Archive
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Life for killer of peadophile
A man who killed a peadophile has been sentenced life imprisonment and ordered he should not be eligible for parole until he has served at least fourteen years. Justice Fulford told Adrian Brown: "The seriousness of what you did is not in any way lessened
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Gadfly
IT was clearly mistaken, and probably politically incorrect to boot, to repeat a couple of weeks back the joke - via Jean Foster in Hunwick - about why Kerrymen wore two condoms. Peter Hale in Scorton, near Richmond, was reminded of the Irish learner
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Old boy piles on the agony for poor Durham
IT was like turning back the clock to Stephen Harmison's debut in the last match of the 1996 season as Durham endured one of their worst days in first-class cricket yesterday. Harmison, aged 17, took none for 77 in nine overs as Leicestershire amassed
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Whitley impressed with new signings
LIAM LAWRENCE has been backed to overcome an injury nightmare and play a massive part in Sunderland's Coca-Cola Championship bid. The attacking midfielder will miss the opening of the new season on August 7, when the Black Cats travel to Peter Reid's
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Flying Scotsman could be withdrawn
The famous Flying Scotsman could be withdrawn from service - a week after its first passenger journey since being saved for the nation. Bosses from the National Railway Museum in York, which bought the legendary locomotive for £2.59m earlier this year
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Two deny Metro murder
Two people have appeared in court and denied murdering a man who was stabbed at a Metro station. Claire Park, 26, and Sean Clarke, 25, are accused of killing 37-year-old David Moorhouse during an attack at Pelaw Metro Station on April 29. Both pleaded
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Priory stages summer fun and activities
SUMMER activities and entertainment are being laid on at Gisborough Priory next month. On Thursday, August 5, there will be storytelling and craft activities with a garden theme. On Thursday, August 12, there will be the chance to meet a local falconer
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Clock is a timely reminder of royal tribute and family feud
POTTS clocks usually inhabit tall church towers or grand municipal buildings. But in Aldbrough St John there is one that graces a more humble private house. How it came to be there is a happy story of a royal commemoration laced with the intriguing undercurrent
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Is Grant the answer to Hodgson's big search?
FORMER Charlton forward Kim Grant was on target last night as he made his bid to end David Hodgson's search for a goalscorer. Grant became the tenth striker to be used by Hodgson in pre-season and it took him just three minutes to make his mark in last
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300 jobs rescued - again
THREE hundred workers have had their jobs saved for the second time in six months. Staff at the former Hibernia Foods factory in Oakesway, Hartlepool, now have their third set of bosses after a management buyout rescued the ailing plant. The workers were
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Woman quizzed over street death
A MURDER inquiry was launched yesterday after a man was stabbed in a city street. Last night, a woman in her twenties, believed to be from Bell Farm Avenue, York, was still being questioned by police. She was taken into custody shortly after the man's
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Woman quizzed over street death
A MURDER inquiry was launched yesterday after a man was stabbed in a city street. Last night, a woman in her twenties, believed to be from Bell Farm Avenue, York, was still being questioned by police. She was taken into custody shortly after the man's
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Hospital pilot scheme go-ahead
HEALTH secretary John Reid last night announced the go-ahead for a new mental hospital for Sunderland. South of Tyne and Wearside Mental Health Trust's plans to replace the Cherry Knowle Hospital, at Ryhope, was among 15 national schemes worth more than
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Lecturer's contribution to excellence earns fellowship
A FORMER postman and mature student has been saluted for his outstanding contribution to teaching and learning. Dr Tony Nicholson, from the University of Teesside's history department is to receive £50,000 as the winner of a National Teaching Fellowship
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Wrong way sliproad driver gets year ban
A VOLUNTEER driver who admitted driving dangerously when he took a girl to an exam was spared jail yesterday. Colin Stephenson, 55, admitted driving the wrong way along a motorway sliproad on April 26 when he appeared before Darlington magistrates. David
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Volunteers needed behind the wheel
A vehicle sharing scheme in County Durham is looking for volunteers to put on the road to success. The scheme, funded by the Countryside Agency and Durham County Council, will lead to a vehicle being made available to community groups in need of transport
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Soviet to sing Attraction's praises
