A MOTHER described yesterday how her daughter's killer had a Jekyll and Hyde character and was jealous and possessive. Diane Richardson told Teesside Crown Court that Michael Luke would constantly phone his wife, Johanna, criticise what she wore and become
THE 2006 Rallycross Super Series gets under way on March 12 with the second running of the English Rallycross Masters at Croft Circuit. The 2005 Rallycross Superprix Champion, Christopher Evans, heads the Division One entry list with his Tony Bardy-prepared
FOOTBALL fans last night spoke of their anger at the demolition of a wall of fame at their club's former stadium. The Feethams wall, which had 270 bricks inscribed with fans' names, has been knocked down, despite pleas from Darlington supporters for it
THE political elite worry that the general public is becoming disengaged from politics. The Tessa Jowell affair should explain a lot to them. It is an extremely complicated affair and it may well be that Ms Jowell has done nothing wrong in the strictest
Blackburn Rovers striker Craig Bellamy insists he is happy he quit Newcastle United. The striker left the club after a fall out with ex-manager Graeme Souness, firstly on loan to Celtic before securing a £5m move to Mark Hughes' side last summer. Bellamy
A HOODED man pounced on a young mother and carried out a sex attack as she pushed a double buggy with her two sleeping babies inside. The woman was grabbed from behind, pinned against a wall then sexually assaulted for up to ten minutes. Last night, the
THE phrase doorstep delivery took on a new meaning for expectant mother Claire Timmens. Her baby was in such a hurry to be born that he did not wait for her to make it out of her front door. Paramedics Steven Verity and Alan McQuaker ended up delivering
A TASK force is pressing ahead with plans for a renewable energy village after receiving backing from dales residents. The Weardale Task Force is putting together firm proposals for the development on the site of the former Lafarge cement works, at Eastgate
chemical company BASF has acquired the construction chemicals division of rival Degussa for £1.84bn. The companies, which both have headquarters in Germany and operations in the North-East, expect to close the deal by the middle of the year "The acquisition
ALLAN Percival has written a 500 page book called No Sex Please - We're BB. Though it could mean bed and breakfast, baked beans or plain old Brigitte Bardot, it's actually the Boys' Brigade. Notwithstanding that boys will be boys, the BB - the angry Brigade
A TECHNOLOGY professor who had a microchip implanted in his arm is giving a talk to North-East computer businesses next week. Kevin Warwick, professor of cybernetics at Reading University - dubbed Professor Cyborg - will deliver a keynote speech at the
ABOUT 100 jobs will be created when one of the world's biggest shipping groups moves part of its business to the region. Danish shipping company Maersk is moving its ship management division from London's Canary Wharf to Newcastle Quayside. Regional development
DURHAM are relieved that they have been able to hang on to new signing Ottis Gibson as they prepare to begin the 2006 season without Liam Plunkett and Australian seamer Mick Lewis. Gibson, the 38-year-old West Indian paceman who has joined from Leicestershire
SINKING FEELING: I WISH to thank The Northern Echo for continuing to publish my updates regarding the ongoing siege of Crook. Regular readers (and every resident in Crook) will know that the water company and their contractors, and now sub-contractors
THE impact of soaring energy bills on UK manufacturers was laid bare yesterday in a survey showing another month of job losses and heavy cost-cutting. Operating margins were squeezed by the increased cost of fuel and other commodities, such as metals,
A SALESWOMAN taken on for her "model looks" was fired a month after revealing she was pregnant with twins. Former Miss Great Britain finalist Emma Nicholson, 24, was told she had the perfect credentials for sales: "blonde hair and long legs". She is now
ROBERT WINSTON'S return to the saddle has predictably produced a flood of winners, a trend likely to continue via Orchard Supreme (4.40) at Lingfield. The Malton-based pilot suffered a broken jaw in a terrifying fall on a fateful visit to Ayr last August
A prolific thief who targeted cars in Newcastle has been banned from every car park in the country. Between April and July last year, Malcolm Pattison, 33, of Milford Road, Newcastle, was convicted eight times for vehicle crime. There were seven thefts
A RETIRED businessman who claims he was maliciously prosecuted by police over the murder of his wife has lodged a claim against the force. Peter Heron's legal advisors say they have written to Durham Constabulary following a decision to drop the case
NUMBER four son turned seven years old the other week. Since, as he constantly reminds us, we didn't get round to having a sixth birthday party for him until six months after the big day (we were busy, there was a lot going on), we thought we'd better
