Archive
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Market report
The FTSE 100 Index's 11-day winning streak ended yesterday as traders worried about the weak dollar and a possible interest rate rise. The Footsie finished the day 8.1 points down at 4505.2. Despite positive retail news and upbeat service sector data,
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End of an era for Waugh hero
Australia captain Steve Waugh bowed out of international cricket with the kind of innings which epitomised his glittering career. Waugh's swansong knock of 80 against India in Sydney had the determination and class he has constantly shown since his debut
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Blackout not bad enough for payout
HOMEOWNERS and businesses in the region left in the dark after the New Year power cuts are to miss out on compensation. Customers without power for more than 48 hours are liable for a payout of £25. But Northern Electric Distribution (NEDL) - responsible
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Rogues' references and roving reporters
AS if being exposed under the 30 year rule weren't embarrassment enough, poor Lord Lambton - Chester-le-Street lad made off - is also caught with his trousers down in one of the column's Christmas presents. It's fortunate that he is, because the region
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Early beginnings of a pioneering park
THE story of one of Darlington's finest leisure facilities begins, strangely, in Hartlepool. Because, in the 17th Century, in Owton, which is now one of Hartlepool's less salubrious council estates, lived James Bellasses. His family came from France with
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Vice boss faces jail as £900,000 assets seized
A BROTHEL owner stands to lose almost £1m after he confessed last night to running a prostitution racket. John Middleton is facing jail and has had his £900,000 assets frozen following a lengthy undercover police operation which revealed he was operating
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Rescue bid will depend on outcome of feasibility study
THE consortium considering a takeover of Darlington Football Club was last night said to be confident of finding the money to save the Quakers. Fan Mark Meynell is leading a group of businessmen hoping to make a bid for the club and the Reynolds Arena
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Ruthless advertising of brothel business
BROTHEL boss John Middleton did not conceal the fact that massages and girls were available to willing clients. The former double-glazing shop owner advertised on the side of a caravan on the A1, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, which also doubled as a brothel
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Diana conspiracy theories go under police microscope
Rumours and allegations surrounding the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her lover Dodi Fayed are to be investigated by Britain's top policeman, the couple's inquests heard yesterday. As the hearings were finally opened and adjourned more than
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Former prostitute speaks of life as one of his dozen girls
THE pretty, dark-haired former prostitute is in her late-twenties, but years of drug abuse, prison sentences and working in a brothel have taken their toll. Each wrinkle, looking out of place on her young face, tells a tale of being so desperate that
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TV shows get credit for putting tiles on top
THE public's obsession with television property programmes helped tile and flooring specialist Topps Tiles to a bumper year. TV shows such as Property Ladder and Changing Rooms were credited with encouraging more people to use ceramic tiles than ever
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Calls to unite over passive smoking
NON-smokers in the region are being urged to speak out about the dangers of inhaling second-hand smoke. The message from the North East Against Tobacco (Neat) health alliance is in a new television advert being broadcast in the Tyne Tees region. The 30
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Scoutmaster jailed after downloading porn
A SCOUTMASTER who downloaded "disgusting and depraved" child porn has been jailed for a year. Kelvin Marshall, 34, accessed degrading images of children involved in sexual activities including sadism and bestiality, Teesside Crown Court heard. One image
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Project will make information accessible to blind people
A MAJOR project to develop information systems for the blind is to be launched in a Teesside town on Monday. The new scheme, which is being run in partnership between Stockton Borough Council, the RNIB and Vodafone, will equip blind residents in Stockton
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Tape protestor could come to a sticky end
A MYSTERY protestor, armed only with thick brown parcel tape, is waging a lone war against county boundary changes - 30 years after they came into force. The culprit uses the tape to blot out the words County Durham on signs marking the border with North
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Prison suicides lead to system overhaul
PRISON bosses will be stripped of their responsibility for investigating inmate suicides following fierce criticisms that that lessons of the past have not been learned. The Government announced yesterday that the prisons ombudsman, an independent appointment
