SUNDERLAND were last night charged with making an illegal approach for midfielder Sean Thornton, writes STEVEN BAKER. Tranmere Rovers were furious when Thornton left Prenton Park for Wearside last summer and made an official complaint to the Football
Do you know what; if you could bottle the feeling you get from a really successful awards night, you could sell it and make a million. Last Thursday, I compered the Celebration of Achievement at Hartlepool College, and the atmosphere was electric. The
PROPERTY developer Terrace Hill has unveiled its "iconic" vision for a major office development in Darlington. The 30,000sq ft, five-storey building will be the first substantial development of its kind in the town for 15 years. Terrace Hill is looking
Suggestions that North-East hospitals bosses have enjoyed large above pay increases have been denied by NHS trusts. A new report earlier this week suggested that changes in the way NHS chief executives' salaries are disclosed could conceal large increases
A remarkable North-East surgeon is preparing to fly to the other side of the world to help the victims of war. Charles Viva, a retired plastic surgeon from Middlesbrough, is answering a mercy call from the island of Sri Lanka. Peace has finally broken
IT was a dream come true for five youngsters who spent last week with the Royal Shakespeare Company. After two gruelling auditions and speedy rehearsals the youngsters' hard work paid off as they joined the actors in North Yorkshire on the first leg of
NORTH-East football fans watching their team in the race for the Premiership this weekend showed their support for another title bid. The Toon Army - out in force on Sunday at St James' Park for Newcastle United's fixture against championship rivals Arsenal
NORTH-East football fans watching their team in the race for the Premiership this weekend showed their support for another title bid. The Toon Army - out in force on Sunday at St James' Park for Newcastle United's fixture against championship rivals Arsenal
A 33-YEAR-old man who had sex with a 14-year-old girl has had his jail sentence cut. Karl Miller said he had drunk about ten cans of beer and had a couple of cannabis cigarettes, while a blood alcohol test on the girl gave a reading which would have made
QUEEN Victoria would probably not have been amused by a recent discovery that is about to become a bizarre tourist attraction. But we are. For much of her long reign, that grandest of old dames seldom appeared in anything other than voluminous black as
Ed Byrne, who is billed as the country's brightest comedy star, will appear in a solo show at The Sunderland Empire Theatre, on Saturday, March 1. For more information and tickets, call the box office on 0191-514 2517.
A DOG owner has scoured her village and surrounding area after losing her pet. Glenna Murray, from Hamsterley, is devastated after her blue Great Dane puppy escaped from the family car on Sunday afternoon. Mrs Murray had just bought the puppy from Lincolnshire
A COUPLE who have brought the news to their community for most of their lives are themselves making headlines as they celebrate 60 years together. Jack and Olga Hedley are well-known in Eldon Lane, where they served behind the counter at Hedleys store
NINE Labour councillors will be replaced by new candidates in the May council election in Darlington, it was revealed last night. Two of the councillors - former mayor Pat Buttle (Park East ward) and Alwynne Smith (Eastbourne North) - were not selected
POLICE are warning residents to be on their guard after a man tried to force his way into two pensioners' homes on the same street. A man in his eighties had to push the caller from his front door, in Nunthorpe, Teesside, after he tried to get in, claiming
TWO communities have joined forces in an attempt to stop a mobile telephone company erecting a 20m mast near their homes. More than 300 residents in Croxdale and Tudhoe have signed a petition against a siting of the mast between the two villages. Sedgefield
A CAMPAIGN group set up to redevelop a community centre in Teesdale has made an important step towards its fundraising target. The Witham Hall redevelopment fund committee has been given a cheque for £2,500 from the GlaxoSmithKline care committee, which
