Archive
-
Date
Grant may save youth hostel
A government grant has fuelled hopes that a popular Dales youth hostel could be saved from closure. The Youth Hostel Association announced in March it would be selling off ten of its premises to help cover the cost of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The closure
-
Date
Events lined up to highlight NHS Week
LOCAL health bodies are organising a series of events to celebrate NHS Week this week. At County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust, which looks after people with mental health problems and learning disabilities, the week will begin with
-
Date
Charity cycle ride to be staged in memory of Levon
FRIENDS of a man killed by a rare heart disease are planning a charity cycle ride in his memory. Levon Morland, 22, of West Rainton, County Durham, was apparently fit and healthy but died earlier this year of Wolfe Parkinson White Disease, which causes
-
Date
Footballclub on brink of defeat
ONE of the country's most famous football clubs faces defeat in its long-running battle for survival after councillors voted to evict it from its historic ground. A bitter battle over a lease could see County Durham club Spennymoor United homeless after
-
Date
Mothballed yard back in business
A MOTHBALLED shipyard has announced it is back in business with plans to recruit almost 20 members of staff. The Cammell Laird ship repair yard, on the banks of the River Tees at South Bank, has been silent since April last year, when the company went
-
Date
Action group steps up its fight to rescue doomed pool
AN action group is drumming up support for its campaign to reopen a doomed village swimming pool. Fishburn pool is to close on July 19, as part of a £3.5m package of savings by Durham County Council. A group of villagers has got together in a battle to
-
Date
Man jailed for sex assaults on young boy
A MAN who abused a young boy for more than five years was jailed yesterday. Russel Hall was found guilty of three charges of indecent assault, at Teesside Crown Court in April this year, and was sentenced yesterday to three-and-a-half years in prison.
-
Date
Region's early butterflies attributed to global warming
BUTTERFLIES are appearing in the region earlier than at any time since the 1940s, a recent study has revealed. Entomologists say global warming is the most likely reason behind some species being spotted in Britain as early as mid-January. Five species
-
Date
Funding secured to build care unit
FUNDING has been secured for a care centre which will help elderly hospital patients return home and free up beds. Many elderly patients face long stays in over-subscribed medical wards because of a lack of residential care home beds, or specific hospital
-
Date
Team helps reduce numbers of children in care
THE number of emergency admissions of children into care has halved thanks to a pioneering social services initiative. Durham County Council's social services department is one of the first in the country to develop a community support team to link with
-
Date
News in brief: Burglars' haul includes rings
THIEVES who entered a house in Darlington through an unlocked door stole several nine-carat gold rings and other items. The burglary happened between 6pm and 9.30pm on Saturday, in Arundel Drive. Also taken was a black leather handbag containing a cheque
-
Date
Sunderland's ticket reminder
Sunderland have reminded season-ticket holders that they have until 5.30pm on Friday to guarantee their seats for next season. Supporters renewing by credit or debit card can do so by calling the new hotline on 087 00112266, from 9am - 7pm Monday to Friday
-
Date
Convicted murderer is given leave to appeal
A MAN serving life for murder is to be allowed to appeal against his conviction after judges heard that a lipreader's evidence gathered for another defendant's case could have prejudiced his own. Jonathan Mark Embleton, 26, of Trefoil Court, Norton, near
-
Date
House prices still soaring
HOUSE prices soared ahead by 3.3 per cent during June as strong consumer confidence continued to support the buoyant market, figures showed yesterday. The jump pushed house price inflation up to 19.8 per cent for the year to the end of June, and the average
-
Date
Hollywood icon's Bentley takes a starring role in classic competition
HE exuded charm and style and won critical acclaim for his leading roles - now the car that once belonged to Hollywood legend Stewart Granger is taking its place in the spotlight. The Bentley Mark VI Coupe that was commissioned by the actor and his wife
-
Date
Horseboxes used in protest
DEMONSTRATORS caused traffic chaos when they used horseboxes to pen councillors in a farmyard yesterday. Queues of angry motorists grew behind the horsebox drivers, who sounded their horns and pulled up outside the yard where City of York councillors
-
Date
Author to open library
CHILDREN'S Laureate Anne Fine will open a school's library next week. The best-selling North-East children's author will speak to students and sign books during her visit to Moorside Community School, in Consett, on Wednesday, July 10. The occasion will
-
Date
Jail for dealer who tried to sell drugs to police
A WOMAN and her neighbour were drug-dealing rivals vying for customers, a court heard yesterday. Jane Leonard was dealing heroin from her Redcar flat, Teesside Crown Court was told, as was one of her neighbours. Leonard, 22, told undercover police officers
-
Date
Elected regional assembly is 'change for sake of change'
PROPOSALS to create an elected regional assembly have been given a resounding thumbs down by councillors in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire. They claim the Government's scheme will lead to both remoteness and a lack of local representation.
