Archive
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Veterinary nurse shortlisted for top award
A DEDICATED veterinary nurse who places both pets and their owners first in her professional dealings has been shortlisted for a national award. Rachel Smith, 28, of Durham Vets4Pets in Framwellgatemoor, Durham, was chosen from hundreds of entries from
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Return of the classy conmen
Hustle (BBC1): LAST year, Hustle breezed on to our screens like a breath of fresh air. Mind you, any series that doesn't feature coppers or medics as the leading characters is most welcome. Hustle belongs to the honourable tradition of stories about honourable
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Climbing wall challenge
YOUNGSTERS can test their climbing ability on a 25ft high wall. The Rock-iT Climbing Wall will return to the Prince Bishops Shopping Centre in Durham on Saturday and Sunday. The wall, which has 200 hand and foot holds offering various routes to the top
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Mystery of bus tragedy student
AN inquest was opened yesterday into the death of a university student who was hit by a bus. Richard Hyde, 21, was hit as he tried to cross the A693 in New Kyo, near Stanley, in County Durham, at 6.40am last Monday. The student had left his silver Vauxhaull
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Girl, 11, killed in holiday accident
AN 11-year-old girl has died after a four-vehicle road crash on Bank Holiday Monday. The girl, believed to be from Bradford, was in the back of a red Mercedes that had broken down on the York-bound side of the A64 Malton bypass, in North Yorkshire, at
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New arrivals give firm an added Edge
COMMERCIAL property consultants Lamb and Edge have appointed MARK McKELVEY and KEITH FRAZER as partners and SARA COURTNEY as associate partner. Mr McKelvey, who works in the land development section of the company, joined Lamb and Edge as a trainee surveyor
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Sweet sorrows and a cracking contest
FOR reasons to which we may return, and little suspecting that Frankenstein's monster would make an unscheduled but wholly legitimate appearance, last week's column pondered a link between Werther's Originals and The Sorrows of Werther, a poem by William
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Missing girl 'tried to marry' her cousin
A RUNAWAY schoolgirl may have tried to marry her 23-year-old cousin after disappearing from her North-East home. Police believe 14-year-old Margaret O'Brien and James Patrick O'Brien asked a priest to carry out the ceremony after arriving in Northern
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Success story for arson strategy
A LINK-UP between the police and fire service to reduce the number of arson attacks in County Durham and Darlington has seen early success. The number of incidents has fallen by a third in the three months since the initiative - the first of its kind
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On TV
Hustle (BBC1) LAST year, Hustle breezed on to our screens like a breath of fresh air. Mind you, any series that doesn't feature coppers or medics as the leading characters is most welcome. Hustle belongs to the honourable tradition of stories about honourable
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Family tree website is flourishing
A WEBSITE designed to provide a shortcut for those researching their family tree has been extended. Durham Records Online, already believed to be the most comprehensive family history site in Britain, has added a further 20,000 records to its database
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You don't have to be rich to enjoy a wealth of options
A boom in the popularity of cruises will pay off for one specialist North Yorkshire business. Julia Breen looks at Sealand Cruising. You no longer have to win the Lottery to experience a holiday on a cruise ship. And rather than staying on board drinking
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Funky Augusta claims a record number of victims
Golf's biggest stars do not like to be made fools of - and now it has happened twice in under a year. Fifty-four balls in one lake on one hole in one day might be great for those watching, but not for those competing at golf's richest event. Fred Funk
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Sentence delay for drug pair
HUNDREDS of Ecstasy tablets were recovered when police raided a house in Darlington, a court heard yesterday. More than 200g of cannabis resin was also found at the address, in Chatsworth Terrace, in January. Kevin Shields, 23, of Salutation Road, Darlington
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Planning changes create nightmare
Recent changes in the planning system have done more harm than good, argue Robert Muckle's Donna Swan and Karen Read, associates in the planning unit of the property services group. Minister for Planning Keith Hill has moved to prevent the imminent collapse
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Civic trust to investigate hotel plan
HERITAGE campaigners are to investigate plans to demolish a pub and hotel on the edge of Darlington. The White Horse Hotel, in North Road, could be pulled down as part of proposals put forward by housing developers. Darlington Borough Council has received
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Video diary used to curb dog-fouling
POOP snoopers are making dirty movies to help clean up a city's streets. Street wardens are scouring estates with a video camera to crack down on dog owners who allow their pets to foul parks and footpaths. Peter Thompson, 46, and fellow street wardens
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Villagers urge 20mph limits in parish plan
A PARISH plan calling for 20mph speed limits to be introduced in residential areas has been published by villagers. The plan has been put together by the 320 residents of the Westow parish in Ryedale, which includes the villages of Westow, Firby and Kirkham
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Video diary used to curb dog-fouling
