Archive
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Tourism fears over impact of toll roads
CHARGING motorists to use roads could put people off going on holiday to leading destinations in the North, such as Durham and York, according to a survey. The Mori poll, carried out for the Churchill Insurance company, asked people how they would respond
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Art winners' match honour
THREE young artists were guests of honour at Middlesbrough's match with Liverpool on Saturday. Lauren Watson and David Wilson, from Ravensworth School in Normanby, and James Massey from Whale Hill School, Eston, Teesside, won this year's MFC Community
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News in brief: Sailing into ship's history
An illustrated lecture about HMS Trincomalee will be held in the Cleveland Scientific Institute, Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, at 7.30pm on Tuesday. HMS Trincomalee, at Hartlepool Historic Quay, is the oldest warship afloat in the UK, and its 11-year
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Bed boy freed using shampoo
A four-year-old whose leg became trapped in the frame of a top bunk bed was released by firefighters - using shampoo. The boy got stuck in the bed at his home in Victoria Road, Middlesbrough, on Friday night, but was released unhurt after the fire crew
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Goering chalice 'ruined my life'
A BLACKMAILER jailed for a bizarre plot involving a £2m chalice and a boxer dog named Benji has claimed that the Nazi artefact has destroyed him. Derick Clifford Smith, 51, held the dog to ransom in a bid to get back his silver tankard, which once belonged
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Grassroots Weardale
CURTAIN UP: The Phoenix Players are staging They Don't Grow on Trees, a farce by Ronald Miller, next month. The play, directed by Walter Raynor, will be performed at St Thomas's Church Hall, Stanhope, from Thursday, April 11, to Saturday, April 13, at
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Free dragoons go by foot and train
YORK'S own cavalry regiment reaffirmed its links with the city this weekend with a day of pageantry and parades to mark the unit's tenth anniversary. The Royal Dragoon Guards exercised the Freedom of the City on Saturday, marching through the streets
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Takeover of power supplier proceeds
THE company which took over Northern Electric was yesterday thought to be finalising its £3bn takeover by German utility RWE. Swindon-based Innogy confirmed last month that it was the subject of takeover interest, but did not disclose who the talks were
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Instant aid after fire and floods
FLOOD and fire victims are to benefit from a service that will provide emergency care and support for people whose homes are uninhabitable and who need immediate help. Cleveland Fire Brigade has joined with the British Red Cross to provide care for fire
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Rail firms under fire as new figures reveal poorer service
THE rail industry is under fire again as figures reveal the region's long-suffering passengers had to contend with worsening services at the end of last year. The figures show that an average of 71.2 per cent of trains ran on time in the October to December
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Farmers urged to attend aid meetings
FARMERS in the region are being urged to attend a series of meetings to show them how to access funds to help their businesses recover from foot-and-mouth disease. The Government has allocated £1.6bn for rural development over the next seven years. The
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Homes roadshow comes to region
DESIGN guru Laurence Llewelyn Bowen will launch a roadshow at a North-East shopping centre this week. The television star will be at Gateshead's MetroCentre for Friday's arrival of the BBC Good Homes magazine roadshow. On Saturday, visitors to the centre
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Residents to have say on homes project
A MEETING is to be held tomorrow to give residents who may be affected by a York housing project the chance to have their say. Bryant Homes wants to put up a five-storey block of flats on the site of the NCP car park in the city's Skeldergate. Bishophill
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Talking Point: Bosses shun repeat of Bramall brawl
The beautiful game turned decidedly ugly in a match which will be remembered as the Battle of Bramall Lane. Three players were sent off and South Yorkshire Police had their work cut out dealing with crowd disturbances, a massed brawl on the field, aggravation
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Firefighters are on track
FIREFIGHTERS can boast a smart new delivery vehicle. A new 4x4 vehicle will be used by teams travelling the county to promote the fire brigade's Get Yorkshire Covered smoke alarm campaign. However, it will also be available to other units combating the
