Archive

  • With friends like these...

    As Tony Blair bows to pressure to hold an inquiry into why we went to war in Iraq, Nick Morrison looks at how the search for weapons of mass destruction is still dogging the Prime Minister. IT'S never exactly been a marriage of equals, but Tony Blair's

  • Family appeals for information to solve murder

    Grieving family members were today are expected to make an emotional appeal for information to help police solve a brutal murder in Sunderland. Colin Johnson, 40, was discovered dead in the living room of his home in Pickering Road, Pennywell, by his

  • Trouble Ahead to defy years with help of Sam's allowance

    TWO of the most promising young jump jockeys to emerge this season, Sam Thomas and Steven Craine, could be on target at Taunton this afternoon. Of the pair, Thomas has to date enjoyed a far higher public profile thanks to his successful association with

  • Netball team's new kit joy

    A SCHOOL netball team has its own strip for the first time, thanks to the generosity of a player's father. Ellis Baker has kitted out the year eight netball team at Hurworth School Maths and Computing College, near Darlington. He is a health and safety

  • Mothers seek best places to feed baby

    NEW mothers are to find out which shops and cafes in Darlington are breastfeeding-friendly by taking part in mystery shopper exercises. Nursing mothers will visit businesses with their babies and assess which offer the best facilities and are most welcoming

  • Teachers get lesson in African culture

    TWO primary school teachers face a vast change in scenery and climate next week. Ruth Davis and Alison James leave behind the wintry conditions of the River Browney valley, west of Durham, for the tropical temperatures of west Africa. Esh Church of England

  • Pupils' venture is bags of fun

    PUPILS are helping story time come to life. Children in years nine and ten at Stokesley School have designed "story bags" which will contain a book and props and activities relating to it. They will exhibit their work at a business exhibition and conference

  • New traffic flow system in town

    A traffic system is to be introduce in Whitby to cope with the town's growing popularity as a tourist centre. One of the main changes will be to restrict the flow of traffic on St Anne's Staith, Haggersgate, Pier Road and Khyber Pass. It aims to reduce

  • Youngsters help play area renovation job

    PLANS for a play area at Seaton Carew are to be discussed by councillors this week following consultation with youngsters. Seaton Park play area has been identified as a priority for redevelopment due to the lack of good quality play equipment. The development

  • Welcome as team of wardens takes to streets

    The arrival of street wardens in a neighbourhood has been welcomed. A 12-strong team started work yesterday - dedicated solely to the Whinney Banks, West Lane and Newport areas of Middlesbrough. Joan Ford, who is chairwoman of the West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood

  • School celebrates turnaround led by staff

    A Hartlepool school once deemed to have serious weaknesses is celebrating a good report from government inspectors. St Helen's Primary School, The Headland, is now said to be very effective following an Ofsted inspection carried out in November last year

  • New chapter for school

    A PRIMARY school and its local community are celebrating the completion of new facilities thanks to a Government-funded initiative. Dormanstown Primary School, in Dormanstown, has benefited from a new library, crche and multi-sensory area, art room, hall

  • Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Newcastle City Hall

    A CAPACITY audience at Newcastle City Hall was treated to a heavyweight performance from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. The evening with Sweden's national orchestra warmed up to the strains of Stravinsky's Jeu de Cartes. The work, conceived for a

  • Murray unhappy over Stead's switch to Blackburn

    STRIKER Jon Stead is at the centre of a row over the conduct of his agent after snubbing Sunderland for a beat-the-deadline move to Blackburn, writes Clive Hetherington. As Stead left Third Division Huddersfield for Premiership life at Ewood Park in a

  • Millions pledged to boost region's roads and houses

    A MULTI-MILLION pound revamp of the region's roads and housing has been pledged by ministers after critics claimed the North-South divide was not being bridged. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott yesterday unveiled a plan for a series of "growth corridors

  • Speed camera boss attacks 'revenue' comments

    THE head of a North-East speed camera scheme has criticised comments that cameras are used to raise money. The police officer who brought speed cameras to Britain sparked the row after saying cameras should only be used to increase safety, not to raise

