Archive
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Journey's end for Sir Bobby?
THE Theatre Royal's autumn season gets underway next month with a production that examines the limits to which human endurance can stretch. Mired in tragedy, the First World War drama promises unrelenting action, emotional turmoil and a frank portrayal
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Dramatic increase in teen abortions
The number of abortions carried out on North-East girls under the age of 18 leapt by 16% last year - an astonishing four times the national increase. A total of 1,023 under-18s terminated their pregnancies in 2003, compared to just 880 the previous year
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Motorbike passenger injured
A motorbike passenger is seriously ill after the motorcycle on which she was travelling crashed into a roundabout in Stockton. Cleveland Police said the rider apparently lost control at the junction of Bishopton Avenue and Durham Road and both he and
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Nurse convicted of punching pensioner
A nurse was found guilty yesterday of punching a 74-year-year-old patient suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Elizabeth Ann Nattrass called Gordon Wake a "horrible man" before striking him on the shoulder and knocking him to the ground at St John's nursing
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Teen burglar who battered pensioner jailed
A teenager burglar who battered a pensioner as she sobbed in her armchair begging him to stop was jailed for five years on Friday. Stephen Blyth, 19, left Doris Sharp beaten and bruised after breaking into her home in the dead of night and repeatedly
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Road rage attacker used lock to hit car
A motorist carried out a road rage attack after his car was involved in a collision, a court heard yesterday. Peter Forster, 32, took an steering wheel lock from his car and hit it against the window of the other driver's car after he thought he had been
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Referendum could be last all-postal ballot
The upcoming referendum on a North East assembly could be the last all-postal ballot in the country, following a devastating report by the elections watchdog today. Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford indicated that similar polls were unlikely in
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McCarthy misses out on Chopra
SUNDERLAND'S hopes of signing Michael Chopra have been dashed by the Newcastle striker's decision to join League One side Barnsley on a month's loan. Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy is an avowed admirer of the England Under-21 international and tried to
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Wellock's World
WIMP or heroine? What an extraordinary variety of reactions Paula Radcliffe has provoked following a weekend of tears which took us from elation to deflation. The floods at home were almost matched by those in Athens as the magnificent Matthew Pinsent
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Big vote to go ahead despite fraud alert
Calls are being made the forthcoming referendum on a regional assembly for the North-East to be postponed in the wake of a report which recommends an end to the use of all-postal ballots. A report published by the Electoral Commission today into accusations
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Consumer confidence falls
Consumer confidence appears to be waning, despite figures showing household spending grew at its fastest rate for three years earlier this summer. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said household expenditure between April and June increased by
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Letters to the editor
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT JOHN Prescott states assemblies have nothing to do with Brussels, but that it is home grown by the Labour party. What rubbish. Regionalisation was put on the agenda for this country as far back as 1937 in the book, which after being
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Former councillor denies cash theft
A former councillor has denied stealing from a charity which later folded. Charles Graham Smith, 55, pleaded not guilty to four counts, including two of theft of unspecified amounts from the NatWest bank, when he appeared at Durham Crown Court, yesterday
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The case for ballot reform
THE potential benefits of postal voting are self-evident. In the modern age, where apathy is rife, anything which encourages political engagement must be considered. Today's report by the Electoral Commission must not signal the end of reform of our traditional
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Trust staff given pedometers to boost healthy living
Primary care trust staff in County Durham are to be given pedometers as part of a scheme to boost healthy living. The 11 members of staff from a number of departments within Sedgefield Primary Care Trust are being urged to use the small electronic devices
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Coping with great expectations
There are a number of phrases that certain individuals should never utter and it has nothing to do with being economical with the truth. A football chairman foolish enough to publicly rule out ever sacking the manager is asking for trouble. The Press
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Plunkett celebrates with season-best figures
LIAM Plunkett yesterday celebrated his England Academy call-up by turning the clock back to the first match of the season. His four for 48 against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl were his best figures this year until he took four for 30 to reduce the same
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Motorbike passenger injured
A motorbike passenger is seriously ill after the motorcycle on which she was travelling crashed into a roundabout in Stockton. Cleveland Police said the rider apparently lost control at the junction of Bishopton Avenue and Durham Road and both he and
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Woman received £2,000 in phone bills without making calls