A TEENAGE fan has been banned for life from Darlington Football Club by chairman George Reynolds. Mr Reynolds is unhappy with the fanzine, Where's The Money Gone?, which is edited by 16-year-old David Maclean. At the weekend, he imposed a life ban on
Consistency is the key according to Darlington boss Mick Tait ahead of tonight's Third Division clash with Rochdale at Feethams. Quakers bounced back from last week's defeat at relegation candidates Swansea to earn a hard-earned point against second-placed
MEMBERS of Guisborough's Christian Aid Group will hand over a list of 70 demands calling for an overhaul of international trade rules to work in favour of the world's poor. They will be presented to Ashok Kumar, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East
DURHAM Wildlife Trust has new displays in the visitor centre at its Rainton Meadows reserve, near Houghton-le-Spring. They were created with more than £20,000 given by the Onyx Environmental Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund. SECURITY DISPLAY: Durham
IT may not be said that these are green fingers, especially since the Unfortunate Affair with the Lawn Mower. It is one thing to cut the cable, quite another to pick up the live end in an attempt to discover what's wrong with it. "Unwise," they said at
Q I HAVE been doing some research on Witton Gilbert but cannot get past the Norman Frenchman called Gilbert De Leia. How old is Witton Gilbert, some say it goes back to the Iron Age? - David Brigader, Durham. A THE name Witton probably dates back to Anglo-Saxon
PROSPECTIVE students will be able to get a taste of what life is like after school today when Darlington College of Technology opens its doors to the public. Youngsters and their parents will be able to ask tutors about any of the 70 full-time and 300
POLICE are seeking the public's help in catching a motorist who left an injured man lying in the road. The 21-year-old man, who was hurt and needed hospital treatment, had been riding a motorbike which was in collision with a Ford Fiesta, on Teesside.
Nato was plunged into crisis last night as the stand-off over Iraq laid bare deep divisions at the heart of the Western alliance. France and Germany - the leading opponents of conflict with Iraq - combined to block moves to send Patriot missiles and other
POLICE are hunting a pervert who exposed himself at a ten-year-old boy as he made his way to school in Durham Road, Stanley, County Durham, at about 8.40am on Tuesday, February 4. He is described as white, in his 30s, tall, of thin build, with dark, short
THE body of a man killed in a car crash in Spain has been brought home to England. Philip Johnson, 32, was killed in a head-on collision between two cars near Barcelona, on January 21. The driver of the other car, a 45-year-old local woman, was also killed
A CAMPAIGN group set up to redevelop a community centre in Teesdale has made an important step towards its fundraising target. The Witham Hall redevelopment fund committee has been given a cheque for £2,500 from the GlaxoSmithKline care committee, which
A new Bishop of Durham, succeeding the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull who retires on April 30, will be announced today. "It will be a very exciting appointment," said a Durham diocesan spokesman. The position is the fourth most senior in the Church of
POLICE used CS spray on a "knifeman" who tried to force his way into a busy nightspot. Officers responded after a call from a barmaid at the Imperial Hotel, Front Street, Stanley, County Durham, who claimed a man wielding a knife in each hand was trying
THE Army has been criticised for deciding not to name a soldier jailed for making two hoax 999 calls while standing in for striking firefighters. The 19-year-old gunner has been sentenced to 21 days in a military prison for making the calls while stationed
INTERNATIONAL opera star Ian Storey takes to the stage in his native North-East this evening after refusing to step into the shoes of Placido Domingo in one of Europe's leading opera houses. "Barcelona wanted me to replace Domingo, but there's no way
A DREAM of life in paradise ended in horror when a British man was gunned down and his wife abducted. Engineer Jim Green, from North Yorkshire, had been looking forward to a peaceful retirement in the sunshine of Thailand. But on Saturday, intruders forced
