Archive

  • 5,000 workers braced for the confirmation that pits will shut

    THOUSANDS of workers were yesterday bracing themselves for confirmation that Britain's biggest mining complex is shutting down. UK Coal is expected to announce the closure of its Selby complex and the possible loss of as many as 5,000 jobs today. Up to

  • Jonny included in final few

    Fireman Jonny Regan has survived the final Big Brother nominations of the current series announced last night. The 29-year-old from Trimdon, County Durham, made it to the final four in the reality TV game show, having already survived three eviction nominations

  • Eating Owt: A trip for a light lunch fantastic

    Save for the speed and the absence of a bloke with lugubrious hat and furled umbrella, our return journeys from holiday resemble nothing more greatly than a cortege, the more mournful as homeward bounds. It's the Boss, principally - not so much that she

  • Market towns to be given extra funding

    HAMBLETON councillors have overruled their officials by making recommendations to further help local market towns. The authority's environment and economy scrutiny committee is urging the council cabinet to establish a £50,000 improvement fund for each

  • Sir Bobby honoured by statue

    Former England soccer manager Sir Bobby Robson today said he was "overwhelmed" to have a statue erected in his honour at one of his former clubs. Sir Bobby, 69, now manager of Newcastle United, was at Ipswich Town's Portman Road ground to see the likeness

  • Excuse me, are you by any chance my brother?

    WHEN retired hotelier Barbara Clark went shopping with her elder brother Brian Calpin, they returned home with more than they bargained for. For while out looking for fresh fish in York, they were unexpectedly reunited with their long-lost brother. Barbara

  • North Sea wildlife report gets strong backing

    A hard-hitting report highlighting the threat to North Sea animals such as dolphins, harbour porpoises and basking sharks from industrial pollution, overfishing and entanglement in trawler nets has received influential backing. The Wildlife Trusts today

  • Burning Questions - Leying down the law on the lines

    Q WHAT can you tell me about ley lines? - William Sewell, Bishop Auckland. A Ley lines are a controversial subject and many experts refute their existence, attributing them to selective coincidence. Ley lines are perceived as lines of energy that have

  • I can't remember killing my dad

    A 42-YEAR-OLD woman yesterday admitted killing her father whose badly-beaten body was found after a fire at his home. Ann-Marie Pyle sobbed as she pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 77-year-old Bill Pyle on the grounds of diminished responsibility

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Receptionist. Northallerton. £8,500 pa. Experience not required as training given. Opportunity to work towards NVQ qualifications for the right applicant. 8.30am

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Administrative officer, Consett. £10,000 pa, 9am-5pm, Mon-Fri. To join the pallet department to monitor and control pallet deliveries and receipts throughout the

  • Boost for euro as it hits parity with the dollar

    THE euro yesterday hit parity with the US dollar for the first time since February 2000, giving a psychological boost to the three-year-old currency. Europe's single currency, which has hovered near parity for weeks, rose to an exchange rate of 1.0032

  • Injury setback for Porter

    Darlington shot-stopper Chris Porter injured a shoulder in Saturday's friendly defeat to Kingstonian and will be out for some weeks - leaving Quakers with only one fit goalkeeper. The former Sunderland reserve had to be replaced by Andy Collett after

  • Police in new move to beat burglars

    POLICE are offering to stamp property with postcodes following a seasonal rise in shed and garage break-ins. Police say that the Belmont area of Durham City has experienced more of this type of crime than other areas in the Durham and Chester-le-Street

  • Colourful tale that goes on and on

    THEATRE fans enjoyed a colourful performance last night as the longest-running stage musical of all time returned to the North-East. Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat opened its six-day run at Darlington

  • Child's escape as gun pellet

    A MAN using an airgun shot the window out of a parked car, showering glass across a five-month-old girl being cradled inches away. Emelia Harper had been lifted into the back seat of the car by a friend of her father, just seconds before the shot rang

  • Third big event on the way

    THE third major event on a town's calendar in a matter of days opens on Thursday. Harrogate welcomed back the Great Yorkshire show last week, and the annual Gift Fair has filled the International Centre from Sunday. However, as the biggest exhibition

  • Burns campaign puts safety first for youngsters

    NURSES, paramedics and police were on hand to help youngsters learn about the dangers of burning and scalding yesterday. The event, at Darlington's Dolphin Centre, was organised by staff at the accident and emergency departments of Darlington Memorial

