TONY Blair put his foot in it during a whistle-stop tour of his North-East constituency yesterday. The Prime Minister was being shown round a new factory when he stood in some paint -red paint, as the Labour Party leader was quick to point out. But that
WHEN a wife wants to sit in the driving seat it's usually best not to stand in her way. Thus The Great British Driving Test: Men v Women (Monday, ITV1), which should have provided 90 minutes of high octane excitement, was forced off the road in favour
Spennymoor manager Tony Lee is hoping his team can turn the corner in the UniBond League Premier Division today against Runcorn. A poor run of results after their last win at Southport in November, has seen Moors drop out of the play-off positions and
WHEN it comes to FA Cup heroes, Jim Montgomery normally finds a place in any football fan's top ten. Only the most parochial of Newcastle fans would fail to admit his heroics for Sunderland against Leeds United at Wembley in 1973 are the stuff of folklore
John Prescott struggled last night to convert the North-East business community to his vision for a regional assembly. The Deputy Prime Minister, on the final leg of a whirlwind tour of the North, made an impassioned plea for the region's economic leaders
VILLAGE residents are furious after learning that their only bank is to close for two days a week. The Middleton-in-Teesdale branch of Barclays Bank is to close on Wednesdays and Thursdays after a review by regional management of services. The bank was
PROUD students have unveiled their own website, which will help them and their peers with revision. Pupils in year ten and 11 at Spennymoor Comprehensive School were unimpressed with other websites designed to help them with homework and revision, so
A DISTRICT council has teamed up with an energy company to help its tenants heat their homes more affordably and efficiently. Wear Valley District Council joined forces with npower to replace coal heating systems in more than 100 properties with gas central
A group has been formed to help the regeneration of the main road through Chilton. The Durham Road Development Group joined forces with Durham County Council and Sedgefield Primary Care Trust to press for improvements to the A167 through the town. The
A SALON is challenging people to opt for a smoother style and shed their locks for charity. Staff at Workshop Hair and Beauty, in Grange Road, Darlington, are raising money for Cancer Research by shaving as many customers' heads as possible. And beautician
A TEENAGER, whose campaign of harassment forced a woman to move from her home, was given a final chance by a court yesterday. The 16-year-old from Darlington, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was warned that he faced prison when he appeared in court
A TEENAGER, whose campaign of harassment forced a woman to move from her home, was given a final chance by a court yesterday. The 16-year-old from Darlington, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was warned that he faced prison when he appeared in court
AUSSIE goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer would love nothing more than to fulfil a childhood dream and play in an FA Cup final. The Middlesbrough star will be in goal when Steve McClaren's men travel to Arsenal this afternoon for the fourth-round tie. And Boro's
Washington manager John Oliver has told his players that defeat is unacceptable in their basement clash at bottom club Penrith today. Washington go into the game third bottom and have played more games than most of the clubs around them. Oliver said:
STUDENTS are to perform an adaptation of a TV series about would-be actors. Fame, the story of students at a performing arts school in New York, will be staged by Durham University Light Opera Group (Dulog) at the city's Gala Theatre. A Gala spokesman
SPORTING fans from all over the world are logging on to a small County Durham company's website for their football shirts and other sporting kit. Celebrities including Ant and Dec and the cast of Channel Four soap Hollyoaks have worn the football kits
A TEENAGE boy supplied an undercover police officer with two £40 bags of cocaine after arranging a meeting in an earlier phone call. Durham Crown Court heard that the 15-year-old answered a phone call from an officer using the name Sarah, who arranged
Hollywood's finest may be keenly anticipating the Oscar nominations on Tuesday but, as Steve Pratt reports, the real drama this year has been taking place off-screen. And this year's Academy Award for best drama goes to... Hollywood itself. Movie industry
Hollywood's finest may be keenly anticipating the Oscar nominations on Tuesday but, as Steve Pratt reports, the real drama this year has been taking place off-screen. And this year's Academy Award for best drama goes to... Hollywood itself. Movie industry
