DEPRIVED areas of Teesside are to receive cash from round six of the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) programme announced yesterday. At least £10m has been awarded to Stockton to tackle social exclusion in the town's less well off areas. Projects will
IT is a fact of modern life in schools that more and more emphasis is placed on benchmarking, assessments, examinations and league tables. Talk to many teachers and they will tell you that it is a trend which is in danger of squeezing out another vital
A BUS made famous by a TV series filmed in the region made a guest appearance to promote a council's heritage open day. Aycliffe and District Bus Preservation Society's vintage bus, as featured in Heartbeat, was in Darlington yesterday. It was rehearsing
TRIBUTES have been paid to a tireless community worker who helped to secure £3m for a Darlington housing estate. As chairman of the Firth Moor Community Partnership, Bill Cook was instrumental in putting together a bid to regenerate the estate. And all
BARRY SHAW YOUR report "Pressure mounts for police chief inquiry" (Echo, Aug 3) concerning the Chief Constable of Cleveland, Barry Shaw, attributes to the Association of Chief Police Officers certain comments about his position. I would like to make it
TYCOON George Reynolds last night urged Darlington fans to keep faith in his dream of turning the Third Division minnows into a footballing force. Twenty-four hours after team manager David Hodgson's dramatic resignation days before the start of the new
Children are feeling increasingly "stressed out" by exams as many now have to take at least 75 tests during their school careers, according to research published today. Panic attacks, eating disorders and sleeplessness are some of the symptoms of examophobia
Alan Shearer has only 180 minutes left to prove he's fit to face Manchester United in Newcastle's Premiership opener. The striker has seen only 20 minutes of action in Newcastle's pre-season games because of a knee injury. But a scan has shown no serious
Darlington midfielder Martin Gray yesterday gave fans a much-needed boost by signing a new two-year contract as new boss Gary Bennett proclaimed: "It's not all gloom". Following David Hodgson's walkout, there were rumours that several players were following
TOWN centre bosses in County Durham have reacted with dismay to news that the final go-ahead has been given for a huge extension to the Gateshead MetroCentre. Councils representing Durham, Consett, Stanley and Chester-le-Street all objected to the plans
SUMMER showers could not dampen the enthusiasm of hundreds of youngsters determined to have a good time yesterday. East Durham and Houghall Community College held a play day for four to 16-year-olds at its Houghall site near Durham. Attractions included
A FAMILY of four escaped with minutes to spare when a burning chip pan filled their home with smoke. They probably owe their lives to a woman who telephoned the fire brigade after looking out of her window and seeing the kitchen ablaze in a house a street
WORK has started on a caf, with Internet facilities, in Darlington. Caf Gulp, which is due to open in mid-September, will be housed in the old Darlington and Stockton Times offices of the Northern Echo premises in Priestgate. Gulp UK Ltd was to open the
A HEALTH organisation in east Durham is opening its doors to the public to update people on its progress. Easington Primary Care Group was formed last year to look after the health of 100,000 people across the district. The group is a sub-committee of
THE region's folk music development body Folkworks is holding its annual Durham Gathering in the city. It will feature concerts and workshops in various instruments led by top folk performers, including Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell. It starts today
A FAMILY man was caught with £100,000-worth of cannabis just an hour after he had taken delivery of it. Harry Cochrane, 52, had 23 kilos of the class-B drug in a box in his hallway when police raided his home in March, Durham Crown Court heard yesterday
A LORRY load of frozen chickens caused traffic chaos yesterday morning. The 12-tonne vehicle crashed into the central reservation of the A1(M) north of the Aycliffe interchange just before 7am. The accident caused an initial tailback and the northbound
EVERY football manager has his supporters and his detractors. David Hodgson was no different - I, for one, wondered about his tactical ability. But today, both sets of Quakers' fans will be united in sympathy behind a man who has seen his four years'
A UNIQUE training opportunity for disabled people has been hailed a success. The training taster day, held at the Pioneering Care Centre in Newton Aycliffe, attracted 30 disabled people, mainly from the Aycliffe, Darlington and Durham areas. The event
