Britney's Redneck Roots (C4) After the War: Conquering Germany (BBC2) EVER since Britney Spears burst onto the scene with pigtails and a sexy pout we've been fascinated by her, and this programme sought to feed our curiosity. It came as no surprise to
The inquests on two men allegedly murdered by their family doctor were opened and adjourned today. Dr Howard Martin, 70, is awaiting trial accused of killing Frank Moss, 59, Stanley Weldon, 74, and Harry Gittins, also 74. Today, inquests into the deaths
More than £20,000 in parking fines is being refunded by a council which illegally targeted hundreds of cars. Sunderland City Council admitted about 700 tickets were wrongly put on cars parked in taxi ranks across the city. The authority said while it
CONSUMER watchdogs are warning small companies to be on their guard against telesales scams. Hartlepool Trading Standards has heard from a number of companies that have been contacted by cold-callers asking them to place adverts in publications allegedly
AUSTRALIAN supersub Mick Lewis bowed out on a high note for Durham last night, helping them climb two places to second in division two of the totesport League. Three early wickets for Ashley Noffke's replacement had Leicestershire on the ropes at 31 for
RISING petrol prices pushed inflation to its highest level last month since 1997, official figures showed. With motorists facing higher fuel bills because of record oil prices, the annual rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rose to 2.3 per cent
RISING petrol prices pushed inflation to its highest level last month since 1997, official figures showed. With motorists facing higher fuel bills because of record oil prices, the annual rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rose to 2.3 per cent
NINE talented young people from across the region are heading to Edinburgh after they won an exclusive chance to meet television stars. The 18 to 21-year-olds will spend five days at the Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival. They
ASDA owner Wal-Mart yesterday reported record first-half profits but warned higher fuel prices were taking their toll on customers. The US retailer announced that net sales rose 9.8 per cent to £81.7bn in the six months to July 31, while net profits climbed
A COUPLE whose son went to school five times out of a possible 154 will be sentenced by magistrates next month. Edward and Judith Crozier are being prosecuted by Middlesbrough Council for failing to ensure 12-year-old Jamie Lee's attendance in class.
When the Blair Government last year announced plans for a nationwide chain of super casinos, not only was there widespread concern, but people wondered how the proposal had come about. After all, there had been no public clamour for more gambling opportunities
BIG Brother winner Anthony Hutton was mobbed by teenage girls when he returned to his native North-East for the first time since winning the reality TV show. The 23-year-old 1970s disco dancer was given a hero's welcome yesterday as he attended a reception
A FAMILY of travellers banned from a ten square mile area of countryside in a landmark ruling have been told to improve their behaviour by fellow gipsies. Fed-up residents were relived after members of the Smith family were issued with anti-social behaviour
THE naked rambler and his girlfriend have arrived in the region wearing nothing but socks, boots and a smile. Despite running into trouble with the police last week, the cheeky pair are continuing their journey north along the Pennine Way still baring
COUNTY BOUNDARIES: Patricia Tricker may well take issue with Harry Mead over county boundaries (HAS, Aug 12) but the truth is that many parts of our geographical counties were swept away in 1974 and the changes brought about in 1996 have been ignored.
NINE talented young people from across the region are heading to Edinburgh after they won an exclusive chance to meet television stars. The 18 to 21-year-olds will spend five days at the Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival. They
SALES of England cricket shirts are outstripping the national football team shirts in the wake of the Ashes thrillers. The North-East is leading the way in terms of sales of official England shirts, with some shop owners struggling to meet the demand.
RETAILERS in the region considered closing their shops as a result of lost sales to tobacco smuggling, it has been claimed. According to a survey by the Tobacco Alliance, 21 per cent of shop owners in the North-East and North Yorkshire were so dismayed
POLICE have warned motorists not to leave anything on display in their vehicles following a number of car break-ins around Darlington. Thieves have stolen handbags, cigarettes, a CD player and clothes. Yesterday, Darlington Police Inspector, Alan Davidson
A LAW firm is proving that Darlington is the place to be for up-and-coming talent. Latimer Hinks, based in Priestgate, will shortly have seven trainees working at the firm, proving the town can compete with the likes of Leeds or Newcastle. John Booth,
A COMPANY is to expand its West Auckland head office to meet rapid growth. Ebac, the leading North-East manufacturer of watercoolers and dehumidifiers, is to create additional offices for its growing marketing and logistics operations. In total, 18 members
YOUNG skateboarding enthusiasts are holding a fund-raising day to help pay for improvements. The recently-formed Abbey Skate and Bike Association will hold the event at its skate park behind Abbey Leisure Centre, at Pity Me, on the outskirts of Durham
WELL OK, maybe The Magic Numbers were a little bit over sensitive when they walked out of Top of the Pops after presenter Richard Bacon made a pretty feeble remark about their size. But you have to see their point of view. Fat people are considered fair
VISUALLY-IMPAIRED people are being offered the chance to gain computer skills. The County Durham Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted is running a computer mentoring scheme where visually impaired computer users are helping others to get started
