Archive
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Should rusting relic Amos be scrapped?
THOSE who bypass our sports pages - an inexcusable omission, for therein are many mysteries embraced - will have missed Hartlepool United centre forward Gordon Watson after the weekend win at Oxford. "I thought it was the worst we have defended all season
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PM's whistlestop tour takes in problems great and small
FROM ridding the world of poverty in Johannesburg to cleaning up the streets of Ferryhill in 24 quick hours. From opening a modest community hospital in Sedgefield to tackling the menace of Saddam Hussein in Iraq within the blink of an eye. The life of
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Industrial boom brings more workers and woe
WITH the railways weaving their way down the Gaunless Valley, there was, at last, a way for the coal to get out. But people were needed to get the coal out, so the valley, like most of south Durham, experienced a population explosion during the 19th Century
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Marsh backing Harmison for bright future
STEVE Harmison was told last night that he can take over Darren Gough's mantle as England's premier fast bowler for the next decade. Harmison's glowing appraisal came from Academy director Rod Marsh, who cast an admiring eye over the Durham paceman's
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How a lesson from long ago can help seatbelt campaign
THEY may be known as the Dims, but a family of dolls has been given the life and death task of getting across a vital safety message. Mummy, Daddy and Baby Dim have been enlisted to persuade North-East children to belt up in the back of the car. Countless
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Blair: I'll show you proof on Saddam
Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday issued his clearest message yet that action must be taken against the "real and unique" threat posed to the world by Iraq. Speaking to the world's media in his Sedgefield constituency, he promised to reveal a dossier
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Industrial boom brings more workers and woe
WITH the railways weaving their way down the Gaunless Valley, there was, at last, a way for the coal to get out. But people were needed to get the coal out, so the valley, like most of south Durham, experienced a population explosion during the 19th Century
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Gritty Chris battles back into the swim after injury
A TEENAGE swimmer whose career was almost ended by a shoulder injury is back on the medal trail. Former national schools champion Chris Surtees, 17, from Hunwick, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was one of the most promising young swimmers in the
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Beckham pulls out of squad
SIR Alex Ferguson started a potential club versus country row with Sven-Goran Eriksson last night when he withdrew David Beckham from the England squad. The Manchester United manager revealed that England captain Beckham, who helped Manchester United
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Schools could demand cash over teacher checks backlog
THE Government could face compensation claims from schools grappling with the problems caused by delays in staff criminal record checks. Heads and teaching unions said the cost of drafting in emergency supply staff in some cases should not be met by schools
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New future for curtain and carpet shop
A former carpet and curtains shop in Richmond could be converted to offices. The Crown Soft Furnishings store in Rosemary Lane closed earlier this year and solicitors Hodgson and Mortimer, which already occupy the neighbouring Rosemary House, have applied
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Sir Bobby loses power battle
CRAIG Bellamy will link up with the Wales squad today after Sir Bobby Robson lost his power battle with Mark Hughes. Hughes will have Bellamy available for Saturday's Euro 2004 qualifier in Finland after the Newcastle United striker was grudgingly given
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Offensive scarf may lose landlady her licence
A pub landlady who was fined for displaying an offensive football scarf above her bar now faces the possibility of losing her licence. Yvonne Mann, 42, could be forced out of the pub business if police object to her being the licensee now that she has
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Doctor accused of kerb crawling
A married village doctor accused of kerb crawling in a town centre red light district appeared in court yesterday. Patrick Holmes, 33, a GP from Middleton Lane, Middleton St George, near Darlington, appeared before Teesside magistrates charged with soliciting
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Wrangle over choice of school
AN eleven-year-old girl has been left without a school after a dispute with education chiefs. Rachel Park has yet to start secondary school in Darlington after her mother was told that the youngster had to attend Haughton Comprehensive School this year
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Refuse collection changes defended
DARLINGTON Borough Council has defended its decision to change the way rubbish is collected from people's homes. A scheme has been introduced requiring people to leave their rubbish bags at the roadside for collection. But elderly and disabled residents
