WORRIED parents have swamped a private North-East hospital offering separate injections for measles, mumps and rubella. The clinic, in the Health Secretary's Darlington constituency, has signed up 300 families in 48 hours. The news will come as a blow
A STALWART of the north Durham voluntary scene is to be rewarded after nearly four decades work. WRVS volunteer Jennie Tarn, from Chester-le-Street, has already received her long service medal for 15 years and a clasp for a further 12 years. On Friday
DURHAM city councillors have rejected a call to praise a satirical magazine's "excellent investigative journalism". Liberal Democrat member Richard Ormerod proposed a motion saying that the council "congratulates Private Eye magazine on its recent 40th
A HEADteachER has been arrested over claims that he harassed a fellow head and a leading education official by sending them anonymous letters. Alan Smith, 53, was quizzed when the strongly-worded letters were forwarded to education bosses. The experienced
A NORTH-EAST couple coerced a teenage girl into taking part in sordid sex sessions, a court heard yesterday. It was claimed that three-times married John Slimmings, 58, talked the teenager into sex romps with him and his wife, Mary. Teesside Crown Court
A REDCAR equestrian is riding high after turning his hobby into a career. Jonathan Lewis, 29, has become self employed, selling his own oil paintings and pastels of horses, as well as bridles, saddles and blankets at equestrian events and fairs across
SEVERAL footpaths in east Cleveland could be closed as a way of preventing crime. Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, paths including footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways or byways open to all traffic, can be stopped up or diverted in
As George Carey announces his decision to retire, Nick Morrison looks at the ups and downs of his tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury, and the challenges facing his successor. "THE Church, as it now stands, no human power can save." Hit by falling attendances
SCHOOLCHILDREN enjoyed a free day out yesterday, thanks to their own artistic skills. They were among many who entered the Big Draw competition at the World of James Herriot centre in Thirsk. The competition was part of a campaign organised by the group
PLANS for the North-East to become the home of the country's second specialist baby hospice have taken a step forward. The hospice, called Zoe's Place because Zoe means life in Greek, will be modelled on a pioneering venture of the same name in Liverpool
A farmer whose land was devastated by foot-and-mouth disease has spoken of his new hopes as dairy cows returned to his property. William Lambert's livestock was destroyed after his farm, which supplies milk to Wensleydale cheese-makers, became the first
WELCOME back - a good break, though with rather too many funerals, as tomorrow's John North column will observe. As always Father Christmas was glad-handed. Amid all the expense, however, probably the most popular present cost just 75p. West Word is the
A MANUFACTURING job was lost every working minute of the day last year as the sector slumped into crisis. A survey by the GMB union showed that 112,000 manufacturing jobs were lost in the UK in 2001. Scotland lost most of the jobs with a massive 17,000
BOREDOM is good for you. And it's especially good for children. So ditch those after-school activities now. Well, maybe not all of them. But now experts say that we should leave our children to their own devices a little more often. They have even discovered
DRUG dealers and car thieves are causing misery for visitors to a Hartlepool cemetery. Residents have reported an increasing problem with vehicles being driven across plots, and being burnt out, and drug dealing from vehicles parked in the Spion Kop Cemetery
A COMMUNITY which was devastated by the closure of its only bank a few months ago has created something positive out of its loss by re-opening the building as a centre for information and learning. The former Barclays branch in Willington High Street,
CHILDREN at a Darlington school will get new playground equipment as a late Christmas present, thanks to a taxi driver's generosity. Simon Claydon raised £245 for Red Hall Primary School by donating his Christmas Eve takings and collecting contributions
POLICE arrested 19 people and seized drugs with a street value of half a million pounds in a series of dawn raids on suspected drug dealers on Tyneside, yesterday. A large haul of cocaine, Ecstasy and amphetamines were seized, along with a large amount
A SOPHISTICATED Internet fraud brought Garry Jay more than £500 in a matter of days, a court heard yesterday. Jay, 48, offered non-existent items, including antiques and DVDs on an Internet auction site and "sold" them to the highest bidder, Sarah Tyrer
PUBLIC approval is being sought for plans for a 115-acre development on an old industrial site in Darlington. Letters have been sent out to local residents asking for their views on the proposed West Park project in Faverdale which will be considered
