Archive
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Losses force QSP to suspend shares
SHARES in North-East computer software firm QSP were suspended last night after worse than expected losses. The Gateshead information technology company will today report six-monthly pre-tax losses of £6.2m. That compares with a £3m loss in the same period
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Angling season hit by virus
ANGLERS who fish one of the North-East's prime stretches of river are ending their season early because of foot-and-mouth restrictions. There has been no fishing on the upper stretches of the River Wear, in County Durham, since February. Now, officials
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Drivers warned of conman
POLICE have issued a warning to motorists after a pensioner was stopped by a man on the roadside begging for money to buy diesel. The woman was driving in the Richmond area when she was stopped by the man wearing a workman's yellow fluorescent top. He
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On course for exploration of art forms
A NEW series of insight evenings start in Saltburn on Friday. Geoff Watkins, from the University of Teesside, is the first presenter of the weekly art meetings, which take place at 7.15pm in the Saltburn Community and Arts Association main hall. The series
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Housing Minister gets chance to meet residents' groups
HOUSING Minister Lord Falconer visited Teesside housing estates to review progress on their regeneration yesterday. Lord Falconer began his visit by meeting local politicians and the residents' group at the Robert Atkinson Centre, in Thornaby, before
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Ghana cash plea
SUPPORTERS are being asked to step in at the last minute to help a group of youngsters take part in a trip to Ghana. The Ghana Project aims to take 12 youngsters from Deckham, on Tyneside, to Africa to work on community projects. Already more than £12,000
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Seal numbers under scrutiny
RESEARCH is being carried out into why the population of seals is so low at the Teesmouth estuary on the North-East coast. Seals were driven away by industrial development and human disturbance early in the 19th Century. They returned more than 150 years
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Girls may hold clues to assault by youths
POLICE are anxious to trace two girls who stopped to help a man who was assaulted twice on the same day. The first incident happened at about 11.30pm on Friday, when 24-year-old Kevin McKay, from Berwick Hills, in Middlesbrough, was walking along Ormesby
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Call for calm as gas mask panic sets in
ARMY surplus stores across the region have been inundated by orders for gas masks as panic over chemical warfare sets in following the terrorist attacks in America. But owners have called for calm, with one proprietor trying to talk people out of buying
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Local links could swing lucrative compressor deal
THE North-East is in the running for a multi-million pound investment project that could create dozens of jobs. Compressor company Corac is looking at possible sites in the region, believed to include Tyneside and County Durham, as the base for a facility
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Ordeal of toxic tuna fish victims
TOXIC tuna fish, which put three members of a family in hospital, is still affecting its victims 14 months after a birthday meal turned to near-tragedy. Twins Stephen and Christine Bowman-Jones, and their father, Nigel, needed urgent hospital treatment
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Army student aids african well project
AN Army student from Darlington has returned from a trip to Africa where she helped to build a well. Naomi Robinson, 21, went to the aid of the Nabakoss villagers in east Uganda after she and her friends at the Tayforth University Army Officer Training
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Crash victim remembered
WALKERS from all over the region turned out at the weekend in memory of a council officer who lost his life in the Southall rail disaster. The Ged Traynor Memorial Walk, on Sunday, covered a 13-mile circular route at Peterlee, east Durham. Mr Traynor,
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'I thought dogs were going to kill me'
A WOMAN feared for her life when three dogs attacked her as she walked to work, a court heard yesterday. Narinder Kaur Batth needed 300 stitches and spent ten days in hospital after a boxer, Staffordshire bull terrier and Jack Russell attacked her last
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Thousands flock to see spar boxes
A DISPLAY of rare spar boxes closes at the weekend at the Killhope Lead Mining Museum, in Upper Weardale. More than 50 boxes crafted from black, blue and green crystals unearthed from the North Pennine hills have been seen by 12,000 people over the summer
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Campaign launch for children's hospice