  • Chemists help smokers quit

    A PHARMACY has taken on a new role in the fight against smoking. As well as dispensing prescriptions for nicotine replacement products such as patches, M and M Chemists at Meadowfield is giving direct help to quitters. Two of its pharmacists and three

  • Boost for cathedral repairs

    ENGLISH Heritage funding is helping ensure that repairs to the stonework of Durham Cathedral continue. The cathedral is getting £82,000, which will go towards work to the masonry on the North-East turret of the Chapel of the Nine Altars, and the installation

  • Witnesses sought to crash on roundabout

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a two-vehicle crash yesterday morning. The collision took place at 9.20am, in Chilton, on the roundabout where West Chilton Terrace joins the A167. A silver Honda Civic travelling south went on to the roundabout where

  • Art sector work wins award

    AN authority has picked up an award for its work in supporting the arts sector. Sedgefield Borough Council's leisure services department has been presented with the Arts and Business New Partners Award. The governing body, supported by the Arts Council

  • A familiar name returns to the fray

    MIKE FOSTER must have a soft spot for Scottish & Newcastle. More than 14 years after his involvement in a failed bid for the brewer, he has returned. Mr Foster was the UK face of Australian brewer Elders IXL, which counted Fosters among its beers.

  • Computer skills crucial to workforce development

    All employers appreciate the importance of computer literacy among their workforce. IT skills are now recognised - together with literacy and numeracy - as being life skills, which give staff more scope for contributing to the performance of their employer's

  • Arrest made over death

    POLICE have arrested a man in connection with the death of a mother whose body lay in her home for three weeks before she was found. Christine Longworth, 33, was found dead with multiple stab wounds at her home in Chopwell, Gateshead, last Tuesday. The

  • Public meeting will be held over future of sports centre

    CAMPAIGNERS battling to save a sports centre have been urged to attend a public meeting on Friday night. Richmondshire District Council has warned that Richmond Sports Centre, off Gallowgate, may be closed in this year's battle to balance the books. The

  • Grieving dad's dismay over son's honour snub

    THE father of a military policeman killed in an ambush in Iraq has spoken out over claims that his son will not be honoured by the military. Lance Corporal Ben Hyde, 23, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was killed at a police station in Majar al-Kabir

  • Website is set up to oppose N-E assembly

    CRITICS of a directly elected regional assembly have stepped up their campaign by outlining their arguments on a new website. The site, set up by Stan Smith, from South Shields, South Tyneside, said an assembly would not bring extra funding to the North-East

  • Eating Owt

    HIBERNATE is a most appealing word, particularly comforting at this treacherous time of year, though not yet in the Big Word League like serendipity (perchance) or euphony (which says it all.) As readers will doubtless be aware, it is from the Latin "

  • Striking miners faced jail after clashes with police

    ESH WINNING and Waterhouses were model colliery villages built by the Quaker firm of Joseph Pease and Partners in the 19th Century. Miners' houses in the villages were more substantial than those found in other places and, unusually, each house had its

  • Continuing evidence of industrial recovery

    MANUFACTURING continued to grow at its strongest rate for four years last month, according to new figures. Expansion in the sector equalled that of December, when manufacturers recorded their strongest growth since December 1999, according to the Chartered

  • Project show

    Gisborough Priory Project is holding an evening of presentations and displays on the past, present and future of the priory on Thursday, at 7pm. The event is at Sunnyfield House, Guisborough. Admission £1, including a glass of wine or soft drink.