The following cases were heard by Darlington magistrates yesterday. WOMAN BANNED: A woman has been banned from driving for six months after admitting driving with no insurance, no licence and no test certificate. When Jayne Latcham, 28, of Bell Street
BRITISH Airways flew back into the black yesterday with a turnaround on its profits. But it warned the City not to expect too much in the near future as it anticipates this year to be "tougher" than last. Pre-tax profits for the three months to December
COUNTY Durham businesses are being warned not to fall foul of a new data protection confidence trick. Official-looking letters telling businesses they have to register under the Data Protection Act 1998 are being sent out with a demand for £95 - nearly
Claims that up to 4,000 men in a North-East village are to be DNA tested in the Milly Dowler murder investigation are exaggerated, say police. Surrey Police investigating the death of 13-year-old Amanda "Milly" Dowler have already carried out swab tests
SEDGEFIELD is the latest stop for Ferdy Murphy's globetrotting gelding Seasquill (1.45), who in a much-travelled career has already won three times in Australasia, as well picking up useful place money when campaigned in the Middle-East. "We bought Seasquill
A SAFETY partnership is on hand to give crime prevention advice to towns and villages. Two neighbourhood watch evenings have been organised by the Hambleton Community Safety Partnership. The aim is to encourage people to start their own schemes supported
LIGHTING company Thorn said yesterday it remains committed to the region despite shedding 19 jobs at its County Durham plant. Competition from other European brand leaders is blamed for the cutback which was announced to 1,000 workers at Thorn's Spennymoor
Admin/accounts assistant. £5ph dep on exp, 30-40hrs pw, Mon-Fri. Must have office/accounts experience and possess general knowledge of payroll. Ref: DUR 35186. Fundraiser. £5ph plus bonus, 12hrs pw, Mon-Fri. Required to market local charity. No experience
KEVIN BALL lent his weight to Sunderland's relegation battle for the first time yesterday as he rejoined the club after a three-year break. Ball, 38, began work as a coach alongside Howard Wilkinson after the Sunderland manager invited the former Black
IT may not be said that these are green fingers, especially since the Unfortunate Affair with the Lawn Mower. It is one thing to cut the cable, quite another to pick up the live end in an attempt to discover what's wrong with it. "Unwise," they said at
A WOMAN who first set foot in Northallerton Grammar School 50 years ago retired last week. Linda Hanner first went to the school, which she has since seen develop into Northallerton College, in 1953 to sit her 11-plus exam. She went on to pass nine O-levels
A MARKET town's sports hall was transformed into a professional theatre for the first leg of the Royal Shakespeare Company's international tour. Five articulated lorries carrying more than 50 tonnes of lighting, sound and stage equipment arrived in Northallerton
A village chapel surrounded by graves and a War Memorial is possibly the last place most people could imagine living. But through the ornate keyhole of one such building, that is draped in hundreds of years of history, could soon lie someone's far-from-average
Newly-wed Vicky Lang, 18, gets a farewell hug from husband Rhys as soldiers from the 1st Battalion Queen's Dragoon Guards left their base at Catterick Garrison last week for the Gulf. There were tears as the troopers gathered up their kit bags and boarded
AN INQUEST has been opened into the death of a businessman found in a river. Self-employed structural engineer John Hird, who was single and from the Mowden area of Darlington, is thought to have fallen into the Tees in the early hours of Sunday, February
INQUESTS into the deaths of three men killed in a power station explosion will be held next Tuesday. Teesside coroners have set aside the rest of the week to listen to evidence about the incident at Enron Power Station, at Wilton, near Redcar, on August
A village has high hopes of preserving two out of three vital assets that seemed set to disappear. People in Middleton Tyas, near Richmond, were unhappy about facing the loss of their shop and post office but were outraged when, in December, it became
Firefighters were called to Dorothy Perkins, in Silver Street, Durham, just before 3.30pm yesterday, to a report of an adult trapped in a lift. They released one adult and one child.
