Archive
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Amec clinches £25m Shell gas contract
ENGINEERING group Amec has won a £25m contract with Shell. The group, which has its industrial division based in Darlington, and is one of the town's largest employers, said the contract involved designing and delivering a facility to receive gas from
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Sainsbury's on way up after slump
SUPERMARKET chain Sainsbury's said it was seeing early signs of improvement despite a 62 per cent slump in annual profits to £254m. The group said same-store sales fell by 0.4 per cent in the year to March 26 but had risen 1.7 per cent during the final
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Principal backed in bullying dispute
THE former executive head of a pioneering school hit by claims of bullying and truancy has attacked education chiefs over the suspension of its headteacher. The Northern Echo revealed earlier this month how Karen Pemberton had been suspended from her
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Cleared of speeding - the 159mph policeman
A police constable who reached 159mph while "familiarising himself" with a new patrol car was yesterday cleared of dangerous driving and speeding after a judge criticised the decision to prosecute him. District Judge Bruce Morgan, sitting at Ludlow Magistrates
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Nigel defends title on home turf
A SPENNYMOOR boxer will fight on home ground for the first time in his professional career, it was announced this week. After four years as a professional, Nigel Wright will embark on the first defence of his English light-welterweight title at Spennymoor
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Nursery carer rewarded for going the extra mile
A NURSERY carer has been recognised as the best in the region for her hard work and dedication to children. Elizabeth Murphy, who works at Ferndale Lodge Nursery, in Elton Parade, Darlington, has been named Children Nursery Carer of the Year for the North-East
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Region bucks unemployment trend
THE North-East bucked the national trend again after figures showed unemployment had fallen by 8,000 to 5.5 per cent over the past month. The figures from the Office for National Statistics showed jobs continued to be lost in manufacturing, down to a
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North-East expansions bring 100 jobs
ALMOST 100 jobs are to be created by two companies who are expanding in the North-East. Siemens Business Services - which came under fire last year for planning to offshore work from Durham- is to double its 70-strong workforce, while Komatsu Reman is
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Operation Payback proves successful
CRIMINALS are losing millions of pounds in cash and assets in a major police clampdown - which the villains themselves are funding. In the ultimate irony, seized money and goods are being used to finance the region-wide campaign to take the profit out
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Help for MS sufferers
PEOPLE suffering from the debilitating disease Multiple Sclerosis can benefit from an aromatherapy service launched by the Butterwick Hospice at Bishop Auckland. The service is free to people living in Wear Valley and Teesdale and offers sufferers relaxing
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'Medical procedure could have led to patient's death'
A PATIENT who died within two days of going into hospital may have bled to death as a result of a medical procedure that went wrong, an inquest heard yesterday. Robert Swan, 65, was admitted to the University Hospital of Hartlepool last October, a month
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Couple evicted from house are forced to live in a tent
A FORMER soldier is living under canvas with his wife after they lost their home because they ran up £2,500 rent arrears. Kevin Howe, 45, who said he was now too ill to work, said he and wife, Susan, 39, will camp out beside the River Tees at Barnard
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Top Ten To Rent
UK DVD/VIDEO RENTAL: 1 (-) Meet The Fockers 2 (1) National Treasure 3 (-) Sideways 4 (3) White Noise 5 (2) Blade Trinity 6 (7) House Of Flying Daggers 7 (4) Without A Paddle 8 (6) Manchurian Candidate 9 (-) SpongeBob The Movie 10 (9) Phantom Of The Opera
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League of Gentleman tour dates
THE comedy team behind the BBC hit programme The League of Gentlemen is coming to the North-East later this year. The comedians are going on a 22-date national tour with their new act, The League of Gentlemen Are Behind You, and will perform in Sunderland
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6... and out of this world
The sci-fi saga born a long, long, time ago is finally over. Steve Pratt talks to the genius behind Star Wars, George Lucas, and gains the views of Anthony Daniels, Ian McDiarmid and Hayden Christensen. GEORGE Lucas could be forgiven for breathing a sigh
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Dad At Large: From lads to dads - many nappy returns
THERE is a rash of new dads in the office. Or should that be a nappy rash? Paul, Nick, Nigel and Adam all seem to have got bored with what was on telly at the same time, and it's been a joy watching the big build-up to their entry into the world of fatherhood
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Tenants decide homes future
COUNCIL house tenants in Derwentside are being asked for their views on the future of housing in the district. Derwentside District Council is considering transferring ownership and management of its 7,600 dwellings to a new non-profit organisation. One
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Robbie is top learner
A FORMER factory worker from Derwentside has won a national award after turning his life around to train as a occupational therapist. Robbie Mallows, 43, of Consett, is the National Adult Learners' Week Winner 2005 after beating off competition from more
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Celebrating top learners
A CEREMONY to celebrate the achievements of adult learners in Darlington is being staged this week. The event, at the Town Hall tomorrow, marks the beginning of Adult Learners' Week - a national initiative to raise awareness about adult learning opportunities
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Bus station ban sought
EFFORTS are to be made to prevent a teenage nuisance hanging around Consett bus station. Officials want to ban 19-year-old Lee Peacock from the bus station after he admitted taking part in an assault there one evening last September. Durham Crown Court
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McClaren ready to confirm his future lies on Teesside
STEVE McClaren is ready to end months of speculation over his future by shaking hands on a new contract when he meets Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson tomorrow. Despite Sven-Goran Eriksson identifying him as his likely successor last week, the Boro
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Who's above the law?
