Archive
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Doctor left injured woman in car wreck and fled accident
A DOCTOR who did not have a full driving licence fled the scene of a crash - leaving a woman trapped in the wreckage of her car. Instead of stopping to offer the woman first aid, Dr Arunkumar Ganesan, 31, drove home after causing the collision in Darlington
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Hail to the hamstrung hero
BEING picked for the school football team meant the world to me. When the team-sheet finally went up on the wal at St Peter's in South Bank, I couldn't bear to look at it, in much the same way that I can't bear to look at my bank statement now. John McDermott
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Creative cafe wins design contest
A CAFE in chrome and blue glass has captivated judges in a competition designed to attract young blood to the construction industry. Teenagers from three schools took part in the pilot initiative run by construction industry training body CITB-ConstructionSkills
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Spurs' Viana chase in vain
TOTTENHAM face frustration if they follow up their interest in Newcastle United's Portuguese international Hugo Viana. United manager Sir Bobby Robson has received a flood of enquiries about the 21-year-old midfielder, who has caught the eye of scouts
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Cell hell
The prisons in Soapland will be overcrowded in the wake of the coming week's outbreak of lawlessness. First behind bars is Rita from Coronation Street (ITV1), the flame-haired seller of newspapers and periodicals in The Kabin (although the name tips you
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Tate modern
PETER Amory had hoped to have got the muck of Emmerdale out of his nostrils for a few months by finally ditching the role of Chris Tate in favour of a theatre tour. Sadly, nearly 14 years on the high-profile ITV1 soap has left him a marked man. The Harrogate-based
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Tax protest pensioners supported
PENSIONERS have been told they will receive backing if they refuse to pay their council tax in full. Cleveland Pensioners' Convention Forum said any pensioner who refused to pay more than this year's increase in their State Pension towards council tax
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Foodmaker cuts staff
KRAFT Foods said it could not rule out job losses in the UK after the company announced that 6,000 staff would be cut worldwide. The company said 1,300 salaried positions in North America would go first, with the remaining cuts spread over the next three
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Help at their fingertips for visitors to rail museum
UNIVERSITY staff have helped make life easier for visually impaired people visiting one of the region's attractions. To help them find their way more easily around the National Railway Museum, in York, they have produced tactile guides. Visitors use their
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Celebrity jungle life too smooth
With talk of hair extensions, boyfriends and games of eye-spy - there isn't much excitement so far in the jungle. When the contestants for I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here were announced I thought we were in a for some compulsive viewing. Former anarchist
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Why The Darkness are lighting up our lives
WHAT are The Darkness all about? At first, I thought these long-haired rockers, dressed in sequin jump suits, complete with high-pitched, squealy voices and electric guitars, were a joke. They look like a cross between the spoof band Spinal Tap and 70s
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Patients book to see GP via the Internet
PATIENTS in Wear Valley and Teesdale can book an appointment direct with their GP by using an Internet link. A pilot scheme introduced by the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust (PCT) is already operating in the Bishopgate Medical Centre, Bishop Auckland,
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Scheme to help smokers quit extended
HEALTH chiefs in Sedgefield borough are extending a scheme that trains people to help smokers quit. Sedgefield Primary Care Trust is hoping that greater accessibility to services will help more people to give up smoking. Cessation clinics, usually held
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School among best in country
A SCHOOL has received high praise following its ranking in this year's league tables. Easington Community School has been congratulated for its achievement by Minister of State for School Standards David Miliband In this year's listings Easington is among
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Enterprising youngsters win bulk order for bird-feeding kits
A COUNCIL has placed a bulk order for winter bird-feeding kits, designed and manufactured by a group of enterprising youngsters. The young people from Park View Community School in Chester-le-Street created the kits through the school's Young Enterprise
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Pupils log bike details to deter thieves
AN initiative to thwart bike thieves was launched at a Teesside school yesterday. Hartlepool police officers began distributing 5,000 special logbooks to primary school children and other members of the public in an effort to reduce the number of unsolved
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Pay rise for low-paid workers
