Archive
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Fundraisers head for the hills in aid of hospital children's unit
SPECIAL needs children have shown their support for a fundraising mountain trek for a hospital unit. Malcolm Lavin, a manager with building firm Endeavour, his friend Eileen Robertson and their team have pledged to scale Kala Patthar, a peak above base
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Survivor Arthur's drive of gratitude
EVERY day of the past 17 years has been a bonus for daredevil pensioner Arthur Senior, who will gear up today for a nostalgic 1,200-mile drive of gratitude. One of the top rally drivers of the 1950s and 1960s, Mr Senior, 72, enjoyed the thrills and spills
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Deck the hall with festive music
ONE of the National Trust's most treasured sites will be lit up this Christmas and resounding to seasonal music. The World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, will be welcoming back triple harpist Fiona-Katie
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Safety warnings ignored in workmen's deaths
Four workmen who were flung 80ft to their death from a motorway bridge were working in a gantry with insufficient brakes while risks to safety were repeatedly ignored, a court heard today. Yarm Road Ltd, formerly known as Kvaerner Cleveland Bridge Ltd
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Shearer gets sights on extending career
ALAN SHEARER has dismissed the notion that his sights are set on Bobby Robson's job at Newcastle. The United skipper yesterday underlined his position when he even suggested he might be looking for a new playing contract when his current deal expires
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Why Waltzing Matilda's been sent packing
IT WAS the oldest pub in the county and they turned it into a pint shanty, a public house of horrors. It was a traditional English inn and yet Scottish and Newcastle Breweries transformed it into an Australian theme bar called the Outback - hideous, insidious
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Is money the answer to the ills of the NHS?
Chancellor Gordon Brown is pumping another billion pounds into the NHS and signalling that tax increases are on the way, but do we need to change the way we pay for our health service? Britain's top health economist, Professor Alan Maynard, has a favourite
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Chancellor's stamp duty cuts 'not so generous'
CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown was last night accused of misleading the region's house buyers as his plans to reduce stamp duty were attacked. From tomorrow, the threshold on stamp duty for the sale of domestic and commercial properties in run-down areas is
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Schools inspection procedure criticised
A SPECIAL debate is to be held in the House of Commons on calls for a radical reform of school inspection procedures after complaints from a North-East school. Headteacher Colin Linthwaite and the governors of Belmont Primary School, in Guisborough, east
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Helen's purr-fect prize
A PET-loving girl has won the purr-fect prize of a year's free supply of cat food. Helen Peebles, 11, from Hemlington, Middlesbrough, picked up second prize in a competition run by the Co-op and Warner Brothers to tie in with the film Cats and Dogs. Entrants
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GP surgery worker jailed for fraud
A MOTHER who swindled more than £23,000 from her employer to pay off debts was jailed yesterday. Kathleen Brown used her position as practice manager at the High Street doctors' surgery in Gateshead to take the cash to put towards her £50,000 debt with
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MP's son to join him in court
The son of punch-up charge MP Ronnie Campbell will stand with his father in the dock accused of playing a part in a curry house brawl. Blyth Valley MP Mr Campbell is accused of common assault and a public order offence after the disturbance at the Pan
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Bag taken in sneak burglary
POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a sneak burglary in an east Durham town. The incident took place in the Sunny Blunts area of Peterlee at about 6pm last Wednesday. After hearing her back door opening, a 45-year-old woman was confronted by
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Hear All Sides
Letters from The Northern Echo WAR ON TERRORISM I COULD scarcely believe my eyes when I read Peter Mullen's article (Echo, Nov 13). Whoever chose that headline should consult some of the bombed and bereaved Afghans and/or New Yorkers on the wisdom of
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'Inefficient' warden service centres to close
THREE mini-centres set up to lessen the impact of cuts in council warden services are to close. Wear Valley District Council's housing committee voted to close the centres in Crook, Willington and Bishop Auckland after a report by officers said they were
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New setback for arts project
A £1m flagship arts project, hit by problems, appears to be collapsing. Newcastle's Blue Carpet, an ornate floor of tiles made from recycled glass bottles, has been plagued with vandalism and technical setbacks since its construction began outside the
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Woodland walkway to re-open after repairs
