Archive
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Bogus lawyer admits North-East fraud charges
A BOGUS lawyer from Zimbabwe is facing a lengthy prison sentence after pleading guilty today to fraud charges committed in the North-East. Cephas Matanhire was arrested when he landed at Heathrow Airport last September - two years after Cleveland Police
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£7,500 worth of rolling tobacco found in punchbags
PUNCHBAGS containing almost 40 kilos of tobacco, thought to be worth around £7,500, have been seized as they were smuggled into the country. Three punchbags, each containing roughly 12.5 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco, aroused suspicion among staff who
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Gambling for votes
AS we step gingerly into the economic uncertainty of 2010, electioneering is under way in earnest. Nationally, David Cameron is trying to convince us all that the NHS will be his priority while Labour says there's a £34bn gap in how the promises
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Charitable fund to help young people
YOUNG people in Darlington could benefit from a charitable fund available to worthy causes. Darlington Round Table is inviting young people from the area to apply for money for educational, cultural, sporting or other pastoral projects, or specific equipment
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Blueprint to redevelop area of Darlington
A NEW Master Plan on how to regenerate an area close to Darlington town centre is to be created. Darlington Borough Council is planning to invest £153,000 in the creation of the blueprint for the area to the east of Darlington. The document
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Student helps orphans over Christmas period
A KIND-HEARTED student has spoken of her experience after she volunteered to spent Christmas 6,000 miles away helping some of the worlds poorest children. Vicki Pugh, 18, had a taste of a different culture at Christmas by volunteering as an
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'Schools plan progressing' - report
A PLAN to invest £57m in three schools in Darlington is progressing, according to a council report. In November it was announced that the money would be spent on improvements to Branksome, Longfield and Hurworth schools. Next week, councillors will
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All flights cancelled from Durham Tees Valley Airport
ALL flights to and from Durham Tees Valley Airport have tonight been cancelled due to ice on the runway. A spokeswoman for the airport said staff were trying to make the runway safe and were constantly reassessing the situation - but that the
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New classes at Parkside
NEW classes at Parkside Community Association, in Willington, include badminton, healthy cooking and digital photography editing. Street dancing for ten to 16 year-olds and rock wall climbing for under-16s both start on Monday at 6pm. Other courses
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Rescue teams hunt for missing Ripon man
RESCUE teams were out in force today searching for a man who disappeared from his home at the weekend. The Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, RAF Mountain Rescue, police and an RAF helicopter were involved in the large scale operation at Wath, near Ripon
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Major search for missing man
RESCUE teams were out in force in an intensive search operation for a man who disappeared from his home at the weekend. The Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, RAF Mountain Rescue, police and an RAF helicopter were involved in the large scale operation at
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I-connect charity's help for India
A DURHAM-based charity has sent a team to undertake community work in India. The I-connect charity sent an 18-strong group to Udaipur and surrounding villages in the Rajasthan area on Sunday, January 3. Most will spend two weeks in India, with some
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Hydroelectric power station to be built in Teesdale
The power of water will be used to generate electricity in the Tees Valley, officials announced today. A hydroelectric station is to be built at Selset Reservoir, 14km north west of Barnard Castle, now that a power partnership has been signed by
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Hunwick youth club starts up again
BORED young people in a south Durham village will have somewhere to go from the end of the month. Hunwick Community Association has been awarded almost £3,000 to start a youth club on Wednesdays. New committee members Kelly Smith and Danielle Cunningham
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Funding for radical seafront plans to be approved
AN ambitious scheme to revamp Redcar Seafront is set to receive a £5m cash injection by Redcar and Cleveland Council's cabinet. The Environment Agency is planning to spend £25m on sea defences for the town and the cash from the council will pay for improvements
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The Good Life comes to allotment holders
A GROUP of gardeners have proved that where there is muck, their is money. Bankfields Allotment Association has grasped the nettle and rallied round to improve their plots with the helping hand of grant aid. The keen gardeners were being blighted by
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Procter makes it a festive double at Croft
NOT content with tackling the snow on the regions roads, bus driver, Kevin Procter took his driving abilities off road at the weekend when he retained his Specsavers Christmas Stages Rally title with a comfortable victory at Croft Circuit. Procter, from
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Elf !
