A MOTION to discuss a ban on the sale of foie gras in York was tonight off the menu. For councillors agreed not to debate the possibility of outlawing the sale of the delicacy in local restaurants and shops. Instead, they asked council officials to
A WOMAN wrecked her kitchen while following a cleaning tip which said that putting dishcloths in a microwaves killed off harmful bacteria. The latest cleaning oddity was revealed on television earlier this week when a US scientist unveiled the cleaning
TERRORISM HUGH Pender wrote "any person or government who is responsible for, or associated with, killing innocent people, ie non-combatants, is/are terrorists" (HAS, Jan 5). Later, (HAS, Jan 19) he turns this argument on its head by differentiating
SHEREEN LOW talks to Mika, the singer who doesnt like to be compared to Freddie Mercury. MIKA isnt a conventional musician. The artist set to top the singles charts and touring to Newcastle next month, has an incredible life history to date
Darlington today parted company with Simon Johnson who has joined Wycombe Wanderers for an undisclosed fee. His contract was due to expire at the end of the season so Quakers have decided to sell him now rather than see him walk away for free in the
IF YOU'VE seen the Miss Potter film starring Renee Zellweger, you 'll probably enjoy taking a trip to discover the Lake District that Beatrix Potter so loved. Make sure to visit Hill Top Farm , Beatrix Potter 's first house and the inspiration
THE owner of an equestrian centre believes a fire in one of its hay barns this morning was started deliberately. The blaze started at about 11am at Stainsby Grange Equestrian Centre, Allensway, Thornaby. About 25 horses had to be let out of a stable
TELEVISION personality Ben Fogle has been signed up by Cumbria Tourism to promote the county to potential visitors Ben describes how he has always had a soft spot for the Lake District in his introduction to the 2007 Cumbria -The Lake District
A FARM and equine supplier has promised customers it is business as usual after a fire in its warehouse. Staff at William McIvor and Son were today assessing the damage caused by a blaze in its storage unit at Bishop Middleham, near Sedgefield, last
WITH air fares set to rise in 2007, there 's never been a better time to buy a motorhome,according to the Motorhome Information Service. The MIS predicts heavier taxes on flights will help force basic fares skywards -and that 's before the
FREEDOM of the open road and the chance to spend your leisure time in some of the most beautiful places in the UK - that 's what The Camping and Caravanning Club offers its mem- bers. The Club exists to give members the widest choice of sites,
WHAT is the value of local knowledge to the thousands of Britons of all ages who backpack their way around the world on a shoestring? Sally Broom,who graduated only a few months ago,is about to find out after launching a new travellers 'website
FLYGLOBESPAN is enjoying the usual new year rush of holiday bookings as its extensive new programme from Durham Tees Valley Airport attracts an increasing number of holidaymakers. The web-based airline will fly to nine destinations from Durham
CLOSE to Scarborough,Filey is a traditional Victorian English seaside town with a friendly atmosphere,the perfect place for those who want an active holiday,or for those who just prefer to relax with the restful background of fishermen mending
FURTHER down the Yorkshire coast is Scarborough,also steeped in history and surrounded by natural beauty. From its two splendid bays, separated by the vast castle headland,the town is reached by Victorian cliff lifts. And with some of the finest
CRAMMED within the maze of twisting,cobbled streets which make up the little fishing port of Whitby are more than 1,000 years of history and a unique olde-worlde charm which captivates Today,Whitby is known primarily as a tourist town,attracting
BLACKPOOL has something for everyone -whether you 're planning a short break or a longer stay. There 's nowhere in the world quite like it.Where else can you choose from futuristic thrills,traditional Victorian nostalgia or world-class entertainment
A TEENAGE beauty queen is appealing for help to achieve her dream of becoming a top model. Bex Clarke is the reigning Miss Durham and Miss North-East, but the 18-year-old has turned down a number of invitations to auditions because she cannot
A POPULAR drama group is hoping to recruit new blood - as well as a dog star - ahead of a summer performance. The Castle Players, based in Barnard Castle, County Durham, will perform Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona in the grounds of
PREGNANT Dawn Swann gets upset when she spies her lover Randy Rob and his wife, Dr May, having an intimate moment in EastEnders (BBC1). I don't mean that she spots the mad medic trimming her hubby's nasal hair (although that is a sign of true love).
