Archive
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Grandera deserves to clinch a victory at last
GRANDERA, arguably the best three-year-old in training yet to win a race this season, can put matters right by snapping up the Listed Dubai Arc Trial at Newbury. Woe betide any colt having to withstand the sort of bruising Group 1 campaign endured by
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Former wool factory will be centrepiece of £120m project
PLANS to redevelop a major industrial park in a North-East town could lead to the creation of hundreds of jobs. Lingfield Investments is to spend more than £120m on the Lingfield Point complex in McMullen Road, Darlington. The former Paton and Baldwins
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Pupils score 20% below average
THE number of Middlesbrough pupils attaining national standards is almost 20 per cent less than the average in some subjects, it has been revealed. Figures compiled by the town's Local Education Authority show that only 47.6 per cent of Key Stage Three
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Organists reveal all at seminar
THE mysteries of organs and organ playing will be revealed at a seminar next month. The Newcastle and District Society of Organists will visit St Mary's Church, Chester-le-Street, on Monday, October 8. There will be demonstrations and a discussion suitable
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Samaritans seek help in recruitment drive
SAMARITANS in Durham are on the look-out for volunteers to help with their work. The Mid Durham branch of the listening organisation has increased the range of activities from its core telephone service to working with youngsters, disabled people, prisoners
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Air travel will never be the same again
IT'S always been a possibility, just never a real one. The world knows all about hijackings, it watches them for real on the news, now and again it dramatises them in books and in films. But the reality is that real people, normal people, people like
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Benarrivo arrives to show Boro Italian style
ITALIAN international full-back Antonio Benarrivo was yesterday in talks with Middlesbrough over a proposed one-year loan move from Parma. Benarrivo, who arrived at Boro's Hurworth training base yesterday afternoon, could make the move permanent at the
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Cavalcade of classic cars
THE region's largest gathering of classic cars are motoring their way to Beamish Museum. Almost 200 classic cars, dating from 1920 to the mid-1970s, will be on display at the County Durham museum tomorrow, from 10am to 4.30pm. Among the entries will be
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Attacker faces prison term
A ROAD rage attacker who left a passenger with a collapsed lung after he stabbed him in the chest has been warned he faces jail. Neil Fitzpatrick was making his way to a nightclub in Newcastle with Army friends when he was knifed by Alan Roberts, Newcastle
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Pub-goers help death inquiries
POLICE investigating the suspicious death of a former teacher have visited a pub she frequented. Officers from Redcar police spent Thursday evening mingling with regulars at the Crown and Anchor pub, in Redcar, east Cleveland. Debra McNicholas, above,
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Investors hope for uplifting news
INVESTORS will be hoping for uplifting news and even a touch of magic from the corporate sector next week when a number of high-profile companies offer a timely update on the economic outlook. Aerospace and engineering group Smiths' exposure to the troubled
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Theatres on cast list for awards
TWO North-East theatres have been nominated for national awards. Darlington's Civic Theatre and Newcastle Playhouse-based Northern Stage have been shortlisted for three Barclays Theatre Awards, due to announced on October 21. The Civic has earned itself
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Court waiting time for juveniles is cut
YOUNG offenders in the region are being sentenced quicker from the time of their arrest, new figures show. The figures, compiled by the Lord Chancellor's department, show that the average number of days from arrest to sentence at court are generally dropping
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Promotion so sweet for Durham
WINNING promotion in the one-day league softened the blow of finishing next to the bottom in the County Championship, Durham's worst finish since 1997. Other than Nicky Peng making three glorious centuries, there were few obvious reasons why they had
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Former school cook dies at 105
A WOMAN, who received birthday cards from the Queen, Prince Charles and Prime Minister Tony Blair, has died aged 105. Hilda Tinsley, who lived in Hurworth near Darlington, died on Monday. She was born in Redcar in 1896, and although doctors thought she
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Revised opencast plan is opposed
REVISED plans for an opencast mine on the outskirts of Shildon have been met with renewed opposition from councillors. UK Coal Mining wants to develop a site at Southfield, near Brusselton, to the south west of the town, to extract 580,000 tonnes of coal
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Fire brigade and phone firm team up against hoaxers
AN initiative to combat the growing menace of hoax 999 calls from phone boxes has been launched by Cleveland Fire Brigade and BT Payphones. Last year, more than half of the five million calls made to the emergency services from BT phone boxes were false
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Diamond wedding celebrated
