Archive
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History lessons hit the street
ELEVEN students from the University of South Carolina have been taking in the historic sights of North Yorkshire. The group spent a day in Richmond with Richmondshire's conservation officer, David Elliott, finding out how conservation is incorporated
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Hinkes tells of terror
BRITAIN'S leading high altitude mountaineer Alan Hinkes has described his narrow escape from death after plunging into a crevasse close to the summit of Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest peak. Despite his traumatic experience, he has vowed to '
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Daring cricketers caught leg before
A GAME pair of cricketers showed of a bit of leg yesterday in aid of a children's charity appeal. Durham county cricketers Nicky Hatch and Martin Speight abandoned their traditional whites and dressed in inappropriate trousers and other clothing for the
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I couldn't live on the pension - minister
PENSIONERS last night rounded on the Government after a minister admitted he would not be able to survive on the money the elderly get from the state. Social Security Minister Jeff Rooker yesterday conceded to a House of Commons Select Committee carrying
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Riding school boss lured girl, 15, into sex
A RIDING school boss took advantage of a youngster's obsession with horses to seduce her into having sex. Patrick Cronin, 51, spent three years wooing the 15-year-old at his stables before beginning a relationship with her. Newcastle Crown Court heard
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Bowls team death smash
TWO members of a bowling club were killed in a horrific crash yesterday. They were among five women players from a club in the Hartlepool area who were travelling in two cars when one had a puncture. Police said both cars - a Ford Granada and a Ford Escort
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Murder trial told of fibres
FIBRES from a Teesside pensioner's sweater were found on the clothing of two men accused of murdering him, a court heard yesterday. A forensic expert told Teesside Crown Court that fibres from 68-year-old Mohammed Sharif's sweater were also discovered
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Farmers scrape by on £200-a-week
FARMERS are struggling to survive on half the average national wage, according to figures released yesterday. A new survey has revealed that the continuing crisis in agriculture has left farmers in the North-East and North Yorkshire earning an average
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Protest over cabinet scrutiny
LABOUR members of North Yorkshire County Council yesterday insisted they would not sit on an important scrutiny committee because it has a Conservative chairman. A member of the ruling Conservative group will be at the head of the committee dealing with
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Dream job in country for Shirley
TOWNIE Shirley Muir is leaving the industrial North-East behind her for a dream job in the Lake District. After working in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool for most of her working life, the 44-year-old mother-of-two is taking up a post as property manager
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Hodgson setting the standards
Darlington: Manager David Hodgson will remind his players of the standards he expects when they report back for pre-season training today. Quakers start their pre-season work as favourites for the Third Division title and Hodgson says: "The players have
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Family doctors struggle with refugee influx
A TOWN'S family doctors are struggling to cope with extra work after nearly 600 refugees were sent there without the local health authority or council being told, it has been revealed. Practices in Gateshead are having to organise care for the new patients
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Relocation boosts Northgate
ONE of the North-East's newest plc's has announced a massive jump in its annual profits. Vehicle rental firm Northgate plc has seen its operation go from strength to strength since relocating to Darlington from the South-East last year. Pre-tax profits
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Relocation boosts Northgate
ONE of the North-East's newest plc's has announced a massive jump in its annual profits. Vehicle rental firm Northgate plc has seen its operation go from strength to strength since relocating to Darlington from the South-East last year. Pre-tax profits
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Symbolic protest by Angels of the North
STUDENT nurses in the North-East are living on such low income that some are forced to work at fast food restaurants to make ends meet. And yesterday the angels gathered in force at the Angel of the North to begin their fight to restore student salaries
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Police plea to stop smuggler fuel thefts
GANGS of a petrol thieves are using stolen fuel to make cross-Channel smuggling trips. Petrol thieves are driving into garages, filling up and driving off without paying, then using their haul to take them to Dover and France to smuggle alcohol and cigarettes
