Archive
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Vandalism prompts play area rethink
A NEW play area due to be opened to the public has already been vandalised. Now, Darlington Borough Council is to rethink its plans for the Eastbourne and Lascelles area of town, following the attack at the weekend. Vandals pushed through security fencing
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Patient tells of agony over cancelled operation
AN ex-soldier who is suffering excruciating pain has spoken out after a vital operation was cancelled. Keith Davidson, 35, from Darlington, said he broke down and wept after nurses told him a pain-relieving operation could not go ahead. He is angry that
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England held to 1-1 draw
England have been held to a 1-1 draw in Seogwipo by World Cup co-hosts South Korea. England went ahead after 26 minutes when Emile Heskey put Paul Scholes clear and, though his shot was blocked by the legs of goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, the ball fell kindly
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Middlesbrough FC to appeal
MIDDLESBROUGH Football Club has announced it hopes to appeal against a landmark court decision rejecting its demand for compensation over allegations that a Premiership rival poached one of its players. The club was seeking £7m damages from Liverpool
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No more jail for man who hunted golf balls
A man sentenced to six months' imprisonment for retrieving lost golf balls from course lakes yesterday had his jail term quashed by the Court of Appeal. Two judges in London imposed a two-year conditional discharge, meaning that John Collinson, 36, from
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Two arrested after attack on 82-year-old
POLICE hunting robbers who attacked a pensioner in his home have arrested two men. The men were held in Hartlepool yesterday on suspicion of involvement in an aggravated burglary and taken to Consett police station, County Durham, for questioning. Their
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Coast helpers sought
VOLUNTEERS are being sought to help protect an important part of the region's coastline. The Heritage Coast Project runs along the North Yorkshire and east Cleveland Heritage Coast and works with landowners, farmers and local communities to manage unspoiled
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Bike pillion rider dies
A MOTORBIKE pillion passenger who was thrown off in an accident has died of his injuries. John Hancock, 21, of Fencehouses, near Sunderland, died in Newcastle General Hospital on Saturday. He suffered serious head and spinal injuries when the Yamaha R6
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Grieving dad's plea to worried parents
THE father of murdered British backpacker Caroline Stuttle yesterday urged other worried parents not to stand in the way of teenagers travelling the world. Artist Alan Stuttle is selling his York art gallery and plans to travel to Australia to paint some
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Council chief has new plans
SEDGEFIELD Borough Council has made a presentation to planning chief John Litherland, who has stepped down after 12 years in charge. Mr Litherland, the council's director of planning and technical services, has left the authority to take up a position
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Boro outbid as Mannion cap goes under hammer
A WORLD Cup cap belonging to a North-East football legend has fetched £3,800 at auction. The blue-green cap, bearing a long white tassel and with World Cup 1950 Tournament stitched on the peak, was given to Wilf Mannion after the England team were beaten
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Teacher sued for Internet libel but award is 'peanuts'
A TEACHER at a North-East special school unwittingly made legal history yesterday when he was successfully sued for libellous comments made on an Internet site. Jonathan Spencer posted remarks about former teacher Jim Murray, 68, on the Friends Reunited
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Big two's North Sea asset swap
ENERGY company BP and exploration firm BG Group have agreed one of the largest North Sea asset swaps in recent history. The two companies are switching shareholdings in several fields in a deal that will leave their overall North Sea presence broadly
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North's shameful record on numeracy
ALMOST a third of North-East adults are unable to do simple sums and more than a quarter have problems reading a newspaper, a conference has revealed. The statistics emerged at a conference at the Ramside Hall Hotel, in Durham, yesterday, organised by
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Home is a place to celebrate
A RETIREMENT home represents more than bricks and mortar to the residents who live there. That is why a birthday party was held to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Florence Easton House, Shepherdson Court, South Bank. There was a tea party, entertainment
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Mayor takes to streets after election victory
THE new Mayor of Middlesbrough, Ray Mallon, took to the streets yesterday to fulfil his first public engagement since his landslide election victory. Mr Mallon, who, while head of Middlesbrough CID, vowed to take back the streets of the town from the
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Stars at the feet of angel
STARS of the hit musical Godspell converged at the Angel of the North yesterday to promote its North-East run. Australian television star Daniel MacPherson, who plays Joel in Neighbours, Jonathan Wilkes, who duetted with Robbie Williams in Me and My Shadow
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Youngsters set out on the eco-warrior trail
HUNDREDS of primary school children will become eco-warriors for a day by the end of the month. The fourth year of the award-winning Eco Rangers project, aimed at making participating pupils more environmentally conscious, begins today. Durham Wildlife
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Enterprise deals are completed
