Archive
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Police say cemetery stone theft is "appalling"
THOUSANDS of pounds-worth of coping stones have been stolen from a County Durham cemetery. Police have described the thefts from Gainford, near Barnard Castle, as "an appalling crime". Forty metres of dressed coping stones were stolen from the walls
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Elton John cancels Newcastle concert
ELTON John has cancelled his concert in Newcastle tonight because of a bout of flu. He was forced to cancel his show in Sheffield on Friday night, and had hoped to be well enough for the Newcastle gig. But this afternoon it was announced that Sir Elton
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"Lovely and kind" teenager dies of meningitis
TRIBUTES have been paid to a 'lovely and kind' schoolgirl who died suddenly of suspected meningitis. Lois Phelps, 13, from Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, was described by her headteacher at Ryedale School as an active and popular pupil.
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Hartlepool United 1 Tranmere Rovers 0
Hartlepool United 1 Tranmere Rovers 0 IT wasn’t quite scoring the winner in a cup final, but Peter Hartley was more than happy to settle for his own piece of glory on Saturday. Growing up in Hartlepool, like every Clavering School pupil, Hartley
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Preston North End 2 Middlesbrough 2
Preston North End 2 Middlesbrough 2 LEAVING things late has become the story of Middlesbrough’s season so far. The decision of chairman Steve Gibson to wait until almost midnight to sack Gareth Southgate in midweek may have attracted all of
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Barnet 3 Darlington 0
Barnet 3 Darlington 0 DURING the long journey home on Saturday, as Darlington picked over the bones of their unjust defeat, they will have been wondering “how did that happen?” Central to their thoughts will have been their numerous
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Sunderland slip to defeat at St Andrew's
AFTER their heroics against Liverpool, Sunderland came crashing back down to earth with a bump as they lost 2-1 at Birmingham City. Liam Ridgewell and James McFadden were on target as the Black Cats were outplayed by a Blues side that had failed to score
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Nolan's late strike ends barren run
AN injury time strike from Kevin Nolan ended Newcastle's winless run but Andy Carroll's point blank miss and a bizarre sending-off were the main talking points. Carroll's equaliser made amends for his howler that will give him and the St
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Man in court on sexual assault charge
A 53-year-old man appeared in court this morning charged with a sexual assault on a girl in a Darlington park. Steven Davies, of Jedburgh Drive, Darlington, entered no plea to one charge of sexual assault on a girl aged under 13 at Newton Aycliffe
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Same again for Pools
AS expected, Chris Turner named the same Hartlepool United starting XI from last week's victory at Swindon Town. The only alteration came on the bench where Billy Greulich replaced injured Colin Larkin. HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Flinders; Austin, Collins
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Butt returns but Simpson injured
NICKY BUTT is back in the Newcastle starting line-up but an ankle injury to Danny Simpson has forced Chris Hughton to re-shuffle his defence. Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor have both failed to recover in time for today's game meaning
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Fresh talks bid to resolve postal dispute
FRESH talks aimed at resolving the bitter postal workers' dispute are to be held on Monday following an intervention by the TUC, it was announced today. The union organisation said that the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union had accepted
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Aliadiere blow opens the door for Emnes at Preston
THERE is a Gareth Southgate feel about the Middlesbrough team at Preston this afternoon, the first match of the post-Southgate era. Colin Cooper, who has stepped into the caretaker role, has made just one change to the team that defeated Derby in midweek
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Henderson and Richardson in for Black Cats
STEVE Bruce has made two changes to Sunderland's starting line-up as he returns to St Andrew's for the first time since his departure as Birmingham manager. Jordan Henderson makes his second Premier League start at the heart of midfield in place of the
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Debuts handed to two Darlington signings
Two of Darlington's new signings make their debut today among four changes to the side which faces Barnet today. Striker James Collins and midfielder David Davis are both in the line-up having arrived on loan from Aston Villa and Wolves respectively
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Taking flight to the theatre
Going to see Kes at Darlington Civic Theatre tonight. I loved the Ken Loach's film 30 years ago, especially the teacher, played by Brian Glover, who thought he was Bobby Charlton. Classic stuff. I'm really looking forward to seeing how
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Don't let them off the hook
There is a real danger that the BNP is going to be let off the hook following Nick Griffin's disastrous perormance on Question Time. Suggestions by MPs that the BBC played into the BNP's hands by changing the format of Question Time are muddying the
