Archive
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Pensioner found safe
PENSIONER Charles Dickens, 69, who disappeared a month ago from Darlington Memorial Hospital, has been found safe. Mr Dickens has a history of sleeping rough. He had been sighted in various locations, but there were concern over his health. After an appeal
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Time to register for election day
Hambleton residents have been warned that the deadline is looming to register to cast a vote in the May elections. District council chiefs say time is running out for anyone wanting to meet the March 12 deadline to be added to the electoral roll. Anyone
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Protest march changes venue
AN event on Teesside to mark International Women's Day has had to be rearranged after a venue was hit by floods. The Reclaim the Night march will now end at Thornaby Youth Club, Baysdale Road, instead of South Thornaby Community Centre. The march leaves
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Radio duo panting with fun
RADIO presenters Clem and Fisch are getting down to the bare essentials as part of a comedy campaign. The duo, hosts of BBC Radio Cleveland's Red Balls on Fire and Talking Balls, donned Y-fronts to say Pants to Poverty. They are hoping others will support
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Rugby stars' coaching day
BUDDING rugby players in Chester-le-Street will have the chance to be coached by their Newcastle Falcons heroes on Saturday. Players from the Kingston Park club will be joining Chester-le-Street Rugby Club's under-13 team at their training session at
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Praise for college garrison centre
A COLLEGE centre at Catterick Garrison has received praise from Government inspectors. The Further Education Funding Council inspected the College of Technology, in Darlington, earlier this year, and yesterday released its findings. The centre at Catterick
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College told it could do better
A DARLINGTON college has received a mixed report from Government inspectors. The Further Education Funding Council inspected Darlington College of Technology earlier this year and released its findings yesterday. It said: "The college is well managed.
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Taking on board upkeep of bus shelters
PARISH councils across Richmondshire look likely to be given responsibility for bus shelters in their community - whether they like it or not. The district authority wrote to clerks requesting parish council views. Of the 39 village administrations, only
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Free testing offer to trace radon gas
LETTERS go out this month to homes across the Richmondshire district which could be at risk from the silent menace of radon gas. Occurring naturally, it is odourless and colourless - but high levels of radon have been linked to cancer clusters. The Government
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Disabled miss horse therapy
DISABLED people are missing out on therapy because of the crisis. Riding centres for the disabled, in common with other animal keepers, have had to limit access to prevent further spread of foot-and-mouth. Claire Jones, manager of Middlesbrough's Unicorn
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Fans flood website with votes for strip
A FOOTBALL club has been overwhelmed by the number of supporters voting for their choice of colours for next season's away strip. About 2,500 fans have logged on to Middlesbrough Football Club's website in five days to vote for their favourite design,
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Turning rhetoric into work
IN his Budget on Wednesday, the Chancellor spoke eloquently of the North-South Divide, without mentioning it by name. He described how the prosperity of Britain overall had left too many places and communities lagging behind. We wholeheartedly endorse
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Very eventful mural
SOME of the most famous faces and events of the 20th Century feature on a school mural in Darlington. Pupils at Reid Street Primary School worked with artists Hugh and Lotte Shankland to produce the mural, which is on the school office wall. The artwork
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Smokers can swap cigarettes for healthy gift
SMOKERS are being given an extra reason to quit and possibly save their lives by the Tees and Durham Energy Efficiency Advice Centre. Next week, anyone who wants to quit the habit will be able to exchange 20 cigarettes for two life-saving carbon monoxide
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Police crackdown to stop nuisance by youngsters
POLICE in Ferryhill have launched an initiative to reduce youth disorder. From today, there will be extra patrols in the Church Lane area, following complaints about youths causing a nuisance in the early evening. PC Barbara Brown said: "We'll be speaking
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Schoolwork goes on-line
LESSONS are continuing for pupils in the country - even though they cannot get to school because of foot-and-mouth. Youngsters who live near affected farms, or whose school has been closed by the outbreak, are keeping up with their studies via the Internet
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Residents face rise in council tax payments
RICHMONDSHIRE residents will be paying just over eight per cent more for council services from the end of the month. The district authority has set its rate for a Band D property at £864.68 - which is £64.28 more than last year. However, at a full meeting
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Day of events aims to help women say -no' to violence
A RANGE of activities has been organised to persuade women to say no to violence, as part of a national day. Members of Cleveland Domestic Forum will be at Middlesbrough's Hill Street Centre, to promote International Women's Day, today. They will ask
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Cort all-clear is big boost for Robson
Newcastle boss Bobby Robson yesterday received the news he was desperate to hear when striker Carl Cort was given the go ahead to resume full training. The 23-year-old visited his specialist yesterday and was told that he can put his injured hamstring
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Letters
HILLSBOROUGH THE massive sum of money awarded to the police sergeant involved in the Hillsborough Disaster makes one wonder how anyone can come to the decision when other families who lost children were awarded derisory amounts. Surely, anyone joining
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Dean's dream move to Boro
The controversial deal which should have seen Dean Windass move from Bradford to Middlesbrough will have to be renegotiated. Windass last night completed the transfer, which was thought to involve Boro paying £600,000 up front, with a further £400,000
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School arson 'putting lives in jeopardy'
FIREFIGHTERS have warned that lives are being endangered after an arson attack at a school. The blaze at Spennymoor Comprehensive School on Monday night started in a lavatory block. According to police it was caused by a lavatory roll holder being set
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Ruth Campbell writes...
