Archive
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Foot-and-mouth fears
THE outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was feared to have spread to the North-East last night. A five-mile exclusion zone, which bans movement of livestock, was placed around a farm in Heddon-on-the-Wall, near Newcastle. A Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries
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Stars try their luck in Big Brother house
VIEWERS will be given an amazing insight into the habits of the stars after Comic Relief confirmed it is to stage a Celebrity Big Brother. The identities of the six celebrities are being kept secret until immediately before the show, but organisers have
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Letters
EUROPE THE Prime Minister's announcement that there will be a referendum on the euro within two years of the election (Echo, Feb 8) tells us what we are aiming for. It gives us a strategic planning horizon and gives the certainty that has been required
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Water mains work due to disrupt traffic
DRIVERS can expect disruption during the next few weeks as work is carried out on a main road. It is not the first time Bow Street, Guisborough, east Cleveland, has been closed while Northumbrian Water carries out work, and it is described as a major
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Gay police officer to return to job after appeal win
A GAY police officer is to return to work after his conviction for molesting a 16-year-old boy in a public toilet was overturned. Sergeant David Jewell, 42, was arrested and charged with the sex attack on the teenager in Doncaster last year. But the Court
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Runner died in dash over road
A TAXI driver was speeding when he hit a schoolboy, an inquest was told yesterday. Simon Paterson, 13, was knocked down and killed as he dashed across a road, the Teesside Coroner heard. Cab driver Keith Featherstone told police: "He came from nowhere
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Keith is driven to meet Cape challenge
AN amateur driver is attempting to drive more than 4,000 miles across Europe in a bid to raise money for charity. Keith Harding and two friends from the Navy are looking for sponsorship so they can take part in the annual Cape to Cape Challenge for the
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Romain may be on road to a career at Magpies
NEWCASTLE are giving a trial to teenage Scarborough midfielder Romain Faure after receiving good reports on the Frenchman. Faure, 18, joined Scarborough from Cannes in 1999 and can also play in defence. A spokesman confirmed: "He's training with Newcastle
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Paedophile fear over garage drinks bid
THE leader of a local authority has intervened to try to prevent a petrol station selling alcohol. Leader of Derwentside District Council, Alex Watson, has written to licensing magistrates requesting that a Fina garage in Consett be denied a liquor licence
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Boxing clever with deliveries
AN unusual method of teaching farmers how to deliver a lamb was revealed at a North Yorkshire farm yesterday. The Practical Lambing Skills course at Lovesome Hill Farm, near Northallerton, used a specially designed box - with a prosthetic sheep womb -
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Fears over health care shake-up
A VETERAN councillor has expressed his concerns over a new integrated service for people with learning difficulties. Councillor Tony Moore said he feared the joint health and social services initiative for Sedgefield borough would not work. The two teams
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Open verdict on river death
A MAN whose body was found in a river had been hanged from a tree branch, an inquest heard yesterday. Anthony Lee, 41, of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was discovered in the River Swale, North Yorkshire, last November. The inquest, in Richmond, was
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Tools for tomorrow to be unveiled
TWO products designed to help North-East companies revamp out-of-date technology will be revealed next month. Sunderland University's Towards Tomorrow's Company project will unveil the innovations at a seminar aimed at helping companies to maintain successful
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Women praised for foiling raider
TWO women who stayed calm in the face of an armed raider have been praised by the owner of an off licence and detectives investigating the crime. On Monday evening, the shop assistants were confronted by a masked gunman in a general dealer's store, in
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Traffic choices meeting
THE results of a series of residents' working parties to decide on traffic calming measures for an east Cleveland village, are to be announced next week. Redcar and Cleveland borough councillors, Brian Hogg and Richard Rudland, who represent the Brotton
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Magic in the air at museum
BOOKS, bats, magic and snakes are some of the delights on show at a Hancock's Half Term this week. Newcastle's Hancock Museum has been holding a week of fun and games for youngsters to keep them occupied during the half term holidays. It offers youngsters
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No excuse for handing out pardons
FAME, it is said, lasts for 15 minutes. Infamy, on the other hand, lasts a lifetime. I thought Bill Clinton would buck the trend. I thought he'd endured his 15 minutes of infamy and was destined for a lifetime of fame. He'd left a thriving economy. His
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A blunt and clumsy weapon
AFTER more than three years of intensive investigation, 14,000 witness statements being examined, and millions of pounds of public money being spent, there are to be no criminal charges as a result of Operation Lancet. And that should come as no surprise
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Council gets tough on caravan parking
