Archive
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Man charged with murdering pensioner
A MAN has tonight been charged with murdering a pensioner. Keith Stephen Lockhart, 47, of Eslington Court, Gateshead, will appear before Gateshead Magistrates' Court tomorrow morning accused of the murder of 67-year-old William Mackereth at
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Fighting Fiction – A Lesser Of Two Evils
Fighting Fiction’s debut EP A Lesser Of Two Evils is a powerful collision of indie rock guitar riffs, reggae tinged punk and socially aware lyrics. These are songs written with anger and sung with an amazing passion. The Bristol based foursome evoke an
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Los Campesinos! – Newcastle University 27.10.09
Los Campesinos! are a seven piece indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales. Their style is distinct with glockenspiel and violins amongst their vast array of instruments. There seems to be a real buzz around this band, their songs have infectious beats accompanied
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Rock could take decade to pay back tax payer
NATIONALISED Northern Rock could take a decade to pay back the taxpayer, its chief executive said today. The admission came as the European Commission approved plans to split the Newcastle-based lender into a good and bad bank. The restructuring will
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Factory staff go back to school
STAFF from a factory in Barnard Castle went back to school as part of community programme. The team from a technical department at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) took a day off their usual responsibilities to lend a hand in the gardens and do some DIY
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Post strike hopes collapse
HOPES of averting a fresh wave of postal strikes appeared to be collapsing tonight despite three days of intensive talks. Preparations for a series of strikes from tomorrow morning were going ahead, threatening further disruption to mail deliveries.
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Pastor's praise for Chester volunteers
A PASTOR who runs an orphanage in India has visited Chester-le-Street to meet the people who fund his vital work. Pastor Yesu Padam runs the Kathleen Home for Orphans and Widows in Narsapur, Andhra Pradesh, in South-East India. It is currently home
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Gymnastics club strikes gold
YOUNG gymnasts from County Durham were jumping for joy after their team landed a national title. South Durham Gymnastics Club, based in Spennymoor, landed top spot at The Bill Slater National Team Competition in Newcastle at the weekend.
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Lord Londonderry is beheaded in restoration project
A LANDMARK statue has been beheaded and taken out of the region, as it emerged the regeneration scheme it is central to has already cost nearly £500,000. Workers lifted the Lord Londonderry on horseback statue from its plinth in Durham Market
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Homes plan for former club site
PLANS to build more than 60 new homes on the site of a former workingmen’s club have been approved by councillors. Durham Villages Regeneration Company (DVRC) has won planning permission to build 61 homes on land including the former Brandon Workingmen
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What a winner
The judging of the Local Heroes awards 2009 took place at Bannatyne's Hotel in Darlington today. The judges sifted through hundreds of nominations and have come up with a final three for each category plus the line-up of winners. Naturally, I can't
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Post gift parcels early
SUPPORTERS of an aid charity are being urged to send off gifts in plenty of time for Christmas. Humanitarian aid group Operation Christmas Child are collecting thousands of parcels for children in other countries and need to receive them by November
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Funding secured for Toronto playground
VILLAGE residents have secured the final slice of funding for a new recreation ground Toronto Community Association and Groundwork North East have drawn up plans to replace their children’s playground, build a multi-use games area and improve access
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Campaigners march for justice
MORE than 50 people turned out to march through a North-East town to highlight the need for change in criminal laws Barbara Dunne led the Walk for Justice through the streets of Middlesbrough town centre on Saturday. The anti-knife campaigner lost her
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Large fire destroys Romanby home
A LARGE fire has caused extensive damage to a large family home near Northallerton. Five fire crews attended the blaze at the house in St James Drive, in Romanby, which started in an adjoining garage before spreading to the house at about 10.30pm on
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Plans to move Thirsk Post Office welcomed
PLANS to move the Post Office in Thirsk have been welcomed as a benefit to customers and as a safeguard for the business. At present Thirsk Post Office is based in the Co-op store in the Market Place where concerns have been raised about the lack of
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Artist returns to college to inspire students
AN award-winning artist has returned to his native North-East to inspire the next generation of college students. Vaughan Oliver, one of the most influential graphic designers in Britain over the past 30 years, drew on his decades of experience to give
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Thieves target drain covers
RESIDENTS in Stockton are being urged to remain vigilant to try to prevent thieves stealing drain covers. Stockton Borough Council has issued the warning as 58 of the gully covers have been taken from kerbsides across the borough this year. Officers
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Change of hours at The Hive
Crook Community Partnership’s base The Hive, on Hope Street, will be no longer be open Saturdays from next week. The office will be open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am to 3am.
