ONE person was taken to hospital after a bus and a car collided on the outskirts of Darlington. The accident happened on Monday night, around 5.30pm, on Croft Road, close to the Reg Vardy car dealership. A spokesman for County Durham police said a woman
THE League Two derby between Darlington and Hartlepool United next year has been put back to Sunday, March 25 with a 1pm kick-off at the request of Durham Police. The 96.6 TFM Arena has an official capacity of 25,000, but it has been limited to 10,000
A CASHIER was shaken but unhurt after being threatened by a knife-wielding robber in an early morning raid. The man, who was armed with an eight-inch kitchen knife, ran from the Beacon garage in Catterick Road, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, after
A NORTH-EAST soldier killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb was not wearing the most up to date protective protective gear, an inquest heard today. Guardsman Anthony Wakefield, a father-of-three from Newcastle, may have survived if he had been wearing better
A 20-YEAR-OLD man arrested in connection with the death of three sixth-form students in a car crash was today released on bail pending further enquiries, police said. Friends Oliver Cross, Thomas Dunn and Michael Tempest, all aged 16, were killed on
A WOMAN has admitted killing her partner who was found lying in a pool of blood at the home they shared. Terri Milburn, 32, was originally charged with the murder of Philip Hewitt, who was found by police and paramedics on the stairs of their home after
POLICE have seized drugs following a swoop on an award winning North-East night club. Thirteen people were arrested for possession of drugs and possession with intent to supply, in the raid on the Tall Trees Nightclub on the edge of Yarm. More than
PENSIONERS are being warned to be on their guard after a team of bogus callers struck seven times in just 90 minutes. The thieves, thought to have travelled from the North-West, targeted homes in Chester-le-Street, Stanley and Consett, County Durham,
A SHOPPER has claimed she was blinded in one eye after she was given a faulty carrier bag at a supermarket. She says shards from a broken bottle went in her eye after her Asda bag snapped and her shopping smashed on the floor. Wendy Hamilton has now
POLICE on Teesside are looking for a teenager who held a knife to a man's throat and put him in a headlock before rifling his pockets. The robber, aged about 17 to 19 years old, took money and a lighter from the man, who was attacked as he crossed a
EQUESTRIAN star Zara Phillips has emulated her mother, The Princess Royal, in being voted the BBC Sports Personality of The Year. The 25-year-old, whose father Mark Phillips was an Olympic goal medallist in the same sport, finished ahead of runner-up
Following the recent Team Talk phone-in on BBC Radio Cleveland and a direct meeting that night between the station's Sports Producer Paul Addison and the Redcar Bears' Director of Operations Gareth Rogers - it has been confirmed that Gareth will voice
FRUSTRATED parishioners still do not know why their priest was suspended - two years after the Catholic church removed him. On December 10, 2004, Father Michael Higginbottom was withdrawn from St Augustine's Roman Catholic Church, Darlington, pending
Not many photographers can say they've joined an Arctic expedition or trekked in China with their job, but David Glen Walker takes such missions in his stride. He tells Women's Editor Sarah Foster about photography on the edge. IT was a moment David Glen
A veteran panto star tells Lindsay Jennings about his latest slapstick role and why it's going to be a performance with a difference. THE first time Martin Barrass' children saw him in pantomime, things didn't go strictly according to plan. The Hull-born
PREPARE to be splurged... Custard pies are flying this Christmas as Bugsy Malone and the gang from Stockton Riverside College delight, and occasionally drench, their audiences. The splurge guns at Fat Sam's Grand Slam are out in full force - and
A COUNCIL has won praise for its part in developing and supporting community transport. At a national conference in Harrogate, North Yorkshire County Council was applauded for supporting a bid by a consortium of community transport providers to secure
WORK is about to start on a £700,000 scheme to ease congestion at a busy junction on a dual carriageway. A Mova traffic light system is being installed on all the approaches to the A64/A1079 Grimston Bar roundabout, near York. The system uses electronic
PUPILS and former staff of a Thirsk school have come together to help boost plans to mark its 40th anniversary. All Saints' Primary School opened in 1967, and a celebration to mark the date is planned. Last week, current and former school secretaries
YOUNGSTERS are being given a festive chance to pick up advice from one of the region's leading sporting hopes for the future. As part of the Christmas Hyper Holidays programme at Hambleton Leisure Centre, in Northallerton, teenage pentathlete Sam Sanderson
TRIDENT: IT was recently announced that Prime Minister Tony Blair is to press for an "updating" of the Trident "nuclear deterrent" system - the same Mr Blair who lied to the British people about Saddam Hussein and his alleged weapons of mass destruction
POLICE investigating a series of thefts by bogus officials, in which pensioners lost hundreds of pounds, have appealed for information about a car. Police think the cases could be linked with thefts of cash and valuables from four pensioners in Middleton
RESIDENTS are opposing a plan by Orange to build a 25-metre mast in their village. Hambleton District Council has received six objections from villagers in Great Broughton, near Stokesley, about the proposal for Grange Farm, in the high street. Orange
RESIDENTS in Ryedale have been reminded that waste collections will be one or two days late over Christmas and the new year. However, alternate week collections of refuse and recycling will continue as normal and there will be no shutdown over the Christmas
RESIDENTS living in houses surrounding a proposed home for children with behavioural problems have expressed concern there could be a rise in anti-social behaviour. An application to change the use of a house in Ferryhill has been recommended for approval
A COMMUNITY group is hoping to add a splash of colour to a park as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. Members of the Richmond and Dales branch of Soroptimist International planted crocus and daffodil bulbs in the Friary Gardens, Richmond. The
RICHMONDSHIRE District Council's newsletter for tenants has been published. The winter edition of The Grapevine is being delivered to all residents in council-managed property this week.
