Archive
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Cats don't need to alter style, claims Williams
Darren Williams insists Sunderland will stick to their principles as they battle to ensure 2003 brings a change in their fortunes. Williams is adamant Sunderland should not alter their style of play - despite conceding late goals against Leeds United,
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Tourist jailed for drunken 'hijack'
A DRUNKEN Darlington backpacker who threatened to hijack a packed passenger plane following a heavy drinking session was jailed in Australia last night. Thomas James Lilico, of Darlington, who is in the country on a year-long working holiday, burst into
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Flats scheme to be approved
A BUILDING in the heart of historic York which has stood empty for 30 years could finally be given a new use. Planning officers are recommending that a scheme to convert the former Kays warehouse, in Peter Lane, off Market Street, into 24 flats should
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Protests over houses
A SCHEME to build 22 homes in Whitby is to be turned down by planners following protests from residents who say valuable open space and wildlife habitat will be lost. Businessman Roy Jay wants to build the houses at Bog Hall, on a site bounded by the
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Protestors likely to lose arcade battle
CAMPAIGNERS who have fought to stop a caf being turned into a gaming arcade look likely to lose their battle. Councillors are expected to approve the conversion of the Take-a-Break caf, on Cockerton Green, in Darlington, next week. If Count Cash Amusements
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Praise for unit from inspectors
INSPECTORS say Durham City Council's economic development unit is good but has uncertain prospects for improvement. An Audit Commission team gave the unit a two-star rating, saying: "The unit has a good record on generating jobs and supporting the creation
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Police chief moved
Derwentside's acting Detective Chief Inspector, Simon Orton, has been transferred to Durham Police HQ pending the outcome of an internal inquiry into an alleged incident in a pub. The investigation centres on The Company Row pub in Front Street, Consett
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Striding out on eight-mile ramble
WALKERS are being invited to blow away the cobwebs on an eight-mile ramble this weekend. The coastal walk between the piers at Roker in Sunderland and South Shields takes place on Sunday, from 10.30am to 3.30pm. There will be free transport from South
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Comment: A very sick joke indeed
DRUNKEN, loutish behaviour on board aeroplanes is no laughing matter - particularly at a time when the fear of terrorist attacks has never been stronger. Tom Lilico, a 21-year-old former university student from the North-East, can therefore have no complaints
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Regeneration projects help boost growth
WORK on regeneration schemes in the North-East has helped engineering and environmental consultants White Young Green record dramatic growth. Its offices in the region, in Stockton and Newcastle, have been working on urban regeneration projects on behalf
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Population up by five per cent
THE population of North Yorkshire has grown by about five per cent over the past decade. The number of people living in the county, which does not include the city of York, is 570,000. Latest information shows that over the past ten years the population
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Agency moves to new HQ
REGIONAL development agency One NorthEast is moving its headquarters. Technical staff from the agency are relocating to Stella House, at Newburn Riverside in Newcastle, to oversee its fitting out in time for its opening next month. The building, named
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Staff urged to help charity
NORTHUMBRIAN Water is encouraging its staff to give up time to help charity - and still get paid. The water company has established a committee, made up of staff volunteers who have signed up to the company's Just an Hour scheme, which encourages employees
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Youngsters collect tonne of goods
YOUNGSTERS in Hartlepool have helped three charities by collecting almost 1,000kgs of unwanted items. Pupils from Barnard Grove, St Helen's and St Bega's Primary Schools collected the items, including clothes and games, which will now be sold in shops
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Farmer seeking to reap rewards of wildlife protection
A North-East farmer is hoping his attempts to protect rare wildlife could become a template for others. Catherine Jewitt reports. HIGH on a North-East hillside, a farmer is helping to protect rare and endangered species of British wildlife. From the roadside
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Witnesses sought to broken jaw attack
POLICE are hoping partygoers will be able to help them track down an attacker who left a man with a broken jaw. A 29-year-old local man was walking along Redcar Lane, Redcar, and had reached its junction with Ings Road and Thrush Road, when he was approached
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News in brief: Reshuffle for radio stars
BBC Radio Cleveland's Matthew Davies, John Foster and Caroline Davis are on the move in a reshuffle at the station which takes effect on Monday. Presenter Matthew Davies, who is the BBC Local Radio Presenter of the Year, is moving to a new mid-morning
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It's game on for disabled youngsters
A NEW sports club designed to get disabled children involved in sport begins this month. The Sports Ability Club will be open for youngsters in the Stockton area, aged eight to 18, with disabilities or special needs. Organised by Stockton Borough Council's
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Success lies in the cards
A BUSINESSWOMAN whose clients include the exclusive stores Harrods and Harvey Nichols has won an award. Tracey Russell, 27, from Esh, in Durham, beat off strong competition to win the Best Cultural and Creative Business Award for her company, Tracey Russell
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Young mum tells council a few home truths
A YOUNG mother who lives in a tiny flat above a fish and chip shop has made a plea for more affordable housing in her area. Kerry Searson shares a room with her eight-week-old daughter, Jamie, and two-year-old son, Jordan, in her mother's two-bedroom
