Archive
-
Date
Hear All Sides
Letters from The Northern Echo METRIC MARTYR THE letters about Steve Thoburn (HAS, April 16) have got their facts wrong. He was not convicted for "selling a pound of bananas" or even for "offering his customers the choice of pounds or kilos", but for
-
Date
The Pru brings in record £5bn
INSURANCE group Prudential has achieved record insurance and investment sales of £5bn for its first quarter. The group saw its worldwide sales soar by 29 per cent for the three months to the end of March, despite a 51 per cent drop in sales of equity
-
Date
Update on global slowdown
A CLUTCH of first quarter trading statements next week will provide the City with an important update on the impact of the global slowdown. Bookham Technology, which reports first-quarter results on Wednesday, is among high-tech companies to have experienced
-
Date
Farmer blames carcasses dump as disease strikes
A FURIOUS farmer, who warned last month of the dangers of burying diseased animals in a previously uninfected area, has been told his animals have foot-and-mouth. Jeff Horn, who works Ivy Court Manor Farm, at Cowpen Bewley, Teesside, was told yesterday
-
Date
And, right on cue, the sun shone
REDCAR beach, 5.30am, Sunday. Originally these Easter risings were billed "Sunrise Services" until experience triumphed over hope - meteorologically, at any rate - and they became Dawn Services, instead. The town, even Silks exotically-dancing nightclub
-
Date
And, right on cue, the sun shone
REDCAR beach, 5.30am, Sunday. Originally these Easter risings were billed "Sunrise Services" until experience triumphed over hope - meteorologically, at any rate - and they became Dawn Services, instead. The town, even Silks exotically-dancing nightclub
-
Date
Boro edge closer to safety
Middlesbrough bounced back from their Bank Holiday defeat at the hands of Ipswich to make it two out of two on their travels. An early header from Hamilton Ricard, who latched on to a Dean Gordon cross put Boro on their way against Peter Taylor's men.
-
Date
Agencies sign up for victims of violence
A BETTER deal for victims of domestic violence has been promised by seven agencies who have signed up to a new minimum standards agreement. Gateshead Domestic Violence Forum brokered the deal with, among others, the Crown Prosecution Service, the courts
-
Date
Police appeal to 'Good Samaritan'
POLICE are looking for a "Good Samaritan" who tracked down and detained a suspected teenage mugger. The man who was driving a white pick-up went to the aid of a group of builders who had chased the 18-year-old, after a woman walking with her two daughters
-
Date
Pick-me-up for parky penguins
WE all know it's been a miserable spring - but who would have guessed it's even too cold for penguins. The wind, rain, hail and sleet of the past few weeks has made life unbearable for the chicks at Flamingoland Zoo, near Malton, North Yorkshire. But
-
Date
Cissy will play on despite retirement
AGE has done nothing to slow down 91-year-old Cissy Harrison in her church and village endeavours. She has just retired from the parochial church council (PCC) at St Oswald's in West Rounton, near Northallerton, after 70 years of service. However, she's
-
Date
Still time to enter top citizen award
RESIDENTS are being given an extra week to nominate people for Darlington's Citizen of the Year. Darlington Borough Council and The Northern Echo are looking for the town's unsung heroes - volunteers and charity workers who deserve recognition for their
-
Date
University's reputation is growing
A UNIVERSITY'S international reputation has seen it attract a record number of overseas applicants. More than 2,000 students from all over the world have applied to study at Sunderland University this year - more than double last year's figure. The estimated
-
Date
Shops complex scheme in doubt
THE future of a multi-million pound shopping and leisure complex has been thrown into doubt. The Dalton Flatts scheme in Murton, east Durham, will be the subject of a second public inquiry after developers London and Amsterdam submitted an application
-
Date
Pupils receive driving lesson at school
PUPILS will take their first driving lessons next week without leaving the school grounds. Teenagers from St John's RC Comprehensive, Bishop Auckland, are being given practical driving experience with specially-trained instructors. The driving course
-
Date
Business as usual at makeover store
A SUPERMARKET is undergoing a major makeover, but is still open for business. Kwik Save, behind Chester-le-Street's St Cuthbert's Walk shopping centre, is having a £100,000 refit as part of a national refurbishment programme by the chain's owners Somerfield
