Archive
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It's no joke for Jesters
IT has been a rough week for the Newcastle Jesters' boys. We started the Benson and Hedges tournament with two losses against Sheffield and Nottingham. We played pretty well in both games but we still came up short. I think we worked really hard but we
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Hague to fight for BT depot
TORY leader William Hague has backed a campaign to save a threatened depot. The Richmond MP is to write to BT over the future of its Northallerton depot, following fears that it could close as a result of a review of the company's operations. Mr Hague
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Fears on Metro if stadium is extended
POLICE and safety officials fear a planned new Metro station near Sunderland AFC's Stadium of Light may be too small to cater for match-day football crowds. The extension of the Tyne & Wear Metro network to Sunderland will see stations added either
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Noteworthy views about music centre
RESIDENTS are being asked for their views about music in their borough as part of preparations to build a music centre in Gateshead. There will be five different free Music Matters forums, covering different subjects at libraries across Gateshead and
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Arson is suspected in city office blaze
A FIRE in a city office block, which caused chaos on Tuesday morning, is being treated as suspicious. A police spokesman said investigators had sent material found at the scene of the fire in Newcastle to forensic experts for examination. Hundreds of
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Knowing the power of the Press
I CAN'T pretend to know much about American politics but I have been taking an interest in the personalities involved. In Al Gore I see a man who has been groomed to be president. He may not have the charisma of Bill Clinton but he looks like a man of
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Plea to help asylum seekers
PEOPLE have been urged by the Church to realise the benefits of welcoming asylum seekers on to their estates. The Reverend Paul Walker of St Mary's Church, in Stockton, has asked residents to consider the economic and housing benefits provided by the
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Artful existence for Angela
AN artistic endeavour has led to success for a woman struck down by health problems. Angela Kruger, 54, thought her future was fixed after spending years working with figures as an accountant. Then in 1989, her life was turned upside down when doctors
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School praised for improvement prepares to fight closure plan
A SCHOOL praised by Government inspectors for turning itself around is fighting back against plans for its closure. Chief Inspector of Schools Chris Woodhead was so impressed with Langbaurgh School's improvement he invited headteacher Ron Newitt to address
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Hopes for learning scheme
A COMMUNITY labelled one of the most deprived in the UK, could be in line for extra cash. Middlesbrough Borough Council has put in a bid to run a Sure Start early learning and parent skill teaching programme in the town's Thorntree area. The council estate
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Stadium protestors threaten High Court action
PEOPLE campaigning against the building of a football stadium have vowed to take their case to the High Court after councillors refused to give the scheme the red card. Members of Darlington Borough Council's planning applications committee yesterday
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Flats scheme for town centre yard gets approval
PLANNING permission has been granted for flats in the centre of Darlington. Howard Developments has received the go-ahead to build 11 one-bedroom flats at Clark's Yard. The site, between High Row and Skinnergate, is used as a car park. But as part of
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Firefighters stand by for new uniforms
WORK is under way to give Cleveland firefighters a new corporate image. Four North-East fire brigades agreed earlier this year to adopt the same uniform to present a corporate identity for the service. Tomorrow Cleveland Fire Authority is likely to give
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Motorists to be hit by petrol price rises
Motorists are today facing yet another hike in the cost of petrol because of an increase in the cost of oil. The rise was immediately condemned by motoring organisations, while the Dump the Pump protest group warned of a £5 gallon soon. Petrol has already
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The Cyber Space
A LOT of people find the Internet an invaluable resource tool when it comes to getting information about health matters. Everything from the latest scientific research projects to support groups and organisations can be found online. The only drawback
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Healthy eating initiative will target killers
A PLAN to improve the health of the people of Stockton by changing their diet is to be introduced by the local authority. The council's health select committee is likely to approve a draft food plan for Stockton at a meeting next week. The aim is to encourage
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Store provides a haven of learning at nursery
A SUPERMARKET has boosted environmental learning at a nursery school by transforming part of its land. Staff at the Asda store in Bishop Auckland arranged for the land at Wolsingham Nursery to be landscaped with a patio and pathway, and for a wooden play
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Dog training club to have its day
A SMALL County Durham dog training club will be mixing with the big boys at Crufts next year. Barnard Castle dog training club has qualified for the national finals of the flyball championships. The game involves a relay team of four dogs leaping over
