Archive
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Larger-than-life vegetables visit pupils for healthy eating lessons
TALKING vegetables are being used to encourage youngsters to eat their greens. Thousands of primary school children are to receive visits from the likes of Billy Broccoli, Sally Swede, Colin Carrot and Casper Cabbage. Run by a health promotion team at
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Taxing time for Inland Revenue team
EXPERTS will be touring north Durham next month to give residents free tax advice. The Inland Revenue team from Sunderland will visit Stanley, Consett and Chester-le-Street to offer free tax advice. The team will also give advice on tax credits, self-assessment
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Hear All Sides: Fireworks ban
JIM Ruck gets my full support for the campaign to ban fireworks. I feel that fireworks should be confined to November 5 only, with an exception for special organised displays that are advertised in the Press. All other private displays should be banned
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The Albany Northern League Today: Title race wide open after top two slip up
Durham City manager Billy Cruddas believes that the title is now a four-horse race after the top two slipped up on Saturday. While Brandon and Bedlington both lost, Billingham Synthonia and Durham both won to throw the race wide open. Cruddas, whose Durham
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News in brief: Four teams in regional final
FOUR teams from Greencroft School, near Stanley, have qualified for the regional heat of a table tennis competition. The under-13 and under-16 boys and girls teams won their finals in the zone stage of the English Schools Table Tennis Team Championships
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Shops are praised by police in operation
POLICE are congratulating off-licences after only six out of 163 contravened underage drinking laws. As part of a recent operation by Durham police, 24 young people aged from 12 to 14 visited all of Chester-le-Street and Durham's 163 off-licences under
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News in brief: Councillor is disqualified
PAUL REAVLEY, 37, an independent member of Scarborough Council, representing the Eastfield Ward, has been disqualified from membership because of lack of attendance at meetings. He said: "I am self-employed and found myself working out of town a great
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Ceramic arts to go on show at museum
VISITORS to a North-East museum will be treated to a contemporary exhibition featuring works by a world-renowned ceramic artist. Philomena Pretsell will launch her exhibition, at Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, next month. It will be on
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N-E first to join British Library plan
A SCHEME to make the British Library's collections more accessible to users in the North-East has been launched. The Reaching the Regions initiative is being backed by the North-East Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (Nemlac). The region is the
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Party forced to accept new council wards
A POLITICAL group has conceded defeat in its campaign to prevent the division of a council ward. The East Cleveland Independents, the third largest party on the marginal Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, admitted that the Boundary Commission's decision
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Paul helps students on career path
A NORTH-East student is hoping to help school-leavers choose their future career, with a new website. Paul Newcombe, 25, from Kenton, Newcastle, a multimedia design student at the University of Northumbria, has built a website for Gateshead course provider
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Officers gain accolades for long service
SIXTEEN North Yorkshire police officers were rewarded for their dedication to the service at a ceremony at Newby Wiske police headquarters. Guest of honour Mark Evans, the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, presented the men with medals for long service
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News in brief: Always destroy your receipts
Police say thieves are cashing in on careless shoppers, by ordering catalogue goods and items over the telephone - quoting Visa and Switch card numbers on discarded till receipts. A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police say crooks are even rooting through
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Pool chief happy to see run go on
MIKE Newell was happy on two fronts on Saturday - satisfied to head back from Cambridge with an unbeaten record intact and pleased that Rushden finally lost. Pool extended their lead at the top to six points after the second-placed Diamonds lost 3-0 to
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Complaint over authority's leader rejected by watchdog
A STAY-AWAY councillor's complaint about his leader has been rejected by a national watchdog. Labour Durham county councillor Keith Murray-Hetherington has attended only eight out of 78 meetings of the authority, the region's biggest, in the past two
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UniBond League: Hope for struggling Bishops