IT WAS love at first sight for a couple who are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary. Eric Wilson and his friend were in Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool, when they spotted two girls. Mr Wilson, now 86, persuaded his friend to go and ask them out
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Cash appeal for church windows
A TINY community is fighting back after vandals damaged stained glass windows in its Methodist chapel. Four windows at Woolley Terrace Methodist Chapel, Stanley, Crook, near Bishop Auckland, were badly damaged. It is estimated they will cost more than
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Family's environmental efforts rewarded
THE winners of a competition organised by The Northern Echo were presented with their environmentally-friendly prizes yesterday. The Mortimer family, from Darlington, entered the Doing Your Bit competition and won a host of green prizes for their efforts
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Woman beats food chain over hours bid
A NORTH-EAST woman is celebrating victory over fast-food chain McDonald's. Last year, McDonald's built a drive-through restaurant in Thrush Road, Redcar, east Cleveland, on the site of the old gas works - despite a campaign by people living in nearby
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Threat to N-E transplant unit lifted by Government
A THREAT to the North-East's heart and lung transplant unit has been lifted. The transplant centre at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital will stay open, but remains under constant scrutiny. The future of six centres, including Newcastle, had been under discussion
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God is with us for ever
AQUINQUENNIAL inspection is an ecclesiastical term meaning recurring nightmare. Every five years the architect arrives, pokes about a bit and advises those concerned what must be done to stop the church collapsing in a heap, being condemned by the council
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700 staff face axe at Alliance and Leicester
THE Alliance and Leicester is cutting 700 jobs in a bid to drive down costs. The bank, which employs 8,000 staff, said the cuts will be made among workers who do not deal directly with customers. Volunteers will be sought, but the bank said it could not
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Praise for police as dealer is locked up
A DRUG-busting police team has been praised by a judge after he sentenced the last of 11 convicted dealers. Recorder of Newcastle David Hodson this week jailed Carlo Fella, 28, to four-and-a-half years, at Durham Crown Court. He was the 11th members of
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MP demands answers over new Operation Lancet case
A NINTH police officer is to face disciplinary charges as a result of a long-running anti-corruption inquiry, the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) revealed last night. The Cleveland officer, who has not been suspended, will face two disciplinary allegations
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Comments from The Northern Echo - Who wants lots of publicity?
THE Northern Echo cannot have been the only place in the country rather subdued and despondent this week as we stand on the brink of we-don't-know-what. So, it is a little relief that one of the nation's favourite television programmes should give us
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Liz looks forward to Africa trip
A NORTHALLERTON wom-an is looking ahead to an African adventure after she was chosen for a major charity expedition. Liz Merritt will be travelling to Cameroon this autumn to carry out scientific research with the environmental charity Earthwatch. She
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Anger as union sees 1,600 jobs slipping away
UNION officials representing workers at Viasystems' two plants on Tyneside have met the management and receivers to discuss the hopes of saving 1,600 jobs. The company went into receivership on Thursday, threatening the future of its entire workforce,
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Sheffield visit provides a good pointer for Darlington
DARLINGTON stage the top match in the North-East today, with the visit of Sheffield in North One likely to provide a useful benchmark of their promotion potential. Sheffield won their opening league match 22-18 at home to Halifax, who inflicted Darlington's
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Car retailers help to make children smile
A CHARITY to help needy children across Teesside has gone mobile thanks to the generosity of Vauxhall retailers in the area. Radio stations 96.6 tfm and Magic 1170, based in Thornaby, have launched the charity, Make A Child Smile. The charity will focus
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Trainer Talk
There was embarrassment at Doncaster last Wednesday when the EBF Carrie Red Fillies Nursery was started over 100 yards short of its correct distance of six and a half furlongs. The stewards, jockeys and trainers realised the error only when a reporter
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Children climb to height of Mount Everest to help sports college bid
YOUNGSTERS have scaled Mount Everest without leaving the grounds of their school. A team of 1,600 pupils at Farringdon Community School, Sunderland, began climbing a 40ft Army abseiling wall on Thursday. They have completed enough climbs to surpass the
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From here to the video game
Reviews: From Dusk Till Dawn. Format: PC CD ROM. Publisher: Cryo. Minimum system requirements: PII 300 64MB RAM second generation 3-D card. Price: £29.99 CONSOLIDATION between movies and video games continues apace. It's not unusual now for a big movie
