THE Government has been strongly criticised for "inexcusable" aspects of its handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The lack of a vaccination policy and the failure to bring in the Army at an earlier stage were two of the main failings, but the fact that
THE country's first rail academy is to open in York. The city will become a centre of excellence for training and education in the rail industry when the new Yorkshire Rail Academy opens in September this year. Developed jointly by York College and the
DRUNKEN youths are causing fear and intimidation on Friday nights in a peaceful dale community after transporting carrier bags of alcohol by public transport. Coun Mandy Harrison told members of Middleton in Teesdale Parish Council that she had received
TODAY we celebrate the first day of spring, but, as the poets are wont to remind us, spring does not necessarily comprise long, fine days of sunshine and blue skies. There can be lots of chilly days with fogs, rain and even snow or hail and, of course
The Ultimate Invasion; Baby Felix Tennis; Dinomaster Party; Publisher: Light and Shadow Productions, Platform: PlayStation, Price: £9.99 each THE PlayStation may be in its dotage now but, remarkably, it remains as popular as ever. Recent price cuts have
UP to twelve Britons were killed when a helicopter crashed in Kuwait early this morning. They are believed to have died along with four Americans. The US Marine CH46 helicopter crashed in the Kuwaiti desert, nine miles south of the border. Initial reports
FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - Electric lighting of the bank. The Gasworks Committee considered a proposal of lighting of the Ure bank in Ripon by electricity. The Town Clerk was instructed to give notice that on the 1st of July next, the council
A YEAR-long project by Thirsk Rural Arts group comes to fruition next weekend with an event celebrating people who live and work in the Howardian Hills. Demonstrations of traditional crafts, an exhibition and the chance to talk to photographer, Tessa
A GROUP of volunteers set off for the Chernobyl nuclear disaster area with three lorry loads of aid on Monday. GMB Union northern organiser Terry Scarr, who is co-ordinating the mission, took his last delivery of goods from Delves Lane Methodist Church
DARLINGTON Building Society chief executive Peter Rowley, and general manager David Dodd, will be competing in the London Marathon on April 13 to raise money for Shelter's work with homeless children. They are part of a 70-strong Building Societies Association
AN exhibition highlighting mental health issues has been launched by John Cummings, MP for Easington. The 1 in 4 exhibition, produced by the Government's mindOut for mental health campaign, is at East Durham and Houghall Community College, in Peterlee
A walking bus scheme has been launched in Stockton. The scheme has been launched by the Here For You project, funded by Stockton's Children's Fund, in partnership with the Children North-East charity. Stockton Borough Council's road safety team is supporting
HEALTH bosses on the Yorkshire coast are exploring the possibility of sharing medical staff and recruiting overseas doctors in a bid to fill vacancies. There are five vacant doctors' posts at Scarborough General Hospital, according to the local health
A CHEF with the Royal Marines has swapped life on the high seas for dry land to give North-East catering students a taste of life in a Royal Navy kitchen. Sergeant John Beaton met young people from Middlesbrough College yesterday to show off the culinary
HEALTH chiefs have confirmed an important medical service, which seemed set for the axe at the end of this month, will continue. During a briefing from the Central Dales Consultative Group, Bainbridge Parish Council was told of a number of changes at
EXOTIC creatures could move into a Wear Valley village as early as September now that plans for an animal sanctuary have been given the go-ahead. Residents of The Exotic Animal Welfare Trust, to be created on the outskirts of Tow Law, will include wild
VISIONARY plans to transform the centre of Chester-le-Street with £12m worth of investment are under way. The project is among the biggest ever to affect the town and will involve creating a new "civic heart" which will become the town's central focal
A VILLAGE church, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, has won a grant to allow vital repair work to go ahead. The church of All Saints and St Helen's, at Wykeham, Scarborough, is believed to be one of only two in the country which has
A MAN had to undergo reconstructive surgery to his face after he was the victim of a beating, a court heard yesterday. His attackers, Leigh Cross, 26, of Westfield Terrace, Loftus, and Paul Hunt, 24, of Greystokes Walk, Redcar, east Cleveland, pleaded
A CHARITY auction raised more than £15,000 in memory of well-known racer Simon 'Ronnie' Smith. Motorcycle racing fans turned up in their hundreds to pay tribute to the North Yorkshire man, who was killed in a road accident near his Harrogate home in January
A PLANNING application has been made for a housing development on council-owned land in Lanethorpe Crescent, Darlington. Outline planning permission is being sought to build a residential development. It is believed Darlington Borough Council is hoping
A POTENTIALLY deadly hoard of 1,000 used hypodermic needles was found dumped by the side of a busy Darlington road yesterday afternoon. The discarded needles were recovered by Darlington Borough Council's uniformed wardens after concerned residents called
SECURITY is being stepped up at a popular recreation ground in Hartlepool in a £90,000 improvement scheme. Hartlepool Borough Council is funding the works at Rift House "Rec" in a bid to curb vandalism and prevent damage to the sports pitches. Extra window
CHILDcare provision on Teesside has received a boost of more than £500,000. Work starts today on a £580,000, 80-place nursery at Coulby Newham. Due to open in September, the nursery is one of eight planned across Middlesbrough. Coulby ward councillor
A PARISH council meeting at Brompton descended into noisy chaos on Monday in a bitter dispute over a bus stop in the village. Stephen Bosomworth, fighting to clear his name of an allegation that he threatened to turn a hosepipe on people waiting for a
Youngsters will be the stars of a fundraising event. Mid-Durham Projects Club has joined forces with Durham Disability Leisure to organise a Stars in Our Eyes show. More than 30 special needs youngsters will take part in the event at Gilesgate Community
The Bishop of Durham has appointed the Reverend Keith Lumsdon, vicar of St Luke's Church, Ferryhill, as priest-in-charge of Holy Trinity Church, Cornforth. He takes over on March 30.