A last-gasp goal by Sean Hope lifted Bishop Auckland out of the relegation zone of the UniBond League First Division against Leek Town on Saturday. Hope was on hand in the dying seconds of the game to force the ball home and put Bishops into third bottom
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Ten years for car thief who stabbed police officer
A car thief who stabbed an off-duty police officer with an eight-inch blade was jailed for ten years today. PC David Myers, 31, was stabbed three times when he tackled four youths tampering with a car near his mother's terraced house in Hartlepool. The
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You're never too old
Age Concern volunteers are helping out youngsters in schools across County Durham. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports on a project that is bridging the generation gap. SCHOOLS have changed enormously since Dianne Rutter was a pupil but, sitting at
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Fears grow in the PM's 'backyard'
ANTI-WAR protestors took their campaign to the heart of the Prime Minister's constituency at the weekend. More than 100 demonstrators descended on Sedgefield, in County Durham, to show the strength of their opposition to military action against Saddam
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College staff gardening tips
COLLEGE staff are promoting their own tree of know-ledge as part of a garden centre festival this week. They will be at Strike's garden centre, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, on Thursday, from 10am, to tempt visitors to learn more about gardening,
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Extra ethnic support
A NEW facility for youngsters from ethnic minorities has attracted dozens of teenagers in its first two weeks. The youth pod, which is based at North Lodge Park, Darlington, is a converted shipping container which serves as a youth club facility. Youngsters
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Audition call for stage musical
YOUNG hopefuls can audition for a part in a stage production with one of the county's most successful youth theatre groups. Return to the Forbidden Planet is the next offering from Spennymoor Youth Theatre Group, and the chance to take part in the show
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Pacific teaching role for Tim
ENGINEER Tim Ross flies out to Papua New Guinea at the end of this month to teach students motor mechanics. The 23-year-old, from Eastgate, in County Durham, will fly to the south-west Pacific on January 31, where he will spend two years teaching at the
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Health staff take computer driving lessons
HEALTH staff are returning to education in a pioneering initiative with Darlington College of Technology. Hundreds of workers, from consultants to administrative staff and chief officers, in hospitals, doctors' surgeries and offices, have signed up to
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News in brief: Plea for thefts information
POLICE are appealing for information after a series of thefts at the weekend. Two houses in Barnard Castle were broken into and money taken, between 6am and 9am on Saturday in Hilton Road; and on Saturday night in Dawson Road. Items were also stolen from
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Scheme to bring peace
A NEW scheme could bring peace to people whose lives are plagued by burglar alarms which ring repeatedly. An alarm registration scheme, which has been launched by Gateshead Council's commercial and consumer services, could even benefit the alarm owners
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Carers' support group
Carers and relatives of people with drugs problems can join a support group in the community centre, Edgar Grove, Bishop Auckland, on the first Monday of the month, from 1.30pm to 2.30pm. For details call (01388) 451400.
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UN only has weeks to prevent war on Iraq
Tony Blair warned yesterday that the UN only had a matter of weeks to establish that Iraq had rid itself of weapons of mass destruction. The Prime Minister signalled that today's report from the inspection teams' leaders to the UN Security Council would
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Talent-finder Ron dies
THE man who discovered international Scarborough-born singer Robert Palmer has died. Ron Gillett, who was retired, was a leading figure in the entertainment business on the East Coast and had business interests in Scarborough and Redcar. He first saw
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Ambitious initiative will improve sports facilities
AMBITIOUS plans to improve sport and recreation facilities in the Darlington borough will be launched in April. A five-year sports and recreation strategy has been devised by Darlington Borough Council after an independent report in October criticised
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Setback in race to help Alice, the little girl with no kidneys
Parents George Skinner and Nicola Andrews have received a setback in their bid to give a normal life to their daughter, who was born without kidneys. Tiny Alice Skinner's mother and father have been praying for a miracle since their daughter was born
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Would-be giant killers go out in a blaze of glory
