There's still a perception in some quarters that universities can be out of touch, but our own University of Teesside has always been a leader in keeping firm contacts with all strands of life. It's probably partly down to its roots as Constantine College
A SEMI-DERELICT estate is to be demolished in a £2.7m scheme. Plans are being drawn up to clear about 200 homes in the area around Evans Street, in Grangetown, Middlesbrough. But Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, which approved the plan yesterday,
PLANS to create an opencast mine and leisure and office developments powered by wind turbines near Durham are to go before a public inquiry. A consortium of construction, mining and energy specialists - the Eco Energy Group - is fighting a decision to
A SEMI-DERELICT estate is to be demolished in a £2.7m scheme. Plans are being drawn up to clear about 200 homes in the area around Evans Street, in Grangetown, Middlesbrough. But Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, which approved the plan yesterday,
TRADING standards officers have issued a warning to Christmas shoppers to beware of potentially dangerous toys. In previous years, the Darlington trading standards department has received numerous complaints about counterfeit items, toys with pieces that
FESTIVE celebrations will be getting under way in Richmond in less than two weeks' time. Father Christmas and BBC Look North presenter Chris Jackson will be in town on Friday, November 29, to switch on the Christmas lights. The display has been updated
TWO women whose lives have been touched by cancer have joined forces to organise a fundraising event. Sue Marshall, 55, from Newton Hall, Durham, and Margaret Sim, from Elwick, near Hartlepool, are holding an art and craft fair to help Cancer Research
A STUDENT who admitted kicking another man in the head was given a conditional discharge yesterday. Daniel David Hutchinson, a media studies student at the University of Teesside, admitted causing fear or provocation of violence, at Darlington Magistrates
A robber who made no attempt to hide his face when he was committing his crimes has won a cut in his sentence. Christopher Dalziell, 25, of The Vale, Grove Hill, Middlesborough, was picked out in identity parades nine times out of ten after raids on shops
Mick Clay has completed his term of office as captain of Woodham Golf Club and David Bowman has taken over the post for the 2003 season. During the 2002 season, the team won the North Durham Division Three Championship and Isobel Foley and Richard Ketley
A MAN pulled his partner out of bed by her hair after she refused to take him to a pub, a court heard yesterday. Edward Smith, 45, of Minors Crescent, Darlington, admitted assaulting his partner of six years, Linda Cassidy, on November 13. Jenny Haigh
Wanted posters are going up in schools across County Durham to attract 15 to 18-year-olds to an exchange scheme with French and German students. The two visits are being organised by Durham County Council's international officer next July. For more information
NHS managers have declined to attend a public meeting into the closure of a maternity unit. A meeting to discuss Friday's closure of Guisborough General Hospital's maternity unit will be held tonight. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council organised the
ARSON investigators yesterday began combing through the wreckage of an industrial yard after it was consumed by fire. The blaze broke out in a garage workshop at Tyne Dock, South Shields, South Tyneside, at about 10.45pm on Monday. It took 20 firefighters
POLICE have recovered a cache of stolen electrical goods during a spot check. Officers stopped a car driven by a man believed to bewanted on warrant at North Ormesby, Middlesbrough. The car contained a stolen CD and hi-fi players, compact discs and videos
POLICE have renewed their appeal for witnesses after a female thief snatched a handbag from a woman. The woman grabbed the bag as her victim walked around the Priceless store, in Middle Street, Consett, at about 4pm on Saturday, October 19. The thief
TRADERS yesterday won a battle to prevent a town centre being closed to traffic. Planners who proposed closing off Guisborough's main shopping street, Westgate, during a farmers' market, had been accused of taking 'panic measures'. However, yesterday
A CHEQUE for £3,000 was handed over to the Butterwick Children's Hospice yesterday. The money was raised by Spar, which sponsored 18 people in the Golden Jubilee Baton Race earlier this year, to carry the baton through the northern area of the race. The
THREE local authorities have received certificates marking their contributions to a record-breaking race. This year's 20th anniversary Bupa Great North Run will appear in the 2003 edition of the Guinness Book of Records, after 36,822 runners completed
A CHRISTMAS pantomime is to raise money for a children's charity. The Children's Foundation is this year's nominated charity for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, at Sunderland's Empire Theatre, which features television presenter Danielle Nicholls and
A HEALTH care consultant who made his fourth court appearance for speeding in less than two years has been allowed to keep his licence. Adrian Lester, 35, who had nine points on his licence from speeding convictions in February and June last year, and
Craig Evetts and Ashley Anderson have caught the business studies bug. The duo have graduated with BA (Honours) degrees in Human Resource Management (HRM), and both have returned to Teesside to enrol for Masters degrees in Business. Ashley, 27, of Marske
THE Nevilles Cross branch of Friends of Cancer Research UK will be in Durham City's Milburngate Shopping Centre from December 6 to December 14, selling baubles for £1 to fill their tree of remembrance. The group would also like to thank everyone who took
A picture caption which appeared in Friday's edition with a story headlined "Drinkers say thank you" was incorrect. It should have read Gemma Taylor with guest Dave Parker, from Stray FM. We apologise for any confusion caused.
