Archive
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Sat nav sees trucker stuck in ford
A LORRY driver became the latest victim of a notorious ford yesterday - after being led into the water by his satellite navigation system. The large vehicle got stuck halfway across Stanhope Ford in Weardale, County Durham, as it tried to cross yesterday
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MP sees red over Tesco's green moves
A SUPERMARKET chain's plans to go green have come under fire at one of the first of its sites to install a wind turbine. The ten-metre turbine in the car park of Tesco, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is part of its "community plan" to be a good neighbour
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Haulage firm turns back the clock
A HAULAGE firm has marked 50 years in business by rewinding the clock to a time when steam powered vehicles played a vital part in its trade. Prestons of Potto lorries are recognisable in the North-East through its insignia which is a constant reminder
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Blood traces 'not Madeleine's'
BLOOD traces found in the bedroom where Madeleine McCann was sleeping the night she was snatched were not hers, it has been reported. A newspaper report says forensic results show the blood came from a man. The results, printed in The Times, come at
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Boro in desperate need of the Mido touch
Wigan Athletic 1 Middlesbrough 0 GIVEN the trouble they have had signing him this week, it was fortunate for Middlesbrough that Mido completed his £6.8m move from Tottenham before watching last night's game from the directors' box at the JJB Stadium.
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Keane shows WAGS how to spend wisely
Birmingham City 2 Sunderland 2 ROY KEANE upset the wives and girlfriends of many footballers across the country this week and, after Sunderland came from behind twice to claim a last-minute draw, his old friend Steve Bruce was left reeling as well last
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Why Wags should be 'Keane' on a North-East transfer
SUNDERLAND manager Roy Keane claims some top footballers have been put off joining the club because the North-East lifestyle won't keep their WAGs happy. LAUREN PYRAH dons her Jimmy Choos and investigates. IF Roy Keane is to be believed, all a football
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Exam results vital for today's teenagers
TODAY'S A-Level results being received by students in the North-East will show more than just grades and could determine young people's future employability. Employer research undertaken by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) shows that close to three
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Teenagers get their A-Level results
THOUSANDS of North-East teenagers will today find out how they have done in their A-Levels. Results will be landing on mats this morning, sparking celebrations throughout the region. City of Sunderland College, which has three jointly-managed sixth-forms
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Inquiry into helicopter crash suspended as police take over
A BOARD of inquiry set up to investigate a military helicopter crash in which three men died has been suspended, it was announced last night. North Yorkshire Police will instead lead the inquiry into the crash of the RAF Puma, which happened in a field
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Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80s
Publisher: Activision Formats: PS2 Price: £29.99 Family friendly? 12+ CAN'T wait for Guitar Hero III to hit the shelves in time for next Christmas? Still got a PS2 gathering dust in the
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Water wars!
NOW that summer has finally arrived what better way to keep cool while having fun than having a water fight? The humble water pistol has come a long way since I was a kid, so it's time to release my inner child. Advances in technology make the latest
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Life Class by Pat Barker (Hamish Hamilton, £16.99)
BOOKER prize winner and North- East novelist Pat Barker has returned to the First World War, which she dealt with so masterfully in the Regeneration Trilogy. In the spring of 1914 we meet a group of art students at the Slade School of Fine Art
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Putting People In Your Paintings by Laurel Hart (North Light Books, £14.99)
IF you tremble with trepidation when it comes to adding people to your watercolour scenes, then worry no more. With award-winning artist Laurel Hart as your guide, you'll figure it out in no time at all. She has easy-to-follow techniques that will
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Little Stars by Alan Butler (Foulsham, £6.99)
STROLOGER Alan Butler will have you all starry-eyed with this zodiac orientated approach to developing your child's potential. It seems it's never too soon to consult the stars for guidance on what makes any particular child tick. This could be
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Mr Hitchcock by Quentin Falk (Haus Books, £20)
Steve Pratt enjoys a book about the twists and turns of a great film director's life. THE body of a rotund man floating along the Thames looked familiar, the face and the portly figure recognisable from the movies. But nothing nasty had happened
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Man sought after grisly discovery
POLICE are hunting a man of oriental appearance after a body was discovered in a flat in Hartlepool. The man's body was discovered in the property above the Italiano's Pizzeria take-away, in Park Road, earlier today. Ambulance crews were called to
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Off The Motorway (Fourth Edition) by Paul and Shirley Smith (Travel Publishing Ltd, £11.99)
IF you're sick of paying top notch fuel prices or handing over a small fortune for food which would turn Gordon Ramsay purple, then this book is for you. The (supposed) idea of motorway travel is that you reach your destination more swiftly - the
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August 15, 2007
Solutions ACROSS 1 Silver medal. SILVER+MEDA+L (made anag.) 7 Parable. PAR+ABLE (Elba rev.) 8 Sausage. SA(USA)GE 10 Annal. ANN+A+L 11 At a glance. A+TA+GLANCE 12 Limited. LIMIT+ED 14 Granada. GRAN+ADA (rang anag.) 16 Ginseng.
