Archive
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ME sufferer steps in with charity cash
A SCHOOLGIRL who suffers chronic fatigue has completed a tough challenge to raise money for charity. Megan Smith, 15, from Bearpark, near Durham, was devastated when she was diagnosed with ME in 1999. The illness leads to chronic fatigue with even small
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Wasps will ask serious questions of Falcons' front row
A TRIP to play champions Wasps at High Wycombe is the last thing any team want if they have any doubts about the durability of their front row. That's the worry for Newcastle Falcons tomorrow, despite coming through their home match against Bath last
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Cancer patient's flight of hope
A WOMAN who is battling cancer flies out to Mexico on Monday to receive specialist treatment. Friends and family of Pam Aston have been campaigning since June to raise £20,000 to send her for treatment at the Oasis of Hope Hospital, in Tijuana, Mexico
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US gives $2m to North-East malaria study
SCIENTISTS from the North-East have been given more than two million dollars to help in the fight against malaria. The award to the team of four from Durham University's School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences is from the US National Institute of
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How to book a world trip - and survive
Nicky Holden, husband Paul and their two children have left Teesdale on a trip around the world, reporting back in regular bulletins to The Northern Echo. Here Nicky explains how she put the trip together, with the help of Trailfinders and huge pile of
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Secrets revealed
Aussie cult series The Secret Life of Us may be well known to those who requent the night-time schedules, but what other gems are lurking in the TV times when most of us are tucked up in bed? For many, The Secret Life Of Us remains just that - a secret
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RAF staff to get on-the-spot training after computer deal
A SCHEME to improve computer skills among RAF personnel is preparing for take-off. The training programme is being offered to all serving personnel and Ministry of Defence civil servants at RAF Leeming and RAF Fylingdales, in North Yorkshire. A former
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Robson tips Speed to set unbeatable record
GARY SPEED, Newcastle United's Mr Durable, was last night tipped to keep on going and set an unbreakable Premiership appearance record. Speed, 34, has played in 386 Premier League games - 32 more than his nearest challenger, Alan Shearer. The Wales international
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Law lords bring hope of justice for Julie's family
CLEVELAND police last night repeated their desire to see the killer of pizza delivery girl Julie Hogg jailed - as momentous changes to the so-called double jeopardy law moved a step closer. As reported in The Northern Echo, the Criminal Justice Bill,
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Taxi driver Bob named as North-East's highest earner
THREE National Lottery winners are among the highest earners in the North-East, according to the fourth annual Sunday Times Pay List. The list, similar to the Rich List, but which ranks the country's top 500 people on their earnings not on accumulated
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Robson tips Speed to set unbreakable record
GARY SPEED, Newcastle United's Mr Durable, was last night tipped to keep on going and set an unbreakable Premiership appearance record. Speed, 34, has played in 386 Premier League games - 32 more than his nearest challenger, Alan Shearer. The Wales international
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Drug centre brings NHS boss's praise
THE boss of the National Health Service has praised an innovative drug abuse treatment centre on a visit to the region. Sir Nigel Crisp, NHS chief executive, toured the Castlebridge Centre, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and met staff and clients. Since
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Council wins top marks for cleanliness
A town that was once one of the country's dirtiest has been named as one of the cleanest in England. The Government's Audit Commission inspectors gave Stockton Borough Council's cleaning services a maximum three stars. This compares with the last inspection
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Put chain letter in the bin, public told
CONSUMER watchdogs in Hartlepool are warning people not to be sucked into the misery of a chain letter. The latest chain letter circulating in the town asks the recipient to send £10 to a person at the top of a list of names and addresses included in
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Assembly 'must not be another layer of government'
BUSINESSES in the region have compiled a list of questions they would like answered before giving their support to a regional assembly. The North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have joined forces to list
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House price rise may force rate increase
INTEREST rates are likely to rise for the first time in nearly four years next week after figures showed house price inflation taking off again. Nationwide Building Society said prices rose by two per cent during October - the biggest jump for more than
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Hope remains for Hibernia Foods
HOPES have risen that almost 1,100 jobs can be saved after it emerged that more potential buyers have come forward for three threatened factories. The Northern Echo has been told that major companies have expressed an interest in buying frozen food manufacturer
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House price rise may force rate increase
INTEREST rates are likely to rise for the first time in nearly four years next week after figures showed house price inflation taking off again. Nationwide Building Society said prices rose by two per cent during October - the biggest jump for more than
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In The Picture: Secrets revealed
Aussie cult series The Secret Life of Us may be well known to those who requent the night-time schedules, but what other gems are lurking in the TV times when most of us are tucked up in bed? For many, The Secret Life Of Us remains just that - a secret
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Grief of missing man's family
THE family of a North-East man thought to have been murdered spoke last night of how his mystery disappearance has left them devastated. Timeshare salesman John Palmer has not been seen for more than four years and police initially treated the case as
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North justice system failing to meet targets
THE justice system in part of the region has come under fire after failing to hit Government targets. North Yorkshire's Criminal Justice Board (CJB) has achieved one of six targets, although it is making progress in two others. In contrast, three targets
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For Your Benefit: Can I claim Incapacity Benefit?
