Archive

  • Fundraisers are a real knockout

    STAFF at an insurance company have "knocked out" their local hospice with their continued support. BIB, in Northgate, Darlington, has raised cash for St Teresa's Hospice in the town on a number of occasions. Now, it has added a further £465 from a competition

  • Swimmers will be in safe hands

    SWIMMERS at the new Splash! leisure complex in Stockton can rest assured they will be in the safest of hands when it opens next month. Rebekka Teasdale, 22, will not only be making sure that everyone has a safe swim, she has also been selected as a member

  • Three hold vital clues to killing

    POLICE investigating the murder of a man found on a country road believe three people could hold vital information. Mystery surrounds the death of David Williamson, 58, of Sutton-on-the-Forest, near Easingwold, North Yorkshire. He was found lying unconscious

  • Contest for gardeners

    GREEN-FINGERED residents are being urged to put their blooms to the test in an annual gardening competition. The contest, run by Stockton Borough Council, covers everything from hanging baskets to commercial displays, and is open to householders, businesses

  • Pupils achieve gold award

    YOUNGSTERS are celebrating after gaining a sporting award. The Sportsmark Gold Award marks the quality of the physical education and sports programme, Blakeston Community School, Stockton, has organised. All pupils have an increase in curriculum time,

  • Taxi driver runs into Tory poster cab row

    A TAXI driver has criticised Darlington Borough Council after being forced to take down a party political poster. George Jenkinson decided to show his support for Conservative candidate Tony Richmond by putting a campaign leaflet in his cab. He said he

  • Topsy and co head the celebrations for artists' year

    CELEBRATIONS began yesterday to mark the Year Of The Artist, which saw £1m spent in the North-East on breaking down barriers between art and everyday life. Throughout Britain, £4m was spent on 1,700 artists taking their work into the workplace and on

  • Spotlight on volunteers

    VOLUNTARY groups are gearing up for a series of events in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, to mark National Volunteers Week. First, about 70 local charities, voluntary and community groups have been offered a stall at the town's first Charity Fair, to

  • Blind get technology showcase

    EXHIBITORS from across the UK will descend on Teesside later this week to take part in a showcase for the blind and visually impaired. The event at Stockton Central Library on Thursday, is on a drop-in basis and the focus of the exhibition is to raise

  • Three shortlisted for leisure study

    THREE companies have been shortlisted for a feasibility study into new leisure facilities planned for a North-East town. The study will assess the mix of sports and leisure that can be accommodated in a new building at John Whitehead Park, Billingham,

  • Pupils take the walking bus

    YOUNGSTERS are making their way to school on a bus with a difference. Sunderland City Council is piloting the walking bus initiative this week to persuade more parents to walk their children to school. The scheme involves youngsters walking to school

  • Food pledge shows authority's commitment to farmers

    A LOCAL authority is showing its commitment to farmers in their area by making a commitment to buy local food whenever possible. The pledge by Ryedale District Council comes as an updated version of the successful Ryedale Local Food Directory is launched

  • Police launch investigations into series of knife attacks

    A MURDER inquiry has been launched after a man died following a knife attack outside his home. And two men have undergone emergency treatment after an attack in a separate incident on Teesside at the weekend. The 33-year-old man who was killed has not

  • England hopeful shines, but Durham fall short

    THE England selectors were out in force at Bristol yesterday, mainly to watch Durham's Paul Collingwood. But while he didn't let them down, with 39 runs and two wickets, he was powerless to prevent Durham from sliding to defeat by 66 runs in the Benson

  • 'Our girl who died after her first drug experiment'

    Ecstasy victim Stacey Laight died after experimenting with drugs for the first time, her heart-broken parents revealed yesterday. The 15-year-old, who lived in Horden, near Peterlee, became ill on Saturday after a night out with friends. She died later

  • Doctor in election challenge to Milburn

    HEALTH Secretary Alan Milburn is facing a shock eleventh hour electoral challenge - from one of his own doctors. As nominations for candidates closed last night, consultant pathologist Dr Craig Platt emerged as an Independent, standing against the career