POOP snoopers are making dirty movies to help clean up a city's streets. Street wardens are scouring estates with a video camera to crack down on dog owners who allow their pets to foul parks and footpaths. Peter Thompson, 46, and fellow street wardens
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Retail slowdown worst since last autumn
Retailers are in the grips of their worst trading period since autumn last year, survey evidence from the sector showed today. Wintry weather and the reluctance of consumers to spend ahead of the Budget compounded a general slowdown in high street sales
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Jobs axed at UK banks
About 1,700 jobs are being axed at two major UK banks as part of a restructuring plan by their Australian owner, it was announced today. Jobs are under threat at the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Banks over the next 12 to 18 months. Yorkshire Bank has about
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Diggers move in at £1.3m centre
WORK has started on a £1.3m business centre for a former steel town. The Innovation Centre, in Consett, County Durham, aims to help tackle a serious shortage of office space in Derwentside. It will be marketed at expanding technology businesses. The centre
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Traders unite to save market
STALLHOLDERS have banded together to save an indoor market from closure. Traders at the Clifford Centre Family Indoor Market, in Stanley, have formed a company after the previous one, Stanley Markets Company, was made the subject of a winding-up order
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Vandals threaten future of 125-year-old football club
A 125-year-old football club could be on the brink of closure after repeated attacks by vandals. Evenwood Town AFC has suffered a series of break-ins, and fires have been started in the pavilion. Manager Ken Houlahan said not enough was being done by
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Turkey Twizzlers are banished forever as the Jamie effect bites
IMPROVEMENTS to school dinners in part of the region are being proposed in the wake of stinging criticism of their content by TV chef Jamie Oliver. The chef, whose efforts to wean children off processed fast food featured in recent programmes, will receive
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Cooper hedging his bets
DUNDEE United chief Eddie Thompson insists he is in no rush to appoint a new manager - but Neale Cooper could still walk out on Hartlepool United this week. Cooper, with his managerial stock high after leading Pool to the play-offs last season and putting
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'Ignore the doom merchants, we are doing fine'
Hundreds of jobs may be going at Peugeot's Coventry factory and the axe hangs over hundreds more at the Rover facility in Birmingham, but Britain remains one of the world's biggest car exporters. Nigel Burton reports. IT is hard to believe, but Britain
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Milner inspires England's young lions
NEWCASTLE UNITED'S James Milner helped to put England Under-21s' European Championships dream back on track at the Riverside Stadium last night against Group Six whipping boys Azerbaijan. Milner may have struggled to persuade Graeme Souness to pick him
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Arrival of manager raises curtain on new era for Gala
A NEW manager has been appointed to run one of the region's showpiece theatres that has been dogged by controversy. Simon Stallworthy, a former director of the Octagon Theatre, in Bolton, Lancashire, takes over the running of Durham's Gala Theatre next
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Why the NEETS are not to blame
SO now have the invasion of the NEETS. NEETS are the latest sub group identified by sociologists. It stands for young people Not in Employment, Education or Training - and without much hope, ambition or anything else either. Think Little Britain's Vicky
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Cousin in bid to wed missing schoolgirl
A RUNAWAY schoolgirl may have tried to marry her 23-year-old cousin after disappearing from her North-East home. Police believe 14-year-old Margaret O'Brien and James Patrick O'Brien asked a priest to carry out the ceremony after arriving in Northern
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'Railway could be best in country'
A FLOUNDERING railway has the potential to become one of the best heritage lines in the country according to rail experts. Weardale Railway has all the right ingredients to be among the top ten railway attractions in the country, according to Robin Jones
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Ken is fighting fit at 75
MARTIAL arts student Ken Nevison is very much alive and kicking at the age of 75. Mr Nevison, from Shildon, County Durham, celebrated reaching three quarters of a century by taking part in his weekly class at the town's martial arts centre. He was 58
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Waiting for Harry to work his magic
BOOK store chain Ottakar's is hoping the latest Harry Potter release will revive its fortunes, after a flat year. The group revealed yesterday that sales had fallen 1.6 per cent in the first seven weeks of the financial year. The fall, partly due to comparisons
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Sitting ducks at the Gates of Hell
It was crucial to the Allied war effort and involved almost unimaginable hardship, but 60 years on the sacrifices of those involved in the Arctic conveys still go unrecognised with a medal. Nick Morrison speaks to a survivor. BEAR Island is an almost
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Golden times for happy couple
A COUPLE who met at a town centre dance hall are still stepping out together after 50 years of marriage. Billy and Betty Marley, 73 and 71, of Weardale Street, Spennymoor, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on Monday with a family party. The
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'Railway could be best in country'
A FLOUNDERING railway has the potential to become one of the best heritage lines in the country according to rail experts. Weardale Railway has all the right ingredients to be among the top ten railway attractions in the country, according to Robin Jones
