THE residents of the Sheriff Hutton ward of Ryedale District Council go to the polls tomorrow for the second time in seven months. The election is to choose a councillor following the death of independent member of the authority, Councillor Alan Farnaby
A county-wide crackdown against crime in North Yorkshire is getting results. Police have made 214 extra arrests since Operation Delivery began earlier this month, while reported crime has been halved in comparison with the same period last year. Chief
A NORTH Yorkshire family have celebrated a milestone they feared they would never see. In March 2000, a rare heart condition meant six-year-old Sally Slater's life was in danger. She contracted diomyopathy, which attacks the heart muscles, and had to
CHRISTMAS jobs fairs offering more than 1,000 seasonal positions are being launched today. With three months to Christmas, the launch marks the start of four days of fairs in Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Stockton. At today's event
SEXUAL health services in Middlesbrough have moved into a new unit at James Cook University Hospital. The genito urinary medicine unit provides a confidential service on matters relating to sexual heath and endeavours to overcome the stigma attached to
MIDDLESBROUGH Football Club's adult learning project has been selected as a regional finalist in the National Training Awards. Set up 18 months ago, it is a major honour for the Football First project because only 20 per cent of entrants throughout the
A FULL-TIME police officer has been assigned to a Hartlepool school as part of a pilot project. PC Keith Morrison, a uniformed officer, is to be based at St Hild's School in King Oswy Drive. The officer will work closely with teachers and talk to students
A GROUP of old buildings in the heart of Durham City have been transformed into workshops. Fowlers Yard, overlooking the River Wear, has been restored for professional artists, craftspeople and creative businesses. The workspaces are open to the public
Classical music fans can save money by booking early for a series of concerts at Middlesbrough Town Hall. By subscribing to all four, a discount is available, starting with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra on October 16, followed by the Hungarian National
A CAR-FREE day will take place in a Teesside town on Monday. Stockton, along with other towns across Britain and Europe, will be adopting the event. A fun day has also been organised. The event will start at 9.30am with the mayor of Stockton leading a
AN eyesore piece of derelict land in the region has been nominated as one of the worst wasted spaces in the country. Earlier this week BBC Radio 4 and the CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) launched a nationwide campaign to find
THOUSANDS of troops were last night combing the Colombian jungle for kidnapped North Yorkshire TV producer Mark Henderson and seven other travellers. Supported by a fleet of nine Black Hawk helicopters, the soldiers were scouring the area where the party
Yorkshire have been boosted ahead of their crunch Championship match against Gloucestershire at Headingley today, with Australian Test star Damien Martyn back in their squad. A win would ensure promotion to Division One for the Tykes and to add extra
THE family of a teenage holiday accident victim were yesterday saved from paying huge hospital bills by an insurance company's last-minute change of heart. Ashleigh Stephens, 13, from Brinsley Court, Coundon, County Durham, is undergoing extensive surgery
FAT CATS: ONCE again I've seen an article about self-made businessmen and women being described as "fat cats". These people have studied hard, seen gaps in the markets and applied themselves within the law to make themselves what they are. Real cats are
ANGRY parents have vowed to fight on to block the closure and amalgamation of two Teesside primary schools. They want St Andrew's RC Primary School to remain independent of neighbouring St Peter's RC Primary, in South Bank, near Middlesbrough. But Redcar
POLICE have said that Wearside Jack, the mysterious hoaxer who disrupted the Yorkshire Ripper murder hunt, will never be caught. The letters and tape the hoaxer sent to the officers desperately trying to catch Peter Sutcliffe diverted police resources
PASSENGER groups have raised new fears over Strategic Rail Authority plans for a new franchise serving much of the North-East. The Northern rail franchise includes routes such as Darlington to Bishop Auckland and Middlesbrough-Hartlepool-Sunderland-Newcastle
