Archive
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Platforms for sorrow
AN eerie silence fell over the region yesterday as thoughts turned hauntingly to the victims of the Selby rail disaster. The usually bustling stations up and down the East Coast Main Line came to a standstill for a minute as passengers and staff stopped
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Whole new ball game as England stage fightback
England summoned up all their reserves of determination to bowl themselves back into the series against Sri Lanka just as they faced the prospect of another convincing defeat in the second Test. Beaten by an innings in the opener at Galle, the tourists
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Charlie's fundraising is a cut above
A BIG-hearted teenager is presenting a cheque for more than £1,600 to the hospital that gave her young cousin the priceless gift of life. Charlie Toothill, a student at Northallerton College, agreed to have her head shaved at a barbecue last year to raise
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University offices due to win approval
PLANS to build a home for a fast-expanding university department are likely to win approval. Durham city councillors will be recommended todayto approve Durham University's plans for offices and lecture rooms, for its growing centre for Middle-Eastern
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Family's appeal to find man
THE family of a missing man who suffers from epilepsy are desperately appealing for him to contact them. David Nixon, 45, went missing from his Gateshead home, on February 28, and has not been seen since. Police are asking residents, of nearby Whickham
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Hope of college use for campus
hope has emerged that at least part of Ripon's closing university campus could be retained for educational purposes. Despite a successful bid for £3m of Government money to kick-start the local economy, the city's economic future still seemed uncertain
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Charity runner puts his feet up
A MARATHON runner who works 25 miles out in the Irish sea has returned to dry land after raising £5,500 for Help the Aged. Peter Jamieson, 45, from Stockton, is a gas rig engineer working on British Gas's Morecambe Bay platform. Despite being at work
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B&B farmer ploughs ahead with -slavery' claim
A LOCAL authority is a step closer to being prosecuted under anti-slavery legislation. Hambleton District Council says farmer Len Webster is earning more from offering bed and breakfast than he is from farming and is, as a result in breach of a planning
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Sharp rise in hospital attacks
ATTACKS on hospital staff have risen sharply over recent months, says a health trust. A report by South Tees Acute Hospitals Trust, presented to health officials yesterday, revealed the number of physical assaults on staff soared to 79 last year. The
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Murder probe as stabbed man dies
POLICE launched a murder investigation yesterday after a man stabbed during a street row at the weekend lost his fight for life. David Huitson, 53, was knifed in the chest during the confrontation with an attacker on Sunday night. Mr Huitson, of Westfield
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Stratus books into new unit
ONE of the UK's fastest growing book publishing companies is to open a production facility in North Yorkshire, creating 50 jobs. Stratus Holdings will unveil its digital printing facility and office accommodation at Thirsk Industrial Park later this month
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Robbie's singer spreads drugs message
A SUPPORT act for superstar Robbie Williams spread the anti-drugs message live on stage yesterday. Singer David Graham is touring the North-East to spread the Crimestoppers anti-drugs message, and yesterday he took to the stage at the Newcastle Telewest
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Ramblers risk £5,000 fines as they flout 'keep out' order
RAMBLERS are openly disobeying regulations to keep out of the countryside during the foot-and-mouth crisis, despite threatened fines of up to £5,000. Hill walkers are continuing to flock to beauty spots around the North-East - with Roseberry Topping,
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Good Woman lets audience take a bow
The audience will take decisions, make judgments and get involved in the action in a free inter-active event before the main show at Harrogate Theatre next week. The Royal National Theatre is presenting Bertolt Brecht's The Good Woman Of Setzuan, from
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Today's news round-up from Northallerton
Prison work delayed: Drivers in Northallerton could face more delays, as work rebuilding the town's prison wall is running five weeks behind schedule. East Road, which runs past the young offenders' institution, has been closed and a one-way system put
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Penney printer's mixed fortunes
IN A market town like Darlington, a printer was a very important person. He was the centre of commerce, politics and culture. In the era of the fly-poster, in the days before newspapers, businessmen wanting to advertise their prices came to the printer
