Archive
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Radio presenter urges people to leap off a bridge - for cancer charity
A RADIO presenter better known for joking about a Teesside bridge encouraged people to abseil from it yesterday. Century FM's Paul "Goffy" Gough went along to the Transporter Bridge, Middlesbrough, to promote a charity abseil in aid of Marie Curie Cancer
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Rape victim breaks silence
RAPE victim Samantha Wilson has broken her silence about her hellish years of secret suffering at the hands of a vile paedophile. Speaking exclusively to The Northern Echo, Samantha told of the repeated rapes she endured from the man she affectionately
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Woman, 89, robbed by boy aged ten
AN 89-year-old woman was thrown to the ground and robbed by a boy aged about ten, police have confirmed. The pensioner was walking along Walmgate, York, when the youth approached her from behind and wrenched a handbag from her arm. She was pulled to the
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Artist's Toon hero up for transfer
THE North-East's biggest Newcastle United fan might want to bid for a souvenir of club hero Alan Shearer - provided he has got the biggest wall in the North-East to hang it on. A 62ft cartoon of the ex-England centre forward, drawn by artist Paul Slattery
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Comment from The Northern Echo - A legacy we should hold
WE fully respect the right of the Church Commissioners to sell the paintings by Spanish artist Francisco de Zurburan which have adorned the walls of Auckland Castle for over two centuries. With the Church of England struggling to make ends meet, having
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Young people aim to promote regeneration
YOUNG people have been appointed Community Champions as part of a regeneration scheme. Changemakers North-East, an independent charity, has teamed up with the Government Office North-East to offer youngsters the chance to make a difference in their communities
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City's show is horticultural heaven
GARDENERS in Durham are gearing up for the city's show this weekend. The event will be held in the town hall on Friday and Saturday, and will attract hundreds of entries in 96 classes covering vegetables, flowers, floral arrangements, cookery, preserves
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Attack woman found in chair
A YOUNG woman was in hospital with serious burns last night after she was attacked. Emergency services found the woman sitting, bizarrely, in an armchair near a zebra crossing in Foxwood Lane, York, at about 3.40am yesterday. She had been assaulted and
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Home found for clipper but funds still needed
A HOME has been found for an historic ship built in the North-East. The City of Adelaide was built at the William Pile Hay and Co shipyard in Sunderland in 1864 and is one of only three surviving clippers of its type in the world. It is now moored in
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Police renew appeal in hunt for attacker
POLICE have renewed their appeal for witnesses to help catch a youth who sexually assaulted a 77-year-old woman. The attack happened as the grandmother walked her dogs on Bishop Auckland's Woodhouse Close estate on Saturday, August 25, at 11pm. The teenager
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Are we scared of the future?
Nostalgia,of course, is not what it was. The correspondents to Saga magazine might go misty-eyed at memories of Sarsaparilla, Lancaster bombers or Ivor Novello but on television these days you barely need short-term memory to drift into the past. BBC2
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Unions set out vision for future of public services
UNIONS across the North-East will set out their vision for the future of public services at a conference being held in County Durham today. The Supporting Our Public Services conference, organised by the Trade Union Council, is expected to attract 150
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Are we scared of the future?