THE widow of a soldier who shot a colleague before turning the gun on himself yesterday told an inquest that his irrational behaviour may have been triggered by anti-malaria drugs. Corporal John Gregory, 30, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, fired up to
A £15,000-a-week Newcastle United star has been fined after being caught without a TV licence. Striker Lomana LuaLua, 23, admitted the offence and was fined £175, said a spokeswoman for the TV Licensing Authority. He was not thought to have attended the
THE last survivor of the Jarrow March has died at the age of 93. Cornelius Whalen was one of 200 jobless men who took their fight against poverty to the doorstep of Stanley Baldwin's government in 1936. His family said that, although he never admitted
A RESOURCE centre with new facilities for disabled people will open on Friday. More than £420,000 of Government money has been spent on making the Church Row Voluntary Sector Resource Centre wheelchair-friendly. Visitors can view the improvements between
TWO business owners last night defended claims that Darlington does not do enough to promote itself. Graham Robb, partner at Recognition PR, and Carol Huitson, client services director at RDW Advertising, said they had worked on a string of projects to
A PIONEERING service to give the public more say in the way health care develops is beginning to make its mark. In three months, Darlington Patient Advice and Liaison Service (Pals) received 83 inquiries. Service manager Margaret Scott said the requests
A MOTHER is refusing to send her son to a school because of bullying fears. Julie Yates says her son, Gary Naylor, 11, is too frightened to attend Branksome Comprehensive School, Darlington, because he has already been attacked by pupils from the school
A TEENAGER charged with murdering another boy made his first court appearance yesterday. The 15-year-old appeared at Gosforth Magistrates' Court, Newcastle, accused of killing Jonathan Thompson, 16. He was remanded in custody for a week. A second youth
A STUDENT was left with a broken jaw in two places when he tried to break up a late-night city centre punch-up. Andrew Jones, 18, needed surgery and had three metal plates inserted in his face to hold his bones together after the sickening blow from Thomas
POLICE took the unusual step yesterday of naming a man they are hunting in connection with a robbery. They said forensic evidence found at the scene in Stillington, North Yorkshire, linked 48-year-old Keith Davis with a break-in at the home of an elderly
A STUDENT has won the National Young Designer of the Year award for an idea which could help people badly injured on isolated hills. David Lister, 18, from Yarm, near Stockton, Teesside, will be able to oversee work worth at least £8,000 to see if his
POLICE in County Durham have launched a drive to recruit new-style community support officers. The officers, who tackle "quality of life'' offences such as dog fouling, anti-social behaviour and drunkeness, have been in Darlington for six months and recently
SIX hundred temporary workers will be recruited in the North-East by retailer Boots as part of a wider campaign that will include desk-bound staff returning to the shop floor. The chain is taking on a total of 5,000 staff nationwide in time for the Christmas
SHIPYARD bosses and union officials refused to comment last night, ahead of today's bid to end industrial action on Tyneside. Thousands of workers walked out of the Swan Hunter and Amec shipyards in Wallsend, North Tyneside, this week, in support of colleagues
A RADIO station has been unmasked as the culprit behind a set of mysterious handprints appearing on streets and pavements. The white painted handprints were spotted by council workers in Darlington. Last night, Teesside radio station TFM admitted that
PUBLIC-SPIRITED people in Hartlepool have the chance to prove just how much they care for their town. Officers from Hartlepool Borough Council are looking to recruit a resident representative for the central neighbourhood consultative forum and an election
PROTESTORS battling to prevent a refuse depot being built near their homes have raised £500 for a fighting fund. They need £2,000 to pay a solicitor and barrister to apply for a judicial review into the way planning consent was given for the depot at
A TEAM of five dogs and handlers from the North has taken third place in a Crufts flyball qualifier event, in which 13 teams from across the country took part. This means the Durham Dynamite team, trained by Aileen Clarke, of Barnard Castle, County Durham
POLICE have said that Wearside Jack, the mysterious hoaxer who disrupted the Yorkshire Ripper murder hunt, will never be caught. The letters and tape the hoaxer sent to the officers desperately trying to catch Peter Sutcliffe diverted police resources
