When a television programme seemed to cast doubt on the existence of dyslexia, Ann Swain was horrified. After spending most of her life believing she was stupid, she was diagnosed as dyslexic at the age of 68. She talks to Nick Morrison ANN Swain has
IN LIGHT of Middlesbrough's latest injury woe, Franck Queudrue has reassured manager Steve McClaren that he is ready, willing and more than capable of filling the void at the heart of the defence. Boro head into tomorrow evening's date with one of the
A NEW service for sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome is being established. A team of four, based at St Margaret's Health Centre, in Durham, will provide advice and treatment for sufferers of myalgic encephalopathy, known as ME. The service, which will
THE pretender to the European and Commonwealth crowns, Michael Hunter, insists reigning champion Esham Pickering does not know what he has let himself in for tonight. Fighting in his home town of Hartlepool. Hunter will have the backing of a partisan
A POODLE has always been top dog for his owner, Margaret Flannigan. Now, seven-year-old Bobby has won a silver award from the Kennel Club and the title of 'good citizen' for being well-behaved and obedient. The award is the result of months of practice
MORE than 30 daredevils walked barefoot across hot coals to raise about £5,000 for a hospice's planned inpatient unit. St Cuthbert's Hospice, in Durham, wants to raise £1.3m through its Key Appeal, which is backed by The Northern Echo, to build the £3.2m
POLICE MERGER: WHILE wishing Durham Chief Constable Paul Garvin a happy retirement, I do hope he is going to sort out the communications nightmare that now exists in the Durham Constabulary area. Police nationwide rely on the co-operation of those members
MOTHER Nature surprised everyone with a mini-heatwave yesterday, which led to the warmest October 27 ever recorded. People across the country were leaving their coats at home as temperatures unusually soar up to 21C in certain parts of the country and
BURNOUT REVENGE Formats: PS2, Xbox. Publisher: Electronic Arts. Price: £39.99. Family friendly? 12+ WHY bother with a next generation console when games for the machine currently nestling beneath your TV are as good looking as this? The Burnout series
A MAN who stopped to help a fellow motorist who had apparently broken down was attacked and robbed. The man was driving on an isolated road from Gate Helmsley towards Claxton, near York, when he saw the car and offered to help the man standing with it
A COUNTY council has agreed to carry on supporting the country's smallest local authority while it undergoes a staffing problem. Durham County Council has said its stop-gap aid to Teesdale District Council could pave the way for more permanent partnership
A NORTH Yorkshire woman has scooped a top prize for her soup recipe. Mother-of-four Irene Bell is the national winner of the New Covent Garden Food Company's annual create-a-soup competition, run in the BBC Good Food Magazine. Her recipe for spiced carrot
A MOTHER has spoke of her anger after the man who caused her son's death in a road accident reapplied for his driving licence. Stephen Robinson was jailed for two-and-a-half years in 2002 and banned from driving for five years after he was found guilty
A VISITOR attraction is offering free passes to obese people to help them lose weight. Officials at Thorp Perrow Arboretum, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, are writing to local doctors offering discounts and free passes to overweight and unfit people. Owner
Andrew Flintoff will call in a nine-year-old favour in Pakistan this winter and get Steve Harmison to help him fend off the homesickness. Flintoff jets out to join England's three-Test tour next Wednesday and will be leaving his family for the first time
FANCY being doubly generous this Christmas? Then do some of your Christmas shopping from the charity catalogues. Friends and family get their presents, the charity makes some money - and you can do it all by phone, post or internet. Winners all round.