TWO communities have joined forces in an attempt to stop a mobile phone firm erecting a 20m mast near their homes. More than 300 residents in Croxdale and Tudhoe have signed a petition against a proposed mast between the two villages. Sedgefield Borough
AN exhibition showcasing work by international glass artists has gone on display in the region. Queen's Museum of Art, in New York, the Crafts Council, and the National Glass Centre, in Sunderland, have joined forces to present Heart of Glass, at the
A DRUNKEN 20-year-old who beat and kicked a motorist after stepping into the middle of the road to halt his car, had his four-year sentence reduced at London's Appeal Court yesterday. Paul Stirman, of Eden Street, Peterlee, strode straight into the road
PEOPLE in the North-East would rather be photographed with astronaut Neil Armstrong than with David Beckham, according to a new survey. The poll, by Siemens mobile phones, interviewed 1,000 people across Britain to find out which celebrity people would
A PRIMARY school in Billingham is beginning to improve following its Ofsted report last year. When the inspection at Billingham South Community School took place in November, the headteacher and deputy head had only been in their posts for a few weeks
A GUIDE leader has returned from a peace-promotion trip to Thailand. Lucy Hall, 26, a voluntary district commissioner for Monkseaton Guides, in North Tyneside, spent a month in the coastal Sattahip region of Thailand as part of the international service
A PLAN to attract more visitors to one of Hartlepool' oldest churches has been given the go-ahead. Work will begin shortly on a project to create information displays and better lighting and access at the 12th Century St Hilda's Church, on the Headland
JOBSEEKERS across the North-East have been invited to wing their way to the Newcastle Airport Jobsfair today. The event, organised in conjunction with Newcastle City JobCentre Plus, gives employers based at the airport the opportunity to recruit seasonal
YOUNG County Durham brass musicians will hone their technique at the weekend with one of the country's leading band conductors. Nicholas Childs, conductor of the Black Dyke Band, will lead a workshop for youngsters at County Hall, Durham, on Sunday. It
PEOPLE were encouraged to adopt new attitudes at a health event yesterday. Easington Primary Care Trust and Murton Welfare Association organised the event at The Glebe Centre, Murton. It included checks by health visitors, a walk, stress-busting taster
CULTURE secretary Tessa Jowell has appointed one of the North-East's top cultural leaders to promote creative industries in the region. Olivia Grant will hold the post of chairwoman of Culture North-East for four years after taking over from George Gill
A HEADTEACHER was behind bars yesterday after police swooped on a school in aid of charity. Neil Kern, head of Durham School, was arrested in the school chapel by Durham officers and taken to Chester-le-Street police station. Although he had committed
TWO avid readers of The Northern Echo have celebrated their golden wedding. Richard, 71, and Ivy Ross, 72, met at a dance in Filey, North Yorkshire, where Mr Ross is from. They married at St Paul's Church, in Haswell, County Durham, and after Mr Ross
Headteacher at Darlington's Carmel Technology College, James O'Neil, has praised the school's caterers after the college was presented with a Healthy Eating award by Health Secretary Alan Milburn. He said of Hallmark Catering Management, in Sedgefield
Headteacher at Darlington's Carmel Technology College, James O'Neil, has praised the school's caterers after the college was presented with a Healthy Eating award by Health Secretary Alan Milburn. He said of Hallmark Catering Management, in Sedgefield
A CAMPAIGN to reduce car crime in a Teesside town is having mixed results. Thefts from vehicles using Middlesbrough's car parks have plummeted because of a number of initiatives. Owners are heeding warnings to lock any valuables out of sight when using
TV celebrities Denise Robertson and Kirsten O'Brien have joined forces to launch a charity fundraising campaign. The pair were promoting the Daffodil Campaign, run by the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity. Agony aunt Robertson was at the National Glass
