Archive

  • Accident verdict on bike rider

    A MOTORBIKE rider was killed in a collision with a car emerging from an industrial estate entrance in darkness, an inquest heard. Thomas Johnson, 67, was riding his Yamaha 125cc machine northbound on the A688 from Metal Bridge to Bowburn when the accident

  • Culture and creativity to receive £8.5m investment

    THE cultural landscape of the region's business community is to be put through an £8.5m overhaul that is expected to create jobs and prosperity. Up to 650 small and medium-sized firms will benefit from a range of projects due to be carried out during

  • Stewart returns to Town with a warning

    MARCUS STEWART will make an emotional return to Huddersfield Town tonight warning Sunderland not to get carried away by their encouraging pre-season form. Since Stewart was sold by Huddersfield to Ipswich Town in 2000, the Terriers have slumped from the

  • Free computer training to help groups onto web

    VILLAGE halls, community centres and libraries will soon be able to offer free computer training, thanks to a scheme run by The Northern Echo's CommuniGate programme. CommuniGate can hold sessions at community venues, including UK Online facilities, with

  • Mayor keeps up century-old gift tradition

    A 100-YEAR-OLD tradition was upheld in Darlington yesterday when a former mayor gave a civic gift to her successor. Councillor Doris Jones, the Mayor of Darlington last year, made the presentation to the present mayor, Councillor Ron Lewis, in the Mayor's

  • Islamic culture awareness day

    AN afternoon of seminars and exhibitions is planned on Sunday for Darlington's second Islamic Cultural Awareness Day. The event, organised by Darlington's Youth Offending and Community Safety Service and the Islamic Society of Darlington, is to promote

  • Bombers strike at Costa hotels

    THIRTEEN people were hurt yesterday as Basque terror group Eta launched its summer offensive by bombing two hotels along Spain's Mediterranean coast. The blasts happened within minutes of each other in the Costa Blanca resorts of Benidorm and Alicante

  • Have-a-go chief lays down the law

    A Chief Constable led from the front when he witnessed a road rage punch-up only minutes after pledging a clamp down on crime. Sean Price, head of Cleveland Police, had been at a meeting with community leaders in Loftus and assured them he was serious

  • Councillors support fight to save post office

    COUNCILLORS say they will back the fight to save a community's post office which has been scheduled for closure under a reorganisation of the national branch network. Post Office Limited has identified Spennymoor's Mount Peasant post office for closure

  • Bus firm's reward to help stamp out crime

    A MAYORESS who helped to convict a bus driver's attacker has helped launch a reward scheme for public spirited passengers. Susan Lynn, wife of the Mayor of Gateshead, Councillor David Lynn, was on board a Go North East bus in August when a man carried

  • Pupils learn lifesaving skills

    YOUNGSTERS from Hartlepool and Stockton have taken part in a first aid competition. The event was organised by the Department of Health and Care at Hartlepool College of Further Education. Those taking part learn ed how to help in emergency situations

  • Scientists gather at N-E chemistry conference

    RESEARCHERS and chemists from around the globe are mixing in the North-East at an important event on the science calendar. The University of Sunderland is hosting the Analytical Research Forum, attracting more than 180 chemists from countries such as

  • Work starts to create skate park

    A SIX-year dream of creating a skateboarding park for youngsters in the heart of Richmond is finally becoming a reality. After a long campaign and months of fundraising, the first turf for the new facility was cut yesterday in the town's Ronaldshay Park

  • Laptop computers boost celebrated by rural arts group

    ART is entering the age of high technology in some of the more remote parts of North Yorkshire. With the help of a £28,000 grant from the Arts Council, Rural Arts North Yorkshire, which is based at Thirsk, has recently taken delivery of nine new laptop

  • Objections to fishing lake plan

    STRONG objections from the Ministry of Defence could sink plans to create four fishing lakes near two North Yorkshire air bases. The Government's Defence Estates has protested about a planning application to create a countryside site next to the A168

  • Most residents want shelter removed not replaced

    THE future of a fire-damaged shelter in Hartlepool is to be discussed by councillors next week. The Redheugh Gardens Shelter was built last year following consultation with people living in the area. It was part of an improvement scheme for the Headland

  • Football team net award in tournament

    A PRIMARY school football team from Norton has won a sports trophy. Crooksbarn Primary School won the Wilf Mannion seven-a-side tournament, which is run by Middlesbrough Football Club in the Community. The winning team were - Ben Twidle, Warren Pearson

  • Public invited to help dig up the past

    PEOPLE can delve into the past at an archaeological dig in Hartlepool at the weekend. They are invited to attend a dig at the Headland area of the town on Sunday, between 10am and 4pm. Archaeologists have spent the past fortnight digging a trench on the

