Archive
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N-E contractor is 16th victim in three days as Iraq violence flares
THE Foreign Office has offered any assistance it can to the widow of a North-East man killed by Iraqi insurgents. The un-named 44-year-old, from Consett, County Dur-ham, was killed by a roadside bomb as he headed towards Baghdad Airport on Thursday morning
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Honours for bank staff
BANK staff from around the North-East have been rewarded for the personal investments they have made in their communities. Each year, Barclays Bank recognises the individuals and teams who have made extraordinary contributions to their communities, customers
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Music for charities
A BRASS band will hold its 17th spring concert to raise money for the NSPCC and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Bedale Brass Band will perform at Bedale High School on May 7, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £6 each and are available from G Dawkins Motorcycles
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Yorkshire ready to hammer home advantage
Buoyed by Ian Harvey and Tim Bresnan's record-breaking eighth wicket partnership, Yorkshire took an even firmer grip on Somerset by making the visitors follow on, 319 runs in arrears at Headingley yesterday. By the close they had reached 109 for four
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Mental health focus on arts competition
A HEALTH service is looking to help dispel the stigma too often attached to mental health. People using mental health and learning disability services across the Teesside and surrounding area are being urged to take part in an art competition launched
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UK's economic growth is slowing down gradually
The UK economy grew by an estimated 0.6 per cent in the first three months of this year despite industrial output falling for the third quarter in a row, official data showed. The figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) were in line with
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Breakers yard plan approved
A MOTOR company's plans to expand by building a car recycling centre on Aycliffe Industrial Estate have been approved. G H Palin and Sons secured planning permission to build a breakers behind its workshop in Carlbury Road, from Durham County Council's
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Victory is King's only hope
Consett manager Jon King knows only victory will do when his side go to Whitley Bay today. Consett have dropped into the bottom three following Tow Law's revival and, with just three games left and a two-point gap to close on the Lawyers, relegation back
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Child sex shame of ex-Boys' Brigade leader
A FORMER Boys' Brigade leader from the North-East was jailed yesterday after admitting a string of child sex attacks and Internet pornography offences. David Bell and Jonathan Scarcliffe pleaded guilty to 26 charges earlier this year, ranging from making
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Woman left crash scene
A WOMAN who drove away from an accident that left a driver with broken bones in his back is being sought by police. The accident happened on the B6532 road, from Durham to Sacriston, on Thursday. At about 5.45pm, a metallic red 4x4 car, possibly a Range
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Show goes walkies, but will Rovers return?
A NATIONALLY important dog show that has been staged in the same town for nearly 150 years will move to another town this year. The Darlington Dog Show Society's Championship Show has been held in Darlington since 1860. But this September, the three-day
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Show goes walkies, but will Rovers return?
A NATIONALLY important dog show that has been staged in the same town for nearly 150 years will move to another town this year. The Darlington Dog Show Society's Championship Show has been held in Darlington since 1860. But this September, the three-day
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Drugs gang get longer in prison
AN eight-strong drugs gang snared by police after a lengthy undercover operation will have to serve even longer in jail, because of a change in judges' sentencing powers. The eight, all Darlington men, had been handed sentences earlier this month totalling
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Canadian firm splashes out £259m on water shares
ONE of Canada's largest financial institutions has splashed out £259m for a 25 per cent stake in Northumbrian Water. Suez Environment announced yesterday it has sold its 130m shares in Northumbrian to Ontario Teachers, a Canadian pension fund. Jim Leech
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Firefighter Souness to extinguish the flames
GRAEME SOUNESS has pledged he will continue to tackle head on the off-field problems which have plagued his first season in charge at St James' Park, with the Newcastle boss expected to draw up an end of season code of conduct in a bid to keep his errant
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Hodgson confident his big problem is to be remedied
EXPECTING the unexpected has been something Darlington fans have reluctantly become accustomed to this season but that may be may about to change, according to manager David Hodgson. Despite Quakers' array of former Premiership talent, 'what you see is
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Train operator rejects union claims of 'inflated fares'
OFFICIALS from train operator GNER last night dismissed as "selective and flawed" a study that said its passengers pay inflated fares. Figures from the RMT union suggested people using the East Coast Main Line were paying about three times more per mile
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Offshore fabricator makes half workforce redundant
SCORES of offshore workers are to be laid off today, after completing a major contract. Administrators at the troubled McNulty yard, in South Tyneside, last night confirmed it was making 160 staff redundant - more than half the workforce. The South Shields
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Vandal-hit electrician wires his car to mains
AN electrician whose life was made a misery by car vandals decided to exact his revenge by wiring his vehicle to the mains. Peter Bayles snapped after months of non-stop attacks on his cars parked outside his home in Eldon, near Bishop Auckland, County
