Archive
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Couple killed in car accident
A NORTH-East couple died in a road accident on Christmas Eve. Their Honda Accord collided with a Vauxhall Astra on the A1 at the High Laws junction near Morpeth, Northumberland. The 64-year-old man and 47-year-old woman from Hetton Le Hole, Wearside
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Pupil given overdose of medicine at school
AN ANGRY mother told how her son was given an overdose of medicine by a teacher at his school. Marcus Malone was admitted to Darlington Memorial Hospital struggling to breath and with high blood pressure after the mistake. The nine-year-old boy had
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Pantomime cast hurt in car accident
AN AUSTRALIAN soap star was among three pantomime cast members injured in a car-crash near Durham City. Lucinda Cowden, was badly bruised in the two-car collision just before 5am on Friday, but was able to return to the seasonal production of Peter Pan
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Chance missed insists Keane
A DISAPPOINTED Roy Keane believes his side wasted a great opportunity to put the pressure on the teams currently occupying the promotion play-off places. Selhurst Park has become something of a bogey ground for Sunderland in the league where they have
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Fair trading earns national recognition
DARLINGTON has been named a Fairtrade town. Fairtrade is an independent label that shows a product has been bought directly from producers in the developing world at a fair price. Fairtrade towns are those that show a commitment to the products and to
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Festive welcome for elderly residents
ELDERLY people from across Darlington enjoyed an early festive treat thanks to pupils at one of the town's schools. Students at Longfield School spread Christmas cheer by serving a traditional lunch followed by party games. The school choir sang carols
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Space flight ends safely for North-East astronaut
Space shuttle Discovery safely returned to Earth last night after some last-minute suspense over which landing site to use. The shuttle with seven astronauts on board, including North-East born Dr Nicholas Patrick, landed at Kennedy Space Centre, in Cape
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Bosses rethink plans for town education academy
EDUCATION bosses have been forced to rethink plans and change sites for an academy that will transform an under-achieving school. It had been hoped that Eastbourne School, in Darlington, would be replaced by a modern £20m building in Yarm Road. However
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Justice is finally done
THE long and harrowing trial of the men who murdered PC Sharon Beshenivsky has come to a satisfactory conclusion with the killers being told they must serve at least 35 years in jail. Muzzaker Shah and Yusuf Jamma, who made defiant gestures as the sentences
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Council video scheme helps public access
A SCHEME to allow members of the public to access council services may be expanded across the whole of County Durham. A £200,000 video conferencing pilot scheme has proved such a success that organisers are now keen to extend the project across the county
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Tickets still available for Cinderella
THEATRE staff having been experiencing bumper sales of tickets at their pantomime. The Empire Theatre, in Consett, has been staging Cinderella - and tickets are still available for the last performances. The show features Sixties pop stars Mike Sarne
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Upgrade at water
WORK is about to start on an upgrade of a treatment works which supplies drinking water to homes across north Durham. Northumbrian Water is to spend £4.5m to improve the Honey Hill water treatment works, at Castleside, near Consett. The work, which will
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Vulnerable people's service extended
A SERVICE that helps older and vulnerable people stay in their own homes is to be extended. The Supporting People Grant, funded by the Government and operated by Durham County Council, provides alarm schemes and warden services to help 13,000 people across
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Panto stars bring festive cheer to patients
PANTOMIME stars paid a visit to a children's ward this week to bring a little Christmas cheer to patients facing the prospect of spending the holiday in hospital. The cast of Peter Pan, which is being staged at the Gala Theatre, in Durham City, paid a
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Brave policeman rescues man from freezing river
A police officer spent 30 minutes in a freezing river holding an unconscious man's head above the water. Mystery surrounds how the struggling man came to be in the icy Cod Beck, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. The unnamed man's cries alerted locals to his
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Crackdown on town centre crime is hailed a success
AN initiative to crack down on crime in an east Durham town in the run-up to Christmas has been hailed a success - with a reduction of up to 100 per cent in retail crimes reported. Police in Peterlee, who have increased the number of high- visibility
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Golden memories for devoted couple
