POLICE were forced to use tear gas to break up a mass street brawl - which erupted during a christening party. At one point, about 60 people were involved in the battle and every on-duty police officer in Darlington was called to the scene. The police
DARLINGTON manager David Hodgson has warned Clyde Wijnhard he must deliver in what he feels is the striker's "biggest season of his life". Wijnhard was Quakers' top scorer last season, netting 14 goals, despite only joining the club on a free transfer
PAST performance speaks strongly in favour of Voice Mail (3.15) for today's big race at Beverley, the Nick Wilmot-Smith Memorial Handicap. Andrew Balding's representative has the winning habit, scoring four times at Bath as well failing by only a half-length
POLICE and local authority leaders in the North-East have clashed over flagship government plans to curb drunken violence by fining problem pubs. Senior police officers enthusiastically backed "alcohol disorder zones" (ADZs), within which pubs and clubs
THIEVES could force a temporary closure of famous cliff lift in the region. The culprits have stolen safety equipment used by engineers to carry out daily inspections of the 207ft length of track at Saltburn, east Cleveland. Among the items stolen were
A WORLDWIDE hunt is over for a man suspected of being linked to a major North-East drugs ring. Police had been looking for Habib Khan for 16 months - since he disappeared shortly after 100 officers raided homes across the region as part of Operation Bridport
Lost (C4) The Slavery Business (BBC2) YOU'D think they'd have come by now," grumbled one of the plane crash survivors before the opening credits of Lost barely had time to roll. He obviously hadn't seen the on-screen publicity for this hit US series,
MICK McCarthy last night completed his Premiership preparations by making striker Andy Gray Sunderland's tenth signing of an action-packed summer. The Scotland international, who spent most of yesterday on Wearside discussing personal terms and undergoing
WILDLIFE workers have been sickened by the brutal killing of a young swan at a North-East nature reserve. The three-month-old cyg-net's maimed body was discovered in a pond at Ferryhill Carrs, in Ferryhill, County Durham, by a conservation volunteer.
TWO distraught families are demanding answers after an inquest into their children's deaths was brought to a swift conclusion. Brilliant students Katy Linighan and Richard Clemot-Escobar died in a car crash last August - days before they were due to collect
PARENTS are being urged to keep children away from a poisoned North-East river in which thousands of fish have died. An invisible and odourless pollutant has killed most of the aquatic life in a stretch of the River Tame and its tributary, Main Stell,
TWO areas of the North-East are to be included in a project to discover just how noisy some parts of England are. The Government has ordered tests to be carried out on Teesside and Tyneside to see what noise levels people have to endure. The areas are
Mencap is looking for people to take part in the Flora London Marathon next April. The charity, which helps people with learning disabilities, is promoting a Dennis the Menace theme and would like runners to wear wigs and stripy shirts. Mencap has 150
PEOPLE in the North-East will be among the first in the country to benefit from NHS personal trainers. The innovative pilot scheme was announced on the day that a report showed some progress has been made in reducing health inequalities in England. Three
RESIDENTS battling to keep bulldozers out of a North-East neighbourhood are teaming up with anti-demolition campaigners elsewhere in the country. People fighting proposals to pull down 1,500 homes in central Middlesbrough are to discuss tactics with residents
THIEVES could force a temporary closure of famous cliff lift in the region. The culprits have stolen safety equipment used by engineers to carry out daily inspections of the 207ft length of track at Saltburn, east Cleveland. Among the items stolen were
A NORTH rail firm is launching a poster and leaflet campaign in an attempt to crack down hard on fare dodgers. The campaign by First TransPennine Express warns people the face heavy penalties for boarding its trains without a valid ticket. The company
A STRESSED postal employee took her work home with her - hoarding 5,500 undelivered letters in her car and garden shed. Emma Giles 29, had been working for the Royal Mail for five months when a number of complaints were received from customers on her
PREPARATIONS are well under way to make this year's Wensleydale Show better than ever. Several new classes have been launched, including "Class 328, Mrs Green's Orange Cake". The class will keep alive the memory of Mary Green, who served on the lady's
WORK has finished on a new £60,000 village sports field. Residents of Barton, near Darlington, raised almost £10,000 to improve the facility. Work began in April after the Football Foundation gave a grant of £29,000, Richmondshire District Council donated
A LICENSEE network that aims to keep a town's pub and club circuit safe is being extended to cover surrounding villages. Organisers of Spennymoor Pub and Club Watch hope landlords from Kirk Merrington, Byers Green and Tudhoe will enrol in the scheme.
