Archive
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Flute duet in the Arctic Circle
AN adventurous musical couple are to travel 600 miles into the Arctic Circle to raise funds for a hospice. Heather and Geoff Thompson, from Darlington, are taking their camper van through Norway to Hammerfest, in the Arctic Circle, to play a flute duet
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Missing dog returns home
OWNERS of a dog which disappeared from outside a shop have thanked people for their help in tracking her down. Liz Hayman has been reunited with her beloved West Highland White terrier, Holly, who went missing on Saturday from outside the Spar shop in
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Protestors complain about arrests
Police who arrested six peaceful protestors making a stand against ID cards are under investigation by their own force. The protestors were arrested and held for 20 hours as police searched their homes and confiscated property. Phil Capon, 49, who was
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It's the last day at their old school for pupils
YOUNGSTERS left their Darlington primary school building for the last time yesterday - and will return from their half-term break to a multi-million pound learning centre. Pupils at Skerne Park Primary School will soon be having their lessons at a £4.5m
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All aboard the campaign for smoke-free workplaces
A CAMPAIGN to make workplaces smoke-free ahead of next year's law change arrived in Northallerton and Richmond yesterday. A double-decker bus visited both towns to launch the Smokefree: Liberate the Workplace campaign. Health professionals and members
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News in brief
Date set for parish meeting: The annual parish assembly for Saltburn, Marske and New Marske will be held on Wednesday, March 22, at 7pm, at Huntcliff School, Saltburn. Residents will have the opportunity to meet and question Kaye Mount, head of strategy
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Performers catch the fundraising bug
YOUNG dancers will perform an encore and donate box office takings to charity. Ingleby Dance School will perform As Time Goes By at Stockton's Arc on Saturday, March 25, in aid of the Butterwick Hospice, Stockton. The show received rave reviews last week
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Chance to make puppets
Activities have been lined up at a library to keep youngsters entertained during half-term. The Clayport Library, in Durham City, is holding a puppet-making session on Wednesday, for seven to 11-year-olds. It starts at 2.30pm and tickets, which cost £1
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Sample life of a student
A COLLEGE is offering pupils the chance to taste student life as part of a scheme launched yesterday. Upload is the membership initiative launched by Redcar and Cleveland College, designed to help young people decide whether college life is right for
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£1.3m project takes building back to roots
WORK on a £1.3m scheme to transform a historic building into a flagship centre for enterprise and learning has been announced. The Mechanics Institute, built in 1826 as a focal point for community learning in Chester-le-Street, has been earmarked for
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Car park shut for £20,000 revamp
THE basement car park at Hartlepool's Middleton Grange Shopping Centre will be closed for two weeks for refurbishment. It will close on Monday, although pedestrian access to the shopping centre will be maintained. The £20,000 refurbishment includes painting
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Views sought on young people's plan
TIME is running out for people to have a say on a plan that aims to safeguard children and young people. Hartlepool Borough Council is carrying out a second phase of consultation on the Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP), which is due to end on Tuesday
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Drunken cyclist hit woman on crossing
KITCHEN porter Anoldas Loveikis was still suffering the effects of a drinking session when he knocked a woman down as he cycled to work, a court heard yesterday. Mark Haigh, prosecuting, told Harrogate magistrates how 48-year-old Loveikis had ridden through
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Garden of memorial planned at school
Pupils are planning a remembrance garden to commemorate students and teachers who lost their lives when they were part of the school community. Stockton Borough Council and the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust are working with Billingham Campus School to apply
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Extreme lengths for swimmers
A GROUP of young swimmers surprised even themselves when they covered nearly 38,000 metres in under an hour. Members of the White Horse swimming team, in Thirsk, covered more than the distance between Thirsk and Harrogate They were taking part in a national
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MP backs twin towns' status application
RYEDALE MP John Greenway is backing a pioneering scheme to make the twin towns of Malton and Norton a Business Investment District (Bid). More than 500 business leaders are being urged to back the project, under which they will pay a 1.5 per cent rate
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Hot shot pupils net a win over staff on the basketball court
SPECIAL needs children went head-to-head with their teachers yesterday in a basketball play-off. Youngsters from Kilton Thorpe School, in Brotton, east Cleveland, have been sharpening their skills and using basketball to learn academic subjects including
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Man rescued after falling under train from bridge
A MAN was rescued from under a train carriage after falling from a footbridge yesterday. He was recovering in hospital last night after being treated for head injuries and a fractured left arm. The alert was raised when the man fell into the path of the
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Man gambled in wife's name
A HOUSEHUSBAND who spent more than £16,000 on on-line gambling in his wife's name was spared jail yesterday. Christopher Good, 45, took out credit cards and a personal loan using his wife Cheryl's details, so he could place huge bets on Ladbroke's gaming
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Water cut after leak
THE water supply to several hundred customers was cut off yesterday, when a six-inch pipe split and began to leak as men were working on it. Houses and businesses were affected by the leak, which happened as a connection was being made to the pipe in
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Abandoned car deadline is looming
CAR owners in Sedgefield borough wanting to get rid of unwanted vehicles are warned the deadline is nearing to dispose of them for free. Sedgefield Community Safety Partnership has been running an amnesty of unwanted vehicles since March last year. In
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Confidence flowing says Konstantopoulos
DIMI Konstantopoulos admits confidence is flowing through the Hartlepool United camp once again. After a miserable run of results was turned around, Pool have not conceded a goal in three unbeaten games under the control of temporary boss Paul Stephenson
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McClaren missed both goals!
