A ceremony to mark the start of a multi-million pound upgrade of Gateshead's public transport interchange will be held today. The interchange, which allows passengers to switch between bus and Metro trains, is to be redeveloped at a cost of £7.5m. Funding
MICKY Barron has no fears about leading Hartlepool United out at Cheltenham tonight. And the Pool skipper is relishing answering the doubters in the best possible manner. Pool go to Whaddon Road to face Cheltenham, with many feeling the home side are
A REVAMPED Durham pub is holding a treasure hunt and donating half the proceeds to charity. The Duke of Wellington, in Darlington Road, is staging the event next Monday, at 8.30pm. Teams of four will have to solve rhyming puzzles to find treasure hidden
GOVERNMENT money could help youngsters in deprived areas of County Durham overcome poverty and disadvantage. Durham County Council hopes to win funding from the Government's Children's Fund for a programme aimed at five to 13-year-olds in 19 council run-down
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Accounts/admin clerk, Darlington, 40hrs pw, using Sage accounting system, accounts experience essential, but training can be given. Ref: DAE 30115. Administrator
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A NEW man has taken over at the top of the organisation behind the biggest event in the North's farming calendar. Nigel Pulling, 42, has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, whose flagship event is the annual
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Carer, Consett. £4.40ph, 16-20hrs pw. Required to care for disabled lady in her own home. No experience required as training given. Ref: CON 14658. Care assistant
MILLIONS of children will soon be "learning on the move" - thanks in part to one of the region's top attractions. The National Railway Museum (NRM), in York, is one of the partners involved in an initiative designed to help youngsters learn more about
DASHING Red Millenium (3.30) is fancied to win the Listed Landown Fillies' Stakes for the second year in succession at Bath today. Alan Berry blamed the wet weather in January and February for his slow start to the season, however, his horses are really
Animal owner Christopher Neill, 40, was jailed for six months when magistrates heard how he flouted a lifetime ban on keeping animals and went on to ill-treat ferrets, dogs and a hamster. When RSPCA inspectors called at his home they discovered a hamster
YOUNGSTERS from east Cleveland have marched their way to success. Three cadets from 2394 East Cleveland Squadron of the Air Training Corps competed recently in the Royal Air Force annual two- day road marching competition, as members of the Central and
A CHURCH is looking for photographs and memorabilia for an exhibition. St Cuthbert's Church, in Darlington, is staging an exhibition called A Century of Service at the end of May and organisers are hoping for memories, anecdotes or historical matter about
RICHARD Coyles and Ian Gowland have given their careers a spring clean by switching to new roles at excavator manufacturer Komatsu UK. Mr Coyles, 30, and Mr Gowland, 23, both from Chester-le-Street, County Durham, have joined the design department at
CASH-STRAPPED Bradford City are still confident that Middlesbrough will take Benito Carbone off their hands at the end of the season, even though talks between the clubs have yet to start. Bantams chairman Geoffrey Richmond remains resolutely upbeat that
HUNDREDS of firefighters were urged not to strike last night. The plea came from Ian Hayton, executive director of Cleveland Fire Brigade, as the Fire Brigades Union prepares to ballot its members over moves to share a control room with the police and
THIEVES have stolen a van and power tools worth more than £10,000. The haul was taken between 9pm on Sunday and 8am yesterday from Metcalf Agricultural Hire, on the Leadgate Industrial Estate, just outside Consett, County Durham. The items in the red
A TEAM of planning and property consultants is planning how to improve the success of the main shopping centre in Hartlepool. Drivers Jonas has been commissioned by Hartlepool Borough Council to review the town's retail scene. Martin Tonks, for the firm
YOUNGSTERS at a Teesside secondary school are celebrating after becoming the North-East champions and national semi-finalists in a five-a-side football competition. The team, from Conyers School, Yarm, took the title recently when they travelled to play
As a new wave of women bikers takes to Britain's roads, reporter Emily Flanaghan meets some North-East fans, and decides to join them by preparing for her motorcycle test THE image of a biker as a bearded, unwashed giant on a Harley Davidson is gradually
A meeting of imagination and ability is a rare one, especially under a kichen roof, so this restaurant is a very good find HAD we been able to see into the future, or indeed much beyond the end of the room, last Wednesday's lunch venue would wholly have
