Archive
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Police celebrate huge fall in Christmas sneak burglaries
SENIOR police officers are celebrating a dramatic fall in the number of walk-in burglaries in Darlington over Christmas and the New Year. The police launched Operation Velvet in November, with the aim of reducing break-ins at homes and garages in the
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Tribute to pond victim
A WIDOW whose body was found in a pond at the weekend was about to receive an award for her work with horses, it was revealed today. The Durham branch of the British Horse Society planned to present 73-year-old Evelyn Graham with the accolade next week
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Eco lodges opposed
PLANS for an environmentally sustainable holiday centre on the outskirts of Richmond have hit a major hurdle. The planning application for the scheme at Aislabeck, just west of the town, goes before the district council's planning committee today. The
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Job Search: Vacancies
Care assistant, Consett, 20 or 40hrs pw between 7.30am and 9.30pm Mon-Sun, required for care home for elderly, experience is preferred. Ref: CON 15871. Domestic, Consett, £3.50 at 18 plus, £4.20 at 22 plus, 20hrs pw 4 days out of 7, 5hrs per day, required
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Raise your glasses to a feast for a fiver
Welcome to 2003 and, by way of first footing, a meal which may still be the Bargain of the Year 51 wandering weeks from now. The liver and onions and the Cumberland sausage and mash were £2.50 apiece, both accompanied by a flower box-sized dish of crisply
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Fresh injuries add to Wilkinson woes
HOWARD WILKINSON'S Sunderland nightmare worsened yesterday when right-backs Stephen Wright and Mark Rossiter were both sidelined for at least a month. A scan revealed that Wright, signed from Liverpool last summer in a £3m deal, suffered a torn hamstring
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Airport set for take-off
Teesside International Airport is riding on the crest of a £20m wave following the announcement it has chosen a backer to finance long-term development plans. Peel Holdings, the group behind the John Lennon Airport in Liverpool and Manchester's Trafford
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Charity concert evening
A CONCERT in aid of Richmondshire district council chairman Coun James Kendall's charities, takes place on Saturday. The evening, at St Andrew's Church, Grinton, features Reeth Brass Band, the parish choir, Mark Walters and Lucy Lundberg, and starts at
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Rare moss discovered was last seen in 1800s
Scientists are studying the genetics of a rare moss which has "flowered" for the first time in more than 130 years. Nowell's Moss lives on old limestone walls in the Yorkshire Dales and has declined as the walls have deteriorated. It does not produce
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Sunderland fail in bid to land Bowyer
LEE BOWYER was locked in talks with West Ham last night after Sunderland revealed they had failed to persuade the Leeds midfielder to join them on a deal until the end of the season. The Hammers are confident that the controversial Bowyer will make his
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Landlady's pledge
A NEW Zealander has bought the Milbank Arms in Well, near Bedale, and quashed fears that it might be converted into a private house. Leanne Owen-Keenan knew from day one that the pub was the right place for her and her partner, Phillip Brownrigg. "We
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Captain's Corner
What a way to start the new year. To lose any game is bad enough, but to lose to a non-league side in the FA Cup is something you hope you never experience. I've been fortunate enough to have never been on the wrong end of any giant-killing before so
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The man who transformed Tallent retires
The man who masterminded the transformation of a small North-East firm into a global automotive parts specialist has stepped down after 46 years with the company. Bernard Robinson oversaw one of industry's original rags to riches tales during a sustained
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Frankie's set to raise the Finger
NOT many top-flight jockeys tip the scales at under eight stones, although leading lightweight rider Frankie Norton is a notable exception. Given his undoubted strength-in-the-saddle, despite being so small, Norton's services are in constant demand and
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Sophie's stamp rated first class
A PUPIL from Richmond School has been awarded a Rotary club art trophy for the second year running. Teenager Sophie Dawes from Year 8 brought kudos to her school when she won not only her own age section but also the Frank Ward trophy in the 2002 Richmond
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McClaren losing patience with star strikers
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren has further underlined his disillusionment with star strikers Massimo Maccarone and Alen Boksic by admitting that Dean Windass and Noel Whelan would have been in the side before now but for injuries. McClaren demoted
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Air medics rescue hurt fell walker
