PLANS for the handover of power in Iraq to a democratically-elected government took a significant step forward last night with a new United Nations agreement. Tony Blair hailed the UN Security Council resolution in America as "a milestone in international
PENSIONERS: WHILST I agree entirely with Mr Roe (HAS, June 2) that Wear Valley District Council's decision to take into account war pensions when calculating council tax is a disgrace, it should be noted that WVDC is not alone. The majority of councils
Posh Plumbers (BBC1): BANKER Matthew Brumwell was wondering if a change of job was such a good idea as he held a bag by a toilet outlet pipe to collect the mucky stuff that was blocking the loo. PR executive Jane Green was having similar thoughts as she
MIDDLESBROUGH stalwart Colin Cooper last night revealed his regret at passing up the chance of lifting the Carling Cup in Cardiff. Cooper, who is just one game short of his 400th appearance for Boro, was left distraught when Steve McClaren left him out
AFTER kicking his heels in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the West Indies during the winter, Anthony McGrath proved he can take the heat at a steamy Riverside yesterday. While others kept Durham interested by self-destructing after promising starts, McGrath
MICKY HAMMOND'S Dark Day Blues sprung a 20-1 surprise at Redcar yesterday when winning the race sponsored by our sister newspaper, the East Cleveland Advertiser Handicap. Hammond's colt was under the cosh not long after the halfway stage of the seven-furlong
FORMER winner Mark Hudspith has decided to challenge the African stranglehold in tonight's big Blaydon Race. A record 4,000 runners will line up outside the former Balmbra's Music Hall in Newcastle's Bigg Market - and Hudspith, who won the event seven
LET'S change the world. Please. If you don't mind. While we all worry about the big things in life - war, terrorism, the state of the euro - they're not usually the things that get us down. It's actually the small things that can ruin our day. It's the
LET'S change the world. Please. If you don't mind. While we all worry about the big things in life - war, terrorism, the state of the euro - they're not usually the things that get us down. It's actually the small things that can ruin our day. It's the
DOUBTLESS recognising that the Gadfly column has its finger on the region's musical pulse, Ian Luck rings after a night in the Indigo Alley bar in Scarborough. It's not just the best blues bar in town, says Ian, but is regularly visited by Doctor Rock
MEMBERS of the emergency services have been honoured for their years of life-saving. Certificates for 20 years of service were presented to 63 members of the Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service at a ceremony at York racecourse. Another 17
Posh Plumbers (BBC1) BANKER Matthew Brumwell was wondering if a change of job was such a good idea as he held a bag by a toilet outlet pipe to collect the mucky stuff that was blocking the loo. PR executive Jane Green was having similar thoughts as she
PORTSMOUTH are ready to pull the plug on their attempts to sign Lomana LuaLua unless Newcastle are prepared to slash their asking price for the attacking midfielder. Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie is growing increasingly frustrated with Newcastle's
DERBY County are set to make a formal approach to Darren Byfield despite Sunderland having already instigated transfer talks with the striker. The Jamaica international held face-to-face discussions with Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy in the aftermath
DARLINGTON chief executive Andy Battison will open talks with David Hodgson next week, with the manager's future topping the agenda. The Quakers boss will be back at his desk on Monday, and is expected to sit down with Battison and Sterling financier
A MOTORCYCLE enthusiast took his final journey yesterday in fitting style - carried in the world's only custom-made sidecar hearse. Leslie Maddison, 78, had a passion about sidecars and his son, Ian, who is a funeral director, thought it only right he
BILL Midgley will use his maiden speech as president of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) to lobby political parties to support business competitiveness. The North-East businessman will call for measures to improve trading conditions for companies
A VETERANS' association in the North-East has voiced its disappointment at the prospect of Suez servicemen not having their medals in time to wear on Remembrance Sunday. The Ministry of Defence has blamed the delay on the high number of applications for
