Archive
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Students present heritage of pharaohs
STUDENTS in the North-East are working to make sure a major exhibition of Egyptian relics is a success. More than 100 archaeological items from some of the most prestigious Egyptian collections in the country will be on display at Hartlepool Art Gallery
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Artist's brush with the theatre
A THEATRE company, renowned for its imaginative and often bizarre approach, can boast another coup when it stages its next production this spring. North Country Theatre is planning a more serious tour of churches in North Yorkshire - including Ripon Cathedral
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Getting to know ghosts of rail past
CAST from The Ghost Train, being staged in the region, recreated a scene from the play at the home of the railways this week. Henry McGee, from The Benny Hill Show, and Christopher Strauli, of Only When I Laugh, and Full House visited Darlington Railway
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Concern is growing for missing woman
Police are anxious to trace a 38-year-old woman who went missing from her North-East home on Monday. Deborah Helen Campion, 38, of Millfield, Sunderland, who is described as vulnerable, is known to frequent bingo halls and amusement arcades. She is possibly
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Scent of success is in the air
A FAMILY-run fragranced giftware business is moving production to east Cleveland. Razzamatazz International is planning to move some of its production from its Lincolnshire headquarters to premises on the North Liverton Industrial Estate, creating up
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Town split over Mallon
THE people of Middlesbrough are split down the middle over Ray Mallon's gamble to abandon the fight to clear his name in a bid to become the town's first directly-elected mayor. A survey carried out for The Northern Echo last night found the suspended
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Art group expanding its audience
A VILLAGE art group has distributed more than 100 framed pictures throughout the community since gaining a National Lottery grant. Fishburn Art Group, formed almost three years ago, was awarded £3,500 in the Awards for All programme. Since then pictures
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'Zoe hair' girls row
Two teenage girls are being kept off school by their parents after teachers objected to their "attention seeking" hairstyles - modelled on Zoe Birkett, of Pop Idol fame. Chloe Hazlewood and Faye Cowig, both 15 and of Witham, Essex, have been at home for
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It's enough to make a mother's eyes water . . .
WORKERS at an animal rescue centre got an extra-large surprise when they collected eggs from their poultry. One feathered friend, at Ramshaw Rescue Centre, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, laid an egg more than twice the size of the others. Kate Wilson
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Parking concerns delay flats scheme
CONCERN over parking has delayed plans to replace a derelict auction mart with flats Three Rivers Housing Group has applied three times to develop the site in Barnard Castle. Yesterday, another application was deferred by Teesdale District Council's development
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Accused has no memory of tragedy
A MAN accused of the manslaughter of a foundry worker told a jury yesterday that he could not remember the events leading up to the death. Michael Reeves, 25, of Millfield, Sunderland, is standing trial at Teesside Crown Court accused of the manslaughter
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Baby unit delivered social fund help
A WOMAN laid off from her job just weeks before her baby's birth has reason to thank her former workmates. The 120 workers laid off from Express Dairies, in Durham City, last November donated their social fund money to the University Hospital of Durham's
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Hear All Sides
Letters from The Northern Echo MARGARET THATCHER NEIL Simmons has produced a fine, striking marble statue of Margaret Thatcher - handbag and all. The remarks made at the unveiling by Tony Banks, Labour chairman of the Commons Works of Art Committee, were
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Dramatic start to theatre season
SUNDERLAND'S Empire Theatre has enjoyed its "busiest ever'' first day for ticket sales for a show. There were queues when the box office opened on Monday to sell tickets for the touring production of the musical The King and I, which begins a three-week
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Pop Idol reject to follow his dream
Pop Idol reject Aaron Bayley has finally shunted his day job into a siding. The train driver has picked up his last pay cheque - for £24 - so that he can earn big bucks as a pop star. Aaron, 26, of Walkerdene, Newcastle, loved his job but, after a brief
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GPs and patients gain from course
DOCTORS surgeries in the region are benefiting from a course in training practice managers at a North-East college. A group of nine practice managers from all over the region have achieved a 100 per cent pass rate at Redcar and Cleveland College's Practice
