Archive
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Darlington security firm turns to motorised bikes to fight crime
A PRIVATE security firm his invested in a fleet of motorised bicycles worth £3,000 in an effort to help in the fight against would-be Christmas burglars. The bikes, which can reach speeds of up to 40mph, will be used by staff from Sparta Security
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Centre for Local Studies reopens after renovation work
A CENTRE that deals with family history and information on the Darlington area has reopened following renovation work. The Centre for Local Studies, based in Crown Street Library, deals with around 10,000 enquiries a year relating to the local
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In running for rural Oscars
THREE Teesdale businesses have been nominated for regional 'rural Oscars'. Now in their eighth year, the Countryside Alliance Awards celebrate the skills, traditions and enterprise of rural areas. In the butcher category, F Simpson and Son,
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Reporter Joanna Morris sleeps rough to highlight homeless plight
@cllrharrington it'll be a good read if @JoannaLMorris survives the cold night... — @hethro71 09 December 2012 My phone says 7 degrees.Feels subzero in the doorway of natwest. — @JoannaLMorris 09 December 2012
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Teesside news in brief
A COPYWRITING company in Stockton has raised £873 for charity. Staff at Precise English, which specialises in search engine optimisation, raised the money for autism charity Daisy Chain, in Norton, Stockton by completing a sponsored 12-mile obstacle
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Police appeal after pensioner's death
A PENSIONER who died after he was knocked down has been named as 92-year-old William Hall. Mr Hall, 92, of Oakfield Court, Sunderland, was involved in a collision with three vehicles on Windsor Terrace, Sunderland, at 10.20am on Friday. He
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Darlington news in brief
FILM NIGHT: The 80s action thriller, Die Hard, is the next screening of Darlington Film Club, at The Forum, in Borough Road, Darlington, tomorrow night (Monday, December 10). The event starts at 8pm and entry is £3 with free popcorn for everyone.
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Taxi drivers to receive cash boost
TAXI drivers in a Teesside town are to receive a financial boost. Stockton Borough Council will reduce vehicle renewal fees for both Hackney and private taxi drivers by £30. It currently costs taxi drivers £365 a year to register their vehicles
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Murder hunt after North Yorkshire man attacked near theatre
A MURDER hunt has been launched after a North Yorkshire man was attacked outside a theatre. Detectives said the 28-year-old was on his own outside The Grand Theatre and Opera House, in Leeds, at 2am today (Sunday, December 9), when he was assaulted
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Coffee house protest passes off without incident
A DEMONSTRATION in the North-East over a coffee chain's tax avoidance passed smoothly today. (Sunday, December 9) Around 25 people gathered outside Starbucks in Newcastle City Centre to stage a protest which passed without any significant incident
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Inspiring trip for charity workers
A CHARITY for youngsters with Down Syndrome was an inspiration to children’s workers from Belgium when they visited its North-East base. The Education Centre for Children with Down Syndrome, which is based in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, and
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Have your say on medical centre changes
PATIENTS are being asked for their views on plans to refurbish two medical practices in Stockton. Queens Park Medical Centre and Tennant Street Medical Practice situated on Farrer Street, Stockton have been described as over-crowded. The idea
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Same sex marriage in churches
SAME SEX MARRIAGES: Quakers from across the Tees Valley have welcomed the vote that may allow the religion to celebrate same sex marriages. At an area meeting in Middlesbrough on Saturday, December 8 church members agreed to ask local MPs to support
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Durham shorts
Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association (DAMHA) has received the Louder than Words charter mark from Action on Hearing Loss, the new name for the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID). The Association, which is based in Chester-le-Street
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Thank you for the music
A CHURCH organist who provided the musical backdrop for countless occasions in a North-East town has retired. Joan Johnson bowed out after three decades at the helm of the choir and church music at St Mary’s Parish Church, in Barnard Castle.
