A SWAN and cygnets which were thought be suffering in last weekend's heat are fit and well. However, the RSPCA said the main threat to the swans, which were found in the gardens of Lindisfarne Court Care Home, Darlington, were well-meaning members
A SECTION of York's historic Bar Walls is to be temporarily closed for health and safety reasons. A number of brief closures have taken place recently to allow work on the installation of new signs and plaques to go ahead. And work on the section
A MAN is being questioned by police this evening after a stabbing incident which left the victim in hospital with serious injuries. Police were called to the Micklegate area of York at about 7.30pm on Thursday after reports that a man had been seriously
A HAUL of cocaine with an estimated street value of about 100,000 was seized in a raid on a North-East home. Police officers raided the home on Quaker Street, Darlington, on Thursday (July 27) evening following a lengthy investigation in the town.
Everyone's got a book in them, so the saying goes. It's true - but the hard part is writing it. Author and former Darlington student Tim Relf provides a few tips on turning your dream into a reality. CHANCES are, someone you know wants to do it.
Young writers are promised the best advice at a regional festival dedicated to finding new talent. Lindsay Jennings meets workshop leader, poet Maureen Almond. MAUREEN Almond is deep in conversation with one of the budding poets who is due to attend
Newcastle will play Latvian side Ventspils in the UEFA Cup second qualifying round. The first leg will be played in the Baltic state on August 10 with the return at St James Park on August 24. Elsewhere in the draw, Scottish Cup finalists Gretna
AN American airman has been jailed for 12 years for raping three teenage girls in North Yorkshire. Staff Sergeant James Gardner got the 14, 15 and 17-year-olds drunk before forcing himself upon them, York Crown Court heard today. The 34-year-old took
GRAND National winning jockey Richard Guest is to plead not guilty to charges arising from the death of a horse in his care, his legal team has confirmed. The 41-year-old former jockey, now a successful trainer with a racing yard just outside Durham
KIND-HEARTED Simon Astill is preparing for a welldeserved holiday after his amazing community spirit saw him named the region's Neighbour from Heaven. Mr Astill's friendly manner and willingness to help his neighbours at all times has won him first
A COUPLE who want to thank their neighbours for their help and support have nominated them as this year's Neighbours From Heaven award. Hilary and Kevin Cooper, of Pease Street, Darlington, have nominated neighbour Brenda Wallace and her husband John
IT'S TIME to return kind favours and thank your most helpful neighbours. Nominate your local 'Neighbour from Heaven' and you could join them on a weekend in Amsterdam. Today The Northern Echo launches its second Neighbours from Heaven contest in a bid
A NORTH-EAST man has appeared in court in connection with the murder of a wealthy casino boss. Dean Frank Wood, 28, of High Street South, Langley Moor, Durham, made a brief appearance at Leeds Crown Court today. He is charged with the murder of Barry
THE first red kite to be born in the North-East for 200 years has flown the nest. The young bird, nicknamed Geordie, spread his two-metre wings and launched himself from the treetop nest, it was announced yesterday. The first flight was clearly
ANOTHER computer animated movie featuring cute animals getting one over on the humans hardly stirs the blood. Indeed, we'll have to wait until the excellent Monster House later this summer before getting anything approaching something remotely different
FREAKY Friday and Mean Girls made Lindsay Lohan a hit with teen audiences that even her turn behind the wheel in Herbie Fully Loaded couldn't undermine. She continues to aim for the young audience in Just My Luck, with British band McFly getting in
CAPTAIN Jack is back, for which we should be thankful as Johnny Depp's outrageous performance as the pirate is a cinematic joy to behold. But, while this sequel, the first of two shot back-to-back, contains exciting action sequences, smashing swordplay
A FUTURISTIC action-thriller written and produced by Luc Besson that's notable for being economical with both words and running time. Perhaps that should be jumping time as one of its leading men is Belle, a cofounder and leading proponent of the extreme
A PITY that the main interest surrounding this romantic comedy concerns whether stars Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston began dating after working on the movie. It detracts from the fact that The BreakUp does try to bring something different to the
COMPUTER animation geniuses Pixar don't exactly come a cropper with their latest feature but fail to generate the same levels of amusement and excitement as past work Toy Story, Finding Nemo or The Incredibles. Part of the problem is the subject matter
THE first film directed by Luc Besson for seven years is a black-and-white delight, an offbeat romance that makes Paris look so stunning that the tourist board should reward him with untold riches. Angel-A is economic in all respects. Even the synopsis
The programme for Newcastle’s ‘On the Outside’ Festival states that it is “dedicated to the memory and inspiration of Derek Bailey and Elton Dean”, which pretty well defines the character of the event. Over the three days of 13th - 15th October
