INGLEBY Barwick is to have extra councillors, under recommendations just published by an Electoral Commission Boundary Committee. It has re-drawn electoral wards across the whole Stockton borough to reflect population shifts, new community identities
FIFTEEN racing yards fling open their gates to the public at the annual Middleham stables open day on Good Friday. Visitors have the chance to chat to trainers, jockeys and stable staff and watch horses swimming in the equine pool. There is also a possibility
The following cases were heard by South Durham magistrates sitting in Darlington yesterday. WARRANTS ISSUED: Warrants without bail were issued for Ian McCallum, 29, of Neasham Road, George Archer Bell, 36, of North Road, Jason Noble, 30, of Easson Road
CYCLING fans Chris Suttie and Stacey Holmes are using pedal power to raise awareness of an environmental issue. The Darlington duo set out on Monday to ride from London to Istanbul, Turkey, in aid of the Soil Association. They are raising funds for the
Lifesaving courses geared towards saving babies' lives are being run from a North-East swimming baths. A free course is to be run at Durham City Baths for Durham City Council staff who work with babies and toddlers and will teach them how to respond to
A VILLAGE with a more famous US "big brother" is being pinpointed on the local road network. Traffic engineers yesterday erected signs on the main routes in and out of the former pit community of Philadelphia, Wearside. Not only will it help hapless motorists
YOUNGSTERS celebrated yesterday after councillors gave the go-ahead to plans for the first skate parks in north-west Durham. Derwentside Leisure, working on behalf of Derwentside Youth Forum, won planning permission to build the parks, costing £30,000
POLICE have told villagers they still may decide not to introduce a 30mph speed limit in the Slack, Butterknowle. A traffic officer said yesterday that despite a newspaper report about comments made during a recent meeting in Barnard Castle, it was still
PRIMARY school pupils are being taught how to cook by a top-class chef to encourage them to take up a career in catering. The pupils at Brougham Junior School, in Hartlepool, are taking part in an Enhancing Employability project with chef Paul Noble.
A TOWN'S residents are being urged to shut out crime - literally. Cleveland Police are concerned that as the lighter evenings tempt gardeners and DIY enthusiasts outside, thieves will target unsecured sheds and garages. The force is offering to sell Middlesbrough
TWO men returning from a stag night party crashed into a motorway central reservation after a wheel came off their BMW, a court heard yesterday. The car hit the central crash barrier on the A1(M) at Allerton Park, near Knaresborough, in the early hours
THE future of council housing in Hartlepool will be one of the key issues up for discussion at a round of meetings to be held early next month. Presentations on the proposed housing stock transfer will take place at the meetings of Hartlepool Borough
A SCHOOL is literally getting on track for lessons in creative writing this year. All 300 pupils and the tots attending the nursery at Archibald Primary School, Middlesbrough, are going on train rides. For many of the youngsters it will be the first time
Burning a charity trail in France. A HARDY bunch of firefighters is planning to tackle a Gallic version of the coast-to-coast cycle ride. The party of 14 riders and support crew leaves Peterlee Fire Station, in east Durham, in early May for a cross-Channel
THE first steps have been taken in setting up a centre where abandoned dogs will be trained to help disabled and elderly people. Dog trainer Ian Young is hoping to train rescued dogs to meet the needs of their future owners, from answering telephones
A FAMOUS footballing son of east Cleveland has died. Harry Ayres, originally from Warrenby, near Redcar, who played with some of football's greats when he was with Fulham and Gillingham, has died aged 82. One well-known picture of Mr Ayres shows him unsuccessfully
Barratt York is appealing against Hambleton District Council's decision to refuse permission for a 99-home development at Ainderby Road, Northallerton. The hearing will be held at the Stone Cross Civic Centre on September 16 and 17. CHURCH FUNDS: Masham
Thieves stole a blue Yamaha YZR motorcycle from Watling Street, Leadgate, near Stanley, overnight on Wednesday, March 19. Police believe there was more than one thief responsible, because they also took a heavy Snap-on tool chest, which would need at
Sir, - Full marks to Coun George Carter for his eloquent pleas (D&S, Mar 14) for the retention of the Manor House for the people of Stokesley. Of course, North Yorkshire County Council has aimed to dispose of it for many years and it is a pity that
AN information pack to show farmers how they can improve their land to benefit wildlife has been produced by the Tyne Tees Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, through the Durham Biodiversity Partnership. The business biodiversity challenge team from
A WIDE-RANGING line-up of seminars has been announced for North Sheep 2003, to be held in June. The event, staged by the Northern Region of the National Sheep Association, takes place at Walburn Hall Farm, Downholme, near Richmond, on Wednesday, June
THE Mayor of Sedgefield Borough was left in the dark by his latest charity fundraising effort. Councillor David Newell has already donated hundreds of pounds to St Dunstan's, which provides care for members of the armed services who have been blinded
