Archive
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A needless waste
POLICE investigating the deaths of two teenage boys on a North-East railway line last night issued a stark warning that children are dicing with death every day. The alert was sounded as a shocked community struggled to come to terms with the tragedy
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Disease screening for young people
YOUNG people in County Durham and Darlington are the first North-East targets for chlamidia screening in local health clinics. County Durham is the primary area to get funds, and Sedgefield Primary Care Trust (PCT) will start screening for the sexually-transmitted
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Armstrong blow for Darlington
DARLINGTON'S promotion hopes have been dealt another crushing blow after leading scorer Alun Armstrong was ruled out for three weeks. The 11-goal striker sustained a calf injury in Saturday's 2-0 defeat at home to Kidderminster Harriers and will miss
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Man, 24, charged over killing of 'harmless and likeable' bachelor
DETECTIVES investigating the murder of a bachelor in his home have charged a 24-year-old man. Keith Philpott's battered body was discovered by police in his ground-floor flat in Billingham, Teesside, on Thursday night. The 36-year-old, who had learning
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Family and friends say final farewell to young fire victim
MOURNERS packed into a parish church to pay their last respects to a schoolboy who died in a house fire. Following an emotional funeral service, on Saturday, the flower-laden coffin of Liam Blakelock, eight, was carried away to the sounds of Eric Clapton's
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Quakers again fail to live up to big occasion
GIVEN his choice of renditions, the lone bagpipe player was obviously oblivious to Darlington's track record against League Two strugglers. While Rod Stewart's 70s hit "We Are Sailing" bellowed out before kick-off, as part of Saturday's celebrations to
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'I can almost say thank you to Al Fayed'
Christine Hamilton has become a great British institution - love her or loathe her, you cannot ignore her. She talks to Hannah Stephenson about her turbulent life - bankruptcy, libel actions, allegations of sexual misconduct and all - which is being laid
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Court appearance after man found dead
A MAN appeared in court today charged with the murder of a man with learning difficulties. Sean Swindon, 24, from Middlesbrough, was charged with the killing of 36-year-old Keith Philpott, of Axbridge Court, High Grange, Billingham. Swindon, who gave
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Waste sites will open every day
Two household waste sites will be opening every day from the end of this week. Redcar and Cleveland Council's two Household Waste Recycling Centres, at Warrenby and Dunsdale, will be open seven days a week from 8am until 7pm, starting on Friday, throughout
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Charity soccer game nets £2,000
A CHARITY football match between two old rivals has raised thousands of pounds for machinery at a community hospital. The Clay Hogs, of Stanhope, beat The Flesh Fleas, of Wolsingham, 2-1 when they played in rain and fog yesterday. The teams went head-to-head
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A fitting finale as carpet man retires
Last with staff pic/double yorks A CARPET fitter who has spent 35 years working for the same store has retired. Gordon Simpson was given a gold wrist watch and card signed by staff from Boyes in Darlington before being taken out for some leaving drinks
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'Do not make life easy for thieves'
POLICE are warning Bishop Auckland residents to be vigilant after a spate of burglaries. More than 60 residents in Cottonhill, Woodhouse Close and the town centre have been targeted since the beginning of the year. PC Neil Prentice, of Bishop Auckland
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School pupils raise £8,000 in fundraising fun run
YOUNG people have gone the extra mile to help raise funds for charity. Students and staff at The Hermitage School, Chester-le-Street, took part in a sponsored mile-long fun run around the school. Headteacher Ian Robertson said: "We raised a staggering
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Centre will offer 24-hour care for town's patients
PATIENTS in an east Durham town are now able to get urgent healthcare and treatment near their home 24 hours a day, without needing an appointment. Peterlee's Urgent Care Centre, based at the Peterlee Community Hospital in O'Neill Drive, will be able
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Falcons refuse to rule Wilkinson out of Cup
NEWCASTLE are refusing to rule Jonny Wilkinson out of next Saturday's Heineken Cup quarter-final against Stade Francais in Paris, but their injury headaches increased yesterday. Three props were injured against Bath in dreadful conditions which allowed
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Tuppence lasts a long time
A COUPLE who first met each other as children in a Sunday School class have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. John and Esther Forster, both 86, of Sacriston, County Durham, marked their blue sapphire anniversary at the weekend - and are looking
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Anger as outreach advice service misses out on grant
A CITIZENS advice bureau may have to cut valuable outreach services after failing to get a grant to fund them. Richmondshire CAB had applied for a grant of £30,000 to fund outreach services in rural villages in the district. The grant was to come from
