Archive
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Daggers set to clarify Kandol's future
David Hodgson insists he wanted to sign Tresor Kandol before the Dagenham & Redbridge striker turned his back on a permanent move to Darlington. Dagenham are due to release a statement clarifying the future of Kandol after their hopes of cashing on
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Man who knifed victim gets life
A knifeman who stabbed his victim 26 times after he beat him in an arm wrestling match was jailed for life yesterday. Alan Jones, 37, known as Bally, got the better of Wayne Gates during an arm wrestling contest in Hogans bar, Sunderland, on April 19
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Whisky sampling
A PUB will get into the spirit of Burns' Night next week when they host a Scottish-themed festival. The Tawny Owl, near Hurworth, is commemorating the poet Robert Burns on Wednesday, and is hoping to entice customers to sample their Scottish produce.
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Garage starts repair work
REPAIR work has started to replace a badly fire-damaged roof at a Darlington car dealership. About £800,000-worth of damage was cause in the blaze, at the Williamson Motors garage in Chesnut Street, last Sep- tember. The fire started in the workshop after
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Penalty points warning for cabbie
A CABBIE close to the limit for penalty points on his driving licence has had a severe warning from councillors in Darlington. Paul Trenholm was told that any future motoring offences would see him being returned to face Darlington Borough Council's general
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Giant photographs show what life is like in Afghanistan
AN exhibition by nationally-renowned photographer Simon Norfolk has gone on show in Darlington Arts Centre. The giant metre-and-a-half wide photographs depict the destruction of Afghanistan. Mr Norfolk said: "Walking a Kabul street can be like walking
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'Referendum on demolition plans for hotel is pointless'
RESIDENTS go to the polls for the first parish referendum in a North-East town today, but a row has broken out after council bosses said their votes would count for nothing. More than 1,100 people in the Whessoe parish of Darlington will be asked whether
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Man, 18, is charged with dad's murder
A TEENAGER accused of killing his father appeared in court yesterday. Shaun Leckenby, 18, is charged with the murder of 45-year-old Ronald Leckenby, who was found dead at his home in Sunderland, on Saturday. Police made the discovery after officers were
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'This kind man was no child abuser'
A FORMER friend has spoken out in defence of shamed school teacher William Gibson. Gibson, 59, was convicted in 1980 for indecent assault of a child, but later worked at schools in County Durham and South Tyneside. He was 33 when he started dating a 15
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Young players keep their heads while learning a different sport
AN American teacher has come to a County Durham school to teach a ball game which, according to folklore, originated using decapitated heads. Kristen Sherry has arrived at Barnard Castle School on a year-long contract from Florida to help pupils get their
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Missing fisherman named
The family of a missing fisherman were this afternoon informed an all-day search had found no trace of the father of two. Edward Bissell was fishing in the North Sea in a 28ft-long coble named Bonny Lass, which was found adrift in open sea 14 miles east
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Familiar faces in city to receive Freedom award
WRITER Denise Robertson, former motor magnate Sir Tom Cowie and Dr Ram Banerjee, a leading local medic and volunteer with the Territorial Army's field hospital service are to be given the freedom of Sunderland. The council's cabinet agreed to confer the
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Pupils join in clean-up of park
A GROUP of pupils left their classroom yesterday to take part in a clean-up project. The students from Seaham School of Technology visited Seaham Town Park, where they joined forces with youth workers from Groundwork East Durham and the District of Easington
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Guiding way to the North-East
A guide has been published to attract visitors from Britain and around the world to the region. The NewcastleGateshead Guide 2006/07 is available at 800 UK Tourist Information Centres and major entry points to the North-East. Produced by the NewcastleGateshead
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Fitness rewards
A mini-triathlon challenge has been set up in the gym at Thirsk Swimming Pool. For the next six weeks, fitness instructors are offering people the chance to run or walk 2km, row 3km and cycle 4km. The people who have improved the most over a six-week
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Apology as works cause traffic jam
A COUNCIL last night apologised after hundreds of commuters were caught up in a major crawl to work. But a spokesman said essential carriageway reconstruction work would continue for three months. The closure of Cargo Fleet Lane, a main arterial road
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Celebrations for dog club
A TEESDALE dog club has been given a double reason to celebrate. Teesdale Flyball Club has now received confirmation that it is fully registered with the Kennel Club. The club, which was formed 18 months ago, had been affiliated with Peterlee Dog Club
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Man killed in head-on crash
ONE man was killed and another airlifted to hospital with serious injuries following a head-on crash yesterday. Two other people were injured in yesterday's two car crash, which blocked the A173 at Pinchinthorpe, between Guisborough and Great Ayton, in
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Smart way to beat thieves
