LET me tell you what I did in last week's London riot. I went up to Oxford Street where thousands of police were trying to control the great crowd of anti-capitalist protestors. In nearby Tottenham Court Road, 20 shop windows were smashed including those
A GRANDMOTHER-of-eight has called for part of a Victorian park to be transformed into an activity area for skateboarders and other youngsters. Darlington Borough Council has been criticised for doing little to repair damage to South Park until it learns
PEOPLE have started a petition against plans to increase the size of a telecommunications mast because of fears over health and damage to the value of their homes. Residents in the Washbrook Drive and Longfield Road area of Darlington say there is still
AMATEUR artists put their work before the keen eye of the public as part of an annual exhibition held in North Yorkshire over the Bank Holiday weekend. More than 150 paintings were on display at Richmond Town Hall and hundreds of people viewed the works
BIKE riders are under starter's orders for the charity Borders Bike Ride on June 3. This year's beneficiary will be St Teresa's Hospice, in Darlington, County Durham. There will be 25-mile and 50- mile rides, and a family treasure hunt covering about
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MOURNERS will today pay their last respects to a former beat bobby and athlete. Ernie Pomfret, an Olympic steeplechase finalist in 1964, died peacefully in hospital last week, at the age of 60. Born in Thornley, in east Durham, he began his working life
LEADING names in the North-East football world take to the golf course in aid of charity later this month. Sunderland's strike duo Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn become rivals on the fairways at the De Vere Slaley Hall course, in Northumberland, on Tuesday
AN ANNUAL dog walk for a canine charity took place yesterday, albeit in reduced form, because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Officially, the Walkover 2001 event in Durham was cancelled by regional organisers of Pets As Therapy (Pat), due to the risk
THE tradition of heralding the arrival of spring in North-East communities was recreated at the weekend. Beamish Museum staged a typical May Day festival which might have been seen in colliery communities across the region at the turn of the 20th century
THE funeral takes place today of the former director of Sunderland football club who helped steer the club to the greatest moment in its post-war history. Jack Ditchburn, a former solicitor and alderman of Sunderland, was vice-chairman and later president
A GROUP aimed at helping young musicians from the region make the most of their talents is celebrating a successful first year. From Teesside With Love received £48,000 of Northern Arts funding to run for two years, but is hoping to continue after that
DADS everywhere take note - you are about to get the credit and sympathy you deserve. The second Dad at Large book, entitled "Dad at Large 2 - To Vasectomy And Beyond", has gone into production at Parkgate Press, Darlington, and will be on sale soon.
MAY Day celebrations went with a swing as the sun drew the crowds to a Bank Holiday festival in Seaham. Deneside Park was the venue for the annual May Day Festival, which featured entertainment to suit all the family. Among the events were a traditional
TIME is running out on a bid to save paintings from vanishing from North Yorkshire forever. Christie's, in London, is managing the auction of the contents of St Nicholas, in Richmond - the home of Lady Serena James, who died last year. Water colours and
BROTHERS Karl and Kelvin Armstrong capped a fine first year for a fledgling boxing club by landing national titles on the same bill. Former professional boxer Mick Mason's young charges, who had never stepped into a ring 12 months ago, have proved quick
DETAILS of a multi-million pound package for Teesside International Airport are to be announced this morning. The £6m partnership between the airport and regional development agency One NorthEast will be seen as a huge boost for the region. The five-year
TWO visitors took a trip to Stockton to look around children's facilities in the area. Mioara Dumetrescu and daughter Oana Lazar came from Romania to see how Stockton Borough Council caters for youngsters with special needs. The trip was arranged by Ian
CIRCUS sisters Julie and Sarah Jolly have returned to their Darlington roots to clown around and research their family tree. Julie, 24, and 19-year-old Sarah, usually perform with Jolly's Circus, of Shrewsbury, but the foot-and-mouth crisis has them temporarily
THE spread of foot-and-mouth is threatening the 200-acre deer park surrounding a North-East ancestral home. Panic set in among staff at Raby Estates yesterday after it was confirmed that sheep at a farm close to Raby Castle, the home of Lord Barnard,
DARLINGTON are to support a move to have Barnet re-instated in the Football League. Torquay chairman Mike Bateson, whose club escaped relegation from the League at Barnet's expense last Saturday, already has the support of several clubs in a bid to save
ASPIRING singers have been urged to raise their voices for a choir which is being formed for young people. Children aged from nine upwards are invited to attend weekly Singing for Fun classes being staged at Durham Sixth-Form Centre. The aim is to form
