Archive
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End of the road for 'Morpeth'
ENGLAND'S oldest road race, the Morpeth-Newcastle, looks like being forced out of existence in face of a £30,000 safety bill. But the next oldest, the Saltwell 10K, goes ahead tomorrow after race organisers agreed new safety measures with the police.
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Watchdogs bite back in row over Clarke bid to merge police forces
A MAJOR rebellion over controversial plans to merge forces in England and Wales was launched by police authorities last night. The Association of Police Authorities (APA) accused Home Secretary Charles Clarke of trying to "bribe" forces into submission
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It's the final leg for Journey South brothers
JOURNEY South have been tipped as the bookies' favourites to snatch victory in tonight's X Factor final. The duo, from Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, will be part of one of the biggest TV showdowns of the year as ITV's X Factor goes head-to-head with the
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Teesdale Talk: Teenagers on fringe of success
Talented teenage actors, who already have a reputation for superb productions in Teesdale, are preparing to put on their version of Othello at the Edinburgh Festival next summer. There is great excitement among the Turrets group about this chance to take
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Coroner may investigate more deaths in GP probe
A CORONER investigating the deaths of 12 patients of a former County Durham GP cleared of murdering three seriously ill men may look into more cases. Dr Howard Martin was acquitted of killing Frank Moss, 59, Stanley Weldon and Harry Gittins, both 74,
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£4.3m development for elderly opens
A £4.3M extra-care housing scheme designed to help older people lead independent lives has been opened. Town Close, in Stokesley, has 40 one and two-bedroomed apartments and a restaurant. One wing of the building has six apartments designed specifically
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Setback for move to pass on common
A PARISH council wanting to give a piece of land away has come up against a stumbling block. The council at the tiny village of Copt Hewick, near Ripon, wants to pass ownership of Copt Hewick Common to Harrogate Borough Council. But Mike Poole, Harrogate's
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Foreign legions have class to give derby added spice
AN UNBEATEN home record will count for little for Darlington today when their rivals from across the town come calling, aiming to make a mockery of the league table. Mowden Park have enjoyed the higher league standing for the last decade, finishing above
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Comment from The Northern Echo: The right judgement
IT must have been tempting for Judge Peter Bowers to send the three 14 and 15-year-olds involved in the horrific treatment of a friend to some form of penal institution. But he resisted that temptation. An institution would have allowed them to rub shoulders
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Kennels' owner thought to be ill
ANIMAL welfare officers last night started to remove dogs from boarding kennels where they are thought to have been neglected. About 70 dogs were found in filthy conditions at A1 Kennels and Cattery, in Brompton-on-Swale, near Catterick, North Yorkshire
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Blame the players, not the boss - Breen
CLUB skipper Gary Breen has defended the Mick McCarthy regime at Sunderland and wants the critics to point the finger of blame in the direction of the Sunderland playing staff rather than the manager. After a week in which there were two polls held to
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Boy was stripped and burned in six-hour 'torture' ordeal
THREE teenagers who subjected a classmate to a six-hour "happy slapping" ordeal have been spared custody. Judge Peter Bowers, who described their actions as little short of torture, said locking them up would harm their GCSE studies. A court was told
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Schoolboy's 'torture' ordeal
THREE teenagers who subjected a classmate to a six-hour "happy slapping" ordeal have been spared custody. Judge Peter Bowers, who described their actions as little short of torture, said locking them up would harm their GCSE studies. A court was told
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Fashion store gets Psyched-up for hotel move
A TREND-SETTING department store in the Tees Valley has announced plans to develop a five-star hotel. An extra floor will be built on to the award-winning Psyche designer store, in Middlesbrough's Linthorpe Road, to accommodate the £2m, 24-room hotel.