TWO village pubs in the North-East have been sold as part of a shake-up by one of the country's leading pub chains. The Boosbeck Hotel in Boosbeck, near Salburn-by-the-Sea, and The Miner's Arms in Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, were sold through the Newcastle
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Chairman is chosen for jubilee year
A SENIOR councillor and former Tory group leader has been chosen to lead his local authority in the Queen's Golden Jubilee year. David Ashton, who has served the communities of North Yorkshire for 25 years, is the county council's new chairman. A retired
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Roadshow has high ambitions
A NATIONAL scheme to encourage youngsters to go on to higher education has been launched on Teesside. The Aim Higher roadshow visited Hall Garth School in Middlesbrough, where pupils were encouraged to find out more about university life by checking out
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Tea firm rings in nutty order
TEA company Ringtons is going "nutty" to expand its product range with the help of a North-East food firm. Ringtons is launching a chocolate brazil biscuit and has signed up Northumbrian Fine Foods, of Team Valley, to produce it. The initial £45,000 order
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Park's planting scheme
GOING to the office is becoming "a walk in the park" at Cobalt Business Park on North Tyneside. Around 200 mature trees, up to 20-years-old, have been planted on the site. Special equipment and planting techniques had to be used to plant the trees that
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News in brief: Body in skip inquest opens
AN inquest has been opened into the death of a 39-year-old father-of-four whose crushed body was discovered at a recycling plant. David Griffiths, an unemployed labourer, was found by workers at Teesside Waste Management, Dockside Road, Middlesbrough,
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Knowles is boss
MARTIN KNOWLES, the group finance director at the Three Rivers Housing Group, has been appointed as its new chief executive. Mr Knowles, right, joined Three Rivers in 1999 after spending ten years in finance director roles in various NHS trusts in the
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Abdul takes over
BUSINESS advisor Abdul Majeed Chuchan has taken over as chairman of the 700-member Teesside Society of Chartered Accountants. Mr Chuchan, 60, who succeeds Paul Grylls, is a partner in Middlesbrough accountancy firm Chuchan & Singh. Born in Pakistan
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Tenants are urged to act on gas checks
COUNCIL house tenants are being urged to get in touch with Stockton Borough Council and set a date for an annual inspection of their central heating or gas fires, or face going to court. For safety reasons, it is crucial that gas appliances are checked
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Heart patient's baton charge
A MAN who set up and runs a support group for people with a rare incurable heart condition has been chosen to carry a baton during the Queen's Jubilee Relay. John Waterson, 53, suffers from cardiomyopathy and has been told he may need a heart transplant
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The name has changed - but the band plays on
A former colliery band is back in tune having virtually returned to its roots. Durham County Cricket Club and Chester-le-Street District Council offered a lifeline after hearing that the Newcastle Brown Ale Band was in danger of disbanding. Members feared
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Stables counts cost of run of bad luck
A STABLES hit by a run of bad luck has been left counting the cost of its latest crisis. Nick Marlowe took over the Richmond Equestrian Centre at Tunstall, North Yorkshire, in 2000, with plans to make it one of the leaders in the field. However, since
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Curtain up for some Hysteria
Theatre company Not the National Theatre brings Hysteria, a comedy by Terry Johnson, to the Darlington Arts Centre on Thursday, at 8pm. The play, which enjoyed a spell on the West End, also won the Olivier Award for best comedy. The production focuses
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'Glimmer of hope' in fight to save pool from closure
CONSULTANTS are being called in to discuss the possibility of a town's doomed swimming pool being handed over to the public. The closure of Shildon's learner pool, as part of a £3.5m package of savings by Durham County Council, has twice led to outrage
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At the centre of community life
A VILLAGE centre is being re-opened on Saturday by a new partnership aiming to make it the heart of community life. The centre, at a former library in Front Street, West Auckland, opened last year to provide a drop-in and information point for residents
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News in brief: Seeking more foster carers
A DRIVE to recruit more foster carers is being organised by Darlington social services. As part of new Government guidelines, the foster care team from Darlington Social Services will be holding an open day on Thursday and Friday at Morrisons supermarket
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Roadshow provides pupils with sea view
YOUNGSTERS in Darlington got a taste of the seaside yesterday without leaving their classrooms. The fun at Firthmoor Primary School had nothing to do with the gaffe which has appeared in a tourism advert in the national Press claiming the town is on the
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New man at helm of school
A NEW headteacher is to take charge of a village primary school. Mark Allison, who is headteacher of Crakehall Primary School, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, will move to Hurworth Primary, near Darlington, in September. The 41-year-old has worked in North
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Shoplifter threatened to stab man with syringe
A FREQUENT shoplifter who threatened a store detective with a syringe that he used to inject heroin was jailed for two-and-a-half years yesterday. Paul Seymour had 139 offences on his criminal record, 84 of them for dishonesty and theft, Teesside Crown
