A PIONEERING mobile information unit for blind and partially sighted people is touring the region. The unit will visit Sunderland, Houghton-le-Spring and Middlesbrough. The service, run by Action for Blind People, is coming to the region after being invited
MARK TINKLER is among those who know Hartlepool United's home form should be better. Last night the midfielder showed his teammates the way as Pool eased past Chesterfield at Victoria Park to record home win number seven and push right back in the mix
TRAIN company GNER is spending £1m on hand-held computers to provide passengers with up-to-the-minute information on services. The palm-sized PCs will be issued to on-train staff, enabling them to keep passengers informed of delays or last-minute changes
A POLICE force facing a £7.3m funding "black hole" has had one of the biggest rises in officer numbers anywhere in the country. The number of Cleveland Police officers grew by 59 between August and December, a figure bettered only by Greater Manchester
MICK McCarthy is desperately hoping that tonight's game at Walsall is on so that Sunderland's Premiership push is not de-railed by a fixture pile-up. The Black Cats were already facing a run of ten games in 32 days before a frozen pitch prevented them
A SURVEY published yesterday has revealed that people in the North-East pay £85 more on a Band D property than the rest of the country. The survey published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) reveals that council tax
POLICE are trying to trace a driver who rammed a parked car through a house wall. Investigators say that a silver or white Clio hit a car parked on the driveway of a bungalow on Lichfield Avenue in Eston, Middlesbrough. It collided with such force that
An important piece of North-East railway history has been unearthed at the region's first national museum. A union banner found in old engine sheds at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon, County Durham, will go on display when the £10m
MICK McCarthy is desperately hoping that tonight's game at Walsall is on so that Sunderland's Premiership push is not de-railed by a fixture pile-up. The Black Cats were already facing a run of ten games in 32 days before a frozen pitch prevented them
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren has called on his Carling Cup-winning squad to make history again - by claiming their highest-ever Premiership finish. Boro are back on duty at Birmingham tonight for a rearranged Premiership game, little more than three
WHAT have we done to our children? Not content with force feeding them junk food and refusing to let them out of the house alone until they're practically old enough to vote, it seems now that children are succumbing in droves to stress. Two thirds of
MANY pubs, bingo halls and amusement arcades in the North-East could close as a result of new gambling laws, a report has warned. The changes will also lead to an increase in the number of problem gamblers, the study concludes. Gambling in the region
EMBATTLED Darlington Football Club suffered a fresh setback last night as a vital home fixture fell victim to the weather. The Quakers' game against Cheltenham Town at the Reynolds Arena was called off because of a frozen pitch, causing another headache
SUNDERLAND striker Neil Teggart will remain with Darlington until the end of the season. The 19-year-old joined Quakers in February on a one-month loan and was due to return to the Stadium of Light on March 6. However, the Northern Ireland forward will
A MARTIAL arts expert is to train up kung fu kids to beat bullying. Thomas Iddison, from Saltburn, is launching a self-defence campaign for youngsters, in the hope that it will stop them being picked on. The former police officer has started up a business
COUNCILLORS last night approved the merger of two Darlington schools despite objections from more than 100 parents. Darlington Borough Council's cabinet took just five minutes to decide that Whinfield infant and junior schools should merge. The council
A MAN carried out a sustained attack when a bystander reprimanded him for becoming abusive in front of people in a bus queue, a court heard. Lee Richard Ellin, 18, shouted at a woman who was unable to give him change for a telephone box, near a bus stop
A FORMER factory worker has forged a new career for himself after being made redundant from a cigarette company. Shaun Hering has been appointed CreateCity's project manager, overseeing all store and warehousing developments, including buying machinery
FEARS are growing for the safety of a teenager missing for more than a fortnight. Lee David Lovell, 16, has not been seen since he left his home in Byker, Newcastle, on Tuesday, February 17, and boarded a bus for Longbenton, North Tyneside. He is described
