Archive
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Armed police seal off house
A MAN gave himself up to armed police earlier this evening after a house in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, was sealed off. Armed police were called after reports that the man, who was with a woman in the house in Rhymer Way, had a Samurai sword. Inspector
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Man arrested over stabbing incident
POLICE officers on patrol found a 25-year-old man who had been stabbed in the stomach after a row in Northumberland Square, North Shields, shortly after 5pm tonight. They applied first aid to the man, who was bleeding heavily, until an ambulance arrived
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Business bulletin
Nissan Micra C+C to sell in Japan NISSAN has announced plans to export its Micra C+C model to Japan. It comes just ten weeks after it started to ship the Qashqai from the Sunderland plant back to its home market. Nissan also said it was on course to
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Holidaymaker jailed in Greece
A HOLIDAYMAKER extradited from the North-East to face a charge of attempted murder in Greece has been jailed for three-and-a-half years after being convicted of a less offence. Michael Tonge, 28, was on holiday on Crete with friend Lee Yarrow when he
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Airport chief resigns
AN AIRPORT chief executive, suspended during the course of an internal investigation, has resigned his post, it was confirmed today. John Parkin, chief executive of Newcastle International Airport Ltd, has been suspended since March following what the
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Konstantopoulos on his way to Coventry
COVENTRY CITY have nudged ahead in the race to sign highly-rated goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos, while Hartlepool United have been hit with an increase to Andy Monkhouses suspension. Konstantopoulos, one of Pools star performers in their promotion from
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Best television since Rentaghost
Why on Tuesday night did Channel 4 issue a warning about swearing ahead of Gordon Ramsay's F Word, but fail to before the next show, Virgin School, which featured a 26-year-old skinny bloke getting very friendly with a couple of Dutch grannies? Obviously
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Soldier caused pile-up
An off-duty soldier caused a multi-car smash when he got behind the wheel after a heavy drinking session. Craig Connolly almost killed his uncle and was badly inured himself when he lost control of his Fiat and smashed into five parked cars
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Homosexuality
REGARDING a statement in your article, "We don't teach kids to be gay" (Echo, May 10), by Dr Elizabeth Atkinson, director of the No Outsiders project, which uses books in primary schools to help combat homophobic bullying. It is a distortion of
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Iraq
PETE Winstanley argues that George Bush and Tony Blair should be tried for war crimes over Iraq (HAS, May 15). I agree we were lied to regarding Iraq's WMD (weapons of mass destruction) threat, but this was only partly the reason for the invasion
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Gordon Brown
THE upsurge of nationalism in Scotland has naturally produced an opposite reaction among English nationalists. Unfortunately, and unfairly, this has made things difficult for Gordon Brown who is hoping to present himself as the Prime Minister of
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Newcastle United
FOLLOWING a Panorama investigation into alleged football corruption, Newcastle United sacked their assistant manager, Kevin Bond, after he was named in the controversy. The club made it clear they didn't want to be involved in this sort of thing.
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George Bush
ON May 1, George Bush exercised his democratic right to veto a ludicrous Democratic-inspired Bill placed before the Senate and House of Congress, requiring US troops to withdraw from Iraq according to a completely unrealistic timetable. In his
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Rare sightings
I SAW two unusual animal sights recently, but unfortunately wasn't able to photograph either. Both were too brief. The first was a sparrow clinging to the stalk of a tulip in the garden and putting its head completely inside the cup flower of
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Bus blues
WE residents of the Mowden and Hummersknott area of Darlington are very much aware that we have a very poor bus service. On a particularly cold day I waited at the bus stop at the top of Tubwell Row in the town centre. I arrived ten minutes before
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Owl antics
DARE I say that the most memorable news of the past week was the missing owl being reunited with its owner (from Loftus, east Cleveland) after flying freely without causing pollution. Joyce Rutter, Richmond, North Yorkshire.
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Cancer drugs
HOW can there be a shortage of money to supply new cancer drugs when we are spending billions of pounds per year on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, neither of which we should have been involved in? JM Gowland, Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham.