AN injured fell walker was recovering yesterday after a dramatic air rescue from a remote scene on top of snow-covered hills. The woman, who has not been named, was plucked to safety by the Great North Air Ambulance crew after they battled freezing conditions
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Labour Party and union veteran dies
TRIBUTES poured in last night following the death of the man who helped sow the seeds for the economic renaissance of the North-East. Joe Mills, former chairman of the Northern Regional Labour Party and regional secretary of the Transport and General
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Dog theft may have been to order
A WOMAN has been attacked and robbed of a rare dog - and the theft may have been to order. Until the attack, 25-year-old Jamie Parker owned the only Australian shepherd dog in the North-East. Jamie, who had a border collie stolen from her garden in Guisborough
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Black and white stars at closing party
FORMER Newcastle and England football star Peter Beardsley will be the special guest at an ice rink's closing party. Mr Beardsley, Newcastle United Football Club's under 19 academy coach, will be among those taking part in the Black and White Bonanza,
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Comment: Left on the sidelines
THE North-East entered the last decade with plans for a high-speed rail service linking the region with Europe. Those plans came to nothing. The North-East entered this decade with plans to double the capacity on the rail service between the region and
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'Distressing' scene of bloody attack
POLICE called to deal with an assault believed they were looking for a body because of the amount of blood at the scene. Durham Crown Court was told the victim was struck over the head with a hi-fi speaker and other items of furniture in the assault by
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Bannatyne to open three new fitness centres
The UK's largest independent health club operator, Bannatyne Fitness, has unveiled its expansion plans for 2003. The Darlington-based firm will open new centres at Chester-le-Street, Wakefield in West Yorkshire, and Eastbourne, in Sussex. The towns are
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New principal takes over college reins
A NEW principal has taken over the helm at Stockton Sixth Form College. Martin Clinton, 49, taught at the college for seven years at the start of his career, before leaving in the early 1980's. He was formerly principal of Woking College, in Surrey, and
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Time yet for a green Christmas
MEMORIES of 100 Christmases are being stockpiled - in a car park. That is the number of discarded fir trees that families have deposited at the Guisborough Forest and Walkway for mulching. Work on grinding the trees down starts today. The chippings will
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Pub scheme wins backing
PLANS for a new pub in Newton Aycliffe look likely to be approved this week. Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries has applied for planning permission to Sedgefield Borough Council to build a pub in the Cobblers Hall housing development. The building, which
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Patients back kerb crawling doctor
A PATIENT of a family doctor, twice convicted of kerb crawling, has spoken out to support him. Dr Patrick Holmes, who works and lives in Middleton St George, near Darlington, was convicted for the second time last September for soliciting prostitutes
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Internet chatline danger warning
THE hidden dangers awaiting youngsters using Internet chatrooms were outlined yesterday as a £1m advertising campaign warned against online paedophiles. Alisdair Gillespie, senior lecturer in criminal justice at Teesside University, is the country's only
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Misery as vandals go on rampage
VANDALS brought misery to residents during a spate of attacks on cars and homes. Four cars in Nightingale Place and one in Darling Place, Craghead, near Stanley, County Durham, were damaged on Monday, December 23. A further three vehicles were targeted
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Seals find a safe haven as deadly virus sweeps shoreline
WHILE thousands of seals have been suffering at the hands of nature, a number have been saved by marine specialists in the region. Twelve years after the last serious phocine distemper outbreak, the deadly virus hit the shores once again last summer,
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Emma is claiming licensee age record
A PUB'S new landlady is claiming to be the youngest licensee in the borough of Darlington. Emma Johnson, 21, recently took over the running of the Carlbury Arms, in Piercebridge, after her parents Mike and Pauline bought the pub. "As far as I know, I'm
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Emma is claiming licensee age record
A PUB'S new landlady is claiming to be the youngest licensee in the borough of Darlington. Emma Johnson, 21, recently took over the running of the Carlbury Arms, in Piercebridge, after her parents Mike and Pauline bought the pub. "As far as I know, I'm
