Archive
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Bogus cop targets students
A BOGUS policeman who broke into a student block was yesterday being hunted by the real thing. The man was dressed in a high-visibility jacket with a plain front, but with the word 'Police' written on the back, black trousers, black boots and
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Magpies do not want Ferguson
NEWCASTLE UNITED have turned down an opportunity to sign one of their former transfer targets as Alan Pardew pursues a younger, fresher approach to life in the Premier League. Birmingham City captain Barry Ferguson is available and would prefer
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Quakers close in on signing
Darlington are edging nearer to completing their third summer signing with manager Mark Cooper confident of capturing an experienced defender. He is reluctant to publicly reveal the player’s identity, though Cooper described the potential arrival
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Boro are hoping to keep Taylor
MIDDLESBROUGH will make one last push to keep Andrew Taylor at the Riverside Stadium today with Cardiff City still in the hunt to land him. Taylor spent Monday in the south-west discussing a move to Bristol City and Cardiff, where he would
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Lisicki lies in wait for Maria
Maria Sharapova set up an eye-catching Wimbledon semi-final against wild card Sabine Lisicki and admitted it felt great to be in contention again. Russian Sharapova explained how the path to her first semi-final since 2006 at the All England Club has
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Murray is all ready to tackle Lopez
Andy Murray has been given the backing of a man who knows what it is like to win one of his sport's four majors as he prepared to continue his bid to do the same. The hottest ticket in town at the All England Club was the Aorangi practice courts as Murray
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Key day in Durham championship claim
DURHAM will hope to take their leaving of Liverpool this afternoon with the title as good as in the bag after proving that the width of the Mersey separates them from their nearest challengers. But on the evidence of the ten overs they had
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Tykes can hit back
Captain Andrew Gale insists Yorkshire can bounce back from their recent disappointments to feature in the knockout stages of the Friends Life t20 competition. The White Rose skipper has seen his side lose two of their last three north division
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Cook begins with huge win
Alastair Cook praised his side for their perfect performance after his reign as England's one-day captain started with a crushing 110-run win over against Sri Lanka. The tourists spoiled Stuart Broad's debut as Twenty20 captain on Saturday with a nine-wicket
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McGregor Trophy is top of the Tree
WHEN Toby Tree got his hands on the McGregor Trophy nearly 12 months ago at the Prince's Golf Club, he propelled himself to new heights in boys' golf. Next week he will be heading to Prague to form part of a strong England team in the European Boys' Team
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A QUICK ENDING
The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill had its first reading in Parliament last week and now it’s scheduled for a second reading tomorrow. Usually when a Government has tried to rush through legislation it’s been to deal with urgent
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Das Rheingold, Opera North, The Sage Gateshead
Opera North’s staging of Wagner’s monumental Ring Cycle over four consecutive years got underway with a captivating performance of the prequel Das Rheingold. The first instalment weighs in at two and a half hours without a break, but time seemed
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Smiles all round
A DENTAL therapist in Darlington has been given an award for her work in the local community. Victoria Finnegan who works at Oasis Dental care in Woodland Road was awarded for the Best Outreach Programme at the company's awards in Coventry earlier this
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Award for Sue
A WOMAN who played a key role in tackling flooding has been given a prestigious award by the Queen. Sue O'Neill, who is originally from Darlington, works for the Environment Agency and was nominated for an MBE in the New Year's Honours list for her professional
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Westwood exhibition boosts visitor numbers
AN exhibition of shoes by one of the country’s most celebrated fashion designers has helped a museum achieve record-breaking visitor numbers. The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham has recorded its highest June visitor figures in over a decade
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Caravan site 'may be permanent'
A GYPSY caravan site given a three-year stay of execution could become a permanent fixture in countryside near Darlington if an appeal is successful. The private-Gypsy site just outside Hurworth, near Darlington, was given a three year temporary permission
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Teenager banned from town centre
