Archive
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Former teacher denies drugs charge
A FORMER teacher denied possessing cocaine with intent to supply the class A drug to others, during a short court hearing today. As a result of his plea Ian Ashby will stand trial on the allegation at Durham Crown Court, in May. Mr Ashby was charged
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Police car heading to fatal bus crash hit other vehicle
A POLICE car heading to the scene of a fatal crash hit another vehicle, injuring the driver and her daughter, it has emerged. The accident happened on Wednesday at 4.10pm on the B1283 in Sherburn Village, County Durham. The police BMW
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Missing out on history
There's a great double-page spread in tomorrow's Northern Echo on an historic day which is coming up for lovers of steam locomotives. On June 23, Tornado - Britain's first mainline steam locomotive to be built in half a century - will pull
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Police seek missing woman
POLICE are trying to find a woman who has not been in contact with her family or friends for almost three weeks. Officers say Rachel George, 35, has been missing before, but it is out of character for her to not have contact with her family and friends
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Nursing assistant submitted false receipts
A NURSING assistant pocketed money for items she claimed she bought for vulnerable elderly and psychiatric patients. Margaret Hamilton, who has 28 years experience in the health service, submitted scores of receipts for items worth up to a maximum of
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Milne joins Darlington
Darlington have confirmed the arrival of Leeds United defender Andrew Milne. He has re-joined Quakers on loan for the rest of the season and takes the number five squad number vacated by Steve Foster. Milne previously spent a short spell with the club
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Sports sessions at Teesdale Leisure Centre
FITNESS fanatics are being invited to try two new sports sessions in Teesdale. British Triathlon coaches are hosting a Try A Tri event, which includes swimming, running, and indoor cycling, at Teesdale Leisure Centre, in Barnard Castle, on Sunday, March
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TV presenter donates dresses
BARGAIN-hunters have the chance to buy some of the dresses worn on screen by television weathergirl Philippa Tomson. The Tyne Tees presenter has donated some of her dresses to a charity shop raising funds for St Cuthbert’s Hospice in Durham City. She
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Celebrations for Head of Steam
The Head of Steam museum, North Road, Darlington, will celebrate its second anniversary with an Easter Egg arts and crafts day on Sunday, April 4, from 10am to 2pm. Entrance fees apply.
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Darlington cinema goes 3D
DARLINGTON'S Odeon cinema will screen its first 3D film later this month. The groundbreaking technology, used in the Academy Award nominated science fiction film Avatar, will be used at the cinema at Northgate from March 31. The first film to be screened
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Darlington Food Festival faces axe
DARLINGTONS annual food festival could be cancelled unless a new sponsor is found. The first event in 2008 attracted 25,000 people, who spent the weekend enjoying the pick of local produce and international cuisine served up by star chefs including TV
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Addict sent down after turning to dealing to clear debts
AN addict who started selling drugs to pay off a debt to his dealer was yesterday locked up for two-and-a-half years. David Patten, 26, planned to deal heroin on the streets of Hartlepool for just a short time until his slate was wiped clean. His barrister
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Battle of the bands
PERFORMERS taking part in a battle of the bands contest have been announced. The event is being hosted at the Shildon Civic Hall, and comprises of three heats and a grand final. Bands competing in the first heat, which takes place on Saturday, April
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Boxer wins consecutive national title
A BISHOP Auckland boxer has beaten tough competition to defend a national title. Grant Howe, from Eldon Lane, won his second International Sport Kickboxing Association’s English title in a row last Saturday. More than 40 supporters from
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Jail for man who shone laser at police helicopter
A MAN who shone a laser at a police helicopter was today jailed for three months. Teesside's top judge condemned Peter Ditchburn, 28, for his stupidity in flashing the green laser light at a police helicopter. Teesside Crown Court heard the pilot, who
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Match Preview: Cardiff City v Middlesbrough
CARDIFF CITY: Enckelman,Quinn,Gerrard,Gyepes,McNaughton,Burke,Rae,Wildig, McCormack,Chopra,Bothroyd. MIDDLESBROUGH: Coyne,Naughton,Wheater,McManus,Taylor,Aliadiere, O'Neil,Robson,Flood,Killen,Lita Middlesbrough subs (from): Jones (gk
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Speed project could hit the brakes
