Archive
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All your sound problems - solved
SANDBERG STREETGEAR STREETBLASTER HEADPHONES/USB SOUND BOX 7.1. PLAYING a CD or watching a DVD on a laptop can be a disappointing affair. Even the best multi-media portables, like the Toshiba Qosmio range, can't get round the physical
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THE DARK AGES
This week Bristol Crown Court is dealing with the trial of a farmer accused of murdering his wife after she demanded a divorce and £800,000. Around the corner in Swansea, the Crown Court was told today that a husband killed his wife and dumped her body
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Raising Corus with the PM
On the train on my way back from Downing Street reception for regional editors with the Prime Minister. You never get very long at these things but I did get chance to discuss the Corus crisis with Gordon Brown, Alistair Darling, Peter Mandelson
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Lyndon to be football club's guest of honour
PARALYMPIC hopeful and The Northern Echo's Local Hero of 2009 Lyndon Longhorne is to be a football club's guest of honour on Saturday. Darlington FC manager Steve Staunton has invited the 14-year-old swimmer to the Northern Echo Darlington Arena on Saturday
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Unions ask for re-think on council tax freeze
UNION and staff representatives have urged council leaders to protect services and jobs by re-considering a proposed tax freeze. Darlington Borough Council's cabinet group was asked to opt for a two per cent tax rise this year. Alan Docherty, a Unison
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A66 trans-Pennine route remains closed for fifth day
THE police have explained the reasons behind a decision to keep one of the region's most exposed roads closed for five days. While many areas are experiencing a thaw in recent days, the A66, which connects County Durham to Cumbria has been
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Plans for new hospice to be unveiled
PLANS for a £5m hospice to be built in north Durham are to be unveiled next week. Willow Burn Hospice is to unveil their proposals for a new hospice development on the site of the former Maiden Law Hospital in Lanchester. The hospice is already based
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Courses to start at Byers Green
A SERIES of new courses that were scheduled to start at a community centre this week has been postponed due to the bad weather. Sessions at Byers Green Community Centre will include art and flower arranging, from Tuesday January 26, Indian
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Audio Hijack Pro
Publisher: Rogue Ameoba Software Format: Mac OS X 10.5-10.6 Price: £20 ALTHOUGH YouTube may be best known for badly shot videos of people doing stupid things, there are thousands of useful clips on everything from how to change a tap washer to
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Expert PDF 6.0
Published by Avanquest Software Format: PC Requirements: Windows XP, Vista, 7 Price: £39.14 THE portable document format (PDF) was invented by Adobe way back in 1993 as an electronic standard for document transfer. The beauty
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Who put the Em in Emgate?
EXCELLENT. The first email concerning this morning's Echo Memories drops into my inbox at 8.03am. It's about who put the Em into Emgate in Bedale. The email's from Alan Macnab in Darlington and the answer's pretty simple. He says: "Bedale
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Development wins more time
COUNCILLORS have extended the time limit for the development of a district centre in Peterlee. Abtech Properties won approval for the scheme at Shotton Road/Whitehouse Way in November 2006 with a condition that work start within three years. But
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Reassurances about new school funding given
OFFICERS have given assurances that the Government’s promise to invest £57m in Darlington’s schools is unlikely to be broken. Officers told councillors at the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee that while there was never a cast-iron guarantee
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Woolmer moving from Shildon to Hampshire
THE first vehicle restored at a railway museum’s conservation workshops is heading south to go on show in another visitors attraction. Woolmer was restored at Locomotion: the National Railway Museum at Shildon as part of the Learning in Motion
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Police bids for three per cent tax rise for future schemes
POLICE chiefs say the slice of cash they receive from council taxpayers will have to rise by three per cent if they are to meet a near-£140 million spending target. Members of the North Yorkshire Police Authority will approve the 2010/11 police budget
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Council slammed after £84,000 in benefits goes unclaimed
THOUSANDS of pounds worth of benefits due to vulnerable people have gone unclaimed after council bosses failed to replace a crucial officer, an opposition councillor has claimed. In the six months to October last year, Darlington Borough Council
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Panto stars launch walk for hospice
