TWO men have been arrested after a woman was allegedly gang-raped in a flat. Police are also interested in speaking to a third man also believed to have been in the flat while the attack is alleged to have taken place. The incident took place in a
AN INVESTIGATION has revealed that scores of arrest warrants have failed to be executed across an entire court district. A leading judge has said the situation is "shocking." Teesside court officials have uncovered 116 outstanding warrants from before
AN HORRIFIC accident has left one person dead and put four others in hospital. The accident in Northallerton occurred at about 5.40am when a blue Vauxhall Astra collided with a green Renault Scenic at the roundabout that links the high street with South
Two peckish policemen are facing an inquiry after allegedly parking their van on double yellow lines while they went to a chippy. An investigation has been launched after the officers were snapped illegally parked while they queued for a takeaway. Witnesses
GYMNASTS at one of the North-East's biggest clubs are in the pink after a long-awaited new gymnastics centre was finally opened. South Durham Gymnastics Club, nicknamed The Pink Ladies thanks to their club colours, were presented with the keys to the
Bishop Auckland St Mary's: AFTER their success in the Blackpool Tournament, the Under-8s were back on their travels last weekend. Saturday saw the team travel to Kingston Park for the Newcastle Soccer 7s Tournament. After a slow start the team came
IT was another night of high drama at the South Tees Motorsport Park in South Bank last week as the Cleveland Bays managed to pip the Scunthorpe Scorpions in a crucial last heat decider in front of another sizeable crowd. When Scunthorpe's Tai Woffinden
DOMINIC Ramsey has won The Northern Echo's first Cricketer of the Month competition of this summer after inspiring his side to their first ever victory in his first competitive match. The 12-year-old paceman took three wickets for three runs to record
Foster's Durham Senior League, Under-18s: DURHAM City had 25 runs in hand of Sunderland after realising 120 for five from their 20 overs. Stephen Howson was in good form with 46 and for Sunderland Davison and Tansey both took a couple of wickets.
TALENTED young footballer Joshua Hoggart has been selected to represent his home country in a mini-World Cup next September. The 11-year-old has been chosen with 13 other youngsters to represent England in the sixth Danone Nations Cup, sponsored by Actimel
POLICE are trying to track down daring raiders who held up security guards re-stocking a cashpoint on a busy town street. The robbery took place outside the Yorkshire Bank in Barnard Castle, County Durham shortly before midnight on Thursday evening.
FAMILIES living near a derelict 169-year-old school described as a town's ugliest eyesore were delighted yesterday after it was reduced to a pile of rubble. And they were even more pleased when assured that its stone will be used to buildan attractive
A MAN is fighting for his life after a row involving his neighbour. It is believed the 62-year-old suffered a fractured skull after an incident related to a long-standing dispute over a fence. It happened outside their homes in Colbeck Avenue, Swalwell
SHOPS are curbing the sale of airbeds to children to head off tragedies this summer. Fifteen stores in east Cleveland have pledged not to sell inflatables to unaccompanied youngsters. Lifeboats have rescued 21 people swept out to sea on inflatables between
A DOG impaled on a stick its owner threw for it was taken on a 150-mile emergency dash for specialist surgery after the most severe injury of its type a vet had seen. The bill for treating labrador Cassie, which was operated on at Edinburgh University's
A SUMMER of events is being launched to raise funds for a village hall. The first event organised by North and South Cowton's village hall committee is a multi-media quiz. Events have been organised throughout the summer to raise awareness of the fun
A WORKER providing advice for homeless people is to have their job scrapped as part of funding cutbacks. The role of the officer, based in Northallerton, as part of the Housing Advice Resource Project (Harp), will be replaced by a telephone advice line