A CAMPAIGN to raise millions of pounds to build a children's hospice in the North-East will be launched tomorrow. The drive to provide the facility in Sunderland is being spearheaded by TV personality Kathy Secker. The launch coincides with National Children's
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Alert on scratch prizes
CONSUMER watchdogs are urging people to think twice before chasing prizes advertised on free scratchcards. Hartlepool Borough Council's trading standards department has been monitoring free scratchcards delivered with magazines after receiving calls from
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Minister earns the respect of Marines
A METHODIST minister has earned the respect of elite troops sent to the Gulf by completing a six-month Commando course, which allows him to join Royal Marines on active service. The Reverend Tim Wilkinson, who has family in Reeth, North Yorkshire, is
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Young cricket fan passes the managerial test
ENGLAND batsman Mark Butcher's double century in Surrey's final counties league cricket match of the season, helped a 12-year-old North-East boy win the Daily Telegraph Fantasy Cricket Junior League. Christopher Wheeler, from Darlington, County Durham
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Tait sings praises of defence
ASSISTANT manager Mick Tait last night put forward the case for Darlington's defence. On the back of comprehensive wins over Orient and Exeter in the past seven days, Quakers' front-men have been taking the plaudits. Quakers have crashed in seven goals
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Hear all sides
ZURBURAN PAINTINGS THE Church Commissioners are to sell the paintings of Jacob and his Twelve Sons which are now hanging at Auckland Castle. It is a different world in which we live today. Faced with spiralling overheads, many industrial and commercial
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Couple say I do to big day at Cinderella Hall
A County hall has always been the bridesmaid, but never the bride, when it comes to hosting weddings. But a couple from Brandon, near Durham City, will break the tradition when they tie the knot on November 17. Durham County Hall was licensed to hold
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Police officer denies rape bid
A POLICE officer appeared in court yesterday accused of a sex attack on a 17-year-old. Metropolitan Police officer Paul Miller, 35, told the court he could not resist when the girl from Hong Kong propositioned him on a railway bridge. He told the Old
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UK Coal quashes 'for sale' rumour
BRITAIN'S largest coal producer, UK Coal, has moved to quash takeover speculation, saying it was not in talks to be bought. The group has seen weekend speculation that private equity firm HG Capital - in consultation with former UK Coal chairman Richard
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Services lead parish forum
A LOWER Wensleydale parish forum will be held at the Wensleydale School, Leyburn, on October 17, at 7pm. Representatives from Richmondshire District Council, the police and the other emergency services will lead the meeting, with input from other organisations
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'Cash helping to cut crime'
GOVERNMENT cash has helped bring about reductions in crime across east Durham. The news was revealed yesterday by the District of Easington Community Safety Partnership. The crime-fighting group said that money gained under the Government's Reducing Burglary
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Man punched and robbed in alleyway
A MAN was robbed of £70 after being attacked in an alleyway. The incident happened on Thursday at 8.30pm, when the 22-year-old local man was walking along an alleyway between Sandringham Road and Sheriff Street, in Hartlepool. He was attacked from behind
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Community efforts put on the record
TWENTY six groups used the latest digital technology to broadcast their achievements in creating sustainable communities. Conservation groups, community partnerships, residents associations, schools, village halls, arts groups and youth clubs from all
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Helping hand towards recovery
THE North-East and North Yorkshire has been chosen to pilot a scheme designed to stop small firms going under during tough times. In the ground-breaking project, launched yesterday, business advisors will go into small companies suffering from short-term
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Student's exam award
AN 18-YEAR-OLD student received a boost days before he left home for the first time when he learned he had received one of the highest exam marks in the country. Ian Elliot, of Blackhill, Consett, received a letter from examiners informing he had achieved
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Former postman wins voluntary work award
A FORMER postman has won a regional award for his voluntary work, which included leading a team from the Prince's Trust, in Richmond. Sean Craven, 26, from York, received a Prince's Trust trophy at the Young Persons Into Business event at St William's
