AMATEUR musicians have a new way to express their talents thanks to The Cobweb Orchestra. The group has started an open access network at Middlesbrough Town Hall to encourage musicians to get together and perform - whatever their level of ability. Rebecca
FRIENDS and family of a boy who died after falling ill during a school PE lesson have created a lasting tribute to the youngster. Stephen Jones was rushed to hospital when he collapsed during a 100m sprint at Sunnydale School, in Shildon, County Durham
A TERRIFIED asylum seeker hammered on a house door shouting that a knifeman was trying to kill him but he was told to go away, a court was told. Iraq Kurd Taha Ali, 28, staggered away but he fell down again and his attacker rained more blows upon him
Mark Hughes came out on top in the battle of the Manchester United old boys as Blackburn cruised to victory at Sunderland. Two goals in as many second-half minutes sent Roy Keane's men tumbling to defeat as the Black Cats were served a reminder of just
A goal in the final minute meant Darlington threw away victory at home to Peterborough United. Last week a goal in the last minute meant they lost 1-0 at MK Dons, and on Saturday Dave Penney's side surrended a one-goal lead with just 22 seconds to
FARMLAND prices in the North-East have risen faster than anywhere else in the country. A combination of lifestyle buyers and mostly arable farmers - including from Denmark and Ireland - are largely responsible for the 52 per cent surge in the first half
Elano led Newcastle a merry dance at Eastlands as Manchester City roared back to record a fourth successive Premier League home win. The Brazilian midfielder had already established himself as a clear man-of-the-match with an inspired display of cultured
ROY KEANE has made two changes to the Sunderland starting line-up for this afternoon's visit of Blackburn to the Stadium of Light. As well as replacing the suspended Dickson Etuhu with Liam Miller in midfield, Keane also left out full-back Greg Halford
HARTLEPOOL United dropped home points for the second home game in succession as they were beaten at home by a resolute Walsall side. After seeing off leaders Orient the week before, Pools were unable to match that performance and, just like the previous
A LEADING figure in the fight against heart disease will be in Middlesbrough on Monday to help an investigation into the causes and treatment of cardiovascular ailments. Dr Mike Knapton, national director of prevention and care at the British Heart Foundation
FARMERS' concerns about the bluetongue outbreak intensified today as Gordon Brown announced there were now 11 cases of the disease. The agriculture industry has already been affected by foot-and-mouth and on Friday government officials confirmed that
I HAD always thought actions speak louder than words. This is now turned on its head as Gordon Brown's rhetoric seems to speak louder than his actions. One has to wonder how long genuine Labour supporters can vote for him as he adopts Conservative
IT is the Prime Minister who will decide the date of the General Election. In doing so, he will have to take soundings of opinion in the country, what funds are available and whether there are members in enough numbers to carry out the mundane
SOMEONE has just sent me pictures of Darlington's "new" High Row and other areas. First of all, why was a new High Row needed? Was it voted for by the people of Darlington? If not, has anyone been asked for their views on how High Row looks now
RE Patrick Harrington's letter about the Solidarity trade union (HAS, Sept 25). "Hilarity" rather than "Solidarity" would be a better title for this BNP-promoted organisation which is supporting the teacher suspended from Sunnydale Community College
DESPITE failed Tory candidate Peter Laws' assertion (HAS, Sept 21), I believe in democracy at all levels of government - local, regional, national and international. To assert that I am somehow opposed to democracy at local level is utter nonsense
RURAL Health Week 2007 (September 30-October 6) will highlight the specific challenges of hundreds of people in North Yorkshire and the North-East in accessing healthcare services and the negative impact this can have on people's health and wellbeing
A TEENAGE girl who died in an horrific car crash in the early hours of Friday morning has been named as Katy Webb. The 19-year-old, from Eaglescliffe, was flung from a Citroen AX as it spun out of control and crashed into trees on the edge of her home
Ten years ago Hartlepool United were bought out by Increased Oil Recovery. Nick Loughlin spoke to chairman Ken Hodcroft to look back on a decade to remember for all at Victoria Park. "WE aren't coming in here with pots of money to invest, but I want to
Excellent Art can lay down serious claims for the title of top miler with victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. The three-year-old is already a winner over course and distance this term and it speaks volumes of his ability that the Coolmore