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And don't come back
Two teenage members of a gang who left taxpayers with a £100,000 bill were yesterday named and shamed and banned from the areas they terrorised. Police and civic leaders joined forces to apply for anti-social behaviour orders against the two 16-year-olds
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Fans who won't be big in Japan
English football fans are not renowned for their restrained behaviour, so how will they get along with the famously fastidious Japanese during the World Cup? Christen Pears reports. 'I THINK the Japanese will be absolutely horrified by the behaviour of
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Squatter is feathering its nest - in a garden centre
AN unlikely squatter has taken up residence at a garden centre, to the delight of customers. Staff at Dobbie's Garden World were stunned to find a blackbird's nest appear almost overnight between plants on display at the Durham Road centre, in Birtley
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Drivers tackle transport officials - all in a good cause
LORRY drivers had their chance to get their own back on a haulage company's transport officials, at least on the football field. But Hargreaves Transport Services' office staff overcame the challenge of the company's drivers. Difficult conditions did
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Search for stars begins
THE preliminary heats of Hartlepool's Stars In Your Eyes competition are set to begin early next month. The Headland Development Company is inviting would-be stars and celebrities to put their talent to the test and enter this year's competition. The
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Addicts may be offered 'shooting galleries' in drugs shake-up
A PANEL of MPs is expected to recommend this week that more GPs should be given the power to prescribe so-called ''medical heroin'' to addicts. Home Secretary David Blunkett has already paved the way for the move to deal with Britain's soaring addiction
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Fans' chance to inspect training site
MIDDLESBROUGH FC supporters were given a guided tour of their idols' training facilities yesterday. Fans were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the players' training ground and facilities at Rockliffe Park, Hurworth, near Darlington. For five weeks
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Lollipop lady is remembered
YOUNGSTERS joined school crossing patrols from throughout Sunderland to remember a well-loved lollipop lady yesterday. More than 100 schoolchildren took part in a 30-minute walk through the city in memory of Sue Wright, who died in March. Also involved
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News in brief: Town turns to art to celebrate
SOUVENIRS to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee have been launched by a committee responsible for Northallerton's celebrations. The town has resisted the temptation to order the requisite mugs and teaspoons and, instead, has commissioned local ceramic artist
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Police plea over death of addict
POLICE have appealed for help finding vital evidence to enable them to piece together events surrounding a man's death. Two men have been charged with murdering Robert Parkin, 29, a drug addict whose body was found in a flat at Shaftesbury Street, Stockton
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History link-up experiment proves success
A FAMILY history society's experiment has proved such a success that it will be repeated throughout the summer. North Yorkshire County Council's library at Scarborough is helping people to find their way through extensive records. Three sessions held
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Accountant takes the reins of agricultural society
A NEW man has taken over at the top of the organisation behind the Great Yorkshire Show. Nigel Pulling, 42, has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, having previously served as the society's head of finance
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Radio station aims to hold on to aerial
A RADIO station told to remove a 12m aerial pole by planning enforcement officers in June last year is trying to retain it. The aerial is in a field alongside Old Church Lane, Pateley Bridge, near Harrogate. But despite an enforcement notice ordering
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Council quits over code of conduct
PARISH pump politics have come to a halt in a tiny North Yorkshire community after the parish council resigned en bloc. Four councillors, including chairman Alan Gough, quit in protest over the Government's tough new code of conduct for parishes. A fifth
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News in brief: Georgian house conversion
Bentley House, a Grade II listed Georgian property, in Yarm, is to be converted into three separate town houses. The plan to convert the six-bedroomed house into one, two and three-bedroomed apartments was approved by Stockton Borough Council's planning
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News in brief: Man dies in road accident
George White, 55, of Elm Street, Langley Park, was travelling south down Portland Terrace, in Sandyford, Newcastle, on Sunday night when he crashed his van into Benton House, near the junction of Portland Terrace and Sandyford Road. He was taken to Newcastle
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Kyle squanders opportunity to open account
PROMISING young Sunderland striker Kevin Kyle got his first start for Scotland yesterday - and scorned three chances to open his international scoring account. New Scottish coach Berti Vogts decided to give the bustling 20-year-old his chance in a friendly
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Parish decline highlighted
MANY parish councils are failing to attract enough candidates to fill their seats at election time, a study has revealed. Nearly two-fifths of councils are said to be struggling to find people willing to serve their communities. Researchers from the University
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Lifestyle: Can we ease the childcare burden?
