FIRE-fighters rescued two people after unattended candles started a blaze at a house tonight. Crews were called to Honister Place in the Lemington area of Newcastle at around 8.15pm. The fire had broken out in the living room of the property and filled
A SINGLE mother from the region tonight missed out on a £100,000-a-year job with Sir Alan Sugar. Despite being hot favourite, Kristina Grimes, 36, was beaten by public schoolboy Simon Ambrose in BBC One show The Apprentice. The mother-of-one from Harrogate
TOMMY Elder, who was the oldest living jockey to have ridden in the Grand National, has died at the age of 97. He took part in five pre-war Grand Nationals, finishing second twice, and rode 480 winners in a 14-year career. His victories included the
THE Northern Echo is today joining forces with the region's business leaders to try to overturn Government proposals that put thousands of vitally-needed jobs in jeopardy. The threat, buried in a planning blueprint, could halt several of the region's
Show your support for the campaign by sharing your views on the Government's planning blueprint.
The Northern Echo today joins forces with the region's business leaders to launch the Shaping the Future campaign, asking the Government to rethink its planning blueprint for the North-East. Tony Kearney looks at the Regional Spatial Strategy and the
Solutions ACROSS 1 Saussure. SAUSSURE (so sure hom.) 5 Temper. TEMP+ER (re rev.) 9 Peter Pan. PE(TERPA)N 10 Listed. LI+STED (Ted's anag.) 11 Oleander. O+LEANDER 12 Ostler. (hidden) 14 Other ranks. O+THE+R+RANK+S 18 Choir stall.
Cryptic Clues ACROSS 1 This influential linguist is so certain by the sound of it (8) 5 Self-control of office worker returns again (6) 9 Write about pater dressed as a fictional character (5,3) 10 Catalogued in '51 on Ted's order (6) 11 Shrub
Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason will realize a lifetime's ambition courtesy of Audi when the motorsport enthusiast takes the wheel of a rare Auto Union at the Goodwood Festival of Speed near Chichester next weekend (22-24 June). For the 10 th consecutive
On 16/17 June 2007 AUDI AG will again tackle one of motorsport's biggest challenges of all: With three prototypes, Audi Sport Team Joest will be contesting the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's most demanding car race that will be staged for the 75th time
Publisher: Microsoft Formats: Xbox 360 Price: £49.99 Family friendly? 3+ VERY successful games console needs a great motor racing sim. Until now Gran Turismo has probably represented the pinnacle
Publisher: Eidos Formats: PS2, multiformat Price: £29.99 Family friendly? 12+ FOR a short while Tomb Raider was a gaming phenomenon. Lara Croft appeared on the front cover of The Face mag,
Are you dreading your next quarterly phone bill? If you are, then it's probably a good idea to consider an internet phone. DITCHING a traditional landline phone for an internet alternative can save you a small fortune, especially if you make
FUNERAL managers who failed to bury a baby boy and incinerated his body to cover up their mistake have escaped jail. Mark Eshelby, 48, and Graeme Skidmore, 44, panicked when they realised they had failed to put baby Benjamin Judson's body in the
Bishop Auckland based Fire Cobra Thai Boxing club continued it's success by winning 3 World Titles at the Amateur Kickboxing Association (AKA) event held on Saturday 2 June at Cockerton Club, Darlington. Sam Bainbridge, from Willington, current Welterweight
The third Amateur Kickboxing Association (AKA) event of the year will take place on Saturday 2 June 2007 at Darlington Cockerton Band and Music Institute, hosted by Bishop Auckland's Fire Cobra Thai Boxing Club and Darlington's Hanuman Club. Experienced
POLICE in Portugal have sealed off an area after receiving a letter claiming that the body of missing Madeleine McCann is buried beneath rocks. The site is nine miles from where Madeleine went missing. More soon.
