Archive
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Air squadron gets new badge off the shelf
SUPERMARKET workers have created a badge for an air cadets squadron. Staff from Asda, in Bishop Auckland, have designed a squadron badge with the help of the 2505 Bishop Auckland Squadron, which will give the group its own identity after 29 years of parading
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Surgeons reattach girl's fingertip
SURGEONS reattached a North-East girl's severed fingertip after she travelled 40 miles with it wrapped in ice. Two-year-old Dominique Hepple lost the flesh surrounding the tip of her right ring finger after catching it in a pub toilet door. Frantic mother
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Despair of children who turn to suicide
THE North-East has one of the highest levels in the country of children who consider suicide, according to shocking figures. ChildLine revealed that 701 suicidal children called the charity from April 1998 to March 1999. The charity's base in Leeds received
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MP condemns probation service on bail hostel plan
AN MP has criticised proposals to build a bail hostel in the centre of a County Durham town, on the second day of a public inquiry. Kevan Jones gave his backing to protestors in the Chester-le-Street area of his constituency, who packed out the inquiry
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A vivid pride about the place
THE Saltburn Improvement Company held a public meeting last week. People said very nice things about them. That was an improvement to start with. Saltburn always seemed a bit upmarket when we were bairns; the club trip only ever went to Redcar. On Monday
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School sports fall victim to weather
SPORTS day at St Bede's Primary School, Darlington, was cut short by the weather, but spirits were not dampened by the downpour. Pupils enjoyed the heats of the sprints and the junior class team races at the event on Tuesday, before the rain started.
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Three-way link to boost sport
A CRUCIAL meeting has decided the future policy for the development of sports facilities across a district. Leisure chiefs seemed to face a difficult choice between either a multi-million pound partnership with the Army at Catterick Garrison or with schools
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Nowt wrong with wor culture
WE CAME, we saw, we ate delicious feta cheese dishes. But did the few regional journalists tagging along on a fact- finding trip to this year's European Capital of Culture of Rotterdam in Holland help further the cause of Newcastle and Gateshead? Was
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Durham Bridge the gap in thriller
DURHAM sensationally knocked one-day kings Gloucestershire out of the C & G Trophy at Bristol yesterday, with Graeme Bridge winning the man-of-the-match award on his first senior one-day appearance. But hopes of being rewarded with a home quarter-final
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Calls for measures to tackle absconders
A SENIOR policeman is calling for local authorities to be given greater powers in dealing with youngsters who abscond from care homes and then commit crime. Superintendent Graham Strange, of Cleveland Police, made the appeal while highlighting two cases
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Bursts havoc could speed mains repairs
WORK improving water supplies in a string of former pit communities could be speeded up in the wake of a spate of mains bursts. Northumbrian Water has just begun a £2m mains refurbishment and replacement programme in the neighbouring communities of Easington
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Serving up the cod that's better bred
A NORTH-EAST fish shop is one of the first in the country to sell farmed cod in an attempt to help protect the species. Roberts Fish Shop, in Dovecot Street, Stockton, began selling the farm-bred cod yesterday after it was transported from the Mull of
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Taste of adult learning offered
LEARNING how to climb trees or draw cartoons are just two of the ways people in County Durham can enjoy a free taste of learning. The national Bitesize Course campaign will run until July 21, and aims to encourage more than 50,000 adults to attend free
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Good morning... and goodbye
So whatever happened to Anne Diamond and Nick Owen? They - and others like them - have long since disappeared down the back of the daytime television sofa, consigned to crumbs and oblivion, while Richard and Judy seem to go on forever. And just when other
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Pledge to retain vital bus service
ASSURANCES have been given that every effort will be made to retain a Darlington bus service. Leven Valley Coaches announced last week that it was withdrawing its 32 and 33 service, which takes in the Albert Hill, Hundens Lane and Mowden areas of Darlington
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Despair of N-E children who think about suicide
THE North-East has one of the highest levels in the country of children who consider suicide, according to new figures. ChildLine revealed that 701 suicidal children called the charity during the period from April 1998 to March 1999. The charity's base
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Warning over holidays offer
TRADING standards officers are urging people to be cautious of an offer claiming that they have won a free holiday. The move comes a week after trading standards officers warned about foreign firms offering cash prizes that never materialise, despite