LAST month, we carried a tragic story concerning ten-year-old Laura Burrows-Schofield, who was killed when she was knocked off her bike by a speeding driver. The car was travelling at 55mph in a 40mph zone in Durham and experts said Laura would not have
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News from the Guilds and WIs
Annfield Plain WI: MRS Collin presided over the AGM, extending a warm welcome to WI adviser Freda Weatherspoon and tellers Mrs Moorcroft and Mrs Riley. The Golden Thread entitled Hands, was given by Mavis Crawford and the item of interest, a fascinating
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Spot-kick star Scott hails his penalty heroes
AS a regular penalty-taker during his days with Sunderland, Martin Scott knows a thing or two about scoring from the spot. But even his experiences couldn't prepare Hartlepool United's caretaker manager for Tuesday night's dramatic events. A 2-0 victory
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Sex, lives and statistics
Statistics may have lost some of their authority through misuse, but they still underpin almost every aspect of modern life. Nick Morrison looks at a portrait of Britain by numbers. IT all started with the Domesday Book. Commissioned by William the Conqueror
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Tutor's mountain challenge
A COLLEGE tutor is determined to overcome his health problems to climb the world's tallest mountain - outside a mountain range - and raise funds for homeless children and orphans. Mike Applegarth, 48, a lecturer in computing at Darlington College of Technology
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Safer travel to schools as traffic-free routes unveiled
THREE new traffic-free routes designed to make it safer for children to get to and from school are to open next week. Darlington Borough Council has joined forces for the scheme with green charity Sustrans, which promotes sustainable travel. The Department
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Club hails cancer sufferer
THE inspiring story of a cancer sufferer has led to a £1,000 donation to charity. Darlington Women's Club will hand the money over to Breakthrough Breast Cancer at its annual meeting next month. Club president Vera Hughes chose to support the cause after
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Patients get benefits advice
PATIENTS visiting GPs in two south Durham towns will also be offered advice about claiming benefits. Trained advisors will be based in the Bishopgate Medical Centre, Bishop Auckland, and Willington Medical Group under an agreement signed by the Durham
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Listening to wheelie bin complaints
PEOPLE in Howden-le-Wear with complaints about new wheelie bins are meeting council managers today. Councillor David Quinn is one of several residents unhappy about the bins, which have been introduced throughout the Wear Valley District during the past
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Change is 'definite plus' for authority
A LOCAL authority's bid to improve after a critical report has been given a boost after a new style of leadership was voted in unanimously. In a comprehensive performance assessment report, Teesdale District Council was given a rating of poor and criticised
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Funding to give others gift of sight
A BID is being made to increase the number of sight-saving transplants in the North-East. Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital has been designated an eye retrieval centre and will receive £70,000 a year for three years from NHS UK Transplant
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Fire brigade confirms first female chief
A NORTH-EAST fire brigade yesterday confirmed the appointment of Britain's first female fire chief. Susan Johnson is also the first non-uniformed head of a brigade in the country. She will take over at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority
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Chance for young people to get share of cash windfalls
YOUNG people across Sedgefield borough could get their hands on cash being offered through a new grants scheme. The Koolkash initiative is offering £150,000 to community and voluntary projects and clubs for five to 19-year-olds. Windfalls of up to £2,000
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Retrial order made over slapping case
A JUDGE yesterday ordered a retrial in the case of a teacher accused of slapping a pupil. District Judge Michael Wood abandoned the trial of science teacher Ron Harbottle following legal arguments at Consett Magistrates' Court, County Durham. He said
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Transport operator's free travel warning
A TRANSPORT operator has said it will be left with a shortfall of millions of pounds following Government plans to provide free travel for elderly and disabled people. Nexus will tell the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport (PTA) next Thursday that it is
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Celebrating the cream of 100 years
A CREAMERY launched its centenary celebrations yesterday. The Arla Foods creamery in Northallerton has put on a photographic display in Northallerton Town Hall. The event opened yesterday and runs until tomorrow. More than 130 people are now employed
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Pupils put heart into skipping
