Archive
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Museum awarded £30,000 funding
A museum has been given £29,400 to bring a touring exhibition of Indian textiles to the North-East for the first time. The grant, from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will allow Durham's Oriental Museum to display the Kanchan Malde Collection. It will be exhibited
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Former academy winner is backing Alistair
FAME Academy star David Sneddon said he would put money on Alistair Griffin winning this year's title. Scot David, who was the first winner of the TV talent show, believes Alistair, 25, from Castleton, North Yorkshire, is the leading singer-songwriter
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Passenger taken on 17-mile car chase
A DRUNK driver who took an innocent passenger on a 17-mile police car chase appeared before magistrates yesterday. Shane Aaron Montgomery, 20, of Ashlands Road, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to drink-driving, dangerous driving, driving
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Baby knifed to death in front of shoppers
A TEN-month-old baby was stabbed to death yesterday as his terrified mother fought in vain to save him from a frenzied knife attack in a busy town centre. Shocked witnesses told last night how the 20-year-old clutched the youngster to her chest as the
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Tesco picks ten varieties of Wensleydale
MORE than ten varieties of Wensleydale cheese will now be available in local Tesco stores. Tesco has begun to stock the Wensleydale cheese in 27 stores in the region. The cheese has been made in the North Yorkshire Dale of Wensleydale since 1150, when
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Primary headteacher set Rugby League goal
A NEW headteacher and former Rugby League player is planning to get his pupils and other schools involved in the sport. Steve Vallack, who played hooker as a semi-professional for Workington for seven years, has been appointed headteacher of the village
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Villagers urged to have a say
VILLAGERS have been urged to influence the future of their communities. The Countryside Agency awarded the A1 Corridor Community Investment Partnership £57,000 a year ago to fund parish plans for villages between Darlington and Bedale. Questionnaires
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Council payout to theatre sparks politicians' dispute
A POLITICAL row has blown up over the funding of one of the region's theatres. The leader of the opposition at Stockton Borough Council has expressed reservations about the authority's commitment to contribute £220,000 a year to the town's Arc theatre
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Restored pump regains its place
A CEREMONY was held yesterday to unveil a restored landmark. The water pump on Hartlepool's Headland has been returned to its traditional position in the middle of the High Street following restoration. A Grade II-listed pump, it dates from the late 19th
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German twin town concert for brass band
AN acclaimed North-East brass band is to strike up a tune in Germany next week. Chester-le-Street Riverside Band will be setting off for Kamp-Lintfort, on Thursday, October 2, for a weekend concert tour. Kamp-Lintfort is twinned with Chester-le-Street
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Police ask for help on dealers
A POLICE chief is appealing for more information about drug dealing in his area. Chief Superintendent Adrian Roberts, district commander of Langbaurgh police, said a dealer-a-day crackdown across east Cleveland had achieved great results in the first
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Jury convict burglar
A MAN who told a jury he was not a burglar was found guilty yesterday. Anthony Singh, 29, of Hartington Road, Stockton, was accused of breaking into a house in Teesside in January and stealing goods worth £11,680. Singh told the jury at Teesside Crown
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Baby knifed to death in front of shoppers
A TEN-month-old baby was stabbed to death yesterday as his terrified mum fought in vain to save him from a frenzied knife attack in a busy town centre. Shocked witnesses told last night how the 20-year-old clutched the youngster to her chest as the assailant
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Work due to start on green holiday village
WORK will start soon on a holiday village on the edge of Richmond. Eco-Build's £2m Gateway Lodges project comprises ten self-catering chalets on three hectares at Aislabeck, equipped with environmentally-friendly technology. The first site of its kind
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Students speak out for world's hungry children
SHOPPERS were given the chance to sample food usually handed out to starving Third World refugees. The event, in Durham Market Place, was set up by Save the Children to highlight its Beat Poverty Day campaign. Energy bars, similiar to those given out
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Revamp for city hotel creates jobs
MORE than £2.5m is being spent to transform Durham's former Bridge Hotel. The premises in Croxdale have been renamed The Honest Lawyer. As the refurbishment programme nears completion, owner STR Enterprises has joined forces with Durham JobCentre to recruit