Recently established Bishop Auckland Thai Boxing Club Fire Cobra' began the year with what can only be described as a baptism of fire. The formerly named Hanuman Thai Boxing club sent six competitors to take part in the first amateur kickboxing association's
Tanfield agrees trial with Royal Mail ENGINEERING company The Tanfield Group could be set to secure another major contract after agreeing a trial deal to supply its vehicles to Royal Mail. The deal will see Tanfield's Smith Electric Vehicles division
Darlington Harriers will be well represented at this year's English School Track and Field championships following some outstanding performances at county level last weekend. Faye Bowles, Lorna Goldsmith, Josh Phillips, Kate Blaylock and Joe Kiribige
THANK you to The Northern Echo for organising the debate on the future of local government held at the Gala Theatre, Durham City, on Sunday. Recently, I have been thinking about the proposals for altering Durham councils. Having looked at all
RE Tony Kelly's "views" on abortion (HAS, June 7). What kind of world does this man live in? Who is he to judge people who have gone through this without any thought of the reasons behind their actions? According to him, if a 12-year-old girl is
RE your story headed "Danger dog shot dead after hunt" (Echo, June 9), Why? It seems that humanity's answer to a problem is "kill, kill, kill". The animal, not much more than a puppy, had been on the loose for several days and must have been hungry
WITH regard to the letters from Peter Wilson and Pete Winstanley (HAS, both June 5) pouring scorn on John Hoodless (HAS, May 31) for wanting foreigners to be sent back to their own countries. They do not take into account the fact that we are being
I TOTALLY agree with Tony Kelly (HAS, June 5) that management generally, both in the public and private sectors, is not up to the job and his summation of them is right on the ball. We do not make those with the relevant experience our managers
WITH the Queen's Birthday Honours due shortly, several newspapers have been putting forward names for knighthoods. Prominent suggestions have been Sir Frankie Dettori and Sir David Beckham. Yet both are in their 30s, still active sportsmen and
A SERIOUSLY ill little boy with a rare genetic condition will get the life-changing treatment he desperately needs after a bone marrow match has been found. The family of four-year-old Riley Mulvany, from Darlington, are celebrating after learning this
UP to 1,000 jobs could be created in a market town under plans for a £20m business park. Castlevale Properties has drawn up proposals for the 32-acre site on Darlington Road, Northallerton. The development would be a mixture of offices and industrial
TRADING standards officials for Hartlepool Borough Council are warning residents to be on the lookout for a potentially dangerous novelty discovered on sale in the town. The Love Meter is an hourglass-shaped clear glass bottle with a heart-shaped glass
A TRAVELLING storyteller has a "magical" coat to weave her tales around, thanks to a £2,000 grant. The funding, from the Arts Council of England, will help Rhoda Fraser to take legends from around the world to children in the Richmond area. Most of the
THE Government has unveiled a £16,000 funding package for an innovative scheme to tackle youth homelessness. Housing Minister Yvette Cooper announced that Chester-le-Street District Council would get the money to develop 14 supported housing units in
I don't get Will And Grace. It's one of those US comedy shows that by-passes my funny bone. Having survived eight seasons in its homeland, I must assume I'm in a minority in sitting stony-faced throughout. The basic premises puts a twist on our very
POLICE have imposed on-the-spot fines on bar staff in a continuing crackdown on under-age drinking. A police spokesman said two 15-year-old schoolgirls - closely monitored by plain-clothed police officers - went into six licensed premises in Chester-le-Street
ANGER over the access to 37 proposed new houses in Bedale was growing yesterday amid fears that an even larger development could be approved by planners. Campaigners, who said the access was dangerous in its present form, believe it could eventually be
TWO schoolgirls have beaten off competition from across the region to make it into the national finals of a marketing contest with an anti-bullying campaign. Meeral Siddiqui and Katherine Sykes, both 13, from St Michael's School, in Billingham, will go
A HOSPITAL'S decision to raise its car parking fees has led to fears that it will create knock-on problems elsewhere in the town. The new charges apply seven days a week, ending a previous arrangement allowing people to park free at weekends. Car parking
PUPILS are flexing their muscles in a health and fitness week. The youngsters at Myton Primary School, in Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, are taking part in a range of activities to get their hearts pumping and their bodies moving. Yesterday, every child
STUDENTS at Bedale High School played their part in the annual three-mile Race for Life, held in Darlington at the weekend, to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Nineteen pupils acted as marshalls in the finishing area and distributed medals, goody bags