  • Double turnover target for manufacturing firm

    A NEWTON Aycliffe manufacturing company is aiming to double its turnover in the next two years. ALM Products plans to expand its factory on the Heighington Lane Business Park by 80 per cent to manage the increased demand that the company expects to generate

  • Children's science knowledge revealed

    YOUNG scientists proved their capabilities when they took part in a national project. Children from Newker Primary School, in Chester-le-Street, took the Science Challenge 2003 in Manchester, organised by the Association for Science Education. The nine

  • Listed hotel put on the market

    A GRADE II-listed hotel and antiques business is for sale for almost £500,000. The Castle Hotel and antiques centre in Middleham, part of which is believed to be the 15th Century barbican of Middleham Castle, has been owned and operated for five years

  • Crash injury victim kills herself

    A MOTHER of three killed herself 19 years after receiving head and face injuries in a car crash. Teaching assistant Lynne Williams of Lindrick Road, New Marske, had been left extremely anxious and suffering a loss of confidence after the crash in October

  • Lane closure

    The northbound lane of Osborne Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle, will be shut between 9.30am to 3.30pm from today until Friday while bridge-widening work continues.

  • News in brief: Conservation training offer

    Youngsters can gain first-hand knowledge on conservation at Guisborough Forest and Walkway, and help with the countryside site's management on Tuesdays between 10am and 3pm during the school holidays. Work involves cutting down invasive species growing

  • Mail box theft

    DETECTIVES are trying to find out if there was any mail in an old-fashioned pillar box stolen from a wall. Thieves chipped away part of the stonework before using a jemmy to prise the box out of the wall in Hury, near Cotherstone, Teesdale, at the weekend

  • History brought to life for school's 125th anniversary

    ONE of the region's oldest state schools is gearing up to celebrate a landmark anniversary this year. Collierley Primary School in Dipton, near Stanley, will be 125 years old in September. Pupils and staff have already started making plans for a big birthday

  • 'Restorative justice' schemes slash youth crime

    CRIMINALS could avoid being taken to court if they agree to meet victims face-to-face and witness the misery they have caused. Under plans unveiled yesterday by Home Secretary David Blunkett, so-called "restorative justice" schemes could become the norm

  • GP's backing for health walks

    A DOCTOR put his best foot forward to help launch the latest series of health walks with the Hambleton Strollers. Dr Mike Potrykus took time away from his practice in Tollerton to support the strollers, who set out for their first walk in Easingwold this

  • Video aid to help hearing impaired

    VIDEOPHONES which connect deaf people to sign language interpreters have been installed for people wanting to use council services in County Durham. Until recently, deaf and hearing impaired people wanting to speak to someone at an organisation such as

  • Last Night's TV: When the shouting has to stop

    Cutting Edge: Bad Behaviour (Channel 4); Don't Drop The Coffin (ITV1) COMMUNICATION between parents Fred and Diane and their seven-year-old daughter Georgina followed these lines: they'd tell her to do something, she'd shout "I don't want to," and then

  • News in brief: Fun lined up for summer

    LEISURE bosses in Derwentside are hoping to attract more young people to summer activities, with the launch of a leaflet. Stay in Touch This Summer features timetables on activities at leisure centres, plus details on coaching programmes for tennis, cricket

  • Making it work . . .

    TWO teenagers are settling in to work after securing positions through the Modern Apprenticeship programme. Anthony Navi and Terry Ward have joined Canford Audio in Washington. The firm supplies professional audio, video and broadcast products to the

  • Tait gets Collett booster

    Darlington's hopes for the new season were given a massive boost last night with the news that goalkeeper Andy Collett has declared himself fit. The No 1 has admitted there's a "fair chance" he'll be fit in time to face Hull City on the opening day of

  • Advice for tenants and their landlords

    ADVICE sessions are being held for landlords, tenants and other residents to discuss concerns over privately rented accommodation. Surgeries will take place in the east Durham villages of Horden and Easington Colliery to give people a chance to raise

  • How diet fads are making us fat

    OF course we all believe in magic. Why else would the Atkins diet be only just behind Harry Potter in the best-sellers list? Every month there's another best-selling diet book. Every month there's another celebrity-endorsed video telling us how to exercise

  • Bowyer deal is a steal for Sir Bobby

    SIR BOBBY ROBSON has labelled Newcastle's capture of Lee Bowyer "a steal''. Robson, speaking in Malaysia ahead of his side's Asia Cup clash with Birmingham in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow, landed Bowyer on a free transfer at the end of his short-term deal with

  • Killer in town

    Coronation Street's murderous villain Richard Hillman, actor Brian Capron, will be in the region on Saturday. He is opening Office World's new superstore at Teesside Retail Park from 10am, when he will meet shoppers and join DJ Dizzy Feet, a circus clown

  • Pupil will leave mark on school

    A CREATIVE youngster is to make a lasting impression on her school after winning a design competition. Katherine Ashton, 11, won a competition to design a panel which will form part of new gates at Sedgefield Primary School, in Rectory Row. The competition

  • Former workers move north to start business

    FORMER employees of a Tyneside microchip plant have started their own business in Scotland's Silicon Glen. Garrie Vickers and Dr Mark Dellow, who were previously senior engineers at the Siemens plant on North Tyneside, have created Integration Experience

  • Comment: The beginning of the end?

