TWO brothers pleaded guilty yesterday to running a North-East brothel where six Thai prostitutes worked. Daniel Cass, 24, and his brother, Mark, 32, had been due to stand trial for the offences this week but admitted the charges at the last minute.
ONE of the region's largest NHS hospital trusts is looking to shed up to 700 jobs over the next three years. The news that County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is expecting to downsize was greeted with horror by trade unions yesterday
A Chinese gangmaster was convicted today of the manslaughter of 21 cockle pickers who drowned after being trapped by rising tides in Morecambe Bay. Lin Liang Ren, 29, was found guilty of unlawfully killing a team of Chinese cocklers who were caught
A PLEA to save the red squirrel yesterday provoked a suggestion to help kill off their grey cousins - put them on school menus. Earl Peel, who lives at Masham, North Yorkshire, led a House of Lords debate to demand a mass cull of greys to protect the
A COUPLE who met while they worked in a factory during the war have celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary. William and Lillian Spencer marked 60 years of marriage with family and friends yesterday at their home in Broadway South, Darlington. They
A SUPPORT group in Darlington for children with Down's syndrome is to expand. The Education Centre for Children with Down's Syndrome is also about to double its efforts. The group, which has 17 sets of parents and children on its books, meets very Friday
A CROOK man is following in the footsteps of Shane Ritchie and Brian Conley after being chosen to become a Bluecoat this summer. Michael Moralee, 22, from Larchfield Gardens, has started work at Pontin's in Southport in Merseyside, performing before large
YOUNGSTERS from two County Durham schools enjoyed a banquet fit for royalty yesterday as part of a joint history project. Pupils from St John's Primary School, in Shildon, and Pittington Primary School, in Durham, tucked into a three-course feast, served
A FOOTBALL festival is taking place to encourage young female players and give them the opportunity to play competitively. The Three Lions Girls World Cup Festival is being played out at venues across the Tees Valley. And participating are 600 girls from
THE third Wear Valley tourism information distribution day will take place next week. The event, which this year boasts 48 exhibition stands and will be held at Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland, takes place on Wednesday. It is open to visitors between
POLICE are warning people to be on the look out after a bogus workman tried to con a woman out of £400. The man pretended to be from a gas company and told the woman she needed to hand over the money to stop her supply from being cut off at her Redcar
REPAIRS to the roof of a North-East museum are proving less costly than expected - thanks to the skill of craftsmen who built it more than a century ago. When the lead was stripped away, it was found that most of the oak and Douglas fir planks and rafters
COUNCIL tax benefit paid to pensioners in east Durham has doubled in the past two months. An extra £11,000 has been handed out to those entitled to money, which now brings the total to £23,000 since the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Easington
YOUNGSTERS stepped back in time to relive the Victorian era. Green Gates Primary School, Redcar, held a re-enactment day when the highlight was a visit by the Saltburn Victorians and Queen Victoria. All children at the school from nine to 11 were also
A MULTI-MILLION pound school upgrade programme has run into opposition because it will mean the closure of two schools. Durham County Council's £90m proposed Building Schools for the Future programme would mean the closure of Peterlee's Shotton Hall School
DAVID HODGSON made one last attempt to save Darlington's season by completing a double swoop on transfer deadline day, writes LEE HALL. James Beaumont and Taiwo Atieno yesterday became Hodgson's 11th and 12th signings since the beginning of the season
REQUESTS for the 14,000 free tickets for the Pet Shop Boys' performance of Battleship Potemkin at a North-East shipyard have exceeded demand. Less than 48 hours after Pet Shop Boys announced that tickets for the event, on May 1, at Swan Hunters Shipyard
KEVIN Ball has enlisted the services of fitness guru Steve Black to improve the all-round physical condition of his under-performing Sunderland players and put the smile back on their faces. Black has an impressive coaching pedigree and some of the world's
MOTHERS and mothers-to-be are urged to mark Mother's Day on Sunday by giving up smoking. Brandon and Deerness Valley Sure Start runs drop-in anti-smoking clinics for women at its centre in Ushaw Moor on Wednesdays. One session, from 11am to 1pm, is for
BRITISH Airways is to raise the retirement age for its pilots and other workers to tackle a £1bn deficit in its pension fund. Union leaders were told that the airline will pay £500m into the scheme once the planned changes were accepted. The compulsory
REPAIRS to the roof of a North-East museum are proving less costly than expected - thanks to the skill of craftsmen who built it more than a century ago. When the lead was stripped away, it was found that most of the oak and Douglas fir planks and rafters
YOUNG people have been taking 'The Plunge' to widen their employment prospects. Aspire, a programme designed to raise young peoples' awareness of the full range of job opportunities, organised a three day course - called The Plunge. It gives students