THE UK's biggest supermarket chain Tesco made an "outstanding" start to its financial year after interim profits surged 17 per cent to £628m. Strong growth home and abroad helped overall sales up 17 per cent to £14.9bn in the six months to August 9. In
A PILOT scheme that will reward thousands of youngsters for good behaviour and excellent schoolwork was launched this weekend. The Smart Card scheme will see students in Derwentside earn points that can be redeemed as free access to leisure facilities
AN underwater settlement dubbed the prehistoric Atlantis could be the earliest known evidence of human occupation in Northern Britain. The discovery of the Stone Age site off the coast of Tynemouth made headlines around the world when it was announced
THE daily life of the ancient Egyptians is in the spotlight at a museum exhibition. Life, Prosperity and Health was first staged at the Oriental Museum, in Durham, last year and is being repeated by popular demand. The exhibition, which opened last week
A £19m centre for people with brain damage will be built in the region. The Northern Neuro Disability Centre is to be developed at the Walkergate Hospital site, in Walker, Newcastle. It will replace outdated facilities at Hunters Moor Hospital, Newcastle
THE Bank of England's decision to cut interest rates in July pushed the headline rate of inflation down last month after mortgage lenders cut the cost of borrowing, official figures showed. The rate of inflation - measured by the retail price index -
A SCHOOLBOY has been charged with possessing drugs with intent to supply. The 15-year-old was arrested after teachers at a secondary school in Sunderland became suspicious about his behaviour in the playground. A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said he
A SPORTS centre that will train the region's table tennis stars of the future was officially opened this weekend. The £200,000 Alan Westwater Hall, part of Oxhill Youth Club, near Stanley, County Durham, is the first centre of excellence for the sport
FASHION chain French Connection remained confident of a strong finish to its financial year despite the recent heatwave leaving its mark on sales. The group - famous for its fcuk range of clothing - said sales growth in UK and Europe, which rose by 11.3
A MAN accused of leading police on a high speed chase through Darlington appeared before magistrates yesterday. Adrian Williams, 30, of Tennyson Gardens, Darling-ton, was charged with ass-ault, damaging a police veh-icle, failing to stop for police, using
OLYMPIC champion athlete Sally Gunnell visited the region yesterday to launch an awards scheme celebrating the achievements of young people. The former gold medal-winning hurdler came to Eastbourne Sports Complex at Eastbourne Comprehensive School in
A MAN who smashed his way into his father's home was remanded in custody yesterday to await sentence. Simon Ostler, prosecuting, told Harrogate magistrates, that Richard Atkinson, 35, who is also known as Richard Halliday, was drinking from a wine bottle
NURSERY school youngsters were visited by two special guests yesterday. Cassie, a Doberman, and Sally, a 14-month-old blue roan cocker spaniel joined staff and children at the Just Learning Nursery, in Stockton, on Take Your Dog To Work Day. The dogs,
THE Ramblers Association was accused yesterday of "playing the hokey cokey" at a public inquiry into the upgrading of the A66. The organisation lodged an objection several weeks ago against part of the £11m scheme to dual two stretches of the road west
Medics from Catterick Garrison will be raising money in memory of a young Royal Military Police officer killed in Iraq. The team will push a bed from Northallerton's Friarage Hospital to the psychiatric unit at the former Duchess of Kent Hospital, in
FARMING leaders across the region have given their views on changes to European Union laws. Dr Gordon Adam, the Labour Party's European spokesman on agriculture, met members of the Country Landowners and Business Association (CLA) at Morley Hill Farm,
MORE than 30 firefighters fought a large grassland blaze on the tinder dry Eston hills. Crews summoned to the scene near Wilton, on Teesside, at 2pm on Monday, fought the fire into the night. They called in the Cleveland Police plane to look for hotspots
RESIDENTS of Middlesbrough are being urged to undergo a free blood pressure check in a town where coronary heart disease is the second biggest killer. The Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust (PCT) has been sending teams of health professionals, including
