DARREN AMBROSE has spoken of the intense pressure he feels as he attempts to win over Newcastle United fans still reeling from the sale of Nolberto Solano. The former Ipswich player, who turns 20 later this month, stepped into the Peruvian's boots on
ONE of the world's greatest railway treasures is returning to its roots to be on display at a new museum. Sans Pareil, built by North-East rail pioneer Timothy Hackworth, will return to Shildon, County Durham, in September as part of the £10m Shildon
A COUPLE who have retired from managing a club have decided their first task is to become its latest members. After more than 30 years of serving pints behind the bar at Harrogate Conservative Club, in East Parade, Derek Prest and wife Irene will be buying
A TEESSIDE woman says an employment agency has helped her leave the dole and dead-end jobs for a career in creative art. Clare Hansford, 27, of Saltburn and originally from Hartlepool, gave up her plans to use her degree in textile design after failing
AN ecstatic Steve McClaren last night set his sights on 'creating history' after guiding Middlesbrough to the Carling Cup final. McClaren could become the first Boro manager to lift a major piece of silverware in the club's 128-year history later this
THE collapse of the Thompson brothers' financial empire shook Darlington and the surrounding district. The brothers were the very model of self-made Victorian entrepreneurs: they worked hard, they prayed hard, and they served hard on a variety of committees
THERE is a Hospital Road in Langley Park, a Convalescent Street in Saltburn and a Well Lane near Thornaby. It might be considered a natural, indeed a most welcome, progression. There is a Cutthroat Lane in Hamsterley Mill, near Consett, a Hangman's Lane
A FATHER-OF-TWO accused of raping and indecently assaulting his former wife told a court yesterday she consented to sex. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied raping his former partner of six years and told the jury, "It was just sex"
JONNY Wilkinson is the finest sporting talent of his generation. They said that about George Best. But that's where the likeness begins and ends. ''People say I wasted my money. I say 90 per cent went on women, fast cars and booze. The rest I wasted,'
Faking It (C4) MOST people's first impression of Malcolm Woodcock is he's a "weirdo freak". Something to do with all the metal piercings, eyeliner, black nail polish, jewellery and grungy look. The 30-year-old cycle courier was an ideal candidate for
A 17-year-old male has been charged with the murder 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, on Tuesday January 27
Faking It (C4) MOST people's first impression of Malcolm Woodcock is he's a "weirdo freak". Something to do with all the metal piercings, eyeliner, black nail polish, jewellery and grungy look. The 30-year-old cycle courier was an ideal candidate for
Europe's most productive plant looks set to maintain its record of never having lost a day through strike action after reaching a compromise agreement with staff. Nissan workers in Washington, Tyne and Wear, had planned to take industrial action over
JON STEAD insisted he made the right decision to move to Blackburn Rovers and turn down Sunderland's advances. The 20-year-old striker completed a deadline day switch to Ewood Park on Monday from Huddersfield Town, despite a late attempt from the Black
Life-saving kerbside injections of clot-busting heart drugs are about to begin in the region. Rural areas of County Durham and Northumberland will be the first to see paramedics administering the drug within weeks. It means patients will be treated with
The presenter of a radio gardening programme who unwittingly gave a caller advice on how to grow cannabis apologised for the gaffe yesterday. Frieda Morrison, co-presenter of Beechgrove Potting Shed, said she thought the caller was discussing cabbages
AN attendant at a rural petrol station was amazed when two Afghan migrants walked in and asked: ''Is this part of Britain?'' Karen France, 22, was working at the garage attached to Purdy Lodge hotel near Belford, Northumberland, when they arrived on Sunday
A COUNCIL is cracking down on its bad debtors with a threat to make them bankrupt if they fail to pay. Householders and businesses will be targeted in the move which is aimed at people who owe more than £750 in council tax or non-domestic rates. Members
A HOUSEWIFE has suffered two terrifying late-night attacks outside her home in a matter of weeks. The married mother-of-four, who has not been named, was assaulted in the early hours of Friday, January 23. She responded to a knock at the door of her home
HORSE riders and owners are being urged to help with a project to provide safer off-road routes. The equestrian community in east Cleveland is being asked to complete questionnaires to help Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council develop a more ordered public
