A hamlet plagued by flooding is due to get defences. The community of Castley, near Harrogate, which is made up of a cluster of homes and farms alongside the River Wharfe, near the Leeds-Harrogate-York rail line, could soon receive a £500,000 scheme to
POLICE have released an e-fit of a man wanted in connection with an attempted abduction in Sunderland in last week. A 14-year-old boy chased off the man trying to abduct two six-year-old boys at about 7pm on Friday. The man was carrying one child and
DETECTIVES have ruled out allegations that six men arrested in an anti-terrorist swoop had been involved in buying explosives. It is believed an anonymous tip-off to police about the equipment sparked the investigation into the six suspects, arrested
A FORMER nursery worker yesterday denied threatening young children in his care - including a claim that he told a boy he would lock him in a lift until he was dead. Christopher Lillie denied further suggestions that he threatened the children so they
NEWCASTLE City Council last night announced the appointment of Ian Stratford as its new chief executive. Born and educated in the North-East, Mr Stratford is deputy chief executive with Thurrock Council, in Essex - a similar-sized authority to Newcastle
WHAT is arguably Stanley's most distinctive building faces its final curtain call today as part of an £865,000 re-development. The Pavilion Cinema, for half a century at the heart the town's entertainment scene, is to be demolished to make way for a Co-op
YOU could have knocked John Jones down with a feather when he discovered someone had stolen the doors to a mortuary last week. And the service manager responsible for cemeteries was described as 'astounded' to be re-united with two 19th Century mortuary
AIR services group Alpha Airports, which has operations at Newcastle and Teesside airports, has cut 923 jobs in response to the post-September 11 travel slump. The job cuts represent about 15 per cent of its staff. Most have been in its UK flight services
A PROFESSIONAL fundraiser has been appointed to help Guisborough update its swimming pool. Joe Cole runs his business, Natural Partners, from his home town of Redcar but helps groups all over the country to find cash for community projects. Now he is
GIRLS' rugby has really taken off in Darlington and on Sunday the town's under-16 teams met for the first time at Blackwell Meadows, Mowden Park beating Darlington 39-19 in an entertaining and hard-fought match. In the opening minutes superb team play
GOVERNMENT ministers and officials have a fundamental lack of understanding of rural issues, says Vale of York MP Miss Anne McIntosh. "It is not so much a north-south divide, but a rural-urban divide," she told a packed meeting of farmers in Thirsk. In
PICK a card, any card - Merle Smart will have one for every occasion and, if she hasn't, she'll make one especially for you. All Merle's SmartCards are hand made, either in Merle's shop in Yarm, or as she sits alongside her barrow in Darlington's Cornmill
THREE martial arts students have risen in rank following an arduous promotion test. Quantity surveyor Andrew Young, teacher Kevin Creaghan and Durham University research doctor Richard Thompson had to demonstrate throwing, striking and arm locking methods
Letters from The Northern Echo HEALTH SERVICES THERE are so many bad reports regarding hospital and NHS services in this country. I worked for the NHS from 1948 until 1990, having had periods of leave in between. As I look back, I have no complaints regarding
JUST over two months to go before I hit 40 and, to be frank, I'm already feeling past it and surplus to requirements. "Could you move out of the way?" my wife asked the other day as I stood, minding my own business, in the kitchen. "Why?" I asked. "You're
Durham and Northumberland RFUC 55 Newton Aycliffe RFC 3 On a bitterly cold afternoon with a gale force wind sweeping down the field, Bishop Auckland's 1st XV continued recent run of excellent results as they showed too much class for a makeshift Aycliffe
HAVE you ever dreamed of owning a racehorse but thought you couldn't afford to join the rich and famous? The Northern Echo is offering a cost-effective opportunity to get involved in the Sport of Kings. Shares are available in a bay filly called Local
Cleveland Billiards & Snooker League Sponsored by Bass Brewers Division 1 Match of the week in the First Division was between Carlin How 'A' team who were playing hosts to New Marske's A. Andrew Shelley got the home team off to a great start when
IN the distant past, this was the day when the Christmas decorations were taken down and I think this might have been a relic of an old pagan custom associated with today's celebrations. At the time of the Celts, today was known as Imbolc but its impact
THREE young athletes from the same Guisborough school won races at the recent Cleveland schools cross-country championships. David Lamb, Scott Dixon and Steven Pogue, all from hosts Laurence Jackson school, were individual winners at the championships
A YOUNG mother has realised her ambition of setting up a purpose-built yard for full livery on the farm previously run by her parents. She believes it is one of the few livery-only yards in the area. Elizabeth North (ne Cooper), 25, and her husband, Charles
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren last night revealed he is in no rush to splash out on a striker after the breakdown of Dwight Yorke's move to the club. McClaren, who has spent a couple of days this week on a European scouting mission, has had to
