Archive

  • Uni's nursery has room to expand

    TELEVISION agony aunt Denise Robertson is to open an extension at one of the award-winning nurseries at the University of Sunderland this week. The extension at St Mary's, on the city centre campus, was built with money from the university and the New

  • Teenagers bailed over death plunge

    THREE teenagers being questioned by police after a 17-year-old boy fell to his death from a fourth-floor window have been released on bail, police said last night. The three teenagers, aged 15 to 19, were questioned by officers from Cleveland Police following

  • Clean-up a matter of pride

    AN appeal has gone out to residents and businesses to demonstrate their pride in Hartlepool by supporting a major clean-up campaign. They are being urged to do their bit to make the town a cleaner place by organising events as part of Spring Clean Hartlepool

  • Fond tribute from Royal henkeeper

    AS president of the Poultry Club of Great Britain, Will Burdett had a task which gave him a special place in the Queen Mother's heart. The pensioner, from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, was the keeper of the Queen Mother's buff Orpington hens for 25 years.

  • Security alert sounded for householders

    POLICE are urging householders to step up security to stop burglars breaking into garages and sheds. Gerry McBride, crime prevention officer with Cleveland Police, said that at this time of year thieves were always on the lookout for easy pickings. "The

  • Queen Mother made me feel so special

    ONE of the monarchy's biggest fans recalled the time she met the nation's favourite matriarch, as she prepared to join a vigil outside Westminster Abbey. Anita Atkinson, a magistrate and ardent monarchist, indulges her keen interest in the royal family

  • Childhood home to become place of pilgrimage

    Gibside: THE contrast could not have been more striking. As mourners filed into the quiet chapel steeped in memories of the Queen Mother to pay their last respects, the sound of children's laughter filled the air. Face-painting, clowns and Easter egg

  • Tears as a nation pays its heartfelt respects

    ORDINARY people from across Britain travelled to St James's Palace to sign a book of condolence which was opened yesterday for the nation to pay its last respects to the Queen Mother. Many foreign nationals on holiday or living in the UK also marked the

  • Tribute to woman with 'zest for life and love of the people'

    THE city of York went into mourning yesterday as it awoke to the news that its favourite adopted daughter had finally passed on. As the former Duchess of York, the Queen Mother had many links with the city and continued her association long after her

  • Service centre welcome for movie star car

    CHITTY Chitty Bang Bang has visited the North-East to mark the opening of the region's first Automobile Association-branded workshop. Pierre Picton, a stunt driver in the hit-film and the owner of the original mechanical car, posed for photographs at

  • Touching the lives of young and old

    ONE anonymous tribute written on a card left on the green near Buckingham Palace said it all: "Our nation lost its grandmother today." The Queen Mother had touched the hearts of the young and old, the rich and poor, the famous and not so famous. Prime

  • Men arrested in drugs raids

    TWO men were arrested yesterday after police carried out raids on suspected drug farms. Cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £45,000, and growing equipment were seized by officers in the South Moor area of Stanley, County Durham. In a dawn

  • Tip search continues following bones find

    POLICE yesterday continued their painstaking search of a rubbish tip where human remains were recovered. The dump at Strensall, near York, is being treated as a major crime scene following the discovery on Thursday. A variety of bones were uncovered three

  • Healthy eating award winners

    EIGHT food outlets in Hartlepool have won Heartbeat Awards for their commitment to healthy eating. Receiving the awards, run by Hartlepool Borough Council, Hartlepool Primary Care Trust and the University Hospital of Hartlepool, were: Asda, Rossy Diner

  • Police fears over patient

    CONCERNS are growing for a patient missing from a mental hospital. Paul Ford, 22, a patient at St Luke's Hospital, Middlesbrough, went missing on Friday at 5pm. It is believed he was in the Durham Road area of Stockton. Mr Ford, who needs to be taken