-
Date
Fundraising plea attracts support
A STORE manageress is taking to the streets to raise money for a charity trip to Kenya. Carole Benton, who runs Peter's bakery, in St Cuthbert's Walk shopping centre, Chester-le-Street, only has until July 12 to raise three-quarters of the £2,500 required
-
Date
Appointments: Bank builds up corporate unit
YORKSHIRE Bank's fast-growing presence in the corporate market of Durham and North Yorkshire is set to accelerate with four more joining the team. Former Leeds regional business manager David Maybury is in charge of the unit, which arranges financial
-
Date
Football gains a little culture
WHILE the World Cup has been occupying the thoughts of most fans recently, one group of youngsters were giving soccer a cultural overhaul. Children at St George's RC Primary School, in York, have written, directed and starred in their own footballing
-
Date
Funeral of former Royal Marine
The Last Post was sounded at the funeral of former Roy-al Marine Norman Smith, who was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge campaign in the Second World War. The Union Flag draped the coffin, which also bore his medals and Marine beret during the service
-
Date
National costumes help conference put citizenship in spotlight
YOUNG people from around the world donned their national dress to mark the start of a conference yesterday. The conference, called Citizen You, is being held in Sunderland to give young people the chance to explore their ideas on citizenship, share thoughts
-
Date
Art project on everyone's lips
ACTORS staged a performance to mark the installation of a new bench. Paula Jo Barker and Adrian Hopper surprised onlookers with an impromptu performance on a kissing theme to mark the installation of the Kiss bench in Grey Street, Newcastle. It was the
-
Date
Refugee pledges help for asylum seekers
AN Iraqi refugee living on Teesside is helping other asylum seekers to bridge the language gap. Silvan Khoshaba, who came to the North-East with her family last December, has been working through learndirect's Skills For Life programme to help improve
-
Date
Increase in taxi fares prompts drivers' protest
PLANS to increase taxi fares in Stockton have prompted opposition from cabbies throughout the borough. Last month, Stockton borough Council's licensing committee agreed to increase Hackney Carriage fares after hearing how drivers were facing crippling
-
Date
Learning how to lick logistics
THE North-East's first specialist training centre for logistics and transport has been set up in Durham. The Durham Logistics College is the area's first organisation to be awarded registration by the Institute of Logistics and Transport for its courses
-
Date
Miniature railway engine with a big future begins to take shape
MODEL engineers are getting all steamed up over a star in the making for a popular miniature railway. Work on building a locomotive is at an advanced stage and the vehicle could be ready to haul visitors around the grounds of Stockton Borough Council's
-
Date
Pupils learn about the role of councils
STUDENTS turned their hands to the problems of running a local council yesterday. Teams from nine secondary schools across the borough of Stockton took part in the event at the Oakwood Centre, Eaglescliffe. The event was aimed at promoting an understanding
-
Date
Bypass may become reality after 70 years
A VILLAGE waiting almost 70 years for its bypass on the A61 Ripon-Harrogate road has been told it could soon become a reality. But with so many false dawns in the past few people in Killinghall are ready to believe it until they see the tarmac being laid
-
Date
Skateboard park issues to be addressed
COUNCIL chiefs are to draw up new plans to provide skateboard park facilities across the Harrogate district after a series of problems. The borough council was forced to close down the Hydro park, in Harrogate, following reports of drug abuse and vandalism
-
Date
Dusty's Daughter and designer destiny
A young North-East woman has gone from owning a fish and chip shop to selling designer labels at her shop at the MetroCentre. Lucia Charnock finds out more. JEANETTE Davies is only 23 years old and already she is a successful businesswoman. Winner of
-
Date
Man banned for pony's suffering
THE owner of a young pony which died after a traumatic journey was banned yesterday from keeping horses for five years. Anthony Foster, of Japonica Way, Norton, Stockton, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the animal during the journey
-
Date
'Teaching: it's just crowd control'
With more and more teachers on long-term sick due to stress, schools are increasengly being forced to turn to supply teachers. But, as Paul Willis discovers, supply teaching comes with its own pressures. "Sir, can I go to the toilet?" "No." "Why not?"