WALKERS on a popular route will soon be able to enjoy their haunt fully after a major repair operation after last year's floods. The Hazelgrove Woods, in Saltburn, were hit four times by floods in July and November and the damage included three landslips
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Clue to level of council tax bills imminent
THE first clue about whether Darlington residents can expect another large council tax increase next year will be given next week, when Darlington Borough Council receives its annual settlement figure from the Government. The figure is a key factor in
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First steps to dealing with bus stop tramp
A VAGRANT who has made a bus shelter his daytime haunt could soon be given his marching orders. Richmondshire District Council has agreed to work towards the introduction of a by-law which would ban drinking in some areas of Leyburn Market Place. The
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Seeking partners to fund disease inquiry
AN INQUIRY into the foot-and-mouth crisis across the northern uplands could become a reality - if other organisations join one of the region's national parks seeking partners to pay for the research. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority was considering
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Youth club closures blamed on shortage of trained staff
TEENAGERS in five County Durham villages are back on the streets following the closure of their youth clubs. Due to a staffing crisis, County Durham Council's Youth Service has been forced to close clubs in Consett, Burnhope, Witton Gilbert, Blackhill
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Media professor in television lecture
A NEWLY-appointed professor will provoke ideas on the future of television in a free public lecture. Film and programme maker Richard Else, who has just been appointed professor of media production at the University of Teesside, will speak on the subject
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Bail buys freedom and helps charity appeal
LEADING figures in the North-East were put behind bars yesterday, sparking a desperate hunt for surety money for bail. A dozen unlikely detainees were taken into the custody suite at Sunderland's Stadium of Light, as part of a regional fundraising effort
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Bullied girl's dad tells of anguish
A GRIEF-STRICKEN father last night spoke out against the bullies who drove his teenage daughter to take a fatal overdose. Ben Swift's daughter, Elaine, 15, died after taking more than 100 painkillers. "The bullying policy failed my daughter and I want
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Police conduct drugs raid in Middlesbrough
A massive drugs raid has been carried out by Cleveland Police on a number of houses in Middlesbrough. The officers from Middlesbrough's operational support unit and community policing team carried out the raids on Wednesday and a sniffer dog was called
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Charles visits the country
THE Prince of Wales will be spending a day in North Yorkshire next month to meet some of the people affected by the foot-and-mouth crisis. On December 17 he will be in Knayton, near Thirsk, meeting farmers, businesses and other representatives of the
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Fundraisers head for the hills in aid of hospital children's unit
SPECIAL needs children have shown their support for a fundraising mountain trek for a hospital unit. Malcolm Lavin, a manager with building firm Endeavour, his friend Eileen Robertson and their team have pledged to scale Kala Patthar, a peak above base
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Hospital earns Unicef award
A NORTH-EAST hospital is among only a handful in the country that has been rewarded for being baby friendly. The University Hospital of North Tees, Stockton, has won the Baby Friendly Award from the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) and is the latest
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Enron on brink of collapse
POWER company Enron, which is one of the largest employers in the North-East, was reported to be on the brink of collapse last night after a rival company pulled out of a proposed rescue bid. The collapse of the deal with Dynegy, coupled with the decision
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Campaign aims to drive down alcohol abuse
A CAMPAIGN to drive down the number of drink-related incidents in the region this Christmas was launched yesterday. Instead of the usual "don't drink and drive" advertisements targeted at motorists, problems that alcohol can bring to society as a whole
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Battle to stave off court's closure
BATTLE lines have been drawn as Richmond prepares to resist the proposed closure of its magistrates' court. The North Yorkshire Magistrates' Court Committee is under pressure from Westminster to trim three per cent from its budget in the next financial
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Trust gets into spirit of season
NATIONAL Trust properties in the North-East are switched on to Christmas this year, with a series of festive events. Festive lights were illuminated at Souter Lighthouse, Marsden, near South Shields, this week, to signal the start of a busy pre-Christmas
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Hugo can make light of Carlisle's heavy going