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PC forced to resign over improper relationship
A POLICE officer has been forced to resign over an improper relationship with a vulnerable woman witness. Married former beat officer, PC Kevin Sutherland, resigned after bosses discovered the relationship. A formal internal disciplinary hearing held
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MP demands compensation
AN MP has demanded that compensation be paid to all 51,000 homes that suffered power cuts on New Year's Eve. Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh has written to the chief executives of both Yorkshire Electricity Distribution (YEDL) and Northern Electric Distribution
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Three held for questioning over car crime
A GANG suspected of carrying out a series of car crimes on Sunday were being questioned by police yesterday. Three men from Middlesbrough were arrested in connection with 20 thefts in Cleveland and North Yorkshire. Detectives said the doors of targeted
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Seeking clues to attempted abduction
POLICE are asking shoppers to help them investigate an attempted abduction. The incident occurred between 10.30am and 10.50pm on December 29, when a ten-year-old girl was waiting for her mother outside the Iceland store in the Cleveland Shopping Centre
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Drug-dealer jailed over death
A DRUG dealer convicted of manslaughter gave evidence yesterday against her ex-husband, who is accused of handling drugs money. Melanie Storey told Teesside Crown Court she and her former husband, David, ran a lucrative business selling heroin to addicts
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Work starts to create £3m replacement road bridge
AN innovative technique will be used to install a £3m road bridge on the outskirts of Durham. Durham County Council is replacing the 19th Century Relley Bridge, which carries the B6302 over the East Coast Main Line, because it does not meet modern standards
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Dumped pets cause headache for sanctuary
THE owner of an animal refuge in the region has been forced to build more kennels to keep pace with an influx of pets abandoned over Christmas. Chris Spedding, who runs the Hope Animal Sanctuary, in Loftus Bank, east Cleveland, is looking after a dozen
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Jail threat after man's court absence
MAGISTRATES fined a defendant for failing to attend court and told him he would face prison if he did not turn up for the next hearing. Darlington Magistrates' Court was told that Damien Eyles, 24, of Warwick Square, Darlington, had been due to attend
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Special school celebrates beating the odds to gain award
A SPECIAL school where technology has a key role on the timetable is the first of its kind in the country to earn a national technology award. Murphy Crescent School, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, is being given the National Association of Advisors
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Former postie quizzed over mail
A FORMER Royal Mail worker has been questioned by police after 1,000 letters were recovered from his home. Police attended the postman's home in Darlington last week and found the letters, some opened, packed in bags. The 23-year-old, who has not been
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Murder, madness and marital strife
Donovan (ITV1) THE message was clear: never cheat on a forensic scientist. Joe Donovan could prove his wife wasn't out with the girls but romping around their bed with her lover as a hair taken from the sheets proved there'd been a stranger in the marital
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McCarthy hails Mr Versatile
MICK McCarthy has told Ben Clark to become his Mr Versatile if he wants to play a vital part in Sunderland's promotion bid. The 20-year-old centre-back stepped into midfield on Saturday after the Black Cats suffered a injury crisis. The Shotley Bridge-born
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Work starts on £500,000 repair project at cathedral
WORK has started on a £500,000 project to put a new roof on the nave of a cathedral. But, for worshippers at Ripon Cathedral, in North Yorkshire, services will continue as usual. Scaffolding is encasing the building as workmen prepare to remove more than
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Appeal for school patrol wardens
DARLINGTON Borough Council is facing its worst shortage of school crossing wardens for seven years. Five people are urgently required to bring the team back to full strength, working in Haughton Road, Newton Lane, Grange Road, Coniscliffe Road and Stanhope
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Tragedy father's warning to patients
A DEVASTATED father has warned patients at a hospital that a trainee surgeon working there was responsible for the death of his son. Myles Phillips was visiting Newcastle to campaign for the sacking of Amit Misra who was convicted nine months ago of the
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Car lock scheme hailed a success
A CAR lock handout has reaped rewards in a vehicle crime hotspot. The Government-funded scheme targeted owners of cars registered between 1990 and 1995, in the Millfield area of Sunderland. Backed by Sunderland Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership
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Man left unconscious after gang attack
POLICE have appealed for help from witnesses to trace members of a gang that carried out a cowardly attack on a man outside his home. The incident was sparked after small objects, probably stones, were thrown at the windows of the house where the 46-year-old
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Teenager punched and kicked by two drunken girls
A TEENAGER was attacked by two drunken girls from a children's home who tried to steal her bag, a court was told. Durham Crown Court heard that the 19-year-old victim was stopped by the 15-year-olds while walking to her home, on the outskirts of Durham
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Son dies as armed police are called out
A 24-YEAR-OLD man was found dead in his home in an incident attended by armed police at the weekend. Wheelchair-bound George Jacobson had called police when his son, Stuart, barricaded himself in his bedroom on Saturday. Northumbria Police sent armed
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Sex offences are denied
A PENSIONER appeared in court yesterday charged with sex offences. Michael Doherty, 67, appeared at Hartlepool Magistrates' Court charged with three counts of indecent assault on a male under the age of 14, three counts of indecent assault on a female
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Judges chosen for music and speech event
TWO of the most experienced adjudicators in the UK will be at a music and speech festival this year. The Wensleydale Tournament of Song takes place in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, with the speech section running from March 17 to 19 and the music section
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Retailers enjoy a bumper season
CLOTHING group Next buoyed the retail sector by saying a bumper Christmas would lift its full year profits above forecasts. Next said sales of full price goods during the week before Christmas had been well above expectations. The group said that clearance
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Bid to ban Christmas Day store trading
PARLIAMENT is to look at a proposal by a North-East MP to ban large stores from opening on Christmas Day. Today, the first reading of a Private Members' Bill, submitted by North Durham MP Kevan Jones, will take place. Current legislation only bans larger
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Collett suffers more injury woe
Luckless Darlington goalkeeper Andy Collett is facing another six weeks on the sidelines after his season took an unexpected turn for the worse yesterday. Collett was taken to hospital after sustaining suspected ligament damage in his shoulder during
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Career v. children
AT last the tide could be turning. Mothers might actually have a choice. In the post-war years, it was working mothers who were the devil incarnate, responsible for all the ills of society. As a latch key child myself, I was aware that many of my friends
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Double Honour looks to turn chaser at Hereford
FORMER top-class flat racer Double Honour (2.00) makes a surprise switch to the novices' chasing ranks at Hereford this afternoon. Double Honour, runner-up to Persian Punch in the 2001 Goodwood Cup, left Mark Johnston's stable at the end of that season
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Baseball bat attackers leave man in hospital after raid
POLICE are hunting a masked gang who burst into a flat and attacked a 21-year-old labourer with baseball bats on Sunday evening. The victim was struck repeatedly about the body and suffered two fractures to his left arm, and extensive bruising to his
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Agency boss greets firm
THE new chairwoman of regional development agency One NorthEast carried out her first official duty yesterday. Margaret Fay was there to welcome an archaeology firm moving into premises on the Harmire Enterprise Park, in Barnard Castle, County Durham.
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Inquest to open into death of teenage girl
AN inquest opens today into the death of a teenage girl who was involved in a car accident as she crossed a road outside her grandmother's home at the weekend. Melanie Mullally suffered head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident
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Career versus children: at last a real choice
AT last the tide could be turning. Mothers might actually have a choice. In the post-war years, it was working mothers who were the devil incarnate, responsible for all the ills of society. As a latch key child myself, I was aware that many of my friends
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First-time buyers left out in the cold
FIRST-TIME buyers in the region could be priced out of the market by the end of the year, a senior economist has predicted. Shane O'Riordain, general manager of group economics at the Halifax, said that bumper house price rises spreading across the country
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Concern for trade as dollar weakens
THE region's exporters were in bullish mood last night despite fears that trade with the US could be hit by a currency crisis. The US dollar dropped to an 11-year low against the pound and hit an all-time low against the euro. The Japanese yen was also
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Gadfly...
