ALLERTONSHIRE School's year seven/eight girls cross-country team finished in a superb tenth place at the English Schools finals at Hartford in Cheshire earlier this month. Facing up to a contest against 23 other teams from across the country, the squad
Darlington finally won another league game. The opposition were the same, Stockton, but this time they won 4-3, New players John Forster and Stewart Dawson played key parts, with Forster scoring twice and Dawson picking up man of the match on his debut
PUB goers were greeted by Emmerdale's blonde barmaid Louise Appleton when they dropped into their local for a quiet drink earlier this month. Emily Symons, who plays Louise in the popular soap, was behind the bar at the Annandale Hotel in Skelton for
THE region's fishermen last night warned of direct action if huge cuts in catch quotas are enforced. The heightened mood of militancy in the industry came as ministers were warned in Parliament against signing the "death warrant" of Britain's white fish
THE first XI made hard work of Saturday's 35-5 victory at home to Wearside in the Durham and Northumberland third division as the visitors were a man short throughout. The home side opened the scoring as early as the first minute with a Peter Sayer penalty
IT was business as usual at Barnard Castle post office on Tuesday after the premises had been forced to close on Monday following a raid in the early hours. The theft, which police say was planned rather than opportunist, took place at about 3am. The
A NEW memorial park could be created on a plot of land at Egglescliffe which cost £5 and was earmarked as a public garden more than 50 years ago. The plot overlooks Yarm and the River Tees, and was bought by Egglescliffe Parish Council in 1949. The site
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to prevent Darlington College of Technology moving lock, stock and barrel to the Yarm Road area. Liberal Democrats have carried out a survey in College Ward, which they say proves many residents do not think it is a good educational
A VERY familiar face will be missing at the organ for the carol service at St Oswald's Church, West Rounton, on Sunday. For the first time in 74 years, Cissie Harrison will not accompany the carols. A native of Durham, 92-year-old Mrs Harrison has spent
WORK is beginning on the first of three recycling centres that are designed to dramatically increase recycling rates. The public site, next to a cleansing depot in Tod Point Road, Warrenby, will provide about 30 skips for the disposal of glass, plastics
MIDDLETON-in TEESDALE. - Wed of last week. Christmas show & sale. Judge: Robin Jackson. Prizes. - Swale lambs: 1&2 Tom Brass, Toft House, £40.50, £31. Mule lambs: 1 J Dent, Moorylea, £30; 2 Tom Brass, Step End, £37. Cont lambs: 1&2 C Skidmore
A COMMUNITY leader has told of his fears that out-of-town shopping could lead to 'ghost towns' in the region. David Walsh, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, welcomed a report highlighting the threat to Britain's small neighbourhood shops
DEFENCE SYSTEMS: THE United States has now asked formally for their Missile Defence System to be based on the North Yorks Moors at Fylingdales. We must surely urge our MPs to do all they can to urge the Government not to take the UK down this path. Certainly
RAIL passengers are facing a New Year rise in ticket prices of up to five per cent, it was announced yesterday. All three of the region's major train operators will push fares up next month as part of the annual review of ticket prices. The steepest increases
SECRETARY Peter Grainge and manager Ted Watts were ebullient following Stokesley SC's outstanding victory over New Marske last weekend. A close result was anticipated but in the event Stokesley won comfortably and still lead Birtley Town by a single point
ITEMS from the Bowes Museum collection may one day go on show in Japan. Vivien Reid, exhibitions officer and a Friend of the museum in Barnard Castle, is to spend three months in Tokyo working with the Brain Trust, a major exhibition touring company.
THERE'S a joke doing the rounds about Terry Venables walking into a building society, colliding with a plate glass door and knocking himself out. When he comes round he asks where he is and is told: "Don't worry, you're in the Nationwide," to which he
SIR Bobby Robson warned Craig Bellamy last night that his Champions League return again Internazionale and Marco Materazzi will be the ultimate test as the striker tries to prove he is a reformed character. The Newcastle United manager congratulated Bellamy
DARLINGTON Partnership has unveiled its vision of the town's future in the first draft of its community strategy. Possible developments include a business park built on waste land off Haughton Road, close to the East Coast main line. Dubbed Bank Top Village
A pupil from Richmond School has been awarded a Rotary club art trophy for the second year running. Teenager Sophie Dawes from Year 8 brought kudos to her school when she won not only her own age section but also the Frank Ward trophy in the 2002 Richmond
DOZY the dwarf turned rather grumpy after he was caught short during the night - and ended up fracturing his collarbone. John Ghavam, who has been appearing in the smash-hit panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, in Darlington, got up to answer a call
IT's a tough call for creative types in Hambleton. The district council's leisure services department has issued a challenge to residents to come up with an idea for a mascot to represent the district. Now as we all know Hambleton is a disparate local
ONE of the problems about Christmas is that there's so much of it. Everything is geared to massive family gatherings - turkeys the size of ostriches, puddings like cannon balls, party food to feed the five thousand plus any extra who happen to drop by
THE cultural life of rural communities will be destroyed if the Government's plan to force churches to pay for entertainment licences goes ahead, it was claimed this week. "In many rural areas, the church is the only sizeable venue to stage a concert
KINGDOM HEARTS Publisher: SCEE. Format: PS2. £39.99 CHRISTMAS is almost upon us and what would the traditional Yuletide celebration be without a good old Walt Disney romp? Except now you don't have to sit back and let yet another re-run of Dumbo wash
Tow Law Bass League: Newhouse Club stay in second place following their win against the visiting Stanley Earl Derby but it was thanks to a fine performance in the doubles. The trebles were shared and then John Gilchrist, Stephen Turner and Keith Liddle
Blackfyne The Under 8s beat Felling B 10-0. MoM Kieran Martin scored 1 with Tom Malone 1, Calvin Hillary 2, Phil McConnell 3 and Jonathan Telford 3 scoring the others. The Under 9s beat Redheugh 3 - 1 with MoM Andrew Turnbull scoring a hat trick. The
Arthur Reed Memorial Shield 1st. round - sponsored by Leven Bridge Engineering Stokesley 6 North Skelton 1 When 17-year-old Craig Johnson turned up for Stokesley's Arthur Reed Cup tie at home to North Skelton, the chances were that he would once again