Barclays keep options open The Barclay brothers are refusing to rule out another assault on the Hollinger International newspaper group. The pair confirmed yesterday that they have withdrawn their offer to buy Conrad Black's majority stake in the group
A MAN savagely beaten by a gang of youths claims someone of a weaker constitution could have been killed. Father-of-two Ian Maidens has still not regained feeling in one side of his face following the attack. The teenagers repeatedly kicked him in the
A WOMAN trapped a man into confessing that he was a rapist, a court was told yesterday. The 29-year-old taped the 4am telephone conversation with Albert Joynes, 50, and handed it to police. The tape, played to the jury at Teesside Crown Court court, recorded
A SCHEME that trains people with long-term medical conditions to offer advice to fellow sufferers is to be extended. People in rural County Durham are already helping patients with the same chronic illnesses through the Expert Patients Programme. Durham
Gutted Boro fan Robbie Dunn was in tears when he lost his Carling Cup Final ticket only minutes before the kick off. But as the distraught teenager wept, a mystery good samaritan handed him a £54 ticket for nothing - and he was able to watch his heroes
CRICKET legend Ian Botham is branching out into the wine business. Together with close pal and fellow cricket star Bob Willis and Aussie blender Geoff Merrill, he has launched his own wine called, after their initials, BMW. The three met 25 years ago
CHILDREN have been learning about history as a copy of a famous book embarks on a tour of the county. Pupils at Castleside Primary School, Castleside, Consett, County Durham were the first to see the facsimile copy of the Lindisfarne Gospels. Deputy headteacher
MULTI-millionaire rock singer Brian Johnson reveals in a Tyne Tees Television programme how hard up AC/DC were when he joined the band as lead singer. Far from his finances being transformed overnight, as is popularly thought, he had to take responsibility
THE days when Sunderland enjoyed the reputation as the biggest shipbuilding town in the world are recalled in a television programme tomorrow. The final programme of the nostalgia Tyne Tees Television series The Way We Were chronicles the golden age of
DURHAM City Council is holding an event to encourage people to have their say about its services. The council's third open day will be held at Meadowfield Leisure Centre on Friday, March 26, from 8.45am to 3pm. The event, organised by the council's community
NEW figures paint a grim picture of the North-East - a region dogged by bad health, high mortality rates and the UK's largest decline in marriages. The fascinating snapshot is in the latest regional trends survey published by the Office for National Statistics
A WOMAN threatened to stab detectives as they tried to arrest her boyfriend, a court heard yesterday. Dawn Louise Marsden, 24, is alleged to have hurled obscenities at the two police officers before assaulting them and throwing an ornament at them. Miss
AN east Durham town will be one of the first to switch to the Royal Mail's new delivery system. From this week, first and second-class deliveries are to be amalgamated into a single, daily delivery in the Peterlee area. Residents will receive all their
YOUNGSTERS had high hopes for the survival of Darlington Football Club yesterday, as they launched a fundraising balloon race. Pupils at Firthmoor Primary School released 200 balloons as part of an effort to raise money for Darlington Supporters' Trust
A ROYAL Navy veteran of the first Gulf War died on a shallow dive during a routine mission. Jeff Walters, who once guarded the Queen aboard HMS Britannia, was on a training session when tragedy struck. It is believed the 36-year-old suffered a heart attack
A CRIME prevention group is to disband because of declining membership. Langbaurgh Crime Prevention Panel will hold its last meeting on Monday, in Guisborough. The group, which is managed by the police, was set up five years ago to raise money for schemes
VETERAN broadcaster Alistair Cooke is finally retiring after 58 years of his radio show Letter From America. The 95-year-old was absent from last week's programme - the world's longest-running radio speech programme - because of poor health. The BBC said
TOP-WEIGHT might not be sufficient to stop Archie Babe (2.00) winning the opening Kirkburton Novices' Hurdle at Wetherby today. John Quinn's versatile gelding proved he goes well at this time of year by taking the first race of the 2003 turf flat season
