Police admitted today that errors were made in investigating the death of a North-East soldier, and three other privates, who died in suspicious circumstances. The head of Surrey CID, Detective Chief Inspector Craig Denholm, who has been drafted into
WELL, that's it. The house is eerily silent and unnaturally tidy. No music blares, no mobile phones beep. There is no sound of computer games, televisions, thudding beat, thudding feet or noisy arguments about whose turn it is to do the washing up. The
THE Princess Royal crowned six years of hard work for a group of Bishop Auckland volunteers when she officially opened their community resource centre. Town centre shoppers lined the entrance to the Four Clocks Project in Newgate Street where Princess
THE people of Redcar and Cleveland have lost out on as much as £20m in the past ten years because the Government got its figures wrong, it was claimed yesterday. Council leader David Walsh has called on Chancellor Gordon Brown to come to Eston Town Hall
EVERY time little Joe Weldon goes to sleep there is a real danger he may not wake up. The one-year-old has sleep apnoea, a fairly common condition in adults but unusual in one so young. Joe often stops breathing and if it was not for a £500 monitor at
The human rights of some 700 elderly residents were breached during a council's planned closure of its care homes, an independent inquiry has found. Durham County Council has come under continued fire from residents, relatives and a campaign group over
DURHAM City Swimming Baths has celebrated its 70th birthday - and despite several overhauls remains largely as it would have appeared to early users. Opened by Lord Barnard in September 1932, the baths, on Elvet Waterside, were originally opened for swimming
Prime Minister Tony Blair has said the job losses at Black & Decerk are a "tragedy" for the workers. Speaking at a press conference at the Labour Party Conference in Blackpool, Tony Blair pledged that the Government would work ''very closely'' with
A TWO-YEAR-OLD girl suffered horrific facial injuries when she was attacked by the family's new dog last weekend. Jade Wardle was in the kitchen and had put her arm around the labrador-cross called Hooch, when it suddenly lunged at her face without warning
A campaign to encourage more youngsters to cycle to school has received a major boost. Eastbourne Comprehensive School, in Darlington, has secured £33,000 from the Government's Cycle Projects Fund - the largest grant of its kind awarded to any school
A DARLINGTON distance runner has passed a remarkable milestone by completing his 100th marathon. Harbhag Singh, known as Harry to his friends, has taken just over 20 years to complete the century. The Darlington Harrier, 58, was inspired to take up running
WELL, that's it. The house is eerily silent and unnaturally tidy. No music blares, no mobile phones beep. There is no sound of computer games, televisions, thudding beat, thudding feet or noisy arguments about whose turn it is to do the washing up. The
GOLF club members answered their captain's call to help collect £4,008 for young cancer patients. Bishop Auckland men's captain Clive Auld rounded off a successful year's fundraising by handing over a cheque to Sue Greves, administrator for children's
TOTS in Chester-le-Street have a new play area after months of fund-raising. North Durham MP Kevan Jones unveiled the new outdoor play area for pre-school children at Pelton Roseberry Primary School on weeky. It took the early years department six months
A SWIMMER is the latest Orange Darlington Young Sportswinner. Stuart Walker, ten, a pupil at Reid Street School, has only been swimming competitively for two years. He was given the title for his involvement at county and district levels. A spokesman
THIEVES stole a trailer and a caravan from the Rowlands Gill area in two separate raids. Crooks took the Hunter deluxe horsebox, worth £3,500, from outside a house in Strathmore Road, Rowlands Gill, on Thursday, some time between 9am and teatime. A four-berth
New boy Marcus Richardson got his Hartlepool United career off to a solid start yesterday. Hours after signing a two-year contract at Victoria Park the powerful striker made his mark in the 4-1 reserve win over Scarborough. He scored one and helped set
A NORTH-EAST MP, whose son-in-law died after surgery to amputate his foot, is to seek medical advice about his treatment in hospital. Frank Cook, MP for Stockton North, believes his daughter's husband, Eric Fawkes, 46, should have been prescribed an anti-coagulant
A CHESTER-le-Street man is about to embark on an expedition to South Africa to help scientists document wildlife. Richard Graham, 64, flies out to South Africa in November, to help scientists with environmental charity Earthwatch collect data on insects
