Archive

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Robopets and exo-skeleton suits may help elderly stay at home longer

TALKING walking frames, robopets and interactive coffee tables are some of the technologies that could help cut down on care home bills and keep older people living at home for longer, research revealed today. In the next 15 years, the number

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Housing bid resubmitted for former football stadium

PLANS to convert a dilapidated former football stadium into a housing estate are back on the cards, less than a month after developers withdrew their application. Esh Group withdrew its plans for Darlington's former Feethams ground at the end of September

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Most wanted paedophile returned to UK tonight

ONE of Britain's most wanted paedophiles has this evening arrived back in the UK. Stephen Burnell was brought back from Crete by officers from North Yorkshire Police's Protecting Vulnerable Persons Unit. He was arrested as part of Crimestopper's

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Commuter cat Percy catches train to watch sea life

THE owners of an adventuring cat which regularly catches a train to a marine-life sanctuary to watch the fish today said it would be enjoying its new-found celebrity status. Percy the cat has become the most famous pet in Scarborough, North Yorkshire

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Salvation Army announces closure of flagship homeless hostel

THE Salvation Army has blamed its decision to close a homeless hostel in Darlington on a 44 per cent cut in the charity's budget. A spokesman said it had taken the decision over Tom Raine Court in Coburg Street with a "heavy heart".

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Having a ball

Congratulations to everyone involved in the Mayor's Charity Ball in Darlington on Friday night. To get more than 300 people to attend in these difficult economic times is quite an achievement. Councillor Jim Ruck has been an excellent

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Lorik Cana deserved a 10

GOING off memory, which admittedly is not particularly great, the last time I issued a match rating of 10 to a player was after watching Middlesbrough claim a UEFA Cup final place in 2006. That night, after coming from three goals down to win 4-3 on

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Frightening event at park

THERE will be a haunting atmosphere at a country park later this month when it hosts a spooky event. Daring visitors to Hardwick Park, in Sedgefield, County Durham, are invited to wear fancy dress for the event on Friday October 30. There will be a

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A68 closed after two-vehicle accident

THE A68 is closed tonight because of a two-vehicle crash near Heighington. The vehicles collided at 5.30pm, and one man has been taken to hospital with leg and arm injuries. Police have closed the road between the Dog Inn and the Royal Oak. The road

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Fatal bike smash boy had beaten cancer

THE family of a 12-year-old killed when he was in a collision with a car while riding his bike today paid tribute to a boy with an ''infectious sense of humour''. Steven Atkinson had beaten cancer and overcome several disabilities to find a love for

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Police raise money in colleague's memory

FORCE cyclists got a police escort thanks to a Darlington motor dealership. Charity riders from Durham Police saddled up for a coast to coast challenge to raise funds in memory of a former colleague. They completed the task with a back

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Beleaguered centre gets £35,000 boost

RESIDENTS who rallied around a beleaguered community centre which was ravaged by vandals are looking to the future after winning a grant to make it more secure. Skerne Park Youth and Community Centre has been awarded £35,000 from the Criminal Justice

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Meet our creepy crawlies

A CATHOLIC seminary is inviting local schools to get to know exotic animals. Ushaw College, set in 30 acres a few miles from Durham City, has trained generations of priests. But now it hopes to open up to the community more and is looking to host

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Young DJ lands new job

A YOUNG DJ from a community radio station has become the latest volunteer to be singled out for success. Radio Teesdales 16-year-old Sunday lunchtime DJ Alex James has landed a job on Sun FM, which serves Durham and Wearside. The teenager, from Durham

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Couple celebrate 50 years of selling poppies

TRIBUTES have been paid to a couple who have raised £124,110 for the Royal British Legion. Jim and Jean Hart, who have been married for 58 years, started with one tin and a box in the villages of Yearby and Dunsdale and now co-ordinate 150

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Santas take over town centre

SHOPPERS received a surprise yesterday when 15 Santas chased a giant turkey around a town. The employees from Middlesbrough Council dressed as St Nick to promote Teesside Hospice’s first ever Santa Run. The run will take place on Sunday, December 6

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Man injured in knife attack

A 19-YEAR-OLD man received a cut to his neck following a day light knife attack. Police were called to Burger King on Bridge Road in Stockton after the victim entered the premises at around 11.50am on Saturday, October 17. He had been confronted by