    THE £10m price tags placed on the heads of Uday and Qusay Hussein reflect the pivotal role they played in their father's reign of terror in Iraq. They were evil men, guilty of heinous crimes, who posed a grave danger as long as they remained at large.

  • Hall and Partners

    ALBERT STELLING has joined the Newcastle office of UK Construction Consultant, Hall and Partners, as a senior surveyor. The 56-year-old quantity surveyor, from Pittington, has worked in both the public and private sectors and in recent years has specialised

  • Police seek help in identifying body

    Police who recovered the body of an elderly man from the River Tees estuary, believe the pensioner went in the water further upstream. The corpse, spotted near a jetty at Seal Sands, near Billingham, on Monday night, is having to be identified from finger

  • How fads are making us fat

    OF course we all believe in magic. Why else would the Atkins diet be only just behind Harry Potter in the best-sellers list? Every month there's another best-selling diet book. Every month there's another celebrity-endorsed video telling us how to exercise

  • TV review

    Cutting Edge: Bad Behaviour (Channel 4) Don't Drop The Coffin (ITV1) COMMUNICATION between parents Fred and Diane and their seven-year-old daughter Georgina followed these lines: they'd tell her to do something, she'd shout "I don't want to," and then

  • Vicar conjures up a £300,000 book deal

    A VICAR'S spine-chilling tale of witchcraft and Christianity is about to cast a spell on American readers thanks to a six-figure publishing deal. The Reverend Graham Taylor, vicar of Cloughton, near Scarborough, has received a $500,000 (£314,000) advance

  • Helpline for prison families

    A TELEPHONE helpline for prisoners' families is to be launched in the North-East. The helpline, which is free and the first of its kind, aims to provide support and advice for relatives of prisoners in the region's jails. Supporters say families are often

  • Decision to share ship deal backed

    THE surprise decision to force BAE Systems to share the lucrative £2.9bn contract to build two giant aircraft carriers has been backed by MPs. The powerful Commons defence committee said splitting the work - much of which will be carried out at Swan Hunter's

  • £2m purchase signals end of demerger

    BOWEY Construction, one of the region's biggest building contractors, has paid almost £2m to purchase Bowey House, at the Newcastle Business Park, the building from which it operates, from the Bowey Group. The transaction, which transferred ownership

  • Charity tea time invitation to village

    A SEDGEFIELD councillor is preparing to hold an annual event which has become a popular fixture in the village calendar. Councillor Sue Hannan will be hosting one of her cream tea events on Saturday, August 2, between 2pm and 5pm, in the garden of her

  • Free computer training to help groups onto web

    VILLAGE halls, community centres and libraries will soon be able to offer free computer training, thanks to a scheme run by The Northern Echo's CommuniGate programme. CommuniGate can hold sessions at community venues, including UK Online facilities, with

  • How diet fads are making us fat

    OF course we all believe in magic. Why else would the Atkins diet be only just behind Harry Potter in the best-sellers list? Every month there's another best-selling diet book. Every month there's another celebrity-endorsed video telling us how to exercise

  • St James Security

    St James Security has appointed Steve Fenney as regional contracts manager to oversee its recently won Kwik Save business. He will have responsibility for about 30 stores, including the appointment and training of security officers.

  • 'Hidden' miners' memorial on move

    A MEMORIAL commemorating men who died in a town's worst colliery disaster is being moved to safeguard its future. Willington Community Partnership became concerned about the condition of a plaque left to deteriorate in a boarded up leisure centre. Marking

  • Drivers raise cash at tribute race meet

    Race promoter Cyril Whitfield hopes to have raised more than £1,500 at a stock car meeting in memory of one of his employees who died at a young age. Several drivers gave back their winnings at the Barford Raceway near Barnard Castle, County Durham, to

  • Laing and Cruickshank

    GRAEME TWADDLE has joined the investment team at Laing and Cruickshank in Newcastle. He was previously a divisional director at Gerrards.

