Archive
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Oh Brother! Why did they do it?
THE organisers of Comic Relief can laugh all the way to the bank with the charity proceeds of Celebrity Big Brother, but the housemates have had the smiles knocked off their faces. They've discovered the hard way that sitting in a bath of cold baked beans
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Saying farewell with care, respect and dignity
We've all been to godless funerals, even with the priest in all his feeble frippery, but how many to a humanist one? We've many of us been to funerals where the minister got the name wrong, where the conveyor ran on automatic pilot - dead man's handle
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Comment from The Northern Echo - Responsibility and reason
FOR obvious reasons, feelings in rural communities are running high at present. Emotions are charged among farmers who are living in fear of having their livestock slaughtered. And businesses in the countryside are struggling as the public have stuck
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Borough looks to the clearest way ahead
HARTLEPOOL Borough Council has launched a policy to ensure its actions are understood. The policy is designed to ensure equal access to all council buildings and services. It includes using plain English when communicating with the public, and clear print
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FIRST DOUBLE FOR WEARMEN
CHELSEA 2, SUNDERLAND 4 TWO goals from Scottish international Don Hutchison spurred Sunderland to their first Premiership victory in seven games against all the odds at Stamford Bridge. Peter Reid's men were twice behind against their star-studded rivals
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Beer drinkers not getting full pint
BEER drinkers are being short changed in Hartlepool's pubs again, trading standards officers have discovered. Officers bought two pints of beer from each of ten pubs in the town and in every single case the measure was short. In some cases this represented
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Hague laughs off poll blues
TORY leader William Hague got some Comic Relief from election fever yesterday when he visited the head offices of The Northern Echo. Mr Hague visited the newspaper offices in Priestgate, Darlington, yesterday morning as part of his build-up to the General
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Panto's big losses no threat to Empire
MASSIVE losses suffered by one of Jim Davidson's pantomime companies does not threaten a newly-signed deal between the TV comic and Sunderland's Empire Theatre. A week after Davidson announced he was bringing the £800,000 production of Peter Pan to Wearside
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School comes out top in battle of words
YOUNGSTERS have pitted their wits and vocal talents against each other in a public speaking competition. Secondary schools in east Cleveland taking part were Warsett, at Brotton, Bydales, at Marske, Huntcliff, at Saltburn, and De Brus, at Skelton. This
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Crew sails into battle of sexes at village school
CREW members from a Navy minesweeper visited youngsters at the village which shares its name, yesterday. The crew from HMS Hurworth visited Hurworth Primary School, near Darlington, and after talking to the youngsters and eating lunch with them, they
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Concerns that city's school poll could open old wounds
DEEP divisions over the future of selective education in North Yorkshire schools look set to be reopened after plans for a city-wide referendum on the issue emerged. The poll, which is expected to take place soon in Ripon, comes just over a year after
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Villagers turn out to trace dog
A NEIGHBOURLY act brought almost a whole village on to the streets to restore a missing dog to her owner. Former midwife Michelle Palmer was distraught when her lurcher, Maddison, went missing from her home in Toft Hill, near Bishop Auckland. The 18-month-old
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'Money-grabbing' parking fees scheme condemned
MOTORISTS are furious at a new "money grabbing" car parking scheme in Redcar. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is introducing a scheme into Redcar High Street this week that involves drivers entering their car registration number. This forms part
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Town lands £200,000 grant to set up after-school clubs
SCHOOLS in Newton Aycliffe have been awarded £200,000 to set up after-school clubs. Every school in the town joined forces with the library, youth club and The Learning Shop - a community education establishment - to form a partnership to bid for the
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Band of gold is find of a lifetime
A METAL detector enthusiast made the find of a lifetime when he unearthed a gold Bronze Age coin worth thousands of pounds. Now Norman Smith, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, hopes to put the object on display after being told he can keep it. Mr Smith
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The fat lady sings for the blues
POSH celebrity cook and Liberal Democrat supporter Clarissa Dickson-Wright was campaigning yesterday on behalf of a North-East would-be Tory MP after defecting to the Conservatives. The surviving half of TV's Two Fat Ladies was in Chester-le-Street, County
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All the President's men
IF you'd switched between Channels 4 and 5 around 11 o'clock last Thursday, you'd have seen Martin Sheen on both. And by coincidence, he was playing the President of the United States in both. Not the same President and not a real one either. His regular
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Surgeon about to operate on Hope