ANTONY Sweeney wants to see his Hartlepool United teammates ensure the benefit of last weekend's first home win of the season isn't wasted. Pool finally secured a home win at the seventh attempt, beating MK Dons 2-1 at Victoria Park. They go to Port Vale
I've spent some time considering three issues this past week and I've realised that there is a common link between the Conservative Party, police re-organisation and a regional casino. The common denominator of all three issues is leadership. This is
Tim Easterby's runners are generally worth a second look at Wetherby, a hint well worth taking on board with respect to Pay Attention (3.35) in the Rocom Siemens Handicap Hurdle. Last season Pay Attention could do little wrong, winning four of her six
COMPANIES across the North-East are being invited to make the most of research and technology carried out by the Ministry of Defence. The Defence Diversification Agency (DDA), part of the MoD, is rolling out its Exploiting Defence Technology programme
HIGHSTREET bank Abbey yesterday rubbished reports that it plans to close its Indian call centre and bring some of the 1,000 jobs it originally offshored back to Britain. A national newspaper claimed that Abbey intends to shut down its Bangalore call centre
STANDARDS are rising among all the region's police forces, according to performance figures released by the Home Office yesterday. All four of the region's forces said they were pleased with the assessments published yesterday. The publication comes at
A MOTHER and daughter were in the pink last night after tallying up the takings from their one-off charity sale. Elaine Hodgson and 14-year-old daughter, Rachel, hired a stall for the day at the In-Shops complex in Consett, County Durham. They bought,
WIDE swathes of the North York Moors could be turned back into a wilderness roamed by elk, beaver and wild horses under plans drawn up by a conservation charity. The Wilderness Foundation has identified 800,000 hectares of Britain that could be transformed
A DOORMAN who spiked a woman's drink with a date-rape drug is facing jail. Michael Wright, 36, tipped the chemical into the victim's drink from a water bottle, saying it was vodka. Shortly after, the woman collapsed and was taken to hospital, where she
A CANCER sufferer allegedly murdered by his doctor hid the severity of his illness from relatives, a jury heard today. Social service records covering the two months before Frank Moss's death stated: "Clearly Alison (his daughter) doesn't know her father's
SCOTT Parker last night urged his Newcastle team-mates to 'do a Chelsea' and make the Carling Cup a springboard to much longer-lasting success. The England international, who produced a typically belligerent display to help the Magpies edge out a pumped-up
A city centre supermarket closes at the weekend as part of a national deal which will see it re-opening next month under new ownership. Safeway in Durham's Millburngate Shopping Centre is scheduled to close at 6pm on Saturday. Shoppers have noticed a
THREE non-executive directors have been reappointed to the board of the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust. The board's vice-chairman, Councillor Neil Stonehouse, from Coundon, nursery boss Karen Veitch, from Weardale, and Tow Law solicitor Jenny Flynn will
MIDDLESBROUGH'S Ashok Kumar was revealed as the North-East's most expensive MP for the second year running last night - after claiming £158,844 in allowances. The Labour backbencher ran up a parliamentary bill 30 per cent higher than the Commons average
A MAN who brought terror to a crowded shopping area when he threatened to shoot a woman with what looked like a realistic handgun was spared jail yesterday. Michael Oliver, 20, warned he would shoot a young woman who had already been confronted by his
RESIDENTS of Middleham are being invited to take part in an affordable housing consultation next month. Two plots of Richmondshire District Council-owned land have been earmarked for the development of new homes. A third plot is currently being considered
MEMBERS of the public in Hartlepool will have the chance to ask questions about policing issues. The next three in a series of regular meetings with the Police and Community Safety Consultative Forum are scheduled to take place next month. The meeting
A SHOPPING centre is giving youngsters the chance to transform themselves into ghouls and ghosts for Halloween. Durham's Millburngate Centre is holding a free face-painting session on Saturday, between noon and 3pm, when Durham University Supporting Street
A MAN who brought terror to a crowded shopping area when he threatened to shoot a woman with what looked like a realistic handgun was spared jail yesterday. Michael Oliver, 20, warned he would shoot a young woman who had already been confronted by his
YOUNG bookworms in Hartlepool have got stuck into their reading. Children across the town were invited to take part in a reading challenge run by Hartlepool's libraries over the summer. They were able to collect a reading logbook from their local library
A ROW has erupted over a town's beacon ceremony, held to celebrate the battle of Trafalgar. Richmond Town Council issued a statement on Monday apologising that heavy rain meant the event last Friday had to be cancelled. However, several residents have
