Archive
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Financial squeeze is blamed for rise in council tax bills
RATEPAYERS in north Durham will be paying more than the rate of inflation when their council tax is set today. A meeting of Derwentside District Council will see members agree an increase of 4.6 per cent - well above the 2.9 per cent rate of inflation
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Bogus official steals £1,000 from pensioner
A BOGUS official stole about £1,000 from a pensioner's home after claiming to be a social worker. She told the man she was investigating his gas bill. Once inside, she made an excuse to go upstairs then left in a hurry. When the pensioner went upstairs
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Is there a future for farming?
Richard Betton, 46, has been farming since 1976 and has 300 Swaledale sheep and 30 Angus cows, at Harwood-in-Teesdale. A first generation farmer and father of four, he is a member of Teesdale District Council, former county chairman for the National Farmers
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Organiser calls off seminar on agriculture
A SEMINAR for farmers which was to take place in the North-East later this week has been cancelled because of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The conference, on integrated crop management, was to have been held at Mount Oswald Golf Club, Durham, on Thursday
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Casualty unit access 'totally inadequate'
HEALTH service managers have promised an investigation after it emerged that ambulances will have difficulty reaching the casualty department of a new £90m hospital. Paramedics say the accident and emergency department at the hospital has been built too
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Inquiry vow over offender centre
LOCAL Government Minister Hilary Armstrong has promised to investigate allegations that young offenders are running riot at a North-East training centre. The move follows claims that up to three incidents a day are being reported at privately-run Hassockfield
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Peer's legs broken in freak accident at dog show
A NORTH Yorkshire peer is recovering from an accident in which she was pulled from her wheelchair by her Great Dane, at a dog show. Lady Masham of Ilton, confined to a wheelchair since a horse riding accident in 1958, was showing her dog, Patch, at a
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Job Search 2001
Home care assistant, Hartlepool, £3.80ph, up to 30hrs pw, experience in care of the elderly preferred but not essential. Ref: HAQ 15127. Typist, Billingham, £4ph, full time, temporary nine months, will be using Microsoft Office 2000, good keyboard skills
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War hero and wife conned
AN ELDERLY war hero and his 80-year-old wife have been robbed of hundreds of pounds they had saved for a holiday, by bogus water company officials. Two men, posing as officials, called at the couple's home on Saturday morning. They got the pensioners
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Doctors replay real-life drama
DOCTORS and nurses are using drama workshops to rehearse how they handle the sensitive issue of resuscitation. South Durham Health Care NHS Trust, which runs hospitals in Bishop Auckland and Darlington, is employing two professional actors from the Busy
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College rescuers decide to disband
A GROUP set up to safeguard further education in Billingham has disbanded after claiming it had achieved its goal. The Save Our College group was formed six years ago to try to stop plans to merge the Stockton and Billingham College sites in Thornaby.
