Archive

  • Three dead in horrific smash

    INVESTIGATIONS are continuing this morning into an horrific crash which claimed the lives of three people and left another three seriously ill in hospital. The two-car smash happened last night on a coast road through North Yorkshire. Police said a BMW

  • News in brief

    Tooth fashion craze warning HEALTH experts are warning of the potential dangers associated with the latest fashion craze, tooth jewels. Sunderland City Council environmental health officers have teamed up with staff from the local health authority to

  • Action pledge by police over rowdies on housing estate

    YOUTHS who have been making life a misery for residents on a North Yorkshire estate are to be targeted by police. Officers have pledged to tackle intimidation, vandalism and other incidents on the Cutpurse estate, Richmond. The pledge was made following

  • Laslandes seeking talks

    FRENCH international Lilian Laslandes is heading for a show-down meeting with Sunderland manager Peter Reid after being left out in the cold for the last Premiership game against Arsenal at the Stadium of Light. The 30-year-old, a £3.6m summer signing

  • Talent show charity boost

    BUDDING performers will take to the stage in a charity talent show to raise money for a hospice that cares for terminally ill people with cancer. Fish and chip shop owner Danny Scott, of Farndale Gardens, Shildon, threw down the gauntlet to budding stars

  • Hospital tonic or financial burden for health services?

    THE war of words that has broken out over hospital services in County Durham highlights the difficulties faced by health planners over the years. By the 1990s, it became increasingly clear that something had to be done about replacing run-down hospitals

  • Mobile phones charity appeal extended

    AN appeal for unwanted mobile phones to be donated to charity has been extended. Darlington Borough Council has joined forces with the Campaign to Recycle Unwanted Mobile Phones (Crump) to help sick children around the world. In the first week of the

  • Boredom is good for you

    THROW back the duvet covers, get the sports kit and the shopping list ready and mourn the death of another great British tradition - the Sunday lie-in. Most of us don't have one any more, apparently. And not just those with small children. Instead of

  • Why Muslims fear a holy war

    SWATHED in traditional tribal robes, turbans covering their heads and AK47s slung across their shoulders, they are every inch the fanatical Taliban fighters. But it seems that, among the ranks of those protecting their homeland from the US-led attacks

  • Foot-and-mouth puts a damper on Bonfire Night celebrations

    HUNDREDS of Bonfire Night revellers in Teesdale will be left without the usual November 5 celebrations after it was revealed that two big fireworks displays have been cancelled. The foot-and-mouth epidemic claimed its latest victims after organisers of

  • Church concert will benefit hospice

    TWO bands and a singer will feature in a charity fundraising concert next month. Members of St William's and St Anne's churches, in Darlington, are staging the show in aid of St Teresa's Hospice at Nestfield Working Men's Club, Albert Hill, Darlington

  • Inn crowd on charity trail

    STAFF and customers at the Frosterley Inn, at Frosterley, near Bishop Auckland, will be getting into the fundraising spirit on Friday. The pub has organised a Halloween theme night to raise funds for Frosterley First School. The fun will start at 8pm

  • Nazi chalice blackmail plea

    A man alleged to be at the centre of a bizarre plot involving a priceless Nazi chalice and a pet boxer dog has appeared in court to deny blackmail. Derick Smith, 50, is said to have held the dog to ransom, demanding that the owner hand over the silver

  • Now be afraid, be very afraid

    ATTEMPTING to ignore the spine-chilling atmosphere , I peered through the cobwebs and darkness into the gloomy dungeon. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as my eyes began to focus. There, on the dimly lit wall, I could see a chain and shackles

  • Library criticised after mother 'trapped'

    OFFICIALS at Darlington Library have been criticised for closing one of its entrances, trapping a mother and her pram inside. Mother-of-two Anna Cox was at Darlington's Crown Street library yesterday when she found herself trapped. She had been helped

  • Schoolgirls enjoy success

    YOUNG speakers from Polam Hall School, Darlington, won eight categories in the recent Teesdale Music Speech and Drama Tournament. A host of other prizes, as well as 32 certificates of merit, were awarded to girls from the school who took part in the competition