  • Stokoe transformed us, claims Cup final hero

    Sunderland's FA Cup final hero Jimmy Montgomery last night paid tribute to the man who helped him write his name into Wearside folklore. The abiding image of that day at Wembley in 1973 is manager Bob Stokoe's rapturous sprint on to the pitch at the final

  • Fire crews rescue children

    FIRE crews who saved eight children after they got stuck at the bottom of a cliff when a beck flooded have won their parents' praise. The children, aged between five and 15, were playing in the beck in woodland near Loftus Bank, in Loftus, when it unexpectedly

  • Old home for young books

    A VICTORIAN mill is to be turned into a specialist centre for children's books. The Centre for The Children's Book (CCB) will be housed at Ouseburn Mill, in the Ouseburn Valley, near Newcastle, where readers can take advantage of many of Britain's finest

  • Mother-of-two alleges rape by former husband

    A MOTHER-of-two wept yesterday as she told a court how she was raped by her former husband in her own home. The woman, who cannot be named, alleged she was attacked in the living room by her former partner - who she claimed had already indecently assaulted

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: Is Northern Way the right way?

    IT would be churlish in the extreme to denounce any new Government money that is to be spent in the North-East, and so we enthusiastically welcome The Northern Way which was unveiled yesterday. Indeed, much of it makes great sense. It is right to invest

  • Band's quest for new blood

    A VILLAGE brass band is keen to recruit musicians as it rehearses for a series of forthcoming concerts. Pittington Brass meets on Thursdays in the village hall from 7.30pm until 9.30pm. Members of all abilities are wanted but the band is keen to secure

  • Architects promote their role in society

    ARCHITECTS in the region have launched a campaign to promote their work in improving the environment. They have been holding a series of free lectures and debates in Newcastle to explore the role of the architect in modern society. The programme, run

  • Region to lead the way in site regeneration

    RESEARCH in the North-East is playing a crucial role in developing technology to restore industrial brownfield sites for commercial development. A partnership between Premier Waste Management, of Durham, the County Durham Environmental Trust (CDENT) and

  • Ray of light at Coxhoe

    Sunderland and Hartlepool under water, Albany Northern League, Wearside League and Northern Alliance washed out in their entirety. So what's this little ray of sunshine at Coxhoe? "Well, it was only spitting on at dinner time," insists Stan Reid of Coxhoe

  • Blair has to give in on Iraq inquiry

    Tony Blair is today expected to announce an inquiry into the intelligence on which he based his decision to go to war with Iraq. Some form of announcement had been expected last night after it became clear he would have to bow to pressure to tackle the

  • Speed camera boss attacks 'revenue' comments

    THE head of a North-East speed camera scheme has criticised comments that cameras are used to raise money. The police officer who brought speed cameras to Britain sparked the row after saying cameras should only be used to increase safety, not to raise

  • New LSC regional director will work to improve social inclusion

    THE organisation responsible for promoting skills development in England, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), has announced a new management structure with the appointment of regional directors. The new structure will allow the LSC to improve its work

  • Time the prejudiced BBC was reined in

    IT'S GOOD to see that the BBC has got its come-uppance at last. Created as an inspired institution 80 years ago and its purpose defined as " to inform, educate and entertain", the BBC has fallen so far from that original excellence as to become little

  • Region to lead the way in site regeneration

    RESEARCH in the North-East is playing a crucial role in developing technology to restore industrial brownfield sites for commercial development. A partnership between Premier Waste Management, of Durham, the County Durham Environmental Trust (CDENT) and

  • Springboard to success

    A £5M industrial scheme under development in Sunderland has attracted its first occupier. Springboard Sunderland Trust has agreed to take the first two units being provided by Rivergreen Developments at the Rivergreen Industry Centre, on the former David

  • Floods return as water levels rise

    RIVERS in the region remained on high flood alert last night, with more heavy rain forecast. Businesses were the worst hit by the latest bout of flooding, but the majority of homes escaped unscathed. There was anger in one North Yorkshire town, where

  • Merger that has the competition licked

    TWENTY jobs are to be created at an envelopes firm after a successful merger helped deliver a £2m increase in turnover. Washington Envelopes joined forces with Encore Direct, in York, a move that took turnover to £17m and safeguarded the company's future

  • Cubs and Beavers help wildlife

    A GROUP of children have given up their spare time to transform part of Redcar. The cubs and beavers spend their Saturday mornings helping with hedge-planting at Coatham Marsh in an attempt to improve the area's appearance. They are joined by wardens