  • Road changes in bid to cut bike accidents

    A scheme costing £25,000 may help to reduce accidents involving child cyclists. Between 2000 and 2002 there have been three accidents involving youngsters on bikes in Birchington Avenue, Grangetown. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is planning to

  • Project to cut home fuel costs for free

    PEOPLE living in Yarm could benefit from warmer homes as part of a free scheme. Assessors from the Transco-sponsored Stockton Warm Zone project will move into the town from August 1 in the latest stage of their attempt to lift 13,000 homes out of fuel

  • Museum boost

    An exhibition of paintings loaned by Sir Tim Rice is attracting visitors to the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham. The music maestro's collection, including works by Picasso, Degas, Cezanne, Hockney and Warhol, has been on display for three

  • Work begins on largest city piazza for a century

    CONSTRUCTION is under way to create the biggest piazza that has been built on Tyneside for more than a century. The open space, in East Blenheim Street, Newcastle, features an open air amphitheatre and will create a new way of living and working in the

  • Bad news continues at Reuters

    NEWS and information group Reuters has repeated its warning that recurring revenues would be about 11 per cent lower this year than last as gloomy conditions continue to take their toll in the first half. The company has been hit by the global economic

  • Soldiers in court over alleged fracas

    SIX Fijian soldiers based at Catterick Garrison appeared before South Durham Magistrates yesterday accused of violent disorder. Muly Faianta Narova, 18, Radubentovomo Tokai, 20, Paul Bukavesi, 21, Kiniconi Rairaikula, 22, Samisoni Tikoinasau Tabua, 23

  • Investigation underway as pilot ejects from jet

    A major investigation was launched today after a pilot narrowly escaped death when he ejected from his military jet. The RAF officer baled out of his stricken aircraft just seconds before it plunged into the ground and exploded in a disused railway cutting

  • Inquiry's first phase completed

    THE first phase of the Richard Neale inquiry ended yesterday after sitting in York for nearly three months. Now the inquiry team, headed by deputy high court judge Suzan Matthews QC, will move to London to begin the second phase of the process. This involves

  • Tributes to accident victim as road safety fears echoed

    Friends last night paid tribute to the driver who died in an accident on a notorious stretch of country road. Thirty-five-year-old Michael Hopper was trapped in his vehicle after the crash, on the road between Eggleston and Barnard Castle, County Durham

  • Leisure boss retires after 30 years

    THE man who steered Europe's largest man-made lake to commercial success is stepping down. John Lackenby is retiring from Northumbrian Water after 30 years. He hands over management of the leisure business to Sunderland University graduate David Hall.

  • Two accused of man's murder

    TWO men accused of murder appeared in court yesterday. Andrew Evans, 40, and Ronald Stocks, 37, appeared at Teesside Crown Court charged with killing IT consultant Mark Connorton, 37, last month, by attacking him in Redcar, east Cleveland. Mr Evans, of

  • PLS Wealth Management

    PLS Wealth Management has appointed David Walters as an associate director to focus on corporate planning, pensions and insurance. Prior to joining PLS, Mr Walters was with Taylor Patterson Associates in the North-East and previously with Three Counties

  • Executel is continuing its expansion

    Telecommunications firm Executel is continuing its expansion with the appointment of Marcis Ayres, 31, as account manager at its Team Valley, Gateshead office. He is one of three new appointments made to manage the company's new Telecommunications Facilities

  • Air instruments specialist is making the skies a safer place

    AS you might expect, ensuring aircraft can navigate and land safely in all weathers is an exact science. Checking the ground systems that allow pilots to land their aircraft in poor visibility and adverse weather conditions is the job of an operation

  • An American dream

    American Cousin, who is in his element over five furlongs on fast ground, has conditions to suit in the Leyburn Claiming Stakes at Catterick this afternoon. Although David Nicholls' sprinter isn't the most reliable, he's a fair tool in this grade, as

  • Why should the tax man benefit from your estate?

    When Gordon Brown announced in the April Budget an increase in the inheritance tax nil rate band, in line with the statutory rate of inflation, to £255,000, he made reference to the fact that about 95 per cent of estates do not have to pay inheritance

  • Armstrong Watson

    DAVID AUSTIN is the first non-accountant to be made partner at leading firm Armstrong Watson. Mr Austin, who has been with Armstrong Watson for 28 years, will be bringing his IT expertise to the senior management echelons as the company's first ever IT

  • Police seek clues after bag snatch

    DETECTIVES have issued a photofit image of a mugger who snatched a handbag from a pensioner. The 73-year-old woman had been walking to a friend's house with her daughter in Peterlee, County Durham, at 7pm on Sunday when the attack occurred. The women

