Archive
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Arrest in puppy death
A puppy which had to put down after being severely injured was not attacked by youths as originally thought, police have confirmed. Officers have been investigating the possibility the dog's injuries were caused at the home of a man who took it to a rescue
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BT pledge over plans to close payphones
A SENIOR British Telecom official has promised to listen to consultation over the proposed closure of payphones in the region. Up to 664 payphones in the North face being removed after BT said many were financially unviable. However, at a public meeting
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LibDems call for high-speed train links with North-East
A £12bn high-speed rail line to link the North-East to London must be the country's top transport priority, the Liberal Democrats said yesterday. The party said the line, which would reduce the London-Edinburgh journey time to three hours, could be built
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The hidden cost of cash machines
A third of cash machines charge fees for withdrawing money, according to a Nationwide Building Society survey. Nationwide said an increasing number of dispensers were charging for withdrawals and warned that, unless consumers become more aware, free machines
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Johnson move placed on hold
NEW Blackburn Rovers boss Mark Hughes has put Jemal Johnson's protracted loan move to Darlington on hold. Hughes watched from the stands as Johnson scored in Rovers' Lancashire Cup defeat at the hands of Blackpool on Tuesday night. And now Hughes - who
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Firm wins US contract
A PHOTOGRAPHY business has won an exclusive contract to market hand-painted photographic portraits by a US company. Durham-based Studio 10 UK has secured the UK rights to the portraits, which are made using techniques used to add colour to early Hollywood
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Injunction taken out by British Energy
Troubled nuclear power group British Energy has taken legal action to prevent an investor derailing its rescue package. British Energy (BE), whose largest nuclear power plant is in Hartlepool, said it was filing an injunction in the US against Polygon
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Yorkshire rocked by Kirby's decision to walk away
Yorkshire's leading strike bowler Steve Kirby has dropped a bombshell by quitting the club. The 26-year-old red-haired paceman, who created a sensation when he joined Yorkshire in mid-match back in 2001, walked into Headingley yesterday and asked to be
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Injunction taken out by British Energy
Troubled nuclear power group British Energy has taken legal action to prevent an investor derailing its rescue package. British Energy (BE), whose largest nuclear power plant is in Hartlepool, said it was filing an injunction in the US against Polygon
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Enterprise fund for coalfields
ENTREPRENEURS in the region's former coal mining areas can now apply for funding from the Coalfields Enterprise Fund, launched by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott earlier this year. The fund has £10m available to encourage entrepreneurs to start businesses
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McCarthy on trail of Bridges
MICHAEL Bridges is on the verge of a sensational return to Wearside after Bolton gave Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy the green light to talk to the former Sunderland striker. Bridges, who made a £5m move to Leeds United in July 1999, was initially approached
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Is fluoride something to smile about?
THE sight of a hospital ward filled with distressed children has stuck in David Landes' mind over the years. As a young dental officer in the East Midlands in the early 1990s, he had to supervise young children who were being given a general anaesthetic
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New routes announced by Ryanair
Low-cost airline Ryanair last night announced four new routes from London Stansted, including its first flights to Portugal. The Dublin-based company is launching flights to Valencia, Almeria and Seville, in Spain, and Porto, in Portugal, with fares starting
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Six arrests are made in crackdown
SIX people were arrested in the latest clampdown on anti-social behaviour in a North-East town. Police in Stockton arrested five people for being drunk and disorderly and one for possession of drugs with intent to supply. The arrests were made on Friday
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Grant aid for cemetery garden plan
MONEY has been made available to develop a remembrance garden in a Ferryhill cemetery. Ferryhill Town Council has obtained a grant of £56,000 from the Countryside Agency Aggregates Tax Levy Grant Fund via Lafarge Aggregates. The funds will be used to
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Teen was stabbed after 18th party
