Archive
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Government to examine bigger benefits for windfarm communities
COMMUNITIES which have wind farms in their area could get money off their electricity bills or grants for facilities such as playgrounds, the Government suggested today. The Department of Energy and Climate Change has launched a consultation into
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West lose second successive game/Bishops win in League Cup/Whitley Bay hit 8
West Auckland suffered their second successive defeat in the ENL when they went down 4-2 at Bedlington last night. West had a dreadful first half. They fell behind when Phil Bannister ran through unchallenged and scored from the edge of the box
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Burnt-out shops still awaiting demolition
THE owners of a parade of shops which burnt down in May say they are still waiting for the all-clear to demolish the charred ruins. Fire destroyed the row of shops, wiping out several businesses, in Durham Lane, Eaglescliffe , in a blaze which
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Eviction for those who flout fire rules
ALLOTMENT holders are being reminded they face eviction or prosecution if they flout the rules relating to open fires on their plots. Hartlepool Borough Council's environmental enforcement team members will be carrying out spot-checks throughout
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Street food to tempt you
A TOWN centre will be transformed by exotic smells, tastes and sights from around the globe as it hosts its first World Market. From 11am to 7pm on Friday, Stockton High Street will be brought alive by traders selling an international array of
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Day celebrated by advice event
A UNIVERSITY is offering advice about higher education funding during Student Finance Day tomorrow. National Student Finance Day is supported by the Student Finance Taskforce, an independent group advising future students and parents. A drop-in
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Hockey medallists join club for open session
TWO Olympic bronze medallists will be visiting a university at the weekend to encourage people to take part in Hockey Nation's Give it a Go scheme and the Premier League 4 Sport Programme. Team GB's bronze medal winning hockey players Beth Storry
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Key to success
THE Central pub, in Middlesbrough, has been named winner of the town's 2012 Best Bar None awards. And The Keys, pictured with staff member Dave Dickson, run by the same company as The Keys, in Ya rm, was named best club, with the honours in the
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Green-fingered residents win awards in contest
GARDENERS, including a 92-yearold and a former butcher, have been given awards for making their town blooming beautiful. The results of this year’s Crook in Bloom have been announced by Crook Community Partnership, with prizes handed to the competition
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Save now or risk poverty - pensions warning
HUNDREDS of thousands of the region's workers have been urged to join a looming pensions revolution - or face the misery of "poverty" in retirement. Within days, Britain's biggest companies will start automatically enrolling staff into new workplace
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On-street booze bans to be enforced several areas of Stanley
AN ON-STREET booze ban will be enforced over large swathes of a north Durham community in a bid to tackle problems with anti-social behaviour. Durham County Council’s area general licensing sub-committee meeting yesterday approved Designated Public
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Controversy continues over September fair
THE controvesry over Northallerton ’s revived Septemnber fair, held last weekend, flared again at this week’s town council meeting. Members voiced their displeasure at the lack of proper consultation with them and local traders over the event in
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Drugs squad find cannabis farm
POLICE are celebrating a major victory in their battle against the illegal drugs trade. Cannabis plants valued at several hundreds of thousands of pounds were seized during a raid on a property in North Yorkshire. Officers found more than 500
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Titanic: The Musical sails again
IT has been a major disappointment to me that the offers from Andrew Lloyd Webber and the like didn't flood in after my appearance earlier this year in Titanic: The Musical at Darlington Civic Theatre. But it now appears that a comeback may be
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Viva Las Vegas
It’s one of the party capitals of the world, and Prince Harry has certainly given it the royal seal of approval. From pool parties to Ferrari racing, Richard Jones finds Vegas doesn’t disappoint THE instructor began screeching down the headset
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Live a rainbow
Create bright, uplifting rooms with colourful homeware and clever decor tricks. Gabrielle Fagan sources snazzy style to smarten up an autumn home IT’S hard to believe we’re already in autumn, but there’s no need to regret the passing of our short
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England football legend attends Newton Aycliffe FC's charity night
EXCITING football memorabilia and an appearance by an England legend proved a winning formula at a County Durham club’s latest fundraising event. Former England, Arsenal and Middlesbrough midfielder Ray Parlour was the guest speaker at Newton Aycliffe
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Campaigners aim to fight library cuts
MORE than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for longer opening hours at a town centre library, which will suffer due to county council budget cuts. Sedgefield Library's opening hours will be cut from 39 per week to 20 in January, as Durham
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Durham will not get town council
DURHAM will not get a town council, it was decided today. Following a campaign lasting at least four years, Durham County Council voted 90-5 in favour of ‘Option A’: to take no action. There were six abstentions. Afterwards, former Mayor of
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Olympics has had effect – Jill Scott
