Archive
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Former Sunderland barrister jailed over immigration scam
A former barrister has been jailed for his role in a massive immigration scam that netted millions of pounds. Syed Ahmed, 36, of Havelock Terrace, Sunderland, was imprisoned for eight and a half years on Monday for his role in a bogus college
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Doorstep conman talks Sedgefield pensioner out of £70
A pensioner has been duped out of cash by a bogus caller who claimed he needed money for train fare to visit his pregnant wife. The 68-year-old victim, from Sedgefield, County Durham, was at home looking after her sick husband when a man knocked at her
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Work to start on 50mph limit for A1 Western Bypass
Work to introduce a permanent 50mph speed limit on the A1 Western Bypass between Gateshead and Newcastle has been announced by the Highways Agency. Changes to the road between Birtley Interchange and Blaydon Viaduct, near the Metrocentre, begins on Monday
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Bobby leads the way as Shildon run up double figures
Shildon skipper Danny Moore scored five as the Railwaymen steamrolled Ryton 10-0 in the STL Northern League at Dean Street last night. Moore became only the second player in the league this season to score five in a game, all of them coming
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Nine changes for Newcastle against Arsenal
CHRIS Hughton has made wholesale changes to his Newcastle United side for this evening's Carling Cup fourth-round clash with Arsenal.Only two players - Tim Krul and Mike Williamson - survive from last weekend's 2-1 Premier League away win at West Ham.
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Half time at Teesside County Court?
Billingham Town live to fight another day after their court case was adjourned at Wednesday lunchtime. The judge, sitting in Teesside County Court, agreed to a proposal to adjourn from the two parties ahead of a meeting between Town and Hartlepool
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Dilemma for Bishops?
Bishop Auckland are in a dilemma as they prepare for the first game at their new stadium. Bishops have arranged an attractive opening game against a Middlesbrough select eleven on Tuesday, but they are also due to play in the Durham Challenge Cup next
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Dirty growlers celebrate milestone
IT may not have the romance and glamour of steam, but this month, diesel is 50 years old. The National Railway Museum’s (NRM) weekend commemorating the 50th anniversary of the wide-scale dieselisation of Britain’s railway network will begin with
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Day the U-boat Killer was lost
LOUIS MOUNTBATTEN, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, rarely spoke about May 23, 1941, when the destroyer he captained was sunk by German aircraft during the Battle of Crete. However, in 1979 he was at the opening of a naval cadet unit at Hebburn, South
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Minor injuries units to close
HEALTH officials have approved a proposal to close minor injuries units at two community hospitals despite widespread public opposition. Board members at NHS North Yorkshire and York agreed to close the minor injuries services at the Lambert Hospital
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Sally-Anne Hayward, Mary Bourke, Pete Cain, Hyena Comedy Club, Newcastle
COMPERE Sally-Anne Hayward proved popular with the crowd as the warm-up act, skilfully working the room to get people in the mood for an evening of chuckles. She combines coarse banter with a wicked and sophisticated sense of humour, as well
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Legendary Escort goes under the hammer
A legendary 42 year-old ex-works Ford Escort rally car, with a first-rate competition pedigree and driven by a succession of renowned names, is to be auctioned by Historics at Brooklands on Saturday December 4th. Given the full works treatment by Ford
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Scrooge, Sunderland Empire
IT’S... erm... Christmas! Vintage pro (he’s a sprightly 74) Tommy Steele is back again as everyone’s favourite festive skinflint and even Ebenezer would have to admit, it’s worth every farthing. With Bill Kenwright producer, this show
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Time-travel companions
The Sarah Jane Adventures (BBC1, 4.30pm) Wonderland – Mad Cats and Englishwomen (BBC2, 9pm) Michael Wood’s Story of England (BBC4, 9pm) NOT one, but two of Doctor Who’s companions turn up in this week’s episodes. Having brought back Sarah Jane
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Teenage boy injured by firework
A 15-YEAR-OLD has been injured after a firework went off in his hand. The teenager, from Stockton, is receiving treatment in the town's University Hospital of North Tees, following the incident at about 11am this morning. Police are warning about the
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Looking to Northallerton's future
PEOPLE are being invited to have their say about major long-term plans for the north of Northallerton. A three-week consultation exercise begins next month when an open day will be followed by a special meeting of the Northallerton Area Forum. The Northallerton
