AN amorous pony causing havoc on a busy road was brought under control by a woman using her bra. The small Appaloosa pony was running up and down the road between Bishop Auckland and Newfield, in County Durham, its attention focused on a bay mare more
WORKERS have begun building a fountain in a North-East town that will feature 100 jets of water. The feature, in the centre of Middlesbrough, was yesterday described as a "mattress of foaming water" by the town's head of museums and galleries, Godfrey
A SPECTACULAR display of embroidery is adding to the attractions at a World Heritage site during the traditionally-busy month of August. Tens of thousands of visitors flocking to Durham Cathedral over the next fortnight will see the array of work produced
OFFENDERS are doing their bit for society by helping to clean up run-down parts of a North-East town. They are being used to tackle a range of environmental issues, such as fly-tipping and overgrown hedges, as part of an initiative launched in Hartlepool
NEW signing Andy Gray has urged Mick McCarthy to stick with him and Jon Stead as Sunderland's first choice striker pairing. The Black Cats £1.1m signing from Sheffield United believes he can strike up a deadly partnership with the former Blackburn man
THE world's biggest food and drinks company, Nestl, reported a 32.4 per cent rise in first-half net profits yesterday. The rise came despite rising costs and tough trading conditions. The Switzerland-based group - best known for Nescaf coffee and Kit-Kat
THE multi-million pound redevelopment of the former Samsung site at Wynyard is back on track after business tycoon Sir John Hall dropped his legal challenge. It was feared that hundreds of jobs and millions of pounds of investment would be put on hold
The inquests into the deaths of two men allegedly murdered by their family doctor have been opened and adjourned. Dr Howard Martin, 70, is awaiting trial accused of killing Frank Moss, 59, Stanley Weldon, 74, and Harry Gittins, also 74. Yesterday, inquests
PROTESTS have been voiced over a decision to make Big Brother winner Anthony Hutton an Ambassador for Young People. Youth workers criticised the decision by Derwentside's Young People's Forum after the winner returned to his home town of Consett, County
IF you didn't find a centre forward when shouting down the pit shaft, it was probably a brass bandsman, black faced and beaming, who'd surface. Now both, ask Newcastle United, are endangered. Silksworth Colliery Band, 131 years old, is the latest with
A CARAVAN site that in the words of its warden "needed bombing", re-opened yesterday after undergoing a much-needed transformation. The Grange site, near junction 62 of the A1(M), at Carrville, near Durham, had seen better days when the Caravan Club invested
A housing development in Darlington is likely to be approved by councillors. Alexander Developments has applied to the borough council for consent to build 15 apartments and five houses on the Builder's Yard site, in Throstlenest Avenue. The one-bedroom
A FATHER has appealed for dog owners to ensure their animals are kept under control after a family pet was killed. John Lewis, from Langton, near Gainford, said his six-year-old son, Kieron, has been left traumatised by the death of one of the family's
AN application has been submitted to Middlesbrough Council to open a centre for carers in the town centre. It will offer advice on benefits and pensions, job opportunities, bereavement support and a befriending service, support group information and alternative
A CHARITY shop faces a stock crisis because of a shortage of donations. Barnardo's, in Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, can only keep going by transfering goods from other North-East shops. Although they have plenty of customers, staff have found donations
THE owner of a Ferris wheel on the banks of the River Tyne has insisted the attraction has been a success, despite reports of it being a flop with visitors. The 196ft-high attraction, between the Baltic Arts Centre and the Sage building, in Gateshead,
PROPOSALS to close ambulance stations in rural County Durham could cost lives, a councillor has warned. The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) is looking into options for the manning of its rural ambulance stations. The preferred proposal is to replace
FOOTBALL boss Douglas Hall is being divorced by his former model wife. Tonia Hall, 42, has moved out of the property millionaire's home on Teesside's Wynyard estate. She started divorce proceedings in 1998 after a newspaper expos about their exploits
THE first step towards building a £7m bypass was taken yesterday. Durham County Council chairman Ernie Foster and Sonny Douthwaite, chairman of Durham County Council's highways committee, and councillor for West Auckland, led a groundbreaking ceremony
THE North-East is being starved of NHS funding despite the region's appalling health record, a report reveals today. Health services in County Durham and Tees Valley are missing out on £28.8m of Government cash a year - twice as much as previously thought
THERE'S no stopping Kevin Ryan, who is bidding for a famous third home county-trained winner on the final day of York's Ebor meeting with My Paris (3.05). Day one saw Palacegate Episode do the business, while yesterday Amadeus Wolf proved unstoppable
THIEVES trying to steal a caravan caused £100,000 worth of damage after their bungled efforts started a fire. Sparks from a tool being used to force open a lock on the caravan at a farm near Guisborough, Teesside, ignited nearby gas bottles and caused
