MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Assistant store manager, Stockton. NMW. 7-day rota, including two late nights. Must have at least two years' experience in a similar role and have proven
UNDERWATER enthusiasts dived into history when they donned traditional outfits for an unusual exercise. While they often go diving using modern equipment, members of the British Sub-aqua Club's 978 branch felt they hadn't fully appreciated their sport's
A RURAL care group is in the running for a national award at a ceremony in London next month. The Dales Primary Care Group (PCG) has been shortlisted for recognition in the Doctor Vision Awards 2000, which mark initiatives by health groups around the
CONSERVATIONISTS have thanked city residents for supporting their fight to save a landmark. A petition run by the City of Durham Trust against plans to demolish Brown's Boathouse was signed by 4,002 people. Earlier this month, it was handed to the public
A YOUNG mother-to-be is to be moved to a mother and baby unit to give birth to her child in custody after being sentenced for burglary yesterday. Kelly McLeod is in the middle of a 12-month sentence for offences for obtaining by deception, which should
PHARMACEUTICAL giant Glaxo has unveiled healthy final figures before its proposed merger with SmithKline Beecham. Sales for the nine months to September 30 were £6.86bn compared to £6.10bn at the same time last year - representing growth of around 11
EDUCATION standards may be rising but the nation's young scholars still have the capacity to make howlers. Like the pupil who wrote that the universe began millions of years ago with "little orgasms crawling about.'' Or the youngster who wrote that the
AN experiment to pedestrianise parts of a town centre has provoked anger among traders, who claim it has led to a drop in business. Just a week into the six months of its operation, the experiment to banish traffic from central Middlesbrough has already
A HOSPITAL has called in expert help in an attempt to restore its battered public image. Northallerton's Friarage Hospital, in North Yorkshire, has asked a national support team to work with the trust in ensuring it offers a high standard of health care
DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott has announced a review of emergency procedures after Britain was crippled by the worst storms for a decade. Mr Prescott told the Commons that the storm should serve as a "wake-up call for everyone". The Deputy Prime
FARMERS in the region last night reacted with horror at the prospect of a total ban on selling British lamb if BSE is found in the nation's sheep. The drastic move is one possibility being considered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
THE North-East's work hard, play hard culture has helped leisure group Whitbread to forge ahead in the region. Results from the recently opened TGI Fridays on Teesside and Tyneside, the opening of the first Swallow Hotel to be converted to the Marriot
DARLINGTON-based Camera 'A' has snapped up four awards of excellence in two national photographic competitions. The Skinnergate business, established in 1981, won three awards of excellence at this year's national Master Photographers Association (MPA
New Shildon Residents' Association held talks on environmental and waste management issues with Sedgefield Borough Council's technical services manager Gordon Lennon and Going for Green officer Joan Watson. Residents are invited to the next meeting of
A BURGLAR was caught inside a house by the owner, a court was told yesterday. Nick Crane, 33, was returning home with his fiancee after a night out when they found the front door would not open. He went in through the back door and discovered the front
The problems continue to mount for Middlesbrough boss Bryan Robson after a Halloween horror show at Wimbledon. A penalty from John Hartson six minutes from time was enough to send Boro tumbling out of the Worthington Cup last night. The largely disappointing
COMPUTER clubs are attracting Internet surfers of all ages to classes in Teesdale. Clubs in village halls at Butterknowle, Cockfield and Evenwood have growing membership. Others are planned for Newbiggin, Eggleston and Bowes. There are also training classes
LANDLADY Sharon Hancock has got her hands full with a frisky phantom which haunts her pub. For the cheeky ghost has got a fetish for pinching her bottom. Sharon, 35, runs the Green Dragon pub, in Stockton, Teesside, with partner Eddie Place, 34. When
NEIGHBOURING streets were targeted by burglars who raided ten sheds and outhouses in a night. The residents of Sandriggs and Meadowfield Road, Darlington, became victims of the crime spree between Friday night and Sunday night. Many of the sheds were
