Archive
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Lamplugh suspect due key ruling
The prime suspect in the case of murdered estate agent Suzy Lamplugh was today due to receive a High Court judge's ruling on whether he has been denied ''free and unimpeded'' access to legal advice. John Cannan, 48, already serving a life sentence for
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Last Night's TV: Twist in a rather tasteless tale
Unconditional Love (ITV1); Whatever Happened To Slimmers Of The Year? (C4) IF the latest Robson Green film Unconditional Love produced an uneasy feeling, this was more to do with having the abduction of a child at the centre of the plot rather than the
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Pupils helped by joint effort
YOUNGSTERS in Bosnia are to get a high-tech education - thanks to the efforts of police sergeant Paul Jenkins. Last April he was transferred from his job as a custody officer at York to the International Policing Task Force in Bihac. And he was so moved
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Neale victims angry at plea
FORMER patients of disgraced surgeon Richard Neale are furious at a call by a former mayor of Northallerton to abandon their boycott of an inquiry into complaints about his conduct. John Bacon, who was mayor in 1983, had backed the patients' campaign
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Cadet thanked for efforts
AN army cadet from Northallerton has been presented with a shield as a thank you for raising almost £200 for the Poppy Appeal. Cadet Dan Wright attended an awards ceremony at the Territorial Army Centre, in Thirsk Road, and was presented with the shield
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Marcus has no fears of Watson return
MARCUS Richardson is relishing the return of Gordon Watson to the Hartlepool United forward line - because he's sure it will help bring out the best in him. The big striker hit two in Saturday's 3-1 win over Oxford at Victoria Park and while tonight's
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Lights, camera, action for thriving industries
While the manufacturing industry struggles to survive, Lindsay Jennings reports on the growing roles film, media and tourism have to play in the region's fortunes. BILLY Elliot skips along, ballet shoes in hand on one wall, while the sinister gaze of
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Life goes on at leaner plant - and help is there for redundant staff
A PORTABLE building tucked behind GlaxoSmithKline's sprawling, 63-acre site in Barnard Castle was once home to a team of people working to smooth the merger between Glaxo Wellcome and Smith-Kline Beecham. Splicing the two pharmaceutical heavyweights was
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The road to nowhere
The trouble with Gorleston is that it sounds like one of those agonising internal ailments which may not simply be relieved by two aspirins and a burp. The other problem is that it's a long way away, a short plodge from Great Yarmouth - or Quite Canny
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Council fined £10,000 after swings collapse as boy plays
A NORTH-EAST authority has been fined £10,000 after playground swings collapsed while a youngster was playing on them. Eight-year-old Jim Howe was lucky to escape serious injury after the swings on the play area in Sunniside, near Tow Law, County Durham
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Cash bonus for support group
A SUPPORT and social group for people with mobility difficulties is planning a host of outings thanks to a grant of almost £4,000. Spennymoor and District Mobility Club, launched last summer, has been awarded £3,980 from The National Lottery Awards for
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Several lines of inquiry in hunt for railway thieves
DETECTIVES investigating the theft of two miles of track from a disused railway line hope to make progress hunting remaining gang members in the next 48 hours. Thieves removed 300 tonnes of steel track from the mothballed Leamside line, at Penshaw, between
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Residents issue plea to cut drivers' speed
RESIDENTS have pleaded with motorists to slow down on a town centre road. People living in East Mount Road, Darlington, have sent a petition to the borough council calling for new speed restrictions to be implemented in the area. But they are so concerned
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Alert over sex calls to women
A BOGUS council official has been harassing women in the Darlington area by asking them to take part in a sordid survey. The man, who says he is called John, has rung a number of women and claimed to be conducting a survey for Darlington Borough Council
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News in brief: New artist for cathedral work
JIM Harold, who combines a career as a practising artist and lecturer, has been appointed artist-in-residence at Durham Cathedral. He is a senior lecturer and researcher at Northumbria University, and his work includes sculptures. He will spend a year
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Police issue vehicle thefts appeal
POLICE are appealing for information on a series of vehicle thefts and burglaries in Wear Valley over the weekend. A child's quad bike was taken from the garden of a home in Canterbury Crescent, Willington, overnight on Friday. On Friday night a Ford
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Parents in protest over loss of school crossing warden
PARENTS have been told their children must cross a busy road without a school-crossing patrol for the foreseeable future. Parents of children at Corporation Road Junior and Infant schools in Darlington have been told there is no-one to replace the regular
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£2,000 bill for removal of tattoos
A MAN is counting the cost after spending £2,000 ridding himself of tattoos. Les Elliot has spent two years in pain having more than 15 tattoos removed by laser surgery - because his appearance meant he could not get a job. Mr Elliott, 37, was left with
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Trio abseil at castle for cancer fund cash
THREE beauty therapy students have helped raise money for charity by abseiling from Alnwick Castle. Tina Handleigh, Janine Moon and Natalie Lamb, all students at Gateshead College, abseiled down the Northumberland castle in aid of Cancer Research UK.
