South Northumberland became the first side in the five year existence of the League to clinch back-to-back championships but it was a close call before they saw off a strong, late challenge from Sunderland. The quirks in the points system meant that they
VOLUNTEERS are needed to help out in a charity shop that raises funds for one of the region's hospices. The Little Curio Shop, in Bridge Road, Stokesley, which raises funds for the Teesside Hospice, is expanding due to the acquisition of the shop located
A DISTRICT council has stepped up its campaign against litter bugs, dog fouling and fly tipping by employing an extra enforcement officer. Wear Valley District Council has recruited the officer to patrol the streets and issue litter bugs with on-the-spot
The Government has agreed to fund the upgrade of a major arterial route in Sunderland, it has been announced. It will contribute £21 million of the £23 million cost of the scheme on the A1018, which will act as a bypass for the Ryhope and Grangetown areas
A CHAIN of bookmakers has offered a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a man who snatched cash from one of their branches earlier this week. Yesterday, police released an e-fit of the man, who stole cash from the bookies in
AN UNWANTED dog's 14-month wait for a new home looks to be over - thanks to The Northern Echo. Cross bred Roly has spent almost all his life in kennels. The two-year-old became the longest-serving resident of Deerness Kennels at Langley Moor, Durham City
LAW AND ORDER: HARRY Mead talks of a 'police state' (Echo, Sept 1). He must either be living on another planet or is too engrossed in his idyllic rural environment to notice the sort of society we are becoming. He quotes Ray Mallon and his speech to police
Five years after his daughter Laura was brutally murdered, Martin Kane is campaigning for a change in the law to make all child killers serve their full sentences. He tells SARAH FOSTER why he feels a strong sense of injustice. THE little girl in the
Just when it appeared that Ashington might pip Tynedale for the championship along came relegated Whickham to cause the biggest upset of the season. Whickham had not won in 19 attempts and when the Colliers posted 171-8 the outcome looked a foregone conclusion
MARKET traders have told of their anger at a blunder that left them without mail for more than a week. Stallholders at Darlington's indoor market raised the alarm when hundreds of letters failed to reach them - remaining stuck in a Royal Mail delivery
With only one game remaining, it is still too close to call as Evenwood and Kimblesworth battle it out for the championship. Both sides won at the weekend leaving Evenwood nine points ahead of their rivals going into their final match of the season at
THE recent spell of slightly-more-than-damp weather may not have been particularly conducive to leisurely horticultural pottering sessions, and it might have encouraged a nationwide epidemic of blight, but one thing is for sure, it has created some scary
A WIDOW who lost her husband weeks before the birth of their baby fulfilled his dream by discovering the gender of the couple's unborn child. Amanda Holmes wrote a poignant letter revealing his dying wish in a heart-breaking farewell at his funeral. Paul
Russia's school siege ended in a chaotic bloodbath yesterday with more than 200 hostages and some of their captors killed when special forces stormed the building in an unplanned onslaught. Several of the terrorists escaped, and last night they were believed
Police are appealing for witnesses following an attempted robbery in Hartlepool at about 8.30pm on Friday. A woman was grabbed by a man in an alley between Alliance Street and Montague Street. He demanded her handbag but she put up a struggle and escaped
NEWCASTLE Benfield Saints went joint top of the First Division table after beating Durham 2-1. They had to come from behind after Durham took the lead through Paul Chow. Anthony Errington levelled with a long-range free-kick, and then just before half
Burnmoor are the new champions. Although nearest rivals Boldon beat Seaham Harbour, Burnmoor's five-wicket win at South Hetton meant they retained their two-points lead. However, their win was hard-earned. South Hetton were only able to post 119 mainly
A NORTH-EAST specialist baby and children's hospice now has vital oxygen therapy equipment thanks to a donation by medical gas and services provider Air Products. Ze's Place, in Normanby, Middlesbrough, needed an oxygen concentrator, a machine that produces
ORGANISERS of an annual horticultural show have hailed its success after it attracted more than 1,000 visitors. The Hartlepool Horticultural Show took place last month and featured hundreds of prize exhibits from top growers from around the north and
SUCH is the strength in depth of the Newcastle Falcons squad that they will have five full caps and an A international on the bench when they go under the microscope at Worcester tomorrow. The match against the Zurich Premiership newcomers is live on
Fans gave Graeme Souness a cautious welcome as he sensationally quit his position at Blackburn Rovers to replace sacked Bobby Robson at Newcastle United. Following a flurry of bets being laid on the former Scotland midfielder on Monday morning, Souness
Horden pulled off one of the surprises of the FA Cup preliminary round by beating AFC Telford on Saturday -thanks to a request for a shirt. Horden defeated the UniBond First Division club with a first-half goal, but a conversation before the match between
