Archive
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Robbers beat up owner of jewellery shop
Police are hunting two men who beat up the elderly owner of a jewellers during a raid this afternoon. The pair walked into Barnard Castle Jewellers in Barnard Castle, County Durham, at about 4.30pm - locking the door behind them. They
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Man arrested by police over body find is released
A 45-year-old man arrested in connection with the discovery of a woman's body has tonight been released by police. Officers were called to an address in Sunstar Grove, Marton, Middlesbrough in the early hours of this morning following a call
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Whickham go fourth
Whickham went fourth in the STL Second Division on Friday night with a 3-1 home win over Thornaby. Ross Peareth gave them the ideal start with a goal after 2 minutes, but Ian Bishop equalised on 9 minutes. But Whickham took control in the second half
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Weedy conkers threaten North-East championships
A conker competition could be called off after a hopeless harvest of tiny horse chestnuts. Organisers of the Bardon Mill and Roman Empire Conker Championships say this year's crop of conkers are far too small for competitors to play with. The event,
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Points deduction for Penrith
STL First Division club Penrith have had three points deducted by the league for playing a "wrong un". The Cumbrians fielded James Tose on August Bank Holiday Monday against Jarrow Roofing, a game which ended 2-2. Tose wasn't registered, so Penrith
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Let the sunshine in
A NORTH-EAST solar energy firm has reported a dramatic increase in inquiries from householders. The upturn in business for Aeris Solutions, based in Guisborough, North Yorkshire, comes after August saw a record number of solar panel installations
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Thieves steal Weardale post box
THIEVES made off with a village post box after detaching it from a telegraph pole. The red Royal Mail box was stolen from a post opposite the Westgate touring caravan site, in Weardale, County Durham, some time between 6pm on Tuesday, October 5 and 6pm
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Bent enjoying life at Sunderland
DARREN Bent has revealed he is enjoying his football more than ever and admits he has his club to thank for his recent success at international level.Bent scored his first international goal in England's 3-1 win over Switzerland last month and could be
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Kids given bike locks to encourage cycling to school
YOUNGSTERS who ride their bikes to school will be able to do so safe in the knowledge they won't be stolen after teaming up with Cleveland Police. Park End Ward Officers PC Ian Lambert and PCSO Simon French have secured funding from local businessman
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Duncalf's silver spearheads another strong day for Northern Commonwealth competitors
HARROGATE'S Jenny Duncalf was forced to settle for silver after her gold medal squash showdown with Malaysias long-standing world number one Nicol David ended in defeat. Duncalf, who will seek another medal opportunity when she teams up with Alison Waters
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Hands-on council bosses return to the frontline
COUNCIL bosses returned to the frontline and taken a hands on approach to customer services. Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council marked the National Customer Service Week initiative by staging a series of activities highlighting the range of services
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Apprentices taste the great outdoors
A GROUP of young apprentices are enjoying the taste of the great outdoors as they learn vital skills to protect and enhance the North York Moors. The six workers have carried out a range of work including building bridges and steps on various public
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Campaign to reopen community hall gathers pace
A CAMPAIGN to reopen a community centre, closed due to health and safety concerns, is gathering growing support. The William Harker Hall in Easington, east Cleveland, was shut down without warning after Coast and Country decided it would not be cost
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Harrogate squash star wins Commonwealth silver
HARROGATE'S Jenny Duncalf put up a brave fight in her Commonwealth Games gold medal squash showdown against Malaysia's long-standing world number one Nicol David but had to settle for silver after a 11-3 11-5 11-7 defeat. Victory was always a long shot
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Solicitors' office targeted by creosote vandals
POLICE are investigating two separate incidents of criminal damage at a solicitor's offices. Smith and Graham Solicitors, in Church Square, Hartlepool has been targeted on two occasions. The first incident took place on Saturday, September 18 when a
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Janice Chatten: Mary Brown
JANICE CHATTEN is trying to find details about an elderly cousin's aunt. Her married name was Mary Annie Brown and husband Lance, known as Bertie. They were the licensees of the New Inn, at Thrintoft, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire. After they married
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Middleham shotgun death: Woman named
A WOMAN who died of shotgun wounds has been named by police. Andrea Claire Armitage, 26, died at her home in Middleham, near Leyburn, North Yorkshire, late on Tuesday night. An inquest into the death was opened and adjourned today. Police say there
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Take a ride on a Segway...