RADICAL surgery to rebuild a little girl's disfigured face is due to take place this weekend. Hope Elliott, five, of the Redhouse Estate, Sunderland, suffers from a rare condition, known as cystic lymphovenous malformation. It means that she has a large
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National praise for council's website
Durham County Council's website, www.durham.gov.uk, has been hailed as one of the best of its kind. It has been rated among the country's top ten county council sites by the Society of Information Technology Management. The society assessed the site,
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Venables admits to talks over Ravanelli
TERRY VENABLES last night admitted that Middlesbrough have discussed the possibility of bringing Fabrizio Ravanelli back to the Riverside Stadium. The controversial Italian striker, who fell out with manager Bryan Robson and went AWOL before moving to
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Coach crash widower finds love on the road to recovery
A COACH crash victim spoke for the first time about his new life last night as the driver of the bus in which he was travelling faced a lengthy prison sentence. Retired scientist Dr John Dartnell, 69, was pulled badly injured from the carnage of a coach
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Ideal place to show off
GARDEN landscape materials manufacturer Marshalls is showing off some of the best garden design ideas at the Ideal Home Show, in London, which runs until April 8. The Eaglescliffe company will be showing off its paving and walling products in the Gardens
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'Five-year wait' for pitmen
THE compensation fight faced by thousands of North-East miners took a new twist last night after it was revealed it could still take five years to test every claimant. About 7,000 men in the region whose lungs have been wrecked by coal dust remain trapped
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Birmingham move for Liddle a non-starter - Bennett
DARLINGTON have strongly denied rumours that central defender Craig Liddle is set to sign for Birmingham City today. The former Middlesbrough defender has been linked with a £500,000 move to the First Division club, but Quakers have moved quickly to confirm
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'No need for rises' - but tax zooms up
LOCAL authorities have been told there is no need for huge tax rises this year - as figures showed bills will rise by almost three times the rate of inflation. Councils in the North-East and North Yorkshire will increase their charges by an average of
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When the chips are down your shorts
WE'VE all heard of placing a microchip beneath the skin of pets. The practice is common in cats and dogs. Even tortoises and fish can be "chipped". But what about using the same technology to monitor the performance of professional footballers? As far-fetched
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Comment from The Nortthern Echo - Getting the timing right
WHILE rural communities are consumed by foot-and-mouth disease, the political classes are being consumed by election date fever. Before we wade in on the latter, we should remind ourselves of the nature of the political game. Understandably, since October
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When the chips are down your shorts
WE'VE all heard of placing a microchip beneath the skin of pets. The practice is common in cats and dogs. Even tortoises and fish can be "chipped". But what about using the same technology to monitor the performance of professional footballers? As far-fetched
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Caravan industry feels the pinch
The outbreak has had a "devastating effect" on the caravan industry leading to the cancellation of rallies and closure of sites, the Caravan Club said. Bosses said they had fully complied with ministry guidelines with a "heavy heart" but conceded the
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Race on to keep Michelangelo study for nation
A MAJOR public appeal was launched yesterday to save a rediscovered study by the great Renaissance master Michelangelo for the nation. The drawing of a mourning woman was found at Castle Howard, North Yorkshire, last year, and the discovery astounded
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Hear All Sides
Letters from The Northern Echo POWER LINES COUNCILLOR Jeremy Atkinson (HAS, Mar 8) can be assured the NRPB Report suggests power lines are not a major source of childhood leukaemia, though the evidence suggests that relatively heavy average exposures
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Compton Bolter has the class to win Winter Derby
LINGFIELD'S Bet Direct-sponsored Winter Derby is a relatively new addition to the all-weather calendar, but it has not been slow to attract some top-notch performers, lured no doubt by the £55,000 purse on offer. A couple of established class acts turn
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Nine-month operation traps top drug dealer
A LEADING player in the North-East drugs scene was jailed for ten years yesterday. Steven Davies, 34, of Weaverthorpe, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, appeared at Teesside Crown Court yesterday, where he admitted offering to supply £31,000 worth of cocaine
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Three farms. One family's life in ruins
ANOTHER day. Another farmer's livelihood ruined. Yesterday it was the turn of David Walker to receive the news that all three farms owned by his family had contracted foot-and-mouth disease. The County Durham farmer said that officials from the Ministry
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Callan can help Calypso to waltz to victory
COUNT CALYPSO can lead his rivals a merry dance by winning the closing Bet Direct Handicap at Southwell this afternoon. Only eight runners go to post for the £5,600 sprint, but that is not to say it is an easy race to solve since the majority of the field