MICHAEL Jackson is in Britain this week, lecturing us all on how to bring up our children. This, from a twice-divorced man who employs more than a dozen nurses and nannies to care for his two children, Prince and Paris, and who, seven years ago, faced
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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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The day the Queen came to tea
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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Virus alert at abattoir
THE shadow of foot-and-mouth fell across another corner of the North-East last night as police cordoned off an abattoir suspected of harbouring the disease. Government vets moved in last night to inspect the abattoir run by Stockton Butchers Slaughterhouse
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Mandelson repoprt out today55
Prime Minister Tony Blair will today publish the eagerly-awaited Hammond Inquiry report into the Hinduja passport affair, which led to the resignation of Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson. Sir Anthony Hammond was charged by Mr Blair with investigating
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Bus drivers strike over pay claim
BUS drivers and garage staff at a North-East depot will strike tomorrow as planned. Staff at the Go-Northern depot, in Bishop Auckland, voted to strike after pay negotiations with the company broke down. The move could see passengers in rural areas surrounding
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Scooby's shock Sunderland win
RANK outsider Ourdogscoobydoo, a 20-1 shot, was the shock winner of Sunderland's £1,000 open competition. The East Boldon regulars gave Graham Calvert's dog little chance, especially when one of the finalists was withdrawn, making it a five-dog race,
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Dying woman painting withdrawn
AN artist has been asked to withdraw one of his paintings from an exhibition in his local library. Chris Coates, of Dean Street, Shildon, is displaying work on the theme of the moth and motherhood in the children's section. He was asked to remove a picture
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Library users face 2p-a-day fines rise
LIBRARY fines are being increased from 10p to 12p a day as part of charge increases for arts, libraries and museums services agreed by Durham County Council. The maximum charge for an overdue book will rise from £6 to £7.20 from the new financial year
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Emily's a little life-saver for mum
QUICK-THINKING schoolgirl Emily Roachford saved her mother's life when she suffered a severe asthma attack. Brydie Roachford, 33, was taken ill so quickly she did not have time to use her inhaler. So cool-headed Emily, seven, came to the rescue and pushed
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Life is sweet in Kandy for skipper
NASSER Hussain repaid a perceived debt to the dressing room by ending his long wait for a century and spearheading a spirited England response to Sri Lanka's explosive start to the second Test. Since the start of last summer, England have enjoyed incredible
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Plan for £100m centre of excellence
A £100m project to establish a centre of excellence in developing new products was announced yesterday. The Knowledge Campus will occupy a 51-acre site overlooking the Tyne, at Gateshead. It will bring together companies at the cutting edge of the product
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Pubs aiding autistic boy
PUBS in Bishop Auckland are pulling out all the stops to give a three-year-old autistic boy the chance of a normal life. Fundraising begins in earnest next week, backed by licensees and staff in the Market Place, where Conor Hardy's father, Geoff, works
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Council awaits complaint over sexual harassment
ALLEGATIONS of sexual harassment within a town hall will not be investigated - unless there is a formal complaint. Catterick Village councillor Tony Pelton stunned a full meeting of Richmondshire District Council on Tuesday night when he used the council
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Feedback from passengers prompts bus route shake-up
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 James
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Demand for a public say over future of new school
AN education authority is being criticised for failing to consult the public over the future of a new school. Freebrough Community College is due to open in September following the amalgamation of three east Cleveland secondary schools - Warsett, in Brotton
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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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Cyber help to quit the weed
Next week sees the annual day set aside to help smokers give up the evil weed. And smoking surfers are not left out, with plenty of useful advice, help and information provided online. The official No Smoking Day site at www.nosmokingday.org.uk was still
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Pregnant witness in custody
A WOMAN called as a witness in an armed robbery trial is in hospital - under police guard. Eight months pregnant Georgina Agiadis is being denied visits from any member of her family, including her husband, Dean, as she lies in a side ward next to the