RESIDENTS in a North-East community are counting the cost of flooding for the second time in three months. Skinningrove, in east Cleveland, was recovering from flooding in July which devastated parts of the village, leaving ruined homes in its wake. In
A POISON pen letter writer terrorised a smart cul-de-sac, forcing three families to move out, a court heard yesterday. For two years, senior university administrator Andrew Bewley, 38, brought misery to Wharfedale Close in Ingleby Barwick in the hope
LAST week's Phillips Report said that incompetence and complacency by ministers and officials hid the truth about the dangers of BSE from the public for years. It said that people were repeatedly misled and kept in the dark by statements that underplayed
A TEESSIDE museum is asking for help to celebrate its 20th birthday. Kirkleatham Old Hall Museum, at Redcar, is 20 next year, and part of the celebrations involves five banners being displayed in the entrance. People are being asked to go along to the
A MULTI-MILLION pound bid to bring golf's most prestigious competition to the North-East was launched yesterday. The £44m attempt to bring the 2009 Ryder Cup to Slaley Hall, in Northumberland, is being backed by the Prime Minister Tony Blair. Regional
TEN past four. I'm late. This should have been written hours ago but then I got stuck on the phone. After that I got stuck in a meeting. Now I'm later still. There's another meeting scheduled and I have to be in Hamsterley for 2pm. I'm late setting off
YOUNG people from 72 youth groups across County Durham have been giving it the works to win a top youth work award. The groups have already done battle in the Durham County Council competition, and four area winners have been named as finalists in the
DETECTIVES are convinced they are "closer than ever" to catching the murderers of Julie Smailes. On the fourth anniversary of Julie's death, police revealed yesterday that forensic scientists, who have spent six months on the case using the latest DNA
YOUNGSTERS from a Durham school are getting their walking boots on thanks to the Prince's Trust. Seven pupils of Gilesgate Sports College and Sixth Form Centre want to train in basic expedition leadership. After training they will assist qualified leaders
ARMISTICE DAY THE first Poppy Appeal of the new millennium has just been launched and the climax will be a special event at the Millennium Dome on Armistice Day, Saturday, November 11. We all remember the sacrifices which were made, and are still being
ENTREPRENEUR Les Bell was named the first recipient of The Northern Echo Lifetime of Achievement Award, at The Tees Valley Business Show last night. Hundreds of businessmen and women gathered at the Tall Trees Hotel,Yarm, to see Peter Barron, editor of
A BOGUS fundraising operation, thought to have collected £100,000 in the name of a North-East disabled children's charity, could have links in the region. Trustees of the Sunderland-based Lee Sykes Centre for Conductive Education have called in police
SEDGEFIELD Borough Council has set aside £100,000 for improvements to properties in Front Street, Tudhoe. They are among 400 pre-1919 homes in the borough. The other large concentration is at Dean Bank, Ferryhill. A report to the council's scrutiny committee
A WOMAN who was in bed with her boyfriend when police raided her home, was jailed yesterday. Georgina Harrison, 25, had 113 Ecstasy tablets under her bed, said prosecutor Robert Terry. On the bedside cabinet next to her and Stephen Scarre, 24, was a small
Slaley Hall will have to beat some tough opposition if it is to win the race to host the 2009 Ryder Cup. l ST ANDREWS: The home of golf, which hosted the Open championship this year, and attracts legions of players. l TURNBERRY: Beautiful course on the
A North-East college plans to build the region's first Olympic-size swimming pool. East Durham and Houghall Community College proposes building a 50-metre pool as part of a £7m centre also featuring six tennis courts, a five-a-side football pitch, badminton
WORKERS at one County Durham supermarket struggled through snow, wind and rain to get to work yesterday - so they could sit in a bath of blancmange. The five women from Asda, in Stanley, were raising money for the Tickled Pink Fund for Breast Cancer'
OVERJOYED William McLeod has finally married his Thai bride after a 14-month battle to be together. Oilfield Engineer Mr McLeod, 52, had lived in Thailand for nine years before he was deported from the country following a mix-up over his legal allowance
A REDCAR estate will be blooming marvellous thanks to a grant to develop an overgrown area. Urban Britain in Bloom on the Harwal estate has already created a millennium garden and walkway to improve the neighbourhood with a garden area for residents to
SUPPORTERS of a campaign by the National Federation of Small Businesses for a cut in fuel tax say it will continue for "as long as it takes". The Darlington branch of the federation has been at the forefront of local efforts to publicise the fight. Chairman
