Archive

  • Steve Earle, Newcastle City Hall

    STEVE Earle, country rock's only neo-Marxist, six-time married former crack addict, has sure got balls. Forget all those stereotypical good ol' boys in Stetson hats voting for good ol' President Bush. Steve Earle out-countries them all and still takes

  • How the numbers failed to add up

    Two decades ago, foreign companies were hailed as the saviour of the North-East but, 20 years on, many of the promises made by those firms have come to nothing. Business Correspondent Paul Willis reports. THE depressing round of closures of pits, shipyards

  • 20 jobs will be created at engineering plant

    COUNTY Durham-based firm KC Engineering Ltd said 20 jobs will be created following the acquisition of the Hoyt Engineering business from the Darchem group. The jobs are expected to come at the firm's facility in Consett, in County Durham. KC Engineering

  • Super Sammy tops Sedgefield short-list

    RACEGOERS heading for Sedgefield this afternoon should ensure Super Sammy (1.00) is near the head of their punting short-list. Having moved during the summer from Mick Easterby's stable to Kevin Ryan at Hambleton near Thirsk, Super Sammy ran a cracking

  • The man who kept coming back for more

    THREE TIMES A QUAKER by David Hodgson (Speakeasy Publishing, £13.99) EVEN to the most ardent of football fans, David Hodgson's love affair with Darlington FC is difficult to comprehend. Usually found languishing near the base of the English league pyramid

  • Detectives appeal for help to solve puzzle of actor's death

    DETECTIVES will today put posters up around a village as they try to piece together the final days of an out-of-work actor who was found dead last week. The body of divorced father-of-two Stephen Milburn was found on the kitchen floor of his council house

  • Speedie: I am not a racist

    A FORMER football star at the centre of a row over comments he made at a charity dinner has insisted: "I'm not a racist." Former Quakers star David Speedie caused offence at a sportsman's dinner organised by Darlington Supporters' Trust by making references

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Cook, Consett. £5 to £7ph, 12.5hrs pw, 11am to 1.30pm, Mon-Fri. Should have food handling certificate although employer willing to pay for this. Experience preferred but not essential. Ref: CON 17926. First fix joiners, Consett. £9ph, 39hrs pw, 8.30am

  • Youngsters take it from the top for charity performances

    ABOUT 120 youngsters and adults are putting on a charity variety show this week. While they perform West End hits, pop anthems and acrobatics, Hartlepool and District Hospice will be centre stage in everyone's minds. The Val Armstrong School of Performing

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Assembly person, Thirsk. £5.50 to £6ph, 40hrs pw, 8am and 4.30pm, Mon-Sat. Required to assemble light fittings. No experience required as training can be given. Ref: NAL 838. Housekeeping manager, Thirsk. £13,000pa, 37.5hrs pw, 5 days out of 7. Required

  • 20 jobs will be created at engineering plant

    COUNTY Durham-based firm KC Engineering Ltd said 20 jobs will be created following the acquisition of the Hoyt Engineering business from the Darchem group. The jobs are expected to come at the firm's facility in Consett, in County Durham. KC Engineering

  • No crisis, as Hodgson prepares for test

    Defiant Darlington manager David Hodgson last night insisted he has no reason to panic despite their recent slump in results. As the team coach set off for Somerset yesterday, in preparation for tonight's FA Cup first round replay with Yeovil Town, Hodgson

  • Officer returns

    A DARLINGTON council officer is returning to her old job after touring the world. Michelle Parkes returns to Darlington Borough Council as sponsorship manager. Ms Parkes held the post for three years before leaving in 2002 to travel around south-east

  • Road repairs to cost £80,000

    AN £80,000 scheme to repair a busy road got under way yesterday. Darlington Borough Council closed Pierremont Road at the junction with Woodland Road on Sunday, setting up a diversion. The closure will allow workmen to mend potholes and create a smother

  • Town spends £9,000 to spruce up lights

    THOUSANDS of pounds have been spent on Christmas lights to brighten up a town centre. Ferryhill Town Council has started to replace the town's Christmas lights as the old ones are looking dated. Already a total of £9,000 - £2,500 of which was raised by