A TEENAGE boy was given a three-year Asbo yesterday after a court heard he had been involved in 27 recorded incidents of bad behaviour. Benjamin Binnie, 14, has been known to Darlington Borough Council since the age of 12 and the incidents of anti-social
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Drug addict spared prison
A DRUG addict with a record of more than 130 offences was spared prison after a judge heard he is determined to turn his life around. Lee Roberts was given a community order with supervision after being caught twice in three days with heroin, cocaine
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Thorn Lighting parent returns to profit
A LIGHTING firm's parent group has returned to profit, following a multi-million euro loss last year. Zumtobel Group, the owner of major County Durham employer Thorn Lighting, said it made a net profit of 51.3m euro last year. The turnaround, revealed
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Fish-oil firm to create 25 jobs
A FISH-oil supplement firm is set to create 25 jobs when it completes a £14m deal for a mothballed Tees Valley plant. Norway based TryggPharma is close to completing a deal for the plant formally run by fellow Scandanavian firm Lunbeck Pharmaceuticals
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Volunteers prepare for Northumbria in Bloom judges
GREEN fingered volunteers are busy preparing a market town for the arrival of judges from Northumbria in Bloom. Ferryhill Town Council is working to make the town ready for the judges who are set to view the area in July. The town has won many awards
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Ford's fate will be decided by independent inquiry
OBJECTORS to the closure of a County Durham tourist attraction have welcomed the decision to hold a public inquiry to decide its fate. Members of Durham County Council’s Highway’s Committee yesterday agreed to defer a decision about Stanhope Ford in
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Festival showcase for budding rock stars
THE next generation of rock stars is appealing for young fans to attend a town's first ever youth music festival. The Crook Youth Music Festival will be held on Saturday, July 16, from noon to 6.30pm, and organisers hope to attract 500 spectators.
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Pensioner crashes into doctor's surgery
A PENSIONER was taken to hospital after his car crashed into the wall of a doctors surgery. The car was embedded in the side of the Parkway Medical Centre, in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, shortly before 4pm today. The man, who has not
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Schools closed or partially closed - Thursday, June 30
Members of the National Union of Teachers, Association of Teachers and Lecturers, and University and College Union voted to strike earlier this month in response to Government plans to reform their pensions. As a result, more than 500 schools in
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Ramsay returns
The Fairy Jobmother (Channel 4, 9pm) Three Men Go to Venice (BBC2, 9pm) David Haye v Ricky Gervais, Justin Bieber and Dizzee Rascal (Sky1, 9pm) Lead Balloon (BBC2, 10pm) Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA (C4, 10pm) HAYLEY TAYLOR reaches
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Thieves steal 6ft crucifix
A SIX-foot high crucifix, which once belonged to a convent, has been stolen. The solid bronze religious artefact was taken from Newcomen Green, Longlands, Middlesbrough on the evening of Tuesday, June 21. The four-and-a-half foot wide crucifix was attached
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Nothing glossy about Horden
THIRTY years after he left in circumstances most kindly described as unsatisfactory – Sir Alex might have had a rather stronger expression – former Horden CW manager Geoff Wade has been granted a testimonial. “It came totally out of the
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Roast porker
ON Sunday, I took my two youngest daughters, aged three and one, to the Locomotion railway museum, in Shildon, to meet their favourite TV characters, Peppa and George Pig. After a very hot wait of nearly three hours, the girls were very excited
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Brass tactics
Brass bands have blown away audiences in the North-East for years, but their ranks have become a little depleted of late. Sharon Griffiths talks to horn player Susan Hayton about the challenges facing the tradition. PREPARE to be blown away
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Letters
I CONCUR with the views expressed by Allan Day and Peter Jeffries {HAS, June 25) and have been disappointed by the declining standards of some contributions to the letters page. Many correspondents are simply submitting sanctimonious platitudes
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Carry on screaming
HAVING expressed my indifference to tennis recently my opinion was reinforced by a chance encounter on Saturday when I lit upon a singles match between two Russian ladies. I was astounded that one of the ladies, who I later identified as Maria
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Euthanasia
I FOUND Peter Mullen’s article on euthanasia very interesting (Echo, June 21). As a Christian, I believe that human life is precious and a person’s right to live should be defended and protected from their conception until their natural death.