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Serving soldier accuses politicans of abusing army's trust
A SERVING soldier today accused politicians of abusing the trust of the army and serving soldiers. Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, from York, who is facing a court martial for refusing to return to Afghanistan, made his comments before an anti-war
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Robber grabs teenage girl by throat
A TEENAGE girl was grabbed by the throat and robbed in a North-East park last night. The 16-year-old was attacked in Leazes Park, Newcastle at 9pm. Police said she was approached by a man, who then grabbed her by the throat before stealing
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Witness appeal after motorcyclist hurt
POLICE are trying to trace a driver who left the scene of an accident in which a motorcyclist was injured. The incident took place on Thames Road in Billingham at 6.05pm last night. Police said the Suzuki motorcycle was travelling towards
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Spennymoor job losses petition
A LIBERAL Democrat councillor is lobbying the Prime Minister to take action over job losses in part of the region. Durham County Councillor for Spennymoor and Middlestone, Ben Ord, is calling on Gordon Brown to investigate the loss of thousands
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Hell Fire by Ed Macy (Harper Press, £18.99)
HIGH octane, hi-tech action in this true tale of Ed Macy’s experiences as an elite pilot on ops in Afghanistan 2006. As one of the first to operate the famed Apache helicopter gunship, he was soon fighting for his life in the skies over New Zad
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Oxford Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art (Second Edition) by Ian Chilvers and John Glaves-Smith (OUP,£10.99)
WHETHER you are baffled and bemused or enthralled and entertained by modern art movements and modern artists, this is one authority that puts you squarely in the picture. Figures such as Emin, Hirst, Perry and Ali Weiwei are tackled, and the likes
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It’s shocking
VISITORS to Craigievar Castle, in Aberdeenshire, can now see the building as it appeared in the past. The conservation charity, the National Trust for Scotland, has just completed a two-year project to replace a concrete-based harling applied
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Keeping his finger on the beat
Steve Pratt speaks to songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan about why it is so important to keep up with music trends. AFTER 40 years in the music business you might expect Gilbert O’Sullivan to be dismissive of modern music. But, while noting that life
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Funny old business
BEING funny wasn’t on the agenda for Stephen K Amos. “Someone like myself watching TV at home in the Seventies and Eighties, I didn’t see anyone I could personally identify with,” he explains. “And I’d never been to a comedy club. Then I went
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Charge by Justin Pollard (John Murray, £7.99)
IF you think that military history is boring, then Justin Pollard is the man to change your mind. Forget tactics, uniforms and strategies and think toilets that sink U-boats, armies that stop for tea and blind and drunk generals, and you get the
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Adrian Mole – The Prostrate Years by Sue Townsend (Penguin, £18.99)
IT’S summer 2007 and Adrian Mole, one of Britain’s popular diarists, is now aged 39 and a quarter. Things are looking bleak. He is living in a converted pigsty in the depressing little village of Mangold Parva, Leicestershire, next door to his
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Preacher man
When others’ thoughts turned to retirement, John Clark was still preaching to Methodists, clocking up an amazing 70 years. THOSE few days back in the darkening summer of 1939 were pretty memorable for John Clark. It was the week that he got
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Recession
AS the economy records a sixth successive quarter of contraction - the worst scenario since quarterly records began in 1955 – the true extent of the immense damage done to the UK economy by Labour’s mad ten–year spending spree becomes clear. According
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Question time
I THOUGHT we lived in a democracy. BBC Question Time proved anything but democratic. David Dimbleby allowed Nick Griffin to be ambushed by hate–filled “ethnic groups” and allowed an incoherent Jack Straw to ramble on and on. The other panelists
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Horsing around
I AM not a clairvoyant and I never claimed to be one, but I can sense certain things, such as if a place is haunted. My mother used to tell me that my grandmother was able to tell people their fortunes by looking at the tea leaves that were left
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Postal strike
RE the post strike: what’s it all about? We hear of the management reorganising to improve efficiency, which is a quite sensible idea to safeguard’ jobs, and pensions. On the other side we see the union calling a strike in protest of the management
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David Cameron
AS regular readers of Hear All Sides will be aware I am not a great supporter of David Cameron. However, in recent weeks he has shown himself to be the Prime Minister in waiting. He is everything which Gordon Brown can only aspire to be – decisive
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BNP unlawful?
