A SCHEME that helps prevent accidents in older people's homes is expanding. The £50,000 Handyvan project was launched 18 months ago by Age Concern Durham County and Chester-le-Street District Council. It was set up to prevent accidents in the homes of
PLANNING permission has been granted to convert two offices in Front Street, Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, into a tanning studio and coffee shop. The development, opposite Lumley County Junior School, can go ahead on condition that parking will
DANCE DATE: A dance, with late bar and buffet supper, will be held at Egglescliffe Community Centre, Durham Lane, Eaglescliffe, on New Year's Eve, from 7.30pm to 12.15am. Tickets are £6 for members, £7 for non-members, available on (01642) 357381. UNICEF
POLICE recovered £5,000-worth of amphetamines during a raid on a Redcar house early on Tuesday evening. A 36-year-old man was arrested after the raid on a property on Station Road. Langbargh Drugs Squad also said they recovered cash and documents in the
A UNIVERSITY head is travelling to Malaysia to take part in a graduation ceremony with his students. Professor Derek Fraser, vice chancellor of Teesside University, will take part in the ceremony in Kuala Lumpur with about 30 students, the first to graduate
TWO men have been arrested after a police car was rammed in central Middlesbrough. Cleveland Police said officers were attempting to stop a stolen Ford Mondeo in Clifton Street, in the early hours yesterday, when their car was rammed. No-one was hurt
SHOPPERS' fears that a second supermarket in Darlington is to close have proved unfounded. People living in the Cockerton area heard rumours about the possible closure of the Safeway store, in Cockerton Drive. The nearby Kwik-Save supermarket closed on
THREE people who saved a 31-year-old man from a vicious assault could hold vital information, say police. The man was attacked as he walked past St Michael's Church, Mowbray Road, South Shields, on Sunday, at 10.40pm. He suffered a serious head injury
A CANCER patient has sent out an appeal for people to donate presents to terminally-ill children over Christmas. Jimmy Gustard, from Ouston, has spent Christmas in hospital for the past five years, but has sent out an urgent appeal to shopkeepers and
APPROVAL in principle has been given to controversial plans for a £3m primary school near Darlington. Villagers are opposed to the scheme, which would involve closing Sadberge Church of England School and replacing it with a new school at Middleton St
BALLET dancers of all ages have been limbering up for their wintery show which begins tonight. More than 80 performers from the Darlington-based Rachel V Harrison School of Dance will be appearing in The Snow Queen. The cast ranges in age from three to
THE latest tool in the fight against crime in rural Durham communities has been unveiled. MARC, the Multi Agency Resource Centre, run by Derwentside Crime and Disorder Partnership, aims to help residents in isolated villages in the district, who don't
TRIBUTES have been paid to a doctor who was killed on the A19 last week. Colleagues are shocked by news of the death of a man described as highly valued and respected. Dr John Zuk, 42, of Durham, a pathologist at the city's University Hospital, died when
PUPILS at a Ferryhill school are to get a brand new sports hall. Ferryhill Comprehensive has been without PE facilities for the last 18 months after the dilapidated swimming pool and gymnasium were condemned. Durham County Council is to discuss plans
A DAIRY is offering a reward for help to catch robbers who escaped with cash after threatening a milk round collector at knifepoint. The masked pair, wearing dark green three-quarter length hooded coats, struck as a 16-year-old female collector and her
PUPILS from schools in Darlington have been busy creating lanterns for this year's lantern parade. Pupils from schools including Heathfield, Gurney Pease, Sadberge Primary, St Augustine's, Corporation Road, St Bede's and Beaumont Hill have all been creating
RAIL STRIKE: ALTHOUGH we have not yet received official confirmation from the RMT, we believe the union intends to instruct our conductors to strike on December 21, 23, 24 and 31. We are very disappointed that the union has decided to hit what is undoubtedly
TWO tennis aces who turned around an ailing club have been named as the region's top coaches. Christine Heppell and Phil Atess were jointly named as the Durham and Cleveland Coach of the Year at the British Tennis Coaches Association Awards. They took
PARENTS have voiced their anger at proposals from Darlington Borough Council to build a £3m primary school at Middleton St George and shut down Sadberge CE School. At a public meeting at the school on Monday, parents vowed to fight to keep it open. But
