A COURT judgement has shattered the compensation hopes of thousands of people suffering from the asbestos-related condition pleural plaques. The Court of Appeal decision, which has been called a "victory for no one" has dealt a severe blow to people,
PACE-setting Cordial (1.10) could take some pegging back in Fakenham's opening two-mile Novice Hurdle. John Quinn's gelding didn't hang around on his Leicester hurdle debut, mixing it with the leaders until a combination of bog-like ground, plus lack
NEIGHBOURS on a quiet North-East estate saw a mother being stabbed to death after being woken by her screams. The 45-year-old woman, of Ryedale Way, Pity Me, near the Arnison Centre on the outskirts of Durham City, is thought to have been going to work
INJURY-HIT Darlington Mowden Park have sent out an SOS for two former Blaydon players to turn out on their old stamping ground tomorrow. Utility back Jonny Golighty and winger James Tyrrell have been working abroad, but Mowden are hoping they might be
A PROBE into claims that members of a North-East constabulary were involved in helping to arm a man later arrested for murder, has unearthed "systematic failures of force procedures". Middlesbrough man Lee King, 32, was gunned down on the town's Park
A father jealous of his newborn baby son pressed his face against the bars of a burning gas fire before he beat him to death, a court heard. Ashen-faced jurors were shown pictures of the terrible injuries inflicted on baby Aaron Hughes, who lived just
EXCAVATIONS have revealed rows of medieval homes in a North-East town. Archaeologists say they are fascinated by the 12th Century house foundations, wells and relics of industry at the site on Hartlepool's Headland. The dig, which is expected to continue
NEIGHBOURS on a quiet North-East estate saw a mother being stabbed to death after being woken by her screams. The 45-year-old woman, of Ryedale Way, Pity Me, near the Arnison Centre on the outskirts of Durham City, is thought to have been going to work
COULD Sven be the next manager of Newcastle? It seems about as likely as Alan Shearer being the next manager of England (he is quoted at 66-1), but the Swede might appeal to Freddy Shepherd as the fellow victim of a newspaper sting. The difference was
A VILLAGE pub was at the centre of a drugs raid by officers as part of a long-running operation to crack down on dealers. The Warriors Arms, in Front Street, Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, County Dur-ham, was raided by officers in riot gear and
THE property developer behind Darlington's Morton Palms has announced plans to build a £6m development in South Tyneside. City and Northern is building 16 two-storey office units in Blue Sky Way, which is near the A194 in Monkton Business Park. Robertson
A RARE eagle owl - the first to breed in the British countryside for hundreds of years - has been shot dead. Furious conservationists say the female bird had been living with its mate at a secret location in the Yorkshire Dales. The pair became famous
ENGINEERING consultants White Young Green (WYG) has been appointed to work on a £4.4m development in the region. The firm's Teesside office has been commissioned to provide environmental, civil and structural engineering expertise for a food processing
A FORMER senior police officer says sniffer dogs should be used to find drugs in teenagers' rooms. Under new proposals, parents concerned about their children would be able to let the animals into their homes. The dogs and their handlers would be made
AN MP has taken up the case of farmers being treated unfairly by supermarkets with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). Helen Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland, used a hearing of the Commons Public Accounts Committee (Pac) to highlight the problem of supermarkets
COLLEGE lecturer Alan Baker has been recognised for years of service to education in the North-East by being presented with an award from the City and Guilds examining group. Mr Baker, who has been an engineering and manufacturing lecturer at Gateshead
THE latest intake of magistrates to serve the courts of County Durham and Darlington have been inaugurated in office. Twenty newly-appointed Justices of the Peace were sworn in at a ceremony, at Durham Crown Court on Tuesday. Nine men and 11 women took
MORE than 300 people were entertained at a Darlington college rhythm and blues evening. King Pleasure and The Biscuit Boys took to the stage at Carmel College, with some of the most authentic Rhythm and Blues to come from outside the US. The concert,
ROUND-THE-CLOCK video surveillance in Darlington's car parks has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the level of crime. According to figures published by police this week, only eight incidents occurred throughout the whole of last year compared to a
A TOWN is looking to give its young people a bigger say in its future by forming a youth network. It is hoped that the new network will unite smaller youth groups already running in Shildon, and help them work together to bring more facilities for young