  • If you went down to the village hall today

    VISITORS to Minskip village hall at the weekend were sure of a big surprise, as an award-winning artist staged her own teddy bears' picnic. Angela Ellis, pictured above, who scooped top honours at last year's British Bear Artists' Awards, brought an array

  • £2.5m scheme to boost elderly care

    CARE for the elderly in Ripon could be overhauled in a £2.5m scheme. The development, part of the county council's programme of modernising residential care, aims to replace outdated care homes such as Ripon House. It would comprise a complex of one and

  • A new approach

    TOWN councillors at Helmsley are seeking funds and ideas to give approaches to the market town a facelift. Lord Feversham, chairman of the town council, said: "We want to see how we can improve the three entrances into the town, from Thirsk, Stokesley

  • Police fears over patient

    CONCERNS are growing for a patient missing from a mental hospital. Paul Ford, 22, a patient at St Luke's Hospital, Middlesbrough, went missing on Friday at 5pm. It is believed he was in the Durham Road area of Stockton. Mr Ford, who needs to be taken

  • Cinema to be re-opened

    THE Palace Cinema, at Malton, which closed four years ago, is to re-open in the next few weeks after being taken over by Ryedale Entertainments, of York. Since the closure of the 70- year-old cinema, residents have campaigned for it to be re-opened and

  • Helping to keep peace in Bosnia

    A SOLDIER is serving in Bosnia as part of the Nato peacekeeping force. Bombardier Paul Lindley, 27, is a qualified gunner with The Royal Regiment of Artillery, which is part of the multinational Nato-led stabilisation force (SFOR). Harsh weather conditions

  • Cadets in the field for community farm spring clean

    A GROUP of cadets has joined in the battle to prepare a community farm for its yearly invasion of visitors. The cadets, from the Port Clarence Detachment (A Company), rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty, along with volunteers and staff from

  • The North pays tribute

    Councillor John Williams, leader of Darlington Borough Council: The people of Darlington will mourn her loss just like the rest of the country. The Queen Mother always had the common touch that endeared her to people. Lord Brian MacKenzie of Framwellgate

  • Lots of easter fun at country park

    YOUNGSTERS went on the trail of the Easter bunny and other animals during a day of fun activities. Children took part in a treasure hunt around the Victorian walled garden at Whitworth Country Park, near Spennymoor, to raise money for the Anthony Nolan

  • Teesside news in brief : Arson blamed for hut blaze

    POLICE are investigating after an arson attack on a pitch and putt hut and shared changing room block at the Prissick Base, in Marton, Middlesbrough, at the weekend. Firefighters said the building was well alight when they arrived and that 90 per cent

  • Reaping reward for assets strategy

    DURHAM County Council has won praise from the Government for the way it manages it assets. To pave the way for a new system of funding projects, councils have had to prepare detailed plans about the management of their land and property holdings. They

  • Towns 'need revamp'

    THE twin towns of Malton and Norton need a high-tech business park to create employment, says a report. The key findings of the 100-page report produced for the town's area partnership, and funded through the Government's Countryside Agency, Yorkshire

  • Hero flier remembered

    A FLIER who sacrificed his own life to save that of a young cadet is to be remembered and honoured. Hero John Quinton clipped the only available parachute to Middlesbrough air cadet Derek Coates as his plane broke up following a mid air crash, just over

  • News in brief : Brigade marks its anniversary

    FORMER members of the 11th North West Durham Company of the Boys' Brigade are invited to attend a service to mark its 70th anniversary. The service will be held at South Moor Methodist Church, Park Road, South Moor, on April 28, at 10.30am The company

  • News in brief : Disability awareness day

    A Disability Awareness day is to be held in Stanhope. The event, organised by Wear Valley Disability Access Forum, will offer advice for people with disabilities and their carers. It will be held at St Thomas's Church Hall on Tuesday, April 30, from 11am

  • Quakers can sink Halifax

    Thirteen years ago at Scunthorpe, Darlington experienced the worst day of the club's existence when they were relegated to the GM Vauxhall Conference. Today the Quakers have the chance of inflicting that same fate on Halifax. Halifax come to Feethams