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Time to find mystery owner
An appeal has been launched to find the owner of a gold-coloured pocket watch. The Swiss-made piece was found in a garden of a house in Waldridge Road, in Chester-le-Street. The inscription on the back says it belonged to E.J. Hurkett, who was awarded
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Top citizens sought for award honour
PEOPLE have until the end of next month to submit their nominations for Darlington's Citizen of the Year. Darlington Borough Council and The Northern Echo have launched the annual hunt for the town's unsung heroes - the volunteers and charity workers
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Scheme helps people to vote
PEOPLE in Hartlepool are being encouraged to register to vote under a new, simplified system. Since last month, voters have been able to register at any time of the year to take part in an election. Postal votes have also been made available on demand
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Dog owners suspected of vandalism
CHURCHYARD signs calling on dog owners to behave responsibly have been destroyed by vandals. Dog owners who refuse to clean up after their pets, are being blamed for the damage at St Margaret's Church, Brotton, east Cleveland. In the past few months,
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Mother lives in fear after stabbing
A mother who was gunned down by one of the North-East's most notorious gangsters is in fear of her life after being stabbed, the Northern Echo can reveal. Heather Honey, 28, has spoken at length from her secret hideaway for the first time since she testified
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Sponsors could face ethical scrutiny
THE collapse of a controversial sponsorship deal could lead to the establishment of a group of councillors to look into the ethics of such deals. Businesses in Stockton were furious when food manufacturer Nestle's proposed £300,000 sponsorship for the
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Estate's community centre dream is turned into reality
KEYS that will unlock a 50-year-old dream have been presented to residents on a Shildon estate. Since their homes were built in the 1950s, people living on the Jubilee Estate have wanted their own community centre. Six years ago, campaigners founded a
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Healing hands that offer welcome relief from pain
IT could have been very different if I had simply reached into the freezer box and got out some ice to put on my injured leg. But, instead, like many people, I decided to do nothing, reckoning that time was the best healer. How wrong I was. When I began
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The world really has gone mad
THE minimum wage is to go up to £4.10 an hour. Which still means that the low paid would have to work for nearly two weeks to buy the very ordinary looking T shirt that Victoria Beckham wore to Brooklyn's birthday party. We might need a minimum wage.
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Prudence may prove popular
IT was an uneventful Budget. A safe Budget. A clever Budget. Clever because Gordon Brown gave enough away, but not too much. In 1997, Kenneth Clarke cut income tax on the eve of the election and his transparency cost the Tories votes. Voters like to feel
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Charity for kids seeks volunteers
A charity which provides low cost children's toys is looking for volunteers. The East Durham Play and Community Network, based in Trimdon Grange, has been established since 1990. The play resource centre provides art and craft materials, hire equipment
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Under orders
WHICH headline would you like? A Budget for enterprise? A Budget for families? A Budget for regeneration? A Budget for public services? A Budget for the future? Some might say A Budget for votes, but the best description is A Budget for getting the vote
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Ministry struggles to halt outbreak
A PALL of smoke hung over one of the main trunk roads from the North-East to Scotland yesterday, as the latest pyre of farm animals in the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic was lit. Motorists faced a lengthy diversion as police closed off a five-mile section
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Slipper happy as a sand boy
FORM figures which resemble a string of coconuts are sometimes very misleading. A point highlighted by Sergeant Slipper (4.00), fancied to come good in the five-furlong seller at Wolverhampton this afternoon. Although woefully out-of-sorts so far this
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Elliott is freed by Bennett
Darlington yesterday sprang a surprise by allowing midfielder Stuart Elliott to join Third Division rivals Plymouth Argyle. Elliott was signed in the summer after he was released by Newcastle United and has started 27 games for Quakers this season. His
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Holiday TV show highlights Hartlepool
AN unlikely North-East destination could soon be on the holiday map thanks to a TV show. Next week, BBC's Holiday 2001 will feature a report from Hartlepool alongside more glamorous visits to Bologna and Mexico City. Although Hartlepool is popular with