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August 15, 2007
Cryptic Clues ACROSS 1 Made changes after pirate left with second prize (6,5) 7 It illustrates a moral point when Norm visits backward island (7) 8 Herb travels around America in a banger (7) 10 Girl is close to a league record (5) 11 Ampleforth's
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Road re-opens after spill
A ROAD has been reopened after a spillage during rush hour traffic this morning. Police closed off a section of Haverton Hill Road, near Stockton, around 8.30am after reports of a white foamy substance on the carriageway. Firefighters were on the scene
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Breaking news: Body found above pizza shop
POLICE have launched a murder-style inquiry after a body was discovered above a restaurant. The body - which has not been identified - was discovered above a pizza restaurant in Hartlepool. Police were called to a flat in Hartlepool at about 11.30am
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Twins' business dream off to rock solid start
TWIN brothers turned artists are drawing on a development agency's help to make their hobby a business. Steve and Chris Rocks, from Tudhoe, left university after generating interest in their unique paintings. Unusually, the brothers work together on each
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Due North
A pleasant leafy road in Peterborough at night. A woman is approaching strangers and soliciting them. She wants their views not their bodies. But then this is Ann Widdecombe, MP and self-confessed virgin. I did once penetrate her bedroom but, like actors
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Talented musician to wrap up recitals
A TALENTED young musician will give the final Bank Holiday organ recital of the year at Ripon Cathedral at 3pm on Monday, August 27. Mareile Schmidt, who is studying for a diploma at Cologne Conservatoire, has already won a number of prizes and scholarships
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Climber carries on despite broken rib
A CLIMBER carried on with a gruelling charity challenge to climb the Three Peaks despite breaking a rib on one of the mountains. A team of six from Carricks fishmongers, of Snape, near Bedale, set themselves the task of climbing Ben Nevis, in Scotland
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Celebrating perfect pooches at dog club
A DOG training club held its annual show at the weekend. Skernedale Dog Training Club ran its Companion Dog Show at Hurworth Community Centre on Sunday with a range of awards on offer. The event helped to raise £900 for The Cinnamon Trust, a charity
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Ride bucking bronco at park family event
THE second annual Skerne Park family fun day in Darlington takes place on Sunday. The We Care group, formed to raise money for community facilities on the estate, has organised the event, to be held at the Skerne Park Youth and Community Centre between
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Boy racer crackdown is music to police chief's ears
CAR cruisers who rev their engines loudly or blast music in town centres will have their vehicles towed away. Police community support officers (PCSOs) have seized seven vehicles in the past four weeks during a blitz on boy racers and anti-social drivers
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Farewell to head Liz
PUPILS and staff said a tearful farewell to their headmistress as she retired after 15 years at the school. An assembly was held at Barton Primary School for Liz Trewhitt as pupils took turns in giving their messages and wishes for the future. Staff,
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Football thrills and silky skills
SUPPORT services firm Capita beat the Department for Skills and Education 2-0 during a charity football match. Goals from Keith Parker and Chris Mason were enough to win the Sue Mortimer Challenge Cup, played in memory of a Capita employee who died five
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Former mayor defends ward
THE FORMER mayor of Darlington has defended her ward after it recorded the second highest anti-social behaviour incidents in the town last year. Councillor Eleanor Lister, who represents Northgate and was Mayor in 2006, said the high number of nightclubs
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Burglar spared jail 'to save taxpayers money'
A SNEAK-IN thief who stole money from a woman he knew was yesterday spared another jail sentence - to save taxpayers money. Terence Rowley was given a community order with probation service supervision for the burglary at a house in Hartlepool last summer
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Vicars given tour of RAF base
CLERGY from the Yorkshire Dales held their latest monthly meeting well away from their usual parishes. Nine members of the Ewecross Deanery Chapter visited RAF Linton-on-Ouse, near York, to learn of the need for low-flying near their communities and to
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Desperate need for cancer care fundraisers
