Archive
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Headline Game update
There are two contenders for tomorrow morning's big showdown on the Headline Game on TFM radio. First of all, there's the story about a bloke called Tristan Lewis, who has won the lucrative role as a corpse at London Dungeon. The headline for that one
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Airport bosses pin hopes on busy bank holiday
AIRPORT bosses are predicting a busy weekend this Easter as holiday makers jet off for a break. The first bank holiday of 2009 is set to be Durham Tees Valley Airport's busiest period so far this year. Staff expect up to 5,000 passengers to travel
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New sports facilities for Darlington estate
A COMMUNITY space in a Darlington estate could be revamped with £58,000 worth of new sporting facilities. Plans have been announced to transform the centre of Red Hall with a new floodlit multi-use games area which can be used to host football, tennis
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Spring in the air
SPRING will be in the air next weekend at two free family events. A sound and craft day called Spring Noises will be held at Ceddesfeld Hall, in Sedgefield, on Wednesday April 15. During the event a sound track will be made using music and noisesand
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Chance to meet local writers
BOOK lovers are being given the chance to meet some local authors later this month. Whitby Library is holding a the get-together on April 16 as part of the third Scarborough Literature Festival. Visitors are invited to join local writers Pat Monteath
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Groups join forces to boost learning opportunities
COMMUNITY groups in Teesdale have joined forces to improve adult education in the area. The Teesdale Local Learning Partnership is made up of representatives from Teesdale Training, Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Service (Utass), Leap, Extended
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Exclusive - Gazza's donates the shirt off his back to help Quakers
AN array of sponsorship packages which include photo opportunities with Paul Gascoigne and shirts signed by the football star have been revealed by Darlington FC for their fundraising friendly match. Gascoigne is to make his return to the football
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Anger over rural bus service shake-up
RESIDENTS have reacted with anger after hearing rural bus routes will be cut following a shake-up by Arriva. And Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has expressed bitter disappointment that the firm will go ahead with the proposed cuts in east Cleveland
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Warship rescue still going on
PUMPING is continuing around the clock to prevent a former Royal Navy warship from sinking in the river Tees. Officials from the Environment Agency have been battling to stabilise the TS Kellington after it was vandalised last weekend. The rusting
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Easter card competition winners
A TRIO of budding young artists in Bishop Auckland won prizes in an Easter card competition. Cockton Hill Infants School pupils Elle Dagnan, Sophie Gallagher, and James Rusby, all aged five, drew winning designs in the competition run by newsagents Chribec
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Walking the way to health
A SPECIAL walk designed for people not used to regular strolls sets off next week. The Hambleton Strollers organises 17 guided walks across the district every month - but organisers say it is often hard for first time walkers to come along. So a special
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Time and money
I've just got back from the Snowbombing festival in Austria. I managed to pack for my 10-day holiday in about 25 minutes. My girlfriend took two weeks. And even then, she was rushed towards the end. It made me think that perhaps it IS fair
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Three more arrested over armed robberies
THREE more people have been arrested by police investigating three armed robberies at post offices. They are a 39-year-old man, who was seized at his house in Jarrow, South Tyneside, and a 17-year-old youth and a 61-year-old woman, both from Seaham,
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Helping to beat the recession
BUSINESSES and individuals could be offered some assistance in making their money go further as the economic downturn bites. Councillors in the Hambleton area are looking at a number of schemes to try and help people through the recession. Car-park
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Bubbly teen with so much to live for
HAYLEY Adamson was a pretty, popular teenager who was looking forward to her future. The 16-year-old planned to study childcare at college and was due to sit the first of her GCSE exams, in English, the day after she was killed. She
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East coast trains will run as normal over Easter
TRAIN operator National Express gave hard-pressed travellers a guarantee this afternoon that its services would be running as normal throughout Easter. The news will be welcome relief to families planning a Bank Holiday getaway, as engineering
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Police officer guilty of teenager's death
A TRAFFIC officer who drove his patrol car at 94mph without blue lights or sirens moments before knocking down and killing a schoolgirl was convicted today of causing death by dangerous driving. Hayley Adamson, 16, was sent flying through the
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Claudia Lawrence: second national TV appeal
A SECOND national TV appeal is to be made for information about the disappearance of university chef Claudia Lawrence. A group of her close friends have recorded an interview to be screened on BBC 1 this Friday. Miss Lawrence, 35, went missing three
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Family trees traced at records office open day
HISTORY seeking families have unearthed long lost relatives as the County Records Office opened its doors to visitors. The North Yorkshire County Records Office saw over 200 people tour the facilities at a recent open day. On view were
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Missing Claudia - new TV appeal
A SECOND national TV appeal is to be made for information about the disappearance of university chef Claudia Lawrence. A group of her close friends have recorded an interview to be screened on BBC 1 on Friday, April 10. Miss Lawrence, 35, went missing
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Easter raffle for shoppers
SHOPPERS in Barnard Castle are hopping at the chance to win a special Easter competition. The Barney Guild has launched an Easter raffle with a grand prize of a giant Chocolate Easter bunny. Shoppers in participating retailers in Barnard Castle will
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Jury out in traffic officer trial
A JURY was sent out today in the trial of a traffic officer who drove his patrol car at 94mph without blue lights or sirens moments before knocking down and killing a schoolgirl. Pc John Dougal denies causing the death by dangerous driving of Hayley
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Woman who attacked partner with two knives was real victim, judge tells her
A WOMAN who attacked her cheating partner with two kitchen knives was told by a judge she had endured more than any woman should. Jeanette Rose, 44, faced prison after she assaulted partner Mark Byers with a serrated bread knife and a carving knife.
