Archive
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Newcastle and Sunderland grounds on list of potential venues for 2015 Rugby World Cup
THE North-East is to stage matches in the 2015 Rugby World Cup after stadiums in Newcastle and Sunderland were included on the long list of 17 possible venues released yesterday. Newcastle United’s St James’ Park and Sunderland’s Stadium of Light
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Pensioner killed at accident blackspot near Wheatley Hill
A PENSIONER’S death at an accident blackspot has reignited calls for extra road safety measures. A man, thought to be in his 70s, died today after he was involved in a two-vehicle smash on the A181, near Wheatley Hill, County Durham. The pensioner
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Reserves round up - Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough
DAN Gosling and Haris Vuckic were both stretchered off last night as Newcastle's development side claimed a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa. Goals from Adam Campbell and Mehdi Abeid earned the Magpies' second string a win at Villa Park, but the success
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The need to publicise the truth about Sir Jimmy Savile
THE allegations that the late Sir Jimmy Savile sexually abused girls while working at the BBC have sparked fierce debate. There are those who believe it is wrong to air the claims now that Sir Jimmy is no longer able to defend himself, and it is
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The flashing-eyed children who found sanctuary in the North-East
THE Memories blog really needs a kick up the backside, but the fact that God only put 24 hours in a day often prevents even that. However, here's some background reading about one of the most intriguing and overlooked of wartime stories. Saturday's
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Tools taken in shed raid
DARLINGTON police are appealing for information after tools and bikes worth more than £1,300 were stolen from a shed. The tools, including a green Makita power drill and angle grinder, a yellow and black petrol strimmer, a green Makita cordless
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Netball head injury sees Bishop Auckland school girl airlifted to hospital
A SCHOOL pupil was airlifted to hospital today after suffering a head injury while playing netball. The 12-year-old girl was hurt after colliding with a wall at King James I Academy in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, at 3.15pm. She was assessed
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Concern for staff as nursery closes
CONCERNS have been raised over the future of staff and adults with learning difficulties following the impending closure of a garden nursery. Nubeck Nursery, in Darlington, provides horticultural training and employment for 14 adults with learning
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McClean out of Ireland squad with injury
SUNDERLAND officials are confident James McClean will be available for the Wear-Tyne derby with Newcastle despite being forced to withdraw from international duty with the Republic of Ireland. McClean complained of pain in his hip in the wake of Saturday's
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Van Persie and Tiote go unpunished
ROBIN van Persie and Cheik Tiote have both avoided censure for incidents in Manchester United's 3-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday. The Football Association have opted not to charge either player with a disciplinary offence. Van Persie appeared
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Sculptor creates creatures in wood
A RENOWNED chainsaw sculptor has been busy working on his latest addition to the Guisborough Forest and Walkway. Staithesbased sculptor Steve Iredale has created several woodland creatures which are scattered along the walkway. He has worked
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Hog roast boosts chairman's total
A FUN day and hog roast hosted by a pub has boosted the charity appeal of Hartlepool Borough Council chairman, Councillor Stephen Akers-Belcher. Nearly £250 was raised from raffle tickets, cash donations and the sale of Chair Bear pin badges -
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Case may be taken to judicial review
DEMANDS that a council planning committee be investigated have been refused. However, members of Morley Carr Action Group, who believe the decision to permit the building of 350 homes at Morley Carr Farm, in Yarm, is legally unsound, have indicated
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Duke of Cambridge will not visit region following death of nanny
THE Duke of Cambridge has cancelled a planned visit to Teesside - although the Duchess will still attend. William and Kate had both been due to visit Stockton on Wednesday as part of a tour of the North-East. But William will not visit the
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Boccia sessions in Durham
ASPIRING Paralympians are being offered the chance to take up boccia. Boosted by £5,000 from Durham Area Action Partnership (AAP), the Boccia Durham club is offering new sessions in the sport at the city’s Freeman’s Quay leisure centre. Co-ordinator
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Police seek man after rape claim in Sunderland
POLICE want to trace a man after a woman alleged she was raped in Sunderland. Detectives are carrying out enquiries into the incident, which is reported to have happened between 2.30am and 3.15am on Saturday, October 6. The 25-year-old woman
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Hundreds of coal mining jobs at risk
HARGREAVES Services will today issue workers at an at-risk colliery with notification of potential redundancies. Maltby Colliery, in Rotherham, South Yorkshire has been producing coal for more than 100 years, but the presence of gas, water and oil
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Doctor in the house
Gerard McCarthy tells Steve Pratt about his battle to get back on the boards after playing a crossdressing bisexual lover in Hollyoaks WHEN Gerard McCarthy left Hollyoaks after four years playing the flamboyant Kris Fisher, he was desperate to
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Banks gets personal
On the eve of his final appearance in Wild At Heart, Stephen Tompkinson reflects on a policeman’s lot IT gets personal for DCI Banks in the second series of the ITV detective series based on the Yorkshire-set novels of Peter Robinson. “The
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Will happiness get the kiss-off?