DURHAM'S Paul Collingwood hit his first century for England on the second day of the first Test against India. In a superb tail-end assault from the tourists, Collingwood spent over six hours at the crease and was 134 not out when England ended on a total
A CHURCH pantomime has turned into a "real family affair" with three-quarters of the cast being related. Among the 20 actors in Northgate United Reformed Church's production of Sinner Ella are three members of the same family, with 15 of the actors related
A FOUNDER of one of Darlington's biggest taxi companies has lost his fight against cancer. Shaun Bainbridge, who helped set up 1AB Taxis in 1984, died on Friday, aged 47. He fought the disease for six months, and passed away in Germany where he was being
TWO teenagers are looking forward to a career in the Navy after completing basic training. Anton Stanford, 19, of Cockerton, Darlington, and Jody Beckingham, 16, from Newton Aycliffe, have completed eight weeks at HMS Raleigh learning basic skills. Jody
SINGERS are warming up their vocal chords for the annual production of an amateur operatic company. The Best of Cole Porter is being put on by Lanchester and District Amateur Operatic and Choral Society. It will feature songs such as Night and Day, I
THE involvement of a former aide to Tony Blair in a plan to sack North-East supermarket workers who refused to quit their trade union was revealed yesterday. Tim Allan, who was Downing Street's deputy press spokesman, is alleged to have urged Asda to
A PUBLIC meeting is being held in Darlington tomorrow to discuss why people are becoming disillusioned with politics. A panel will consist of Chris Lloyd, The Northern Echo's deputy editor, John Williams, the leader of the borough council, Tony Richmond
A MAN has been arrested for stealing computer equipment linked to the senior police officer leading the inquiry into the death of Princess Diana. David Forster, 28, appeared before magistrates in Newcastle charged with burgling an office used by former
A TINY village is to have a children's playground for the first time in 60 years, after securing a Government grant. The last set of swings in Stillington village, near Stockton, were erected in the 1950s, but did not survive, leaving children without
A PATIENT made threatening phone calls to his GP and then to a senior health trust official after he was refused a repeat prescription. David Miller was abusive and threatened Dr Peter David Riley after his request for diazepam tranquilliser pills was
A £25,000 art project to tidy an area of open land is taking shape. People in Stokesley are being asked to have their say on designs for the scheme, on land between The Stripe and Neasham Lane. Working with pupils from Stokesley's primary and secondary
A CITY centre church hopes to reach out to the workers and shoppers who pass its doors every day. St Nicholas Church, in Durham Market Place, has launched its Market Place Project and appointed former Church of Scotland minister Grant Maclaughlin as its
A town council wants to buy an area of allotment land to safeguard its future for local gardeners. Kirkbymoorside Allotments Association, formed in 1930, is a tenant of North Yorkshire County Council on land at Gillamoor Road. There are more than 70 allotment
A DAY centre for disabled adults is seeking to raise £10,000 to enhance an old orchard. Staff at North Yorkshire County Council-run Cauwood House, in Malton, want to build a footpath in the orchard, which was originally part of a nearby mansion. Their
STAFF who had jointly notched up more than 3,000 years working for the NHS came together to celebrate their long service. The 127 employees met at a celebration evening at East Durham and Houghall Community College. They were presented with long-service
DURHAM City Council is backing a parliamentary bill that would give councils powers to support endangered facilities such as post offices and independent grocery stores. The Liberal Democrat-run authority is giving its support to the Sustainable Communities
THE proposed swimming pool for Durham City moved a significant step closer after a formal planning application was lodged this week. Leeds architectural firm William Saunders Partnership submitted proposals for the £11m pool on Monday. The 25-metre, eight-lane
Schoolchildren have raised hundreds of pounds for charity by planting daffodil bulbs. Pupils at Reid Street Primary School, in Darlington, joined more than 200,000 youngsters from across the country to take part in Marie Curie Cancer Care's Mini Pots
COUNCIL tax in Teesdale is to rise by 2.8 per cent. Teesdale District Council agreed the rise earlier this week, effective from April 1. But, with county council, fire and police precepts, the rise in the overall bill is closer to five per cent. Residents
A NEW manager has been appointed to oversee the running of Hartlepool Magistrates' and County Court. The appointment follows the creation of Her Majesty's Courts Service last year, which brought all magistrates, crown and county courts together under
