Archive
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Snap-happy or camera-shy?
LOOK at me, look at me. Don't look at me, don't look at me. It's not surprising the press and public get confused over whether Victoria 'Posh Spice' Beckham shuns or courts publicity. The reality is that she shuns it, demonstratively, when she's not getting
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Railtrack 'go slow' on bridge dangers
RAILTRACK was last night accused of ignoring urgent calls for a meeting to discuss the safety of crumbling railway bridges on the East Coast Main Line. Highways officials have spent the past six weeks asking for a meeting to discuss their concerns after
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Vandals attack hospice garden
THE hard work of hospice volunteer gardeners has been ruined by vandals. Up to 100 onions grown in the gardens of St Cuthbert's Hospice, in Park House Road, Merryoaks, Durham, have been ripped out of the ground and thrown in a hedge. The hospice, which
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Man "left to die"
A 24-year-old man with a broken back ''was left to die'' in a Greek hospital after falling 40 feet from a rooftop apartment on the holiday island of Rhodes, an inquest today heard. Christopher John Rochester had to wait 40 minutes for an ambulance after
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Scheme to fight truancy and cut exclusions hailed success
A £2M programme to tackle truancy and misbehaviour has brought about a record drop in the number of pupils being permanently excluded from County Durham schools. Figures published this week show that 85 pupils were permanently excluded in the county during
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Concern over influx of refugees
NEWS that 200 refugees are to be housed by private landlords on Teesside has been greeted with concern. Without the knowledge of the local authority, the Harrow-based housing firm Rose Lodge arranged for landlords, including the Stockton-based firm John
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A once 'poisonous' river that literally rose from the dead
IN 1970, the Tees estuary was virtually dead, so horribly polluted and starved of oxygen that life was impossible in its poisoned waters. Many heavily-industrialised rivers were the same, turned into lifeless waterways by a deadly cocktail of industrial
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Heat is on for Sanyo investors to come up with rescue cash
INVESTORS have been given little more than a month to come up with a deal to save hundreds of jobs at the Sanyo microwave oven plant. The Newton Aycliffe plant, in County Durham, and its sister operation, in Thornaby, Tees-side, will close on November
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Disruption to traffic warning
REDCAR and Cleveland Borough Council is warning of traffic disruption in Brotton when essential resurfacing works to Saltburn Road and the High Street begin today. Both roads will be closed in phases with diversions set up and a free shuttle bus connecting
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Luke rides off on top prize in road safety campaign draw
ARTIST Andy Beck is cycling through Kenya to raise money for a wildlife charity. Mr Beck, who owns the Newgate Gallery, in Barnard Castle, has decided to take part in a 300km bike ride to raise funds for Save the Rhino. Last year, he took part in a similar
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Scheme to fight truancy and cut exclusions hailed success
A £2M programme to tackle truancy and misbehaviour has brought about a record drop in the number of pupils being permanently excluded from County Durham schools. Figures published this week show that 85 pupils were permanently excluded in the county during
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Geri to reprise Party in Park show
AFTER shocking thousands of revellers in London with her raunchy dance moves, it seems Geri Halliwell is to do the same when she appears in the region on Sunday. The chart-topping former Spice girl is to bring a troupe of Italian dancers to the 96.6tfm
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Inquest into death of father in car crash
AN inquest into the death of a father in a head-on car crash involving five people opens today. Part-time salesman Graham Johnson died at the scene of the crash on a County Durham road on Monday evening. Five other people were hurt and two were still
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Preacher dies in front of congregation
A PREACHER told his congregation: "Live for today and prepare for God's call tomorrow" - seconds before collapsing and dying in the pulpit. Eric Frankland, 65, suffered a heart attack 20 minutes into his sermon on the importance of leading a good Christian
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Piranha prefers mango to meat
A podgy piranha has developed a weight problem because he feasts on fruit, instead of flesh. The 2ft fish, called Peter, would strike fear into other animals in its natural Amazonian habitat. He and his friends are capable of stripping the flesh from