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Choir in good voice to raise money for Alzheimer's
A CHOIR has raised £1,300 for an Alzheimer's charity. Northallerton Male Voice Choir performed at Northallerton's Hambleton Forum on Saturday and raised £1,200 from ticket sales and £100 from refreshments. A cheque was presented to Susan Broster, a
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Childminders are well drilled in fire safety
CHILDMINDERS negotiated a smoke-filled room and learned how to carry out risk assessments during a fire safety course. The participants, all from Richmondshire, took the course at Richmond fire station to understand better how to keep the youngsters they
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Youngsters stage a takeover at school
RECEPTION class pupils have launched a takeover bid at their school. Wendy Young, head of the early school at Yarm Preparatory School, returned after the Easter holidays to find that the Form RH writing corner had been transformed into "Mrs Young's Office
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Fireworks launch park
A FIREWORKS display will mark the official opening of a park next week. A family fun day has been organised for Saturday, May 26 at the opening of Oakey Park, Stanley. The park, between Tanfield College of Science and Technology and Barn Hill, has recently
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Seeking views on pathways access
VISITORS are being asked to comment on plans to improve access to the North Yorkshire countryside. The county council is looking to improve the 10,000kms of paths in the county. Work is ongoing to improve the path network with repairs on signs, gates
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Focus on Indian way of life
A PERSONAL view of poverty in India has been captured through the lens of a Thirsk photographer. Karen Lennox visited the Rishi Valley Education Centre, at Andhra Pradesh, southern India. She photographed life in the villages based round the centre where
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£300 fine for hauling waste without a licence
A SCRAP dealer has been fined £300 for transporting scrap metal without a waste carriers' licence. Albert Mark Hough, 44, of Eastbourne Road, Primrose Hill, Stockton, was charged with being unlicensed to transport controlled waste in the course of his
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Tories' firm grip of power in council
CONSERVATIVES have taken a firm grip on power at a North Yorkshire local authority. Newly-elected councillor for Hornby Castle, Melva Steckles, has been elected as the new leader of Richmondshire District Council. The councillor is one of several Tories
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MP calls for public help to catch purse-snatch gangs
A POLITICIAN is urging people to make citizen's arrests on thieves who are targeting the elderly. A team of purse-snatchers is stealing from pensioners in Thirsk and Northallerton on market days. Vale of York MP, Anne McIntosh, is calling
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Tories and Labour to unite in council
THE Labour and Tory groups are to join forces on a council after the three minority groups refused to join them in a "rainbow coalition". The leader of the Conservatives, Councillor Ken Lupton, is now leader of Stockton Borough Council after the two majority
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Seven-day campaign to rid town's streets of nuisances
THE centre of Darlington will benefit from a week-long campaign against crime and anti-social behaviour. The StreetSafe Action Week will bring together the police, Darlington Borough Council, fire service, primary care trust and numerous voluntary and
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Would-be vigilantes discovered by police
THREE young "vigilantes" were caught seeking a suspect for retribution over an alleged indecency offence, a court heard. A police mobile patrol came across them in a car being driven slowly round a housing estate in South Hetton, early on April 27 last
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Brave John raising charity funding
A YOUNGSTER who suffers from the skin complaint eczema is enlisting the help of his schoolmates to raise money for a charity dedicated to the condition. Kelloe Primary School pupil John Todd, six, has so far raised £80 for the National Eczema Society
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Police hoping round-up of tearaways will calm streets
RESIDENTS are hoping the rounding up of a small gang of teenage tearaways will restore some peace to a town's streets. Police say residents' complaints of anti-social behaviour have already been halved with the issuing of anti-social behaviour orders
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WI walk raises cash for MS
A DALES women's institute has raised more than £700 for charity by staging its first sponsored walk. More than 30 people took part in the eight-mile walk, organised by Westgate WI, in aid of the Stanhope and Weardale branch of the MS Society. "It has
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Raiders may have been Eastern European
POLICE believe Eastern European thieves may have been behind a distraction burglary in which cash and jewellery was stolen from a flat above a shop. The incident happened when seven or eight men and women went into the Coxhoe Discount Store, in The Avenue
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An arresting football match
Tees pic, double to D&S and East Cleveland Advertiser IT was boys in blue against boys in blue during a charity football match in the Tees Valley. Officers from Langbaurgh police played their counterparts from Darlington police in the final of the Meredith
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Another delay for £25m school as residents protest
A TOP school's long-awaited £25m rebuild has been delayed again, after neighbours said the new campus would cause traffic chaos. Durham Johnston School has been in line for a major redevelopment for several years, and a decision on the latest design