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Persimmon builds on another good year
HOUSEBUILDER Persimmon yesterday said it expected the building and sale of 12,600 homes this year would earn it £2.3bn - an increase of eight per cent on last year. Average selling prices for homes for the year were predicted to be £180,500. The company
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It's the final leg for Journey South brothers
JOURNEY South have been tipped as the bookies' favourites to snatch victory in tonight's X Factor final. The duo, from Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, will be part of one of the biggest TV showdowns of the year as ITV's X Factor goes head-to-head with the
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Spurs now the benchmark in battle of Euro hopefuls
WITH Tottenham having made giant strides forward this season, Ugo Ehiogu has admitted Middlesbrough need to beat the Champions League hopefuls tomorrow to prove they have not gone backwards. Last season, Boro edged out Spurs in the battle for the final
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In the mood again
The five Nolan sisters sing together for the first time in two decades on BBC1 tonight, reviving memories of their biggest hit, I'm In The Mood For Dancing. It'll be a rare chance to see the sisters performing together as they've all gone their separate
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Kirkup's looking for quick wins
Esh Winning manager Vince Kirkup is looking for quick wins in a bid to beat the drop. Esh are second bottom, ten points adrift of safety, going into this afternoon's away game at Whitley Bay. "We need to win two games on the trot very quickly," he said
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Teenager dies after being struck by train
A TEENAGE girl was killed after she was struck by a train on the North-East coast last night. The 14-year-old was hit by a train travelling at 60mph on an east coast railway line at Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, at about 6.30pm. Officers from British
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Elementis on track despite job losses
CHEMICALS company Elementis announced yesterday that its trading performance was in line with expectations. The group, which has four principal divisions - specialities, pigments, chromium and rubber - said it would publish its full-year results at the
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Vaughan fears Headingley 'disaster'
ENGLAND captain, Michael Vaughan, believes it will be a disaster if Test matches and other international games stop being played at Headingley. Yorkshire are currently involved in last-gasp negotiations aimed at persuading Leeds City Council to lend them
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Clarke's eager to get boots dirty after year on sidelines
DARRELL Clarke has played the waiting game, rather than the beautiful game, this season. Now back in the Hartlepool United first-team picture, the midfielder is ready to turn his back on a miserable 2005. Clarke didn't kick a ball for Pool last season
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Keltie happy with chance to fight for brighter future
THREE games into what has been an eventful comeback from a lengthy injury lay-off, a new contract tops Clark Keltie's hopes for the new year. The 22-year-old's current deal expires at the end of the month and, despite a mixed return to the first-team
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17/12/05
POLICE FORCE: WE learn that the Cleveland Police Authority held a productive meeting with Home Secretary Charles Clarke in London, after which it was stated that he was receptive to the authority's presentation on the idea of a Tees Valley force for the
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Airline drops new flight plan
PLANS for an air link between the North-East and New York have been shelved because of the high price of jet fuel, the operator behind the project said yesterday. American Airlines blamed tough competition in the US air market for the decision, having
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McClaren delighted to tackle German giants
STEVE McClaren has spent most of this season pleading for a glamour game against one of the European elite and, yesterday, the Middlesbrough manager's demands were finally met. Boro will play three-time German champions and former UEFA Cup and European
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Cash box thieves caught on camera
TWO youths who stole a charity Santa's money box were captured on security cameras. The Stagecoach bus company has had two of its drivers dressed as Santa for the past week to raise money for the children's ward at Darlington Memorial Hospital. But on
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Svengali with attitude
HE will always be known as the music maverick who helped launch Joy Divison, New Order and The Happy Mondays. Now the punk and rock loving Anthony Wilson has turned his attention to the much maligned world of manufactured pop. The outspoken former Granada
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£6.8m budget shortfall fails to sink leisure centre
COUNCIL bosses are to go ahead with a £26m leisure centre despite a £6.8m hole in their budget. Hartlepool's budget shortfall is the equivalent of a 13 per cent rise in council tax. One suggested solution for tackling the defecit would see a council tax
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Stokesley look for double
Stokesley SC aim to complete a quick double over New Marske when the sides meet in the second round of the Sunderland Shipowners Cup this afternoon, writes Malcolm Pratt. Stokesley defeated their rivals 4-2 in the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup last week,
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For Your Benefit: Can my wife claim allowance?