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Hide your satnav holder, say police
Police are urging motorists not to leave satnav equipment on display after a spate of thefts in Crook this week. Three vehicles were targeted on Tuesday when the culprits smashed the passenger windows to gain entry. The owners of the cars parked on
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Disruption to roads.
DISRUPTION to transport is likely to continue in Darlington, while completion of the Haughton Road resurface takes place, towards the centre of town, this week. The flow of traffic is very slow. Motorists will face delays, while the work is in progress
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Hay fire appeal
POLICE in Spennymoor are appealing for information after hay bails were destroyed by arsonists. Bails in a farmer’s field behind The Frog and Ferret pub, on Coulson Street, have been set on fire a number of times in recent weeks. PC Dave Greenwell
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Appeal for information on attempted theft
POLICE have launched an appeal to find people responsible for attempting to steal a car. Thieves attempted to steal an N-registered Vauxhall Corsa from Regal Drive in Darlington between 6.30pm on October 24 and 9.40am the following morning. PC Gary
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Shape up for festive season
A RANGE of new activities are being held to help people kick-start a healthier lifestyle and get into shape before the party season. The Pioneering Care Centre, in Newton Aycliffe, will host dance and exercise classes starting in November. Lindy Hop
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North Yorks residents back poppy appeal fundraiser
RESIDENTS in a care home in the region are backing an appeal by baker Hovis to raise £100,000 for the Royal British Legion. Hovis is to make a donation to the legion’s poppy appeal for every bag of its Hovis Seed Sensations which are sold. Funds will
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College students in the pink
STUDENTS were in the pink when they dressed up and took part in a host of activities to raise hundreds of pounds for a cancer charity. Darlington College staff and pupils held a pink-themed day combined with Halloween hauntings for Breast Cancer
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Appeal for return of missing knitting patterns
KNITTERS who helped a tourist attraction compile an exhibition last year are being urged to check their sewing kits after a number of knitting patterns went missing. Alison Clarke, from Northallerton, loaned a selection of her mother's patterns from
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War hero has RAF building named in his honour
A WAR hero who escaped from a German prisoner of war camp has been honoured by a local RAF base which has named new buildings after him. Wing commander Dave Bernard was shot down over occupied Belgium in 1941 and put into the prison camp Stalag Luft
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Experts amazed at return of England's biggest insect - after 70 years
FOREST chiefs have confirmed that another rare animal has taken up home at a North Yorkshire beauty spot. The Forestry Commission said a photo taken of a mystery insect outside Dalby Forest, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, in September was of a Great
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Rundown areas feature in book
RUNDOWN areas of South Bank and Redcar are featuring in a new book Is Britain Great? 2. Produced by photographers Jan Williams and Chris Teasdale, the book focuses on places that are rarely found in tourist brochures or marketing campaigns.
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Protest over plans to chop down trees
A COUNCIL has been criticised for plans to fell trees on health and safety grounds by a resident who claims they are okay. Romanby Parish Council, near Northallerton, aims to chop down two ash trees standing on a patch of grass at Oaktree Drive in the
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Remembrance service for babies
A SPECIAL thanksgiving and remembrance service for babies who were killed at birth will take place this weekend. The service will be held in the chapel at Darlington Memorial Hospital on Sunday, November 1, at 3pm. Families who have lost a baby are
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Parking debtors threatened with bailiffs
MOTORISTS who have consistently refused to pay parking fines are being warned to expect a visit from the bailiffs. Durham County Council says it has no intention of writing off the debts of 200 car owners who broke parking rules in Durham City. Drivers
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Village hall opens its doors
A COMMUNITY centre is having an open day to showcase activities it offer young people. Delves Lane Village Hall is throwing its door open on Friday 30October for children, young people and families in the area. The event is a taster for the youth clubs
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Man remanded in custody over Darlington teen manslaughter
A MAN has this morning appeared in court charged with the kidnap and manslaughter of 17-year-old Darlington student Ashleigh Hall. Shaven-headed Peter Chapman, 32, of no fixed address was brought before Newton Aycliffe magistrates. No
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Freddy Kempf, The Sage Gateshead
FREDDY KEMPF has rightly earned his reputation as one of the most important young artists on the stage today; a status underpinned by a prodigious output for the BIS record label. And he fulfilled all expectations when he appeared at The Sage
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Simon Amstell: o Nothing, York Grand Opera House
LIKE many, I became a fan of Simon Amstell while he was a presenter on Channel 4’s Popworld. Simon then took his antics to the BBC, where he’s been the host of Never Mind The Buzzcocks for the past three years. Hearing that he was on tour, I
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Days of Significance, Northern Stage, Newcastle
BRINGING a bingedrinking drama to within spitting distance of the Bigg Market is a bit “coals to Newcastle”. However this one, a new commission from Roy Williams, features real war in Iraq. But if you’re thinking that war’s a dirty word, then
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Bright sparks
Britain’s Best Brain (Five, 8pm); Did Heston Change Little Chef? (C4, 9pm); Jimmy’s Food Factory (BBC1, 7.30pm) JAMIE THEAKSTON and Zoe Ball were one of television’s most popular presenting partnerships throughout the Ninties, with shows such
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The evil of cheap supermarket booze
If we really want to stamp out anti-social behaviour and save generations to come from early cirrhosis, let’s do something about...cheap supermarket booze. MAYBE we should just stop supermarkets selling booze. I can’t believe I’ve just said that.
