YOUNGSTERS preparing to spend their Christmas in hospital received a double treat yesterday, when they were visited by stars of the stage and sporting worlds. Members of the cast from Darlington Civic Theatre's pantomime, Cinderella, were first to arrive
A COMMUNITY is being asked to do its bit to address global warming. Collections are being organised across Hartlepool to recycle Christmas trees. Children in the town's 30 primary schools are also being recruited to take unwanted greetings cards to recycling
A TEENAGER is celebrating a double success - passing her driving test and gaining a karate black belt within three days. Pippa Baker, 17, of Woodlands Way, Darlington, sat her driving test for the second time last Friday, and was "over the moon" when
THE son of a leading churchman died in a horrific crash after he rode his motorbike at more than twice the speed limit, an inquest heard. Christopher Gibson, the 31-year-old son of the Archdeacon of Auckland, the Venereable Granville Gibson, and his wife
THIEVES have prompted a regeneration group to ask the Home Secretary for extra police help. Last week, thieves stole 76 Christmas lights from Marske town square. It was the first time the town had decorated the square after Marske Town Centre Partnership
A bus company is under investigation amid claims one of its drivers kicked a group of schoolchildren off his coach for singing Christmas carols on their way home. Pupils from Richmond's St Francis Xavier School, North Yorkshire, were in high spirits on
THERE are a number of football fans who would like standing terraces to return to all-seater Premiership grounds and, having listened to those fans, Sports Minister Kate Hoey has suggested a pilot scheme might be possible to see if spectators can stand
HARTLEPOOL United's season is following a familiar path - and hot-shot Tommy Miller has no complaints. Pool are enjoying another pre-Christmas purple patch as they make another push for the play-offs and Miller, who has netted ten goals from midfield
A HEADTEACHER unfairly sacked from Ripon Cathedral choir school because of pressure from parents has been awarded £58,000 in damages by an employment tribunal. The tribunal ruled she had been the victim of sexual discrimination because of her marrage.
Junior round-up Sunderland Tomahawks' hopes of a play-off place in the English Under-19 North A league is still alive despite dropping a point from their two weekend matches. Blackburn Thunderhawks hosted Tomahawks on Saturday and were 14-3 winners. The
DARLINGTON Harriers club president Ian Barnes helped the England team win the M65 age group at the British and Irish Veterans' Championships. He finished eighth in the race, completing the 10K course in 46.09. Meanwhile, Alison Raw has added the North-Eastern
FLOODING problems in Skinningrove are to be thrashed out at national level. Local MP Dr Ashok Kumar has clinched a meeting with Mr Elliott Morley, the government minister with responsibility for flood problems. A delegation from East Cleveland will meet
SCOTTISH international Don Hutchison is ready to step into the breach and deputise for suspended goal-ace Kevin Phillips in this afternoon's home game against Manchester City. The 29-year-old striker, who has missed the last four games with a torn hamstring
LITTLE Jessica Reynolds is looking forward to her best ever Christmas after recovering from an illness that left her entire body paralysed. As the blonde seven-year-old skips excitedly around her home, it is hard to believe that, just 12 months ago, she
AS PART of the church's continuing support for the renewal of farming communities, the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Michael Turnbull, paid a visit to the Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Service last week. He also visited two neighbouring farms. UTASS
A group of old folk are looking forward to Christmas even more than usual this year - because it will see them together again in their own home. Six months ago the 42 residents of Church View Residential Care Home, South Church, thought they would never
A TINY piece of falling stonework sparked off the mammoth safety exercise on Darlington's lofty clock tower this year. The 8x2ins fragment signalled the start of a £220,000 project which lasted nearly six months, with scaffolding shrouding what is recognised
ONE of the North East's most promising young boxers is set for an assault on the country's major amateur titles next year after securing a new sponsorship deal. Francis Jones, who fights out of Darlington's Albert Hill boxing club, has signed a one-year
Tow Law League Tow Law Station only required three points to be certain of landing the championship and they achieved their objective in the singles against the visiting Tow Law Football Club with wins from Stephen Turner, Phil Slater, Andrew Burrows
PEOPLE upgrading their computers this Christmas are asked to consider donating their old machines to Redcar-based mental health charity, Creative Support. If you can can help, please contact manager Denise Rabbetts on (01642) 493500.