THEY look like the stuff of science fiction - but the transport of the future is about to work with the transport of the past. The National Railway Museum in York is to give everybody the chance to take a ride on the gravity-defying scooters known as
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Appeal for witnesses
POLICE are looking for witnesses after fighting broke out at near a north Durham pub. Trouble flared near the Coach and Horses pub, in Leadgate, near Consett, just after midnight on Saturday, October 2. A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: "Officers
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North-East computer expert in court on terrorism charges
A BRITISH Airways computer expert alleged to have offered himself as a suicide bomber appeared in court today. Bangladesh-born Rajib Karim, 30, from Clarendon Mews, Brunton Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne, appeared at Winchester Crown Court charged with four
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Desperate housewives
It’s all a matter of choice – so why should stay-at-home mothers be demonised? SINCE when did stay-at-home mothers become the bad guys? Once upon a time it was all about choice – a woman’s right to choose and all that – but now, in less than a
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Disney on Ice, MetroRadio Arena, Newcastle
THERE is nothing quite like Disney when it comes to magic, makebelieve and childhood memories, so it is no surprise that a packed house at Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena was taken on a journey of a lifetime when Mickey Mouse and his friends
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The Hollies, Darlington Civic Theatre
THEY say that if you were actually there in the Sixties, you won’t remember them. So perhaps that’s why I couldn’t recall hearing The Hollies in concert. But when they bounded onto stage this week for the first night of their latest tour, the
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Tweet dreams
New Tricks (BBC1, 9pm); The Song of Lunch (BBC2, 9pm); Coach Trip (C4, 5.30pm). YOU’RE never too old to tweet. And Brian Lane proves it in New Tricks when he becomes Twitter star TopCop999. He embraces the phenomenon of social networking, keeping
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Good for some...
A QUALIFIED NHS nurse earns £19,500 per annum. Seen in a job vacancy (Echo, Oct 6): South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust. Non-executive director required. £13,750 for 2/3 days per month. Surely some mistake. Ken Lavery, Darlington.
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Mint imperials
I TOTALLY agree with Tony Kelly (HAS, Sept 20). I have also sucked mint imperials for years and in the past they have lasted a good five minutes. Now, they just dissolve after 30 seconds. I tried all makes without success until I found one that
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Gina Morton Exhibition
One of the most highly regarded Miniature painters returns to Barnard Castle later this month. Gina Morton's exhibition of recent watercolours and miniatures at The Witham opens on October 21st and runs until October 27th. Gina started
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Parking
I’M afraid Geoff Cunliffe’s letter (HAS, Oct 1) complaining about the fine imposed on his wife for failing to park within allocated lines in Darlington elicits little sympathy from me. I recently used a busy supermarket car park and in two separate
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Pupil behaviour
AS a primary school governor I am only too aware of what teachers face on a daily basis when dealing with challenging behaviour. I believe that we need parents, teachers and society to work together to create safe and harmonious schools. While
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Welfare reform
I BELIEVE any civilised society should care and provide for its weakest and most vulnerable. I also believe every benefit should be means-tested. This would enable the neediest to receive benefit. I therefore support the coalition Government’s
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Darlington sign striker
Darlington’s search for a striker has ended with the capture of Jefferson Louis. The 31-year-old goes into the squad for tomorrow’s home game with Hayes & Yeading and takes squad number 30. With his team struggling for goals, scoring only twice in the
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Curtis memories
HOLLYWOOD star Tony Curtis, who has died at the age of 85 (Echo, Oct 1), was an actor I had always admired. It was while we were on a day trip to Scarborough in the summer of 1959 that my mother, father, sister and I escaped the inclement weather
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Arrest after woman's body found in Marton
A MAN has been arrested following the discovery of a woman's body on Teesside. A spokesman for Cleveland Police said: "At around 2am this morning, police were called to an address in Sunstar Grove in Marton where the body of a woman was found
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npower rebates
AS a customer of npower for 32 years I was somewhat perplexed how customers could be due a rebate. I thought it’s not Christmas until December – then all became clear. Energy regulator Ofgem has found that npower has overcharged customers by
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'Royal' prefix
RE your letters from Geoff Howe (HAS, Sept 23) and the Reverend David Kinch (HAS, Oct 5) regarding the absence of the prefix “Royal” from the Army compared to the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force. The latter three were all
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Maverick coalition
THE coalition Government is making it difficult for me to write letters about it these days. It is a continuous conveyor belt of maverick ideas and policies. Before I have found time to write about one such bizarre offering, it has announced another
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Football’s lost its smiling face
NO, I didn’t hear the interview. But I have heard plenty about it ever since. The fuss and the fury confirms what I have suspected for a long time. In football, what happens off the pitch is often a lot more diverting than what occurs on it. I
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Hoodies...