POLICE investigating a series of bogus official thefts, in which pensioners in south Durham lost hundreds of pounds, have appealed for information about a car. A new silver Ford Focus Escort may have been driven by two thieves who conned pensioners in
DURHAM County Council waste officers are urging people who buy real Christmas trees to recycle them after the festive season is over. Councillor Alex Cox said: "Deciding to have a real Christmas tree could be an environmentally friendly option, especially
A CITIZENS Advice Bureau is helping customers of high street banks reclaim fees charged for returned cheques and Direct Debits. Charges of up to £35 are deducted from customers' account by banks when they exceed their overdraft limit or when there are
NURSERY children have been adding extra flavours to their meals after growing their own herb garden. As part of an environmental project, children from Pixley Dell Day Nursery, in Spennymoor, have planted a selection of herbs on the premises. The project
FOUR health workers have gained university degrees in nutrition and the care of vulnerable adults. Karen Davison, Joy Cook, Chris Trotter and Susan Cockburn, who provide mental health services for older people and those with learning disabilities in County
BISHOP Auckland College has celebrated its students' successes with an awards ceremony. Eight awards were given at the evening, which is likely to be the last in the college's current building. College principal Joanna Tait said the students deserved
PLANS to extend a takeaway shop's opening hours have drawn criticism from people living nearby. Neighbours say they have suffered disturbances and nuisance problems due to customers of The Pizza House. They say youths hang around the premises, in Abingdon
A crackdown is being planned to clean up on litterbugs who are blighting a town. It costs Middlesbrough £2m a year to clear up the mess left by fly-tippers who target the town's residential areas, public parks, play areas and open spaces. Now town leaders
ROBIN HOOD and his band of merry men will bring tongue-in-cheek Christmas fun to audiences across County Durham next week. A humorous version of the legendary outlaw's story will be staged at community venues as part of the Elements Touring Scheme.
CLEVELAND Fire Brigade is supporting a motorcycle ride to help raise cash for a local charity. The event, which will take place at 2pm on Thursday, starting from Thornaby Fire Station, in Milbank Lane, Thornaby, is to raise money for Zoe's Place Children's
A LIBRARY will turn over a new leaf with the opening of facilities in the New Year. There may be a few tears when Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Brotton library closes on Saturday. But it will be cheers all the way when the new library opens
QUESTIONS are to be asked about a lost piece of a town's legacy. The multi-bracketed Five Lamps lamppost, a popular rendezvous point in Thornaby for generations, was moved in the 1970s to make way for road building work on the A66. A replica of the landmark
A TOWN'S safety officials are appealing to motorists and pedestrians to take extra care after a spate of serious accidents. In recent weeks, there have been three road deaths and as many serious injuries in Hartlepool. Paul Watson, Hartlepool Council's
DURHAM County Council waste officers are urging people who buy real Christmas trees to recycle them when the festive season is over. "Deciding to have a real Christmas tree could be an environmentally friendly option, especially if you use local facilities
A COMMUNITY is backing the fight to retain a sheltered housing complex. Residents in flats and bedsit accommodation at Oversteads House, in Ushaw Moor, near Durham, fear the site may be developed for housing. Their worries stem from Durham City Council's
VILLAGERS took the chance at the weekend to run the rule over plans for a large housing development on farmland. For many people in Newfield and neighbouring villages, west of Chester-le-Street, it only endorsed their opposition to the proposed scheme
FOUR health workers have gained university degrees in nutrition and care of vulnerable adults. Karen Davison, Joy Cook, Chris Trotter and Susan Cockburn, who provide mental health services for older people and those with learning disabilities in Durham
A YEAR'S supply of tea is being offered in a competition to encourage people to compost. Tea and coffee company Taylors of Harrogate has donated a box of tea for every month of the year as a prize in the contest run by Durham County Council. The winner
THREE sixth form students from the region have been killed in a crash at a notorious accident blackspot. Close friends Thomas Dunn, Michael Tempest and Oliver Cross, all pupils at St Aidan's School, in Harrogate, died instantly. The sixth-formers, all
THE terrorist threat facing the UK is very high indeed, Home Secretary John Reid said yesterday. He told the GMTV Sunday Programme the chances of an attempted attack over the Christmas period were highly likely. Mr Reid said: "We know that the number