POLICE are investigating after a 53-year-old man was attacked by three youths in hooded tops who kicked and punched him before stealing his wallet. Officers are trying to trace witnesses to the assault, which took place between 7.15pm and 7.30pm, on Sunday
A DURHAM pub has gone back to its roots after more than eight years as part of an Irish theme bar chain. Scruffy Murphy's, in New Elvet, has reverted to being the City Hotel after a change in ownership. The pub, which opened in 1843 and became The City
AN increase in binge drinking among women is one of the reasons why a new health post has been created in the region. Peter Carlin-Page, from South Shields, has been appointed as Sunderland's first Alcohol and Substance Misuse Coordinator. His job - which
A NORTHALLERTON charity is £540 closer to it's £9,000 fundraising target following a donation from Scorton Music Society. Members raised the money for Chopsticks during a Christmas concert at Kiplin Hall, near Richmond, in mid-December. The charity provides
AN innovative charity was praised by its local MP when he opened its new premises. Paperworks was founded in Harrogate ten years ago in response to the Care in the Community Initiative. It provides valuable work experience and training to people with
PARKING IN response to the item on parking on footpaths by Peter Brown (HAS, Mar 1), may I confirm that the problem regarding vehicles parking on footpaths is a common occurrence and not restricted just to the Trimdon area. Drivers of vehicles who completely
care is being taken not to disturb the ghost of Lily of Lumley as the hotel website where she plays a starring role is updated. Designed with the help of Business Link County Durham, the Lumley Castle Hotel website, www.lumleycastle.co.uk, has already
THE engine room of the region's economy, the small business, is driving a technological revolution, according to research. Small businesses in the North-East, which account for 85 per cent of firms, have outstripped the rest of the country, including
ONE of the world's leading children's writers will be revealing a few tricks of the trade during a lecture in the North-East today. David Almond will give a talk called Practical Magic, a writer's thoughts on lying, stealing, beating words and casting
FILMING has begun on a new television series highlighting the heroics of a region's fire brigade. Scriptwriter Jonathan Critchley has been working with firefighters from Cleveland Fire Brigade to gather material for Yorkshire Television's latest drama
A BATHROOM retailer is investing £300,000 in the redevelopment of a flagship showroom in the region. The Bathroom Studio is making the investment in its Durham showroom as part of expansion plans, which will see the business create about ten jobs this
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren has called on his Carling Cup-winning squad to make history again - by claiming their highest-ever Premiership finish. Boro are back on duty at Birmingham tonight for a rearranged Premiership game, little more than three
MANUFACTURING firms enjoyed their strongest growth for seven years in the past few months and expect the progress to continue, according to a report. Job losses slowed, with employment increasing in some areas, and cutbacks in investment have come to
GROWTH in the building industry picked up last month as confidence in the sector rose to its highest level in more than a year. Total construction activity increased faster than in January following a sharp increase in orders during the month, the Chartered
CAR maker MG Rover has pressed ahead with plans to unveil a saloon at the first European motor show of the year despite renewed speculation about the company's finances. Company officials enthused about the 75-derived top-of-the-range Rover V8 saloon
A unique discovery of Hornby trains and Meccano toys has come to the region. The toys, once kept at Frank Hornby's famous Liverpool factory, were part of a forgotten collection of one of his workers. Now the items, which include a rare signed photograph
SUNDERLAND striker Neil Teggart will remain with Darlington until the end of the season. The 19-year-old joined Quakers in February on a one-month loan and was due to return to the Stadium of Light on March 6. However, the Northern Ireland forward will
The London market failed to deliver a repeat performance of Monday's 19-month high as investors cashed in on profits. Early gains which saw the Footsie climb 22 points were soon eroded, leaving the index to close 3.1 points up at 4540.1. Analysts said
PRIME Minister Tony Blair last night talked of a "struggle between good and evil" in Iraq as the country faced its bloodiest day since the toppling of Saddam Hussein. At least 140 people were killed when explosions blasted pilgrims gathering at shrines