A CROOK couple marked their golden wedding anniversary yesterday with a quiet family celebration. The day of Bobby and Agnes Sleights' wedding at Stanley Methodist Church was icy and foggy and transport was difficult because of the Suez crisis. With petrol
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Young recruits face new life with the Army
SIX people from across the region have enlisted in a number of Army regiments. The group, who joined up in Darlington, include a medical technician,an infantry soldier, a vehicle mechanic, two ammunition technicians and a systems communicator. Samuel
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Couple win computer for sharing views
A COUPLE have won a laptop computer after helping health managers decide what services should go into a new centre. Harry and Marjorie Sumpton, from Horden, near Peterlee, won the computer after filling in a questionnaire about services to be included
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Curtain closes on a year of change for N-E clubs
As the year draws to a close, supporters begin to hope for improved fortunes in 2007 and this region's football fans have every reason to wish for better times after what has been a traumatic 2006 for the regions five clubs. All experienced, for different
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National awards for Echo managers
TWO of The Northern Echo's senior managers have won national awards at a prestigious ceremony in London. They were among the winners of the Excellence Awards announced by the paper's parent company, Newsquest, which owns more than 300 titles around the
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Agency donates to appeal
STAFF at Pertemps Employment Alliance have put a smile on the faces of children this Christmas. They donated £350 worth of toys to radio station tfm's Make a Child Smile at Christmas Appeal. The appeal, which helps children who are sick or disadvantaged
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Time to think about where to spend dosh
YOUNG people are being encouraged to use the Christmas holidays to think of activities they would like to help set up. Darlington Borough Council's youth service has been awarded £310,000 of Government money for youth projects in the borough over the
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Youth took knife to challenge 'older man'
A 17-YEAR-OLD armed himself with a knife after being threatened by an older man "with a reputation", Darlington Youth Court heard yesterday. The youth, who had been drinking, threw the knife away when police approached him. Stephen Andrews, mitigating
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Teacher retires
A teacher has retired after 11 years at two schools. Carol Knight has spent the past 11 years as a learning support teacher at Heathfield and Cockerton primary schools in Darlington. She was given a festive send-off by staff and pupils. Mrs Knight has
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Housing manager rewarded for work
THE company that manages Stockton's 11,400 council houses has won praise from Government inspectors. Tristar Homes delivers a good customer-focused housing service with promising prospects for improvement, according to the report by the Audit Commission
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Boy lands in court after a 'temper tantrum'
A BOY had to be grabbed from a roof by a police officer after he climbed there in a "temper tantrum", a court heard yesterday. The 15-year-old climbed on to the roof after an argument with his foster mother, Darlington Youth Court heard. He swore at his
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Family gets Christmas thanks
A COUNCIL gift-giving scheme has sent Christmas presents to more than 600 under-privileged people in Darlington. Among those to benefit from the Giving Tree appeal is a family whose home was burgled. The thieves stole all the Christmas presents and because
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Sibling fight results in guilty plea for teen
A TEENAGER attacked his younger brother with a piece of wood, punched him, and kicked him in the head after an argument over a shirt, Darlington Youth Court heard yesterday. The 17-year-old from Darlington, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had drunk
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A first, but worthy donation for the banks
RADIO presenter Tim West has given blood for the first time to help boost depleted Christmas stocks. But the real reason why the Alpha FM presenter joined the queue at the Darlington donor centre on Thursday night was a chance encounter between him and
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Eaga makes a second acquisition
ENERGY efficiency provider Eaga has made its second acquisition this month and is moving closer to its target of having a £1bn turnover within three years. The Newcastle company yesterday announced it had acquired JD Heating, which employs 200 people
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College concerns over change to free school travel schemes
A DARLINGTON college has raised concerns over plans to scrap free bus travel for students over 16 in the county. Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Vane Terrace, has said it is unsure what the impact of the plan by Durham County Council will have
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Mitchell Trucking is really going places
A TEESSIDE logistics and haulage firm that operates vehicles sporting images from Hollywood blockbuster movies is planning to break the £2m turnover barrier after securing investment. Mitchell Trucking Company, in Middlesbrough, will use the £120,000
