A Touch Of Frost (ITV1) Afterlife (ITV1) BY the end of A Touch Of Frost, three of the leading police characters were injured and swathed in bandages. It looked more like a scene from a Mummy movie than one of TV's most popular detective series. Getting
A fishing crew were left red-faced after broadcasting an erotic film over the airwaves by accident. The hapless crew of the Oceania accidentally knocked the handset of their emergency radio, jamming it on transmit, while watching Crash on a portable TV
AN aerobatics display attracted up to 30,000 people to mark the 175th anniversary of a North-East harbour. The crowds were delighted to hear the roar from the Hawk and Tornado engines as they did low and long flypasts at Seaham Harbour, east Durham. They
BLAYDON and Darlington both enjoyed a points spree on Saturday, confirming that there will be no repeat of last season's struggles to stay in National Three North. Blaydon scored 50 unanswered points in the second half to win 74-10 at home to Cleckheaton
Few things have the ability to raise our hackles quite so much as the state of modern manners. Writer, comedian and broadcaster Simon Fanshaw tells Nick Morrison why manners matter - but why it's no good looking to the past for comfort. IF you've ever
AS the Labour Party conference gets into full swing in Brighton, much of the talk is about how long it will be before Gordon Brown takes over from Tony Blair as party leader. Mr Blair will want his conference speech this week to set out his vision for
A CLUB for collectors of dolls houses was launched at the weekend. Healthcare charity Sue Ryder Care is one of the UK's largest importers of dolls houses, and has launched Hickleton Collectors' Club to cater for enthusiasts. Six North-East shops have
THE only consistent aspect of Hartlepool United's season has been their inconsistency. Ten League One games down the line and Pool have impressed in patches, stuttered in others and flattered to deceive in just as many. Winning at Blackpool a fortnight
AS Sunderland earned the bragging rights following yesterday's Tees-Wear derby win at the Riverside Stadium, Christian Bassila proved how he could be the Black Cats' equivalent of George Boateng this season. Unlike Boateng, with nearly eight years of
Newcastle Blue Star manager Tony Lee believes there is room for improvement in his new side after their 2-1 derby win at Newcastle Benfield on Saturday. Star are now back on top of the table after just one defeat in their opening eight away games, and
LEGENDARY football manager Sir Bobby Robson will be back on home ground on Thursday when he opens a community IT learning facility close to his childhood home in Langley Park, near Durham. The former Newcastle United and England boss has been invited
NEWCASTLE Falcons suffered their second home defeat yesterday when the sin-binning of flanker Cory Harris changed a game they were winning 16-3 just before half-time. During his ten minutes in the bin a Bath side with little previous idea of how to turn
A SCHEME bringing Internet access to some of the region's most isolated communities has been continuing its work. The CommuniGate initiative has proved successful since its launch, with more than 2,200 non-profit groups setting up websites for free. The
FORMER North-East MP Mo Mowlam has been voted the nation's favourite politician of all time. Dr Mowlam, who died last month, is probably best remembered for helping to broker the Ulster peace deal when she was Northern Ireland Secretary. The former MP
TWENTY-FOUR hours of controversy surrounding comments attributed to Seve Ballesteros reached an amicable end at The Wynyard Club, when Colin Montgomerie led Great Britain & Ireland to their third successive Seve Trophy victory in comprehensive style
Yorkshire Phoenix brought to a close their most disastrous one-day season when they were torn to shreds by totesport League Second Division champions, Sussex Sharks at Hove yesterday. Sussex needed to win the match to deny Durham the title but they were
A COLLEGE worker has been shortlisted for a national award. Pauline Snowball, a network challenge lecturer at Bishop Auckland College, County Durham, has been shortlisted from 3,400 people for a Star Award. The prizes reward unsung heroes of the learning
LEE Bullock revealed the Hartlepool United dressing room at 5pm on Saturday was no place for the feint-hearted. A full and frank inquest into Pool's second-half display took place at Saltergate. And Bullock, impressive in a forward line role in the 3-