Nostalgia,of course, is not what it was. The correspondents to Saga magazine might go misty-eyed at memories of Sarsaparilla, Lancaster bombers or Ivor Novello but on television these days you barely need short-term memory to drift into the past. BBC2
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BT apologises over Lottery tickets fiasco
BRITISH Telecom (BT) apologised to National Lottery punters yesterday after a fault left hundreds of without a ticket for Saturday's jackpot draw. The firm blamed a fault with a transmission terminal, in Middlesbrough, on Saturday afternoon for the fiasco
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Storytellers weave magic once more
WANDERING bards, minstrels, musicians and dancers will descend on Wear Valley at the end of September when the North Pennines Storytelling Festival celebrates its tenth anniversary. Over the past ten years, the festival has reached 10,000 people and brought
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Mothers' union time tour
A TIME capsule containing a letter from the Queen passed through the region yesterday on its tour of the country. Organised by the Mothers' Union to celebrate its 125th anniversary, the tour started in London on June 7 and will return to the capital on
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Crash victim's friends to hit high notes for tribute stone
FRIENDS of a 14-year-old girl who died following a road crash have banded together to stage a karaoke night - to raise cash for her gravestone. Nicola Wiggins died in hospital ten days after the accident, between Stanley and Chester-le-Street, in County
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ISL Jesters takeover a possibility
AS uncertainty over the future of the Newcastle Jesters continues, the Ice Hockey Superleague has admitted that taking over the club is not out of the question. Suggestions have circulated that the ISL could resume control of the Tyneside outfit, as it
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Breakthrough in drugs testing
A BREAKTHROUGH in testing new drugs could see a dramatic reduction in the need for animal experiments. Scientists at three universities, including Newcastle, have developed techniques for using human cells instead of live animals for examining the effects
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The biggest scandal of our time
ON Budget day in 1999, top figures within the NHS, including trade union leaders, heads of medical bodies and managers, were invited to the office of Health Secretary Alan Milburn. As they sat down to cream cakes and tea - remember, this is NEW Labour
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Mixed reaction over plans to shut down homes for elderly
JANE Stephens was so confused and weak they had to cradle her head all the way to her new nursing home when she was forced to move. One week later she was dead. Her son, Thomas Stephens, is convinced the move contributed to her demise. And he warned that
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Minister unveils housing cash boost
RUN-DOWN parts of a North-East city have received a £6m Government boost to help modernise dilapidated houses. As part of his first visit to the region, Regeneration Minister Lord Falconer yesterday announced a £6.05m funding package for Newcastle's West
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Sharing smokers spark pill fear
DOCTORS have been asked to restrict the number of controversial anti-smoking pills given to patients because of safety fears. GPs in Darlington are being urged to limit Zyban prescriptions after reports that some patients have been sharing the pills with
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Let little Rosie rest in peace
FEW crimes have caused so much revulsion as the brutal murder of three-year-old Rosie Palmer. Abducted as she went to buy an ice cream, Rosie was sexually assaulted and killed, her body stuffed into a bin liner and hidden in a cupboard in a flat just
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Events look at impact of Internet
TWO events exploring the impact of the Internet on people's lives are being staged next week. Teesside University has invited academics, business people and community representatives to its third major conference, from next Wednesday to Friday. The Creative
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Killer's bid for blood money
CHILD killer Shaun Armstrong is to use taxpayers' money to sue the man who helped put him behind bars, The Northern Echo can reveal. News that the murderer of three-year-old Rosie Palmer is using public funds to fight for up to £15,000 damages has been
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Row over job cuts firm's aid
calls have been made for a electronics firm to repay up to £17m of a Government job creation grant after it axed 850 jobs on Tyneside. Regions Minister and local MP Stephen Byers led calls for US company Viasystems to repay the cash if it breaks the terms
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Partners brushing up on tooth care
THREE companies have joined forces to conduct a major adult dental health survey for County Durham and Darlington Health Authority. Washington Data Centre, Aztec Print, both from Washington, and the University of Sunderland's Data Capture Bureau, have
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Protests over move to close play areas