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Councils in court over contaminated site
Durham County Council and Darlington Borough Council were today engaged in a titanic struggle at the High Court over which must take responsibility for a contaminated former landfill site that neither of them wants. Durham, which currently owns the site
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Court told of armed attack on house
A GANG carrying a cache of weapons, including knives, iron bars and bats, allegedly stormed a house and stabbed three people, a court was told yesterday. The victims, including two asylum seekers, were left needing life-saving surgery following a "vicious
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Harmison heeds advice
Stephen Harmison sought the advice of his senior England colleagues and used it to provide a devastating welcome for Bangladesh during a disrupted opening day of the inaugural Test at the National Stadium. Unhappy that his efforts were sometimes being
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Fund manager in the spotlight
THE demise of Carlton boss Michael Green's hopes of running a new combined ITV has catapulted fund manager Anthony Bolton into the spotlight. Mr Bolton is thought to have led the calls for Mr Green to relinquish his dream of leading the group to be created
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£455m in housing cash awarded
A MULTI-million pound effort to rejuvenate and improve the housing market across the region has been announced by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott. The funding is part of the drive to put housing at the heart of sustainable communities, and much
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Power firm says sorry after sending out inflated bills
ELECTRICITY firm npower has apologised after a church, parish council and village hall all received hugely inflated bills. John Snaith, treasurer of St Edwin's Church Hall, in High Coniscliffe, near Darlington, was staggered after receiving an estimated
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'Missing life-rings put police in danger'
TWO police officers who dived into the sea to save a drowning man say their lives were further put at risk because lifesaving equipment was missing. PCs Paul Clark and Peter Young were too late to save a 73-year-old man seen floating in the sea at Hartlepool
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Anger at plan to close surgery
DOCTORS' plans to close a village's weekly surgery have run into opposition from the local MP. The Coxhoe Medical Practice has run the Monday morning sessions in Quarrington Hill Community Centre since 1993. But the practice has sent letters to almost
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MEPs clash in parliament over safety of toxic vessels
THE deal to bring toxic ships from the US Ghost Fleet to Teesside was branded "extraordinarily irresponsible" as a row broke out between Euro MPs. Members of the European Parliament's environment committee clashed ahead of the arrival in Britain of the
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Diesel scam witness who helped jail terror gang gets suspended sentence
A MAN who gave evidence at the trial of a Real IRA bombing gang broke down in tears after avoiding going to jail yesterday for his part in a multi-million pound fuel scam. But his two North-East accomplices were jailed after pleading guilty to tax evasion
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TV review
Risking ridicule and a hernia to boot Men In Tights (ITV1) Pornography The Musical (C4) INEVITABLY, one ballet hopeful said, "I could be the next Billy Elliot". He wasn't a scrawny schoolboy but a burly Tyneside shipbuilder, one of eight Swan Hunter shipyard
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'N-E needs to scream for funding to save industry'
A COUNCILLOR said funding must be found urgently to save the future of steel-making in the North-East. Councillor Val Miller, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's representative on Action Steel, which represents present and former steel-working areas
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Tornado at the pier end
INTERPOL doubtless closely behind, last week's column pinched from the Washington Post a rather nifty competition. By changing one letter in any word in the dictionary, or by adding or subtracting one letter, readers were invited to offer another word
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Police forces disagree with league tables
LEAGUE tables which give a damning verdict on two of the region's police forces were last night branded out-of-date. Statistics issued by the Home Office show rates of burglary and robbery are higher in Cleveland and North Yorkshire than in other similar
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Art clue to family's hall
Art lovers are being offered a slice of North-East history when a painting comes up for auction next month. The portrait of squire Robert Charles Duncombe Shafto, the great-grandson of one of the region's most colourful characters, Bobbie Shafto, also
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Search for trainee arts manager
