THE owner of a Teesside nursing home and a care assistant have been charged with manslaughter following the death of a pensioner at a North-East nursing home. Cleveland Police said Frank Hutchison, aged 67, died at The Hollies, in Norton, Stockton, earlier
Thirteen years ago Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing's younger sister, Vicki, died after developing a malignant tumour. Chief Football Writer Paul Fraser tells of the enormous impact it had on her family and how, using their international footballing
L 'ULTIMO Bacio, an Italian drama of which I suspect most other cinemagoers are unaware, was the starting point for this offbeat romantic comedy more concerned with the agony than the ecstasy of love. Michael (Braff, star of TV's Scrubs) is
A FTER the debacle of Waterworld, you'd think Kevin Costner would want to stay out of the water. But he's all at sea again, diving in at the deep end in what amounts to a wet, wet, wet version of Top Gun or An Officer And A Gentleman. You know
WRITER-director Sofia Coppola's vision of the "let them eat cake" French queen could never be called conventional. A soundtrack featuring the likes of Bow Wow Wow, New Order and Adam Ant indicates that she's putting a modern spin on the intriguing
The selection of 40 tracks heard on the DJ's show are a tribute to his eclectic and diverse taste. A mixture of new-wave and punk classics such as Gang Of Four and The Buzzcocks nestle up to the stranger side of John's taste including Ivor Cutler
The mastodon, an extinct creature similar to the woolly mammoth, died out about 10,000 years ago. While it would be unfair to wish a similar fate on this American heavy metal outfit, this album was not really to my liking.
A frighteningly mature album about love and life from a man - Damon Gough - who is maturing into a consummate musician. It is rumbustuously put together with some rollicking piano riffs, a sense of fun and some memorable melodies.
This is the third incarnation of Jamelia, who in the past has retired from music and then taken two years out to bring up her second daughter, and could be the one which establishes her as one of the UK's leading female talents. Here, she samples
STEELMAKER Corus is on the verge of agreeing a £4.1bn takeover by an Indian conglomerate. The Financial Times website reports that the Corus board has approved the 455p a share offer from the steel arm of Indian conglomerate Tata and will announce the
A MAN has been remanded in custody charged with three counts of rape dating back nine years. Thomas Shaun Noble, of no fixed abode, did not enter a plea when he appeared before Teesside Magistrates' Court today. The 45-year-old, who previously lived
A POLICE chief heading a murder hunt hopes to be "one step nearer" catching the killer or killers of a father-of-six, after visiting businesses across a Teesside community tonight. Cleveland Police are to visit pubs, restaurants, takeaways, late night
THREE men are to appear in court on Teesside over an alleged £20m Government fraud. The three were connected with the Middlesbrough-based National Distance Learning College which ran correspondence courses and encouraged students to use the Government's
A HAULAGE company boss is offering a £2,000 reward for information leading to the successful prosecution of those responsible for an arson attack that caused £100,000 worth of damage to his business. Agricultural haulier Billy Marley lives at Constantine
A KENYAN village school has received more than £2,000 thanks to villagers in the county. Residents and children from the primary school in Middleton Tyas, near Richmond, raised money for the Sonneti Academy, in eastern Kenya, after villagers Jim and
ASPIRING writers can get help with workshops. Arts in Richmondshire, the district arts development agency, offers sessions on poetry, prose or drama. Film footage of the district will be shown to inspire students at workshops led by creative writing lecturer
PROBATION bosses are celebrating after ten offenders gained qualifications as part of a new training project. The scheme is part-funded by the European Social Fund and works with offenders to improve their chances of getting jobs. The North Yorkshire
EIGHT tourism projects have been given more than £26,000. Hambleton District Council agreed to allocate the money left over in its tourism reserve. The reserve was set up to help the district's tourism industry recover from the effects of foot-and-mouth
DRAMA students are determined to put on a fearsome show when they venture deep into a forest this month. The Forestry Commission has joined the Yorkshire Coast College, in Scarborough, to conjure up a Halloween event on Tuesday, October 31. People will
YOUNG rugby players have the chance to learn alongside the professionals when Leeds Tykes visit the Dales. The community team will be at Wensleydale Rugby Union Football Club, near Leyburn, on Wednesday and next Thursday. Youngsters will receive coaching
A NORTHALLERTON school is continuing to excel in sports with its hockey and football teams achieving success in recent trials. Hockey players Claire Mitchell, Clare Eames, Lucy Morgan and Lissy Walters, from the Allertonshire School, have been successful
SOLDIERS showed their caring side when they took part in a gruelling driving competition to help premature babies. Civilian staff and men from the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick Garrison took part in the contest as part of their annual road safety
CONTRACTORS refurbishing a swimming pool have found serious defects in pipe-work and tiling. The cost of the project, at Stokesley Leisure Centre, has risen by £64,000. The pool closed at the beginning of the month for a 12-week refurbishment, which
A YOUNG carpenter has come second in a national competition only a year into his apprenticeship. Liam Gardner, 17, of Gilling West, near Richmond, narrowly missed winning the Skill Build 2006 final because a screw broke and he had to re-drill a hole.
