Archive
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Jimmy has point to prove
JIMMY-FLOYD Hasselbaink doesn't mind admitting that when he returns to AZ Alkmaar tonight the Dutch supporters are going to see a much better player than the one who was left on the football scrapheap. In his younger days, when he was trying to make a
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Simply 'orrible
IVAN Churm doesn't seem an 'orrible little man at all. Very pleasant feller, really: retired builder, self-made, successful, 66. Nice turn of phrase, too. "National service was a complete waste of my life," he once wrote. "I was 16 stones and built for
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Five arrests in rape inquiry
FIVE men were being questioned by detectives last night in connection with the gang rape of a deaf woman in a dark churchyard. The men, all in their 20s, were arrested in early morning raids on two addresses in the Leeman Road area of York yesterday.
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Investment with cluster
CHEMICAL and process industry leaders gathered in Sedgefield yesterday for the regional launch of a major industry cluster. The North-East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) is aiming to attract multi-billion pound-investments to the region in the next
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Ali photos exhibited in the region
PERSONAL photographs of boxing legend Muhammad Ali are to be exhibited at a North-East arts venue in the new year. The pictures, part of a collection by photographer Bill Peronneau, will be on display at Darlington Arts Centre. The images, which have
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Children try out school's framework for a healthy education
YOUNGSTERS have been trying out their new PE equipment, installed as part of a major refurbishment of their school. Crakehall Primary School, in Crakehall, near Bedale, has had a hall built, along with a new early years unit designed specifically for
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Fire at farm
A FARM building was severely damaged after fire struck on Tuesday night. Crews were called to Woodside Farm in Witton Park, Bishop Auckland at 9.30pm. The blaze was brought under control shortly after midnight, with about 40 tonnes of hay allowed to burn
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Accolades for school caterers and cleaners
SCHOOLS cleaning and catering staff have been praised at an awards ceremony. Stockton Borough Council employees were rewarded for their hard work at the Catering and Building Cleaning Excellence Awards. Council workers receiving praise for their efforts
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Gardeners back on familiar ground as council makes decision on allotments
GARDENERS are to be given their old allotments back after a battle with a council. The Hartlepool allotment-holders were told yesterday that a decision had been taken in principle to re-instate them at their old Briarfields site, in the West Park area
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Spotlight on Bede Rotary Club concert
Durham Bede Rotary Club holds its annual concert, Friday Night is Music Night, featuring Durham University Brass Band and soloists from the North-East Solo Singers Academy, tomorrow, at 7.15pm for 7.30pm, in Elvet Methodist Church, Territorial Lane, Durham
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Younger dementia sufferers 'just left to get on with it'
THE wife of a middle-aged dementia sufferer has criticised the lack of services for younger patients. Carole Woodcock, 50, from Darlington, made her comments at a recent conference on younger people with dementia in the town. The conference was organised
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Cyclist hurt in collision
A TEENAGE cyclist sustained a broken collar bone when he was involved in a collision between two cars. The 16-year-old boy was knocked from his bike on the A167 at Thinford, near Spennymoor, when two cars, a Ford Fiesta and a Hyundai, crashed on Monday
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Criticism over services for younger dementia sufferers
THE wife of a dementia sufferer has criticised the lack of services for younger patients in County Durham. Carole Woodcock, 50, from Darlington, made her comments at a recent conference on younger people with dementia, held in the town. Mrs Woodcock,
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Revamped nightclub prepares for panto
A NIGHTCLUB is preparing for a New Year's Day charity pantomime after undergoing a refurbishment. Crocs, in Front Street, Chester-le-Street, has been holding its annual panto on the first day of the year for the past 25 years. The event features a group
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Take a seat? You must be joking . . .