From this newspaper 100 years ago. A lady friend was put into a comfortless end-carriage of a crowded night train, to travel 400 miles to the South West of England. The North Eastern Railway carriage was dark and cold, such as one might see in an out-of-the-way
FAMILIES heard tales of fierce beasts and brave warriors when the first of three Viking storytimes was held at Kirkleatham Museum, Redcar, last weekend. Freelance storyteller Tanya Bentham of Redcar transformed into Sif the Storyteller, in Viking costume
A GROUP dedicated to finding community placements for young people will celebrate its success at an awards ceremony next month. Millennium Volunteers, which recruits people between 16 to 24 to help at charities, schools, day care centres and other groups
HUNDREDS of children and teenagers in Great Ayton could lose their only youth club if parents are unable to find a new venue following redevelopment of the Methodist hall. Parents who volunteer at the club have called for a purpose-built community centre
WORK on a new sports and activity centre for east Cleveland could start by the end of the year. The Hollybush Activity Centre in Skelton has been approved by Sport England following a seven-year campaign by local people. The centre aims to improve the
A NEW police-approved weapon is about to make life harder for burglars in one corner of County Durham. Homes in Derwentside are to be the first in the region, and among the first in the country, to be fitted with new "burglar proof" windows and doors.
A MAN appeared in court yesterday accused of taking part in a raid on a travel agents office. Stephen Walton, 34, is charged with robbery at Callers Pegasus, in Consett, County Durham, last Tuesday, involving £25,000 worth of foreign currency, travellers
MOTORCYCLES and four-wheel-drive vehicles could face new access restrictions on historic green lanes in the Yorkshire Dales this summer. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority this week supported plans for experimental traffic regulation orders,
EUROPE'S biggest British Army garrison could be poised to expand its civilian population. Councillors will decided if they should rubber-stamp a draft infrastructure plan for a new community on the eastern edge of Catterick Garrison on Tuesday. If they
AN Army signaller from County Durham and her boyfriend are taking part in an operation to attract more recruits. Emma Jones, 22, from Shildon, has returned from Germany with her boyfriend, Corporal Anthony Dawson, 24, from Manchester, to take part in
IT should not need to be spelled out that punching someone in the face, with the intent of knocking them out, is a highly dangerous thing to do. Anyone who does it should be aware that they risk seriously injuring - or even killing - their victim. Alfred
PLANS have been submitted to build an office for the headteacher and alterations to the staff room, at Abbey Infants School, Darlington. Headteacher Elaine McCue said since the school was built in the 1960s, the number of pupils attending has increased
EGGLESCLIFFE School was visited by a government education minister yesterday for the launch of a potentially controversial national students' reward card. Minister for Young People and Learning Ivan Lewis promoted the first phase of the Connexions card
A HEARING impaired group has been helping to bring stories to life for children. Bishop Auckland Hard of Hearing Society members have been knitting fairytale figures to illustrate stories. Sure Start Wear Valley, which seeks to give pre-school children
AN idea has been put forward to build a seaside town's long-awaited swimming pool as a nautical centre. A number of proposals for a new swimming pool in Redcar have been suggested by campaign group Grasp - Get Redcar A Swimming Pool - and now local photographer
THE chairman of a failed Darlington pensioners' group has come under fire following claims that its members had made an impact on local and national issues. Ken Brown, former secretary of the Darlington Older People's Forum - due to be disbanded and re-launched
A FORMER County Durham barmaid celebrated her centenary yesterday. Frances Grady, of Flass Avenue, Ushaw Moor, near Durham, served for many years behind the bar at Ushaw Moor Workingmen's Club. Having long since retired, she celebrated her 100th birthday
Byer's Green - The under 11s got back to winning ways with a 4-3 win at City Of Durham. Durham took an early but Byer's soon equalised though Condron. Then Byer's took the lead after Peart beat the Durham defence with his speed putting Suddes through
YOUNG music hopefuls have gathered at Darlington College of Technology to show off their talents to a panel of judges, Pop Idol-style. Seven students studying for the basic level VCE qualification performed for course tutor Andrew Meadowcroft and his
AN internal investigation is under way at Chester-le-Street District Council after allegations of misconduct were made against a senior member of the authority. A panel set up to investigate the allegations was due to report to the full council this week
THE mother of an 11-year-old girl who carried a potentially lethal weapon on a flight to Teesside last Friday has criticised security at Heathrow Airport. But the Teesdale woman, who did not wish to be named, was full of praise for staff at Teesside,
NEIGHBOURS and colleagues of the terrorist-link suspects arrested in the North-East are astounded such apparently normal, ordinary men could be accused of such offences. "He's a pleasant, affable man, not at all extremist," was one comment. "He is hard-working
