THE focus on anti-social behaviour in this country has never been sharper. Millions of pounds are spent in analysing the problem and working out ways to tackle it. So let's consider today's FA Cup Final. It is English football's showcase event - a celebration
AARON HUGHES last night completed a £1.4m move to Aston Villa and revealed that he was both saddened and excited about leaving Newcastle United after nine years. The versatile defender was in the Midlands yesterday finalising a deal with Villa chairman
"DON'T tell me... they reckon blueberries improve your sex life don't they," said my wife as her favourite breakfast fruit became a business TV highlight on Monday with the news that we in the UK now buy £26.2m of the "superfood". "Look, I've just eaten
A TEENAGE yob dubbed the real Vicky Pollard has been hauled back to court for riding a motorbike without a helmet - two weeks after she was banned from driving. Kerry McLaughlin, who has been likened to Little Britain's teenage chav, has already been
WHEN Manchester United dumped Middlesbrough out of the FA Cup in late January, most Teessiders accepted they would not be travelling to Cardiff four months later. But, for one Cleveland resident, Boro's 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford was crucial to keeping
A PIONEERING scheme, which has made Internet access in the region more widely available than ever before, yesterday revealed a new extension to its work. The CommuniGate initiative run by Newsquest North-East, publishers of The Northern Echo, launched
It's the competition everyone loves to mock, but millions will tune in anyway. As it celebrates 50 fabulous years, Nick Morrison looks at the highs and lows of the Eurovision Song Contest. BRITAIN has a far from straightforward relationship with the Eurovision
POLICE action to tackle anti-social behaviour in a Teesdale village has seen the number of incidents drop by nearly three-quarters. It is now hoped the successful initiative to tackle anti-social behaviour in Evenwood can be used in other trouble hotspots
A two-day crackdown has led to 56 untaxed or uninsured cars being taken off the road. Operation Coeval has also resulted in the questioning of 60 suspected benefit cheats. Police and custom officers were joined by street wardens and pensions and DVLA
FORMER members of the Parachute Regiment formed a guard of honour at the funeral of an old comrade killed whilst helping rebuild war-torn Iraq. Those attending the funeral of ex-para Alan Parkin, from Consett, County Durham, filed out of the church to
LOVE blossomed at a wartime dance for a couple who are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary. Tom Marshall spotted his future wife, Ann, dancing with her friend at the village dance, in Bircotes, Doncaster. He asked her to dance and the couple
A shoplifter who stole two bottles of whisky is being sought by police. The man, thought to be in his 20s, is suspected of stealing the drink from the Quality Fayre store, in Broom Lane, Ushaw Moor, at about 1pm on Saturday, February 26. The man took
BISHOP Auckland College has joined two other colleges to develop a centre of excellence in Childcare. The Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for childcare will serve Tyne Metropolitan College and Stockton Riverside and will be based at Bishop Auckland
LEARNING providers in Newton Aycliffe have teamed up to hold a community education day next week. Greenfield Community and Arts Centre will host the event for people of all ages on Friday, from 10am to 3pm. There will be course taster sessions, free use
COUNCILLORS in a County Durham market town are urging residents, who are angry at a proposal to reduce opening hours at the local police station, to contact them. Barnard Castle police station is one of several police stations in the county to have its
A MURTON grandmother has taken over as chairwoman of Easington District Council. Councillor Joyce Maitland received the chain of office from outgoing chairman Coun Bruce Burn. Coun Maitland, who joined the council in 1995 and represents Murton East Ward
A STUDENT has gone back to school in an effort to encourage youngsters to experience college life. Matthew Nicholson, a former pupil of Rye Hills School, is studying for a plumbing apprenticeship at Redcar and Cleveland College. He is also working at
A STUDENT who designed a games table for people with disabilities has been shortlisted in a national competition. Dan Tucker was among 20 sixth form students from Northallerton College who made it through to the semi-finals of the Audi Young Designer
A MAN was taken to hospital with severe head injuries after he was attacked outside a North-East takeaway. The 46-year-old North Shields man was beaten up after visiting the Simon Chop Suey House, in Front Street, Chirton, Tyneside, as he headed home.