DISORDER ALLEGED: Three men and a teenage girl appeared in court yesterday charged with violent disorder. Michael Leslie Carney, 38, of Melland Street, Darlington; Jason James Karl Carney, 32, of Tansley Gardens; Stuart Christopher Atkinson, 21, of Park
A Christmas extravaganza will be held in Kirkleatham Hall Museum.There will be Father Christmas, carols, a craft fair and a magician as well as a special Christmas menu at the caf on Sunday, December 1. There will also be children's craft sessions to
VILLAGE hall users needed a double take on arriving for evening class activities. For the group of seven to 15-year-old dancers at tutor Ruth Lord's class at Pittington Village Hall, near Durham, were dared to dress in pyjamas this week for Children in
ONE of the North-East'S biggest buildings was bathed in light last night as part of a £50,000 arts project. The 18-storey glass-fronted Centre North East office block, in the middle of Middlesbrough, has only two tenants. But the 220ft high building was
A MAN who sexually abused boys and girls over 25 years was yesterday jailed for 12 years after a judge branded him "a continuing danger to children". Robert Baker Foster, 57, raped or indecently assaulted three girls and two boys, in some cases many times
AN exhibition will allow Hambleton residents to see how local authorities plan to tackle flooding. A study of the problems that have hit key areas throughout the district, including Brompton, Northallerton town centre and Romanby, has been carried out
A NURSING boss who was accused of being a bully was yesterday cleared of a catalogue of misconduct charges. Allan Leslie Harling, 55, of Langley Park, Durham, faced 11 complaints of professional misconduct relating to his management style at Benfield
A PLAN to erect signs on approaches to Ripon advertising its Yorkshire in Bloom success has been rejected. Instead, members of Ripon City Council want to put all their efforts into trying for more success in next year's Britain in Bloom contest. The council
THE 54-camera closed circuit TV network in York may be monitored live 24 hours a day. At present, it is monitored between 9am and 9pm with recordings made outside those hours. However, the city council is now considering making live monitoring a round-the-clock
A MAN has died after being critically injured in a road accident three weeks ago. Thomas Wake, 63, of Parkside, Seaham, is believed to have got off a bus and started crossing the B1404 Station Road, Seaham, when he was struck by a Nissan Micra. He was
A £2m scheme to improve flood defences in a North-East town will be officially opened next week. Contractors Edmund Nuttall have completed the work at Yarm, Teesside, on behalf of the Environment Agency in time for the autumn flood season. The opening
CHRISTMAS FAIR: On Saturday, November 23, from 11am to 2pm, Rocking Horse Creche and White Rabbit Pre-School are joining forces to raise money for Christmas presents for the children. Come to St Aidan's Church Hall to browse, or if you wish to book a
ELDERLY people living in rural areas will receive more short-term care in their own homes in future, through an emergency response scheme. The Durham Dales Primary Care Trust's rapid response team is now fully staffed and members will be able to provide
A CRACKDOWN on shoplifting and car crime in the region's leading shopping centre has been a big success. Figures published today show that car and retail crimes at Gateshead's MetroCentre have been halved. In the six months from April to October, car
'THEN the hangman cut off his head and held it up, saying: 'Behold the head of a traitor!' His quarters, after they were boiled in a cauldron, were buried in the baker's dunghill." And there they lie, for all we know, to this day - somewhere beneath Darlington's
A NEWCOMER to pantoland is about to make her stage debut in one of the festive season's classics. Daisy the cow has signed up with the Hawes Operatic Society and will be treading the boards in their Christmas show Jack and the Beanstalk, by Norman Robbins