KEVIN Rowan, TUC Northern secretary, claims the BNP’s “membership rules have been held to be unlawful” (Echo, October 22). This is nonsense. The BNP’s membership rules are perfectly legal under existing law. However, they won’t be legal under
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Don't be afraid to ask where your food comes from
HOW many times have your readers sat in a restaurant and said their food is fine when it’s not, just to be polite? It’s such a British thing to do. We just don’t question where our food comes from. But I think it’s time we started asking. That
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With an eye on the future
Margaret Fay may have agreed to stay as chairwoman of regional development agency One North East until December next year, but the search to find her successor starts tomorrow. Nigel Burton looks back on her tenure and to the challenges facing
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The BBC got it right
THE debate about whether Nick Griffin, the leader of the British Nationalist Party, should have been given a seat on the Question Time panel continues. It was our view before the show that the BBC was right to go ahead with Mr Griffin’s appearance
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No joy for Blaydon in tug-of-war for Wilson
BLAYDON have held talks with Newcastle Falcons’ boss Steve Bates in an effort to resolve the availability of highly- rated flanker Mark Wilson. The Cumbrian began the season as Blaydon’s firstchoice No 6, but has found himself under pressure to
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Thunder pose a problem
THE Rugby Football League could be forced into a re-organisation of the Co-operative Championship if Gateshead Thunder are relegated as a result of their shareholding crisis. Thunder revealed yesterday that that the club’s holding company,
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Welch in for Falcons
STEVE Bates will hand 19-year-old flanker Will Welch a Guinness Premiership debut at Bath today after admitting this month’s Challenge Cup double over Petrarca Padova and Albi had given him food for thought ahead of a return to domestic action
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England to rue decision
SOUTH Africa coach Mickey Arthur believes England have missed a trick by not selecting paceman Steve Harmison for their winter tour of the country. The Durham bowler was left out of England’s touring party for the four-Test series, which begins
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Shakespearean good value
SHAKESPEAREAN can emerge a serious Classic candidate by winning a top-drawer renewal of the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster. Although taken strictly on the ratings Mark Johnston’s colt has a bit to find with some of his rivals, especially Elusive
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Staunton has high hopes of his new loan signings
THE fact that Darlington have already used 30 players in 13 games is an indication of just how traumatic their season has been, with Quakers limping from one game to the next. They finally kick-started their campaign with a win last week
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Turner’s axe sharpens up Jones
AFTER an indifferent start to the season, Ritchie Jones admits a spell on the sidelines may have been the key to getting his campaign up and running. Jones partnered Antony Sweeney in Hartlepool United’s central midfield for the opening games.
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Saturday Spotlight: Cooper savours his big day in command
With Gareth Southgate having left on Tuesday, and Gordon Strachan’s appointment not expected to be confirmed until Monday, Colin Cooper will take charge of Middlesbrough for today’s game at Preston. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson met the caretaker
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Was Steve Gibson right to get rid of Gareth Southgate?
BERNIE SLAVEN I HAVE sympathy for Gareth, but his record speaks for itself and when a team goes down with the lowest goalscoring record in Britain and the worst away record in the club’s history, it’s time to go. They did start this season
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Benitez doesn’t feel the heat
RAFAEL Benitez has shrugged off the growing pressure on his position at Liverpool and revealed the depths of the soul searching that has dominated his troubled squad. With a crunch home meeting with Manchester United to contend with tomorrow,
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Newcastle will swoop during January transfer window
CHRIS HUGHTON has revealed that Newcastle will be looking to make a number of permanent acquisitions when the transfer window reopens in January. Peter Lovenkrands was the only player to sign a long-term deal at St James’ Park in the summer,
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Magpies’ winless run sees optimism begin to ebb away
GIVEN everything that has happened in the last two or three seasons, it seems strange to talk of Newcastle United being on the brink of another crisis while they are sitting in second place in the table. Enough has gone right in the wake of last
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Ex-boss earns Wheater praise
MIDDLESBROUGH defender David Wheater believes that Gareth Southgate made him the player he is today and insists it will take a big figure to fill the gap left by his former boss. When Gordon Strachan takes charge of team affairs next week he
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Capello outlaws diving
FABIO Capello has spelt out his dislike of diving but the England head coach admitted he would not ‘‘kill’’ one of his players if he dived to win a match. Capello may be from Italy, where diving is sometimes viewed as part and parcel of football
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Ipswich players back Keane
IPSWICH boss Roy Keane enjoys the full backing of his players, despite the club’s winless start to the season, according to winger Carlos Edwards. The Tractor Boys are rooted to the foot of the Coca-Cola Championship with seven points from
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Trapattoni comments infuriate Sam
BLACKBURN manager Sam Allardyce has angrily demanded an apology from Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni after labelling the Italian’s comments about Steven Reid ‘‘disgusting’’. Reid, 28, has made just two Carling Cup appearances in
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To Sunderland, by way of Brentford and Milan
MOST Sunderland fans will know that Michael Turner’s career took in Hull, Brentford and Leyton Orient after leaving his first club Charlton seven years ago. They are less likely to know that he spent six months at Inter Milan during his teenage
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Bruce on firm ground
STEVE BRUCE is relishing life operating under the ambitious, forward-thinking of Sunderland owner Ellis Short and chairman Niall Quinn, rather than questioning what the next move of Birmingham City’s new foreign owner might be. Bruce returns