IF, as expected, Soviet Song (3.15) wins this afternoon's Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, she'll be paying superstar filly Attraction the compliment of all compliments. Until the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket 22 days ago, Attraction had comprehensively
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28/07/2004
PETER MANDELSON: NO-ONE can doubt Peter Mandelson's skill at the "black arts" of politics. It is the very reason he is hated by so many people, especially in his own party. I think he will be in his element and successful as a European Commissioner. I
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Eriksson faces growing storm over affair
Sven-Goran Eriksson's future as England coach was looking increasingly precarious last night after the Football Association launched an urgent inquiry into revelations about his affair with a secretary. The FA was forced to retract its denial of Eriksson's
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Squalor that's enough to make you sick
Filthy Homes From Hell (ITV1); 55 Degrees North (BBC1) AT one point during Filthy Homes From Hell, viewers with delicate stomachs were warned to look away. I don't know why this particular moment was chosen to issue the warning as the whole programme
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Murder probe after toddler found dying
A MURDER investigation was under way last night after the death of a two-year-old boy suffering from severe head injuries. Kyle Fisher - described by one neighbour as "always smiling and laughing" - lost his fight for life two days after being taken to
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Producer disappointed after musical cancelled
The Newcastle producer of £5m musical Billy Elliot spoke of his bitter disappointment last night over a series of disasters which have forced him to cancel November's world premiere in his home city. Last month's shock closure of the city's Tyne Theatre
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Grant presents case for deal
FORMER Charlton forward Kim Grant was on target last night as he made his bid to end David Hodgson's search for a goalscorer. Grant became the tenth striker to be used by Hodgson in pre-season and it took him just three minutes to make his mark in last
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It's full speed ahead for Pru
INSURANCE group Prudential said that businesses across the group were "firing on all cylinders" after reporting better-than-expected half-year figures. The further evidence of the Pru's recovery from the tough economic and regulatory conditions of the
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Murder probe after toddler found dying
A MURDER investigation was under way last night after the death of a two-year-old boy suffering from severe head injuries. Kyle Fisher - described by one neighbour as "always smiling and laughing" - lost his fight for life two days after being taken to
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Crash pilot has lucky escape
A pilot who was forced to crash land his light aircraft into a farmers' field in North Yorkshire was lucky to escape with his life, according to an eyewitness. The Cessna 152 smashed into the ground at Summerfield Farm near Swainby east of the A19 at
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Treatment centre investigated
An investigation has been launched into the financial affairs of a treatment centre for injured and ill police officers. Detectives were called in after an internal inquiry at the Northern Police Convalescent Home uncovered evidence of possible criminal
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Dum-tit delinquents and Doggart's demise
IT was clearly mistaken, and probably politically incorrect to boot, to repeat a couple of weeks back the joke - via Jean Foster in Hunwick - about why Kerrymen wore two condoms. Peter Hale in Scorton, near Richmond, was reminded of the Irish learner
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Seamstress secures business
A seamstresss has sewn up a deal to save the shop where she used to work. Running her own business seemed a distant prospect for Florence Williams but help from Easington Action Team for Jobs and local business support service Bizfizz turned it into a
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Shearer targets Boro start
ALAN SHEARER has his goalscoring sights firmly set on the Riverside next month as Newcastle step up their preparations for the new season. The Tyneside talisman is unconcerned that he has failed to find the target so far in pre-season, with the Tees-Tyne
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Pet strangled then burnt
PET dog Jack was beaten, strangled and then burnt, with his charred body being discovered on woodland in March 2002. Houghton-le-Spring Magistrates' Court heard that Wayne Pearce, 37, had attacked the dog after it nipped him on his leg as he argued with
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N-E sex disease cases rising at twice national average
DOCTORS have urged people to practice safe sex after a steep rise in the number of people infected with sexually transmitted diseases in the region. New diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increased by eight per cent in the North-East
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Market report
An upbeat start on Wall Street helped lift London shares clear of the key 4300 support level yesterday. The FTSE 100 Index ended the day 37.9 points ahead at 4324.9 after buoyant US consumer confidence figures boosted investors' spirits in New York. The