  • Drunk ex-lover in threat to kill

    A JILTED lover threatened to kill her boyfriend with a bread knife during a drink-fuelled row in front of their baby, a court heard yesterday. Helen Davison, 25, had drunk half a litre of vodka before taking her nine-week-old son and three-year-old daughter

  • 'Homes scheme is out of control'

    RESIDENTS have criticised a district council, saying it has failed to regulate a housing development near their homes. People living in Fern Valley, Crook, have accused Wear Valley District Council of letting them down by allowing Broseley Homes build

  • Man dies after falling in river

    A MAN has died after he fell into the River Wear. The emergency services were called at 10.30am yesterday after passers-by on the Wearmouth Bridge, in Sunderland, saw the man fall into the river from one of its banks. A lifeguard recovered his body, but

  • £250 surprise welcomed by cadet corps

    YOUNG cadets have won a surprise funding boost. Members of the 1407 (Newton Aycliffe) Air Training Corps had written to 3M Aycliffe asking for a small prize for a raffle. Instead, the company presented them with a cheque for £250. The site's community

  • Speed zones scheme wins support

    A NEW 20mph speed zone near primary schools has been approved by councillors despite objections by nearby residents. Linked with the new limit at Ripon are also traffic calming measures. North Yorkshire county councillor Bernard Bateman said approval

  • Police appeal after till theft from store

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man stole the till from a store in Harrogate At about 2.30pm on Sunday when a man walked into the Jaeger clothing store in Cambridge Crescent and forced staff to hand over the till. No one was injured in the

  • Dog adopts ten puppies after their mum dies

    EVE the Weimaraner has become the supermum of the canine world after she adopted a litter of rottweiler puppies. The ten puppies were orphaned when their mother died of liver failure soon after she gave birth. Following a frantic appeal to find them a

  • £70,000 haul of black market goods seized

    VIGILANT trading standards officers have seized thousands of black market film, music and games discs meant for the Christmas market. The haul of 3,327 movies on DVD and VCR discs, 1,718 audio discs, 1,082 games discs, 118 programme discs and 46 boxes

  • Officers ready to give advice

    POLICE want to meet residents to find out their views and offer crime prevention advice. Beat officers in Spennymoor will hold a surgery at the town's Co-op supermarket tomorrow from 2pm to 5pm. It will allow shoppers to discuss concerns with officers

  • MP sets seal on award for nursing home

    NURSING home staff and residents were celebrating yesterday after being presented with the Investors in People award. Bishop Auckland MP Derek Foster visited Howlish Hall Nursing Home, in Howlish, near Coundon, to present the award. It took four months

  • University project is in line for award

    A UNIVERSITY project that helps adults with disabilities is in line for a national award. Principal lecturer Gary Unthank and senior lecturer Siobhan Devlin, both from Sunderland University's School of Computing and Technology, have been working with

  • Aromatherapy group seeks more members

    AN organisation which represents professional aromatherapists is widening its net. The Durham Aromatherapy Network meets to share ideas and offer support. Until now, membership has only been open to members of the International Federation of Professional

  • Fire sweeps McDonald's

    AN investigation has begun after fire tore through a fast food restaurant yesterday, causing damage running into tens of thousands of pounds. Firefighters were called to McDonald's, in the Peel Retail Park, Washington, shortly after 3.30am and spent almost

  • Mother battled in vain to save son

    A MOTHER has told how she desperately tried to revive her baby, who was a victim of cot death. Kerry-Marie Jeffries was taking instructions from 999 staff as she battled to save three-month-old Dale. At an inquest into Dale's death yesterday, a statement

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: Taking the jobs gamble

    IN a region more used to lamenting lost jobs than celebrating new ones, it is all too easy to be seduced by the promises of potential investors. So it comes as no surprise to discover that thousands of jobs promised in the North-East by foreign companies

  • Tanni to lead switch-on of festive lights

    A FULL day of entertainment will launch Christmas festivities in Redcar on Sunday. The day gets under way with a live broadcast by Radio Cleveland's Stewart McFarlane and an afternoon packed with musical entertainment, with Abba tribute band Abba Forever