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Flats proposal for former hunting lodge
AN old Darlington building could be destined for a new lease of life with plans to turn it into luxury homes. Faverdale Hall and the surrounding buildings could be turned into flats and homes if Darlington Borough Council approves the plans. The proposals
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Happy return for restaurant couple
A DARLINGTON couple are moving back to their home town to open a £3.5m family restaurant and hotel. Noel and Judith McLay, who manage the Tindale Crossing Brewsters, at Bishop Auckland, have been appointed managers of the Brewsters and Travel Inn, which
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Carpet company expands its floorspace
NEW jobs could be in the pipeline at a Darlington carpet business after it completed a £700,000 extension. Maguires Wholesale Carpets, which employs 66 people, has expanded its premises by 10,000sq ft to meet the growing demand on the business from carpet
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Assembly 'will be just a talking shop'
NORTH-EAST firms say plans for regional government will simply set up a "talking shop". A North-East Chamber of Commerce survey of nearly 200 companies shows a majority are unhappy with the White Paper proposals. They don't believe the plans give the
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Mellanby gearing up for return
Darlington striker Danny Mellanby is on the comeback trail after several months out with a long-standing back problem. He has struggled since last season to overcome to injury but yesterday had an injection which it is hoped will finally cure the problem
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Log on to speak out about site
INTERNET users are being encouraged to visit North Yorkshire County Council's website and share their views on the site through an online survey. The survey, which takes between five and ten minutes to complete, can be accessed by visiting www.northyorks
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Youths escape prosecution despite driving car into wall
YOUTHS who drove a car into a garden wall will not face prosecution - despite being caught by police as they fled the scene. The wall surrounding Gary and Judith Bowey's house was destroyed after a white Ford Fiesta crashed into it at 7am on a Sunday
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On the lookout for a Desert Deer at York
SOME racehorses are named in hope rather than glory, sentiments that may originally have applied to Desert Deer in the belief the colt at least had a chance of emulating his fleet-of-foot counterpart in the animal kingdom. Thankfully from the moment Desert
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New generation of ambulances arrive
A NEW generation of ambulances are taking to the road with the arrival of the first of an emergency fleet of 60. The Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service has taken delivery of the first batch of Mercedes Benz vehicles, powered by diesel turbo
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Resubmitted plans for school floodlights anger residents
RESIDENTS fear a picturesque area will be ruined by dazzling lights if plans for a multi-sports pitch are approved. After already having its plans for the pitch rejected, Durham School has resubmitted them to Durham City Council. It wants to convert an
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Disgraced doctor to face GMC_inquiry
COMPLAINTS against disgraced former North Yorkshire psychiatrist William Kerr are to be investigated by the General Medical Council (GMC). The GMC has told former patients that a charge will be formulated against the retired doctor on the basis of "very
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Club owner's quest to be the Ultimate
BAR and nightclub owner Ultimate Leisure has made its first acquisitions outside the North-East as it looks to become a national operator. The Newcastle group, which employs more than 600 staff, bought the freehold to sites in Nottingham and Rotherham
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Cheeky pair put Romeo in shade
So you thought Romeo Beckham had it bad. A North-East brother and sister have their mother to thank for names that could prove even more embarrassing when they are at school. Anna D'arcy has named her children Lily Josephine Eileen Elsie Cheeky-Winkle
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Hear All Sides
ROAD SAFETY: SPEEDING road vehicles kill over 3,000 people in this country every year, far more than those killed in rail and aircraft accidents. Speed cameras and fines on drivers breaking the speed limit do very little to reduce it. With modern technology
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Thistle looks on bright side
THISTLE Hotels hailed the strength of its regional operations as it signalled an upturn in fortunes could be around the corner. The Leeds group, which manages hotels in Newcastle and Middlesbrough, said a growth in short breaks across the UK had helped
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Crime-fighting agency expands
A CRIME fighting agency is celebrating its 13th birthday by expanding its service. And those behind it are congratulating the public for helping it to become the most successful in the country. Since it was launched on September 4, 1989, the Tyne Tees
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A footballer by any other name...
