POLICE searching for a missing Cambridge graduate last night revealed they had found a body. Daniel Bolger, 21, from North Shields, North Tyneside, was last seen leaving Magdalene College at about 2.30am on 26 November. Divers, who carried out an extensive
POLICE have urged drivers to take more care after a spate of road accidents brought chaos to the roads on Thursday morning. A total of 14 accidents were reported in the Teesside area between 7.30am and 9am, the worst of which was a six vehicle pile-up
GRAHAM Thorpe has called for Monty Panesar to return to the England team and for Ashley Giles to retire from Test cricket. England coach Duncan Fletcher has defended the decision not to select Panesar in the second-Test defeat in Adelaide, claiming
MICHAEL Vaughan is poised for a shock return ahead of schedule for England in this weekend's two-day match against Western Australia at the WACA. The England captain, who has been sidelined for a year with knee problems, has been pencilled in
SolutionsACROSS 1 Starkers. STARKERS (streak(e)rs anag.) 6 Detail. (two meanings) 9 Protestant. PRO+TES(TAN)T 10 Iowa. I+O+WA 11 Home secretary. (anag.) 13 Sepal. SE(P)AL 14 Repentant. RE+PEN+TA+NT 17 Polemical. POLE+MICAL (claim
Cryptic Clues ACROSS 1 Utterly naked streakers in confusion after losing Elizabeth (8) 6 Give particulars of a small detachment for special duty (6) 9 This anti-papist is in favour of a trial involving Brown (10) 10 I love Washington State (4)
DUNCAN Fletcher has insisted he should not be singled out for criticism over the selection policy which has led to England defeats in the opening two Ashes Tests. The humiliating six-wicket defeat at the Adelaide Oval gave Australia their eighth
This week's wine has a pale straw yellow colour with a stewed pear and apple combination on the nose with a touch of richer stone fruit and lychees. On the palate there's peach and pear and a general creaminess. It's 13% alcohol and due to the interesting
TWO people have been arrested in connection with the death of man who suffered serious head injuries. Thomas Stewart, 38, was outside a flat on Nile Court in Gateshead on Tuesday night. He was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and transferred to Newcastle
A MIDDLESBROUGH primary school has been singled out as one of the most improved in England. High Clarence Primary School, which actually falls within the Stockton borough, was named as the 38th most improved school in the Government's league table of
A 16-YEAR-OLD leukaemia patient who has been told she is dying has decided to forego further treatment. Josie Grove, left, from Corbridge, Northumberland, will accept a bravery award today. An artist and keen swimmer, Josie was diagnosed with
A BUS dedication scheme was launched this week in memory of a man closely involved with local transport.The name of former bus company boss Chris Moyes was unveiled above the door of a Go North-East service bus by members of his family.Mr Moyes, who was
RAIDERS attempted to gouge a 74-year-old postmaster in the eyes before fleeing with a substantial amount of cash. Brian Fletcher, 74, was locking up and leaving his post office in Walmgate, York, when two men accosted him and bundled him back inside,
CAR company Nissan could benefit from moves to reopen a mothballed North-East railway line. The company, which has a factory in Sunderland, has expressed an interest in making use of the 21-mile Leamside line, which links Ferryhill, in County Durham,
BUSINESS leaders in the North-East last night delivered a mixed response to the Chancellor's Pre-Budget Report. John Wright, North-East policy chairman for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said: "As in previous years there were some welcome measures
COMPUTER game fans yesterday started queuing for the new Nintendo Wii console - more than 24 hours before it will go on sale. Stores across the country are preparing to open at midnight tonight to launch the product, with most retailers reporting they