WHEN Anne Winter rang British Rail's Wimbledon office in the summer of 1979 and asked if it was possible for a woman to be a train driver, she was answered with hoots of hysterical laughter. The determined Anne went on to secure herself an interview,
A STUDY into the career expectations of 16 to 24-year-olds has shown all of them want to be altruistic through their career - compared to only a fifth of the over-55s. The research, by Opinion Matters, also found almost half of 16 to 24-year-olds expect
The notion that the Premiership's bubble has finally burst has been football's only talking point of the last week, but it's not just at the top end of the ladder that entertainment is sparse. Ask the 172 hardy souls who made the five-hour trip to Bristol
ORGANISERS of a sheep fair say the event was a huge success, raising between £5,000 and £6,000 for charity. The 20th Masham Sheep Fair, in North Yorkshire, took place this weekend. Once again, the fair's sheep racing was one of the most popular events
IF there's one thing more boring than Premiership football at the moment, it is having to listen to people bemoan how boring Premiership football is. The last fortnight has seen an all-out assault on the myriad of problems that are supposedly killing
WHEN it comes to analysing strike partnerships Stuart Pearce should know what he is talking about. After all, as a world class defender the former England international has come up against some of the best the game has to offer. And after watching his
GORDON Brown will today pick a deliberate fight with Labour left-wingers at the Brighton conference by pledging to fight the next General election on a "New Labour" platform. The Chancellor -- almost certainly Tony Blair's successor as prime minister
THE largest gathering of a Yorkshire dales clan since the Battle of Agincourt took place this weekend. Hundreds of members of the Metcalfe family descended on the villages of Hawes and West Burton, in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, to celebrate the 25th
A POPULAR band is to reform for an annual music event. Barnard Castle's annual Big Live Gig music event takes place on October 21 and tickets are expected to sell out fast. The event is the sixth one to be organised by Teesdale Community Resources (TRC
A pensioner told today how he was arrested by armed police after he brandished a gun at children who went to get a ball from his backyard. An armed response unit was called out after reports John Williamson had lost patience with teenagers and threatened
DAVID HODGSON took his daring unpredictability to new heights at the weekend when he named defender Joey Hutchinson in a three-man Darlington midfield. After the home defeat to Oxford United, Hodgson promised changes. But few could have predicted Hutchinson
A WIDOWER cleared in court of sexually abusing a young child said last night: "I will not be hounded out of my home." Brian Leslie Paylor said he has been subjected to months of abuse by people in his village after the allegations came to light. He told
CELEBRATIONS to mark the 60th anniversary of VE Day got off to a flying start in County Durham this weekend as a number of wartime planes took the skies again. A rare Spitfire Mk 9, an Isaacs Fury and a Pitts Special were some of the planes on show at
A MAN will appear in court this morning charged with attempted murder. The charges are in connection with an incident early on Saturday morning that left another man seriously ill in hospital. Detective Sergeant Ian Sturrock, of Bishop Auckland police
A FISH and chip shop is hoping to batter its rivals in a regional competition. Beedles Chippy, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, has gone through to the regional finals of the National Fish and Chip Shop of the Year competition. It now goes head-to-head
REGARDLESS of what competition host Seve Ballesteros thinks of the players taking part in his tournament, one man delighted with how the Seve Trophy went is The Wynyard Club's managing director Gary Munro. Munro has been connected with the club since
RELIEVED Mick McCarthy believes Sunderland are slowly getting to grips with life in the Premiership after claiming their first win of the season at Middlesbrough yesterday. The Black Cats' 2-0 victory at the Riverside was their first success in the Premiership
POLICE are investigating links between a series of drug finds in the North-East and an international crime ring led by a Vietnamese gangster. More than 1,500 cannabis plants were seized from a number of homes in County Durham and detectives last night
