Archive
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Open line for job vacancies
EMPLOYMENT opportunities are ringing at North-East call centres, with more than 1,000 posts up for grabs at a jobs fair tomorrow. Sunderland's Stadium of Light hosts the city's third Call Centre Jobs Fair, to be attended by all the leading regionally-based
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-Green' activity scheme has 1,000 reasons to celebrate
YOUNGSTERS got to grips with a load of old rubbish at a resource centre celebration. Teesside's Play and Education Resource Centre (Percy), hosted the event to welcome its 1,000th member. As the only facility of its kind in the area, it enlists the help
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Woolly tale of foxes worried by sheep
A BRAZEN flock of sheep put two marauding foxes to flight by uniting in a 36-strong band and charging the would-be raiders right out of their grazing land. The remarkable dawn incident was seen by a resident whose home overlooks farmland in Harrogate,
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Men in black's alien mission
THE Men in Black have celebrated initial victory over an alien species which is threatening to take over the countryside. Stockton Borough Council's River Tees country wardens have been battling against giant hogweed on the river banks for eight years
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Author tommy relives Town's black day when the steelworks closed
LIKE everyone else in Consett, Tommy Moore knows exactly what it meant for the town when they closed the steelworks 20 years ago. In fact, the steelworks has dominated his life so much, that he decided to write a commemoration of the works, to be launched
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Investment scheme set to create community jobs
THE start of a major initiative to get local people from the west end of Newcastle into jobs has been launched. One North East's land reclamation project at Newburn Riverside Industry Park is now underway and incorporates a major employment initiative
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First day at school so special for Katie
BRAVE Katie Meehan cannot wait to skip to school and play with her friends. Because it is a day her mother Dawn thought she might never see. Born with a deformed face, the four-year-old has endured a daily battle to live a normal life, while suffering
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A North-South knickers divide
THERE is a North-South divide in the kind of underwear women wear, according to a new survey. The research, carried out by Woman and Home magazine, claims women in the North-East are more likely to wear "big pants" than their southern counterparts. A
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Holiday pay scandal warning
NORTH-EAST Euro MP Stephen Hughes has called for an investigation into holiday pay entitlement. Mr Hughes said many workers in the region were not receiving the holiday pay prom-ised to them by the EU working time directive. The directive, which came
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Church closures likely in shake-up
METHODISTS in Wear Valley are facing a shake-up which could result in the closure of two churches. Next year, one minister will oversee all the Methodist chapels in Crook and Willington after the departure of Methodist Minister Linda Eccles, who church
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Arriva on track for European rail bids
BUS and train group Arriva's continued expansion into the European transport market has seen its operating profit jump 9.4 per cent to £36.1m in the first half of the year. But the decision by the Sunderland-based company to sell its car leasing business
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Countryside 'lagging in technology race'
RURAL areas in the North-East are in danger of being left behind in the race for new technology, the Country Landowners' Association (CLA) has warned. Antony Haslam, regional director for Northumberland and Durham, said plans by BT to introduce new fast-track
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Schools plan 'zero tolerance' campaign to tackle truancy
A ZERO tolerance campaign is being launched to boost attendance and punctuality among Hartlepool's primary school pupils. Headteachers and education officers aim to clamp down on condoned absence, where children take time off unnecessarily with the consent
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Maths project hailed a success
A SCHEME to improve maths teaching in Stockton has been declared a success by the borough council. In 1997, the local education authority become one of only three in the country to join the national Gatsby Mathematics Enhancement Project Primary (MEPP
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Number of children 'at risk' falling
THE number of "at risk" children in a Teesside authority has fallen, according to social services figures. There were 115 children on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's child protection register during the quarter ending on June 30, compared with
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The Echo says...
IN the great scheme of things, it is difficult to know what's so wrong with a market stall trader in Sunderland selling fruit and veg in pounds and ounces. It is, after all, precisely what his customers want him to do. And we doubt whether there will
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Take the chance for a rare peek at some of our heritage treasures
Architectural and cultural heritage has become an increasingly media-friendly topic. This is the second year that I have been involved with the National Heritage Weekend, on September 16 and 17, on behalf of the Quakers, or Religious Society of Friends
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Work starts to clean up pit village
WORK to improve life in a former East Durham pit village has started. Community leaders in the Deaf Hill ward of Easington District Council have been calling for years for money to breathe new life into the area. Now improvements are being carried out
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What else should be banned in the office?