IT company Infoserve has hit its growth targets by recording a half-year turnover of £1.76m, paving the way for the planned creation of 225 jobs in the region. The company's six-month results show all-round growth for the business, and its half-year
A North-East young leaders organisation has won two national awards - only six months after its launch. JCI North-East England won praise and accolades at the national Celebrating Achievement Awards, organised by Junior Chamber International UK, in Newcastle
OWNERSHIP of County Durham wall and floor company CA Group has been transferred to an employee-managed trust after the retirement of its founder. The company, one of the 50 fastest-growing businesses in the North-East, has become an Employee Benefit
A CONSTRUCTION company has won a contract to work on an exclusive housing development. Holly Construction will work on a £500,000 project in Darras Road, in Darras Hall, Gateshead, which is due to start this month and is scheduled for completion in
Shoppers saw the biggest year-on-year rise in high street prices for more than two years last month, a study by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) revealed yesterday. Prices were 1.81 per cent higher than in the same month a year ago - the sharpest
WEALTH management firm SFM has launched a division to help women manage their assets. The service - set up in response to estimates that by 2010, 53 per cent of the UK's millionaires will be women - will be available to wealthy women across the region
POLICE were last night on the trail of a callous "pack'' of thugs who attacked a man as he tried to stop thieves stealing tools from his van. The attack, in which the unnamed victim was punched to the ground, then hit in the face with a stick and smashed
SOFTWARE company Northgate Information Solutions, which has bases in Newcastle and Wynyard, has struck a £1.5m deal with a Dutch company to market one of its products in the Netherlands. NCCW will have the exclusive rights to market the Northgate Housing
Sarah McLachlan: Mirrorball - The Complete Concert (Arista/Legacy) McLachlan's growing reputation in the UK is a result of her breathtakingly good songwriting. One of Canada's most talented writers, she writes songs of exquisite beauty and performs them
The wartime world of Nella Last has been brought ot life by Victoria Wood in her first project for ITV in 25 years. Currently working on a touring version of musical spoof, Acorn Antiques, Wood found stepping back in time quite fascination. Steve Pratt
WHAT'S ON: Tonight Voice of the North Big Band is at the Studio, Hartlepool 01429-424440, tomorrow Tommy Smith & Arild Andersen are at Darlington Arts Centre 01325-486555 and Tina May at ARC, Stockton 01642-525199. CD REVIEWS: Debbie Arthurs' Sweet Rhythm
Jamelia: Beware of the Dog (Parlophone) Sampling a well-known track is always a risky game. Done shoddily, it will only serve to remind one how much better the first record was; done well, it can hook the listener in and create an almost instant hit.
IT is a bit embarrassing when you find yourself struggling with your son's maths homework - especially since he's only seven. But I know I'm not the only one. Friends have confided that they often end up with tears before bedtime too - and it's usually
Darren Day is fighting back after another shaky chapter in his musical career. He talks openly to Viv Hardwick abut his thoughts on panto stardom at Billingham. IF Jack And The Beanstalk was written today, our hero might be penniless thanks to a handful
WHAT'S ON: The Northern Sinfonia conducted by Thomas Zehetmair will appear at the Sage Gateshead at 7.30pm tonight. The programme includes Schumann's second and third symphonies. Box office: 0191-443-4661. REVIEWS: Roland Petit Le jeune homme et la mort
ANOTHER day, another court case, and another gig for Pete Doherty. Released by London magistrates in the morning after yet more drug charges, the former Libertine and tabloid favourite was back in the North-East by 9pm for a rescheduled show at Newcastle's
A POLICE operation to catch cyclists and motorists who break the law has resulted in nearly £10,000 worth of fines being issued. Operation Causeway was launched by North Yorkshire Police in York in October to tackle cyclists riding on footpaths or at