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Author opens event for sensory garden
BEST selling children’s history author Terry Deary yesterday (wed) launched an event to help create a sensory garden for adults with learning difficulties. The Local Company is trying to raise funds to create the facility in its grounds at Herbert Street
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Crime figures in North Yorkshire reach ten year low
CRIME in North Yorkshire has fallen to the lowest level in ten years but the police have vowed to cut it further. Police figures show a three per cent drop in crime from last year which is the fifth consecutive year there has been a drop in
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Wind farm plans to go on display
PLANS to build three wind turbines are to go on public display. Communications firm BT wants to create a wind farm at Junction House, north of Durham Lane, in Easington, County Durham. Residents can find out more and have their say on the scheme during
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Region welcomes wave of conferences
AN event backed by the US Office of Naval Research is one of two major international marine conferences coming to region next year. The events are worth an estimated £500,000 to the North-East economy. The International Conference on Advances
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Consultancy for women by women
A CONSULTANCY has been launched to advise companies on how to effectively promote their brands to women. Seriously Feminine, a female marketing consultancy, is hailing itself as an agency run by women for women, and has also launched an internet
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Hard shoulder puts engineers in the fast lane
A NORTH-EAST engineering company has won a multi-million pound contract with the Highways Agency as part of a major project to ease motorway congestion. Henry Williams Limited, based in Darlington, will supply secure cabinets to house sensitive
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Europe rides to rescue of Nissan with £186m
NISSAN’S plant in Sunderland will receive half of a £373m European loan to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles. As expected, the European Investment Bank (EIB) yesterday approved the loan for a research and development project. The funds have
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Home improvers bring sales boost to industry
CUTS in mortgage interest rates are being cited as a cause of a boom in business with home improvement retailers during the first three months of the year. Homeowners in the region have responded to the recent reductions in rates by seeking
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Ford’s design chief will take up post back at Volvo Car Corporation
A DESIGNER from the North-East has been appointed to one of the best roles in the car industry. Peter Horbury will become vice-president of design at Volvo Car Corporation. Mr Horbury, 59, who is originally from Darlington, will take
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Cash for jobs plan 'difficult'
A £30M scheme to find work or training for the long-term jobless across the region was described as doomed when it was launched yesterday. Ministers said the plan – offering companies a “golden hello” worth up to £2,500 for every person they recruit
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‘Port levy rise is kick in the teeth’
PLANS that could see ships using Teesport paying an extra £4m a year have been described as a kick in the teeth. Martyn Pellew, group development director of Teesport owner PD Ports, accused the Government of trying to kill off the ports industry
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Husbands and wives
The G20 summit in London has once again shown that politicians are a bunch of freeloaders. And now their wives are in on the act too. OKAY, Michelle Obama was stunning, Sarah Brown played a blinder and all the other wives at the G20 summit
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Boro footballer appears in court
A MIDDLESBROUGH footballer appeared in court today charged with attacking a woman in a nightclub. Marlon King, 28, of Waltham Croft, Hertfordshire, appeared before City of Westminster Magistrates Court in London. The centre forward,
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Pass and present
Feeling decidedly nostalgic, the column remembers old friends, first-class travel and a snowstorm. EXACTLY a year ago, I reported the death of John Howes, a good old friend from Shildon days. John had just turned 60, enthusiastically entitled
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MPs' expenses
PRIME Minister Gordon Brown’s reaction to another scandal involving one of his ministers and expenses is to pronounce that he is more concerned with the economy and terrorism (Echo, April 6). Well, I’m sorry, that simply won’t wash. It’s taxpayers
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Park-and-ride
IF John Lavendar wants to ride on a “museum” bus, as he mentioned in his letter about Arriva being awarded the Durham City park-and-ride contract (HAS, April 6), he should try service 56 Durham to Bishop Auckland, or service 69 Stockton to Bishop
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Black grouse
IN response to your report about poor weather over the past two summers leading to a decline in numbers of black grouse in the North Pennines, resulting in fears for tourism in Teesdale (Echo, April 3). Members of the Moorland Association have
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Simplicity would suit Wainwright
HOW old am I? So old that I’ve never come across anyone else who can say they own first-edition Wainwright guides, bought new. I can’t boast I was in at the start. The first of Alfred Wainwright’s “famous seven” handwritten Lakeland guides, to the
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Politics
RE James Wharton’s letter headed “Call an Election” (HAS, April 1). I appreciate he’s young and inexperienced. When suggesting the Blair/Brown change should have meant a General Election, he forgets the Tories – Churchill to Eden to Macmillan