STARS of a North-East panto are celebrating the last week of a successful run by lending a hand to one of the region’s hospices. The cast of Cinderella at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle have launched St Cuthbert’s Hospice Midnight Walk to raise a women
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Honour for pioneer Harry
A FORMER headteacher who pioneered the use of computers in school timetabling has been honoured. Harry Clark was awarded the Chairman’s Medal by Durham County Council chairman Brian Myers on Wednesday. Mr Clark qualified as a teacher in 1933 and was
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Seeking views
New patients rights are the top of the agenda for County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust who are seeking to clarify people’s views, on these, by questionnaire, or telephone. These are a right to a yearly NHS health check and a right to access
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Major search for missing fisherman
A SEARCH was under way today for a fisherman who may have been swept into the sea, police said. Keen angler George Derbyshire, of Blackhall, County Durham, has not been seen for more than 24 hours after telling his wife yesterday he was going fishing
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Baby helps autism research
A FOUR-MONTH-OLD baby is one of the first to take part in new research to discover how autism develops. Matai Reid was monitored by scientists at Durham University to see how his brain responded to moving images. The Durham-born youngster is one of
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Pupils pick up fashion tips
TEXTILE students have been picking up tips from a top local designer as part of their studies at school. Designers Liz Blogg and Nige Parkin, of Bedale-based business Minx, headed to Thirsk School for the event. They passed on expert tips about the
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Falcons star receives Saxons call-up
NEWCASTLE FALCONS scrum half Micky Young has been named in the England Saxons squad for their upcoming programme of fixtures. The Guinness Premiership player of the month for October has been retained in the Saxons elite player squad, as they prepare
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Jobs set to go in airport revamp
JOBS are set to go in a sweeping shake-up at Durham Tees Valley Airport in the wake of a slump in passenger numbers. Officials said last night that the sweeping changes would help secure the airport's future - but said the business needed to make savings
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Gordon Brown's role in the war
I can't help feeling a frustrating sense of dissatisfaction over Alastair Campbell's appearance before the Iraq war inquiry. Having read the varying accounts of his evidence, it seems to me to have been more of an exercise in flexing his skills
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Panto audiences raise thousands for children's charities
MORE than £3,000 has been raised for children's charities by pantomime audiences. Darlington Civic Theatre's production of Aladdin has reached the milestone during the final week of the pantomime's run. The money raised has totalled £3,196.96. It will
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Strachan seals triple transfer swoop
MIDDLESBROUGH have confirmed the signings of Celtic trio Barry Robson, Willo Flood and Chris Killen. After failing to land Celtic centre-half Gary Caldwell, Gordon Strachan has pushed ahead with his squad rebuilding programme by recruiting
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Couple in shock after bus collides with house
A COUPLE have spoken of their shock after a bus careered off an icy road and crashed into their home this morning. Jeff Knight was in bed upstairs and his wife, Cynthia, was having breakfast in a dining room at the back of the house when the
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Boro confirm midfielder exit
MIDDLESBROUGH have confirmed that midfielder Mohamed Shawky has completed a free transfer to Turkish side Kayserispor. The Egypt international joined Boro from Egyptian side Al-Ahly for £650,000 in August 2007 but made only 22 appearances for the club
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Reaching out to East European community
POLICE in east Durham are moving to forge links with the local East European community. Officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team in Seaham will be meeting employees at Cumbrian Seafoods on the town’s Fox Cover Industrial Estate over the lunchtime
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Equality award for college
A NORTH-EAST college has become the first learning provider in the region to gain a coveted accolade for promoting equality and diversity. Darlington College has achieved the Equality Standard, in recognition of its efforts to support students
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Katherine uses her experience to help
A WOMAN who has suffered from anorexia and depression has now set up a business to help others overcome such illnesses. Mother-of-two Katherine Johnson, a qualified counsellor, has set up Counselling 4 U to help patients suffering with trauma,
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llluminators wanted