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Counting cost of yet another bridge shutdown
A COUNCIL is likely to suffer up to £3,000 in lost revenue due to the latest closure of a bridge. Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge had to be closed this week when an anchor bolt sheared off. The bolt was one of four at the end of vertical cables on
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Fears for future of trees allayed as housing plan is approved
THE latest part of a housing development in Darlington has been approved after concerns were expressed about poplar trees. Darlington Borough Council's planning applications committee agreed plans for 25 bungalows for the elderly on land at Bourne Avenue
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Witnesses sought for sex attack
A 15-YEAR-OLD girl dressed in school uniform was sexually assaulted on a busy bus on her way home from school by a knife-wielding man. The man, who was in his late 40s, toyed with his knife and stared at the girl for the duration of her journey after
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Asbestos adds risk to barn blaze
SEVERAL firefighters had to be decontaminated after fighting a barn blaze in which an asbestos sheeting roof was destroyed. Firefighters were called to the blaze at Low Urpeth Farm, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, at 9.40am yesterday. Sub-officer
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Praise for students who fought to clear man's name
A NORTH-East man has paid tribute to the students who helped clear his name of a crime for which he spent eight years in prison. Alex Allan, of Byker, in Newcastle, was convicted in 1991 of taking part in the armed robbery of a post van, at North Tyneside
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Unhappy landings with a nervous pilot
HOLIDAYMAKERS have described how they were gripped with fear as their pilot failed three times to land their jet, before flying to another airport. Passengers aboard the 737 flying into Newcastle Airport from Crete at the weekend were shocked when the
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Museum relief as officer job is reinstated
Museum staff are breathing a sigh of relief because a council has confirmed that it has the money to pay for a new officer to coordinate services in Richmondshire. The district authority has been without a museums officer since Debbie Snow left for a
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New proposals for special schools
THE future of three special residential school is being reconsidered after plans to close them were rejected by a Government adjudicator. Education officials in Stockton wanted to close Westlands, Bishopsmill and Saltergill schools and create two new
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Public and employers turn in the benefits fraudsters
MORE benefit cheats are being shopped by members of the public. Neighbours, colleagues and bosses are picking up the telephone to call Middlesbrough Borough Council to spill the beans about housing and council tax fraudsters. Town hall investigators received
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English regions "disadvantaged" - Clelland
A Labour MP believes that the Scottish and Welsh Secretaries can no longer be justified in the Cabinet under devolution. MP David Clelland (Tyne Bridge) believes voters in Enland are already disadvantaged compared with Scottish and Welsh voters because
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A vivid pride about the place
THE Saltburn Improvement Company held a public meeting last week. People said very nice things about them. That was an improvement to start with. Saltburn always seemed a bit upmarket when we were bairns; the club trip only ever went to Redcar. On Monday
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Barclays investigates blunder
BARCLAYS says it is too early to tell whether any of its North-East customers were affected by a blunder in which account holders' credit card details were given out. About 1,500 customers across the country received quarterly bank statements containing
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Guide has healthy support
A NEW guide is a breath of fresh air for people seeking smoke-free environments. Sunderland City Council has joined forces with Sunderland Health Authority to launch its second Smoke Free Air Guide. The guide contains details of more than 100 restaurants
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Trade figures 'encouraging'
BUSINESS performance in the region has held up well in the second quarter, according to research. Steady growth in sales and orders has been reported in domestic and overseas markets, with both manufacturing and service sectors building on a positive
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Tribunal move in Jesters
LAWYERS acting for ice hockey players in their five-month pay dispute with the Newcastle Jesters have been instructed to push for an early tribunal. About £150,000 in unpaid wages - three months' pay - is owed to the squad from last season. The Ice Hockey
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Rape trial is told of wife's calls to husband
A WOMAN left messages on her second husband's mobile phone saying she had been raped by her ex-husband, a court was told yesterday. The couple, who had been married a year and had a new baby, were living apart at the time of the alleged attack, said her
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Power failure hits 4,000 homes and businesses
