Archive
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Wetherspoon serves up caution
PUBS group JD Wetherspoon served up a note of caution yesterday as it warned annual profits may come in towards the lower end of market expectations. There was speculation the dip may have been caused because the chain's pubs showed no football during
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Boost for hospitals and GP surgeries
HOSPITALS and surgeries throughout the region have been allocated more than £5m after successfully bidding for more funds. The investment in improved services for orthopaedic, dermatology and ear, nose and throat (ENT) patients is part of a national drive
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Winning girls beat the Blues
TWO sisters from Thirsk were the envy of their friends at the weekend after winning a competition with The Northern Echo. Rachel Frank, 13, and her ten-year-old sister, Charlie, were thrilled to meet members of their favourite boy band at Lightwater Valley
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Funding challenge for Janet
A MOTHER hoping to take part in a marathon 230-mile cycle ride around Cuba has said she is more worried about funding the trip than about the cycle ride itself. Janet Balsour, of Park View South, Chester-le-Street, hopes to take part in the charity cycle
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Pupils study transport with a future
PUPILS have been learning about pedestrian and pedal power during a study of sustainable transport. Year six children at Newker Primary School in Chester-le-Street have been working with regeneration group Groundwork West Durham on a Sustainable Transport
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Last Night's TV
Stitch me up before you go go: My Worst Week (BBC1):There will be those who tut-tut at the idea of this tabloid-style series recalling those occasions when the very famous have been caught with their trousers down. Literally, in the case of George Michael
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Making bullying a thing of the past
YOUNGSTERS are comparing notes on beating bullies as part of an annual event this week. Representatives from schools across County Durham are meeting at County Hall, Durham, for the third annual Happier in Schools week. Aimed at raising the profile of
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Surer start for young families
FAMILIES will benefit from extra child care provision foll-owing a £16,000 grant. From September, families living on Sunderland's Ford Estate will be able to apply for extra child care places at Havelock Primary School, where a mother and toddler group
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Government must act in rail bridge dispute
The head of an influential pressure group today urged the Government to intervene in the bitter dispute over who should pay for repairs to potentially lethal railway bridge barriers. Campaign group Rail Future is backing The Northern Echo in its bid to
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Tees men in heilcopter crash
The RAF search and rescue team said that something catastrophic must have happened to the helicopter which crashed into the North Sea yesterday. The crash has killed eleven people, including two men from Teesside. Flight Lieutenant Paul Hopson - the pilot
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Residents protest against youth offending team move
A COMMUNITY which says it is being used as a dumping ground for criminals and drug addicts took to the streets in protest yesterday. More than 100 people carrying banners lined King's Road in North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, to show their anger at a decision
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Lawyer gets a taste of the Big Apple
A DARLINGTON lawyer is enjoying a taste of the Big Apple as she takes part in a year's internship with a US law firm. Natalie Walker, 23, flew to New York in January and is working as a "paralegal" - a person who advises attorneys - with leading solicitors
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Toddler found wandering the streets
A toddler was found wandering the streets of a busy town wearing just her nappy in the early hours of this morning. The baby had managed to wander more than half-a-mile away from her home before she was spotted by a concerned passer-by. The 23-month-old
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Men charged in connection with stabbing
Four people have appeared before magistrates charged in connection with the stabbing of an off-duty police officer. Pc David Myers, an officer with the Metropolitan Police, was visiting relatives in Hartlepool, Teesside, when he was injured late on Monday
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Car thugs stab have-a-go PC police
AN off-duty police officer who was stabbed when he confronted a gang of youths tampering with cars was in hospital last night after emergency surgery. PC David Myers, 31, a Metropolitan police officer, was visiting relatives in Hartlepool when he spotted
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Sir Bobby issues a champion warning
NEWCASTLE United manager Sir Bobby Robson sounded an ominous warning yesterday when he claimed that deposed Premiership champions Manchester United would be like a "wounded animal'' in the new season. Sir Alex Ferguson's side registered their worst Premiership
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Pool make short trip
HARTLEPOOL United's fans will tonight get their first opportunity to see their promotion hopefuls in action. But Chris Turner is likely to field a second-string side for the trip to Spennymoor and instead keep his first-teamers for Saturday's visit to
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Massive North-East wind farm go-ahead
A £30m scheme to create the North-East's biggest wind farm was granted planning permission yesterday. The proposals involve building 18 huge turbines - each the height of St Paul's Cathedral in London - on derelict land at the former Corus steelworks