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Inquiry attacked as waste of time
LAWYERS for Health Secretary Alan Milburn yesterday branded a public inquiry into the activities of two struck-off doctors as "a waste of time and money". Mr Milburn is resisting a High Court bid by victims of disgraced gynaecologist Richard Neale, to
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House extension plan opposed
PLANS for a two-storey extension to a house in Roast Calf Lane, Bishop Middleham, are likely to be rejected by Sedgefield Borough Council's development control committee tomorrow. A report by council planning officers says the extensions would dominate
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Lotus jobs cut as sports car demand falls
SPORTS car maker Lotus yesterday said it will be cutting up to 275 UK jobs as a result of the economic slowdown. About 15 per cent of the group's workforce in Hethel, Norfolk, will be affected by the restructuring, which will take place over the "next
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Solicitors' donation helps family contact
A GROUP of solicitors has donated £2,000 to four child contact centres in Teesside. The centres - in Middlesbrough, Redcar, Stockton and Hartlepool - provide a safe place for absent parents to make contact with their children. The donation, from the North-East
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Proof that health is laughing matter
REGIONAL winners of a health and safety competition were given serious lessons yesterday of how laughter is the best medicine when it comes to stress in the workplace. Comedienne Kate Rodgers took the winners through humorous paces at a prizegiving at
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Family faces wait after prick with hypodermic needle
Parents of a little girl who was pricked with hypodermic needle are now facing an anxious wait to see if she has contracted anything from the scrape. Ten-year-old Stephanie Salter was playing with her four-year-old cousin when the little boy found five
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Firm breezes in with barrier idea
A DURHAM firm hopes to cash in with a new type of safety barrier that it says does not blow over in high winds. Esh Laude Consultants, of Langley Park, has got the British and European franchise for selling the Australian-made barrier, which can be used
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Birth is happy episode for TV's stately home
ONE of the most famous stately homes in the country has some new heirs - twins Octavia and Merlin. Castle Howard, near Malton, North Yorkshire, won worldwide fame as the setting for TV's classic version of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. On Monday
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Brewery in froth over delay
A BREWERY takeover remains on the table despite delays in a housing application which would ensure the deal goes ahead. Castle Eden Brewery, in east Durham, which has ceased production, plans to buy near neighbour Cameron's at Hartlepool from parent company
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Boxing legend on his way to the region
BOXING legend Roberto Duran is finally set for a date in the North-East after his recovery from a near-fatal car accident. Duran, who won four world titles at different weights, was due to appear at a sportsman's dinner at Newcastle's Holiday Inn last
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Just walking with a dinosaur
MUSEUM-goers are being offered a glimpse of the real Jurassic Park and the chance to step back to the time when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Life as it was millions of years ago is featured at the Yorkshire Museum in York, with the return of the popular
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Sports development scheme to form expert partnerships
A SPORTS development programme pioneered in the North-East could prove a role model in producing high achieving performers of the future. The Durham Sporting Club earned the endorsement of Sports Minister Richard Caborn following the launch of the partnership
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School's art books windfall
STAFF from a school's art department want to thank a mystery caller who arrived at the school with gifts, but refused to leave his name. The well-spoken visitor left six illustrated books covering medieval, early-Christian, Islamic, Renaissance, oriental
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University receives £30,000 donation
A NORTH-EAST university has moved nearer to its funding target for the initial phase of a multi-million pound international centre of excellence for the arts. Sunderland University has received a cash gift of £30,000 from the outdoor clothing magnate,
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Sing out for chance to take starring role at Proms night
TALENTED singers are still being asked to enter a competition to find the region's Young Soprano. Music for Darlington, a charity organisation, is looking for a male or female Young Soprano of the Year with the help of The Northern Echo. Entries for this
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A winter walk with the birds
Low Barns Nature Reserve, Weardale - How do people with wheelchairs and pushchairs go for a walk? Many would reply: "With difficulty" before going on to regale the hapless listener with tales of obstacles and obstructions encountered over the years. The
