Archive
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Comment from The Northern Echo - A victim of his own spin
HAD Peter Mandelson been forced out of a company, rather than a government, he would now have a strong case for constructive dismissal. According to the Hammond Inquiry, the Hartlepool MP did nothing wrong, yet he is out of the Government and there appears
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Campaign has TV dodgers in its sights
NORTHALLERTON is the latest area to be targeted in a crackdown on homes without television licences. More than 100 licence evaders are caught out each year in the DL6 and DL7 postcode areas, and the TV licensing campaign, Target Zero, is now focusing
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Biblical claim to fame is forgotten
THE residents of a North-East town have suffered from collective amnesia and forgotten that it was one of the cradles of the English-speaking world. The good people of Chester-le-Street, in County Durham, always remember that their town gave birth to
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Footpaths reminder is issued
OFFICIALS have issued a reminder over footpath closures, this weekend. Rights of way which cross farmland in Hartlepool have been shut until further notice, in the interests of local farmers and landowners. People have generally heeded the closures, and
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Buddies system is route to better life
STUDENT Sarah Munro has acquired a new buddy in Charlotte Kemp. Charlotte, 17, a volunteer at the Darlington branch of Barnardo's, is taking part in the charity's buddy system. Sarah, 16, is a special needs pupil at Beaumont Hill School, in Darlington
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Weights room of centre closed over safety worry
A DURHAM City Council-run weights room has been closed because of fears about the safety of some equipment. Council officials closed the room at the Sherburn Sports Centre yesterday afternoon, after receiving a letter from the Health and Safety Executive
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PC slips up on sax appeal
IT was music to PC Vicky Lacey's ears when reports came in to be on the lookout for a thief - who had stolen a saxaphone. So when she spotted a suspect matching the crook's description she moved in. She took the man to the police station for questioning
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Areas put on flood alert
PARTS of east Cleveland were put on the Environment Agency's Floodwatch scheme for the first time during bad weather earlier this week. Skinningrove, which flooded three times last year, and Saltburn beck now come under the care of the agency, thanks
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Pub players call off league's fixtures
A RURAL darts league has become the latest victim of the crisis, with players forced to call off matches for fear of spreading the disease. Players, many of them farmers, have already postponed a handful of matches in the Barnard Castle and District Darts
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Family says thanks with £1,000 gift
THREE generations of a family paid tribute to a charity by handing over a cheque for £1,000. Brian Clark, his wife Beryl, daughter Tina Greensitt and grandchildren Hannah and Andrew, presented the cheque to the Alzheimer's Society on behalf of communications
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Initiative tackles burglary spree
POLICE officers are undertaking a face-to-face offensive to help to cut a crime wave on a housing estate. Crime prevention panel members from Langbaurgh police are calling at each of the 350 homes on the Eston Under Nab estate and telling residents of
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Interesting exercise in ecclesiastical democracy
WHEN Norman de Bretteville gave Yafforth a church in 1208 it was "to celebrate divine service, every day for ever". Forever's a pretty long time, of course, and, over 900 years, Yafforth's not got much bigger nor the times more manifestly god-fearing.
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Scheme taps in to grant money
A COMPUTER scheme has won a grant from the Government to increase its work in the community. The community partnership scheme in east Cleveland has won a £293,000 grant from the Government's New Opportunities Fund, to establish a network of more than
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Reynolds and Hodgson in radio bust-up
DARLINGTON FC chairman George Reynolds was involved in a heated live radio exchange with former manager David Hodgson yesterday. The Quakers supremo was a guest on Paul "Goffy" Gough's Century Radio breakfast show. He questioned Hodgson's record during
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Rotary Club aid for Indian leprosy cases
CROOK Rotary Club hopes to form links with its Indian counterparts to help leprosy victims in the city of Nagpur. Leah Pattison, of Frosterley, has been working in Nagpur for some years, treating women and children with leprosy and battling against the
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Fire service recruits blaze trail into primary school
FIRE brigade recruits have passed on some of their newly acquired knowledge to an eager audience. As part of a drive to get the fire safety message over to the population at a young age, 14 trainee firefighters went back to school this week. The Durham
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Children's head for fashion heights
SPECTACULAR hats were the order of the day for a fundraising event at a County Durham infants school. Pupils at Chilton Infants School came up with the novel idea to raise money for Comic Relief. Children and staff all made hats and paid 50p to wear them
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New centre makes it easy to be a whizz on internet
A CENTRE of excellence to encourage people to use the Internet, e-mail and other new technology has been launched in Ferryhill. The UK Online Centre, in Ferryhill Comprehensive School, is part of a nationwide initiative launched by Education Secretary
