Archive
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Adult education courses offered
ONE of the region's colleges is holding a series of adult education classes which begin next month. Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, will be holding adult advice and enrolment sessions for students interested in evening courses on Tuesday
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Fitness consultant denies assault on schoolgirl in sauna
A FITNESS consultant went on trial yesterday, accused of indecently assaulting a teenage schoolgirl in a sauna room. Michael Hirst is alleged to have pushed his hand up the girl's top and touched her breast after kissing her, at the Shildon Leisure Centre
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Families clear up two truck loads of rubbish
CHILDREN on the Jubilee estate, Shildon, proved they were no strangers to hard work when they took part in a big clear-up operation yesterday. Thirteen children and adult members of the estate's residents' association organised the day to tackle the mounting
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Room for students grows on campus
THERE is now more accommodation available for students who are due to study at one of the region's universities in September. Two new student study-bedroom buildings at the University of Durham Stockton Campus (UDSC) have been completed and handed over
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No longer forbidden
WHAT angle are we to take on the Forbidden Corner, the by-now celebrated folly - height of folly, some might say - in North Yorkshire? On which of its many levels should it be considered? Is it fun for all the family or, as someone said of golf, a good
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-Bloodless' op patient recovers
THE man who underwent what was believed to be the first "bloodless" surgery in the North-East is recovering well at home. Jehovah's Witnesses believe they are forbidden by the Bible to accept blood transfusions. In March, when Albert Laidlaw, 69, suffered
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Schools bid for £100,000 of grants
SCHOOLS in Darlington are bidding for cash for a range of improvements. A total of £100,000 is available for schools, which must provide match funding. The cash is being made available under the Seed Challenge Fund, a scheme administered by Darlington
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Famous old cycles take part in ride
PEDAL power from the past will be making a big impact in North Yorkshire next week. More than 200 historic cycles will be gathered in Northallerton for a rally, and their owners will be celebrating the millennium with a veteran cycle ride. Boneshakers
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Change
A DIABETIC who lost his job and is selling his house because of a controversial European regulation has called for the law to be changed North-East lorry driver Hubert Dodds, 53, was stripped of his group two driving licence in February after becoming
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Reviewing the situation as theatre group rehearses for three-night run of Oliver!
YOUNG actors, musicians, stage hands and technicians are working round the clock to mount their annual theatrical production. Durham Youth Musical Theatre (DYMT), featuring an 80-strong crew and cast from round the county, is busy preparing for its latest
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Student's stunt on a bridge proved fatal
A TRAINEE teacher plunged to her death from a bridge after saying to a friend she wanted to show him a trick, an inquest was told. Michelle Blake, 19, of Sunderland University, flipped over an old railway bridge at Chester Road and fell 20ft as she showed
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Quakers sign French pair
l DARLINGTON yesterday completed the signing of French pair Lenit Zezu and Christophe Raymond today. The Gallic duo have been on trial at Feethams for the past three weeks, during which time they have given impressive displays for the reserves. Striker
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Records tumble again as results prompt celebrations
SCHOOLS across the region have reported record numbers of passes at GCSEs. The national average for passes at A-C grade was 56.6 per cent, an increase of nine per cent on last year. That figure has been topped by many schools in the North-East and North
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Jake's no lounge lizard but needs care
AN animal trust has come up with a novel way of dealing with a surplus of iguanas in the North-East. The Reptile Trust says so many of the animals are being abandoned by people in the region that it has not got room to house them. So it is now "personalising
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Torment of a mother
A YEAR ago, Milun Dhanjee went to spend a week with his father. His mother has not seen her son since. Every day, Susan Dhanjee, of Staithes, North Yorkshire, frantically searches for clues to six-year-old Milun's whereabouts through the Internet. But
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Behind bars - the brewery boss caught drink-driving