FARMERS have finally settled their dispute with the Government over the huge bill they were left with following the foot-and-mouth clean-up operation. The Northumberland and Durham Machinery Ring (NDMR), a farmers' co-operative with 300 members, had been
THE boss of the North-East building firm which created Darlington Football Club's new stadium last night voiced his support for former Quakers' chairman George Reynolds. Hall Construction, of Ferryhill, County Durham, is one of the creditors of the ailing
A WEEK to go until their big day, the occasion for which they have worked so enthusiastically and anticipated so greatly, and we have some bad news for the good folk of Carrville. The place which some assumed to be named after a military hero and others
EXOTIC creepy crawlies were yesterday taken to an east Durham school, where they were soon hailed top of the class. The bugs and animals, including snails, cockroaches, scorpions, tarantulas, salamanders, rats, frogs and snakes, attracted attention from
GOOD vibes from the gallops at Middleham suggest Truckers Tavern (3.05) is going to take charge of Cheltenham's feature event, the £80,000 Pillar Property Chase. "The horse is in fantastic form and I couldn't be more pleased with him," said his trainer
A PROJECT aimed at helping council workers is looking towards a bright future. Thanks to the backing of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Government funding, a Learning Zone has been established at Deerness Leisure Centre, near Durham. The centre, which
RESIDENTS are having the history of their community served up on a plate. Photographs of faces from the past have been digitally impressed on to 150 white porcelain dinner plates on display at Middlesbrough's Dorman Museum. Each plate bears a portrait
AN attempt by a pub to extend its opening hours has come up against objections from an unlikely quarter. A group of students were the main objectors to an application by the Hogs Head pub, in Durham, to remain open until midnight six days a week. The
NEXT year's council tax increases will be discussed by Stockton Borough Council next week. The council's cabinet committee will debate a potential rise caused by a nationwide employment agreement. It is thought the equal pay agreement for council staff
A PENSIONER suffered a heart attack and collapsed as he spoke to a neighbour and her child. The 11-year-old ran to a surgery to get aid as his mother tried to help 80-year-old Tony Rambow when he collapsed at his front door in Saltburn's Bristol Avenue
PEOPLE in one of Teesside's communities now have their own history newsletter. The first edition of the Heruteu Herald has been delivered in the Headland area of Hartlepool in the past few days. The name of the eight-page, quarterly newsletter is connected
TWO of the best defences in Division Two meet at Victoria Park this afternoon, with home boss Neale Cooper offering glowing praise for his back line. Hartlepool United, with just six goals against them at home this season, meet Bristol City, who have
THE selection of a Conservative candidate for a relatively safe North-East Labour seat is unlikely to be made for several months. Labour party members in the Durham City constituency will vote for their candidate for the next General Election, expected
THE selection of a Conservative candidate for a relatively safe North-East Labour seat is unlikely to be made for several months. Labour party members in the Durham City constituency will vote for their candidate for the next General Election, expected
A MINISTER will travel to east Durham next week to open the county's first Classroom of the Future. The learning zone at New Seaham Primary School is one of three classrooms proposed by the county council. The other two are at Easington Community School
A SUPPORT group for recovering heart patients has received £1,000 thanks to generous employees. The Take Heart Support Group received the cheque from the Employees' Charity Fund, at the Corus Teesside Works. It will help fund 14 classes, which are run
PARKING wardens concerned at a poll that put them at the top of hated professions can take heart. Harrogate Borough councillor Julian Sturdy said council employees who enforced parking controls were often praised. He said: "It is not often councils get
NISSAN has been recognised as the largest car producer in the UK for the fourth year in succession. Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that production at the company's Sunderland plant accounted for one in
The chairman of car dealership CD Bramall is about to receive a £75m windfall after his company agreed to a £230m takeover. Tony Bramall's family has a 33 per cent share in CD Bramall, of Harrogate, which is to be bought by the UK's largest car dealer