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Pedestrian perils
I AGREE with Harry Henson’s views about pavement obstructions (HAS, Oct 21). Vehicles in Bishop Auckland, especially in Back Bondgate within yards of a public car park, are obstructing pedestrian walkways, forcing people to walk on the main road
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Recession
THE green shoots have died and gone brown since the seeds fell upon stony ground and just when the editors of various newspapers prepared the headline, “It’s over”, figures issued by the Government showed that the recession was still continuing
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Beck to the future
A novel development – one of Robert Harris’ – the column puts a tentative toe into Lustrum Beck. LUSTRUM Beck flows – maunders, at any rate – through industrial Haverton Hill and other parts of Stockton and Billingham before emptying, enervated
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Thanks, NHS
AT the age of almost 85 I recently underwent a hip replacement operation. I have been amazed at the lack of pain involved and hope any readers awaiting such an operation will lose any anxiety. I was in hospital just five days – one extra because
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Horse play
RE Christopher Wardell’s letter headed “Horsing around” (HAS, Oct 24). I visited the indoor market in Darlington and had the same feeling – as if being followed by a horse. Finding the nerve to turn around, there it was – the pantomime horse which
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General election
IN the past 12 months a new religion has emerged among our MPs – transparency. New converts are going around proclaiming: “I am considerably more transparent than thou.” With a bit of luck this new religion may find converts in town halls across
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Chestnuts cheer
HAD a ride out in North Yorkshire for a spot of lunch on Sunday. Stopped off for a big bowl of savoy cabbage and broccoli soup with a brown bread bun and a home-made sweet. The soup was full of flavours, from carrots, swede, potatoes, tomatoes
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Hands off our time, Scotland
‘NOT a bad afternoon,” I remarked to a woman walking her dog past my garden last Sunday afternoon. In fact, a mighty gale was blowing, but she didn’t mention that. “It’ll soon be dark,” she replied gloomily. The end of British Summer Time always
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BNP/Question Time
IF the BBC had denied the BNP the right to be represented on Question Time, it would have been a great injustice. We all have a democratic right to our own point of view, be it popular or not. If a not very nice man and a not very nice party can
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Copenhagen treaty
IN December, a UN climate change treaty is due to be signed by world leaders in Copenhagen. In sections 36 to 38 is an agreement to create a world government to enforce this treaty’s contents. This is thought justified by the belief that mankind
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Council tax
IT was interesting to read that Councillor Peter Scott, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council’s cabinet member for corporate resources, has warned that council tax payers may have to cover any reduction in cash from central government (Echo, Oct
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Tony Blair
ONLY an idiot would poke a stick into a wasps’ nest and hope to get away scot-free, yet former Prime Minister Tony Blair – above – attended the reception after the recent London commemoration service for personnel killed in Iraq. Bereaved father
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A warning to parents
THE internet is a wonderful invention that has transformed the world in many ways – but it has brought clear dangers with it. Those dangers have again been starkly illustrated by the shocking events that are reported on our front page today. Ashleigh
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Stripping yarn
Darlington Operatic Society is going the full monty for its latest show. Steve Pratt drops in on rehearsals and exposes the ups and downs. of removing your clothes in public SLIDE your thumb inside the top of your boxer shorts, grip
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Ghostly fun on haunted Headland
BRAVE souls could be scared witless when the venture out on a ghost walk around Hartlepool's Headland. Historian Steve Robbins will lead the free walk on Friday night and will take in the ghost of the Grey Lady, the butler who still looks out
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Mum's internet warning after death of Darlington teenager
THE mother of Ashleigh Hall, who was found dead in a field, has today paid tribute to the "loving, honest, caring and well-liked"Darlington teenager. The 17-year-old's body was found in a field near Sedgefield, County Durham, after she arranged
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Florensky set to improve
FLORENSKY was certainly not disgraced when fourth on his introduction at Pontefract and even more can be expected of him in the EBF Maiden Stakes at Musselburgh. The Godolphin colt is a huge horse and will certainly not be at his best until at
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Hill warns of threat to British Grand Prix
DAMON Hill has warned of the real threat of there being no British Grand Prix next year. Silverstone chiefs Neil England and Richard Phillips remain locked in talks with Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone with regard to the race remaining
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Craine very able
