Archive
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Offending rat is removed
A DECOMPOSING rat which plagued the lives of a Newton Aycliffe couple has finally been found and removed. The Northern Echo reported on Thursday that Tom and Ann Tomlinson told Sedgefield Borough Council about a terrible stench at their home in Ashfield
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SUNDERLAND DOWN AGAIN
LEICESTER CITY 2, SUNDERLAND 0 SUNDERLAND found themselves in further disciplinary trouble when they had Welsh international John Oster sent off for a double booking at Filbert Street as they lost for the fourth time in five games. The Wearsiders, already
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Bennett demands a repeat performance
DARLINGTON manager Gary Bennett is demanding the same "battling qualities" that earned the Quakers their first win of the year on Tuesday night for today's home clash with Macclesfield. Quakers lifted some of the relegation gloom after their midweek success
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Red Devils face ticket allocation cut
FEWER fans of Manchester United will be allowed to attend matches at Sunderland next season after they remained standing for entire games at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland AFC yesterday announced its intention to reduce the ticket allocation to the
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Free petrol winner
A PENSIONER is the latest winner of The Northern Echo's free petrol for a year competition. Herbert Underwood, of Bankfoot Grove, Crook, County Durham, has win the final prize of a year's free supply of petrol through the competition. The 77-year-old
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Councillor pledges action over families hit by flooding
TWO families in a North-East town still have not returned to their homes, four months after they were flooded. At a meeting of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council on Thursday, Councillor Valerie Halton told members about the families, in Guisborough.
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Cyclist draws on art for rhinos
WILDLIFE artist and cyclist Andy Beck will be combining his two passions in the heat of the African desert when he sets off on a sponsored bike ride. Andy, who owns the Newgate Gallery, in Barnard Castle, has chosen to take up the challenge of a lifetime
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Standstill Britain as farming crisis grows
THE foot-and-mouth epidemic brought Britain's livestock industry to a standstill last night as a week-long ban was slapped on moving animals vulnerable to the disease. The ban on transporting cattle, pigs, sheep and goats was announced as growing evidence
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First family move on to award-winning estate
THE first tenants of an award-winning housing project on Teesside have moved into their home. Annette Stangoe and her children Christine, Shaun and twins Rachel and Michelle, are the first to move into the development at Stilton Close, Dormanstown, near
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Pancake racers are out in force
THE tradition of pancake racing will be bringing the community in a cathedral city together next week. Schoolchildren, choristers, members of the clergy and soldiers are joining forces on Shrove Tuesday for the annual pancake races in Ripon. The popular
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Mother-of-five stole credit cards
A SINGLE mother-of-five went shopping with credit cards stolen from another parent's purse, Newton Aycliffe magistrates heared yesterday. Amanda McGreevy, 32, of Grasmere Road, Ferryhill, took the purse from a handbag at the town's health centre, the
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New role for planning boss
COUNTY Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust has appointed a non-executive director. Bud Craig has a 25-year background in social services and is retiring from his post as joint planning manager with Darlington Borough Council next month.
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Country living key to long life
RURAL dwellers have long extolled the virtues of the fresh country air - and their claims now appear to have official backing. New figures show Ryedale, in North Yorkshire, to have the second highest male life expectancy in the country. The figures released
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Police make arrest after gun report
ARMED police officers sealed off an east Durham street yesterday after reports of a man waving a handgun. Officers received a report of a gunman shouting in the Gray Avenue area of Hesleden, at about 11am. Police, some of them armed, arrived at the scene
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Woman denies baby murder
A YOUNG mother denied murdering her baby by throwing her out of the window during a brief hearing at the Old Bailey in London yesterday. Helen Patterson, 20, spoke just to answer to her name and plead not guilty to the murder of Shedrina Patterson on
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Winners head for Durham
FOUR PAST North-East winners will be guests of honour when more than 6,000 athletes converge on Maiden Castle, Durham today, for the 125th View From English National Cross Country Championships. It is only the third time since 1876 that the prestigious
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Shearer's return ends testing time for Magpies
"HE'S a flogged horse," was Bobby Robson's brutally honest synopsis of Alan Shearer's injury problems when he missed his first game of the season at Aston Villa back on December 2. "He needs a rest and if (Carl) Cort had been fit he would have got one
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Suicide threat man locked up over rape
A RAPIST who was rescued by police officers as he threatened to throw himself off a railway viaduct was jailed for two-and-a-half years yesterday. Police, who launched their spotter plane from Teesside Airport when they received a report of the suicide