Alan Harrison has managed to turn back time in a bid to earn a contract at Darlington after battling back from a career-threatening injury. Harrison first joined the club on trial over a year ago, but his hopes of being offered a deal were curtailed when
FRONT-LINE police officers have been given new guidelines to help them tackle a prolific unseen crime. About 8,000 incidents of domestic violence are reported each year across County Durham and Darlington, making violence in the home the largest source
CABLE and Wireless, Britain's second largest phone company, warned it would cut 700 jobs after agreeing the takeover of Energis in a deal worth £594m. The telecommunications company, which overcame a surprise challenge from Thus Group on Monday, has also
Letters from America, last week's column noted that there's a Scrabbletown in Maryland and wondered if any other places were named after sports or games. Though Mr Ian Forsyth's attempt to reprise the old joke about ludo and Llandudno must sadly be disqualified
A toilet complete with piped music has been opened. Chester-le-Street District Council has built the public toilet at Foundry Lane in the town, just off Front Street, behind the Queen's Head pub. Council chairman Councillor Allen Turner opened the toilet
A convoy of taxi drivers carried out a slow-moving protest through central Middlesbrough today. The Hackney Carriage drivers were voicing their anger about pirate firms illegally picking up passengers on the city streets. They say it is hitting their
A CROCK of gold occasionally awaits the small-time stakes player prepared to bet at double digit odds, so with this in mind an each-way wager on Carte Diamond (2.30) is advised for this afternoon's £200,000 totesport Ebor. Brian Ellison's flashy chestnut
A MAJOR breakthrough in the fight to reopen a railway was announced yesterday with news that One NorthEast is to contribute £130,850 towards a £500,000 rescue package. The deal, in which the money will be paid through the County Durham Economic Partnership
EXPERT evidence that could secure a prosecution in one of the region's biggest animal cruelty cases is still being gathered. Two months after the bodies of 35 animals were discovered at filthy stables, the RSPCA continues to piece together the circumstances
A TEACHER yesterday praised firefighters who came to the rescue when his DIY efforts went badly wrong. Three fire engines were called to the home of Tony Malone on Monday morning after someone delivering leaflets in the area saw flames and smoke billowing
ORGANISERS of a ten-day festival celebrating the heritage of a national park are launching an event to help children learn about the traditions of the countryside. The Festival on the Moor was first held in 2002 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the
WITH his threadbare squad already being stretched to the limit, an under-pressure Graeme Souness last night dismissed this week's round of international friendlies as "Mickey Mouse games". Newcastle United's squad is already down to the bare bones and
While Royal Ascot at York might have been and gone, Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson finds that racing on the Knavesmire still represents one of the highest points of a Northern summer. TWO months ago, Royal Ascot brought its own unique blend of style
THE company that designed the scaffolding for the Sage Music Centre is to invest £400,000 in its business, creating 20 jobs. Project Scaffolding has won backing from UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE) to help expand the business. UKSE is a subsidiary of steelmaker
TWO North-East donors have been honoured after giving enough blood to supply their local hospital for ten days. Between them, they have donated a total of 176 units. Sandra Bradley, 62, from Wells Close, and Ernest Dixon, 68, from Willow Road, both Darlington
THE owner of T-Mobile said it had no plans to bid for UK rival O2 after failing to forge a takeover alliance. German company Deutsche Telekom confirmed that it had held talks with Dutch telecoms group KPN about tabling an offer - thought to be worth about
WELL OK, maybe The Magic Numbers were a little bit over sensitive when they walked out of Top of the Pops after presenter Richard Bacon made a pretty feeble remark about their size. But you have to see their point of view. Fat people are considered fair
A MAN who chased his stepson with an ornamental double-edged axe escaped a jail sentence yesterday - after the police spoke out in his defence. Plumber and tiler David Smith ran after 18-year-old Christopher Dewdney for 300 yards while wielding the axe
PLANS for a new supermarket in Darlington could be rejected next week, despite support for the scheme. Discount firm Lidl has applied to Darlington Borough Council for permission to build the store in Yarm Road. The company has been in talks with the
JON Daly is finally reaping the rewards of a full pre-season campaign. The big striker joined Hartlepool last February from Stockport and scored the winner in the weekend's win at Doncaster. That goal came on the back of his header in the play-off final
MIDDLESBROUGH hope to hold urgent talks with Rudolph Douala's representatives later today after the Sporting Lisbon striker performed a shock U-turn and turned his back on a move to Teesside. Boro had hoped to include Douala in their squad for Saturday's
Thousands of people are expected to flock to the spectacular Yorkshire Air Show this weekend. Advance ticket sales have already hit record levels for the show and people are now being advised to arrive early to avoid traffic queues. The two-day show at
REPUBLIC of Ireland manager Brian Kerr has told Stephen Elliott that his international future will not hinge on what happens to Sunderland on their return to the Premiership. Elliott, who is set for a run-out in the Republic's friendly against Italy at
