POLICE tonight released three men on bail after questioning them in connection with a suspected drive-by shooting on Teesside. The men, aged 31, 30 and 29, were arrested yesterday morning on suspicion of conspiracy to murder after the police launched
A MODEL pupil has been banned by her school from attending the end of year prom after her parents refused permission for her to attend extra revision classes. A school governor has quit in protest over the treatment of Kayleigh Baker, 16, a prefect
EVERY council ward in Middlesbrough is set to have its own dedicated police officer as neighbourhood policing rolls out across the town. The bobbies will make use of existing facilities such as community centres for drop in sessions and beat surgeries
A SUSPECT suitcase which caused a North-East airport to be evacuated this morning was empty, security experts have confirmed. Durham Tees Valley Airport re-opened at about 9.45am after Army bomb disposal units moved in and established there was no danger
UK DVD/VIDEO RENTAL 1 (2) Casino Royale 2 (5) The Holiday 3 (9) The Departed 4 (6) Borat 5 (7) Happy Feet 6 (-) The Prestige 7 (10) The Queen 8 (-) Jackass 2 9 (-) Shadowboxer 10 (-) The Devil Wears Prada Supplied by www.blockbuster.co.uk
Chiinese actress Gong Li feels the time is right to portray a power hungry queen from her country's past. Steve Pratt reports on the making of a sprawling costumed epic. HAVING established herself in Hollywood movies Memoirs Of A Geisha and Miami Vice
THE day has long gone when they actually did any farming in Emmerdale (ITV1). You're more likely to see a herd of one-legged Serbian sex change tattoo artists than a sheep. Goodness knows what vet Paddy does to pass the time. I seem to recall him killing
RUSSIAN opera stars will perform in the region this month. The group of male singers from St Petersburg will join 60 Saltburn opera singers for the performance at Saltburn Emmanuel Church, on April 29. Opera singer and teacher Jeanette Wainwright will
Actor William Houston went to extraordinary lengths to find out the kind of man he must become to play ruthless Roman general Coriolanus. He talks to Viv Hardwick about his incredible experiences as the Royal Shakespeare Company brings its 2007 season
Champion by name, actor Bill Cahmpion tells Viv Hardwick how he got to grips with learning an eight-play, 800 page project which ahs only been performed twice in the past 25 years. IT WAS probably entirely predictable that actor Bill Champion's interview
John Tavolta reckons he's already got every toy he needs to cope with a midlife crisis. The actor talks to Steve Pratt along with Tim Allen and Ray Lotta about the unexpected excitement of making a motorbike movie about middle-aged men trying to recapture
Members of Saltburn Animal Rescue Association will hold a coffee morning on Saturday at Sunnyfield House, in Guisborough, from 9am until noon. There will be a variety of stalls and refreshments available. The group will also be holding a collection
DURHAM Tees Valley airport has been evacuated and roads into the complex sealed off following the discovery of a suspect package. The alarm was raised shortly after 7.30am after security staff expressed concern that a piece of luggage appeared to have
DARLINGTON North Road Museum: Superb. Shildon Locomotion: Scintillating. North Yorks Railway: Superb. Stockton (The Town That Changed The World): Shameful. Bob Harbron, Norton, Stockton.
