A GHOSTLY spectre is set to spook visitors to Darlington's Art Centre when they get a rare glimpse behind-the-scenes next weekend. The chilling Grey Lady has been spotted by staff and visitors to the centre in Vane Terrace and her story will be retold
A CRIME fighting agency is celebrating its 13th birthday by expanding - and congratulating the public for helping it to become the most successful of its kind. Since it was formally launched on September 4, 1989, the Tyne Tees Crimestoppers unit, based
SLOVAKIA'S Szilard Nemeth fears his derby heroics for Middlesbrough may have come at a heavy personal price - the loss of a chance to face England in next month's Euro 2004 qualifier. The striker pulled out of his country's Group Seven opener in Turkey
A BID has been submitted for cash to fund major environmental improvements to a Ferryhill Station play area. Ferryhill Town Council is confident it will get enough money together to proceed with the £110,000 scheme for the Surtees play area. The council
Hundreds of hidden attractions are to be revealed to the public in a major celebration of the region's rich cultural heritage. Historic properties in County Durham, Northumberland, Cleveland and North Yorkshire will be opening their doors for four days
METAL trees will help to brighten up an old pit village undergoing a major facelift. The Normandy poplars, by blacksmith and artist Graham Hopper, of Hunwick, will be installed at Ushaw Moor. The 20ft high sculptures, commissioned by Durham City Council
AN OLD Darlington building could get a new lease of life under plans to turn it into luxury homes. Faverdale Hall and the surrounding buildings could be turned into flats and houses if the borough council approves the plan. The developers want to demolish
A new addition to the North-east skyline has been made red-hot favourite to become one of Europe's elite architectural structures. The £17.7m Gateshead Millennium Bridge is the bookies' 2-1 favourite to clinch the Royal Institute of British Architects
Thirty hospital patients and staff have fallen victim to an outbreak of sickness and diarrhoea which has left four wards closed to new admissions. The stomach bug which led to the closure of a ward at the James Cook Hospital, Middlesbrough, to new admissions
SO, Laurent Robert doesn't help out his defence, does he? He doesn't replicate his efforts in attack when Newcastle United lose the ball, right? Try telling Danny Mills that, after Robert scurried after the Leeds right-back for 50 yards before whipping
AN allotment association chairman says he is fed up with constantly having to deal with the problem of vandalism. In the 17 years that he has owned an allotment overlooking Durham Constabulary's headquarters, between Newton Hall and Framwellgate Moor,
A WOMAN who was told the NHS could not afford the £80,000 equipment needed to treat her debilitating heart condition is raising the money to buy the machine herself. Bishop Auckland-born Melanie Brett refused private treatment and has raised half the
FORMER Newcastle United striker Daniel Cordone has been arrested in his native Argentina after he was accused of threatening a wedding party with a gun. Cordone, who scored three goals in 27 appearances for Newcastle in the 2000-01 season, was held along
CHILDREN are being encouraged to develop a healthy respect for trees as part of a national week. County Durham youngsters will be urged to take part in National Tree Week, from November 20 to December 1, in an effort to reduce the amount of vandalism
NEARLY 2,000 people have signed a petition protesting against the threatened closure of the Robins cinema in Durham. Pub developer Regent Inns has launched another offensive to try to convert the rented building into an Australian theme bar after magistrates
A GROUP representing users of mental health services in Darlington has been given the opportunity to influence Government policy on how a disability allowance is administered. The group held a meeting with officials from the Depart-ment of Work and Pensions
TELEVISION'S Dr Chris Steel was among the key speakers at an anti-smoking event. The GP, resident doctor on ITV1's This Morning programme and a national expert on smoking cessation, was one of about 60 health professionals at the Smoking Cessation - the
HUNDREDS of peace protestors will take to the streets of Newcastle at the weekend for a rally against the proposed war on Iraq. A coalition of anti-war demonstrators, pro-Palestine organisations and Muslim groups will take part in the march. Members of
THE magnificent statue of Double Trigger standing just to the side of the winners' circle at Doncaster racecourse is a fitting reminder of one of the truly great all-time stayers to have graced the Town Moor. Double Trigger won the Doncaster Cup three
TELEVISION'S Dr Chris Steel was among the key speakers at an anti-smoking event. The GP, resident doctor on ITV1's This Morning programme and a national expert on smoking cessation, was one of about 60 health professionals at the Smoking Cessation - the
TEESSIDE may be known for its great footballers, but in ten years' time it could be an altogether different sport that puts it on the map. Table tennis has taken off in a big way, and the school at the forefront of the sport has been given national recognition
A bed maker is still in negotiations with one of its rivals amid speculation that part of the firm could be taken over. Dunlopillo, which employs 320 workers at its Pannal site in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is involved in the talks with Slumberland,
THE final exhibition at Darlington's art gallery opened last week. The paintings and drawings on show are by three Hartlepool artists Tom Furness, Margery Shotton and Bob Watson and include views of the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and Durham City.