  • 999 call to help combat crime

    A CAMPAIGN has been launched to encourage people to report crime in their area by ringing 999. Caroline Houghey, who lives in Cockerton, in Darlington, wants to reduce crime in the area by getting people to use the emergency number when they see a crime

  • Phillips in fitness race for vital clash

    ENGLAND striker Kevin Phillips is fighting on two injury fronts to play in this afternoon's crucial relegation battle against Leicester City - labelled a "must-win" game by Sunderland manager Peter Reid. Reid made no bones about the importance of the

  • Refurbished homes ready for tenants

    A GROUP of people with learning disabilities are to be given more independence when they move from residential care into newly-refurbished houses at the end of the month. Thanks to a partnership scheme involving the Endeavour Housing Association, Stockton

  • Man arrested over Archbishop threat

    ARMED police surrounded a cathedral during a traditional Easter service following a threat to the Archbishop of York, it was revealed last night. A man, believed to be from the Harrogate area, was arrested in connection with the threat to Dr David Hope

  • Neck and neck in the shires

    Q WAS Hexham ever a county and where was the county of Wirralshire? - Bill Hutchinson, Chester-le-Street. A HEXHAM'S recorded history begins with St Wilfrid, who founded a monastery here around 674AD. Wilfrid was given the land by Ethelreda of Ely, a

  • 'Villa game will be a tall order' - Dabizas

    NIKOS DABIZAS knows Newcastle United face a tall order at Aston Villa tomorrow night - in the shape of giant striker Peter Crouch. The 6ft 6in Crouch, who completed a £4m move from First Division Portsmouth on the eve of transfer deadline day, makes his

  • Inspiration behind thriving visitor centre decides to retire

    A WOMAN who helped put one of the region's most historic buildings on the cultural map has retired after nine years' service. Mavis Burn, the exhibitions organiser at the Discovery Centre and Art Gallery, in Easington Village's Seaton Holme, has been

  • Taylor's men finally earn a deserved three points

    Hull City 1, Darlington 2 - It wasn't pretty and it was rarely entertaining, but for the first time since records began, or at least that's how it felt, Darlington are this morning able to savour a weekend victory. In ten previous games Darlington had

  • Burning Questions: Neck and neck in the shires

    Q WAS Hexham ever a county and where was the county of Wirralshire? - Bill Hutchinson, Chester-le-Street. A HEXHAM'S recorded history begins with St Wilfrid, who founded a monastery here around 674AD. Wilfrid was given the land by Ethelreda of Ely, a

  • Shirt tale just baby talk to French Franck

    FRENCH defender Franck Queudrue dedicated his Middlesbrough point-saver to six-week-old daughter Lilie. On-loan Queudrue, hoping to make his move from Lens permanent at the end of the season, scored his second Boro goal with a superb free-kick to earn

  • FA Vase: Bennett suffers first taste of semi-final misery

    WHEN it comes to semi-finals, Gary Bennett can consider himself to be something of a specialist. In fact, until Saturday afternoon, Bennett had yet to play for a losing team in the penultimate game in any competition. His successes in semi-finals include

  • Police announce crackdown on dangerous bike riders

    A POLICE officer has warned that someone will be killed or seriously injured by youngsters riding off-road motorcycles around Thornaby. Inspector Colin White said the town seemed to be a haven for the bikes, causing damage, distress and danger to residents

  • Fundraising exercise

    A GROUP of young gymnasts took part in a fundraising display at a Darlington supermarket at the weekend. The members of Darlington Gymnastics Club gave two displays at the Morrisons store in Morton Park on Saturday. The youngsters were raising money for

  • Schools may lay on televisions

    Schools will want to mark the day of the Queen Mother's funeral and many will make special arrangements to enable pupils to watch the event on television, headteachers said yesterday. While it may prove inappropriate for three and four-year-olds who may