HUNDREDS of people from across the country and around the world overseas will have the chance to take part in creating a line of light along the length of Hadrian’s Wall. Organisers are looking for 500 people to help create a the spectacular show
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Centre is cooking up a storm
A BUSINESS specialising in fitting out homes has provided a kitchen for disabled people. The Teesside Ability Support Centre, in Acklam Road, Middlesbrough, will benefit from the learning kitchen courtesy of Court Homemakers, based in Portrack
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Stone’s £30k ladder job
SPECIALIST maintenance company Stone Technical Services has helped to restore one of the region’s most prominent Victorian buildings. Darlington-based Stone is working on Gateshead Old Town Hall, a Grade II-listed building which last year underwent
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Laws named Burnley boss
BURNLEY have confirmed the appointment of North-East born Brian Laws as their new manager this afternoon. The former Sheffield Wednesday boss, born in Wallsend, became the clear favourite for the position following Doncaster's announcement
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Move into premises will mark a new year
A NORTH-EAST HR consultancy has marked the start of the new year by securing its first office and winning a major deal. Professional People Management (PPM) is building on last year’s growth by securing business premises at the Quadrus Centre
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Winner sees design come to life
BUILDERS’ merchant JT Dove enlisted the help of an 11-year-old to design part of the landscaping display in its £1.5m Teesside outlet. Following a visit to the Stockton branch by children at Norton Nursery and Kids Zone After-School Club, JT
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UK still has thriving motor industry, conference hears
ONE of the most powerful figures in the European automotive sector has said he believes plants such as Nissan’s Sunderland operation proved that Britain still had a thriving car industry. Ivan Hodac, secretarygeneral of the European Automobile
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Shop benefits from dance fever sweeping the nation
A FORMER West End musical star has expanded her dancewear business as television exposure has created an explosion in dancing’s popularity. TuTu Dancewear, set up by former Starlight Express cast member Sara Durkin, has moved into premises in
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Impulse guy
The Persuasionists (BBC2, 10pm) The Man Who Shot the 60s (BBC4, 9pm) NCIS (Five, 9pm) ADAM and Joe have come a long way since they found fame putting handpuppets in lewd positions and giggling a lot. While Joe Cornish is becoming a piping hot
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Bloodthirsty Bedale
There were once plans to link it to the sea, but the attractive town of Bedale remains a bustling backwater with some of the region’s most bizarre buildings. Echo Memories sucks in some of its strange history AT first glance, Bedale
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The wonder of walking
AH yes, I remember the joys of the family walk... It’s a dying pastime, apparently. Fewer families than ever now go striding out together. A university lecturer who did a study on it said: “Walking is an inclusive activity allowing families to
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Teacher’s Pet
BARKING up the right tree, just for once, last week’s column recalled The Gay Dog, a post-war play and film starring Wilfred Pickles and written by Co Durham primary school teacher Joseph Colton. Eddie Gratton remembered it, too. “Stunningly
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Regional progress
IT looks as if North Durham Conservative parliamentary candidate David Skelton doesn’t get out much (HAS, Jan 8). Has he not noticed what is going on? It is now accepted by most commentators that the massive cuts in industry in the Eighties,
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New Year Honours
WHILE I agree that to be awarded an MBE for “kicking a ball around” would indeed be wrong, as mentioned by Brian Corrigan (HAS, Jan 9), I have to point out that Blackburn Rovers footballer Jason Roberts was honoured at the New Year for his work
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Black ice smash closes Northallerton - A19 link road
POLICE in North Yorkshire are advising people not to drive unless absolutely necessary as black ice causes major problems across the county. A minor collision between two vehicles led to Bullamoor Road, between the A19 and Northallerton, near
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The Euro
A NATIONAL newspaper columnist blamed the euro for the European economic crisis. He implied that the difference in situations in Germany, where the least economic downturn is being felt, and in Spain, where the greatest effect is being felt, is
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Young jobless
THE prospect of a happy New Year seems more elusive than ever for those blighted by rising youth unemployment. More than 26,500 young people aged 18 to 24 were claiming benefits across the North-East at the end of last year at a cost of more than
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Labour efficiency?
