Archive
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Reds are tipped by bookies to win on Wearside
Liverpool haven't made the ideal start, taking just one point from their opening three matches, but the Reds are fancied by bookies to pick up their first win of the campaign at Sunderland's expense. Stan James have installed Brendan Rodgers' men as
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All focus on Doncaster for the St Leger
Yorkshire racecourses have been as important to top class racing this season as Mo Farah was to the Olympics. With the memory of Frankel, trouncing his rivals at York, still fresh in the memory, all eyes are on Doncaster this afternoon for the St Leger
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Two US Marines killed in insurgent attack on Prince Harry's Afghan base
TWO US Marines were killed and several more troops wounded in an attack on the Camp Bastion military compound in Afghanistan . A US official said the attack last night at the base in Helmand province in the south of the country was by heavily-armed
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North-East swimmer announces retirement
STOCKTON'S Jessica Dickons has announced her retirement from competitive swimming after failing to qualify for this summer's Olympic Games. Dickons, who specialised in the 100m and 200m butterfly, was first selected for the senior Great Britain
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Falcons maintain unbeaten start to the season
NEWCASTLE Falcons maintained their 100 per cent start to the Championship season with a comfortable 37-3 win over Doncaster Knights at Kingston Park. Falcons scored four tries for the third game in succession, meaning they have claimed a maximum
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A step too far on royal privacy
THE decision by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to launch legal action against the French magazine Closer for publishing pictures of Kate topless is a definitive moment for the royal family and the privacy debate. The furore over The Sun's
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Heart attack driver aided by passers-by dies
A MAN who suffered a heart attack while driving through a North Yorkshire village has died, despite the efforts of passing members of the public and Armed Forces. The 87-year-old, from Catterick Village, North Yorkshire, was driving through Tunstall
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Residents object to plans for Chilton turbines
FEARS of a spate of wind turbine applications have prompted residents to speak out against plans for land near Chilton. Residents of the town, near Ferryhill, have joined councillors in opposing a scheme to erect the two 15-metre turbines at Park
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Driver seriously injured in accident near Barnard Castle
A CAR driver was flown to hospital by air ambulance after a two-vehicle collision near Barnard Castle today. The accident happened on the B6278 close to Low Park Wall Farm, Marwood around 4.20pm. The driver of a blue Vauxhall Corsa, who was
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Town hosts fun day and festival
TALENTED young musicians are lining up to showcase their skills at a music festival and family fun day in Crook tomorrow. Three Towns Area Action Partnership has teamed up with West Durham Youth and Community Resources to bring Crook Music Festival
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Planning appeal submitted after committee's refusal
AN appeal has been submitted against a council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a bungalow. Jack Havakin wants to build the detached property in the former garden of a property in Castle Close, off Church Lane, Middleton St George.
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Schoolchildren get active at the gym
TWO new schools have joined a gym as a community aims to improve its health. The Trex Gym, in Tow Law, is already used by the town’s two schools, the Blessed John Duckett and Millennium Primary Schools, but now other hilltop villages are moving
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Victor Chandler writes...
The oldest classic in the world takes centre stage with the unbeaten Camelot bidding to become the first horse since the great Nijinsky back in 1970 to win racing's Triple Crown of 2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger. Connections should be lauded for taking
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Taste Cumbria
If you want to try some of this wonderful local food, the Taste Cumbria Food Festival, is held in Cockermouth at the end of the month, from September 29 to 30, where more than 100 of Cumbria’s best producers, hoteliers and restaurateurs will
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Who cares about the weather?
