Middlesbrough FC are, not surprisingly, keen to put on a smart performance when they play the first European fixture in the club's history. But fans were astonished when they bought tickets for the Uefa Cup game against Banik Ostrava to find they carry
Laura Ashley has announced plans to cut up to 130 jobs at three of its sites. The company, and subsidiary Texplan Manufacturing, announced that up to 90 redundancies could be made at factories in Newtown and Carno, in mid-Wales, following a review of
MFI directors step down: TWO senior directors at MFI yesterday paid the price for a profits slump and supply chain problems that left the retailer struggling to deliver orders. Head of supply Gordon MacDonald and finance director Martin Clifford-King
businesses must look to the region's glorious heritage of international trading, a trade director said yesterday, following the announcement of more than £9m of funding to boost exports. A partnership between government agencies and the region's business
STEELMAKER Corus last night announced it had been awarded a £72m contract to manufacture steel pipe for an Anglo-Dutch gas pipeline. The 240km pipeline will link Balgzand, in the Netherlands, to Bacton, on the Norfolk coast, and will involve the manufacture
CAR manufacturer Nissan is about to unveil the model that will replace the Almera and decide the future of up to 1,000 jobs at the company's Sunderland factory. The MPV-version of the Micra will be launched at the Paris Motor Show next week and it has
GRAPHIC images of a teenage boy being cut from a car after a fatal crash have been shown to young drivers on an award-winning road safety scheme. Liam Richardson, 13, was a passenger in a stolen Vauxhall Astra which crashed in West Cornforth, County Durham
A cyclist has raised more than £2,500 for charity after pedalling 2,000km around Central America. Piers Mudd, from Thirsk, donated the money to the East Cleveland Housing Trust, which supports young people in need of accommodation and training. It is
MATTY Robson is confident Saturday's disappointing display at Oldham was a one-off. The teenage left-back is back in the Hartlepool United side after Hugh Robertson was ruled out with a foot injury. Robson gave a man of the match display in his first
A WOMAN is suing her husband over a car crash which she says has ruined her life. Lynn Pearson is claiming compensation from her husband, Kevin, after she suffered a stroke caused by injuries sustained in a road crash she says he was to blame for. Mr
A TEENAGER described the moment a car suddenly appeared over the brow of a hill on a playing field striking a friend sitting next to her. The 15-year-old girl was viewed by a jury at Durham Crown Court giving her interview to police the day after the
INSURANCE company bosses are being urged to cut household premiums to reflect a town's falling crime rate. Middlesbrough Council says while the town has experienced a 39 per cent reduction in house burglaries since 2001, residents are still paying above
A woman appeared in court yesterday charged with the murder of a toddler. Supermarket worker Susan Holdsworth, 34, of Millpond Close, Hartlepool, is accused of killing two-year-old Kyle Fisher, who was found with head injuries last month and died later
Clothing group Next brushed aside fears of a slowdown in high street spending with a 30 per cent rise in profits. The group said a bumper pre-sale period at its 371 outlets reduced the number of items being cleared at mark-down prices. This boosted margins
THE Government has given approval for the controversial use of part of The Sands, in Durham, as a car park. The recreation land, common land owned by the city council, is needed for 195 spaces that will be lost while the nearby Walkergate car park is
AN appeal has been made for information relating to a series of incidents of missiles being thrown at buses. Vehicles were targeted in east Durham villages over the weekend with one driver taken to hospital, as a precaution, when a rock was thrown at
AN Internet and digital TV company is bringing 75 jobs to Teesside with the opening of a sales centre. Infoserve will open a sales operation in Stockton. The company, which is based in Leeds, has established a strong presence in the Internet market in
CAMPAIGNERS from North-East Says No declared the fight against the proposed regional assembly to be under way yesterday - but immediately found themselves under fire over their links with the Conservative Party. The Durham-based campaign group, set up
Magistrates have told a man that he could have been banned from keeping animals for life after he was found guilty of abandoning his two pets. Roy Bell, 29, appeared at Bishop Auckland Magistrates Court yesterday to be sentenced following a trial last