APPRENTICE Liam Gardner is carving out a name for himself after winning a top competition at his first attempt. The Northallerton College student beat young craftsmen from around the country in the northern heat of Skillbuild, designed to attract people
RESIDENTS have been invited to discuss concerns at a series of informal coffee mornings hosted by a new council chairman. Councillor Jill McMullon, the newly-elected chairman of Richmondshire District Council, will hold the first event in Richmond next
ADVICE on ways to save energy and money is to be offered to residents in the Upper Esk Valley area. Drop-in sessions will help to introduce a range of measures, including information on available grants and technology for insulating solid walls - previously
BENCH COSTS: A LABOUR councillor in Middlesbrough defends the spending of public money on park benches at a cost of nearly £7,000 each (installed as part of a revamp of the town's Victoria Park), claiming that they are the best in the country. The design
A LONG-RUNNING planning saga over a barn conversion for a young family has continued this week. Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority members have again voted in favour of the development at Cams House Barn, near Askrigg, in Wensleydale. Owner Jim Spensley
A FAMILIAR face from TV is to act as quiz master on the opening night of this year's Thirsk Festival. BBC Look North reporter Peter Lugg is to ask the questions at the Three Tuns Hotel, on Thursday, June 29, from 7.30pm. Tickets for the quiz night cost
YOUNGSTERS at a Teesside primary school took part in a record-breaking attempt on Wednesday All the pupils of Bader Primary School, in Kintyre Road, Thornaby, joined a nationwide walking bus, with each school walking 500m at the same time. The event was
HOW best to use an inviting stretch of grass has provided residents of a seaside resort with a challenge. Now the spot, at Saltburn, is to be turned into a picnic area, primarily for tired tots and their mums. "The tots come into town in their thousands
COUNTRYSIDE wardens have issued a warning for people to be on their guard against illegal traps laid by poachers along a stretch of North-East coastline. The alarm was raised by a man who found two wire-loop metal traps among sand dunes within the Teesmouth
BARBARA WEBSTER is far from being down in the dumps in her job as a waste liaison officer. She has knocked on more than 2,400 doors, spreading her recycling message, firing people with enthusiasm. All of this contributed to the award of Beacon status
A MAN from Middlesbrough was left seriously injured after the motorbike he was riding left a Darlington road. The accident happened on Wednesday, in McMullen Road, at 7.45pm, when the 800cc Suzuki mounted the kerb on a right-hand bend and collided with
VISITORS to a shopping centre will have the chance to win England flags and stickers in a penalty shoot-out tomorrow. The beat-the-goalie competition takes place from 11.30am to 2.30pm at The Gates shopping centre, in Durham City. Shoppers can try to
DOG owners are being warned that they will be prosecuted if they allow their pets to foul the pavement. Wardens at Easington District Council spoke out after two successful prosecutions of irresponsible owners last month. At Durham Magistrates' Court,
YOUNG footballers will have the chance to shine following the opening of floodlit pitches yesterday. Former England hero Peter Beardsley performed the ceremony to launch the artificial football area at Roseberry Sports and Community College, in Pelton
A POTENTIAL development of 100 houses in Northallerton has raised fears that a small cul-de-sac could be turned "into the M1". The land in question is the former road traffic division site in Racecourse Lane, which has been sold through Mouchel Parkman
SURE START Stanley hosted a Party in the Park at the weekend, in partnership with other Sure Start programmes and children's centres across County Durham. The event to celebrate National Sure Start Month was held at Blackhill Park, Blackhill, Consett.