TEENAGE thugs left a seven-year-old boy hanging by his coat from playground equipment while their friend photographed it on his mobile phone. The youngster had been enjoying his summer holidays with his brother and two friends when he was targeted by
WORK has finished on a new £60,000 village sports field. Residents of Barton, near Darlington, raised almost £10,000 to improve the facility. Work began in April after the Football Foundation gave a grant of £29,000, Richmondshire District Council donated
A PRODUCTION of Trafalgar opens at Saltburn theatre next week to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. The four-night show starts on Wednesday, August 17, and is based on the life and times of Horatio Nelson. Tickets are £5 and
A GRAFFITI-HIT shopping precinct has been given a new lick of paint and a general spruce-up by volunteers and offenders on probation. The probationers also repainted the coffee lounge at St Timothy's Church as a thank you for letting them use the church
STUDENTS from Germany have been practising their dance moves for a performance to honour five decades of exchanges between Middlesbrough and its twin town of Oberhausen. The event will be open to invited guests only tomorrow, at 7pm, at the Riverside
SPORTY youngsters have been enjoying their summer holidays at a series of training events. The Working Together Group, which includes Darlington Council, Darlington Association on Disability, the Youth Service and voluntary groups, has produced a programme
CHILDREN'S services in Darlington are undergoing changes as health and childcare professionals join forces. Darlington Primary Care Trust (PCT) staff will work alongside officials from Darlington Borough Council and SureStart. The aim is to maximise prospects
A SEARCH is on for a savage dog which left a teenage girl scarred for life. Schoolgirl Eleanor Barwick had to received 40 stitches for facial wounds, after the dog attacked her in Market Place, Loftus, east Cleveland. Police and a dog warden are looking
A SCHEME to help east Durham's elderly and vulnerable residents avoid accidents in the home is being expanded. The Handyman Scheme is a free service, jointly funded by Easington Primary Care Trust, Social Care and Health and Easington District Council
A BURGLAR has been ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work in the community by a judge who warned that when it came to prison his "time was running out". Shaun Priest, 23, stole a number of items including a computer monitor, keyboard, printer, CDs and a
A SEARCH has been launched to find the missing winners of more than £500,000 in unclaimed Premium Bond prizes in the North-East. The unclaimed prizes range in value from £25 to £5,000, according to National Savings and Investments (NS&I), the government-backed
FURIOUS residents stormed a council cabinet meeting to protest at plans to demolish 1,000 homes in South Bank, near Middlesbrough. Fifteen people marched with banners into the meeting held at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's offices, in Redcar,
MARTIN Scott believes a bit of trust among his Hartlepool United squad will soon see them back to normal. Tuesday's point at Bournemouth was welcomed by Scott following the opening-day defeat at home to Bradford. And, after a much-improved performance
The Bank of England yesterday lowered its expectations for economic growth this year, but added activity was likely to pick up over the following two years. Delivering the quarterly inflation report, Governor Mervyn King said the bank was cutting its
FOOTBALL fans from the North-East are the most dedicated away-game supporters in the country, research shows. Newcastle United and Sunderland supporters travelled a combined distance of almost 50 million miles last season to watch their teams in action
COUNCILLORS hope a major housing development will help regenerate a north Durham village. Chester-le-Street District Council agreed to allow Barratt Homes to build 169 homes and a road network on rough open space at Holly Crescent, in Sacriston. Up to
HEALTH chiefs have announced a cash injection of more than £8.5m to improve primary care services in north Durham. Derwentside Primary Care Trust (PCT) has spent the last few months working with medical professionals, patients and community groups to
SHOPPERS at a major retail park found themselves surrounded by dozens of uniformed police officers yesterday. But there was no cause for alarm. The bobbies on patrol in Dalton Park, in Murton, were taking part in a day-long exercise as part of their initial
A TOURING art exhibition showcasing the views of young people living in Richmondshire has arrived at a new venue this week. The exhibition, which features work by children who took part in the district council's Create Richmondshire project last year,
AN EVENT of truly momentous proportions took place last week. My wife went back to work. After 15 years of being a stay-at-home wife and mother, raising four children along the way, her time on easy street is over. With the eldest reaching 15 and the