WORKERS at Black & Decker were last night facing a crushing blow with hundreds of jobs at its North-East operation poised to be axed. The power tool company is thought ready to move production at its Spennymoor plant in County Durham to Eastern Europe
PLANS for the £1m redevelopment of a rundown town centre bus station have been unveiled. Derwentside District Council is consulting residents on a choice of four schemes for its proposed overhaul of the bus depot in Stanley. The first will see the station
THE dream of creating a multi-purpose centre for deaf people in County Durham took a step forward as supporters boosted funds with a sponsored walk. Eight walkers took part in a ten-mile trek from the High Force Hotel, in Teesdale, and another 50 took
A TRAINING day is to be held in Darlington for people who work with the elderly. The arts, crafts and creativity day, to be held next Thursday, at St Cuthbert's Church, is sponsored by the National Association for Providers of Activities for Older People
PLANS for 55 houses at a village near Darlington have received initial approval, despite local opposition. At a meeting of the borough council's planning committee, members gave their approval to an outline plan to develop 2.34 hectares of the site at
POLICE and children gathered yesterday to celebrate the success of a scheme to cut youth crime in Grangetown. Officers said anti-social behaviour had reduced dramatically due to activities organised to keep youngsters off the streets. Between April and
HOCKEY sharpshooter Callum Giles passed on some hot tips to eager young players during a whistle-stop tour of the North-East. The Great Britain Olympic Games star visited Gilesgate Sports College, in Durham, to give an intensive coaching session to hockey
MEMBERS of Pittington Photography Club will meet on Monday for their Autumn Cup competition. The club meets every Monday evening at Pittington Village Hall at 7.30pm. New members are welcome.
TRY telling the people of Spennymoor that our country is weathering the storm of economic downturn sweeping the world. In the past three years the industrial heart of the town has been ripped out. Rothmans and Electrolux closed factories, between them
A SUPERGRASS who informed on his associates over the ruthless gangland killing of Tyneside hardman Freddie Knights was sentenced yesterday to 11 years for manslaughter . Lee Watson, 30, of Cedarwood Road, Gateshead, was allowed to retract his guilty plea
A woman who spent four months in a coma after she was given contaminated blood during a transfusion was awarded £1.6m damages yesterday. Helen Smith, 27, was left brain damaged and had to learn to walk and talk again after the blunder six years ago at
The widow of a respected industrialist who breathed in deadly asbestos at a company where he later became a director, was awarded £180,000 compensation yesterday. Peter Edwards, 76, died of mesothelioma after breathing in fibres at Smith's Dock, on Teesside
BUS passengers are being promised better travel with the launch of a network of upgraded routes. Superoutes is a partnership between operators Arriva Northumbria/North East, Go Ahead, and Stagecoach Busways, Tyne and Wear borough councils and transport
HUNDREDS of children in Hartlepool are to attend an event that will teach them about the dangers they may face in everyday life. More than 1,300 pupils from 32 schools will be attending the town's seventh Crucial Crew project which will be staged at the
DURHAM was in the national media spotlight on Tuesday as it launched the country's first toll road. Advertiser readers have known about the new £2 charge for accessing Market Place and the peninsula for some time. But camera crews and reporters from London
STOCKTON'S Tourist Information Centre has moved to Stockton Central Library. After leaving its old home in the Green Dragon Museum, the new TIC opened to visitors yesterday. Councillor Alex Cunningham, Stockton Council's cabinet member for education,
THIEVES stole a trailer and a caravan from the Rowlands Gill area in two separate raids. Crooks took the Hunter deluxe horsebox, worth £3,500, from outside a house in Strathmore Road, Rowlands Gill, on Thursday, some time between 9am and teatime. A four-berth
PUPILS at a Hartlepool school have been given a harsh lesson in prison life to teach then that crime does not pay. Year Ten youngsters at St Hild's C and E School were treated as prisoners as soon as they arrived for registration and rather than normal
MOVES to ban traffic in Helmsley's historic Market Place have been given rejected by residents and traders. Instead, they have supported a county council option to introduce a scheme of minimal changes to the market town's traffic management. Three options
