Archive
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Fifty days since Claudia Lawrence last seen
THE father of missing chef Claudia Lawrence described today how ''the strain is intolerable and the sorrow unbearable'' as he marked 50 days since his daughter was last seen. Peter Lawrence made a direct appeal to whoever has taken his daughter
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Boro and player appeal career ending damages claim
A FORMER Manchester United starlet who had his career wrecked by a high tackle had ''no guarantees'' of having a career in the game, a court heard today. Ben Collett, then aged 18, had his right leg broken in two places by Middlesbrough's Gary Smith
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Church treasurer steals £12,000 to 'buy back' straying husband
A CHURCH treasurer stole nearly £12,000 from church funds to try to buy the love of her straying husband, a court heard. Debra Stanger, a treasurer at Christ Church in Felling, Gateshead, admitted to one count of fraud by abuse of position
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Yob jailed over pizza shop death threats
A DRUNKEN yob was today locked up for threatening to kill two pizza shop workers unless they dropped criminal damage charges against him. Daniel Hewitt left staff at the take-away terrified for their lives and afraid to go back to the shop, Teesside
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Calls to renationalise East Coast rail line as revenues fall
THE Government was coming under increasing pressure tonight to renationalise the main East Coast rail line after operator National Express said stalling revenues had put more pressure on its struggling UK rail business. The franchise for trains between
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Classes to be cancelled as teachers prepare to strike
CLASSES at a school set to be merged into a privately-sponsored academy will be cancelled tomorrow(Thursday May 7), as teachers strike in protest at the plans. Members of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) are
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YOUTH CAFE
Willington kids and parents are hopeful that the Youth Cafe (in Clare’s cafe in the high street) will be ready to open its doors by the end of summer. Local children have already identified a range of activities that they’d like to have available in
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Garage site now earmarked for housing
A DERELICT garage site could make way for terraced housing after a supermarket giant was three times refused permission to build a new store. Tesco put up for sale the former Shell garage, in North Road, Darlington, last summer after it met council opposition
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Headline Game
We all know what it's like when a neighbour plays the same song over and over again. Well, spare a thought for an 82-year-old fella from Germany who complained to police about his neighbours repeatedly playing an annoying tune. Police discovered that
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Future is 'dire' for Darlington Football Club, reveals administrator
THE future of Darlington Football Club has been described as 'dire' just days after it completed its 125th season. Administrators have been forced to lay off staff and say they were unable to accept the only offer on the table to secure the club. The
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Filipino crew men overcome by fumes at Seal Sands
TWO Filipino men were rushed to hospital this afternoon after being overcome by noxious fumes. They were believed to be on the top deck of the Jo Eik oil tanker docked at a terminal at Seal Sands, near Billingham, when they became ill shortly
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Quakers on the brink
I've just been talking to Darlington FC's assistant manager Martin Gray who's just been "sacked" by the administrators. Understandably, Martin is deeply disappointed that his loyal service to the club has ended in this way, especially after
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Funeral of "bubbly" Northallerton mum
MORE than 150 mourners gathered to pay their last respects to a "kind, funny and bubbly" mother-of-two who was stabbed to death in her own home. The funeral of 38-year-old Julie Anne Mordue, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was held this
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Passenger power gives lifeline a reprieve
A NEW transport service catering for vulnerable people in Middlesbrough is being launched despite running at a £50,000 loss. The existing Dial-a-Ride scheme is massively underused on weeknights after 10pm and over weekends, at a cost to Middlesbrough
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New headquarters for Dale and Valley Homes
HOUSING organisation Dale and Valley Homes moves into its new headquarters on Monday. The company, which manages council housing in Wear Valley, has operated from various offices around the district since being established three years ago. But from
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Community centre changes name
A COMMUNITY centre has dropped its name because residents were unaware of its significance to the area. Firthmoor & District Community Association met yesterday to discuss the name of the community centre on Burnside Road, Darlington. The community
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Nurse recovering after being stabbed by patient
A MALE nurse is recovering after being stabbed by a patient with a knife in hospital. The 31-year-old was stabbed in the arm with a pocket knife after a struggle at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle . Other patients watched on as the man attacked the
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Cars damaged by vandals