A former miner who worked for 40 years on his local council after joining to help his fellow villagers has died. Arnold Makepeace, who has died aged 82, first became a member of Cockfield Parish Council, before stepping up to Barnard Castle Rural District
CHILDREN with diabetes and the Great North Air Ambulance have both benefited from fundraising by Bishop Auckland Rotary Club. Club president Dr Ian Lloyd presented £700 each to the ambulance and a fund set up to transform the lives of young diabetes sufferers
SVEN GORAN Eriksson last night hailed his England side's resilience after they grabbed a stoppage-time winner for the second game in a row. Three months after Michael Owen's last-minute strike accounted for Argentina, Joe Cole's last-gasp goal ended the
A MAYOR has hit back at critics who are calling for her resignation over the controversial sacking of a council clerk. Labour Councillor Beryl Robinson, who is chairwoman of Thornaby Town Council and a Stockton borough councillor, said no members of the
A TEENAGE mental health patient died four days after she was found hanged in the doorway of her hospital bedroom, an inquest heard yesterday. Nichola Richards, who had a history of self-harm and swallowing objects such as teaspoons, tried to take her
The son of an African chief, Bode Lawal is one of the country's leading dancers and choreographers. Now living in the North-East, he tells Lindsay Jennings how he won the support of movie star Jamie Lee Curtis. BODE Lawal was in Santa Monica, California
MEATBALLS, gravy and other tasty lunchtime treats are on the menu for some Teesside residents. It makes a welcome change to a normal diet of grubs, fungi and insects - for wildlife living on the Tees estuary. Workers at western Europe's largest petro-chemical
ABOUT 100 jobs will be created when one of the world's biggest shipping groups moves part of its business to the region. Danish shipping company Maersk is moving its ship management division from London's Canary Wharf to Newcastle Quayside. Regional development
A TAXI driver was car-jacked and had his takings stolen after two of his passengers held machetes to his throat. The Durham man, in his fifties, was robbed of his £12,000 Fiat Doblo and £250 in cash after picking up two men in their 20s in North Road,
FOOD company Nestle may cut jobs at its factory in York as it struggles with falling sales of Kit Kats. Novelty flavours such as Christmas Pudding, Strawberry and Cream and Lemon and Yoghurt Kit Kats are blamed for the drop in sales of Nestle's core brand
NEWCASTLE United midfielder Kieron Dyer helped kick off a new venture designed to get more adults reading for World Book Day today. Hundreds of thousands of adults in the North-East and North Yorkshire struggle to read and write, and many more do not
GRANT Leadbitter is determined to hold down a regular first-team place in Sunderland's starting XI after finally making the breakthrough and targeted April's Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle United to achieve his 'dream'. The 20-year-old midfielder admitted
AMIDST all the chaos that has engulfed England's already ill-fated tour of India, it was easy to miss Michael Vaughan skulking back home on Monday morning. The skipper has been no more than a peripheral presence since last summer's Ashes heroics and,
THE 2006 Rallycross Super Series gets under way on March 12 with the second running of the English Rallycross Masters at Croft Circuit. The 2005 Rallycross Superprix Champion, Christopher Evans, heads the Division One entry list with his Tony Bardy-prepared
NEWCASTLE Falcons yesterday revealed the names of the five players from the professional era shortlisted for a place in the Newcastle Rugby Hall of Fame. Two will be inducted at the inaugural dinner tomorrow night, along with figures from the amateur
HALIFAX Bank of Scotland went against the tide of branch closures yesterday by pledging to open 100 new sites in the next five years - but they will all be in the South. The plans, which will represent the biggest network expansion by the Halifax since
THE first tourism body for County Durham has been formed, with the owner of an award-winning Teesdale pub at the helm. Chris Davy, owner of the Rose and Crown, at Romaldkirk, is chairman of the newly-formed County Durham Tourism Partnership. The partnership
A RETIRED businessman who claims he was maliciously prosecuted by police over the murder of his wife has lodged a claim against the force. Peter Heron's legal advisors say they have written to Durham Constabulary following a decision to drop the case
THEY'RE DNA testing dog dirt on the Isle of Man. It's not that they think the dogs might have committed a crime. It's the owners they're after, the sort of owner who lets the dog foul the pavement and doesn't bother to clear up afterwards. Sounds like
The Lavender List (BBC4) Natural World: The Iceberg That Sank The Titanic (BBC2) THE year is 1974 and Harold Wilson, back in No 10, had urgent matters on his mind. Not so much 25 per cent inflation as "where the hell has Ted Heath hidden the brandy?"