AN event to encourage pupils and parents to go in to higher education is being held next week. Year five pupils from Coundon Primary School, near Bishop Auckland, and their parents, will visit New College, in Durham, on Wednesday, for an Aiming for College
DOG owners in Hartlepool are being told they now have no excuse for failing to clear up the mess left by their pets. The message was issued as two more dog-dirt bins were installed in the south of the town. Funded through Hartlepool Borough Council's
NORTHALLERTON resident Irene Kilding has become one of the first people to sign up to an initiative offering cut-price taxi travel. The subsidised fares scheme, which comes into operation on April 1, helps disabled people with severe mobility problems
SHOPPERS were taken back half a century when they called at Naafi Financial, in Catterick Garrison, yesterday. Darlington Building Society has launched an agency at the Shute Road premises, and to mark the event employed the services of Garrison Radio
PLANS to provide more than 50 low-cost homes for local people in the Yorkshire Dales have been thwarted after a funding bid failed. Council members and officers are pressing for an urgent meeting with the Housing Corporation to learn why their application
HUNDREDS of teenagers have attended a good citizenship school. Lessons ranged from drug workshops to warnings from ex-convicts, designed to "dispel along the way many of the myths surroundings crime and media glamorisation of criminality". More than 300
TEES Valley's languages "hit squad" is making sure the area's exporters have the tools to do business abroad. The team charged with raising awareness of the value of languages and other international communications skills is staging two events at Teesside
Under-pressure Darlington boss Mick Tait has received the backing of chairman George Reynolds in his bid to steer the club clear of relegation. Quakers have recorded just one win from their last 12 and defeat at third-placed Scunthorpe tomorrow could
PANIC-stricken villagers launched a search for a missing two-year-old - only to find her playing happily in a neighbour's empty home. Carla Horton has been christened Goldilocks by relieved family and friends after wandering into the house next door while
Youngsters will be the stars of a fundraising event. Mid-Durham Projects Club has joined forces with Durham Disability Leisure to organise a Stars in Our Eyes show. More than 30 special needs youngsters will take part in the event at Gilesgate Community
MORE walks are being set up by the Hambleton Strollers following the success of a scheme since its launch this year. Hambleton residents have been turning out in force to stretch their legs on guided walks, and the Strollers have set up more walks for
A SCHOOL rugby team will live out every player's dream when they run out on to the hallowed turf of Twickenham later this month. Barnard Castle School has won through to the final of the Daily Mail Under-18 Schools' Cup after a sparkling season in which
THE region suffered another jobs blow last night when it was announced that an engineering firm is to close its North-East operation. The Torrington plant, on Darlington's Yarm Road Industrial estate, will be phased out within the next eight to 12 months
Youngsters will be the stars of a fundraising event. Mid-Durham Projects Club has joined forces with Durham Disability Leisure to organise a Stars in Our Eyes show. More than 30 special needs youngsters will take part in the event at Gilesgate Community
EMBARRASSED Mark Schwarzer last night spoke of his determination to recapture his best Middlesbrough form after the humiliation of Elland Road. The Australian goalkeeper was at fault for both goals in the 3-2 win over Leeds United last weekend and now
Police issued a warning to drug users last night after a 15-year-old boy was admitted to hospital suffering from an Ecstasy overdose. The teenager was found in the Oxclose area of Washington, Wearside, and taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital, where he
TWO Stokesley business women are seeking compensation from a local authority, after expected takings at their furnishings shop fell £4,000 during six weeks of street repair work. Kate Reilly and Charlotte Emmerson, of Reilly and Emmerson Living, claim
AN afternoon aimed at encouraging pupils and parents to go into higher education will take place next week. On Wednesday, year five pupils from Coundon Primary School, near Bishop Auckland, and their parents, will be visiting New College, Durham, for
A WHITE cat is looking for a new home after being saved from certain death. Pearl, a four-year-old cat, was rescued by a National Animal Sanctuaries Support League (NASSL) volunteer when she was taken to the vets to be destroyed. Pauline Wilson, from