AN expert paper conservator has completed an internship at the North Yorkshire county record office. Ruth Partington, 31, from Northallerton, was able to undertake the two-month placement after receiving £5,000 from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust
ANYONE caught misusing fireworks in the next month faces an £80 fine, police have warned. The measure is part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour being launched across North Yorkshire in time for Halloween, Mischief Night and Bonfire Night. Police
CLEVELAND Fire Brigade is looking for a teenage artist to design a poster with a safety message which will be understood by other young people. The brigade said there has been a large reduction in the number of deliberate bonfire incidents in recent years
KEEN gardeners are being encouraged to take advantage of free compost to help their gardens grow. Stockton Borough Council is urging residents to get down to the household waste recycling facility at Haverton Hill, on Thursday, where free first-class
3FT FISH STOLEN FROM POND: POLICE probing a slippery theft are urging potential buyers to be on their guard. A 3ft sturgeon, believed to be worth several hundred pounds, was stolen from a pond in Farmbank Road, Ormesby, Middlesbrough. Police are appealing
PUPILS have been rewarded for outstanding achievement during the last school term at an awards ceremony. Students from Parkside Comprehensive School, in Willington, were presented with trophies and plaques to mark good work and perfect attendance. Awards
AN organic open day featuring demonstrations will take place on Saturday, November 5. Nafferton Organics will hold the day at its farm, between Newcastle and Hexham, Northumberland. Visitors can tour the farm, visit the dairy and see how organic vegetables
A PROVISIONAL date has been set for the proposed transfer of a rural council's housing. Teesdale District Council hopes to transfer control of its housing to a separate group by July next year. Almost 90 per cent of council house residents voted in the
BUILDING the future prosperity of the Tees Valley around Britain's first super casino will not meet approval with everyone. Gambling has its negative connotations and the thrill of striving to hit the jackpot can easily lead to addiction. But no-one can
A FIREFIGHTER visited a Newton Aycliffe school to encourage pupils to stay safe around Bonfire Night. Dave White, community fire safety officer for the Sedgefield area, spoke to youngsters at Sugar Hill Primary School. He told pupils about the dangers
AN athletics club has won a national quality standard award for coaching and contribution to the community. Shildon Running and Athletic Club was presented with the England Athletics Clubmark award at Stadium 2000, Shildon. The award is a partnership
POLICE are appealing for information after a good Samaritan was left stranded by thieves. A York man was driving his silver Ford Mondeo on the A59 at 10.15pm on Monday, when he saw a woman lying on the verge with her legs in the road, on the York side
A NORTH Yorkshire woman has scooped a top prize for her soup recipe. Mother-of-four Irene Bell is the national winner of the New Covent Garden Food Company's annual create-a-soup competition, run in the BBC Good Food Magazine. Her recipe for spiced carrot
A YOUNG Darlington man has successfully completed months of the hardest training in the world to become a Royal Marines Commando. Michael Evans, 22, celebrated the end of 32 weeks of intensive work at a passing out ceremony held at the Commando Training
A LOCAL authority yesterday called on magistrates to take a tougher line on fly-tippers. Members of Durham County Council's cabinet heard a report that incidents of fly-tipping had fallen since the introduction of a permit scheme last December. It was
OUTDOOR wear retailer Blacks Leisure said one of the driest spells on record had caused a sharp slump in sales across its stores. Reporting half-year profits on a day when some parts of the UK were basking in Indian summer temperatures of more than 20C
You can be generous this Christmas by choosing gifts from charity catalogues. Shoptalk susses out the best buys. FANCY being doubly generous this Christmas? Then do some of your Christmas shopping from the charity catalogues. Friends and family get their
OIL group Shell is making £1.5m an hour in profits, it confirmed yesterday. Surging oil prices mean the global company almost topped its record 2004 profits haul in the space of nine months. The company generated profits of £9.86bn between January and
AbOUT 600 porters, cleaners, domestics and caterers start an overtime ban today and are to strike on Monday after talks at the region's largest hospital trust broke down. Health union Unison has ordered an overtime ban and called ancillary workers out
TIM EASTERBY'S runners are generally worth a second look at Wetherby, a hint well worth taking on board with respect to Pay Attention (3.35) in the Rocom Siemens Handicap Hurdle. Last season Pay Attention could do little wrong, winning four of her six
A SHOPLIFTER who tried to escape police by crawling into a storm drain next to a river was caught after he became stuck in the pipe. The man was arrested by police in Darlington shortly after 9am yesterday. He had gone into the pipe by the River Skerne