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Hopefuls gather in their hundreds for Darlington Operatic Society auditions
A TOWN was alive with the sound of music when hundreds of children auditioned for a drama group’s upcoming production of the classic family musical. About 180 children aged five to 15 took part in the pre-auditions for Darlington Operatic Society
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Historic smokehouse hit by second landslip
A 140-YEAR-OLD kipper smokehouse may have to close temporarily after a landslip overlooking an historic harbour shifted further. Land close to St Mary's Church, in Whitby, dropped away a week ago, bringing earth and human remains crashing down
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National award for RSPB Saltholme
EDUCATIONALISTS at Saltholme bird sanctuary have won a national award. The team behind the Lifelong Learning project at the RSPB centre, near Billingham, won the UK’s Best Education Project at The National Lottery Awards Show in London yesterday
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East Cleveland soldier returns home with 'sweetheart' gift for regimental museum
A SOLDIER who helped lead a cavalry troop to storm a machine gun nest is to bring the gun home. Sergeant Tony Richardson, 30, of Skelton in East Cleveland, was a lead member of the 60-strong troop which seized the Soviet-era weapon. It will be
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Father Christmas gets on his bikes
MORE than 200 Father Christmases got on their motorcycles for charity yesterday. (Saturday, December 8). This year’s Annual Boundary Motorcycle run attracted 207 bikers, easily the biggest number since just 28 took part in 2006. The bikers
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Durham University students' internet craze with bottles of port
STUDENTS from Durham University have taken an internet craze one step further by filmed themselves pouring bottles of port over their heads. 'Porting' is an answer to the ‘milking’ videos from students at rival Newcastle University which has had
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Father Christmas stops by to collect children's wishes
FATHER Christmas took a break from his busy schedule in the run-up to Christmas to pay a visit to children at a railway museum. Staff at Darlington’s Head of Steam railway museum set up a grotto for Santa where he stopped by to collect children
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Christmas gifts for life
MORE than 300 children born thanks to IVF were celebrated at a special party yesterday (Saturday, December 8). The event was organised at department of reproductive medicine at Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital. All the children
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Fresh hope for breast cancer victims after North-East breakthrough
RESEARCHERS in the North-East have made a major breakthrough in the treatment of breast cancer. The Freeman Hospital in Newcastle was one of a small number of centres around the world to test a new drug, which has been proven to delay the effects
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Jobs fight pair to make strongest case to keep posts in Darlington
A COUNCIL leader and an MP have vowed to set out the strongest case they can to keep more than 400 civil service jobs in a town. Darlington Borough Council leader, Bill Dixon, and the town's MP, Jenny Chapman, have joined forces to lead the fight
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A dark day as 1,500 County Durham homes without power
A POWER cut that plunged homes into the cold and dark was made worse by the "lack of a respect" shown to vulnerable householders, according to neighbours who came to their aid. Around 1,500 homes in Chilton, Windlestone and Ferryhill Station, County
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Christmas sermon to be tweeted by Bishop of Durham
ARCHBISHOP Designate Justin Wellby is joining senior clergy to ‘tweet’ his Christmas day sermon for the first time this year. The outgoing Bishop of Durham is turning to the social networking site, Twitter, so his message reaches as many people
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Students campaign against 'land grabs'
STUDENTS staged a ‘land grab’ in Durham’s historic Market Place over the weekend. The event was part on an Oxfam campaign against unlawful land acquisitions perpetrated by corporations and governments around the world. It aims to highlight
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North Yorkshire man killed in city centre attack
A MAN from North Yorkshire has died after he was attacked in a city centre. West Yorkshire Police said the 28-year-old was fatally injured in an incident near the Grand Theatre in Leeds early this morning. Officers were called to the junction
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Northallerton man became aggressive after police seized bank notes and white powder
A DRUG dealer became aggressive after police seized a wad of bank notes and a bag of white powder he had in his pocket from him. Police had gone to Daniel Haw's home in Bankhead Road, Northallerton, to quiz him about a theft, but became suspicious