CARAVAN owners using council land for winter storage are being ordered off after complaints from other residents. Sedgefield Borough Council is mounting a crackdown on vans parked illegally on grassed areas and car parks on many housing estates. They
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Councillors demand more say on Millennium scheme
COUNCILLORS have called for greater involvement in Durham's £29m Millennium City development which sparked a controversial land deal. They echoed the District Auditor's call for councillors to be better informed and more involved in decision making for
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Drama group tackles bullying
A YOUTH drama group is tackling the issue of how to deal with bullies in its latest production. Members of the Tearaways, Shildon Youth Theatre and Drama, are to take to the road with their short drama showing how bullying affects young people in and
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Distribution centre proposal brings jobs hope
A dairy's plans to set up a distribution centre in the North-East could see up to 150 jobs being created. The planned £23m investment by Robert Wiseman and Sons, in Chester-le-Street, could continue the momentum started by other job creation developments
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Centre offers to do the business on greener ways
AN ADVICE centre to help companies clean up their act has opened on Teesside. The Clean Environmental Management Centre was established by Teesside University to allow firms to get actively involved in the environment. Headed by Gareth Kane, it provides
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Consultation brings rethink
A COUNCIL plans to change its budget proposals following consultation with residents. Residents and businesses in Gateshead have backed their local authority's approach to find efficiency savings in administration - protecting front-line services as far
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Fresh appeal over missing pensioner
POLICE say they remain concerned about a "still vulnerable" missing pensioner who needs hospital treatment. Charles Dickens, 69, walked out of Darlington Memorial Hospital last month without telling staff. He suffers from low blood pressure and is understood
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Success is even sweeter for eyes-down fans
THE WINNERS of a weekly game of bingo have been given a sweet surprise by a local confectioner. Every Wednesday afternoon, a group of pensioners from Friendships in Durham, a social group for people with learning difficulties, visits Manor House, in Annfield
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asian style goes on parade in weddings workshop
A TOUCH of the exotic arrived on Teesside yesterday, in the form of an Asian weddings workshop. Participants were invited to learn the basics of wedding preparation, including scenery, decoration, costumes and food. They were also taught how to tie a
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Musicians make a note to promote prom
MUSICIANS struck up a tune to promote an orchestral extravaganza planned for the summer. Performers taking part in this year's Last Night of the Proms, at Ormesby Hall, Middlesbrough, gathered at the venue yesterday to advertise it. The prom will take
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Unsung heroes award launched
THE search is on to find the Darlington Citizen of the Year. Darlington Borough Council and The Northern Echo have launched the annual hunt for the town's unsung heroes - the volunteers and charity workers who deserve to be recognised for their community
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The real scandal of Jeffrey
JEFFREY Archer has gone too far. His loyal, long-suffering wife Mary may have stood by him through bankruptcy, betrayal and political scandals. But surely even she can't let him get away with it this time. Her husband is a national disgrace. He should
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Lottery cash aid for carers
CASH to care for the people who care has been granted to a north Durham group. The Leadgate Carers were presented with a National Lottery Awards for All grant at a ceremony in Leadgate, near Consett. The group, of people who devote their lives to looking
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Charity in Daffodil Day fundraising
THIS year's Marie Curie Daffodil Appeal has been officially launched in the Yorkshire Dales. Community fundraising manager Susie Fothergill was joined by Deirdre Clark of the Richmond support group for the formal launch. Daffodil Day will be on March
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Backing for £59m plan hailed by soccer club
A COUNCIL has scored a goal with a football club. News that Middlesbrough Borough's Cabinet has agreed in principle to back the £59m Middlehaven development, is music to the ears of the Boro. For six years, embarrassed bosses of Middlesbrough Football
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Residents can make a date with the force
THERE is an opportunity for people in the Owton Rossmere area of Hartlepool to meet their beat police officer tomorrow. An open day has been organised by Owton Manor Community Police Team and Hartlepool Borough Council's community safety section, at Wynyard
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Stinger halts theft suspects
A QUIET village was disturbed by a car chase yesterday, as police pursued two people wanted for allegedly stealing petrol from a garage. Up to six police cars were involved in the chase, which started when the pair drove away from a Sedgefield petrol
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£100,000 to give supermarket
A DISCOUNT food store is to get a new look as part of a £14m nationwide investment programme. The Kwik Save at Stanley is getting a £100,000 facelift that will leave the store looking lighter and brighter and with streamlined check-outs. Staff will be
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Dead rat stench forces couple out their home
THE stench of a dead rat has forced an elderly couple to seek refuge in the homes of relatives. Tom and Ann Tomlinson said the rat got into their home in Ashfield, Newton Aycliffe, through a hole in the wall, which they claim the council should have bricked
