Archive
-
Date
Eileen seeks £1 a head for hospice
A DARLINGTON woman is preparing to take part in the Great North Run for the 13th time to raise money for a local hospice. Eileen Leonard, 51, from Haughton, is aiming to gather £1 sponsorship from the entire population of Darlington to raise money to
-
Date
On The Ice
WE did a good job last week, when we beat Belfast and should have won in Cardiff, too. I'm really happy about the guys and I had a pretty good scrap on Saturday night with Paul Ferone, of the Belfast Giants. Tonight's a crucial match for us against Fife
-
Date
Towns plan bid to bring
MUSEUM chiefs in the region are hoping to bring part of the North-East's history home. A document which sheds light on the site of the Stockton and Darlington Railway before it became a rail line is going up for auction next week. The vellum manuscript
-
Date
Blurring the vision with online TV
THE launch of a new BBC drama this week takes the relationship between the Internet and television to a new level. If Big Brother was the first programme to give the net a profile boost with its interactive website, votes and e-mail newsletter, then Attachments
-
Date
Second Britain in Bloom win for city
A North-East city was celebrating success in the country's top gardening competition for a second time last night. Sunderland won the large city title in the Britain in Bloom national finals, announced in Durham Cathedral. Judges who viewed Sunderland's
-
Date
Susan Rolph has my sympathy
NEARLY 30 years ago, I was the Northumberland and Durham county champion in my age group for the 400m individual swimming medley, and so I can fully understand the disappointment that Susan Rolph expressed in The Northern Echo yesterday. She has just
-
Date
On-the-cheap meal in perfect taste
EXTREME altitude mountain-eer Alan Hinkes knows how to make a morsel of food go a long way, so he was the perfect man to judge a regional catering competition that saw each menu budget restricted to just 60p. Mr Hinkes, who famously hurt his back when
-
Date
Award honours man who saved driver's life
THE bravery of a good Samaritan has been recognised, more than three years after he dragged a badly injured motorist from a blazing car. Fred Webster was nominated by Cleveland Police for the Italian Giancario Tofi awards for his actions following an
-
Date
Airman keeps island working
A NORTH-EAST airman is ensuring that vital emergency vehicles are kept in perfect working order in the Falkland Islands. Corporal Paul Dean, from Darlington, is based at Mount Pleasant Airport, as part of the ongoing work of the British armed forces to
-
Date
Car crash teenagers in holiday sale offer
TWO teenagers' loss could be someone else's gain after they were forced to cancel a sunshine break. Gemma McCaskill and Simone Gaddas were due to fly out on holiday to Tenerife this Sunday. But the pair, who both live in Darlington, were involved in a
-
Date
Forgeries warning as city's kids pay £2.50 for £10 notes
CHILDREN are buying forged £10 notes circulating in Durham City for £2.50, a local businessman has claimed. City police have warned youngsters passing on the notes, knowing they are fake, that they could fall foul of the law. Officers are aware that counterfeit
-
Date
Youth organisation leader is suspended
THE leader of a youth organisation has been suspended while claims that a sex offender was living with him are investigated. Chris Jones runs Herrington Burn YMCA in Sunderland where hundreds of youngsters take part in a wide variety of activities. The
-
Date
Decision on hall plan
A listed building on Norton Green could be converted into three blocks of flats. Wimpey Homes has requested planning permission to turn the former hotel, Norton Hall, into a complex containing 20 flats. Despite concerns from some residents about increased
-
Date
Talks on future of universities
THE future of universities in the 21st Century will be discussed by some of the world's leading experts in a conference in the North-East today. The International Symposium on the Future of Universities, at the International Centre for Life in Newcastle
-
Date
Electronic eye joins the war on car thieves
INFRA-RED cameras are to be used to catch travelling gangs of car thieves across the North-East. Equipment, which can instantly recognise the number plates of stolen or target vehicles, will soon be watching key roads in the region. If a suspect car is
-
Date
boxer martin takes young sportswinner of month award
A 16-YEAR-OLD boxer has been named as September's Darlington Young Sportswinner. Martin Stead, a member of Darlington Amateur Boxing Club, has twice been British School Champion. This year, he was selected for the England youth squad, and was chosen to
-
Date
Robbery attempt allegation is denied
AN unemployed man told a court yesterday that he had nothing to do with the attempted robbery of an elderly woman who later died. Jason Scott Jones told the jury at Teesside Crown Court he had been at the Co-op store in Spennymoor town centre, County