A VILLAGE has lost its battle to stop a mobile phone mast designed to improve signals for rail passengers. Vodafone has won permission from Durham City Council to build the 15-metre-high base station at Rogerson Terrace, Croxdale. The mast, which will
A MAN who grabbed and groped a 16-year-old girl was jailed yesterday. Judge Peter Armstrong at Teesside Crown Court told Peter Butterfield, 33, he would be closely monitored on his release. Butterfield had been drinking when he approached a group of youngsters
AEROSPACE and defence group Cobham said the civil aviation market was picking up as it posted a 7.8 per cent rise in first half pre-tax profits to £51.8m. The company, whose HQ is in Dorset, said there were signs of increased opportunities emerging in
AN Internet and digital TV company is bringing 75 jobs to Teesside with the opening of a sales centre. Infoserve will open a sales operation in Stockton. The company, which is based in Leeds, has established a strong presence in the Internet market in
THE family of a pensioner punched by a care home nurse told yesterday how he used to cry in their arms with fear. Alzheimer's sufferer Gordon Wake was hit and knocked to the ground at St John's nursing home, in Darlington, by employee Elizabeth Ann Nattrass
A MESSAGE from beyond the grave caused the ornamental lake in Darlington's South Park to be drained 70 years ago. Yesterday, the lake was drained for what is believed to be the first time since 1934 when a water diviner claimed that a body might be in
TACKLING Beverley's unique uphill and down dale track is not to every thoroughbred's liking. But one horse to have shown a distinct affinity for the course is Splodger Mac, a leading contender for Mac And Lani Memorial Handicap. Neville Bycroft's late-maturing
So Alan Milburn is back in the Cabinet, as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Perhaps he will become a familiar figure around Pickering. The Ryedale market town is a focal point of extensive Yorkshire estates held by the Duchy, more than half of whose
Six goals in the space of four days - not bad for a club so short of firepower they had to borrow an unproven novice from one of their Championship rivals on Friday just to make up the numbers. With Kevin Kyle set to have a second steroid injection today
CAMPAIGNERS for an elected North-East assembly have won a new ally - Middlesbrough Labour Group. The group will recommend that the local authority supports the move at tonight's meeting of Middlesbrough Council. Councillors are of the opinion that an
WHEN 17-year-old Cynthia Le Neveu fell in love with an Egyptian ship's captain while at sea her parents said the relationship would never last. But today the couple are as happy as the day they first met and celebrating their golden wedding anniversary
RAY Mallon will end months of speculation today by announcing that he is to help spearhead the campaign for a North-East assembly. The Northern Echo can reveal that the independent Mayor of Middlesbrough will declare his backing for regional government
This Is My Family (BBC2) Paul and Claire have just been told that their baby Reese is deaf. They are overjoyed. It's what they wanted and hoped for. This may seem like a strange reaction but the couple are both deaf and said, from the beginning of the
AFTER all this time, a first holiday in Ireland, a verdantly emerald isle. Irish eyes smile everywhere: the natives with warm welcome, the hoteliers with ill-concealed avarice. It's from Ireland that we imported the phrase "beyond the pale" - the "Pale
'I'VE tried stopping but I get really depressed. There's nothing to do. I can't get a job. The first question you get asked is: why haven't you had a job before? I can't really say I have - I've been a rent boy for x years." Jay is 21 and for the last
MICK McCarthy last night admitted that back-to-back wins over Gillingham and Nottingham Forest had helped to lift an "air of despondancy" that was beginning to hang over the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats travelled to the Priestfield Stadium on Saturday
AFTER all this time, a first holiday in Ireland, a verdantly emerald isle. Irish eyes smile everywhere: the natives with warm welcome, the hoteliers with ill-concealed avarice. It's from Ireland that we imported the phrase "beyond the pale" - the "Pale
Prime Minister Tony Blair considered quitting this year because the "considerations of his family became very pressing", Labour peer Melvyn Bragg said yesterday. Lord Bragg told the ITV News channel that the Prime Minister was under "colossal strain".