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Luxury spa is an instant hit
THE region's newest spa is already proving a success, according to its manager. The £10m Serenity Spa opened at Seaham Hall Hotel, in Seaham, County Durham, on December 21. Described as the best facility of its kind in western Europe, it has 19 treatment
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Crime-hit MS victim shows his gratitude
A DISABLED man left stranded when thieves stole his wheelchair has thanked the people who helped trace it. Multiple sclerosis sufferer Jeffrey Ball, 49, has been reunited with his wheelchair after it was stolen from the front porch of his house in Hartlepool
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Grants boost work of local heritage groups
THREE of the county's herit-age groups are to benefit from thousands of pounds worth of funding from the Local Heritage Initiative (LHI). Grants totalling £46,000 will support the restoration and preservation of two old buildings and fund the collection
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Railway crossing users face big delay
NETWORK Rail has announced a lengthy delay - for pedestrians at a busy level crossing close to a North Yorkshire railway station. Pedestrians face a frustrating wait of several months before the level crossing gates at Knaresborough station are working
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Sport centre takes top honour
A CENTRE which encourages the whole community to take part in sport has won an award. Stockton International Family Centre won the top honour in the annual North East Services to Sports Awards. Olympic athlete Alison Curbishley attended Sport England
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Artwork to go on display in play area
YOUNGSTERS will be able to see their artwork on display at a new play area after they won a competition. Sunderland Housing Group and Sure Start organised a Name the New Play Area competition for a £40,000 facility created by the housing group in Albany
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Opera star records local songs
THE RICH voice of an acclaimed County Durham opera singer can be heard on four new CDs. Graeme Danby's new album, Take Me up the Tyne, is a collection of songs written by local songwriter Eric Boswell. The bass singer can also be heard alongside soprano
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Small business will suffer under new law, claims FSB
Small businesses face crippling legal fees and compensation pay-outs if the Government fails to implement a common sense approach to its family-friendly policies, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said last night. It said its members did not have
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Lewis and Dev are reunited after appeal
A BOY was reunited with his beloved pet dog after seeing an appeal in The Northern Echo. Nine-year-old Lewis Bowmer from Newton Aycliffe was heartbroken when Staffordshire bull terrier Dev jumped the garden fence at his home and ran off into the night
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Witness plea over house fire
POLICE are renewing their appeal for information following a suspected arson attack at a family home. The incident happened at Frederick Street South, Meadowfield, near Durham, at about 1.20am on New Year's Day, as a 16-year-old girl was looking after
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Partnership is optimistic for the coming year
THE man leading a regeneration plan for Teesside said he expects to see results before the end of the year. This year sees the half-way mark of a scheme to create or safeguard 2,500 jobs for the area, create or attract 2,500 new businesses and create
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£18m city hotel plan a boost for capital bid
AN eight-storey hotel is to open in Newcastle, adding further weight to the city's campaign for European Capital of Culture 2008. Jurys Doyle Hotel Group believes its £17.9m hotel will be the biggest in the North-East when it opens on Valentine's Day
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'Reverend stuck his tongue in my mouth'
A TOURIST board boss told how she was ''engulfed'' by her local parish priest as he tried to kiss her passionately. Christine Collier told an ecclesiastical tribunal in York how the Reverend Harry Brown forced her head back and stuck his "tongue in my
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Forum restarts
THE New Year programme for Saltburn and District Retired Men's Forum starts on Monday with a talk on Canada. Subjects for the spring session include when the air force went on strike, mining in Cleveland and butterflies. The group meets at Saltburn's
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Charity counts on festive spirit
A CHARITY is appealing for people to donate their old Christmas cards as it launches its seasonal recycling campaign. Volunteers from the Butterwick Hospice in Bishop Auckland launched their Christmas card collection appeal yesterday. Bernard Harrison
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Schools size up access issues
SCHOOLS throughout North Yorkshire are spearheading a planning scheme to make school life easier for pupils with a disability. Teachers from all over the county have been taking part in a training course organised by the county council's education service
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Raise a glass to a peaceful revolution
YOU may not have realised it but we experienced a licensing revolution this New Year - one that could forever change the way we view alcohol in this country. Pubs had the opportunity to open for 36 hours non-stop, from 11am, New Year's Eve to 11pm New
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A steadying hand on the tiller
In the early 1990s police chief Ray Mallon and council chief executive Brian Dinsdale cleaned up the streets of Hartlepool. Now together again in Middlesbrough, Brian Dinsdale tells Adrian Worsley why he couldn't resist the challenge of rescuing another
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Big hopes for new small car
THE North-East's most important new car for years goes on sale this month - and thousands of jobs depend on its success. The new Micra is built at Nissan's award-winning plant in Sunderland. In production since the end of November, the supermini goes
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Family may move to avoid radiation risk to daughter
