HIS Newcastle United team-mates may not have scored in last weekend's goalless draw with Aston Villa, but Magpies midfielder Joey Barton had few problems hitting the net today. The footballer took part in a police-backed angling scheme for young people
AN 11-year-old boy has died after he was shot in a pub car park in an area of Liverpool. The youngster was shot near the Fir Tree public house in Croxteth at about 7.30pm. He was taken to hospital with serious gunshot wounds and later confirmed dead
A MOTORCYCLIST was airlifted to hospital folowing a road traffic accident in County Durham tonight. The accident happened at about 5.30pm on the B6277 at Langdon Beck, near Forest-in-Teesdale and involved a collision between a motocycle and a van. The
TRADING standards officers hope the prosecution of a man who sold fake DVDs at a car boot sale will restrict his activities. Tony Bartell, from Stanley, County Durham, was arrested after he was spotted selling counterfeit discs, many of popular current
A NORTH-EAST football legend could join some of the sport's all-time greats by being added to a prestigious roll of honour. Len Shackleton, who earned the nickname of The Clown Prince of Soccer for his silky skills and seemingly carefree attitude during
Solutions ACROSS 1 Bagpipes. B(AG+PIP)ES(s) 5 Ladies. L+ADIES (aides anag.) 9 Turnover. TURN(O+V)ER 10 Castle. CAS(T+L)E 12 On one's tod. ONO+NESTOD (stoned anag.) 13 Sweet. S+WEE+T 14 Eden. E+DEN 16 Thin air. T(H)IN+AIR 19 America
Cryptic Clues ACROSS 1 Silver foil Bess endlessly wraps around a musical instrument (8) 5 Many new aides are women (6) 9 Artist eats duck and very small pie (8) 10 Box containing the first fifty is discovered in a fortress (6) 12 Alone Yoko gets
Americans will understand the title, but the Brits, alas, will not. Calgon is a type of bath additive sold in America, sort of like Radox is here. They used to run an advert in the USA showing a harried, over worked , over stressed woman in the bath
A MOTORCYCLE passenger was still critically ill last night, seven days after he was seriously injured on a country road. Three people were taken to hospital following a crash near the village of Cornsay Colliery, in County Durham, on the afternoon of
A FIVE-year-old North-East boy has baffled doctors after contracting a rare cancer only ever found before in women. When a birth mark on little Ian Milstone's head turned into an egg-sized lump his parents rushed him to a doctor but it took two-and-a-half
A NORTH shopping centre had to be evacuated today after a fire. Darlington town centre was cordoned off and hundreds of staff and shoppers had to wait in the streets outside the Cornmill Centre after a blaze broke out in the malls loading bay. Two fire
LOTTERY organisers are stepping up the hunt for a lucky winner who has yet to claim a £250,000 jackpot more than six weeks after their numbers were drawn. The Thunderball ticket, with the numbers 10, 12, 18, 21, 29, with the Thunderball number of 5,
HUNDREDS of family and servicemen of a pilot killed when his Puma helicopter crashed in North Yorkshire paid their respects at his funeral today. More than 300 people, including 150 RAF servicemen packed into St Mary's Church, in Norton, to say farewell
MIDDLESBROUGH have finally agreed to sell Yakubu after accepting a bid - believed to be around £11.25m - from Everton. The 24-year-old trained with his Boro team-mates on Wednesday morning before heading off to Merseyside to open talks with the Toffees
OPTICAL disc storage is quick, clean and convenient. It's also incredibly dangerous. Did you know that the shiny new CDs and DVDs you burn on your computer only have a relatively short life? They use a light sensitive dye that retains the information
The Nintendo Wii demonstrated that gamers could get in shape without leaving the living room. But what other alternatives are there? Nigel Burton checks out the latest excer-games A new range of indoor games exercises the parts that Playstations and
DETECTIVES hunting a shaven-headed man who carried out an early hours sex attack on a teenage girl have had an encouraging response to pleas for help. The 19-year-old victim was attacked at 4.30am on Saturday, August 4, in the West Lane area of Chester-le-Street
A SUPERMARKET has withdrawn its smoked salmon after it was found to contain a killer bug. Waitrose, which has a branch in Durham's Gates shopping centre, has removed two of its own-brand products from the shelves and suspended shipments from its supplier
A WOMAN is in hospital with serious injuries after falling from a third storey window at a house in Ripon. The 43-year-old, who has not been named by police, was discovered in the garden of the house in Princess Terrace, off North Road, shortly after
LAST week, the Conservative Party called for less red tape and regulation in business. The Federation of Small Businesses added to the debate with its national policy chairman, John Walker, complaining (correctly) of encouraging words in the past