A FAMOUS name from Darlington's industrial past lives on, 7,000 miles away on the other side of the world. Once the proud employer of more than 5,000 people in the construction of steel structures for the oil, gas, nuclear and hydro-electric industry,
SCORES of road and tourist signs in Pickering are to be given an upgrade thanks to a photographic survey. Town councillor Judy Dixon headed a group which carried out the survey and produced a dossier. Now, North Yorkshire County Council has agreed to
Football crazy squaddie Dave Borrie loves the beautiful game so much he drives 1,300 miles every weekend just to play in a pub league. Dave is stationed in Germany with the Royal Dragoon Guards and his marathon trek starts on Friday afternoon when he
TOP brass last night pledged to tackle a training crisis that has left the Army unable to deal with a rush of recruits since September 11. The Infantry Training Centre at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, has become the Army's key centre for teaching
Debates and question sessions over the state of County Durham could be held as part of a drive to dispel public apathy towards local government. Durham County Council is looking at ways of attracting more interest and involvement in its work. Despite
A NORTH-EAST jail will provide a jobs boost through a new £15m wing for dangerous prisoners with personality disorders. High security Frankland Prison, on the outskirts of Durham City, is one of the jails chosen by the Government last year to pilot the
A school was overrun with rats last night - but there was no cause for alarm. Youngsters at Queen Mary's School, in Topcliffe, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, were putting on their latest production, Rats, a musical which tells the story of the Pied Piper
A campaign to tackle the scourge of abandoned and unlicensed vehicles in Hartlepool has been hailed a success - echoing good results elsewhere on Teesside. Operation Cubit, a joint venture involving the borough council, Cleveland Police and the Driver
A FATHER-OF-TWO who was working on a warehouse roof died from a fall after his firm failed to provide adequate safety equipment, a court heard yesterday. Stanley Dawson, 50, a married man, died from severe head injuries after falling 25ft on to a concrete
WOMEN are leading the way in lifelong learning in Derwentside and bringing huge benefits to the companies that employ them. Six business high fliers are the first to complete a new university diploma on their doorstep. The group, all members of human
HE IS known as the birdman of Balmoral, he is a favourite artist of the Queen and now he has donated his latest book to his home city. Wildlife artist James Alder presented his Birds of Balmoral Book, written for the Royal family, to Newcastle's Lord
BRIAN Pike's new exhibition at a County Durham gallery may be called Home Truths but the inspiration for the project comes from places that could be a million miles from his home town in North Yorkshire. It was the experiences gained through travelling
THE region's building industry remains optimistic, despite rising skills shortages. According to the latest report from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), the UK building sector experienced its 11th successive quarter of growth in the first three
GARDEN VISIT: Hutton Rud-by Garden Club members are arranging a coach trip from 1pm on Saturday, May 18, to the Manor House and garden at Haslington, near York, which is the home of flower arranger George Smith. Tickets, which include the cost of entry
YOUNGSTERS from east Cleveland have marched their way to success. Three cadets from 2394 East Cleveland Squadron of the Air Training Corps competed recently in the Royal Air Force annual two- day road marching competition, as members of the Central and
A THIRD team of wardens has taken to the streets of Hartlepool as part of a community safety drive. Four new recruits have been appointed to work in Burbank, Brinkburn and parts of Rift House to help reduce burglaries and tackle anti-social behaviour,
DELIGHTED winners of the North-East round of a national drama competition are preparing to take on the opposition in the next round. The Sedgefield Players' production of The Art of Remembering, by American writer Adina L Ruskin, took on a new meaning
A COURT showed mercy to a husband who defied a driving ban after hearing how a neighbourhood dispute had left his wife a virtual prisoner in her own home. Magistrates heard how the incident marked the culmination of a long-running dispute between fork-lift
DIY group Focus Wickes has unveiled plans to float this summer. The move would leave its chairman, Bill Archer, sitting on a near £300m fortune. The Crewe operation plans to join the Stock Market by September, and could be valued at more than £1.5bn.