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Hague urged to back pylon controls
TORY leader William Hague is to be urged to support an Early Day Motion in the Commons, which would lead to more stringent controls on power lines across the UK. Bedford MP Patrick Hall wants Westminster to grant the electricity regulator the authority
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Fundraisers earn praise
NURSES at a medical practice in Thornaby have thanked the supporters of Teesside Asthma Group for supplying them with equipment. The group has spent 12 months fundraising for the Thornaby and Barwick Medical Group and, earlier in the year, presented a
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Players may go
THE owners of the Newcastle Jesters ice hockey club could face legal action over unpaid wages to players and staff, it emerged last night. About £50,000 is believed to be owed from last month's wages and was due more than a week ago. Representatives of
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Mourners line streets to say farewell to tragic schoolboy
HUNDREDS of mourners from around the country lined the streets of a North-East town yesterday for the funeral of 16-year-old Levi George Price. The popular schoolboy, who was found hanged in the garden of his home at Louvaine Terrace, Ferryhill, County
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DJ lecturer to spin out tricks of the trade
HAVE you ever wondered what DJs do - apart from playing loud music and wearing even louder shirts? Some of the best DJing techniques and tricks of the trade, used by the club world's finest such as Pete Tong, Fat Boy Slim and Grandmaster Flash, will be
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Team aims to set fire to area's arson reputation
A NEW team is to help a corner of the North-East shake off its reputation as the arson capital of Europe. An Arson Investigation Team is about to begin operating on Teesside. With the help of £80,000 of Home Office funding, it hopes to drive down the
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Secrecy row over circuit cash deal
CONTROVERSY over an out-of-court settlement with a racing circuit has continued to dog the council which administers the area. Senior executives and a panel of five councillors sanctioned a deal which is thought to have seen as much as £40,000 handed
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Families predict road chaos if 60-bedroom home is built
PLANS for a three-storey residential care home are being opposed by families living nearby in the town centre. Householders close to the site of the proposed 60-bedroom care home in Hopgarth Gardens, Chester-le-Street, say the increase in traffic would
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Arthur's silence is golden
IT was love at first sight as Arthur and Gladys Rodham's eyes met across a crowded dance floor. And after 50 years together, they still only have eyes for each other. Mr Rodham, 71, has proved that romance doesn't have to fade with the years. For unbeknown
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Husband's anger over death
A husband has vowed to carry on his fight after an emergency service said "sorry" when his wife died following a five-hour wait for an ambulance. Mandy Gray, 38, celebrated Christmas and Boxing Day with her husband Neil, 31, and children Wayne, 15, Kyle
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Salmon return 'sign of better water quality'
SALMON have returned to a North Yorkshire river - for the first time in living memory. Cod Beck, near Thirsk, has been presumed unfit for the species because of the acidic nature of the Swale, into which it flows. However, anglers taking part in a fishing
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Folk festival's tribute to Ireland
A FESTIVAL that takes place around St Patrick's Day will this year have buttonholes of English shamrocks. Members of Darlington Folk Club had difficulty obtaining shamrocks from Ireland last year, so they decided to grow their own. Club treasurer Bobb
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Police recover body of man from river
THE body of a man was recovered by police from a river yesterday. A member of the public spotted the body in the water, near the former Kepier Hospital, around 200 yards down river from the Sands area of Durham city. Emergency services were called out
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Town favours cabinet-style democracy
RESIDENTS have voted in favour of a mayor and cabinet to run their town. Every home in Hartlepool was sent a form asking residents to choose whether they want the council to be run by a mayor and cabinet, or a mayor and council manager. All councils must
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Plea for witnesses after rape
AN APPEAL has been made three months after a rape attack, to witnesses who may have been in the vicinity at the time of the incident. Police said the 48-year-old victim only recently reported the traumatic incident, which took place on Saturday, December
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Mithak has class to overcome break
THERE'S an old adage in horseracing that says class will always tell, a theory likely to be put to the test if you're thinking of backing Mithak (3.45) in the £10,000 Tote-sponsored Showcase Handicap Hurdle at Sandown today. Formerly with Barry Hills,
