A BURGLAR who targeted an house less than two weeks before Christmas was jailed for 18 months yesterday. Mark Liddy, 20, took £3,000 worth of jewellery and other property from a house in Hillcrest, East Herrington, Sunderland, on December 14. Newcastle
THE third and final day of the Great Yorkshire show provided visitors with yet another sunny day of fun and activity. The main ring included a packed programme of show-jumping, parading hounds, The Black Knight: Royal Artillery Parachute team and the
PEOPLE living in Red Hall, Darlington, are to have their say on the running of the area, thanks to a council initiative. A residents' participation compact is being developed to enable people to be involved in the decision-making process. Through negotiation
PEOPLE living on the Firthmoor estate in Darlington are hoping for a big turnout when they hold their carnival this weekend. Entertainment on offer includes fairground rides, fancy dress, games and stalls. Organiser Kristina Pryor said: "It is the first
A SCHOOL will perform what is believed to be its first production in 20 years next week. Pupils at Longfield Comprehensive School, in Darlington, will perform The Wizard of Oz on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7pm. Children from years seven to ten
A TOWN'S flagship crime-fighting committee has decided to disband, blaming a lack of support from police and public apathy. Mowden Neighbourhood Watch, in Darlington, has been running for more than 20 years but committee members decided at their last
ANOTHER warm, sunny and dry month kept up the trend that has so far made this year's weather such a delight. Well, it was dry up until the very last day, which turned out to be easily the wettest since the end of last year. Up until the 27th, many places
A QUILT featuring the signature of rowing legend Sir Steve Redgrave is being raffled to raise money for charity. The double-bed size cover has been made by a group of women from Guisborough to form the centrepiece at the town's charity quilt festival
A SMALL corner of Britain will forever be in bloom while a perennial listeners' favourite remains on the airwaves. BBC Radio 4's Gardener's Question Time is still going strong in its 56th year and is believed to be one of the longest-running shows in
THOUSANDS of motorsport fans will savour the growling roar of engines as their idols line up on a North-East starting grid tomorrow. The British Touring Car Championships are again coming to Croft Circuit, near Darlington, for a weekend of high-speed
FOUR Olympians who returned to Teesside after winning medals at the 11th Special Olympics World Games were honoured with a civic reception in Eston this week. Claire Rule and Claire Skelton, who attend the Grangetown Centre, Robert Kneeshaw, who attends
HEALTH assurances were given after it was revealed that a power plant plans to create 'green' energy by burning fat from cattle slaughtered at the height of the BSE crisis. SembCorp Utilities Teesside, which operates Wilton Power Station, near Redcar,
FOR Chris Tomlinson, last year's golden boy of British athletics, life is no longer quite as glittering. "This season hasn't gone brilliantly," Tomlinson said, with a fair degree of understatement. Twelve months ago, the Nunthorpe lad's name was the sport's
CRIME in North Yorkshire jumped by almost 15 per cent last year, according to the latest Home Office figures. But the rise was predicted last year when changes were introduced to the way the figures are collated, police said. According to the county's
FIRE chiefs yesterday praised the actions of workmen who helped rescue people trapped by a fire at a furniture manufacturer. Employees of Midas House Furnishings, in North Shields, North Tyneside, were trapped on the first floor of the building after
A CHARITY golf tournament has been organised to help children with diabetes. The inaugural Mayor of Great Aycliffe Charity Golf Tournament will be played at Oak Leaf golf course, Newton Aycliffe, on Thursday, September 18. Proceeds from the event, in
Peter Stubbs put in a long day of haymaking in his fields at Kinninvie this week before getting into his car at dusk to potter round Teesdale's byways. With wife Gladys at his side he toured for an hour, looking for visiting vehicles or lurking strangers
A FORMER mayor and honorary burgess of Sedgefield, the late Monica Cunningham, will be remembered when Sedgefield Town Council presents a sundial to Sedgefield Community Hospital later this month. Mrs Cunningham campaigned to have the hospital built in
A RARE visitor's interest in land next to a steel works is causing a flutter of excitement. Jenny Batty and Gary Elphick, both 17, and teacher Mike Samworth from Wensleydale School, Leyburn, are conducting a study as part of the North East Schools Industry
THE first 52 patients yesterday began moving into the region's latest hospital to be funded under the private finance initiative. The £28m Hexham Hospital, serving the people of south-west Northumberland, replaces outdated buildings on the same site,
MORE dog owners are being urged to use a free service to stop them losing their pets. Council chiefs in Hartlepool have teamed up with the National Canine Defence League (NCDL) to offer a microchipping service. It involves inserting a tiny microchip containing
AN MP has said the motorway widening programme announced by the Government is a tonic for the region's troubled steel industry. Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said: "New and improved roads mean new and improved bridges and
A PRIMARY school deemed to have serious failings is celebrating after successfully recreating itself as happy, prosperous and well-organised. In May 2001, Carnagill Community Primary School, in Catterick Garrison, received a damning inspection report,
MORE people could be killed or injured because of plans to reorganise road safety watchdogs, a councillor has protested. Councillor George Dunning, leader of the opposition Labour group on Redcar and Cleveland Council, said a council plan to scrap area
ANNO 1503 Publisher: Electronic Arts. Format: PC CD ROM. Price: £29.99. A COUPLE of weeks ago, I was bemoaning the lack of strategy games for the PC these days. It seems that some of the biggest games publishers in the world agree with me because first
CAR thieves are still operating at Teesside Airport, only days after police criticised security arrangements. Senior officers have become frustrated with airport bosses for not introducing measures to tackle thieves who target holidaymakers. Last week
'DESPITE age and failing health, she never turned into an old lady. Her wardrobes are full of smart clothes. I never saw her without her make-up on. Her front room is stylish, with a shiny, wide-screen TV squatting in one corner. "She was witty, subversive