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Complaints over children's carers are made easier
MAKING complaints against children's carers will be made easier under guidelines being introduced. Following an inquiry into the alleged abuse of children in care in North Wales last February, the Waterhouse report was drafted, outlining 72 recommendations
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Young footballers aided
YOUNGSTERS from a junior football team will be wearing new fleece jackets when they tackle teams from all over the country at Easter. The Under-14s team from Bishop Auckland District Football Association have secured sponsorship from J Barbour and Sons
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Magpies role for Peter
PETER BEARDSLEY has at last landed a job on Newcastle United's backroom staff - coaching the club's young strikers. Geordie legend Beardsley, who worked as a coach with England during Kevin Keegan's reign, will assist United's youth academy director Alan
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Eagles fly high to beat the Storm
Newcastle Eagles, fresh from their uni ball trophy semi-final triumph over Thames Valley Tigers on Saturday, returned home to thump Derby Storm in the BBL Championship on Sunday night. Eagles soared to a 109-89 victory, bagging ten points without reply
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Council to stick with most popular structure
GATESHEAD Borough Council is planning to operate permanently with a leader and cabinet after residents gave the idea their backing. More than 56 per cent of residents consulted through a survey in the council's magazine ,Council News, chose the option
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Outrage at no ban for killer driver
A judge came under fire last night for failing to impose an immediate driving ban on a racehorse trainer who killed a North-East stable girl in a crash after drinking. Jeff Pearce, 53, of Newmarket, Suffolk, yesterday pleaded guilty to causing the death
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Life study due to reveal all
THE results of a study into the quality of life in six north Durham villages go on display this weekend. Following mass consultations in Tantobie, Tanfield Village, Sleepy Valley, Clough Dene, White-le-Head and Flint Hill, residents will get their first
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Geordies sigh over bridge
HOMESICK Geordies from around the world have been bombarding a website dedicated to the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Gateshead Borough Council's www.tynebridgewebcam.com site has attracted around 1.2 million hits, with well over half of the visitors coming
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Domicilary worker, Durham area, £4ph, 16hrs pw nights and weekends, experience preferred but training given if necessary, must have own transport and
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Soccer centre decision
COUNCILLORS will run the rule over controversial plans for an indoor soccer centre, in Durham, tomorrow. Members of Durham City Council's development control committee will visit the site at New Ferens Park, on the city's Belmont Industrial Estate, before
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Regeneration challenge for new chairman
THE Billingham Regeneration Partnership has elected a new chairman to spearhead changes in the town. Businessman Roger Black will chair his first Regeneration board meeting on Monday at the Regeneration office, in Queensway, Billingham. Mr Black has lived
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Tourism chiefs woo schools
A NEWSLETTER has been published to help schools get the most out of their visits to attractions on Teesside. An adventure playship at Hartlepool Historic Quay, the new Discovery Centre at the Captain Cook Museum, at Middlesbrough, and the Dome that's
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Internet is way to success as Newcastle's profits rise 10%
NEWCASTLE Building Society's investment in the Internet is continuing to pay dividends. Such is the success of its Internet banking arm, which currently accounts for £200m of business, that the society is considering launching a euro account on the Internet
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Car plea in murder hunt
Detectives investigating the murder of Freddie Knights, who was blasted with a shotgun after being lured to his mother's home at Longbenton, North Tyneside, are trying to trace a maroon Renault 19. A police spokesman said the car, believed to have been
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Darlington target Waddle in double-transfer swoop
DARLINGTON last night revealed they are tracking former England international Chris Waddle and his Worksop Town teammate Kirk Jackson. Waddle, 40, say Quakers, is wanted to add some experience to the side while 40-goal striker Jackson almost came to Feethams
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New counselling service
STAFF at South Durham Healthcare NHS Trust can take advantage of a new counselling service from next month. The employee assistance programme, offered by the Personal Performance Consultants company, will be available to all staff and their immediate
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Chemical protection system ready to go
FILTER manufacturer domnick hunter expects the first orders for its new nuclear biological chemical (NBC) protection systems to boost business in the coming year. The company, which employs 700 people at its headquarters at Team Valley in Gateshead, has
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Arson suspected