I WELCOME the news that Dublin City Council has taken a drastic stand in an attempt to reduce attacks from dangerous dogs by banning 11 breeds, including rottweilers, bull terriers and German shepherds, from its houses, flats and estates. Tenants
YOUR headline, "Lord's - and Masters" (Echo, Aug 20), might seem a little grandiose, but it testifies to the vision and hard work that has gone into making Durham cricket into a success story. Over 15 years from being a Minor Counties team, Durham
GIVEN that Gordon Brown may now call a snap General Election, then hopefully his country of origin will not become an election issue to the English. However, I am sure it will if, as Prime Minister, he does not intervene in the sectarian pay rise
CORRESPONDENT DFG Hodgson asks me how the National Black Police Association can assist us to have a "multicultural police force" (HAS, Aug 16). Black police associations (BPAs) were first established in the 1990s to deal with difficulties in recruiting
A BELLY-DANCER will show visitors to a summer carnival this weekend how to shake their hips. Vanessa Gooding has been performing for several years and draws her inspiration from film footage of Egyptian belly-dancers of the Forties and Fifties. She will
LICENSEES in Redcar are signing up to a scheme to clamp down on underage drinking. Three off-licences are the latest to join efforts to reduce anti-social behaviour by taking part in the under-21s alcohol ban. Following the success in other areas of Redcar
RESIDENTS of a north Durham village are celebrating the beginning of building work on a community centre. North Durham MP Kevan Jones has turned the first sod at the £879,000 facility in Sacriston, near Chester-le-Street. He was helped by Linda Surtees
THE outstanding work of an award-winning group of young County Durham crimefighters has earned it a national accolade. Earlier this year, the Colliery Crimebusters from Easington, in County Durham, were honoured for their efforts by the
A YOUNG man under financial pressure after finding himself in charge of the family business made a fraudulent £10,000-plus insurance claim. Jonathon Brown told his insurance company he was driving his Mini Cooper when it was
PLANS by a bus and coach operator to use farm land for storing vehicles are likely to be approved despite opposition from some people. Procters, which runs the network of Dales and District services, stores some vehicles on an industrial estate in Leases
POLICE fear applications to keep town centre nightclubs open until 6am will have a disastrous effect on communities in north Durham. Sergeant Tim Robson, licensing officer with Durham Police, spoke out regarding two applications to extend opening hours
AN immature 20-year-old who joined in a fight between his schoolboy friends and some older youths was yesterday locked up for smashing one of them over the head with a bottle. Peter Freeman was told by a judge that the level of violence he used during
CAMPAIGNERS fighting against an extension to a quarry could be dealt a blow if a second quarry in the area is allowed to extend its operation. W&M Thompson Limited is hoping to extend the life of its site, situated directly to the north of Bishop Middleham
IT may have been a grey, damp day across most of the region yesterday, but one village was enjoying a tropical feeling. Artistic residents in West Cornforth created a 10ft plastic palm tree from recycled materials to "plant" outside a youth drop-in centre
A MAN has been ordered to stay away from his parents' home indefinitely after he admitted causing them alarm and distress. Jobless Stephen William Hutchfield appeared before Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court yesterday. The 34-year-old admitted causing
VOLUNTEERS who have shown outstanding dedication in helping families with young children were honoured at a ceremony yesterday. The charity Children North East presented the awards at the event, which was staged at Durham County Cricket Club, in Chester-le-Street
RAF Leeming has been awarded a road safety accolade following 12 months of effort. Personnel from the transport and maintenance flight, led by Sergeant Wendy Williams, were presented with the 2006 RAF Road Safety Bowl for work pioneering links with North
DARLINGTON'S last three "neighbourhood houses", which provide advice to council tenants in their community, will close in October. The houses, at Skerne Park, Firthmoor, and Branksome, are being closed under restructuring moves by Darlington Borough Council
THE life expectancy of people in Darlington has fallen compared to the national average, as alcohol abuse and obesity rates continue to rise - an NHS report has revealed. Health in the area is officially classed as "poor" and the latest figures show that
SCORES of hypodermic needles discarded in the River Tees are putting lives at risk. Alan Slater, the barrage manager and river master on the River Tees, said staff were placing themselves in danger when removing rubbish and debris thrown in the water.