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Crackdown on estate hooligans
AN innovative way of tackling anti-social behaviour on estates in Sunderland has been introduced. Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, or ABCs, are being used in Pennywell, Ford and Pallion, as a way of educating nuisance residents. Originally piloted in North
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Carer earns citizen title
THE wheel has turned full circle for Mary Butterwick, who has been named as Stockton Rotary Citizen of the Year. Mrs Butterwick was the first person to receive the award in 1986 and now, after 15 years, the scheme is being wound up and she was yesterday
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Volunteers' views sought
LUNCHTIME seminars are being held to give people involved with voluntary organisations in County Durham the chance to air their views. The seminars have been organised by One Voice Network, a collective of community and voluntary organisations. The seminars
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Road disruption to last longer
DISRUPTION on roads in Northallerton could last five weeks longer than first anticipated. Work on the prison's new walls is behind schedule, because of flooding at the end of last year. The number of underground pipes and cables in the area means contractors
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A club for all seasons
IT would appear that spring has finally arrived and, with it, the urge to get out into the garden. For many, it will be their first experience of gardening. So if you are new to the world of soil and plants you may need some guidance. TV programmes are
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Not such a great thing, in my view
THIS TIME two years ago everyone thought the Internet was going to be "the next big thing." They were wrong. And while investors have been looking for the "next big thing" ever since it was right here, sitting in the corner of the living room. Because
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University for disc jockeys
SCRATCHING, beat matching, jungle and electro are not words one expects to trip off the tongue of a university lecturer. But to music tutor Dr Matthew Sansom they form an important part of the art of disc jockeying. At Newcastle University he is now teaching
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Botham finds himself out in the cold
LIAM Botham's slide down the pecking order at Newcastle continued yesterday when he was left out of the squad for tomorrow's match at home to Sale. Even with Inga Tuigamala sidelined after an elbow operation, there is no place on the wing for Botham,
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'Homeless' girls raise £300
Pupils from an independent school raised cash for the homeless, by trying a taste of what it is like to have no home. The children, from Teesside High School, in Eaglescliffe, which has pupils from across the North East and North Yorkshire, raised £300
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Beaten Edwards pays tribute to Italian 'baby'
Jonathan Edwards won silver at the World Indoor Championships in Lisbon with a last-round jump of 17.26 metres and admitted he had paid the price for not making the event one of his top priorities. Favourite for gold after posting a huge leap of 17.60m
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Mandelson cleared - but what a mess
THE Government was last night facing mounting pressure over its handling of the Hinduja passport affair after former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson was cleared of any impropriety. The Hammond Inquiry into the granting of naturalisation applications
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Tributes flood in for popular North-East farmer
THE death of a popular dales farmer has stunned the North-East's agricultural community. Mike Vickers, 52, of Greenwell, near Wolsingham, County Durham, had fought leukaemia and kidney disease for almost six years. Because of the foot-and- mouth crisis
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Work starts Oon traffic experiment
A SERIES of traffic calming measures are to be introduced in an east Cleveland town next week. The move follows a massive consultation exercise with residents. The programme is a result of work done to create the Brotton and Skelton bypass and mean that
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Cheltenham is set to take over Punchestown's dates
Officials at Cheltenham expect to announce a decision on the date for a rescheduled Festival by Monday at the latest. Cheltenham already has fixtures on April 18 and 19 but the three days from April 24 are being increasingly favoured as doubts grow over
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Hear All Sides
FOOT-AND-MOUTH IS it really necessary or logical to slaughter and burn thousands of healthy animals, or even infected ones, which pose no risk to humans? Isn't it time for a re-think? Vaccines are available to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease
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Kingfisher shake-up draws attention
A MIXED bag of results are in store for the City next week, with reports due from steel maker Corus, supermarket firm Iceland and ferry group P&O. Full-year figures from Kingfisher on Wednesday will be the last in its current form, as the group is
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Greggs considers Europe
BAKERY group Greggs is considering expansion into Europe after unveiling a ninth consecutive year of profit growth. The Newcastle company believes its brands, which include the Bakers Oven chain, may go down well with Continental shoppers. Mike Darrington
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Youngsters join cast
A GROUP of six North-East youngsters have been chosen to join a professional cast when a show comes to Darlington. Rehearsals start at Darlington Civic Theatre next week for a production of Roald Dahl's novel, The Twits, and among the youngsters playing
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What if a teacher wants to quit?