ARSONISTS are believed to be responsible for a fire at a disused pub. The small fire started in the bar area of The Globe, in Whessoe Road, Darlington, just before 3.30pm yesterday. Station officer Steve Owers, of County Durham and Darlington Fire and
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The only course of action to take
WE stated yesterday that there was a clear conflict between the ban on the transportation of livestock and the continuation of horseracing in this country. Thankfully, a halt has been called to the sport for seven days - and it is not before time. Yesterday's
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Bridges facing the axe
WORK has started on a £500,000 scheme that will see two steel footbridges in East Durham "recycled''. Durham County Council is demolishing the Clara Street Bridge, in New Strangford Road, and Queen Alexandra Road Bridge, both in Seaham, because they are
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A fair chance
PEOPLE hunting for work are being urged to get along to the JobCentre in Northallerton next Tuesday, when it is playing host to a jobs fair. A number of local employers who have urgent vacancies will be present. They include Dalepak, Danby Foods, Lightwater
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Flight of the iron butterfly
A 3ft wrought-iron and stained glass butterfly sculpture has been stolen. The butterfly was taken from a compound owned by developer Bussey and Armstrong, in Darlington. It is part of a sculpture which was to form the centrepiece of the new West Park
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Meg is the new Shep
THE region's latest television star was "christened" on air last night. Blue Peter presenter Matt Baker, a farmer's son from Lanchester, County Durham, revealed the name of the BBC1 children show's new dog - she is to be called Meg. The 11-week-old pup
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Partnership opens door to store jobs
UNEMPLOYED people in Durham will discover today about job opportunities available through a regeneration scheme. Tesco supermarket is offering training and employment to jobless people when its Dragonville store opens in the autumn. The company hopes
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My yummy Valentine's
A LITTLE lovelorn, last week's column dwelt upon an unaccompanied February 14. Last week the lady returned, gingerly, to her feet. "Take her to Valentine's," suggested Tom Dobbin from Durham and, belatedly, we did. Though he considered the food very enjoyable
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Brown leading his pride of Lions into battle
Remembering the Sabbath, we have been talking for the first time since 1994 to Bobby Brown, pride of Hartlepool Lion FC. It was the year that the Lion reached the FA Sunday Cup final at Woking, a crate of Newcastle Brown in the dressing room - "I believe
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Fresh bin waste trial might be wheeled in
A TOWN'S method of waste disposal could place it in the national spotlight if trials for new equipment are approved. At a meeting of Middlesbrough Borough Council's cabinet today, members will be asked to give the go-ahead for a third wheelie-bin trial
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Driver gunned down near play area
A MAN was undergoing emergency surgery last night after being gunned down in daylight, close to a popular children's play area in a public park. The victim, who is believed to be a businessman in his 30s, was blasted in the stomach at close range in Preston
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Outbreak sees board call a seven-day halt
BRITISH racing faces a blank week following yesterday's decision to suspend the sport in response to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. The meetings at Catterick, Leicester and Wolverhampton were the last until Wednesday March 7, when the racing
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Hope for pitmen as compensation package is agreed
THOUSANDS of former North-East pitmen struck down by lung disease were last night given fresh hope in their claims for compensation cash. The Government announced that it had finally reached agreement with solicitors on a £400m package aimed at compensating
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Making David Beckham skipper is a big mistake
SVEN-GORAN Eriksson yesterday made his second big mistake as England coach - naming David Beckham as captain. The first was ignoring the nation's most natural on-pitch leader - Middlesbrough's Paul Ince. The Boro skipper is playing some of the best football
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Race to halt the farm nightmare
FARMERS were staring into the abyss last night with confirmation that foot-and-mouth had spread into new areas of the North. The Ministry of Agriculture yesterday announced two outbreaks of the disease in County Durham, as the nationwide total rose from
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Cannabis dealer spared jail
A MAN who admitted he earned £120 a week by selling cannabis to a dozen locals escaped immediate jail yesterday, because he told the truth. Judge Jonathan Crabtree told York Crown Court the "astonishing frankness" of Robert Haithwaite, 30, had enabled
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Man threw boiled kettle at girlfriend
A SPURNED lover threw boiling water over his girlfriend when she ordered him out of her house a court heard. Nicola Stone was scalded over her upper body, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday. Lee Carter, 30, attacked her after their eight-year relationship
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Cabaret night boost for global poverty