A MENTAL health team has won a national award for its tailor-made services. The Easington Community Mental Health Services team won the new ways of working category at the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) awards ceremony, which took place
AN inquest into the death of a North-East soldier in Iraq will start today. Guardsman Anthony James Wakefield was the 87th British serviceman killed in the conflict when a bomb exploded while he was on patrol near the southern town of al Amarah, on May
CELEBRATIONS were under way last week to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of Middlesbrough's founding fathers. Events took place across the town on Friday to celebrate the life of Henry Bolckow. He was born on December 8, 1806, in the Mecklenburg
RESIDENTS are calling for more action to improve flood defences, with torrential rain forecast for later this week. Heavy rain is forecast to pound parts of North Yorkshire including the flood-risk area around Thirsk. The area around Cod Beck in the town
TWO years on, exasperated parishioners still have no idea why their Catholic priest has been suspended. Readers with long memories may recall how Father Michael Higginbottom voluntarily stood down from his position at St Augustine's Church, in Darlington
A COUNCILLOR has reassured residents that Durham Tees Valley Airport will not become "another Heathrow", even if a proposed expansion goes ahead. Darlington Borough Council's planning committee meets tomorrow, and is likely to approve the airport's plans
A TEESDALE ballet class is celebrating 20 years of success. The Melanie Edmenson School of Dance has been based at the Witham Hall, in Barnard Castle for the past two decades. The dance school is the building's longest established group and accounts for
A POLICE office is to be opened on the site of a former public house. The quarters, in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, will replace the community's 1920s police station. It will have a front desk open to the public from Monday to Thursday. The following
Housewife, 49 - (ITV1); Strictly Come Dancing - (BBC1); The X Factor - (ITV1): What a weekend of surprises. Little Louisa knocked out of Strictly Coming Dancing, then Ben voted off The X Factor and finally, funny woman Victoria Wood getting serious in
THE main events space of the Pedestrian Heart project, in Prospect Place, off Bondgate, should be finished soon. Work is continuing this week, with more of the space to be revealed. Events have already happened in Prospect Place, including the weekly
GLENN Roeder has admitted that he might have to dip into the youth-team ranks to assemble a 16-man squad for Wednesday night's trip to Chelsea. The Magpies were lacking ten first-team players on Saturday - Steve Harper, Titus Bramble, Craig Moore, Stephen
A COUPLE who have run a village store for nearly two decades are swapping Gainford for Bulgaria. Dave and Sandra Greenland sold their last sweets, delivered their final papers, and counted the stock for the final time yester- day. The Darlington couple
POLICE investigating a series of bogus official thefts, in which pensioners in south Durham lost hundreds of pounds, have appealed for information about a car. A new silver Ford Focus Escort may have been driven by two thieves who conned pensioners in
Darlington RA manager David Woodcock admitted that he was disillusioned after a 5-1 home defeat by league leaders Sunderland Nissan on Saturday. The RA are facing a huge relegation battle to avoid a quick return to the second division - although they
Durham City gave Dickie Ord their vacant manager's job on Saturday before their FA Vase game with Flixton - but it turned out to be the kiss of death because they lost 4-1. The former Sunderland defender has been in caretaker charge for a month with only
BEN Clark believes Hartlepool United's players are reaping the rewards from extra work on the training ground, after keeping another clean sheet. Saturday's 2-0 win at Bristol Rovers was Pools' fifth victory on their travels this season and their third
TYNEDALE are the only North-East survivors in any of the national cups after a 37-6 home win against West Park St Helens took them into the fourth round of the EDF National Trophy. Blaydon played their full part in a pulsating tie at Nuneaton before a
Harton and Westoe produced one of the shock results of the season when they defeated neighbours Cleadon SC by the only goal at Jack Clark Park on Saturday. Cleadon went into the game on the back of a successful sequence of results which had taken them
ACCORDING to conventional wisdom, football is a young man's game. Recently, with the likes of Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney making their mark on the Premiership as teenagers, it has even threatened to become a young boy's game. But on Saturday, as three
Mark Viduka believes a return to European competition is not beyond the realms of possibility despite Middlesbrough currently languishing in the lower reaches of the Premier League. Viduka broke a toe in Boro's 1-0 North-East derby victory over Newcastle
Dave Penney is appealing for help in securing a training ground after Darlington were unable to use their usual base last week, writes CRAIG STODDART. Saturday's 5-2 defeat at Stockport County capped a bad week for the Quakers manager who says he has
