Archive
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Little-known town park saved by a new group of ‘Friends’
Another week, another park. ECHO MEMORIES traces the story of a recreation ground that was almost friendless when it was born but has just acquired a Friends Of… group to steer it into the future IN ancient times, before sugar was a sweetener to
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Drivers on the verge of being banned
BOLLARDS are being erected to prevent damage to a grass verge in a Teesdale village. Members of Etherley parish council were worried about the number of cars that parked on the grass verge at Toft Hill. The damage has worsened during the recent wet weather
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PC receives compensation for verbal abuse
A MAN who hurled racial abuse at a policeman has been ordered to pay £100 compensation. Lee Towler, 23, pleaded guilty to threatening violence and resisting a police officer in his duty. Yesterday South Durham Magistrates' Court, sitting in Newton Aycliffe
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Marathon to say thanks for kidney
A man is taking part in the London Marathon as a thank you to those who saved his life with a kidney transplant. Just over a year ago, Harry Burrell, 32, from Pannal, Harrogate, underwent the lifesaving operation at St James' Hospital, Leeds. He had been
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Crime falls for consecutive three-year period - audit
CRIME has fallen by almost 14 per cent in Derwentside for the second three-year period running, figures show. Recorded crime has risen by more than seven per cent nationally over the past three years but a recent crime and disorder audit showed plummeting
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Council grant will safeguard debt advice service
A DEBT advice service has been bailed out after running into financial difficulties. The free service offered by Richmondshire Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) faced an uncertain future, with funding due to run out at the end of the month. But Richmondshire
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First work under way to build 400 homes
THE first bricks have been laid marking the anticipated start of a major redevelopment. The run-down Lakes estate is to get a facelift, with almost 400 new homes, including bungalows and apartments. Tees Valley Housing Group has started work on its section
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Hundreds expected for major skate jam
HARTLEPOOL is preparing to hold its first ever skateboarding tournament. Professional skateboarders will be displaying their talents at the event in the Mill House Leisure Centre on Sunday, March 20. The showcase has been organised by the Hartlepool SkateBoard
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Service upgrade for the elderly
A £3.2m scheme to improve care for elderly people in Darlington has been unveiled. The money is being invested in creating 14 flats at Rosemary Court, in Fenby Avenue, as well as refurbishing 28 others. Developers will revamp the existing flats, which
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MP steps in to help secure future of 'hugely important' women's centre
A COMMUNITY centre fighting for survival has been given a glimmer of hope. South Bank Women's Centre could be forced to close its doors by as early as July, because of a lack of funding. The centre has provided a wide range of services to about 700 women
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Highway authority leads way
A HIGHWAY authority has been named a centre of excellence by the Government for its performance in delivering improvements to the transport network. Durham County Council has been recognised as one of the country's best-performing bodies in the country
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School choirs link-up in celebration of youth music concert
MORE than 180 schoolchildren took part in a gala concert yesterday. The Celebration of Youth Music, at St Cuthbert's Church, Peterlee, last night was a collaborative performance, which included choirs from six schools. Each of the six schools provided
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Anonymity law shielding young yobs will be scrapped
A LAW preventing The Northern Echo from identifying a teenager locked up for breaching one of the country's toughest anti-social behaviour orders (Asbo) will be scrapped within weeks. The House of Lords will debate the Serious Organised Crime and Police
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Jailed after four years on run
A MAN being sought by police as part of two long-running robbery investigations was arrested on his return to the North-East after four years on the run in Spain. Terence David Finnigan, who fled Britain after twice in one week raiding a balti-house,
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Firms look at saving money
BISHOP Auckland businesses are looking into money saving schemes. Members of the town's Business and Traders' Association are invited to attend a meeting on Monday to discuss fund-saving ideas. The group is due to adopt a constitution and hear from the
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Students invest time in German engineering
A GROUP of apprentices will be flying the flag for the North-East when they travel to Europe to test their engineering skills as part of a link with German students. Twelve apprentices from South West Durham Training, in Newton Aycliffe, will visit the
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Pitches offer pupils a sporting chance
TWO new synthetic turf pitches are to help aspiring footballers in County Durham. They will be at Roseberry Sports and Community College at Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, and Deerness Valley Comprehensive School, Ushaw Moor. The schools teamed up with