NEARLY 20 North Yorkshire schools have won official recognition for their commitment to the arts. They have each been awarded an Artsmark by the Arts Council England - and more than half have the highest level, gold. The awards recognise schools that
A LONG-RUNNING family business has a new woman at the helm after its previous owner retired. Paula Richardson has given up her job as a property developer to run Simpsons Sports, in Post Office Wynd, Darlington. She has taken over from David Simpson,
POLICE are looking for a man who assaulted two girls as they walked near a school. At about 6pm on Monday, the 15-year-old girls were walking along the perimeter path of Ian Ramsey School, in Greens Lane, Stockton, when they were approached by a man in
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a roadside robbery in which a delivery driver was held up at knifepoint and forced to hand over the day's takings. At midday on Sunday, May 27, as the driver completed his morning drop-offs in the Easington Lane area
A POPULAR Wear Valley Hotel celebrated its 20-year anniversary last week. Helme Park Hall Hotel, near Crook, opened on June 7, 1987. To celebrate, hotel staff invited old and new customers, along with Sedgefield and Wear Valley district councils, to
BUDDING chefs had their first taste of competition in a cook-off which was judged by managers from the restaurant trade. Darlington College hosted the North Yorkshire Hospitality Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVe) learner competition, with students
AN intensive clean-up of Close House and Eldon Lane that aims to cut crime and anti-social behaviour will take place next month. Wear Valley District Council has been issued a Government grant to complete a pilot improvement scheme. Close House and
EXPERTS planning to brief business leaders on how to meet a terrorist attack were left disappointed at the low turnout. Seats in which members of Teesside's retail and commercial sector were expected to have been sitting up and taking notice, were empty
A CHARITY that helps people with Alzheimer's disease has been given a boost thanks to a council chairman. Hartlepool Borough Council chairman Councillor Carl Richardson presented Hartlepool and East Durham Alzheimer's Trust with a cheque for £1,231.89
THE sums and equations involved in everyday life in Durham are revealed in a new maths trail. The 26-question trail shows how numbers are involved in buildings and business around city centre locations, including the Market Place and Durham Cathedral.
TEENAGE pregnancy rates in Darlington have fallen by one per cent - one of the biggest decreases in the North-East. Twenty years ago, the town had close to the highest number of pregnant under-18s in the UK. The rate has dropped significantly - and data
SCHOOL children have boosted St Teresa's Half a Million Hugs campaign by taking part in an art therapy session. The children, from Hummersknott School and Language College, in Darlington, visited St Teresa's Hospice to help patients make and decorate
A VETERAN cyclist and fundraiser is saddling up for a marathon bike ride in memory of his wife. Brian Everett will tackle an 1,120-mile journey to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. His wife, Sheila, died from breast cancer three years ago. Mr Everett
SAINSBURY'S has defended its decision to appeal against restrictions on night-time deliveries. Yesterday, residents and councillors who live around the Victoria Road store said they are preparing to fight against the supermarket's appeal. They say their
SHOPPERS and traders have backed plans to revamp an archway that forms a crucial town link. About 200 people have signed a petition in favour of the proposed £200,000 redevelopment of the John Kitson Archway, in Spennymoor. Spennymoor Town Council will
A SCHOOL has acquired specialist status as a business and enterprise college. Greencroft Community School, in Annfield Plain, is now eligible for £70,000 a year from the Government for the next three years. The money will be used to enhance the school's
AN MP has helped a bus company to launch a service with easy access for all passengers. Easington MP John Cummings joined Go North-East's Martin Harris behind the wheel of the company's Drifter service at Dalton Park Shopping Centre. Running from Sunderland
A CANNABIS user who grew marijuana plants worth £6,000 at his Darlington home has been spared prison. Police discovered six plants, along with powerful hydroponics lamps and other growing equipment, when they raided Derek Lloyd Creighton's house, in
VOLUNTEERS at a day hospice in Barnard Castle have been commended for their hard work. The group, which works at the Butterwick Day Hospice at the Richardson Hospital, was given a framed certificate by volunteer support organisation 2D for volunteers'
SPORTING organisations in a former mining community have cause to celebrate after securing lottery grants. Mainsforth Bowls Club and Mainsforth Cricket Club, both in Ferryhill, have received almost £20,000 from the Awards for All scheme. The money comes
A NEW club night promising to bring a celebrity feel to a County Durham town will be launched this month. The promoters of Fire and Ice, centred around Bishop Auckland Market Place, claim that it will be an exclusive event unlike anything else seen in
