DWELLINGS dating back to the Iron Age and Roman eras have been uncovered during work on a major road improvement scheme in the region. The half-dozen round houses, including paddocks and fields, were uncovered along the A66 during work to create a dual
NINE people have been arrested and thousands of DVDs seized in a raid on a County Durham village. The operation, conducted by officers from the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and the police at Tanfield Lea car boot sale on Sunday, was part
TWO company directors have been arrested in a major police operation into the use of illegal immigrants in the care industry. A dedicated team of officers from the North-East has been involved in a probe into organised trafficking of people, mainly from
RAIL services on the East Coast Main Line were disrupted for about an hour this afternoon after a man was struck and killed by a train. A spokesman for the British Transport Police said a man was hit by Virgin's Bournemouth to Edinburgh service in County
AN elderly man has been rushed to hospital with severe head injuries after being stuck by a bus. Cleveland Police rushed to Redcar High Street, east Cleveland, to find the pensioner unconscious at about 1.30pm today. An ambulance and fire crews also
A MAN has been killed in a road accident involving a bus and three other vehicles. The accident happened at on the A167 at Coatham Mundeville on the outskirts of Darlington. As well as the bus, a lorry, a van and a car are believed to have been involved
A man is believed to have died after a bin wagon crashed into a bus. The accident happened on the A167, on the outskirts of Darlington. The road has been closed. Further updates will be posted shortly.
MIDDLESBROUGH and Scarborough are amongst the winners following the announcement on Britain's Supercasino today. The Casino Advisory Panel announced Manchester as its surprise choice for the UKs first Las Vegas-style supercasino. Up to 1,250 unlimited
A BURGLAR caused thousands of pounds of damage to a house after he stole copper piping which he sold for scrap for just £30. The owner of the terraced house on Teesside had to spend £14,000 to replace and repair items ruined in flooding after the raid
POLICE have appealed for witnesses to a car crash in which a well-known businessman was killed. Javid Shah, 29, of Seaham, County Durham, was crushed between his van and a 4x4 which crashed into the rear of his white Mercedes Sprinter at 11.55am on on
A WORLDWIDE police operation into the supply of chemicals for drug production has resulted in the arrest of a North-East man. Officers from Cleveland Police worked alongside forces in Scotland, America, Europe and Australia. Brian Howes, 43, originally
A dynamic duo are preparing for their most arduous motoring challenge to date - a 4,000-mile drive to Africa. On Friday, Tony Harrison, 54, of Ingleby Barwick, and Harry Richardson, 57, from Thornaby, will drive a 1997 Iveco stretch minibus, towing an
The Smallest People In The World (C4); Extraordinary People: The Boy Who Sees Without Eyes (five): SHARON'S mother says her daughter was so small when she was born it was like having a doll. She actually wore dolls' clothes until she was three or four
CARE HOMES THE news that North Yorkshire County Council may phase out care homes and replace them with extra-care units shows little or no understanding of the needs of vulnerable people or the pressures that demographic change will have in this area.
FUNDRAISING staff will be putting their best foot forward by wearing slippers to work on Friday for charity. Staff at Watkins-Wright hairdressers, in Thirsk, are supporting Stress Down Day, organised by The Samaritans. They will be joined by Watkins-Wright
The Prince of Wales collected an environmental award in New York yesterday - and made light of the eco-row it sparked. Charles gave an impassioned speech on saving the planet as he was honoured by former US vice-president Al Gore and Hollywood actress
YOUNGSTERS at an infant school have teamed up with big business to promote green travel. Children at Belmont Infant School, Durham, started a walking bus with the help of B&Q Durham yesterday. Parents will be able to park in the company's car park to
PROPOSALS for a block of flats, which have attracted complaints, may be granted planning permission today. Amicon Europe Ltd has applied to Harrogate Borough Council to build a block of nine flats in Pine Close, Harrogate Road, in Ripon. A large house
PARISH councillors are worried about an application for longer opening hours at a fast food restaurant. McDonald's, which opened six years ago on the northbound A1 beside Leeming Bar Services, has applied to Hambleton District Council for a variation
DAREDEVILS with a head for heights are being sought to help raise cash for charity. A North Yorkshire hospice is looking for people brave enough to join a 10,000ft parachute jump. The jump, which has become an annual event, is one of the the top summer
TROUBLED youngsters are being offered help in coming to terms with their problems through a ground-breaking scheme. Two Hambleton secondary schools, Thirsk and Bedale, have introduced "dramatherapy" sessions in conjunction with the community safety partnership
HOW do you get dents out of a carpet? How can talcum powder play a vital role in reducing night-time squeaks? How versatile is a slice of white bread - not in terms of eating, but in terms of tackling household tasks such as clearing up broken glass
A SURVEY starts next month to find out what skills and qualifications people in County Durham have. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North-East is carrying out the research, which will entail ten-minute telephone interviews with 4,000 residents.