New volunteers are needed for a scheme which offers friendship to youngsters in care. Katie Barlow reports. JOHNNY is only 15. He is friendly and chatty and would like someone to become his friend. He lives in a children's home and likes music, football
MEMBERS of Guisborough's Christian Aid Group will hand over a list of 70 demands calling for an overhaul of international trade rules to work in favour of the world's poor. They will be presented to Ashok Kumar, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East
AN unwanted mongrel rescued from kennels has become the latest recruit in the fight against drugs in the region. Scruff is Northumbria Police's third drugs detection dog. Sergeant Larry Straker, of the force's dog section, said: "Scruff has taken to training
AN unwanted mongrel rescued from kennels has become the latest recruit in the fight against drugs in the region. Scruff is Northumbria Police's third drugs detection dog. Sergeant Larry Straker, of the force's dog section, said: "Scruff has taken to training
MICHAEL JACKSON: I WATCHED with pity and horror the Michael Jackson programme. The people of Iraq have more dignity than the hordes of Americans who follow Michael Jackson everywhere. At the zoo, the gorillas were behind bars. I consider them less dangerous
Referees were again the topic of conversation in our dressing room following our draw against Rushden on Saturday as - yet again - a dubious decision went against us. You can accept these decisions if the referee makes the same sort of decisions for both
THE region's housing market looks set to remain buoyant for 2003 despite growing reports of a slowdown in the South, according to a leading mortgage lender. Peter Rowley, chief executive of Darlington Building Society, said talk of a market price realignment
THE wife of artist Mack enzie Thorpe has spoken of the family's relief that a long-running dispute with a former member of the gallery staff is finally over. An industrial tribunal has cleared Mr Thorpe and his wife Susan of the unfair dismissal of sales
Q I HAVE been doing some research on Witton Gilbert but cannot get past the Norman Frenchman called Gilbert De Leia. How old is Witton Gilbert, some say it goes back to the Iron Age? - David Brigader, Durham. A THE name Witton probably dates back to Anglo-Saxon
The new Bishop of Durham, succeeding the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull, was announced today. The Reverend Canon Dr Nicholas Thomas Wright, Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey, will take up the fourth most senior position in the Church of England after
POLICE hunting the killer of schoolgirl Milly Dowler are set to widen their search in a North-East community after failing to find a match for mystery DNA found on the schoolgirl's clothing. The unidentified male DNA, discovered on an item of Millie's
TWO men who were secretly filmed killing ten goats in a shed were jailed last week for their part in the cruel slaughter. The animals, bought for an Islamic halal ceremony, should have died quickly from a single cut to the neck. Barrister Tony Kelbrick
Administration assistant, Hartlepool. £13,050pa pro rata, 37hrs per fortnight, between 8.30am and 5pm, Mon-Fri. Required to supervise team of admin assistants. Must have minimum three GCSEs Grade C or above, including English and maths and working knowledge
The skies over North Yorkshire could be quieter by the end of the week with RAF Tornados based at Leeming put on standby for war in the Gulf. There was only a single sleek silhouette on the concrete pan beneath the control tower at RAF Leeming this morning
A NEW drop-in centre has opened to provide advice and information about mental health. At the official opening, special guest Dr Rosie Page spoke frankly about the mental health problems suffered by her father, Alf Wight, whose James Herriot novels brought
A MAN has been arrested over the rape of an 89-year-old woman at a residential home where he worked, in Jarrow, South Tyneside, on Friday, said Northumbria Police. A 50-year-old man was arrested and bailed pending further inquiries.
Ed Byrne, who is billed as the country's brightest comedy star, will appear in a solo show at The Sunderland Empire Theatre, on Saturday, March 1. For more information and tickets, call the box office on 0191-514 2517.