COUNCILLORS have backed plans for a £3.5m extension to a swimming pool and leisure centre. Stockton Borough Council's corporate management team has drawn up a scheme involving the demolition of Stockton Sports Centre, in Norton Road, and an extension
CREEPY crawlies and humble insects are taking centre stage during a "bug-tastic" celebration of the mighty insect in a North-East forest. With more than 90 per cent of life on Earth being smaller than a fingernail, youngsters will be able to go pond dipping
A TEESDALE Primary School welcomed teachers and pupils from the Czech Republic and Hungary last week as part of an exchange scheme. Montalbo School in Barnard Castle has formed a partnership with a school from the Czech town of Blansko, east of Prague
A BADMINTON club has been launched in Wear Valley this week. The Red Badminton Club was formed several months ago, but has now moved to facilities at Bishop Barrington School sports hall. PE teacher Andy King gave local children a coaching session to
A MOBILE post office scheme which serves several Wear Valley villages has become the first in the country to be installed with new satellite technology. The service travels to Escomb, Witton Park, Toronto, Fir Tree and Witton-le-Wear to replace post offices
A TOWN centre drugs den, that has plagued the lives of people living in a north Durham community for the past decade, has been reduced to wood chips. A succession of teenagers have, over the years, used the small overgrown railway embankment, at the rear
A NEW police sergeant has started work in Weardale where residents had been concerned for the service's future. Sergeant Dave Lyall will work from Stanhope Police Station, leading a team of four officers and two police community service officers covering
A MAN appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court yesterday in connection with a burglary. David Thomas Dunn, 26, of Moorland Close, Sunnybrow, near Crook, is accused of the burglary of a house in Fairfield Walk, Sunnybrow. Zara Jane Hawkins, 20, of
POLICE and DIY experts are joining forces to encourage residents to beef up the security of their sheds and outhouses. Tomorrow, the Maxwell's store in Shotton Road, Peterlee, will be the venue for a day-long crime prevention roadshow, in an attempt to
THE Angels Nursery, Empire Buildings, Sherburn Road, Durham, will mark its third anniversary by holding a fete on Saturday, June 24, between noon and 4pm. Attractions will include face-painting, a tombola, craft demonstrations and various stalls.
FEMALE golfers have raised more than £1,000 for their adopted charity during an annual tournament. More than 150 golfers from around the region took part in the 11th annual Mount Oswald Ladies Open Competition, held at the golf course in Durham City.
THE oldest surviving carnival queen at Bowes was the star of the show at last weekend's festivities.Ruby Walker, 88, was prevented from processing down the street on her special day in 1931, when a huge thunderstorm hit Teesdale.At the weekend, she joined
A BOY has died after being knocked off his bike in a village just outside Durham City yesterday. The tragedy happened shortly after 5pm in the village of Bearpark where the nine-year-old was playing with an older child. Police said that he had cycled
THE England and Wales Cricket Board must have wasted the thick end of £2,000 in trying to decide whether the pitch for the Durham v Kent match at Stockton was fit for first-class cricket. At the risk of having my own ECB press pass withdrawn, I take
Another week, another new housemate. Deborah Johnson looks at the latest goings-on in the Big Brother House. PETE He's such a sweetie, but I'm worried Lea's awful attempts to get close to him will make him run screaming from the House, like it did with
Scarborough-born all-rounder, Chris Gilbert, is poised to make his Yorkshire debut today in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy match against Leicestershire at Grace Road. With Yorkshire unable to finish top of the North Conference, director of cricket
Last year's debut by Sprite Productions gave us A Midsummer Night's Dream, an obvious choice for open-air Shakespeare but a magical one all the same. Romeo and Juliet is a much bolder option. A production can't just coast along knowing that the
PORTSMOUTH have been told they have no chance of trying to lure Aiyegbeni Yakubu back to the south coast. There was a suggestion Pompey have been in touch with Boro about the possibility of re-signing a striker who only moved to Teesside a year ago in
THERE are quite a few things you do not expect to see in Germany during the World Cup finals. An England fan who hasn't been sunburnt for example. Or a Mexican supporter who isn't wearing a stupidly over-sized hat. But right up at there at the top of
Exploring the work of a Devon photograoher who finds the wild landscapes of rhe North more to his liking. WHAT strikes you first is the quality of the light. It brings the photographs instantly alive and takes you right into them. "You could say I'm not
PETER REID last night claimed Bob Murray's decision to step down as Sunderland chairman stemmed from the moment he restricted his former manager's buying power. Murray announced he will relinquish his responsibilities on June 30 as talks with Niall Quinn's
THE judiciary are still viewed by some as living in an ivory tower, surrounded by publicly funded privilege and lacking any real appreciation of life in the real world. Certainly it's a view that may have held some water a few year years ago when judges