What's in a name? When it's Romeo Beckham, probably quite a lot. But his name - which actually sounds dashing and different and quite fun - is the least of the little lad's problems. There he is, no bigger than a bag of potatoes, barely taken his first
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News in brief
Young people learn of rights Durham Children and Young People's Council and Article 12 are jointly organising a day of fun and debate for young people and adults at Leech Hall, St John's College, Durham, from 10am to 4pm on Saturday. The free event will
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Sailing through logistical test
THE region's first professional logistics college has received the seal of approval for its open learning courses. The Durham Logistics College, set up to fill the gap in the specialist logistics training market, has been reviewed by the Institute of
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Countryside team geared up for challenge
A CRACK team has been assembled by Sedgefield Borough Council to improve the countryside and encourage more visitors. The council has employed a countryside officer since the late-1980s as part of its design team, which has responsibilities for architecture
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Payout to victim of porn at work
A WOMAN who won a case against Nissan after male colleagues watched pornography in their breaks has been awarded an undisclosed amount in compensation. Beverley Ward, a former paint shop worker at Nissan's Wearside plant, took the company to an industrial
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Give Cook letter back to the N-E, urges MP
AN MP is calling for a long-lost letter from explorer Captain Cook to be donated to the North-East. Yesterday, The Northern Echo reported that the letter, which was hidden for more than 200 years, had been found by a valuer from auctioneers Bonhams, of
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Past and present in churches tour
A NEW event this autumn will give people a glimpse into the current work of the churches in the Yorkshire Dales, as well as a peek into an often overlooked past. From the time when Paulinus, the 7th Century Archbishop of York, baptised converts in the
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Group ups stake in Cleveland Bridge
A SAUDI Arabian investment group has increased its stake in international bridge building company Cleveland Bridge. The Al Rushaid Investment Group has upped its holding from 58 per cent to 88.5 per cent, strengthening Cleveland's ability to bid for more
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Jaw or war: the Iraq debate
Glen Reynolds, a Quaker and a lawyer, claims there is no evidence to support war with Iraq As Prime Minister Tony Blair told journalists yesterday of his conviction that Saddam Hussein is developing weapons of mass destruction, two writers offer opposing
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Call heralds bird's N-E return
THE corncrake - one of Europe's rarest birds- has successfully bred in North Yorkshire for the first time in decades. The discovery was made when the bird's distinctive mating call was heard by a farmer in the Pennine Dales Environmentally Sensitive Area
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Farmers in fear of travelling burglars
FARMERS are living in fear of gangs of burglars who are travelling across the region to raid remote country premises, it has been claimed. Over the past two months, thieves have broken into a number of properties in villages south of Northallerton, North
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Cure found for fainting fits after 40 years of suffering
A man who for 40 years fainted whenever he was woken by the door bell or his alarm clock has finally found a cure for the problem. Allan Todd, 63, saw more than 20 doctors, none of whom could find the cause of the blackouts. At their worst the seizures
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Tobacco taken in raid
Tobacco with a retail value of more than £30,000 has been seized during a raid in County Durham. Customs officers seized 308 kilos of Golden Virginia hand rolling tobacco, following a visit to a house in West Cornforth. A team of five customs officials
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Youth killed in road accident
An 18-year-old from Ripon was killed yesterday when his car crossed the carriageway of the A59 on the outskirts of York and collided with a lorry. The Vauxhall Astra then rebounded back into its correct lane and collided with a Ford Orien. The woman driving
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Goodness gracious - Bollywood-on-Tees
IT may seem far removed from the glamour of Bollywood, but the latest Indian movie blockbuster is on course to be shot among the industrial landmarks of the North-East. Producers are scouring the region for locations for a film which is expected to capture
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Firm sheds 95 jobs
A Japanese company's North East flagship factory is shedding 95 jobs in a bid to secure the plant's long term future in the region. The bleak news was delivered yesterday from NSK Bearings' Peterlee base where employees were being briefed over the cuts
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North-East adventurer set to prove abominable snowman exists
A modern-day northern Indiana Jones believes he may be able to prove the existence of a relative of the abominable snowman. Nigel Burton reports. In 1818 an Englishman named William Marsden, who was the British Secretary in Residence in Sumatra, wrote
