SKIPPER Paul Ince has rounded on the Middlesbrough fans who booed their side off after Sunday's goalless bore draw with Charlton. It was the first game at the Riverside since the tragic death of Colin Cooper's two-year-old son, Finlay, only hours after
A CATERER had to travel to an exhibition in another vehicle after thieves stole her car windscreen. Gill Mace, of Gillies, in North Road, loaded her van, in Aldam Street, Darlington, for the event on Sunday. But when she returned to the Hyundai H100 van
Prison will become a weekend experience for some inmates under David Blunkett's new proposals. Nick Morrison asks if this is more to do with saving money than fighting crime. AFTER a hard week's work, most people look forward to a relaxing weekend with
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS IT is an utter disgrace that multiple sclerosis sufferers are being denied the use of the drug beta interferon by our Government. Far too much time and money is spent by our governing bodies in looking after the interests of other countries
FUN runners and more serious athletes are under starter's orders for the 22nd year of the Great North Run. Eight months before this year's mass half-marathon, 25,000 people who took part in the 21st event last year have already indicated they plan to
FURTHER widescale job cuts look inevitable at British Airways after the airline announced a quarterly loss of £160m. Finances have been rocked by the impact of the September 11 terrorist attacks, although the company's latest figures were not as bad as
HOUSEBUILDERS have reported their busiest month since August as new research underlined renewed confidence in the sector. Favourable economic conditions had lifted business levels, said the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS). The CIPS
Grants worth between £500 and £1,000 are on offer to voluntary and community groups in the Ripon area. Applications are being dealt with by Ripon Council for Voluntary Service on behalf of the local community fund. The grants will be made to organisations
ANOREXIA and bulimia sufferers are waiting up to nine months for treatment because of a lack of funding for front-line services. More than 100 adults are currently receiving out-patient treatment from the North-East Eating Disorder Service and there are
A COMMUNITY is determined to crown their Queen's golden jubilee celebrations with a bang this summer. Residents in and around the village of Croft, near Darlington, have organised a series of events to mark the occasion, and their celebrations will culminate
Some North Yorkshire parish councillors could quit rather than go along with a big shake-up of parish councils planned by the Government. A Government white paper calls on councils to achieve "quality status" by taking certain actions, including training
HIGH street sales growth has slowed since the Christmas high - and is expected to weaken further, according to a new survey. The monthly survey by the CBI showed year-on-year retail sales growth in January weakened against December. Of those polled, 55
THE Government finally agreed tonight to award compensation to cash-strapped police chiefs for the enormous costs of handling the Selby train crash inquiry. About £825,000 is to be paid to North Yorkshire Police after the force launched the biggest investigation
POLICE have issued a warning after 90 tablets were stolen from a house in Darlington. The prescription morphine sulphate tablets were taken from a house, in Cobden Street, between 9pm on Saturday and 8.40am on Sunday. The tablets are grey and pink and
FIVE houses were raided in weekend burglaries across Darlington. Police are investigating the incidents at various locations in the town, in which electrical equipment was taken. Houses in Corporation Road, Grainger Street and Sanderson Street were burgled
A career criminal with no legs escaped jail yesterday after a court heard he was now on the straight and narrow. The distinctive appearance of Robert William Bate led to his arrest when he was identified by a home-owner who foiled an attempted burglary
A MACEDONIAN conscientious objector threatened with deportation is hoping a campaign in his adopted town of Redcar could save his family from being forced to return home. Marjan and Lile Dimitrievski say that to return to their home would put them and
A teacher showed a 15-year-old boy an internet porn site before indecently assaulting the youngster, a court heard. David McPhearson-Smith, 41, allegedly took the boy to his home after promising him a drink of juice, having already groped the lad. Newcastle
A DRUG addict scared a police who burst into his home rightly suspecting he was a dealer, a court heard yesterday. David Hatch, 37, had been about to inject himself and he pointed the syringe at a police officer, then squirted it over the officer's boot
CHILDREN will soon be enjoying their games on new play equipment, thanks in part to a load of old rubbish. The slide and swings on the village green at Grewelthorpe, near Ripon, have kept local youngsters amused for a generation but have finally succumbed
CAMPAIGNERS have called for a tightening up of procedures to protect patients abroad from surgeons struck off in the UK. The Northern Echo can reveal that several prominent medical licensing authorities remain unaware of Richard Neale's record while he