ON January 21, 1944, the log of Pilot Officer William Johnston read "missing". Records at Linton on Ouse RAF station in Yorkshire stated "killed in action", while a telegram received by his wife Joan read: "Information received through the Red Cross Committee
YOUNG voices will be raised at tomorrow's Durham Miners' Gala in opposition to the threatened closure of a village primary school. More than 20 pupils of Browney Primary School, in Meadowfield, near Durham, and their parents, will join the community to
DURHAM Young People's Centre, End House, is looking for people to serve on its management committee. They should be prepared to attend at least two meetings a month. The centre offers support and counselling to 13 to 25-year-olds. For details call project
WHATEVER the weather this summer, youngsters in part of North Yorkshire can look forward to a variety of fun-packed events. The 2003 Summer Festival of Fun, run by Ryedale District Council and Ryedale's Child and Youth Projects, aims to brighten any four
A CONTROVERSIAL bungalow development for pensioners will be opened today . The homes were built by the Durham Aged Miners Homes Association (DAMHA) on land at Coalford Lane, Pittington, despite the opposition of villagers. Durham City Council refused
FIVE schools will compete in the final of a maths competition. The Tees Valley Maths Challenge includes practical and theoretical challenges set to test whizz-kids. It includes a quiz, an engineering problem-solving session, a mini bridge challenge and
YOUNG taekwondo expert Jamie Walker, 10, was in tremendous form at the recent Welsh national championships. Jamie, a junior black belt from Darlington who trains four times a week at the town's Kim Chung Do Dojang in Kendrew Street, won six gold and one
A PUPIL with a perfect school attendance record this year has been given a unique reward. Thomas Vaughan,13, did not miss a single day of lessons at Joseph Swan School in Gateshead. His 100 per cent record impressed the town's mayor Councillor David Lynn
WOMEN with bright ideas and a spark for adventure are being encouraged to make their business dream a reality in rural parts of the country. The Great Yorkshire Show saw the launch of a localised branch of Women in Rural Enterprise (Wire), which will
GUISBOROUGH road racer Dennis Hobbs continued his excellent form this season by taking a career-best double victory in the fourth round of the British Superbike Championship Privateers' Cup at Rockingham last weekend. Riding his 1,000cc Hobbs Racing Suzuki
CAMERA AUCTION: Washington Camera Club is holding an auction of photographic equipment and other items at 7.15pm tonight, at the Harraton Camera Club. FAMILY FESTIVAL: The North Washington Family Festival will be held from 10am to 3.30pm on Sunday, in
IRONICALLY, it was the dearth of paying customers that caused British Railways, as the monolithic national organisation was then known, to call it a day and put up the shutters at the ticket offices in the first place. The classic case, one supposes,
MEMORIES of a North-East town during the Second World War are so powerful for semi-retired chartered engineer Brian Joslin that he's written a play and is looking for a North-East company to put on a performance. Former pitman Brian moved to Northamptonshire
CONTROVERSIAL proposals to change a city's schools system will be decided next week. Newcastle City Council will vote on plans to get rid of three middle schools in the outer west of the city. The plans would spell the end for the three-tier education
DETECTIVES hunting the killer of a father-of-two have set up a mobile police station in the street where he was last seen alive. Detectives carried out house-to-house inquiries in central Middlesbrough, yesterday, in a search for clues to the last movements
NIKOS DABIZAS has vowed to put himself in the shop window this month by proving his fitness following a horrendous car crash. Dabizas, 29, is on the Newcastle United transfer list and will only resume pre-season training next Monday after he was hurt
A DEAN who has been under fire for his style of management has issued a let's pull together plea to his cathedral. The Very Rev John Methuen, of Ripon Cathedral, issues his call in the July edition of his monthly newsletter. Dean Methuen says his picture
AN investigation was under way last night after seven people died in a motorway crash as a minibus headed for Manchester Airport to catch holiday flights. Five groups from across the UK - including one from the North-East - were on board the hotel courtesy
WE have never been a supporter of the Government's obsession with school league tables. They are divisive, simplistic and unfair in that they fail to take account of the myriad of social factors affecting schools. But in the North-East we are about to
DURHAM Young People's Centre, End House, is looking for people to serve on its management committee. They should be prepared to attend at least two meetings a month. The centre offers support and counselling to 13 to 25-year-olds. For details call project
OLDER visitors to Ribblesdale may think they have stepped back in time as they gaze across the limestone pastures. In a bid to bring back carpets of wild flowers, English Nature, working with several partners, has brought in 26 traditional upland cattle
STANDS the grammar school clock at five to five. And honey may still be for tea as cricketers saunter from the green towards a Sunday spread laid in the village hall. Scorton's stout slogger, whites all the creamier for the blue kerchief he probably wears
THREE people were lucky to be alive last night after their car plunged down an embankment and landed on its roof in a ditch. A man and a woman suffered minor injuries, while a second man was taken to hospital suffering from severe injuries. The car they
YOUNG cellists will today audition for a place to perform alongside renowned musician Julian Lloyd Webber. Mr Lloyd Webber will perform at the Tees Barrage on Saturday next week and is looking for talented youngsters to join him. Hopefuls will demonstrate
ANNO 1503 Publisher: Electronic Arts. Format: PC CD ROM. Price: £29.99. A COUPLE of weeks ago, I was bemoaning the lack of strategy games for the PC these days. It seems that some of the biggest games publishers in the world agree with me because first
THE engineering know-how of some of the best of the region's young inventors went on show yesterday. More than 500 students from schools across North Yorkshire displayed their design-and-make technology projects at the Yorkshire Air Museum, near York.