Hambleton District Council has set up a scheme to support minority groups with grants of up to £1,000. Two levels of aid will be allocated to organisations that cater for specific diverse needs. Non-profit making groups can apply for help with new projects
Thieves are targeting vehicles left in a hospital car park. They have stolen three cars so far this month from outside Shotley Bridge Hospital. The latest was on Tuesday, when a white Honda Civic, registration M237GVK, went missing overnight. A blue Ford
WERE you a passenger on the last scheduled passenger train to run through Weardale to Bishop Auckland almost 50 years ago? Rail enthusiasts working to reopen the Weardale Railway line are appealing to the people on this photograph, taken at Wearhead station
A POLICEMAN has been appointed to patrol three villages in north-west Durham. The remote communities of Burnhope, near Stanley, and Esh and Cornsay, near Durham, are to have a policeman. Chief Inspector David Hogg, of Derwentside Police, has appointed
A SCHEME aimed at combating the number of falls among older people is being launched next week. Sedgefield Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Sedgefield Borough Council are working with other agencies to help raise awareness about the link between medication
Members of Guisborough Childminders Group, in east Cleveland, are celebrating receiving £2,169 from the National Lottery's Awards For All programme. The grant will allow the children to use specialised sports equipment and toys under the supervision of
A ROGUE tarmac gang that has threatened violence is being sought by police and trading standards officers. People living in the Harrogate area are being alerted about the gang, who claim to be from the council's highways department. They have threatened
STUDENTS took to their bikes to raise funds to to help one of their tutors. The eight teenagers heard that profoundly deaf Maggie Rose, who teaches sign language at Northallerton College, needed a new hearing dog to take over from Phoebe, who at the age
A MAJOR effort is under way to boost the numbers of trout in one of the rivers of the Yorkshire Dales - by reversing what was once official policy. The Environment Agency has stepped in to help a fish population that is suffering because of agricultural
Members of Guisborough Childminders Group, in east Cleveland, are celebrating receiving £2,169 from the National Lottery's Awards For All programme. The grant will allow the children to use specialised sports equipment and toys under the supervision of
A YOUNG jockey from Darlington is celebrating her first winner after piloting Tarawan to a five-length victory at Doncaster last week. Michaela Sowerby, a former member of the Zetland Pony Club and Zetland Hunt, began her career as an apprentice with
RESIDENT EVIL ZERO. Developer: Capcom. Publisher: Nintendo. Price: £40. Platform: Gamecube THIS is the Resident Evil game that almost never was. Conceived in the dying days of the N64, Resident Evil Zero was supposed to be a Nintendo cartridge exclusive
A DECOMPOSED body found on the beach at Whitby has been identified as that of a missing walker. Roger Butterwick, 59, of Hunter Street, Whitby, went missing from home in January. Mr Butterwick, a former grocer who ran a delicatessen in Skinner Street,
DARLINGTON Borough Council is being urged to carry out a public consultation on the merits of water fluoridation to control dental disease in children. Schools are already being encouraged to provide water coolers in classrooms because it is thought to
A MOTORCYLIST may have lost control of his high-powered machine before it skidded into an oncoming car, an inquest heard yesterday. Graham Bawn, a 32-year-old development engineer from Newlands Road, in Durham, broke his neck and died instantly in the
PUB and disco activities in Yarm could be expanding further, with plans for longer Sunday opening hours and possible outdoor events by the River Tees. The New Cross Keys is applying for permission to extend its Sunday opening hours, while the Blue Bell
FRENCH flier David Bellion insists he still doesn't know where his future lies as the clock runs down on his Sunderland career. The 20-year-old striker, who rejected a new contract at the Stadium of Light, is available on a Bosman transfer this summer
A MAN who threatened a pub landlord with a 12in knife was jailed for six months yesterday. Judge Peter Bowers said at Teesside Crown Court that Nikitas Maikos, 22, was a danger to the public - and believed the garage worker would only realise the consequences
ENGLAND is at the forefront of a recovery in the sheep breeding flock. It has expanded by more than two per cent on the year to 16.43 million head, according to Defra's December survey. In fact, nearly the entire post -FMD recovery in the active breeding
GIANT bones that lived their life deep in the Alaskan waters, endured an epic 7,000-mile journey to the region and spent several months buried in layers of manure, are finally to go on show. The pair of whalebones will soon be taking their place on Whitby's
HE'S the latest - and smallest - addition to one of the North's biggest owl sanctuaries. The Turkmanian Eagle Owl, born earlier this month, is one of more than 100 birds at the Kirkleatham Owl Conservation Centre at Kirkleatham, near Redcar. And the chick
TWO weeks after becoming a Royal Marine Commando, a 22-year-old is serving in the Gulf. Michael Graham, from Chester-le-Street, received his Green Beret last month after completing some of the hardest Army training in the world. Within days Royal Marine
A MAN has been charged with a rape committed in December 1987. Gary James Mitchell, 40, of Birtley, Gateshead,was arrested as part of a Northumbria Police inquiry into unsolved sex crimes. He will appear at Gateshead Magistrates' Court on April 17.