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Patriot games, by invitation only
WHILST the nation edges indifferently towards the Queen's golden jubilee - eight per cent of the UK is said greatly to be looking forward to it, 43 per cent not to give a king's shilling - the ever-excellent Basil Noble professes himself ready royally
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Viking tales and activities for half term
VIKING storylines will be among the featured events at Kirkleatham Hall Museum, Redcar, during a week of activities for half term. A Viking craft workshop, creating amulets during two-hour sessions from 10am until midday and 1pm until 3pm, will be held
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Attorney set to rule
ATTORNEY can lay down the law at Southwell today in division one of the Littlewoods Sprint Handicap. An outside draw isn't ideal for Derek Shaw's speedy four-year-old, but there's no denying the son of Wolfhound is reasonably well treated off a rating
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£8m refurbishment brings 80 jobs to four-star hotel
EIGHTY jobs are to be created as part of an multi-million pound refurbishment of a hotel. In the past 12 months, at least £8m has been spent on refurbishing Gisborough Hall Hotel, on the outskirts of Guisborough. The four-star Grade II listed hall is
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Investment hopes raised by Government cash promise
THE industrial future of Teesside could lie in the area's development as a national centre for renewable energy. Earlier this week Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt launched the all-party Steel Group of MPs and announced £2.7m of investment to support areas
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Course launched to entice and train volunteers
A course is being launched to help train the youth workers and volunteers of the future. Durham County Council's education in the community initiative is running the six introductory sessions in a bid to meet the high demand for adult helpers. The course
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Council was grossly unfair, tribunal told
A NORTH-EAST authority which axed 150 jobs as part of a cost-cutting exercise has been accused of gross unfairness. Middlesbrough Council dismissed the workers from its economic development and transportation department in 1998 as part of a package of
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Tributes to agricultural show stalwart
THE man behind the biggest event in the North's agricultural calendar has died after a year-long battle against cancer. Robin Keigwin, who was 56, became chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, organisers of the Great Yorkshire Show, in
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In praise of all-seater services
Low Barns Nature Reserve, Weardale How do people with wheelchairs and pushchairs go for a walk? Many would reply: "With difficulty" before going on to regale the hapless listener with tales of obstacles and obstructions encountered over the years. The
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Everything is rosy in the garden
ORGANISERS hope plans for a community garden will grow on residents. Dick Emms, green sustainable projects officer with local environment watchdog Middlesbrough Environment City, yesterday planted the last rose to complete a horseshoe-shaped rose garden
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Benito wants more than Boro loan deal
MIDDLESBROUGH'S bid to land Italian Benito Carbone on loan could be scuppered by the player's demands for a permanent deal. Carbone, who spent a couple of months playing for Derby this season, is understood to have held talks with Boro yesterday. Riverside
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Death of elderly couple investigated
THE death of a devoted couple at their North-East home is being investigated by police. John Stanley Berry, 72, and his wheelchair-bound wife Muriel Reid, 69, were found by neighbours on Monday at their home in Prudhoe Court, Fawdon, Newcastle, after
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Accommodation looking up in listed building
PEOPLE wanting to live in the Sir William Turner's Hospital, near Redcar, are being invited to apply. The 325-year-old Grade II listed hospital, also known as Kirkleatham Almshouses, is nearing the end of a £1.7m renovation scheme to modernise the flatlets
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Betts injury sickener for Quakers
DARLINGTON manager Tommy Taylor was yesterday left to count the cost of a bruising battle at Brunton Park on Tuesday night. Although delighted with a 3-1 victory - only the Quakers second three point haul on their league travels this season - and the
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Comment from The Northern Echo - You couldn't make it up
NOT even the most fanciful of soap opera script-writers could make it up. A high-ranking police officer is condemned by a judge for wasting a huge amount of public money by delaying the £500,000 trial of two detectives accused of stealing a boiler worth
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Elton plans North date