Police are appealing for information after two cars were damaged when a corrosive substance was thrown over them. A blue Ford Focus and a black Rover MG, both owned by the same person, were targeted in Crook overnight on Friday. The Ford was in Stanhope
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The Shaolin Warriors, Tyne Theatre, Newcastle
THE Shaolin Warriors are a troupe of Buddhist Kung-fu masters who are capable of the kind of stunning physical feats you would normally witness only in an effects-laden Hollywood movie. The Chinese martial arts legends fuse ancient spirituality
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Gurf Morlix, Jumpin’ Hot Club, The Cluny, Newcastle
TEXAS-BASED Americana legendary producer and top-notch musician Gurf Morlix brought his earthy fare to Newcastle’s Jumpin’ Hot Club and, while people in close proximity partied, Morlix was singing about death, murder and revenge. Forever pressing
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Green issues a concern
FOR developers, the words “village green” or “public right of way” often cause great anxiety and confusion. Taking the concept of the town or village green first, its use as a further weapon in the armoury of an objector to a development proposal
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FTSE enjoys its best month in six years, but caution still reigns
EASING fears over swine flu saw shares in drugs company GlaxoSmithKline fall yesterday as the FTSE reopened following the bank holiday weekend. The pharmaceutical company, which has a plant in Barnard Castle, saw a rise in its share price last
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Stand and de-liver
Extraordinary People: The Man Who Shared His Liver (five, 8pm) Waterloo Road (BBC1, 8pm) Embarrassing Bodies (C4, 8pm) DID you know that, if you take away 80 per cent of your liver, it will have grown back to its normal volume within 12 months
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Making the most of your website
GOOGLING is now a universally recognised verb. For a business, getting ranked highly on Google is very important. Most users won’t stray past page two or three of search results, so to get ranked on page one could mean the difference between a
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Going for a ride on the FTSE bus
YOU wait all day for a bus, and then three come along at once. A similar investment analogy that may apply to the stock market may be in force, as the rally continues ever higher. According to the timetable, though, the buses have arrived
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Guarantee a return for your precious savings
IF you believe our economy sits on a powder keg of inflation – and some fear its return might be the only salvation for Britain if Government plans to borrow £700bn are carried through – there are sound arguments for holding savings which guarantee
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Online enrolment suits city’s students of today
MORE than 15,000 Durham University students were able to enrol online before their courses started through the creation of a system by a North-East IT firm. Business and IT consultant Waterstons has developed an online student enrolment system
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Railway walks book released in hardback
A LIMITED hardback edition of Railway Walks: Branch Lines Around Bishop Auckland has been released. Copies of the book, written by Bishop Auckland based author John Swain, are available from Bishop Auckland Town Hall, Bondgate Books, Etherington's Newsagents
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Memorial plaque for historic Thirsk nurse
A BLUE plaque memorial to a Quaker nurse from Thirsk who helped to set up a South American country’s nursing system has been erected. The plaque has been put up in the memory of Hannah Packer who was born in the North Yorkshire market town in 1841.
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Sussex v Durham (LV COunty Championship, first day)
DURHAM’S top three were blown away at bright and breezy Brighton. It could have been 41 for four had Dale Benkenstein gone for nought, but the edged four which got him off the mark just evaded second slip. The ex-captain again rode to the rescue, reaching
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Pools free five
Goalkeepers Jan Budtz and Arran Lee-Barrett are among five players released by Hartlepool United. With Dimi Konstantopoulos set to return to the club, boss Chris Turner has released both keepers. Jamie McCunnie, Joe Tait and Martin Young
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Who you gonna call? . . . dustbusters
Cleveland Cascades Limited has won environmental, export and enterprise plaudits for the revolutionary bulk loading systems it installs in ports across the world. In this month’s Success feature, in conjunction with the North-East Chamber of Commerce
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Save money by spending a day racing
THE new general manager of Redcar racecourse is confident she is on to a winner. Amy Fair joined the Cleveland course after stints at Market Rasen, Newmarket and Nottingham, and she is excited about what lies ahead. “There are plenty of places
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'Dividend payments should be reviewed'
COMPANY directors should review the way in which they are paid to prevent problems if the recession affects their businesses, a North-East legal expert has warned. Jim James, regional chairman of insolvency trade body R3 and head of the insolvency
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Police hunt killers of Red Kite in Yorkshire Dales
POLICE are hunting the killers of a rare bird of prey found poisoned by an illegal pest control drug in the Yorkshire Dales. A Red Kite was found dead in the Greenhow area after it ate bait laced with alphachloralose, a pesticide regularly
