Archive

  • McCarthy confident he will have cash to spend

    SUNDERLAND manager Mick McCarthy is confident that this week's Football League tribunal will not mark the end of his spending for the season. The Black Cats enjoyed three notable victories this week but, while two came on the field of play, the third

  • For Your Benefit: Are we entitled to any help?

    Q I am 67, receiving a State Pension of £91.87, Industrial Injuries of £33.03 and occupational pension of £39.97, all weekly. My wife, who is terminally ill, has a State Pension of £61.87. Our savings are £200. Can we expect any help through Pension Credit

  • 'My uncle the madcap artist'

    As an exhibition of William Heath Robinson's work comes to Newcastle, Viv Hardwick talks to his nephew, Peter Higginson. THE expression "Heath Robinson", describing an absurdly complicated machine carrying out quite a simple function, is never going to

  • Mothers pass on experiences of pregnancy

    A DOZEN mothers who drew on their experiences of depression and post-natal illness to design leaflets for other parents have been recognised for their achievements. The women and their families were the guests of honour at a celebration in Hartlepool,

  • Wardens get charter mark

    A STREET warden service will receive Government approval on Monday. Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon will confirm the acknowledgement when he presents the town's team with the Quality Standard Award. Mr Mallon said: "We have made a real difference in the

  • Cartoon Eric's health plans

    IDLE ERIC, a character created by Viz cartoonist Steve Donald to promote exercise, is embarking on a new campaign. This is the third year Eric has been used to champion better health for Tyneside and Wearside men. Tomorrow, a campaign will be launched

  • Where there's life

    FOR several weeks, my wife and I have become hooked on the Get A New Life (BBC2 Mon-Thurs) series, partly to join the dream of fun in the sun but also to escape the always-depressing 6pm news round-ups on the main channels. You can't help noticing that

  • Blow as Boyd is sidelined

    JUST when Neale Cooper thought his injury troubles were starting to ease, along came possibly the most costly of all. The Hartlepool United boss has four players recovering from operations, although Mark Tinkler and Eifion Williams are both fit to face

  • 'My uncle the madcap artist'

    As an exhibition of William Heth Robinson's work comes to Newcastle, Viv Hardwick talks to his nephew, Peter Higginson. THE expression "Heath Robinson", describing an absurdly complicated machine carrying out quite a simple function, is never going to

  • Thieves take artist's most valuable work

    THIEVES who raided the gallery of one of the region's best-known artists picked out the four most valuable works. The £2,000 burglary at John Degnan's home in Bowes, County Durham, was the most serious incident in a night of crime that shocked residents

  • Sentiment will not stop Ford bosses killing the Jaguar off

    News that the assembly of Jaguar cars in Coventry will stop was greeted with dismay last night. But as Motoring Editor Nigel Burton reports, the Coventry plant was living on borrowed time. FORD'S decision to pull the plug on production at Jaguar's famous

  • Quakers boss calls for support from Boro fans

    NOT satisfied with luring every former Middlesbrough player in sight to Darlington, manager David Hodgson last night turned his attentions to the Teesside public. With Boro excused from this afternoon's Premiership programme following their historic midweek

  • Where the stags don't stray

    We speak with an accent exceedingly rare, Meet under a statue exceedingly bare, And if you want a cathedral, we've got one to spare.... THAT was about Liverpool, of course, homespun by The Spinners and said to have 300 verses, though the Internet - mercifully

  • Teesside: musically, UK's best-kept secret

    MUSICALLY, Teesside is one of the UK's best-kept secrets. So says Bruce Findlay, former manager of groups Simple Minds and China Crisis. He is to address delegates at a four-day In the City music convention in Manchester next week, which will bring together

  • Thieves take artist's most valuable work

    THIEVES who raided the gallery of one of the region's best-known artists picked out the four most valuable works. The £2,000 burglary at John Degnan's home in Bowes, County Durham, was the most serious incident in a night of crime that shocked residents

  • Charity to shut office at end of the month

    A VICTIM Support office will close at the end of this month. The Darlington office will close on September 30 because of funding cuts. The charity has been forced to restructure because the Home Office is cutting its funding by £100,000 by 2007. Offices

  • Wild about the West

    How the West was lost by television is a mystery, but the latest series, Deadwood, is expected to do little to restore its popularity. That whirring sound you can hear is the entire cowboy population of Boot Hill Cemetery spinning in their graves. They've