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Housing plaque remembers Bob
THE unveiling of a simple plaque marked the opening of a new £640,000 elderly and disabled housing scheme in the region yesterday. Bob Harrison Court, in Pendleton Road, Darlington, consists of six elderly persons bungalows and two for the disabled. The
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Children's efforts put visitors on the nature trail
A nature trail designed and built by pupils at a Durham special school will be launched next week. The trail, in the grounds of Elemore Hall School, Pittington, was built for local people to use, with pupils acting as guides. All pupils at the school
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Desperate dash to dish up
TRAFFIC police whisked to the aid of a stranded 12-year-old chef after finding her struggling along the hard shoulder of the A1 carrying a chicken, cutlery and kitchen utensils. They discovered panic-stricken Nicola Ramsay, from Little Crakehall, near
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Youngsters learn value of energy efficiency
ENERGY efficient schools have been awarded nearly £32,000 to help them go green. Twenty-one schools on Teesside have joined the national School Energy scheme run by British Gas. The scheme helps pay for improvements to insulation and heating systems,
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Donations back proposal for garden
PEOPLE in a former County Durham steel works town are celebrating funding of £3,000 for a community garden. Residents living in The Grove area of Consett have been awarded £2,500 by the County Durham Environment Trust's Community Environmental Fund. A
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More maths in store
PUPILS swapped the classroom for their local supermarket as part of school maths challenge. Hundreds of children from Whinfield Junior and Infant School, in Darlington, have already visited their local Asda store to test their numeracy skills, with hundreds
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Focus on work for yourself
A woman from the region has helped arrange a high-profile national conference on self-employment. Gill Powell, of Teesside business support organisation InBiz, has been working with a hand-picked team to set up the conference for the Department of Education
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Reception for young sporting achievers
A SPECIAL reception was held for 100 youngsters who will carry the sporting hopes of County Durham in the BAA Millennium Youth Games. The youngsters, from schools across the county, won places in the one-off event, to be held in Southampton between August
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Focusing on arrests
A number of arrests have been made in a town centre with the help of security cameras. Two men were arrested in Stockton after a security guard monitoring the camera network saw them assault and rob a pedestrian. The victim had just withdrawn cash from
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Leisure assistant charged
A SPORTS centre assistant has appeared in court charged with sex offences against young girls. Mark Eyles, 22, of West Auckland Road, Darlington, faces three separate charges of indecent assault against a 15-year-old girl. He faces a further charge of
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Hear all sides
POST OFFICES I AM glad the Government now sees post offices as a major policy area. Yet the newly-unveiled plans have weaknesses, even in outline. Post offices should not be defended by subsidy. They should be made viable by receiving a fair, business
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Fears fail to halt Vardy's increase
CAR dealer, Reg Vardy, has announced a growth in both profit and turnover despite consumer fears that British cars are overpriced. Although sales of new cars have been seriously affected, the fears, combined with uncertainty over when the Government will
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Businesses get in tune with proms in the park
TEESSIDE's Proms in the Park 2000 has been met with a chorus of approval from businesses in the Tees Valley. The outdoor classical music concert, set for August 26, is receiving sponsorship from some of the region's leading businesses, including Darlington
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Thieves snatch porcelain
THIEVES stole valuable collections of china, electrical goods and jewellery from a house near Willington in an overnight raid. The homeowners were still counting the cost of the theft at Dovedale, Sunnybrow, yesterday but police say the final total will
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Win a golden ticket to the Harry Potter book signing
IT'S the most eagerly awaited book of the year - the new Harry Potter is out this weekend, and young readers throughout the North-East will be setting their alarms to be down at the bookstore for opening. The Harry Potter series has sold in excess of
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Scheme to revitalise rail system unveiled
TRANSPORT group Arriva last night rolled out plans to revitalise the region's rail system. The Sunderland company is bidding to take over the new Transpennine franchise. Arriva is promising a faster and more efficient service to attract customers away
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Showdown over city council's bad press