Q I get Income Support with full rent and Council Tax Rebates and live with my grandson aged l6. He has just moved from youth training to a job earning £100 a week. What effect will this have upon my benefits? A None until he is 18. Q From April my husband
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Rider hits out over low-flying helicopter
A woman has criticised a power company after her horse bolted when it was frightened by a low-flying helicopter checking power lines. Vivien Fawcett was riding her horse at Ferryhill Station, near Ferryhill, County Durham, when the helicopter, hired by
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Father 'squeezed life' out of baby
A FORMER serviceman crushed his three-month-old son to death because he could not stand to hear him crying, a court heard yesterday. Christopher Johnson, 30, had squeezed his son, Aaron, so hard on at least four occasions that ten of his ribs were cracked
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Quarry leap youngsters risking lives
A DEADLY craze among village youngsters has prompted an urgent warning from police. Teenagers and younger children are risking their lives by hurling themselves from the top of a 100ft quarry into netting designed to stop litter being blown into surrounding
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Dad who battered baby gets five years
A father who battered his baby to death and then tried to frame a group of youths for the attack has been jailed for five years. Trevor McDonald, 25, left his five-month-old baby son with severe brain injuries after beating him in a flurry of punches.
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Bolton-bound Campbell still has future at Boro - Robson
BRYAN ROBSON yesterday insisted that striker Andy Campbell's loan move to Bolton Wanderers does not signal the end of his career with Middlesbrough. The England Under-21 international has linked up with the First Division promotion chasers for a month
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Thome's sights set on Europe
BRAZILIAN defender Emerson Thome believes Sunderland can rekindle their faltering European dream against his old club, Chelsea, next week. The Wearsiders have taken only three points from their last six Premiership games, drifting from second to fifth
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Soldier sets sights on world record
ARMY corporal William Maclennan is in training for a back-breaking world record attempt. The 34-year-old, who is serving with 1 Highlanders at Catterick Garrison, is already the joint holder of the speed march world record. But he is hoping to make the
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Go-ahead on cheaper housing scheme
A HOUSING association has been given the go-ahead to dev-elop a £7m housing programme throughout the North-East. Three Rivers Housing has received the all-clear after receiving a grant of over £4m from the Government through the Housing Corporation. The
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Inspector hopes to crack case . . . of champagne
A CLEVELAND Police inspector is keeping his fingers crossed as he prepares to take his football team to their second big match in seven days. Last weekend, the hopes of a thousand fans of Marske United Football Club were dashed when a last minute equaliser
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Battle for brewer hots up
THE battle for Britain's largest regional brewer, Wolverhampton & Dudley, has hotted up after the group extended its deadline for offers by two weeks. The group, which has four breweries, including the Camerons Lion Brewery in Hartlepool, and 1,700
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Bus travel tokens 'unwanted'
RYEDALE residents are being urged to protest about travel concessions which a town councillor claims are useless. Pickering town councillor Natalie Warriner says a cut-price travel scheme for elderly people in the district, will be of no benefit to the
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Focused Turner asks for calm before the Feetham's storm
HIGH-FLYING Hartlepool boss Chris Turner is keeping his players' feet firmly on the ground this afternoon. Pool go to Feethams for the second Division Three derby clash of the season on the back of a run of 16 games without defeat. If Pool avoid defeat
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Robson hopes defensive headache is easing
WHEN it comes to centre-backs, Newcastle have used more than their fair share this season, and come next weekend Bobby Robson will be hoping that at least two of his legion of centre-halves will be fit and raring to start the Tyne-Tees derby. At Everton
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Rob comes through the trial of his life
IN his mid-20s, Rob Edwards was among Britain's top motor cycle trialists, number one rider for a Spanish works team and winner of 20 national events including the celebrated Scott - up and over Swaledale - and the British Experts. His trials, however
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Agencies get more freedom on spending
REGIONAL development agencies One NorthEast and Yorkshire Forward are to be strengthened by a package of measures unveiled in the region yesterday, which will give them more flexibility over how they use their funding. But in return, the agencies - RDAs
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When dreams do come true
Most of us at some time have felt a sense of deja vu when we have seen or done something that we have dreamt about. For some it has led to fortune, as in the case of Countdown contestant Ralph Lubkowski, who last week produced two perfect nine-letter
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Aspin relishes return to Feethams in derby clash
NEIL ASPIN is expecting a rough ride at Darlington this afternoon. But Hartlepool United's former Feethams favourite is hoping for a touch of leniency. Six weeks ago, Aspin joined a select band of first-team players to make the short trip along the A66
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Tasty sideshow to arts festival
DARLINGTON branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) is holding a beer festival next week at what it calls a "sizeable sideshow" of the 16th annual Spring Thing folk festival at Darlington Arts Centre. Organisers stress that admission to the beer hall
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Not such a great thing, in my view
THIS TIME two years ago everyone thought the Internet was going to be "the next big thing." They were wrong. And while investors have been looking for the "next big thing" ever since it was right here, sitting in the corner of the living room. Because
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Interesting exercise in ecclesiastical democracy
WHEN Norman de Bretteville gave Yafforth a church in 1208 it was "to celebrate divine service, every day for ever". Forever's a pretty long time, of course, and, over 900 years, Yafforth's not got much bigger nor the times more manifestly god-fearing.