COMMUNITY safety officials are urging residents on Teesside to take advantage of a smart crime prevention scheme. People living in the Burn Valley and Rift House wards of Hartlepool are being offered a free chance to have their possessions marked with
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Forty-one jobs threatened in council's budget struggle
JOBS are to be lost and council tax is likely to rise as a council tries to claw back a £7m budget shortfall. But Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said it was committed to investing in services, which would include care for the elderly and vulnerable
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Youth bus in drive to curb anti-social behaviour
A MOBILE youth club is to work closely with young people in Stanley town centre to tackle anti-social behaviour. Derwentside District Council's modern youth bus, Ellie, is equipped with a range of equipment including TV, video and DVD player, DJ decks
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Resident snakes bringing science to life
SCIENCE is not for the squeamish at a Teesside college where snakes are bringing learning to life. Freebrough Community College sites at Skelton and Loftus, east Cleveland, have welcomed to the classroom two corn snakes, Autumn and Snowball, and Humbug
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Hands-on approach for students training to become police officers
STUDENT police officers had to deal with abusive drunks and tackle shoplifters as part of their training yesterday. Luckily for them, the would-be criminals were all being played by volunteers. The event was part of a 17-week training course undertaken
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Explorer to tackle 'greatest journey'
NORTH-EAST explorer Conrad Dickinson is preparing to embark on his toughest challenge yet - the perilous 480-mile crossing from the Canadian High Arctic to the North Pole. Mr Dickinson, 49, who will take two months to complete his journey, will be sponsored
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Hunt for pair who robbed elderly man
TWO men are being hunted by police after a violent robbery at the home of an elderly man. The incident happened at about 8am on Tuesday in Topcliffe, near Thirsk, when two men called at a house in East Lea. As the elderly occupant opened the door, one
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Kyle return the key to Sunderland's revival
STEVE Caldwell has claimed the imminent return of Kevin Kyle could represent a significant turning point in Sunderland's season. Kyle, who has not featured for the first team since August 2004, is nearing the end of an injury hell that has seen him undergo
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Photo finish for MS
AN award winning photographer raised £100 for multiple sclerosis sufferers and put a dale's residents in the picture at the same time. Liz Laidler, from Weardale Studios, in Stanhope, collected the cash for the Weardale Multiple Sclerosis Society by waiving
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Experts meet to manage disasters
EXPERTS from opposite sides of the world are meeting in the North-East today to look at ways of managing the risks from natural disasters and major incidents. A Japanese delegation is flying into Tyneside to attend the first Japan-UK seminar on disaster
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Two colleges propose to pool their resources in federation federation to pool their resources
TWO colleges plan to become the first secondary schools in County Durham to join in a federation. Durham Community Business College, formerly Deerness Valley Comprehensive, at Ushaw Moor, and Fyndoune Community College, at Sacriston, want to pool their
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Fathers campaign group to disband
The fathers' rights group linked to an alleged plot to kidnap Tony's Blair's youngest son is to disband in the wake of the furore over the affair, its founder member announced last night. Fathers 4 Justice had earlier said the group was suspending its
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Parnaby recommends the back-to-basics approach
STUART Parnaby has urged his Middlesbrough team-mates to go "back to basics" in an attempt to prioritise points over performance and haul themselves away from the Premiership danger zone. Steve McClaren's men turned on the style on Tuesday night as a
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League managers are backing Sven
The Sven-Goran Eriksson controversy rumbles on, with Wigan chairman Dave Whelan calling for his head, but there may be some relief for the under-fire England head coach after league managers pleaded for an end to the saga. Whelan is renowned as Eriksson's
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Raising awareness of little-known illness
UP to half a million Britons are affected by a little-known disease which makes lives a misery. But despite large numbers of people sufferering from Sjogren's syndrome, there is not a single self-help or support group between Newcastle and Leeds. Now
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John North: Keld comfort
THE usual little morning chorus gathers around the Market Cross in Richmond, some waiting for buses, others - Cross purposes - merely passing an idle ten minutes until the banks open. A chap wearing the sort of half-mittens once favoured by Old Man Steptoe
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Pupils and teachers celebrate better results across board
EDUCATION bosses, pupils and teachers are celebrating after vast improvements in GCSE results among some of the region's schools in Government league tables published today. Stockton Borough Council has been highlighted as the most improved education
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Porter straight back on the goal trail
JOEL Porter yesterday marked his long-awaited return to action with a goal. The Hartlepool United striker, last season's player of the year, has been sorely missed this season after suffering a knee injury. He has not played since the play-off final last
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Companies 'must be more demanding' to close gap