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Housing scheme security award
A CONTROVERSIAL housing development has won a police-backed award for security. Plans for the Greystones flats, in Carmel Road North, Darlington, met with the town's most vehement public opposition to a housing development. But two years ago, Darlington
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Demands put Bowyer deal on hold
LEE BOWYER'S £9m move to Liverpool was on hold last night as the Reds refused to meet the midfielder's extraordinary wage demands. As Rio Ferdinand delayed a decision on his immediate future, with Leeds still clinging to the faint hope that he would decide
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Bells that echoed sound of the medieval miners
COMING over the top from Teesdale, the visitor to the Gaunless Valley is greeted by a towering surprise: a 115ft chimney sprouting from the middle of a wood. It is a leftover from another age, when heavily-laden pack-ponies crawled across the surface
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Housemate Jonny makes final week
FIREMAN Jonny Regan has survived the final Big Brother nominations of the current series, which were announced last night. The 29-year-old from Trimdon, County Durham, made it to the final four in the reality TV game show, having already survived three
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GP's wait for GMC hearing outcome
A GP was last night left waiting to discover whether she would be found guilty of serious professional misconduct over the treatment of two patients. Jane Gustafsson, 51, faced the General Medical Council's (GMC) Professional Conduct Committee over allegations
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Summer full of sporting fun on offer
A SUMMER playscheme is offering Darlington youngsters a chance to put their sporting skills to the test. Darlington Borough Council's sports development unit is organising events at the Eastbourne Sports Complex. A netball camp skills award day will run
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School praised for promoting an entrepreneurial culture
A SCHOOL has been praised for instilling an entrepreneurial culture in its students, to raise standards and promote a "can do" attitude. Sunnydale Comprehensive School, Shildon, is strengthening links with the National Foundation for the Teaching of Entrepreneurship
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Diamond support for lung charity
NEIL Diamond provided vital support to local charity Breathe North at his concert last night. The charity, which is the northern region of the British Lung Foundation, hoped the thousands of Diamond fans would donate cash during the performance at Newcastle's
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Green disk suggests direct route online
A green disk is helping teachers in secondary and primary schools bring environmental education into the classroom. The Big Green One is a CD-ROM directory, produced by Stockton Borough Council's environment centre, listing the best educational schemes
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Reg Vardy may be poised to take rival
A NORTH-EAST car dealer is believed to have placed a bid to take over one of its competitors. Reports yesterday suggested Reg Vardy, which has dealerships throughout the region, had placed a bid for the Ryland Group, one of its smaller rivals. Reg Vardy
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News In Brief
Man, 72, denies sex assaults: A pensioner carried out a string of sex attacks on a 13-year-old girl after spotting her taking a short cut through his garden, a court heard. Raymond Herron, 72, of Redcourts, Brandon, County Durham, continued his campaign
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Pensioner hits jackpot
A PENSIONER is celebrating after scooping more than £55,000 at bingo. The 77-year-old, who does not want to be named, is sharing her prize with her two friends aged 74 and 75, with whom she plays bingo up to four times a week. The Stockton woman was at
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Marketing blow for cheese makers
A CHEESE firm banned by the European Commission from using its Yorkshire Feta label may have to spend £175,000 on remarketing the product. And Judy Bell, of Shepherd's Purse Cheeses, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, fears that milk suppliers in the region
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Fire station prepares for fun day
FIREFIGHTERS in Stockton are putting the finishing touches to a fun day being held at the town's station on Saturday. Councillor Jean O'Donnell, the mayor of Stockton, along with chief fire officer John Doyle and five-year-old Rosie Henry will open the
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Hear All Sides
PETER MULLEN: PETER Mullen is hated by lefties like H Pender and P Winstanley because he is a patriotic Englishman who speaks the truth. Something lefties want to suppress. Their cries of racist, fascist, Nazi are designed to intimidate those who do not
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Kite mark to raise standard of care
A CATTERICK college has been chosen as the launch pad for a quality assurance project to help mark National Child Care Month. North Yorkshire's Early Years Development and Child Care Partnership (EYDCP) has unveiled a new "kite mark" for child care providers
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Mother's traumatic death fuelled a lifetime of hatred
AS a young girl, Ann-Marie Pyle could not have wished for a better place to grow up than the North Yorkshire resort of Scarborough. Her father and mother moved the family to the seaside in 1969 when they sold their home in Darlington to buy a modest guest-house
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Justice at last for Julie?