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Young mum's -flu bug' was deadly virus
A new mother has died just three weeks after falling ill with what she thought was flu. Jill Grainger, 32, suffered with flu-like symptoms but in a matter of weeks she was dead from one of the world's rarest illnesses. She became ill three weeks ago but
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Work to begin on next stage of cobble relaying
WORK on Guisborough's cobbles is due to start again at the start of next month. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council re-laid 53,000 cobbles from the Black Swan to Westgate Road and between Chaloner Street and the post office last year at a cost of £250,000
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Refugee jailed for sex with under-age girl
A refugee who was found guilty of under-age sex with a teenage girl he ran away with was yesterday jailed for 15 months. Ascan Omanov, 31, was convicted of the offence on March 9 but was cleared of a second charge of child abduction. He now faces deportation
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Traders seek assurances over plans for £100m development
WORRIED traders say they are concerned about the effect a potential new £100m development investment could have on their town. Some members of Stanley Chamber of Trade are worried that if plans to develop shopping and leisure on the King's Head Fields
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One-hour parking rate fee for drivers
A NEW one-hour parking rate is to be introduced at both long and short stay car parks in Redcar. As of next month, motorists will pay 60p for a one-hour stay, and £1 for two hours' parking in the town's long-stay car parks. Councillor Sylvia Szintai,
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Blue Bird helps Henlys fly high
BUS and coach builder Henlys said its US acquisition of the yellow school bus maker Blue Bird had driven pre-tax profits to record levels. Blue Bird, bought for £415m in October 1999, accounted for more than half of group turnover, which increased 91
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Ferry loses fans over fox-hunting
Fans of glam rockers Roxy Music are boycotting the band's reunion tour after frontman Bryan Ferry championed fox hunting. A group of women admirers, who have worshipped the singer since the group's 1970s heyday are furious at his support for the blood
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Tributes pour in for -people's champion' Tony
TONY Moore was last night described as a champion of the people - a man who will be sorely missed by the community he represented for almost 30 years. The 59-year-old councillor died after a suffering a heart attack yesterday afternoon at the pool-side
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Maclure given chance to taunt Tigers again
FOR the second successive season Newcastle's Gareth Maclure has the chance to impress before a full house at Welford Road today. Leicester Tigers can expect noisy backing from their fans as they can clinch the Premiership title with the expected victory
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Farewell to tragic student
MOVING tributes were paid yesterday to a much-loved student who died after an incident on a late night train. Fellow undergraduates, joined family and friends to pay their last respects to 21-year-old Patrick Brown at a funeral and thanksgiving service
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Journalist died from pneumonia after street fall
A NORTH-EAST journalist died from pneumonia after suffering a head injury, an inquest heard yesterday. Middlesbrough Evening Gazette sports reporter Michael Spence, 49, from Darlington, died on March 6. The inquest heard Mr Spence, who was single, fell
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Opinion
FOR obvious reasons, feelings in rural communities are running high at present. Emotions are charged among farmers who are living in fear of having their livestock slaughtered. And businesses in the countryside are struggling as the public have stuck
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Ince urges Tel to carry on love affair with Boro
TERRY VENABLES last night confessed he has fallen in love with Middlesbrough - and that their Premiership survival is more important than his personal pride. The former England coach is refusing to make any commitment to Boro beyond the end of the season
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Anglers are heading for lakes and ponds
ANGLERS are being given the chance to continue with their hobby, despite the crisis. Restrictions on walking across farmland mean most rivers are closed to anglers, and are likely to remain out-of-bounds until the season starts in June. But anglers have
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Stress fracture operation for Dyer
NEWCASTLE United boss Bobby Robson last night revealed that £20m-rated Kieron Dyer has been suffering a stress fracture for much of the season. The England starlet, who was thought to have a shin-splint problem, undergoes a bone graft today in a bid to
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Turner on a mission to shoot down the Seagulls
FOCUSED Hartlepool United manager Chris Turner knows this afternoon's clash with bogey side Brighton is one his side can't afford to lose. Pool lie two places and ten points behind Mickey Adams' side in the promotion race. And even though Chesterfield's
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Battle of the giants as wily duo fight for derby honours
BRYAN ROBSON could be forgiven for feeling like an interloper today as the grandfather and the godfather of English football attempt to settle a little local dispute at St James' Park. Never in the history of North-East derbies can the managerial combatants
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The search for the perfect contraceptive