HAVING visited Bishop Auckland General Hospital as a patient over the last few months, I would like to express my appreciation of the staff, as I found them efficient, courteous and pleasant. I found the various wards and departments - Ward 2,
RE P Rowntree's letter asking if anyone wanted a bet on political matters (HAS, Apr 3). It seems that 61 per cent of MPs are convinced that their wages are "too little" for the work they do. MPs get a basic £61,000 plus expenses and allowances,
YOUR columnist Rob Merrick referring to Gordon Brown's raid on pensions (Echo, April 5) is obviously either too young to remember or too blind to see. When the pension funds were in surplus in the 1980s, I remember that Jacob's advice to the Pharaoh
OUR country is fanatical about football, but during the last five games there were no flags or pride. Steve McClaren's side against Spain and Croatia and Israel was unprofessional, lacking ideas, fitness and form. Only one goal was scored in all
THE INCREDIBLE gesture by Sunderland FC chairman Niall Quinn to pay for fans to make the 300-miles plus journey back to Wearside from Bristol (Echo, April 2) is typical of this extraordinary man. I have talked to several players who were there
I HAVE never written to a newspaper before, but here goes I think Eamonn Farrer, the chief executive of Hurworth School, has shown himself to be petty, smallminded and mean by not allowing a star pupil to attend the prom. He has flouted Department
Police are to crack down on one of Teesside's worst anti-social hotspots. From tomorrow, a dispersal order will be running in the Hemlington area of Middlesbrough, ensuring that the streets can be cleared of groups of youths and anyone causing problems
SPRING is in the air and once again it is time to bring out the bikes for the first of this year's programme of guided bike rides. The first of Stockton road safety team's rides will take place on Sunday, from 10am to noon, along the banks of the River
TWO North-East primary care trusts could become one of the first community foundation trusts in the country. Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust is joining Redcar and Cleveland Primary Care Trust (PCT) to explore a move to foundation trust status. The move
WOODLAND parks are holding a series of fun-packed events for the whole family this month. Rangers at Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, in Billingham, will help visitors to make a 3D woodland picture box, from 1pm to 3pm tomorrow. The event costs £2 and gives
BRITAIN'S biggest illuminated artwork will be switched on in the North-East later this month. A kaleidoscope of lights will illuminate the QEII Metro Bridge across the River Tyne, in Newcastle, from April 26. Nocturne has been hailed as a major new permanent
'BEFORE I say anything, I don't want you to worry. I am all right, really..." I could tell there was a big But coming up. My husband was speaking on his mobile from a wooden hut in the middle of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. He was there on a mountain
TWO thousand residents are being asked for their views on plans to create a unitary council for the county. The phone poll by North Yorkshire's district councils started yesterday and is being carried out by survey agency Ipsos Mori. Over the next few
WORKERS at a supposedly threatened hospital have scored the highest marks for job satisfaction in a NHS trust. A week ago, John Saxby, chief executive of the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, was having to justify the way Bishop Auckland
THE headteacher of a fictional television finishing school will open a festival of flowers and music in Teesdale on May bank holiday weekend. Gill Harbord, the principal in ITV's TV Ladette to Lady, will open Florissimo in Barningham, near Barnard Castle
RESTAURANTS in Darlington may have to hang the results of their food hygiene inspections at their front doors under council plans. The idea is to be considered by Darlington Borough Council's cabinet committee next week. Known as Scores on the Doors
TROUBLESOME Darlington families who cause misery for their neighbours are to be targeted in a new campaign. The town is one of 53 areas across the country to launch a Family Intervention Project (FIP), aimed at reversing the negative impact such people
CHILDREN with disabilities are to be given more help following new staff appointments made by the county council's education department. The council has appointed four professionals to champion extra-curricular activities for about 120 children, aged
THE issue of how to protect children from paedophiles - perhaps through a so-called Megan's Law - is as sensitive and difficult as any facing a government. That's why it's a tragedy that the decision rests with John Reid, the blunderbuss of Whitehall
PLANS to create another opencast coal mine in Derwentside are to be discussed at a public meeting. UK Coal is carrying out an exercise to assess the impact of extracting 450,000 tonnes of coal from the former Billingside site, near Dipton
MEMBERS of a community group are looking for two trainee youth workers. The Shildon Children and Young People's Action Network needs a minimum of two trained youth workers for activities. As a result, local people are being offered the chance to do a