RESIDENTS of an award-winning village will be asked for new ideas of how to spend the prize money after their first suggestion was turned down. Sadberge Parish Council said it had been blocked by senior borough council officers from erecting a speed
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Mixed views over boundary proposals
A COUNCIL has accused the Boundary Committee of putting numbers before communities when they redrew the political landscape. Spennymoor Town Council will make a last-ditch appeal to the committee to leave Kirk Merrington in its electoral division. But
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Hughton tells Carroll to be his own man
NEWCASTLE striker Andy Carroll has been told to be his own man as he stakes his claim for the famous number nine shirt at St James' Park. The 21-year-old frontman heads into tomorrow's Championship clash with Barnsley hoping to add to his tally of ten
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Retrial for men charged over attack on 'King of the Gipsies'
TWO men accused of hacking a bare-knuckle fighter known as the 'King of the Gipsies' with machetes are to face a retrial. A jury was discharged last week after failing to reach a verdict in the trial of Alexander Varey, 19, and George Miller
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NEWCASTLE vs BARNSLEY - Matchfile
Likely Line Ups: NEWCASTLE (4-4-2): Harper; Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique; Guthrie, Smith, Nolan, Gutierrez; Best, Carroll. BARNSLEY (4-4-2): Steele, Foster, Dickinson, Hassell, Shotton; Teixeira, Doyle, Hammill, Colace; Macken, Bogdanovic
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A dingly dell with a footballer but no highwaymen
TOMORROW'S Saturday column was supposed to be about my favourite dingly dell, Leven Bridge. Whenever I pass through there, down its steeply wooded banks, past the decaying grandeur of its ancient pub, I am transported back to the days of highwaymen and
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Pensioner killed in fatal three vehicle crash
A PENSIONER died after a three vehicle crash in the region which closed a main road for six hours. The 81-year-old woman, from the Leeds area, West Yorkshire, died after her blue Honda was in a collision on the A658 Harrogate to Knaresborough
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AWOL soldier who didn't want to go back to war jailed for nine months
A SOLDIER from York who went absent without leave (awol) rather than serve a second tour in Afghanistan was jailed for nine months today. Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, who was also reduced to the ranks, was sentenced at a military court in Colchester
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Lada to enter F1
LADA, the infamous Russian saloon that has been the butt of countless cruel jibes, is set to enter Forumula One. When the Renault team lines up in Bahrain this weekend its cars will carry Lada logos. The deal is part of a sponsorship
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Speculative planning bid
BUILDERS want to erect new units on a Shildon estate with a view to attracting new businesses. Coupe Construction seeks planning permission from Durham County Council to build four workshops on Hackworth Industrial Park, Shildon. The
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Duo in semi finals
A COUNTY Durham club is celebrating two of its boxers reaching the semi final of a national tournament. Reece Ellis and Ricky Skelton will compete in the penultimate stage of the Clubs for Young People UK Boxing Championships at Barnsley on
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Self defence for young women
YOUNG women are being encouraged to join a self defence class. The Young Women's Sport and Recreation Project is working with Spennymoor Chi Taekwondo club to run a self defence and fitness class. The class is designed to improve physical strength,
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Quakers host Help the Heroes game
Darlington Football Club will join a league campaign when they host a special Help for Heroes game on Saturday. The Quakers will commemorate the Armed Forces to coincide with the Football League's Help for Heroes week during their game with
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Dramatic setting for concerts
A RARELY-performed choral work will be aired twice on consecutive days in some of the region’s most inspiring religious buildings. The Durham Singers are to perform Brahms’ German Requiem in the Throne Room at Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, and again
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Masks of Makeup
It has come to my awareness, as insignificant as it sounds, that women no longer seem happy to be fresh faced, as they hide behind layers fake tan and masks of makeup. The moment which triggered this sudden awareness was whilst watching the ITV show Take
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Pensioner, 74, on crack cocaine charge
A 74-YEAR-old Middlesbrough man has been charged with possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply the Class A drug. Pensioner Charles Eustace Roachford was arrested along with another man after police seized a haul of of the drug on Teesside. The
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Is that from Topshop?