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Woman's heroin Kinder Surprise
A woman who hid a Kinder egg full of heroin in her underwear told a court she had beaten her addiction. At Newcastle Crown Court yesterday, Michelle Buckley, 27, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin with intent to supply. Andrew Holmes, prosecuting,
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Youngsters drum their cares away at workshop
CHILDREN in care have been banging the drum to help relieve the pressures of their daily lives. More than 60 youngsters - either in care or carers themselves - attended a day-long workshop in Ripon designed to build their self-esteem through music. Part
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US photographer's work goes on show
AN exhibition of the work of one of America's greatest photographers is coming to the region at the end of the month. The Green Dragon Museum, in Stockton, will be showing a collection of work by Edward Weston. The exhibition, organised by the Hayward
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Premiership's first scorer closes in on another goal
Sunderland will be promoted today if they beat Leicester and rivals Ipswitch fail to win at Leeds. Cheif Sports Writer Scott Wilson talks to one Black Cat who already holds a special place in the history of the Premiership. IF you're compiling a list
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Pay bus damage bill, parents told
PARENTS are being asked to pay for damage their children caused to a school bus. A yellow school bus operated by Harrogate and District Travel, in North Yorkshire, had its interior smeared with margarine, which was spread over a closed circuit television
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Cutting speed in memory of Laura
YESTERDAY, The Northern Echo carried the heartbreaking story of Laura Burrows-Schofield, who was knocked down and killed by a speeding driver. Bike rider Laura, ten, of Durham, was hit by a car being driven at least 55mph in a 40mph zone. As a result,
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Offshore fabricator makes half workforce redundant
SCORES of offshore workers are to be laid off today, after completing a major contract. Administrators at the troubled McNulty yard, in South Tyneside, last night confirmed it was making 160 staff redundant - more than half the workforce. The South Shields
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McClaren happy to be the beneficiary of Robson's legacy
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren hailed the legacy left behind by predecessor Bryan Robson ahead of today's game with West Bromwich Albion. Robson returns to the Riverside for the first time in four years with his Baggies' side fighting for their Premiership
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Never again, says driver whose bag of crisps cost him a packet
A DRIVER whose quick snack at the wheel cost him £250 says he has tasted the wrong side of the law for the last time. Andrew Kitch, of Hullock Road, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was caught steering his removals van with his forearms and elbows as he
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Boateng ponders: should I stay or go
GEORGE Boateng last night delivered a chilling ultimatum to Middlesbrough's board as they begin to prepare for next season: "Improve the squad or I'm off." The Dutch international, who has only recently returned to action after breaking his toe in December
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Hopes fade of finding missing sports fan
POLICE chiefs have admitted that hopes of finding a North-East man, who went missing in Greece nearly eight months ago, have all but ended. Sports fanatic Melvyn Gamblin, of Darlington, travelled to Athens for the Olympic Games last year but, despite
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Depressed postman dumped letters
A DEPRESSED postman who failed to deliver more than 2,400 letters and leaflets, because he could not cope with his round, has been given a conditional discharge by the courts. Andrew McCardle, 21, of Derwent Crescent, Hamsterley, near Consett, County
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Pair quizzed over string of bogus caller robberies
TWO men were being held by police last night after being arrested in connection with 100 bogus caller burglaries across the North. They were arrested in Durham City yesterday by police investigating a series of incidents in which tens of thousands of
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Flying the flag to create banner
VILLAGERS are hoping to create a new miners' banner. A group is being formed at Brandon, near Durham City, to raise money and come up with designs for a replacement for a 1963 banner. They want to parade it at the Durham Big Meeting. The old banner, depicting
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Strachan adds Boyd to his list of star performers
GAVIN Strachan has played football with and against the best of them. In his early years as a professional, the Hartlepool United midfielder was part of Coventry's Premiership squad. While League One might be two rungs down from the top division, Strachan
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Chapel of no rest
After a slump in numbers, Harmby Methodist Church is now a draw for the devoted. SOMEWHERE in the hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, sung with great gusto last Sunday evening, there's a line about "Fix in us thine humble dwelling." It could almost
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I'm perching here - and I'm staying
A PROTESTING parrot breeder plans to perch on a giant grandfather clock until his confiscated birds are returned. Harry Sissen, 66, pitched a tent on the 30ft high wooden clock that he built in a field next to his home. He says he will stay there until
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Picnic for dogs to mark anniversary
ANIMAL welfare workers have organised a special day out for their four-legged friends. The Pooches Picnic is planned to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (SARA). It is hoped that as many as possible of the dogs
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Dolls with a serious message
