Archive
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'Stop the squabbling' is new president's message to firms
BRITAIN's biggest chamber of commerce has a new president. John Irwin, 52, was elected as the North-East Chamber of Commerce's new president at its annual general meeting at the Ramside Hotel, in Durham yesterday. He replaces Nigel Sherlock who stood
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Work starts on bungalows
WORK has started on an £800,000 bungalow development that will create housing for elderly people in the centre of Shildon. The Three Rivers Housing Group development, next to Shildon Civic Hall, near Main Street, will provide 13 two-bedroom bungalows,
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Fighting for town centres
GRAHAM Sewell has been appointed as Sedgefield Borough Council's first town centre manager. Mr Sewell will have responsibility for attracting shoppers to Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor town centres, which have big new developments planned. A manager was
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Children lead way in green promotion
A PUSH for residents to "go green" continues this month. While youngsters at Mowden Infants School in Darlington make the most of a compost bin donated to them as part of the environmental drive, preparations are being made for a one-day sale of composters
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An easy pill to swallow
IT IS not easy to imagine how staff at Glaxo Pharmaceuticals managed without the Red Well Inn, so greatly has it seemed of late to be just what the doctor ordered. The two have long been on opposite sides of the road in Barnard Castle, the pub both a
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Village welcomes back the Albion - junior style
BEFORE the war they were formidable, after it no pushovers. Now Eldon Albion, one of Co Durham's best known football teams, is being revived. Instead of the old Albion, however, the new club - which plays its first game today - will be an under 11 side
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Sculptor's steel daisies in full bloom for year of promises campaign
FLOWER power of an unusual nature has led to a sculptor making a name for himself across the country. Anthony Sturgess, of Killinghall, near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, was chosen to create six giant daisy sculptures, each standing at about 4ft high,
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Wanted: an artist with a cruel eye
AN artist who can draw zany pictures of festival-goers is being sought for Durham's Summer Festival next month. Durham City Manager Chris Rawlinson hopes to find a caricaturist to work during the four-day event. "We have found a portrait artist and now
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Fears grow for missing man
POLICE are growing concerned for the welfare of a man who went missing from hospital last week. Walter King, 39, was last seen leaving St Luke's Hospital, Middlesbrough, for a period of leave last Friday morning. Police are worried he may be without his
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Parents warned about teen yobs
A POLICE officer last night called on parents to stop turning "a blind eye" to their children's yobbish behaviour. Meanwhile, a sober, written warning will drop on the doormats of scores of homes across Middesbrough - spelling out to parents that future
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Park welcomes visitors again after four-month closure
A park reopened yesterday, after being off limits because of foot-and-mouth. Captain Cook and the Mayor of Middlesbrough, councillor Patricia Walker, were among those who turned up to watch the gates reopen at Stewart Park. Middlesbrough Borough Council
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Boost for online access
COMPUTER access to disadvantaged parts of the region is given a boost today with the announcement of three cash awards to neighbourhood centres. The New Opportunities Fund, a distributor of National Lottery cash, is handing out a total of £385,469 to
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It's a dog's life patrolling the malls
SHOPPERS may have been surprised over recent weeks to find sniffer dogs joining them in the malls of the MetroCentre. The Gateshead centre is supporting Durham Police with its sniffer dog training programme. The aim is to familiarise the dogs and their
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Exhibition urges fire awareness
FREE safety advice is on offer all this week. Gateshead Borough Council is hosting an exhibition on fire safety to encourage residents to fit smoke alarms in their homes. Every year, firefighters are called to 60,000 house fires across the UK, which cause
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Car seats advice could be a lifesaver
PARENTS in North Yorkshire have been challenged to check the safety of their children on everyday journeys to and from school. Many may be worried their youngsters would be at risk if they were allowed to make their own way to and from the gates, particularly
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New burial site fight looms
THE Government was facing another rural revolt last night over its plans for a mass burial site in North Yorkshire, as the foot-and-mouth epidemic continued to plague the region. Residents of Easingwold, near York, are prepared to take "drastic action
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Inquiry into exam 'shambles' launched
An urgent review of new sixth form exams that have sparked howls of protest in schools was ordered by the Government yesterday. After headteachers branded AS-levels a "shambles", Education and Skills Secretary Estelle Morris announced that the head of
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Venables' Boro role is over
Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb yesterday confirmed for the first time that Terry Venables' six-month association with the club had come to end with the appointment of Steve McClaren. Venables arrived in December last year after answering an
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Still getting a kick from great moment
WHAT were you doing when Ian Porterfield scored? It's a key question for thousands of Sunderland football club supporters, who remember the moment Porterfield scored the goal that clinched the 1973 FA Cup Final as one of the greatest football moments
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Children take up battle stations for history lesson