SIBLINGS James and Laura Minter, pupils of Guisborough's Laurence Jackson School, are celebrating a cross country double success. They both won their categories in the Redcar and Cleveland cross country championships, held last Friday at Laurence Jackson
YOUNGSTERS taking part in an after-school maths class in Guisborough were presented with certificates by local MP Ashok Kumar last week. The 40 children are attending a Kumon course at an after-school class in Sunnyfield House. Classes are based on principles
AN animal rights activist, who has waged a ten-year war against snares in the countryside, has vowed to continue his campaign after losing his appeal against criminal damage convictions, yesterday. John Gill, 51, said he would go to jail rather than pay
THEY might not last long. Their intentions may be well-worn like giving up smoking, cutting down on food, drink or even keeping fit. But New Year resolutions penned by Yorkshire church leaders outline their ideas of what the church's pledges for the year
PRIME Minister Tony Blair is launching a restoration project at a County Durham park this morning. Mr Blair will plant the first beech tree in the restoration of the avenue at Hardwick Park, in his Sedgefield constituency. In keeping with 18th Century
ONLY "divine intervention" prevented a fatality in a head-on crash on a dark rural road, a court was told. The comments were made by a crown court recorder who accused Kenneth Raine of "arrogance" in claiming his driving prior to the accident was not
THE North York Moors in the depths of winter is a chillingly eerie, silent and desolate place. Yesterday, two fathers came united in grief to mourn at the remote spot where their 21-year-old daughter was found weeks after she was brutally murdered. For
A WINTER crackdown targeting persistent burglars in east Durham is being hailed as a success. Police are delighted with the six-week Operation Darc, aimed at catching offenders and giving homeowners crime prevention advice. In November, reported burglaries
Graham Kelly, 55 tomorrow. "I left the FA as I arrived, fired with enthusiasm." Bulldog Billy Teesdale, last Christmas given an Only Fools and Horses alarm clock which each day (inexplicably) greets him with "Wake up, you plonker." Charlie Walker, 60,
Graham Kelly, 55 tomorrow. "I left the FA as I arrived, fired with enthusiasm." Bulldog Billy Teesdale, last Christmas given an Only Fools and Horses alarm clock which each day (inexplicably) greets him with "Wake up, you plonker." Charlie Walker, 60,
A MAN was banned for life from keeping animals yesterday after he admitted drowning nine puppies. Matthew Douglas, 27, from Cringle Court, Redcar, east Cleveland, appeared before Teesside magistrates and admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the animals
A KEEN golfer who was stretchered off the course in agony is celebrating his return to fitness at a tournament. Bob Scotsman-Smith, 64, is among those taking part in a golf match at Norton Golf Club, near Stockton, this morning. It marks a milestone for
HOPES of North-East shipworkers getting a share of a £320m cruise liner contract rose last night after the Government offered a huge loan guarantee. Shipbuilder Cammell Laird was said to be studying what was understood to be a £200m loan guarantee by
A MAN is being questioned in connection with an incident thought to be linked with a spate of sex attacks. The 34-year-old, who lives locally, was being interviewed last night at Stockton police station, following his arrest yesterday morning. Detectives
A MAN who broke into the empty home of a 95-year-old woman while she was in a nursing home was jailed for four years and three months yesterday. At York Crown Court, Judge Paul Hoffman said Shaun Chapman, 31, of Link Walk, Eastfield, Scarborough, North
A Victorian pier in the region has become a victim of winter storms. One of 60 legs on the 20 refurbished cast-iron trestles is missing from the recently renovated Saltburn Pier, in east Cleveland, having been smashed and washed away. Redcar and Cleveland
POLICE investigating a car crash which claimed two lives expect to release details of the victims this morning. Officers from North Yorkshire Police had hoped to release the identification of the victims - a 52-year-old woman and her six-year-old granddaughter
BATTLE OF BRITAIN THE RAF Benevolent Fund has money it wants to give away this Christmas to help Battle of Britain heroes, and their families, in the 60th anniversary year of the famous Second World War air battle. The fund, which last year spent over
THIEVES took 23 plucked and headless turkeys just before they were delivered. They broke into an outside storage block, at Farvone Vale Farm, Clint Lane, Bowes, in Teesdale, early yesterday. Detective Constable Tim Gargett, of Barnard Castle police, said