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Exhibition comes to a close
A GROUP of primary school children took to the stage yesterday as part of the finale of a popular museum exhibition. Pupils from St Mary's, Grangetown, Nunthorpe, St Gabriels, Ormesby and Skelton schools gave a performance of readings, poetry and music
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Boro's new manager buys Robson's former home
After taking Bryan Robson's job as Boro manager, Steve McLaren has now moved into his old home. Steve's house hunting wife Catherine was being shown around the five-bedroom mansion near Aislaby, Yarm, last year when agents let slip her husband's predecessor
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News in brief: Help at hand for job-seekers
PRACTICAL help for job-seekers will be on offer later this week as Gateshead Borough Council's sixth Local Employment Fair gets under way. More than 40 local and national employers will be represented at the Swallow Hotel on Friday. The event, which runs
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Hear All Sides: Defending the people's universities
PUBLIC LIBRARIES LET'S consider these facts. Thirty-five-million adults and children are members of UK public libraries and borrow 420 million books, CDs and other items each year. Public libraries literally are the people's universities. For library
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'We will make example of benefit fraud'
A COUNCIL is hoping that a successful prosecution against a man for benefit fraud will deter others. Derwentside District Council took a man from the Consett area of County Durham to court for failing to declare that he had found a job while still claiming
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Dragon boat teams urged to enter race
THE traditional Chinese sport of dragon boat racing will take to the waters of the Castlegate Quay in Stockton to raise money for the Meningitis Trust. The trust has organised the event, in partnership with the supermarket chain Somerfield and KwikSave
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Surge of drama as children revive flooding crisis
PUPILS from one North Yorkshire school will be making a drama out of a crisis today. The children for Norton Primary School, near Malton, have been working with 22-year-old drama graduate Kirsty Bray on a production which reflects the community's battle
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Pupils aid tidy-up at cemetery
A GROUP of teenagers helped to tidy up one of a town's most valuable and historic greenspaces at the weekend. The young people from Priory Woods School, Middlesbrough, visited Linthorpe Cemetery to plant heather, prune trees and pick up litter. They joined
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Time running out for forum applications
RESIDENTS are being urged to register for a new forum before time runs out. More than a week has passed since the first invitations to become members of Sunderland City Council's Community Spirit forum dropped through people's letterboxes. So far, hundreds
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Theatre group granted support for youngsters
A YOUTH theatre group in County Durham has received a £1,000 community grant. The cash from North-Eastern Co-op's community dividend fund has been awarded to Theatre Cap-a-Pie. The group, in Dipton, is a workers' co-operative providing opportunities for
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RDA accused of ignoring school's language initiative
A development agency has been accused of snubbing youngsters who are learning to speak mandarin Chinese. Hummersknott School and Language College in Darlington is running the pioneering GCSE course as brilliant business prospects open up in the Chinese
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Knitters link up to aid charities
NIMBLE fingered fundraisers have joined forces to help two charities. Middlesbrough's deputy mayor, Councillor Ken Hall, joined supporters of the Edward Guy Foundation for Hospice Care as they took part in a sponsored knit in Middlesbrough's Cleveland
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Real ale festival hailed a success
REAL ale enthusiasts downed 4,000 pints at Darlington's annual beer festival. Organised by the local branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), it ran alongside the 17th Spring Thing folk festival. The event was held at Darlington Arts Centre from Thursday
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Clean-up team wins £120,000 boost
A ROVING clean-up team which looks after the centre of Hartlepool has been awarded a £120,000 cash boost. Hartlepool Borough Council already has a three-strong rapid response team, which moves around the town's central area to tackle litter or fly-tipping
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A woman's place is where she wants to be
A new book sheds light on the lives and work of nearly a centruy of outstanding women. Women's Editor Christen Pears meets some of them. IT'S a grey, overcast morning and 15 or so women are huddled in a group on the Northumbria University campus, posing