  • Church's windows seen in a new light

    A CHURCH is celebrating the restoration of two stained glass windows - and brighter faces for two leading religious figures. The windows, on the south side of the nave at St James' Church, in Albert Hill, Darlington, were installed in the 1890s. They

  • Fancy dress charity appeal

    A GROUP of pubgoers in Darlington took to the streets yesterday to aid Darlington Memorial Hospital and Meningitis Research. Regulars at the Archdeacon pub, in Newton Lane, Darlington, went out on to the streets in fancy dress to visit all the pubs in

  • A special woman with a special place in our hearts

    THE North-East always held a very special place in the Queen Mother's heart. As well as visiting the region throughout her long life, the Queen Mother's connections to the area go back hundreds of years before she was born. Her ancestors, the Bowes, originally

  • Navy visit at the going down of the sun

    THE commander of HMS Ark Royal paid tribute to the Queen Mother yesterday recalling how she visited the warship in November when it was rededicated. "I think probably the realisation is just beginning to sink in of how privileged the men and women of

  • A sad trip back from skiing holiday for the three princes

    The Prince of Wales and his sons arrived back in Britain yesterday as the Royal Family gathered to mourn the Queen Mother. Charles, William and Harry cut short their skiing holiday to fly home from Klosters, in the Swiss Alps. The Queen took the rare

  • TV axes shows

    Broadcasters continued to make changes to schedules yesterday to provide further coverage of the Queen Mother's death. BBC1 axed That Was Life, Antiques Roadshow and Blackadder Goes Forth last night to make way for the second part of an obituary programme

  • Keeligan the difference in Mowden Park triumph

    TWO tries by prop Ian Keeligan were among the rare highlights as Darlington Mowden Park eased to a 27-15 win at West Hartlepool on Saturday. Several Newcastle Falcons players, including Jonny Wilkinson, were in the crowd, but the game was a disappointment

  • Volunteers aim to hit summer deadline

    VOLUNTEERS are working around the clock to ensure a popular tourist attraction is up and running for the summer. Last year, Saltburn's miniature railway faced disruption while improvements were carried out because of flood damage to Valley Gardens and

  • £400,000 to get rid of old homes

    NEARLY half a million pounds has been set aside to demolish unwanted council homes in St Helen Auckland this year. About £400,000 has been set aside for a demolition programme in the area, where empty properties attract vandalism and other anti-social

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: A respectful farewell

    IT was with a sense of quiet, respectful reflection that the nation reacted to the death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother - a sharp contrast to the mass hysteria which followed the death of the Princess of Wales. Then, the news had been deeply shocking

  • National search for stolen bike

    A NATIONWIDE search has begun for a limited edition motorbike worth £16,000, which was stolen from a garage at the weekend. Detectives in Crook, County Durham, have begun national inquiries to try and find the distinctive purple and black Harley Davidson

  • Idol Zoe mobbed on train

    POP Idol's Zoe Birkett knew she was on track to stardom when she had to stow away in a train luggage compartment to escape screaming fans. The teen sensation, who made it to the final four on the hit show, was forced to hide among the baggage to avoid

  • Campaign aims to save hare from hunters

    FEARS that a once common mammal may be on the verge of extinction in parts of a town have prompted the launch of a campaign to save it. Conservationists from Hartlepool Borough Council and the police have joined forces to try to increase the brown hare

  • Village children launch campaign for play area

    VILLAGE youngsters who have nowhere to play have launched their own campaign to get a recreation area. About a quarter of the population of the hilltop hamlet of North Bitchburn, near Crook, are under 16 years old. But despite the rolling expanse of countryside

  • Your chance to offer last respects

    PEOPLE across the North-East will have a chance to pay their respects in books of remembrance from tomorrow. Darlington Borough Council will open its book at the town hall and the Friends of the Bowes Museum's book will open on Thursday at the Barnard

  • Museum mourns loss of a friend

    THE Queen Mother's invaluable support for Bowes Museum, so important to its success and survival for more than 50 years, may not have ended with her death. Elizabeth Conran, curator of the Barnard Castle museum for more than 20 years until she stood down