THE remains of one of the region's oldest woods are the focus of a photographic exhibition at the Thornley Woodlands Centre, Rowlands Gill from next Friday to Sunday, April 27. The exhibition follows a two-year project by the Hexham Photography Group
Area 1A. - Apr 5: Julie Templeton training day, Dalton Piercy EC, ring Alison on 0191 4155257 or Kate on 0191 4153827 to book a place. Members only. Areas 2 & 4. - Apr 12: Team SJ at Northallerton EC, details from Hilary McKenna, 0191 4206921. Bedale
A CHURCH in the Picton, Kirklevington and Worsall parish is being supported with scaffolding, as tests continue to investigate subsidence below an interior archway. About £9,000 has been allocated for repairs for St Hilary's Church at Picton, but some
BACKERS of Waterberg at Carlisle can take considerable comfort from the fact that Richard Johnson's mount won on the card precisely 12 months ago to the day. Waterberg clearly relishes the testing nature of the Cumbrian track, which features a severe
STOKESLEY sixth form drama students pulled out all the stops for their last performances together before heading off to university, drama school or work. Two groups of A-level students performed Agamemnon and Electra this week, with spectacular lighting
Darlington chairman George Reynolds last night told midfielder Neil Maddison he still has a future with the club. Yesterday was a busy day for the Feethams chief, who also secured the loan signing of Leeds youngster Tom Newey and extended the contract
THE final touches are being put to plans to transform the centre of Chester-le-Street with £12m of investment. The project is among the biggest ever to be undertaken the town. It will involve creating a new civic heart, a heritage trail, a community woodland
Tony Blair stood shoulder to shoulder with George Bush last night and vowed to hound Saddam Hussein for "as long as it takes" to drive him from power. Mr Blair refused to be drawn on suggestions that the war could last months. Speaking at President Bush's
WHAT a jolly jape it should be for England in Liechtenstein tomorrow, but should we really be allowing those nasty Turks to come to Sunderland's Stadium of Light next week? Following the furore over the regime in Zimbabwe, which wrecked the England cricketers
DURHAM City was not untouched by the coal-mining activity that dominated much of the county. Apart from being the headquarters of the Durham Miners' Union and the venue of the annual Miners' Gala, Durham was home to several coal mines. Mining activity
THE Labour Party in East Cleveland has played what it believes to be one of its strongest cards in the run up to elections. David Walsh, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said latest tables showed the authority had improved from having the
SHE was by all accounts a remarkable young woman who, competing in an overwhelmingly male world, put Bedale on the speedway map 70 years ago. The hair-raising career of dirt and grass track motorcyclist Eva Askquith, who died in 1985 just a day short
A CONWOMAN on crutches who tricked pensioners into giving her money to go to hospital was jailed yesterday. Kim Hatch, 36, a heroin addict, also stole cash from old people who let her into their homes in Billingham and Stockton. She persuaded one pensioner
A BOYS hockey team from the North-East has reached the quarter final of a national competition. The 11-14s boys hockey team from Red House School in Norton, Teesside, will play in the quarter-final of the Hockey Association Youth Cup at Warwick University
A BURGLAR who took part in a £4,000 raid while an unsuspecting householder was at work was jailed for two years yesterday. Paul Robinson, 24, had been released from a three-year sentence for another burglary and theft for just three months when he was
DURHAM City was not untouched by the coal-mining activity that dominated much of the county. Apart from being the headquarters of the Durham Miners' Union and the venue of the annual Miners' Gala, Durham was home to several coal mines. Mining activity
MIKE Newell yesterday pinned his hopes on his title-chasing Hartlepool United squad. And now the Pool boss wants to see his faith repaid. Transfer deadline day passed quietly at Victoria Park ahead of tomorrow's home game with Bournemouth, where Pool
GRANT Tuer maintained his dominance of the Hurworth Hunt race with his seventh win in eight years as the Hurworth point to point took place in front of a capacity crowd at Hutton Rudby last Saturday. Tessa Gray on her mother's Miorbhail made virtually
VIRGIN Trains will not be running any services to or from the North-East today due to industrial action. The Virgin Cross Country service will run only between Bristol and Sheffield. A Virgin spokesman said: "Darlington and the rest of the North-East
THREE men accused of petrol bombing a Redcar pizza shop owned by an Iraqi man just hours after the Gulf War started will appear at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday. Gordon Robb, 34, a father-of-four of Westfield Way, Dormanstown, Shaun Camfield, 36, of
A TOWN fast becoming the racing capital of the North opens to the public again this Easter. The Middleham Open Day is an established event on the calendar and crowds are expected to number in their thousands on Good Friday. A total of 16 stables will
MAJOR repair and strengthening work to a footpath by the River Leven at Hutton Rudby is going well, parish councillors say. The popular right of way behind Levenside has been closed for months, after sections collapsed into the water. The path is well-used
CAMPAIGNERS seeking the permanent return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the North-East made a special pilgrimage to Durham Cathedral. Members of the Northumbrian Association chose St Cuthbert's Day last Thursday, to make a symbolic six-and-three-quarter
EVEN though no one knows for certain when the war will end, thoughts have already turned to the nature of the eventual peace in Iraq. Having resorted to military might to overrun the country, the United States and Britain will find it difficult to step
A kerb-crawling charge was dropped in court yesterday against millionaire Keith Schellenberg. Mr Schellenberg, 73, a member of the 1956 British Olympic bobsleigh team, powerboat and vintage Bentley racer, former Yorkshire county rugby captain, water-skier
EMPLOYERS must work closely with family doctors to stop an "epidemic of sick leave", according to the Engineering Employers Federation (EEF). The organisation said bosses needed to be able to reject "unconvincing" sick notes from their staff. The remarks
