his Newcastle United career. The £5m summer signing admitted exclusively to Northern Echo Sport that he has not been at his best since making the switch from Ipswich Town. But Bramble

  • 22/10/2002

    IT was another disappointing performance in front of the Sky cameras at Bournemouth - and how many times have we said that now? It seems we have yet to perform well in front of he cameras, which is a real disappointment. In difficult conditions I was

  • Destination Shanghai for high-tech double mission

    A TEAM of representatives from the region's high-tech industries are in China and Korea this week in an attempt to strengthen relationships between the North-East and the two countries. Senior representatives from regional development agency One NorthEast

  • Pool pin faith in youth

    CHRIS Turner last night revealed he is ready to unleash his Hartlepool United fledglings on the LDV Vans Trophy tonight. The Pool chief is convinced that the side he puts out at Prenton Park will more than hold their own against Tranmere Rovers in the

  • Schoolchildren help launch Roy's new learning venture

    THE latest high-tech business venture by County Durham teacher turned entrepreneur, Roy Stanley, has been launched in partnership with Newcastle United. Children using NUFC's groundbreaking Learning Centre, equipped with the latest computer equipment,

  • Eating Owt: Sniffing out a perfectly pleasant lunch

    WERE the bairns still at home, they'd be crying for their daddy. Last week's evenings overflowed from Monday to Saturday - never off the roads, as they used to say in Shildon of Geordie Ellis's horse. Today's column is largely about lunch. We broke off

  • Robson keeps eye on Upson

    Arsenal defender Matthew Upson has been training with Newcastle. The centre-back has been unable to force his way into the Gunners' first team and he is currently on loan with First Division Reading. The former England Under-21 international is understood

  • Towering injustice of the rules on racism

    IT'S the sheer injustice that gets me. I mean some Muslims belonging to a north London mosque recently held a celebration of the September 11 atrocities. They put up posters to advertise this macabre event and described it as "a towering day". There were

  • Consult Owen about violence in workplace

    A KARATE teacher has set up a consultancy firm to help employees deal with violence in the work place. After 30 years as a karate teacher, Owen Murray has now set his sights on helping workers deal with verbal and physical abuse from the public. With

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Deputy home manager, Bishop Auckland. £5.2ph, 30hpw. Must be 25-plus with experience of working with people with disabilities. Ref: BIS11896. uPVC fabricator, Darlington. NMW. 40hpw. Must be fully experienced fabricator. Ref: DAE32253. Motor mechanic/

  • Visiting Jack saves show

    THE show goes on for Northallerton's operatic society thanks to a multi-talented performer. The society faced a crisis in August when the director for its production of Annie, Beryl Dixon, had to pull out when her husband was taken ill. Hard-pushed to

  • Pedal powered scheme aims to get people to work

    A NEW scheme has been launched to encourage people to get on their bikes. The 'Pedal 2 Work' project has been set up for people throughout Hambleton and Richmondshire. The scheme loans bicycles out to those facing transport problems. To qualify, cyclists

  • Checks will prevent mistakes

    HEALTH bosses say tough new employment checks introduced earlier this year should prevent NHS hospitals re-employing people like disgraced surgeon Richard Neale. The former Friarage Hospital surgeon was struck off the medical register two years ago after

  • Pinchincha to break losing run

    Horses don't come any tougher than Pinchincha, who can break a long losing run in the Tote Exacta Showcase Handicap over a mile and a quarter at Yarmouth today. Derek Morris' eight-year-old admittedly hasn't got the best wins to runs ratio, but there's

  • Fireworks plea targets teenagers

    NEW hard-hitting safety measures have been introduced to reduce the number of injuries caused by fireworks. For most, Bonfire Night involves wrapping up warm and watching the sky being lit up with colour while eating toffee apples. But for the less sensible

  • Checking in legal and financial advice

    MANAGERS at Teesside Airport have appointed legal and financial experts to help them appoint a private sector strategic partner. Law firm Dickinson Dees and financial experts Deloitte and Touche will work with a committee of the airport's local authority