-
Date
School musical production ready for lift-off
YOUNGSTERS at a Darlington school have stars in their eyes as they prepare to put on an intergalactic show. Branksome School's all- singing and dancing production, Dazzle, runs tomorrow night, Thursday and Friday. It tells the story of the maiden voyage
-
Date
Stepping out to entice walkers
FIVE routes in Darlington are to be turned into safe havens for pedestrians. As part of the borough council's Walking Strategy, five popular routes through the town have been identi-fied. In the coming weeks, council workers will carry out an audit of
-
Date
An admiral collection
THE blood-stained silk purse carried by Lord Nelson at his death in his finest hour at Trafalgar has come to light after nearly 200 years. The simple purse, with its pear-shaped splotch of blood, is among a long-lost collection of treasures relating to
-
Date
Girl, 16, back in court on new charge
A TEENAGER was returned to a secure unit for youngsters yesterday to await her latest sentence. The 16-year-old Darlington girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had nine previous convictions for robbery and theft, said Richard Bennett, defending
-
Date
Young singers fill Gala theatre
YOUNG singers took centre stage at a city theatre to charm a packed audience of friends and relatives last night. The "house full" signs went up at Durham's Gala Theatre as performers from the city's St Leonard's RC School choir and orchestra staged a
-
Date
FIFA makes honeymoon special
FIFA chief Sepp Blatter had a newly wed couple on top of the world when he arranged their honeymoon for them. Mr Blatter, the most powerful man in football, stepped in to help Keith Telford and his new wife Lynda. The couple had planned to have their
-
Date
Tables turned on Ofsted chief
THE boot was on the other foot when children at a North-East primary school asked Ofsted chief David Bell to put his drawing skills to the test. Mr Bell visited Barmston Village Primary School, in Washington, Wearside, yesterday, where he was asked to
-
Date
Team helps reduce numbers of children in care
THE number of emergency admissions of children into care has halved thanks to a pioneering social services initiative. Durham County Council's social services department is one of the first in the country to develop a community support team to link with
-
Date
News in brief: Three accused over bar death
Three people appeared in court yesterday charged with the manslaughter of a mother-of-five who died during a bar brawl. Colin Mattinson, 21, his mother Joyce Mattinson, 41, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named, all deny killing Teresa Mennell, 59. The
-
Date
Gipsy leader defends running of troubled site
THE boss of a gipsy site at the centre of allegations of police harassment has rejected calls for the local council to take over the running of the area. Tara Park, in Malton, North Yorkshire, is maintained by the National Gipsy Council - but the Gypsy
-
Date
News in brief: Vets celebrate recognition
A Richmond veterinary practice is celebrating confirmation that it has passed an inspection by the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA). The Swale Veterinary Surgery, Gallowfields Industrial Estate, becomes one of more than 5,000 represented
-
Date
News in brief: Childcare costs help at hand
HELP with childcare costs is still on offer in Hartlepool to enable people to take up work, training or go into voluntary work leading to employment. A Flexible Childcare Fund operating in the town's New Deal for Communities (NDC) area aims to offer short-term
-
Date
Motorists urged not to be caught out by cricket crowd
SPECIAL measures are being taken to cope with heavy traffic and the influx of fans expected as the international cricket roadshow reaches the North-East. Durham's Riverside ground at Chester-le-Street hosts the fifth NatWest Series one-day international
-
Date
Boateng and Hargreaves on way to Boro?