BUSINESSES must let education bosses know what they are looking for in employees if the skills gap holding back the North-East economy is to be closed, a Government expert has said. Hugh Tollyfield, deputy director of higher education employer engagement
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Digital presents lift DSG
DIXONS and Currys owner DSG International celebrated a digital Christmas yesterday after sales surged on the back of demand for high-tech gifts. Sales at Dixons rose by eight per cent and at Currys by three per cent as both chains enjoyed a respite from
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Region's jobless total falls by 7,000
Unemployment in the region fell by 7,000 to 74,000 in the three months to November. Despite the fall, reported in figures from the Office for National Statistics, the total is still the highest figure outside London, where unemployment has risen to 291,000
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Residents see shutters go up on drugs den
TERRIFIED residents have helped detectives to close a drugs den. Magistrates in Hartlepool were told yesterday that addicts congregated at the house, in Uppingham Street, alarming and distressing neighbours. Officers took evidence anonymously from people
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Seeking a fairer solution
WITH the rate of marriage breakdowns running at around one in three, there is a clear need for an organisation which arbitrates over parental contributions towards the cost of raising children. The Child Support Agency, the organisation given that responsibility
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Kyle return the key to Sunderland's revival
STEVE Caldwell has claimed the imminent return of Kevin Kyle could represent a significant turning point in Sunderland's season. Kyle, who has not featured for the first team since August 2004, is nearing the end of an injury hell that has seen him undergo
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Woman used stolen card
A WOMAN used a stolen credit card to buy £65 worth of cigarettes and alcohol at an off-licence where she was recognised by staff, a court heard. Although the closed circuit television system was not working at the time, it was back in operation when Karen
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Boss of x-ray specialist resigns
THE chief executive of x-ray specialist Bede has resigned, the company told investors yesterday. Dr Neil Loxley, who has been part of the company's senior management for 18 years, will leave immediately. Although colleagues said the resignation was not
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Keld comfort
THE usual little morning chorus gathers around the Market Cross in Richmond, some waiting for buses, others - Cross purposes - merely passing an idle ten minutes until the banks open. A chap wearing the sort of half-mittens once favoured by Old Man Steptoe
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When a short, sharp, smack is the answer
I HAVE a confession to make: my name is Ruth Campbell and I have smacked my children. I know, following the legal curbs on smacking introduced a year ago, this could possibly lead to me being hauled off to the nearest police station for questioning, but
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Mother defends her tearaway son as posters are circulated
THE mother of a baby-faced tearaway named and shamed in a North-East community has defended him. Elaine Webb said her 12-year-old son, John Ashley Kinsella, had been led astray by other youngsters. A poster alerting the public to a three-year anti-social
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The honours system
IT seems that winning the Champions League is not all it's cracked up to be. Not content with watching his players stage one of the greatest comebacks of all time to be crowned kings of Europe last May, Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has criticised
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Will the CSA ever be up to the job?
An inquest heard yesterday how a father took his own life after he was pursued by the Child Support Agency. As the agency's future remains in doubt, Nick Morrison looks at its troubled history. IT had a difficult birth, its twos were indeed terrible and
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Campaign launched to fight for return of ex-miners' cash
A CAMPAIGN was launched yesterday to stop the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) taking a slice of compensation awarded to ill ex-pitmen in County Durham. The Action Group for Miners (AGM) will fight for the return of the "missing millions" wrongly taken
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Unions angry over jobs meeting
UNIONS fighting to save jobs at troubled Elementis Chromium said they were disappointed and angry after a meeting with company bosses. The Transport and General Workers (T&G) and Amicus unions say bosses have paid no notice to their attempts to reduce
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Trader jailed for road sealing con
A rogue trader who threatened business owners if they refused to meet his vast demands for the cost of laying tarmac has been jailed for 15 months. Joseph Kennedy, who sometimes claimed he was working for the local council or the Highways Agency, would
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Church figures at cathedral service
A FORMER Archbishop of Canterbury is to preach at Durham Cathedral on Saturday. Lord Carey of Clifton will address the Make Poverty History - Service of Thanksgiving and Recommitment, which will mark the achievements of the movement set up to stem Third
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Trust reviews staffing in hospital theatres
HOSPITAL bosses have admitted that a time and motion review has taken place that could lead to reduced operating theatre staffing. Officials at the County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed the review has taken place after information
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Blues night at centre's club
THE Speakeasy Blues Band is performing at Darlington Arts Centre's rhythm 'n' blues club on Friday, February 3, at 8pm. The band will be supported by Off The Wall, Tickets cost £6.50 and are available by calling the box office on (01325) 486555.