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Football shirts bound for Africa
AN APPEAL to collect football shirts for children with Aids has been boosted after Darlington Football Club donated 25 shirts. A group of teachers from Darlington is flying to South Africa on Saturday, May 26, to gain experience of teaching abroad. The
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Ex-soldier spared jail despite 'red mist' attack on clubber
A FORMER soldier who attacked a man he found in his girlfriend's home in the early hours of the morning has been spared jail. Paul Varga said he saw red when he discovered Abigail Garlike and Martin Cundy in the front room of her Darlington home, last
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Council's legal services manager in spotlight
DARLINGTON Borough Council's legal services manager has denied his department's position has been compromised by a new partnership. In February, the council announced a partnership with legal firms Dickinson Dees and Ward Hadaway. But Dickinson Dees is
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Club enlists support for stadium walk
A FOOTBALL club is hoping its fans won't make it walk alone by signing up for a marathon trek this summer. For the second year, Bishop Auckland Football Club is organising a walk taking in a number of local football grounds to raise money for its proposed
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Not likely terrorist target, but the town is prepared
A NIGHTMARE scenario featuring a terrorist bomb attack in a town centre was played out as part of a simulation yesterday. About 50 business owners and shop managers took part in a multimedia event at Bishop Auckland Town Hall, showing how to cope with
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Concern of fire danger in piles of used tyres
A COUNCILLOR has spoken of his worry that piles of tyres waiting to be shredded at a Coxhoe recycling plant will be a fire risk. Councillor Dennis Morgan said he was concerned that plans to shred up to 15,000 tonnes of used tyres on the Stocks Quarry
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Creativity is not just for the arts
ART students visited a chemical works to learn about creativity in industry. Pupils from Greenfield School Community and Arts College, in Newton Aycliffe, visited Hydro Polymers, in the town, to learn about the firm's Thinking Outside the Box initiative
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Walkers and artists - the school has them all
A TEENAGER is hoping to become one of the youngest people to complete an endurance walking challenge. Victoria Dalking, from Hurworth, will be one of the youngest people taking part in the Lyke Wake Walk for the second year. The 15-year-old, who attends
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Ex-soldier spared jail despite 'red mist' attack on clubber
A FORMER soldier who attacked a man he found in his girlfriend's home in the early hours of the morning has been spared jail. Paul Varga said he saw red when he discovered Abigail Garlike and Martin Cundy in the front room of her Darlington home, last
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Car enthusiast, 102, dies after 82 years at the wheel
TRIBUTES have been paid to a remarkable pensioner who gave up driving on her 100th birthday after 82 years on the road without a blemish on her record. Until shortly before she died aged 102, Madeleine Thompson would often be seen walking around jauntily
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Glimmer of hope to save jobs at department stores
A BUYER may have been found for two of the region's oldest department stores, sparking hopes that the jobs of more than 320 staff could be safe. Administrators fighting to save the stores in Sunderland and Hexham, Northumberland, said yesterday
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Passage of Time lays down Oaks challenge
Henry Cecil edged closer to his first Classic success in seven years as Passage Of Time tightened her grip on Vodafone Oaks favouritism with victory in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York. Although she only got home by a neck in her first race of
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Store chain ahead of recovery forecast
SUPERMARKET chain Sainsbury's said yesterday that its three-year recovery was ahead of plan as it reported underlying annual profits up 42 per cent to £380m. The UK's third largest supermarket group is to share out a record £56m bonus pot for staff
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Increase in North-East jobless figures
UNEMPLOYMENT in the region has gone up by 3,000 in the quarter, according to figures released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics. The jobless count stood at 35,000 in the three months to March, up from 32,000 in the three months to February
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Training company to employ more staff
A TRAINING and recruitment company has expanded the size of its premises and plans to take on eight more staff. Premium People Recruitment Group, and sister company Premium People Training and Development, have doubled the floorspace at
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Shape of things to come on Middlehaven
PLANS for the first two buildings on Middlehaven, in Middlesbrough, will go before councillors this summer. Developer BioRegional Quintain has submitted a detailed planning application to Middlesbrough Council for the two apartment blocks, with ground-floor
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Cruise liner job vacancies
CRUISE liner company DFDS Seaways is looking to the North-East in its search for 30 crew members to work onboard the Queen of Scandinavia. The Danish-owned company is recruiting cooks, bar tenders, shop assistants and stewards to work onboard the vessel
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Development agency gets property partner