PARK bosses have been accused of giving in to vandals after six Darlington play areas were chosen for closure. As part of its strategy for outdoor play areas, Darlington Borough Council has written to residents asking for their opinions on the future
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Three jailed for raid on post office
POLICE were lying in wait as a four-man gang attempted to carry out a well planned night-time post office break-in. Officers were tipped off about the attempt to smash through walls to gain access to the strong room and safe at the post office in Tindale
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Shortlist drawn up for big show award
A SHORTLIST of six names has been drawn up for this year's eagerly-anticipated Northern Echo Lifetime of Achievement Award. A panel of judges from the Tees Valley will meet in secret later this month to choose the winner from the shortlist. But the winner
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Community wardens ready to take up the beat
A NEW team of community safety wardens begin patrolling the streets in four areas of Redcar and Cleveland next week. Four teams of two wardens are lined up to work in Coatham, Skelton, South Bank and Grangetown and West Dyke and Newcomen, in Redcar. The
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Make life simpler in five easy ways
The Northern Echo and BKR Haines Watts have teamed up to give world-class manufacturing advice to companies in the Tees Valley. This week Paul Bell, of BKR Haines Watts, looks at the Japanese concept of FiveS The concept FiveS is a Japanese technique
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Lama answers Black Cats SOS call
Sunderland boss Peter Reid has turned to French veteran Bernard Lama in a desperate bid to solve the club's 'keeper crisis. First choice Thomas Sorensen is ruled out for the next fortnight after breaking his nose during Denmark's World Cup qualifier with
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Body piercing booklet sets out the facts
ENVIRONMENTAL health officers have published an information leaflet on the latest body piercing craze. The booklet, produced by Sunderland City Council, is launched a week after Victoria Beckham was criticised for wearing a lip ring, later revealed to
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Prepare to be amused at queen Victoria's Tea Party
MUSEUM chiefs are inviting visitors to have tea with the Queen as part of a display on the lighter side of the Victorian age. York Castle Museum is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of Queen Victoria with a special "At Home" event this
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C2C cycle ride will boost environmental cause
MEMBERS of an environmental charity have completed a coast to coast cycle ride. The Acorn Trust, which is based in Consett, raises awareness of environmental issues throughout Derwentside and manages wildlife sites in the area. Four members of the charity's
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Forensics centre may prove victim of its own success
SOME of the most infamous murder cases have been solved through help and advice received from Harperley Hall. The country estate, near the market town of Crook, was bought by Durham Police Authority in 1947 as a police training school. It has gone on
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Agencies agree action over at-risk adults
A NEW set of guidelines has been drawn up to protect vulnerable adults from abuse. Durham County Council worked in partnership with Durham Constabulary, County Durham and Darlington Health Authority and other agencies to produce the new guidelines, along
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Grants secure 60,000 jobs
ABOUT 60,000 jobs were created or safeguarded in the past year with the help of Government grants totalling £408m, a new report has shown. More than 570 regional assistance grants helped secure £3.4bn of business investment, according to Department of
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Stadium's new name already booked
PLANS to rebrand Middlesbrough FC's Cellnet Riverside Stadium 02 have been shown the red card. The stadium is to be renamed after British Telecom (BT) decided to change the name of its mobile phone arm to 02. But BT's plan has been thrown into disarray
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Men at top resign as Marconi woe deepens
TWO bosses at troubled telecoms group Marconi have resigned as the firm shocked unions and workers by announcing it would cut a further 2,000 staff. Lord Simpson, the £702,000-a-year chief executive, and chairman Sir Roger Hurn said they were resigning
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Race night boost for charities
A RACE night in aid of the Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland's charities takes place this weekend. The event has been organised by the David Fox Transport Social Club and takes place at the Whale Hill Social Club, Birchington Avenue, Eston, Teesside, at 8pm
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Adults can count on basic skills
A LITERACY and numeracy course in Redcar is helping adults in east Cleveland to improve their basic skills. Among the people who are benefiting from the courses at the Adult Education Centre, in Redcar, are Lesley Wright, from Ormesby, James Burdett,
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Man who stripped at party is jailed