COLLEGE students in Darlington have been building bridges in more ways than one. Dozens of year seven pupils at Carmel Technology College were given the opportunity to create large-scale structures, with the help of renowned experts. At an event presented
KINDHEARTED youngsters at a small village school have taken time out from writing their Christmas lists to help others. Each of the 35 pupils at Burnhope Primary School put together a shoe box of toys and gifts for the Operation Christmas Child project
A TEENAGE shop assistant has become the new face of the Gateshead MetroCentre this season. Hayley Weston, 17, who works in one of the centre's clothes shops, is also the cover girl for its Christmas magazine and stars in its television commercials and
AN annual quiz in Bishop Auckland has raised £720 for the Guide Dogs for the Blind charity. Thirty-six teams entered Bishop Auckland Civic Society's quiz at the town hall, on December 4. The quiz, which has been running for five years, proved so popular
A CHURCH is counting the cost of a window-wrecking rampage. All 45 windows in St Andrew's United Reformed Church at Marton, Middlesbrough, have been shattered in the latest in a wave of attacks. Regular attacks have been carried out in recent weeks and
PARENTS were moved to tears by a touching play performed by Darlington children. The audience at Whinfield Primary School watched a performance of Rock The Baby, a play about the Dunblane tragedy, when former Scout leader Thomas Hamilton went on a shooting
AN ANIMAL rescue centre is seeking homes for a number of small pets which it has taken into its care in recent weeks. Ramshaw Rescue Centre, near Bishop Auckland, usually specialises in taking in dogs, cats and horses, but in recent weeks people have
FORMER British ice skating champion Gina Fulton-Carter is helping Teesside youngsters learn to skate. Gina, who has competed in world, European and Olympic championships, was selected as one of seven top coaches representing Great Britain at an international
TEACHERS are swapping four wheels for two as part of a pioneering scheme to cut down on needless car journeys. In the first scheme of its kind in the country, a pooled bike has been introduced at two secondary schools in York. Local company Cycle Heaven
Residents had a narrow escape when two lorries careered out of control and demolished an outhouse just metres from a row of cottages. A recovery vehicle, which was towing a gas cylinder lorry, ploughed through a garden hedge after skidding on black ice
PLANNING permission has been granted to convert two offices in Front Street, Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, into a tanning studio and coffee shop. The development, opposite Lumley County Junior School, can go ahead on condition that parking will
PLANNING permission has been granted to convert two offices in Front Street, Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, into a tanning studio and coffee shop. The development, opposite Lumley County Junior School, can go ahead on condition that parking will
FAMILIES wanting to move into an executive housing estate have learned that the houses are built on their remains of an Iron Age "housing estate". Archaeologists called in by house builders George Wimpey North to carry out a site check have found evidence
PLANNING permission has been granted to convert two offices in Front Street, Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, into a tanning studio and coffee shop. The development, opposite Lumley County Junior School, can go ahead on condition that parking will
A YOUNGSTER has proved his poetic skills by scooping the top prize in a national competition. Along with his classmates at St Godric's RC Primary School in Framwellgate Moor, Durham, Daniel Towns recently entered the Department for Education and Skills
CHILDREN near Chester-le-Street now have their own library, kitted out with toys, 'bug seats' and a range of new books. The Early Years section of Pelton Library was opened on Tuesday after part of the library was given an overhaul with the help of Sure
POLICE are getting on the buses to deter youth disorder and vandalism blighting the lives of passengers. A joint police and council task force is taking to the roads of east Durham to curb anti-social behaviour, which can make bus journeys an unpleasant
A TEENAGE shop assistant has become the new face of the Gateshead MetroCentre this season. Hayley Weston, 17, who works in one of the centre's clothes shops, is also the cover girl for its Christmas magazine and stars in its television commercials and
LITTER bugs caught dropping rubbish in Darlington town centre on Saturday received a rude awakening - a £50 on-the-spot fine. Four people were caught red-handed by uniformed council wardens who patrolled the streets on the first day of a campaign to clean