Q I am 59 and my wife is 63. My wages are about £145 a week, my wife's are £27 and her State Pension is only 90p. Our rent is £54.38 a week and council tax is £78 a month. If I stopped work through poor health, could I get Incapacity Benefit? A Perhaps
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Art show paintings to aid review of services
PAINTINGS by people with mental health difficulties are to be used by NHS managers in a review of services. The 60 paintings on display at Kirkleatham Hall Museum, near Redcar are by people living across the east Cleveland area. Mental health workers
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'Rambo-style' knife attack gangster jailed for 17 years
A YARDIE gangster who tried to kill three people after storming a house wielding a "Rambo-style" knife was sentenced to 17 years in prison yesterday. Damien Stephenson, 23, originally from Jamaica, was found guilty by a jury at Teesside Crown Court of
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Missing student causes concern
POLICE are concerned for an agricultural student who has not been seen since Wednesday lunchtime. Richard Barnett, 22, attends East Durham and Houghall Community College's Hough-all site, on the outskirts of Durham City, and lives on the site with his
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Cocaine addict stole £6,000 from his grandparents
A DRUG addict who stole his grandparents' life-savings was jailed yesterday after he committed ten burglaries to feed his habit. Teesside Crown Court heard that Nathan Jones, 24, was addicted to crack cocaine. He knew that his grandparents had a hidden
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Pest control charges to remain in place
CHARGES for pest control in Richmondshire seem likely to remain for now, despite Richmond Town Council's claims they could be making problems with vermin worse. Neighbouring Hambleton dropped fees introduced earlier this year when the local authority
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Fylingdales staff aid charities
MANAGEMENT and support staff from RAF Fylingdales have raised more than £4,000, to be shared between two charities. The Yorkshire Air Ambulance Service and Macmillan Cancer Relief both received cheques at a presentation ceremony at the base, where many
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Community centre opening day marks transformation
THE Archbishop of York and the country's top regeneration boss visited Middlesbrough yesterday to officially open a youth and community centre. St Cuthbert's Youth and Community Centre, in West Lane, formerly a disused church hall, is only one project
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Danny gains orchestra spot
A STOCKTON teenager has gained a place in a national orchestra for the third year running. Danny Allinson, 17, will once again be the National Youth Orchestra's principal percussionist. The Egglescliffe School student began music lessons with Tees Valley
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Duck race will turn the river yellow
THE River Wear will turn yellow tomorrow when thousands of plastic ducks are dropped into the water for a charity race. The event in Durham City is being held to raise money for St Cuthbert's Hospice, WaterAid, which provides clean water in the Third
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No headpine
ASYLUM SEEKERS: I ENTIRELY agree with Pete Winstanley (HAS, Oct 27) about the need to distinguish true asylum seekers from illegal immigrants. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. So great is the number of the latter coming in - most of them
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Work to start on college scheme
THE biggest development in the history of a Darlington college will enter a new phase next week. Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Vane Terrace, is being updated in a £4m project. The second stage of the scheme, which is the most extensive undertaken
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Hospital staff's commitment rewarded
THE efforts of hospital staff to improve services in Darlington and South Durham have been rewarded at a prize giving ceremony. The awards have been established by the County Durham and Darlington Hospitals Trust to publicly recognise staff who have made
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Teenager stole from shop to buy drugs
A TEENAGE girl stole goods from a Darlington shop twice in one day to help feed her drug habit, a court heard yesterday. The 17-year-old took more than £100-worth of clothes from Matalan, in Neasham Road, last week, but was caught by a member of staff
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Driver, 16, crashed car
A YOUTH yesterday admitted five motoring-related offences after the vehicle he was driving was involved in a collision with a parked car. The 16-year-old was driving a Ford Escort along a street in Darlington when he collided with a stationary Vauxhall
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Youngsters give up holidays to create mural at youth venue
A 100FT mural, the handiwork of 25 young people, was unveiled at a ceremony at South Bank Youth and Community Centre yesterday. The teenagers used a multi-cultural carnival as the main themes for the mural, which has cost £3,000. It also features children