SMOKING at work has just about had it. New rules being considered this week means it will be almost impossible for people to smoke in offices, shops and factories, or anywhere where it might upset their colleagues. Brilliant. It makes life much sweeter
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Controversial supermarket scheme may be resurrected
SUPERMARKET chain Safeway is believed to have doubled its offer for a controversial piece of land in the centre of Barnard Castle. The group has dismissed rumours it has no intention of developing the land as a store. Today, a special meeting of Teesdale
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Fire brigade staff closer
A FIRE brigade's control room staff are ready to vote for strike action. All but two members of the 25-strong workforce at fire brigade headquarters, Tees-side, have indicated to local Fire Brigades Union (FBU) leaders their willingness to vote to strike
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Communities share ideas on development
PEOPLE are coming together in County Durham to share experiences about developing their communities. The Connecting Communities Festival will take place at Collingwood College, Durham City, on Saturday, September 30, from 10.30am to 4pm. Workshops, entertainment
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Explosives inquiry after raid on farm
A MAN has been charged with an explosives offence after police searched a County Durham farm. Officers from the Cumbria force found theatrical flares and black powder at the farm near Waterhouse, a few miles from Durham City, on Monday. The officers,
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Environment award 'a joke' says councillor
A GREEN award for a council's efforts to improve the environment has been branded a joke by opposition councillors. Sedgefield Borough Council won the gold trophy for the Northern region in the annual Green Apple awards. The award, for which more than
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Six months more as village landfill site wins extension
RESIDENTS in a north Durham village have resigned themselves to a nearby landfill site remaining open for an extra six months. The owners of Hett Hills landfill site, at Grange Villa, near Chester-le-Street, have been granted permission by Durham County
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Boksic class in vain as Boro Ram-raided
CROATIAN crackshot Alen Boksic saw all his good work undone as Derby staged a staggering fightback from 3-0 down at Pride Park last night. Boksic had underlined his claim to be the Premiership bargain of the season with an awesome first-half display.
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Shearer Wills Newcastle to top of Premiership
ALAN Shearer had the nerve and the Will as he grabbed his 200th career League goal and sent Newcastle to the top of the Premiership. The 30-year-old strike ace had been desperate to celebrate the birth of his new son Will with a goal and duly obliged
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Premier reward for Quakers
An amazing goal by Stuart Elliott earned Quakers a second-round Worthington Cup tie against Premier League Bradford City after a night to remember at the City Ground last night. Quakers, who are at home for the first leg of the second round tie following
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Burglar left behind his teeth
A BURGLAR left behind a vital clue after raiding a house - his false teeth. Police who arrived at the scene found the missing choppers and four days later reunited them with owner David Richmond. The 34-year-old bungling burglar was jailed for two years
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Hold that dream
IN case you missed it, here is the good news. A drug has been developed which appears to slow down the process of ageing. But before you cancel your advance order for a Zimmer frame, here is the bad news. So far it has only been tried out on primitive
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Union urges Orange talks
UNION leaders are calling for top level negotiations with mobile phone giant Orange after it sacked more than 40 staff for circulating obscene material on its computer systems. The ITSC union claims that the decision last week to dismiss call centre staff
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marathon effort
RUNNERS representing a Darlington hospice are limbering up for the Great North Run. St Teresa's Hospice fundraiser Julia Whiteley and Angela Bailes, another supporter of the charity, will take part in the event on October 22. They will be among seven
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Markets backed says organiser
RIPON farmers' markets are being backed by traders as well as shoppers, one of the organisers has claimed. Bernard Bateman, chairman of Ripon City Partnership and a North Yorkshire county councillor, was answering criticism that the weekend markets were
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Charity fails to halt fair
A CHRISTIAN charity yesterday lost its legal battle to prevent a "fair of erotica" taking place this weekend. The Christian Institute, in Newcastle, had brought judicial review proceedings in a bid to halt the three-day event, organised by a company called
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New lampposts safety measure
COUNCILS and groups wanting to hang decorations from lampposts in County Durham will have to apply for a permit to ensure their safety. Following a fatal accident in Gateshead five years ago, and other cases around the country where corroded lampposts
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£4,000 euro poll headache for council
AN emergency town council meeting has been called in Knaresborough on Friday to discuss how it will fund a bill for up to £4,000 for a poll on the euro. The meeting has been called by councillors after residents voted at a public meeting last week to
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Fresh hope for jailed arms dealer
CONVICTED arms dealer Peter Bleach was offered fresh hope yesterday when Home Secretary Jack Straw personally intervened on his behalf. Bleach, from North Yorkshire, is serving a life sentence in India after being found guilty of assisting rebels by arranging
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Half-price bus travel proposed for pensioners
COUNCILLORS are preparing to thrash out details of a scheme that will bring half-price bus travel to pensioners across North Yorkshire. Richmondshire district councillors were due to meet last night to consider whether their authority should take part
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Rabbits under fire for havoc on allotments
ACTION is to be taken to stop rabbits causing havoc on a town's allotments. Gardeners using Barnard Castle's Demesnes site have complained regularly to the town council, which owns the allotments, about the problem. At Monday night's council meeting,
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Exchange visitors bring a taste of Thailand
PEOPLE were given a taste of Thailand when Asian exchange visitors brought a touch of spice to Bishop Auckland. The visitors created authentic Thai cuisine for people at the Aucklandgate Centre for adults with learning disabilities yesterday. They have
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Council calls for rethink on ambulance shake-up
ALMOST 6,500 people have objected to plans to close Seaham's ambulance station in a shake-up to improve response times. And Seaham Town Council is urging the County Durham and Darlington Health Authority to reject North-East Ambulance Trust proposals.