A MAN who subjected a prostitute to a two-and-a-half hour sex ordeal in the back of his car was jailed for seven years yesterday. A jury at Teesside Crown Court took an hour and ten minutes to return a guilty verdict on Peter Thompson. Thompson, 20, of
JAMIE Carragher has my sympathy; Arsenal most definitely do not. In Carragher's position last Sunday how many of us can honestly say our first instinct would not have been to chuck the coin back at the cretin who propelled it in the first place? OK, there's
RELATIVES of a 90-year-old man who was battered to death have condemned the innocence claim of his killer. Wilf Mann was tied up, stamped on and had the handle of a bread knife rammed down his throat at his home in Ushaw Moor, Durham. Unemployed beggar
ONE of County Durham's best known law firms has branched out into new premises. Blackett Hart and Pratt Solicitors, which is the county's largest law firm, has moved the business from two of its three Durham city centre offices to a purpose-built 5,000sq
MOTORCYCLISTS caught racing through a County Durham beauty spot could have their vehicles confiscated, police have warned. According to PC Kevin Woodcock, the local beat officer for Hamsterley Forest and the surrounding villages, trail bikers have been
YARM gardener Gary Quirk began cultivating the town's new disabled people's allotment this week. He is optimistic about the plot's fertility because succulent vegetables have been grown in neighbouring allotments. The plot was specially designed with
HUNDREDS of schoolchildren are to take part in road safety lessons with a difference. Following a successful Government bid for Kerbcraft, Tracee Hall-Young has been appointed as the scheme's co-ordinator for three years. Her first aim is to recruit 30
A COLOURFUL former Guisborough mayor who has no television - because he hates most programmes apart from weather forecasts - keeps receiving licence reminders. Bob Hoggarth received the latest reminder last week - the first dropped through the letterbox
NEIGHBOURS and colleagues of the terrorist-link suspects arrested in the North-East are astounded such apparently normal, ordinary men could be accused of such offences. "He's a pleasant, affable man, not at all extremist," was one comment. "He is hard-working
Visitors to a famous bridge could soon have a new outlook on life, but they will have to go up in the world to enjoy it. Listed buildings watchdog English Heritage has raised no objection to the idea of installing a glass lift on Middlesbrough's 91-year-old
A REFUSE team saved the day for a Stokesley resident after her purse was thrown away with household rubbish. Alyson Clinkard discovered her purse, containing £100 in cash and £100 in vouchers, had been mistakenly thrown into the rubbish by a friend she
WAR VETERANS and their families in Chester-le-Street are facing up to another financial year as victims of a so-called post code lottery. Chester-le-Street District Council is one of just eight out of 445 authorities in England and Wales which do not
High levels affected match returns on the region's rivers but for the 6th and final round of the Yorkshire Winter League it was cancelled as the Ouse topped 8 foot making fishing impossible, writes JEFF HERBERT. The League is now complete and will be
PRIME Minister Tony Blair visited Crook last week where he opened a residential care unit for elderly people, which has been hailed as the future of care for the elderly and was built with public and private finance. During his tour of Southfield Lodge
A 12-YEAR-OLD girl was attacked by a man as she walked home. The girl was on a path in Coundon, County Durham, at 7pm on Wednesday, when the attack took place. Police are searching for the man, who is described as about 20 years old, 5ft 6in and clean
ON a bitterly cold day last February, Teesside was hit by the news that steel company Corus planned to shed 1,100 jobs from its plants at Redcar, Lackenby, Stockton and Hartlepool. However, one year on and the forecast is a lot better than first anticipated
Sir, - The primary schools of upper Wensleydale have recently completed their second Ofsted inspections and have each reported a largely positive experience. As an exercise in determining whether or not a school is successfully converting public funds
Once again, the school was lucky enough to visit the Pimpernel factory in Blackhill, Consett. All the staff there are always extremely welcoming to the pupils, and as such it is always a pleasure to go to visit them. Steve Pinkerton was the manager who
Shildon - A brilliant performance by the already crowned North Eastern Under-13 boys Cross Country Champions went one better at the North of England Cross Country Championships held at Allestree Derby on Saturday, January 26 to take the Shildon club to
Bedale & West of Yore PC. - Feb 9: Ceilidh, 7-11pm, Bedale Hall, anyone over 15 welcome, £10 per ticket, supper included, bar available, ring 01677 427216 for tickets. Bedale Hunt Supporters Club. - Feb 10: Rummage sale, Golden Fleece hotel, Thirsk
A DOCTORS' surgery which has served patients from the same building for more than 100 years is poised to move into a former night spot, the D&S Times can reveal. Doctors at Netherlaw Surgery on the corner of Stanhope Road and Abbey Road in Darlington
A HUGE mural inspired by youngsters at Middleton Tyas Junior School will come under close scrutiny today. Art foundation students at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington, are halfway through painting a colourful mural for the school's tiny playground
THE family of a North-East father-of-two, who died after he was punched as part of a sick "game", was last night waiting to see if his killer would face an extended prison sentence. Mature student Paul Simpson's mother, Barbara, said she remained hopeful