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Health warning for drinkers

HEALTH bosses in the region are asking people in the region to think about the amount of alcohol they drink. This week is Alcohol Awareness Week and health experts are urging people to know their limits and stick to the recommended daily alcohol amounts

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Golf day goes with a swing to raise funds for Great North Air Ambulance

A GOLF day organised by a technology company as a way of bringing some of it’s customers together raised £420 for charity. Bosses at the 3M site in Northallerton organised the day to help raise funds for the Great North Air Ambulance, involving 44 clients

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Bullying by Monde Dimuna

Bullying is a very serious problem both in school and outside school. Bulling is a very scary situation for a young people, it makes the people feel very scared, sick, lonely embraced and also sad. Bullies kick, punch, call names, and tease their

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Open day at £2.4m development

A NEW £2.4m office development will be throwing open its doors this week to allow prospective tenants to look around. The open day at the Evolution complex on Northallerton’s County Business Park, off Darlington Road, will be open from 10am to 2pm.

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Hughton set for Newcastle job

CHRIS Hughton will have talks with Mike Ashley about becoming the permanent manager of Newcastle United later this week. Hughton, who takes the side to Scunthorpe tomorrow night, has been told by the club's owner that discussions are planned before Saturday's

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Threatened charity expands its services

A MENTAL health charity in the region threatened with closure has instead extended its services after establishing an out of hours facility. Mind, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is to leave its home of 14 years in the town’s St Oswald’s Park pavilion

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Prison staff raise funds for hearing dogs for the deaf

STAFF members at a North Yorkshire prison have joined together to raise funds for charity that provides hearing dogs for the deaf. Prison officers and staff at HM Young Offenders Institute (YOI) Northallerton held a PAWS for Coffee event to support Hearing

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Book fair success boosts charity's funds

LITERARY enthusiasts from Yorkshire and beyond came to Bedale at the weekend for the town’s annual October book and postcard fair. Specialist dealers in antiquarian and second hand books came from across the UK to set up stalls at Bedale High School

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Cinema club to launch with family movie

A NEW cinema club will launch next month with a showing of a popular animation. The Witham Cinema will open at the Witham Hall in Barnard Castle on Sunday, November 8 with a screening of Monsters V Aliens, certified PG. The opening of the cinema is

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Campaign to tackle crime underway

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Residents' trip down memory lane

ELDERLY tenants enjoyed an afternoon of fun and games, musical bingo, traditional cakes and home-made lemonade. The event at Lawson Court, West Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, was held by Cestria Community Housing, to promote Age Concern Durham County

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Busy road to close on weekends

Hartlepool’s Church Street will be closed to all traffic from midnight until 5am on Friday and Saturday nights for a six week trial period starting on Friday, October 23. Church Street will be closed below the junction with Station Approach and Whitby

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Cigarette vending machines - possible ban welcomed

A DECISION that could consign cigarette vending machines to the scrapheap of history has been welcomed by trading standards officials. Last week, the House of Commons supported a backbench amendment to outlaw cigarette vending machines in England

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Revered ale exclusively up for sale in village pub

A PUB is exclusively selling a special beer as part of an autumn ale festival. Worthington's White Shield is on sale at The Tawny Owl Vintage Inn, in Middleton St George, during its Autumn Cask Ale Festival. Pub landlord James Gordon said: "The brewery

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Be on your guard with cold callers

RESIDENTS are being asked to be on their guard against door step sellers offering a cold call registration service. The warning from Stockton Council’s Trading Standards, comes after reports have been received of a trader in the Borough selling

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TV writer opens Masham Arts Festival

A COMEDY writer behind hit TV shows like The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is to head-line the Masham Arts Festival. Local writer David Nobbs is to open the festival which runs from October 23-31 when he will speak about his life as a humourist and

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Moe show

A GROUP of young performers aim to blow away the autumn blues with a show that pays tribute to a jazz and blues music legend. Spennymoor Youth Theatre Group will perform Five Guys Named Moe at Bishop Auckland Town Hall from October 27 to 30. The cast

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Lager stolen from off-licence

A THIEF who stole a crate of lager from an off-licence shop is being sought by police. Police have this week released an appeal in connection with an incident that happened at the start of last month. It happened at 5.50pm on Wednesday, September 2,

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Charity gets footballer patron

FOOTBALLER Danny Graham has signed for a North-East charity. The Gateshead-born Watford striker has agreed to become patron of Heel and Toe, based in Spennymoor, County Durham. The charity was established in 2008 to offer free conductive education