A CANCER care charity is "desperate'' for fundraisers to support its help for the dying. Marie Curie Cancer Care, which provides free nursing care for terminally ill cancer patients in their own homes, has launched an appeal for helpers in Hartlepool,
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We'll stop plans for homes - villagers
VILLAGERS are warning potential developers not to eye-up the countryside around their community for new homes. Residents in Sedgefield fear their village is under siege, with a series of plans submitted to council officers. Hundreds of houses have already
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Bird club seeks sponsor so viewing site can fly
A BIRD club needs a sponsor if its plans for an observatory are to take off. The Teesmouth Bird Club used a lookout tower on Hartlepool's Headland for 45 years, until it was evicted by Hartlepool Borough Council, so the building could be turned into a
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Opinions sought on 'new heart' for town
PEOPLE are being invited to have their say on plans for a major development in their town. Proposals for a district centre, health and social care village and more than 800 homes at Low Grange Farm, in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, were agreed earlier
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Show to return after 50 years
A CRAFT and produce show is preparing to make a return after a 50-year break. Saltburn Women's Institute (WI) and Saltburn Allotments Association are re-launching the show on Saturday. The Saltburn Craft and Produce Show last took place in 1953. However
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Items worth £5,000 were stolen by burglars
POLICE in Newton Aycliffe are appealing for information following a burglary at a house in the town earlier this week. Electrical goods and jewellery were stolen from a property in Oakfield, between noon and 11pm on Monday. A new Panasonic Vierra 50-inch
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Approval recommended for £25m school project
COUNCILLORS are to be asked to give the go ahead for a £25m revamp for a school. The redevelopment of Durham Johnston School has been dogged by delays, the latest in May, when plans were withdrawn amid an outcry from neighbours. They feared the school's
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Widow pays tributes to fatal crash biker
THE grieving widow of a motorcyclist who died in a four-vehicle accident last week has paid tribute to her husband. Mike James Wheeler, 44, of Staithes Lane, Staithes, North Yorkshire, died at the scene of the accident, on the A171 south of Scaling Dam
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Scheme to assist single parents back to work
LONE parents in east Durham are being offered a helping hand to retrain and secure jobs. Mandy Ryder, a specialist adviser from Jobcentre Plus is to regularly visit Children's Centres in Easington, Wheatley Hill, Wingate, Shotton and Blackhall to offer
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Fears for hospital's future as ward is 'mothballed'
THE "mothballing'' of a ward has revived fears that a popular community hospital could face closure. The shutting of ward four at Shotley Bridge Hospital, which is used for the rehabilitation of elderly patients, has provoked renewed concern about the
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Firm's vision to help people see more clearly
HUNDREDS of unwanted spectacles are being collected in south Durham to help visually impaired people thousands of miles away. Co-operative Funeralcare, in Church Street, Shildon, has teamed up with Newton Aycliffe Rotary Club to launch the appeal. The
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Police are accused of naive patrol publicity
PUBLICISING a crime crackdown in Darlington defeats the purpose, residents have claimed. But last night the council defended its policy in highlighting extra round-the-clock police patrols for a week in the Park East area, starting on Monday. Off-licences
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Funding to expand youth club successes
A YOUTH club is offering children a structured alternative to hanging around the streets, as the Government pledges to place a youth club in each neighbourhood to help prevent teenage anti-social behaviour. As part of Sunderland City Council's Extended
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Step back to Victorian days
WHAT the Victorians did for us will be the focus of a Durham University exhibition. The exhibition - subtitled The building of a new world - will explore Victorian ideas, engineering and science through video, computers, hands-on activities and quizzes
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Organ donors
I WOULD like to respond to the Reverend HW Jackson's observations about wanting to become an organ donor (HAS, Aug 7). Firstly, I am pleased he is keen to learn more about becoming a donor, but sorry he has had difficulty in doing so. There are
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Religion
THE vicious conflicts in India between Hindu and Muslims, the sectarian attacks in Iraq between Sunni and Shia Muslims, the troubles in Northern Ireland, the disintegration of Yugoslavia and its descent into ethnic and religious conflict show the
