Archive
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Owners' anguish over stolen pet
A CAR was stolen from a shopping centre yesterday - with the owners' beloved 15-year-old dog in it. The owners, Valerie and John Cole, are appealing for information after their much-loved Yorkshire Terrier - named Penny - went missing with their C-registration
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Heroin coma victim: man gets jail term
A MAN remains in a coma in hospital more than a year after suffering an adverse reaction while taking heroin, a court heard. Homeless Brendan Bryant, who was living at a Newcastle hostel, showed signs of being unwell after injecting the class A drug along
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Cafe cuts out council
THE owner of a new Internet caf has said he will block users from accessing his local council's website. Garry Hopper, proprietor of the Easy Surf Inn in Consett, said he had received no support from the council, despite repeated requests. He said he
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Daily ordeal facing residents
l Graham Meredith, of Harris Street, is a night shift worker at the Rothmans tobacco factory in Darlington. He said: "Our council tax has gone up and we have to put up with all of this. My biggest problem is getting any sleep. It is a bit of a nightmare
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Contaminated materials move rejected
A plea to remove tons of contaminated material from a former sand and gravel quarry in North Yorkshire has been turned down after the applicant refused to say why they wanted to carry out the work. Residents fear it was to pave the way for housing development
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£500,000 bridge work finished
WORK costing more than £500,000 pounds has been carried out in the Darlington area to strengthen and improve bridges. The council's highways division has carried out work, costing £515,000, to bring the bridges up to new European standards. Bridges benefiting
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Plea for GPs to run new surgery
A SEARCH is on for GPs to run a doctors' surgery that is proposed for Darlington. The planned surgery is part of a development next to Alverton Drive in the Faverdale area, which will also include shops and houses. The proposal will go before Darlington
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Ex-minister prays for success of new gallery
A FORMER Methodist minister will be the first exhibitor at a new art gallery in Newton Aycliffe. The Ings Gallery, in the Blue Bridge Centre, has been established to provide a platform for local artists. Peter Wood, of arts materials specialists Ashwood
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'Close windows' plea over crime
HOUSEHOLDERS are being warned to close their downstairs windows when they go to bed, in an attempt to combat burglaries. The police appeal comes after thieves entered a house in Durham Road, Crook, through an open downstairs window earlier this week.
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Father to sue over son's pool death
THE father of a teenager who drowned in a busy seaside swimming pool vowed to sue the local authority after hearing a coroner criticise the lack of training of its lifeguards. John Rudderham, 16, was on a day out with friends at Scarborough's Atlantis
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Horror of father's hammer massacre
TWO children who saw their father beat their mother and two brothers to death with a hammer were being comforted by their North-East grandparents last night. Seven-year-old Jack Bluestone and his sister, Jessica, six, were the only survivors when their
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A crime we cannot countenance
IT is a crime too heinous to comprehend - a mother drowning her crying baby, a father strangling his little ones. Infanticide is perhaps the one transgression we refuse to accept. For most parents, the overwhelming instinct is to protect their children
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Addict ignores chance to avoid jail
A drug addict burglar who was given a final chance by a judge broke into another home just 13 days after his sentence was deferred. Barry Lowery was warned on June 6 that unless he stayed out of trouble and tried to find a job he would be facing two-and-a-half
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Officer 'saved' by call
A CALL from a mobile phone helped to save a welfare officer after she was sexually assaulted by an asylum seeker, a court heard yesterday. Libyan Farage Farage, 22, pounced on the woman at his home after the pair had been on a shopping trip to collect
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Rachel takes art award on board
A young artist has won a family trip on a Royal Navy ship thanks to her talent. Hurworth Primary School pupil Rachel Alban was presented with the school prize for art on the last day of term. The prize, sponsored by HMS Hurworth, which has close links
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Volunteers' charity work recognised
A GUISBOROUGH woman has received recognition for her help in a local charity shop. Ruth Cartwright has worked as a volunteer at the Help the Aged shop, in the Market Place at Guisborough, for five years and was presented with a certificate by Councillor
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Hear All Sides
Letters from The Northern Echo RAGWORT IT'S that time of year again! I'm sure your readers can't have failed to notice the deadly yellow flower ragwort that at this time of year seems to be everywhere. Occasionally, as I travel about the countryside I
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Stalker to be assessed
MAGISTRATES have called for a psychiatric assessment of a stalker who pestered and made advances to women at a town centre library. Bernard Costello, 59, of Greenbank Road, Darlington, admitted last month three charges of harassment relating to his behaviour
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Inquiry as baby dies in hospital after fall
A 14-MONTH OLD baby boy died last night after suffering serious head injuries in a fall from a settee. An ambulance crew was called to a flat in Central Mews, Middlesbrough, at about 2am yesterday by the child's parents when the boy stopped breathing.