A soft play centre will create 30 jobs when it opens in the region tomorrow, after receiving a £70,000 investment from a fund management firm. Finance company NEL's debit division, Evolve Finance, has invested the cash in County Durham company Northern
A PLAN to build five terrace houses on a greenfield site outside a village development limit should be rejected, say planners. The scheme, at Prospect View Farm, Sheepcote Lane, Darley, near Pateley Bridge, is proposed for agricultural land and would
POLICE have turned to the public for help to identify a man they wish to speak to as part of an investigation into cheque thefts. It follows an incident in the afternoon of July 29 when a man entered commercial premises on Queen Margaret's industrial
THE future of an accident prevention scheme for pre-school children has been secured thanks to funding. The initiative, which provides free safety equipment to first-time parents in Easington district, was launched for a five-year period. Now Easington
SOLDIERS will be taking a Scottish-style high road to sporting success today. The Gurkha Company at Catterick Garrison's Infantry Training Centre have organised their own fundraising Highland Games. Competitors will battle it out in such traditional games
CAMPAIGNERS have welcomed a council's decision to back them in their fight against coal mining near their homes. Durham County Council is to lodge an objection with Gateshead Council against plans to work 111 acres of farmland across the county boundary
PHIL Atkinson wasn't just a raggy arsed rover in Witton Park, he's written a book about his cheeky faced childhood. The rest of his life would, probably will one day, make a heck of a story, too. Youngest of five boys, he was named after the Duke of Edinburgh
VICTIMS of domestic violence will find help arriving at their door with an initiative aimed at tackling the growing problem of abuse in the home. Staff at North Tees Women's Aid, in Stockton, will accompany police officers in the town next month, when
A SCULPTURE dubbed the Wok of the North should be replaced by a work of art paying tribute to miners and the coal industry, according to a heritage group. Durham County Council is looking to commission a 50ft diameter steel dish sculpture, officially
Animal Crime Scene (BBC1) The Slavery Business (BBC2) PICTURE the scene: high-powered BBC creative-types sitting around a table, thinking of ideas for new programmes. How to get away from those home makeovers and bargain hunts. Beads of sweat start pouring
THE front window of a takeaway owned by an Iranian man was broken in an attack that appears to be racially motivated. A man started banging on the window of KPC takeaway, in Front Street, Leadgate, County Dur-ham, at about 9pm on Tuesday with a child's
THE world's biggest food and drinks company, Nestl, reported a 32.4 per cent rise in first-half net profits yesterday. The rise came despite rising costs and tough trading conditions. The Switzerland-based group - best known for Nescaf coffee and Kit-Kat
DARLINGTON 10K winner Martin Scaife is one of three Morpeth Harriers picked to represent the North-East in the AAA Championships which are part of the big Auckland Castle 10K on Sunday. The 33-year-old supermarket manager, who was only five seconds away
THE new man at the helm of an attraction celebrating the region's railway heritage has told of his hopes for the future. Bob Clark has been appointed manager of Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, in the town's North Road. Mr Clark, who has experience
I READ recently that British parents drive their children an average of 80,000 miles by the time they are 17. That's the equivalent of more than three times round the globe. It's a frightening thought. My husband and I once dreamed of travelling the world
THOUSANDS of teenagers across the North-East and North Yorkshire faced a nervous wait last night as they prepared to collect their A-level results. Universities were also bracing themselves for a rush of phone calls from young people desperate to grab
ENVIRONMENTALLY friendly residents have given council chiefs cause for celebration after recycling rates hit record levels. Kerbside recycling collections were introduced in Ryedale in March 2003 and, since then, recycling rates in the district have soared
The funeral of an 11-year-old Wearside boy who was killed in a fire at his home will take place today. Dean Pike's body was found by firefighters at his home in the Hendon area of Sunderland on 24 June. His mother Janine Dodd was seriously hurt. A private
LOCAL authorities are locked in a dispute with Government officials over plans to house hundreds of asylum seekers in the region. As part of a survey, the Home Office has asked councils to consider whether they can house more asylum seekers. The move
A convoy of about 100 taxis threatened to bring a town centre to a halt yesterday. Angry cabbies drove at 20mph through Middlesbrough to hand in a petition at the town hall demanding more action to get rogue drivers off the streets. Members of Middlesbrough's
IN 1982, the world record for the women's marathon stood at two hours, 25 minutes and 41.3 seconds, set by Norwegian Grete Waitz in New York two years earlier. Since then, it has been broken nine times, with the current record of two hours, 15 minutes
PLANS to build a new home for a police dog section go before councillors tomorrow. Durham Police hope to secure planning permission to create a dog training centre on the outskirts of Spennymoor, County Durham. Proposals include a kennel block with 50