My family and I are vintage addicts, I confess, it is my shopping addiction. My sister and I love nothing better than rummaging through the rails of nearby vintage shops to try and discover a piece of buried treasure that we can breathe life back into
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Is Sony planning an "iPhone killer" that plays PSP games?
SONY is rumoured to be working on a convergence device marrying the best of its Walkman mobile phones with the PSP hand-held gaming device. According to the respected Wall Street Journal, the new hand-held will be capable of playing downloaded PlayStation
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Trainee vicars sent to prison
FOUR trainee vicars are being sent to prison this weekend. The Anglicans, currently training at the Wesley Studies Centre, at Cranmer in Durham City, are to visit Durham Prison as part of a "Faith Sharing Team". Canon Anne Dyer, warden of Cranmer Hall
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New man at top hotel
A NEW manager has been appointed to run one of the North-East’s biggest hotels. Neal Holloway took over as general manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel, in Durham City on Monday after joining from the Park Inn Heathrow Hotel in London, where he was executive
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Free funding to help cut fuel bills
VULNERABLE people could have their central heating problems solved if they access free funding for repairs or replacement. TADEA, the not-for-profit energy advice service for the North of England, has launched a scheme to provide emergency services for
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Chitting potatoes
Mr Sweeting, from Barnard Castle has emailed me a question. He wants to know why he should chit his potatoes, and could I just run through the conditions that they require for him. CHITTING is the process of placing seed potatoes in a cool
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Weighty matters
Regular sessions at the gym have changed Mike Noble’s life, he tells Lucy Richardson. MIKE Noble had always been on the heavy side and, despite being self-conscious about his weight, he had convinced himself there was nothing he could do about
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Bottom line
It’s the new low-fat snack loved by everyone from lorry drivers to Liz Hurley – and it’s made in the quiet village of Melmerby. Ruth Addicott finds out more about the latest craze for biltong. FANCY some dried buttocks? It may not be the first
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Cameron semolina
I’M afraid David Cameron missed a golden opportunity to reinvigorate the Conservative Party at last weekend’s spring conference. We expected a no-holds-barred, fighting speech and got a bowl of cold semolina. Where was the real pledge to call
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Televised debates
ONCE again our so-called political classes are demonstrating the contempt they hold for the British voter. They want to hold party leader debates on TV, but they will only do it if they can set the rules: what a contemptible rabble they are.