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Fast-track deal still available for miners
MINERS and their families offered so-called "fast track" payments will still be able to claim their cash, despite the end of a Government deadline yesterday. The fast track scheme, introduced by former Energy Minister Helen Liddell last year, was aimed
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Key banks to report results
THE banking reporting season reaches its climax next week, with key players HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland and the newly listed Bradford & Bingley all reporting annual figures. HSBC is expected to report a rise in pre-tax profits to £7.5bn on Monday
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Woman denies baby murder
A YOUNG mother denied murdering her baby by throwing her out of the window during a brief hearing at the Old Bailey in London yesterday. Helen Patterson, 20, spoke just to answer to her name and plead not guilty to the murder of Shedrina Patterson on
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Kilbane hopes for a chance
REPUBLIC of Ireland international Kevin Kilbane is a man with a mission as Sunderland go into this afternoon's tough away fixture at Leicester without four regular first-choice players. The Wearsiders have missing through suspension their 14-goal leading
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Sven's striker search started at Newcastle
SVEN-GORAN Eriksson established that Alan Shearer would not change his mind over international retirement before plotting the future course of English football. Newcastle boss Bobby Robson revealed yesterday that the England coach questioned whether the
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Katie's fund pays for vital cancer research
FURTHER research into a children's cancer is to be carried out in the region, thanks to a charity set up in memory of a North-East girl. Katie Neal, from Redcar, was six years old when she died as a result of a medulloblastoma tumour, in March 1999. Just
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Helmet find gives experts a headache
A REPLICA Norman helmet discovered in a river by a family out swimming has experts baffled - despite exhaustive tests which narrowed down its age. The antiquity recovered from the River Tyne was at first thought to be from the period of the Norman Conquest
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Burglar was 'arrested' by home owner
A HOUSEHOLDER who returned to find his home had been ransacked caught the intruder and held him until the police arrived, a court heard. Newcastle Crown Court heard how, three days before Christmas, Philip Pitt noticed that his back door in Roman Road
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Frightened farmers attack ministry over slow response
Arriving in the Tyne valley, the crisp winter sun gave a feeling of idyllic rural charm. But any expectation of a warm welcome was rudely dispelled when the first farmer we met returned a cordial greeting with a torrent of abuse. Feelings are running
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Abandoned pups safe in the caring hands of Wendy
A KINDLY animal lover has given temporary home to seven new-born pups dumped in a cardboard box and left to die. The seven black pups' umbilical cords were still wet and bleeding when they were discovered by a passer-by at Iveston Lane, Delves Lane, near
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How well will Tony bond with George W?
ANYONE who has been best friends with the king of the playground, only to see them leave half-way through junior school, will know how Tony Blair feels. Having formed a special bond with Bill Clinton, the Prime Minister has not only to cope with the grief
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Cost of defence hits bus operator
BUS and rail operator Go-Ahead said the cost of fighting off last year's hostile takeover bid by French consortium C3D had dented profits. Go-Ahead, the operator of Thames Trains, said C3D's approach had been "wholly unwarranted" and had landed the Newcastle-based
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Pool boss in no mood for favours from the FA
THE decision by the FA to punish Third Division leaders Chesterfield may well have some clubs in the promotion chase popping champagne corks, but for Hartlepool boss Chris Turner the FA's actions are a harsh blow to Spireites' manager Nicky Law. The South
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Packing them in at St. Pat's
A question perhaps little asked or imagined: is Consett the most God-fearing place in the North-East? It is known for other reasons, of course, chiefly riding on the ferrous wheel of fortune but also as the home of Susan Maughan, who all those years ago
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Town targets young people with £1m Euro cash windfall
A MAJOR scheme to regenerate part of east Cleveland is taking effect. The small town of Skelton has more than £1m to spend thanks to the Single Regeneration Budget. Schemes in the town are mainly targeting young people, and include a training programme
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Cannabis grower escapes jail term
A MAN who grew cannabis to wean himself off heroin escaped a prison sentence yesterday. Harrogate magistrates heard how the owner of Aidan Flood's home, in Chatsworth Grove, Harrogate, called police after his suspicions were aroused by what he found in
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Tiny people take to the big stage
Tiny people will emerge from their home under the floorboards to explore Harrogate Theatre this month. They feature in a stage version of the Mary Norton novel, The Borrowers, which has already been adapted for TV and film. The under-floor world of The
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Not just pie in the sky
Actress Joanna Mays knew she wanted to be in Stephen Sondheim's musical Sweeney Todd the moment she saw the original London West End production. She achieved that ambition in a revival of the show at Theatre Clywd in Wales and on tour three years ago.
