THEY were too young to understand, but yesterday dozens of Bishop Auckland children were celebrating the success of a government project to give disadvantaged youngsters a better start in life. All that mattered to the smallest residents of the Woodhouse
PEDESTRIANS are to be given the right of way on one of Sunderland's busiest city centre roads. The scheme will be introduced by Sunderland City Council from tomorrow, at the junction of Holmeside and Crowtree Road, where thousands of lunchtime shoppers
SUNDERLAND fans will find themselves in new surroundings this season if they sit in the North Stand Upper at the Stadium of Light. The stand, that seats 6,000 people, has been given an overhaul at a cost of nearly £1million, meaning a refreshing new range
A SUMMER campaign to clamp down on youngsters who illegally buy alcohol and cause misery for residents, has been launched by police in Stockton. Letters and posters have gone out to all 150 premises in the town which sell alcohol, warning them they could
BUSINESSES are queuing up to get a foothold in the North-East's self-styled party capital, according to surveyors. Newcastle has undergone a renaissance in recent years and the city's Quayside has seen redevelopment that has made it the place to be for
ICE hockey bosses have apologised to the chairman of a North-east club after he was wrongly named in a disciplinary statement. Paul Smith, who has suggested he is to quit his post with the Newcastle Jesters, was named alongside the club and its parent
THOUSANDS of pounds worth of jewellery and ornaments have been stolen in a raid. The detached home in West End, Wolsingham, was broken into between 10.45am and 12.15pm on Thursday, and thieves escaped with a large amount of gold and silver jewellery,
PLANS to bring 200 asylum seekers to Hartlepool are to be re-examined. The move comes after the town's MP, Peter Mandelson, held talks on Thursday night with Lord Rooker, the asylum and immigration minister. The deal had been pushed through without consultation
THE major consolation for Durham on another day of toil at Lord's was that they were not embarrassed by their two former colleagues. Mike Roseberry made nought and Robin Weston 13, only for two former Durham University students to share a damaging left-handed
MOVE over Changing Rooms - a team of dedicated workers from east Cleveland is matching the makeover talents of TV's popular DIY experts as part of a pioneering project. East Cleveland Youth Housing buys or leases derelict and empty properties, and then
YOUNGSTERS in east Cleveland are benefiting from a new playbus touring villages in the area. The playbus has been set up by Sure Start East Cleveland, a Government-backed initiative, which aims to eradicate childhood poverty in deprived areas. The purpose-built
THE Liberal Democrat party of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is asking the council to consider creating an elders' congress to scrutinise the work and policies of the council. The party has submitted a proposal to Colin Moore, chief executive of
A TEENAGER who suffered head injuries when his car hit a stone wall was still in a serious condition in hospital last night. Ben Alderman, 18, of The Nunnery, in Bolam, near Darlington, was driving an Audi car when it left the road and crashed into a
CONSERVATIONISTS have become home builders to help an elusive lodger make a comeback. The Environment Agency anti-pollution watchdog is installing pre-fab homes for otters, which are returning in numbers to the River Tees, but finding their natural habitat
NEW homes are needed for abandoned dogs which are living on the canine equivalent of death row. Holycross Farm kennels, in Haswell, east Durham, has a contract with Hartlepool Borough Council to take in stray and abandoned dogs. After nine days, the dogs
HOSPITAL bosses have been told they need to spend £250,000 to bring sterilisation facilities up to date. A report by experts has shown that the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton, is failing the Government's new, higher standards for ensuring
A FIVE-DAY celebration of markets and pots is taking place in Darlington next month. As well as a variety of crockery for sale, most of which is not normally available in the area, the Darlington Market Festival and Pot Fair will be complemented by entertainment
CAMPAIGNERS have failed in their last ditch Appeal Court bid to stop a further education college being built on recreational land. Washington Forum First, fronted by resident Pamela Beresford, had fought a long legal battle to thwart plans to sell the
EMPLOYEES of an engineering firm have transformed a garden to create a haven for youngsters with learning disabilities. Four university students on placement at Cummins Engines, in Darlington, have organised the firm's community project at Harewood Hill
