YOUNGSTERS from County Durham will be quizzing members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week. The 32 sixth formers will be taking part in Euroscola and have the chance to participate in multinational debates, as well as put questions to representatives
ONE of the North's biggest associations of manufacturing companies has elected a new president. PAUL ASHLEY, pictured right, managing director of Carlisle-based Clark Door, will head the Northern Association of the Engineering Employers Federation, which
NEW mothers in Hartlepool have been given the chance to get back in shape with an exercise class. A free six-week course is being run by Hartlepool Borough Council's Sports Development Team. The course, aimed primarily at people in the Owton Rossmere
PEOPLE living in the Hundens Lane area of Darlington are being warned to expect inconvenience caused by cable work over the coming weeks. Residents have been contacted by Balfour Beatty Power Networks about plans to install underground cables. The work
A MAN managed to throw off a knife-wielding youth who tried to mug him. The 49-year-old had been making his way down Newgate Street towards Westgate Road, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, when he was confronted by a gang of youths, one who whom brandished
MOBILE phone protestors are expected to stage a demonstration in a North-East town today. The protestors from Northumberland will picket the Orange call centre in Darlington to protest against the building of a mobile phone mast outside Darras Hall Primary
A ROW is brewing over a mobile phone company's bid to erect a phone mast. Planners have recommended Derwentside district councillors to refuse the unnamed company permission to site a 15-metre mast near St Mary's Convent, Ebchester, after receiving letters
ANGRY villagers in Hurworth, near Darlington, are protesting about what they say is an unreliable bus service. Users of the 74 Arriva service from Darlington to the village say it is unreliable and drivers do not give any explanations for delays. They
AN ACT of kindness led to love for a North-East haulier and his Romanian bride. John Troup, of Trimdon Grange, County Durham, married Florentina Toroican in the village on Saturday. The wedding had a distinctly Romanian feel, with some of the service
SPORTS clubs members from the Hambleton area are being urged to sign up to an initiative which could lead to improved facilities. The district council has teamed up with Running Sports, a national body dedicated to assisting clubs, to hold a sports development
PICTURES speak louder than words. Anyone who has been moved by the plight of Hannah Maxwell-Jones, the little girl from Teesside who was born with a disfiguring facial condition, will be amazed at these pictures which demonstrate the skill of Professor
BRAZILIAN striker Christian was yesterday revealed as one of Middlesbrough's top targets but have denied making a move for Manchester United star Teddy Sheringham. Boro have watched the £6m-rated Paris St Germain striker twice recently and Terry Venables
NEWCASTLE'S Peruvian ace Nolberto Solano insists he has nothing to fear from the current probe into players with dual nationality passports. Solano is one of the high-profile foreigners under scrutiny following a passport crackdown. Embassy officials
REPUBLIC of Ireland international Kevin Kilbane is determined to silence the critics whose hostility forced Sunderland manager Peter Reid to leave the £2.5m star out of the ill-fated FA Cup Fifth Round home tie against West Ham United. The 26-year-old
A story about a young orphan girl is to be produced by an amateur dramatics group which could also become homeless in the near future. The Stockton Stage Society is performing Annie from Thursday, March 1 until Saturday March 10 and, like the red-haired
A PIONEERING American plastic surgeon who could be the last hope for North-East youngster Hannah Maxwell-Jones last night pledged: "I can help her live a normal life." Professor Milton Waner has already brought happiness to scores of families by helping
A MAN is claiming damages after being attacked by a police dog and then punched and kicked by police officers, a court heard yesterday. Lawrence Andrew Agar, 35, alleged he was attacked, falsely imprisoned and brought before magistrates on charges of
IN terms of sauciness the Bamforth postcards had it all - racy images and cheeky innuendos. However, when Scarborough card making factory ETW Dennis went into receivership last September, it looked like they might be consigned to the history books. Now
THE Princess Royal was yesterday subjected to the kind of security checks that are usually reserved for the region's hardest criminals. In a clear break with etiquette, Princess Anne could barely disguise her surprise as a female officer carried out a
THE Last Post was finally sounded for a group of old soldiers as they bode an emotional farewell to their standard yesterday. The South Bank branch of the Royal British Legion has been forced to disband after membership fell to just eight elderly ex-servicemen
THINGS that go bump in the night have failed to spook the staff at a North-East shop. "George" the resident ghost at Pagan and McQuade Opticians at Winpenny House, in Stockton's High Street, has been at the address for as long as anyone can remember.