A PROMISING drama student fears his dream of life on the big screen could be ruined unless he can raise £1,000 towards college course fees. Adam Piercy, 20, of Darlington, has won a three-year scholarship at the Oxford School of Drama. The cost of the
A BANNED driver released from prison a fortnight ago found himself back behind bars for another three months yesterday. Simon Whorley, 21, appeared before magistrates in Harrogate after his sentence for driving while disqualified and without insurance
A PENSIONER is believed to have suffered a fatal heart attack moments before his car hit a bollard. Police said yesterday that the death of Abraham Sewell, 85, was probably due to natural causes and not any injuries he suffered. The accident was on the
TELEVSION favourite Robson Green has been back in his native North-East to wrap up filming his latest series, Close And True. The 34-year-old Geordie has been shooting scenes for the six-part series in Newcastle after location filming in London and Malta
A CAMPAIGN to reduce the number of house fires in a County Durham village could be extended if it proves successful. The fire brigade has chosen Ferryhill for a pilot scheme because it suffers more house fires than any similar-sized community in County
TORY leader William Hague has joined calls for a major inquiry into the role played in the Richard Neale affair by the Friarage Hospital. The Richmond MP has said he believes there is "a very good case" for what he describes as "a major inquiry", although
DEDICATED voluntary worker Betty Sheppard has won recognition for her efforts by being voted Ferryhill's first Citizen of the Year. Betty was the unanimous choice of an independent panel of judges who sifted through a flood of nomination forms sent to
THE closure of a distribution depot could have a serious effect on a town's economy, local authority chiefs warned yesterday. British Telecom is considering axing its Northallerton depot as part of a nationwide review, with the loss of as many as 200
A YOUNG wife, who was desperate to have a baby, died in a human torch horror, an inquest heard yesterday. Jamila Ahmed, 21, was receiving fertility treatment after two miscarriages in her four-year marriage. She bought a 99p bottle of white spirit from
KIND-HEARTED double glazing bosses came to the aid of a talking newspaper after its charity shop window was smashed. The glass at Derwent Sight and Sound's shop in Front Street, Langley Park, was shattered by a beer bottle. The charity would have had
A FARMERS' market has managed to attract a wide range of stallholders for this weekend's event in Teesdale. And the latest signing for Barnard Castle Farmers' Market is Whitby fishmonger Jim Hebden, who will, for the first time, open a stall selling a
REDCAR'S sea wall is likely to be rebuilt at a cost of £3.44m after discussions with fishermen and lifeboat crews. But because of objections, plans for an offshore breakwater, also approved last year by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, will not now
DARLINGTON Football Club was plunged into crisis yesterday when manager David Hodgson quit ten days before the start of the season. Hodgson resigned yesterday morning at a meeting of the team and players, which was called by multi-millionaire chairman
A STONE display marking the site of a town's millennium time capsule has been unveiled. An image of the Royal George locomotive is the centrepiece of the display in Hackworth Park, Shildon. It will provide a reminder of the time capsule, which has been
Sunderland's Kevin Phillips has reluctantly sent back his invitation to one of the showpiece occasions of European football. Phillips was scheduled to be the guest of honour on Sunday at the presentation of the Golden Shoe award for finishing as top scorer
THESPIANS from north Durham will be the only theatre group with disabled and able-bodied people at the Edinburgh Festival next week. Members of the Special Needs Unity Group, at Stanley will take their Murder and Marmalade show to the festival for ten
A FATHER-OF-TWO was jailed yesterday for six months after police found cannabis worth £800 at his girlfriend's home. Owen Robinson, 27, had four plastic bags of the drug hidden in the house at Murton, Seaham, County Durham. Yesterday, Robinson, of Tofts
A MAN was accused yesterday of setting fire to an outhouse at his former girlfriend's home. The fire brigade was called to put out the blaze at the house in Hemlington, Middlesbrough, in May last year. A jury at Teesside Crown Court was told fire officers