AS if being exposed under the 30 year rule weren't embarrassment enough, poor Lord Lambton - Chester-le-Street lad made off - is also caught with his trousers down in one of the column's Christmas presents. It's fortunate that he is, because the region
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Warning over toxic dumping in region
THE Environment Agency has hit back at claims that the North-East could become a dumping ground for most of the country's toxic waste under new European laws. A new EU landfill directive, which comes into force in July, is expected to limit the number
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Job would rather work on Teesside than Africa
JOSEPH JOB has sacrificed his African Nations Cup ambitions in a bid to win a new contract with Middlesbrough. The Cameroon striker yesterday admitted that long-term injury forced him to abandon hope of helping his country defend their title this month
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First-time buyers left out in the cold
FIRST-TIME buyers in the region could be priced out of the market by the end of the year, a senior economist has predicted. Shane O'Riordain, general manager of group economics at the Halifax, said that bumper house price rises spreading across the country
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Trebles all round at Ultimate
THE North-East's largest bar and nightclub operator, Ultimate Leisure, has reassured investors by predicting better-than-expected half-year profits after buoyant sales during Christmas. The company, which employs more than 1,000 staff in the UK, forecast
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Opposition to university tuition fees
CITY councillors plan to signal their opposition to the Government's controversial university tuition fees. Durham City Council's ruling Liberal Democrat group fears Tony Blair's plans for charges of up to £3,000 will deter youngsters from taking places
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Retailers enjoy a bumper season
CLOTHING group Next buoyed the retail sector by saying a bumper Christmas would lift its full year profits above forecasts. Next said sales of full price goods during the week before Christmas had been well above expectations. The group said that clearance
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There's no honour among the refusniks
FIRST off - I didn't turn down an award in the New Year's Honours. Second off - if I had refused an award, I wouldn't be telling you. Only my wife would know. Not even our three kids would be let in on the secret. Before you write in, let me say I don't
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Seedy den offered sex-on-tap to punters
WITH his long, grey hair, scrawny build and unkempt appearance, John Middleton cuts an unlikely figure as an underworld Mr Big. To those who do not know him, it is hard to believe the 60-year-old businessman was the boss of a prostitution racket supplying
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Comment: When time fails to heal
IT is more than six years since the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her lover Dodi Fayed. And the conspiracy theories surrounding the tragedy are stronger than ever. Was it just a terrible accident or could there possibly be a more sinister explanation
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Actress tells of private torment
NORTH-EAST actress Denise Welch has told how media interest in her private life made her feel as though she was permanently in the Big Brother house. She talked about her marriage problems in The Big Interview on Tyne Tees Television, which will be shown
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Cooper can reap Cup rewards
NEALE Cooper could be ready to bolster his squad on the back of his club's money-spinning FA Cup run. Pool have raked in around £300,000 thanks to Saturday's game at Sunderland in front of 40,000 fans, and their second round win at Burton Albion which
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07/01/04
EUROPE IF we look at the political world around us we could easily quote Laurel and Hardy: "This is a fine mess that you have got us into". The tendency at this time of the year is to look back at events and see failures. If we were more realistic we
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North assembly campaign is launched by region's leaders
POLITICAL and sporting heavyweights were last night making the case for a North-East assembly. Hartlepool MP Peter Mandelson, Berwick MP Alan Beith, and Sir John Hall, president of Newcastle United, were lined up to speak at the London launch of the so-called
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Call to raise standard of libraries
COUNCIL bosses have pledged to continue to work to raise library standards in Darlington. After a review, members of Darlington Borough Council's cabinet received a report from the lifelong learning scrutiny committee outlining concerns that standards
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Dispute over gas repair reaches boiling point
AN angry British Gas customer took one of its vans hostage behind the electronic gates of his home in protest at poor service. Alan Dunville, 55, locked an engineer's van inside the grounds of his home in protest at spending almost a week without heating
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Police probe into girl's gun pellet injury