CHILDREN are invited to some Halloween fun at a shopping centre. The Gates Shopping Centre, in Durham City, is holding a trick or treat trail on Saturday, October 28, and every child who takes part will receive a chocolate gift. From 11am to 4pm, children
A TRADITIONAL North-East watering hole will turn into a German bierkeller at the weekend. The Woodman Inn, in Gilesgate, Durham, will repeat its successful German Oktoberfest, trialled last year. A range of selected German tipples, sourced by beer importer
A CEMETERY transformed into an important wildlife haven has won two top awards. The Spion Kop Cemetery, at Central Estate, Hartlepool, received a certificate of merit in the Britain in Bloom Neighbourhood Awards and also won recognition in the conservation
A TEENAGER succumbed to temptation when temporarily left in charge of gaming machines in an arcade, a court heard. Sean Edward Bell was visiting his girlfriend, who was at work at an amusement arcade at the In-Shops complex, in Front Street, Chester-le-Street
A RESCUE team has praised students for their actions after they became lost on remote moorland. The girls, who were on a Duke of Edinburgh award scheme trip, were found by Swaledale mountain rescue volunteers on fells above Keld. The group, from Leicester
COUNCILLORS are being recommended to approve plans to build 11 bungalows for the elderly and people with learning difficulties. Three Rivers Housing has applied to develop open land to the east of Lunedale Road, in Billingham. Five of the single-storey
HOUSEHOLDERS in a crime-plagued community are being offered advice on how to make their homes safe. Middlesbrough Council's community safety team is working with residents in Gresham to show them how reduce the risk of becoming victims of a burglary.
PEOPLE faced their fears to raise money for charity in Durham on Tuesday. St Cuthbert's Hospice held organised walks over 20ft of burning coals and 15ft of broken glass. They took place in front of fascinated crowds in Durham Market Place and Durham Town
THE first phase of a scheme to spend £3.6m on gadgets to help the police target criminals has been approved. The pilot scheme will give North Yorkshire officers handheld devices linked to the national police database. They will give the officers instant
A MIDDLESBROUGH primary school has a new football pitch and improved sports playground, following a £60,000 improvement scheme. The facilities at St Alphonsus' are part of a £5m programme of sports provision at schools in the town. The project is funded
ILLEGAL bonfires and fireworks are being targeted by emergency services in the build-up to November 5. A partnership has been set up by Cleveland Fire Brigade to patrol areas regularly troubled by arsonists and anti-social behaviour. Members of the Fire
BONFIRES built illegally in north Durham before the weekend of Guy Fawkes Night are to be dismantled and removed. Derwentside District Council is treating illegal woodstacks on public land in the same fashion as fly-tipped rubbish. It has teamed up with
More than 250 villagers have signed a petition calling on Durham County Council to stop gipsies camping near their homes. The villagers, from Leeholme and Coundon, say travellers who camp on the former site of Leeholme School have no right to use the
AN initiative to stop smokers dropping their cigarette butts is to be expanded to include the streets of Crook. People in Bishop Auckland have already benefited from the "Stub it Out" campaign, through which smokers are given a free fireproof pouch, a
COUNCILLORS have paid tribute to the work of a retiring town clerk. John Abbot has been a council clerk for more than 25 years, serving as clerk to Tow Law town council for the past three, and he announced his intention to retire at a meeting on Tuesday
A driver twice left the scene of an accident and reported his car had been stolen to avoid being caught, a court heard. Andrew Gittons was returning home from a friend's barbecue on July 27 when he lost control of his car in Spennymoor. David Maddison
THREE friends have set themselves a tough challenge to raise money for cancer research in the North-East. Neil Dodd, Robin Kelly and Jimmy Winter plan to complete the Coast to Coast (C2C) cycle route, in each direction, in two days - with only a day's
GARDENERS who want to make their town allotments more secure will not have to dig too deep to install fencing after landing a £10,000 grant. East End Allotment Association, in Ferryhill, received the cash from the Lottery's Awards for All scheme towards
A MAN grew cannabis for pain relief, a court heard. Stephen Howe, 32, of Tweed Road, Spennymoor, was working in Holland as a painter and decorator, but returned home after developing a muscular disease. David Maddison, prosecuting, said police found a
BISHOP Auckland college is piling on the pounds for chocolate week, with a massive jump in orders for its sweets. Trainees chefs on the college's patisserie and confectionery course have been slaving over the mouth-watering treats to meet a growing demand