SCHOOL cooks did the region proud at the weekend after they put their culinary skills to the test at the Seve Trophy. Thirty kitchen staff from Stockton schools, who are more accustomed to feeding hungry children, were drafted in to cater for the players
A WOMAN who hopes to get ahead with her range of hats and hairpieces held an exhibition of her work over the weekend. Donna Thurkettle held an exhibition of more than 50 creations at Beaconsfield Court nursing home, in Galgate, Barnard Castle. Ms Thurkettle
FORMER North-East MP Mo Mowlam has been voted the nation's favourite politician of all time. Dr Mowlam, who died last month, is probably best remembered for helping to broker the Ulster peace deal when she was Northern Ireland Secretary. The former MP
BOTANIST Dr David Bellamy will re-launch a community bus service for people with transport and mobility problems in the Durham Dales area this week. The TV conservationist will visit the Durham Dales Centre on Thursday to celebrate the return of Weardale
YOUNG mothers will be at the centre of a broadcasting campaign to highlight the benefits of breastfeeding. The ads will be screened on Tyne Tees television from today and on Galaxy Radio from next month. Aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding
VILLAGERS have launched a campaign against proposed changes to two of their community buildings. A number of residents in Sedgefield village are fighting plans to extend the historic Ceddesfeld Hall by building a function room for private and community
PREGNANT women who want to give up smoking will be given help to stub out the habit at drop-in sessions in Crook. Durham Dales Primary Care Trust has set up the service at Crook Health Centre, Hope Street, for a trial period of one month. Partners and
A GROUP of girls will this week show they are bosom buddies with the launch of a charity calendar. Twenty ladies from the seaside town of South Shields have stripped for the calendar. The average age of the girls is 50, their average bra size is 40, and
POLICE are investigating the traffic implications of the planned relocation of a village school. Darlington Borough Council is proposing to shut both the Hurworth School, in the village, and the town's Eastbourne Comprehensive. Pupils from both schools
ONE of the region's most famous battle sites featured at the weekend to commemorate the Great War. Keen historians donned old military costumes at an open day at the Heugh gun battery, on the Headland, in Hartlepool, on Saturday. The public were able
AN event aimed at boosting sport in the Darlington area will be staged next month. Representatives of sports clubs, community partnerships, Darlington Borough Council and voluntary organisations will be coming together to share ideas on how to enhance
GARDENING enthusiasts hailed a record-breaking performance at a popular annual leek show yesterday. The Darlington Champion of Champions' Leek Show was held at the East End Workingmen's Club, in Neasham Road, over the weekend. The competition was staged
A TAXI driver of 25 years has warned that radical changes in the centre of Darlington could bring further chaos. Joseph Price said the alterations to the traffic system, part of Darlington Borough Council's £6.5m pedestrianisation project, had left the
THE story of the 19th Century famine families of County Mayo in Ireland will be told at an event in Darlington this week. Colin Brannigan will tell the story of Mary Brannigan, who was orphaned and sent to Canada when she was 13, and adopted by a French-speaking
A CLUB for collectors of dolls houses was launched at the weekend. Healthcare charity Sue Ryder Care is one of the UK's largest importers of dolls houses, and has launched Hickleton Collectors' Club to cater for enthusiasts. Six North-East shops have
A SCHEME bringing Internet access to some of the region's most isolated communities has been continuing its work. The CommuniGate initiative has proved successful since its launch, with more than 2,200 non-profit groups setting up websites for free. The
A POPULAR nightclub event for young people is making a welcome return this week. Stockton Borough Council and Stockton Children's Trust are once again teaming up with 96.6tfm radio and Zan-zibar nightclub to bring an afternoon of fun and music to youngsters
RESIDENTS are being offered the chance to win prizes as an incentive to attend crime prevention and safety roadshows. Staff from the Sunderland Housing Group, Northumbria Police, Age Concern, Victim Support, Sunderland City Council, and the Tyne and Wear
Newcastle Blue Star manager Tony Lee believes there is room for improvement in his new side after their 2-1 derby win at Newcastle Benfield on Saturday. Star are now back on top of the table after just one defeat in their opening eight away games, and