OH Danny boy, do not lead Syed into temptation in EastEnders (BBC1). Waving your big fat chequebook in front of the hard-up chap is certain to lead to something – and whatever it is won’t meet with Christian’s approval. Christian, you may remember
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The making of Smudge
By day, he works for the council. By night, he caresses canvas with his artist’s brush. Rachel Meek meets an up-and-coming artist whose paintings conjure up memories of life on the streets of the North-East IT might be the early hours of the morning
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X Factor
AS if having your integrity questioned by Gary Barlow – a man with a fondness for tax havens – isn’t bad enough, North-East X Factor hopeful James Arthur has already had his private life splashed all over the tabloids. The singer’s version of Kelly
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Monroe, (ITV1, 9pm)
STAR James Nesbitt has been wondering why medical dramas are so popular on TV. “We’re all familiar with hospitals,” he says. “We’re terrified of hospitals, but at some point we all end up in one. It’s where a lot of us get to at the end, so I think
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Newcastle University researchers help develop 3D hand sensor
Television remotes and games controllers could be a thing of the past with new technology that can be worn like a wristwatch. Researchers at Newcastle University and Microsoft Research Cambridge (MSR) have developed a sensor which tracks the 3D
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Poetry in motion
A chance meeting in France led to a fruitful collaboration between an artist from the region and one of our best-loved children’s authors. Sharon Griffiths tells the story WHEN well-meaning festival organisers wanted to introduce artist Olivia
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Wonderland: I Was Once a Beauty Queen, (BBC2, 9pm)
THESE days, it can seem like the only time you see a beauty pageant on British TV is in one of those documentaries tutting at the Americans for caking two-yearolds in make-up and sending them toddling down a catwalk. But in the 1970s and 1980s,
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Founding director of Northumberland Tourism dies from holiday blood clot
A tourism boss died from a fatal blood clot just days after twisting his ankle on holiday in Turkey. David Hunter – a founding director of the Northumberland Tourism organisation – collapsed last Sunday at his home after a seemingly small accident
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Street wise
Street food is a big deal in the US, as Diana Pilkington discovers as she joins British pie-maker Andy Bates on his TV road trip OUTSIDE the bright orange truck belonging to street food purveyors Curry Up Now, an excitable queue is forming. The
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New faces at the cutting edge
You might have been hairdressing for 20 years, but at Saks the training never stops IT’S all change at Saks in Bishop Auckland and Redcar with new faces at the helm, and a bit of a swap going on. Samantha Goldsborough, who started work at the
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It's a Long Story
Her hair is a woman’s crowning glory, so it’s vital to have confidence in your stylist, says Lauren Pyrah AS I’m sure most women will agree, one of the cardinal sins of beauty is a bad haircut. This is evidenced by the unswerving loyalty shown
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Playing down past and his enduring need for speed
SPOT the odd one out – Senna, Mansell, Pique, Payne. For motor racing fans some of those names conjure up a golden era, but only one of them is still winning championships. In his younger days, Graham Payne, managing director of Darchem Engineering
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Mind your back
Back pain is one of the UK’s most common disabling health conditions. But according to physiotherapist Nick Sinfield, overcoming the problem is a mental, as well as physical, challenge. Lisa Salmon reports IF you’ve never had a bad back, consider
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WHY DURHAM TEES VALLEY IS WORTH KEEPING
R E G A R D I N G C h r i s t o p h e r Wardell’s recent letter on the future of Durham Tees Valley Airport (HAS, Oct 3). The airport serves one of the UK’s most important industrial regions, which includes more than half of the country’s petrochemical
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ANDY WILLIAMS
I HAVE been familiar with the work of American crooner Andy Williams, who has died aged 84 (Echo, Sept 27), ever since his early recordings. It was while listening to Jack Jackson's radio programme on a Saturday night during the 1950s that I first
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Don Giovanni, Darlington Civic Theatre
DON GIOVANNI is a part that Yorkshire-born opera singer David Milner Pierce has always wanted to play, but the timing of winning the role has proved a little difficult. Singing the role in Mozart’s Opera in the Co-Opera Co production that plays
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GERRY MARSDEN
GRAHAM WALKER suggested no one was offended by Gerry Marsden’s comments about the police at the Sixties Gold show, at Darlington’s Civic Theatre (HAS, Oct 2). My partner and I were the first to walk out of the show. Our mutual feeling was that
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STEPHEN HUGHES
I WISH to make clear from the outset that I am not ill-disposed towards County Durham’s longserving MEP Stephen Hughes and I wish him well in his retirement (Echo, Sept 27). Mr Hughes will retire with many questions unanswered regarding his 18