  • Room at the Inns for another 439 pubs

    PUBS group Enterprise Inns has bought 439 former Whitbread sites as it continued on the acquisition trail with a £262.5m deal. The Solihull-based group bought the pubs from Morgan Grenfell Private Equity (MGPE), which purchased the sites from Whitbread

  • Jobsearch 2001

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Creative joiner/coach builder, Brompton on Swale, 40hrs pw, 8.30am to 5pm Mon-Fri, to build horse boxes and motor homes, joinery experience essential

  • Making history

    IT WAS built on the blood of the ancient Britons and Celts and it was destroyed by betrayal and violence - but there was a time when the North-East was an independent nation, the strongest on these islands, and one where learning and art flourished. It

  • M&S boss looks for return of glory days

    HIGH street company Marks & Spencer is confident of regaining former glories despite seeing another plunge in profits. M&S also announced it is relocating its headquarters to Paddington in west London after 44 years in Baker Street. Chairman Luc

  • Fowler is focused on club and country

    Robbie Fowler admits Liverpool's amazing run of success had dispelled any doubts that he may have had over his future with his club. In a season which he ''wishes would go on forever'', he has now set his sights on the perfect climax securing a regular

  • Former football stadium chef has new goal

    CHEF Glynn Fidgeon has swapped the restaurant at St James's Park for a caf in a car showroom. Yet it is no greasy spanner cafe, more a refueling station with a difference. For 32-year-old Mr Fidgeon has just opened Caf Dafte at the new multi-million pound

  • Jobsearch 2001

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Secretary, Easington. Temporary, £5.50ph, Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm. Agency Vacancy. Audio and copy typing 60-70wpm and shorthand 90 wpm essential. General office

  • Bishop launches school's appeal

    THE Bishop of Durham has officially launched a school's building appeal. The Right Reverend Michael Turnbull attended the launch reception for Durham High School for Girls' Building for a New Century project. The appeal aims to raise £500,000 towards

  • Warning to anglers over maggots ban

    ANGLERS are being warned to take heed of a new by-law governing bait. For many years, anglers on the River Tees were able to fish with maggots all year, but as of this month, they are no longer able to do so. A new by-law bans their use from March 14

  • Plea brings help in hunt for attacker

    DETECTIVES searching for a road rage attacker who slashed his victim's arm and face have received a number of calls from members of the public. The response follows an appeal in The Northern Echo by the 26-year-old victim, in which he told of the incident

  • Spike encourages children to walk to school

    CHILDREN from Coatham Primary School, Redcar, put their best foot forward for Walk to School Week yesterday - with a little help from Spike, a six-foot road hedgehog, the mascot of Redcar and Cleveland Council's road safety unit. BP Wilton is helping

  • School takes delivery of foal

    A BEMUSED caretaker was left to care for a horse and its new foal after it broke into a school field to give birth. Colin Green, caretaker at Kirkleatham Hall School, Kirtkleatham Village in east Cleveland, was alerted to the equine intruder after it

  • Women warned of series of handbag snatches in city

    Women were urged last night to be on their guard following a series of bag snatches in the same area of a city. Detectives issued the warning after two weekend incidents in which the victims were injured when their handbags were grabbed by young robbers

  • Vandal-hit scout centre opens doors

    A SCOUT group is celebrating opening of new headquarters. Members of the 11th Darlington, 1st Hurworth Scout Group were devastated after the Scout centre was attacked by vandals last year, while still under construction. They broke the windows and scrawled

  • Birthday boy Glass could land new contract

    NEWCASTLE United winger Stephen Glass could be in for a birthday surprise. Scottish international Glass, 25 tomorrow, is booked for crunch talks with United boss Bobby Robson. And free agent Glass may have done enough to earn himself a shock contract

  • Twitcher survives 100ft cliff plunge

    A BIRDWATCHER who fell 100ft down a cliff face cheated death by bouncing off a ledge halfway down. Police believe hitting the ledge saved the 37-year-old man's life after he fell - smashing every rib and breaking his right arm and shoulder. Jimmy Howe