SLIMMERS are losing weight to help a children's charity. Members of Dawn Ferguson's Slimming World groups, who meet at Delves Lane Village Hall, in Consett, Tanfield Lea Workmen's Club and at St Patrick's Church Hall, in Consett, will be shedding pounds
PHOTOGRAPHER Philip Nixon will lead a one-mile walk for camera enthusiasts in the centre of Durham on Monday, starting at 7pm, at the gates to Durham Castle, Palace Green. The walk costs £2.50.
A TEAM of young business brains has formulated plans to introduce a bike taxi around Durham - taking them to the front of a competition to find the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. Members of the Durham Johnston School team have won the second round of the
DISTRICT council chiefs say a single tier authority for the county would cost £43.5m to set up. Members of the network of North Yorkshire's district councils say a unitary authority would need to save £25.7m a year for the first five years to balance
After several years on the senior management team, DAVID MULLINS has been named managing director of Housebuilder Yuill Homes. Mr Mullins, who has a background in civil engineering, has been with Yuill for 12 years. He said: "We have made great progress
A WOMAN who left her pet dog to suffer from a malignant growth, conjunctivitis and chronic skin problems has appeared in court. Teesside magistrates heard yesterday how Coleen Brookes had allowed her black and white bulldog, Paris, to suffer unnecessarily
SOCIAL care provider Skills for Care North-East has made two appointments. HAYLEY QUINN and KAREN WINSPEAR will be regional development officers. Ms Quinn moves from Gateshead Council. Ms Winspear has a background in education and training, and has
BARCLAYS has appointed an area corporate director who will have responsibility for Tyneside, Wearside and Northumberland. SIMON LENNEY replaces predecessor Sue Kiddle, who, after three years as area director, left to take up an implementation role for
COUNCILLORS are expected to back proposals for a new leisure development, complete with a 9,000sq metre fishing lake. A planning application for Brandon Hill Farm, Tursdale, Sedgefield, proposes a change of use for the farm to tourism. If approved
A NEW agreement has been signed aimed at improving job opportunities among groups in County Durham. Durham County Council and Jobcentre Plus have signed up to the Local Partnership Accord, which aims to reduce the number of working age people on benefits
TOWN residents and sports fans are urged to attend a meeting this week aimed at relaunching a local club. Villagers who hope to reform Sedgefield Rugby Club six years after it folded will meet at The Golden Lion pub, in Sedgefield, tomorrow, at 7pm.
A romantic film just in time for Valentine's Day will be shown at Bishop Auckland Town Hall. Confetti, a comedy featuring several British actors, will be screened on Tuesday, February 13, at 7.30pm. It is a 15 certificate and tickets are £2.50, available
THE Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) North-East branch has elected its youngest regional chairperson. SARAH HALL, 29, deputy head of Golley Slater PR, in Newcastle, has been appointed to the post, having worked on several award-winning
A RAPE victim last night told of her determination not to let her horrific ordeal ruin her life. The 20-year-old, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, was attacked while walking home alone after a night out in July last year. Earlier this month, airfield electrician
HOTEL and management company Golden Tulip has promoted ANDREW SILVER, who is based in Jesmond, Newcastle, to the post of managing director. Mr Silver has been a member of the company's management board since it launched in April 2002, and has held various
A talent search for families is being launched in the region, with relatives urged to work together to create a successful business venture. The Family's Fortune event, run by Business Link County Durham, is being billed as an X Factor-style talent hunt
A BUSINESS only yards from Tony Blair's home has been bought out of administration, saving 30 jobs. Volante Public Transportation Interior Systems Limited, in Trimdon, County Durham, has been bought by its holding company, Invertec Limited. Thirty out
ONLINE recruitment specialist fish4jobs has seen a rise in users. The 2007 National Online Recruitment Audience Survey (Noras), published yesterday, found that fish4jobs had 2.5 million users in October, an increase of 56 per cent on the previous year