MIDDLESBROUGH must clear a daunting double hurdle if Owen Hargreaves and George Boateng are to form a new-look midfield at the Riverside. Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has insisted that England World Cup star Hargreaves will honour the remaining
-
Date
Magpies chief tracking second Portuguese star
NEWCASTLE United manager Bobby Robson yesterday admitted his admiration for Benfica's Portuguese winger Simao Sabrosa. But the United boss will baulk at the £7m-plus asking price for the 22-year-old, who is currently injured. Robson pulled off a major
-
Date
Police hunt masked knifeman
Police are hunting a masked knifeman who robbed a teenager of £1,000 in bingo winnings. The incident happened as the 18-year-old student, from the outskirts of Durham City, was walking home following a trip to the Imperia Bingo Hall, in Felling, Gateshead
-
Date
Property boom draws investors
THE number of firms and individuals looking to invest in the North-East's commercial property has doubled in the past year, say experts. With the domestic property market booming, the Council of Mortgage lenders last week made an unprecedented call for
-
Date
Six of the best win prizes in art contest
SIX Durham youngsters have shown their artistic abilities to scoop prizes in a competition. The children received their awards in a ceremony at the Britannia Hotel, Newcastle Airport, after entering the Northumbria in Bloom children's painting competition
-
Date
News in brief: Tools stolen from workshop
THIEVES used oxyacetylene torches to burn through the locks on a steel door when they broke into workshops in a village. The burglary happened in Heighington between 4.30pm on Friday and 8.30am on Saturday. Once inside the buildings, the thieves stole
-
Date
Awards for landmarks
REDCAR and Cleveland people are being asked to nominate their favourite local landmarks for a national heritage award. The borough's council has been invited to submit landmarks or prestigious buildings for the Queen's Golden Jubilee Heritage Awards.
-
Date
Stamina test awaits talented young golfers
TWO young golfers will "putt" their stamina to the test when they take part in an all-day golfathon for charity. Lee Borrowdale, 16 and Liam Caygill, 11, will raise funds for Comic Relief spin-off Sports Relief, which helps children in the UK and abroad
-
Date
Job Search: Vacancies
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Quality engineer, Darlington, 40hrs pw, experience essential, plastic injection moulding. Ref: DAE 30869. Mechanic/MoT tester, Darlington, £200pw, 45hrs pw, must
-
Date
Vipers boss scouting for imports
NEWCASTLE KBS Vipers general manager Alex Dampier is on a scouting trip to Canada hoping to add to his growing list of signings for the new club. Having secured a British National League place for the coming season, the Vipers have already taken on at
-
Date
Gala Theatre to be split into segments
Durham City Council could seek to split up the Gala Theatre as it bids to map out a future for the troubled £14m venue. The council has indicated that it may hive off the arts venue's various functions to different management companies. These would include
-
Date
Teachers could not stop bullies - pupil
A former pupil who claims her school let her down when she was being bullied today told a court how her teacher was powerless to stop her tormentors. Caroline Newby, 19, alleges she was regularly spat at, pushed and called names at Shotton Hall Secondary
-
Date
Eating Owt: The early bird catches a superb value supper
IT must be ages, weeks anyway, since last we mentioned coming top of journalism's infant class at Darlington Tech. It didn't say much for the others. The prize was an appropriately brief stage appearance - famous for 15 seconds, as Mr Andy Warhol almost
-
Date
Last Night's TV: Lenny Blue (ITV)
TV drama Tough Love passed me by, which probably explains why watching Lenny Blue felt like being lost in a maze. There was no helpful what-happened-last-time synopsis at the start to set the scene. It was straight in at the deep end with Ray Winstone
-
Date
Fun and fire sense at open day
THE sun may not have shone but visitors to Saltburn still had a hot day out last Saturday, courtesy of the town's firefighters. Hundreds of people went along to an open day at Leven Street fire station to watch firefighters, police and lifeboat and ambulance
-
Date
Providing more aid for Africa