YOUNGSTERS put their skipping skills to good use yesterday to raise money for charity. Pupils at South Otterington Primary School, near Northallerton, took part in a sponsored skip. The event was part of a national initiative organised by the British
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Successful physiotherapy programme expands
A PILOT scheme giving patients direct access to physiotherapists has been so successful that it is being launched across Hambleton and Richmondshire. Since October, patients in Northallerton have been able to call a dedicated phone number and speak to
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Waiting list has doubled in 3 years
THE number of people on the council house waiting list in Durham City has almost doubled in less than three years. Since October 2002, the numbers waiting for a council house have gone up from 1,815 to 3,528 this month. At the same time, council house
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Showmen site plan rejected by authority
PLANS to create a site for travelling showmen on the outskirts of a village have been unanimously rejected. About 50 objectors packed a room at Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough, for a planning meeting about the site at Nun Monkton, between York and Harrogate
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Youth sport day attracts 1,400
MORE than 1,400 children have competed in a youth games event. The sixth annual North Yorkshire Youth Games was held at Ampleforth College, near York, earlier this month. The event attracted youngsters from all eight districts in North Yorkshire to compete
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Charity needs trainee dance teachers
AGE Concern is looking for people to train as dance teachers for those over 60. The charity has teamed up with Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) to train people to lead exercise classes to music for older people. Extend, a national
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Tristar rates one star in Audit Commission report
A COMPANY in charge of running council housing stock has come under fire from a Government watchdog. The Audit Commission said the housing management and maintenance service provided by Tristar Homes, on behalf of Stockton Borough Council, was rated fair
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Series of cruel acts on animals
ANIMAL lovers say they have been sickened by a series of grisly discoveries at a nature reserve. Managers at the Hylton Dene Nature Reserve in Sunderland have been horrified by the recent finds of a drowned puppy, a decapitated mallard and a moorhen which
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How my little brother saved my life
TODDLER Jude Phillipson is only two years old, but he has already saved his big sister's life. Simone Phillipson, nine, was born with a rare bone marrow deficiency which affected her heart, hands, body and brain artery. Specialists said that without an
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Retrial order made over slapping case
A JUDGE yesterday ordered a retrial in the case of a teacher accused of slapping a pupil. District Judge Michael Wood abandoned the trial of science teacher Ron Harbottle following legal arguments at Consett Magistrates' Court, County Durham. He said
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Town's new peer once voted to scrap Lords
RETIRED MP Derek Foster was made a peer last week, then admitted he once voted to scrap the House of Lords altogether. The former Bishop Auckland MP, who stood down at the election after 26 years, was among 16 Labour peers created by Tony Blair to make
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Killer tells jury he was attacked by victim first
A KILLER who snapped and attacked his disabled landlord with a table leg said he had been assaulted first. Keith Jones told police he could not remember killing Robert Carter, 62, known as Jack, on January 4, at his east Cleveland home, but said the disabled
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NVQ students win plumbing awards
TWO plumbing students from north Durham have celebrated success in the regional heat of a trade competition. The New College Durham apprentices took part in the North-East round of the British Plumbing Employers' Council (BPEC) skills competition. Jordan
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Series of cruel acts on animals
ANIMAL lovers say they have been sickened by a series of grisly discoveries at a nature reserve. Managers at the Hylton Dene Nature Reserve in Sunderland have been horrified by the recent finds of a drowned puppy, a decapitated mallard and a moorhen which
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Sprinklers to cover thieves in Smart dye
BURGLARS will have no place to hide if they are caught out by a smart sprinkler system being deployed against them. Northumbria Police have invested in sprinkler systems that can easily be installed in homes or businesses. When someone breaks in, the
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Jessie prepares for sail of her life
A NORTH-EAST student is preparing to take on a senior role on one of the boats in the Tall Ships Race. Marketing management student Jessie Gebhard has been selected to be crew boss on the Bessie Ellen, a 125ft ship that will join more than 100 ships in
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Here's a walk you otter take...