OVER the past few months/years there have been many reports of hoodies causing trouble in our country. It has got to the point where small toddlers in shops have been told they must remove the hoods of their anoraks. They must have looked extremely
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Fighting for NHS drugs
IT has been an important week in the on-going debate about the availability of key drugs through the National Health Service. Yesterday, we reported the welcome news that hundreds of thousands of dementia sufferers could finally be prescribed vital
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A close call
Soon, dialing 111 in an emergency could be just as well-known as ringing 999. Health Editor Barry Nelson investigates the alternative service that is saving time and money. NINE-nine-nine calls in parts of the North-East have fallen in the past
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Quinnell loses sight
WELSH rugby player Gavin Quinnell has permanently lost the sight in his left eye following an incident during Llanelli’s Premiership game against Cross Keys. The Scarlets, in a statement issued jointly with the Quinnell family, confirmed the
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Horton and Dixon are suspended
MIDDLESBROUGH have suspended hooker Richard Horton and back row man Martin Dixon ahead of tomorrow’s first league meeting with Billingham. Dixon has been denied the chance to face his former team-mates as Boro have decided to act pending the
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Kings to rule York
KINGS Gambit can gain reward for a season of consistent efforts in the Garbutt & Elliott Conditions Stakes at York. Tom Tate’s South African import has only a win in a minor race at Ripon in April to show for a string of gutsy runs, most notably
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Westwood worried by injury
A CONCERNED Lee Westwood suffered a recurrence of his calf injury yesterday, but is expected to continue his bid to replace Tiger Woods as world number one at St Andrews today. Three days after enjoying another Ryder Cup victory, Westwood hurt
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Newcastle Falcons 22 Bourgoin 16
Newcastle Falcons 22 Bourgoin 16 NEWCASTLE Falcons have never failed to progress from the group stage of the European Challenge Cup, and on the evidence of last night’s hard-fought 22-16 win over French side Bourgoin, they are in no mood to relinquish
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How North-East’s big three might assess progress
The international break provides an opportunity to take stock of the opening two months of the season, so we thought we’d ask the managers of the North-East’s big three to assess how their club has done. However, we couldn’t get hold of them, so
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Blues loan spell improved Hart
JOE Hart’s spell at Birmingham was vital to him reaching the level required to be England’s number one, according to his former boss Alex McLeish. The Manchester City star spent last season on loan at St Andrew’s, where his superb performances
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Flynn plans attack
CARETAKER manager Brian Flynn will go all-out attack this evening in a bid to get Wales’ Euro 2012 qualifying campaign back on course. Flynn accepts Wales must beat Bulgaria at the Cardiff City Stadium to have any hope of reaching the finals
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Bardsley wants a new deal
PHIL Bardsley is hoping a lengthy run in the Sunderland team will earn him a new contract at the Stadium of Light. Bardsley, who earned a surprise call up to the Scotland squad at the start of the week, is due to become a free agent next summer
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Darlington’s Soccer Club on the spot
A GROUP of schoolchildren will take part in a penalty shoot-out competition on Darlington’s The Northern Echo Arena pitch tomorrow. The youngsters will have a go before Quakers’ Blue Square Premier League game against Hayes and Yeading, with
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Singh: What goes around comes around
DARLINGTON chairman Raj Singh has broken his silence on Simon Davey’s sacking at Hereford United, saying “what goes around, comes around”. The former Quakers boss was sacked by the Bulls on Monday – four months after quitting Quakers by email
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The best yet to come vows Lewis-Francis
AN overjoyed Mark Lewis- Francis declared the best was still to come after claiming 100metres silver for England at the XIX Commonwealth Games in Delhi tonight. The 28-year-old Birchfield Harrier clocked 10.20 seconds to finish second to Lerone
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Jemma overcomes jitters to land medal
HARTLEPOOL’S Jemma Lowe overcame a serious case of the jitters to claim 100m butterfly bronze at the Commonwealth Games – and breathed a huge sigh of relief that it was over. Lowe – who finished sixth in the 100m butterfly at the Beijing Olympics
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Saunders eases past Taylor
BRADLEY SAUNDERS admits his Beijing Achilles’ heel has followed him to Delhi: his family. The 24-year-old was rated as one of Britain’s hottest medal prospects heading into the 2008 Olympics only to crash out in the last 16 – a defeat he later
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Leon keen to keep his place
LEON McSweeney has admitted his frustration at not holding down a regular spot in the Hartlepool United side – but now he has one he’s not going to give it up easily. After starting the last two games, the attacker has responded with two goals
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Boro keeper enjoys first England call
ENGLAND’S Under-21s take on Romania tonight in the first leg of their play-off to reach next year’s European Championships and Middlesbrough’s Jason Steele believes the experience of being in the squad will help him develop his game further.