Reviews: Monsters Inc, Scare Island. Publisher: SCEE. Format: PSOne CD-ROM. Price: £29.99. REMEMBER when you were little and going to sleep was always a scary adventure? When the light went out you'd lie awake, the bedclothes pulled up to your face, straining
Maurice Fussey, a referee who may many times have cursed heredity's bad name, was due to take Newcastle v Liverpool on August 21, 1971 when, in the act of removing his bag from the luggage rack at Newcastle Central station, he damaged two vertebrae in
GRAND National winner Red Marauder was the star of the show at the recent Northern Rock North East Sports awards. The Aintree hero, winner of the performance of the year award, attended the event with jockey Richard Guest and assistant trainer Michael
GIVING away a few lengths by steering a wide passage is not such a bad idea at Wolverhampton where the sand seems to be a whole lot deeper against the inside rail. The smart players therefore keep well away from the inner, a ploy I expect to be adopted
A businessman's bid to keep the North-East Blue Circle cement plant open looks doomed. Angus Ward wants to buy the Eastgate Works in Weardale where 147 people face losing their jobs later this year. But its owners, the French conglomerate Lafarge, insist
ICI is close to selling its Synetix Catalyst business, it was revealed yesterday. The company announced the plans to sell the business, which employs 400 staff in Billingham, as well as 170 at a site in Lancashire, along with a rights issue aimed at reducing
LOVERS of pub puds could do no better than to look for their favourite food in the cosy inns of North Yorkshire. Two pubs within a few miles of each other are in the running for the title of best dessert menu in the UK. The Hare Inn, at Scawton, near
FORGET the confusion about whether or not fees running into hundreds of pounds would be incurred by residents who want to close their street for a jubilee street party in June. That may well have nothing to do with the tiny trickle of applications to
LOCAL pool player Peter Allison has pin-pointed exactly what he wants to achieve this season. Allison, from Darlington, embarks on his second full season on the Embassy International Pool Tournament today desperate to improve on his first stint. The 27
CONSETT has a vet's practice for the first time in 20 years, thanks to Silke Shanks and the Derwentside Industrial Development Agency (Dida). The Consett Veterinary Centre, has only been open for three months, but already has more than 500 clients on
PUPILS at a private school near Thirsk swapped school uniforms for costumes from the last 2000 years this week to raise cash for charity. Girls at Queen Mary's school, Baldersby Park, yesterday donned clothing from various eras including Roman togas,
A BT directory inquiries centre based in Durham City is due to close with the loss of 120 jobs. The Durham centre handling calls to the 192 service, is among five in England and Scotland being axed by the telecommunications firm. Its 120 staff, of whom
MORE than 1,200 children have been booked into a private health clinic charging £240 for a course of separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations. Direct Health 2000 of London has had no shortage of takers willing to pay £80 a time for three separate
Durham League _ The Men's Durham County Cup reached its third round this week, a round of games which produced several shocks as teams from lower divisions beat first division sides. The biggest upset gave division three underdogs, Durham Saints a 68-
RESIDENTS are to be offered the chance to comment on waste disposal plans at the first in a series of community events. People living in Byker, Newcastle, are invited to an event at Byker East End Pool, tomorrow, to look at a report produced by Ban Waste
A FRIENDS group has raised £287 for local hospitals through a coffee afternoon. The Friends of Durham Hospitals raised the sum at Durham Town Hall, on Saturday, January 19, as part of its ongoing support for Earls House Hospital, The County Hospital and
Sir, - In last week's D&S, you reported that the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is about to designate Muker and Gunnerside as conservation areas apparently against the wishes of residents and their elected bodies, the parish council. This
A storm has erupted over a ten per cent pay rise given to a rail boss in the day workers threatening to strike were offered a revised increase of just over three per cent. Metro chief Mike Parker's salary rises to £88,000 a year, including a 3.5 per cent
FITNESS fans are taking an ambitious approach to fighting the flab - by going global. Their Pickering gym has set up a mammoth round-the-world fitness challenge for them to complete without even setting foot out the door. The idea is to clock up the miles
Brown Shipley North East Premier League - Scan Galpin, 14, from Washington, and his 20-year-old partner Ainsley Kershaw of Sunderland produced the upset of the week- end in the Northern Division's final round of matches of the NEPL by beating Academy
AN inquest has been opened and adjourned into the death of a Darlington man with Downs Syndrome. Harry Howe, 60, had had been mainly unemployed, other than a few part-time gardening jobs, Darlington and South Durham Coroner Colin Penna heard yesterday
Cleveland County Pool - Tony Kay (Darlington) has again showed his consistency for Cleveland playing excellently throughout the year to finish joint top of the region one players averages to give himself a chance of getting back into the England Team.