  • Youngsters take it from the top for charity performances

    ABOUT 120 youngsters and adults are putting on a charity variety show this week. While they perform West End hits, pop anthems and acrobatics, Hartlepool and District Hospice will be centre stage in everyone's minds. The Val Armstrong School of Performing

  • Ashley, 14, plays Santa to orphans

    A SCHOOLBOY is giving up his Christmas to play Santa to Romanian orphans. Ashley Clough, 14, leaves Britain on December 23, to travel overland to the poverty- wracked country with a lorry- load of presents. A pupil at Norton School, near Stockton, Ashley

  • £6m refit creates home for station

    PLANS have been announced for the new £6m headquarters of Tyne Tees Television. North-East commercial property specialist City and Northern is the company behind the Gateshead development. The headquarters will be at The Watermark business park, next

  • £6m refit creates home for station

    PLANS have been announced for the new £6m headquarters of Tyne Tees Television. North-East commercial property specialist City and Northern is the company behind the Gateshead development. The headquarters will be at The Watermark business park, next

  • Man gave banned driver's details

    A BANNED driver tried to fool police by giving them a false name when he was caught behind the wheel for a third time. However, the name Mark Sylvester Lindsay gave the police belonged to another disqualified driver, and he was arrested. Lindsay, 24,

  • Irene to lead the team

    Social housing contractor Frank Haslam Milan has set up a human resources department. The department of three, led by manager Irene Liddle will concentrate on training and development. Ms Liddle, who has spent nearly half her 13 years in the industry

  • Tees Valley Regeneration appointments

    TEES Valley Regeneration has appointed council chief executives GEORGE GARLICK, of Stockton Borough Council and PAUL WALKER, of Hartlepool Borough Council, to its board. Brian Dinsdale, the serving chief executive of Middlesbrough Council, will serve

  • Student picks up BBC award for bluffing

    A STUDENT'S attempts to bluff his way into the company of the Hollywood elite has won top honours. Paul Elliott spent months trying to pass himself off as a professional film reviewer, for a documentary, Mock Critic. The piece, which was broadcast on

  • Labour of love pays off for Carol

    THIRTY years in business and going stronger than ever - Brookleigh Riding Centre has been under the direction and ownership of Carol Thompson for an impressive 30 years and still counting. Carol has had, quite literally, many hundreds of riders through

  • Magpies exit would break Bernard's heart

    OLIVIER Bernard has spoken of his heartache at the thought of leaving Newcastle United - but warned the club he won't be forced into signing a new deal on the cheap. The French full-back becomes a free agent next May, and the Magpies have five weeks to

  • Private healthcare firm in groundbreaking deal with NHS

    A private healthcare provider has announced a deal to take non-emergency calls from an ambulance trust. In a groundbreaking partnership, Care UK said out-of-hours calls from the Essex Ambulance Trust would be referred to it when emergency treatment was

  • Dog adopts ten puppies after their mum dies

    EVE the Weimaraner has become the supermum of the canine world after she adopted a litter of rottweiler puppies. The ten puppies were orphaned when their mother died of liver failure soon after she gave birth. Following a frantic appeal to find them a

  • Carter keen to extend stay at the Stadium of Light

    DARREN Carter last night revealed that he would "love" to stay at Sunderland when his three-month loan spell expires in the middle of next month. The 20-year-old midfielder, who was instrumental in Sunday's emphatic 2-0 win over Ipswich, is due to return

  • Simon Martin

    CONTRACTOR WSP Remediation has appointed SIMON MARTIN as business development director. His main role is to develop the business, which specialises in regenerating contaminated and brownfield land, across the North of England, working from the Newcastle

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Chef. £5.70 to £6.40ph, 37.5hrs pw, 7.30am to 5.30pm. Must have NVQ 2 in cooking and current driving licence. Ref: DAE 41897. Nanny. £6ph, 20-25hrs pw. Experience working with children essential. Qualifications preferred. Ref: DAE 41896. PCV fitter. £8.25ph

  • Children's Books

    DEEP WATER by Ann Turnbull (Walker, £4.99) WHICH is more important - obedience to your mother, or loyalty to your forbidden friend whose life might be in danger? This is the impossible situation in which young Jon finds himself when his day of playing