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Art show paintings to aid review of services
PAINTINGS by people with mental health difficulties are to be used by NHS managers in a review of services. The 60 paintings on display at Kirkleatham Hall Museum, near Redcar are by people living across the east Cleveland area. Mental health workers
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Bell faces a busy weekend
PROLIFIC competitor Stewy Bell - battling back after injury - faces a busy weekend with two races in less than 24 hours. The 36-year-old Great Britain international will line up for his second Reebok Cross Challenge event of the new season in Birmingham
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Close encounters reach a dead end
From being C4's most popular porgramme, Brookside has reached the end of the road. Steve Pratt, a disillusioned fan, charts the rise and fall of a soap sensation. Phil Redmond was a man with a mission to change the face of soap opera in Britain. He wanted
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Reynolds to fight £100,000 claim
GEORGE Reynolds last night vowed to fight a High Court claim against him for up to £100,000 in damages over the writing of his life story. Sports journalist and author John Sadler is suing the Darlington Football Club chairman after claiming he reneged
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MP hails bid to spare violence victims who kill
A NORTH-East MP and leading barrister has welcomed proposals that could see women who kill their violent partners being spared life prison terms. A consultation document drawn up by the Law Commission, the Government's law reform advisors, suggests the
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Ellie the Bear presents baby unit cheque
ELLIE the Bear entertained new born babies in Stockton yesterday before presenting a £1,000 cheque to midwives. The bear visited the University Hospital of North Tees to present the money, raised by staff at broadband communication company ntl. The money
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Monsoon shares leave main list
CLOTHING retailer Monsoon plans to delist from the main London Stock Market after the number of its shares in public hands fell below permitted levels. Monsoon said it had applied to cancel its official listing and to have its shares admitted to the Alternative
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Butcher beefs up town's backing for team heroes' big day
BUTCHER Brian Stoker is urging residents in his home town to get behind a County Durham football team on its dream FA Cup trail. Shildon Football Club have defied all odds to become the lowest placed team still left in the competition this year. They
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Ghost fleet torpedoed by planning wrangle
A CONTROVERSIAL £11m plan to dismantle condemned US navy ships in the North-East lay in tatters last night after the Environment Agency performed a U-turn. Only ten days before the first two ships from the US Naval Reserve fleet are due to arrive at the
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Courage of region's war heroes is rewarded
DETAILS emerged yesterday about acts of courage by servicemen and women from the region during the war in Iraq. A total of 350 soldiers, sailors and airmen have been decorated for their part in the conflict, which began in March when Allied troops crossed
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Pro-hunt supporters pledge to defy any ban on day of demonstrations
PRO-hunt supporters are set to hold a weekend of mass meetings to protest at plans to ban bloodsports. The Countryside Alliance has declared today Declaration Day when hunters will pledge their intent to break any law that puts an end to hunting with
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Teenager gets life sentence for murdering Natalie, 12
A teenager has been jailed for life for the brutal stabbing of his girlfriend's 12-year-old sister. The callous killing shocked the nation when schoolgirl Natalie Ruddick was stabbed 25 times in the face, neck and arms. A jury sitting at Newcastle Crown
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Hodgson issues stark warning to Reynolds
NEW Darlington manager David Hodgson last night warned George Reynolds to call a truce in his burgeoning battle with the club's fans - or risk being forced out. Hodgson reckons the parlous state of Darlington's team has been overshadowed by Reynolds's
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Provett and Nelson's success delights Lee
TONY LEE is well-placed to judge how well Hartlepool United have done this season, and even better placed to pass comment on two of Pool's biggest successes. The Spennymoor boss has been a regular at Victoria Park throughout the last eight years as his
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Cable television group emerging from crisis
CABLE television group ntl has announced a 68 per cent fall in third-quarter losses to £117.3m and an increase in the popularity of its high-speed broadband services. The group, which is listed on the Nasdaq index in New York, said losses in the three