A bin of shame will occupy a high profile spot in Harrogate town centre in a bid to persuade people to drop less litter. A huge skip will be filled with all the litter collected from Harrogate town centre during Litter Awareness Week, being held for the
THE minute she burst on to our TV screens wearing a white suit with trousers slashed to the thigh, Pop Idol contestant Zoe Birkett showed she had her own distinctive style. At just 16, she already has the confidence to try out new looks and, like that
THE first British soldier to return to action after a heart valve replacement operation is coming back to the North-East to talk about Army life. Lance Corporal Anthony Nolan, 32, from Yarm, near Stockton, spent four months in hospital last year, after
AN unexpected guest made a music workshop extra special for Darlington drummers. The Drum Kit Session, organised by the musical education initiative CircLearning, was held at Lingfield Point, in McMullen Road, last week. However, organiser Graeme Robinson
School to host RAF concert DURHAM School is hosting a concert today by the band of the Royal Air Force. The concert will be performed to an audience that will include pupils from St Margaret's and Godric's RC primary schools, Bow School and Durham's Chorister
PLANS for two building projects in Teesdale will discussed by councillors tomorrow. The proposed developments, which include an application to build 30 homes, in Gainford, and 14 flats, in Barnard Castle, are expected to cause controversy which ever way
INVADERS who settled on Britain's shores are the subject of an exhibition at one of the North-East's smaller museums. Work by local artist Val Mouncey complements the display, Invaders and Settlers, at Durham's Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology. Her
A SUPERB last minute strike from Adam Boyd at Hull City ensured Hartlepool United did not go home pointless. Pool, a goal down as early as the fifth minute when winger Ryan Williams scored, fully deserved to draw level after a battling and impressive
THE remaining planning issues on a proposed new town centre for Newton Aycliffe could be finalised at a meeting in two weeks time. The ongoing planning application for the redevelopment of the former Avenue school site was discussed at Sedgefield Borough
HOUSEHOLDERS across North Yorkshire are facing a huge leap in their council tax to pay for their cash-strapped police force. The county's police authority, beset by financial problems, yesterday approved a jump in their precept of 41.54 per cent. The
Female victims and their supporters today packed the High Court to demand full public inquiries into the activities of two disgraced doctors. More than a hundred women filled Court 3 at London's Law Courts as challenges were launched against Health Secretary
POLICE are hunting for a gunman who shot a teenager in the back with a sawn-off shotgun. The 19-year-old victim was shot near his home in Pensher Street East, Felling, Gateshead, Tyneside, at about 1pm on Saturday. He was taken to hospital where shotgun
TIME is running out to reward the efforts of young people in the borough of Stockton as nominations for the Smart awards close on Friday. The awards recognise good work done by those aged up to 19 and there are ten categories: educational achievement,
CUSTOMER contact centre Spark Response is to create another 30 jobs, thanks to continued expansion. If the right people apply, they could be in a job by as early as next week. Spark, which announced plans to create 70 jobs in Sunderland in November, needs
A 24-YEAR-OLD woman was attacked by two men and raped on a path at a Metro station yesterday morning. The woman, who was last night recovering from her ordeal, was leaving the Tyne Dock Metro, in South Shields, South Tyneside, at 6.40am when the men grabbed
TEN wardens took to the streets of Stockton and Billingham yesterday to begin their new patrols. Wearing red and black jackets, the wardens will patrol in pairs every afternoon and evening in the St Aidan's and Grange wards of Billingham and the Parkfield
AN INJURED police officer has been given a helping hand on his way back to fitness. A motorcycle crash left Superintendent Ian Rowland of Cleveland Police with paralysis to his left arm and leg and nerve damage to his left arm. The 46-year-old is part
BUSINESSES are being warned to watch out for an e-mail scam which originates from African countries. The e-mails are alleged to originate from the Ministry of Mining in Pretoria, South Africa, and the Federal Government of Nigeria. They say the company
'JUST try to relax," says Shanie Waite, sensing I was more than a little tense as I gripped the sides of the chair and my knuckles turned white. But relaxing is easier said than done when someone is closing in on you with a cut-throat razor in their hands
POLICE arrested three boys and two girls this week in connection with serious vandalism at Consett YMCA. The five 13 to 15-year-olds have been released on bail while police further investigate the vandalism and theft, valued at £4,500. It was revealed
A FERRARI driver was recovering in hospital last night after his face was impaled on railings in a crash. William Moralee, 32, was injured when his car veered on to the golf course in Whitby, North Yorkshire. His condition was described as poorly but