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Events to help elderly stay healthy
A SERIES of events have been organised to ensure older people in Derwentside stay warm, healthy and safe over the winter months. A range of activities and advice has been organised by Age Concern, Derwentside Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Derwentside District
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School is praised by Ofsted inspectors
A SCHOOL has been hailed as a shining example of how to deal with challenging behaviour. Shotton Hall Comprehensive School, in Peterlee, was one of a string of schools examined by Ofsted inspectors in preparation of a new report devised to help schools
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Minimum payouts for sick miners ruled out
SICK ex-miners will continue to receive compensation of as little as £13. The news comes because the Government has ruled out minimum payments in a shock announcement by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The Coalfields Communities Campaign condemned
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Drop in class points to Harrovian
HARROVIAN has been handed a simple chance to get back on the winning trail in Wetherby's Racecourse Showground Novices Chase. Having twice hit the target earlier in the year, Harrovian was a warm favourite to win a valuable handicap chase at Kelso in
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Allotted council funding dries up
ALLOTMENT holders fear for the future of their site as their grant money runs out. For the past two years, allotments on Woodhouse Close Estate, Bishop Auckland, have survived on a £500 grant from Wear Valley District Council. But the money has run out
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Time to pontificate
DESCRIBED by The Northern Echo as "charismatic but ageing", Pope John Paul II visited the North-East on May 31, 1982. A victory for faith, hope and charity - these three - they let me organise the pontifical press gang. The reporters were, as they say
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Grim tale that keeps us gripped
To Kill And Kill Again - Dr Shipman (ITV1): Those people at ITV seem to have a fatal fascination with the case of Britain's most prolific serial killer, Dr Harold Shipman. The channel's already screened a dramatisation with James Bolam as the man who
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Children left home alone by mother
A MOTHER left her two children alone in their filthy home while she spent nights with her boyfriend, a court was told yesterday. Magistrates rejected the 34-year-old claims that she had only left them six times and ruled that the brother and sister, both
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The strike that changed a nation
It was the most bitter industrial dispute in British history, and 20 years ago tomorrow it all came to an end. Nick Morrison looks at the legacy of the miners' strike. Shouts of "scum", "scabs" and "traitors" greeted the delegates as they arrived at the
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Students aim to tantalise the tastebuds
STUDENTS will tomorrow compete in the regional final of the Toque d'Or catering competition. Winners of the event at Middlesbrough College could cook their way to the grand final of the Daily Telegraph's House and Garden Fair at Olympia in London in June
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Full steam ahead for museum
It is only five months since the North-East's first national railway museum opened its doors to the public and already it has been shortlisted for one of the biggest art prizes in Britain. Helen Miller looks at how winning the Gulbenkian Prize could open
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Group awarded £35,000 for arts
THE future of a rural arts project has been secured by three grants. Bainside Arts has been awarded more than £35,000 to continue running art and craft courses from its studios in Bainbridge, Wensleydale. The community company and charity was formed in
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Jonny ready for England but Rob advises caution
Jonny Wilkinson has revealed his desire to play in England's two remaining games in the RBS 6 Nations, but insists the decision to return to the international fold is entirely out of his hands. The World Cup-winning fly-half has endured an injury-ravaged
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Ross may be out for six weeks
HARTLEPOOL United right back Jack Ross has been ruled out for up to six weeks. He suffered ankle ligament damage in Saturday's defeat at Stockport and is likely to be sidelined until April. Ross left Edgeley Park on crutches and has undergone a scan.
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1,000 jobs to go as TV tube plant closes
More than 1,000 people are to lose their jobs after the closure of an electronics plant was announced this afternoon. LG Philips Displays is shutting down its cathode ray tube factory on the Belmont Industrial Estate in Durham, with the loss of 761 jobs
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Call centre workers face redundancy
More than 230 call centre workers are facing redundancy, after banking group Abbey announced further job losses. A total of 235 jobs are to go at its contact centre in Gateshead. It is part of a drive to cut 3,000 jobs announced last year by Abbey's new
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By the royal houses divide
So, in the run-up to the year's big event this spring, how are the two main parties faring? Labour still ahead of the Tories, do I hear you say? Probably not. For you will have guessed that it is not the general election, still unannounced, that I have
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37p - is it a surprise the food is so bad?