SCHOOL TABLES: ONCE more the primary school tables have been printed, again giving a false impression of the scholastic effort of local primary schools. Not a teacher, I have for the last 20 years been involved in local history, visiting schools from
IT is not everyday that airmen get the chance to swap military life for a taste of the star-studded world of TV. But they discovered that filming for one of ITV's top-rated shows is not always as glamorous as some might believe. They found themselves
THREE Zambian police officers will get a taste of the North-East when they visit to learn the crime-fighting techniques of Northumbria Police. Officers Milton Siakabeya, Raymond Chimbulu Chiboola and Roy Mandanji Kakoma, from the Anti-Corruption Commission
RESIDENTS on an exclusive housing estate are protesting plans to hold late-night parties at a nearby golf club. People living in Wynyard, near Stockton, want to block plans by Wynyard Golf Club to entertain guests up to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. The
NEW monthly drop-in sessions are being launched by specialist cancer nurses at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton. The scheme is aimed at patients with cancer and their carers and the first meeting is due to take place next month. The nurses will
AN advice guide which aims to reduce teenage pregnancies and improve young people's sexual health is being launched in North Yorkshire. Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust (PCT), the North Yorkshire Teenage Pregnancy Strategy group and partner
A HEALTH trust has been recognised for its work in improving conditions for its staff. A host of initiatives have been introduced at the York Health Services NHS Trust to provide more support for staff. As a result, the trust has achieved practice status
D is for DRINK and DRUGS Now it can be told... the time when Senior Son, aged 14, told me he was going camping up the dales for the bank holiday weekend and instead went to Richmond Meet and drank ten pints of lager before eleven o'clock in the morning
A BEAT bobby has taken more than 8,000 students under his wing in his new role patrolling Durham University's college campuses. PC Jeff Barksby recently took over as the dedicated liaison officer helping to stem crime in the university's 14 colleges and
SHOPS and businesses could be flattened as part of £1m plans to inject new life into an ailing town centre. Derwentside District Council this week unveiled its ambitious proposals for a new bus station in Mary Street, Stanley. The plans, due to go out
A DURHAM city centre surgery may be forced to close next year because it is unable to recruit GPs. But officials at the Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust have pledged that they will ensure that no patient is left without a doctor. The practice
COUNTY Durham councils look set to benefit from a funding revamp hailed as narrowing the North-South divide. But the shake-up has not been universally welcomed and it is not clear yet whether council taxpayers will face another hike in bills. Four districts
A YOUNGSTER has proved his poetic skills by scooping the top prize in a national competition. Along with his classmates at St Godric's RC Primary School in Framwellgate Moor, Durham, Daniel Towns recently entered the Department for Education and Skills
A COMMUNITY project has been given a huge boost with the approval of two schemes to help expand its work. Coundon and Leeholme Community Project is a partnership of groups and people living in the two villages near Bishop Auckland. For three years, a
THOUSANDS of pounds worth of drugs were recovered in a series of dawn raids by police last week. Officers swooped on seven houses in Spennymoor and one in Chilton in a high profile intelligence-led operation. A month in the planning, 36 officers took
VISITORS to Hall Hill Farm, at Lanchester, will be able to meet Santa this weekend. Father Christmas will be in his grotto at the farm on both Saturday and Sunday from 10.30am until 4pm and will be making a return visit next weekend. Visitors will also
HEALTH Secretary Alan Milburn last Thursday told of his delight after a crucial play scheme for disabled children was saved. The Darlington MP was instrumental in securing the future of the Dash scheme, which provides holiday and after-school care for
INMATES at a women's prison offered some early festive cheer to a group of local pensioners this week. A party of 50 residents from Durham City Council warden controlled premises were invited to a Christmas lunch and party 'behind bars' at Low Newton