CHURCHES in North Yorkshire, many dating back a thousand years, are being given a big boost to their income by a scheme to make them tourist attractions. The three-year project, launched by the Yorkshire Tourist Board, promotes the churches as places
VILLAGE stores in North Yorkshire are suffering because of a lack of control on mobile tuck shops, a county councillor has said. It has emerged that North Yorkshire County Council has no specific policy for dealing with food vans setting up on roadsides
CHARITY bosses are hoping people will paws to help a hospice's cutest fundraising campaign. St Teresa's Hospice, in Darlington, has produced thousands of soft toy puppies, which can be bought for £1. The pups are available in schools, offices, shops and
CONSUMER watchdogs are warning firms to beware if they receive a letter inviting them to have their details published in a European City Guide on CD-Rom. Wording in bold at the top of an accompanying form, which emanates from Spain, says the recipient's
TOP names have been announced to take part in a North Yorkshire business conference for entrepreneurs. Speakers at the Venturefest Yorkshire 2006 event will include a gold medal winning Olympic athlete, a UK Entrepreneur of the Year, and a business "dragon
A WOMAN who hopes to get ahead with her hats and hairpieces held a showcase of her work at the weekend. Donna Thurkettle held an exhibition of more than 50 colourful creations at Beaconsfield Court nursing home in Galgate, Barnard Castle. Ms Thurkettle
POLICE are investigating links between a series of drug finds in the North-East and an international crime ring led by a Vietnamese gangster. More than 1,500 cannabis plants were seized from a number of homes in County Durham and detectives last night
PEOPLE interested in brushing up their painting skills are being invited to join a new course. Alf Anderson's watercolour class starts today, at Girsby and Over Dinsdale Village Hall. Sessions run from 1.15pm to 3.15pm. The course costs £20, but new members
IT has been labelled the greatest sporting event to be hosted in the North-East, but the impact of the Seve Trophy 2005 may be felt long after the spectators have packed up and gone home. Doubters may have believed the region was not ready to host such
EFFORTS to dramatically reduce the extent of drug misuse in Darlington are starting to pay off, health chiefs have claimed. The town's Drug Interventions Programme (Dip) has reported a significant drop in the number of times criminals on the programme
RESIDENTS of Stokesley will soon be able to visit a new community resource centre. The purpose-built centre will deliver a range of services designed to meet the needs of the local community in the 21st Century. The centre has been built as a result of
IF PREMIERSHIP football really is more boring and predictable than ever, perhaps somebody should tell Sunderland. In a North-East derby that bristled with excitement and frayed nerves, Mick McCarthy's men beat local rivals Middlesbrough to end a 28-game
RESIDENTS of a North Yorkshire town will soon be able to visit a modern community resource centre. The purpose-built centre in Stokesley will deliver a range of services designed to meet the needs of the local community in the 21st Century. The centre
A NEW learning centre is to open tomorrow after more than two years in the making. The Life centre (Learning Is For Everyone) will be unveiled in Stockton, offering the latest computer equipment to help adults get back into learning. The 850 staff at
FOUR cats which act as pest controllers have had their futures assured thanks to funds raised at tabletop sale. More than £500 has been raised from the sale in the newly-restored vinery at Helmsley Walled Garden. The garden has four resident cats that
TRADITIONAL West African music is coming to County Durham next month. Jali Sherrifo Konteh , one of Gambia's top performers of the 21-string kora, is to tour five County Durham libraries as part of the Live in the Libraries series. The kora is unique
AFTER nearly 40 years of club cricket, it really was a case of leaving the best until last for 51-year-old Brian Dobinson. Expecting to play his final game for Haughton seconds before retiring, Brian hit an undefeated 116 on Saturday ? his highest ever
TRAVEL agents are meeting the deadline to gain an essential qualification in insurance after the launch of an online course in the region. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has insisted travel agency staff gain the qualification by September 30.