FEARS over children's safety in an area branded 'the forgotten end' of Northallerton have been heightened by the discovery of syringes on wasteland. A campaign to clean up the North End of the town, blighted by derelict buildings and undeveloped land,
A TAXI driver bearing more than just a passing resemblance to Santa Claus has taken to the streets dressed as the traditional festive figure in protest over a colleague's "de-bearding". Scrooge council officials banned Ernie Willey, of Darlington firm
A NEW factory bringing 50 jobs for disabled workers was welcomed by the union which fought for their future. Remploy, which has hundred of North-East employees among its 6,000 staff nationwide, announced yesterday that it is to build new premises at Gateshead
Darlington Harriers CLUB chairman Robin Rutherford completed the gruelling Everest Marathon in a time of seven and a half hours. The event is run every 18 months and monies raised go to the Everest Marathon Fund, which helps with health and education
TWO people were treated for slight injuries after a trailer knocked over a market stall on Darlington's High Row yesterday morning. The accident happened at about 9.40am, and the trailer involved was intended for use as part of another Christmas market
A PALL hanging over your Christmas? Nothing worse, it is earnestly to be hoped, than an uneasy feeling about a card unposted or a cake unrisen. Whatever, it is unlikely even to approach the misery of the Rev John Lax, central figure in a scandal which
Thursdsay's prices Kenneth Wilson, Thorpe Arch. - Wheat: Jan £64; Feb £65; Mar £66. Barley: Jan £68; Feb £69; Mar £70. Oilseed rape: Jan £133; Feb £134; Mar £135. GrainCo, Tyne Dock. - Wheat: Jan £64; Feb £65; Mar £66. Barley: Jan £68; Feb £69; Mar £69
COUNCILLORS in Teesdale have been given a stark pre-Christmas warning to tighten their purse strings. Members of Teesdale District Council were told in a report by district auditor David Parkin and audit manager Gavin Barker that the council's balances
It may sound barmy, but the British Army may be about to start marching on tippy-toes. And the rousing trumpets and drums that accompany the troops around the parade grounds could end up playing an altogether more gentle melody. What is more, those guns
Senior Son came home for the holidays. He brought four big bags of dirty washing. And a goldfish. Don't ask me. It's called Timo, I think. After a DJ in a Manchester club. Of course. Timo looked terrified. As would you if you'd spent the afternoon slopping
council chiefs have stopped a taxi driver from wearing a Santa Claus beard for a festive promotion - because he no longer looks like the picture on his ID badge. Ernie Willey thought it was a bit of fun to slip on a beard and Santa hat for his festive
STAFF at a Chester-le-Street florist's are dressing up as Santa Claus to ensure their customers have a blooming great Christmas. Shop workers and delivery drivers at Richard's Florists have donned white beards, false stomachs and red jackets to help cheer
THE lift that Terry Venables has given players and fans alike is still being felt this week. Boro not only earned their first home win in this season's Premiership on Satur-day but the level of performance also gave real hope that the dreaded drop into
DISABLED drivers visiting Durham are falling foul of parking restrictions that limit them to just 30 minutes in special bays. Orange badge holders, who are used to parking for up to three hours, are getting £30 fixed penalty tickets for breaching the
REVISED plans for a supermarket in Durham City are likely to be approved - despite concerns about the impact of traffic. Durham City Council's development control committee has given its backing to plans for a Tesco store on the site of the former Hugh
Crook League Crook Golden Fleece made a bid to get away from a re-election spot in the Second Division with an odd point win at Crook White Swan but their effort was foiled when Crook Coach and Horses B won by three points at Crook Crown. The White Swan
PROUD residents of a small community decided to pose for a commemorative photograph on their new playing field. Villagers from Ramshaw, near Bishop Auckland, turned out in force for a millennium picture taken on the community's new play area, which is
OF course, it's a lie, a great big festive lie. Yet most parents of young children must admit they are guilty of propagating the myth that this fantasy figure exists. Just one look at the delight on our youngsters' innocent, shining little faces at the
KIRKBY STEPHEN. - Tues, Dec 12. Fwd: 5,494 sheep, inc Christmas show of 4,084 lt & store lambs. Judge: GA Slack. Champion pen: JC Horn, Birks Head (32kg) £32 to GA Slack. Prizes. - Cont X lambs: 1 champion; 2 B Hogg, Melbourne House (33kg) £33.50