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Dispatches
IT appears Channel 4 is being subjected to police investigations (Echo, Aug 9) over the screening of two of its Dispatches programmes, both of which attempt to expose Muslim extremism. This will no doubt be seen by those who viewed these programmes
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Blair legacy
IT is becoming almost a daily occurrence for TV and radio to announce that another serviceman has been killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. These deaths do not arise because the Armed Forces are defending this country from external attack, but from one
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Pigeons heartbreak
THE thrill of pigeons released from the loft for the first early morning flight; the thrill when striking the clocks the evening before racing. The sight of your bird breaking away from a northbound racing flight and the excitement when the bird
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Holiday rip-offs
SILLY season is back. The price of a holiday goes through the roof during school summer holiday time. Is it any wonder parents on a budget keep their children out of school at other times? You only have to check on any holiday website - the price
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Uncertain glory
THE Game Conservancy Trust claim that grouse shooting makes a huge contribution to nature conservation will not fool everybody. Many, like myself, view the annual glorious August 12 grouse blood bath as just another cruel sport raking in a vast
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Child victims
RE the case of murdered four-yearold Leticia Wright (Echo, Aug 11). Once again we have an innocent child being abused and killed by inadequate adults (you can't call them parents) and once again, after social services had been alerted, a couple
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Wham ban for music fan
WHAM fan Brian Turner tortured neighbours by blasting out their hit Last Christmas all night. For several hours he repeatedly played the festive favourite at full volume from 1am onwards, one night in May. Now Turner has been silenced after becoming
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Thanks for caring
HAVING spent nine weeks in the University Hospital of North Durham and Chester-le-Street Community Hospital at near death I wish to thank my wife, Isabel, my granddaughter, Barbara, and greatgranddaughters Sarah and Demi for their devotion and
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Furniture supplier's quest to raise profile
NORTH-EAST office furniture supplier Brava Lifestyle Offices has launched a joint venture with a joinery company to help boost its national profile. The deal with Distinct Joinery and Interiors, of Billingham, near Stockton, aims to strengthen Brava's
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It takes a lot to beat our views
IT is said that when a visitor to Cornwall asked Parson Robert Hawker, a noted eccentric priest, what his views and opinions were, he led him to the window of his vicarage at Morwenstow. Pointing, he said: "There is Henna Cliff, and there the Atlantic
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Green project milestones in the region
MORE than £6bn has been invested in energy projects across the wider North-East over recent years. Recent milestones include: * The UK's first offshore wind farm established in Blyth, Northumberland, in 2000. * Emergence of County Durham-based Romag
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Biscuits row led to attack on wife
A HUSBAND who attacked his wife for buying the wrong biscuits has been spared jail. Stephen Dixon hit out at his wife, Deborah, at their home in Dunelm Walk, Consett, County Durham. A heated row erupted when the mother-of-two returned from shopping with
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Mothers band together to reach scanner goal
MOTHERS who banded together to buy their local hospital an advanced scanner have already saved babies' lives. The group handed over a £90,000 advanced ultrasound diagnostic scanner to the maternity unit at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, North
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High-flying role with Emirates Airlines
* EMIRATES Airlines has appointed Bill McPherson as its first airport services manager at Newcastle Airport. As Emirates prepares to launch the first long haul schedule service from Newcastle on September 1, the Dubai-based airline has placed one of its
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Elderly need more protection, say MPs
ELDERLY people in private care homes are treated shamefully and need more protection, according to an influential group of MPs and peers. The Joint Select Committee on Human Rights says elderly people are left lying in their own urine or excrement, suffer
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Premiere for Hollywood film made on coast
A FORTHCOMING Hollywood blockbuster, parts of which were filmed in a North-East coastal town and includes about 1,000 Teesside extras, will be premiered in the region. Atonement, starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, will receive its regional premiere