THE oldest church in Darlington needs £90,000 of urgent repairs for rewiring and decoration. St Andrew's church was founded in about 1125 on the site of an older Saxon Church that was probably destroyed just 50 years earlier by the Normans. An inspection
MICKLETON R 'n' B Club, in Teesdale, is to host shows featuring US groups the Marcus Malone Band and Kevin Montgomery and the Roadtrippers. The Marcus Malone Band will perform at the Mickleton Club on November 2, followed by the Roadtrippers in January
THE Tyne and Wear Metro extension has won a national accolade. The recently-opened line scooped the title of major project of the year at the National Rail Awards. Judges praised the project's quality and the way residents were informed of developments
A PETITION protesting against the possible closure of a North-East cinema was handed over yesterday. Nearly 2,000 people signed the petition, objecting to the proposal to convert The Robins cinema, in North Road, Durham City, into a bar. Pub chain Regent
ABOUT five weeks ago, my three-year-old son announced that he was a girl. He took to wearing a hand towel, to look like long hair, draped over his head while tottering about in high-heeled shoes, carrying a handbag. Although he didn't know the sex of
Silence descended on cities, towns and villages around the world yesterday as people remembered the horrors of September 11, one year on. Nowhere was the stillness more poignant than at Ground Zero where thousands gathered, many grieving for lost loved
AN exhibition of photographs dedicated to the ill-fated hospital ship Rohilla has been extended for another week. The display at Whitby Archives and Heritage Centre features previously unpublished pictures, a slide show of the vessel and a video showing
HUNDREDS of peace protestors will take to the streets of Newcastle at the weekend for a rally against the proposed war on Iraq. A coalition of anti-war demonstrators, pro-Palestine organisations and Muslim groups will take part in the march. Members of
GUCCI and Prada supplier Dawson International reported a slump in half-year sales after being rocked by the tough global economy. The cashmere specialist also said a full recovery in the rest of the year was unlikely. Dawson, from Kinross, Tayside, procures
A GERMAN motorcyclist died in a collision that led to the temporary closure of a trans-Pennine trunk road in the North-East yesterday. The victim, who has not been named, was travelling in unison with another German biker when the collision took place
SURFING the open waves is already a champion way of life for a Teesside boy. Evan Rogers, 11, made the long trek to North Devon for the British Billabong Surfing Championships and came back with the winner's trophy. The youth beat competition from surfers
ALLEGATIONS that an Asian ex-policeman was set up by fellow officers for a jail sentence are now being considered by a barrister. Earlier this year the Police Complaints Authority informed Cleveland Police it was satisfied with the conduct of an independent
A PUBLIC meeting could be staged to address the concerns of residents after it emerged that convicted paedophiles and murderers could be living at a former bail hostel in North Yorkshire. People living near the Southview Hostel, in Boroughbridge Road,
BUDDING art students have recreated on canvas their impressions of an atmospheric heritage site. The youngsters from Northallerton College yesterday (WED) set up an exhibition of work reflecting visits they had made to the historic Mount Grace Priory,
THREE men were jailed for a total of 38 years yesterday for their parts in a North-East gangland hit. But John Sayers - the man police claimed was behind the killing - walked free after a jury acquitted him of murder. Mr Sayers, 38, of Coquet Terrace,
THE heroes of the Battle of Britain will be remembered in a service in Stockton on Sunday. Veterans and air cadets will take part in a parade and service of remembrance at Stockton Parish Church to mark the 62nd anniversary of what Churchill called Britain's
CITY traders yesterday marked the first anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in sombre mood. The Square Mile has been hard hit by the attacks, which struck at the heart of America's financial centre. In the City, trading came to a halt as
THEY are waggy . . . some are shaggy. They come in all sizes, pampered, preened and all beautiful in the eyes of their owners. Yes folks, it's dog show time again. Thousands of them are heading for the region for the 34th Darlington Championship Dog Show
ADULT education classes arranged by Education in the Community include antiques, on Mondays at Cotherstone Village Hall, and dressmaking on Tuesdays at Gainford Village Hall. An art class is held at Evenwood Community Centre on Wednesdays, beginners'