AN industrial supplies company is moving into internet sales. Florprotec, which has previously only supplied its protection products to companies, is moving into the domestic DIY market by launching its business online. The Darlington company has set
HIGH street retailers saw sales grow at their fastest rate for three years over the new year. The sharp rise was driven by increases in grocery, footwear, furniture and carpet sales in the two weeks to January 17, according to the Confederation of British
MODEL train maker Hornby announced it was on the right track after sales continued to recover over Christmas, with Airfix also becoming part of the business. The group, which also owns Scalextric, reported weak UK sales in the first half of its financial
A COUNTY council is warning people against buying legal documents, such as birth, marriage and death certificates, on the internet. Websites that promise to obtain and deliver copies of legal documents can charge anything between £19 and £60. But buying
TOURIST venue Castle Howard has appointed a catering manager to oversee its four restaurants and cafes and manage the banqueting facilities. HUMPHREY SHEPPARD joined the catering industry in 1970, and has since worked at venues including Leeds Castle
A BUSINESS centre in the region has become home to a design company. 2 Room Design Consultants has moved into Sunderland City Council's E-volve Business Centre, on Rainton Bridge South Business Park. The agency, which offers a range of print work, web
THE criminal justice system was in the dock again last night after one man who downloaded child pornography walked free while another was jailed just half-an-hour later at the same court. Two almost identical cases at Teesside Crown Court yesterday are
OLD boys and girls of a former primary school in a colliery community are invited to help researchers compile a history of the establishment. The Victorian Society has urged former pupils to help them gather memories of the old Easington Colliery County
BRITAIN'S largest insurer yesterday reaffirmed its commitment to its off-shore operations, despite reports it had brought some call centre work back to the UK from India. Norwich Union-owner Aviva said its contact centres in India remained an integral
TONY Mowbray is in line for an emotional return to Middlesbrough next month - provided his former club see off Bristol City at the second time of asking, writes Scott Wilson. Yesterday's FA Cup fifth-round draw paired the Teessiders with Mowbray's current
Project management and cost consultants Faithful+Gould has made 13 appointments to its offices in Newcastle and Stockton. Former employee JEREMY ROBSON has returned to the Stockton office to take up the position of managing surveyor. With 20 years experience
PLANS for a skatepark have moved closer to fruition thanks to a grant of £51,000. Barclays Spaces for Sport is giving the money towards the project at Houghton-le-Spring, which is wanted by youngsters, 350 of whom signed a petition to Sunderland City
PEOPLE are being invited to look round a developing nature reserve. Bowesfield Nature Reserve, on the north bank of the River Tees, between Stockton and Ingleby Barwick, is being transformed with the help of volunteers and local people. Jonathan Pounder
FILTRONIC'S flagship site in Newton Aycliffe has gone from strength to strength since the firm moved in more than six years ago. Welcomed as the saviour of the town's industry and workforce after moving into a site vacated by Fujitsu, with the loss of
I HAVE been given a very agreeable job today - to preach the annual sermon at Banqueting House in Whitehall in remembrance of King Charles I who was beheaded by Republican fanatics on January 30, 1649. King Charles I went to his death rather than countenance
THE junior section of Hartlepool's central library is getting a makeover, in the form of carpeting, seating and shelves. As a result, it will be temporarily relocated into the adult library area, from Thursday until Monday, February 12, while the work
SPARE THE TEARS: CROCODILE tears from the politicians are nothing new, but the latest example from North West Durham MP Hilary Armstrong is difficult to swallow. There was widespread public opposition to a proposal to open a lap dance club in Consett
ZAR SOLITARIO (2.30) heads to Southwell in the hope he can banish the blues of a disappointing Wolverhampton debut. Mark Johnston's colt was made favourite on that ill-fated outing 68 days ago, however after showing up prominently for the the first seven
THE Saltburn Animal Rescue Association will hold a table-top sale in the Community Hall, Saltburn, on Saturday, February 17, from 10am. Meanwhile, a box collection conducted in Middlesbrough raised £1,082 for the animal charity.