-
Date
Star trio extend stay at Victoria Park
HARTLEPOOL United's play-off hopes were given a triple boost yesterday when manager Chris Turner agreed new deals with three of his most influential performers. Skipper Micky Barron, 18-goal striker Kevin Henderson and playmaker Paul Stephenson have all
-
Date
Reid joins call for calm
SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid is backing North-East football supporters to be on their best behaviour for this afternoon's 120th League derby game against Newcastle at the Stadium of Light, despite the bitter rivalry between the clubs. Fears have been
-
Date
Big day at Feethams as Little makes his return
Ten years after leaving for Leicester City, Brian Little makes an emotional return to Darlington for the first time in a league game today. Those fans who followed the club from relegation from the old Fourth Division into the Conference, and then through
-
Date
Grass restrictions cut back
DURHAM County Council is to relax its controls on grass cutting and road maintenance, which it introduced last month to limit the spread of the epidemic. The authority imposed a blanket ban on all grass cutting and suspended many other highway maintenance
-
Date
Ultimatum over 'Death Hill' sign
SAFETY campaigners have warned that they may defy a local authority ruling to pull down a sign branding a road "Death Hill". Residents of Thormanby, near Easingwold, have been campaigning for years to have a bypass built to divert traffic from the A19
-
Date
Building work starts on £1m hospital project
THE second of three hospitals being built by a health care trust was launched yesterday. TV and radio personality Bill Steel cut the first turf on the site of the £1m Horn Hall development at Stanhope, in Weardale. It is being built in the grounds of
-
Date
Computer software boss tops rich list - despite £400m loss
THE slump in the Internet has wiped almost £400m off the fortune of the North-East's richest man. But despite this, Graham Wylie has maintained his position as the wealthiest person in the region. The Sunday Times Rich List 2001, published tomorrow, reveals
-
Date
Brave teenager who lost leg to cancer meets football heroes
A FOOTBALL-MAD teenager who lost a leg through cancer has been given a Darlington FC season ticket. The kind gesture was made by Quakers' chairman George Reynolds after he was told about the bravery of 13-year-old Ian Weston. Ian, of Darlington, had a
-
Date
Durham fall in Love with new Riverside recruit
LOVE was in the air for Durham when they reached 102 for one yesterday, but too many batsmen were in flirtatious form as the passion gently subsided. Familiar failings surfaced after Martin Love raised hopes that he will prove an inspired signing by opening
-
Date
Water time to begin
THE water gardening season is upon us. Planting a garden pool is unlike anything else you might encounter, for, when stocking a pool, a whole new world is being created in which plants, fish and snails depend upon one another. Submerged aquatic plants
-
Date
Marine expert to the rescue in tights situation
NORA Batty's stockings may have inspired Compo to many of his escapades in TV's Last of the Summer Wine - but none will have been quite as unusual as something dreamed-up by marine expert Paul Bullimoor. The Scarborough Sea Life Centre is proud of its
-
Date
Information guide launched to help mental health carers
A PRACTICAL guide to help those caring for people with mental health problems has been launched in Darlington. Backed by funds from Darlington Social Services, the guide includes basic information about mental health and suggests where carers can get
-
Date
Injury-ravaged Quins still a threat to Falcons
NEWCASTLE will not be lulled into a false sense of security by Harlequins' injury problems before tomorrow's European Shield semi-final at Headingley. Quins threatened to pull out in midweek when they were refused permission to play their under 19 hooker
-
Date
Council may pass fares scheme choice to users
A TOWN'S elderly and disabled travellers may be able to choose which concessionary fares scheme they subscribe to. On Tuesday, Middlesbrough Borough Council will consider options for concessionary fare arrangements for the town in the light of a new national
-
Date
Phones gamble could be a loser
BY any measure, the British Government's auction of the next generation mobile phone licences last year was a remarkable success. When the smoke settled and bidding ended, more than £22bn was on the table. The Chancellor was happy and so, it seemed, were