A NORTH-EAST schoolgirl will represent the UK in an international table tennis tournament in Hungary this summer. Samantha McCormick, 13, of Darlington, has been sponsored by her school to help pay for the trip. She was presented with a cheque for £120
YOUNGSTERS have been discovering just why they must say no to drugs at a course at RAF Leeming primary school. At a graduation ceremony certificates were presented to year five and six pupils who completed the 16-week course called Drug Abuse Resistance
A LABOUR Party stalwart has received a long-service award from Prime Minister Tony Blair. Stella Robson, 66, a Darlington borough councillor, joined the party when she was 16 - the youngest age at which you can officially join, but has been actively campaigning
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Care assistant, Stockton. £4.10ph, 2 nights pw, 9pm to 8am. Required to care for elderly. NVQ Level 2 desired as is experience, but training can be
YOUNGSTERS plan to go on a sponsored starve - to help their counterparts in countries ravaged by war. Young people from the Methodist Church in Brompton, Northallerton, are to go without food for 24 hours to raise money for children in places such as
A SCULPTURE created in memory of those who died in the US September 11 atrocities is to be shipped to New York. Generous firefighters in North Yorkshire are sending the piece, called Ground Zero, to their counterparts in America, with £126,433 they have
A GOLD medal winner has the Zest for her Olympic training regime, thanks to a garage. Nicola Jackson, 17, has a new Peugeot 106 Zest, which she can use to travel between her Richmond home, in North Yorkshire, and the competition-sized pool where she trains
A MAN arrested as a terrorism suspect in a police swoop last week has been speaking about his ordeal. Omar Mohammed and five other men were later released without charge, but Mr Mohammed said he has been left to pick up the pieces. He said the first he
SPECIAL barriers are to be installed at the Stadium of Light to prevent any repeat of the angry demonstration against under-fire manager Peter Reid following the home defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough. A large section of disgruntled supporters left
BOBBY ROBSON has revealed how he sold the £5m signing of Jermaine Jenas to Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd with the assurance that the Nottingham Forest wonderboy would be as big a hit as Kieron Dyer. Shepherd has kept a tight rein on Robson's
WE just want to know the truth that is the message victims of disgraced surgeon Richard Neale will take to the High Court today. It is nearly two years since the gynaecologist who treated patients from North Yorkshire and Darlington at the Friarage Hospital
NEW figures obtained by The Northern Echo have once again highlighted the scandalous state of Britain's crumbling railway bridge barriers. The Railway Safety Group an industry body set up in the wake of the Selby rail disaster revealed that since the
RESTAURANT owner Robert Swift took matters into his own hands after he was faced with flooding again. After the River Ouse flowed into York, the owner of The Waterfront restaurant came up with an ingenious flood barrier plan. Insurance companies told
KITCHEN porter Paul Davey tried to kill himself in a fit of remorse after he called out three fire engines to a club where he had been refused entry, a court heard. Davey's solicitor Geoffrey Rogers told magistrates that within four days of sending firefighters
ANIMAL welfare officers vowed yesterday to hunt down a dog owner who left the animal to suffocate in a rubbish skip. Travellers and residents are being urged to help identify the person after the dog died in horrific circumstances. RSPCA inspector Gary
FORGET Pop Idol - a new project is looking for young people in east Cleveland who want to sing from the rooftops. Can U Sing It? has been funded by the National Foundation for Youth Music and is part of the CoMusica project, run by the Music Centre in
FIREFIGHTERS in Cleveland have shared £1,200 with members of the community in Guisborough. The crew, from the town's fire station, raised the cash with two charity bingo sessions, held at Guisborough Quoits Club, and open days at the station. The money
A search is on for part-time firefighters at village stations in North Yorkshire. Tony Dyer, area manager for the county's fire and rescue service in the Ryedale area, said "It is vital that new members are recruited to the service." "We are looking for
HUNDREDS of new jobs could be created in Middlesbrough following the £4m refurbishment of the Centre North-East office building. The 18-storey glass fronted building, the tallest office complex in the North-East, is now available to companies looking
Attempted bag snatch warning WOMEN are being warned to be on their guard after attempts by a group in a stolen Vauxhall Astra to steal two handbags at the weekend. The first incident occurred at 4.30pm in the car park of the Asda store, in Portrack, Stockton
TIMING could never be considered one of Kevin Keegan's strong points. Throughout his managerial career he has possessed the uncanny knack of leaving when you least expect him to, and a habit of taking everyone by surprise. He made his way through the
PUBS and clubs in a busy part of Durham were yesterday branded "woeful" and "disgusting" by a man wanting to bring an Australian theme pub into the city. Anthony Jackson, national operations manager for Walkabout Inns, told a licensing committee hearing