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Night at races will boost charity fund
PUB regulars are saddling up for a night at the races to raise money for a children's charity. Landlady Sharron Ellison is holding a race night at The Clarence, in Wheelgate, Malton, to boost funds for the Children's Adventure Farm Trust. Miss Ellison
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Quakers aiming to heap more misery on Exeter
If Darlington are to capitalise on their promising start to the season and build a promotion push they know they must beat opponents whose statistics read: played eight, won one. Today's visitors, Exeter City, sit rock-bottom of the table having conceded
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Trainer Talk
There was embarrassment at Doncaster last Wednesday when the EBF Carrie Red Fillies Nursery was started over 100 yards short of its correct distance of six and a half furlongs. The stewards, jockeys and trainers realised the error only when a reporter
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Turner boosts his striking options
HARTLEPOOL United's season is ready for lift-off, according to Chris Turner. Pool might be second bottom of Division Three after seven games wth just five points, but Turner's sights are set on an assault on the upper reaches of the table. The Pool boss
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High price for cheap smokes
A MAN involved in the importation of 2.4 million bootleg cigarettes from the Continent was yesterday jailed for 18 months. Durham Crown Court was told Hugh Knowlson was "a go-between" in the operation, helping to arrange the smuggling of the cigarettes
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Will robots rule the world?
AMID the debris of a ruined city, as guerillas scuttle from one pile of rubble to another to escape the attentions of enemy patrols, a foot stamps down on to a human skull, crushing it into dust. The foot is metal, belonging to a robot, its red eyes determined
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From here to the video game
Reviews: From Dusk Till Dawn. Format: PC CD ROM. Publisher: Cryo. Minimum system requirements: PII 300 64MB RAM second generation 3-D card. Price: £29.99 CONSOLIDATION between movies and video games continues apace. It's not unusual now for a big movie
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Williams hoping to rekindle some old magic
VERSATILE England B international Darren Williams is hoping to renew his central defensive Sunderland partnership with Jody Craddock at the Stadium of Light this afternoon and rekindle memories of the Wembley classic between the clubs. Williams and Craddock
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Education chiefs draw up Ofsted action plan
EDUCATION chiefs in Darlington are drawing up an action plan following criticism from Government inspectors. The first inspection of Darlington Borough Council's education department by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) revealed it had more
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Firms given civic tour
SEDGEFIELD Borough Council opened its doors to local businesses this week to show how it provides various services to residents and firms within its boundary. The 20 companies were also given information and advice about supplying products and services
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Tanni hands out awards to schools for sporting achievement
NORTH-EAST schools who achieve sporting excellence for their pupils celebrated their success with Britain's most successful wheelchair racer. Winner of five London Marathons and four gold medals at the Sydney Paralympics, Tanni Grey-Thompson had an inspirational
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Terrorist suspects arrested in Britain
BRITISH anti-terrorist police swooped on four people yesterday in connection with last week's attacks on the US. A man, aged 27, and a woman, 25, were arrested at a residential address in west London at about 3pm. A second man, aged 29, was held at a
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Man denies being smuggling brain
A NORTH-East man is facing charges of masterminding a plan to smuggle illegal immigrants into the UK. Kashmir Singh Nanan, 36, of Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, has been charged with facilitating the entry of illegal immigrants. The trial, which starts
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Revised opencast plan is opposed
REVISED plans for an opencast mine on the outskirts of Shildon have been met with renewed opposition from councillors. UK Coal Mining wants to develop a site at Southfield, near Brussleton, to the south west of the town, to extract 580,000 tonnes of coal
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Orphan seal pup making progress
A SEAL pup left orphaned after its mother was shot has taken a big step towards a goal of eventual release back into the wild. The pup, named Tia, was taken to Scarborough Sea Life Centre and Marine Sanctuary, North Yorkshire, in July by the RSPCA after
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Computers affected by Nimda virus
TECHNICIANS are working to get Durham County Council's computer system up and running after it was struck by a virus. The system's server at County Hall in Durham City was infected with the Nimda virus on Wednesday, and it spread to some of the terminals
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New move to improve urban life
THREE North-East towns are being included in a pilot initiative aimed at improving the quality of life of communities across the UK. Regeneration Minister Lord Falconer says that tackling poor public space is an urgent priority for the Government. Middlesbrough
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Partnership unveils £50m action plan for Tees Valley