ANIMAL lovers can go otter-spotting this weekend, as part of a guided walk. Guides on the two-hour ramble along the banks of the River Tees will be on the lookout for otters and seals, checking for the animals' tracks and observing their behaviour. Organised
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£3m energy-efficient visitor centre can be built
FRESH plans by the Forestry Commission to build a multi-million pound visitor centre and community centre have been approved. Members of North York Moors National Park's planning committee were told that the scheme for the £3m development at Low Dalby
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Seifi on course to complete hat-trick
REJUVENATED Seifi (3.25) should help pay the afternoon's expenses on a busy seven-race card at Newcastle. After looking like a real slow-coach, the in-form six-year-old has recently found a new lease of life by rattling off two wins in quick succession
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John North: The day the bomber came down
When a millionaire Australian sheep farmer and former Wellington pilot asked Lance Henderson about a bomber crash he'd witnessed back in 1942, he realised how little he really knew about it and vowed to find out more about the men who died that day. LEST
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Andy fame
The always-busy Jenny Eclair claims she'll never have time for another reality TV project after Celebrity Fame Academy. Viv Hardwick talks to her about touring her latest comdey play to Durham's Gala Theatre and the prospect of TV project Grumpy Old Women
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It's home sweet home for Wright
NORTH-East boxer Nigel Wright will fight on home turf when he defends his English light-welterweight title for the first time. Wright will top the bill at Spennymoor Leisure Centre a week tomorrow when he faces former champion Alan Bosworth. The 25-year-old
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Quakers' stadium under the spotlight
THE first public debate about a report that condemned council chiefs for making a series of mistakes over Darlington Football Club's new stadium will take place in July. The Northern Echo revealed last month how the Local Government Ombudsman had severely
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Jekyll & Hyde, Sunderland Empire
SHOULD it be particularly surprising that this reworked 1997 US attempt to bring Robert Louis Stevenson's famous story to musical life has developed a good and evil side? The bad is a songbook apparently welded together from a coach crash in Mayfair,
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Seifi on course to complete hat-trick
REJUVENATED Seifi (3.25) should help pay the afternoon's expenses on a busy seven-race card at Newcastle. After looking like a real slow-coach, the in-form six-year-old has recently found a new lease of life by rattling off two wins in quick succession
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Killer tells jury he was attacked by victim first
A KILLER who snapped and attacked his disabled landlord with a table leg said he had been assaulted first. Keith Jones told police he could not remember killing Robert Carter, 62, known as Jack, on January 4, at his east Cleveland home, but said the disabled
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So what was Elvis really like?