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Man faces court after shop siege
A MAN appeared in court yesterday on charges stemming from a four-hour siege in which a newsagent's shop assistant was allegedly held at knifepoint. Thomas John Fletcher, 27, also known as Jordan Hunter, of Gateshead, came before the town's magistrates
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Car crash victim named
POLICE have confirmed the identity of a man who died when the car in which he was travelling split in half after hitting a road sign. Matthew Culpeper-Smith, of Stourton Grange, Leeds, was a rear-seat passenger in the Volkswagen, which skidded off the
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Recycling scheme scrapped due to abuse of site by fly tippers
A GREEN recycling scheme has been scrapped - because it turned into a dump for old televisions and fridges. Enraged residents signed a petition in protest as the used compound at Nature's World, Middlesbrough, was turned into an eyesore dump. Stuart Goldie
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Car firm up to standard
A SPECIALIST car restorer has won a national benchmark for quality. Aston Martin specialists, the Aston Workshop, of Beamish, County Durham, has achieved the British Standard for quality management, ISO 9001, in only four months. The firm was founded
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Petition raised by residents over quality of water supply
MORE than 100 residents have signed a petition calling for their former water supply to be reinstated amid claims that their current supply is unusable. As part of a £1.7m scheme to improve 37,000km of water mains, utility firm Kenton began working in
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Viscount 'drove through red lights'
A PEER of the realm drove his BMW through two sets of red traffic lights, magistrates heard yesterday. Magistrates in Richmond, North Yorkshire, were told Viscount Mountgarret jumped the first set at roadworks at Catterick Garrison, despite the fact the
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Plans for flood prevention measures outlined
A PUBLIC meeting is to be held to inform residents of plans to prevent further flooding in their area. In August, the Carrville and Belmont areas of Durham were hit by flash-floods. Thousands of pounds worth of damage was done to homes and businesses,
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Comment: Sending a clear message
DEFENCE Secretary Geoff Hoon insists war against Iraq is not inevitable. It is a contention difficult to square with the decision to prepare 30,000 soldiers for action in the Gulf. Once the British forces arrive, it will mean that a combined might of
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Council members leave after bust-up
A TOWN hall disagreement has led to rebel Labour councillors leaving the party and standing as independents in the May elections. Up to eight members could leave Stockton Borough and Thornaby Town councils after a disagreement with the local Labour Party
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Dead cat may have been used as bait
FEARS have been raised that cats are being used in illegal blood sports after an animal was found with its legs and tail bound together. The dead cat was found on the Hart to Haswell cycle route, near Hesleden, County Durham, last Wednesday. Its legs
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Access rights map produced
PEOPLE can have their say on proposals to extend access to large areas of the County Durham countryside. New laws governing access rights to land have resulted in draft maps being produced across England. The draft map covering County Durham can be inspected
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Musical trip down memory lane
THE sounds of the 1940s will be recreated at an event later this year when community campaigners take a stroll down memory lane. Pilots, WAAFs, soldiers, land girls, spivs and GIs will be at the Swingtime event at the Borough Hall, The Headland, Hartlepool
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Tucking into a lesson for breakfast week
EIGHTY youngsters enjoyed a break from their studies yesterday - to tuck into a hearty breakfast. They chomped their way through bacon butties and sausage sandwiches, washed down with glasses of milk. The youngsters, from Woodlands Primary School, Harrogate
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Kitchen refurbishment success
A STOCKTON couple celebrated after their kitchen was refurbished as part of a housing modernisation scheme. Ken and Yvonne Cooper's home in Meldrum Square, Elmtree, was the 750th house to have its kitchen modernised by Yarm Road firm Lovell Eastern. The
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Animal welfare crusader ends her jumble sale days