  • Partnership with charity to continue

    AN organisation which has been working with homeless people in Darlington for three years is expected to be given a vote of confidence this week. A meeting of Darlington Borough Council on Thursday night will be asked to waive contract procedure rules

  • £200,000 school laptops boost

    TEACHERS in Darlington are to be kitted out with laptop computers under a £200,000 scheme. Each school in the area will receive at least one laptop, with the remaining funds being spent on schools with the most full-time teachers. It is being funded by

  • Carnivalssafety review called for

    POLICE are to meet organisers of carnivals in Teesdale to review safety following two accidents at the weekend. Inspector Dave Allaway, of Barnard Castle Police, is to meet organisers of carnivals and fun days in Teesdale. The move follows incidents at

  • Club helps Caroline on way to the Games

    Members of a swimming club joined forces for a sponsored event to help one of their team-mates represent the country. About 120 members of Wear Valley Associate Swimming Club, at Crook's Glenholme Leisure Centre, swam up to 1,500 metres each to raise

  • GP appears at hearing over men's deaths

    A NORTH-EAST GP failed to observe adequately, diagnose or treat two patients who later died after she "rushed" their examinations, the General Medical Council (GMC) heard yesterday. Jane Gustafsson, 51, treated the two men as emergency patients at her

  • Inquiry promised into army deaths

    THE Government last night vowed to leave no stone unturned in its investigation into the deaths of a number of British soldiers. A police investigation into the deaths at Deepcut barracks in Surrey is to be followed by an Army inquiry, Armed Forces Minister

  • Cat-lover Michelle lands her dream job

    A PET lover has landed her dream job, caring for cats at a luxury hotel. Michelle Wright, 20, from Sherburn Village, Durham, completed her BTEC National Diploma in animal care last year but was unable to find a job. She asked Jean Gillespie, the owner

  • Challenge for young readers

    CHILDREN will be heading for libraries in the borough of Stockton this summer to take part in the annual reading challenge scheme. To help celebrate Science Year, the national summer reading challenge, developed by libraries development agency Launchpad

  • Chance for wannabes

    YOUNG would-be pop stars are being given the chance to show off their talent. Stockton and Billingham College's school of performing arts is looking for youngsters to take part in its Pop Idol Summer School next week. The event will offer advice and tuition

  • Police turn clock back to tackle city crime

    BOBBIES on bicycles is nothing new: they were regularly seen patrolling their beat on boneshakers for years. But now a new pedal-powered unit has taken to the road, complete with specially-adapted mountain bikes and high-visibility uniforms. York's new

  • Green light for wedding obelisk

    A baronet's plan to erect an obelisk to mark his son's marriage has been given the go-ahead by planners. The parish council at Sett-rington, near Malton, in North Yorkshire, had opposed Sir Richard Storey's scheme to build the 7.6m high monument at The

  • Karate pupils raise funds for sick children

    THE pupils of a nurse who teaches martial arts have raised money for equipment for the hospital department in which she works. Staff nurse Elaine Mason, who works at Middlesborough General Hospital's accident and emergency department, runs Acklam Antei

  • Friends of Levon cycle 250 miles in memorial tribute

    FRIENDS of a man killed by a rare heart disease have raised thousands of pounds for charity by holding a cycle ride in his memory. Levon Morland, 22, of West Rainton, County Durham, was apparently fit and well but died earlier this year from Wolfe Parkinson

  • Brown's bonanza - with strings

    Gordon Brown yesterday embarked on a £61bn spending spree aimed at bolstering public services - but with tough strings attached. As expected, schools are the biggest winners in the Chancellor's three-year Comprehensive Spending Review, with the education

  • Comment: The sizes that really matter

    THE devil, of course, is always in the detail, but as broad brush stuff goes, yesterday's comprehensive spending review showed that the Government's heart is in the right place. Indeed, many people in the North-East voted New Labour five years ago to

  • Healthier lives for children

    NORTH-East youngsters will live healthier lives thanks to the efforts of shop staff. Co-op staff from the North-East and Cumbria raised a total of £14,000 for the Newcastle charity Children's Foundation at two charity nights at the Federation Brewery,

  • Help for young sporting stars

    THE largest youth sporting event ever held in the North-East attracted 1,000 children, aged eight to 16, at the weekend. Youngsters who have been recognised as stars of the future took part in Active Sports Talent Camps at venues around the region over

  • Phillips to be kept out of the action

    SUNDERLAND are ready to pull Kevin Phillips out of the opening game of their pre-season programme. The Black Cats yesterday confirmed that Phillips, who underwent a groin operation this summer, is likely to miss the match against Amiens in France this