WHEN she began advising women on contraception on March 17, 1921, Marie Stopes was a trailblazer - for Britain was not a sexually-enlightened nation. Ignorance was so rife that Stopes, who married in 1911, had been a wife for more than a year before she
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Laura skips school to mix with royalty
Laura Norton has the best possible reason for taking a day off school next week - she will be mingling with royalty. The 13-year-old Northallerton schoolgirl will be presented to the Duke of Gloucester when he visits Thirsk, on Tuesday. Laura will be
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Three farms. One family's life in ruins
ANOTHER day. Another farmer's livelihood ruined. Yesterday it was the turn of David Walker to receive the news that all three farms owned by his family had contracted foot-and-mouth disease. The County Durham farmer said that officials from the Ministry
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Virgin profits hit turbulence
VIRGIN Atlantic's profits fell by more than half in the year to April 2000, hit by tough competition and higher fuel costs. The group, which has 32 planes covering 20 destinations, said pre-tax profits, stripping out exceptional costs, came in at £40m
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Iceland issues fresh warning but pledges to bounce back
TROUBLED frozen food retailer Iceland has issued another profits warning to the City - saying sales across the chain were continuing to fall. The group said pre-tax profits for the 15-month period to the end of March would not exceed £40m before exceptional
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Farewell to tragic student
MOVING tributes were paid yesterday to a much-loved student who died after an incident on a late night train. Fellow undergraduates, joined family and friends to pay their last respects to 21-year-old Patrick Brown at a funeral and thanksgiving service
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Looking to Europe for GPs
HEALTH bosses are mounting a campaign to entice Dutch, Scandinavian and German doctors to work in the region. Sunderland, which is reputed to have fewer GPs per head of the population than any other part of the UK, has launched an advertising drive in
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Temporary lifeline for bus link to hospital
A BUS route providing a link to a hospital has been thrown a temporary lifeline. Arriva has proposed changes to the 3B service, which runs between Bishop Auckland and Hartlepool. It says the section between Ferryhill and the Trimdons is little used, and
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Forum set up to oversee town revamp
A FORUM launched yesterday will oversee more than a dozen projects, which will change the face of Bishop Auckland during the next five years. The town centre has suffered from the pull of larger shopping centres, and the decline of its traditional industries
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Cures not to be sniffed at
HAD a bad cold lately? Able to breathe yet? No, neither can the rest of us. Rotten, isn't it? The cold has gone, but the malady lingers on, making you still feel horrible and blocked up. We swear that central heating makes it worse, but aren't tough enough
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Babelicious - that's THE_buzzword heading for TEEN_mobile phoneS
A NORTH-East partnership is planning to put a successful series of greetings cards characters on to mobile phone covers. Originator of the Babelicious concept, Newcastle's Paul Windle Design (PWD), has agreed a licensing deal with advanced imaging company
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Junior tennis scheme started
DURHAM and Cleveland Lawn Tennis Association is launching a project to encourage primary schools in County Durham and Teesside to take up the sport. It will provide coaching, mini-tennis competitions and specialist coaching for promising youngsters who
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No stopping Pool's run
HARTLEPOOL United's promotion credentials passed the sternest of tests as they drew 2-2 with Brighton at Victoria Park. In the Division's game of the day, fourth-placed Pool entertained second-top Brighton and for the majority of the game were the better
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Satisfying crash of huge egos
IN Rwanda, people are starving. In Mozambique, whole communities have been wiped out. Children have been orphaned. Thousands of families are homeless. Meanwhile, here in Britain, what do Vanessa Feltz and Anthea Turner - two of the six stars who have
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Pensioner robbed in broad daylight attack
AN ELDERLY woman was mugged of her pension money in broad daylight after a struggle with a young robber. Police have appealed for witnesses to the incident, in Providence Row, Durham, as the 77-year-old woman made her way to a friend's house in the Sands
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Saying farewell with care, respect and dignity
We've all been to godless funerals, even with the priest in all his feeble frippery, but how many to a humanist one? We've many of us been to funerals where the minister got the name wrong, where the conveyor ran on automatic pilot - dead man's handle
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On being voted out of the House
As William Hague breezes cheerfully into The Northern Echo's offices, the morning's papers are still being digested. Mr Hague, though, has already consumed them all and is ready to spit them out. "I don't believe the Labour Party's lead is anything like
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Race on to keep Michelangelo study for nation
A MAJOR public appeal was launched yesterday to save a rediscovered study by the great Renaissance master Michelangelo for the nation. The drawing of a mourning woman was found at Castle Howard, North Yorkshire, last year, and the discovery astounded
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When ignorance is bliss...