YOUNGSTERS are travelling back in time this week to find out about life during the Second World War. From Aycliffe to Italy: County Durham Goes to War, opened yesterday at the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum and Art Gallery in Durham City and will
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Theatre group kept in picture
A COMMUNITY award is helping to put a theatre group in the picture. The North Eastern Co-op's community dividend fund gave a grant of £850 to the Open clasp Theatre Company to buy a digital camera and camcorder. Set up three years ago, the Newcastle group
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All the frills of a model contest
RICHMOND goes baa-rmy later this month as the town launches its annual festival. A new addition to the programme is a Sheep on Show competition - and children from local schools have already entered into the spirit of things, working on their own creations
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Green Howard, 20, admits killing black railway worker
A NORTH-EAST soldier has admitted killing a black railway worker outside a nightclub and seriously injuring his friend. Private Wayne King, 20, from Middlesbrough, admitted the manslaughter of Glyne Agard, 34, following a brawl outside the club in Westbury
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Dales town shocked by death of mild-natured foundry man
INVESTIGATIONS are continuing into a suspicious death in a dales market town. Michael Burrup, 36, and a Sunderland holidaymaker were dragged from a rock-filled, stagnant pool of water in Stanhope, County Durham, early on Saturday after a heated row. Mr
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Murder trial nurse 'bored and lazy'
A former colleague of a nurse accused of murdering an elderly patient with a drug overdose has described her appearance at work as appalling. State Enrolled Nurse Joan Lilley worked with Alison Firth at Aidan House Nursing home where she is accused of
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Lawyer tells of terror attack by race-hate thugs
An Asian human rights lawyer yesterday told of his terror after being attacked by race-hate thugs. Solicitor Tarlochan Gata-Aura, who specialises in campaigning for asylum seekers, was left badly beaten by a gang who yelled racial abuse. He believes part
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Addict admits cruelty to daughter
A DRUG addict mother admitted child cruelty yesterday after she climbed from her bedroom window to buy heroin and dropped her baby. Police arrested Lisa Elsworth, 21, after she took her year-old daughter, Tanisha, to hospital with a grazed forehead. Elsworth
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Tory couple's baby out of the blue
TORY voters Judith Allen and Paul Welsh did not expect to have much to celebrate as they sat down to watch the General Election results. But, as Tony Blair swept back to power, Judith started having stomach pains. - and, to the couple's astonishment,
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Campaigning youngsters get new hope of skateboard park hopes move a step closer
A SKATEBOARD park could be on the cards at last, after a series of meetings between the council and youngsters from Richmond. A 13-year-old Skeeby schoolboy, Alasdair Alexander, has been leading a fresh campaign for a skateboarding site, and has already
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Trescothick's ton in vain as England run goes on
England lost another tight finish to lose a record eighth successive one day match after a highly-skilled Pakistan side held their nerve to claim a dramatic two-run victory at Lord's. Having pushed world champions Australia to within three runs of victory
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Don't fall prey to society's vultures
GEORGE the vulture swooped in to the region yesterday to help warn the public to beware of scavengers. The Griffon vulture - the largest bird of prey native to Europe - was used by County Durham police to kick-start their campaign, dubbed Operation Vulture
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Young people to put forward views to MP
HOT on the heels of the General Election, more than 350 youngsters will spell out their plans for the country's youth at an event on Friday. Dari Taylor relected as MP for Stockton South, will attend, and is looking forward to hearing the young people
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Addict admits cruelty to daughter
A DRUG addict mother admitted child cruelty yesterday after she climbed from her bedroom window to buy heroin and dropped her baby. Police arrested Lisa Elsworth, 21, after she took her year-old daughter, Tanisha, to hospital with a grazed forehead. Elsworth
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Troubled shipyard
A TROUBLED North-East shipyard has been thrown a lifeline. Cammell Laird, which went into receivership last year, is rapidly running out of work at its yard in Hebburn, on Tyneside. Yesterday, the Ministry of Defence awarded a contract to shipbuilder
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Foreign Exchange Cashier, Northallerton. wage neg. Saturday. Must be a team player, able to work towards sales targets. Customer service background,
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Timbers find linked to 1861 ship wreckage
A 140-YEAR-OLD reminder of Teesside's maritime traditions and the risks faced by ships' crews has been uncovered. The remains of an old wreck, believed to be from one of a number of vessels lost during a storm in February 1861, have been found to be holding
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Big bands sound is back
TWO organisations, which help keep a North Yorkshire market town entertained, have teamed up to stage a concert of big band sound. Richmond's Cricket Club hosts an evening of nostalgia on Friday, June 29, taking dancers back to the days when Glenn Miller
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Awards recognise work of carers' carers
TEN people have received awards for their work to care for carers. Sunderland North MP Bill Etherington presented the awards during the annual Carers Workshop at Wearmouth Community Development Trust, Sunderland. The event was part of the National Carers
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Pub boss in joint plea to cut out rowdyism
A PUB manager is calling for a united front to stamp out late- night rowdyism in central Middlesbrough. John Lancaster, general manager of the town's Park Gates Leisure, said: "We all have parents and grandparents and we don't want people to feel they
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Children taste the great outdoors