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Strachan’s sidekick to run the rule over Boro
WITH Gordon Strachan set to be unveiled as Middlesbrough’s new manager on Monday, Colin Cooper has insisted there is no place for sentiment during this afternoon’s Championship game at Preston. Boro chairman Steve Gibson has delayed confirming
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Celebration of equality and diversity at work
BUSINESSES in the North-East which have led the way in promoting equality and diversity in the workplace were last night commended for their efforts. This year’s North-East Equality Awards received scores of entries from across the region, but
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Soldiers to parade in town
SOLDIERS are to march through a town in recognition of their efforts. Civic leaders have announced that the work of the soldiers from the Fourth Mechanised Brigade, based in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, will be recognised with a civic
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Helping small firms
A HUSBAND and wife team are hoping to make a splash with the launch of their IT company aimed at helping small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) benefit from the latest technology. Big Little Fish, based in Darlington, was set up by Rebecca
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Museum gives visitors early glimpse at gallery
VISITORS to a museum will be able to see the first stage in the development of a gallery due to open next year. Because of public interest, Bowes Museum’s new textiles and dress gallery is opening to the public from today as a work in progress
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Campaign to cut number of children killed on roads
A CAMPAIGN to reduce the number of children killed on North-East roads during the dark nights is under way. Youngsters are being urged to “Be Bright, Be Seen” this winter as part of the Think road safety initiative ahead of the clocks going back
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Police warning over fears of bridge collapse
POLICE have warned drivers not to use a bridge over the River Tees because of fears it may collapse. Confusion surrounds who owns the dilapidated bridge to Barforth Hall, in Gainford, County Durham. With neither adjacent landowners nor the county
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Anniversary marked by public access
A MUSEUM will mark the 140th anniversary of the laying of its foundation stone by opening a new £200,000 reading room to the public for two days. The room, in the central dome at the top of Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, contains an extensive
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Chancellor: Northern Rock split imminent
PLANS to split Northern Rock are to be approved next week with the move taking effect by early next year, Alistair Darling revealed yesterday. But the Chancellor, visiting the nationalised lender’s headquarters in Gosforth, Newcastle, warned that
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Diving brothers tell of riverbed treasure
TWO brothers who uncovered a treasure trove of precious artefacts buried on a riverbed have spoken of their chance discovery. Gary and Trevor Bankhead spent 15 years diving at exotic locations all around the world before a coffee shop chat led
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Recession lingers on, but business leaders still defiant
THE UK is in the grip of the longest recession since records began, according to official figures published yesterday. Hopes for an end to the recession were scuppered as the economy shrank by 0.4 per cent between July and last month – a record
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Search starts for Labour candidate
LABOUR Party members will run the rule over expressions of interest from prospective parliamentary candidates from across the country. A spokesman said the party had received a lot of interest in the vacant Darlington seat with 30 people on an
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Girls tune up to make history
THE first girls to sing in a Durham Cathedral choir are in rehearsals for their ecclesiastical debut. The choristers-elect, aged nine to 12, have been practising since May for their first cathedral service appearance. They are expected
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Mandelson’s message to chemical sector – go green
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson visited the North-East yesterday and told of his hopes for the chemical industry and securing work on the new Nissan electric vehicle. Deputy Business Editor Deborah Johnson reports. TEESSIDE’S chemical
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Tree plant marks anniversary
A FACTORY yesterday celebrated the 90th anniversary of its parent company. Staff at Darlington’s Cummins factory were joined by botanist David Bellamy to celebrate the landmark by planting 90 trees at a school. Trees were also planted in 2005 to
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Expert gives legal view after inquest
A LEGAL expert says the family of a ten-year-old boy who died from meningitis could have a strong case for suing the hospital that treated him. William Cressey died after staff at Darlington Memorial Hospital failed to spot that he was suffering
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Police quiz boss of failed airline
A NIGERIAN businessman behind plans to launch a North-East airline has been questioned by the fraud squad. Victor Bassey was arrested yesterday morning after concerns were raised by former employees of his company, Excelsis Airways.
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Red faces as buses shown parked in disabled bays
COUNCIL officials were left red-faced after a flagship planning document showed parkand- ride buses in disabled bays. Durham County Council quickly removed the offending image from the online version of its County Durham Plan consultation, but
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Calls for action as region's teens top drunkenness list
CHILDREN and young people in the North-East have topped a national table for rates of drunkenness. A regional breakdown obtained by national charity Alcohol Concern shows that young people in the North- East report the highest rates of drunkenness
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Hostel boss tells of his sadness at closure
A MAN who became an MBE for his work with homeless people at a hostel has spoken of his sadness that the centre is to close. The Salvation Army announced this week that the unit in Darlington would close next year because the charity can not
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Online petition on job cuts calls for Government action
A LIBERAL Democrat councillor is lobbying the Prime Minister to take action over job losses in the area. Ben Ord, Durham county councillor for Spennymoor and Middlestone, is calling on Gordon Brown to investigate the loss of thousands of jobs