  • Toddler receives treatment, thanks to Echo readers

    A sick toddler is flying to the United States for vital treatment - largely thanks to generous readers of The Northern Echo. Little Sophia Carter suffers continuous, round-the-clock, unexplained epileptic seizures. Michigan based Dr Harry Chugani, the

  • Two men quizzed over child porn ring

    TWO North-East men arrested in connection with a national Internet child porn ring were released on police bail last night. The pair, who have not been named, were arrested yesterday on suspicion of creating and distributing pornographic images of children

  • Drive to reduce teenage births

    AN initiative aimed at reducing the number of teenage pregnancies in County Durham and Darlington is being launched this week. The £250,000 project, funded by the Department of Health's Teenage Pregnancy Unit, will offer sex and relationship education

  • Baby delivered after death crash tragedy

    A BABY born after a car accident which killed his grandmother and badly injured his mother was said to be doing well in hospital last night. Scott Droy was delivered by Caesarean section after his heavily pregnant mother was rushed to hospital following

  • Hospital tonic or financial burden for health services?

    THE war of words that has broken out over hospital services in County Durham highlights the difficulties faced by health planners over the years. By the 1990s, it became increasingly clear that something had to be done about replacing run-down hospitals

  • Six youngsters seeking a good start in life

    SIX puppies are looking for new homes. The tiny labrador-cross puppies were taken from their mother at just six weeks old because they lived in a busy home and their owner could not cope. The animals are now staying at a foster home in Sedgefield until

  • Code war helped by baking powder

    ONE of the most romantic and dramatic episodes of the Second World War was the breaking of the Germans' Enigma encoding machine's secrets. Great British crossword and chess minds spent years brainstorming in Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, in a bid to

  • Burglars on the prowl

    POLICE are investigating a series of burglaries in Darlington in the past week. Detectives believe the thefts, in the Denes area, were committed during the day and early evening. In most cases, ground floor rear windows were forced. The latest raids happened

  • Head backs skateboard park fight

    A CAMPAIGN to create a skateboard park in North-allerton has received the backing of a headteacher. Geoff Heatonby, head of Romanby Primary School, said he was tired of having to throw youngsters off the playground. The problem came to a head on Monday

  • Equity group 3i to shut N-E office

    PRIVATE equity group 3i is to close its Newcastle office. The group said yesterday it planned to shed nearly a fifth of its workforce in response to weaker levels of corporate activity. Seven jobs will be lost at the Tyneside operation, although it is

  • Rothmans owner bucks the trend of economic slowdown

    ROTHMANS owner British American Tobacco (BAT) has reported strong third-quarter figures as the Lucky Strike-to-Dunhill group continued to defy the economic slowdown. The cigarette group, whose deputy chairman is former Conservative leadership contender

  • Man admits causing friend's death

    A man has appeared in court and admitted causing the death of his friend. Michael Burlinson, 28, yesterday pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 30-year-old Keith Warrener, who was found with head injuries at a house in Brandling Street, Roker, Sunderland

  • Cartoons mural a hit with patients

    PUPILS have produced designs to create a cartoon mural in the children's section of a doctors' surgery. Work by youngsters from Risedale Community College have brightened up the waiting room at Harewood medical practice, Catterick Garrison. The GPs, health

  • Musical stars to take to the stage

    THEY will be hoping for fireworks on stage at the Bonfire Night opening of High Society next month. Chester-le-Street Amateur Operatic Society is performing its version of the classic musical at the town's Park View Community Theatre, starting on Monday

  • Focus on teaching materials

    TEACHERS and tutors of adult basic skills are being given the chance to gather more information at a special "drop-in" exhibition in North Yorkshire. The half-day event will focus on new teaching materials, meeting experts and information technology demonstrations

  • Comment from The Northern Echo:The patient is getting worse

    THE fact that the National Health Service has been chronically underfunded for decades is not in doubt. But the question of how the Government will finance the future health needs of the country remains unresolved - and the political heat is being turned

  • Primary school website award

    A SCHOOL is celebrating success in the national education website Autumn Term 2001 Golden Owl Awards. Run by schools.ik.com, the awards recognise excellence in the thousands of schools websites created using the Schools Internet Kit. Stephenson Way Primary