  • Indian royal to attend cultural festival

    THE head of an Indian royal household is coming to the region for a celebration of ethnic diversity. His Highness Sri Srikanta Datta Wadiyar, the Maharajah of Mysore, in India, will be the guest of honour at the annual Ganesha Festival. The event, at

  • 150 years and still blossoming

    PARISHIONERS are marking a church's 150th anniversary by filling it with flowers and music over the weekend. A two-day festival at the church of Our Lady Immaculate and St Cuthbert, at Crook, is one of the final events in a series of celebrations. Fifteen

  • School celebrates healthy lifestyle award

    A SCHOOL that has been promoting healthy lifestyles for its pupils is celebrating winning an award. Kelloe Primary School has won the Healthy Schools Awards, which is given for efforts by schools to teach youngsters about the importance of health, fitness

  • Protest father climbs bridge

    A FATHERS' rights protestor brought traffic to a halt yesterday when he scaled a busy North-East bridge. The 25-year-old Fathers 4 Justice campaigner climbed Scotswood Bridge, over the Tyne, at 6am. Fire crews used a ladder to rescue the man when he slipped

  • Television star given blancmange bath in caner charity event

    A TELEVISION star and a police officer have been up to their necks in pink blancmange, all for the sake of charity. Thornaby-based PC Steve Brisley sat in a bath of the dessert in the town's Asda store to raise awareness and funds for the store's "Tickled

  • Off-road school to beat green protests

    AN off-road driving school looks likely to be allowed to operate permanently despite concerns from environmental groups. In 1999, Deepdale Off-Road, based in Startforth, near Barnard Castle, was given temporary approval to operate for five years, and

  • Awareness week to show off achievements of dyslexics

    A WEEK of events has been organised in Darlington to tackle dyslexia. The Dyslexia Institute will host several sessions around this year's theme of a celebration of dyslexia talents. Mark, an adult learner in Darlington, said: "Since coming to the Dyslexia

  • Public to be asked over land access

    USERS and owners of open access land in County Durham are to be asked for their views on how it should be managed. The new right comes into effect in the North Pennines from May 2005. Durham County Council is now putting together a strategy to manage

  • Asbo yob receives prison warning

    A TEENAGE troublemaker has been warned he could go to jail if he breaks a three-year Anti-Social Behaviour Order. Christopher Mordue, 17, of Petwell House, Seaside Lane, Easington Colliery, will have to abide by the terms of the order until the eve of

  • Cabaret plan for charity

    TICKETS are available for a cabaret night of entertainment in aid of the Children's Cancer Fund at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary. Hallgarth Manor Hotel, at Pittington, near Durham, is the setting for the Swing Ding Extravaganza. Among the line-up

  • Tory campaign portraying town as a ghetto - Labour

    TORY leader Michael Howard last night stepped into a row with a heavyweight political rival ahead of the Hartlepool by-election. Mr Howard was accused by Health Secretary John Reid of portraying Hartlepool as a ghetto town, following comments he made

  • Postal ballot for by-election 'a success' despite mistake

    A COUNCIL has hailed a postal ballot for a by-election a success - despite a spelling error which forced the reprint of thousands of papers. Labour candidate David Holding was elected councillor for the Edmondsley and Waldridge ward of Chester-le-Street

  • Flooding study will be made

    MORE than £70,000 will be spent on flood alleviation studies in villages around Scarborough. Homes in the Cayton, Burniston, Cloughton, Scalby and Newby areas were flooded in 2002, and the Government will be asked to fund a study by Scarborough Council

  • Rescue group cares for spaniel that cheated death twice

    A NEW home is needed for a springer spaniel that has dodged death twice recently. Sadie was saved from a dog pound by Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (Sara) four months ago, only to become trapped during a fire at her foster home. Pat Smith, who has

  • Man, 40, died after taking heroin

    AN alcoholic drug abuser died after he injected himself with heroin in a flat in Middlesbrough, an inquest has heard. On March 3, unemployed Philip Robert Briston, of Diamond Street, Saltburn, was found dead in the shared bathroom in a block of flats

  • Survey applauds clean living

    THE North-East is at the forefront of clean living, according to a new survey. A study commissioned by Kwik Save Laundry Products found that Newcastle had the third highest rate of washing machine use in the UK. About 61 per cent of households in the