IT WAS billed as a David-and-Goliath clash with a group of youngsters taking on the cream of women's football. And although Goliath may have carried the day this time, it was not before he was given a bloody nose. The might of Mohammed Al Fayed's professional
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Badger baiters face new weapon
POLICE have warned the region's badger baiters that they have a powerful new weapon after a pop bottle led to a suspect more than two years after the offence. Durham Police believe it is the first time that DNA has been used to track down suspects in
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Murder mystery thriller
A MIXTURE of murder, intrigue and suspense provide the essential ingredients for a thriller staged from today by the Sunderland Royalty Theatre amateur drama group. The curtain goes up on The Small House by Francis Durbridge at 7.30pm, followed by a nightly
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News in brief: Police probe school blaze
POLICE are investigating a fire which severely damaged half of Dunn Street Junior and Infant School, in Minster Parade, Jarrow, South Tyneside, early yesterday. A spokesman for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said 14 appliances attended the scene
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Fire at block of flats is being treated as arson
ELDERLY women sparked an alert last night after believing they were trapped in a burning block of flats. Three fire engines responded to a call at about 7pm, to Rockliffe House, in Lascelles Park, Darlington. Two women, residents on the top floor of the
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Phillips ready for a goal spree, claims Wilko
HOWARD WILKINSON reckons Kevin Phillips is on the verge of a goal glut that will haul Sunderland out of the relegation mire. Wilkinson has been impressed by Phillips' workrate in training and matches, even though the striker has failed to produce his
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Security guards hurt after raid on factory
TWO security guards were injured, one seriously, when they were attacked by robbers at the weekend. A police spokesman said the guards were on duty at the premises of International Cuisine, on the Hownsgill Industrial Estate, in Consett, County Durham
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Undergraduates put monarchy in focus
THE country's only undergraduate society to stage its academic conferences, is holding its next event. Durham University History Society's subject will be The Monarchy: Inventing Tradition? at a conference on Saturday, in the debating chamber, Palace
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Different worlds meet at culture day
THE North-East's cultural diversity was celebrated with colourful day of music and dance in Sunderland's Stadium of the Light at the weekend. Dance performances from 4 X 4 and a display by Chinese lion dancers were among the events put on for the crowds
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Bankrupt boss offers £1m to end his legal nightmare
A ONE-TIME wealthy businessman has offered a claims firm £1m if it can end his 22-year-old legal nightmare. "The money side of it doesn't matter. All I want is justice,'' said former millionaire Ted Winter, 66, now bankrupt and living on income support
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Chamber helps coarse fish on their way
THE Environment Agency has stepped in to help fish navigate their way along one of North Yorkshire's rivers. The agency has designed a stainless steel chamber to help fish get through the pass at Westwick Weir, on the River Ouse, near Ripon. Migratory
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Pioneering ear implant helps Rebeccs overcome deafness
REBECCA FRENCH has overcome profound deafness to pass a string of speech and drama exams, with the help of a pioneering ear implant. The 11-year-old, who lived in a world of silence until the age of four, learned sign language and attended the Northern
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Former pub is new base for GP surgeries
A FORMER pub is to be transformed into a GPs surgery at a cost of £2.3m. The former Raffles pub in Falsgrave Road, Scarborough, was for many years a Christian Science church and later became a company headquarters. However, once the building has been
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Secret celebrations as former topless model marries Reeves
NORTH-EAST comedian Vic Reeves is today beginning a new chapter in his turbulent love life, following his wedding to former topless model Nancy Sorrell. Mystery surrounded much of Saturday's ceremony at an exclusive mansion and the newly-weds' honeymoon
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Durham head off Tykes move for coach
DURHAM have stepped in smartly to make sure they hang on to coach Martyn Moxon in the face of a challenge from Yorkshire. The Tykes sounded out Moxon about returning to his native county after parting company with Australian coach Wayne Clark. But with
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Devonshire could be the man to help out Mowden
MOWDEN Park could bring in reinforcements from Newcastle this week following an unsatisfactory performance on Saturday. Despite edging closer to safety in National Three North with a second successive win, the management were irritated by the way they
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Couple freed from car