A COLLECTION of contemporary abstract works of art are to go on display at a North-East museum next month. Meridiano de Greenwich is a collection of works by three English and three Spanish painters, and will go on show at the Bowes Museum, in Barnard
A RETIRED Asian teacher is helping to spearhead the far-right British National Party's campaign to win council seats in the North-East. Rajinder Singh will be standing side-by-side with BNP candidate Trevor Agnew and others as they try to gain seats on
Sir, - Last Christmas Mr Simpson, chief executive of Hambleton District Council, wrote to you (D&S, Dec 20) saying he found my constant references to officers of the council to be most inappropriate because I had not provided details of my allegations
MUSICIAN Jennie Nicholson hit the right note with the judging panel when they named her County Durham's Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Ms Nicholson, 23, who lives in Witton Gilbert, won the title and a cheque for £500 at the final, held
SECURITY cameras installed in two villages near Catterick Garrison are playing their part in the fight against vandalism. Parish councillors from Hipswell and Scotton say the seven cameras, which are monitored from the garrison police headquarters, seem
DRUGS with a street value of more than £250,000 were recovered by police in a house raid. The swoop, by Durham Police across the force boundary in Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, in the neighbouring Northumbria area, also netted £13,000 in cash and a quantity
A FOOTBALLING-CRAZY teenager and his friends have scored a major success to lay a pitch in their small village. Wayne Davies, 16, first started arguing that his village should have a football pitch when he was ten. Now, after a six-year campaign, Wayne
BOSSES at a doomed North-East engineering firm yesterday rejected claims that a rescue package had been offered. The Torrington Engineering plant, on Darlington's Yarm Road industrial estate, is to be phased out over the next year with the loss of 104
THE train standing at Thirsk railway station wasn't allowed in the posh parts of Harrogate. The wealthy residents didn't want the smoke from the coal fires to dirty their spa town by calling there. This is just one of the many interesting facts Jane Barstow
A DEVELOPED Hawes Auction Mart site should be a centre of national excellence, putting Wensleydale on the map, a public meeting heard. Paul Askew, the project director working for consultants finalising a feasibility study for the future use of the mart
A ROW over a Northallerton school's rules on clothes deepened this week. In the wake of a mother's anger over her daughter being told she could not wear a denim jacket to school, parents of a younger child are going even further. Nick and Debbie Leete
VISITORS can get a closer look at the origins of our early ancestors in an exhibition opening next weekend. Viewers who tuned in to the start of the BBC's series, Walking With Cavemen, last night, can get a close-up view of the first humans in the Upright
DARREN AMBROSE has received the ultimate accolade from a former teammate, who has likened the youngster's abilities to those of England skipper David Beckham. The assessment of Newcastle's latest acquisition comes from the player who knows better than
A CIVIL engineer from the North-East who designed a number of bridges and buildings that have become landmarks has died. Frank Rowley, who was born in 1940 in West Hartlepool, designed the 800m long Dornoch Firth Bridge in the north of Scotland and the
Thursday's prices Kenneth Wilson, Thorpe Arch. - Wheat: April £67; May £68; June £69. Barley: April £64; May £64; June £64. Oilseed rape: April £163; May £164; June £165. GrainCo, Tyne Dock.. - Wheat: April £67; May £68; June £69. Barley: April £64; May
FOUR people have pleaded guilty to tax evasion after customs officials found more than 165,000 cigarettes in their baggage. They had arrived on a flight from Lanzarote into East Midlands Airport, in the early hours of Monday, when they were stopped. Christina
A MAN smashed up his estranged wife's bed with a baseball bat weeks after she told him that she had feelings for other women, a court heard yesterday. Kevin Jukes, 41, also punched and kicked her unconscious following the surprise statement from her.
A SEMINAR promoting research and development in the North-East will take place today. The Samsung Centre, near Hartlepool, will host an event designed to increase awareness and promote the importance of the North-East's scientific strengths to the future
An ex-mayor is quitting the Labour Party, in protest at "smear'' tactics. A Middlesbrough Labour councillor, Pat Walker, last year cited "personal reasons'' for withdrawing her name from the Labour Party selection panel considering candidates for the
IT WAS one of the proudest moments of Denys Smith's racing career when Red Alligator romped to victory in the 1968 Grand National. The trainer, jockey Brian Fletcher and the horse's owner Jack Manners were heroes overnight and in the town of Bishop Auckland
ONCE bitten twice shy is a lesson you learn in the schoolyard that stays with you for life. And Tony Blair hit the nail on the head when he alluded to this worldly wise saying in explaining why the masses of Iraq have not so far risen up against Saddam
REDCAR students have been exploring methods of catching criminals in the University of Teesside's £40,000 Crime House. Ten Year 10 pupils from Sacred Heart RC School searched for clues to staged crimes and collected fingerprints, footprints and other
WE were returning to our village late one night after a baby-sitting session and were delighted to see a badger ambling down the centre of the road directly ahead. It seemed unperturbed by our presence and continued its rather slow progress for some yards
DARLINGTON'S newest art gallery needs a name. The space inside the former rates hall in the town hall has housed a number of shows since its conversion into a gallery last October, and the annual Dover Prize exhibition opens there this weekend. To coincide
A Yorkshire farmer who has produced plant oils so pure that they are being used in the oil fields of Qatar wants 400 farmers to join him. Clifford Spencer's company, Springdale Farms, based in Rudstone, near Driffield, is recognised as a world leader
THERE was another blow for the region last night with the news that the axe is hanging over two troubled engineering firms. Sloman Engineering, of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, has been in the hands of receivers KPMG after its Midlands-based owner L