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Estate residents in shock over 'quiet' bomb-making suspects
FOR the residents of six streets in a North-East council housing estate, the 10.30am order to leave their homes was the start of a day of drama. Without any explanation, dozens of families in Firthmoor, Darlington, were ushered from their homes by police
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Appeal for calm over racist dummy
Police are appealing for calm after a dummy of terrorist Osama bin Laden was hung from a bridge over a busy road. The stuffed image was daubed with the slogan 'Kill Bin Laden' and 'Nuke' in full view of motorists. The Guy Fawkes-style dummy was found
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Jarrow March display tribute
DOCUMENTARY film and photography of the Jarrow March will be exhibited for the first time in 25 years. The exhibition comes before the unveiling of a Jarrow March sculpture, due to take place in the Tyneside town next month. Artefacts, including the only
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Expenses watchdog
THREE people have been selected for an independent panel to consider the allowances of Teesdale District Council members. The team has been announced after an appeal last month for members of the public to form an independent remuneration panel. After
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Prison for man who bit firefighter's ear
A MAN who bit off part of a firefighter's ear as he tackled a blazing car has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. Lee Atkinson ripped an inch-long chunk off fire officer Chris Williams' ear as he attended a 999 call. He then spat it out on to a patch
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Mother hails tot's 'incredible chance'
HANNAH Maxwell-Jones has arrived safely in the US for the surgery that will give her a new life. The youngster, from Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, was born with a severe facial disfigurement. Her plight touched readers of The Northern Echo, who helped raise
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Plan for trams link
PLANS to create a tram network linked to the Tyneside Metro have been unveiled. The proposals, under the new transport plan, will provide half the population of Tyne and Wear with access to the Metro. The 15-year draft strategy details plans costing hundreds
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A stroll from pier to pier . . .
WALKING enthusiasts can enjoy a day by the sea at the weekend. The eight-mile walk along the coastal path from Roker Pier to South Shields Pier will include free transport back to the departure point. It will take place on Sunday, September 30 and will
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Reveller needs surgery after attack at party
A MAN has undergone extensive surgery on his face following an unprovoked attack. The 33-year-old man was sitting alone at a table at a party at a County Durham farm when his attacker hit him on the side of the face for no apparent reason. The victim
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Top role at university
ONE of Durham University's biggest colleges has announced the appointment of a new principal. Dr Jane Taylor is taking up the post, combining it with her academic role in the university's department of French. An expert in late medieval French literature
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Pensioner ordered coffins then shot wife, inquest
A 75-year-old North-East man called police requesting two coffins and an undertaker before shooting his wife in the head and then turning the gun on himself, an inquest heard today. Robert and Vera Stirling, both originally from Newcastle, had been married
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Muslim community fears over US attack
LEADERS of ethnic minorities in the North-East are appealing for calm after the World Trade Centre and Pentagon atrocities in the US. Councillor Abdul Hamid, who represents the Westbourne ward on Middlesbrough Borough Council, Teesside, said it would
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Neighbours joined in hunt for drunken thief
RESIDENTS went looking for a thief during a drunken rampage in which he stole bicycles and broke into cars. Yesterday, John Paul Walker, 23, was jailed for 15 months for the spree, which involved eight attempts to steal property in Sunnybrow, near Crook
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Three in hospital after crash
THREE people were recovering in hospital yesterday after a multi-vehicle pile-up that brought chaos to the A19. Eight cars and a road tanker were involved in an accident that brought both sides of the dual carriageway to a standstill. North Yorkshire
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Opportunity to influence home plans
THE people of Derwentside have the chance to influence their council's housing policy for years to come. Derwentside District Council is carrying out a housing needs survey and has sent out confidential questionnaires to 2,500 homes chosen at random.