FIREFIGHTERS freed two pensioners, trapped in a car which overturned at a junction. The husband and wife, both aged in their 70s, received minor injuries. They became trapped when their Ford Fiesta flipped over on to its side when negotiating the junction
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Youngsters get a taste of the Army
STUDENTS hoping to join the Armed Forces had a taste of Army life when the Green Howards put the youngsters through their paces. The uniformed services students at Derwentside College went on a week-long camp with the regiment, where they learned survival
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Match ratings underline Boro's travel problems
Boro's away form this season is as bad as their home form is good. They have won once on their travels in the league but are undefeated at home. Sports writer Paul Fraser looks at the symptoms of Boro's travel sickness THERE'S an old adage that suggests
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Parish council asks Prescott to curb buy-out attempts
DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott is to be asked to take action to stop builders persuading people to sell their homes for development into flats. Eaglescliffe residents have told The Northern Echo of approaches from builders asking to buy their homes
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Centre is a magnet for business
A BUSINESS centre which it is hoped will regenerate a former coalfield community has been opened. The Glover Networkcentre, in Washington, Tyne and Wear, was opened by the Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor Peter Gibson. It was established by Networkspace
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Sex attack on woman of 78
A NORTH-EAST community is in shock following a terrifying sex attack on a 78-year-old women in her own home. The traumatised victim was last night being comforted by family as police mounted a major investigation in Seaham, County Durham. Police, who
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27/01/03
FIRE STRIKE: I AM writing to pledge solidarity with our great fire service workers. That someone in politics has called their recent action to get a decent living wage 'unpatriotic' is unwarranted. As we recall the brave fire and rescue services in America
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Riverside to host England
MIDDLESBROUGH'S Riverside Stadium is set to be given the go-ahead to host England's crucial European Championship qualifier with Slovakia in June. It is understood the FA are ready to confirm that Boro are to play host to the national team for the first
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Danson in dock as Tait fumes over dismissal
Perhaps Darlington's only way around avoiding such inept displays as Paul Danson's poor excuse for refereeing on Saturday is to achieve chairman George Reynolds' dream of Premiership football. Former Premiership man-in-the-middle Danson was demoted to
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Newell backs Williams to deliver the goods
FOUR days after being labelled one of the best goalkeepers in the division, by his manager, Hartlepool United No 1 Anthony Williams showed just why. Williams gave a superb display to earn Pool a point at Cambridge and help his teammates reach the 60-point
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News in brief: Always destroy your receipts
Police say thieves are cashing in on careless shoppers, by ordering catalogue goods and items over the telephone - quoting Visa and Switch card numbers on discarded till receipts. A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police say crooks are even rooting through
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Hunt for petrol station robber
POLICE are hunting an armed robber who targeted a petrol station on Teesside at the weekend. The lone gunman threatened the assistant on at the BP garage, in Ormesby High Street, Middlesbrough, with what Cleveland Police believe was a shotgun. A police
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Brave Jane keeps on running
A TERMINALLY-ill woman who has competed in some of the toughest endurance races to raise thousands of pounds for charity yesterday completed the York half-marathon. Jane Tomlinson's bravery has already been recognised when she won a BBC Sports Personality
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Reward offered to catch bike raiders
A REWARD of £1,000 is being offered after thieves smashed their way into a motorcycle showroom and stole off-road bikes and equipment worth about £18,000. The gang used a wooden railway sleeper to force their way into NTB Racing, on the Windmill House
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Phone firm cash tonic for hospice
A MOBILE telephone company is to give a hospice a cash tonic. Vodafone has chosen Teesside Hospice as its charity of the year. It has signed up as a corporate partner with the hospice as part of a fund- raising initiative. Vodafone now has four shops
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In deep thought . . . then it's time for young Pierre to hand MP a chess lesson
LABOUR MP Hugh Bayley met his match at the weekend - when he took on a six-year-old at chess. Young Pierre Weller proved he was a force to be reckoned with when he challenged York MP at the Rapid-play Chess Championships, in the city. The youngster, whose
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Could you give a home to Ben?