A woman has spoken of her shock at receiving two mobile phone bills totalling £1,000 without making a single call. Rosalind Knapper, 50, agreed to try a free new camera phone with 500 free minutes when she was contacted out of the blue by a company called
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Teacher dies in jet-ski accident
A teacher from the North-East has died in a jet-ski accident while on holiday in the island paradise of Fiji. Gillian Neesham, 51, died last Sunday during a holiday with her husband Alistair. Last night the Foreign Office confirmed that local police were
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Husband remanded on murder charge
A 25-year-old Middlesbrough man was remanded in custody today charged with the murder of his wife who was killed outside her home last week. Amir Shazad, 29, of Lothian Road, Middlesbrough, made a brief appearance at Teesside Crown Court and spoke only
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The silent killer in our midst
Forty per cent of adults suffer from high blood pressure but thousands are not receiving proper treatment. PATRICIA ALLEN reports THOUSANDS of people are not being treated properly for a common illness that is a "silent killer" in Britain. It is estimated
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Machinist to engineer a victory
Machinist, who proved himself fully effective on soft ground at Ripon last time, is fancied to give a good account in the ladbrokes.com Handicap over six furlongs at Goodwood this afternoon. David Nicholls has a good record with his sprinters at the West
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Teaming up at last to detect the treasures of the past
Metal detector enthusiasts are sharing their interest and expertise in buried artefacts with archaeologists. While metal detector enthusiasts were once viewed as a renegade, uncontrolled group by the archaeological community, they are now working together
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Motorbike passenger injured
Metal detector enthusiasts are sharing their interest and expertise in buried artefacts with archaeologists. While metal detectorists were once viewed as a renegade, uncontrolled group by the archaeological community, they are now working together to
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Boro get Czech test
MIDDLESBROUGH and Newcastle United have both been handed tricky ties after the first round draw for the Uefa Cup was made in Monaco today. Boro's first venture into Europe sees them face Czech champions Banik Ostrava, while Newcastle were paired with
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Botox's birthday bash
It's ten years since the rich and famous were given the chance to part with thousands of pounds to have their faces injected with poison. Yes, it's Botox's birthday - and if only they could show emotion I am sure the thousands of people who have used
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Still haunted by our shamefull past
It is more than 170 years since slavery was abolished in Britain, but, as the UN commemorates the struggle agaist the trade in human lives, Glen Reynolds reports on how slavery is still alive and well in the 21st century. The deaths of the Chinese cockle
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Bullies drove my soldier girl to her death, says mum
The mother of a North-East soldier found hanged at an Army base believes her daughter was driven to her death by bullies. Speaking for the first time, Patricia Cookson said that her daughter, Krystle, had been targeted by other soldiers in the months
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North's schools set new standards
Schools in the North-East and North Yorkshire are celebrating record-breaking GCSE results. Education authorities throughout the region announced improvements on last year's exam performances. Nationally, the number of pupils who achieved five or more
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Contract talks on Pool's agenda
NEALE Cooper will turn his attention to contract talks with his star players towards the end of the year. The Hartlepool United boss has a number of his mainstays out of contract at the end of the season, including Ritchie Humphreys, Adam Boyd, Mark Tinkler
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Royal hunt to find chip shop sisters for special celebration
The Prince of Wales is trying to find two sisters who opened a County Durham chip shop 21 years ago. And he has enlisted the help of The Northern Echo to trace the young entrepreneurs who were the first in the country to benefit from a bursary set up
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Shearer welcomes move for Rooney
ALAN Shearer last night claimed that signing Wayne Rooney would represent a "major coup" for Newcastle, despite Everton turning down the club's latest offer for the England star. United chiefs tabled a £23.5m offer for Rooney on Wednesday afternoon after
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Back to school with the bugs
The start of the new school term can bring all kinds of health problems for pupils. RACHEL ARMSTRONG looks at ways to keep the bugs at bay MANY children returning to school this September are likely to swap more than just holiday tales. The onset of autumn
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Teenager told to grow up by court
A teenager who vented his anger by kicking cars and smashing windows each time his love life was in trouble was told by a court yesterday it was time he grew up. When Myles Gotting pleaded guilty to six charges of criminal damage and a seventh count of
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Gil's band of willing helpers
An information centre for cancer patients, run by volunteers, is proving to be a huge success. Health Correspondent BARRY NELSON reports WHEN Gill Lumsden put up a notice asking for volunteers who might be interested in helping Macmillan Cancer Care,
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Change to shifts raises concerns
THOUSANDS of call centre workers last night voiced concerns that new shift patterns introduced across the region were the beginning of plans to move their jobs to India. Staff at Orange in Darlington, Peterlee, County Durham, and North Tyneside have been
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TSG buys Baron Corporate Systems