A MOTHER'S kiss for a special little birthday girl - a poignant demonstration of the love surrounding Hannah Maxwell-Jones . . . Watched by Father Christmas, Hannah shares a tender moment with mum Allison on a day which saw an astonishing public response
A NICE festive theme this week: violence. Some, like stricken boxer Paul Ingle, fight to make a living the best way they can; others, like the rival football fans at the Sheffield and Lancashire derbies, do it out of sheer animal hatred of the opposition
CHILDREN at Cockton Hill Infants School, near Bishop Auckland, entertained staff and parents with their take on the nativity - a performance called Hosanna Rock. More than 60 reception pupils aged between four and five took part in the production, along
PEOPLE in one village have been getting a really first-class delivery of their Christmas mail this year. For local postwoman Mrs Julie Brown has stunned residents of Great Broughton - not only has she decorated the bike she uses for delivering the post
THE white lights adorning trees in Westgate, Guisborough, have been funded by a Guisborough Town Council and Guisborough Business Association partnership. Money came from sponsorship from schools, businesses and shops, and from the sale of parking discs
PARENTS are on the verge of winning a campaign to ensure their children travel to school on a vehicle fitted with seatbelts. Education officials in North Yorkshire are in talks with coach operators to ensure safety belts are available on vehicles taking
A FORMER Guisborough man sent a cheque for £350 to make sure Christmas lights would shine in the town. Even though he left the town in 1951, Mr Kenneth Pearson wanted to make sure campaigners hit the £2,000 target for the illuminations. "I hope it contributes
DARLINGTON yesterday signed the Flying Postman to boost their fortunes. Manager Gary Bennett yesterday signed 31-year-old striker John Williams on a contract for the rest of the season, after he was released by York City last week. Williams was given
Darlington light-welterweight Michael Hall has been praised for his generosity after paying for a young boxer to travel to a high-tech training camp in Gran Canaria. Hall and 16-year-old Hussain Nasser are pupils of Brendan Ingle at his gym in Sheffield
Teesside League Darlington Devils lost pace with the leading pack when they went down at home by 90-85 against Norton. The home side opened brightly and matched everything Norton threw at them as Glen Urban was again the visitors' main scoring threat.
A TEESSIDE haulier has been jailed for smuggling drugs. David John Wilson, 39, who has transported stage equipment for pop superstars including the Spice Girls, was sentenced to eight years in jail at Canterbury Crown Court, for smuggling 127 kilos of
Auckland and District Ebac Youth League Ferryhill Athletic continued their good run with a 3-0 home victory against Barnard Castle in their top-three clash on Saturday. Ferryhill have moved into secondplace, level on points with leaders Bishop Auckland
Middlesbrough amateur boxer Saudhul Zaman made it fourth time lucky when he won gold representing England at the latest Multi-Nations games. On his debut in Germany almost two years ago Zaman returned home empty-handed and later in the year lost on the
The Inland Revenue has announced that it is going to take a closer look at the financial affairs of non-League clubs. The Revenue, which has already undertaken investigations of many Football League clubs, has now set its sights on recovering more money
Consett have run into form at the right time. A rich vein has coincided with their entry into the FA Vase and they could prove a dark horse in the competition. They have reached the fourth round for the second successive season and have struck a consistent
A MAN arrested after an armed stand-off at his home will be sentenced in the New Year following the preparation of psychiatric reports. Robert Stephen Thomson, 38, admitted a charge of affray following the siege which saw armed police surround his terraced
PROPOSALS have been made to enhance and develop a Guisborough park rescued from the threat of bulldozers. The area near Chapel Beck was spared last month when Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council acquired the former Blackett Hutton foundry to develop
IF we listen to modern broadcasters, we can be tempted to think that winter begins on December 1 and ends three months later on the last day of February. This was evident when I was listening to statistics concerning the heavy rains and floods of recent