AMATEUR theatre players hope to attract a new audience with matinees for forthcoming productions. But Royalty Theatre members are baffled by an early unfavourable response following its break with tradition. The theatre has never staged a Saturday matinee
POLICE are hunting a failed bag-snatcher who targeted a pensioner. Shortly before 7.45pm on Monday, a couple in their 60s were walking along Billingham Road, in Norton, when the man tried to snatch the woman's bag. They were near the Norton Medical Centre
A COMMUNITY organisation in Hartlepool has received a national quality standard for information, advice and guidance - for a second time. Owton Fens Community Association (Ofca) works with residents living in some of the most deprived communities in the
SINGERS and musicians from the US are to perform a concert to raise money for a local hospice. The Chamber Singers and Wind Ensemble, from Hood River Valley High School, in Oregon, are to perform the concert at Elvet Methodist Church, in Durham City.
TWO charities are grateful for a windfall after supporters completed a Boxing Day walk to raise funds. Calvin Headley, who is registered blind, completed the ten-mile walk on behalf of the County Durham Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted. He
PLANS to modernise facilities at a North Yorkshire sports and fitness centre have been unveiled. Community leaders say the changing area at the Wensleydale Centre, in Askrigg, is not good enough. Yorebridge Sports Development Association (YSDA), which
"MAGIC BULLET": AS a kidney cancer patient at present on a clinical trial of immunotherapy drugs, the recent licensing of a "magic bullet" drug, Sutent, is a real breakthrough (Echo, Jan 22). It is the first significant new treatment for this devastating
£50 Says You'll Watch This (C4); Great Ocean Adventures: The Giant Sunfish (five): HARDEEP Singh Kohli likes nothing better than Sunday night home games of poker - "cards in one hand, vodka tonic in the other, surrounded by friends and finger food"
A PAPERBOY who stole cars from his customers' homes was caught after one was wrecked and he was spotted trying to drive away another. The 15-year-old, from Thornaby, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to two burglaries and aggravated
RETAILERS in Stockton have reported bumper sales during the Christmas period. Figures for both Wellington Square and Castlegate shopping centres are 7.7 per cent higher than the national figure of four per cent. Many regional and independent retailers
A SERIOUS message was delivered in a light-hearted way to shoppers in a seaside town yesterday. Hand-held speed cameras and Smiley Sid, the road sign that beams a smile when the driver is under the speed limit, and a frown when it is broken, monitored
TEA company Tetley is creating a "significant" number of jobs in the Tees Valley area following a period of investment in its flagship manufacturing site. Tetley employs more than 600 people at the world's biggest tea factory in Eaglescliffe, near Yarm
FUNDING to companies across the region over the past year will lead to the creation of 3,765 jobs and safeguard a further 2,029, statistics have predicted. Regional development agency One NorthEast administers the Department for Trade and Industry's
TIM EASTERBY should not return empty-handed from Warwick, where Eborarry (2.40) holds strong claims in the Ray Cooper Novices' Handicap Chase. Punters often forget it takes extra effort for horses to jump in boggy ground, but so far this season Eborarry
TEA company Tetley is creating a "significant" number of jobs in the Tees Valley area following a period of investment in its flagship manufacturing site. Tetley employs more than 600 people at the world's biggest tea factory in Eaglescliffe, near Yarm
BUILDING firm Rok has linked up with a college offering a pioneering course in construction, giving students an insight into the industry they hope to break into. The Stockton company has formed a partnership with Middlesbrough's St David's RC Technology
DEVELOPMENT company Caddick has been appointed to work on the second phase of the £26m Newburn Riverside business park in Tyneside. The Leeds company will develop the scheme which comprises 50,000sq ft of office accommodation and 160,000sq ft of industrial
SINCE my wife went back to work after having all those kids, our roles have become well-established in the mornings. Her job is to drive our eldest to college in Darlington while I have to see the middle two off to secondary school and walk the youngest
THE Australian Open might continue until the weekend but its highpoint has already been reached. Few tennis matches this year will match the intensity and white-knuckle excitement of Andy Murray's fourth-round epic with Rafael Nadal and it is doubtful