JILL Scott is confident England’s women footballers will not suffer a post-Olympic hangover when they play their decisive final European Championships qualifier this evening. England take on Croatia at Walsall’s Bescot Stadium knowing a win will
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Match Report: Real Madrid 3 Manchester City 2
Final Score: Real Madrid 3 Manchester City 2 MANCHESTER CITY goalkeeper Joe Hart felt the players should accept the blame after narrowly failing to score a famous win at Real Madrid last night. The Premier League champions were six minutes
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Match Report: Montpellier 1 Arsenal 2
Final Score: Montpellier 1 Arsenal 2 ASSISTANT boss Steve Bould admitted he had ‘‘a bit of a headache’’ after stepping into the Arsenal dugout for last night’s Champions League opener in Montpellier which saw the Gunners battle back to win 2-
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Bye-bye booze, hello happiness
DENISE WELCH, former Corrie star and Celebrity Big Brother winner, knows that her escapades of the past have made her a prime tabloid target. Falling out of nightclubs drunk, flashing her breasts on national television and engaging in extra-marital
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MINI MOTORCYCLE RACING
THESE motorcycles may look a bit on the small side but the racing is deadly serious. Reader Alison Coastworth took this photo of the action at Warden Law, in County Durham. The Bike Wise Minibike Club is a joint initiative between Durham Police
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Redcar National park
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and the North York Moors National Park, which share development control responsibilities in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland, need to co-operate far more closely for the benefit of residents. On August
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TURBINE TROUBLE
CLIMATE change is in the news again (Echo, Aug 17). Some people still believe that it can be avoided by covering the countryside with wind turbines. But there is nothing new about climate change. There have been ice ages in the past and there
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Blow for town centre as McDonald's closes
CAMPAIGNERS hoping to bring life back to a town centre have been dealt a bitter blow after McDonald’s announced it will close its doors next month. The national fast food chain will close its store in Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland , at the end
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TOPLESS PHOTOS
THE Duchess of Cambridge did nothing wrong going topless when she was outside. She has not committed a sin. I have no doubt she would not have done it somewhere public. Nobody is going to think any worse of her. With the Palace going to
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MEDICINES
THE Government is planning changes to the way new medicines are priced across the country. These changes are likely to have a significant impact on millions of people living with cancer throughout the UK. It is vitally important that the views
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Police name Middlesbrough man, 61, whose death is being treated as suspicious
POLICE are treating the death of a man whose body was found almost a week ago as suspicious. Cleveland Police were called last Thursday after the body of a 61-year-old man was found at Fleet House, Cargo Fleet lane, Middlesbrough. A post-mortem
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CONFERENCE COMEDY
ROLL up, roll up. This autumn the circus comes to town. Prepare yourself for a feast of stand-up comics the like of which you have never seen. Be gobsmacked by classic oneliners, comical storytelling and unimaginable self-appreciation.
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Freedoms we take for granted
NONE of us will need reminding of the essence of democracy – as imperishably defined by Abraham Lincoln: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Yet it is not we, the people, who are most likely to be heard expounding the virtues
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A question of priorities
COUNCILLOR Bill Dixon, the leader of Darlington council, in his response to the proposed merger of Stressholme and Blackwell golf clubs stated that the authority had to take this action because of a reduction in state funding. He suggested that
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Don’t arm our police
THE nation will be deeply shocked by yesterday’s tragic events in Greater Manchester, where two unarmed women police officers were lured into a trap and murdered in a gun and grenade attack. The killings of PC Nicola Hughes, 23, and PC Fiona Bone
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Give an hour to help young into workplace
FOUNDATION for Jobs, the campaign to tackle youth unemployment, is today issuing a rallying call to firms in the region to Give an Hour. One of the aims of the campaign, of which The Northern Echo is a key partner, is to build links between industry
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Wind set fair for Tata Steel
THE North-East energy industry can help to lead the country out of recession and into prosperity, according to the Shadow Industry Minister. MP Iain Wright made the comment as Tata Steel opened its new £2m Offshore Processing Centre in Hartlepool to
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Apprentice Rachelle to discover if she can cut it in India
IT’S a case of hair today, India tomorrow for one North-East teenager. An apprentice at Janet Maitland Hair Excellence, 19-year-old Rachelle Davis is heading for the experience of a lifetime this month when she will be travelling to the subcontinent
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Funding provides short cut
A TEENAGER has taken up a hairdressing apprenticeship thanks to a council’s funding. Becky Pearson, 18, from Ferryhill, has started her hairdressing apprenticeship after The 4 Together Area Action Partnership (AAP) and Durham County Council's employability
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Man made threats to ex-partner
A LOVE cheat threatened to burn down his ex-girlfriend’s home and kill her when his infidelity was uncovered, a court heard. Keith Anderson, 26, became irate after secret messages he had sent to his partner’s friend on Facebook were revealed.