  • THE Consumer Credit Association

    THE Consumer Credit Association, which represents about 500 home credit businesses in the UK and Ireland, has appointed Patti Atkinson as chairman of its North-East branch. The 48-year-old managing director of Sunniside Clothing and Supplies Ltd, has

  • Incentives pay off for easyJet

    PRICE initiatives including tax-free flights appear to have paid off for no-frills airline easyJet as figures show the number of empty seats falling. In a summer trading update the carrier, which operates flights from Newcastle, said that while average

  • Echo memories - Roving eye that caught a vanishing landscape

    Jimmy Blumer went high-flying over Darlington in the old days, and his archives never fail to fascinate. Echo Memories raids them once again You may buy copies of any of the photographs on this page. A seven inch by five inch print costs £7.50; a ten

  • Jet skier saved man who plunged into Tyne

    A jet skier has saved the life of a man who plunged from the Tyne Bridge. The man amazingly survived the 85-foot fall but was being swept downstream when he was spotted by Peter Armstrong and Stephen Dent. Mr Armstrong, 49, of Lanchester, near Consett

  • Opportunities abound even in struggling economies

    With many equity investors becoming disillusioned with stock market performances in recent times and probably sitting on losses due to the severe downturn in global markets during the past three years, is it time to be considering re-entering these markets

  • Roving eye that caught a vanishing landscape

    Jimmy Blumer went high-flying over Darlington in the old days, and his archives never fail to fascinate. Echo Memories raids them once again You may buy copies of any of the photographs on this page. A seven inch by five inch print costs £7.50; a ten

  • Turner and Townsend sets its sights on global expansion

    THE presentation of the Queen's Award for Enterprise recognised just how far Turner and Townsend International has come. The construction and management consultancy began in the Tees Valley in 1946, opening its head office in Darlington in 1948. That

  • Magistrates' court hearings

    THE following cases were heard at South Durham Magistrates' Court in Darlington yesterday: ASSAULT CHARGE: Hashice Eagle, 24, of the Pierremont Unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital, appeared accused of assault causing actual bodily harm. He will appear

  • New approach needed to stop town falling further behind

    A VISIONARY approach is needed to prevent shopping facilities in Stockton from falling even further behind Middlesbrough and Darlington, according to a report. The study, commissioned by Stockton Borough Council, also describes Thornaby town centre as

  • Big changes made to plans for park

    A CONTROVERSIAL plan to redevelop a Darlington park has been substantially changed after a storm of protest from residents. The proposals, for a pavilion, sports pitches and a car park in South Park caused a public outcry earlier this month, with residents

  • Allotment holders build dream garden

    ALLOTMENT holders have transformed a derelict plot of land into a community garden. The dream to make South Church Lane Allotments more accessible to the public has been nurtured by its members, who have worked hard to secure grants to pay for the community

  • Festival will serve up a feast of cookery ideas

    FOOD and drink from around the North-East will come under the spotlight at a culinary festival this weekend. The second Northumbria Food Festival will be held at the Gateshead Millennium Bridge on Saturday and Sunday. Leading chef Terry Laybourne and

  • Buy-out saves vent factory

    A management buy-out deal has saved 160 jobs at the UK's largest vent and flue manufacturer. Rite-Vent, based in Washington, Tyne and Wear, was on the verge of being sold to a competitor who wanted to take production south until a deal was struck to keep

  • News in brief: Castle museum lands award

    MUSEUM staff are celebrating having been presented with an award assuring visitors of a first-rate visit to the attraction Following a series of mystery shopper visits from the British Tourism Council, Knaresborough Castle and Museum, near Harrogate,

  • News in brief: Fun lined up for summer

    LEISURE bosses in Derwentside are hoping to attract more young people to summer activities, with the launch of a leaflet. Stay in Touch This Summer features timetables on activities at leisure centres, plus details on coaching programmes for tennis, cricket

  • Counselling project to aid the young

    A PROJECT has begun to help children whose mothers are fleeing domestic violence. Derwentside Young Carers, in Stanley, is to train volunteers in listening skills and counselling on separation, loss and bereavement. The Scarman Trust has donated £1,500

  • News in brief: Conservation training offer

    Youngsters can gain first-hand knowledge on conservation at Guisborough Forest and Walkway, and help with the countryside site's management on Tuesdays between 10am and 3pm during the school holidays. Work involves cutting down invasive species growing

  • Architects building on recent investment

    AN architectural firm is poised for further expansion. Niven and Niven, in Darlington, has made significant investment in new staff, technology and equipment, which in turn has led to it having record order books. New directors Simon Crowe and Ian Scott

  • Teenage soccer player set to tackle old rivals

    A teenager with one eye on the World Cup finals is gearing up for the biggest football tournament of her life - an England clash against old rivals, Germany. Carly Telford, 16, of Newburn Road, Stanley, has jetted out to Leipzig as part of the England