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Teenagers to face 9pm curfew
TEENAGERS could be arrested if they are seen on the streets with anyone after 9pm in an area of Middlesbrough. Police have introduced a dispersal order to prevent teenagers from gathering in gangs in the St John's Gate area of Middlesbrough. The banning
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Getting the crime message
STUDENTS will take part in a crime prevention day which will include the production of a promotional film. Director Paul Frost and a film crew will be at Fyndoune Community College, in Sacriston, on Tuesday, April 5. Year eight and nine students will
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Trusts back plan to build £21m mental health hospital
PLANS to build a £21m mental health hospital have been backed by two primary care trusts. The Derwentside trust and the Durham and Chester-le-Street trust pledged their supporting for the new development at recent board meetings. The hospital, which will
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Fewer teenagers are left without a job
AN organisation that helps young people find jobs has been praised for cutting the number of unemployed teenagers. Connexions Tees Valley said it had exceeded Government targets to ensure more young people are now in work or learning. From a starting
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Council accused of undermining award effort
THIRSK Town Council has been accused of a negative attitude towards the Britain in Bloom competition. Frustrated volunteers from Thirsk in Bloom attended a meeting of the council to ask for more action as they prepare for the spring judging. They feel
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Council chief hails work on £30m site
WORK is well under way on the £30m redevelopment of the Walkergate car park in Durham city centre. The development, which started in mid-December last year, was visited by Durham City Council leader Councillor Fraser Reynolds. He said: "It's great to
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Town's policing 'worst it's ever been'
POLICING in Northallerton has come under fire from councillors who say the service is the worst it has ever been. Councillor Andy Wake told a meeting of Northallerton Town Council this week that the force must improve. "It is shocking how rarely we see
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Task forces set up to fight growing problem of obesity
TASK forces have been set up to tackle the growing problem of obesity in Darlington. One in five adults in the town is classed as obese - with a body mass index of over 30 - and obesity can reduce life expectancy by up to nine years. The task forces will
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School that refuses to rest on its laurels
A Bishop Auckland school is still going strong as it enters its 401st year. Sarah Park looks at the past, present and future, of King James I Grammar School MASTER of slapstick, Stan Laurel, gave his first performance of tomfoolery in the staff room of
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Youngsters beat off rivals to claim cup victory
A 30-YEAR-OLD cup competition contested by hundreds of footballers across Teesside has been won by a school from Hartlepool. English Martyrs School won The Green Howards' under-16s County Cup for 2005, beating Conyers School, from Yarm, in the final in
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Tribunal hears of asylum woes
ACTIVISTS held a people's tribunal in Middlesbrough to draw attention to the problems of asylum seekers forcibly removed from the area. The tribunal, organised by the North-East Coalition for Asylum Rights, heard accounts from people who befriended families
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Chelsea pair leading the England charge
FRANK LAMPARD has witnessed Joe Cole's natural ability develop at first hand. Not only are they part of Chelsea's attacking verve in the Londoners' push for Premiership supremacy but the pair also worked together at boyhood club West Ham United. Now the
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Brown battling with Bridges for a single place
CHRIS Brown remembers watching Michael Bridges playing for Sunderland at Roker Park - now he's competing with the £5m man for a place in the Black Cats' squad. Brown is hoping his matchwinning performance against Coventry City can help him leapfrog his
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Entries invited for race on moors
ENTRIES are being sought for the 41st annual Lyke Wake Race across the North York Moors National Park. The event, which takes places over 42 miles from Osmotherley to Ravenscar, is to be held on Saturday, July 9. The race attracts entries from all over
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No headpine
CHILD POVERTY: It's laudable of Labour to want to abolish child poverty but how many idiots think they have the right to have children when they can't provide for their well being. The truth is seldom aired but they only produce kids for their own selfish
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Suddenly it just Goth better
It's a funny thing, but my loud Goth neighbours have ceased bothering me. I think it's because we had a pleasant encounter and I have stopped demonising them. They had been irritating me by playing Marilyn Manson at strange times of the day and watching
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Course launched to help people with dementia
THE first nationally-accredited training course aimed at improving the lives of people with dementia is being launched at a North-East university. The distance-learning course for professionals will help further raise the level of care offered to thousands