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North-East hit by fresh outbreak
A NEW case of foot-and-mouth was confirmed in the North-East last night as the total number of outbreaks nationwide rose to 81. Tests revealed the infection had spread to a smallholding at Witton-le-Wear, County Durham, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
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Passengers in drive to reshape bus network
BUS services in Gateshead are changing - thanks to suggestions from passengers. Go Gateshead - part of the Go North-East group - is planning a series of alterations after holding a passengers' "surgery'' and meeting borough councillors Paul Tinnion and
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Schools in the running for go-ahead on sports college scheme
plans have been unveiled to set up a specialist sports college which would cover disadvantaged communities. The project, which has been submitted to the Department for further Education and Employment for approval, is a joint venture by Easington Community
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Residents to have say over seacoaling
THE future of a town's seacoaling could be left in the hands of residents. Hartlepool people are to be given the chance to have their say as part of a council investigation into the practice. For decades, people in the town have complained that seacoalers
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Town begins blitz on litter
RESIDENTS are being asked to get involved in a clean-up operation in Hartlepool. Spring Clean Hartlepool is a three-month blitz on rubbish, starting later this month. The initiative, organised by the council's Pride in Hartlepool initiative, is part of
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Ofsted to consider teacher's sacking in report
THE wife of a deputy headteacher who was unfairly dismissed has been told by education watchdogs they will take her husband's case into account when issuing a report on a local education authority. Gill Hetherington wrote to the Government's Office for
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Probation for heroin mother
A MOTHER who stole to feed her heroin habit and drove illegally to visit her infant son who was in hospital for drugs treatment, escaped a prison sentence yesterday. Donna Marie Cooper, 26, was put on probation for two years by Harrogate magistrates and
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Sell-off of houses could pay for repairs
THIRTY five houses in Newcastle may be sold off under plans being considered by the city council. The Labour-run city council said the move would help solve a backlog of repairs, totalling more than £300m. It is examining options including transferring
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Too much strain taking the train
I TRAVELLED to London by train the other week, shortly before the crash near Selby. Never again. The train pulled into Darlington on time, which was a positive start, but a computer problem at Newcastle meant there were no seat reservations. And then
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Volunteers can air their views
A SERIES of lunchtime seminars, being held this month, aims to give people involved with voluntary organisations the chance to air their views. They have been organised by One Voice Network, a collective of local community, and voluntary organisations
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Lives, by any standard, remarkable
DEATH'S sting may be even worse than Gadfly's, and these past few weeks - though there can be no apology for it - it has become something of an obituary column. Three more file mournfully for attention today: a Prussian countess with a Spennymoor connection
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Collection is a record breaker
A ROYAL collection of souvenirs that started with a deck of cards has grown into the biggest in the world. Magistrate Anita Atkinson has been rewarded for 25 years of hoarding with a certificate from Guinness World Records. Last year, she moved the 1,781
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Surgery proposal for council offices
FORMER council offices are to be transformed into a doctors' surgery it has been confirmed. Shildon Town Council has agreed a price for the sale of its old offices in Burke Street. Town Clerk Tom Toward said: "We have had an offer which we have accepted
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Letters
POWER LINES ONCE again we hear of new evidence of a possible link between power lines and leukemia (Echo, Mar 5). I hope that the new report will make clear the part different factors play in causing leukemia and other cancers. In the unlikely event that
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Sandra is unlucky at Lucks . . . and at Dressers
LUCKS closed in January 1966. About 70 people were made redundant. Then Dressers took over Lucks' building on High Row. It closes this month, and about 70 people will be made redundant. For Sandra Patterson, it is an unenviable double: she was made redundant
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Store scheme gives hope to jobless
A STORE chain's plan to get unemployed Durham people into work is getting under way with an interview technique training programme. Retail chain Tesco has signed up 340 jobless locals, as potential employees, for the multi-million pound supermarket it