IN THE daylight hours she works part-time in the office of a music equipment company. But at the weekend, Harlene Evans takes centre stage at clubs across the North-East to entertain audiences with her vocal talents. After five years on the circuit, the
Year ten pupils from Greenfield Community and Arts College, Newton Aycliffe, organised a St Valentine's disco to raise £208 for Barnardo's. The organisers, Shaun Lindon, Kirsty McDonald, Darren Howard, Jake Reeves-Farrell, Sam Carroll, Ben Kelsey, Kyle
POLICE are still searching for the man who dived into a river because he thought a police helicopter was after him. John Fisher, 21, of Gilesgate, Durham City, has not been seen since the early hours of Monday when he and a friend took the plunge. The
YOUNGSTERS from Hardwick and Stockton combined to help the local populations of birds and bats yesterday. The children helped the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust to build 75 bird and bat boxes in High Newham Road, Hardwick. The boxes will be put up in Hardwick
WORK to restore a vital link to two schools which was blocked by a landslide will start today. The work to restore Rosecroft Lane, in Loftus, will make access easier to Rosecroft Secondary School and St Joseph's RC Primary School. The road was one of
POLICE have traced a man who may have been one of the last people to see murdered drugs tycoon Peter Beaumont-Gowling alive. The man had lunch with the 52-year-old playboy about ten hours before his body was found at his flat in Osborne Road, Jesmond,
THE head of a crisis-hit force is to send his entire staff back to the classroom - to learn ethics. Barry Shaw, Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, said he has taken the radical step in response to general concern about corruption in public life. All
THE first ship to be built on the Tyne for seven years was launched yesterday. The£10m ferry The Leka was launched at the Cammell Laird yard, at Hebburn, South Tyneside yesterday. Senior Cammell Laird staff said it was a major milestone for North-East
COUNTY Durham Scouts' Frosty Camp lived up to its name as the white stuff greeted youngsters when they awoke yesterday morning. However, the 500 boys and girls, aged 11 to 18, who gathered at the county scout association's headquarters, near Durham City
POLICE in Derwentside are concerned that underage youngsters are getting drink bought for them at off-licences. Police in the Consett and Stanley area have been successfully cracking down on underage drinking in recent years through measures such as test
FARMERS in Teesdale and Weardale can hear about new opportunities when Teesdale Enterprise Agency holds The Farmers Forum 2001 next month. The event is sponsored by Barclays Bank, Northern Dales Meat Initiative and UTASS. Farmers will have the opportunity
THE country's only potash mine has gone online with a website. Cleveland Potash, which ships its product around the world, supplies almost half of the potash used by UK farmers. Naturally occurring potash is used to replace potassium and other essential
A FARMER is to use anti-slavery legislation to take his local authority to court over a six-year planning wrangle. Farmer Len Webster says he intends taking Hambleton District Council to the European Court of Human Rights, because of a row in which he
AS A country parson for 13 years, I got to know farmers well. Very down-to-earth sorts they are too. I recall a rather delicate individual complaining to a farmer's wife after the annual agricultural show dinner that, in his speech, her husband had made
FIVE people were hurt when the car they were travelling in hit a tree. The people, who included two women, suffered broken bones but none of the injuries is thought to be life-threatening. The accident happened on the C67 Kelloe to Coxhoe road, near Coxhoe
ORPHAN Annie's canine allergy has cost her a starring role. Nine-year-old Brittany Knowles, from Darlington, was over the moon when she was picked for the title role in the musical Annie, until a phobia meant she had to miss out. The Stockton Operatic's
A MUSIC therapy room which will help children with profound learning disabilities has been opened in memory of a young boy who died last year. The Matthew Bacon Music Therapy Suite was launched at a ceremony in Beaumont Hill School, Darlington. The suite
TWO kind-hearted friends have been nominated for recognition in the National Fundraiser of the Year Awards after raising £10,000 for a school. Carolyn Goodfellow and Julie Walker of Darlington, received their nomination after raising the cash for Reid
CAR manufacturer Nissan played down speculation last night that its Sunderland plant has been earmarked to produce the next generation of Almera car. Just weeks after it was announced, the Wearside plant would produce a new Micra model, it was reported
A CROOK caught red-handed in the middle of a burglary hurled furniture through a window and leapt through the broken pane to escape. He made his bid for freedom after being cornered by father-of-two Nick Blackett. Mr Blackett and his wife, Pamela, moved
CANDIDATES have been nominated to contest a by-election in the Consett South ward of Derwentside District Council. The election was caused by the resignation of Labour councillor Dot Atherton, who left for health reasons. Mrs Atherton has vowed to fight