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Spotland draw leaves Pool looking to future
LAST time Hartlepool United drew 0-0 at Rochdale, it was a point earned along the road that led to promotion. In April 1991 there were four games to go and the point helped Pool to fourth spot and a promotion party to cap it all off. This time around,
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Real nappy days are here again
Millions of disposable nappies are thrown away each day. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports on a new initiative to encourage parents to try the washable variety A DOZEN mums are sitting in a circle, watching a real nappy demonstration. It's not like
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Merchant Navy honours mayor
REDCAR and Cleveland mayor Vilma Collins is to be honoured by the Merchant Navy Association today. She is welcoming members from the association's Dormanstown and Redcar branch into the mayor's parlour at Eston Town Hall to receive the branch's very first
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No recruits - so monastery may be closed
THE future of a remote Greek Orthodox monastery is in the balance - because of a shortage of nuns. Abbess Mother Thekla and Mother Hilda are the only nuns remaining at the Monastery of the Assumption at Normanby, south of Whitby, North Yorkshire. Now
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Nathan proves top of the alco-pops
A NORTH YORKSHIRE student strutted his stuff in a Pop Idol style contest to be named overall winner. Nathan Kiely, 20, a Durham University student, performed the Spandau Ballet hit Gold to win the competition staged by the nightclub DH1, on North Road
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Benefit cheats milk system of more than £3,500
Husband and wife cheats milked the benefits system of more than £3,500 in eight months after running up debts of £20,000 a court heard yesterday. Nigel and Donna Smith, who have children aged three and two did not bother to tell Harrogate Council they
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Bishops' castle by courtesy
Q Close to the east side of the A1(M) motorway north of Bradbury is a small village in a hollow. Two features interest me. One is a prominent hill next to the village that stands out above the boggy land. Is it an Iron Age fort? The other thing is a long
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Worried parents sign up for separate vaccines
Hundreds of worried parents in the region are continuing to call a company offering controversial separate vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella. Last weekend Direct Health 2000 came to the region for a second time, to offer a course of three jabs to
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Fight for hostel gathers support
RESISTANCE to the proposed closure of a Dales youth hostel is gathering momentum, with another two tiers of local government adding their voice to those calling for a rethink. The Youth Hostel Association (YHA) lost £5m because of foot-and-mouth crisis
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Back to business for Tanni
COMPETING in a ten-mile race just six weeks after giving birth is not the average mother's idea of relaxation. But Paralympic champion Tanni Grey-Thompson lived up to her reputation as the world's top wheelchair racer by taking part in yesterday's 20th
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Darlington still battling to shake off rust
Darlington 31, Driffield 10 - THE promotion pot is still simmering, but Darlington might need to improve on Saturday's showing if they are to win their next two games away to sides struggling against relegation. The rearranged match at Bradford and Bingley
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£10m to double college places
A DISABLED people's training college has unveiled £10m expansion plans to cater for twice the number of students. Finchale Training College, on the outskirts of Durham, launched the proposals at an all-party presentation in Westminster last week. It provides
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Ince turns up heat ahead of his return to Old Trafford
ANGRY Middlesbrough skipper Paul Ince last night unleashed a triple-barrelled blast at Gary Lineker, Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United's fans. Ince cranked up the tension ahead of his return to Old Trafford this Saturday by taking a sweeping swipe
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Pupils' time with artist is designed to help bridge gaps in community
PUPILS spent time with an artist as further commitment to the improvement of their local community. The group, all aged 11 to 12, from St Michael's School, Billingham, took part in a citizenship session with Graeme Hopper to design a small bridge and
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Jonathan goes on tour
TERRITORIAL Army soldier Jonathan Lynn, from Bearpark, Durham, has taken time out from his normal job to spend a six-month tour attached to the Queen's Own Hussars, in Kosovo. Private Lynn, who is a fully qualified bike technician, joined the Tyne Tees