WHEN Geordie comedian Ross Noble heard that he could buy a seat at Theatre Royal, Newcastle, he took it literally. But it was only when he read the small print that he realised he would not be taking the seat home. The theatre has launched a seat naming
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School celebrates achievements at awards night
TALENTED students at a Darlington school were rewarded for their high achievement at a glittering ceremony. Proud parents looked on as their children were given certificates and prizes for their year's efforts at Branksome School. Their annual prize-giving
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Unemployed man gets £400 bill for his part in flytipping
A SECOND man has been hauled before the courts in a fly-tipping case that has taken years to solve. Antony Brian Gaffney was handed a £400 bill at Hartlepool Magistrates' Court yesterday after boxes, fencing and a bathroom suite were dumped on the outskirts
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Doorman welcomes binge-drinking crackdown
DENE SAWYER is a 41-year-old doorman who has worked on pubs and clubs across the North-East for most of his life. Two weeks ago he was headbutted by a drunken soldier who had been asked to leave the Darlington club where he works. Luckily, Mr Sawyer sustained
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The 24-hour drinkers are all Tees total
IT may be better known for its dramatic scenery and rare wildlife, but a part of rural County Durham has emerged as the unlikely party capital of the North-East - in a survey by The Northern Echo. Today, as new drinking laws come into effect, only seven
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On TV
Life in the Undergrowth (BBC1) Deep Blue: Octopus Odyssey (five) THERE was a point in the opening part of David Attenborough's new series when it all got a bit surreal. I think it was around the time that the two slugs started getting jiggy as they hung
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All the fun of village's festive fair
FINAL details of the events of offer at Bedale's Georgian Christmas Fair have been announced. The fair takes place on Saturday, December 3. Santa will arrive on his sleigh at 10.45am and will spend the day in his grotto at the old Grammar School, next
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'Pension at 67 would increase absenteeism'
INCREASING the state pension age to 67 would cost UK businesses more than £4bn a year in absenteeism, according to a report. The Pensions Commission, which is due to report next week, is expected to recommend the Government raises the age at which people
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A change for the better?
FROM midnight it was a case of out with the old laws and in with the new in the biggest shake-up of drinks legislation in half a century. Generally, clubs and pubs can now open later than 11pm- and some can even remain open 24 hours a day. The Government
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Flintoff's fighting spirit keeps England hopes alive
Andrew Flintoff's tireless spirit kept English hopes alive on a fourth day in Faisalabad to make all but the bravest bowlers wilt. The England all-rounder could reflect only on unremarkable figures as Pakistan's second innings was pegged back to 183 for
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'Speculation' of £1.2bn bid for buoyant Amec
ENGINEERING services group Amec was the subject of takeover speculation last night as it was linked to a possible £1.2bn approach. The group, which employs about 400 people in its industrial and support services divisions in Darlington, is believed to
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Woods hoping to play part in survival fight
HE may boast just six senior starts but Martin Woods is already becoming something of a specialist when it comes to relegation campaigns. While Sunderland's current plight hardly inspires confidence, the teenage midfielder has seen enough to know that
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'We'll keep trunk roads open - no matter what'
AS the North-East braces itself for heavy snowfalls forecast for this evening, a fleet of gritters and snowploughs is being mobilised to keep the region's roads moving. The Met Office yesterday issued a severe weather warning for Northern England - with
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Hari Puttar and the surprise Bollywood stars
A FORMER pit village was the unlikely setting for a Bollywood blockbuster, featuring local youngsters alongside some of Indian cinema's biggest stars. Picturesque and full of character it may be, but Fishburn, near Sedgefield, County Durham, is hardly
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Paedophile's victim receives go-ahead to sue Home Office
THE victim of a paedophile preacher has won a landmark legal victory to sue for compensation. In 1977, Kevin Young received a three-month prison sentence for burglary. While at Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett, in County Durham, he was brutally
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Why caving brings a chill
THE tragic story of 14-year-old Joseph Lister, who died on a school caving trip in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, last week, felt dangerously close to home. One of the highlights of this summer for two of my sons was an evening spent underground exploring
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Cave searched in hunt for Jenny's body
SPECIALIST police officers searched a cave yesterday for the body of shopworker Jenny Nicholl. A confined-space search team from Northumbria Police's marine unit was called in to check a tunnel on the outskirts of Jenny's home town of Richmond, North
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Southgate's pride tempered by cup doubts