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Garden plan to commemorate war bombing
REDCAR'S darkest hour is to be commemorated with a memorial garden almost 50 years after 15 people died when the town was bombed during the Second World War. The Zetland Club, which was opposite the cenotaph in Coatham Road, received a direct hit on October
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Call for action after arson attacks
URGENT action has been demanded to secure empty houses scheduled for demolition, after a fire in a derelict property threatened occupied homes. People living in Eldon Lane, near Bishop Auckland, were evacuated as a fire started by arsonists ripped through
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Chemical storage firm all set for expansion
WORK on a £2.5m expansion scheme at a Teesside chemical site is set to begin within the next few weeks. The construction of 13 huge steel tanks at the Vopak storage terminal at Seal Sands will form part of multi-million pound expansion on the site. The
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Cliff reveals tracks from 175m years ago
WALKING with dinosaurs could come a step closer if a daring cliff rescue comes off. A landfall has exposed rocks embedded with the tracks of creatures of 175 million years ago on Yorkshire's own Jurassic Park. Tomorrow, work will begin to haul the rock
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Drink-drive crackdown catches 146 drivers
A JOINT anti-drink-driving campaign between Durham and Northumbria Police has caught 146 drivers over the limit in its first month. In Northumbria, 129 drivers tested positive, while in Durham 17 motorists failed breath tests in a series of pre-planned
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Appeal goes out for festive funds
DARLINGTON businesses are being urged to back a campaign to persuade more people to choose the town for their Christmas shopping. Members of the Darlington Town Centre Forum have started planning this year's celebrations. They will include Christmas markets
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Villagers make their mark for the millennium
EIGHTEEN months of hard work paid off at the weekend when former football referee George Courtney unveiled a village's millennium project. It took 13 women 2,050 hours to complete the 10ft tapestry of the Tudhoe parish map. But now they can admire their
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Daphne set to go it alone
AFTER ten years of coaching, a County Durham artist has been told she is ready to go it alone. Daphne Weerasinghe, from Middleton-St-George, has been taking lessons from watercolour artist Judith Milne. She developed her interest in art after retiring
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Renewed plea to stop school traffic chaos
PEOPLE who live near a Bishop Auckland primary school are renewing their calls for parents to walk their children to school to stop traffic chaos on their street. People living yards from the school in Lindsay Street have become increasingly frustrated
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Plans to close down church graveyard
A CHURCHYARD in a village on the outskirts of Darlington is facing closure because of the dwindling number of spaces for graves. St Andrew's Parochial Church Council says there are only ten spaces left in the village burial ground. The council says that
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Memorial ride aids leukaemia research
A WOMAN and her five friends set off on a charity bike ride yesterday in memory of her brother, who died from leukaemia. Helen Brown and her friends are hoping to raise more than £1,500 from the four-day trip from the Conservative Club in Coundon to Blackpool
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Big names go in FTSE shake-up
SOME of the country's most famous companies tumbled out of the exclusive FTSE-100 when the index receives its quarterly shake-up. The list of demoted companies is headed by engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce and brewing group Scottish & Newcastle. Other
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Contract win for Wiltshire
A MIDDLESBROUGH-based delivery service has won a two-year contract to supply frozen ready meals to clients of Redcar and Cleveland social services. Wiltshire Farm Foods has successfully added the borough to its existing Hartlepool and Darlington contracts
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Hills hoping out-of-tune Music is back on song
DISTANT MUSIC, one-time favourite to win the 2000 Guineas, attempts to restore his crumbling reputation in the White Rose Stakes on day two of the St Leger meeting at Doncaster today. Throughout the winter money poured on the Dewhurst winner in expectation
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Test case will rule on right to sell in pounds
THOUSANDS of traders across the region could be affected by a landmark decision to prosecute a North-East greengrocer for refusing to sell goods in metric measures. Steven Thoburn is being taken to court by Sunderland City Council because he sells his
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Big day for a brave little boy
THE four-year-old boy picks up his pencil and, concentrating hard, carefully draws a circle. He sits back and looks at his new teacher for approval, his little face beaming with delight at his handiwork. This is Lyndon Longhorne's first day at Crook Primary
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Poster of film star 'an insult to God'
SCREEN siren Jennifer Lopez's heavenly body was branded an insult to God yesterday. Billboard posters have appeared all over the country showing the star in a revealing body stocking. The pictures promoting The Cell, a thriller released on September 15
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Letters
FRENCH FISHERMEN ARE we supposed to cheer because the French fishermen have called off their strike, or is it one more proof that the French respect no one but themselves? Why does their government do nothing to stop them when our Government does everything
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Handing down some real advice
AS Alf Garnett's son-in-law, Tony Booth often had to puncture the extreme right-wing views of his ranting father-in-law. Who could have imagined that he would one day play much the same role when his real son-in-law was installed in Downing Street as
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Town gets clean bill of health in street survey
THE streets of Hartlepool are the cleanest they have ever been thanks to wheelie bins and teams of cleaners. Tests devised by the Tidy Britain Group are carried out on a random sample of streets throughout the town every six weeks. Since last year, the
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Flats plan refusal delights families
A TEESSIDE council has turned down an application to turn a shop and a house into flats. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council received 200 letters of objection from residents near the premises at Borough Road, Redcar. After visiting the site, members
