Archive
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Best kept secret is out as firefighter Jonny steps into TV spotlight
FIREFIGHTER Jonathan Regan's life may never be the same. The 29-year-old part-time singer walked through the doors of Channel Four's Big Brother house last night to star in one of TV's most successful shows of all time. He beat thousands of hopefuls from
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Slashed 999 man brands drunk caller 'a menace'
A PARAMEDIC slashed by a violent drunk as he answered a 999 call has branded her a menace to society. Patient Kerry Edeson attacked Tony Keegan with a razor blade as he tried to help her into an ambulance in Washington, Wearside. Yesterday, a court was
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Building sites shut down in safety blitz
MORE than half the building sites in the North-East checked in a safety blitz by inspectors have been condemned and ordered to stop work. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) officials visited 69 building sites over four days last week, and issued 43 with
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Authority at peace with Sting yoga plan
NORTH-EAST rock star Sting is in tune with planners over his bid to open a yoga room in his 17th Century farmhouse in the Lake District. The star and his actress wife Trudie Styler snapped up the Grade II listed building last year for just under half-a-million
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Driver is stuck in flooded ford
A MAN had to be rescued after his car became stuck in the swollen River Wear as he tried to drive through the ford at Stanhope last night. Firefighters from Stanhope used a winch to tow the stranded car and its relieved driver to the safety of the bank
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Man due to be evicted quits house
A MAN due to be evicted by a council, beat the bailiffs by handing in the keys to his maisonette and moving out himself. Middlesbrough Council had previously gone to Teesside County Court and successfully applied for an order to evict 58-year-old Allan
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Biker nears end US marathon
TRAVELLER Len O'Donnell is preparing to visit Durham's namesake as he nears the end of his 3,640-mile US cycle trip. The 69-year-old Durham county councillor set off in March on a journey from Los Angeles to Washington DC to raise money to replace fire
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Comment: Just desserts for Deayton
WE all love to see a rat squirm - and millions tuned in to see a squirming rat on Have I Got News For You last night. But let us not fall into the trap of feeling remotely sorry for Angus Deayton, who was ensnared by the News of the World for taking drugs
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Judge's son is child porn suspect
A JUDGE'S son was among those arrested in a series of swoops on computer child porn suspects. Peter Hall, 41, son of the late circuit judge George Hall, was among 36 people held by police across the country in Operation Ore, which targeted paedophiles
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Coroner voices fears for safety of cyclists
A CORONER has called for improved cycling routes in North Yorkshire, following the death of a road safety campaigner. Karl Briggs, 65, died last October when his cycle was in collision with a lorry on the A168, at Asenby. At an inquest into the tragedy
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Exclusion zone as fire hits quay
A 300-YARD exclusion zone was thrown up around a North-East industrial estate last night during a major fire. More than 50 firefighters were called in to tackle the blaze which was fanned by high winds at Devlins Quay on the Wagonway Industrial Estate
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Jail for man who got girl, 13 pregnant
A MAN who got a 13-year-old girl pregnant was jailed for nine months yesterday. Teesside Crown Court heard Alan Dawes was 36 when he had sex with the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons. Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said Dawes, now 37, had sex with
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Poison-pen letter writer walks free
A POISON-PEN letter writer who threatened to carry out a Dunblane-style massacre of children during a two-year hate campaign walked free from court yesterday. Ian Julian Walker was mentally ill, Teesside Crown Court heard, when he called himself Soldier
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Woman attacker spared jail term
A MOTHER who battered a woman's face in a drunken fight was spared a jail sentence yesterday. Brenda Cant attacked the woman in her kitchen after an all-day drinking binge three days before Christmas last year, Teesside Crown Court heard. The pair had
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Soccer stadium rock music plan may be shown red card
DARLINGTON Football Club chairman George Reynolds faces a planning battle with council officials in his bid to use his new football stadium as a concert venue. Mr Reynolds says he wants to book pop legends The Bee Gees to help celebrate the opening of
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New in brief: Concern for missing woman
POLICE are trying to trace a 30-year-old woman who has gone missing from her home in Middlesbrough. Alison Jane Buckley, of Portman Street, has not been seen by friends or neighbours for several months, although her disappearance was only reported to
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Static growth now weakest since 1992
CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown's growth forecasts appeared far too optimistic yesterday as new figures showed the UK economy almost fell into recession at the start of the year. The Office for National Statistics said gross domestic product (GDP) in the first
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Benny's example is outstanding