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A miracle in the midst of the tsunami
In the aftermath of the tsunami, North-East couple Aloy and Juliet Mariathasan, who are originally from Sri Lanka, returned to help the stricken country. They share their harrowing experience with Sarah Foster IT was a bright Boxing Day morning when Aloy
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Football mascot arrested in drugs inquiry
A FOOTBALL mascot has been suspended from his job after being arrested by police on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs. Lee Kelly, who has dressed up as Darlington Football Club mascot Mr Q at home matches, was suspended from his voluntary position
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Terrible waste of young lives
OUR hearts go out to the family and friends of the two teenage boys who were killed by a train travelling on the East Coast Main Line in Darlington. We should also spare a thought for the train driver and those involved in dealing with the aftermath of
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Nowhere to go, nothing to do and a tragedy unfolding
On the night Lee Mullis and Stuart Adams were killed on a railway line, The Northern Echo was spending the evening with a new police team set up to solve the problem of youngsters hanging around the streets and causing trouble. Olivia Richwald reports
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'Estate is our last chance of a home'
A CONTROVERSAL plan to create a housing estate could be the last glimmer of hope for keeping a couple and their disabled sons in the North-East dale they love. Plans for affordable housing in St John's Chapel, Upper Weardale, County Durham, are causing
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Tears for the couple who could not bear to be apart
A WOMAN has died only a week after the death of the loving husband who had cared for her during a long-term illness. The funeral of Leslie Smith, 75, was to have been held tomorrow, but the couple's devastated family have postponed the service so that
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Sven finds answer in Cole-fired victory
FIFTY games is a long time in international football. To be precise, it is a month over four years in Sven-Goran Eriksson's book but he may finally have stumbled across the solution to the problem that has dogged his reign as England coach - the left-side
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Chelsea pair leading the England charge
FRANK LAMPARD has witnessed Joe Cole's natural ability develop at first hand. Not only are they part of Chelsea's attacking verve in the Londoners' push for Premiership supremacy but the pair also worked together at boyhood club West Ham United. Now the
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Writer, singer...and ambulance driver
Former Casualty actor and Celebrity Fame Academy singer Kwami Kwei-Armah is hoping the success of his stage plays will encourage more artistic directors to invest in black writers ONE minute Kwami Kwei-Armah was best known to the public as paramedic Fin
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50p homes that are selling for £50,000
HOMES which were once advertised as the cheapest in the country are now fetching £50,000. Flats at Hampstead Road, Benwell, in Newcastle, were being sold for 50p each in 1999. The city council were selling the flats for £1 a pair in a bid to attract more
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Diehards left to wonder why they bother
Why do I bother? That's the question Stewart Davies, David Hodgson and thousands of supporters were asking themselves as they left the ground on Saturday after enduring yet another Darlington horror display. There have been several shockers this season
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Voters urged to check registration
Council officials are appealing for voters to check they are registered to vote in the next General Election. Unlike recent elections in Darlington, which have been all-postal voting, the General Election will be use polling stations. People wishing to
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Guide to town's car parks launched
A LEAFLET designed to help shoppers and visitors to Darlington find town centre car parks has been produced. The guide follows the temporary closure of the town's Crown Street car park, which is scheduled to reopen in December. The leaflet lists all of
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Members of Evergreens are honoured
THE over-50s are being honoured next month as part of the Year of the Volunteer. Each month, a different group is recognised and next month it is the turn of the older generation, in Older People Month. Members of the Evergreens group of over-50s, who
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Orchid displays its flower power to the judges
PEOPLE from across the North-East and North Yorkshire went to a colourful orchid show this Easter weekend. The Darlington and District Orchid Society's annual show also attracted experts from around the country. There were around 120 colourful and delicate
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England can go all the way - Whitley
JEFF WHITLEY has become a man used to dishing out lessons in the Championship with Sunderland this season, but he felt the full force of an England avalanche of international class at Old Trafford. Whitley, along with Damien Johnson in the middle of the
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Orchid growers' labours of love face expert - and public - scrutiny
PEOPLE from across the North-East and North Yorkshire went to a colourful orchid show this Easter. Darlington and District Orchid Society's annual show also attracted experts from around the country. There were about 120 colourful and delicate specimens
