A TEAM of bomb disposal experts was called in after an unexploded device was found on Saltburn beach at the weekend. The discovery, made by a group of children playing in the sand, is the latest in a long line of live wartime munitions found on beaches
IT'S a case of as you were in the race to be The Northern Echo Player of the Year. Still out in front is Newcastle's Craig Bellamy, chased by Middlesbrough's Gareth Southgate and Hartlepool's Gordon Watson. In fact, the only change to last month's top
TAKING a break from filming her latest movie, Gwyneth Paltrow walked inyo the lobby of a smart hotel in downtown New York and was ignored. It's the sort of place where the Oscar-winning actress would usually be mobbed by fans but, because she didn't look
A COUPLE made their wedding day extra special this weekend by tying the knot at 2pm on 02/02/2002. The register office in Darlington had to open specially so Vicki Abdale, 54, and Roy White, 59, could have the perfect time and date for their big day.
A blueprint to boost the quality of life in the North-East and combat the damage caused by an industrial past was unveiled by home rule campaigners today. Targets to raise educational standards, protect the environment, ensure high levels of employment
Daydreams Daydreams are precious they give us a goal, A hope for tomorrow and warmth for the soul. Cherish them, help them to grow, Handle them carefully, never let go. Life has its problems but hope can revive, So look to the future, keep dreams alive
PIGEONS planning to roost on the roof of one of the region's landmark buildings look to be in for a surprise. Planners hope to ruffle a few feathers by placing spikes on the roof of York's Mansion House. The pigeons are seen as a major nuisance as they
NEW yoga and tanning studios have been opened at Darlington's Dolphin Centre. The yoga studio was created to meet a growing demand for a holistic approach to health and fitness. The tanning studio features a range of equipment, including a vertical tanning
AN enterprise centre has been recognised for its success by being given £262,000 in two years. The Bridge Enterprise Centre, in South Stanley, was opened by the Bungalows Residents' and Neighbourhood Watch Association in a bungalow leased from Derwentside
A FIRM'S decision not to send Christmas cards to its customers has paid off for a charity. Workwear Express decided that instead of splashing out on cards, it would donate £500 to the Clarke Lister Brain Haemorrhage Foundation, in Peterlee. The Coxhoe
A LEADING cruise ferry operator has reported an upturn in trade, despite difficulties in the travel industry. Tyneside-based DFDS Seaways has recorded a 17 per cent increase in passenger numbers and a six per cent increase in cars using its routes to
THE BBC is to expand its local radio service in the North. In March, the corporation will launch 104.3FM BBC North Yorkshire for listeners in the Harrogate, Ripon, Thirsk and Northallerton areas. It will provide a more localised version of the existing
IT was only day 34 yesterday, but determined Kevin Cassidy had already covered most of Strathclyde. Then there's the mysterious Willy Peel. No one has a clue who he is but he has polished off Weston-Super-Mare. Now the landlords of The Ship Inn are hoping
Disconsolate Ian Clark trudged away from Nene Park blaming himself for Darlington's defeat, as Quakers yet again failed to take all three points away from home. The defeat was Darlington's tenth away from home this season and means that Quakers hold the
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren last night labelled his side's miserable goalless draw with Charlton an "endurance test'' for players, fans and TV viewers alike. His opposite number, Alan Curbishley, claimed that the fear of failure in the Premiership
THE terrible events of September 11 changed the world. The terrorist attacks made us more nervous, more suspicious, and more likely to over-react. It is across that minefield of international anxiety that the police must walk a tightrope - a tightrope
SUNDERLAND Harriers have set up a grandstand finish to the defence of their senior men's team title in this season's Durham Pine North-East Harrier League. The Wearsiders go into the final fixture at Prudhoe next month trailing current leaders Blaydon
A CAR retailer is calling for caution ahead of the publication of a report on opening up the market. This week, the European Commission will publish a report on possible changes to existing "block exemption" regulations. They cover distribution and servicing
WORRIED householders living near Pickering Beck have had hopes dashed for a big flood defence scheme going ahead as a priority. Residents have been told that it could be a year before the work gets under way. Tom Fewster, project manager for the Environment
A PROJECT providing young musicians in Teesdale with a range of opportunities has won praise from local councillors. Teesdale district councillors John Hinchcliffe and John Armstrong visited the music project as part of the re-launch of an Education in
HOMES in Danby are to be targeted by a special questionnaire in an effort to draw up a parish plan. It is hoped the answers will yield the key to plotting a blueprint for the area's future. Parish council chairman Herbert Tindall said the time was right
IT may be thought that receiving the Robert F Kennedy Award for International Service to Learning would be enough for any student. However, for Adam Short, from East Stanley, winning the award was just the icing on the cake for years spent helping to