Elf is a film directed by Jon favrea and written by David Berenbaum. It was released in the United States on November 7 2003. Buddy is the main character who thinks he is an elf, but then the real elves tell him the truth and say he isn’t an elf
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Man was tortured to death, court told
A FATHER was tortured to death by the mother of his baby daughter, her ex-lover and her brother, a court heard today. Andrew Gardner, 35, was repeatedly punched, kicked, stamped on and burnt in the weeks leading up to his death in March last year, the
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Be a Leading Light…
I think we can all agree that Cockfield Christmas lights look better and better every year and, it’s all down to a small group of people who put a lot of time and effort into fundraising, that make it possible. Chatting with Christine Watters today
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Woman stabbed by bag snatcher
A WOMAN has been stabbed four times by a youth trying to steal her handbag. The 23-year-old was walking along Linthorpe Road, in Middlesbrough, when the incident occurred at around 6.55pm, on Sunday. As the woman, from Middlesbrough, walked onto The
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Awards for local sailors
TWO North Yorkshire sailors have been honoured for their many years of service to their clubs. Dennis Altoft of Ripon Sailing Club and Ron Clark of the Ripon-based White Rose Sailing Association have been presented with lifetime commitment Awards by
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Pregnant women stuck in heavy snow rescued
A SIX month pregnant woman stranded when her car stuck in heavy snow had to be rescued from a remote moorland road. She became trapped when her car became bogged down on Blakey Ridge, which crosses the North York Moors, on Saturday, January 2. North
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Step On It and help beat breast cancer
BANISH the post-Christmas blues by getting outside and helping beat breast cancer with the Step On It campaign. Organised by the Breast Cancer Campaign, the project challenges you to walk a step for each person diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK
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Council tax could be held at a standstill
HOUSEHOLDERS in part of North Yorkshire could be in for a late Christmas present this year - a freeze in their council tax bills. Ryedale District Council officers have been asked to prepare a budget with a zero increase in council tax for the next financial
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Thousands raised in hospice draw
HOSPICE staff are celebrating after holding a record-breaking raffle. St Cuthbert’s Hospice’s 21st anniversary draw raised £18,000 - nearly £3,000 more than the charity’s last raffle, held last Spring. The funds raised could pay for 48 people with a
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Northern Rock split into two
NATIONALISED Northern Rock was split into two today as the race to take over the good part of the bank stepped up a gear. The state-owned lender spun off a savings and mortgage bank called Northern Rock plc on January 1 - effectively the good bank that
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Town recognised for climate change efforts
A MARKET town that is working to prepare for the effects of climate change has received recognition from an international body. Richmond has been officially named a Transition Town for its efforts in starting to prepare for a world in which cheap oil
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Gemini 5, this is Copenhagen calling
ECHO Memories often feels like it is an international dating agency, putting family and friends from around the world in touch with one another. Here's a fantastic request I've just received: ============== Hello Chris, I am working
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CD player stolen from car
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a stereo was stolen from a car. A Ford Escort in a car park on Faulkner Road, Newton Aycliffe, was broken into between 5.45pm on Sunday and 6.45am this morning. A black and silver Kenwood CD player and several
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New charges for man accused of killing Ashleigh Hall
A HOMELESS man has denied murdering Darlington teenager Ashleigh Hall. Peter Chapman, 32, appeared at Teeside Crown Court this morning to answer four charges related to the death of 17-year-old Ashleigh. Mr Chapman, who had previously
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Children's equipment stolen from parked car
CHILDREN'S equipment has been stolen after thieves broke into a parked car. Between January 2 and 3 a Ford Focus parked on Acacia Street, in Darlington, was broken into, the front and rear passenger windows were broken. The thieves took a pink Maxi
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Horse box stolen
POLICE are appealing for information after a horse box was stolen from outside a fire station. Due to the bad weather the owner of the black and silver Ifor Williams trailer horse box left it in the car park of Crook fire station. Between 7.30pm on
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January 4, 2010
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW The sofa sags behind heavy net Twitching at steps in the street A steady clock marches forward, calling Best china out of hiding Onto shiny walnut, dusted just once more for sure. Fire irons