A COUPLE whose daughter is suffering from leukaemia say they will move home if plans for a mobile phone mast are approved. Hutchison 3G has applied to Durham City Council for permission to erect a 20-metre mast at Low Newton Farm, Brasside, Durham - only
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Polar explorer to wed
POLAR explorer Robert Swan is hoping for anything but snow when he gets married tomorrow in his hometown. The first man to walk unaided to both North and South Poles is set to tie the knot with fiancee Nicole Gallacher at St Mary's Church in Wycliffe,
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News in brief: Inquest opens into fall death
LORRY driver John Benson, 45, gave evidence of identification at an inquest which was opened and adjourned yesterday, into the death of his father, 78-year-old retired process operator Douglas Benson. The inquest heard that Mr Benson senior, was admitted
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Language experts are sought
A COURSE has been set up at Northumbria University to help youngsters from ethnic minorities settle into school and college more easily. The part-time free course, funded by the Tyne and Wear Learning and Skills Council, will train people to become bilingual
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Deadline for university applications looms
STUDENTS have less than two weeks to go before the deadline for university applications. Youngsters are being warned to choose carefully because up to 20 per cent of students quit their courses early, usually in the first few months. According to Brenda
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Towns may get better bus links
PLANS to invest up to £400,000 in public transport in East Cleveland have been unveiled. A study has been commissioned by Redcar and Cleveland Council to look at providing better bus stops and transport links. It is hoped that eventually it will be easier
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Third tree attacked
VANDALS have destroyed a village's Christmas tree and lights. The attack at Skelton is the third in recent weeks. Decorations and a Christmas tree were attacked at Loftus, which had its first Christmas decorations in more than 20 years, while at Saltburn
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Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers
The last Sunday of the year saw 11 Harriers participating in the Jolly Holly Jog 10k at Ripon, in conditions which were on the damp side, and very muddy in places! The event was won by Under-21 runner Ricky Wilson of Scarborough in a time of 34.52 minutes
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Three good reasons to back Stopwatch
LUDLOW has escaped the worst of the rain, although I'm not sure it is all good news from a betting point of view since the resulting big fields technically hand the advantage to the bookies before proceedings have started. But the winners of seven races
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Hefty council tax rise feared
AN APPEAL has been made to spare the people of County Durham a second successive large hike in council tax. County council chiefs are bracing themselves for an increase following the recent announcement of the Government's financial settlement to the
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Hefty council tax rise feared
AN APPEAL has been made to spare the people of County Durham a second successive large hike in council tax. County council chiefs are bracing themselves for an increase following the recent announcement of the Government's financial settlement to the
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Users praise social service
MORE than 80 per cent of social services users and carers consider County Durham's services to be excellent or good, according to a new report. But it also finds that work is needed to address 'patchy' provision in some areas. A joint review report by
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Techno family triumph
BUDDING boffins David and Rosie Johnson are following in their parents' footsteps. The Johnsons, including dad Simon and mother Eleanor, are to be featured on TV, creating working robots for Techno-Wars as part of the BBC2's Science Week in the spring
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Burton's Bytes: Want to make millions? There's bound to be a catch
The Internet is a wonderful thing but for some the opportunities it presents for fraud are too much to resist. HEY, my luck must be changing. Earlier today I received an intriguing e-mail from a close relative of an African royal family. Apparently he
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Test match will go on
THE North-East's first cricket Test match will go ahead despite pressure on England to boycott opponents Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe are due to play England at the Riverside, in Chester-le-Street, in June. The Test is expected to bring £4m into the local economy
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No-go for Ugo is latest blow for Boro
MIDDLESBROUGH have confirmed £8m centre-back Ugo Ehiogu is facing up to two months on the sidelines. The England defender spent Wednesday night in a Blackburn hospital after suffering a punctured lung and fractured ribs in a clash with Rovers 'keeper
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Animal charities struggling to cope with unwanted pets
ANIMAL welfare centres across the North-East are struggling to cope with the huge numbers of unwanted dogs and cats dumped after Christmas. Rescue workers said this week that they had been inundated with unwanted pets, many bought as presents. Pauline
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03/01/03
BRITISH FARMING: THE Prince of Wales is quite correct to urge hospitals, schools, public bodies and government agencies to buy British produced food, which currently they seldom do. The Prince is dismayed that organisations that are funded by public money
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Newell urges Pool fans to stay patient
A TOUCH of patience can go a long way to helping Hartlepool United achieve their new year aims, according to Mike Newell. The Pool boss, whose side lead the Division Three table after successive victories over Carlisle United and Cambridge United, takes
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Wilkinson misses out on Sale date
NEWCASTLE Falcons will again be without skipper Jonny Wilkinson for tonight's Premiership match at Sale. Now six points adrift at the foot of the table, the Falcons desperately need Wilkinson, but Rob Andrew refuses to rush him into action before he is