Recycling boxes will help to cut the mountain of waste collected from Wear Valley households. A district council link with Teesdale and Derwentside means that each home will be given a 55-litre box for paper, cans, glass and textiles. These will be picked
A US tourist was airlifted to safety after getting stuck while climbing a cliff in North Yorkshire yesterday. The man, in his forties and from Pasadena, California, was picked up by a rescue helicopter at Boulby Cliffs, in Staithes, and flown to safety
A waste management site has been approved by the narrowest of margins. Yorwaste had tabled the proposal for Tancred Quarry at Scorton, but North Yorkshire County Council's planning committee vote was tied at 5-5. It was passed on the casting vote of chairman
A SCHEME set up to provide mental health patients with on-the-spot advice is being extended across Teesside and parts of Yorkshire. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (Pals) has been piloted in Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool for the past year
A NORTH-EAST grower has set a world record for the biggest pair of leeks. John Pearson, 54, of Elvet Green, Hetton-le-Hole, near Sunderland, produced vegetables measuring 365.7 cubic inches compared with the previous record of 339 cubic inches. He set
STEELMAKER Corus, which reports its interim results today, is taking on 80 staff to ensure contracts worth millions of pounds can be completed. The expansion of its Tees-side pipe mill operations follows growth in the energy market for oil and gas pipes
A FLAGSHIP housing scheme devised by Red or Dead fashion label founder Wayne Hemingway can go ahead after the Government declined to intervene. Mr Hemingway, who runs Hemingway Design with his wife Geraldine, teamed up with Wimpey Homes to draft plans
THE bells of a village church will be rung in tribute to a community stalwart later this month. The announcement about the tribute was made at the funeral of Ian Fletcher, general manager of Hurworth Community Association, based at The Grange in the village
A FORMER drill hall has been turned into a child care facility. The Drill Hall, in Liddell Terrace, Bensham, Gateshead, was bought by St Chad's Community Project in 1999 as a base for its out- of-school service. The service, which operated from St Chad's
AN estimated 35,000 people are expected to attend one of the premier flower shows of the season this weekend. Harrogate's annual Autumn Flower Show, which is staged by the North of England Horticultural Society, starts tomorrow and runs until Sunday.
A fashion entrepreneur is hoping to rival Harvey Nichols with his latest venture in the North-East. Steve Cochrane, the man behind Psyche, is planning to open a four-storey upmarket department store - complete with a champagne and oyster bar - in Linthorpe
A FIREFIGHTER was hurt while tackling a house fire on Teesside. Firefighter Stephen Suggitt received burns to his neck while dealing with an intense blaze which wrecked a first floor town centre flat. Neighbours were roused by the sound of the windows
A MINI fanatic from the North-East is preparing to take part in a mile-long challenge to raise money for the National Children's Home. Glen Harvey, from Darlington, is driving his treasured Rover Mini 30 to Warwickshire to take part in the national Mile
JUNE 5 next year is a date for the people of Chester-le-Street and North-East cricket fans to pencil in their diaries. That is the day when the Riverside ground will stage its first session of Test match cricket. The England and Wales Cricket Board announced
EAST Durham has been chosen as one of only three areas in the country to pilot a new scheme aimed at reducing falls among elderly people. Easington Primary Care Trust has been selected from more than 140 applications nationwide to take part in the project
DURHAM'S unseen heritage is being opened to public view. Over four days people will be able to go inside Redhills, home of the Durham NUM, the workings of St Nicholas Church's clock, St Chad's College, North Road Methodist Church and St Laurence Church
COUNCILLORS have objected to controversial plans that could result in their authority being fined for bed-blocking in hospitals. The Government initiative could mean City of York Council having to pay £500,000 a year for elderly patients who are in hospital
IT SOLUTIONS firm Perfect Image has teamed up with ice hockey hopefuls the Newcastle KBS Vipers, to support the side's efforts to establish itself in the British National League. Perfect Image specialises in developing intergrated IT platforms for clients