MORE than half of a County Durham town suffered an electricity blackout yesterday after a power cut. More than 4,000 homes and businesses in Consett and Delves Lane were affected, some of them for up to four hours. The supply was cut at about 12.45pm
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Bullet 'will help troubled railways'
RAIL engineer Richard Gibbon hopes the arrival of the Japanese Bullet train at the National Railway Museum in York will give a boost to the revival of our troubled railway system. He makes his comments in a BBC2 North Landmark film, which follows the
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School celebrates silver landmark
PARENTS and former pupils are invited to take a look around a community primary school as part of its end-of-term silver jubilee celebrations next week. Moorside Primary School opened its doors in January 1976 to serve the area between Castleside and
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Addressing the wrong type of issues
YOU can't beat the Conservative Party for making a drama out of a crisis. Tuesday's leadership vote was a most peculiar spectacle and all the expectations are that today's re-run will throw up something equally unexpected. As soon as the draw between
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'Give me more time' plea by Marks and Spencer chairman
MARKS and Spencer chairman Luc Vandevelde has asked shareholders for more time to turn around the business. At the company's annual general meeting yesterday, Mr Vandevelde urged shareholders to take heart, despite a fall in first quarter sales. The firm's
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Song smooths the way for pensioners
BUILDER Paul McAleese has gone above and beyond the call of duty to please customers forced to move temporarily from their home - he's taken to singing to them. Site manager Mr McAleese decided to entertain pensioners who had been put up at the Royal
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Detective's tears of relief as he is cleared by jury
A POLICEMAN wept with relief yesterday after a jury acquitted him of intimidating a motorist after a drunken car crash. Detective Constable Nigel Clarke, 40, who has served 18 years with Cleveland Police, went on a drinking session while on paid sick
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Misraah is pick of the speed merchants
SPRINT connoisseurs will be licking their lips in anticipation for potentially the race of the season so far, this afternoon's £200,000 six-furlong July Cup at Newmarket. Twenty electrifyingly fast thoroughbreds face each other in a true clash of titans
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Review of police services approved
INDEPENDENT auditors have given approval to Durham Police Authority's plans for future improvements. Under the Government's Best Value legislation passed two years ago, police and local authorities must outline details of how they plan to improve the
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Village pub's fate is sealed
THE last pints could soon be served at a village pub, after planners gave the go-ahead for it to be converted into a home. A decision approving a planning application to convert The Countryman Inn, at Winksley, near Ripon, ends a battle over the pub's
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Inward investment boom
OVERSEAS firms created more than 71,000 jobs in the UK last year, following a big rise in inward investment projects. There were 869 new projects and expansions, a rise of 15 per cent on the previous year, creating almost 20,000 more jobs than in 2000
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From air hostess to bunny girl to beat fear of heights
A FORMER air hostess, who is terrified of heights, aims to overcome her phobia in the hardest possible way - by diving out of a plane at 10,000ft. Amanda Thomas, from Acklam, Middlesbrough, couldn't bring herself to look out of the window when she worked
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Hear All Sides
Letters from The Northern Echo MINERS' PENSIONS THE scale of the Treasury windfall from the miners' pension fund surpluses shocked many miners, ex-miners and their families in the North-East when it emerged last year. But the rake-off goes on. In the
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Two hunted after attack on teenager
POLICE are appealing for help to track down two men following an attack on a teenage boy. The 15-year-old was assaulted in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, on Wednesday, between 6pm and 7pm, near Millgate and Marage Road. Only brief details of the attack have
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Numbers of unwanted kittens 'out of control'
AN animal welfare organisation is urging pet owners to have their cats neutered as the number of unwanted kittens threatens to spiral out of control. The RSPCA has launched a discount offer for people in the Bishop Auckland and the surrounding area to
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'I thought I was going to look like Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie'
On TV, he was a city slicker in Capital City and a hardened ex-paratrooper who turned to crime in Lynda La Plante's Civvies. Last summer, he was the British soldier being beastly to the Americans during the War of Independence in the Mel Gibson epic The
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Addressing the wrong type of issues
YOU can't beat the Conservative Party for making a drama out of a crisis. Tuesday's leadership vote was a most peculiar spectacle and all the expectations are that today's re-run will throw up something equally unexpected. As soon as the draw between
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Call them value for money?