British parents pay the highest childcare fees in Europe while places are at a premium. Women's Editor CHRISTEN PEARS reports FIVE-year-old Matthew Hutchinson has just started school but because his mum, Diane, works full-time, he relies on a childminder
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Football bans imposed on fans
FOOTBALL match bans were imposed yesterday on six fans who admitted their part in disturbances between rival supporters on a train. The four Hartlepool supporters and two Darlington fans were banned from going to domestic games in England and Wales, or
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Eating Owt: Getting our kicks on the A66
KNICKERS, said The Boss, were singular originally. As in knicker elastic, perhaps. Women would tie them together to make a pair, she added. As in knickers in a twist. It was another of the etymological exercises which, like Colman's Mustard, so often
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Access All Areas - Well-deserved praise for a delightful town
MIDDLETON-IN-TEESDALE BACK on the road again this month, I went off to Middleton-in-Teesdale for a walk with my wheels. A bright morning welcomed me as I approached up the dale for my planned meeting with Judith Mashiter. Judith is the co-ordinator and
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Planners look at the future of education
THE people of North Yorkshire are to be given a chance to have their say as education officers try to balance policies for the future with the likely demand for school places. Population counts across the county's towns and villages will rise and fall
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Access all areas - Well-deserved praise for a delightful town
MIDDLETON-IN-TEESDALE BACK on the road again this month, I went off to Middleton-in-Teesdale for a walk with my wheels. A bright morning welcomed me as I approached up the dale for my planned meeting with Judith Mashiter. Judith is the co-ordinator and
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Derby hope one to watch
DUBAI DESTINATION, potentially Godolphin's number one hope for next month's Vodafone Derby, makes his seasonal reappearance at Goodwood in today's Predominate Stakes. The Saeed Bin Suroor colt is bound to go off at a miserly starting price, but it's not
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Why are we so isolated?
THE tragedy of the Potters Bar rail crash has once again focused the minds of many in this region on our potential isolation from the rest of the UK and Europe. Take my own experience as an example. Just before the accident I had planned two days of business
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Training offers bite size tasters
A WIDE range of free learning opportunities is now on offer as part of the Bite Size Intros scheme which runs until June 21. This week at Darlington College in Catterick you can learn to set up an e-mail account and find out about video conferencing.
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Job Search: Vacancies
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Statistical date analyst. 39hrs pw Mon-Fri, must be computer literate, posses excellent communication and numerical skills. Ref: DUR 32301. Fitter-motor. Up to £7.50ph
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Last night's TV : To The Ends Of The Earth: The Real Bravo Two Zero (C4)
Discovering the truth behind Bravo Two Zero. JUST over ten years ago eight SAS men were dropped behind enemy lines during the Gulf War. Their mission to locate Iraqi missile launchers ended with three of them dead, four captured and one walking across
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Getting our kicks on the A66
KNICKERS, said The Boss, were singular originally. As in knicker elastic, perhaps. Women would tie them together to make a pair, she added. As in knickers in a twist. It was another of the etymological exercises which, like Colman's Mustard, so often
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McClaren's war chest could be boosted
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren's transfer kitty could be swelled by £7m if a High Court judge today endorses the Premier League's guilty verdict over Liverpool's move for Christian Ziege. Both Liverpool and Ziege, now with Tottenham, were fined
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Distin departs from Tyneside as Shepherd fumes
NEWCASTLE United chairman Freddy Shepherd has fired an angry parting shot at Sylvain Distin and accused Manchester City manager Kevin Keegan of paying "silly money'' for the French defender. City yesterday completed the £4m signing of Distin after he
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Two arrested in Internet pornography raids
POLICE are starting to sift through suspected child pornography seized at a North-East home as part of a massive series of raids across the country. A total of 36 suspected Internet paedophiles were arrested in the major operation, following a tip off
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Surgeon faces inquiry
A SURGEON is facing a General Medical Council inquiry over allegations that he threatened junior staff. Dr Lucas Van Vuuren, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Friarage in Northallerton, has been called before a preliminary hearing of the council
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Fire-hit arcade may be listed
A FIRE-DAMAGED amusement arcade may be granted listed building status. J Noble and Sons Amusements recently applied to Chester-le-Street District Council to redevelop the fire-damaged premises on the town's Front Street, which it says are unsafe. The
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Jobs go up in smoke as tobacco firm shuts plant
BRITISH American Tobacco plans to close its dry ice expanded tobacco (DIET) plant in July. The closure of the Peterlee plant, in County Durham, will result in the loss of 19 jobs, with a further seven posts going at BAT's Darlington operation, which supplies