ONLY good fortune prevented fatalities and serious injuries when the GNER train was derailed at King's Cross yesterday. Had the faulty track been a few miles outside the station when the service had picked up speed, we could have been reflecting this
A REPORT calling on Anglican church leaders to embrace all cultures will be discussed at a meeting in Harrogate this weekend. Delegates at the diocesan synod, on Saturday at the town's St Aidan's School, will be told many black and ethnic minority Christians
AN authority which has seen controversy this year has announced it will be publishing details of its affairs on the Internet. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority's planning committee has been split by a row over affordable housing for local people
A HEADTEACHER has defended the controversial decision to install closed-circuit television cameras at his school. Nigel McQuoid, principal of the £22m Kings Academy at Coulby Newham, has written to the parents of 1,200 pupils about the cameras, which
A scheme has been set up for people living in the Hartlepool New Deal for Communities (NDC) area to help with education and training costs. More than 10,000 people live in the area which stretches from Hart Lane to Belle Vue. Grants of up to £500 are
THERE are more hard luck stories at Beverley's down dale and uphill track than virtually any other course around. Indeed, Bond Millennium (2.50) will have to steer well clear of trouble if he is to win the Mac And Leni Memorial Handicap. Sadly that wasn't
THE second and final phase of the inquiry into the actions of disgraced surgeon Richard Neale is under way in London. Mr Neale was struck off the medical register by the General Medical Council (GMC) three years ago after he botched a string of operations
Noel Wilson has worked the oracle with Stallone, who gained his third success of the season yesterday defying top weight under Tony Hamilton in the Buckden Pike Handicap at Thirsk, writes RAY GILPIN Hamilton sent the six-year-old into the lead with a
FRESH calls were made last night for the railways to be returned to the public sector after faulty maintenance caused the derailment of an express train. Troubled engineering firm Jarvis Rail - the company at the centre of the investigation into last
JERMAINE JENAS has begged Sir Bobby Robson to give him the chance to arrest Newcastle United's slide against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday. Jenas, who made his England debut in February during a sensational first full season on Tyneside, has started just
ANY over-optimistic hopes Sunderland fans may have had about taking control of the Division One promotion race were given a reality check at Stoke City last night. A disastrous first-half showing by the Black Cats ensured their chances of winning five
BASIL Brush's owner Entertainment Rights is hoping the celebrity fox's debut single will lead to a boom in sales of merchandise this Christmas. Basil, who will soon be returning to UK screens with a second series of his BBC sitcom, is due to launch his
DARLINGTON Supporters Trust last night launched a petition to persuade the club to overturn a ban imposed on a supporters' website editor. Scott Thornberry, who runs the Darlo Uncovered site, has been told by the club to stay away from the Reynolds Arena
A RECORD number of police complaints are leading to disciplinary action against officers, an official report revealed yesterday. The report by the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), which is being replaced by an independent group in April, said it had
GARY Pratt needs 11 runs from Durham's final match of the season against Glamorgan, starting at Riverside today, to complete 1,000 first-class runs for the season, writes TIM WELLOCK. The 21-year-old left-hander has scored 883 in 29 championship innings
Return To Jamie's Kitchen (C4) The Key (BBC2) Dessert chef Kerry-Ann had gone missing from the kitchen at Number Ten. She'd nipped out for a quick drag on a fag just as the lady of the house, Cherie Blair, came to inspect Oliver's Army as they prepared
Return To Jamie's Kitchen (C4) The Key (BBC2) Dessert chef Kerry-Ann had gone missing from the kitchen at Number Ten. She'd nipped out for a quick drag on a fag just as the lady of the house, Cherie Blair, came to inspect Oliver's Army as they prepared
The Foreign Office issued a travel warning to British holidaymakers last night as Hurricane Isabel hurtled towards the east coast of the US. It is feared North and South Carolina and Virginia will be the worst-affected when the storm strikes tomorrow.