-
Date
Appeal against harrassment conviction
A MAN appeared before Teesside Crown Court yesterday to appeal against a conviction for harassment of his former girlfriend. John Hill was convicted by magistrates on Teesside in July of harassment of Angela Purdy. Nick Robson, prosecuting, told the court
-
Date
North-East Olympic hero arrives home
Olympic triple jump gold medallist Jonathan Edwards returned to a hero's welcome today. The 34-year-old athlete flew back to the region and was then bestowed the freedom of his home borough of Gateshead. Edwards told a press conference that he had yet
-
Date
Blair misses out as Trimdon's on for Lon
SATURDAY evening at Trimdon Labour Club, social centre of Blair's Britain, and the opinion polls unequivocally underwhelming. The first editions told of a party in unaccustomed second place, a leader perceived to be arrogant and out of touch, a fractious
-
Date
Bike shop set alight in raid
A PAIR of leather-clad raiders were on the run last night after a raid on a motorcycle shop. A lone female assistant was attacked when the two men burst into S and S Motorcycles, at Gilling West, near Richmond, in North Yorkshire. The raiders then set
-
Date
Overdose of drug led man to rape
A DRUG overdose taken by a Parkinson's disease sufferer to control his illness led him to rape a woman, a court was told yesterday. Former Army sergeant Paul Parker swallowed excessive amounts of bromocriptine to help ease his debilitating condition.
-
Date
Concern grows for missing teenagers
POLICE are growing increasingly concerned for the safety of two runaway teenagers, thought to be on the streets of County Durham. In two separate incidents, a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy have disappeared from their homes and are being sought
-
Date
Angry father's £500 reward after son's motorbike is stolen
AN ANGRY father has put up a £500 reward to find the thief who stole his nine-year-old son's motorbike. Mike Crawford, who owns the ARC garage, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, discovered the theft when he opened up on Tuesday morning. The Yamaha RT
-
Date
Doctor Expresses her anger over newspaper
A BISHOP Auckland doctor claimed yesterday that the state of her local hospital was a "disgrace", with porters running round with buckets to catch the water. But Heather Smith told the party how after years of "empty promises" under the Tories, the new
-
Date
Towns plan bid to bring slice of railway history home
MUSEUM chiefs in the region are hoping to bring part of the North-East's history home. A document which sheds light on the site of the Stockton and Darlington Railway before it became a rail line is going up for auction next week. The vellum manuscript
-
Date
"My friend who shouldn't have died"
STERN-faced, lips pursed, voice choked, Health Secretary Alan Milburn had a grim tale to tell. The National Health Service, his National Health Service, had let a patient down - not just any patient, but his friend - and he knew in the most painful way
-
Date
Nature reserve grazing protest
Spennymoor Town Council has been accused of "environmental vandalism" for allowing horses to graze on the town's nature reserve. Complaints have been received by the council and Groundwork East Durham by people who feel the horses have destroyed part
-
Date
Proud day for community
LOCAL people will show off their work as part of two projects on the theme of pride at a special exhibition. Earlier this year, Middlesbrough Borough Council's Arts Development Team arranged for a group of youngsters to work with theatre group Jack Drum
-
Date
County's tribute to Anne Frank
DURHAM County Council is to lead the region's local authorities in signing a declaration in memory of Anne Frank. A major exhibition about the Jewish girl, who spent most of the Second World War hiding from Nazi persecutors, will be staged at Durham Cathedral
-
Date
Talent we can't allow to flounder
RICHMOND may have spawned a precocious talent in Olympic star Nicola Jackson. But her coach is among those of the opinion that Britain's swimmers are held back by a raft of issues which need addressing if the nation is to stand a chance of bringing home
-
Date
Ex-soccer star denies role in drugs conspiracy
FORMER Scottish international footballer Frank McAvennie denied any involvement with a £110,000 drugs conspiracy yesterday. Ex-Celtic and West Ham striker Frank McAvennie told a jury at Newcastle Crown Court, where he is on trial in a case involving an
-
Date
Community association agrees police station deal
A COMMUNITY association has agreed to buy the last police station operating in Weardale. Under the deal, the police would lease back a fifth of the Victorian building in Stanhope. It is believed Durham Police Authority put a low valuation on the building
-
Date
Burma warned on activist's beating
FOREIGN Office Minister Baroness Scotland yesterday summoned the Burmese Ambassador to express the Government's ''fury" over the prison beating of human rights activist James Mawdsley. Mr Mawdsley, 27, whose mother, Diana, lives in Durham City, was attacked