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Want to make millions? There's bound to be a catch
The Internet is a wonderful thing but for some the opportunities it presents for fraud are too much to resist. HEY, my luck must be changing. Earlier today I received an intriguing e-mail from a close relative of an African royal family. Apparently he
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Local flavour to singer's CDs
THE rich voice of an acclaimed Consett-born opera singer can be heard on four new CDs. Graeme Danby's new album, Take Me up the Tyne, is a collection of songs written by local songwriter Eric Boswell. The bass singer can also be heard alongside soprano
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Party-goers make use of free travel
A TRANSPORT operator has hailed its free travel offer a success after thousands of people took advantage. Nexus said that "thousands and thousands" of passengers from across Tyne and Wear used the Metro on Tuesday night and into the early hours of Wednesday
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News in brief: Residents back speed humps
COUNCILLORS are being asked to approve plans for speed humps in a Peterlee street. Durham County Council has drawn up plans to install eight humps in Cumbrian Way, a move backed by most of the people who responded to consultation. The council's highways
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Search for N-E leading lady
THE director of a hit Hollywood film is to scour the North-East for his next star. Peter Howitt, who wrote and directed the 1998 blockbuster romance Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, is holding auditions for the leading role of a new
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Dancing runs in family
A YOUNGSTER is keeping up a family tradition spanning four generations by becoming a champion dancer. Kay McEnaney may only be 11 years old, but she is already making a name for herself in national dance circles. She recently won the Lancashire and Cheshire
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Revellers blow away Christmas cobwebs with charity plunges
DOZENS of people braved the bitterly cold North Sea to raise money for charities. Animal-lovers were among those who demonstrated dedication to their cause by jumping in the sea at Saltburn on New Year's Day. The ten New Year's Day revellers who took
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Soccer-mad Sarah wins top sports award
A FEMALE footballer not only gets her kicks out of the beautiful game, she also helps other teenage enthusiasts to learn the skills of the sport. Sarah Price has been an avid football fan and player since her junior school days. Now aged 18, and a Stadium
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Festive greetings
A SOLDIER from Durham took time out of his busy schedule in Northern Ireland to send Christmas messages back home to the family and friends. Gunner John Buck, left, 19, a former pupil of Durham Johnston School, said: "Hello to all my family and friends
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Council puts on a festive lighting show
TRICKS of the theatre lighting trade are being used to brighten up a key location. After successfully lighting shows at Durham's Gala Theatre for the past year, its chief electrician, Keir Webster, was asked to turn his attention to Millennium Square,
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Queen makes Olive's big day
THE festive season brought a double celebration for Olive Thompson - and a birthday card from the Queen on Christmas Eve made her 100th birthday extra special. Olive's family travelled from all over the country to help the former nurse celebrate with
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Athletics: Morfoot ends year on a high
Newton Aycliffe had one runner in the Loftus Poultry run this year. The race is an eight-mile multi terrain course with an excess of 450 runners taking part. Brent Morfoot was the runner taking part, this was his last race of 2002 and he certainly made
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Quakers hope for all clear
Caretaker boss Mick Tait has voiced his concern over a potential fixture backlog after tomorrow's FA Cup third round clash with Farnborough was thrown into doubt because of the weather. Darlington have yet to kick a ball in 2003 after their New Year's
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Techno family triumph
BUDDING boffins David and Rosie Johnson are following in their parents' footsteps. The Johnsons, including dad Simon and mother Eleanor, are to be featured on TV, creating working robots for Techno-Wars as part of the BBC2's Science Week in the spring
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Police winning sickness battle
POLICE chiefs believe they are winning the fight to reduce sickness levels and keep more bobbies on the streets. Police sickness levels across the county have been a source of concern in recent years, and 12 months ago the average days lost per employee
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Blues festival founder
TRIBUTE has been paid to the father of the region's biggest free blues festival who has died suddenly aged 55. John Kearney founded the Northern Recording studio co-operative in Consett in the Eighties and launched the Stanley Blues Festival ten years
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Pit disaster breakthrough
AFTER 93 years light has finally been shed on the mystery of where many of the 168 men and boys who died in the North-East's worst ever pit disaster lie. Last year The Advertiser revealed that the final resting places of more than 40 victims of the 1909
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Test match will go on
THE North-East's first cricket Test match will go ahead despite pressure on England to boycott opponents Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe are due to play England at the Riverside, in Chester-le-Street, in June. The Test is expected to bring £4m into the local economy
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Still on flood alert but river levels are beginning to fall
HOUSEHOLDS across the region were last night on the alert for flooding, although the threat of a 2000-style catastrophe seemed to be receding. The levels of the Ouse and the Derwent, in North Yorkshire, were continuing to drop yesterday, although flood
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Civic medal lost in charity dip