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North-East jobs spared in latest textile firm cuts
THE troubled textile industry received yet another body blow yesterday with the decision by Coats Viyella to pull out of the contract clothing sector. The firm is cutting 1,900 jobs nationwide to focus on the global thread business, with the group's two
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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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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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ugly sisters splash out at start of season
THE ugly sisters stepped out yesterday to launch a season of entertainment that will bring a host of personalities to the region. The pair will appear alongside Ray Meagher, Alf in Home and Away, and comic Stu Francis in Cinderella, in this year's Darlington
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Syringe stabbing prompts ranger safety warning
A COUNTRYSIDE ranger has undergone medical tests after accidentally stabbing himself with a used syringe discarded on a County Durham nature trail. The syringe was hidden inside an old sock lying among rubbish on the Auckland Walk, between Spennymoor
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Bungalow reprieve, but fight is not over
Villagers have won a surprise reprieve from a plan to pull down a bungalow in their tiny community which sparked almost 100 protests - but their fight to halt development might not be over yet Anger erupted at Skelton on Ure, near Boroughbridge, when
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Lake and wood plan lodged by millionaire
PLANS to create a lake and wood have been submitted to a North-East council. Millionaire former mining magnate Bob Young, of Iveston, near Consett, County Durham, has applied to Derwentside District Council for permission to build a "fairly large lake
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Village homes plan approved
COUNCILLORS yesterday rejected the views of residents to approve a housing development in a rapidly expanding village. People living in Middleton St George, near Darlington, have complained about how extra housing is affecting the character of the village
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Young sports stars honoured at reception
SOME of the region's brightest sporting stars have been honoured at a civic reception. Four Hartlepool teams who represented the area in the Millennium Youth Games in Southampton, were guests of honour at a reception hosted by the mayor, Councillor Frank
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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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Craft goods on sale at millennium fair
CRAFTSMEN and women from all over the North-East will be selling hand-made wares in a north County Durham village this month. Great Lumley Community Centre, near Chester-le-Street, will hold a craft fair with 35 stalls on Sunday, September 17. The fair
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Books will tell history of area
THE search is on for words and pictures about life in Redcar for a series of books due to be published next year. Publishers Penhaligon Page are asking people from the Redcar area to send opinions, myths, poems, anecdotes, factual accounts and photographs
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Assault on man after drinking binge
A MAN and a teenage girl were yesterday placed on probation for an attack on another man after they had been drinking. Lyndsey Green and Martin Strickland turned violent towards Adam Brocklehurst in October last year in Middlesbrough. Yesterday, Green
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More Rhythm 'n' Brews for North East town
A MUSIC and beer event has been extended from its usual weekend of festivities to a whole week. The annual Orange Darlington Festival's Rhythm 'n' Brews event is celebrating its 21st birthday with an extended programme at the town's Arts Centre. There
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Residents urged to help restore town's old park
RESIDENTS are being invited to have their say on the future of one of Hartlepool's oldest parks. Hartlepool Borough Council is urging residents to attend a meeting on Tuesday, September 12, in the hope that a group can be established to work with the
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Basket-maker weaves magic for show
UNLIKELY artworks made from plywood and aluminium are featured in a Teesside gallery's latest exhibition. The Cleveland Crafts Centre, in Gilkes Road, Middlesbrough, is the venue for a solo display entitled Passages, Forms and Baskets. As the brainchild
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national Pool champion is on cue to challenge pub contender
A NATIONALLY-acclaimed pool player joined a pub competition winner for a game. Lee "The Fox" Kendall, who is the England pool team captain and the UK's number two player, visited the Smiths Arms, Billingham, for a frame or two against one lucky player
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Bus pass delay angers parents
ANGRY parents say they have had to wait until the last minute to pick up school bus passes for their children. Parents were forced to go to Darlington Town Hall on Monday afternoon, the day before the start of the new school term, because they had not
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Appeal after concrete block is thrown at bus
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a concrete block was thrown at a moving bus in Darlington. The Stagecoach bus was travelling under the North Road railway bridge at 4.20pm on Tuesday, when the block was thrown at the front window. The window cracked
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Police hunt for driver
POLICE are searching for the driver of a dark blue Volvo who fled from a hit-and-run accident. The crash happened at 8.55pm on Tuesday, at the junction of Middlesbrough's Linthorpe Road and Barnabus Road, and involved a white Ford Orion and the Volvo.
