Archive
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Multi-million pound town centre facelift plans move nearer
PROPOSALS to transform Billingham town centre have moved a step nearer with the appointment of DTZ Debenham Tie Leung (dtz) as property advisor. One of DTZ's first tasks will be to secure a supermarket to attract shoppers, and to negotiate a multi-million
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Book reveals picture of mining history
PICTURES from the new book by Durham historian Michael Richardson have gone on display in the city. Photographs from Durham Miners' Gala 1935-1960, which looks at all aspects of the Big Meeting in its heyday before and after World War Two, are on show
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Teacher cleared of rape at retrial
A TEACHER accused of raping a student more than three years ago has been cleared of the attack following a retrial. Mark Trevor Calvert, 28, of Doncaster Road, Newcastle, had denied the offence, which is alleged to have taken place in an alley in a city
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Burning questions
Q: I HAVE just read of the proposal to operate a River Bus between the mouth of the Tyne to Blaydon and Newburn. I wondered if there had been any developments to the plan to construct a canal from Carlisle to the mouth of the Tyne to link up with continental
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Burning questions
Q: DO you have any information on the island that was settled by the mutineers from the Mutiny on the Bounty? - Chris Parker, Peterlee. A: THE island settled by the mutineers of the Bounty is Pitcairn in the south Pacific, although Norfolk Island, 1,500
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Delight for Keith
Darlington's Keith Murray maintained the upper hand but suffered like the rest in the hot and windy conditions for Pennine CC's 50-mile time trial. In a repeat of the result of the Bramley Wheelers event on the same course three weeks earlier, Murray
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Beacon status bid by services
ADOPTION practices in a Teesside borough could serve as an example to others, along with legal services and neighbourhood renewal. At a meeting of Middlesbrough Borough Council's cabinet today, councillors will be asked to approve applications for beacon
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Guide to art of coastal region made available
A NEW guide to art in what was once the most neglected stretches of coast in Britain is now available. Easington Art, a guide to artwork in East Durham, is produced by Turning the Tide, the millennium project to restore the Durham coastline. The leaflet
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Break-ins likely to rise with weather
BURGLARS on Teesside are taking advantage of people enjoying the warm weather. Families sweltering in the heat wave are throwing open house windows and doors to get a through draft into their homes - and letting in thieves. Crime-fighters fear that soaring
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'Senseless game' that led to a father's death
THE family of a father-of-two, who died just yards from his home after becoming the unwitting victim of an "extremely stupid and dangerous game", last night branded his killer's sentence a joke. Alfred Welch, 21, was jailed for three years at Teesside
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Leather skills take firm in new directions
TWO entrepreneurs are finding their skill in working with leather is leading them into new areas, ranging from re-upholstering classic cars to making a harness for a disabled dog. Pride Leathers, on Consett's Berry Edge Industrial Estate, was set up by
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Smitten by the meaning of words
WE have all heard the expression "smashed to smithereens", but what exactly is a smithereen? - Steve Connor, Darlington. THE word smithereens seems to be connected with another similar word, smithers, which was used in a similar way, although it is not
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Student raises cash in aid of young children
A LAW student has raised hundreds of pounds in memory of her grandmother for a charity which provides special care equipment for children. Helen Clark, who is from Gosforth but is studying at Durham University, devotes much of her spare time to raising
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Police warning to be vigilant
POLICE are warning people to be extra vigilant over security after golf clubs were stolen from two garages at the weekend. In the first incident, thieves struck at Marton Drive, Billingham, at about 1.15pm on Sunday. The second incident happened shortly
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Motor racing fans rally to the call of high-speed thrills