A £50M draft action plan to transform the Tees Valley over three years was unveiled yesterday. The plan was announced by the Tees Valley Partnership after the fund was donated by regional dev-elopment agency, One NorthEast. It includes: * proposals for
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Pubs join forces to urge drinkers to 'get real'
A CITY centre pub is backing a country-wide drive to encourage people to drink real ale. The Market Tavern, in Durham's Market Place, is taking part in Cask Ale Week, which started on Monday and finishes tomorrow. The campaign is being run by the 33-member
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Clinic helps to silence snorers
LOUD snoring can be more than a bore for sufferers and their partners. Research has indicated that it can also lead to serious health problems and even road accidents. As more snorers than ever seek help, hospital clinics in Bishop Auckland and Darlington
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Hear All Sides
Letters from The Northern Echo HOSPITALS HAVING had occasion recently to criticise the University Hospital of North Durham, I am glad to be able to comment favourably. On recent visits to a ward I found it beautifully quiet compared to what I had experienced
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Housing plans look likely to be rejected
PLANS for a housing development in east Cleveland look set to be dropped by the local authority. Plans for the development in the Redcar, Marske and New Marske area have attracted controversy because local people fear the three areas could lose their
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Just the ticket for Jonathon
A LUCKY five-year-old won three prizes in a draw at the Darlington fire station open day. Jonathon O'Neil won two tickets to a Darlington FC game, ten visits to the Dolphin Centre swimming pool and a facial at Saks. His mother, Clare, said: "We couldn't
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Store meets rugby team's tall order
A DARLINGTON retailer has equipped the Newcastle Falcons rugby union club with clothing for official appearances this season. The club had to travel to the Geoffrey Gillow menswear shop, in Grange Road, Darlington, to find a store that could not only
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Traffic concerns block plans for village bistro
CONCERN about lack of parking and potential traffic problems have blocked another development in Sedgefield. Members of Sedgefield Borough Council's development control committee yesterday rejected an application to convert a kitchen and bathroom showroom
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Anger over forced charity sale switch
A CHARITY representative is furious that he has been forced to move a table-top sale because of an ancient law. Peter Beaty, chairman of the Durham branch of Help The Aged, had arranged the fundraising event at the Iron Horse pub car park, Newton Aycliffe
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Prison for thief after 64 car spree
A THIEF who smashed his way into more than 60 cars in Darlington was jailed yesterday as he vowed to end his crime blitz. Gary Drummond, 34, stole car compact disc players and radio cassettes to sell for £40 each to fund his heroin habit. He also drove
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Clinic helps to silence snorers
LOUD snoring can be more than a bore for sufferers and their partners. Research has indicated that it can also lead to serious health problems and even road accidents. As more snorers than ever seek help, hospital clinics in Bishop Auckland and Darlington
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£2.5m pledge to help in learning
PEOPLE who are unable to study because they cannot pay for childcare, travel or accommodation, are to receive a cash boost. The Learning and Skills Council has pledged £2.5m to help disadvantaged people in Tyne and Wear take up learning opportunities.
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Man cleared of rape might face retrial
A MAN accused of raping a prostitute, who was cleared of one of the allegations against him, could face a retrial on a second charge. Earlier this week, a jury found Peter Thompson, 20, not guilty of one of the two charges of rape he faced at Teesside
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Driver dies after A1 crash
A DRIVER is thought to have had a heart attack at the wheel of his car, losing control of the vehicle which crashed in the central reservation of the A1 yesterday. Paramedics managed to revive the victim at the scene, just south of the Leeming Bar Motel
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Bloodied woman 'feared for life'
A BLOODIED woman told police she feared her former lover would kill her unless they intervened, a court heard yesterday. Two witnesses saw Kelvin Harrison, 31, punch and kick Lesley Hodgson in a County Durham street. The assault lasted 45 minutes. One
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Too late for care allowance
QI believe those, like me, who get Disability Living Allowance for care can get an allowance for their carer. My wife, aged 72, has to do more for me now. Does this apply to her? AUnfortunately not. To get Invalid Care Allowance the carer must claim before
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Robson feared worst over rejuenated star
BOBBY ROBSON last night saluted Alan Shearer's dramatic rejuvenation after admitting he feared he had seen the last of the former England captain. Shearer, Newcastle's talismanic striker, has returned with a vengeance, scoring three goals in as many games
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Traditional skills taught to conserve
TRAINING courses aimed at conserving traditional riverbank settings take place at the Hetton Bogs nature reserve, in Wearside, next week. The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) and Sunderland City Council's countryside team have joined forces