-
Date
Comment from The Northern Echo - Ringing a warning note
ONLY five months ago, when a mobile phone was the must-have present for Christmas, the telecommunications industry was riding on the crest of a wave. Nothing, it appeared, was going to halt the meteoric rise in demand for handsets. While the economic
-
Date
Public debate to open on traffic experiment
A DEPARTMENT store window display will mark the end of a controversial traffic experiment and the start of consultations on whether it should be retained. In the next few days, British Home Stores, in Middlesbrough, will give over one of its main windows
-
Date
Debate on council structure
A COUNCIL which saved money by reducing eight departments to four is now likely to streamline its committee structure. Wear Valley District Council consulted the public over Government-imposed changes in the way it operates. Residents backed keeping the
-
Date
The show could still go on
ORGANISERS of Britain's oldest agricultural show still hope to stage the event this year, despite the foot-and-mouth crisis. But there will be no classes for livestock at this year's show - the 223rd to be staged at Wolsingham, in Weardale, County Durham
-
Date
Alexandra aids car crime fight
A YOUNG artist has taken a top prize after coming up with a poster to combat car crime. Alexandra Knox was one of a group of seven and eight-year-olds at Galley Hill School, in Guisborough, who were asked to come up with ideas for the Redcar and Cleveland
-
Date
Ex-Sunderland star's funeral takes place
SOME of the biggest names in football stood shoulder-to-shoulder with politicians and fans yesterday to pay tribute to former Sunderland, Rangers and Scotland soccer legend Jim Baxter. Hundreds of mourners, led by Baxter's partner, Norma, his parents,
-
Date
Lion's a survivor
The Lion Brewery is the only W&DB operation currently running at full capacity, brewing Kronenbourg 1664, Heineken and Harp Irish lager. It brews about 450,000 barrels a year. Whatever the outcome of the bids, brewing analysts at stockbroker Brewin
-
Date
Deadline passes on bids for Camerons brewery
THE deadline for bids for the UK's largest regional brewer, Wolverhampton and Dudley, passed yesterday. The company, which owns the Camerons Lion Brewery, in Hartlepool, employing 170 staff, put itself up for sale last year after a profits warning and
-
Date
Drug addict tortured mistress in jealous rage
A CRACK cocaine addict who tortured his mistress because he suspected that she had another lover, was jailed for four-and-a-half years yesterday. Vincent Agar, 55, branded Adrienne Loader, 41, with a heated bottle, cut her wrist with a razor blade, stubbed
-
Date
Leylandii feud doctor collapses
A WOMAN caught up in a bitter feud over a garden hedge collapsed in the witness box before she could give her evidence in court yesterday. Dr Patricia Smith, who is suing next-door neighbour Paul Brough after he threatened to destroy her 20ft Leylandii
-
Date
Movie to cover life stories of N-E hardmen
THE life stories of two North-East hardmen are to hit the big screen in a £3m gangster movie. Gateshead underworld writer, Stephen Richards, wants to capture the stories of Tyneside protection hardman Viv Graham, and Teesside drugs enforcer Lee Duffy.
-
Date
Cooling off after a giant helping of hot desert
A SOLDIER from the North-East is back in the UK after a sterling performance in a gruelling 150-race across the Sahara. Green Howard, Lieutenant Ben Knox, from Hartforth, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, was the first Briton home in the 16th Marathon des
-
Date
Crashing Out
ANYONE who has used a PC regularly will know the moment. The time when a programme locks up and the screen goes a pale shade of blue, signalling an imminent collapse. Pressing the "Esc" key doesn't work. "Ctrl-Alt-Del" only comes up with a message that
-
Date
A team of keen and competent staff is vital to stable success
I'm sure most trainers will agree that one of the most important aspects of running a successful racing yard is good competent staff. The number of unemployed people over the country runs into millions but over half the racing yards in the country are
-
Date
Paddy returns to chase Scottish National glory
LADY luck was surely smiling on Paddy's Return at Aintree a fortnight ago where remarkably he emerged unscathed after inadvertently causing one of the biggest pile-ups witnessed in post-war Grand National history. Following such a daunting experience
-
Date
Can I claim a rebate on my Council Tax?