It’s only a short hop away from the North-East, but some of the food is out of this world, says Betty Long, in the run-up to the Taste Cumbria weekend THE British summer continued to produce heavy, weary-looking clouds as we set off for our trip
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Political diaries
POLITICAL diaries are usually intriguing because they reveal so much about the big issues of the day. Not Edwina Currie’s. All they seem to reveal, in extracts seen so far, is a lot about Edwina. Mainly that she’s selfish, sex mad, selfjustifying
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The triers who will never win a medal
Dear Sharon, TO some extent you are right to say that attitudes to disabled athletes have changed in the last 20 or 30 years and that is very good, but I’m not sure that extends towards the ordinary person with disabilities. Very few can hope
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Make the bed, then get out
DON’T weep. Don’t snivel when you give them a last hug. Don’t call them “babykins” in front of their new room-mates (especially if your baby is a strapping six foot rugby player). And above all, don’t spit on your hanky and wipe a smudge off their
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Bouncing the baby
PEACHES Geldof was so busy talking on her phone while pushing baby Astala in his buggy, that she didn’t see the pot-hole... Over went the buggy and buried little Astala somewhere under his blankets. And even while she rushed to pick him up, Peaches
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Playing catch-up to the 4G generation
A NEW generation of 4G phones just launched will be super speedy – downloading a web page in a fraction of a second. Wonderful. Except, of course, for those of us just a mile from the A1 and yet with no mobile phone coverage at all. Instead of
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Send the king back up North
WHO’D have thought they’d find Richard III under a council car park in Leicester? But it’s looking good – they’ve found a body of someone obviously quite posh – well-built, well-nourished – with a bashed-in head and an arrow in his spine, the way
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Gold Bond
Piers Morgan’s Life Stories (ITV1, 9pm) Fairport Convention: Who Knows Where the Times Goes (BBC4, 9pm) Moone Boy (Sky1, 9.30pm) SEPTEMBER 15 marks the 50th anniversary of James Bond on the big screen, so 007 fans worldwide will be raising
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It’s a great book, honest!
WHEN JK Rowling’s first book for adults goes on sale later this month, no one except Rowling and her editors will have read the first line. Her publishers, Little Brown, are refusing to let reviewers have copies of the book before the public get
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‘Sorry’ is not enough
HAVING waited 23 years for the truth about the Hillsborough disaster to be forced to the surface, pressure is growing for the next steps to be taken on the long road to justice. We said yesterday that there was a clear case for new inquests, and
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Training scheme secures funding for 100
AN innovative training scheme for fledgling engineers has secured Government funding to create an additional 100 places. The TTE Technical Training Group hopes to fill as many of the places as possible before the Engineering Pathway course begins
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A sorry lesson in apologies
SORRY, whatever Sir Elton might sing, is not the hardest word. Most of us, at one time or another, have received apologies that were nothing of the sort – they were mass-produced excuses from a faceless corporation sent second class after months
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That sinking feeling over ship
I FIND it hard to believe that this Government has sent HMS Ark Royal to Turkey to be scrapped when it could have been done on the Tyne and given jobs to local people. I find it hard to believe they got rid of the ship in the first place. Ships
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King football
WE certainly enjoyed a wonderful summer of sport. What a pleasant change it was to see such a variety of sports enjoying the limelight. I even read the back pages and watched hours of sport on television for a change. Unfortunately, this could
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MP's expenses
FORMER Darlington MP and current Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon, who has just been made a business minister, has announced that the Tories still wish to introduce no fault dismissal for employees (Echo, Sept 10). During the expenses scandal, Mr
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Peter Mullen
I ENJOYED Peter Mullen’s column about his friend, Dr Rowan Williams, the out-going Archbishop of Canterbury, but I don’t recognise the world that Mr Mullen sees Christians inhabiting (Echo, Sept 11). Christians can wear whatever they want to
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Examinations
I AGREE with Susan Willis about the fuss over the difference between a grade C and a grade D in English Language (HAS, Sept 5), and suspect that over the years there have been a number of cases of the goalposts being moved at the wrong time.