  • Last Night's TV: Barbarians (C4)

    Meeting the Anglo-Saxon Danny La Rue ANTHROPOLOGIST Richard Rudley did a spot of grave-robbing as he continued to find out the truth about the so-called barbarians - the invaders that followed the Romans - in our history books. His mission, in this three-part

  • Contingency plans in place as strike looms

    Councils were this evening putting emergency contingency plans into place ahead of strike action expected to bring chaos to local services. More than 70,00 local authority staff in the North-East will be among 1.2 million nationwide walking out for 24

  • Gough is back to give Tykes a morale booster

    Darren Gough looks all set to help Yorkshire try to reach the semi-finals of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy by turning out for them today in their tie against Essex at Chelmsford. Gough yesterday saw a specialist for a report on his troublesome

  • Flood plans 'inaccurate'

    COUNCIL chiefs are urging the Environment Agency to go back to the drawing board with crucial plans to save large parts of North Yorkshire from flooding. A long-awaited report from the agency into the way ahead for flood relief action in Northallerton

  • Viana confident he can live up to expectations

    NEWCASTLE United's new Portuguese starlet Hugo Viana is confident he can live up to his billing as "the best young player in the world''. The 19-year-old midfielder arrived on Tyneside yesterday for his first training session with the Magpies three weeks

  • A trip for a light lunch fantastic

    Save for the speed and the absence of a bloke with lugubrious hat and furled umbrella, our return journeys from holiday resemble nothing more greatly than a cortege, the more mournful as homeward bounds. It's the Boss, principally - not so much that she

  • Leying down the law on the lines

    Q WHAT can you tell me about ley lines? - William Sewell, Bishop Auckland. A Ley lines are a controversial subject and many experts refute their existence, attributing them to selective coincidence. Ley lines are perceived as lines of energy that have

  • 'Please just let us live in peace'

    Many lesbian and gay couples face harassment and abuse as a daily fact of life. Nick Morrison meets one couple determined not to let the hate destroy their relationship. THE first thing Kirsty did when she moved into her new house was look for suitable

  • News in brief: Lifeboat celebration

    CHILDREN in Redcar are invited to take part in a series of free activities to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the town's lifeboat station. The events, at Kirkleatham Hall Museum, start on Thursday, July 25, with sea monster mask-making sessions at

  • Student's website mocks exam board

    The controversial exam board Edexcel is taking legal advice over a website set up by an angry student. Jonathan Higgs, 18, created a site on the internet mocking the board, which has been criticised for a series of mistakes with its papers in the last

  • The cattle dealer who hit three against Man United

    The answer was Seamus O'Connell, his claim to fame even more remarkable than Friday's column had supposed. We'd sought the identity of the player who scored a hat-trick against Manchester United on his first division debut, finished on the losing Chelsea

  • Cheese firm banned from using feta name

    A cheese firm banned by the European Commission from using its Yorkshire Feta label may have to spend £175,000 on remarketing the product. And Judy Bell, of Shepherd's Purse Cheeses, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, fears that milk suppliers in the region

  • Police backing for late drinking

    PLANS for late night drinking are being backed by police, who hope they will change the drinking culture of town centre revellers. Residents have protested about plans for a trial of extended hours at the Red Lion pub, in Chester-le-Street, and for a

  • El Tel has work cut out keeping Leeds in touch

    AS Terry Venables flew off into the sunset on Sunday, en route to an ambiguous "working holiday" in the Seychelles, he left behind a club staring into the abyss. While Venables fiddles, or whatever one does on working holidays in the paradise islands

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Chef, Stockton. 39-48hrs pw on rota. Basic Food Hygiene Certificate essential with City and Guilds 706/1 and 2 or equivalent. Experience in busy pub environment

  • Ex-Fleetwoon guitarist heads Stanley fest

    The legendary ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green will headline the North-East's biggest free blues festival next month. The acclaimed musician will take to the stage at the climax of the tenth Stanley Blues Festival in County Durham on Saturday August

  • Hope for Boro in Juninho return saga

    MIDDLESBROUGH were last night given a glimmer of hope in their on-off move to recapture Juninho. The Brazilian star's father, Osvaldo Giroldo Snr, insisted he was still waiting to receive a new offer from Boro after the Teessiders revealed they had revived

  • Protests increase about bus firm

    A COUNCIL leader who has been inundated with complaints about a bus company is to report it to a Government-appointed watchdog. Councillor David Walsh, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, is compiling a dossier of protests about Abbey Coaches