TARGETING known crooks is forcing down crime figures, say police. Figures released by the Cleveland Force this week showed that crime fell by 11.5 per cent between April and June. But sexual offences have almost doubled, rising from 25 in May to 45 in
Sir, - Further to your report (D&S, June 27), the Deputy Prime Minister would have us believe that regional assemblies would be a genuine decentralising measure. This is a myth. The opposite is true. Power will not be pushed down from central government
THE Ministry of Defence yesterday denied reports that the six Royal Military Policemen killed in Iraq had been trying to surrender just before they died. The Red Caps died during a riot by civilians in the small Iraqi town of Al Majar al-Kabir, near Basra
SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD student Mark Richardson, from Woodham, recently made his debut for Great Britain in the World Tour Biathle Series in Marina di Grosseto, near Rome. The event was a tri-nation competition with British athletes up against competitors
BARNARD CASTLE. - Wed. Fwd: 662 sheep. Std lambs to 127p av 123.9p; med to 125.3p av 122.8p; heavy to 125p av 120.2p. Cast sheep: Cont to £49; Mule to £44; Suff to £48.50; Swale to £25.50. DARLINGTON. - Thurs of last week. Fwd: 296 cattle, 1,198 sheep
A TEENAGER has been barred from entering areas of a council estate where he lives. Middlesbrough Council applied to Teesside Magistrates' Court for an interim anti-social behaviour order against the 17-year-old trouble-maker. The legal move followed gang
HEXHAM. - Sat, June 28. Fifth collective auction, fwd: 1,510 catalogued lots. MF390 4wd tractor with MF loader & attachments £8,750; MF135 tractors £3,300, £1,900; Ferguson 4cyl diesel tractor £970; Fiat 640 tractor & loader £940; David Brown
ANTIQUES dealers and others are being urged to be on the lookout for a number of silver items stolen from a house. The items were taken in a raid on a house in the Richmond area of North Yorkshire on Monday morning, but details of the incident were only
BUSINESS leaders last night hailed the decision to cut interest rates as a shot in the arm for the economy and for manufacturing. The Bank of England monetary policy committee bowed to pressure from industry and announced that it was cutting the cost
MP Frank Cook, who is opposed to the creation of foundation hospitals, will address a public meeting on the subject at the Swallow Hotel, Stockton, on Thursday. Joining the Stockton North MP will be David Price, from University College, London, and Karen
A SOLITARY piper's lament hushed the packed churchyard before the six Military Policeman charged with bearing the coffin of their fallen comrade walked through to the church. Hundreds of mourners watched as the coffin, draped in a Union Flag and topped
FORMER Feethams favourite Marco Gabbiadini stunned Darlington last night by signing for arch rivals Hartlepool United. Darlington chairman George Reynolds called the move "a dirty trick" because Gabbiadini, 35, had been training with the Quakers all week
IF we ever find any WMDs I suggest we use them to wipe football agents off the face of the earth. One or two of them might be decent chaps, but as a breed they are parasites interested only in lining their own pockets. The two who have emerged from their
BUSINESSES in the Tees Valley are about to be offered training facilities in the rapidly growing tourism and hospitality sector. A project piloted by the Tees Valley Development Company (TVDC) is to provide a wide range of subsidised training courses
A RETIRED teacher accused of indecency with a child in the 1970s faces trial at Woolwich Crown Court, in south- east London, on November 3, after denying four offences yesterday. Leslie Scott, 63, of Black Horse Yard, Whitby, North Yorkshire, denied three
MIDDLESBROUGH defender Jason Gavin has signed for First Division Bradford City after being released from his Riverside contract. The former Republic of Ireland Under-21 centre-back, who broke into Boro's senior ranks under Bryan Robson nearly five years
LG Philips Displays has hit a manufacturing milestone at its Durham plant. Less than two years after announcing the launch of its 21in "real flat" colour television tube the company, which produces television and computer monitor tubes has produced and
YOUNG performers are putting the final touches to an open air summer pantomime taking place in Lumley Castle. Celebrate II is the second annual production written by former Dr Who actor Colin Baker and North-East composer George Hastings. It will be staged
HUGE traffic tailbacks led to major delays for motorists yesterday when police were forced to close a busy dual carriageway. Police sealed off part of the A64 near York, after reports were received of a man in a highly agitated condition on a footbridge
ALTHOUGH the pretty village of Crayke lies a few miles north of York, close to the southern edge of the North York Moors, it used to belong to County Durham. This apparent accident of geography occurred some years after the death of St Cuthbert (AD 687
A TELEVISION documentary has revealed that a Royal Marine from the region who was killed in Iraq may have been the victim of "friendly fire". Now the family of 24-year -old Christopher Maddison have demanded to know the truth about his death. It followed
THE 200th anniversary celebrations of the Hurworth Hunt continued with the recent puppy show. Joint master Peter Dennis welcomed the large crowd and introduced the event judge, Mr J M Letts. Mr Letts schooled the assembled audience in the art of recognising
From September, two schools at opposite ends of the league tables will come together in a partnership which aims to benefit the pupils of both. As parents meet tonight to discuss the plan, Nick Morrison looks at how it willl work - and what it means for
FORMER Feethams favourite Marco Gabbiadini stunned Darlington last night by signing for arch rivals Hartlepool United. Darlington chairman George Reynolds called the move "a dirty trick" because Gabbiadini, 35, had been training with the Quakers all week
A TV career is only a taxi ride away when BBC Talent visits the region on Tuesday, in search of the David Dickinsons and Simon Schamas of the future. The search is on for people who, apart from being knowledgeable and passionate about their subject, are