TACKLING Beverley's unique uphill and down dale track is not to every thoroughbred's liking. But one horse to have shown a distinct affinity for the course is Splodger Mac, a leading contender for Mac And Lani Memorial Handicap. Neville Bycroft's late-maturing
CHRONIC transport problems in the North-East will only be tackled if an elected assembly is given its own funds to spend, a committee of MPs was told yesterday. The North-East Assembly - the unelected body that will be replaced if there is a Yes vote
GRAEME SOUNESS has admitted there will be occasions when Newcastle United captain Alan Shearer has to take time out of the firing line and sit on the sidelines. Shearer publicly stated his displeasure at being omitted from ex-boss Sir Bobby Robson's starting
AARON Hughes has admitted that Newcastle will be sailing into uncharted waters when they take on Israeli minnows Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin in the first round of the UEFA Cup tomorrow night. The Israeli Cup winners made history last month when they became the
THE North-East is to host some of the UK's most innovative young designers this weekend. The Audi Young Designer of the Year 2004 national finals take place at Gateshead's Baltic complex on Saturday. The event, now in its third year and in association
THE North-East Says No campaign group yesterday unveiled a list of supporters who have been drafted into its 50-strong council. The campaign, which already counts the Conservative Party and the UK Independence Party among its backers, is supported by
THE jobs of more than 200 North-East workers sacked from the new Wembley Stadium project have been saved, union leaders announced last night. The jobs of more than 200 construction workers were lost after their employer, Darlington Cleveland Bridge, stopped
This Is My Family (BBC2): Paul and Claire have just been told that their baby Reese is deaf. They are overjoyed. It's what they wanted and hoped for. This may seem like a strange reaction but the couple are both deaf and said, from the beginning of the
A CREW of North-East teenagers sailed into the region this week after an experience of a lifetime on the high seas. Six youths from County Durham were among a contingent of 21 teenagers from the region, on board the Prince William, which arrived in Newcastle
PRISON does not increase public safety according to a campaign launched today. The SmartJustice campaign, launched by Mayor of Middlesbrough Ray Mallon, calls for more community solutions to crime and is opening its first regional office in the North-East
WORLD-RENOWNED amateur weather forecaster Bill Foggitt has died in hospital at the age of 91. Mr Foggitt's unconventional methods - using signs in nature rather than science for his predictions - made him the scourge of professionals, but a legend among
CONFECTIONERY group Glisten has recorded a 32 per cent rise in profits following three major acquisitions in six months. The company, which bought Penguin Confectionery from House of York, in North Shields, earlier this year, also reported turnover up
Paul Logan, 45, of Bloomer Street, Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, appeared before magistrates in Newcastle yesterday charged with a rape on June 5, 1980. Mr Logan, who was not asked to plead, is also accused of abduction and two counts of indecent assault
A CASH-strapped charity that helps disabled people to develop new skills is having to make workers redundant to stay afloat. One employee of Scope on Teesside has already been made redundant and another two losing their jobs. A question mark now hangs
A SCULPTOR will face the music this evening when he hears the opinions of people who have viewed his work. Sean Henry is the artist behind Walking Man, one of six sculptures in the grounds of County Hall and the adjoining DLI Museum, at Aykley Heads,
AN attempt may be made to extradite a pub landlord who fled the country. Rob Howse managed the Punch Bowl, in Stonegate, in York city centre, but disappeared in 1996 after being confronted about a discrepancy in the accounts. The 39-year-old is now known
A METHODIST church has come to the aid of another church that had to cancel services due to essential maintenance. Electrical work, which started on Monday at St Nicholas' Church, in Guisborough, means that all regular services and activities at the church
A MAN suffered serious head injuries after his car hit a barrier and overturned on a steep hill. The accident happened at about 3.35pm yesterday on Edmondsley Bank, on the road between Edmondsley and Craghead, near Stanley, County Durham. Firefighters
MAGISTRATES have set aside three days to consider a late-night licence application for a flagship entertainment venue. Absolute Leisure, which will operate the Barbican Centre, in York, following its privatisation by the city council, wants to extend