Q I am under 60, living on Incapacity Benefit of £84.04. I have applied for a one bedroomed council flat. How much rent and Council Tax could I expect to pay after rebates? A Weekly, about £5.50 basic rent and £1.68 Council Tax. Q I live with my sister
-
Date
'No, disease is not under control'
A DEVASTATED farmer has dismissed claims by the ministry's chief vet that foot-and-mouth is under control. Richard Harding, 40, said last night that although other disease-hit areas around the country may appear to be under control according to chief
-
Date
Nothing like Hell
"FROM Hell, Hull and Halifax deliver us," was the 19th Century saying. Could Halifax (or Hull?) really have been that bad? But the saying was coined by the criminal fraternity, and the hell that awaited in Halifax was execution. The town was one of the
-
Date
Sinking feeling as shipyard era ends
AFTER a lifetime in the shipyards, Frank Russell cycled through the gates yesterday to pick up his tools for the last time. But when he looked around at some of the other workers who had been told their services were no longer needed, he realised his
-
Date
Jail term for bootleg cigarette man
A BUSINESSMAN who sold more than 2,000 bootleg cigarettes a day has been jailed for four months. Mark Rayner, 30, of Gladstone Street, Sunderland, was arrested on February 16, following a raid on his shop, in Southwick Road. Customs officers seized 23,000
-
Date
Man hurt in fire flat fall
A YOUNG man was injured yesterday when he fell 25ft while escaping a fire at his flat. The blaze started when a chip pan burst into flames in the kitchen of a second floor flat at McKay's Mews, Front Street, Stanley, County Durham, at 3am. Inspector Kevin
-
Date
Robson keen for Solano to extend Tyneside stay
BOBBY ROBSON has given the clearest hint yet that Nolberto Solano's future lies with Newcastle United. Manager Robson yesterday confirmed that Solano has delayed his link-up with Peru for next week's World Cup qualifier in Brazil to take on derby rivals
-
Date
Cooling down the regional debate
DURING the last eight months or so, the North-East thought it had sensed a subtle shift in the Labour Government's interest in regional politics. The Government had been stung by accusations that it had neglected its grass-roots and by suggestions that
-
Date
Phillips hoping to make it a double celebration
ENGLAND international Kevin Phillips is to become a dad again - and he'd love to celebrate the joyous news by scoring the winning goal in today's 120th League derby against arch-rivals Newcastle United at the Stadium of Light. The 27-year-old striker
-
Date
Little makes winning return
Hull City boss Brian Little made a winning return to the North-East after seeing his side overcome Darlington at Feethams. The former Quakers supremo, who left the club for Leicester ten years ago, has performed miracles at Boothferry Park this season
-
Date
Business park enters new phase
A £3m plan to extend a business park in Hartlepool was unveiled yesterday. MP Peter Mandelson cut a ribbon to mark the start of work on Phase II of Sovereign International Business Park, south of the town, off Brenda Road. Property specialists Spencer
-
Date
Mencap branch gets £230,000 Lottery boost
A CHARITY providing valuable help for people with learning disabilities is celebrating after it received a £230,000 Lottery grant. Ryedale and Scarborough Mencap is expanding its day care services for adults, with more support and advice for people with
-
Date
Imports blow a fuse on North electronics production jobs
FOREIGN imports have put paid to a electronic components manufacturer Littlefuse. The Washington, Wearside, business, which employs about 200, is planning to close and move production to the Far East. The £4.7m custom-built plant, on the Stephenson Industrial
-
Date
Elderly man killed in house blaze
POLICE and fire investigators yesterday ruled out any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of an elderly man in a North-East house blaze. Firefighters who forced their way into the house, in Grant's Houses, Horden, east Durham, found the man
-
Date
Appeal may follow housing proposal rejection
DEVELOPERS refused permission for a controversial housing development will consider lodging an appeal. Durham City Council's development control committee turned down proposals by Bryant Homes and Wimpey Homes to build 193 detached and semi-detached houses
-
Date
Move to stop arson attacks
POLICE in Darlington are working with the local authority in an effort to stop youngsters setting fire to derelict homes on a housing estate. In the past two months there have been a number of arson attacks on the Firthmoor estate, caused by youngsters
-
Date
Destroyed by her own delusions
IT IS November 1986. An attractive 22-year-old young woman beams enticingly at the judges as she shows off her curvy bikini clad figure. Her long, wavy brown hair falls sexily down her tanned back as she walks proudly with one hand on her hip. The glamorous
-
Date
Hard work is only key to Middlesbrough survival
MIDDLESBROUGH goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer last night admitted his side must work harder to stave off the threat of relegation. Australian international Schwarzer endorsed the views of former Boro teammate Alun Armstrong, who called into question the workrate
-
Date
Soccer star blackmail woman found dead