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Health Secretary unveils new office
HEALTH SECRETARY Alan Milburn visited Darlington yesterday to open the new offices of the town's primary care group. The Darlington MP also launched an on-line health information library with the help of health promotion specialist Gordon Watson. The
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Heritage that may have slipped by unnoticed
CHESTER-le-Street is not the only North-East place with a secret history - every town in the region could harbour a fact that could be summed up by Michael Caine's catchphrase: "Not a lot of people know that." For instance, did you know that the person
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Charity run
A NATIONAL support network for women with ovarian cancer is holding a fun run in Sunderland next month. The Sunderland branch of Ovacome is holding the event in Mowbray Park, on April 8. Ovacome is asking fit ladies to help it raise money to promote awareness
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Creation of spinal injuries centre racing ahead
A DEDICATED service for patients with spinal cord injuries is being transferred to Teesside ahead of schedule. The new North of England Spinal Cord Injuries Centre, which is being built at South Cleveland Hospital, Middlesbrough, is due to open in September
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£20,000 drugs are seized in series of raids
POLICE seized drugs with a street value of more than £20,000 in raids on homes and a pub in the North-East. Operation Verona involved 60 drugs squad officers and local police in East Durham, and followed months of intelligence gathering. On Thursday night
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Survey aids school campaign
PARENTS hope a survey will help their campaign to increase the size of the village school. Coxhoe Kids In Coxhoe School was launched earlier this year to get more youngsters admitted to the former pit village's primary school. Spokesman Paul Dodsworth
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Concern over bus services
BUS company Arriva fears that its operations could be hit if the crisis continues. The public transport operator runs services throughout the region - many in rural areas - and it is worried that passenger numbers could fall if the disease spreads in
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£450,000 funding allays fears over community hall's future
RESIDENTS' fears over the rumoured closure of a town centre hall have been allayed. People in Chester-le-Street feared that one of their community centres was closing when functions were cancelled last year. But a £450,000 investment will see the hall
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Matchday Preview
Hartlepool will be bidding to equal a club record when they travel take on Darlington at Feethams this afternoon. Chris Turner's side can equal Gus McLean's 17 game unbeaten run, set in 1968, if they can avoid defeat. Assistant manager Colin West is well
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Comic star unveils £800,000 pantomime
TV STAR Jim Davidson arrived at Sunderland's Empire Theatre yesterday to declare panto war on rival productions. The four-times married comic, 47, was keen to promote his company's £800,000 version of Peter Pan. But all eyes were on Jane Hardy, of Cramlington
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Eleven miles, one hour, but worlds apart
JOHN Prescott was in an irritable, irascible mood. He kept chuntering to himself about the inanity and the stupidity of dunderheaded journalists asking what he regarded as silly and trivial questions about the Mandelson circus. That circus was being held
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'Second wave' of farm epidemic
Government measures to get foot-and-mouth under control quickly look to have failed last night as a "second wave" of the disease spread through cattle. It had been hoped that the nationwide ban on moving livestock, brought into force two weeks ago, would
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Climate change levy 'is double tax'
A NEW tax on energy use could put a further strain on North-East businesses, according to chartered accountants Keith Robinson & Co. The climate change levy, which comes into effect from April 1, is designed to encourage businesses to be more energy
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Immigrant in sex case faces deportation
AN illegal immigrant is facing deportation after being convicted of having sex with a schoolgirl. The 15-year-old girl ran away with Ascan Omanov after meeting him while walking in a park near her home, a court heard. Within a few days the pair began
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Campbell's Bluebird on road to restoration
Donald Campbell's ill-fated speedboat Bluebird has embarked on its first journey after being raised from the depths of Coniston Water, where it sank in 1967. The wreckage of the jet-powered craft was being transported 100 miles by road to a workshop in
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Grant boost sets stage for future
THE massive boost in funding for North-East theatre announced on Thursday has been greeted with delight by the organisations entertaining the region's young people. The Children's Theatre Company (CTC), based at Darlington Arts Centre, heard it was getting
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Farmers fear movement ban will wreak havoc at lambing
NORTH-EAST farmers were last night praying that fears of a second wave of foot-and-mouth prove to be unfounded. As officials confirmed another case in County Durham, farmers whose herds have so far avoided the deadly disease faced up to yet another problem