Hanging baskets are now coming to their peak of perfection. Plants established at the end of May are filling baskets with colour. While everything appears to be in order, great care must be taken from now onwards to ensure their continued success. By
A LAW student from Darlington's German twin town is making the most of her summer holidays. Simone Traub, who has just finished her A-level equivalents in Mulheim an der Ruhr, is in Darlington on a six-week placement until August 16, working in the tourist
A HALF-FINISHED hotel complex has been sold by a developer fed up with the problems surrounding the building. Mirage Hotel and Leisure wants to sell the partially-completed hotel complex at Teesside Airport. Planning permission for the 80,000sq ft health
The "futuristic" church of St James, Hardwick, was dedicated in 1966, part of its £17,000 cost met by a weekly collection from 500 families on the Stockton housing estate. Next to it, like a giant tailfin, stands a 67ft pre-cast concrete cross, lowered
FOR a man who has achieved and earned so much, Sir Paul McCartney is by all accounts a down-to-earth, sincere, and kind man. Heather Mills, his new fiancee, is clearly a woman of great courage and substance. They make a lovely couple and were a picture
A NORTH-EAST parrot breeder will have to wait until next week to find out if he is to have more than £400,000 confiscated. Customs and Excise officers have launched a court case against Harry Sissens, 62, who was jailed for 30 months in April last year
A BUSINESSWOMAN stepped in to save a jazz legend's blushes when she was stranded without her stage clothes. Hours before singer Cleo Laine was about to take centre stage at a sell-out concert at the International Centre, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire,
A SCHEME which helps disabled people visit their GP has expanded. The South-West Durham Social Resource Centre's GP Scheme offers people transport for £1.50. It uses taxi drivers and volunteer drivers to provide the service, and members pay a subscription
Q My employer is paying me full pay for the first six months of my sickness and half-pay for the next six months. When can I claim Incapacity Benefit (IB) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA)? A You claim IB after 28 weeks of Statutory Sick Pay from
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a housing estate, considered by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, are advancing. The development at Middleton-St-George, which is on the site of the former Durham Tube works, was referred to Mr Prescott for final approval earlier
A PARANOID schizophrenic yesterday admitted sending letter bombs to firms across the region because he thought they had links with animal cruelty. Glynn Harding sent a series of home-made explosive devices to addresses across the North, injuring several
A BOLD £130m plan to reorganise and modernise NHS hospitals on Tyneside has been announced. The six-year project will see huge amounts of private funding used to build new facilities. Despite recent criticism, all the work will be carried out under the
FOUR children were rescued in two separate incidents when a 17-year-old Scarborough youth spotted them and pulled them from the sea. James Foy, who works in the North Bay, at Secret Sport Surf Shop, said: "We were having a barbecue when I heard a woman
SPEEDING drivers are being urged to slow down before they maim or kill a relative or neighbour. More than 800 residents of the east Cleveland village of Boosbeck - population 1,000 - have signed a petition calling for action to put the brake on motorists
Newspaper publisher Trinity Mirror said yesterday that conditions in the advertising market remained volatile, as it announced a ten per cent dip in first-half profits - and a round of job cuts. The media sector has been hit by a slowdown in advertising
A STUDENT is celebrating winning a place at London drama School the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art - better known as Rada. Leandra Ashton, 21, of Stanhope Road, Darlington, came through a series of tough auditions to win a place on a three-year acting
TWO cyclists were home in time for tea when they cycled from the west coast to the east. Graham Marshall, 39, decided to cycle from Whitehaven, in Cumbria, to Sunderland in memory of his girlfriend, Jan Weighman, from Spennymoor, who died of cancer in
CASH-HIT local authority leaders are having to spend almost £1m to settle a long-running row over care home fees. The dispute had plunged the future of more than 3,000 elderly people into doubt, with claims that private nursing and residential homes could
A PROJECT in North Yorkshire could help to conserve Britain's ancient peat reserves. Vast quantities of peat are being dug up and used to cater for the country's compost needs. But Yorwaste, in Northallerton, is working on a composted organic product