HEAVY ground is bound to take at its toll at Carlisle but when push comes to shove up the testing home straight Hugo de Grez (2.20) will not flinch in the face of battle. The six-year-old has already asserted his authority four times at the course in
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Schools ready to take tougher line on the bullies
ALL schools are required by law to have a set framework for discipline, which takes into account bullying. But it is left to individual school governing bodies to draw up discipline policies and share best practice. Schools in Darlington and County Durham
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Granada jobs axe programme
ITV broadcaster Granada said it had cut 650 jobs in the past financial year - and 430 more would be axed. Chief executive Steve Morrison said the reduction would bring staff numbers down to about 5,000. The cuts are part of an effort to make savings of
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Goalkeeper Williams happy to play supporting role
HARTLEPOOL United goalkeeper Anthony Williams last night urged the players in front of him to keep up the good work. Williams has gone 360 minutes without conceding a goal in the Third Division and he is hoping to add to those against Rochdale tomorrow
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A way of life undermined
A YEAR-long strike, marches, delegations to the capital, tough talking and reasoned persuasion - Murton miners tried them all to save their pit. Like so many of their coalfield colleagues, the east Durham colliers waged battle not only for their jobs,
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Hospital gets sterilisation upgrade cash
A HOSPITAL where sterilisation procedures were stepped up after a scare over dirty surgical instruments has been given £1.9m to modernise cleaning facilities. In May, bosses at Darlington Memorial Hospital ordered special measures to be taken after it
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Shoppers asked to help catch charity shop robber
SHOPPERS who witnessed an armed raid at a charity shop are urged to come forward to help police inquiries. An e-fit picture was issued yesterday of the robber, who struck at the Cancer Research shop at the rear of Silver Street, in Durham city centre,
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Health services under scrutiny
A PANEL of health representatives is to scrutinise the cancer and joint replacement services at two North-East hospitals. The Tees Health Authority, Hartlepool Primary Care Trust (PCT) and North Tees PCT, have arranged for a panel of representatives from
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Windass move denied
WEST BROM are denying having any interest in Middlesbrough star Dean Windass. It is understood that Baggies manager Gary Megson has put in a bid for the striker believed to be around £750,000. However, West Brom chief executive John Wile has indicated
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Middlesbrough men viciously attacked
Two men had to have hospital treatment after they were the victims of an unprovoked attack. The men aged 23 and 25, both from South Bank, had come out of Bianco's Pizza Shop on the High Street in Normanby at around 11pm to 11.30pm on Friday November 23
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Easier than getting out of detention...
A BREATHTAKING trick originally performed by the escapologist Harry Houdini will be recreated by a North-East illusionist next week. Daniel Hunt will perform the Fires of Passion routine at his former school on Tuesday. The 23-year-old regularly returns
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Burial blockade six are cleared
JUBILANT campaigners were celebrating last night after being cleared of all charges by magistrates following their arrests at a blockade of a mass foot-and-mouth burial site. After a three-day trial, Derwentside magistrates accepted that the six women
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Centre's future to be decided in public
THE future of Richmond's Garden and Farm Supply Centre after the business closes next month will be decided in public. Richmondshire District Council has confirmed it has received a number of inquiries from firms and people interested in taking over the
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Tragic daughter kept bully torment a secret from us
ANNE Lowe can still feel the anger inside when she describes how bullies caused her daughter to take her own life. An outgoing teenager, Kimberley hid her torment at the hands of the girls who were making her life miserable from her family. On March 29
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Tributes to dedicated firefighter
TRIBUTES have been paid to a highly-decorated firefighter who devoted more than a quarter of a century to the service. Assistant Divisional Officer Iain Davison, 45, commander of Darlington Fire Station, died of a heart attack on Saturday. Colleagues
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Saved for posterity: reading habits of past generations
AN insight into the reading habits of British lead miners and their families over two centuries is to be given a permanent resting place. Records of books lent out at the country's oldest subscription library - in a dales cottage - are to be handed over
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Cup cash boost for Quakers' TV stars
Darlington stand to receive a mini-cash windfall after the FA Cup tie at Altrincham was chosen for coverage on BBC's Match of the Day programme. The appearance will benefit both clubs to the tune of £40,000 each while the FA's prize-money scheme means
