THE North-East clothing manufacturing industry has suffered a heavy blow with the loss of 150 jobs at a factory. Staff at Dewhirst, in Hendon, Sunderland, were told of the decision, which comes in the wake of bosses reporting a slump in orders. Although
A CASH-STRAPPED police force was last night facing a costly damages bill after an officer on a 999 call knocked down a couple - leaving a man needing his leg amputated. Cleveland Police constable Trevor Myers was criticised by a judge for "not being the
Master mariner Canon Bill Broad is sailing off into retirement from a church which will sorely miss a priest of his calibre and commitment ON THE crest of a wave, but with plain warning of the onrushing tide, seafaring cleric Canon Bill Broad weighed
A VILLAGE policeman has been suspended following allegations that a signature on a witness statement was forged. PC Paul Gallagher, beat officer for West Cornforth, County Durham, could face criminal charges following an investigation into claims that
HAVING tasted play-off heartbreak four times in five years with Hartlepool United, Chris Westwood wants to make sure success is sustained at Victoria Park. After promotion last season, Neale Cooper guided Pool to a shock play-off place in Division Two
AN eight-year-old boy died after he became tangled in a climbing rope in a treehouse, an inquest heard yesterday. Jerome Frewen, known as Romey to family and friends, died on October 21 last year at his home in Healaugh, near Reeth, North Yorkshire. Yesterday's
CHICKEN-KEEPING is the new rock 'n' roll. A designer 'eglu' has been invented and suddenly it is chic to keep chickens in suburbia. There has been a 15 per cent increase in chicken-keeping in a year, and now 200,000 British households have poultry. We've
Young actors are studying the soaps in a masterclass at the Newcastle University this weekend to try and find the stars of the future. The next generation of North-East stars will be delving into the world of the TV soap opera this weekend. Newcastle-based
Thieves have added to a couple's heartache, by stealing from their baby's grave. Born with multiple organ defects, Leah Churchill adored cuddly toys during her brief life. Chris Churchill, 32, and his partner, Julie Hall, 28, placed a small pot teddy
FREE training is on offer this summer for people who have, or have had problems with drug and alcohol misuse. A course, called Making Sense of It - Drugs, Alcohol and Health, will run at leisure and community centres across County Durham. The course is
A SCHOOL that was praised in an Ofsted report has moved to tackle the one area inspectors said it needed to improve on, by staging a multicultural week. Greenland Junior School in South Moor, Stanley, invited the Caribbean steel band Juma Steel to the
SUNDERLAND are offering new contracts to Jeff Whitley and John Oster - despite their play-off shoot-out howlers. Oster hit a post and Whitley performed an ill-advised John Aldridge-style shuffle before his penalty was saved by Nico Vaesen in the Black
HOSPITAL staff are limbering up for this year's charity Race for Life, in Darlington. The team of nurses from the town's Woodlands Hospital will be among thousands of women taking part in the popular fund-raiser in aid of Cancer Research UK. The 5km race
The latest Hollywood disaster movie shows the Earth being ravaged by floods and a new Ice Age. But with climate change already a concern, exactly how accurate are these gloomy predictions? Nick Morrison reports. HAILSTONES the size of grapefruit rain
LIGHTNING doesn't strike twice, and after being set a remarkably similar target to last week's at Taunton, Durham slumped to a three-day defeat against Glamorgan at Riverside. Somerset's declaration required them to score 451 off 139 overs, this time
A NUMBER of radio stations in the region, including Alpha FM, in Darlington, are being bought by a company set up by former Jazz FM bosses. The Local Radio Company, which raised more than £50m in a stock market flotation yesterday, is buying Radio Investments
INDUSTRIAL plant-builder VAI UK announced last night that it won a record number of orders last year. The Stockton company, which builds engineering and metallurgy plants, saw a number of major orders during the past year, including contracts for steelmaker
ACTION could be taken amid mounting concerns over the increasing numbers of roadside memorials at the scene of fatal accidents. Fears have been expressed that the memorials could present a road safety risk by distracting drivers and taking their eyes
AN eight-year-old boy died after he became tangled in a climbing rope in a treehouse, an inquest heard yesterday. Jerome Frewen, known as Romey to family and friends, died on October 21 last year at his home in Healaugh, near Reeth, North Yorkshire. Yesterday's
THE long-term future of Darlington Football Club appeared to have been secured last night after an 11th-hour deal to save the Quakers was agreed. George Reynolds and the Sterling Consortium said they had reached an agreement ensuring the former chairman
MIDDLESBROUGH chairman Steve Gibson has assured the club's FA Cup Youth Cup-winning side that they won't be held back by an influx of big-money signings at the Riverside. Darlington-born winger James Morrison is the first of the side that triumphed over
The next generation of North-East stars will be delving into the world of the TV soap opera this weekend. Newcastle-based Drama North, which aims to provide expert training for would-be young actors, is holding its first celebrity masterclass. With Coronation