  • Aviation Ale can give you Wings

    PUB-GOERS in Darlington are being asked to dig deep this weekend to help serving and ex-RAF servicemen and women. Tanners Hall, in Skinnergate, launched its Aviation Ale Festival yesterday in support of the Royal Air Forces Association's Wings Appeal,

  • Top GCSE marks earn award for student

    A DARLINGTON student has scooped an award for achieving the best GCSE marks in his school. The Lloyds Bank Trophy is awarded every year at Hurworth School Computing and Maths College for outstanding performance in examinations. This year's winner is 16

  • Council rapped over use of logo

    A COUNCIL has been ticked off for using a Government logo on advertisements putting its case ahead of November's referendum on local government reorganisation. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has contacted Durham County Council asking it

  • Racehorse owner is jailed for fatal drink-drive crash

    A RACEHORSE owner and successful businessman was jailed yesterday for killing a woman in a high-speed crash when he was intoxicated. The court was told that stock trader Michael Hall, who led a lavish lifestyle and was popular in the racing world, is

  • Cook reaches final six in antipodean contest

    A YOUNG chef from Darlington has progressed to the final six of a competition. Chris Rhoney could win a scholarship to New Zealand to work alongside some of the country's top chefs for six weeks if he wins. The Link Foundation Hospitality Award will be

  • Can I be chef? Corus you can

    TWO Darlington chefs have won places on a national training scheme. Morn Jansen and Malcolm Wilson have been chosen from 5,000 candidates across the UK to become apprentices on Corus hotels' Chef School training programme. Morn, 19, from South Africa,

  • Foot loss teacher back in classroom

    A games teacher who had a foot amputated after a freak rugby accident has returned to the classroom And 18 months after the horrendous accident that led to the amputation of his left foot, he has spoken of his dream of playing rugby again. John Hughes

  • Lottery cash will pay for workshops

    CHILDREN will benefit from a National Lottery grant for culture, creativity and community workshops. A £4,150 grant has been awarded to the Jennyfields Styan Community Centre, in Harrogate, for the three Cs project, which will include arts, drama, music

  • Car competition boost for Jenny

    A MOTHER has ensured her daughter can make plenty of trips home to the North-East after winning her a car. Jenny Jolly, 25, originally of Ushaw Moor, near Durham City, won a competition to mark the relaunch of the city's Milburngate Shopping Centre car

  • Genetic scientists to discuss stem cell research

    STEM cell pioneers from the region will answer questions from the public next month. The North-East is poised to become the leading world centre for controversial stem cell research after a licence was granted last month. Now, two scientists will talk

  • The tragic realisation of a police officer's greatest fear

    A SENIOR police officer's fears that prolific young criminal Dean English would go on to kill someone were tragically borne out by the death of Ian Gourley. Chief Inspector Tim Wilson, the divisional commander for the Easington area of County Durham,

  • £250,000 a year cost of wasted drugs

    PATIENTS ordering unnecessary repeat prescriptions cost a north Durham health care authority £250,000 a year. Derwentside Primary Care Trust published the figure as it launched a fresh campaign to combat medicine wastage. The money is lost through people

  • Reunion on the doorstep

    TWO childhood friends who moved away and spent 20 years unaware they were living in the same village are organising a school reunion. Pat Kershaw, known to her classmates as Pat Johnson, left Consett, County Durham, in 1974. After living in Bristol, she

  • Pair missing for Saints trip

    GRAEME SOUNESS takes his battered and bruised troops to his former club Southampton tomorrow without two key players. The 51-year-old Scot, who spent one season at the club between 1996 and 1997, will be without both Kieron Dyer and Aaron Hughes for the

  • Mallon clocked speeding on M6

    THE mayor once dubbed Robocop for his zero tolerance policing methods has been clocked doing 75mph in a 50mph zone on the M6 motorway. Ray Mallon - the high-profile Mayor of Middlesbrough - was snapped by a speed camera as he drove through a section of

  • A present from the mayor

    ALL the dignatories are gathered around a table. The meal is coming to an end. The prospect of multi-million pound business hangs hopefully in the air. There's His Excellency Mohammed Ali Alabbar of Dubai surrounded by his advisers; there are Middlesbrough's