  • Last of the artistocrats

    The death of the Queen Mother represents the end of a link with a former era. Chris Lloyd visits a museum with a Royal connection and looks at the monarchy's past - and its future AN old lady died. Not many were surprised. There was no shock and no tears

  • National search for stolen bike

    A NATIONWIDE search has begun for a limited edition motorbike worth £16,000, which was stolen from a garage at the weekend. Detectives in Crook, County Durham, have begun national inquiries to try and find the distinctive purple and black Harley Davidson

  • Rescuers' aid

    Injured and stranded fell walkers continue to be rescued from the bleak North York Moors partly due to the generosity of the late Queen Mother. She donated £1,000 to help keep Cleveland Search and Rescue team's LandRover ambulances on the road. Spokesman

  • Couple celebrate marriage milestone

    WHEN Edna and Arthur Shuttleworth met at the age of five, little did they realise that they would end up celebrating half a century of marriage together, a mere stone's throw from their primary school. The couple lived a few doors away from each other

  • Memories of woman who inspired the Angels

    DURING the last world war, the then Queen Elizabeth proved an inspiration for thousands of women who worked on the home front. Women were drafted into munitions factories to make bombs and bullets. More than 10,000 worked at a factory in Aycliffe, County

  • Bikers' chocolate cheer for young patients

    BIKERS brought smiles to children's faces when they took part in an Easter egg dash to Bishop Auckland hospital. The Bishop's Blues motorbike club collected 59 Easter eggs from shops and businesses in Bishop Auckland on Saturday and drive to the hospital

  • The Northern Echo - by royal command

    MANY people with strong ties to the North-East and North Yorkshire have been known to order copies of The Northern Echo from time to time. Their ranks were joined in 1995 when a copy of The Great Daily of the North was requested for the Queen Mother.

  • Dual purpose in teenagers' clean-up project

    FOUR teenage boys have taken on the double challenge of cleaning up a town's graveyard and repairing the tarnished image of its youngsters. The enterprising quartet have embarked on a mission to restore the land around St John's Church, in the centre

  • Woman raises charity funds

    A WOMAN has raised thousands of pounds for charity in memory of a relative. Eileen Hornby, from Darlington, was spurred into raising funds for the Leukaemia Research charity after her sister-in-law died from the disease seven years. She decided to organise

  • Gun salute

    A 40-gun salute in honour of the Queen Mother will be fired today in the Museum Gardens, York, by the 40th Regiment Royal Artillery, based at Alanbrooke Barracks, Topcliffe, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

  • Queen's visit

    The Queen's first North-East visit after the official mourning period will be in May. She will visit the new Metro train extension between Sunderland and Tyneside, and cut the ribbon at the Millennium City complex, Durham, on May 7 and 8. Her visit will

  • Aslef strike 'will not halt Metro'

    METRO operator Nexus has pledged to run a service tomorrow, despite strike action by train drivers. Aslef, the train drivers' union which represents just over a third of Metro train drivers, is striking over pay - on the first commuting day on the Sunderland

  • Turner switches emphasis

    HARTLEPOOL United boss Chris Turner is ready to change his tactics when Third Division leaders Plymouth Argyle make the trip to Victoria Park this afternoon. The promoted Pilgrims won for the 28th time this season at home to Bristol Rovers on Saturday

  • Spring sun shines on fun day

    FAMILIES enjoyed the spring sunshine when they took part in a wide range of activities during a fun day. Stockton Baptist Tabernacle held a community day for residents and shoppers on Saturday. On show were craft displays and motorbike enthusiasts were

  • Book opens

    A book of condolence allowing people to pay tribute to the Queen Mother will be opened at the Mansion House, York, tomorrow.