  • Floral beauties named

    THE best gardens and flower displays in Darlington have been named with only four days to go until Northumbria in Bloom judges visit the town. Darlington Borough Council organised its own Darlington in Bloom contest with four categories to honour residents

  • News in brief: Two injured in head-on crash

    TWO people were taken to hospital following an accident on the A6072 at Redworth yesterday afternoon. The road was closed for about 90 minutes following the head-on collision between a car and a van at about 3.15pm. The man and the woman, who police said

  • High praise for school

    THERE was praise all round for a village primary school when it won an award. Escomb Primary School, near Bishop Auckland, has been awarded a Quality Mark by the Basic Skills Agency (BSA) for high standards across the board. The award highlights schools

  • Catching the arts bug

    YOUNGSTERS will be enjoying themselves with bugs and beasts today as part of an Early Years Festival. The City of York Council's arts service is holding its second Early Years Festival at the College of York St. John. Children aged between four and seven

  • Model shop builds up keen interest

    A MODEL shop which has just opened in Durham is attracting customers from as far away as Germany, Japan and America. Since opening in May, Model King, in North Road, Durham, has enjoyed a flurry of interest from local and foreign enthusiasts. The shop

  • Strategy proposed to ease 'massive' homeless problem

    THE number of people sleeping rough in Darlington is to be monitored as part of a new strategy, just weeks after a charity said the homelessness problem was "massive". Under Darlington Borough Council's new homelessness and housing advice strategy, officers

  • Rooftop drama in Market Square

    A TEENAGER was arrested on a rooftop, high above Darlington's Market Square last night after a dramatic 40-minute stand-off with police. Drinkers in nearby pubs were surprised to see the man suddenly appear on the steep roof of the three-storey Tourist

  • Burns campaign puts safety first for youngsters

    NURSES, paramedics and police were on hand to help youngsters learn about the dangers of burning and scalding yesterday. The event, at Darlington's Dolphin Centre, was organised by staff at the accident and emergency departments of Darlington Memorial

  • Law Lords rule against metric martyr

    METRIC martyr Steven Thoburn has failed in his attempt to appeal against a court fine for trading in pounds and ounces. An appeal committee of three Law Lords, sitting in the highest court of the land, refused to give market trader Mr Thoburn permission

  • Real ale fans mourn the passing of a famous name

    BEER drinkers are mourning the loss of one of the North-East's finest brewing names. Castle Eden Brewery, which recently bought The Camerons Lion Brewery, in Hartlepool, yesterday announced it had changed its name to Camerons. Following the takeover in

  • Park a step closer to restoration

    THE restoration of one of Darlington's parks to its Victorian glory will move a step closer this week when contractors are appointed. South Park, in Darlington, was awarded a £2.9m Heritage Lottery Fund grant after being neglected for years. On Thursday

  • Million up for Nissan subsidiary

    A SUBSIDIARY of the country's biggest car manufacturer has sold its millionth vehicle since taking over sales and distribution of the cars ten years ago. Nissan Motor (GB) is the biggest customer of Nissan's Sunderland plant and will take around 90,000

  • Bypass talks progress

    HIGHWAYS bosses are in talks with landowners as plans to build Darlington's £5.7m eastern transport corridor continue. The Highways Agency has told Darlington Borough Council it is now satisfied with the scheme, which was formally given planning permission

  • Better access part of ward changes plan

    POLLING stations are being improved to help disabled people as part of a shake-up of voting areas. Disabled groups in Darlington have been helping the council check each polling station for disabled access. The move is part of a review of Darlington's

  • Expelled pupil becomes a governor

    AN education chief has become a governor of the school he was expelled from as a child. Ernest Gibson, 38, also has a place on a committee which oversees education policy in South Tyneside borough. He has been appointed a governor of St Wilfrid's RC Comprehensive

  • Course aims to tackle patients' ill-health

    A PRIMARY Care health trust has launched an initiative to help people suffering long-term medical problems. People in Derwentside will be given the chance to take part in an Expert Patient Programme at an awareness raising event at 12.30pm on Thursday

  • Reunion a special event for big family

    MEMBERS of the Bowes family, who hail from a former County Durham pit village, staged a reunion at the weekend. The event attracted dozens of cousins and relatives from throughout the country, and the United States. Mary Burnham, whose grandfather Ralph