WALKERS and joggers will soon be able to make use of a new area of woodland, near Darlington Football Club's stadium. Geneva Wood, at the top of Neasham Road, has been developed into a wildlife area. A grant from the Barclays Sitesavers scheme is now
MANUFACTURERS have stopped shedding jobs and have seen the biggest upturn in orders for more than seven years, driven by increasing exports, a report has revealed. Output and orders in the second quarter of the year grew at the fastest pace since 1996
MIDDLESBROUGH's mayor is to share his vision for the future of the town with leaders of the licensing trade. Ray Mallon will tell his audience of licensees and brewery chiefs today that while he wants a vibrant town centre - round-the-clock opening hours
POLICE in Newton Aycliffe are appealing for information about an attempted mugging. The incident happened at the junction of Stephenson Way and Pease Way at about 12.30am on Saturday, May 30. A 27-year-old woman walking home on her own was approached
HUNDREDS of people turned out in bright sunshine at Redcar Racecourse, east Cleveland, yesterday, for the running of a race sponsored by The Northern Echo's sister paper, the East Cleveland Advertiser. The winner of the race, which was for three-year-olds
A TEENAGE girl was raped as she lay in her bed in her flat, a court heard yesterday. The 16-year-old girl said Brendan Baldwin and a friend came into her flat late at night, apparently drunk. Durham Crown Court was told the other youth left, but 18-year-old
RARE colour wartime film footage of life on the Home Front in the region has been uncovered. Thousands of people gathered in Saltwell Park, Gateshead, in June 1944, for a summer celebration called Holiday at Home. The two-day event was held to give war-weary
MILKMEN will soon be delivering post following Express Dairies' decision to extend its mail operations as part of a deal with TNT Mail. The dairy business, which merged with Lurpak and Anchor foods group Arla in October, has signed a two-year agreement
A GP who transformed a boarded-up hardware store into a medical surgery is celebrating 25 years in practice. Dr John Doherty took a gamble when he opened the Park Avenue Surgery in east Redcar in June 1979, with two receptionists, a district nurse, a
A MOTHER set fire to her house following a row with her ex-husband over the care of their children. Selina Brady, 31, downed alcohol and overdosed on diazepam tablets before she set the council-owned property in Broadwell Road, Middlesbrough, alight.
A WEEK'S celebration of Herriot Country has been hailed as the most successful yet. The third annual Herriot Happenings attracted more visitors than ever, with painting exhibitions, photographic competitions, a dog show, nature watches, children's activity
A WOMAN has been allegedly caught in the act of preparing crack cocaine for sale. She was arrested during raids in the Belle Vue area of Hartlepool on Monday. Crack with a value of £2,000 was recovered from the address by police and more than £2,000 cash
A RENOWNED team of motorcycle daredevils will be among the highlights of this year's open day at Britain's biggest Army base. The Flying Gunners display team will be in action at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, at the open day on Saturday, June 26
A MULTI-VEHICLE accident caused rushhour chaos on a motorway yesterday. Three vehicles were involved in the crash on the northbound carriageway of the A1, just south of the Washington services, at 4pm. A police spokesman said: "The collision involved
HUNDREDS of mourners attended the funeral yesterday of a four-year-old girl who died in an accident at a farm. Shelby Annette Tyers is believed to have died after gym equipment fell on her during a visit to Thornton Bridge Farm, Thornton Village, near
A WOMAN died of adult sudden death syndrome, an inquest heard yesterday. Frances Lillian O'Leary was found at the bottom of the stairs at her home in Walker Street Shildon, County Durham, in June last year. The 61-year-old was found by removal men as
SMALL businesses in the region have more time to enter the Parcelforce small business awards scheme after the deadline was extended. The deadline has been extended to June 25. The awards, chaired by Teesside University deputy vice-chancellor Mike Smith
PUBLIC toilets in east Cleveland look set to get a £200,000 face-lift in the next three years. Area environment committees will soon be helping decide where to spend the investment. It is hoped to reopen and refurbish the toilets in Marske Stray, which