  • Three appointments at Faithful and Gould (F&G)

    PROJECT management and cost consultants, Faithful and Gould (F&G) has made three appointments in the North-East. ERIC BAGLEY, 50, has been seconded to Northumberland County Council, for which F&G has a three-year contract to provide management

  • A case of looking closer to home

    Spooks (BBC1); I Won't Marry White (Ch4): IMAGINE a terrorist who had the knowledge to hack into any computer in the world. Firewalls, passwords and anti-virus software would be redundant as international organisations were brought to their knees. This

  • Former soldier jailed for fight

    A FORMER soldier who attacked an off-duty police officer and tried to gouge out his eyes during a pub fight has been jailed. Kevin Shane Willis punched PC John Smith in the face and bit his forehead and ear, while his friend, Richard Edwards, kicked the

  • Glyn Owen

    Car retailer Reg Vardy has appointed GLYN OWEN as franchise director after 18 years in senior management with car manufacturer Fiat. Mr Owen will work with 15 of the world's leading vehicle manufacturers and Reg Vardy's UK network of volume and specialist

  • The man who kept coming back for more

    Stuart Mackintosh looks at the life story of Darlington Football Club's boomerang boss, which lifts the lid on his relationship with the club's controversial former chairman George Reynolds. THREE TIMES A QUAKER by David Hodgson (Speakeasy Publishing,

  • Why do women stick with a rat?

    As musical star Darren Day tries to win back pregnant fiancee Suzanne Shaw after reports he cheated on her with a chorus girl, Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings asks why do women put up with love rats? SNUGGLED up under the duvet at their Hertfordshire

  • Please, just get me to the ground on time

    ENGLAND star Kieron Dyer had to hire a private jet to get to training at Newcastle after missing his flight. The player, who was with team-mate Titus Bramble, had to pay £3,000 for the 300-mile trip from Stansted, in Essex, to Tyneside. The pair took

  • Lender closer to majority stake in Absa

    Barclays has moved closer to taking a majority stake in one of South Africa's biggest banks. Discussions with Absa Group are progressing and Barclays has completed due diligence on the country's largest retail lender. The UK group announced in September

  • Great Train Robber auction lots withdrawn over dispute

    A COLLECTION of motor racing memorabilia that once belonged to racing driver turned Great Train Robber Roy James has been withdrawn after a dispute over their ownership. The long-awaited auction was to take place at the Yorkshire Showground, in Harrogate

  • 'Firms are breaking their jobs promises'

    MAJOR foreign companies deliberately exaggerated the number of jobs they could bring to the North-East, a report claims today. Some foreign companies that have invested in the region have been accused of overstating job claims in order to win Government

  • Backing for drive to reduce fuel bills

    CONSUMER watchdog Energywatch North-East is backing a Government drive to help cut fuel bills. Against a backdrop of rising gas and electricity costs, the body says switching gas or electricity companies could save up to £100 a year. Measures aimed at

  • Matthew Wright

    INFORMATION technology company IT Solutions has appointed MATTHEW WRIGHT as technical director. Mr Wright, 22, who lives in Stockton, is the company's fifth appointment this year. He will help develop and market Office in a Box, a data security solution

  • Breeding flaws must be solved for children's sake

    Bemoaning declining standards is a very popular subject of conversation these days, particularly in the older section of society. Subject matter varies, but when parents get together the likely topic is children. As with morality, declining standards

  • Boro fan given three year ban

    The man who helped spark the violent scenes during Middlesbrough's first competitive game on foreign soil has been banned from football grounds for three years. Nigel Craig McMaster, 36, of Harrier Close, Thornaby, acted as the catalyst for the disturbance

  • History in festive music

    FESTIVE music from throughout the ages will feature in a concert next month. The New Scorpion Band, which has a repertoire covering 500 years of popular music, is to make a rare appearance at Stanley's Lamplight Arts Centre, on Wednesday, December 15.