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Hundreds of jobs to go in wake of shipyard closures
YARDS belonging to troubled shipbuilder Cammell Laird are to be mothballed when orders run out next week, causing hundreds of job losses and bringing more gloom to the beleaguered manufacturing industry. The news, announced by receivers called in three
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Winners and losers in jobs lottery
IT was another day of mixed fortunes for the North-East economy yesterday. MFI is to create more than 90 jobs at its Hygena plant in Stockton. Britain's biggest manufacturer and retailer of kitchens and bathrooms has announced an investment of £2m in
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AA in £5.75m Halfords' deal
THE AA is to buy Halfords' 129 car service centres in a £5.75m deal struck with Halfords' parent company, Boots. "We will now further develop these centres to offer motorists a quality maintenance and repair service of special interest to AA members,"
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Life tastes a little better at reviving Sainsbury's
SIR Peter Davis said his recovery programme at supermarket group Sainsbury's was on the right course, as the chain reported a strong jump in sales. The chief executive, brought in to revive the company's fortunes last year, said first quarter sales across
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Auction plan to raise funds for nurses
A CANCER Relief appeal is planning a charity auction and barbecue in the North-East. The Middlesbrough and Teesside Macmillan appeal event is taking place on Thursday, August 9, at Crathorne Hall, Yarm, at 7pm. Stephanie Wood, appeal manager, said: "We
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Hailed a hero for damage done to house
Neighbours hailed Simon Moore as a hero when he smashed up a house where suspected burglars were living, a court was told yesterday. Several went to court to support Moore, 33, who used a crowbar and a brick to smash almost all of the ground floor windows
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School wins award for arts excellence
BOWES Hutchinson's CE Aided Primary School, near Barnard Castle, has achieved the Arts Council of England's Artsmark Award for Excellence. The national award recognises commitment to arts education, and covers subjects such as art and design, dance, literature
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Jail warning for escapee
A man has been warned he could face prison in the future after escaping from a police van. Thomas Martin, 20, of Mainsforth Terrace West, Sunderland, admitted escaping from custody after being arrested and handcuffed when police searched a house for stolen
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Hear All Sides
Letters from The Northern Echo TOMMY MILLER FORGET the recent big signings like Zidane, Veron and Southgate. Surely the biggest football transfer of the moment has to be Tommy Miller's move from Hartlepool to Ipswich Town. The transfer is straight from
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Families face mast fight
CAMPAIGNERS fighting a mass foot-and-mouth burial site are facing a second battle - after a mobile phone company announced plans to erect a mast near their homes. Residents in Tow Law say that the announcement by Orange is adding insult to injury. Jean
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Hughes brings Robson's Euro dream step closer
AT 68 you'd think Bobby Robson's enthusiasm for the game he has graced as player, manager and general ambassador for the sport he loves would be diminishing. He has seen and done it all - barring that World Cup he so desperately craved to bring back to
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Historic gooseberry show crumbles
IT has survived two world wars, floods, droughts and other natural disasters. But after an unbroken run of more than 200 years, the annual gooseberry show in the hamlet of Egton Bridge on the North York Moors has finally succumbed to foot-and-mouth disease
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North's debt burden revealed by charity study
SEVERAL districts of the North-East feature in a debt league table, which lists areas where people struggle with arrears. People living in Scarborough, Cleveland and Gateshead are some of the most likely in Britain to have large debts, according to a
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Production and sales drop as Nissan hit by fall in demand slump
CAR manufacturer Nissan saw global production of its vehicles fall by ten per cent last month. That means for the first half of this year, production in all regions of the business, including Japan, North America and Europe, has fallen by 3.2 per cent
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Harrison salutes young guns
Middlesbrough coach Steve Harrison was happy with his side's performance in a 3-0 win over non-league Scarborough last night. Boro reached the North Riding Senior Cup final against York City with goals from Mark Hudson, Noel Whelan and Luke Wilkshire.