Elvis By The Presleys (ITV1): MOST celebrity biographies on the TV are unofficial, comprising titbits and tittle-tattle gleaned from so-called friends with axes to grind with the subject, and unsubstantiated stories from cuttings libraries. They're little
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MP criticised for guns joke in Commons
A LIGHT-HEARTED speech by a Labour MP poking fun at her North-East constituency was last night criticised as being "ill-judged". Redcar MP Vera Baird may have had her colleagues in Westminster laughing, but some in the town yesterday failed to see the
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Inquest reports unlawful killing of teenage girl
A TEENAGER was strangled by her violent criminal boyfriend because "she knew too much," an inquest heard. Vicki Reay, 19, was found dead in her home after Andrew Maguire, 34, approached a policeman and admitted to killing her. The hearing was told he
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With muscles Bard
Viv Hardwick talks to actor Richard Clothier about touring an all-male version of The Winter's Tale. RICHARD Clothier is fondly remembered at Newcastle's Theatre Royal in 2003 for an all-male version of A Midsummer Night's Dream playing Titania with testosterone
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Sprinklers to cover thieves in Smart dye
BURGLARS will have no place to hide if they are caught out by a smart sprinkler system being deployed against them. Northumbria Police have invested in sprinkler systems that can easily be installed in homes or businesses. When someone breaks in, the
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Future is lit up by rays of the sun
A SPECIALIST glass maker is preparing for its time to shine, after entering the solar energy market. Romag, based near Consett, County Durham, is adding half a dozen staff on its Powerglaz range, a glass that turns the sun's rays into electricity. It
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Bid to unravel science secrets
A MASSIVE injection of money, jobs and technology - all contained in one single scheme - could put the region at the forefront of world science within the next decade. North Yorkshire is a front-runner to become the home of a huge international project
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Arts project brings villagers together to preserve heritage
A COMMUNITY arts project has united generations and increased awareness of local heritage. The Creative Coundon - Forging a Future project, based at St Joseph's RC Primary School, has seen villagers of all ages from Coundon and Leeholme working together
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Shows get off to a flyer
FORMER Emmerdale star Peter Amory will star as Mr Rochester in an adaptation of Jane Eyre to launch next month's summer repertory season at Darlington Civic Theatre. Mr Amory was at the Civic yesterday with ex-Coronation Street actress Sally Ann Matthews
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Geordie joy
George Harris has appeared with some of the acting great and has been directd by the best, but he admits he's fallen in love with the Geordie spirit. Steve Pratt talks to him about making the BBC Drama 55 Degrees North and catches up with the lastest
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Kat-astrophe
SHE'S back. The Kat is sat on the mat again. And the residents of Albert Square are sorely in need of a cat as the place is being overrun by rats. Not love rats - though, goodness knows, there are enough of them in Walford - but vermin. The problem in
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Order may be needed for site bid
COUNCILLORS are being urged to agree a compulsory purchase order for a former theatre and bar to enable a multi-million pound seafront development to go ahead. Scarborough Borough Council and development agency Yorkshire Forward want to redevelop the
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Barrister jailed for child porn collection
A BARRISTER from the North-East has been jailed for two years and eight months for downloading child porn featuring girls as young as ten months old. John Temple, who took up the law after his police career ended when he was beaten up by car thieves,
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Ringing in a new style of life
'I wouldn't have done it if I'd still been bellringing,' said my mother. Pulling the fitted sheet over the mattress on the top bunk bed (for visiting great-grandchildren) she'd pulled a muscle in her shoulder. At 89 it takes a long time for aches to go
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Webster's best is still to come
DAVID HODGSON insists Darlington have not yet seen the best of midfielder Adrian Webster and has challenged the New Zealand international to prove he is worthy of a regular starting place next season. The out-of-contract 24-year-old is expected to put
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Couple evicted from house are forced to live in a tent
A FORMER soldier is living under canvas with his wife after they lost their home because they ran up £2,500 rent arrears. Kevin Howe, 45, who said he was now too ill to work, said he and wife, Susan, 39, will camp out beside the River Tees at Barnard
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Fund launched for youth projects
YOUNG people throughout Sedgefield borough could get their hands on a slice of cash being offered through a new grants scheme. The Koolkash initiative is offering £150,000 to community and voluntary projects and clubs catering for five to 19-year-olds
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Senior clergyman charged with drink driving
A senior Church of England clergyman appeared in court today charged with drink driving. The Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Methuen, was charged with being almost one and a half times the legal limit at Harrogate's Magistrates Court. Dean Methuen, of
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Police believe hit and run deliberate
A mum-to-be was mown down in what police believe was a deliberate hit and run. Emma Waters, 20, suffered two broken legs and her partner, Alan Dugdale, 21, fractured his leg in the collision. Doctors are assessing Ms Waters condition as she is understood
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Are you feeling inspired?