WORK is about to start to turn a forest clearing into a rock venue. About 9,000 people are expected at Dalby Forest, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, to see Paul Weller on Saturday, June 19, and Bryan Ferry on the following night. Tickets for the Weller
A Visitor to Teesside has told of her anger after finding needles discarded in a seaside car park. Carole Osborne had gone to Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, for a day trip with about 30 members of her family, including her three-year-old grand-daughter
A PUBLIC inquiry will settle a row over a council's plan to evict a man from his caravan next to the A66. Thomas Walker-Coates lives with his Alaskan malamute dogs on land he owns on the fringes of Sadberge village, near Darlington. But in February Darlington
CAMPING equipment worth almost £4,000 has been stolen from a scout group two weeks before they were to go on an annual trip. Burglars took tents, lamps and cooking equipment, smashed a portable toilet and burnt wooden tent pegs. They were stored at Pelton
MOBILE phone manufacturer Nokia saw its market share fall sharply this year, figures showed last night. Although Nokia was still the market leader, its share had fallen to 28.9 per cent in the first quarter of the year, from 34.6 per cent in the same
ONE of the region's most popular visitor attractions has won a national award. The Beamish Museum, near Chester-le-Street, was named Best UK Attraction for Group Visits in the long visit category, at this year's Group Travel Awards. It beat six other
A FOREIGN student yesterday denied causing a motorist's death in a car crash. Abdel Salook pleaded not guilty to causing the death of Leslie Smyles, 43, in a crash on Newcastle's Tyne Bridge in October last year. Mr Smyles was freed from his Peugeot and
IGNORE Cryfield (3.50) at your peril in this afternoon's Sportingoptions Commission Cutters Stakes at Beverley. Nigel Tinkler's representative has been a steady earner for his stable over the past few seasons by regularly chipping into the kitty courtesy
TWO cyclists have invented the first bike rack that fits inside cars. After years of strapping mountain bikes to the backs of their cars, engineers Ken Johnson and Peter Hindmarch, from Washington, Tyne and Wear, came up with the idea. They have invented
A HOSPITAL has assured patients that changes have been made since the death of an unborn baby. Olivia Harrison died during a car dash between Bishop Auckland General and Darlington Memorial hospitals. Her mother, Andrea, 29, from Newton Aycliffe, had
TWENTY-five GPs are among 100 or more witnesses expected to give evidence at a health service inquiry which got under way yesterday. The GPs, along with about 25 former patients, will appear at an inquiry into the way complaints against two psychiatrists
VILLAGERS who survived a wartime bombing raid are to remember those who died, in a ceremony this weekend. Eight people were killed and more than 30 injured when a German bomber dropped its deadly load over Beamish, near Stanley, on Friday, May 1, 1942
THE chief executive of Darlington Football Club spoke last night of his delight at securing the Quakers' place in the Football League next season. League bosses approved the Sterling Consortium's take-over of the club on Monday, paving the way for the
A man who has helped pioneer the return of rail travel to a Northern dale after an absence of more than 50 years has died - just weeks before the first train is due to run again. Gil (Gilbert) Chatfield had suffered from cancer for some time. He was 70
Emergency crews wearing gas protection suits were called to tackle an overheating container at a chemical factory. Firefighters closed the road outside the Lucite International plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, as a precautionary measure while
Detectives say a major drug ring ring in the North-East has been taken down in one of the region's biggest police operations. More than 400 officers were involved in raids at 19 properties in the region after a 14-month-long undercover investigation,
THE threat of damaging industrial action by ambulance crews was on hold last night while a new offer was put to union members. Paramedics and other crew members working for the North-East Ambulance Service have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial
BILL Midgley will use his maiden speech as president of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) to lobby political parties to support business competitiveness. The North-East businessman will call for measures to improve trading conditions for companies