A TEENAGER who was stabbed after drinking at an 18th birthday party had to have a kidney removed, a court was told yesterday. Jamie Singh, 17, was lured into a fight by a man who had a knife behind his back, said Dan Cordey, prosecuting. They had both
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Parrot breeder prepares for jail
A PENSIONER parrot breeder is preparing for prison after declaring he has no money to pay a £150,000 court order. Harry Sissen, 66, has already spent eight months behind bars after a court found him guilty of smuggling rare macaws in 2000. In July, he
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Najeebon is tuned up for repeat
USING the tried and tested formula of backing "horses for courses", Najeebon (3.30) looks nailed on to win Goodwood's Sharp Commercial Handicap for the second year in succession. Twelve months ago Mick Channon's sprinter triumphed in the six-furlong contest
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Model maker's art on show
A MODEL maker is counting on the fun of the fair to draw crowds to an exhibition raising money for heart patients. After spending five years creating a miniature working fairground, Peter Campbell is putting it on show in Tudhoe Community Centre next
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Students to get global view
STUDENTS from Ferryhill will be meeting people from across the world as part of a global project. Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College has been accepted by the British Council to work towards the International School Award. For the past two weeks
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Name-change at airport heralds hope for thousands of new jobs
THOUSANDS of jobs could be created over the next decade as part of a huge expansion of the former Teesside International Airport, bosses have revealed. The first flight to land at the newly named Durham Tees Valley Airport touched down yesterday afternoon
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Pair show off robot
THE couple behind one of the most enduring and popular stars of the TV show Robot Wars will reveal the secrets of their success this weekend. FireStorm has been a regular fixture on Robot Wars for the past four years. It was built by Graham Bone and Hazel
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Council sickness rate down thanks to holiday incentive
A SCHEME to reward council workers with extra holiday for not taking a sick day has helped save more than £30,000. Richmondshire District Council started offering a day off to staff who did not take any sick leave last September. A year later, 129 employees
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Work starts on improved sports centre near school
WORK has started on a £710,000 project to improve a town's sports facilities. Contractors have moved on to land between Bedale High School and the leisure centre to begin creating a £150,000 floodlit all-weather pitch. The pitch will be suitable for five-a-side
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Golfers support charity tournament
THREE north Durham charities have received a cash boost following a golf day. The event, organised by the Rotary clubs of Consett and Derwentside, took place at Consett's golf club earlier this month. More than 70 golfers took part, representing more
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Sweating burglar sent to jail again
A SWEATING man's heavy load landed him in prison after an off-duty policewoman became suspicious about him. Teesside Crown Court heard that Brian Rumley, 30, of Darlington, had been out of jail for just a fortnight when he stole a marble fire surround
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Tributes paid following death of dedicated charity worker
A WOMAN who dedicated much of her life to charity work has died peacefully at the age of 102. Dorothy Embleton was described as a remarkable lady by staff who cared for her over the past nine years at Pine Lodge Residential Home, in Hurworth, near Darlington
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Shopworkers increasingly at risk - report
VIOLENCE, abuse and threats against shopworkers in the North-East are on the increase, researchers have found. A report has found a big rise in incidents in which staff suffered verbal abuse, physical attacks or threats of violence. The report, from the
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Dig site reveals glimpse of past
AN archaeological dig on Teesside has unearthed materials that reveal details of the lives of the people who used to live and work there. Volunteers and experts from Tees Archaeology are working on the settlement at Foxrush Farm, in Dormanstown, Redcar
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Coroner opens toddler hearing
AN inquest has been opened into the death of a toddler struck by a car which mounted a pavement. Demi Schwec, two, was walking with two teenage friends along High Street, Loftus, east Cleveland, when she was injured on September 9. She was taken to the
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Do dads really want to stay at home?