THE number of people drawing unemployment benefit has fallen to its lowest level since October 1975, new figures have revealed. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said claimant count unemployment fell by 6,400 to 943,300 last month. Analysts had
LOCAL history enthusiasts can look forward to another trip down memory lane with archivist Michael Richardson. His ninth book of old pictures, Durham City Remembered, which features 500 illustrations of local life between 1935 and 1960, has just been
Durham Choral Society has started rehearsing its autumn season and welcomes singers, experienced and new. The new season's programme includes Beethoven's Mass in D and Faure's Requiem. The choir has more than 100 members and welcomes applications, particularly
ALMOST £1m is to be spent trying to improve the health of young people in Derwentside. The money, from the National Lottery New Opportunities Fund, will help to turn a village hall into a healthy living centre. The Young and Fit in Derwentside scheme
Yorkshire must go flat out for victory over Warwickshire at Edgbaston today in the penultimate Championship match of the season if they are to cling on to their slender chance of avoiding relegation. Defeat for Yorkshire would automatically condemn the
A SCHEME to eliminate the chance of asbestos releases in County Durham schools could be approved today. Durham County Council's cabinet is being recommended to back the preparation of asbestos management plans in 261 non-church schools. The material was
SWIMMER Denise Baker has struck gold at the British Transplant Games. Multiple medal winner Denise, from Darlington, claimed first place in the women's 50 metres butterfly in her age group at the games in Loughborough. She also collected bronze medals
Department store group John Lewis has reported a £10m fall in half-year profits after figures were hurt by higher pension costs and increased spending on its stores. The group, which also owns the Waitrose supermarket chain, said profits fell to £34m
STEPHEN Harmison was left in no doubt about the size of the task awaiting him on the Ashes tour yesterday as Mark Waugh plundered an effortless century at the Riverside. At 37, Waugh may be coming to the end of his Test career, but the Durham attack provided
THE family of a teenager seriously injured when he was hit by a train are raising money to buy him new limbs. Ben Woods, 17, of Hurworth, lost his right arm and left leg in the accident on the East Coast main line near his home in July. He has been receiving
CHRIS Turner last night maintained a diplomatic stance over Hartlepool United's Worthington Cup exit. Pool went down to a 2-1 home defeat to Tranmere on Tuesday, but bowed out in controversial circumstances following a poor display by referee Mark Clattenburg
WEARDALE celebrated the success of Britain's oldest agricultural show last weekend. This time last year devastation swept the Dale as it struggled to come to terms with the effects of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Wolsingham itself became the first village
NEWCASTLE were frustrated by the indefatigable defiance of Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who vindicated Terry Venables' decision to promote him ahead of Nigel Martyn. Robinson enhanced his credentials with a performance which laid the platform for Leeds
A COUPLE who have dedicated their lives to athletics in Darlington are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary. Bert Goodwin, 81, and his wife Gwen, 82, met and became friends in 1939 and were married in 1942 at St John's Church in Darlington before
A NORTH-EAST man has been jailed for nine years in the US for attacking his ex-wife and trying to abduct his son. Douglas Frawley, from Darlington, was sent to prison after a jury in New Mexico found him guilty of accosting his ex-wife while trying to
A NORTH-EAST council is preparing to spend £130,000 on repairing road bridges over railway lines in its area. Darlington Borough Council is proposing to spend the money on eight bridges which have been assessed by experts. Four of the bridges in the borough
THE management team of specialist coatings business Tor is buying back the firm they sold to a European rival in 1996. The team, led by chief executive Colin Carter and non-executive chairman Guy Readman, will pay European Colour £13m for the business
A NEGLECTED North Yorkshire bridge that had fallen into disrepair will cost thousands of pounds to restore. Built more than 135 years ago, the bridge at Myton on Swale, near Helperby, was closed in September 1998 because it was rendered unsafe. It is