SEVENTIES theme bar Flares, in Darlington, has been granted an extension from 10.30pm until midnight. The bar in Skinnergate, will be monitored until its present licence expires in April, when any complaints about its clientele will be taken into account
A Community Christmas Projects Group is creating a festive air in Evenwood. The group sought to involve the community in fundraising to pay for small Christmas trees and lights in the village. A grant of £615 from the National Lottery's Awards for All
A CAT "with attitude" is in need of a new home. Three-year-old Jessica is the longest resident at the National Animal Sanctuary Support League in Darlington. She was taken there ten months ago when her owners could no longer look after her. Pauline Wilson
A FAMILY newsagent and post office is celebrating 50 years serving the community. Lilian Holmes was there at the start when her mother's business, Stevens, first moved into its shop in Neville Parade, Newton Aycliffe, in 1952. But the origins of the shop
TWO men have been arrested after a police car was rammed in central Middlesbrough. Cleveland Police said officers were attempting to stop a stolen Ford Mondeo in Clifton Street, in the early hours yesterday, when their car was rammed. No-one was hurt
BUS services in the Dales have had a £1.5m face-lift providing new, easy-access vehicles. North Yorkshire County Council will provide the low-floor buses with 'kneeling' suspension, making access as easy as possible. The Dales and District buses will
THEY may be a little young to be fighting fires but they are more than equipped to bring some good cheer for their community. The boys and girls of Redcar Young Firefighters Association, aged between 13 and 15, were yesterday collecting and distributing
LEISURE bosses are appealing for help from the public to design a new mascot. The character will eventually become synonymous with the leisure centres in the Hambleton district. "We have had many interesting, sometimes scary, entries from children, but
A CAT "with attitude" is in need of a new home. Three-year-old Jessica is the longest resident at the National Animal Sanctuary Support League in Darlington. She was taken there ten months ago when her owners could no longer look after her. Pauline Wilson
CROFT Working Men's Club is expected to submit a planning application to Darlington Borough Council for permission to site caravans in its car park, Hurworth Parish Council was told at a recent meeting. Borough council environmental health officers visited
EFFORTS to protect deteriorating buildings along Northgate, in Darlington, have been given a boost. Darlington Borough Council has agreed to extend the Northgate conservation area - also giving more protection to the railway bridge over the Skerne which
YEARS OF arguments over a controversial beachcombing practice could be resolved. Sea-coal collectors in Hartlepool have been unsure of the legality of their practice for years, but a proposal by the town's councillors could give sea-coal merchants operating
A COUNCIL leader has said that meetings between himself and the authority's chief executive will continue to be held behind closed doors - rejecting calls for the full details of such meetings to be made public. Colburn Councillor Helen Grant asked a
A FOUR-YEAR fight by villagers against an industrial waste dump paid off yesterday despite plans to build a waste recycling centre near their homes being accepted. People in the tiny communities of Dunsdale and Mount Pleasant, on the outskirts of Guisborough
GOLFERS, cricketers and table tennis players are celebrating after scooping the honours in Darlington Young Sportwinners awards. The overall winners of 2002 were announced at a special prize-giving ceremony at the Dolphin Centre on Tuesday night. Golfer
PLANNERS who refused permission for a barn conversion have been accused of preferring holiday cottages at the expense of homes for local people. James Spensley asked the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority for permission to convert a disused barn
A DURHAM city centre surgery looks may close next year because it is unable to recruit GPs. The practice that runs St Margaret's Surgery, in Crossgate, and Chastelton Surgery, in Newton Drive, Framwellgate Moor, has been seeking replacements for two GPs
CHRISTMAS FUN: Derwentside Leisure Services will organise a Christmas in the Park party with Consett Junior Brass Band and Father Christmas, from 3.30pm to 6pm, on Saturday, December 22, in Consett's Heritage Park. KRACKER DANCERS. A Christmas Kracker
EXTRA security cameras are to go up in a crime-hit community. Three cameras will be installed in Bensham, Gateshead. It brings the total number of cameras across the borough to 60. The move is designed to boost the work of Northumbria Police's Bensham