  • England cap would be Sven's Downing treat

    Stewart Downing has targeted an England call-up early next year after being told he is firmly in Sven Goran Eriksson's plans. The Middlesbrough winger was expected to be handed his first cap in last week's controversial friendly in Spain, but instead

  • Horse cruelty pair may face jail

    A FATHER and daughter have been warned they could face jail after admitting cruelty to three horses. Two of the animals, a grey mare and a strawberry roan mare, later had to be put down. Ernest Horsfield, 66, and his daughter, Deborah, 39, appeared at

  • Follow these rules to be safe when travelling

    In order to enjoy your horses fully it is necessary to transport them by road to events. Heather Wedderburn has advice on how to travel safely. As you progress with training your horse you will find that going to events, shows, hunting or pleasure rides

  • Porter attracting interest from Down Under

    JOEL Porter may be offered a return to Australia, with Perth Glory looking to entice Hartlepool United striker home. The 25-year-old has netted six times for Pool this season, but his current deal runs until the end of the season and And Mitch D'Avray

  • AstraZeneca to link up with biotech firm

    PHARMACEUTICALS company AstraZeneca is to join forces with a UK biotech firm in a bid to boost its line of treatments. The five-year project with Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT) will study the use of antibodies mainly in treating inflammatory disorders

  • England cap would be Sven's Downing treat

    Stewart Downing has targeted an England call-up early next year after being told he is firmly in Sven Goran Eriksson's plans. The Middlesbrough winger was expected to be handed his first cap in last week's controversial friendly in Spain, but instead

  • The real-life Boy's Own story of Great Uncle Willie

    A Boy's Own story in every sense, we wrote four years ago of the extraordinary career of William Reuben Applegarth - hereinafter Great Uncle Willie - a Guisborough lad who became the fastest man on earth. Unlike Willie Applegarth, the story failed to

  • Back our bid, says GNER

    TRAIN operator GNER has taken the wraps off the latest stage of its campaign to win the new East Coast Main Line franchise. A series of Back Our Bid posters featuring the company's staff were unveiled simultaneously at stations along the route. They include

  • Speedie: I am not a racist

    A FORMER football star at the centre of a row over comments he made at a charity dinner has insisted: "I'm not a racist." Former Quakers star David Speedie caused offence at a sportsman's dinner organised by Darlington Supporters' Trust by making references

  • Opportunity knocks for Latimer Hinks trainee

    DARLINGTON law firm Latimer Hinks has appointed trainee solicitor JOHN BOOTH. The Durham University law graduate, who has recently completed the first of his professional qualifications at Northumbria University, will specialise in company law with Latimer

  • Liz Mauritzon

    ARRIVA Vehicle Rental has appointed LIZ MAURITZON as general manager in preparation for a move to the company's new offices in Sunderland. Ms Mauritzon has been a branch manager at Arriva's former premises for the past five years. As part of her new role

  • Butcher's pies are the best

    A FAMILY butcher's company is celebrating after its pork pies were named the best in Yorkshire. Johnson's Butchers of Market Place, Thirsk, won the accolade at the recent Great Yorkshire Pork Pie Competition in Bradford. The contest, organised by the

  • Cat in a basket is a bit of a puzzle

    STAFF at a Durham veterinary practice are used to having the occasional cat left in a cardboard box on their doorstep. But yesterday morning Vets 4 Pets at Framwellgate Moor had a surprise package outside their door. For although, once again, a cat had

  • Eating Owt: 'Driven by people, not profits'

    The wheels on the bus are still going round and round as the eco-friendly Green Bus celebrates its first anniversary. IT'S A fairly roundabout route by Green Bus to the Eating Owt column, but in suggesting that they might have a Green run to Marrakech

  • Sportsman's dinner raises £5,000 for good causes

    MORE than £5,000 was raised for two North-East charities at the annual Sportsman's Dinner. The charity event was held by the Darlington Bondgate Round Table at the Dolphin Centre in the town, and the money will be split between St Teresa's Hospice, in

  • Access all areas at The Riverside

    MEMBERS of a Saturday club in Darlington mixed with soccer stars from the past and present as they started a new project. Youngsters from Longfield School, Haughton School and Hurworth School were given a tour of Middlesbrough Football Club. They are