A YEAR'S free web presence courtesy of Newsquest North-East - publisher of The Northern Echo and The Clarion - was the top prize for the winner of a town's best-dressed Christmas window competition. The contest, organised every year by Redcar Business
Sir, - I enjoyed reading the letter from your correspondent Mr W R Jessop (D&S letters, Dec 15)on the subject of foxhunting, and thought that he made some significant points, most particularly with reference to the contribution that foxhunting undoubtedly
SUPERMARKET chain Tesco is to build a 68,000 sq ft store in Newton Aycliffe as part of a proposed £25m makeover for the town centre. The long-awaited news comes almost a year to the day since Durham County Council agreed to sell the 16-acre site of the
LIFE through the eyes of toddlers to teenagers has gone on display. Our time, our place, our lives, is an exhibition of artwork by children and young people from more than 100 County Durham schools. Exploring the theme of identity opened at Durham Art
AN ice rink's future is uncertain because of repair costs. The rink, at Sunderland's Crowtree Leisure Centre, was shut six months ago after water began leaking on to two empty shops below, in the extension to the Bridges shopping centre. Council spokesman
FULL of Christmas spirit - or Cameron's Strongarm, to be precise - Northern Echo columnist Mike Amos was in a generous mood yesterday. He was giving away a mince pie and a pint yesterday to every buyer of Northern Goalfields Revisited - the Northern League's
NOT even a £40m Government aid package may be enough to persuade Nissan bosses that the next Micra should be built in the North-East. As revealed in The Northern Echo yesterday, the European Commission is expected to approve a crucial £40m aid package
AUTHORITIES in Redcar and Cleveland are reporting success in a 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. One man was guilty
BROMPTON'S flood victims have delivered an ultimatum to council chiefs: "Act now or take the consequences." They gathered in the village hall to demand an explanation as to why recommendations made in a report written by the Environment Agency after floods
THE multi-million pound battle for the East Coast Mainline last night appeared to take a decisive turn, with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Rail set to be the loser. Both Virgin and current operator GNER have been fighting it out to win the 20-year franchise
RADIO bosses have reprimanded an outspoken presenter after his comments sparked a broadcasting standards inquiry. Century Radio personality Paul Gough said that his New Year resolution would be to "tread carefully'' after being carpeted by his managing
Darlington manager Gary Bennett has warned his players that there'll be no excuses when Lincoln City visit Feethams today. Quakers go into the game on level points with Lincoln and needing victory to halt a slide in the league which has seen them collect
SPECIALIST engineering business Darchem has been sold to Royal Bank Private Equity (RBPE) for £28m. Darchem, based at Stillington on Teesside, was formerly owned by the Scottish-based Weir Group, and provides heat and fire protection systems and services
RICHMOND received a special Christmas present yesterday, when Santa was in town to help re-open the Mercury bridge. Repairs to the 150-year-old bridge, closed since serious flood damage in June, were completed on schedule in spite of poor weather and
HAL the hedgehog is hoping drivers will not encounter any prickly problems on the roads this Christmas. Hal is the mascot chosen to front Durham County Council's highways action line, launched on October 1. The one-stop-shop fault reporting system has
MORPETH Harrier Rob Holladay was a runaway winner of the Loftus Poultry Run for the second time in three years on Sunday. Holladay, who joined the Northumbrian club after moving from Rotherham to become a PE teacher at Guisborough, finished almost a minute
A SAGA of claims and counter-claims of police misconduct took another twist last night. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed there will be no criminal charges arising from Operation Dollar, an investigation into Cleveland Police, on Teesside,
WORK on creating a permanent sporting tribute to the late soccer legend Wilf Mannion has gone into extra time. Flooding has washed out hopes of opening a £1m sports complex at South Bank, where the Boro's top scorer lived and first learned to kick a ball
A WEEK or two ago, I was asked to comment on a survey which had demonstrated that children were more likely to associate Christmas with presents than with religion. "Of course they do," I was tempted to reply. Presents are at the heart of Christmas, and