A COMPUTER project and a supermarket are joining forces to offer technology advice to shoppers. Along with their weekly groceries, customers at Asda's Peterlee store will be able to stock up on information about basic computer sessions and online careers
POLICE are to clamp down on rowdy youths whose behaviour is causing misery to east Durham shoppers. Groups of up to 40 young people have been using a new underground car park at Peterlee, sparking a host of complaints from intimidated residents. The town
A North Yorkshire Moors farming couple have celebrated their diamond wedding. Alf Brown, 87 and his 91- year-old wife, Martha, farmed at the beauty spot of Farndale for 40 years. Mr Brown was Master of the Farndale Hunt for a decade and its secretary
THE workforce at a struggling printing concern has agreed an eleventh-hour deal to save up to 250 jobs. However, staff at Polestar Greaves, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, have had to take cuts in pay and holidays and work flexible hours. Despite the agreement
Spotlight on local issues RESIDENTS have been invited to air their views on community issues at a meeting of the Central Area Forum, covering Haswell, Peterlee and Shotton, on Wednesday, February 27, at 6pm, in the Infants Hall, Shotton Colliery Primary
THE controversy over the Government's anti-terrorism laws was hotting up last night as men arrested in North-East raids last week prepared to sue police. Civil liberties group Liberty urged the six men from Darlington and Teesside to contact them to discuss
UNDER-PRESSURE Sunderland manager Peter Reid has stepped up his bid to sign a goal-scoring striker in a bid to halt the slide down the Premiership table. Having washed his hands of £3.6m French international Lilian Laslandes, who has been farmed out to
A CHARITY shop is appealing for help from the public to top up its stocks again. The plea was made by the Help the Aged shop, in Wheelgate, Malton. "After Christmas I think most charity shops are running low on stock," said manager Julie Marwood. "We
PROPERTY prices across the region continue to be affected by the US terrorist attacks and the foot-and-mouth crisis. Reports show that despite a rise in house prices in recent months, there has been a general slowdown and fall in demand since September
DEFENDER Aaron Hughes has revealed how Bobby Robson's infectious enthusiasm is sustaining Newcastle's bid to land their first top-flight title in 75 years. Northern Ireland international Hughes, who has made a successful switch from centre-half to right-back
AN elderly American man fears time is running out in his bid to get in touch with North-East relatives. Edwin Hawley, of Texas, is in his 80s and would like to trace his relatives in County Durham. He is hoping to find relatives of his mother, Isabella
BURGLARY and anti-social behaviour top the list of worries of Middlesbrough people, according to a survey of almost 6,000 residents. But the Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Survey also shows that many people are happy with their area and feel they have a
A NORTH-EAST football club has taken on three staff to help promote its links with the community. Joe Puech is Sunderland AFC's new study support centre manager, while Gary Steadman has become area coach for North Tyneside and Northumberland. Ed Cook
ANGLERS banned from pier fishing are hoping to secure councillors' help following a public meeting. The Seaham Angling Club and members of the public were banned from using Seaham's North Pier from January 1. According to the Seaham Harbour Dock Company
A children's author has inspired youngsters to follow in his footsteps during a two-day workshop. David Almond, who comes from the North-East, worked with 23 year 11 pupils at La Sagesse School, in Jesmond, Newcastle. During creative writing sessions,
Animal welfare officers have vowed to leave no stone unturned in the hunt for a callous dog owner who left the animal to suffocate in a rubbish skip. Travellers and nearby residents are being urged to help track down the person after the dog died in horrific
A GATHERING by a right-wing extremist group at the weekend was cancelled. Members of the National Front told police of their intention to meet outside Sunderland Civic Centre, on Saturday afternoon, to discuss setting up a Wearside branch and taking part
SHAKESPEARE was brought to life for students as a school turned the spotlight on drama. Sunnydale School, Shildon, has built a drama studio, created a post for head of drama and included the subject on the timetables of year seven and eight pupils. The
Q: WHERE do our surnames come from and what was the first surname? Did Adam and Eve have a surname and are any new ones created today? - George Martin, Trimdon Station. A: HEREDITARY surnames are mentioned as far back as 2852BC when the Chinese Emperor
A VANDALISED public toilet could finally be converted after a land ownership mystery was solved. For several years, traders and residents have complained about the convenience on Friar Street, in Shotton. Built by Shotton Parish Council and maintained
An amateur operatic society has issued an urgent appeal for a pianist to help with rehearsals for its forthcoming production. Spennymoor Amateur Operatic Society is following this year's hugely successful pantomime, Aladdin, by staging the hit musical
A CAMPAIGN to stop storage tanks being built near an east Cleveland beauty spot has received a double boost. Councillors and a local MP told Northumbrian Water that any storage tank scheme in Marske must meet residents' concerns. The moves came as members
FEARS of flooding were on the wane last night as river levels began to drop to their normal levels. But, in the centre of York, the riverside was again a no-go area after the swollen River Ouse burst its banks. Two flood warnings were in force - for the