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Unsung search and rescue heroes recognised

THE unsung heroes who freely give up their own time to venture into the wilds to save others have been honoured by the police. A special awards ceremony for North Yorkshire’s search and rescue teams was held in recognition of the invaluable assistance

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Police get more time to question murder suspect

DETECTIVES were today given more time to question a 42-year-old man arrested on suspicion of the murder of a prostitute whose strangled body was found in a burned-out flat. The body of Andrea Waddell, a former Durham University student, was

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Dales meat company scoops business award

A NORTH Yorkshire meat company has won a prestigious business award. Yorkshire Dales Meat, based in Bedale, won Producer of the Year at the annual International Business Forum Awards in Scarborough. The awards were sponsored by Deliciously Yorkshire

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Blooming marvellous result

A PUBLIC-spirited resident who has transformed an open space in to a blooming beautiful community garden has been rewarded for his endeavour. Joe Hickson, of Chestnut Grove, Brotton, has been chosen as the winner of Coast and Country's annual best garden

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Chance to meet children's author

CHILDREN are being given the chance to become a character in a popular book series. Winning youngsters will be turned into characters in the third instalment of the Terry, the Torus and the Tumblestones series: The Guardian of the Past. To win the

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Vandal damages vehicles during late night attack

MOTORISTS have been left distressed and angry after several cars were keyed at the weekend. At least five cars and vans parked on Coatham Road in Redcar were damaged overnight from Saturday, October 17 to the early hours of Sunday, October 18. The combined

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Lynn is walk's top fundraiser

A WOMAN who took part in a hospice’s midnight walk in memory of her mother has been named the event’s top fundraiser. Lynn Dowding completed St Cuthbert’s Hospice’s Midnight Walk in tribute to her mother Cynthia, who died in May, just ten days after

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Crash leads to A19 delays

A RUSH-HOUR crash caused severe delays on the A19 this morning. Temporary traffic measures were put in place on the southbound Middlesbrough flyover, after a red Honda motorcycle and a black Fiat Stylo were involved in a collision. The motorcyclist

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Free sport for youngsters

INDOOR rock climbing, cheerleading and street dancing will be on offer to youngsters at a Sportstart event. The second Sportstart event of this year will be held at Meadowfield leisure centre, near Durham, on Saturday, October 24, between 5.30pm and

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How to do Leeds Fest by Laura Symonds

It’s just over a month since the holidays ended and the festival season along with it. Now we have more time to prepare for next year! Being a festival virgin I had no idea what to expect from Leeds Festival 09 and was repacking my rucksack over

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Free hearing tests in Shildon

FREE hearing tests are being offered in Shildon. A representative from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) is attending the Co-operative Funeralcare, at 85 Church Street, on October 27 to conduct the five-minute tests, from

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Spooky fun in the museum

YOUNGSTERS are in with a chance to explore their darker side and create spooky Halloween cards and mobile. There are two sessions a day at Kirkleatham Museum, Redcar, between 10am-noon and 1pm-4pm, and the activities are free with all materials are provided

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October 19, 2009

THOMAS AND JAMES COOK I've got a crush on Thomas Cook I'm rather bored with James Now Thomas takes a girl abroad For sun and fun and games And lets her choose the time and place And how long she will stay He doesn't smile a friendly smile Then

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Blood, Iron & Gold: How the Railways Transformed the World by Christian Wolmar (Atlantic Books, £25)

THANK the railways for – air hostesses. Their advent was an unintended by-product of the US’s celebrated Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Constructed between 1868 and the mid-1880s, it linked Topeka, in Kansas, with Los Angeles via Chicago

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Striking out

David Stephenson took a leap into the unknown when he gave up a successful teaching career to become a blacksmith. And he still doesn’t understand why. But, as Ruth Campbell discovers, his bold decision has paid off. BLACKSMITH and artist David Stephenson

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Back on the beat

Murderland (ITV1, 9pm); Age 8 and Wanting a Sex Change (C4, 9pm); Glamour’s Golden Age (BBC4, 9pm). CRACKER star Robbie Coltrane is back on duty in ITV’s new crime drama Murderland, which asks the question: can you ever move on from terrible events

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Trident

EUREKA. I have a great idea to save lots of money for Britain. It is simple really – we scrap most of the Trident missile programme, as it is impossibly expensive, dangerous and more or less unable to be used. Fred M Atkinson, Shincliffe, Durham

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Free child seat safety checks