  • In fine voice for festival

    Knaresborough's Festival of Entertainment and Visual Arts will be opened by towncrier Nancy Buckle on Friday, August 8. The festival, which runs until August 17, will include a towncrier contest on Sunday, August 10, from 2pm to 3pm. Other events include

  • Double turnover target for manufacturing firm

    A NEWTON Aycliffe manufacturing company is aiming to double its turnover in the next two years. ALM Products plans to expand its factory on the Heighington Lane Business Park by 80 per cent to manage the increased demand that the company expects to generate

  • Course offers tips on living with illness

    PEOPLE with long-term health problems are being invited to take part in a course designed to improve their quality of life. Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust is holding its first Living Well course, aimed at helping people take control of

  • Grants offered to tidy up town

    A GRANT of £80,000 has been made available to shops and businesses in Redcar High Street to regenerate their premises. They can apply until March for the money, which is to be used for door and window replacement and roof and structural repairs. Successful

  • Asian soccer fans wonder who to support in tournament

    A team of soccer-loving students from Malaysia are in a quandary as to who they will support when Newcastle Utd takes part in the FA Premier League Asia Cup, which kicks off tomorrow. The young Malaysians, who are studying at Newcastle University, regularly

  • Vicar conjures up a £300,000 book deal

    A VICAR'S spine-chilling tale of witchcraft and Christianity is about to cast a spell on American readers thanks to a six-figure publishing deal. The Reverend Graham Taylor, vicar of Cloughton, near Scarborough, has received a $500,000 (£314,000) advance

  • Bus trip to seaside

    The Community Association in Delves Lane, near Consett, is running a bus trip to Scarborough on Wednesday, August 20. For more details, contact organiser Jimmy Cool on (01207) 504204

  • System helps the deaf use council services

    VIDEOPHONES which connect deaf people to sign language interpreters, have been installed to help people use council services in County Durham. Until recently, deaf people who wanted to speak to someone at an organisation such as Durham County Council

  • Success in quest to trace war dead

    Amateur historian John Pringle has just returned from the continent after finding the graves of 33 men from his home town who were killed during the First World War. This brings the total to 95 resting places he has traced out of the 125 men named on

  • Service helps carers of drug-users

    A SERVICE to help people who live with someone who has a drug or alcohol problem has been launched. County Durham Drug Action Team set up the Parent and Carer Support Service (Pacs), offering drop-in sessions, advice and information. It holds monthly

  • News in brief: Drink-driver killed best pal

    A drink-driver has admitted killing his best friend in a road crash. Daniel Reay, 24, pleaded guilty yesterday to causing the death of Keith Wealands, 22, by careless driving on March 1. He admitted being over the drink-drive limit when his Vauxhall Cavalier

  • Cooper set to strengthen Pool squad

    NEALE Cooper is ready to bolster his Hartlepool United squad this week. Pool spent last week in Holland, where Cooper led his new team for the first time. And now, after seeing his squad in action, the boss has a better idea of what he needs to improve

  • An American dream

    American Cousin, who is in his element over five furlongs on fast ground, has conditions to suit in the Leyburn Claiming Stakes at Catterick this afternoon. Although David Nicholls' sprinter isn't the most reliable, he's a fair tool in this grade, as

  • Police radio health concerns

    POLICE in County Durham will soon be using a digital radio system at the centre of health fears. The force says the £3.26m Airwave network will give clearer communications that cannot be intercepted by criminals. But there is concern among some officers

  • Phosyn buys out retiring founder

    CROP nutrition specialist Phosyn has bought out one of its founding members in a £5m deal, enabling the company to restructure its business. With the support of bankers HSBC, and law firm Eversheds, Phosyn, of York, has purchased the 48 per cent shareholding

  • Thompson is a real all-rounder

    Imagine David Beckham scoring a century against the Aussies in the Lord's Test or Tiger Woods winning the men's singles at Wimbledon. True, all involve balls - and to some extent golden ones - yet the above scenario is highly unlikely, nay impossible.