PARENTS hit by the sudden loss of a village school should be given financial help with transport costs for their children's education, councillors say. The executive of North Yorkshire County Council called for the publication of statutory notices leading
Torchwood (BBC1): Halfway through the series and Torchwood continues to surprise. No two episodes are the same. The only certainty is that you can't be certain what's going to happen. This may be an adult spinoff from Doctor Who, again masterminded by
A wonderfully nostalgic reunion for former employees of much loved bus fim TMS. STANDING room only, former staff of the TMS bus company - officially Trimdon Motor Services but known to half the region as Trimdon Muck Shifters - held a smiles-to-the-gallon
CHRISTMAS activities will begin at a Dales museum this weekend. Mother Christmas will give out presents at a festive fun day at the Dales Countryside Museum, at Hawes, on Saturday. There will also be craft and gift stalls, games and refreshments. On Tuesday
CHRISTMAS shoppers in Ryedale are being urged to ensure their gifts reach the people they were intended for. In an attempt to stop thieves stealing presents, Safer Ryedale is urging people to think carefully about safe ways to deter festive thieves. They
CHILDREN have joined in a campaign to help orphans in freezing Russia. Pupils at Pickhill Primary School, near Thirsk, have donated socks to the Isle of Wight charity Love Russia. Now the colourful socks, featuring Winnie the Pooh, Scooby-Doo and Spiderman
A TRADITIONAL carol service will go ahead at an auction mart despite its recent closure. Masham Auction Mart closed last month after the decision by the leaseholder, Skipton-based Craven Cattle Marts (CCM), to withdraw from livestock sales because of
TRACY Barlow has a burning ambition in Coronation Street (ITV1), causing her to perform an act that's outlandish even by Soapland's standards. Terrible Tracy has a touch of the Charles Bronson's in Death Wish - she wants revenge. The object of her disaffection
A MONTHLY surgery for residents in need of help or advice starts next week in Hartlepool. Run by Hartlepool Borough Council, it will be held at the town's Salaam Centre, in Murray Street. The first drop-in session is next Thursday, from 10am to 11.30am
A COMPLEX for older people in Consett is inviting the public to join in its Christmas celebrations on Saturday. The Maple Court Extra Care Estate, in Gloucester Road, will hold a fair at 2pm. All are welcome to join residents, their friends and families
COUNCILLORS have been assured that a £47m reorganisation of special schools in the county will incorporate safeguards sought by a scrutiny committee. The county council executive agreed that amended proposals for the shake-up should go before the full
STUDENTS from a Stockton secondary school have created head-turning Christmas window displays for a department store. Pupils from Ian Ramsey CE School, in Greens Lane, Stockton, designed the displays for Psyche, in Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough. The young
HOTEL staff are taking part in a challenge to help raise £80,000 for the Princess Royal Trust for Carers. The Gisborough Hall workers, will join forces with colleagues across the Macdonald Hotels and Resorts group to help raise the cash. It is the first
WIND POWER: I AM afraid that farmer Michael Eggleston has been sadly misinformed since two wind turbines being built on his land at South Sharpley Farm, High Sharpley, near Hetton-le-Spring (Echo, Nov 30), will not have any effect whatsoever on CO2 (
PEOPLE in a Durham village are being invited to have their say on plans for a £170,000 play area. Over the past year-and-a-half, Kelloe Village Community Partnership has been working on bringing play and recreational facilities to the village and has
A TEA tea and coffee morning will be held at an open session at Burnhope Primary School's Children's Centre tomorrow. The centre, in Langley Avenue, Burnhope, between Stanley and Lanchester, will be open from 9.15am to 11am.