A TEESSIDE cancer charity has received a financial boost from an American company, thanks to a local employee. Jacqueline Gales, who works for American Express, won a £350 grant from the company's Global Volunteer Action Fund (GVAF), which aims to benefit
THE hunt for a missing North-East pensioner is being stepped up this morning with commuters being asked to help find the 82-year-old man. George Winter, of Redcar, Teesside, disappeared four weeks ago, and despite extensive searches and appeals, police
THE jobs of 20 care workers have been safeguarded and a 19th Century building nursed back to health by a company of chartered surveyors. Sanderson Townend and Gilbert, acting for receivers Ernst and Young, has completed the sale of Whorlton Grange, a
AN old burial site could be dug up if a plan for new homes wins approval. Dozens of residents have organised a petition objecting to the application to build 14 homes on derelict land at Cutlers Hall Road and Benfieldside Road, Blackhill, near Consett
A TEENAGER is to teach himself to ride a bike again, despite losing a leg through cancer. Ian Weston, 13, of Darlington, had a leg amputated in November last year. Since then, he has had to endure chemotherapy sessions. Because of his bravery, Ian was
A GROUP of dance students have raised £600 to help improve the church hall they practise in. Members of the Rachel Harrison School of Dance, in Darlington, raised the money for St Mark's Church, in North Road with a show called Movie Nostalgia at Polam
Q: READ Sir Patrick Moore has a minor planet named after him. Who decides this and who named our planet Earth? - W Sewell, Bishop Auckland. A: AS most planets are discovered by astronomers, they tend to be named after their discoverer, although as more
JOY, laughter, and tears are offered in a satirical comedy being staged in Darlington, which looks at the perils of winning the National Lottery. Paul Arrowsmith, a mature student at Darlington College of Technology, has written the play, called Balls
A GROUP in Darlington which helps victims of domestic violence is looking for volunteers to campaign for change. Darlington Domestic Violence Forum is calling for women who have experienced violence and abuse from a partner, or ex-partner, to help them
A TEESSIDE printing company has moved to a business park, just six miles away from its old home. Jordison Ltd, was established in the 1830s and has been based at Cargo Fleet Lane, Middlesbrough, since the mid-1950s. Now it has moved to a new purpose-built
WE appreciate that the photographs on this page, of children suffering from horrific disfigurements may distress some of our readers. But we publish them because we believe it is important to underline the hope that surgeons such as Professor Milton Waner
DARLINGTON yesterday brought in another new signing as manager Gary Bennett told his players to break the pain barrier for a crucial victory against Cheltenham at Feethams tonight. After watching his team capitulate at Barnet on Saturday and drop to just
Basketball player Steve Butler turned his back on his team at the weekend for a different kind of home fixture. Steve missed one of the Teesside Mohawks' most important matches of the season - to get married to his childhood sweetheart. He married Thelma
HIGH-flyers Sunderland regained the leadership of the FA Premier Reserve League after beating arch rivals Newcastle United at the Stadium of Light last night. Two goals in as many minutes early in the first half put the home side firmly in control, but
NHS Trusts in Teesside are asking people to come forward to help review the services they provide for children with disabilities. Stockton Borough Council, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust and Tees and North-East Yorkshire NHS Trust want to hear from
TWO honest schoolboys returned £3,000 to a businessman after finding it in a road. Cousins Nicky Evans and Joshua Thompson, both ten, found the money lying in the road, near their home in Middlesbrough. After contacting police, the money was returned
Workers in a call centre were told that whoever went to the toilet the most would have to wear a disposable nappy. A manager took a packet of disposable nappies into work and made staff sign a "toilet book" to check how long they were spending in the
ROTHMANS AS a trade union group, we wholeheartedly applaud your efforts and the campaign to help save the jobs of the Corus steelworkers. At the same time, you must be aware that, in Darlington, you could have a similar or worse situation. The threat
A MOTHER who survived being gunned down on her doorstep is to leave Britain. Heather Honey, 28, was shot in the back in 1999 at her home in Perkinsville, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, by Stephen Abadom, one of the North-East's most notorious
A MUSEUM dedicated to eastern culture helped youngsters celebrate the Chinese New Year at the weekend. Durham University's Oriental Museum held a snake-making workshop for children on Saturday to mark the Year of the Snake. Celebrations were held in the
THE Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called for £2bn worth of Budget tax cuts to give a much-needed boost to business investment. It has warned Chancellor Gordon Brown that, despite healthy public finances, he could stoke inflation in his March
A NEW initiative to help the long-term unemployed back into work is under way in the region. Transport Routeway is a partnership between the Employment service, the Tyneside Transport Employer Coalition and Equus, the training organisation. For three