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Five-year deal is lure to keep Dyer at Newcastle
NEWCASTLE United are set to open talks with Kieron Dyer aimed at tying the England starlet to Tyneside for the next five years. Chairman Freddy Shepherd yesterday underlined the Magpies' determination to ward off interest in £20m-rated Dyer from the likes
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That's my dad, Freeman Alan Shearer
ENGLAND Skipper Alan Shearer has notched up another major honour after he was given the key to his beloved Newcastle. Toon Army front man Shearer said his heart was "bursting with pride" after he was made an Honorary Freeman of the City. The £15m striker
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American dream for Hassan
EXCITING Sunderland teenager Malcolm Hassan, considering an athletics scholarship in the United States, is in New York this weekend for the National College High School championships. The 18-year-old has been invited to compete over 800m and the mile
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US shoppers can get taste of Dales
SHOPPERS in some of New York's top stores can get a taste of the Yorkshire Dales, thanks to a thriving cottage industry not far from Masham. It is not only the town's Theakstons and Black Sheep bitter which have been making a name for themselves around
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Kind-hearted Geordies back Donna's show
THE generous North-East spirit proved invaluable for television presenter Donna Air during a visit to film a new programme in the region. The star was in her native Newcastle filming Donna in Need, which will be screened on Channel Four in May. An appeal
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Teenagers to sample the great outdoors
SCHOOLS Minister Jacqui Smith announced yesterday that about 14,000 teenagers will benefit from outdoor activities this summer. The activities, part of a £10m pilot, are designed to bridge the gap between secondary school and adult life, and open up options
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Gralmano to prove versatility for Ryan
WITH Sandown's Imperial Cup meeting in grave doubt due to waterlogging, all-weather Flat racing for once takes centre stage with today's running of the £50,000 Ed Weetman-sponsored Lincoln Trial at Wolverhampton. With the likes of Henry Cecil, Sir Michael
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Funding for fitness
THE Mayor of Hartlepool tested his fitness level yesterday when he unveiled a new health facility in the town. Councillor Frank Rogers was at the Friarage Youth Centre, on the Headland, to sample the facility, which has been provided thanks to £20,000
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Pollution fear over recycling scheme
CONCERN over the possibility of pollution has provided backing for a North Yorkshire pressure group resisting a bid for a recycling plant. Residents have bombarded the county council with objections since it emerged that Northallerton company Yorwaste
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'High car park charges driving shoppers away'
SHOPPERS are being driven away from a market town because of the cost of car parking, according to a local councillor. Councillor Valerie Halton said she has completed her own surveys in Guisborough and argued that since Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
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Rider hits out over low-flying helicopter
A woman has criticised a power company after her horse bolted when it was frightened by a low-flying helicopter checking power lines. Vivien Fawcett was riding her horse at Ferryhill Station, near Ferryhill, County Durham, when the helicopter, hired by
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Bid to get £1m cash for area
A meeting designed to help secure more than £1m for three small communities in North Durham has been organised. The meeting is hoped to encourage residents to come forward to apply for the cash after it emerged that Craghead, South Stanley and South Moor
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Furniture maker turns sci-fi author
FURNITURE maker Malcolm Hogarth is carving out a new career as a science fiction author. The prize-winning short story writer saw his first novel published this week, when the paperback Dark Harvest reached the bookshops. Malcolm spent two years writing
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University's centre scheme wins approval
COUNCILLORS have approved Durham University's plans to build a new home for the centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies between St Cuthbert's Cemetery and Elvet Hill Cottage, in Elvet Hill Road, Durham. The university was forced to look for a new
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Centre aims to boost learning
THE finishing touches are being put to a £900,000 building in Loftus aimed at encouraging education and learning in a deprived area of Teesside. The Loftus Centre of Opportunity and Partnership is based in the old Co-op building and the stable block behind
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Hepatitis sufferers 'were kept in dark'
A HAEMOPHILIAC was told he had a deadly virus five years before the test was made available to other sufferers, The Northern Echo can reveal. Campaigners claim the news supports their case that they were deliberately kept in the dark when they agreed
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Homeless project threat
A PROJECT that provides support and shelter for young homeless people could be forced to withdraw the service unless it can find extra funding. The Durham Accommodation Resource Team (Dart) works with young people aged 16 to 25 in Wear Valley and Teesdale