A JUDGE has told a gang of teenagers that they acted like "pack animals" when, in a drunken state, they surrounded a man and attacked him in a town centre. Two of the friends were yesterday locked up, while two were given community sentences for their
GAVIN Strachan last night ended his three-year stay at Hartlepool United, when he completed a permanent move to Peterborough United. The central midfielder has been on loan at London Road for a month and leaves Victoria Park after making 95 appearances
His career predictably up and down, former Grand National winning jockey Gerry Scott suffered 29 fractures, including 11 broken legs, during his time in the saddle. Now the ever-genial Gerry has sustained another broken leg - after falling four feet from
After a sensational U-turn on his move to Wycombe Wanderers, Simon Johnson last night admitted he had rushed his decision to leave Darlington. Both clubs announced the deal was done last Thursday, with Johnson wearing a Wycombe shirt in an interview on
PLANS for an agricultural training centre on unused farmland in a village near Darlington have been formally lodged. A planning application for the educational facility on a farm at Beacon Hill, Sadberge, has
ORGANISERS of a project that hopes to nurture Darlington's musical talent have announced the teenagers selected to take part. A team of 17 young singers, rappers and producers have been chosen to work with experienced industry professionals
CHARITY bosses are urging students in Darlington to stake their claim for thousands of pounds worth of funding to help their education. Darlington Educational Charities is a community fund established to help students at the town's secondary schools
FOOD lovers in Darlington could soon learn how to prepare and host the perfect dinner party. Chef Ray Wade has teamed up with Darlington College to offer sessions on how to prepare stress-free dinner parties at home. Mr Wade has worked in hotels and
Pupils in Hurworth have proved Burns Night is not just celebrated in Scotland. Hurworth House, an independent school for boys, had a special Burns assembly recently. Six drummers and two highland dancers, from the Army Foundation College, in Harrogate
TONY Blair says there is no place in our society for discrimination, and if you share that belief - as we do - then it must include all forms of prejudice. The question of whether Catholic adoption agencies should be exempt from new anti-discrimination
Publisher: www.telltalegames.com Formats: PC Price: £4.50 per adventure Family friendly? 13+ OH, how this game could have tanked. Offered as a series of pocket moneypriced internet downloads,
PERSISTENT offenders could face a ban from a town centre after stores voted unanimously for a safety initiative.More than 200 retailers have backed the Safer Shopping scheme in Stockton, which will see security information shared by both large stores
A MAN who admitted the gruesome murder of a 42-year-old grandmother has been told he faces a life sentence.Pamela Cole, whose body was discovered in bushes at the Memorial Park in Horden, County Durham, had been stabbed and beaten, and an attempt had
ONE thousand Darlington FC supporters will be sewn into the club's history next season.The club is launching a special edition away shirt for the club's 125th anniversary.The names of 1,000 supporters, provided they have no more than 20 letters, will
A PLAY documenting the life of an 18th Century woman will come to Barnard Castle in February.Once A Lady tells the story of Charlotte Deans, who married an actor aged 17 and joined a travelling theatre company, becoming a player with the troupe.She toured
HUNDREDS of homes in Hartlepool lost power for more than three hours. Engineers worked on an electricity box in Davison Drive throughout the night until power was restored at about 10pm on Sunday. Streets affected included West View Road, Davison Drive
STERN John last night became the latest addition to Roy Keane's Sunderland squad when he penned a two-and-a-half year deal.John moved from Coventry City for an undisclosed fee to became Keane's sixth January signing.The 30-year-old passed a medical at
A TASTE of Thailand is heading to Darlington as an exotic banquet is to be prepared for 200 guests. Chefs from the Royal Thai Restaurant, in Parkgate, Darlington, will prepare the 14-dish feast at Darlington College. Diners will be entertained with demonstrations
RESIDENTS have been outraged after trees that line the entrance to their village were "butchered" to make way for power cables.Villagers in Tow Law were angered when tree surgeons appointed by electricity supplier CE Electric UK pruned the canopies of
DERWENTSIDE Citizens Advice Bureau has boosted its service to people with money problems, thanks to a Government grant.The bureau, based in the Tommy Armstrong Centre, Clifford Road, Stanley, has received three years of funding from the Financial Inclusion
PATIENTS at a village GP practice will benefit from a new exercise initiative.Doctors at the Aldbrough St John practice, near Richmond, have invited a gym instructor to the surgery to run individually-tailored exercise classes.Schemes where doctors refer