MOTORISTS have the chance to get their child car seat checked by specially trained fire officers at a free event. Six Cleveland Fire Brigade officers will be on hand to carry out the car seat checks at Middlesbrough Fire Station. A survey by the AA

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BNP leaflets

THE BNP recently distributed 2,000 leaflets in Bishop Auckland describing, under the heading “Genocide”, the alleged desecration of Christian graves “to make way for a mosque in Manchester”. The gravestones, it says, “are obviously offensive

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Afghanistan|: no justification

EVENTUALLY, the countries that invaded and occupied Afghanistan will have to negotiate their withdrawal, but it is clear from their pronouncements that the Government and Opposition are not contemplating an exit strategy yet. They are indifferent

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Geneal election

GEOFFREY Bulmer says he is so disillusioned with the main political parties that he does not know who to vote for in next year’s General Election (HAS, Oct 16). The solution to his problem is simple. Vote UK Independence Party. Dr Malcolm H Goyns

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Rain to remember

ON October 6, while walking home from my job as a charity shop volunteer in Bridlington, I was caught out in a sudden torrential rainstorm the like of which I have never experienced first-hand before, either in Britain or abroad. It lashed it

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Tory policies

TO all those people who are contemplating a future change in government, I would advise caution. At the Tory conference David Cameron made it clear that to get Britain back on its feet he will slash benefits and institute a pay freeze in the public

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University award

THE whole of the Tees Valley and the North-East must be exceptionally proud of Teesside University being declared university of the year in the Times Higher Education magazine awards (Echo, Oct 17). To be named the best university in the country

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Moon probes

ROLAND Bramham believes the money spent sending probes to the Moon would be best spent elsewhere (HAS, Oct 17). The estimated cost of the US space programme, from the birth of Nasa to the present day, is less than the amount spent each year in

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Childcare costs

RE Bishop Auckland Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Mark Wilkes’ letter (HAS, Sept 15) criticising my views about MPs’ childcare costs (Echo, Sept 7). With colleagues like him, it’s no wonder that Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson complained

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Languishing in Sir Cliff’s shadow...

CRAMMED between the natural lull of the summer and the Christmas break, it’s a busy time on the speaking circuit. Last week’s engagements included a date at Witton-le-Wear Sunday School Chapel for a meeting of the Gaunless Valley Group of Women

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Lord of the prance

Camp comedian Julian Clary is still mincing at 50. He hasn’t given up blush-making innuendo and searching ladies’ handbags but, he tells Steve Pratt, appearing on Strictly Come Dancing made him a nervous wreck. JULIAN CLARY, self-styled Lord

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The joy of sport

WHERE would we be without sport? It is X Factor without the irritation of Simon Cowell. It is pure real life soap opera. Congratulations to Jenson Button, Britain’s new world champion. He hasn’t won a Grand Prix since June 7, went into yesterday

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Racing world mourns the death of Inglis Drever

ON Friday Howard Johnson’s yard, and racing in general, were mourning the death of Inglis Drever, the only horse to win the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival three times. The ten-year-old, who retired in January this year, underwent

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Blaydon crash to resounding defeat

DESPITE keeping the game tight for most of the first half, Blaydon crashed to a third consecutive defeat, losing 38- 5 at Stourbridge. After a tight first half, a host of Blaydon errors handed the game to the home side. Home full-back and man

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Mighty Mackem feels the pressure

SUNDERLAND’S Tony Jeffries admitted that the pressure of representing his hometown has begun to take its toll. The light-heavyweight extended his unbeaten professional career to four fights with a solid points victory over Artem Solomko of Belarus

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Durham crash outof trophy

DURHAM City were knocked out of the FA Trophy following a 3-0 defeat at Salford City on Saturday. City’s youngsters again acquitted themselves well but ran out of steam in the last 15 minutes. After Durham keeper Marc Riches pulled off a good

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Newell sacked by struggling Grimsby

COCA-COLA League Two side Grimsby have sacked manager Mike Newell. Grimsby lie 23rd in the table after being beaten 2-0 at home to Rochdale on Saturday, their fourth league defeat in succession. The former Hartlepool United boss, who was in

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Hodgson pleads: don’t boo Bullard

ROY Hodgson has urged Fulham fans to give Jimmy Bullard a warm welcome if he makes a long-awaited comeback at Craven Cottage this evening. Bullard enjoyed almost three years at Craven Cottage before moving to Hull City in January for a club record