YOUNG witnesses are to be spared the ordeal of appearing in court in a project that could be extended to include adults. A newly-opened video suite in Durham will remove the need for youngsters to endure the potentially intimidating atmosphere of the
Everyone needs a wife. But can we afford one? In a landmark ruling last week Shan Lambert - who was a stay-at-home home-maker while her husband made a £20m fortune - was awarded half his money. The judge reasoned that her contribution to the marriage
CERTIFIED villain, we missed the paper's Local Heroes awards on Thursday evening because of a long standing speaking engagement in Swaledale. It offered a unique chance to tell the all-time favourite story of the cow in the ditch at Grinton. The Melbecks
A CHILD helped a couple make off with more than £2,900 in a theft from a village store, say police. The girl, thought to be aged between nine and 12, entered Springfield Newsagent's, in Syke Road, Burnopfield, near Stanley, with a man and a woman on Friday
AFTER months of wrangling a tiny religious group has won council approval to hold a mass in one of Britain's oldest and smallest churches. Philip-James French, a priest in the Holy Catholic Church West Rite - Orthodox Catholic Faith, received national
STAFF and customers at a pub have been crowned champions at fundraising. More than £2,500 has been raised by pub locals at Brompton on Swale, North Yorkshire, for two deserving causes in the region. Drinkers at The Crown, near Northallerton, completed
A WOMAN told a court yesterday that a man climbed into her bed and raped her, then fell asleep. She said that at the age of 16 she was living in a hostel for the homeless and was starving when she phoned Barry Mays and asked him to collect her. He took
TINY tots will get an early taste of school sports thanks to a cash windfall of almost £2,000. Escomb Primary School, in Escomb, near Bishop Auckland, will soon be able to open its doors to pre-school children to introduce them to gymnastics lessons.
PUPILS at one of County Durham's smallest primary schools are sending goodwill gifts to homeless Russian youngsters. Fifty shoeboxes filled with presents by families in Witton-le-Wear will arrived in Russia in time to brighten up Christmas for children
TWO women are leading the way in a health initiative promoting the benefits of exercise as part of the Chance To Live Campaign. Marianne Waugh and Ada Mitrovic, of High Etherley, near Bishop Auckland, are starting Wear Walking For Health's first village
A LOVING home is being sought for a stray dog nicknamed the Spennymoor Tramp. Tramp, a Bedlington-lurcher cross dog, was found roaming the streets of Spennymoor by a dog warden. He had been fed by an elderly woman and local schoolchildren. The friendly
A PROPOSAL to spend £1m on safety measures at east Cleveland's 68 playgrounds has been outlined. Yesterday, councillors agreed to allow the bid for the £1m to be considered as part of next year's budget. The plan has been put together following a safety
A programme of street entertainment takes place tomorrow in the run-up to the Christmas lights switch-on in Newcastle city centre. From 12.30pm, acts will perform on a stage in Grey Street, at its junction with Market Street. Bands playing include Balkan
TRAFFIC police are appealing for witnesses to an accident involving a taxi and a car. The collision, at the junction of Eldon Bank and Green Lane, Shildon, happened on Sunday, at 11.25pm, and involved a Rover taxi and a red car which had a plastic covering
A takeaway restaurant owner who faced having to pay thousands of pounds in compensation to a customer who slipped on his floor after a night out drinking can heave a sigh of relief after an Appeal Court ruling. Mozaffar Kiapasha, who owns Takeaway Supreme
A seven-year-old who fled poverty in Albania has turned counsellor to help other refugees. Esmeralda Ndregioni came to Britain with her parents, Bukurie and Nazmi, and 13-year-old brother, Sjmir, unable to speak a word of English. The family found a home
BUSINESSES and individuals in a job-starved dale can get information and advice at a special event today. Wear Valley Development Agency has organised an advice surgery for firms and people in Weardale, which has suffered major job losses. Many of the