My Alamo, one of the Black Country's finest new Rock acts, build on Birmingham's rowdy musical traditions (Sabbath, Dexy's etc.) with their own unique mix of dark passion and frenzied zeal. Already picking up plays on Kerrang radio, My Alamo is
Isn't it just typical? The hottest, driest spell that this country has seen in recordable history and my body's defences have decided to give in to the ravages of natures biological warfare. I have a cold. At first I blamed my workload. I had been going
Oxbridge Darlington and District League: Middleton St George maintained their position at the top of Division A with a seven wickets victory at home to Lands. Little top scored with 60 as Lands ended on 158 for nine with McKenna and Rogers both taking
Norton and Stockton Ancients: NORTON and Stockton Ancients JFC hosted their 6th junior football tournament on Sunday and what a success it turned out to be. Around 7,500 visitors converged on the Norton Sports Complex at Station Road, Norton from all
Cleveland County Bowling Association: CLEVELAND County Bowling Association held their joint finals across two days at Thornaby Bowls Club and Pallister Park. The event produced a number of remarkable matches as competitors struggled to deal with the
TENNIS stars of the future will descend on the North-East this weekend for the Middlesbrough Open Junior Tournament finals. Over 130 competitors, from as far a field as Hong Kong, will compete against each other at Tennis World, Prissick Base in Middlesbrough
Quakers Running Club: DESPITE only being on the Islands of Bermuda for two months, the Bermuda Marathon Committee waivered the compulsory rule that only residents that have been on the Islands for more than six months are allowed to compete. This caused
It is a classic case of pride coming before a fall - and yesterday demon bowler Gavin Hardisty was flat on his back in hospital, reflecting on the painful cost. Gavin a stable lad with George Moore in Middleham, North Yorkshire, bagged seven wickets for
A COUNTY Durham schoolgirl has taken triple honours at her annual sports day shattering three records. Budding Olympian Kineta Kelsall, from Barnard Castle School, leaped into the record books breaking not only her own long jump personal best, but also
A PENSIONER was left shaken after a bogus caller conned his way into her home and stole a large amount of money. The 90-year-old was returning to her home in Redcar at about 4.15pm on Tuesday when a man was waiting at her door. He told her there had been
RAIL LINKS: IT is without doubt good news that Teesside is due to have a direct rail to London from December. However, I note that the services will call at Hartlepool and Eaglescliffe, but not at Stockton and Billingham. Middlesbrough, Thornaby and east
A RETIRED builder has recently completed his first novel, inspired by the life of his father. The Lives of Yorkshire Bill, by Tom Gray, tells the tale of a young farmhand whose travels take him from his native Whitby across the sea to serve his country
A GYM, training area and therapy room will open in a village in October. Yorebridge Sports Development Association (YSDA) is working to improve facilities near the multi-use games area at Askrigg. They have renovated two rooms at the Wensleydale Centre
RESIDENTS who employ travellers as casual labourers have been warned they could be liable for the dumping of trade waste. Harrogate Borough Council leader Mike Gardner, who has raised problems of fly-tipping on an illegal travellers' site in Ripon Road
ANOTHER community has signed up to an initiative to deter bogus callers and high-pressure salesmen. Where residents in an area are in full agreement, the trading standards service and police can create "no cold-calling" zones, where door-to-door traders
A COUPLE whose wartime romance blossomed marked their diamond wedding anniversary yesterday. Don and Ethel Falshaw, of Scorton, near Richmond, married at Yarm in July 1946, two years after they met. Both were from farming families and continued to farm
CHARITY fun runners are going the distance for a babies' hospice. A run around Middlesbrough's Stewart Park is being arranged next month to raise funds for Zoe's Place at Normanby. The event, on August 12, will be split into a three-mile
THE beauty of the North York Moors National Park can be viewed on canvas at three free art exhibitions. Seven painters, aged 45 to 90, from the Lealholm Painting Group will show their work at the Moors National Park Centre, Danby. The work includes landscapes
YOUNG Harry Potter fans need to grab their wands and robes for a magical event with a flying car. A Potter-style summer school will see magicians cast spells, star gazing at a planetarium and a four-team quiz - just like in the children's
A MAN has been told he faces an inevitable jail sentence after committing a "serious" robbery. Gary Suckling, 34, of Moore Street, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to the offence at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. The court was told that Suckling had committed
A TEAM of adventurers are planning a trek to one of the wonders of the world to raise money for their local hospice. The team from St Cuthbert's Hospice, in Durham City, are planning a five-day trek along the Great Wall of China next spring. Volunteers