DARLINGTON skipper Craig Liddle is tipping defensive partner Joey Hutchinson for greater things after playing his part in establishing one of the best defences in League Two. Liddle believes it will only be a matter of time before Hutchinson's performances
Preparations are well under way for the ceremony that will see Teesside Airport change its name after 40 years. Durham Tees Valley International Airport comes into existence on Tuesday, September 21, with a major launch event. Organisers have invited
Wolviston assistant manager Craig Watson is forced to change a winning side when Washington Nissan UK visit Metcalfe Park this afternoon. Captain Gareth Murphy commences a lengthy ban and Simon Colligan has returned to Unibond League premier division
A killer driver who smashed his van into a pensioner's vehicle while talking on his mobile phone was jailed for three years yesterday. Alan Milbanke, 32, had been chatting to a work colleague for just short of two minutes on a dangerous stretch of road
A historic Grade II-listed building in the region has been earmarked for partial demolition by Network Rail after falling into a state of disrepair. The firm has applied to Middlesbrough Council for listed building consent to demolish Zetland House, at
DURHAM were sunk by Yorkshire's H-bombs yesterday as they were badly holed by Matthew Hoggard then shipped more water at the ends of Ian Harvey. While Yorkshire's three-wicket win in the totesport League clash at Scarborough would have pleased their fans
TWO men needed hospital treatment after they were attacked by a gang armed with baseball bats, police revealed yesterday. The attack happened shortly after 11pm last Wednesday, but details of the incident have only just been made available. Police said
A TODDLER suffered serious leg injuries following a road accident. The three-year-old broke both the tibia and fibula in his right leg after the accident involving a car outside his Hartlepool home at about 2pm on Friday afternoon. The youngster was playing
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BANDARI, a horse for whom cotton wool earplugs have become an essential piece of kit, is fancied to win Kempton's Group 3 September Stakes, writes COLIN WOODS. Mark Johnston's colt has always been of nervous disposition, often sweating profusely during
A man was killed early this morning when his car left the road and hit a tree. The 24-year-old man from York, died after his car veered across the city's Foss Islands Road, mounted the kerb, went up a grass verge and hit the tree at around 5.45am. He
Newcastle today confirmed that Graeme Souness has been appointed manager. He has been handed the task of following in Sir Bobby Robson's footsteps. The 51-year-old Scot has been given the St James' Park job after his predecessor was shown the door following
CAMPAIGNERS are urging action after a report showed that a staggering 1,500km of roads across the North-East and North Yorkshire are in need of repair - with the bill estimated at nearly £1.5bn. Up to 33 per cent of roads in some areas are in need of
RESIDENTS have voiced their concerns over proposals to dump hazardous waste in underground caverns a mile from their village. About 50 people attended a public meeting in Greatham, near Hartlepool, on Saturday, to discuss the plan by Coastal Caverns UK
More former stars of Darlington Football Club will have their achievements recognised at the weekend, when the Quakers host a major community event. A list of ten ex-players has been drawn up and their names will eventually grace corporate boxes at the
DARLINGTON player-coach Craig Lee is confident his side can avenge their opening National Three North defeat at Rugby Lions when they return in two weeks for a Powergen Cup tie. Darlington lost 28-16 but Lee, who is out for six weeks after a knee operation
A PROJECT to create a town square for Hartlepool's Headland has taken another step forward. Four urban design firms have been chosen to take part in a competition to redesign the area in front of the Borough Buildings between Middlegate, the promenade
A MAN was knocked unconscious when he was mugged in a street late at night. The 24-year-old was walking along Surtees Street, Darlington, towards the town centre, at about 11pm on Thursday when the robbery took place. As he passed a group of about eight
BISHOP Auckland failed to hold the lead again as they went down 2-1 at Prescot Cables on Saturday. Bishops did well in the first half, but Prescot stormed back after the break to leave Bishops still without a win so far this season. Manager Brian Honour
I went to visit a friend who works on a glossy magazine the other day and her office seemed like another world. The reception area had huge plasma screens playing MTV music and young waifs wearing stilletoes with pop socks wafted in for their modeling
Britain manufacturers enjoyed their best order intake for nine years in the third quarter, according to the latest survey from EEF, the manufacturers' organisation. However, despite being able to increase prices in some areas, the recovery in profits
After overseeing almost as many different team selections as games, Darlington assistant manager Mark Proctor has labelled David Hodgson and himself The Tinkermen. Because of his indifference to maintaining a settled line-up Claudio Ranieri was nicknamed
Shildon joint manager Ray Gowan is hoping for another taste of FA Cup glory today against Garforth and says: "We want the same again." Shildon enjoyed a fine run to the first round proper of the cup last season, and Gowan, who also managed Spennymoor