HOPES that a revolutionary public toilet would be ready in time for the opening of a £2m pub have been dashed. The 700-capacity Walkabout Australian theme bar, in Durham City, paid £20,000 for the Dutch-designed urinal that rises out of the ground. The
RETIREMENT: GIVEN that there appears to be a link between retiring early and subsequently living longer, it would seem obvious for such a manipulative and anti-working class government to simply ask us all to work longer and die younger, therefore reducing
A CHOCAHOLIC dog which will do anything for a tasty treat is in need of a good home. Tess, an 18-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier, loves Penguins, Kit-Kats, Breakaways, in fact, any kind of chocolate biscuit. She will perform almost any trick to get
HENRY HALL, trained just 20 miles up the road from the Knavesmire at the village of Langton near Malton, can strike a blow for the locals by winning the opener at York this afternoon. Nigel Tinkler's seven-year-old is a regular visitor to the course,
Sir, - I attended the Hambleton Council planning meeting on July 3 to hear the application by Yuill to build private houses on the old council site in North Road, Stokesley. I was there to express concerns over the builders using the Northfield Close
A LEADING North-East doctor has returned from a mission to Iraq. Escorted by troops, Dr Bill Kirkup, North-East director of public health, made daily trips into the occupied capital, Baghdad, as part of his mission to improve conditions for civilians.
YOUNGSTERS could have 'hang-out' shelters built as part of a pilot scheme. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council will consider building youth shelters in an attempt to stop anti-social behaviour. The authority is pledging to spend more than £1m on improving
A YOUNG horticulturist has developed a non-toxic product to keep weeds at bay. The eye-catching, environmentally friendly weed suppressant gel was developed by York horticulture graduate Richard Fenwick. Sterile and non-nutrient, it consists of two natural
TWO bouncers killed themselves in a suicide pact because of their mounting personal problems, an inquest heard yesterday. Pals Paul Williams, 38, and Christopher Howe, 32, took painkillers, cannabis and then attached a hosepipe to the exhaust of a car
A GROUP of Germans are celebrating their long-standing links with one of the region's leading resorts through song. The Friends of Scarborough - an organisation based in Germany that has grown out of the resort's twinning link with Osterode - have produced
ANNO 1503 Publisher: Electronic Arts. Format: PC CD ROM. Price: £29.99. A COUPLE of weeks ago, I was bemoaning the lack of strategy games for the PC these days. It seems that some of the biggest games publishers in the world agree with me because first
Police are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare a 12-year-old boy who has been missing since Sunday. A police spokesman said Stephen Gill, who went missing from the Kenton area of Newcastle, may well be in the Stockton area where his family
A CHARITY golf tournament has been organised to help children with diabetes. The inaugural Mayor of Great Aycliffe Charity Golf Tournament will be played at Oak Leaf golf course, Newton Aycliffe, on Thursday, September 18. Proceeds from the event, in
Sedgefield Community Association's three-day Real Ale Beer Festival held in Ceddesfeld Hall and its grounds attracted hundreds of visitors and by 8.30pm on the second day it had run out of festival real ale. Social club chairwoman Dr Wendy Gill, said
With the region facing a Californian-style clamp-down on smoking in pubs, clubs and restaurants, the pressure to quit is growing. But after research which suggests women find it even harder than men to give up, do girls need extra help? Barry Nelson investigates
COUNCILLORS will today visit the Grade II-listed Harewood Grove, in Darlington, to decide if a house can be built in its grounds. The plan to build the two-storey property had been expected to be approved by Darlington Borough Council's planning committee
A MOTHER-OF-TWO who recently qualified as a teacher has been described as a "superwoman" after juggling her job and family life with teacher training and studying. Sue Wilson is the first teacher in Darlington to train under the Registered Teaching Programme
by Robin Twizell RMD Agriculture NEW crop cereal prices have remained unchanged but a little nervous as we are above US prices for wheat and their market is under a little pressure as harvest continues. Oilseed prices have also been a little nervous as
A SCHOOL will soon be able to offer rugby training sessions to its pupils after securing a substantial grant. Hurworth Comprehensive School, near Darlington, has been awarded £3,737 from the National Lottery Awards for All scheme. PE teacher Michael Garmston
In the fifth part of his look at the development of entertainment in Durham, David Simpson recalls the heyday of the city's cinemas. Cinemas in Durham were not confined to the city centre and many of the neighbouring villages had their own "picture houses
THE bands and banners will be out in force as the reviving fortunes of the Durham Miners' Gala continue on Saturday. Almost a decade after the closure of the last pits in the Durham Coalfield, the mining heritage of former colliery communities across
HORSES Heavy Horse Turnouts Class 14 Heavy turnout (pairs or tandems) any breed in gears with four-wheeled vehicle, exhibitor engaged in any trade or occupation: 1, Thwaites Brewery, Blackburn; 2, Carlsberg Tetley, Leeds; 3, R and S A Fuller, Huntingdon
A FIRE that damaged an unoccupied property is being treated by police as suspicious. The blaze, at a house in Thornaby, near Stockton, started after rubbish piled up in the rear yard was set alight. The flames destroyed a shed and spread to the house,
HOPES of saving a North-East textiles factory were dashed last night when talks collapsed. Clothing manufacturer Sara Lee Courtaulds confirmed that its plant at Tindale Crescent, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, will close on October 10. The shutdown
Police believe would-be robbers may have staged a fake roadside emergency to lure a potential victim. A nurse driving to work stopped to help after she was waved down by one of four men next to an old silver Ford Escort pulled over on a country road.