A FRAIL 89-year-old died after she was ignored by doctors in a chaotic casualty unit for seven hours. Great-grandmother Jane Waite was taken to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle after she became confused and disorientated following a cut to the head.
Bishop Auckland chairman Tony Duffy insists that the club won't be leaving Kingsway unless they have a ground to move to. Bishops had a meeting earlier this week with Wear Valley District Council, and they're still hopeful that their proposed ground move
A CONTROVERSIAL decision to take bus passes off children who face a "dangerous" walk to school could be reviewed. Durham County Council angered the parents of about 150 youngsters at Leadgate when it decided to stop the pupils' free travel to Blackfyne
The family of a Darlington father-of-two who died following a drunken man's "sick" game have described a one-year extension to his killer's sentence "disgusting". Paul Simpson, 33, died after being punched in the face and hitting his head on the kerb
A BIG environmental project to improve a Newton Aycliffe stream has been scrapped. It was estimated that work on Woodham Burn would cost £100,000 but there were fears about the impact downstream. Great Aycliffe Town Council clerk Michael Rice said: "We
LEISURE group Fitness First has unveiled expansion plans, creating up to 700 UK jobs in the process. Fitness First said it intended to open 55 clubs in the UK and abroad, taking the total to 280. The move, which will be partly funded by a £75m share placing
MINISTER for young people and learning Ivan Lewis yesterday launched a project to boost education in the North-East. The launch of the Connexions Card is the first phase in what will be a national scheme to encourage all 16 to 19-year-olds to stay on
Brandon manager Kenny Lindoe has taken the penalty responsibility away from midfielder Andy Cuthbertson. Brandon won 3-0 at Billingham Town on Saturday, but Cuthbertson missed a penalty in the process. He hit the post with this effort and even though
THE North-East is poised to win cash backing for an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Rival bids from the city councils in Newcastle and Sunderland have been lodged for Heritage Lottery funding to develop 50m pools. The new chief executive of Sport England
THE school has set up and maintained two twinning projects with a school in Newcastle and one Whetley School, in Bradford. Each pupil is allocated a partner in the twin school and begin by preparing a few paragraphs about themselves accompanied by an
FORMER Tory leader William Hague last night demanded a public inquiry into the "uniquely chilling" Richard Neale scandal during a Commons debate. The Richmond MP called for answers as to how the disgraced gynaecologist was able to practise in North Yorkshire
THE number of Britons dying from coronary heart disease has shown a record drop thanks to advances in medical treatment, the British Heart Foundation will announce today. But the charity warns that the Government must act to prevent a future "epidemic
YEARS five and six pupils learnt to support each other in the beautiful but challenging environment of Swaledale during a week-long visit by Middleton Tyas and Hunton and Arrathorne schools to Marrick Priory. Following the visit last November, 24 pupils
Young people living in remote areas of the Ryedale district could be provided with mopeds as part of a scheme to improve transport facilities in the district. Other ideas being explored include car-sharing schemes and training volunteer drivers says Peter
ANOTHER round of spring-sown GM crop trial sites were announced yesterday as part of the Government's trials. Twenty-seven oilseed rape and 17 sugar and fodder beet sites have been chosen by the Independent Scientific Steering committee, from an initial
A FORMER nursery worker yesterday denied threatening young children in his care - including a claim that he told a boy he would lock him in a lift until he was dead. Christopher Lillie denied further suggestions that he threatened the children so they
Proposals to open up postal deliveries to competition will see private companies able to hire their own postmen, and put up their own boxes. Nick Morrison asks if this means the end of our traditional mail system. IT may have ended in ignominy, but Charles
People in Crook are being invited to put their views on the future of the town to a public meeting at the Elite Hall, Crook, on Monday, at 6.30pm. The town has been granted money by the Government through the Market Town Initiative Programme, and says
POOL hall players took their cue from real-life Fast Eddies at one of the biggest eight-ball tournaments seen in the region. World number one Darren "Dynamite" Appleton and legendary player Keith Brewer took on the best of the North-East during this month's
SHOPLIFTERS in Redcar are being targeted in a police operation designed to drive thieves out of the town. Thirty officers, drawn from a variety of squads, will be behind a two-week campaign to ensure there is no hiding place for those who think shops
A TEMPORARY recruiting office is being set up in Guisborough as part of a drive to tell young people about training, travel and sporting opportunities of an Army career. The office, near Safeway on Westgate, will be staffed by a team of trained local