WASHINGTON Envelopes has spent £3m on machinery it says makes its plant one of the most modern in Europe. The company, on the Hertburn Industrial Estate in Washington, Wearside, employs 140 people and is one of the top six envelope manufacturers in the
WASHINGTON Envelopes has spent £3m on machinery it says makes its plant one of the most modern in Europe. The company, on the Hertburn Industrial Estate in Washington, Wearside, employs 140 people and is one of the top six envelope manufacturers in the
WANNABE hot dog eating champ Barry Noble missed out on the British title yesterday - because he was too handy. Mr Noble, 57 a retired civil servant, from Kielder, Northumberland, swallowed four of the six-inchers in just three minutes - as did the winner
A LITTLE over two years ago Bill Gates sat down and tried to figure where to go next. He'd pretty much sewn up the market for computer operating systems. His office software was pretty much the world standard. Ditto, Internet Explorer. Even back then,
A CYCLIST broke his wrist when he was knocked off his bike by a female motorcyclist. The incident happened at 7.45pm, on Tuesday, on a footpath between Marske Lane and Tithebarn Road, Stockton. The 33-year-old was knocked from his bike by a blue-and-yellow
PLANS for a £50m scheme to breathe new life into Ripon, and create dozens of jobs, have been revealed. The new owners of the former university campus in the city have unveiled proposals to revitalise the site and bring a boost to the local economy. Highstone
AN investigative committee met for the first time yesterday to find out why the biggest dance festival planned for the region was cancelled at the eleventh hour. The sub-committee was formed by Newcastle City Council to look into the organisation of the
HARTLEPOOL United manager Chris Turner last night revealed how he is convinced he has the strikers capable of terrorising Third Division defences this season. As Turner prepares his players for the friendly with Berwick Rangers today, at Shielfield Park
POLICE in Darlington were celebrating last night after a one-man crime wave was jailed after confessing to 261 crimes. Teesside Crown Court heard that Paul Ponsford, 25, of Greenbank Road, Darlington, told detectives he was trying to wipe the slate clean
FROM the Cut-throat Celts to the Blitzed Brits, 2,000 years of horrible British history are being brought to life during the summer holidays. The Horrible Histories Funfair of Fear is based on the books of best-selling County Durham author, Terry Deary
The "futuristic" church of St James, Hardwick, was dedicated in 1966, part of its £17,000 cost met by a weekly collection from 500 families on the Stockton housing estate. Next to it, like a giant tailfin, stands a 67ft pre-cast concrete cross, lowered
AN association has been launched to give youngsters on a North Durham estate something to do. The Junior Jets Association, for youngsters aged nine to 16, is the brainchild Madelaine Cowen, chairman of the Jet Residents' Association at Annfield Plain,
Today is one of those days which makes racing such a wonderful sport - a day when champions are put to the ultimate test. For a Derby winner to be classed as a truly great horse, he has to go on and prove himself against the older generation. Aidan O'Brien's
A LITTLE over two years ago Bill Gates sat down and tried to figure where to go next. He'd pretty much sewn up the market for computer operating systems. His office software was pretty much the world standard. Ditto, Internet Explorer. Even back then,
A sheltered housing scheme in east Cleveland opened for people to look around its facilities yesterday. St Germain's Grange, at Vicarage Drive, Marske, is designed to allow older people to live independent lives by providing retirement housing with on-site
TEAMS of soldiers from the Infantry Training Centre, at Catterick Garrison, were really putting their backs into fund-raising for charity yesterday. Oarsmen from the 3rd Battalion, including Gurkha trainees, were hoping to raise more than £2,000 for the
A GAMES wall for children is to be built as part of a drive to improve facilities in a run-down area. The vandal-proof wall will be built in the yard of Pallion Primary School, in Sunderland, at a cost of £52,000 from the fifth round of the area's Single
DRINKERS are trying to call time on plans to give their local family pub a new look. The Duke of Wellington, at Nevilles Cross, Durham City, is popular with diners from a wide area, and tipplers from neighbouring streets. Owners Bass Retail and Leisure
A TEENAGER, who only started dancing this year, is heading to the Royal Ballet School in September. Joseph Burke, 13, of Carlton in Cleveland, took his first dance steps in January and has already been accepted to the top dance school in the country.