  • Woman who was victim of attack faces prison

    A WOMAN who escaped prison after being shot has been warned that she could still face a jail sentence. Danielle Hobbs, 28, was shot in the stomach as she walked home in South Shields in March 24 last year. She was placed on a life-support machine and

  • Little move a giant leap for IT training

    AN office move completed by a Newcastle business may have been just one small step for them, but it will be a giant leap for IT training in the region. Taitec Newcastle, which offers training for both IT professionals and those thinking about making a

  • Jobsearch 2001

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Class 1 driver, Darlington, 39hrs pw, must have experience driving 18-tonne, clean licence and own transport. Ref: DAE 25317. Driver 7.5-tonne, Darlington

  • Revealed - the shape of things to come

    MEMBERS of the public are getting their first glimpse of Durham's new £30m Millennium City development. The arts and entertainment centre is due to open its doors in December, but some of the scaffolding has been removed, giving people an idea of what

  • Brushing up on college work pays off

    A 22-YEAR-old has put the gloss on his painting and decorating career by starting his own business. Since leaving school, Carl Clyne had dreamed of running his own business. Now, with help from the Hartlepool branch of InBiz, he has successfully launched

  • Durham face holders

    DURHAM go into the lion's den at Bristol today, hoping to halt Gloucestershire's phenomenal run of one-day success. Although any away tie in the Benson & Hedges Cup quarter-finals would have been tough, this was the draw Durham particularly didn't

  • 'Sex attacker growled as he bit woman'

    A YOUNG mother was raped while her attacker's grandmother slept in the next room, a court heard yesterday. Robert McQuire, 22, allegedly attacked the woman, in her 20s, at his home after a night out on July 21, last year. Newcastle Crown Court heard how

  • Police jump-start crackdown on bikers with crushing news

    POLICE have crushing news for boy bikers bringing misery to housing estates. Madcap motorcyclists who ride across pavements and school playing fields risk having their machines seized and crushed for scrap metal in a new crackdown in east Cleveland. Sergeant

  • Charity looks to lottery

    A CHARITY which offers specialist help to sufferers of cerebral palsy has set up a fundraising lottery game. The Lee Sykes National Centres, believe its Big Chance Lottery could raise up to £1m a year. It offers a one-in-five chance of winning, with a

  • Perlos move leaves space

    THE Washington plant that played a vital role in the rising fortunes of Perlos, is now up for grabs as the Finnish company moves on. The precision plastics firm hopes the factory, in Tower Road, Glover Industrial Estate, will bring similar economic success

  • Chief does honours for association

    ONE of Teesside's leading housing associations has moved to new purpose-built headquarters at Teesdale Park in Stockton. Endeavour Housing Association commissioned the three-storey building in St Mark's Court, because of space constraints at its former

  • Chilled food firm dishes out training for workers

    INTERNATIONAL Cuisine, the fast growing North-East manufacturer of chilled meals, is putting training firmly on the menu to support its continued expansion. The company, in Consett, County Durham, is confident that new appointments linked to ambitious

  • Moors farmers -took own lives'

    TWO moors farmers killed themselves, one by hanging and the other with a shotgun, two inquests heard yesterday. North Yorkshire East Coroner Michael Oakley recorded verdicts that John Summerson, 72, of Liber Hill Farm, Glaisdale, and John Cockerill, 48

  • Crackdown on rowdy behaviour

    POLICE are cracking down on youngsters whose rowdy behaviour is making people's lives a misery. Groups of teenagers congregate regularly at Seaham's West Grove Shopping Centre, and police have received reports of anti-social behaviour and damage to property

  • Future in safe hands - Turner

    HARTLEPOOL United chief Chris Turner last night insisted the future of the club is in good hands. After suffering play-off woe last week when Pool lost 5-1 to Blackpool over two legs, the Pool boss freed nine players as he plots for next season. Striker

