Archive
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'Smart dust' could replace car tax disc
"SMART dust" could be used to keep track of vehicles as part of Government plans to replace the current car tax system. Nanotechnology developed at Newcastle University could be built into cars and implanted in every lamppost or in white lines on the
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Making a case: Fighting for access
SIMON REED, of Consett, County Durham, has spent £15,000 in legal fees in an attempt to gain access to his two boys. After a two-year court battle, he has received a consent order allowing him to see his sons, aged ten and six, once a month. Simon (not
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The ever-changing art of the city streets
A conical sculpture of mirror-polished steel which seems to defy the laws of gravity has joined the public art collection of a North-East city. Commissioned by Newcastle's Grainger Town Partnership, Ever Changing, the sculpture by Eilis O'Connell, is
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100 more jobs at call centre
MORE than 100 call centre jobs are being created in the region. The Albany Group, which provides legal expense road accident insurance services, is expanding its centre in Peterlee, County Durham. Albany was bought by Helphire last October for £45.8m
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Mum's fire drama
A MOTHER was lucky to be alive yesterday after a fire started as she slept. Mother-of-two Karen Stanley had taken her children to school and, on returning home, smoked a cigarette, before going back to bed to catch up on her sleep. The cigarette started
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Man, 37, denies slashing throat of neighbour
A MAN accused of slashing the throat of a neighbour and leaving him for dead told a court yesterday he had nothing to do with the attack. Paul Ryan, 37, is said to have carried out the near-fatal assault on Craig Beddow, 23, as retribution for a burglary
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Students are moved out after storms
STUDENTS returning to one of Durham University's oldest colleges had to be found new accommodation this week after their living quarters were badly damaged in severe gales. A spokesman for the university yesterday revealed how college authorities had
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Musical thanks
A TEENAGER found a practical way of saying thank you to the hospice where her grandmother was cared for. Olivia Greaves, 16, got together with other musical students from York College to entertain regulars at the Red Lion in Knapton. Calling themselves
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Report outlines services hit list
AUTOMATIC fire alarms account for more than 50 per cent of calls to some fire stations, according to new figures. North Yorkshire Fire Service said the volume of calls creates a considerable drain on resources and identified the issue as an area of concern
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Relax IVF rules - expert
The region's leading infertility expert has called for 'discriminatory' IVF treatment rules to be relaxed. Professor Alison Murdoch, head of fertility services at Newcastle's Centre of Life was speaking after widespread publicity about a 66 year old Rumanian
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Robert changes his Newcastle tune
LAURENT Robert will open contract talks with Newcastle next week after insisting that he has no plans to leave the club, but fellow midfielder Kieron Dyer is pondering his United future after being abused in the aftermath of Saturday's win over Southampton
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'Recycle or else' threat to councils
THE Government has warned poorly performing councils that action could be taken against them if they fail to recycle enough household rubbish. More local authorities than ever in the North-East are recycling more waste in line with targets set by the
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Councillor waiting for retrial 'assaulted girl, 12'
A COUNCILLOR allegedly indecently assaulted a young girl while awaiting retrial on a similar charge, a court heard yesterday. A Durham Crown Court jury last March failed to reach a verdict on charges that Harry Devine, an independent member on Easington
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Raising profile of town as top business area
SEVERAL of Darlington's major developers have joined forces with council bosses to launch a campaign to raise the town's profile as a business destination. The initiative between the public and private sector will highlight the merits of the area, which
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Test your skills as a bus driver at event
A BUS company is hoping to attract drivers for its services in north and east Durham at an open day. Arriva North East is holding a recruitment day on Sunday and would-be bus drivers can test their skills on a training vehicle. The event will be held
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Pensioner gets 18 months drive ban
A PENSIONER who is hard of hearing has been banned from driving for 18 months after pleading guilty to failing to provide a breath sample to police. Florence Townsend, 65, of Merrybent, near Darlington could reduce her disqualification by a quarter if
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Swelling the ranks of Geordie aid army
AN army of generous Geordies is to be flown out to areas hit by the tsunami to help survivors struggling to cope with the aftermath of the disaster. Nurse and former Territorial Army major Phil Brown has set up Geordie Aid, an organisation that is raising
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Bullying victims able to rely on peer support
YOUNG people in County Durham are raising funds to help victims of bullying. Peer supporters, trained by Durham County Council's Anti-Bullying Service to help younger pupils, have been baking cakes for sale in school to raise money for the charity ChildLine