A FUNDING decision has postponed a Thirsk nursery's closure for a further year. East Thirsk Playgroup has been awarded 7,000 by York and North Yorkshire Community Foundation. Now the group, which has run for 20 years, plans to lower its entry age from
POLICE Community Support Officers have joined forces with the RSPCA to help tackle the problem of lost or stray pets. A number of roadshows are to be held in and around Chester-le-Street during the coming weeks offering free micro-chipping and free
A SCHOOL dinner lady failed to reveal she was working while claiming benefits for more than eight years. In September 1996, single mother Tracy Ann Malkin began working as a kitchen assistant at Cotsford Park Primary School, in Horden, for a few hours
NORTH-EAST residents have sounded a resounding "no" to doorstep cold callers. A survey by Durham County Council's Trading Standards Service has revealed that attitudes have hardened against unwanted callers. The poll shows that 98 per cent of those surveyed
THE wedding dress worn by Cherie Blair when she married the future Prime Minister is one of the star attractions at a charity exhibition taking place next week. The exhibition, called A Century Of Wedding Gowns, has been organised by The Rotary Club of
MOTORISTS are being warned that a bottle bank in Gateshead will be closed from midnight tonight to allow emergency work to be carried out on a leaking gas main. The road, which links the northbound approach to the Tyne Bridge to the Swing Bridge and provides
An open day will be staged at Durham City Bowls Club to raise funds for the Erb's Palsey group, which seeks to fight the debilitating condition. New club president Neilma Hart has named the group her chosen charity during her year in the post. The open
A CANCER patient who faces an early death unless she can obtain a new wonder drug on the NHS has started private treatment with it. Pamela Smith, 62, from Darlington, has been forced to go private for the first two cycles of treatment with new drug Erbitux
A MAN with a criminal record stretching back to when he was 12 was yesterday jailed for nine months for an attack on a friend. Wayne Mercer, 33, knocked Andrew Dunn to the ground and twice smashed his head into the concrete after an argument in the street
PROJECTS in North Yorkshire have scooped almost £100,000 in National Lottery arts funding. Arts Council England, Yorkshire, gave £311,909 to 43 projects in Yorkshire and the Humber, with schemes in North Yorkshire awarded £99,303. The biggest payout
A dance night will be held at the Durham Indoor Bowls Club, in Pity Me, from 7.30pm to 10.30pm, on Saturday. Tickets are £3 with proceeds going to the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer. For further details, contact 0191-384-0700.
Private equity firm CVC yesterday abandoned plans for a £10.1bn offer for supermarket chain Sainsbury's. The end of its interest in the UK's third largest food retailer comes after its proposed offer price reportedly failed to win over the Sainsbury
A NORTH-EAST firm that provides legal advice to businesses involved in e-commerce has struck a deal to work with an African oil company. Cyberlaw Services, based in Sunderland, has won a contract to advise the Nigerian Elf Petroleum Company on legal
RADIO station Galaxy North-East has appointed a new station director. Matt Bashford joins Galaxy, part of the Chrysalis group, after three years at Brighton's Juice FM. He has quickly made his way up the ranks in radio, from trainee advertising salesperson
YOUNG children have been caught trying to con money out of people by saying they are collecting for charity. A boy and girl aged between seven and nine called at homes in Leadgate, near Consett, claiming to be from the Open Arms Group. Based at Leadgate
A BID is to be made to retain money seized from two young burglars who targeted a home for people with learning difficulties. Andrew Daly and Lee Henley were found in possession of about £200 when they were arrested several hours after the armed break-in
DHL yesterday announced it has commissioned the world's largest high-performance zero-emission vehicle from Tyne and Wear engineering company The Tanfield Group. The Smith Newton vehicle, made by Washington-based Tanfield's Smith Electric Vehicles division
THE growing skill shortage that threatens the future of traditional industries in the region is to be tackled at a conference attended by some of the biggest names in engineering. Representatives from Aker Kvaerner, the Engineering Construction Industry
NORTH Yorkshire tourist venue Castle Howard has appointed a new events and sales manager. RACHEL DEIGHTON, who has worked with the events team since 1998, will oversee all events at the venue, from concerts and to banquets and gala dinners. She became
BARCLAYS has appointed PHIL DIBBS to the position of relationship director for the North-East and Yorkshire Business Banking team. Mr Dibbs joins Barclays from HBOS, and will be based in Leeds, where he will focus on the manufacturing sector throughout
