AN electricity meter reading must be a shocking experience at Ray Robson's home. The 69-year-old is making a determined effort to win The Northern Echo's Ho Ho Homes competition this year, even if it means big energy bills. Mr Robson, of Thorntree Gardens
A TEESSIDE council is urging the Government to give immediate cash aid as it tries to cope with the bill for damage caused by flooding. Redcar and Cleveland borough has been one of the worst hit areas in the North-East, and the bill this year is estimated
A TOY gun, modelled on an AK47 and capable of firing plastic bullets with enough force to pierce aluminium cans, has been banned from sale. Articles Ltd, of Whitby, imported the three-quarter-scale replicas, sold as the Navy Seal. Now the power of the
AN experienced headteacher was unfairly ousted from a cathedral choir school after a wave of "lynch mob" parental pressure riddled with sexism, an employment tribunal heard yesterday. Governors of Ripon Cathedral Choir School, in North Yorkshire, dismissed
A TEESSIDE schoolteacher has provided a Christmas show for youngsters in the area. Every year, Mike Lockey, head of music at Langbaurgh School, in Middlesbrough, holds a free show for pupils at the school, and invites children from primary schools nearby
A CORONER is to consider reopening the inquest of a North-East serviceman who died in secret military experiments 47 years ago. Wiltshire Police have prepared a file into the death of County Durham airman Ronald Maddison, who died aged 20 at the Ministry
A MAN indecently assaulted a 12-year-old girl as she slept while her mother sat waiting for him downstairs. Raymond Mickle, 23, assaulted the youngster at her Chester-le-Street home on February 4. He had been playing a board game with her mother while
A streamlined information system has been put in place at one of the region's police forces to offer a better service to the public. Thanks to a new system for gaining information from callers reporting incidents to Cleveland Police, staff at the communications
ANGRY Sunderland manager Peter Reid gave his players a tongue-lashing after their 2-1 Worthington Cup exit at the hands of First Division Crystal Palace last night. Reid admitted: "The best team on the night won without a doubt - we weren't at the races
AN INVESTIGATION was under way yesterday after three horses were killed when a lorry crashed into them on a busy dual carriageway. A fourth horse was injured in the incident, but it was saved and was recovering at an animal sanctuary last night. The carnage
Uninvited guests could bring sickness over Christmas. Falling temperatures will make the warmth of homes and ready access to food irresistible to mice, warns Middlesbrough Borough Council. Terry Neasham, council pest control manager, said: "At this time
Former Darlington striker Lee Nogan returned to haunt his old club and helped to put them out of the FA Cup with a second half goal at Luton's Kenilworth Road last night. Nogan was released by Quakers in October and struck as his old side were showing
A YOUTH centre in Redcar has bowed to public pressure and will be open one night a week from the New Year. The OK4 Young People centre, which recently moved into new premises in Coatham Memorial Hall, has been open since 1992. For the first time it will
A PART-TIME shop assistant lost her good name after she was caught pilfering from the store where she worked. Durham Crown Court was told suspicions were aroused after empty boxes were found around the Boots branch in Bishop Auckland. A trap was set and
FOOTBALLING friends of tragic former Newcastle United striker Gary Walton are teaming up for a remembrance game next week. The player's friends from Coundon, County Durham, are still stunned by his violent death outside a village pub in July. Wednesday's
COUNCIL officials have pledged to do all they can to keep County Durham on the move when winter kicks in. Durham County Council has earmarked £2.1m for salting and gritting icy roads and footpaths over the next few months. But it says it cannot treat
FUEL tax campaigner Andrew Spence is to take a back seat in the protest, just a month after leading a convoy from the North-East to London. The 33-year-old farm worker from Consett, County Durham, became the public face of the grassroots movement after
Christmas means new homes for a group of eight people with physical and mental handicaps. A foundation stone will be laid today, marking the completion of two semi-detached bungalows at Coulby Newham, near Middlesbrough. The project is the result of a
MORTGAGE lending by Britain's banks surged last month, according to the latest figures. The British Bankers' Association (BBA) said net lending for mortgages rose by more than £2.01bn during November, against £1.67bn in the previous month. The increase