A CLERGYMAN appeared in court on Tuesday accused of committing sex offences against teenage boys. The Rev Neville Husband, 64, a United Reformed Church minister, is alleged to have carried out the assaults while working on the catering staff at the former
PARENTS of children at St Augustine's Primary School, in Darlington, are fundraising to help pay for the school's new outdoor learning area. The school has been awarded £5,000 from the Department for Education and Skills Seed Funding initiative and now
FARMERS' views have been put to William Hague before he seeks a special House of Commons debate on rural recovery after foot-and-mouth. The MP for Richmond hopes the debate will take place in the next few weeks and last week, to get farmers' views, he
A COMPANY which claimed its machine could give permanent body hair removal was fined £5,000 yesterday. Microtechnology International, of Oxford, was charged under the Trade Descriptions Act at Teesside Magistrates' Court after a woman complained to Middlesbrough
JUST over two months to go before I hit 40 and, to be frank, I'm already feeling past it and surplus to requirements. "Could you move out of the way?" my wife asked the other day as I stood, minding my own business, in the kitchen. "Why?" I asked. "You're
A PARISH council is facing a David versus Goliath fight over the future of two large willow trees. Masham Parish Council wants them felled but planners at Harrogate Borough Council say they should not only be retained but given tree preservation status
NEWCASTLE United manager Bobby Robson would back top scorer Alan Shearer to reproduce his club form for England, but believes his inspirational skipper won't be talked out of his self-imposed international retirement. Shearer has been a revelation this
IN THE League Cup second round Bethany Christian Centre were pitched against Stranton Saints. Matty Turnbull and Paul Jewton put Saints 2-0 up at the break. A penalty from Ronnie Smith got Bethany back into the match and a further two goals from Paul
After the distraction of the League Cup last week, most teams were back to league action this week. Nestfield Club remain in top spot in the first division, as they continue to show that they are a class above the other teams that were promoted to Division
A GRIEVING father yesterday relived the horror of the moment an underwater game ended in tragedy when his ten-year-old daughter drown-ed in a whirlpool bath. Melissa Blagdon and her eight-year-old sister, Lauren, were enjoying a family day out at a leisure
ENRON Teesside Operations Limited (Etol) has won the UK's top award for the quality of its partnership approach to industrial relations. The company, which employs 530 people on Teesside, supplies a range of services and utilities to other chemical manufacturers
DARLINGTON Mowden Park are looking for a new coach for next season as they attempt to build on their new status as the North-East's second highest club. Chairman John Parkinson was quick to deny speculation that the loss of utility back Jonny Golightly
THE Mason magic worked again on Saturday with a red letter day double at Doncaster. Norman Mason and his assistant/jockey Richard Guest, successful at Haydock the previous week with Red Striker, did not run him in the Great Yorkshire. It was two others
A MAN who walked free from court after supplying a mother with the drug that killed her has been jailed after breaching the terms of a court order. Steven Martin, 33, of Headworth Lane, Boldon Colliery, South Tyneside, was sentenced to two years' probation
THE NFU has organised two major meetings to discuss the proposed nitrate vulnerable zone legislation which, if implemented, could cost farmers thousands of pounds and affect their operations. Both meetings are on Friday, February 15, one at Scotch Corner
A GROUP of teenage dancers have gone from Hopes and Dreams to a Natural High as they prepare to take to the stage with their winter production. Last year, the teenagers, aged 13 to 17, who are all from Willington, made their debut in a millennium musical
THE promotion of local food was one of the key demands of a major policy report on the future of food and farming, published this week. Retailers should receive business rate relief for devoting an area of their store to local produce and a new national
MR WILLIAM Hague told the meeting at Hawes that Defra at Leeds would win a prize for being the worst region in the country for organisation. But he supported North Yorkshire trading standards department in doing a difficult job, saying it was under-staffed
TOUGH decisions have had to be taken by Sedgefield Borough Council to limit its council tax increase to 12.5 per cent. Council leader Brian Stephens presented a report on the council's budget for next year to a cabinet meeting yesterday. He announced
A SECONDARY school has come in for praise following a visit by a Government inspector. Ken Shooter visited Manor College of Technology, Hartlepool, in December as part of a routine inspection. Manor College, which specialises in technology, maths, science
Long serving Bishop Auckland cricket club secretary Harry Smurthwaite has finally called it a day. Smurthwaite announced his resignation as an official and a player with Bishops at the club's annual meeting on Friday. "Enough is enough," he said. Smurthwaite