HUNDREDS of youngsters are enjoying a taste of life in the great outdoors all this week. Year six children from every junior and primary school in the Easington and Seaham areas are taking part in the initiative. Each day, about 80 children are taking
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Non-Chartered Engineers, Stockton. nmw, FT tba. Will possess a background in engineering. Must have a thorough understanding of the industries we assist
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Head Waiter/ess, Chester le Street. £11,000pa + bonus. 40hpw tba. To assist the manager in prestigious hotel. Applicants must have three years' experience
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Timely study in exam reform
FUNDAMENTALLY, the notion of AS levels is sound. Maintaining a broader range of subjects for 16 and 17-year-olds to study will encourage more young people into further education. It also provides a better transition between the multiple GSCE examinations
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Brighter future for youngsters
A YOUNG people's advice and drop-in centre was opened yesterday by Hartlepool United manager Chris Turner. Headland Future is the organisation behind the plans to renovate the Golden Anchor Hotel, in Abbey Street, Hartlepool, as a major resource for young
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Joint campaign aims to boost number of short-break visitors
HOTELS and tourism chiefs have teamed up with shops and museum bosses to promote a North-East town as a destination for short breaks. The Short Breaks, Long Memories promotion sees Darlington Borough Council working with the other parties to offer discounts
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Funding blow for music centre
A FLAGSHIP music centre has been turned down for a £3m Lottery grant which would have helped them develop musical talent across the region. Northern Recording, at Consett, County Durham, wanted the money from the Arts Council to build digital recording
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Appeal gears up to fund tots' play area
YOUNGSTERS will soon have a miniature street to play on, complete with pint-sized cars. Sunnybrow Primary School, near Willington, is raising money to develop a play area for its pre-school children and reception classes. The Trikes for Tots appeal has
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Widow's payout after op blunder
THE widow of a man who had to endure a five-year "living nightmare" after cancer surgery went wrong has won six-figure damages. Weeks before the case was due to go to trial, Hartlepool Health Authority agreed to make a substantial out-of-court settlement
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Murder inquiry launched after daylight attack
A MURDER inquiry has been launched after a man was stabbed to death in the street in broad daylight. Wayne Bircham, 19, died from a single stab wound to his chest just after 2pm, on Sunday. He staggered more than 100 yards along Lancaster Road, in Grangetown
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Excitement as jobs-boost supermarket takes shape
A NEW supermarket which is expected to breathe life into a rundown area of Durham is to open in August. The 69,000 sq ft Tesco store being built on the site of the former Hugh Mackay carpet factory, at Dragonville, will admit its first customers on Monday
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Outbreak threatens future of agriculture and tourism
THE future of farming and tourism on the North York Moors remained in the balance last night, as national park chiefs battled against a cluster of foot-and-mouth cases. Fears that the epidemic could be spreading further across the region subsided slightly
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New Age Tommy's call to arms
NOW that the General Election is dead in the water, the newspapers will have to find something else to talk about. I see from last Sunday's that they are already scraping the bottom of the barrel. For instance, there is renewed controversy about the presence
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Inquiries continue into river death fall
INVESTIGATIONS are continuing into what has been described as a suspicious death at a market town. Michael Burrup, 36, and a Sunderland holidaymaker were dragged from a stagnant pool in Stanhope, County Durham, in the early hours of Saturday after a heated
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Quartet join duo to add
A MALE quartet is joining forces with two renowned professional musicians for a night to remember. Chester-le-Street's Close Friends are being accompanied by the Angels of the North, a female duo, for a special concert in the town on Saturday. The duo
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Employers must speak up
EUROPEAN ministers today set in motion a law requiring all companies with more than 50 workers to regularly consult and inform staff about the firm's progress. And North-East Euro MP Stephen Hughes has played a key role in steering the measure through
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Inflation highest for two years
THE underlying rate of inflation reached its highest level for more than two years last month as food and petrol prices soared, official figures have shown. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the underlying rate of inflation, which excludes
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Free kettles for heads booking supply teachers
HEADTEACHERS struggling to cover chronic staff shortages are being tempted with the offer of free kettles and DVD players. One of the country's biggest teacher supply agencies is running its own supermarket-style loyalty scheme with a range of prizes
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Job Search 2001
Non-Chartered Engineers, Stockton. nmw, FT tba. Will possess a background in engineering. Must have a thorough understanding of the industries we assist. STL 28359. Senior Civil/Structural Engineer, Stockton. Nmw, FT tba. Will be required to perform a
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Dyer not about to quit Magpies
KIERON Dyer moved swiftly yesterday to reassure Newcastle fans that he's not about to walk out on the club. Dyer flatly denied he would be heading for a showdown if the club failed to match his ambitions in the transfer market this summer. But significantly
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School children have room to show off their artistic talents
PUPILS are enjoying their artwork in a newly-opened studio at a Teesside school. Following a year of negotiating funds and a further year of construction, the £6,500 art studio at Whinney Banks Junior School, Middlesbrough, has finally been unveiled.