A PLASTIC skeleton was used during a murder trial yesterday to help illustrate the fractures suffered by a frail, disabled woman. Medical experts used the teaching device to show jurors at Teesside Crown Court the location of fractures on 55-year-old
Cheesemakers in the Yorkshire Dales are in line to benefit from France's opposition to the war against Iraq. Americans have lost their taste for products from across the Channel, and buyers working for major suppliers in the States have started combing
A husband and wife appeared in court yesterday accused of conspiring to defraud the Prudential Assurance Company. Michael Melton, 58, and his wife, Susan, 44, of Front Street, Staindrop, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, did not enter a plea during
CAMPAIGNERS spoke of their delight yesterday as moves to ban the indiscriminate use of fireworks gathered pace. Darlington councillor Jim Ruck, who represents the town's West End ward, has been campaigning for public support for legislation to prevent
A REGENERATION scheme which has seen the transformation of derelict buildings into multi-million pound leisure housing and retail development will be wrapped up on Monday. During its six years, the award-winning Grainger Town Partnership, based in Central
Thieves stole a blue Yamaha YZR motorcycle from Watling Street, Leadgate, near Stanley, overnight on Wednesday, March 19. Police believe there was more than one thief responsible, because they also took a heavy Snap-on tool chest, which would need at
A COUNTRY park undergoing a ten-year restoration is about to launch its new logo. Hardwick Park, near Sedgefield, is being restored to its 18th Century splendour by owners Durham County Council with the help of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
THREE new housing estates for north-west Durham will not include play areas, but cash put aside will go towards new parks. Derwentside District Council's development control committee yesterday approved planning applications for 245 homes in Consett and
DRUGS with a street value of more than £250,000 were recovered by police in a house raid. The swoop, by Durham Police across the force boundary in Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, in the neighbouring Northumbria area, also netted £13,000 in cash and a quantity
A VILLAGE cricket team had plenty of reasons to celebrate when they held their annual presentation night at Northallerton Rugby Club last Friday. Players and supporters of Langbaurgh League club Kirby Sigston gathered to toast last season's historic achievements
FOUR schools in Stockton have taken part in a European project. The Links Primary, Tilery Primary, St Mark's Elm Tree Primary and Ian Ramsey Comprehensive schools have played host to Comenius assistant Marja Wigh from Sweden for the past six weeks. The
TWO boys from Our Lady and St Bede's RC School, in Stockton, have been to Liverpool for football trials with the British Catholic Schools Sports Federation. Graham Mulgrew and Philip McGeeney, both in Year 11, took part, with Graham being selected to
AN AMBITIOUS and imaginative new feature at this year's Royal Show will be the biggest single outdoor exhibition ever staged by the Royal Agricultural Society of England. The Grain Chain (an artist's illustration is pictured left) will cover four blocks
WHAT a jolly jape it should be for England in Liechtenstein tomorrow, but should we really be allowing those nasty Turks to come to Sunderland's Stadium of Light next week? Following the furore over the regime in Zimbabwe, which wrecked the England cricketers
SWIMMERS who took part in an annual charity challenge raised more than £2,000 for Macmillan Cancer Relief. They joined an annual swimathon at Stokesley Leisure Centre, part of a national initiative. More than 30 people joined in, aged from six to 65.
SELLING a disused Methodist church and converting it into a four-bedroomed home will boost a £300,000 scheme to develop a church project in Nidderdale. Shaw Mills Methodist Church, near Bishop Thornton, had struggled for years to remain open, with a congregation
A £10,000 campaign on poor food hygiene is taking place across Teesside. All five Tees Valley councils - Stockton, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland, and Darlington - have been given the grant by the Food Standards Agency to combat poor
GOLDEN MEMORIES: Two Washington couples, Robert and Jacqueline Scott, of Barmston, and Joe and Lil Dickinson, from Usworth, have celebrated their golden wedding anniversaries. SEEING STARS: Free sessions for people interested in astronomy are held at
A YOUNG football team has been given a morale-booster with the gift of smart new strips and training equipment. The under-11 team at Woodhouse Close Junior School, in Bishop Auckland, has been given the blue and white strips by the BarclayCard scheme.
PEOPLE in Stockton are being asked to donate sports equipment to one of the town's charity shops. Shelter, which is the official sponsor of this year's London Marathon, has teamed up with Bradford and Bingley to ask people to donate weights, clothing,
A COUNCIL environmental health service still needs to make significant improvements and tackle problems that concern people, inspectors say. The Audit Commission has given Durham City Council's service one star out of three, rating it fair with uncertain
AN information pack to show farmers how they can improve their land to benefit wildlife has been produced by the Tyne Tees Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, through the Durham Biodiversity Partnership. The business biodiversity challenge team from
SESSIONS for new mothers and mothers-to-be are to be held at Southlands Leisure Centre, in Middlesbrough. Mum and Me sessions allow mothers to meet for a chat, while their babies become accustomed to the creche environment. As the session develops, mothers
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a raid on the Woolworths store in Festival Walk, Spennymoor. Thieves took Sony PlayStation games and mobile phones, worth about £10,000, during the raid between 11.15pm on Wednesday and the early hours of yesterday
TWO boys from Our Lady and St Bede's RC School, in Stockton, have been to Liverpool for football trials with the British Catholic Schools Sports Federation. Graham Mulgrew and Philip McGeeney, both in Year 11, took part, with Graham being selected to