Q My wife and I are 75 with weekly State Pensions of £88.11 and £53.73 respectively. I have £60.60 a week Attendance Allowance and my wife looks after me. Could she claim Carer's Allowance? A She cannot receive Carer's Allowance as her State Pension is
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Salute marks anniversary of German bombardment
THE 25lb field gun at the Heugh Battery, Headlands, Hartlepool, exploded into life at 8.10am yesterday - 91 years to the minute after the first bombardment of Hartlepool. The firing was part of a service that commemorated the anniversary of the first
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Pupils learn about careers in science
SCIENTISTS from several European countries are helping North-East pupils get to grips with their pet subject. The pupils, who have Durham University mentors, are taking part in one of two projects of its type in England. Scientists in Residence (SiR)
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Village will get tree after U-turn
Villagers have forced a council to change a decision that would have ended 25 years of tradition. Heighington Parish Council had decided not to put a Christmas tree on the village green this year because of the cost of vandalism and fears it could be
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Teacher marks three decades
A TEACHER who has worked for three decades in the school she attended as a child has been thanked for her dedication. Valerie Watson first stepped through the doors of Dean Bank County Girls School, in Ferryhill, as a nine-year-old pupil when her family
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School wins award for computing
A SCHOOL has become one of the first in the country to gain an award for its high standards in computer technology. The National ICT Mark is awarded to schools thatdemonstrate quality in computer technology. Longfield School in Darlington managed to transfer
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Long-running development wrangle is down to the wire
ONE of the longest-running development wrangles in Durham City's recent history is to come to a head next week when the future of the former ice rink is decided by planners. Members of Durham City's development control committee will decide on Wednesday
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Workers raise £200 for appeal
STAFF at a County Durham firm have raised more than £200 for a scheme aiming to spread festive cheer across Darlington. Saul Kennedy, who works for Lucite International, in Newton Aycliffe, has been raising money for the Giving Tree appeal - and persuaded
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Builder rapped over muddy road
A CONSTRUCTION company has been criticised over the muddy condition of a road. Complaints to Shepherd Construction were renewed following a road accident on Cowpen Bewley Road, Billingham, which is used by construction traffic where a market garden is
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Village gets Christmas tree after council U-turn
Villagers have forced a council to change a decision that would have ended 25 years of tradition. Heighington Parish Council had decided not to put a Christmas tree on the village green this year because of the cost of vandalism and fears it could be
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Airline drops new flight plan
PLANS for an air link between the North-East and New York have been shelved because of the high price of jet fuel, the operator behind the project said yesterday. American Airlines blamed tough competition in the US air market for the decision, having
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Fond farewell to headteacher for 23 years
A HEADTEACHER has retired after 23 years at the same school. Chris Bird, who hails from Doncaster and now lives in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, first came to the area to teach in 1969. He was appointed headteacher of Thornaby Church of England Primary
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Plea for clues after man is robbed
A MAN was robbed as he made his way to work on Thursday. The incident happened in Factory Road, Blaydon, near Gateshead, which is part of the Blaydon Industrial Estate, off Chainbridge Road, between 10.40am and 10.45am. Two men were seen outside the premises
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Marshals to keep order at taxi rank
A scheme aimed at ridding a town centre of trouble from late-night revellers is being piloted over the busiest weekends of the year. The safety initiative will see a team of marshals stewarding the main taxi rank in Bishop Auckland every Friday and Saturday
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Fundraisers at college aid poverty areas