A BREWERY boss's high-flying career ended in ruins after he was caught drink-driving - and last night he was beginning a jail sentence. David Beecroft was so drunk he could barely stand the first time he was stopped by police, after his car was seen swerving
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Tiring trip for Dunlop
JOHN DUNLOP'S horses face a marathon 500-mile round trip when visiting Thirsk, consequently it normally makes sense to follow their fortunes if he takes the trouble to send them all the way up from his base near Arundel in West Sussex. Today he has despatched
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Police beat a path to the aisles
'ELLO, 'ello, ello what's going on here then? Police in Darlington are swapping their usual beat for the aisles of a local supermarket. The town's Asda store is playing host to a series of police surgeries which will see coppers mingling with shoppers
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The Echo says
THE brutal slaying of three people on the streets of Belfast has understandably heightened tensions in Northern Ireland. The cold-blooded and calculated murders are a tragedy. A personal tragedy for the families of the victims, and tragedy for the many
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Two charged over death
A FATHER and son appeared before magistrates yesterday charged with the manslaughter of a man found dying in Newcastle. Anthony James Tinnion, 36, and his 18-year-old son, also Anthony, are charged in connection with the death of Kevin Forman. The pair
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Father and son escape double arson attack
A BLIND man and his two-year-old son escaped two attacks by arsonists on his North-East home earlier this week. Anthony Green had taken his son, Billy, to stay with family when the attacks happened within hours of each other at their flat on the Closes
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Family proud of hero diver's wrecked sub rescue mission
A NORTH-East diver will soon taste fresh air for the first time since he embarked on the dramatic mission to try to save submariners on the stricken Russian vessel, Kursk. Jimmy Mallen, 38, of Peterlee, County Durham, was part of a 12-man diving team
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NHS chiefs backed Neale
CAMPAIGNERS want to know why regional health bosses tried to help Richard Neale get his medical licence back in Canada - even though he had already begun botching operations in the UK. Neale - who was finally struck off in Britain a month ago after a
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Teenagers focus on youth fun
THE first fun day organised by youngsters especially for their contempories will be held in Chester-le-Street today. The inaugural fun day at the Hermitage School field in the town is designed to raise community spirit and give youngsters something to
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Long wait for elderly seeking improvements to their homes
A NORTH-EAST council is seeking urgent extra funding to help ease the plight of hundreds of elderly and disabled residents. The cash call comes as the District of Easington was revealed as having the longest waiting list of frail folk seeking special
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Steel jobs task force gears up
REGENERATION chiefs mapping out a way forward for Teesside in the wake of 750 job losses at a former British Steel plant are to draw on expertise from across the country. A Government task force met earlier this week to devise a strategy which will tackle
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Stepping out for bone marrow trust
A GRATEFUL mother is running a half marathon in aid of the charity which helped her seriously ill son. Vicki Waldie's seven-year-old son Jamie had a lifesaving bone marrow transplant last year. The operation took place after the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow
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Tourism
TOURIST information centres across Hambleton are turning their attention to the needs of local people. The five centres have become ticket agencies for events being staged at the Hambleton Community Centre, in Northallerton. The initiative is the first
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Partners pledge
A NETWORK of task forces has been set up to tackle problems with footpaths in North Yorkshire. The county has frequently come under fire from the Ramblers' Association (RA) for the state of its many miles of paths and bridleways. The organisation has
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Girls' play plea pays off
THREE girls from Saltburn who took their first steps into local democracy were honoured for their efforts this week. Thirteen-year-olds Carli Tucker-McNaught and Gemma Cutter, along with ten-year-old Tanya Budd, wrote to Saltburn, Marske and New Marske
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Girls set sail on sea adventure
AN INTREPID group of teenage girls today set sail on an adventure that would shiver the timbers of any land lubber. Eight girls, who are cared for by Durham County Council social services, set off in the 72ft boat, the Hartlepool Renaissance at 10am on
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Boost for town with fall in jobless