TRAFFIC on major routes through the region will be restricted to single lanes this week while essential work is carried out on four bridges. The bridges are Barton North and South and Clow Beck, on the A1(M) in North Yorkshire, and the Blackwell Spur
A KEEN swimmer drowned in the Tenerife pool where he swam 20 lengths every morning, a coroner has reported. The body of former North-East man Albert Janes, 70, was found at the bottom of the pool at the Castle Harbour complex where he lived in Los Cristianos
Ten-man Darlington held on to claim a well-earned point in a fiercely contested 1-1 draw at York City last night. Midfielder Gary Pearson was shown his second red card of the season 15 minutes from time for a two-footed lunge on Darren Dunning. Quakers
MIDDLESBROUGH have been urged to forget about their nightmare start to the Premiership campaign by frustrated skipper Gareth Southgate. After five matches, Steve McClaren's men are still searching for their first win of the new season. Boro are level
THE sexual revolution has arrived. No, not that one - the next one. This month, Cosmopolitan is saying no to sex. That's right, the magazine that has been the Bible for women's sexual liberation, who told us we could have it all, when and where we wanted
THE sexual revolution has arrived. No, not that one - the next one. This month, Cosmopolitan is saying no to sex. That's right, the magazine that has been the Bible for women's sexual liberation, who told us we could have it all, when and where we wanted
THE wonderfully articulate Bishop of Jarrow, three of his books in the top ten at the SPCK shop at Durham, writes in the diocesan newspaper about his daughter Nicola's wedding. "Our house is buzzing with it," says the Rt Rev John Pritchard, "apart from
THE world's biggest motorsport show was the scene for the unveiling of the first motorbike helmet with a built-in rear-view mirror. Reevu, based in Willington, County Durham, is hoping to pick up major orders for the product, which is expected to build
AFTER she's dropped her two children off at nursery, Penny Spikins has time to see her students and give a lecture before going out to do some field work, making sure she's back in time to pick the children up and go to Tesco's. So far, so straightforward
DESPITE years of being taught foreign languages in schools, most Brits still think the best way to communicate with our European neighbours is by speaking at them slowly and loudly in English. Tomorrow, North-East pupils will be saying bonjour to two
SCORES of local groups have been having their say about a proposed £1m super-surgery for Darlington. Hannah Henderson, who has been leading the public consultation process, said a host of ideas had been put forward for the primary care centre being built
THE acclaimed West End musical Blood Brothers has taken to the stage in the North-East this week. The musical opened a 12-night run at the Sunderland Empire on Monday, and features former Nolan Sisters singer Linda in the leading role of Mrs Johnstone
A MAN who stole nearly £18,000 from his father-in-law's bank account went on a desperate gambling spree in an attempt to win it back, a court heard. Teesside Crown Court was told debt-ridden Ian Walker, 41, was trusted by his sick father-in-law David
entrepreneurs are being offered a pay-as-you-go hire scheme for office space. Accountant Bill Thompson, based in the Arbeia Business Centre, in Stanhope Parade, South Shields, is offering new and young business start-ups the opportunity to rent office
PRISON officers based at three jails in the North-East are setting off this month to take van-loads of food, clothing and other supplies to orphanages in Serbia. It will be their 15th annual trip to deliver items to some of the neediest children in Europe
POLICE are trying to trace relatives of an elderly man who was found dead at his home earlier this month. They believe Albert George Beverley, who was 81, may have had relatives in the Harrogate area of North Yorkshire. He was found dead at his home in
A DRUG dealer who was caught at home with 25 wraps of heroin was jailed for 18 months yesterday. Richard Curry, 24, tried to hide them in his trousers when Cleveland Police entered his house in Redcar, Teesside, with a search warrant. More heroin powder
TWO brothers who repeatedly robbed a pensioner and attacked him in his bed were locked up yesterday. Teesside Crown Court heard that Peter Taylor, 66, was too frightened to report the attacks in his Middlesbrough home. He told officers that each time,