When Craig Liddle scored at Hartlepool in the play-off semi-finals for Darlington in May 2000, he reached what he believes was the peak of his career. Liddle wants a repeat performance on Saturday when he leads out his teammates at Victoria Park for the
A SERIES of skate parks could help to meet demand from young enthusiasts without a dedicated area to practise their pastime in Durham. Following the opening of a skate park in Chester-le-Street last week, three are now earmarked for sites alongside existing
A scooter rider is in hospital being treated for broken bones after a road accident at traffic lights. Cleveland Police say the rider of the Yamaha may have jumped a red light in Hartlepool town centre before colliding with a car. Efforts are being made
GARDENERS, traders and the Durham public earned a pat on the back after the city repeated recent success in the annual Northumbria in Bloom awards. For the sixth year running Durham won the Best Town category in the regional award scheme presentation
A COUNCIL is to lobby the Government in a bid to get more money to repair its council houses. Wear Valley District Council says it will need twice as much funding to bring its homes up to Decent Home Standards as laid down by the Government in time for
A FORMER head boy has returned to his school to teach alongside his mother. Michael Garmston, 24, was head boy at Hurworth Comprehensive School in 1994. He was also captain of the football team, which won the Darlington schools league and cup double twice
Eyewitnesses to terror. Who could take seriously a programme called Liz Hurley's Brains? C4 supplied only a ten-minute preview of a documentary aiming to demonstrate that Liz's most valuable asset is not her much-photographed body but the steely determination
Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus has reported wider losses for the last half-year and said the timing of a recovery in its markets remained uncertain. The former British Steel group, which employs around 4,200 staff on Teesside, reported pre-tax losses of
STUDENTS in Darlington have been given advice to raise awareness of a potentially fatal disease. Meningitis Research Foundation has just produced a new free wall planner, which has been sent to Darlington College of Technology, giving students advice
MICHAEL Gray has urged his Sunderland teammates to hit a ruthless streak in front of goal. The Black Cats skipper was part of a side that was unable to break down a resolute Middlesbrough in the Tees-Wear derby on Tuesday night. And he is convinced that
POLICE in Bishop Auckland have repeated a warning to elderly people to be on their guard against bogus utility officials after a spate of distraction burglaries in the town. The latest incident happened at about 4.30pm on Monday when £500 was stolen from
A NEW mobile toy library is offering youngsters the chance to play with more than 400 toys. The toy library is based at Corporation Road Nursery, in Darlington, and will be travelling throughout the town. It will be visiting the Sure Start project in
TELEVISION'S Dr Chris Steel was among the key speakers at an anti-smoking event. The GP, resident doctor on ITV1's This Morning programme and a national expert on smoking cessation, was one of about 60 health professionals at the Smoking Cessation - the
A HOSPITAL consultant who allegedly failed to take a patient's symptoms seriously has been accused of serious professional misconduct. Dr John Paterson, a consultant physician working at Scarborough General Hospital, is to appear before the General Medical
As the names are read out, the wind catches them indiscriminately... Gordon Aamoth... Edel-miro Abad... snatches of some are lost forever... Gertrude Alagero. Others are caught on a blast, bouncing back and forth off those skyscrapers that remain. It
DEVELOPERS say they have no plans to build a multi-screen cinema as part of their latest town centre scheme. Earlier this week Terrace Hill applied to Darlington Borough Council to build an office block at the corner of Feethams and Houndgate. The area
Forensic tests are being carried out in a bid to establish how a 14-year-old boy died. There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of computer loving Anthony Iverson. He was found dead at his Billingham home on Sunday morning. An inquest
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on his nation a year ago, President Bush demonstrated skills many of us thought he lacked. We expected a swift and angry retaliation to the atrocities. What we got was a calm and considered response. But, in coming
A DISPLAY of some of the world's elite cars has helped raised £2,600 for charity. The second annual North Yorkshire TVR Car Club charity day brought the world-renowned marques of TVR, Porsche, Lotus and Ferrari to Topcliffe for a turbo-charged event.