  • Bellamy backs bid to save wild trout

    Conservationist David Bellamy is among a host of well-known figures backing the battle to save the wild brown trout. The health of the brown trout, Britain's only native trout species, is considered a key indicator of the health of the country's rivers

  • Windfall expected by staff savers

    MORE than 45,000 staff at supermarket chain Tesco are about to share a £110m windfall from the company's savings scheme. Some workers may get as much as £30,000 from two of Tesco's Save as You Earn (SAYE) schemes. Staff save up to £250 each month for

  • No headpine

    HUTTON REPORT: LET us remember that we have all said things, with no malice intended, that upon reflection we wish could have been worded differently. The public can and does forgive minor indiscretions where the intention was deemed good. However, the

  • Gulf war hero admits £4,400 benefits fraud

    A GULF War veteran who survived a bomb attack by US planes has admitted fraudulently claiming benefits. Gary Mark Russell, 38, of Evansleigh Road, Consett, County Durham, pleaded guilty to two counts of making false claims for Council Tax and housing

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Office assistant, Melmerby, Ripon. £6 ph, 24 hpw. Permanent. Open to job share. Must be computer literate. Ref: NOE 21093. Factory operative, Northallerton. Exceeds NMW, 39 hpw. Permanent. Experience of joinery or window manufacture an advantage. Ref:

  • A sting in the tale

    Sea Of Souls (BBC1); Bug Attack (C4); Private Life Of A Masterpiece (BBC2); "IT'S a bit weird this," said one of the Gordons, and who would disagree as he'd just found out that his wife had an identical twin, also married to a chap called Gordon. The

  • Dads without access plan campaign

    Angry dads who cannot see their children are planning a campaign across the region to raise awareness of their plight. Pressure group Fathers 4 Justice wants a change in the law to ensure that all parents and grandparents get access to children when a

  • Decorated Battle of Britain hero dies aged 90

    FAMILY and friends have been mourning a decorated war hero who died at the weekend aged 90. Spitfire ace Squadron Leader George Bennions, of Catterick, North Yorkshire, was one of the Battle of Britain pilots, with 12 successes to his credit. But, on

  • Filtronic prepares to go into top gear

    WIRELESS telecommunications specialist Filtronic is preparing for full production at its County Durham facility. Last week, the company, based in Shipley, West Yorkshire, said it planned to put its Newton Aycliffe facility at the centre of its operations

  • Couple's petition over pink shop given public backing

    HUNDREDS of customers have backed a shopkeeper's decision to paint his 300-year-old listed building pink. Peter Lown decided to splash out on his shopfront so it matched the colour of the carrier bags used in his greeting cards shop. But Mr Lown and his

  • 'There is more to life than Vaux'

    THE Nicholson family will forever be associated with the name of Vaux Breweries. That is particularly true of Frank and his older brother Sir Paul. The family's involvement with the brewery dates back to 1898, when their grandfather, Charles, who lived

  • Trophy would attract stars, says McClaren

    STEVE McCLAREN has declared that victory over Arsenal in tonight's Carling Cup semi-final second leg is vital if Middlesbrough are to stay in the hunt for the likes of Mark Viduka. Boro insist that the Leeds striker was willing to move to the Riverside

  • People call for action on litter

    RESIDENTS on a new housing estate are demanding the authorities use their clout to clean up playing fields and meadows overlooked by their homes. People who live on Colburn's Regents Park say they are sick of clearing rubbish which blows into their homes

  • Rise and shine with tiny host

    BREAKFAST radio presenters are well known for having their sidekicks. But Susanne Fraser has taken the idea a step further and started her breakfast show for the troops on Garrison Radio with baby Isla by her side. In fact, she only took the job on the

  • Company leader mourned

    FLAGS were flying at half mast above factories across the globe for the chairman of an engineering company killed in a road accident. David Brown, 78, was killed last Wednesday when the Range Rover he was driving skidded off a snow-covered private road

  • Port's mudrocks offer clues to global warming

    ROCKS found by scientists on a beach in the region could hold the key to combating global warming, according to new research. A team from the Open University has been studying mudrocks from Whitby, North Yorkshire, for the past three years. They have