LABOUR Party officials will tell a troubled council to get its act together at a showdown meeting today. Officers from the party's regional headquarters will meet the ruling Labour group on Durham City Council to discuss ways of repairing the council's
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Exchange visit to oz
A GROUP of North-East school children are going Down Under for their summer break. While other schools go to France or Germany on exchange visits, the youngsters from Sunderland High School have set their sights on a trip to Australia. A party of 37,
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GM seed firm to pay farmers
NORTH-EAST farmers who unknowingly planted GM-contaminated oilseed rape are to receive £337 for each affected hectare of crop, the seed company involved announced yesterday. And some farmers in the region could receive a further 9.5 per cent of that amount
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Belt up the kids - plea to parents
PARENTS are being urged to ensure their children "belt up in the back" in a new North-East road safety drive. A month-long campaign is under way in County Durham to reduce the number of child passengers killed or seriously injured while travelling in
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Reid -no' to Italian's invitation
Sunderland boss Peter Reid is again on the trail of Rangers defender Lorenzo Amoruso but he still refuses to travel to Italy to talk to the 29-year-old stopper. "I have no plans to fly out to Italy," was Reid's response yesterday to suggestions that the
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Concern over missing man
POLICE are worried about a man who has not been seen for eight days. Thomas Patrick Dickinson, 51, of Redcar Lane, Redcar, was last seen one Tuesday, June 27, walking his dog near his home. Mr Dickinson lived alone and was known to frequent Middlesbrough
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Police say sex abuse claims are -spurious'
CHILD sex allegations made in a chain letter sent to Teesside homes have been rejected by police as "spurious". The letters, in plain brown envelopes, have been hand-delivered to homes around Middlesbrough. They contain detailed allegations of child abuse
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Villagers call on Tony Blair to help save the community
RESIDENTS in Ferryhill Station are calling on Prime Minister Tony Blair to step in and take action to save it. The people of Ferryhill Station are calling for action from their local MP to help turn around the fortunes of their village, and held a public
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No worries for agony aunt on centre tour
TELEVISION agony aunt Denise Robertson was the guest personality yesterday at celebrations to mark the achievements of South Bank Women's Centre. Two years ago, the centre, which specialises in helping women with educational and training opportunities
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Plea for aid from landlords
THIS week's meeting in Ferryhill Station also discussed the role of private landlords and how they could help to improve the situation. One manager of about 100 properties in the area, Simon Jewitt, called for more access for landlords into the backgrounds
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Fear when darkness falls
WHEN Councillor John Burton visited a public meeting in Ferryhill Station this week he was confronted by a variety of people unhappy with the situation there. People told of being afraid to leave their homes after dark, vandalism, rats, rubbish and anti-social
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Fatal fire sparks safety criticism
A GRIEVING family has accused a North-East council of neglecting the safety of hundreds of old folk. Shocked relatives of 81-year-old Annie Bell, who died in the smoke-filled bedroom of her warden-controlled bungalow at the weekend, say they are staggered
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Council counts cost of floods
A RIVERBANK damaged by floods is to be repaired at a cost of almost £30,000. Severe flooding in spring last year washed away some of the bank along Cod Beck in Thirsk, next to the Todds Yard housing development. Following talks with the Cod Beck Internal
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Facing up to the changing times
YOU may have noticed that changes have been made to the look of The Northern Echo this week. They have not been radical - The Great Daily of the North hasn't gone tabloid - but it is a little different. The aim has been to make the paper look smarter,
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You can't keep a good man down
MANY readers have asked for an update on award-winning columnist Mike Amos. Mike has undergone a serious operation but we are delighted to be able to report that he has made a good recovery and he is hoping to be back in just over a week. Mike's popular
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Coal communities grab fair slice of revival cash
SOME of the poorest parts of the region are enjoying hundreds of thousands of pounds of Government aid aimed at reviving former coal field communities. Projects in the North-East have grabbed nearly a fifth of £9.3m so far awarded by the Coalfield Regeneration
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Car pool aims to cut pollution
