Aspiring rock groups and solo acts still have a few weeks to enter The Northern Echo's music competition. The Revolution Big Chance, sponsored by Music Zone and held in partnership with TFM Radio, aims to give musicians a push towards the big time with
A THEATRE, cinema and hotel could be built as part of a £30m redevelopment of award-winning Beamish Museum. Consultants have drawn up a five-year blueprint aimed at boosting visitor numbers to the North-East heritage museum site, as well as creating 380
A DARLINGTON primary school has been presented with an environment award for its work to reduce litter and promote recycling. Mount Pleasant Primary School received the Caring for Our Environment Award from Darlington Borough Council. Last month the school
THREE Darlington boys appeared at the town's youth court yesterday, charged with burglary. A 14-year-old and 13-year-old both admitted breaking into a WB Motor Company unit and stealing two quad bikes worth £2,000. The 13-year-old was given a six-month
DARLINGTON'S Market Square was transformed into a seaside scene yesterday, as beach lovers and sun worshippers replaced the usual market traders. Buckets and spades were the order of the day as part of the Darlington By the Sea event, which sees the market
Durham Coast League: Murton's fortunes in the last couple of weeks have improved considerably and they now enjoy a 26-point lead over Silksworth. Yet only a fortnight ago just one point separated the pair and they have jockeyed for pole position all season
A ONE-stop shop is bringing cutting edge technology to dial-a-ride transport services. Durham County Council has simplified its transport services. To book, you now only need one telephone number - 0191-383 5383. Called Travel Response, the new system
YOUNGSTERS have been flocking to a Newton Aycliffe church to take part in a summer festival. Momentum, organised by the town's Christian Life Centre, is a series of free workshops, games and activities for 11 to 19-year-olds which has been running since
RICHMOND MP William Hague is taking up the case of a man suffering from a degenrative disease who endured a 12-month wait for work to make his life easier. The former Conservative leader said he will pressure the Government to reform the system for grants
DURHAM Constabulary's top probationer of the year award is this year being shared by two officers. And yesterday, at a ceremony, PCs Gary Davison and Brian Dawson, both based at Peterlee, were presented with their citations by the chairwoman of Durham
SCIENTISTS involved in the fight against cancer will run and cycle the length of Hadrian's Wall today to raise funds for research. The researchers from the Institute of Human Genetics, in Newcastle, aim to run 84 miles in one day. Starting at 5.30am at
Giant spiders will descend the walls of a parish church, there will be ballroom dancing in the street and a spaceship landing in Trinity Gardens as festival fever grips Stockton. The17th Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) kicked off last
HARD work seems to be the way to long life if you take the example of a pensioner who celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday. Annie Boynton has always enjoyed keeping busy and still clears the table and washes up at Kiltondale Residential Home, where
A HEROIN addict who repeatedly defied a driving ban was jailed yesterday. Andrea Johnson admitted five counts of driving while disqualified, five of not being insured and others of careless driving and skipping bail. Harrogate magistrates jailed the 36
SIR Bobby Robson should know a thing or two about strikers. The Newcastle boss nurtured the development of Brazilian great Romario during his time at PSV Eindhoven, handled the enigmatic but exceptional Hristo Stoichkov at Barcelona, and changed the face
AN exhibition which uses artwork to create word and picture puzzles has opened at the University of Sunderland. The Rebus exhibition features the work of 21 students taking masters degrees in fine art at the university. The display takes the theme of
A LEADING glass artist has created the first custom-made art installation at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. Emma Underhill's work, Landscape Windows - Triptych 2004, will run alongside the attraction's current exhibition, Plantmania!, which celebrates
A MAN who carried out an unprovoked bottle attack on a student avoided a prison sentence yesterday. But after the hearing at Durham Crown Court, 25-year-old Ian Fettes was taken back to prison to complete a six-month sentence, imposed since the attack
MORE than 200 people yesterday helped launch a new centre for fostering and adoption services in County Durham. Children, carers and families attended a fun day staged by Durham County Council at the Littleburn Business Centre in Langley Moor. The resource