Hundreds of low-paid workers will enjoy a bumper pay rise after a council reached an historic deal with unions. Redcar and Cleveland Council has become the first local authority in the North-East to sign a deal for single status for all staff. The pay
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Dad At Large
BEING picked for the school football team meant the world to me. When the team-sheet finally went up on the wal at St Peter's in South Bank, I couldn't bear to look at it, in much the same way that I can't bear to look at my bank statement now. John McDermott
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Tyne Brewery threatened, analysts say
The Tyne Brewery, home to Newcastle Brown Ale, is one of five breweries threatened by Scottish and Newcastle's (S&N) continuing drive to save money, analysts have said. Analysts at Credit Suisse First Boston have reported that two of the company's
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Teenager's water safety legacy
THE death of a teenager in a North-East river has led to a lasting legacy to his community. David Steel, 15, of Thornaby, near Stockton, died after falling into the River Leven in December 2002. His family donated £150 to the Water Rescue Team at Thornaby
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£3,800 brings painting home
AN oil painting of a local scene, which fetched almost £4,000 at auction, is back in the region. Psychiatrist Dr Mark Leigh-Howarth, who works for the Durham and Darlington Priority Services Trust, had to fight off competition from a collector during
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Increased car parking fees to be considered by council
COUNCILLORS are expected to deliver a double blow to Darlington residents next week, by approving increased car parking charges in addition to an 8.4 per cent council tax increase. Darlington Borough Council's cabinet will be asked on Tuesday to support
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MPs to fight train services cuts
MPs will present a petition signed by more than 4800 people to transport minister Kim Howells against plans to cut train services in the region. Passenger groups and MPs have been angered by plans to cut direct services between Saltburn, Middlesbrough
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Countryside rangers plan could boost rural economy
COUNTRYSIDE rangers could soon be employed as part of a scheme to maintain and promote rural areas. North Yorkshire County Council has come up with a series of ideas to boost the rural economy following a review of the services it offers to people living
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It's a sorry day for Blackburn-bound Gray
MICHAEL GRAY bade farewell to Sunderland last night and apologised to the club's supporters for the part he played in last season's relegation debacle. The left-back has supported the Black Cats all of his life and he has been on their books for over
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Crimestoppers receives more than 2,500 calls
MORE than 2,500 calls were made to North-East Crimestoppers in 2003, new figures reveal. People in Cleveland made 1,145 calls, in Northumbria 988 and 491 in Durham. The calls led to 201 people being arrested and charged in Cleveland, 156 in Northumbria
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Homes to close in £8.5m shake-up
TWO residential homes are to close in a £8.5m shake-up of council services for the elderly. Middlesbrough Council plans to close Netherfields later this year and the Albert Cox home in May next year after discussions with residents and drawing up individual
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Fault separated train carriages
RAIL operator GNER has launched an investigation after one of its trains was forced to make an emergency stop after splitting in two. The train, which had been travelling through Lincolnshire on the East Coast Main Line on Saturday, had 70 people on board
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TV review
Director's Commentary (ITV1) The National Trust (BBC2) MARION and Geoff actor Rob Brydon is heard but not seen in his new comedy series Director's Commentary and, in the first programme, is assisted by the cast of US western series Bonanza and BBC period
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Town unveils regeneration plans in technical display
Regeneration plans for Chester-le-Street town centre have been unveiled in a technical exhibition. The display, at the Mechanics Institute on Bridge End, opens today. It will use a moving picture wall, "pop-up exhibition panels", a computer room and other
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Duffield bid rejected
THIRD DIVISION rivals Boston United have turned down an approach from Darlington for former striker Peter Duffield - but assistant manager Martin Gray last night insisted the move is not dead. The Middlesbrough-born forward will be allowed to leave York
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Echo Doorstoppers campaign given boost
THE campaign to close the door on crooks who cold-call their victims to sell shoddy or unnecessary home repairs has received a major boost. An MP from Leicestershire has introduced a Bill to Parliament which could result in calls for changes to the law
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Best of times, worst of times