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Students get campus advice against crime
NEW students have responded well to anti-burglary advice, say crime prevention officers. All week, a Cleveland Police van and trailer have been stationed at Teesside University as part of induction week. Anti-burglary jingles have been broadcast across
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Police describe attack trio
POLICE investigating the beating of animal rights campaigner John Gill have released more detailed description of his attackers. Mr Gill, 53, suffered cuts and severe bruising when three men burst into his home and punched, kicked and struck him with
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Fire crews in US appeal
FIREFIGHTERS from North Yorkshire will be urging pub-goers to give generously this evening. Fire crews from Richmond, North Yorkshire, were among millions around the world shaken by the images from New York last week. As a result, they have joined the
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Twist of fate that saved a Briton's life
THE last-minute cancellation of a World Trade Centre appointment has left Langley Willis one of the luckiest men alive. The North-East IT consultant had a 9am appointment in the south tower in New York the day terrorists struck last week. However, at
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Weird world of the 'pure evil' bomber
A PARANOID schizophrenic who carried out a series of letter bomb attacks across the region was yesterday ordered to be detained indefinitely at a mental hospital. Glynn Harding was branded "pure evil" by a judge for waging the three-month campaign of
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God is with us for ever
AQUINQUENNIAL inspection is an ecclesiastical term meaning recurring nightmare. Every five years the architect arrives, pokes about a bit and advises those concerned what must be done to stop the church collapsing in a heap, being condemned by the council
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MP congratulates school on achievements
PUPILS were visited by their local MP yesterday when she congratulated them on achieving beacon status. St Andrews RC Primary School, South Bank, was awarded the status in recognition of the excellence of education it delivers and the efforts of headteacher
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Last shift at Coastguard station
THE end of an era will be marked this weekend when the last shift switches off the lights at a North-East coastguard station. The Tyne Tees station, at Tynemouth, is closing - a move which comes in the face of overwhelming protests, including a 60,000
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Councillors rap decision to sell 17th Century art
COUNCILLORS have condemned a Church of England decision to sell off millions of pounds worth of paintings which have hung in the Bishop of Durham's official residence for 250 years. Thirteen portraits by 17th Century Spanish artist Francisco de Zurburan
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Old bank project awaits cash OK
MEMBERS of the trust leading a town's plans for a community office are hoping the local authority gives it financial support next week. Hudson House Ltd is pioneering the conversion of the old Barclays building in Reeth - closed last year as part of the
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Protests over £60m shopping centre
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for a £60m riverside shopping centre are to demonstrate against the latest proposals today. The Coppergate Riverside scheme, planned for York, would include a department store, and dozens of retail units and bridges over the
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Lee has words of caution
ROBERT LEE is far from comfortable with the "New Entertainers'' tag Newcastle have picked up following their goal-happy start to the season. Lee, a member of the Kevin Keegan team which had the football world spellbound in the mid-90s, can see similarities
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Anger over plans to build -monster' pylons near homes
residents are protesting at plans to erect "monster" pylons on their doorsteps. Families say work has started with trees running into double figures marked for felling - without local people first being consulted. They claim a leaflet about the plans
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Don't ignore the falling leaves
DURING the coming weeks, the digging of vacant areas of the garden should be taken in hand, especially where you intend to make early spring sowings. The longer the upturned soil is exposed to the weather, the more settled and workable it will be in the
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Mother avoids jail term
A MOTHER-of-three who pulled a knife on a store detective after being caught shoplifting avoided a jail sentence yesterday. Mandy Massey, 33, was confronted by the guard after she was seen stealing items from the Co-Op in Normanby, near Middlesbrough.
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Awards ARE handed out for building design qualities
DESIGN innovation was recognised at an awards ceremony. Middlesbrough's annual Design Awards were presented at the Building Industry Consultative Forum, at the Riverside Stadium. Organised by the forum, a partnership between Middlesbrough Borough Council
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Super Kev set to head triple attack on Addicks
GOAL-ACE Kevin Phillips is set to spearhead a new-look three-man Sunderland attack against Charlton Athletic at the Stadium of Light this afternoon. The four-goal England striker - upset by a tabloid headline which inferred he was unhappy about the output