A CASH-STRAPPED police force was last night facing a costly damages bill after an officer on a 999 call knocked down a couple - leaving a man needing his leg amputated. Cleveland Police constable Trevor Myers was criticised by a judge for "not being the
SUNDERLAND are offering new contracts to Jeff Whitley and John Oster - despite their play-off shoot-out howlers. Oster hit a post and Whitley performed an ill-advised John Aldridge-style shuffle before his penalty was saved by Nico Vaesen in the Black
POLICE are sticking to their pledge to get tough over rogue bikers who speed along some of the region's most picturesque roads. One biker was ordered off the roads yesterday after he was caught at 103mph. Further prosecutions are imminent as efforts to
A SCHIZOPHRENIC man who walked unchecked out of the psychiatric unit of a North-East hospital was found dead at the bottom of some of the highest cliffs in Britain 20 days after he went missing. The body of John Pedelty, 57, of Eldon Lane, Bishop Auckland
EXPERTS from all over the country have vowed to do more do more to help youngsters cope with grief following a North-East conference on child bereavement. About 100 delegates attended the third annual conference of Tees Valley Cruse Bereavement Care in
EXPERTS from all over the country have vowed to do more do more to help youngsters cope with grief following a North-East conference on child bereavement. About 100 delegates attended the third annual conference of Tees Valley Cruse Bereavement Care in
WHEN the highlight of the week in our house is the Siamese cat trying to attack the visually-impaired piano tuner's guide dog you know you're in trouble. If my wife had watched Body Talk (C4, Monday) about giveaway gestures of dominance and anxiety she'd
WHEN the highlight of the week in our house is the Siamese cat trying to attack the visually-impaired piano tuner's guide dog you know you're in trouble. If my wife had watched Body Talk (C4, Monday) about giveaway gestures of dominance and anxiety she'd
MARIE Predki has been appointed Mayor of Sedgefield Borough. Councillor Predki took over the chains of office from Councillor George Gray at Sedgefield Borough Council's annual meeting yesterday. Accepting the honour, she said: "I'm looking forward to
Beleaguered Yorkshire were hit by more problems at Headingley yesterday as they slumped to a crushing defeat by 244 runs in their Championship match against Nottinghamshire. Even with a top strength and fully fit side they would not have stood a prayer
PEOPLE over 50 were able to log on to the Internet for the first time at a silver surfers' event held for beginners. The Shildon Project for the Initiation of Community Enterprise (Spice) invited people over 50 to use the computers at it community access
AN arsonist who set fire to his home because he wanted to be rehoused found no one wanted to take him in, a court heard yesterday. Gareth Flynn, 22, was plagued by bullies and burglars in his mid-terrace house so he started fires in the lounge and a bedroom
YOUNGSTERS at a Stockton school have created four works of art from waste materials. The youngsters, from Blakeston School, have been working with officers from Stockton Borough Council to explore awareness of waste issues and learn how to reduce the
LADIES and gentlemen, the next train arriving at platform one will be - part of a ground-breaking operatic show set to thrill the region. It is not an announcement weary rail passengers will have ever heard, but one that is coming to a station near you
A 15-YEAR-OLD boy who had drugs worth £10,000 in his bedroom was locked up yesterday. A police sniffer dog found the heroin and cocaine under the floorboards. The teenager was found on his bed with £320 cash when police raided his Stockton home. Teesside
LADIES and gentlemen, the next train arriving at platform one will be - part of a ground-breaking operatic show set to thrill the region. It is not an announcement weary rail passengers will have ever heard, but one that is coming to a station near you
HAVING tasted play-off heartbreak four times in five years with Hartlepool United, Chris Westwood wants to make sure success is sustained at Victoria Park. After promotion last season, Neale Cooper guided Pool to a shock play-off place in Division Two
Pupils at Darlington's primary schools ensured a thrilling finish to their football season when they battled for honours in a league final competition. Abbey Junior School won the boys league in the town, while the girls at Whinfield Junior School lifted
AFTER a long, uneventful flight across Atlantic and continental America the heart cannot fail to skip a beat at the first sight of the majestic Rockies. Sprawling into seeming infinity, the crumpled crust of the earth holds the promise of untold delights
JAMES BETHELL'S far-sighted plan to plunder the Victoria Cup with his stable-star Mine (2.45), which was exclusively revealed to readers of Racing North in March, appears all set to come to fruition at Ascot. The final piece of the jigsaw fell neatly
LOCAL GOVERNMENT: THERE is more to comparing different opinion polls than arguing 'mine is bigger than yours' as Malcolm Iveson did (HAS, May 14). Sedgefield Borough Council has not published any detail surrounding its survey so we do not know how reliable
VILLAGERS are to get extra time to voice their views on a phone mast scheme after they complained about lack of consultation. People in Hurworth, near Darlington, have until the end of June to respond to plans for a 25-metre telecommunications mast at
A PENSIONER who admitted child sex charges was jailed yesterday for two-and-a-half years. Roland Bennett, 71, indecently assaulted two young girls, one aged just eight at the time, and warned they could be put into homes if they told of their ordeals.