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No easy task ahead
COMPLAINING about the railways has become something of a national pastime, with fares, punctuality, catering, and the availability of seats all taking their fair share of flak. But while complaints are an inevitabilty for service providers, we consider
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Namid ready for challenge
CONSISTENCY has never been Namid's strong-point, nonetheless Derek Shaw's sprinter still looks a fair bet to claim Beverley's feature race, the Corporate Sport Handicap. With one course and distance success already so far this season, punters at least
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Improvements planned, but passengers to pay for them
PASSENGERS have been promised a raft of improvements for the East Coast Main Line franchise by National Express, but may pay for some of them through ticket price rises. The company indicated that it may increase unregulated fares - those not controlled
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Di Venuto reaches 1,000 mark
DESPITE missing three games through injury, Michael Di Venuto yesterday surged past 1,000 championship runs for Durham. Four division two players got there ahead of him, but only Mark Ramprakash in division one. The Tasmanian's unbeaten 44 took his match
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Barnard Castle three in England side to face Aussies
THREE Barnard Castle School players are in the England Under 18 squad to face Australia A in Brisbane today. Flanker Alex Gray, who captained England Under 16s last season, has been selected at blind side, while prop Calum Clark and fly half Rory Clegg
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Fletcher backs Flood
NEWCASTLE Falcons coach John Fletcher last night backed fly-half Toby Flood to bounce back from the disappointment of missing out on next month's World Cup finals. Jonny Wilkinson, Mathew Tait and Jamie Noon will all be involved in the tournament in France
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Police launch hunt after sex offenders go on the run
DETECTIVES are hunting two child sex offenders with links to North Yorkshire who are on the run. William Bailey, 58, and Joseph Taylor, 27, who were recently released from prison, absconded from addresses in Rotherham and York on Monday night. They are
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Painter fined after car tax disc fraud
A SELF-EMPLOYED painter asked a friend to help fraudulently tax his car to start his business, a court heard yesterday. Mark Alistair Gibson pleaded guilty to three driving offences when he appeared before Darlington magistrates. They included fraudulent
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Suicide chef was to face child grooming charges
A CHEF who was found hanged in woods was due to be charged with four counts of child grooming, an inquest has heard.The body of Michael Bell, from Barnard Castle, County Durham, was found hanging from a tree in Ewebank Wood, on the county's border with
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Southgate believes Mido will provide missing link
IT has turned into one of the most troublesome transfers of the summer, but Gareth Southgate is confident that the capture of Mido will provide the missing link in Middlesbrough's forward line.After spending the majority of last weekend fending off competition
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Keane no fan of WAG culture
OUTSPOKEN Sunderland manager Roy Keane last night went on the offensive to attack what he sees as under-the-thumb footballers more concerned with helping their wives maintain shopping habits rather than football matters.Despite spending almost £30m in
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Broad welcome as group named to take over route
THE news of National Express' success in the race to run East Coast Main Line services from the region to London and Scotland was largely welcomed last night.National Express will take over the franchise from GNER on December 9 after it was chosen by
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Top chess players squaring up at contest for partially-sighted
THE cream of Europe's blind and partially-sighted chess playing talent is in the North-East for a major competition.St Aidan's College, part of Durham University, is hosting the European Individual Chess Championship, which runs until next Thursday.The
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Black Cats fear wrath of Keane
ROY KEANE will make changes for tonight's trip to Birmingham City and £1.5m signing Dickson Etuhu has quickly realised the manager does not need to say much to strike fear into his players.Just days after Saturday's euphoric injury-time win over Tottenham
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Abby gets the winning habit
Recent young recruit Abby Wilson showed impressive signs of her potential with an eye-catching run in the Sherwoods Darlington 10k last weekend. Abby was fastest junior in a top-class field, finishing 60th overall in a swift 38 mins 23 secs.