A WHITE cat is looking for a new home after being saved from certain death. Pearl, a four-year-old cat, was rescued by a National Animal Sanctuaries Support League (NASSL) volunteer when she was taken to the vets to be destroyed. Pauline Wilson, from
Students at the University of Teesside are to hold an Easter tea dance for older people in the town. Students plan to invite 100 older people, who may live alone or in a home on Teesside, to the dance, which is being held in the Students' Union on Saturday
A FAMOUS coastal town's landmark is to be saved from sinking with a grant from English Heritage. Whitby's 199 steps - once a major pilgrims' way and now a key route to the Abbey headland - are being investigated to determine why they are deteriorating
THE mother of a Northallerton teenager has hit out at school rules over clothes. Gill Clarridge says staff at the Allertonshire School told her daughter, Abbie, they would confiscate her denim jacket if she wore it again. Mrs Clarridge - a single parent
THE story of how a young family faced eviction from their home after their father was killed in the North-East's worst pit disaster, has emerged for the first time. The family of William Green, a 34-year-old miner who died in the 1909 West Stanley Burns
A JUNIOR football league is appealing for more teams and helpers to help it survive. The Richmond and District Sunday Junior League, which currently caters for players aged eight to 16 years, will become an under-13s league next season. The decision to
WAXWINGS were the undoubted highlight of February's birdwatching. These charismatic Scandinavian visitors periodically "invade" Britain to feed on berries. They are quite distinctive, somewhat resembling a buff-coloured starling, but with a crest, face
CITIES, towns and villages in the North-East and North Yorkshire have reached the national final of the Britain in Bloom competition. Newcastle has made it to the final five for the large city category, while Harrogate and Durham will battle it out for
THE funeral will be held today of a North-East schoolgirl who was stabbed to death in her home. Friends and family will pay their last respects to 12-year-old Natalie Ruddick at St Matthew and St Mary's Church, Newcastle at 10.30am, followed by burial
FIRE SERVICE: I HAVE noticed you are very keen on telling firefighters to cancel industrial action (Echo, Mar 14) on the grounds that the country is going to war. But I have noticed that you are not so keen on asking the employers to stop proceeding with
Karl Wilson, 28, who is accused of rape, false imprisonment, indecent assault and causing grievous bodily harm, appeared in court yesterday. No pleas were taken during the short hearing at Newcastle Crown Court and Mr Wilson, of West Park Road, South
BRIGHT sparks Jodi Crowther and Steven Fairish were hailed as the engineers of the future at an industry conference. The pair, both pupils at Tanfield School, Tanfield, near Stanley, won the Derwentside Young Engineering competition held recently. They
A SCHOOL is celebrating after receiving an outstanding report from inspectors. St Patrick's RC Comprehensive, in Thornaby, Teesside, won praise and a "very effective" rating from Ofsted inspectors in a report. The school has 569 pupils, mainly from the
A MASKED gang kidnapped a man from his home near Consett, subjected him to hours of torture and then dumped him on a deserted stretch of road hundreds of miles away. The 27-year-old victim, from Burnhope, is recovering in hospital after sustaining serious
HEXHAM. - Last Fri. Special mid-March show & sale. Fwd: 1,169 store cattle & suckled calves. Judge: Robert Dickinson, High Knape, Askham. Overall champion: E Telfer & Son, Newton High House, Lim X hfr 12-m-o £850 to the judge; res: BBX hfr
The Ultimate Invasion; Baby Felix Tennis; Dinomaster Party; Publisher: Light and Shadow Productions, Platform: PlayStation, Price: £9.99 each THE PlayStation may be in its dotage now but, remarkably, it remains as popular as ever. Recent price cuts have
THOUSANDS of Little Red Tractors are to be given away as part of a massive food promotion driven by British farmers. The national "collect and win" challenge forms part of a £250,000 promotional drive for the British Farm Assurance logo, announced in
TWO North-East organisations have won national awards for their efforts to combat workplace stress as part of the European Week for Safety and Health campaign. Procter and Gamble Technical Centres, of Longbenton, Newcastle, and the County Durham and Darlington
THE families of two young horse riders injured when a driver crashed into them have reacted angrily to his sentence. Kenneth Bailey, 53, of Geneva Crescent, Darlington, had pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention in the town's Neasham
THE Empire Theatre in Consett finally re-opens its doors this weekend after a £700,000 overhaul. The theatre - one of the region's oldest - is back in business from this Friday, after a nine-month closure for refurbishment that was dogged with delays.