  • Turning in his grave

    Gruesome as it is this Hallowe'en, we have to report that body snatchers are active in Bishop Auckland. Worse yet, it is from Shildon that the most celebrated victim has been disinterred. The culprits are men and women known throughout the town, and far

  • Caddick loss is the real blow

    COMPARED with the six Chelsea chickens who declined to spend 36 hours in Tel Aviv, England have got off lightly with only Andy Caddick and Robert Croft withdrawing from the Indian tour. ECB chairman Lord MacLaurin must be hugely relieved as he sewed the

  • Health issues in spotlight

    SOUTH Durham Health Care NHS Trust's Patients and Carers Council will be discussing asthma services at its next meeting. The council was set up last year and meets monthly so that patients and carers can be involved in the development of hospital and

  • The IRA's new clothes

    NO DOUBT there are more perfect illustrations of the 'Emperor's New Clothes' from time to time. But if the IRA was dressed in any new apparel when it decommissioned some weapons, they could hardly have been more scanty. Certainly they came nowhere near

  • Ince ban stands after FA close ranks and reject Boro appeal

    MIDDLESBROUGH'S worst fears were last night confirmed when the FA informed them that skipper Paul Ince had lost his appeal against his sending-off in the derby clash with Sunderland. Referee Mark Halsey dismissed Ince for violent conduct after he pushed

  • Hospital tonic or financial burden for health services?

    THE war of words that has broken out over hospital services in County Durham highlights the difficulties faced by health planners over the years. By the 1990s it became increasingly clear that something had to be done about replacing run-down hospitals

  • Aviation firm wins massive contract

    Slingsby Aviation has been awarded a £6m contract to supply training aircraft to the Royal Jordanian Air Force. The contract win comes at a time when aircraft orders are suffering in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US. It will lead

  • Smith out to impress

    PAUL Smith will today be handed the opportunity to stake his claim for a contract with Hartlepool United. The 25-year-old former Burnley midfielder is on trial at Pool and will start for the reserves at Chesterfield this afternoon. He was released from

  • Boredom is good for you

    THROW back the duvet covers, get the sports kit and the shopping list ready and mourn the death of another great British tradition - the Sunday lie-in. Most of us don't have one any more, apparently. And not just those with small children. Instead of

  • Former transport company's history brought to book

    FOR years, the name of Sunter Brothers was one of the biggest in the heavy haulage industry. Huge tractor units from the firm, based in Northallerton, pulled some of the biggest and toughest loads on the roads. For decades, it was one of the biggest employers

  • Travel staff appeal for festive cheer

    STAFF at a Bishop Auckland travel agents are launching an appeal which could brighten up Christmas for young hospital patients. The Travelcare branch in the Co-op's Newgate Street store is collecting a suitcase full of toys and gifts for the children's

  • New PFI hospital is a 'white elephant'

    THE chairman of an NHS trust has accused health bosses of wasting money on building a "white elephant" hospital. Kevin Earley, head of the trust that runs the new £97m University Hospital of North Durham, said that the neighbouring South Durham trust's

  • Drive to reduce teenage births

    AN initiative aimed at reducing the number of teenage pregnancies in County Durham and Darlington is being launched this week. The £250,000 project, funded by the Department of Health's Teenage Pregnancy Unit, will offer sex and relationship education

  • Turning in his grave

    Gruesome as it is this Hallowe'en, we have to report that body snatchers are active in Bishop Auckland. Worse yet, it is from Shildon that the most celebrated victim has been disinterred. The culprits are men and women known throughout the town, and far

  • Finance team in

    THE brains behind local government finance in Richmondshire have been nominated for an award. The district council's finance department is the only council team to win recognition for high service levels and saving public money in the Excellence Yorkshire

  • Gearing up for joint car venture

    CAR firms Nissan and Renault have announced plans to create a joint company. Renault-Nissan BV will see Renault increase its 36.8 per cent stake in Nissan to 44.4 per cent, while Nissan will take a 15 per cent stake in Renault. Representatives from Nissan