LANDOWNERS are being urged to rid their fields of a potential killer. The RSPCA is concerned because ragwort, a poisonous yellow-flowered weed, can kill horses, ponies and donkeys. The warning comes after the RSPCA received complaints that horses were
A TEENAGE violinist from the North-East has won through to the next stage of a music competition. Steven Proctor, 17, of Hartlepool, has reached the regional quarter final of BBC Young Musician of the Year. He is the leader of the English Martyrs School
A CONTROVERSIAL bungalow development for pensioners will be opened today . The homes were built by the Durham Aged Miners Homes Association (DAMHA) on land at Coalford Lane, Pittington, despite the opposition of villagers. Durham City Council refused
IT WAS surely coincidence, but Spectator thinks Wensleydale Railway can hardly have chosen a better time to dip its elbow into the hot water by reviving timetabled passenger trains between Leeming Bar and Leyburn. As the great, the good and the ordinary
FIVE new-style children's trusts being set up in the region could be the shape of things to come. The trusts in Darlington, Newcastle, South Tyneside, Gateshead and York are among 35 pathfinder trusts being established by the Government to pilot a radical
BOSSES at the Gateshead MetroCentre are not taking any chances on the success of a new £85m development. As the finishing touches were put to the glass atrium in the centre's Red Mall yesterday, construction boss Davy Rowe, of Sir Robert McAlpine, attached
CONTROVERSIAL proposals to change a city's schools system will be decided next week. Newcastle City Council will vote on plans to get rid of three middle schools in the outer west of the city. The plans would spell the end for the three-tier education
Territorial Army soldiers from the 102 Battalion Reme, based in Newton Aycliffe, have got behind Aycliffe Village in its attempts to win the Northumbria and Britain in Bloom competitions. The soldiers have donated two flower tubs, decorated in their colours
A SERIES of free health programmes will be held each month at the Pioneering Care Centre, Newton Aycliffe. The courses will run until December, thanks to funding secured by the Pioneering Care Partnership. The next session, which will discuss speech and
BOB the Builder, Harry Potter and other children's literary favourites made an appearance at a primary school yesterday. Sedgefield Primary School held a book exchange day, when children were encouraged to dress up as their favourite book characters.
Youngsters can recreate North-East landmarks with washing-up liquid bottles this summer. Gateshead Council is running a series of free Get Crafty workshops for primary school children, in the Gateshead Quays Visitor Centre, St Mary's Church from Wednesday
THOUSANDS of young people soaked up the sun as they took part in a feast of sport for all levels of ability yesterday. All 32 primary schools in Easington district were represented at the East Durham Youth Games, in Peterlee. More than 2,000 children
A RARE visitor's interest in land next to a steel works is causing a flutter of excitement. Jenny Batty and Gary Elphick, both 17, and teacher Mike Samworth from Wensleydale School, Leyburn, are conducting a study as part of the North East Schools Industry
A FLOOD defence scheme looks likely to be extended to protect more homes and businesses in a south Durham village. The Environment Agency is carrying out £7.8m of work on the River Gaunless to prevent a repeat of the devastation of June 2000 when hundreds
HOUSEHOLDERS across North Yorkshire have been warned to beware of the latest doorstep-calling scam. People have been masquerading as friendly door-to-door fishmongers and targeting elderly residents. The tricksters are conning them out of hundreds of
AN organisation set up to bring new jobs and wealth to North Yorkshire has met key Government targets, it was revealed. Figures released by the department for trade and industry show the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward safeguarded 10,888
A LITHUANIAN cellist had to reserve a seat in club class for his instrument when he flew in to give concerts in the North-East yesterday. Mindaugas Backus' cello is so valuable that no airline will take responsibility for putting it in the hold of an
AN award-winning Teesside chef hopes to win a national competition for her curry recipes. Louise Forrest, 50, who won the Redcar and Cleveland heat for the National Curry Chef competition, has her sights set on the final, which will be held in Birmingham
HUNDREDS of Teesside youngsters will come under the worldwide spotlight today when they appear on a television sports channel. About 1,000 youngsters, aged between eight and 16, competed last month in the two-day Teesside Sport Partnership Youth Games
Fun Run: The annual Yarm Fun Run organised by the Yarm District Lions Club, in conjunction with Conyers School, will take place on Sunday. The three-and-a-quarter mile fun run will start from Conyers School at noon and finish at Snaith Field, at the top
A TEESSIDE school has become the first school in its town to win a basic skills agency quality mark. Linthorpe Infants School, in Middlesbrough, was also awarded an Artsmark. Headteacher Ronnie Dee said: "We are pleased and very proud. We have done a
A LITHUANIAN cellist had to reserve a seat in club class for his instrument when he flew in to give concerts in the North-East yesterday. Mindaugas Backus' cello is so valuable that no airline will take responsibility for putting it in the hold of an
Dancers are invited to Kiplin Hall, near Scorton, on Sunday, to enjoy the Northallerton Caledonian Society dancers performing on the sunken lawn. The following Sunday, July 20, the Great North Clog Morris dancers from Darlington will give a lively display