FORMER Electrolux worker Benny Devine has returned to the company to guide warehouse staff through their NVQs. The training officer, 46, joined South West Durham Training, at Newton Aycliffe, after 23 years with Electrolux in Spennymoor. Leaving school
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Drivers warned
DRIVERS are being warned to check their vehicles are in order before Northumbria Police launches a tyre safety week. From Monday, officers will be asking motorists to have their tyres checked by experts from the Tyre Industry Council. The checks will
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Cathedral concert to mark jubilee
THE Queen's golden jubilee is being marked with a cathedral concert by the British Red Cross next month. It will feature Durham Sinfonia, conducted by Andre de Ridder, playing works by Handel, Tchaikovsky and Walton. The Durham Singers, directed by Alan
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Charity celebrates community awards
Ideas devised by disabled people have been celebrated. Scope, a charity for people with cerebral palsy, has handed out £54,200 to projects in the North-East during the past two years under its Give It A Go Millennium Award Scheme. This week, those who
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Nil points for style - but we still love it
The Eurovision Song Contest is back on our screens tonight. Christen Pears looks at what makes this tacky exhibition so successful. EVEN long-serving host Terry Wogan admits it's "rubbish" but the much-derided Eurovision Song Contest still holds a strange
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Viewers support fight for justice
THE family of the victim in one of the UK's most high-profile murders is backing The Northern Echo's Criminal Injustice campaign. Touched by the plight of Teesside mother Ann Ming, whose daughter, Julie Hogg, was murdered in 1989, Maureen Harvey has contacted
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Efforts continue to ease jobs blow
A TASK force set up to support 147 workers facing redundancy at a North-East cement works has revealed details of a plan to regenerate the area. The group was formed following the announcement in January that Lafarge (UK) is to close its Blue Circle plant
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Victim gave chase to ski mask robber
THE victim of a street robbery helped catch her masked attacker by chasing after him and taking note of his car's registration number. Freda Mulvey, 56, was walking through an underpass at West Pelton, County Durham, when she was attacked by John Coatman
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Sid and Jimmy's royal parade day
A POLICE force was given free rein to help celebrate the sovereign's reign. Two Cleveland Police horses, Sid and Jimmy, joined a Golden Jubilee tribute to the Queen's love of equestrian pursuits, at Windsor Castle. The two horses and their riders, PC
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Hear all sides: SINGLE CURRENCY
HUGH Pender (HAS, May 11) believes we must join the euro or retreat into a state of disastrous isolationism. Nothing could be further from the truth. We can stay in the EU and keep the pound. We can keep trading with Europe and the rest of the world just
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In the Picture: The other Royal family
The combination of sex, money and lavish costumes has proved a winner in the past for the makers of royal sagas. But can the Queen Mother's story revive interest in the House of Windsor? The ingredients outclassed anything a glossy American soap could
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Castle Eden go top after Billingham victory
CASTLE Eden romped to the summit of the Teesside and District Union after a devastating performance against visitors Billingham on Thursday night. Led by Division One's leading points scorer last season, Graham Border, Eden's scratch section took maximum
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Settled side key to Murton
Murton, who toppled leaders Silksworth last week and moved into pole position, enjoy the luxury of having to make only one change for their visit to Castle Eden this afternoon. This is their fifth fixture and they have been able to field their strongest
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Jinx strikes again
ENGLAND'S injury jinx struck again yesterday when midfielder Danny Murphy returned home after breaking a bone in his left foot, writes PAUL FRASER. The Liverpool star has fractured the same metatarsal as skipper David Beckham, who is still fighting to
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Bramble keen on Magpies
IPSWICH defender Titus Bramble would "love the opportunity" to join Newcastle United. The Magpies are lining up a £6m deal for 20-year-old Bramble following the Tractor Boys' relegation. And the player's agent, Jonathan Barnett, admitted: "The lure of
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McRae drafted into Durham's back row
DURHAM have drafted Middlesbrough captain Ritchie McRae into their back row for today's match against Northumberland at Darlington as Mowden Park's Darren McKinnon could not confirm his availability. The match brings down the curtain on Durham's 125th
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Mission that brought music to the chapel
THE mission to bring a grand new organ to High House Chapel in Upper Weardale was similar to that journey taken by John Wesley 250 years ago. The organ was a legacy from the crowd disaster at the Victoria Hall in Sunderland, in June, 1883, which trapped
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Historic ride remembers Wesley's amazing journey
Methodists and fellow Christians from across the North-East will gather in Weardale on Sunday to celebrate a special date - the 250th anniversary of John Wesley's epic journey through the Weardale valley. In the second part of his special report, John