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Council houses improved in £5m investment programme
Council house tenants are to benefit from a range of improvements as part of a £5m investment programme. Councillors in Chester-le-Street have agreed to invest the money in council houses across the district. Schemes have been planned including window
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Why we need nosy neighbours
DO you know what your teenagers are up to these holidays? If you're unlucky, then maybe your neighbours will tell you. And if they do, don't get angry - be grateful. It could save an awful lot of trouble. A village in Staffordshire has just served a record
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George Wimpy unveils profits increase
Housebuilder George Wimpey predicted results for the year would be at the top end of market forecasts after it unveiled a 29 per cent rise in half-year profits to £158.5m. The company played down the impact of higher interest rates but admitted it expects
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Victorian hospital due to be demolished
A VICTORIAN mental hospital will be demolished as part of a multi-million modernisation plan. Health Secretary John Reid has approved Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust's plans for a £73m buildings overhaul. This will see the replacement of St Luke's
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Scruffts dog show winners
WINNERS of the Sunderland heat of the Pal Scruffts Family Crossbreed Dog of the Year 2004 have been announced. The competition took place at the Sunderland Airshow on Sunday. Judee and owner Samantha Spencer, from Sunderland, came first in the Crossbreed
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Hobson quizzed over four killings
Detectives were last night questioning former fugitive Mark Hobson about the murders of four people. The 34-year-old, who was arrested on Sunday at Shipton-by-Beningbrough, near York, after a week-long manhunt, was being interviewed at Harrogate police
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So hungry it gnawed on body of dead dog
BORDER Terrier Gyp was starved so severely by his owner, Marie Connelly, that when rescued by the RSPCA he had begun to gnaw at a dead dog. Gyp had been locked up in a room with a bull mastiff also belonging to Connelly. When RSPCA Inspector Garry Palmer
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Dumped freezers full of rotting food
People disposing of unwanted freezers are leaving them full of rotting food, according to officials. Environmental health chiefs have warned they may refuse to take old fridges and freezers unless they have been cleaned properly. Stockton Borough Council's
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Rivals weaken Glaxo profits
PHARMACEUTICALS group GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) posted a 17 per cent fall in second quarter profits as it continued to suffer from the impact of generic competition. The blue chip group, which said copycat versions of anti-depressant drugs Paxil and Wellbutrin
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Hasselbaink sets standards
JIMMY-FLOYD Hasselbaink did exactly what Steve McClaren brought him in to do at Nottingham Forest last night, as Middlesbrough's array of stars maintained their unbeaten pre-season run. The Dutchman, with his first goals for his new club since moving
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Abrupt downturn in confidence
BUSINESS confidence and turnover in Darlington were depressed during June, according to the latest business index. The gradual growth in confidence since the turn of the year came to an abrupt end last month, which is reinforced by the results of a quarterly
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RSPCA's call over cruelty shame
THE RSPCA last night led calls for an urgent change in the law after animal cruelty figures again shamed the region. It was forced to take court action in 119 cases last year where animals were neglected and mistreated in the North Yorkshire, Middlesbrough
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Police given more time to question murder suspect
Detectives were given more time today to question murder suspect Mark Hobson. Hobson, 34, was arrested on Sunday afternoon in connection with the double murders of pensioners James and Joan Britton and twins Claire and Diane Sanderson. North Yorkshire
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Ocean waves goodbye
HMS Ocean sets sail for Plymouth today after an historic visit to the North-East. Yesterday, 5,000 visitors were allowed on board Sunderland's adopted warship, the biggest in the Royal Navy. People were able to inspect the Sea King helicopters, view cabins
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Covers stay on for now but locomotive's place is booked
IT may have taken 175 years but the Sans Pareil locomotive has finally returned home to the place where it was built. Tightly shackled to a low loader and shielded by a green tarpaulin, rail pioneer Timothy Hackworth's most famous creation arrived in
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Mandelson, an ideal pensioners' champion
ACCORDING to what are almost certainly well-informed reports, if Tony Blair had had his way, Peter Mandelson's latest political comeback would have restored him to the Cabinet, as Minister for Work and Pensions. We must fervently hope that after he has
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£95,000 spend to give better disabled access