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There will be no new arrivals says Hughton
CHRIS Hughton has ruled out making any signings during the January transfer window, claiming he “completed his squad” this summer. With Hatem Ben Arfa likely to miss the majority of the campaign, and Steve Harper and Steven Taylor nursing long-term
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Hospitals may alter treatment to patients
HEALTH bosses have announced plans to change the way some patients are treated at two of the region’s hospitals. The Friarage Hospital in Northallerton is to be developed as a centre for planned surgery, but acute stroke care is to be concentrated
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Famous artist back for safety reasons
AN acclaimed artist returned to his roots to encourage young people to be more creative and help design a poster for a child safety campaign. Mackenzie Thorpe has linked up with Cleveland Police to launch the force’s Art of Safety scheme at
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Man set fire to his socks in police van
A BLAZE broke out in a police van in busy traffic after a prisoner set fire to his socks. The crew pulled onto a car park and when they opened the rear doors they noticed the flames. Gale Gilchrist, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court that
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Restoration drama ‘will drive the recovery’
A BUSINESS leader was yesterday given a behind-the-scenes glimpse into a small business that is helping to drive the economic recovery. Gerald Russell, national president of The Institute of Chartered Accountants, visited the Aston Martin Workshop
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Colleagues heed the call
TWO colleagues who were made redundant when a call centre collapsed have launched their own callhandling business, aiming to take on about ten workers this year. Only four months after being among the 1,000 staff made redundant at Teessidebased
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Carbon capture secures N-E jobs
JOBS at a North-East engineering firm have been safeguarded after it won a contract to undertake pioneering work on a Governmentbacked project to combat climate change. Amec, which has its industrial headquarters in Darlington, has been asked
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Stop checking your emails
WORKERS should be less obsessed with checking emails if they want to manage their working day better, one of Europe’s leading time management experts said. Gleb Arhangelsky was speaking on a visit to the North-East, where he will address local
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Entrants have one week left
NEW start-ups in the Tees Valley have only a week left to get their entries in for the Best New Business Awards 2010. Fledgling firms recognised at the awards in the past which have gone on to become successful international companies, include
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Swedes show home is where the Hus is
NORTH-EAST companies could cash in as a result of strengthened links between the region and Sweden. A dedicated North-East chapter of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce hopes to forge direct business links and facilitate both inward and outward
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Homeless people film hanged monkey fable
A FILM based on a North-East legend is being made by homeless people. Charity Streetwise Opera is exploring The Legend of the Hartlepool Monkey as part of its new production, Fables – A Film Opera. It will also include three other seven-minute
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Cattle from Highlands to save bog site
HIGHLAND cattle have been brought in to help conserve one of the last remaining areas of lowland heath in County Durham. Three cows – Hope, Betty and Kate – will graze Wanister Bog, part of the Waldridge Fell Site of Special Scientific Interest
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Lack of funds delays status bid for years
THE dream of bringing World Heritage Site status to a stretch of historic North-East railway could take up to ten years to materialise, a council has warned. Further details of the National Railway Museum’s plans to apply for the status for the Stockton
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Northern League in Saturday's Local Heroes
There's a full FA Cup preview, and reaction to the FA Carlsberg Vase second round draw in Saturday's Local Heroes. Just follow the links to the Local Heroes section on the Northern Echo website, or buy a copy of the new-look Saturday newspaper.
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Ice rink scheme needs developer
A DEVELOPER is being sought to turn a former ice hockey rink into offices holding up to 2,000 people. Development agency One North East, which sealed a multi-million pound deal to buy the former Durham Wasps ice rink site last year, is advertising
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Cancer patients to benefit from extra drugs funding
MORE than 200 North-East cancer patients will benefit from extra NHS funding for drugs. The move follows the Government’s decision to allocate an extra £50m to health authorities nationwide. The North-East’s share of the fund is £2.8m
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Bermuda attack: Man sent to prison
THE sister of a North-East man who drowned in Bermuda was robbed at knifepoint while settling his affairs on the tropical island. A man was this week jailed for six months for his part in the robbery of Lily Gill, 25, from Darlington.