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Letters from The Northern Echo
SNARES I HAVE lived in the countryside for years and snares have been in use for longer than I can care to remember. As was stated (Northern Eco, Feb 13), a sheep, dog, otter and other kinds of wildlife can be trapped in them, but this argument is, in
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Work starts on library revamp
WORK starts on Monday to give a new look to Owton Manor library, in Wynyard Road, Hartlepool. To minimise disruption to library users during the work, which will take a week, the neighbouring Owton Manor Community Centre will be turned into temporary
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Police in drugs-tip pub raid
POLICE recovered hundreds of pounds in cash and confiscated electrical goods in a pub raid. About 30 officers including the district drugs unit and the dogs section raided the Westminster Hotel, Parliament Road, Middlesbrough, at 12.45pm yesterday. The
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Sticker contest puts safety first
PARENTS in Darlington are being urged to learn a few valuable lessons from their own children as part of a road safety campaign. In a scheme introduced by Darlington Borough Council, parents and carers in the town are being asked to sign the Parents Parking
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Grant comes hot on the trail for village mosaics
VILLAGERS are to create a special heritage trail for the millennium after receiving a £5,500 grant for the project. People living in Fryton, near Malton, were given the money by the Local Heritage Initiative, for an historical survey of the area, which
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Bakery proves it can rise to the occasion
A BAKERY chain that began with one small corner shop and now employs more than 700 people has taken another step along the road to becoming the leading retail bakery in the North. Peters Cathedral Bakers, which produces enough bread, cakes, pies and sandwiches
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I must be quackers to take this lot on, says Henry the maternal drake
A DRAKE has taken a flock of days-old ducklings under his wing in an unusual twist to the first signs of spring. Seeing eight-month-old Aylesbury duck Uncle Henry walking around with nine ducklings in tow is an everyday sight at Hope House Animal Sanctuary
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Union leader to sign agreement
AN agreement between Stockton Borough Council and the trade unions is to be signed next week by Jack Dromey, the Transport and General Workers Union general secretary. It will give trade unions the right to be fully involved in the council's Best Value
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Memories of 1967 return
DAVID Maughan would usually be looking ahead to the selling season. But all he can do is hope the foot-and-mouth outbreak is contained. "We're all very nervous at the moment. We fear the worst, because it's such a virulent outbreak and it could be rampant
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Teenage 'errand boy' jailed for drugs offences
A TEENAGER, said to be a drugs errand boy for his elder brother, was jailed for three and a half years yesterday. Kirk Price, 18, pleaded guilty at York Crown Court to being in possession of 50 Ecstasy tablets with intent to supply and was told by Recorder
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Marcelle makes a point for Quakers
Debutant Clint Marcelle helped his new side to a point this afternoon but even he will agree the Quakers could well have collected all three. Boss Gary Bennett can't complain about his side's will to get forward but he, like many watching from the stands
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Tomato sowing time
FOR gardeners with a heated greenhouse the next few weeks are a time of peak activity. The first sowings of tomatoes must be made, together with those of sweet peppers, aubergines, as well as lettuce for growing on in a cold frame. Summer bedding plants
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School bus firm loses licence over unroadworthy vehicles
A SCHOOL bus transport company was described by the North-East Traffic Commissioner as unsafe to carry children yesterday, after having its licence revoked. A vehicle inspector told a public inquiry in Durham that a routine check on a school bus in the
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Bank clerk stole £28,000 in names of disliked relatives
A TRUSTED bank clerk stole more than £28,000 by siphoning money from accounts she set up in the names of relatives she had fallen out with. Mother-of-one Maria Ann Madison, 40, narrowly escaped a prison sentence yesterday, after Durham Crown Court was
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May the force be with you
THE hotels Sidi Driss and Ksar Hedada may not look like much to the average passer-by, other than being interesting pieces of architecture native to their beautiful surroundings. But mention to any fan of George Lucas' Star Wars films that they are found
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Comment from The Northern Echo - Help now, politics later
POLITICAL capital will inevitably be made out of the disaster facing the British livestock industry. As the implications of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak mounted by the hour, Agriculture Minister Nick Brown and his Tory shadow Tim Yeo wasted valuable
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Moves to improve partnership with people
CHANGES could be made to the way Guisborough is run thanks to an idea from a town councillor. For the past two years, Guisborough Town Council has given a commitment to become more community focused. Town partnerships have developed, and there is much
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Care group's better deal for patients