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Threat to jobs as retailer closes 25 high street shops
ABOUT 500 jobs are under threat after domestic appliance retailer Northern Electric shut all its 25 high street stores in the North-East and Yorkshire. Hundreds of staff across the region turned up for work yesterday to be told the shops had closed after
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£36m museum bid moves ahead
A BID to create a £36m Great Museum for the North moved a step closer yesterday. Assessors from the Heritage Lottery Fund visited Newcastle to hear plans for the project, a joint bid by Newcastle City Council, Tyne and Wear Museums and Newcastle University
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City unites to honour war dead after four-year split
A CITY is reuniting to honour the war dead after a split led to rival ceremonies being held for the past four years. Members of the Royal British Legion in Ripon broke away from the traditional Remembrance Day service in the city's cathedral, holding
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Python puts in guest appearance at library's creepy crawly day
A LIBRARY welcomed its biggest bookworm yesterday when a 13ft python visited. Spiders and other creepy crawlies were at the Clayport Library in Durham, as part of a Halloween event for children. The star of the show was a 13ft 6in python, belonging to
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Gang opened 19 bank accounts for £46,000 fraud
A GANG of fraudsters who plagued banks, stores and hotels used cloned credit cards, a court was told yesterday. Two Teesside brothers and a mother were sentenced yesterday after an investigation. Teesside Crown Court heard that mother-of-two Naseem Ahmed
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Chance to air views about town's future
THE drive to build a better future for a North Yorkshire town takes moves a step closer this month when the public are invited to submit their views. Boroughbridge and District Community Partnership announces the results of a market town health check
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Bottle attack on clubber was act of self defence
A NIGHTCLUBBER has been cleared of a bottle attack on man who hit him with a belt. A jury accepted that Lee Alan Potter, 21, of Eighton Terrace, Sunderland, had acted in self defence. Mr Potter admitted he had hit his assailant with a bottle, but said
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Security cameras operation aims to tackle fear of crime
A NEW closed-circuit television (CCTV) system for north-west Durham will leave criminals with nowhere to hide, it was said yesterday. Derwentside District Council is introducing three digital cameras to each of its 22 wards, in a £350,000 project. The
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Council has best sickness record in country
THOUSANDS of pounds of council taxpayers' money has been saved by a council's commitment to reducing sickness absences among its employees. Ferryhill Town Council has one of the lowest staff absenteeism records in the country, according to latest figures
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Work to start on college scheme
THE biggest development in the history of a Darlington college will enter a new phase next week. Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Vane Terrace, is being updated in a £4m project. The second stage of the scheme, which is the most extensive undertaken
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Thieves plunder fishpond
THIEVES who stole 20 koi carp from a garden pond in Weardale have left a four-year-old boy heartbroken. Peter Unsworth helped his father, Michael, look after the fish in his own fish tank until they were able to be put into the pond at the rear of the
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Fundraisers stand out in crowd
COUNCIL workers were in the pink yesterday as they marked Halloween in unusual fashion. Employees at Darlington Borough Council were hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for the Breast Cancer Campaign by wearing pink clothing for the day. The social services
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Charity fundraising tribute
A CHARITY fundraising event held in memory of a 16-year-old girl has raised more than £1,800 for charity. The event, at Chilton and Windlestone Working Men's Club, was a tribute to Sarah Temple, who died in a road accident in June on the A167 at Newton
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Bus operators to provide extra services
NEW bus operators will be providing extra services for passengers in the Darlington area from Monday. The services are being subsidised by Darlington Borough Council following changes to Arriva and Stagecoach timetables. Catterick Minibuses will now operate
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Hospital staff's commitment rewarded
THE efforts of hospital staff to improve services in Darlington and South Durham have been rewarded at a prize giving ceremony. The awards have been established by the County Durham and Darlington Hospitals Trust to publicly recognise staff who have made
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Drug addict burglar freed on appeal . . . for time being