STEPHEN Craine’s decision to pursue a career as a dual-purpose jockey is paying off and he was again seen to good effect on Conry in the TurfTV.co.uk Handicap at a misty Catterick. He brought the Patrick Morris-trained threeyear- old with a sustained
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Paula is ready to race
DEFENDING champion Paula Radcliffe’s readiness to run the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday is the final piece in the big-race jigsaw, according to race director Mary Wittenberg. The New York Road Runners chief executive will welcome back
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Harmison pledges future to Durham
PACE bowler Steve Harmison insists it is time to ‘‘move on’’ from international cricket and concentrate on his career with Durham. The 31-year-old, left out of England’s 16-man party for the four-Test tour to South Africa, yesterday committed
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Aquilani included for the first time
RAFAEL Benitez yesterday confirmed £20m midfielder Alberto Aquilani will be in Liverpool’s travelling party for tonight’s Carling Cup clash at Arsenal. It will be the Italian’s first appearance in a first-team squad since his summer move from
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DeGale shrugs off pal’s blast
JAMES DeGale has laughed off old rival George Groves’ recent verbal volley, claiming his former amateur teammate is ‘‘living in my shadow’’. Olympic middleweight gold medalist DeGale and fellow fledgling professional Groves grew up together at
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Barnsley 0 Manchester United 2
Barnsley 0 Manchester United 2 HOLDERS Manchester United booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup but for the second time in three days finished with ten men. Gary Neville was sent off in the second half at Oakwell
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Premiership chief hits back at Gatland’s ‘cheap shot’
PREMIER Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty has dismissed Warren Gatland’s criticism of the Guinness Premiership as a ‘‘cheap shot’’. McCafferty believes the Wales coach’s comments have been motivated by his frustration at the unavailability
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Aussies daren’t lose to England
AUSTRALIA will be treating Saturday’s Gillette Four Nations match against England as a major semi-final, according to Jarryd Hayne. The Kangaroos have left themselves little room for error after being held to a 20- 20 draw by New Zealand in their
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Falcons ahead of schedule, claims coach
NEWCASTLE first team coach Alan Tait has called on the Falcons to use last weekend’s win at Bath as the springboard for their season, as Worcester Warriors are the Guinness Premiership visitors to Kingston Park on Sunday. Looking for his side
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Phillips is on Strachan’s list of strikers
NEWLY-APPOINTED Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan will attempt to add at least one new striker in the next few days, even though he intends to give youth its chance whenever he can. Strachan is well aware of the reputation Boro’s Academy
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Ranger stakes recall claim
NEWCASTLE striker Nile Ranger pressed his claims for a first team start at Sheffield United on Monday by scoring in a 3-2 defeat to Celtic in a behind-closeddoors friendly yesterday. Ryan Donaldson opened the scoring for the Magpies, but Celtic
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Man in court charged with kidnap and manslaughter of Darlington teenager
A 32-year-old man is due in court this morning charged with the manslaughter and kidnap of teenager Ashleigh Hall from Darlington. The man, of no fixed abode, is also charged with failing to notify a change of address as required under the
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Quakers keeper wants a run in team
ROOKIE Darlington keeper Nick Liversedge has finally been handed a first-team opportunity and having waited two years for his chance says he does not want to give it up now. The 21-year-old made his league bow in Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Barnet
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Guzan’s penalty saves rob Cats of progress
SUNDERLAND slid out of the Carling Cup on penalties last night and a frustrated Steve Bruce claimed he knew what was coming after witnessing his players fail to make the most of some glorious chances. Bruce was left amazed by Sunderland’
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Search for young man missing since Sunday
POLICE are urgently seeking a young man who has gone missing from his home in the region. Oliver John Corbett, pictured, 24, of Dishforth, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, was last seen on Sunday, at 3pm. His parents say the disappearance
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Package offers chance to sponsor next season’s shirts
DARLINGTON Football Club’s new owners hope to instantly secure the confidence of the town’s business community with its new venture. The Quakers have launched their search to find a new club shirt sponsor with its Business Backing Darlington Club
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Brothel owner is spared jail
A MAN who admitted keeping a brothel that hired prostitutes was spared jail yesterday after a judge told him the women had felt safe on the premises. Sentencing Asa Dobbing to a 12-month community order and 120 hours of unpaid work, Judge Beatrice
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Farm shop in line for national awards
A FARM shop is in the running for four awards in a national competition. Knitsley Farm Shop, at Knitsley, near Consett, County Durham, has been shortlisted in the Farm Retail Awards run by the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association.