TEESSIDE company Coast and Country Housing has appointed a new director of regeneration and development. ANNA GIBSON, who has nearly 20 years' experience in development and regeneration, has joined the Redcar company from her post as a director of Sunderland's
A FATAL fire that claimed the lives of two sisters was started deliberately in the living room of their home, forensic examinations have revealed. Releasing photographs of Tatum Spence, 14, and her 12-year-old sister, Demi-Jade, who died in the blaze
A BAKERY chain in the region is seeing the benefits of developing the skills of its staff through the Train to Gain programme. Peters Cathedral Bakers has put some of its 560 employees on a tailored training course, through Bishop Auckland College's Distance
THE North-East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) has expanded its marketing department with the appointment of two members of staff. The regional business and technical support organisation has appointed RHYS JENKINS as marketing services executive
JENNINGS Mazda, in Middlesbrough, has appointed a new franchise manager. JAMES CHORLTON, who joined the motor group six years ago, will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the dealership, which is based in Cargo Fleet Lane. As well as achieving
Police are warning home owners to lock up their property during the warm weather after an expensive bike was stolen. Sometime over the weekend, the white and blue Cannondale R700 road race cycle was stolen from an unsecure garage in Normanby, Middlesbrough
ONE of Darlington's oldest residents celebrated her 102nd birthday at the weekend. Doris Wells celebrated her birthday at The Gardens Care Home, Darlington, where she lives, with family and friends on Sunday. Born and bred in Darlington, Mrs Wells has
A MOUNTAIN of compost is being given to gardeners in Darlington this weekend to encourage them to go green. The Big Heap Roadshow - part of Sunday's Green Fair - will allow gardeners to take up to three bags of free compost and teach them how to make
STARBUCKS, the multi-national coffee shop chain, could soon open its first shop in Darlington. The US company has applied for planning permission to build a store at numbers 2 and 4 at the Queen Street Shopping Centre. The premises - next to River Island
THE three-day Aintree Grand National meeting gets under way with a cracking renewal of the Liverpool Hurdle in which Inglis Drever (2.00) bids to follow-up last month's success at the Cheltenham Festival. Howard Johnson's top-class eight-year-old was
A reporter from The Northern Echo will be available to speak to at Yarm Library, on the High Street, from 1pm on Wednesday, April 18. These are weekly sessions where readers can discuss a local issue or pass on details of events for inclusion in the
THE former home of Darlington Football Club is to be turned into a mixed housing estate of 160 homes. Architects behind the scheme to redevelop the demolished Feethams stadium will consult with neighbours before putting together final plans - which are
NEW metal signs have been erected at the Hurworth Grange Community Centre - eight months after the old ones were ripped down. In August, two old wooden signs at the foot of the drive were ripped down on the same evening that youngsters had their alcohol
CHILDREN in Stockton are receiving positive support from a council service which has been praised by the Government. The Early Support Service for pre-school children with complex needs has been highlighted by Ofsted as an example of effective practice
Tournament organisers have vowed to press ahead with plans for a ''European club rugby tournament'' next season despite the damaging Anglo-French boycott. Currently, none of the 12 Guinness Premiership clubs or leading French sides such as Toulouse, Stade
Marcus Trescothick will not make himself available to England again until ''doubly certain'' he is well enough to complete a winter tour. The 31-year-old opening batsman, back in action for Somerset after a double hernia operation, talked of his anguish
A PRACTICE manager has been shortlisted for a national award for his outstanding work at a medical surgery. Graham Wynn, 50, of Stockton, could win a Caribbean cruise in the Williams Medical Supplies practice manager of the year awards. The Stockton
THE renaissance of Britain's towns and cities is threatened by the "hell" of violence and binge-drinking on their streets, Tony Blair admitted yesterday.Delivering a lecture in Cardiff, the Prime Minister hailed the rebirth of Middlesbrough and Newcastle
MORE than 50 people have produced an out-of season pantomime.North Cowton Rada, Really Amateur Dramatic Association, is staging Sleeping Beauty on Friday and Saturday, April 20 and 21, as the biannual village panto.In the past, the show attracted more
THE bygone era of afternoon tea dances, mixed with a flavour of salsa, took to the floor in east Durham yesterday.A joint venture by Easington area public health development team at County Durham Primary Care Trust (PCT), Easington Active and Northumbrian
A COMMUNITY radio station which will soon be broadcasting throughout Teesdale has received £13,000 in financial support.Radio Teesdale, based in Barnard Castle, has been allocated £10,000 from Awards for All for the purchase of sound and computer equipment