A HOMELESS Gulf War veteran booked into hotels across North Yorkshire and fled without paying, a court heard yesterday. Stuart Pickering, 58, admitted five charges of obtaining services by deception and one charge of making off without payment when he
A RURAL picnic area that is regularly used by travellers could be formally adopted as a temporary encampment. The Broomielaw picnic site, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, is already used as an unofficial camp by travellers and is occupied by about
A DEDICATED officer has been assigned to tackle the problem of mini motorbikes causing nuisance around Darlington. Teenagers could have their mini motors confiscated if they are caught by PC Michael Dawson, who will be responsible for targeting the problem
A SERIAL sex attacker is believed to have struck three times in 24 hours. Police in Newcastle are appealing for information after three indecent assaults on young women on Tuesday and Wednesday. Police said a 24-year-old woman was in Archibald Street,
A DAY centre for people with learning disabilities has raised almost £3,000 in memory of a colleague who died from cancer last year. Staff and members of the Aucklandgate Centre, in Bishop Auckland, took part in a five-mile walk to raise the money in
HARD-working hospital staff have been told they are simply the best by an NHS trust chief. An awards ceremony organised by Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust attracted 150 individual and team entries across 14 award categories - each nominated by
TWO projects in East Durham are the latest to benefit from recycling schemes which turn rubbish into charity cash. Premier Waste Management, which handles kerbside collections of cans, bottles and paper in East Durham, gives £1 for every tonne of waste
A DEVELOPMENT company yesterday uncovered a drugs den in one of its newly acquired properties. Westnew Management has converted more than 100 former colliery homes into modern houses in Easington Colliery, County Durham. But moving into its latest acquisition
A CLEAN-UP campaign has been extended into a second week. Graffiti and litter cleaning teams and street wardens from Easington District Council, joined by estate officers from East Durham Homes, took to the streets last week to tackle litter and fly-tipping
A VILLAGE pub was at the centre of a drugs raid by officers as part of a long-running operation to crack down on dealers. The Warriors Arms, in Front Street, Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was raided by officers in riot gear and
Richmondshire District Council has pledged £28,000 to install sprinkler systems in the homes of elderly and disabled council tenants. The council will spend a further £20,000 on carbon monoxide detectors. Housing unit manager Colin Dales said: "Our target
PEOPLE on Teesside were last night warned about being tricked into revealing bank account details over the telephone to fraudsters masquerading as debit card security firms. Criminal tricksters are ringing people up, claiming to represent the security
A MOTORIST sent diners running for cover when he drove into a pub's restaurant. Customers were forced to dive out of the way as the car, driven by an elderly man who had just left the pub with his wife, went through the wall on Tuesday. No one was hurt
A KEY North-East attraction has received an unusual gift to add to its attractions. Mowbray Park and Winter Gardens, in Sunderland, was delighted to receive a rare Dicksonia tree fern, which will take pride of place in its extensive collection. The fern
TWO very different buildings are to share a city's top annual architectural prize. The City of Durham Trust Architectural Commendation of the Year is to be awarded jointly to St Brandon's Church, at Brancepeth, following its reconstruction after a major
A SERVICE was held in the region yesterday to mark the Holocaust Memorial Day. The packed service at the Dolphin Centre in Darlington, was also intended to celebrate people from all walks of life who have made a positive impact on their community. The
YORK arts magazine Aesthetica, the new issue of which is out on Wednesday, has launched an event for performers. Speakers' Corner will be held at the Yorkshire Terrier pub, in Stonegate, York, on the second Wednesday of the month. Aesthetica's Cherie
EIGHT affordable homes have been completed in a North Yorkshire market town. The two-bedroom bungalows in Earl Edwin Drive, Richmond, were built on land formerly occupied by garages and donated to Tees Valley Housing Association in 2004. Colin Dales,
A PROJECT is to be opened to help patients with cancer and their families. The Cancer Information Centre, funded by the County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Macmillan Cancer Relief, will be based at University Hospital of North Durham
A SCHEME to teach youngsters about motorcycle safety has been relaunched. The Richmond Area Motorcycle Project will restart with new equipment next month after a lapse of several years. The initiative includes a five-week course teaching road safety,
ALLEGATIONS about the behaviour of councillors will not be investigated, Government inspectors have announced. Councillor Stuart Parsons, from Richmondshire District Council, made a complaint to the Standards Board for England about 15 fellow members.