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Blood brother
True Blood (FX, 10pm); Heavy Metal Britannia (BBC4, 9pm) IT’S a dog’s life for Sam Trammell, in sexy vampire series True Blood. But not all the time. His character, bar owner Sam Merlotte, has a supernatural secret – he sporadically turns into
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Their Lordships
ALL Lords, MPs and government employees of whatever flavour must be fully domiciled in the UK for tax purposes. Have our politicians really forgotten so soon? Our “honourable” representatives, guilty of all kinds of moral failure over expenses
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Pensions
HARTLEPOOL UK Independence Party chairman Eric Wilson repeats the wearisome claim that Gordon Brown robbed and wrecked UK pensions (HAS, March 1). Have another look. Pension funds invest in shares and were previously able to reclaim tax paid on
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Wellbeing of NHS lies with us all
EVERY now and then our body clock plays a trick on us and we find ourselves arriving an hour, or even a day early for an appointment. It’s a minor inconvenience, but on Monday morning I started to wonder if I had gone fast-forward through the whole
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Brown: Iraq war was "right decision, for right reasons"
GORDON Brown said today that Britain made "the right decision for the right reasons" to go to war in Iraq. Opening his evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry, the Prime Minister expressed his sadness for the loss of life in the conflict. But
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Islamic extremism
DAVID Lowdon (HAS, March 2) states that the values of the BNP are more like those of the Nazis than with those of “old” Labour as previously suggested by Adam Walker (HAS, Feb 25). Since, during the Thirties, it was the Conservative Party which
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The face that changed the law
Sarah’s Law is being widened to allow all parents to ask if anyone with access to their children has a record of sex offences. Joe Willis looks at the scheme’s beginnings and successful trial in the North-East. TEN years ago this summer, eightyear
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Details must be revealed
THERE are good reasons why details of Jon Venables’ recall to prison cannot be discussed. Foremost, the basis of the British justice system is that everyone should get a fair hearing, even if they had been previously found guilty of a notorious
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Westoe out to progress
WESTOE move into March still with ten games to play in their first season of national league rugby, taking them up to May 8. With the County Championship being played in May, the fixture backlog creates a possible club or county dilemma for
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Haskell won’t be released
ROB Andrew reiterated that England will not be releasing James Haskell to play for Stade Francais this weekend. And in doing so, England’s elite rugby director shifted the spotlight of the club-versus- country row directly on to the player himself
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Time up for struggling Wilkinson
IT is now six-and-a-half years since he slotted over the decisive drop-goal in a World Cup final, but the identity of the man at the heart of English rugby’s burning issues remains steadfastly the same. Can’t live with him, can’t live without
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Revenge not in the air for Quakers
Darlington tomorrow play Torquay for the first time since suffering a humiliating 5-0 defeat in December, but it cannot be described as a revenge mission as Quakers’ team has changed so much. That’s the view of assistant manager Kevin Richardson
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Injury troubles for coach Flower
ENGLAND team director Andy Flower has been forced to radically change his plans for the remainder of the Bangladesh tour after a spate of injuries in the fast bowling ranks. Ryan Sidebottom has been unable to recover from a persistent thigh
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Moxon happy with mentor
MARTYN Moxon believes Michael Vaughan’s input into Yorkshire matters will prove to be “invaluable” as the club moves forward. The White Rose county’s director of professional cricket has persuaded the ex-England captain, an Ashes winner in 2005
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Wilks gets the show on the road in Brazil
A MARCHING band, an opera singer and hundreds of spectators braved heavy rain to watch Darlington rally driver Guy Wilks and co-driver Phil Pugh drive their Skoda UK Motorsport Fabia S2000 over the ceremonial start ramp to begin the Brazilian round of
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New Boro arrivals bring a return to old values
MIDDLESBROUGH have lacked an old-fashioned leader in their dressing room since former skipper Gareth Southgate hung up his boots. That is the view of Boro first-team coach Colin Cooper who believes that the arrival of Willo Flood, Stephen McManus
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Barton won’t be rushed back in
CHRIS Hughton will resist the temptation to rush Joey Barton back into first-team action, but the Newcastle boss expects the controversial midfielder to play an influential role in the final throes of the season. Barton has been sidelined
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King's day at the beach
KALAHARI King continued his build up to the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase with another seaside outing to Redcar. Trainer Ferdy Murphy is keen to offer the smart two-miler plenty of variety in his regime with less than two weeks
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Employers bring hope to Corus staff
DOZENS of potential employers and training providers will visit the mothballed Corus Teesside Cast Products Plant next week. More than 35 potential employers and 15 training providers will be exhibiting at a two-day event in Steel House, Redcar
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Finding a future
FIVE young people have started work for social landlord Cestria Housing under a Government job creation scheme. The Chester-le-Street-based social landlord has taken on Charlotte Lancaster, 20, as a customer services assistant, Louise Errington
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Any questions for politicians?