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Part-time courses may be answer career-wise
IF you want to know if parttime study is worthwhile, ask college lecturer Laura Chapman, who combined work with part-time study for her own professional development. The 27-year-old completed a Teesside University-accredited course at one of the
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Inflation could go up again next year
INFLATION could begin to rise again next year despite a dip in the cost of living last month, economists warned yesterday. Smaller rises for utility bills and clothing prices compared with last year helped the consumer price index rate of inflation
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SSI is digging deep to ride out the recession
‘YOU need deep pockets to ride out the recession,” reckons SSI chief Phil Dryden, who has discovered in recent months just how deep the steelmaker’s financial resources need to be. Last week, the plant reached another major landmark as the
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Banking project ‘requires £40bn’
BUSINESS Secretary Vince Cable’s plans for a Government- backed bank to increase lending to businesses will need £40bn of funding to make it work, according to research. The bank must also be free to raise up to £100bn on the capital markets to
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Aker reinforces regional presence
A GLOBAL oil firm which employs 100 people in the North-East is set to ramp up its presence in the region by doubling its staff over the next three years. Oil services group Aker Solutions will create up to 100 jobs in its new Stockton engineering
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Never mind buffet – I’ll eat on train
THERE are few sights I find more pitiful than a neglected buffet table. Last month, Chancellor George Osborne left caterers crestfallen when the message came through shortly before his arrival at Heerema’s yard in Hartlepool that he had eaten
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Van man's public proposal aims to deliver sweetheart down the aisle
A ROMANTIC van man has made a very public marriage proposal in a bid to haul back his runaway sweetheart. For the lovesick driver subtly posted his heartfelt appeal to Linda in big orange letters down the entire side of a silver VW Crafter – left
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Wind set fair for Tata
THE North-East energy industry can help to lead the country out of recession and into prosperity, according to the Shadow Industry Minister. MP Iain Wright made the comment as Tata Steel opened its new £2m Offshore Processing Centre in Hartlepool
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Big friendly for Ryhope CW on Thursday night
Premiership giants Sunderland have agreed to send a team to Ryhope CW on Thursday night to commemorate an excellent season. Ryhope , who currently head the ENL second division, won four trophies on their way to promotion from the Wearside League
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Female bishops’ wording hailed
A LEADING campaigner for female bishops has hailed the “brilliance” of a new wording of the proposed law allowing for the historic change. The Reverend Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes backed a new wording proposed by the Reverend Janet Appleby, from
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Hospice appoints new chief exec
A NEW chief executive has been appointed to run a hospice. Paul Marriott has taken over at the helm of St Cuthbert’s Hospice, in Durham City which cares for more than 1,000 people a year coping with life-limiting illnesses such as cancer, multiple
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Middlesbrough bus death jury to inspect vehicle
THE jury in the trial of a bus driver accused of killing a passenger by driving dangerously is expected to go to see the vehicle today. Members of the panel are due to travel from Teesside Crown Court, in Middlesbrough, to Sedgefield , County Durham
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Technicolor dream for theatre
ONE of the longest-running musicals is in the region next week. Smash-hit show Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be staged at Darlington Civic Theatre, Darlington, from September 18 to 22. The Bill Kenwright production of Tim
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Villagers take part in charity skydive
VILLAGERS whose lives have been touched by the air ambulance have completed a charity skydive for the service. Marianne Ivison, from Catterick , in North Yorkshire, says the Great North Air Ambulance has landed four or five times in the village
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Dame Kelly drops in to inspire youth
DOUBLE Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes visited the North- East yesterday to inspire the next generation of sporting hopefuls. The former middle distance runner visited Gateshead College where she is launching her Kelly Holmes Education Programme
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Jobless youth here to stay, report warns
MASS youth unemployment is here to stay across the region without more Government help, a report by a committee of MPs warns today. The £1bn Youth Contract – offering wage subsidies, apprenticeships grants and work experience places – is described