A plane passenger has appeared in court accused of dropping a lit cigarette on a carpet which could have set fire to a packed holiday jet. John Donkin, 41, is alleged to have stubbed out a cigarette before dropping a lit one on the carpet after he was
John Spearing'sThihn (2.55) has cast-iron credentials for this afternoon's Freephone Stanley Spring Mile. Twelve months ago Thihn made the Lincoln proper, a race in which he finished fourth despite having lost around seven lengths after being caught sleeping
Tony Blair paid tribute to the actions of British servicemen and women fighting in the Gulf as news of the first British casualties broke today. Eight marines were killed when an American helicopter they were traveling in crashed in Kuwait. Defence officials
A 15-YEAR-OLD Cleveland girl has qualified for the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead for the second year running. Sally Jayne Adams from Whinney Hill near Stockton and her 148cm pony Baskin Ilex will take part in the JC final. Sally finished
A BLUEPRINT which will govern the development of a national park could include a policy which will allow planners more leeway when it comes to the conversion of agricultural buildings. Controversy has surrounded Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority's
FOR those who have lived through a world war, there must be disbelief at the nature of modern battles. They could never have countenanced the possibility that, one day, wars would be fought from a distance with the precision of a surgeon, and unfold before
Sir, - In the past, each planning application before the National Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority was considered by the planning committee on its individual merits. Applications recommended for refusal by a planning officer, but with specific
THE Festival finale, the first of the Flat - what joy for race fans! And in the future, there will be four Cheltenham days to savour. The Gold Cup win by Best Mate was one which no horse-lover could criticise. The first back-to-back winner since L'Escargot
THE slow suicide of the Post Office is gathering speed.The smallest number of stamps which can be bought from the machine outside Darlington main post office is now 12 - of either denomination. Just what you want for that one, last minute letter on a
A MAN found guilty of murdering an asylum seeker was on bail for hacking another man with a machete, it emerged yesterday. Steven Roberts, 18, plunged a knife into Iranian Peiman Bahmani's chest, puncturing his lung. The stabbing happened after racial
MORE than 500 affordable homes are to be built in the region as part of a £9m investment programme. Over the next 12 months, Three Rivers Housing Group will begin the first phase of a three-year housing development programme in the North. The scheme will
A MULTI-million pound grants package which will turn Teesside into a centre of arts, is being announced today. Up to £10m is to be pumped into the creation of a Centre for International Street Arts in Stockton - home of the annual International Riverside
CAMPAIGNERS seeking the permanent return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the North-East made a pilgrimage to Durham Cathedral yesterday. Members of the Northumbrian Association chose St Cuthbert's Day to make a symbolic six-mile walk following the footsteps
JUNIOR riders travelled from far and wide to compete in the junior premier show held at Stainsby Grange EC, Thornaby, recently. The event, organised by Paula and Peter Allen, featured excellent courses designed by Walter Taylor, assisted by Brian Candler
Secrets of the Dead (Ch4) WHEN Captain Robert Falcon Scott first organised his fated expedition to the South Pole, he was hailed a hero. But in the years after his death his image was tarnished by people who claimed he was an ill-prepared adventurer whose
NATURALLY we all want the best value possible for our hard-earned cash, but sometimes ensuring that happens can be extremely wasteful. There is now a national obsession with league tables and performance indicators - they are seen as the best way for
A BUSINESSWOMAN, known throughout the North-East for her lingerie, has opened the door of her latest shop in Darlington Sadie Ayton, known as Sadie the Bra Lady, is just finishing her first week of trading from her new shop on High Northgate. She decided
Sir, - I work in the hardware industry, that is the household type and not as in computers. These independent shops used also to be known as ironmongers when I was a lad and here in Richmond our favourite one has now disappeared, alas another story. Talking
PALACE Green, tucked between the cathedral and the castle, was the original location of Durham's market place. It comprised a mass of wooden houses huddled together in a tight space and was presumably the hub of commercial activity when pilgrims flocked
AN engineering consultant has set up an automated 3D system to offer a complete analysis and design service for the construction industry. Norman Hood used more than 20 years of combined engineering and computer programming experience to help launch his
THE North's multi-million pound plan to become a world-beating science-led economy will be scrutinised by a House of Lords select committee today. Peers will examine the work done by universities, businesses and regional development agencies One NorthEast
A NORTH bank was used by a money-laundering crime gang. The gang's four members, jailed by Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday, laundered nearly £6m over three years. The cash, usually in bundles of between £20,000 and £30,000, was deposited at the HSBC
A COUPLE who want to build ten holiday chalets next to their pub have been told they must first pay £15,000 to upgrade the village electricity transformer. Maggie and Bill Smith, who run the Wardle Bridge Inn, said they were astonished to learn that the