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After the gales, snow blows in
THE first snowfall of the year hit the region yesterday, causing minor disruption but leaving most areas with only a light dusting. The snow, which was mainly confined to high ground, caused two roads to become unpassable in Teesdale, County Durham. About
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Anderson consolidates lead
Ferryhill Wheelers rider James Anderson consolidated his lead in the League International (TLI) North East Cyclo-Cross League when he raced to a near minute's lead in the penultimate round, staged by Derwentside CC on the Old Kelloe Farm course near Trimdon
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Lamplas invests in bid to lead field
A COUNTY Durham polymer company hopes its £100,000 investment in technology will fire it ahead of European competitors. Derwentside-based Lamplas has invested the cash in casting technology to enable it to produce bathroom and kitchen fittings at about
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Bishop's fund nears £100,000 milestone
CHURCHES will continue to get involved in restoration schemes in the Asian tsunami disaster area long after its horror has disappeared from the front pages, says a bishop. The Right Reverend John Packer, Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, gave the pledge as an
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'Mark is just a lovely, quiet lad'
Lance Corporal Mark Cooley, 25, grew up with his parents and brother in a three-bedroomed semi overlooking the River Tyne on a council estate in Throckley, Newcastle. Known to his neighbours as a quiet, shy, young man who was small for his age, he joined
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Jaccout aiming to become a local hero
TRANSPORTING thoroughbreds on our congested motorway network is a nightmare for most trainers, so Newcastle-based handler Bob Johnson will be relieved he only has to amble a few miles down the road in order to get Jaccout (2.20) to the racecourse today
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Egbert the tank was on money-raising mission in N-E
"DARLINGTON has answered Berlin, screamed the Evening Despatch newspaper. "The Germans boasted yesterday that they had captured 100 tanks. Darlington has responded by investing £500,000, enough to replace the lost tanks - with many more to come." During
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Nine arrested in police vice raids
NINE people were last night being held on suspicion of involvement in organised prostitution after a series of police raids in the North-East. More than 70 police officers and immigration officials swooped on properties across Darlington yesterday, arresting
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Reynolds denies breach of contract
A FORMER football club chairman yesterday denied reneging on a deal for a journalist to ghost-write his life story. Former Darlington FC chairman George Reynolds is locked in a legal battle with John Sadler, former chief sports reporter on The Sun, in
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Estates change hands again
TWO industrial estates have changed hands for the second time in a matter of weeks. Property fund manager Teesland has bought Cleveland Industrial Estate in Darlington, Cannon Park Industrial Estate in Middlesbrough and two properties on the Armstrong
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Festive shoppers lift inflation level
FESTIVE gift shoppers and theatre-goers helped lift inflation to its highest level since June last month, official figures showed yesterday. Higher prices for computer games, some toys and theatre tickets, which fell in December 2003, contributed to a
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M&S launches new look for spring
STRUGGLING High Street stalwart Marks and Spencer is pinning its hopes on a "Sienna Miller-style" womenswear range to help it bounce back this spring. Gipsy-style skirts and cardigans inspired by actor Jude Law's girlfriend could prove the key to turning
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M&S launches new look for spring
STRUGGLING High Street stalwart Marks & Spencer is pinning its hopes on a "Sienna Miller-style" womenswear range to help it bounce back this spring. Gipsy-style skirts and cardigans inspired by actor Jude Law's girlfriend could prove the key to turning
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Deal struck to save stricken football club
A famous football ground is to be re-named KitKat Crescent in a rescue deal to save a stricken club. York City's Bootham Crescent will receive its new name under a £100,000 rescue deal with Nestl Rowntree. The deal will be at least a two-year partnership
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The ultimate selfishness...
BABIES are not Botox. They are not designer accessories, marriage menders, real live dolls, and they're certainly not the equivalent of rejuvenating pills. The oldest woman to become a mother, 66-year-old Romanian Adriana Iliescu - a retired university
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Byker stars back campaign
BYKER Grove stars yesterday helped launch a campaign to raise awareness and understanding of what it means to have a learning disability. Twins Alex and Dominic Beebe and Annie Orwin - who play Adam and Luke and foster mum Lou Gallagher in the TV series
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Catch of the day
A goldfish found on a flooded soccer pitch has been reunited with its owner. Carlisle United officials found it swimming in the penalty area and christened it Billy the Fish, after the legendary Viz character. Ashleigh Turk, four, solved the mystery yesterday
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Clark relishing Pool test
BEN Clark might have been unlucky with injuries since arriving at Hartlepool United from Sunderland, but the classy defender can still be regarded as something of a lucky talisman at Victoria Park. Clark is likely to be part of the Pool side vying for
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Who's minding the children?