A MAN who walked and cycled a remote 19-mile postal round and went on to win fame for his poetry, has died suddenly, aged 75. Ronnie Robson, born in Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, where he lived all his life, served the far-flung community of Dallowgill
HARVEST celebrations at Melsonby, near Richmond, begin tomorrow at 7.30pm with a service for the whole village at St James' Church. A harvest barn dance and supper are held at the Methodist chapel on Saturday at 7pm. On Sunday, a combined Anglican and
A RIVER running through a North Yorkshire beauty spot has become a blot on the landscape after being polluted by hundreds of gallons of ink. Visitors to Crimple Valley, near the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, were alarmed to see the normally
AN exhibition of services for blind and visually impaired people takes place in a North-East town tomorrow. Exhibitors at Stockton central library include the borough council's libraries, social services and education departments, Ability Net, Action
DURHAM University this week defended its policy of favouring North-East state school pupils. Marlborough College head Edward Gould, who is chairman of the Headmasters' Conference, accused the university of making lower A-level grade offers to state pupils
The Northern Echo's music website www.thisisrevolution.co.uk is offering the chance to win a signed copy of Mark Knopfler's new CD, The Ragpicker's Dream. To find out how to win this new release from the talented ex-Dire Straits front man, log on to Revolution
THIEVES stole a trailer and a caravan from the Rowlands Gill area in two separate raids. Crooks took the Hunter deluxe horsebox, worth £3,500, from outside a house in Strathmore Road, Rowlands Gill, on Thursday, some time between 9am and teatime. A four-berth
NURSERY school children are looking forward to a visit from Cleveland firefighters who are calling to collect cash raised by the youngsters for the New York Fire Department (NYFD). Young fundraisers from the Lonsdale Nursery, in Grange Road, Hartlepool
BUS passengers are being promised better travel with the launch of a network of upgraded routes. Superoutes is a partnership between operators Arriva Northumbria/North East, Go Ahead, and Stagecoach Busways, Tyne and Wear borough councils and transport
Mandy Scott is celebrating ten years of flying the flag for North-East businesswomen this week. The 34-year-old has come a long way since she began making flags on her sewing machine at home in Blackhill, Consett, County Durham. Her company, AA Flags,
THOUSANDS of students across the country face having another two-week wait as their exam grades are reviewed after the education system was thrown into fresh chaos yesterday. Former chief schools inspector Mike Tomlinson announced that the grade boundaries
A TEESSIDE club is hosting a disco night in aid of the Butterwick Hospice on Friday, October 18. The Low Grange Club is holding the night, which will feature a grand raffle with many prizes up for grabs. Among the prizes will be a television, CD player
PASSENGERS on a cross-country train were evacuated at Darlington railway station after a fire alert. Travellers on the 8.55am Virgin train from Aberdeen to Cardiff alerted railway personnel in Darlington, at 2pm yesterday, after seeing smoke coming from
BASKETBALL coaching with Newcastle Eagles starts at Wolsingham School on Thursday, October 10 for five weeks. The course is a Sport Action Zone activity and will end with a tournament involving teams from other parts of the Wear Valley. The free sessions
THE landlady of an award-winning guest house has told how she and four other women fought with a thief who threatened them with a knife. Heather Armstrong, three members of her staff from Clow Beck House, Croft, near Darlington, and a woman motorist held
THE number of business failures have declined in the North-East - bucking the national trend. Worsening economic conditions have helped to send almost 33,000 UK businesses to the wall so far this year, figures reveal. Business information company D&
AIDAN O'BRIEN'S mob-handed approach to Newmarket's £150,000 Group 1 Middle Park Stakes is not guaranteed to bring success because there are plenty of useful English hopefuls capable of slugging it out with his quartet of Irish raiders. Tomahawk, Irrawaddy
FIVE youngsters are all set to set sail off on the voyage of a lifetime. The group, all Uniformed Services students at Derwentside College in Consett, have won places aboard a 50ft sailing yacht for a four-week Mediterranean journey. The teenagers had