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North-East talent attracts Indian firm
A SOFTWARE company is joining a growing number of Indian firms which are moving into the North-East. 5th Generation Technologies (5G), based in Chennai, produces business intelligence tools for manufacturing and retail firms. It is to move to
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Engineers plan expansion after hitting target ahead of schedule
A FIRM of specialist oil and gas inspection engineers is targeting further expansion after hitting its growth targets in double quick time. R&A Kay Inspection Services was bought out in 2007 by directors Duncan Jarrett and Ian Johnston, who moved
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Ashley loses Blacks stake
NEWCASTLE United owner Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct company lost its stake in outdoor chain Blacks Leisure yesterday after administrators of failed Icelandic bank Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander (KSF) took control of the holding. The announcement
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Scrappage scheme aids car maker
NISSAN yesterday said its Sunderland plant had been given another boost through the car scrappage scheme by revealing significant increases in the production of two of its key models. The Japanese car maker said the UK scrappage scheme had seen
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Three years for fishing rod fraudster
A CONNIVING con artist who used a fishing rod and croupier stick to steal people’s post and then their identities was last night starting three years behind bars. Rachel Allday carried out a near- £30,000 fraud after plundering mailboxes and
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Plan for real-snow ski slope unveiled
PLANS have been unveiled for a giant indoor snow ski centre with real snow in a North-East city. The multi-million pound development planned for Sunderland’s Stadium Village – surrounding the city’s football stadium – could also house an ice rink
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Cancer battler’s family vow to continue fund
THE mother of a young girl who battled a rare brain tumour has vowed to continue fundraising to support research into the illness after she was given the all-clear. Naomi Savage, from Romanby, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was four when
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Hundreds urged to tuck in to a food revolution
HUNDREDS of people are to be encouraged to join a Jamie Oliver healthy eating revolution in the North-East. Under the banner of Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food, 720 people will be asked to attend one of 12 basic cookery classes. Held in community
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Death ends chapter in steel history
THE man who tapped the last of the steel to be produced at the works in Consett has died. Tommy Moore, 70, suffered a stroke while in bed at home in Roger Street, Blackhill, Consett, on Sunday morning. After the closure of the plant in September
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Community rallies to help victims of Samoan tsunami
A COMMUNITY has rallied round to help the family of a Samoan woman living in the North-East who lost seven relatives during the recent earthquake and tsunami. People in Stanley, County Durham, were moved when they heard how an aunt and six cousins
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University’s £48m gateway plan goes on display
A UNIVERSITY’S flagship plans for a £48m gateway development have gone on public display. Residents could take a look at designs for Durham University’s proposed Gateway scheme during a public exhibition held in Durham Town Hall yesterday.
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Girls push for Olympics glory on ice after bobsleigh ‘taster’
TWO teenagers are in training for future Winter Olympics after their talent was spotted during a bobsleigh taster session. Mica McNeill and Faye Bowles attended the session at Camp Hill near Bedale, North Yorkshire, with no idea of what was
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Man convicted of killing partner freed on appeal
A NORTH-EAST man who was convicted of killing his partner in a jealous rage was a free man last night after judges cleared him on appeal. John Bickford, 61, of Simpson Road, West Auckland, County Durham, was accused of subjecting 48-year-old
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Carlbury: a lost hamlet
FOLLOWING yesterday's overwrought posting about mileposts, I had to calm down and look out what I knew about Carlbury. It is on the A67 between Darlington and Piercebridge. There's just a hall high on a hill - now, I think, a nursing home -
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Teen found dead after internet meeting
DETECTIVES last night named a teenager found dead after she arranged to meet a man she had befriended on the internet. A 32-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of murdering 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall, from Darlington, whose body was
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House blaze in Northallerton
FIVE fire crews were called to a house blaze in Northallerton last night. The fire is thought to have started in a garage at a property on St James Drive, but then spread to the house. All of the occupants managed to escape from the blaze, and no-one
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Sunderland 0 Aston Villa 0 (Aston Villa win 3-1 on penalties)
Sunderland 0 Aston Villa 0 (Aston Villa win 3-1 on penalties) IF Steve Bruce ever wanted proof of why he normally refuses to watch penalties, this was it. After Sunderland had earned and wasted a dubious one six minutes from time, the nervous manager