NORTHERN Rock yesterday announced its intention to become the third largest mortgage lender in the UK as it posted record lending figures and an increase in profits. The Newcastle-based plc expects its annual growth rate to remain about the 20 per cent
MANUFACTURERS in the region will be among the first in the country to benefit from a £13m skills academy. The National Skills Academy for Manufacturing, which is being launched today by Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling, aims to boost the
A LOCAL criminal justice system has been praised for its fight against crime and increasing public confidence. A joint inspection has shown that crime detection rates are rising, public confidence is incresing and the time needed to deal with persistent
CATALYSTS company Johnson Matthey yesterday said its business was progressing well and the outlook for its full year results remained "encouraging". The group, which has a base in Billingham, Teesside, continued to grow, boosted by increased sale of
THE dilemma facing the Government over prison overcrowding is clear to see. The people of Britain on the whole want to see the Government getting tough on crime. Law-abiding citizens want to see the worst offenders locked up for a long time and, too often
AN apprentice joiner has been ordered to pay the cleaning bill after he left a police cell drenched with vomit and urine. Andrew Blatchford was on a night out in Ferryhill, on January 14, when he was refused entry to the Black Bull in the town's Main
DIRK: The once sprightly Faceman has had enough, and seems to be counting the minutes until he can pick up his pay cheque and return to Montana. He is unpopular with the rest of the house. Jo described him as a "miserable, twisted, bitter old man". JERMAINE
PEOPLE are being urged to come forward and show that they care for their town. Hartlepool Borough Council is seeking nominations to fill a resident representative vacancy on its North Neighbourhood Consultative Forum. The forum meets every eight weeks
DISTRICT council leaders will today unveil details of their alternative bid to reshape the future of local government in County Durham. Today marks the deadline for local authorities to put their case to Local Government Minister Ruth Kelly ahead of a
VILLAGERS have demanded the re-development of a former school be limited to two-storey housing. Darlington Borough Council consulted Sadberge residents about the future use of the primary school as part of its consultation. The school building site is
PARENTS in South Durham are being offered extra help to tackle their children's poor behaviour or attendance at school and encouraged to do more to support teachers. Teams of parent support advisors are being recruited under a £40m pilot scheme operating
MIDDLESBROUGH officials last night ended Ray Parlour's two-and-a-half-year association with the club by paying up the final five months of the midfielder's contract. With Gaizka Mendieta also expected to follow Ugo Ehiogu and Massimo Maccarone out of
MICHAEL Proctor's hopes of making his Hartlepool United comeback were put on hold last night, writes Nick Loughlin. The striker has not kicked a ball all season after undergoing knee surgery and was due to start the reserve game with Scunthorpe United
A DRUNKEN teenager flashed at a young woman and tried to gain entry to her car, a court heard. Matthew John Marriott, 18, pleaded guilty to intentionally exposing himself on December 15 after he was caught in the act by passing police officers. "He was
YOUNG people in Darlington are being asked for their views to redevelop a community park. Residents in Pensbury Street have set up a project to improve their local park and make it safer for locals to enjoy. The council's youth service is helping to
RESIDENTS in Darlington's West End are being urged to respond to a car-parking survey before deadline day. Houses in Southend Avenue, Grange Road, Coniscliffe Road, Beechwood Avenue, and Oakdene Avenue received plans for a residents-only parking scheme
A chiropractic clinic has become one of the first clinics to pick up a national award. Thirsk Chiropractic Clinic has been awarded a Patient Partnership Quality Mark (PPQM). The PPQM was given to the Carlton Road clinic, in Carlton Miniott, to recognise
GLENN Roeder is ready to step up his pursuit of American centre-half Oguchi Onyewu as he attempts to complete the capture of an "international defender" by the weekend. Despite spending the first half of the week at Warwick University as part of his Pro