A North-East animal lover is retiring after dedicating 14 years of her life to holding jumble sales in aid of animal charities. Julia Breen reports. MAUREEN Bell's husband has not been able to get a hammer out of his garden shed for 14 years. And trying
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Paul could soon be quads in
FARMER'S son Paul Anderson is looking forward to the lambing season this year even more than most. The former British Quad Bike Champion turned his hobby into a career after finishing at Lafarge's Eastgate works in August and started his own company Anderson
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£106,000 cost of keeping a bishop
The first full year in office for the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Right Reverend John Packer, cost the Church of England £106,758, it has been revealed. The figures are being reported by the Ripon and Leeds diocese in its February newsletter and cover
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News in brief: Death crash victim named
A WOMAN who died in a two car crash near Malton on Sunday was last night named as 40-year-old Sharon Dowson. Mrs Dowson, of Farm Close, Whitby, was a front seat passenger in a silver Peugeot 206 which collided with a blue Vauxhall Cavalier on the A169
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School's athletes take cross country prize
HIGH Tunstall School, in Hartlepool, has come out top in the Town Cross Country Championship. High Tunstall competed against the town's five other schools - Brierton Community School, English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College, St Hild's, Dyke House
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News in brief: Conmen target pensioners
FRAUD squad detectives fear the elderly on Teesside are being targeted in an unscrupulous conmen operation. The crooks are sending out postcards "guaranteeing'' a share of £100m Government cash made up of cold weather payments and pension top-ups in return
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News in brief: New artist for cathedral work
JIM Harold, who combines a career as a practising artist and lecturer, has been appointed artist-in-residence at Durham Cathedral. He is a senior lecturer and researcher at Northumbria University, and his work includes sculptures. He will spend a year
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Work to replace crumbling sea defences gets under way
WORK began yesterday on a £2.5m scheme to build new sea defences at Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool. Since the start of the year, engineering firm Seymours has been preparing the site, which involves a 600m stretch of sea wall and promenade near Newburn
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Zoe's mementoes to help aspiring pop stars
SINGER Zoe Birkett has donated some mementoes of her early years to raise funds for other aspiring pop stars. Zoe, who is at number 12 in the charts with her debut single Treat Me Like A Lady, was a member of Darlington Stagecoach Theatre Arts School
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Wild berries may have made sex-attack man hallucinate
A HOMELESS man foamed at the mouth as he carried out a sex attack after eating mind-bending berries. John Clark ate the hallucinogenic berries as he slept rough in a field shortly before he arrived dishevelled on the doorstep of a friend's flat. Teesside
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Cloughie only had months to live
NORTH-EAST football legend Brian Clough had only two months to live before he underwent a successful liver transplant, his surgeon said last night. The transplant team also found cancer in his diseased liver when they performed the major operation on
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30,000 troops on the march towards war
SADDAM HUSSEIN was warned last night that he faced the moment of truth after it was announced that Britain is to assemble a massive 30,000-strong land force in the Gulf ready to take part in a possible invasion of Iraq. Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon told
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'Oh why are we waiting'
A YEAR on from one of the blackest days in its recent history, the tranquil beauty of an isolated dale masks a mood of anger and frustration. Last January's announcement that a major employer was moving out could not have come at a bleaker time for Weardale
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Council urged to install crossing
ABOUT 330 people have signed a petition urging Hartlepool Borough Council to install a crossing on one of the town's busiest roads. They are asking the council to install a crossing at the junction of Powlett Road and Milbank Road. The junction is used