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Rude awakenings
Two enterprising sisters who make eye-catching rugs featuring bottoms and boobs have joined with David Beckham’s tattooist to produce a range of new body art designs in pure, British wool. They may describe their rugs as sexy but, as Ruth Campbell discovers
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Worthy of suspicion
Above Suspicion: The Red Dahlia (ITV1, 9pm); Great British Railway Journeys (BBC2, 6.30pm); Generation XXL (C4, 9pm) LIKE her biggest hit Prime Suspect, Lynda La Plante’s latest TV venture Above Suspicion has a female cop at its heart. But Anna
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Location, location
THE location of the photograph showing Janet Street-Porter sitting on a bench next to a signpost, which accompanied your article describing her love of Nidderdale (Echo, Dec 31), is Hawnby on the North York Moors. Not by any stretch of the imagination
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Honours
THE awards under our country’s honours system are outdated. For a start, the British Empire has long been given away. Also, I worked for a company that had a CBE going spare so they put all the bosses’ names in a hat. Later, the winner’s name
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Strictly
CONTRARY to Carl Brunskill’s views about the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing programme (HAS, Dec 29) I think it was fairer to let the audience vote. It was obvious that the judges were not going to let BBC sports presenter Chris Hollins win, no matter
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Me who pays
I AM pleased that Malcolm Pratt has gained so many benefits from the present Labour Government in free travel, heating payments and the bailing out of Northern Rock, etc (HAS, Dec 30), that I assume as a pensioner he is entitled to through various
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Hunting and Cameron's Conservatives
THE Conservative-funded Countryside Alliance (CA) apparently has high hopes that riding to hounds savaging wildlife will be restored once David Cameron, himself a rider to hounds, gains control. There will apparently be no dilly-dallying either
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The great Christmas cover-up
THE news doesn’t stop for the festive season, so working on Christmas Day comes with the territory. There was a Boxing Day edition of The Northern Echo to put to bed and, with the snow and ice playing havoc with the sporting schedules, more of us
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Liberal democrats
FIRST, the Labour Party copies the BNP slogan of “British jobs for British workers”. Then, a few days ago I got a leaflet through my door from the Liberal Democrats which, in large print, copies the BNP slogan of “Putting local people first”.
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China execution
YET again Labour shows hypocrisy and imbalance in its foreign policy. The execution of convicted heroin smuggler Akmal Shaikh, irrespective of its legal, ethical or moral rights or wrongs, dragged out utterances from Gordon Brown and a minor understudy
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New year, old politics
DAVID CAMERON has whipped out of the starting blocks in 2010, labelling this a “year of change”. He is today expected to outline welcome new ideas about how he can increase NHS spending in a period of public cutbacks. Shadow business secretary
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England bowlers foiled by Kallis
ENGLAND discovered yet again yesterday that Jacques Kallis is one of Test cricket’s most immovable batsmen. Andrew Strauss’ team had South Africa 127 for five by mid-afternoon after asking them to bat first in the third Test at Newlands. Yet
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Murray defends decision
ANDY Murray has defended his decision to make himself unavailable for Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Lithuania, insisting he has ‘‘not abandoned’’ the team. The British number one announced last night he will skip the March tie to allow
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Wasps 6 Newcastle Falcons 12
Wasps 6 Newcastle Falcons 12 WASPS’ director of rugby Tony Hanks joined the attack on refereeing in the Guinness Premiership after his side were beaten 12-6 by Newcastle at Adams Park. Saracens’ Brendan Venter had been highly critical of the
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Double vision
The way we watch TV is changing, with the viewer, not the broadcaster, taking control. But Steve Pratt discovers that much of what we watch remains the same – as the new year schedules show. THE box in the corner of the room has had its day, replaced
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£34bn funding gap in Tory pledges, says Darling
THERE is a £34bn black hole in the Tories' spending plans, Alistair Darling claimed today as Labour stepped up its campaign ahead of this year's general election. The Chancellor said the Conservatives had accounted for only about a quarter of the funding
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Kallis and Boucher hold up England
JACQUES Kallis yesterday stood between England and another significant step towards a Test series victory in South Africa. Kallis (108 not out) shared 50 stands with AB de Villiers (36), Mark Boucher (51) and Dale Steyn (26 not out) to stall