  • £2.5m scheme to boost elderly care

    CARE for the elderly in Ripon could be overhauled in a £2.5m scheme. The development, part of the county council's programme of modernising residential care, aims to replace outdated care homes such as Ripon House. It would comprise a complex of one and

  • Couple celebrate marriage milestone

    A RICHMOND man and his wife celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary yesterday. Bill Jefferson and his wife Freda, both 81, met through a relative in 1939 and were married at Holy Trinity Church, Darlington, in 1942. Before their wedding, Mr Jefferson

  • Cinema to be re-opened

    THE Palace Cinema, at Malton, which closed four years ago, is to re-open in the next few weeks after being taken over by Ryedale Entertainments, of York. Since the closure of the 70- year-old cinema, residents have campaigned for it to be re-opened and

  • Club boss gives a warm welcome to Cool activities

    HARTLEPOOL United manager Chris Turner is to launch a project in the town aimed at children aged from eight to 14. Known as Cool (Community Organised Outdoor Leisure), the project involves opening school facilities out of normal hours for youngsters living

  • Rural businesses win extra finance backing

    COUNCILLORS have pledged more cash support for rural businesses. Members of Hambleton District Council's cabinet have approved a grant of £10,000 for the Business Solutions - Bedale agency and have agreed to put pressure on Business Link to give the agency

  • Better street lighting plan is approved

    IMPROVEMENTS to street lighting in several communities in the Hambleton district have been given the go-ahead by councillors. The three schemes, costing a total of £6,000, will see improvements installed in Easingwold, Danby Wiske and Aiskew during the

  • Carers' trust wins support

    A chemist is linking up with one of North Yorkshire's carers' groups to reflect a new national partnership. Moss Pharmacy has adopted the Princess Royal Trust for Carers as its charity for the next 12 months. To confirm the commitment, the Northallerton

  • North Yorkshire news in brief : £320 boost to cancer appeal

    A CHARITY dinner organised by Northallerton Inner Wheel Club at Romanby Golf and Country Club raised £320 for the Marie Curie cancer appeal. President Gladys Craven has thanked all those who supported the event for their generosity. After-dinner speaker

  • New schools offer extra nursery places

    EXTRA school nursery classes are to open after the Easter holidays, offering places to hundreds of youngsters in North Yorkshire. Kirby Hill CE Primary School, near Boroughbridge, and Barlby Community Primary School, near Selby, are to move to new buildings

  • Regional news in brief: Man killed on railway line

    A man died after being struck by a train on the East Coast main line near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, at about 6am on Saturday. British Transport Police said it was possible the incident, which occurred at Dalton, was a suicide. Driver sought: Police are

  • Heads bowed in prayer as city remembers inspirational royal

    THERE was a sombre mood among parishioners at Durham Cathedral yesterday. More than 400 people packed into the pews at the Holy Communion service, with many more crowded at the back of the building unable to find a seat. The congregation had gathered

  • GRASSROOTS : Yarm and Eaglescliffe

    GOOD NEIGHBOURS: Yarm and Eaglescliffe Good Neighbours scheme, offers home visits to the elderly, as well as lifts to hospital or other local destinations for elderly people who do not have other means of support or transport. It is available to Yarm

  • After the darkness comes the dawn

    As the nation mourns the death of the Queen Mother, Mike Amos joins a hilltop congregation celebrating the triumph of life over death THE dawning after the Queen Mother passed away, a congregation of 30 people and a dog named Zacchaeus gathered on a high

  • Hero firefighters to be honoured

    A FIRE-FIGHTER who kept a boy alive after he was thrown through a car windscreen and another who twice saved a man from a blazing house are to be honoured for their bravery. A Royal Humane Society award is to be presented to Walter Moore, from Teesside

  • Towns 'need revamp'

    THE twin towns of Malton and Norton need a high-tech business park to create employment, says a report. The key findings of the 100-page report produced for the town's area partnership, and funded through the Government's Countryside Agency, Yorkshire

  • GRASSROOTS: Weardale

    ON BEAT: A new system involving officers having their own beat is being introduced by police in the dale from next Monday. PC Dawn Clarke will be the beat officer for Stanhope and Frosterley, PC Ian Craggs will cover Wolsingham and PC Karl Hopps will