  • Investors reassured by update from Sage

    SHARES in software group Sage sparkled after a reassuring update soothed jittery investors. Newcastle-based Sage, the only tech firm left in the FTSE 100 Index, said it was on course to report full-year pre-tax profits in line with market expectations

  • Stepping on the gas for free-flowing hospitality

    CHIEF executive Tony Isaac sees a bright future ahead for BOC's Teesside operations. He believes the site at Teesport is of vital importance for the future growth of its parent company. The Teesside network is now one of the largest industrial gases complexes

  • The Bear facts

    STUDENTS learned the bare necessities of opera when they met the cast of a show yesterday. Performing arts students from Sunderland University joined the cast of The Bear, by Naked Opera, as they rehearsed for last night's performance. The show, at Sunderland's

  • Supermac steps in for charity event

    A FUNDRAISING night for a cot death charity looks set to be a sell-out. And 1970s Newcastle United legend Malcolm MacDonald will be putting in an appearance. The event will be held onWednesday in Witton Gilbert Workingmen's Club, at 7pm, to raise money

  • £130m 'fairer funding' bid for region

    THE fight for a fairer funding system will be stepped up today when council leaders argue for an extra £130m for the North-East. Councillor Tony Flynn, chairman of the Association of North-East Councils, will lobby Northern MPs to highlight the "substantial

  • Take-off for low-cost flights

    BUDGET airline easyJet hopes to carry a million holidaymakers a year from 2004 at its new North-East base, it was announced yesterday. The low-cost carrier will start services from Newcastle to three European cities next April. The destinations will be

  • Resort gets conduct code for students

    TEACHERS are to be given a "code of conduct" for school parties visiting the fishing village of Robin Hood's Bay. It follows a big influx of youngsters going to the picturesque tourist spot on the North Yorkshire coast, following the opening of the National

  • East meets west thanks to a chance encounter

    A DELEGATION from the Chinese embassy paid a visit to the North-East yesterday, where students have been taking part in a pilot cultural project. The Chinese cultural and education officers travelled from London to Consett, where they gave a talk to pupils

  • Call for removal of vandal-hit buildings

    A BISHOP Auckland headteacher has called for vandalised buildings next to his school to be demolished as soon as possible. A weekend blaze wrecked a disused teaching block near King James 1 Community College only a few months after the former gymnasium

  • Addict tried to flush stolen pension book

    A HEROIN addict tried to flush a stolen pension book down a police station toilet while under arrest for skipping bail, a court heard. Angela Palmer, 26, then tried to make out the pension book belonged to her grandmother, Michael Hammond, prosecuting

  • Police hunt for attackers

    POLICE are hunting two men who carried out an attack. The pair assaulted a 24-year-old man near Thorntree House Flats, in Cargo Fleet Lane, Middlesbrough, at 2.30pm last Wednesday. They are believed to driven off in a dark Ford Escort. Both assailants

  • Fake coins alert

    POLICE have issued an alert over counterfeit pound coins circulating in pubs and shops. The coins are identical in shape and design to regular pound coins, but can be easily scratched and marked revealing a silver colour underneath. The fakes, some of

  • Bank staff's investment

    BANK staff are swapping their computers for spades and wheelbarrows to plant bulbs in Ferryhill Station. A public footpath has been allocated funds through Barclays Sitesavers, a major national environmental regeneration programme funded by Barclays and

  • Cricket lessons

    A SIX-WEEK cricket coaching course for girls and boys under 11 years old starts at Carmel School sports hall, in Darlington, on Friday. Sessions take place from 5pm to 7pm each Friday and the cost is £2 per week. For further information and to book places

  • Man tells of shock after car crashes into garden

    A MAN has told how a motorist who became ill at the wheel crashed his car into his front garden. Widowed father-of-three Brian Johnston appeared to suffer some sort of seizure at the wheel of his Vauxhall Astra estate and, after veering across the road