LACK of support for Nicky Peng saw Durham fade out of contention as their disappointing start to the season continued in yesterday's high-scoring Benson & Hedges Cup tie at Leicester. Following his three one-day centuries last season, Peng hit a sparkling
AN exhibition of photographs chronicling the social history of central Stockton has opened at the town's Green Dragon Museum. Norton Road is the culmination of years of work by photographer Andy Elliott, who spent much of the late 1990s documenting the
A SERIES of seminars will be launched tomorrow for farmers who may have questions about the Government's Rural Enterprise Scheme. Hundreds of landowners may have ideas which they hope will help in the recovery from the foot-and-mouth crisis. However,
Artist's brush with therapy ARTWORK designed to have a therapeutic effect on its admirers goes on display at Bishop Auckland Town Hall next month. Artist Sarah Tonks says her work has been created to give people the feel-good factor. When Fishes Flew
HUNDREDS of people are expected to attend a public meeting tonight to discuss the future of a village lane in Sedgefield. Many residents have called for Beacon Lane to be permanently blocked off with lock-up barriers to prevent travellers stopping there
POLICE are keeping an open mind as to how an ex-bouncer met his death. They are appealing for late night workers to help them piece together the last movements of David Griffiths, 39, whose body was found by workers in a pile of rubbish in a recycling
THE British Red Cross is to hold a Save A Life Lunch in Spennymoor to highlight the importance of first aid training. Demonstrations of life-saving techniques will be given by Red Cross members at the buffet lunch at Whitworth Hall Country Park, on Thursday
A 34-year-old man today charged with killing a six-year-old girl by dangerous driving was remanded in custody when he appeared in court today. Colin Meek, of Salvin Street, Spennymoor, County Durham, is charged with causing the death of Leonie Shaw by
Yorkshire are still uncertain whether Darren Gough will be fit to make his seasonal debut in the Benson and Hedges Cup match with Leicestershire at Headingley tomorrow. Gough was planning to bowl in the nets at Headingley today but he may still need more
Fitting result at library THE Open Technology Centre in Stockton Central Library has been fitted out with new equipment. Work at the weekend included installing a network system giving increased access to information and communications technology facilities
CHRIS Turner has had enough play-off heartache in recent years - and he doesn't want to suffer again tonight. After back-to-back play-off defeats against Blackpool and Darlington in the last two years, Hartlepool United go to Cheltenham desperate to go
TWO men had a lucky escape after their light aircraft crash landed in a field. The pilot and passenger, both from Teesside and in their 50s, managed to climb out of the Grumman AA-5 aircraft after it clipped a tree, careered across a field, crashed into
A NEW mini concert series will bring music to County Durham next month. The series, organised by Durham County Council and featuring guitar duo James Birkett and Rod Sinclair, will be launched on Tuesday, May 14. The duo will play melodies from the 1920s
DURHAM have named 20-year-old Darlington scrum half Rob Stewart as their captain for Saturday's County Championship match against holders Yorkshire at Wharfedale. The Barnard Castle School product, who has played for the senior England Sevens squad, will
THE North-East's most notorious red light district has seen a drop in the number of vice girls working the streets in the past year. Charity workers say it has been most noticeable in the number of teenage prostitutes on the streets of Middlesbrough.
THE campaign to upgrade a busy road is being stepped up. Transport Minister David Jamies is to meet council chiefs from Scarborough and Ryedale and Ryedale MP John Greenway, who are pressing for the A64 Scarborough to York road to be made a dual carriageway
A TEENAGE heroin addict was locked up by a court yesterday - at his own request. Defending solicitor Geoffrey Rogers told Harrogate magistrates that 18-year-old Thomas Bateman agreed that custody was the only way of ending his drug addiction. "He is keen
A SECOND sign designed to calm traffic has been erected in the centre of a pavement in Darlington. As reported in The Northern Echo last week, traders had complained to Darlington Borough Council when a speed hump sign was put up in the middle of the
A SCHOOLBOY has been beaten by two youths who stole his mobile phone. The 11-year-old had just got off a bus near his Darlington home when the thugs - one wearing sunglasses - rode up on bikes and began their assault. The incident happened on Friday,
NEWCASTLE United boss Bobby Robson has issued a hands-off warning to Rangers over goalkeeper Steve Harper. The Ibrox club are tracking 27-year-old Harper, who signed a new four-year contract last summer but has been forced to understudy Shay Given virtually