TWO motorcyclists were killed within hours of each other on the region's roads yesterday. One man died in a three-vehicle crash on the B6279 Staindrop Road, in Darlington, at about 1pm. It is believed the dead man, who was in his 30s, was a pillion passenger
Sir Mark Prescott's Incroyable is an interesting runner on her handicap debut and reappearance run and is fancied to give a good account in the Bet365 Call 08000 322 365 Handicap over a mile and a quarter at Newcastle today. Although the three-year-old
A North East woman has won £1.2m on the National Lottery. The winning ticket was bought in the Asda supermarket in Benton, North Tyneside. The mystery winner was due to be unveiled at a Tyneside hotel later. There has been a string of success for the
THE Deputy Prime Minister has told North-East trade unionists they have a key role in securing a regional assembly. John Prescott told a conference of the Northern TUC at Durham County Cricket Club, Chester-le-Street, on Saturday that, although market
A RETURN to full strength for the livestock classes helped attract bumper crowds to England's oldest agricultural show at the weekend. Almost 40,000 people attended Wolsingham Show on Saturday and yesterday and the horse, cattle and sheep classes were
NEWCASTLE Vipers got their season off to a Flying start as they won through to tonight's Keyline Cup final by netting eight goals against last term's BNL champions Fife. The Vipers took a full roster to Edinburgh, and took the lead on 3.15 with a Simon
A VAN driver who crashed, killing a North-East pensioner, while chatting on his mobile phone was jailed for three years yesterday. It is believed to be the UK's first recorded case of death by dangerous driving involving a mobile phone. Alan Milbanke,
MOWDEN Park must wish that RFU officials were as thorough in dealing with player registrations as Durham referee Alan Hughes was in applying the laws on Saturday. They had to play without two of their selected side because paperwork had gone astray at
EIGHT home draws proved the bane of Hartlepool United's life last season. They've managed two single point returns at Victoria Park already this season, but, perhaps, this stalemate with Barnsley won't fall into the category labelled disappointing. It
Letters from a young boy in America to his mother back home in the North-East inspired Theo Howells to delve into her family history. SARAH FOSTER reports on the extraordinary story that emerged My Dear Mother, I know how anxious you will be to hear from
NEWCASTLE UNITED'S search to find Sir Bobby Robson's successor looks as confused as ever despite Terry Venables' claims he has held promising negotiations with the club. Venables was one of three to have been interviewed by chairman Freddy Shepherd at
Guisborough will become only the second club in the history of the league to win four consecutive championships if they take just five points from their final game of the season against Darlington RA at Brinkburn Road on Saturday. They took another step
Two sides who had not won all season, waited until the last day before finally celebrating. Houghton's unexpected victory at Easington enabled them to leap-frog Peterlee at the bottom. For much of the game though it appeared that Ian Hauxwell's side were
SUNDERLAND'S supporters have warmed to the talents of unfashionable striker Kevin Kyle over the past 12 months. But the jury is still out on Kyle north of the border and he hopes to take a further step towards winning his Scottish critics over on Wednesday
A man has been banned from riding a bicycle and from entering any car park in England or Wales, by magistrates. Appearing before Teesside Magistrates on the same day he was released from Holme House Prison, Stockton, 21-year-old Christopher James Wood
DISABLED pensioners are accusing a council of dragging its heels over access improvements to their block of flats. Residents of the council block in Rise Carr, Darlington, said they were housebound because of steps which are too steep to climb. After
It was a day of Shearer delight for bridegroom Paul Appleby when a cardboard cut-out of his soccer idol was guest of honour at his wedding. Paul and Justina Appleby's picture album is like no other with the grinning face of the Newcastle United skipper
A judge was outraged after the case against a policeman accused of violently attacking a suspect was dropped - after taking three and a half years to get to court. PC Robert Wileman was said to have smashed John Brown's Knee with a baton during a violent
BAE Systems' decision to merge its newly-acquired Alvis operations with its land defence operation RO Defence may create jobs in the region. Unions have expressed concerns about the future of the Alvis plant at Telford, near Wolverhampton, which is expected
FAMILIES were invited to step back in time yesterday as part of a countryside festival. The Knights of the Black Phoenix, a re-enactment group, were one of the attractions at Summerhill in Hartlepool, where they staged jousting displays and took part
A MAN is due to appear in court today in connection with the death of a man who died nearly a fortnight after he was found with head injuries in a street. A 24-year-old from Stockton, who was arrested on Friday, will appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court
A STINK has erupted over dog dirt detectives on the prowl for fouling four-legged friends. At least six complaints have been made in recent months about over-zealous dog wardens working for Richmondshire District Council. Pet lovers landed with a fixed