NEWCASTLE intend to shrug off the absence of their three England backs and give Harlequins the runaround at Kingston Park tonight (6pm). The evidence from a comfortable home win against Sale and a 19-0 defeat at London Irish is that the Falcons have still
IF actions really do speak louder than words, Fernando Torres could hardly have delivered a more emphatic response to Rafael Benitez's decision to 'rest' him for Liverpool's last two league games. Tuesday's Carling Cup hat-trick at Reading underlined
Paula Radcliffe believes she will do herself justice when she contests her first race for almost two years in tomorrow's BUPA Great North Run. Radcliffe has chosen the world's biggest half-marathon to resume her career following the birth of daughter
Fabio Rochemback has been the surprise package of Boro's season so far, with the skilful midfielder's turnaround in fortunes based on combining hard work with his obvious flair. The Brazilian appeared to be on his way out in the summer after a difficult
Blackburn boss Mark Hughes is convinced Roy Keane's no-nonsense approach will stand him in good stead for life in the dugout as he prepares to come face to face with his former Manchester United team-mate today. Hughes takes his team to Sunderland looking
Sven-Goran Eriksson has urged Sam Allardyce to ignore the critics who condemn his long ball tactics. Although he is now at Newcastle, Allardyce's reputation as one of the most progressive managers in England was forged at Bolton, who he steered into Europe
Ian Bell reaped the rewards of his enforced rest to maintain his impressive run of one-day scores and clinch an emphatic victory for England in their warm-up match against a Sri Lankan Board XI. Despite finishing as man of the series in the stunning victory
Nick Faldo was able to smile last night as his Britain and Ireland side levelled the Seve Trophy at 5-5, while stitched-up Scot Marc Warren was still around to play a part over the weekend. When Faldo handed Warren a wildcard into the match against Continental
FOR a player who made his first team debut at Celtic more than seven years ago, it's something of a surprise that Liam Miller has yet to make 100 senior team starts. Boasting an impressive CV, which also includes spells with Man Utd and Leeds, Miller's
Lewis Hamilton has raised the stakes for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix with another swipe at team-mate and title rival Fernando Alonso. The world championship leader has accused the Spaniard of being disloyal to McLaren after Alonso threatened to
Phil Mustard struggled to make an impression as England failed to exploit the fielding restrictions in their warm-up match against a Sri Lankan Board XI. The Durham wicketkeeper-batsman, called into the squad after Matt Prior broke his right thumb, earned
DURHAM'S chances of persuading Ottis Gibson to play for another season receded yesterday, when Allan Donald announced that he would not be resuming his role as England's bowling consultant. The South African has decided to take up a similar position with
Dave Penney is convinced Darlington can quickly return to winning ways after seeing their unbeaten start to the season end last week. MK Dons became the first League Two side to take all three points from the Quakers this season and manager Penney was
A NATIONAL live vote could help Stockton in its bid to connect the borough with new cycle and pedestrian routes across the rivers Leven and Tees. Connect2 is a national initiative developed by Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, which aims to
CONSTRUCTION work finally got under way yesterday on a major new road which was delayed for several months to allow nesting birds to raise their young. A ground breaking ceremony took place to mark the start of work on the first phase of the East Durham
A TRIBUNAL is deliberating its decision on a third dispute between a town council and one of its clerks. Val Rogers, who worked for Thornaby Town Council from June 2004 to January this year, claimed constructive dismissal from the post. She said political
AN event to celebrate 15 years of work to improve and promote public footpaths is being held today. Celebrate P3, which is taking place at County Hall, Durham, marks the 15th anniversary of the Durham County Council Parish Paths Partnership - known as
A DRUG-dealing mother was spared jail yesterday after the judge said that she herself was a victim of the drugs world. Carrie Dunn, 23, was caught with 11 wraps of heroin hidden in her underwear when police stopped a van in which she was a passenger,
PUPILS have been taking part in their own version of Ready Steady Cook. Every afternoon this week, children at Witton Gilbert Primary School, in Witton Gilbert, near Durham, were invited with their families to take part in the event with the school catering
A GROUP of schoolchildren became celebrities in their home village this week. Six pupils from Bearpark Primary School, in County Durham, performed the honours at the reopening of the village Co-op store on Thursday. They cut the ribbon in front of staff