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DJ takes to the airwaves
A YOUNG DJ has won a competition to have one of his mixes played on the radio. DJ Snowy - real name Martyn Hodgson, from Fishburn, County Durham - beat off competition from thousands of wannabe DJs to win the Galaxy 105-106 radio Undiscovered Talent competition
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Durham hope cup chaos will be resolved
DURHAM officials are hoping that the county cup chaos will resolve itself before the end of April so the event does not overlap with the County Championship. But it seems the only way that can happen is for the three National Three North clubs involved
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Organ designer turns composer at the age of 72
A CHURCH organ designer is preparing to direct the world premiere of his first musical composition - the Concert Mass in D minor. Proudly performing the ambitious work by Alan Howard will be the Chester-le-Street Civic Choir. The mass will be sung at
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Woman attacked in broad daylight
POLICE are hunting two men who assaulted a woman in broad daylight in a busy town. The woman, who is in her 40s, was attacked last Friday at about 1pm in the Westgate area of Guisborough, near Fountain Street. The woman was treated for shock and minor
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Birdwatchers ready to take council to court over access
A BIRDWATCHING club is considering taking legal action against Hartlepool Borough Council after it was evicted from a site it has occupied for the past 45 years. The Teesmouth Bird Club has used the old First World War observatory on Hartlepool's Headland
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Fitting finale for carpet man
CARPET fitter who has spent 35 years working for the same store has retired. Gordon Simpson was given a gold wrist watch and card signed by staff from Boyes, in Darlington, before being taken out for some leaving drinks by his friends. Originally from
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Appleby blots out his copybook
Despite being one of the few to reach anything like his usual standard in Saturday's dismal defeat, Matty Appleby's unfortunate error played a huge part in Darlington's downfall. He gave possession away in the centre of the field in the move that led
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Football mascot arrested in drugs inquiry
A FOOTBALL mascot has been suspended from his job after being arrested by police on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs. Lee Kelly, who has dressed up as Darlington Football Club mascot Mr Q at home matches, was suspended from his voluntary position
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Alarm at rise of knives in schools
TEACHERS spoke out last night after figures revealed a big increase in the number of the region's youngsters arming themselves with knives at school. Police figures show the number of knives or pointed instruments found in County Durham schools almost
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Cooper's future at the Vic remains uncertain
NEALE Cooper's Hartlepool United future remains uncertain - but today is unlikely to be his last game in control. The Pool boss could be on his way to Dundee United this week - but the Arabs' chairman Eddie Thompson last night played down claims today's
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England can go all the way - Whitley
JEFF WHITLEY has become a man used to dishing out lessons in the Championship with Sunderland this season, but he felt the full force of an England avalanche of international class at Old Trafford. Whitley, along with Damien Johnson in the middle of the
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£13m hotel bid as golf club sold
MYSTERY buyers have launched a takeover bid at a North-East golf course as part of plans to turn it into a £13m luxury hotel, golf and leisure complex. The company, which has not been named, aims to turn Woodham Golf Club, near Newton Aycliffe, County
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Doctor faces the threat of publicity overdose
Doctor Who (BBC1) Strictly Dance Fever (BBC1) The Queen's Castle (BBC1) Fingersmith (BBC1) Was it entirely necessary for the BBC to follow a half-hour preview of the return of Doctor Who on Saturday evening with a trailer for the same programme? It did
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About to be revealed . . . Goddess of the North
A GIANT sculpture of a reclining goddess with hips and breasts up to 100ft high is set to confront North-East motorists. The sculpture, which has been likened to the Angel of the North, will be placed next to the A1 motorway and is expected to stretch
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Football club nets world record for number of mascots at match
ALMOST 7,000 people turned out to watch a North-East football club's first match inside its completed stadium. Darlington FC celebrated the opening of the north stand of the Williamson Motors Stadium with a family day - allowing school-age children in
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Follow Ryan at Redcar
Kevin Ryan is going to be a trainer to keep on the right side this year and he looks the man to follow at Redcar this afternoon, where he's fancied to be in double form with Mystic Man and Raymond's Point. Mystic Man goes well fresh and is a proven performer
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Alarm at rise of knives in schools
TEACHERS spoke out last night after figures revealed a big increase in the number of the region's youngsters arming themselves with knives at school. Police figures show the number of knives or pointed instruments found in County Durham schools almost