IT seems that more than three weeks of gritting the roads has resulted in parts of the Labour Party starting to smell the salt... ten years too late, I might add. The Times of January 9 reports Chancellor Alistair Darling’s suggestion
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Battlefield trips
I AM the organiser for the War Research Society which was formed more than 30 years ago by serving police officers and ex-servicemen. The society supports a number of causes, including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Normandy Widows and
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Winter weather
MOST of our winters are mild, but such is human nature that we need the occasional severe winter to remind us of the need for public and voluntary services. It is a negative aspect of human nature for us to want to pay less in taxation, to derive
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Religion
IN the light of Robert Meggs’ frequently expressed hostility to Christianity, in particular the Catholic Church and his “perceived” notion of its attitude to women, I wish to make him an offer which he should not refuse, if only for the sake of
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Historic 'Pool?
IN The Northern Echo on Saturday there was an advert for a caravan park which is situated on the outskirts of the “historic town of Hartlepool”. Apart from the odd bout of animal cruelty involving monkeys I am struggling to think of anything
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Icy pointer to slippery slope...
WHY has everyone recently been walking like Hercule Poirot? Because safe progress on Britain’s icy pavements has been impossible except by taking short, shuffling steps. And even that has been no guarantee against a fall. No doubt typical of elsewhere
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Corus: All is not lost
SUCH is the scale of the disaster facing Corus on Teesside that the positive news of last night comes as a real glimmer of hope for the families whose lives depend on the steel industry. With 1,700 jobs at risk, the announcement that 120
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Taking care
The way stroke patients in the region are treated could change significantly. Northern Echo Health Editor Barry Nelson reports on the implications DOCTORS in the North-East were among the first in the UK to use clot-busting drugs to treat stroke
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Missing Middlesbrough woman found safe and well
A woman who went missing from her home in Middlesbrough has today been found safe and well. Police yesterday became concerned after Michelle Branagan, 33, left her Park End home at 2.30pm yesterday afternoon but failed to arrive somewhere she
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Dark Ages park plans on brink of collapse
MULTI-MILLION pound plans for a world-first fantasy theme park could collapse within days unless a new backer is found. Developer Orcestrator wants to create a mythical Dark Ages-style theme park featuring sieges, feasts and battles, at Houghall
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City site front-runner to host Gospels visit
THE Lindisfarne Gospels are expected to be displayed in Durham Cathedral during a three-month visit to the region. Experts in the region planning the temporary return of the priceless illuminated manuscript to the city in 2013 say their preferred
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Black Ice!
Scenes more reminiscent of North American winters greeted us this morning. In the early hours, the temperature dropped enough for the rain and drizzle which had been falling on and off for the last couple of days to freeze, turning the road
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It’s a bumper day at Southwell
NATIONAL HUNT hopes finally get something of an airing after a bleak few weeks which have seen the fixture list decimated by snow and ice. Jumps enthusiasts have had to sit on their hands since Plumpton raced on January 3, but Southwell give
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Free to air Ashes decision expected
A DECISION on whether Ashes cricket returns to free-to-air television as one of British sport’s ’crown jewels’ will be taken before the general election, the Government said yesterday. Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw has provisionally accepted
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Collingwood expects a tough five days
ENGLAND know they must save their best for last if they are to complete the series victory they crave in South Africa. Their hosts, top of the world rankings little more than a month ago, approach the fourth and final Test at The Wanderers in
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Pressure on Johnson to give flair a chance
MARTIN JOHNSON is under pressure to cast aside the shackles of conservatism when he names his revised England squad for the RBS 6 Nations today. England were ravaged by injuries in the autumn but the lack of creative, penetrative rugby meant
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Hat-trick is Music to Williams’ ears
RUSSIAN MUSIC brought up his hat-trick with the minimum of fuss at Southwell to highlight the well-being of Ian Williams’ string. While the Worcestershire handler is plotting a route to the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival with Weird Al, he
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Heathrow flights cancelled at Newcastle International Airport
Snow and ice affecting airports in other parts of the county have hit some flights at Newcastle International Airport - which is operating normally. The following inbound British Airways flights from London Heathrow have been cancelled today
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I loved my boyfriend, says murder accused