MANAGEMENT at a village pub say the decision to become a smoke-free zone has paid dividends. The Spotted Dog, at High Coniscliffe, near Darlington, introduced a smoking ban this year and was refurbished in June. A sheltered corner has been provided for
THE onsite firefighting team of a chemical works was last night praised for helping to safely contain a blaze in a cooling tower. The blaze was confined to the 2m-square metal structure, which was being decommissioned on the Thomas Swan and Co works at
Director of Cricket, David Byas, described Yorkshire's performance as "absolute rubbish" after it took them only 100 minutes yesterday morning to slump to a ten-wicket defeat against Somerset at Scarborough. But Byas said he was still confident that Yorkshire
ATTEMPTS to prise youngsters away from their computer games and the television are under way in Middlesbrough. Children are being taught how to build dens, the delights of walking, parachute games and art work using recycled materials. The initiative
A VOLUNTARY service is serving up pensions advice as well as hot meals to elderl people. The Women's Royal Voluntary Service has been recruited by the Government's Pension Service to distribute leaflets on pension credit with their meals on wheels. Karen
Q I have a friend aged 83 whose only income is a State Pension of £90.01 a week. She pays full rent and Council Tax. As she has a savings account, she wonders if it would be worth her while claiming Pension Credit. A With an income as modest as that,
A BRIGHT student is playing a leading role in helping an international consortium make the Internet more accessible to the disabled. At 22 years old, University of Sunderland student Tom Croucher is the youngest person and the only undergraduate involved
SOME areas of the Yorkshire Dales are the most deprived in the country, according to a Government report. Four wards in North Yorkshire's upper dales are among the 50 most deprived in the UK's 32,000 council wards. The 2004 Index of Multiple Deprivation
Readers Durham County League: Today's meeting of leaders Evenwood and Kimblesworth could go a long way to deciding to the destination of the championship. Following last week's rain affected programme, Kimblesworth are just 11 points adrift of their rivals
Actors in hugely successful US TV shows are demanding higher and higher pay cheques. But some have found that going on strike can be a bad move. WHEN The Sopranos star James Gandolfini accepted his best actor trophy at American television's Emmy Awards
ONE of the country's oldest football clubs will today pay tribute to a young footballer who was killed in a car accident earlier this year. Notts County are to play Shildon in a pre-season friendly at the town's Dean Street ground in memory of young defender
Flower power was abundant at a centenary service to serenade the swinging Sixties at the Methodist Milbank. STATION Town was what might have been supposed, and without too much locomotive effort. The railway from Sunderland to West Hartlepool and Stockton
PETER Mandelson returned to the North-East last night to prepare to be Britain's European Commissioner as the race began to succeed him as MP for Hartlepool. Last night, it emerged that former TV presenter Robert Kilroy-Silk was almost certain to stand
A ROLLERCOASTER ride of summer reading for children has been organised. Libraries and information centres across North Yorkshire are taking part in the 6th Summer Reading Challenge, a scheme designed to inspire reading among children. This year's theme
A THEATRE, cinema and hotel could be built as part of a £30m redevelopment of award-winning Beamish Museum. Consultants have drawn up a five-year blueprint aimed at boosting visitor numbers to the North-East heritage museum site, as well as creating 380
THE family of a North-East publican who died after a drunken fight at a christening party said last night they felt cheated by the justice system. Relatives of father-of-three John Lacy said they were devastated to learn the men involved in the brawl
PETER Mandelson's elevation to Europe presents Labour with a big headache in Hartlepool. The local party has had an extremely chequered recent history - its low point being losing the mayor's post to a man in a monkey suit - and, like Mr Mandelson himself
MARCUS STEWART has pledged to score goals at Sunderland for as long as he remains part of Mick McCarthy's squad. The future of the 31-year-old remains clouded in doubt with just two weeks to go until the start of the Coca-Cola Championship. A proposed
PETER MANDELSON: DOES Tony Blair's gift to Peter Mandelson of the EU Commissioner's job prove that Brussels is a refuge for failed politicians? Mr Mandelson would never be content to be a backbench Member of Parliament dealing with the humdrum. He believes
A PLAN that sets out a 20-year vision for County Durham was launched yesterday. The document aims to make "dynamic Durham" a great county to live, work, visit and invest in by 2023. Prime Minister Tony Blair attended the launch, which was held during
