Archive

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Police concern over missing man

POLICE are becoming concerned for the welfare of a vulnerable 24-year-old man. Ben Hook, from the West View area of Hartlepool, left his home address at about 8.40pm tonight and has not returned home. He is described as white, 6ft 3ins

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Man and his dog survive after falling 200ft down a cliff

A MAN has survived a 200ft fall down a cliff in North Yorklshire after trying to rescue his dog. The 53-year-old man, from Rochdale, and his dog fell down the face of Little Cliff, just north of Cloughton, near Scarborohg, at just after 4pm today.

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Hatch sets his sight on the big prize

AFTER lifting the FA Trophy ten days ago, Darlington striker Liam Hatch has set his sights on winning the Blue Square Premier League title next season. Hatch was part of the side that brought the club’s first piece of silverware in 20 years

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Owen unhappy with Champions League ticket prices

Manchester United striker Michael Owen has criticised the pricing of Champions League final tickets. The former Newcastle United, Liverpool and Real Madrid frontman was surprised to learn how much seats would cost for United's Wembley meeting

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Wadsworth pleased with his early summer work

WITH a rack of his current squad tied down to extended contracts and two new signings in the bag last week, Mick Wadsworth is satisfied with his early reshaping work at Hartlepool United. After Nobby Solano was followed by James Poole in signing

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Police appeal for help over malicious allegations

POLICE have said there is no substance to malicious allegations being made against a man in a North Yorkshire village. Anonymous letters in envelopes marked with the recipients' address and the wording "Warning to residents" have been circulated to people

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Coetzer is Durham's hero in his home country

KYLE Coetzer proved the scourge of his fellow Scots with his maiden one-day century for Durham at The Grange. His unbeaten 110 underpinned a total of 278 for four, but it was hoisted beyond expectations by a whirlwind cameo from acting captain

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Injury concerns for Yorkshire

Gerard Brophy is a major doubt and Tim Bresnan is out of Yorkshire's meeting with Lancashire at Liverpool on Wednesday. Both suffered during Saturday's final day of the County Championship draw against Hampshire at Headingley, Brophy a bruised right

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Burglaries could be related

POLICE believe two attempted break-ins at Darlington factories could be related. Officers are asking anyone who has any information about the attempted burglaries to get in touch. The first break-in took place at animal feed manufacturer CM Varley and

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Catholic schools join forces

CATHOLIC schools in Darlington and South Durham are joining forces to help maximise resources Six months ago the Darlington Deanery Partnership was formed bringing together staff and governors from Carmel College, St Augustine's, St Bede's, Holy Family

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Charity fundraiser

A WOMAN has raised £1,400 for charity in memory of her mother by taking part in a gruelling trek. Jenny Carr, from Middleton St George, walked 60km along the Great Wall of China to raise the money for Breast Cancer Campaign. She did the walk in memory

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A WOMAN has raised £1,400 for charity in memory of her mother by taking part in a gruelling trek. Jenny Carr, from Middleton St George, walked 60km along the Great Wall of China to raise the money for Breast Cancer Campaign. She did the walk in memory

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Vote for photos

PEOPLE in Darlington are being asked to vote for their favourite photograph of the town as part of a competition. The competition about what inspires people about Darlington is being run by Teesside University. The photographs included images of Darlington's

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Couple ask for charity gifts

A COUPLE are celebrating their wedding anniversary by asking their guests to donate money to charity instead of bringing gifts. Rosetta and Steve Forster are holding a party for family and friends at Albert Hill working men's club in Darlington on May

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'Not our fault' says headteacher

ROWDY behaviour in a Darlington village was the result of incoming youths, a headteacher has said. On Friday, there were a number of reports of anti-social behaviour in Croft and Hurworth. The rowdy behaviour is believed to have involved drinking and

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'Not our fault' says headteacher

ROWDY behaviour in a Darlington village was the result of incoming youths, a headteacher has said. On Friday, there were a number of reports of anti-social behaviour in Croft and Hurworth. The rowdy behaviour is believed to have involved drinking and

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News in brief

COUNCIL MEETING: The annual meeting of Darlington Borough Council takes place on Thursday at 6pm in the council chamber at Darlington town hall. The mayor and leader of the council for the forthcoming year are to be appointed at the meeting. CYCLE

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Village hall to host post office