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Drunk's gun threat led to armed police siege
A MAN who held off police marksmen during a 22-hour siege at his flat has been jailed for two-and-a-half years. Robert Thomson, 38, played a day-long game of cat and mouse with police, who surrounded his house after he told them he had a gun. His drink-fuelled
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Show town braced for foreign dogs invasion
A DOG show town is bracing itself for a foreign invasion. Following the relaxation of quarantine laws, dozens of foreign animals are expected to compete in the Darlington Championship Dog Show. Although the closing date for entries is still months away
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Landmark for visitor centre
THE NORTH-EAST'S largest indoor visitor attraction yesterday welcomed its 175,000th visitor since opening last May. Brian Edwards, of Crawcrook, near Ryton, Tyne and Wear, was visiting Life Interactive World, in Newcastle, with his wife Margaret and friends
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Youngsters taking first steps to fame
YOUNGSTERS in Darlington took part in a workshop with a dance company, yesterday. The Green Candle Dance Company worked with the children before putting on a performance of Alanna and the Tree, at Darlington Arts Centre. The show, aimed at seven to 12
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No excuse for handing out pardons
FAME, it is said, lasts for 15 minutes. Infamy, on the other hand, lasts a lifetime. I thought Bill Clinton would buck the trend. I thought he'd endured his 15 minutes of infamy and was destined for a lifetime of fame. He'd left a thriving economy. His
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Young -Tecs' help estate crime fight
YOUNGSTERS are invited to turn detective in an attempt to help rid their estate of crime. They are being urged to join Throston Estate Crime Solvers (Tecs), in Hartlepool, under the leadership of community policeman PC Keith Morrison. The junior neighbourhood
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Three years, £6m and no charges
20/11/1996 Ray Mallon becomes the new head of Middlesbrough CID and takes the extraordinary step of pledging to quit if he fails to slash the crime rate by 20 per cent. 08/01/1997 His confrontational style of policing, known as Zero Tolerance, wins the
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Clint ends the striker search
DARLINGTON yesterday snapped up another Tiger for their fight against relegation. After signing David Brightwell and Steve Harper from the crisis-hit Hull City, striker Clint Marcelle decided to follow his two teammates up the A1 and put his name on an
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The real work starts now for Eriksson
WHEN new England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson names his first squad this afternoon, it will bring back happy memories for at least one of his predecessors. As the Swede sets out his vision for the future of the nation's international side, Middlesbrough coach
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Whistling Dixie set to play a winning tune
FAST-IMPROVING Whistling Dixie (2.10) is hard to ignore in the opening two-mile Showcase Handicap Hurdle at Kempton this afternoon. Mary Reveley's southern hoodoo has been well and truly smashed this season by Function Dream's successive wins in high-profile
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Sheep club needs flock of helpers
A SHEEP breeders group is hoping to attract a flock of members in an attempt to safeguard the future of one of County Durham's oldest and rarest breeds. The Teeswater Sheep Breeders Association wants to boost numbers of both the breeders and the sheep
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Drunk's gun threat led to armed police siege
A MAN who held off police marksmen during a 22-hour siege at his flat has been jailed for two-and-a-half years. Robert Thomson, 38, played a day-long game of cat and mouse with police, who surrounded his house after he told them he had a gun. His drink-fuelled
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Home date for trio
A TRIO of young North-East musicians are preparing to give something back to their home area in the form of a concert. The Fenice Trio was formed in September 1996 by pianist Stephen Ridley, from Redcar, cellist Martin Johnson, from Yarm, and violinist
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Beth takes up challenge as town's youth worker
A youth development worker has been appointed to cover Ferryhill for the first time. The town has wanted a youth worker for years, and a community appraisal identified it as a priority. Now Beth Storey, a full-time education worker employed by Durham
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Bikers on dunes facing fines threat
POLICE are mounting an operation this weekend to protect wildlife and wild flower habitats from being wrecked by bikers. Cleveland Police are following up two weekend crackdowns on trial bikes using protected dunes at South Gare, near Redcar. Failing
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Learning more about nursing
A Nurse education information afternoon is to be held at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, on March 14, to encourage people to take up a career in nursing. Visitors will get up-to-date information on York University's three-year full-time diploma
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Odds stack up
AS if a battle against the climate was not enough of a disadvantage, England also lost the crucial toss which enabled Sri Lanka to bat on a wicket which by the close had begun to deteriorate and should offer great assistance to Muttiah Muralitharan later
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Another night for popular tribute show
SO many people want to see a tribute show to Roy Orbison that Billingham Forum Theatre has juggled its timetable to add in another night. The biography of Orbison, entitled This Lonely Heart and performed by Larry Branson, has been extended to two nights
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A Town Hall has been praised for putting road safety first.