STEPHEN CARR looks destined to be on his way out of Newcastle United, with both Fulham and Charlton keen to see the full-back return to London, writes Paul Fraser. New Charlton boss Iain Dowie is looking to strengthen his squad but it is the interest
ENGLAND qualified for the knock-out stages of the World Cup last night after Wayne Rooney helped inspire a last-gasp victory over Trinidad and Tobago. But it was another unconvincing performance from Sven-Goran Eriksson's men, who had to rely on late
VILLAGERS and travellers turned out in their hundreds to pay their respects to a popular horse enthusiast who died while travelling to Appleby Horse Fair. A stretch of the A177 through Coxhoe, County Durham, was closed yesterday afternoon as mourners
THE defending champions of the Darlington 10k Road Run yesterday called for runners across the region to take part in this year's event. Course record holder Martin Scaife and wom-en's champion Bernad-ette Taylor, have both started preparations for the
A BUSINESS park that forms a key part of a £56m airport redevelopment may go ahead on a controversial greenfield site. Peel Airports Limited, which runs Durham Tees Valley Airport, and Darlington Borough Council last night denied any rift over the plans
The Northern Echo today calls on you, our readers, to help in the campaign to win pardons for 15 members of North-East regiments, who were executed for alleged cowardice during the First World War. Fill in the coupon in today's Northern Echo. The coupons
A MAN accused of blackmailing so-called Lotto rapist Iorworth Hoare was behind bars yesterday. Peter Francis Mark Oates, 43, is accused of sending threatening letters to Hoare and one of his neighbours, Claire Redhead. Oates allegedly sent the letters
TWO imaginative projects were yesterday hailed as outstanding by judges of an eco-friendly award. Stanley Bus Station and Slack House Farm, Ireshopeburn, Weardale, are the first winners of a new accolade in the County Durham Environment Award scheme.
HORROR-STRUCK security guards saw a 4ft snake crawl across the car park of a hospital. Not knowing if the native American corn snake was venomous, they followed the reptile across the park at York Hospital. They then saw the orange snake crawl under the
We waited half an hour for Lou Reed and his band to get on stage after the announcer said the show was due to start 'in three minutes' and the crowd was beginning to get restless. The hypnotic background music and subtle lighting set the scene for
IRAQ AND AL-ZARQAWI: AS history will recall the events in Iraq and question George Bush and Tony Blair on their rationale for war, it will also concentrate on attempts to bring about peace. Some of your columnists have drawn parallels between Iraq and
Sugar Rush (C4); Boys Will Be Girls (C4); Paul Merton's Silent Clowns (BBC4): A fireplace store in Thirsk calls itself Flame 'n Grate, something I only mention because the second series of Sugar Rush featured a shop with a similarly deviously clever
ONE WAY TICKET could have the bookies on a full-scale retreat at York if he performs up to scratch this afternoon. Milton Bradley works wonders with cast-offs and after acquiring the handsome chestnut from a leading Lambourn stable, One Way Ticket (3.05
The much-loved cancer charity Macmillan has had a make-over and a change in direction. Health Editor Barry Nelson meets a couple who benefited from the new approach. Deborah Robinson is a dedicated, caring social worker who has helped others for a living
DURHAM were last night relieved to hear their slide down the first division would not be accelerated by a points deduction. Their third successive championship defeat, by 95 runs against Kent at Stockton, was witnessed by the ECB's pitches consultant
A WOMAN from Darlington was banned from driving for nearly two years yesterday. Kelly Ann Langston, 31, of Saltersgate Road, was disqualified from driving for 20 months after pleading guilty to drink driving, twice over the limit, on June 9. David Maddison
PUPILS in Darlington have created a lasting memento of their school days. Students at Hurworth School Maths and Computing College have compiled a yearbook for pupils in their final year at the school. It was designed and produced by a team of eight students
A MAN was yesterday sentenced for drug offences dating back three years. Earl Lloyd William Spencer, 50, of Corporation Road, Darlington, admitted possession of cannabis and cultivation of a cannabis plant. Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court heard that
STUDENTS at a Darlington college dressed down to raise money for their colleagues in the Far East. Carmel College pupils dressed all in white to spell out Cambodia on the playing fields during a week-long programme of activities. The college's sixth international
PATRIOTIC pupils at a Darlington school enjoyed a tea party to remember yesterday when a very special visitor dropped in to say hello. Children at Red Hall School celebrated the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, ahead of the official festivities tomorrow
A MAN who raped a teenager minutes after he had consensual sex with her has been jailed for six years. Liam Booker had been drinking before the attack on the 17-year-old girl, which began with the pair having sex at a house in Brotton, east Cleveland.