THE mayor of Northallerton has expressed his disappointment after a committee rejected plans for homes he says the town needs. A plan to build 57 sheltered apartments for elderly people in Malpas Road was turned down by Hambleton District Council. The
A VILLAGE primary school is producing children sound in body and health, as well as of mind. St Bede's RC School, in Sacriston, marked the end-of-summer term with a Mass, attended by parents and governors, at the nearby church of the same name. A highlight
POLICE motorcyclists will be going on patrol to catch illegal off-road bikers. Officers will be using scrambler bikes in a crack- down on bikers who use fields for off-road riding or speed through housing estates. It follows 250 complaints from residents
A FIREFIGHTER who dreamt of becoming a train driver is to finally fulfill his ambition. Richy McArdle, 54, of Greenways, Consett, intends to spend more time on his hobby of driving trains on the Keithley-Worth Valley railway in Yorkshire, after retiring
A CHARITY has taken delivery of a treadmill to help raise funds for its work. The equipment has been donated to the Sunderland and North Durham branch of the Royal Society for the Blind by Sunderland-based business BodyZone. Society fundraiser Sylvia
THE finishing touches have been made to a new trailer to show off the work of the Countryside Service across North Yorkshire. It will be used at agricultural shows to explain work the county council carries out on conservation and access to the countryside
DURHAM residents are being urged to help the city win an award for cleanliness. The city, which last year won a Britain in Bloom title, has reached the finals of the Clean Britain Awards - formerly Britain's Cleanest District. Awards chairman Judith West
MORE offenders are being brought to justice in North Yorkshire, despite a drop in crime. The county's Criminal Justice Board dealt with 15,000 offences between January 1 and March 31, against a target of 13,778. Crime in the area fell by 8.5 per cent
THE first red kite to be born in the North-East for 200 years has flown the nest. The young bird, nicknamed Geordie, spread his two-metre wings and launched himself from the treetop nest, it was announced yesterday. The first flight was clearly an important
STANLEY'S volunteer-run steam railway line is providing extra trains to help keep children entertained during the school holidays. The Tanfield Railway, which runs between Tanfield Lea and Sunniside on the outskirts of Gateshead, normally only operates
AN inquest has been opened into the death of a teenage girl, who died in a road accident on Teesside. Care officer Susan Parker, 51, told Deputy Teesside Coroner Gordon Hetherington she had identified the body of her niece Kelly Woodward, 19, who was
THE Government is warning of fines for local authorities that fail to meet targets over household waste. But Stockton Borough Council is ahead of the target on meeting landfill goals. Councils must cut the amount of biodegradable household waste sent
A CELEBRITY fundraising night featuring sporting greats will take place at St James' Park, Newcastle. The dinner will raise money for the Bobby Moore Fund, in conjunction with Cancer Research UK. British sports personalities, including former world featherweight
TELEVISION stars will take part in a charity football match on Sunday. Actors from ITV1's Emmerdale will take on a Bernie Slaven Select XI in the match, at Marske United Football Club, in Marske. The game, at 2pm, is being held in aid of The Mike Findley
A VILLAGE cricket club wants Middlesbrough Football Club to replace their ramshackle pavilion, which stands in the middle of a proposed multi-million pound development. Rockliffe Park Cricket Club, near Darlington, currently plays in the shadow of the
Students at the Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough, are giving a free concert in the quadrangle of Middlesbrough's Neptune Centre at 12.30pm today - playing on steel pans. The concert follows a week when pupils experienced a variety of Caribbean themed
YMCA Barnard Castle's We The People group is filming an oral history DVD for the Bowes Museum. The group is looking to talk to older residents in Barnard Castle about what they did when they were younger, to try to recreate pastimes. It is also appealing
A SCHOOL which was recently hailed as one of the most improved in the country has been praised by Government inspectors. Ofsted inspectors said that Copeland Road Primary, in West Auckland, was a good school with outstanding features. Lead inspector Eric
A VILLAGE hall was turned into a film studio yesterday to shoot Weardale's version of the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean. Young moviemakers working in St John's Chapel Town Hall chose the theme and wrote the script for their four-minute film, which
YOUNGSTERS at a Spennymoor school took their inspiration from a public art project in the town to create features for their storytelling garden. Pupils at Ox Close Primary School have been working with ceramic artist Michael Harris to create artwork for
ART and photography exhibitions are to benefit from extra security following a substantial donation from a council. Ferryhill Town Council has donated £400 towards closed-circuit television equipment to monitor works displayed in Ferryhill Town Hall.