DAME Kelly Holmes is not competing in this week's World Championships in Helsinki but the double Olympic champion could still play a role in finally breaking Britain's medal duck. When Middlesbrough-based Chris Tomlinson lines up for the qualifying round
SHOPS in Ripon would lose thousands of pounds in trade if coaches were consigned to an out-of-centre parking area, the city's mayor has warned. Councillor David Parnaby, who is fighting the plan, has been surveying coach numbers bringing shoppers and
NORTH Yorkshire's probation service chiefs have praised staff for their work to reduce crime and protect victims of crime. An annual report prepared by the county's probation bosses for the Government said the service was going from strength to strength
SIMON ROBINSON wants Graeme Storm to help his push to become the latest Hartlepool golfer to make a name on the European Tour. While Storm has been enjoying his first season back among the continent's best, Wynyard colleague Robinson has been successfully
NORTHERN Recruitment Group (NRG) said it would continue to expand in the North-East as it announced another strong set of results. The Newcastle-based group, which also has offices in Middlesbrough, Stockton and York, reported pre-tax profits for the
MIDDLESBROUGH are to enlist the help of the Austrian FA in an attempt to get Emanuel Pogatetz's mammoth 24-week ban overturned. Pogatetz, who was suspended for six months by the Russian FA following his recent dismissal for former club Spartak Moscow,
England will be told to forget about the euphoria of Edgbaston and start again from scratch in the crunch third Test against Australia. Emotionally drained following the dramatic scenes of Sunday lunchtime, when England edged a two-run triumph to level
As plans are announced for the first state-funded Hindu primary school in London, Ashok Kumar, who was born in India and educated in Britain, argues that faith schools do not encourage the building of a stable multicultural society. The tragic news of
A DRINKER suffered several fractures to his jaw after he was attacked by three youths. The 23-year-old victim was heading home from a night out in Stockton town centre, Teesside, when the teenagers struck on Wednesday, August 3. The man was walking along
Mark Cogden's girlfriend trashed his beloved motorbike after he decided to go to the pub with his mates rather than take her out for Sunday lunch, a court was told. Vanya Morrell then sent the 24-year-old a text telling him what she had done. Cogden rushed
A MOTHER has launched an appeal to halt the closure of the baby unit that saved her life and the lives of two of her children. Joanne Bolton, 30, has started a petition to halt the proposed transfer of services from University Hospital of North Tees Hospital
Phil Jaques and Michael Lumb each celebrated different occasions with sparkling centuries on the first day of Yorkshire's Championship match against Somerset at Taunton yesterday. Jaques, who the previous day had learned he had been selected for Australia
Youngsters went pond dipping yesterday to learn more about the pond life. The event at Low Barns Nature Reserve, in Witton-le-Wear, was organised by Durham Wildlife Trust as part of its programme of events for young people. Mark James, of the trust, said
More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for an ambulance station to be manned by trained staff 24 hours a day to give adequate cover in a widespread rural area. They are backing a campaign launched by ambulance workers, who claim that the
A VISITOR centre is to host an exhibition dedicated to a traditional dales craft. Meet the Middletons, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, is holding a temporary display focusing on the art of quilting in Teesdale. Traditional and modern styles of
FLY-AWAY MOTHER: RE fly-away mother Kelly Ann Rogerson, facing jail for neglect (Echo, Aug 10). Shame on all right-minded citizens for not showing an ounce of compassion for this poor unfortunate mother-of-three. Shame on the chairman of magistrates for
JOB seekers are being offered help on to the employment ladder with a free ten-week computer course. The course uses Microsoft Word and will help people with letter writing, compiling a CV and gaining qualifications in literacy and numeracy. It will start
A CYCLIST was taken to hospital following a head-on collision with a car in Darlington town centre yesterday afternoon. The accident happened on Prebend Row at the junction with Priestgate. It is believed the cyclist rode between two buses and was in
A GROUP of singers will recreate the wartime spirit in Darlington tomorrow as they encourage veterans to record their memories for future generations. The We'll Meet Again reminiscence show is being held as part of the BBC's People's History series. The