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Woman dies after three-car collision in Northumberland
A WOMAN has died in a three-vehicle collision in Northumberland. The 52-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision on the A69 motorway between Hexham and Haydon Bridge. At 3.59pm yesterday, Northumbria Police, alongside
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Darlington man re-offended a month after being spared jail
A BURGLAR who re-offended within a month of being given a suspended sentence has been jailed. Drug addict Michael Jacques was said by his own barrister, Martin Towers, to have a “shocking” criminal record. Jacques, 30, of Nickstream Lane, Darlington
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Darlington man who used partner as "punchbag" spared jail
A MAN who grabbed his partner by the throat and used her - in the words of a judge - as a “punchbag” has been spared jail and given a last chance to participate in a domestic violence programme. Teesside Crown Court heard that Jussia Smith failed
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Darlington man gets suspended sentence after robbing own mother of purse
A MAN who robbed his own mother of a purse containing £40 has been given a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for two years. Shane Nicholson used a key to gain access to his mother Phyllis's home in Darlington and grabbed the purse from her grasp
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News in brief
A BRASS band and community choir will perform from the same song sheet when they team up for a concert at the weekend. Spennymoor Town Band will be supported by the Hurworth-based Sans Pareil Singers at Spennymoor Settlement’s Everyman Theatre
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Burglaries
POLICE are appealing for witnesses and help to trace items stolen in two burglaries committed in Spennymoor. An adult’s Trek 21 mountain bike was stolen from shed in Bryan Street between 2pm on Tuesday, December 4 and 9am on Wednesday, December
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NHS bosses slammed over '£75m black hole' talks
THE leaders of eight councils have united to condemn the bosses of the country’s most cash-strapped NHS trust, ahead of an unprecedented wave of cuts. The Local Government North Yorkshire and York (LGNYY) committee said they were dismayed that
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Durham service to remember loved ones
A CAMPAIGN to remember loved ones who lost their lives to cancer is being held at Durham Cathedral this evening. (Sunday, December 9) St Cuthbert’s Hospice’s Light up a Life campaign is one of the charity’s most loved and anticipated annual events
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Animal story
CHILDREN were enchanted by the nativity story with live creatures at a library yesterday. (Saturday, December 8). About 20 children, aged ten and under, saw the one-man show at Thornaby’s Westbury Street Library. The story-teller produced an
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Supermarket staff cycle to Lapland
STAFF at a north Durham supermarket have taken part in a festive fundraising weekend. Annfield Plain Tesco staff completed the sponsored bike ride as part of 'Cycle to Lapland' to raise money for Cancer research UK. Employees shared stints
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Plans to move Catchgate Post Office
A POST Office in north Durham is planning to move to bigger premises, trebling the amount of hours it can trade. Catchgate Post Office is proposing to move from its current location to further along North Road to create a modern open-plan branch
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Former wife of North-East millionaire businessman tied up by armed raiders
THE former wife of a millionaire businessman was tied up and doused with petrol while raiders plundered her home for jewellery and cash. Sheila Quadrini was left trussed up for more than an hour after the attackers fled until she managed to dial
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Children produce healthy eating book
PUPILS at a north Durham primary school have produced a healthy eating recipe book for charity. The children from Collierley Primary School, in Dipton, have been working with staff from Derwentside Homes to produce recipes and posters around the
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Car share scheme to replace bus service
A CAR sharing scheme is set to replace a village bus service when it comes to an end this month. The number 20 Scarlet Band bus route between Neasham and Darlington will finish at the end of December as a result of Darlington Borough Council budget
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Clinic opens in Shotley Bridge
A PHYSIOTHERAPY clinic has opened in a north Durham village. Shotley Bridge Therapy Centre, on Queens Road, provides a range of physiotherapy services, acupuncture and cognitive behavioural therapy as well as nutritional and podiatry services.