A MODEL mockup that simulates the effects of a crash on the occupants of a car is being used to make young people aware of the importance of belting up. Road safety chiefs in Hartlepool are taking the device to schools in the town to demonstrate the dangers
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Boyd on Strachan's list of top performers
GAVIN Strachan has played football with and against the best of them. In his early years as a professional, the Hartlepool United midfielder was part of Coventry's Premiership squad. While League One might be two rungs down from the top division, Strachan
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Astle to arrive at Riverside
DURHAM have signed New Zealander Nathan Astle, scorer of the fastest double century in Test history, to replace skipper Mike Hussey when he teams up with the Australian one-day squad in mid-season. They are hoping the big-hitting Kiwi can light up their
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Firefighter Souness to extinguish the flames
GRAEME SOUNESS has pledged he will continue to tackle head on the off-field problems which have plagued his first season in charge at St James' Park, with the Newcastle boss expected to draw up an end of season code of conduct in a bid to keep his errant
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Determined Desmond gets his Way
AFTER years of campaigning for a clean-up of a walkway next to his house, Desmond Robson has got his own way - and had it named after him. The 81-year-old lives in Callum Close, off Brinkburn Road, in Darlington, and the walkway runs between his house
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Pub ambassador quits role
A CONTROVERSIAL "pub ambassador", who was appointed to improve the fortunes of dales landlords, called time on his job before it started, The Northern Echo has learnt. Len Alderson, who was appointed as the £15,000-a-year Mine Host co-ordinator for Weardale
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More than 70 arrests in drugs crackdown
POLICE have arrested more than 70 suspected street drug dealers. Heroin, cocaine and cannibas worth thousands of pounds were seized during swoops on houses in Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Northumberland, as well as large quantities of stolen
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Coaching duo take honours
DARLINGTON duo Phil Lancaster and Craig Lee have won the Coach of the Month award for March in National Three North. Four successive wins lifted the team out of the third relegation spot to mid-table safety and the coaches will be presented with tankards
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'We were met by a wall of bodies'
When Charles Hall was told his unit would be travelling behind enemy lines to take charge of a Nazi concentration camp, he could hardly have imagined the horrors he was about to encounter. Paul Willis meets a man who helped liberate Belsen. DURING a lull
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Museum hosts baby naming ceremonies
PARENTS who want to celebrate the birth of a baby can now do so at a museum in the region. The Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, is being offered as a venue for naming ceremonies. The ceremonies are increasing in popularity as a way for
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N-E contractor is 16th victim in three days as Iraq violence flares
THE Foreign Office has offered any assistance it can to the widow of a North-East man killed by Iraqi insurgents. The un-named 44-year-old, from Consett, County Dur-ham, was killed by a roadside bomb as he headed towards Baghdad Airport on Thursday morning
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N-E contractor is 16th victim in three days as Iraq violence flares
THE Foreign Office has offered any assistance it can to the widow of a North-East man killed by Iraqi insurgents. The un-named 44-year-old, from Consett, County Dur-ham, was killed by a roadside bomb as he headed towards Baghdad Airport on Thursday morning
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Lifting our hoops
A HULA hoop currently has pride of place in our front room. No, not the edible ones like the pencil-style, weight-lifting sports teacher in the clever ads currently running, but an impressive water-filled plastic one from the days of your childhood. My
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Under-threat GP service 'saved meningitis son'
THE parents of a three-year-old boy suffering from meningitis say his life was saved by swift action at an out-of-hours GP service threatened with cutbacks. Ethan Naylor was taken to the NHS service at Ripon Community Hospital, in North Yorkshire, by
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Child sex shame of ex-Boys' Brigade leader
A FORMER Boys' Brigade leader from the North-East was jailed yesterday after admitting a string of child sex attacks and Internet pornography offences. David Bell and Jonathan Scarcliffe pleaded guilty to 26 charges earlier this year, ranging from making
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Pair quizzed over string of bogus caller robberies
TWO men were being held by police last night after being arrested in connection with 100 bogus caller burglaries across the North. They were arrested in Durham City yesterday by police investigating a series of incidents in which tens of thousands of
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Train operator rejects union claims of 'inflated fares'
OFFICIALS from train operator GNER last night dismissed as "selective and flawed" a study that said its passengers pay inflated fares. Figures from the RMT union suggested people using the East Coast Main Line were paying about three times more per mile
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Never again, says driver whose bag of crisps cost him a packet
A DRIVER whose quick snack at the wheel cost him £250 says he has tasted the wrong side of the law for the last time. Andrew Kitch, of Hullock Road, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was caught steering his removals van with his forearms and elbows as he
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One-day specialist Killeen doubt for Durham
DURHAM will give a fitness test tomorrow to Neil Killeen before their totesport League match against Surrey at Riverside. Killeen has been their top one-day bowler in the last two seasons and is still seen as having a key role to play, despite being well
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Show goes walkies, but will Rovers return?