A 12-year fight for justice reches a climax today, when David Blunkett announces sweeping reforms to the criminal justice system. Hayley Gyllenspetz reports on one mother's campaign against an ancient law. WHEN Billy Dunlop unburdened his conscience to
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KPMG says 700 jobs must go in UK
ACCOUNTANCY firm KPMG is cutting 700 jobs in the UK, including the North-East, in response to the downturn in market conditions. The group, which has 24 UK offices, said the cuts would affect all functions in the firm. There is only one branch in the
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BNFL records record losses
STATE-OWNED British Nuclear Fuels yesterday reported record losses of £2.3bn but said its operating performance had improved. Chairman Hugh Collum said it had been a "landmark year" for the company, which had achieved an underlying profit before tax and
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Village's starring role in comedy of manors
LAST week's column became a camelcade. Footprints in the sand, this one begins similarly. First back to Queen Camel, and friends, in Dorset. Queen Camel, we concluded, had England's most memorable place name. What it's really famous for, points out Peter
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News In Brief
Call centre staff do their bit: CALL centre staff put their skills to good use by manning the phones for a charity event. A team of more than 200 at London Electricity's Doxford Park call centre, Sunderland, along with their families and friends, gave
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Project could bring leisure venue to town
AN historic building at the centre of a controversy which split a community last year could be set for a new lease of life as a multi-functional leisure venue. Richmondshire District Council found itself under fire when it emerged that the Richmond Farm
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Spinning webs to save our heritage
SCALING heights to protect the public from danger, all they were missing was the blue and red Spiderman outfit. Only a few weeks after the hysteria surrounding the Hollywood blockbuster, these specialists were showing arachnid-like abilities on a par
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Victim's mum celebrates end of battle for law change
A campaigning mum who fought to have the ancient double jeopardy law changed following the brutal murder of her daughter was celebrating an historic victory today. Ann Ming thought her joy would be tinged with sadness, expecting the Government to rule
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'Sacrificed on altar of short-termism' says NUM
THE remnants of Britain's once mighty coal industry were dealt another massive blow yesterday with confirmation that the country's biggest mine complex is to close with the loss of thousands of jobs. UK Coal said there was no prospect of the Selby complex
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Plea for council nursery on estate
A MOTHER claims a council is ignoring the needs of fam-ilies on a Durham estate by failing to provide childcare. Despite being one of Europe's largest estates, Newton Hall does not have a local authority-run nursery. It does have a private nursery - Busy
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Bells that echoed sound of the medieval miners
COMING over the top from Teesdale, the visitor to the Gaunless Valley is greeted by a towering surprise: a 115ft chimney sprouting from the middle of a wood. It is a leftover from another age, when heavily-laden pack-ponies crawled across the surface
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Railway line moves closer to reopening
HERITAGE and train enthusiasts are a step closer to realising their dream to reopen one of England's most picturesque railway lines. Plans to restore passenger services along the scenic Weardale line, in County Durham, overcame a major hurdle yesterday
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Region braced to cope with strike action
LOCAL authorities were putting contingency plans into place last night in preparation for strike action expected to bring chaos to services. More than 70,000 local authority staff in the North-East will be among 1.2 million nationwide walking out for
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Cannabis fuelled hatred of dad killer
A WOMAN bludgeoned her elderly father to death after developing "acute paranoid psychosis" because she was addicted to cannabis, a court heard yesterday. Bill Pyle, 77, suffered 85 wounds in the onslaught after his daughter flew into a violent rage attacking
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Feethams farewell after 120 years
FORMER Darlington Football Club's stars and their families have visited an exhibition to mark the departure of the club from its Feethams ground. The Farewell to Feethams project is being run by the Darlington Supporters' Trust to mark the club's move
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McClaren needs a new Wiig
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren is looking to steal a march on mentor Sir Alex Ferguson by lining up a £500,000 swoop for teenage Norwegian striker Martin Wiig. Sources in Norway claim Boro have already tabled an offer for the 18-year-old, who plays
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Would M&S make over William?
MUSIC apart, the audio tapes most frequently played in my car are of Martin Jarvis reading Just William. The range of voices that Jarvis delivers, from booming professors to reedy old maids, is amazing. His producer has remarked that to see him reading
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Thome to return
BRAZILIAN centre-back Emerson Thome is ready to relaunch his Sunderland career after emerging from a "nightmare'' year, writes Clive Hetherington. Thome, who sat out nearly all of last season with serious knee problems, knows he faces a new challenge
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The word that means hope
IT was the day before Mothering Sunday in 1993. Colin and Wendy Parry sat in a hospital waiting room. A doctor entered, sat down, opened a brown envelope containing a St Christopher and a blood-stained watch strap, and asked for confirmation that they
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Colleges must improve
COLLEGES in Redcar and Cleveland have been told to improve their attainment levels by a Government inspector. An Ofsted report on Redcar and Cleveland Tertiary College and Prior Pursglove Sixth Form published this week says the colleges' attainment rates
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Young sportswinners honoured
TABLE-TENNIS players and gymnasts were celebrating last night after scooping the honours at the latest Darlington Young Sportswinners awards. The Darlington Young Sportswinner Award for July went to David Meads, 12, from Gainford, at the Dolphin Centre