Darlington travel to rain-soaked Cumbria this evening hoping to beat the weather and a Carlisle team whose form has improved dramatically. Although no pitch inspection is planned, more rain is forecast so the game could be under threat. Carlisle's Brunton
A NINE-YEAR-OLD girl awarded £2.81m damages last year for hospital negligence that left her brain damaged was yesterday facing an Appeal Court bid to strip her of part of the money. Hospital authority lawyers claim Bethany Ruff was over-compensated for
THE glory days of rail travel are to be recreated on an excursion train linking the North-East with one of North Yorkshire's most popular tourist destinations. The aim is to give people living in Whitby and the Esk Valley area a family day out. The Esk
EXPERTS in the region have made another appeal for parents to back the controversial MMR vaccine, while playing down fears of a measles outbreak. Fears have been fanned this week by reports of four suspected measles cases in the Gateshead area. It follows
Motorists told to be vigilant Police are warning motorists to be extra vigilant after a series of car thefts across Ryedale. Three vehicles have been stolen in the past two days, including a new Ducati motorbike which was taken from Beechcroft Lodge,
YOUNGSTERS in the North Yorkshire towns of Malton and Norton-on-Derwent will soon have a state-of-the-art skateboard park - thanks to the determination of a local policeman. Work is due to start within a few weeks after a grant of nearly £36,000 was awarded
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Cleaner, Newton Aycliffe, £4.50ph, 10hrs pw mornings of early evenings, required to clean offices, toilets and kitchen area, must have own transport
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an assault that took place on a bus to come forward. A man was punched in the head during a disturbance on the 43 Arriva service from Durham to Esh Winning on Wednesday, January 16, at 9pm. A Durham police spokes-man
POLICE uncovered dozens of pirated videos, games and counterfeiting equipment when they raided a home in Ferryhill, a court heard yesterday. Michael Gough, from Duncombe Terrace, turned his hand to counterfeiting when he became a full-time carer for his
MY granddad was a newspaperman all his life. Not a big time journalist or a classy editor, just a bloke who set out every morning with two bags of papers on his back and delivered to the whole parish. Then he repeated the service every evening for 50
Eternal question: what should a minister of religion look like? Ready reverend, pious eyed, or what? We ponder it because we lunched two Saturdays ago with the Rev Leo Osborn - chairman of the Newcastle district of the Methodist Church, chaplain to the
Michael Turnbull, the cricket- loving Bishop of Durham, is to be a guest in Test Match Special's celebrated View From the Boundary slot when summer finally rolls around. "It's a great thrill. I'm thinking of other ways I can make the most of it," he says
THE dispute crippling Arriva trains was plunged into farce last night after it emerged striking conductors had been asked to take on cleaning duties. Union chiefs said guards had been asked to replace used toilet rolls on carriages as part of a raft of
A TAXI drivers' leader is backing moves to improve driving standards among a town's cabbies. Rashid Rahman, treasurer to Middlesbrough Hackney Association, said the council's plans for an advanced, vocational test should ensure that only experienced drivers
A SECOND 48-hour strike by Arriva train conductors was due to begin this morning, bringing further chaos for passengers. Arriva confirmed last night that, despite talks with union officials during the weekend, agreement had again not been reached over
A HEARTBROKEN man decided to put his former partner and her mother through two hours of terror by slowly trying to kill himself as they were forced to look on, a court heard yesterday. Vincent Wright, 44, armed himself with a rope, a scalpel, a bottle
A FOUNDRY worker fell to his death after being attacked by a drunken camper on a riverside path, a court heard yesterday. Michael Reeves, 25, of Millfield, Sunderland, is accused at Teesside Crown Court of the manslaughter of Michael Burrup, 36. He denies
Youngsters from as far afield as Russia have come together in County Durham. Thirty-two teenagers from the hub of the former Soviet Union, Hungary, Slovakia, France and Germany are spending a week looking at racism and prejudice against foreigners. The
THE 1st Battalion of the King's Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB), based at Catterick Garrison, has been presented with a new pipe banner. Ken Grier, brands director for whisky makers The Famous Grouse presented the pipe banner to Major Gavin Lenthall, the
TWO lovebirds found on the same street after a storm are now making sweet music together, thanks to a Guisborough couple. But Ann and Thorsten Hendriks, of Redcar Road, are keen to reunite their new-found feathered friends with their real owners. One
AN industrial tribunal which could cost Middlesbrough Council more than £1m in compensation was opened yesterday. One hundred and fifty workers are claiming unfair dismissal by the authority, and five lead cases will appear before the tribunal this week