MOST people on the lookout for a pet walk straight past Ben. "He is not the prettiest chap in the world, but his personality makes up for it,'' said Pauline Wilson, a volunteer with the National Animal Sanctuary Support league. "We get some dogs that
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Transport for students
COLLEGE students worried about getting to campus have been thrown a lifeline. The axing of an evening bus service caused concern among students at the Riverside College, giving rise to fears of being left with a long walk in the dark after night classes
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News in brief: Four teams in regional final
FOUR teams from Greencroft School, near Stanley, have qualified for the regional heat of a table tennis competition. The under-13 and under-16 boys and girls teams won their finals in the zone stage of the English Schools Table Tennis Team Championships
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Taxing time for Inland Revenue team
EXPERTS will be touring north Durham next month to give residents free tax advice. The Inland Revenue team from Sunderland will visit Stanley, Consett and Chester-le-Street to offer free tax advice. The team will also give advice on tax credits, self-assessment
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North-East folklore to be taught in Germany
THE tale behind the Blaydon Races and the legend of the Lambton Worm could soon be on the curriculum for pupils in Germany. Music teacher Joyce Shaw, 57, has won a grant to teach North-East folklore in a German school, in the pilot project for a cultural
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Agencies will work together
A system designed to give early warnings to support agencies about children at risk is being developed in the North-East. Spearheaded by Gateshead Council in partnership with Newcastle City Council, the system will allow better identification, referral
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Jetty's future in the balance
Councillors will meet this week to discuss what to do with a delapidated riverside jetty. The wooden jetty, at Hebburn Riverside Park, is in a dangerous state and has remained closed to the public on health and safety grounds until a detailed inspection
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Bones in cellar shock for plumbers
A GRISLY discovery awaited plumbers called out to make repairs in the cellar of a council building. Celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Middlesbrough's coming of age were only a few hours old when workers found a pile of bones in the parks'
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Sneak thief steals pensioner's handbag with £1,000 savings
A WHEELCHAIR-bound pensioner was left in a state of near collapse after a burglar stole her £1,000 life savings from her handbag. Paramedics gave distressed 83-year-old Mary Robinson oxygen at her daughter's house - the scene of the burglary - minutes
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Nissan staff accept two-year pay deal
Workers at Japanese car giant Nissan have voted to accept a two-year pay deal ending the threat of the company's first ever strike, management reported tonight. The offer of a 3% rise this year and a further increase of 3% next year was accepted by 61%
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MP calls for Brown to move jobs north
REDCAR MP Vera Baird has contacted Chancellor Gordon Brown to demand Government jobs are moved north - preferably to Redcar. Mrs Baird argued that one or more agencies could be moved from London to the North-East to kick-start the economy. Her request
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Agreement reached on strategy
AN agreement outlining how a council and residents will co-operate to improve an area has been signed. The agreement between Durham City Council and tenants and residents of the Ushaw Moor Estate was signed by members of the residents' group and council
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News in brief: Plea for thefts information
POLICE are appealing for information after a series of thefts at the weekend. Two houses in Barnard Castle were broken into and money taken, between 6am and 9am on Saturday in Hilton Road; and on Saturday night in Dawson Road. Items were also stolen from
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News in brief: Four teams in regional final
FOUR teams from Greencroft School, near Stanley, have qualified for the regional heat of a table tennis competition. The under-13 and under-16 boys and girls teams won their finals in the zone stage of the English Schools Table Tennis Team Championships
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Mother's story wins award for TV programme makers
A TELEVISION programme about a campaigning mother's fight to overturn the 800-year-old double jeopardy law, has landed a major award. Tyne Tees Television's Justice for Julie show won the best factual category in the Royal Television Society's regional
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Work-row Elvis fan takes to the radio
AN Elvis fan sacked for a row with his boss over singing along with the King at work is hoping to make a full time career out of his voice. David Jewers, 37, will make his radio debut on Paul "Goffy" Gough's breakfast show, on Century FM, this morning