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Poultry processor flying thanks to £200,000 grant
POULTRY company Challenger Foods is creating up to 40 jobs at its Wearside base. Challenger, which supplies poultry products to the food industry, was awarded a £200,000 grant from regional development agency One NorthEast, which helped fund the extension
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Carols for charity
SCHOOL choirs helped to raise money for a local hospice by entertaining Christmas shoppers. A dozen Darlington schools sent pupils to sing carols in the Queen Street Shopping Centre during the festive period. Centre staff also ran a gift-wrapping service
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Neighbours welcome plans for hotel and golf course
NEIGHBOURS of what could be the largest golf course in Europe have welcomed the project. Villagers in Hurworth viewed plans for the proposed £50m leisure development at the Rockliffe Hall estate, in Hurworth Place, on Monday. The development would include
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Woman used stolen card
A WOMAN used a stolen credit card to buy £65 worth of cigarettes and alcohol at an off-licence where she was recognised by staff, a court heard. Although the closed circuit television system was not working at the time, it was back in operation when Karen
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Session to seek views from the homeless
PEOPLE who have experienced homelessness have been invited to make their views heard in a bid to improve services. Chester-le-Street District Council, working in partnership with local agencies, is hosting the event at the Parish Centre in the town's
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Man fined after drugs sting that landed friend in prison
A MAN who was tricked into arranging a drugs deal in a nightclub by two undercover police officers then dropped himself in it by giving evidence in a friend's trial. John David Allan, 36, was asked if he could get ecstasy by the two "very attractive"
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Film highlights women's plight
A film documenting the experiences and views mainly of women asylum seekers settled in the North-East, and the effects on their children, is the showpiece of a conference today. The conference, Disappearing Faces, has been organised by children's charity
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Bungalow future
SIX bungalows in Howden-le-Wear which have stood empty for several months may soon be bought by a developer. The buildings, in Hargill Haven, are in a state of disrepair and have attracted drug dealers and become a magnet for anti-social behaviour. But
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Region enjoying increase in tourism
MORE people are wanting to spend holidays in the Harrogate district. Figures recently released show a 43 per cent increase in numbers seeking last year's Harrogate holiday and visitor guide. Tourist promotion manager Hayley Gray reported receiving more
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Steptoe and Son on their travels to London
A show that was first produced and presented in North Yorkshire is to make its debut in the West End. Steptoe and Son In Murder at Oil Drum Lane was a big hit last year at the Theatre Royal, York. Written by Ray Galton and John Antrobus, it took its cue
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Yard plans deferred
A DEVELOPMENT scheme at a builder's yard which has sparked strong opposition from villagers and a parish council has been put on hold while councillors visit the site. Truss Loft Conversions Limited tabled a planning application with Harrogate Borough
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Free coach trip to see dance company perform
A COUNCIL'S arts development team is to launch a pilot project to take people to arts venues. If successful, Chester-le-Street District Council's Access Arts initiative to get people to theatres and galleries will be developed into seasonal visits. The
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Upgrade for power cables
A THREE-MONTH programme of underground power cable replacement starts in Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, next week. CE Electric UK, which distributes electricity through its subsidiary, Northern Electric Distribution Limited (NEDL), says it is upgrading
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School talks itself into £3,000 award
A DURHAM school that believes it is good to talk well has won £3,000 from a telephone company scheme. Neville's Cross Primary School is one of 200 winners nationally of the BT Schools Award, run with Century FM and Capital Disney. Judges said the school
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Faith event at life centre
A NEWTON Aycliffe church will hold a major three-day faith event this weekend. The Christian Life Centre will hold the three-day Ignite Leadership Conference featuring guest speakers Pastor Dave Gilpin, from Sheffield, and Pastor Neil Cameron, from Scotland
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News in brief
Groups receive council funds: COMMUNITY groups have been given a financial boost. Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council has agreed the awards to Saltburn Cricket Club, £140 towards its fireworks displa. Take Heart Support Group, £250 towards
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Weekend celebrates church
A TOWN church that rose from the ashes half a century ago to become an important part of its community starts its golden anniversary celebrations this weekend. St Paul's Church, in Spennymoor, was reopened for worship by the Queen Mother in 1956, following