CONSTRUCTION companies are failing to address skills shortages by not creating enough openings for apprentices, a leading figure has warned. Sir Michael Latham, chairman of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) criticised the lack of opportunities
FORMER Health Secretary Alan Milburn was last night poised to return to the Cabinet - only 14 months after quitting to spend more time with his family. The Northern Echo understands the Darlington MP has accepted the Labour Party chairmanship and will
ENVIRONMENTAL health officers have issued a warning over a range of oil-preserved foods containing high levels of acid. Surveys have revealed that the amount of erucic acid in certain imported pickles, sauces and preserved vegetables, all of them manufactured
Bishop Auckland are facing an injury and suspension headache for their away trip to Prescot Cables today. Bishops could have as many as nine players missing for various reasons as they look for their first win of the campaign, and manager Brian Honour
Bosses at a visitor attraction have launched a nationwide search after finding themselves short of bricks to complete a £850,000 restoration project. Paul Radcliffe, head gardener at Helmsley Walled Garden, in North Yorkshire, said they needed 3,000 more
A MEETING with Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson helped Steve McClaren to forget about the vacant managerial job at Newcastle United and concentrate on the job in hand on Teesside. After Boro's Carling Cup triumph in February, McClaren's reputation
WHILE missing out on Wayne Rooney was understandable, Newcastle's failure to sign a centre-half before the transfer deadline was simply indefensible. But, rather than learning from their mistakes, Newcastle's board have got themselves into a similar mess
A North-East restaurant owner who sold a gun to an undercover policeman was jailed for 18 months yesterday. David Harvey Noble, 58, searched the stranger for a wire tap before he sold him the .410 shotgun with a silencer for £120. But the buyer was an
GENEROUS motorists are proving honesty really is the best policy for a market town. Visitors have been flocking to Masham, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, since word got out about its honesty box for parking. For a voluntary contribution of just 50p, drivers
A TEAM of showjumpers swept the board at a national equestrian competition despite being the smallest group taking part. The four-member squad of riders won a place in the final of the Showjumping Championships of Great Britain after impressive displays
TWO of the world's biggest steelmakers are preparing to go head-to-head in a battle which could secure more than 2,500 North-East jobs. They both want to buy a controlling stake in the Corus slab steel plant on Teesside. Swiss firm Duferco has confirmed
TRANSPORT secretary Alistair Darling is to deliver his verdict on the future of railways in the North-East when he addresses some of the industry's key figures. The Government minister is being lined up to speak at a conference which aims to map out how
FUEL poverty is set to increase in the North-East, which could contribute to more winter deaths, experts have warned. British Gas recently announced gas prices will go up by 12.4 per cent and electricity by 9.4 per cent. Newcastle firm Eaga Partnership
Second from bottom Norton will play an important role in the destination of the Foster's ECB North East Regional Premier League championship when they meet leaders South Northumberland in the last game of the season this morning. The Teessiders, safe
A CHARITY is looking for people who can use sign language to get in touch in an attempt to increase the services it offers. Everyday Language Solutions (ELS), in Thornaby, hopes to attract qualified signers to its register to meet the demand in the North-East
AN off-duty police officer was attacked as he attempted to prevent two men from breaking into his neighbour's house. PC Richard Bagley, an officer with Middlesbrough Police, was confronted by the pair, one of them wielding a hammer, as he investigated
POLICE are hunting a shoplifter who stole alcohol from a Darlington supermarket. The man was filmed by security cameras taking bottles of spirits from Safeway, in Cockerton Green, at 7.10pm on Thursday, February 5. He is white, aged about 28, about 5ft
Guisborough, 16 points ahead of Bishop Auckland, are aiming to equal one record and to create another. Following three consecutive championship wins they aim to equal the record achieved by themselves between 1909-1912 and by Darlington during 1920-1923
MATTY Robson admitted he thought he had blown his chance of creating the equaliser on Saturday. The left back swung over a cross from the left which led to the goal, but he admitted he didn't expect to see the ball ending up in the back of the net. Robson
If Scunthorpe United are currently the best the bottom division of the Football League has to offer then Darlington don't have much to worry about. The Iron are the division's pace-setters, leading the way after seven games and they remain unbeaten but
Quite Ugly One Morning (ITV1); Von Trapped (ITV1): YOU couldn't hope for a more intriguing opening than the one provided by Quite Ugly One Mornng. I don't just mean the sight of James Nesbitt in his underpants (nothing new there) as his journalist Jack
With a reminder that they shouldn't attempt to be a sort of spiritual Andrew Flintoff - "does all the batting, all the bowling and all the fielding while everyone else watches in amazement" - three Methodist ministers were welcomed to the Stanley circuit