  • Home is where the heart is

    BRITISH Veterans' champion Brian Rushworth opens his cross country season on home ground at Farringdon today. The 41-year-old Sunderland Harrier, who established himself as one of the region's best-ever winter exponents by winning a record ten North-East

  • Boro seek repeat performance

    AFTER the heroics of Middlesbrough's first UEFA Cup tie, manager Steve McClaren has urged for a repeat performance when they return to Premiership action at Everton tomorrow. Boro's fans are still buoyant after Thursday night's crushing 3-0 win over Czech

  • Gatwick is cleared for take-off

    TOP-FLIGHT three-year-old colt Gatwick (4.00) looks the answer to the ultra-competitive mile-and-a-quarter £100,000 John Smith's Stakes at Newbury. Excuse the pun, but it is no exaggeration to say that Gatwick absolutely "flew" up the hill to score in

  • North scientists develop virus test

    SCIENTISTS in the region have developed a test which could help hospitals correctly diagnose children suffering from a recently discovered virus. The test for human metapneumonovirus (hMPV) has been devised by scientists at the Health Protection Agency

  • Pair swap showers for gales on North Sea adventure

    TWO North-East student engineers have overcome the worst the North Sea can throw at them. Ian Simpson, 22, from Darlington, and Rory Edwards, 20, from Barnard Castle, County Durham, have been on a short voyage on the square-rigged sail training ship Prince

  • And now... a sports film with balls?

    Sports movies are few and far between and those that have been released often fail to score. So, will the new movie about Wimbledon hit the target? Steve Pratt finds out. If there were an Olympic medal given for making sports movies, there would be very

  • Poster winners announced

    FACTORIES around the country will display posters designed by safety-conscious children. Children of the 3,500 staff at SCA Packaging were asked to design a safety poster for use in the company's 49 factories nationally. Nine-year-old Jordan Reid, of

  • Festival back for a slice of literature

    DURHAM'S annual literature festival has celebrated its 15th birthday. This year's event will begin later this month, but a launch party has already been held, with a birthday cake and a visit from Mary Bell, of Easington, who founded the festival in 1989

  • 'Why I'm no friend of Neighbours'

    The months have gone by, but there's still no sign of Joe Scully in BBC1's Neighbours. Actor Shane Connor tells Viv Hardwick the truth about what happened to the popular character - and why he's taking the programme makers to court. ONE day, 44-year-old

  • Sunshine bathes church for funeral of weatherman Bill

    THE leaden skies of early autumn broke yesterday to bathe the funeral of amateur weather forecaster Bill Foggitt in glorious sunshine. Outside the church, the birds sang and the trees were rippled by a stiff breeze as tributes were paid to the famous

  • Mallon clocked speeding on M6

    THE mayor once dubbed Robocop for his zero tolerance policing methods has been clocked doing 75mph in a 50mph zone on the M6 motorway. Ray Mallon - the high-profile Mayor of Middlesbrough - was snapped by a speed camera as he drove through a section of

  • And now... a sports film with balls?

    Sports movies are few and far between and those that have been released often fail to score. So, will the new movie about Wimbledon hit the target? Steve Pratt finds out. If there were an Olympic medal given for making sports movies, there would be very

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: A ceremonious catastrophe

    THERE can be no doubt that the Houses of Parliament require a dedicated and specialist system of security. The invasion of the Commons by pro-hunt protestors demonstrated the inadequacy of men in tail-coats and tights, armed with ceremonial swords, as

  • Good times are only just beginning says Zenden

    BOLO ZENDEN believes the true worth of Middlesbrough's memorable achievements in last season's Carling Cup are only now beginning to be felt on Teesside. Boro's success over Bolton at the Millennium Stadium in February was dismissed by many as the trophy

  • A Voice For The North: Healthy support for N-E assembly

    ALAN Milburn and John Reid pushed the case for a directly-elected regional assembly in the North-East during a visit to the region yesterday. Mr Milburn, the former Health Secretary, was in his Darlington constituency with his successor in support of

  • North MP caught up in global fraud case

    A NORTH-EAST MP has found himself drawn into a global fraud. Sir Stuart Bell's name has been used by fraudsters in a complex Internet scam. Using the MP's name as a cover, con artists have fleeced unsuspecting vendors of racehorses, boats and luxury cars