TODAY is the last day for people in Ferryhill to comment on the draft version of the town's community appraisal. The document, unveiled two weeks ago, identifies more than 100 areas for action in the town. It has been available for inspection at the library
PEOPLE in Gateshead are being urged to tell officials how they think the town can be given a brighter future. The Gateshead Strategic Partnership, led by Gateshead Borough Council, is producing a community strategy that it hopes will improve the lives
DARLINGTON Borough Council has come under renewed attack over the security at the town's West Cemetery. The authority admitted earlier this year that the cemetery gates were no longer locked at night, leading to criticism from people whose relatives are
A FATHER and son were cleared yesterday of being involved in an alleged armed attack in which a man claimed he was pushed out of a bedroom window. Peter Clayton, 48, and Paul Clayton, 27, had denied being involved in the alleged attack in April when they
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Stylist, Birtley. £4ph plus commission, 26hrs pw. Required for unisex salon. Must be fully qualified to at least NVQ Level 2 in hairdressing and experienced
THE region's latest lifeboat was called into action for the first time at the weekend. A new Atlantic 75 class boat was brought into service a week ago at Hartlepool Marina and, on Saturday, the £75,000 vessel attended its first emergency. The boat -
ONE of the region's schools has been hit by a second blow in two months. Northfield School, in Billingham, has been disrupted by an accidental fire which has caused £50,000 worth of damage. The blaze, which swept through the dining hall and damaged several
A DRUG dealer is spending his 21st birthday behind bars today at the start of a four-year sentence. Anthony Collins was supplying heroin from his home in Woodville Avenue, Grove Hill, Middlesbrough, and sold it to an undercover police officer. But, when
A BIKER was brought off the Eston Hills, near Middlesbrough, after an accident while scrambling. A police helicopter was used to find the injured, unnamed 29-year-old, who was taken to Middlesbrough General Hospital with a suspected broken leg. The rider
THOUSANDS of miles away from her County Durham home, a young teacher is inspiring a family campaign to help her young students. Sarah Armstrong is spending two years with Voluntary Service Overseas, teaching English to children in Rwanda. She describes
AS 800-year-old cheeses go, few could have raised as much of a stink as the now world-famous Wensleydale. Favourite teatime treat of a certain plasticine-based motorcycle rider and his beloved four-legged pillion passenger, the cheese has caused one of
FOR a spooktacular scream this Halloween, why not dispense with the scary mask and opt for a morbid makeover instead? Emma Turnbull, a Chester-le-Street nail and beauty specialist, uses a new type of temporary tattoo to create a haunted Halloween effect
A SCHOOL attacked by arsonists could be closed until the new year. Last week, fire ripped through part of West Park Primary School, Hartlepool, causing £120,000 worth of damage. Now, headteacher Rob Wilson has written to parents explaining that the school
A SUNDAY league football crowd was left bemused when an air ambulance arrived to pick up an injured player, only to fly off without him. Mark Harrison, 24, suffered a suspected broken ankle during the Com 2000 UK Consett Sunday League match between Stanley
COUNCIL bosses have been forced to make changes to one of the region's biggest fireworks events. Sections of South Park, Darlington, have been turned into a quagmire because of rain, coupled with the damage caused by visitors to a recent dog show. The
THE brakes will continue to be put on motorists using the A66 in and out of Teesside - while safety work is carried out on a bridge. Speeds on the A66 between Middlesbrough and the edge of Stockton have always been restricted to 50 mph, but the limit
FLOODING has returned to haunt a North-East football club, but this time a broken cistern was to blame for the deluge, and not the weather. According to Darlington Football Club's official Internet website, an incident during a private 18th birthday party
PUPILS and staff at Sacred Heart Primary School in Hartlepool saw the millennium in with a musical extravaganza. The whole school put on a concert celebrating music throughout the ages, right up to the modern day. There are 467 pupils at the school and
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Joiners, North-East area, 40hrs plus overtime, required for outdoor roof work, must have current, clean driving licence, time served preferred. Ref;