A COUNTRY house and former care home is due to be converted into two houses. John Wain, the owner of Carlbury Hall, near Piercebridge, has submitted the proposals to Darlington Borough Council. A decision is due on October 21. A council spokeswoman said
IT was Take Your Dog to Work Day yesterday - but one wandering pup almost missed it. Four-month-old Daisy had accompanied building estimator James Shallcross to his office at Castle Howard, near Malton, every day since he got her. The young springer spaniel
THE lack of advice for diabetics is putting lives at risk, according to a study in the region. Researchers in Darlington compared two groups of patients with type-two diabetes over 12 months. The group which was continually monitored and offered advice
SIX teenagers beat their classmates in a series of challenges which won them a trip to the Far East. The youngsters fly out this weekend for a ten day trip to Singapore, which includes high tea with the country's president. All aged 15, the pupils are
A BID to build a North-East children's hospice has received a £6,500 donation. The money was raised at a charity golf tournament organised by Yorkshire Bank's North-East business centre, on Newcastle's Quayside. About 20 businesses paid £300 each to enter
A HOLIDAY company is searching for a heroic passenger who restrained a drunken man who attacked an air hostess on a packed holiday jet. The attacker was with his girlfriend on a flight between Newcastle and Ibiza when they began to row. The trouble began
AN annual charity event takes place at Lewis and Cooper in Northallerton on Sunday, November 2. Customers pay to enter the store and have a chance to win a hamper and to sample food. This year, the proceeds of the event, called Pre Noel Day, will be split
A SCHEME to pull down a North Yorkshire church and replace it with housing should be turned down, according to planning chiefs. Owners of the Roman Catholic Church of St Columba, in Thorpe Road, Masham, near Ripon, have tabled an outline planning application
A FORMER bouncer who became an author has met some of his fans at a book signing for his latest novel. Geoff Thompson, pictured above, was in Ottakar's book store in The Bridges shopping centre, Sunderland, to promote his novel Red Mist. The book follows
WORK by award-winning glass artists Stephen Gillies and Kate Jones is to grace one of the finest collections of its kind in the world. The North Yorkshire pair have been commissioned to create one of their technically challenging pieces by the Victoria
A CHARITY which supports crime victims is appealing for help from the public. New volunteers are needed to help Victim Support County Durham, which provided free and confidential support to 16,071 victims and 2,473 witnesses last year. The organisation
ARTEFACTS discovered on a college dig have been identified as tools of a civilisation which lived in the region more than 2,000 years ago. The discovery was made by students at Darlington College of Technology, who were taking part in the Time Team's
ACCLAIMED string quartet the Zehetmair Quartet has won a 2003 Gramaphone Award and been shortlisted for Record of the Year. The news comes as the Northern Sinfonia, whose musical director, Thomas Zehetmair, formed the quartet, prepares to open its core
A FINANCIAL planner has turned his back on a high-pressure career and £100,000-a-year to make treehouses and adventure playgrounds. Stephen Francisco now spends his days climbing trees and testing slides rather than climbing the career ladder. He said
A SERIAL shoplifter escaped jail yesterday. Newcastle Crown Court heard how Kerry Warburton was arrested on May 6 after stealing a £17.99 bottle of perfume from Asda in South Shields. The 21-year-old committed the offence as she pushed her one-year-old
A SOLDIER from Darlington was killed in a motorbike accident in Germany last week. Corporal Robin McLachlan, 32, a married father-of-one, was overtaking a car on his motorbike in bad weather conditions when the accident happened last Wednesday. A statement
POOR Carlton Palmer can't belittle Hartlepool United now. Remember, Stockport manager Palmer was the Sheffield Wednesday midfielder who once had a go at Pool's players while a Premiership midfielder. But instead of asking the Pool players how many cars
A FIRE at the home of a pregnant woman is being investigated. The West African refugee, who is six months pregnant, has been forced to leave her home in Sydney Street, Stockton, following the incident on Sunday night. She was taken to the University Hospital