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From the police force to the pulpit
A FORMER police officer and funeral arranger has finally found her vocation by training as a priest. Kim Thomas, a 44-year-old grandmother from Shropshire, began her working life as a police officer, in Kent, in 1977. A knee injury forced her to retire
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How weavers created a model of co-operation
As the Co-operative Union announces a name change after 133 years, Lindsay Jennings looks at how the once small socialist enterprise has grown. FOR the group of 28 weavers who were fed up with their miserable working conditions and low wages, it seemed
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Bobbies on bicycles raise hospice cash
CHARITY cyclists handed a cheque for more than £1,000 to a North-East Hospice yesterday. Five Cleveland Police officers and a friend cycled 242 miles from St Bees Head, in Cumbria, to Saltburn, east Cleveland, to raise the cash for Teesside Hospice. They
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Courses offer many healthy options
TAI Chi, swimming, aromatherapy and confidence building are some of the courses set up for the New Year by Stockton Borough Council's Adult Education Service. Students can also discover their hidden talents as a cook with the Can't Cook, Want to Learn
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New chapter looms for town's library users
AMBITIOUS plans have been unveiled which could lead to longer opening hours and an Internet caf for a North Yorkshire library. The county council wants to carry out a £500,000 revamp to the library at Pickering, and work could start later this year. The
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If you go down to the woods today...
As a bigfoot is reported lurking in a country park, Nick Morrison looks at accounts of exotic creatures apparently living in our midst. BLURRED photographs, mysterious footprints, odd shaped droppings, mauled livestock - sometimes it must seem as though
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Egyptian mummy watercolour back on display
A PAINTING is back on display after being recovered from a museum's stores. The watercolour, painted in 1821, shows the intricate coffin of one of Newcastle's Hancock Museum's Egyptian mummies. One of Northumbria's most distinguished portrait painters
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News in brief: Increasing job opportunities
Chester-le-Street Community Association is running a ten-week course called Marketing Yourself, looking at improving job search and application skills. It will be held on Tuesdays between 10am and noon starting next week and on Fridays from 7.15pm to
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Financial services jobs gloom forecast
The financial services industry is likely to shed more jobs this year as firms try to reduce costs, according to the CBI's quarterly survey of the sector. Banks, building societies, insurers and stockbrokers showed a disappointing end to 2002, with business
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Heritage leader brings Dales 'out of oblivion'
A scheme to revolutionise access to information about the heritage of the Yorkshire Dales has moved a step nearer to fruition. Last year, the National Park Authority won a £90,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for its wide-ranging Out of Oblivion
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Youth project stepping closer to opening date
YOUTH project Thirsk Clock Caf could be open by April. The youth centre in the market place will provide a supportive social environment for youngsters and help to get them off the streets. It will allow children over the age of 11 to gather socially,
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Thief took bag from ambulance
A THIEF took medical equipment from an ambulance while the crew were in a nearby house tending a patient. The ambulance was at a house in Lower Darnborough Street, York, at about 4am on Sunday when the thief grabb-ed a medical response bag. Later in the
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Help! Lost skier texts mother for rescue
A British skier who got lost on an Italian mountain was rescued after he sent a text message to his mother - 900 miles away in England. Alexander Smith, 36, was skiing off-piste with friends when he became separated from the group and fell from a small
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Jonny does the honours at city property shop opening
BIG Brother star Jonny Regan helped open a property centre by cutting a house-shaped cake. The celebrity, who is appearing in pantomime in Newcastle, was invited to the launch of Sunderland Housing Group's property shop at Lynas House, in Frederick Street
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Telephone headache for church official
A CHURCHWARDEN has been cut off from the congregation after BT failed to repair a fault on his telephone line. Brian and Anne Johnson, from Hurworth, near Darlington, complained to BT on Wednesday when they discovered they could not use their telephone
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Magistrates court cases
THE following cases came before Darlington magistrates yesterday. NO INSURANCE: Nicholas Hampton, 36, of Stanhope Road North, Darlington, was fined £300 with £35 costs after he admitted driving with no insurance. The court heard he was stopped in his