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Volvo presses ahead with fuel cell plans
Volvo Cars is developing a fuel cell that can extend the electric car’s operating range without any carbon dioxide emissions. The aim is to have two prototype chassis based on the Volvo C30 DRIVe Electric ready for testing in everyday traffic in 2012
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Residents demand road upgrade for 1,000 homes plan
RESIDENTS fighting plans for nearly 1,000 homes in a market town feel the road system must be upgraded as a priority if the scheme is approved. Developer Castlevale wants Hambleton District Council approval to build 920 homes on Topcliffe Road, Sowerby
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17 years for brutal murder of disabled man
DARLINGTON man Ricky Gelardo has today been found guilty of murder and sentenced to 17 years in jail. Gelardo, 29, was convicted at Leeds Crown Court this morning of the brutal beating of disabled man, Alan Atkin, 62, in his Scarborough home
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Drinks carton firm aims to be greener
A LEADING manufacturer of packaging for liquids yesterday outlined a plan to be as environmentally-friendly as possible within five years. SIG Combibloc, which has its UK operation in Houghtonle- Spring, Wearside, wants to increase the proportion
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New energy firm expands
A NORTH-EAST firm providing training in the renewable energy sector is expanding. Renewable Energy Academy, part of the Cleaner Air Solutions group based on the Meadowfield Industrial Estate in Durham, will open in Wrexham, North Wales, in a
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Magazine publishers take on the world
A MARTIAL arts publishing firm launched in the North- East five years ago has established itself as a global brand. Fighters Only Ltd now publishes mixed martial arts magazines in the UK, US, Canada, South Africa and Germany, as well as exporting
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£20m factory will add power to battery manufacturing
AN international chemical company is to build a £20m plant manufacturing a key component of electric car batteries in the Tees Valley. Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation expects the plant, on Lucite International’s Cassel Site, Billingham, near Stockton
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Firm creates solar trees for university
A NORTH-EAST architectural firm has worked with Cambridge University to develop a system that could allow more historic buildings to meet carbon reduction legislation. Sadler Brown Architecture designed “solar trees” after planning regulations
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Clegg's Lib Dems
IT has often been the case that collaborators embrace the cause of their new allies and former foes with even greater fervour. Such is the case with the Liberal Democrat members of the coalition Government and particularly the Deputy Prime Minister
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Fears over visitor number cuts in signs row
BUSINESSES in a popular tourism town are concerned brown tourism signs pointing them out to visitors may be permanently removed. The Highways Agency removed the brown tourism signs pointing out Masham, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, as part of works to
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Sunderland defender banned from driving
Sunderland footballer Anton Ferdinand was banned from driving today. The 25-year-old brother of England captain Rio was convicted of using a mobile phone while driving his white Range Rover on July 13. Ferdinand was banned because he already had 12
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Market report
SURPRISING UK growth figures sent the pound soaring yesterday, but the news failed to offset falls on the FTSE 100 Index. The 0.8 per cent rise in third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP), based on provisional estimates by the Office for National
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Tory record
THIS coalition Government doesn’t seem to realise that running the nation’s economy isn’t a game. It may not realise it, but its spending review puts ideology before the serious business of this nation’s welfare. I have seen this before from the
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Labour legacy
AFTER 13 years of Labour government the country was left with the biggest budget shortfall in the developed world. This was less to do with global economy, the banks or toxic mortgages. It was much more to do with the Labour government and
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Meningitis
I AM writing on behalf of the Meningitis Trust in response to the news that 15-month-old Richard Hunter, from Newcastle, contracted meningococcal septicaemia in June this year and as a result has lost his legs and right arm. We have a range of
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Graffiti busters to clean up NE town
A REVOLUTIONARY service has been launched to tackle graffiti in a Teesside town. Hartlepool Active Response Team (Hart) is a dedicated cleaning team which will seek out and tackle graffiti across the town and provide a rapid response to
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Appreciation?