  • Not what you spend - it's the way that you spend it

    MORE is not necessarily better is the bottom line for Tory health supremo Dr Liam Fox. In Darlington for a breakfast meeting with disgruntled local hospital consultants yesterday, the amiable Ulsterman kept hammering away at his message that the Tories

  • Virtuoso clinches German client

    VIRTUAL office services company Virtuoso, has acquired its first internatonal client. The County Durham business will provide call answering and secretarial support for the sales managers of German company Sonnenschein Lithium, who are based in the North-East

  • Anguish as Ecstasy

    KILLER clubland drug Ecstasy is being blamed for the loss of another young life in the region. Stacey Laight, 15, died after apparently taking the so-called recreational drug during a night-out with friends on Teesside. Stacey, from Horden, near Peterlee

  • It's good news for walkers as countryside sites reopen

    COUNTRYSIDE sites deemed safe despite the foot-and-mouth crisis are re-opening today. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is opening sites at Flatts Lane, Normanby, and Guisborough Branch Walkway. The move follows the completion of risk assessments in

  • Strategy to avoid travellers trouble

    A VILLAGE community is to have a chance to ensure there will be no repeat of May Day clashes with travellers. Businesses were warned to close after eight caravans arrived on the Leeming Bar Industrial Estate, North Yorkshire, earlier this month. Some

  • TALENTED youngster lands plum role with dancing company

    DANCER Angela Johnson could have taken her first step on the road to stardom after being selected for a touring performance group. The 17-year-old, from Darlington, was told last weekend that she had been picked from hundreds of hopefuls from across the

  • In praise of educated elitism

    TRAINEE teachers at university are required to take a simple maths test in their final year, but now the authorities are considering scrapping this test because so many of the would-be teachers are failing it. Before anyone comes to a conclusion as to

  • The scale of foot-and-mouth is revealed

    ONE in 20 farms across the North-East and North Yorkshire has been affected by foot-and-mouth, according to figures obtained by The Northern Echo. Farmers' leaders say the figures show the scale of the devastation wreaked by the disease, even though it

  • Japanese TV slot for N-E band

    A BAND from the region will appear on cable television in Japan tonight. The Vinyl Junkies, from Darlington, are hoping the appearance on NOW TV could be seen by influential music industry insiders. The footage for Move On was filmed at Circulation Recordings

  • Official in running

    A COUNCIL officer is basking in the glow of success after being nominated for a top home energy award. Chester-le-Street District Council's environmental support officer, Colin White, has been shortlisted for the Home Energy Conservation (HECA) Officer

  • Action taken on nuisance youths, residents told

    RESIDENTS are being reassured that action is being taken to prevent youths causing a nuisance on a Darlington estate. Lingfield councillors Ian Haszeldine and Frank Robson say complaints from residents are still at a level that is causing concern. But

  • Popular restaurant prepares to expand

    A POPULAR Chinese restaurant has announced plans to open in Durham and Sunderland. Lau's Buffet King is one of the region's busiest eating places, attracting more than 5,000 customers a week to its premises in Stowell Street in the heart of Newcastle's

  • Opening another Chapter

    SUB-EDITORS - subs, as they are known to their friends - are the boys and girls who prepare a writer's copy for publication, cherish it and make it perfect. We have a love/hate relationship. They love me... Alan Thompson was a sub on the Gazette in Middlesbrough

  • Watch your speed

    A 20mph speed limit will come into force in Sunderland city centre tomorrow. The limit aims to make the city centre safer for pedestrians and includes St Michael's Way, Holmeside, Borough Road, West Wear Street and St Mary's Way.

  • Witnesses sought to car crash

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a two-car accident near Bishop Auckland on Saturday evening. Two blue Vauxhall Corsas were in collision at 6.45pm at the junction of the A68 and Greenfields Road, High Etherley. One driver, a 38-year-old man from

  • Event looks at joys of gardening

    FRIENDLY scarecrows, beastly bugs and sylvan sculptures were sowing the seeds for good gardening in County Durham at the weekend. A Greening and Growing event, at Spennymoor, brought together experts with a range of rural skills. Visitors could fill hanging

  • Agency looks forward to prosperous year ahead

    MARKETING and recruitment agency Pearsons has reported its best ever year, and is already looking to break the new record within 12 months. The Middlesbrough firm has increased turnover by more than a third, from £8m in 1999 to more than £11m in 2000.