THE old saying would have us believe that a monkey with a red rosette pinned to its chest would win an election in Hartlepool. It is a working-class town with good old socialist values, built up as a port serving the North-East coal, steel and shipbuilding
Foster's Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League: Just as they appeared to be running into championship form, Ashington came down to earth with a bump on Wednesday night when they were surprisingly defeated at The Spa by Shotley Bridge in a semi-final
THE lure of regular first-team football persuaded Ray Parlour to take a substantial pay cut to join Steve McClaren's ambitious Middlesbrough. With a year still remaining on his Arsenal contract, believed to be worth a basic £780,000 a year, Parlour has
THE Government last night credited regional development agency One NorthEast with boosting the area's economy. Jacqui Smith, Industry and Regions Minister, said the agency was making a real difference as the Department for Trade and Industry released
THE mystery suitor stalking Abbey National was last night unveiled as Spanish bank Banco Santander Central Hispano. Spain's biggest bank said in a statement that it was holding conversations with Abbey that could lead to an offer for the UK bank. In a
HOT favourite Doyen (4.25) has all of the necessary ingredients to dish out a severe drubbing to his ten rivals in Ascot's glittering King George Vl And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, writes Colin Woods. Saeed Bin Suroor holds a hugely strong hand in
A CONSORTIUM based in Britain has offered to bail out Russian oil company Yukos in return for a stake in the crisis-ridden company. The investor group - led by a former Yukos official and shareholder now living in the UK - has written to President Vladimir
IN 1801, the population of Witton Gilbert Township was 369, with most people in the area living in the village itself. By 1861, when the population had risen to 2,098, this was no longer the case and the growth was largely due to the birth of Sacriston
An inquest into the death of a young airman who died in secret nerve gas tests 51 years ago has been adjourned until next month. The hearing into 20-year-old Ronald Maddison, who died after being exposed to sarin in 1953, is now in its 12th week. Wiltshire
LIVE TV coverage will return to a North-East racecourse for the first time in 18 months. A media rights deal means all the action from Sedgefield, County Durham's only racecourse, will be shown live on Attheraces starting from the next meeting on Monday
ANIMAL-LOVER Peter Wayman is mixing business with pleasure - by opening a family farm. Mr Wayman has spent the last eight months working around the clock to convert his former dairy farm in County Durham into a family attraction. The farm - housing an
SIR Bobby Robson should know a thing or two about strikers. The Newcastle boss nurtured the development of Brazilian great Romario during his time at PSV Eindhoven, handled the enigmatic but exceptional Hristo Stoichkov at Barcelona, and changed the face
A 15-year-old youth who crashed his neighbour's car appeared at Darlington Youth Court yesterday. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted driving without a licence or insurance. Ciaran Grogan, prosecuting, said the youth thought a neighbour
A 16-YEAR-OLD youth who admitted throwing knives at his mother and threatening to kill her, was spared custody yesterday. The boy from Darlington, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, admitted at the town's youth court to making threats to kill
A BURGLAR who struck more than 40 times in eight months was beginning a five-year jail sentence last night. Michael Carey, 45, targeted the homes of the wealthy in Darlington, committing his thefts while the occupants were asleep. He was trapped when
The expulsion rate at one of the Government's flagship city academy schools was more than ten times the national average in its first year. King's Academy, in Middlesbrough, ejected 26 out of 1,034 pupils in 2003-4, a rate of 2.51 per cent, according
A CAMPAIGN to stop vandalism and anti-social behaviour in Shildon's Hackworth Park has been stepped up with the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance . The CCTV camera has been mounted on Shildon Town Council's main office building
IN Roman times, the calendar was rather fluid. Unscrupulous rulers elected for a fixed number of years extended the months within those years so they had a longer time in power. Indeed, Tony Blair might consider this. He wants to hold a General Election
A TEAM of intrepid cyclists have pedalled coast-to-coast in a non-stop ride to raise thousands of pounds for charity. The team of 13, from the 3M factory in Newton Aycliffe, finished the 130-mile route from Workington to Whitley Bay in 12 hours, despite