A CABARET evening to raise money for an international aid programme will take place next week. Making Even More of a Difference will bring together Teesside talent to support the idea that ordinary people can make a difference to the world. All money
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Approval to build dentist surgery
A TOWN centre dental surgeon has welcomed a council reversal that will allow him to build a £100,000 surgery with improved disabled access. Paul Ridgway feared he would have to leave Chester-le-Street after planners recommended that local councillors
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Woman stalked by ex-lover via e-mail
A JILTED lover used text messages to stalk his ex-girlfriend. Samantha Kitchen's mobile phone was deluged with increasingly frightening threats from 23-year-old Matthew Rodbourne. The messages from the cyber stalker threatened to e-mail intimate pictures
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Attacker left man blind in one eye
A 20-YEAR-old man has been left blind in one eye after a late-night attack. At about 10.30pm last Thursday, after he had been drinking for some time, the man left the Gamecock pub, in Peterlee. He was about to make his way to his parents' home, about
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Emergency action proposal revealed by county officials
FRONT-LINE council services operated across North Yorkshire will be maintained should any disaster strike at the county authority's headquarters - with the help of some instant buildings. If any sections of County Hall in Northallerton are put out of
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Regeneration challenge for new chairman
THE Billingham Regeneration Partnership has elected a new chairman to spearhead changes in the town. Businessman Roger Black will take charge of his first Regeneration board meeting on Monday at the Regeneration office, in Queensway, Billingham. Mr Black
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Low-energy lightbulb offer
BRIGHT sparks in Stockton are being encouraged to trade in their light bulbs to help the environment. As part of the Market Day Madness campaign, run by the Tees and Durham Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, staff will be giving away low energy lightbulbs
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Cabaret night boost for global poverty
A CABARET evening to raise money for an international aid programme will take place next week. Making Even More of a Difference will bring together Teesside talent to support the idea that ordinary people can make a difference to the world. All money
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New waste bins trial might be wheeled in
A TOWN'S method of waste disposal could place it in the national spotlight if trials for new equipment are approved. At a meeting of Middlesbrough Borough Council's cabinet today, members will be asked to give the go-ahead for a third wheelie-bin trial
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Future delights from Stephen
CLAIRVOYANT Stephen Holbrook will be delving into the spirit world when he brings his unusual talents to the county town of North Yorkshire. By day, Mr Holbrook is a hairdresser in his native Leeds, but, by night, he travels the country giving demonstrations
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Residents ready for mayhem at game
RESIDENTS of a North-East village are gearing themselves up for an afternoon of mayhem in a traditional Shrove Tuesday football match. Hundreds of people are expected to line the streets of Sedgefield, County Durham, today for the game, which has been
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Early years assistant, Darlington, £5 to £10ph, 10hrs pw flexible, must have experience of early years setting. Ref: DAE 23296. Senior nursery nurse
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Administrative officer, Northallerton, £15,210 to £16,680pa, 37hrs Mon-Fri, must be able to manage small team of clerical staff, closing date March
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Photographers snap up interesting images
SHOPPERS are being offered the chance to view images of Teesside and further afield as part of a photographic display. The exhibition, being staged at Middlesbrough's Cleveland Centre throughout this week, comprises of amateur foreign and local landscape
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Bishop makes breakfast visit
THE Bishop of Durham will give his blessing today to a co-operative that ensures decent working conditions for Developing World growers and producers. The Right Reverend Michael Turnbull will join sixth-formers from Chester-le-Street's Pelton Roseberry
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Karol's creative cream
A North-East marketing and PR firm is a growing concern. Karol Marketing, of Newcastle, clocked up ten new jobs in the past 12 months and expects to add a further 15 by April. That will take the workforce up to about 35, prompting a search for bigger
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Pace of decline remains the key
NEWS and events in the farming community have quite rightly pushed stock market news off the radar. The continuing drift in share prices will also bury market news below the more visible drifts of snow. The UK market remains mesmerised by the unfolding
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Youngsters aim to crack down on crime
YOUNGSTERS in Hartlepool are turning detectives in an effort to rid their estate of crime. Community bobby PC Keith Morrison has urged the children to join Throston Estate Crime Solvers (Tecs), a junior neighbourhood watch group for seven to 17-year-olds
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Residents encouraged to become webwise