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Airline's £1 flights to boost confidence
AN AIRLINE is offering flights for £1 to rebuild passenger confidence shattered by the attacks on New York and Washington. Ryanair, which operates a daily flight between Teesside International Airport and Dublin, is running the offer until midnight tonight
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Villagers win phone box battle
A CAMPAIGN to keep a telephone box in a rural east Cleveland village looks as though it has been won by local people and councillors. Members of Loftus Town Council were furious when a payphone was removed from Liverton village. British Telecom said it
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Will ID cards make us safer?
IN the long and bitter battle against an enemy who would stop at nothing, they were accepted with a resigned shrug of the shoulders. Along with blackouts and ration books, identity cards were just another restriction on freedom. And the years since the
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Children taught safe play by crew
THOUSANDS of youngsters are getting practical lessons in safety, courtesy of North Yorkshire's annual Crucial Crew exercise. During the next two weeks youngsters from schools in Hambleton and Richmondshire will be visiting RAF Leeming, near Bedale, for
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New aid on offer for home carers
A SCHEME to help terminally ill patients and their carers in their own homes has been launched in Sedgefield. The borough-wide Hospice at Home scheme, made up of support workers and volunteers, provides basic personal care to patients, a rest for carers
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'Every day is like a clean page'
LITTLE Joyce Bramley rose to her full height of nearly four feet and, in imperious tones, gave her playmates a good dressing-down. This was supposed to be a serious lesson, and they were not paying attention. With a heavy sigh, she returned to the onerous
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Operations assistant, Northallerton, £11,000pa, 9am to 5pm Mon-Fri, office experience essential, must have excellent administration skills and be proficient
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Hospital plans to rethink its security after spate of thefts
SECURITY at a hospital is to be overhauled following a spate of thefts. Cleveland Police say there have been several thefts from Middlesbrough General Hospital over recent weeks, culminating in the latest, on Sunday, when the same ward was targeted twice
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No time to flinch from conflict
THE American President and our Prime Minister have declared a global war on terrorism in which they have promised "to hunt down and take out individual terrorists and terrorist groups". This is going to be a long and bloody war but, having declared their
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Plenty to nibble on at the Mouse
WHAT'S particularly poor about a church mouse, of course, is that whilst such places may offer abundant nourishment for the soul, there is precious little for the body - and not even the ASTMS (clerical section) to fight for improved conditions and time
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League reps need to be Fleet of foot
The consultation process on the re-structuring of "non-league" football continued on Friday with a day-long meeting at Fleet in Hampshire. It meant leaving Darlington on the dawn raiding 5.24am train and being just 15 minutes late for a ten o'clock start
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Retail snag hits £120m revamp
A North-East council has cast doubts on a £120m regeneration project. Councillor John Williams, leader of Darlington Borough Council, said that Lingfield Investments had so far not sought planning permission for its planned redevelopment of a 125-acre
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Tiler, Bishop Auckland, full time, must be time served with experience, may required references. Ref: BIS 10203. Care assistant, Crook/Tow Law, £3.70ph
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Tolent gets Academy job
SUNDERLAND Football Club has awarded the contract to build its Academy of Light to Tolent Construction, of Gateshead. Work on the site, at Whitburn, should get under way in November. The academy includes a gymnasium, fitness area, swimming pool, medical
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NE Soldier shot family, inquest
A former North-East soldier mired in debt shot dead his wife and their two young children before turning the shotgun on himself, an inquest heard today. Anthony Smith, 34, shot his wife, Kay, 33, in the head before turning the gun on their six-year-old
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Shoe mystery link to death of woman
DETECTIVES investigating the suspicious death of a North-East woman are appealing for help in tracing a pair of shoes. The body of 44-year-old former teacher Debra McNicholas was found near the childrens' play area and paddling pool at Redcar at 7am on