COUNCIL chiefs in Darlington last night approved plans to increase council tax by 8.4 per cent and introduce on-street car parking charges in the town centre. Members of Darlington Borough Council's cabinet unanimously approved both proposals without
AFTER 30 years teaching at the same school, a Bishop Auckland man has been appointed headteacher. Bruce Guthrie's career has been dedicated to the children at Bishop Barrington School, where he started as a biology teacher in 1974. He became head of biology
A HOUSEWIFE has suffered two terrifying late-night attacks outside her home in a matter of weeks. The married mother-of-four, who has not been named, was assaulted in the early hours of Friday, January 23. She responded to a knock at the door of her home
APPRENTICE electrician Christopher Coates's "shame and disgust'' at being caught drink-driving for the second time helped save him from jail yesterday. Magistrates in Harrogate heard how Coates, 23, was spotted by police driving his Vauxhall Astra swerving
A COUNCIL is cracking down on its bad debtors with a threat to make them bankrupt if they fail to pay. Householders and businesses will be targeted in the move which is aimed at people who owe more than £750 in council tax or non-domestic rates. Members
THE sister of a man who was killed in a brutal and apparently motiveless attack in his home yesterday made an emotional appeal for information. Sue Mileson said her brother, Colin Johnson, 40, did not have any known enemies, and that everyone was mystified
PLANS have been unveiled to create a treatment centre in north Durham for people with mental health problems - but two existing units will have to close. An overhaul of adult mental health services will see an in-patient unit built to cover the Durham
POLICE are concerned about teenagers pestering people to buy them alcohol. A increasing number of complaints are being made to the Easington District anti-social behaviour unit about young people trying to get adults to buy drink for them. The under-18s
GAY rights activists are protesting against plans to open a lap dancing club near a city's gay area. Activists in Newcastle have argued that, if allowed, the club could threaten the city's booming gay scene. The protests have prompted magistrates to defer
A CORONER at the centre of an inquiry into inquest delays is to speak to a family concerned about the completion of an inquest into the death of a 14-year-old boy. The boy's mother, Pauline Hartley, said she wanted answers concerning the sudden death
A NORTH-EAST comedian is taking his British humour to the US. Teesside funnyman Chris McGlade has been invited to make a second appearance at Hollywood's acclaimed Comedy Store. Mr McGlade, who writes his own material, will fly out this month for the
A CONSUMER watchdog is urging npower customers to shop around for a better deal after the company increased gas prices. Npower gas customers will have to pay 5.2 per cent more for their gas, and Energywatch, the consumer watchdog for gas and electricity
A FOOTBALL fan's hopes of regaining his season ticket after having it confiscated for falling asleep during a Premiership game have been dashed. Middlesbrough supporter Adrian Carr was banned from the Riverside Stadium after he was found asleep in his
PEOPLE could be paying nine per cent more for council services from April. Durham County Council's Liberal Democrat-controlled authority may have to couple the increase with a £900,000 reduction in its spending. Councillor Carol Woods, cabinet member
A NIGHTCLUB owner is hoping his plans to open a new venue on Teesside will go ahead despite having his application for a public entertainment licence refused. Barry Faulkner is to appeal against the decision made by Middlesbrough Council's licensing committee
A councillor says the rest of the UK can learn from Middlesbrough's success in fighting crime. Councillor Barry Coppinger, Middlesbrough's cabinet member for public safety, and Cleveland Chief Constable Sean Price, are travelling to London today, with
THE family of a three-year-old boy who died in a car accident are appealing for help after a camera containing the last pictures of him was stolen. The last photographs of Blake Spencer were taken at Christmas on a digital camera. Blake was in a child
AN estranged lover was jailed last night after he punched his former girlfriend in the face when he found her in bed with a new partner. Roofer Lee Clarey used a ladder to gain entry to an upstairs bedroom window at the home of his former partner, Samantha
A baby girl who weighed only 1lb 8oz and had to wear dolls' clothes for her first two months has now grown to a healthy 6lbs at the age of 11 weeks. Dee-Ann Short is doing so well that her christening has been arranged and her grandmother, Patsy Prewitt
ANGRY fathers 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 have access to children when