The best thing about Senior Son being away from home is that I don't know what he's getting up to. Believe me, this can only be a good thing. Okay, I've got a pretty good idea - he forgets that I, too, was once a 19-year-old student - but, apart from
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Arts merger plan criticised
MERGER plans between the Arts Council of England and Northern Arts have come under fire from a North-East theatre company boss. Paul Harman, artistic director of Darlington's Cleveland Theatre Company, has called the proposal, which was announced yesterday
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Cabbie leads call for fewer taxis
A CAB driver is again leading calls for a limit to be placed on the number of taxis in the town, claiming he is losing thousands of pounds. George Jenkinson said his Hackney Carriage plate issued by the council is valueless because there are too many
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Bitter-sweet day on North-East jobs front
HOPES were fading for more than 1,000 North-East steel jobs last night after Corus said it had plunged more than £1bn into the red. Managers said a rescue plan put forward by the unions to save the doomed coil plate mill at Redcar was unrealistic. The
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Children to get taste of life outdoors
YOUNGSTERS from East Durham will be enjoying a taste of the outdoor life this month as part of a drive to develop social and personal skills. Children from every infant and primary school in Easington, Seaham and Peterlee will be taking part in the initiative
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Police condemn attack on tanker
A CHEMICAL tanker driver battled to keep his lorry on the road after young thugs hurled a brick through his windscreen on a dual-carriageway, it emerged yesterday. Cleveland Police believe the youths deliberately targeted the vehicle and hid behind crash
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Gateway to support services opens wide
TEESSIDE University has opened a gateway to its support services with a new Centre for Enterprise. David Irwin, chief executive of the Small Business Service, opened the centre in Victoria Road, Middlesbrough, yesterday. Dr John Bridge, chief executive
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Not the shocky horror show it once was
She was a real head-turner in her day but, 27 years later, her ability to surprise and shock has lessened. Regan MacNeill's devilish behaviour of vomiting green bile, uttering foul language and doing unmentionable things with a crucifix made 1970s cinema
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University hero Kilburn set to miss Blaydon cup clash
PETER Kilburn helped Northumbria University reach Twickenham on Wednesday, but he will not be able to do the same for Blaydon tomorrow. After playing for Blaydon last week following his recent signing, the centre is ruled out of the Intermediate Cup semi-final
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Fury over minister's plea for tourism
ANGRY farmers last night accused ministers of irresponsibly jumping the gun by trying to reopen the countryside despite the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Environment Minister Michael Meacher said the countryside was not out of bounds, as long as visitors behaved
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Scout's memories of Norse play
FREDDY Shepherd was right, of course, 63 years really is a long time since Newcastle United staged a full international - though Jack Hixon remembers it like yesterday. "A twopenny tram ride from Heaton, 1/3d on the Gallowgate end or whatever silly bloody
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RSPCA cannot halt safety culls
THE RSPCA admitted last night there was little it could do to prevent the slaughter of animals at leisure and visitor attractions, as the epidemic continues to spread. Chief Inspector Neil Mitchell, who covers North Yorkshire, County Durham and Cleveland
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The fruit 'n' veg girl
WHEN vandals were discovered wrecking communal gardens, the organisers didn't call the police - they asked the teenagers if they wanted to help them grow food. Amazingly, they did. That enlightened, constructive approach has been adopted in North America
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Nine-month operation traps top drug dealer
A LEADING player in the North-East drugs scene was jailed for ten years yesterday. Steven Davies, 34, of Weaverthorpe, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, appeared at Teesside Crown Court yesterday, where he admitted offering to supply £31,000 worth of cocaine
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Big screen may make comeback
COMMUNITY leaders have revealed plans to bring the big screen back to two rural towns. Town councillors in Malton and Norton are hoping to reopen the cinema, which closed four years ago, at The Lanes, Malton. Jean Brown, a former mayor of Malton, is backing
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Police make presence felt in crackdown on teenage gangs
FORTY police officers made their presence felt in a showdown with vandals last night. Community Police teams, the district support unit from Cleveland Police and officers on horses targeted shopping precincts and nearby shops at Marton, Coulby Newham
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Better service for plot holders
ALLOTMENT services will be improved in Darlington after complaints. Last year, Darlington Borough Council carried out a survey of allotment holders, and almost 50 per cent of respondents rated the service as poor. They were asked what improvements they