JOBHUNTERS in Hartlepool have been given a boost with the announcement that the number of unemployed people in the town has fallen. Figures for July, published by Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit, show 8.6 per cent of the town's population was unemployed
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Banner celebrates town's past and present
PICTURES from a town's past and present are being woven together in a commemorative artwork. Images from photographs have been transferred on to silk and embroidered into a banner, celebrating Thirsk as it was and as it is today. The banner, created by
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African adventure grinds to halt in Spanish heat
A BID to drive 4,500 miles on a journey across the Sahara desert in a double-decker bus has shuddered to a halt - before it even left Europe. The red London bus began the journey to a remote Ghanaian village last week where it will be used to take children
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Kidnapped - by their own parents
IT MUST be among the most heart-rending moments in any parent's life. A broken relationship, loved ones torn apart, with children caught in a tussle for custody, leaving one parent with the occasional right to visit his or her child. Emotions turn to
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NHS trust plans for arrival of the euro
PREPARATIONS are being made by South Durham Health Care NHS Trust for the possible introduction of the Euro. The trust, which runs Darlington Memorial and Bishop Auckland General hospitals, has set up a euro project team to assess what would need doing
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Interest in Homebase increases
SAINSBURY'S DIY chain Homebase is being eyed up as a takeover target by Jim Hodkinson, the former New Look chief. Mr Hodkinson, who left the top job at New Look in May after a dispute over his conduct at an industry party, had previously worked at Kingfisher's
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Ex-soldier who hit girlfriend to pay £1,500
A FORMER soldier who stuck his finger in his girlfriend's eye and broke her cheekbone and nose was ordered to pay her compensation yesterday. Goddard, 38, of Ashfield Avenue, Grove Hill, Middlesbrough, appeared before Teesside Crown Court and admitted
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Campaign tackles drug misuse among jail inmates
A PRISON has launched a new initiative in the fight against drug misuse among inmates. The campaign was launched at Kirklevington Prison, near Yarm, by Dari Taylor, MP for Stockton South, yesterday, in a bid to promote a drug-free lifestyle amongst prisoners
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Gardeners dig in for produce show
A BUMPER harvest is awaited for what is promised as a city's biggest and best garden produce show so far, next month. Hundreds of entries are expected for the 87 classes in this year's Durham Millennium Garden Produce Show, staged at the Town Hall. Hosted
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I'm having a great Tyne
"I only arrived in England less than two weeks ago and I'm amazed at the beautiful city of Newcastle. I've never been in England before and I love it. Everybody is so friendly and it seems like people take time to enjoy life. My biggest culture shock
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Creators pay tribute to -Mr Nice Guy'
FOUNDERS of the comic Viz yesterday paid tribute to TV presenter Rod Griffith, the inspiration behind their Roger Mellie character. The actor and presenter died aged 74 and Viz creators told how their foul-mouthed character was born after he was overheard
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Exams row head faces bias inquiry
THE headmaster of Oxford rejection-row pupil Laura Spence's school has been accused of discriminating against another student. Dr Paul Kelley, the head of Monkseaton Community High School, spoke out against Oxford University after it turned down Laura
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Conversion of pub prompts traffic fears
A VILLAGE pub is to be turned into flats in controversial proposals which have prompted concerns over traffic hazards. The St Cuthbert's Inn at Uckerby, near Scorton, Richmond, would be converted into four flats under the plans. The landlords already
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Carers' support service unveils expansion plan
A SERVICE for carers in Sedgefield hopes to reach more people all over the borough. The Sedgefield Locality Carers Centre, in Newton Aycliffe, is to hold a series of information surgeries in different locations. A drop-in centre has already been opened
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Families face defeat in battle to stop mobile phone masts
A COUNCIL looks likely to approve applications for three mobile phone masts, despite health fears from parents and residents. Planning officers at Sedgefield Borough Council will recommend councillors to give the go-ahead for the masts at a meeting tomorrow
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Amanda proves it's never too late
A MATURE student has proved exam failure is not the end of the world, having passed A-level maths 12 years after failing it. Not only did Amanda Fearns pass her maths A-level as a single mother at the age of 30, but she also gained 100 per cent marks.