A COMPANY from the region has been lending a hand to the development of a crew of space-travelling robots. Staff at Peratech, of Darlington, worked with the North American Space Agency (Nasa) to help create the robots. The company developed touch-sensitive
STAFF at a North-East prison were returning to normal working last night after days of industrial action. A small number of officers at Holme House Prison, Stockton, were working to rule in protest at a recent seven per cent pay increase. But the High
A war of words erupted yesterday over long-awaited improvements to one of the most dangerous roads in Britain. A leading environmental group labelled proposals to dual the entire length of the A66 - where 70 people have died in the last decade - as unjustifiable
A BEST value review of Stockton Borough Council's cleansing and ground maintenance service has found the authority provides a fair service. The review, which was carried out by the Audit Commission, expects the service to attain performance levels in
A PUPIL from Barnard Castle is top of his class after scooping the first prize in a national environmental competition. Five-year-old Frankie Shum, a pupil at Montalbo Primary School, beat more than 4,000 youngsters to win first prize in the Treewatch
AN annual drama festival will have a spooky start at a theatre this week. The second annual festival at the Customs House, in South Shields, will be launched with The Little Theatre of Horrors, a play by David Cooke, which runs from Thursday to Saturday
A MEMBER of Captain Cook's family is retracing the seafarer's steps by journeying from Australia to his native North-East in a replica of the adventurer's famous ship. Jon Preston began the voyage of a lifetime on Saturday in a replica of the Endeavour
NIALL QUINN SO Niall Quinn has decided to give his testimonial money to charity. Bravo! This not only lifts my spirit, but enhances the prestige of the great game. I was beginning to think it was a soulless, but very lucrative, business. In those far
WALKERS in east Cleveland can cross a popular beck thanks to the opening of a £40,000 bridge. The steel-beamed bridle bridge with timber decking and parapets crosses Waterfall Beck, at Waterfall Farm, on the outskirts of Guisborough. Redcar and Cleveland
Care centre bid to cut journeys A DAY CARE centre is being planned for Ryedale by St Catherine's Hospice, Scarborough, to avoid seriously ill patients having to make long journeys for treatment. Chief executive Bob Clarke said an appeal was being launched
What's hot... SUPER HEROES: The Superman films may have been good to watch, but there was something missing from the stories. What was it like for Clark growing up with his super powers? How did he cope with the problems of teenage angst, as well as having
LAST-ditch talks were taking place yesterday in an attempt to avert strike action later this week by Arriva trains staff. Services throughout the North-East were disrupted last week during a two-day strike and staff were threatening to walk out again
A LONG battle to save country courthouses in North Yorkshire from the axe has finally been lost. Despite a stream of objections from county and district councils, the magistrates' courts at Richmond, Pickering and Whitby are to close. Richmond courthouse
IT took a bit of steel from Keith Anthony to turn his vision of a work of art into reality, on behalf of his fellow Derwentsiders. The Dipton sculptor took nearly a year to make his steel sculpture which will be presented to Consett's German twin town
A SERVICE for disabled people, which faced cutbacks because of a funding shortage, is to receive a cash boost from Darlington Borough Council. Darlington's Shopmobility scheme, which was set up by the borough council and Darlington Association on Disability
IT MAY not be possible to say: 'Newcastle have never had a better chance of winning the Premiership', but they are certainly in the driving seat at the moment. Memories of the 1995-96 season, and Kevin Keegan's side that led the top-flight by a whopping
THE Northern Echo is commemorating the Queen's golden jubilee by publishing a series of supplements looking at how various aspects of everyday life have changed in the course of her reign. The first appeared last week and looked at how travel had been
A DRAGON which forced a town centre to close at the weekend has been caged. The one-and-half ton hand-carved stone dragon, on top of Middlesbrough Town Hall, was found to be unstable by workmen carrying out renovation work on the Victorian building. On
It may be a long way from the recycling plant to the catwalk, but Woman's editor Christen Pears meets a North-East student who is turning plastic bottles into clothes. YUKIE Nakano's spinning machine is broken and she's just sent back home to Japan, asking
HUNDREDS of Darlington children can find out about life in the Army at the weekend while they compete to win an adventure holiday. The Army is holding a careers day at the town's Dolphin Centre on Saturday, starting at 9am. As well as talking to officers
IT WAS a precious place, the happy house where hard-working mining folk went for a few hours' entertainment. But the Pavilion - one of the grandest buildings in Stanley, County Durham - which first opened in April 1923, is being reduced to rubble by a
EQUALITY campaigner John Taylor is celebrating victory is his long-running battle of the bus pass. The retired postman from Norton, near Malton, reacted with delight to the news that the Travel Concessions (Eligibility) Bill passed through Parliament.