THREE youngsters have been named Ripon Young Musicians of the Year after a hard-fought contest. Thirty-eight musical students up to the age of 18 took part in the contest, which is open to young people living or at school within the HG4 postcode area.
A MAIN road is set to benefit from a £2.5m package of improvement works. The A64 will be resurfaced, bus lay-bys upgraded and a stretch of cycle path added between Bramham and Scarborough over the next year. The project aims to improve safety and tackle
A MEETING to decide the fate of Richmond's car parks and council office buildings could go ahead on June 1. But public attendance could be limited after two previous meetings were called off when 800 people turned up. Richmondshire District Council is
VISITORS to Durham's DLI Museum will also be able to see floral arrangements by Dunelm Flower Club. The museum, at Aykley Heads, hosted the club's bi-annual competition. Entries were judged earlier in the week when best in show went to a display called
A crackdown has been launched to stop off-road motorcyclists in their tracks and protect fragile wildlife habitats. Cleveland Police, council officials and land owners have their sights set on ending illegal quad and motorbike riding over the dunes between
A NURSERY school is to close next year after officials voted to go ahead with a reorganisation of early years education. Despite an impassioned appeal from staff, a meeting of Durham County Council's school organisation committee yesterday voted to press
A RETIRED police officer has published his first novel based on his experiences in the force. John Knowles' book is based on real-life calamities which befell the officer and his colleagues in County Durham. Mr Knowles was born in Darlington and, after
Primary schools in Middlesbrough are taking part in Walk to School Week by persuading teachers and parents to leave their cars at home from Monday. There will be 13,000 children, parents and teachers from the town's 42 schools taking part in the event
Foster parents in Middlesbrough received awards from the mayor yesterday. Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon presented long-service awards to 27 carers. He said: "This group of people have given years of their lives so that young people have been able to
pupils have been taking on a challenge from the Royal Air Force as part of their lessons. Year nine students at Wensleydale School, in Leyburn, spent a day working with a team from RAF Linton on Ouse, near York. The pupils were guided through the design
Police in Middlesbrough are promoting the use of a simple garage lock. The Garage Defender, which locks the bottom of the up-and-over garage door, has proved to be an effective deterrent in reducing garage crime. Crime reduction officer Ged Kirkbright
COUNCILLORS have unanimously overruled objections to plans for flats, town houses and a shop in Knaresborough town centre. Harrogate Borough Council's planning committee rejected planning officers' advice to refuse the scheme at 91-93 High Street by Shire
A VILLAGE'S industrial estate is to be expanded to create more jobs for new businesses. Ryedale District Council's planning committee has approved a scheme close to the castle at Sheriff Hutton. However, planning officer Paul Simpson said the 3.2 hectare
A RECORD number of women will take part in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life in Gateshead this weekend. The organisers say this year's entry of 2,649 woman is up by more than 1,000 on last year, when 1,625 joined the event at Saltwell Park. Cancer Research
A village has traced the names of First and Second World War veterans killed in conflict who had been omitted from its Cenotaph. The names, which have been inscribed on stone tablets, will be installed at Wheatley Hill Memorial in a ceremony tomorrow.