POLICE are investigating after a youngster claimed she was hit in the face by a pellet from a plastic gun, known as a BB gun. Charlotte Moore, 12, from Stockton, was with a friend at shops in the town's Marske Lane when the incident happened on Monday
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Bumper year at theatres
THEATRE staff are celebrating a bumper year with record numbers of people attending performances. Audience numbers at the Town Hall Theatre in Hartlepool, which is run by Hartlepool Borough Council, soared by a fifth in the 12 months to the end of November
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Financial director 'has no memory' about cash crimes
A businesswoman who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from a North-East garage company has no memory of her crimes, a court heard yesterday. Mary Blair, 54, has admitted stealing £819,200 over a five-year period from PMB Motors, later taken over by
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Castle's honeymoon suite ransacked on wedding day
A HONEYMOON suite at Durham Castle was wrecked when a gang ransacked the room after a drinking spree, a court heard yesterday. Robert Paling, of no fixed abode, appeared before Derwentside Magistrates' Court, in Consett, County Durham, yesterday, and
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Drink-driving concern despite drop in offences
DRINK-driving is continuing to cause concern for police forces despite a drop in the numbers of offenders caught. Police around the region carried out breath tests over Christmas and New Year to try to catch drinkers who got behind the wheel. In North
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Fishing study bid after slump
A MAJOR probe into the future of two harbours is to be carried out in the wake of dramatic slumps in fishing catches and reductions in fleets. Scarborough Council's cabinet is being recommended to appoint the Sea Fish Industry Authority to carry out a
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Jogger could hold clues to robbery
A JOGGER who was seen running along a former railway track could be a key witness for police investigating a robbery. Two masked men brandishing sticks left a shop assistant terrified after they robbed the post office at the Charltons, near Guisborough
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Whaling captain and geologist battle it out to be local hero
A WHALING captain and a geologist are among the people nominated as the greatest hero of a seaside town. Thirteen people have been named local heroes for Scarborough, North Yorkshire, including Sir George Cayley, who set out principles for heavier-than-air
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Pantomime with social messages
A TRADITIONAL pantomime has been given a modern day twist for two performances in Crook Civic Hall on Friday. Wear Valley theatre group Jack Drum Arts have used their production of Red Riding Hood to explore social topics relevant to children and the
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Expert aid for patients
PEOPLE with long-term medical conditions in the Sedgefield borough are leading the way as expert patients. The Expert Patient Programme is a national scheme developed by the Department of Health, which offers courses to help people manage their illnesses
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Award for volunteers
A GROUP of volunteers has won a national award for its environmental work. Action North Skelton, which tackles environmental and social problems in North Skelton, near Guisborough, won a bronze in this year's National Green Apple Environment Awards for
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Delivery of post cut to once daily
THE postman will call on Wear Valley residents once a day under a cost-cutting move to introduce a single daily delivery across the country. The Royal Mail says all customers will receive their post by lunchtime, with most mail delivered earlier than
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Company will revamp homes
THOUSANDS of council homes are in line for improvement. The Gateshead Housing Company, which is now managing Gateshead Council's 24,000 houses, was launched at housing offices across the borough yesterday. The arms-length company, which the council said
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planes, trains and automobiles in miniature at visitor centre
MODELS of modes of travel and transport down the years have formed a new year display at a visitor centre attraction. Exhibits on show in the Discovery Centre, at Seaton Holme, in Easington Village, include models from collectors Alan Appleby and Bill
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Concern for special school
A LEADING special needs school in the region may have to close because of Government policy. The trustees of Newcastle's 166-year-old Northern Counties School, which educates children with a range of disabilities, say it is under threat from a "short-sighted
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Trains delayed as lorry gets stuck under bridge
TRAINS were delayed and a road closed after a lorry carrying a skip became wedged under a railway bridge yesterday. The incident happened at about 9.15am in Hilda Place, Saltburn, east Cleveland, which is a main route taken by traffic through to the town's