A STREET cleaner is still sweeping the streets of Darlington, six years after he retired.Peter Woodmansey does not charge for his services and is happy to receive just a glass of lemonade in payment.The 71-year-old is a familiar figure in the town, having
WE have already voiced our objections to the crass decision by the Ministry of Defence to allow the sailors and marines held by the Iranians to sell their stories. It was a decision which undermined the traditions and dignity of the armed forces and put
RUNNING the Race for Life in June will be emotional for Helen Woods.For the Darlington College journalism student will be running in memory of her mother, Susan, who lost her battle with cancer less than two years ago.The pair had planned to take part
DOZENS of students were evacuated from their halls of residence last night after workers drilled through a gas pipe.One hundred Northumbria University students were told to leave their accommodation in Camden Street, in the Shieldfield area of Newcastle.Gas
A PET shop stepped in to help supply a professional artist with real-life exotic models to feature in a new exhibition.Northumberland-based artist Mary Ann Rogers is always on the look-out for new subjects to paint - whether it be penguins at a zoo, or
TONY BLAIR last night admitted that allowing the Iran detainees to sell their stories had not been a "good idea" as he tried to quell a barrage of criticism.The Prime Minister said everyone involved in the controversial decision had acted "completely
The news that model pupil Kayleigh Baker is banned from ther end-of-term dance, because her parents do not want her to attend extra revision classes at Hurworth School, has caused a stir in her home village. Owen Amos reports.PEOPLE in Hurworth, young
The Government's former school's chief last night said it was "crackers" that a star pupil was banned from her graduation prom for refusing to attend extra revision classes.As the Department for Education and Skills confirmed that all after-hours lessons
CONVERSION work at Richmond's station building is on course to be completed by October.Contractors were this week installing floors in the 19th Century premises, which the Richmondshire Buildings Preservation Trust hopes will open as a community and commercial
A COUNCILLOR has beaten his rivals to retain the leadership of Durham County Council.Albert Nugent faced opposition from three fellow Labour councillors in his bid to carry on as leader of the authority, but won his party's nomination.The former miner
ONE OF the region's oldest residents has died at the age of 103.Born on February 16, 1904, Cissie Noon never recovered from a fall in her Durham City home on the eve of her birthday this year.One of 12 children, Miss Noon first lived in the Claypath area
A BISHOP Auckland author has spoken out against service cuts at a library she uses to research and write her books. Wendy Robertson called Durham County Council's decision to cut evening opening hours at Bishop Auckland Town Hall library "an act of vandalism
NEIGHBOURS from hell are being targeted by a new Government project aimed at helping unruly families.The Home Office yesterday announced it had launched 53 Family Intervention Projects (FIPs) across the country - six of which are in the North-East.The
YOUNGSTERS discovered a variety of creatures during a pond safari yesterday.More than 120 children turned up for the event at Guisborough Forest and Walkway.Countryside rangers invited youngsters to take part in a quiz to learn more about pond creatures
MOST of us watch top-level sport in the hope of witnessing spectacular feats that are beyond our own compass, but every now and then it is nice to be reminded that even the most exalted of sporting superstars remains fallible. Greatness is all well and
SHERWOODS Chevrolet is again the main sponsor of the Darlington 10k Road Race.The race, which attracts runners from across the country, is in its 20th year. Last year, 1,109 runners took part - and organisers are hoping to top that in this year's event
EIGHT district councillors bowed out from public duty last night as they attended their last full council meeting.The meeting of Wear Valley District Council was the final one before the forthcoming local elections, after which the eight members will
EIFION Williams and Richie Barker are more than happy to be spearheading Hartlepool United championship challenge together. The pair have linked up well since Barker arrived from Mansfield in an £80,000 deal in January. Barker has eigth goals in 15 outings
A COMMUNITY project in Teesdale has been given a boost after being handed a £17,800 grant. The See More in Cockfield project will use St Mary's Church as an educational resource, drawing on the heritage of the church and Cockfield. Through the Your Heritage
The Football Association are anticipating a huge crowd for England's first game back at Wembley after confirming Brazil as the opponents. The five-time world champions were named this afternoon as the glamorous opposition for the first friendly at the