A JUBILANT Steve McClaren last night admitted he had missed both of the goals that his took his Middlesbrough side to the brink of the UEFA Cup's last 16. McClaren, who also failed to witness Joseph-Desire Job's dramatic opener in 2004's Carling Cup final
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Crackdown on cyclists riding on pavements
POLICE in Bishop Auckland may launch a crackdown against cyclists riding on footpaths after complaints from residents. Youths are reportedly cycling on pavements, while some ride along Newgate Street against the flow of traffic. PC Bill Lavery said local
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Hospice founder presents cups
MARY BUTTERWICK has been to a school to present trophies and plaques to the children who have helped raise thousands of pounds for her charity. Mrs Butterwick was made an honorary old Barnardian last year, when Barnard Castle School adopted the Butterwick
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Skeleton silver has Shelley in raptures
Shelley Rudman exceeded her own wildest expectations by snatching an Olympic silver medal at Cesana Pariol less than four years after lying on a skeleton sled for the first time. Rudman made up two places and more than a quarter of a second on her second
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Flake to fly home
FLAKE'S superior speed could prove decisive in the outcome of Market Rasen's Betfred Nationwide Handicap Hurdle. In a race where many of the leading protagonists might find the extended two-mile-one-furlong contest an insufficient test of stamina, Flake's
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Johnson is warned after poor performance
Darlington's Simon Johnson paid the undignified price for under-performing when the substitute was substituted at Peterborough on Tuesday. And manager David Hodgson has warned any repeat will have serious repercussions. Johnson was hauled off by Hodgson
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Partying pensioner to lose his home
A PENSIONER lost his home yesterday because he hosted all-night parties that made his neighbours' lives a misery. A judge watched two secretly-filmed videos of teenage partygoers flocking to 67-year-old Michael Nichols' seaside flat. He was seen handing
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Quantum leap for teleport ambition
STARSHIPS may be a long way off, but enterprising scientists have just boldly gone where no man has gone before. They have taken a step into the world of science fiction by making Captain Kirk's famous transporter a little closer to reality. And although
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Shipyard waiting for licences
SWAN Hunter will have to wait up to another two months to find out whether it will be granted its crucial shipbreaking licences. The troubled shipyard had expected to receive a decision on the licences from the Environment Agency by the weekend. However
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Indiscretion brings ignominy
WHAT does it tell us about referees that so few of them have played their sport to a high standard? They are generally people who like to be the centre of attention, and having failed to gain it through their playing skills they try a different tack.