AN exhibition of work by an east Durham artist opened this week in Easington Village's Discovery Centre. Marguerite Elliott was born and went to school in Easington village before attending Wellfield School and later Sunderland College of Art, and the
CRISP manufacturer Phileas Fogg has sent staff around the globe to promote its snack products. While rival Walkers has signed up Victoria Beckham to help Gary Lineker promote crisps, the Consett business has made stars of its workforce. Four staff from
Immigration officials are checking the backgrounds of 15 West Indians arrested when police seized their biggest ever haul of crack cocaine. About 24 officers were involved in the recovery of 250 'rocks' of the drug in raids on two addresses in the same
YOUNGSTERS gained an insight into the work of the RAF when they visited the region's front-line fighter base. The visit was the result of a joint project between the science and arts departments at Northallerton College and RAF Leeming as part of the
THERE is no cause for celebrations at the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in the appeal by Diane Pretty. Although we concur with the findings of the court, we have nothing but sympathy for the tragic plight in which Mrs Pretty finds herself
NINETEEN people were being questioned by police last night following one of the biggest seizures of crack cocaine in the North-East. Twenty-four officers took part in raids on addresses in Middlesbrough and seized 250 rocks of the drug, with a street
A SCHOOL has enlisted the help of its MP and former pupils to launch a bid for specialist status this week. Branksome School, in Darlington, hopes to receive about £150,000 of extra investment by becoming a specialist business and enterprise college.
Cheltenham Town 1 - 1 Hartlepool United (Cheltenham win 5-4 on pens) - HARTLEPOOL United's play-off dream is over and it ended in the harshest possible way. On Tuesday night they gave a heroic display at Cheltenham and after 120 minutes of action ended
AGRICULTURAL show bosses have been presented with the messy problem of getting rid of piles of cattle dung under tough new government rules aimed at preventing a return of foot-and-mouth disease. Bio-security measures, which ban cowpats from areas on
A NORTH-EAST opticians has scored the highest marks in a national customer survey, beating off competition from 450 other stores across the country. The accolade comes as the store, Specsavers opticians, in North Road, Durham City, announced it would
A BUS company has suspended one of its drivers after he was found guilty of assaulting a schoolboy. Ivan Greaves, of Stagecoach North-East, stopped his bus and jumped out, grabbing the 14-year-old by the shoulder. A complaint was made to police and, earlier
A CHURCH is looking for photographs and memorabilia for an exhibition. St Cuthbert's church, in Darlington's Market Square, is opening an exhibition called A Century of Service at the end of May and organisers are hoping for any memories, anecdotes or
TRANSPORT group Stagecoach said it was on track to hit full-year forecasts as it reported signs of an upturn in passenger numbers on its South West Trains franchise. Passenger volumes on the franchise were down by 2.4 per cent in the 48 weeks to March
THE first of a series of public meetings to discuss proposals for closer working between hospitals in Darlington and County Durham is to be held at Spennymoor Town Hall tomorrow, from 7pm to 9pm. Durham and Darlington Health Authority will stage a further
A gang of perverted "animals" are facing long prison stretches for the horrific gang rape of a 15-year-old girl they had drugged and imprisoned. The three men repeatedly attacked the schoolgirl in a squalid flat after first spiking her drink. As gang
A TEENAGER who allegedly shot and killed a friend with an air rifle did so as a prank, a court heard yesterday. Matthew Sheffield, 14, died after the pellet lodged in his brain during a target practice session. A 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named for
I AGREE with your comment (Echo, Apr 25) that the promised money to fund the NHS is needed most in certain areas. I also think some of the nursing staff have cause to complain about wages. If they were paid a decent wage they wouldn't leave and then the
A STRATEGIC alliance between two of the region's biggest building contractors has been formalised, allowing the new partnership to compete for some valuable civil engineering contracts. Hall Construction, of Newton Aycliffe, which employs 340, and Lumsden
TWO people have appeared in court charged with the murder of a 77-year-old who died after she was allegedly mugged for a fish supper. Trevor Cook, 19, of the YMCA, Clayton Road, Jesmond, Newcastle, and Denise Thompson, 21,of Rothbury Terrace, Heaton,
EXCITING midfield discovery Thomas Butler has been withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland Under-21 squad, so he can play in the crucial end-of-the-season game against Derby County at the Stadium of Light a week on Saturday. The Wearsiders are currently