The trans-Pennine spat we reported last week involving the marts at Hawes and Kirkby Stephen over the true heritage and home of the Swaledale sheep breed provoked a certain sense of indignation in the Calvert family household in Low Row. The Calverts
THE Mayor of Sedgefield Borough was left in the dark by his latest charity fundraising effort. Councillor David Newell has already donated hundreds of pounds to St Dunstan's, which provides care for members of the armed services who have been blinded
WERE you a passenger on the last scheduled passenger train to run through Weardale to Bishop Auckland almost 50 years ago? Rail enthusiasts working to reopen the Weardale Railway line are appealing to the people on this photograph, taken at Wearhead station
THE remains of one of the region's oldest woods are the focus of a photographic exhibition at the Thornley Woodlands Centre, Rowlands Gill from next Friday to Sunday, April 27. The exhibition follows a two-year project by the Hexham Photography Group
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a raid on the Woolworths store in Festival Walk, Spennymoor. Thieves took Sony PlayStation games and mobile phones, worth about £10,000, during the raid between 11.15pm on Wednesday and the early hours of yesterday
TWO women arrested after a man sustained serious head injuries in a late-night incident have been released. The 60-year-old married man, who has not been named, was found unconscious near his home, in Ivy Terrace, Langley Park, near Durham, shortly before
A job-starved dale was last night celebrating the rescue of a steelworks which has dominated its industrial base for more than 140 years. A new company is expected to take over the troubled Weardale Steel works at Wolsingham, County Durham, next Tuesday
MANOLO Blahnik may be the man of the moment when it comes to glamorous footwear - but designer shoes go back long before his time. People have been stepping out in style for centuries and a new exhibition demonstrates just how similar both old and new
The North-East is Britain's weakest region when it comes to developing the high-tech skills needed for future prosperity, a Government report has said. According to the Department of Trade and Industry study published this week, the region is falling
AMATEUR actors are celebrating their society's 50th anniversary by staging their 100th show. The Bedale Dramatic Society has its golden jubilee this year and for its spring production in April has chosen the farce Will You Still Love Me in the Morning
THE cost of buying small properties in Hambleton has fallen thanks to the district council. From next week, the council's land search fee for buildings with four or less habitable rooms will be reduced to £80. Land searches are carried out to check if
TRAFFIC safety schemes could put Romanby, Northallerton, on "the road to decline", a parish councillor has warned. Councillor Paul Law spoke out during a discussion on road safety plans drawn up for the proposed Barratt development in Ainderby Road. "
AN appeal to raise £150,000 for life-saving equipment has received a boost. Members of Northallerton's Probus club have been paying extra for coffee at their weekly meetings. This has raised £305 towards equipment for an endoscopy unit at the town's Friarage
TOWN hall bosses have called a council meeting after a local political group printed off thousands of campaign leaflets using a council's printer. The alleged breach of election rules came to light when an angry resident called the council to ask why
An inquest was being held today into the deaths of two workers who were hit by 20,000 volts while they resurfaced a busy main road. Frederick Cook, 38, and John Crimmins, 33, were found by their site manager on the westbound carriageway of the A66 between
QUAKERS fans can breathe a little easier as their team go into tomorrow's home game with Bury boosted by last Saturday's unexpected 1-0 victory at Scunthorpe United. After repelling all that the home side could throw at them, Darlington pinched all three
THE £11m restoration of Harrogate's Royal Hall has been given a royal seal of approval by the Prince of Wales. He has agreed to become patron of the Royal Hall Restoration Trust for a five- year period in a bid to see the crumbling theatre restored to
AN appeal to reopen a footpath is to be discussed by Sowerby Parish Council. After more than five years of work, the campaign to get a footpath through the Three Tuns Hotel yard officially recognised fell at the final hurdle when it was thrown out at
Thirty years ago after opening its doors with just £300 of stock, a shop which sells everything from dreamcatchers to Doc Martens is going from strength to strength. FOR a business they say wasn't planned, it seems to be doing remarkably well. Darlington's
A PLEA to allow a holiday chalet in Ripon to be turned into a home has been rejected by planners because they say the site and access are at risk of flooding. Refusing the application at Riverside Pine Lodges, River View Road, council officials said permanent
MIDDLETON St George could receive a £21,000 windfall for its play area if a new housing scheme goes through. Thoroughbred Homes has applied to Darlington Borough Council to build 21 four-bedroom homes on land off Killinghall Row, currently used by RAH
THE unveiling of information panels marked the completion of restoration work in Richmond's Friary Gardens. The £96,000 two-year project saw extensive repairs to the fifteenth century tower and installation of pathways to link the Friary Hospital and
Sir, - You report the securing of planning permission for a new "beacon" on Beacon Hill on the boundary of Danby and Glaisdale parishes (D&S, Mar 21). I was one of the people who responded to the question in the Danby Parish Plan questionnaire (Glaisdale
A SEASIDE town's oldest family business and shop is to change hands. AA Sotheran's printers, stationers and book shop has been known to generations of Redcar shoppers, going back to 1890. But, after 43 years as a printer and third generation owner, charity
A GROUP which campaigns for better pain control for North-East patients is planning to expand. Campain now has more than 120 supporters in County Durham and Wearside and hopes to recruit members on Teesside. Set up by patients who suffer chronic pain,
A CORONER is to appeal to road chiefs to take action over an accident blackspot, before further lives are lost. Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield has added his voice to a chorus of concern from North Yorkshire Police who are calling for the closure of