COUNCIL chiefs in Darlington are seeking someone to train for a management career in the arts. The borough council is one of only nine local authorities in the country to receive an Arts Council Fellowship. The fellowship will provide a bursary of £13,000
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Tornado at the end of the pier
INTERPOL doubtless closely behind, last week's column pinched from the Washington Post a rather nifty competition. By changing one letter in any word in the dictionary, or by adding or subtracting one letter, readers were invited to offer another word
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The man of contradictions, who plays by his own rules
WHEN they invented reality TV, they must have known George Reynolds existed. He's manna from heaven for producers looking for real life stars from so-called ordinary people -a man not afraid to speak his mind and to offend others by doing so. Not that
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Shambles as Unionist fury derails deal
Tony Blair's bid to restore the power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland backfired spectacularly last night despite the IRA decommissioning more weapons and explosives than ever before. Furious Ulster Unionists refused to sign up to a deal, claiming
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Investors turned off by TV boss
MICHAEL Green, once the darling of the City, was hung out to dry yesterday by the institution that helped make him a multi-millionaire. The Carlton Communications chairman and chairman-designate of the new ITV plc was blocked in his bid to lead the conglomerate
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Boro to turn to Massimo
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren looks set to hand Massimo Maccarone and Michael Ricketts the chance to solve the club's goalscoring problems. Both front-men only played 45 minutes of the reserves' 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa last night, as McClaren decided
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Corus 'disappointed' over fine after man's tower fall
ONE of Britain's biggest companies has been fined following an accident when a worker plunged 40ft through a cooling tower. Steelmaker Corus Group was fined £15,000 at Guisborough Magistrates' Court on Monday. The company was also ordered to pay £936
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Go for the Ecco
NOT since the days of Michael Roberts has South Africa produced such a successful jockey as the apprentice find of the season, Lisa Jones, scheduled to partner Its Ecco Boy (2.45) at Newcastle this afternoon, writes Colin Woods. With winter fast approaching
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Museum offers Jurassic perk
A NORTH-EAST museum is being turned into a huge dinosaur nest. The first expectant mothers, with their young in tow, arrived at the Hancock Museum in Newcastle this week. Robotic models including triceratops, stegosaurus, apatosaurus and oviraptor are
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Don't rush out to buy that pinny just yet
Could we really go back to the way things were? Three things have happened in the past week or so. 1. Teenage readers of Cosmo Girl have said overwhelmingly that they believe it is a man's duty to provide for his family. They would rather rely on their
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Charity challenge for students
TWO Darlington students are planning to embark on an exciting trip to carry out important charity work. Ellie Martin, of Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, and Eve Doherty, who studies at Darlington College of Technology, hope to work in Costa Rica and
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Profitable return of Dawn, a thoroughly modern milliner
A milliner has returned to the region from her home in Sydney, Australia, to find stockists for her hat designs. Dawn Woodward was visiting the North-East to see family and friends, but decided to use the trip to promote her business, too. After flying
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New owner takes over tanning centre
PAULA Brannigan has been named as the new owner of Leisure Tan, in Spennymoor Leisure Centre. The salon has undergone a total refurbishment, introducing two of the latest vertical tanning booths. In the salon there is a range of beauty treatments and
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Film offers antidote to boredom
YOUNG people have written, produced and starred in their own film, which is being premiered next month. The final touches to the 25 minute film,called Soul Boredom, are under way ahead of its first screening, which will be open to the public. The project
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Dancers quick step through exams
DANCERS who did not know their fox-trot from ther tango five months ago have had their skills recognised. Completing the International Dance Teachers' Association examinations is a very special achievement for the ten students, who all have learning difficulties
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Village post office to close after 92 years
A VILLAGE post office has closed after 92 years of public service because nobody can be found to take over the duties. The closure has left dozens of pensioners and young mothers unable to collect their weekly payments at Eggleston, near Barnard Castle
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Delivery men robbed in store car park