A DRUG user avoided a prison sentence because he had taken steps to stop his habit. Ian Hartnell, 21, of Newton Street, Ferryhill, admitted a charge of possession of cannabis with intent to supply at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. The court heard that
CHILDREN are bringing their town's history to life by researching, performing and writing a play. Youngsters taking part in a summer school at St John's RC Comprehensive, in Bishop Auckland, have two weeks to create a play based on the town's colourful
TEENAGE rock talent Pete Shoulder is hoping that he has moved nearer to signing a major recording deal. The blues and rock singer-songwriter played a half-hour set for senior executives of Sony US, at a rehearsal studio in London. They were impressed
THE developer behind Darlington FC's new £20m 25,000-seater stadium is spreading news of its success throughout the UK. County Durham group Hall Construction is circulating a glossy colour brochure to professional football and rugby clubs across the country
PLANNERS insist work on Darlington FC's new stadium has not broken guidelines, following complaints about late-night work. Concern was expressed after the laying of concrete at the £20m ground went on into the night last week. Jan Mazurk, of the Neasham
Police have arrested a man in connection with the theft of papers belonging to a candidate who stood against Labour's Peter Mandelson at Hartlepool in the General Election, it emerged yesterday. John Booth, who unsuccessfully fought the seat as Genuine
THOUSANDS of offshore workers stand to share in a £100m windfall - after a landmark Court of Appeal ruling yesterday on the definition of a ship. The judgement means all oil rig workers will now be classed as seafarers and will not be liable to pay tax
A STUDENT on work placement has found a solution to a production problem which could potentially save one of the world's biggest drug companies millions of pounds. Chemists at GlaxoSmithKline in Barnard Castle, County Durham, had been unable to identify
A HOLIDAYMAKER who broke his back in a fall from an apartment balcony died because he was neglected by Greek hospital staff, a coroner decided yesterday. North Durham Coroner Andrew Tweddle told relatives of Christopher John Rochester, 24, that he was
PEOPLE can give their views on plans to modernise health services in Teesdale and Wear Valley. Next April, the Dales Primary Care Group will become a trust. Meetings are planned for discussions of the proposals at Stanhope Town Hall, on August 8, and
TORY leadership candidate Ken Clarke was in Newcastle yesterday, where he warned activists against opposing plans for a regional assembly. Mr Clarke attended a meeting of Conservative members and also met shoppers in the city centre during his visit.
NORTH-EAST pubs group Pubmaster vowed to battle on last night, after yet another rebuff in its bid for Wolverhampton and Dudley Brewery (W&DB). The Hartlepool group said fewer than one in 20 shareholders had accepted its £450m offer for the company
Growth in the British economy has slowed to its lowest level since 1998, official figures suggested yesterday. Business leaders warned that the economy was stalling and the figures spelled "desperately bad news" for the UK. The gross domestic product
ATHLETES with learning disabilities are representing the North-East in this year's Special Olympic Games. The 17 athletes, who are clients of County Durham Care's day services, are competing in the games which start in Cardiff today. They are taking part
Letters from The Northern Echo HEALTH AN open letter to Health Secretary Alan Milburn, Darlington MP: My husband, Joe Burnside, received a life-saving heart transplant 21 years ago in Harefield Hospital, west London. Now the powers that be want to close
GENETICALLY-modified mice are to be used by North-East scientists looking for ways of fighting a newly-discovered human disease. Scientists at Newcastle University have known about the disease for more than 15 years, but were only able to identify the
A piper accompanied 500 workers at Scarborough coach building firm Plaxton as they left for the last time yesterday. The North Yorkshire firm was faced with total closure in May when Transbus International, Plaxton's parent company, said it was switching
AS A 16-year-old lad from South Shields, I signed on as mess-boy with the Southern Venturer whale factory ship operating from the port of North Shields. At that time in my home town, it was every young seaman's dream to become a whaler, where, in relative
CHILDREN could be asked to give their views on the future development of a town as part of a large-scale research project. Subject to its endorsement by Middlesbrough Borough Council's cabinet, the Middlesbrough Youth Survey will be carried out among
A BOLD £130m plan to reorganise and modernise NHS hospitals on Tyneside has been announced. The six-year project will see huge amounts of private funding used to build new facilities. Despite recent criticism, all the work will be carried out under the
THE man who has overseen the successful move from Dryburn to the new £97m North Durham hospital has been confirmed as chief executive. Steven Mason, a father-of-five, who has been acting chief executive of the North Durham Health Care NHS Trust for the