A MAN who gate-crashed an 18th birthday party and danced naked was jailed for two years yesterday. Stephen Young, 19, stripped in a Teesside club and danced to the music, shocking women and children. Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court
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Crash driver critical
A VAN driver was critically ill last night after his vehicle apparently collided into the back of a lorry on the A1(M) in the early hours of yesterday. The man, from the Manchester area, was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital after the accident, just
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Bishop's warning over rural racism
PEOPLE living in the country are being asked to show greater racial tolerance by the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds. The Right Reverend John Packer will make his call at a service for racial justice on Sunday in Ripon Cathedral. Bishop Packer, whose diocese
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Sports facilities for children with difficulties
WEEKLY sports activities are to be provided for youngsters in Redcar and Cleveland who have learning and physical difficulties. A consortium consisting of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Sports Development team, the Early Years Development and
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Unions blame privatisation for rail woes
UNION leaders are blaming privatisation for the current crisis on the region's railways. The claims come after the chief executive of Arriva wrote an open letter to MPs, local authorities and passengers admitting that a shortage of drivers has led to
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Knifeman jailed for life
A HEARTLESS knifeman who murdered an innocent grandfather as he walked his dog has been jailed for life. Damian Neaven, 22, stabbed 53-year-old David Huitson after a bitter four-year vendetta. Newcastle Crown Court heard how Mr Huitson became involved
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Railway posters up for auction
FOUR vintage railway posters advertising the delights of York are expected to fetch £2,800 when they go under the hammer in London next week. The most valuable of the four posters by artist Fred Taylor was produced for the London and North Eastern Railway
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Virgin recruits for call centre
VIRGIN is opening a North-East call centre, creating 20 jobs. The centre, in Stockton, will take calls from customers in relation to the Virgin Incentives, the company's vouchers business. It will be headed by newly appointed operations manager Nina Hill
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Garden haven where the victims of man's cruelty find sanctuary
SCOOT does not want to come out. Hidden under a bush, her big brown eyes peer from the undergrowth, nervously watching for any footsteps by the humans. The little barn owl "scoots" behind the bushes every time she is taken to her perch, hence her name
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Lloyd Webber on rail crusade
LORD Andrew Lloyd Webber's crusade to improve the railways of the UK arrived in the North-East yesterday, with operator GNER earning a thumbs-up from the master of the musicals. Last week, Lord Lloyd Webber entered into a war of words with rail companies
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Support grows for vets' scope appeal
A VETERINARY practice is celebrating a landmark in its bid to raise £10,000 for a specialist piece of equipment. Stanhope Park Veterinary Practice, in Darlington, has reached the £2,000 mark in its fund raising appeal to raise money for a video endoscope
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Escort case folds with open court rule
TWO men accused of running an Internet prostitution business walked free from court last night after seven "escort girls" refused to give evidence. The case against former police civilian worker John Docherty and fashion designer Douglas Fox, collapsed
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Cyclist injured
A cyclist who was injured when he became trapped under the front axle of bus, is in a comfortable condition at Sunderland General Hospital. John Stuart Davis, 18, a factory worker, from Fulwell, received multiple injuries when he was involved in the collision
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Council worker sacked after downloading porn
A COUNCIL office worker has been sacked for downloading pornography from the Internet on his office computer. The region's biggest local authority, Labour-run Durham County Council, dismissed the man, who has not been named, for misconduct at a hearing
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Warning to drivers about bridge works
repair works taking five weeks to complete are due to start on Wearmouth Bridge in Sunderland, on Sunday. The south-bound nearside lane will be closed and one of the outward-bound lanes from the city centre will be used for inward-bound traffic. Andy
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The happy Love story
MARTIN Love goes into the last match of the season today needing 142 to break the Durham record for championship runs in a season. The record of 1,417 was set by Wayne Larkins in 1992 and the only other person who has made more than Love's current tally