TWO four-wheel-drive vehicles stolen over the weekend were spotted near the scene of an attempted crime. An Izuzu Trooper and a short-wheelbase Land Rover, both white, were seen in West Auckland on Sunday night and were later found abandoned in Wellgarth
COMPANIES are being invited to compete for a £70m building contract at Britain's biggest Army base. Eleven firms are being invited to pre-qualify for the scheme at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire. The project will provide new living and working accommodation
NEW redundancies at power tools firm Black and Decker's flagship North-East factory have left workers fearing for their future. The company says that the six jobs being axed in its consumer engineering department at Spennymoor, County Durham, this week
A COMMUNITY which was devastated by the closure of its only bank a few months ago has created something positive out of its loss by re-opening the building as a centre for information and learning. The former Barclays branch in Willington High Street,
BAKERY group Greggs toasted the strength of the high street during the festive period as it reported a surge in sales for the second half. The Newcastle business saw like-for-like sales in the last six months of 2001 rise by a record nine per cent, topping
BLINDS manufacturer Siesta has plans to expand after moving into new premises. The business, in Brighouse Court, Aycliffe Industrial Estate, County Durham, plans to take on four more staff and target the national market after moving into the 2,000sq ft
A HARTLEPOOL teenager who went from student to serving soldier is back on Teesside to talk to young people about starting a career with the Army. Former St Hild's pupil Christopher Graham, 17, is completing his initial training with the Royal Corps of
THE body of a woman found in a dumped suitcase has been identified as that of a 21-year-old Korean student. The badly decomposed body of Hyo Jung Jin, who was studying French at the University of Lyon, was found in a hedge just outside the village of
A COUPLE living in America will still go ahead with their dream wedding at a North Yorkshire chapel - six months after its doors have been officially closed. The little Methodist chapel at Laverton, near Ripon, will be re-opened in June for one day only
A MARINE safety training centre on Tyneside is providing sailors with fire fighting training. South Tyneside College's Marine Safety Training Centre (MSTC) has established a relationship with Danish ferry operator DFDS Seaways. Following a visit to MSTC
FORMER Swedish international Stefan Schwarz could be the next big-money signing to be shown the door by Sunderland. French striker Lilian Laslandes, who cost £3.6 last summer, has joined Bundesliga club Cologne on loan with a view to a permanent move,
A THREE-year-old girl died from massive head injuries after being dragged under the wheel of a bus, an inquest heard today. The inquest at County Hall, Durham, heard that Aleisha Jane Ord, of Station Road South, Murton, was killed as she crossed the road
IN the run-up to last June's General Election, Tony Blair made a blatantly party-political speech at a school. His words went right over the heads of his immediate audience, and, rightly, the inappropriateness of his platform drew much comment. But he
UNION officials at a dumper truck factory hit by its first strike hope to meet management today to urge them to seek arbitration to resolve the dispute. More than 500 shopfloor workers took part in the 24-hour stoppage at Caterpillar Peterlee, affecting
A MOTHER-of-two, who was the victim of a terrifying sex assault, told last night how she was now too nervous to go out alone with her children. The 15-year-old attacker, who pounced on the woman as she was out walking with her children, was yesterday
MOTORISTS in Darlington could face a rise in parking charges from April. Darlington Borough Council is proposing to increase penalties in off-street and residents' areas for drivers who park illegally. The council's development and environment committee
POLICE are struggling to cope with a rocketing number of mobile phone thefts and robberies. A survey by The Northern Echo has revealed that the number of phones stolen in Darlington alone has almost tripled in the past two years. The survey coincides
CHRIS Turner is keeping his vow to secure Hartlepool United's future. The Pool boss, a former youth team coach at Leicester and Wolves, yesterday signed highly-rated teenager Tony Sweeney on a professional contract until summer 2004. Sweeney, 17, has
GETTING past the confirmed front-runner Gower-Slave (3.00) could prove an impossible task in the day's most valuable contest, the £12,000 Showcase Handicap at Newbury. Not only does Gower-Slave tend to set a furious pace he also jumps like a stag, often
DURHAM City Council is to be run by a cabinet and leader permanently. The Labour-run authority, like others up and down the country, has been using the system for about 18 months as an experiment. Last November, a referendum was held on whether to have