RESIDENTS have welcomed news that a village post office will reopen 18 months after its long serving sub postmistress retired for the second time. Daphne Bowman came out of retirement to save the post office and village shop at Bowes, near Barnard

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Police seek thief who failed to pay for petrol

POLICE are hunting a thief who filled his car with petrol and then drove off from the garage without paying. A man filled a small black car, similar to a Mk2 Fiat Punto, with stolen number plates at Parkhead Service, New Coundon, near Bishop Auckland

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Heaven-scent days for church of note

THERE was music in the air as a small church unveiled its newly-refurbished 125-year old organ. Organists from across the North-East visited Whitworth Church, in Spennymoor, at the weekend to play recitals on the 1886 Harrison and Harrison organ,

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Licence for new look pool hall

COUNCILLORS have granted a pool hall a drinks and entertainment licence after the new manager overcame objections from residents. People who live near the Q Club, on Station Road, in Chester-le-Street, initially feared the late licence would lead to

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Artists draw inspiration from heritage

YOUNG people have been drawing on their local history to create an artistic mural to brighten up a community space. A group of ten 11 to 18year-olds were involved in the Turning the Corner (TTC) project, which involved teaming up with professional artists

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Walks look into history

THE history of Middlesbrough will be revealed on two guided walks. An eight-mile walk is being held tomorrow from the pavilion in Thorntree Park, following the Tees Link path up Spencer Beck to the Eston Hills, where archaeologist Steve Sherlock will

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£304,000 of cocaine found in rucksack

A DRUG dealer and a courier are facing lengthy prison sentences after being caught with cocaine worth as much as £400,000. Middlesbrough men Marc Gofton, 24, and Louis McQuade, 26, will finally learn their fates at Teesside Crown Court next month. The

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Support for victims of abuse

A SUPPORT service for teenagers and young men who have suffered domestic abuse has received a financial boost. Survivors of Domestic Abuse (Soda) has been awarded £10,000 from the Big Lottery Fund to expand its services. The money will be used to enhance

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Week aims to encourage conversations about death

SOCIAL networking websites are being used to spread the word about a sensitive subject. NHS Tees is calling on people to use its Facebook and Twitter pages to talk about death during Dying Matters Awareness Week, which runs from Monday to May 22. The

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Foreign companies

IF I was to place this quote “How on earth are we going to drag the country out of recession if we give work to foreign companies? We should be handing contracts to our firms to help local people off the dole” on my British National Party election

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Scotland

THE Scottish National Party have stated that it will be asking for a referendum on independence for Scotland within the term of the newly elected parliament for Scotland. However, SNP leader Alex Salmond, has stated that in the event of a referendum

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Jim Tague

I WOULD like to thank Jim Tague for his letter published in The Northern Echo (HAS, May 11). Thank you Jim. Now I know why I have always voted Labour and why I am a committed socialist. David Kirkbride, Spennymoor.

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Easter opening

I WAS rather incensed to find out that the Dophin Centre, in Darlington, was open on Easter Sunday. I have since found out that only eight people attended the centre that day. I think opening the Dolphin Centre when the whole town was closed

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Hatred

DW LACEY criticises another HAS correspondent for his pathological hatred of all things Tory (HAS, May 12). I have a pathological hatred of the damage that the Tories do. Now, I accept that redundancy is a fact of life, for which the Government

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Durham City

FURTHER to my letter (HAS, May 11) and that of Edward Halliday (HAS, May 9), I read the article by Mark Tallentire in which Durham County Council responded to the criticism heaped upon it regarding the Market Place and city centre regeneration

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Chief constable should stay

I REFER to the attacks against Grahame Maxwell, the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police, by the media and a certain MP (Echo, May 10). Taken in perspective, he was not guilty of any criminal offence, fraud or deception (unlike some MPs)

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Chris Wardell

NICE to read that Susan Willis, like Christopher Wardell, pays regular visits to the Cleveland Hills to enjoy the many sounds and sights of the area. Susan hints that Christopher may be mistaken in his witnessing of alien objects and should save

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Pier

FORMER councillor Mike Findley (Echo, May 9) says that Labour now has a mandate to press ahead with the “vertical pier” in Redcar. I wonder how he works this out? In last week’s elections the Liberal Democrats won 11 out of 15 seats in Redcar

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Wind turbines

JOGGING around the country as I do, and reading local papers when I can, Tuesday found me in Sheerness, technological capital (not) of the Isle of Sheppey. The front page of the local paper reports that Peel Ports have sold 75 hectres of land to

