PUPILS are sending a Save Our Schools appeal to councillors who are expected to vote tomorrow to approve the closure of three comprehensive schools. Jason Charlton, 14, and his classmates have collected 600 names for a petition calling on Middlesbrough's
PROBLEMS caused by drunken teenagers on the streets of Redcar and the surrounding area are falling, according to the latest statistics. The success is being put down to a Community Safety Partnership scheme run by Cleveland Police and Redcar and Cleveland
TEENAGERS from north Durham will present the findings of their investigation into how rubbish and waste can be better cleaned up by Durham County Council, this week. The presentation is all part of the council's Local Democracy Week, and it is being taken
TOWNS and villages in the region could be left in the dark this Christmas. Tough rules imposed by Durham County Council mean anyone wanting to hang festive decorations on lampposts will have to apply for a safety permit six months in advance. Ferryhill
A BRITISH soldier was killed yesterday during a dramatic gun battle as troops rescued six of their comrades held by a rebel militia gang deep in the Sierra Leone jungle. Another British soldier was seriously injured, although his wounds were not life-threatening
LITTLE Jack McCabe will net his father £50,000 if he turns into a football star. John McCabe's friends put on a £10 bet at odds of 5,000-1 that the month-old baby would one day play for England. They presented the William Hill betting slip to John as
BOSSES at the scandal-hit Northallerton Health Trust have accepted that the Richard Neale case has dented public confidence in its services. The trust's annual report has been published just weeks after the gynaecologist was struck off by the General
ALUMINIUM foil has become the latest recyclable product to be collected by Hambleton District Council. Can banks in the district's 26 village mini-recycling centres, as well as the larger town recycling centres, now accept clean foil as well as cans.
YOUNGSTERS are to make a song and dance about local issues during Local Democracy Week, which begins today. The Connecting Youth Culture Team, made up of teen-agers from Northallerton and Scarborough, will give a dem-onstration of dance, drumming and
CIVIC leaders in the Yorkshire Dales are to protest to the Government over the effects of new 44-tonne lorries on rural communities. The new juggernauts are expected to be allowed on British roads from January 1, but Richmondshire district councillors
The Friends of Reeth School raised £156 through their stall at the recent Reeth Show. The group is now running a general knowledge quiz, with question sheets priced £1. They are available from the school, or by calling Julie Bissicks on (01748) 884912
THE boyfriend of a woman who died in a blaze at her North-East home was yesterday released by detectives hunting her murderer. University graduate Victoria Barker, 30, died after an explosion and fire at her home in South Stanley, County Durham, last
MOTORISTS are facing a week of chaos as hauliers and farmers started action last night aimed at running the region's petrol stations dry. As queues formed at filling stations, amid reports of panic buying, hauliers and farmers blockaded the Shell oil
A grandfather has raised £12,000 for the two Teesside hospitals that cared for his grandson. Al Kraus, 74, and his late wife Gladys first began fundraising for the Parkside Hospital in the 1970s. They could not have realised then that, years later, their
Residents of Redcar and Cleveland are to have access to the information superhighway through libraries, thanks to new funding. The funding forms part of a national movement to provide computer access for the public through library services. There were
A NEW chapter is opening up for Freda Lofthouse after a lifetime in the book trade. But her job as chief book buyer for well-known family firm Dressers, will be in safe hands. For taking over the crucial role will be Diana Birks who herself has clocked
A DARLINGTON council worker is appealing for help to discover the background to a piece of local history. Gary Puggmurr, 30, of Neasham Road, was hoeing his garden when he found a 63-year-old invoice. The invoice from British Insulated Cables Ltd, in
Work to upgrade and enhance the approach to County Durham's world heritage site begins today. The work is designed to improve the appearance of Saddler Street in Durham City, and make it safer for pedestrians on their way to and from the cathedral and
THE work of a staff member and inmate at a young offenders' institution will be recognised tomorrow. HM Deerbolt, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, was approached earlier this year to do a garden makeover for Colin Lincoln, who has been left extensively
VULNERABLE children are among the beneficiaries of £24.3m of grants awarded by the National Lottery to UK-based charities. The grants, awarded to 102 charities which work abroad, will help provide for needs such as healthcare, safe water, sanitation and