DELIVERY drivers collecting money from a business were forced to hand over a substantial amount of cash after they were threatened by a man with a weapon. The incident happened yesterday in Safeway car park, in Guisborough, east Cleveland, after the men
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End of an era for court canteen
COURT users are mourning the end of an era at the North-East's oldest serving centre of justice. The people who have been running the Durham Crown Court canteen for almost three decades are leaving for pastures new. Linda and David Yeates have decided
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Event showcases aids for elderly
AN exhibition highlighting how older and disabled people can remain independent in their own homes will be staged next month. The Ideas for Independent Living event at County Hall, from 10am to 4pm on Thursday, November 6, has been organised by Durham
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Girl crushed by van undergoes surgery
A student crushed by a runaway council van has undergone further surgery. Ursula Billington, 18, was left fighting for her life after she was pinned against a wall by the van as it rolled down Owengate, a steep and narrow cobbled street near Durham Cathedral
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Pupils' bright ideas
A GROUP of pupils have been helping to brighten up a plant nursery. Youngsters from Stranton Primary School visited Hartlepool Borough Council's Stranton nursery to see murals based on designs they suggested. The murals have been painted by Francis Connoly
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Fruitful event as children celebrate apple day
CHILDREN celebrated National Apple Day by planting apple trees. The youngsters from five east Cleveland schools also tasted different apples, played a game to see who could produce the longest piece of peel, and enjoyed apple printing and a quiz at the
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Anger as van hits shop at junction
A CAMPAIGNER battling to widen a junction said it needed to be given top priority after a crash in which a van ran into a shop window. For almost 50 years, residents have been complaining about the narrow exit and entrance to Coltsgate Hill's junction
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Aligned looks to the US for work
A DEFENCE consultancy may be about to clinch lucrative work from a US firm bidding to supply guns to the Navy. United Defence is preparing a bid for the Navy's new Mark 45 gun, and Aligned Solutions may be selected to help with the work. The Newcastle
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VAI UK wins blast stove contract
LEADING engineering and metals plant builder VAI UK has won a £3.5m contract to increase the furnace capacity at a South African works. The Stockton firm was awarded the deal by steelmaker ISCOR at its Vanderbijipark Steel Works, in Gauteng, in the Transvaal
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22/10/03
NEW LABOUR: My forecast is that, unless Tony Blair is voted out of power, our country is doomed as a free nation. He has created a puppet regime of MPs who have not the guts to tell him that what he has created in our once lovely country is wrong and
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Wardens to increase workload
THE community warden service in Stockton is to expand. Stockton Borough Council's cabinet has agreed to continue the service, which has been in operation for four years. The existing arangement, which covers Hardwick, central Stockton, Norton and parts
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Deprived areas face wait for changes
A GOVERNMENT scheme to breathe new life into part of Sunderland has failed to improve people's lives so far, according to a report. The study found that the New Deal for Communities had not yet made significant progress in cutting crime, creating jobs
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Football fans facing a ban
TWO Darlington football fans could face a blanket ban from matches for at least three years after being involved in a fight with Carlisle supporters, a court heard yesterday. Paul Robson, 33, of Barningham Street, and Michael David Watson, 31, of Cumberland
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Skate park ready to open
YOUNGSTERS who have campaigned for a skate park in Richmond will finally have their wish granted on November 1. The project was launched seven years ago and has endured a number of setbacks. However, the project now has the support of Richmondshire District
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Army tracked drunk driver
AN Army security unit tracked a driver who staggered out of a country pub and drove across Harrogate at speeds of up to 60mph, a court heard. Peter Scott, prosecuting, said the patrol covering roads close to Harrogate's Army Foundation College followed
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Reduction in crime as police team acts
POLICE in Washington are making life more difficult for criminals. The North Washington Police Community Team, funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, was set up 18 months ago to help reduce crime. Figures for April to August, when compared with the
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Risking ridicule and a hernia to boot