A HOSPITAL consultant has written to the National Blood Service seeking reassurance that its closure plans will not put baby's lives at risk. Dr Jonathon Wallace, a consultant haematologist at the Newcastle Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust, is concerned
YOUNG North-East designers are being encouraged to take on the big guns of the industry in designing a landmark for Teesside. Artists and designers are being invited to come up with iconic images for a stretch of the A66 on Teesside. David Wood, regional
DESPITE spending the first four months of the campaign in the wrong half of the Championship, match-winner David Connolly insists Sunderland have not given up on an automatic promotion place. A third successive victory on Saturday against Luton ensured
TWO men were last night being quizzed by police following the death of a young father at a house party. The body of County Durham man Michael Ashley Hill was found by paramedics who confirmed him dead at the scene, at a house in Chopwell, near Gateshead
ON a cold, crisp winter morning, two parishioners stand outside St Augustine's Church with a basket each. The baskets are marked "Father Michael's Christmas gift". They are both full.The parish newsletter explains the collection was organised at the request
To watch Elysium perform their song and interviews with Sophia and Lewis click here To buy the song click here TWO sixth formers who wrote a tribute song to raise funds for cancer research are getting help from The Northern Echo.Sun Shine on You was
As part of The Northern Echo's Lifeblood campaign, which aims to encourage people to give blood, here are details of forthcoming donor sessions in the region:Today* Rowlands Gill Methodist Church Hall, Strathmore Road, Rowland Gill, 2.30pm-7.15pm.* Church
Bristol R 0 Hartlepool 2 FOR weeks Danny Wilson has been extolling the virtues of scoring a scrappy goal. "We don't score anything but well-worked goals, they are all good ones,'' he moaned. Then, in the space of five days at Notts County and Bristol
Stockport 5 Darlington 2 A RECENT upturn in form saw Darlington put together a six-game winning run which, given the previous sequence of results, was more than a little unexpected. Carry on defending like they did on Saturday and they will follow up
RURAL communities in the region will "lose their hearts" if their post offices close, it was predicted last night.Geoff Simpson, the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters' executive officer in the North-East, was commenting ahead of expected cutbacks
ILLITERATE youngsters from a North-East town are turning to crime and drugs, costing UK taxpayers millions of pounds every year, according to a report published today. Middlesbrough is one of six areas across the country to come under the spotlight of
A FATHER-OF-THREE yesterday became the first person from the North-East to go into space.Dr Nicholas Patrick, 42, originally from Saltburn, east Cleveland, was one of the seven crew members on board the space shuttle Discovery as it blasted off from Kennedy
THE wives and children of soldiers serving in Iraq had a treat when they met Denise Welch, The Krankies, and the rest of the cast from Darlington Civic Theatre's Christmas pantomime Cinderella.After watching the show on Saturday afternoon, about 70 family
Montauban 16 Newcastle Falcons 10 NEWCASTLE Falcons have not given up hope of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup, despite their 16-10 defeat away to French club Montauban.The Falcons have lost two out of three while group
Sunderland 2 Luton Town 1 FROM the moment Roy Keane arrived on Wearside he preached a massive transformation from the scouts through to the playing staff was required to turnaround the club's ailing fortunes - he even spoke of changing the decorations.Out
Blackburn 1 Newcastle 3 GIVEN that Newcastle officials sought clarification of his date of birth before signing him, it might seem somewhat churlish to suggest that Saturday's thrilling 3-1 win at Blackburn marked a coming of age for Obafemi Martins.But
Middlesboro' 1 Wigan 1 MIDDLESBROUGH supporters have consistently trudged along to the Riverside this term wondering which team was going to turn up, such is the inconsistency of their side.Against Wigan on Saturday they saw both the best and worst of
TWO men have told how they fought off a gang of armed robbers to hold onto the Christmas savings of 126 North-East families.Speaking from their hospital beds, father and son Fred and David Charlton described how they put their lives on the line to fend
NEW homes are needed for two cats that racked up a £5,000 bill for board and lodging after being abandoned by their owner.For the past 18 months, Chilli and Marley have been living at Oakwood Kennels, in Carlton, between Darlington and Barnard Castle.The
Having all your teenage secrets read out on national radio would be just too much for most people, but Steve Pratt meets a diarist who's turned her embarrassment into a book. WHEN her little sister found her diaries hidden in a cupboard in their bedroom