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Lonely hearts night ended in rail carnage
THE motorist accused of causing the Selby rail disaster fell asleep at the wheel after staying up all night chatting on the phone to a woman he met on the Internet, a court heard yesterday. Self-employed builder Gary Hart had struck up a relationship
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Town in readiness for Christmas lights switch-on
EXCITEMENT is building in Redcar ahead of a Christmas fun day and the switch-on of the town's Christmas lights. Cleveland Police horses will lead the parade, which leaves the bus station at 4pm, on Sunday. In the parade will be Santa's Marching Band,
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Hospital death accident verdict
A VERDICT of accidental death was recorded yesterday after a pensioner's heart stopped when he was given saline too quickly. The incident happened when Robert Leckenby, 79, was admitted to The University Hospital of North Tees, Stockton, on December 12
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Arca backs Medina to make breakthrough
SUNDERLAND's teenage midfielder Nicolas Medina is poised for a Premiership breakthrough according to his colleague and fellow countryman Julio Arca. South American starlet Medina, 19, has struggled to make the transition into the English league following
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Beaming way to new home
Househunters have been given the chance of a lifetime to move into an incredible converted lighthouse. For nearly 200 years the famous High Lighthouse in North Shields was the guiding light, keeping thousands of sailors safe at night. It housed the beam
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Driver dies in hospital after crash
A DRIVER has died in hospital eleven days after his car rolled over into a field near Bishop Auckland. Michael Archer, 42, of Ash Drive, Willington, County Durham, had been in Newcastle General Hospital since November 16, when his Ford Mondeo crashed
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Plinth remembers beauty spot's chequered history
A INFAMOUS riot between Irish immigrants and disgruntled iron workers has been commemorated with a new plinth. The Battle of Blue Heaps saw at least one Irish navvy lose his life in a day of riot and bloodshed in 1858. Long-since passed into folklore
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Wood you believe it
ARCHIE Acorn and Laurie Leaf demonstrated the art of tree hugging yesterday. To coincide with National Tree Week, which runs until Sunday, Lingfield Farm Countryside Centre, in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, is hosting a traditional indoor woodland fair
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Jet-setter santa aids giving tree appeal
FATHER Christmas arrived at Teesside International Airport yesterday to help with the Giving Tree Appeal. Asda stores in Darlington and Spennymoor organised Santa's journey to the airport to support the appeal and to promote its official launch, which
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Sex attacker locked up
A SEX attacker who was branded "a danger to young girls" by a judge was jailed yesterday. John Huscroft, 49, of Frankland Road, Framlington Moor, County Durham, pleaded guilty to a series of sex attacks on youngsters dating back to 1980. He admitted five
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-Rubble pile' house blocked
A PARISH council which described a derelict building as a "pile of stone rubble" has won its battle to prevent it being turned into a house. Ellingstring Parish Council, at Masham, near Ripon, objected to a planning application to create the home with
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Mars expert Edwin, 17, amazes Euro scientists
A SCHOOLBOY scientist has stunned Europe's top boffins by proving the existence of life on Mars. Edwin Kite, 17, amazed academics with his ground-breaking work into the mysteries of whether alien life ever existed in the solar system. He has discovered
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Festival disruption fears eased
CONCERNS about parking and road closures during Barnard Castle's £40,000 Christmas festival have been resolved by Teesdale District Council. Organisers are expecting 2,000 people at the event on December 15, which will include a laser show and children's
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Dentist jailed for NHS fraud
A DENTIST was jailed for 18 months yesterday after he was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the National Health Service. Richard Cox, 50, a dentist for 27 years, made hundreds of false and inflated claims for treatment to the Dental Practice Board
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George sheds stones for beloved Mini
Motor mad George McGuinness shed five stone after he got wedged in his Mini. Two burly mechanics had to pull him free when he got stuck behind the steering wheel. The 31-year-old ballooned to 27 stones thanks largely to his fondness for beer and kebabs
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Advice bureau staff celebrate cash award for -first class service'
STAFF at a Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) were celebrating after receiving a major cash handout last night. Derwentside CAB has been awarded £53,467 from the National Lottery-backed Community Fund to improve training and recruitment. It has also emerged