Men In Tights (ITV1), Pornography The Musical (C4): Inevitably, one ballet hopeful said, "I could be the next Billy Elliot". He wasn't a scrawny schoolboy but a burly Tyneside shipbuilder, one of eight Swan Hunter shipyard workers recruited to join the
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More chance to recycle in villages
PEOPLE are being urged tosupport an expanded recycling scheme. Hambleton District Council has added four recycling centres to its network. People living in Newby Wiske, South Otterington, Felixkirk and RAF Leeming can now use centres close to their homes
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Hear ye! hear ye! Search begins for town crier
TRADERS in Durham are seeking someone to become the voice of the city. Durham City Forum wants to re-introduce the ancient post of town crier and is holding a competition to find the ideal person. The competition will be held in the Market Place on Saturday
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Rewards for pupils' work
SCORES of pupils have been rewarded for their achievements. Parents packed the hall at Greencroft School, in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, for the annual awards evening. John Mitcheson, a PE inspector for Durham education authority, presented trophies
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Tornado at the end of the pier
INTERPOL doubtless closely behind, last week's column pinched from the Washington Post a rather nifty competition. By changing one letter in any word in the dictionary, or by adding or subtracting one letter, readers were invited to offer another word
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Still a winner in eyes of fans
In the gripping final of television's Fame Academy on Saturday night North Yorkshire's own singer-songwriter Alistair Griffin was beaten at the final hurdle. But he will return to a hero's welcome in his home town. Kate Bowman reports. AS cheers echoed
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Robinson nets to give Pool victory
Hartlepool United's seaside blues are now a distant memory after that winning feeling returned for Neale Cooper's men at Chesterfield last night. The Pool boss described Saturday's 4-0 at drubbing Blackpool as "embarrassing" - last night his side were
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Perhaps Christ was gay
WHAT is the main message of Christianity? Love God. His First Commandment. No dispute about that. But why must we love God? For personal salvation? After all, one reason, if not THE reason, given in the Scriptures for worshipping Christ is that it is
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Grounded by a name
TEESSIDE International Airport is crucial to the prosperity of the North-East. If the sub-region is to compete in the global economy, it must have transport links which enable it to deliver world-class business services. Under the ownership of the five
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Funding decision will create up to 100 jobs
UP to 100 jobs and 28 business start-ups are expected to be created following Yorkshire Forward's decision to part-fund the construction of a number of business incubator workshops at Scarborough Business Park. The regional development agency (RDA) has
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Police used CS spray on drink-driver
A TRUCK driver who feared he would be caught drink-driving, panicked and reversed into a police car, knocking an officer to the ground, a court heard yesterday. When he later pulled over, police had to spray him with CS gas in case he tried to escape
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Wedding talk on museum's programme
A North-East museum has released details of its autumn programme of events. The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham, has produced a packed diary of events that complement exhibitions at the venue. On Tuesday, the curator of the Wedding Belles
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Caution urged in riverside revamp
ONE of the leading figures in the regeneration of the region last night welcomed plans which will transform industrial wasteland on the banks of the River Tees. But Alistair Arkley, chairman of the Tees Valley Partnership, warned: "It should not be at
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New name to help airport take off
TEESSIDE Airport is expected to change its name to Durham-Tees Valley in a matter of weeks, as part of a multi-million pound redevelopment programme. The name has been chosen above other candidates - such as Newcastle South, James Cook International Airport
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He who committed the first spin
As Mrs Thatcher's press secretary for 11 years, Sir Bernard Ingham is widely seen as the godfather of spin and the forerunner to Alastair Campbell. But the man himself has other ideas, as Nick Morrison discovers IF there's one thing Sir Bernard Ingham
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Struck-off lawyer runs claims agency for disease victims
A FORMER solicitor whose company targets would-be industrial disease claimants was previously struck off for fiddling the books, The Northern Echo can reveal. Michael Kevin Quigley, managing director of the Occupational Disease Group, which has been running
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Super Shearer ends capital punishment