SEDGEFIELD will have a new children's nursery after councillors decided to reject advice from their planning officers. But the application for the nursery at North End has only been given temporary permission for a year, to monitor potential traffic problems
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Electrician, Catterick Garrison. 8am to 4.30pm, Mon-Thurs, 3.30pm finish Fri. Must have 16th Edition Regulations. Experience an advantage. Full driving
SUPPORTERS of the region's parks have met to share ideas on the future of the areas. Groups which support and look after parks in Sunderland visited colleagues in Hartlepool to forge closer links and share ideas. The friends of Sunderland's Hylton Castle
FREEMASONS within the police force would be unwilling to publicly declare membership of the secret society, a senior officer has said. Chief Constable George Hedges, of Durham Police, believed officers would rather record the information on personal files
VIEWS are to be sought on proposals to relaunch a school in Hartlepool. The 900-place voluntary-aided Church of England secondary would be created by closing Henry Smith School - a community 11-16 secondary school - and reopening the King Oswy Drive site
COUNTY Durham youngsters are being offered the chance to sample continental life. Durham County Council's international office is organising exchange visits to France and Germany next year, for 14 to 18-year-olds. In April, youngsters from Tubingen in
HAS the country gone completely barmy? As I write, almost the whole of the railway network is closed and it was like this even before the atrocious weather set in. Of course, it is a cause for sorrow when even one person is killed in a train crash, but
FAMILY doctors could win a national accolade for their efforts in cutting paperwork in their practices. The Dales Primary Care Group, made up of doctors' practices caring for 88,000 people in Wear Valley, Weardale and Teesdale, has been shortlisted for
A PAIR of millennium stones to greet visitors to a village will be unveiled on November 12. The York stone blocks, 5ft high and weighing six tonnes, will be dedicated at Neasham, near Darlington. Made by Shipley Quarry, Barnard Castle, they will be placed
SCOTTISH international Don Hutchison repaid a huge slice of his £2.5m transfer fee with his first goals for Sunderland to set up a mouth-watering fourth round Worthington Cup tie against Manchester United. Peter Reid's men had to thank Danish goalkeeper
Steve Redgrave yesterday bowed to the inevitable and turned his back on the sport which made him one of the greatest Olympians of all time. The 38-year-old is taking a ''clean break'' after landing his fifth consecutive rowing gold at the Sydney Games
FOR some, it is a "chemical cosh", dished out by doctors likes Smarties. For others, it has transformed their lives, allowing them to live normally. Parents of hyperactive children who consider Ritalin nothing less than a wonderdrug have welcomed new
HARTLEPOOL United boss Chris Turner is still waiting to complete the signing of Southend midfielder Mark Tinkler - but has already completed one deal this week. Turner has extended the loan deal of Steve Baker after the Middlesbrough defender impressed
HIGH quality Shakespeare is again being brought to audiences in the North-East and cast members spent yesterday putting the finishing touches to As You Like It. The play, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, will run at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle
PARISH councillors at Aiskew have suggested that a new housing development should be named after a long-serving teacher. The developer responsible for the nine houses in Sandhill Lane, opposite the entrance to Kingfisher Drive, has put forward Denham
INFORMATION collected for a parish millennium project could be made into a booklet. There was a millennium exhibition on Sunday at Thirkleby village hall, displaying photographs, maps and other information about the parish. The work was carried out to
Darlington have been dealt another blow with the news that Paul Campbell could now be out for the rest of the season. The midfielder suffered a groin injury against Torquay three weeks ago and last week was told he would be out until February. But there
GIRLS at a Darlington school have been given some helpful advice to guide them through life. Professor Janet Bainbridge OBE, director of Teesside University's school of science and technology, was guest speaker at Polam Hall School last week. In her address
THIEVES tunnelled through the bedroom wall of a house in Kirk Merrington, near Bishop Auckland, and made off with property worth £4,500 from next door. The raiders, who had made a hole in an upstairs wall of the house in Rockcliffe Terrace, stole a white
A NORTH-EAST MP has launched a campaign to put cancer on the national political agenda. Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, took to the street outside his constituency office in Guisborough yesterday with giant pledge cards to