STUDENTS and teachers from Stockton Sixth Form College have been sending alternative Christmas gifts to poor communities. Fifty tutor groups logged on to the Oxfam Unwrapped website to make purchases, using £1,700 raised in the college. Thanks to their
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Two suspects charged over shop shooting
TWO men have been charged over the shooting of a man at a shop in Newcastle. Karl Glendinning, 28, of Chestnut Avenue, and Ashif Azam, 39, of Denton Road, both Newcastle, have been charged with conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. A 40-year-old
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Little Lennox 'stable' after lifesaving liver transplant
A DESPERATELY ill baby will spend his first Christmas in hospital following a transplant operation to save his life. Doctors say Lennox Nicholson still has a long way to go before he is completely out of danger, but they are happy with his progress. Lennox
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Police act to ensure safety of shoppping
CHRISTMAS shoppers in Middlesbrough will have the added protection of rapid response officers on hand to crack down on street crime. The squads will bolster the number of officers patrolling the town centre during the festive period. The extra bobbies
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£70m music centre marks first anniversary
A North-East music venue celebrates its first anniversary today. The Sage Gateshead opened on December 17 last year to crowds waiting to catch a glimpse inside the £70m Foster and Partners building. The opening celebrations carried on until 10pm on December
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Community play helps to safeguard open land
PROCEEDS from a community play have been donated to an appeal to safeguard land around a North Yorkshire town. A cheque for £600 was handed over to the Richmondshire Open Spaces Appeal (Rosa) at the group's fundraising evening on Wednesday. Rosa was one
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Carolers' biggest success
AN annual carol concert in support of Macmillan Cancer Relief has raised £22,000 for the charity. The figure is a record for the event, which has taken place at Ripon Cathedral for the past nine years. The choir from Aysgarth School, near Bedale, has
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Let them eat cake
I WENT looking for something else, but the book just fell open and the story simply leapt out. It's too good to close the covers and put the book back on the library shelf, so here, apropos of nothing, it is. It is set in late 1798. At nine one night
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Kirkup's looking for quick wins
Esh Winning manager Vince Kirkup is looking for quick wins in a bid to beat the drop. Esh are second bottom, ten points adrift of safety, going into this afternoon's away game at Whitley Bay. "We need to win two games on the trot very quickly," he said
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Traffic police handed more than 400 suspects on a plate
POLICE officers operating an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system have arrested more than 400 people this year - breaking their target. The ANPR unit has also seized more than £200,000 worth of drugs and stolen property. The system flags up
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Unison blasts expansion plan
A UNION has criticised a North-East secondary school for pursuing plans to expand at the expense of a struggling neighbour. Governors at Hurworth School, near Darlington, are pressing ahead with plans to expand by a third to a 900-pupil foundation school
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Two teenagers jailed for attacking youths in brawl
TWO Teesside teenagers who were part of a gang brawl in which other youths were attacked with a stick and a bottle have been locked up. A third friend was spared custody after a judge heard he had been caught up in the trouble to a limited extent. Carl
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Dame Tanni gives boost to youngsters
PARALYMPIC athlete Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson visited Cleveland Fire Brigade's Prince's Trust young people who are trying to turn their lives around. The programme, delivered in partnership with Stockton Riverside College, is a 12-week personal development
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£150,000 to community organisations
TWO groups from Chester-le-Street have secured more than £150,000 of Lottery cash to help them continue their work in the community. North Durham MP Kevan Jones has welcomed news they are to receive substantial grant awards from the Big Lottery Fund.