Residents living off the stretch of Gypsy Lane, Nunthorpe, controlled by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, are full of praise for the authority, for making a temporary road closure, permanent. However people living on the section of Gypsy Lane administered
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Father's pain over cannibal website
THE father of murder victim Julie Paterson, whose body parts were allegedly eaten, has condemned a website glorifying the exploits of her killer, David Harker. Jim Paterson said the website, Cannibals Anonymous, uncovered by The Northern Echo, was "pure
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Store staff take right steps to help hospice
FEMALE staff from a supermarket were put through their paces by the Royal Marines in the name of charity yesterday. The six women from the Asda branch, in Stanley, teamed up with six youngsters, preparing to join the armed services at Derwentside College's
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Deadly serious - now its a boxed Angel of the North
THE ANGEL of the North has appeared in many forms and sizes. It has been the backdrop to movies, featured on countless calendars, and plays a central part in Gateshead's bid for European cultural capital status. Now, in its latest guise, the controversial
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Suicide threat man 'told of rape'
A MAN threatening to throw himself to his death from a railway viaduct confessed to his police rescuers that he had just raped a woman, a court was told yesterday. The alleged rape victim alerted police after 44-year-old Trevor Jones used his mobile phone
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Concern over future of old people's home
ELDERLY residents may soon be moved out of an east Durham home following the discovery of a faulty heating system. But independent county councillor Tony Moore called yesterday for an assurance that the proposed evacuation was not a ruse to close down
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Inquest into driver's death
An inquest opened into the death of motorist Elisabeth Crisp, 26, of Eagle Park, Marton, Middlesbrough, following an accident on the A66, near the Teesside Airport junction. Teesside coroner Michael Sheffield adjourned the inquest after hearing evidence
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Healthy lifestyle advice on free CD
A FREE CD giving advice on healthy lifestyles will soon be available to businesses and other organisations. The CD, entitled First Steps to Health, has been produced by Tees Health Authority and Teesside University in a project funded by Health Action
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Teachers vote
THE Government is facing a back-lash from angry North-East teachers who say they are fed up with the pressure of covering for chronic staff shortages. Teachers in Middlesbrough are expected to come out in favour of taking action. The National Union of
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Action over fly-tippers
PEOPLE living in the Hundens Lane area of Darlington have been warned to be vigilant against fly-tippers. Local councillor Ian Haszeldine said he had received a number of complaints. Items dumped have included shopping trolleys, household waste and tree
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Bid to jog memories at death scene
POLICE investigating the murder of drugs tycoon Peter Beaumont-Gowling returned to the scene of the shooting yesterday, in a bid to jog the memory of potential witnesses. Their return to Osborne Road, in the suburb of Jesmond, Newcastle, came a week to
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Denise sets date after pregnant pause
A PREGNANT pause in the career of ex-Coronation Street star Denise Welch will end when she stars in pantomime. The 42-year-old North-East actress, who is expecting her second child next month, has been signed up to play the title role in Jack and the
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Firm stands by 500 jobs pledge despite downturn
FILTRONIC is on course to meet its 500 jobs pledge - despite concerns over the slowdown in the sale of mobile phones. The firm, which bought the old Fujitsu microchip plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is looking for a partner for its compound semi-conductor
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B and B farmer fears legal fight on way
A FARMER has been visited by council officials in what he suspects is a lead-in to court action over his successful bed and breakfast business. Len Webster is in trouble with Hambleton District Council because his income from bed and breakfast is more
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Health fears over play area allayed
DARLINGTON Borough Council has tried to allay residents' fears over a new playground at the Harrowgate Farm housing development. Some residents objected to the playground claiming it was too near to an overhead pylon. The playground was included in plans
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Labour whittles down list of candidates
A LIST of seven candidates was announced last night to contest the seat of Durham North for the Labour Party. Labour's national executive committee in London will consider the list of candidates over the next few days and compile a shortlist of candidates
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Woman home after helping lepers
A YOUNG woman has returned from the slums of India, where she helped the forgotten victims of leprosy. Sarah Bennett, 24, swapped the green hills of Wolsingham, in Weardale, for the slums of Nagpur, where she spent a month helping her friend, Leah Pattison
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What a farce
CHIEF CONSTABLE Barry Shaw faced calls to quit last night as Britain's longest running police corruption inquiry Operation Lancet ended with no criminal charges. The controversial investigation cost millions, left Cleveland constabulary racked by internal
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Store puts reptiles in the spotlight
A DURHAM pet store is holding a special event to explain how to look after reptiles responsibly. Pets at Home, on the Arnison Retail Park at Pity Me, on the city's outskirts, has invited specialists in the subject to visit next Saturday and Sunday, March
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Engine running purrfectly, so what's causing the noise?