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High-speed service to treat skin problems
PEOPLE with skin problems can expect quicker treatment with the launch of a dermatology service. The Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Primary Care Trust is launching the service later this month. Initially, it will be open to all patients registered with
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Vandals hit shrine again
A former guardian of a wayside shrine in North Yorkshire has spoken of her heartbreak after vandals attacked the building for a second time. The quaint chapel, which at a squeeze holds eight people, is alongside the River Nidd in Knaresborough. Several
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YHA plans expansion
THE Youth Hostel Association has unveiled plans to expand its accommodation network across the Yorkshire region. Richmond and Grassington, at either end of the Yorkshire Dales, have been identified as possible sites for new hostels. And others could follow
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My first exhibition at Tate Modern
IT'S art innit? Or is it? I confess to causing a disturbance at the new Tate Modern Gallery - that re-ordered power station on the south bank of the Thames at the end of the Millennium Bridge. That's the bridge that was closed as soon as it opened, because
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Jobs pouring in thanks to regeneration hope
REGENERATION bosses have secured nearly 2,000 jobs in County Durham since April, giving fresh hope to the region in the face of the depressing manufacturing climate. The County Durham Development Company (CDDC) has backed projects offering hundreds of
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Lodge in with a shout
SEDGEFIELD must survive a 7am inspection, however, if the waterlogged patches dry up sufficiently to allow racing to take place, Grattan Lodge (1.00) is a lively contender for the opening Doug Jemmeson "Lifetime In Racing" Handicap Hurdle. Excuse the
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Teenager prepares for dream role with RSC
A BUDDING actor from Appleton Wiske is among five children chosen to perform alongside some of the country's leading actors. Nick Sellars, 13, will be in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of The Merry Wives of Windsor when it visits Northallerton
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Work starts at 'damp' house
HOUSING chiefs have apologised for delays dealing with damp in a Colburn home - but have pledged to do all they can to eradicate the problem. As reported in last week's edition of the Advertiser, newlyweds Andrew and Amanda Pavey first complained in August
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Clough is facing his toughest test
THERE is no doubt that ruddy-faced former manager Brian Clough is a footballing legend. On the national stage he is best known for bringing European glory to Nottingham Forest and a career which ended in relegation, coupled with years of heavy drinking
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Job Search: Vacancies
First aid at work trainer, Northallerton. £11,702-£14,626, Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5pm. Must hold a teaching qualification and C23 and D23 assessor's qualifications. Must have three years' experience in first aid in the workplace. Ref: NOE18151. General labourer
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Captain's Corner
We were all delighted with the win and the performance on Saturday against a strong and well organised Oxford team. We played a lot of excellent passing football, which I am sure the fans appreciated. I would put this down as our best all-round performance
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Where there's a willy...
SOME rather startling paintings meant saugages were certainly off the menu at a Durham restaurant... luckily the rest of the menu offered plenty of delicious choices. SPLASHING out, as might be supposed in an aquatic environment, we lunched last week
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Yorkshire armed seige comes to peaceful end
An armed police siege at a normally-tranquil country caravan park came to a peaceful end today after more than 12 hours of negotiations. The operation came to an end without a shot being fired when two men were escorted from their isolated caravan at
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Wilkinson gets go-ahead for Toda deal
SUNDERLAND'S relegation battle received a major boost last night when it emerged the cash-strapped club can sign Japan's World Cup star Kazuyuki Toda on loan until the end of the season. Toda, 25, will be allowed to leave Shimuzo S-Pulse for Sunderland
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Woodgate move on?