AN OVERHAUL of the law governing parental access to children is long overdue. Existing procedures are blatantly biased against fathers, who lose four out of every five custody disputes which go before the courts. Essentially, fathers have no rights to
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McClaren may have to spend
UGO EHIOGU'S latest injury set back may force Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren to splash out in the January transfer window. The 32-year-old defender limped out of Boro's 1-1 draw against Everton after only 17 minutes with knee ligament damage following
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Brave new world of Billingham
FOR little better reason than that it is "Amos" backwards, last week's column noted that the words of the wonderful hymn Dear Lord and Father of Mankind are merely the last six verses of a 17 verse poem in praise of the hallucinogenic drug soma. David
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Will the superjumbo take off?
IF you're familiar with blue whales, then the boast that the new Airbus superjumbo is about as long as two of them put together will strike a chord. If, however, blue whales don't feature regularly in your life, then you'll just have to accept that we're
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Brave New World of Billingham
FOR little better reason than that it is "Amos" backwards, last week's column noted that the words of the wonderful hymn Dear Lord and Father of Mankind are merely the last six verses of a 17 verse poem in praise of the hallucinogenic drug soma. David
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Jailed for sex attacks on girls
A SENIOR councillor was jailed yesterday after being convicted of a string of sex attacks on girls. Teesside Crown Court heard how Leslie Sheppard lured the teenagers into his gold Porsche and drove them to remote spots, where he indecently assaulted
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Protest at school closure approval
ANGRY parents and children gathered outside Darlington Town Hall last night to protest about plans to approve school closures. About 20 parents held banners ahead of the borough council's cabinet meeting to agree proposals to close Rise Carr Primary School
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'Gunman hit man who hired him'
A HITMAN paid by a family to assassinate a rival, ended up shooting one of the men who hired him, a court heard. In a bizarre series of events, Thomas Anderson was accidentally shot in the penis by drive-by gunman Arthur "Arty" Pattinson, Newcastle Crown
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Meeting over racial attacks
POLICE and community leaders met in a North-East town yesterday to discuss a spate of racially-motivated firebomb attacks. As The Northern Echo reported yesterday, there were three attacks in Darlington in an many days. The mosque, in North Lodge Terrace
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Firm submits its plans for -ghost ships' recycling
THE company behind the recycling of the controversial ghost ships has submitted a planning application to its local authority in a bid to get work started on the scheme. Able UK yesterday confirmed it had submitted the application to Hartlepool Borough
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Witnesses sought to theft at town pub
POLICE are looking for two men after cash was stolen from a pub. The burglary took place at 12.45pm on Sunday at the Kings Head in Market Place, Malton, when a man entered a private area of the pub and stole money. He was disturbed and then escaped. He
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Ripon homes plan proves unpopular
A HOUSING estate on greenfield land on a main gateway to Ripon is being recommended for refusal. One of the reasons councillors are being advised to refuse a plan for five homes on land off Harrogate Road, near the Wheatsheaf Inn and Morrison's supermarket
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Stables win planning victory over floodlights
THE owners of a riding school have won a battle with planners to keep four floodlights they say are key to their business. William and Marjorie Fife opened the school at White Thorn Farm, in Stillington, near Easingwold, in 2003. Hambleton District Council
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Police warning over pelting
POLICE have warned youths to think about the consequences of their behaviour after they threw stones and bricks at traffic. Police spoke to three teenagers after stones were thrown at cars near Mercury Bridge, on the Richmond to Catterick Garrison road
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Newsletter puts council tenants in the know
COUNCIL house tenants across east Durham are soon to receive a newsletter keeping them up to date with the issues that affect them. The first issue of Insight is designed to inform tenants of developments since East Durham Homes took over the running
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Experience is the key for Quakers
CURTIS FLEMING insists the experience of Darlington's squad will prove a useful commodity in their quest for promotion. Fleming, capped ten times by the Republic of Ireland, is one of several players whose abundance of knowledge in the game has ensured
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Drummer takes his artworks out on the road
AN ARTIST with a colourful approach to his work has been invited to a university gallery in the North-East. Brian Chippendale, an artist and musician living in Rhode Island, US, is staging his first solo show in the UK at the University of Sunderland's
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Health bosses reassure patients over service
HEALTH bosses have been reassuring patients about out-of-hours services in North Yorkshire. Since the company providing weekend and evening emergency cover for North Yorkshire GPs went into administration before Christmas, the service has been run by
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Nightclub beating
A MAN will require facial surgery after what police described as a totally unprovoked attack in a North-East nightclub. The 25-year-old's jaw was broken in two places during the attack on the Tuxedo Princess floating nightclub, on the River Tyne, at about
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How could a British soldier do this?