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Road spill forces closure
EXPERTS are examining a spillage on Teesside which has forced the closure of a major carriageway. Firefighters are currently on the scene while experts examine the white foamy substance which has been spilt across a road in Stockton. A Cleveland Police
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Allardyce will make Faye his latest recruit
NEWCASTLE boss Sam Allardyce is expected to make his eighth summer signing later today when versatile Bolton midfielder Abdoulaye Faye completes a £2m move to St James' Park.Trotters officials are understood to have accepted Newcastle's offer yesterday
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Tributes to teacher who died waiting for transplant
HUNDREDS of people who gathered yesterday to say farewell to a popular teacher were urged to help campaign for a change in the law on organ donation.Mary Baxter died of pulmonary fibrosis, aged 56, while awaiting a lung transplant.Her death notice appealed
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He can't stop being cruel to animals
THE man responsible for one of Britain's worst cruelty cases is facing another jail term after ignoring a lifetime ban on keeping animals and causing unnecessary suffering to his dogs.Lee Howard was jailed for six months last year after leaving more than
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Death of father in Nigeria kidnap ordeal
A DEVOTED father, who postponed potentially life-saving medical treatment when Nigerian gunmen kidnapped his daughter, has died a month after her safe return. Friends say that Michael Hill, whose three-year-old daughter Margaret was snatched by armed
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Go North? you must be joking!
They're known for their big spending, big hair and tiny, size zero figures. But according to Sunderland boss Roy Keane, the Wags (wives and girlfriends) are becoming too influential. Lindsay Jennings reports. SUNDERLAND boss Roy Keane is angry. What
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Today's OAPs just want to have fun
They've been through tough times of war and desperation, so is it any wonder that pensioners are looking for adventures rather than bingo? Pensioners are up to their ears in debt. New figures show that between them, they owe a whopping great £57bn.Which
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Plans approved for hotel extension
A HOTEL in the region has been given the go-ahead to more than double in size. County Durham's Seaham Hall and Serenity Spa is the only hotel in the North-East to boast a red five-star rating and to have won a Michelin Star for its cuisine. And last night
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Bidding for energy centre deal
PLANS to develop a national energy centre in the North-East - leading to the creation of thousands of jobs - were officially unveiled yesterday. The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) will be the UK's core research centre and be responsible for the allocation
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The sound of sirens
Attempts to find the reason behind a mysterious alarm, disturbing the peace at Hurworth Burn reservoir have proved fruitless. FIRSTLY, a confession. Last Wednesday afternoon I played hookey, went AWOL, nicked off work and went for a walk, instead. (And
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Water voles are back on familiar territory
A WATER creature almost wiped out by a mass escape of mink was reintroduced to one of its traditional sites yesterday. Ecologists and volunteers at Foxglove Covert, Catterick Garrison spent a damp and drizzly morning introducing 70 water voles to various
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Fears complex will be end for historic cinema
UNCERTAINTY surrounds the future of a 70-year-old picture house in Darlington after plans were announced to build a nine-screen multiplex less than half-a-mile away. The theatre at Northgate screened its first movie in 1936 after the building was converted
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Assault accused tells court: "That's not my style"
A MAN accused of sexually assaulting three teenage friends during a night out has told a jury: "This is not me - this is not my style." Shachawan Ahmed confessed to police after his arrest that he would kiss up to ten women a night if he was out having