BRITAIN'S top doctor was in the region yesterday to open a medical training centre. Government chief medical officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson visited the education and training centre at Sunderland Royal Hospital. More medical students than ever will
FAMILIES who open their homes to children growing up in the shadow of one of the world's worst nuclear disasters are giving them the precious gift of life. A group from the Ukraine are taking a break from a homeland contaminated by radiation after the
TRADING standards officers hope a hefty fine for a convenience store owner selling illicit cigarettes will serve as a warning to other traders. It follows the conviction of a Durham businessman for selling counterfeit and illegally imported cigarettes
A TRANSPORT scheme for elderly and disabled patients has issued an urgent appeal for volunteers. The Deerness Valley GP Car Scheme relies on drivers who give up their time and use their own vehicles to take people in the area to and from GP and clinic
COUNCILLORS have welcomed an inspection of services for disabled adults, despite it being critical of some areas. A report by the Social Services Inspectorate was presented to members of Darlington Borough Council this week. It was particularly critical
PRIME Minister Tony Blair carried out a busy schedule of events in County Durham yesterday. After launching the NetPark initiative, a science and technology business park near Sedgefield, he visited The Orchards, a residential development for older people
AN attempt to use the Human Rights Act to prevent a school for pupils with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties being sited next to a primary school has failed. Members of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's cabinet decided earlier this month
A STRETCH of railway track blighted by vandals and trespassers is being targeted by police in a bid to keep death off the line. British Transport Police are to increase patrols near the line between Stockton and Billingham. Acting Sergeant Brian Buddo
THE bravery of a special constable who single-handedly disarmed a man carrying an axe has received a commendation from the Stockton District Commander Chief Superintendent Dave Pickard. SP Michael Watson was on patrol in Yarm last September when he was
POLICE hunting the killer of a pensioner in a pub shooting have renewed their appeal for information. Grandfather Fred Fowler, 72, was murdered in the Tap and Barrel pub, in Salem Street, Hendon, Sunderland, on Sunday night. Micky Nixon, 19, who was wounded
CHILDREN cut up old school uniforms to tell the tale of a young orphan in their end-of-term musical show. Girls from years four, five and six at Leeming and Londonderry Primary School performed Annie on Tuesday. The youngsters had been urged by their
STAFF and customers from a bookmakers are encouraging the artistic talents of young hospital patients. The Northallerton branch of Ladbrokes set out to raise money for the children's unit at the town's Friarage Hospital. They raised £100 with two events
Durham Senior League: Hopefully the weather will allow a full programme to be completed this week for the first time since the middle of June. There is no room for any slip-ups though for Boldon, Burnmoor or Hetton Lyons, the leading sides. Hetton Lyons
A DRUNKEN man who walked uninvited into a house and exposed himself to a 15-year-old girl and her family was ordered to be registered as a sex offender for five years, yesterday. Teesside Crown Court was told that Colin Holmes and a friend were bundled
THE lure of regular first-team football persuaded Ray Parlour to take a substantial pay cut to join Steve McClaren's ambitious Middlesbrough. With a year still remaining on his Arsenal contract, believed to be worth a basic £780,000 a year, Parlour has
A CIVIC watchdog chairman has won praise for campaigning to save Harrogate's Royal Hall. Lilian Mina, chairman of Harrogate Civic Society, who has also chaired the Royal Hall Restoration Trust, was publicly thanked for her efforts by members at the annual
AN acrobatic duo and a stuntman are among the star attractions at a North-East forest festival this year. The Forestry Commission is staging an extravaganza at Kielder Castle, Kielder Forest, Northumberland, on Sunday, August 1. The 155,000-acre beauty
TALENTED young footballers are being invited to a coaching course that could land them a trial with a league club. Coerver Coaching (North-East) will hold a four-day session at Chester-le-Street's Riverside sports complex next month with Hartlepool United
SUNDERLAND'S adopted warship will arrive tomorrow for the city's international airshow. The helicopter carrier, which recently returned from the conflict in Iraq, will dock at Corporation Quay. Youngsters from Boldon Comprehensive School will sail into