VISITORS to an art gallery are being urged to be inspired. Paper, drawing and craft materials are being made available to visitors to Hartlepool Art Gallery from today, kept in a specially-carved wooden trolley. Claire Munroe, of Hartlepool Council's
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Winner Hussey gives a cutting edge to Durham
STEVE Harmison has hailed Mike Hussey's contribution to Durham's scintillating start to the season, claiming the skipper's "winning mentality" has spread to the rest of the squad. Hussey's arrival at the Riverside has coincided with Durham's best-ever
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Football player cleared of GBH after pitch punch-up
A FIVE-A-SIDE football player who punched an opponent leaving him with brain damage walked free from a court yesterday. A jury took less than an hour to clear Andrew Walker, 22, after other players said that the victim Darren Mitchell, 32, earlier repeatedly
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North-East expansions bring 100 jobs
ALMOST 100 jobs are to be created by two companies who are expanding in the North-East. Siemens Business Services - which came under fire last year for planning to offshore work from Durham- is to double its 70-strong workforce, while Komatsu Reman is
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Ex-smoker's new bike joy
BORN-AGAIN biker Peter Ruddick is back on two wheels thanks to his successful battle to give up smoking. Mr Ruddick, 44, from Consett, vowed he would buy himself his first motorbike for many years if he could beat his nicotine habit. That was in January
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Work of town's forgotten poet is revived with book publication
THE words of one of Darlington's most famous sons came home yesterday when a book of his poetry was launched in the town. Ralph Hodgson was a fashionable name in the years leading up to the First World War, courted by writers such as TS Eliot and Siegfried
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Fire brigade confirms first female chief
A NORTH-EAST fire brigade yesterday confirmed the appointment of Britain's first female fire chief. Susan Johnson is also the first non-uniformed head of a brigade in the country. She will take over at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority
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999 services on school timetable
A PRIMARY school has been visited by members of the emergency services. However, the visit to Middleton St George CE Primary School by representatives of the police and fire services was not part of an emergency, but to take part in a citizenship event
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Pupils find the dentist is better than the tooth fairy
A VISIT to the dentist is not what youngsters would choose to do. But pupils at the Laurel Avenue Primary School, on the Sherburn Road Estate, Durham, yesterday visited a local surgery to learn more about looking after their teeth. They spent time at
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Laurence Clark: The Jim Davidson Guide to Equality, Darlington Arts Centre
RIGHT-wing comic Jim Davidson once refused to perform for an audience which included a front row composed of wheelchair-users. By his reckoning, he couldn't have a laugh about people's disability when they were staring him right in the face. If Davidson
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Keen response to Bike to School Week
A DARLINGTON school involved in Bike to School Week had the second highest number of cyclists in the country. The project, run by green charity Sustrans and supported by Darlington Borough Council, encouraged pupils and their parents to cycle to school
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Nursery bus cash campaign
FAMILIES in isolated communities are mounting a £21,000 travel campaign to keep their children at nursery school. Parents in Upper Weardale have formed an action group to find funding for a minibus to take their three to five-year-olds to nursery units
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Street brightening is in full bloom
RESIDENTS are being encouraged to use flower power to brighten up streets of terraced houses. More than 300 local residents have taken part in workshops over the past 12 months, to be trained in making hanging baskets to display on the outside of their
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Laura is headteacher for the day
SCHOOLGIRL Laura Brookes showed fellow pupils and teachers who the boss was yesterday, when she became headteacher for the day. The 11-year-old took over the top job at Ian Ramsey Church of England School, in Stockton, and, according to school headteacher
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Headteachers out of Africa and into North-East classrooms
CHILDREN in Crook and Willington primary schools have been sharing experiences with pupils in Africa through friendships forged between staff. Three headteachers from schools in Tanzania are visiting their counterparts in County Durham this week, finding
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Nurse retiring after 46 years
A NURSE has retired after 46 years of service with the NHS. Community staff nurse Chris Verity started work in October 1959 at St James' Hospital, in Leeds, where she trained as a staff nurse and later as a midwife. In 1976, she transferred to the Friarage
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On TV
Elvis By The Presleys (ITV1) MOST celebrity biographies on the TV are unofficial, comprising titbits and tittle-tattle gleaned from so-called friends with axes to grind with the subject, and unsubstantiated stories from cuttings libraries. They're little
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Blooming results announced
JUDGES in an annual floral contest have scored North Yorkshire's towns and villages highly. The results of the spring judging for Yorkshire in Bloom were announced yesterday. The Nidderdale village of Darley, which won a gold medal in the Europe in Bloom