A NATIONALLY important dog show that has been staged in the same town for nearly 150 years will move to another town this year. The Darlington Dog Show Society's Championship Show has been held in Darlington since 1860. But this September, the three-day
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Cats' push is aided by a little Black magic
WHEN football managers talk about "being down to the bare bones", they are usually referring to a string of injuries. Not Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy. When he spoke about "bare bones" in the build-up to this afternoon's Stadium of Light showdown with
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Husted by my own petard
IT has been a week of shoo-ins. Chelsea are a shoo-in for the Premiership, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was a shoo-in for the papacy, Stuart Pearce is a shoo-in for the Manchester City manager's job. "Are there any Labour candidates in the North-East who
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Hopes fade of finding missing sports fan
POLICE chiefs have admitted that hopes of finding a North-East man, who went missing in Greece nearly eight months ago, have all but ended. Sports fanatic Melvyn Gamblin, of Darlington, travelled to Athens for the Olympic Games last year but, despite
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Letters - 23/04/05
PUPPET STATE: AS a former resident of Trimdon, now living in Canada, I doubt very much if Tony Blair will have the moral fortitude to debate with Reginald Keys on the illegal war in Iraq. It has cost hundreds of thousands of innocent lives and for what
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Joy as Jan gets all-clear
West Indian Imran Jan plays in Guisborough's opening game of the season in the Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League Premier Division game against Hartlepool at Fountains Garth this afternoon. "Imran has been suspended for two years by the Trinidad
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Farmers fear henges order would threaten livelihoods
ANGRY farmers say proposed restrictions on ploughing around an ancient monument could threaten their businesses. Consultants are putting together a conservation study for the future management of Thornborough Henges, near Bedale. One of the proposals
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Lifting our hoops
A HULA hoop currently has pride of place in our front room. No, not the edible ones like the pencil-style, weight-lifting sports teacher in the clever ads currently running, but an impressive water-filled plastic one from the days of your childhood. My
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Vandal-hit electrician wires his car to mains
AN electrician whose life was made a misery by car vandals decided to exact his revenge by wiring his vehicle to the mains. Peter Bayles snapped after months of non-stop attacks on his cars parked outside his home in Eldon, near Bishop Auckland, County
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Boateng ponders: should I stay or should I go
GEORGE Boateng last night delivered a chilling ultimatum to Middlesbrough's board as they begin to prepare for next season: "Improve the squad or I'm off." The Dutch international, who has only recently returned to action after breaking his toe in December
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When the baloon goes up
Director Roger Michell has just finished filming the best seller Enduring Love. But he still regrets not finishing his Captain Corelli project, he tells Steve Pratt. IT WAS no accident that Hugh Grant was reading the novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin in
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Big tickets giveaway starts today
TICKETS for a star-studded concert in the North-East will be given away this weekend. BBC Radio One hosts a free music event for 30,000 people in Sunderland, on Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and 8. A final line-up of stars appearing at the Big Weekender
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Woman left crash scene
A WOMAN who drove away from an accident that left a driver with broken bones in his back is being sought by police. The accident happened on the B6532 road, from Durham to Sacriston, on Thursday. At about 5.45pm, a metallic red 4x4 car, possibly a Range
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Girls were persuaded to strip by bogus filmmaker
A BOGUS filmmaker who made hundreds of videos of naked teenage girls was jailed for six years yesterday. Lawrence Petch gave his business card to schoolgirls, who flocked to his house in dinner breaks and at weekends. He bought a wardrobe of outfits for
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More than 70 arrests in drugs crackdown
POLICE have arrested more than 70 suspected street drug dealers. Heroin, cocaine and cannibas worth thousands of pounds were seized during swoops on houses in Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Northumberland, as well as large quantities of stolen
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Depressed postman dumped letters