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Sensory art for the visually impaired
SENSORY sculptures, carved by a local designer, were unveiled yesterday at a County Durham school's garden. Pupils of Belmont Junior School, Durham City, along with staff from the sensory support service, showed off the sculptures in the school's sensory
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Pensioner landlord locked up for rapes
A PENSIONER landlord was jailed for eight years yesterday after he was convicted of raping a woman three times in a morning. Widower Barry Taylor, 67, struck the 30-year-old with a belt to force her to perform sex acts which, he told police, he was unaware
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Teenager dies after being struck by train
A TEENAGE girl was killed after she was struck by a train on the North-East coast last night. The 14-year-old was hit by a train travelling at 60mph on an east coast railway line at Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, at about 6.30pm. Officers from British
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Little Lennox 'stable' after lifesaving liver transplant
A DESPERATELY ill baby will spend his first Christmas in hospital following a transplant operation to save his life. Doctors say Lennox Nicholson still has a long way to go before he is completely out of danger, but they are happy with his progress. Lennox
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Clarke's eager to get boots dirty after year on sidelines
DARRELL Clarke has played the waiting game, rather than the beautiful game, this season. Now back in the Hartlepool United first-team picture, the midfielder is ready to turn his back on a miserable 2005. Clarke didn't kick a ball for Pool last season
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At Your Service: Smaller gathering, big heart
The congregation at Neville Parade Methodist Church might be rattling around a bit in their pews, but they are very far from running out of steam. FIFTY years after the town was just a post-war babe in arms, and very many of its inhabitants likewise,
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Saturday Spotlight: Roeder on the lookout for gems in the Magpies' nest
Glenn Roeder's tenure at West Ham ended with him being sacked shortly after returning to work following surgery to remove a benign brain tumour. Chief Football Writer Paul Fraser found out what went wrong at Upton Park and how he intends to make the most
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Fashion store gets Psyched-up for hotel move
A TREND-SETTING department store in the Tees Valley has announced plans to develop a five-star hotel. An extra floor will be built on to the award-winning Psyche designer store, in Middlesbrough's Linthorpe Road, to accommodate the £2m, 24-room hotel.
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Cheaper option pays off
CIGARETTE maker Gallaher yesterday said it was defending its share of the UK cigarette market by winning more custom from smokers switching to cheaper brands. Gallaher, which manufactures Silk Cut, Benson and Hedges and Mayfair cigarettes, said its share
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Christmas cancelled for 500
HUNDREDS of children looking forward to visiting Santa this Christmas have had their dreams shattered after a tour operator called in the administrators. Nortours, which organises Santa Claus tours to Scandinavia and the Baltics, has cancelled 500 bookings
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McClaren delighted to tackle German giants
STEVE McClaren has spent most of this season pleading for a glamour game against one of the European elite and, yesterday, the Middlesbrough manager's demands were finally met. Boro will play three-time German champions and former UEFA Cup and European
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Vicar defends use of church as setting for TV love scene
A VICAR has defended the use of his church as a location for a romantic television comedy. Perfect Day, screened on Channel Five on Sunday night, was set in the village of Middleton Tyas, near Darlington. It used several locations including Middleton
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Home game for Bishops
Bishop Auckland play their first home game for nearly two months when they face Spalding at the Brewery Field today in the UniBond League First Division, writes Ray Simpson. Bishops need to start making their home advantage count, as they are nine points
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Hear All Sides
BUS BLUES: BEFORE Darlington Borough Council congratulate themselves on the supposed increase in visitors to the town because of increased car parking figures (Echo, Dec 9) they should think of the other side of the story. Before the onset of pedestrianisation
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Marshals to keep order at taxi rank
A scheme aimed at ridding a town centre of trouble from late-night revellers is being piloted. The safety initiative will see a team of marshals stewarding the main taxi rank in Bishop Auckland every Friday and Saturday and Bank Holiday over the festive
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Pupils' penalties raise £1,500
SCHOOLCHILDREN enjoyed a visit from Darlington Football Club player Matt Clarke yesterday. The centre-half dropped in to Heathfield Primary School, in Darlington, to hand out signed footballs and thank children who had raised money for Football in the
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Workers raise £200
Workers have raised more than £200 for a scheme aiming to spread festive cheer across Darlington. Saul Kennedy, who works for Lucite International, in Newton Aycliffe, has been raising money for the Giving Tree appeal - and persuaded his colleagues to
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Search starts for new council boss
