Archive
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Campaign supports jailed refugee
SUPPORTERS of a jailed asylum seeker have launched a nationwide campaign to stop him being deported. When Tayyip Oruc, a Kurdish refugee who fled the Turkish regime, was arrested on Monday, his supporters staged a protest outside Middlesbrough police
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Fundraisers' enlightenment
FUNDRAISERS in Guisborough are continuing their efforts to raise enough money to rewire their church. Members of St Nicholas' Church congregation need to raise £30,000 to sort out the church's decrepit wiring and light it into the 21st Century. The appeal
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Lessons on life in industry
COLLEGE students in Newton Aycliffe have been learning about industry at a two-day conference. The 55 Year 12 students from Woodham Community Technology College took part in the Understanding Industry Conference at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre. Students
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Get your love online
WITH just a week to go until Valentine's Day, perhaps the Internet can help you find that special something. Plenty of websites offer some amour online and the world wide nature of the web can be found at www.valentines.com where they have been thinking
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BT dials its intent to drastically reduce debts
TELECOMS company BT still plans to slash £10bn off its £30bn debt mountain by the end of its financial year. The group showed pre-tax profits in the three months to the end of December lifting to £760m, against £651m at the same point last year. But in
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Passports to extra knowledge on offer
PEOPLE in Darlington are being offered the opportunity to return to learning. The adult education project, called the Passport to Learning, has been created by the Darlington Learning Town Group. Just like an ordinary passport, it is stamped every time
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Slimmer ICI fit for future says chief
A THREE-year disposal programme recently completed at ICI has diminished its once massive Teesside operations. The chemicals company, which once employed more than 30,000 staff at a variety of businesses on Teesside, now employs just over 1,000 people
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New office block scheme opposed
A NEW office block could be built on an industrial park in Shildon. AKV Fabrication has applied to Sedgefield Borough Council for permission to build a two or three-storey office block, an access road and car park, on the Hackworth Industrial Park, in
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Work to start on hall
A COMMUNITY'S bid for a bigger village hall has paid off, with the final piece in the funding jigsaw now confirmed. Residents of Hunton and Arrathorne, North Yorkshire, set their sights on a major refurbishment which they hoped would lead to a new lease
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£200 for indoor play
A COUNTY Durham club for children has been boosted by a £200 grant for the cold months. The Rainbow Fun Club, in Trimdon Colliery, has received the "hibernation" grant boon from the Nescafe Kids Club Challenge. This partnership between Nescafe and the
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When I grow up i want to be...
NURSERY children were able to meet the real-life versions of their hero Fireman Sam yesterday, when they visited Darlington Fire Station. The nursery pupils from Hurworth House School, in the village of Hurworth, near Darlington, were in awe of the firefighters
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Police keyboard queen reaches last report
A WOMAN who has only been off work sick once retires next week after more than four decades. Elsie English, 64, has worked as a typist at Hartlepool police station for 46 years. She began when the station was part of County Durham and has worked for 17
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Spooky as theatre left in the dark . . . again
A THEATRE company has pulled the plug on a jinxed production which leaves audiences in the dark. Disaster struck in 1970 when Sunderland's Royalty Theatre first staged the play - aptly called Wait Until Dark. There was a power cut which caused a black-out
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Mandelson under fire again
DISGRACED former minister Peter Mandelson was back under fire last night accused of manhandling a television cameraman. The BBC journalist fell to the ground claiming he had been deliberately pushed as Mr Mandelson and his entourage swept into a church
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Mum seduced 12-year-old boy, court told
A YOUNG mother seduced a 12-year-old schoolboy into having sex after asking him to decorate her home, it was claimed yesterday. Claire Coxon, 21, kissed and fondled the youngster before dragging him into bed, Tees-side Crown Court was told. Afterwards
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Car dealer is fined £24,000
A DEALER has been fined a total of £24,000 yesterday for making false claims about cars he was selling. Michael Walker, trading as Acklam Car Centre, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to 24 breaches of trades descriptions when he appeared before Teesside
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Second chance for third way?