VILLAGERS who have earned the gratitude of an African community by helping to raise money to build a school have dug deep to raise more funds. By holding a barbecue in the grounds of a village cottage, residents of Sadberge, near Darlington, raised £2,700
-
Date
Health trust website is a national first
HOSPITAL workers with a problem can log on to their computer for answers. Health bosses on Teesside this week launched a website aimed at improving the mental health of staff, and people working for other companies across the country. Wellworker.org is
-
Date
Taking the reins to warn children of countryside dangers
HUNDREDS of youngsters will become Rural Rangers this week after a massive health and safety drive designed for youngsters in the countryside. Police have joined forces with other agencies to run a series of workshops for 650 primary school pupils at
-
Date
Fundraising school gets 'lots' of cash
AN auction to raise funds for Hurworth Comprehensive School's bid for specialist status has been hailed a success. More than 100 lots were auctioned by Look North presenter John Lawrence at the event on Friday. A total of £2,805 was raised at the auction
-
Date
Bullying cost our beloved Elaine her life, weeps distraught father
Schoolgirl Elaine Swift overdosed on painkillers and died after she was bullied for saving her sister's life, an inquest heard yesterday. The 15-year-old was hailed a hero in newspapers and on TV when she gave bone marrow to her sister Christine, who
-
Date
Famous faces put themselves in the picture to launch campaign
MODELS, actors and presenters have given the world a revealing glimpse of how they see themselves, The celebrities unveiled self-portraits at the launch of Self Portrait UK - supported by Northern Arts and The National Portrait Gallery - in Newcastle.
-
Date
Cycle power
Staff and students at Stockton and Billingham College have been channelling their energies into raising funds for a national charity. Members of the college took part in a bike ride to their new college site at Teesdale, and a charity football match,
-
Date
Father dies during beach trip with son
A FATHER has died after falling on rocks at a North Yorkshire beauty spot. Steve Massender, 31, a chef at Scarborough General Hospital, was on rocks at Scalby Mills, north of the resort, when the accident happened. Flags were flying at half mast at the
-
Date
Early thief escapes with cash
POLICE have warned people to be on their guard after an unusual early morning distraction burglary. At about 7.45am yesterday, a woman living in the Sunderland Road area of Horden, east Durham, answered a knock on her kitchen door and was confronted by
-
Date
Gala first for literature festival
A NORTH-East actress read a range of popular poems at the weekend as part of a literary event. Durham Literature Festival, which runs until July 13, brings a range of writers and performers to the city to celebrate the written word. For the first time
-
Date
Neglected dogs found tied to gate
FLEA ridden and weak, these two devoted companions were left tied to a gate with a note saying "please help us". Max, a labrador-cross and Tara, a collie-cross, are being cared for by vets in Bishop Auckland, but last night the RSPCA appealed for help
-
Date
£10m windfall for projects
A MULTI-MILLION pound cash boost to transform deprived areas of Wearside was unveiled yesterday. The £10m windfall from Sunderland City Council's sale of council houses and shares in Newcastle Airport, will fund ten projects. About £2.2m has been set
-
Date
Criticised sculpture wins prize
NEWCASTLE'S controversial Blue Carpet sculpture has won a national award. Newcastle City Council's head of engineering, Tony Elliott, will be presented with the Local Government News Street Design for the Pedestrian Environment 2002 award today. The Blue
-
Date
Next stop for heating advice
A ROADSHOW is touring County Durham this week to encourage people to take up Government grants for the installation of home heating and insulation. The red Warm Front bus, run by energy efficiency experts the Eaga Partnership, is designed as a friendly
-
Date
'Lottery' row over free care for the elderly
A FUNDING row erupted yesterday as older people in Scotland began having their personal care fees paid. The Government faced calls to end the postcode lottery which sees the elderly in England miss out on financial help with washing, dressing and eating
-
Date
Auction puts school closer to its target