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Search for new chefs
A TOP North-East chef is spearheading a contest to encourage more young people in the region to consider catering as a career. Michelin-starred chef Kenny Atkinson teamed up with Darlington College and the North-East Hoteliers Association (NEHA
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STROKE UNIT
I NOTE that an article appeared in The Northern Echo justifying the decision to site the acute stroke unit at Durham (Echo, Oct 3). This only serves to create suspicion over the decision. For instance, why is it considered necessary for county
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BIG SELL OFF
THE Government is selling this country off to line their pockets. The NHS is terrible because our hospitals are closing. The public utilities and rail services belong to any foreign company that pays the most. They would sell the Queen but
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WINDLESTONE HALL
WHY do taxpayers stand for affronts to their intelligence such as the selling off of Windlestone Hall for £241,000? I would have happily paid more than £500,000 for the property. The land alone I would value at £150,000 at least. I also
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Kennedy kicks out opposition
A TEENAGE girl from the North-East has won a national kickboxing title. Kennedy Freeman, 15, from Tanfield, near Stanley, in County Durham, now holds the British Freestyle Kickboxing and Karate Organisation British Full Contact Cadet title.
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Blooming marvels
THE victims of the age of austerity have grown at an alarming rate – and I suppose flowers were an easy target. Councils have cut their budgets for floral displays. Where once there were hanging baskets, there are now naked lamp-posts. Flower-beds
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Popularity and politics
EVERY Government goes through a period of unpopularity. Mid-term slumps are a fact of life in politics. But some administrations never recover. Gordon Brown was never the same after allowing an election to be hyped in the summer of 2007 and
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Walkers’ bid to raise awareness in hope of saving young lives
MORE than 150 people have taken part in a charity walk to raise awareness of a condition that can cost young people their lives. The Riverside Walk, in Durham City, organised by Cry (Cardiac Risk in the Young), was staged on Saturday to fund heart
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Artist’s roundabout way of creating a sense of civic pride
DESIGNS for three artworks celebrating a town’s history, heritage and future have gone on show. The three pieces, which will be installed on roundabouts in Consett, County Durham, aim to provide a welcome to visitors and create a sense of civic
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Pet lovers take lead in record bid
DOGS were given a long leash on a beach in the region yesterday – but for a good cause. A new world record was set for the longest dog lead in Scarborough, which, at two miles, was four times the previous record. It was created by the town’
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Sea shanties as art celebration of lifeboat unvieled
A NEW work of art celebrating the achievements of the oldest surviving lifeboat, the Zetland, was unveiled at the weekend. Local artist Philip Boville has depicted the wreck of the Jane Erskine, which was the subject of one of the more dramatic
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Catching some air
Redcar played host to the finals of the UK Kitesurfing Championships over the weekend. About 100 of the UK’s top professional kitesurfers took part in a three-day event with four British Power Kite championships including kitesurfing, kite land
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Hundreds challenge for pool honours
HUNDREDS of swimmers from across the region battled it out in the pool this weekend during an annual competition. The third Dander open gala, hosted by Darlington Amateur Swimming Club (DASC) at the Dolphin Centre, in Darlington, saw 250 swimmers
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Meet the boss who raced Ayrton Senna
SPOT the odd one out - Senna, Mansell, Piquet, Payne. For motor racing fans some of those names conjour up a golden era for the sport, but only one of them is still winning championships. In his younger days, Graham Payne the managing director
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Newcastle pay for early defensive lapses
IF Manchester United wanted to avenge the defeat on Tyneside which Alan Pardew described as Newcastle United’s strongest result of last season then they achieved their goal – perfectly. While a 3-0 victory was the ideal way for the Magpies to see
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Biker injured doing stunt
A MOTOCROSS rider suffered life-threatening head injuries yesterday after crashing while performing a stunt. The 20-year-old man, from Peterlee, in east Durham, was airlifted to The James Cook Hospital, Middlesbrough, following the accident in
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Shopping-fest to open
FORMER Paralympian and campaigner Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, is to open this week’s charity Durham Shopping Extravaganza. The event, now in its 24th year, will feature more than 70 stalls offering a range of goods from clothing to food, toys
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Boost for local food