SO can the "third way" ever work? Tony Blair's political philosophy is to marry the demands of big business with the requirements of the people. Business wants profit; the people want decent, affordable services. Can the twain ever meet? Last summer there
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Wind farm 'go-ahead soon'
A HUGE wind farm project for Teesside that would form part of a £2bn steel community regeneration plan could get the go-ahead within weeks, The Northern Echo can reveal. Sources close to the project confirmed last night that an announcement is imminent
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Help family find peace, pleads murder case cop
A POLICE chief is appealing for anyone who knows about a murder to come forward - for the sake of the victim's family. Detective Superintendent Brian Dunn made his plea hours after Vicky Glass's family attended the cremation of the 21-year-old prostitute
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Arca raring to go after South American stay
JET-lagged Julio Arca insisted last night that he will be ready for Sunderland's crucial clash with Liverpool at the Stadium of Light tomorrow. The winger told Sunderland manager Peter Reid "count me in" after he finally returned from playing in the South
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Twenty years on road for Noble Self Drive
STAFF at Noble Self Drive are celebrating 20 years of vehicle rental. Noble Self Drive was set up in 1981 by Alan Noble, now executive deputy chairman of Northgate plc. What began as a small venture with 40 vehicles from Mr Noble's home in Hurworth, has
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Regeneration reward
SUNDERLAND City Council has been given a Beacon award for its efforts to breathe new life into the city. It is one of only four places in the country to win the status for regeneration through culture, sport and tourism. The council's work has included
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Helpers may hold key
WOMEN who rushed to the aid of two youths after they were attacked are thought to hold vital details about the incident. The attack happened at around 4.30pm last Thursday, when the two 17-year-olds were walking home from college in Barsby Green, Berwick
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A tale of two nines
Sergio Garcia and Nick Faldo found themselves doing some counting in Sydney yesterday. But while it was birdies in Garcia's case - nine in all as a 64 gave him the first round lead in the Greg Norman Holden International - Faldo's calculations were very
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Murder trial hears about lift request
A MAN charged with the shotgun murder of a love rival asked a neighbour for a lift before police arrived, a court was told yesterday. Keith McQuade, 47, left a friend's house carrying a holdall in which he is alleged to have had the sawn-off shotgun used
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Simpson eyes up title bid
IT takes some old-fashioned courage to climb off the floor four times and win a title. Coventry car worker Neil Simpson did it, and no wonder Boxing News headlined him 'Miracle Man' after his efforts. Now Italian-based Davis Yawe is lined up in his bid
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Businesses benefit from expert advice
COUNTY Durham business leaders have hailed an innovative scheme designed to help firms in the county a major success. The nationwide scheme allocates business advisors to work with specific businesses to help them grow. The mentor scheme, run by the Chester-le-Street
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Reward offered for pets' return
A DOG owner has renewed his appeal for the return of his pets. Lunar and Zimba, Alaskan malamutes, went missing from a compound in Middleton St George, near Darlington, last week. Their owner, Tom Coates, has offered a substantial reward for information
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Extended run for anti-abuse project
AN art project which aims to educate the public about the scale of domestic violence in County Du-ham has been such a success it has been given a six-month extension. Derwentside district councillors are to allow theatre workers the free use of a house
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Sisters face huge debts in feud over house
A FAMILY feud has left four sisters facing financial ruin after years of fighting over their mother's house. The row between the daughters of Olive Corner, who died in November 1998, has divided the once-close siblings. They are arguing over the division
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Concern over safety of missing woman
CONCERN is rising for the safety of a grandmother who walked out of her home without medication or money. Winnifred Cunningham, described by police as "a well-known local character" left her home in Ivy Terrace, Craghead, near Stanley at about 3.30pm
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Tributes to British Legion stalwart