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Frank words about Dad's Army
HE won television immortality in one of the best-loved shows this country has produced when he played a dithering vicar. But actor Frank Williams showed no hesitation in accepting an invitation to sign copies of his book about those years. He played the
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Hoon assures residents over Fylingdale's role
DEFENCE Secretary Geoff Hoon has sought to allay the fears of residents living close to a military site which may be used as part of America's missile defence programme. Mr Hoon said it was highly improbable that National Missile Defence (NMD) would make
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Couple lose appeal for bigger garage
A COUPLE have lost their battle to widen their garage by 10ft - because it is in a green belt. David Wooley and his wife took their campaign to a planning appeal for an independent Government inspector to give his verdict after Harrogate Borough Council
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Golf club in drive for green greens
A GOLF club hopes to be reaping the benefits of free environmental management advice later this year. Ecologists will advise greenkeeping staff and club officials at the Ampleforth College club, in North Yorkshire, on ways to encourage wildlife. Suggestions
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Sessions to fight drink and drugs
DROP-IN sessions are being launched in Derwentside to give help to people with drug and drink problems. The sessions will give people support, and help and advice in seeking treatment. Suzanne Forster, social services community development worker for
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Archbishop of Canterbury to make NY visit
THE new Archbishop of Canterbury will next month make his first visit to North Yorkshire since he took office. Dr Rowan Williams will give a series of talks in and around the Thirsk area, beginning with a lecture at St Oswald's Church, Sowerby, on Friday
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56 drivers fail police breath tests
THE Christmas and New Year drink-driving crackdown saw 906 motorists breath-tested by one of the region's police forces. Figures released yesterday by North Yorkshire Police showed that of those people, 56 tested positive, refused or failed - a ratio
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Boost to East Coast line hits the buffers
THE Government was last night preparing to sound the death knell for a much vaunted upgrade of the East Coast Main Line which could have created thousands of new jobs. Rail chiefs are expected to announce that plans to double the frequency of services
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Captain's Corner
What a way to start the new year. To lose any game is bad enough, but to lose to a non-league side in the FA Cup is something you hope you never experience. I've been fortunate enough to have never been on the wrong end of any giant-killing before so
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Concern over school buses
RESIDENTS fear the creation of a bus park at Richmond School will increase traffic danger at peak times. Objectors to proposals for the 16-bay development say buses turning from the parking area would impede traffic on the main road. They are also concerned
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Crying in my beer
Many visitors to our country will tell you that the English pub is a hot favourite, but, for a combination of reasons, I fear that this once fine breed is becoming an endangered species. The first threat is from the new Licensing Act which is just plain
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Residents protest at store nuisance
PEOPLE are protesting that shoppers at a £15m supermarket are disturbing the peace of their town centre cul-de-sac. Managers at Asda's head office in Leeds are meeting this week to discuss complaints from people in Blackett Street, Bishop Auckland, who
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How the innocent are losing their freedom
HOW fascinating to learn that a burglar armed with a machete is spared jail in order to develop his career as a poet! It makes you think... I nicked ten quid from Auntie Hetty, Then sliced her up with my machete. I stole a bag and then a purse Then wrote
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Eating Owt: Raise your glasses to a feast for a fiver
Welcome to 2003 and, by way of first footing, a meal which may still be the Bargain of the Year 51 wandering weeks from now. The liver and onions and the Cumberland sausage and mash were £2.50 apiece, both accompanied by a flower box-sized dish of crisply
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07/01/03
US FOREIGN POLICY: ALAN Benn (HAS, Jan 4) worries me. If he is right and Iraq should be presumed guilty, without evidence, what are the UN inspectors searching for? If it is OK for the US and Britain to invade Iraq, without UN approval, what chance is
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Rod's photogenic plates of meat
THERE'S nothing special about them. They are just feet. Like most people he has ten toes. What makes Rod Jones's feet stand out is he never wears shoes or socks. He just wears open toed sandals, even in temperatures of minus 35. That is why the charity