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Regional invention Weigh-Ahead in luggage preventing charges
AN invention pioneered in the North-East to help airline passengers avoid excess baggage charges could now on the verge of global expansion. Husband-and-wife team Gerard and Carole Stewart created a baggage weighing machine equipped with foldaway
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Kate to lay the Groundwork for regional role
ENVIRONMENTAL body Groundwork has appointed a North-East director to take its new structure onto the regional stage. Kate Culverhouse will lead the newly-configured Groundwork North- East which is to go live on July 1, and brings together a host
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Damselflies flourishing in industrial habitats
ABOUT a third of the UK’s dragonfly and damselfly species have been found on Teesside’s industrial land. Work carried out by the Industry Nature Conservation Association (Inca), based at the Wilton International site near Redcar, east Cleveland
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Region’s tourist industry attracts increased numbers
THE North-East’s £4bn tourism industry has bucked the national trend as the only area outside London to show an increase in visitor numbers last year. As many parts of the country recorded a significant fall in visitors, partly driven by the
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Absolutely fabulous!
JOANNA Lumley for Prime Minister. Why not? But she actually has more important things to do. She’s just scored a great political triumph with the success of the campaign to allow more Ghurkas into Britain. And she’s certainly more fun than
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How we laugh off the flu
FURTHER to the editor’s column on Monday – and there may be few more sycophantic openings than that – is does appear to be the case that not everyone has been treating swine flu too seriously. The first note comes from the early hours of May
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Brown’s bad week
LAST week was one Prime Minister Gordon Brown will probably want to forget and included the loss of the Gurkha settlement rights vote as well as him having to backtrack on ideas for MPs’ expenses. These were the main stories, but there were others
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Travel curbs
WE have been advised against non-essential trips to Mexico, but on other health issues the Government goes well beyond issuing advice. For example, public information on the risks from smoking and excessive drinking are backed up by heavy taxes
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Work progressing at Northallerton care home site
BUILDING is well under way on a controversial £7.7m care home for vulnerable people. Work on the three-story, 51-flat extra care housing facility, at Ashlands Drive, in Northallerton, started last month. The project, which is being partially built on
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Immigrants
I AGREE with all that has been written in HAS in support of the Gurkhas, but it is unfortunate that correspondents seized the opportunity to express their hostile prejudices regarding other immigrants. Peter Hill and Colin Mortimer (HAS, both
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EU laws
A REPORT by the Open Europe think-tank on the cost of European Union legislation over the past ten years confirms that the cost to British industry increases each year. Over last year, a massive increase in EU legislation has cost far more than
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Politicians
THE media is full of bad news for the Prime Minister, the Labour Party, the Government and democracy. Politicians in both Houses if Parliament have shown utter contempt for our basic ethics, morals and standards. They have shown an amazing determination
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Iraq
RE Britain’s withdrawal from Iraq. It’s about time. We only went after one man six years ago. Gordon Brown says we have left the country in a better state than when we arrived. Both we and the Americans destroyed it. We went in under a false statement
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Top marks
CONGRATULATIONS are due to Darlington College after it was named one of the most outstanding further education establishments in the country. And congratulations are also due to Darlington as a town, which can justifiably boast to be one of the
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The last, last chance
JOEY Barton has had a drink in more last chance saloons than anyone we can think of. Every time he lets down himself, his employers, and the fans who keep him fabulously well paid, he gets another opportunity to rebuild his reputation. Last September
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Margaret Thatcher
MANY correspondents and columnists love to distort the facts when expressing their vitriolic views about Margaret Thatcher. How can columnist Rob Merrick (Echo, April 30) say “it’s impossible to explain to under-35s just how awful the Eighties
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European elections
ONCE again we are being asked to vote, on June 4, for the person who we would like to send on the first class gravy train known as the European Parliament. Gordon Brown will be taking particular note of the result since if he holds onto the premiership
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Headline Game
No points awarded on this morning's Headline Game on TFM radio. The story was about the Austrian carpenter who's broken the world record for building coffins. More than 700,000 in 30 years. I really thought our headline - "That's dead-ication" - was
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Our words that lead the world