THE last tree in more than 500,000 taking root in the area's biggest new wood was planted near Longnewton this week. Coatham Wood, which covers 500 acres of former agricultural land, was acquired by the Forestry Commission nearly five years ago. It has
A man was jailed for four years yesterday for sexual offences against a teenage girl. A judge at Teesside Crown Court imposed the sentence on Gary Eade despite a written plea for his liberty from his victim. Eade, 39, of Wyrley, Walsall, Staffordshire
THE expansion of Teesside Airport, a Tees Valley light rapid transport system, and a second River Tees crossing are all included in a new regional economic strategy. Realising Our Potential, published this week by One North-East, said a thriving Tees
AN incident-packed Holderness point to point took place at Dalton Park last Sunday. The first race of the day, the members' race, turned into a farce when all the field took the wrong course after the fifth. Procol's Boy (P Hodges) was the first to re-trace
YOUNGSTERS have helped raise funds for their new school by writing their names for posterity on the new building. The 44 pupils at Grewelthorpe Church of England Primary School, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, each paid £1 to write their names and draw pictures
NATURALLY we all want the best value possible for our hard-earned cash, but sometimes ensuring that happens can be extremely wasteful. There is now a national obsession with league tables and performance indicators - they are seen as the best way for
IF we'd thought about it earlier, we would have asked Antony Gormley to help with this week's page. The award-winning sculptor of the Angel of the North is currently working on another project, Domain Field. This involves making plaster casts of hundreds
BARNARD CASTLE. - Tues. Fwd: 221 store cattle. Lim hfr & hfr calf: £900, £750 L Cooper & Sons. Feeding bulls. - Lim: £540, £510, £500, £485, £460 A&B Herworth; £520 MW Elliot, T&G Lee; £480 D Coggons & Son; £450 ER Thomson; BA: £485
As they prepared to go into action last night, British forces were heartened by good luck messages from families back home. Steve Parsley visited the Garrison Radio network in North Yorkshire THE deluge began within minutes of Allied Forces going into
THE Richmondshire Orchestra presents a programme of broadly classical music at a spring concert in the King's Head Hotel, Richmond, on Thursday. In the first half, Mozart's Don Giovanni overture will be contrasted with an overture in the classical style
THIRSK councillors and residents are incensed that Hambleton District Council has lost the town £25,000 promised for flood prevention. Yorkshire Forward offered the district council the money two years ago for a scheme to alleviate flooding. But delays
HAWES auction mart has announced a new joint venture with a leading firm of chartered surveyors. This is the latest development in its bid to diversify the services and facilities available on the site. The mart has been an important centre for Wensleydale
A HISTORY walk-and-talk will mark the opening of the Tom Leonard Mining Museum, at Skinningrove,on Sunday. The six-mile walk will follow tracks used by miners and their families for 400 years, while a guide will discuss the history of the area. The event
AN EAST Cleveland education leader has hit back at criticism over plans to build a new single-site school at Skelton, to replace Freebrough Community College, which currently has three school sites. Coun Ian Jeffrey, lead member for education at Redcar
MOTORISTS are being warned to hide their valuables after a spate of car break-ins in Darlington. In the past week there have been 18 thefts from cars all over the town, at various times of day and night. Neighbourhood Watch liaison officer Jacqui Snowball
PLANS for an environmentally-friendly electricity generating station are being amended following objections from local people. People in Thornton-le-Dale, near Pickering, were unhappy with the scheme, at the Caulklands landfill site, raising concerns
CAMPAIGNERS fighting for legislation to control the height of hedges are urging people to write to Darlington MP Alan Milburn to support their cause. The High Hedges Bill, sponsored by Stephen Pound MP, will have its second reading on March 28 and is
THREE men have been fined for their part in a pub brawl in a town centre. The fight happened at the Tanners Hall pub, in Skinnergate, Darlington, on August 18 last year. Police were called to the bar after a brawl broke out amongst 15 to 20 men, resulting
Government inspectors are to investigate a Teesside housing benefit department. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council will be inspected because it has "consistently failed to provide quarterly management information" to the Department of Works and Pensions
FOREIGN visitors to a Darlington school have praised it for making big improvements in the past year. A group of French exchange students and staff has been at Eastbourne School for a two-week visit. The French teachers leading the trip have visited Eastbourne
A CHARITY evening will be held at Thornaby Nash Club tomorrow to support gardening projects for elderly patients. The evening will feature a female vocalist, disco, tombola raffle and bingo. It is the first of many events planned by staff working on elderly
RELATIONSHIP counselling charity Relate is opening its doors in east Cleveland with the launch of a weekly outreach service. The service, based at Guisborough Hospital, is being funded through the Redcar and Cleveland Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. Karen
POLICE look set to launch an investigation into the activities of a North-East woman involved in the adoption of babies. Jay Carter, of Skelton, east Cleveland, was criticised by High Court judge Mr Justice Munby who lifted a ban on her identification