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Consett Academy site is contaminated investigation finds
TOXIC substances have been found below a site earmarked for a controversial new school development in a former industrial town. Mercury, asbestos and carbon monoxide have been identified as posing a potential risk to human health at the Belle Vue
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NEWS IN BRIEF: Yorkshire attracts rise in visitors
YORKSHIRE has bucked the national trend for falling visitor numbers, the Great Britain Travel Survey has revealed. Gary Verity, boss of tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire, said despite poor weather the region saw a 16.3 per cent rise in visitors in
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No plans to privatise core policing, says Cleveland Police Commissioner
CLEVELAND Police could come under increasing pressure from private companies to provide more of its services as the force looks at ways of slashing its budget. Security, technology and out-sourcing firms are set to test the resolve of the country's
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Police van on emergency call collides with car in Middlesbrough
A POLICE van responding to an emergency call was in collision with a car yesterday (Saturday, December 8). A 58-year-old woman who was driving a blue Peugeot 207 involved in the incident in Middlesbrough was taken to James Cook University Hospital
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Anger after Darlington teenage party cancelled over safety fears
ANGER has been expressed after a Christmas party for underage youngsters was cancelled over fears it could spiral out of control like a similar event earlier this year. Party organiser, Paul Hamilton, who also owns Darlington Boxing and Martial
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Council agrees to take part in mortgage rescue scheme
A LIFELINE has been offered to cash-strapped homeowners in Darlington who face the heartbreaking prospect of repossession. Members of Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet have agreed to take part in the mortgage rescue scheme, Time2Buy. The
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Bedale dress supplier lands mystery Buckingham Palace orders
A FIRM which supplies gowns for special occasions is celebrating after receiving orders for a mystery client at Buckingham Palace. Verb Dresses, which last week opened a store in Bedale, North Yorkshire and has another in Eldon Gardens, Newcastle
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Young volunteers host lunch for the elderly
A DEDICATED group of young volunteers who wanted to bridge the generation gap spent their Saturday hosting a special lunch for elderly residents. The team 16 to 17-year-olds from schools across Darlington have joined the Government’s National Citizen
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More time to have your say on travel
YOUNG people and their parents now have more time to have their say in a survey about how they travel to school or college. The deadline for the survey, which will help Darlington Borough Council to provide the best travel choices for the journey
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North Yorkshire fire chief rescued from floodwater
A FIRE brigade’s top officer has been defended by a colleague after driving his car into floodwater. Motorists have recently been urged by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to steer clear of water, but its chief fire officer Nigel Hutchinson
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Back to the 1980s
SHOPPERS felt they had entered a time warp when they called for their groceries at Asda Spennymoor on Friday. (December 7) Staff at the store celebrated its 25th anniversary by going back to the 1980s and wearing some of their greatest fashion
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Spennymoor couple celebrate sharing a life together
BRIAN Metcalfe hit bullseye when he joined a pub darts team near his RAF base because it was there he caught the attention of his future bride. Mr Metcalfe, originally from Leeds, was serving in the RAF at Middleton St George, near Darlington,
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Celtic Nation consider reporting referee for using foul language
Celtic Nation are considering a protest to the FA over the referee of their stormy 6-3 ENL defeat at Durham City on Saturday using what they claim was “foul language.” The Carlisle side had two players red carded and two more sent out of the technical
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Whitley in Wembley mood
Whitley Bay manager Ian Chandler says that they want to return to Wembley again after they trounced Causeway United 6-0 in the third round of the FA Carlsberg Vase on Saturday. Three of the players who played a major part in Whitley’s three successive
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Weather hampers landmark bridge revamp
WORK to repair a landmark bridge at a North Yorkshire resort has been "severely hampered" because of recent weather conditions. A £250,000 upgrade to the 103-year-old swing bridge in Whitby began in September and is now due to be completed next
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Sex offenders' online activities monitored
SEX offenders have been warned their online activities will be monitored by police officers with the introduction of a remote computer search system. The Triage system will send North Yorkshire Police's eight public protection officers an alert
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Bishops of Durham and York to tweet Christmas Day sermons
THE Bishop of Durham is among several senior bishops who are set to tweet their Christmas Day sermons for the first time this year in a Christmas Tweet campaign. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams (lambethpalace), the Archbishop of
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Supporters celebrate X Factor win in James' local pub
Dozens of fans of James Arthur packed into his favourite local pub tonight. Reporter Chris Webber spoke to them as they nervously waited for the results. JAMES Arthur's local pub where he would often play to under ten people was jumping last night
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Saltburn's James Arthur wins the X Factor
JAMES Arthur is celebrating after being crowned this year's X Factor winner. The 24-year-old former pub singer from Saltburn, east Cleveland, beat off tough competition from soul singer Jahmene Douglas in tonight's final. Liverpool's Christopher
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James Arthur is crowned X Factor champion
JAMES Arthur is celebrating after being crowned this year's X Factor winner. The 24-year-old former pub singer from Saltburn, east Cleveland, beat off tough competition from soul singer Jahmene Douglas in tonight's final to secure a million pound
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The future is bright for X Factor winner James Arthur
SO we made it to the final of this year's X Factor and I have to say I surprisingly enjoyed it. I don't know why it takes four hours over two nights to decide which of three men are going to be crowned winner – but I guess that's what comes of
