MOVES to establish a wood fuel industry in the North-East have been given a boost with Government funding to start a regional producers' group. The Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) is giving a £70,000 Bio-energy Infrastructure
YOUNGSTERS from County Durham will celebrate the New Year with a new life after taking their first steps towards a career in the military. They have all been enlisted into the Army at the armed forces careers office in Darlington. The six were presented
MORE than 3,500 young men walk through the gates at the ITC each year straight from civvy street and many straight from school. Six months later, after gruelling and intensive training, they leave as soldiers ready to fight for their country and destined
A MARKET cafe has been named the best in England by a national magazine. The cafe at Northallerton Mart won the accolade from the Farmers Weekly following a visit by judges earlier this year. It was runner-up in the overall competition. The winner came
ALAN Shearer returns to the scene of his greatest triumph this afternoon, hoping to add Newcastle's all-time goalscoring record to the Premiership title he won ten-and-a-half-years ago. After scoring his 199th goal for the Magpies last weekend, Shearer
MORE than 3,500 young men walk through the gates at the ITC each year straight from civvy street and many straight from school. Six months later, after gruelling and intensive training, they leave as soldiers ready to fight for their country and destined
IT is very easy in these troubled times of greed and terrorism to overlook the goodness in the world. And the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is right to remind us that it is there. In his Christmas sermon, Dr Williams paid tribute to two
HUGH Robertsons's return from injury was a short one, but Hartlepool United can cope without the influential left back. Thomas Butler and Ritchie Humphreys have struck up a good understanding on the left and the pair will again operate in tandem as Pool
ONE of the country's foremost authorities on markets has warned that a North-East town could be on the brink of losing a once-proud heritage. The state of Darlington's markets has come under the spotlight in recent weeks, with many traders admitting that
THE reinstatement after a two-year break of Sedgefield's Boxing Day fixture is great news for local National Hunt fans, who are advised to arrive early in anticipation of a bumper crowd. One jockey up for a potentially white-knuckle Bank Holiday ride
A GENEROUS Yuletide offer has been made to dog owners to reduce the numbers of strays wandering the streets in the New Year. Easington District Council, in County Durham, has joined forces with the Dogs Trust to offer a free micro-chipping service. Small
EURO REPS I AM amazed that Wear Valley District Council now has two representatives on the European Union's Committee of the Regions (Echo, Dec 16). The whole of the UK has only 24 places on this committee, out of 317, plus for each member there is an
A SCHOOLGIRL has written a Christmas poem to the murdered father she never knew. The last photograph taken of Paul Logan shows him cradling his infant daughter, Natalie, just before Christmas 1993. Mr Logan's killers, who lured the takeaway driver to
GRAEME SOUNESS recently expressed his particular distaste for it, but the hectic Christmas programme can't come soon enough for Darlington manager David Hodgson. While the Newcastle United manager fears the forthcoming fixture pile-up could leave him
SEVERAL families had the best Christmas presents possible yesterday as the region experienced a mini-baby boom. The North-East's first Christmas Day baby of the year arrived at one minute past midnight - and was immediately named Holly. Suzanne and Liam
HAVING tasted relegation on Wearside in the past, Julio Arca feels the atmosphere in the Sunderland camp is far better this time around, even if their Premiership position does not suggest such. Under Mick McCarthy, Arca claims the whole dressing room
ONE of the country's foremost authorities on markets has warned that a North-East town could be on the brink of losing a once-proud heritage. The state of Darlington's markets has come under the spotlight in recent weeks, with many traders admitting that
GRITTING services will be extended following concerns from residents. Council officials in Hartlepool have agreed to expand their gritting service to take in four more roads across the town. Salt will now be spread on Ocean Road, Hartville Road, most
Exactly a year ago today the world woke up to the horrors of the tsunami in South Asia which washed away the lives of hundreds of thousands in a matter of minutes and ravished an entire region of the globe. The aid poured in, and the people of this country
MICHAEL Owen has claimed he will "celebrate joyfully" if he scores at Anfield this afternoon, despite his long and successful relationship with Liverpool. The Newcastle striker left Anfield in 2004 to join Real Madrid, but his 158 goals in 297 games means
MORE people than ever are expected to join this year's Boxing Day fox hunts - despite February's ban. In keeping with tradition, hunts across the North-East and North Yorkshire are riding out today for the biggest day of the hunting calendar. According
RISING singing star Helen Bruce will take centre stage when she kicks off proceedings at a North-East Premiership fixture today. Ms Bruce, 24, is making her second appearance at the Stadium of Light, where Sunderland are playing Bolton Wanderers. She