  • A blue day for Malton raider

    SHALBEBLUE might leave the bookmakers with a few headaches at Cheltenham this afternoon if he lands the Club 16-24 Handicap Hurdle. Brian Ellison's Malton-based raider helped lighten the load of a number of satchels when he obliged at Sedgefield last

  • Young stars making their debut

    YOUNG rockers in Teesdale will be hoping to launch their musical careers at a concert, at Barnard Castle Methodist Church hall, Scar Top, on November 10. For many of the performers, all aged between 13 and 15, the concert will mark their first public

  • Move to make vital services easier to reach

    A MAJOR initiative is under way to make county council services across North Yorkshire easier for everybody to make use of. The main aim of a strategy being developed by the county authority is to make access to all services simpler and more efficient

  • Man killed bride as she slept, court hears

    A middle-aged man murdered his newlywed teenage bride as she slept in their honeymoon bed, a court heard today. Stephen Michael Butters stabbed his 19-year-old bride Claire six times in the chest as she lay asleep just four days after their marriage,

  • Council poll

    VOTERS in the Howden-le-Wear ward of Wear Valley District Council go to the polls tomorrow to elect a successor to Councillor Danny Giblin, who died in August. Liberal Democrat Richard Groves hopes to win back the seat he held from 1991 to 1995. He is

  • Archdeacon to pay first visit to town

    THE new Archdeacon of Auckland will make his first visit to Darlington at the weekend. The Venerable Ian Jagger will visit the church of All Saints and Salutation, in Blackwell, Darlington, on Sunday. The visit will coincide with the church's All Saints

  • Hospital tonic or financial burden for health services?

    THE war of words that has broken out over hospital services in County Durham highlights the difficulties faced by health planners over the years. By the 1990s, it became increasingly clear that something had to be done about replacing run-down hospitals

  • Traders push way to £1,000 charity boost

    A BED-PUSH challenge has helped Shildon traders to raise more than £1,000 for charity. Members of Shildon Chamber of Trade donned fancy dress outfits for the fundraising event. They pushed a hospital bed along Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, into the

  • Taylor off to dismal start

    TOMMY Taylor got off to the worst possible start as the new Darlington manager when his first game in charge saw his new side crash out of the LDV Vans Trophy at Scunthorpe last night. In front of just 1,626 fans 87 of those making the trip from Darlington

  • Double injury boost in store for Robson

    INJURY-jinxed Newcastle United duo Kieron Dyer and Carl Cort are going neck-and-neck in their race to return to fitness. Neither player has figured this season, but United are quietly confident that both could be back in action by the end of next month

  • News in brief:

    Church sees the light NEW floodlighting has been fitted to the church of St Felix, at Felixkirk, near Thirsk. The work was made possible thanks to a donation from Robin Bosomworth, in memory of his parents and son, Colin. The lights are designed to illuminate

  • Cinders can go to the ball twice over . . .

    CINDERELLA will be going to the ball twice over at Scarborough this Christmas. The traditional panto will be staged at both the resort's main theatres, The Spa and the Futurist. But Gareth Stewart, a partner in British Stage Productions, which is putting

  • The Rock-a-Hula Baby boy

    ROCK legend Elvis Presley has inspired more impersonators than any other star. But the latest tribute clone claims his similarity to the King of rock 'n' roll is more than skin deep. Elvis Aaron Presley Jr says the late star's blood courses through his

  • Grassroots: Chester-le-Street, Birtley & District

    FOREIGN POST: Judith Lee, the 54-year-old headteacher of Red Rose Primary School in Chester-le-Street, is serving a five-week secondment at a school in Ghana. It is funded by the National Lottery under the Link Millennium Project. Mrs Lee has 94 pupils

  • Hear All Sides

    RAIL SERVICES I FAIL to see how a fine of £2m imposed on Arriva (Echo, Oct 26) will help to recruit the required number of drivers or alleviate the worsening situation for passengers. Regarding the comments of Peter Lawrence of Railfuture, in modern parlance

  • Pub opening date put back

    THE opening of the new J D Wetherspoon pub in Richmond is now expected to take place in the New Year. It had originally been expected that the pub, on the site of the town's former post office, would open its doors for business before Christmas. However