VANDALS have been criticised for putting lives at risk after they set fire to disused school buildings. About 30 firefighters were called to the blaze at the Billingham Campus School on Monday night, and were at the scene for three hours. Billingham watch
PEOPLE are being urged to help with a consultation exercise to determine a town's future. Ryedale District Council is creating a planning framework to help govern future development in Malton. To help it, the council wants to hear what people living in
FIRE under Darlington's newly-installed pedestrian heart caused the town centre to be cordoned off for the second time in six weeks yesterday. Witnesses reported smelling and seeing smoke from the manhole cover in front of Gregg's, on High Row. The fire
MISPLACED loyalty landed an older brother in court after he attacked and threatened a man who had made a police statement against his sibling. Kevin Dodds admitted perverting the course of justice and assaulting Shaun Elliot, in Spennymoor, on June 23
STAFF from a Darlington car dealership left their vehicles at home for a day to take part in a race for charity. A five-strong team from Sherwoods Chevrolet took part in the Darlington 10K run to raise funds for St Teresa's Hospice. The team expect to
COMMUNITY safety officers will join a drive to reduce the number of house burglaries across Hambleton next week. All 13 officers in the district have been given Home Office training to undertake home security surveys, which include tips on door and window
A SCHEME to build three holiday cabins and a brewery behind a pub is likely to be rejected tomorrow. Planning officers at Hambleton District Council say that because of its location, design and lack of screening, the development at the rear of the Arden
A MAN assaulted two others because they called him a "charver", a court heard yesterday. Gavin Robert McCallum, 20, from Tom Raine Court, Darlington, got into an argument in Newton Aycliffe with a group of men walking home at 10pm on Saturday, September
CORRESPONDENT John Conlon (HAS, Aug 18) says that the only way to know which is the true faith is to look at the "one in which miracles occur". The Bible records many miracles occurring within both the Jewish and Christians faiths, while miracles
SALES of a potentially deadly gas to people under 18 is on the increase - despite the threat of legal action - trading standards officers warned yesterday. Retailers were banned from selling butane gas lighter refills to minors following a spate of deaths
Talking of views - this column's topic last week and now of course on everyone's lips - there really is an extraordinary omission from Sir Trevor McDonald's TV search for Britain's best view, which served to prime the column's thoughts on our scenic jewels
FAMILY-RUN auto care business North-Eastern Tyre and Exhausts has made a strategic board shuffle, handing the reins of the business to GAVIN MARSHALL. Mr Marshall, who has been with the North Tyneside company for 16 years, takes up the mantle of managing
Delivery company TNT yesterday launched electric vehicles made by The Tanfield Group into its European operation, in a move that could lead to the creation of hundreds of jobs in the North-East. Last year, TNT agreed a deal with Tanfield's Smith Electric
TWO police officers are hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for charities close to their hearts when they take part in this year's Great North Run. PC Daniel McAyley and PC Victoria Barnett, who work out of Barnard Castle police station, in County Durham
NATIONAL tabloid newspapers are fanning the flames of Anglo-German football rivalry, a German-born North-East academic said last night. As England prepares to play Germany in a friendly at the new Wembley, tonight, Dr Christian Schwieger said any war-inspired
A TEENAGE girl died after being crushed under the wheels of a bus she had been a passenger on seconds earlier, an inquest heard. Nadine Corbett, 16, who was travelling with a friend on a single-decker bus, stumbled and fell as she left the vehicle. Nadine
A STOLEN van racket in the North-East had links to the IRA, a court heard yesterday. Teesside Crown Court was told the racket in stolen Mercedes and Ford Transit vans, which operated between Great Yarmouth and Scotland, was operated from a house in Bishop
housebuilder Persimmon yesterday posted record profits as it said tight cost controls helped offset a "challenging" housing market in the North. The York group reported half-year pre-tax profits of £281.1m, up 9.8 per cent on the same period last year