  • Riders hit the gold trail at contest

    HORSES and riders from the North-East struck gold in the British Riding Clubs National Championships last weekend. The Bishops Riding Club, from County Durham, is celebrating its best ever performance with three British titles and one unexpected second

  • Meeting to discuss drink problems

    FINAL preparations are being made for a conference to produce a plan for tackling drink-related crime. The conference - described by Cleveland's Deputy Chief Constable Ron Hogg as a meeting of minds -will be held on Teesside next month. Those involved

  • Elliott gives a repeat performance

    Australian left-hander Matthew Elliott ended his Yorkshire career almost exactly two years ago with a National League century against Kent at Headingley. Yesterday, in his next innings on the ground, he again reached three figures - but this time the

  • Corus expected to raise prices for big customers

    STEELMAKER Corus is expected to raise prices after City analysts increased their projections for the company's pre-tax profits for the year to £400m. The company, which reported its first profits in a troubled five-year history on Thursday, said it planned

  • Cumbrian taken over by Hanson

    A CUMBRIAN-based road surfacing business with offices in Sedgefield has been taken over by multi-national building materials group Hanson. Family-owned business Cumbrian Industrials Limited was bought by Hanson for an undisclosed sum. The company, which

  • Police praise Euro support

    FOOTBALL fans who turned out in force for Middlesbrough's first venture into European cup competition have been praised by the police. More than 100 officers were on patrol for the game against Banik Ostrava, including two from the visiting club's local

  • Officer becomes bomb-maker on training course

    A POLICE officer's trip to the US went with a bang when he took part in a specialist training exercise. Arson investigation expert Detective Constable Graham Thompson, of Cleveland Police, built a bomb, detonated it and collected the remains for forensic

  • Nuclear contract bids

    BUSINESSES in the region are being urged to bid for contracts in a £55bn programme to decommission the country's ageing nuclear reactors. The Government has announced that the contracts are available over the next 50 years at sites including Sellafield

  • Football fans jailed for South Coast clash

    A gang of football fans were jailed yesterday for violent disorder after fighting with supporters from an opposing team. Middlesbrough fans Christopher Arthur, 22, Justin McLeary, 29, Glen Gilbert, 34, Lee Franklin, 24, Karl Rogers, 32, James Doyle, 24

  • Kluivert is resigned to playing second fiddle

    PATRICK Kluivert is resigned to playing second fiddle to Alan Shearer, despite insisting that he has done all he can to earn his place in the Newcastle side. Kluivert was given an early chance to impress new boss Graeme Souness in Thursday night's UEFA

  • Kluivert is resigned to playing second fiddle

    PATRICK Kluivert is resigned to playing second fiddle to Alan Shearer, despite insisting that he has done all he can to earn his place in the Newcastle side. Kluivert was given an early chance to impress new boss Graeme Souness in Thursday night's UEFA

  • Notorious criminal faces jail over death

    ONE of the North-East's most notorious criminals is facing a lengthy stretch behind bars after being convicted over the tragic death of a teenager. A judge yesterday warned Dean English - once dubbed The Singing Defective by police - to expect a long

  • Plan to expand music tuition in schools

    MORE children could benefit from playing an instrument in the future. A report to North Yorkshire County Council's environment and heritage scrutiny committee said that its music service to schools enriched pupils' lives. The council plans to ensure that

  • Thieves take artist's most valuable work

    THIEVES who raided the gallery of one of the region's best-known artists picked out the four most valuable works. The £2,000 burglary at John Degnan's home in Bowes, County Durham, was the most serious incident in a night of crime that shocked residents

  • Farmers will promote produce to Europe

    LIVESTOCK farmers from North Yorkshire are to show off their goods to visiting French journalists. The trade visit has been organised as part of the local produce initiative run by North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC). The scheme aims to develop business

  • Good times are only just beginning says Zenden

    BOLO ZENDEN believes the true worth of Middlesbrough's memorable achievements in last season's Carling Cup are only now beginning to be felt on Teesside. Boro's success over Bolton at the Millennium Stadium in February was dismissed by many as the trophy

  • Job scheme improving coastline

    A JOB creation scheme is helping to improve Durham's coastline. Organisations have come together to set up the Coastal Intermediate Labour Market Programme, which gives long-term jobless people the chance of a year's work and training. The scheme operates