INFORMATION boards which will help bring a town's history to life were launched by the Bishop of Durham yesterday. The Right Reverend Tom Wright led schoolchildren, who helped plan the project, on the Bishop's Stroll, one of eight new town trails in and
CLEVELAND Police chiefs have recruited a multiple gold medal winner in a bid to inspire their staff to achieve their potential. Dame Tanni-Grey-Thompson, winner of 11 Paralympic golds, will be a guest speaker at the Gender Agenda development day. Gender
POLICE have won court approval to retain £1,800 seized from the home of a heavy drug user. Officers recovered the cash, along with a mix of drugs, from the home of Heather Honey, in the Shield Row area of Stanley. Durham magistrates heard that traces
SHOPPERS from all over the region seized the chance to buy Christmas gifts yesterday. The annual Durham Shopping Extravaganza also helped to raise money for three charities. The event, staged at Ramside Hall Hotel, was opened by Durham's High Sheriff,
STAFF at an animal sanctuary are celebrating a double dose of good news. The Ark on the Edge animal sanctuary, in Woodland, near Bishop Auckland, was told this week it has received charitable status. Then it discovered that it had been shortlisted for
A MEMBER of Parliament is staging a surgery with a difference in his constituency tomorrow. North Durham MP Kevan Jones will face a grilling from pupils of Hermitage School, Chester-le-Street. As part of Local Democracy Week, promoted by the Local Government
BUSY magistrates courts should open round-the-clock to stop trials being cancelled at the last minute, MPs will demand today. Figures show that 14 per cent - one in every seven - of court hearings are scrapped. North Yorkshire has one of the worst records
A SECRET about a massive bomb that played havoc with the German war machine has finally been revealed. The five ton Tallboy, nicknamed the earthquake bomb, was used to great effect in the closing stages of the Second World War, mainly by 617 Squadron,
TWO grandmothers campaigning for peace were arrested at a US base the day an Act aimed at preventing terrorism came into force, a court heard yesterday. Helen John, 68, and Sylvia Boyes, 63, were detained at the Menwith Hill base, near Harrogate, on
IMPOVERISHED pensioners are being forced to support a national treasure worth almost £1m after a council refused permission for its removal. Now the chandelier, thought to be the most expensive in Britain in private ownership, will be left to deteriorate
Ten years of TV comedy was the wrong way to approach her Royal Shakespeare Company debut, Tamsin Greig tells Viv Hardwick. She and co-star Joe Millson form a formidable comdey duo which is due to light up Much Ado in Newcastle. PUTTING TV comedy series
His Newcastle links remain as mysterious as Prospero in The Tempest, but all Hollywood star Patrick Stewart says he wants is another three year contract with The Royal Shakespeare Company. The Yorkshireman refuses to admit to Viv Hardwick that every seat
LITTLE boys love building dens. Like birds constructing nests, they have an instinct for creating their own little worlds, free from adults. I remember the joy of building dens in the corner of the lounge - and the fights when my brothers knocked them
John Barrowman filmed his sci-fi spin-off Torchwood side by side with the Tardis-travelling adventures of Doctor Who. Steve Pratt reports on the return of Captain Jack. CAPTAIN Jack Harkness was last seen stranded on a satellite many thousands of the
Steve Pratt discovers that US actor Zach Braff doesn't mind being hated as the actor letting down his pregnant girlfriend with another woman in the film The Last Kiss. BEING a single thirtysomething meant Scrubs star Zach Braff knew all about the character
Goldplated (C4); Strictly Comes Dancing - It Takes Two (BBC2): A that reminds you of both Footballers' Wives and Dynasty can't be all bad. Goldplated certainly shows promise and, as long as it doesn't take itself too seriously, could develop into a
FRANKIE and Johnny were lovers, so the song tells us. But what about Frankie and Jamie in Coronation Street?. Will they, won't they? Have they, haven't they? Can they, can't they?. As you gather a big question mark hangs over their future together. If
He may now have a face like a relief map of the Wirral but Ken Dodd still knowns how to tickle his audience's funny bones. His boundless energy shows no signs of flagging either. KEN Dodd bounces on stage banging a drum. "Fifty years of dreaming of being
THE presence of long-distance Brighton raider Gigs Magic spells big trouble for his rivals in the mile-and-a-half Sporting Index Apprentice Handicap. The fact that trainer Mark Johnston is prepared to send his three-year-old all the way from Middleham
TEACHERS have visited an environmental education centre that is working with Darlington Borough Council to promote green ways of living. Clow Beck Eco Centre, in Croft, North Yorkshire, provides visitors with the opportunity to learn about living in a
A MINI-MARKET which has been associated with problems of under-age drinking has kept its licence. But the owners of SS Supermarket, in Whitby Way, Darlington, could sell their business after 21 years. Darlington Borough Council's licensing sub-committee