  • Police seek horse rider

    POLICE in Crook are appealing for information to help trace a horse rider involved in a confrontation with a cyclist more than three months ago. The rider passed the cyclist on the Brandon to Bishop Auckland bridleway and cycle path near Stockerley Lane

  • Goodbyes to friends from dying woman

    A WOMAN dying of cystic fibrosis spent her last evening telephoning her goodbyes to friends and hospital staff who has nursed her. Leanne Gunn, 21, died the following morning while being taken by ambulance from her home in Teesville, Redcar, east Cleveland

  • Woman steps up campaign to tackle toxic waste fumes

    A RESIDENT who started a one-woman campaign to stop toxic fumes spreading across a Darlington housing estate is demanding more action. Elizabeth Mitchell believes the fumes come from cables and tyres burnt along with other rubbish at the Cleveland Trading

  • Pupils go bananas in pyjames to hekp out charity event

    STAFF and pupils at a Darlington school raised almost £140 for charity by going to school in their nightwear. Redhall Primary School held its Pyjama Party for Pudsey to raise money for Children in Need. The children played games, did competitions and

  • Team gives village a winter check-up

    HEALTH officials linked up with police and a other experts yesterday to give a village a checkup before winter. Elderly residents were given flu jabs, diet sheets, low-energy light bulbs and advice in the first project of its kind at Evenwood, near Barnard

  • Fabtastic day brings charity into Focus

    EVERYTHING was F.A.B. at a Darlington DIY store after staff raised nearly £1,000 for charity with a fun day devoted to Thunderbirds. The event at the Darlington Focus store raised money for the Meningitis Trust, and included entertainment, competitions

  • New Street star

    A NORTH-EAST actor is hoping to win the nation's heart when he debuts on Britain's favourite soap. Michael Imerson will appear on Coronation Street as mechanic Tyrone's love rival. The 24-year-old will play surfer Dave Bellis, who stole the heart of young

  • Concerns for monument earn tip a reprieve

    A PUBLIC tip in a rural area faces closure because of new government legislation. Residents of Cockfield, in Teesdale, are worried the closure of Cragwood tip could lead to increased fly-tipping on Cockfield Fell. The tip was scheduled to close next month

  • Fostering team aims to swell numbers

    PEOPLE interested in becoming foster parents can find out the best way to get started. Middlesbrough Council's executive member for social care and health, Councillor Brenda Thompson, is keen for people to find out more about fostering and the benefits

  • Town aiming to improve its services for elderly people

    A TOWN where one in six residents is over retirement age is working to become more user-friendly for older people. A task force has been set up in Middlesbrough to look at the needs of disabled older people, as well as personal safety issues, public transport

  • Promoting benefits of family learning

    A SPECIALIST countywide family learning team has been set up across North Yorkshire to involve everyone in children's education. The team will organise events for members of the family to learn together through a range of activities and programmes. The

  • Lottery cash boost for town community arts space plan

    THE conversion of an old court room into a community arts space can go ahead thanks to a National Lottery grant. The Arts Council has awarded £70,000 to Rural Arts North Yorkshire (Rany) to convert the former court room in Thirsk into a venue for exhibitions

  • Students offered free tests for 'silent' sex infection

    DURHAM University students are to be offered free testing for the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia. The screening programme on Friday will be part of a specially designated student health week. There has been a significant increase in cases of

  • Pupils learn to overcome public speaking fears

    YOUNGSTERS have been proving they know how to get their point across when it comes to public discussion. As part of a drive to promote public speaking and listening among children, North Yorkshire County Council organised a debate between some small schools

  • Advice will be just a text message away

    ADVICE on sexual health and relationships will be available by text message from next week, with the launch of a mobile phone service. The confidential service allows women in the Durham and Chester-le-Street area to text their questions to specialist

  • Helping people 24 hours a day for 15 years

    A SCHEME that offers 24-hour support to almost 10,000 older and vulnerable people enjoyed a double celebration. Sedgefield Borough Council's Carelink scheme celebrated its 15th anniversary yesterday by welcoming its 3,000th 'Lifeline' customers - David