ONE NorthEast (One) has announced plans to transfer a quarter of its property portfolio into a joint venture with a private sector partner. The regional development agency is transferring about 30 brownfield sites - mainly business parks and industrial
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Teenager guilty of landing killer blow
A TEENAGER who killed a young businessman during a row over a chip has been found guilty of manslaughter. Michael Kennedy, 19, punched company director Dean Windle during a night out in Newcastle city centre last November. Newcastle Crown Court heard
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Positive thinking
England coach Brian Ashton insists he is not looking for ''damage limitation'' despite leading a young, inexperienced side to take on the Springboks on home soil. Ashton's young team of internationals arrived in the Republic ahead of their two-Test series
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Teenager charged over knife death of boy, 15
A 16-YEAR-OLD has been charged with the murder of a teenager who was stabbed to death. The youth will appear before Newcastle Magistrates' Court today accused of killing 15-year-old Shane Jackson. The body of the schoolboy, who lived with his mother,
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May 17, 2007
GIVEN the level of disarray that the England team currently finds itself in, it is a considerable stroke of luck that has ensured that Peter Moores' squad begin their rehabilitation against a side even worse off than they are. A West Indies team including
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Strauss out to restore pride
Andrew Strauss has urged England to start the international summer by reminding the public they are still a very capable cricket side in the opening Test against West Indies. Since winning the Ashes in style back in 2005 with a series of stunning displays
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Court told councillor beat up wife after late-night argument
A COUNCILLOR'S wife broke down in tears yesterday as she told a court she feared for her life when her husband began beating her. Ukranian-born Irina Rogan said her husband, Trevor, a Hartlepool borough councillor, smeared curry in her face, hit her,
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Southgate considers bid for Swiss twins
MIDDLESBROUGH supporters could be forgiven for seeing double next season with manager Gareth Southgate lining up an audacious swoop for the Swiss Degen twins. Southgate is hoping to kickstart his summer recruitment drive by signing both David and Phillipp
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Pair arrested in arson inquiry
TWO men have been arrested in connection with an arson attack on stables in which three ponies were burnt alive. Police have arrested a 21-year-old and a 24-year-old, after investigations into a blaze at stables off Lingdale High Street, near Skelton,
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Just tutu wonderful for words
DANCING'S never been my strong point. As a child, I avoided school discos because I was too shy. As an adult, I've become a source of excruciating embarrassment to my family at wedding receptions and New Year's Eve parties. But the past few days has
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Don't be shy
Rugby players, fresh from showering, drop their towels and begin examining their genitals. A woman removes her bra to reveal her inverted nipples. And Nick's trousers are pulled down so we can see his piles. C4's response to the NHS crisis is to open
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Pavlova a tasty choice
PLENTY of punters will be rightly sweet on the prospects of Anna Pavlova (2.15) in York's Group 3 Fillies' & Mares' Middleton Stakes. Richard Fahey's Malton-based four-year-old has done the stable proud over the past three seasons, winning seven of her
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Wolf lopes off with the spoils
Amadeus Wolf sprinted into manhood with a long-overdue victory in the Duke of York Hearthstead Homes Stakes at York. Kevin Ryan's colt went toe to toe with the best in the business as a three-year-old but came of age on the Knavesmire with an excellent
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Canine crazy
THE call came through while he was at Chelsea football club's Player of the Year Awards. Jose Mourinho's wife, Tami, was distraught. Their dog was being taken away, she told her husband. Police officers were wanting to take the pet into quarantine, fearing
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Rapist appeals against life term
A TEENAGE rapist is appealing against the life sentence imposed for a sustained attack on a young woman out walking her dog. Martin Samuel Walsh was described as "extremely dangerous, particularly to young women", by a judge passing sentence at Durham
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Shadow boxing into boredom
MANY people around Gordon Brown appear delighted that a "coronation" will sweep their man into No 10 - but I think they are mistaken. It would be far better for the Chancellor, for the Labour Party and for the country if he faced a challenge, however
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Cry shame for Harry
NOT every mother is the Queen, but every mother regards her son as a prince who deserves to be protected. Some princes, though, are clearly less expendable than others. And so Prince Harry will not go to Iraq while thousands of other mothers' sons will
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Ravenhill commits himself to Quakers
Ricky Ravenhill is the latest player to commit his future to Darlington after agreeing a new contract to stay at the club. The midfielder joined Quakers in January, making 15 appearances, having started the season at Doncaster Rovers before short spells
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Llama to be star attraction at college farm open day