A HUNT goes on to find whoever polluted a lake. Swans had to be rescued from Hemlington Lake, Hemlington, Middlesbrough, last week, after engine oil was poured down a drain and was carried into the pool. The Environment Agency put booms in place to limit
GRAEME SOUNESS feels the whole country wants to see Newcastle United suffer FA Cup humiliation tomorrow, when his hopes of naming his strongest midfield could be dictated by inclement weather. Days of freezing temperatures in Gloucestershire have led
TIME for a little comfort food. The novelty of the diet - all that detoxing and healthy eating - has worn off and it's still only January, so we're looking for a little consolation eating. Nothing too heavy or stodgy but a sort of warm-up, cheer-up food
Residents have called for action to be taken over a treacherous stretch of road after a taxi passenger was killed in a crash early this morning. The appeal came after the taxi left the road and smashed through a brick bus shelter on the western edge of
POLICE are investigating the illegal shooting of a rare goshawk. The captive bird of prey was shot while being flown by falconry expert Tom Graham. Mr Graham, from the Falcons of Thorpe Perrow centre, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, was sickened by the
PACE-setting Cordial (1.10) could take some pegging back in Fakenham's opening two-mile Novice Hurdle. John Quinn's gelding didn't hang around on his Leicester hurdle debut, mixing it with the leaders until a combination of bog-like ground, plus lack
TIME for a little comfort food. The novelty of the diet - all that detoxing and healthy eating - has worn off and it's still only January, so we're looking for a little consolation eating. Nothing too heavy or stodgy but a sort of warm-up, cheer-up food
Police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a woman was discovered in Darlington. Officers were called to an address in Red Hall last night where they found the body of the 43-year-old victim. A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion
THERE was a time when a politician's sexuality mattered. But, thankfully, society has moved on and it is no longer an issue if an MP is gay. What is fundamentally important to voters, however, is whether an MP is honest. And Simon Hughes has not been
REBECCA, an attractive woman in her late twenties, stares hard at the ground, tears in her eyes. "Shaun told me about his affair four months ago. He called it his 'mistake', but then he told me he'd caught an STI from her, which turned out to be chlamydia
A major pandemic flu outbreak could hit the North-East at any time. In the second of three articles about the threat, Health Editor Barry Nelson considers whether the region's business community is ready for the challenge. THE NHS across the region is
A SUFFERER of the asbestos-related pleural plaques condition last night told of his bitter disappointment at a High Court ruling which will deny victims compensation. Former shipyard worker, 70-year-old Laurence Purvis recalled how he had left the docks
A MONK who admitted 20 counts of indecently assaulting young boys in his care was jailed for two years yesterday. Father Piers Grant-Ferris, 72, a Benedictine monk at the Ampleforth monastic community, in North Yorkshire, carried out the assaults while
Confidence is growing in the region's criminal justice system, latest figures show. A report by the National Criminal Justice Board also reveals that the number of ineffective trials - hearings that are aborted or put back - continues to fall. Figures
Police investigating the horrific murder of a divorcee on a quiet estate near Durham City say people heading to work may have vital clues. Linda Hewitt, 45, of Ryelands Way, Pity Me, on the outskirts of Durham City, was repeatedly stabbed by a man yards
About 300 soldiers from 9 Regiment Army Air Corps, based at RAF Dishforth, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, will be among the troops heading for Afghanistan. The regiment will take eight Apache attack helicopters. The mission will be the first time the helicopters
Earlier in the week he was denying he was gay, but yesterday Lib-Dem leadership candidate Simon Hughes confirmed he'd had gay relationships. Nick Morrison looks at whether sexuality is still an issue in politics. IT was a wet Saturday afternoon in Rugby