CONGRATULATIONS to the men of Ferryhill. They - well, a few of them - have been back to college to learn how to be good dads. Bishop Auckland college launched a childcare course specifically for men and it seems to have been a great success. But will
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Shearer calls for winning run
ALAN Shearer has urged his Newcastle team-mates to use the last fortnight as a "springboard" from which to launch a concerted push up the Premiership table. The Magpies were still searching for their first win of the season when Graeme Souness was confirmed
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Calls made over assembly ballot
CAMPAIGNERS against the proposed elected North-East assembly have called for the ballot papers to be scrapped, saying they were misleading. With less than a month to go before ballot papers are sent to the region's 1.9 million voters -and with printing
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Name-change at airport heralds hope for thousands of new jobs
THOUSANDS of jobs could be created over the next decade as part of a huge expansion of the former Teesside International Airport, bosses have revealed. The first flight to land at the newly named Durham Tees Valley Airport touched down yesterday afternoon
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Sandwich thief costs taxpayer £1,000
FIVE packets of ready-made Sainsbury's sandwiches cost British taxpayers more than £1,000 yesterday. Michael Lamb, who was seen stealing and eating the snacks, elected to have his case heard at crown court. Lamb opted to have his case decided by a jury
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TV review
Dishing the dirt on malodorous Osla Too Posh To Wash (C4) Stars Behind Bars (five) HAVING gone round the U-bend ensuring that the homes of ordinary folk are sparkling clean, whiter-than-white, Kim and Aggie have embarked on a campaign to make toffs tip-top
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Vaughan hits form as England batter Aussies
Michael Vaughan delivered the most important innings of his one-day international career to end Australia's five-year stranglehold and propel England into the ICC Champions Trophy final following a comfortable win at Edgbaston. Five years since their
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22/09/2004
REGIONAL ASSEMBLY: RAY Mallon (Echo, Sept 16) still leaves me unconvinced that a regional assembly can be the manna from heaven we are promised. A 25-member restraint on assembly's powers revealed on the pretence by the Government that it will not be
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Heartache for Pool as Palace just squeeze through
AT BRISTOL City last season, it was 90 minutes before Hartlepool United suffered; last night at Crystal Palace it was even later. Pool were knocked out of the Carling Cup deep into extra-time, after a performance every bit as good and as impressive as
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Dishing the dirt on malodorous Osla
Too Posh To Wash (C4); Stars Behind Bars (five) HAVING gone round the U-bend ensuring that the homes of ordinary folk are sparkling clean, whiter-than-white, Kim and Aggie have embarked on a campaign to make toffs tip-top in the personal hygiene department
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Flagship arts venue closed by high winds
A FLAGSHIP North-East arts centre has been forced to close after being damaged by high winds. Visitors to the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts, in Gateshead, have been turned away since Monday when the roof of Riverside Building, the single-storey
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Inspectors praise green approach
GOVERNMENT inspectors have praised a North-East council for its green approach to waste management. The Audit Commission has awarded Durham County Council two stars out of three for its waste service, which the inspection team described as "good with
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Market report
The FTSE 100 Index broke the 4600 barrier yesterday in a session of contrasting fortunes for two of the UK's largest retailers. Tesco was the subject of a spending spree by investors after it announced half-year profits of £822m, which one analyst described
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Fears for Olympics fan who vanished
AN international search was under way last night to find a North-East sports fan who vanished after flying to Greece to watch the Olympics Games. Melvyn Gamblin, from Darlington, was last seen by staff at his Athens hotel on Friday, September 3. He failed
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Marks & Spencer still on the rack after tough summer
STRUGGLING retailer Marks & Spencer said it had suffered a tough summer as it revealed details of a £2.3bn share buyback. The group, which has fought off a £9.1bn takeover bid by retail tycoon Philip Green, said sales of core womenswear, lingerie
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Boro legend to help young players
FORMER Middlesbrough footballer John Hendrie has turned has been signed up as a legal consultant by law firm Last Cawthra Feather (LCF). The ex-Boro striker will help the region's current crop of footballers in negotiations over contracts and sponsorship
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MP delighted with report
A MP has welcomed a report which recommends initiatives to bring huge investment to the Tees Valley. The Northern Way report was drawn up for the Deputy Prime Minister by the regional development agencies for the North-East, North-West and Yorkshire.