POP icon Elton John is coming to the North-East as part of a mini- tour, it has been announced. The extravagant entertainer will perform at Newcastle's Telewest Arena on July 5. Tickets for the show go on sale today, with prices for limited premium golden
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Grants boost textiles training
CLOTHING and textile businesses in the region have received £140,000 in training funding in the last year, thanks to the Strategic Training (Stat) project. Nationally, the project provided £2m of funding for a pilot programme that gives grants to clothing
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New surgery blocked by councillors
HOPES of providing villagers with a new medical centre were dashed yesterday when councillors blocked the scheme. Teesdale District Council's development control committee voted 5-4 against plans to build the surgery alongside the A67 in Gainford. The
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Arts Council funding decisions criticised
A NORTH-East MP last night criticised the Arts Council for leaving Stockton's troubled Arc venue "high and dry" last year when it failed to bail it out. Dari Taylor, MP for Stockton South, spoke just after the Arts Council had pledged £250,000 to reopen
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MMR: a mother's dilemma
Frightened parents are preparing to pay £240 for seperate measles, mumps and rubella jabs when the Government insists that the MMR triple vaccine is safe. Health Correspondent Barry Nelson weighs up the arguments. SOONER or later, Jane O'Byrne is going
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Man jailed for attack on doorstep
A MEMBER of a gang jailed for attacking a police patrol car with a brick is back behind bars following an attack on a neighbour of his girlfriend's grandmother. Anthony Christie, now 28, was one of ten youths jailed for a total of 57 years for their parts
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John's pub has a lot more to offer than you might expect
A PUB in North Yorkshire is turning into living proof that a rural hostelry can become a focal point for its community. A month ago the Prince of Wales was in the county to launch his "pub is the hub" campaign for country communities. But in Kirklington
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Rape inquiry dropped
POLICE are no longer investigating the rape of a woman at a Metro station earlier this week after the alleged victim withdrew her complaint. The 26-year-old woman claimed she had been ambushed by two men and raped in an open pathway as she made her way
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Funding aids print firm's improvements
Harlow Printing Limited has begun a £200,000 investment programme after securing a £25,000 Enterprise Grant from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The South Shields company plans to invest in the most advanced Internet print process available
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Man denies rape attack on drunken teenager
A MAN accused of raping a drunken teenager after she staggered to his house to use the toilet denied the attack yesterday. Dennis Coleman was said to have pounced on the 14-year-old when she called at his home in Stanley, County Durham, after she had
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Students present heritage of pharaohs
STUDENTS in the North-East are working to make sure a major exhibition of Egyptian relics is a success. More than 100 archaeological items from some of the most prestigious Egyptian collections in the country will be on display at Hartlepool Art Gallery
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Burglars leave birthday girl in tears
A LITTLE girl was in tears after she woke on her birthday to find burglars had taken all her presents and cards. Bethany Quinn, who was nine on Monday, was left with just one present, a pair of trainers, after thieves raided her home in Fern Avenue, South
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Club donation welcomed
A MUCH needed piece of asthma equipment is to be donated to a community house thanks to money raised by an east Cleveland golf club. Saltburn Golf Club's Ladies section donated £526 to the Teesside Asthma Group, which has used the money to donate a nebuliser
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Patriot games, by invitation only
WHILST the nation edges indifferently towards the Queen's golden jubilee - eight per cent of the UK is said greatly to be looking forward to it, 43 per cent not to give a king's shilling - the ever-excellent Basil Noble professes himself ready royally
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Youngsters take their seats after receiving a lesson in woodwork
CHILDREN were allowed a good sit down after learning all about woodwork at St Patrick's RC Primary School, in Consett. After all they had just helped build three seats in the school's nursery garden with the environmentalist group, the Acorn Trust. The
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Farmers' leader's vision for the future
NATIONAL Farmers' Union president Ben Gill, will today spell out his vision for the future of the farming industry at the union's conference. The way forward for agriculture is top of the agenda at the two-day conference, in London, which will be attended
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Band's extra notes win day