NEARLY three-quarters of businesses in the region are breaching workplace asbestos regulations that came into force yesterday, a survey has found. More than 23,000 businesses across the North-East have failed to carry out any asbestos assessment in line
YOUNGSTERS were celebrating yesterday as a new £30,000 play area was opened. The play area in Hackworth Park, Shildon, has been provided with funding from SureStart Shildon and Newton Aycliffe West. The money was made available last September. Parents
A SCHOOL is hoping for a top award after beating 800 primary schools to gain a place in the last five of an international Times Educational Supplement competition. Pupils from Northgate Junior School, Guisborough, were picked from thousands of schools
THREE talented youngsters have won the top accolades their local community can bestow. They have been named as Ripon's Young Musicians of the Year after a competition in the city that attracted more than 40 entries. The winner in the junior category was
A MAN who gave his brother's name to police when he was arrested for drink-driving has been jailed for four months. Philip Smith, 39, gave a false name because he was already banned from driving. Smith, of Bessemer Street, Ferryhill, appeared before magistrates
A MAN who admitted possessing a class B drug has been fined by magistrates. Red Beard, of St Mark's Court, Coundon Grange, denied possessing 75.1 grams of amphetamine sulphate when he appeared before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe yesterday. David Maddison
A VILLAGE policeman has been suspended following allegations that a signature on a witness statement was forged. PC Paul Gallagher, beat officer for West Cornforth, County Durham, could face criminal charges following an investigation into claims that
Master mariner Canon Bill Broad is sailing off into retirement from a church which will sorely miss a priest of his calibre and commitment. ON THE crest of a wave, but with plain warning of the onrushing tide, seafaring cleric Canon Bill Broad weighed
Young actors are studying the soaps in a masterclass at the Newcastle University this weekend to try and find the stars of the future. The next generation of North-East stars will be delving into the world of the TV soap opera this weekend. Newcastle-based
COUNTY Durham received a double jobs boost yesterday as two companies announced expansion plans. Walkers Snack Foods opened a £5.5m distribution warehouse in Peterlee this week, creating 45 jobs. The Seaward Group, which builds electrical test systems
A DOMESTIC violence counsellor accused of throwing a picture frame at his former girlfriend told police the only crime he had committed was falling in love with a liar. Former JP Paul Geldart had been assigned to support Melanie Lumsden by a women's refuge
DURHAM Sixth Form College has unveiled plans for the second phase of the upgrading of its city centre campus. The centre, in Providence Row, has already opened a resource centre packed with the latest computer equipment as part of a £2.4m modernisation
POLICE are sticking to their pledge to get tough over rogue bikers who speed along some of the region's most picturesque roads. One biker was ordered off the roads yesterday after he was caught at 103mph. Further prosecutions are imminent as efforts to
A SERIES of police raids uncovered a cannabis farm in Middlesbrough yesterday. Cleveland Police's Assistant Chief Constable Adam Briggs served notice on crooks in Middlesbrough as police officers, community support officers and street wardens swamped
FARMER Brian Maud has taken over as chairman of Ryedale District Council. Councillor Maud, who represents Rillington where he farms, has taken over from Councillor Brian Cottam, whose last duty in office was to dedicate a seat to former councillor Alan
THE long-term future of Darlington Football Club appeared to have been secured last night after an 11th-hour deal to save the Quakers was agreed. George Reynolds and the Sterling Consortium said they had reached an agreement ensuring the former chairman