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Petrol prices
THE Office of Fair Trading is reviewing the price of petrol and diesel (Echo, Sept 6). A good starting point would be the amount of tax the Government creams off. Every time the prices go up at the pumps, the Government gets a bit more tax revenue
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Resign
SPENNYMOOR County Councillor Martin Jones says he has decided to resign from the Liberal Democrats because of the way his party is now working with the Conservatives in government (HAS, Sept 11). Now he plans to remain on Durham County Council as
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Bike attack
SEVERAL months after a cycling crash on ice and subsequent knee operation, I am finally struggling back to fitness on my bike using a route along Blackwell Lane, Darlington. So I just like to thank the yob passenger in a silver-grey Ford Focus
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Health and Safety
I HAD to visit the toilet of a local supermarket this week. I was unable to find any hand soap to wash my hands, so approached customer services who stated that the machine had been broken and a replacement had been ordered. I asked for some
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Share prices drop at BAE
DEFENCE manufacturer BAE Systems has seen its share price drop in the face of potential hurdles it could face if it proceeds with a multi-billion-pound merger. BAE is in talks with Airbus aircraft manufacturer European Aeronautic, Defence and Space
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Looking back on what rocked the banking world
CONSEQUENCES of the run on Northern Rock are many and varied. The obvious ones are clear – it helped spark the deepest recession since the 1930s, cost the taxpayer billions of pounds when the bank and many of its counterparts were taken into public
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Housing site value plummets to £2.4m
A MULTI-MILLION pound scheme to build hundreds of homes on a former asbestos factory site has racked up losses of more than £4m, it has emerged. Dunelm Homes and others have built 165 homes on the former Cape asbestos factory site, in Bowburn ,
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Welly wanging world record tumbles
VILLAGERS are celebrating upholding the honour of the North after dramatically winning the World Welly Wanging Championships with a last-gasp world record throw. Residents of Welbury, near Northallerton , had been challenged to compete against
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About par
IN highlighting the possible merger of Blackwell Grange Golf Club and Stressholme Golf Club in his editorial (Echo, Sept 5), is the editor trying to preserve his unique record of a “round in one”, at the Blackwell Grange course, for all time?
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The best sites in the North
ALTHOUGH the rich seabird colonies of the Farne Islands are considered among the crown jewels of the country’s birding sites, drawing thousands of visitors from the rest of Britain and overseas each year, many less well-known gems are highlighted
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Man charged after six-vehicle pile-up
A 19-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with drink-driving following a multi-vehicle pile-up on a diversion from another accident. North Yorkshire Police arrested the man, from Richmond , in connection with a sixvehicle incident on the B6271 at Great
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'Laser attack' arrest
A MAN has been arrested after a laser pen was shone at a police helicopter. The 54-year-old was detained on suspicion of endangering an aircraft following an incident at 4.30am yesterday as the aircraft flew over the Southwick area of Sunderland
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A66 improvement work plan
THE Highways Agency will be carrying out improvement work on the A66 between Bowes, near Barnard Castle , County Durham and Stainmore, in Cumbria, from Monday to Saturday, October 27. Work to resurfacing sections of the carriageway, refresh road
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Man charged after six-vehicle pile-up
A 19-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with drink-driving following a multi-vehicle pile-up on a diversion from another accident. North Yorkshire Police arrested the man, from Richmond , in connection with a sixvehicle incident on the B6271 at Great
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Proud day as medal honour revived
TEN local heroes have been awarded with British Empire Medals in the first ceremony of its kind for 20 years. The honour, which was discontinued in Britain by John Major in 1992, was brought back for the Queen’s diamond jubilee to recognise “the
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Bid to get Hendrix concert recognised
A MUSIC fan has launched a campaign to have a North- East concert by guitar legend Jimi Hendrix officially recognised. The Purple Haze star played to a sell-out crowd at The Imperial Hotel, in Darlington, with his band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
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MP demands answers over railway station funding
A NORTH-EAST MP who fears funding to build train stations may never materialise voiced his concerns in the House of Commons yesterday. Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson believes Ferryhill, in County Durham, could benefit from the £20m scheme, which aims
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Shell out for festival sky ride
AN extravagant experience will be on offer at a North- East food festival, thanks to an appearance by a famous hot air balloon. Guests at the ninth annual Oyster Festival, at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield , County Durham, will not only be able to enjoy
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Talented Georgia spoiling for fight
AN appeal has been made for more girls to take up boxing to help a future Olympian who is struggling to find oponents. Georgia O’Connor started boxing two years ago, but is already being tipped as a future Olympian – despite the fact she has not