AN inquiry was under way last night after a ex-beauty queen who blackmailed a former international footballer was found dead at a psychiatric hospital. Carolyn Pick, 36, is believed to have taken her own life at St Luke's Hospital in Middlesbrough where
-
Date
The Queen at 75
AT noon today, 41 guns will line up to salute the Queen in London's Hyde Park, and 62 more will be at the Tower of London, to mark her 75th birthday. But this will be the only official event to celebrate the milestone. While you might be forgiven for
-
Date
Only foals and horses
A TINY Shetland foal and an extremely tall hunting horse have formed their own Little and Large friendship after finding shelter at a rescue centre. The odd couple make a strange sight standing side by side at Ramshaw Rescue Centre, near Bishop Auckland
-
Date
Bag snatch suspect arrested
POLICE hunting two women after they snatched a pensioner's bag, have arrested a female in connection with the incident. The elderly woman was walking down Murray Street in Hartlepool just before 3pm on Tuesday when the incident happened. A 23-year-old
-
Date
Climber survives 1,000ft plunge
A NORTH-EAST climber had a miraculous escape when he survived a 1,000ft plunge down a Scottish mountainside. The 43-year-old, from the Darlington area, escaped with leg and back injuries, but is not thought to be in a life-threatening condition. The unnamed
-
Date
Police pledge new hard-line stance on domestic violence
POLICE predict an increase in the number of arrests involving domestic violence under a new policy. Officers will be encouraged to take a tougher stance over the problem as part of Cleveland Police's new corporate procedures. Instead of waiting for victims
-
Date
Crashing out
ANYONE who has used a PC regularly will know the moment. The time when a programme locks up and the screen goes a pale shade of blue, signalling an imminent collapse. Pressing the "Esc" key doesn't work. "Ctrl-Alt-Del" only comes up with a message that
-
Date
Magpies look to Greek Nikos
NEWCASTLE United are today looking to Greek colossus Nikos Dabizas to provide the corner-stone for derby revenge against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Centre-back Dabizas defied medical opinion by making his comeback in Monday's 2-1 home win over
-
Date
More of the same - Bennett
Darlington manager Gary Bennett wants another Cardiff-style performance from his players against Hull City today. Quakers produced their best football of the season in the 2-0 win over the Welsh side last week and Bennett wants more of the same in the
-
Date
Scene is set for Verdi favourite
ONE of Verdi's best-loved operas will be coming to the region this month. Richard Bloodworth, headteacher at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School, will direct Opera North's production of A Masked Ball, at Whitley Bay Playhouse. It will be conducted by
-
Date
Animal rights campaigner receives prison term
ANIMAL rights activist John Gill received a seven-day prison sentence yesterday for refusing to pay more than £1,000 in fines. Gill, 51, had always said he would rather go behind bars than pay £500 in fines and costs imposed last year by Hexham magistrates
-
Date
Last chance for exhibitions trip
THERE is a final chance to see popular exhibitions celebrating Meccano and the Early Tudors at Kirkleatham Old Hall Museum, near Redcar. More than 13,000 people have seen the two displays since they were unveiled in January, but both exhibitions will
-
Date
Choir tunes up for golden celebration
A choir formed by mellifluous miners half a century ago, is to give a golden anniversary performance this month. Backworth Male Voice Choir will be joined by its visiting German twin, Die Meigener Choir, singing at Beamish Museum, near Stanley. Die Meigener
-
Date
Angry steelworkers back ballot over strike action
NORTH-EAST steelworkers at Corus yesterday voted for a strike ballot in the wake of imminent job losses. The news came as another part of the region's industrial heritage came to an end. Only a skeleton staff of 29 now remains at Cammell Laird's shipbuilding
-
Date
Apprentices carve out career path
FOUR years of hard work and dedication has paid off for a group of seven modern apprentices who have been given permanent contracts with excavator manufacturer Komatsu UK. The group joined the firm, which is based in Birtley, County Durham, in 1997 on
-
Date
Groups fly flag for Yorkshire Day party
AN initiative to boost the profile of Yorkshire has been launched by three of the county's leading support groups. The Yorkshire Awards Committee, the Yorkshire Ridings Society and the Yorkshire Society are joining together for the first time to launch
-
Date
Security staff get takeover assurance
SECURITY giant ADT Fire and Security has stressed its commitment to staff at a recently taken-over North-East firm. Earlier this week, it was revealed that ADT had acquired Security Surveyors Group, in Darlington, in what was described as a "significant
-
Date
Drug addict tortured mistress in jealous rage
A CRACK cocaine addict who tortured his mistress because he suspected that she had another lover, was jailed for four-and-a-half years yesterday. Vincent Agar, 55, branded Adrienne Loader, 41, with a heated bottle, cut her wrist with a razor blade, stubbed
-
Date
Extra time for questions
A DEADLINE for residents to express their views on how they should be governed has been extended. Due to difficulties with the distribution of leaflets, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has postponed a deadline for people to decide on three options