SIR BOBBY ROBSON is preparing to test Leeds United's resolve to keep Jonathan Woodgate after the Elland Road club's hopes of easing their financial crisis collapsed. After expecting to recoup £7m for Robbie Fowler and up to £4m on the sale of Seth Johnson
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Tait unsure whether to extend Offiong's stay at Darlington
Caretaker boss Mick Tait will sit down with on-loan striker Richard Offiong next week to discuss the Newcastle forward's future with Darlington. The 19-year-old's second month with the club is due to expire next week and Tait has the option to keep Offiong
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Job Search: Vacancies
Electrical designer, Thornaby. £15ph, 40hrs pw, 9am to 5.30pm, Mon-Fri, temporary, 3-6mths. Must have minimum five years' industrial experience ideally with background in heavy engineering or petrochem and be familiar with Autocad, Word and Excel. Must
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Museum welcomes heroic mementos
A reminder of the sacrifices made to free Europe from the oppression of the Nazis has been given a new and permanent home. Major Frederick Honeyman was awarded the Military Cross for his gallantry when the Green Howards landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944
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21/01/03
GALA THEATRE: DURHAM City Council is preparing for another substantial increase in council tax for the year 2003-4. The people of Durham cannot be asked to finance a council which seems to have a problem in making difficult decisions in deciding where
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Job Search: Vacancies
Domestic assistant, Chester le Street. £4.50ph, 9.15am-1.15pm, Monday and Friday. Must have own transport. Previous experience is essential. Duties to include vacuuming, polishing, cleaning windows, washing and ironing. Ref: CHM14972 Telephonist, Durham
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Key ring gives numbers for lottery win
A lucky Lotto key ring opened the door to a champagne lifestyle for a young couple who scooped a £3 m jackpot, they revealed today. Deborah Purvis, from Newcastle, plans to buy a new home with fianc of five years Jason White and their two children after
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Council facing claims of anti-gipsies bias
A LOCAL authority is facing accusations of being biased against the gipsy community. An appeal against Darlington Borough Council's decision to prevent land in Hurworth being used as a private gypsy site will be heard later this year. Geoff Watson, who
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Miner artist's home show
ONE of County Durham's best known artists has more than 50 paintings on show in his home town. Bishop Auckland Town Hall has started the year with an exhibition of work by former miner Tom McGuinness. Mr McGuinness, who worked at mines in Fishburn, Newton
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Anniversary performance
A DRAMA group is celebrating its 21st year this week with a performance of an Alan Ayckbourn play. The playwright has sent a goodwill message to Hurworth Theatre Group, near Darlington, as they prepare for their production of Round and Round the Garden
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Now Allstars look the part
A DARLINGTON football squad proudly showed off its new strip at the weekend. The 21st Allstars Under-11 Colts were given the kit by Woolworths and visited the store on Saturday to say thank you. Angela McCabe, the team's secretary, who is a shop assistant
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Plea for return of stolen vet scanner
AN ultra-sound scanner worth £10,000 has been stolen from a car outside a veterinary surgery. The equipment was taken from a car outside the Green Street surgery, in Darlington, at about 10pm on Sunday. A vet and nurse had been called to the surgery to
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News in brief: Man critical after attack
A 44-YEAR-OLD man suffered serious head injuries when he was attacked in Newcastle's Bigg Market at 10.20pm on Sunday. A police spokesman said the victim, who was left unconscious, was taken to Newcastle General Hospital where he underwent brain surgery
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Blackmail over vase profits is denied
A MAN yesterday denied blackmailing an antiques dealer by threatening to expose him as a paedophile unless he handed over cash. Mark Tarbitt, 42, told Newcastle Crown Court he was targeted by Michael Murphy, 26, and David McCafferty, 35, after selling
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Driver is fined for supermarket crash
A PORT authority worker, who at first denied damaging a car in the Safeway car park in Stokesley last summer, was fined £275 yesterday. Mark Hill, of the town's Meadowfield, pleaded guilty to careless driving and failing to stop after an accident. Richmond
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Hospital fry up for charity
HOSPITAL cooks are working up an appetite for a cancer charity's fundraising efforts to serve up Britain's Biggest All-Day Breakfast. Staff at the Chimney's Restaurant, at Bishop Auckland General Hospital, have signed up for the March 7 event in aid of
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Holocaust victims remembered
HOLOCAUST victims are to be remembered at a special memorial service in Darlington. The Holocaust Memorial Day on Monday, January 27, will mark 58 years since the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. The Darlington event will focus on
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Protest over delay in solving sewage leaks
A MAN says he has been waiting three years for water company staff to solve his blocked drain problems. Robert Grimstead's ordeal began when a water supply pipe was installed for a neighbour in The Lane, Sedgefield, which he says damaged a sewer. Ever