SOARING use of supply teachers in Darlington could disrupt children's education, says a watchdog committee. In January, 1,345 supply sessions cost £90,000, the equivalent of three full-time teachers' annual salaries. The final report of the council's
Delighted Caroline Nesbitt wept tears of joy when her soldier boyfriend proposed to her from the front line in Iraq. After a desperate search for Corporal Adams Holmes, posted in Iraq, Caroline accepted her childhood sweetheart's proposal through a live
HEXHAM & Northern Marts conducted the dispersal sale of the Sedgefield herd of pedigree AA cattle on behalf of Hardwick Farms, Brakes Farm, Sedgefield. Buyers attended from all parts of the UK. The sale peaked at 2,300gns for Brandsby Evora, an outstanding
A VILLAGE with a more famous US "big brother" is being pinpointed on the local road network. Traffic engineers yesterday erected signs on the main routes in and out of the former pit community of Philadelphia, Wearside. Not only will it help hapless motorists
A WOMAN has told how her father forced her to have sex with him after taking her out shopping as a 16th birthday treat. Lynn Henry - who waived her right to anonymity so her father could be publicly shamed - said it was 'brilliant' to watch him jailed
DURHAM County Council is pressing ahead with the closure of a Barnard Castle home for the elderly - despite admitting that it will interfere with residents' human rights. Rage - the Relatives' Action Group for the Elderly - challenged the council's decision
THE owners of a Leeming Bar factory which is being rebuilt following a devastating fire last year turned down a chance to move the operation to Newton Aycliffe, it was revealed this week. Vale of Mowbray has demonstrated its commitment to staying in Leeming
CHURCH leaders in the North-East have defended plans for a covenant between two sets of churches. Plans to merge the Anglican and Methodist churches have come under fire from some Methodists who fear the partnership will dilute their faith. They claim
DARLINGTON Mowden Park's under-16 girls' rugby team became North-East champions when they won the regional super 12s tournament at Tynedale last Sunday. They notched up a total of 80 points without conceding a single point in their four matches, starting
A MAN who brandished a 12in Samurai-style knife in a pub was jailed for six months, yesterday. Nikitas James Maikos, 22, admitted three offences, including causing an affray, possessing an offensive weapon and resisting arrest, at Teesside Crown Court
FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - In the mortality returns of the great towns for last week Stockton's death rate was the lowest, only 11 per thousand. This speaks well for the sanitary state of the town, and one that it hoped will continue. As likely
A RETIRED farmer was eyeing up the biggest piece of furniture at a Hutchinson-Scott auction of antiques at the town hall in Northallerton. He had popped over on a Sunday afternoon on a mission to furnish his new farmhouse. We agreed that the dresser,
NORTHALLERTON Town cricket club have re-engaged professional Jonathan Barnes for the coming season for the ninth year in succession. Secretary David Wake, confirming this at the club's recent annual general meeting, said that the club had yet again been
ONCE bitten twice shy is a lesson you learn in the schoolyard that stays with you for life. And Tony Blair hit the nail on the head when he alluded to this worldly wise saying in explaining why the masses of Iraq have not so far risen up against Saddam
ECONOMIC experts are to be called in to make a case for Teesside steel. Plans to compile a business plan were made by worried Redcar and Cleveland Borough councillors this week following a statement from debt-laden Corus steelmakers. Fears have grown
THIEVING coroner Jeremy Cave, who plundered £155,000 from the estates of dead clients, was yesterday barred from practising as a solicitor. The 53-year-old was struck off at a Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal in London after he was jailed for three-and-a-half
THE Willingham's Recovery North Humberside Forest Rally tomorrow boasts a capacity entry as 180 crews contest the third round of the BTRDA championship over some of Yorkshire's classic stages. Former multiple winner Warren Philliskirk was scheduled to
CAMPAIGNERS look set to win the day over the controversial siting of Northallerton's farmers' market. A review now says the stalls could go after all to the north of the town hall - something protesters have been calling for since the markets started
TWO poachers resorted to barbaric means to illegally snare spawning salmon. John Richard Spaven and Darren Smitheringale, both of Thames Road, Skelton, admitted using a spear to catch fish after Environment Agency officers discovered the weapon in their
AN outraged biker whose motorcycle was stolen tracked down the thief and took back his vehicle. The bike, a Suzuki 750, was stolen from Annfield Plain, near Stanley, County Durham, at about 5pm on Saturday, March 22. Its owner, who declined to be named
THE well-known pink and gold silks of Yorkshire owner-breeder Guy Reed were carried to victory in the Lincoln last Saturday, the first time he had landed this valuable race in a career which has seen him take most of the big handicaps. Pablo, out of a
RESIDENT EVIL ZERO. Developer: Capcom. Publisher: Nintendo. Price: £40. Platform: Gamecube THIS is the Resident Evil game that almost never was. Conceived in the dying days of the N64, Resident Evil Zero was supposed to be a Nintendo cartridge exclusive
OFFICE furniture firm Curtis won the contract to refurbish the headquarters of a leading rail maintenance firm. Jarvis Rail plc's flagship offices in York were given a £250,000 makeover by the Darlington furniture company. Joe Howe, Jarvis commercial
A FAMOUS footballing son of east Cleveland has died at the age of 82. Harry Ayres, originally from Warrenby, near Redcar, took on some of football's greats while playing for Fulham and Gillingham. One famous picture of Mr Ayres shows him unsuccessfully
SIR BOBBY ROBSON is determined to make Newcastle United a lasting feature on the landscape of European football. The Magpies, third in the Premiership, are on course to qualify for the Champions League for successive seasons after reaching the last 16
VOLUNTEERS, parish councils and landowners could all become partners with North Yorkshire County Council in monitoring and maintaining the network of roadside verges, the authority has been told. The council is to undertake a wide-ranging review of its