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Last Night's TV: Salvage Squad (C4)
Salvaging a show with a slice of history Making over homes and gardens is no longer good enough for some people on the telly. They demand bigger and bigger projects. So the team in Salvage Squad set out to restore a piece of Britain's engineering heritage
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Horror of illegal slaughterhouse
TWO men were facing jail sentences last night after the horrific slaughter of ten goats in an unlicensed abattoir was caught on film by an undercover investigator. It showed that the slaughter of the animals, at Londonderry, near Bedale, North Yorkshire
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Station plans outlined
A CHARITABLE trust which hopes to take over Richmond's old station building is to present its ideas to councillors on Thursday. A special meeting of Richmondshire District Council resources committee has been arranged to allow the proposals to be outlined
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Job Search: Vacancies
Marble cutter, Spennymoor, £200pw, 8.30am to 5pm Mon-Fri, must have clean driving licence, experience preferred but some training available. Ref: SPE 10195. Residential care supervisor, Darlington £5.05 to £5.25ph, 27hrs pw, clean driving licence essential
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Leader retires on a high note
A SENIOR councillor who was granted an OBE in the New Year Honours list has described the award as an exciting way to start the new year and to conclude her decade as council leader. June Imeson has held the senior post at Hambleton District Council since
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Fitness runner hands over cash to charity
A FOOTBALLER'S determination to stay fit throughout the year has resulted in him presenting £1,900 to the Leyburn branch of Yorkshire Cancer Research. Mark Teasdale, who plays for Askrigg Football Club, decided to enter the Great North Run three years
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Council set to vote on GPs centre
A CONTROVERSIAL bid for a new medical centre in the Dales is tabled again today - and councillors will be asked to grasp the nettle and decide if the project goes ahead. Trinity Medical Properties has altered the design of the two-storey building off
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Little to scout about
The Northern League being under several feet of water, we spent Saturday watching Arsenal against Oxford United instead, in the convivial company of Mr Tommy Miller (senior). Once the Shotton polliss, Tommy is now Hartlepool's full-time chief scout. His
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Outrage as fence cuts off village
ANGRY residents in West Rounton, near Northallerton, say a fence is putting children's safety at risk. They are furious over the development near a new housing estate and claim the district council is 'burying its head in the sand'. Parish councillors
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Vet's museum given time to increase visitor numbers
VISITOR numbers at Thirsk's flagship tourist attraction, the World of James Herriot, are down - but plans are afoot to remedy the situation. The centre suffered during the foot-and-mouth crisis, and tourism was also hit by the terrorist attack on September
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Quakers' Cup sickener
The harsh reality of Darlington's FA Cup exit to Farnborough at the weekend was realised yesterday when the non-league side were drawn at home to Premiership champions Arsenal in the next round. On the same day Quakers travel 350 miles to face Torquay
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Job Search: Vacancies
Metal fabricator/welder, Northallerton, £4.50-£7 ph dep on experience. Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm. Must be experience in working with stainless steel and Mig/Tig welding. Ref: NOE 18049. Fitter/assembler, Northallerton, £5ph negotiable. Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm. Experience
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Firms to get help from link-up
A partnership looks set to strengthen the future of new and young businesses across the moors and coast area. Two councils are expected to join forces this month and officially establish a company that will provide help and advice to businesses throughout
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Icy roads threat to safety of 999 crews
ANGRY crew members have threatened to close a North-East ambulance station on safety grounds unless "inadequate" road gritting is improved. Ray McDermott, secretary of the North-East Ambulance Service branch of Unison, called for action after ambulances
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Club owner reveals details of £1m boost for night life
A NIGHTCLUB owner has revealed details of a £1m investment tipped to revitalise a city's night life. But he has warned that it could go further downhill if a price war on cheap drinks develops. Vimac Leisure, which owns DH-1 and Caf Rock, on North Road
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Inspector stands down
A NORTHALLERTON police inspector who has retired after 30 years with the force experienced four major incidents in just over 12 months. It was all part of the job for 49-year-old Insp Alan Miller who became emergency planning officer seven years ago.