GARETH Southgate insists leading Middlesbrough to UEFA Cup glory would be the proudest moment of his career but feels the competition has been devalued by the ease in which teams can now qualify. Despite finishing seventh in the Premiership - the club's
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24/11/05
DEATH PENALTY: Certain facts, however unwelcome in some quarters, are absolutely unanswerable, one such at present being the urgent need to restore capital punishment. Recently there has been a spate of killings, culminating in the death of a young policewoman
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The joy of freedom regained
There's one great pleasure in being a grandparent that doesn't get much of a mention. Most of the joys are obvious enough. Someone once said that having grandchildren is like falling in love. There's a lot of truth in that - except that falling in love
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Solicitors warned to brace for new challenges
SOLICITORS in the North-East will need to brace themselves for new challenges as large businesses look to move into the legal services field, the Law Society President Kevin Martin warned today. A historic shake up of the legal services market is underway
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Easterby's Knight can make a gallant return to action
HAVING missed the whole of last season through injury, Carlisle-bound Silver Knight (2.25) is now happily on the comeback trail. Tim Easterby's talented staying chaser enjoyed a profitable 2003/2004 campaign when not once out of the frame in nine starts
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Players told to ignore Xavier drug scandal
MIDDLESBROUGH were last night doing their best to remain focused on the latest UEFA Cup fixture after defender Abel Xavier was left facing the sack when he was handed an 18-month suspension for drug taking. Xavier became the first Premiership footballer
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Players told to ignore Xavier drug scandal
MIDDLESBROUGH were last night doing their best to remain focused on the latest UEFA Cup fixture after defender Abel Xavier was left facing the sack when he was handed an 18-month suspension for drug taking. Xavier became the first Premiership footballer
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Award in memory of bullied teenager
A student who invented Blue Fridays at school has won an award for helping to tackle bullying. Mark Anderson, who is in year ten at John Spence Community and Sports College, North Tyneside, was yesterday awarded first prize in the annual Karl Peart Award
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George Reynolds granted leave to appeal sentence
FORMER Darlington FC chairman George Reynolds was granted leave to appeal against his three-year jail term today. The 69-year-old, along with his cousin Richard Tennick, was jailed last month after they admitted carrying out a tax scam. Reynold's barrister
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Morphine did not kill patients, court is told
ONE of the country's leading pathologists has told a murder trial that three of a GP's patients were not killed by high levels of morphine. Dr Nathaniel Cary accepted that the deaths could have been hastened by the drug, but said they were not caused
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End of an era - it's about time
YOU could hear a pin drop in the Langdon Beck Hotel, in Upper Teesdale. And, despite being one of the first pubs in Britain to be granted a 24-hour drinks licence, it's likely to be that way for much of the time. But landlord Glen Matthews and his wife
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Simply 'orrible!
Ivan Churm doesn't seem an 'orrible little man at all. Very pleasant feller, really: retired builder, self-made, successful, 66. Nice turn of phrase, too. "National service was a complete waste of my life," he once wrote. "I was 16 stones and built for
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GMC to hear Neale case allegations
A LEADING member of the General Medical Council (GMC) quashed a complaint against Richard Neale without disclosing that he knew the disgraced surgeon and had provided a job reference for him, it was claimed last night. Professor James Drife, a former
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Second phase of park is under way
WORK on the second phase of a North-East business park that has already attracted mortgage lender Northern Rock started this week. The project at Rainton Bridge, Sunderland, will include three units for small and medium-sized enterprises and two larger
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Why we're more likely to be snoozing than boozing
At midnight, pubs, clubs and other establishments were able to serve alcohol 24 hours a days. Ministers hope the changes will end binge-drinking and alcohol-fuelled violence. Campaigners fear it will make things worse. Olivia Richwald and Rob Merrick
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Jenny Nicholl's mother appeals for information
A MOTHER whose daughter is believed to be murdered has today made an emotional appeal for information. Jenny Nicholl was 19 when she went missing in the Yorkshire Dales on June 30. Mysterious text messages containing personal information were sent from
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Technology from region may be used by NHS
PIONEERING health technology developed in the North-East could be introduced to the NHS as part of a multi-billion pound overhaul of its IT system. Newcastle-based i4u Ltd has received a £500,000 cash boost from regional development agency One NorthEast
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Prime Minister's wife meets the singing nuns
PRIME Minister's wife Cherie Blair joined in with a sister act by staff from a North-East supermarket. Staff from Asda, in Spennymoor, were invited to perform a scene from the film Sister Act in front of Mrs Blair after raising £1,000 for Tickled Pink