THE first stage in the £30,000 process of finding a new boss for Teesdale District Council begins on Monday. The council's executive committee is to interview three shortlisted recruitment agencies to decide which to employ to find the authority's new
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Tribute to man who loved life
IT could have been any night in any club in any North-East town. The drinks were flowing, the music was playing and the conversation was rolling. But to the friends who were gathered at Darlington's Nestfield Club last night, one very important person
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A crafty way to raise funds - and save lives
A CRAFT fair is being held this weekend to raise money for lifesaving equipment. Coxwold Crafters are raising funds to buy a defibrillator to be based at Sutton Bank Visitor Centre, near Thirsk, and train staff how to use it. A total of £1,600 is needed
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Star helps boost funds
BIG Brother 2005 winner Anthony Hutton will be the guest of honour at a fundraising night to help a young cancer sufferer. Daniel Sewell, 21 months, from Coronation Street, Crook, beat all the odds after battling a rare form of tongue cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma
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Police probe car park 'crime' scene
THE stairs of a North-East car park were being treated as a potential crime scene yesterday after a woman was discovered in a distressed state. She was very upset when she was found by an unknown person in the early hours of the morning. Police were called
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Cash prizes for residents who recycle waste
RESIDENTS will soon have the chance to win cash prizes in return for recycling their household waste. Ryedale District Council is launching the pilot scheme to try to encourage residents to increase the amount of waste they recycle. Funding has been awarded
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Stokesley look for double
Stokesley SC aim to complete a quick double over New Marske when the sides meet in the second round of the Sunderland Shipowners Cup this afternoon, writes Malcolm Pratt. Stokesley defeated their rivals 4-2 in the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup last week,
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Crasbo man told to mend his ways
A TEESSIDE man has been ordered by magistrates to mend his ways. Sean Fairweather, 29, who lives in Billingham, has been made the subject of a criminal anti-social behaviour order (Crasbo). The two-year order follows a string of thefts from the town's
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Ramage living the dream
PETER RAMAGE'S versatility may have arrived as a shock to most Newcastle United supporters, but that has been one of his strengths from the first moment he pulled on a black and white shirt, writes Paul Fraser. And the centre-back, who has played on both
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Teacher retires after 23 years
A LONG-serving headteacher has retired after 23 years at the same school. Chris Bird, who lives in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, came to the area from Doncaster to teach in 1969. He was appointed headteacher of Thornaby Church of England Primary School
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Air crews provide base for festive fun
PENSIONERS have been treated to Christmas dinner by staff at an RAF base. The annual senior citizens' Christmas party, held in the officers' mess at RAF Leeming, began with carol singing by children from RAF Leeming Primary School. Pensioners then tucked
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The story of Christmas - through a child's eyes
A VILLAGE church was packed as primary school youngsters retold the story of Christmas. More than 200 children from St Anne's Primary School, in Bishop Auckland, took part in the annual festive concert at St Andrew's Church, South Church, this week. Parents
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Ice cream is a treasure
A THEATRE company has had an ice cream created especially for its Christmas show. Theatre Cap-a-Pie, from Dipton, has teamed up with ice cream business Mark Toney for its production of The Amazing Adventures of Mary-Lou and the Ice Cream Pirates. The
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City clean-up drive leads to 25 fines
TWENTY-FIVE people have been issued on-the-spot fines for littering or allowing their dogs to foul in public spaces in Durham City since changes in the law in April. The city council has employed six neighbourhood wardens to work across the district and
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Thanks to city's card designer
CHRISTMAS came early for a Durham teenager who was presented with a gift from the mayor. Victoria Sowerby, 17, a pupil at Durham High School for Girls, has designed this year's Durham City Christmas card. The design is an original composition of interior
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Staff from prison aid college
PRISON staff have handed over £4,000 raised during a sponsored walk to a training college. Earlier this year, staff from HMP Frankland joined students from Finchale Training College, near Durham City, for a sponsored ten-mile walk along Hadrian's Wall
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Boxing Day dip for charity
A COUNCIL'S recycling mascot will be taking a charity plunge in to the North Sea on Boxing Day - but he is under orders to leave his alter ego behind. Bin man Darren Furphy dons a sponge-filled disguise to transform himself into Monti, Redcar and Cleveland
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Svengali with attitude
Music mogul Anthony Wilson will forever be linked with the Manchester music scene, which launched some of the country's biggest bands. He talks to Stuart Arnold about his legacy to the industry and his latest venture to find the next big thing in pop.