A WOMAN from Darlington who lost three stone with weight management classes is now helping others do the same. Janet Binney, 40, has started her own Slimming World classes in Newton Aycliffe, four years after she began attending classes herself. Classes
PUBLIC-SPIRITED anglers have formed a crash team to clear rubbish from one of the most attractive stretches of the River Wear. At the same time, they are appealing to people not to dump their litter in the river in Upper Weardale. So far, the six-man
ORGANISERS of a charity golf tournament are on the lookout for local firms to sponsor the event. The Teesdale Lions are holding a Pro Am golf tournament on September 22, at Headlam Hall, near Darlington, to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care. The
A NEW college course aims to train more youth workers for community groups in south west Durham. After research highlighted a shortage of trained and qualified people in the area, Barnard Castle YMCA and Bishop Auckland College teamed up to set up classes
THE Ashley House Residential Home, in Thornley Road, Deaf Hill, Trimdon Station, is holding a summer fete on Saturday, between 2pm and 4pm. Admission is free but there will be a number of stalls raising money for service users. Donations of home-made
WITH ten FA Amateur Cup wins and numerous other trophies collected in their illustrious 120-year history, one could hardly describe Bishop Auckland FC as potless. But after spending thousands of pounds on what may prove to be a fruitless 13-year pursuit
WHEN Sergio Garcia appeared on the first tee looking like the Tour de France leader it instantly confirmed my suspicions that he wouldn't be up to the job. Hunting with the Tiger in the last round of a major is no task for a peacock dressed all in yellow
Hampshire v Yorkshire (County Championship) : Day Two Yorkshire were given an object lesson in how to construct a big innings by John Crawley who plundered 173 at the Rose Bowl as Hampshire piled up 493 to give themselves a first innings lead of 298,
NIALL Quinn's Drumaville consortium last night completed their takeover of Sunderland Football Club - and the new chairman immediately began splashing the cash by tabling offers for three different players. Quinn's Irish-based backers issued a formal
GNER last night indicated it would appeal after it lost a legal challenge against a decision to allow rival services on its East Coast Main Line route. The firm, which could now face a seven-figure legal bill, had wanted a High Court judge to quash
This hot weather has been ideal for testing chemical-free products which aim to keep us smelling sweetly when the heat is on. Here's what we found... SOMETIMES conditions are just perfect for testing things. So last week, when the mercury was soaring,
POLICE are winding down their second investigation into disgraced surgeon Richard Neale, it was revealed last night. Victims of Neale - who was struck off after injuring a number of patients at the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, North Yorkshire -
CRAIG Moore has claimed that this afternoon's UEFA Cup draw could determine whether or not Newcastle hit the ground running once the Premiership season gets underway in the middle of next month. The Magpies will learn the identity of their UEFA Cup second
TWO of Prince William's Sandhurst colleagues were airlifted to hospital after collapsing from heat exhaustion during a North-East training exercise. The two trainee officers were taking part in an exercise in chemical protection suits with the heir to
TODDLER Rosie Wright has shown the first signs that she may be winning her fight for life after briefly coming off her ventilator to ask for a drink. The three-year-old has been in intensive care in Newcastle General Hospital, with parents Lee and Penny
UNCERTAINTY was last night hanging over the fate of Orange's 5,300 call-centre workers in the region. The mobile phone group had been expected to announce the results of a cost-saving plan - which could cut up to 2,000 jobs in the UK - to its North-East
A SCHEME that promises to hand part of the North-East a share of £200m to spend on projects to get people back to work was approved last night. Tyne and Wear, together with Easington, in County Durham, was among 13 areas awarded funding to devise new
SUNDERLAND will be the centre of attention for aircraft enthusiasts from all over Britain and beyond when the city stages its 18th International Airshow at the weekend. The biggest free airshow in Europe will probably draw more than a million visitors