ON the day that the new Poet Laureate was announced I happened to visit a home of perhaps our best-known Laureate, William Wordsworth. Whenever a new Poet Laureate is appointed today it is emphasised that there is “no longer’’ any pressure on the
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‘I’ve loved this lady all my life’
They first met as children in care in the Fifties and, after being separated, Alan and Irene Brogan spent the next 50 years trying to find each other again. Sarah Foster meets them. A WEDDING photograph stands on the sideboard in Alan and Irene
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Partying through the recession
A FANCY dress company has seen a surprise upturn in business, despite the recession. Although it might have been thought the economic downturn would spell the end for parties and jovial celebrations, Premier Party has found quite the opposite to be true
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Killzone 2 PS3
The first Killzone was something of a hit and miss. Released in 2004, the game was panned by most critics for innumerable glitches and dodgy controls. However, the story seemed to strike a chord with some, and it developed a cult following. Now
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Running coach completes second marathon for charity
A RUNNING coach beat the heat and the return of an old injury to complete his second full marathon for a cancer charity. John Brant, a coach with Darlington Harriers, finished the London Marathon in four hours 43 minutes nine seconds. Although Mr Brant
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Songs to be remembered at theatre show
THE work of singer songwriter Nick Drake is being celebrated at the Gala Theatre in Durham on Saturday. The Songs of Nick Drake is touring in what would have been his 60th birthday year. The show features the vocal talents of singer-songwriter and acoustic
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Harper welcomes Shearer's tough stance on discipline
NEWCASTLE goalkeeper Steve Harper has welcomed Alan Shearer's tough new rules after admitting discipline had been allowed to slide. Shearer has introduced stringent new regulations with increased fines for offenders as he attempts to foster a recovery
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A ton of reasons to get fit this summer
PEOPLE are being offered a ton of reasons to get fit this summer. The Wear Walking for Health Ton up Challenge is a personal fitness challenge to walk, jog or run up to 100 miles between May 11 and August 28 at Peases West Athletics track in Crook.
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Few as enjoyable as Chester in May
FEW meetings are as enjoyable as Chester in May, where the tight, twisting circuit lends itself to a real spectacle as the runners thunder past. The feature on the opening afternoon of the three-day fixture is the totesport.com Chester Cup, run over
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McGrath wants focus
ANTHONY McGrath wants to concentrate on making sure Yorkshire win their first County Championship game against Warwickshire at Edgbaston today rather than worry about the hype surrounding Michael Vaughan and Ian Bell. The White Rose skipper
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Late arrival could hinder West Indies
ENGLAND captain Andrew Strauss senses his opposite number Chris Gayle may have crossed the line with his late arrival for the first npower Test at Lord’s. Strauss himself will today be leading Indian Premier League players who arrived back from
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Accused man appears over Chilton death
A 21-YEAR-OLD accused of assaulting a man who later died was remanded into custody when he appeared in court today. Liam Keith Hall, of Dene Terrace, Chilton, County Durham, is accused of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm with intent. It is alleged
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Cook backs Harmison to meet twin targets
DURHAM coach Geoff Cook is confident Steve Harmison can stage a repeat of last season, when he came to the fore after being out-bowled by Graham Onions in the early games. Onions is division one’s leading wicket-taker with 15 at 16.4 after two
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Hiddink calls for emotion
CHELSEA’S interim coach Guus Hiddink has called on his players to overcome Barcelona with a combination of ‘‘intelligence and emotion’’ in their Champions League showdown at Stamford Bridge tonight. Chelsea’s faultless defensive display in the
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Devils reach Rome in stunning style
Arsenal 1 Manchester United 3 (Man. United win 4-1 on aggregate) LIKE the great Emperors of the past, Sir Alex Ferguson will attempt to rule Rome in three weeks’ time after Manchester United produced an awesome attacking display to destroy Arsenal
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Clark is happy to see Boyd return
WITH the reshaping of Hartlepool United’s squad already underway, Ben Clark is relishing the chance to again play alongside Adam Boyd. The pair were team-mates at Victoria Park for almost two seasons before the striker headed for Luton for
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Hyypia moving on
SAMI Hyypia has revealed a desire for regular first-team football was behind his decision to leave Liverpool after 10 years – but he has not ruled out a return to Anfield in a coaching capacity. The veteran defender will join German club Bayer
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Benfica struggling to raise cash for Alves
BENFICA are struggling to raise the cash to finance a deal for Afonso Alves, which could force Middlesbrough into making a difficult decision this summer. A first full season of struggle in the Premier League has left Alves’s position at the
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Craig Gordon season over?