A council-bashing cobbler is facing the boot from his shop. For more than five years the window of Tony Martin's premises in Claypath, Durham City, has used his shop window to criticse the local authority. Mr Martin, who took over the business from his
WHAT have we done to our children? Not content with force feeding them junk food and refusing to let them out of the house alone until they're practically old enough to vote, it seems now that children are succumbing in droves to stress. Two thirds of
PERHAPS Britain's second best bargain - 700 pages, £3.99 - the 12th edition of Collins Gem Dictionary has arrived with a satisfactory flump, as cut and as polished as always. Everyone had one at grammar school: dusty, dog eared and doodled upon but carefully
THE death of a young soldier during the First World War has inspired a North-East writer to base a play on what is described as one of the most shameful episodes in British military history. On January 18, 1917, three Durham Light Infantrymen faced a
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has issued court proceedings against a menswear chain over what it considers to be misleading advertisements. It is seeking an injunction against The Officers Club Limited and its director, David Charlton, it said in a
SIR BOBBY ROBSON has likened his four-and-a-half year reign at St James' Park to that of a firefighter - continually battling the flames of controversy that have become part and parcel of his spell in charge. The Newcastle manager, preparing for tonight's
THEY have grafted in Germany, soaked up the sun in Spain, cavorted in Cuba and had an Arizona adventure. But now everyone's favourite Geordie builders are set for their biggest challenge yet - rebuilding the Bridge on the River Kwai. The writers behind
A FORMER Radio One DJ has joined a community radio station in the North-East. Pat Sharp, who also used to present Fun House on ITV, has joined the crew of 107.5 Radio Hartlepool. He will present a show called Totally 80s on a Saturday morning, which has
A TOWN football club is forging ahead with plans for improvements to its stadium after receiving a financial boost. Willington AFC hopes to net grants of more than £40,000 to redevelop its Hall Lane Stadium to bring it up to league standards. Ground inspectors
A COUPLE have gone on trial accused of supplying street dealers with heroin. Cab driver Bilal Hussain and his common-law wife Nazir Nargis are alleged to have had almost 25 grammes of the Class A drug with them when their car was stopped by police as
A MURDER suspect told police he drove his car straight at his victim in a bid to scare her after she threatened him, a court heard. Michael McKay, 51, said 60-year-old Elizabeth Hedley had spoken "menacingly" to him and vandalised his car before she plunged
AN 81-year-old man's suggestive comments terrified two girls, a court heard yesterday. The youngsters, aged 11 and 13, had been pestered by boys and some of their clothes and belongings had been thrown into a beck in North Yorkshire. They were retrieving
A FORMER filling station in Stockton is likely to be transformed into a retail development, despite 874 residents objecting to the scheme. Members of Stockton Borough Council's planning committee will discuss a plan for a two-storey building with three
A £5.5m primary school will be built in Teesside after the Government approved the scheme. The 630-place primary school will be built on land that had been identified as a protected green field site at Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton. A number of objections
A piece of the region's mining heritage has been secured, thanks to two County Durham ex-pitmen. The Mahogany drift mine at the Beamish Museum, near Chester-le-Street, was facing closure because attraction bosses could not find a qualified miner needed
THE Derwent Valley Challenge Walk will be staged next month by the Consett Rotary Club, it has been announced. The walk is 15 miles long and can be done in sections of five miles, with the starting point at Snods Church Hall, near Shotley Bridge. Features
A KNIGHT who lost his head due to some mischievous vandals has regained his honour and is back on his charger. Known as the Millennium Charger, the knight on his horse was created out of willow by North Yorkshire artist Emma Stothard in 2000. It was commissioned
DOG walkers in a National Park will come under the spotlight next week. Councillors at the North York Moors National Park Authority will decide what message they want to send out about dogs on access land, which is land shown as open country on a map.