  • Company to lodge an appeal over Aussie theme bar plan

    A COMPANY which was refused a drinks licence for a controversial Australian-themed nightspot in Durham city centre is lodging an appeal. Regent Inns, of London, hopes to finally win the day at Durham Crown Court when it challenges the decision of the

  • Quakers send sorry Shaymen down

    Darlington 5, Halifax 0 - Darlington completed a satisfactory Easter double with Monday's convincing win at home to Halifax which sent the visitors into the Nationwide Conference for the second time in their history. Coming two days after a 2-1 win at

  • Father vows justice for soldier son

    THE parents of a North-East soldier shot dead while patrolling his barracks are to take their fight for a public inquiry to the highest democratic authority in the land. Private Geoff Gray, born in Seaham, County Durham, was just 17 when he was killed

  • Reyna double eases relegation fears

    Sunderland 2, Leicester City 1 - UNITED STATES skipper Claudio Reyna hit two priceless goals to earn Sunderland welcome breathing space in the battle for Premiership safety with a hard-fought victory over bottom-of-the table Leicester City at the Stadium

  • Bishops' boss praises players

    Bishop Auckland manager Alan Shoulder praised his side's character after their crucial 3-2 win at Marine on Saturday in the UniBond Premier League. Bishops lifted themselves to fifth from bottom after playing their second game in two days, hard on the

  • Mustoe strike sinks Rams

    Derby County 0, Middlesbrough 1 - MIDDLESBROUGH reached manager Steve McClaren's 42-point safety target as the former Derby coach nudged his old club nearer the Premiership precipice. Boro all but banished their lingering relegation fears thanks to a

  • Teenagers bailed over death plunge

    THREE teenagers being questioned by police after a 17-year-old boy fell to his death from a fourth-floor window have been released on bail, police said last night. The three teenagers, aged 15 to 19, were questioned by officers from Cleveland Police following

  • Sunderland failing to bridge the gap in class

    Arsenal 3, Sunderland 0 - THE GAP between these two sides - at different ends of the Premiership table - was immense. And even the most die-hard fans would admit that Sunderland, for all their second-half fight, were fortunate to escape a comprehensive

  • Anger as meeting date is switched

    Residents have called an immediate public meeting after an important council gathering was postponed. The move comes after the mayor of Ripon moved the city council's annual meeting, which is open to the public and is traditionally seen as an opportunity

  • Racing Prospects: Scotty's Future looks to be in safe hands

    As David Nicholls' horses have tended to need their reappearance runs this season, there was plenty to like about the way his Scotty's Future shaped in the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster last month. And the progressive four-year-old, who ran a blinder

  • Fans join forces in memory of Finlay

    FANS from two soccer clubs have joined forces to help a footballer and his wife devastated by their toddler son's death. Finlay Cooper choked on a toy just hours after Boro player dad, Colin, 34, celebrated his team's victory over Manchester United. On

  • Hartley gets North Shields out of a jam by netting winner

    Wearside League: NORTH Shields strengthened their claim for the championship when they defeated third-top Redcar Town by a single goal following a tense, closely-fought match. The result was a double blow to the Seasiders who had three points deducted

  • School damaged by blaze due to reopen

    PUPILS and teachers are preparing to move back into their school which has undergone a multi-million pound refit after being damaged by fire. Staff at Hardwick Primary School, in Sedgefield, County Durham, have been packing their books and equipment ready

  • Pools leave it late

    Hartlepool United 1, Plymouth Argyle 0 - IMPRESSIVE Darrell Clarke capped a superb performance by grabbing Hartlepool United's winning goal against Third Division leaders Plymouth Argyle. The 24-year-old popped up at the back post with just four minutes

  • War protestors fail in bid to meet Blair

    NORTH-EAST peace protestors have failed in their bid to meet Tony Blair and ask for an end to the bombing of Afghanistan. A delegation of 20 Darlington For Peace members, led by protestors from the Prime Minister's Sedgefield constituency, in County Durham