STUDENTS are learning that crime does not pay during a two-day safety challenge set by the Hambleton Community Safety Partnership. Youngsters at Bedale High School are completing tasks, which focus on issues such as vandalism, anti-social behaviour and
WORK to upgrade the surfaces of several Hartlepool roads will get under way next week. Hartlepool Borough Council will carry out surface improvements to nine roads in the town, and work is expected to last three days. "This work is part of the council's
THE Mayor of Durham entered into the swing of things when he presented awards at a charity golf tournament. Councillor Ray Gibbon handed out the trophies at the Durham City Council's charity golf day at Durham City Golf Club. The event attracted 30 teams
A NORTH Yorkshire company producing nut-free food has beaten hundreds of other firms to reach the final of a national competition. It's Nut Free Limited, of Ripon, is one of 50 businesses hoping to clinch the title of UK's best new entrepreneur and win
A FATHER and daughter have designed an award-winning website which tells pupils about meals on offer at their school. Arnold Fewell, a catering consultant from Northallerton, and his daughter Karen, decided to create the site to help local authorities
The crybaby who craves attention Inside The Mind Of Paul Gascoigne (Channel 4) Darien: Disaster In Paradise (BBC2) THE outlook was not good - the narrator wondered: "How close is Paul Gascoigne to complete mental breakdown?". After watching the programme
MORE help is being offered to groups and organisations working on the regeneration of the region's market towns. A seminar is to be held to guide groups through the many funding options. Action for Market Towns will be held at the Angel Inn, Topcliffe
Sedgefield Community Association's three-day Real Ale Beer Festival held in Ceddesfeld Hall and its grounds attracted hundreds of visitors and by 8.30pm on the second day it had run out of festival real ale. Social club chairwoman Dr Wendy Gill, said
DURHAM Labour MP Gerry Steinberg will hold surgeries for constituents on Saturday, July 19, at Bowburn Community Centre, from 10am to 11am, and at Croxdale Community Centre from 11am to 11.30am.
TENNIS LESSONS: Derwentside Leisure Services and Benfieldside and Shotley tennis clubs have organised coaching sessions at Annfield Plain Park during the summer. To take part, call 07960 933 696. COMMUNITY GRANTS: The SRB Community Fund offers small grants
YOU will not find water anywhere that is purer than Yorkshire water. Yorkshire's tap water is almost 100pc perfect, according to a report issued this week by the Drinking Water Inspectorate. In its annual report, the water quality watchdog reveals that
AN MP has said the motorway widening programme announced by the Government is a tonic for the region's troubled steel industry. Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said: "New and improved roads mean new and improved bridges and
FIRE chiefs yesterday praised the actions of workmen who helped rescue people trapped by a fire at a furniture manufacturer. Employees of Midas House Furnishings, in North Shields, North Tyneside, were trapped on the first floor of the building after
SUNDERLAND striker Tore Andre Flo has put his family first and turned down rival offers from Turkish giants Galatasaray and Besiktas. Galatasaray, leading the chase for the Norwegian international, were prepared to meet Sunderland's asking price - believed
Out of sight, out of mind - the traditional British approach to prisons. It may surprise some people, but I never got much satisfaction from seeing anyone jailed. For me, it was the least rewarding part of the job. I know, of course, that locking someone
A GROWING manufacturing firm last night won the inaugural Working for a Future Award from The Northern Echo. Ebac chairman John Elliott accepted the award at the County Durham Business Show, held at the Hardwick Hall Hotel, Sedgefield. The Northern Echo
A TOP cheese trophy, which mysteriously disappeared more than 30 years ago, has been returned to its rightful Dales home - thanks to a spot of tenacious detective work by retired creamery worker Derek Ramsden. The prestigious Wensleydale Trophy, which
RESIDENTS in a North-East town are becoming increasingly worried about a stray greyhound that is too quick to catch. People in the Elm Tree area of Stockton have seen the thin-looking dog roaming around since before Christmas. So far, it has proved too
A SUPERMARKET is giving children aged from five to 11 the chance to become a star. To enter, children must collect a registration form from the Asda store, in Thornaby, near Stockton, then record themselves singing a pop song. A panel made up of store
THE infestation of Australian left-handers burrowed deep under Durham's skin yesterday before they rid themselves of the major pest, Phil Jaques. Durham have already suffered this season at the hands of Michael di Venuto, who made 150 at Riverside, and
VISITORS to a colourful garden at Thornton Watlass tomorrow will again be helping to raise money for charity. Betty Backhouse's bungalow is surrounded by fuchsias, many cuttings from which have been sold during the last six years at annual cheese and
A RUTHLESS loan fraudster jailed for six years after fleecing millions of pounds from businessmen across the globe has had six months added to his sentence for jumping bail. Darlington conman George Steen fled to a luxurious hideaway in the Philippines
Charity Marie Curie Cancer Care is looking for people to raise sponsorship by taking part in the Great North Run, which will be held on September 21. For further information, telephone Linda McDonough on 0191-382 3311.