  • Pupils lead the way to healthy living

    A SCHOOL where health issues have an important place on the curriculum has been recognised for its efforts. Stanley Crook Primary School was presented with a County Durham and Darlington healthy school award by the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust yesterday

  • Residents lose out in fight to stop social services plan

    RESIDENTS turned out in force to urge councillors to reject plans to house four adults with learning difficulties in their street. About 30 people living in Beechwood Drive, Bishop Auckland, gathered at Wear Valley District Council's planning committee

  • 18-year-old spared jail after fight led to serious injuries

    AN 18-year-old trainee electrician involved in a fight in which a man nearly died was spared jail yesterday. Christopher Lawther was told by a judge that he could have been facing a manslaughter charge because his victim's injuries had been so serious

  • A touch of flamenco flair

    STUDENTS were given a taste of Spanish culture when a team of flamenco dancers visited their school. London-based group Prensa O Palique gave pupils at Bishop Barrington School, in Bishop Auckland, a few tips during their visit on Thursday. The group

  • Death crash motorist jailed

    A MOTORIST who killed another driver when he pulled out in front of him after mistaking the oncoming lane for a slip road was jailed for 15 months yesterday. Foreign student Abdel Salook, 24, was found guilty of causing the fatal accident, off Newcastle's

  • At Your Service: Where the stag's don't stray

    The column visits Dublin's Christ Church and finds a seriously depleted congregation We speak with an accent exceedingly rare, Meet under a statue exceedingly bare, And if you want a cathedral, we've got one to spare.... THAT was about Liverpool, of course

  • People urged to ditch cars in favour of feet

    NORTH Yorkshire County Council is urging people to abandon their cars and walk or cycle to work and school. Geoff Gardner, the authority's travel awareness officer, said in a report to councillors that there was particular concern about the long-term

  • Farmers will promote produce to Europe

    LIVESTOCK farmers from North Yorkshire are to show off their goods to visiting French journalists. The trade visit has been organised as part of the local produce initiative run by North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC). The scheme aims to develop business

  • Wilks in the hunt in Wales

    GUY Wilks was lying third in class and 25th overall after seven stages of the Wales Rally GB. The 23-year-old from Darlington moved up eight places after Thursday's opening stage in Cardiff. Wilks, who drives a Suzuki Ignis Sport for Dealer Team Suzuki

  • 'Minster should reach out to evening revellers'

    A CITY'S main church should provide spiritual sustenance to night-time revellers, according to a city chaplain. The Reverend Derek Rosamond, 55, believes Sunderland Minster should be extending its reach to the thousands of men and women who seek entertainment

  • Road maintenance up for debate

    PLANS to deal with road maintenance in Darlington during the winter months are to be considered by councillors. Darlington Borough Council has set aside £263,000 to ensure road surfaces are safe for motorists and pedestrians during the winter season,

  • Echo guest at civic trust dinner

    The Darlington Civic Trust is holding its autumn meal on September 30 at the Oak Room restaurant, Darlington College of Technology, at 7pm. Guest speaker will be Chris Lloyd, assistant editor of The Northern Echo, who will give a preview of his forthcoming

  • 'Gang's actions driving us out'

    A FAMILY has put in a request to move home - claiming they have been driven away by a gang of youths. Brenda and Leslie Banks have lived on Auckland Road in Cockerton, Darlington, for ten years, but say that the gang's behaviour has become too much to

  • We'll keep the green flag flying here

    ENVIRONMENTALLY friendly pupils at a Darlington school were presented with a green award yesterday afternoon by the town's MP. Alan Milburn, Labour's new election chief, took a break from policy-making to visit Alderman Leach Primary School, in Leach

  • Homes set for derelict land

    PLANS to build three terraced houses on derelict land have been given the go-ahead despite objections. People in Arthur Street, Crook, told members of Wear Valley District Council's development control committee on Thursday night that the development

  • Cartoon Eric's health plans

    IDLE ERIC, a character created by Viz cartoonist Steve Donald to promote exercise, is embarking on a new campaign. This is the third year Eric has been used to champion better health for Tyneside and Wearside men. Tomorrow, a campaign will be launched

  • Sellout is expected at musical finals

    Tickets are selling quickly for The Northern Echo's music contest final gig, on Friday. More than half the 170 tickets to the Big Chance play-off have been sold, and organisers are anticipating a sellout. In the final, Jamie Sample, Ask My Cat, Freerunner