  • Charges denied

    A DRIVER accused of being in a car crash in which two women died, denied driving without due care and aggravated vehicle-taking when he appeared in court yesterday. Stephen Dack, of Exeter Street, Walker, Newcastle, appeared before South Durham Magistrates

  • 23/07/03

    POSTAL SERVICES: THE Royal Mail's claim that 'only' 280,000 letters are lost every week (Echo, Jul 17) is an absolute disgrace. The Royal Mail quotes the figure as a sign of improving services. To everyone else those lost letters are the failure to hear

  • Greening sets his targets

    MIDDLESBROUGH midfielder Jonathan Greening has admitted he must improve his goalscoring record to break into the England team. Greening was called up to an England training camp last November but is still waiting to make the step up from Under-21 level

  • Family fulfil vow to find hero's grave

    THE brother of a soldier killed in the Second World War has fulfilled a promise he made to their father - to find the squaddie's burial place. Private Tom Rodgers is one of six "unknowns" buried in a cemetery in St Venant, in northern France, where the

  • Bowyer deal is a steal for Sir Bobby

    SIR BOBBY ROBSON has labelled Newcastle's capture of Lee Bowyer "a steal''. Robson, speaking in Malaysia ahead of his side's Asia Cup clash with Birmingham in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow, landed Bowyer on a free transfer at the end of his short-term deal with

  • When the shouting has to stop

    Cutting Edge: Bad Behaviour (Channel 4); Don't Drop The Coffin (ITV1) COMMUNICATION between parents Fred and Diane and their seven-year-old daughter Georgina followed these lines: they'd tell her to do something, she'd shout "I don't want to," and then

  • Young bookworms praised

    YOUNG bookworms were rewarded for their reading efforts by the Mayor of Darlington. Councillor Ron Lewis invited youngsters from Firthmoor and Skerne Park primary schools, who have been attending reading sessions during school lunch hours, to the town

  • Refuse centre protestors suffer bat expert setback

    Protestors trying to stop a refuse station being built near their homes suffered a setback yesterday when a bat expert ruled against them. Noel Jackson, a member of the Durham Bat Group, inspected a wood at Stainton Grove, near Barnard Castle, County

  • Saddam's sons killed in mansion gunfight

    Saddam Hussein's two sons were killed by US forces during a fierce gun battle in northern Iraq, it was confirmed last night. Uday and Qusay Hussein were among four victims of a six-hour shoot-out after the American 101st Airborne Division raided a home

  • Forsyth Business Centres

    DAVID HALL, 33, has been appointed North of England Regional Manager for Forsyth Business Centres. At Forsyth, David will be responsible for the management of more than 130,000sq ft of serviced office space in the North of England. He joins the company

  • Bonds prove a safe haven in times of turbulence

    For some reason, bonds have not been as popular with investors as equities. Some find them complicated - others think they are boring. As this article will explain, they are neither. In the simplest terms, bonds are a loan, made by you, to a government

  • Family gets help with grants to diversify

    A FARMING family at Coniston Cold has taken a new direction thanks to help and advice from Business Link York and North Yorkshire. The help has enabled David and Jackie Coates, who lost their 160-strong dairy herd to foot-and-mouth disease, to diversify

  • N-E fields being turned into sports facilities

    LATEST figures destroy the myth that playing fields in the North-East are being concreted over for housing estates, the Government has claimed. A survey found 83 examples of playing fields, described as "lost" to development were in fact under planning

  • How David took on his Goliath

    As this year's batch of graduates bask in the glory of their success Ian Lamming talks to an extraordinary student who has overcome extreme difficulties to achieve his goal. EXAMS over, results in the bag, David lies in bed. It's 11am. The television

  • Why you could be working at 71

    Recent research released by the House of Commons highlights that a man of 65 will need to keep working to 71 in order to recoup the fall in the value of his pension fund. The global stockmarket slump, which has knocked billions of pounds off the value

  • Woman is mugged for shop takings

    A SHOP worker was left with a perforated ear drum after she was attacked by a mugger. The woman, in her early 20s, was hit over the back of the head as she walked in Orchard Road, Darlington, near its junction with Hollyhurst Road, on Monday morning.

  • Man searching for Iraqi daughter to be freed soon

    A British man arrested by US troops in Iraq while searching for his young daughter was expected to be released soon, American officials said today. Street performer Michael Todd, 33, from York, had said he was determined to travel to Baghdad shortly before

  • 'It is time for Corus to take workers into its confidence'

    Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, tells the Parliamentary investigation into Corus' future on Teesdie and of the vital conclusions that is committee has reached. "THE future of steel-making has been troubling all Teesside - indeed

  • Singh desperate for runs

    Craig White and Yuvraj Singh go into Yorkshire's Championship match against Hampshire at Scarborough today with sharply contrasting batting fortunes. White, on his home ground, is looking to continue the phenomenal form which has brought him 338 runs

  • DFDS Seaways

    DFDS Seaways has expanded its North-East operation with the development of a new groups department. The North Shields team will work with the company's growing client-base in the coach and tour operator market, helping them find the best fares and packages

  • Power wrangle firm left in dark

    A BUSINESSMAN says he has been left in the dark for two months after moving to new premises. Despite making several attempts to get connected, Brian Hutchinson says he is still without electricity at his new site - a former council lighting depot. High