PROPERTY sellers who do not get on with their neighbours could face large financial penalties if they fail to disclose disputes. A landmark ruling has made it possible for buyers to take the previous owners to court for compensation if the seller's property
POLICE are looking for a thief who stole a unicycle from a shed. The silver machine, with a red-and-black seat, was taken, along with an old air rifle, from the house in Eppleby, near Richmond. The owner is a member of a local circus troupe and, although
PETER REID is poised to alleviate Sunderland's financial problems by lodging a £1m bid for Matt Piper. Although deep-in-debt Leeds will receive only £3m from Harry Kewell's contentious move to Liverpool - £4m less than anticipated - manager Reid is to
Sir, - I have recently become aware of a shocking example of the cruelty of factory farming - the pig farrowing crate. The farrowing crate is a metal cage in which sows are confined a week before giving birth and remain imprisoned until their piglets
ANGRY Darlington chairman George Reynolds last night accused Marco Gabbiadini and Hartlepool United of "dirty tricks''. Reynolds fumed and fans were left stunned after Gabbiadini - recently voted Quakers' greatest-ever player - signed a one-year contract
POLICE have acted quickly to tackle a motorcycle menace in North Yorkshire. Over the weekend, speed and safety checks were set up in response to a desperate plea for help from residents in the Bilsdale area. Only two weeks ago, the D&S Times spotlighted
A SIX-YEAR-OLD girl feared abducted was safely returned to her parents after she was found safe and well at a relative's home. Cleveland Police said yesterday that a family misunderstanding led to 40 officers carrying out door-to-door inquiries and a
A GROWING manufacturing firm last night won the inaugural Working for a Future Award from The Northern Echo. Ebac chairman John Elliott accepted the award at the County Durham Business Show, held at the Hardwick Hall Hotel, Sedgefield. The Northern Echo
Newcastle and Wales football star Craig Bellamy appeared in court yesterday to deny racially aggravated behaviour. The 23-year-old striker, of Jesmond Park Mews, Newcastle, pleaded not guilty at Cardiff Magistrates' Court to two charges of using threatening
CAMPAIGNERS who have restored passenger trains to part of Wensleydale fear they could be wrongly blamed for causing renewed road traffic delays in the Bedale area. The inaugural runs by Wensleydale Railway last Friday between Leeming Bar and Leyburn coincided
HUNT supporters are planning a demonstration next week in protest at the Government's moves to ban hunting with dogs. Supporters, along with beagles and gun-dogs, are expected to join the protest outside Harrogate Borough Council's offices, in Crescent
THOUSANDS gathered yesterday to welcome the graceful star of television's Hornblower to the region. The majestic tall ship Grand Turk gently eased into Scarborough for an 18-day stay in the North Yorkshire resort. Holidaymakers crowded the sun-drenched
SHOPPERS in a town centre were confronted by a swarm of flying ants on Wednesday. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a large swarm of black insects in Crown Street, Darlington. A spokeswoman for Darlington Borough Council confirmed environmental health officers
A VINTAGE vehicle rally, a flying display by birds of prey and the re-enactment of a historic battle are just some of the attractions at a gala day to be held in parkland surrounding a North-East castle tomorrow. There were will be a Tae Kwon Do demonstration
THE Great Yorkshire Show looked set for record attendance figures as the third and final day got under way at Harrogate yesterday. More than 50,000 visitors flocked to the 145th event on Wednesday - the highest number in one day since show records began
NEW TUC leader Brendan Barber yesterday called for more investment in training and research during a visit to the North-East. Mr Barber, who is general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, visited the Wallsend base of engineering firm Amec with Newcastle
IF we ever find any WMDs I suggest we use them to wipe football agents off the face of the earth. One or two of them might be decent chaps, but as a breed they are parasites interested only in lining their own pockets. The two who have emerged from their
MORE than 27,000 free tickets to the Durham Country Show have been sent to children in Wearside. The County Show at Herrington Country Park at Penshaw, near Sunderland, takes place on Saturday and Sunday. The agricultural show has been running for the
A DNA test which could save lives by acting as an early warning for skin cancer has been unveiled by a North-East scientist. It has been developed by Dr Mark Birch-Machin, a Cancer Research UK skin cancer expert at Newcastle University. The test could
AN investigation was under way last night after seven people died in a motorway crash as a minibus headed for Manchester Airport to catch holiday flights. Five groups from across the UK - including one from the North-East - were on board the hotel courtesy
DURHAM'S Wendy Dunn had a worthwhile journey to the Northern Dartmoor Show at Osbaldeston when she came home with the supreme championship in-hand, writes Malcolm Bewsher. She won with the 12-year-old Hisley Diplomat, bred in Devon by Ann Jones. Trisha
TWO people caught in a sophisticated police operation and jailed as part of a drug crackdown had their "manifestly excessive" jail terms cut by Appeal Court judges. Robert Gourley and Amanda Denholm were among 29 people caught as a result of Operation
A WENSLEYDALE housewife produced her best ever round of golf to win the recent gold medal final of the Northern Region (Cumbria, Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire) golf clubs' silver division medal winners. For Midori Richardson (pictured right), of
AN organisation representing small business says firms are missing out on billions of pounds-worth of public sector contracts because the government is failing to advertise them properly. The claim is being made by the Federation of Small Businesses (
Out of sight, out of mind - the traditional British approach to prisons. It may surprise some people, but I never got much satisfaction from seeing anyone jailed. For me, it was the least rewarding part of the job. I know, of course, that locking someone
THE threat of closure hanging over the region's only rehabilitation centre for people with brain injuries has been lifted. When the charity Rehab UK announced it was coming to the region four years ago, it was greeted with enthusiasm. The centre, in Newcastle
A SUSPECTED thief who said she could not attend court because of her fear of open spaces will be visited by a psychiatrist at her home. Veronica Allton, 33, was due to appear at Newcastle Crown Court to face theft and false accounting charges yesterday
THE first 52 patients yesterday began moving into the region's latest hospital to be funded under the private finance initiative. The £28m Hexham Hospital, serving the people of south-west Northumberland, replaces outdated buildings on the same site,
A TEAM of council wardens are clamping down on litter bugs by issuing fines to people who are caught dropping rubbish. Chester-le-Street District Council launched the fixed penalty scheme in a bid to tackle the mounting problem of rubbish in the town.