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Anger over 'sick joke' probe
A WOMAN who was bombarded with obscene mail and telephone calls after her personal details were posted on an Internet site has criticised police for closing the investigation. Joan Young received magazines, catalogues and computer discs, as well as numerous
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Punch victim's family granted leave to appeal
THE family of a tragic father-of-two who received fatal brain injuries after being punched has been granted leave to appeal against his killer's sentence. Paul Simpson, of Askrigg Street, Darlington, pictured above, was the victim of what a court heard
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Cottage memories are as nice as pie
FIVE hundred years of cottage life has been celebrated at the Ryedale Folk Museum. Visitors to the museum, at Hutton-le-Hole, near Pickering, were treated to the sights, sounds and smells of cottage life in a display called Cottage Pie. Museum curator
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North-East hooligans' Germany ban
A HARD core of North-East football hooligans have been banned from travelling abroad for England's world cup crunch match with Germany. Police have identified 15 potential troublemakers in the region who have been barred from leaving the country. Ron
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First World War submarine discovered on sea bed
A LONG-LOST First World War submarine which was sunk after sailing from a North-East town has finally been found in the North Sea. The E16 was reported missing in August 1916 after setting out from Blyth in Northumberland to destroy German submarines.
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Spitfire zooms in for start of art show
A life-size model of a Spitfire aircraft has flown into Hartlepool Art Gallery to mark the start of an exhibition by three artists who were born in the town. The model, crafted from paper, steel and resins, is suspended above the main hall of the gallery
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Stowaway snake slips out for a bite
A snake caused a panic when it slithered out of hiding at a North-East university. The stowaway was found by a student at Sunderland University's flats, in Chester Road yesterday afternoon. The building was evacuated and 20 students had to wait outside
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Could these be the most dug-up streets in Britain?
BACK in the 1960s a hit single was spawned when comic crooner Bernard Cribbins sang about the joys of digging up the road. Unfortunately for residents in one neighbourhood, the constant roadworks outside their homes are less than amusing. In fact, the
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Could these be the most dug-up streets in Britain?
BACK in the 1960s a hit single was spawned when comic crooner Bernard Cribbins sang about the joys of digging up the road. Unfortunately for residents in one neighbourhood, the constant roadworks outside their homes are less than amusing. In fact, the
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Startling visions of mortality
I HAVE been fascinated by the story this week about the tsunami which will, one day, engulf west Britain. Scientists say that one of the Canary Islands is in danger of breaking up - there are already fissures and cracks showing where the island of La
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N-E firms play vital role in gas projects
TWO County Durham engineering companies are to play a vital role in one of the world's most challenging deep-water oil and gas production projects. Solatron ISA, of Shildon, will be responsible for design and manufacturing, while the Bishop Auckland Advantica
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Teenager charged in assault
A 19-YEAR-OLD has been charged with assaulting a 49-year-old man who later needed plastic surgery as a result of his injuries. The teenage man from Burnhope near Stanley will appear before Peterlee magistrates tomorrow morning. Detectives are still appealing
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Football team's golden touch
A NORTH-EAST women's football team struck gold when they decided they needed a celebrity boost. For Shirley Eaton, who appeared in the James Bond film Goldfinger, has agreed to be the new honorary president of Chester-le-Street Town Ladies FC. The actress
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'Scarborosaurus' was here . . . OK
THEY are more used to saving people from the perils of the sea - but rescuers were yesterday celebrating an extraordinary operation which saw them preserve vital evidence of the time when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Working by torchlight in the dead of
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Youth club ready to reopen
A YOUTH club in Redcar is to open again at the beginning of the new term. Fusion Junior Youth Club, at St Alban's School, in Yew Tree Avenue, is aimed at seven to 11-year-olds in the west Redcar area and is run by Churches Together. Sessions include team
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Vintage vehicle owners relish their day in the sun