DARLINGTON and Hartlepool United have been handed difficult away trips in the first round of the Carling Cup. Newly-promoted Pools will travel to Championship newcomers Scunthorpe United. And Dave Penney's Darlington most overcome an other Championship
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Gareth Southgate is close to securing his second signing of the summer after Fenerbahce striker Tuncay Sanli agreed personal terms with the Teessiders. Subject to a medical next week, the 25-year-old, who is a free agent, will join
POLICE are looking for a four or five strong gang who carried out an unprovoked attack on a 35-year-old man out walking his dog. The dog walker needed hospital treatment for injuries to his head, an eye and a swollen right hand, following the assault
IT is as dry as old sticks and has possibly the most uninspiring name imaginable, but the Regional Spatial Strategy will impact on the lives of every man, woman and child in the North-East. The 200-page planning blueprint determines how many houses can
Tim Henman's dismal season sank to a fresh low when he was dumped out of the Artois Championship in the first round with a humiliating 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 4-6 defeat to wildcard Marin Cilic. The British number two appeared to be cruising early in the third
Colin Montgomerie's new caddie Billy Goddard knows not to rile his new employer by saying the wrong thing and the wrong time during the US Open at Oakmont. Goddard was recommended by the hosting club at the Pennsylvania venue to carry the bag for Montgomerie
A delegation is visiting the North-East today to assess the region's bid to be at the forefront of the UK's billion-pound clean energy development programme. If the bid is successful, it could mean the region will be able to reclaim the title of "energy
TWO of the region's police forces are to move towards creating a joint firearms unit. Durham and Cleveland police say that merging their firearms teams would create major savings for both forces, which could be ploughed into front-line policing. The two
Middlesbrough are closing in on two Turkey internationals and club chairman Steve Gibson last night revealed he hopes to bring a couple of 'spectacular' summer signings to the Riverside Stadium. Boro chief executive Keith Lamb was in Istanbul yesterday
England Under-21 defender Steven Taylor is desperate to make an impression on the European Championship after watching the draw against Czech Republic from the stands. The Newcastle centre-back was suspended for the Group B opener at Arnhem's Gelredome
A HEALTH watchdog has expressed its disappointment that a national charity has not supported its campaign to recognise stroke symptoms. The plan to issue cards telling people what to look for has been shelved after the organisers were warned by the Stroke
WE want to fly free, not be constrained. We want our aspirations to soar, not to be held in check by central government. We want to be able to shape our own future. In previous decades, the North-East has held out a begging bowl and pleaded with the Government
PAUL Collingwood has backed Liam Plunkett to be a "great Test bowler" despite his Durham team-mate's omission from the England squad to face West Indies at Riverside. Plunkett finally paid the price for below-par displays in the last two Tests when he
Peter Moores believes match-winner Monty Panesar did not cross the line into gamesmanship after his over-enthusiastic display of appealing during England's third Test victory over West Indies. The Northamptonshire left-arm spinner claimed his best match
England eyes will be sharply focused on Yorkshire today but there will be little concern over the result of their final North Conference match in the Friends Provident Trophy. The centre of attention for England captain, Michael Vaughan, and coach, Peter
A new TV show, Britain's Got Talent, is bringing strange and quirky acts to public notice once again, but could it mark the start of the revival of variety? Women's Editor Sarah Foster looks at its history. THE critics haven't all been kind, but one at
LIAM Plunkett's return to action with Durham has been delayed until Friday on the advice of the England hierarchy. An unchanged squad will contest today's final group game in the Friends Provident Trophy at Edgbaston, with Plunkett joining them for the
NATALIA GEMELOVA doesn't always get the chances her talent richly deserves, but at Beverley this afternoon she could well partner a welcome winner aboard Ryedale Ovation (2.50). Quite why trainers don't utilise Natalia's services more often is a mystery
RARE black grouse are on the increase and nowhere more so than in the Yorkshire Dales where numbers have trebled. Recent spring counts recorded 170 males compared to only 55 in 1998 and in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the bird's
Do we live in a democracy? Hardly. Do we live in a dictatorship? Increasingly. Yet the Great Dictator seems prepared to dictate away some of his power, though of course not to us, the people. That is the anticipated scenario of one of Tony Blair's final
'Getting on down' meant something entirely different to pitmen...and it's possible it was genetic. "Blessed are they which do hunker and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled" - Matthew 5:6. PADDY Burton from Sunniside, that former pit