RYEDALE'S Conservative MP John Greenway is putting forward a private member's bill to root out the poisonous weed ragwort. Its purpose is to impose a duty of responsibility on public landowners to effectively control ragwort, preventing its spread onto
THE EUROPEAN Parliament this week launched a scathing attack on the British Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis. A total of 481 MEPs from across Europe supported the damning report. Only British Labour MEPs voted against it. The report
A DEVELOPMENT company has spoken of how it had to abandon plans for an out-of-town business park. Highbridge Morton Palms had won planning permission to build the first two office blocks on a site off Darlington's Yarm Road, creating up to 400 jobs. The
Only two matches survived the weather and they resulted in wins for Iceland and Priestfields. Parklands are struggling this season to find any form and they found Priestfields just too strong. When Terry Blanchard got his second goal in two weeks for
The reigning champions of the All England Father and Son pairs competition Mark and Kevin O'Riordon (Thornaby) were beaten in the fifth round of this year's event going down 22-14 to club mates Ken and Glenn Skipp. Other results: Singles: P Payne (Gt
Ten Harriers competed in the Christmas Cracker 10k Road Race at Cayton near Scarborough, and the event was won by Stephen Hepples of Loftus AC in a time of 31.58 minutes. Results: John Yates was the first Harrier to finish, in 23rd place in 37.02. New
FORMER British Lion John Bentley visited Darlington Rugby Club last week to give a coaching session to the club's under-15s. The 36-year-old winger currently plays and is director of rugby for Darlington's Powergen North One rivals Cleckheaton. He gave
by Robin Twizell RMD Agriculture WHEAT prices have remained unchanged over the week although there are signs that we may export some wheat come the new year. This is on the back of better export subsidies by Brussels and some disease and pesticide problems
DIVISION ONE: Carlin How 0, Thornaby YC 3 These two teams have already met twice this season. In the opening minutes of this match the game was very even and both keepers were kept busy. The deadlock was broken in the 24th minute when a Marty Moore free
MISFIRING Massimo Maccarone is expecting to be dropped at Arsenal tomorrow - but could yet be handed a reprieve thanks to Middlesbrough's striker crisis. The Italian front-man - without a goal in ten Premiership matches - is understood to have been told
A NEW preferred bidder for a £230m partnership scheme with a council - which could create 2,000 jobs - has been announced. Developers Liberata has replaced Amey Plc for the contract after Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said parts of Amey's original
TODAY is the Eve of St Thomas, which was once regarded as the official start of the carol singing season. No-one appears to heed that any more. In this country, carols have been sung during the past few weeks, many being given their first airing three
THOSE who care about the countryside are being given a chance to influence how it is managed. Members of the public are being invited to become members of Local Access Forums, new bodies being set up as part of the Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000.
GAVIN McCann was last night told he can become the equal of Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira as Howard Wilkinson backed him to graduate into the Premiership's leading midfield enforcer. After nearly two years in the doldrums following a serious knee injury
The weather again took its toll on the weekend's matches but unlike the previous weeks complete wash out four games did go ahead. DGSOB 7, DSRMSC Reserves 2 Old Boys did go into their mid-winter break on the back of an emphatic win indeed they were six
More than 750 jobs could be created and millions of pounds of investment parachuted into the region as a result of easyJet's decision to open up six new routes from Newcastle Airport. New trade links are expected to be forged through the airline's choice
Willington Brewer's Droop A emphasised their top spot when they visited Sunnybrow Brown Trout and only dropped two points. The home side's point came in the singles where Davey Blackburn and lee Blackburn won. The Brewer's singles winners were Tony Atkinson
THE design of a proposed extra care home, described by one district councillor as more MFI than PFI, nevertheless received approval from Durham County Council planning committee on Wednesday. The scheme for the Stoneleigh site at Barnard Castle was submitted
JUST four games went ahead last week as the winter weather took a grip of the league's fixture programme. A brave, battling performance by Eldon Lane wasn't enough to hold high-flying Old Shildon, who ran out 3-1 victors thanks to two goals in the last
THE national producer group Express Milk Partnership has voted in favour of a new milk supply contract with Express Dairies. At an extraordinary general meeting at the National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh, EMP members recorded overwhelming support
Spennymoor have signed keeper Garth McNarey for tomorrow's home game with Leek Town. Moors are without keeper Adrian Swan, who was one of three players dismissed in the controversial 7-4 defeat at Radcliffe Borough a fortnight ago. But Tow Law manager
BARACOUDA'S dominance of the three-mile hurdling division looks all set to continue this afternoon in the £60,000 Cantor Sport Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. Francois Doumen's Gallic star has won the valuable three-mile-and-one-furlong contest for the past
SUE Dent, riding John Baird's Thornton, won the winter dressage league at the Yorkshire Riding Centre's show on December 1. She accrued a total of 30 points from the four shows held throughout the autumn to finish in first place. She was chased hard by
THE fact that the Government's 10-year transport plan didn't really get out of the starting blocks was hardly surprising. John Prescott's original proposals were a strange mix of good intentions and pie-in-the-sky idealism. At its heart, seemingly, was
Senior Men (11.3K): 1 M Openshaw (Birchfield) 36.47; 2 M Morris (Morpeth) 37.25; 3 R Hand (Durham City) 37.31; 4 M Hood (Sunderland) 37.38; 5 T Wall (Morp) 37.49; 6 C Sampson (Morp) 37.58; 7 D Wardle (London Irish) 38.15; 8 T Field (Sund) 38.25; 9 D Swinburne
A SPECIAL, month-long promotion of Swaledale lamb is to be officially launched by William Hague, MP for Richmond. The campaign was the idea of local farmer David Greenwood who had no trouble in persuading a local supermarket and several hotels and pubs
Jonathan Crossling, of Hillside Avenue, Grove Hill, Middlesbrough, has been remanded in custody until Monday by Teesside magistrates charged with the murder of Kalvant Singh. The 37-year-old was extradited from Spain. Thomas Petch and George Coleman were
Paul Newton has been appointed the first director of learning disability services for the Tees and North-East Yorkshire NHS Trust. The post has been created to help develop specialist learning disability services.