  • Endangered newts halt club plans

    THEY may only be four inches long, but a colony of protected Great Crested Newts is costing a North-East businessman thousands of pounds. For the endangered amphibians have forced Javid Majid to re-think plans to redevelop a derelict country club after

  • Taste of success at food festival

    HUNDREDS of people converged on the Baltic Square, at the Gateshead Quays, at the weekend to savour the ingredients of a range of appetising foods and drink. More than 40 speciality food and drink producers joined forces with leading regional bodies for

  • Flowers for a lady

    ALONG a path fringed by bright yellow daffodils, and with a small wreath of pink camellias freshly picked from her own beloved garden on top of her coffin, the Queen Mother began her final journey yesterday. The six pallbearers were followed by a member

  • Village considers £70,000 dog foul patrols

    A PARISH council is so fed-up with the problem of dog fouling in a village that it is considering hiring special caretaker-wardens. The wardens would hand out on the spot fines to owners who fail to clean up after their dogs in Ingelby Barwick - as well

  • Carbone a cut above as Boro make their point

    Middlesbrough 1, Tottenham Hotspur 1 - STYLISH Benito Carbone could scarcely have shone more if he had worn his sparkly matchday suit throughout the 90 minutes. The itinerant Italian striker, who has played for 11 clubs in an often controversial career

  • Hope for skateboard plan

    A BID for a skate park in the heart of a North Yorkshire market town has been thrown a lifeline after being rejected by planners. At a meeting last week the Richmond YMCA's application for the town's Ronaldshay Park was turned down by a single vote. Councillors

  • Refurbished homes ready for tenants

    A GROUP of people with learning disabilities are to be given more independence when they move from residential care into newly-refurbished houses at the end of the month. Thanks to a partnership scheme involving the Endeavour Housing Association, Stockton

  • Cycling: Late show wins it for West

    Middlesbrough's Phil West attacked in the closing stages to win the penultimate stage of the Newcastle Cheviot Tour of the Border four-day race. But, with the top three contenders all finishing in the second main group, 40 seconds behind the leaders,

  • Police plea to m-way pile-up lorry driver

    A LORRY driver may hold vital clues to a motorway pile-up which left 24 people injured, police believe. Detectives are appealing for help to track down the man as they continue a criminal investigation into the crash which caused chaos on the A1(M) as

  • First win for new club

    FORMER National duathlon champion Paul Lowe scored the first victory for newly-named Middlesbrough AC (Mandale) when he won the Bydales ten-mile road race at Marske The Great Britain international won the opening event in the New Marske Harriers road

  • Williams' debut brace keeps Pool in the hunt

    JUST OVER three years ago Eifion Williams fired a hat-trick on his League debut for Torquay United to demolish Hartlepool United 3-0. On that March day in 1999, Pool boss Chris Turner had to watch on as the striker ripped through his defence with relative

  • Horticultural honour for dahlia fan

    A KEEN gardener has been honoured for his work with one particular type of bloom. Joe Kidd, of Nevada Gardens, Darlington, has been awarded a silver medal by the National Dahlia Society. The medal was awarded in recognition of Mr Kidd's dedication to

  • Mystery novel with a cyberspace twist

    AN AUTHOR has embarked on her latest thriller - and it is a mystery in more ways than one. The book by Carol Clewlow - North Tyneside's first virtual writer in residence - begins in a lighthouse. But what happens next and who will write it is a mystery

  • Sport events to go on - but black bands requested

    Flags on all public buildings will be flown at half mast until midnight on April 9, the day of the Queen Mother's funeral, Downing Street said yesterday. Following discussions with the Royal Family, the Government has issued guidance for the public observance

  • Race meetings to be cancelled

    BRITISH Horseracing Board officials last night announced they are to cancel the fixtures scheduled for Pontefract, Southwell and Exeter on April 9, the date of the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Board chairman Peter Saville said