CRAIG GORDON has urged his team-mates to make sure that “the worst season of his career” does not deteriorate further by failing to keep Sunderland in the Premier League. With three matches remaining, Gordon is expected to learn today if he needs
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Bad boy will forever be a problem to someone
AS Joey Barton walked through the players’ entrance underneath the main stand at Anfield on Sunday he was in no mood to stop and talk about his latest misdemeanour. “Not today, sorry,” was his quick response to a request for an interview moments
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Durham's Onions handed Test debut
England handed a Test debut to Durham's Graham Onions for the first match of the 2009 international summer. The pace-bowler joined Tim Bresnan in the XI to face West Indies in the opening match of the npower series at Lords which meant left-arm spinner
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Website takes hunt for missing Claudia global
THE father of missing Claudia Lawrence has spoken of his inner torture at not knowing what has happened to his daughter. Solicitor Peter Lawrence was talking at the formal launch of a website dedicated to finding the 35- year-old York University
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Boro set to appeal over £4.5m damages ruling
MIDDLESBROUGH Football Club will appeal today against a £4.5m damages award after one of its footballers ended the career of a Manchester United starlet. Middlesbrough's Gary Smith broke Ben Collett's right leg in two places with a high tackle during
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Region’s disabled being failed by public transport, says report
DISABLED commuters in the North-East face problems using public transport, an undercover investigation has revealed. The End of the Line report is based on more than 200 journeys taken by mystery travellers who suffer from muscle wasting diseases
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Friends are rallied to aid country’s oldest church
THE country’s oldest parish church is raising its profile by launching an appeal for friends around the world. Dating from about 670AD and largely unchanged over the centuries, Escomb Saxon Church, near Bishop Auckland, is hailed as England’s
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Marking world win with return clash
AN amateur football team has secured a once-in-a-lifetime clash against one of the most successful team in the history of Italian football, Juventus. Northern League side West Auckland Town, based in County Durham, received confirmation this weekend
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Sex offender made tearful confession call
A SUSPECT made a tearful telephone call to police to confess to molesting a teenage girl, a court heard yesterday. David Fletcher had been released on bail after being quizzed by detectives investigating the abuse of the schoolgirl. The 46-year-old
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Airport owner may give up stake
THE owner of Durham Tees Valley Airport has admitted for the first time it could give up some of its stake in regional airports. Peel Airports said it was looking for a “like-minded partner” to invest in its lossmaking airports division – which
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Fans still in dark over club's future
THE future of administrationhit Darlington Football Club will not be revealed until tomorrow morning at the earliest. The second deadline for bids for the cash-strapped Quakers passed at 5pm last night with fans still in the dark as to who the
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‘Outstanding’ inspection despite campus move
A NORTH-EAST college is celebrating after being named one of the most outstanding further education establishments in the country. Darlington College’s success is all the more remarkable because it was achieved at a time of major disruption
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Bloody proof of shooting horror
A WOMAN has described how she froze in fear when she heard a man scream for help outside her home after he was shot in the groin. Margaret Hunt spoke as police – including armed officers – launched a hunt for the gunman, who is also thought to
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Hall inspired artist's work
A TEESDALE artist says the building which will host his new exhibition was the inspiration behind much of latest work. Anthony Clark, an associate of the Royal College of Art, has put together a collection of paintings, etchings and drawings
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Concern over discrepency in rent increase
MORE than 135,000 tenants across the region have been hit by a 5.5 per cent rent hike – because they live in the wrong type of rented home. The families will pay an average £4-a-week more because they live in housing association properties
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Hospital boss sorry for medical mishap
HOSPITAL bosses have apologised after surgeons left a piece of medical equipment inside a patient during a hip operation. David Bould was paid £4,000 in an out-of-court settlement with University Hospital of Hartlepool, in Hartlepool, after the mistake