CLASSIC and historic vehicle enthusiasts from all over converged on Sunderland at the weekend. The city hosted three different rallies, some of which were blessed with glorious sunshine. The North-East Historical Vehicle Rally, held at Seaburn Recreation
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Bail hostel row takes twist with MP's plea
THE row over a planned bail hostel has taken a new twist as an MP once again asked the Home Secretary David Blunkett to intervene. This is the second time new MP Kevan Jones has accused the County Durham Probation Service of treating the people of Chester-le-Street
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Police investigation after injury to baby
A 14-MONTH old baby was critically ill in hospital last night following an incident at a flat. An ambulance was sent to Hodges House, at Central Mews, Middlesbrough, at about 2am yesterday after the boy's parents reported he had fallen from the settee
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Widow fights plans to build on burial spot
A WIDOW is fighting plans to build a children's playground over the spot where her late husband's ashes are buried. Elizabeth Wheatley, who lives in Nesham Place, Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, has created a shrine in her garden to her husband, Ralph,
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Marks and Spencer's stores opt for makeover
MARKS and Spencer's stores in the region have been chosen for makeovers as part of an £80m modernisation programme. Branches at the Gateshead MetroCentre, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Harrogate will be given a more modern image as well as extra facilities
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Breeding wipeout for bird of prey
ONE of the most controversial birds of prey has been wiped out as a breeding species in the North-East. This year is the first time that the North-East has not had breeding hen harriers since the bird recolonised the region's uplands by nesting in Northumbria
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Crash witnesses plea
POLICE are continuing their search for witnesses to a fatal road accident which happened at the weekend. The crash, on the B6278, near Folly Top, Eggleston, County Durham, claimed the life of 17-year-old Belinda Blagg. The Middlesbrough teenager is believed
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Tees regeneration company planned
REGIONAL development agency One NorthEast has unveiled plans to create more than 40,000 jobs and 4,000 new businesses over the next three years. The plans are set out in the agency's Regional Action Plan (RAP), a document which looks at ways of improving
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Sister joining search party for missing Louise
THE sister of missing student nurse Louise Kerton is joining a search party to scour the German town in which she was last seen. Francesca Kerton, a University of York chemistry lecturer, plans to join friends and relatives on a coach trip to Aachen to
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Internet is just the ticket for boat service
ONE of York's most buoyant tourist attractions is winning business over the Internet by providing customers with an on-line ticket-buying service. YorkBoat has received help from Business Link North Yorkshire to set up the e-commerce system, which will
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Comment from The Northern Echo - Lessons still to be learned
THE outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Northumberland has demonstrated that any thoughts of the epidemic being under control were premature. If the disease has been able return to the area after a gap of three months, then no part of Britain can declare
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Rally event will bring £1m boost to North-East
A MOTORSPORT event is moving to the North-East - bringing a £1m boost to the local economy. Tens of thousands of people from all over the country are expected to flock to the North next year for the 2002 Pirelli International Rally. The event, the second
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Residents in apple-fame village pipped
Residents in a village famed for lending its name to an apple have been pipped in a fight against building more homes. Members of the Knaresborough area planning committee of Harrogate Borough Council voted to grant outline planning permission for homes
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Police to interview man after assault
DETECTIVES investigating a serious assault at a petrol station in County Durham earlier this month have made an arrest. The victim, a 49-year-old man, had to undergo plastic surgery at Newcastle RVI after receiving treatment for head wounds at the University
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Striker in run-out
STRIKER Stuart Riddle was given a second run-out for Darlington last night when he played in 0-0 reserve draw at home to Blackpool. The New Zealand-born trialist played for the first hour at Feethams after appearing in a friendly at Shildon last week.