VISITORS to Durham's DLI Museum will also be able to see floral arrangements by Dunelm Flower Club. The museum, at Aykley Heads, hosted the club's bi-annual competition. Entries were judged earlier in the week when best in show went to a display called
THE new Mayor of Darlington is preparing to begin her civic duties after taking up the chains of office. Councillor Stella Robson has been named as the town's new civic leader, taking over from Roderick Francis. She was first elected to the council in
PRIMARY school pupils are to become ambassadors for kerbside recycling. Children in schools in the Durham City area will learn what items they can and cannot put into kerbside collection boxes. A team from Waste SMART, at Durham County Council, will run
SCHOOLCHILDREN have joined forces with church leaders to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami disaster. Pupils from Ingleton Primary School, near Darlington, together with the Churches in Ingleton group, raised £1,169 to help the aid effort. Cheques
WORK will start next month to create a story trail around Hartlepool's Headland area. A total of 18 information panels - 17 of which will be topped off with a distinctive cast iron monkey design - will be fixed into position. The panels will lead people
THE last true bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale will be produced next week. Tyne Brewery, in Newcastle, will close on Friday, bringing an end to its city centre brewing. The final ale run will include only 3,000 bottles, with commemorative labels. The brewing
TRADERS have warned that the future prosperity of a Darlington shopping street is under threat if parking restrictions are not relaxed. Shop owners in Grange Road say they have had fewer shoppers since the parking charges and a one-hour parking restriction
VOLUNTEERS had their trowels at the ready this week carrying out improvements to stretches of a Teesside beck. Conservation teams took part in a wildflower and wetland-planting scheme at Spencer Beck, in Middlesbrough. It is hoped the work at the beck
Foster's ECB North-East Regional Premier League: After losing two of their first three games, Stockton face another stern test this morning when they host Durham Academy. Geoff Cook's side have proved difficult to beat during the League's five years and
KILLER Keith Jones was identified as a serious risk to the public by police and probation workers two years before he carried out a fatal attack on a disabled man, it was revealed yesterday. The 33-year-old, who suffers from an anti-social personality
GENERAL ELECTION: ON the strength of the General Election result, Margaret Greenhalgh (HAS, May 19) states: "The general public is no longer interested in Conservative Party policies". This is a funny thing to write in the circumstance of the bizarre
HUNDREDS of years after they were last fired, lime kilns in the North Pennine hills may be brought back into use to feed the demands of a new generation of builders and conservationists. A group of enthusiasts are visiting Romanian families next week
Durham Coast Legue: he match of the day is between champions Murton and early season pace setters Castle Eden. Six points separate the pair and Castle Eden, with a mostly home-grown side, will be hoping for more of the same from young John Spellman who
JULIO ARCA has backed Mick McCarthy to make the right moves in the transfer market this summer after the Sunderland boss was linked with Reading's Steve Sidwell. Sidwell, formerly of Arsenal, is regarded as one of the best midfielders outside the Premiership
Back in August, big things were predicted of five North-East starlets. An almost-complete football season later how did the hopefuls, selected in The Northern Echo's pre-season football supplement, Kick Off, shape up? Stewart Downing THE season when Stewart
PROFIT'S REALITY (3.30) heads to Haydock with every prospect of giving trainer Paul Blockley his biggest ever success in the £95,000 Silver Bowl Heritage Handicap. Blockley operated from various bases in the North-East for much of the 1990s, prior to
The opening of a children's room at the Friends Meeting House in Norton is not exactly a talking point FIVE minutes until the service starts. The Anglicans would insatiably be catching up on seven days' gossip, the Methodists would be passing the Polos
HARTLEPOOL United fans must have thought they had won the Lottery when their team reached Cardiff on Tuesday, but one family of lifelong Pools supporters really did. Myra Hart, 79, son Bill, 53, daughter Moira Massey, 56, and her husband, Jimmy, 55, won
Manchester United fans have geared up for today's FA Cup final by calling for the resignation of chief executive David Gill within a ten-point programme aimed at wrecking Malcolm Glazer's ownership plans. Glazer's formal offer document is now not expected
A heart-rending story about a bride-to-be lies behind an eye-catching quilt which was on display this week in Newbiggin Methodist Chapel. The pink and green cotton satin work of art, a superb example of the traditional quilting, is owned by Sylvia Scott