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Community sports network looks for new chairman

A COMMUNITY sport organisation is looking for a new leader after the retirement of the former chairman. Active Richmondshire, the community sport network for the district, works to recognise leaders in sport for each individual community and to help

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Raising the stakes

ONLY a year in office, and the coalition Government is already in danger of being sucked into a foreign conflict without any obvious exit plan. Nato’s initial objectives in Libya were laudable: they were to prevent Colonel Muammar Gaddafi from

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Battling the enemy in cyberspace

WHEN he guest-edited The Northern Echo a little while back, I asked Duncan Bannatyne why he used the social media site Twitter so avidly. He gave a one word reply: “Power.” The Dragon’s Den star explained that it enabled him to hit back at newspaper

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Still full of running

If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise. In the build up to this year’s Sunderland City 10K race, Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson speaks to Steve Cram about his rediscovered love of running. THE hair is a fair bit

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Police treating reports of armed man as hoax

FIREARMS response teams and police blocked off a Darlington street today after unconfirmed reports of a man seen with a shotgun. Police were called to Thornton Street, in the North Lodge Park area of Darlington, this lunchtime. The street

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Northallerton make escape attempt to victory.

Northallerton will be turning back the clock when they stage a home friendly with Liversedge on Saturday July 16th. The second division club is having a “theme” day against their Northern Counties East League opponents, with the proceeds from the day's

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Tearoom transformed into art gallery

A POPULAR tearoom has been transformed into a gallery - with the help of one of the country’s leading landscape photographers. Joe Cornish, famous for views of his adopted North Yorkshire, has loaned more than a dozen prints to adorn the walls of the

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Season tickets available by instalment

MIDDLESBROUGH are reminding supporters they can purchase a 2011-12 season card by six monthly instalments.Full details of how to pay by instalments are enclosed with season card packages that have been sent to all 2010-11 season card holders, and are

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Charity fundraiser combines fine food and traditional transport

LOVERS of good food and traditional trains are being invited to enjoy both at the same time. A steam-hauled train will next month be setting ff through some of the region’s most beautiful scenery in aid of charity. The Taste of Wensleydale Express,

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PACT Meetings

THE DALES PACT The Dales PACT meeting was held on Thursday 5t May 2011 at 7pm in Romaldkirk Village Hall. Last month's priority: To target vehicles being driven in an anti social manner in Middleton In Teesdale. Update of last month's

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Councils gather equalities information to monitor fairness of services

A TWO week campaign to gather detailed equalities information from all users of district council services has started. The data collected by staff at Hambleton and Richmondshire District Councils will be used to help the authorities ensure they provide

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Tykes missing Bresnan and Brophy after Hants draw

YORKSHIRE are facing a major selection dilemma ahead of this week’s Roses clash against Lancashire in the LV=County Championship. It is after Tim Bresnan and Gerard Brophy injured themselves in the Tykes draw against Hampshire on Saturday. The

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Young chess stars aim for national glory

YOUNGSTERS are plotting to become kings of the chessboard as they bid to win a national competition. Ryan Gash, 11, and Morgan McDonald, ten, both of Byers Green Primary School are taking part in the UK Chess Challenge. The pupils from the school at

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Charity coast to coast cyclist raises £700 for local gym

A CYCLIST who has suffered a heart attack pedalled 155miles from coast to coast to raise £700 for a gym. Truck driver Kevin Bostock, 49, of Trimdon Village, set off from Hartlepool to head to Whitehaven, Cumbria. Mr Bostock suffered a heart attack in

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Muchall leads Durham to win

GORDON Muchall continued his fine one-day form as he and Dale Benkenstein carried Durham to their third win in four CB 40 League games yesterday. After dismissing Hampshire for 161 at the Emirates ICG, Durham were 37 for three before sensible

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Tens of thousands turn out to see Superbikes at Croft

THE skies may have been grey and overcast, but it mattered not to the thousands of motorcycle fans who made their annual pilgrimage to Croft Circuit. One of the biggest crowds in years converged on the circuit near Darlington yesterday for

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Women needed for annual run

ORGANISERS of an annual charity run say they need thousands more women to take part after a drop in numbers signing up for the event. So far, only 2,100 women have signed up to take part in the Race For Life event at Aykley Heads, in Durham City on July