A BOOK is published today paying homage to one of the region's most famous landmarks. Roseberry Topping, by the Great Ayton Community Archaeology Project, in North Yorkshire, is a 206-page tome charting the geology, landscape, history and heritage of
HEALTH officials are giving their approval to breast-feeding-friendly businesses. Darlington Primary Care Trust and County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals Trust are to officially recognise local businesses who offer facilities for breast-feeding
A FUNGI expert will lead an exploration of a Darlington cemetery in search of weird and wonderful fungi. The event, organised by Darlington Borough Council's countryside team, takes place in West Cemetery, on Sunday, from 2pm to 4pm. The event is free
CHRISTMAS cards depicting Darlington landmarks in winter have gone on sale at the town's tourist information centre. The set of four cards is available at £3.75 from Information Darlington, in Horsemarket. The set includes a CD-Rom containing images
A DARLINGTON rock band is on the verge of stardom. The Hyads play tonight at Hogan's, in Bishop Auckland, at 9pm, before next week playing Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester. They are in the semi-final of a Global Battle of the Bands competition and
HAVING knocked one League One side out of the competition, a home tie with Doncaster Rovers is Hartlepool United's reward in the second round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Pools eased past Rotherham on Tuesday and face a reunion with former defender
A NUMBER of activities are taking place at Darlington Railway Centre and Museum during half-term. On Monday, there will be a spooky drama workshop with Robin Ellwood, from 10am to noon, and from 1pm to 3pm, for children aged eight to 12 years. There are
THE Department of Health has said it does not believe schools should be included in future campaigns to highlight the risks of testicular cancer. Officials were responding to calls from cancer specialist Dr Adrian Rathmell in The Northern Echo yesterday
A DARLINGTON man is to headline an international martial arts contest in front of 27,000 fans. Twenty-one-year-old Michael Dicks will travel to Trieste, in Northern Italy, on Saturday where he will compete in a Thai Boxing match in a sold-out stadium
FLOWERS to mark the first anniversary of the death of a 24-year-old woman have been stolen from her grave. A bouquet of flowers laid on the grave of Rachel Foster by close friends was stolen earlier this week. This theft followed the theft of a dozen
After a stop-start opening to the season, Darlington's Clark Keltie is aiming to finally cement his place in the side and hang on to the captain's armband. Injuries have hampered not only his start to the campaign but also several other players in the
TWO multi-million pound developments in County Durham could create more than 6,000 jobs in the region, it emerged last night. The Northern Echo has learned that private property group Durham Green Developments is building a major business park on more
UNIONS have called a meeting with Quorn maker Premier Foods to resolve a pay dispute with its Teesside employees and avoid strike action. The Amicus and Transport and General Workers (T&G) unions have suggested a number of dates to Premier and are waiting
STEELWORKERS in the region could be in line for a windfall if Corus is taken over by a rival steel company. The former British Steel company, which employs 3,000 people in the region, has several share incentive schemes running which at least a third
IT is hard to picture Ruth Kelly as Marlon Brando - but, nevertheless, the Local Government Secretary is determined to make local councils an offer they can't refuse. Within the next few weeks, Ms Kelly will unveil a crucial White Paper that will tell
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build 114 homes on the site of a former Darlington college have been approved - despite 14 objections. Developer Charles Church has been told it can build 32 flats in a four-storey block and 44 three-storey town houses alongside
THE number of people in work or looking for a job in the North-East has grown, according to the latest Government figures. The number of people in employment in the region has risen 34,000 over the past year to 1.16m, according to data released yesterday
BUSY magistrates courts should open round-the-clock to stop trials being cancelled at the last minute, MPs will demand today. Figures show that 14 per cent - one in every seven - of court hearings are scrapped. North Yorkshire has one of the worst records
A SCHEME to protect vulnerable members of the community from rogue traders hopes to mark its first anniversary by signing up its 100th member. The registered traders scheme aims to stamp out bogus workmen and cold callers who over-charge for poor service
RORY Delap will not be returning to Sunderland despite breaking his leg in two places in only the second game of his loan spell at Stoke. The former Republic of Ireland international, who only left Wearside eight days ago, faces a six-month spell on the