SCHOOLS will struggle to meet tough new Government targets on healthy meals because the average school dinner costs less than a tin of dog food, experts warned last night. Despite a pledge to crackdown on junk food, nutritionists said the Government would
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Late surge lands Fine treble
NEAR-WHITE Desert Orchid-lookalike, Mighty Fine, struck for the third time this season when producing a stunning late surge to snatch the £10,000 feature Reeth Copper Kettle Teashop Handicap Chase at Catterick. Micky Hammond's Mexican jumped the final
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Government cash injection helps to limit tax increases
COUNCILS across the region have been able to limit tax rises after a hand-out from the Government only weeks before their budgets were set. The funding from the Chancellor is estimated to have shaved three per cent off anticipated council tax rises and
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Kluivert fit to face Liverpool
PATRICK Kluivert has handed Graeme Souness a massive boost by declaring himself fit for this weekend's Premiership clash with fellow European hopefuls Liverpool. The Dutch international, who has not started a league game since Boxing Day, has struggled
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Quakers' bid for Stewart blocked
JAMAICA international Damion Stewart will not be joining Darlington after red tape wrecked his hopes of a move to England. The defender was scheduled to link up with his new Quakers teammates this morning after agreeing terms on a deal until the end of
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On TV
To Kill And Kill Again - Dr Shipman (ITV1) THOSE people at ITV seem to have a fatal fascination with the case of Britain's most prolific serial killer, Dr Harold Shipman. The channel's already screened a dramatisation with James Bolam as the man who murdered
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Prison bus protest over no smoking in cells
FOUR prisoners staged a sit-in on a prison bus after being told they could not smoke in crown court cells. Three of the remand prisoners, who were being transported from HMP Durham and other detention centres to Carlisle Crown Court, spent seven hours
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37p -is it a surprise the food is so bad?
SCHOOLS will struggle to meet tough new Government targets on healthy meals because the average school dinner costs less than a tin of dog food, experts warned last night. Despite a pledge to crackdown on junk food, nutritionists said the Government would
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Tobacco workers fear for future
CONCERNS were growing last night for the jobs of more than 80 workers from the region after a tobacco company warned of its intention to cut costs. As British American Tobacco (BAT) announced profits of £2.8bn, it said it was planning substantial savings
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Parishes will welcome their own vicar
THREE rural parishes that have been without a vicar for more than a year are to have a new minister. Next month, the Bishop of Durham is to license the Reverend Amanda Pike, who will look after the Teesdale parishes of Holy Trinity at Eggleston, St James
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Fire alarm system 'saved our business'
STAFF working in offices hit by a fire said it would have been much worse but for the alarm system. Firefighters arrived at the former chicken hatchery on Blind Lane in Aiskew, near Bedale within minutes of the alarm being sounded at 6.55pm on Monday.
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Fairly supported
A COUNCIL is supporting events to promote fair trading. Fairtrade Fortnight began yesterday and Darlington Borough Council has launched several initiatives to support the campaign. A Fairtrade stall will be set up in the town's outdoor market on Monday
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Strikers hold key, says Whitehead
DEAN WHITEHEAD believes the key to automatic promotion to the Premier League this season lies at the door of the top three teams' strikers. Only goal difference separates Sunderland, Ipswich and Wigan - all on 66 points - at the top of the Coca Cola Championship
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Colourful way to raise awareness
THREE young children from Derwentside are being presented with prizes today for their winning entries in a colouring competition. The cartoon character of Detective Moxy Malone is part of an award-winning campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the
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Faster Global link for the dales
HIGH-speed global links have been installed in the dales to attract businesses and create jobs. Villages in Weardale and Teesdale were among 12 North-East telephone exchanges upgraded to BT broadband on Monday. Included was Eastgate, which has been earmarked
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Time to pontificate
DESCRIBED by The Northern Echo as "charismatic but ageing", Pope John Paul II visited the North-East on May 31, 1982. A victory for faith, hope and charity - these three - they let me organise the pontifical press gang. The reporters were, as they say
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Photos celebrate sea
THE miracle of water is celebrated in a new photographic exhibition. Dave Milburn, a former photographer with The Northern Echo, is staging an exhibition at The Green Dragon Museum in his native Stockton.Titled Mercurial Water, it features a number of
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Butchers at racing meet
STAFF from a County Durham butchers traded their aprons for overalls for a high-speed challenge last weekend. The North East Guild of Q Butchers - the body which represents professional butchers shops - held its own go-kart racing championships at Wakefield
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Council tax rises lowest in a decade
COUNCIL tax rises this year will be the lowest in more than a decade. But sceptics last night branded the small increases - kept low after a Government hand-out two months ago - as a pre-election sweetener. Householders in the North-East and North Yorkshire
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Fear drove youngster to carry a weapon
A YOUTH was left so frightened after being mugged that he carried a knife, a court heard yesterday. Bruno Mayingi Lunkulu, 18, from London, was found with a six-inch knife at Darlington railway station on February 10. He was given a six-month conditional
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Monthly club night gets new lease of life
A CLUB night for teenagers has been relaunched with a new sound system, lighting and non-alcoholic cocktail bar. A £4,000 grant from Richmondshire Community Safety Partnership has helped organisers of Matrix make the improvements. The club night is held