RESIDENTS in Stockton and Billingham are being encouraged to go online to obtain a recognised qualification. Stockton and Billingham College has teamed up with the BBC to offer adult learners the chance to get a qualification in Internet skills. The ten-hour
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Epidemic hits education
SCHOOLS across the region became the latest casualties of the foot-and-mouth epidemic yesterday. Whitfield C of E First School near Hexham, Stamfordham County First School and Belsay County First School, all Northumberland, were closed. More than 70 pupils
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Band aims to make disc
A TOWN band is seeking sponsorship as it prepares to record its first compact disc. Spennymoor Town Band has already been given a cash boost of £600 from the town council to start the project. Secretary of the band, Hugh Stephenson, said its members were
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Campus camera boost
CAMPUS cameras are being monitored by police in a pioneering link-up to tighten security. The majority of the 38 CCTV cameras at Sunderland University sites have been connected to a Northumbria Police station in the city. The initiative, the first of
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All aboard the forest express
WOODLAND colours are being taken to the heart of a city on a vividly-painted train. The Great North Forest train was unveiled at the Newcastle Airport Metro station yesterday by world-renowned TV botanist David Bellamy. The train, carrying the message
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£600,000 scheme to resolve estate's flooding problems
A £600,000 engineering scheme is being activated to end flooding problems on a Ferryhill estate. People in the Cleves Cross area have had their homes flooded several times in recent years. The problem is caused by the area's drainage system, which has
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Guiders reunite for celebration
OLD friendships were renewed at a reunion to celebrate 50 years of Guiding in Newton Aycliffe. Current and former members of the Guides and Brownies met at St Clare's Church hall. Guests came from far afield, including a former Guide who now lives in
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Home care assistant, Hartlepool, £3.80ph, up to 30hrs pw, experience in care of the elderly preferred but not essential. Ref: HAQ 15127. Typist, Billingham
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Top QC offers to help in case of shamed surgeon
A LEADING QC who headed an inquiry into one of Britain's most shocking medical scandals has offered to help victims of shamed surgeon Richard Neale. Jean Ritchie led a year-long inquiry into the case of Kent consultant Rodney Ledward, who was struck off
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Designer watch mystery
THE owner of an expensive watch, found in a hospital, is being soughtl. The steel and gold-coloured Gucci watch, thought to be worth hundreds of pounds, was found at Middlesbrough's South Cleveland Hospital, on Thursday, February 8. They handed it in
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Unwanted bridges recycled
TWO recycled bridges will be put up in the Wear Valley area by Durham County Council. The steel footbridges will be installed at Wolsingham, in Weardale and across the River Gaunless at West Auckland, Near Bishop Auckland. Work will begin next Monday
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Inquest on car valet opens
AN inquest into the death of a young car valet has been opened in Darlington. Mystery still surrounds the death of Barry Geldard, 21, after he returned home after a night out clubbing on Teesside on Saturday, February 17. Mr Geldard, who had only been
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Football club boss quits over poison pen letter campaign
THE chairman of one of the North-East's leading amateur football clubs has quit after being barraged by hate mail. A series of poison pen letters blaming Bill Penman for Crook Town's desperate plight at the bottom of the Albany Northern League have been
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The thief who struck more than the wrong note
AS WELL as the main organ, we have a lovely 19th Century chamber instrument in our church which is chiefly used for the anthem during the Holy Communion. This organ is in the south aisle and the choir leave their places in the chancel to stand beside
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Commemorative tankard recalls wartime rescue mission
A TANKARD presented to a fishing boat that rescued an RAF pilot more than 50 years ago has been uncovered. The tankard was given to the crew of the boat which picked up the pilot in the water off Hartlepool, in early 1940. The Alaskan fishing boat rescued
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US visit offers a chance for silent connor
AT three years old, Conor Hardy is bright yet can only speak two words - "Mam" and "no". He looks like any healthy child, but his behaviour is different and he is unable socialise with his peers. The County Durham youngster suffers from autism and there
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Man and three children in cliff rescue
A MAN and three children had a lucky escape when they were rescued by auxillary coastguards making a routine check of Saltburn cliffs. The coastguards, from Skinningrove, spotted four people trapped by the rising tide at the foot at Huntcliff at about
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Turning the tide for the British resort
MORE than 1,000 years ago, King Canute sat on an English beach and tried to turn back the tide. Now, seaside resorts are hoping for greater success with their own attempt to confound expectations. Whereas for Canute it was a stunt to prove he was not