WORK costing £95,000 is planned to make three council-owned buildings in Darlington accessible to disabled people in line with legislation. A £50,000 scheme is planned to refurbish the town centre lavatories in East Row and provide facilities for disabled
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Ship's crew raise £750 for hospice
CREW from Sunderland's adopted warship HMS Ocean yesterday presented a cheque for £750 to St Benedict's Hospice. The money was raised in the bar of the warrant officers' and chiefs' mess. It will go towards a £750,000 target to enable the hospice carry
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Display reaches end
AN exhibition on the success of the £10m clean up of east Durham's coastline will reach its final venue next month. The Turning the Tide exhibition, depicting the coastal improvement scheme through watercolours, photographs and poems, returns to Peterlee
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Sun lounger fall led to pensioner's death
AN elderly women died as a result of falling off a sun lounger in a freak accident while on holiday in Italy, an inquest heard. Margaret Goodfellow, 77, stood up on a hot tiled floor, which burned her feet and so she quickly sat back down. But she landed
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A suite honour for Quakers' hero Ron
RON GREENER, one of Darlington Football Club's greatest ever players, has been honoured by the Quakers. The Presidential Lounge at the club's £20m Neasham Road stadium was renamed the Ron Greener Suite at a ceremony last night. The event recognised the
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Joy at Lottery aid for £1.6m gym
GYMNASTS are celebrating the award of a Lottery grant which will help to build a £1.6m gym at a North-East sports centre. Sport England's Lottery fund has awarded Sedgefield Borough Council £1,325,000 towards the gym at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, County
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Minister praises city
REGENERATION minister Jeff Rooker has set a challenge to build on the success of a city's urban renaissance. He was in Newcastle to see improvements to residents' quality of life, making the city safer, cleaner and greener and to find out plans for future
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Why we won't forgive Sven
HAD the England football team emerged with distinction from Euro 2004, the clamour for the head of Sven-Goran Eriksson would never have reached such a feverish level. But England blew their chances in Portugal and now Sven - embroiled in another sex scandal
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Convicted killer takes first step to freedom
A CONVICTED killer who has maintained his innocence during 13 years behind bars for the murder of a businessman will soon be a free man. After a successful appearance before a parole board, Peter Haggerty, 46, has been moved from category B Garth Prison
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Man locked up after hitting woman in face
A man has been jailed after he punched a woman in the face. Michael Walker, 33, flew into a rage after spotting Charmaine French outside a recreation centre in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, Teesside Crown Court heard. Ms French was the best friend of
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Arrests follow
POLICE arrested two brothers following a three-hour siege after neighbours reported seeing a man brandishing a Samurai sword. A police spokesman said officers were called to Tyne Avenue, in Consett, County Durham, at 2.30pm on Monday, following a report
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Man remanded on pensioner murder charge
A 36-year-old man was remanded in custody by magistrates yesterday charged with the murder of a pensioner who was shot as he sat enjoying a pint in his local pub. A teenager was also injured during the shooting at the Tap and Barrel pub, in the Hendon
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Man denies raping woman after night out
A WOMAN was raped after she invited a man into her home after a night out, a court was told. Lee Rodgers, 21, pounced on his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at her flat after they had met during a night out in Middlesbrough, jurors were
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Smiling sisters join the oldest twins set - aged 90
TIMES were hard during the 1926 general strike, twins Elsie Poole and Edna Patterson recalled yesterday. So hard in fact that their father was once driven in desperation to offer up the family pet rabbit, Silver, for the dinner table. Mrs Patterson said
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Racing circuit may be made permanent despite protests
A CONTROVERSIAL motor racing circuit is to become a permanent fixture, despite widespread objections from villagers. Richmondshire District Council officers are recommending the Yorkshire Dales Autograss Club be given permission to continue racing in
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Parents call for indoor skate park
SKATEBOARDERS and parents are joining forces to call for Hartlepool's first indoor skate park. They believe a safe, supervised facility for the town's large skateboarding community should be made a priority by Hartlepool Borough Council after it agreed
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Teen soldier hanged herself after drunken argument