A MAN who threatened members of the public with an axe has been spared prison by magistrates. Darren Oxley, 27, of Park Lane, Darlington, was spotted by serving soldier Adam Hughes waving an axe around his head. He had taken it out with him while walking
A MAN who damaged a door belonging to his former partner when she refused to let him in her house has been given a six-month conditional discharge. Carl Nimmo, 23, of Pensbury Street, Darlington, admitting causing £100-worth of damage to a door at South
BUSINESSES are calling for closed circuit cameras to be installed after a spate of burglaries and vandalism. Furniture manufacturer and retailer Purely Pine, on Colburn Industrial Estate, North Yorkshire, was targeted twice over the weekend by thieves
TRAVELLERS who illegally set up camp in a North-East park have moved on, council officials said last night. However, some of the seven caravans moved from Springfield Park, in Darlington, have only moved as far as land on the nearby Red Hall estate. Last
LOCAL health chiefs are throwing their weight behind the nationwide Know Your Numbers campaign. The aim is to drive home the message that everyone should know their blood pressure numbers. As part of the campaign, the Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary
CONSTRUCTION group Hill and Smith Holdings announced record results yesterday as profits soared by 70 per cent to £5.3m. The transport, building and construction group, which owns Durham company Birtley Building Products, said an increase in public sector
FOOTBALL: I COULD hardly believe my eyes when I read that the England football team refused to talk to the media after they beat Poland. These pampered, overpaid, under-talented prima donnas would mostly be on the dole if they had to rely on what was
WITH a first European cup tie almost upon them, Middlesbrough football fans have struck up a strong friendship with a devoted follower of Banik Ostrava. A website set up by Miro -real name Vladimir Janek -offered Boro supporters detailed information on
ONE of Wear Valley's longest- established employers has uprooted and moved to purpose-built premises in one of the district's prime business locations. Innovative engineering firm MRB Schumag is a global leader in its field and could have relocated anywhere
About 240 people turned out to watch a local film - the first to be shown at a multiplex cinema on Teesside. A Century In Stone, which tells the story of how Teesside became the iron-mining capital of the world, has enjoyed success in local clubs and
A THEME pub is offering to provide a minibus for customers if it is allowed to serve drinks later. The 700-capacity Walkabout Australian bar, in the former Robins Cinema, North Road, Durham, has won an extension to its public entertainment licence despite
DETECTIVES are warning elderly people to be on their guard following a series of incidents involving bogus callers. The first callers were on Monday morning in the Chester-le-Street and Fencehouses areas, followed by similar incidents in Blackhall Colliery
A £5M expansion of one of the region's leading conference venues is on course for completion by February at a time when tourism figures are soaring. During the past year, Harrogate district, in North Yorkshire, which includes Ripon, Masham, Knaresborough
A SIX-week-old Labrador-cross puppy was left brain damaged after a gang of yobs kicked her about like a football. A horrified passer-by saw the three teenagers kicking and throwing the dog about near the BMX track, in Temple Park, South Shields, South
A PEDESTRIAN is fighting for his life after he was crushed by a car in a freak accident yesterday. The man, who has not been named, was walking in West Farm Road, Longbenton, North Tyneside, when a bus and a car collided at 11.30am. The impact flipped
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD girl was left fighting for her life after drinking cleaning fluid as her parents celebrated their honeymoon in Greece, it was revealed yesterday. Kennedy Robinson fell into a coma after drinking the alkaline-based substance from an unmarked
A WOMAN who exposed her breasts to police after repeatedly dialing 999 had suffered a personality change after a head injury, a court heard yesterday. Christina Llewellyn, 38, of Bank Top Mews, Darlington, admitted behaving in an indecent manner at the
LOWER clothing prices due to an increased number of special offers helped reduce the annual rate of inflation last month, figures have shown. The cost of adults' and children's clothing recovered more slowly from the summer sales than last year, contributing
DARLINGTON'S search for a striker came to a dramatic conclusion last night when former Middlesbrough frontman Alun Armstrong agreed to join the club. The 29-year-old has put pen-to-paper on a short-term deal, which will keep him at the Williamson Motors