  • Fight goes on to keep home open

    CONCERNED relatives and friends of elderly residents of a nursing home which faces imminent closure, were told last night the legal battle to keep it open would continue. Members of the Stoneleigh Relatives Action Group, which is fighting the closure

  • More fitness classes offered

    EXERCISE classes are proving so popular that extra sessions are on offer. Beginners' Pilates classes at Southlands Leisure Centre, in Ormesby Road, Middlesbrough, are held on Mondays between 10am and 11am and Tuesdays between 6pm and 7pm. Advanced classes

  • Cafe dogs ban to be tested in court case

    A TEA shop owner and his supporters face a trip to Kent to fight a court case brought by the Disability Rights Commission. Lawrence Lawford, who runs Hannah's House in Knaresborough, near Harrogate, does not admit dogs, including guide dogs, when his

  • News in brief: AIR AMBULANCE

    I AM sorry to hear that financial politics has entered the world of the air ambulance, the most useful of services (Echo, July 12). It would be much more sensible for fund-raising by the air ambulance to be allowed within its coverage area, not just from

  • Mural's breath of seaside air

    A COLOURFUL mural depicting a seaside scene is brightening up the outdoor playtime of children who use a hospital nursery. The large piece of art covers the fence at the Children's Centre at the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton. It was designed

  • Jewel thieves make off with £70,000 haul

    EXCLUSIVE jewellery worth £70,000, including a Rolex watch worth £18,000, has been stolen in a jewellery raid in a quiet village. The 18-carat watch, studded with 32 diamonds and inlaid with mother-of-pearl, is one of only two in the world - the other

  • Kennels trip painting wins top prize for Laura

    THE winner of a painting competition based on a trip to kennels has received her prize. Laura Black, 11, was presented with prizes for herself and her school, St Godric's RC, in Durham, by Durham City councillor David Bell, who is responsible for environmental

  • Wardens start patrols

    STREET wardens began patrolling the Bensham and Saltwell areas of Gateshead yesterday. Three street wardens and a supervisor have begun making regular patrols, attending minor incidents of disorder, keeping a check on empty properties and reporting on

  • News in brief: Lifeboat celebration

    CHILDREN in Redcar are invited to take part in a series of free activities to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the town's lifeboat station. The events, at Kirkleatham Hall Museum, start on Thursday, July 25, with sea monster mask-making sessions at

  • News in brief: Danger building street reopens

    ST NICHOLAS Street, Scarborough, one of the busiest town centre thoroughfares in the resort, has reopened after being closed for ten days due to the threatened collapse of the former Marshall and Snelgrove store. Demolition contractors have worked around

  • Flooding studies 'are flawed'

    COUNCIL chiefs are urging the Environment Agency to reconsider crucial plans to save large parts of North Yorkshire from flooding. A long-awaited report from the agency into the way ahead for flood relief in the Northallerton and Thirsk areas has been

  • News in brief: Pain group's grant boost

    A SELF-HELP group for people suffering chronic pain has been awarded a grant of £34,000 to employ another member of staff. The Durham branch of Action on Pain has used the money, donated by Sherburn Hospital Charitable Trust, to employ part-time worker

  • News in brief: Two injured in head-on crash

    TWO people were taken to hospital following an accident on the A6072 at Redworth yesterday afternoon. The road was closed for about 90 minutes following the head-on collision between a car and a van at about 3.15pm. The man and the woman, who police said

  • Brought to book by star footballers

    NORTH-East football stars are spearheading a campaign to encourage people to read more. The Read the Game initiative, organised by Easington and Seaham Education Action Zone, in County Durham, aims to promote literacy by urging children and adults to

  • Police officer stabbed in street

    AN OFF-DUTY policeman is fighting for his life after being repeatedly stabbed as he confronted youths gathered around a neighbour's car. Pc David Myers, an officer with the Metropolitan Police, was visiting relatives in Hartlepool when he was attacked

  • Watchdog demands action over twin threat to North Sea wildlife

    ENDANGERED North Sea animals are dying because of industrial pollution and commercial fishing, according to a new report. The Wildlife Trusts will tonight call for tougher legislation and a new Government department for Britain's marine habitats. Its

  • A perfect record for Christina

    A THORNABY pupil has been recognised for achieving a 100 per cent school attendance record. Christina Clifford, ten, a pupil at Harewood Junior School, has not been off since September. She was presented with an award by Roary the Lion from Middlesbrough