A POLICEMAN who spent years fighting wildlife crime in the North-East is to head a new national task force. Chris Kerr, who worked as a wildlife officer with Cleveland Police, has been named head of the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which will deal with
FRENCH police have confiscated more than half a million pounds worth of materials from a gang of North-East travellers. More details have emerged of the travellers, reportedly from Darlington, who were arrested last week on suspicion of swindling hundreds
THE 70th landmark play by writer/director Alan Acykbourn was always going to be a little magical. Having investigated relationships from every angle since 1959, the master of gripping comedy comes up with a different spin and has downtrodden wife Jill
GHOST SHIPS: THE saga of the Ghost Ships "rattles" on, and we are still nowhere nearer a solution after three years of effort and investment by Able UK to bring employment to this area. The only person who appears to have come out of this saga with any
JOSE Mourinho has brought a lot to English football in the two-and-a-half years since he first strolled down the King's Road. Passion, tactical acumen, even haute couture - the charismatic Chelsea boss has shown the English game that style and substance
POLICE last night charged a North-East man with rape nine years after a woman was attacked. The 45-year-old from Stockton will appear before Teesside Magistrates Court, in Middlesbrough, this morning, accused of the 1997 rape of a woman. He was arrested
THE company at the heart of a controversial factory closure review has almost doubled the number of jobs it has found for disabled people in the region. Remploy said it found 99 jobs for disabled workers in the North-East in mainstream employment in the
A FIRM of architects has been saved from administration following a management buyout. E Angus Leybourne, of Hebburn, in Tyneside, appointed administrators on October 11. Administrator Greg Whitehead, of recovery specialists Northpoint Associates, said
A FIT-AGAIN Jonathan Woodgate last night urged Steve McClaren to recall David Beckham to the England squad and claimed his former Real Madrid team-mate remained one the best midfielders in the country. This week, Beckham claimed he still had "a part to
INVESTIGATORS said last night that police had no case to answer over the death of a father days after he was hit by a baton round and an electronic stun gun during a house siege. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPPC) said it was satisfied
A YOUNG mother has spoken for the first time of the moment her daughter was killed when a car crashed into her pushchair. Charlene Ryan, 21, described how she saw 20-month-old Aisling Marie Nic-Suibhre's pushchair flung across the road. Despite being
UNSUNG heroes in the health service have been handed awards for unstinting dedication. Jenny MacIver is a senior technical instructor at the St Aidan's Day Centre, in Middlesbrough, which is run by the Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Mental Health Trust
IF a Muslim veil is, to use the Prime Minister's words, "a mark of separation", what is a faith school? A faith school separates children as young as four or five purely on the grounds of religion. Of course in the North-East, where most people, if pushed
THE mother of murder victim Peter Hoe told last night how his four-year-old daughter was too young to understand where her father has gone.Maureen Hoe made an emotional plea for information to track down the killers of her son, who was stabbed to death
TWO Durham-born opera notables have joined forces to stage a North-East world premiere of the first work dedicated to the UK's homeless community. Matthew Peacock, chief executive of Streetwise Opera, commissioned a piece by Will Todd, who has a number
The murder of Russian jounalist Anna Politkovskaya prompted international outrage. Her collegue, Arkady Babchenko, pays tribute to her courage and speaks to Lindsay Jennings about the dangers independent journalists now face.ARKADY Babchenko was staying
JULIAN Joachim will resume training next week, with the club record signing eyeing a return in the derby against Hartlepool United a week on Saturday, writes Lee Hall .The £100,000 capture from Boston United has missed Quakers' last three games with a
Glenn Roeder goes head-to-head with a true legend of the game tonight. Fenerbahce coach Zico graced arguably the finest footballing Brazil side since 1970 and, as Chief Football Writer Scott Wilson discovered last night, he's still capable of a highly
NEWCASTLE United face a goalkeeping crisis ahead of tonight's UEFA Cup tie with Fenerbahce.Manager Glenn Roeder is sweating on the fitness of Steve Harper after the United goalkeeper injured his groin in Sunday's home defeat to Bolton Wanderers.The Newcastle
A TERRIER called Mouse proved she was a lionheart when she helped save an 80-year-old woman following a river ordeal.Although cold and wet, the 15-year-old dog, which hates water, led rescuers to the injured pensioner after both had narrowly escaped