  • Delight as vicar appointed to post after 20-month wait

    THE long-awaited new vicar of North Yorkshire's county town will arrive in November -20 months after the previous incumbent left. All Saints' Church, in Northallerton, St James Church, in Romanby, and St Lawrence Church, in Kirby Sigston, have been without

  • 343 arrests in alcohol crackdown

    AN eight-week blitz on alcohol misuse in a North-East city led to more than 300 arrests for drink-related crime. However, police point out that the arrests are set against a backdrop of about one million visitors to Newcastle during the past two months

  • Second World War battles to be remembered this weekend

    TWO major Second World War battles will be remembered on Teesside this weekend. A parade at Stockton tomorrow will commemorate the anniversaries of the Battle of Britain, in 1940, and the Battle of Arnhem, in 1944. Middlesbrough will also mark Battle

  • Nigel scores goal in two seconds

    AN amateur footballer could be heading for the record books after he hit the back of the net within two seconds of the kick-off. Butcher Nigel Hammond scored the wonder-goal at the start of Askrigg's 8-0 thrashing of Spennithorne, in the Wensleydale Creamery

  • Calls for 24-hour police station

    A CALL has been made to keep Richmond police station open 24 hours a day. The recommendation came in a crime and safety study conducted by Richmondshire District Council. The document, How Safe Are Our Streets?, also urges North Yorkshire Police to reopen

  • 'We're best rid of island councillor'

    THE ex-wife of a councillor serving his North-East constituents from a Caribbean island said last night: "You're better off without him." Wear Valley district councillor Stephen Gregory went to ground yesterday after The Northern Echo revealed how he

  • Anger as girl hit by car dies

    A TWO-year-old girl mown down by a car when it mounted a high street pavement has died of her injuries. Helen Dass and partner Kevin Schwec were said to be devastated last night over the death of daughter Demi, six days after the accident. Demi was taken

  • Vintage bikes take to the road in rural rally

    A SCENE from the golden era of British motorcycling will be recreated on the rural roads of the North-East at the weekend. More than 100 vintage motorcycles, cycle cars, tricycles, micro-cars - all manufactured in 1979 or before - and pre-1941 light cars

  • Five senior jobs go as council looks to cut costs of services

    A SHAKE-UP at Durham City Council will see five senior posts go to save more than £120,000 a year. The council is carrying out a restructuring to cut costs, meet the recommendations of its Comprehensive Performance Assessment and focus on priorities set

  • Notorious criminal faces jail over death

    ONE of the North-East's most notorious criminals is facing a lengthy stretch behind bars after being convicted over the tragic death of a teenager. A judge yesterday warned Dean English - once dubbed The Singing Defective by police - to expect a long

  • McCarthy confident he will have cash to spend

    SUNDERLAND manager Mick McCarthy is confident that this week's Football League tribunal will not mark the end of his spending for the season. The Black Cats enjoyed three notable victories this week but, while two came on the field of play, the third

  • Yodelling dogs among dozens of rare breeds at show

    AN African dog that does not bark but yodels is only one of the unusual canine species that can be seen in the North-East this weekend. More than 60,000 people are expected to attend the 36th annual Darlington Championship Dog Show, in South Park. As

  • Burke and Sititi make bows

    SAMOAN captain Semo Sititi and Australian full back Matt Burke will make their first Zurich Premiership starts for Newcastle Falcons in tomorrow's opening home match of the season. They tackle Harlequins, described by Director of Rugby Rob Andrew as "

  • 18/09/04

    RAY MALLON: IN the world of politics you often encounter the unexpected and the incongruous. Such is the case of Ray Mallon. His belief in zero tolerance and a generally hard line, commonsense attitude towards the criminal fraternity has gained him many

  • And the bride wore a ghostly transparency . . .

    THE sight of a bride in a country hotel should not normally instill fear. But when a boy saw the woman sitting in a room at the George Hotel, in Piercebridge, near Darlington, general manager Geoff Kernon says a shiver went down his spine. For many years

  • Hard slog for Prince

    TESTING ground threatens to make the six-furlong Ayr Gold Cup more of a slog than a sprint, but that shouldn't worry leading fancy Prince Aaron (3.10), who possesses a pleasing blend of stamina and speed. Conrad Allen's fast-improving four-year-old has