Police issued a warning to drug users last night after a 15-year-old boy was admitted to hospital suffering from an Ecstasy overdose. The teenager was found in the Oxclose area of Washington, Wearside, and taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital, where he
PUPILS at a Darlington school have been playing host to some unusual visitors - exotic animals from around the world. Scorpions, tarantulas and giant milipedes were taken to Polam Hall Junior School and Early Steps Nursery during national science week
GARAGE boss Mark Watson has come up with extra cash to boost a school's Easter minibus appeal. His Wolsingham Motor Company has given £400 to launch fundraising at Wolsingham School and Community College. The money has bought dozens of chocolate eggs
PUPILS at Laurence Jackson School, in Guisborough, have raised £6,400 for local charities. That brings the total amount raised by the school in the past 13 years to more than £75,000. Most of this year's collection was raised in sporting events designed
A NUMBER of pubs and bars across North Yorkshire have been caught selling short measures. Some licensees have been reported for prosecution after visits from County Council trading standards officers found them to be serving spirits short of the legal
THIS year could be a boom time for rural tourism. A national survey claims that more than half of those interviewed said they were more likely to holiday in or visit the countryside this year than last. The Country Land and Business Association revealed
TWO entrepreneurs have chosen Consett to launch what they say is the first in a new breed of call centres. Paul Williams, 44, and Russell James, 34, say massive call centres are faceless and see a gap in the market to provide customers with a more personal
PUPILS at Laurence Jackson School, in Guisborough, have raised £6,400 for local charities. That brings the total amount raised by the school in the past 13 years to more than £75,000. Most of this year's collection was raised in sporting events designed
WORK is about to start planting trees and laying a cycle lane along a road in Sedgefield. Villagers have campaigned for years to have Beacon Lane closed to traffic. The road is often used as a rest stop by travellers and other problems include speeding
PEOPLE can try their hand at woodland crafts or listen to local myths and legends on a walk this weekend. Hetton Funday will take place in Hetton Park, Hetton-le-Hole, near Seaham, tomorrow, from 1pm to 3pm. Elaine Beard will bring her stories of local
TOURISM businesses have been preparing for the new season by ensuring their name spreads far and wide. Attractions and accommodation providers united for a tourism "swap-shop" at Eden Camp, near Malton, exchanging literature for others to give out. In
ENGINEERING group Weir said it is "well positioned" to play a part in rebuilding Iraq after the conflict. The Glasgow company derives about eight per cent of its turnover from the Middle East, and was this month awarded a $25m (£16m) contract to design
WORK is expected to start in June on the long-awaited restoration of Creet's Bridge, at Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon. Campaigners recently won a battle, against English Heritage opposition, for the 18th Century flood-damaged structure to be widened, rather
Coalition forces have entered the key southern Iraqi port of Umm Qasr. Troops in northern Kuwait carried out a heavy bombardment of the area around the port before today's breakthrough, which should set the stage for the capture of Basra, around 20 miles
The first US attacks on Iraq were "surgical strikes" - aimed at five individuals, Nick Morrison looks at how technology is turning warfare into a precise science ON May 12, 1943, an RAF Liberator patrol bomber dropped a Mark 24 acoustic homing torpedo
Youngsters will be the stars of a fundraising event. Mid-Durham Projects Club has joined forces with Durham Disability Leisure to organise a Stars in Our Eyes show. More than 30 special needs youngsters will take part in the event at Gilesgate Community
CHIEF Constable Della Cannings has turned down an invitation to attend a council meeting to discuss concerns over the rise in the police force's precept. Members of Scarborough Borough Council's resources overview and scrutiny committee were alarmed by
THE driver of a lorry and his passenger were thrown through the windscreen of the vehicle when it skidded and overturned on Cloughton Bank, near Scarborough, at 7.45am yesterday. Paramedics rescued the men from the rubble of a wall which the lorry demolished
ALL but one unit at a £2.25m industrial development is now occupied, after the fifth tenant signed up. Personal Hygiene Services (PHS) signed a lease agreement on unit E, which occupies 5,575sq ft at the Seaham Grange development. The company, which specialises
A NORTH Yorkshire farming family is celebrating a planning victory which means an 82-year-old grandmother can stay at home with her loved ones. The future for Alzheimer's sufferer, Joyce Griffin, looked uncertain when planning officials urged councillors
A LIMITED number of cut-price fridges and freezers are on offer in a scheme to help improve energy-efficiency in Hartlepool. Fifty fridges and 100 fridge freezers are available to people living in the borough of Hartlepool in a promotion to help encourage
STUDENT teachers were thrown in at the deep end in east Cleveland this week. Fourteen graduates, who began the one-year Redcar and Cleveland graduate teacher programme in September, got a break from the classroom at the Park House Outdoor Centre, Ingleby
FIRE crews used decontamination procedures that would be used in the event of a terrorist attack when they were called to a chemical spill yesterday. A major incident response team, consisting of four fire engines and a specialist decontamination unit