AN auction to raise funds for Hurworth Comprehensive School's bid for specialist status has been hailed a success. More than 100 lots were auctioned by Look North presenter John Lawrence at the event on Friday. A total of £2,805 was raised at the auction
-
Date
Gravestones undergo survey
A COUNCIL is to inspect churchyard memorial stones . The District of Easington survey follows the introduction of guidelines by the Association of Burial Authorities, warning of the dangers posed by unstable stones. Responsibility for headstones rests
-
Date
Dixons' 1,000-job pledge
ELECTRICAL retailer Dixons is to create more than 1,000 jobs in the next year, it said last night. The group said most UK regions would benefit from the move, and the extra jobs would be mainly in existing stores or new outlets. Dixons said they would
-
Date
Lottery boost for prison museum
LOTTERY funds of £251,000 will be used to revamp Ripon's Police and Prison Museum. The cash will be used for the museum set in the old Liberty Prison, which closed in 1878, one of three museums operated by the Museum Trust. Earlier funds raised have paid
-
Date
Children receive better service
THE number of emergency admissions of children in County Durham into care has halved thanks to a social services initiative. Durham County Council is one of the first in the country to develop a Community Support Team to link with its out-of-hours Emergency
-
Date
£30m hospital development under way
A MULTI-MILLION pound series of building and development projects is under way to revitalise one of the North-East's busiest hospitals. Gateshead Health NHS Trust has the go-ahead for ten modernisation projects to transform the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
-
Date
Star turn Paul draws admiring crowds at hospice summer fair
THE artist who depicted footballer Alan Shearer in a giant caricature which hung from the Tyne Bridge made sketches of fairgoers at the weekend. Paul Slattery was the star guest at the annual summer event at St Cuthbert's Hospice, in Durham. Mr Slattery
-
Date
Technology is here - now it's time to use it
NORTH-EAST companies are stifling economic growth in the region because of businesses' failure to make the most of the Internet, experts have revealed. Experts in the region claim that the North-East has the highest number of telephone exchanges set up
-
Date
Firms get benefit
CONSTRUCTION companies in the region are beginning to reap the rewards of a two-year £1m grant to help training projects. The Construction Industry Training Board in the North-East has successfully secured a grant from the European Social Fund to help
-
Date
Witness plea over death of teenager
POLICE investigating the death of a teenager are still anxious to speak to people who may have seen him after he left a Stockton nightclub in the early hours of Sunday, June 23. The body of Christopher Shaw, was recovered from the River Tees last Friday
-
Date
Are you a Mother or a Monster?
Women may be failing to make it through the glass ceiling at work because of the influence of Victorian literary heroines. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports. WEARING her tattered, moth-eaten wedding dress, her house crumbling around her, Miss Havisham
-
Date
'America the Beautiful is burning and bothered'
On his return from the American Mid-West, former Sports Editor of the Nothern Echo, Jeff Todhunter reports on the devastating natural phenomenon which has set a nation on edge - the wildfire. FIREFIGHTING teams have worked ceaselessly to extinguish the
-
Date
Comment: Surely money well spent
YESTERDAY'S report that prisoners should get an increased payment when they leave jail was manna for the tabloids and for people who don't care to think beyond the headlines. At first glance, it is despicable that the Government is even contemplating
-
Date
Judge's warning to shop raiders
A KNIFE-WIELDING raider, who fled empty-handed after being tackled by a fish and chip shop owner, was yesterday jailed for three-and-a-half years. Ken Bewes acted when a shocked female assistant burst into the back room of Grangetown Fisheries, in Sunderland
-
Date
Scotsman claims he was tortured in N-E prison
A SCOTSMAN claimed in court yesterday he had been tortured by fellow prisoners in an English jail. Francis McIntosh, 40, was in a team of burglars raiding pubs when he was arrested in April and remanded to Holme House Prison, in Stockton, Teesside. McIntosh
-
Date
Sorry, armed raid on M62 servoes was an exercise