  • Excavation evidence rewrites history of headland

    STARTLING new evidence of life in prehistoric times has been uncovered by archaeologists in a race against time to piece together part of North Yorkshire's past. The English Heritage team working on Whitby Headland have found the first signs of a permanent

  • Nelson's treasures fetch £2.1m at auction

    LONG-LOST treasures owned by Lord Nelson, including the blood-stained silk purse he carried during the Battle of Trafalgar, fetched £2.1m at auction yesterday. The purse, with its pear-shaped splodge of blood, sold at Sotheby's in London for £270,650

  • Taxi row punch led to death, court told

    A MAN died after being hit by a single punch from a taxi driver who had been hired out on a bogus call, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday. A jury was told by Stephen Ashurst, prosecuting, that while the Crown accepted Mazhar Ali had not intended to

  • Planet stars roll into city

    THE strange sight of a roller-skating robot grooming Marilyn Monroe's hair greeted visitors to the Theatre Royal, Newcastle yesterday. The spectacle involved Frederick Ruth and Sarah Beaumont, who play Ariel the robot and Miranda in Return to the Forbidden

  • News in brief: Firefighters tackle blaze

    A SHOP was badly damaged by fire at about 7am yesterday in Milton Street, Saltburn. Four engines attended the fire but 50 per cent of the basement was damaged and other parts of the building suffered significant smoke damage. SCHOOL REUNION: To mark the

  • Whitbread to open motel and restaurant

    THE first pint should be pulled and the first meal served at a new North-East pub and restaurant complex with adjoining motel facilities next month. Whitbread Restaurants is investing £2.3m into the Broomside Park Brewers Fayre and Travel Inn at Belmont

  • New clues in snaring rapist with N-E accent

    DETECTIVES believe they are closing the net on a rapist responsible for a series of attacks. The man, who has a North-East accent, has struck eight times during the past year in the south of England. A ninth victim managed to escape when her dog bit him

  • Oz sounds mark Cook birth

    THE sounds of the didgeridoo yesterday heralded the start of a week-long celebration of the birth of Captain James Cook. Throughout this week, patients and staff at the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, will mark the birth of the town's

  • Winter safety warning for bikers

    A CAMPAIGN to make the roads safer for motorcyclists in the winter was launched yesterday. The two-week campaign by Durham Constabulary aims to reduce the number of casualties involving motorcyclists by encouraging other motorists to ensure their vehicles

  • Champs gear up for success

    A COLLEGE football team that has won the county league for the past four years is hoping a new sponsorship deal will spur them on to further success. Durham Sixth Form first XI team has just secured a sponsorship deal with Archibalds Builders Merchants

  • Fundraiser for burns girl re-arranged

    A FUNDRAISING night in aid of a Turkish girl who was badly burnt in a house fire has switched date and venue. The event, with a disco and prize raffles, was to be held this Saturday at the Two Blues pub, but is now planned for Friday, November 22, at

  • CBI chief to speak at university

    THE director general of the CBI will speak at an annual business school lecture being held in the region next week. Digby Jones will deliver this year's Teesside Business School lecture at the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, on Wednesday, October

  • Coastal litter pick planned

    AN environmental group is hoping to collect more than just rubbish at a litter pick event on Friday. The Coastal Projects Unit for North Yorkshire and Cleveland also aims to recruit volunteers to help with its conservation work. The event takes from noon

  • Runner's grand effort

    A YOUNG athlete who set a precedent at this year's Great North Run has raised £1,000 for a North-East hospital. Adam Harker, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was the only runner to take part in both the junior and adult events. And his efforts have

  • Businesses go to the dogs to stay free of drugs

    THE potential impact of drugs on business has led to the launch of a professional drug detection service in the Tees Valley. Canine Drug Alert, based in Stockton, Teesside, reflects the need for businesses to ensure they operate in a drug-free environment