BOTANIST Dr David Bellamy will re-launch a community bus service for people with transport and mobility problems in the Durham Dales. The TV conservationist will visit the Durham Dales Centre on Thursday to celebrate the return of Weardale Community Transport's
A LOCAL history event will be held in Tow Law next weekend. Tow Law Community Centre will host a display by Tow Law and Deerness District Local History Society on Saturday and Sunday. The exhibition will be based on the theme of Then and Now and will
YORK Minster is to host a service dedicated to the welfare of animals. The Service for Animal Welfare has been jointly organised by the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals (ASWA) and Catholic Concern for Animals. The Bishop of Liverpool, the Right
A DENTAL crisis in a North Yorkshire town has been eased after new owners have taken over a surgery. More than 200 people in Selby have had letters sent to their homes announcing their wait for a dentist is over. The people were all former patients of
A COMMUNITY fun day will be held this weekend to launch a wildlife haven in the Gaunless Valley. The Spring Gardens Wetland Community Festival is on Saturday, from 11am to 4pm. The event celebrates the new wetland and the Haggerleases Railway Path, linking
A YORKSHIRE radio station is to broadcast clues to one of the county's biggest ever treasure hunts today. The remaining four clues to the Tetley's Cask Golden Pint will be broadcast on Real Radio. The competition gives entrants the chance to search for
DETECTIVES are trying to identify a man who was found seriously injured on a Teesside street at the weekend. The man, who is white and in his 20s or 30s, was attacked while walking along Union Street, in the direction of Borough Road, carrying a pizza
PARENTS are to be consulted this week on the proposed amalgamation of two Teesside schools. Rosehill Infant School and Holy Trinity Junior School, in Stockton, have been granted approval to merge, and talks with parents and staff will take place in the
WINNER of Big Brother Anthony Hutton launched the new-look salon where he trained to be a hairdresser yesterday. He opened Saks, in Front Street, Chester-le-Street, following its week-long £25,000 makeover. The former postman from Consett, County Durham
LEGENDARY football manager Sir Bobby Robson will be back on home ground on Thursday when he opens a community IT learning facility close to his childhood home in Langley Park, near Durham. The former Newcastle United and England boss has been invited
A CHARITY celebrated its tenth anniversary with a two-day party over the weekend. The County Durham Foundation has handed out almost £10m to good causes over the past decade. It staged the fun weekend to mark the occasion and was sponsored by developer
CLOSED-CIRCUIT television cameras are to be installed at three trouble hot spots in north Durham. Permission for the scheme has been granted by Derwentside District Council's planning committee. They will be installed on 12-metre poles in Front Street
FITNESS fanatics have gone around the world in 70 days to bring success to a major health challenge. The aim of the Sport England's Million Miles Challenge was to help people in the North-East enjoy a more active and healthy lifestyle. The region was
A CHEF has helped raise more than £600 for a hospice. Matthew Brown, who works in the cafe at Stockton's Arc arts centre, raised £640 for the Butterwick Hospice by holding a dinner at the Masham pub, in Hartburn village, on September 18. Culinary enthusiasts
PEOPLE interested in the work of their local library are invited to share their views at a Library Link meeting. The Library Link group discusses library-related topics and gives Stockton Library Service the chance to listen to what people want from their
A MOBILE phone mast is to be installed in the rear car park of a social club in Blackhill, Consett. Derwentside District Council's planning committee has approved the application from telecommunications company Hutchinson 3G. It wants to install a 15-
A student has proved she means business by achieving some of the best exam grades in the country. Helen Porteus, from Romanby, dropped only 24 marks out of a possible 1,200 to achieve 11 As and a B for an overall AA grade in her two year AVCE business
Tempsford, who turned in a run bordering on Listed class at Carlisle last Monday, can make a successful reappearance in the totepool Free £5 Bet Buttonhook Handicap over a mile and five furlongs at Hamilton today. Sir Mark Prescott's horses have been
HIGH ROW: HOW dare Darlington council spend £6m on a facelift for the town centre? The extraordinary cost deprives people of a new bus station and adequate bus services. The council thinks Feethams is unsuitable for a new bus station, but the problems
POLICE said last night there were still no plans for a criminal investigation into the latest actions of flyaway mother Kelly Ann Rogerson. The 24-year-old had her three children taken away for the second time on Friday night after social services visited