  • Safety campaign to follow route to success

    A CAMPAIGN to cut casualties on a dangerous road is being repeated following its earlier success. At the end of March, Cleveland Police launched Operation Moor Road to target dangerous drivers on the A171 Moor Road, from Swans Corner to the force boundary

  • Dynamic duo to feature at business ceremony

    TWO high-profile businessmen are marking October 25 in their diaries as the date when they will address a Tees Valley business event. GNER chief executive Christopher Garnett and ntl marketing and development managing director Jerry Roest, will be the

  • Buddy could prove no bookies' friend

    REEL BUDDY could have the bookies' running for cover in the 4.15 at Goodwood today provided he can build on his recent success at Newmarket. Richard Hannon's powerfully-built colt has to take on some pretty smart customers in the ABN AMRO-Sponsored Showcase

  • Help us to stop the dealers

    THE tragic case of Stacey Laight has again highlighted the scourge of drug dealers across the region. The Northern Echo is preparing to help launch a campaign to rid the streets of dealers. We have joined forces with Durham Agency Against Crime to launch

  • Women are main breadwinners

    THE number of breadwinners who are women outstrip men in many areas of the North-East, a new survey has revealed. Sunderland, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Wansbeck top the areas in the region where the female workforce outstrips the men. A new survey

  • British Airways upbeat as profits continue to soar

    BRITISH Airways has reported a massive jump in profits over the past year. Pre-tax profits for the year to March 31 came in at £150m, against a profit of just £5m the previous year. Rod Eddington, BA's Australian chief executive who took over at the helm

  • Jobsearch 2001

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Telesales staff, Stockton, £4 to £6ph, full and part-time, experience not required as training provided. Ref: STC 27976. Assistant manager, Stockton

  • Not only TV fights crime

    EVERY month, the TV programme Crimewatch supports the efforts of police forces across the country in tracking down serious criminals. Often it plays a key role in bringing offenders to justice. We would never seek to under-estimate its record of success

  • Cycling network boosted by two more routes

    TWO-wheeled travel has been given a boost with the opening of two more sections of the Northallerton Cycle Network. The £45,000 schemes have been jointly developed and funded by Hambleton District Council and North Yorkshire County Council. One runs along

  • Epic railway journey

    MUSEUM visitors and rail fans can now enjoy a taste of an epic journey which was to change the pre-industrial world. More than 175 years on, it is almost impossible to imagine the excitement of a jarringly uncomfortable and, for some, dangerous 4mph train

  • Drugs baron execution suspects caught on film

    THE identity of those suspected of the cold-blooded execution of drugs cash tycoon Peter Beaumont-Gowling have been captured on security cameras. The images of two men fleeing the scene of the murder at his luxury Tyneside home is a major breakthrough

  • Cut-price initiative aims to boost ailing tourism industry

    TOURISM chiefs hope a discount card will give a boost to attractions hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis. Northern Electric's Powerpass scheme has been running since 1997, but this year it will try to revive the fortunes of an industry affected by movement

  • Positive attitude of workers makes dove delighted

    BUILDERS merchants JT Dove has gained the Investors in People (IIP) standard. Following the accreditation of the Newcastle group, managing director John Withers is delighted with the positive change in his staff. He said: "Through the retention and development

  • Playground cash grant for school

    A £3,000 grant from Barclays New Futures will help youngsters at a Darlington school develop a new playground. The cash will go towards the resurfacing and development of an unused outdoor area at Beaumont Hill School and Technology College. Students

  • Sure Start when bus stops

    A MOBILE play area took to the roads yesterday to offer fun and advice to Teessiders. The new single-decker, funded by the Sure Start East Cleveland Partnership, includes soft play equipment, a painting stand, musical instruments and building materials