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Geordie actor puts mansion on the market
ACTOR Robson Green looks likely to be leaving his native North-East after putting his sprawling mansion on the market. The 37-year-old actor is to sell his £495,000 house and ornate gardens in the picturesque Northumberland village of Thropton. A representative
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Blakelock case man jailed over torture
A GANGSTER cleared 15 years ago of murdering a policeman from the North-East was yesterday sent to prison for the kidnap and torture of two men. Mark Lambie, 30, was jailed for 12 years after being convicted of bundling two men at gunpoint into a car
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Roy didn't need to miss his big moment after all
ROY Stanley nearly missed his big moment, but some sharp communications saved the day. He was able to accept his prize in person after being chosen as the winner of the inaugural County Durham Business Show lifetime of achievement award. The Northern
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Unusual archaeological find in Catterick
A TRANSVESTITE priest, who castrated himself to honour his goddess, is shedding new light on the region's colourful past. The 4th Century skeleton, found adorned with women's jewellery, is thought to be "a gallus" - a priest who castrated himself in honour
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Cruelty suspect may get access
A FORMER soldier suspected of severely beating two of his children - causing multiple broken ribs among other injuries - could win the right to maintain regular contact with them, it emerged last night. The father-of-four from the North-East yesterday
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Fire safety courses booked in record numbers
RECORD numbers of employers are turning to the experts to train their staff in the vital skills of fire awareness. In the past twelve months, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service trained more than 2,000 employees in the county on their awareness courses
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Aleisha's memory lives on in laughter
THE memory of a little girl who died in a road accident will live on through the laughter of other children, her parents said yesterday. Aleisha Ord died a day before her fourth birthday and yesterday, on what would have been her fifth birthday, a £20,000
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Husband admits strangling wife during kinky sex
A HUSBAND has admitted strangling his wife during a kinky sex session, but yesterday he denied intending to kill her. Norman Heaton, 32, throttled mother-of-three Jacqueline Heaton before hiding her body under stairs at their masionette in Anderson Street
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Concern for missing student
Police say they are concerned for a student who has been missing for four days. William Ross Edmond, 23, a student at Sheffield University, was last seen near his family home in Eaglescliffe, Teesside, last Thursday, when he bought a newspaper. He was
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Ex-pig farmer fined over paperwork
A PIG farmer who failed to keep up with his paperwork before and during the foot-and-mouth crisis was hounded out of business after 40 years, his barrister told a court yesterday. Alan Clement, 58, was fined £580 and ordered to pay £1,129 costs after
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Budget operators help propel BA to £200m loss
BRITISH Airways has reported its worst set of results since privatisation 15 years ago with losses hitting £200m. The group has been hit by the slump in demand for air travel following September 11 and has also faced intense competition from budget airlines
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Credit card scam paid for holiday
A MOTHER'S crooked plan for a cheap family holiday backfired when the police knocked on her door, a court was told yesterday. Margaret Lawrence, 31, paid £1,000 to a contact for a fortnight in Gran Canaria, and it was booked by phone with First Choice
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Recorded crime in county has increased by 15 per cent
THE number of crimes recorded in North Yorkshire during the past year has soared by 15 per cent, it was revealed yesterday. Nearly 60,000 criminal offences were reported to police between April 2001 and March 2002 - compared with 51,500 the previous year
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Expedition book sells for £9,810
A RARE first edition book by Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton was sold for £9,810 at Sotherby's in New York. The book was signed by every member of the 1907 to 1909 South Pole expedition, including Yorkshireman John Robert Francis Wild. Frank,
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Team bangs the drum for keeping down the racket
AN anti noise pollution team is going to unusual lengths to promote the sound of silence across a town. In a bid to bring an end to problems over noise, environmental health officers from Middlesbrough Borough Council have published a guide on how to
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Computer image gives insight to vision of college refurbishment
A LEADING college unveiled its vision for the future yesterday as work on a major extension got under way. Architects released a computer-generated image of how the £650,000 refurbishment of Northallerton College will look when building work is completed
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Return of Cook's heritage
PLANNERS are due to give the go-ahead this week for a £10m development dedicated to explorer Captain James Cook, only yards from the spot where his ships were built. The Cook (RN) Charity Trust aims to open the project on Whitby harbourside, North Yorkshire
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Foot-and-mouth expert claims pigs were depressed