SO near and yet, ultimately, so very far. This was just one hurdle too many, one obstacle too great for David O'Leary's fearless young side to overcome. The vibrant adventure that has caught the imagination this season is finally over. Experience, in
PEOPLE on a Darlington estate say too little is being done to improve a derelict block of shops which is making their area an eyesore. only two shops are left in the L-shaped block at Scargill Court, in Lascelles Park. The rest of the building has become
FIRST, some figures: 2.6 million animals slaughtered so far, of which a mere fraction, 40,000, were confirmed foot-and-mouth cases. According to The Daily Telegraph, the carcasses, laid end to end, would stretch from London to the Sahara desert. Mind
ROAD SAFETY YOUR editorial (Echo, May 3) once again highlights the shocking state of safety on our roads. Anyone who knows the Dalton road will recognise that cars and lorries regularly speed down this section of the road, failing to recognise the narrowness
MORE than 30 firefighters fought a major blaze last night, which could be seen for miles around. Fire crews were warned to beware of exploding asbestos sheeting at the disused County Durham leisure centre. About 90 per cent of the building was destroyed
AN American-style wine bar will be allowed to operate in Ferryhill after a u-turn by councillors. The owner of an off-licence in Main Street applied for permission to convert it into a licensed coffee bar last year. Planning officers at Sedgefield Borough
A MAJOR environmental scheme on a stream in Newton Aycliffe, near Darlington, has been given the go-ahead by planners. Great Aycliffe Town Council is hoping to turn Woodham Burn into a haven for wild- life. The river is already important for wild flowers
AN Anglo-French project has enabled young people from Teesside to take part in a scheme translating and interpreting engineering drawings in two languages. The project has been run jointly by TTE Management and Technical Training, in South Bank, Middlesbrough
ENGINEERS on Teesside are being given the opportunity to improve their qualifications and enhance their career prospects. TWI North, a research and technology organisation, is holding a workshop at its office in Middlesbrough, on Monday, May 23, to offer
Aspiring actors on Teesside are being invited to join the Cleveland Theatre School. The school caters for everyone, adults and children, and there are no entry auditions for people over the age of eight. The school says it has five massive scale productions
ANIMAL lovers are being offered the purrfect opportunity to do their bit for National Pet Week. The week is aimed at highlighting the benefits of having a family pet. Staff at the Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (Sara), hope it will inspire people
PLANS for a Millennium Green in a part of Middlesbrough are being placed in jeopardy because of young vandals. Last month, twelve three-ton stones, which will form part of the main feature of the Millennium Green in Grangetown, were delivered to the site
A GROUP which aims to help support people in making decisions has been set up on Teesside. The Advocacy and Information Foundation helps people to gather information, explore opportunities and make choices for people who may feel that their views, needs
A NEW group for people over 50 is holding meets next Tuesday. Linda Conlon, chief executive of Life Interactive World, in Newcastle, will give a talk at the next meeting of the University of the Third Age, for members in the Wear and Tees area. The meeting
INJURY-HIT Durham will today find themselves up against the best bowler they have produced in first-class cricket, Melvyn Betts. While Simon Brown is easily Durham's leading wicket-taker, he served his apprenticeship with Northants, whereas Durham developed
A market town is bracing itself for a children's show, which promises "the party of the year". Tony and Amanda Brutus - a father and daughter comedy strength act - is also on the bill for the Richmond Meet celebrations, on the Sunday of the Whitsun holiday
Artwork charting the four-year span of the Turning the Tide project, cleaning up the Durham coastline, goes on display at the Glebe Centre, in Murton, tomorrow. The exhibition, featuring paintings by Robert Soden, poetry by Katrina Porteous and photographs
PARENTS have been warned against flouting safety restrictions by thoughtless parking during the daily school run from today. Traffic wardens are being enlisted to film motorists who ignore "no parking" signs outside schools in Sunderland. Police will
A MEMORIAL which commemorates a piece of British history on the outskirts of Northallerton has been vandalised. The obelisk on the verge of the A167, a few miles north of the North Yorkshire town, marks the site of the Battle of the Standard in 1138 where
ROWING hero Sir Steve Redgrave put his oar in to witness the challenge being made between rival North-East university crews. The five-times Olympic gold medallist was invited to take part in the traditional handing over of the "ceremonial oar" between
A MAN was last night being questioned by police investigating a serious sexual assault at an Army camp. A woman in her 20s was attacked as she went home through Coronation Park in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, early on Sunday. She had been drinking