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Unitary council
PUBLIC sector workers and business owners can expect little or no increase in their earnings this year. The recession is hurting all those who worked and saved in the good times and now the bad. Yet during these hard times our new Durham County
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Help Gazza save Quakers
DESPITE all the well-documented problems he has faced, Paul Gascoigne remains one of football’s bestloved figures. And the fact that he has agreed to appear in an “all-stars” fundraising match in aid of Darlington Football Club is tremendous news
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Kick start
Richard Walker Hardwick has been a social worker, worked in a homeless hostel and now teaches writing in prison. He tells Steve Pratt about his debut novel and why he wants to help others publish their stories. THE narrator of Richard Walker
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Northallerton homes plan back on agenda
PLANS have been lodged for more than 270 homes on the site of a former factory - ten months after a similar, controversial application on the site was withdrawn. Developers Yuill Homes and Taylor Wimpey have submitted a joint bid to build 273 homes,
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Police warn bikers to drive safely in North Yorkshire
MOTORCYCLISTS are being warned not to put lives at risk with dangerous driving over the Easter weekend. North Yorkshire Police have told bikers that dangerous driving and speeding will not be tolerated. The message comes as over the last ten years 158
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Family moved after home closure order
A FAMILY of six was moving out of their rented home last night after a council issued its first residential closure order. Mother-of-seven Sarah Gibson, and the five children who live with her, were being rehoused by Durham County Council, after
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Relatives urged to come forward
A CORONER has appealed for help in tracing the relatives of a North-East man found dead in Leeds. Leeds Coroners believe Thomas Hunt came from the Durham area and his son Paul still lives there. Mr Hunt, 81, was found dead at his home address on Arthington
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Harvey’s hopes high after op
A TEENAGE leukaemia patient who made an impassioned plea for people to register as bone marrow donors is recovering after undergoing a transplant. Harvey Gaydon, 14, of Darlington, is doing well after receiving new bone marrow at Newcastle General
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Witnesses of arson attack sought
Over £800 of damage was caused to a summerhouse in South Church, near Bishop Auckland, on Monday morning when it was set on fire. The building, in a garden on Appleby Street, was attacked between 10.30am and 2.45pm. Anyone with information is asked
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Women join forces for cancer charity
THREE women whose lives have been affected by cancer have formed a group in the area to support a national charity. The Bishop Auckland Cancer Research Committee will raise awareness and cash to help combat the disease in the North-East. Kathryn Hennessy-Marley
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Bresnan gets MCC call
YORKSHIRE'S Tim Bresnan has been called up by the MCC for tomorrow's opening match of the first-class season. England one-day player Bresnan will replace giant Middlesex quick Steve Finn for the four-day contest against county champions Durham at Lords
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Murphy pulls Hot Weld out of National
HOT Weld has been scratched from the Coral Scottish Grand National on April 18 after suffering a bruised heel. The 10-year-old won the Ayr marathon in 2007, but spent the best part of two years on the sidelines with a leg injury after following
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Newcastle pair in a race to be fit
SEBASTIEN Bassong and Steven Taylor face a race to be fit for Saturday’s crunch relegation clash at Stoke after failing to feature in the open section of yesterday’s training session at St James’ Park. With more than 7,500 supporters in attendance
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Strauss backing Key
ROBERT Key’s claims to become England Twenty20 captain were enhanced when Andrew Strauss argued the best man for the job could come from the county ranks. Strauss, England’s Test and one-day international captain, was omitted from a provisional
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McGrath shines for Tykes in Old Trafford Roses victory
ANTHONY McGrath continued his sparkling pre-season form with a blistering 88 against Lancashire at Old Trafford yesterday. McGrath, who notched two centuries on the recent preseason tour of the United Arab Emirates, including one against Lancashire
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McClaren called to explain
MCLAREN face the threat of serious sanctions after being summoned to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on April 29. The team are deemed to be in breach of the FIA’s International Sporting Code
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Hotel evacuated after fire
A LARGE hotel had to be evacuated after a fire broke out in a wall cavity. Firefighters rushed to the Premier Inn, on Freeman's Place, in Durham, after an emergency call at about 10.45pm on Tuesday. The hotel's ground floor was said to be heavily smoke
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Two fight for lives after horror crash
TWO men were fighting for their lives in hospital today following a dramatic two-car collision last night. Both victims were thrown from a Vauxhall Vectra due to the force of the impact of the accident, with a Vauxhall Zafira, on the A181 road, near
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Could Sunderland be Sven’s return route?