Miller Homes has submitted plans to Darlington Borough Council detailing access and site development proposals at Faverdale Hall, in Darlington. The plans follow an application by Leftbank Developments, in Newcastle, to transform the hall into 18 apartments
THERE is an irony that the first casualty of an international crisis which was engineered to force "regime change" in Iraq has not been the Iraqi leader but Western unity. Indeed, an alliance as cherished as Nato, which has played a major role in keeping
A WOMAN is seriously ill in hospital after her car was in collision with a truck, hit a lamppost and rolled down an embankment. The incident happened at 10.30am yesterday, when the woman, thought to be in her mid-40s and from Peterlee, County Durham,
A DOG owner has scoured her village and surrounding area after losing her pet. Glenna Murray, from Hamsterley, is devastated after her blue Great Dane puppy escaped from the family car on Sunday afternoon. Mrs Murray had just bought the puppy from Lincolnshire
THE tiny trees growing at a secret location represent the survival of an entire species in the North-East. Black poplars are extremely uncommon across the region, and although a small number cling to existence in Northumberland, Tyneside and Wearside,
When a range of farm buildings came on the market this month no one expected any trouble. Close to local amenities and the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, it was perfect for conversion into a delightful family home. The property, which comprises a horseshoe
TO BE or not to be a wrestler - that is the question posed when Hamlet gets ready to rumble in the ring tomorrow. North-East theatre company Site Specified presents Wrestling Shakespeare, a play combining the Bard's work with WWF-style American wrestling
TO BE or not to be a wrestler - that is the question posed when Hamlet gets ready to rumble in the ring tomorrow. North-East theatre company Site Specified presents Wrestling Shakespeare, a play combining the Bard's work with WWF-style American wrestling
STUDENTS in Darlington are displaying their work in the town's Arts Centre. Budding artists Amy Colling and Zoe Carter are the latest Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College students to have their efforts put on show in the centre's craft window. Both are
THREE people involved in the widespread supply and use of Ecstasy at a popular North-East nightclub were given custodial sentences yesterday. Two others involved in dealing the class A drug, including a primary school classroom assistant, were spared
FISHBURN Band have been crowned champions of the Durham League. The band, conducted by Graham O'Connor, took the honours in section A of the Durham County Brass Band Association's annual grading contest at Spennymoor Leisure Centre. Second place went
FISHBURN Band have been crowned champions of the Durham League. The band, conducted by Graham O'Connor, took the honours in section A of the Durham County Brass Band Association's annual grading contest at Spennymoor Leisure Centre. Second place went
THE grounds of an historic Darlington building could be developed into modern houses to fund its repairs. Harewood Grove, which was built as eight large town houses in the mid-19th century, is owned by the Armstrong family and has since been converted
It has seen off the Soviet Union and helped restore peace in the Balkans, but is now facing its most serious challenge yet. Nick Morrison looks at where it's all going wrong for Nato. SPRINGING out of the rubble of post-war Europe, it has been the cornerstone
TWO communities have joined forces in an attempt to stop a mobile telephone company erecting a 20m mast near their homes. More than 300 residents in Croxdale and Tudhoe have signed a petition against a siting of the mast between the two villages. Sedgefield
ARMED police were out on the streets again yesterday, tracking down a second suspect in a shooting. As suspicions grew that the fugitive may be being hidden by friends, police warned that those giving him shelter could themselves face charges. Anthony
AN inquest has been opened into the death of a 53-year-old man who was found dead in Darlington town centre after a night sleeping rough. Terry Robson, also known as Terry McGann, was found by a shopper behind Wilkinson's store, in East Street, on January
ARMED police stormed a house yesterday after receiving a tip-off that a teenager had a firearm. A 19-year-old man was arrested and questioned by police when they raided his Darlington home. He was held while the armed response unit raided his home, in
A GRANDFATHER is planning to sue a North-East health authority because he claims doctors ruined his life when they mistakenly told him he only had three years to live in 1987. Stockton man Bob Bates, 76, of Grangefield, said they gave him the terrible