A COMPANY that provides out-of-hours primary care to people in the North-East is restructuring to give patients a better service. Healthcall provides out-of-hours cover for GPs and is based on a network of primary care centres, with 31 branches including
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Captain Al can't stop Magpies slide down the Premiership
The return of skipper Alan Shearer couldn't prevent Newcastle from falling to their third successive defeat at the hands of lowly Manchester City. Joe Royle's relegation threatened men inflicted more pain on Bobby Robson's side who continued their slide
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Widower prepares for record attempt
MUSCLEMAN Graham Whalley is planning another world record press-up attempt, after failing in his latest bid. Former boxer Mr Whalley, 38, attempted to complete 1,100 press-ups in memory of his wife, Helen, but ended up in agony after his chest and arm
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Lormor saves Pool' with late effort
A LATE strike from Hartlepool United forward Anth Lormor kept Hartlepool United's unbeated run intact at the expense of his former club as Pool drew 1-1 with Mansfield at Victoria Park. Pool were trailing to Mark Blake's 56th minute strike, but substitute
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Therapy centre aids cancer care
A THERAPY centre is urging customers to help raise money for the national Breast Cancer Care charity. Ripon Complementary Therapy Centre is hosting a natural health and beauty exhibition in the town hall on March 10 and 11. The centre will also be holding
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Trust Mann to give you a Moral victory
MORAL SUPPORT can be backed with conviction in this afternoon's £100,000 De Vere Gold Cup at Haydock. The glittering prize has attracted a quality 18-strong field including last year's winner The Last Fling, leading Grand National fancy, Young Yenny,
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Sunderland down again
SUNDERLAND found themselves in further disciplinary trouble when they had Welsh international John Oster sent off for a double booking at Filbert Street as they lost for the fourth time in five games. The Wearsiders, already without four suspended players
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TV actor taking to the stage
DISABLED performer Mat Fraser, star of Channel Four's series Metrosexuality, will perform Sealboy: Freak, at The Cornerhouse, Middlesbrough, on Monday. Mr Fraser, who has short arms due to the drug thalidomide being taken by his mother, began acting as
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Pool improvement campaigners present 5,000-signature petition to MP
A CAMPAIGN to refurbish or rebuild a town's swimming pool is to go to the House of Commons. A petition containing more than 5,000 signatures, from people looking for an improvement to Guisborough's swimming facilities, was presented to Middlesbrough South
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Split over garden societies merger
A MAJOR split has emerged at the Northern Horticultural Society's Harlow Carr Gardens, in Harrogate, over merger plans with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Opposition to the move surfaced at a Northern Horticultural Society (NHS) council meeting
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Teacher faces cruelty claim
A TEACHER at a special school in the North-East yesterday denied an allegation of cruelty to a child in his care. Malcolm Phillips, 50, suspended from a special school in Wearside, pleaded not guilty to child cruelty, alleged to have taken place on September
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Bank clerk stole £28,000 in names of disliked relatives
A TRUSTED bank clerk stole more than £28,000 by siphoning money from accounts she set up in the names of relatives she had fallen out with. Mother-of-one Maria Ann Madison, 40, narrowly escaped a prison sentence yesterday, after Durham Crown Court was
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Forced to play waiting game
MICHAEL Wise and his wife, Mavis, are not going anywhere. As they sit in their farmhouse near Darlington, County Durham, monitoring the news bulletins for the latest information on the foot-and-mouth outbreak, they brace themselves for yet another setback
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Man's night out adds up to £300
A NIGHT out in Bishop Auckland cost a 23-year-old man more than £300 yesterday. Christopher Davison, of Elm Terrace, Bishop Auckland, apologised to magistrates in Newton Aycliffe for his behaviour outside the Queens Hotel in the early hours of last Sunday
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Police dog victim awarded £15,000
A father-of-three last night won £16,500 compensation after he was attacked by a police dog. A jury upheld a claim for damages by Lawrence Agar, 35, who said he was set upon by Bosco, a German Shepherd, before being sprayed in the face with CS gas, punched
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Reid happy to pitch in youngsters for Foxes tie
SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid, hit by four suspensions at Leicester this afternoon, calls up three youngsters into his squad - and stressed last night he would not be afraid to hand them their chances. Full-back George McCartney, who came on as a substitute
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Animal lab thugs raise fear for safety
NORTH-EAST shareholders of a controversial animal testing company were placed on alert last night after its managing director was beaten up by baseball bat wielding thugs. Brian Cass, boss of Huntingdon Life Sciences, was left with a gash to his head
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Fans and local firms team up to save the Imps