ROY Whiting was a convicted paedophile. In 1995, he had abducted and indecently assaulted a nine-year-old girl near his home in West Sussex, subjecting her to a two-hour ordeal. He served two years and five months of a four-year sentence, before he was
Bookies slashed the odds on this summer being the hottest on record yesterday as Britain basked in tropical temperatures. On the hottest day of the year so far, the region saw temperatures hit 23C (73F), as William Hill reduced its odds on record hot
SENIOR business chiefs are to hold talks with the Royal Mail as the region's traders continue to be hit hard by a delivery crisis. The North-East Chamber of Commerce pledged to seek an end to the troubles by calling representatives of major companies
Work has started on a building that will bring together two centres of sporting excellence inthe region. Durham County Football Association's new £750,000 headquarters will be based at the Riverside Cricket Ground, in Chester-le-Street. The three-storey
IT is possible to feel the deepest admiration and gratitude for what was achieved on D-Day and yet believe that the 60th anniversary commemorations were overdone. Nine years ago, celebrations on the 50th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day were
TOO often, the North-East has been guilty of failing to capitalise on its rich heritage. For years, we have banged the drum about the missed opportunity which is the region's unique railway history. At long last, we are beginning to wake up to the tourism
A MORNING of glorious sunshine across much of the country rewarded thousands of people hoping to catch a glimpse of yesterday's transit of Venus. The event, which occurs when the planet can be seen crossing the Sun, is one of the rarest in astronomy.
Part 9: Snipers: IN French, the word bocage means mixed woodland and pastureland. To us in the 9th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry in Normandy 60 years ago, the Bocage meant deadly sniper territory. We had, of course, been troubled by snipers before
DOUBTLESS recognising that the Gadfly column has its finger on the region's musical pulse, Ian Luck rings after a night in the Indigo Alley bar in Scarborough. It's not just the best blues bar in town, says Ian, but is regularly visited by Doctor Rock
A multi-million pound redevelopment plan to put Durham on a par with Britain's other great historic cities, such as York, Chester and Bath, has been unveiled. Developers have given themselves 20 years to redefine the region's oldest city and make it worthy
MOBILE phone manufacturer Nokia saw its market share fall sharply this year, figures showed last night. Although Nokia was still the market leader, its share had fallen to 28.9 per cent in the first quarter of the year, from 34.6 per cent in the same
AFTER kicking his heels in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the West Indies during the winter, Anthony McGrath proved he can take the heat at a steamy Riverside yesterday. While others kept Durham interested by self-destructing after promising starts, McGrath
SUPPORTERS of amateur theatre in part of the region are facing a series of setbacks which threaten to bring down the final curtain. One music group in Weardale, County Durham, has had to temporarily disband because the Methodist church hall where it staged
POLICE and race organisers are gearing up to ensure the safety of spectators and runners in a North-East road race tonight. More than 3,500 people will take part in the 24th annual Nike Blaydon Race. The race, organised by Blaydon Harriers, will start
IGNORE Cryfield (3.50) at your peril in this afternoon's Sportingoptions Commission Cutters Stakes at Beverley. Nigel Tinkler's representative has been a steady earner for his stable over the past few seasons by regularly chipping into the kitty courtesy
SCHOOLS in Darlington are leading the way in their efforts to integrate the travelling community into the education system. Three schools in the town welcomed delegates from 13 countries yesterday who were visiting to learn from their European counterparts
A MAN who admitted his 68th breach of a driving ban and stealing to cheer up his depressed partner was given a chance to prove he could kick an 11-year drugs habit yesterday. Jonathan Vere Hutton, 36, was given bail by Harrogate magistrates until June
A TEENAGER punched a shop manager in the face when he refused to give him a refund, a court heard. Matthew Spencer, 18, pleaded guilty to assaulting John Anderson at All Sports in Northgate, Darlington, on April 5. James Thomas, prosecuting, told Darlington
A JOINER who smokes four or five cannabis cigarettes a day to relax, appeared in court charged with possessing the drug. James Shoulder, 31, admitted possessing 15.6g cannabis resin and 18.5g of cannabis herb. James Thomas, prosecuting, told Darlington