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Full house, full bank account - as Dave scoops £196,000 bingo bonanza
A LUCKY bingo fan was celebrating last night after scooping a £196,000 jackpot. David Smith, 27, from Easington, east Durham, began his winning streak by winning £10 on the teatime flyer, at Buckingham Bingo Club, Peterlee, on Sunday. He went on to get
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Dog theft may have been to order
A WOMAN has been attacked and robbed of a rare dog - and the theft may have been to order. Until the attack, 25-year-old Jamie Parker owned the only Australian shepherd dog in the North-East. Jamie, who had a border collie stolen from her garden in Guisborough
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'Distressing' scene of bloody attack
POLICE called to deal with an assault believed they were looking for a body because of the amount of blood at the scene. Durham Crown Court was told the victim was struck over the head with a hi-fi speaker and other items of furniture in the assault by
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Objectors win mast battle
RESIDENTS who objected to plans for a telecommunications mast are celebrating after permission was refused. Vodaphone had asked for permission for the mast on Durham Road, Low Fell, Gateshead. The objectors to the 15m mast were backed by Low Fell Labour
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Clampdown sees 42 arrests
MORE than 40 people have been arrested and £7,000 worth of goods recovered in a police crackdown. Operation Darc, aimed at Detecting house burglaries, Arresting offenders, Reducing crime and promoting Crime prevention advice, was launched in the Easington
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Police hunt for clues to heaters raid
POLICE in Sedgefield are appealing for information about a smash and grab raid on the village's industrial estate. The theft took place at the Andrew Sykes premises at exactly 8.06pm on Sunday evening. Thieves stole three large industrial heaters, valued
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Couple mark golden day
A COUPLE who have celebrated 50 years of marriage have thanked family and friends for helping them to raise money for charity. Harry and Connie Wilkinson, from Billy Row, near Crook, asked for donations to be made to The Butterwick Hospice in Bishop Auckland
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Pub scheme wins backing
PLANS for a new pub in Newton Aycliffe look likely to be approved this week. Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries has applied for planning permission to Sedgefield Borough Council to build a pub in the Cobblers Hall housing development. The building, which
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So who's the owner of little lost bear?
IT IS wet, bedraggled and looks thoroughly miserable - but somebody, somewhere is probably missing this bear. The dishevelled teddy was found lying in the St Nicholas Fields urban nature park just after Christmas. Park ranger Gordon Campbell-Thomas, above
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Safety work under way
WORK starts today to help prevent a Selby-type disaster happening on railway lines near a North-East town. Darlington Borough Council is spending £5,000 on fencing and barriers to make a road bridge over railway tracks at Brafferton safer. The Selby crash
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Support urged for city transport measures
COUNCILLORS are being asked to support a £10m boost for transport improvements. The majority of the cash over the forthcoming year is coming from the Government in a £7.88m grant towards the York City Council's Transport Plan. The five-year, £50m plan
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Snow and sledging clothes save car toddler
A two-year-old girl who was dragged along under her mother's car, was saved by her thick winter clothing and snow which helped her slide along instead of being crushed, it was revealed yesterday. The mother had dropped off her four children at their grandmother's
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Plan for flats refused
A PLANNING application to build a two-storey block of 12 flats has been refused by Gateshead Borough Council following opposition from residents and ward councillors. The council reached its decision after receiving an 81-signature petition, and a visit
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Education places open
PLACES are still available on New Year courses at Newton Aycliffe's Pioneering Care Centre. There are some places left on the aromatherapy course, level two, which starts on Tuesday, January 14, from 1pm to 4pm. There is also a deaf awareness course starting
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Education places open
PLACES are still available on New Year courses at Newton Aycliffe's Pioneering Care Centre. There are some places left on the aromatherapy course, level two, which starts on Tuesday, January 14, from 1pm to 4pm. There is also a deaf awareness course starting
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Churchwarden left with phone headache
A CHURCHWARDEN has been cut off from the congregation after BT failed to repair a fault on his telephone line. Brian and Anne Johnson, from Hurworth, near Darlington, complained to BT on Wednesday when they discovered they could not use their telephone
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Bus windows smashed