  • Firefighters rescue boys on scaffolding

    TWO children climbed more than 25ft up a tower of scaffolding after they were locked out of a house. However, their efforts were in vain as they failed to find an open window and had to be rescued after a call to firefighters. The youngsters, aged nine

  • Man who sold drugs given probation

    A DEALER who sold heroin to undercover police at a pre-arranged meeting has been spared jail. George Elliott, 41, handed over £1,189 of the drug to officers disguised as addicts during Operation Blister in June last year. Newcastle Crown Court heard how

  • Warehouseman's drugs downfall

    A WAREHOUSEMAN was paid up to £500 a week to store drugs, a court was told yesterday. Peter Brant, 51, told detectives about his arrangement when they caught him with heroin and Ecstasy. Brant was arrested when police raided a house in Mowbray Road, Hartlepool

  • Tables turned as DTW decides to buy bank

    NATIONAL PR and marketing agency, DTW, has been so successful from its base in Guisborough that it has bought the bank. Situated above the NatWest Bank in the Market Place, the company has up until now rented office space in the bank building. However

  • Boy rescued after fall at beauty spot

    A TEENAGE boy suffered a suspected broken leg in a fall down a steep embankment at a beauty spot. The 15-year-old slipped while attempting to clamber up the slope at Castle Eden Dene, Peterlee, County Durham, shortly before 1pm yesterday. Two friends

  • Mother threw baby to death

    A MOTHER killed her baby by throwing her out of a window during a row with her boyfriend, the Old Bailey was told yesterday. Helen Patterson, 23, of Rosewood Terrace, Newcastle, denied murdering ten-month-old Shedrina, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter

  • Appeal on road death of girl, 3

    PASSENGERS on a service bus have been urged to give police details of a collision in which a three-year-old girl was killed. Aleisha Jane Ord was confirmed dead at the scene of the accident, as she crossed Burnip Road, in Murton, east Durham, outside

  • Car park plan for burial ground revived

    A BID to turn part of a Darlington burial ground into a permanent car park is to be revived. In November last year, Darlington Borough Council refused planning permission for a car park at the Quaker burial ground in Skinnergate. The application, submitted

  • Man denies dance floor assaults on women

    A MAN punched two women in the face as they enjoyed a night out, a court was told yesterday. Maurice Usher, 64, of Tankerville Street, Hartlepool, is accused of causing actual bodily harm to Pamela Temperley and Judith Libby, on March 25, 1999, in the

  • Wilfred tracks old home news

    A PENSIONER is appealing for photographs and information on his former family home. Wilfred Robinson, 84, lives with his wife Julie, in Lincolnshire, but is tracing his family history, which has led him to Tow Law, near Bishop Auckland. The couple have

  • The Bishop family affair that's talk of the Town

    Just when team manager Alan Robinson thought that he didn't have a prayer, along came a virtual college of Bishops. Facing eight end of season matches in 15 days, the Billingham Town boss fielded not only 19-year-old Neal Bishop and his brother Craig,

  • Bernard waiting game

    Darlington manager Gary Bennett will have to wait until August to discover whether he'll be able to sign Olivier Bernard again for Quakers, writes Ray Simpson. The Frenchman had a successful loan spell at Feethams up to the end of the season and has now

  • Struggle to save historic deer herd

    DEER have roamed the land around Raby Castle in County Durham since Norman times. Now, as foot-and-mouth closes in, desperate measures are being taken to protect the historic herd. The disease has surrounded the 200-acre park, near Staindrop - home to

  • Robbery victim's sight in danger

    SURGEONS are battling to save a businessman's sight after he was sprayed in the face with ammonia during a street robbery. The robber sprayed the ammonia into the 49-year-old man's eyes as he approached his workplace in Chester-le-Street, County Durham

  • Spy cameras unveiled in fight on crime

    SEVEN closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras were unveiled as part of a crime-busting initiative in Skelton, east Cleveland, yesterday. The £71,000 scheme, funded by the Government's Single Regeneration Budget (SRB), is the first of its kind in the