WITH that air of inevitability so common in football, Lee Nogan scored the goal which helped send Quakers crashing out of the FA Cup on Tuesday night. Nogan, so often the target of abuse from the Feethams crowd during an almost goal-less 15 months at
BSPS Area 3. - Jan 7: 9am Yafforth. Telephone 01642 452439/723542. Cleveland Hunt PC. - Dec 27: Junior Christmas rally at the Unicorn centre, contact Jane Chapman on 01642 590971. Dec 29: Junior Xmas disco, 11 yrs & under, 4.30-6.30 at Carlton Methodist
A GRIEVING widow says Christmas will continue for the sake of the children after the sudden death of her huntsman husband. Graeme Chapman, 39, was joint master of Northumbria's Haydon Hunt and a popular Consett mechanic. His wife, Diane, told how she
WATERLOGGING everywhere and frost at Kelso were expected and duly decimated race meetings this week, but the irony was losing the "all-weather" meeting at Southwell because of fog! Over the jumps, only two winners came our way in the thin week and they
BROTHER and sister duo James and Laura Minter made the Redcar and Cleveland schools cross country championships a family affair when each won their events last Friday. The pair, both pupils at Laurence Jackson school in Guisborough where the event was
YOUTH leaders have issued a plea for volunteers to help get disaffected teenagers in part of County Durham back on their feet. The Stanley group, Community Education Service, is appealing for people to organise activities for young people. Martin Lightfoot
BARNARD CASTLE. - Tues. Fwd: 154 cattle. Lim hfr & calf £600 ER Thompson. Lim bulling hfrs to £358 JN Spedding. Feeding bulls. - Simm: £460, £438 T Allen. Char: £452, £450, £445, £442 Watson; £442 WK Walker. Lim: £505, £492, £475 JW Dent & Son
DARLINGTON council is having 11th hour talks with a bus company which plans to isolate an already deprived estate. Skerne Park, which was given a boost with Euro-regeneration cash, now faces having its early morning, late night and all its Sunday services
AN EXASPERATED Mr John Thorley launched a blistering attack on environment and conservation bodies, accusing them of not listening to what farmers advised and of committing livestock farmers to a path of destruction. His onslaught followed a statement
A TOP chef struck down by an incurable disease has launched a major charity drive. Three weeks ago, Dave Hainsworth's world fell apart when he was diagnosed as suffering from motor neurone disease. Doctors do not know what causes the debilitating ailment
A POPULAR Girls' Brigade captain has retired after 32 blissful years. Never without a smile, Mrs Terry Dodd, of Branksome, Darlington, has happily led the Girls' Brigade, which meets at Cockerton Methodist church, for more than half her life. But at the
POLICE called to a house by worried neighbours discovered two naked children locked in an attic, a court heard. It was later discovered that the screaming children had been shut in there for almost 19 hours, after their mother had gone out to work at
WORK is to start this week on Darlington's first residential closed circuit television system. Darlington Borough Council is spending £400,000 of Government money to install 11 CCTV cameras on the Firthmoor estate. The cash is also allowing the authority
THE Post Office has been accused of a dirty trick in reducing the hours of its counter service at Leeming Village. Upset residents claimed this week that Post Office Counters had not told them about the cuts, which took effect as the combined post office
A GROUP of school boys are preparing for their busiest time of year, including their traditional working Christmas. Thirteen boys, aged nine to 13, all members of the Durham Cathedral Choir, hope to hit the high note over coming days with the peak of
NEWCASTLE are eyeing Paris St Germain fullback Jimmy Algerino in the event of Didier Domi heading back to France. Algerino, 29, is also being linked with Middlesbrough. But the Magpies are in particular need of a left-back now that Domi appears to have
THE largest boat ever to be lifted from Hartlepool marina was hoisted on Wednesday. Sarah Thinnessen, a 79ft trawler, became the largest vessel to be lifted at the marina, by a boat hoist called Son of Swanwick, commissioned in summer. The trawler, based
FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - Many a reader would be amused in perusing the report at the Richmond county court in last week's edition, bringing to light the name of a defendant in a case, who really possessed the word Mahershalalhashbaz as his
AN animal rights activist, who has waged a ten-year war against snares in the countryside, has vowed to continue his campaign after losing his appeal against criminal damage convictions, yesterday. John Gill, 51, said he would go to jail rather than pay