NO Place was the place to be last weekend for anyone with a taste for real ale. The 11th Beamish Mary Inn Beer Festival attracted drinkers from across the globe. Customers sampling the 31 real ales on offer at the former national Pub of the Year included
POLICE have released an e-fit of a man wanted in connection with an attempted abduction in Sunderland in last week. A 14-year-old boy chased off the man trying to abduct two six-year-old boys at about 7pm on Friday. The man was carrying one child and
WILLIAM Whitaker, nephew of the famous Whitaker brothers, took the Krailburg Sapphire qualifier at Stainsby Grange on a day when many competitors had to turn back from Cumbria and Scotland because of gale force winds. He won with Malnor Misty Lad, while
A LEEMING BAR ice-cream maker is extending its interests in the impulse buying sector with the addition of a unique dispensing system. Richmond Foods has bought stock, plant and equipment to manufacture and sell the Ice Creamery system, and its soft ice-cream
Glen Shepherd has returned to New Marske - much to the delight of secretary Peter Livingstone. He made his comeback in the crucial win over Birtley Town last week and Livingstone reckons his knowledge will be vital in the coming months. "Glen is 42 and
A NEW outdoor activites centre is ready to open its doors to youngsters from the Darlington area. The centre in Forest-in-Teesdale is run and funded by the Darlington and District Community Youth Action Group. It will offer youngsters from the area a
FOX hunting has few friends in the national media, which is more than happy to demonise hunts as gatherings of bloodthirsty rural folk who would be happy to rip the fox apart with their own teeth. So when the Government began making noises about banning
Sir, - With reference to Leyburn bus shelter, the meeting with Mr Bird and two councillors, Lady Bolton and a Mrs Townsend (D&S, Jan 25), was out of order. Surely it would have been better if it had been with folk from Leyburn and surrounding villages
LADY Sylvia Crathorne used colourful daffodils to highlight this Spring's annual fund raising campaign by the Marie Curie cancer charity. She is the organisation's North Yorkshire patron and the publicity event was held at her Crathorne home on Monday
POLICE raided a Redcar takeaway as part of a massive anti-terrorism exercise across the North-East codenamed Operation Icebolt. Up to 150 officers, including armed police, staged simultaneous raids on several addresses in Redcar, Darlington, Middlesbrough
JAMIE Carragher has my sympathy; Arsenal most definitely do not. In Carragher's position last Sunday how many of us can honestly say our first instinct would not have been to chuck the coin back at the cretin who propelled it in the first place? OK, there's
PICK a card, any card - Merle Smart will have one for every occasion and, if she hasn't, she'll make one especially for you. All Merle's SmartCards are hand made, either in Merle's shop in Yarm, or as she sits alongside her barrow in Darlington's Cornmill
Maurice Fussey, a referee who may many times have cursed heredity's bad name, was due to take Newcastle v Liverpool on August 21, 1971 when, in the act of removing his bag from the luggage rack at Newcastle Central station, he damaged two vertebrae in
MOTORCYCLISTS using protected sands at South Gare, Redcar, have been warned they could be banned, lose their licences and be prosecuted as part of a crackdown. The area is protected by English Nature as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special
FORMER pupils joined in the tributes paid to an inspirational teacher who has died suddenly at the age of 52. Peter Nesom's busy life embraced a wide range of interests, including many centred on education. He spent 13 years as deputy head at the primary
TRADING standards chiefs have backed a Government warning which urges gas and electricity suppliers to abide by a special charter, giving customers new rights. The new voluntary code makes it easier for people who switch supplies in error to return to
ARRIVA says it will not increase its basic pay offer to striking conductors despite losses from the dispute running into hundreds of thousands of pounds. Arriva Trains managing director Euan Cameron said last night that the three per cent on the table
FOUR hundred jobs in Wearside's automotive industry are under threat after car parts manufacturer Federal Mogul called in the administrators. Federal Mogul, which counts Japanese car manufacturer Nissan among its customers, manufactures pistons and spark
A Treasury-enforced shake-up of Britain's air defence will lead to more aircraft being based at North Yorkshire's front-line fighter base. But fears that the move could leave London wide open to a September 11-style attack have been dismissed by the Ministry
A DYNAMIC £36m project to reverse 20 years of industrial decay and create about 2,000 jobs is under way. Regeneration Minister Lord Falconer was in Middlesbrough yesterday to launch phase two of the Tees Valley's flagship Middlehaven scheme, that will