Photographs of alleged abuse of Iraqi civilians at the hands of British soldiers - including one from the North-East - were revealed at a court martial yesterday. The images include naked Iraqi prisoners simulating sex acts, British soldiers pretending
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£500,000 released for High Row work
NEARLY £500,000 of regional funding has been released to begin work on a controversial "pedestrian heart" scheme for a town centre. Councillors in Darlington last night approved the release of the money for the first phase of the £6.5m development in
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New plan to build hundreds of homes on greenfield site
A FRESH plan to build homes on a greenbelt site has been made by a developer, taking the number of proposed houses for the area to more than 800. Barratt Developments is seeking planning permission from Sedgefield Borough Council to build 274 houses at
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Tory rival named for embattled North MP
THE Conservatives have selected their candidate to contest the seat of a North-East MP who finds himself at the centre of a political storm. Harriett Baldwin will take on Stockton North MP Frank Cook in the forthcoming General Election, expected to be
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Improvements completed at civic centre
A GOOD reception should be guaranteed for people trying to access council services at a civic centre. Redevelopment work has made the reception area of Sunderland Civic Centre more user-friendly, with lowered customer service desks for wheelchair users
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Rail passengers looking forward to improvements
PLANS to improve Chester-le-Street's rundown railway station have been welcomed. But station master Alex Nelson, who runs the Chester-le-Track ticket agency, based at the Network Rail-owned station, says the work is long overdue. Durham County Council's
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Forum invites patients to discuss issues
PATIENTS are to be invited to talk about what they feel are the key health issues facing their district. The Patient and Public Involvement Forum for Derwentside has organised two meetings where residents will be invited to raise key issues and learn
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Racists sprayed graffiti on homes of refugees in town
Refugees had their homes covered with racist graffiti - and the attacks are so regular that people are afraid to speak out in case of reprisals. Police met community groups in the area yesterday and expect to make arrests. But some people living on Swainby
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Schools follow the yellow book road to join in environmental scheme
SCHOOLCHILDREN in Hartlepool have turned to the Yellow Pages to go green. Youngsters at 16 primary schools are taking part in a Woodland Trust campaign to recycle Yellow Pages. The aim of the Yellow Woods Challenge is to teach children the recycling habit
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Police force issues boots to dogs
A police force is believed to have become the first in the UK to issue its dogs with safety boots, it was disclosed today. Northumbria Police have introduced the special footwear for when their dogs tackle public order situations. The boots will protect
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Student charity lends a hand
STUDENT fundraisers are inviting community organisations in the Durham area to apply for small grants to help with their work. Durham University Charities Kommittee (Duck) raises funds throughout the year through various events based in and around the
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Lesbian lover denies intent to cause harm
A woman who doused a bed in petrol and set it alight while her ex-lover lay naked with her new girlfriend today said her heart ''dropped to her socks'' when she saw the pair caressing. Sarah Metcalfe, 46, of no fixed abode, discovered Katie Wrigglesworth
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Dramatic support for wave victims
A BENEFIT night in aid of the Asian tsunami disaster fund will be staged at a North-East theatre next week. Derwentside company Theatre Cap-a-Pie will host the event at The Store, in Dipton, County Durham, on Thursday, January 27, from 7.30pm. The event
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Pinpointing a dolls' hospital that displayed wigs and limbs
A COUPLE of weeks ago, we were searching Grange Road in Darlington at the behest of Patricia Wade of Hurworth. We were looking for the former dolls' hospital which operated during the 1950s. "It was No 23, and shared premises with a watch-repairer," says
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On TV
Shameless (C4) THIS is the thought for today: The things you think you know best have the power to surprise you most. Someone passed on these words of wisdom near the start of this week's episode of Shameless, the Paul Abbott-created series set on a Manchester
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Window of opportunity
A STAINED-glass craftsman who employs techniques used in the North-East for more than 1,000 years is helping to revolutionise the industry. Peter Shipley, of Shipley Stained Glass, in Sunderland, is working with scientists at Newcastle University to find
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Whitehead sets his strike target
DEAN Whitehead has pledged to break his goalscoring record after admitting that Sunderland's promotion hopes could hinge on how many goals they score from midfield. The 22-year-old was on target in Sunday's 2-0 win at Derby, with his close-range finish
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Sculptor goes back to roots
A SCULPTOR is returning to his home town of Darlington to create a work of art at a business park. John Atkin has produced his initial designs for a steel sculpture at the entrance of the Morton Palms business park, on behalf of developer City and Northern
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University's restructuring programme pays off