NO one pretends Saddam Hussein is a nice man. There will scarcely be a nation anywhere in the world that will not rejoice when his evil, despotic and barbaric regime is toppled. That said we should all have to live by the rule of international law. War
CHERIE BLAIR yesterday made her first visit to the region since controversy over her involvement with a convicted fraudster erupted. The Prime Minister's wife, who broke down in tears last week as she defended her role in allowing Peter Foster to buy
Saddam Hussein has his "finger on the trigger" of war, the Foreign Secretary warned last night. Iraq's failure to come clean about its weapons programmes was a "material breach" of United Nations demands, said Jack Straw. Any hitch in weapons inspections
THE growing status of the region as a centre for research into Alzheimer's disease has been strengthened by a major grant. The Alzheimer's Research Trust, the leading UK charity in its field, is providing Newcastle University with an £80,000 DNA analyser
A MAN was found guilty last night of the murder of a father-of-six. Mark Anthony Richardson, 39, was at home in Stockton looking after some of his children on April 21 when a local teenager burst in trying to escape from two men. Mr Richardson went outside
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an incident which resulted in three soccer stars being locked in cells for 20 hours. Celtic stars Johan Mjallby, Joos Valgaeren and Bobby Petta were arrested during a Christmas night-out. Club skipper Neil Lennon
CHILDREN at Darlington Memorial Hospital got into the festive spirit yesterday with a visit from the stars of a pantomime. Snow White, Sooty and some of Snow White's dwarfs and dancers visited the hospital children's ward to brighten the day for the poorly
THE first of 25,000 homes in east Cleveland to benefit from a £12m upgrading scheme should be improved by Christmas. The Redcar and Cleveland Warm Zone project, backed by the Government and energy company Transco, was set up after the success of a similar
A FAMILIAR figure will be missing from outside a County Durham primary school when classes begin next month. For long-serving crossing patrol lady Lilian Phillips has called it a day after just over 30 years helping pupils safely across the road to school
A MAN who ran 100 metres to launch an attack on two strangers was warned by a court yesterday that he could be sent to prison. Steven Kniveton could remember nothing about the incident, which took place in the early hours of July 4 in the centre of Ripon
STEVE McCLAREN last night revealed he does not expect to add to his Middlesbrough squad when the transfer window opens in the new year, writes Paul Fraser. The Boro boss is understood to have been scouring the transfer market in a bid to bring in a striker
BARRACKS at the British Army's biggest European base are included in the first phase of a £1bn upgrade announced by the Ministry of Defence. Whitehall confirmed yesterday that the Birmingham-based Debut consortium has won the contract for Project Slam
Sandal 27 V Darlington U13's 5 It would be easy to blame this defeat on the awful conditions at the Wakefield ground. Playing up the slope in the first half Darlington failed to cross halfway. They did however manage to keep Sandal out for over 20 minutes
The annual North-East cross country championships took place at Chester-le-Street on Saturday, December 14. Senior men: first home for Harriers Martin Grainger, 35th in 41.38; Simon Rutherford 59th in 43.06; Nigel Orr 53rd, 42.22, Ron Reed 77th, 45.02
Bus services operated by Go North-East will run as usual on Christmas Eve until 7pm. There will be no buses on Christmas Day and Boxing Day but a Saturday service will operate next Friday. For details, call 0870 6082608 between 7am and 8pm.
A DARLINGTON charity received a Christmas boost when it was presented with a cheque for £500 and ten 15lb turkeys. Twenty-seven employees of Newton Aycliffe shower cubicle manufacturer Roman gave up their company Christmas gift of a turkey and donated
Police have appealed for witnesses following a suspected arson attack on a house in Thirlmoor, Blackfell, Washington, Wearside, at midnight on Wednesday. The fire was extinguished after it was reported by someone returning home from work. Serious damage
A COUNCIL'S private sector partner has received maximum points in an independent performance review. HBS runs the revenues and benefits service for Middlesbrough Council which has been classed as "excellent'' by the Audit Commission and awarded a four
THE former headboy of a prestigious school attacked a fellow pupil and sent her tumbling down the stairs because she was "too confident", she said outside court yesterday. Talented pupil Jonathon Noble, 18, was ordered to pay his victim £1,000 and serve
As the season approaches the half way mark it looks like the Snooker Club and Stateside are going to fight it out all the way till the end of the season with both teams on 115 points. Results: D.L.I. 6 Hare and Greyhound 7; Coxhoe W.M.C. 7 Three Horse
Department store chain Allders is being taken over in a £158m deal with retail veteran Terry Green. The group agreed a cash offer from Scarlett Retail, which is owned by property group Minerva, City firm Lehman Brothers and a management team comprising
NORTH Yorkshire Police Authority wants to hear the public's views to help them deliver better policing. A number of roadshows will be held throughout the county to discuss with people just how much they are prepared to pay through their council tax for
PARENTS in North Yorkshire have been reassured that the county's truancy rates are far below the national average. Unauthorised absence rates in the county's secondary schools stand at 0.5 per cent, and in primary schools, 0.2 per cent, against national
NEXUS has announced the festive operating schedule for the Tyne and Wear Metro, the Shields Ferry and additional bus services it operates. On Christmas Eve, a normal Metro service will run up to 6pm, and then hourly to all destinations until 11pm. There
A NEW book is on the shelves in Richmond, shedding more light on the market town's rich heritage. Ralf Waggett has penned a history of Richmond's guilds, including the Mercers, Grocers and Haberdashers. The book was launched at an evening reception at
VILLAGERS who stepped in to save their community centre are celebrating their fresh start with a Christmas event tomorrow. Until new volunteers came forward, the future looked bleak for the centre, which opened nearly 40 years ago in Toronto, near Bishop
BARNARD CASTLE. - Tues. Fwd: 70 store & breeding cattle & store Lambs. Char bulling hfr £490 D Smith; Lim in-calf hfr £430 WD Richardson. Feeding bulls. - Char: £585 D Smith; £425 JW&J Collin. Sim: £490 JJ Stubbs. Store steers. - Lim: £655
VINTAGE car enthusiasts have handed over £2,500 to the Butterwick Hospice at Bishop Auckland raised by the sale of rally diaries. Dennis and Iris Morgan, who live in Toronto, near Bishop Auckland, compile the diaries and sell them by mail order and to