THE windows of two buses in Hartlepool were smashed when youngsters allegedly threw stones at them. In both incidents, which took place in King Oswy Drive, windows were smashed and one woman suffered a cut to her face. The first attack happened just after
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Fined for unlawful sex with girl of 13
A MAN who was warned that he would go to jail for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl walked free from court yesterday. Mark Cochrane was instead handed a £2,500 fine at Teesside Crown Court after he admitted having unlawful sex with the girl,
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'Some of the fattest people live in N-E cities'
TWO North-East communities have been branded as among the UK's fattest cities. Sunderland and Durham City feature in the first three places in a new league table compiled by Muscle and Fitness magazine from mostly official Government statistics. The Wearside
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Man jailed for sex abuse 20 years ago
A shipyard worker was jailed for three years yesterday for sexually abusing a girl 20 years ago. Brian James Lynch, 62, was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life when he was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court. David Crook,
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Egyptian mummy watercolour back on display
A PAINTING is back on display after being recovered from a museum's stores. The watercolour, painted in 1821, shows the intricate coffin of one of Newcastle's Hancock Museum's Egyptian mummies. One of Northumbria's most distinguished portrait painters
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News in brief: Festive spirit helps charity
Visitors to the Hill Street Centre, in Middlesbrough, dug deep in their pockets in the nine days between December 15 and Christmas Eve, to raise almost £4,000 for the Zoe's Place Trust. The money was raised by parents and grandparents as they took their
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Fundraiser Joe doesn't half look different after his charity shave
JOE Angus hopes to collect sponsorship money as well as stares after having half his beard and moustache shaved off for charity. Staff and regulars at The Brooms pub, in Urpeth Grange, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, watched as Joe's son-in-law
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School bus pass scheme
A NEW public transport pass designed for schoolchildren is on sale now. The Nexus School Pass is a pre-pay travel pass suitable for use on all modes of public transport throughout Tyne and Wear. It allows parents and carers of children to pay for their
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Meetings to tackle issue of arson
ARSON will be the main topic of discussion at three council meetings aimed at promoting community safety in Hartlepool. Bob Scott, Cleveland Fire Brigade's district manager for Hartlepool, will be speaking on the issue when he attends the Police and Community
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Friends set health target
FUNDRAISERS are determined to make 2003 a year to remember by providing their local hospital with life-saving equipment. The Friends of the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, have set themselves the target of £150,000 for an appeal which could benefit
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Famous parrot checks out of hotel
A TALKATIVE parrot which has entertained a hotel's guests for more than a decade has flown the nest. The blue-fronted Amazon parrot, called Albert - even though it is female - has made hundreds of friends all around the world during its 16 years at Walworth
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News in brief: Driver, 75, loses clean record
A 75-YEAR-old motorist was fined £200 and lost his unblemished driving record after pulling from a junction into the path of another vehicle. Ray Dudly Willingale, of Linden Cottage, Maunby, Thirsk, admitted careless driving when he appeared before Richmond
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Council has let me down, says 79-year-old tenant
A PENSIONER says a council's highly praised housing department has let her down over the past ten years. Ivy Deery, 79, lives alone in a ground floor flat in Medway House, Billingham Green, where she has resided for the past quarter of a century. But
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Teammates anger Shearer
FURIOUS skipper Alan Shearer has revealed the anger he felt after Newcastle were dumped out of the FA Cup at the first attempt. The Magpies were beaten 3-2 by First Division Wolves on Sunday and Shearer was disgusted at the way some of his teammates failed
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French school placement for Jonathan, 19
A TEENAGER is to spend six months working in a French school, on a trip organised by a Christian mission movement. Jonathan Patterson, 19, of Monks Crescent, Durham, will start work in a secondary school in Valence this month, working as a secretary and
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Killer may be jailed after all
A KILLER who walked free from court could face a prison sentence after all. Taxi driver Mazhar Ali, 26 - who now lives in London - was given a suspended sentence at Teesside Crown Court last year for the manslaughter of unemployed Stockton gardener Colin