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an attempted robbery in which a father and son were attacked in the street. The incident happened at about 5pm, on Sunday, in Stockton Street, Hartlepool, outside public toilets. A Cleveland Police spokeswomen said
CEMENT group Blue Circle has confirmed that "a reduction in capacity" remains an option of its review of production at its Weardale plant. The company, which employs 170 at the Eastgate site, is halfway through a three month efficiency drive which management
SOME of the most deprived communities of north Durham are to receive £20m from the Government. The money will be ploughed mainly into former coalfield and rural areas to improve the competitiveness of business, further develop the area's infrastructure
THE bizarre spectacle of men and women with fish tanks full of water over their heads is bewildering shoppers. The group of Australian performers are part of Stockton's International Riverside Festival street entertainment. Specialising in the surreal
POLICE investigating the death of a young North-East airman during chemical warfare trials are understood to be looking into another 45 deaths connected with a top secret military base. Police widened their investigation into the death of Consett man
SUPPORTERS of the Black Cats in the Durham area could be taken for a ride this season. The Langley Park branch of the Sunderland Supporters Association is urging more fans to hop on its buses to home and away games. The branch, which has about 400 members
POLICE say they have received a number of telephone calls relating to the murder of a North-East woman ten years ago. The calls have been made following the publicity given to the anniversary of Ann Heron's death. The Northern Echo revealed yesterday
CABLE giant Telewest has revealed that a number of "glitches" has forced it to review its target for digital TV services. But the company, which yesterday revealed it had slumped further into the red in the six months to June this year, said its business
Mark Johnston almost laid claim to permanent ownership of the J.P. Morgan Goodwood Cup when Double Trigger landed his hat-trick of successes in the two-mile event. The Middleham trainer yesterday added the name of another Kingsley House inmate to the
A RETIRED care home manager has been jailed - three decades after terrorising boys in her care. Cynthia Chandler carried out a catalogue of attacks on children from broken and deprived homes. The abuse took place while she and her husband ran the National
KIND Regards has the ideal draw to record a pillar-to-post victory in the opening Bonusprint Handicap at Goodwood. Mark Johnston won the equivalent contest 1996 with Green Barries, a half-brother to the selection. And the in-form Middleham trainer will
A BUSINESS support organisation has assembled a team of business people to help it win the Government's new Small Business Service franchise. Business Link County Durham (BLCD) failed in its attempt to win the franchise earlier this year. It was told
CAMERAS flashed. Reporters crowded round, eager for a glimpse of little Leo. But the new arrival snapped at the Prime Minister's North-East home was not baby Leo, but another recently-christened youngster. Leo the little owl was named after being rescued
ASK the mature man in the street about the Queen Mum and the retort will be something along the lines of "God bless 'er". Ask the mature woman and you are likely to get "Isn't she marvellous" or "Doesn't she do well for her age". Many a time the response
I SENSE major ructions in the Blair household. Tony has always played up to his image as devoted husband and father and, like most MPs, he has become adept at using his family as a political tool. Dropping references to his children - his fears for them
A CONVICTED sex offender who evaded justice for months has been arrested hiding out on a Spanish island. The former swimming coach indecently assaulted young girls at public pools in the North-East when he was a teenager, and police feared he would pose
POLICE in the North-East are investigating allegations of a kidnap. A 26-year-old man was reportedly "enticed" from his Middlesbrough flat and bundled into the back of a car which then drove off into the North Yorkshire countryside. The kidnappers' victim
FOUNDATION work on temporary arches, which will support the flood-hit Mercury Bridge at Richmond, North Yorkshire, is expected to be completed in the next two weeks. Engineers have been battling to restore the 150-year-old listed structure, which collapsed
RECORD-breaking lorry driver Bob Curry has revealed what keeps him trucking at the grand old age of 80 - a traditional fry-up every morning. Bob, of Hylton Lane, Sunderland, has been confirmed by Guinness World Record bosses as the oldest trucker in the