A WAR veteran and Royal British Legion stalwart who helped raise thousands of pounds for disabled ex-soldiers has lost his battle with cancer. Tributes were paid yesterday to 81-year-old retired milkman Percy Readshaw, who died on Saturday. Mr Readshaw
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Housing go-ahead provides massive vote of confidence
COMMUNITY leaders have described plans for an £8m to £10m investment in Consett as a "massive vote of confidence in the town". Derwentside District Council has given construction company Persimmon Homes permission to build a housing estate on land to
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Man cleared of rape after night out
A MAN accused of raping an old friend after she returned to her empty home following a girls' night out, was acquitted following a trial. Newcastle Crown Court was told that Lee Turnbull, 24, who denied the rape charge, called at the woman's house
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Calls for school to increase capacity
SCHOOL governors have rejected a call from parents to make more room for their children. The campaign group Coxhoe Kids in Coxhoe School is pressing for the capacity of the village primary school to be increased so that all youngsters who want a place
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Villagers vow to beat the vandals
A NORTH Yorkshire village has vowed to do all it can to help police track down young trouble-makers who have been making locals' lives a misery. About 70 people, who packed the village hall in Scotton, claimed the culprits were out of control and some
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N-E man arrested under new green laws
A NORTH-EAST man has become the first in the country to be arrested under new powers to protect the environment. Provisions relating to the protection of wildlife in the Wildlife and Countryside Act only became law on January 30. The following day, Northumbria
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CAB awaits funds decision
A DECISION on whether Richmondshire's Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) will receive extra cash to help cover the cost of its new offices rests with North Yorkshire County Council. The district authority confirmed an extra £2,000 on Tuesday night, but only
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Thieves target garden
A GARDEN has been ransacked by thieves who stole a seven-year-old girl's ornamental fish. Joyce Robson, of Evenwood, was shocked to find intruders had been in her front garden while she sat in her living room and stolen garden ornaments and coy carp.
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Dad At Large
When love breaks down ALADDIN the rabbit needed a new girlfriend. As you may know, Aladdin has lost two girlfriends recently. Both called Jasmine, both died within weeks of moving in with him. Not his fault - just one of those things. Original Jasmine
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Volunteers scoop youth sports awards
SPORTS volunteers Craig Robinson and Ian Ronald have been rewarded for helping local primary schools stage sports events. The pair, both pupils at Chester-le-Street's Hermitage School, received their awards from Leeds United footballer Steve McPhail.
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Ex-pupils aid trip cash effort
ONE of a junior school's former pupils has supported its efforts to raise money for a trip to Finland. Zoe Birkett was the star of a concert at Firth Moor Primary School, in Darlington, to raise money to pay for 22 pupils to visit Finland as part of a
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New look school meals service provides tempting treat for youngsters
MORE County Durham pupils are staying for school dinners following the launch of a new-look meals service The county council and meals provider Chartwells are investing £1.5m to modernise the service in 78 primary and 25 secondary schools. The scheme,
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Youngsters enjoy suite success at school
Schoolchildren were able to demonstrate their achievements to their MP this week Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough south and east Cleveland, visited Easterside Primary School, Middlesbrough, where he met headteacher, Ruth Parker, teachers, governors,
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Man who's making cheap days return
CHESTER-le-Street market place: 11pm, Sunday: It is as if the River Wear has upped and offed and is taking the dog for a bedtime walk down Front Street. The dog's misbehaving, an' all. In a sleet-lashed bus shelter, a group of youths eats pizza as a jackal
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Computerised Valentines
CLASSROOM sweethearts can proclaim their passion in technical style on St Valentine's Day. The food of love in the dining room at Spennymoor School on February 14 will be messages projected on the wall. Their messages will be fed into a laptop and projected
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£70,000 counterfeit discs haul seized