A POLICE force has apologised after terrifying garage staff and their customers. Armed Cleveland police officers rushed on to the forecourt of the Hartshead Services, on the M62 in West Yorkshire, without warning. Staff and onlookers stood open- mouthed
-
Date
North painters' works on sale
WORKS by some of the region's most celebrated painters will be on sale during a one-off exhibition next weekend. Tom and Rosamund Jordan, of TB and R Jordan Fine Paintings, based in Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, will be displaying and selling works by
-
Date
Money will help tackle drug crimes
MILLIONS of pounds are to be channelled into the region to help break the link between drugs and crime. The Home Office has announced that £70m of Communities Against Drugs (CAD) funding will be allocated across the country in the coming weeks. It will
-
Date
Charity chairman steps down
CHARITY champion Peter Beaty is stepping down after ten years as chairman of Help the Aged's Durham and Wearside fundraising committee. The 72-year-old is to concentrate his efforts in Newton Aycliffe and the surrounding area. Mr Beaty, who was chairman
-
Date
Horror as birthday boy hit by train
A TEENAGE boy was fighting for his life last night after being hit by a train as he celebrated his birthday. Ben Woods lost his left arm and leg in the accident, which happened on the East Coast Main Line, near Darlington. Police believe the youth - who
-
Date
Police probe claim headteacher struck girl
POLICE and education chiefs launched an investigation yesterday after a ten year-old girl alleged she had been struck on the face by her headteacher. The girl's mother is refusing to send her back to Sunnybrow Primary School, County Durham, following
-
Date
Offer of support as £810,000 flats open
A FLAGSHIP project to help and support vulnerable people has been opened. The East Raby Street scheme, in Darlington, has transformed an eyesore site into a new unit providing support and accommodation for 15 people, mostly with mental health problems
-
Date
Rangers get saddled up to experience life on horseback
NATIONAL park rangers were given an insight into equestrian life in the Yorkshire Dales by swapping their Land Rovers for a day in the saddle. The Malham-based Yorkshire Dales Trekking Centre teamed up with the British Horse Society to offer staff first-hand
-
Date
Police worries over bar's late-opening
POLICE have opposed plans for a bar in Stockton High Street to stay open longer because of concerns over the impact it would have on force resources in the area. Stockton Borough Council received an application from the Ibiza Bar to extend its licence
-
Date
Ride 'em cowboy - more comfortably
A NORTH-EAST firm is selling saddles in the not-so Wild West. The Free 'n' Easy Saddle Company in Teesdale has designed an innovative new saddle using materials which are more comfortable for the horse and rider. One of the company's partners Les Spark
-
Date
Robbery victim's delight at car offers
A MOTHER of two sick children left stranded by car thieves has been overwhelmed by the generosity of readers of The Northern Echo. Two of victim Deborah Hadley's children have medical conditions requiring frequent hospital check ups and supplies of medication
-
Date
Parents' tough sentence plea
THE parents of a man killed during a night out are launching a petition in a bid to get sentences for violent offenders increased. Sheena and James McGibbon were enjoying a night out in Hartlepool town centre last year, with son, Phillip, 25, and his
-
Date
Beware advice charge
REDCAR and Cleveland residents are falling prey to unscrupulous offers of benefit advice, according to welfare workers. The borough council's community legal service partnership has discovered that some individuals and agencies are offering an advice
-
Date
Transport problems forum
TRANSPORT problems at a North-East industrial estate will be highlighted at a meeting tomorrow. The North-East Chamber of Commerce believes that inadequate public transport at the Team Valley in Gateshead is making it difficult for staff without cars
-
Date
£25m university centre will aid cancer research
RESEARCH into the causes and treatment of cancer was given a boost yesterday when scientists moved into a new £25m university complex. The building, which is dedicated to cutting-edge biology developments at the University of York, will allow extra research
-
Date
Cigarette smokers sought for research