A COUPLE are planning a romantic cruise to celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary. Doreen and Wilf Bowe, from Howden-le-Wear, celebrated 60 years of marriage yesterday, but are planning the cruise, which will travel to Venice, for later this year
TOUGHER measures are being put in place to tackle anti-social behaviour and improve the local environment. From April 1, Stockton Borough Council will impose a higher tariff for existing fixed penalty fines - and introduce new categories. The higher level
PUPILS and staff at a Teesside primary school have been training hard for a skipping challenge in aid of the British Heart Foundation. The Jump Off challenge at Fairfield Primary School, in Stockton, will be part of the national Jump Rope For Heart initiative
PLANS to build an eagerly-awaited village hall have taken a major step forward, thanks to a £50,000 grant. Villagers in Wensley, near Leyburn have secured the funding from the North Yorkshire Aggregates Grant Scheme. They are trying to raise £90,000 to
SPORT-LOVING students from a Teesside college have won their way through to represent the North-East at the British Colleges' Sport National Finals. Guisborough's Prior Pursglove College will send 19 competitors to the finals, to be held in Loughborough
AN employment and training project is proving successful at getting people into work. The multi-partnership scheme has secured jobs for 33 west Middlesbrough residents in six weeks. The West Middlesbrough Works project, which is funded by West Middlesbrough
ONE of the region's largest NHS hospital trusts is looking to shed up to 700 jobs over the next three years. The news that County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is expecting to downsize was greeted with horror by trade unions yesterday
A Chinese gangmaster was convicted today of the manslaughter of 21 cockle pickers who drowned after being trapped by rising tides in Morecambe Bay. Lin Liang Ren, 29, was found guilty of unlawfully killing a team of Chinese cocklers who were caught in
THE clock is ticking towards a potentially crippling walkout by thousands of workers in a dispute over pensions. Ahead of the planned 24 hour strike next Tuesday, House of Commons leader Geoff Hoon urged unions to negotiate with employers to stave off
SCHOOLCHILDREN have been taking part in a language learning event. A day-long Eurolinks event was held at Hotel Bannatyne in Darlington, and was attended by pupils from the town's Polam Hall School to help them with their French, Spanish and German GCSEs
REDCAR and Cleveland Borough Council is warning residents that normal waste collections on Tuesday are to be cancelled because of the planned one-day strike by staff from local government union Unison. The stoppage will prevent the collection of wheeled
GARDEN OF EDEN: HUGH Pender made a interesting point concerning evangelism in schools (HAS, Mar 16) but he forgets to mention that not only will evolution not be taught, but children won't be told that the Garden of Eden is a Middle Eastern creation myth
AS a winger in his playing days, Paul Stephenson knows the benefits of getting the ball wide. So it's no suprise that the Hartlepool United boss has spent time on the training ground utilising more attacking options from the flanks, with his full-backs
THE cost of re-routing a major gas pipe, which has delayed work to pedestrianise a North-East town centre, will leave a "substantial shortfall" in funding for the project, a council meeting was told. Part of the original 6.5m Darlington Pedestrian Heart
ANYONE who goes around telling people how to live their lives must expect to face close scrutiny themselves. It's particularly true for the Government and, sadly, elements of the Labour Party seem to be falling short when the spotlight is turned on them
FOURTEEN North-East further education colleges are backing a search to find the shining stars of education and skills. The Celebration of Learning and Skills Awards, organised by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), are designed to highlight and celebrate
SUPERMARKET chain Morrisons posted its first annual loss yesterday and immediately announced a three-year plan to improve its flagging fortunes. The group, which is based in Bradford, saw profits fall 81 per cent in the wake of its £3bn takeover of Safeway
SOMETIMES it's used unnecessarily, sometimes it's not used when it should be, and sometimes we use it and still get the verdict wrong. What is it? The all-seeing camera which helps officials to adjudicate in instances of hair-line decisions. The referee
NHS spending has doubled to £94bn since Labour came to power. So why are so many hospital trusts facing cash crises? Lindsay Jennings reports. PRIOR to moving into Number 10, the considerably darker haired Tony Blair announced that he wanted to save the
A POLICE officer died after a car turned across his path as he was riding his Yamaha motorcycle home, an inquest heard yesterday. PC Glenn Robinson, 46, who had served for 16 years with North Yorkshire Police was a member of a Skipton road policing unit
ENERGY Minister Malcolm Wicks will hear today how the region is developing groundbreaking "clean coal" technology that could fuel the next generation of power stations. Mr Wicks is visiting Middlesbrough for a conference on carbon capture and storage.