IT was meant to be a bad week for the Prime Minister. It has turned out to be a pretty awful one for Michael Howard. The day after scraping home in the Commons vote on tuition fees, Tony Blair has been exonerated by Lord Hutton over the death of weapons
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Joint bid to keep the beer flowing
BREWERS Scottish Courage and Carlsberg-Tetley have announced plans for a joint venture to ensure trouble-free pint pulling for publicans. The pair are joining forces to give industry customers a technical one-stop shop for equipment used to transfer beer
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Joint bid to keep the beer flowing
BREWERS Scottish Courage and Carlsberg-Tetley have announced plans for a joint venture to ensure trouble-free pint pulling for publicans. The pair are joining forces to give industry customers a technical one-stop shop for equipment used to transfer beer
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Tourism row resolved
A row that threatened to destabilise the region's tourism industry has been resolved. Bosses at regional development agency One NorthEast and Northumbria Tourist Board have agreed to settle their differences after a long-running battle over who was ultimately
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Dallaglio given chance to prove his credentials
Lawrence Dallaglio last night reclaimed the England captaincy he relinquished more than four years ago - and immediately made his intentions clear. Dallaglio has been appointed skipper for the RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against Italy in Rome on
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Introducing children to university life
CHILDREN on Teesside were treated to a performance of Peter Pan yesterday as part of a series of events organised to encourage them to consider higher education. Members of the University of Teesside's Meteor scheme, which aims to raise the aspirations
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White-out as blizzards sweep region
HEAVY snow and freezing temperatures brought chaos to the North-East yesterday, with dozens of schools closing early following a lunchtime blizzard. But police praised most motorists, saying there had been relatively few accidents. Teesside and Newcastle
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Dubai bound Spencer in top form
Jamie Spencer, who has three booked mounts at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai today, is riding at the top of his form and to prove the point he partnered a near 9-1 double at Lingfield yesterday. Spencer was seen at his cheekiest and most stylish when Mission To
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Funding boost for blitz on arsonists
FIRE services in the North-East have been awarded £1.4m to tackle the growing menace of arson. Projects across the region will benefit from the handout, including a new investigation team, based in Newcastle, which will develop a regional approach to
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Duffield bid rejected
THIRD DIVISION rivals Boston United have turned down an approach from Darlington for former striker Peter Duffield - but assistant manager Martin Gray last night insisted the move is not dead. The Middlesbrough-born forward will be allowed to leave York
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Creative cafe wins design contest
A CAFE in chrome and blue glass has captivated judges in a competition designed to attract young blood to the construction industry. Teenagers from three schools took part in the pilot initiative run by construction industry training body CITB-ConstructionSkills
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Bill's dark side
In real life, Scottish actor Bill Paterson doesn't have much time for the paranormal. On screen, in BBC1's new series Sea Of Souls, he makes a living out of it. He stars as Dr Douglas Monaghan, who heads up the fictional Parapsychology Unit at Clyde University
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Pool continue to raise the standards
NEALE Cooper's Hartlepool United continue to set new standards in a new division. Tuesday's thumping 5-2 win at Port Vale was the first time Pool have scored five goals away from home since a 5-1 win at Aldershot in March 1991. The victory put Pool into
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Chairman quits on BBC's day of shame
BBC chairman Gavyn Davies resigned last night after Lord Hutton's report into the death of weapons expert Dr David Kelly severely criticised the corporation - and left Tony Blair virtually unscathed. Mr Davies said: "I have been brought up to believe
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Hail to the hamstrung hero
BEING picked for the school football team meant the world to me. When the team-sheet finally went up on the wal at St Peter's in South Bank, I couldn't bear to look at it, in much the same way that I can't bear to look at my bank statement now. John McDermott
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Catch of the day
DIRECTOR Tim Burton has always seemed a little weird. That's what he's famous for. Movies like Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas have shown an obsession with the quirky side of life. Even comic book hero Batman took on
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Coping with a troubled life
Gwyneth Paltrow didn't know if she'd be able to film when her father, actor and director Bruce Paltrow, died two weeks before Sylvia was due to start shooting. "It was without question the worst and most devastating thing that has ever happened to me.