A DEPRESSED postman who failed to deliver more than 2,400 letters and leaflets, because he could not cope with his round, has been given a conditional discharge by the courts. Andrew McCardle, 21, of Derwent Crescent, Hamsterley, near Consett, County
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Murder probe after stabbing victim dies
A MURDER investigation has been launched after a 23-year-old man died from a single stab wound to the chest. Police were called to a disturbance in the Grove Hill area of Middlesbrough, at about 10.30pm on Thursday, after calls from the public. A 23-year-old
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Disney to launch its own range of video games
DISNEY is to publish its own video games for the UK and Europe, it announced yesterday. Buena Vista Games (BVG), the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company, will launch a range of games aimed at extending its appeal to a wider audience
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Comment: Stories that had to be told
YESTERDAY, The Northern Echo told the story of Toni Zwaak, the North-East grandmother who survived the horrors of the Belsen concentration camp 60 years ago. We know from the response we have had how much her account moved our readers, reducing some to
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Cutting speed in memory of Laura
YESTERDAY, The Northern Echo carried the heartbreaking story of Laura Burrows-Schofield, who was knocked down and killed by a speeding driver. Bike rider Laura, ten, of Durham, was hit by a car being driven at least 55mph in a 40mph zone. As a result,
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When the baloon goes up
Director Roger Michell has just finished filming the best seller Enduring Love. But he still regrets not finishing his Captain Corelli project, he tells Steve Pratt. IT WAS no accident that Hugh Grant was reading the novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin in
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Top award for safety won by race track
A RACECOURSE is first past the post when it comes to safety matters. Redcar Racecourse has won an International Safety Award, presented by the British Safety Council. David Ballard, the council's director general, said: "The International Safety Awards
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Museum hosts baby naming ceremonies
PARENTS who want to celebrate the birth of a baby can now do so at a museum in the region. The Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, is being offered as a venue for naming ceremonies. The ceremonies are increasing in popularity as a way for
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Student hopes to build on her winning formula
AWARD-WINNING student Kay Devlin is hoping to build on her success after being named North-East student of the year. The 42-year-old from Bishop Auckland was nominated by her tutors at Darlington College of Technology for the award in a competition run
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Murder probe after stabbing victim dies
A MURDER investigation has been launched after a 23-year-old man died from a single stab wound to the chest. Police were called to a disturbance in the Grove Hill area of Middlesbrough, at about 10.30pm on Thursday, after calls from the public. A 23-year-old
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Drugs gang get longer in prison
AN eight-strong drugs gang snared by police after a lengthy undercover operation will have to serve even longer in jail, because of a change in judges' sentencing powers. The eight, all Darlington men, had been handed sentences earlier this month totalling
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Hignett's backing for reborn Robson
Bryan Robson makes a return to Middlesbrough today, with his West Brom side. Cheif Sports Writer Scott Wilson reviews his Teesside times with former Boro favourite Craig Hignett. WHEN Bryan Robson hurried into The Hawthorns last November, few Middlesbrough
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Pub ambassador quits role on day scheme is launched
A CONTROVERSIAL "pub ambassador", who was appointed to improve the fortunes of dales landlords, called time on his job before it started, The Northern Echo has learnt. Len Alderson, who was appointed as the £15,000-a-year Mine Host co-ordinator for Weardale
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Agency merger could lead to more prosperous dales
TWO development agencies could merge in a move to improve business support across two dales. Wear Valley District Council has called a meeting on Thursday to discuss plans that would bring Wear Valley Development Agency and Teesdale Enterprise Agency
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Hodgson happy his problem is solved
EXPECTING the unexpected has been something Darlington fans have reluctantly become accustomed to this season but that may be may about to change, according to manager David Hodgson. Despite Quakers' array of former Premiership talent, 'what you see is
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Girl goes missing after mum disappears
POLICE are searching for a missing teenager with a rare illness that makes her face swell up if it is exposed to sunlight. On Monday, April 4, 16-year-old Imam Dusabimana went missing from her home in Newcastle. Iman, who always wears a hat, left a note