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Bus users to have their say
BUS passengers are to have their say at a surgery in Hartlepool on Saturday. The National Federation of Bus Users (NFBU), in conjunction with Stagecoach Hartlepool and Arriva North-east, will provide the bus users' surgery, on a Stagecoach bus parked
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Call for better disabled access
A COUNCILLOR has called for better access for the disabled at Sedgefield borough's leisure centres. Councillor Tony Moore has asked Sedgefield Borough Council to prepare a feasibility report to see if facilities can be improved. He wants to see a system
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Museum goes on parade
THE new-look museum dedicated to the Durham Light Infantry will be officially opened tomorrow. Lord Dormand of Easington, former MP for Easington, will unveil a plaque at the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery, in the Aykley Heads area of the city. The
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Rape trial jury verdict is near
THE jury in the case of a teenage soldier accused of raping a schoolgirl is expected to retire to consider its verdict today. James McGratton, 19, of Marne Barracks, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, has denied raping the girl in June last year. The
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Police reveal increase in car crime
THEFTS from cars are on the increase in Hartlepool, with property being sold on at car boot sales, according to senior police officers. At a consultation meeting in the town, District Commander John Burke revealed that car crime was rising in the area
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german art group gets into top gear for visit to region
FIVE German motorcyclists left Stockton yesterday as part of an unusual artistic event. The group, called MCo.T , has been involved in a number of international multi-art events, including films and photography. The motorcyclists headed to Helmsley, North
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Drugs -found in microwave'
A MAN accused of storing cannabis on parkland near his girlfriend's home told police officers he had never taken any sort of drugs. Christopher Taylor was arrested when police raided the house where he was staying in Riverside Way, Darlington, in April
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Children to benefit
HUNDREDS more children in Hartlepool could benefit from a scheme designed to give them the best start in life. The town has been invited by the Government to prepare a second Sure Start programme for its northern area. The programme, which is already
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Victims of crash to rest together
THE ashes of car crash victims Susan Briggs and Angela Ovington will be laid to rest together. The families of both women have agreed the best friends should be together in death and will carry out a service to bury their daughters' ashes. NHS worker
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Group launches into cyberspace
A GROUP which provides help and support to carers in the North-East has just gone online, thanks to The Northern Echo's CommuniGate scheme. Under the scheme, non-profit making groups can promote themselves for free on the Internet, through The Northern
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Hellawell praises action
DRUGS Tsar Keith Hellawell last night praised efforts in County Durham to reduce drug-related crime. He said that early signs showed the county was achieving results above and beyond national expectations. Mr Hellawell's comments came on the day that
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-Threats' were made to police officer
A young woman has been found guilty of threatening to burn down a police officer's home after breaking a window at the station where he worked. Newcastle Crown Court heard that Susan Kelly, 21, threatened to find out where the arresting officer lived,
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Best kept town and villages reap rewards
RESIDENTS of four Richmondshire communities are celebrating after taking the honours in a council competition. Bolton-on-Swale, Bellerby, Bainbridge and Richmond emerged as winners in the authority's Best Kept Village and Town contest for 2000. The winners
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Trainee jockey back in court
A 23-year-old trainee jockey was further remanded in custody yesterday on a charge of murdering father-of-two Gary Walton, whose body was found in the garden of a pub in July. Christopher McGrath, of Brancepeth Manor Farm, Brancepeth, Durham City, is
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Villagers join forces to fight plan for mine
RESIDENTS in villages across the north of County Durham are joining forces to block plans for a large open-cast mine that could see 240 heavy trucks rumbling through quiet streets every day. Villagers in West Rainton, who are currently battling plans
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Community partnership project starts
A COMMUNITY partnership scheme is to be launched in Dormanstown next week. The Dormanstown Ward Community will pull together residents, community groups, businesses and public bodies. Already, the police, schools, churches, community groups and businesses
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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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-Favourite' will not take up Mo's seat
A FAVOURITE to take over from Redcar MP Mo Mowlam said last night he is happy where he is. Councillor Dave Walsh, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said he hoped a local candidate would get the job, but it would not be him. He said: "There