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Event will focus on alternatives
AN open day to showcase complementary and alternative therapies is being held in Middleton-St-George this weekend. Members of the Natural Healing Centre, in Darlington, will be at Middleton Hall residential home to show residents and visitors how different
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Pianist launches musical lunchtimes
CONCERT pianist Julia Cload will be in the North-East next week to launch an international recital series. Miss Cload will perform Bach's Goldberg Variations next Wednesday, at St Cuthbert's Church, in North Road, Durham City. It will be the first concert
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Shortlisted for RICS awards
FIVE projects in the region have made it to the finals of this year's Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) awards. The awards are held to find the most outstanding buildings and conservation projects. North-East projects on the shortlist are
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Park work waits on Lottery
WORK could start next summer on improvements to a town centre park, according to council officials. Work on South Park has been put on hold while Darlington Borough Council awaits the results of a bid for National Lottery money. If the cash is awarded
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Anger over rail safety alarm
A SAFETY device to warn railway workers when a train is coming has been making life a misery for nearby residents. The noisy machine, called a Tows or Yodel Alarm, has been placed on the track on the edge of Aycliffe Village. It is switched on whenever
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Sleepers awake to the sound of music
A GIANT xylophone made from railway sleepers is helping youngsters in Wear Valley to discover the magic of music. Performers from the Jack Drum Arts group are touring play groups in South-West Durham with the giant instrument as part of a series of percussion
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Football bosses on standby
the Football Association is monitoring the spread of foot-and-mouth disease before allowing the England football team to stay in Northumberland. The team are due to stay at Slaley Hall ahead of their international against Albania at Newcastle United's
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Officers 'quizzed over PC's sex life'
Police chiefs made inquiries about the sex life of a female officer after she threatened to take the force to an employment tribunal, a hearing was told yesterday. Officers were said to have quizzed colleagues of PC Jean Gauden about a sexual relationship
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Attack alarms given to elderly in borough
PENSIONERS in east Cleveland are being given personal attack alarms. The scheme is part of a borough-wide initiative, organised by Councillor Dave McLuckie, lead member for community safety with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. He said: "These alarms
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Sleepers awake to the sound of music
A GIANT xylophone made from railway sleepers is helping youngsters in Wear Valley to discover the magic of music. Performers from the Jack Drum Arts group are touring play groups in South-West Durham with the giant instrument as part of a series of percussion
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Dolphins surprise sunbathers at coast
A school of ten dolphins were among a crowd of sunseekers who flocked to the North Sea coastline yesterday to enjoy the scorching temperatures. Diving, circling, and leaping out of the waves, the unlikely visitors delighted the crowds as they frolicked
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Back on show, the memorial that took 50 years to clean up
A FORGOTTEN memorial to a town's war heroes has turned up more than 50 years after it was taken away to be cleaned. The war memorial in Loftus, east Cleveland, used to hang on the side of the town hall. It was put up in 1919, just after the end of the
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Safety measures completed on road after boy injured
Safety measures are being carried out on a South Bank road where a youngster was knocked down and hurt earlier this summer. Eight-year-old Hennry Marriott suffered severe head injuries when he was struck by a motorcycle in Cromwell Road, in May. Now,
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Ben's exam efforts reach the heights
SCHOOL pupil Ben Wright received an unexpected extra honour after achieving nine A*s and As in his GCSEs. For the youngster was also sent a letter informing him he had one of the top five marks in the country in English literature. Ben, from Shotley Bridge
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Vintage vehicle owners relish their day in the sun
CLASSIC and historic vehicle enthusiasts from all over converged on Sunderland at the weekend. The city hosted three different rallies, some of which were blessed with glorious sunshine. The North-East Historical Vehicle Rally, held at Seaburn Recreation
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Bullied Joanne takes issues to No. 10
A BULLIED schoolgirl was today taking her appeal for an English Children's Commissioner to Downing Street. Joanne Geldart, 14, from Ferryhill, County Durham, has endured name-calling, punching and kicking since her first day at primary school. Now she
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Startling visions of mortality
I HAVE been fascinated by the story this week about the tsunami which will, one day, engulf west Britain. Scientists say that one of the Canary Islands is in danger of breaking up - there are already fissures and cracks showing where the island of La
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Keeping in step with father time
DEFYING the music of time, Laurie Robinson led the dance club in Shildon on Tuesday as he has for more nights than he cares, or dares, to remember. "I have to give myself a push every now and again," he says. "I can't gallop about like I used to." He
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Royal launch for canoe event
A ROYAL visitor will be paying a visit to Teesside tomorrow evening for the official opening of world canoeing championships in Stockton. HRH Princess Anne will attend the opening ceremony of the ninth Marathon racing championships and the first ever
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Jailed dealer to plead his case in India
A JAILED arms dealer is likely to represent himself in an appeal hearing against his conviction in India. Peter Bleach, from Fylingdales, near Whitby, North Yorkshire, has spent more than six years in a Calcutta prison for his part in an arms drop in
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Energy company plans 450 new jobs
ENERGY supplier Innogy last night announced that 450 jobs could be created in the North-East as part of a major restructuring process. Innogy plans to increase staff at its Peterlee call centre in County Durham from 200 to 750, subject to staff and union
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Sex attacker is local, say police
A FRESH appeal has gone out for witnesses to help catch a teenager who indecently assaulted a 77-year-old woman. The pensioner was attacked as she walked her dogs, at 11pm on Sunday, in Bishop Auckland's Woodhouse Close Estate. The attack has horrified
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Holland and Dupont can deliver
DARRYLL HOLLAND is re-united with a potential 2000 Guineas contender in the shape of Dupont (2.00) at Lingfield this afternoon. Holland and partner have not been seen out since June 9th at Doncaster when the pair put their rivals to sleep with a pulsating
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Pair injured in five-car shunt
A man and a woman were taken to hospital after a five-car shunt at a junction on the A19 yesterday afternoon. A 26-year-old man and a woman in her forties were taken to the Sunderland Royal Hospital with severe whiplash. Firefighters made the cars safe
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Storytelling festival builds on marsh's brick heritage
BARDS, storytellers, musicians and dancers will descend on a woodland park for a storytelling festival on Sunday. Using the ancient art of storytelling, the festival at Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, near Billingham, Teesside, will explore the changing
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Girl still critical after taking drug
THE parents of a teenage girl who lies critically ill in hospital after taking an Ecstasy tablet were last night keeping a vigil by her bedside. The 15-year-old took the drug while at a Middlesbrough night club on Friday night and shortly afterwards became
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Company wins £8m steel deal in China
VAI Industries has won an £8m contract to revamp a steel plant in China. The contract is the first Chinese contract to be won by the Stockton company's Continuos Casting division. VAI will supply advanced technologies for the Meishan Co, in Shanghai.