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Clean-up team wins £120,000 boost
A ROVING clean-up team which looks after the centre of Hartlepool has been awarded a £120,000 cash boost. Hartlepool Borough Council already has a three-strong rapid response team, which moves around the town's central area to tackle litter or fly-tipping
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'Scurvy dog' prepares for stormy seas
AN epic journey retracing the steps of Captain Cook is approaching the most perilous stage of its voyage. A replica of Cook's ship Endeavour, which is en route from Australia to Whitby, North Yorkshire, is about to round Cape Horn at the tip of South
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Body find linked to suitcase girl
POLICE suspect they may have found the body of a missing Korean woman, whose disappearance was being linked to North Yorkshire's body-in-a-suitcase murder. A couple who bought a property in east London made the discovery as they move possessions into
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Taylor's big fear
DARLINGTON boss Tommy Taylor admits he fears the worst. Just weeks ago Darlington were hanging on to the promotion dream as they chased the last remaining play-off berth. And although that dream always seemed unlikely, even the biggest doubters couldn't
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Government asked to bring crime-fighting initiative to the region
The Government faced growing calls to include the North-East in a new nationwide crackdown on street crime last night. MPs said they were bewildered that the region appeared to have been ignored in the Government's new Robbery Reduction Initiative. About
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Alice artist's work celebrated through the looking glass
IMAGES that have delighted generations of children arrived in the North-East on Saturday as part of an Alice in Wonderland exhibition. Sir John Tenniel's illustrations for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
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Library moves across the road
A LIBRARY which has served the community for more than 50 years has moved to new premises. About 6,000 books belonging to Wingate Library, County Durham, with 300 new ones, have been carried across the road to its new base on Front Street. The new single-storey
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Dodge proves he's a top dog
DOG lover Pat Brown has had to wait 17 years to land her first champion medal at Crufts. Pat, who lives in Whorlton, near Barnard Castle, has won major awards in a number of shows through the years, but a champion medal at Crufts has always eluded her
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Minister meets prize pupils
A CABINET minister took a break from Parliament to meet some of her youngest constituents. Government Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong, who is also MP for North-West Durham, presented awards to successful pupils at Howden-le-Wear Primary School. She watched
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News in brief: Girls rescued from mud
FIREFIGHTERS were called to rescue two 11-year-old girls who became stuck in mud in Church Street, Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, at about 4.15pm yesterday. VAN SNATCHED: A blue Ford Escort van, registration G123 PMR, was stolen from the car park of the
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Turner is left unhappy at referee display
CHRIS Turner joined the growing band of discontented managers on Saturday. While the national spotlight fell of Eddie Wolstenholme and the infamous Sheffield United against West Brom game, the Pool boss was left exasperated at the performance of Wallsall
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Phillips expected to be fit for saints crunch
STRIKER Kevin Phillips looks certain to be back for Sunderland's crucial home clash against fellow relegation candidates Southampton on Saturday. The 28-year-old missed the 4-0 defeat at Chelsea after picking up a muscle strain just above the knee, forcing
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Zoe cleans up on litter contest prize
LITTERBUGS watch out - a youngster is on your case. Zoe Zand, 14, of Sacriston, recently won a competition to design a poster to help clean up the village's litter problem. Her handiwork is now posted up all over the village, urging people to clean up
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Campaigners claim backing for home rule
HOME rule campaigners say they have received strong support for a North-East assembly among voters in Tony Blair's own backyard. Activists carried out a door-to-door survey in towns and villages in the Prime Minister's Sedgefield constituency at the weekend
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Late agony for Shearer as Ipswich earn draw
THE 51,115 crowd at St. James' Park on Saturday were aware Newcastle United needed to take all three points from struggling Ipswich Town. And when Magpies skipper Alan Shearer had the chance to secure just that when his side were awarded a 93rd minute