FOUR major employers have joined forces in a bid to reduce the volume of traffic in North Yorkshire's county town. The county council is working with Hambleton District Council, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Friarage Hospital
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Motorists
MOTORISTS are being given the chance to have their vehicle exhaust checked for excess pollution. Until October, Middlesbrough Borough Council public protection officers will hold free tests in supermarkets and leisure centre car parks. Motorists will
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78-place nursery opens
PUPILS at the oldest school in Middlesbrough enjoyed new facilities yesterday, when their nursery was officially opened. Until recently, nursery classes at Linthorpe Infant School had been held in a dilapidated building. But, funding from the New Deal
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Residents help to target regeneration funding
THE results of a consultation exercise which will help to shape the future of Hartlepool's Headland will be announced later this month. The findings will help determine how £7.2m of Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) money awarded by the Government last
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Junior detectives crack
PUPILS are being given the chance to become detectives, at a forensic workshop. Children from schools throughout Teesside are attending the workshop at the University of Teesside, as part of a Chemistry at Work project. Experiments have been set up to
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Getting a haircut in triplicate
GETTING their first haircut was child's play for triplets Rachel, Rebecca and Jessica Dinsley. The test tube babies have had the first of many trims at the Saks salon in Blackwellgate, Darlington. Their mother Andrea, 28, of Skeldale Grove, Darlington
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Critics
BARNARD Castle-born actor Glenn Hugill was a bundle of nerves as his directorial debut brings four weeks of summer rep to a close. He needn't have worried. Success was ensured by the safe- as-houses casting of Michael Tudor Barnes and Diana Davies as
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Country wardens take to the air
A crime-busting scheme has improved its system of communications by taking delivery of seven mobile radios. The Wensleydale section of Daleswatch has been given the new equipment by the Richmondshire Community Safety Partnership. The Daleswatch group
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Festival week builds to colourful carnival parade
THE second Thirsk Festival is under way. Organisers are aiming to build on the success of last year's event, which raises cash for Rotary Club charities. The climax of the festival is a carnival on Sunday with a procession of floats from the town centre
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Help us
CONSUMER demand for Yorkshire Lamb, a food produced by more than 200 farmers, is in danger of exceeding supply. The brand went on sale last month after its official launch earlier in the year, but the producers' club is urging more sheep farmers to join
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Helping hand
Barclays' Tees Valley Small Business team has developed a range of seminars to help people in business. Many of the seminars are free and you don't need to bank with Barclays to be able to attend them. To find out more call Joyce Gatenby on (01642) 396105
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Experts pool resources
A new-style support service that provides a single point of access to a pool of expertise covering vital European legislation is now available to small and medium-sized businesses in the North-East. CEMARK brings together five organisations with extensive
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Regiment stands defiant
They have the distinction of surviving one of the bloodiest conflicts in modern history. And nearly 200 years after the British Army captured them from Napoleon's troops, they are still the cause of international friction. The military drum and mace,
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Fans put centre in the picture
YOUNGSTERS played a big part in helping the World of James Herriot Centre in Thirsk to celebrate its first birthday. James Herriot fans Matthew and Hannah Atkins were among those to enter a competition organised by the centre. And ten-year-old Matthew's
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He just wants to have fun
HEATH Ledger is contemplating being labelled as the cinema's next big thing. The new Brad Pitt, this year's Jude Law, whatever term you want to call an actor hotly tipped for big screen success. The prediction is being made on the basis of his co-starring
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GPs get cash to improve patient care
EXTRA cash to help family doctors to meet the increasing demands of patients has been announced. In a boost for North Yorkshire £760,000 - more than 10 per cent of the total allocation of £7.2m - is to be invested in the area. Other areas to emerge with
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Bag it up
Aluminium cans and clean, bagged foil can be recycled to raise money for more arts events in Leyburn. Leyburn Light in association with Yorwaste now has an aluminium can and foil recycling bin at the Moor Road civic amenity site in Leyburn.