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No stopping The Power as Taylor wins title No 15
PHIL Taylor won the PDC World Championship final last night with a 7-3 victory over Simon Whitlock at Alexandra Palace. Taylor trailed the Australian by two sets to one but produced a stunning run of form to seal his 15th world title. The
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Inside racing
Weymes has taken on six horses from the nearby stables of disqualified trainer Karl Burke, an intake he described as “a big boost to a small yard like ours”. Weymes, who sent out one of his new recruits, Miami Gator, to win at Lingfield on Thursday
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Great expectations for Gold Cup clash
JUMP racing super-heavyweights Denman and Kauto Star bear a huge weight of expectation as they head along a familiar path towards 2010. These two giants of the game have gone head-to-head only twice before, both times in the Cheltenham Gold
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Venter in trouble after attack on referees
THE Rugby Football Union are to investigate whether Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter should face charges of bringing the game into disrepute for his comments about referees. Venter launched an extraordinary attack on the performance
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Murray might never win a Grand Slam
ANDY Murray believes he could still be considered a success at the end of his career even if he fails to win a grand slam. The 22-year-old world No 4 is in the early stages of a blossoming career which has already seen him reach the final of
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Two months helping out
A YOUNG woman is to spend two months working for a children’s charity, after winning a contest with Vodafone. Jennifer Pharoah, from Durham, will draw up proposals for overseas projects for Coco, a charity working for health and education for poor children
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Form points to Mary Helen
MARY Helen can keep Wolverhampton punters warm as the winter chill continues to bite with victory in the Bet Test Match Cricket - Betdaq Handicap at Dunstall Park. Mark Brisbourne’s three-year-old filly goes well on the Polytrack here and did
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Cricket
IN their final match of the decade the England cricket team turned out their best performance for many years. Their comprehensive demolition of South Africa was a joy to behold. The only way it could have been improved was if Paul Collingwood
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Darlington
SO George Houghton exits his grotto and immediately starts blaming other people for the demise of Darlington FC (Echo, December 22). Look at your own figures George. You supposedly pumped £6m into the club. You say you called in the administrator
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Sunderland
I WAS disgusted by the FA’s ludicrous decision to ban Sunderland’s Michael Turner for four games. At worst he should have received a yellow card against Manchester City. Are defenders supposed to jump for the ball with their arms by their sides
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Celtic 1 Rangers 1
Celtic 1 Rangers 1 AIDEN McGeady refused to blame referee Steve Conroy for Celtic’s failure to reduce Rangers’ seven-point lead at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League as the Old Firm derby finished 1-1 at Parkhead. Conroy, officiating
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Foster: I want to stay
STEVE Foster has announced his intention to resolve the contract dispute that is keeping him out of the Darlington team. The experienced defender is at loggerheads with Quakers over a clause in his contract that entitles him to a longer deal
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Stoke City 2 York City 1
Stoke City 2 York City 1 STOKE manager Tony Pulis believes the magic of the FA Cup is alive and well after watching his side come from behind to beat non-league York at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday. Despite the visiting team arriving at
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Sven committed to Notts County
SVEN-GORAN Eriksson admits Notts County’s ambitious Premier League project is ‘‘on hold’’ following the club’s change of ownership – but insists he remains committed to the Meadow Lane cause. Eriksson was appointed director of football last
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Reading 1 Liverpool 1
Reading 1 Liverpool 1 JAMIE Carragher admits Liverpool need to show massive improvement for him to fulfil his dream of finally playing for the club at Wembley. The 31-year-old defender may have won four domestic trophies but they were all at
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Tranmere Rovers 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
Tranmere Rovers 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 WOLVES midfielder Matt Jarvis atoned for missing an open goal by scoring the winner in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over League One Tranmere at Prenton Park. The FA Cup third round tie looked to be heading
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West Ham United 1 Arsenal 2