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Guantanamo prisoners can fight for freedom
Three British residents held by the US at Guantanamo Bay were yesterday given the go-ahead to seek a High Court order requiring Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to petition for their release. A judge in London said allegations of torture being practised at
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Stab death man named, woman is questioned
POLICE last night named a man who died after he was stabbed in the chest as 42-year-old Colin David Scott. Officers found him slumped in a chair and bleeding heavily at his home early yesterday. Paramedics were called and he was taken to hospital, but
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Police holding DNA of innocent children
DNA records of more than 1,500 innocent children and teenagers are being kept by North-East police forces, The Northern Echo can reveal. The youngest is only ten, and their records have been kept despite the fact they have never been cautioned, charged
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16/02/06
HELP WANTED: THE RNIB community fundraising manager for the North of England, Linda Stephenson, is looking for volunteers, in particular people who would give some of their time to conduct collections in supermarkets, count and bank the money. The RNIB
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Losing the moral battle
IF the war against terror is ever to be successful, the battle for the hearts and minds of people across the world has to be won. And there is a growing danger that the fight for global support is being lost by America and its allies. Video footage of
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Police car and fire engine collide
A police car and a fire engine have collided on a town centre crossroads, while answering separate emergency calls. The two-man crew of the patrol car and the driver of the fire truck were hurt and taken to the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough
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On TV
The First Emperor (C4) 'There is a legend of a man who forged a nation," began the narrator and the heart sank at the prospect of another of those dramatised historical documentaries featuring experts pontificating, computer graphics and cut-price dramatic
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Fire service levy takes tax close to capping threshold
taxpayers in part of the region will have to pay extra for their fire service. The County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority has approved an increase in its portion of the council tax bill that is close to the five per cent rise that could
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Police examine CCTV footage
DETECTIVES are trying to trace the last movements of murdered Audrey Badger by trawling through hours of footage from security cameras. The 42-year-old mother-of-five, of Thornaby, Teesside, was found murdered in her home at about 5am on Saturday. Officers
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Police holding DNA of innocent children
DNA records of more than 1,500 innocent children and teenagers are being kept by North-East police forces, The Northern Echo can reveal. The youngest is only ten, and their records have been kept despite the fact they have never been cautioned, charged
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Buy Victoria Bechham's jeans...for £7.99
FORMER fashion student Harriet Crossland is modelling a pair of Rock and Republic jeans. They're the brand that Victoria Beckham wears and designs for. They normally cost around £200. These cost £7.99. Why? Because they came from Oxfam. Harriet is assistant
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Shoptalk: Victoria Beckham's jeans... for just £7.99
Want to look like a celebrity, but don't quite have the bank balance? A new Oxfam shop that's offering chic on the cheap could be the answer. FORMER fashion student Harriet Crossland is modelling a pair of Rock and Republic jeans. They're the brand that
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Lamplas expects growth to continue
GLASS fibre maker Lamplas has increased turnover from £4.8m to £5.2m this year and is planning further growth as it moves into new markets. Lamplas operates from two sites in the Consett area and employs about 100 people. The company designs and develops
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Plans unveiled to ease delays near hospital
PLANS to solve traffic chaos on one of the region's busiest routes have been unveiled. Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon has turned his attention to the town's Marton Road in a bid to ease the flow of traffic that builds up around the James Cook University
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Market buoyant
BUY-to-let lender Bradford & Bingley described the housing market as buoyant last night after unveiling annual profits at the top end of expectations. B&B said that its most important market of buy-to-let had recovered more strongly than the housing
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Man made threat
A MAN who made threatening phone calls after his son was accused of theft has appeared in court. Joseph James Hope, 45, of Wordsworth Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty at Darlington Magistrates' Court yesterday to harassment by making threatening calls
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Stirring up interest in good food
A FREE course has begun in Darlington to stir up interest in healthy cooking. The Get Cooking for Health course has been organised by Skerne Park and Parkside Community Partnership and Darlington Primary Care Trust, to teach people how to create healthy
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Library work overdue, but repairs to be finished soon
STAFF at a Darlington library have said they are doing everything they can to ensure overdue repair work is completed as soon as possible. Work to replace the foyer floor, repairs roof-lights, the roof covering and chimneys and restore external walls
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Reassurance as yet another dental practice goes private
HEALTH chiefs say they are working hard to maintain NHS dental cover after it emerged another North Yorkshire practice is to go private. Bedale Dental Practice will stop treating adults on the NHS from April 1. The announcement comes two weeks after Leyburn
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Developers ask for views on multi-coloured skyscraper
DEVELOPERS who want to build the tallest building in the North-East are to consult people who would live and work near the 375ft multi-coloured tower. Plans will be put on display at two venues close to Middlesbrough town centre where the skyscraper block
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Computer firm wins green award