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West boss in bullish mood

WEST Auckland manager Wilf Constantine believes that his side is too good to go down after they claimed their first league win of the season – 4-2 against Horden on Saturday. West have been stuck in the bottom three all season, but have shown

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Town in seventh heaven romp

LEADERS Scarborough Town enjoyed a seven-goal romp against New Marske in the North Riding Senior Cup. The result was just about settled by the 18th minute by which time Joel Ramm had rifled a hat-trick. Robbie Hawkes made it four from the penalty

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Search continues for missing Ferryhill pensioner

POLICE are urging people to check their gardens, garages and outbuildings as the search for an 89-year-old man County Durham man who went missing on Friday continues. Former miner William Jones was last seen at 4pm on Friday when he left the home in

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Darlington

SO Darlington have acquired another manager and assistant. For a club languishing in 92nd place in the Football League, I would have thought a striker would have taken priority over another manager. Craig Liddle, already on the payroll and much

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Newcastle United

WHEN all else fails it seems The Northern Echo can always be relied on to spin Newcastle United/Kevin Keegan cleaner than they deserve to be. Let’s be absolutely clear here. Keegan claimed £25m and got £2m. Given that he was apparently offered

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Wilf Mannion

FURTHER to T Seale’s interesting letter about Wilf Mannion (SHAS, October 5), the match he refers to was the England v Scotland international at Wembley in 1951. Wilf’s broken jaw injury in the 14th minute came as he and Scotland’s Billy Liddell

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Racing

NATIONAL Hunt racing returned to Wetherby last week in a meeting which saw four race horses killed. In an interview in The Northern Echo a racing insider described these deaths as “one of those things”. Imagine the uproar if a circus came to

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Sir Alex Ferguson

OH FOR someone who will bring Sir Alex Ferguson down to earth. No-one denies his supreme management skills regarding team success, man management and strategic/tactical knowhow. His record speaks for itself. But come on! Again we were

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Captain Carragher stays focused

JAMIE CARRAGHER believes that Rafael Benitez will use the relaxed approach to training this week in the hope that it will help Liverpool to power themselves back into the Premier League title race by defeating Manchester United next Sunday. Sunderland

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Cattermole a big injury doubt as midfielder faces a spell on the sidelines

ON one hand Steve Bruce did not want to detract from a Sunderland performance that offered an insight into the progress that has been made in the last four months. On the other the memorable victory over Liverpool looks to have arrived at a huge

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Why the beach ball goal should never have stood

DARREN BENT’S goal that deflected off the inflatable beach ball that had been punched into the Liverpool penalty area should never have stood, according to Premier League officials and former referees. A goal that Sunderland manager Steve

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O’Neil accepts criticism

GARY O’Neil has expressed sympathy with the Riverside faithful, and claimed the criticism that accompanied the final stages of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Watford was only to be expected given Middlesbrough’s wretched home run. While the abuse

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Darlington 2 Shrewsbury Town 1

Darlington 2 Shrewsbury Town 1 WHATEVER techniques Steve Staunton implemented before Saturday’s game, it would not be a bad idea if he were to do the same again before the next match at Barnet. Because the weekend’s fully-deserved 2-

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Monky haunts Swindon

ANDY Monkhouse relished his return to Swindon Town on Saturday, just like he normally does. The Hartlepool United winger scored his third of the season and his second goal at his former club in three visits. Monkhouse made just 11 appearances

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Pressure is mounting on Boro boss

GARETH Southgate admits that tomorrow night’s home game with Derby County will reveal whether his Middlesbrough players possess the mental strength needed to mount a credible promotion push. Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Watford was Boro’s third

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Impressive Devitt expected to make a return to Hull

THE only sour note left by Jamie Devitt’s man-of-thematch performance on Saturday was that it is expected to be his last in Darlington colours. Unless Steve Staunton can persuade Hull City to let the winger continue his explosive spell with Quakers

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Mediocre Magpies burnt by Forest fire

THE Championship is “similar to the Premier League, just with worse players”, mused Newcastle United defender Jose Enrique prior to the Magpies’ trip to Nottingham Forest. Given the absurdity of the statement, the words could easily have been

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Writers get taste of the county

TRAVEL writers from across the country are touring rural parts of the North-East. Writers, journalists and photographers are being given a tour of Teesdale, Weardale and Derwentside in the hope they will be impressed by the county’s hotels and

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Jet pull raises cash for injured war veterans