A British man whose American wife and baby daughter were found murdered at their US home at the weekend is "not a suspect" in the case, police said last night. Neil Entwistle is believed to have flown back to the UK from Boston, Massachusetts, a day or
MIDDLESBROUGH chairman Steve Gibson last night attempted to draw a line under the uncertainty surrounding Steve McClaren's contract situation by insisting an agreement between the two parties remains legally binding. McClaren, who is at the centre of
TAXI DRIVERS: I HAVE always defended Darlington taxi drivers over the rules and regulations that have been set up for them by the local council, demanding that taxis are a certain shade of red and the like. However, I do have one complaint to make about
A TOUR operator is offering holidaymakers the choice of travelling from two North-East airports at different times, despite it being the same place. Durham Tees Valley Airport, which has fought to raise awareness of its new name since changing from Teesside
CHEMICALS and materials group Johnson Matthey announced yesterday that its Teesside division was winning more orders. The company, which employs 450 people at the UK headquarters of its catalysts business in Billingham, revealed that sales in China and
KASPER Schmeichel will make his final appearance in the Darlington goal tomorrow following Sam Russell's return to fitness. Manager David Hodgson last night revealed Schmeichel will play against Mansfield Town, despite the availability of Russell. Hodgson
THE father of missing shopworker Jenny Nicholl has been sent to crown court to face child pornography charges. Brian Nicholl did not enter any pleas when he appeared at Northallerton Magistrates' Court yesterday. He is accused of 16 counts of making indecent
HIGH energy prices are threatening investment in the region's £8bn chemical sector and could result in closures, MPs have warned. In a parliamentary debate, Hartlepool MP Iain Wright said energy costs for many chemical companies had doubled in the past
House (five) Trading Faces: The Cindy Jackson Story (five) I KNEW Dr Greg House wasn't well - a bad case of hay fever was my diagnosis - but did he really just ask: "Is it still illegal to do an autopsy on a living person?". He's not exactly known for
NEWCASTLE Eagles recapture of Charles Smith has sparked claims that anarchy will soon reign in the British Basketball League. The American quit the Scottish Rocks just one game into the domestic campaign, citing the need to spend more time with his family
The chairman of Cleveland Police authority is calling for an explanation into government claims that the force's future will be decided by next month. Home Office Minister Hazel Blears is reported to have made the comment despite assurances from the Prime
STAFF at a Darlington nursery are celebrating after it earned an award for staff training. The William House Nursery, on Barton Street, has been awarded Investors in People status. Staff at the nursery worked for a year to earn the award. Members of staff
A PIVOTAL community centre has opened to provide a wealth of services for children from birth to school. The Highflyers Children's Centre, a Government Sure Start scheme, was opened by Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, paralympic champion, on Wednesday. The centre
A MAN jumped through a window fearing for his life as he was being attacked in his own home, a court heard. The 27-year-old was stabbed, punched and beaten with household objects by two masked men who called at the house, in Derby Crescent, Moorside,
POLICE have pledged to keep a close eye on how licensed premises are being run in a North-East city in the coming year. Officers in Newcastle carried out hundreds of visits to pubs, clubs and off-licences over the festive period to ensure premises were
A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build three homes on what was once a village green has been approved by the North York Moors National Park's planning committee. The scheme had been strongly opposed by the parish council at Wass and more than half of the residents