FAMILIES in Stanhope are pleading with the council to support plans to open a children's play area. Residents hope to raise enough money to recreate a playground in the village, which was closed and dismantled early this year. They are calling on Wear
THREE young musicians in Durham can concentrate on the rest of their curriculum this academic year after passing their GCSE music exam a year early. The three 15-year-olds, Hannah Corbett, Louise Butterton and Michael Higgins are all students at Gilesgate
AS someone once badly bitten by a dog, I sympathise with the innocent passer-by allegedly attacked by Princess Anne's bull terrier in a park. There are too many thoughtless dog owners who think no one minds their pets leaping and slobbering all over them
TOMMY Taylor admitted last night that he has tried and failed to sign ten players in recent weeks as he strives to strengthen Darlington's squad. Taylor is free to bring in the two fresh faces he believes will transform his club's fortunes after allowing
HUNDREDS of Scouts converged on Durham at the weekend for the 33rd Confido Camp. Durham Scout County's annual event at its activity centre at Moor House, Rainton Gate, attracted youngsters aged 11 to 18 from as far away as Amble and Barnard Castle. They
NEWCASTLE United legend Chris Waddle insists Kieron Dyer literally needs a finishing touch to his game before the likes of Juventus come calling for the England starlet. Waddle joined other Geordie heroes, including rock star Sting, at the Stadio Delle
GANGS of youths have been criticised by police for throwing stones and eggs at passing cars on a busy Darlington road. Police have received complaints from drivers and residents about youths on Neasham Road throwing things at cars. One taxi driver had
NIKOS DABIZAS sparked a Champions' League cheating storm yesterday by accusing Juventus superstar Alessandro Del Piero of diving in Newcastle United's 2-0 defeat at the Stadio Delle Alpi. Defender Dabizas misses the return meeting between the sides at
TODDLERS put their best foot forward in an unusual charity fund-raising event last week. The youngsters from Skerne Park Childcare Centre, in Darlington, dressed appropriately as ducks for a 'toddle-waddle' around the area on Wednesday. About 16 toddlers
The transformation of Durham city centre from congested streets to a haven for pedestrians is praised in a new book on the most successfully designed places in Britain. The Good Place Guide describes over 120 areas that people are likely to enjoy using
A PROBATION officer who became a familiar figure in North-East court circles has retired after almost 30 years in the service. John Woodhouse was honoured by friends, family and colleagues at a retirement party in his honour in Durham last Friday. John
A ROYAL visit to Britain's favourite open air museum at Beamish turned into the tale of the princess and the pit pony last week. An accomplished horsewoman in her own right, it was no surprise that the Princess Royal spent more than her allotted time
A ROYAL visit to Britain's favourite open air museum at Beamish turned into the tale of the princess and the pit pony last week. An accomplished horsewoman in her own right, it was no surprise that the Princess Royal spent more than her allotted time
MOTORISTS are being warned to take extra care this winter as it is feared cut-backs in road gritting could cause travel chaos. Durham County Council is slashing £400,000 from the seasonal road budget which means fewer roads and footpaths will be salted
FAMILIES with young children are going green so that their little ones flourish by living a healthier lifestyle. A Greenstart project is linking environmental agency Groundwork West Durham with Sure Start initiatives in the Wear Valley, Stanley and Chester-le-Street
A COMPUTER equipment specialist is helping libraries to foil would-be thieves. Grorud Engineering, based in Castleside Industrial Estate, Consett, has fitted libraries in Brandon and Willington with secure PC stands to help minimise monitor theft. It
Poorer areas of the North-East being encouraged to apply for money from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The region has traditionally less funding than other parts of the country and some areas of it get less than some of their neighbours. Now the fund has
A PATIENT watchdog has expressed concern that bed shortages at one North-East hospital may be relieved at the expense of another. North Durham and South Durham NHS trusts merged on Tuesday as part of plans to reorganise hospital services in County Durham
A GADGET called Virulite invented by two North-East doctors could be the answer to a growing public health menace, it was claimed last night. The virus, which causes the common cold sore, is relatively harmless as long as it is confined to the mouth.