A former Welsh Guardsman was beaten to death as he travelled Britain in an attempt to cope with the grief of losing his sick mother. Richard Jones, 47, had spent the last 15 years of his life as a full-time carer for his mother, Naomi, in Treorchy, Wales
DETECTIVES have set up an incident room to stop a team of bogus officials targeting pensioners. Four people, aged over 80, were conned in incidents at homes in two areas of Darlington, on Monday. Police believe the same team were responsible for a string
THE Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) is asking for comments from residents as part of a routine assessment of South Tyneside Healthcare NHS Trust. The CHI wants to hear from people who wish to talk about their experiences at the trust. The assessment
AN industrial estate will provide the inspiration for a design competition at Darlington College of Technology. The theme of the contest is Structures, and A-level students from the college's fine art and photographic courses will use their impressions
POLICE are searching for a bogus caller who stole money from a woman in her east Cleveland home. The incident took place at about teatime on Monday, when a woman claiming to be a home help entered the home of a 58-year-old woman, in Chestnut Grove, Brotton
HIGH street powerhouse Next has delivered further proof of the Christmas spending boom enjoyed by Britain's retailers. Next reported a nine per cent increase in like-for-like sales for the 23 weeks to January 5 and said business for the festive period
A CURTAIN of light at the entrance of one of Britain's premier theatres was switched on for the first time yesterday. The light, descending from the roof at the Theatre Royal, in Newcastle, gives the illusion of a moving theatre curtain. Councillor Tony
Letters from The Northern Echo WAR ON TERRORISM I WAS dismayed to read the New Year's Day editorial naming George W Bush as The Northern Echo's man of 2001. This is the man who was brought to power by a travesty of democracy and has unilaterally torn
Two players have been allowed to leave Darlington with manager Tommy Taylor letting Frank van der Geest and striker Kirk Jackson walk through the Feethams exit door. Although Jackson has only left on a temporary basis, reserve keeper van der Geest was
BOREDOM is good for you. And it's especially good for children. So ditch those after-school activities now. Well, maybe not all of them. But now experts say that we should leave our children to their own devices a little more often. They have even discovered
paper collections from 24,000 households are being reviewed as a council bids to boost its recycling scheme. Wear Valley District Council needs to dramatically increase the amount of rubbish it recycles in order to meet Government targets during the next
RECYCLING is the theme of the New Year for a hospice looking to boost funds. The Butterwick Hospice, in Bishop Auckland, is appealing for Christmas cards and Yellow Pages books to be recycled to raise money. There are two large skips in the car park at
AN east Cleveland landmark could be in line for a makeover thanks to a possible bid for National Lottery cash. The King Edward VII Memorial Clock, in Redcar, is the focal point of the town centre, but has fallen into disrepair since vandals broke in and
PEOPLE in North Durham are being urged to give assessors their views on the area's hospitals. The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) is running the rule over the North Durham Health Care Trust, which runs the University Hospital of North Durham in
POLICE have warned residents in the Washington area to be on their guard following several sneak-in thefts. Since the New Year, opportunist thieves have struck in the Washington and Houghton-le-Spring areas after noticing windows in homes and cars open
Singing sensation Zoe Birkett "popped" back to school yesterday. But with offers of recording contracts already coming in, she's extremely unlikely to have to return to the classroom full-time. Pop Idol finalist Zoe, 16, was back at Carmel RC Technology
The grieving sister of murder victim Julie Smailes has branded as cowards the witnesses who allegedly caused the collapse of a murder case through their silence. Wendy Smailes spoke out after the five-year investigation into the killing of Julie was brought
RAPIDLY, there is a frightening mythology growing up around the mumps, measles and rubella triple vaccine (MMR). It is the great health debate of the moment and the Government is losing it. Last week, we reported that the take-up rate of the vaccination
A SURGEON who was spared a misconduct hearing after the main witness decided not to give evidence will resume his duties on Monday. But suspended gynaecologist Neil Hebblethwaite will initially work for South Tees NHS Trust, rather than at his old hospital
PARENTS are being encouraged to learn more about the dangers of drug-taking among youngsters by attending an event being staged next week. They are being invited to a drugs awareness evening, in Northallerton town hall next Wednesday, from 7pm to 9pm.