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Council fined £12,000 over pool tragedy
A COUNCIL was yesterday fined £12,000 for breaking health and safety rules following a teenager's death in a swimming pool. Scarborough Borough Council, North Yorkshire, was also ordered to pay more than £8,000 Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution
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Man wins chance to see his daughter
A FATHER has won the chance to reapply for contact with his daughter in a landmark victory at the Appeal Court, in London. The court was told that despite opposition from the mother of his six-year-old daughter, the man had refused to give up the fight
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Library service expanded to help the housebound
A LIBRARY home delivery service has been expanded to help housebound people. Hartlepool librarians are hoping that elderly or ill people will be able to take advantage of the service. The Home Library Service has 300 regular users but Hartlepool Borough
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Ferrero's next for Federer
World number two Roger Federer may have felt he was a little off-key yesterday, but he did enough to beat the in-form David Nalbandian in four sets and seal an Australian Open semi-final showdown with Juan Carlos Ferrero. The Spanish third seed had earlier
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Blaze hero will be baby's godfather
BLAZE rescuer Ernie Robinson is to become godfather to the unborn baby whose life he saved. Mr Robinson, 58, has picked up a fire brigade bravery award after saving mother-to-be Natasha Sanderson and her niece, Erin, now four, from a house blaze in Marley
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Strike called off but some civil servants plan protest
STRIKE action by thousands of JobCentre and benefits office staff has been postponed at the 11th hour after employers tabled a new pay offer. However, 20,000 civil servants across the country who are subject to separate pay deals are still expected to
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29/01/04
SCOTTISH MPs: I AGREE with the criticism of the role of Scottish MPs in English matters. I, as an Englishman, feel I belong to an ethnic minority in my own country. The blame for the present political fiddle must be down to our local Scottish Member of
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Standard Life cuts bonuses
Standard Life today became the latest insurer to cut the bonuses it pays on long-term savings policies, reducing rates for the fifth time in two years. Europe's biggest mutual life insurer said the move would reduce payouts on its with-profits policies
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Sponsors go full 90 mins
OUR appeal to support Darlington's home game against Rochdale on Saturday has reached £16,700. Every minute of the crucial Nationwide Third Division fixture has been sponsored by at least one company or organisation. But each minute can be sponsored more
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Icy road had been gritted by council
AN icy road that caused motorists to wait nearly two hours to travel three miles on Tuesday morning had been gritted, according to a council. Stockton Borough Council said it salted the A689 road north of Stockton, which passes Wynyard Industrial Estate
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Artistic idea to help the mentally ill
SESSIONS of music and art are to be arranged to help people in rural areas recover from mental health problems. Those suffering from anxiety, depression and mild forms of mental illness in Teesdale and Weardale will be included in the project, based in
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Call for review of town parking charges decision
CONTROVERSIAL proposals to charge for parking in the centre of Barnard Castle could be halted after councillors called for the decision to be investigated. Six members of Teesdale District Council believe there was not enough consultation prior to last
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Can we afford to lose 120 years of history?
Darlington 2 Middlesbrough 1 - January 8, 1984, FA Cup third round replay This game has recently been voted the best ever at Feethams, and little wonder because it had absolutely everything - even, being the mid-1980s, an outbreak of crowd violence which
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Poking fun at the programme makers
Director's Commentary (ITV1), The National Trust (BBC2): Marion and Geoff actor Rob Brydon is heard but not seen in his new comedy series Director's Commentary and, in the first programme, is assisted by the cast of US western series Bonanza and BBC period
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Club prepares for panto
YOUNGSTERS are in final rehearsals as a popular pantomime returns this weekend. Oxhill Youth Club performs Mother Goose in the Lamplight Arts Centre, Front Street, Stanley, from Friday to Saturday, February 7. It features Lindsay McPhail fresh from her
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community police station opens in town's market place
A community police station was opened yesterday. The facility, in Thirsk's Market Place, was formally opened by the county's High Sheriff, Air Commodore Simon Bostock. It is open to the public from 11am to 3pm and 4pm to 7pm, Mondays through to Saturdays
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Cease brewing Brown to boost profits - analysts
One of Britain's most famous beer could be brown and out if a cost cutting brewery giant closes Newcastle's historic brewery. The closure would be the end of Newcastle Brown Ale - known to natives as Old Brown Dog and to the rest of the country as Newkie
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Bus to industrial estates will help job prospects
A bus service launched next week is expected to boost job opportunities by linking industrial estates. The 160m service will connect Middlesbrough, Osmotherley, Northallerton and Thirsk to industrial estates at Northallerton, Thirsk, Dalton and Melmerby