COUNCIL officials have pledged to do all they can to keep County Durham on the move during winter. Durham County Council has set aside £2.1m for salting and gritting roads and footpaths over the next few months. But it says it cannot treat every road
UNCARING pet owners dumped three kittens on the proposed site of a regional RSPCA centre - before a single brick has been laid. The animal charity, which hopes to build a £3m facility to house hundreds of the region's abandoned animals, said one of its
THE Government has promised a review of health service procedures after a retired consultant was convicted of indecent assault. The former Harrogate psychiatric consultant faced a number of allegations of rape and indecent assault by former patients,
A MAN who was left critically ill in hospital after his car hit a tree on the outskirts of Darlington has died. Stephen John Lobley, 59, of Darras Hall, Ponteland, Northumberland, lost control of his Volvo company car on the C37 road at Bishopton, last
A SUPER student has scooped a clutch of awards, despite having to juggle his studies with a family. Stephen Robinson, 28, graduated in style when he received his Higher National Diploma and two top prizes at the University of Teesside's awards ceremony
A Christmas draw run by St Cuthbert's Hospice, in Merryoaks, Durham City, has raised more than £9,000 towards the organisation's work. The winning tickets were drawn by hospice chairman Keith Williams. The winner of the top prize received £2,001. Twenty
TOBACCO workers have met with council chiefs in a bid to heighten concern over the threat of job cuts in the industry. Union representatives from Rothman's Darlington plant met Barry Keel, chief executive of Darlington Borough Council, to hammer home
TV agony aunt Denise Robertson hit the right note with youngsters plugging their charity Christmas compact disc on Wearside. Children from Washington's Rickleton Primary School, and Fence Houses YMCA, have released Year of Friendship, with profits going
POPPY Appeal organisers in Durham are delighted that this year's collection total is up £2,500 on last year. In the city centre alone, £10,500 was raised for the work of the Royal British Legion (RBL), which helps ex-service personnel and their families
SUCCESS at last? It would be satisfying to think that some of the concerns of this column are picked up and acted upon in places of power. So, vanity being what it is, the temptation exists to present the Government's newly-announced plans for harsher
As featherweight boxer Paul Ingle continues to fight for his life, reporter Adrian Worsley visited the City of Durham Amateur Boxing Club to ask budding fighters if they were reassessing the risks FISTS clenched, cheeks blowing in timed breaths, the young
MANCHESTER UNITED MY heart bleeds for poor David Beckham and his Manchester United team mates, struggling to make ends meet on a mere £50,000 a week and demanding a huge pay rise. But fear not, Man U supporters - if the pay rise is granted, you won't
A TEENAGE boy has been explaining why he thinks magistrates should not impose an order to control his behaviour. Darlington magistrates have been hearing evidence from several witnesses giving details of the 16-year-old's alleged anti-social behaviour
A YEAR'S free web presence courtesy of Newsquest North-East - publisher of The Northern Echo - was the top prize for the winner of a town's best-dressed Christmas window competition. The competition organised every year by Redcar Business Association,
BRANCHING out into customer service has led to a full-time job at a tree farm for County Durham TEC Modern Apprentice Emma Wright. Emma 18, from Chester-le-Street gained the full-time position with Birtley-based Trees Please following an NVQ level 3 in
A COUNTY Durham wildlife group has held a prizegiving evening for the winners of a photographic competition. The Sedgefield Wildlife Group, established nearly five years ago, invited Malcolm Thurman, from the Durham Photographic Society, to judge the
A WEARDALE animal charity is appealing for schools and companies to save their empty ink jet cartridges to help pay to feed dozens of pets over the winter. Farplace Animal Rescue, near Westgate, cares for more than 120 animals including goats, ponies
A TEESSIDE advertising agency is making its mark in the business after landing a top business gong. Middlesbrough-based Ellahi & Pinkney Ltd have come a long way since setting up just nine months ago, and its achievements were recognised when picking
Newcastle rebel Didier Domi has gone AWOL - and left Bobby Robson in a lather. The £4m defender went back to France last weekend and has so far failed to return. Boss Robson is furious over the Frenchman's defection and will thrash out the situation when
YOUNGSTERS in one of the region's most isolated areas could soon be doing their homework in a mobile classroom - a train. About 200 children who live in North Yorkshire's Esk Valley use the Northern Spirit train between Middlesbrough and Whitby to get