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Clothing shop founder makes return
THE founder of a Darlington men's clothing shop returned to the store for the first time in 20 years last night to launch a women's section. Geoffrey Gillow, 85, opened the shop which still bears his name in Grange Road in 1967. Until now, it has only
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Consumer playing key role in growth
LAST week's revised economic growth figure for the UK economy showed a modest 0.5 per cent for the third quarter, down from the earlier estimated figure of 0.6 per cent. This figure is in sharp contrast to data for both Europe and the US. On further inspection
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Administrators appointed to managed Enron
Enron, one of the world's largest energy companies, with more than 900 staff on Teesside, is heading towards bankruptcy. Administrators PriceWaterhouseCoopers have already been appointed to the European holding company of the Enron group. However, the
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Kvaerner 'rescue deal' joy
ENGINEERING company Kvaerner, which employs more than 1,500 people on Teesside, appears to have been saved from the brink of collapse by a new rescue deal. The group, and its largest shareholder Aker Maritime, have reached an agreement about an industrial
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Sackful of props aid to reading
THE printed word is being brought to life for Durham school pupils thanks to creation sacks. Reception class pupils at Finchale Primary School can develop their reading by dipping into 40 sacks which contain props to help illustrate a range of stories
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Public to foot police 'exes' bill of £49,000
POLICE authorities across the region have been reviewing their members' expenses this week. An independent panel set up by the Association of Police Authorities (APA) recommended that members get a fixed rate instead of the current entitlement of £17
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Young scientists have the success formula
SCIENCE company Synetix is doing its best to halt the brain drain of scientific talent from the North-East to the US. Four employees who started on the company's trainee scientist scheme, have graduated this week with honours degrees from the University
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Animal treats would be the purr-fect gift
CHRISTMAS is coming and the geese may be getting fat - but Caspar the roly-poly cat is getting slimmer. The five-year-old tom has tucked into too many treats in the past and is on a diet. But staff at the Blue Cross animal adoption centre, near Thirsk
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Conservation Area status imposed on parish
A SWALEDALE community will be studying its options today after being awarded Conservation Area status against its will. Reeth Parish Council was resisting the move by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority - even warning it would research its right
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Ice cream workers frozen out by fall in sales
ICE cream business Richmond Foods has axed more than 300 jobs around the country. The business, which has its headquarters in Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, made the cuts following the £5.7m acquisition of Nestle's ice cream business in September. About
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Gun law plea in wake of animal deaths
HORRIFIC injuries sustained by animals in airgun shootings have been revealed today as part of a campaign to crack down on the use of the weapons. The RSPCA said the number of mindless attacks, which have left family pets, birds and wildlife maimed for
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Conference quest to generate job opportunities
A NATIONAL conference on urban regeneration takes place in Durham today. The pioneering work of the Dragonville Partnership will form the basis for the conference, which will see more than 200 delegates from the public and private sector in England, Ireland
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Art for everybody - except the snobs!
FULL in figure, hair down his back, by his own admission the man pottering around the chic art gallery often looks like a scarecrow. In his thick woolly jumper, baggy trousers and soft-shoes, he could easily be mistaken for the handyman, particularly
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Magpies give cancer man day to crow about
ALMOST half a century after he first stood on the terraces at St James' Park, cancer victim Alf Brown was treated to a day to remember by the Newcastle team. Jackie Milburn was Alf's hero when, as a teenager living in Crook, County Durham, he stood in
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Developer criticised as shop remains boarded up
A DEVELOPER which bought a prominent town site store has been criticised for leaving the unit boarded up and empty for seven months. Critics believe Terrace Hill's inability to find a new owner for the former Dressers site, in Darlington, may even have
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Comment from The Northern Echo - Better way to tackle bullies
BULLYING is a problem that needs to be addressed. Various organisations are calling for various solutions, with pressure growing for some sort of "bullying tsar" to be introduced to oversee the problem. This sounds quite attractive, but the performance