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The day history woke and took notice of a man called Timothy
FOR centuries, the village of Shildon sat high on the hill that gives it its name, not troubling the pages of history. Its first cursory mention in those pages was in 821AD, and once the Anglo-Saxon derivation of its name had been noted - "scyld" was
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Sweet discovery at centre of Milky Way
Astronomers have found a cloud of frozen sugar near the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way, it was revealed yesterday. The discovery heightens the possibility of early building blocks of life originating in interstellar space. Molecules of a simple sugar
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Najeebon is tuned up for repeat
USING the tried and tested formula of backing "horses for courses", Najeebon (3.30) looks nailed on to win Goodwood's Sharp Commercial Handicap for the second year in succession. Twelve months ago Mick Channon's sprinter triumphed in the six-furlong contest
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Yorkshire rocked by Kirby's decision to walk away
Yorkshire's leading strike bowler Steve Kirby has dropped a bombshell by quitting the club. The 26-year-old red-haired paceman, who created a sensation when he joined Yorkshire in mid-match back in 2001, walked into Headingley yesterday and asked to be
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Extra help to improve school sport
Schools are being awarded £60m of National Lottery money to improve their sports facilities today amid growing fears over levels of childhood obesity. More than 200 school and community projects around England, including 20 projects in the North-East,
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Nothing left but hope
THE barbarity and ruthlessness of the captors of Kenneth Bigley suggest there is no scope for compromise. Individuals prepared to take someone's life in such an horrific manner in front of a video camera are beyond reason. They have no support among the
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Grant aid for cemetery garden plan
MONEY has been made available to develop a remembrance garden in a Ferryhill cemetery. Ferryhill Town Council has obtained a grant of £56,000 from the Countryside Agency Aggregates Tax Levy Grant Fund via Lafarge Aggregates. The funds will be used to
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Firefighters rewarded for 20 years' service
FIREFIGHTERS last night received long service and good conduct medals in recognition of 20 years service. The recipients from Cleveland Fire Brigade were Sub Officer Paul Cole, Firefighter Raymond Dowson, Firefighter William Dunbar, Retained Firefighter
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Farmers prepare for early morning trek to raise funds
SUPPORTERS of a farming pressure group are planning a sponsored walk for charity. About 20 members of Farmers for Action, which campaigns to secure a sustainable level of income for farmers and growers, will get up at the crack of dawn on Sunday to tackle
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'Sweeteners' idea to save leisure centres
COMMUNITY groups could take over more council leisure and social facilities in Wear Valley. With talks progressing to take centres at Wolsingham and Willington out of its control, Wear Valley District Council is being asked to support more community management
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Shelter to provide place
A SECOND shelter has been built in a town to give youths somewhere to meet. The new shelter, on the corner of Vivis Lane car park, Pickering, has been paid for by the Safer Ryedale community partnership to help discourage anti-social behaviour. Pickering's
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Fumes halt production at factory
A BIG surge in poisonous fumes halted production at a North-East factory. Firefighters were called to the Palmer UK factory, in Hartlepool, after a surge in pressure caused vital equipment to shut down. Six people were evacuated from the Tofts Farm Industrial
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Fury as conker trees are pruned
A COUNCIL has provoked fury after cutting back horse chestnut trees to stop children hurting themselves gathering conkers. Mothers are angry at the decision, which has been branded a case of the nanny state gone mad. Six horse chestnuts in South Shields
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Halloween mask killer gets life term for fatal shooting
THE leader of an all-female Hell's Angels biker gang has been found guilty of murdering her love rival's next-door neighbour. Dressed in a white cloak and wearing a Halloween mask, Heather Stephenson-Snell, 46, shot Robert Wilkie, 43, in the stomach with
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Police hunt for man who attacked girl
DETECTIVES are appealing for information about a sexual assault on a 13-year-old girl. The teenager, from Billingham, near Stockton, was attacked in Middlesbrough town centre by a man claiming to be a taxi driver. He shouted obscene comments and made
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Conference to give residents a voice
RESIDENTS in east Durham are to be given the chance to have a voice in their community. Easington District Council wants people to have a say on how local problems should be tackled. They are invited to attend a conference called Your Community Your Call
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New company created
AN ENGINEERING company has been set up in the North-East with the help of Darlington business advisors Clive Owen and Co. ABS Precision Limited, on the Bellway Industrial Estate, Benton, Newcastle, enlisted the help of Clive Owen and Co partner and grant
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New company created
AN ENGINEERING company has been set up in the North-East with the help of Darlington business advisors Clive Owen and Co. ABS Precision Limited, on the Bellway Industrial Estate, Benton, Newcastle, enlisted the help of Clive Owen and Co partner and grant
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GPs launch campaign for flu jabs
PRIMARY care trusts are joining together to combat flu as winter approaches. People aged over 65, and younger people in at-risk groups, including those suffering from diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease or kidney disease, are being urged to receive
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Women urged to back survey of key books
LIBRARIES are taking part in a project run by BBC Radio Four's Woman's Hour to find the ten novels that have changed the way women see themselves. Readers are being urged to visit libraries across North Yorkshire and borrow books on the long-list, pick
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Company urged to answer supermarket closure fears
A LEADING politician has called on a retail chain to comment on rumours that it is to close Durham's only major city centre supermarket. Doubts have been raised over the long-term future of Safeway, in the Milburngate Shopping Centre, following the £3bn
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Store workers back lifesaver Toggle
A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD search and rescue dog has been sponsored by staff at a North Yorkshire furniture store. Workers at MFI in Knaresborough heard that the Search and Rescue Dogs Association needed help and now sponsor Toggle, a border collie based in Northallerton
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Bigger things ahead for bright Spark
AN electrician who set up his own business recently is looking to take on more staff as he moves the firm to bigger premises. Lee White, of School Aycliffe, launched his two companies - Spark Electrical Specialists and Spark Engineering Specialists -
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Do dads really want to stay at home?