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Firms warned about phoney invoice scam
POLICE are urging businesses to watch out for a leaflet which looks like an invoice. The form, which comes from a Swiss-based company, is in fact an offer for inclusion in a publication called International Business Directories. A police spokesman said
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Death crash car driver lost control on bend, inquest told
A YOUNG woman died after losing control of her car while travelling to work on a notorious stretch of road, an inquest heard yesterday. Nicola Constantine, circuit operations assistant at the Croft racing circuit, was driving south on the A167 between
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Go-Ahead says 'non' to French takeover
BUS and train group Go-Ahead has rejected a £326m takeover bid from a French consortium. The consortium, consisting of Industrial group Caisse des Depots Developpment (C3D) and private equity firm Rhone Capital, made a 650p-a-share cash offer. The offer
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Villagers oppose pig farm garage
A PIG farmer is raising a stink - by planning to open a garage next to a controversial motor racing circuit. Residents claim the noise from Croft Circuit, near Darlington, is already unbearable during race meetings. Now they fear the circuit's influence
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Keegan sticks with his Euro 2000 flops
KEVIN Keegan placed his future in the hands of his European Championships under-performers as he insisted that he would have to be sacked for him to leave his post as England coach. Keegan admitted in the immediate wake of England's early exit from the
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Arca to set Reid alight
ARGENTINIAN teenager Julio Arca is in line for a surprise Premiership debut with Sunderland tomorrow. Manager Peter Reid's most expensive summer signing flew in from South America last night after receiving passport clearance. Now Reid is tempted to play
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The Cyber Space
Anyone can become an e-millionaire and you don't need any business sense to manage it. The number of online competitions, draws and quizzes increases daily on the Internet and all you have to do is log on. The most high-profile of the sites must be the
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Ladbroke's poor performance dents Hilton group's profits
CANNY punters betting successfully on the outcome of Euro 2000 matches contributed to a fall in half-year profits at world-wide hotel and leisure giant Hilton. As a result, the group's betting arm Ladbroke's lagged behind Hilton's hotel division. While
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Church plans adverts to attract youngsters
CHURCHGOERS in a north Durham community are considering taking out newspaper advertising to attract children to their church. Senior members of East Stanley Methodist Church are considering making the move because the number of children aged between three
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Trees chopped down to allow bridge repairs
YOUNG trees have had to be chopped down to make way for repair work on a flood-damaged bridge. Trees on the Richmond side of the town's Mercury Bridge were removed by contractors working to make the bridge safe before the £1m reconstruction project gets
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Mark is a GCSE superstar
A NORTH-EAST youngster was celebrating last night after becoming the most successful GCSE student in history. Mark Richardson, 16, a pupil at Emmanuel College in Gateshead, stunned his classmates by gaining a remarkable 13 top GCSEs - 12 of them at A*
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Chef turns up heat to win curry final
THE North-East has a new curry king after the culinary skills of a Middlesborough chef won him the regional final of a heated competition. Chefs from the Massala Caf Indiyan in Middlesbrough, the Dhaka in Carlisle, and the Balti Cottage in East Boldon
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Drunk caused fatal accident
A driver who was killed with a woman from another car as he was followed by police was four times the drink- drive limit, an inquest was told yesterday. Oil worker Kevin Russell, 46, had been treated for alcoholism for five years, said his doctor. Autopsy
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Hopes of print firm sale
ADMINISTRATORS called in by a North-East printing firm say they still hope to sell it as a going concern. Managers at Silverscreen Print plc, which has factories in Newton Aycliffe and Gateshead, dismissed almost its entire workforce last week. The 147
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Wife condemns sentence on steamroller boy
A BOY who drove a steamroller into a family living room escaped with a warning from magistrates. The stunned Heath family leapt for their lives when the machine crashed into their front room as they watched TV. It thundered into the home in Forest Hall
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'Signals there' accused DJ
A NIGHTCLUB DJ accused of raping a young woman in a back lane after having flirted with her inside a busy club told a jury yesterday that he believed "the signals were there". Married disc jockey Andrew Thompson is alleged to have walked the 21-year-old
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YOUNGSTERS_WITH_STARS IN THEIR EYES step into the spotlight for charity
YOUNGSTERS in Grangetown had Stars In Their Eyes last night as they transformed themselves into a variety of pop superstars. The Teenyboppers, aged between nine and 14, have devised their own routines to songs by their favourite pop stars including 5ive
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Dome day is beckoning for region's young actors and musicians
YOUNGSTERS from the region are preparing for their day at the Millennium Dome. Their big day is part of the Millennium Youth Project, in which children from every local authority area in the country spend a day in the dome telling other people about their
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Couple injured in kitchen fire
A COUPLE were treated for burns after a kitchen fire at their home. The fire at a terrace house in George Street, Darlington, at about noon yesterday, caused slight damage to the kitchen. It started when a grill pan caught fire in the oven. A man and
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Fun way to raise cash
RESIDENTS at a Derwentside nursing home had fun and a £1,000 cash boost at the same time. The annual summer fair at Brockwell Court Nursing Home, in Consett, raised more than £1,000 to pay for residents' outings. But residents at the Manor House Residential