  • Schools make French connection with student teachers

    SEVEN trainee teachers from France are hoping for calmer waters as they begin a month-long visit to gain experience of life in the English classroom, in Darlington. The students, from Aix-Marseilles University, are the first group of French trainee teachers

  • Woman, 87, falls victim to burglar

    POLICE are investigating a burglary at the home of an 87-year-old Darlington woman at the weekend. The victim returned to her home, in Milbank Road, after going out for Sunday lunch, but left her key in the front door by mistake. She then saw a teenage

  • Police oppose proposal to extend bar's opening hours

    POLICE in Darlington say the licensee of a town centre bar who is trying to get its opening hours extended has already breached regulations. John Hall, licensee of Route 66, in King Street, wants the bar to stay open until 2am from Mondays to Saturdays

  • Parents will have say over proposals to close schools

    PARENTS fighting plans for a shake-up of village schools meet council education bosses tomorrow night. Durham County Council has called the public meeting over proposals to close Dene Valley and Eldon Lane primaries, near Bishop Auckland, and build one

  • Pupils sink teeth into health issues

    A DROP-IN facility which aims to improve the health and general well-being of schoolchildren has been opened. The Health Zone is a project designed to help youngsters from West Cornforth Primary School learn about all aspects of health and access emotional

  • Shoot-to-kill dogs threat from farmer

    A FARMER said he will shoot-to-kill dogs found worrying his sheep during the lambing season. Richard Wade issued the statement after an alsatian cross-breed dog was seen in the middle of a flock of his sheep twice in the past week. The first time the

  • Mother helps launch scheme to promote reading books to children

    MUM Lynn Park reads to her baby, Owen, and now she is encouraging other parents to do the same. Middlesbrough Council has launched a the Bookstart scheme to encourage parents, grandparents and other family members to read to children at the earliest possible

  • Police support decision to block licence for nightspot

    POLICE last night welcomed a decision by councillors to block plans for a new nightspot in a Teesside town centre. Middlesbrough Council's licensing committee refused permission for a public entertainment licence at premises to be called The Church, in

  • Agency boss appeals to leaders to pull together

    Regional development agency One NorthEast chief executive Alan Clarke has called on business leaders to pull together for the good of the region. Mr Clarke said it was too easy for people to become distracted by focusing on what other areas were achieving

  • Anger over hedge work

    HIGHWAYS chiefs have been accused of 'municipal vandalism' after using tractor-mounted machinery to shred hedges overlooking medieval pasture land which Richmond residents are to be asked to help to buy. There was an outcry when it emerged Richmondshire

  • Extension follows success of amnesty for scrap cars

    AN amnesty for drivers whose cars have reached the end of the road has proved such a success it is being continued for another month. Derwentside Community Safety Partnership launched a campaign to rid the district of unwanted vehicles left on driveways

  • Petition calls for portable oxygen

    THE Government is being urged to help people lead a better life by providing portable oxygen cylinders on the NHS. Members of Breathe Easy York, a charity which provides support for people with severe respiratory difficulties, have drawn up a 300-name

  • Farrier fined for driving offences

    A FARRIER was spared a further ban after he admitted a string of driving offences. Christopher Gardner, 26, of Portmead Rise, Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, pleaded guilty to driving a car without insurance and driving with a defective tyre and three

  • £10,000 of jewellery stolen in shop raid

    POLICE are hunting two men in connection with the theft of jewellery worth £10,000 from a shop in Harrogate over the weekend. The pair went into an antique jewellery dealer's premises at about 3.25pm on Saturday. While staff were distracted by other customers

  • Congregation looks forward to spring at candlemas service

    HUNDREDS of candles lit up a cathedral last night as the congregation celebrated Candlemas. People filled the pews at Ripon for the service, which included a candlelit procession. Cathedral staff lit 250 candles which were positioned in the clerestory