A FED-UP resident on a run-down estate is considering taking legal action against a housing association. Helen Labarre, of Clive Street, Ferryhill Station, says she has suffered nuisance from noisy and abusive neighbours since she moved into her home
A CONFIDENTIAL hot-line has been set up for frightened victims of crime in an area of County Durham. The District of Easington Council has opened the hot-line after picking up comments from residents in the area that they were too worried about reprisals
ARCHITECTS were told to bring a "sense of theatre" to the Durham Light Infantry Museum when charged with coming up with a £900,000 redesign. When the Regimental Flag of the DLI was raised by cadets at the official opening of the museum at the weekend
MUSIC lovers have only a short time remaining to buy tickets for a charity concert featuring soprano Lesley Garrett. The outdoor evening event takes place at Durham County Cricket Club's Riverside Ground on Saturday. All 2,000 stand seats were snapped
An infamous young thug known as Spiderboy says he is ready quit his life of crime to become a responsible father. Tommy Laws, 20, chose a bizarre time to make his announcement - he is on the run from the police. Laws earned his nickname as a 15-year-old
A 12-MILE stretch of coastline once branded one of the country's most polluted areas lit up as fireworks celebrated the completion of a project which has cleaned up 150 years of mining scars. An estimated 10,000 people turned out to witness the festivities
SOLDIERS and civilians join-ed forces at the weekend in an effort to clear up Coronation Park, one of Catterick Garrison's main recreational areas. The "community work day" set out to create a safe and environmentally-friendly park for the local community
SHOPPERS in a north Durham town will have the chance to talk to a team of energy experts about changes to their gas bills. The team from British Gas will explain to shoppers in Consett how the company's plan to scrap standing charges could benefit them
COUNCILLORS have thrown their weight behind a campaign to build a new bypass around Northallerton. They are pressing North Yorkshire County Council to bring forward the scheme to relieve increasing congestion in the town. Members of Hambleton District
A highly-emotional Michael Schumacher openly wept in front of a worldwide audience on what eventually proved to be a bitterly sad day for Formula One. After the 41st victory of his career, his third at the home of Ferrari after 1996 and 1998, and in front
MORE than 2,000 pupils from 40 schools across Stockton will be taking part in the Crucial Crew safety awareness sessions at the old children's hospital in Durham Road. The first group of youngsters took part in sessions on Friday, spending time with representatives
I RECALL when attending one of your talks that you mentioned originating from Chester-le-Street, so you may be able to help. In the early 19th Century in the vicinity of Bournmoor (Burnmoor) between Chester-le-Street and Penshaw there was a coal mining
A TEENAGER, who once wandered the streets of the North East homeless, has set off on the adventure of a lifetime. Seventeen-year-old Daniel Bell will join other young people from all over Britain for a ten-week stay in the jungles of Brunei, in South-East
Residents of Redcar and Cleveland are to have access to the information superhighway through libraries, thanks to new funding. The funding forms part of a national movement to provide computer access for the public through library services. There were
A FARMER died when his jumper caught in a combine harvester as he worked on the family farm. John Walter Kirk, 64, appears to have been killed after climbing from his cab to check a fault in the machinery while the engine was running. He was pulled into
A BALLOON lost at a Newton Aycliffe park during a summer festival has landed in Norway. Great Aycliffe Town Council gave away hundreds of balloons to children during the Summer Festival of Fun, in Newton Aycliffe parks. Many balloons escaped from the
MARGROVE Heritage Centre celebrated its tenth anniversary at the weekend with a party. The east Cleveland centre is dedicated to the special heritage of the area as well as providing a facility for local families. Staff from the centre cut a birthday
A NORTH-EAST college has been called in to teach Cambridge University students how to fight properly. Members of the International Boxing Academy based at the East Durham and Houghall Community College in Peterlee were called in by the dons in a desperate
A RESIDENTS' association has received a boost in its bid to build a community centre. Whinfield Residents' Association, in Darlington, held a fun day in and around the local Asda store on Saturday. The fun day, which involved a number of events including