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Theatre chiefs greet vote with excitement
MANAGEMENT at a North Yorkshire theatre have welcomed a vote which could secure the building's future. Planners gave their approval to the restoration of the Grade I listed Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond, at a meeting on Tuesday, bringing months of
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Pub landlady 'threatened at gunpoint'
A LANDLADY feared for her life when a man burst into her premises with a sawn-off shotgun, a court heard yesterday. Shaun Conroy, also known as Shaun Porritt, 32, burst into the Netherfields pub in Fosdyke Green, Middlesbrough, threatening everyone inside
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Further gloom for Nissan as sales fall
JAPANESE car company Nissan has seen global production of its vehicles fall for the sixth month in a row while sales also continue to suffer. Global production of Nissan cars fell by 12.8 per cent in July, 2.8 per cent more than the ten per cent fall
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Mine contractor "severely burned"
A MAN is recovering in hospital with burns following an accident at a North-East mine. The incident took place at Cleveland Potash Mine, the country's deepest underground mine, at Boulby, east Cleveland, on Monday, but details have only just emerged.
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Butterfly numbers fall with poor weather
GARDENERS in the region have been saying it for weeks and now it's official - 2001 is a bad year for butterflies. During the last few weeks gardens should have been graced by large numbers of coloured butterflies such as peacocks, red admiral and painted
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Malcolm goes back for more
A NORTH-EAST artist will be showing six of his works at an exhibition next month. Malcolm Coils, of Newton Hall, Durham City, has already exhibited at the British Society of Painters' autumn exhibition, in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, ten times. This year,
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Musicians cook up something different for lunch
SOME of the world's leading musicians are performing alongside talented youngsters in the North-East this week as part of an international music festival. Following the success of last year's inaugural event, the Musike International Academy has returned
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Relief at confirmation that disease has not returned
PEOPLE in rural areas of County Durham breathed a sigh of relief last night after it was confirmed that the nightmare of foot-and-mouth had not returned. But it was revealed that the Army was on standby to help the mass slaughter of beasts infected with
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Carpet success Storey with move into Scotland
STOREY Carpets, the UK's largest independent carpet retailer, has opened its first store in Scotland. The company has invested £1.6m in six new Storey Carpets and Walter Wall stores in Dumfries, Whitehaven, in Cumbria, and Ryhope, near Sunderland, all
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Darley hots up title bid
KEVIN DARLEY'S bid to retain the jockey's championship received a significant boost at Catterick yesterday when he cut Kieren Fallon's lead to six at the head of the table by booting home a near 13-1 double via Hireath and Soba Jones. Darley ensured Hireath's
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Holiday chaos fear after airport staff back strike
THOUSANDS of late summer holidays could be ruined after North-East airport workers voted by three-to-one to strike over pay. The first of a series of one-day strikes involving 150 baggage handlers and check-in staff employed by Groundstar at Newcastle
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Police call for information after replica sword is swiped from museum display
POLICE are asking for help from the public to trace a replica medieval sword, which has been stolen. The sword belonged to a member of the Rosamundis group, which was taking part in a re-enactment of a medieval battle at the Kirkleatham Old Hall Museum
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Murder hunt launched
A MURDER hunt was under way today after a man was attacked in a Newcastle street. The victim, who was in his 60s and of Chinese origin, was taken to Newcastle General Hospital but died last night. He had been seen arguing with another man before the assault
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Keeping in step with father time
DEFYING the music of time, Laurie Robinson led the dance club in Shildon on Tuesday as he has for more nights than he cares, or dares, to remember. "I have to give myself a push every now and again," he says. "I can't gallop about like I used to." He