A teenage soldier from the North-East hanged herself by her army tie after a drunken argument with her room-mate, an inquest heard yesterday. Krystal Cookson, 19, went back to her block at Blandford Camp, Dorset, on May 14 after a night out drinking and
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Vital witness questioned in baby murder
A vital witness today came forward to speak to police investigating the murder of two-year-old Kyle Fisher who had suffered severe head injuries. A taxi driver who picked up a 19-year-old woman on Wednesday night in Hartlepool was interviewed by detectives
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TV review
Filthy Homes From Hell (ITV1) 55 Degrees North (BBC1) AT one point during Filthy Homes From Hell, viewers with delicate stomachs were warned to look away. I don't know why this particular moment was chosen to issue the warning as the whole programme made
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£150m schools revamp is a 'step forward for education'
PUPILS will benefit from £150m to improve schools. The money will fund schemes across the borough, including the building of a voluntary-aided school for Sacred Heart RC School, in Redcar, and two community schools for Bydales and Marske. Money will also
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Council may bid to be new powers trialist
COUNCILS in the region may be among the first in the country to be given new powers to help resolve grassroot problems. Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford announced yesterday that new Local Area Agreements (LAAs) are to be piloted in nine areas
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Mortgage lending likely to stay strong
MORTGAGE lending looks likely to remain strong after rising by a record amount during June. The British Bankers' Association said a total of £17.95bn was advanced by the major banks during the month, the highest figure on record. Net lending, which strips
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300 jobs rescued - again
THREE hundred workers have had their jobs saved for the second time in six months. Staff at the former Hibernia Foods factory in Oakesway, Hartlepool, now have their third set of bosses after a management buyout rescued the ailing plant. The workers were
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Why we all need nosy neighbours
DO you know what your teenagers are up to these holidays? If you're unlucky, then maybe your neighbours will tell you. And if they do, don't get angry - be grateful. It could save an awful lot of trouble. A village in Staffordshire has just served a record
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Business briefs
New strategy for WH Smith: Ailing retailer WH Smith has mapped out its strategy for reinvigorating the business after seeing a potential bidder walk away from a takeover. The group, which last week discovered private equity firm Permira was no longer
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Queen opens new stock exchange building with sculpture as source of information
IT was among the more bizarre occasions even for a monarch of 52 years standing. The Queen placed her gloved hand on an electronic ball and 729 spheres, suspended on metal cables, began to levitate. A quizzical Duke of Edinburgh looked on as the white
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A life on the Ocean
MAN overboard! Man overboard! Action stations. The crew drops everything and leaps to its feet. The radar man plots the ship's location. Another puts his hand out to point to the figure floating in the North Sea. Lifeboats are launched and lifelines dropped
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EU bows to pressure
Dog lovers across the North-East can breathe a sigh of relief after the region's MEP, Stephen Hughes, confirmed that butchers have not been banned by the EU from supplying bones to domestic pet owners. He said: "Dog owners throughout the region will no
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Old boy piles on the agony for poor Durham
IT was like turning back the clock to Stephen Harmison's debut in the last match of the 1996 season as Durham endured one of their worst days in first-class cricket yesterday. Harmison, aged 17, took none for 77 in nine overs as Leicestershire amassed
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High oil prices drive BP's earnings up by 20 per cent
OIL group BP saw its half-year profits erupt on the back of the highest oil prices for more than 20 years. BP posted a 20 per cent increase in profits of $8.63bn (£4.68bn) after the cost of a barrel of crude surged more than ten per cent between April
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Resources for depressed areas
Unprecedented resources will soon be available to a County Durham authority to spend on regenerating depressed areas. Sedgefield Borough Council chiefs conservatively estimate that housing land sales will generate £25m over the next two or three years
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Smoking ban 'not necessary' - BAT
THE chairman of British American Tobacco took a swipe at blanket bans on smoking in public places as he revealed the company faced a difficult six months. Jan du Plessis attacked efforts in New York and Ireland to provide smoke-free zones, saying: "The
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Getaway car reached speeds of 100 mph
Burglars fleeing police in a getaway car reached up to 100 miles an hour before crashing. The car overturned, trapping the driver who broke his arm while a passenger suffered minor injuries. He fled from the wreckage but was arrested 25 minutes later.