A restructuring programme at a leading North-East university is paying dividends. Annual accounts published by Newcastle University showed that income last year rose by 8.4 per cent to £249.7m, with a surplus of £6m. Bursar Howard Farnhill said: "This
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Henman fired up by roar of the crowd
Four days after announcing his retirement from the competition, Tim Henman revelled in a Davis Cup-style atmosphere in the Australian Open yesterday. Roared on by a sizeable and vociferous British contingent in Melbourne, Henman defeated France's Cyril
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Market report
London shares staged a late rally yesterday after a surge in US stocks helped to offset the impact of a surprise rise in UK inflation and soaring oil prices. After falling 45 points earlier in the session, the FTSE 100 Index recovered to stand 22.8 points
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Escape bid killer moved to region
ROAD rage killer Kenneth Noye has been moved to a special security unit in the region following a foiled escape bid. The 58-year-old had an armed police escort and was also trailed by two helicopters for the 160-mile trip from Whitemore prison, Cambridgeshire
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Former Army chief says deaths at Deepcut were -inexcusable'
BRITAIN'S former top soldier has condemned the death of a North-East soldier at the notorious Deepcut barracks as "inexcusable". Sir Charles Guthrie, the former chief of the defence staff, stepped into the controversy by accepting there were "failures
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Nine arrested after police vice raids
NINE people were last night being held on suspicion of involvement in organised prostitution after a series of police raids in the North-East. More than 70 police officers and immigration officials swooped on properties across Darlington yesterday, arresting
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Closure-threat firm in talks
UNIONS were last night holding crunch talks with management at a factory threatened with closure. Workers at the Acre Products factory, in Darlington, were told on Monday that the TV cabinet manufacturing plant would close by June - with the loss of 80
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Jaccout aiming to become a local hero
TRANSPORTING thoroughbreds on our congested motorway network is a nightmare for most trainers, so Newcastle-based handler Bob Johnson will be relieved he only has to amble a few miles down the road in order to get Jaccout (2.20) to the racecourse today
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Profits up but predictions are gloomy
THE region's businesses closed 2004 with bumper profits, according to new data. But businesses are making an apprehensive start to 2005 with many fearful that short-term trading will be difficult. A survey of companies showed more respondents than before
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Tesco unveils record sales leaving rivals in the shade
SUPERMARKET chain Tesco will see profits break the £2bn barrier this year, after buoyant Christmas sales. The UK's largest retailer unveiled record figures for the seven weeks to January 8, with domestic sales up by 12.1 per cent. The update was in sharp
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Cashpoint attack caught on camera
POLICE have had a breakthrough in their investigations into a cash machine scam that resulted in a customer being beaten up. As reported yesterday, a man was punched to the ground after a false front fitted by crooks to a cash machine outside Barclays
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19/01/2005
ENVIRONMENT: THE doom and gloom merchants are at it again. We are being inundated with TV programmes stating that global warming is now a fact. The only fact is that a lot of people depend on it happening to keep their cushy jobs and receive handouts
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The race makes a mess of space
ONCE, no matter how much we abused our planet, space at least remained pure. Now, of course, tons of man-made junk orbit Earth, forming a space dust that actually inhibits study of the heavens. In our vast wisdom, however, we are about to add to this
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Plan to restrict Dales' holiday homes delayed
The final decision on plans to stop new housing in the Yorkshire Dales being sold as second homes or holiday cottages has been delayed. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has delayed the move to assess the full implications of the proposal. The
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Foul-mouthed but fascinating
Shameless (C4): THIS is the thought for today: The things you think you know best have the power to surprise you most. Someone passed on these words of wisdom near the start of this week's episode of Shameless, the Paul Abbott-created series set on a
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Business briefs
HMV boosted by late surge: Music and books retailer HMV maintained a cautious outlook for UK consumer spending despite a 6.4 per cent hike in underlying sales at Christmas. HMV said a late surge in demand had kept it on course to meet its full-year targets
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Labour Party loses millionaire's support
DUNCAN Bannatyne, the star of BBC TV's Dragon's Den - the programme that invites multi-millionaires to invest in good ideas - said last night he would never again give money to the Labour Party. The North-East millionaire is refusing to donate more money
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Is this the ultimate act of selfishness?
BABIES are not Botox. They are not designer accessories, marriage menders, real live dolls, and they're certainly not the equivalent of rejuvenating pills. The oldest woman to become a mother, 66-year-old Romanian Adriana Iliescu - a retired university
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Upgrade of bypass
TRANSPORT chiefs are to debate plans for upgrading a North-East bypass. Consultants have completed a major study of the A66 around Darlington that looks at upgrading a stretch of the trunk road and have put proposals out for public consultation. In May