A BEAUTY spot of national importance for wildlife is being cleaned up by volunteers after it was vandalised. The Ferryhill Carrs is one of the biggest wetland areas in the North-East. It supports a large amount of rare birds and other wildlife and is
COMPANIES in the region are being urged to apply for funding for innovative projects. More than 23 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have already received grants from Pioneer, One NorthEast's regional innovation management team, but a further
THE RUBBISH strewn around the pitch at a windswept Riverside Stadium was in keeping with the quality of play in the most unmemorable of Premiership matches. Having missed out on Diego Forlan and Dwight Yorke in his hunt for a striker, Middlesbrough manager
ROB Stewart's harsh dismissal left a bitter taste after Darlington moved above visitors Macclesfield into third place in North Division One with a 28-6 win. The match became niggly after the scrum half was sent off midway through the second half by a
Tony Blair yesterday prepared for battle with unions opposed to his plans to give private firms a bigger role in delivering public services. In a keynote speech to Labour's local government and women's conference, in Cardiff, he insisted that reform was
A RUN-DOWN area of Bishop Auckland is to be given a new lease of life through a business development. The Wear Valley Hotel, in Newgate Street, the town's main shopping area, has been derelict since it was gutted in a fire in 1994. Now the Asda supermarket
OLD and written-off cars could be left to rot in the streets as new legislation forces scrap yards out of business. Under European laws which are due to take effect in April, so-called end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) must be disposed of without harm to the
THE Northern Echo's latest recruit was officially unveiled yesterday. Local Heroes a racehorse named after the paper's increasingly popular grass roots sport supplement was shown off to her new owners. The two-year-old bay filly is the second thoroughbred
ABOUT 20 bereaved North-East families who discovered organs and tissue samples were removed from their dead children are preparing for legal action. Relatives were kept in ignorance about the removal of body parts until an information ban on NHS trusts
SUNDERLAND'S worrying Premiership decline continues at an alarming rate and the hammering they received at the hands of the defending champions could have been far worse. Peter Reid's unwieldy five-man defence had conceded four at the halfway mark and
A 50-acre woodland, which was recently given Town Green status to protect it for future generations, is being enhanced. And a row of 125 concrete posts, once marking the dividing line between two owners of Hookstone Wood, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, has
Police hunt for street robber POLICE are hunting a robber who attacked two elderly women in Billingham. The man approached the women as they walked along Station Road, from the direction of Central Avenue, at about 8.15pm, on Friday. He snatched one woman's
Seaham manager Wilf Constantine labelled his team a "complete disgrace" after they were hammered 8-0 at Ashington on Saturday. The First Division's bottom club suffered their second 8-0 trouncing inside two months, which left their manager questioning
Middlesbrough defender Gianluca Festa has denied spitting at Kevin Phillips during last Tuesday's derby victory at Sunderland. The Italian was dismissed by referee Paul Durkin after appearing to spit in the England international's face following a 52nd-minute
FORMER Cabinet Minister Peter Mandelson has produced evidence that throws new light on his involvement in the millionaire Hinduja brothers' passport applications. Downing Street confirmed last night that Prime Minister Tony Blair had reopened the inquiry
PIGEONS are losing their way home because mobile phone masts are confusing them, a bird fancier has claimed. Frank Armstrong, 64, of Tow Law, County Durham who looks after about 80 racing birds, claims the town's three mobile phone masts affect their
ANY lingering hopes England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson had of luring Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer out of international retirement were surely laid to rest at St. James' Park on Saturday. The rejuvenated Shearer is in arguably the best goal-scoring form
SINGING sensation Zoe Birkett is to wow audiences at Wembley Arena when she duets with Pop Idol favourite Gareth Gates at a special concert. The ten finalists from the ITV show will star in London on March 14, 15 and 16 in an event called An Evening with
A TEAM of bomb disposal experts was called in after an unexploded device was found on Saltburn beach at the weekend. The discovery, made by a group of children playing in the sand, is the latest in a long line of live wartime munitions found on beaches