A FIRM that rebuilds old computers has won an award for its recycling initiative. Recycling IT (Europe) has won the environmental sector in the Tees Valley Best New Business Awards. The company, which began trading in August 2004, has customers across
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Under the hammer
SHIRTS signed by Newcastle United footballers, Newcastle Falcons rugby stars and Durham County Cricketers are among the lots at a fundraising auction. BBC Radio Newcastle's Sue Sweeney will pick up her hammer for the event at Framwellgate School, in Durham
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Stroke club marks birthday milestone
A GROUP that offers support to stroke victims in Derwentside is 25 years old tomorrow. Consett Stroke Club was formed on February 18, 1981, to help ex-steelworkers who suffered post-stroke speech problems. Jean Tredgold, secretary, said : "The club helps
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400 are helped by pioneering moped scheme
YOUNG people in remote areas of North Yorkshire are benefiting from a pioneering moped loan scheme. Funded by the county council and strategic partnerships, Wheels 2 Work has so far helped 400 people overcome the barrier of lack of transport in getting
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Firefighter praised for stand on green issues
A FIREFIGHTER has been praised by planners for suggesting a green approach to a £2.6m fire station for Harrogate. The station will be built on the site of the present building in Skipton Road and has just been given full planning permission. At a preliminary
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Plan unveiled for medical centre to serve 28,000
A NEW town centre development including a community church and medical centre serving 28,000 patients has been given the go-ahead by planners. But a separate proposal for seven terrace homes in the area bounded by Westmoreland Street, Mowbray Square and
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ICT companies link up to provide data protection
TWO of the region's leading information and communications technology (ICT) firms have joined forces to become the North-East's biggest data protection service provider. ICT management and data recovery experts, IT Professional Services (ITPS), of Gateshead
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Lamplas expects growth to continue
GLASS fibre maker Lamplas has increased turnover from £4.8m to £5.2m this year and is planning further growth as it moves into new markets. Lamplas operates from two sites in the Consett area and employs about 100 people. The company designs and develops
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New worker at charity
A CHARITY which supports homeless young people has appointed volunteers to help with their work. Stop2Night, in Darlington, has recruited Claire Brass, a telephone point of contact, who mans the line outside office hours, from 4pm to 8pm. Bridget Chapman
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Good landlords will get accredited in scheme
ROGUE landlords in Darlington will be targeted as part of a council-run scheme launched this week. Darlington Borough Council unveiled its Landlord Accreditation Scheme and Landlords' Forum at an information day. Landlords meeting the scheme's requirements
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Builder appointedto create new pool
PLANS to build the first 50m swimming pool in the North-East have moved forward with the appointment of a contractor. Sunderland City Council has named Balfour Beatty as the contractor to build the city's £19.8m swimming pool. The project includes constructing
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Half-term holiday activities
COUNTRYSIDE rangers are hosting a series of half-term events on Teesside next week. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has organised the holiday activities, which will take place throughout the borough's three countryside sites. On Tuesday, Saltburn
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Critical friend role for minorities
ETHNIC minorities in County Durham are being given the chance to influence how the police and the criminal justice system treat them. The county's police force, like others across the country, is setting up an independent advisory group (IAG). But Durham's
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Scott Wilson's UEFA Cup diary
WHILE Berlin is Germany's political centre and Frankfurt claims to be the country's spiritual heart, Stuttgart is the German city with most economic clout. London might have its financial core and Paris its cultural chic, but Stuttgart boasts the highest
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Bowlers start season in new conservatory
BOWLS enthusiasts will start their new season from vastly improved facilities. Thirsk Athletic Bowls Club has been given £5,000 Yorventure grant to replace the old conservatory at the front of their pavilion. About 100 members compete in four bowls leagues
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Libraries' stock passes health check
THE fiction and poetry available from libraries in North Yorkshire has been assessed as excellent. The judgement came from the Audit Commission after stock health checks of the county's library and information service. The checks are designed to help
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Female innovation
FEMALE entrepreneurs are being encouraged to enter a new category at the Spirit of Innovation Awards this year. The Female Innovator category aims to seek out entrepreneurs who have recently designed or developed a unique product or service, which stands
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L'oreaL looking good following strong sales
THE world's largest cosmetics maker saw operating profits increase by 8.5 per cent last year, following strong sales outside Europe. Paris-based L'Oreal, which makes Maybelline cosmetics and Armani and Ralph Lauren fragrances, said revenue rose 6.5 per
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'I did not drive car during ram-raid'
A DISQUALIFIED driver who knocked over and killed a child yesterday denied that he did not have the courage to admit another driving offence. Prosecution barrister Martin Towers suggested to Colin Meek that the reason he would not plead guilty to dangerous
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Wilkinson suffers more woe
THE extraordinary sequence of injuries which has blighted Jonny Wilkinson's career since winning the World Cup 28 months ago is not over yet. He was said to be fully fit when he sat on the bench for Newcastle Falcons' win at London Irish last Sunday,
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100 jobs as loan office opens
THE Student Loans Company is bringing more than 100 jobs to the region with the opening of a contact centre and loan processing office. The company, which is part of the Department for Education and Skills, has opened new offices at Mowden Hall, Darlington
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Have the hunters outfoxed the law?