PIANO tuner Rob Kerr has retired on a high note. Mr Kerr, 67, a professional musician who played the Teesside nightclub circuit in the 1960s and 1970s, has been tuning school pianos in Redcar and Cleveland for four decades. He said: "I've enjoyed it immensely
A DROP-IN cafe for youngsters will be relaunched thanks to a grant. The cafe at the parish village hall in Scotton closed almost a year ago because of a lack of helpers. Now some local parents have stepped forward to help, and a £1,350 grant from Richmondshire
COMMENTATORS drool over Arsenal's beautiful football - but the team fails to win most games and has next to no chance of winning the Premiership. As David Cameron celebrated one year as Conservative leader yesterday - having been similarly swooned over
THE body that has taken over control of council housing in part of north Durham was launched yesterday. A total of 7,600 properties were transferred to Derwentside Homes on Monday, and the company has been launched with a party at the Civic Centre, in
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for a large housing development hope to spread their message through the internet. The Newfield and Pelton Action Group has launched its own website, to give details of its fight against plans by Persimmon Homes North-East to
YOUNGSTERS worried about being mugged for their mobile phone have launched a publicity campaign they hope will reduce the incidence of the crime. Posters designed by members of Easington Youth Forum are being displayed on the back of about 30 buses that
A CAMPAIGN to stop a maternity unit from being closed is growing in strength. Residents in Malton are fighting proposals by Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust to close the unit in the town. The trust is reviewing its maternity services
IN his book, "The Meaning of Sport", author Simon Barnes likens competitive sport to the sight of elephants feeding at a watering hole in Zimbabwe. Despite the water being much fresher at one end of the watering hole than the other, the elephants repeatedly
FEARS over anti-social behaviour and an increase in noise may end hopes of bringing 24-hour shopping to Bishop Auckland. Asda wants its supermarket to be the first in the town to be open 24 hours, but the council says the move would increase commotion
CHILDREN with diabetes have been helped to lead normal lives thanks to the sponsored pedalling of a factory team. The cyclists from 3M, in Newton Aycliffe, raised more than £4,300 for the South-Durham Health Care NHS Trust children's diabetes fund through
THE chief executive of a troubled housing company has announced his retirement from the post. Alan Caygill, who has headed East Durham Homes (EDH) the Easington District Council's arms' length management company (Almo), since its launch two years ago,
CLOUDING OVER'S prospects at Huntingdon look likely to be significantly enhanced by the presence of promising teenage rider James Reveley in the saddle. James, son of Clouding Over's trainer, Keith, is able to lighten the grey mare's load by a full 7lbs
SPENNYMOOR SHOPS: RE Vivien Slack's letter (HAS, Page 4, Dec 5). Not all residents of Spennymoor are able to use "out-of-town shopping" so we have a duty to improve infrastructure and make the shopping area more attractive for new retailers. Festival
A COUNCIL was praised yesterday for the way it deals with household and commercial rubbish, encourages its residents to recycle and keeps its area clean. The Audit Commission reported that good improvements have been made in the Teesdale District Council
A church in Barnard Castle has launched an appeal to raise funds for a revamp. St Mary's Church, The Bank, needs to raise more than £500,000 to pay for extensive reorganisation of its interior. The plans include a digital organ to be installed at the
A VICTORIAN Santa Claus is making a return visit to a Teesdale Forest this weekend and next weekend. Hundreds of youngsters will be able to meet a green-robed Santa, wearing a crown of foliage, at Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland. There will also
A NORTH-EAST millionaire seen on TV last night living on £11 a day has been supporting the needy for years through a charity fund he set up. John Elliott, 62, boss of County Durham dehumidifier and water cooler maker Ebac, became Channel 4's latest Secret
A 16-YEAR-OLD who threw bricks through the windows of a village school has been ordered to pay compensation for the damage. The boy, from Leeholme, near Bishop Auckland, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will pay £60 towards the cost of replacing
COUNCIL waste officers are launching a festive roadshow urging people to recycle the extra waste they will produce this Christmas. Durham County Council officials in seasonal outfits will tour the county give recycling tips, advise on waste problems,
A HEADteacher labelled his school "severely rundown" yesterday after a gas leak gave his pupils an unexpected long weekend. Pupils at Hurworth School Maths and Computing College have been told not to go to school today or tomorrow, because a leaking pipe