A SPATE of armed robberies is being linked to two gangs operating out of Liverpool and Manchester. Detectives from Cleveland and North Yorkshire forces are working with officers in the North-West to foil the violent robbers, who have netted thousands
THE North-East moved a step closer in its bid to be the home of a UK energy research centre. The region was shortlisted as one of three in the running for the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), a centre of excellence that is expected to attract more
CARE home operator Southern Cross has sold the freehold interest of nine of its care homes for £30m, the group announced yesterday. The Darlington company will keep the leasehold of the homes, which were acquired in May, to the undisclosed company for
EACH-WAY sharks might like to sink their teeth into a tasty chunk of 33-1 or thereabouts by lumping on Lake Poet (2.35) for today's £200,000 totesport Ebor. Identifying value has always been the trademark of the column and Clive Brittain's progressive
THE flatmate of a heroin addict stabbed to death in his home has told a jury how he ran for help as the brutal attack was launched by an angry drug dealer. Carl Vincent watched in horror as Mark "Peao" Pearson repeatedly swiped a broad-bladed kitchen
A MOTHER who plunged a kitchen knife into her partner's chest has been spared jail after her victim admitted he helped drive her to the edge. Joanne Sutherland, 27, could have faced five years behind bars after stabbing Martin Urwin in the chest during
THE Human Rights Act has been hailed as one of the successes of Tony Blair's time as Prime Minister and it is a piece of legislation which has its place in protecting many who would otherwise have faced injustice. And yet it is fraught with difficulties
A TEENAGE prank ended in a lifeboat crew rescuing a 14-year-old boy who had been deliberately cast adrift in a small boat Sunderland's RNLI and HM Coastguard station was scrambled into action after a concerned member of the public alerted the emergency
Victory is crucial for Yorkshire in their match against Warwickshire which starts at Scarborough today if they are to stay in the thick of the battle for the Championship title in what is turning out to be one of the most closely contested scraps in recent
AYEGBENI YAKUBU has not been training with Middlesbrough and has chosen against meeting up with his country while he thrashes out his future. Nigeria manager Berti Vogts had been expected to see Yakubu in the squad for tonight's friendly with Macedonia
ROY KEANE fears international week may have taken its toll on some of his players and he will not be afraid to wield the axe if players underperform in training on their return. As well as Scottish pair Craig Gordon and Russell Anderson, the Black Cats
Two of Darlington's injury victims are winning their fight for fitness, but midfielder Ricky Ravenhill may be forced to sit out this weekend's game with Notts County. Ravenhill tweaked a hamstring at Accrington Stanley and, although he is not thought
SAM ALLARDYCE is not a believer in squad rotation and insists the two most in-form strikers will start for Newcastle United this season. With Michael Owen expected to increase his match fitness by playing for England against Germany tonight, Allardyce
ENGLAND skipper John Terry has been urged to be more vocal by England coach Steve McClaren but insists he will not "spout rubbish" for the sake of it. Terry and the rest of the squad had individual conversations with McClaren on Monday after completing
Andrew Johnson was yesterday told he was out of England's friendly against Germany at Wembley. The Everton striker has fluid on his knee and will instead return to Merseyside for treatment with his club. Boss Steve McClaren could therefore gamble on the
England manager Steve McClaren has described tonight's friendly with Germany at Wembley as ''pure preparation'' for the forthcoming Euro 2008 qualifying fixtures. McClaren will be unable to call on Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, Owen Hargreaves, Sol
England welcomed three new members into the hundred club after an aggressive display with bat and ball ensured a comprehensive victory over favourites India in the opening match of the NatWest Series. Humbled during the recent World Cup campaign and beaten
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has been given assurances by Martin Jol during a ''full and frank'' meeting that his aim for the season is to qualify for the Champions League. Jol's grip on his position as boss at White Hart Lane has looked fragile since
England captain Paul Collingwood was delighted with his team's ''near-perfect'' performance in their 104-run day-night victory over India at the Rose Bowl - but he warns they must not get carried away with one NatWest Series success so far. Hundreds from