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Waugh praise for Tait
DURHAM new-boy Shaun Tait arrives at Riverside next month, armed with a glowing reference from one of the game's all-time greats. Former Australian captain Steve Waugh rates Tait as the one of the quickest and meanest fast bowlers in state cricket - and
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Wembley project: 15 workers lose jobs
FIFTEEN Cleveland Bridge technical workers have lost their jobs on the Wembley Stadium project, the company announced last night. White-collar employees of the Darlington company had been facing an uncertain future since bosses announced it would not
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Brush with art pays off for charity
A NEW fundraising event paid dividends for the charity Hospice Homecare. The owner of the Wensleydale Galleries, South Parade, Northallerton, Graham Durant, sponsored a preview of work by artist Alexander Miller. On the night, the artist did an original
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Inquiry response praised
AN incident room set up to investigate the stabbing of a young woman has been inundated with telephone calls from members of the public. Hazel Robinson remains in a critical condition at the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, following the
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Deprived wards in Dales need cash'
RICHMONDSHIRE MP William Hague has been urged to press for more money to be invested in the Yorkshire Dales. The request comes after four wards in the Dales were listed among the 50 most deprived in the UK. The 2004 Index of Multiple Deprivation shows
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Apology after waste depots close to public
COUNCIL chiefs yesterdayhave apologised after three waste depots were closed unexpectedly. People turning up with rubbish at the depots at Catterick, Northallerton and Leeming Bar found themselves being turned away. One man said: "There was no explanation
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£150m schools revamp is a -step forward for education'
PUPILS will benefit from £150m to improve schools. The money will fund schemes across the borough, including the building of a voluntary-aided school for Sacred Heart RC School, in Redcar, and two community schools for Bydales and Marske. Money will also
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Spotlight turned on disability law
TWO seminars to help businesses and community organisations get to grips with the Disability Discrimination Act are to be held in Richmond. The town council agreed to make the town hall available for the events, organised by Disability Action in Richmondshire
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Bail extended for men banned from football
Two men from the North-East who face football banning orders after they were kicked out of Portugal for rioting had their bail extended yesterday. Peter Barwick, 37, from Thornaby, Teesside, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court in West London in person
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Morse's Jag ready for next owner
INSPECTOR Morse's famous car is to be sold after its owner was caught up in a multi-million pound Government probe. The TV detective's 1959 Jaguar Mk II has been seized by liquidators involved in the insolvency case of Practical Property Portfolios (PPP
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Mortgage lending likely to stay strong
MORTGAGE lending looks likely to remain strong after rising by a record amount during June. The British Bankers' Association said a total of £17.95bn was advanced by the major banks during the month, the highest figure on record. Net lending, which strips
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Anger as killer driver's art goes on sale
EFFORTS to cash in on the Selby rail disaster sparked fury yesterday as a painting by convicted killer driver Gary Hart went up for auction. A painting by Hart, who caused the accident that left ten dead, was put up for sale on the Internet auction site
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Endurance
Hamsterley Forest 25km training ride held on 2 May 2004 was a fortnight earlier than usual and the weather this year was superb combined with the large turn out of horse and riders the day was a great success. There were 40 ride completions and an impressive
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Soviet to sing Attraction's praises
IF, as expected, Soviet Song (3.15) wins this afternoon's Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, she'll be paying superstar filly Attraction the compliment of all compliments. Until the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket 22 days ago, Attraction had comprehensively