A CUSTOM-built bike aimed at boosting a culture bid was unveiled yesterday. Mick Henry, the leader of Gateshead Council, and Newcastle City Council leader Tony Flynn tried out a prototype of the Tyne Bike on Gateshead's Millennium Bridge. Produced as
A SENIOR magistrate mourned the impending loss of Richmond's Magistrates Court yesterday as she presided over cases for the last time. JP Catherine Carr is retiring as chairman of the joint benches of Northallerton and Richmond magistrates after 23 years
MOVE OVER boys - girls' football has really arrived in Teesside. Thanks to a £54,000 sponsorship deal involving Coca-Cola and Government award scheme Sportsmatch, a three-year football development programme has been established at Middlesbrough Football
A CAR dealer has been denied permission to extend one of its branches. Reg Vardy wanted to expand its Peterlee branch, in Passfield Way, by adding six extra parking bays along the north-east side fronting on to Corby Grove. But local residents raised
Middlesbrough AC's Xmas event on the Middle Swale proved a 'real cracker' delivering 20 double figured bags on a day when 34 of the 50 competitors weighed in a total of 354.11.0 of fish, writes Jeff Herbert. RSPS Tek Neek Trabucco's Ian Robinson fished
NEXUS has announced the festive operating schedule for the Tyne and Wear Metro, the Shields Ferry and additional bus services it operates. On Christmas Eve, a normal Metro service will run up to 6pm, and then hourly to all destinations until 11pm. There
Local Cricket Club, Murton Under 13s, will be stepping up to the crease next season, safe in the knowledge that their brand-new kit and equipment will bowl over the opposition in the Durham Coast league. npower, the energy and essential home services
A PARISH council has won its fight to create a children's play area in open countryside. North Yorkshire Police had expressed concerns about the playground and safety of youngsters using it because it would be on open land outside Langthorpe, near Boroughbridge
CALLS for up-market houses to be built in Kirkbymoorside have been made by one of the town's councillors. Former mayor Councillor Tony Clark told the town council that building affordable homes alongside expensive homes was not an attractive proposition
Artwork and poetry has been mounted on the front of a boarded-up Darlington shop to stop it being an eyesore. Developers and artists have joined forces to place "text art" - a combination of poetry and art - on the Dressers site, in High Row. The site
PEOPLE are being warned about a conman motorist who may have duped countless passers-by into giving him money. The man has approached people in Darlington town centre and surrounding villages claiming to have run out of petrol. He asks for money to buy
A TEAM which organises work placements for more than 5,000 youngsters a year in County Durham has been highly praised in an independent report. The work experience team at DBEE (The Education Business Partnership for County Durham) is responsible for
A 93-YEAR-OLD was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries after a man violently attacked her for her handbag. The woman was found by a motorist after she had been dragged into the road while attempting to keep hold of her belongings. North Yorkshire
PLANS to reintroduce trams on Tyneside and Wearside took a step closer yesterday after ten routes were approved by transport chiefs. Members of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority endorsed proposals from Metro operator Nexus to take Project
A SERVICE in Sedgefield borough which provides support to older people in times of crisis has been praised. The Sedgefield Home Assessment and Rehabilitation Partnership (Sharp) is a multi-agency service which has helped many people to remain at home.
A DURHAM ecologist has spoken of the dangers presented to the UK's native crayfish from a US invader. Damian Bubb, an ecologist with the University of Dur-ham spoke at the British Ecological Society's winter meeting at the University of York yesterday
RAIL passengers were last night urged to check before they travel ahead of the latest "costly and damaging" strike action by Arriva Trains Northern conductors. The company said it hoped again to be able to provide a robust service for customers during
A MAN thanked a jury yesterday after they found him not guilty of five sex abuse allegations made to teachers and the police by a schoolgirl. Neville Taggart, 35, of Lingfield Ash, Coulby Newham, who has two children, told the jury earlier that he was
POLICE are hoping to trace witnesses to help with an investigation into a fatal accident on one of Britain's most dangerous roads. A pedestrian was killed in a collision with a lorry on the A66, near the Sedbury layby, at about 5am yesterday. North Yorkshire
A GROUP of carvers from throughout the region has brought a touch of Christmas magic to a County Durham school. They presented High Coniscliffe CE Primary School with a lasting nativity scene, which will be handled and enjoyed by generations of young
MORE than 80 per cent of social services users in the County Durham area consider it excellent, according to a new report. But it also finds that work is needed to address some areas of provision described as "patchy". The joint review report by the Social
PLANS to use a phone mast to enhance emergency services have been rejected following residents' objections. BT Airwave applied to Easington District Council for permission to establish a public safety radio communications service to cover the area. Dedicated
A BUSINESS forum has been awarded funds to help it promote a rural area still recovering from the foot-and-mouth disease crisis. The Upper Teesdale Business Forum (UTBF), which represents businesses in Upper Teesdale, County Durham, has been awarded £12,500
Seven records were set in the North-East indoor athletics championships at Jarrow. Ruth Irving, who represented Scotland in the Commonwealth Games, broke the senior triple jump record with 12.64m and also won the long jump clearing 5.90 just five centimetres
EAST Cleveland should be back in Yorkshire, an Independent councillor is claiming. Coun Steve Kay feels Redcar and Cleveland has been plunged into an identity crisis through a "contemptuous denial of geographical and cultural facts". His comments came
A community leader has called on residents to back North-East home rule and move on from its Yorkshire heritage. David Walsh, Labour leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, made his plea after hearing calls to remove the phrase 'Tees Valley' from
DARLINGTON'S Giving Tree Appeal has broken all records with a grand total of £40,000 of gifts and cash being collected from across the borough. Organised by the council's social services, the appeal has involved more local businesses and schools than
A CLERK to the seventeenth-century almshouses at Kirkleatham has retired after 23 years. Allan Wordsworth, clerk to the trustees of the Sir William Turner Almshouses, which were established in 1676, served four chairmen. The former Tyneside social worker