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South Africans help to form link
A DOZEN youth leaders from South Africa will be arriving in North Yorkshire this week as part of a link between the dioceses of York and Cape Town. The group, most of them in their teens and 20s, will be visiting from tomorrow until February 17. The diocese
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Nine-mile tractor pull in aid of appeal
LECTURERS and students at one of the region's leading universities are pulling together to raise money for Romanian orphans. The team, from Newcastle University's School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, will pull a four-tonne tractor more than
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Nine-mile tractor pull in aid of appeal
LECTURERS and students at one of the region's leading universities are pulling together to raise money for Romanian orphans. The team, from Newcastle University's School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, will pull a four-tonne tractor more than
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Baby's injuries "worst ever"
A CHILD expert said that a two-month-old Teesside baby had the most severe injuries he had ever seen in a youngster, a court was told today. Two-month old Kane Simpson from Billingham, was taken to a medical centre with brain injuries, two fractures of
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Pensioner gives evidence via video
A housebound pensioner from the North-East has become the first person to give evidence to a jury direct from her living room via a video link for vulnerable witnesses. Video evidence has been used in court proceedings in cases when young witnesses have
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'I chose to have my breasts removed'
When she discovered she was predisposed to cancer, radio presenter Julia Booth took the radical step of having both her breasts removed. She talks to Women's Editor Christen Pears in the first of a three part series on breast cancer. 'I'M totally immodest
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Honours opportunity
DOUBLE HONOUR continues his preparation for a tilt at the forthcoming Cheltenham Festival in the opening Novices' Hurdle at Exeter today. Well-known to northern racegoers for his near top-class exploits on the Flat when in the hands of Mark Johnston,
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Staff celebrate nappy new year
NO fewer than eight babies have been born to ambulance control staff in the past year. Seven mothers and a father who work in the North East Ambulance Service control centre, in Newcastle, have celebrated a happy event. While the number of staff going
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Mini's all the rage
GENERALLY, caravans are loved by the retired and hated by almost everyone who gets stuck behind one on the roads every summer. But, in North Yorkshire, even youngsters have been stopping to stare at the latest innovation to hit the salesrooms. Dutch manufacturers
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Anti-crime funding
THE fight against crime on the North Yorkshire coast has been given a major boost. The Government has given £124,000 to a scheme to tackle crime in Scarborough. The money will be used to reduce gun crime, disrupt drugs markets, and fund security cameras
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Cleaning up the town
YOUNGSTERS are about to turn the tables on grown-ups after they were accused of dropping litter on the streets of a town. Freeborough Community College, at Loftus, east Cleveland, has organised a litter-pick - and has a squad of pupils to clean up the
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Tycoon's wife loses charity cash bid
THE wife of North-East tycoon George Reynolds made a grab for £50,000 in a TV game show this weekend. Susan Reynolds, a director of Darlington FC, which her husband owns, was one of five hopefuls fighting for the cash on Without Prejudice? on Channel
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Civic society hope
A PRESSURE group to campaign on environmental issues in Darlington could be operating by next month. Dozens of residents attended a public meeting last week, held to consider reviving the town's civic society, after several controversial planning applications
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Arson attack at school
A BISHOP Auckland school was the target of arsonists again at the weekend, having already suffered a serious blaze before Christmas. Old furniture left in a disused gymnasium at King James I Community College, South Church Road, was set alight on Friday
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£10,000 scheme to boost community travel access
A £10,000 scheme to provide villagers with better access to transport will be launched later this week. Dene Valley Parish Council was awarded a parish transport grant from the Countryside Agency to help residents with their everyday travel needs. The
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Trip down memory lane for old school friends
MORE than 70 former classmates took a trip down memory lane at the weekend when they met for a school reunion. People travelled from as far as Wales and Devon to swap schoolday recollections with fellow former pupils of Brooms Cottages Secondary Modern