FIRST it was pumpkin seeds and this week it's fresh strawberries that have had people surging to the shops with a gleam in their eye. My spy at a famous High Street grocery store informed me: "You should have seen them loading their shopping baskets with
TRIBUTES have been made to a former newsagent's wife who lost her battle against cancer this week, aged 57. Barbara Thompson will be remembered as a true lady who loved to talk to the customers in the shop she and her husband, George, ran in Byerley Road
POLICE are becoming increasingly concerned for the well-being of a man who left home two days ago and has not been seen since. Gordon Burrows, who lives in the Castle Eden area of east Durham, left the home he shares with his wife, Valerie, at 10.30pm
A MAN who called his neighbour a "Romanian gipsy" was given a conditional discharge by magistrates yesterday. William Underwood, 41, of Elwick View, Trimdon Station, had been friends with Florina and John Troup before the occurrence of the incident, which
A COLLEGE has been singled out for praise by Oftsed, which monitors educational standards. Commenting on a new GCSE course on vocational subjects, Chief Inspector of Schools David Bell picked out Northallerton College. He said the course in applied science
A MULTI-MILLION pound centre for cutting-edge, space-age technology was formally handed over to its new tenant yesterday. The NetPark Research Institute is the first building to be completed on a science park currently under development at Sedgefield,
THE League of Nations outfit masquerading as Derbyshire obviously fancied a day off today when they declared after only 50 minutes' batting yesterday and set Durham a target of 445 to win. It seemed a little contemptuous in view of the fact that their
PATRICK KLUIVERT can head into his first day's training with Newcastle United safe in the knowledge that Alan Shearer is relishing the prospect of teaming up. After officially becoming a Newcastle player on Wednesday, the Dutchman was given the rest of
A MOTORCYCLIST has died following a collision with a car. Keith Aspery, 43, of Hatfield Avenue, Acklam, in Middlesbrough, died in Scarborough Hospital on Thursday, after an accident involving a blue Vauxhall Astra on the A171 between Scarborough and Whitby
Hartlepool boss Neale Cooper made his return to the Scottish Victoria Park and his old club Ross County last night as Pool continued their build up to the new campaign. However, he must have been wishing he hadn't crossed the border as his side crashed
STATION Town was what might have been supposed, and without too much locomotive effort. The railway from Sunderland to West Hartlepool and Stockton ran in from north to south, the branch from Ferryhill - having called, cursorily, at West Cornforth, Coxhoe
Ashley Giles was on course to end Lord's reputation as a spinner's graveyard as he halted West Indies' hopes of a revival in the opening npower Test. Not since Phil Tufnell claimed five for 91 against Sri Lanka at the home of cricket 13 years ago has
WHEN The Sopranos star James Gandolfini accepted his best actor trophy at American television's Emmy Awards last year, he offered special thanks to fellow actor Brad Garrett "for taking the heat off of me". Like the man known as mobster Tony Soprano,
Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League: Bishop Auckland have called for a treble celebration ahead of this afternoon's game with great Ayton at Kingsway. Not only are they third from top just ten points adrift of leaders Northallerton but they
THE Government has brushed aside calls for a minimum compensation payment to be made to miners whose lungs were damaged by coal dust. In a report, the Coalfield Communities Campaign (CCC) said that very small sums paid to ex-pitmen were not acceptable
THE family of a North-East publican who died after a drunken fight at a christening party said last night they felt cheated by the justice system. Relatives of father-of-three John Lacy said they were devastated to learn the men involved in the brawl
THE son of a North-East millionaire businessman used a luxury home bought by his family as a base for a £20,000 drug dealing operation. Frazer Goodwillie enjoyed a luxury lifestyle. The 24-year-old lived in a desirable home, drove a top-of-the-range car
Aspiring rock groups and solo acts still have a few weeks to enter The Northern Echo's music competition. The Revolution Big Chance, sponsored by Music Zone and held in partnership with TFM Radio, aims to give musicians a push towards the big time with
VOLUNTEERS in the North-East are to be used in trials for a controversial identity card. They will be asked to step forward in Middlesbrough to have their irises, fingerprints and facial features scanned and stored on micro-chips. A Government spokesman
THE distraught daughter of murdered pensioners James and Joan Britton yesterday made a heart-breaking plea for Britain's most wanted man to surrender. Catherine Wilkins tried but failed to hold back the tears as she spoke of the "living hell" her family