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Telephone torture
I AM clearly not alone in following the recent exchanges between some of the more prolific contributors to HAS, each seeking to assert intellectual superiority over the other. Fortunately, society allows us to express contrary views and opinions
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Scotland
THE British tax payer is to give Scotland what is effectively a £4.5bn bribe to remain part of the United Kingdom. Tax payers have also had to pay £250m fighting Libya’s civil war, spend billions fighting American’s war in Afghanistan and Iraq
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Cameron won't hold his nerve
Back in April I said in this column that the NHS could never be properly reformed – arguing that, if it were possible to reform it, the reforms would have happened before now. This is a national tragedy because the NHS is a national disgrace, an
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Aliens
IT was interesting to read the article about the aliens that allegedly landed in Gateshead during the Forties (Echo, June 24). I have also followed the story on the Richplanet TV show, and was fascinated by Robert Hall’s account. Robert claims
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Big Society
A YOUTH centre in David Cameron’s plush Oxfordshire constituency is facing immediate closure if it fails to find £7,500 to pay its rent and electricity for the month ahead. The youth centre which Cameron described as one of the strongest examples
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Prison sentencing
REGARDING Ken Clarke’s attempt to halve prison sentences, why not turn the plan around and double the tariff for those who plead not guilty and are convicted? It only seems fair to make this proposal as, after all, it would only mean serving the
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Creepy crawlies in class
SCHOOL children got to handle all kinds of creepy crawlies when a range of animals were brought into class. Youngsters at Framwellgate Moor Primary School, in Durham, encountered frogs, snails, tarantulas and snakes during ZooLab animal handling
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Punished by hatred
BLINDED police officer David Rathband is held in such high public esteem that Kelsey Donkin is now a hate figure. Donkin is the very stupid woman who went up to PC Rathband and said “bang, bang” while making a gun gesture behind his back.
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New cathedral lights to cost £430k
WORK is set to begin on a £430,000 scheme to improve the lighting of Durham Castle and Cathedral. The Durham County Council-funded project will be carried out by AK Lighting, of Bishop Auckland, with work due to start next month and expected to last
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Lancashire v Durham: Harmison strikes
AFTER struggling to hit the mown strip in his first two spells today Steve Harmison made it third time lucky, picking up two wickets as Lancashire slipped to 206 for five at tea. Following a couple of short looseners in his third spell, Harmison surprised
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£20,000 for repairs to almshouses
WORK to restore iron railings around Sir William Turner's almhouses has received £20,000 from the Wolfson Foundation of London. Trustees of the almshouses, at Kirkleatham, near Redcar, have been fund-raising since last August to make repairs
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School trip to Olympic Games site
PUPILS from the region will tour the Olympic Park in London and meet former champions as part of the build-up to the 2012 games. A 22-strong group from Oakfields Community and Trinity Catholic Colleges in Middlesbrough will take part in a two-day
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Workshops will help pupils to aim higher
PUPILS made cameras out of cardboard tubes and drew and painted as a way of finding out about higher education yesterday. About 60 schoolchildren from across Teesside are involved in three days of workshops at Middlesbrough College of Art and Design
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Tory film exposes 'absentee MP'
A FILM chronicling the 2010 General Election campaign fought in Middlesbrough is being screened for the first time in the town. BAFTA-nominated documentary maker, John Walsh, made a film of the year he spent as the Tory candidate standing against
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Free school action group defends plan
FREE school campaigners in Ingleby Barwick have hit back at critics of their plans, saying the scheme represents the best option for the future of education in the town. Barwick's Own Second Secondary School (BO2SS), which is made up of residents
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Swan looking to build on Knockhill success
SWAN Yamaha are looking to build on their excellent results at Knockhill in the teams quest for MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship glory. The Guisborough-based team heads to Snetterton in Norfolk this weekend for the sixth round of the championship
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Backtrack: There's nothing glossy about Horden
Thirty years after he left in circumstances most kindly described as unsatisfactory - Sir Alex might have had a rather stronger expression - former Horden CW manager Geoff Wade has been granted a testimonial. "It came totally out of the blue, a bit strange
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Popular author to launch walking and literary festival