A TEENAGE motorist who crashed at high-speed, killing himself and his two young passengers, was just under the drink-drive limit, an inquest heard. Adam Hobbs was driving his black Ford Fiesta at up to 80mph when he lost control and hit an oak tree next
HALF-CENTURIES by skipper Dale Benkenstein and wicketkeeper Phil Mustard failed to prevent Durham slipping to a 20-run defeat in the first of their two one-day friendlies against Lancashire at Old Trafford. Mal Loye, a regular thorn in Durham's flesh
England averted a possible World Cup humiliation by limping to an unconvincing six-wicket win over Bangladesh to retain a tenuous hold on their hopes of progressing further in the tournament. Successive defeats by Sri Lanka and Australia left England
A REGIONAL travel agency has been presented with an award. Hays Travel, which has its head office in Sunderland and 32 branches and three call centres in the region, has been named Leisure Travel Agency of the Year for the North-East and Yorkshire. The
Gregg Blundell believes Darlington are still suffering from a derby hangover. Quakers have not won in four games, drawing two and losing two, a run which has all ut killed off their play-off aspirations. And it was the first game of that winless quartet
Liverpool 1. PSV Eindoven 0. Liverpool win 4 - 0 on aggregate. Liverpool made it three English clubs in the Champions League semi-finals tonight without ever having to raise their game. Manchester United reached the last four on a wave of stunning attacking
England captain Michael Vaughan admitted England needed to improve after making hard work of victory over Bangladesh in the World Cup. Vaughan's side bowled Bangladesh out for 143 in Barbados yesterday but struggled in reply before eventually limping
THREE police officers who helped in the rescue of a man from his blazing home were honoured last night.Acting Sergeant Tony Elliott and PCs William Crampsie, 30, and Niall Brown, 43, based at Crook police station, in County Durham, were presented with
COMEBACK kid Robert Huth insists that while Middlesbrough still have plenty to play for this season, he will be glad to see the back of it. Huth has had a nightmare start to his new career on Teesside, in terms of injury, and he is already looking forward
NEWCASTLE United boss Glenn Roeder may have been keen to play down the significance of Michael Owen's comeback match, but he must be tempted to include the striker in his squad for this weekend's trip to Portsmouth. Supporters seem to be divided on whether
SUNDERLAND chairman Niall Quinn has sprung to the defence of former Newcastle United boss Sir Bobby Robson. The Black Cats supremo has always been a highly respected figure in the football world but his standing rose considerably when he donated the proceeds
THE owner of two racecourses in the North-East saw its share price fall by more than 16 per cent yesterday after a takeover approach proved to be £15m short of recent valuations. Northern Racing, which has courses in Sedgefield, County Durham, and Newcastle
ALMOST 70 jobs are at risk at a Morrisons site on Teesside, The Northern Echo has learned. The supermarket chain has proposed the closure of its resource recovery and vehicle maintenance units, which is next to a much larger distribution depot in Stockton
A TURKISH hit-and-run taxi driver who killed a North-East holidaymaker has been sentenced to four years and two months in prison.But under Turkish law, Mustafa Ozturk walked free from court to lodge an appeal, and his victim's family fear his sentence
THE funeral of a teenage soldier shot dead in Iraq will be held in his home town this weekend.Family and friends of Aaron Lincoln, 18, of the Sherburn Road Estate, in Durham City, will say their final farewell to him on Saturday in St Giles' Church, Gilesgate.The
A MOTHER broke down in court after she admitted killing her 22-month-old son who died after taking a heroin substitute.Gemma Fennelly yesterday pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mitchell Bate by gross negligence.Her partner, Mark Bate, faced the
A CHURCH congregation burst into applause after hearing of a change of heart by five teenagers after a window was smashed.The teenagers initially ran off after smashing a window in the church as they played football in the street outside.But officials
Roman's Empire (BBC2, 9.30pm), House (five, 9pm), Ann Maurice: Interior Rivalry (five, 8pm). IT has, says self-made millionaire Roman Pretty, been a good couple of days. "Birth, heartbreak and a fantastic cucumber salad," he elaborates. This is certainly
A GANG of bullies left a girl of 13 close to death by forcing her to remain waist-deep in the icy sea for two hours.She was rushed to hospital suffering from hypothermia after her ordeal, and lifesavers warned the youngster could have died if she had
While new Government guidelines say naughty pupils who do well should be rewarded, a North- East school has taken a tough stance against a high-flying student who refuses to take extra revision classes. Lindsay Jennings looks at the balance
The life story of Jim Slater - probably the oldest working journalist in Britain, if not the world - makes for interesting reading. NOSTALGICALLY returning to South Shields, where first he dipped naÃve nib into the unfathomed wells of the inky trade