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Campaigners claim backing for home rule
HOME rule campaigners say they have received strong support for a North-East assembly among voters in Tony Blair's own backyard. Activists carried out a door-to-door survey in towns and villages in the Prime Minister's Sedgefield constituency at the weekend
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Information on childcare available with launch of line
A PHONE line offering comprehensive childcare information is launched in County Durham today. Working parents across the county will be able to access a wealth of childcare information by calling the local rate number. Set up by Durham County Council,
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Police investigate cat deaths
Police have been called in to track down a mystery cat killer who appears to be targeting a North-East family. The Bell family have lost seven of their beloved cats on or around Halloween, all of them poisoned by an unknown assassin. The family has lost
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Mowden fear deduction
DARLINGTON Mowden Park are waiting anxiously to see whether they will have two points deducted for allegedly fielding a player who was not properly registered. The player in question is Durham University centre Ollie Phillips, who made his debut a week
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Gang of four insult US tourists
A GANG of lewd little people has been blamed for offending American tourists. Pete The Piddler, Fred the Flasher, Juicy Lucy and Nasty Nick may only be garden gnomes - but they are not shy about flaunting the attributes they have been given. Fred, Pete
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Charity support on show in snaps
AN exhibition of photographs outlining the support given to the community by a local Labour Party branch has been launched in Shildon. In the past financial year, Thickley ward Labour Party has given £7,500 to local charities, including the Butterwick
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Awards for volunteers
YOUNGSTERS taking part in voluntary projects in the Sedgefield borough have been honoured at an awards ceremony. Sedgefield Millennium Volunteers, launched in August last year, presented certificates of achievement at the Hardwick Hall Hotel. Millennium
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Nicola lands top theatre spot
A TALENTED Spennymoor teenager has won a place in a national theatre group which counts Pop Idol's Zoe Birkett, from Darlington, among its illustrious former members. Nicola Durkin, 15, has been selected by the National Youth Music Theatre to join the
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Welsh poet's power in the spotlight
THE poetry of Dylan Thomas will be brought to life during a performance in Darlington this week. Guy Masterson is bringing his production, Fern Hill and Other Dylan Thomas, to the Darlington Arts Centre, in Vane Terrace, tomorrow. A spokesman for the
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Easter challenge for young artists
YOUNG artists can win prizes from a Darlington store while helping to celebrate an Easter appeal. The Eggstravaganza Appeal aims to make Easter special for someone living on their own or a family in need, by distributing donated Easter eggs around the
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Firm raises charity cash
THERE was a blaze of colour at a North-East company last week when 400 staff members sprang into action to raise money for charity. Global science company Synetix announced that its chosen charity for 2002 would be the Marie Curie Hospice in Newcastle
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Crime has no boundaries
A 70-year-old man is callously beaten in his own bed by robbers using a cosh. Covered in blood, he is left for dead. This is the brutal reality of the fight against crime here in the North-East and another reminder of the need for urgent action to make
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Mayor's town hall rescue
THE Mayor of Stockton was rescued by firefighters on Saturday after getting stuck in the town hall. The event was staged by Cleveland Fire Brigade to raise money for four-year-old Rosie Henry, a firefighter's daughter from Northallerton, North Yorkshire
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Makeover mayhem of toon army
PARENTS Jackie and Steve McNally had good reason to get shirty when their children painted the outside of their home. For Newcastle fans Emmett, ten and Kieron, six, had the house painted in the black and white stripes of Newcastle United. To finish the
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Celebrating at HM's pleasure
JUBILEE celebrations will be held at Her Majesty's pleasure when prisoners mark the Queen's big day. More then 100 women inmates at Durham Prison will stage a carnival to celebrate the royal anniversary. With prisoners from France, Holland, Latin America
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Roller-skating star opens revamped rink