MORE workers from Middlesbrough Council's waste services section are sweeping up qualifications for their jobs. Eighteen employees have so far gained a National Vocational Qualification in cleaning and support services and another 11 are currently working
ELECTED MAYOR: REGARDING the Darlington and South Durham Co-operative Society correspondent's letter (HAS, Page 4, Dec 5) in support of keeping the current unelected mayoral post in Darlington. This society must be oblivious to the running of this town
A DARLINGTON war veteran, who worked for the town's newspapers for more than 50 years, has died aged 87. Herbert Wharton started his career as an apprentice compositor for the Darlington and Stockton Times, and the Evening Dispatch, in Priestgate, Darlington
A Darlington woman received an early festive gift after landing a £1,000 Panasonic 32in TV in a prize draw. Christina Netzler was the first winner of the Christmas Cracker competition, run in co-operation with Darlington town centre management, the borough
TREES are being planted in Africa and Darlington thanks to the efforts of residents who recycle. Alupro, a national company that recycles aluminium, gives a tree to councils for every tonne of aluminium that is recycled in a year. Darlington joined the
LESS than two months after patching up their differences, Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy are preparing to lock horns again in pursuit of highly-rated Arsenal teenager Anthony Stokes. Stokes, who is nearing the end of a four-month loan spell at Falkirk, is
NEWCASTLE Falcons will have England centre Jamie Noon, skipper Matt Burke and former Mowden Park flanker Eni Gesinde back in their starting line-up for tomorrow's European Challenge Cup tie away to French side Montauban. The Falcons will be without any
A FAKE crocodile made from 11,000 tins of food is the centrepiece of an exhibition that opens today in a shopping centre. The eight-metre creature, along with a castle, was designed by year seven children from Monkwearmouth and Pennywell comprehensive
FLOOD levels in North Yorkshire rivers were expected to peak last night before dropping today. Seven flood warnings remained in place overnight on the Ouse, Swale and Ure rivers. The worst affected area was York, where the river Ouse rose to 3.8 metres
COUNCILLORS are due to vote on a controversial windfarm plan tonight. Officers at Wear Valley District Council have told the development control committee that EDF Energy's plan for four 100-metre turbines near Stanley Crook should be approved. The meeting
ROOM was to be had at the inn for 53 young performers making their stage Nativity debuts yesterday. Members of Durham Chorister School's pre-prep department took part in the opening performance of their Christmas production, The Innkeeper's Breakfast
CHRISTMAS kids at Darlington College Childcare Centre are preparing for their first nativity play. More than 20 toddlers donned angel wings, king's robes and shepherd's cloaks to rehearse for the traditional festive show. Deputy officer in charge Annie
DURHAM City Council has taken on two officers to develop a programme of cultural events. Kate James and Suzy O'Hara Sheader have been recruited to implement the 2020 Vision for the city. Ms James, who formerly worked for bookstore chain Waterstone's,
AN expansion plan for Durham Tees Valley Airport cleared its first planning hurdle last night. Councillors unanimously backed the £56m plans to develop the site, which will bring traveller capacity up to three million a year. Stockton Borough Council's
THE controversial development of a sheltered accommodation scheme may be approved. Linden Court, in Hurworth Place, is a 33-room sheltered accommodation scheme for the elderly. Darlington Borough Council wants to demolish the homes and replace them with
DANCE and gymnastics have brought hundreds of primary schoolchildren together over the past two days. Two movement festivals at Willington Spectrum on Tuesday and King James School, Bishop Auckland, yesterday, marked the end of a term of workshops for
Kevin Smith's loan deal at Wrexham has been extended by another month. The 19-year-old striker, who scored his first senior goal last weekend, will now remain at the Racecourse Ground until January. Meanwhile, another Sunderland loanee, Jon Stead, has
TWO drug addicts who supplied undercover police officers with heroin to fund their own habits have each been jailed for two-and-a-half years. A court heard that the women knew they were giving the drugs to detectives, but were desperate for money for
AFTER a year as leader, there is much discussion about whether David Cameron is all froth and no trousers. Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer who hopes to be in a head-to-head fight with Mr Cameron at the next election, is clearly taking him