The thrills and spills of the World Rally Championship will be coming to Middlesbrough, on Thursday, as Ford's Focus on World Rally Roadshow visits Cleveland on its nationwide tour. Taking place from 6pm at Jennings Ford on Cargo Fleetlane, Middlesbrough
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Pushing satire over the edge
IT'S instinctive. It's a gut reaction. It's when you find yourself grimacing at the television and sucking air through gritted teeth. It's then you know programme-makers have pushed the boundaries too far. And that's how most of society watched Brass
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Camra seeks help to protect brewing industry
A LEADING real ale pressure group is calling on the Trade and Industry Secretary to take urgent action to safeguard the future of Britain's brewery industry. Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) is lobbying Patricia Hewitt and the Office of Fair Trading to support
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Arson attack - list probed
DETECTIVES investigating an arson attack at an empty farmhouse are checking an estate agent's list of potential buyers. More than 100 people have shown interest in Snipe Gate Farm, near Thornley Village, Tow Law, which is on the market for £125,000. A
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A new era is signed in
LOCAL government in England's biggest county has entered a new era for the new millennium. North Yorkshire County Council has signed its new constitution, officially sweeping away its old committee structure. The Government introduced legislation last
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MP's invitation to design festive card
DARLINGTON MP Alan Milburn has begun his planning for Christmas early. The Labour MP has challenged the town's schoolchildren to design a festive card to be sent to family, constituents and party staff. The winning card design will be sent to hundreds
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Exotic beasts head for the sun
A CONVOY of alligators, iguanas and snakes is preparing to slither out of the North-East and head for warmer climes. The cargo of cold-blooded creatures was boxed up for their trip yesterday and organisers hope to make the journey snappy. Four Mississippi
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Chicken carnage
ABOUT 30 chickens were killed and hundreds of others left stranded on the roadside when a lorry lost part of its load. The driver of the lorry failed to stop when he negotiated a roundabout on Neasham Road in Darlington, near to the new football stadium
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Patient told she can sue surgeon
A WOMAN has been given the go-ahead to sue surgeon Richard Neale after two operations left her incontinent. Campaigners hope it will set a precedent for other former patients to pursue the gynaecologist - struck off last year by the General Medical Council
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£5,000 reward to catch wreckers
ONE of the country's leading racehorse trainers is gambling that a £5,000 reward will help end what he claims is a six-year campaign to drive him out of business. Howard Johnson believes that whoever is behind a series of attacks on his farm near Crook
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Pub chain plans nightspot opening as post office moves
A NATIONAL pub chain has confirmed it is expecting its newest outlet to be open in time for Christmas, now the post office has confirmed it will be moving out of the building. JD Wetherspoon's already has permission to convert the property on Richmond's
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TUC warns of 150,000 jobs at risk
ABOUT 150,000 jobs could be axed from manufacturing firms by the end of the year unless interest rates are cut, the TUC warned today. Manufacturing is in recession and tens of thousands of jobs are under threat unless the Bank of England reduces rates
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Supercomputer to start solving mysteries of the universe
A supercomputer capable of 10 billion calculations a second and which may help scientists unravel the mysteries of the universe was being officially switched on today. The £1.4 million Cosmology Machine was being unveiled at Durham University's physics
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Patients get funding hope for surgery in Germany
PATIENTS prepared to travel to Germany to have major surgery have been given the green light to approach health bosses in the region for funding. Sunderland Health Authority, which has some of the longest lists for orthopaedic surgery in the region, said
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North health
ONE of the region's health bosses is to play a leading role in national negotiations to modernise the role of family doctors. Mike Farrar, chief executive of Tees Health Authority, will lead a negotiating team from the NHS Confederation, which represents
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Your carriage awaits . . .