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Boro pull plug on Sutton as Karembeu flies in
MIDDLESBROUGH yesterday told Chelsea striker Chris Sutton: We don't want you. As Christian Karembeu completed a £2.1m move to the Riverside Stadium and the capture of Paul Okon was confirmed, Boro set their sights on three more "major'' signings after
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Stepping back to good old days
WITH a swing of her box pleat skirt and a click of her crocodile kitten heels, woman at Marks & Spencer will be stepping into the past this autumn. After recent troubled times, M&S is hoping it's a journey back to the good old days. The sophisticated
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Shoppers urged to get on their bikes
AN initiative encouraging shoppers to dump their cars and take to the saddle has won the support of a local authority. Tesco's supermarket at Catterick Garrison is introducing a bike hod scheme, which gives customers trailers to tow their shopping home
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Outlook brighter for school
WEATHERMAN Bob Johnson could not conjure up the sun yesterday, but the forecast is looking brighter for a primary school's pupils. The Tyne Tees Television forecaster officially re-opened Nevilles Cross Primary School, in Durham City, after extensive
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Shusherettes ensure quiet appreciation
COMPOSER Andy Jackson and a host of musicians set about rediscovering the beauty of silence last night - by performing in a library. Music lovers were invited to sit quietly throughout the one-off performance of Playing With Silence, in an exploration
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Prescott dashes hopes of Gaul dive
HOPES of a thorough investigation of the wreck of a British trawler which took the lives of several North-East seamen were dashed yesterday. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott refused to sanction a new underwater expedition to the wreck of the Gaul,
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Palace-bound pensioner dies
A COMMUNITY-SPIRITED pensioner has died days before she was due to collect her MBE from Buckingham Palace. Doreen Swift, 90, from Hartlepool, was awarded the MBE in the New Year's Honours List for her services to West Hartlepool Old Age Pensioner's Welfare
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Heads buckling under pressure
HEADteachers in the North-East fear the drive to improve education will put even greater pressure on their already strained workloads. Yesterday, The Northern Echo highlighted the plight of one head, Tim Gunn, of Wolsingham Primary School, who is quitting
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Concern over missing man
POLICE are worried about a man who has not been seen for eight days. Thomas Patrick Dickinson, 51, of Redcar Lane, Redcar, was last seen on Tuesday, June 27, walking his dog near his home. Mr Dickinson lived alone and was known to frequent Middlesbrough
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Moves for closer control of troubled youngsters' centre
PROPOSALS to secure the long-term future of a North-East centre for troubled youngsters have been announced. Durham County Council is to bring the Aycliffe Young People's Centre, in Newton Aycliffe, under closer control. It follows the announcement that
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Euro cash to offer fresh hope for Amy
THE family of a teenage girl suffering from a painful skin disorder has given a cautious welcome to a European pledge which offers new hope to sufferers of rare diseases. Fourteen-year-old Amy Livesey suffers from a genetic condition that leaves her covered
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Advice sessions for village flood victims
RESIDENTS in a flood-hit North-East village are being offered daily advice sessions and updates in the village's community centre. The afternoon meetings in the centre at Skinningrove, east Cleveland, began on Tuesday, with a doctor's visit, detailing
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Pensioners pioneer campaigner rewarded with research trip to america
A WOMAN has won a trip to the US after forming a pioneering network of campaigning pensioners. In a move aimed at dispelling the usual image of helpless elderly people who complain about being given a low priority in society, Shirley Ellis helped to form
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Community work marked as duo accept their MBEs
TWO men whose efforts were recognised in the New Year Honours have been presented with their awards. Dennis Rowland, of New Brancepeth, travelled to Buckingham Palace to receive his MBE, awarded in recognition of years spent running activities for youngsters
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Compromise bid to solve dispute over village green play area plan
A LONG-RUNNING dispute over plans for a children's play area on a dales village green could be coming to an end, after project organisers agreed a compromise. Hopes by Bainbridge Playground Association of providing the facilities in the centre of a conservation
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North-East fearing the cost of failure to lure World Cup
THE North-East stands to lose out on millions of pounds if, as expected, England fails today in its bid to stage the 2006 World Cup. South Africa is the clear favourite to win the backing of the 24-strong Fifa executive committee vote, which means the
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Arsonists suspected of starting factory blaze
ARSONISTS are thought to have caused a clothing factory fire which resulted in £20,000 worth of damage. Rolls of materials used to make sportswear, including dozens of football strips for local teams, were destroyed in the blaze in a three-storey former
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Importance of farmers -being forgotten'