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Village honours Dreamspace survivor Rosie
A LITTLE girl who captured the nation's hearts after surviving the Dreamspace tragedy has been presented with a certificate for helping switch on her community's Christmas lights. Three-year-old Rosie Wright, who was earlier this year presented with
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Glass act are all they're cracked up to be
A GLASS design business set up earlier this year is planning to expand after exceeding sales expectations. Juo, based at the National Glass Centre, in Sunderland, produces contemporary glass products, including panels, giftware, lighting and tableware
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Woman's bald move to give support in cancer fight
THE run-up to Christmas is a time when women across the country flock to hair salons hoping to look their Yuletide best. But one woman has pushed vanity aside to give a friend the ultimate present - her long curly locks. Clare Davies offered to shave
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Polish community ready for a Wesloych Swiat
THE North East's growing Polish community is gearing up for a Wesloych Swiat - that's Merry Christmas to non-Polish speakers. About 300 Poles live in Darlington, and another 5,000 have set up home in South Durham. In Poland, the highlight of the Christmas
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Awards for partnership that gives town a future
AN organisation set up to help create a positive future for a Teesside town is celebrating a hat-trick of top awards. The Hartlepool Partnership has received a green light for performance - the highest award within the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit Traffic
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Chamber will grow in 2007, boss predicts
THE head of the North-East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) is predicting further growth next year. Chief executive James Ramsbotham has made a New Year's resolution to members that the range and depth of the organisation's services will continue to improve
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Water day for a pipe to burst
A BURST water main caused rush-hour chaos in Middlesbrough on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. A number of lanes on one of the main roads into Middlesbrough was awash with water for a number of hours, until workmen were able to repair a damaged
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Military honours for crash tragedy soldier
HUNDREDS of mourners filled a North-East cemetery to pay their final respects to a soldier killed in a tragic accident. Sergeant Andrew Jowers, better known by his Army nickname of Jiggy, was one of two victims of a road accident in Arizona, US, two weeks
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Legal eagles spread their wings further
LAW firm Blackett Hart and Pratt (BHP) has increased the size of its operation in Darlington by extending its office in the town's Faverdale area. The practice has expanded into another 5,400sq ft of space at Westgate House, taking the total area of its
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'Dairy industry must change'
THE UK dairy industry must develop new products and brands, an expert has warned. Last year, the UK imported dairy products worth £900m more than it exported - a figure that has nearly doubled since 2000. Ken Boynes, head of economics at the Milk Development
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Houses shut down in blitz on drugs
A POLICE blitz on drug-dealers has stepped up a gear with the closure of four crack houses. The latest addresses to be targeted were in the Gresham and North Ormesby areas of Middlesbrough, after magistrates granted court orders to board-up the properties
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Anti-crime message straight from horse's mouth
CROOKS are being warned to stay out of Middlesbrough over the Christmas and New Year period as police patrols are stepped up. Up to eight extra officers and the mounted and dog sections will be patrolling the town's shopping centres and malls. It is hoped
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End of term signifies farwell to headteacher
A SCHOOL said goodbye to its headteacher yesterday. Roland Sterry has retired from his post at Parkside School in Willington, having been headteacher for six years. Mr Sterry, 55, led the school through an information technology Government testbed project
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Profits low despite Quorn's success
PREMIER Foods has warned that profits this year will be at the lower end of expectations, despite strong sales of its Quorn brand. The company, which has Quorn plants in Billingham, Teesside, and Stokesley, North Yorkshire, said the outcome of its year
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Birthday fun for Mary, 100
Friends, relatives and well-wishers were partying in Witton-le-Wear yesterday, to celebrate the 100th birthday of resident Mary Boden. Children from Witton-le-Wear school sang carols, the landlord of the Victoria Inn offered drinks and even Father Christmas
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Railway line operators tighten track security
A RAILWAY line operator yesterday promised to keep security tight following reports that people were trespassing on train tracks. People who live close to the East Coast Main Line at Ferryhill Station say people - especially youngsters - are dicing with