COBBLER Basil Sturdy is putting his best foot forward to walk around the Yorkshire Dales after retiring from a family business with a 170-year history. But as Mr Sturdy, 65, wears out his boots he is facing a problem - where to get them repaired. With
SECURITY remained tight at the region's airports yesterday as tension around September 11 failed to deter passengers from flying. At Teesside Airport, armed police officers patrolled as part of heightened security measures which have been in place since
A WIDE range of wild flowers have been discovered during a survey of a parish open space. For its botanical survey, the Flatts Preservation Trust in Sowerby, near Thirsk, did not cut half a field bequested to the parish some years ago by a former resident
THE North-East yesterday remembered the dead of September 11. Thousands joined people around the world to recall the victims of New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. From families to firefighters, Christian and Muslim, they gathered for moving commemorative
RETAIL group Dixons said sales had picked up in recent months, boosted by shoppers buying televisions and video recorders ahead of the World Cup. The group said like-for-like sales for the 19 weeks to September 8 rose six per cent. Total sales at the
THE heroes of the Battle of Britain will be remembered in a service in Stockton on Sunday. Veterans and air cadets will take part in a parade and service of remembrance at Stockton Parish Church to mark the 62nd anniversary of what Churchill called Britain's
A HIDDEN treasure trove is to be unveiled to the public for the first time in years. Curios, including a two-headed sheep, historic photographs and important artefacts, all locked away in a 17th Century Grade II listed house named Winkies Castle, will
MP and former Minister Joyce Quin has announced her intention to quit Westminster politics. The Tyneside MP said she will not stand again at the next election for her Gateshead East and Washington West seat, amid speculation that she wants to be leader
Yorkshire's favourite pantomime dame, Berwick Kaler, is looking for youngsters to join him in this year's show at York Theatre Royal. The production of Babbies In The Wood needs young performers aged between eight and 11 and be under 5ft. Some acting
CHARITY organisers are appealing for "one big push" to hit a fundraising target this weekend. The Macmillan Cancer Relief County Durham Appeal is close to achieving its 2002 target of £200,000. Cash raised during the charity's three-year appeal will pay
RELIGION is now at the top of the agenda for the 21st Century and people are frightened by this. US politicians are trying to rationalise a response to the horrors of September 11 as if they were preparing for an attack by those kamikazi pilots they encountered
YOUNG musicians in Hartlepool are being given cash hand-outs to help them get closer to their dreams. Every year, musicians aged 15 to 25 living in the town can apply for a Preston Simpson Scholarship of Music grant. One budding musician to benefit this
A HEALTH trust is toasting its success after being recognised for its commitment to its staff. North Durham Health Care NHS Trust has been awarded Investors in People (IIP) accreditation for the third successive time. The scheme provides a framework to
THE future of more than 1,000 threatened jobs at an electronics firm's North-East plants could become clearer today. Following a meeting between bosses at LG Philips, which has factories in Durham and nearby Washington, and the engineering union, Amicus
A KIND-HEARTED pensioner had her purse stolen after she let a thief into her house for a drink of water. The trusting woman was conned at about 2pm on Tuesday. The trickster knocked on the pensioner's front door at Peebles Avenue, Hartlepool, and asked
A SERVICE for victims of crime has moved to new premises to make it more accessible to the public. After ten years at Durham's Dragonville Industrial Estate, the city's Victim Support branch has moved to an office above the library in Millennium Place
A CAMPAIGN has been launched against plans to give the region its own elected assembly. Opponents of a North-East Regional Assembly claim there is no real support for home rule and that an assembly would be costly, bureaucratic and would be to the detriment
HISTORY repeated itself yesterday as "Bishop Colman" once again walked the North York Moors - 13 centuries after his first journey. Actor Ian McNicol re-enacted the part of the Celtic priest who walked across the moors to the Synod of Whitby in the year
Alphabetical list Louise Adams 11; Ashley Archer 1; Craig Armin 11; Dale Ayre 11; Jason Baddeley 10; Elizabeth Bailey 11; Kate Ball 9; Luke Beasley 4; Stacey Berriman 11; Michelle Birchall 8; Rachel Black 11; Liam Riley 11; Phillip Bonner 11; Michael