THE secret life of 17th Century teenagers is to be revealed at a talk next week. Dr Dorothy Hamilton, from Sunderland University, is to speak on the lives of youngsters in County Durham, who instead of worrying about GCSEs or the latest must-have gadget
RESIDENTS in remote areas of North Yorkshire fear they will be cut off by snow this winter if council plans to reduce a gritter fleet are approved. North Yorkshire County Council pays £2m a year to Balfour Beatty to hire 96 gritters from them. But the
A WOMAN has been banned from keeping dogs for a year after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to her two pets. Farrah Bethany Baylis pleaded guilty to abandoning Harvey, a tan rottweiler, and Prince, a black and tan German shepherd, when she appeared
OFFENDERS who think they have got away with their crimes are to be the target of a police initiative. The neighbourhood support team Week of Action is being held across the Ripon and Harrogate areas. The aim is to reduce the number of outstanding crimes
LITTER louts are being urged to clean up their act following a tidying up operation at a nature reserve. Countryside wardens employed by Hartlepool Borough Council and volunteers collected 25 sacks of rubbish in two-and-a-half hours from Seaton Dunes
A NORTH Yorkshire teenager has won a regional karting contest with an impressive performance in a nail-biting final. Max Coates, 13, from Scorton, claimed the six-round Northern Karting Federation Championship at Wombwell Kart Circuit, near Barnsley.
A DETECTIVE is warning Middlesbrough's underworld to expect more arrests as a crackdown on burglaries continues. Up to yesterday, there were 17 arrests of people on suspicion of burglary, handling stolen goods or assisting an offender across the town.
A GLOSSY magazine celebrating science is hot off the press thanks to the efforts of budding media magnates. A teenage team of five from Wensleydale School produced the 12-page magazine in six days, working after school. It will be distributed among eight
A FORMER Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire who opened a home for the elderly is helping it celebrate its tenth anniversary. Sir Marcus Worsley, of Hovingham Hall, near York, opened The Limes residential home, in Sowerby. He was invited in his capacity
MULTI-MILLION pound proposals for the regeneration of a former coalfield community are to go on show next week. A "network village" development of homes and businesses has been earmarked for the site of the former Murton colliery, in east Durham. Details
A COUPLE from Byers Green celebrated their diamond wedding on Thursday. Jack and Nancy Lynn met at a village dance and married at St Peter's Church, in Byers Green, on September 27, 1947. They settled in her home village just a short distance from his
ONE of Teesside's largest landlords is to reward tenants for good behaviour. Erimus Housing, based in Middlesbrough, is piloting an awards scheme for 12 months. There will be quarterly prize draws of £100 for people who do not fall into arrears, with
A RIDING school aims to make a difference to the lives of disabled people and those with special needs. The Riding Centre for Special People, at Three Lane Ends Farm, Escomb, near Bishop Auckland, opens next Sunday. Owners Christine Barratt-Atkin, 34
A SURVEY of council tenants in Darlington has revealed 87.3 per cent are satisfied with the overall housing service they receive - an increase of more than two per cent on last year's figures. The Status Questionnaire gathers tenants' views about their
COUNCILLORS have renewed objections to an opencast scheme which they say would blight hill top villages. Wear Valley district councillors opposed UK Coal's application to dig at Park Wall North, near Tow Law, when they discussed it for the second time
MOVES to set up a town council in Crook are under way following a public meeting. Residents are volunteering to join a steering group, which will start the official application process and collect more than 800 signatures of support. Almost all the 50
REGGAE, jazz and Cuban calypso are not musical genres commonly heard in the school halls of Darlington. But students at four schools in the town have been treated to the eclectic blend of styles at a series of workshops run by a reknowned world music
CHEERFUL senior citizens hung up balloons and put on their best outfits as they welcomed guests to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their home. They held a coffee morning and invited friends to share the special day, at Abbeyfield House, in Galgate,
THE organisers of a new theatre workshop for people with learning disabilities have slammed council planners who refused to give the scheme the go-ahead. Robert Large and Julie Cormack hoped to open the drama club at a unit in Lingfield Way and planned