A BOOK due to be published later this year seems likely to start a new argument about one of Charles Dickens' most tragic characters, a boy called Smike. He featured in the novel Nicholas Nickleby as one of the pupils badly treated by cruel headmaster
A BOOK due to be published later this year seems likely to start a new argument about one of Charles Dickens' most tragic characters, a boy called Smike. He featured in the novel Nicholas Nickleby as one of the pupils badly treated by cruel headmaster
A COUNCIL leader has dismissed rumours that a councillor attended a controversial after-hours party with theatre staff. The Halloween get-together at Durham City's £14m Gala Theatre sparked an investigation by Durham City Council, which runs the venue
CONCERN is growing for a 14-year-old boy who has gone missing from a care home. Teenager Kyle Peebles disappeared from Cherry Tree House children's home, Eston, near Middlesbrough, on February 19, and has not been seen since. Although he lives at Eston
WOMEN can enjoy a bit of pampering and check up on their health at a free event next week. Beauty treatments and a health MOT will be on offer at Craghead Village Hall, near Stanley, on Monday. Other activities at the event, to mark International Women's
A FARMER who vowed to quit serious climbing after he conquered Everest is to run across the Sahara Desert. Chris Brown, who reached the summit of Everest in 1999, is being joined on his desert dash by three fellow members of Ripon Runners. To get used
No Angels (C4) THERE'S an emergency on the ward. All the chatter is about visible panty lines. A memo from hospital management has instructed nurses to banish VPL, as the outline of undergarments is distracting the doctors. As the hospital authorities
IT has been dubbed the greatest album that never was, but 37 years after it was originally penned and abandoned, the mythical Smile LP is at last to be heard in the North-East. Brian Wilson, the genius behind arguably America's greatest pop group the
MORE than 30 bereaved North-East families involved in an organ retentions scandal are facing an anxious wait for compensation. Relatives of people who had tissues and organs removed without their knowledge or consent have been locked in a legal battle
WINSTON Silcott, the man wrongly convicted of murdering PC Keith Blakelock, last night called for a public inquiry into the case in his first TV interview. The Sunderland-born, 40-year-old father-of-three was hacked to death with a machete at Broadwater
THE BBC is to put its Olympic Games and Glastonbury coverage live on the Internet. Users will be able to choose between different stages at the music festival and different events at the Games in Athens. It will be available to anyone with broadband.
THE steelmaking division of VAI UK has been awarded £13m of contracts to install blast furnaces for Corus. The Stockton company will install a third ladle blast furnace at Corus' Scunthorpe plant and also provide ladle furnace and vacuum degassing equipment
JAZZ fans around the region are getting ready for a night of cool, funky music. The Northern Echo's music website Revolution will host the Platform Jazz Lounge, at the Darlington Arts Centre. The event will feature Durham's Highstreet Anywhere. They will
WORK is about to start on the creation of a roundabout and entrance to an historic North-East parkland. Traffic-calming measures have been put in place on the A177 ahead of the work at Hardwick Park, near Sedgefield, County Durham, which will start later
THEY have grafted in Germany, soaked up the sun in Spain, cavorted in Cuba and had an Arizona adventure. But now everyone's favourite Geordie builders are set for their biggest challenge yet - rebuilding the Bridge on the River Kwai. The writers behind
EMBATTLED Darlington Football Club suffered a fresh setback last night as a vital home fixture fell victim to the weather. The Quakers' game against Cheltenham Town at the Reynolds Arena was called off because of a frozen pitch, causing another headache
AFTER Clare Short dropped her bombshell that Britain had been bugging the office of the UN Seretary-General Kofi Annan, it took no more than a minute or two for realisation to dawn that the explosion was something of a dud. We all know that spying goes
AS the latest deadline approaches for bids to be made for Darlington Football Club, there is a growing sense that the momentum which has built up is in danger of being lost. Much has been done to get the local community behind the club in a way which
BEING named a freeman of the town will confirm as much but, for anyone who has been involved in football during the last 19 years, Steve Gibson has always been "Mr Middlesbrough". The 46-year-old has been the one constant in the multiple ups and downs