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God particle scientist Peter Higgs returns to region
THE North-East professor who gave his name to the so called God particle made a triumphant return to the region yesterday, as he was honoured by its leading university. Newcastle-born Professor Peter Higgs, 83, gave his name to the Higgs boson,
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Mobility scooter user refused entry on bus
A BUS company has been accused of leaving an 87-year-old disabled man stranded ten miles from home after a driver refused to let his mobility scooter on. Friends of Edwin Clarke are calling for an investigation, an apology and the repayment of
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Neighbour from hell jailed after threats
A NEIGHBOUR from hell has been jailed after “causing chaos” in her street with loud late-night music and constant rows and threats. Anne Mariner, who has 417 offences on her criminal record, made life miserable for those living nearby in Darlington
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Solo bid to North Pole is a first
A LAB technician from the North-East aims to become the first person to attempt to walk solo and unsupported to and from the North Pole. Tim Williamson, 25, will attempt to cover a minimum of 2,200 miles over 100 to 120 days without the use of
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Plan to replace hospitals in Stockton and Hartlepool back on
A PLAN to bulldoze two hospitals and build a new one between two towns is back on. The project, previously scrapped by the Government, has sparked serious opposition, particularly in Hartlepool – but also in Stockton and south Durham. North
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Root cause for celebration at England Test squad call
JOE ROOT is hoping practice makes perfect after being called up to England's Test squad for their forthcoming four-match tour of India. The Yorkshire opener, 21-years-old, has benefitted from Andrew Strauss's retirement, and has been rewarded for
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Magpies’ patient man waits no more
IF there is one virtue Steve Harper has had to master during his 19-year career with Newcastle United, it is surely patience. The 37-year-old has spent countless hours on the sidelines, waiting for an opportunity to arrive, but even by his own
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Agent fuels Demba Ba exit talk
DEMBA Ba will look to leave Newcastle United if he is regularly dropped to the substitutes' bench this season, according to his agent. Ba was a surprise omission from Alan Pardew's starting line-up at Everton on Monday, but the Senegal international
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Six conversions in six months for academies team
A TEAM of specialist education lawyers have completed their sixth academy conversion in as many months. Solicitors at BHP Law have worked with primary and secondary schools throughout County Durham, Darlington and Sunderland to confirm their status as
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Oil firm to double Teesside staff to 100
A GLOBAL oil firm which employs 100 people in the North-East is set to ramp up its presence in the region by doubling its staff over the next three years. Oil services group Aker Solutions is set to create up to 100 jobs in its new Stockton-on-Tees engineering
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No excuses for Mowbray as Boro are all at sea
TONY MOWBRAY delivered an honest assessment of Middlesbrough's 4-1 demise at Blackpool last night before calling for his players to stay united and focus on bouncing back on Friday. After returning in the middle of the night from the trip to Bloomfield
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Match Report: Preston North End 5 Hartlepool United 0
Final Score: Preston North End 5 Hartlepool United 0 THE season may only be weeks old, and Hartlepool United are already nursing a second 5-0 defeat. After being thumped at Crewe in the Capital One Cup, Pools hoped it would be a one-off.
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Debenhams bucks gloomy retail trend
DEPARTMENT store Debenhams bucked the retail downturn by reporting a rise in sales, while the picture looked a lot more gloomy for JD Sports Fashion, who announced yesterday it will shut more Blacks stores. Despite the Olympics impacting on many fashion
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Places available on employment law seminar
A FREE seminar will be held next week to help guide companies through new employment legislation which is coming into force next month. North-East law firm Samuel Phillips is inviting employers and human resources professionals to a two-hour seminar
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New business ventures could see farmers face inheritance tax, warns lawyer
FARMERS are being warned they could be faced with hefty inheritance tax bills if they pursue diversification projects. Agricultural law specialists at Latimer Hinks Solicitors have urged farmers to be aware that changing the use of farm land could nullify