Defender Matt Clarke is aiming to help bring some festive cheer to Darlington fans as the club looks to extend its unbeaten run to six games at home to Macclesfield tomorrow. Mick Tait's side could climb into the top half of the table with a win against
Michael Jewitt of Crook Jelly's Bar A maintained his unbeaten record of twelve wins from as many matches when he won at Crook Surtees but saw his team well beaten in the top match in the Second Division. Stephen Russ joined Michael as the only point scorers
HEALTH service managers have held talks with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to discuss the controversial closure of a maternity hospital. The 'useful and informative' meeting between the council and South Tees NHS Trust lasted for more than two
PLANS to set up a phased repair and maintenance programme for the Eston cemetery wall has won approval from residents. A public meeting in the James Finegan Hall was told that the £122,000 three-year programme was the favoured option. The council's deputy
Bishop Auckland & District CIU Winter Games Tindale Crescent made a good away victory at Horndale in the darts section to move up behind the leaders Cockton Hill. The visitors had wins from K. Spensley, who hit two 180's, A. Whaling, who hit one maximum
A coroner has advised parents not to bring their babies into bed with them, but is sleeping with your baby dangerous? Womens Editor Christen Pears reports. MANY parents eager for a good night's sleep will do anything to settle their baby, and the most
THERE'S a joke doing the rounds about Terry Venables walking into a building society, colliding with a plate glass door and knocking himself out. When he comes round he asks where he is and is told: "Don't worry, you're in the Nationwide," to which he
IN PARTNERSHIP with the energy company Greenergy, local farmer-controlled business Renewable Energy from Agriculture is to grow the first carbon-certified oilseed rape in the region. The crop will be used in the production of Greenergy Biodiesel, the
BUDGET airline easyJet yesterday unveiled six new routes out of Newcastle Airport, bringing eagerly-awaited cheap flights to travellers in the region. From April, a one-way flight to Alicante in Spain, will cost from as little as £27.50, including taxes
THE name of Constantine is already very well known in local rallying circles thanks to the success of BTRDA competitors Mark and Andrew in recent seasons. But now another member of the Richmond family is getting in on the act. Elder sister Nicky has recently
Richmond Town U9s travelled to Northallerton to play what was going to be a difficult game as illness had caused them to be only able to field six of their own players. In the first game Richmond went down 2-0 in the wet conditions. They then fought back
Billingham Bears kept up their English U16 North A League title challenge with a 7-1 victory over Whitley Tomahawks at Hillheads. Whitley got off to the better start and went ahead after only 92 seconds through Shaun Kippin. Returning to the side after
QUAKERS go into the busy Christmas period on a real high after last Saturday's battling 1-0 win at Hull City. The improvement under caretaker manager Mick Tait, who has lost only once in his nine games in charge, has lifted the gloom which enveloped Feethams
THE Home Office is to pay compensation to two former nursery workers wrongly accused of child abuse. The Home Secretary, David Blunkett, has exonerated Dawn Reed and Christopher Lillie of any criminal charges in a unique action based on their civil libel
ONE hundred and fifty organisations have united to oppose a European threat to smaller UK abattoirs and cutting plants. The proposal would allow full recovery from the industry of all meat inspection costs and make changes to the arrangements for disposal
RAY Mallon, the Mayor of Middlesbrough nicknamed Robocop when at Cleveland police, received political education from a veteran communist during his election campaign. He had weekly lessons during and after his election campaign with retired politics lecturer
COMRADES Club B team are heading closer and closer to the title. Comrades are now three points clear after a comfortable 7-1 win over Barton's Half Moon, who are still struggling at second from bottom in the League table. Second placed Bay Horse - of
Worthington C.I.U. Singles Snooker Final The delayed final took place at a attentive, knowledgeable crowded New Durham Club, where Dave Walker of Wheatley Hill met Jimmy Evans of Shotton Palms in a best of five frames match controlled by referee, Alan
Hambleton Ales North Yorkshire Cup Holders Harrogate Squash are through to the semi-finals after beating Northallerton 3-2 away in the Hambleton Ales North Yorkshire Cup. Harrogate were just too strong for their rivals, although Northallerton's Steve
Cup ties in any sport, not just basketball, are all about underdogs biting and beating more fancied teams. This week's semi-final round of the Division One Cup was no exception as Belmont Reds produced a massive upset and a 71-62 victory as they dumped
THE opening times for the Redcar and Cleveland Register Office at 88 Westgate, Guisborough during the holiday period are: Monday, December 23, 9am-4pm; Tuesday, December 24, 9am-12.30pm; Christmas Day and Boxing Day the office will be closed; Friday,
TOWNSPEOPLE awoke last Friday to find vandals had sawed down the community's Christmas tree in the middle of the night. But the people of Saltburn had the last laugh when workmen simply erected it again - albeit six feet shorter. Police were planning
THE Council for National Parks (CNP) has condemned the targeting of the North York Moors National Park for a vast new United States missile defence system in a document published by the Ministry of Defence last week. "This is the clearest sign yet that
ARCHAEOLOGISTS are battling time and tide to examine a sunken collier ship exposed on a North-East beach for the first time in seven years. The 18th Century vessel, almost identical to the famous Endeavour that Captain Cook used to circumnavigate the
Sir, - I was astonished to read (D&S, Dec 13) that the Yorkshire Dales National Park planning committee had narrowly reversed their previous decision, which had been in favour by 17 to 3, to grant planning permission to James Spensley. He had applied
Seniors A quiet period for the members with only the elderly members in competitive action week by week with the results of two competitions to report. Stableford No 1 Although the course is shortened at this time of year the elderly still perform well
Shildon RC On December 9 several club athletes were on school duty at the Durham Central Schools Cross Country held at Durham Rugby ground. Richard Turner and Gemma Brown both better known for their track performances both qualified for the Counties at
ELDERLY tenants of flats in Masham have been assured they will be compensated for paying extra to keep warm while a local authority struggled to find a spare part for repairs to the ageing heating system. Questions are being asked about the 31-year-old
I must admit my initial reaction was one of horror on hearing the news that 5,000 hedgehogs are to be culled in the Outer Hebrides. I have a soft spot for our prickly friends and as a police officer have intervened twice to try and help them. Once I activated