-
Date
Kick-boxing may bankrupt its organiser
THE North-East organiser of a world kick-boxing championship says he is prepared to bankrupt himself to save the showcase event. Father-of-two Goff Bates has pledged to plunder his life savings to rescue next month's tournament that has been threatened
-
Date
Showdown time for leek challengers
THE battle of the leek trenches comes to a head at the weekend when growers from Darlington compete in the Champion of Champions show. The lateness of this year's show should test the growing skills of hundreds of competitors from the working men's clubs
-
Date
Nominations sought for Lifetime Achievement award
TWO high-profile businessmen will be in Teesside next month to address a prestigious business event. CBI director general Digby Jones will be the principal speaker at The Business Show, an event being backed by The Northern Echo. While he made his name
-
Date
Zero tolerance campaign to get children into school
A ZERO-Tolerance campaign has been launched in Hartlepool to cut down on the more than 1,000 pupils who miss school each day. The campaign, which is particularly aimed at primary schools, involves clamping down on condoned absence, where children take
-
Date
Fury over Blunkett backing closures
CAMPAIGNERS slammed Education Secretary David Blunkett last night for pledging his support to plans for the demolition of three schools. Middlesbrough Borough Council is eager to be one of only ten local authorities in the UK to be allowed to build a
-
Date
School joy
A MULTI-PURPOSE hall, costing £388,000 was officially unveiled at a North-East school yesterday. Linthorpe Junior School, at Roman Road, Middlesbrough, was the proud recipient of the brand new hall, which will be used for arts productions, assemblies,
-
Date
angry father's £500 reward after son's motorbike is stolen
AN ANGRY father has put up a £500 reward to find the thief who stole his nine-year-old son's motorbike. Mike Crawford, who owns the ARC garage, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, discovered the theft when he opened up on Tuesday morning. The Yamaha RT
-
Date
£21m bid made to improve transport
THE Government is being asked to stump up more than £21m to help improve transport across North Yorkshire. The county council is pleading for the cash to pay for a wide package of work and a detailed bid was submitted to Whitehall yesterday. The money
-
Date
Tributes to old soldier and legal expert
TRIBUTES have been paid to one of the region's former soldiers and top legal minds. Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Cohen, of Stockton, Teesside, died on Tuesday, aged 92. Lt Col Cohen, who was born on January 13, 1908, and educated in the town and at Chilton
-
Date
Hammer Cole is surprise England call-up
West Ham's teenage sensation Joe Cole was the surprise inclusion in the England squad named for the World Cup qualifiers against Germany and Finland. The talented midfielder's call was based on his stellar early season form. And he is joined by former
-
Date
Laser pen danger revealed at school
UNION chiefs fear a new generation of children could be bringing potentially-dangerous laser pens into schools. It comes after a teacher was injured by a small, hand-held laser pointer in the classroom. The Darlington teacher, who has not been named but
-
Date
Pupils open gateway on millennium
SCHOOLCHILDREN have created a gateway to the new millennium with the help of enterprising trainees. Pupils at Yarm County Primary School teamed up with trainees from the Teesside Training Enterprise to design new gates portraying themselves at play. Aimed
-
Date
Parents to play key role in fun day
A COUNTY Durham museum is to hold a family learning day as part of a national scheme to recognise the role of parents in their child's education. Beamish Museum, near Chester-le-Street, has set up a range of free activities to coincide with the project
-
Date
Regions to get £150m boost
Trade and Industry secretary Stephen Byers has today revealed plans to boost regional economies. He said £150M would be available to aid regional development in a plan aimed at improving the productivity of small and medium-sized businesses. And every
-
Date
Council leader stepping down
ONE of the most prominent figures in North-East local government is to retire next year. Don Robson, 66, leader of Labour-run Durham County Council, will stand down at the next elections in May. He said: "Local government has reached the end of an era
-
Date
Head's tribute to -model pupil' Lisa after tragedy
A HEADteacher paid tribute last night to a "talented and popular" pupil who died on Monday after an incident at her home. Anthony Hobbs, the headteacher at Bydales School, in Marske, east Cleveland, said the whole school community was struggling to come
-
Date
Flats scheme for former offices