THE leader of Durham County Council, Councillor Simon Henig, lays great emphasis on the fact it will need to make savings of £90m over the next four years (Echo, Oct 21). It is time to remind all council members of one group who are already saving
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BNP/Nazis
PERHAPS Stephen Palmer (HAS, Oct 20) thinks that the terms “neo-Nazi” and “racist” are “over-used” because he hears them so often in reference to the BNP. Or possibly because the BNP itself often misuses the word “racist” in referring to the wars
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Truly 'bonkers'
RE your story about councils being attacked as “bonkers” (Echo, Oct 18) for paying thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ hard-earned money to consultants to advise on identifying budget cuts. They most certainly are “bonkers”. Why was this waste of
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Vital role of retirement sold short
I’M solidly with the French on this – their fight to prevent their retirement age rising. We might soon regret our meek acceptance of the rise in our own retirement age, which is already five years higher than the French. OK, on the face of it,
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Wrong time to strike
AGGRIEVED workers obviously want to make the maximum impact when they withdraw their labour, and London’s firefighters are certainly gaining headlines by planning to strike on Bonfire Night. But they are not the right kind of headlines. It is
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Police hunt machete raiders
POLICE are this lunchtime hunting two masked robbers wielding a machete and a hammer who took cash from a betting shop. The pair raided Ladbroke's in Front Street, Swalwell, Gateshead, at 7.50pm on Tuesday evening (oct26) when they threatened
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Unfinished business
A North-East woman who helped expose one of the NHS’s worst scandals is not giving up after nearly two decades of campaigning. Health editor Barry Nelson met Carol Grayson. CAROL GRAYSON’S flat is positively bursting at the seams with
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‘Maniac’ driver is locked up
A TEENAGER drove “like a maniac” while being pursued by police only weeks after receiving a suspended sentence for a similar escapade. Despite being banned from driving under his August 20 sentence, Joshua Pattison took to the driver’s seat
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Graceful Descent should follow up Ayr win at Musselburgh
GRACEFUL Descent bolted up on her latest appearance at Ayr and should follow up in the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Willie Park Trophy Handicap at Musselburgh. Jim Goldie’s mare has enjoyed an excellent campaign, winning three times
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Walker falls 170ft to his death in Snowdonia
AN experienced North-East walker died after plunging 170ft down a mountain. Graham Bunn, from Stockton, fell after losing his footing at the summit of the 2.451ft Yr Aran, in Snowdonia, North Wales, shortly before 3.30pm on Saturday. His wife,
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Cook confident he is over his batting problems
ENGLAND opener Alastair Cook is confident he play a full part in retaining the Ashes this winter, despite being targeted as a potential week link by Australia captain Ricky Ponting. Cook captained his country on their last overseas tour to
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Middlesbrough’s local hero's return
As Tony Mowbray returns to Middlesbrough as manager, 19 years after leaving his hometown club, Assistant Editor Scott Wilson looks back on the career of the man who captained the club as a 22-year-old THANKS to the wonders of the internet, it
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Cooper is out to keep hold of midfielder
MARC Bridge-Wilkinson has only played two games for Darlington but his performances have already been enough to convince manager Mark Cooper that he would like the Carlisle man to extend his stay at The Northern Echo Arena. The midfielder
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Lovenkrands is a fan of Carling Cup
PETER LOVENKRANDS has no desire to leave Newcastle United, despite finding opportunities at St James’ Park limited in the Premier League this season. Lovenkrands expects to be back in the starting line-up for tonight’s Carling Cup fourth round
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Legend starts on right footing
DURING his playing days Tony Mowbray formed a partnership at the heart of the Middlesbrough defence with Gary Pallister that is widely regarded as one of the finest in the club’s history. Yesterday proved the starting point of another pairing
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Bruce is targeting derby delight
HE may have spent his childhood in the Leazes End watching Newcastle United, Steve Bruce is looking to mastermind a Sunderland win in the Tyne and Wear derby this weekend. Northumberland-born Bruce takes his side to St James’ Park on Sunday
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Authority criticised as equipment remains
A COUNCILLOR has criticised an authority after specialist equipment worth thousands of pounds was left in her late mother-in-law’s home. Dreda Forster, from Cotherstone, near Barnard Castle, says the disability aids used by Rene Forster could