THOUSANDS of visitors from across the world visit Durham to marvel at its historic splendours. Now they can tour the city in style, relaxing in a horse-drawn landau, after Cathedral Carriages launched Durham's first horse carriage service yesterday. For
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Farmers help
FARMERS in isolated rural areas, devastated by the foot and mouth crisis, could soon have access to specialist bereavement counselling. Cruse Bereavement Care in Darlington is hoping to extend its work to cover Teesdale and the Wear Valley, where many
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Bullies fear
FEAR of bullies is stopping children from playing outside, according to a new survey. Research carried out by the Children's Society and the Children's Play Council, reveals that for six out of every ten youngsters there are reasons preventing them from
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Prison tops league of attacks by inmates
A NORTH-East prison is at the top of a national league for violent assaults on staff and inmates. At Castington Young Offenders' Institution, in Northumberland, 92.9 per cent of prisoners have been involved in assaults - 30 per cent more than the second
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Publicans ban cheap drinks in bid to curb town violence
TOWN centre publicans have called time on cheap drinks in a bid to tackle drunken disorder. About 30 licensees gathered for a meeting at Middlesbrough Town Hall yesterday to discuss how best to combat the problem. They agreed to charge at least £1.50
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European musicians visit for festival
MUSICIANS from across Europe will be in the North-East next month for an international music festival. Following the success of last year's inaugural event, the Musike International Academy will return to Durham City for a series of masterclasses and
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Overworked Doctors, Survey
NEARLY half of all junior doctors in the region are working excessive hours, according to latest figures. Despite a decade of efforts to reduce working hours, 47 per cent of all junior doctors in the Northern and Yorkshire region are breaching the maximum
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ICI workers on tenterhooks over pensions battle
ENGINEERS who are fighting a lengthy court battle with chemical giant ICI now face an anxious wait over the outcome. The 441 former Teesside workers are claiming £100m in compensation from the company, which they say broke pension and pay agreements.
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ICI workers on tenterhooks over pensions battle
ENGINEERS who are fighting a lengthy court battle with chemical giant ICI now face an anxious wait over the outcome. The 441 former Teesside workers are claiming £100m in compensation from the company, which they say broke pension and pay agreements.
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Teacher cleared of rape at retrial
A TEACHER accused of raping a student more than three years ago has been cleared of the attack following a retrial. Mark Trevor Calvert, 28, of Doncaster Road, Newcastle, had denied the offence, which is alleged to have taken place in an alley in a city
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Spiderboy hunt
Police are again hunting the notorious teeny crook Spiderboy after he snubbed probation appointments because he was too busy making a film about his crimes. Charity bosses sparked outrage when it was revealed they were to pay the boy criminal Tommy Laws
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Burning Questions
Q: CAN you tell me how Outram Street in Darlington got its name? Was it named after a person or a place? - JD Blewitt, Darlington. A: I was tempted to relate this name to Goodramgate in York. This street takes its name from a Viking called Guthrum and
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Fury over 'appalling indecency' of puppet show
A CONTROVERSIAL comedy show to be shown in the region has been slammed as "appalling" and "harmful". It was announced yesterday that Puppetry of the Penis will take to the stage at Darlington Civic Theatre on Saturday, October 6. The two-man show involves
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Tracing the origins of sea coal
Tracing the origins of sea-coal Q: WHAT is the origin of sea-coal? Is it waste from mines such as Horden, Blackhall and others that returned to the beaches by wave action or is it in origin some coal-bearing seam that comes to the ground surface somewhere
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Brewer rejects new offer by group
REGIONAL brewer Wolverhampton and Dudley (W&DB) has rejected an improved offer from Pubmaster as "penny-pinching" and urged shareholders not to back the pubs group. W&DB said the 513p per share, or £485m, bid ignored the company's strong trading
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Safety meetings are put on track
RAILTRACK bosses have agreed to meet highways officials to discuss the safety of railway bridges over the East Coast Main Line - more than six weeks after highways chiefs called for urgent talks. Durham County Council confirmed last night that a date
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Alert after grass fire
A GRASS fire in Colburn near Richmond has prompted the fire service to warn children not to play with matches. The blaze yesterday in a field where waste hay had been gathered into a pile, was extinguished by firefighters and no one was hurt. But fire
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Shoplifters made to face consequences of actions
A CAMPAIGN to make young shoplifters face the consequences of their crime has been given a boost. Northumbria Police Authority has approved a grant of £10,000 to fund a scheme run by the Northumbria Coalition Against Crime, in Gateshead, to deal with