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Manhunt after town centre sex attack on young girl
A HUNT has been launched for a sex attacker who targeted a schoolgirl in a town centre alleyway. Police said the man approached the girl in an alleyway between New Quay Road and Baxtergate, in Whitby, between 8.30pm and 9pm on Wednesday and assaulted
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'Do more about pocket-money priced booze'
ALCOHOL continues to be sold at pocketmoney prices across the North-East despite the impact it is having on health, crime and the wider economy, a price survey has revealed. The results of the survey coincided with research by Drinkaware which
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New brewery toasts Durham poet
“HOW do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Words from Sonnet 43, penned by County Durham-born Elizabeth Barrett Browning. But one restaurateur is hoping they will be applied to his new range of beers, made in a brewery named in honour of
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Authorisation urged for World Cup team tribute
PLANS for a statue celebrating the centenary of a North-East football club winning the first World Cup are being recommended for approval, three years after the anniversary it will commemorate. Durham County Council’s planning officers are recommending
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Take a seat in football history
A STUNNING piece of English football memorabilia has been added to an auction at a fundraising event tonight. Newton Aycliffe Football Club has lined up a variety of auction prizes for the event at Aycliffe Working Men’s Club, in Newton Ayliffe
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Fire fighters rescue boys from school tree
FIREFIGHTERS have been praised for rescuing two boys who got stuck nearly 60ft up a tree in their school grounds. The 13-year-old pupils at Spring Hill School, in Ripon , had climbed the equivalent height of four double-decker buses during their
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‘Raising awareness is a family affair’
A FAMILY with two children who suffer from a rare genetic disorder are staging a charity event to raise awareness of the condition. The Smiths, from Leadgate, near Consett , County Durham, hope their sponsored toddle will help others affected by
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Wildcats step up a gear
WITH just over a week until the new BBL season, Durham Wildcats step up their preparations when they take on Newcastle Eagles in the North-East Cup tomorrow. The Wildcats welcome the reigning champions to the Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre hoping
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School children get active at the gym
TWO new schools have joined a gym as a community aims to improve its health. The Trex Gym, in Tow Law, is already used by the town’s two schools, the Blessed John Duckett and Millennium Primary Schools, but now other hilltop villages are moving
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Row as bus cash given to councils
TOWN halls were promised more say over local bus services yesterday – but ministers were immediately accused of favouring some parts of the region over others. The Department for Transport (Dft) announced plans to hand a grant crucial to keeping
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Boro all set for a striker return
LUKAS Jutkiewicz is set to make his first start of the season tomorrow, with Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray tipping the striker to be a key figure during his second campaign on Teesside . Jutkiewicz, who has not featured since undergoing knee
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Police hunt suspected flasher
POLICE have issued an image of a man thought to be involved in two separate incidents in which he exposed himself to women and carried out an indecent act. Both incidents took place in Darlington last weekend. The first happened in Surtees
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I'm a woman on a mission and I don't intend to fail!
Morning Readers! I hope you've all had fantastic results from the scales this week, whether it be a fantastic loss or even a thank goodness I only gained that amount as I was expecting it to be much worse. However you've done, give yourselves a huge
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Inquiry used to kick the press says MP
A SENIOR Tory MP has delivered a stinging rebuke to Lord Justice Leveson for helping people settle “grudges” with newspapers. John Whittingdale, chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, questioned the remit of the inquiry into
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Hotel prepares for grand reopening
CHRISTMAS came early in a North-East hotel as staff celebrated the upcoming relaunch of the venue ravaged by one of the biggest fires in the town’s history. It took 60 firefighters nearly six hours to control the inferno at The King’s Hotel, Darlington
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Show's tribute to a great gardner
ONE of the country’s major autumn gardening festivals opens today. The Harrogate Autumn Flower Show is being staged at the Great Yorkshire Showground, this weekend, featuring its famous display of giant vegetables. Two roses will also be making
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Burglar wins cut in first sentence
A YOUNG burglar and driving offender has succeeded in halving the length of his first spell in custody. The 13-year-old received a two-year detention and training order, the maximum possible sentence, at South Durham Youth Court, in July. But
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Dixon says that West are underdogs in top of the table clash
West Auckland manager Peter Dixon says that his team will go into Saturday’s top of the table clash with Spennymoor as underdogs. West are second in the table with five wins and one draw in six games, but they’re up against a Moors team that
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Scott Wilson Column: Who should be Sports Personality of the Year?