UP-and-coming rugby star Oliver Cook has been in the thick of the action after undergoing trials for the Yorkshire development squad. Oliver, who is year ten captain at Northallerton College, successfully competed in district tests to win through to the
MUSIC, dance and and adventure in space await audiences in the county town of North Yorkshire over the next few months. The Hambleton Forum, in Northallerton, will be playing host to a range of events designed to keep everyone aged five and upwards amused
THE latest dramatic twist to the cash-for-honours inquiry - the arrest of No 10 aide Ruth Turner - revealed Labour politicians achieving new heights of hypocrisy. No sooner had Tony Blair's 'gatekeeper' been released from custody last Friday than ministers
A HOUSE-SITTER found a drunk, blood-stained teenager sleeping in a neighbour's daughter's bed while the family were away, a court heard. The house-sitter checked the property, in The Hude, Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, regularly while the family
TWO-WAY traffic lights are to be installed in the village of Catchgate. They will be in place tomorrow, covering Rogerley Terrace, Langdon Gardens and Earl Street, to allow for drainage work in a housing development. The lights are to be in place until
AN ecological project organised by a Teesdale youth hostel has been awarded a grant of nearly £130,000. Langdon Beck Youth Hostel's Green Shoots Project has received £128,592 from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The scheme invites
A SERIES of taster sessions for adult learning courses will begin in Byers Green this weekend. Taster sessions for four practical courses will be held and may lead to full courses being established. A digital photography session will be held on Saturday
An appeal by Colburn Village Hall management committee for money to repair the roof has been boosted by the presentation of a cheque for £100. The money was donated by Greville Worthington, from Catterick Sunday Market, to a charity chosen by Colburn
'Sonia where's your trumpet?' is the cry which has haunted Natalie Cassidy almost since she started in EastEnders at the age of ten. The actress talks to Viv Hardwick about her 13 years in the soap and why she decided on a stage acting debut at Newcastle
York actor Mark Addy is glad to be part of a UK TV sitcom after years in the US while his family remained in York. He talks to Steve Pratt about tbed-hopping in Bonkers which reunites him with old RADA mate Liza Tarbuck FULL Monty star Mark Addy had no
Samantha Janus is enjoying making headlines as Miss Adelaide in Guys And Dolls, which tours to Sunderland next month. But, she tells Viv Hardwick, she's baffled by other headlines claiming that a friendship with West End co-star Don Johnson has broken
A GROUP of pupils are learning first hand about South American culture.Two teachers and two students from Brazil are visiting St Bede's RC School and Sixth Form, Lanchester, this week.It is part of an ongoing exchange programme, and next month sixth formers
A PRIMARY school has been presented with a national award for its efforts to promote healthy living.Finchale Primary, in the Newton Hall area of Durham, was granted National Healthy School status at a ceremony.The award was presented by Wendy Bagnall,
A West End entertainer, adored by celebrities and royalty, is to swap sold-out theatres around the globe for a North-East town hall performance as he makes a comeback from illness.This Easter - for one night only - theatre and television star Danny La
HOME Secretary John Reid was under fire last night after admitting the Government's flagship policy to control terror suspects was "weak" and full of "holes".Speaking to journalists at Westminster, Mr Reid admitted control orders - imposed on 18 people
A FORMER heroin addict had a 10ft image of his face displayed in a North-East town centre yesterday in an attempt to help save other people's lives.The man, who asked to be known only as Jonathan, is a 38-year-old reformed heroin addict, who contracted
A NORTH-EAST district has been named the third worst unemployment blackspot in the country.Easington district has confirmed its reputation in the survey showing the number of people claiming out of work payments and disability benefits.But the news comes
A MAN who suffered a seizure while swimming has praised the quick thinking of his children who saved his life.Martin Limon, of Burwell Road, Middlesbrough, started to sink to the bottom of the pool at the Dolphin Centre, in Darlington, on Sunday when
PROPOSALS to recognise the "extraordinary work" of conscripted Second World War miners will be published in the next few weeks, the Prime Minister said yesterday.Tony Blair made the announcement in response to calls for medals for the Bevin Boys, young