ROLLER-skating champion Julia Bailey declared open a rink at the weekend after it had a £190,000 makeover. Work on the rink, next to the new visitor centre on the east side of Albert Park, Middlesbrough, was part of multi-million pound improvements being
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Lizzie to follow up at Ayr
USING the tried and tested formula of backing "horses for courses", Just Lizzie has a great chance of following up her recent track and trip victory at Ayr. After drawing a blank since she won at Wetherby in April, Just Lizzie (3.20) finally got her head
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Conference focuses on early years
MORE than 130 tutors and child experts met at the weekend for a conference on helping youngsters to develop. The 2002 Early Years conference, at Morton Park Business Training Centre, in Darlington, attracted experts from around the country, including
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Top names at business conference
FORMER Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, rogue banker Nick Leeson, motor-racing legend Murray Walker, and former FBI chief Louis Freeh, are some of the top names attending a leading business conference this year. Former US president Bill Clinton was top
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. . . and a paint plot that came unstuck
A CRACKDOWN on crime had been ruined - by padding pet cats. Residents of Jesmond in Newcastle have been badly hit by thieves who climbed the walls of their back gardens and yards. So police handed out tins of anti-crime paint, which stays sticky and makes
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Soldiers' marathon will help wildlife
SOLDIERS have staged a marathon rowing session to raise money for endangered species. Members of the 101 Northumbrian Regiment Royal Artillery volunteers, based in Newcastle, undertook the challenge using rowing machines outside Tesco Extra, in Kingston
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'We need Bellamy back' admits Robson
DISAPPOINTED boss Bobby Robson admits Newcastle United are continuing to find life difficult without lively striker Craig Bellamy. But the Magpies chief insists Bellamy's replacement, front-man Carl Cort, can recapture the form he showed prior to sustaining
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Peter chosen for Disney welcome
THE Peter Pan of Football has been chosen to help showcase Disney's follow-up to the tale of the boy who never grows old. Former England and Newcastle United hero Peter Beardsley joined North-East families for the charity premiere of Disney cartoon Return
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N-E start for plan to tackle offenders
A NEW penalty scheme for the worst young offenders will be launched today. Home Office Minister Beverley Hughes will launch the £45m Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP), funded by the Home Office and managed by the Youth Justice Board
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Crackdown on road tax cheats
THE campaign against road tax cheats comes to the region today with a warning that there will be no hiding place for dodgers. Police and officials from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) are joining forces on Teesside to clamp down on drivers
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Who displays the wherry, man?
A vessel that played a key role in Tyneside's shipping industry was taken to a new home yesterday. Elswick Number Two was the last wherry, a half-decked commercial boat, to be built on the Tyne, in 1930, and was the last one used on the river, during
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City council wins accolade
A COUNCIL has been commended for its achievements by a national body. Sunderland City Council was one of five councils in the country to receive a commendation in the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards for Excellence. Although it was pipped at the
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Relegation looms again as Reid gets the Blues
SUNDERLAND slumped to their third consecutive defeat of the season in London and the spectre of relegation again looms large on the horizon. Peter Reid's men are better off points-wise than most candidates for a dreaded bottom-three placing - but fans
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Mauled girl's pleas save life of attack dog
A SCHOOLGIRL pleaded with a judge to spare the life of a dog which attacked her, causing injuries which needed treatment in hospital. Eleven-year-old Samantha Floyd still bears the scars from the day she was mauled by seven-year-old alsatian Jet - but
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Restoration work begins on landmark church
WORK is starting to restore part of an important landmark in Hartlepool. Repairs will be made to the wall around the churchyard at St Hilda's Church on the Headland. The existing concrete coping which runs along the top of the wall is badly worn and looks
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A bar too far for the girls?