THERE is a Hospital Road in Langley Park, a Convalescent Street in Saltburn and a Well Lane near Thornaby. It might be considered a natural, indeed a most welcome, progression. There is a Cutthroat Lane in Hamsterley Mill, near Consett, a Hangman's Lane
A father-of-six has been jailed after he became embroiled in a pornographic video chain that sent explicit material to householders across the UK. Scotland Yard's Obscene Publications Unit in London launched an investigation after receiving more than
PRODUCERS are looking for North-East people to take part in a new programme called You Are What You Eat. The show will explore the eating habits of the public by taking an in-depth look at one person's diet and revealing its effects on their health, appearance
GREY horses are something of a rarity these days so when one comes along promising great things the racing public tends to become emotionally involved with their every move. Desert Orchid and One Man immediately spring to mind and it is not beyond the
CONGRATULATIONS to Lynda La Plante. After 30 years of trying and failing to become pregnant - miscarriages, IVF treatment, donated sperm, donated eggs, considering surrogacy and untold heartache, the 57-year-old writer - creator of the TV series Prime
RABBIT breeder Alan Belgian showed off his prize asset yesterday. Eight-month-old silver rabbit Findon Donny Boy won Best in Show at the Bradford Championship Show, the UK's leading competition for the animals. Mr Belgian, of Witton Gilbert, near Durham
AROUND £30m worth of attacking talent and the kid labelled the new Dennis Bergkamp on show during an action-packed Carling Cup semi-final. Money well spent? Middlesbrough don't care. Yet despite some silky touches from two of the game's biggest names
TWO teenagers were arrested at the weekend during a police crackdown on anti-social behaviour. A 14-year-old boy was arrested in Darlington on suspicion of cannabis possession and a 14-year-old girl was arrested for being drunk and incapable in Middleton
Tony Blair's hopes of a cross-party deal on an investigation into the intelligence that supported his case for war against Iraq were wrecked last night. The Prime Minister was desperate to draw a line under the row over the secret service's reports on
HUGE advances have been made in reducing cancer deaths over the last generation but more still needs to be done to tackle the growing number of new cases, campaigners say today. Cancer Research UK said there had been a 12 per cent drop in the rate of
LORD Hutton carried out a forensic examination of the Government's presentation of intelligence ahead of the war against Iraq. His conclusion was that there was no political interference in the preparation of intelligence. With no sign of weapons of mass
A METALS testing firm, set up following the closure of Consett Steel Works, in County Durham, will reach a landmark this Friday when it opens a new headquarters. MIS Environmental was set up by three steelworkers made redundant by the closure, who built
A TOWN is being urged to make more use of its racing heritage to boost prosperity. Former teacher Steve Varey lives in Malton, where some of the country's leading trainers are based. He works for the British Horse Racing Training Board, travelling to
A COMPANY that aims to market a tourist bus that can travel on land and water has had to pay off some of its staff. David Royle, the managing director of Covelink Marine, at Staindrop, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, said yesterday the move was temporary
A VANDALISED building that once symbolised the glory of North-East industry is to be demolished. The former regional headquarters of ICI at Billingham, near Stockton, will be demolished to make way for a garden centre. The 1950s building, called Billingham
MIDDLESBROUGH last night set their sights on cup glory after ending Arsenal's dream of winning four trophies in a season. The 2-1 win at the Riverside earned Boro a place in the Carling Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on February 29. Victory
A HOSPITAL must wait until July to win new freedoms from Whitehall control - three months after it was expected to gain the extra powers. City Hospitals Sunderland has been placed in the slow lane of applications for so-called foundation status, after
HEALTH officials in the North-East have begun training to revolutionise the way women are screened for cervical cancer. Over the next six months, the process will be phased in across the region improving the accuracy and speed of tests and boosting cancer
CONGRATULATIONS to Lynda La Plante. After 30 years of trying and failing to become pregnant - miscarriages, IVF treatment, donated sperm, donated eggs, considering surrogacy and untold heartache, the 57-year-old writer - creator of the TV series Prime