A MAN had to be treated in hospital after he was punched and bitten in the face outside a nightclub in Hartlepool on Sunday morning. The man was approached by a group of five men in the car park at the back of the Wesley nightclub, at 1.45am. One of the
BOSSES at debt-laden ICI claim the sale of its Synetix business and a proposed rights issue to raise £808m will put the chemicals com-pany back on a stable footing. The news came as ICI reported a fall in pre-tax profits from £450m to £401m in the year
RED tape delays by the Government are hampering efforts to re-open auction marts after the crippling effects of foot-and-mouth, it was claimed today. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have declared that markets can start reopening
SUPPORTERS of a North-East museum are hoping to emulate the growing success of their beloved tourist attraction through a recruitment drive. The Friends of the Bowes Museum was formed in 1950 when the museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, was threatened
A row broke out last night over long-awaited improvements to one of the most dangerous roads in Britain. A leading environmental group labelled proposals to dual the entire length of the A66 across the Pennines where 70 people have died in the last decade
PROGRESS on a new fire station and fire training centre in North Yorkshire is being monitored by consultant Faithful and Gould. The new complexes are being built under a private finance initiative. David Nicholson, senior consultant with Faithful and
FLOWER power has replaced power dressing in the business fashion stakes as the region's firms strive to find the x-factor that can close a deal. The visual and aromatic impact of flowers could be an important ingredient. That is helping business bloom
RESIDENTS in Sedgefield borough are being urged to make one promise to do something to help the environment. Sedgefield Borough Council wants every individual to pledge to do something to improve their neighbourhood, such as planting a tree or picking
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Chef's assistant. £5ph dep on exp, 20hrs pw, 4 evenings out of 7. Required for restaurant. Experience in kitchen environment preferred but not essential
SINGING starlet Zoe Birkett returned to her home town today and became the first recipient of an award to mark the positive efforts of young people. The 16-year-old, from Darlington, visited The Northern Echo's offices in Priestgate and was awarded a
HEALTH chiefs are urging South Durham residents to play a part in shaping the future of local services. South Durham Health Care Trust, which manages Bishop Auckland General Hospital and Darlington Memorial Hospital, has issued an open invitation to an
A BLUEPRINT to boost the quality of life in the North-East and combat the damage caused by an industrial past was unveiled by home rule campaigners yesterday. Targets to raise educational standards, protect the environment, ensure high levels of employment
YOUNGSTERS at Eastbourne Comprehensive School, in Darlington, above, are starring in the musical Grease this week. Sixty pupils from years seven to 11 have been rehearsing to put the finishing touches to the show, with performances tomorrow, Thursday
MEMBERS of the public will be able to climb the tower of a landmark North-East lighthouse from Saturday. People will be able to enjoy spectacular views of the South Tyneside coast as the National Trust opens Souter Lighthouse from February 9-17. Souter
Darlington weathered a dominant first half Carlisle performance, a shocking pitch and a poor refeering display, to claim only their second League away win of the season with a hard-earned victory at Brunton Park on Tuesday night. It was Carlisle's first
HARTLEPOOL United manager Chris Turner has urged his confident players to turn on the style at Hull City tonight. The Pool boss, whose side's trip to Carlisle on Saturday was postponed, is calling for his players to show no respite against the high-flying
WILDLIFE experts are baffled by the behaviour of a surfing seal which has made its way 50 miles up a river and managed to scale deep locks. River dwellers at Linton-on-Ouse, in North Yorkshire, were stunned when they saw it riding the waves of the flooded
A CALL centre operator hopes to create 500 further jobs with a new outpost on Teesside. Nvisage, which deals with gas and electricity bill and metering inquiries for its sister company npower, is already recruiting as part of a 500-job expansion of its
THERE are some campaigns which are short-lived because their aims can be achieved relatively quickly. The campaign to expose gynaecologist Richard Neale as a bungling surgeon has never fallen into that category. It has gone on for several years, with
BIG Brother hopeful Leesa Waddington ran through city streets in just her bikini in an attempt to get on the hit TV show. While everyone else was wrapped up in their winter woolies, the 19-year-old skipped along in her costume. Shoppers in storm-hit York
VANDALISM and anti-social behaviour are causing concern in Middleton St George. Councillors are worried that gangs of youths congregating on street corners in the village, near Darlington, have nothing better to do other than cause trouble. Parish and
AFTER three months on the sidelines with a broken leg, Richard Johnson has come back with a bang over the past week, booting home winners at Kempton, Sandown, and yesterday at Fontwell. Richard has no hope of catching Tony McCoy in the race for the jump