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Great Wall walk to aid 'amazing' hospice
A TEACHING assistant is stepping out for charity along the Great Wall of China. Mother-of-one Nicola Hall plans to walk 60km of the wall in memory of her 50-year-old mother, Irene, who died of cancer in 2001 while raising money for Middlesbrough's Teesside
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Citizen of the year honours
AN UNSUNG hero has been given some overdue VIP treatment, beginning with a surprise limo ride and ending with a civic award. Unassuming Sven McLean has been a volunteer helper at the Joe Walton Youth Club in Middlesbrough for about 30 years, giving a
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Care home is approved despite parking fears
A CARE home with 72 bedrooms has been approved despite fears about parking problems. Derwentside District Council gave planning permission for a Gary Lewis Care Centre in Wear Road in Stanley last year but then the company submitted an amended application
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Rare Army wildlife reserve now inviting public to visit
A CAMPAIGN to attract more civilian visitors to a nature reserve hidden among the barracks of Europe's largest Army base has been launched. Catterick Garrison's Foxglove Covert - the only nature reserve in the country managed by the British Army - is
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Radical scheme proposed to deal with crisis in housing
RADICAL plans have been revealed to deal with Durham City's growing housing crisis - by selling off dozens of plots of council-owned land for development and pumping millions of pounds back into council and community services. The ambitious five-year
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Concert funds to young musicians
A CHARITABLE trust has staged its annual concert to raise money for its work with young musicians. The orchestra from Durham Johnston School and the choir from St Leonard's School, both Durham, performed at last week's concert in Elvet Methodist Church
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Burglar hits home of elderly woman
POLICE are hunting a man who stole cash from an elderly woman who left her door open while she went to visit a neighbour in a quiet village. The 81-year-old, who lives alone in Lanchester, returned to her Valley Drive home at 1.30pm on Tuesday to see
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United deny Villa deal for duo
CRAIG Bellamy and Aaron Hughes were last night contemplating their future after Aston Villa chairman Doug Ellis claimed he had agreed a deal to take the Newcastle pair to Villa Park. On a day of claim and counter-claim, Ellis revealed he had settled on
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Children ensure council gets the message to improve town
A GROUND-BREAKING text message scheme will offer youngsters the chance to shape the future of their town. Darlington Borough Council will launch a service next month, giving young people the chance to find out what is available for them in the town via
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Mother calls for driving tests for the elderley
A mother whose children were killed by a 78-year-old driver has demanded compulsory driving tests for the elderly. Karen Armstrong's young son and daughter were killed when Thomas Theobald pulled out into the path of their car as they went to visit their
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Man jailed for kidnap prepares to appeal
A MILLIONAIRE jailed for 11 years for masterminding a kidnap and blackmail plot will bid next month to have his conviction overturned. German-born businessman Volker Kappler was convicted by majority verdicts of ten to two on two charges of kidnap and
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How my little brother saved my life
TODDLER Jude Phillipson is only two years old, but he has already saved his big sister's life. Simone Phillipson, nine, was born with a rare bone marrow deficiency which affected her heart, hands, body and brain artery. Specialists said that without an
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Socks . . . ? The Romans put their foot in it
WITH names such as Versace dominating the world's catwalks, the Italians may regard themselves as being the modern-day epitome of sartorial chic. But while their Armani suits and Gucci bags show their contemporary flair for the ultra-trendy, evidence
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Inquiry after workers sent pornography
A POLICE investigation is under way after more than 100 company workers were sent Internet pornography. The images were e-mailed to the Nestl Rowntree factory, in York, leading to a complaint to the company's management. It is believed some of the e-mails
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Man cleared of sex assaults at second trial
A PENSIONER accused of a string of sexual assault charges dating back two decades has been cleared. Brian Leslie Paylor was standing trial at Teesside Crown Court accused of rape, attempted rape, and two indecent assaults, which he denied. It was the
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From lads to dads - many nappy returns
THERE is a rash of new dads in the office. Or should that be a nappy rash? Paul, Nick, Nigel and Adam all seem to have got bored with what was on telly at the same time, and it's been a joy watching the big build-up to their entry into the world of fatherhood
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Lawrence ready for his next step up in class
LIAM Lawrence provides irrefutable proof of Mick McCarthy's ability in the transfer market and, after helping propel Sunderland to the Premiership, the midfielder is confident his boss' dealings will keep them there. McCarthy caused more than a few eyebrows
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19/05/05
POSTCODE LOTTERY: YOU report on the unreliability of the PSA blood test as a diagnostic for prostate cancer, (Echo, May 16) and quote the number of men in this country diagnosed and dying annually from the disease. What these figures hide, however, is