AN expert on foot-and-mouth disease who was one of the first veterinary surgeons to visit a pig farm identified as having the virus at the start of last year's outbreak has told a court that the animals he saw there were "extremely depressed". Dr Paul
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Attack on female guard 'plea for help'
A SENIOR woman prison officer was attacked by an inmate because he wanted to be transferred from Durham Jail's close supervision unit, a court heard. The jury at Newcastle Crown Court was shown a video recording of 43-year-old Raymond Gilbert punching
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Job centre blaze stops signing-on
SIGNING-ON has been suspended for the 700 users of a job centre hit by fire. Thousands of pounds worth of damage were caused in the fire, which ripped through the premises in Viceroy Street, Seaham, County Durham, in the early hours of Saturday. Police
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Take a healthy walk
WALKERS can learn about herbal lore on a country stroll in Middlesbrough on Sunday. Sue Antrobus, Middlesbrough Council's wild space officer and a keen herbalist, will lead the walk along Marton West Beck, dressed as a wise woman and will give tips on
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Headteacher starts afresh
A NEW headteacher is set to take the reigns at a village primary school in September. Mark Allison, who is in charge of Crakehall Primary School, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, will take control at Hurworth Primary, near Darlington. The 41-year-old has
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Tougher line on rates could leave firms in trouble
BUSINESS leaders in Richmondshire are worried the district council's decision to take a tougher line on the payment of rates could leave some firms facing sizeable bills they can ill afford. The local authority claims too many firms have been taking advantage
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Healthcare firm creates 25 jobs
SOCIAL and healthcare organisation, the National Care Standards Commission, has moved into new area office at Teesdale Business Park, creating 25 jobs, including five new inspector posts. From its new office accommodation on the top floor of the 12,500
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Regal roles lined up for store's jubilee celebrations
AN east Cleveland supermarket is on the look-out for young girls to be its Jubilee Queens. Safeway in Redcar is running a competition to find three girls to be at the centre of its Golden Jubilee celebrations. The three age groups are five to seven-year-olds
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Actors' burning desire to get in shape for their opening night
THE heat was turned up for members at a women-only gym yesterday when the cast of a hot new show arrived to warm up for their first performance. The world premiere of Naked Flame II - Fire Down Under opens at Darlington Civic Theatre, tonight, starring
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Property firm spreads its wings
PROPERTY consultant Clark Scott-Harden (CSH) has hit the acquisition trail. The company has expanded into North Yorkshire with the acquisition of Harmer Mortimer Estate Agents, and its commercial arm has moved into Leeds and Manchester with the acquisition
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Bank's new big four
The Royal Bank of Scotland has made four appointments in the North-East. DOUG FRASER has been made manager of commercial banking in the Tees Valley. He joined the bank in 1981 and has worked in Edinburgh, Leeds, Sunderland and Darlington. DAVID LANDER
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Budding photographers are offered window of opportunity
A festival will give photographers the chance to show off their talents by entering a competition. This year's Orange Window on the World (Wow) Festival, taking place in North Shields over the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend, will include a contest to
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Warning after boys caught by rising tide
LIFEBOAT crews have reiterated warnings about the dangers of rising tides after two youngsters were rescued at the weekend. The drama unfolded at Redcar, Teesside, on Sunday afternoon when two 12-year-old boys from Middlesbrough were cut off by the tide
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Crash investigators seek AA patrolman
ACCIDENT investigators are still trying to trace an AA patrolman who may have been a witness to a fatal road accident. Police have renewed their appeal for information about the accident on the A1(M) on Sunday, March 31. They believe the AA man, and a
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Video ID parades take step nearer reality
POLICE chiefs are preparing to introduce video identification parades in the near future as part of a cost-cutting exercise. The Viper system of ID parades, which was pioneered by West Yorkshire Police, is expected to be adopted by forces nationwide over
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Pupils' hopes and dreams aid charity
YOUNGSTERS from an east Cleveland primary school have joined forces with one of the country's top retailers to help raise funds for charity. The children, from Wheatlands Primary School in Redcar, have teamed up with Marks and Spencer in the High Street
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Holiday firm in breach of contract
A holiday company co-owned by a council leader has been ordered to pay damages and costs of more than £1,100 after failing to market a cottage. Mr Recorder Gargan, sitting at Teesside small claims court in Middlesbrough, found that Country Cottage Holidays
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Axe looks set to fall on court
THE death knell has been sounded for a County Durham court, following more than a year of debate. County Durham Magistrates' Court Committee has finally taken the decision to close Chester-le-Street Magistrates Court - pending a consultation exercise.