A ROOKIE cop with a nose for the job passed the canine equivalent of his driving test yesterday. Puppy Dibley became Durham Police's latest recruit when he sniffed out a "suspect" with a bag of drugs in Darlington's busy Cornmill Centre. Dibley, a 20-
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former soldier who raised thousands of pounds for charity with long-distance runs and treks. Alec Walker died at his home in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, on Tuesday aged 92. He was well-known in the town for his wine-growing
THE daughter of a man allegedly murdered by his doctor sent the GP a card that read: "Thank you for helping me give my father his last wish." Alison Moss said she believed Howard Martin had done his best for her father, lung cancer sufferer Frank Moss
MIDDLESBROUGH'S Ashok Kumar was revealed as the North-East's most expensive MP for the second year running last night - after claiming £158,844 in allowances. The Labour backbencher ran up a parliamentary bill 30 per cent higher than the Commons average
NO PEDESTRIANS NICK Wallis (HAS, Oct 12) is typical of the unlistening Labour council. He ignores the complaints of bus passengers and the reduction in passengers. He ignores their concerns about the chaos and safety. They feel it is an accident waiting
Bleak House (BBC1) Blitz: London's Firestorm (C4) LADY Dedlock stared out of the window at the rain. "I am bored to death with it. Bored to death with this place, bored to death with this life, bored to death with myself." Goodness, what an unhappy bunny
All women over 16 could be offered long-acting contraceptive jabs in a bid to cut unwanted pregnancies, it emerged this week. Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings looks at the pros and cons of the contraceptives on offer today. IT has long posed a problem
THE daughter of a man allegedly murdered by his doctor sent the GP a card that read: "Thank you for helping me give my father his last wish." Alison Moss said she believed Howard Martin had done his best for her father, lung cancer sufferer Frank Moss
DRUGS company GlaxoSmithKline said yesterday that it was accelerating preparations to supply a vaccine against bird flu in the event of a pandemic. Europe's largest drug maker said it was converting some of its factories to increase the production of
A NORTH-EAST town has shown its hand in a bid to secure the country's first super-casino. Officials in Middlesbrough have launched a campaign to secure £150m of investment by creating a Las Vegas-style gamblers' paradise, which could create up to 2,000
IN a rare quirk of the fixture list both Darlington clubs are at home tomorrow as they seek to get back on track after a rocky couple of weeks. Promoted Hull Ionians, who are fourth from the bottom of National Three North, visit Blackwell Meadows, where
Under-fire Grimsby defender Justin Whittle has told Alan Shearer to stop moaning about the challenge that left the Newcastle skipper needing three stitches in his lip. The pair clashed in the first half of Wednesday night's game and, while Whittle appeared
THE coldest winter for decades could kill more than 5,000 pensioners in the region, experts fear. The warning comes after charities highlighted the North-East and Yorkshire's appalling record on winter deaths. Figures released by the Office for National
IN a rare quirk of the fixture list both Darlington clubs are at home tomorrow as they seek to get back on track after a rocky couple of weeks. Promoted Hull Ionians, who are fourth from the bottom of National Three North, visit Blackwell Meadows, where
As scientists from the world's largest ovarian cancer screening trial come to Middlesbrough, Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings speaks to the founder of an overian cancer charity about her own experiences of the 'silent killer'. THE symptoms came on quickly
SMOKING will survive in up to two-thirds of North-East pubs after the Government backed away from an outright ban, the Health Secretary admitted yesterday. Speaking to The Northern Echo, Patricia Hewitt insisted the bitterly-criticised proposals were
JULIO Arca's desperation to play in last weekend's Tyne-Wear derby has spectacularly backfired and the skilful midfielder is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The 24-year-old Argentinean originally suffered a metatarsal injury to his left
A TEESSIDE insurance broker has changed its name after its parent company, the Folgate Partnership Limited, merged with specialist underwriter Towergate Underwriting Limited. Broker Willett & Ross inc Peel Thompson Fletcher, in Thornaby, Stockton,
BRITISH American Tobacco has posted nine-month underlying profits of £1.96bn. The company, which closed its Darlington factory last year with the loss of 500 jobs, saw the profits rise from the £1.8bn seen a year earlier. It said it was heading for a
THE parents of a six-year-old boy have alleged that when they rushed him to hospital after a playground accident, a fractured skull was not diagnosed for 48 hours. Stephen and Karen Fletcher said they took their son James to York Hospital after he banged
BURNOUT REVENGE, Formats: PS2, Xbox. Publisher: Electronic Arts. Price: £39.99. Family friendly? 12+: WHY bother with a next generation console when games for the machine currently nestling beneath your TV are as good looking as this? The Burnout series