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'Drug dealers cannot hide'
DRUGS worth £12,000 have been seized in a police raid on a North-East home. Stockton police raided an address in Low Grange, Billingham, on Friday evening. Three people were arrested, a 34-year-old woman and two men, aged 30 and 26. They have been bailed
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Man glassed love rival
A MAN glassed his former partner's new boyfriend when he saw the pair kissing in a pub. But Ian Johnson, 20, escaped a prison sentence after a court was told of his deep remorse at the attack. Durham Crown Court heard that Johnson had been involved in
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Mystery of estate's terror bomb cache
A COMMUNITY was in shock last night after the discovery of an arsenal of weapons and explosives on a North-East council estate. A specialist police team will carry out a finger-tip search this morning of the semi-detached house in Kexwith Moor Close,
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Inquiry into blunders claim
THE Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has launched an investigation into allegations that major blunders were made by workers brought in to contain the foot-and-mouth outbreak. The department (Defra) is treating seriously claims that
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Tolent to help Sunderland build a title-winning set-up
SUNDERLAND chairman Bob Murray believes the club's new £8m training academy will be a major factor in building a team capable of winning the Premiership. The club yesterday revealed North-East based company Tolent Construction had won the contract for
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Deane's a pearl, raves delighted Boro boss
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren has hailed the form of experienced striker Brian Deane. The giant front-man has been a key figure for Boro in their recent run, which has seen them go three Premiership matches unbeaten. At 33 many believe Deane's
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Comment from The Northern Echo; A sense of security
IT is amazing how easily normal, rational humans are reduced to abject panic. During the few days of the fuel protest last year, shortages of petrol were caused by people panicking and buying up fuel they didn't really need. Today, we report that army
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Refugees smuggler faces jail
A NORTH-EAST businessman who used his shops as a front to mastermind a £6m ring to smuggle asylum seekers has been told he faces a substantial jail term. Kashmir Singh Nanan, 36, from Birtley, near Gateshead, was exposed when an undercover police officer
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Racial equality group moves to new offices
ANTI-RACISTS said they would be on their guard against an upturn in racial hatred caused by the New York terror attack at the opening of a new campaign base in Durham City yesterday. The campaigners also said that they would be doing their bit to ensure
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Tributes paid to pool tragedy schoolgirl
TRIBUTES were paid yesterday to a 13-year-old schoolgirl who died while swimming. Promising athlete Anne-Marie Readshaw, who was pulled unconscious from the pool at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, in County Durham, on Saturday afternoon was described as a
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Chance to learn about cabin building
TRAINEES who enrole on an unusual course near Ripon will have the chance to learn how to build their own log cabins. George Fuller, one of the world's leading exponents of the craft, is travelling from Norway to teach the skill. The course at Laverton
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Lecturers suspend one-day strikes
STRIKE action at the region's colleges has been suspended after union members were advised to accept a new pay offer. Thousands of students would have been affected by the two one-day strikes which were due to take place on October 3 and 4. But yesterday
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Call for pledge to maintain speed limits
DRIVERS living in two North Yorkshire villages are being asked to sign a pledge to keep their speeds legal. It follows a decision to cut the speed limit through the twin villages of Fearby and Healey, near Masham, from 40mph to 30mph. But before lower
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Expert helps bird take to the airwaves
MORE than ten years' work by a Tyneside wildlife recording expert is helping radio listeners discover what it feels like to be a migrating bird. Five stages of a swallow's 6,000-mile flight between the UK and South Africa are featured in a 15-minute programme
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Man left with broken neck after attack
A MAN underwent 11 hours of surgery after sustaining a broken neck and a fractured cheekbone and jaw in a mugging. The 45-year-old victim is still in Middlesbrough General Hospital, where he is described as stable, following the assault last Tuesday.