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Owners of petting farm withdraw zoo licence bid
OWNERS of a controversial North-East petting farm at the centre of an E coli investigation have withdrawn their application for a zoo licence. Tweddle Children’s Animal Farm, in Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, where traces of the potentially
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Calls to get rid of council-run paper
A COUNCIL-RUN newspaper that costs taxpayers almost £400,000 a year could be scrapped, after a motion was tabled to discontinue its production. The Conservative-led North Yorkshire County Council publishes 11 issues a year of the North Yorkshire
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A long, hard crawl...
A MAN overcame hypothermia to swim the five-mile length of a lake in his late grandmother’s memory. Phil Evitt, 28, from Darlington, took up open-water swimming when he joined a local triathlon club – just before his grandmother, Esther, of Northallerton
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Injured rally driver thanks medic team
RALLY star Guy Wilks has thanked medical staff who helped him get back on track after a spectacular accident. The Darlington driver, who is to defend his Rally of Scotland title next weekend with the Skoda UK Motorsport team, suffered a setback
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Region’s MPs miss out in election
THE region lost its voice at the top of the Labour Party last night when all four North-East candidates for Ed Miliband’s Shadow Cabinet lost out in a dramatic election. Kevan Jones (Durham North), Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland), Iain Wright
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Cage-fight fury sparked fatal stabbing, trial told
A MAN who killed his neighbour after stabbing him during an argument at a barbecue party has told a jury what sparked the fatal row. James Thornley claims Mark Sweeney became enraged when he “burst out laughing” at a suggestion that he used to
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Soldier of fortune
AN unemployed metal detectorist who uncovered a Roman cavalry helmet in a field yesterday made a six-figure fortune in three minutes. The anonymous man, believed to be in his 20s, a graduate and from Peterlee, in east Durham, will get hundreds
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Jade hopes to win role in graphic novel
A YOUNG model has appealed for the region’s help in winning a role in a graphic novel. Actress, model and photographer Jade Turnbull is in the running for a part in Marie’s War, by Second Legion Graphic Novels, in York. The 20-year-old, from
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Hen-pecked man jailed for killing partner
A HEN-PECKED man who was nagged for 30 years before he stabbed his partner to death has been jailed for four years and eight months. Dennis Long, 59, was cleared of murder and convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter on the grounds of
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Dad-of-two jailed for horrific death of dog
A FATHER-OF-TWO has been jailed for 18 weeks after he admitted binding a stray dog’s muzzle shut and beating it to death. Police and RSPCA officers described Paul Hinton’s actions as one of the worst cases of animal cruelty they had ever come
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Gunners mark return home with freedom parade
GUNNERS will re-affirm affiliations with the North-East following their safe return from the Afghan war zone later this month. More than 300 members of 4 Regiment Royal Artillery will go on a city centre parade, followed by presentation and
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Call time on cheap alcohol, say pubs
PUBLICANS across the North-East are calling for Government action on cheap supermarket alcohol, which they say is damaging business. More than half of the region’s landlords say trade has dropped off over the past year and a third expect the decline
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Esh can't afford to lose
STL Northern League It might be early days in the season, but bottom club Esh Winning daren’t lose their league game at home to Ryton today. Esh, under the new management of Peter Mulcaster, have yet to win in 13 league games, and in midweek were hammered
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Anger at ‘work till you drop’ pensions
ONE in three North-East workers could be forced to “work longer, pay more and get less” after an official report paved the way for sweeping public sector pension changes. Angry union leaders in the region last night said the recommendations by
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Beckett makes home debut
New defender Chris Beckett makes his home debut for Newton Aycliffe in the STL Second Division today. Beckett was signed from West Auckland, and played a major role in Aycliffe's 2-0 win at Marske on Tuesday night. Manager Alan Oliver might also make
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FA Cup: We can pull off a shock, says Forrest
Shildon manager Gary Forrest is hoping that his side can pull off one of the shocks of the FA Cup third qualifying round when the Railwaymen go to Workington today. Shildon are hoping to go one better than West Auckland in the previous round, when West
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Come to Tea for Christian Aid!
Harrowgate Hill Methodist Church, Lowson Street are hosting a High Class Afternoon Tea on Saturday 23rd October at 4.00pm. There will be a quiz, home-made goods stall and a bring & buy stall. We hope to raise over £100 to help with Christian Aid's