BEACHCOMBERS at Redcar may make an unusual find - the mayoress's medal from her chain of office. Dozens of people took part in the annual Boxing Day dip at Redcar. Among them were Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Mayoress, Brenda Forster, and Mayor
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Games: Magnet League
The first round of the fives and threes individuals knockout competition will be played on Friday, January 31, Deadline 8.30pm. (games may be re-arranged by mutual consent). Results to be forwarded to C. Holmes within seven days of the deadline, otherwise
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Silver celebration panto
A THEATRE group is celebrating its silver anniversary by staging a special show. Dryburn Theatrical Workshop is staging Jack and the Beanstalk to celebrate its 25th year of performing pantomimes in Durham and Chester-le-Street. The group was started in
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Lost jobs dismay after TAD Centre goes into liquidation
FORTY workers at a hotel and training centre have started the New Year out of a job. The multi-million pound flagship TAD (Training, Advice and Development) Centre on Teesside went into voluntary liquidation yesterday. The board of directors will release
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Lewis and Dev are reunited after appeal
A BOY was reunited with his beloved pet dog after seeing an appeal in The Northern Echo. Nine-year-old Lewis Bowmer from Newton Aycliffe was heartbroken when Staffordshire bull terrier Dev jumped the garden fence at his home and ran off into the night
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News in brief: Fitness for body and mind
Fitness fans will be able to take advantage of yoga classes next week. The first sessions will be held on Mondays between 7pm and 8.30pm and on Wednesdays between 10am and 11.30am in Gainford Village Hall. Classes will also be held on Tuesdays between
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Suspected death crash driver held by police
POLICE announced last night that they had arrested the suspected driver of a stolen car which killed a young girl. News of the arrest came only hours after the parents of little Rebecca Sawyer made an emotional plea for the man to give himself up. Six-year-old
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Arson 'not racially motivated'
POLICE have said there was not a racist motive behind a fire attack on flats housing refugees. A female asylum seeker and her three-month-old baby had to be rescued by firemen when flames cut off their escape from a block of flats at Ormesby, near Middlesbrough
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Drunken revellers keep ambulance crews busy
DRUNKEN revellers kept North-East ambulance workers busy over New Year with hundreds of alcohol-related 999 calls. The North-East Ambulance Service, which covers County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland, reported an busy New Year period, with 1,362
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Manor edge Marden in Cup Final
Sunderland Catholic Club Over-40s League Only four games were played last Saturday due to waterlogged grounds. The Villa Real Cup final on Boxing Day saw Owton Manor defeat Marden 2-1. Marden scored first but Manor came back to dictate the play and quickly
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Dealer confronts police over drugs campaign
When police set up a drugs awareness caravan, one local resident was particularly upset. For it was only yards from Paul Roth's crack cocaine den. Police suspected Roth was dealing in drugs after raids on his previous address on Teesside. They positioned
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Couple hunted for attack on teenager
A MAN and woman who assaulted a teenage girl in an unprovoked attack are being hunted by police. The 17-year-old was walking home from her boyfriend's house after celebrating New Year when she was subjected to the terrifying ordeal at about 4.30am on
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Joan plans transatlantic trip to see grandchildren born
A WOMAN whose two daughters were due to give birth on the same day now hopes to be at the birth of both of them. Joan Sutherland, 57, was astounded to discover that her daughters, Gillian Cruse and Kirsty Bowden, were both expecting babies on January
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Shop Talk: New Year, and it's time to let the juice loose
TIME to give the system a rest. You, of course, might be one of those wonderfully self-disciplined people who has barely eaten an extra morsel or drunk a drop more over the festive season. The rest of us are not. But enough is enough, so today we are
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Pilots are good value
THE boss of a pilotage company is calling for ships' owners and masters to hire professional help when negotiating the UK's busy sea lanes. Pat Brooks, managing director of Deep Sea and Coastal Pilots, in Middlesbrough, providing pilotage services in
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Party-goers make use of free travel
A TRANSPORT operator has hailed its free travel offer a success after thousands of people took advantage. Nexus said that "thousands and thousands" of passengers from across Tyne and Wear used the Metro on Tuesday night and into the early hours of Wednesday
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Football victory
A GROUP of youngsters fed up with being moved on when playing street football are celebrating after being given a place to play. The footballers, aged nine and ten, approached council bosses to help them find somewhere safe to play, after growing tired
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Knife robbers are hunted for shop raids
POLICE yesterday released photographs of two suspects wanted for questioning in connection with a series of knife-point robberies. The pictures have been taken from security cameras in the Harrogate area, where the offences were committed over Christmas
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Work set to start on 'Pyramid' landmark
A ROOFTOP garden where office workers will have unrivalled views across Harrogate will be included in the town's new 132ft-high pyramid business property. Officially known as The Inspire, the distinctive glass building is already being dubbed "the Pyramid
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£65-a-day increase in price of houses
House prices soared by the equivalent of £65 a day last year, a survey has revealed. Britain's booming property market saw prices rise by just over 25 per cent in 2002 and analysts predict that growth is set to continue, although not at the same pace.