Worthington Durham County CIU Winter Snooker League Spennymoor A went down to their first defeat of the season when they were beaten in the decider at home against fellow championship challengers, Wheatley Hill A. Jack Wright and Ronnie Peacock put the
Another year of sporting highs and lows closes for the Backtrack column. There have been abundant pleasures and far too many sadnesses, an awful lot of miles, a few hours round the 5s and 3s board and more sportsmen's dinners than can be good for any
Durham City Ladies were knocked out of the League Cup by a young Newcastle Development Team 1-0 in wintry conditions. City, the more experienced team, piled on the pressure in the first half but could not get the ball over the goal line. Mel Jones went
I must admit my initial reaction was one of horror on hearing the news that 5,000 hedgehogs are to be culled in the Outer Hebrides. I have a soft spot for our prickly friends and as a police officer have intervened twice to try and help them. Once I activated
BROTHER and sister Tim Nobbs and Joanne Wilson have an almost certainly unique Christmas gift - a walk in the North Yorkshire countryside with a Harris hawk. The hawk is one of the many birds they look after at their property in Northallerton following
POLICE in East Cleveland seized their 250th vehicle as part of a road-tax dodgers campaign, Operation Cubit. The operation has been running several days a month since it began in May. Sergeant Mike Cane, from Eston Police Neighbourhood Task Group, said
IMAGINE having someone lovingly apply mud to your body, gusts of sweet-smelling steam enveloping you, then a torrent of warm rain washing away your cares. It may sound like the stuff of fantasies, but in fact, this is one of the treatments being offered
From this newspaper 100 years ago. - Richmond Guardians: It was decided to give 1s to each adult and 6d to each child on the relief list during Christmas week, and also to make the extra allowances asked for by other Unions. It was also decided to give
FIVE years ago it was hailed as the biggest day in the club's history when Horden entertained Dudley Kingswinford in the fifth round of the Intermediate Cup. Tomorrow they play host to Bradford and Bingley at the same stage and chairman John Groves says
Division 1 : In Week 11 Redcar Lakes A regained second place in the league after whitewashing their C team by 6-0. First to the table was Gary Beckett drawn to play Paul Humphrey. Beckett beat Humphrey in both of his games with scores of 76 - 10 and 73
Spraire Lasses V Hartlepool St Francis Spraire Lasses U12s put last week's cup defeat to Sunderland behind them as they cruised to an emphatic win against a much improved St Francis side. Spraire did not have it all their own way as St Francis moved the
In the Premier Division Ferryhill Greyhound stay top. They were held to a 0-0 draw by Seaton Delaval in a game which ended in a defensive battle with very few scoring chances. The Masons Arms turned in a vastly improved performance and were unlucky to
A BEAKER handed to a four-year-old boy to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 has returned to the North-East thanks to a former Mayor of Barnsley. Cath Evans, Barnsley's Mayor last year, officially returned the beaker, which was given to
Andy Hagon of Stranton Saints put them in the lead after five minutes with a header against St Aidan's Chapel Castington in the second leg of the Charity Shield semi-final. 1-1 after the first leg. Phil Glover square the match before half time. Paul Gough
Darlington and district League Division A Mixed: Wensleydale A beat Harrowgate Hill A 6-3, 13-6; Wensleydale A beat Ferryhill 9-0,18-2; Tudhoe Grange lost to Oakleaf A 2-7, 4-16; Larchfield A beat St. Teresa's A 6-3, 13-8; Harrowgate Hill A beat Richmond
Rohm and Haas JUC Hetton Youth League Lumley produced one of their best performances of the season when they met Sacriston in the league's Subsidiary Cup. The Cestrians scored five times in each half as they romped to a 10-1 victory over their visitors
A NEW Vale of Mowbray pie factory could be up and running at Leeming Bar before the end of next year after plans were approved by Hambleton councillors yesterday. The 134-year-old former brewery buildings which previously housed the factory in Leases
The League has three clubs, Coxhoe Athletic, Brandon Station and Sporting Club Sunderland going into the semi-final draw of The Durham County Trophy alongside Teeside Arriva from the South Cleveland League. Sporting Club Sunderland notched up a superbly
Crook Town have had three points deducted on a technicality - and that could bring about a change in the league's rules. Alan Barratt came on as a substitute in a recent game, but hadn't been named on the official teamsheet which is handed to the match
The week's action in The Northern Echo Darlington Sunday Invitation League was scheduled to contain the first round proper of the Northern Echo League Cup. However, following the awful weather conditions only six of the 16 scheduled first round games
Bishop Auckland Green Tree hosted Bishop Auckland Derby this week hoping to turn around last week's 10-3 defeat. However, it was the visitors who got off to the best start when David Brassell, Stuart Milne and Gary Dixon won the opening three games. Tony
FESTIVE fare is in abundance at Wetherby's traditional two-day Christmas meeting on Boxing Day and Friday. With record prize money of £153,000 on offer, the prestigious meeting is sure to attract several of the country's top horses as preparations are
Sir, - On Monday MPs debated the Hunting Bill and a major issue seems to be the perceived cruelty to particular animals. Attitudes to cruelty towards animals are very subjective. It is deemed to be cruel to hunt or course hares, but not rabbits. How many
HANNAH Chissick will take over the artistic reins of Harrogate Theatre following the departure of current director Rob Swain in February. Previously associate director at Derby Playhouse, Ms Chissick has directed a wide variety of plays, from pantomime
Tow Law Area League: Tow Law New Market B slipped from the top spot for the first time for months after they were beaten by three points by the visiting Esh McKennas. The home side only managed singles wins from Doris Elsbury and Phil Spencer, whilst
PLANS to re-open the Guisborough railway line, reintroduce passenger services on a Cleveland-County Durham-Tyneside freight line and create a Cleveland light rail network were endorsed in a Government Office report this week. The Government Office for
THE British Potato Council has designed an early warning system to combat the threat of blight. The web-based system will inform growers of potato blight infection in their immediate area, but the BPC needs growers to become "blight scouts". In return
NEWCASTLE United footballer Clarence Acuna will appear before city magistrates next week on a drink-driving charge. The club's South American player was stopped by police while at the wheel of his Mercedes car in City Road, Newcastle, on Monday night.