A gipsy site costing £100,000 to refurbish has been wrecked by invading travellers. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's only official purpose-built gipsy site, at South Bank, Middlesbrough, refurbished with washing facilities and power links, was wrecked
A veteran rugby player collapsed and died while playing the game he loved. Colleagues rushed to help former York Rugby Union Football Club player Carl Neary when he collapsed shortly after the start of the game on Saturday. Mr Neary, 45, decribed as a
AN anti-drugs group has criticised the introduction of a cannabis lollipop that could be sold in North-East shops. Glasgow firm Uraeus has developed the sweet that tastes like marijuana, but does not contain the chemical that makes users high. It is being
A man was pronounced dead at the scene of an accident on the A171 Whitby to Guisborough road, at the Lealholme junction, North Yorkshire, yesterday. Two vehicles were involved in the accident at 3.50pm and two other people were taken to Scarborough District
A trucker who booted traffic cones out of the way in a road rage incident was spared a driving ban yesterday. James Gillan, 59, saw red when workers challenged him for going through traffic lights at roadworks on the A66, in County Durham. Gillan got
DETECTIVES trying to solve the mystery of how a man choked to death on a sausage sandwich were thwarted when a cat ate the evidence. Joseph Callaghan was found with the food lodged in his windpipe. Detectives believe his death may have been suspicious
POLICE acted yesterday to arrest two men suspected of a series of rooftop burglaries in Derwentside. Officers arrested the men, who are thought to be in their 20s and from the Sunderland area, at about 5am yesterday. A police spokesman said the pair were
AN EXHIBITION which tells the story of Allied soldiers captured during the Second World War opened yesterday. Former prisoners of war have helped gather the exhibits at the Green Howards Museum, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, which include an escape suit
AN EXHIBITION which tells the story of Allied soldiers captured during the Second World War opened yesterday. Former prisoners of war have helped gather the exhibits at the Green Howards Museum, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, which include an escape suit
BRITAIN'S trade gap widened to a record £34.3bn last year as exports continued to take a hammering. Data from the Office for National Statistics showed 2002 recorded the biggest deficit - the difference between what Britain imports and exports - since
A leading figure from the banking world rolled up his sleeves to prepare lunch for disadvantaged youngsters. Benny Higgins, chief executive for retail banking with The Royal Bank of Scotland, was in Newcastle on Sunday to launch the bank's North-East
A leading figure from the banking world rolled up his sleeves to prepare lunch for disadvantaged youngsters. Benny Higgins, chief executive for retail banking with The Royal Bank of Scotland, was in Newcastle on Sunday to launch the bank's North-East
COUNTY Durham businesses are being warned not to fall foul of a new data protection confidence trick. Official-looking letters telling businesses they have to register under the Data Protection Act 1998 are being sent out with a demand for £95 - nearly
YOU have to laugh at BBC2's Tuesday evening series A Country Parish. It is an eight-part docutainment about a young clergyman who has just moved from a smart suburban parish in Nuneaton to a rural village in deepest Wiltshire. The series has a strong
KIND-HEARTED Northerners have raised £300,000 for cancer services in record time. Officials from the Macmillan Cancer Relief Fund said they have been amazed by the response to their appeal. Macmillan is hoping to raise £600,000 in three years, but is
In deep... and hoping they stay there THE habit of TV producers looking no further than the last series they saw when casting a new programme is getting ridiculous, with the same actors turning up again and again. No content with having Fiona Allen, from
With the promise of more next time, but the knowledge that some things take a little longer, the column in April 13 2001 recalled the contentious case of Arthur Childs, sent off in the 1930 FA Cup semi-final. Not so easily dismissed, we return almost
A man has died after neighbours rescued him from his burning home. Residents in Cleveland Avenue, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, raised the alarm at around 6pm last night when they spotted smoke pouring from a ground floor flat. They managed to drag
CORONER Jeremy Cave has been locked up for stealing from the estates of dead clients. The North Yorkshire solicitor swindled £155,000 over ten years, overcharging grieving relatives by as much as 250 per cent. He was jailed for 3 years on Friday at the
Firefighters were called to Dorothy Perkins, in Silver Street, Durham, just before 3.30pm yesterday, to a report of an adult trapped in a lift. They released one adult and one child.