A MOTHER accused of the torture and murder of her boyfriend told police during a series of interviews: “Deep in my heart, I did love him.” Clare Nicholls denied playing any part in the death last year of Andrew Gardner, who had more than 100 injuries
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Club night held in honour of injured soldier
A POPULAR club night will be dedicated to a soldier who lost both his legs on a tour of Afghanistan. James Rose, 22, an infantry soldier with the Yorkshire Regiment’s 2nd Battalion, lost both his legs when he came into contact with a lower metal
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Borehole proposal unveiled
A PIONEERING underground heating system that will create a new Bath of the North resort in a remote dale could be a prototype for other UK sites. Scientists and engineers have been given £461,000 to develop a twin borehole system for the Eastgate
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Alcohol by Monde Dimuna
It has been found that 90% of the UK spends around 25 billion pounds per year on alcohol. It has been proven that 13% of woman and 27% of men drink more than the recommended amounts; some people drink because they are simply enjoying then selves
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Wigan confirm move for Boro target
WIGAN have confirmed they have made an offer for Celtic defender Gary Caldwell. The 27-year-old is set to quit the Glasgow giants and had looked set to join forces with former boss Gordon Strachan at Middlesbrough. However, Caldwell now looks set to
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Inquiry call after first postal delivery for 20 days
HOMES that have waited since before Christmas for their postman to call finally got the first delivery of 2010 yesterday. Although the roads in the Edmundbyers, Hunstanworth and Blanchland areas of County Durham have largely stayed open through
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‘This is where my son spent the last minutes of his life’
Nine years ago, the region was shocked when the skeleton of Mark Corley was found on farmland, apparently executed in a gangland killing. Lauren Pyrah joins Mark’s father, Tony, as he visits the site where his son’s body was found LYING about half
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Pools face an unwelcome trip to the capital
AGAINST their wishes, Hartlepool United’s trip to Charlton has been swiftly rearranged for next week. Last Saturday’s planned trip to The Valley was frozen off, but Pools now head to London next Tuesday night. The swift rearrangement
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New dad Pancrate is out to impress
FABRICE PANCRATE has already missed the birth of his third child this week and hopes to have convinced manager Chris Hughton he doesn’t deserve to be absent again, this time for Newcastle United tonight. Hughton has threatened to tear up
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Chance to train is a boon for Bruce
STEVE BRUCE might intend to spend some time working on transfer deals in the coming days, but the Sunderland manager insists his players’ fitness levels are his primary concern. Ideally Bruce would like to add a couple of full-backs, a winger
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Renewed hope for Corus workers
THERE was renewed hope for North-East steelworkers last night with the news that 120 jobs had been saved and the proposed mothballing of a steel plant had been postponed. In December, Corus announced that its Redcar plant would close at the
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Bus collides with house as black ice catches drivers unaware
A BUS skidded into the end of an occupied house as black ice caught motorists unaware off principal routes in County Durham today. It led to police issuing a call to motorists to take "extreme care" while travelling on potentially slippery
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Caldwell decides to snub Boro
GORDON STRACHAN’S bid to land first choice central defensive target Gary Caldwell looks to have failed, with the Scotland international last night on the verge of joining Premier League Wigan Athletic. The lure of top flight football scuppered
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Rock bosses could get £25,000-plus bonuses
UNION leaders and politicians reacted with anger last night after it emerged that Northern Rock could pay lucrative cash bonuses to leading executives. Chief executive Gary Hoffman told MPs yesterday that bonuses of more than £25,000 would
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Fears that specialist nurses will be lost if Darlington hospital unit is closed
THERE are fears that plans to close a North-East stroke unit could lead to the loss of highly-experienced specialist nurses, it was claimed last night. Yesterday, The Northern Echo revealed controversial plans to axe a newly-opened stroke unit
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Defra cannot stop Hurworth development
VILLAGERS have expressed their disappointment after a Government department has said it has no powers to stop a proposed development which they say is a flood risk. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said it
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Elderly missing out on winter fuel cash
THOUSANDS of pensioners across the region are missing out on crucial winter fuel payments because the Government’s benefits system is too complicated, the Liberal Democrats claim. Research carried out by the party found that 230,600 people
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Backing for Bill to ban under-18s from sunbeds
THE Health Secretary has confirmed that under-18s are to be banned from using sun beds. In a victory for The Northern Echo’s Sunbed Safety campaign, legislation is to be introduced to bar salons from allowing children to use their facilities.