MEMBERS of Parliament have more cheek than the Knave of Hearts. They're not running off with the Queen's tarts, but with umpteen millions of our hard-earned money. And it's not only a further £4,000 a year on their wages, but up to £60,000 a year to pay
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Parents' protest gains pace
A PROTEST by parents against cuts in school transport is gaining momentum. About 30 people attended a public meeting this week to plan a protest walk. Organisers hope the walk from the four Catholic primary schools in Darlington, next Wednesday, at 3.30pm
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Fears that epidemic is ready to roar back
MILLIONS of animals may have to be vaccinated unless Britain can eradicate foot-and-mouth within the next few weeks, experts predicted last night. They painted a grim picture of Britain still in the grip of a foot-and-mouth epidemic well into next year
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Holidays firm dreams of £20,000 prize
A COMPANY that markets holidays on the Internet is in the running for a £20,000 prize in a national competition. Holidays-in-Heaven.com, which is based in Darlington, is one of the companies, all less than two years old, competing for the top prize in
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Top accolade for North professor
A UNIVERSITY professor from the North-East has won a top accolade. Professor Ben Knights, a lecturer in English and cultural studies at the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, has received a National Teaching Fellowship worth £50,000 in recognition
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Passport plan will throw open doors to culture
THOUSANDS of youngsters across the North-East are to be offered cut-price access to museums, art galleries, and theatres in a Government bid to boost the arts. Minister for Sport Richard Caborn was in Stockton yesterday to launch the scheme - dubbed the
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Air squadron gets new badge off the shelf
SUPERMARKET workers have created a badge for an air cadets squadron. Staff from Asda, in Bishop Auckland, have designed a squadron badge with the help of the 2505 Bishop Auckland Squadron, which will give the group its own identity after 29 years of parading
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Bid to fill grand-dad's soccer boots
A FOOTBALL-MAD youngster is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and live out the dream of every young boy. Ten-year-old, Mark Howley adores football and everything associated with it, and constantly dreams of becoming a star player in
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Has Marks & Spencer had its day?
PRINCESS Diana was known to have worn comfy M&S undies and any middle-class woman worth her twin-set and pearls would have a classic-cut M&S suit hung-up in her wardrobe. That was in the hey-day of the high street store, when business was booming
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Fall man dies from injuries
A 19-YEAR-OLD man who fell more than 60ft during a night out has died, police said yesterday. Matthew Ian Egglestone, of Falstone, Washington, Wearside, fell from steps at Newcastle Quayside in the early hours of Tuesday. He died at Newcastle General
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Triallists hoping for Feethams contracts
GARY BENNETT has denied any of his players are heading the Feethams exit door - and revealed he is giving a trial to two potential new signings. The Darlington boss has confirmed the club has no plans to off-load any of the squad, despite a healthy selection
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Playing the wild card to save species
NATURE lovers are being urged to play a major part in securing the future of a district's threatened wildlife species. Ryedale district ecologist Martin Hammond is creating a list of every species of animal, insect, fish and plant in the area in a bid
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Comment from The Northern Echo - It's time we beat this scourge
FOOT-and-mouth is in danger of becoming the forgotten disease. It has slipped down the news agenda, and apparently more pressing problems have presented themselves to the politicians. However, swathes of the countryside still live in fear - farmers are
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Competition tribute to gun club stalwart
A SHOOTING competition has been held in memory of a gun club member who died last year. Bishop Auckland and District Gun Club wanted to pay tribute to Harry Humble, whose dedication helped keep the club going. Mr Humble owned Askford Garage, Shildon.