A FLOWER and craft festival this weekend marks the conclusion to a year of celebrations for a Darlington church. For the past 12 months Eastbourne Methodist Church on Yarm Road has been celebrating a dual anniversary - that of the centenary of the opening
MORE than a dozen bobbies from Durham and Chester-le-Street last week took on the challenge of completing a decathlon in a day to raise money for charity. The 10-discipline event at Chester-le-Street's Riverside complex was held to raise money for Tommy's
A North-East river has recorded the highest number of salmon in England and Wales following a vast improvement in its cleanliness. According to figures released by the Environment Agency yesterday, anglers declared catching 2,513 salmon in the River Tyne
A LEADING councillor has described as 'madness' plans to cut £400,000 from County Durham's winter roads maintenance budget. Derwentside District Council leader Alex Watson was holding talks with highways chiefs at Durham County Council this week in an
THE owner of Durham's only cinema says it will have to close regardless of plans to turn it into an Australian theme pub. City-based property company Troveworth Ltd bought the building that houses the Robins Cinema, in North Road, 11 years ago for £500,000
FIREFIGHTERS have admitted their largest engine does not use a new road layout, designed to cut response times. But crews at Darlington have stressed that the air ladder platform appliance is not needed on all call-outs and does not need the immediate
TRANSPORT chiefs have announced a boost for a campaign to encourage youngsters to cycle to school. Eastbourne Comprehensive School, in Darlington, has secured £33,000 from the Government's Cycle Projects Fund - the largest grant of its kind awarded to
Tens of the thousands of fun runners and some of the world's elite athletes are all limbering up for Sunday's BUPA Great North Run. The 22nd running of the annual half-marathon from Newcastle to South Shields has attracted a record 47,000 field, but with
A REAL ale pub chain is facing police opposition in its bid to open in Chester-le-Street. J D Wetherspoon wants to build a new pub for about £1.1m on the site of a former car showroom at the southern end of Front Street that will also be the home of a
A ROYAL visit to Britain's favourite open air museum at Beamish turned into the tale of the princess and the pit pony last week. An accomplished horsewoman in her own right, it was no surprise that the Princess Royal spent more than her allotted time
SUNDERLAND'S slaughter of Cambridge United was so emphatic that Marcus Stewart couldn't keep track of the number of goals his side scored. "How many did we get in the end? Was it seven, or eight? I lost count," Stewart confessed. Now, the striker hopes
WELL, that's it. The house is eerily silent and unnaturally tidy. No music blares, no mobile phones beep. There is no sound of computer games, televisions, thudding beat, thudding feet or noisy arguments about whose turn it is to do the washing up. The
A MULTIPLE sclerosis sufferer from Darlington is supporting a national campaign to make voluntary euthanasia legal. Neil Bright, 44, was diagnosed with a serious form of the disease in 1996 and suffers very painful attacks. Mr Bright, from the Neasham
THE regeneration of Firthmoor estate in Darlington moved a step closer this week when developers Haslam Homes and Barratt Homes received planning permission to build 413 replacement houses. The development, with associated garages and parking spaces,
DARLINGTON Borough Council has given the go ahead for two new care homes for the elderly in the town. Hanover Housing has been granted permission to build an extra care residential development on the former east Haven site at Yarm Road. The three-storey
THE French market which visited Darlington last week has been hailed a success by organisers. Shoppers and local schoolchildren visited the four-day market, which was set up in the centre of town selling traditional fare. Darlington Borough Council leader
ROBBED of its prosperity by a decade of decline, the proud County Durham community of Spennymoor must be wondering how many more economic blows it can take. Heavily reliant on major international manufacturing companies, the town has lost thousands of
A BAD week on North Yorkshire's roads was compounded by another fatal accident yesterday. The driver of a car was killed in a collision with a lorry on a dual carriageway section of the A64 at Barton Hill, near Castle Howard. The identity of the driver
FORMER US President Bill Clinton stole the show. It was not just the best speech of this Labour Conference - even many journalists watching the performance with cynical eyes agreed it was the best political speech they had heard. It overshadowed Tony
THE man gunned down outside a city pub has been named. Police were last night waiting to speak to 49-year-old James William Bannon, who was undergoing further surgery on his badly injured left thigh. Mr Bannon was shot at about 7pm on Monday, outside