A MAN who had his testicle bitten off after a night out has quit his bank job - just months after a claim that he accessed confidential information about his attacker. Mother-of-two Denise Carr was jailed for affray after biting off Neil Hutchinson's
A TEENAGER was chased through the streets of Saltburn on Saturday by a gang of youths. The 14-year-old boy was chased through Station Square by the gang of older teenagers, at 1.20pm. As he ran on to Milton Street he dropped his skateboard and one of
TEACHERS at a village school could be forgiven for seeing double - their pupils include four sets of twins. Tanfield Lea Infant School near, Stanley, in County Durham, has only 154 pupils, but no less than eight of those are twins. And to make matters
PEOPLE who collect spare change are being urged to donate their coppers to charity. Hartlepool and District Hospice would like to use the money to help others in the area who need specialist care. Hartlepool company H Tones and Son and calendar publisher
THE king of rock 'n' roll is to make a final appearance in the North-East next month. Elvis Presley will be reunited from beyond the grave with his former band at Newcastle Telewest Arena, on Monday, March 5. As the band members, now in their sixties,
AN Internet website has been launched by the Darlington Learning Town project. The site, www.passporttolearning.co.uk, has been created mainly for the thousands of adults in the town who are eligible to take part in the Passport to Learning scheme. Everyone
A COUNCIL will consider bulldozing up to 500 council homes - but not without the approval of tenants. That was the promise of the leader of Derwentside District Council, Councillor Alex Watson, ahead of a meeting next week at which radical proposals to
THE people of Hartlepool do not want former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson to stand for re-election as their MP in the General Election, according to a survey. The national newspaper survey claimed that 51 per cent of those people questioned
A VARIETY of sports and fun activities have been arranged for youngsters in Middlesbrough over half-term. From today, a multi-sports week will take place at Brambles Farm Community Centre in the town. Organised by the council's Sports Development Team
SPENNYMOOR United were formed in 1901 as an amalgamation of Spennymoor Town and Weardale Ironopolis. In September 1904, the club secured the use of its present ground, The Brewery Field. In 1905, Spennymoor United were admitted to the Northern League.
THE work of conservation volunteers in Ecuador will be highlighted next month. Celeste Hicks, 23, spent ten weeks in South America as a volunteer for the Jatun Sacha Foundation and is hoping to raise money for further work there. Celeste, from Darlington
A SURVEY is being undertaken to find out what traders think could be done to improve Durham city centre. Durham City Forum, which was set up to improve the city's quality of life and prosperity, is asking about 500 city centre firms for their plans for
VOTERS are to be allowed to speak for and against planning applications at future committee meetings of Durham City Council. The council is to carry out a one-year pilot scheme in which applicants and people affected by proposed developments can tell
A HOTEL costing £3m could be built on land in the centre of Sunderland. Rokeby Developments wants to build the four-storey, 60-bedroom hotel on the Low Row car park, Chester Road. The company, which is in talks with a hotel chain that may operate the
SHOPPERS were shown some of the youngest talents in the world of dance music this weekend in Hartlepool. Young DJs from the town joined music expert Kareem to mix tracks in the Middleton Grange shopping centre on Saturday. The youngsters had been selected
COUNCIL tax payers in Darlington are being asked how they would like to make their payments. Darlington Borough Council is considering alternative payment methods, including the use of Girobank, which could replace the payment system at the Town Hall.
THE grieving parents of a young man killed in an horrific factory accident have thanked the community which rallied round them. Earlier this month, 21-year-old technical engineer James Sapsford became trapped in a machine he was operating at Triple T
GUS BERRY looks ripe for further success in the marathon three-miles-and-three-furlongs Alan Merrigan Memorial Chase at Sedgefield this afternoon. Don Forster's eight-year-old, locally-trained at Heighington near Redworth, is rapidly developing into a
A PHOTOGRAPHER is staging an exhibition which aims to expose misconceptions surrounding colour blindness. Documentary photographer Christopher Litherland said: "At the age of seven I was presented with a list of around 200 jobs that the authorities said
REFURBISHMENT of a Redcar church has been completed thanks to an environmental fund grant. The Zetland Park Methodist Church, built in the 1930s, needed work to bring it up to modern day standards. It had no disabled access and did not meet food safety
NHS Trusts in Teesside are asking people to come forward to help review the services they provide for children with disabilities. Stockton Borough Council, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust and Tees and North-East Yorkshire NHS Trust want to hear from