A FORMER guardsman was jailed for life yesterday for the shotgun murder of a drug dealer. But Anthony Bottrill, 41, a martial arts instructor, shed no light on why he killed cocaine dealer Bryan Scott, 26, in a showfield on Teesside. The judge told him
FAMILIES in the North-East will this Christmas eat, drink and unwrap their way towards creating 100,000 tonnes of festive rubbish. That is according to a new campaign to lighten the load on the environment, which is being backed by £25m of government
Two determined, but depleted squads, did not prevent Chesters and Ebchester producing a competitive game in tricky conditions. David Hewson scored four as the hosts hit a rich vein of form, overwhelming the bottom-club 6-1. Chris Maughan and Paddy Gerratt
SUNDERLAND striker Niall Quinn has been boosted by a scan all-clear on his injured back. Quinn, 34, is fit to face former club Manchester City tomorrow after boss Peter Reid expressed relief that the trouble was not serious. Reid said: "I was worried
HUMAN remains found in a field have been confirmed as a missing 22-year-old man, police said last night. Bones were discovered near the village of Bolam, near Darlington, County Durham, by agricultural workers last week. Lincolnshire police, who have
Worthington CIU Winter League The last unbeaten record in the league remained intact but only just when the visiting Colin Lomax of Willington potted the final black to beat Eric Wright of Durham City in the decider. Jeremy Martin gave the visitors a
Darlington Darlington's improving youngsters followed a successful County Championships performance at Grantham by joining their senior British League players in the Newcastle Grand Prix tournament. Playing for Durham in the Under-17 team, David Meads
MAKING the entire A66 between Scotch Corner and Penrith dual carriageway has been virtually ruled out by traffic consultants as too expensive. A draft safety study, commissioned by the Highways Agency, concluded that partial dualling, 50mph limits on
CHRISTMAS has been cancelled at Bethlehem. Normally a place for pilgrims, stooping to enter the Church of The Nativity, built on the site of Jesus' birth, Bethlehem is too dangerous a place to be. It has become a no-go area and many of its citizens are
EMMA Denton was on top form at Stainsby Grange, Thornaby, where courses designed by Brian Chandler provided 12 hours of top class show jumping, writes Malcolm Bewsher. Emma, from Ingleby Barwick, won the opening 48-starter, 90cm open on Stainsby Silhouette
REDCAR and Cleveland Council is urging the Government to give immediate cash aid towards the cost of flood damage. The borough's bill is estimated at more than £850,000 this year. The main problems occurred in Skinningrove, Loftus and Carlin How, but
One moment Liz Crowther was starring in Channel 5's Family Affairs, the next her TV soap career exploded, literally, as the entire Hart family were blown up in a tragic boat accident on screen. The name of the person responsible for perhaps soapland's
A REDCAR Army boxing champion was back in his home town this week training with his team-mates. Private Paul Reed, 18, a former West Redcar School pupil, won the Army boxing championship as part of the Green Howards team, after they beat the 2nd Battalion
IN his 1848 The History and Antiquities of Cleveland, John Walker Ord observes: "A hardy breed of sheep possesses the heaths and moorlands, which they seem to enjoy as their peculiar right and domain." True long before Ord's time, that remains true today
ANGRY Rothmans workers have accused Darlington's Labour group and the local MP of failing to represent the town. Union representatives met the town council chief executive, Mr Barry Keel, again this week to hammer home fears that recent EU legislation
Northern Spirit Colts were held 1-1 after being ahead for the majority of their match at home to Northern Spirit RA in the Second Division. Midfield workhorse Martin Hogg opened the scoring with a low, right-footed curler from the edge of the penalty
SHEEP farmers must defend themselves against single interest groups. Mr David Smith, chairman of the National Sheep Association, spoke of the plethora 0of such organisations, many of which criticised farmers. "In many cases they decry the farmer, particularly
MARSKE United, whose match against Crook was postponed last Saturday due a frozen pitch, are at home to Consett tomorrow in the Albany Northern League. On Boxing Day they visit Guisborough Town, kick off 11am, and are at home to Hebburn on Saturday, December
GUISBOROUGH'S match last Saturday against Peterlee Newtown in the Albany Northern League was postponed. Tomorrow they face a top-of- the-table battle away to third-place Bedlington Terriers before taking on Marske next week.