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Search to find sam a new owner
A DOG whose owners had to leave him when they went into care, is looking for a home in the Darlington area. Sam, a ten-year-old mongrel, was given to the National Animal Sanctuary Support League by his elderly owners. Pauline Wilson, from the league,
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Health visitor is aiding travellers
A HEALTH visitor has won a national award to support her work helping to raise awareness of health needs among the travelling community. Jill Salkeld has been working with travelling families on the East Howle site, near Ferryhill, for the past 18 months
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Happy feet
PUPILS at a Newton Aycliffe school have been selected for a new area dance group. The year 11 girls from Greenfield School Community and Arts College are: Rebecca Stephenson, Amie Buck, Laura Taylor and Kaylee McDonald. They will meet each week at Bishop
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'Secret' visitor praises church
WHEN a North-East church congregation welcomed a worshipper from the US into their flock they had no idea they were being given marks out of ten. But parishioners at St James the Great Church in Darlington had nothing to worry about, because their guest
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Charities take part in one-stop scheme
A DOZEN charities and welfare groups will be brought under one roof when a one-stop shop opens in Consett. Consett Churches and Neighbourhood Action (CCANA), is launching the shop in Consett Church Hall, Parliament Street, Consett, on Thursday, January
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News in brief: Library gets Internet link
VISITORS to Cockerton library, in Darlington, can now surf the Internet using new computers paid for by the Gates Foundation. The computers are free for the first half-hour and cost £2 per hour afterwards. To book a session, call (01325) 461320. The library
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Adoption help on offer
A COUNCIL is holding an open evening to inform people about the rewards of becoming an adoptive parent. Gateshead Borough Council was awarded the coveted Beacon Status this year for its success in doubling the number of children it has helped to find
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Cars seized
A COUNCIL has improved its procedures for removing abandoned cars as a result of a dramatic increase in dumped vehicles. In conjunction with the police and the DVLA, Easington District Council is carrying out patrols to seize untaxed cars. So far, 200
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Comedian is deadly serious about cancer awareness
ONE of the region's best known comedian's is delivering a deadly serious message in the hope of saving lives. Funny man Roy "Chubby" Brown, who is fighting throat cancer, is to front a relaunch of the Look Ahead To Save Lives campaign to highlight head
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Stem cell transplant woman pregnant
A WOMAN who has undergone controversial IVF treatment to create a baby genetically similar to her four-year-old son is several months pregnant. Michelle Whitaker and her husband, Jayson, who have family in County Durham, were desperate to create a baby
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Designer broadens her horizons
FASHION designer Lucy Raper is aiming to crack the international market from her North-East base. Ms Raper, who runs Rawlins and Ritchie from her home in Gainford, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, is entering the export market and expanding the number
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Green Goddesses return as troops go on firefight duty
BRITISH troops were once again preparing to cover for striking firefighters last night after union leaders decided to press ahead with a walkout because of continuing deadlock over pay. Firefighters will walk out for 24 hours at 9am today, with the prospect
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Blaze cause probed
INQUIRIES continue today into the cause of a weekend blaze which forced the closure of a section of a main road into a city centre. Fire extensively damaged a launderette and dry cleaners in Hylton Road, Sunderland, causing the evacuation of families
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Prison chiefs oppose marriage of Rose West
PRISON authorities last night said they would discourage the rumoured marriage between serial killer Rose West and the bass player from the band Slade. The Durham inmate, who is serving ten life sentences for killing ten young women and girls, is said
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Banned driver jailed after aiming for PC
A BANNED driver who forced children to flee when he performed handbrake turns on a playing field has been jailed. Shane Taylor, 25, stopped at a cul-de-sac near Lukes Lane, Hebburn, but drove off again with a policeman clinging to his open passenger door
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Soldier stable after attack
A SOLDIER struck with a pickaxe during an Army exercise is out of danger. Lance Corporal Konrad Bisping, 26, based at Catterick Garrison, was fighting for his life after emergency surgery following the incident on Salisbury Plain last week. A Wiltshire
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Mikado is given a Geordie makeover
OPERA fan Gary Winn has won a grant to stage a Geordie version of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. Mr Winn has spent a year re-writing the show, replacing the courts of imperial Japan with North-East workingmen's clubs. The hospital biochemist started
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Schools to get share of £4m
MILLIONS of pounds are to be given directly to North Yorkshire schools to streamline the help offered to children with learning difficulties. Each of the 400 primary and secondary schools in the county will get a share of more than £4m, giving them quicker