EACH of the main political parties will have the opportunity to outline their plans to help regional businesses at a Question Time-style event. The event, organised by the Institute of Directors North- East, features local representatives from
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Amec delivers positive results
ENGINEERING and project management firm Amec yesterday welcomed excellent results, despite posting lowerthan- expected annual profits. The firm, which has its industrial headquarters in Darlington, recorded a two per cent increase in underlying
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Skeleton star thanks her engineers
AMY WILLIAMS has thanked scientists, sports staff and engineers who helped her to Olympic gold. The skeleton champion, who was back at home in Bath, said: “It gives you such confidence going to a major competition knowing your equipment is worldclass
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Funerals go online for mourners abroad
AN undertaker is using the growing popularity of the worldwide web to allow relatives abroad to watch their loved one’s funeral service. Whitehouse Funeral Service, in Cockerton, Darlington, has launched a videoing service to enable people who
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Funding extended to help new firms
SERVICES helping people in deprived districts to start their own businesses will be extended for a further two years following an additional £1.5m investment. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has secured the funding from the European Regional
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Car dealer avoids crisis
DESPITE a crisis in the motor industry, a North-East car dealership reported that last year was one of its best. Hodgson, which has dealerships in Gateshead and Silverlink, North Tyneside, saw sales up across all four brands it sells and was ranked
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Made up, thanks to business challenge
A MEN’S make-up company which has grown beyond its rural County Durham base into a global business has urged other aspiring entrepreneurs to enter this year’s If We Can, You Can challenge. Claire Mitchell, whose business astonmitchell was The
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£600,000 gym opens with name change
A TOWN celebrated the opening of its new £600,000 gym with a renaming ceremony. The gym and studio opened at the former Thirsk Swimming Pool, in North Yorkshire, at the end of last year, completing a major improvement programme for the centre.
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Tories call for council transparency on publications
The Tories are having one or two problems at the minute. The Independent's front page headline this morning is: "New blow for Tories as lead slips in marginals." From a national perspective, the non-dom tax row over billionaire Tory
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French honour the DLI heroes
SOLDIERS from the Durham Light Infantry who gave their lives in one of the most famous episodes of the Second World War are to be remembered in France on the 70th anniversary of their sacrifice. A memorial plaque is to be unveiled to the 2nd Battalion
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Police launch inquiry after bird of prey shot
POLICE are investigating the death of a bird of prey found peppered with shotgun pellets. Responding to a call from a walker, Jean Thorpe, who runs Ryedale Rehab, retrieved the year-old goshawk from Bransdale, on the North York Moors, on Saturday
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Step up for woodland charity walk
PLACES are filling up, but the organisers of a charity walk in a North-East beauty spot are urging more people to take part. The Macmillan Cancer Support team in County Durham will hold the nine-mile walk in Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland
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Pools’ loan man out to impress
ROY O’DONOVAN accepts his time at Sunderland is over, and now the striker is out to make the most of his chance at Hartlepool United. Out of contract in the summer and out of favour at the Stadium of Light, the Irishman has joined Pools on loan
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Cats are on sound financial footing
SUNDERLAND’S annual accounts will show a loss for the last financial year, but chairman Niall Quinn insists the club remains on a solid footing thanks to the continued support of owner Ellis Short. The Texas-based tycoon helped fund Steve Bruce
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Turner happy to stick with Mensah
SUNDERLAND centre-half Michael Turner regards John Mensah as the best defender he has played alongside, and believes their partnership can help end the season on a high. Mensah has been the outstanding performer in Sunderland’s last two games
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Capello satisfied with World Cup preparation
FABIO Capello is confident England will be ready for battle by the time they face the United States in their World Cup opener on June 12. Although the Three Lions fought back from a half-time deficit to beat Egypt at Wembley on Wednesday night
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Joint forces brave Afghan gun battle