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Ad campaign under attack
A sick ad campaign has been slammed for mocking up murder scenes just yards from the scene where young revellers met their deaths. The skin care company, Simple, has illegally embarked on a controversial campaign in an attempt to sell their recently launched
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John ready for hearty fun run effort
AS John Waterson crossed the finish line at last year's 2km Darlington fun run, he received one of the biggest cheers of the day - despite being last. The organiser of the Darlington Cardiomyopathy Self Support Group, who suffers from the heart illness
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Addressing postal service for in North
POSTAL service users in the North will be formally represented for the first time by a new consumer council. Postwatch Northern England, an independent, government-appointed group, will represent users of all postal services in Northumberland, Yorkshire
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Jump to it . . .
A CHARITY is looking for volunteers to take part in a fundraising parachute jump. Mental Health Matters, which has its headquarters in Sunderland, provides support services for people with mental ill health. No experience is necessary, and anyone raising
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Prosecution over advert
A LEADING councillor has warned firms and landowners to take advice from experts before displaying adverts. Councillor Frank Robson, chairman of Darlington Borough Council's planning applications committee, spoke out after a successful council prosecution
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£75,000 spent on gym
KEEP-FIT fans will soon be able to enjoy £75,000 worth of new equipment at a town centre gym. The Pulse Suite in the Dolphin Centre, Darlington, is being refitted with 30 pieces of equipment, including rowing machines, cross trainers and fixed weights
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Farmers blast 'blame culture' in payouts row
GOVERNMENT officials last night attempted to play down reports that farmers have been colluding with valuers to crank up the compensation they received for livestock slaughtered during the foot-and-mouth crisis. An inquiry into the amount of cash spent
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Vandals attack hospice garden
THE hard work of hospice volunteer gardeners has been ruined by vandals. Up to 100 onions grown in the gardens of St Cuthbert's Hospice, in Park House Road, Merryoaks, Durham, have been ripped out of the ground and thrown in a hedge. The hospice, which
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Drugs success
A prescribed drugs initiative run by Northumbria Police and North Tyneside Borough Council, has been described as a "moderate success". Members of the public had been urged to hand in out-of-date prescribed drugs, or drugs no longer needed, in special
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Cheaper summer travel for young
YOUNG people in part of the region will be able to get even more out of their summer holidays thanks to the introduction of a new savers' card. Go North East's new Under-16 Go and Save Bus Card is available across the Tyne and Wear area. The card is available
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Is Archer a matter of fact or fiction?
FIVE years ago, I appeared on a television show with a leading Conservative who had arrived at the studio from one of Jeffrey Archer's infamous Krug and shepherd's pie parties. My fellow guest had clearly enjoyed himself, and he was full of the joys of
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Man "left to die"
A 24-year-old man with a broken back ''was left to die'' in a Greek hospital after falling 40 feet from a rooftop apartment on the holiday island of Rhodes, an inquest today heard. Christopher John Rochester had to wait 40 minutes for an ambulance after
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Is Archer a matter of fact or fiction?
FIVE years ago, I appeared on a television show with a leading Conservative who had arrived at the studio from one of Jeffrey Archer's infamous Krug and shepherd's pie parties. My fellow guest had clearly enjoyed himself, and he was full of the joys of
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Fragrant, informal and fun
THIS column is green-fingered only when painting the garage door; Nature's World came, therefore, as a very happy surprise. It covers 25 acres in Acklam, Middlesbrough. Instead of the pub, Janet and Peter Chapman held their early evening leaving do there
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Mellanby spares Quakers
A last-gasp goal from new signing Danny Mellanby saved Darlington's blushes in their latest friendly at Palmerston Park last night. Quakers looked as if they were heading for defeat against Scottish Second Division side Queen of the South until Mellanby
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North-East pay survey
The North-South divide in British prosperity has been highlighted by a new survey which show people in the North-East earn thousands less than their counterparts in London. Londoners' household incomes were 22 per cent above the UK average, while the
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Customers warned water bills may rise
PEOPLE have been warned they will face higher water bills as climate change leads to more flooding. Parts of North Yorkshire and County Durham were badly hit by floods last year. This has put increasing strain on water firms to build and maintain drainage
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Hospital worker's £93,000 jackpot