SHOCK government figures show that 23,800 farmers and farmworkers left the industry in the 12 months to June this year - the equivalent of 450 a week. It means that, in England alone, 41,100 people have left the industry in the last two years - the biggest
A SPECIAL ingredient is being used to help trap pubs, clubs and restaurants using cheap substitute spirits to rip off drinkers in the region. Trading standards officers and spirit manufacturers say almost one in ten licensed premises across the country
A HANDFUL of tickets remain for the Christmas party arranged by Chester-le-Street and District branch of the Sunderland AFC Supporters' Association. Starring comedian Brendan Healey and singer Emma B, it is held at Relton Terrace Workingmen's Club, in
DETECTIVES investigating the death of a man have launched a poster appeal for information. Clifford Maidment, 67, died from serious head injuries, six days after being found outside the Blue Bell pub, in Fulwell, Sunderland, Wearside, on December 8. Police
A WENSLEYDALE landowner has received a national award for his conservation work on more than 2,000 hectares of agricultural and moor land. The Hon Harry Orde-Powlett accepted an SSSI award from Mr Martyn Howat, general manager for English Nature's North
Stuart Leonard of Darlington set the tone for the evening when he became Youth Amateur Boxing Class A National Champion at Under-42kg level at Peterlee Leisure Centre last Friday, writes CRAIG STODDART. For his bout against Michael Graydon - the first
THE owner of the Newcastle Jesters ice hockey club has said he will not seriously consider proposals for a new purpose-built rink until he sees plans "in black and white". Paul Smith was approached by an unnamed North-East entrepreneur regarding the possibility
PLANNERS are jeopardising farm diversification by holding up farmers' applications. An NFU report reveals an abysmal performance in a North Yorkshire planning office. at the very time that councils in the county have pledged support for a new guide to
A MOTHER and son who died following a freak accident will be cremated today wearing the colours of Sunderland AFC. Black Cats' boss Peter Reid has donated two red and white striped football shirts to the grieving family of football-mad Christine Veitch
FEARS about a controversial development scheme in Saltburn could be premature. The plan would not be as bad as people thought - and in any case there was no cash to proceed at present, said Saltburn improvement company chairman Mr Jack Chesters. The scheme
A SCHEME to regenerate the Dene Estate, in Willington, is continuing with approval given for 15 bungalows. The homes, in Appleton Crescent, are being built by the Three Rivers Housing Association and will replace homes that were recently demolished. The
NORTH-EAST demonstrator Thomas Dobson has talked for the first time of his arrest and deportation after clashing with Chinese police at a protest in Macau. Speaking from Hong Kong last night, the 26-year-old, who grew up in Darlington and Barnard Castle
A BRIDGE damaged by summer floods was reopened yesterday, restoring a market town's link with the south. Richmond, in North Yorkshire, was cut off from the south when the central pier of Mercury Bridge was washed away by the River Swale during flash floods
Tow Law Bass League IN a very tight top-of-the-table encounter, Tow Law Cattle Mart staged a remarkable home recovery to beat Esh Football Club by the odd point. After the trebles were shared, the visitors moved ahead with four consecutive singles wins
RETIREMENT is not a word in Mr Maurice Collin's vocabulary. In spite of stepping down as secretary of the Northern Sheepdog Association after a quarter of a century, he still plans to compete regularly at trials up and down the country. "It will be nice
A soldier won his licence back and had a fine quashed last week after an insurance company spoke up in court to admit that the policy he was issued was misleading. Daniel Devine's case first appeared before magistrates in Richmond in August when, on the