BOSSES at the Gateshead MetroCentre are not taking any chances on the success of a new £85m development. As the finishing touches were put to the glass atrium in the centre's Red Mall yesterday, construction boss Davy Rowe, of Sir Robert McAlpine, attached
In the fifth part of his look at the development of entertainment in Durham, David Simpson recalls the heyday of the city's cinemas. Cinemas in Durham were not confined to the city centre and many of the neighbouring villages had their own "picture houses
Inside The Mind Of Paul Gascoigne (Channel 4) ; Darien: Disaster In Paradise (BBC2) THE outlook was not good - the narrator wondered: "How close is Paul Gascoigne to complete mental breakdown?". After watching the programme, Gazza might well have been
TWO bouncers killed themselves in a suicide pact because of their mounting personal problems, an inquest heard yesterday. Pals Paul Williams, 38, and Christopher Howe, 32, took painkillers, cannabis and then attached a hosepipe to the exhaust of a car
FORD Rallyesport Junior Team driver Ryan Champion enjoyed a successful tarmac debut with his Super 1600 Ford Puma on last weekend's Jim Clark Memorial Rally, which comprised round three of the Pirelli British Rally Championship. The event started with
THE infestation of Australian left-handers burrowed deep under Durham's skin yesterday before they rid themselves of the major pest, Phil Jaques. Durham have already suffered this season at the hands of Michael di Venuto, who made 150 at Riverside, and
THE Bedale and West of Yore Pony Club tetrathletes were victorious in the Area 3 tetrathlon competition. Swimming and shooting were held at Ampleforth College on June 28, with cross-country riding and cross-country running taking place the following day
MIDWIVES say the birthing pool is making a comeback in the North-East. Giving birth in water became fashionable in the early 1990s, but seemed to have fallen out of favour until recently. A birthing pool is being installed at a North-East hospital, while
MORE than 100 competitors are converging on Teesside this weekend from across Britain, to take part in the eighth Middlesbrough Chess Congress and compete for prize money totalling more than £1,000. The event which takes place in Middlesbrough Town Hall
FOR Chris Tomlinson, last year's golden boy of British athletics, life is no longer quite as glittering. "This season hasn't gone brilliantly," Tomlinson said, with a fair degree of understatement. Twelve months ago, the Nunthorpe lad's name was the sport's
A BUSINESSMAN is urging companies to take advantage of the extension of Internet broadband services. BT has extended the range of its broadband exchanges by 500m, from 5.5km to 6km. Neil Stephenson, sales and marketing director of Teesside Internet service
When temperatures soar, it's time to reach for something to keep the perspiration in check. Shoptalk investigates. KEEP cool. But how? If you're stuck in a traffic jam on the motorway, in a crowded airport, or on a tour bus in a hot and clammy country
Livestock will be returning to the Durham County Show tomorrow for the first time since its enforced absence through foot and mouth disease. Thousands of people will converge on Herrington Country at Penshaw, near Sunderland -- the show's new permanent
FOUR men are due to appear in court today charged with carrying out a robbery. The men are accused of robbing the Darlington Building Society offices, in Yarm Road, Darlington, in April. Gerrard McGovern, 41, Stephen McGovern, 25, Brian James McNally,
JOANNE Tanfield, from Stainsby Grange, was on top form at the BSJA Area 15 show at Allerton Park, where she won the Barkers Area 15 adult open championship and £250 first prize. She was riding the eight-year-old German-bred Stainsby Sponeck, bought as
A CRIME-FIGHTING team dedicated to making life safer on the region's rail networkwas sworn in yesterday. Seventeen employees of Arriva Trains Northern were welcomed into the British Transport Police (BTP) as part of a complementary policing initiative
Inside The Mind Of Paul Gascoigne (Channel 4) ; Darien: Disaster In Paradise (BBC2) THE outlook was not good - the narrator wondered: "How close is Paul Gascoigne to complete mental breakdown?". After watching the programme, Gazza might well have been
BUSINESS leaders last night hailed the decision to cut interest rates as a shot in the arm for the economy and for manufacturing. The Bank of England monetary policy committee bowed to pressure from industry and announced that it was cutting the cost
FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - Snowfall in July: On Monday morning snow fell on the Hambleton Plain, east of Thirsk, accompanied by a cold wind. It is many years since snow was known to fall during the first week in July, in this portion of North
A BUSINESS which started out with a single office in Middlesbrough more than 50 years ago has won the Queen's Award for Enterprise for international trade. From those humble beginnings in 1946, construction and management consultancy Turner and Townsend