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Former grammar school pupils in reunion party
GOING to school was never that much fun in the old days. But 130 former pupils of Consett Grammar School, now Derwentside College, who left in 1951 ensured their recent reunion was a night to remember. Some of the former pupils travelled from across the
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Care home nurse charged with murder
A 35-year-old care home nurse appeared in court yesterday charged with the murder of an 84-year-old woman resident. Alison Firth, from Kingston Park, Newcastle, was arrested and questioned following the death of Alice Grant at the privately-run Aidan
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Fitness club helps athlete fulfil his Olympic dream in Australia
AN ATHLETE from Middlesbrough has been chosen to represent Great Britain in the 400 metres hurdle at the Sydney Olympics next month. Anthony Borsumato, 26, who lives in Acklam, has competed at international events all over the world, but freely admits
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Toon team toasts £1m sponsor deal
NEWCASTLE Breweries has signed a new £1m, three-year sponsorship deal with the Magpies. The blue star company, former main sponsors of Newcastle United for 20-years, underlined their commitment to the club in an announcement made at the redeveloped St
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Recovery from meningitis amazes medical profession
A five-year-old boy who "died" for ten minutes after being left blind and dumb by meningitis has stunned medics by making a full recovery. James Defries' astonishing fightback only began when despairing doctors allowed him to go home for a weekend with
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-Vampires' chased from Feethams - by George
Darlington owner George Reynolds is determined to finish the job he started at Feethams - and after axing the 'vampires' has vowed to prove the sceptics wrong. And an emotional Reynolds believes the club is back on the right footing after a tempestuous
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Walk on the wild side as visitors are entertained by man of the woods
A WILD man was on the loose in a wooded North-East park yesterday. But visitors to Sunderland's newly refurbished Mowbray Park were not too worried by self-styled wild man of the woods Barry Patterson. His visit was all part of a range of summer entertainment
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Contract win for PB Power
A TYNESIDE company has been awarded a contract to undertake a comprehensive study of the Greek transmission system as a precursor to the deregulation of the industry in Greece. The £330,000 study was awarded to consulting engineers PB Power, based on
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Historic hospital building gets cash tonic from Lottery
A PROJECT to restore one of Redcar's most treasured buildings has received £430,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The money is to go to the restoration fund of the Sir William Turner's Hospital at Kirkleatham, which is undergoing a £1.6m facelift. The
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Medieval courtyard
A HOUSING complex for elderly and disabled people has opened in the Medieval courtyard of one of the region's oldest castles. The scheme will provide five specially-designed homes on the site of the Medieval courtyard in the grounds of Barnard Castle,
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Market to dress up for anniversary
A MARKET is celebrating its 690th anniversary on Saturday by encouraging stall holders to wear fancy dress. All 150 stalls on the Saturday market in Stockton High Street are expected to join in the fancy dress competition. The best dressed stall or stall
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Fire union to ballot on strike action
STRIKE action by North-East firefighters in protest against plans to share a 999 centre looks increasingly likely. Emergency services staff are to ballot members about action over the proposed £5m centre, which they say would endanger lives. The Cleveland
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Shayler to have a ball at Riverside
WHISTLE-blowing former spy David Shayler will be listening for the referee's whistle this weekend. The man who claims the British Security Intelligence Services were behind a plot to assassinate Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi, is realising an ambition
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School pupils tap into web for their hi-tech homework
A GROUP of schools on Teesside is a class apart when it comes to doing its hi-tech homework. The innovative East Middlesbrough Education Action Zone, covering 20 schools, has launched its own global website. Project director Dee Palmer-Jones, said: "The
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This is life on country's most deprived estates
VANDALS forced disabled Gerard Hardman out of St Hilda's, Middlesbrough. It was bad enough when youngsters played on the roof of his bungalow. The last straw came when two cars were dumped and torched outside his front door. The neighbourhood is as littered
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Time for polar bears to die
AN icebreaker arrived at the North Pole this week and found no ice to break. It had all melted. Even the polar bears are getting worried - shouldn't we humans be as well? There are many who do not believe in global warming. They say there are no reliable
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Family of bunnies abandoned in lay-by
HORRIFIED RSPCA officials are caring for a mother rabbit and her young brood after they were abandoned and left to die. The creatures were simply dumped (still in their hutch) by a roadside lay-by near Northallerton. Now the RSPCA is appealing for anyone
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Star Ross raises the roof with Fiddler performance
YOUNG singer and actor Ross Proctor is only just coming down to earth following rave reviews for his first major starring role. He returned home this week to the Newton Hall estate in Durham from Surrey where he played the lead in Fiddler on the Roof,
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Neighbours' fears over extra homes
PROPOSALS to complete a housing development have run foul of existing residents. Developer Randall Orchard has put forward plans for the final stage in the Garden Village scheme in Richmond, a project first approved in 1985. The proposals are for 12 houses