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Staff take the plunge for charity
EIGHT volunteers from Darlington Building Society have abseiled down the side of Darlington Memorial Hospital to raise money for a local charity. The abseiling event raised £600 for the Friends of Darlington Memorial Hospital. It was part of Darlington
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News In Brief
Five killed in copter crash: Five people were confirmed dead last night and six were missing after a civilian helicopter plunged into the sea 25 miles north-east of Great Yarmouth. Eleven people were on board the Sikorsky S76, two of them crew and the
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Tug of war between bulls and bears ends on a positive note
A ROLLER-coaster ride for blue-chip shares shuddered to a halt yesterday with the London market in rare positive territory. The FTSE 100 Index closed 27.4 points ahead at 4021.9, the first time it has finished on the front foot since July 5. It follows
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Teachers can learn skills to help dyslexics
TEACHERS in Stockton have been given the opportunity to gain greater skills to support children with dyslexia and reading difficulties. Run by the Dyslexia Institute, the courses address the needs of pupils with dyslexia in the literacy hour and in classroom
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Village's starring role in comedy of manors
LAST week's column became a camelcade. Footprints in the sand, this one begins similarly. First back to Queen Camel, and friends, in Dorset. Queen Camel, we concluded, had England's most memorable place name. What it's really famous for, points out Peter
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Guitar legend to play blues festival
THE legendary ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green will headline the North-East's biggest free blues festival next month. The acclaimed musician will take to the stage at the climax of the tenth Stanley Blues Festival, in County Durham, on Saturday,
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Pupils return to school
PUPILS and staff at a Hartlepool primary school are celebrating after a successful drive to cut absenteeism. Attendance figures for Golden Flatts School have risen by 6.9 per cent from 87.7 per cent to 94.6 per cent over the past academic year. The school
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Author inspired by dame's life
DAME Catherine Cookson has provided the inspiration for the latest novel by a successful North-East author. When Janet MacLeod Trott-er, who lives in Morpeth, Northumberland, was strugg-ling with her first novel, she asked the late Dame Catherine for
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Use your legs...while you still can
Right, this is how you do it... left foot up, down, right foot up, down, left foot again... Is walking really so difficult? It must be, because fewer of us are doing it. The latest survey shows that the average distance walked in a year is 186 miles.
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News In Brief
Bonuses given to charities: STAFF at Huntsman Petrochemicals' paraxylene plant at Wilton have donated personal cash bonuses to two local charities. As an incentive to improve their safety performance at the plant staff involved were given £11 each if
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Children are challenged in body and mind
A DALES school began the closing week of the summer term with fun in the classroom and challenges on the sports field. Pupils at Wensleydale School, Leyburn, proved their prowess and broke a number of old records at a sports day. Among them was Jessica
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Cafe culture gathers pace in market place
CAFE culture is gathering momentum in a corner of North Yorkshire, as proposals for a new venture are put forward. Plans to convert an empty shop in Malton Market Place into a modern bar have been submitted to Ryedale District Council after the former
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Use your legs...while you still can
Right, this is how you do it... left foot up, down, right foot up, down, left foot again... Is walking really so difficult? It must be, because fewer of us are doing it. The latest survey shows that the average distance walked in a year is 186 miles.
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Lorry tangles in 20,000
A LORRY driver was forced to leap from his cab when his wagon hit overhead electricity cables as he delivered fertiliser at a farm. Thousands of homes were left without electricity for up to six-and-a-half hours after the accident at Deaf Hill, near Trimdon
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Police to issue free car locks
Drivers in east Cleveland will receive car locks from the police, if they have been repeatedly targeted or live in an area where there are multiple offences. Cleveland Police has selected 40 people who have had their car stolen or have been targeted by
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Cash boost gives town a sporting chance
EFFORTS to provide more sporting opportunities for young people in Hartlepool have received a massive boost. The town's School Sport Co-ordinator (SSCo) Partnership has been awarded £131,048 of National Lottery money from the New Opportunities Fund. The
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Player's horror over death house
THE international footballer who owns the house in which Bill Pyle met his violent death spoke of his horror on discovering that a killing had been committed in his property. Bradford City goalkeeper Aidan Davison grew up in the village and rented out
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Authority welcomes report on Lancet
A GOVERNMENT report into Operation Lancet has been welcomed by Cleveland Police Authority. A Home Office report into the long-running inquiry criticised its poor management and the spiralling cost to tax-payers on Teesside. Councillor Ken Walker, chairman
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De La Rue shares plummet 34%
SHARES in bank note printer De La Rue, which has facilities in the North-East, slumped 34 per cent yesterday as investor confidence was rocked by a profits warning. The Basingstoke firm, which has a printing facility in Gateshead, warned that interim
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Salmon claims 'are fisherman's tales'
CLAIMS that salmon fishing on the River Tees is at an all-time high are being disputed by anglers. The Environment Agency says anglers are flocking to fishing hotspots on the river after the construction of the Tees Barrage caused an upturn in salmon