A PANEL of food experts has been created to help cafes, pubs and restaurants in the north Pennine dales get the most out of local food. The team of five restaurateurs, chefs and food experts will help with ideas about developing menus, sourcing
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Second half revival sees Moors grab tenth win
SPENNYMOOR made it a perfect ten when they beat Consett 3-1 at the Brewery Field in the Ebac Northern League on Saturday. The champions of the last three seasons maintained their 100 per cent record, despite a below par first half. Consett
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Hall to fight on home patch for Commonwealth title
BIG-TIME boxing will return to Darlington for the first time in eight-and-a-half years next month when Stuart Hall fights for the vacant Commonwealth bantamweight title in the town's Dolphin Centre. The last major show to be held in the venue ended
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Match Report: Liverpool 0 Stoke City 0
Final score: Liverpool 0, Stoke City 0 STOKE boss Tony Pulis labelled Liverpool striker Luis Suarez’s conduct in the 0-0 draw at Anfield yesterday “an embarrassment” – and called on the FA to hand the Uruguay international a three-match ban.
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Music festival in line for awards
ONE of the region’s biggest music festivals has been put forward for a national award. Stockton Weekender is nominated in two categories at this year’s UK Festival Awards. The event, which was attended by about 17,000 people this year, is in
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Sessegnon needs more ammunition, says Colback
STEPHANE Sessegnon's underwhelming start to the season continued on Saturday, but team-mate Jack Colback claims the rest of the Sunderland squad have to do more to get the striker firing. Sessegnon did not record a single attempt at goal as the
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Man, 35, in hospital after attack
A MAN was taken to hospital with head injuries after he was assaulted on Saturday night. The attack on a 35-year-old man happened in Church Street, Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, at about 11.05pm. He was taken by ambulance to Sunderland Royal
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Cats go down with a whimper
A SERIOUS bout of stomach cramps meant Sunderland winger Adam Johnson spent the final 20 minutes of this weekend's 3-0 defeat at Manchester City vomiting in the dressing room. By the time the final whistle blew, however, he was not the only person
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Overturned lorry causes road closure
PART of the A66 is closed after a lorry overturned while trying to manouvere round a roundabout. Police were alerted to the incident, on a roundabout near the Brick Train on the Darlington ringroad, at 10.50am and closed the A66 northbound from
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Arrests as trouble flares at gathering
TWO men are to appear in court after trouble flared at a far-right demonstration in the North-East. Officers made 13 arrests at an English Defence League (EDL) gathering and counterdemonstration in Sunderland on Saturday. Police said that about
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Bird-strike plane sparks emergency
A PASSENGER jet was forced to make an emergency landing after flying into a flock of birds. The easyJet Airbus 319 left Newcastle Airport for Bristol at about 8pm on Thursday when the bird strike occurred. There were 148 passengers and six
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Course aims to bring out the novelist
AWARD-WINNING authors are to help aspiring writers bring out the story in them. Starting to Write Fiction, which is timed to follow this month’s Durham Book Festival, will be held in Durham Castle from Friday to Sunday, November 16 to 18. It
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Falcons tipped for a swift return to the top
MOSELEY skipper Neil Mason is in no doubt that Newcastle Falcons are heading back to the Premiership following their 53-13 win away to the Birmingham club. The Falcons scored three tries in the last ten minutes and Mason said: "The clinical edge
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Mowden ready to grace a bigger stage
MOWDEN are currently playing rugby fit to grace any arena and they remain optimistic in their plan to move to Darlington's former football stadium. The ambitious scheme still hinges on their ability to persuade the council to let them have 20 acres of
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Hundreds have a ball to help hospice
HUNDREDS of people from across the region danced the night away to raise money for a North-East hospice. About 270 people attended the 16th annual St Teresa’s Hospice charity ball, held at Hardwick Hal Hotell, near Sedgefield, County Durham, raising
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‘I thought officer was waving’
A WOMAN who drove along a closed road moments before a carnival parade was due did not stop as she thought the police office flagging her down was only waving at her, a court heard. The main road through Barnard Castle was closed and lined with
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Pets putting best paws forward for good cause
A SPONSORED dog walk to raise money for charity took place over the weekend. St Cuthbert’s Hospice’s fifth Paws for a Cause event involved animal lovers and their dogs following 1.5- mile and three-mile routes in Houghall Woods, near Durham
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Car boot bid for former factory