SVEN-GORAN Eriksson will slash his wage demands if Sunderland dispense with the services of Ricky Sbragia this summer. Eriksson, who was sacked from his previous position as manager of Mexico last week, is desperate to return to the Premier League
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Harmison targets Aussies
STEVE Harmison cannot wait to start the season with Durham – but the England international does not want to spend the rest of the summer in the county ranks. Harmison was at Durham’s pre-season photo call at Riverside yesterday, less than 48
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Quakers sunk by late goal
Darlington 1 Wycombe Wanderers 2 FOR the second time this season Wycombe stunned Darlington with a late, late goal, and effectively ended any lingering hopes of reaching the play-offs in the process. Chris Zebroski headed home in the
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Family’s relief as crash girl is released from hospital
A FAMILY have told of their relief after a seven-year-old girl who fractured her skull last week in a road accident was discharged from hospital yesterday. Erin Robb, from Firtree, in Shildon, County Durham, suffered head injuries on Tuesday
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New seats of worship are created in cathedral
ONE of the region’s cathedrals entered a new era yesterday when two lengthy projects came to fruition. Ripon Cathedral’s new lighting was switched on following a £700,000 fundraising drive. At the same time, the final delivery was made of new chairs
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Fatal crash: Nothing driver could have done
A YOUNG motorist who hit a pedestrian on a dark country road could have done nothing to avoid the fatal accident, an inquest heard yesterday. Denis Carr died on the A177 between Sedgefield and Coxhoe, in County Durham, after he was struck by a
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Probe into police handling of toddler death inquiry
AN investigation is to be held over a police inquiry into the death of a toddler which saw his babysitter wrongly convicted of murder, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said today. Suzanne Holdsworth was originally convicted of two-year-old
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Bedroom Rambo freed on appeal
A MAN who was jailed for keeping a homemade pipe bomb under his bed, at his house in the grounds of a girls’ school, is free after appeal judges quashed his jail term. In January, “Bedroom Rambo” David Riding, 21, of Lake View, Wingate, County
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Water bills hike to be bigger than expected
HOUSEHOLDERS in the region are facing a hike in water bills next year – more than double what they expected. In a five-year business plan submitted to regulator Ofwat yesterday, Northumbrian Water is proposing a average annual rise of 3.4 per
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X Factor entrants to join charity walkers
A HOSPICE’S annual sponsored walk will have the X Factor this year, after entrants from the TV series signed up to tackle the route. Girl group Bad Lashes, who appeared on the show last year, will take part in St Cuthbert’s Hospice’s third annual
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Serial stalker raped woman five years ago
A STALKER who struck at least four times in a week was jailed indefinitely yesterday after a judge heard he had been convicted of a rape five years ago. Alexander Dolphin might never be released from prison for terrifying young women and teenage
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Dying man's bet pays out £20,000
A MAN diagnosed with terminal cancer left his family and friends £250 to put on the 100-1 Grand National winner. Danny Shea, 66, knew he would not live to see the race, but made sure his wife and family bet on Mon Mome – scooping £20,310 at the
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All-stars match announced to save struggling Quakers
NEWCASTLE United and England legend Paul Gascoigne is to make a sensational return to the pitch to help cash-strapped Darlington FC. Gascoigne’s agent last night confirmed the star’s plan to play in a money-spinning friendly game next month
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Boro versus Iraq
My brother Paul, who's holidaying in Los Angeles at the moment, has forwarded me an extract of a blog by BBC political reporter Justin Webb. Webb was lamenting the fact that most of the media had been unable to join Barack Obama on his trip to Iraq for
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A dog's life
This morning's Headline Game got off to a decent start when I was awarded a point because TFM forgot my birthday. That made it 1-1 on the week. "He's a fair man, that Graham Mack," I thought to myself. Then we moved onto the story. It was the lovely
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Two airlifted to hospital after road crash
TWO people were airlifted to hospital last night with serious injuries after a three vehicle crash in County Durham. Police, fire crews and ambulances were called to the A181 at Old Cassop, at 7.40pm. It is believed that four people were injured altogether