KILLER Keith Jones was identified as a serious risk to the public by police and probation workers two years before he carried out a fatal attack on a disabled man, it was revealed yesterday. The 33-year-old, who suffers from an anti-social personality
X-RAY tool specialist Bede yesterday unveiled plans to double turnover this year as it moves towards its first annual profits. The company, which employs about 100 people in Durham and another 50 worldwide, reported losses of £2m last year, despite sales
TALENTED teenager Adam Bates is aiming to become one of the youngest golfers to be crowned Durham amateur county champion tomorrow - and he is in the form to do just that. In last weekend's qualifier, at Seaham Harbour, Bates carded a 69 - the best score
MANUFACTURERS have improved performance by £10m thanks to a team of engineering troubleshooters. Government figures showed its Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) North East broke through the £10m barrier in the first quarter of this year. The service
TEACHERS at a troubled school have begun voting on whether to take industrial action. As the postal ballot opened yesterday, the general secretary of teaching union NASUWT, Chris Keates, blamed the staffing and financial crisis at Middlesbrough's Unity
CREDIT card debt has fallen for the first time in more than a decade. Last month, outstanding plastic debt fell by £40m as people repaid more than they borrowed for the first time since May 1994. At the same time, the amount they saved remained strong
After the sinking of Celebrity Love Island and the turn-off that was Celebrity Wrestling, many could be forgiven for thinking reality TV was dead. But Big Brother is waiting to defy the critics. George Orwell introduced Big Brother in his novel 1984,
A NINE-YEAR-OLD boy who had an operation to treat his epilepsy cancelled twice has died. Peter Buckle, whose operation had been rescheduled for next month, died on Monday after he had an epileptic fit while he slept. People in Evenwood, near Bishop Auckland
Foster's Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League: Something will need to give when leaders Swalwell and Leadgate - who each boast a 100 per cent record - go head to head at Derwenthaugh. The pair have won all four games, but Swalwell have claimed an
A MAN who pointed a gun at two North-East supermarket security guards was on the run last night. Police believe the man, who was part of a gang of five, may have been involved in an armed car-jacking in West Yorkshire only hours before. The gun threat
RITCHIE Humphreys has paid tribute to his team-mates as they prepare for the biggest day of their football lives. Hartlepool United face Sheffield Wednesday at the Millennium Stadium a week tomorrow with a place in the Coca-Cola Championship up for grabs
A GIRLS' night out led to a woman leaving her friend blinded in one eye, a court heard yesterday. Sonya Russ punched Wendy Collins, her friend for ten years, with a heavily-ringed fist, permanently damaging the optic nerve in her left eye. They were in
THERE are hopes that a campaign to promote physical activity pioneered in the North-East could help to win the battle against obesity and ill-health. The spiralling costs of treating overweight and obese patients is the main reason why the Government
A RECORD number of women will take part in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life in Gateshead this weekend. The organisers say this year's entry of 2,649 woman is up by more than 1,000 on last year, when 1,625 joined the event at Saltwell Park. Cancer Research
WHEN top rally driver David Higgins lost a wheel after hitting a rock on a forest track, he was determined not to let the incident stop him from finishing the race. He drove his £300,000 Hyundai Accent on only three wheels for 12 miles on the North Yorkshire
RICHARD Dawson again showed his liking for Riverside as he rescued Yorkshire in the top-of-the-table battle against Durham yesterday. Dawson took nine wickets with his off-spin in Yorkshire's easy win last season and swiftly transformed yesterday's picture
REDCAR-BASED Stephen Hepples hopes a relaxing drive will erase memories of a recent nightmare car journey when he competes for England in tomorrow's Loughborough International. The 25-year-old North-East half-marathon champion embarked on a five-hour
In his first interview since voluntarily leaving the Cabinet, Alan Milburn tells political editor Chris Lloyd why he thinks he'll never be able to go back. ALAN Milburn last night effectively ruled out ever returning to the Cabinet. In his first interview
THOUSANDS of naked volunteers will take part in a mass strip in the North-East for an art installation, it was confirmed yesterday. As revealed by The Northern Echo last month, US artist Spencer Tunick will photograph the nude throng in Newcastle just
A PORTRAIT of early 19th Century Northern landowner Frank Hall Standish, sitting astride his black mare and chatting to an acquaintance as members of the famous Quorn Hunt gather in the distance, fetched £164, 800 at auction yesterday. The 1819 portrait
ONE of the country's top DJs is the headline act at a launch party in Darlington tonight. Galaxy Radio's Paul Kershaw is spearheading the launch of a trilogy of music events at the town's Club 2K nightclub. The DJ, who has a prime time radio slot on Saturday