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News in brief: Conmen target pensioners
FRAUD squad detectives fear the elderly on Teesside are being targeted in an unscrupulous conmen operation. The crooks are sending out postcards "guaranteeing'' a share of £100m Government cash made up of cold weather payments and pension top-ups in return
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Man charged over child pornography
A MAN, already charged with one offence of downloading indecent pictures of children from the Internet, was told yesterday he is facing another 16 similar allegations. Trevor MacPherson, of Niddrie, Edinburgh, is said to have had 380 images on the hard
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News in brief: New artist for cathedral work
JIM Harold, who combines a career as a practising artist and lecturer, has been appointed artist-in-residence at Durham Cathedral. He is a senior lecturer and researcher at Northumbria University, and his work includes sculptures. He will spend a year
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Sports coaching for disabled youngsters
YOUNGSTERS with disabilities have been taking part in a new club aimed at encouraging them to take up a sport. The Sports Ability Club is open to youngsters with disablities or special needs in the Stockton area, aged eight to 18. Organised by Stockton
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Liz serves up clever theme
A COUNTY Durham hotelier has cooked up a boost for her business. Liz Curry's Weardale business was put under pressure by the foot-and-mouth outbreak, the closure of main employer LaFarge's cement works and the loss of jobs at Weardale Steel in Wolsingham
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Reg works handy way out
HAVING grown up and raised a family in one of the country's most picturesque areas, Reg Savory had never considered leaving Weardale. But when the dale's main employer LaFarge cement works, at Eastgate, closed in August leaving Mr Savory out of work,
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Raising our sights
Radically improved employment prospects in the North-East lie mainly in our own hands. National public policy measures will have a major role to play, of course, but our future prosperity and the enhanced jobs outlook that goes with it will also depend
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Sunnier outlook for happy Trevor
A FACTORY worker facing the sack from Black & Decker is looking forward to a bright future thanks to a clever business idea. When the company announced 950 jobs were to be lost at its Spennymoor plant, including Trevor Woods' position as a production
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Holocaust victims remembered
HOLOCAUST victims are to be remembered at a special memorial service in Darlington. The Holocaust Memorial Day on Monday, January 27, will mark 58 years since the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. The Darlington event will focus on
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Return of gospels to North is ruled out
THE BRITISH Library yesterday said it will not return the treasured Lindisfarne Gospels to their North-East home. A high-powered campaign to bring the early medieval manuscripts back to the region appears to have failed after the library agreed to a compromise
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Poor state of football pitches highlighted
FOOTBALL pitches and changing facilities at grassroots level in the region are paying the price of years of neglect. A report on the state of the nation's playing fields reveals 80 per cent suffer from drainage problems or lack of suitable changing facilities
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Court date for man charged with murder
A ROOFER charged with the murder of a popular North-East journalist will appear in court in March. Lee Alan Cook, 21, of Longe Road, Norwich, has been charged with the murder of Lorraine Turner, 37, originally from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. Ms Turner
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Chief of village in Africa wins award for business
AN ARTS company set up by young people and an "ethical" holiday business run by the chief of an African village, have both won business awards. The Prince's Trust held its North-East Business of the Year Awards ceremony at Lumley Castle, near Chester-le-Street
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Looking skywards for planets spectacular
FINGERS are crossed for clear skies this evening in the hope of seeing the solar system's two largest planets. Budding astronomers will be taking their turn to look through the large telescope in the Yorkshire Museum's observatory to see Jupiter and Saturn
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Is this Britain's point of no return
Britain's military commitment to a potential war against Iraq is to be on the same scale as the Gulf War, it emerged yesterday. Nick Morrison looks at the build-up to war. IT has all the signs of being the pivotal moment on the road to war. While the
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Baking power
TWO women whose lives have been hit by cancer have raised £1,000 to aid research into the disease - by making jars of preservatives, and baking. Maureen Hood and Ann Ward of Fryup, near Whitby, made jam, cakes, and chutneys to raise the money which is
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Man took car on high-speed test drive
COMPANY boss Simon Conder's high-speed test drive in a powerful sports car ended in a five-vehicle crash, a court was told yesterday. Harrogate magistrates heard how Conder's wife, Lyn, had to be airlifted to hospital with a broken neck and pelvic fractures
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Who wants to be a millionaire?