TRADING standards officers in Darlington are celebrating the seizure of counterfeit goods valued at £70,000. The items were found on Tuesday in a raid by trading standards officers and police on a home in the Red Hall area of town. Officers used powers
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Decision due on homes plan for farm
PLANS to build 12 homes at West Cornforth are to be considered by councillors tomorrow. Sedgefield Borough Council will decide whether Lafarge Redland Aggregates should be granted outline planning permission for eight semi-detached houses and garages
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Unsigned bands bid for stardom
A SECOND showcase gig for unsigned North-East bands takes place later this month. Three acts will perform at Sonngs 2, at Middlesbrough Town Hall, on Friday, February 23. Sugarstone and Shrug, both from Middlesbrough, and The Rye, from Peterlee, County
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Did the Vikings give us bad hearts
FANS of Monty Python are fond of repeating John Cleese's famous rhetorical question: "What did the Romans ever do for us?", followed by a long list of civilising inventions, like central heating and plumbing. The catchphrase from the movie Life Of Brian
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Gym challenge for china
A FIREFIGHTER proved his prowess in the gym by completing a rowing machine challenge yesterday. Sean O'Malley, of Cleveland Fire Brigade, embarked on the chall-enge to raise money for a trek along the Great Wall of China. He hopes to complete the trip
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Youngsters sample life behind bars
PUPILS proved a captive audience for a crime beating project aimed at steering them away from trouble. The youngsters, from Deerness Valley Comprehensive School, Ushaw Moor, Durham City, were locked up for the day under the Prison! Me! No Way! scheme.
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Three years for doorstep mugger
A YOUNG heroin addict attempted to snatch a handbag from an elderly woman returning home from a bingo session. Gary Stevens, who sprang on his diminutive 67-year-old victim as she reached her doorstep, was yesterday jailed for three years. The woman,
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Actress on long road to stardom
THE musical star of an amateur production is travelling thousands of miles to ensure that the show is all right on the night. Andrea Atkinson is taking the lead role of Mabel in the West End Operatic Society's production of Mack and Mabel. While she lives
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Helpers may hold key
WOMEN who rushed to the aid of two youths after they were attacked are thought to hold vital details about the incident. The attack happened at around 4.30pm last Thursday, when the two 17-year-olds were walking home from college in Barsby Green, Berwick
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Colleagues and pupils mourn teacher
PUPILS and staff at a Darlington school are mourning the death of a former teacher. Valerie Hall, 56, died in hospital on Sunday after a long battle against cancer. Last year, Mrs Hall was forced to retire through ill health from Polam Hall School, in
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Council to carry on using 'cobbles' as currency
OPINION on the Euro may vary, but one North Yorkshire council has voted unanimously to continue using another unusual currency. Richmondshire District Council has been part of Swaledale Local Exchange Trading System (Lets) since 1998, earning "cobbles
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Watchdog crime shake-up
AN INDEPENDENT watchdog for the victims of serious crime is to be the centrepiece of a radical shake-up in the justice system, The Northern Echo can reveal. Ministers are considering new proposals that will put the rights of victims ahead of those of
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Rimatara to maintain Easterby's run on sand
MICK EASTERBY'S sparkling run of form on the sand seems all set to continue with Rimatara (1.10) in the opener at Southwell today. Those of us with long enough memories can readily recall Mick's glory days with the likes of 1977 1,000 Guineas heroine
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Welcome all round for cheaper loans
THE Bank of England yesterday finally bowed to the clamour to insulate Britain from the effects of the rapid economic slowdown in the United States, shaving a quarter-point off interest rates. The decision by the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee to reduce
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Stagecoach's £3.5bn investment plan
STAGECOACH has revealed a £3.5bn investment plan for Britain's biggest commuter railway to counter competition for its franchise. The group said if it wins the extension on its contract for South West Trains it will turn it into the "best commuter network
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Motor alliance on platform together