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Mum's the word when it comes to helping children learn at school
TEN Bishop Auckland mothers have helped improve their children's reading and writing by going back to the classroom themselves. Mothers Jacqueline Anderson, Martha Collishaw, Tracey Douthwaite, Sharon Farmer, Donna Fazakerley, Marie Jayne, Joanne McKimm
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Go-ahead for new heart machinery at hospitals
NEW equipment to develop heart services is to be installed at hospitals in Darlington and Bishop Auckland at a cost of £123,000. The board of South Durham Health Care NHS Trust has approved the purchase of two scanners, and additional cardiac rehabilitation
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On course for Bite Size skills
A COLLEGE is staging a series of short courses dealing with a wide variety of skills. The Learning and Skills Council's Bite Size initiative is taking place at Darlington College of Technology until June 21. The aim is to give people of all ages and backgrounds
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Raising awareness over issues of noise nuisance
A SERIES of events has been planned in Darlington to coincide with National Noise Action Day tomorrow. Three displays have been set up across the town by Darlington Borough Coun-cil's environmental health team. They will be on display until Friday at
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Students' acumen lights up challenge
GCSE students proved they were switched on to the world of business by winning a regional contest for young entrepreneurs. The all-girl Year 10 group from Staindrop Comprehensive School, in County Durham, cannot keep up with the demand for the animal-shaped
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Crew fired up for race title
FIREFIGHTERS from Cleveland are gearing up to defend a national cycle race title. The National Fire Service 25-mile Time Trial Championships will take place on the A19, on Saturday, June 15. As many as 120 cyclists from fire brigades around the country
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N-E man in online child porn arrests
A SWOOP on suspected Internet perverts resulted in the arrest of a North-East man yesterday. The man, in his 30s and from the Guisborough area of east Cleveland, was last night released on police bail after he was arrested as part of Operation Ore, which
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Old fridge dump plan for farm opposed
AN attempt to use a farm in the North-East as a dumping ground for the region's burgeoning fridge mountain looks likely to be rejected. A recommendation will go before Durham County Council's planning committee tomorrow to refuse permission for the scheme
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Claire gets England call-up
A Darlington schoolgirl has been selected for England's table tennis youth squad. Claire Wilson, 15, above, whose father Keith is a coach for Darlington's Table Tennis Club, will represent England in the under-18s squad. Mr Wilson said: "She has done
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Taking a lead on rail safety
THERE are strange things occurring on our railways. Yesterday we reported on the rubbish left trackside by railway repairers. Everyone accepts that the rubbish is dangerous - an open invitation to the vandals that contractors Jarvis still believes might
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Chance to air views about litter
A GROUP representing disabled people in Darlington is to meet council officers to discuss refuse collection. Darlington Association on Disability has organised a meeting at the town hall on Thursday, which will give people the chance to give their views
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Man denies selling drugs from home
A SUSPECTED heroin dealer had more than 20 early morning callers at his home two days in a row, a jury was told yesterday. Police noted 27 people calling at the Stockton home of Michael Plaice between 9am and 11am on one day in November 1999, said Michael
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Trio of fit 'pensioners' who are in need of loving homes
A NUMBER of older dogs are desperately in need of new homes, according to the RSPCA animal centre at Great Ayton. The North Yorkshire centre currently has about seven dogs which are aged between nine and ten and deputy manager Debbie Fowle said they are
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Time about to run out for town's magistrates' court
THE death knell has been sounded for Chester-le-Street Magistrates' Court, following more than a year of debate. County Durham Magistrates' Court Committee has finally taken the decision to close the Chester-le-Street court - pending a consultation exercise
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School receives praise
AN east Cleveland primary school has been praised by inspectors after they visited in March. The report states that Loftus Junior School is a good school where standards are rising. The school was praised by inspectors for creating a caring and supportive
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Stalwarts Go Ahead on 50-mile journey
NEARLY 200 historic commercial vehicles will take to the road early next month for the 20th annual Go Ahead Tees-Tyne Run. Organised by the North-East area of the Historic Commercial Vehicle Society, the event attracts entrants from all around the country
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Soldier's quest to help Masai
A SOLDIER from Fishburn is part of an expedition to provide health care to children born with HIV. Private Craig Willis, who used to attend Sedgefield Community College, is working with Masai tribesmen in Kenya as part of a British Army exercise. The
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Ex-club steward loses cancer battle
A FORMER club steward has died after a nine- month battle with cancer. Margaret Siddle, from Darlington, died at Darlington Memorial Hospital on Saturday, aged 65. With her husband, Maurice, she was a steward at Haughton Club, Darlington, during the late
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Go-ahead for new heart machinery at hospitals
NEW equipment to develop heart services is to be installed at hospitals in Darlington and Bishop Auckland at a cost of £123,000. The board of South Durham Health Care NHS Trust has approved the purchase of two scanners, and additional cardiac rehabilitation