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A necessary concession
WE welcome the fact that Home Secretary Charles Clarke has been pushed into making a fundamental concession on the Government's controversial anti-terror laws. It was crucial that the proposed "control orders" were imposed by judges and not politicians
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02/03/05
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: I am becoming more and more disillusioned with the double standards of our Prime Minister. In the wake of the shocking images of abuse at Camp Breadbasket, Tony Blair proclaimed: "The difference between democracy and tyranny is not
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Late surge lands Fine treble
NEAR-WHITE Desert Orchid-lookalike, Mighty Fine, struck for the third time this season when producing a stunning late surge to snatch the £10,000 feature Reeth Copper Kettle Teashop Handicap Chase at Catterick. Micky Hammond's Mexican jumped the final
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Airport contract win for Smiths
A MANUFACTURER hoping to create a new industry in the region has won a key order. Smiths Electric Vehicles (SEV), of Gateshead, is to supply a fleet of vehicles to John Lennon Airport, in Liverpool, in a £500,000 deal that includes a five-year maintenance
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Father's police attack -was out of character'
A JUDGE has spared a father from jail despite his violent and foul-mouthed verbal attack on five police officers. Mark Howard, 39, of Lynton Gardens, Darlington, was given a suspended prison sentence after a court heard he was well-respected in the community
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Teen pregnancies declining thanks to new programmes
TEENAGE pregnancy levels in the Tees Valley are being tackled successfully with a series of innovative programmes. Figures show Redcar and Cleveland Council now has the lowest number of young mothers in the Tees Valley. Successful programmes, including
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Pension levy under attack from CBI
BUSINESS leaders fear a "triple whammy" following the introduction of new company pensions legislation. Pensions Minister Malcolm Wicks met members of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in Sunderland yesterday to outline his plans for reforms
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'Creditable performance'
PUBS and hotels group Whitbread said membership of its David Lloyd Leisure fitness clubs had fallen but the chain continued to deliver "creditable" sales growth. Whitbread said there had been a fall in membership renewals at some of its older clubs that
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Borrowers braced for another rate rise
Homeowners have been warned to expect a rise in interest rates after the housing market surprised the City. Economists said the cost of borrowing was likely to rise to five per cent in May after figures showed house prices rising and the strongest demand
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Dinner lady banged pupil's head against wall, court told
A DINNER lady banged a child's head against a wall and then admitted to her supervisor she had hit another pupil, a court was told yesterday. The dinner lady, who is 56 and from Hartlepool, denies two charges of common assault against an eight-year-old
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Twist in Oliver's dinner tale
Jamie Oliver may have spent time in the kitchen at one North-East school, but plans were afoot for a food revolution before the celebrity chef arrived. Marjorie McIntyre reports Television chef Jamie Oliver is offering to help a North-East headteacher
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Airport contract win for Smiths
A MANUFACTURER hoping to create a new industry in the region has won a key order. Smiths Electric Vehicles (SEV), of Gateshead, is to supply a fleet of vehicles to John Lennon Airport, in Liverpool, in a £500,000 deal that includes a five-year maintenance
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Bodies found in house
The bodies of an elderly woman and a younger man were found today at a house in a seaside resort, police said. Both deaths are being treated as suspicious and an investigation was launched by North Yorkshire Police. Officers were called to the house in
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Four vie for town shopping scheme
FOUR developers have submitted bids to win a contract to build a multimillion pound shopping complex. The detailed plans for a shopping centre in Commercial Street, Darlington, will be considered by council bosses over the next six weeks, before going
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£13m overspend leads to hospital jobs threat
A FINANCIALLY troubled hospital trust has warned that staff might be laid off unless losses are reduced. South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the 1,000-bed James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, as well as the smaller Friarage Hospital
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Teen pregnancies declining thanks to new programmes
TEENAGE pregnancy levels in the Tees Valley are being tackled successfully with a series of innovative programmes. Figures show Redcar and Cleveland Council now has the lowest number of young mothers in the Tees Valley. Successful programmes, including
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Intertoto likely for Magpies
THE likelihood of Newcastle playing in the much-derided Intertoto Cup increased last night after UEFA confirmed that two berths in the competition have been reserved for English teams. Three Premiership clubs have expressed an interest in taking part
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Body of woman found near Durham
The body of a young woman has been discovered this morning on the outskirts of Durham City. A police investigation was launched after the woman's body was discovered on the edge of woods behind Meadowfield Sports Centre, near the village of Brandon. The
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Boro chance hands Nash big incentive
FORGOTTEN man Carlo Nash has admitted that he will be playing for his footballing future as well as for Middlesbrough when Steve McClaren's side travel to Aston Villa on Saturday. Nash made his first Premiership start for almost 16 months after Mark Schwarzer
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Chief Constable to explain cars row
A CHIEF constable will go before a police authority next week to explain the force's controversial purchase of company cars for senior officers. North Yorkshire Police Authority has called for a report from Chief Constable Della Cannings, setting out