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Award for school's success
A SCHOOL in Darlington is celebrating a £20,320 award to mark its success. Haughton Community School, which has arts college status, received the news in a letter from Education Minister Estelle Morris yesterday. The School Achievement Award recognises
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Howarth welcomes new faces
THE Howarth Timber group has appointed a new manager for its flourishing Richmond branch. Alan Nelson moves to Howarth from rivals North Yorkshire Timber Company, bringing with him his assistant manager, Steve Thornton. Mr Nelson has more than 40 years
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Inquest hears of parachute death plunge
A businessman plunged 3,000ft to his death after his parachute failed to open. Colin Graham, 23, was killed on only his fifth jump after both his canopy and reserve chute failed, an inquest heard. His instructor relived the moment Mr Graham plummeted
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The fat lady sings for the blues
POSH celebrity cook and Liberal Democrat supporter Clarissa Dickson-Wright was campaigning yesterday on behalf of a North-East would-be Tory MP after defecting to the Conservatives. The surviving half of TV's Two Fat Ladies was in Chester-le-Street, County
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Police inquiry on 'face attack'
A BLOOD-soaked man staggered into a pub after being stabbed in a suspected racist attack. The Iranian refugee burst into the City Tavern, in Sunderland, on Thursday, bleeding from his back and arm. Staff and customers called for help when the man burst
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Police inquiry on -race attack'
A BLOOD-soaked man staggered into a pub after being stabbed in a suspected racist attack. The Iranian refugee burst into the City Tavern, in Sunderland, on Thursday, bleeding from his back and arm. Staff and customers called for help when the man burst
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-No need for rises' - but tax zooms up
LOCAL authorities have been told there is no need for huge tax rises this year - as figures showed bills will rise by almost three times the rate of inflation. Councils in the North-East and North Yorkshire will increase their charges by an average of
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Ince urges Tel to extend love affair
TERRY VENABLES last night confessed he has fallen in love with Middlesbrough - and that their Premiership survival is more important than his personal pride. The former England coach is refusing to make any commitment to Boro beyond the end of the season
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Boss's £50,000 appeal
A BUSINESSMAN has launched an appeal to raise £50,000 to help farmers hit by foot-and-mouth. Paul Wignall, managing director of North Yorkshire-based Hilco Europe, has lodged an initial pledge of £5,000 to the newly-created fund. Mr Wignall said the decision
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Jailed for life over hostage siege
A MAN described as "a walking time bomb" was jailed for life yesterday, over a 12-hour siege with armed police. Shaun Hudson, 44, held a woman hostage and barricaded himself in his home, before threatening officers with a deactivated hand grenade, York
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Surgeon about to operate on Hope
RADICAL surgery to rebuild a little girl's disfigured face is due to take place this weekend. Hope Elliott, five, of the Redhouse Estate, Sunderland, suffers from a rare condition, known as cystic lymphovenous malformation. It means that she has a large
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Coach crash widower finds love on the road to recovery
A COACH crash victim spoke for the first time about his new life last night as the driver of the bus in which he was travelling faced a lengthy prison sentence. Retired scientist Dr John Dartnell, 69, was pulled badly injured from the carnage of a coach
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-Five-year wait' for pitmen
THE compensation fight faced by thousands of North-East miners took a new twist last night after it was revealed it could still take five years to test every claimant. About 7,000 men in the region whose lungs have been wrecked by coal dust remain trapped
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MEP in row over holiday hospitals
A NORTH-EAST MEP is to press the Spanish government to clarify the position of British holidaymakers who fall ill and receive private medical treatment. The Northern Echo has reported his week on uninsured tourists Bernard Boyle and Harry Stubbs becoming
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Parents gave gift of life out of son's tragedy
THE parents of a boy who died at the age of five told last night how his death gave continued life to others. Ten years ago, Nicky Miller, of Coxhoe, County Durham, collapsed after suffering a brain haemorrhage while out playing. He suffered a heart attack
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take care - stout will go straight to your head
PUB landlords across the region are rubbing their hands in anticipation of a "craicing" St Patrick's Day. At Durham City's O'Neill's pub, Irish sisters Elaine and Michelle Cupples are gearing up for what is traditionally the biggest night of the year,
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Future of M&S European stores hangs in the balance