Youths in bank rescue drama: TWO youths had to be rescued at the weekend after getting stuck at the bottom of a bank late at night. Fire crews were called to the rear of the Station Hotel, in Station Road, Loftus, after reports that the youths were unable
Women are seen as equals in today's railway industry, but a new book looks at the years of exploitation and degradation they endured before breaking through the glass ceiling. Women's Editor Lindsay Jenning reports. WHEN Anne Winter rang British Rail's
THE David Howell-Paul Casey partnership is here to stay - that was the conclusion the pair reached after yesterday's heroic Seve Trophy victory over Continental Europe. A year after being one of the pivotal pairings in the Ryder Cup success over the United
AS they continue to rebuild their side, Mowden can take heart from a spirited performance against the National Three North title favourites. The loss of No 8 Jason Smithson to Newcastle following the departure of star backs Martin Shaw and Mark Bedworth
Tempsford, who turned in a run bordering on Listed class at Carlisle last Monday, can make a successful reappearance in the totepool Free £5 Bet Buttonhook Handicap over a mile and five furlongs at Hamilton today. Sir Mark Prescott's horses have been
Darlington may have dropped into the bottom half of the table for the first time this season, while losing their unbeaten away record, but David Hodgson has pointed out that Quakers are better off now than they were this time last season. Despite not
A HEALTH campaigner is angry that he had to drive to London to get the treatment he needed to save his sight. Graham Maloney, 58, from Yarm, near Stockton, became concerned about his vision after developing diabetes. An optician detected changes to the
Bishop Auckland were left to regret their missed chances and had to settle for an FA Vase replay against Skelmersdale. Bishops went into the game as underdogs because of Skelmersdale's 100 per cent record this season in the North West Counties League,
Ryan Valentine remains upbeat about Darlington's promotion prospects. Valentine is confident Quakers can overcome their recent slump, which has seen them drop from second to 14th in the table. Quakers were beaten 1-0 at Bristol Rovers on Saturday, although
CHESTER the labrador thought her luck was in when she chased a rabbit into a pond. But just as it seemed his number was up, the rabbit turned on his pursuer and climbed on to the labrador's back. Two-year-old Chester then turned around and swam to the
HEALTH chiefs are working to improve services for people with mental health and substance abuse problems. Authorities in County Dur-ham say patients with such troubles often find it difficult to get the help they need. As a result, the area's strategic
TEN fire engines were needed to bring a massive blaze under control at the weekend after a scrapyard went up in flames. Thick, black smoke could be seen 15 miles away after oil at Tomlinson's car reprocessing business accidentally caught fire on Saturday
A PROMOTION double was the stuff of dreams for Durham this season after finishing bottom of the County Championship last year. Under the inspirational leadership of Mike Hussey they were so swift out of the blocks that the double was firmly on the cards
NEWCASTLE Falcons suffered their second home defeat yesterday when the sin-binning of flanker Cory Harris changed a game they were winning 16-3 just before half-time. During his ten minutes in the bin a Bath side with little previous idea of how to turn
COLIN Montgomerie admitted he was looking forward to leading the 2005 Seve Trophy team - probably more so than at any other time since its inauguration five years ago - so he could finally put to bed his 21-year-old problems with insomnia. The Great Britain
A NORTH-EAST campaigner is calling on the Government to declare an official day to remember the sacrifice made by thousands of miners. John Kitching, of Brandon, County Durham, has collected 6,000 names on a petition backing the proposed miners' memorial
THE former detective who brought zero tolerance policing to Britain, last night warned that yobs could soon seize control of the streets unless drastic action is taken. Ray Mallon was dubbed Robocop for the tough policy he pioneered in the North-East
A MAGNANIMOUS Jose Maria Olazabal admitted the Great Britain and Ireland team thoroughly deserved their Seve Trophy victory. The Continental Europe captain played down suggestions that his team were unlucky over the four-day tournament at The Wynyard
HUNDREDS of visitors have helped demonstrate that a sheep show revived after an absence of more than a century is now firmly back on the farming calendar. Organisers of the Langdon Beck Show, which was held in a tiny field in Forest-in-Teesdale, on Saturday
A RECREATION ground which has had a £125,000 makeover was officially opened this weekend. Coundon and Leeholme Community Partnership and Groundwork West Durham started redeveloping Coundon recreation ground more than a year ago. The revamp was funded
COUNCILLORS are to consider a report on Darlington's efforts to become a breastfeeding-friendly town. The borough council has been eager to improve services in the local area and asked an independent firm to look into how that could be achieved. Darlington