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Teaching others about the rotten stuff
A CONSERVATION group in Teesdale will teach visitors from across Europe about its successful composting scheme after being selected as a training site. Teesdale Conservation Volunteers, based in Startforth, near Barnard Castle, run Rotters, which collects
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Campaign joy as parish council in sight
CAMPAIGNERS have been given an early Christmas present after the final hurdle in their application for a town council was cleared. It has been nearly 70 years since Willington had its own council, but an order has now been signed to create a parish council
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Changes made to free school travel schemes
FREE school travel for sixth formers has been scrapped in favour of a "fairer" scheme that will extend cut-price travel to more students. Under a subsidy shake-up agreed by Durham County Council's cabinet, all over-16s will have to pay some of the cost
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Project brings ordinary lives to silver screen
ORDINARY people will become stars of the silver screen after a project won Lottery funding. The public will be given help to turn their life stories into mini-films, which will then be shown at the Gala Cinema, in Durham City. The Heritage Lottery Fund
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North-East's star performers join the pudding club
LEADING North-East road racers will take part in a non-registered fun run on Boxing Day - the only event over the holiday period. The Woodlawn Christmas Pudding Run at Whitley Bay does not have a permit from the North-East Athletics Association and is
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Community groups in line for £3,000 grants
COMMUNITY groups are being invited to bid for a slice of £20,000 for work to put pride back into their district. The Pride In Easington campaign offers grants of up to £3,000 for groups trying to improve the environment or quality of life in the district
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Premier Commentary: Winter break calls to continue until a solution is found
DON'T be too surprised when calls are made for a winter break during the festive period. Managers and players will no doubt make known they are still unhappy with the sheer volume of games they are involved in over the Christmas and new year period -
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Blaydon's Chilean duo to turn heat on derby rivals
IF THEIR derby match at home to Tynedale survives the frost today, Blaydon aim to turn up the heat on their rivals with the help of two Chilean internationals. The National Three North leaders have selected lock forward Patricio Desmond and fly half Juan
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Christmas dinners go to top of the class
PUPILS have been tucking into locally-reared turkey and fresh vegetables after Christmas school dinners were given a healthy makeover. North Yorkshire County Council caterers have worked for two years to improve school meals in line with TV chef Jamie
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Fenix to go the distance
FENIX (3.40) and Fontwell go together like strawberries and cream, judged by the impressive way he won at the course in November. Lucy Wadham's seven-year-old has since run a stinker at Sandown, but close inspection of the videotape shows Fenix was never
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L'Antartique seeking some -Beginners' luck at Bangor
BANGOR'S Beginners Chase looks an ideal opportunity for L'Antartique (1.20) to open his account over fences at only the fourth time of asking. Ten days ago the track was under three foot of water but the floods have now receded and fingers crossed the
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Council plans greater use of web-technology
COUNTY councillors plan to use technology to reduce the need to travel to meetings. Members of all parties have backed a Liberal Democrat motion calling for increased use of web conferencing and telephone conferencing technology for council seminars and
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Free travel scrapped for fairer scheme
FREE school travel for sixth formers has been scrapped in favour of a "fairer" scheme which will extend cut-price travel to more students. Under a subsidy shake-up agreed by Durham County Council's cabinet, all over-16s will have to pay some of the cost
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Parking attendants come in for praise - and not for the first time
A DISABLED shopper, who was left stranded when his motorised scooter broke down, has thanked the parking attendants who came to his rescue. Geoff Easter, 68, was shopping in Durham City with his wife Eve, also 68, when his scooter broke down in North
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£9,000 sets the stage for arts workshops
A REGIONAL arts venue has scooped a £9,610 lottery windfall to allow it to expand its programme. Rural Arts, which has a venue at the Old Courthouse, Thirsk, and also works with a variety of rural venues, was given the funding under the Big Lottery Fund's
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Visit the Dales - on your home computer
VISITORS to the Yorkshire Dales can download their own personal tour guide thanks to computer technology. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority teamed up with Drystone Radio and the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line to launch an audio trail around