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Sex romp PC to appeal misconduct case
POLICE confirmed yesterday that one of the disgraced beat bobbies forced to quit over an alleged sex romp while on duty has lodged an appeal. Officers at Durham Constabulary's headquarters confirmed that former police constable Michael Hendy had notified
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Raise a glass to a York dabble on unknown quantity Danton
DANTON is well worth a dabble in the opening Thwaites Smooth Beer Handicap at York this afternoon. With only two runs under his belt, the giant three-year-old son of Cadeaux Genereux represents a more-or-less an unknown quantity. Fair enough he won on
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'Prisoner in his home'
A DISABLED former vicar claims he is a prisoner in his own home because the Church is refusing to pay for adaptions to his new bungalow. The Reverend David Clegg, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 12 years ago, lives in a Church-owned house in
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Torrington wields the axe for third time in three years
BEARINGS firm Torrington has confirmed that it is axing staff at its Darlington factory. The company is preparing to make 66 redundancies and is negotiating with unions at the plant. Andy Dillon, manager of the Yarm Road plant, said: "I can confirm that
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Ban for couple in hedge fight
A BATTLE over leylandii trees led to a costly legal battle between warring neighbours. Trouble flared in a row over a bush which was said to have grown to become a 20ft tree. That led to wrangles over whose land the tree grew on, which ended yesterday
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Fan club for health visitors
HEALTH visitors have set up their own fan club in Redcar to give people access to expert advice. The club, called Family Advice in Your Neighbourhood (Fan) aims to offer parents support and advice based on monthly themes. Drop-in sessions will run every
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Housebuilder Charles Church gets new base
LUXURY housebuilder Charles Church is setting up its North-East base at Central Park in Newton Aycliffe. The 5,000sq ft regional office, let by UK Land Estates, will cover Yorkshire, Durham, Teesside and Northumberland. Charles Church has been in the
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Foot-and-mouth helpline to stay
A PHONE line set up to help rural communities cope with the trauma of foot-and-mouth disease is to continue. Set up in March, shortly after the outbreak was confirmed, the County Durham and Darlington Rural Support Line was to be phased out. But, with
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Botham delivers the stars for fundraiser
SOME of the country's most famous sporting names clubbed together yesterday to help a toddler suffering from a terminal condition. English cricket legend Ian Botham organised a celebrity golf day in aid of two-year-old Olivia Webster, who has spinal muscular
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Players fly in to give Mulvenna a boost
MIKKO Koivunoro and another unnamed player flew into Tyneside today to give director of hockey Glenn Mulvenna a welcome boost. The Newcastle Jesters boss has been given five extra days to put his side together for the start of the season with the announcement
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The biggest scandal of our time
ON Budget day in 1999, top figures within the NHS, including trade union leaders, heads of medical bodies and managers, were invited to the office of Health Secretary Alan Milburn. As they sat down to cream cakes and tea - remember, this is NEW Labour
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Pony girl Hannah is national champ
AT an age when most seven-year-old girls are just beginning to dream of pony riding, Hannah Eger is already a national champion. The Stanley girl won the Concour d'elegance trophy in Peterborough in her first ever competition. "She did really well and
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Memorial ceremony to honour VC heroes
FORMER servicemen will gather at the weekend to honour the outstanding bravery of a regiment's old soldiers. Durham Light Infantry veterans will congregate for a ceremony to mark the unveiling of a new roll of honour mounted in the grounds of the regimental
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Phoenix fund weighs in with £14.5m
SMALL Business Minister Nigel Griffiths has agreed £14.5m in grants for 46 new projects aiming to support budding entrepreneurs in deprived areas. The Phoenix Fund, run by the Small Business Service (SBS), supports organisations in England helping people
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Man sought after attack
A NIGHT-TIME attacker fled after assaulting a young Bishop Auckland woman outside a flat. The victim was using a key to open the door of the flat in Peel Street at five minutes past ten on Sunday when she was pushed hard from behind. She hit her face
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Kicked-out fan is as sick as a parrot
THE first finalist has been voted out of Sunderland AFC's One of the Lads competition. Hull City fan Ian Younger, 19, was voted out by supporters who have been logging on to the team's official website, www.safc.com He said: "Of course I am disappointed