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Society search for singers
Spennymoor Amateur Operatic Society is seeking new members to join the group for two forthcoming productions. The society is staging Aladdin as its pantomime this year, with rehearsals being held at Rosa Street Methodist Church in the town on Monday nights
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Party time is planned for North-East
THE Liberal Democrats have agreed to hold a party conference in the North-East for the first time. Its two-day spring conference in 2005 will be held at the multi-million pound Music Centre under construction in Gateshead and designed by top architect
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Ormerod aims to stay at Pool
FLYING winger Anthony Ormerod is setting his sights on a long-term stay at Hartlepool United. The 22-year-old burst onto the scene at Middlesbrough in 1997, but has found first-team opportunities limited at the Riverside and is now aiming to resurrect
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£5,000 reward for clues to man's attackers
A REWARD of £5,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of men who attacked an animal rights campaigner. John Gill, 53, suffered cuts and severe bruising to his face, body and legs, when three men burst into his home and
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Race recalls great name in sport
A RACE in honour of one of the country's best horses of recent years is the main event at a North-East racecourse this weekend. Double Trigger was one of the UK's greatest stayers and the Double Trigger Maiden Stakes takes place at Redcar Racecourse this
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Mark faces new challenge
IMPACT Consultants has appointed a joint managing director. MARK ADAMS has joined the North Shields business solutions company from QSP, where he was professional services manager for four years. Mark, 39, who will work alongside Stephen Briggs, is responsible
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Youngsters have a star encounter
THRILLED youngsters got to meet their popstar heroes moments before they took to the stage for a concert. Sisters Jessica and Holli Tweddle, and their friend Laura Horner, from Shildon, went with their mothers to watch Hear'Say at Newcastle's Telewest
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Classical treat for ballet lovers
BALLET lovers flocked to a Newton Aycliffe school to watch a performance of a classic love story. More than 170 people attended the performance of Romeo and Juliet at Greenfield School Community and Arts Centre. The Independent Ballet Wales production
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Chance to have say on community rebuilding
ATTEMPTS are being made to encourage people to have a direct say in the rebuilding of their neighbourhood. Residents have been selected to represent Newport, West Lane and Whinney Banks in Middlesbrough, planning a multi-million pound regeneration of
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Sex pest caller is back on line
A TELEPHONE sex pest who has made hundreds of nuisance calls over the last four years appears to have resumed his campaign, police are warning. The man had been quiet for almost two years before what was thought to be a one-off call made at the start
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Kitchen porter, Seaham. £4.10ph, full and part-time. Experience preferred but not essential. Training on kitchen machinery given. Ref: SHE 4579. Sales
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Predator set to pounce at Beverley
SMART PREDATOR appears primed to pounce in the most valuable race of the day at Beverley, the Violet and Eddie Smith Memorial Stakes. John Quinn's speedy grey has been running consistently well in most of the big sprint handicaps this term, including
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. . . and a step back in time
VISITORS to a North-East museum will be able to step back into the Jurassic period. Walking with Dinosaurs: The Exhibition is at Newcastle's Hancock Museum, from October 13 to February 24. Based on the award-winning BBC series, it will give visitors an
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Sinister secret of business owner
CUSTOMERS dropping in for a bottle of Chardonnay at the Rajan Wine Centre could never have known what they were buying into. Behind the facade of a thriving business - built on the sweat of an Asian immigrant made good - lay a sinister secret. Kashmir
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Navy divers may help search for unexploded bombs
NAVY divers could be called in to help search for unexploded bombs on the sea bed off a North-East holiday resort. The call follows the washing up of live wartime munitions on to beaches at and near Saltburn. Five pieces of ordnance have been recovered
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Call girl Internet website blocked
A sex-for-sale computer e-mail operation in the North-East has been closed down. Engineers with Internet providers ntl, on Teesside, pulled the plug on the red light guide to Middlesbrough yesterday. The vice promoter, who uses the pseudonym Bikerman,
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Police warning on begging scam
POLICE have issued a warning to motorists after a pensioner was stopped by a man on the roadside begging for money to buy diesel. The woman was driving in the Richmond area when she was stopped by a man wearing a workman's yellow fluorescent top. He was
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Pupils get fire safety message
A SCHEME to bring the fire safety message home to children was launched yesterday. Guests including the mayors of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton, education directors, local education authority representatives and chief fire