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News in brief: Pub's flags appeal fails
The Shuttle and Loom pub, in Whinfield Road, Darlington, has been refused permission to place two flags outside the building. An appeal against Darlington Borough Council's decision to reject the application was dismissed by a Government inspector. A
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Pond death woman named
A WIDOW who was found dead in a pond after going out for a walk was named yesterday as 73-year-old Evelyn Graham, described as an "institution" in her community. The mother-of-two's body was recovered by police from a pond near Aldbrough St John, near
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Community centre scheme
PLANS to build a community centre on a Darlington estate have been announced. The proposal to demolish and replace Firthmoor Community Centre has been submitted to Darlington Borough Council for planning approval. The new building, in Burnside Road, would
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Jonny does the honours at city property shop opening
BIG Brother star Jonny Regan helped open a property centre by cutting a house-shaped cake. The celebrity, who is appearing in pantomime in Newcastle, was invited to the launch of Sunderland Housing Group's property shop at Lynas House, in Frederick Street
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Anger at shop's lack of access
AN action group for the disabled has objected to plans to open an extreme sports shop. Darlington Association on Disability has complained that the planned shop, in the town's Duke Street, does not have access for people in wheelchairs. Michelle Murphy
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No action on field sell-off complaint
THE Local Government Ombudsman will not be taking a action on a council's plans to sell school playing fields. A complaint was made last month about Darlington Borough Council's plans for the fields at Longfield School. The council had initially planned
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Calls for telephone mast to be moved
PEOPLE living near a mobile telephone mast have asked Darlington Borough Council to move it away from their homes. The T-Mobile mast was erected at Broken Scar Treatment Works, in Coniscliffe Road, Darlington, in 1996. Now an application has been received
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Magistrates court cases
THE following cases came before Darlington magistrates yesterday. NO INSURANCE: Nicholas Hampton, 36, of Stanhope Road North, Darlington, was fined £300 with £35 costs after he admitted driving with no insurance. The court heard he was stopped in his
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Village school is top class, say government inspectors
A VILLAGE school has won top marks from Government inspectors. Lockwood Primary School, in Boosbeck, "is an effective school that provides a good education for its pupils," said an Ofsted report. "The leadership and management of the school are very good
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News in brief: Pub's flags appeal fails
The Shuttle and Loom pub, in Whinfield Road, Darlington, has been refused permission to place two flags outside the building. An appeal against Darlington Borough Council's decision to reject the application was dismissed by a Government inspector. A
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News in brief: Festive spirit helps charity
Visitors to the Hill Street Centre, in Middlesbrough, dug deep in their pockets in the nine days between December 15 and Christmas Eve, to raise almost £4,000 for the Zoe's Place Trust. The money was raised by parents and grandparents as they took their
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News in brief: 'Severe risk' of cold and flu
LEVELS of cold and flu in the North-East have hit "severe risk" for the third week this winter - according to the Beechams cold and flu scale. Beechams monitors 90,000 of the population across nine UK regions, and warns that a potential 6.8 million people
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Woman escapes ban on animals
A WOMAN has escaped a ban from keeping animals after pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to her dog. Gillian Hotton, of Rydal Road, Darlington, appeared before Bishop Auckland magistrates for sentencing after she accepted she should have
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Drink-driver agrees to rehab course
THREE months will be knocked off a one-year ban after a drink driver agreed to a rehabilitation course. Gina-Kay Elsdon Applegarth, 25, of Longlands Farm, Hornby, Great Smeaton, near Northallerton, admitted driving while over the legal alcohol limit and
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Countryside association has new chief
A NEW man has taken over the reins of a leading countryside organisation. Douglas Chalmers is the new regional director of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), taking over from Antony Haslam, who retired last month. Mr Chalmers, who was previously
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News in brief: Increasing job opportunities
Chester-le-Street Community Association is running a ten-week course called Marketing Yourself, looking at improving job search and application skills. It will be held on Tuesdays between 10am and noon starting next week and on Fridays from 7.15pm to