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News in brief: Free fitness consultations
Wear Valley District Council's Wear Fit Programme and Willington Medical Group have joined forces to offer free advice and consultation sessions for anyone wishing to get fit. The 20-minute consultation will be with a qualified and experienced health
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Help from stores for children
TWO DIY stores have made a donation of sand to a children's club. Barmston Out of School Hours Club (OSH), in Washington, was set up a year-and-a-half ago to care for children with parents working outside of school hours. Youngsters aged between three
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Government to pay out over weather
MORE than 10,000 people across the North-East are due to get an extra £8.50 cold weather payment. Pensioners and benefit claimants in the Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Crook, Spennymoor and Ferryhill areas will receive the payments automatically if
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Bicycle key to identity mystery
A BIKE adorned with a football club's logo has helped police trace the family of a man who was killed after being hit by a car. The man was lying in the middle of the road when he was struck by a Nissan Primera on the A67 at Middleton-St-George, near
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Gang of six attack pair in street
A MAN was recovering in hospital yesterday after he and friends were brutally attacked by a gang of six, including two women. The injured man was with a friend and their girlfriends when they were assaulted while walking home from a New Year's Eve party
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Choices for tenants
COUNCIL tenants across the borough of Stockton will now be able to pay their rent at any Girobank pay point. Tristar Homes Limited, Stockton Borough Council's housing management agent, has introduced the payment system, which will allow tenants to pay
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Housing association and the council join forces to help Mary
DINNERTIME is no longer a struggle for a 64-year-old arthritis sufferer thanks to a housing association and her local council. Mary Cartwright, of Norton, has lived in the same house for 18 years, but rheumatoid arthritis meant she struggled to make even
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Inspired Leanne puts pictures on show
VENETIAN buildings have inspired an art exhibition. The exhibition by Leanne Mullen, from Seaham, east Durham, is on show at the Discovery Centre at Seaton Holme, Easington, this month. Ms Mullen's fabric designs, interior wall hangings, greeting cards
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Residents to sample healthier options
A NEW £326,000 healthy living centre is being created for residents in a part of the borough of Stockton. The Healthy Living Centre will be based in the Clarences Community Centre, Port Clarence, near Billingham, and has been set up with money from the
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Ban for gipsy site boss
THE president of the National Gipsy Council Hughie Smith has been banned by a court from going on to a travellers' site he manages. Mr Smith, 73, and his nephew, Charlie Smith, 36, appeared before Harrogate magistrates yesterday following a series of
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'We need a deal on flood insurance'
The region's businesses were last night on tenterhooks as heavy rain threatened further insurance misery. As premiums rise, industry warned that a compromise must be reached to stop firms being washed away. The call came in the week that a two-year moratorium
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Parishioners help community to restore faith after years of war
GENEROUS churchgoers are helping to restore faith in an African community struggling to recover from the impact of war. Parishioners from Cockton Hill Methodist Church, Bishop Auckland, have raised more than £3,000 to rebuild a church minister's home
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£120m bay plan aims to restore coastal tourism
A £120M theme park is set to restore a North Yorkshire town to its traditional place as one of Britain's most popular tourist resorts. And developers behind the scheme believe it could spark a renaissance among the country's coastal towns. Council chiefs
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Redundancy leads to new opportunities for Suzanne
A FORMER seamstress has swapped her sewing machine for a computer after being made redundant. Suzanne Cheeseborough, 41, from Town End Farm, in Sunderland, worked at Dewhirsts clothing factory in Leechmere, Sunderland, for 14 years before it closed in
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More arrests in drugs crackdown
POLICE in East Durham have arrested five more people during a crackdown on the area's drug trade. A man and a woman in their 30s were arrested and heroin seized in Easington Village two days before Christmas. On Monday a 38-year-old man was arrested and
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Squash team earn tournament glory
The Durham and Cleveland Squash junior team had a great tournament at the regional closed competition held at Tynemouth squash club last weekend. The regional closed event sees the best junior players from Cumbria, Northumbria as well as Durham and Cleveland
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Hospital gives case for oxygen facility
HEALTH chiefs have moved to allay fears about plans for new oxygen tanks at a North-East hospital. South Durham Health Care Trust is seeking permission to site a Vacuum Insulated Evaporator facility, and replace an existing oxygen storage tank, in the
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Crystal gazing