New legislation could force working men's clubs to give women equal rights but do they want them? Christen Pears finds out why women would want to spend their evenings at the club A WAVE of raucous laughter sweeps across the room from a large group of
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Surprise victory for Hand
LEADING North-East veteran Rob Hand became the first over-40 to win the Yuill Homes 20th Redcar Half Marathon yesterday. The Durham City doctor also claimed the North-East half marathon title as he beat last year's winner, Rob Holladay, 13 years his junior
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MP launches his website
NORTH Durham MP Kevan Jones has his own website. The MP launched his site, at www.kevanjonesmp.org,uk, at Tantobie Community Centre, near Stanley, on Friday. He said: "I thought the recently opened online centre in the community centre at Tantobie would
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Residents give their views on transport
WEARSIDE residents have made suggestions on solving transport problems as part of a consultation exercise. Last month, 1,800 residents of Hetton-le-Hole, East Rainton, Low Moorsley, Easington Lane and Houghton-le-Spring were asked their views on getting
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News in brief: Chance to help shape future
PEOPLE living in certain parts of Hartlepool will get a chance tomorrow to help shape a £54m regeneration programme. New Deal for Communities will hold a Community Forum meeting at the Grange Road Methodist Church at 6pm, when residents will be able to
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Children enjoy amazing project
PRIMARY school youngsters are taking part in a project which aims to encourage them to take care of the environment. Pupils at Owton Manor Primary School, Hartlepool, are working with artist Phil Bradley to create a tunnel and maze in the school grounds
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Hands on project puts community in a picture of health
THE transformation of a troubled estate into a thriving community is there for all to see in a celebration brochure. It is five years since the Sherburn Road Initiative was launched to improve the lot of residents in the Durham City estate. To celebrate
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The Monday Poem
Needless Tautology Have you ever reversed your car backwards? Given gifts to a couple of twins? Seen something that's very unique? If you have, tautology wins. Have you ever unloosened your laces? Seen a most puzzling mystery? Risen - six am in the morning
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Town's brush with history
AN exhibition aims to illustrate the impact of time on a North Yorkshire market town. Local historians John Symington, Pat Wood and Ron Wood were invited to delve in to the archives of the Harrogate Fine Art Collection, selecting pictures of Knaresborough
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News in brief:Delay produces jubilee spin-off
A millennium wood will be renamed in honour of the Queen's Golden Jubilee, thanks to foot-and-mouth restrictions. Bilton Conservation Group planned to mark the new century by planting 3,500 broadleaf trees in fields between Bilton Lane and the Nidd Gorge
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Playing on success changes fortunes
A HUNDRED-year-old theatre which faced the threat of closure six years ago is enjoying one of its most successful periods. Following a critical spell in late 1996, audiences have risen from an average attendance of 36 per cent at Harrogate Theatre to
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Bride is the perfect match
SUPERFAN Gary Lamb made the perfect match yesterday when he married his "understanding" sweetheart in a blaze of red and white. The 42-year-old Sunderland fanatic sported a red and white waistcoat to kick off his married life at St Paul's Church, in Murton
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Promotion reveals prison's workings
PEOPLE are being offered the chance to find out more about a prison's work at a promotional event. The Frankland Meeting the Community event will be held at Framwellgate Moor School, in Durham, on April 18. It aims to promote Frankland Prison's work and
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Poetry competition to help celebrate jubilee
A POETRY competition has been launched in Chester-le-Street to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The idea is to get as many primary school children in the district as possible to write and illustrate a poem to the theme of What I would Do I If Were
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Summer dreams for poor Quakers
On the evidence of Saturday's showing at York, the summer cannot come quick enough for Darlington. With another seven games to play and not a great deal to fight for, perhaps Quakers already have one eye on a fortnight in Magaluf because at Bootham Crescent
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Weekend TV: The naked truth behind classic film
The Bottom Line: Revealing The Full Monty (C4), House Detectives At Large (BBC2) AFTER the hit film comes the film about the making of the film, although The Bottom Line told us little about The Full Monty that we didn't know already. This was the fumbling
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National award for employment scheme
A PIONEERING scheme which helps people in Hartlepool with learning difficulties into employment has received a top national honour. The Employment Link Service, at the Warren Road Day Centre, has been named Social Services Team of the Year by the Local
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Lucky escape for driver as shots fired at bus