THOUSANDS of pounds have been raised for charity by fundraisers who dragged a four-and-a-half tonne jet along a runway. Seven teams of ten people took part in the challenge at Durham Tees Valley Airport at the weekend. Each team pulled the 10,000lb

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Employees recruit ex-boss for HR firm

TWO ex-Northern Rock employees who set up an HR consultancy earlier this year have now recruited their former boss to help expand the business. Maureen Lindberg and Monique Ewart left their senior positions at the troubled Newcastle lender to

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Device helps reduce drop-out

A GROUP of academics from a North-East university has created a device which could help reduce student drop-out rates across the country. The Student Attendance Recording (Star) will enable students to swipe into lectures using a patented card

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Tin could replace rare metals for solar energy

UNIVERSITY scientists are working on replacing rare metals used in photovoltaics – solar energy – with more common resources, driving the price down. A Northumbria University used in solar power technology with metals such as tin. The university

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Words perfect

IT was second time lucky for Craig Beevers who was Champion yesterday. The 28-year-old, from Stockton, was defeated in last year’s final, but beat his opponent, David Webb, at the Cavendish Conference Centre in London where he won the first three

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Hundreds have licence to thrill

DANCING zombies will take over a sports centre later this month as part of an international world record attempt. Hundreds of people in the region are preparing to take part in Thrill the World, an annual global event where as many people as possible

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Sex change prostitute is found strangled in flat

A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a Durham University graduate who underwent gender surgery and worked as a prostitute. Detectives launched a murder inquiry after Andrea Waddell’s body was found in a burned-out flat in Brighton,

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Memorial tributes paid to hero jet pilots ten years on

VILLAGERS yesterday remembered the day their community was shattered by a horrific aircraft crash. Two airmen from RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire were killed when their Hawk jet hit a railway bridge and exploded on the outskirts of Shap, Cumbria

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City to host 2012 Sri Lankan squad

THE head of the London 2012 Olympics organising committee will confirm Durham University is to host the Sri Lankan athletics squad in the build-up to the Games on a visit to the North-East today. Paul Deighton, chief executive of the London Organising

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Eco-friendly car’s racing debut ban

ENGINEERS behind an eco-friendly car hailed as the future of motor sport were barred from making their Formula 3 debut yesterday. Experts from Scott Racing had hoped the World-First Eco F3, which is fuelled by a derivative of chocolate and built

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Celebrating the achievements of young people

AN event to recognise how disadvantaged young people have transformed their lives will take place this week. The North-East Prince’s Trust Celebrate Success Awards will be held at the Newcastle Marriot Hotel, in Gateshead, on Wednesday. About 300

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Open-air museum celebrates rural skills

COUNTRY crafts and skills were on display as two rural contests came to a museum. The County Durham Hedgelaying and Dry Stone Walling championships and Beamish Ploughing Match were both held at Beamish Museum, County Durham, yesterday. The former

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Fighting to protect children online

A FIGHTBACK against paedophiles who groom children on the internet will be launched by North-East academics today. With fears growing over web grooming and cyber bullying among youngsters, Newcastle University experts have developed a parents

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Search teams continue to hunt for pensioner

A MAJOR search for a frail pensioner was continuing last night. William Jones, 89, has not been seen since he left his home in Ferryhill, County Durham, at 4pm on Friday for one of his daily walks. The retired pitman walks many routes in and

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Appeal launched to raise money for deported family

A COMMUNITY is rallying round to raise money to house a failed asylum seeker and her young family. Supporters of Elizabeth Kiwunga hope to raise more than £15,000 to keep her and her two children safe, now they have been deported back to Uganda

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Mice surprise for photographer Geoff

A LITTLE boy’s inquisitiveness helped his grandfather take a winning photograph for a national calendar. Geoff Hill was walking with his grandson, Reece Downs, in Hardwick Park near his home in Sedgefield, County Durham, last summer when something

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Attackers jailed for vile doorstep beating

TWO teenagers who kicked a man unconscious on his doorstep have been jailed for what witnesses described as a “vile and disgusting” attack. Kristopher Sives had a seizure as he was being taken to hospital following the beating at his home in

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Pensioner wins Asda fuel battle

DETERMINED pensioner James McQuaker has scored a “David and Goliath” legal victory over Asda after filling his car with contaminated supermarket fuel. The 82-year-old, who has undergone a quadruple heart bypass and recently suffered a mild stroke