A DRUG addict burglar freed from jail may still face at least a three-year sentence. Repeat offender Kelly Anderson, 24, of Grays Cross, Sunderland, appealed to Mr Recorder Norris at Newcastle Crown Court to lift a jail sentence imposed on October 10
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Grief of missing man's family
THE family of a North-East man thought to have been murdered spoke last night of how his mystery disappearance has left them devastated. Timeshare salesman John Palmer has not been seen for more than four years and police initially treated the case as
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Retired teacher Tom brings festive parrot story to book
FOR years, the annual appearance of The Christmas Parrot has been something of a mystery. The illuminated bird can usually be found every December among the decorations which adorn the Richmond's Friary Gardens - although few can explain what a tropical
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Conspiracy to murder charge men in court
FIVE men have appeared in court charged with conspiracy to murder. The gang appeared before Mr Justice Andrew Smith at Newcastle Crown Court. Stanley Anderson, 42, William Anderson, 54, William Thomas Anderson Junior, 28, Thomas Anderson, 46, Arthur Pattinson
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Cancer charity hopeful of £500,000 appeal success
FUNDRAISERS are urging people to turn out and help them raise £500,000 by the end of the year. Organisers of the Macmillan Cancer Relief's County Durham Appeal believe they have a good chance of reaching the target. Caroline Peacock, co-manager of the
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£45,000 Argos thief 'didn't know what to do with cash'
A SHOP worker who used his position of trust to help himself to £45,000 from his firm's safe was jailed for 15 months yesterday. Appearing for sentence at Durham Crown Court, Gary Crawford 32, of Grey Gardens, Coundon, County Durham, admitted stealing
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Albuhera given Ascot chance
PAUL NICHOLLS has opted to strike while the iron is hot by taking Albuhera (1.45) to Ascot just four days after winning in a canter at Cheltenham on Tuesday, writes Colin Woods. Albuhera was carrying the nap vote that day and, having seemingly expended
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Wolviston Cup hopes boosted by quartet's return
Wearside Laegue: Wolviston, still on the fringe of the race for the championship despite having lost six times, take a break from league action this afternoon when they visit Annfield Plain in the First Round of the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup. Official
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Happy holi-daze
SITTING in Alicante Airport for 12 hours waiting for a long-delayed flight, surrounded by bored and frustrated fellow Newcastle passengers making huge dents in their duty free stash of cigarettes, brought home the harsh truth so often presented as amusing
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Valley Henry can gain revenge in Charlie Hall
WETHERBY'S Charlie Hall Chase looks like a straight shoot-out between two of National Hunt's leading heavyweights, Valley Henry (2.10) and Marlborough. Twelve months ago Marlborough survived a near-calamitous mid-race blunder to capture the Grade 1 event
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Still shrouded in confusion
THE prospect of the so-called 'ghost fleet' coming to Hartlepool has never had much clarity. But the confusion surrounding the contract has reached new heights, with the surprise decision by the Environment Agency to block the arrival of the redundant
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Rocket science to prevent disasters
A TINY electronic device that will help prevent rail disasters has been developed by North-East scientists. Microlog is a miniature data logger that weighs less than ten grams and packs satellite and mobile phone technology into a unit a third the size
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Gone, but not forgotten
As Remembrance Day approaches Harry Mead praises a magnificent act of homage to those whose names are engraved on the war memorials of Whitby and the North York Moors. THERE was John Robert Smith (1894-1917). "His was one of those simple honest lives
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Secrets revealed
For many, The Secret Life Of Us remains just that - a secret. Like many a TV show that's achieved cult status, the series is not always readily available on the box. The audience has to seek it out by scouring the listings. Finding it resembles a game
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Gospels campaign launched
A TOWN'S history group has launched a campaign to place a copy of the Lindisfarne Gospels where they were first translated. The manuscript has been kept in the capital since being seized by Henry VIII in 1537 and is now housed at the British Library.
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In My View: Happy holi-daze
SITTING in Alicante Airport for 12 hours waiting for a long-delayed flight, surrounded by bored and frustrated fellow Newcastle passengers making huge dents in their duty free stash of cigarettes, brought home the harsh truth so often presented as amusing