A JUNIOR American flag football team from Darlington is bound for Amsterdam after winning the British title. Eastbourne Eagles won the UK Flag Football Bowl by beating Burnfoot Dragons, of Hawick, 59-30 at Glasgow, on Saturday. Daniel Purdie scored four
A meeting has been called for later this week in an attempt to stave off the collapse of Barton's sports pavilion project. The scheme seemed likely to be given the go-ahead earlier this year, with plans also outlining new football pitches and a car park
A MAN received injuries to his jaw when he went to the aid of a woman who was attacked by a man. The incident occurred outside the Dickens Inn pub, in Southfield Road, Middlesbrough, between 9.45pm and 10.15pm on Saturday. It is understood that a man
HUTTON Magna's between Barnard Castle and Richmond, on the civilised side of the county boundary. There probably aren't more than two dozen houses, a war memorial and a cottagey pub, called the Oak Tree. If this is Hutton Magna, heaven help Hutton Parva
Stanhope Town versus Wearhead United. Any closer to football's grass roots and you probably strike coal. Usually, they change upstairs at the workmen's club, walk the quarter of a mile or so to the field by the river, remove the worst of the sheep muck
YOU could be forgiven for thinking you had stepped back in time when a horde of Vikings invaded a small village on Friday. The children at Bishopton/Redmarshall School, Bishopton, took time off from lessons to spend the day as Vikings. Along with a visitor
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THE sun was streaming in through the hotel restaurant windows. Outside, the broad white-gold sweep of the Copacabana beach slid down to an azure blue sea. Long-limbed, scantily-clad and stunningly beautiful women lay on the sands and watched as muscular
TWO men who robbed a taxi driver of his takings are being sought by Cleveland Police. Police have described the attack on the 50-year-old self-employed taxi driver as despicable. At 1.50am yesterday, the driver picked up two men in Ormesby Road, Middlesbrough
ORGANISERS of a bizarre charity stunt hope volunteers do not get cold feet before the rescheduled event. The Oaklands Pub, in Peterlee, County Durham, was to have staged a sponsored "fire-walking" event in aid of the Clarke Lister Appeal yesterday. But
MINISTRY of Agriculture (Maff) bosses are refusing to become complacent after the Bank Holiday weekend passed without any new cases being confirmed in the North-East. The last confirmed case in the region was at Bamburgh, Northumberland, on Friday, while
A £26M regeneration package for the Tees Valley has been announced. A £20m scheme to develop 40 acres of derelict land and regenerate the riverside in Stockton has been given the go-ahead, while a £6m investment in Teesside Airport has also been agreed
POLICE are trying to track down burglars who stole from a 67-year-old disabled woman in her home. During the early hours of Bank Holiday Monday, the woman was woken by the sound of an intruder in her bedroom in her home at Parkway Grove, Pallister Park
MEASURES are being put in place to protect bowling greens from vandals. Representatives from Darlington's bowling clubs met staff from the borough council's leisure services department to discuss the greens being damaged. Bowlers using three greens -
PLANS to re-open a disused cinema as a themed nightspot look likely to be rejected because of its impact on residents. Luminar Leisure Ltd wants to turn the Palladium, in Durham's Claypath, into the latest in its Chicago Rock Caf chain of venues. It would
OFFICIALS at the region's premier rugby side helped to mark the sporting success of more than 80 college youngsters. Darlington's Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College welcomed Newcastle Falcons chief executive John Parkinson and chief coach Steve Bates
AN Army veterans' association has come under fire after sending one of its members a newsletter featuring his own obituary - almost two years after his death. The memorial in the National Malaya and Borneo Veterans' Association pamphlet even failed to
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SCOTTISH housebuilder Bett Homes has announced plans for a £45m expansion with the creation of a North-East division. The new division, Bett North-East, will create more than 50 jobs over the next two years. The company plans to target sites across the
RESIDENTS have called for compensation from the Ministry of Agriculture (Maff) after leakage from carcasses at a mass burial site caused a foul smell to drift into their village. The glorious Bank Holiday weather brought with it an acrid stench which
RESIDENTS of Hartlepool have been praised after their recycling efforts earned their council recognition. British Glass handed over a Bottle Bank commendation to the authority for recycling 3,000 tonnes of bottles and jars since 1982, when the scheme
A MAJOR environmental scheme on a stream in Newton Aycliffe, near Darlington, has been given the go-ahead by planners. Great Aycliffe Town Council is hoping to turn Woodham Burn into a haven for wild- life. The river is already important for wild flowers