AN AMBITIOUS programme to recruit 50 people with the ability to become millionaires has been launched by a Tees Valley entrepreneur. Jeff Fitpatrick, 47, from Darlington, has launched the scheme to put something back into the regional economy in the wake
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Mayor lends hand at recreation ground revamp
THE transformation of a sports ground in Hartlepool began yesterday. The £489,000 scheme at King George V recreation ground in the town's West View involves building a pavilion with changing and community rooms, creating a floodlit multi-use games area
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Panto stars meet students
PANTOMIME stars Sam Kane and Linda Lusardi made a quick dash from the stage on Sunday afternoon to meet a group of disabled students. The married couple, who have been appearing in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Darlington Civic Theatre, chatted with
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Inspiration to help us all make progress
LAST November, The Northern Echo launched a campaign, Working for a Future. It came immediately after Black & Decker, one of the mainstays of the South-West Durham economy, announced it was axing 950 jobs. This was by no means the first high-profile
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Pub where man died is up for sale
A PUB where a man died in a bar brawl has been put up for sale. The Rise Carr Hotel, in Darlington, has been closed since the death of David Willis, 51, last May. The painter and decorator, of William Street, Darlington, died five days after he fell and
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Sue and the art of seduction
Writer-director Sue Heel starts shooting her first feature film in March. Women's Editor Christen Pears meets her. "THERE'S something special about Geordie girls, something you just can't explain," says Sue Heel, and if she's typical of the breed, then
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Treatment works can spark a mini-boom
WORK is under way to improve drinking water for thousands of customers in South-West Durham and parts of Wearside. Northumbrian Water started its £730m improvement scheme in 2000, and plans to have it completed by 2005. In the latest stage, the company
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Job Search: Vacancies
Home care workers, Darlington, £4.60ph, 16-20hrs pw, age 18 plus, required to care for two people in their own homes. Ref: DAE 33205. Dental nurse, Darlington, £200pw, 35hrs pw, must be qualified dental nurse. Ref: DAE 33206. General assistant, Morton
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Sergeant major quizzed in Army deaths investigation
A SERGEANT major named on television as the man at the centre of bullying allegations at an Army camp has been interviewed by police. Sergeant Major Andrew Gavaghan, an Army welfare officer at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, was portrayed by BBC
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Eating Owt: Where there's a willy...
SOME rather startling paintings meant saugages were certainly off the menu at a Durham restaurant... luckily the rest of the menu offered plenty of delicious choices. SPLASHING out, as might be supposed in an aquatic environment, we lunched last week
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Locals light up magical show
WISHEE Washee, played by Nik Browne, joins Widow Twankey, Michael Dodsworth, centre, and Abanazer, Roger Kiddle, in Northallerton Variety Company's production of Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp. The panto, which started its run at the Hambleton Forum in
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Nissan 'is facing first strike'
EUROPE'S most productive car plant is facing the first industrial action in its 18-year history, union leaders warned last night. Officials warned that the Nissan factory in Sunderland was "dangerously close" to a stoppage, following the continued failure