FOUR County Durham schools were celebrating last night after all their pupils achieved the benchmark level of achievement in English, maths and science. St Michael's RC Primary School, in Esh village, Woodlea Primary School, in Fencehouses, Hunwick Primary
Since taking control of Hartlepool United in September 1997, owners Increased Oil Recovery Ltd have subsidised the club to the tune of almost £6m. And, speaking at last night's AGM at Victoria Park, chairman Ken Hodcroft revealed that turnover to the
SAM Russell has been told he will not play again this year, but any fears that the Darlington goalkeeper has suffered a recurrence of an old injury were allayed yesterday. The 24-year-old is facing up to six weeks on the sidelines after suffering a hairline
A REPORT into a council's handling of a £8.5m pedestrianisation project will recommend that several processes need strengthening. Darlington Borough Council's resources scrutiny committee will meet next Friday to discuss the final draft on the Pedestrian
MIDDLESBROUGH Football Club's plans for Europe's longest, multi-million pound golf course are almost certain to be approved, it was announced yesterday. The complex will include an 18-hole course, 63-bedroom hotel, and 24 private apartments. There would
DARLINGTON would benefit from having a directly-elected mayor, according to one of the country's best-known civic leaders. Stuart Drummond was Hartlepool United Football Club's mascot when he was surprisingly elected as the town's mayor in 2002, with
Newcastle United 3, Reading 2. IT had looked like being a bad night for ornithologists at Newcastle last night when a stricken bird was carried from the pitch after gasping its final breaths on the St James' Park turf. By the end of 90 action-packed minutes
GLENN Roeder last night revealed that Emre had shrugged off "hurtful comments" from the Reading bench to score the 84th-minute winner that hauled Newcastle out of the relegation zone. Emre had ended the first half in a furious mood after a member of the
STEWART DOWNING last night leapt to the defence of George Boateng by insisting the Middlesbrough captain 'didn't punch anyone' in the 20-man brawl at Tottenham Hotspur which has landed both clubs in hot water with the Football Association. There was a
Dancing penguins aren't the only problem when you interview Robin Wiliams, Steve Pratt discovers that the famous funnyman of film is even willing to discuss his recent visist to rehab for alcoholism... as long and answers aren't expected to be too serious
A FATHER told last night how his nose was bitten off in a terrifying confrontation.Terry Smith, 33, fears he may be scarred for life after the incident at his Mitchell Street home in South Moor, Stanley, County Durham.He was stabbed with a knife and had
A HEADSTONE is to be dedicated after detective work by a vicar solved the 50-year mystery of a missing grave.Stories circulated in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, for many years that an unknown person was the only burial in St Matthew's churchyard, but records
Jan Durham has been a peace activist for more than 50 years. She tells Lindsay Jennings about being jailed for her cause and finding support in the unlikliest of places.THE coffee machine is spitting wildly in the background as we sink into the brown
TRIDENT: HOW bitterly disappointing that Tony Blair is bent on pushing through a replacement for Trident before a full debate and vote takes place.Possession of such weapons has been declared illegal by the world court, as their use leads to indiscriminate
GORDON BROWN pledged yesterday to be the education Prime Minister when he reaches No 10, with a £36bn spending spree to make every school "fit for the 21st Century".The Chancellor used his Pre-Budget Report - almost certainly his last before succeeding
THE widow of a man who died in a Christmas Eve collision with an uninsured driver could finally be in line for a six-figure payout following a ruling by the nation's most senior judge. Nicola Richardson was told in January by a Middlesbrough County Court
STEWART DOWNING last night leapt to the defence of George Boateng by insisting the Middlesbrough captain 'didn't punch anyone' in the 20-man brawl at Tottenham Hotspur which has landed both clubs in hot water with the Football Association. There was a
NORTHUMBRIAN Water yesterday reported its half-year profits had risen to £129.5m following increases in customer bills. The group posted six-month profits to September 30 up 10.87 per cent on last year. Overall revenues rose by 20.6 per cent after a
ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour orders (Asbos) were last night branded a failure after a report revealed that nearly six out of ten were breached by offenders.Government spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) said that 55 per cent of Asbos were being
A North-East young leaders organisation has won two national awards - only six months after its launch.JCI North-East England won praise and accolades at the national Celebrating Achievement Awards, organised by Junior Chamber International UK, in Newcastle