Footballers' Wives (ITV1) The Family Man (BBC1) NO sooner had Tanya Turner boarded the aircraft in Footballers' Wives than both she and her seat were in the reclining position. The nuts she wanted with champagne weren't in those fiddly little packets
A SEX offender has been appointed to a £29,000-a-year post which will oversee a community's social and sports club, including a girls' football team, The Northern Echo can reveal. Phil Hemmans, 38, was jailed for two years in August 2001 after he admitted
PLATEAU (4.40) will be doing his level best to bag the six-furlong £20,000 Betfred Handicap this afternoon. In a break from tradition due to rebuilding work at Doncaster, Southwell stages the first Flat meeting on the grass and it seems as if trainer
THERE was evidence of a recovery in the manufacturing sector last night after a survey found that factory orders had risen for the second month in succession. The Confederation of Brit-ish Industry (CBI) reported that the number of companies reporting
ENERGY Minister Malcolm Wicks will hear today how the region is developing groundbreaking "clean coal" technology that could fuel the next generation of power stations. Mr Wicks is visiting Middlesbrough for a conference on carbon capture and storage.
PLATEAU (4.40) will be doing his level best to bag the six-furlong £20,000 Betfred Handicap this afternoon. In a break from tradition due to rebuilding work at Doncaster, Southwell stages the first Flat meeting on the grass and it seems as if trainer
A COUNCIL is to begin formal consultations on the closure of three old people's homes, amid claims that councillors have already ditched the plan. But the eight members of Durham County Council's cabinet agreed to begin the procedures - needed to comply
AS Middlesbrough's fans waited for last night's FA Cup quarter-final with Charlton to get underway, they were treated to a performance from veteran crooner Tony Christie. Forget directions to Amarillo. Despite an utterly under-whelming goalless draw at
MOST villages are lucky if they can manage one shop, a newsagent or mini-market. Staindrop goes one better _ it has the Village China Shop. But it's a shop run with a difference. Well, two actually. Firstly, everything in the shop is made by one manufacturer
DAVID HODGSON made one last concerted attempt to save Darlington's season by completing a double swoop on transfer deadline day. James Beaumont and Taiwo Atieno yesterday became Hodgson's 11th and 12th signings since the beginning of the season and go
A REFLECTIVE Emre has insisted he remains committed to Newcastle's rebuilding project, but the Turkish midfielder has also warned the Magpies hierarchy that their future ambitions must match his own. Despite suffering from a series of hamstring problems
NEWCASTLE Falcons have left out internationals Jamie Noon and Colin Charvis for Sunday's home match against Northampton as they look ahead to next Friday's European Challenge Cup quarter-final. With a mid-table finish looking likely in the Guinness Premiership
Auctions to win a place on the roads and cars that drive themselves - this could be the future of transport, according to a report says Nick Morrison. YOU'RE driving home from work, singing along to Dire Straits at the top of your voice, when your car
ONE of the region's largest NHS hospital trusts has confirmed it is looking to shed up to 700 jobs over the next three years. News that County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is expecting to downsize was greeted with horror by trade unions
RAIL company Grand Central last night received approval from rail chiefs for its new train services from the North-East to London. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) effectively rubber- stamped the company's plans to operate three new daily services,
A LEAFLET giving details of countryside activities taking place in and around Darlington has been published. The Countryside Events Programme 2006 is now available, offering people the chance to explore the area's rural hidden treasures and wildlife.