WHEN Kirsty Brown went for a drive the engine of her car seemed to be purring rather louder than usual. When she lifted the bonnet she was amazed to see two little eyes blinking at the sunlight - eyes that belonged to a black female cat that had just
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Water company pours in £75,000
NORTHUMBRIAN Water is splashing out to help create jobs on Tyneside. The company has pledged £75,000 to the Working Capital Newcastle Employment Bond Scheme, which aims to create 1,000 jobs and help regenerate some of the city's most run-down areas. The
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Software contract joy
SOFTWARE company Techtonik has won a contract to supply software and support to the world's largest agency brokerage firm, Instinet in New York's Wall Street. The deal is the latest in a string of export successes for the Sunderland company. The contract
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Citizen space online for Government
THIS week saw a major step forward in the Prime Minister's campaign to get Britain online with the launch of the web portal www.ukonline.gov.uk. Rather unkindly dubbed "Pravda.com" in some sections of the media, this attempt to link up Government services
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People power might save the day for under-threat carnival
PEOPLE power looks set to save a carnival which has become a lifeline for local charities - thanks in part to The Northern Echo. Earlier this week we reported how the Northallerton Charity Carnival was in danger of folding after 25 years because of a
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Families raise petition calling for lorries ban
A RESIDENTS' group is calling for lorries to be banned from a road in Newton Aycliffe. The Kings Drive Residents' Association is concerned about pedestrian safety in Burn Lane, and members are collecting signatures for a petition. They say that some large
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All fired-up in a good cause
TRAINEE firefighters have thrown a lifeline to two charities. The 19 new Teesside recruits raised £2,000 in a street collection to be shared equally between the Fire Services National Benevolent Fund and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. The newcomers
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Shareholders targetted
ANIMAL rights activists last night vowed to continue a campaign of hate against animal research companies, which has spread to the North-East. Protest group SHAC said it was behind leaflets posted in the Darlington area aimed at "naming and shaming" shareholders
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From Horden to Hollywood
JOHN Alderson was a miner's son who lied about his age to join the army, became a major, married the general's secretary, began a new life in the United States and in a 50 year silver screen career has appeared in over 150 films. From Horden to Hollywood
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Caution urged over siting
STOCKTON Borough Council is being recommended to adopt a cautionary approach to the siting of mobile phone masts on its land. At a cabinet meeting today councillors are expected to agree to a new policy for the number of phone masts that will be allowed
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Childcare idea takes off
TWO mothers have launched a Mary Poppins-style childcare business aimed at matching nannies with families. Angela Brown and Anne Sutton, established lecturers in childcare at New College, Durham, have been prompted by a desire to help more families and
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It's all white - spring is coming
FORGET the snow, this splash of white is a sure sign that spring is on the way. More than 200,000 snowdrops are in bloom in the grounds of the 14th Century Carthusian ruins, at Mount Grace Priory, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, heralding warmer
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Pledge by troubled mining charity
A MINING charity at the centre of an investigation last night pledged to continue working for former colliery communities. The Charity Commission is investigating the Durham Mining Convalescent Homes Fund, which was set up to look after sick ex-pitmen