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Constable clocks up 32 years
CLEVELAND'S longest-serving constable is ready to call it a day after more than 32 years with the force. Stockton crime prevention officer, Detective Constable Wallace Sayer, is retiring at the end of the month. DC Sayer, 52, has lived in the town since
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Just waiting
THE worst has been confirmed. After a fortnight when the farmers and vets of North Yorkshire held their breath, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth has hit the heart of the Dales. Confirmed yesterday, Wensleydale is among the latest to fall victim to the scourge
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Two men sought in murder inquiry
MURDER squad detectives hunting the killer of drugs tycoon Peter Beaumont-Gowling are trying to trace two men seen in the area on the day of the murder. Detective Superintendent Derek Storey, who is heading the inquiry, said the men were seen in an alley
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Cut-price deal for women golfers
SOUTH Moor Golf Club, near Stanley, has launched a drive to attract women members, by waiving joining fees. The women's section, captained by Jean Golightly, of Stanley, enjoyed success last year, winning the Anderson League and the Tomlinson Cup. The
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New Cheltenham plans
Bosses at Cheltenham were yesterday desperately trying to salvage the National Hunt Festival by staging the fixture next month. The three days beginning on April 24 are the favourite for the rescheduled fixture, with the week before that also a possibility
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High-tech swipe cards bring lunch break into the 21st century
LUNCH times are becoming high-tech affairs in North-East schools where pupils no longer have to pay by cash. Swipe card technology means youngsters will no longer have to carry money in their pockets and risk losing it or having it stolen. The new system
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Chancellor to reveal power for the people
CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott have chosen the North-East to announce a massive boost for the regions today. As well as pledging hundreds of millions of pounds towards job creation and regeneration, the announcement may
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Intruders helped fall victim
INTRUDERS saved a man who fell 20ft from a ladder while he was boarding up an empty house. Father-of-two Brian Roberts, 45, landed on concrete after he slipped and fell to the ground, injuring his ankle, neck and head. The council joiner was answering
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Panicking addict fled from police
A heroin addict who escaped from police because he thought he would be deprived of his methadone has walked free from court. Steven Mansfield, 27, was stopped by officers after they saw him driving a Vauxhall Belmont with an unrestrained child standing
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Counselling success for Val
SINGLE mother Val Doherty has realised an ambition by becoming a counsellor after five years of study. The 34-year-old gained her HNC counselling diploma at Bishop Auckland College while working full-time and caring for her two children. She also recently
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Food for thought in store
SUPPORTERS of fair trade foods are to encourage councillors and residents in Stockton to change the way they eat. The Mayor of Stockton, Pete Andrew, and other councillors, will be served a Fairtrade breakfast next Tuesday to encourage them to serve Fairtrade
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Time capsule preserves record of town
IN the square of an east Durham new town, time will stand still for at least another century. At a ceremony yesterday, a time capsule, painting a picture of life in Peterlee in the new millennium, was buried under paving stones in the town centre. During
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Intruders helped fall victim
INTRUDERS saved a man who fell 20ft from a ladder while he was boarding up an empty house. Father-of-two Brian Roberts, 45, landed on concrete after he slipped and fell to the ground, injuring his ankle, neck and head. The council joiner was answering
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Town signing up for Blue Peter Bikeathon
CHILDREN in Darlington will take part in the first Blue Peter Bikeathon later this year, to raise money for leukaemia research. Darlington Mayor Councillor Dorothy Long will be in South Park to set children off on their bikes on Sunday, May 6, at 11am
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Decline of town hall highlighted
THE rapidly declining state of a town hall will be highlighted at a council meeting today. Since it opened in 1889, the town hall has been Middlesbrough's main performance venue, hosting acts ranging from pop bands to classical music, as well as civic
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Protests over 'rogue' cabbies
DISGRUNTLED taxi drivers in Darlington say the borough council is ignoring people breaching taxi regulations. They say the majority of drivers conform to regulations introduced by Darlington Borough Council last year. But they say others are in breach