A FORMER social worker and councillor was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of sexually abusing a young boy in his care. Colin Wappat, 65, abused the boy from when he was only a teenager, in the 1970s. The youngster's nightmare began when
A NORTH-EAST Labour MP last night called on the Government to protect shop workers on Christmas Day. Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, raised fears of some shop staff being forced to work on the day, even if they have families
A RADIO station is in party mood, which will last all next year. Radio Cleveland kicks off celebrations marking 30 years of broadcasting, with a New Year's Eve roadshow. The knees-up will continue throughout the year. Kerry Sillett, events and promotions
A COUNCIL clerk who worked round the clock during the autumn flooding emergency has received an award. Deborah Wooff, who works for Richmondshire District Council, was presented with an excellence in performance certificate before last week's council
PERMISSION has been granted to convert a former bingo hall into a children's theatre. Councillors agreed to grant private applicant's permission to convert the former Roxy Bingo Hall, in Watling Street, Leadgate, near Consett, into a theatre, rehearsal
YOUNGSTERS brought festive cheer to retired teachers who trained for their careers in Sunderland as long ago as the 1920s. The Old Student Teachers Association, made up of teachers who trained at the College of Education, at Langham Tower, now part of
A NORTH-EAST demonstrator was arrested yesterday after clashing with Chinese police during a protest in Macau. County Durham man Thomas Dobson, who is believed to be from Barnard Castle, was bundled into a police van along with other supporters of the
SUNDERLAND'S dreams of a Worthington Cup semi-final against Liverpool were shattered eight minutes from the end of a thrilling fifth round tie against First Division Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park last night. The Wearsiders had pulled back to 1-1 and
A NORTH-EAST demonstrator was arrested yesterday after clashing with Chinese police during a protest in Macau. County Durham man Thomas Dobson, who is believed to be from Barnard Castle, was bundled into a police van along with other supporters of the
LENNY Lungo's highly-profitable winning streak shows no signs of abating at Newcastle today where Skippers Cleuch (12.45), Lord Of The Sky (1.50), and Sioux Raider (2.20) are all confidently expected to maintain their respective unbeaten records for the
AUTHORITIES on Teesside are reporting success in a massive crackdown on people who drop litter and allow their dogs to foul in towns and on open spaces. Community wardens in Eston have issued the first two £25 on-the-spot fines in Redcar and Cleveland
A SCHEME to get youngsters into work in Darlington has met with a 65 per cent success rate, it was revealed last night. The Gateway to Work project is run jointly by the YMCA and the Employment Service. It involves a two-week employability course, which
TERRY Venables is planning for a capital return of six points from two games when he takes his rejuvenated Middlesbrough side to Tottenham on Saturday. The Riverside head coach will mastermind what will be Boro's second game against London opposition
A LARGE number of mourners are expected to attend the funeral of a mother and son on Friday. The bodies of Christine and Robert Veitch have been released by Sunderland coroner Martin Shaw. An inquest was opened and adjourned last Friday following their
WELL, that's the first festive row over... now I know it must be Christmas. It was a rare sunny, frosty morning, crisp and fresh, and we went out to get a Christmas tree. He wanted something the size of the tree the Norwegians put in Trafalgar Square
A CHRISTMAS column in which decks and desks are cleared (though not of cigarette cards), loose ends are tied, debts acknowledged and one or two long words - tagged, of course - allowed out on festive parole. First, however, to the never-to-be-repeated
SHOPPERS have until late on Sunday afternoon to make their last-minute Christmas gift purchases at the MetroCentre. Stores at the Gateshead indoor complex will be open on Christmas Eve for their usual Sunday hours, from 11am to 5pm. The centre will be
COUNCILLORS have given the go-ahead for a new school to be powered by wind energy. The electricity for Catchgate Primary School, near Stanley, will come from a 20kw turbine, and any surplus will be put into the National Grid. The £2m building will replace
FIRE Brigade chiefs have urged people to take care after Government figures revealed yesterday that smoking was the main cause of accidental house fire deaths. Of 466 fire deaths in England and Wales between April 1998 and March 1999, 132 were caused