A BRICKLAYER from County Durham has scooped the prestigious title of Apprentice of the Year. Ross Mitchell, from Middleton-in-Teesdale, won top prize in the competition, which was organised by the Northern Counties branch of the National Federation of
ELDERLY residents in Gateshead are being urged to take up free safety checks on small electrical appliances. Low Fell Labour Action team member Jim Batty said: "This is a great campaign being run by Gateshead Council. "Older residents in Low Fell and
A SMUGGLING ring centred on the North-East which brought illegal Asian immigrants into Britain hidden in vans has been smashed by police. Three members of the gang who brought the immigrants into Britain hidden among crisp packets, toilet rolls and mineral
A REFRESHER course aimed at attracting nurses back into the profession is being held by hospital bosses. The three-day event, being staged by the South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, is specifically designed to target registered nurses and midwives who
VANDALS in a north Durham town have destroyed more than 50 lampposts, causing £1,250 worth of damage. The culprits have obtained a key to open the inspection covers on the lampposts in Moorside, Consett. They then rip apart the wires and fuses. Police
A PILOT project in the North-East to help single parents get back to work is to be introduced nationwide, the chancellor of the Exchequer announced yesterday. Gordon Brown, launching the New Deal for Lone Parents programme, said Britain lags too far behind
A WIDOW has settled out of court following a seven-year legal battle after her husband's fatal heart condition was diagnosed as indigestion. Joan Carney has been awarded more than £50,000 after it emerged that her husband Bob had been prescribed indigestion
A DURHAM Police crackdown on car crooks is bringing big reductions in vehicle crime. Hot-spot car parks popular with thieves in Durham and Chester-le-Street, are being targeted as part of Operation Oceania. Police are employing a series of crime-beating
SUPPORTERS of two of the region's parks have met to share ideas on the future of the area. Groups which support and look after parks in Sunderland visited colleagues in Hartlepool to forge closer links, and share ideas. The friends of Sunderland's Hylton
FOOTBALL fans will be able to take advantage of the latest technology following the launch of a new website. Middlesbrough Football Club staged the official launch of its new website - mfc.co.uk - with the help of manager Bryan Robson and players Christian
PLANS for an American-style licensed bar in Ferryhill have been rejected because of fears about road safety. Planning officers at Sedgefield Borough Council recommended approval for the wine bar in Main Street. In a supporting letter, the applicant said
Charged with supplying 250 words at the final whistle, the Sunday Express man wrote his intro - or hoped he had - before the match kicked off. "They were dancing in the streets of Billy Elliott country last night...." Billy Elliott country is Easington
HOAX fire calls are tumbling on Teesside following a hi-tech crackdown on phone pests. Cleveland Fire Brigade has so far this year received 700 fewer malicious calls from telephone boxes compared to the previous 12 months. The reduction follows a relatively
TROUBLED tobacco group, BAT, still reeling after the DTI ordered an investigation into allegations it was involved in cigarette smuggling, has seen its profits hit by continuing tough US markets. British American Tobacco said conditions in the US were
THE power of the theatre is being used to press home the anti-racism message to youngsters across North Yorkshire. More than 300 young people are learning about the issue during a tour of the county organised by the county council's continuing education
A NATIONAL conservation group has praised sensitive work to restore Richmond's flood-ravaged Mercury Bridge. The central pier of the crossing over the Swale was washed away after the downpours in June and work has been going on since to restore the town's
A CENTRE for elderly Derwentside people with mental problems is doing a good job, according to a survey. The Haven Day Centre, at Burnhope, near Stanley was given marks of four or five out of five by the users and carers interviewed. The centre, which
FOR the second time this year, frightened pensioners had to flee their council bungalows as floods threatened to engulf their estate yesterday. Gardens and greens in Howden-le-Wear were submerged under a deluge of rain and sewage caused, said residents
THE killer of Wearside schoolgirl Laura Kane has been moved from the North-East to one of Britain's toughest jails. Colin Bainbridge was jailed for life in June for the rape and murder of the nine-year-old, from Penshaw, near Sunderland. In August last