NEWCASTLE United footballer Clarence Acuna will appear before city magistrates next week on a drink-driving charge. The club's South American player was stopped by police while at the wheel of his Mercedes car in City Road, Newcastle, on Monday night.
Jonathan Crossling, of Hillside Avenue, Grove Hill, Middlesbrough, has been remanded in custody until Monday by Teesside magistrates charged with the murder of Kalvant Singh. The 37-year-old was extradited from Spain. Thomas Petch and George Coleman were
A MAN who tried to drive home while three times over the drink-drive limit died when his car crashed, an inquest heard yesterday. Jason Parker, 32, from Bewick Main, Kibblesworth, near Gateshead, had been driving from a pub at 3am on Saturday, May 18,
A BRIDE'S wedding day was ruined when her father threw a pot of ink over her white dress in protest at her marrying her sweetheart. Her wedding to Mehget Galin Doygun should have been the happiest day of Fiona Braidwood's life. But her father, Trevor,
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an incident which resulted in three soccer stars being locked in cells for 20 hours. Celtic stars Johan Mjallby, Joos Valgaeren and Bobby Petta were arrested during a Christmas night-out. Club skipper Neil Lennon
DIVISION ONE: Grangetown BC 5, New Marske SC 1 Grangetown Boys Club were shocked by visitors New Marske Sports Club, when Gary Bickerstaff gave the visitors an early lead. The Boys Club drew level through Ian McGowan, and then took a 3-1 lead into half
BABY Kenneth Carr has battled back from meningitis to celebrate his first Christmas - four years after the disease killed his brother. When nine-month-old Kenneth was rushed into hospital, it looked as though fate had again delivered his mother, Andrea
A PUB chain last night defended its right to serve exotic animal steaks. Animal rights protestors have demonstrated against the sale of kangaroo burgers and kangaroo and crocodile fillets at Middlesbrough's new Australian Walkabout pub. Animal Aid's Diane
AN accountanCY firm says donating money to charity this Christmas could save taxpayers' money. Clive Owen and Co, based in Darlington, is reminding people that the Inland Revenue is giving back 28p on every £1 donated to charities provided they are UK
THE future of Teesside's chemical industry came under the spotlight during top-level talks between local MPs, business leaders and the Government. Tees Valley chemical firms want to know the outcome of a Department of Trade and Industry report into the
KINGDOM HEARTS Publisher: SCEE. Format: PS2. £39.99 CHRISTMAS is almost upon us and what would the traditional Yuletide celebration be without a good old Walt Disney romp? Except now you don't have to sit back and let yet another re-run of Dumbo wash
A MOTORIST who rammed a police car twice in an effort to escape was jailed for 15 months yesterday. Released prisoner John Robert Hindmarsh also drove across a roundabout to avoid a police stinger mat, designed to puncture tyres. An officer in the rammed
AT least one group of hospital patients will take their medicine without complaint at the weekend when teddy bears help their owners lose their fear of a trip to casualty. Nurses at the new £67m Bishop Auckland General Hospital are holding a Well Teddy
JOHN Scouler is back home for Christmas after surviving being hit by a train. The 110mph InterCity 125 knocked him off his feet on the main line between Newcastle and Edinburgh. Mr Scouler, from Dudley, North Tyneside, was walking his dog over a footpath
AS the festive season gets under way, North Yorkshire Police officers are urging people to shop anyone they know drink-driving on the county's roads. The appeal comes as the force launches random checks on cars travelling in the region, with officers
Like a giant golden crown, a four-tonne brazier is gracing the skyline at one of the nation's favourite stately homes. The remarkable ornamental Grecian brazier is the centrepiece of work to restore the historic Seventh Earl of Carlisle Monument that
A FERRYHILL student has won an award for overcoming his health problems. Patrick Adams, 16, a year 11 student at Ferryhill School, has won an Outstanding certificate given by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award For Young People. The awards are
A CHEMICAL company has been fined £20,000 for failing to ensure the safety of its workers. Plastics manufacturer BASF was yesterday fined the maximum amount that magistrates could impose after admitting that "it did not take all reasonably practicable
POLICE are investigating a spate of attacks within hours in the same town. They believe the robberies of two elderly women on Wednesday night in Eston may be linked. In the first incident, in Jubilee Road, an 81-year-old woman suffered injuries to a hip
REFURBISHING a Yarm children's playground to the standard recommended by a health-and-safety organisation could cost up to £20,000. But Yarm Town Council, which hopes to improve recreation facilities across the town, is unhappy about the cost and is searching
ANOTHER man has been arrested over a race attack on pizza shop staff last Saturday night. The man, believed to be from the Stanley area in County Durham, was arrested on Wednesday night and questioned before being released on bail. Three men, the Algerian
A TEDDY bear has broken an auction house's record by fetching £7,500. The toy, which was made by the German manufacturer Steiff, was recently sold at the specialist auction house Vectis, in Thornaby, Teesside. Made in 1919, it was part of an experiment
A delegation of educationalists from China has visited the North-East for an expert view on how vocational education works in Britain. The delegation, from the Chongqing region of China, has been impressed with the way the North-East's industry and education
A HOUSING group has received Government cash to help people who cannot afford a mortgage to buy their own home. Under the scheme, the Nomad Housing Group can provide people in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear with a loan equivalent to 25 per cent of the
A FORMER soldier, who confronted his love rival brandishing a sword and a kitchen knife, was spared jail yesterday. Richmond magistrates were told 23-year-old Duncan Fisher was top of his class at the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick Garrison and
THE Quads succeeded at Cheltenham in the Sporting Index Cross-Country Chase when David Russell rode a patient, waiting race until the last before driving Ferdy Murphy's runner to a ten-lengths win. The trainer said that The Quads was like a lot of older
A CAR dealer has been denied permission to extend one of its branches. Reg Vardy wanted to expand its Peterlee branch, in Passfield Way, by adding six extra parking bays along the north-east side fronting on to Corby Grove. But local residents raised
A firm which takes its name from one of the all-time cult movies, Get Carter, has relocated to the town where the film was shot. Get Carter Productions was originally based in Consett, County Durham but, using support from the local council, has decided