LINCOLN City have broken into unchartered territory as fans and local businesses teamed up to buy out former chairman John Reames and take control of the crisis-hit Third Division club. Imps chairman Rob Bradley spearheaded the Community Ownership Package
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Nestle reaps rewards from its sweet success
FOOD and drink giant Nestle, maker of Nescafe coffee, said it had reaped the reward of its "relentless push for continuous improvement", reporting record full-year figures. The group, which has its UK operations based in York, saw its net profits surge
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Malcolm makes the short move back to Boro
DARLINGTON Mowden Park's second row Jason Malcolm has rejoined Middlesbrough. Jim Dyson, Mowden Park's team manager, said: "He played for us all last season and half this. He has suffered a temporary loss of form and decided to go back to Middlesbrough
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Care staff upset by home closure
STAFF held an emotional meeting yesterday as the first of a care home's elderly residents was evacuated. Earlier this week Durham County Council announced that Syke House, in Burnopfield, was to be temporarily closed because fire precautions were sub-standard
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Abbey National takeover sent to competition commission
TRADE Secretary Stephen Byers has referred Lloyds TSB's proposed takeover of Abbey National to the Competition Commission. Mr Byers said the proposed acquisition raised enough competition concerns to warrant a reference to the commission. "The proposed
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Walder gets set to cap his momentous arrival
JUST a few months ago the name Dave Walder would have meant little to those outside the Newcastle Falcons' rugby faithful. But today the 22-year-old will announce his arrival as one of the country's most promising young players when he lines-up for the
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Ball guests run picket line of sports centre campaigners
LEISURE complex users picketed dignitaries at a council civic ball in a last ditch attempt to save their facilities. Save Our Spectrum banners greeted civic leaders and their guests as they gathered at the Spectrum Leisure Complex, in Willington, near
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Look what's brewing up on the web
WOULDN'T it be great if you could keep on working while you were enjoying that first slug of hot coffee in the morning? A new gadget from Lavazza, a big name in the espresso market, allows you to do just that by combining coffee maker with computer. It's
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Drugs carried as 'favour'
A man who was stopped by police at 7am on his way to work at a local bacon factory, had a cocktail of illegal drugs with him, a court heard yesterday. Terence Briggs, 29, of Borrowby Court, Guisborough, North Yorkshire, was jailed for three years at York
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Steve swaps the bard for brawn
CHEF Steve Sowerby has swapped the refined atmosphere of the Royal Shakespeare Company for the huff and puff of a Sunderland health club. The 43-year-old former catering manager for the RSC at Stratford has been appointed head chef at Springs, the SpringHealth
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Forster's injury headache
Guisborough manager Mark Forster is facing a major injury crisis for the home game against Morpeth this afternoon. Foster could be without 12 players for various reasons against struggling Morpeth, and he might have to play at left-back instead of the
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Beware the perils of pension forecasts
Q Readers should beware of the pensions forecasts you tell them to get. In 1994 the DSS told my husband his pension would be £112. He then took early retirement and when he got his pension last year it was only £70. Why the difference? A The DSS stress
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Animal rights and wrongs
A LONE beagle hunches in a narrow, metal cage, its brown eyes staring dolefully at the camera. This is animal experimentation as anti-vivisectionists would like you to see it, a canine death-row where the animals wait for a painful and pointless death
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Dog display team raises £1,000 for children's cancer ward
A PRISON dog display team has given a cash boost to the treatment of children with cancer. The team, based at Frankland Prison, in Durham City, is a popular attraction at shows and events around the region. Its efforts have raised about £1,000 for the
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Lormor saves Pool' with late effort
A LATE strike from Hartlepool United forward Anth Lormor kept Hartlepool United's unbeated run intact at the expense of his former club as Pool drew 1-1 with Mansfield at Victoria Park. Pool were trailing to Mark Blake's 56th minute strike, but substitute
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Karting kid aims for national team
COUNTY Durham's karting kid sensation John Stewart is racing to Kent this morning to see if he can make the national team. The nine-year-old, from Dipton, near Stanley, won his first major race last week at the Cumbria championships. Today, his father
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Shedding some light on bill-saving project
NEW street lights will help Durham County Council slash its electricity bills and help the environment. The council has completed a ten-year rolling programme of replacing almost 6,000 power-hungry mercury bulbs with high pressure sodium lights, which
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Teen night club hits the spot
A NIGHTCLUB is hoping to attract youngsters off street corners and through the doors. Progression, formerly Dexy's, in East Street, Darlington has launched a night for 13 to 18-year-olds. Only soft drinks are served at the Tuesday night events, which