YOUNG people at County Durham schools are showing off their friendship links to a worldwide audience. A series of four posters on the theme "making links, making friends, making sense of the world" will go on show for two months at Durham Tees Valley
POLICE are investigating an arson attack on a derelict house. The ground floor, first floor and attic of the house in Henderson Street, Darlington, were severely damaged by fire and smoke in the early hours of Monday. Fire crews were called to the end-terrace
COUNCILLORS are expected to support controversial plans for a pub to be built in a growing part of Darlington next week. Pathfinder Pubs wants to build the pub near Alderman Leach Primary School, on the West Park estate, in Faverdale. Overall, the £60m
UNEMPLOYMENT figures painted a grim picture for the region yesterday, with statistics showing that the jobless total had risen by almost 20 per cent in the past three months. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the total
PEOPLE whose homes have been identified as needing new kitchens and bathrooms can attend an open day today. Residents in Chester-le-Street who qualify in this year's capital programme will be able to discuss their requirements at a meeting in the canteen
NEWCASTLE United last night attempted a last-ditch attempt to hijack Fredi Kanoute's move from Tottenham Hotspur to Sevilla. The Primera Liga outfit claim they have agreed a £4.4m deal with Spurs for the Mali international, subject to a medical being
DEVOTED father David Laws has given his daughter the gift of life. The 38-year-old donated one of his kidneys to Ellyn, ten, to give her a chance of a normal life. The youngster, from Walkergate, Newcastle, became ill when she was two and had a kidney
AN RAF base welcomed 490 Yorkshire VIPs as part of its celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of VJ Day. Members of the Yorkshire Society and the North Yorkshire Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen Families Association (SSAFA) spent a day at RAF Linton-on-Ouse
Friends of Mo Mowlam, the former Northern Ireland Secretary who is critically ill in hospital, say her condition has deteriorated. The former Redcar MP was moved from hospital to a hospice last week. She is now being cared for at the Pilgrim Hospice in
HUNDREDS of families are homeless in the North-East and the number is rising, a charity warned yesterday. Shelter said figures revealed an increase of 90 per cent since 1997 in the number of homeless people trapped in temporary accommodation. The situation
A REJECTED lover burnt down a bus depot and confessed all to his former girlfriend by text message. He was arrested a week later when she went to police and showed them his confession. Steven Profit, 22, of Fallowfield, Leam Lane, Gateshead, started the
A MAN accused of murder will now be tried on a lesser charge. Robin Jacques, 41, was accused of murdering 44-year-old Barry Thompson on May 27. But at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday, prosecutors dropped the murder charge and will proceed with a manslaughter
ALES Mejac will return to Slovenia this weekend after Darlington manager David Hodgson chose not to pursue his interest in the winger. Mejac arrived in the North-East last week on the recommendation of an agent and the 22-year-old is a free agent after
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 being advised to arrive early to avoid traffic. The two-day show at Elvington
CHARITY workers last night criticised a store's policy to destroy out-of-season children's shoes instead of donating them to a needy cause. Sacks full of unwanted shoes were found in a skip near Clarks shoe shop, in Bondgate, Darlington, slashed so they
THE NORTH-EAST is being starved of NHS funding despite the region's appalling health record, a report reveals today. Health services in County Durham and Tees Valley are missing out on £28.8m of government cash a year - twice as much as previously thought
A SCHEME to transform a town library into a family history and discovery centre could take a step forward next week. Harrogate Borough councillors will decide whether they want to back the project in principle. If they give it the go-ahead, North Yorkshire
A DANCE group has been awarded almost £1,500 to help it hire an organist. Age Concern Consett Dance received the money from the County Durham Foundation's neighbourhood renewal community chest. The money will be used to hire a professional musician and
THE latest effort to help a factory's redundant workforce back into the jobs market was staged yesterday. Twenty-five potential employers and job agencies were represented at the third jobs fair staged at the recently closed LG Philips Displays television
STEVE McClaren last night threw down the gauntlet to his rising stars of the future. The Middlesbrough boss believes his up-and-coming starlets shouldn't be content with academy and reserve team football. He feels they should be knocking on the first
SHOPPERS will be forgiven for thinking they have stepped back in time today when Ancient Rome arrives in Hartlepool. A senator, accompanied by soldiers and women, will set up camp at the travelling museum, the Curiosity Shop, in Middleton Grange Shopping
FIVE young people in one day received £50 fines in a crackdown on litterbugs. The five fixed penalty notices were given to youngsters in the Fairfield area of Stockton as part of a drive to reduce rubbish in the town. Stockton Borough Council's anti-social