AN eight-year-old disabled girl has begged cowardly yobs to stop terrorising her family.Demi Lewis, who suffers from cerebral palsy, and her petrified family have been forced to flee their Middlesbrough home after more than a week of attacks.Now hiding
Satellite link-ups are par for the course for astronauts. However, they normally involve Mission Control and not a throng of primary school children. Claire Burbage reports on what happened when North-East space traveller Dr Nicholas Patrick gave youngsters
A POLICE officer has returned to work after being cleared of assaulting a nurse.PC Neil Chisholm was alleged to have assaulted the woman at the University Hospital of Hartlepool, on February 14 last year.The 24-year-old officer had pleaded not guilty
A FORMER soldier who has served in some of the most dangerous countries in the world has decided to take on his local council in his latest fight.Jim Willis has spent the past 17 days under canvass as he tries to prevent a housing development starting
TWO factories on the outskirts of Durham have been damaged by fire. The factory units, which are both in Langley Moor, were hit by separate fires just hours apart. A small factory on Towngate Business Centre was the first to be damaged. Fire crews were
THREE people have been injured in a two car smash at town centre cross roads. A 58-year-old man, the driver of a Kia motor car, sustained concussion and his 58-year-old woman passenger, whiplash injuries, in the crash which happened at the junction of
DAVE Penney has praised the qualities of new Darlington captain Steve Foster. The 27-year-old turned down the chance to play Championship football with newly-promoted Scunthorpe United to join Quakers last month. And Penney believes he has completed
CARDIFF CITY are ready to test Sunderland's resolve by offering Graham Kavanagh a return to Ninian Park. Manager Roy Keane last night insisted that Monday's £3m deal to bring Greg Halford to Wearside will be the first of many signings this summer and
THE family of a four-year-old boy in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant has thanked hundreds of people who registered as donors last week. Now Riley Mulvany and his family must wait and see if any of the 220 people who signed up to the bone marrow
THE Northern Echo is today joining forces with the region's business leaders to try to overturn Government proposals that put thousands of vitally-needed jobs in jeopardy. The threat, buried in a planning blueprint, could halt several of the region's
WORKERS at a chemical plant have staged a walk-out amid fears of a break out of Legionnaires' disease. Two men working at Artenius UK Ltd, on the Wilton estate, between Middlesbrough and Redcar, were confirmed as having contracted the disease. In an unrelated
A Snooker match referee and wildman Alex "Hurricane" Higgins last night said they wished to see an end to the controversy over an exhibition match bust-up. Referee Terry Riley was punched in the stomach by former world champion Higgins at a sell-out match
A RURAL bridge is to be officially re-opened after £1.3m of repairs - two years to the day after it was washed away by flash floods. Heavy rain caused severe flooding across North Yorkshire in June 2005, with Hawnby, near Helmsley, badly hit. The floods
A FATHER-OF-TWO was stabbed to death when a family feud erupted into violence, a court heard. Lee Hannan was knifed at least six times by Shaun Martin moments after his cousin, Stuart, had a pre-arranged street fight with the alleged assailant. Mr Hannan
NEWCASTLE UNITED are hoping the Professional Footballers' Association will successfully strike a deal with Manchester City to ensure the difficult transfer of Joey Barton reaches a positive conclusion.There are growing fears the £5.5m deal could collapse
POLICE officers were publicly humiliated over their controversial former chief constable's plans for an office shower, it has been revealed.Grahame Maxwell, the present Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police, said that when the story of his predecessor's
Flashy weddings seem to have become compulsory, leaving many couples to start married life in debt WHEN Mick Jagger married Bianca more than 30 years ago, he chartered a plane to carry 70 guests to the ceremony in the south of France. And that, we
A HEALTH watchdog has expressed its disappointment that a national charity has not supported its campaign to recognise stroke symptoms. The plan to issue cards telling peoplewhat to look for has been shelved after the organisers were warned by the Stroke
A HIGH-POWERED delegation is visiting to North-East today to assess the region's bid to be at the forefront of the UK's billion pound clean energy development programme. If the bid is successful it could mean the region will be able to reclaim title
A FORMER soldier has decided to take on Redcar and Cleveland Council in his latest fight. Jim Willis has spent the last 17 days under canvass as he tries to prevent a housing development starting on Coatham Common in Redcar. The former Green Howard
THE family of a four-year-old boy in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant has thanked hundreds of people who registered as donors last week. Now Riley Mulvany and his family must wait and see if any of the 220 people who signed up to the bone marrow