It's a year tomorrow since the Hunting Act came into force, but instead of destroying it the sport appears to be flourishing. Lindsay Jennings reports. NICK Walker weaves his way across the South Durham countryside leaving behind a familiar scent for
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Babayaro's absence gives Elliott his chance
ROBBIE ELLIOTT is to be handed his first chance to impress Glenn Roeder after Newcastle United were told to forget about trying to overturn Celestine Babayaro's suspension. A Football Association disciplinary committee yesterday threw out Newcastle's
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Residents join care home workers at closure protest
A CENTENARIAN and women in their 90s were among demonstrators protesting at a council's headquarters yesterday aginst plans to close 12 residential care homes. Jane Anne "Jenny'' Wren, who was 100 in November, was among residents and carers from the Durham
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School's lane spells trouble
RED-FACED council officials have apologised after mis-spelling the word grammar on a road sign - outside a school. Stockton Borough Council workers were called back to Grammar School Lane, home of Yarm Preparatory School, to replace a recently-erected
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Robson happy to recommend Lawrence for Irish squad
SIR BOBBY ROBSON has revealed how Liam Lawrence's role in helping Sunderland claim a point against Tottenham on Sunday was enough to secure a first international call-up for the Republic of Ireland. Lawrence was yesterday named in Steve Staunton's squad
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Tributes to businessman and ex-officer
TRIBUTES have been paid to a decorated former policeman, well-known business leader and dearly-loved family man. Peter Brant, of Aiskew, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, died of a heart attack in his sleep on Sunday, aged 54. Mr Brant managed the Maynews
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Sadistic killers' sentences increased by Appeal Court
TWO killers who disembowelled a man with a breadknife have had their sentences increased after a review of the case by three senior judges. The Court of Appeal ruled yesterday that Sean Swindon should serve a minimum of 28 years and Michael Peart at least
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Protestors complain about arrests
Police who arrested six peaceful protestors making a stand against ID cards are under investigation by their own force. The protestors were arrested and held for 20 hours as police searched their homes and confiscated property. Phil Capon, 49, who was
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Men's Helpline boss jailed for rape
THE director of a voluntary organisation set up to help battered men has been jailed for seven years for rape. Parminder Cheema, 39, launched the Men's Helpline referral and counselling service in December, to give advice to men falsely accused of domestic
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Wilkinson suffers more woe
THE extraordinary sequence of injuries which has blighted Jonny Wilkinson's career since winning the World Cup 28 months ago is not over yet. He was said to be fully fit when he sat on the bench for Newcastle Falcons' win at London Irish last Sunday,
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The day MPs got right
Valentine's Day 2006 should go down in history as the day in which the country's MPs showed they really cared about Britain and its health. The historic decision to ban smoking in public places will save more lives and do more to improve the health of
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The fat kids' capital
There is growing concern about the worldwide epidemic of obesity. Health Editor Barry Nelson eavesdropped on a major international confernece on the subject held in the region. WHEN Peter Kelly was a young lad growing up in Middlesbrough, back in 1974
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Rangers lead country walks
Countryside rangers will lead an eight-mile circular walk around Liverton, Kilton and Loftus, on Monday, from 10am to 3pm. Walkers should meet at Loftus Leisure Centre car park. Guisborough Forest rangers will lead a six-mile Mining March walk on Wednesday
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Boateng the driving force in Boro victory
STUTTGART is the home of Mercedes' formula one operation and, last night, Middlesbrough's 'Team McClaren' left the city having motored towards the last 16 of the UEFA Cup. Five days after humbling champions elect Chelsea, the Teessiders hit top gear again
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Village joy after post office is saved for the second time
VILLAGERS were delighted yesterday after their tiny post office and shop was saved from closure for the second time in 18 months. It seemed doomed when the previous owner, Cheryl Clark, announced in November that she was giving up the business, in Bowes
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Relative abusive after bird flu deaths
A MAN who went out drinking after learning about the death of relatives from bird flu has appeared in court. Magistrates sitting at Darlington Court yesterday heard how 26-year-old Ali Abdullah Kadir became drunk and abusive to staff at a Darlington nightclub
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Heavens to Besty, this little dog needs a new home
A FLUFFY white terrier puppy is looking for a home with a loving family who will help her to overcome her disability. Betsy is deaf and will need to find a home with someone who will show her lots of kindness, patience and understanding. At only ten months