WORKERS are being urged to get fit by going out every lunchbreak to complete a series of town centre walks. Five easy routes around Bishop Auckland, in County Durham, have been drawn up to encourage more people to join the Wear Walking for Health initiative
SPANISH superkid Jose Antonio Reyes suffered a nightmare on his first Arsenal start as he scored the own goal that sends Middlesbrough to their fourth major Cup final in seven years. Boro manager Steve McClaren laid to rest his hoodoo against Arsene Wenger's
A HOSPITAL must wait until July to win new freedoms from Whitehall control - three months after it was expected to gain the extra powers. City Hospitals Sunderland has been placed in the slow lane of applications for so-called foundation status, after
MIDDLESBROUGH last night set their sights on cup glory after ending Arsenal's dream of winning four trophies in a season. The 2-1 win at the Riverside earned Boro a place in the Carling Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on February 29. Victory
A WEBSITE dedicated to helping cats has been awarded a prize by The Northern Echo. The Wear Valley, Darlington and Dales Cats' Protection Branch site - at www.communigate.co.uk/ne/catsprotection - has won our CommuniGate team's Pick of the Month for January
London shares staged a late rally yesterday after fears about an interest rate rise had prompted a bout of profit-taking. After spending much of the day in the red, the FTSE 100 Index closed 9.2 up at 4390.6. The Footsie managed to reach positive territory
Regional development agency One NorthEast has received permission to invest more than £10m in the construction of Knowledge Central, the 65,000sq ft building at the centre of the Knowledge Campus development at Gateshead Quays. Knowledge Central will
NEALE Cooper yesterday shipped another player out of Victoria Park, when Jon Bass was released from his contract. The right back has not been involved in a first-team game since the win over Oxford United on January 18 last year and has been a non-playing
HUTTON INQUIRY: WELL the Hutton Report is out and the mind boggles at the result. Freedom of the press is now in the same category as freedom of speech in this very politically correct country of ours. Lord Hutton has produced a very one-sided report
GREY horses are something of a rarity these days so when one comes along promising great things the racing public tends to become emotionally involved with their every move. Desert Orchid and One Man immediately spring to mind and it is not beyond the
FROM the inflexions in the voices of TV news readers it is clear that we are meant to be wildly thrilled by the pictures from Mars. Those "proving" the already-known presence of water are assumed to have sent us into a delirium of delight. The pictures
Thirty-five schools across the region have been identified as "outstanding" in a Government report on education standards. The report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools, David Bell, also flags up the successes of a number of previously failing
Tony Blair's hopes of a cross-party deal on an investigation into the intelligence that supported his case for war against Iraq were wrecked last night. The Prime Minister was desperate to draw a line under the row over the secret service's reports on
SCORES of people have been arrested under a police initiative encouraging people to inform on criminals in their area. More than 100 calls have been made to the North Yorkshire force under its operation code-named Ratcatcher. The information has led to
A GROUP established a year ago to support parents with young families is continuing to flourish. The SureStart initiative, for Shildon and the West Ward of Newton Aycliffe, now provides a range of activities for families with children under four. Young
SCHOOLS and streets in Darlington will be illuminated with "green" power from spring in an attempt to protect the environment. All Darlington Borough Council premises will be supplied with "green" electricity from April, greatly reducing levels of carbon
THE 3,500 people who signed a petition against the closure of Guisborough swimming pool have been promised it will not close as a result of council budgeting. The pool was earmarked for closure by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council as it prepared to
TWO signs from a railway station made £5,700 when they were sold at auction. The first, a platform sign from Saltburn station, in east Cleveland, made £3,300 and the second, advertising the former Zetland Hotel, made £2,400 when it was bought by an anonymous
TWO men who have just left college have set up a business in Darlington. James Zielke and Tom Cockerill, both 20, have started a hardwood flooring business which has bases in Middlesbrough and Darlington. They sell and install oak and other hardwood flooring