A VICTORIAN building in Darlington is to be converted in 31 executive flats. Darlington Building Society has submitted a planning application to convert its former premises in Stanhope Road into private accommodation. The society has hailed the development
-
Date
Transport system of the future unveiled
THE VISION of the future of public transport in the North-East will be unveiled today. Members of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority will be presented for the first time with a virtual reality vision of proposals for a tram-based public transport
-
Date
Drowning investigation gets "disappointing" response
THE officer leading a 20-strong team of detectives investigating the drowning of five-year-old Tony Faulkner has today expressed his disappointment at the public's response to appeals for help. The little boy fell into the sea from Seaham's North Pier
-
Date
Blow for abbey survival fighters
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to protect a historic Richmond ruin from the threat of fast-flowing water from the River Swale say they have been warned not to rely on cash from the Environment Agency. The Easby Riverside Restoration Project was formed earlier this
-
Date
Milburn steps up the war on waiting lists
HEALTH secretary Alan Milburn yesterday vowed to win the war on waiting lists - for the sake of his friend Ian Weir and thousands like him. In an emotional speech at the Labour Party conference in Brighton, Mr Milburn announced more detailed plans to
-
Date
Police seek witnesses following road accident
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an accident which left a woman with a fractured breast bone. The 52-year-old woman was driving her Rover 414 in Cockhouse Lane, Ushaw Moor, Durham City, when the car was in colllision with a Vauxhall Corsa, at 8am
-
Date
It's no sweat for Mr Sure, Tony Blair's double
TONY Blair was not on hand yesterday to watch Alan Milburn's conference speech. He didn't need to be. The Health Secretary and Darlington MP has modelled himself so closely on Mr Blair that it might as well have been the Prime Minister giving the speech
-
Date
Couple's row led to assault
A WARRING couple were carted off in a police van after officers watched their 1am flare-up, a court was told yesterday. The police saw Pauline Rutter, 28, punch Leslie Hatton, 32, in the face. Attempts to calm her down failed and she was arrested for
-
Date
Monsters spike dog on a fence
THE bloodsoaked body of a little dog was discovered impaled on church railings minutes before children passed by on their way to two primary schools. A shocked headteacher lifted off the corpse, while other staff from St Joseph's RC, in Coundon, County
-
Date
Comment from The Northern Echo: A chance to make a change
ALAN Milburn said it: "There was no one quite like Ian Weir. But there are far too many people waiting just like Ian Weir." The campaign in this newspaper, inspired by the Ian Weir tragedy, has been well documented. Ian was our friend and our colleague
-
Date
Shearer warning for City
Manchester City will be put on red alert on Saturday as Newcastle striker Alan Shearer vows to end his barren run. Shearer completed nine games without a goal from open play in the 1-1 Worthington Cup draw at Orient. Joe Royle's side will need no reminding
-
Date
Pupils get chance to turn school credits into goods
Pupils at a North-East school are to be the first in the country to carry a smart card which will be used to credit them with points for good behaviour. The points can be exchanged for goods, including their favourite music compact discs. The scheme will
-
Date
Dale's fragile economy hit by double jobs threat blow
THE fragile economy of Weardale has been hit by a double whammy with one of its major employers announcing redundancies, and another expected to follow suit next week. William Cook George Blair, of Stanhope, which employs 300 people supplying components
-
Date
School protest could go to Downing Street
ANGRY campaigners fighting plans to close three schools are threatening to take their campaign to Downing Street. Middlesbrough Borough Council wants to close St Anthony's RC School, Middlesbrough, along with the neighbouring secondary schools of Langbaurgh
-
Date
Bus crews suspend strike as talks open
A PLANNED strike tomorrow by hundreds of bus drivers has been suspended while they vote on new offers. About 600 drivers with Go Gateshead and Go Northern - part of North-East transport giant Go Ahead - were due to begin a series of one-day stoppages
-
Date
Networking event is a success
A UNIQUE networking event organised for businesswomen from the Tees Valley area was hailed a success by all who attended. Organised by Barclays Bank Tees Valley Small Business team, the event was held in Enron's Phoenix Conference Centre at Wilton International
-
Date
University Challans . . .
PUBS and students go hand in hand but the difference for mature student Wendy Challans is remembering which side of the bar she should be on. For the 29-year-old is not only a part-time student at the University of Teesside, she also manages the Black