  • Getting our kicks on the A66

    The column comes out of hibernation to await the arrival of the much-heralded blizzards. HIBERNATE is a most appealing word, particularly comforting at this treacherous time of year, though not yet in the Big Word League like serendipity (perchance) or

  • Warning issued after thefts of horse trailers

    POLICE are warning owners of horse trailers to be on their guard following a series of thefts. A trailer stolen from allotments in Ferryhill at the weekend was the sixth similar offence in about a year in the Sedgefield police division. About two dozen

  • Fears of interest rate rise have markets on edge

    The old adage says that markets hate surprise, but that is exactly what we got towards the end of last week, as fears of interest rate rises spooked the market. When the US market catches a cold, markets elsewhere start sneezing. This comes in a week

  • Hodgson sings Clark's praises

    IAN CLARK last night received a glowing tribute from Darlington manager David Hodgson for being the "perfect professional". The winger has spent most of the season on the first-team periphery, but Hodgson insists his attitude has never wavered. Clark

  • Squadron member dies in freak accident

    One of the last members of the Dambusters squadron died in a freak accident when his coat became trapped in a car door. David Cookson, 86, was only dragged a yard or so along the road outside his home but hit his head on the pavement and died a week later

  • Arctic spell drains council's budget

    Last week's arctic snap left Durham County Council with a bill of almost half a million pounds. The Council's highway engineers yesterday confirmed that dealing with just four days of winter weather had cost them almost a quarter of their entire £2.1million

  • High street store's new addition

    THE wraps come off a high street retailer's entry into the home furnishing market later this month. Marks and Spencer is to open its first Lifestore alongside the MetroCentre complex at Gateshead. The finishing touches are being made to the store at Metro

  • 'Poor skills costing region £600m a year'

    EMPLOYERS in the North-East have been told they must take action now to help the 400,000 adults in the region who have the reading ability of an 11-year-old. The call, from the Learning and Skills Council County Durham, came at a conference for employers

  • New transpennine rail service is flagged away

    THE new transpennine express franchise was officially launched yesterday with bosses saying the hand over had been trouble free. A consortium of First Group and Keolis (FGK) will now operate inter-city services across the North of England, replacing Arriva

  • Ex-soldier stabbed as he battles armed attackers

    A FORMER soldier described how he fought for his life against a man armed with a knife and another attacker. Hospital care assistant Darren King was attacked by the pair - both possibly drug addicts - as he walked to work in Middlesbrough, yesterday.

  • Brass and silver - but music is pure gold

    MORE than a thousand musicians were on song at the weekend when bands from across County Durham gathered for one of the main events on their calendar. Twenty-eight brass and silver bands competed in the Durham County Brass Band Association's grading contest

  • Hodgson sings Clark's praises

    IAN CLARK last night received a glowing tribute from Darlington manager David Hodgson for being the "perfect professional". The winger has spent most of the season on the first-team periphery, but Hodgson insists his attitude has never wavered. Clark

  • School bus travel given boost

    More school children are to be able to travel to school by bus as a result of North Yorkshire County Council being allocated £112,000 for each of the next two years by the government. The authority has been told that the money is to be used to support

  • Rise in emergencies results in cancelled hospital ops

    DOZENS of operations have been cancelled across the region as emergency admissions affect hospitals. This winter, the traditional peak in demand has come later than usual, but in the past few weeks, hospitals have been inundated with sick, often elderly

  • Funding bid for former train station

    A CINEMA, auditorium, exhibition space, meeting rooms, micro-brewery, restaurant and caf are all included in the funding bid for Richmond's old station building. Companies and individuals interested in taking space in the building had to register by October

  • Region bucks property trend

    LIMITED business space in the North-East has fuelled demand for commercial property, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has said. While the sector has suffered across the UK for nearly three years, the region has been bucking the trend.