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Choir on song for charity
A fundraising event featuring the Marske Fishermen's Choir raised £760 in aid of the mayor's charities. Mike Findley, chairman of the Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council organised the charity night in support of Mayor Councillor Madge Moses
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Woman arrested after naked photo-shoot in Redcar
A blond in her 20s who had posed naked - all but for a pair of shoes - for a photo-shoot in Redcar High Street and a woman photographer, have both been arrested by Cleveland Police for outraging public decency and released with a caution. A Force spokesman
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Sword burglary may lead to jail
A MAN is facing prison after admitting burglary while brandishing a samurai sword. Marlon Claughan, 25, burst into a house in Lightfoot Terrace, Ferryhill, County Durham, on March 18. Yesterday, he appeared at Teesside Crown Court and entered a guilty
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Ken is fighting fit at 75
MARTIAL arts student Ken Nevison is very much alive and kicking at the age of 75. Mr Nevison, from Shildon, County Durham, celebrated reaching three quarters of a century by taking part in his weekly class at the town's martial arts centre. He was 58
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Protestors gather over plan to sell-off town's car parks
PROTESTORS fighting council plans to sell off car parks and open spaces in their home town will today hand over a 3,000-name petition. Residents and traders in Richmond collected the signatures over the Easter weekend. They believe that selling the Station
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Discriminate and you won't have a prayer
On January 10, a Nottingham employment tribunal gave judgement in one of the first cases of religious discrimination to make it to trial. The case involved a residential social worker who, when applying for her job in November 2003, made it clear that
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Man locked up for violent attack on pregnant girl
A MAN was locked up yesterday for hitting a pregnant girl with a piece of wood. David Devine, 20, had been reported to police for harassing his victim Sasha Richardson, also 20, over a claimed £300 debt owed by her former boyfriend. Devine bombarded her
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Arrival of manager raises curtain on new era for Gala
A NEW manager has been appointed to run one of the region's showpiece theatres that has been dogged by controversy. Simon Stallworthy, a former director of the Octagon Theatre, in Bolton, Lancashire, takes over the running of Durham's Gala Theatre next
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Vandals threaten future of 125-year-old football club
A 125-year-old football club could be on the brink of closure after repeated attacks by vandals. Evenwood Town AFC has suffered a series of break-ins, and fires have been started in the pavilion. Manager Ken Houlahan said not enough was being done by
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Sven stays calm as England expects
SVEN Goran Eriksson last night hailed the current England squad as "the best" he had ever managed, but warned a goal-hungry North-East public not to expect a World Cup walkover against unfancied Azerbaijan. The England boss has been keen to dampen down
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Why the NEETS are not to blame
A new generation of NEETS (young people Not in Employment, Education or Training) has come to plague us, but do we really have room to criticise? SO now have the invasion of the NEETS. NEETS are the latest sub group identified by sociologists. It stands
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Sweet sorrows and a cracking contest
FOR reasons to which we may return, and little suspecting that Frankenstein's monster would make an unscheduled but wholly legitimate appearance, last week's column pondered a link between Werther's Originals and The Sorrows of Werther, a poem by William
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McCarthy has three worries
MICK McCARTHY is facing an anxious 72 hours as he assesses the extent of Sunderland's triple injury blow ahead of two of the club's most important games of the season. The Black Cats travel to play-off hopefuls Queens Park Rangers on Saturday before the
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Injury makes Morrison more determined
JAMES MORRISON missed out on a first Under-21s cap at the Riverside Stadium last night but the Middlesbrough youngster's heartache has made his determination to succeed even stronger. The Boro midfielder has not played since February 24 after surgery
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Four admit affray
FOUR men have admitted charges of affray. The four, who appeared at Teesside Crown Court, were Shaun Robert Hutchinson, 24, of Bright Street, Paul Michael Horsley, 20, Steven Edward Stephenson, 23, both of Yarm Road, and John Patrick Welch, 19, of Geneva
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Pools will act after bottle incident
A FOOTBALL club has promised to take action after three of its supporters were ejected from an away fixture after throwing an object at a referee. The Hartlepool United fans were removed from Blackpool FC's Bloomfield Road ground after a bottle was thrown
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Bupa to sell hospitals for £10m
PRIVATE healthcare specialist Bupa last night confirmed it was in exclusive talks over the £100m sale of ten hospitals. The venture capital operation of insurer Legal and General, which owns Vue Cinemas and the Unique Pub Company, is believed to be the
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Estate of the art at farm project
An innovative scheme to convert redundant farm buildings into commercial property for the Blagdon Estate - to the north of Newcastle - is a step closer following the appointment of D.P. Builders as contractor for the £2m development to be known as Horton
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Is Beckham's star now a falling one?