A FATHER-OF-FIVE who died in a Christmas hit-and-run tragedy was last night described as a loving son, father and husband. Malcolm Farrow sustained head injuries when he was struck by a car, which failed to stop, at 11.50pm on Friday. The 38-year-old
MIDDLESBROUGH are waiting on the fitness of Mark Viduka ahead of this afternoon's Premiership clash with Blackburn at the Riverside Stadium. Viduka was sent home from the club's training base at Rockliffe Park on Friday suffering from a viral infection
MUSICIANS entered the festive season on a high note after public generosity put them in sight of a fundraising target. Donations have led to Cockerton Band, in Darlington, moving closer to its goal of raising £6,000 to buy a new instrument. The band needs
THE recycling efforts of people in York have been rewarded with 83 native trees that will be planted in the city next year. Local people responded to the city council's call for them to think as green as possible, by recycling 83 tonnes of aluminium between
OLLIE MAGERN'S ante-post odds of 12-1 represent a golden opportunity for each-way backers to cash in on Sandown's star-studded King George V1 Chase. Such high-profile contests stimulate huge interest and the jungle drums have been thumping with upbeat
AN intricate model of a Bavarian water mill made by a German prisoner of war has been donated to a museum. The mill will go on show at Eden Camp, near Malton, North Yorkshire, when the attraction reopens on January 9. It was made by a PoW at a camp in
AT the tender age of ten, Cat Williams was put into care, jumping from one foster home to the next throughout her teenage years. Now aged 22, she is hardened by her childhood, stating matter-of-factly "I have no parents" as she watches over her two-year-old
ALAN Shearer returns to the scene of his greatest triumph this afternoon, hoping to add Newcastle's all-time goalscoring record to the Premiership title he won ten-and-a-half-years ago. After scoring his 199th goal for the Magpies last weekend, Shearer
MIDDLESBROUGH are waiting on the fitness of Mark Viduka ahead of this afternoon's Premiership clash with Blackburn at the Riverside Stadium. Viduka was sent home from the club's training base at Rockliffe Park on Friday suffering from a viral infection
HAVING tasted relegation on Wearside in the past, Julio Arca feels the atmosphere in the Sunderland camp is far better this time around, even if their Premiership position does not suggest such. Under Mick McCarthy, Arca claims the whole dressing room
EURO REPS: I am amazed that Wear Valley District Council now has two representatives on the European Union's Committee of the Regions (Echo, Dec 16). The whole of the UK has only 24 places on this committee, out of 317, plus for each member there is an
ONE of Britain's most spectacular birds of prey has made an astonishing comeback in the region. Buzzard numbers plummeted due to the use of highly toxic agricultural pesticides in the 1950s and, more importantly, the devastating impact of myxomatosis
THE number of passengers flying out of two North-East airports over the festive period is expected to rise by more than ten per cent on last year. The number of people flying from Durham Tees Valley Airport between Wednesday this week and January 2 is
TURKEYS are being toasted for providing a successful Christmas for a farming family. In recent years, Martin and Judith Dryden have reared KellyBronze free range turkeys at Murton Moor Farm, County Durham. It is one of only two farms in the North-East
A FATHER-OF-FIVE who died in a Christmas hit-and-run tragedy was last night described as a loving son, father and husband. Malcolm Farrow sustained head injuries when he was struck by a car, which failed to stop, at 11.50pm on Friday. The 38-year-old
MICHAEL Owen has claimed he will "celebrate joyfully" if he scores at Anfield this afternoon, despite his long and successful relationship with Liverpool. The Newcastle striker left Anfield in 2004 to join Real Madrid, but his 158 goals in 297 games means
ONE of Britain's most spectacular birds of prey has made an astonishing comeback in the region. Buzzard numbers plummeted due to the use of highly toxic agricultural pesticides in the 1950s and, more importantly, the devastating impact of myxomatosis
SHEEP farmer Bill Wearmouth has been honoured for a lifetime devoted to the industry. The 72-year-old was presented with the TI Allinson Memorial Award for his outstanding achievement in Northern farming. Mr Wearmouth, who farms at Eastgate, in Weardale
Householders in County Durham are being urged to recycle their rubbish. About three million tonnes of rubbish will be generated in the UK next year and waste experts in the county are urging residents to make sure as much as possible is recycled. In order
CHILDREN have designed and created a garden in their playground. As part of the curriculum, the pupils at Roseworth Primary School, Stockton, were learning about their local environment and were given an area in the infants' playground to develop into
A NEW apprenticeship is improving training for health and social care students across County Durham. A trainee nurse on the two-year initiative run by Durham County Council and funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has been named cadet of the
A TELEPHONE helpline is being set up to offer support to victims of sexual abuse and rape. Sexual Abuse and Rape Counselling Hartlepool (Search) is setting up a crisis line that will enable people to call and speak to a trained counsellor. The charity