A theatre group has secured funding for its next show.Richmond's North Country Theatre received the cash from the Arts Council for their production of Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would be King.The show will feature sitar and tabla players Mohamed Abbas
TENS of thousands of disabled North-Easterners injured at work face benefit cuts if they fail to look for a job, under Government plans unveiled yesterday.Ministers revealed proposals for major changes to industrial injuries disabled benefit (IIDB), first
A MAJOR expansion plan has been unveiled by a charity celebrating its 20th anniversary.Epilepsy Outlook was launched in Hartlepool in 1987 to provide advice, support and information for people with epilepsy.The organisation has been used by thousands
As part of The Northern Echo lifeblood campaign, which aims to encourage people to give blood, here are the details of forthcoming donor sessions in the region:TodayWest End Methodist Church, Leazes Terrace, Hexham, Northumberland, 2pm-7.30pm.Healthy
A service has been launched to improve the safety of late-night revellers and hitchhikers.People using the scheme can send the registration number of a car in which they are being given a lift to a central database.Darlington businessman Neil Greer got
RESIDENTS have been outraged after trees that line the entrance to their village were "butchered" to make way for power cables.Villagers in Tow Law were angered when tree surgeons appointed by electricity supplier CE Electric UK pruned the canopies of
A touring exhibition is reliving the glory days of amateur football when a trip to Wembley was a regular outing for supporters in south Durham.Photographs, newspaper cuttings and programmes collected by the Durham Amateur Football Trust are on display
A CHESTER-LE-STREET charity that trains unwanted dogs to help the disabled is looking for help with fundraising.And it is urging people to attend a public meeting in the town on Thursday, to discuss ideas for bringing in funds to pay for a base for its
David Bradley served his country in some of the world's most dangerous trouble spots, but when he returned home, the loss of Army life led to depression and, ultimately, tragedy. Gavin Havery reports. DAVID Bradley confessed to a doctor about his murderous
ARTWORK has travelled nearly 1,800 miles to go on display at a Middlesbrough library.The work by Romanian students was unveiled yesterday, at Grangetown Library, after the long journey by road and sea from the north-east corner of Romania.Links between
HUNDREDS of people came together to remember the atrocities of the Holocaust yesterday.A service to mark Holocaust Memorial Day was held at Darlington's Education Village, in Salters Lane, yesterday afternoon. It gave people from the town the opportunity
PLANS to invest £45m and create hundreds of jobs at a North-East electronics plant have been scrapped, The Northern Echo can reveal. Instead of funding an expansion to triple the size of the Filtronic plant, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, it was
HEALTH chiefs last night ordered an inquiry after a Gulf War veteran with lifelong mental problems slaughtered his family with a pistol kept from his Army days. NHS officials ordered the independent review after it was revealed how David Bradley had talked
NEWCASTLE will finally make a transfer breakthrough this morning when American centre-half Oguchi Onyewu completes a loan move from Belgian side Standard Liege. The 24-year-old spent yesterday completing a medical on Tyneside after Standard officials
AIYEGBENI Yakubu will line up against a "footballing legend" when Middlesbrough take on a Portsmouth side that includes Nwankwo Kanu this evening. But while the former Pompey striker admits his fellow Nigerian was one of his heroes during the formative
SUNDERLAND may have prepared for this evening's visit of Crystal Palace with a spot of paintballing; now they are planning on making a bigger splash in the top six. Roy Keane took his charges away to an army-style assault course in North Yorkshire last
THE battle for Corus will come to a head this afternoon when the Anglo-Dutch steelmaker is auctioned to the highest bidder. After a three-month bidding war, rivals Tata Steel and CSN will be bidding against each other, with offers expected to climb as
PETER Rabbit would be proud. Years ago his adventures were some of the favourite stories of Elizabeth Hammill when she was growing up near New York. She was a girl who loved reading and for whom books framed her view of life, giving her a sense of its
THE withdrawal of a belated compensation claim by a former North-East school pupil has highlighted the daily pressures of tackling bullying, according to union bosses.A young mother had blamed her former school for blighting her life and career prospects
His own story is stranger than fiction - an 84-year-old from Darlington who's found success as a Western writer - yet Albert Hill, or Elliot Conway to his readers, would say he's just an ordinary man. He talks to Women's Editor Sarah Foater. WITH Albert
When there's no fire at the inn on a cold winter's evening, a nice hot curry up the road warms the cockles wonderfully. THERE'S a bit at the start of A Christmas Carol in which poor Bob Cratchit tries to poke life into the near-extinct spark that passes