David Beckham is approaching the international crossroads - and which way will he go? His England performances have been uninspiring and Cheif Sports Writer Scott Wilson looks at the role of the captain. FROM spectacularly unstoppable to seemingly undroppable
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Contract firm creates jobs in move to new premises
A manufacturing company is expected to double its workforce and turnover as it moves to a new business park in Hartlepool. Quality Roofing Systems (QRS) which specialises in conservatory roofs, has become the second business to move to the Queens Meadow
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Boys died in 'capital' of railway vandalism
A RAILWAY line where two schoolboys were killed by a train was last night named as the national vandalism hotspot. Darlington was the worst place for railway vandalism in England, Scotland and Wales last year, figures have revealed. It was also the seventh-worst
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Scheme challenges violent partners
AN initiative that aims to challenge the behaviour of violent partners is launched in Darlington today. The domestic violence perpetrator programme is the first of its kind and is due to be rolled out across the region by the end of the year. The programme
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Hughes playing for future
Despite earning a recall on Monday, Darlington's Chris Hughes admits he's playing for his long-term future at the club. Hughes was one of six changes to the line-up at Bristol Rovers and made an instant impression, setting-up Craig Russell's goal after
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Crush death firm admits blunder
The company in charge of a construction site where a worker was crushed to death by the portable building he was delivering has admitted a safety blunder. Marc Channon, 31, had taken the cabin to Seymour Civil Engineering's site, in Ryal, Northumberland
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Piano appeal strikes global chord
A CAMPAIGN to keep a grand piano in the region has struck a global chord. International musicians have sent letters of support to campaigners trying to raise enough money to buy a Steinway, which is the centre piece of recitals at the Sir William Turners
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Plans for affordable homes are unveiled
MORE than 150 affordable homes are to be built on 22 sites in North Yorkshire as part of a multi-million pound project. Housing minister Keith Hill has given North Yorkshire County Council the go-ahead to use money raised by cutting the council tax discount
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Aerobatics training starts
RESIDENTS are being warned about an increase in flying from RAF Leeming. The display pilot from 100 Squadron, based at RAF Leeming, will start practising aerobatic displays on April 4. He will then practise twice a day until April 27 during the time slots
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Pilot scheme is going swimmingly
A PILOT scheme that taught hundreds of the region's children to swim, is to be rolled out nationally. One in five children reaches the age of 11 without being able to swim. But the pilots in County Durham and Bristol, involving 4,000 children, have shown
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Duelling Banjos should call the tune
DUELLING BANJOS (5.10) looks well worth waiting for in the finale of a busy seven-race card at Folkestone this afternoon. John Akehurst's six-year-old proved himself to be in excellent fettle when scoring last time out over a mile-and-a-half on the polytrack
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Falcons set for France with nothing to lose
IF Dave Walder is feeling any nerves ahead of the biggest game in Newcastle Falcons' history, he isn't showing it. In jovial mood as the countdown to Saturday's Heineken Cup quarter-final clash with Stade Francais in Paris begins, the Newcastle-born fly-half
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University concert about to be sell-out
THE first gig in years at a university looks likely to sell out this week, and a second has been arranged. Durham Student Union's Dunelm House once played host to scores of top-name bands, but has not staged any gigs, except student-only events, for years
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Addict fled police patrol
A FATHER and daughter were injured when a heroin addict crashed a stolen car into their vehicle while fleeing from the police. Brian Ramshaw, 27, had taken heroin and was using the stolen Ford Escort to pick up more when police tried to pull him over
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Student withdraws claims against Rooney
A 22-year-old student has withdrawn claims that England footballer Wayne Rooney assaulted him in a nightclub brawl, police said today. Police launched an investigation into allegations that the Manchester United striker assaulted Patrick Hanrahan in the
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MPs who make pro-Christian group see red
A RELIGIOUS organisation has reported on the voting record of North-East MPs. The Christian Institute said it had released the record covering ballots on 23 Parliamentary votes - giving red crosses to those that did not comply with its translation of
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How Eaga helped John change from a miner to a major jobs provider