A TRAINEE veterinary surgeon died after taking a drug used to anaesthetise animals. Michelle Dawson, 22, of Co-operative Villas, Langley Moor, near Durham, was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham but was pronounced dead on August 23 last
A fire chief is calling on landlords to make their property as child proof as they can - ahead of the school holidays. Middlesbrough Fire Station Officer Ron Carr made his plea after there children fell ten feet through the roof of a disused garage at
SENIOR councillors last night gave their support to the controversial introduction of on-street parking charges in a North-East town. Darlington Borough Council cabinet members backed to the scheme, which will see a charge of 80p an hour enforced in some
TWO men who headbutted and kicked a stranger in an unprovoked attack will be sentenced at crown court. Kevin Ashton, 24, and Daniel Fleary, 21, had been drinking in Darlington on May 3 when Fleary accused a man of staring at him in a kebab shop. Toby
VILLAGERS who survived a wartime bombing raid are to remember those who died, in a ceremony this weekend. Eight people were killed and more than 30 injured when a German bomber dropped its deadly load over Beamish, near Stanley, on Friday, May 1, 1942
COUNCILLORS are being urged to reject another application for a mobile phone mast in County Durham. Planing officers at Chester-le-Street District Council have advised against approval of the 15-metre pole and four antennae. Vodaphone wants to put up
A PENSIONER helped launch an extended bus service linking Derwentside towns. Esh Parish Council member Doreen Cummings, 82, launched the 767 service this week. The service, which runs between Stanley and Consett, was introduced last year as a six-month
A MAN died after he set himself alight on an electric cooker while under the influence of alcohol, an inquest heard. Trevor Winn, 53, was found on the kitchen floor of his home in Aspen Court, Great Lumley, near Durham. Fire investigators suspect his
MOTORCYCLISTS from the Royal Military Police will take part in a display aimed at reducing a county's toll of motorcycle casualties. They will be joined by the North Yorkshire Police Bike Safe display unit on the seafront in Scarborough, North Yorkshire
ONE of the region's most popular visitor attractions has won a national award. The Beamish Museum, near Chester-le-Street, was named Best UK Attraction for Group Visits in the long visit category, at this year's Group Travel Awards. It beat six other
I AM 100 per cent in favour of regional government because I believe it is a great opportunity for the North-East. Over the years, we have lost too many industries -coalmining, shipbuilding, steelmaking, all of which were good employers contributing to
WORK has begun on refurbishing the second of Vimac Leisure's two nightclubs in Durham City. The £1m refurbishment programme has seen DH-1 nightclub refitted. Now work has started on Vimac's second club, Caf Rock, a venue popular with students. Caf Rock
TICKETS to allow people the chance to go on the replica of Captain Cook's ship HM Bark Endeavour at a festival next month have gone on sale. The Endeavour will be an attraction at the two-day Hartlepool Maritime Festival, on Saturday and Sunday, July
EXPERTS last night called on the Bank of England to increase interest rates to cool the booming property market. Senior economists told MPs that the bank needed to increase rates this week to bring prices down to a more sustainable level. The bank's monetary
THREE schools have been singled out for national achievement awards. Shotton Hall School, in Peterlee, Seaham Deneside Infant School and Glendene School, in Easington, have each received the Arts Council England's Artsmark award. The award recognises
IT is amazing what people keep in their attics - but even the most apparently trivial trifle can turn out to be most useful. In 1969, Colin Marriner was going on holiday and a friend lent him a camera. "He said I'd better take a few practice pictures
ONE of the North-East's most famous sons is helping the region fly the flag as England gear up for the European football championships. Former England manager Sir Bobby Robson yesterday handed over a cross of St George to Councillor Alan Fenwick, chairman
A fifth consecutive session of gains helped the FTSE 100 Index close at its highest level in a month yesterday. During a quiet trading session, the Footsie broke through the 4500 barrier to end the day up 13.2 at 4504.8. Better than expected industrial