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Gosforth woman falls from ferry
Dutch police are trying to solve the mystery of how a North-East woman fell overboard from a ferry. The 40-year-old woman, from the Gosforth area of Newcastle, fell over a barrier on the ship's top deck and, watched by her horrified male friend, plunged
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Film company swamped with calls
A Bollywood film company has been inundated with calls from budding actors and dancers wishing to take part a move on course to be shot in Teesside. The first auditions for extras, including speaking and dancing parts, take place above Sharkey's nightclub
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Tommy happy to stay put
SUNDERLAND goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, who threatened to quit the club during last season's battle to stave off relegation, is now convinced that Peter Reid's side are ready to make a renewed Premiership impact. Sorensen, with the Denmark squad preparing
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Let's be positive, Hodge
BRAD Hodge has warned his Durham teammates that they need to be positive when taking on Australian leg-spinner Stuart MacGill over the next few days. The comings and goings at Trent Bridge saw MacGill take 27 wickets at an average of 17.48 in three championship
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Payout to victim of porn at work
A WOMAN who won a case against Nissan after male colleagues watched pornography in their breaks has been awarded an undisclosed amount in compensation. Beverley Ward, a former paint shop worker at Nissan's Wearside plant, took the company to an industrial
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Parents' guide to the Internet
PARENTS wanting to guide their children towards the benefits of the Internet and away from its potential dangers are invited to join a new short course. A Parent's Guide to the Internet is just one of a wide variety of short courses on offer at Sunderland
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Teenage bag thieves sought
POLICE are seeking two teenagers after a handbag theft in Bishop Auckland. The pair snatched the bag from a woman while she was shopping in the town's Asda supermarket, in the Newgate Centre, yesterday, at 2.45pm. The bag contained a purse, money and
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Preparations for problems to come
SUFFERING businesses in the Darlington area made modest job cuts last month, a survey has shown. The Darlington Business Index for July, compiled by accountant and business advisor, Clive Owen, shows that businesses saw trade suffer and made job cuts
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Sisters tell court of sexual abuse at hands of babysitter's son
Two women told a court yesterday that they were sexually abused by a babysitter's son when they were children. The sisters, in their 20s, said that David Swales groped them in their beds, while his mother was downstairs in their home and their parents
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Sad Sid is home's phantom tippler
A WHISKY-drinking, book-loving ghost dubbed Sid is creating some supernatural stress for Linda Goddard-Young and her family. The Scotch-swigging spirit has a penchant for appearing just from the waist down and stealing books left around their house in
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Small Fryton beats bigger fish to get on tourist map
SITUATED at the end of a no-through road and with a population of 62, the hamlet of Fryton has never been a tourist magnet. For years it has survived as a farming community and has never been high on the list of destinations for North Yorkshire holidaymakers
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Last farewell to Jessica and Holly
The funerals of murdered schoolgirls Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells have taken place, police revealed yesterday. They were held separately after a memorial service for the ten-year-olds at Ely Cathedral last Friday. A service for Jessica, whose family
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Mortgage pay-offs shortfall misery
THOUSANDS of North-East homeowners were facing mortgage misery last night after it was announced that more than 60 per cent of borrowers may not be able to pay off their endowment mortgages. Insurance companies, including York-based Aviva, formerly the
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Residents get a say on parking
PEOPLE embroiled in an eight-year dispute over car parking in a Darlington street will have their say on improvements. Home Housing Association tenants living in Wycombe Street have been complaining about the lack of residents' safe on-street parking
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Footbridge opens to delight of pedestrians and cyclists
A COMMUNITY united to celebrate the opening of a £500,000 footbridge yesterday. East Cleveland's Mayor and Mayoress Eric Jackson and Brenda Forster teamed up with councillor Garth Houchen to open the bridge in Marske. The New Blacks Footbridge, near the
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Show us the evidence
IF it were the official policy of the West to depose tyrannical dictatorships, we would be at war with dozens of regimes across the globe. The debate on what to do with Iraq is not over whether Saddam Hussein is good or evil. Even the staunchest opponents
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Battle lines drawn over moor site