MORE than 50 walkers will be striding out to boost funds for research into diabetes. The group from the Bishop Auckland branch of Diabetes UK walk around Hardwick Hall Country Park, Sedgefield, between 10.30am and 2.30pm on Sunday, June 12. The event
IN the early 1970s, police desk sergeant John Michael Knowles dispatched one of his officers to find a mentally ill patient who had wandered off her hospital ward and, as a favour, pick up a colleague's wife who had gone for a walk after several too many
A BIRD charity is organising a fun-packed day during the next school half-term holiday. The RSPB event is aimed at children aged six to ten, and their parents, who would like to find out more about the birds and other wildlife. Professional puppeteer
A SIXTH Form student has been entertaining visitors to a County Durham museum. Simon Walker, 17, from Barnard Castle School, was one of a number of organists to play lunchtime recitals at one of the art galleries in the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle. The
Police are hunting a man who tried to grab two girls in Stockton. The girls, aged seven and six, were in an alleyway, off Hampton Road, at about 6.30pm on Thursday, May 12, when the man grabbed one of them and pushed her up against a wall, before she
Horden will face their toughest Durham Senior League test so far when they travel to Burnmoor in their attempt to remain in top place, writes Bob Gidney. Early games against three sides at the basement - Seaham Harbour, Felling and Durham City - helped
PLANS to open a business near a notorious accident blackspot should be considered by the full planning committee, villagers have said. Hambleton District Council has received an application to convert the disused Black Swan pub by the side of the A19
A COUNCILLOR has been dropped as mayoral candidate only days before her expected installation. Invitations to next Friday's mayoral inauguration at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council have been sent out and three charities have been told they have been
FIREFIGHTERS who gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to four pet dogs after a house blaze picked up awards from an animal charity yesterday. The RSPCA honoured the nine firefighters for saving the lives of three of the Weimaraner dogs - Shannon, Emma and
FORMER members of the Parachute Regiment formed a guard of honour at the funeral of an old comrade killed whilst helping rebuild war-torn Iraq. Those attending the funeral of ex-para Alan Parkin, from Consett, County Durham, filed out of the church to
COUNCILLORS have voiced their worries about plans to build a pub next to a Darlington school. Pathfinder Pubs wants to build a pub near Alderman Leach Primary School, on the West Park estate. A provisional application for a premises licence is due to
When councillors were looking to appoint a new Mayor of Ripon, they decided the present man in the job would do nicely. So Ripon City Council voted for 48-year-old Stuart Martin to continue in the role for another 12 months. His wife April, a community
RESIDENTS who fail to pay their council tax are being warned by their local authority that they may face prison. Hambleton District Council is taking a tough stance on people who do not pay their bills. Two householders, one from Osmotherley and one from
A COUNCIL is introducing bio-fuel to its transport fleet. All Easington District Council vehicles now run on Bio-Plus Diesel fuel, which costs the same as standard oil, but has reduced greenhouse gas emissions, which will help improve air quality and
TWO baby owls are on the road to recovery after seeking shelter in an animal sanctuary. Beano and Dandy were rescued by passers-by and taken to the Weardale Animal Sanctuary in Stanhope, County Durham, at the beginning of the week, where they are now
FIREfighters on Teesside are heading a national drive to reduce fire deaths among elderly people. Cleveland Fire Brigade has formed a three-brigade Government-funded project with Mersey and London brigades to share best practice skills and devise ways
A religious group has set up a regular event for children. Norton Quakers opened a children's room in their Meeting House on The Green, in Norton, and will host an event similar to a Sunday school on the third Sunday of each month. The first meeting was
A LONG-serving councillor with a distinguished career in local government is the new chairman of North Yorkshire County Council. Born in the old North Riding at Redcar, Michael Heseltine was elected to the county council in 1977 and represents Richmondshire
A RECORD number of women will take part in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life in Gateshead this weekend. The organisers say this year's entry of 2,649 woman is up by more than 1,000 on last year, when 1,625 joined the event at Saltwell Park. Cancer Research
ELDERLY people have been provided with a safer future thanks to a security project. Old people living in Donnini House, a sheltered housing complex in Easington, were constantly being disturbed by youths coming on to the site. To combat the problem, East