A BAR room brawl ended in the death of a mother-of-five, a court heard yesterday. Teresa Mennell, 59, died from a single blow inflicted by Colin Mattinson in February, while drinking at the Metropole in High Street, Gateshead. Mattinson, 21, of Prince
GREAT MUSIC: The Stanley Civic Hall is presenting La Traviata, by Verdi, at 7.30pm tonight with tickets at £12. SCOUT MEETINGS: Cub meetings are held from 6.30pm to 8pm on Mondays in St Andrew's institute by the 3rd West Stanley (St Andrew's) Scout Group
A TEENAGER who took an overdose of medication lay untreated in a hospital bed for 12 hours. Alison Flatman was 15 when she overdosed on sodium valporate, which had been prescribed to her for suspected epilepsy. She was rushed to Middlesbrough General
HOSPITALS in Darlington and South Durham are hoping to attract recruits at their annual careers job shop today. Actress Louise Jameson, best known as Rosa Di Marco in EastEnders, will open the event at Darlington Memorial Hospital from 2pm to 8pm. The
A SCHOOLBOY will today step up to receive a bravery award. The 14-year-old witnessed a burglary at a pensioner's home in Billingham, Teesside. He then endured intimidating threats from the teenage burglar to give crucial evidence at a subsequent court
TWO young boys from a North Yorkshire village could succeed where others have failed next week when council officials sit down to examine a bid for road safety package for their community. Luke Byrne, 11, and 13-year-old Thomas Lamb admit they have always
THE chess club at Billingham Synthonia Club is looking for new members. The club, which meets every Wednesday from 7pm to 11pm, has about 24 members, but is looking for more people to take part in leagues and competitions. For more details call, (01642
WORK has started on eight new bungalows which will provide homes for people over 55 within reach of the centre of Spennymoor. Three Rivers Housing is developing a site behind Ken Warne's supermarket, in Whitworth Terrace, with the help of a £336,000 grant
THE dream of creating a multi-purpose centre for deaf people in County Durham took a step forward as supporters boosted funds with a sponsored walk. Eight walkers took part in a ten-mile trek from the High Force Hotel, in Teesdale, and another 50 took
CHINESE dragons, lanterns and even Chinese eye exercises have been on the agenda this week for schools staging an oriental festival. Five County Durham primaries are taking part in a week-long celebration of China following a trip by a delegation of headteachers
THE number of house burglaries in Sedgefield borough is continuing to drop, despite a recent blip, say police. Figures revealed at the latest meeting of the Sedgefield Burglary Action Group show there were 44 house burglaries in August and 31 in September
VISITORS to Bede's World, the Museum of Early Medieval Northumbria, at Jarrow, can try their hand at calligraphy and manuscript art between Friday and Sunday. The Northumbrian Scribes will be showing how ancient manuscripts were made at monasteries and
AN independent report on North Yorkshire's libraries describes them as no more than fair - and, despite promises of a significant cash boost, the Audit Commission has also concluded prospects for improvement remain "uncertain". North Yorkshire County
SCHOOLS across Stockton are taking part in a bulb planting project to brighten up the area. Colin Powles, Stockton Borough Council's ranger for Great North Park, is leading the project with his new assistant Ian Bunting. The project will start on Tuesday
Edwina Currie, whose sensational diaries are published today, is the latest public figure to bare her soul in print. Christen Pears reports on the phenomenon of celebrity autobiography. THERE were plenty of people choking on their cornflakes on Saturday
Dragging up a willingness to perform THE idea of a former Royal Navy officer learning to become a drag queen in a month seemed a bit of a frivolous start to new episodes of the series in which people adopt a new identity. But the psychological as well
POLICE were hailing the success of a drug clampdown after a 24-year-old man from Redcar pleaded guilty to possession and supply of cocaine. The man was arrested in January by Langbaurgh Police after a raid on his home. On Tuesday, at Teesside Crown Court
A COUNCILLOR has branded proposals to cut the number of roads gritted this winter as "madness". Councillor Alex Watson, leader of Derwentside District Council, was due to start last-ditch talks with highways chiefs at Durham County Council today in a
A FORMER public toilet has taken on a new role in the market town of Kirkbymoorside, as an all-embracing community office. The centre, funded by Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, Ryedale District Council, the town council, Business Link
Electrical goods giant Black & Decker is to axe almost 1,000 jobs and transfer work to the Czech Republic, the company announced today. About 550 production and office jobs will be cut from the factory at Spennymoor, Co Durham, by the end of 2003.