THE wealth of jazz coming to this area in February continues to impress with a mix of international stars and the best of our local players, writes Peter Bevan. As usual, it kicks off with Darlington's New Orleans Jazz Club which presents the East Coast
AN optician is flying halfway around the world to help visually impaired people who are too poor to buy spectacles. David France, 52, who runs the Stockton branch of Specsavers, on Teesside, will jet out to the strife-torn island of Sri Lanka next month
COUNCIL tax payers could end-up footing a £500,000 bill for a legal dispute between Durham County Council and Darlington Borough Council. The two councils are at logger-heads over assets and liabilities that were reorganised when Darlington split from
Reviews: Monsters Inc, Scare Island. Publisher: SCEE. Format: PSOne CD-ROM. Price: £29.99. REMEMBER when you were little and going to sleep was always a scary adventure? When the light went out you'd lie awake, the bedclothes pulled up to your face, straining
Two first half goals from Cattermole and Head gave Lingdale United enough of a lead to take the points at the expense of Anchor Inn. Wild managed to pull back a goal for Anchor in the second half but Lingdale held on for the rest of the game. Meanwhile
A 30-YEAR plan to conserve and enhance the World Heritage Site at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal near Ripon for future generations will be unveiled next week. The abbey, which dates from 1132, is regarded as the most complete Cistercian remains in
THREE goals in two games, two of them last-gasp winners - teenage striker Mark Sheeran could hardly have made a more dramatic entrance on to the Feethams stage. The 19-year-old climbed off the substitutes' bench and changed the game against both Luton
YAWAR Abbas returned to his home area to lift the men's title at last weekend's Durham and Cleveland county closed championships for the tenth time since 1984. The ex-Yarm player, who now lives in Cheshire, turned the tables on young David Woodman, who
RICHMONDSHIRE Council, which faces a shortfall of over £500,000 in its budgets over the next two years, has confirmed cuts and higher taxes are inevitable. Residents seem likely to be paying the district authority another 7.9 per cent in council tax over
THE Riponian Rally will have a distinctly international flavour with the inclusion of an Italian competitor among the entries for Sunday's event. Co-driver Marco Ercole contests the Ripon MSC-organised event alongside Northallerton businessman Steve Smith
A MAN almost drove past the accident which claimed the life of his son, an inquest heard yesterday. Swimming instructor Steven Clark, 20, was one of three people who died as a result of a collision on the C36 road, between Chilton and Kirk Merrington,
Nexus, the company behind the Tyne and Wear Metro, confirmed that the train drivers' union Aslef had cancelled the strike action planned for Monday and Tuesday. This followed extensive negotiations, during which union leaders and management agreed that
THE family of a woman who committed suicide criticised yesterday the level of her psychiatric care. Divorcee Mary Graham, 55, overdosed on prescription drugs after countless attempts to take her own life, an inquest heard. She was found by her sister,
BUS lanes could be introduced along a busy Darlington road to aid traffic congestion. If the plan goes ahead, operators are optimistic new buses will run along the route. On Monday, members of Darlington Transport Forum were asked for suggestions on how
AN apprentice plasterer headbutted the daughter of former Middlesbrough FC manager Bryan Robson after insulting her father, a court heard yesterday. Mark Bregazzi, 20, attacked Claire Robson after a night out in Durham City during which he drank pints
SIR Donald Curry's Policy Commission report on the future of farming and food contained a lot of fine words. Many of the issues and initiatives referred to in the weighty document are things that most farmers and consumers would sign up to. The promotion
THE auctioneer's patter was live at Hawes auction mart on Saturday, but he was selling registered Blue-faced Leicester sheep via a video screen and telephone bids. Raymond Lund sold 97 sheep on behalf of the Blue-Faced Leicester Sheep Breeders' Association
THE Government has been asked to re-open Thirsk Auction Mart following the intervention of Vale of York MP, Anne McIntosh. Miss McIntosh, has criticised the Government for its recent decision to close the mart, leaving farmers without a local collection
THE future of an £11m scheme to save a famous theatre from demolition was plunged into uncertainty last night. Civic leaders are to hold urgent talks about the planned restoration of the 100-year-old Royal Hall in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, after a long-awaited
ORGANISERS of a live music festival are hoping to build on the success of their last event, inviting a wider range of businesses to be a part of the programme. Richmond Live was extended to two days for the fist time last year and proved an overwhelming
WENSLEYDALE people who took part in a new "art house" film can see themselves on screen at the Elite cinema, Leyburn, tomorrow. They were recruited by award winning director Mr Andrew Kotting for This Filthy Earth, a story about subsistence farming which