TECHNOLOGY Services Group has bought Baron Corporate Systems (BCS). The move will reinforce TSG's presence in Yorkshire and add 500 customers to the company's books. BCS, based in Leeds, was formed by the management buyout of Baron Systems in 1997 and
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Knitter's appetitie for the unusual
They may look good enough to eat but be warned, the novelties created by Trish Judson may be a little difficult to digest. The cakes, biscuits and fruit may look tempting, but they are best left on the plate - unless wool is your delicacy of choice. For
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CBI urges Bank of England to hold back on rate rises
RECORD oil prices and rising interest rates has led the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) to cut its forecasts for UK economic growth for next year. The business lobby group predicted a slowdown in consumer spending and said weaker global demand
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Backtrack: Milburn's glory - from Wembley to Braemar
Routine recipients of much that is extraordinary, staff in Darlington's Oxfam shop were nonetheless much taken aback to be given a 1951 Spectro film projector, sub-titled "Projection perfection" and in its original case. Yet more greatly surprising was
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Keep keeping fit
What is the betting that as the Olympic flame fades, a new wave of keep-fitters will be born? The same people who pull on lyrca every New Year to keep some resolution made after too much Christmas pud, will be heading for the gym to try to recreate the
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Inquest rules accidental death in toddler's road horror
An inquest heard how a family holiday turned to horror when a toddler ran under a car. Four-year-old Rio Singh Potiwal had been playing with his sisters near the family's holiday cottage in County Kerry, Eire, when he ran across the road into the path
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Boro's big Euro day arrives
MIDDLESBROUGH will learn the identity of their first European opponents today with midfielder Ray Parlour insisting that continental experience will make them a force to be reckoned with this season. Boro chief executive Keith Lamb will be in Monaco when
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Limited newsfeed at present
Due to technical difficulties we can only provide a limited newsfeed at present. The usual news service should resume on Monday, August 30. We apologise to our readers for any inconvenience.
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Sea defence scheme showing signs of cracking
AN "invisible" community with a proud steel heritage is demanding the return of its village signs. The Grove, near Consett, has been without its name signs for almost two years, after the old ones were taken down. John Hinds, secretary of The Grove Residents
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Call centre operator to create create 400 jobs
A call centre operator that handles National Rail Enquiries is to create 400 jobs at its Newcastle base. Clientlogic already employs about 600 staff at its Balliol Business Park offices and the company is starting to work around the clock for some of
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Counselling service seeks volunteers
One of the region's oldest counselling services is appealing for volunteers to help take it forward. Anne Christie is chairwoman of the Albert Centre service, in Middlesbrough, which works with people suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. She said
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Second closure 'a great shock'
A TOWN has suffered its second jobs blow in a week. Concrete pipe manufacturer CPM Group Limited has confirmed its works in Colburn, North Yorkshire, are to close with the loss of about 30 jobs. The news comes only a week after the new owners of Colburn-based
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Bad times may be over for Hilton
THE effects of the Iraq War and the Sars virus on the leisure industry looked to be easing as Hilton surprised the City with much stronger figures for its hotels operation than was predicted. The group warned it was too early to celebrate a full recovery
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Woman injured as car hits bus stand
A woman had a "remarkable" escape after a bus shelter she was standing in was demolished by a car in County Durham today, police said. The 26-year-old was waiting outside the Sandhole Working Men's Cub, in Gray Terrace, New Kyo, near Stanley, this morning
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Trading standards return money
Trading standards officers in South Tyneside have helped return hundred of thousands of pounds to dissatisfied residents in the last 12 months. Shoppers, homeowners and motorists in South Tyneside are £375,351 better off thanks to the service, according
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Troubled force able to save £500.000
Cleveland Police has saved an additional £500,000 as the force keeps a tight rein on spending in the aftermath of the financial difficulties it faced six months ago. But Chief Constable Sean Price warned members of the police authority the unexpected
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Hodgson homing in
DETERMINED Darlington boss David Hodgson is waiting to hear whether or not his search for a striker has finally came to a successful conclusion. Hodgson left right-hand man Mark Proctor in charge of training yesterday to hold talks with a Premiership
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Warnings issued on illegal taxi cabs
People are being warned not to get into unlicensed taxis. The warning follows criminal prosecutions on Teesside against cabbies driving without insurance. Councillor Bernie Taylor, chairman of Middlesbrough Council's Licensing Committee, said: "It is
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Orange set to extend mobile network
Orange is to extend its 3G mobile network service across the region next month. The company, which employs 5,500 staff in the region, is holding two roadshows in Gateshead to explain to businesses the benefits of the latest technology. Orange has the