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United in a celebration of diversity
THE NORTH-EAST'S cultural diversity was celebrated with a colourful day of music and dance in Sunderland's Stadium of Light at the weekend. Dance performances from 4 X 4 and a display by Chinese Lion Dancers were just some of the many events put on for
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Drama drives home danger of mixing cars and drink
A POWERFUL drama has brought home the dangers of drink-driving to pupils. The Ape Theatre Company presented Too Much Punch for Judy to a group of year 11 students from Hurworth, near Darlington. The play recreated the true-life events leading to the death
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We are being watched, say families
THE families of the Deepcut Army base victims demanded answers last night after claims that security services are watching their every move. Reports at the weekend suggested that MI5 officers were working with the Army's Special Investigations Branch
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Highlands put the heat on Costa del Sol
A Highland village yesterday recorded Scotland's highest-ever January temperature. Aboyne, in Aberdeenshire, usually averages 4C or 5C during the first month of the year, but at 2pm the temperature hit 17.7C (63.9F), making it warmer than the Costa del
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Boy of three dies from meningitis
A FAMILY is in mourning following their three-year-old son's death from meningitis. Tyran Brown died from meningococcal septicaemia after he was taken ill just over a week ago at his home in North Road, Loftus. Tyran was taken first to the James Cook
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Website spells the end for 'smoggies'
FED up football fans are spelling out their frustration on the Internet. The supporters' target is not their beloved Middlesbrough Football Club, but southerners who like to snipe at "smoggies'' - and add insult to injury by mis-spelling place names.
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Business backing for cabins scheme
A SCHEME to create an environmentally sustainable holiday complex on the outskirts of Richmond has won backing from businesses. The Richmond Business and Tourism Association (RBTA) is supporting plans by local firm Eco Build UK to create 18 luxury log
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Red tape fury in quest to cut youth crime
SUPPORT groups aiming to prevent youngsters from persistently committing crime are being hindered by red tape, it is claimed. Darlington Conservative Association hit out in the wake of figures which showed the North-East to be one of the country's worst
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Murder mystery thriller
A MIXTURE of murder, intrigue and suspense provide the essential ingredients for a thriller staged from today by the Sunderland Royalty Theatre amateur drama group. The curtain goes up on The Small House by Francis Durbridge at 7.30pm, followed by a nightly
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Director's final conquests
A TRILOGY of plays which are an artistic director's swansong are on course to become a big box office hit. Rob Swain is directing Alan Ayckbourn's trilogy The Norman Conquests, three plays set in three different parts of the same house over a weekend,
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Taxing time for Inland Revenue team
EXPERTS will be touring north Durham next month to give residents free tax advice. The Inland Revenue team from Sunderland will visit Stanley, Consett and Chester-le-Street to offer free tax advice. The team will also give advice on tax credits, self-assessment
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Get creative for short stories
WRITERS are being encouraged to put pen to paper for Gateshead Council's annual short story competition. This year's theme is rivalry, and the story should be no more than 1,500 words. There are two categories for writers - over 18s and under 18s - with
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Comment: Patience may heal divisions
TONY Blair's hard-line stance against Saddam Hussein divides his country, his party, Parliament and the international community. Yet in the face of such hostility he is still prepared to go to war against Iraq. The resolve of the Prime Minister, renowned
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It's a long, long wait in pursuit of film stardom
Hundreds of fame seekers queued for hours this weekend with dreams of becoming the star of a new movie. But only one lucky North-East girl is set to take the leading role in director Peter Howitt's latest film. Acting hopeful and Northern Echo reporter
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Whitehead lays into referee
Darlington defender Stuart Whitehead has slammed referee Paul Danson after his sending off at Torquay, writes Lee Hall. The former Carlisle man was given his marching orders after just half an hour of Saturday's 3-1 defeat after he was adjudged to have
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Town still in shock at closure of factory