SCHOOLCHILDREN in Darlington have been learning about the benefits of breastfeeding with the help of a mother and her baby. Kelly Henley, and her six-week-old daughter, Katherine, joined Darlington Primary Care Trust and staff from the Memorial Hospital
A PENSIONER has embarked on a late-life career change by opening an art gallery. Robert Larkman, 72, a retired electrician and painter, has opened an exhibition centre in Houndgate Mews, Darlington. Mr Larkman - a father of six and grandfather of 14 -
A SCOUT group is getting ready to celebrate its 90th birthday. The 8th Darlington (Cockerton Green) group is holding its birthday party on the day of its annual fundraising garden fete, on June 18. The fete, on Cockerton Green, from 2pm to 4.30pm, will
RELATIONS are in danger of becoming strained between Durham Cup finalists Darlington and Westoe. Darlington were reluctantly prepared to go along with the county's ruling that the final should be played on June 1, but the Westoe players seem to have decided
A couple from Chester-le-Street have celebrated 60 years of marriage. Winifred and Arthur Ferguson, both 87, from the Holmlands Park area, are keen walkers and are well-known in the town where they have lived for 50 years, after moving there from Sherburn
EXPLOSIVE humour is heading for Tyneside this winter when the Royal Shakespeare Company's annual tour links three of the best of the Bard's comedies with five dramas celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot. Tickets for the RSC season,
THE last true bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale will be produced next week. Tyne Brewery, in Newcastle, will close on Friday, bringing an end to its city centre brewing. The final ale run will include only 3,000 bottles, with commemorative labels. The brewing
Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League: Normanby Hall match secretary Harry Cowell reckons the league table is upside down. After five games, Hall are unbeaten with two wins and three draws to their credit and trail leaders Guisborough by ten
THE Manchester United supporters may have promised to scale down Malcolm Glazer protestations to help preserve the integrity of the FA Cup but it could well be the players' actions, not those of the fans, that make this a final to forget. In what was
THE parents of a baby who died at only five hours old have spoken of their heartbreak at never getting the chance to hold their son before his death. Gillian Hoyle, who was born in Redcar, east Cleveland, had travelled 200 miles from her Bradford home
FLOCKS of moorland sheep could become a thing of the past in the North York Moors National Park unless there is a halt to the slaughter on the roads. Farmers and tourist chiefs are appealing to motorists to take greater care to avoid ewes and their lambs
THE day was done. Wednesday was over. The glass was drained. The television was off. The sudoku put aside - two nines in the last 3x3 grid. Dismal failure. Time for bed. As I wearily brushed my teeth, there was a loud crash at the bathroom window. Nothing
Readers Durham County League: Brandon secretary Ian Johnson cannot understand why Jim Allenby has not been courted by Durham County. Since the Australian first played in the region for Durham City he has been a prolific run maker. Allenby gained in status
She may have come to it late in life, but Kate Brown's acting career is flourishing, as Steve Pratt reports. SIX years ago, Kate Brown made a life-changing decision. After a nomadic life, living in cities around the world, the family had settled down
Q My husband, 65, has been receiving the lower rate of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) since he was 59. He is waiting for two knee joints, but it will be at least two years before he will be ready to have the operation. Is there anything he can claim
COUNT on King Harson (3.20) to reign supreme in this afternoon's most valuable race at Catterick, the £20,000 totequadpot Handicap. "King Harson is a poor traveller so he could stay near to home and go to Catterick next," said Middleham's James Bethell
RICHMOND Foods strengthened its board yesterday as it prepares to take on Europe. The ice cream maker, based near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, gave its strongest hint yet that it will buy a factory in mainland Europe in the coming months. Financial
A MAN unhappy at being arrested at his home, made sectarian comments to one of the police officers who detained him, a court heard. Martin McDonagh was dressing when police arrived with a warrant for his arrest for an alleged burglary. Durham Crown Court
AN award-winning mining centre whose site was once listed as one of Durham's worst eyesores celebrated its coming of age yesterday. Since it opened in 1984, Killhope: The North of England Lead Mining Museum, in Upper Weardale, County Durham, has welcomed
THE number of towns in the region where key public sector workers cannot afford to buy a property has increased by more than six times in just three years, research shows today. Nurses now find themselves priced out of 79 per cent of towns in the North