A GRANDMOTHER who rounded off a weekend away with a game of bingo has hit the jackpot. Jean Gudgeon returned from Blackpool and visited the Mecca Club, in Chandlers Wharf, Stockton, on Monday, where she won £93,000. The 53-year-old won the National Bingo
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Student tells trial of 'rape' ordeal
A STUDENT has told a court that a man led her into a dark alley in the grounds of a city hospital and raped her. Mark Trevor Calvert, 28, of Doncaster Road, Newcastle, denies raping the woman in March 1998. He agrees they had sex, but claims it was with
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Pratt shines but Durham are ones left stumped
A STUNNING stumping by Andrew Pratt gave Durham a sniff of victory in their C & G Trophy quarter-final against Lancashire yesterday. But one-day expert Neil Fairbrother quickly took it away from them. The 37-year-old left-hander gave a master class
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Makeover for countess creates main line in miniature
A miniature railway has given a new look to one of its engines - and the livery is familiar. Newby Hall, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, struck a deal with rail operator GNER to have one of its locomotives painted in the company's new colours. The work was
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Underage sex teenager freed
A TEENAGER has walked free after admitting having sex with a 15-year-old girl. David Johnstone, 18, pleaded guilty to having unlawful sexual intercourse with the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. Newcastle Crown Court heard that Johnstone
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Road safety plan to go ahead
A town is to get traffic safety measures costing £30,000. The schemes that have got the go-ahead in Saltburn, east Cleveland, are gateway features, advising motorists they are entering a 30mph zone. There will also be signs on the road. There will also
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Love me slender
SUPER slimmer Karen Burns shed ten stones - and has a new man in her life. The 44-year-old mother-of-three and former South Shields lollipop lady began to dine on fattening take-aways and her favourite drink, Irn Bru, after the birth of her first child
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Comment from The Northern Echo - Railtrack in the slow lane
IN this column yesterday, we welcomed as promising the words of new Railtrack chairman John Robinson when he pledged to create "a culture of zero tolerance for unsafe acts". How ironic that 24 hours later, Durham County Council should reveal that it has
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Piece of cromwellian heritage is brought back home
A piece of Redcar's history has been returned home for safe keeping. The Cromwellian-style helmet formed part of the Kirkleatham village armoury which was stored in the parish church during times of trouble. The helmet, which dates from the 1640s and
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Orders crisis sends optimism into dive
BELEAGUERED manufacturers are facing deteriorating conditions, with export optimism showing the sharpest fall for more than two-and-a-half years. The quarterly industrial trends survey, by the CBI, showed a decline in domestic and export orders, weakening
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Advocate pledges aid for rural firms
TONY Blair's countryside champion has pledged to press the Government to provide more help for rural businesses in the wake of the foot-and-mouth crisis. Rural Advocate Ewen Cameron acknowledged there had been difficulties in getting financial support
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Plain sailing for Cook scheme
THE £10m scheme to build a heritage centre to celebrate the life of Captain James Cook has been given the go-ahead by a town council. The development is planned at Whitby's upper harbour, close to the spot where Cook's famous ships were built. The venture
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Government remiss in not predicting costs
HUGE variations in farm clean-up costs should have been anticipated by the Government, according to a leading contractor. The discovery that the average bill for cleaning farms affected by foot-and-mouth tops £100,000 in England, compared with just £30,000
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Yet more footpaths closed by outbreak
MORE footpaths and bridleways are to be closed in North Yorkshire as the battle against foot-and-mouth disease continues. The restrictions - on top of those already in place - are in the newly-designated Thirsk disinfection area. Their imposition follows
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Fragrant, informal and fun
THIS column is green-fingered only when painting the garage door; Nature's World came, therefore, as a very happy surprise. It covers 25 acres in Acklam, Middlesbrough. Instead of the pub, Janet and Peter Chapman held their early evening leaving do there
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Mobile youth service lands police award
YOUNGSTERS have won a police award for their work in the community. The young people are part of the Blitz support group, which has come third in the Tees Valley Youth Against Crime awards. The group was set up to help run the Blitz bus, which provides
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Metro warning to children
CHILDREN are being warned to keep away from construction sites along the new Metro extension on Wearside. Police and Railtrack have started a campaign to alert youngsters to the dangers of trespassing on the new lines and stations and officers will target