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Town hospice fund boosted by 47 farthings
A FUNDRAISING appeal for a town's hospice has received a major boost. Stockton man Allan Oakley has donated his collection of 47 farthings and one half farthing - one of the coins dates back to 1754 - in support of the Nurse and a Half campaign in Hartlepool
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Proposing a toast to Alcopop
DISGRACEFULLY, as far as the BHB race-planning committee is concerned, it's yet another blank day of fixtures in the north, so down to Ludlow we go, where Alcopop (2.50) has a gilt-edged opportunity to get off the mark for the season. The Venetia Williams-trained
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Souness targets Frenchman Zebina to plug gaps in his leaky defence
FRENCH full-back Jonathan Zebina has become the latest player to catch Graeme Souness' eye as the Newcastle boss casts his net ever wider in the search for a new defensive recruit. The Magpies manager, who had previously spoken of his desire to sign an
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Nightmare nearly over for family
THE grieving family of a woman who went missing almost two years ago are finally due to get closure after permission was granted for an inquest to be held. An inquiry into the apparent death of mother-of-two Karen Coverdale will be held at Hartlepool
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CSA debts drove dad to take his own life
A DESPERATE father was found hanged from a tree weeks after writing to the Child Support Agency (CSA) threatening to kill himself, an inquest heard yesterday. Peter Phillips was paying the agency almost a quarter of his wages and struggled to make ends
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Unions angry over jobs meeting
UNIONS fighting to save jobs at troubled Elementis Chromium said they were disappointed and angry after a meeting with company bosses. The Transport and General Workers (T&G) and Amicus unions say bosses have paid no notice to their attempts to reduce
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Woolies had a wonderful Christmas
Woolworths announced yesterday that a pick-up in sales over Christmas put it on course to make profits at the top end of City expectations. The group, which has more than 800 stores, said sales were stronger last month and this month after a weaker showing
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Conflicts push oil price higher
WORLD oil prices reached a three-and-half-month high yesterday after militants threatened to widen their attacks on Nigeria's oil industry, threatening to cut deeper into supplies from the world's eighth-largest exporter. US crude surged more than two
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Air Force saving millions in U-turn
LIFTING the threat of closure from the region's front-line fighter base has saved the RAF millions of pounds, it emerged yesterday. RAF Leeming, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, will become a key part of a major military communications system -ensuring its
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Souness targets Frenchman Zebina to plug gaps in his leaky defence
FRENCH full-back Jonathan Zebina has become the latest player to catch Graeme Souness' eye as the Newcastle boss casts his net ever wider in the search for a new defensive recruit. The Magpies manager, who had previously spoken of his desire to sign an
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Campaign launched to fight for return of ex-miners' cash
A CAMPAIGN was launched yesterday to stop the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) taking a slice of compensation awarded to ill ex-pitmen in County Durham. The Action Group for Miners (AGM) will fight for the return of the "missing millions" wrongly taken
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'Vile and abusive tirade' at 999 operators
A MAN who launched a "vile and abusive tirade" against two female 999 operators was ordered to pay them compensation yesterday. Bernard Borman from Leyburn, North Yorkshire, was found guilty of making two grossly offensive telephone calls to police in
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Smacking's never the answer
So Tony Blair admits to having sometimes smacked his older children. Now he thinks he was wrong. He's not alone in that. Most parents of previous generations will have smacked their children, at least occasionally, and generally as a last, exasperated
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Ring thieves use syringe threat
ROBBERS threatened a grandmother in her 60s with a hypodermic needle and stole her wedding ring as she walked home from church. The men attacked and robbed the woman as she walked home from the Lakes Estate, in Redcar, east Cleveland. The woman was struck
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19/01/06
RED TAPE: A BIT naive, wasn't it, to expect in the wake of the Soham case, such being the degree of public anger, that the administrative failings responsible would be tackled effectively? Naive because the main such failing was also the most fundamental
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Truancy hit-list shames schools
FOUR schools in the North-East have been named and shamed in a hit-list targeting persistent truants. Branksome and Eastbourne schools, in Darlington, and Kenton School and West Gate Community College, both Newcastle, have been included in the list of
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Truancy hit-list shames schools
FOUR schools in the North-East have been named and shamed in a hit-list targeting persistent truants. Branksome and Eastbourne schools, in Darlington, and Kenton School and West Gate Community College, both Newcastle, have been included in the list of