A Briton on death row in Pakistan has been granted a 30 day stay of execution. After a day of doubts when reports of the delay were not speedily confirmed, the Foreign Office said last night it had heard from the Pakistan High Commission that a 30 day
PUB regulars fed up with bus service cuts are filling a shelter with pots instead of passengers. When evening bus services were cut, drinkers at The Ship Inn, in Middlestone village, near Spennymoor, County Durham, said that the all-glass bus stop outside
THE future of one of the country's most famous amateur football clubs is under threat over a proposed property deal. Bishop Auckland FC are homeless and face heavy debts after their long-awaited relocation to a new ground at nearby Tindale Crescent was
Millions of households were hit by another massive rise in energy bills yesterday when British Gas raised its prices for the third time in 12 months. British Gas owner Centrica said it will increase gas bills by 12.4 per cent and electricity bills by
Anewly-formed regiment with a proud pedigree was given its marching orders yesterday. Soldiers wearing the new Yorkshire Regiment's lion and rose cap badge, yesterday asked civic leaders for the freedom of Middlesbrough and Redcar. The regiment was formed
A RARE terrier is recovering at home after being attacked by another dog. And a neighbour who tried to stop the attack had to be taken to hospital for a tetanus injection after she was bitten on the hand. Sam, a 16-year-old Skye terrier, needed 15 stitches
THE skies over a former military airfield have witnessed many stirring sights, but an air show next month will see a bizarre debut. One of the star attractions at Yorkshire Air Show, at Elvington, near York, will be a feathered flypast involving a Frenchman
A BRASS music festival will go out on a high note this weekend with two open-air concerts. The two-month Durham Brass Festival comes to a climax on Sunday with simultaneous performances by the Durham Constabulary Band in the grounds of the DLI Museum
MIDDLE EAST: DESPITE the invective hurled at her by Peter Smith (Echo, July 18) and various correspondents (HAS, July 20) Israel has, in fact, shown commendable restraint. No country should have to put up with what she has had to. As for the Lebanese
No jockey has captured the public's imagination down the years at Ascot like Frankie Dettori, who achieved the near impossible when going through the seven race card at the Berkshire venue in September 1996. The ultra-popular Italian won't be emulating
THE region's world-beating position in stem cell research was confirmed yesterday when North-East scientists were given a huge advantage over other research teams. Scientists from the North-East England Stem Cell Institute are the first in the UK to be
CONTROVERSIAL plans to decommission and repair ghost ships in the region have been changed. Members of the public are now being urged to comment on the application from Able UK. The company applied to Hartlepool Council in October last year for Hazardous
A YOUTH club has been set up in Darlington to tempt people with new activities. The club, based at Corporation Road Baptist Church, Northgate, held its first session earlier this week. It is run by Darlington Borough Council's Youth Service and was set
Scientists have discovered that "monkey speak" may be an echo of the beginnings of human language, supporting the theory that speech goes back further than the earliest man. MONKEYS make a lot of noise, as anyone who has heard the piercing cry of howlers
Hartlepool United's Adam Boyd is expected to join Luton Town today, bringing to an end weeks of speculation over his future, writes Craig Stoddart. The Victoria Park club yesterday accepted a fee, believed to be of around £500,000, three days after rejecting
Darlington's Clark Keltie has two aims this season and he wants to combine them by emulating club legend, Kevan Smith, in becoming the first Quakers captain to lead the team to promotion since 1991. During pre-season the midfielder has been acting skipper
A TRANS-ATLANTIC programme has been helping children in Darlington learn American sports. During the first week of the summer holidays, children in Whinfield got to grips with sports such as basketball and dodgeball. The events, at the Education Village
AN illegal biker has become the first to be fined in Darlington under a new by-law. Lee Walton, 20, from Marshall Street, Darlington, was taken to court after the borough council's uniformed wardens received a complaint about motorbike riders causing