A gold award winner at Chelsea Flower Show cast her expert eye on entries at a flower arranging competition. Rita Braithwaite judged the August meeting of Darlington Flower Club. Members designed an arrangement on the theme of holidays. Beginners winner
PROPOSALS for a rural district council to move into out- of-town offices are to be discussed further. A review of Teesdale District Council's assets suggested the authority's offices at Teesdale House, Barnard Castle, were unsuitable for working and recommended
HUNDREDS of people have already had their say on how £2.5m of council money should be spent on improving roads and pavements across Darlington. The money will be added to the borough council's usual road maintenance budget to improve minor problems on
A COUNCILLOR is urging residents to register their opposition to plans for a mobile phone mast on a Chester-le-Street housing estate. Operator O2 UK Ltd is seeking Chester-le-Street District Council's permission to put up a 15-metre-high antenna in Pelaw
A PARK which has been transformed from a pit heap into an oasis of beauty is celebrating being presented with a national award. A green flag was hoisted over Herrington Country Park yesterday to mark winning the award from the national charity Civic Trust
A NEW £110m fire control room in the region will answer 999 calls from across the entire North-East, under a controversial shake-up unveiled yesterday. The base, at Belmont Business Park, on the outskirts of Durham City, will boast technology allowing
THE Darlington Football Stadium will play host to its first Under-19s international when England taken on Belgium in a friendly on Tuesday, September 6, writes Lee Hall. The Football Association have chosen Quakers' two-year-old home as the venue in which
GRAEME Souness received a double setback last night as Newcastle called off their pursuit of Nicolas Anelka and Michael Chopra limped out of the reserves' victory over Leeds with suspected knee ligament damage. The Magpies' manager, who has spent most
A SHOPPER jumped to safety when a car crashed into a store yesterday. The woman suffered minor cuts and bruises after the vehicle smashed through the glass doors of Woolworths, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, at 1.15pm. Police said the female driver of
ADMINISTRATORS last night said there was still hope for the future of a stricken engineering firm which closed last month with the loss of 15 jobs. Newton Aycliffe-based Spark Engineering Specialists, which purpose-built machinery and tools, went into
A COMPUTER components company is going on the acquisitions trail as it moves to expand its Far East customer base Gateshead-based Mobilx, run by entrepreneur Steven Bell, is also looking to increase staff numbers tenfold after a buying spree. Mobilx buys
A PROPERTY and construction consultancy has opened its first office in the North-East to cope with its expanding client base. Haleys, which specialises in the mechanical and engineering elements of building projects, has set up on Buddle Road, in Newcastle
A PUB has been allowed to extend its opening hours despite a deluge of complaints from nearby residents. The Coronation Inn, Middlesbrough, will be able to open from 10am to midnight from Monday to Thursday, and from 11am to midnight on Sunday. The pub
POLICE were forced to use tear gas to break up a mass street brawl - which broke out during a christening party. At one point, about 60 people were involved in the battle and every police officer in Darlington was called to the scene. The police helicopter
Arnold Hadwin has a lot to answer for - he gave the column our first job. We meet the former editor of Darlington's Despatch newspaper for talk of journalism, the importance of being a nuisance and Rington's office. WHAT with one thing and another, with
HEALTH workers across North Durham have been praised for achieving a star-ratings hat-trick. The Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust was awarded three stars by the Healthcare Commission for its performance. The trust has been in operation
A CENTRE for adults with learning disabilities will hold its annual fete later this month. Attractions at the Ashlands Centre, in Northallerton, will include a bouncy castle, climbing wall, fire engine, bric-a-brac stalls, tombola, raffle and refreshments
MORE than 2,000 people have responded to the biggest public consultation exercise ever staged in Durham City. Five weeks after the launch of the Durham City Vision exercise, to gauge public opinion on the future of the city over the next 15 years, responses
TEN highway depots across North Yorkshire are to be sold by the county council. A report to the authority's executive states the depots are surplus to requirements and proposes that four new sites should be developed instead. Those earmarked for closure
It's the little things that are the real headache. There are, of course, the bags of string harvested from long-forgotten parcels, the half-empty pots of paint, the carefully folded carrier bags, the old diaries with their long-past dental and doctor's