West Ham United 1 Arsenal 2 ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger feels whatever Chelsea and Manchester City do will dictate how much serious business is conducted during the transfer window. The Gunners started 2010 by booking their place in the fourth
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Chelsea 5 Watford 0
Chelsea 5 Watford 0 CARLO Ancelotti is confident two-goal Daniel Sturridge can fill the void left by Didier Drogba’s departure for the African Nations Cup. Drogba has scored 19 goals this season but the Ivory Coast striker, along with Salomon
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Furious Fergie to ring changes for Manchester derby
SIR Alex Ferguson is ready to wield the axe after admitting he was shocked by Manchester United’s abject performance against Leeds. Jermaine Beckford’s firsthalf goal gave Leeds a famous 1-0 victory at Old Trafford, and consigned United to their
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Manchester United 0 Leeds United 1
Manchester United 0 Leeds United 1 LEEDS boss Simon Grayson insists he wants to keep FA Cup hero Jermaine Beckford at Elland Road. Beckford sent the 9,000 travelling supporters into ecstasy at Old Trafford yesterday as his first-half goal helped
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Geremi departs
NEWCASTLE have freed around £1.5m from their wage bill by allowing midfield misfit Geremi to join Turkish side Ankaragucu on an 18- month deal. The Cameroon international was paraded in the Turkish capital Ankara yesterday, after Newcastle officials
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Pompey players affected by money crisis
PORTSMOUTH boss Avram Grant admits it is becoming tough for his players to ignore the cash-strapped club’s off-the-field issues. The Israeli’s side were held 1-1 by Coventry in their FA Cup third round tie at Fratton Park, with Kevin-Prince
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Blades forced to replay
Sheffield United 1 QPR 1 SHEFFIELD United manager Kevin Blackwell admitted a draw was the last result he wanted after his side pulled back to finish 1-1 in their FA Cup third-round tie with QPR. Jay Simpson broke the deadlock for the visitors
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Becks is full of regrets
DAVID Beckham admits he wishes he had never left Manchester United as he prepares to head back to Old Trafford with new club AC Milan in the Champions League’s last 16 in March. Beckham says he envies former team-mate Ryan Giggs, who has stayed
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Pipeline company bucks the recession
A PIPELINE maintenance company’s general manager said his company’s performance gave hope to small businesses after it enjoyed its busiest year, despite the economic downturn. North Yorkshire-based Inpipe Products, which celebrated its 25th
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Surgo wins housing work in the region
BUILDING firm Surgo has secured millions of pounds worth of housing work across the North-East. The Newcastle-based company, better known for its work on education projects, including the £20m development of Yarm School, has secured more than
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Hard hats can avoid a hard lesson
A CONSTRUCTION company has been showing children the importance of keeping clear of renovation work at their school through unusual demonstrations. Normal lessons at St Patrick’s Primary School, in Thornaby, near Stockton, were replaced by
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Jimmy battles autism to impress TV judges
A TEN-YEAR-OLD boy who suffers from severe autism has made it through to the second round of a televised dance contest. Jimmy Hobley, from Redcar, east Cleveland, featured on Sky One’s Got to Dance last night and won a place in the second round
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Chamber of Commerce appeals to Whitehall
A LEADING North-East business group has called on policy-makers to meet a test standard before changing policies that affect businesses this year. The North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) has outlined an economic recovery test it wants civil
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Firm wins MoD safety device contract
A COMPANY has won a Ministry of Defence contract for an electrical safety testing device. Peterlee-based Rigel Medical’s new field service kit has been specified for testing the electrical safety of devices used at dozens of MoD medical, veterinary
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Town planner earns MBE on honours list
A TOWN planner has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours list. Dr John England, a director of Darlington-based chartered town planners England and Lyle, has been awarded the accolade for his services to retail planning. Dr England
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Revellers snowed inn
NEW YEAR revellers at England’s highest pub enjoyed an extended party after 7ft snowdrifts stopped them from leaving. The 30 party goers from the Leeds University Cross-Country Club were stuck for two days at The Tan Hill Inn, near Richmond
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Ancient order may be ready for women
AN ancient order of Freemen is to break with centuries of tradition – by admitting female members. The Durham Freemen has been an all-male organisation since it was founded, to protect the interests of city artisans, more than 700 years ago.