A MAN tortured by memories of agonising surgery without anaesthetic has joined a North-East campaign to persuade holidaymakers to boycott Greece. Nigel Race described as "torture" his treatment at the hands of Greek hospital staff after what should have
A CRUCIAL decision on the future care of elderly people in part of the region is to be made this afternoon. Stockton Borough Council's cabinet is meeting at its Billingham offices to make the final decision on whether to close two of its remaining four
MORE than £280,000 of spare council cash could be used to install gas central heating in tenants' houses. If Darlington Borough Council's cabinet gives the scheme the go-ahead, the work will be carried out before April in 103 of its houses, at Parkside
MOTOR dealers in North Yorkshire are being urged to attend two seminars aiming to raise the industry's profile. Dealers attending the events in Harrogate and Scarborough will be updated on all aspects of trading standards law and have a chance to meet
THE chairman of the new Tees Valley Urban Regeneration Company will be named today. Alistair Arkley, chairman of the Tees Valley Partnership and a board member of regional development agency One NorthEast, will make the announcement at Teesside International
RAIL passengers were last night facing yet more misery after train conductors voted overwhelmingly for strike action. Staff at Arriva Trains Northern will stage two potentially crippling 48-hour walk-outs on January 24 and 25 and February 5 and 6 in a
THERE was a bloomer in last week's Echo Memories which featured Jimmy Blumer's old aerial photographs. It had nothing to do with our esteemed photographic friend, but was entirely of our own making. Many people spotted that it was not the Darlington
EDUCATION chiefs are promising a more flexible service for youngsters and adults who want to learn in the community. Durham County Council has relaunched its community education service, giving it a new name, Education in the Community. The council spends
VANDALS have tipped over a memorial to men who lost their lives in a town's mines. Five mining carts, sited in Ferryhill as a reminder of the mines' importance to the community, were provided by the town council early last year. Two have been inscribed
A MAN has been arrested in connection with the murder of a prostitute whose naked body was found dumped on moorland, police said today. Vicky Glass, 21, was missing from her home town of Middlesbrough for six weeks before she was discovered by a man walking
VANDALS are making a library a no go area, according to residents. In recent weeks, Brandon Library, in Lowland Road, has been plagued by window-breaking and graffiti-scrawling vandals. As a result, staff and users have had to put up with a boarded-up
A FORMER Newcastle United soccer star has been arrested as part of a £500,000 drugs swoop. David Roche, 31, appeared before the city's magistrates yesterday charged with conspiracy to supply drugs. The former midfielder was one of 19 people arrested in
A REVIEW of a shake-up of health services in two Teesside hospitals begins this month. The review panel, made up of members of local organisations, will analyse plans for changes in cancer and arthroplasty - hip and knee joint replacement - services in
THE fate of an ice rink will be discussed by councillors next month. Since it closed in June 2000, after it was found to be leaking into shops below, the future of The Crowtree ice rink, in Sunderland, has been in doubt. With the cost of repairs already
MIDDLESBROUGH'S attempts to bury their Wimbledon cup hoodoo ended in failure last night, but a mouth-watering fourth round tie against manager Steve McClaren's former employers Manchester United is still there for the taking. A truly forgettable encounter
paper collections from 24,000 households are being reviewed as a council bids to boost its recycling scheme. Wear Valley District Council needs to dramatically increase the amount of rubbish it recycles in order to meet Government targets during the next
A TEENAGER who suffered a fractured skull and vertebrae after a freak snowboarding accident during a family holiday in Italy was today expected to be flown home. Jack Robertson, 14, from York, was due to leave a hospital in Turin after being eased out
A BRAVE female shop assistant tackled a robber as he grabbed money from the till. Lisa Hollinshede, who works at High Grange Wines, Billingham, first saw the man reversing into a parking space outside the shop in Casson Way. He had hit a kerb and she