CIGARETTE addicts are needed to help with a research project looking at whether the manner in which a person smokes contributes to lung problems. The University Hospital of North Tees, Stockton, is looking for volunteers, aged 40 and over, who have been
-
Date
Students bike it to help buy special dog
EIGHT teenage students have set themselves a gruelling task - in an effort to help one of the tutors at their college. Maggie Hogg, who teaches sign-language at Northallerton College, is profoundly deaf and the students, all aged 17, plan to cycle across
-
Date
Feethams work-out does just the job
It was only a Second XI game at Darlington, yet Darren Gough roared in like it was a Lord's Test. Riled that his lung-bursting efforts had not yielded a wicket, he peppered Durham's tail-end batsmen with a welter of short-pitched deliveries. One ball
-
Date
Faltering growth hits recovery hope
BUSINESS leaders last night painted a gloomy picture for North-East manufacturing as a new survey showed growth had fallen to its lowest level for four months. The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) said a marked decline in demand in
-
Date
Riverside earmarked for Pakistan matches
The Riverside is in line to bail out cash-strapped Pakistan next month by helping to host a one-day international tournament also involving Australia and New Zealand. And Durham's ground could be given a prestigious Test match involving Pakistan and Australia
-
Date
Rumours of my racism have been exaggerated
LET me clear up some confusion which has arisen out of what I said about worldwide terrorism in this column last week. I certainly did not mean to suggest that all Arabs or Muslims support murderous, suicidal attacks on western targets - though it has
-
Date
'Bullied' pupils sue former school for £100,000
TWO young people who claim their lives were ruined by bullies are each suing their former school - and its governors - for £50,000. Caroline Newby and Jamie Bright say they both needed hospital treatment because of the ordeal they suffered at the hands
-
Date
Job Search: Vacancies
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Office manager, Thirsk. £15,000 to £20,000pa, 40hrs pw. Must have office management experience and be computer literate. Ref: NOE 16722. Car accident recovery specialist
-
Date
Job Search: Vacancies
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Dental nurse, Stockton. £4.20ph, 9am-5pm, two days per week. Previous experience preferred. Ref: STL 33531. Chef, Hutton Rudby. NMW. For country pub. Own transport
-
Date
Job Search: Vacancies
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Chef, Seaham, Cold Hesledon. NMW. To work producing food to a high quality from an al la carte menu. Must have at least 3 years' experience, NVQ level 3 or equivalent
-
Date
Corus switch brings job joy
HUNDREDS of steel jobs have been saved on Teesside following a dramatic turnaround by Corus. Steel bosses have decided against awarding rail work to an outside contractor, following hard lobbying by unions. A decision by Corus to keep the work in-house
-
Date
The early bird catches a superb value supper
IT must be ages, weeks anyway, since last we mentioned coming top of journalism's infant class at Darlington Tech. It didn't say much for the others. The prize was an appropriately brief stage appearance - famous for 15 seconds, as Mr Andy Warhol almost
-
Date
Heart patients still face delay under new fast-track scheme
PATIENTS who hoped their heart operations would be carried out sooner under a Government plan to slash waiting times still face an anxious wait, it was revealed yesterday. The Government has made the drive to reduce heart surgery waiting times one of
-
Date
The early bird catches a superb value supper
IT must be ages, weeks anyway, since last we mentioned coming top of journalism's infant class at Darlington Tech. It didn't say much for the others. The prize was an appropriately brief stage appearance - famous for 15 seconds, as Mr Andy Warhol almost
-
Date
Anger at nature reserve proposal
CAMPAIGNERS are stepping up their fight to block plans for a housing and business development on a Teesside conservation area. A petition containing 4,500 signatures from residents has been handed in to Stockton Borough Council, which acts as planning
-
Date
Children warned of dangers of railway lines
Children are being warned of the dangers of trespassing on railway lines as a youngster continues to fight for his life after being hit by a train. Ben Woods' condition was this afternoon described as "serious" by staff at Middlesbrough General Hospital