A DISUSED factory could be given a new lease of life as a venue for an indoor market and car boot sale. Nobles Promotions Ltd has applied for planning permission to stage markets at the former Schmitz Cargo Bull factory on Harelaw Industrial Estate
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Shop workers stony-faced for charity
TWO shop workers turned themselves into Greek statues for a day to raise money for a national cancer charity. Debbie Wears and Eric Hoath, who both work at the One Stop shop and post office in Yarm Road, Darlington, swapped their normal uniforms
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Cameron denies North is toxic to Tories
DAVID CAMERON has brushed aside a stark warning that the Conservatives are doomed in the North-East – insisting any current unpopularity is due to having to make difficult and unpopular decisions. In an interview with The Northern Echo, the Prime
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Friend took £10,000 to fund gambling habit
A BUSINESSMAN has told how a trusted family friend left his firm facing financial difficulties by stealing more than £10,000 to fund his online gambling habit. William Richardson repeatedly pilfered money from the accounts of Darlington company
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Illegal tobacco run was paying off undesirables
WHEN Stephen Horton was stopped by customs officials after driving off the ferry from France, he declared he had “just a few packet of cigarettes with him”. However, a search revealed he and passenger Joan Smith were carrying 401.5 kilogrammes
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Exhibition tells tragic story of the Titanic
A NATIONAL touring exhibition telling the tragic story of the Titanic and her sister ships has docked in the North-East. Titanic Honour and Glory – voted by The Times as one of the country’s top five exhibitions – was formally opened at the weekend
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Suspect led police to weapons stash
A STASH of weapons was found buried in a forest when police followed suspects to the remote spot after a farm was raided and four guns stolen. Officers tailed a Toyota Yaris from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, to a plantation in the area near
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EC directive threatens jam jar re-use
THE popular perception of the WI as the preserve of “Jam and Jerusalem” could be under threat by an EC directive affecting jam jars. The time-honoured tradition of saving old jars for homemade produce for church fetes, raffles and country shows
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Farmers urged to join fight against rural crime
FARMERS and landowners are being urged to join the fight against crime in Darlington’s rural areas. Police are encouraging farmers and people living in rural areas to join their local Farmwatch scheme, which allows people to report incidents and
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Footbal bet leads to plunge in Tyne
A FOOTBALL correspondent braved the cold waters of the River Tyne yesterday to honour a bet and raise funds for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. In 2010, The Daily Telegraph’s Henry Winter promised to swim the river if Newcastle United committed
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Derelict school could be demolished
A DERELICT former school labelled an eyesore could finally be demolished after restrictions on the use of the site were removed. St Peter’s, on the outskirts of Gainford, between Darlington and Barnard Castle, has stood empty for more than a decade
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Vicar plans £1,500 giveaway to congregation
A VICAR is to provide his congregation with a bountiful harvest of £10 notes during a church service, in a bid to start a “Mexican wave of goodwill”. The Reverend Paul Peverell, vicar of Christ Church, in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, is planning
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2,000 cyclists take part in augural etape
ABOUT 2,000 cyclists took part in a challenging 78-mile cycle ride in the hills of County Durham yesterday. The inaugural Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines challenge started and finished at Ushaw College, at Esh, near Durham City. Riders
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Salesman branded fake gun
A WINE salesman pulled out what appeared to be a .44 Magnum – made famous by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry films – following a road rage incident, a court heard. Travelling salesman Leon Higginson brandished the imitation weapon – which turned
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Call for action at accident blackspot
CAMPAIGNERS are calling for urgent action at an accident blackspot after a car crashed into the front window of a sheltered housing complex. A car careered out of control at the junction of Firby Road, Sussex Street and Masham Road, in Bedale,
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Noble out of luck on return to Pools
NEALE Cooper looked on last week as Ryan Noble scored twice for Sunderland in a friendly with Middlesbrough. How the Hartlepool United boss wished those goals could have come in a Hartlepool United shirt on Saturday - and Noble felt exactly the same.
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Monkhouse facing up to spell on the sidelines
ANDY Monkhouse could be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury on Saturday. The left-winger, back in the Hartlepool side after being dropped in recent weeks, was forced off after only eight minutes following a lengthy