PLAYERS from Darlington Football Club launched the latest fundraising campaign by Macmillan Cancer Support. The charity and radio station Alpha 103.2 are organising a Pin-up day on November 1 - when people across the region will be asked to wear Macmillan
FIREFIGHTERS battled for over five hours to rescue a horse trapped in four feet of water. Using an inflatable walkway the officers managed to get a vet to the horse to ensure it was well before using two four wheel drive vehicles to drag it out of the
A YOUNG woman has died after the car she was travelling in crashed at an accident blackspot. The 19-year-old was flung from a Citroen AX as it spun out of control and crashed into trees on the edge of Eaglescliffe, near Yarm. She died at the scene. The
AT the start of the week, we said that the campaign for an elected mayor in Darlington could produce a more democratic way forward regardless of the result. The campaign for a "yes" vote failed to capture the public's imagination, underlining the fact
FASHION retailer Monsoon yesterday backed a move by its founder to take the troubled business back into private ownership. Chairman Peter Simon, who together with his family owns 75 per cent of the company, is leading a management buy-out after offering
MORE women are needed in the civil engineering profession to ensure the future equality and success of the sector, an industry body has warned. The North-East Civil Engineering Contractors' Association (CECA) has issued the warning after initial attempts
A GOLD mining company set up by North-East entrepreneur Karl Watkin yesterday announced plans to raise £30m by a shares placing. China Goldmines, which listed on the Alternative Investment Market (Aim) in February last year, intends to place more than
A MAN described as a "sexual predator" by a judge has been jailed for six years after systematically abusing two young girls. Neil Handley, 48, began grooming his victims when they were at primary school age, Teesside Crown Court heard. Sarah Mallett,
TWO Polish men stole more than £2,000 of goods from an airport shop after losing money in a perfume scam, a court heard yesterday. Kamil Lagan and Bartomiej Wilzcab had flown to Britain to meet an internet contact to sell a consignment of perfume they
THE Pentecostals are what you might call a fire brigade. It all stems from the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles - the mighty rushing wind, the cloven tongues as of fire, the speaking in tongues, too. The birthplace of British Pentecostalism
With his stand-up stage show about to hit the cinema screens, Geordie comedian Ross Noble talks to Steve Pratt about how he loves living in Oz and why he talks to his cows. Washing up bowls. They are, Geordie comedian Ross Noble admits, the one thing
GORDON Brown must announce by Tuesday if he intends to join George Canning in the record books. Mr Brown would then be in truly colourful company, because Canning was the British Prime Minister who had an affair with the Queen and was injured in a duel
A bedroom used as a refuge for toads and frogs and another with a grisly story to tell. John and Tricia Hobbs discover some of the secrets of a Scottish castle. FANCY a taste of the lifestyle of a Scottish laird? Then you need look no further than Brodie
The thought of another TV series about Henry VIII is about as welcome as those seemingly endless trailers for forthcoming shows that appear in between every BBC programme. We've been there, seen that and probably worn the T-shirt as far as the merry,
A SERVICE providing cancer sufferers with invaluable information and support has been launched as a legacy of the woman who inspired it.Librarian June Taylor, 54, found there was a lack on information for people suffering from cancer after being diagnosed
THERE are fewer than 100 spaces left in the region's jails - according to Government figures.Jails in England and Wales are more crowded than before, but bosses at the region's prisons say they are capable of handling the increase.Official figures released
A TEENAGE tearaway who caused chaos when he was taken on a charity aid mission abroad was last night starting his first jail sentence.Stephen Baker, 17, stabbed a friend three times in a drunken fight after he had consumed a cocktail of drink and drugs.Yesterday
THE Battle of Britain conjures up images of clean-cut young pilots, often barely out of their teens, whirling in deadly combat above the skies of southern England.But they were not the only ones who contributed to the famous victory - miners from the
THE Great North Run is now an institution, known the length and breadth of the country, and further afield.Olympic medallist and local hero Brendan Foster got the idea for the event when he was in New Zealand, training for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and
THE eyes of the country will be on the North-East tomorrow as the region hosts the 27th Great North Run, Europe's most popular road race.A total of 50,000 people, ranging from elite runners and disabled athletes to celebrities and ordinary people, will