OFFICIALS say the decision to close a factory in a town already suffering job losses could cripple the area. Shocked workers at waxed jacket manufacturer J Barbour and Sons, in Crook, County Durham, learned on Friday that the firm is to shut its plant
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Community centre is open after £500,000 conversion
A FORMER bank that has been transformed into a community resource centre has opened. Hudson House, in Reeth, was used by Barclays Bank but has been given a lease of life at a cost of £500,000 and six months of work. The building, on the edge of the village
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Nissan ballot decision over pay
TODAY is D-Day for workers at Nissan's North-East plant when they find out whether they could be a step closer to being embroiled in the factory's first industrial action. Workers voted in a ballot on Friday on whether to accept a pay offer believed to
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Nissan ballot decision over pay
TODAY is D-Day for workers at Nissan's North-East plant when they find out whether they could be a step closer to being embroiled in the factory's first industrial action. Workers voted in a ballot on Friday on whether to accept a pay offer believed to
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Wearside League: Darlington RA stroll past Stanley
Darlington RA had little difficulty reaching the quarter finals of the Wearside League Cup when they met Stanley United at Brinkburn Road. Two goals ahead at the halfway stage, they built up a 4-0 lead before Stanley made the scoreline more respectable
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Darlington are left in limbo
DARLINGTON suffered further frustration on Saturday when Sandal pulled out of their visit to Blackwell Meadows for the second time. The North Division One match should have been played in September and will now have to be rearranged again. Sandal, who
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Security guards hurt after raid on factory
TWO security guards were injured, one seriously, when they were attacked by robbers at the weekend. A police spokesman said the guards were on duty at the premises of International Cuisine, on the Hownsgill Industrial Estate, in Consett, County Durham
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Doh! Bart's off to university
WHILE students are getting stressed about the cost of education, nobody could have imagined that Springfield's most famous slacker, Bart Simpson, would be going to the University of Teesside. The voice behind the cheeky cartoon character is coming to
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Public gets face to face with stonemasons' masterpieces at open day
A RARE chance to get a glimpse behind the scenes at one of the most celebrated cathedrals in the land had crowds flocking to York Minster at the weekend. Nearly 35 different attractions opened their doors to local people for free or at reduced prices
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Undergraduates put monarchy in focus
THE country's only undergraduate society to stage its academic conferences, is holding its next event. Durham University History Society's subject will be The Monarchy: Inventing Tradition? at a conference on Saturday, in the debating chamber, Palace
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News in brief: Four teams in regional final
FOUR teams from Greencroft School, near Stanley, have qualified for the regional heat of a table tennis competition. The under-13 and under-16 boys and girls teams won their finals in the zone stage of the English Schools Table Tennis Team Championships
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Suicide watch on killer after 'wedding' snub
SERIAL killer Rose West was said to be on suicide watch at Durham Prison yesterday, following the collapse of her alleged wedding plans. The 48-year-old, who is serving ten life sentences, was being monitored round-the-clock after her romance with Dave
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The lighter side of Oriental art
ANCIENT Japanese pottery will be reflected in a venue's latest glass exhibition. International glass artist Delores Taylor will display new works in pate de verre, a technique that produces lacy edges, at Sunderland's National Glass Centre, from Wednesday
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The lighter side of Oriental art
ANCIENT Japanese pottery will be reflected in a venue's latest glass exhibition. International glass artist Delores Taylor will display new works in pate de verre, a technique that produces lacy edges, at Sunderland's National Glass Centre, from Wednesday
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Weekend TV: Murder In Mind (BBC1); Taggart (ITV1); The Youngest DJ (C4)
Hot and cold running corpses IF only Handy Andy had been around in the 19th century, things wouldn't have ended so horribly in Echoes, first in a new series of psychological thrillers under the umbrella title Murder In Mind. The Changing Rooms handyman
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Draw is rough justice on Proctor
MICHAEL PROCTOR had no need to reproach himself as he struggled to comprehend how Sunderland had again conspired to concede a late goal. The striker had created Sunderland's first goal, scored their second, struck the bar in the last minute and given