A bus driver was left shaken but unhurt after a shot was fired at his double-decker as he drove through York. Police suspect the weapon, which cracked windows at the front of the First York vehicle, may have been a shotgun, although the driver did not
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Board tells the tale of area's history
WALKERS in an east Cleveland wood are being given a history lesson. A new information board at Errington Wood, New Marske, depicts the rich history of the Upleatham hills. It tells the story of the hills from ancient times when tribal societies of the
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'Farmers still to face biggest challenge'
FOOT-AND-MOUTH disease may have been beaten, but farmers in North Yorkshire are still facing their biggest crisis for half a century. The new chairman of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), Michael Willoughby, claims poor commodity prices
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Magpies' fans queue up to join Toonful Army
GEORDIE football fans had something else to sing about last night after experts voted them top of the North-East's terrace chanters. Newcastle United fans were rated the fourth most tuneful singers by a University of York study, which analysed supporters
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The look on their faces is an expression of their artistic character
YOUNGSTERS received some quick-draw tips from an artist responsible for some of the nation's most outrageous cartoon characters. Viz artist Steve Donald staged a workshop to round off a week of activities at Durham's Clayport Library, which opened last
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The look on their faces is an expression of their artistic character
YOUNGSTERS received some quick-draw tips from an artist responsible for some of the nation's most outrageous cartoon characters. Viz artist Steve Donald staged a workshop to round off a week of activities at Durham's Clayport Library, which opened last
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Beaten at home - and left for dead
A defenceless man, 70, is attacked in his own bed in the North-East. Yet the region is left out of Blunkett's drive to crack down on violent crime... VICTIMS' campaigners have reacted with fury after the North-East was left out of a new Home Office blitz
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Police seek woman who accosts men
A woman who has been accosting male dog walkers and offering them sex is being hunted by police. A man enjoying an evening stroll along York's Water Lane on Sunday evening was approached by a lady in her 30s who seemed friendly, warning him not to continue
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McClaren's 'phase two' on hold
STEVE McCLAREN'S mission to fashion a Middlesbrough side worthy of top-flight status is far from complete. Manager McClaren is the first to admit that. And, until Boro are mathematically safe from the seemingly perennial threat of relegation, McClaren
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Cash problems for Victim Support
Victim Support, the main service for crime victims in County Durham and Darlington, is launching a nerve centre to ease the pressure on cash-strapped branches. The charity, which last year helped almost 16,000 people in the area, will launch the new base
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Burning Questions: Bishops' castle by courtesy
Q Close to the east side of the A1(M) motorway north of Bradbury is a small village in a hollow. Two features interest me. One is a prominent hill next to the village that stands out above the boggy land. Is it an Iron Age fort? The other thing is a long
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Pro-hunt lobby marches on Parliament
HUNT supporters from across the region are expected to gather outside Parliament today to voice their anger at moves to outlaw their sport. The protest by farmers, vets, dog handlers, kennelmaids and grooms comes as MPs and peers begin two days of debate
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Town hall to stage play premiere
THE world premiere of The Last Post, commissioned by Newcastle's Live Theatre and the County Durham Drama Initiative Elements, will open at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on Friday. The play, written by writer, novelist and poet Julia Darling, is an offbeat
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Puppet show is very troll
A FAMILY show about trolls is to be performed at the Elite Hall, Crook, on Thursday, March 28, at 7.30pm. The Last of the Trolls, performed by the Lempen Puppet Theatre, is set in 1930 and is a tale of hardship of life in the Coalby Mines, when a young
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24-hour care scheme for mentally ill
A RADICAL scheme to provide around-the-clock care for people with mental health problems will be launched alongside Darlington's new £20m mental health hospital, it was revealed at the weekend. Health chiefs are keen to introduce a seven-day, 24-hour
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Oestrogen in water fears are played down
FEARS that "gender-bender" chemicals could find their way into the region's drinking water were played down by the Environment Agency yesterday. The waterways watchdog has confirmed it has commissioned a report, to be published later this month, which
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News in brief:
FORUM MEETING: A meeting of Sedgefield Borough Council's forum, covering Newton Aycliffe, will take place at the offices of Great Aycliffe Town Council, School Aycliffe Lane, tomorrow, at 6.30pm. CAR TAKEN: A racing green Metro car, registration number