MARKS & Spencer is still deliberating on whether or not to close a batch of its European stores. A spokesman for the troubled retailer said reports it was about to announce the closure of one-in-five of its European outlets were "pure speculation"
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Babelicious - that's THE_buzzword heading for TEEN_mobile phoneS
A NORTH-East partnership is planning to put a successful series of greetings cards characters on to mobile phone covers. Originator of the Babelicious concept, Newcastle's Paul Windle Design (PWD), has agreed a licensing deal with advanced imaging company
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The biggest circus in the world
HEAD to toe in red, the little boy stands with his face pressed to the wire. Ferrari hat, Ferrari shirt, Ferrari shorts, desperately hoping to see his hero, Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher. Beside him is his brother, resplendent in the yellow of rival
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£90,000 worth of drugs are seized
POLICE have seized more than £90,000 worth of drugs during two raids in the Billingham area. Officers taking part in Operation X-Ray searched a house and vehicle and found 3kg of amphetamine and 5kg of skunk cannabis, worth £50,000. Three local men were
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Teachers ready for staff protest
TEACHERS in Middlesbrough are to begin taking action over staff shortages as soon as their employers have been informed. More than 90 per cent of members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women
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Farmers threaten revolt
Furious farmers today threatened to halt the slaughter of up to a million sheep, pigs and goats. The Government has ordered the mass cull of healthy animals within a two-mile radius of infected farms in Cumbria and south-west Scotland. It is taking the
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Mohawks under orders
Teesside Mohawks end the NBL Conference season with three tough away games. Trevor Lowe, Mohawks' general manager, wants his side to secure runners-up spot and attempt to retain the Championship play-off title after being ruled out of the Conference League
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Young gang of muggers locked up
THREE muggers, including one aged 12, have been jailed for their parts in a violent handbag snatch campaign. During one attack, 78-year-old Ethel Newton was badly bruised after she was dragged down an embankment when she refused to let go of her bag.
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On being voted out of the House
As William Hague breezes cheerfully into The Northern Echo's offices, the morning's papers are still being digested. Mr Hague, though, has already consumed them all and is ready to spit them out. "I don't believe the Labour Party's lead is anything like
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Wanderers step in to sign Bishops' midfield ace Smith
Bishop Auckland midfielder Jeff Smith is expected to sign for First Division Bolton Wanderers over the weekend. Former Hartlepool midfielder Smith has been outstanding for Bishops this season as they push for a top-three place in the UniBond League and
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Reid prepared to bring in more foreign talent
SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid is ready to cast a world-wide net as he tries to establish Sunderland as a top-five Premiership club. The Wearside boss has just returned from a six-day scouting mission to Argentina, where he checked personally on recommended
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Hunt for waitress given Lowry's last work
The hunt is on for what may have been LS Lowry's last work - a rough sketch on the back of a menu. The artist gave the picture of a dog - which could be worth thousands of pounds today - to a waitress at a Sunderland hotel, but it has never resurfaced
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We're all saying Pants to Poverty
THE generous North spirit shone through yesterday, as thousands of fundraisers in the region rallied round to help brighten the lives of millions of deprived people around the world. Fundraising stunts ranged from the ridiculous to the remarkable, as
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Bishop joins protest at plan for opencast mine
Campaigners against an opencast mine can now boast the Bishop of Durham as a member in their ranks. Protestors won a battle in their long fight against an opencast mine at land near Leadgate, Consett, when Derwentside councillors voted unanimously to
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Thome's happy return
BRAZILIAN defender Emerson Thome returns to his old stamping ground at Stamford Bridge this afternoon knowing he faces the test of the season against the Premiership's top marksman, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. The Dutch striker has claimed 18 league and
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Thorpe steers England back into contention
GRAHAM Thorpe provided England with a timely route back into the deciding Test with another display guaranteed to increase his already growing reputation on the world stage. The Surrey left-hander was almost indispensable even before his controversial
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Pension cash thieves face deportation
A FAMILY of Romanian refugees will be deported after stealing cash from elderly women after befriending them outside post offices. Mother-of-two Marie Farcas, 20, would distract the women, while her husband Gabriel, 23, grabbed their cash. Martha Hunnam
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Babysitter seduced by Net user