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Alarms to protect elderly
COMMUNITY leaders handed out 80 alarms to the elderly at the weekend, to protect them from unruly youths. The alarms, which make a noise that can be heard half-a-mile away, were distributed to pensioners in Normanby, near Middlesbrough. They represent
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Store's football fun day hopes to raise £20,000 for charity
AN annual charity event has grown so big that organisers are hoping to raise £20,000 this year. The Iceland frozen food store in Yarm Road, Darlington, has been raising money for cancer charities for the past two years, since two employees were diagnosed
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Outrage as cat is shot in the mouth
AN animal lover spoke of her distress and anger yesterday after her cat was shot through the mouth with an air pistol. Gillian Charlton's pet, Smudge, is on a drip and feeding through a tube at a vet's practice in Helmsley, following the incident. Mrs
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JP found guilty of road rage attack quits
A RESPECTED North-East magistrate has resigned after being found guilty of a road rage attack on a 20-year-old woman driver. Bob Farms, 67, from West Terrace, Spennymoor, County Durham, strenuously denied the woman's allegations, but magistrates in Lincolnshire
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Tourism questionnaire proves a hit for council
TOURISM bosses say a questionnaire for holidaymakers has proved a hit. Derwentside District Council sent out 300 tourist guides to people interested in visiting the North-West corner of County Durham. More than a third of the people requesting a guide
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Youngsters achieve top Scout honour
TWO members of a Newton Aycliffe scout group have been presented with the highest award available to a scout. Ben Kelsey, from Newton Aycliffe, and Michael Drew, from Ferryhill, have gained the Chief Scout Award. Ben and Michael, both members of the 1st
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Durham skipper wants players to perform
DURHAM skipper Jon Lewis has stressed to his players that there is still much to play for this season as they prepare for today's floodlit match at Worcester. With seven games left the hosts lead Durham on run-rate in the top-of-the-table clash in the
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Trotters lining up Gordon
Premiership newcomers Bolton have emerged as contenders for Boro wing-back Dean Gordon. The players agent, Phillip Graham admitted that Trotters boss Sam Allardyce had inquired about the 28-year-old's availability and with new boss Steve McClaren reportedly
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Officer denies touching woman
A police officer indecently assaulted a young mother in the back of a police van, a court was told yesterday. PC Andrew Shearer, 29, an officer with the Cleveland force, ran his hand up the legs of the 21-year-old as she gave another officer directions
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Officer denies touching woman
A police officer indecently assaulted a young mother in the back of a police van, a court was told yesterday. PC Andrew Shearer, 29, an officer with the Cleveland force, ran his hand up the legs of the 21-year-old as she gave another officer directions
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Patients get funding hope for surgery in Germany
PATIENTS prepared to travel to Germany to have major surgery have been given the green light to approach health bosses in the region for funding. Sunderland Health Authority, which has some of the longest lists for orthopaedic surgery in the region, said
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Police warning to parents after suspected arson attack
A SUSPECTED arson attack by youngsters which has gutted a derelict school has prompted police to tell parents to keep an eye on their children during the summer holidays. The former primary school at Grange Villa, near Chester-le-Street, was almost totally
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Police warning to parents after suspected arson attack
A SUSPECTED arson attack by youngsters which has gutted a derelict school has prompted police to tell parents to keep an eye on their children during the summer holidays. The former primary school at Grange Villa, near Chester-le-Street, was almost totally
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French ace set for Toon
Laurent Robert today flew in to the North-East to complete a £9.5 million switch to Newcastle. The Paris St Germain hitman, 26, is set to tie up his on-off move to the Toon in the next 24 hours after sitting a medical. Geordies boss Bobby Robson, 68,
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Toughest moves yet in farm crisis
Some of the toughest anti foot-and-mouth measures so far have been launched across a huge swathe of North Yorkshire With foot-and-mouth marching down the Vale of York, the area was turned into "a biosecurity fortress" last night in a desperate attempt
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Controversial plans for academy move closer
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a City Academy for east Cleveland have come a step closer to reality. The idea for an academy, which would involve private sponsorship, was suggested as a solution to falling numbers at three secondary schools. The schools in question
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Rare horses shown at museum
SOME of Britain's rarest horses have made an appearance at a North-East museum. Visitors to Beamish Museum at the weekend came face to face with the Cleveland Bay stallion, Traquair Jason, which paraded around with his handler dressed in period costume