SCOTTISH legend Kenny Dalglish scored the goal that clinched the European Cup for Liverpool in 1978 and went on to manage the Reds to a League and FA Cup double. The majestic talent of Paul Gascoigne took England to the brink of the World Cup final, only
Darlington 1 Doncaster Rovers 1, April 27, 1925 Crowned champions of Division Three (North). IT may only have been a draw, but the point gave the Quakers an unassailable lead at the top of Division 3 (North) and for the only time in their 120-year history
SORTING out other people's problems may not appeal to everyone - but Lynn Ingledew, pictured, would not have it any other way. The 24-year-old, from Hartlepool, works as a customer service representative in the Vodafone department of Garlands Call Centre
TWENTY-TWO years ago, when the Quakers were on the verge of extinction, Gateshead lad Lawrie McMenemy brought his team of Southampton superstars - including Kevin Keegan - to play a charity match at Feethams. More than 11,000 turned out that April day
SUPERFIT soldiers have been putting their muscles to the test to help babies. Personnel of all ranks from the infantry training centre at Catterick Garrison took part in a sponsored 12-hour row. The event was organised by Corporals Stuart Mann and Steve
KARL Haynes is a perfectly nice chap to talk to, but theatre directors think he has the killer instinct. The actor has played more than his fair share of nasty characters, even in the Sunday night nostalgic, feelgood drama Heartbeat. He's set to show
NEWCASTLE face Nemesis Michael Owen in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Anfield tonight with skipper Alan Shearer conceding that the Liverpool star is England's best striker. That mantle once belonged to Shearer - and some would say he can still lay
GEORGE Reynolds revealed in court yesterday that his chipboard business handed over £900,000 to Darlington Football Club - days after writing off a previous £6m on the grounds that the club would never be in a position to pay it back. The former Quakers
NEVER one to shy away from a challenge, Sunderland's Kevin Kyle issued a warning to defenders up and down the country last night: 'Don't make me angry.' Those who do rub the 6ft 4in gentle giant up the wrong way may not see him ripping off his shirt and
ON the eve of the most traumatic week of his Premiership, Tony Blair yesterday tried to persuade students in his own North-East constituency that university tuition fees were a good idea. He talked to the 15 and 16-year-olds at Ferryhill Business and
A WOMAN was arrested yesterday after telling Newcastle Airport check-in staff she had a bomb in her luggage. The 48-year-old passenger had arrived late for an easyJet flight to Paris, and became aggressive when she was told she could not catch the plane
A FORMER jockey who has battled back from horrific head injuries is to marry the girlfriend who helped nurse him through his recovery. Scott Taylor and Theresa Lishman will wed on March 3, the second birthday of their son, Geoffrey. Their wedding will
Q As I receive Disability Living Allowance at the middle rate for care, my wife applied for Carer's Allowance (CA). She was told that she could not get it because of her State Pension and that underlying entitlement to it only went to those on Pension
STEVE McCLAREN is ready to follow Arsene Wenger's lead and change things around for Middlesbrough's third trip to Arsenal in 14 days. Wenger has admitted he will be resting super striker Thierry Henry for this afternoon's FA Cup fourth-round tie, despite
A MUSEUM dedicated to the heritage of the Yorkshire Dales is changing hands after nearly 30 years. Swaledale Folk Museum, in Reeth, was opened in 1974 by Erica Law and her late husband Donald, who converted the village's old Methodist Sunday school. Mr
STUDENTS were forced to miss one of their GCSE examinations after the school heating system broke down. The 110 pupils, who were due to take GCSE Information Communication Technology (ICT), will have to take the subject with the rest of their examinations
I FREQUENTLY get asked 'What does a gardener do in winter?' Most people seem to be under the impression that just because all the plants have gone to sleep (or died) and the weather is intent on battering us with as much sleet, snow and rain as it can
A TEENAGER who was showing off in his new car minutes before it left the road and killed a 12-year-old passenger was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving yesterday. Lee Leonard, 18, of Middlesbrough, was warned he faces jail after a jury
A 48-year-old woman who allegedly told check-in staff at Newcastle Airport that she had a bomb in her luggage was last night charged with communicating false information. Lesley Brennan had arrived late for an easyJet flight to Paris, and was said to
SHOPPERS can feel lucky as a city celebrates the Year of the Monkey today. Durham City will welcome the Chinese New Year when young members of the Oceans Apart kung-fu club perform a traditional lion dance. After the dance, at 1pm in Millennium Place,