A LONG-SERVING funeral director has been recognised for his work. Michael Burn, assistant manager of St Cuthbert's Way funeral home, in Darlington, has clocked up 20 years of service for the Co-operative Funeral Service. Mr Burn, 46, had his loyalty recognised
A DARLINGTON bar kept its licence after a council review yesterday - despite a number of violent incidents this year. The council's licensing sub-committee - which has the power to suspend or revoke licences - decided to impose only minor new conditions
FOR every minute spent reading this article, the average life expectancy in Britain will have gone up by six minutes. By the end of the week, it will have increased by a whole day. Thanks to amazing medical advances made in the last twenty years, we are
INSPIRING people with learning disabilities received certificates yesterday for completing college courses. The 27 students completed the Open College Network course in a variety of subjects thanks to Darlington Borough Council's learning disabilities
A TOTAL of 272 people were made redundant at collapsed construction group MMP, which is being wound up, it emerged last night. The Newton Aycliffe company went into administration earlier this month, initially with the loss of 248 jobs. Yesterday, MMP's
ROYAL Dutch Shell announced yesterday that it was making profits of £1.6m an hour, which it attributed to a good operational performance rather than soaring oil prices. The Anglo-Dutch company's earnings totalled $6.3bn for the three months to June 30
CIGARETTE maker British American Tobacco last night announced a higher than expected 20 per cent rise in first-half profits. The company, which makes Lucky Strike, Kent, Dunhill and Pall Mall cigarettes, was helped by gains in foreign exchange rates.
PROCTER and Gamble (P&G), the world's largest consumer goods company, has announced plans to create 130 jobs in the region. The US multinational is planning to increase its workforce of 700 at its global business service centre at Cobalt Business Park
OUTSOURCING firm Spark Response is to create more than 100 jobs and boost turnover after securing a £250,000 grant. The money, awarded through regional development agency One NorthEast, will enable Spark to expand its operations at Follingsby Park, Gateshead
A NORTH-EAST art gallery has secured an exhibition by an international artist and friend of the Queen of Norway. Ornulf Opdahl, a deep-sea fisherman, will be displaying his work at Darlington's Myles Meehan Gallery. The exhibition in the Darlington Arts
Franck Queudrue has joined Fulham from Middlesbrough on a four-year contract for a fee of around £2m. The 27-year-old Frenchman has been linked with a move to the Cottagers all summer and joins after Boro signed Julio Arca from neighbours Sunderland
BUSINESSES are being invited to enter the Tees Valley Best New Business awards. The awards recognise and reward the most enterprising and successful business start-ups in the region. This will be its seventh awards ceremony. Last year's awards attracted
ENGINEERING company Aker Kvaerner is reviewing its business on Teesside and may sell off one of its divisions, The Northern Echo has learned. AK's engineering services business, which employs up to 900 people in Stockton, said it was undergoing a strategic
A MAN is trying to trace the family of a soldier killed in the First World War so his memorial plaque can be returned to them.Harry Watson, from Darlington, a retired local government official, was given the plaque by a friend who worked at the town's
Middlesex v Durham (County Championship) : Day Two THE second hour at Lord's yesterday was a pivotal point in Durham's season and, fittingly, it was the deserving Graham Onions who proved the catalyst.After the disappointment of losing their remaining
After her son was brutally murdered with a Samurai sword, Barbara Dunne helped form the pressure group Mothers Agaisnt Knives. Now, having gained support from key MPs, she feels she's close to getting a ban. She talks to Women's Editor Sarah Foster.BARBARA
Before Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer last year most younger women thought the disease was something which only affected older women. Health Editor Barry Nelson talks to one North-East woman who went through a similar experience.Out-going
Queens Of Heartache (BBC1); Can't Stop Eating (C4): Five tortured souls, one tragedy-filled documentary. Queens Of Heartache demonstrated that success and heartbreak go hand-in-hand.Janis Joplin, Judy Garland, Maria Callas, Billie Holiday and Edith