IT'S time to take a cock-eyed squint into the crystal ball again and see what 2003 has in store. January: Sports Minister Richard Caborn announces that he has told the England rugby captain, Nasser Hussain, not to take his team to Zimbabwe for a World
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News in brief: Residents back speed humps
COUNCILLORS are being asked to approve plans for speed humps in a Peterlee street. Durham County Council has drawn up plans to install eight humps in Cumbrian Way, a move backed by most of the people who responded to consultation. The council's highways
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Experiment with parking restrictions
EXPERIMENTAL parking restrictions may be introduced in a Northallerton street. In a move expected to be approved by North Yorkshire County Council on Tuesday, the authority intends to introduce the restrictions, along with a residents' parking scheme,
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News in brief: Concert aids chairman fund
A CONCERT in aid of Richmondshire district council chairman Councillor James Kendall's charities, will be held in Swaledale on January 11. The evening, at St Andrew's Church, Grinton, features Reeth Brass Band, the parish choir, Mark Walters and Lucy
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Artistic inspiration blossoming thanks to new school initiative
THE walls of Mount Pleasant Primary School are covered with pictures. The corridors, reception area and the school hall have all been drafted in to displays the pupils' artistic talents. The children who attend the school, in Newton Lane, Cockerton, Darlington
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Call for action over attacks
A TEESSIDE MP has called for greater protection for shop workers who, he claims, are regularly hit and verbally abused. Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, has joined 60 other MPs to call for statistics of abuse against shop workers
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Lollipop lady scores a record turnout
dedicated lollipop lady Karen Bainbridge never missed a single one of 1,700 shifts. Now she and her colleagues in East Cleveland have been thanked for their attendance record. During the summer term the East Cleveland school crossing patrol team had a
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Tow Law Area League
The positions in the Captain's table at the holiday break are: 1 Newhouse Club 16 points; 2 Tow Law Rose and Crown 15; 3 equal Tow Law New Market B, Esh McKennas and Hamilton Row Black Horse 14 each; 6 equal Esh Stag's Head, Tow Law Dan's Castle and Sunniside
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Hathaway and Cope Stokesley League
Bull's Head 2 Thornaby Village 2; Stokesley 0 South Bank Utd 4; The Grenadier 0 Redcar Coke Ovens 2; Woodman's Arms 1 Coulby Newham LF 2; Stockton Elementis v Black Horse - postponed.
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Guild and WI news
Benfeldside Afternoon WI: Beth Carr opened the meeting in December. The secretary, Joan Robinson, read the minutes and reminded members about the time and venue for the Christmas dinner. The Christmas evening at Dobbies at Ponteland was enjoyed by all
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£18m city hotel plan a boost for capital bid
AN eight-storey hotel is to open in Newcastle, adding further weight to the city's campaign for European Capital of Culture 2008. Jurys Doyle Hotel Group believes its £17.9m hotel will be the biggest in the North-East when it opens on Valentine's Day
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Hefty council tax rise feared
AN APPEAL has been made to spare the people of County Durham a second successive large hike in council tax. County council chiefs are bracing themselves for an increase following the recent announcement of the Government's financial settlement to the
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Wellock's World: Crystal gazing
IT'S time to take a cock-eyed squint into the crystal ball again and see what 2003 has in store. January: Sports Minister Richard Caborn announces that he has told the England rugby captain, Nasser Hussain, not to take his team to Zimbabwe for a World
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Raise a glass to a peaceful revolution
YOU may not have realised it but we experienced a licensing revolution this New Year - one that could forever change the way we view alcohol in this country. Pubs had the opportunity to open for 36 hours non-stop, from 11am, New Year's Eve to 11pm New
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Gala hopes for a roaring success
YOUNGSTERS performed a medley of songs to mark a film's launch. Members of the Gala Stage School sang songs from Disney's The Lion King before the first showing of an updated version of the film at the Durham theatre's giant screen cinema just before
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Opera star records local songs
THE RICH voice of an acclaimed County Durham opera singer can be heard on four new CDs. Graeme Danby's new album, Take Me up the Tyne, is a collection of songs written by local songwriter Eric Boswell. The bass singer can also be heard alongside soprano
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Basketball: Durham League
Division One Leading scorers: Sam Scorer (Willington Wasps) 138, Marek Pawlak (Middlesbrough Mavericks) 119, Lee Davie (Nissan) 116, Luke Thompson (Hartlepool HQ Engineering Hornets) 115, Arran Hope (Nissan) 113, Paul Campbell (Willington Wasps) 103,
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Overnight casualty unit opens for sick animals
INJURED or seriously-ill dogs and cats can now be treated at a special pet accident and emergency department in the region. Vets can sign up to the new A&E department, which offers care through the night and at weekends for household pets. Vets wanting
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Unsafe ambulances to be replaced