LIFE in North Yorkshire is being viewed through the eyes of children to mark the anniversary of its parkland. Hundreds of photographs are being exhibited to mark the 50th anniversary of the North York Moors National Park. Nearly 1,000 children went out
A HARROGATE church marks its centenary year with a visit by the Archbishop of York on Sunday. The Most Reverend Dr David Hope visits St Wilfrid's on Duchy Road, leading the Eucharist from 10am, assisted by the vicar, Father Mark Sowerby. Two of the parish's
I HAVE read with interest and amusement features on the Countryside March. This group of people are far from being the saviours of the countryside. Instead, they have corrupted it systematically in the name of greed. Farming is the only industry to be
HOUSEHOLDERS are being warned about the dangers of throwing sensitive information into their dustbin. The practice of "dustbin diving", where fraudsters rummage through the contents of dustbins, is on the increase in Stockton and the borough council is
FIVE super-fit prison officers from North Yorkshire will be cycling nearly 100 miles to compete in the Great North Run this weekend. Once they have completed the half marathon, they will be cycling back home again to York. They are attempting the mammoth
BOC chief executive Tony Isaac was in the region yesterday to view the progress being made by the gas company's operations on Teesside. Mr Isaac spent most of the day at BOC's Teesport site, part of its Process Gas Solutions (PGS) business, before hosting
Leadgate WI :MRS Walker extended a warm welcome to all, sick members were also remembered. The theme was read by Mrs Emerson. Members were pleased to see secretary Mrs Hedley after her recent illness. The correspondence, newsletter and minutes were attended
DOCUMENTS and exhibits at a North Yorkshire museum had a special relevance to one group of visitors. The Green Howards spent 24 years serving in Sri Lanka at the turn of the 19th Century. Some of the trinkets the soldiers brought back from the island,
JAZZ ANNIVERSARY: The sixth anniversary of Jazz in Birtley will be celebrated with the Rae Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band and a free buffet, between 8pm and 11pm today, in Birtley St Joseph's CMS Club and Parish Centre, with tickets at £2. BOOGIE DAYS
A TEESSIDE club is hosting a disco night in aid of the Butterwick Hospice on Friday, October 18. The Low Grange Club is holding the night, which will feature a grand raffle with many prizes up for grabs. Among the prizes will be a television, CD player
THIEVES stole a trailer and a caravan from the Rowlands Gill area in two separate raids. Crooks took the Hunter deluxe horsebox, worth £3,500, from outside a house in Strathmore Road, Rowlands Gill, on Thursday, some time between 9am and teatime. A four-berth
DURHAM County Council is trying to find how many local children have been privately fostered. Private fostering is legal but is causing problems for social services departments across the country because not all arrangements are notified to them. By law
POLICE have issued an e-fit of a man who launched a frenzied hammer attack on a man in County Durham. The attacker hid in bushes in Picktree Lane, Chester-le-Street, and pounced on his 39-year-old victim, hitting him on the head and temples with a hammer
STUDENTS at Stockton Sixth Form College are aiming high with £3,200 from the National Lottery Awards for All programme. The money will be used for a basketball programme and will help provide kit, travelling expenses to matches locally and nationally,
A woman who died when a fire gutted her County Durham home has been named as Jane Christine Mitchell. Police investigating Tuesday's blaze in Bishop Auckland say the exact cause of Mrs Mitchell's death is not yet known, but there are no suspicious circumstances
THE North-East economy is in a strong position to fare well in the coming months. That was the encouraging message from economic advisor Roger Bootle at the second annual Deloitte and Touche Business Dinner in Newcastle. The specialist advisor to the
PLANS to build an animal sanctuary in Chester-le-Street have been put on ice while the RSPCA struggles with multi-million pound losses. The governing council of the charity announced on Tuesday that it was taking drastic action to cut costs after losing