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At your service: Undivided attention
HAMSTERLEY has a pub, a club, a riding school, a shop and a hall. A placard on the road into the village announces that Secondary Cause of Death will be at the hall on May 24 and 25, though fails to make clear whether it is a play, a heavy metal band
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'Sabotage' scare on region's rail track
A TRACK fault with chilling similarities to the Potters Bar crash was discovered on a North-East stretch of the East Coast Mainline, The Northern Echo can reveal. The company responsible for the upkeep of the high-speed rail link, Jarvis, said nuts had
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Union attacks private phones hospital plan
A CONTROVERSIAL scheme to charge patients for private phones and televisions is being extended to another North-East hospital. News that private phones and TVs are being installed at Darlington Memorial Hospital was attacked by the biggest health union
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And here are his new neighbours
The 11 other housemates in the new series of Big Brother are: Alex, 23, a half-German male model from Essex He is a car fanatic, who loves playing the didgeridoo and does 200 sit-ups each morning Will miss most: His VW Beetle, his house and his radio
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Heroin seized in raid on pub
HEROIN with a street value of up to £40,000 and a quantity of cocaine was recovered and five people were arrested in a police raid on Tyneside. A number of officers were involved in the raid on the Geordie Ridley pub, in The Precinct, Blaydon, Gateshead
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Blunkett will not call police inquiry
THE Home Office has turned down a request to conduct a public inquiry into the affairs of Cleveland Police in the wake of the Operation Lancet debacle. Earlier this year, Arthur Preece, former leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, wrote to Home Secretary
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Carers 'failed little Sophie'
social services failed a 13-month-old baby who died in a pool of vomit shortly after being fed a concoction of cheesecake, Weetabix, milk and ice-cream by her stepfather, a coroner said yesterday. At the end of an inquest into the death of Sophie Casey
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Gipsies allege harassment
THE president of the National Gipsy Council has hit out at police for allegedly harassing travellers - and says the case could be taken to the Home Office. Hughie Smith has made a formal complaint to David Kenworthy, Chief Constable of North Yorkshire
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Death in pub: Licensee gets bail
A licensee facing a charge of manslaughter was granted conditional bail by magistrates yesterday. Steven John Webb, 35, who manages the Rise Carr Hotel, in Whessoe Road, Darlington, is accused of killing family man David Willis. The 51-year-old victim
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Eight vehicles in accident
THE upper deck of a car transporter collapsed as it travelled along a busy North-East dual carriageway yesterday. Three new cars it was carrying were damaged and the transporter was towed away after the incident at 10.45am, on the westbound carriageway
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It's a crazy Cup world
ANDREW Kipling is flagging up his support for England's bid to lift the World Cup. The 37-year-old has painted the front of his house in Gouldsmith Gardens, Darlington, in the colours of the cross of St George as a sign of his unstinting support for the
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Keeper Beresford on the move
MIDDLESBROUGH goalkeeper Marlon Beresford could rejoin First Division Burnley this summer on a free transfer. Beresford, 32, is being released by Boro four years after he arrived from Turf Moor in a £400,000 deal. Burnley boss Stan Ternent confirmed:
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Anti-cruelty crusaders team up to save the animals
A COUNCIL and a police force are linking up to tackle animal cruelty in a region which has the highest number of RSPCA convictions in the UK. PC Rob King, wildlife officer with Cleveland Police, and Stockton Borough Council animal welfare officer Derek
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Nominees list is growing
MORE than 150 people have already been nominated for an inaugural awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of North-East businesswomen. The Women In Business Awards take place on June 14 at the Hardwick Hall Hotel, in Sedgefield, County Durham, where
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Bid to reduce animal deaths on moor roads
FARMERS pleaded with motorists not to jeopardise the rural recovery yesterday as a campaign to cut the numbers of animals killed on some of the region's most scenic roads was launched. Hundreds of sheep and lambs are killed each year on the North York
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Contenders for awards
SOME of the region's top entrepreneurs have been selected to go forward to the Northern regional finals of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards. The North-East finalists are among 38 for the Northern region, with the winner receiving his
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The focus is on students' work
SOME of the country's most promising young photographers will showcase their work in a forthcoming exhibition. Final year students on Northumbria University's contemporary photographic course will display their work in the O2 exhibition, from June 11
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Walks festival aims to boost Dales economy