THEY'VE relied for generations on their age-old instincts to fly thousands of miles and still get safely home. But racing pigeons could now be falling foul to a new technological foe, the mobile phone mast. According to the Royal Pigeon Racing Association
YOUNGSTERS from across Darlington have been given the opportunity to question the borough's Labour MP Alan Milburn. About 30 young people from youth centres in the area took part in the town's first Big Night Democracy Event held at the Town Hall. The
THE chief of a North-East car dealership has received a mixed response from the public after appearing on a reality TV show. Mike Porritt, director of motor chain Carshock, might have found fame when he starred in Channel 4's Boss Swap this week, but
EVERY week for the last month, I've jettisoned the initial drafts of this column. I've given up on them in dismay and bewilderment, and opted for an easier subject. The pros and cons of the war in Iraq; the ins and outs of the Hutton Inquiry; the swings
Catterick stage the richest day of racing on their annual calendar this afternoon, the £15,000 skybet.com North Yorkshire Grand National forming the centrepiece of an eagerly-anticipated card, writes Colin Woods. The gruelling three-and-three-quarter-mile
DARLINGTON are looking forward to playing on a firm, dry surface at home to New Brighton today and no-one relishes those conditions more than flanker Martin Howe. At 33, the pacy open side has taken the step-up to National Three North in his stride and
NEWCASTLE face Nemesis Michael Owen in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Anfield tonight with skipper Alan Shearer conceding that the Liverpool star is England's best striker. That mantle once belonged to Shearer - and some would say he can still lay
ANIMAL welfare protestors are to appeal to shoppers at a supermarket chain today, as they call for an end to factory farming of pigs. Viva volunteers will be outside Tesco stores in Chester-le-Street, Durham, Consett and Gateshead, and will hand leaflets
SUPPORTERS across the North-East have been urged to set a record attendance at the Reynolds Arena tomorrow - on one of the most important dates in the history of Darlington Football Club. The crisis-hit Quakers, currently in administration, has been on
NEW laws to cut the number of deaths caused by carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning should be in place by the end of the year, Government officials revealed last night. More than four years after the Government first pledged to tackle deaths from CO poisoning
GEORGE Reynolds revealed in court yesterday that his chipboard business handed over £900,000 to Darlington Football Club - days after writing off a previous £6m on the grounds that the club would never be in a position to pay it back. The former Quakers
ANIMAL welfare protestors are to appeal to shoppers at a supermarket chain today, as they call for an end to factory farming of pigs. Viva volunteers will be outside Tesco stores in Chester-le-Street, Durham, Consett and Gateshead, and will hand leaflets
IN an attempt to create the region's newest forest, people have been invited to plant a tree at Bulmer Park, in east Durham, tomorrow. The 315-acre Bulmer Forest Park is part of the Great North Forest project. The free event takes place from 10am to 2pm
CHILDREN have been given the chance to improve their football skills with the help of a Premiership team. Stokesley Leisure Centre has teamed up with Middlesbrough to give weekly coaching under the club's Football in the Community scheme. The sessions
SCHOOLCHILDREN swapped their playground for a building site and loved every minute of it. Youngsters from the primary school at Kirkbymoorside joined the building trade for a day to put their classroom work into practice. They visited Barratt's West End
CRICKET legend Ian Botham knocked shoppers for six yesterday when he turned up in their midst. The great all-rounder attracted a big crowd when he arrived in Richmond, North Yorkshire, to re-open the Help the Aged shop following its facelift. He signed
A SCHOOLBOY who tried to strangle an 18-year-old girl before raping her was found guilty by a jury last night. The teenager, who cannot be named, lured the terrified girl into a dark wood in Crook, County Durham, where he twice attempted to throttle her
MORE than 150 people joined MP Ashok Kumar to fight proposals to close Guisborough Swimming Pool yesterday. Their protests were also backed by the company that is contracted to run leisure facilities on behalf of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
PEOPLE in east Cleveland are being invited to take part in Egyptian dance classes. Jane Wass will teach six weekly sessions at Saltburn Leisure Centre, starting on Sunday, February 1, from 4pm to 5.30pm. Ms Wass, who teaches the dance full-time, said:
COUNCIL officers have made it their goal to help people have warmer homes and lower fuel bills. Staff at Stockton Borough Council want to give people the opportunity to afford home insulation. For three years, the council has worked with organisations
YOUNGSTERS are being given a chance to improve football skills with the help of a Premiership side. Stokesley Leisure Centre has teamed up with Middlesbrough to give weekly coaching under the club's Football in the Community scheme. The sessions, for
A SCHOOL is to be demolished and a replacement built in its place in Teesside, despite residents' concerns. Approval was given to demolish the existing Beech Grove Primary, to close Cromwell Road Primary and build a replacement school at the existing
A LADIES' football club is seeking sponsors to help the team play in a competition in Sweden. Lumley Ladies, formed with less than 20 members in May 2002, attracts more than 100 female footballers to weekly training sessions at Chester-le-Street Riverside
THE latest list of expenses claimed by members of North Yorkshire County Council has been published. Topping the list of travel and subsistence expenses was Councillor Eric Broadbent, who represents the Northstead ward in Scarborough. He claimed £6,156
A LOCAL AUTHORITY has been shortlisted for a Beacon status award for its efforts at crime fighting. Beacon status, a national scheme run through the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, is awarded to authorities which demonstrate excellence and achievements
A BID to overturn a controversial decision to close Richmond sports centre was defeated by a single vote. Local councillors Tom Burrows and Clive World said that neither the public nor Richmondshire district council's partners were consulted properly
FORMER British Universities 10,000m track champion Alison Dixon prepares for her promotion to the all-conquering Chester-le-Street AC women's team European debut with a gruelling test in today's North of England Cross Country Championships at St Helens
A LOCAL authority team is celebrating after earning national recognition for its work. The building control team at Hambleton District Council has been awarded an internationally accredited standard after an assessment of its quality management system
Award-winning comedian, writer and actor Rob Brydon may love making people laugh but behind the comic mask, Brydon secretly battles depression. The 38-year-old funnyman reveals that life is far more serious than fans realise as he prepares to star in
ROBERT KILROY-SILK: ROBERT Kilroy-Silk (pictured) was obviously wrong to imply all Arab states were in the same category. But it must be said that certain countries deserve the criticism levelled at them because of their bloodthirsty punishments in the
ECONOMISTS are predicting that the Bank of England will raise interest rates next month following unexpectedly strong sales and output figures. Analysts said the bank's monetary policy committee was likely to raise base rates by at least 0.25 per cent
ON the eve of the most traumatic week of his Premiership, Tony Blair yesterday tried to persuade students in his own North-East constituency that university tuition fees were a good idea. He talked to the 15 and 16-year olds at Ferryhill Business and
Michael Brown has won a seal of approval from his Tottenham midfield team-mates Darren Anderton and Simon Davies. The Hartlepool-born former Sheffield United player made his debut in Spurs' 2-1 win over Liverpool at White Hart Lane, and looked a transfer
I FREQUENTLY get asked 'What does a gardener do in winter?' Most people seem to be under the impression that just because all the plants have gone to sleep (or died) and the weather is intent on battering us with as much sleet, snow and rain as it can
AN oil painting of a North scene is expected to fetch thousands of pounds when it goes up for auction at a Lincoln saleroom. Thomas Mawer and Son is offering the picture of Richmond, North Yorkshire, by Edmund Niemann, at an auction today, and anticipates
John Prescott struggled last night to convert the North-East business community to his vision for a regional assembly. The Deputy Prime Minister, on the final leg of a whirlwind tour of the North, made an impassioned plea for the region's economic leaders
CRAIG LIDDLE will welcome back some old pals tomorrow afternoon, when the main topic of conversation will no doubt revolve around what the Darlington defender describes as his best year in football. It was in 2000 that Quakers came so desperately close
The laborious unravelling of George Reynolds' former business affairs continued at Teesside County Court yesterday. This is what he told the hearing: The £900,000 loan from GRUK to Darlington FC Barrister Anthony de Garr Robinson, on behalf of liquidators