ALAN Shearer and the Newcastle United fans have endured their fair share of problems in the capital over the past few years. Two Wembley defeats and a 29-game run without a win spring to mind, but last night their first problem was anything but the fault
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Soldier faced up to youths with brick
A SOLDIER training at Catterick Garrison picked up a brick and threatened a gang of Darlington drinkers, a court heard yesterday. Thomas James Peach, 19, of the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment at Helles Barracks, Catterick, and who is from Shrewsbury
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Curtain up on new era as arts centre puts cash troubles in past
A NORTH-EAST arts centre which made headlines more for the debts it ran up than the productions it staged has begun a new era. With a clean slate and a fresh bill of health, the once-troubled Arc, in Stockton, officially reopened on Saturday. The Dovecot
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£430,000 facelift for art gallery
A LEADING North-East art gallery will celebrate its centenary next year with a £430,000 makeover. The work at Newcastle's Laing Art Gallery will see the creation of a watercolour gallery to feature the Laing's internationally important collections. A
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Events to celebrate roots of cultures
THE region's rich multi-racial background is being celebrated with a series of events during National Black History month. For the first time, the region is joining the rest of the UK by paying tribute to its black history throughout this month. Schools
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£5,000 facelift for theatre
A GRANT from Darlington Borough Council has enabled a £5,000 refurbishment at the Civic Theatre. The bar has been expanded and the function room has been refurbished. The flooring at the theatre entrance has also been improved. "The work has been completed
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The man of contradictions, who plays by his own rules
WHEN they invented reality TV, they must have known George Reynolds existed. He's manna from heaven for producers looking for real life stars from so-called ordinary people -a man not afraid to speak his mind and to offend others by doing so. Not that
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Opening party for sex club postponed
THE opening party for the region's biggest club for swingers has been postponed, while the venue owners meet concerned police chiefs and council bosses. The Northern Echo revealed last week that the former King's Head Hotel in Stanley, County Durham,
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Bobby hails his skipper
SIR Bobby Robson hailed super skipper Alan Shearer after last night's game labelling his performance at Loftus Road as 'awesome'. Shearer took his Newcastle United goal tally to 154 with his brace against Fulham to earn his side their fourth successive
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Don't rush out to buy that pinny just yet
COULD we really go back to the way things were? Three things have happened in the past week or so. 1. Teenage readers of Cosmo Girl have said overwhelmingly that they believe it is a man's duty to provide for his family. They would rather rely on their
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Pollitt saves make it a night of misery for Kyle
FORMER Sunderland goalkeeper Mike Pollitt triumphed in a personal duel with striker Kevin Kyle as the Black Cats' promotion push was checked by lowly Rotherham at the Stadium of Light last night. Mick McCarthy's side were booed off after failing to break
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Zoe confirms her second single will be released
North-East Pop Idol finalist Zoe Birkett will release self-penned material before the end of the year. Fans of the Darlington singer have been waiting since her debut single hit the charts in January to hear news of her next record. Back then, she reached
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Late goal sinks luckless Quakers
A last-minute goal by Cheltenham midfielder Martin Devaney sentenced Darlington to their fourth successive League defeat at Whaddon Road last night. It was cruel luck for Quakers, who recovered from another poor opening and equalised through youngster
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Kidnap plot leader to appeal against verdict
A MILLIONAIRE who masterminded a kidnap and blackmail plot is planning a bid for freedom only days after he was jailed for 11 years. Volker Kappler's legal team is drawing up an appeal against the German-born businessman's conviction at Teesside Crown
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Villagers given chance to shape communities' future
VILLAGERS have been urged to influence the future of their communities. Last year, the Countryside Agency awarded the A1 Corridor Community Investment Partnership (CIP) £57,000 to prepare parish plans for villages between Darlington and Bedale. Questionnaires
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New security system at chemical complex
THE final touches are being put to an extensive security camera system at one of the region's biggest chemical complexes. The 25-camera CCTV system is being installed at BASF's plant at Seal Sands, Teesside, by security specialists Cam-Tec Systems Limited