THE North-East regional director of the Country Landowners Association (CLA) says the importance of farming is being forgotten by the public. Antony Haslam is urging those working in the industry to help convince people in towns of the benefits which
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Bowls team death smash
TWO women killed in a horrific crash yesterday are believed to have been driving to a bowls match. The pair, understood to be from the Hartlepool area, were in two cars that were in collision with a lorry on the A19 near Peterlee, County Durham. Another
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Bowls team death smash
TWO women killed in a horrific crash yesterday are believed to have been driving to a bowls match. The pair, understood to be from the Hartlepool area, were in two cars that were in collision with a lorry on the A19 near Peterlee, County Durham. Another
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Spotting the ball as Test bandwagon approaches
TRADERS have rallied to the cause as a market town gears up to take the international sporting stage next week. Durham County Cricket Club's Riverside ground, at Chester-le-Street, hosts two international one-day cricket matches over the weekend of July
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Bequest boosts technology
PUPILS are getting to grips with the world of computers and the information superhighway thanks to an old boy. Fee-paying Durham School opened its new computer centre during its speech day and prize-giving last Saturday. The centre, which is housed in
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Beer festival offering an unusual rich brew
A SPECIAL brew of unusual beers and live music will make an appearance for the Beers of Northumbria festival. The second Wear Valley Camra Beer Festival starts on Wednesday, July 26, with ales from small independent breweries within the historic boundaries
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10,000 dogs found wandering the streets
More than 10,000 dogs were found wandering the streets of the North-East last year, a survey reveals. Carried out by the National Canine Defence League, it shows a 15 per cent increase in the number of strays, with one stray dog for every 364 people in
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JobCentre staff win award for their work
ONE of the region's JobCentres has been praised for helping a record number of people to find work. Staff from the Middlesbrough central JobCentre were invited to London to meet Employment Minister Tessa Jowell as a reward for their efforts in the past
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Initiative aims to boost skills
A SEARCH for community champions has proved fruitful in Stockton, with more than 30 people volunteering. Stockton Adult Education Service is leading the search for local champions. All 31 volunteers attended the first community champions training session
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Police golfers drive for national title
POLICE golfers swung into action to win their way through to the finals of a national competition for the first time. Cleveland Police left opposition teed-off as they beat teams from North Yorkshire and Northumbria, and wiped out favourites Lothian and
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Authorities reveal proposals to tackle -rat-run' concerns
A road blockade is to be lifted after months of arguments about safety and congestion. Gypsy Lane, in Nunthorpe, was closed last December, following concerns that it was used as a rat-run between Dixon's Bank and Ormesby Bank. While residents of Gypsy
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Boxing clever to beat hoaxers
A PIONEERING scheme using covert cameras to catch hoaxers who put lives at risk by calling out the fire service for fun has been declared a success. The first partnership of its kind between police, a fire service, local councils and security firms has
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Trust fund to safeguard the Big Meeting
A TRUST fund is to be set up to safeguard the long-term financial future of the Durham Miners' Gala, which has been under threat since the demise of the region's coal industry. Organisers plan to form a trust with capital, which will be invested to provide
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Fears fail to halt Vardy's increase
CAR dealer, Reg Vardy, has announced a growth in both profit and turnover despite consumer fears that British cars are overpriced. Although sales of new cars have been seriously affected, the fears, combined with uncertainty over when the Government will
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Organisers rearrange wash-out gala
YOUNGSTERS disappointed by a washed-out British Steel family gala are being given another chance to have fun this weekend. For the first time in its history, the Teesside British Steel gala was cancelled on Sunday - just hours before it was due to start
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Businesses get in tune with proms in the park
TEESSIDE's Proms in the Park 2000 has been met with a chorus of approval from businesses in the Tees Valley. The outdoor classical music concert, set for August 26, is receiving sponsorship from some of the region's leading businesses, including Darlington
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Wildlife site progress
A COMPANY which was told to restore a former wildlife haven or risk facing legal action is making good progress, according to Darlington Borough Council. Ward Brothers, a steel company, levelled the 7.3 acre site at Cleveland Street, Darlington, after
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He just wants to have fun
HEATH Ledger is contemplating being labelled as the cinema's next big thing. The new Brad Pitt, this year's Jude Law, whatever term you want to call an actor hotly tipped for big screen success. The prediction is being made on the basis of his co-starring
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Legal guide highlights teen issues
YOUNGSTERS have produced a guide on legal issues affecting teenagers. Members of Shildon Centre Youth Club produced a pamphlet called the Millennium Low Down, which covers the law on bullying, drugs, smoking, alcohol and vandalism. PC Martin Slater was