THE scandal over more than 1,000 foreign criminals - including murderers and rapists - being freed without being considered for deportation has been swiftly followed by revelations that 53 offenders given life sentences were freed within six years. It
ADVENTURE company Aerial Extreme is poised to launch its third rope course for the UK's adrenaline junkies. The North Yorkshire company, which opened its first tree-top adventure course at Camp Hill, Bedale, three years ago, is opening a site at Trentham
THE business climate in the region has improved in the past year - although recruitment and red tape are still barriers to success, a survey showed. More than a third of Entrepreneurs' Forum members who took part in its annual survey said the business
STEEL company Severfield-Rowen told shareholders it has secured a record order book of £230m this year thanks to a strong performance across all divisions. The North Yorkshire group, whose companies are working on contracts including Arsenal's Emirates
A COMMERCIAL property specialist has secured contracts at two country house estates. Purple Leaf, of Aske, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, has been chosen to find tenants for office space at Castle Howard, near Malton, and Newby Hall, near Ripon. Phil
THE chairwoman of regional development agency One NorthEast told Tees Valley business leaders last night she was fully behind plans to expand Teesport. Speaking at the Tees Valley Confederation of British Industry dinner last night, Margaret Fay said
A TRIO of amateur artists from the North-East will be exhibiting their creative talents in a national competition. Twins John and James Bird from Redcar, east Cleveland, and Robert English, from Consett, County Durham, have been selected from thousands
A VULNERABLE boy who died in a fire was close to care worker intervention that could have saved his life.Five-year-old Jason Baillie died of burns two days after the fire in the family home on Teesside on November 9, 2004.His grandmother, Susan Baillie
THEY might have qualified for the World Cup knockout stage with yesterday's 2-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago, but David Beckham has admitted that England will need to improve considerably if they are to influence the latter stages of the competition. Peter
FOUR teenage girls were last night recovering in hospital after being swept out to sea off the North-East coast. The 14-year-olds had been playing at the water's edge opposite the 42nd Street pub, in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, when they were caught
PRESSURE was mounting on the Government last night to grant pardons to the soldiers shot as cowards during the First World War. Families and politicians were backing calls for the executed soldiers to be formally cleared of cowardice ahead of the 90th
OFFENDERS who owe more than £20m in unpaid court fines in the region will be named and shamed under plans announced by the Government last night. Regional newspapers are to be asked to publish names and photographs in the latest attempt to improve miserable
DRUGS company Pfizer yesterday announced the sale of its Northumberland manufacturing plant, safeguarding more than 450 jobs. The pharmaceutical group has sold its Morpeth plant to Indian drugs company Nicholas Piramal India Limited for an undisclosed
THE UK's largest care home company last night confirmed it was delaying its flotation on the stock market due to volatile conditions. Southern Cross Healthcare, which is based in Darlington, has put its £550m flotation on hold while it waits for markets
WAGON driver Colin Hird spent six years trying to juggle his job, his family and looking after his ageing mum, Betty, who was on her own and developing Alzheimer's. In the end, it was his own health that was breaking down. Colin, 61, of Darlington, says
Deborah Robinson is a dedicated, caring social worker who has helped others for a living for most of her professional life. But a few years ago Deborah decided to take on a very special group of clients. The Stockton-based social worker is one of a growing
WITH a population of little more than a million, Trinidad & Tobago is the smallest country ever to have appeared at a World Cup finals.But last night, in Nuremberg's Frankenstadion, the Caribbean nation's Soca Warriors came within seven minutes of pulling
WHAT strikes you first is the quality of the light. It brings the photographs instantly alive and takes you right into them. "You could say I'm not photographing the landscape but the light reflected on it," says Joe Cornish, "That's the heart and soul