A BUSINESSMAN is planning to say thank you to a council by handing over a painting to town hall chiefs. Garry Ingoldsby was given a £1,000 grant by Middlesbrough Council to help him set up a branch of corporate design and print company Printing.com. Mr
YOUNGSTERS will bring their history lessons to life when they live as the Romans did to make a film to boost their studies. Pupils at St Charles' Primary School, Spennymoor, are busy working behind the scenes on a film they will star in and record at
CHILDREN were quiet as mice as they practised for a sponsored silence being held today. Eppleby Pre-school, from Eppleby, near Richmond, is taking part in Macmillan Cancer Relief's Big Hush campaign. The group is hoping to match the £180 it made last
VOLUNTEERS from the Tees Group of the National Association for Colitis and Crohn's Disease raised £10,000 last year for medical research and have successfully started this year by raising £284 with a collection in Morrison's supermarket in Guisborough
ROBBERS fled with a large quantity of money after they sprayed what is thought to be ammonia in the face of a security man. A Securicor guard was delivering to a cash machine at a service station in Benton Park Road, Newcastle, at 5.55am yesterday when
ARTIST Neil McBride has chosen home territory to stage his latest exhibition. Hambleton-based Mr McBride, a specialist in contemporary landscape paintings, is showing his work at the civic centre in Northallerton - headquarters of Hambleton District Council
FOR Emma Himsworth there is nothing to beat a rousing hymn. And the Methodist-raised grandmother-of-nine has plenty to sing about. She celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday, with up to 30 relatives, staff and other residents of the Albert Cocks residential
TWO projects are the latest to benefit from recycling schemes which turn rubbish into charity cash. Premier Waste Management, which handles kerbside collections of cans, bottles and paper in east Durham, gives £1 for every tonne of waste collected to
shipbreaking licences that could secure the future of Swan Hunter's troubled North Tyneside yard are expected to arrive next month. Owner Jaap Kroese yesterday said he has been told the licences would arrive by February 19. But the Dutch millionaire admitted
AHEAD of an important double header against two of the four teams below them in the League One table, Hartlepool United boss Martin Scott insists his side have nothing to fear. Pool take on Blackpool at Victoria Park tomorrow before travelling to Rotherham
A MAN who shot his nephew in the throat with a crossbow at point-blank range, after a row over a nuisance dog, has been jailed for six years. Allan Spensley fired a bolt into the neck of Kenny Beal, narrowly missing an artery, when a disagreement over
NEVER assume that the people at the head of organisations are brighter than the rest of us. They are human and prone to make the same mistakes as others. The problem is that sometimes they make more spectacular mistakes because the thirst for power can
RESIDENTS of a town that housed a leading campaigner for paedophiles have been told he has moved away. The news came after it emerged that Thomas O'Carroll, 60, was banned from joining a local chess club after members found out about his views. Mr O'Carroll
RICHARD SADLIER is 'very nearly' ready to launch his bid to persuade Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy to gamble on his services - two-and-a-half years after last playing a competitive game. The 26-year-old striker has been training with the rest of the Black
INJURY-HIT Darlington Mowden Park have sent out an SOS for two former Blaydon players to turn out on their old stamping ground tomorrow. Utility back Jonny Golighty and winger James Tyrrell have been working abroad, but Mowden are hoping they might be
Shipbreaking licences that could secure the future of Swan Hunter's troubled North Tyneside yard are expected to arrive next month. Owner Jaap Kroese yesterday said he has been told the licences would arrive by February 19. But the Dutch millionaire admitted
A TEENAGER has admitted raping a 50-year-old woman twice near her home late at night. Sixteen-year-old Liam Michael Edward Manghan was high on a mix of prescribed and illicit drugs, as well as alcohol, when he struck in his home village of Murton, County