A HUNT has been launched after masked armed robbers threatened a factory owner. Their victim, the owner of a home improvement business on Ross Road, in Stockton, was cornered in his car as he arrived at his premises yesterday. A spokeswoman for Cleveland
A NORTH-East police force is working with other constabularies in the first-ever probe into the extent of drug-assisted rape in England. Northumbria Police has been asked to assist in collating information to assess how widespread the crime is. Operation
Twice he's had to resign from the Cabinet in disgrace, but Peter Mandelson just keeps bouncing back. Nick Morrison looks at the career of our most controversial politician - and what sort of life he can expect in Brussels. 'BEFORE this campaign started
A PLAN that sets out a 20-year vision for County Durham was launched yesterday. The document aims to make "dynamic Durham" a great county to live, work, visit and invest in by 2023. Prime Minister Tony Blair attended the launch, which was held during
UP to 450 emergency staff at one of the UK's largest ambulance trusts have formally called off industrial action. The workforce at North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust, which includes paramedics and other frontline staff, were in dispute over meal breaks
A COMPANY boss who stole more than £120,000 from his firm has been jailed. Managing director David Forsyth, 42, took the money from SPC Ltd, which was trading under the name of Dekura and was a member of the Epuin group, in Peterlee. Financial controller
TWELVE-year-old Adele McFarlane's summer holidays got off to a tuneful start. The talented singer has not only got through to the final audition for a main part in the West End production of Billy Elliot, she is also taking part in the Cleveland Centre's
David Hodgson hopes to take a step closer to ending Darlington's search for a striker today. The Quakers welcome League One side Blackpool to the New Stadium (kick-off 3pm) and manager Hodgson will hand two forwards the chance to impress. Dutchman Chima
A CARE worker who preyed on two vulnerable pensioners and stole nearly £22,000 from their bank accounts has been jailed for a total of nine months. Lisa Garrington, 22, who took the cash to feed her addiction to fruit machines, was said to have breached
PETER Mandelson returned to the North-East last night to prepare to be Britain's European Commissioner as the race began to succeed him as MP for Hartlepool. Last night, it emerged that former TV presenter Robert Kilroy-Silk was almost certain to stand
YORK'S £50,000 Skybet Dash may prove child's play for Two Step Kid (3.25) if the lightning-fast three-year-old maintains his current rapid rate of improvement. On his last visit to the course in June, Jeremy Noseda's colt scooped a similarly prestigious
At the start of the Flat season Racing Writer Colin Woods (Janus) picked his ten-to-follow in our Racing North pull-out. Here's his progress report on their performances so far . . . . . EVEN on a purely fun basis, backing racehorses is a precarious hobby
TRANSPORT group Arriva has strengthened its position on the Continent with a £10.3m deal for a Danish bus operator. The Sunderland company, which operates more than 6,000 buses and two rail franchises in the UK, acquired Wulff Bus A/S. Wulff operates
Foster's ECB North-East Regional Premier League: The former Durham County and Middlesex opener, Michael Roseberry, will not play his first game of the season at Stockton today after all. Sunderland skipper Simon Old had hoped to include him, but Roseberry
FIVE families of housemartings have forced organisers of a community hall to delay plans for improvement works. Work will get under way at the Memorial Hall, in West Tanfield, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, after the birds have flown the nest in August.
RECORD-BREAKING runner Martin Scaife is aiming to take his athletics form on a month-long holiday to Australia. And the 32-year-old newly-crowned North-East 5K road race champion has his sights set on a top placing in Sydney's big City to Surf 10K. Next
IN 1801, the population of Witton Gilbert Township was 369, with most people in the area living in the village itself. By 1861, when the population had risen to 2,098, this was no longer the case and the growth was largely due to the birth of Sacriston
THE distraught daughter of murdered pensioners James and Joan Britton yesterday made a heart-breaking plea for Britain's most wanted man to surrender. Catherine Wilkins tried but failed to hold back the tears as she spoke of the "living hell" her family
A FORMER soldier who tried to saw off his elderly mother's head could be released in four years. Steven Parker stabbed 71-year-old Jean Charlton 15 times in the neck, head and body before he tried to decapitate her. The 44-year-old pleaded guilty to manslaughter