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The amber gambler…

Our hero ‘Tupper’ has got himself a new job with Darlington Borough Council and it hasn’t taken him long to make an impression! I was chatting to Kenny Chambers, a lad who is now working with Tupper and he was asking me if I knew of him. “Of course

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Burnmoor unable to end Graham unbeaten run

In the Durham Senior League on Saturday, Graham Hoban took his run tally to 268 without being out as he hit 68 for Eppleton against Burnmoor, while Nick Sampson-Barnes was the day’s star all-rounder with an unbeaten 72 and four wickets for Boldon

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Sacriston and Swalwell battling for top spot

SACRRISTON and Swalwell are neck and neck as the NTSL hots up, with four clubs, including Annfield Plain and Shotley Bridge, unbeaten after four. Leaders Sacriston needed to be at their best to stay ahead by two points with Melvyn Betts taking

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Boldon return to the top

In the Durham Coast League, last year’s champions Boldon CA returned to the top of the table after becoming the first to win two games in what has been a rain-affected start to the season for most clubs. Four of the six matches ended in stalemate

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Brandon pride of league

Brandon are the pride of the Durham County League after their fourth successive win gave them their best start to a season for years. Stephen Ball led the parade with an unbeaten 136 against Evenwood, with support from Lewis Newby (52), as they

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Stephen Collins: Steven Wilcox

STEPHEN COLLINS is trying to find an old friend with whom he once organised Doctor Who conventions. He is Steven Wilcox, whom Mr Collins thinks would be in his 30s and believes live in Darlington. The pair ran Tardis ID, a Doctor Who convention in Durham

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Republican terrorists threaten London today

IRISH republican dissidents have issued a bomb threat for central London, Scotland Yard confirmed today. Security was heightened today after a non-specific threat was issued to authorities last night. Amid increased police activity across

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The Northern Sinfonia. The Sage Gateshead

Stepping into the breach for another performer at short notice must be a daunting prospect at the best of times, but Francesco Piemontesi rose to the challenge with style when he substituted for pianist Ingrid Fliter at the Sage Gateshead. Fliter, who

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Records crash in Marske run riot

RECORDS were smashed in one of the most remarkable matches in the league’s history, on a day when the form book elsewhere was also turned inside out. The record-breaking was at Marske, where 713 runs were scored from 100 overs, the highest ever

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Open Garden in aid of local hospice

A two acre garden full of unusual plants and climbers will open to the public in Carthorpe near Bedale on Sunday 29th May from 2pm to 5pm. Commander & Mrs Brigham are throwing open their garden at Manor House Carthorpe, in aid of Herriot Hospice Homecare

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Onuoha still a happy man despite missing Cup glory

NEDUM ONUOHA has realised the full extent of Sunderland’s ambition during his season-long loan and would not swap the last nine months for anything – not even an FA Cup winner’s medal. Onuoha returns to Manchester City, who defeated Stoke City

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Council and promotions company seriously at fault for Dreamspace tragedy

A COUNCIL and an arts promotions company were both guilty of "serious fault" over the Dreamspace disaster which left two people dead and dozens injured, a judge has ruled this morning. High Court judge Mr Justice Foskett said Chester-le-Street

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Nurses offer epilepsy advice

NURSES will be setting up a market stall this weekend to try to raise more awareness about epilepsy. Pam Mantri and Lesley McCoy, specialist epilepsy nurses at the University Hospital of North Durham, will be joined by members of the Durham Epilepsy

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Businessman defends plans to build cafe in memorial gardens

A BUSINESSMAN who hopes to take on the tourist information centre in Richmond has defended his plans to create an outdoor seating area in the town’s memorial gardens. Barry Proctor, who is known for his ice cream stands and vans, has submitted plans

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Fans go Gaga for music at Carlisle Big Weekend

Thousands of music fans crossed the Pennines to be part of Radio 1’s Big Weekend. Reporter Lauren Pyrah and photographer Chris Booth joined them. HIGH winds, clouds and showers failed to deter the 40,000 music fans who turned out to see a host of

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Donations needed for garden

COLLEGE students are appealing for donations to help them rejuvenate a school garden. As part of their course, 12 college students are making improvements to the garden used by Year Two and Three pupils at Roseberry Primary School, in Chester-le-Street

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'Shakey' ends on top in day of drama at Croft