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12-month wait for news of road bids
MOTORISTS face 12 months of uncertainty after a string of badly needed road improvements were left on ice yesterday. The promoters of key schemes were told they must cut costs to get the roads built. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond put 22 schemes
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Sports scheme decision ‘catastrophic’
SCRAPPING a multi-million pound school sports scheme could affect the health of the region’s youngsters, the Government has been warned. The coalition axed the £162m-a-year PE and Sports Strategy, saying the move would cut bureaucracy and free
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Arts funding cutbacks are revealed by group
DOZENS of theatres, galleries and arts groups face cuts to their grants as a result of a huge drop in Arts Council funding. The organisation has been given a 26.9 per cent cut in its budget over the next four years – a £457m real-terms decrease
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Home worker suspended over alleged assault
AN investigation is under way into the alleged assault of an elderly resident at a North-East care home. A member of staff at the Redworth House care home, in Shildon, County Durham, has been suspended while Durham Police investigate the allegation
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Patients welcome cancer drugs cash
CANCER patients who have been denied access to new drugs have welcomed news that the Government is to fully fund the £200m Cancer Drug Fund. Some cancer charities had expressed concern whether the Government would honour the Conservative pre-election
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Priest in court to face child porn charges
CRIMINAL proceedings against a Roman Catholic priest charged with possessing child pornography have been committed to Durham Crown Court. Father John Terence Paul Shannon, 57, is a former lecturer at the 200-year-old St Cuthbert’s Seminary at
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Family pay tribute to talented teenager
FAMILY and friends gathered yesterday to pay emotional tributes to a popular teenage girl who died suddenly last month. More than 400 people attended a memorial service for Camilla Jane Irvine, known as Milla, from Newton-le-Willows, near Bedale
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‘Cut-off’ villager must hike up to 12 miles to sign on
A MAN with HIV has been told he must still attend a job centre in person even though he faces a walk of up to 12 miles to sign on. Barry Benson has been told he cannot apply for his benefits by post – despite the fact that a river crossing which
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Man fractures skull in quad bike crash
A MAN suffered a fractured skull and was arrested on suspicion of traffic offences after his quad bike collided with a car. The man, in his early 20s, was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital following the accident, during which, it is believed
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Myers: We were so bad, I could have played.
Bishop Auckland manager Colin Myers was furious with his players following their 3-0 defeat at Tow Law last night. After a good Durham Challenge Cup win at Shildon last week, Bishops have conceded seven goals in two league games since – they lost 4-0
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We'll Take That, thank you
POP superstars Take That are to return to the North-East next summer, it has been announced. The reunited chart toppers will kick off their Progress Live 2011 tour at Sunderland FC’s Stadium of Light, on Bank Holiday Monday, May 30. The gig will
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Mowbray wants passion back at the Riverside
NINETEEN years after leaving Middlesbrough as a player, Tony Mowbray has become the Championship club’s latest manager and outlined a desire to bring passion and excitement back to the Riverside Stadium. With a hundred or so supporters standing
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Callum makes history
Callum Provan gained the honour that everyone wanted when Bishop Auckland opened their new Heritage Park on Sunday. Callum was part of the 30 minute supporters’ match after the opening ceremony, and scored the first goal of the game, indeed the first
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Church faces £8m sex abuse pay-out
A NORTH-EAST Roman Catholic diocese faces paying £8m compensation after the Court of Appeal ruled it was responsible for the biggest historic child abuse claim in the country. The Middlesbrough Diocese was found accountable for the claims of
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Campbell back from Swindon to face Norton
Newcastle Benfield striker John Campbell returns from Swindon to play against Norton in the STL Northern League tonight. Campbell has been on trial at the County Ground for the last two days, and now he returns to Benfield in a bid to add to his 18 league
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D Day for Billingham Town
Today is the day of reckoning for Billingham Town. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Town should this morning hear the verdict from a judge at Teesside County Court of the action against them by Hartlepool United, who are claiming £10,000 from Town