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McClaren is focused for club and country
STEVE McClaren officially stepped into the hotseat at the Riverside yesterday and heralded a new era of football thinking at Middlesbrough. Exactly a week after Steve Gibson announced the end of Bryan Robson's seven-year association with the club, it
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LETTERS
RONNIE BIGGS THE son of Ronnie Biggs, the train robber, is reported to have said that he is disgusted at the treatment his father is receiving since he came back to this country from his 35-year holiday in South America. Did he expect two rooms at Buckingham
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Shaping a 'new beginning' for marine industry
A MAJOR national programme aimed at securing the future of Britain's shipbuilding and repair industry is being launched at Newcastle University today. The university's Department of marine technology is playing an important part in the £7m Shipbuilders
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Policeman back in N-E for honour
A leading policemen will return "home" to the North-East later this month to collect an academic honour. Former County Durham officer David Blakey, one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary, will be given an honorary diploma in Durham. Mr Blakey
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Computer boom
A CASH boost has enabled Gateshead Borough Council to increase computer access. During the next two years, 130 computers will be installed in 17 public libraries, giving free access to the latest technology, and the Internet
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Pub brawl pair walk free
TWO men avoided a prison sentence yesterday after admitting their parts in a pub brawl. Peter Walker, 21, of Toddington Drive, and Craig Fenny, 20, of Weaverham Road, both Norton, Teesside, admitted assaulting Matthew Stewart at the Emporium, Stockton
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Last chance for addict with 46 convictions
A THIEF with a record of 46 previous convictions was given a chance to put his life in order by a court yesterday. When Robert Metcalfe pleaded guilty to trying to steal a £106.98 video recorder from a supermarket, Nick Ralph, prosecuting, told Harrogate
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Special branch in hunt for shrub thieves
THIEVES with a blooming cheek are being offered an amnesty. They are being given the chance to return two shrubs stolen from tubs at an east Cleveland resort. If the offer goes ignored, they face prosecution on being discovered. A spokeswoman for Saltburn
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Mother's condom claim at inquest
A MOTHER claimed at an inquest that police tried to kill her son by forcing a condom filled with heroin into his mouth. Gillian Pell told the hearing she feared officers had forced the condom into 18-year-old Gareth Brogden's mouth after bundling him
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Fears grow for missing man
POLICE are growing concerned for the welfare of a man who went missing from hospital last week. Walter King, 39, was last seen leaving St Luke's Hospital, Middlesbrough, for a period of leave last Friday morning. Police are worried he may be without his
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'Too old' at 26 to dabble in drugs
A COURT told a 26-year-old man yesterday that he should give up dabbling in drugs because he was too old. Michael Harling, who pleaded guilty to two charges of heroin possession and two of failing to answer his bail, was given a 12-month community rehabilitation
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Residents to get pay-out for disturbance from kart track
RESIDENTS disturbed by noise from a karting track near their homes are to be paid compensation by a council. Sunderland City Council is offering £3,000 to a woman who moved from her home 400 yards from the countryside site at Warden Law, near Houghton-le-Spring
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Newcastle issues timely warning
NEWCASTLE Building Society is warning investors that time is running out to take advantage of an account offering unlimited growth, based on the performance of worldwide stock markets. The Global Guaranteed Equity Bond (Issue Two) Tessa Only Isa guarantees
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Council in initiative to boost economy
MORE rights of way are to be reopened in an effort to boost tourism prospects in North Yorkshire. Following a series of meetings, the county council is re-opening paths in those areas not currently affected by the epidemic. The crisis has had a devastating
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Students protest at rent increases
STUDENTS at Durham University will hold a rally today to protest about rent increases. Earlier this year, the university council agreed a rise of £200, plus inflation, to be paid by undergraduates at the university's 13 colleges. University managers said
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The bitter irony of vaccination
THE word vaccine comes from vacca, the Latin for cow. I learned this the other day from an article in the current National Trust magazine. Its subject is a history of milkmaids. The first smallpox vaccine was developed from the scabs on dairymaids who