SOLDIERS from the region’s Army regiment helped their Afghan counterparts escape a gun battle with Taliban insurgents, as efforts to improve security in the war zone continue. Members of 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly the Green
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Stepping up to Haiti challenge
A SCHOOLBOY has been dancing in aid of victims of the Haiti earthquake. Brian Laidler has fulfilled his pledge of dancing with 100 different partners after his school, North Park primary, in Spennymoor, County Durham, stepped in to help. The
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Cat killer jailed for ‘act of revenge’
A MAN who kicked his pet cat to death in an act of revenge against his estranged wife has been jailed for 15 weeks. A court heard that Matthew David Cox’s wife had left him some months before the incident, after only two days of marriage. Cox,
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Overwhelming response to 3 Rifles wristband appeal
ONE hundred wristbands bearing messages of support for troops in Afghanistan were distributed within hours of arriving at The Northern Echo offices yesterday. There has been an overwhelming demand for the wristbands since the launch of The Northern
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Skating ahead with rink plans
A BUSINESSMAN has vowed to press ahead with plans for a £10m ice arena, after more than 23,000 people visited a temporary rink in less than three months. Danish-born Jan Eskildsen wants to build a carbon neutral 3,000- seat arena with Olympic
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Region ‘to miss out’ on Pope’s UK visit
THE Pope is expected to decline an invitation to visit the North-East as part of a planned UK tour. University and religious leaders invited Pope Benedict XVI to deliver an academic address in Durham Cathedral during a scheduled visit to Britain
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Take a look at Margate, minister urges Redcar
A GOVERNMENT minister has suggested a community which had its heart ripped out with the mothballing of the Corus steelworks should reinvent itself in the image of other seaside towns. Communities Secretary John Denham said Redcar could adopt
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Graduating from the University of the Year... in Darlington
MORE than 300 people will gather at Darlington’s Dolphin Centre today, at 2pm, to take part in a graduation ceremony from Teesside University, the University of the Year. Teesside was awarded the title of University of the Year by The Times
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Jailed for fleecing fiance ... and her grandmother
A SERIAL conwoman, jailed for fleecing men she met on the internet, is back behind bars after admitting a string of fraud charges. Emma Charlton, formerly known as Emma Golightly, wove a web of deceit in an attempt to fleece her grandmother
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Blow for stadium leisure park plan
PLANS for an out-of-town cinema and bowling alley are being threatened by the economic downturn, say the developers. The shopping and leisure park, at St Helen Auckland, near Bishop Auckland, was meant to comprise a football stadium for Bishop
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Misery as thefts of lead increase
SPIRALLING lead prices have sparked an upsurge in thefts across the region. Prices of the metal have more than doubled in a year, a trend which police believe has triggered a new wave of crimes carried out by opportunist thieves. Police in Darlington
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Care home closure plan feared to be a ‘done deal’
RESIDENTS gathered for a public meeting last night to discuss proposals to close the only council-run care home in their community. Shafto House, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is one of seven care homes being considered for closure by Durham
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Brothel shock for bungling robbers
A COUPLE who planned to rob a punter who had gone to a brothel for a “massage” picked on the wrong target – a burly soldier fresh from basic training. Bungling pair Joanne Metcalfe and Alexander Millar had no idea they were luring a fitness fanatic
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Finding Private Rodgers
In this morning's paper, there's a story about the 70th anniversary of Dunkirk and how one member of Durham Light Infantry is to have a plaque unveiled in his honour in the French village of St Venant. A couple of years ago I told how in May 1940,
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Avalanche victim can't wait to get back to climbing
A CLIMBER who survived being swept 750ft in an avalanche in the Lake District has spoken of his desire to get back into the mountains. Extreme sports enthusiast Stuart Nelson, 21, of New Marske, east Cleveland, suffered broken bones and facial
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Group to support victims' families
THE father of a man executed in a gangland-style killing has set up a support group for parents of murdered children whose killers have never been brought to justice. Tony Corley has set up charity Standtogether, ten years after the remains of