I HAVE been in the region for the past few days, and I bought your newspaper. As I intended to visit Washington, I was delighted to see the map of Washington (Echo, Sept 3). As a consequence, my friend and I were easily able to find the area that we wanted
POLICE in Bishop Auckland have repeated their warning to elderly people to be on their guard against bogus utility officials after a spate of distraction burglaries in the town. The latest incident happened at about 4.30pm on Monday when £500 was stolen
CHARITY HELPERS: Philippa Nevins, ten, from North Bitchburn, Crook, and her friend Melissa Hope organised a sale in aid of Cancer Research and raised £20. SHOW DATE: Crook RAFA Club, in North Terrace, is holding a leek, vegetable and flower show on Saturday
PLANS for a nightclub in Redcar have been unveiled. No objections have been received so far for the club, which would be the town's fifth, even though the official deadline for comments from the public is today. Redcar and Cleveland Council received the
CHILDREN are being encouraged to develop a healthy respect for trees as part of a national week. County Durham youngsters will be urged to take part in National Tree Week, from November 20 to December 1, in an effort to reduce the amount of vandalism
COMMUNITY wardens in Hartlepool have been hailed a success after dealing with more than 1,000 incidents in the first six months. Volunteers dealt with everything from vandalism and graffiti to anti-social behaviour, neighbour disputes and drug problems
A MAN has denied raping a teenage girl at a new year party. Robert Lewis, 30, said that he asked for the police to be called after the 16-year-old accused him of raping her in a bedroom where her boyfriend was asleep. He told a jury that he walked into
A DARLINGTON hospice is appealing for help from businesses in North Yorkshire. St Teresa's Hospice is hoping to open and run a six-bed, 24-hour unit providing respite, palliative and terminal care. Although based in Darlington, the facility has been helping
AN appeal to buy equipment for two hospitals has received an £8,000 boost. Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) volunteers and staff who work at the shop at Darlington Memorial Hospital handed the money over to hospital representatives on Monday. The
TELEVISION'S Dr Chris Steel was among the key speakers at an anti-smoking event. The GP, resident doctor on ITV1's This Morning programme and a national expert on smoking cessation, was one of about 60 health professionals at the Smoking Cessation - the
RESIDENTS have vowed to fight plans to build executive homes on part of their mining heritage which they say is common land. Householders in Blackfyne, Consett, are opposing a proposal to build 13 houses on the Blue Heaps. The grassland, formed out of
MICKLETON R 'n' B Club, in Teesdale, is to host shows featuring US groups the Marcus Malone Band and Kevin Montgomery and the Roadtrippers. The Marcus Malone Band will perform at the Mickleton Club on November 2, followed by the Roadtrippers in January
A North-east chemical worker died, overcome by toxic fumes while preparing to handle acid. Production technician Derek Tuck, 41, collapsed at the BASF plant, at Seal Sands, near Billingham, Teesside, and was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. The
GREAT CARS: Almost 200 pre-war cars will be on display at Beamish Museum's Classic Car Day on Sunday, September 22. MORE MUSIC: Courses on breaking into the music industry are being held in the Bullion Hall from 9.30am to 4pm on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout
RESIDENTS of Redcar and Cleveland are missing out on the chance to quiz a police chief - because of a squabble between two politicians. A war of words has broken out between Redcar and Cleveland Council leader David Walsh and Ken Walker, the former leader
A SPECIALLY trained nurse is set to start work on a Darlington housing estate thanks to a grant from the National Lottery. The Firthmoor to Health project has been awarded more than £500,000 and will use the money to set up a one-stop health shop where
THE curtain has come down on the career of a theatre employee who has worked in Darlington for 27 years. Betty McFaul, 65, retired from her post as director's secretary at Darlington Civic Theatre last week. Mrs McFaul's family has long links with the
COUNCIL buildings can often be dreary, mundane places where unglamorous issues like development plans and taxes are discussed. But the small, wood panelled rooms where Durham City councillors meet are lined with historical portraits, swords and antique
The world is this week passing judgement on one of the region's most famous sons. Experts from across the globe are all having their say about circumnavigator, Captain James Cook. Speakers from Hawaii, New Zealand, Canada and Germany are giving their