MASKED bikers are causing havoc in a popular Darlington park.The bikers in balaclavas are churning up fields in Hundens Park, near Eastbourne School, and deliberately spraying mud on houses.The park is also popular with footballers - prompting fears someone
YOUNG artists have been showing off their creations at a primary school.Five students studying A-level art at The King's Academy, Middlesbrough, teamed up with younger pupils at nearby Sunnyside Primary in a project to promote healthy eating.Now Bertie
POLICE are appealing for information after two conmen took hundreds of pounds from two South-West Durham businesses. At about 2pm on Friday, November 17, a man entered the Post Office at St Cuthbert's Way, Newton Aycliffe Industrial
A SCHOOL governor shared her 60th birthday with all 85 pupils at the primary school she has supported for 15 years.Alice Donaghy has been known as Mrs Alice by the children at Tow Law Millennium Primary since she first went in to read to infant classes
ANYONE in the Stockton, Billingham and Thornaby areas with personal experience of living with cancer, or another life-threatening illness, as a patient or carer, is invited to a meeting on Monday, from 1pm to 3pm, at the Swallow Hotel, Bridge Road, Stockton
A WARTIME airman has been reunited with his squadron for the first time in more than 60 years.During the Second World War, Colin Denwood served with 207 Squadron, which suffered some of the heaviest casualties in Bomber Command.As a wireless operator,
YOUNGSTERS enjoyed a hearty start to the day as they celebrated Farmhouse Breakfast Week.Thirty pupils from a village primary school tucked into bacon, sausage, beans and toast courtesy of a cafe which grew from a farm diversification scheme.The children
FORMER junior football coach Ian Fitzgerald is urging people to join the national organ donor register.Mr Fitzgerald, 41, from West Cornforth, County Durham, made his appeal after his mother, Theresa, was told she has only months to live unless she has
A RENOWNED DJ got clubbers in a spin as he appeared in Bishop Auckland at the weekend.Paul Taylor, who goes behind the decks at the long-running Retro night across the UK, performed at the Queens Head Hotel in the town's Market Place on Saturday night
FOR a former pit village with a population of less than three thousand, West Auckland has more than its fair share of claims to fame.The local football team won the first World Cup, in 1909, and notorious killer Mary Anne Cotton lived in the County Durham
A TASTE of Africa came to a Darlington school yesterday, as two prize-winning authors gave children a book reading.Jonathan and Shirley Tulloch spoke to year seven pupils at Carmel RC College about their latest book, I Am a Cloud, I Can Blow Anywhere.Mr
NEWCASTLE United goalkeeper Steve Harper was preaching the virtues of healthy living yesterday as he attended an awareness event at his former school.Harper returned to Easington Community School to look at plans for a healthy living resource centre in
COUNCIL gravediggers have said they are not to blame for an administrative error which meant a grave was not dug in time for a funeral.Dozens of mourners at the funeral of 83-year-old Ethel Hird were left waiting in the cold for her grave to be prepared
BOOKIES were left counting the cost yesterday when the wrong racehorse was declared the winner of a tight photo-finish. Judge Alastair Stewart delighted backers of 12-1 shot Classic Capers when he announced the horse had won the 2.40pm Weatherbys Bank
STEVE Caldwell is on the verge of a surprise move to Burnley after Clarets boss Steve Cotterill was given permission to speak to the Sunderland skipper. Burnley officials made a formal approach to the Black Cats board this week and, after the two parties
STANDING outside the village hall doors, it is clear this is no ordinary evening class. There is no spiritual music as you would hear at a Yoga session; no Brownies running around or the "Yeee-haaahing" of budding line dancers. Instead, there is an audible
CONVICTED prisoners had to be held in North-East police cells over the weekend because the region's jails had reached bursting point, The Northern Echo can reveal.Yesterday, it emerged that Home Secretary John Reid, Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer and Attorney
AT 87, Jack Archer thought his days of being asked to prove his age at the checkout were long gone.But he was shocked - and flattered - when a worker at his local supermarket asked if he was old enough to buy a bottle of sherry.Mr Archer is one of a number