A worried father has put the brakes on drivers racing past his home by building his own speed camera. Ray Allott tinkered in his garage for six months to make a fully operational device. During its first day outside his home, Mr Allott's home-made Gatso
Malcolm Christie completed a confidence-boosting 90 minutes for the first time since breaking a leg last November in Middlesbrough Reserves' 2-2 draw with Blackburn last night. The former Derby County striker was not on the scoresheet, but turned in a
AN expanding firm of accountants has opened an extension to its Ferryhill premises. Clients, friends and members of the town's business community attended an official opening at Little and Neal, in Market Street. Little and Neal moved to Ferryhill from
A FOSTERING provider in Darlington is looking to train more people to work with vulnerable children in outreach programmes. Jafa (Pipss) Limited is looking for more people to work with and support children that have been fostered with carers through the
WALKERS across Pelton Fell, near Chester-le-Street, have a clearer route to follow thanks to the efforts of volunteers. Members of Durham County Council's Voluntary Countryside Rangers teamed up with the Pelton Fell Environment Group to clear overhanging
A 25-year-old mystery of a missing statue could be solved in the next few weeks when a North-East lake gives up its secrets. Nobody knows what happened to a brass statue of a steam plough, erected in South Park, Darlington, in honour of its inventor,
A TOWN has been visited by an ambassador from its namesake in the US. Jill Emerson, from Richmond, Missouri, arrived in Richmond, North Yorkshire, this week. She decided to visit after reading an article about the town in a magazine. She said: "We wanted
AFTER all this time, a first holiday in Ireland, a verdantly emerald isle. Irish eyes smile everywhere: the natives with warm welcome, the hoteliers with ill-concealed avarice. It's from Ireland that we imported the phrase "beyond the pale" - the "Pale
Hundreds of workers on the prestigious Wembley Stadium project who have been locked in a bitter dispute with their employers will today decide whether or not to accept a deal agreed on their behalf by union leaders. More than 200 construction workers,
CAR manufacturer Nissan is about to unveil the model that will replace the Almera and decide the future of up to 1,000 jobs at the company's Sunderland factory. The MPV-version of the Micra will be launched at the Paris Motor Show next week and it has
Prime Minister Tony Blair considered quitting this year because the ''considerations of his family became very pressing'', Labour peer Melvyn Bragg said yesterday Lord Bragg told the ITV News channel that the Prime Minister was under ''colossal strain
A TEENAGER made the subject of Britain's toughest anti-social behaviour order was facing another court appearance last night, after he was arrested for allegedly breaching its stringent conditions. Police in Darlington yesterday detained 14-year-old Shane
Retailer Next bucked the negative trend in London yesterday as stronger than expected results pleased investors. Despite the FTSE 100 Index closing down 12.9 at 4545.6, Next saw its stock climb to the top of the risers board with a surge of nearly three
THE debate over whether the North-East should vote for regional government has not caught the imagination of the public. So far, apathy is winning and that is both sad and dangerous because, in a matter of weeks, the region will be making a decision of
The elected assembly will have just 25 members to prevent it becoming too powerful, a government minister admitted today. Nick Raynsford surprised MPs by revealing the North-East assembly would be small specifically so it could not "trample on local authorities
A school extension is to be officially opened by a famous former pupil. Newcastle Falcons director of rugby Rob Andrew will do the honours at Barton Primary School next month. Work has now been completed on the new hall, classroom, kitchen and offices
A brilliant idea? Or the final nail in the coffin of family life? The Government has announced plans for primary schools to open from 8am until 6pm. In the next five years there should be at least one such "wraparound" school in each authority, until
A brilliant idea? Or the final nail in the coffin of family life? The Government has announced plans for primary schools to open from 8am until 6pm. In the next five years there should be at least one such "wraparound" school in each authority, until
GARETH SOUTHGATE has experienced the highs and lows of UEFA Cup football and he has warned Middlesbrough to make sure the club's historic occasion does not end in disaster. Banik Ostrava, the Czech champions, arrive on Teesside today ahead of tomorrow's