A COMMUNITY group in County Durham has achieved its aim to buy a bronze statue, thanks to the generosity of the village band. Fishburn Brass Band staged a free concert in the village's working men's club to thank supporters for their help during the year
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A pony with a twist in its tail
THERE was no stopping Molly the pony when it was determined to have a night on the town - until the conscientious animal stopped for a red light. Molly's restless hooves couldgot her into trouble when she decided to take a look around her home town of
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Terrorism-raids trio join forces in damages fight
THREE of the six men arrested on suspicion of terrorist activity are planning to sue Durham and Cleveland police forces in a joint claim. Ibrahim Rashid, Walid Zamzam and Salah Famtazi have been seeking legal advice after they were arrested and held for
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Students' uniform effort aids charity
SWAPPING their school uniforms for their own clothes helped east Durham school students raise a bumper donation for charity. Pupils at Shotton Hall School, in Peterlee, joined forces to take part in a non-uniform day and lunchtime disco to help provide
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Byers criticises rail strike unions
TRANSPORT Secretary Stephen Byers last night condemned unions over plans to escalate their strikes on Arriva Trains Northern services. A further two-day strike has been announced by the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) workers union for March 1 and 2
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Spotter plane used to track down bull
A POLICE spotter plane had to be drafted in to help trap a bull which had broken loose in a County Durham town. The bull had escaped from a field off the busy Staindrop Road, in Darlington, on Tuesday night. After failing to get the beast back in its
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Sheila takes the apple as school's funniest dinner lady
WHEN year six pupils at St John's CE Primary School, in Darlington, found out about a competition to find the funniest dinner lady, they immediately thought of Sheila Maull. The contest, run as part of an apple promotion, was seen by headteacher Christine
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New measles cases spark fears of a major outbreak
THE number of suspected measles cases in the region was on the increase last night, as a political row over the MMR vaccine intensified. Three more suspected cases have been reported on Teesside, only days after four possible outbreaks were revealed in
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Boss of failed publishing firm starts new venture
THE boss of a publishing company which collapsed owing thousands of pounds to would-be authors has re-emerged trading under a new name. John Anthony Phillips was the director of Bishop Auckland-based vanity publisher Pentland Press, which was placed into
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Video appeal in bid to trace missing student
DETECTIVES have issued a new plea for help to track down a Korean student who has been missing for almost two months. Metropolitan Police yesterday released video footage showing 22-year-old In Hea Song withdrawing money from a cash machine in London,
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Appeal over river body
THE body of a man pulled from the River Derwent, in North Yorkshire, has been identified by police. Detectives are trying to piece together the final movements of William Andrew Twomey, 52, of Newcastle, whose body was found, near Malton, on Monday. The
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Paul finds qualification success with vocational training
A TYNESIDE man who left school with no qualifications has been praised for winning an NVQ. Paul Lockyear, 23, from Howden, was more interested in fooling around with his friends at school than studying for GCSEs. From the age of 16, he had a series of
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It's no yolk - rescue centre poultry's latest production is eggstra-special
WORKERS at an animal rescue centre got an extra-large surprise when they collected eggs from their poultry. One feathered friend, at Ramshaw Rescue Centre, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, laid an egg more than twice the size of the others. Kate Wilson
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Police vow no let up against drug dealers
A SENIOR detective has vowed there will be no let up in bringing drug dealers to justice. Reinforcing Detective Superintendent Adrian Roberts's pledge, Cleveland Police revealed four people have been arrested and drugs seized as a result of nine drugs
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Officer in disgrace after palace 'insult'
A HIGH-RANKING North-East police officer is in disgrace after causing grave offence in Lithuania by urinating against the presidential palace. Chief Superintendent Kevin Pitt, 49, of Cleveland Police, was spotted relieving himself in the early hours of
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Delight at town's floral tribute
A NEW type of chrysanthemum has been named after the town where its creator spent many years judging flower shows. The pink bloom has been christened Aycliffe by Bill Florentine, who lives in Durham City but is a regular visitor to the town. Mr Florentine