THERE have been times in the past when choosing the winner of the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award effectively meant selecting the least worst of the country's sporting performers. In 2001, David Beckham was chosen because of one free-kick
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Harmison rewarded with Durham benefit
DURHAM yesterday confirmed that Steve Harmison will have a benefit next season, when he will be in the final year of his contract. It is understood that the testimonial was written into the four-year deal he was awarded when it was clear that his
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O'Neill praises Anfield's fight for justice
SUNDERLAND are in discussions with Liverpool over how to mark this week's confirmation that the 23-year fight for justice for the families of the 96 fans who died at the Hillsborough disaster has finally uncovered the truth. The Stadium of Light
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Pardew defends August transfer policy
ALAN PARDEW has defended Newcastle United's decision not to pay over the odds for experienced defensive cover last month despite mounting injury problems after the international break. The Magpies' hectic start to the campaign ended with growing
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Tykes celebrate promotion
YORKSHIRE are back 'where we belong' according to skipper Andrew Gale after clinching promotion to division one of the County Championship. The Tykes success was sealed at 6.04pm yesterday after a bizarre end to Kent's game at Glamorgan. The visitors
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SSI eyes future challenges as it reaches million tonnes milestone
FIVE months after a North-East steel plant was reopened, ending a two year hiatus, production has hit the one million tonnes mark. The SSI plant in Redcar yesterday marked a major milestone that bosses said was testament to the skill and dedication
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Stokes leads Durham to a final victory
BEN Stokes left it a bit late to stake his claim for a trip to India, but his England credentials were crystal clear as he helped Durham to a five-wicket win against Sussex yesterday. He grabbed the crucial wicket of Luke Wells with the 16th ball
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Cooper strikes up a friendship with Black Cats
NEALE Cooper is happy to have one player in at Hartlepool United from Sunderland - and would still love another. Midfielder Craig Lynch signed on an initial month's loan last Saturday and made a quick debut, appearing as a substitute in the home
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Meyler catches Martin's eye
AFTER a week in which Sunderland's young winger from Derry had to make a grovelling apology to his international boss, Martin O'Neill has acknowledged the rejuvenation of a Corkman in his thoughts for a starting role on Wearside . While James
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Gemma spurred on by father's memory
AN accountant will complete her fourth and final challenge in memory of her father this weekend when she takes part in the Great North Run. Gemma Smith will run the 13.1-mile course dressed in Army garb and sporting the regimental colours of her
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Relative running to highlight gun law plea after Horden family shooting tragedy
A MAN who lost three members of his family in a shooting on New Year’s Day is taking part in the Great North Run to promote a campaign for tougher gun control laws. Bob Hardman’s sisters, Alison Turnbull, 44, and Susan McGoldrick, 47, were shot
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County Durham boxer, Georgia, challenges girls to take to the ring
AN appeal has been made for more girls to take up boxing to help a future Olympian who is struggling to find oponents. Georgia O’Connor started boxing two years ago, but is already being tipped as a future Olympian – despite the fact she has not
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GPs say NHS treatments rationed because of costs
A THIRD of GPs believe that health authorities are rationing NHS treatments because of costs, according to a survey. Despite orders not to limit services, 35 per cent of general practitioners said that primary care trusts are restricting access
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Nissan recalls almost 7,000 Sunderland-built Qashqais over steering fault
NISSAN is recalling thousands of cars made at its North-East plant after a faulty steering wheel came away in the hands of a driver. The Japanese manufacturer confirmed that about 7,000 Sunderland-made Qashqai sports utility vehicles are being
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Writer fulfils County Durham birdwatcher's dying wish
THE dying wish of a North- East ornithologist has been fulfilled thanks to a fellow journalist and keen birdwatcher. Brian Unwin, a former reporter with The Northern Echo, and long-time Birdwatch columnist for the paper, died after a long battle
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Timepiece stolen from Kiplin Hall recovered after 36 years
A COUNTRY house that was burgled 36 years ago has finally been reunited with one of the items stolen – a 19th Century marine chronometer. Staff at Kiplin Hall, in Scorton, near Richmond , North Yorkshire, had long given up on the crime on December
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Great North Run heralds end of a summer of sporting excellence
A GOLDEN summer of sport will draw to a close with a festival of athletics in the North- East this weekend. A sensational array of London 2012 Olympic gold medallists featuring Mo Farah, rower Kat Copeland, boxer Nicola Adams, Paralympic swimmer
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Councillors decide against closure order for Bagby Airfield
COUNCILLORS yesterday decided against making an order which would have closed an airfield at the centre of a long-running planning wrangle. The Local Government Ombudsman recently asked Hambleton District Council to consider taking out a discontinuation
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Newton Aycliffe school's Sats results scrapped
A NORTH-EAST primary school at the centre of an investigation into exam results has had some of its Sats scores annulled, it emerged yesterday. Marks for mental maths and English reading for year six pupils at Vane Road Primary School, in Newton