HUNDREDS of family and friends of tragic teenager Kelsey Jade Winter paid their respects at her funeral yesterday. More than 200 people packed into St Mary's Parish Church, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, to say farewell to the 13-year-old, who was
MORE than 80 per cent of people in part of the region feel safe in their communities, according to a police survey. Durham Police randomly sel-ected more than 1,600 families throughout the county to take part in the biggest postal survey undertaken by
"Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?" "To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time." "The dog did nothing in the night-time." "That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes. - Arthur Conan Doyle
There's no point blaming youngsters for the curriculum. It just doesn't add up. SO when did you last use Pythagoras' Theorem? Or need to know about the life cycle of the earthworm, or the principal exports of Canada?Or how many men it takes to build
It is one of the oldest buildings in Newcastle, so you would expect to find the odd ghost but what would celebrity psychic Gavin Cromwell find when The Northern Echo put him to the test? Lindsay Jennings finds out LEON Gingell had heard the
A SEVEN-year-old girl saved her grandmother's life when she kept a cool head and knew exactly what to do in a medical emergency.When she awoke shortly after midnight to find her grandmother in a diabetic coma, Stevie Samways didn't panic. Instead, she
A FATHER has died on honeymoon only days after he and his childhood sweetheart were married.Steven Lathan, 36, was with wife Donna and daughter Katie when he collapsed in a bar in Cyprus.The factory worker had only been married to Donna -his partner of
A YACHTSMAN who was winched to safety, moments before his boat broke up on rocks, said last night: "I thought my time was up." Stephen Elton, from Framwellgate Moor, Durham, was lifted into a helicopter just minutes before his yacht, the Joan of Ark,
MOTORISTS checking out the latest cost of fuel on a garage forecourt sign were appalled that obscene messages had replaced the prices. Instead of the prices for diesel, petrol and super unleaded the sign read "rape", "a**e" and "hole". Bosses at the
TWO notorious police killers have been charged with stabbing a fellow inmate at a North-East prison, it emerged last night. Muzzaker Imtiaz Shah and Yusuf Abdillh Jamma are accused of attacking a 22-year-old man at Frankland Prison, in Durham.
A Thai Boxer from Bishop Auckland based Fire Cobra Thai Boxing Club came second in an International Kickboxing event held in Orlando, Florida. Rob Newton, aged 17yrs, from Darlington took part in the International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) World
A TEENAGER mother who was knifed to death in the street has been buried in a pink coffin. Samantha Madgin, 18, was stabbed repeatedly on her first night out since her baby son, Callum, was born. Pallbearers carried her coffin
A PILOT killed in a helicopter crash in North Yorkshire was to have taken up frontline duties in Iraq, later this year, it has emerged. Flight Lieutenant David Sale, 28, from Norton, near Stockton, and crewman Sergeant Phillip Burford died when a Puma
A POLISH woman stole a purse from an 86-year-old shopper during a visit for a family birthday, a court heard yesterday. Anna Gurgacz was yesterday sentenced to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work after admitting taking £55 cash from the pensioner. David
TWO men have been charged with supplying ecstasy and cocaine following a nightclub raid. Officers swooped at The Groove, in Spout Lane, Washington, Wearside, on June 9, with a warrent issued under the Misuse of Drugs Act. James Duff, 19, from Chacombe
A BEACH in the region has been voted the best in the country for beachcombing. Runswick Bay, in North Yorkshire, topped a list compiled by world champion beachcomber Cathy Yow, based on safety, accessibility, make-up of the beach, tidal variation and
MORE than 81,000 people have visited a multi-million pound, state-of-the-art gallery on Teesside, prompting claims that people's perceptions of the area are changing. Mima - Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art - has surpassed expectations with 80 per
AN immature 20-year-old who joined in a fight between his schoolboy friends and some older youths was yesterday locked up for smashing one of them over the head with a bottle. Peter Freeman was told by a judge that the level of violence he used during