SHANE 'Shakey' Byrne ended the day on top of the podium as the MCE Insurance Superbike Championship came to Croft, but he didn't have it all his own way in a dramatic day of action. The HM Plant Honda rider secured victory in the second of

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Club records £680,000 loss

Darlington Football club posted a loss of £680,000 in the first year of the new company's trading. The Quakers' first accounts since it was taken out of administration in 2009 show a deficit of £680,584, which included a £250,000 share injection

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Magpies' star Ranger 'regrets' gangster pose with gun

A NEWCASTLE United footballer regrets striking a gangster pose and being photographed with a replica gun, the club said today. Nile Ranger, an England under-19 player, "will be reminded of the importance of being a positive role model", The Magpies said

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Pardew hopes progress will persuade boss to splash the cash

ALAN Pardew is hoping yesterday's spirited 2-2 draw at Chelsea will persuade Newcastle owner Mike Ashley to invest heavily this summer. Steven Taylor's stoppage-time equaliser nudged the Magpies on to the 45-point mark, and ensured they will

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Chelsea 2 Newcastle United 2

Chelsea 2 Newcastle United 2 IT started with a spirited showing in defeat against Manchester United, and ended with a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser at Chelsea. Newcastle's 19-game away campaign is one of the key reasons why they will be playing

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Residents' anger as wind farm gets green light

A CONTROVERSIAL wind farm has won Government approval after campaigners called for a public inquiry into the scheme. Banks Developments has been cleared to start work on four, 125m turbines at Lambs Hill Farm, near Stillington. The Lambs

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Ruins of forgotten castle discovered by volunteers

THE ruins of a forgotten castle that once provided the gateway to the Bishop of Durham's park have been uncovered by a team of archaeologists. Fifty volunteers from the North Pennines AONB Partnership's Altogether Archaeology project discovered

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Policing cuts affecting morale claims survey

CUTS to policing has led to an overwhelming loss of morale in one North-East force, a survey has revealed. The survey carried out by the Police Federation, which represents police officers and staff, shows the majority of Durham Constabulary

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Documentary 'could force by-election'

A BAFTA-nominated film maker turned prospective MP has made an explosive documentary which, he believes, could force a by-election. Having Premiered in London on Friday, "ToryBoy : The Movie" chronicles a year in the life of media mogul John

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Stars turn out for former Boro star

STARS from the world of football and entertainment turned out for a benefit match in aid of former Middlesbrough right back Gary Parkinson. The 42-year-old, who played over 200 games for Boro in the late eighties and early nineties, has effectively

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Takeaway death: Teenager charged

A TEENAGER was yesterday charged with the manslaughter of a 17-year-old student who died after being attacked outside a pizza takeaway. It is understood Daniel Crowther was punched to the ground and hit his head on the kerb as he tried to stop

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Councils wrong to demand money for solar plans

THE boss of a North-East renewable energy company has called upon the Government to stop councils telling homeowners to apply for unnecessary planning permission for solar power schemes. Following revelations from David Hunt, a director with Darlington-based

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Eurovision dream over for former North-East binman

THERE was no Eurovision glory for a former North-East binman who represented Romania in the musical extravaganza. But County Durham-born David Bryan and his band Hotel FM could take consolation in avoiding the dreaded 'nul points' nightmare

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Grieving father overwhelmed by charity response

A GRIEVING father who is raising thousands of pounds in memory of his wife and daughter said he has been overwhelmed by the generosity of strangers. Ian Richardson said their kindness has helped him fund a charity, the Jo and Mya Memorial Fund

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Unpopular building may be demolished as part of redevelopment

THE FACE of a city is set to be transformed with the demolition of a building considered the biggest blot on its landscape. Plans have been unveiled to demolish Milburngate House, in Durham City - which is home to the Passport Office and National

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Community praised following racist demonstration

A MULTI-CULTURAL community has been praised for the way it reacted to a racist demonstration. Police have also been applauded for the way in which they dealt with the flash demo outside a Darlington mosque by members of the English Defence

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University comes under fire for accepting donation

A LEADING North-East university has comer under-fire for accepting a donation from a tobacco giant. Durham University received £125,000 from British American Tobacco (BAT) towards the Chancellor's Scholarships for Afghan Women appeal. The scheme pays

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Coal communities 'are still suffering years after cuts'

COALFIELD communities face significant health problems and economic difficulties even decades after pit closures, according to new research. Health problems including long-term limiting illnesses such as chronic arthritis, asthma and back problems