  • Protech Resourcing

    Recruitment agency Protech Resourcing has appointed Chris Jude, 28, as a senior recruitment consultant, specialising in technical and professional surveying disciplines. After qualifying as a chartered building surveyor, Mr Jude spent time in Leeds gaining

  • Manufacturers look to the US for hope

    MANUFACTURERS are still locked in a downturn, according to the latest quarterly survey from the CBI. The organisations industrial trends survey paints a picture of a sector struggling for momentum, with falls in orders, output and employment all recorded

  • Listed hotel put on the market

    A GRADE II-listed hotel and antiques business is for sale for almost £500,000. The Castle Hotel and antiques centre in Middleham, part of which is believed to be the 15th Century barbican of Middleham Castle, has been owned and operated for five years

  • Area manager for Close Invoice Finance

    TONY HALL has been appointed area manger for Close Invoice Finance, the factoring and invoice discounting arm of Close Brothers merchant banking group, in Yorkshire and the North-East. Mr Hall was with the Yorkshire Bank for 29 years before taking a business

  • Floored by a mangled molar

    FOR reasons chiefly though not entirely associated with cowardice, it was 38 years before last Friday since we'd darkened the door of the dentist. The last time was the school clinic in Bishop on what used to be called gas morning, a bitter-sweet legacy

  • Taking tea with the Bowes . . .

    VISITORS can step back in time to take tea with a museum's founders tomorrow. Actors will play John and Josephine Bowes at the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham, where there will be tours at 1pm and 3pm. The event, Tea with Mr and Mrs Bowes,

  • Battered and broken by African nightmare

    A NORTH-EAST businessman has been forced to abandon a charity drive across Africa after a catalogue of disasters. John Lawler had hoped to raise money for a Tyneside-based charity to help people in the village of Shia, Ghana. He has already become such

  • Gadfly: Floored by a mangled molar

    FOR reasons chiefly though not entirely associated with cowardice, it was 38 years before last Friday since we'd darkened the door of the dentist. The last time was the school clinic in Bishop on what used to be called gas morning, a bitter-sweet legacy

  • Falconers swoop into role of foster parents for tiny orphans

    FOUR rare red squirrels are the latest surprise additions at a North-East falconry centre. The 32-day-old litter are being hand-reared by staff of Falconry UK, at Sion Hill Hall, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, and will soon be tame enough to be handled

  • Farmers tap in to spring water

    SPRING water drawn from deep beneath the County Durham countryside is helping three brothers move away from arable farming. Gordon, 61, and his brothers Colin, 58, and Martin Bulmer, 56, set up Seaton Spring Water in 1999 as a sideline, but such has been

  • Street festival set to begin

    One of Europe's largest street festivals is to take place this week with performers from all over the world ready to converge on the region. The 16th Stockton International Riverside Festival begins tomorrow (Fri) and will this year be split into two

  • Battered and broken by African nightmare

    A NORTH-EAST businessman has been forced to abandon a charity drive across Africa after a catalogue of disasters. John Lawler had hoped to raise money for a Tyneside-based charity to help people in the village of Shia, Ghana. He has already become such

  • Flying in the face of our democracy

    SUCKED ever-deeper into the torrid "weapons-of-mass-destruction" whirlpool of its own creation, the Government nevertheless still has other urgent fish to fry. And no, I'm not talking about foxhunting, which is invariably, but in my view wrongly, put

  • Teacher steps down after 38 years

    A FORMER Mayor of Sedgefield village and long-serving member of the town council has retired after 38 years in teaching. A farewell party for Councillor Dudley Waters held in Sedgefield's Ceddesfeld Hall was attended by many teaching colleagues. Coun

  • CreateCity lands stadium contract

    ONE of the region's leading retail floor specialists has scored a contract with Darlington Football Club to carpet one of the stands. CreateCity, of Darlington, through its Frank's Contract Flooring business, has struck a deal with the Third Division

  • Make use of UK Defence

    SMALL and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) across the region are being encouraged to use technology developed for the defence sector. The Defence Diversification Agency (DDA) is looking for 80 SMEs which could benefit from cutting edge technology developed

  • Armstrong Watson

    Staff at the MetroCentre Management offices at the Gateshead centre, have welcomed Claire Armstrong to the team as marketing co-ordinator. The 25-year-old, from Northumberland, has joined the team with a background in the advertising industry. After gaining

  • Richard takes the plunge at water group

    YORKSHIRE Water has appointed its youngest ever director. Richard Flint, 35, will take over the reigns of the company's Water Business Unit on August 1, from Charles Firlotte, who has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Aquarion -