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Get in the spirit of Christmas
A TOWN centre festive treat will be held this week. Ferryhill Christmas fair, which this year is set to be one of the biggest yet, will take place tomorrow from 2pm to 8pm. Ferryhill Town Council and the Ferryhill 2000 committee have organised a farmers
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Age Concern plans free festive lunch
AGE Concern is providing a free Christmas lunch and party for the elderly next month. The charity's County Durham area is holding the event at Langley Park Community Centre, in Wood View, on Thursday, December 8, from 10am to 2.30pm. Apart from the traditional
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Children draw on talents as winning Christmas card design is chosen
A cheery snow scene drawn by a nine-year-old pupil at Finchale Primary School, in Durham, will appear on hundreds of Christmas cards this year. The design, by Caitlin Neasham, was yesterday chosen to feature on the cards to be sent out by City of Durham
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Team nets sponsorship
A SCHOOL football team with a winning streak has scored again with a sponsorship boost from an unusual quarter - the players' favourite chippy. The Chip Pan Alley answered a plea for help by offering to buy the strips for the under-13 team at Greencroft
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Youngsters put children in need fundraising on timetable
PUPILS combined their fundraising talents to collect money for Children in Need. Girls in the junior and senior departments at Teesside Prep and High School, in Eaglescliffe, raised more than £400 for the national charity to help disadvantaged youngsters
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Objections to 4am takeaway opening
PLANS for an Indian take-away to remain open until 4am every day have met with objections. Residents in Billingham have joined police and environmental health officers in objecting against the take-away proposals in Station Road. Partners Abid Hussain
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Hospice seeking to light up lives
A NORTH Yorkshire hospice is preparing for a big switch-on which will light up hundreds of lives. Scarborough's St Catherine's Hospice's annual Light Up A Life appeal reaches its peak in early December when the lights on five Christmas trees are turned
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Sporting winners announced
THE achievements of young sportsmen and women in Darlington have been celebrated. The Darlington Sports Winners Scheme aims to recognise and encourage young sports people aged from eight to 18. A volunteer panel of judges selects the winners each month
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Residents asked for views
PEOPLE'S views are needed on a new document that will ensure the historic village of Piercebridge retains its unique character. Piercebridge was designated as a conservation area in 1972 and now a document has been drawn up to look again at its special
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The school is alive with the sound of music
PREPARATIONS are under way for a charity concert at a County Durham school. Young musicians at Barnard Castle School are tuning up in readiness for its third gala concert. The concert takes place at the school on Tuesday, bringing together soloists, the
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Girl, 14, 'did not take her own life'
AN inquest was held yesterday into the death of a teenage girl who took an overdose of anti-depressant pills. However, South Durham coroner Brenda Davidson ruled that 14-year-old Chantelle Louise Cliff did not intend to kill herself. The village of West
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Hall sale set to get go-ahead
PLANS to sell a dilapidated village hall to move community activities into a Grade II-listed church look set to take a major step forward next week. Dishforth Parish Council has applied for outline planning permission for a pair of semi-detached houses
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Drugs dealers targeted as police begin three-day blitz
POLICE arrested two people yesterday during a day of drugs raids in a town. Twenty officers were involved in the raids in Northallerton. By late afternoon they had executed three warrants, arresting two people and giving another a Cannabis warning. The
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The joy of freedom regained
There's one great pleasure in being a grandparent that doesn't get much of a mention. Most of the joys are obvious enough. Someone once said that having grandchildren is like falling in love. There's a lot of truth in that - except that falling in love
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Region puts merry in Christmas
THE North-East was last night living up to its reputation as the social capital of the UK after a survey showed that the region will spend more than any other on eating, drinking and making merry this Christmas. A retail Christmas survey from accountants
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Morphine did not kill patients, court is told
ONE of the country's leading pathologists has told a murder trial that three of a GP's patients were not killed by high levels of morphine. Dr Nathaniel Cary accepted that the deaths could have been hastened by the drug, but said they were not caused
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UEFA Cup changes are for the worse
MIDDLESBROUGH take on AZ Alkmaar this evening in a game that should be as important as any they have played this season. A UEFA Cup clash with a side that reached the last four of the competition in April and currently stand third in the Dutch Eredivisie