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Booming Briarsoft proves boss was right to start his own firm
BAR code firm Briarsoft is moving into new premises after expanding its business. A labelling system for products ranging from meals to paint, and a radio frequency scanning system for stock control, are two rapidly developing fields for the Consett firm
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Players lining up for Jesters squad
A HOST of players are waiting in the wings to be part of this season's Newcastle Jesters squad as the pay saga appeared to be approaching an end. Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL) bosses are already working on a pile of work permit and player registration
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Outrage at threat to art collection
THE Northern Echo and North-East art lovers today join forces in a bid to prevent a treasured collection of paintings worth millions of pounds from being lost to the region for good. The threatened pictures - 13 full-length portraits of Jacob and his
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Reid seeking cover
SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid, bracing himself for a goalkeeping crisis before Saturday's home game against Blackburn Rovers, is set to bring in an emergency replacement on loan. First choice Thomas Sorensen looks certain to be ruled out with a broken
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English piper calls the tune in Scotland
It is a victory that would make Robert the Bruce turn in his grave - an Englishman beating a Scotsman in a bagpipes competition. The only thing Scottish about Scott Inglis-Kidger is his christian name. Yet the 16-year-old, from Lanchester, County Durham
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Nurse surfs to the Caribbean
A TEESSIDE nurse has won an all-inclusive holiday to St Lucia. Eileen O'Donoghue, 49, works at the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton, and entered a Teletext holiday competition after a stressful period at work. The trip will allow Eileen
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Plea to protect Bishop's vision of hope
THE striking collection of paintings which graces the Long Dining Room of the Bishop of Durham's home, Auckland Castle, is viewed by the Church of England as one of its most valuable assets. So valuable, in fact, is the Zurburan series that the Church
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Eriksson is confident for future
ENGLAND coach Sven Goran Eriksson has warned his players they must "respect" Albania when the two sides clash at St James' Park tonight. After watching his side cruise to a 5-1 victory over old foes Germany on Saturday, Eriksson could be forgiven for
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Ecstasy mum speaks of grief
THE mother of a teenager who died last week after taking Ecstasy has spoken of her loss. Lisa Teasdale, 15, died last Thursday after lying critically ill in Middlesbrough General Hospital for several days. Today, in her first statement since the tragedy
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United Nations to hear youngsters' views
THREE teenagers are to brief delegates before they attend an international conference in the US. The first United Nations general assembly session on children takes place in New York later this week and three members of the Durham Young People's Centre
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Under-attack 999 crews call for more protection
MINUTES after answering a 999 call ambulance worker Thomas Patterson found himself in front of his patient, a big man slumped in a chair. It was a routine situation that turned into a horror story. The dormant patient burst into life and leapt at him
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Hear All Sides
Letters from The Northern Echo FOOT-AND-MOUTH THE number of slaughtered cattle and sheep must be reaching the nine million mark. Most of them are healthy. This is a form of mass insanity, I believe. I remember, before the war, if the odd case of foot-and-mouth
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Body of man found in river identified
Police have identified the body of a man who was pulled out of the River Tees, not far from Victoria Bridge, in Stockton, on Sunday. Mark Pinkney, 47, comes from the Bishop Auckland area, but has been living at the Bridge House Hostel, Stockton, Teesside
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Army called after beach bomb find
AN unexploded wartime bomb was found on a North-East beach yesterday morning. It was the third time in as many weeks that police in Saltburn, east Cleveland, have been called by the public to the beach in related incidents. The Royal Army Logistical Corp
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Origins of how regiment got name revealed
STEEPED in tradition and recognised the world over, The Green Howards is one of the oldest British Army regiments. Now, thanks to the work of military historian Robert Latter, the full story behind the origins of the regiment's name has been told for
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Fears that disease has struck in dale
FEARS were growing last night that foot-and-mouth disease may have returned to County Durham. Livestock at Noah's Ark Farm, on the fells above Stanhope, in Weardale, were slaughtered yesterday after the farm was designated a dangerous contact. There were