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Roofers are well qualified
A WEARSIDE company has enjoyed a double celebration with 37 of its workforce gaining qualifications while the company marked its 25th anniversary. Teams Roofing, of Washington, is the first company in the region to have all its workforce gain NVQ awards
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Jason's moisture guzzler is in line for an award
THE development of a revolutionary high-speed drying system could be the catalyst for success for a North Yorkshire firm. H2-Go, of Great Ayton, has devised a trailer-mounted dehumidifier which dries water-damaged buildings in less than five days. Traditional
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Blair's ex-GP cashes in from care home sale
TONY Blair's former GP, who left the medical profession under a cloud, has become a wealthy man after selling two North-East care homes. The on-off career of Dr Sivagurunathan Srirangalingam, known as Dr Sri, ended in January with his "voluntary" erasure
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Expansion goes ahead at residential home
AN EXTENSION is going ahead at a nursing home in County Durham. The work has already started at the site in Lizard Lane, Sedgefield. The Willows Nursing Home and Willowdene Residential Homes have been sold following the decision by owner Sivaguranathan
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Football world looks on as Boro go to court
The eyes of the football world were on Teesside last night, awaiting the result of an historic bid by Middlesbrough FC to sue for £7m damages over a player transfer. The club is expected to hear today whether its claim against Liverpool - the first of
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Festival offers something for all
MUSIC, poetry, arts exhibitions, walks and workshops are all part of the Swaledale Festival, which opens on Friday. The programme was decimated by the impact of foot-and-mouth disease last year. But there are hopes that this year's festival will attract
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Family of missing student make emotional appeal
THE family of a student who has been missing for nearly a week made an emotional plea today asking him to get in touch. William Ross Edmond, known as Ross, left his home in Eaglescliffe last Thursday and has not been seen since. The 22-year-old who is
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Job Search: Vacancies
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Conference and banqueting staff, Newton Aycliffe, up to 25hrs pw, must have good communications skills. Ref: NEU 16272. Bar staff, Newton Aycliffe, 37hrs pw, experience
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Steve's in jubilee spirit for a comeback after 25 years
Steve Rankin has returned to his roots to take up the position of regional director of the CBI for the North-East, a position he previously held 25 years ago. Business Editor Jonathan Jones found out more. THE North-East must have changed for the better
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Partnership allows Filtronic to look ahead with optimism
THE County Durham operation of microwave products designer Filtronic, is set to sell its first semiconductors next month for use in the mobile phone market. The products are being developed at the Newton Aycliffe facility as part of a partnership with
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Cost soars by £100,000 as new wrangles emerge
THE COST of repairing crumbling railway bridges has soared by more than £100,000, it was revealed last night as a wrangle delayed work yet again. Repairs to a bridge at Dalton-on-Tees, near Darlington, were due to start yesterday. But the deadline came
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Industry leaders back jobs blueprint
A MULTI-million pound programme to transform the economy of the North-East has been welcomed by business leaders across the region. The £638m blueprint drawn up by regional development agency One NorthEast will transform the region's economy, creating
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Is Labour now a party of pimps?
FOR an insight into the character of our Prime Minister, the interviews he gave to Jeremy Paxman last week were hard to beat. Paxman asked Mr Blair if he had any qualms about the fact that New Labour recently received a donation of £100,000 from Richard
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Job Search: Vacancies
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Chef, Hawes., £11,000 to £12,000pa, 40hrs pw split shift, must have catering experience and food hygiene certification, live-in accommodation. Ref: NOE 16396. Vehicle
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College starts on new look
A LEADING college unveiled its vision for the future yesterday as work on a major extension got under way. Architects released a computer-generated image of how the £650,000 refurbishment of Northallerton College will look once building work is completed
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Top dignatories to launch The Regional Centre for Manufacturing Excellence
SIR John Harvey Jones MBE and Lord Sainsbury are coming to the North-East to support an exciting new initiative for manufacturers. The pair will be in Sunderland next week to officially launch The Regional Centre for Manufacturing Excellence (RCME), to
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South Tyneside College designed database to navigate the Tyne, Tees and Wear
SOUTH Tyneside College has used its status as a world leader in marine simulation to pioneer digital mapping and simulation for the three major ports in the North-East. The college, the UK's National Nautical Centre of Excellence, has completed geographical
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Cup plans hit by the body surfing vicar
The clergymen of Durham have been dealt a body blow in their annual assault on the Church Times cricket cup - the star batsman has broken his neck in three places, whilst body surfing. "It could have been worse, I could have been paralysed," says the
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Job Search: Vacancies
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Membership sales executive, Stockton. £10,000 to £12,000pa, between 8am and 10pm, shifts, 5 days pw. Required for health club. Customer service experience and communication