THE Renault-Nissan alliance has announced plans to assemble two million cars a year on a new jointly developed platform. The move is the latest phase of the common platform strategy, which will already see the alliance build 1.7 million replacements for
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My brother will never be cleared of murder
FRUIT machine king Vince Landa says he doubts whether the convictions for the notorious "one arm bandit" murder, which inspired the movie Get Carter, will ever be overturned. Mr Landa is the brother of Michael Luvaglio, who together with Dennis Stafford
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Cabinet and leader system supported
COUNCILLORS are backing plans for Durham County Council to be run by a cabinet and leader. The proposals will be put forward for Government approval in June after consultation revealed that most people in the county favoured the idea too. The council,
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New PC on town patrol
A NEW beat police officer has gone on patrol in Tow Law and Thornley. PC Karl Hopps will operate from a temporary office in Tow Law community centre. Tow Law Community Partnership and the town council had been pressing for a beat officer for four-years
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Walkers step back in time
A free guided walk takes place in Hartlepool on Sunday, when historians will talk about some of the famous people who have lived in the town. Hartlepool Borough Council leisure officer, Steve Robbins, will lead the 90-minute walk which sets off from Middlegate
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Move into the learning zone
Residents of Dormanstown can sample a range of activities at Dormanstown Local Learning Centre next week. The centre is attached to the nursery at Dormanstown Primary School and there will be a range of activities on offer, from self defence to surfing
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Coroner told of gunshot deaths
A NORTH-EAST man and his family, whose bodies were found in their £400,000 Surrey home, died from gunshot wounds to the head, a coroner was told. An inquest was opened and adjourned yesterday into the deaths of ex-Coldstream Guard Anthony Smith, 34, wife
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Campaign to support blaze-hit school
A FUND raising campaign in the wake of the fire at Sedgefield's Hardwick Primary School is to be launched. Parents and members of the community have said they want to raise funds to ensure the school's temporary accommodation is comfortable in the short-term
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Police deal to help cut car crime
A POLICE force is holding sales in an attempt to cut vehicle crime. Langbaurgh police are working with Langbaurgh Community Safety Partnership, Halfords, in Skippers Lane, South Bank, and Simon Bailes Garage, in Guisborough, to protect motorists from
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College cash talks still at early stage
TALKS about extra cash for a new school in east Cleveland are at a very early stage, according to the local authority. Freebrough Community College is being created from an amalgamation of secondary schools - Warsett, at Brotton, Rosecroft, at Loftus,
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Tourist centre woos US market
TOURISM chiefs are aiming to build on the popularity of the vet James Herriot across the Atlantic, and bring more American visitors to North Yorkshire. Officials from Hambleton District Council will be visiting the US this summer to promote their flagship
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Bobbies take to the briny as tars take up the beat
ALL the nice girls love . . . a policeman? A team of Durham bobbies have swapped jobs with crew members on the city's adopted warship the 20,000-tonne HMS Invincible, to experience life on the ocean wave. Six officers boarded the Royal Navy aircraft carrier
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Agreement may lead to £6.5m funds
MILLIONS of pounds of extra funding could be heading to Stockton thanks to a newly signed agreement. Stockton Borough Council has signed a Public Service Agreement (PSA) to provide better services for residents. The agreement could secure up to £6.5m
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Youngsters trapped in snowbound hostel
SIXTY North-East teenagers have emerged unscathed from a snowbound Scottish cabin after being trapped for four days. Youngsters from Consett YMCA, County Durham, and Newcastle Preparatory School were enjoying a skiing break in the Grampian mountains when
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Tait is delighted to be back
DARLINGTON'S new assistant manager Mick Tait is delighted to be back at Feethams. Tait left eight years ago to continue his career at Hartlepool, but he revealed that he jumped at the chance to return when the assistant manager's role was offered to him
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Dad's Army helped get them to church on time
IT has been 60 years since a Dad's Army unit fought its way though a snow storm to make sure a North Yorkshire couple got to their wartime wedding ceremony on time. But despite another winter flurry this year, John Cole and wife, Margaret, didn't have