GRADUATES shared secrets of their business success at a university's first entrepreneurship fair. The event, at Trevelyan College, Durham, yesterday, involved Durham University graduates who have set up their own successful businesses, inspiring others
ONE of the region's greatest attractions is celebrating next year - and a new face has been appointed to make sure the party goes with a swing. It will be the 20th anniversary of the National Trust taking over Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, the UN-recognised
ABOUT 400 graduates received their degrees, diplomas and certificates on Teesside yesterday. But for Dr Phil Willers and his wife, Hilary, it was a family affair. The couple who met while students at the Constantine College, now the University of Teesside
A SERIES of events is being held at Hartlepool Historic Quay this month as part of a Christmas extravaganza. The free events begin on Saturday, November 30, with the Hartlepool & District Hospice tree lighting ceremony. Santa will be arriving at the
DONOR SESSIONS: The National Blood Service is holding donor sessions from 2.30pm to 7pm on Monday, in the Red Lion, Chester-le-Street; on Thursday, November 28, in Barley Mow Village Hall; and from 2pm to 7pm on Monday, December 2, in Stanley Community
MILES of rough back streets could be transformed under an innovative jobs scheme being considered by council officials. Wear Valley District Council's regeneration officers hope to tap into European funding so that unadopted lanes around the district
A FLOODLIT sports pitch for hockey and football is to be created near Durham. Meadowfield Sports Centre, owned by Durham City Council, is to get an all-weather pitch and a 50-space car park. The pitch, which will measure 110m by 72m is designed to compensate
MORE than 100 pupils learned valuable outdoor skills during a five-day course. The youngsters, from New College Durham, took part in an Outward Bound Trust course at Outward Bound, in Ullswater. They learned skills as diverse as raft-building, climbing
Council chiefs said "not on your nellie" when newsagent Asif Shamim built a £10,000 wall around his home - topped off with ten concrete elephants. The local authority was bombarded with complaints from his neighbours. Now the elephants are packing their
TWO of the main tourist attractions in Richmond have benefited from visitors taking part in guided walks around the town. Over the past year, the Richmond Volunteer Guides received more than £530 from visitors and the money is to go towards the running
Minister for Europe Denis MacShane visits the region tomorrow for the first time since his appointment. He will address a meeting of the North-East Assembly at the Guildhall, within the Law Courts on Newcastle Quayside, at 9am. He will be speaking to
The Bishop of Middlesbrough, the Right Reverend John Crowley, will tomorrow lead a Mass in memory of a priest who started his career in South Bank. Father James (Seamus) Brennan, from Newry, County Down, died peacefully in his sleep on November 6, aged
A MINER who switched careers when the pits closed is celebrating getting a degree at the age of 40. Tony Williamson, of Wingate, in County Durham, worked at Easington Colliery for 15 years, first on the surface and then underground. But he was made redundant
PUPILS from schools in Thornaby and Stockton will be given the chance to scoop a monster reward just for going to school. The youngsters, who are taking part in Stockton Borough Council's Schools Tackling Absence and Rewarding Success (Stars) programme
NORTH Yorkshire is to have a new £1.4m sports complex. A county football association, sports club and district council have collectively provided nearly £400,000 to help form the project. More than 200 players are expected to become regular users at the
NEXT week Darlington school pupils will celebrate the best anti-pollution device known to man - the tree. Their focus will be South Burdon Community Woodland, which is being created on farmland opposite the Brick Train sculpture on the A66 bypass in Darlington