Former Sunderland manager Peter Reid has been confirmed as caretaker manager of Leeds United. Terry Venables left the club this morning after a troubled eight-month reign and Reid will take charge for the remaining eight matches this season. A statement
NEARLY 70 jobs have been axed in another blow to the North-East's ailing manufacturing industry. Warner Electric said yesterday it would be closing its plant at St Helen Auckland, in County Durham, by the end of September and shifting production to sites
Ovarian cancer affects almost 7,000 women a year but the symptoms are difficult to spot and many don't realise thay have this insidious disease until it's too late. Women's Editor Christen Peras reports. THREE years ago, Nancy Martin was diagnosed with
DAVID Loane, the retiring chief executive of Farmway, has described the role as the toughest job he has ever had. Since he joined the farmers' co-operative eight years ago, he has had to tackle all the problems and challenges thrown up by BSE, salmonella
AN AWARD-winning North Yorkshire cheese company has seen its best-selling product put on sale nationwide by Tesco. Thirsk cheesemaker Shepherds Purse has come up with new pre-packs of its best-selling Yorkshire Blue for the launch, which includes new
THE advent of war will bring the usual claptrap about sport being irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, when in fact it helps to keep us sane in times of madness. The question is whether we should rein back on the more tedious topics such as the unlikely
Area 1A. - Mar 30: Warm-up show, summer qualifier at Richmond EC, sae to Mrs E Tate, Town End Farm, Kirklevington, Yarm, Cleveland TS15 9LX, tel 01642 780756. Apr 5: Julie Templeton training day, Dalton Piercy EC, ring Alison on 0191 4155257 or Kate on
FREE passes to leisure services will be offered to passengers on a new bus route this weekend. Passengers can travel free to mark the opening day of the new South Derwentside Link 767 service, launched this Saturday. Their bus tickets will also entitle
A MAN had to undergo reconstructive surgery to his face after he was the victim of a beating, a court heard yesterday. His attackers, Leigh Cross, 26, of Westfield Terrace, Loftus, and Paul Hunt, 24, of Greystokes Walk, Redcar, east Cleveland, pleaded
THE Darlington derby in the first round of the Durham Cup is to be played on Wednesday, April 16 at Mowden Park. It became the only available date when both teams decided they didn't want to play the match before completing their league programmes and
SADDAM HUSSEIN last night faced a massive onslaught as British and US forces attacked Iraq by land, sea and air. Royal Marine Commandos were reported to have begun an amphibious assault on southern Iraq, and US marines crossed into enemy territory from
A 90-YEAR-OLD delivery cart which stood decaying and used as a chicken coop has been lovingly restored by a Wensleydale man. Max Hardcastle bought the vehicle after it was spotted on a farm near Easingwold, where it was used to house poultry. After 18
INSPECTORS have given the thumbs-up to leisure services in Derwentside. The service is good, with promising prospects for improvement, according to a report from the Audit Commission published this week. In a previous report, published in September 2001
A FOOTBALLING-CRAZY teenager and his friends have scored a major success to lay a pitch in their small village. Wayne Davies, 16, first started arguing that his east Cleveland village should have a football pitch when he was ten. Now, after a six-year
A WOMAN and her nephew have appeared in court charged with the murder of her husband who was found dying in a country lane. Christina Button, 31, and Simon Tannahill, 20, are accused of killing 53-year-old council worker George Button, who suffered fatal
JERMAINE JENAS is relishing his friendly rivalry with Kieron Dyer as the Newcastle United teammates fight over one place in the England side. Sven-Goran Eriksson is expected to give either Jenas or Dyer the left-sided midfield role for next Saturday's
SCORTON driver Steve Petch came so close to taking his fourth win on the recent Malcolm Wilson Rally, but he and Northallerton co-driver John Richardson had to settle for the runner-up spot in their Hyundai Accent WRC after a high speed spin cost them
THE first of a series of special workshops about the new entry level agri-environment pilot scheme centred on Barnard Castle attracted more than 30 farmers last week. The scheme, launched on March 4, aims to encourage farmers to introduce or continue
MORE lives will be saved in the region, after kind-hearted North-East residents raised over £800,000 to fund a new air ambulance. Crowds gathered at the Baltic centre on the Gateshead Quays today, to celebrate the official arrival of a second air ambulance
DARLINGTON were sucked deeper into the relegation mire after Boston United hauled themselves off the foot of the Division Three table with a 1-0 home win over Quakers on Wednesday night. Following hard on the heels of last Saturday's disappointing 2-2
PICTON residents have voted to withhold payment of a £158 parish council auditing fee, for a small report they believe took ten minutes to inspect. They want the money to be retained by the parish council, until a different fee is negotiated. The accounts
A MIDDLETON St George soldier serving with the Desert Rats is the third generation to wear the famous red jerboa badge of the 7th Armoured Brigade. Cpl Richard Latter, 25, was a pupil at the village primary school and Hurworth Comprehensive. He is part
THE advent of war will bring the usual claptrap about sport being irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, when in fact it helps to keep us sane in times of madness. The question is whether we should rein back on the more tedious topics such as the unlikely