A RARE species of amphibian has caused work to be postponed on a housing site after its habitat was damaged. Building on the Moorfield site, in Firthmoor, Darlington, has been delayed because of the threat to the endangered great-crested newt. The newts
TWO local companies have joined forces for the first stage of a multi-million pound redevelopment of Bishop Auckland College. International project management and cost consultants Faithful+Gould's Teesside office has been appointed as quantity surveyor
A COUNCIL highways depot is being earmarked for affordable homes and workshop units. Manor Vale, in the North Yorkshire market town of Kirkbymoorside, is set to be closed and sold by North Yorkshire County Council. Joseph Coughlan, chairman of the Market
TRAVELLERS are going to be able to go from the North-East to the capital of Wales in 75 minutes when an airline launches its latest service. Eastern Airways is to launch the link to Wales with its first service to Cardiff from Newcastle International
REGENERATION boss Margaret Fay will be on the frontline today to raise money for charity. Ms Fay, chairwoman of regional development agency One NorthEast, will man the reception of the agency's headquarters, Stella House, at Newburn Riverside, in Newcastle
YOUNGSTERS brought some drama to the airwaves as they appeared on a local radio station yesterday this week. Members of Bishop Auckland Theatre Hooligans (Bath) have produced adverts for a domestic violence campaign on Alpha 103.2, and were invited onto
FEMALE volunteers are being sought to help with a community drop-in centre in West Auckland. The former village centre on Front Street will be used as a meeting point for youngsters when it reopens in a few weeks following an extensive renovation. West
A 16-YEAR-OLD male was assaulted and robbed as he walked home on Wednesday night. The youth was carrying 24 cans of lager at about 9.30pm, in Stockton town centre, when he was chased by two youths. The victim stumbled and fell on a path between Wellington
A PRESTIGIOUS national boxing competition comes to Weardale for the first time this evening. The final of the Golden Gloves championship - formerly the Junior ABA - will be held at Wolsingham School's sports hall from 7pm. On show will be some of the
THE Friends of Stonefall Cemetery, Harrogate, which was set up last year, is looking for more members. A tour of the cemetery has been arranged for 7pm on Tuesday, April 4, when Harrogate Borough Council's bereavement services team will accompany visitors
CONSERVATIONISTS are being offered funds towards schemes which will benefit the North York Moors National Park. The North Yorkshire Moors Association is offering £250 through its President's Award to anyone with a good idea for an environmental scheme
THOUSANDS of people across North Yorkshire could be missing out on money that is rightfully theirs. Many older people are thought to be failing to take up their entitlement to council tax benefits. And with the latest bills about to land on doormats,
TEN school cooks have become among the first in North Yorkshire to be recognised for their efforts towards healthy meals. The ten, who work at schools all over the county, have gained City and Guilds awards. They were presented with their awards by curriculum
STUDENTS at Belmont School Community Art College are celebrating after they won ten trophies at Darlington Festival for Performing Arts. The school's head of performing arts, Jane Cooper, said: "The students' hard work and commitment has impressed me.
DISABLED people and anyone over 60 will be able to travel by bus free throughout the former Cleveland county area from April 1. Members of Hartlepool Borough Council's cabinet have voted to approve a major extension to the existing system of concessionary
A LAS Vegas-style supercasino could be coming to part of the region, creating more than 1,000 jobs. If it goes ahead, the Tyneside development could attract £63m a year. Newcastle City Council made the decision to apply for a licence on the understanding
MOST villages are lucky if they can manage one shop, a newsagent or mini-market. Staindrop goes one better - it has the Village China Shop. But it's a shop run with a difference. Well, two actually. Firstly, everything in the shop is made by one manufacturer
A HUSBAND and wife singing duo will bring their mixture of country, gospel and bluegrass music to the Yorkshire Dales next week. Musicians AG and Kate, from Holland, will perform at Reeth Memorial Hall, in Swaledale, on Thursday. The couple, who say they
A BLAZE that destroyed a children's play area was started by two children aged six and 12. Police have confirmed that two youngsters have been questioned about the fire at Hackworth Park in Shildon earlier this month. The six-year-old is too young to
A TAXING training schedule has paid a handsome dividend for runner Ken Harker. He picked up the bronze medal in the Masters World Indoor Championships in Austria, the first time he has represented Great Britain on the world stage. The taxation officer
The grieving mother of suspected race-hate murder victim Lee Phipps today demanded answers for why her son's killer has not yet been caught. It is exactly three weeks since the son of Barbara Yusuf-Porter was repeatedly stabbed by an as yet unknown attacker