DURHAM County councillors have criticised plans to increase the proportion of funding given directly to schools. The Government is putting more financial responsibility on school heads under its fair funding system. But county councillors are concerned
PRISON officers staged a one-hour stoppage at the North-East's most high-profile jail yesterday. Members of the Prison Officers' Association staged the walkout at Durham Prison in support of colleagues at Brixton, London. The action - being described
Warren Barton is tipping new boy Carl Cort to become a Premiership sensation with Newcastle United. Barton, named as United's new vice-captain, has studied the formerWimbledon player closely in pre-season matches. And the defender insisted: "His ability
AN innocent man caught up in the paper's name and shame campaign says he fears the possibility of vigilante violence. Last Sunday, the Sunday paper named former swimming coach Stephen Featherstone, 33, known as Glen, formerly of Thames Road, in Billingham
Six Teessiders have qualified to represent Great Britain at the European Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Malmo, Sweden, next week. Following a series of gruelling selection trials, the three men and three women, from Hartlepool, Eaglescliffe and Middlesbrough
RESIDENTS of more than 50 houses in a County Durham town suffered intermittentpower cuts for three days. People in Landsdowne Street, Darlington, were seething after the power failed on Saturday afternoon. Between then and Tuesday afternoon Northern Electric
A TEACHER has been suspended amid claims of an alleged irregularity in an A-level music examination. Education chiefs are carrying out an inquiry into allegations that the teacher helped pupils cheat during the exam at Skipton Girls High School, in North
Alen Boksic will today become a Middlesbrough player, thanks to Paul Gascoigne. The Croatian striker, who is expected to complete a £2.5m move from Italian champions Lazio, revealed that "Gazza told me this is a good club to play for". The 30-year-old
RESIDENTS of a former railway town are working on a play depicting life after the closure of their carriage works. Shildon's community play, Safe As Houses, will form part of the town's reunion celebration, which is replacing the ill-fated Millennium
SILENCE descended on the streets when a former pit community turned out in force to mourn the death of ex-local football star Gary Walton. Father-of-two Mr Walton's body was discovered in the garden of the Miner's Arms pub, Coundon, County Durham, in
AN open-air performance of Summer Memories is being presented by the Saltburn '53 Youth Drama Group. The production will take place on the tea lawn at the valley gardens, in Saltburn, from August 13 to 19. Performance will begin at 1pm and 3pm and will
A VILLAGE millennium fun day will run alongside the annual cricket derby match at the weekend. Ferryhill Station and Chilton Lane Ward Residents' Association have organised the day for Saturday, at Mainsforth cricket ground. It will be held at the same
THE Sedgefield in Bloom committee is confident of success in the Britain in Bloom competition. With just over a week to go until the judges visit the village, committee vice-chairman Councillor Maxine Robinson said hopes were high. She said: "We went
AT A fans' forum in June, Darlington chairman George Reynolds said: "He who has the gold, rules." David Hodgson yesterday discovered exactly what that meant. His gold had been sold to other clubs, or at least allowed to slip through his pan. Eighteen
ORGANISERS of Saltburn Heritage Week say the show will go on, despite disruption caused by regeneration work in the town. But the event's finale, a fireworks display, will not take place this year. The fireworks are normally launched from the pier, but
A CREATION inspired by Japanese ceramics has seen Vicky Fry win a coveted award at the UK's largest graduate designer event. Now, Vicky is to showcase her work in a major international fabric design show in Paris. The 21-year-old from Northallerton took
ACTION has been promised to end the "nightmare" endured by residents on a street infamous for crime, poor housing and anti-social behaviour. Police, residents and housing officers have formed a group to improve Stockton's Alliance Street. A spokesman
IF YOU want to join in the celebrations for the Queen Mother's 100th birthday but your invitation was held up in the post the Internet is the place for you today. There are thousands of websites claiming some sort of connection to the Queen Mum - although
WHEN it comes to the Internet, Michael Hutchinson's tastes stretch from pedals to paints. The Bishop Auckland-based businessman has just launched a new web venture to allow customers to choose how the new living room will look without leaving their armchair