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Image of rapist released by police
POLICE have issued an artist's drawing of a rapist knifeman who struck last summer. The man, believed to be in his forties, attacked a 16-year-old girl, dragging her into bushes, in Washington Old Village, Wearside, near the junction of the A1231 and
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Airline delay on routes is defended
OFFICIALS have denied that a controversial name change for Teesside Airport has postponed the announcement of new flight destinations. Low cost airline bmibaby had been due to confirm its summer plans for Teesside, having already introduced three additional
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Mendieta woe for McClaren
GAIZKA MENDIETA heads an alarming casualty list at Middlesbrough as manager Steve McClaren admits he hasn't a clue what his side will be against Fulham at the Riverside tonight. McClaren's hope that a week-long family holiday in his native Spain would
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Double Honour looks to turn chaser at Hereford
FORMER top-class flat racer Double Honour (2.00) makes a surprise switch to the novices' chasing ranks at Hereford this afternoon. Double Honour, runner-up to Persian Punch in the 2001 Goodwood Cup, left Mark Johnston's stable at the end of that season
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Collett suffers more injury woe
Luckless Darlington goalkeeper Andy Collett is facing another six weeks on the sidelines after his season took an unexpected turn for the worse yesterday. Collett was taken to hospital after sustaining suspected ligament damage in his shoulder during
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Priest appears in court over sex assaults
A PRIEST is to appear at crown court charged with sex assaults on girls. Patrick Fitzpatrick, was committed to Teesside Crown Court for a plea and directions hearing during a brief appearance at Hartlepool Magistrates' Court yesterday. He will appear
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Dementia patients face wide variations in drugs on offer
PATIENTS with dementia are being denied access to vital drugs because of postcode prescribing, according to a report out today. While some regions of the UK spent £10-a-head on anti-dementia drugs for the over-65s, health authorities in the North-East
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Striker Dyer can save the Magpies millions
SIR BOBBY ROBSON is asking Kieron Dyer to save Newcastle a fortune in the transfer market by acting as Alan Shearer's striking sidekick. Dyer, who scored twice in the Magpies' impressive 3-0 FA Cup third-round victory at Southampton on Saturday, will
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Pub couple celebrate trade award
A COUPLE were celebrating yesterday after their pub was crowned best in the North-East by a trade magazine. The Clarendon Hotel in Redcar, east Cleveland, run for the past three years by Roy Myers and Janet Coser, has also been shortlisted for the title
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Baseball bat attackers leave man in hospital after raid
POLICE are hunting a masked gang who burst into a flat and attacked a 21-year-old labourer with baseball bats on Sunday evening. The victim was struck repeatedly about the body and suffered two fractures to his left arm, and extensive bruising to his
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Calls to unite over passive smoking
NON-smokers in the region are being urged to speak out about the dangers of inhaling second-hand smoke. The message from the North East Against Tobacco (Neat) health alliance is in a new television advert being broadcast in the Tyne Tees region. The 30
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TV review
Donovan (ITV1) THE message was clear: never cheat on a forensic scientist. Joe Donovan could prove his wife wasn't out with the girls but romping around their bed with her lover as a hair taken from the sheets proved there'd been a stranger in the marital
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'Ghost ships' firm to upgrade waste site
THE company behind plans to scrap a rusting fleet of former US Navy ships last night unveiled a scheme to revamp its landfill waste facility. Able UK said its landfill site at Seaton Meadows, near Hartlepool, would be further developed at a cost of £1.2m
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'I don't want to die a convicted killer'
IT was while watching the Six O'Clock News that Michael Luvaglio found out the man he looked on "as a brother" had been killed. It was a shattering blow. "I was so distressed that I had to be sedated and I went to bed," he says. But a few hours later
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Business Link starts new service
BUSINESS LINK has launched a service to encourage entrepreneurship and increase the number of people in the Tees Valley becoming self-employed. The Start-Up Service, formerly known as Start Right in Business, offers customers and potential customers a
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Early beginnings of a pioneering Darlington park
Darlington Borough Council is spending nearly £4m of National Lottery money to restore South Park. Echo Memories begins a series on the park by looking at how it became the first of its kind in the North-East THE story of one of Darlington’s finest