FINAL preparations are under way for a walking event which it is hoped could pump thousands of pounds into a beleaguered dales economy. Community groups and council officers are putting the finishing touches to the Roof of England Walks Festival, which
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Banned doctor warned that he might face jail
A DOCTOR who did not tell his employers he had been suspended by the General Medical Council and continued to work was found guilty by a jury yesterday. The jury at Teesside Crown Court took a little more than an hour to return guilty verdicts on Dr Michael
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Seeking answers to an intoxicating question
A CHAIN of convenience stores has been chosen to help discover what motivates shoppers to buy beer in off-licences. Coors Brewers has teamed up with Bell's Stores for an eight-week trial in its Guisborough store that will see customers confronted by a
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Liquidator is called in after theatre crash
Experts will meet in the next few days to try to sort out the financial crisis caused by the collapse of the company running one of the region's arts venues. Moves to wind up the Entertainment Team (Durham) Ltd, which was behind the running of the £14m
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Angus takes it on the nose
Angus Deayton faced his sternest critics last night following revelations of his cocaine-snorting sex romps. Steve Pratt watched as he was thrown to the Have I Got News For You lions. When presenter Richard Bacon was caught taking drugs, the head of children's
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Agency defends delay on double death fall report
AN agency conducting an investigation into the death of a mother and her 11-year-old autistic son has vowed not be rushed into publishing a report - despite being two months past its deadline. The County Durham Autistic Support Group, which had helped
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Brandon aim high
Brandon are aiming for a top four place at least this season. They go into today's home game with Willington unbeaten in their five matches and secretary Ian Johnson said; "Since we came into the league a couple of years ago, our target has always been
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Visitors promised a peasant time at museum
PROFESSIONAL peasants will demonstrate ancient arts when they visit a North-East museum tomorrow. Visitors to Newcastle's Hancock Museum, from 10.30am to 3.30pm, will be able to find out about life as a peasant, learn about bodging and see baby birds,
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Foster's Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League
Leaders Sacriston will miss Paul Burn when they defend the only unbeaten record at Benwell and Walbottle. Burn, who many consider was unlucky to miss out on a contract when Durham County went first class, has been in scintillating form in the early games
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Skipper Birbeck backing Cestrians to retain title
Chester-le-Street captain Tony Birbeck is enthusiastic about his side's chances of retaining the championship and few will doubt his optimism following the arrival of paceman Ashley Day from Hetton Lyons and Birbeck's brother Shaun from Eppleton during
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Trial of strength
DURHAM and Northumberland meet today at Spennymoor in a Muras Trophy match which will be regarded as a trial of strength before their big Middleton Cup clash next month. The arch-rivals are always fiercely competitive, but today's match takes second place
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Rabbit away at Haydock
WHITE RABBIT (2.20) could take some catching in the day's most valuable contest, the £70,000 Tote Credit Club Silver Bowl Handicap at Haydock. Just about everything has dropped right for Tim Easterby's useful three-year-old filly, especially the unseasonably
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No takers for Sunderland's French flop Laslandes
SUNDERLAND could find themselves stuck with £3.6m French misfit Lilian Laslandes - despite placing him on the transfer list earlier this week. For although the striker's agent, Phillipe Flavier, has been searching for a new club for the past six months
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Pratt display boosts injury-plagued Durham
DURHAM'S injury jinx had a silver lining yesterday in the shape of Gary Pratt's best first-class score of 66. Skipper Jon Lewis joined the casualties, but the back injury which forced him to miss his first championship match for four years spared him
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Workers and shoppers get retail therapy
RETAIL workers in the region have received a boost with news that two big names are improving their operations. Supermarket chain Asda plans to create 1,250 jobs as part of an expansion of its distribution operation, including 120 in the North-East. And
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Gardening: Green for safety in the garden
MY heart had jumped straight into my mouth, but I couldn't get any words out. I wanted to jump up but was frozen solid to the bench. You know that feeling when everything happens in such slow motion, you can see what is happening but can't do anything
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The men who kept ministry's legacy alive
ALTHOUGH John Wesley sowed the seeds of Methodism at High House 250 years ago, it was three men who helped keep his legacy alive in the 1980s. The chapel, built by lead miners and their families after Wesley's first visit to Weardale, had fallen into
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Darlington aim to keep pressure on Guisborough
Darlington aim to keep the pressure on reigning champions and leaders Guisborough in the weekend's double programme. Following today's visit to Marske they entertain Normanby Hall at Feethams tomorrow and that back to back wins would give them a real