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Bring Christmas spirit to the Army
ARMY recruiters hope the challenge of cooking Christmas lunch for hundreds of troops will attract would-be chefs to the armed forces. Military chefs cater for up to 3,000 soldiers, often without the luxury of water supplies and cooking facilities. Recruiter
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Parish chairman demands apology after exoneration
A FORMER parish chairman has been cleared by the Standards Board after a series of allegations were made against him. Bert Langthorne, of Brompton Parish Council, near Northallerton, has now asked his colleagues to apologise for the way he has been treated
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Durham defend title in Dubai
DURHAM are sending 13 members of their under-15 squad to Dubai in early January to take part in the Insportz Gulf Trophy for the third time. Director of Cricket Geoff Cook and Academy coach John Windows will travel with the team, who are defending the
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Residents urged to recycle their cycles at new year roadshows
PEOPLE who receive a new bike for Christmas are being asked not to scrap their old one. Stockton Borough Council is launching a community bicycle recycling scheme early in the new year. All bikes, in any condition, can be dropped off at a number of roadshows
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Santa delivers safety message loud and clear
SAFETY-CONSCIOUS Father Christmas highlighted the dangers of leaving valuables on display in cars. The Safer Middlesbrough Partnership has teamed up with West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust (WMNT) and Santa Claus to promote car safety in the run-up
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Couple jailed for flooding hometown with heroin
A COUPLE who flooded the streets of Darlington with heroin have been jailed for a total of nine-and-a-half years. Paul Abbs, 41, was locked up for six years and his partner, Amy Kent, 23, was given three-and-a-half years by a judge at Teesside Crown Court
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Bowled over by toilets' award success
CLEAN and tidy toilets have won council officials a double national award. Stockton Borough Council is flushed with pride at gaining the Loo of the Year Awards. The ceremony was held at the NEC in Birmingham in November, where there was tough competition
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Traffic calming scheme on estate gets the go-ahead
A £10,000 SCHEME to calm traffic has been approved. Westwood Way, in Hartlepool, is to be narrowed to one lane at three points, forcing vehicles travelling in one direction to give way to oncoming traffic. The so-called pinch points are part of a wider
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Disabled get help to access council services
A PLAN has been published to ensure disabled people can gain access to council services. Richmondshire District Council's disability equality scheme was created after consultation with residents, local support groups and the council's member champions
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Fire safety warning after spate of blazes
FIRE crews in North Yorkshire are warning homeowners to stay safe over the festive season. Statistics show that people are 50 per cent more likely to die in a house fire during the Christmas period. In the run-up to Christmas, the service was kept busy
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Recruits will be sweet music to their ears
A LADIES' harmony group is looking for new members. Richmond-based Musicality, pictured, will begin rehearsals for spring and summer concerts early next year. New members are welcome. Call 01748-832092 for details. The group will complete its festive
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Southgate sees signs of brighter times for Boro as the new year dawns
WITH Middlesbrough languishing at the wrong end of the Premiership table, manager Gareth Southgate has reassured frustrated supporters the signs for a brighter new year are promising. Boro need three points from today's visit of relegation candidates
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Road safety improves as pupils heed call to belt up
THE number of children killed and seriously injured on the roads of Hambleton has fallen by 89 per cent in the past year. In total, four under-16s have been killed or seriously injured this year, compared to 37 last year. The drop has been attributed
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Couple celebrate a year with a roof over their heads
A COUPLE who camped on a riverbank for seven months while they were homeless are celebrating the first anniversary of their new life in a one-bedroomed flat. Kevin and Susan Howe had to put up with an arson attack, cloudbursts, gales and deep mud when
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December 23rd, 2006
KNOWING THE SCORE: HAS anyone else noticed how infuriating the commentary is on BBC Radio's Test Match Special during the current Ashes series in Australia? We are told the batsmen have crossed for a single, but not told the score. The end of an over
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Just one of the Guys
ACTOR Alex Ferns admits he wishes he'd never played Terrible Trevor, the EastEnders' wife-beater, as he takes up his biggest stage challenge so far as the all-dancing, all-singing Guys And Dolls musical lead, Nathan Detroit. Having never danced before