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Proposal to transform city's run-down area
PLANS have been produced to breathe life into a run-down area after decades of delay. Mayor of Ripon Councillor David Parnaby has called on residents to give their verdict on the plans, which are due before a Ripon area planning committee of Harrogate
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Ex-mayors become freemen
TWO prominent members of the community have been granted the freedom of Ripon at a ceremony in the city's Town Hall. Former city mayors Doreen Spence and John Richmond were both presented with scrolls marking the honour as they joined an elite band of
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Blaze hero will be baby's godfather
BLAZE rescuer Ernie Robinson is to become godfather to the unborn baby whose life he saved. Mr Robinson, 58, has picked up a fire brigade bravery award after saving mother-to-be Natasha Sanderson and her niece, Erin, now four, from a house blaze in Marley
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Son's quest recalls last days of warship
THE son of a Second World War sailor has spoken of his quest to keep alive the memory of a doomed warship and its North-East captain. David Griffiths has spent more than 20 years making good the dying wish of his father to reunite the families of the
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600 apply for crisp firm jobs
A RECRUITMENT drive by crisp company Walkers has attracted 600 applications for the 50 jobs available. The new staff are needed following the construction of a £5m warehouse next to the company's Peterlee manufacturing base. To draft in new recruits,
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Entrepreneur has it sewn up
ENTREPRENEUR Tracey Waters is sewing her way to success with her clothing company. Based in Sunderland city centre, Sew Unique specialises in one-off garments individually tailored for every shape and taste. Ms Waters has received a help from the North
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Writers can win £300 in contest
A WRITING competition launched earlier this month is already attracting huge interest from authors. The Short Story Competition is organised by Darlingtonn firm Inscribe Media Ltd, backed by The Northern Echo, telecommunications company Orange and Darlington
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Skanska 'is in talks to sell subsidiary'
SKANSKA is reported to be selling its Darlington subsidiary Whessoe to The Shaw Group. The US engineering operation is believed to be in exclusive negotiations with Skanska and hopes to agree the deal in March. Whessoe, which has 200 staff, specialises
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The return of the grin
It was the week when Tony Blair's Premiership was on the line, but, as Political Editor Chris Lloyd reports, the Prime Minister has ended up smelling of roses. AND with just one report he was free... Only 18 hours earlier Tony Blair had been staring a
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Boro look to finalise £1m Mills move
LEEDS United's desperate struggle to stave off administration could hinge on reaching a compromise deal with Middlesbrough over Danny Mills' proposed move to the Riverside. The Elland Road club, over £80m in debt, are working frantically to raise £5m
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Cold snap is on the way out for weekend
THE big freeze was predicted to slowly start easing today following a day of blizzards across the North-East. After further snow, ice and freezing temperatures last night, forecasters said it should be a fine day today. There was a white-out in parts
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Its Ecco Boy ready for resounding success at last
AFTER months of manfully toiling without much reward on the all-weather circuit, Its Ecco Boy (1.10) has finally found the ideal opportunity to end a long losing sequence in division one of the Press Interactive Handicap at Southwell. Campaigned for the
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Man cleared of rape but still faces jail
A MAN was cleared yesterday of raping a prostitute but the judge warned him to expect jail for attacking her with a pickaxe handle. The jury at Teesside Crown Court took more than five hours to find factory worker Paul Thornton not guilty of raping the
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University students raise £250,000
A GROUP of students are celebrating after raising £250,000 to help bright young people from poor backgrounds get degrees. The record amount was raised at Newcastle University's sixth annual Phonathon appeal, when students phoned graduates, many of them
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UK success at bringing in investment
The UK remains the most successful country in Europe at attracting foreign investment, a survey showed today. Competitive cost levels, flexible labour laws, the large domestic market and the benefit of an English-speaking workforce all helped the UK score
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The best of life on the buses
JUST the ticket, or whatever the appropriate phrase may be, retired teacher Peter Cardno has produced another of his delightful books on half-forgotten North-East bus companies. This one's about Wilkinson's, familiarly Wilkie's, of Sedgefield - a fascinating
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Bid to close North-South divide is failing, say MPs
GOVERNMENT grants to tempt companies to the North-East are failing to get people off the dole or close the North-South divide, a committee of MPs said yesterday. The committee's highly-critical report found the targeted aid had achieved only a "miserly
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Bank unveils plan to create 1,000 jobs
NORTHERN ROCK has said that it hopes to create another 1,000 jobs in the next few years. The bank said the posts were in addition to the planned creation of 1,900 jobs, announced last year. The announcement follows preliminary results released yesterday