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Police issue alert over couple
DARLINGTON police are warning people to be on their guard against a couple who approach people in the street demanding money for petrol. The pair are said to have harassed an elderly woman in Duke Street yesterday afternoon, saying their car had run out
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primary school athletes vie for annual championship honours
YOUNGSTERS from every primary school in the borough took part in the Darlington Primary Schools Athletics Championships 2000 yesterday. Hundreds of children competed for glory in 26 finals over track distances of 60 to 400m. Beginning with four 400m races
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Youngsters sound alert on crime
SENIOR citizens will be alarmed by young people in their homes this weekend. However, the volunteers from Tanfield Comprehensive, near Stanley, will be there to fit anti-burglar devices. Two bungalows in nearby Tantobie will be kitted out by pupils taking
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Charity shop appeals for volunteers
VOLUNTEERS from Stanley are needed to help a Chester-le-Street charity shop with a staffing crisis. The number of volunteers at Oxfam's shop in Front Street has dropped to a critical level - at the moment they barely have enough staff to keep the doors
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Town's floral tribute
TODAY is the last chance to view a flower display celebrating Darlington's past and present. South Durham and North Yorkshire Flower Club is hosting the display at the St Cuthbert's Church Centre in the Market Place. The charity fundraising event has
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Durham are pitched into more NatWest misery
DURHAM'S deeply overdrawn NatWest account plunged further into the red when they were badly caught out by an unsatisfactory Riverside pitch yesterday. Going out of the NatWest Trophy in Holland last season was embarrassing, but there was even greater
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Magpies swoop to seal £7m Cort deal
NEWCASTLE United last night swooped to land Wimbledon striker Carl Cort in a £7m deal after dramatically dropping their interest in Belgium front-runner Emile Mpenza. Cort flew to Tyneside yesterday to agree personal terms with United chairman Freddy
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Residents turn up the heat
WORRIED residents are stepping up their objections to plans for an opencast coal mining scheme on a greenfield site near Consett. At a public meeting on Tuesday night, residents of Dipton and High Stables, two villages near Leadgate, met bosses of the
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Priming the pump of petrol protest
IT'S the talk of the town, city and countryside. It's the main topic of conversation at breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's the major worry for countless people trying to make ends meet. It's the escalating price of fuel and it's an issue which could bring
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Man on wounding charge
A Darlington man facing a charge of unlawful and malicious wounding has been bailed by Sedgefield magistrates, Newton Aycliffe. Simon Lewins, 19, of Shildon Street, is alleged to have attacked Gerard Lynch on June 10 at Newton Aycliffe. Prosecutor Bill
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Pensioners visit memory lane
A GROUP of fun-loving pensioners are getting set to take a trip down memory lane this weekend. More than 160 elderly people will take a bus through Teesdale before enjoying a picnic at Westfield Farm, in Mickleton. The group of pensioners will stop off
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Pioneering ex-PC to mentor truants
AN ex-police officer is to head a school's groundbreaking mentoring scheme that should tackle truancy head-on. Spennymoor Comprehensive believes its new "interactive support base" to be the first of its kind in the country and it will be run by a local
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Poor choice for pensioners
A GOVERNMENT which raised the basic pension by just 75p a week will find it difficult to claim it is doing its best to help the elderly. Social Security Minister Jeff Rooker's admission that the minimum income guarantee was not enough to live on makes
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Sporting scheme cash freed
COUNCILLORS have agreed to release £17,500 towards a town's ambitious plans for a sports complex. The money from Richmondshire District Council will cover the early costs of a project to bring a new sporting facility to Colburn. Civic leaders in the town
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Gala day pulls record crowd
A RECORD number of visitors to an annual gala day in Teesdale raised thousands of pounds for two hospitals. The Glaxo Wellcome Sports and Gala day, at the company's Barnard Castle site, raised £2,500 for the children's wards at Darlington Memorial Hospital
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Call for clean up of eyesore
PEOPLE living near a derelict building in the centre of Darlington are calling for action to tidy it up. Residents in the Corporation Road area say the site, which used to be occupied by agricultural suppliers Parkin Ness, is an eyesore. The building
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Marathon aid for hospice
A DARLINGTON women's darts team has made a marathon effort for charity. The team, from the Slater's Arms, in Bondgate, completed a 12-hour darts marathon and organised a raffle to raise £650 for St Teresa's Hospice. Landlady Kim Wilson presented the money
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Sleuths at ready for Echo Quest 2000
IN years gone by, it was an annual event which enthralled readers of The Northern Echo as well as testing their detective abilities. Echo Quest was the great treasure hunt which had thousands of people captivated and scouring the region for clues. And