CONGRATULATIONS to the men of Ferryhill. They - well, a few of them - have been back to college to learn how to be good dads. Bishop Auckland college launched a childcare course specifically for men and it seems to have been a great success. But will
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Why Whitehall's whitlow needs treatment
FOR reasons which aren't quite so obvious, Nigel Rees's new guide to "6,000 curious and every day phrases" - touched upon in last week's column - fails to include "Stick out like a sore thumb." "Stick it, Jerry" is there, and "Bill stickers will be prosecuted
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BT pledge over plans to close payphones
A SENIOR British Telecom official has promised to listen to consultation over the proposed closure of payphones in the region. Up to 664 payphones in the North face being removed after BT said many were financially unviable. However, at a public meeting
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Police draw a blank in search for missing man
Officers searching for a North-East man who went missing after watching the Olympics in Athens, say they are continuing to draw a blank. Melvyn Gamblin travelled to Greece last month to watch the games, but he has not been seen since September 3, the
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Cats suffer repeat of shoot-out agony
IF supporters of the England national side think they know all about penalty shoot-out misery, they should try following Sunderland. After missing out on last season's play-off final because of their failure from the penalty spot, the Black Cats crashed
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Missing star hits margins
PUBLISHER Bloomsbury yesterday posted a 4.5 per cent rise in profits, despite the absence of a new Harry Potter novel. The company said a string of successful titles, including Susanna Clarke's first novel Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, left it confident
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Great North Run thwarts conference plan
CHARLES Kennedy was forced to drop a plan for a Liberal Democrat conference in Gateshead after a date clash with the Great North Run. The LibDem leader had identified Gateshead for next September's event as part of a plan to end the southern bias of conferences
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Move by fuel producer will create 100 jobs
FUEL producer D1 Oils has revealed plans to create 100 jobs in the emerging biofuels industry on Teesside. The company, which was based in Northumberland but moved its headquarters to Teesside last week, will create the jobs following a £20m flotation
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Briton threatened as US hostage killed
KIDNAPPERS holding Briton Kenneth Bigley last night threatened to execute him "if the British Government doesn't do what it has to". The threat came in a statement posted on an Internet website less than an hour after the captors announced they had executed
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Tesco profits show 'excellent progress'
TESCO reported a 24.4 per cent rise in profits to £822m after six months of "excellent progress". The profits were at the top end of analysts' forecasts and came as like-for-like sales increased by 8.3 per cent. This included strong growth in clothing
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Kilroy-Silk tells voters ro reject assembly
Former TV presenter and recently-elected MEP Robert Kilroy-Silk has called on North-East voters to reject plans for a regional assembly. Mr Kilroy-Silk, who successfully stood for the UK Independence Party in June's European elections, said the proposed
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Gadfly
FOR reasons which aren't quite so obvious, Nigel Rees's new guide to "6,000 curious and every day phrases" - touched upon in last week's column - fails to include "Stick out like a sore thumb." "Stick it, Jerry" is there, and "Bill stickers will be prosecuted