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Future of Edwardian building still uncertain despite meetings
THE future of an Edwardian building in Darlington's West End is still in the balance. Local people, architects and conservation groups thought the Chesterfield building, in Stanhope Road, had been saved from the bulldozers when proposals to demolish it
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24-hour cinema
A NEW cinema complex has been given approval for 24-hour operation. Middlesbrough Borough Council's licensing committee heard the application for 24-hour opening at the 11-screen UGC cinema, in Middlesbrough, was to give it a degree of flexibility. There
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Plasterer, Darlington-based, £250pw plus, 40hrs pw, 8.30am start, must have current clean driving licence. Ref: DAE 26692. General assistant, Newton
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Bishop opts out of 'male friendship' service
A BISHOP pulled out of a commitment to celebrate a Mass marking a 25-year friendship amid fears it could be seen as contradicting church teaching on homosexuality. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Middlesbrough, the Right Reverend John Crowley had agreed
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College visitors get the latest news on art
PUPILS looking to gain an insight into life at a sixth form college have been given a helping hand by The Northern Echo. This week and next, about 1,000 year ten pupils from feeder schools to Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form, in Darlington, will spend a morning
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Animal charity needs support
AN animal welfare charity is appealing for new members. The RSPCA hopes to renew interest in its work before the axe falls on a North-east branch. The North Teesside and District division has 85 members, but only about four take an active part in the
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Veteran Labour councillor dies of heart attack
A VETERAN Labour councillor and union stalwart has died of a heart attack, aged 81. Despite being told he had only six months to live following a water poisoning incident in Italy in the Second World War, George Durham beat the odds and went on to serve
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The exams that failed the students
IT USED to be a year for personal development. GCSEs were a distant memory and gone were the shackles of school uniforms and strict timetables. But, instead of those carefree days in the lower sixth form, days spent adjusting to advanced levels of learning
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Pair 'used council flat to sell cocaine'
A COUNCIL flat was used to sell crack cocaine, a court was told yesterday. Trevor Hinds, 40, of Southwide Road, Sunderland, and Reginald Johnson, 58, of Union Street, Middlesbrough, deny being concerned in selling drugs in October and November 1999. Mr
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Residents make council plea to reopen 'bridge from hell'
RESIDENTS are set to clash over a decision to close a bridge to prevent youths congregating in a Stockton park. A petition with the signatures of 138 local residents was handed to Stockton Borough Council earlier in the year, calling for the metal footbridge
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Reason for steaming row is revealed
A LEGAL advisor to a pioneering steam locomotive project quit over what he says is a lack of information of engineering problems. The revelation comes after the trust overseeing the £1.7m scheme to build Britain's first mainline steam locomotive in 40
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Vulnerable children to get extra guidance
PLANS for a new board to supervise the handling of vulnerable youngsters are expected to win councillors' backing today. Members of Middlesbrough Borough Council's social services cabinet will be asked to approve the setting up of a Children's Services
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Cyanide in drains firm fined
A FIRM has been fined £600 for releasing illegally high concentrations of cyanide into a sewerage system. Harvey Plating, of Yarm Road Industrial Estate, Darlington, was prosecuted by Northumbrian Water at Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court yesterday,
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Objections unlikely to stop housing
COUNCILLORS are being urged to ignore the views of villagers and give the go-ahead for a housing development. Thoroughbred Homes has applied for planning permission to build nine houses in Chapel Row, Sadberge, near Darlington. The site is vacant, and
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Labour gain seat after close by-election
THE Labour Party has captured the borough council seat made vacant by the death of Councillor Tony Moore. The maverick councillor represented the Middridge ward on Sedgefield Borough Council as an independent member for many years until he died of a heart
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Why David Bellamy
WHILE many of us will end up pushing up daisies in a churchyard, TV botanist David Bellamy hopes to turn himself into part of a woodland glade. Professor Bellamy, who lives near Hamsterley Forest, County Durham, is a passionate supporter and patron of