EFFORTS to improve a Darlington park have been given a boost with the installation of two benches. The Friends of Stanhope Park have provided the seats as part of a continuing effort to make it a better place to visit. The group, which was formed two
NEWCASTLE United boss Bobby Robson has offered a brutally honest assessment of a bitterly disappointing season. "We're not happy with our position - we're way below where we thought we'd be this time last season,'' said Robson. United lie 11th in the
FORMER Boro boss Malcolm Allison is in hospital suffering from alcoholism. He was at the helm on Teesside between 1982 and 84, but was more famous during his time in charge at Manchester City. Allison, 73, was taken to hospital after breaking his collarbone
TERRY VENABLES has revealed how he journeyed into the unknown on the night Middlesbrough's Premiership safety was finally guaranteed. Boro's head coach was due to fly home to London on Monday in time to settle down in front of his TV and watch relegation
IF you believe the bookmakers, the result of the General Election is a foregone conclusion. Before an official campaign word has been uttered in anger by any party, Labour is long odds-on to win on June 7. A combination of Tony Blair's healthy lead in
A CAR dealership can boast a rare talent among its staff. Andy Townson, who works at Richmond's Nissan garage, has been awarded the title Nissan master technician. Only six others in the UK hold the award, presented by the Japanese manufacturer's technicians
A £340m development that would have made Teesside Airport one of the biggest freight handling hubs in Europe may never go ahead, officials admitted last night. The scheme, which promised 6,000 jobs, has been branded "unrealistic" by airport bosses, who
FILL your boots by backing Rainbow High (3.10), bidding to win this afternoon's £100,00 Chester Cup for the second time in three years. The Barry Hills trained stayer prevailed in 1999, prior to finishing a most unlucky fifth in the race last year. There's
A NURSE has been arrested by police investigating the suspicious death of a patient following routine hospital surgery. The drama unfolded on Saturday morning when a number of police were called to Hartlepool General Hospital, following the death of a
A GOVERNMENT decision not to go ahead with a £100m order for repair and recovery armoured vehicles is putting hundreds of jobs at tank builder Vickers in doubt. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) yesterday confirmed that the contract for Heavy Armoured Repair
MINISTRY of Agriculture (Maff) bosses are refusing to become complacent after the Bank Holiday weekend passed with just one new case being confirmed in the North-East. Only one case was confirmed over the weekend - near Yarm, Teesside. The last case confirmed
LABOUR today begins the 2001 General Election campaign with a 13 per cent lead in key marginal seats in the North, The Northern Echo can reveal. Yesterday, Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was seeking "a mandate for fresh, radical change", as he confirmed
A STUDENT who struck lucky on an Internet lottery plans to spend his winnings on the trip of a lifetime. Nick Kitchener, a Computer Animation student at Teesside University, won £5,000 after he matched five numbers on the free Internet lottery www.thedailydraw.com
THREE men were rescued from rocks yesterday by the crew of an inshore lifeboat. The Radio Cleveland was launched at 11.50am after the men became trapped by the rising tide at Longscar Rocks, near Hartlepool, which are covered at high tide. The three men
artists can branch out in business in a North-East rural haven, following the conversion of a former forestry office into studios. Castle Hill Studios, in Kielder village, Northumberland, offers workspace for designers and artists, and gallery space to
A TEENAGER critically injured in an incident outside a football clubhouse was probably an innocent bystander as trouble flared, police have revealed. Seventeen-year-old Alex Harker was fighting for his life last night, following surgery for serious head
CHILDREN at a North-East primary school are really making a difference with a project to transform an overgrown patio. Mount Pleasant school, in Newton Lane, Darlington, is the latest entry in Making A Difference, an annual competition run by The Northern
A SEARCH for clues to discover the history of a mysterious teapot has stirred up quite a response from the public. Interest in the ornate blue pot has been brewing since staff at Middleton-in-Teesdale tourist information centre, in County Durham, were
SHOPPERS taking to the malls of the MetroCentre received a Bank holiday bonus in the form of a martial arts master class. The Chungdokwan Taekwondo group, led by master David Jordinson, staged a series of demonstrations in the Town Square of the Gateshead
Villagers in the ex-colliery community once dubbed "Little Moscow" plan to repeat a parade of the old pit banner prior to this year's Durham Miners' Gala. The banner of the former miners' lodge at Chopwell, in the Derwent Valley, between Consett and Gateshead
AN animal sanctuary in the region is lending its support to its counterpart in Scotland which has launched a legal battle to save its animals. Farplace Animal Rescue, in Sidehead, Westgate, Weardale, is urging as many people as possible to join an already