EASINGTON District Council is inviting the area's residents to a civic dinner dance at Peterlee Leisure Centre on Friday, March 14, from 7pm to 1am. The event includes a five-course meal and music from Groove Club. Tickets, costing £18, are available
A DIRECTOR of a computer sales, supply and maintenance businesses that failed with debts of about £37,000 has been disqualified from acting as a company director for three-and-a-half years. Gary Henderson, of Malvern Way, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
CHILDREN hope the results of two classes at school this week will be music to the ears. Youngsters at the Corpus Christi RC Primary School, Middlesbrough, are creating a piece of music with the help of composer Barry Russell. Mr Russell is leading the
THE organisers of a fair for family and local history enthusiasts are hoping for a big turnout. The sixth Yesterday Belongs to You event will be held at County Hall, Durham, on Saturday, April 5. And the council is expecting a bigger attendance than the
YOUNGSTERS will be taking part in hockey training next week in a bid to get more people involved in the sport. Stockton Borough Council has organised the half-term training at Norton Hockey Club for more than 70 youngsters aged from ten to 14. Emma Warnes
JOBSEEKERS across the North-East have been invited to wing their way to the Newcastle Airport Jobsfair today. The event, organised in conjunction with Newcastle City JobCentre Plus, gives employers based at the airport the opportunity to recruit seasonal
A COMPANY has lent its support to an overseas charity after being inspired by an employee. Specsavers opticians, in Durham, has donated £500 to Vision Aid Overseas following a mercy mission on behalf of the organisation by Priya Almani, an optometrist
CLIENTS of a disgraced North Yorkshire solicitor have been assured that all applications for compensation will be treated independently. Former North Yorkshire coroner and solicitor Jeremy Cave, 53, was jailed for three-and-a-half years on Friday for
CLIENTS of a disgraced North Yorkshire solicitor have been assured that all applications for compensation will be treated independently. Former North Yorkshire coroner and solicitor Jeremy Cave, 53, was jailed for three-and-a-half years on Friday for
CULTURE secretary Tessa Jowell has appointed one of the North-East's top cultural leaders to promote creative industries in the region. Olivia Grant will hold the post of chairwoman of Culture North-East for four years after taking over from George Gill
DURHAM Wildlife Trust has new displays in the visitor centre at its Rainton Meadows reserve, near Houghton-le-Spring. They were created with more than £20,000 given by the Onyx Environmental Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund. SECURITY DISPLAY: Durham
NEWCASTLE United midfielder Jermaine Jenas insists a testing tussle with Arsenal's Patrick Vieira has readied him for the likelihood of an England debut against Australia tomorrow night. Jenas, 20 a week tonight when Newcastle visit Bayer Leverkusen in
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren has backed defender Ugo Ehiogu to make a full recovery from the horrific internal injuries he suffered at Blackburn on New Year's Day. The centre-back, who returned to light training yesterday, was hospitalised after
A GROUP of youngsters on Teesside have launched an £80,000 appeal to re-roof and extend their base. The First Nunthorpe Scout Group meets in a prefab which was used as a canteen during the Second World War, but it urgently needs repairs. Maureen Gendle
RESIDENTS of Middlesbrough have been using virtual reality software to see what their neighbourhood could look like. Middlesbrough Council is consdering naming the Gresham area a Home Zone - which could bring improvements to the quality of life. Thanks
POLICE hunting the killer of schoolgirl Milly Dowler are set to widen their search in a North-East community after failing to find a match for mystery DNA found on the schoolgirl's clothing. The unidentified male DNA, discovered on an item of Millie's
TV celebrities Denise Robertson and Kirsten O'Brien have joined forces to launch a charity fundraising campaign. The pair were promoting the Daffodil Campaign, run by the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity. Agony aunt Robertson was at the National Glass
TWO police officers assigned to patrol a Stockton estate have shown residents they mean business by making arrests within days of their posting. PCs Andrea Robinson and Alan Fish have become familiar faces in the Parkfield area and have won the confidence
If you can't decide what you want from life, or you can, and don't know how to make it happen, a life coach could be the answer. Steve Pratt talks to Fiona Harrold. FIONA Harrold is a life coach, not a guru. All the recent talk surrounding Cherie Blair's