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Pupils sow seeds to preserve grassland
YOUNGSTERS scoured the countryside looking for the seeds of rare wild flowers yesterday. About 100 pupils from Bowburn Junior, Cassop, Coxhoe and Kelloe Primary Schools collected seeds from the Cassop Vale National Nature Reserve for a planting project
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Historian honoured
A NOTICE board has been dedicated to the memory of an amateur historian and community figure, who died in April. The Mayor of Middlesbrough, Kath Bevington, unveiled a notice board in Stewart Park yesterday, erected in memory of Fred Lumb. Mr Lumb, a
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You can't keep a good man down
MANY readers have asked for an update on award-winning columnist Mike Amos. Mike has undergone a serious operation but we are delighted to be able to report that he has made a good recovery and he is hoping to be back in just over a week. Mike's popular
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SOAP RIVALS SHARE THE STAGE
ACTORS from rival soap operas have been brought together by a North-East theatre. Michael Tudor Barnes, who played Willy Roper in EastEnders, and Diana Davies, who played Mrs Bates in Emmerdale, are appearing in the northern comedy Spring and Port Wine
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Fury at police checks charge
A PROPOSED charge for carrying out police checks on people working with children has been condemned by voluntary groups as a back door tax . From April next year the Criminal Records Bureau will carry out checks on people applying for jobs which would
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Television fame beckons for high flier nicole
A JET-SETTING air hostess has found television fame with a documentary on her work place. Nicole Johnson, 21, from Spennymoor, County Durham, will be appearing on television screens across Britain on Friday next week, when she stars in the docusoap EasyJet
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Shoppers saddle up
SUPERMARKET shoppers are being given the chance to do their bit for the environment - by taking their groceries home by bike. In a pioneering move, Tesco in Catterick Garrison is to introduce a 'bike hod' scheme, providing trailers to carry shopping that
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Millennium day to remember
YOUNGSTERS have been given a Millennium memento to mark their time at a primary school. All 280 pupils at Applegarth Primary in Northallerton have been given a special Millennium medallion, complete with an inscribed presentation box. The presentation
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Traders asked to dig deep to help to save riverside path
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save a popular riverside walk are appealing for financial support from traders. A section of the Easby Abbey footpath, near Richmond, has collapsed because of serious erosion of the banks of the River Swale and further damage is
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Funeral firm still bidding for listed building
PROPOSALS to convert one of North Yorkshire's most historic buildings into a funeral parlour could be resurrected. Darlington-based Seaton Leng had put forward plans to take over Register House in Northallerton, including building an extension to the
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New officer appointed
A successor has been appointed to replace Roger King as North Yorkshire's chief probation officer. Assistant chief probation officer Roz Brown has taken over the service on a temporary basis, with a permanent appointment made when the director of the
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Clean up your act
YOUNGSTERS are being urged to join a campaign to promote swimming in a clean pool. Pupils using Hambleton Leisure Centre in Northallerton are being asked to design a poster to encourage swimmers to take a shower before they enter the pool. Competition
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Rural towns in line for windfall
MARKET towns are in with a chance of landing a £1m boost. Investment of more than £1m is expected to be injected into each of the towns chosen to take part in the ground-breaking plan, which could become a model for nationwide efforts to revitalise rural
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Bigger means better for RNLI
A £350,000 extension to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's depot at Thirsk Industrial Park has proven plain sailing for Thirsk-based Severfield-Reeve DesignBuild, the company that designed and built the existing depot in 1988. The project involved
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Council gears up to lower speed limit
DETAILS of the proposed first 20mph zones have been drawn up by North Yorkshire County Council. In the north of the county 15 requests for the new limit have been lodged with the council since it agreed to the move six months ago. Officials have examined
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999 crews drive home message
EMERGENCY services are joining forces to launch a new speed check campaign to cut the road accident rate. The Three Nines campaign will see speeding motorists spoken to by police, ambulance crews and fire fighters to try to hammer home the message that
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Duo move up ladder
Accountants and business advisers Clive Owen & Co have promoted Nicola Bellerby and Peter Taylor as managers in the taxation and business development departments. Nicola, who lives in Kirby Sigston, near Northallerton, joined the firm three years
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Dangerous tree finally for the axe
VILLAGERS are mourning the end of an era after highways chiefs announced that a 120-year-old tree was posing a threat to public safety. The sycamore tree at Scorton, near Richmond, was condemned at a public meeting after only recently being given an 11th