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More sport on the agenda
A COMMUNITY college is pushing for better use of sporting facilities with the introduction of a sports coordinator. Gary Purcell has taken on the role at King James I Community College in Bishop Auckland. He said: "I will work with primary and secondary
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Tea tradition waltzes back
EVERYTHING stopped for tea as 1930s-style tea dances made a return to a top North Yorkshire hotel. Ballroom dancing, accompanied by a quartet, took over from the DJ-led disco dancing as guests tucked into dainty sandwiches and fancy cakes in the Majestic
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Why this crisis is all about money
THE foot-and-mouth crisis had been running for about a week before news emerged that animals can be vaccinated against it. And a further week or so passed before it was widely reported that the disease, far from being fatal to the infected animals, is
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Volunteers call by toy group
A CHARITY which provides low-cost children's toys is seeking volunteers. The East Durham Play and Community Network, in Trimdon Grange, has been operating since 1990. The play resource centre provides arts and crafts materials, and hires out equipment
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Village life goes on view
DIGITAL photography and artwork by young people from a former mining community has gone on display in a south Durham heritage centre. Evenwood Digital Arts Crew, based at Evenwood Community Centre, worked with video artist Peter Allinson to produce a
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Fencing Pupils are a cut above the rest
SIX youngsters have hit the mark in a fencing competition. The pupils, including some from Teesside High School, Eaglescliffe, and Polam Hall School, Darlington, took part in the Regional Qualifiers of the National Under 12s, and Under 14s Competition
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Threads and retail give Coats boost
A RADICAL shake-up of operations by textiles company Coats Viyella has paid off for the business, with a 35 per cent rise in pre-tax profits at its remaining operations. Sir Harry Djanogly, chairman, said the past year had seen "heartening improvements
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Ex-officer's defence spray was noxious
FORMER policeman Bob Gardiner was left "a broken man" after his bid to market a defence spray fell foul of the law. The former Durham Police sergeant poured his savings into marketing an anti-attack spray. But, following a lengthy legal fight, he admitted
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Community group given £500 cash lift
A WOMAN'S tireless community work has brought a cash award. Rosamund Finlay, who works for the Community Service Volunteers (CSV) group in Barnard Castle, has been transporting elderly people to and from health appointments for three years. Pearl Assurance
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2,000 jobs to go at Britannic
INSURANCE company Britannic Assurance is to axe 2,000 jobs over the next year. Most of the redundancies will be within Britannic's direct salesforce as the company seeks savings of £82m during the next year. The Birmingham firm said the competitive insurance
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Endeavour heading home for good
More than two centuries after Captain Cook set sail for the unchartered waters of Australia in his legendary ship Endeavour, a couple are looking to bring the great vessel back to its spiritual home. Colin and Rachael Jenkinson have ambitious plans to
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Stan bows out with promise unfulfilled
Stan Collymore's career found its final resting place in Oviedo yesterday when he announced his shock retirement from football at the age of 30. Collymore's decision caught his sport unawares and left those who guided him as best they could through a
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Canny Chancellor
Gordon Brown yesterday set the stage for a spring General Election as he unveiled a £4bn Budget giveaway. Tax cuts to help the low-paid and families with children, together with a boost for schools and hospitals, were targeted at Labour's deprived heartlands
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John North
WAVING the flag, as ever, last week's column touched upon the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's visit to Co Durham on May 27, 1960. Whilst there is nothing presently to add to the Case of the Prettified Pittleybeds - in Horden, it may be recalled, the
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DSI answers the call and plans treble expansion
A DISTRIBUTION centre on Tyneside is to create 200 jobs. Direct Solution International (DSI), on the Viking Industrial Park, Jarrow, plans to treble the size of its operation over the next two years. The company's core business is print-to-post handling
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DuPont's £7m investment
DUPONT Nylon is ploughing a further £7m into its plant at Wilton. The announcement takes the company's total capital expenditure on its Teesside plant over the past seven years to a massive £250m. DuPont Nylon's latest investment enables the company to