PEOPLE have the chance to explore 400 miles of the County Durham landscape in the coming months. Durham County Council has produced a new programme of 68 guided walks from October to December. The programme includes easy town strolls and photographic
YOUNGSTERS from Newton Aycliffe are taking part in the Great North Run to raise money for their school. Thirty youngsters from Stephenson Way Primary School will be competing in the 4km BUPA Junior Great North Run in Gateshead and Newcastle on Saturday
A PUBLIC meeting is being held at 7.30pm next Thursday at Dar*ington Arts Centre, Vane Terrace, to begin planning next year's community carnival. On the agenda will be the election of committee members, the theme for the parade and voting for the charity
A CONSETT paedophile exposed himself to a terrified young girl just days after he was freed by the Court of Appeal. Michael Croney, 35, had his four-year jail term cut to a three-year community rehabilitation order, despite warnings that he posed a high
A WISP of steam curls out of the chimney, followed by another, then all of a sudden a white cloud belches into the air, followed seconds later by a fine mist of water and soot. Slowly, grindingly, creakingly, the metal beast strains its way along the
DURHAM University this week defended its policy of favouring North-East state school pupils. Marlborough College head Edward Gould, who is chairman of the Headmasters' Conference, accused the university of making lower A-level grade offers to state pupils
A SCHOOL celebrated the most successful year in its recent history when it rewarded pupils for effort and excellence at a presentation evening last week. Wolsingham School and Community College collected Sportsmark and Artsmark Awards, was recognised
OUT-of-favour Jason Gavin last night revealed how he is ready to battle on in his fight for a Middlesbrough place. The former Republic of Ireland Under-21 centre-back enjoyed a comfortable performance for Boro in the Worthington Cup win at Brentford on
FAMILIES who face losing tens of thousands of pounds when their homes are demolished are banding together to fight for compensation. Thirty homeowners on Bishop Auckland's St Andrew's Estate launched a double pronged attack on Wear Valley District Council
THE heritage of a village has been celebrated by residents who have been working on two community projects. People in Edmondsley, near Chester-le-Street have been working with Groundwork West Durham to create two benches for the village and a heritage
A teenager is facing trial in front of a judge and jury after an incident in which a water-filled condom smashed through the windscreen of a car. Tom Saville, 18, was remanded on bail by Harrogate magistrates today to make an initial appearance at York
A DARLINGTON youngster has joined the cast of the Royal Shakespeare Company to perform one of the Bard's best comedies. Stanley Hodgson from Darlington joins Alexander Hennessey from Leyburn and Newcastle youngsters David McNally and Thomas Berry as part
AN axed radio presenter is set to sue his former BBC bosses for damages. Lawyers are considering an action for damages following Alan Wright's "total and inexplicable surprise'' dismissal from BBC Radio Cleveland. The 55-year-old was told within minutes
There was a grim mood as stunned workers at Black and Decker were given the devastating news. The factory's general manager Barry Bloomer broke the news to workers, who began the shift this morning and the first redundancies are expected in the next two
PRINCESS Anne gave her Royal blessing to Bishop Auckland's new community project when she visited the town on Friday. She arrived by helicopter at King James 1 School to open the Four Clocks Project, in Newgate Street, where Bishop Auckland Community
NEIGHBOURING vicars Bill Simms and Ann Chapman will both be absent from their pulpits on Sunday - wished God speed on the Great North Run. Running mates as well as fellow clergy, they've also been training together on the rolling roads of Wensleydale.
BLOOMIN' marvellous gardeners around Bishop Auckland have been rewarded for their efforts to brighten up the town. Bishop Auckland Civic Society held its tenth annual Bishop Auckland In Bloom contest this month and chairman Robert McManners said it was