AUTHOR Gervase Phinn is to host a pre-launch event for a popular literary and walking festival by reading excerpts of his first novel for adults. The Alt-Berg Richmond Walking and Book Festival, which is now in its 11th year, will run in venues around
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Britney Spears to play Newcastle
US pop star Britney Spears is to play her first ever North-East gig. The 29-year-old singer and dancer will be at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle on November 3. It is part of her Femme Fatale tour, which kicked off earlier this month
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Barefaced cheek as naked rambler is nabbed
A NAKED rambler was nabbed after he was spotted by an off-duty policeman. Detective Inspector Geoff Smith was cycling along a footpath near Lanchester, County Durham on Sunday afternoon when he was stunned to see the cheeky man wearing nothing
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Lancashire v Durham: All change
WHAT difference a day makes. After folding for 84 yesterday, Lancashire wiped out their first innings arrears of 102 for the loss of only one wicket this morning. The pitch appeared to have become very placid and with a chilly breeze blowing on a bright
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Reward offered to stop anti-social behaviour
AN elderly couple who have been plagued by anti-social behaviour have offered a reward to help catch those responsible. The couple, who are in their seventies and do not wish to be identified, have had eggs thrown at the windows of their house on Throxenby
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Tourist board set-up plans moving forward
PLANS for a tourism advisory board for the eastern area of North Yorkshire have taken a step forward. Ryedale District Council last week hosted a meeting of tourism-driven businesses, including accommodation providers and tourist attractions. The council
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Boro's second home game put back 24 hours
MIDDLESBROUGH'S home game with Birmingham City has been put back 24 hours to Sunday, August 21.Birmingham have a Europa League game on the previous Thursday, so their trip to the Riverside has been delayed by a day. Meanwhile, the kick-off time of the
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Learn about Roman history
A BOOK about the North-East’s Roman heritage has been produced by a local history group. The Friends of Longovicium, based in Lanchester, County Durham, have secured over £6,500 in funding to create the 26 page publication. The group has printed 4,000
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Old school friends enjoy get-together
OLD school friends who have stayed in touch since completing their education several decades ago got together for a weekend of nostalgic reminscing. More than 30 former pupils of Great Ayton School met at the Friends’ Meeting House, in the village, on
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Sunderland pensioner killed in Maltese hit and run
A PENSIONER was killed in a hit-and-run as she enjoyed a holiday with her family in Malta. Elizabeth Whilems, 77, of Sunderland, was with her husband and daughter on the island when she was struck and killed on Sunday night. The pensioner had
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Cyclist hit by coach
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a cyclist was involved in a collision with a coach. The 46-year-old cyclist was riding along the A171, near Whitby, North Yorkshire, at about 4pm, on Monday, June 20, when he was hit by a passing coach. The man
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Community Foundation National Conference
Last week around 350 delegates and high profile speakers attended the Community Foundation Network's national conference in Newcastle, with the second evening's event being held at Beamish Museum. Part of a worldwide movement, there are now 57 community
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War on waste
From spy planes scrapped before they even took to the skies, to rifles with firing pins that broke and desert boots that melted in the sun, Britain is no stranger to military procurement disasters. But, as Nigel Burton reports, things are about to
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Mavis Dixon: Jessie Wanless
MAVIS DIXON has found a small case of memorabilia in her attic and would like to return it to her family. She is looking for the family of Jessie Wanless - the daughter of John I Wanless, from 10 Brandon Village, Brandon - who married John (Jack) Thompson
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Triumph over Adversity
Wycliffe resident Bryan Ramsey has asked me to publish his account of this year's Beamish Run, and letter of thanks to George Jolley, its organsiser. I am happy to do so. Dear George, I saw you briefly at the finish in the "sign off" tent,
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Taylor deal at an impasse
NEWCASTLE officials insist they will not be drawn into a bidding war for Swansea City full-back Neil Taylor. Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins formally rejected the Magpies' £1m offer for Taylor yesterday evening, despite a clause in the 22-year-old's
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Cartoon provides inspiration for festival
A WALT Disney cartoon will provide the inspiration for a fancy dress competition at a village festival. The annual Sadberge Summer Festival will take place at venues around the village on Saturday throughout the day. This year's theme will be