A SPORTS group aimed at fathers has been launched in north-west Durham. The Supporting Parents Network (Span) is running weekly sports sessions in Stanley and Consett. The events, open to men in Derwentside, feature an hour of activity, followed by an
THE sleepless nights are over for goat breeder Pauline Kell, after she helped to deliver two kids to her prized nanny. Pauline has been a lifelong goat fan, as both her grandmother and mother kept them for their milk. She rediscovered her enthusiasm more
THE boss of a security business which failed with debts estimated at £157,000 has been disqualified from acting as a director for four years. David Ord, 44, of Hazel Crescent, Easington Colliery, east Durham, was a director of Bulldog Security Services
ONE of the last members of the Dambusters squadron died at the weekend after 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
TWO cyclists were injured during hit-and-run accidents yesterday. A 39-year-old man was cycling to work at 6.30am when he tried to turn left from Bishopthorpe Road into Butcher Terrace, York. He was struck by a vehicle from behind, which then failed to
PLANS to create visitor facilities at a tourist attraction have been unveiled. Dalby Forest, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, is to get a £4.3m investment to bring in more tourists and boost the economy. Artist's impressions of a £2.5m visitor centre
Boro supporters from across the globe are hoping to be amongst the 30,000 Middlesbrough fans at the final of the Carling Cup later this month. Ex-pats in the Far East and Europe are amongst those hoping to witness their team play Bolton Wanderers at the
Briton Peter Bleach was released from prison in India today after serving eight years for illegal arms dealing. The Foreign Office confirmed Mr Bleach, 52, was released from jail this morning and was being looked after by consular staff at the British
The European Commission ruled yesterday that cut-price rates offered exclusively to Ryanair for using Charleroi Airport, in southern Belgium, were illegal, and ordered it to repay about £3m in subsidies. That decision will have ramifications for low-cost
DAVID HODGSON fears French misfit Fabian Bossy could scupper his hopes of landing Sunderland striker Neil Teggart. The Darlington manager last night revealed to Northern Echo Sport Bossy is one of two players cash-strapped Quakers are hoping to offload
A TEAM of business leaders has been chosen to make up the board of a network which will make it easier to find business support. The Business Support Network, established by regional development agency One NorthEast, will act as a one-stop shop brokerage
A hedgehog sanctuary is full this Christmas after it was inundated with homeless and injured creatures. Hedgehog Rescue Topcliffe, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, has an official capacity of 16 animals, but this year it is caring for 19 hedgehogs. Their
A LEADING businessman has blasted a report which dismisses Teesside as an area that could accommodate Government departments. A report prepared by consultants King Sturge for a review being conducted by Sir Michael Lyons into moving civil service jobs
GEORGE REYNOLDS will not face legal action over the failure of Darlington Football Club directors to produce crucial financial records, The Northern Echo can reveal. The administrators now running the club had asked Mr Reynolds and his boardroom colleagues
A COMPANY at the centre of developments in space technology has been boosted by a £200,000 investment from a regional venture fund. Peratech, in Morton Park Way, Darlington, will use the investment from NEL's Insight Fund to move from research and development
A SEX attacker launched a terrifying street assault after following his victim from a train, a court heard. Newcastle Crown Court was told Richard Hazell pounced after he saw the woman on a Metro train travelling from St James's, in Newcastle, to North
CONVICTED gun-runner Peter Bleach has gone on a hunger strike in protest against delays in freeing him from his Calcutta jail. The latest twist in his long-running saga comes just days after the 52-year-old, from North Yorkshire, was pardoned by the Indian
POLICE have named a man who was punched and knocked unconscious in unprovoked attack at the weekend. Paul Clarke, 25, from Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, is in a critical but stable condition following the attack in Times Square, near the Centre for
TALKS on how to use an animation festival to improve creativity in schools are under way. The Creative Parthernships Tees Valley (CPTV), a Government-backed organisation, is in talks with the holders of the Animex animation festival, held in Teesside
A LEADING businessman has blasted a report which dismisses Teesside as an area that could accommodate Government departments. A report prepared by consultants King Sturge for a review being conducted by Sir Michael Lyons into moving civil service jobs