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Grab a place on the steam footplate
STEAM enthusiasts can get on board some rare rail treasures when a North-East museum launches its events programme weekend. Visitors to a Cab It! event at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon, County Durham, will be able to get
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Coal company bids to use heritage rail line
THOUSANDS of tonnes of coal from a controversial opencast mine could be transported on a railway line that was redeveloped for tourism. UK Coal hopes to use the Weardale line by building a coal depot on a former steelworks in Wolsingham, County
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Grandmother aiming high for Everest trip
A GRANDMOTHER is to climb to Everest base camp to raise money for a youth theatre’s latest production. Joan Sandilands vowed to complete the gruelling trek from Kathmandu, Nepal, before she turns 61 on April 2. And the grandmother-of-three is
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Campbell is going nowhere, declares Cats boss Bruce
WHILE Steve Bruce ponders ways of strengthening his squad, the Sunderland manager has warned Fraizer Campbell’s growing list of admirers that he will be going nowhere this month. Campbell’s opportunities have been few and far between at
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Sunderland 3 Barrow 0
Sunderland 3 Barrow 0 THOUSANDS of Barrow fans might have had their return route across the Pennines blocked by snow, but Sunderland’s first step on the road to Wembley was far more straight forward. After a few early skids that could have ended
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Impressive Kadar is very happy with life on Tyneside
NEWCASTLE starlet Tamas Kadar made it known he is relishing life on Tyneside, despite his stay being overshadowed by two of the most turbulent and controversial years in the club’s history. The 19-year-old started only his fourth game for
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Defensive crisis hits Pools
PETER Hartley will be missing for the next three games, and Hartlepool United skipper Sam Collins has been ruled out for the next couple of weeks. Hartley’s red card for violent conduct sees him miss games with Charlton, MK Dons and Bristol
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Middlesbrough 0 Manchester City 1
Middlesbrough 0 Manchester City 1 IN 2005, Middlesbrough drew with Manchester City to claim seventh position in the Premier League and a place in the UEFA Cup. In 2008, the Teessiders beat City 8-1 in the biggest Premier League win recorded
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Hartlepool United 2 Oldham Athletic 1
Hartlepool United 2 Oldham Athletic 1 NEVER mind a new year, January has heralded a new season for Ben Clark. It’s been seven months since he last started a game, almost a year since he played in his preferred central defensive position and he
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Strachan desperate for some firepower
GORDON Strachan will step up his search for a striker this week after admitting that Marcus Bent is not the longterm solution to Middlesbrough’s lack of firepower. Bent signed a 16-day extension to his loan deal from Birmingham City last week
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Plymouth 0 Newcastle 0
YOU could almost hear the heroes of Newcastle United’s 1950s FA Cup winning sides turning in their graves following manager Chris Hughton’s decision to rest several of his first choice team for the third round tie at Plymouth. Big guns Jonas
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Security clampdown at British airports
GORDON BROWN yesterday signalled a major tightening of security at UK airports, with passengers facing the prospect of full-body scans. The controversial technology is expected to be introduced at Heathrow and other major airports within weeks
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Research into effects of unemployment warns: Young jobless face risk to health
UNEMPLOYED young people in the North-East could face a lifetime of depression, a report warns today. The Prince’s Trust YouGov Youth Index reveals that those out of work have poorer health and tenser relationships with friends and family than
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Cold-blooded killing that shocked region
Seventy years ago, a crime took place that horrified the region – the murder of a blind man by a relative, who was tracked down after a nationwide manhunt. Mark Tallentire reports. BLIND William Anderson is washing up after finishing his breakfast
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Bomb disposal expert hailed as a true hero
A NORTH-EAST Army bomb disposal expert who died following an explosion in Afghanistan was the “epitome of a warrior”, his commanding officers said. Sapper David Watson was fatally injured as his patrol cleared bombs from an area near Patrol
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Australian bank up for Rock takeover
NATIONAL Australia Bank (NAB) is sounding out advisors over a possible bid for nationalised Northern Rock, it was reported yesterday. The company – which owns Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks in the UK – has held a “beauty parade” of potential
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Standards increase in county’s schools
TEACHERS are celebrating after seeing an improvement in exam results last year. Figures show test and examination results for children aged five, 11 and 16 in County Durham improved significantly on previous years. One of the biggest improvements
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Family cut holiday short as blaze rips through home
A COUPLE have been forced to cut short their holiday in Egypt after a fire destroyed their farmhouse and holiday cottage business on New Year’s Day. Firefighters were called to Bowlees farm near Wolsingham, County Durham, on Friday night, but
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Terrier attack triggers warning
A UNIVERSITY bursar may be scarred for life after an English bull terrier attacked him and his puppy while they were out walking. Paul Metcalfe, 55, has warned other dog walkers to be vigilant after he had to undergo surgery following the attack
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Attacks by dogs on children increase
ALARMING new figures reveal a dramatic rise in dog attacks on children, with North-East hospitals reporting more incidents than almost anywhere else in the country. The number of children in the region needing medical treatment after being