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Benkenstein stands firm in the face of adversity
ANOTHER nail seemed to have been hammered into the coffin of outground cricket yesterday when 18 wickets fell in the first two sessions on the first day of Durham's top-of-the-table match against Lancashire at Liverpool. But it was the quality of the
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Team volunteers 1,000 hours
A TEAM of students has put in more than 1,000 hours of volunteer work during the past academic year. The Pathways group from Darlington College has decorated a church, carried out allotment work, picked litter and collected Easter eggs during the past
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Ji set to sign as Wickham interest strengthens
JI Dong-won will be confirmed as a Sunderland player within the next 48 hours after spending yesterday at the Academy of Light finalising the personal terms of his move from South Korea. However, despite reports in Ireland suggesting the Black
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Qashqai joins millionaire's row
STAFF at Nissan Sunderland Plant are today celebrating the production of their one millionth Nissan Qashqai. The landmark vehicle was driven off the production line four years, six months and 23 days after production began on December 5, 2006
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Ravensworth Childminding Business Celebrates 5 Years
Ravensworth based Laura's Childminding celebrated their fifth anniversary last weekend. Laura Stephenson and her mum Judith organised a water party for the children they care for. Their parents will be treated to an evening out next weekend. Started
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Inquiry into North Yorkshire chief constable cost more than £275,000
TAXPAYERS face a bill of more than £275,000 for an investigation into the conduct of a chief constable - with the potential for more costs still to be revealed. North Yorkshire Police Authority yesterday released details of the costs it incurred during
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Deadline day for threatened County Durham leisure centres
CAMPAIGNERS hoping to save struggling leisure centres from closure were last night scrambling to finalise their rescue plans, before another council-imposed deadline. Community leaders hoping to take over leisure centres in Sherburn, Coxhoe, Pity Me,
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York University acquires personal archive of Sir Alan Ayckbourn
DRAMATIST Sir Alan Ayckbourn has made his personal archive publicly accessible in a move he hopes will inspire others to write. The collection - which contains thousands of items including original working manuscripts, plot diagrams and correspondence
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Woman facing jail for 'bang bang' taunts at blinded PC
A WOMAN could be sent to jail after she admitted shouting "bang bang" at the police officer blinded by gunman Raoul Moat. Kelsey Donkin was showing off when she made the comment, then made a gesture as if she was holding a shotgun. Pc
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Family of Christopher Rochester 'sent to hell and back'
A COUPLE who witnessed the exhumation of their son say they have been "sent to hell and back". The remains of Christopher Rochester, who died aged 24 after a balcony fall on the Greek island of Rhodes in 2000, were carefully taken from his grave by police
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Chinese billionaire considers Northumbrian Water bid
ONE of the world's richest men is considering making a bid to buy Durham City's largest private sector employer. Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings (CKI), the investment vehicle of Chinese billionaire Li Ka-shing, said last night that it was considering
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Bakery chain takes wares directly to customers
A BAKERY chain battling back from the economic downturn is taking its wares directly to customers. Family owned Peters Bakery has launched a fleet of vans taking food directly to hungry workers at their offices. Like many of the region's bakers the
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Fund set up to help cancer battler Kieran
THE family of a 12-year-old boy battling a rare form of cancer have started a trust fund to secure his future after the disease claimed part of his leg. Kieran Maxwell underwent an amputation at the knee of his left leg in March after doctors discovered
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Passport Office worker stole £4,752 from safe, court told
A PASSPORT office worker waited until he was alone at work before taking £4,752 from a safe, a court was told. John Thomas Reid is accused of removing the money, a cheque and credit card slips from the administration office safe at the Identity and Passport
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Pickles hails Tees Valley enterprise zone 'brave and clever'
A RADICAL scheme to bring tens of thousands of jobs to the region was poised for success last night, after a Cabinet minister hailed it as "brave and clever". Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, heaped praise on plans for an 'enterprise zone' spread
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Hixon recruits former England international
Sunderland RCA manager Neil Hixon has appointed former England international Steve Howey to his coaching staff. Howey, 39, was capped four times by England during his days at Newcastle United, for whom he also played in the 1998 FA Cup final