  • Nepalese king lists surgeon in honours

    A SURGEON from the North-East has been named in the King of Nepal's birthday honours list. Fred Nath, a consultant neurosurgeon at Middlesbrough General Hospital, has been awarded the Gorkha Bakshin Bahu - the equivalent of an OBE - for his contribution

  • Miners' picnic promises a full weekend

    THE North-East's mining communities are preparing for the Northumberland Miners' Picnic this weekend. For the first time the picnic, at the Woodhorn Colliery Museum site at Ashington, takes place over an entire weekend. It begins with the Miners' Picnic

  • Fun event has a serious aim

    A CHARITY is promising a knight to remember later this month. And any damsels in distress at County Hall in Northallerton had their pick of heroes yesterday. However, there was a serious message behind the arrival of two combatants on the lawns of the

  • Millennium green clean-up is hard work - but blooming worth it

    CHILDREN and residents of a Teesside community have been working hard to get their area looking spick and span in time for a gardening competition. The judging for Grangetown in Bloom will take place tomorrow, and yesterday pupils from St Mary's Primary

  • Workers really see double

    WORKERS at a North-East building company are seeing double - and it's all down to Michael and Stephen Proctor. The identical twins are on a vocational training placement with Jewson Builders Merchants. They were found the placement by vocational training

  • Ofsted report praises staff and pupils

    OFSTED inspectors have praised the 65 pupils at St Hilda's Roman Catholic School at Whitby. In their report, the inspectors complimented the youngsters on their "excellent personal development and relationships with one another and adults". In addition

  • Flying Tackle a top draw for Beverley

    IT's always worth taking notice when the smaller trainers start to hit winning form. So Malton handler John Wainwright, who had winners at two of the Yorkshire courses last Friday, can be on the mark again with Flying Tackle in the Fangfoss Five Furlongs

  • Family's team effort in baton run

    CARRYING the Queen's Golden Jubilee baton on its tour of Britain was a real family affair last week. Romanby residents Jeff and Rosemary Kidd and their daughters, Caroline and Fiona, all did their bit for the Commonwealth Games as the baton headed south

  • A man of confused moral judgement

    Dr Rowan Williams, the man strongly tipped to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, has said that any American offensive against Iraq would be "immoral". It would not be part of a just war, because innocent people would be killed. But the Christian

  • Postal delivery scheme to be piloted in region

    HOUSEHOLDERS in Thirsk can expect a later post delivery than usual from next month. The Thirsk delivery office has been chosen as one of 14 offices in the UK to pilot the Royal Mail's new national delivery scheme. The scheme starts on Monday, August 5

  • Triumphant return for Great Show

    THE Great Yorkshire Show attracted its biggest crowd for nearly 20 years, official attendance figures have revealed. The North's showpiece agricultural event, which made a spectacular return after the misery of foot-and-mouth disease last year, drew a

  • Masons open doors to public

    ROLLED-up trouser legs and funny handshakes are what most people associate with Freemasons, but a campaign launched to remove some of the suspicion and misunderstanding surrounding the movement got off to a good start. Richmond's Lennox Lodge, the oldest

  • National strike forces children to stay at home

    THOUSANDS of youngsters will be forced to stay at home tomorrow during a national day of strike action by local Government workers. Schools are expected to prove the highest profile target with hundreds across the North-East closing to pupils. Many headteachers

  • Fake tan without the orange hands

    As the British summer lives up to its dismal reputation, Women's Editor Christen Pears finds an alternative way to achieve a sun-kissed glow. IT was the day before my holiday and my skin was so white it could have starred in a soap powder advert. I needed

  • Woman who killed father receives life sentence

    A 42-year-old woman was today jailed for life for bludgeoning her elderly father to death with a poker and a walking stick because she blamed him for her mother's suicide. William Pyle, 77, suffered 85 wounds in the onslaught after his daughter snapped

  • Corruption inquiry criticised

    A HOME Office report into Operation Lancet has criticised the investigation for being poorly managed. The Government's investigation into the corruption inquiry, which centred on Cleveland Police, was launched in April. It has criticised Lancet for not

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Panel beater/spray painter, Darlington, exceeds NMW. Must be time-served and experienced. 30 hrs. Ref: DAE 30693. Senior housing officer, Barnard Castle, £19,770

  • Lifestyle: Dungeon - with dragon

    No pain, no gain, is the motto of dominatrix Lady Sian, who shows Steve Pratt round the red-walled dungeon of her otherwise ordinary home on a Teeside housing estate. LOUNGING on a leather sofa in her cluttered living room, Lady Sian does not strike you