After John Clough was asked by his bosses at British Coal to come up with a closure strategy for North-East pits, he swore to replace jobs lost in the region. Deputy Business Editor Dan Jenkins reports on his success. THE Eaga Partnership sounds too good
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Suspended mascot pleads for new chance
A FOOTBALL mascot is pleading with his club to give him a second chance after being arrested on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs. Lee Kelly, 34, who has dressed up as Darlington Football Club mascot Mr Q at home matches, was suspended from his voluntary
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Farmer fears ruin if university extends
A £500m plan to create a university super-campus will leave a family's life in ruins, a farmer said yesterday. Chris Hawkswell was born at Lime Tree Farm, Heslington, York, and has spent his life farming the 300 acres of land. The 45-year-old had hoped
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£280m funding to transform school meals
Education Secretary Ruth Kelly announced an extra £280 million today to ''transform'' the quality of school dinners. The funding package includes a requirement that schools spend at least 50p per pupil per day for all primary schools, and 60p per pupil
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Murdered Joanne's body released for funeral
The body of jobcentre worker Joanne Nelson was released to her family for burial today after a coroner opened and adjourned the inquest into her death. The 22-year-old's body was discovered in woodland near Malton, North Yorkshire, last Thursday after
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Chey flies the North-East flag on awards shortlist
A FORMER tea girl who rose to become a call centre magnate is in line to win a top national award for women in business. Chey Garland is one of five women shortlisted for the Veuve Clicquot award. Her company is the region's second largest private employer
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Man denies raping girl as she slept
A MAN allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl as she slept, a court heard. Derek Daniels denies raping the girl and also pleads not guilty to two counts of indecent assault said to have been committed against another 13-year-old girl. Euan Duff, prosecuting
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Souness is the inspiration for Dyer's major turnaround
KIERON Dyer has revealed that Graeme Souness' battle against Scotland's boo-boys inspired him to win over the festering fans that were threatening to end his Newcastle career. Dyer's season will have come full circle if he is cheered onto St James' Park
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Mystery of bus tragedy student
AN inquest was opened yesterday into the death of a university student who was hit by a bus. Richard Hyde, 21, was hit as he tried to cross the A693 in New Kyo, near Stanley, in County Durham, at 6.40am last Monday. The student had left his silver Vauxhaull
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Driver facing jail for death crash
A JUDGE has warned a driver who admitted causing the death of a young woman that he can expect to receive a lengthy prison sentence. Lee Aaron Fitzgerald, 25, of Hartlepool, arrived at Teesside Crown Court yesterday on crutches, due to the injuries he
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A really bad performance
YESTERDAY, Jonathan King emerged from prison and declared that he'd had a "fantastic" time behind bars. He went on to make a series of absurd statements, which show him to be a dangerous fantasist and which underline why he should not have been released
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Cousin in bid to wed missing schoolgirl
A RUNAWAY schoolgirl may have tried to marry her 23-year-old cousin after disappearing from her North-East home. Police believe 14-year-old Margaret O'Brien and James Patrick O'Brien asked a priest to carry out the ceremony after arriving in Northern
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Expansion plans for apprentice scheme
The LSC Tees Valley has confirmed it is extending its groundbreaking Young Apprenticeship initiative across the area. Tenders to deliver the Young Apprenticeships are currently being accepted from learning providers from across the Tees Valley with the
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Offshoring will not sink call centre industry
The closure of the Lloyds TSB call centre in Newcastle was heralded as the death of the industry in the region. But earlier this month, it was back in business for a different corporation. Deputy Business Editor Dan Jenkins meets the County Durham woman
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Why the NEETS are not to blame
A new generation of NEETS (young people Not in Employment, Education or Training) has come to plague us, but do we really have room to criticise? SO now have the invasion of the NEETS. NEETS are the latest sub group identified by sociologists. It stands
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Mother dies while waiting for cure
A young mother-of-four has died after a world-wide search by doctors failed to find a cure for her heart condition. Emma Hall died in hospital on Easter Saturday aged just 22, after losing a six month fight for life against a mystery virus which attacked