THE North York Moors National Park Authority is to be asked to help fund the running of public toilets in moorland villages following pro-tests over plans to close them. Eight toilets, at Westerdale, Ruswarp, Aislaby, Commondale, Egton, Fylingthorpe,
A POSSIBLE clampdown on second homes in an area of North Yorkshire has won the support of a councillor who says that in some villages they far outnumber those of permanent residents. Councillor Herbert Tindall, whose ward covers an area of the North York
YOUNGSTERS went wild at a North-East attraction to celebrate World Wetlands Day, on Saturday. West Boldon Environmental Education Centre's children's eco club, the Wild Things, visited the Washington Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, on Wearside, to mark the
Bishop Auckland are still without a league win under Alan Shoulder after they failed to beat Frickley at Kingsway on Saturday. The Yorkshire side finished the game with only nine men after having two players red-carded, but Bishops threw the game away
WORKERS still reeling from news that their cement plant is to be axed, have learnt that it was the most productive plant in the country. One of the largest employers in Weardale, County Durham, Blue Circle Cement will close its Eastgate plant at the end
PENNY the terrier cross-breed has had a tough time of it recently, but she has bounced back from her troubles and now just needs a loving home. The affectionate 13-year-old was left homeless when her elderly owner died, and has since been in the care
A CAMPAIGN has been relaunched demanding an end to parking charges which have achieved their cash objective. Fees were introduced for parking in Ripon's market square in the summer of 1999 with Harrogate Borough Council adamant they were needed to pay
A LATVIAN flautist and a Czech pianist will stop off in Durham during a recital tour. Ilze Urbane, who studied with James Galway in Switzerland, and pianist Adam Skoumal will perform the first recital of this year's season in St Cuthbert's Church, North
A RUN-DOWN area of Bishop Auckland is to be given a new lease of life through a business development. The Wear Valley Hotel, in Newgate Street, the town's main shopping area, has been derelict since it was gutted in a fire in 1994. Now the Asda supermarket
A DEVOTED father has died from meningitis while working away from home. Gavin Peart, from Darlington, was working in Edinburgh for a York company when he died in hospital on Sunday, January 27. His widow, Christine, said: "He used to work all over the
A GIANT screen beaming out animated images lit up a central street in Middlesbrough this weekend. Pedestrians and motorists in Linthorpe Road stopped to enjoy two animated films screened on a loop, on Friday and Saturday night, as part of Animex, the
DIFFERENCES in prosperity between the North-East and the south show no signs of narrowing, countryside campaigners have warned. Economic output per person in the region is about two-thirds that of London and the South-East, according to a report released
SPECTATORS at a popular car rally event in the region could soon find themselves starring in a safety movie. The Riponian Rally, which starts and finishes at Lightwater Valley, the theme park near Ripon, North Yorkshire, has been chosen to take the main
SINCE discovering that tissue samples were taken from her stillborn baby without her knowledge or permission, Zoe Holman has plunged into a world of despair. She feels guilt over her inability to protect baby Owen eight years ago, which manifests itself
FARMERS and their families travelled to a hay show held in the region yesterday to demonstrate that country life was "alive and kicking" in the aftermath of foot-and-mouth disease. Hundreds of people, from Northumberland, North Yorkshire and Cumbria,
AFTER years of idolising works by the likes of legendary animator Ray Harryhausen, Phil Tippett got his break on one of the biggest films ever - Star Wars. While directors such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have a huge fan base, animators like
A GIRLS' rugby team has received a £200 gift for kit from Darlington Borough Council. Last September, Darlington's Mowden Park Rugby Club set up an under 16s girls' team.. Training sessions for the girls are held every Thursday, from 6pm to 8pm. New players
THE millionaire owner of a Grand National-winning horse is still living in a one-bedroomed flat after his latest planning bid failed. Norman Mason, whose horse Red Marauder won last year's race, bought the 370-acre Brancepeth Manor House Farm, in County
MEMBERS of the public got the chance to test-drive buses at an open day yesterday. Go North-East ran the event at the MetroCentre coach park, Gateshead. Car drivers got behind the wheel of an Easy Access bus and were guided around the park by a driving