A LLAMA will be the star attraction at an open day this weekend.Houghall Farm, at East Durham and Houghall Community College, on the outskirts of Durham City, bought the 6ft male llama at a rare breed auction in York a few weeks ago.The 18-month-old creature
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Man, 47, accused of Jenny's murder
DETECTIVES last night renewed their appeal for help in finding the body of Jenny Nicholl, hours after a man appeared in court accused of killing her.David Hodgson, 47, of Olav Road, Richmond, North Yorkshire, appeared before magistrates in Northallerton
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Stairs were my Everest. Now I've shed a mountain
WHEN she was 35 stone, Julie Jones saw her staircase as the equivalent of Mount Everest and knew it was time to act.Every trip upstairs took the 42-year-old mother-of-two half-an-hour.But now Mrs Jones has shed 20 stone, she flies up and down the stairs
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Referee son's death plunge 'a tragic accident'
THE son of World Cup referee George Courtney plunged 80ft to his death in a tragic accident, an inquest heard.Promising solicitor Matthew Courtney, 27, who had a history of mental illness, fell from the top floor of the Tate Modern, in London, last February.The
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Sufferer's leap of courage
A MULTIPLE sclerosis sufferer with a head for heights is to do a charity skydive from 12,000ft.Helen English has suffered from the illness for more than 20 years and wants to raise funds to help other sufferers.Based at Wath, near Ripon, in North Yorkshire
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Inquest takes place into death of mystery woman
THE final chapter of a tragedy that spread across the globe will be heard in a North Yorkshire courtroom today.An inquest is finally to be held on a woman whose body was found in a stream in the Yorkshire Dales nearly three years ago.But despite a huge
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Macauley fund is closed at £44,000
AN appeal launched to help the eight-year-old survivor of a road crash which killed four members of his family has closed after raising more than £44,000.The money will be put into trust for Macauley Gilbert, who still has both legs in plaster following
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Clough: standing tall forever
The word legend is often used and seldom warranted. But when mentioned in the same breath as the name Brian Clough, it is entirely fitting. It is equally fitting, therefore, that a bronze likeness of the Middlesbrough-born football manager has been
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Two years of hope, and two years of anguish
A MARRIED man was yesterday charged with the murder of North Yorkshire teenager Jenny Nicholl. The arrest follows a police investigation stretching back to the summer of 2005 when the 19-year-old walked out of the family home and never came back. JOE
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Shepherd gives no comfort to United admirers
FREDDY Shepherd last night warned any potential investors to forget about launching a takeover bid for Newcastle United. With Manchester City expected to become the next Premiership club to fall into foreign hands later this summer, speculation over Newcastle's
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Honour for injured mine clearing expert
NORTH-EAST mine clearing expert David Alderson was presented with a bravery award yesterday after losing a leg trying to rescue a shepherd from an unmarked minefield in Lebanon. Mr Alderson, from Saltburn, east Cleveland, and colleagues Damir Paradzik
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Sunderland unlikely to move for Moore
CRAIG Moore's agent last night claimed that Sunderland had declared an interest in the 31-year-old centre-half. But while Roy Keane is understood to have considered a short-term move for the Australian in the past, it is extremely unlikely that he will
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Mother of truant 'too ill' to appear in court
THE case against a mother who allowed her son to play truant has been adjourned for a third time because she is too ill to attend court. Magistrates warned that if Linda Davison failed to appear at the next hearing, a warrant would be issued unless there
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Case against brothers adjourned
TWO brothers accused of threatening to kill a professional boxer have had their case adjourned for another two weeks. Graham Michael Boyle, 31, and David Anthony Boyle, 29, were due to appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court yesterday, but the case
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'Carer returned to work too soon after husband's death'
THE death of a care home resident who was given the wrong medication was an accident waiting to happen, according to a former member of staff. Christina Hooper and Marion Dixon, both 53, are on trial at Teesside Crown Court, charged with the manslaughter
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Rail rhapsody
'It's brother and sister to me, and aunts, and company, and food and drink and (naturally) washing. It's my world and I don't want any other. What it hasn't got is not worth having, and what it doesn't know is not worth knowing....' Kenneth Grahame
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Burglar caught 'red-handed, bang to rights'
A POLICEMAN whose house was being broken into leapt from his bed and caught the burglar in his garden.A court heard that Darren Hughes bit off-duty police officer Simon Lines on the arm when he put him in a headlock and called for help.The incident happened
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Peer calls for babies' DNA to stored
A NORTH-East peer has triggered a furious row after calling for DNA from newborn babies to be stored on the national database.Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate, formerly Durham's senior police officer, said the move would help in the fight against crime