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a renewable energy plant on Teesside have been given the go-ahead by councillors. But environmental campaigners, who fear the plant will not be safely operated, have vowed to continue their battle. During a heated meeting at Hartlepool
A CHARITY which helps the homeless in Darlington has officially opened its second hostel. The 700 Club, which was formed by the Darlington Housing Action Group in 1994, launched its St George's Hall base yesterday. The site in Elmfield Terrace, off Corporation
ANGRY villagers have made their feelings known to developers planning to build 83 houses on the outskirts of their village. Almost 70 residents of Merrybent, near Darlington, attended a public meeting this week to discuss the proposals for the George
COMMUNITY leaders are calling on villagers and people living in neighbouring communities to help Sedgefield win a cash windfall. The village is in the running for a £50,000 grant for environmental improvements and to tackle anti-social behaviour. To secure
A MAYOR has made a plea to residents to help save a town's twinning links. Pickering's association with Corbie, in France, is under threat, despite regular visits by representatives of both towns, because of a lack of people coming forward to take on
HUNDREDS of students have risen to the challenge in an outdoor pursuit designed to help them bond with their classmates. Darlington College has been running Team Challenge since the beginning of the new term. More than 600 first-years have volunteered
A CONTROVERSIAL road safety scheme is to be completed this weekend. The £100,000 project in Thirsk is aimed at improving safety for pedestrians. It has seen a speed table installed at the Finkle Street entrance to the Market Place, and a 20mph limit introduced
A FURNISHINGS company quality controller helped himself to hundreds of pounds worth of stock, a court was told. James Chadwick also made almost £1,400 by selling off waste items, taken from the skip at Laird Lifestyle, on Peterlee's North-West Industrial
A CAMPAIGN is to be launched today to encourage more women to attend cervical smear appointments. Derwentside Primary Care Trust is to stage two events to get the message across to women that the appointments could be life-saving. Women's Health Day sessions
A THORNABY teenager has successfully completed what is considered the hardest initial training in the world to become a Royal Marines Commando. Bradley Murray, 19, a former pupil of Thornaby Community School, has passed out at the Commando Training Centre
David Hodgson may be close to completing a double striker swoop, but the Darlington boss may have to wait before bolstering his attacking options. While Hodgson is confident of landing the duo, next week's involvement in the FA Cup may put their loan
A PROJECT is recycling unwanted furniture and selling it on at low prices to the poor of east Durham. The East Durham Furniture Reuse Project has been launched by the East Durham Partnership to cut down on the amount of old furniture that ends up in landfill
A BOXING competition for fighters from across the North will be held next week. The Booker Amateur Boxing Club's annual open boxing show will be held at Blackhill Comrades Club, near Consett, County Durham, on Wednesday. It is organised by the gym's trainer
MIDDLESBROUGH'S Ashok Kumar was revealed as the North-East's most expensive MP for the second year running last night - after claiming £158,844 in allowances. The Labour backbencher ran up a parliamentary bill 30 per cent higher than the Commons average
MEMBERS of a campaign group calling for an overhaul of busy road junctions have met officials from the Highways Agency. The Malton and Norton A64 Junctions Action Group believes that new and improved junctions would draw heavy commercial traffic away
A COUNTY council has agreed to carry on supporting the country's smallest local authority while it undergoes a staffing problem. Durham County Council has said its stop-gap aid to Teesdale District Council could pave the way for more permanent partnership
PUTTING the controversy before the result is the modern way in the media, which is all very well if it's an interesting dispute. But if the same old rows keep cropping up, curmudgeonly codgers like me might seek refuge in sudoku. Not that I blame Steve
CHILDREN are in for a lot more fun thanks to the opening of a play area. The refurbished playground is in Dawdon Welfare Park, in Seaham, which was upgraded at a cost of £86,800. Yesterday, the recreation site, which has been created as part of Seaham
PEOPLE are being asked to vote whether a council should retain its housing stock. Council house tenants in Derwentside will be able indicate their preference by phone or by post. Derwentside District Council is asking 7,600 tenants to decide on plans
A MAN who floored his victim with a single punch was spared jail yesterday. Mohammed Elahi, 26, lashed out at Gary Logan when they passed each other in The Bridges shopping centre, Sunderland, on August 5. Newcastle Crown Court heard how one of Mr Logan's
A SCHEME recognising traders and organisations which have gone the extra mile to accommodate disabled people is seeking more nominations. The popular Darlington Access for All Awards initiative is being run for the third year by a local charity. Darlington