Motorists on the move The Northallerton branch of the Institute of Advanced Motorists meets at a new venue next week. The group normally gathers at The Lodge, Leeming Bar, but relocates to the Swaledale Fell Rescue Organisation's HQ, Hipswell Road West
RICHARD Coyles and Ian Gowland have given their careers a spring clean by switching to new roles at excavator manufacturer Komatsu UK. Mr Coyles, 30, and Mr Gowland, 23, both from Chester-le-Street, County Durham, have joined the design department at
WORK is under way on purpose-built offices for a Wearside law firm. Hodgson Maggiore Solicitors has started excavation work at the site in Ferryboat Lane, Sunderland. The 7,000sq ft, two-storey office building is scheduled for completion in September
TWO Shildon teenagers are heading for an expedition of a lifetime in the land of the reindeer. Clare Lowes and Martin Keegan, both aged 16 and in their final year at Sunnydale School, have been chosen for the Lapland Challenge 2002, which will take them
The family of a man whose mangled body was discovered at a crushing plant spoke yesterday of their grief that he died just days short of becoming a grandfather for the first time. David Griffiths's 21-year-old daughter, Kirsty, is due to give birth any
YOUNG offenders have come to the rescue of a deaf young man who lost his only means of transport - his bike. Paul Scott, 16, used his bicycle to go everywhere, but when it broke he found it was so badly damaged he could not afford to get it repaired.
MORE than £501m of Lottery money has been pumped into projects in the North-East but, according to research, few people know where it has gone. A survey by Lottery organiser Camelot reveals that only half the population of the North-East believes that
Youngsters from across the region are joining forces for a proms celebration. The Promenade for Youth concert takes place at Darlington's Dolphin Centre on Friday, May 17. As well as giving young people a chance to air their musical talents, the event
A THEATRE company set up to promote young talent in the North-East is working towards its first production. Youngsters from across the region were put through their paces recently at auditions in Darlington, Durham, Newcastle and Sunderland for a production
THE North-East and North Yorkshire have been shamed again by their record on animal suffering and neglect. RSPCA figures show the region - for the eighth successive year - has racked up the highest number of cruelty convictions in the country. A total
Young, Posh And Loaded (ITV) When TV Gets Tough (ITV) YOUNG, Posh And Loaded was the title. Young, Posh and Totally Irresponsible might be a better title. It was impossible to feel sorry when Donatella lost her handbag, Alexander failed to find a bedmate
Hartlepool Borough Council's new parks and countryside officer has pledged to work closely with local people. James Gilchrist aims to make the town's parks and countryside areas as accessible as possible and attract more visitors, and has stressed that
A MAJOR refurbishment of a North-East bridge is to get under way next month. The work on Sunderland's Wearmouth Bridge will start on Saturday, May 25, and will entail the bridge being painted for the first time in 11 years. The bridge deck will be waterproofed
While the Internet may reprsent an unrivalled opportunity for disabled people, dedicated websites have been few and far between. Nick Morrison meets the people behind a move which could become a template for the rest of the country. WHILE designing websites
From computing courses to cookery, South Bank Women's Centre offers women hundreds of opportunities. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports THE sign outside South Bank Women's Centre is uncompromising. In bold, black lettering it reads: "This is women
FOUR Palestinian terrorists, disguised in the uniforms of Israeli soldiers, walk into the outskirts of Hebron and murder four Jews, including a little girl aged five. This seemed to me to be the most important news story of last Saturday evening, but
A meeting of imagination and ability is a rare one, especially under a kichen roof, so this restaurant is a very good find HAD we been able to see into the future, or indeed much beyond the end of the room, last Wednesday's lunch venue would wholly have
THE driver of a coach which plunged down a ravine in South Africa killing 27 British tourists, including a North-East woman, has succeeded in overturning a six-year jail sentence. And 47-year-old Titus Dube has also been given his licence back. Lawyers
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Hairdresser, Billingham. 38hrs pw, 5 days inc Sats. Required for gents hairdressers. Full qualifications and experience preferred but not essential. Ref: BIG 11956
FOUR Palestinian terrorists, disguised in the uniforms of Israeli soldiers, walk into the outskirts of Hebron and murder four Jews, including a little girl aged five. This seemed to me to be the most important news story of last Saturday evening, but