KIT Kat has been a favourite of the British public since its inception in 1935. The distinctive red and white logo, and catchline "Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat", have infiltrated the British consciousness to such an extent that it has been among the top-selling
NEWCASTLE Falcons yesterday revealed the names of the five players from the professional era shortlisted for a place in the Newcastle Rugby Hall of Fame. Two will be inducted at the inaugural dinner tomorrow night, along with figures from the amateur
MARK Viduka has dropped the broadest hint yet that he sees his footballing future away from Middlesbrough. The striker confirmed he is unlikely to seek a new deal at Boro - his current contract expires in 15 months time - and revealed he was close to
Firefighters battled to control a chemical leak on Teesside for seven hours today. Paraxylene - a flammable material used in the manufacture of polyesters - leaked from a storage tank at Teesport, Middlesbrough, as it was being loaded on to a ship. Fire
ANOTHER distance run is to be held in the North-East - but the 10km event will only be open to women. The Great Women's Run, the first to be staged in the region, is to be held on June 25 and will take in a scenic route along Sunderland's coastline. The
FOOTBALL fans last night spoke of their anger at the demolition of a wall of fame at their club's former stadium. The Feethams wall, which had 270 bricks inscribed with fans' names, has been knocked down, despite pleas from Darlington supporters for it
YOUTHS congregating outside a shop on a Darlington estate are plaguing residents and business owners. Teenagers are regularly gathering near the Pound Shop, Burnside Road, Firthmoor, at night. Residents voiced their concern yesterday at a meeting of the
TWO teenagers are looking forward to a career in the Navy after completing basic training. Anton Stanford, 19, of Cockerton, Darlington, and Jody Beckingham, 16, from Newton Aycliffe, have completed eight weeks at HMS Raleigh learning basic skills. Jody
A BISHOP Auckland youngster will carry the spirit of Churchill with him to Indonesia after securing a fellowship. Joseph Robson, 18, from Woodhouse Lane, will visit the Asian country for two months in October after receiving a Churchill Fellowship to
IN 1966, England's successful World Cup campaign began with the disappointment of a goalless draw with Uruguay. With last night's meeting with the South American nation having ended in a more positive result, Sven Goran Eriksson will be hoping for an
A COURTYARD development providing five low-cost terrace homes in the centre of Ripon has been given overwhelming approval by councillors. The homes, and an office unit, will be built by Lee Hill Construction behind Old Market Place. Last year, a scheme
RECYCLING rates in Ryedale have risen by more than ten per cent following a £13,000 grant. The funding was offered to a district council project to raise awareness of recycling by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap). It was one of 120 projects
THE first tourism body for County Durham has been formed, with the owner of an award-winning Teesdale pub at the helm. Chris Davy, owner of the Rose and Crown, at Romaldkirk, is chairman of the newly-formed County Durham Tourism Partnership. The partnership
HAPPY snappers at a North Yorkshire school have used animal magic to raise funds for charity. Pupils at Ainderby Steeple C of E Primary School, in Morton-on-Swale, near Northallerton, took part in a photography competition to raise funds for their school's
HISTORY enthusiasts can learn about searchlights and war memorials at two talks. Durham historian David Butler will look at First World War memorials, and how to interpret information on them, in a talk at Durham's Clayport Library, Millennium Place,
A RETIRED sheep farmer has been named as the new mayor of Scarborough. Councillor Herbert Tindall, who is also a Conservative member of North Yorkshire County Council, and a member and former vice-chairman of the North York Moors National Park Authority
CHARGING students £10 a week for their journeys to school or college is the only way to balance the budget, education officials have said. Officers at North Yorkshire County Council have recommended that the charge be approved following a month of consultation
FORMER Champions League defender Pedro Henriques is training with Darlington. The 31-year-old was due to play in last night's reserve game against Scunthorpe, which was postponed due to a frozen pitch. Henriques is in the North-East on trial until next
A TINY village is to have a children's playground for the first time in 60 years after securing a Government grant. The last set of swings in Stillington village, near Stockton, were erected in the 1950s but did not survive. But the residents' association
A DARLINGTON band will tonight battle it out to become the next big thing in the music industry. Kartel are hoping to win the TFM Unsigned competition, which aims to find undiscovered musical talent. They won the Darlington heat at The Forum, and will
A FATHER has said he is being forced out of his home by repeated vandalism. Andrew Mosley, of Shelly Road, in Darlington, says the stress he has suffered has forced him to stay off work. He said he is particularly worried as his 17-year-old daughter is
A MAN charged with murdering an innocent pensioner in a pub was involved in a drive-by shooting four months earlier, a court heard yesterday. The prosecution said the victim of that offence, teenager Alan Miller, had been the intended target when 72-year-old
A man who campaigned for the rights of working people has died shortly after sending out invitations to his 80th birthday party. Fred Blackwell was known as an eloquent debater when he was a member of the parish council at Gainford, near Barnard Castle
A CHARITY runner diagnosed with a brain tumour is back in training after being given the all-clear. Teesside-born Iain Elliott was forced to pull out of last year's London Marathon when he was hit with the devastating news. But after a successful operation
HOLIDAY homes could be built on a haulage yard as a North-East dale leaves its industrial heritage behind and moves towards tourism. Businessman Bill Hobson is behind the development in Weardale, an area hit hard by job losses in manufacturing. His plans
A MAN charged with murdering an innocent pensioner in a pub was involved in a drive-by shooting four months earlier, a court heard yesterday. The prosecution said the victim of that offence, teenager Alan Miller, had been the intended target when 72-year-old
NUMBER four son turned seven years old the other week. Since, as he constantly reminds us, we didn't get round to having a sixth birthday party for him until six months after the big day (we were busy, there was a lot going on), we thought we'd better