NEW ambulances to replace vehicles which were branded unsafe by paramedics could be on the streets by the end of January. The North-East Ambulance Service (NEAS) has confirmed that it expects to take a delivery of the new models, based on Mercedes chassis
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Mayor agrees to £1m pay-out
A COMPENSATION package worth more than £1m is being proposed for town hall workers who were sacked when a council department was axed four years ago. Middlesbrough Council disbanded its Economic, Development and Transportation section following budget
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News in brief: Residents back speed humps
COUNCILLORS are being asked to approve plans for speed humps in a Peterlee street. Durham County Council has drawn up plans to install eight humps in Cumbrian Way, a move backed by most of the people who responded to consultation. The council's highways
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N-E village halls facing extinction
Village halls across the North-East face extinction unless they receive urgent financial help as a result of a Government funding shake-up. A change in the way the Learning and Skills Council allocates funding for adult education, due to take effect in
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Abandoned pets need sanctuary
ANIMAL-LOVERS campaigning to build a sanctuary have redoubled their efforts after being inundated with strays during the festive period. Pets found abandoned after Christmas include a cat thrown from a car window, a seven-week-old puppy named Henry tied
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Inspired villages buy time for play area
A DEPRIVED community is celebrating after residents dug deep to save their award-winning play area from closure - but its long-term future remains in doubt. The £145,000 park and floodlit, all-weather sports pitch at Delves Lane, near Consett, was set
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Mourners pay tribute to ex-mayor
TRIBUTES have been paid to former Guisborough mayor John Christie who died on Christmas Day after a short illness. Mourners packed Guisborough Salvation Army citadel at the popular townsman's funeral on Tuesday. Frances Christie, Mr Christie's widow and
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Sedgefield Knotty Hill
Christmas Scramble: 1 Steven Bell (Billingham), Roy Parry (Billingham), 2 Peter Thurston (Billingham) Net 64.08; 2 Kenneth Readman (Bownburn), Stephen Johnson (Bowburn), Dennis Gilmore (Bowburn) 64.10; 3 Martin Janes (Norton), Tony Gosney (Billingham)
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Marathon event date announced
UP to 1,500 athletes are expected to take part in this year's Redcar Half Marathon. Entry forms for the major event, which traditionally opens the North-East athletics season in March, will be available shortly, organisers have announced. Already there
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Pit disaster breakthrough
AFTER 93 years light has finally been shed on the mystery of where many of the 168 men and boys who died in the North-East's worst ever pit disaster lie. Last year The Advertiser revealed that the final resting places of more than 40 victims of the 1909
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Auckland and District EBAC Youth League
South West Durham Presidents Cup holders Willington under-18s will play their semi final at home to league rivals Bishop Auckland at Hall Lane, Willington, on Wednesday January 15 (7.30). This will be a chance for revenge for Bishops who lost 6-0 to Willington
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Jimmy plays Santa
A FORMER milkman brought some festive joy to young cancer sufferers. Jimmy Gustard, of Urpeth Grange, who himself suffers from an inoperable brain tumour, has been a regular patient in recent years at Newcastle General Hospital. Despite his own problems
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Burglaries at record low
BURGLARIES are at a record all time low across Middlesbrough - but a senior crime buster says police are not complacent. "Let it be known there will be no let up on our part,'' said Detective Superintendent Sue Cross, the town's crime manager, where house
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Last Night's TV: Serious And Organised (ITV1); Mao Graham Norton (C4); Mao's Children (C4)
A seriously bad cop show but great Chinese take-away. THE new Martin Kemp vehicle is a ramshackle cop show cobbled together from every other maverick policeman series you care to name. Hence the expression, a load of old cobblers. "You've given me serious
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Pensioner beaten unconscious as he protected his daughter
DETECTIVES were last night hunting a gang of youths who savagely attacked a frail pensioner, his daughter and son-in-law. Anthony Atkinson, 69, was beaten unconscious and had his cheekbone shattered as he tried to come to the aid of his daughter and son-in-law
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Government to pay out over weather
MORE than 10,000 people across the North-East are due to get an extra £8.50 cold weather payment. Pensioners and benefit claimants in the Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Crook, Spennymoor and Ferryhill areas will receive the payments automatically if
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Darlington Friday Night League
Pairs, January 10: J Bannister and P Nixon (St Marys) v M Washburn and R Gill (Three Crowns); C McCabe and D Woffionden (Salters) v J Goddard and K Flint (HIW); G Fletcher and P Makepeace (DSRM) v M hall and C Fountain (Buck); P Atherton and K Hewson
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Freemen's gift to community
DURHAM'S Freemen have given a cash boost to efforts to expand a former pit village's play park. The Durham City Guild of Freemen dates back hundreds of years to the time when craftsmen and traders, such as masons, joiners, bakers and cordwainers ran the