THE first of a new generation of stand-alone NHS surgery centres will open next month. Orthopaedic patients in the North-East will be the first to benefit from the luxuriously-equipped £14m surgical centre. The main advantage will be that surgeons will
A CHARITY is cooking up a mouth-watering way to raise funds for its work helping cancer sufferers. The Chester-le-Street branch of Marie Curie Cancer Care is holding a cook your own pizza night at Pizza Express in Saddler Street, Durham, on Thursday,
NEW allotments could be provided in Darlington. Plans for the development on land in Rydal Road have been submitted to Darlington Borough Council by Tees Valley Regeneration. The organisation is behind the £170m Central Park project, which will bring
FOUR gardeners at Darlington's revamped South Park are celebrating after notching up more than 90 years of service between them. Peter Watson, Steve Robson, Peter Hansom and David Coakes are based in the town's oldest park, which is presently undergoing
LICENSEES in four neighbouring communities are calling time on unruly behaviour in their pubs and clubs. The Trimdon Pub and Club Watch scheme, incorporating Fishburn, wants to make the community safer inside and outside of pub premises. About 95 per
DRIVERS are being warned to expect delays at a Bishop Auckland crossroad while contractors resurface the road. The work, being carried out by Durham County Council, will mean the closure of the B6282 at the Cockton Hill, Cabin Gate and St Andrew's Road
SHOPKEEPERS are celebrating after road works outside their businesses were finally completed yesterday. Engineers put the finishing touches to the new £4m one-way traffic system at the Riverside in Stockton, which is designed to open up the North Shore
A MEDICAL response team is ensuring heart attack sufferers in an east Durham community have a better chance of survival. The four-member Seaham First Responders team is on call 24 hours a day to ensure anyone with a suspected heart attack receives swift
Letters from America, last week's column noted that there's a Scrabbletown in Maryland and wondered if any other places were named after sports or games. Though Mr Ian Forsyth's attempt to reprise the old joke about ludo and Llandudno must sadly be disqualified
THE chairman of Hartlepool Borough Council has praised youth organisations after paying them a visit at their annual camp. The 1st Hartlepool Boys Brigade held its 110th annual camp at Castle Howard, where Councillor Carl Richardson called in to see how
NEW powers to allow local authorities to take over houses left to rot by private landlords were outlined yesterday. There are nearly 13,000 private homes in the North-East that have been vacant for more than six months, and more than 5,000 in North Yorkshire
CONDOMS are to be made freely available to youngsters visiting youth clubs in a town, in an attempt to cut teenage pregnancy rates. A scheme is being piloted in Middlesbrough allowing people under the age of 25 to pick up free condoms and sexual advice
THE entire fish population of a country beck much-loved by anglers has been wiped out in the third pollution incident to hit the region in recent weeks. Only days ago, thousands of fish died when a detergent got into the River Tame, between Middlesbrough
ENGLAND rugby hero Jonny Wilkinson was caught up in a powerful earthquake that struck Japan yesterday. The quake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, injured 62 people, triggered small tsunamis and shook skyscrapers in Tokyo. Wilkinson was relaxing in
A COMMUNITY banking scheme in Trimdon village is inviting new members to join. People who live or work in the area can join Trimdon Credit Union, which is a non-profit organisation offering basic savings schemes and loans. Isabel English, who helped to
AN appeal by a council seeking to colour code a city's taxi fleet over-ran its time allocation at Crown Court last night. A further sitting has now been arranged to complete the hearing over the proposed uniform colour rule for all Durham city's licensed
ANGRY residents are preparing for a battle with developers over plans to demolish two large homes to make way for a block of flats. People living in The Avenue, Eaglescliffe said the area would be blighted by over-development and additional traffic if
TRANSPORT projects in the Yorkshire Dales have been singled out by the Government for praise for good practice. A Department for Transport guide for local authorities highlights the Dales Bus Discount Scheme, which boosts tourism and businesses by providing
THE rebirth of the Weardale Railway was a proud day for the North-East - an overdue realisation of the value of the region's unique railway heritage. The fact that the initiative hit financial problems so soon after its launch was the sad result of a
HUNDREDS of people queued to meet North-East footballing legend Sir Bobby Robson yesterday on the latest leg of his book signing tour. The former England and Newcastle United manager spent nearly two hours signing copies of his autobiography, Farewell
A PLEA is being made to the public for help as a town's licensed taxi drivers plan to protest about pirate operators. Fed-up fee paying cabbies are demanding Middlesbrough Council forces rogue taxis and illegal mini buses, off the road. They are organising
POLICE and community leaders are working together to clamp down on nuisance behaviour in a car park. Noise from car radios, litter and vandalism to parked vehicles are among the problems at Pickering's Eastgate car park. Sergeant Cliff Edens has set up
AMBULANCE bosses have joined forces with lifeguards to provide emergency medical aid on the beaches of one of the region's resorts. They have equipped the Scarborough lifeguards with a defibrillator, oxygen and first-aid bag and given them additional
Refugees are often labelled welfare spongers, but as one project found, when it comes to getting a job it's not reluctance to work which is the main problem. Nick Morrison reports WHEN Annie Mandebvu arrived last September, she assumed her 17 years working