TWO police officers have been praised for their bravery after breaking into a burning house to help rescue a family. PC Steve Hackett and Special Constable Paul Morrison were called to a fire at a flat in Redmond Road, Red House, Sunderland, where people
PORNOGRAPHIC video catalogues have been landing unsolicited on the doormats of North-East homes. Last November, trading standards officers investigated a random mailshot for Amsterdam-based Continental Videos after people complained of receiving brochures
WAR AGAINST IRAQ: THE people of Iraq were promised by a top British general that "our armies do not come into your cities as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators" - not in 2003 but in 1917. Just years later Britain was using chemical weapons against
THE first batch of ideas for an animal health master plan have emerged from a meeting in Northallerton. The first of a series of regional consultation sessions on a future animal health and welfare strategy urged the government to ensure strong import
IS this the perfect North-East boss? Antipodean entertainer Kylie Minogue was voted the ideal figure to head up a company, according to a poll of North-East businesses. In a survey undertaken on behalf of npower's customer service team based in Peterlee
A YEAR after former miner went missing, police are still trying to trace him. On March 25 last year, Edward Donnelly, 53, from Fynway, in Sacriston, near Chesterle-Street, went missing from the home he shared with his sister. But despite the efforts by
STEELWORKERS threatened with unemployment have beaten performance records in a bid to prove their worth. Union bosses at Teesside's endangered Corus plant have revealed that last week was the plant's most productive ever. The Redcar plant last week turned
BARNARD CASTLE. - Wed. Fwd: 422 prime sheep. Hoggs lt to 124.6p av 111.4; std to 136.8p av 119.6p; med to 134.2p av 122.6p; heavy to 125.9p av 121.5p. Cast sheep: Cont to £70; Mules to £63; Leics to £63; Swales to £47. DARLINGTON. - Thurs of last week
DARLINGTON football supporters can toast the end of an era for the Quakers with a special ale. The local branch of the Campaign for Real Ale and Darlington Supporters' Trust kicked off the Spring Thing folk music and beer festival at Darlington Arts Centre
THE Bible for travellers has lavished praise on the North-East. The latest edition of Lonely Planet, which is updated every two years, highlights new developments such as the Angel of the North, and describes the Metro system as cheap, efficient and pleasant
NEWSQUEST, owner of The Northern Echo, The Darlington & Stockton Times and the Advertiser series, is poised for further expansion following the news that it is to acquire a further 45 titles. Gannett UK, Newsquest's parent company, announced that
OLD soldiers have launched their final battle - to make what may be their last major pilgrimage to the battlegrounds of northern France. The Normandy Veterans Pilgrimages Club, a Durham charity, arranges visits for local old soldiers to return to the
The war may be far from won, but the US and its allies are already looking at the shape of a post-Saddam Iraq. Nick Morrison asks if the Stars and Stripes will be flying over Baghdad. WITH the conflict in Iraq escalating as Saddam's troops come head to
BLAYDON, who are battling against relegation and financial worries, have parted company with Director of Rugby Andy Howells. A Welshman, he had held the post for three years after coaching the colts for two seasons. "A lot of things are being looked at
A HUMAN rights lawyer representing the relatives of residents of a nursing home due for closure has claimed a legal victory, despite failing to block the demolition of the building. Yesterday, Alastair Wallace, of Tyndallwoods Solicitors, Birmingham,
With one in 13 adults addicted to alcohol, 65 per cent of suicide attempts related to drink and half of all homeless people estimated to be alcoholics, isn't it about time we really tackled the demon drink? Barry Nelson reports. With a passion for pubs
DAVID PLATT is looking for his England Under-21s to take a massive stride towards European Championship qualification over the next five days. England take on highly-fancied Portugal tonight in Rio Maior before Group 7 leaders Turkey visit Newcastle's
When you can teach an old caveman useful new tricks Detective Superintendent Sandra Pulman does the worst thing anyone could possibly do in the line of duty. She doesn't take bribes, falsify evidence or beat up a suspect - she shoots a dog during a botched
A COUNCIL has received a personal apology from Government fraud inspectors in the wake of a press release announcing they were to be investigated. Now the planned 17-week inspection at Redcar and Cleveland Council's housing benefit section has been revised
North Lodge WI: THE annual general meeting of North Lodge WI was opened by the president B Dawson who welcomed members and A Dinning, country treasurer, who was the WIA for the evening. J Rennie dealt with the county letter and correspondence then Mrs
VILLAGERS are being asked for their views about a planned road scheme aimed at helping revive a former coalfield community. Plans for the 3.16-mile Murton bypass, have gone on show in the County Durham village and in neighbouring South Hetton. First drawn
A YARM teenager is already aiming for the top on the dream pony bought for her last autumn. Fifteen-year-old Hollie Davies and her six-year-old Connemara gelding Western Andy have made their mark on the equestrian scene in a very short space of time.
PLANS for a toxic waste incinerator, which were recently resurrected after ten years, have again been ditched. Protest groups have welcomed news that Cory Environmental has withdrawn its plans for the £35m incinerator at Seal Sands, near Billingham, Teesside
A PUPPY named after Newcastle United and England footballer Jermaine Jenas is in the doghouse after scoffing his owner's season ticket. JJ the five-month-old Japanese Shiba Inu tucked into the £412 ticket after David Stephenson left it lying on a bedside
THE latest addition to the closed-circuit television camera network in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland was unveiled on Monday. Redcar and Cleveland's Community Safety Partnership's successful application to the Home Office's Crime Reduction Programme
OLDER and wiser heads in the service community will be tempted to say to themselves this weekend: "We told you so". Those who expected a swift, tidy and mostly bloodless Iraqi war are now firmly disabused of the notion. War, even in the virtual reality