STEEL worker Stephen Robinson, who brought terror to passengers on a holiday flight, was yesterday jailed for 12 months.The 53-year-old from Darlington clambered over terrified holidaymakers, tried to pay for drinks with a storecard, lashed out at a steward
FAMILY and friends gathered yesterday to pay their farewells to a respected journalist and figurehead of the region's workingmen's club movement.Hundreds of mourners gathered at St Cuthbert's Church, in Shotley Bridge, County Durham, to celebrate the
THE parents of a student who has been missing since last weekend have made an emotional appeal for his return.Robert Davies, 20, was described as a kind-hearted person who loved going out with his friends.The chemistry student had just returned to the
FARMERS yesterday welcomed the news that the region's livestock markets can operate from Thursday.Hawes auction mart, in North Yorkshire, immediately announced that its two-day sale of 33,000 gimmer lambs - Britain's biggest - will be held on Monday,
KEEN historian Kevin Richardson has completed the task of tracking down the full details of all 48 servicemen from his parish who lost their lives in the First World War.It has taken him longer than a year to trace the home addresses, ages, units and
A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy desperate for a bone marrow transplant is appealing for donors to come forward. Jack Close has a rare genetic condition which could kill him. He suffers from Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD) which is an inherited condition of
A MAJOR piece of Britain's industrial heritage crumbled to the ground this morning. The first two of four 88 metre high cooling towers at Sellafield, near Whitehaven, in West Cumbria were exploded as part of the Calder Hall site's decommissioning. Careful
MORE than 80 Scouts joined hundreds of other mourners yesterday at the funeral of a dedicated Scout leader killed in a car accident earlier this month.Alistair Peach, who would have been 22 tomorrow, died on his way home from a Scout meeting when his
NORTHERN Rock remained tight-lipped last night over reports it had borrowed a further £5bn from the Bank of England.News spread yesterday that the stricken mortgage lender's borrowing from the Bank of England had risen to almost £8bn since the central
TONY Blair's plans to reinvigorate local government were in tatters last night after people living in a North-East town voted against plans for an elected mayor. The results of the mayoral referendum in Darlington have been viewed as a hammer blow to
THE counting may have ceased and the result announced, but the future of democracy in Darlington remains a talking point following a nail-biting mayoral referendum.In defeat, members of the Yes campaign, lobbying for an elected mayor in the town, were
IAN MOORE insists there is no place for complacency or falling standards at Hartlepool United. And the striker can cite his own game as an example. A week after a disappointing display against Swindon, Moore was expecting to be dropped for the trip to
A MAN who grew cannabis to relieve long-term pain he suffers following a car accident has been given a suspended prison sentence.Jason Peter Groves grew the plants for his personal use in order to self-medicate injuries sustained in an accident in 1996
PAVEL Srnicek was famously a Geordie, and now another Czech national is set to become a native North-Easterner as David Rozehnal awaits the birth of his first child. While Rozehnal's wife, Petra, is due to give birth to a son on Monday, the Newcastle
AS he prepares to come face-to-face with his former team-mates tomorrow, Ayegbeni Yakubu last night cited Middlesbrough's "lack of ambition" as the main factor behind his summer move to Everton. Yakubu will line up against his former colleagues for the
Jonny Wilkinson claimed England got the basics right in Paris last night as they sealed their place in the World Cup quarter-finals.The fly-half's boot - along with two tries from Paul Sackey and further touchdowns by Andy Farrell and Mathew Tait - was
England 36 Tonga 20 England set up a World Cup quarter-final clash with arch enemies Australia in Marseille next Saturday after toppling Tonga at Parc des Princes.The Pool A eliminator went England's way thanks to a try double from Wasps wing Paul Sackey
ROY KEANE feels that becoming a more mellow character has aided the fortunes of Sunderland during his 13 months in charge and it has also preserved his good health.During his playing days, his confrontational and explosive ways ended with him being in
A LACK of headteachers has been blamed for a decline in standards as new figures show rising numbers of primary schools are failing their children.The inspection figures, released yesterday by education watchdog Ofsted, revealed a 32 per cent rise in
SAM Allardyce today locks horns with the man he almost replaced, claiming that Sven-Goran Eriksson has been wrongly derided as a failed England manager.Eriksson's managerial resurrection has been one of the stories of the Premier League season so far,