  • How gangsters made this granny rich

    In a story to rival one of her own fantastical novels, salt-of-the-earth grandmother Sheila Quigley has landed a £300,000 publishing deal, with her first book due out in April. She talks to Sarah Foster. THE phrase "you couldn't make it up" could have

  • Naturalist's murderers are forgiven

    THE family of murdered naturalist David Green forgave his killers at an unusual woodland burial yesterday. More than 100 friends and loved ones gathered around Mr Green's graveside, in quiet countryside on the edge of Darlington, County Durham. And the

  • Eating Owt: Getting our kicks on the A66

    The column comes out of hibernation to await the arrival of the much-heralded blizzards. HIBERNATE is a most appealing word, particularly comforting at this treacherous time of year, though not yet in the Big Word League like serendipity (perchance) or

  • New team hopes to turn the dream into reality

    IMAGINE being given a box containing millions of pieces of lego and then being told to build something. What would you choose? A house? A car? A metropolis? Your imagination and the number of bricks are the only limitations. It may be a simplistic metaphor

  • Investors push ITV plc shares up by 5%

    NEWLY-created ITV plc received a boost from investors as shares in the UK's largest commercial broadcaster got off to a strong start. The stock, which has been created by the merger of Granada and Carlton Communications, rose five per cent to 148p on

  • Automatic pension plan membership considered

    New employees could automatically become members of company pension schemes under proposals the Government said today it was considering in a bid to tackle the pensions crisis. The Department for Work and Pensions said it was exploring a range of options

  • Pack offers chance to save energy

    SAVING energy can give businesses money for nothing and firms in the North-East are being given help to make it happen. Action Energy, a Government-funded agency set up to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is offering a free starter pack to businesses

  • Wales call up Bellamy

    WALES manager Mark Hughes last night lit the blue touch paper that could ignite yet another club v country row involving Craig Bellamy. The Newcastle United striker only made his return to first-team duty at Birmingham on Saturday - playing the final

  • Trouble Ahead to defy years with help of Sam's allowance

    TWO of the most promising young jump jockeys to emerge this season, Sam Thomas and Steven Craine, could be on target at Taunton this afternoon. Of the pair, Thomas has to date enjoyed a far higher public profile thanks to his successful association with

  • MP supports fight for pool

    MORE than 150 people joined MP Ashok Kumar on Friday to fight proposals to close Guisborough Swimming Pool. Their protests were backed by Tees Valley Leisure, the company contracted to run leisure facilities on behalf of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council

  • Former palace guard helped in burglary

    A FORMER Buckingham Palace guard has admitted taking part in a failed warehouse burglary in which £261,000 worth of damage was caused by a fire. Teesside Crown Court heard that Andrew Harvey went to the EFG warehouse, at Hartlepool docks, with Christopher

  • Cycling towards a healthier lifestyle

    CYCLING enthusiast Steve Lynn is making it his business to get more people riding towards a healthier lifestyle. Mr Lynn, 41, has set up CycleTrex with guidance from business development experts from Walker Hall Associates. Having qualified and registered

  • Museum goes back in time to days of war

    VISITORS to a museum can take a trip down memory lane this weekend. Life for families during the Blitz, in the early years of the Second World War, is portrayed in an exhibition at the Discovery Museum, Newcastle. It reflects the experiences of thousands

  • Radio planning role

    COUNTRYSIDE planning specialist Dr Malcolm Bell has taken on a complex planning role with a difference in the fictional town of Ambridge. Dr Bell, head of Newcastle law firm Ward Hadaway's property department, was drafted in to give scriptwriters on the

  • Farm stabilised by rural diversification venture

    DIVERSIFICATION is nothing new to butcher turned farmer William Snaith. He has just embarked on his latest venture, a stables and cross-country riding venture on his farm at Old Hall, close to Darlington. Mr Snaith, whose family ran a butchers in Darlington

  • Opera singer Suzannah adds her voice in appeal to help Quakers

    OPERA singer Suzannah Clarke is appealing for someone to join her in a duet. Her only stipulation is that whoever joins her is a footballer. Middlesbrough-born Suzannah, who sang before 70,000 fans and 440 million television viewers at Wembley Stadium

  • Constructing excellence

    AN organisation to improve the performance of the construction industry is to be established. Constructing Excellence in the North-East will be launched in May, and will build on the work of Rethinking Construction North-East and Construction Best Practice