Thursday's prices Kenneth Wilson, Thorpe Arch. - Wheat: Mar £66; April £67; May £68. Barley: Mar £62; April £63; May £64. Oilseed rape: Mar £159; April £160; May £161. GrainCo, Tyne Dock. - Wheat: Mar £66; April £66; May £67. Barley: Mar £64; April64;
Sir, - I would like to comment on the new farming and conservation schemes being piloted by Defra, the so-called "entry-level schemes". I agree with the CPRE (D&S letters, Mar 7) that landscape improvements will result. But what about wildlife? I
DARLINGTON'S Asda supermarket is asking customers to support its bid to open an in-store chemist - just across the road from an existing pharmacy. It has launched a petition on the back of an Office of Fair Trading recommendation urging the Government
THE grief-stricken family of an Iranian asylum seeker who was stabbed to death during a race hate attack have appealed to the people of Sunderland not to make the same mistakes again. Peiman Bahmani died aged 30, on August 28 last year, after racial tensions
YORKSHIRE farmers are up in arms over plans to declare Cumbria "the spiritual home" of the Swaledale sheep. Swaledale is in the Yorkshire Dales. But a £300,000 project aims to create a Swaledale visitor centre at Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria. Harrison and
NEW members of a village hall association could be asked to decide its future use as a large general store. The surprise plan was unveiled at Middleton St George Community Centre Association's annual meeting. An enthusiastic fresh regime is trying to
THE first piece of good news for thousands of North-East steelworkers to emerge for weeks has come out of Westminster. Teesside MPs Vera Baird and Dari Taylor say they have won assurances from debt- laden Corus that there are no plans to close the Teesside
NUNTHORPE and Marton rail commuters claim Gypsy Lane station has become a haven for drug and alcohol abusers. Commuters using the halt say that youths hang around, making the shelter on the south of the track and platform a no-go area for passengers travelling
TORE ANDRE FLO last night promised he would not turn his back on Sunderland if they go down. Sunderland's moneymen are expected to demand the sale of their biggest earners and most prized assets, including Flo, in the event of relegation. The Norwegian's
A CARING schoolgirl has been rewarded for going that extra mile to support a local charity. Charlotte Purdham, of Bolton Grove, Bishop Auckland, was presented with a Shrievalty Award, at a ceremony at Durham Castle this week. At the age of ten, Charlotte
MOVES are afoot to improve the strained relations between the local community in upper Wensleydale and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. The authority's chief executive, David Butterworth, clearly hopes to bring an end to the dispute over the
A POPULAR tourist destination could move up a league and become one of the great European cities, a report says. York should embrace a strategy of "smart" growth, developing the local economy while providing more affordable housing, better public transport
MASSIVE explosions tore through Baghdad tonight as the American "shock and awe" bombing campaign got under way. Spectacular explosions, mushroom clouds and showers of sparks turned the horizon a hellish red as the full might of the allied aerial bombardment
A YOUNG girl has become the latest victim in a bizarre spate of gangster-style drive by shootings - with a paintball gun. The ten-year-old girl was left shaken and covered in luminous paint after she was shot from a moving car in Stanley. It is the fourth
PROTESTORS converged around the region yesterday to take a stance against the war. In Newcastle, demonstrators caused traffic chaos when they blocked off a main road during rush hour. More than 30 staged a sitdown protest in the middle of the road at
PANIC-stricken villagers launched a search for a missing two-year-old - only to find her playing happily in a neighbour's empty home. Carla Horton has been christened Goldilocks by relieved family and friends after wandering into the house next door while
If Tony Blair's stance has made him unpopular with thousands of anti-war protestors, then he can take heart from his constituents in Sedgefield, County Durham as Lindsay Jennings reports IT was an idyllic spring day. The sun was out and the daffodils
SUNDERLAND defender Jody Craddock is set to miss tomorrow's relegation battle at West Ham United with a thigh injury, writes Steven Baker. Mick McCarthy is reluctant to risk Craddock for the crucial fixture, even though he has responded to treatment on
SIKH leaders in the North-East have organised another presentation to promote understanding of their religion. The Akal Foundation in Darlington has already held two open days for community groups and organisations such as the police. The meetings have
A NORTH-East man told last night how his flight home became a terrifying ordeal after the plane caught fire and was forced to make an emergency landing. The British Airways service from Birmingham to Newcastle, had only been in the air for a matter of
YOUNG badminton stars from across the North-East are celebrating after successes in two regional tournaments. Competitors from as far afield as York, Sunderland and Northumberland were among 60 youngsters who took part in the second round of the Darlington
STUDENTS with an eye for business have taken part in a North-East trade fair after setting up companies. More than 40 groups took part in the Young Enterprise event at the MetroCentre. Top prize went to Sad Cake, a firm run by students from Hartlepool
THE eyes of the business community will be turned toward the regional development agency One NorthEast over the coming weeks and months as the selection process for a new chairman progresses. The role is seen as crucial for the future direction of the