More than 200 individual protests have been lodged by residents to secure victory in what has been dubbed the modern day battle of Marston Moor. Local people have bombarded North Yorkshire County Council with letters of objection over a planning application
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Penalty call leaves Boro feeling down
THE sort of refereeing decision that provides Manchester United's ever-growing army of critics with sufficient ammuntion to last them a season undermined Middlesbrough's attempts to replicate March's win at Old Trafford. With 27 minutes having elapsed
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Colourful flight to aid hospice
A THOUSAND balloons took to the sky this weekend as shoppers did their bit to support the Butterwick Hospice. The balloon race was launched by Bishop Auckland mobile phone shop Talkabout as it celebrated its second year of trading in the town's Newgate
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Home in the sun for Scarlet
A GIANT snake is jetting off to a new home after growing too big for his owners. This summer, Scarlet, a 14-stone Burmese Python, became the biggest snake to be handed in at the Reptile Trust rehoming centre in Burnopfield, near Stanley, County Durham
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Sports plan briefing by ministry
THE public are being invited to attend the next meeting of Richmondshire District Council's Community Committee. The Ministry of Defence will be giving a briefing on the development of a new sports and leisure complex at Catterick Garrison and other items
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Ex-magistrate wins right to judicial review
A magistrate who was struck off for allegedly threatening to have a pub landlord's licence revoked has won the first round of a High Court action to clear his name. Gordon Gill, a magistrate in Newcastle, launched the legal challenge after being struck
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Footbridge opens to delight of pedestrians and cyclists
A COMMUNITY united to celebrate the opening of a £500,000 footbridge yesterday. East Cleveland's Mayor and Mayoress Eric Jackson and Brenda Forster teamed up with councillor Garth Houchen to open the bridge in Marske. The New Blacks Footbridge, near the
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Manufacturing recovery 'stopped in its tracks'
UK manufacturing has suffered a setback in its recovery, according to a survey from the Engineering Employers Federation (EEF). The results of the survey contradict the findings of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, which on Monday claimed
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Grassroots
GOLF ACADEMY: The Yarm driving range and golf academy is the town's newest leisure facility. Located off Green Lane it has 17 floodlit driving ranges, a golf equipment shop, two resident golf professionals, tuition available and are facilities for corporate
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Last Nights TV
A dead cert to pull in audience: Waking The Dead (BBC1) This series can hardly go wrong borrowing, as it does, elements from several different cop show formats. We have the forenic expert, the criminal profiler, two younger detectives (one male, one female
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Medals haul for swimmer Denise
SWIMMER Denise Baker struck gold at the British Transplant Games. Denise, from Darlington, claimed first place in the women's 50 metres butterfly in her age group at the games, held in Loughborough, Leicestershire, last weekend. The 44-year-old also collected
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Internet link via the hospital bed
IN 1927, patients at Darlington Memorial Hospital were given the opportunity to listen to the radio from their beds for the first time because of the generosity of a North-East man. Thomas Spooner, a radio specialist, installed the first patient radio
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Celebrations as work starts on long-awaited new school
A LONG-HELD dream is finally coming true as work gets under way this month on a new school in North Yorkshire. Ten years of planning and five years of committed fundraising have gone into the scheme to create new premises for the Church of England primary
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Nursing agencies suffer as foreign recruites arrive
Nursing agencies say recruiting hospital staff from abroad is leaving them in a no-win situation. This weekend Filipino nurses will arrive at the University Hospital of North Durham to fill 40 full-time vacancies for nurses. They are the latest influx
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'Mother Teresa cured my illness'
A FORMER mental patient's claim that he was cured by Mother Teresa of Calcutta has been accepted by those campaigning to make her a saint. Norman Imms, 57, from Peterlee, County Durham, believes his meetings with the charity worker helped him overcome
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The muck that attracts the money
COAL counts more than guano in the history of this country. You don't need me to tell you that. But perhaps the National Trust does. Despite losing £4.5m through the foot-and-mouth epidemic, and generally now preferring to acquire landscapes rather than
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Should rusting relic Amos be scrapped?
THOSE who bypass our sports pages - an inexcusable omission, for therein are many mysteries embraced - will have missed Hartlepool United centre forward Gordon Watson after the weekend win at Oxford. "I thought it was the worst we have defended all season