A CARE group is urging people to make use of its facilities. Thirsk and Sowerby District Community Care Association opened its meeting room in October last year. Some groups meet there every week, but time slots are still available. The building's administrator
SCIENTISTS in the North-East are playing a little-known role in controlling the spread of tuberculosis, or TB, it was revealed last night. The Health Protection Agency's regional centre, in Newcastle, is part of a small network of laboratories which are
RESIDENTS at a sheltered housing complex have been baking for a Darlington hospice. Staff and residents at Dinsdale Court, Middleton St George, raised £508 for St Teresa's Hospice at a coffee morning. The money was collected by selling home-made cakes
DISABLED people and anyone over 60 will be able to travel by bus free throughout the former Cleveland county area from April 1. Members of Hartlepool Borough Council's cabinet have voted to approve a major extension to the existing system of concessionary
HARD-WORKING sports coaches or volunteers involved in clubs and organisations will be saluted in an annual awards ceremony. Stockton Borough Council is calling for nominations for worthy people working in the borough who deserve recognition. The deadline
Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren admitted he would rather not be facing an extra game but was pleased to still be in the FA Cup last night. Boro will have to replay their quarter-final after drawing 0-0 with Charlton at The Valley. McClaren was especially
A company set up six months ago is expanding after winning a number of contracts. IT4Vision.com, which is based in Harlepool, provides monitoring systems, technical support, training and direct IT services. It has won work with SCA packaging, quarry owner
SUPPORTERS of a North-East football team have revealed their shock at being asked by the club's former chairman to become its new owners. Darlington Supporters Trust told The Northern Echo that Stewart Davies, the former owner of Darlington Football Club
A FATHER yesterday accused a diving firm of failing in its duty of care to his son who died while inspecting an underwater gas pipeline off the Dutch coast. Bryan Cleugh spoke of his frustrations during an inquest into the death of his son, Andrew Ross
Michael Vaughan is continuing the rehabilitation process on his injured knee under the supervision of Yorkshire physiotherapist, Scott McAllister, but it is not yet known if he will be fit for the start of the new season. McAllister is keeping the England
SCIENTISTS in the North-East are playing a little-known role in controlling the spread of tuberculosis, or TB, it was revealed last night. The Health Protection Agency's regional centre, in Newcastle, is part of a small network of laboratories which are
GARDEN OF EDEN HUGH Pender made a interesting point concerning evangelism in schools (HAS, Mar 16) but he forgets to mention that not only will evolution not be taught, but children won't be told that the Garden of Eden is a Middle Eastern creation myth
TEESSIDE has been named and shamed as having among the worst postal services in the country - with one in ten letters delivered late. Just 90.1 per cent of first-class post sent to the area's sorting office reached its destination the following day, according
THERE is an opportunity to celebrate Mother's Day this weekend by taking a look at some weird and wonderful displays at a group's orchid show. The Darlington and District Orchid Society will hold its fourth annual show tomorrow and Sunday at Darlington
MIDDLESBROUGH will face West Ham United in the semi-final of the FA Cup, if they overcome Charlton Athletic in their replay at the Riverside Stadium next month. Chelsea and Liverpool meet in the other semi-final after this afternoon's draw from Soho Square
NEWCASTLE Falcons have left out internationals Jamie Noon and Colin Charvis for Sunday's home match against Northampton as they look ahead to next Friday's European Challenge Cup quarter-final. With a mid-table finish looking likely in the Guinness Premiership
Why is a successful North-East hospital trust talking about shedding 700 staff? Health Editor Barry Nelson considers the changes about to sweep across the NHS. Anyone paying attention to Government health policy in recent years can hardly fail to notice
TWO brothers pleaded guilty yesterday to running a North-East brothel where six Thai prostitutes worked. Daniel Cass, 24, and his brother, Mark, 32, had been due to stand trial for the offences this week but admitted the charges at the last minute. Teesside
TWO years ago, the grocer that started out as a Bradford egg-and- butter merchant was catapulted to the elevated position of Britain's fourth largest supermarket. Fresh from victory in the £3bn takeover of Safeway, Morrisons should have been able to enjoy
THERE is a general bafflement about National Health Service figures. The Government is investing record sums in a vital service, so how can the country's health trusts be a collective £600m in debt and about to axe an estimated 15,000 workers. It doesn't
THE Northern Echo scored success at a national awards ceremony yesterday when one of its journalists won a major accolade. Joe Willis was judged to have written the Scoop of the Year at an awards ceremony held by Newsquest, the parent company of The Northern