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Homes' survey will help improvements
COUNCIL officials are to survey homes in Hartlepool to prepare for a major improvements programme. About 850 houses will be looked at and tenants are currently being infor-med when the survey will take place. A specialist firm of surveyors will carry
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Farming couple beat recession with art school venture
FARMING couple Peter and Anne Lang have come up with their own way of beating the agricultural crisis - by putting pen to paper. After 15 years of cattle farming at Hawnby, near Helmsley, they decided to diversify and opened their own art school. Now
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£1m upgrade for N-E nightclub
ONE of the region's nightclubs, renowned since the 1960s, is to undergo a £1m transformation. The changes to the Top Hat, in Spennymoor, County Durham, will create about 40 jobs, see it attract top acts, and become one of the region's top entertainment
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Visitor centre takes shape
A visitor centre is rapidly taking shape as part of a £32m scheme to restore Ward Jackson Park, in Hartlepool, to its former glory. The centre, which features a conical roof and domed ceiling, will house a range of facilities, including a cafe and exhibition
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Disabled-friendly taxi
AN eye-catching new London taxi cab has taken to the streets of Darlington. The addition to the town's taxi fleet - the first red cab to operate in the town - has been welcomed by disabled passengers because it can carry a person in a wheelchair. The
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District bidding for fame in films
COUNCILLORS have agreed Richmondshire should join the Yorkshire Screen Commission, in a bid for more film roles. An outlay of £500 will pay for inclusion on a list of film locations circulated to programme makers around the world. Richmondshire has not
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Right place at the right time
AN off-duty firefighter helped save a man when he walked past a burning home. The man had been stripping paint from a window at his home in Lambton Drive, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, when the fire began. He went outside but had gone back in to try
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Letters
CORUS IN the light of the continuing problems over the lack of stability in the exchange rate which has led to the crisis at Corus, I call on Tony Blair to accept the advice of the Liberal Democrats and John Monks (Trades Union Congress) and affirm that
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Sharp-eyed officer foiled caravan fraud
A MECHANIC received a £4,357 insurance pay-out after claiming his caravan was stolen from outside his home, Durham Crown Court was told. But it was discovered to be fraudulent when a police officer came across the caravan in a field owned by the man's
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Traffic calming plans approved
PLANS for traffic-calming measures at an accident blackspot have been approved. The measures for Trimdon Avenue, Middlesbrough, were discussed by Middlesbrough Borough Council's cabinet. They were drawn up after 22 accidents were reported there between
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Team effort may help boost estate
A PARTNERSHIP approach could be enough to attract cash from Europe to revitalise a run-down industrial estate on the edge of the A1 in North Yorkshire. Some of the units in Gatherley Road, Brompton-on-Swale, are derelict while parcels of land, ripe for
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Benefit cheats are convicted
A NORTH YORKSHIRE council is hoping two recent prosecutions will serve as a deterrent to others tempted to cheat the benefits system. Two people have been convicted over the last few days for defrauding Richmondshire District Council out of a total of
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GM foods, porn and the right to roam
ON Tuesday night I was a panelist at an Any Questions evening hosted by the Durham Agricultural Discussion Society. Farmers from Tow Law, Wearhead and Dalton Piercy had waded through snowdrifts to reach Durham City and discuss the issues of the day. Naturally
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Pupils' taste of animal magic
PUPILS from Ayresome Junior School, Middlesbrough, found out about wildlife while improving their creative skills at Lingfield Farm Countryside Centre, yesterday. Year six youngsters undertook a range of exercises on an animal theme, including felt making
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Row over 'crime den'
A DERELICT terrace has become a rat run for troublemakers fleeing the police. What was once a normal street in Grangetown, Teesside, is now a series of empty houses stripped of floors, walls and furniture. To the untrained eye, they stand as separate