The all-singing, all-dancing vampire show THERE was a time when American TV series were derided by snobby Brits as formulaic and unimaginative. How things have changed, with series such as The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and ER demonstrating that US programmes
A CAR dealer has been denied permission to extend one of its branches. Reg Vardy wanted to expand its Peterlee branch, in Passfield Way, by adding six extra parking bays along the north-east side fronting on to Corby Grove. But local residents raised
THE Edgehill estate in Scarborough, where 250 council houses have been demolished to make way for a development, now has a community centre. Opening the Falsgrave Centre, Mayor Sheila Kettlewell said the scheme would be a major asset to the Falsgrave
PUPILS of all ages at Polam Hall School in Darlington have taken to the stage. The school's nursery children performed their nativity play at the junior school carol service in the Liddiard Theatre. Headteacher Angela Foster said: "The girls and boys
FIVE children's play areas are being installed in Darlington. The borough council has been trying to improve provisions for children in the town, following criticism in an Audit Commission report. The areas are at Red Hall, Eastbourne Sports Complex,
STAFF who lost their jobs at a trailer manufacturing firm have won an industrial tribunal payout running into tens of thousands of pounds. About 70 workers at Utility International, formerly York Trailers, of Northallerton, North Yorkshire, were made
VILLAGERS who stepped in to save their community centre are celebrating their fresh start with a Christmas event tomorrow. Until fresh volunteers came forward, the future looked bleak for the centre, which opened nearly 40 years ago in Toronto, near Bishop
Fair meeting: A meeting has been arranged with resident Mrs Blyth, who had raised, by letter, a number of issues regarding travellers' horses and activities related to the fair. Councillor Porter told the meeting that an original agreement stated that
THREE North Yorkshire students have raced through to the London final of a design competition with their model jet car. The trio, from Northallerton College - Daniel Tucker, 14, James Baker, 15, and Peter Smith, 14, - designed and built their drag-racer
PLANS to set up a phased repair and maintenance programme for the Eston cemetery wall has won approval from residents. A public meeting in the James Finegan Hall was told that the £122,000 three-year programme was the favoured option. The council's deputy
HISTORIC Buildings Conservation has been given permission to convert the Grade-II listed New Maltings building in Langthorpe, near Boroughbridge, into 25 flats and two townhouses. The former brewery building was constructed in 1904 and has been empty
Shopworkers have been issued with advice on how to stay safe at work during the Christmas shopping spree by retail union Usdaw. Information packs have been sent to representatives in the region as part of the union's Freedom from Fear campaign, which
POLICE have urged the public to play their part in helping to reduce burglaries in the Sedgefield borough. The number of houses being burgled has continued to fall since the launch of the borough-wide Operation Lancelot initiative in November. Offences
An ailing technology company has won a contract to supply solenoids to printer specialists Hewlett Packard. Mechetronics, in St Helen Auckland, County Durham, will work with a sister company in China to produce 30,000 solenoids a month for the HP Business
Centre Stage amateur dramatics club will present Dick Whittington and his Cat at the Civic Centre, Shildon, from January 16 to 19. The show will start at 7pm, with matinee shows at 2pm on Saturday, January 18, and 3pm on Sunday January 19. Tickets for
MOUTHWATERING meals created from local produce were cooked by a top chef in Durham Market Place yesterday. The aim of the demonstration was to show people innovative ways of cooking at Christmas using local produce such as venison, turkey and fresh vegetables
AN alert teenager helped track down the man who burgled her grandmother's home, a court was told yesterday. The day after the raid at a house in Hartlepool, Diane Hope, 16, dialled the number of the stolen mobile phone belonging to her grandmother, Rose
A further 40 jobs could be brought to Teesside following the management buyout of an environmental consultancy firm. Encia Group, which provides remediation and demolition services to brownfield site developers, plans to upgrade its Middlesbrough office
THE chairman of the independent inquiry into the Richard Neale scandal has made a third appeal for witnesses to come forward. The plea follows an informal meeting in York earlier this month. Because the inquiry is being boycotted by many former patients
AN artist has been commissioned to craft a piece of artwork which will put a new shopping centre on the map. Andy Scott, from Glasgow, has the task of designing a creation of "national importance" that will define the new Dalton Park outlet at Murton,
ELEVEN North-East councils are to hold all-postal ballots in next May's local authority elections. Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford said they would be pilot schemes in making elections "more relevant, straightforward and accessible for voters"
A BLIND date has led not just to a romance but also to a new business partnership for a County Durham couple - a dog grooming salon called K9 Klassy Kuts. Pam Watson and Les Elders of Sadberge boarding kennels in Middleton Lane met when a friend found
Durham City ASC under-15 boys and girls mixed water polo team finished second overall to champions Sedgefield District in the Northumberland & Durham Counties championship, played at Catterick Garrison last Sunday. In their first game, City defeated
The antibiotic drugs we've taken for granted for so long will soon fail us, according to experts, leaving superbugs to create havoc. Barry Nelson reports on desperate efforts centred on the North-East to find new ways to kill potentially deadly bacteria
Sir, - I write to approve and applaud your leading article, Village view (D&S, Dec 13). When it comes to people issues and major lifemaking plans, villagers are the last to know, as it has long been apparent that the word consultation appears not
Now making a comback 20 years after being driven to the brink of extinction, otters are not only making their homes in the country, but are colonising our towns and cities as well. Nick Morrison goes on their elusive trail. IT'S just after seven on a
SCIENTISTS may have only a few years to beat the deadly menace of drug-resistant superbugs, the region's new professor of infectious diseases warned last night. Professor Adrian Walmsley believes that a new generation of antibiotic drugs must be developed
DESPITE the continuous heavy rain, Consett Motor Club managed to run their Toby Jug trophy trial at Oxenlaw Valley Farm, Castleside on Sunday. Open to all classes, a massive entry of 142 riders took part, riding three laps of a 3-mile course of 12 sections
North Riding Challenge Cup Lingdale Tavern 5 v 3 North Skelton Bulls Head Both teams started well with Lingdale, after a three week lay off, opening the scoring when Wright met a Downing corner to head home. Breckon made it two. Bulls Head battled well