A MOTHER-of-three was behind bars last night after letting an Internet chatroom user seduce her schoolgirl babysitter after he and his friend travelled hundreds of miles to visit her home. Married father-of-three Andrew Mandefield and a friend travelled
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Quakers hope for happy return
Darlington fans will be suffering a sense of deja vu when they travel to Kidderminster today. Quakers' last visit to the Worcestershire club was in May 1990 in their penultimate game of their Conference winning season - but now the Conference is beckoning
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Clues plea after raid on store
POLICE are appealing for information about the bizarre events surrounding a raid on a store. The robbery took place at the Londis general dealers and newsagents shops at Teesville, near Middlesbrough, at about 9.45pm on Thursday. Three men wearing hoods
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Pub extension rejected
A pub has had a planning application for extensions and extra car parking turned down by borough council planning officers. The Travellers' Rest, at Otley Road, Killinghall, in Harrogate, wanted to demolish a barn and replace it with a side and rear extension
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Tributes pour in for 'people's champion' Tony
TONY Moore was last night described as a champion of the people - a man who will be sorely missed by the community he represented for almost 30 years. The 59-year-old councillor died after a suffering a heart attack yesterday afternoon at the pool-side
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Saying farewell with care, respect and dignity
We've all been to godless funerals, even with the priest in all his feeble frippery, but how many to a humanist one? We've many of us been to funerals where the minister got the name wrong, where the conveyor ran on automatic pilot - dead man's handle
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Bulldozers move in to flatten former bingo hall
DEMOLITION work has begun to turn a former bingo hall into a youth drop-in centre. The former Walkers Bingo Hall and Social Club in Thornaby has been derelict for a number of years and has been targeted by arsonists and vandals. Two years ago, firefighters
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Police hunt boys after raid at chemist
SCHOOLBOY robbers terrified shop assistants in an armed raid at a chemist shop. The two 15-year-olds - their faces concealed - waited until Moss chemists, in Linthope Road, Middlebrough, were about to close when they pounced - threatening two women assistants
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We're all saying Pants to Poverty
THE generous North spirit shone through yesterday, as thousands of fundraisers in the region rallied round to help brighten the lives of millions of deprived people around the world. Fundraising stunts ranged from the ridiculous to the remarkable, as
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Hear All Sides
Letters from The Northern Echo TAXES GORDON Brown, the most notorious highway robber of all time, is now the grand master of the stealth tax. He says he wants people to provide for their old age, but raids their pension funds and then forces them to suffer
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Sales hit hopes of interest rate cut
HIGH street sales last month were "considerably stronger" than expected, dampening hopes of an April interest rate cut. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed sales volumes in February jumped 0.6 per cent month-on-month, way ahead
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'No need to panic' says P&O chairman
PORTS operator P&O said it was confident it would keep any economic slowdown at bay as it posted a 12 per cent rise in full-year profits. The company, which last October floated off its luxury cruise line P&O Princess Cruises, runs container ports
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The long and the short of it
Being short may be considered a disadvantage in the boardroom and the bedroom, but it does have health advantages. According to new research, the vertically-challenged live longer than their taller colleagues. Scientists have found that the hormone which
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Mother sold drugs
A WOMAN admitted selling cannabis from her home to pay for her use of the drug. Durham Crown Court was told that mother-of-three Jean Hodgson began using the drug to relieve stress, while suffering insomnia after the break-up of her marriage. Amanda Perry
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Move over Mona Lisa . . . Tecform's work is going on display in the Louvre
PLASTICS firm Tecform has proved its products are a work of art - with a contract for the Louvre art gallery and museum in Paris. Workers from the South Shields company have just completed work on custom-made display cases which will house priceless drawings
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Ban after dog found flea-ridden
A COUPLE have been banned from keeping animals for ten years after they allowed a dog to become flea-ridden and emaciated. Teesside magistrates heard that an RSPCA inspector was sent to Redcar Road, Thornaby, on Teesside, following a report that Bonnie
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FA must keep shirts on
THIS column is not designed for straddling the fence, but there have been a couple of disputes this week where the need for compassion has clouded the issue. Firstly, the Wycombe footballer who was sent off for rapturously removing his shirt when they