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Mother tells of 'Plot X' tragedy
A MOTHER who discovered that her baby is buried in a mass grave, along with 59 others, has spoken of her tragedy. June Townson, 58, learned the details of her daughter's final resting place after reading in The Northern Echo that more than 2,000 babies
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Victims left with egg on their faces
PASSENGERS in a silver car left pedestrians with egg - and sauce - on their faces and clothes in a series of attacks. Police in Darlington received complaints about three incidents in various parts of the town in which the occupants of the car threw food
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Ad campaign under attack
A sick ad campaign has been slammed for mocking up murder scenes just yards from the scene where young revellers met their deaths. The skin care company, Simple, has illegally embarked on a controversial campaign in an attempt to sell their recently launched
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Pace puts on speedy growth
PACE Cycles, one of Britain's top mountain bike manufacturers, is now exporting across the globe thanks to e-technology. The company, based in the village of Great Edstone, near Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, has launched a new website to boost its
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N-E disabled anglers in top competition
A NORTH-East fishing club is encouraging disabled people to get involved in angling, with an event on Saturday. A team from South Yorkshire, representing the British Disabled Angling Association, will arrive at a County Durham pond for a match against
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Complaint figures up against
COMPLAINTS of assaults and unlawful arrests against police officers are up, according to a force's latest figures. A report to Cleveland Police Authority showed that assault allegations continued to be the largest category of complaint against the force
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Students' anger over low-paid holiday jobs
HARD-UP students say they are getting a raw deal from exploitative employers when it comes to summer jobs. With the rising costs of university education, most students have no choice but to work through the holidays. But a survey by recruitment agency
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Increase in crime blamed on large trees
HUGE trees flanking an east Cleveland road are being blamed for an increase in crime. Local councillor Dave McLuckie claims the trees, on Byland Road in Skelton, are being used as a hiding place for drug users, because they block out closed-circuit television
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Motorists targeted in litter campaign
CLEAN-up campaigners are urging motorists to change their ways. The A19 main Tyne-Tees route has come in for criticism for untidy lay-bys and road sides. The Tidy Britain Group says the grubby image puts off visitors while being expensive to clean up.
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Manslaughter court told of 'growling' man
A MAN accused of the manslaughter of a former friend he believed to be a heroin user was "physically growling" at people in the neighbourhood on the day of the incident, a court heard. Steven McDonald, 29, of Wilton Avenue, Dormanstown, Middlesbrough,
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Volunteer groups to share £1.4m handout
VOLUNTARY groups across the North-East and North Yorkshire have been awarded more than £1.4m from the Lottery's Community Fund. Eight groups in the North-East and six from North Yorkshire are among the beneficiaries. Regional awards committee chairman
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Volunteer groups to share £1.4m handout
VOLUNTARY groups across the North-East and North Yorkshire have been awarded more than £1.4m from the Lottery's Community Fund. Eight groups in the North-East and six from North Yorkshire are among the beneficiaries. Regional awards committee chairman
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Victoria would have been amused
A ROYAL document issued by Queen Victoria looked like it would safeguard a town's controversial fair, but a reading of the small print has revealed otherwise. For the past 600 years, a street fair has been held in Stanhope, Weardale, County Durham, virtually
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Proof that waiting list targets hit seriously ill
FIRM evidence that the Government's drive to cut NHS waiting lists has distorted the order in which patients are treated was published by the National Audit Office (NAO) today. More than half of consultants in England said they had been forced to treat
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Your chance to meet star boy band members
THE Northern Echo and 96.6 TFM have joined forces to offer readers the chance to meet one of the biggest pop groups of the moment. A1 will be appearing at the Feel the Noise Live event, sponsored by Natwest, in Stockton on Sunday, and one lucky person
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Station prizes go begging
FIREFIGHTERS have been left with a host of unclaimed raffle prizes after a recent open day. A food hamper, various electrical goods, wine and champagne are among some of the prizes left at Bishop Auckland fire station, County Durham. Family days out and
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£3,000 boost for centre
A community centre has been given a cash boost towards its first year's running costs. The Jubilee Fields Community Association, which has battled to get funding to build the centre, on the Shildon Estate has been given £3,000 by the Lloyds TSB Foundation