  • Specialist help allows upgrade

    A COMPANY specialising in polymer-based microengineering is one of the first in the area to take advantage of specialist ICT assistance allowing it to upgrade its website. Epigem, based at Kirkleatham Business Park, in Redcar, east Cleveland, has accessed

  • Historic pay deal for council

    HUNDREDS of low-paid workers will enjoy a bumper pay rise after a council reached an historic deal with unions. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is the first local authority in the North-East to sign a deal for single status for all staff. The pay

  • There are no excuses, says Steve

    MOTIVATIONAL speaker Steve Cunningham is urging customers of mobile phone group Orange to try something new. The 41-year-old father-of-two holds land speed records and excels at sport, but that is not the reason why Orange have enlisted his help for their

  • Two wheels on my wagon...

    ...AND now, here's the weather forecast. It will remain cloudy and dull with rain on the hills later. Temperatures will be no higher than..." It is at times such as these - listening to the local weather bulletin - that I turn off the radio, get out the

  • Boro beat deadline to land Brazilian

    MIDDLESBROUGH yesterday beat the 5pm transfer deadline by an hour to snap up Brazilian midfielder Ricardinho under freedom of contract from Sao Paulo. The 27-year-old, a member of his country's World Cup-winning squad in 2002, has signed until the end

  • Faithful and Gould wins accreditation

    A NORTH-EAST company has become one of the first to be awarded a recently introduced accreditation which recognises efforts to make housing more environmentally-friendly. Management and cost consultants Faithful and Gould, which works in the social housing

  • Weather hits schools

    THOUSANDS of pupils missed school yesterday after 13 schools and colleges in East Cleveland were closed because of bad weather. Heavy snow and freezing temperatures brought disruption to the area, with dozens of schools closing early on Wednesday following

  • Father wins landmark case

    A North-East father fighting for access to his daughter has won a landmark legal ruling. But campaigners fear he will still be prevented from forging a relationship with the girl despite the court victory. The Court of Appeal has overturned an earlier

  • Mike is first celebrity to get out of there

    FORMER Radio One DJ Mike Read became the first celebrity to get the boot from the jungle camp last night in ITV's I'm A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! The voting public ousted the former Pop Quiz presenter after eight days in the Australian outback

  • Two wheels on my wagon...

    "...AND now, here's the weather forecast. It will remain cloudy and dull with rain on the hills later. Temperatures will be no higher than..." It is at times such as these - listening to the local weather bulletin - that I turn off the radio, get out

  • Access All Areas: Two wheels on my wagon...

    "...AND now, here's the weather forecast. It will remain cloudy and dull with rain on the hills later. Temperatures will be no higher than..." It is at times such as these - listening to the local weather bulletin - that I turn off the radio, get out

  • Soldiers return to Afghanistan

    Soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the Green Howards are to return to Afghanistan after 85 years. Officers have just returned from a reconnaissance trip, paving the way for a six-month deployment later this year. It will be the first visit by the regiment

  • Showcase for contemporary art opened

    A NEW arts studio showcasing the work of contemporary artists has opened in the region. Room at the Top is located on the top floor of Winpenny House, in High Street, Yarm, near Stockton, and is the brainchild of Juliet Hardy. Ms Hardy and her business

  • TV review

    A sting in the tale Sea Of Souls (BBC1) Bug Attack (C4) Private Life Of A Masterpiece (BBC2) IT'S a bit weird this," said one of the Gordons, and who would disagree as he'd just found out that his wife had an identical twin, also married to a chap called

  • Four are accused over death of boy

    A MAN accused of being at the wheel of a car that ploughed into and killed a teenager yesterday denied causing death by dangerous driving. Dean English also pleaded not guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and arson of the Ford Escort car following the

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Traffic operator, Middleton-St-George, circa £16,000pa, 5 x 10 hrs night shifts per week. Experience an advantage, must be PC literate to control fleet efficient process consignments debrief drivers and download scanners. Ref; DAE 37727. Mechanical fitter