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Garden competition entrants win praise
JUDGES have praised the standard of gardens in this year's Ferryhill in Bloom competition. There were 46 entries in the competition, which was judged yesterday by town councillors Arthur Denton and Ken Campbell. It is the first time the competition has
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Setting out on the road to Oz
TOE-TAPPING songs, colourful costumes and even more colourful characters are all part of a production of The Wizard of Oz, which opens at Richmond's Georgian Theatre Royal this evening. More than 40 members of the Youth Theatre, aged between nine and
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Southgate: Why I chose Boro
Gareth Southgate today signed for Middlesbrough - and immediately saluted new boss Steve McClaren. The England defender, 30, was all smiles after clinching his £6.5 million move from Aston Villa. Southgate said: "Steve McClaren was the manager who wanted
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Murder inquiry team gives update
DETECTIVES investigating a North-East murder have promised to go public about their progress on the 11th anniversary of the killing. A series of new DNA tests have been carried out on exhibits collected during the investigation into the murder of Ann
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Art teaching accolades awarded to schools
ACCOLADES for achievements in teaching the arts have been given to several schools. Peases West Primary School, Billy Row, Crook, has been presented with the Artsmark Gold award by the Arts Council of England in recognition of the way it teaches the subject
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Street toll plan to beat congestion
MEDIEVAL streets in a North-East city centre are in the vanguard of moves to introduce road tolls to combat urban congestion. News that London Mayor Ken Livingston is considering introducing a £5 charge for use of roads in the centre of the capital comes
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Warning as more job losses announced
HUNDREDS of job losses were announced yesterday, leading to a union warning that manufacturing was "bleeding to death". Receivers at shipbuilder Cammell Laird announced a further 187 job losses, but said it remained hopeful of finding buyers for the firm's
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Lone protestor misses chance
THE Sports Minister embarked on a whirlwind tour of County Durham yesterday, but left a lone protestor without an opportunity to promote her cause. Richard Caborn used his visit to see how the Sports Action Zone being run in Wear Valley was improving
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Larkhill Slaney proves top dog
WITTON-LE-WEAR trainer Harry Williams' top open racer Larkhill Slaney - track record holder at Brough Park - was the top performer at Sunderland at the weekend. The September 1998 Staples Jo-Alans Rose white and black bitch, which is owned by Williams
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Killer's sentence 'not justice'
A North East soldier who admitted killing a man in a brawl outside a nightclub was sentenced to four years detention yesterday. Green Howards private Wayne King, 20, had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 34-year-old railway worker Glyne Agard during
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MP condemns probation service on bail hostel plan
AN MP has criticised proposals to build a bail hostel in the centre of a County Durham town, on the second day of a public inquiry. Kevan Jones gave his backing to protestors in the Chester-le-Street area of his constituency, who packed out the inquiry
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Power failure hits 4,000 homes and businesses
MORE than half of a County Durham town suffered an electricity blackout yesterday after a power cut. More than 4,000 homes and businesses in Consett and Delves Lane were affected, some of them for up to four hours. The supply was cut at about 12.45pm
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University cash boost welcomed
A NORTH-East MP has welcomed a £330m cash boost for university staff. Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, applauded the announcement, which was prompted by a parliamentary question he tabled. Higher Education Minister Margaret
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Car company on right road to break even
MG Rover, the UK car firm rescued by a consortium last year, has announced losses of £254m for its first eight months. The pre-tax losses, which cover the period to December 31, last year, were about £50m less than once feared. They are also a significant
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Manager faces jail for part in £200,000 fraud
A MANAGER working on a Government-sponsored project designed to breathe new life into business and job prospects in London faces jail after being led into fraud, a court heard yesterday. A top team of consultants was brought in to run regeneration projects
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Brothers digging out career dream with stadium project
IT ALL began back in 1974 when teenage brothers Stephen and Neville Hall agreed how to spend the £350 they had saved. Not for them the usual youthful choices of trendy clothes or stereos. Instead, the County Durham pair had their eyes firmly fixed on
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Fitness boost for Magpies
NEWCASTLE United midfielder Robert Lee is winning his race to be fit for his testimonial match with Athletic Bilbao. The Spaniards, who knocked United out of the UEFA Cup nearly seven years ago, provide the opposition for Lee's big day on August 11. "
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Cook rules out change in aid formula
THE Government last night quashed hopes that it was to redraw the funding formula which has created a billion-pound divide between the North-East and Scotland. Commons leader Robin Cook said Labour had no plans to revisit the Barnett Formula - the 23-
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Residents' revival dream a step closer
PLANS to regenerate a run-down estate could finally be realised thanks to the efforts of local people. Residents of Middlesbrough's Easterside Estate have been working with the environmental group Groundwork to devise a plan for new facilities. They hope