  • School chefs are given 80p to cook up a prize-winning meal

    SCHOOL cooks will be preparing gastronomic delights on the princely budget of 80p tomorrow. Chefs from schools across the North-East and Scotland are hoping to impress judges at the regional finals of the Local Authority Caterers' Association (LACA) School

  • Portrayal of saint blessed in cathedral

    A painting depicting a Scottish queen who became a medieval saint has gone on display in its permanent home in Durham Cathedral. The cathedral chapter commissioned the work, Margaret and David 2003, by acclaimed London-based Portuguese painter Paula Rego

  • DNA traps rapist 24 years after woman's wasteland torment

    A DOUBLE rapist was jailed again yesterday after DNA evidence linked him to a sex attack more than 20 years ago. Paul Logan, 45, of Drybeck Court, Chester-le-Street, pleaded guilty to raping a 19-year-old croupier in 1980. Judge David Hodson, who sentenced

  • Company plans to use green technology at landfill

    A COMPANY plans to develop a green waste landfill site in east Durham. Durham-based Premier Waste Management is to seek planning permission from Durham County Council to use a 188-acre site next to the A181 at Wingate Grange, near Wingate. The firm says

  • Homes are needed for pair

    ANIMAL welfare workers are looking for homes for two dogs that have led unhappy lives. Four-year-old collie Lady and Neapolitan mastiff Louise also need operations to improve their failing eyesight. Both dogs have been cared for by the Saltburn Animal

  • Children help willow artists create works

    CHILDREN in east Cleveland will create living art this week. The charity Groundwork South Tees is introducing children in the Loftus area to artists creating living willow structures. During National Tree Week, which is from tomorrow until December 5,

  • Youngsters earn praise for eco work

    YOUNGSTERS have been thanked for conservation work. Cubs and Beavers from the First Redcar Scout Group gave up their spare time for ten Saturday mornings in succession. With parents and carers, they carried out practical conservation tasks at Coatham

  • Warning given over damage to roads

    HIGHWAYS officials are warning road users they will take action against those who damage minor roads through unusual use. The network in North Yorkshire includes a lot of minor rural roads, many of which are not built to carry frequent or heavy loads.

  • Mervin Staughan

    BUSINESS in the Community's Yorkshire region has appointed communications director MERVIN STRAUGHAN. Mr Straughan, who lives in Knaresborough, started his career as a reporter at The Sunderland Echo and has held a series of senior management positions

  • Goodbyes to friends from dying woman

    A WOMAN dying of cystic fibrosis spent her last evening telephoning her goodbyes to friends and hospital staff who has nursed her. Leanne Gunn, 21, died the following morning while being taken by ambulance from her home in Teesville, Redcar, east Cleveland

  • A pint of milk and a massage please

    Diversification is certainly proving a boon for those of us who want some time out and beauty treatments. Jenny Needham takes a trip to a farm which boasts an impressive day spa. IT'S had a violent history but High Hill House Farm is now a haven for those

  • Club staff held at gunpoint

    TWO masked gunmen brandishing a sawn-off shotgun burst into a busy ex-servicemen's club and stole thousands of pounds from a safe, a court heard yesterday. The armed robbers, who concealed their identities behind a balaclava and a motorcycle helmet, threatened

  • Security issues at top of agenda

    The Government is expected to crack down on the nation's security laws when its last legislative programme before next year's General Election is outlined in the Queen's speech today. As well as Bills designed to protect the UK against al Qaida attacks

  • Grants boost arts projects

    THE conversion of an old court room into a community arts space is now possible thanks to a lottery grant. The Arts Council has awarded £70,000 to Rural Arts North Yorkshire (Rany) to convert the former court room in Thirsk into a venue for exhibitions

  • Portrayal of saint blessed in cathedral

    A painting depicting a Scottish queen who became a medieval saint has gone on display in its permanent home in Durham Cathedral. The cathedral chapter commissioned the work, Margaret and David 2003, by acclaimed London-based Portuguese painter Paula Rego

  • Mist lifts in time for a great opening meet

    Some 100 horses met at Brettanby Manor, home of Peter and Angie Vaux, for the Zetland Hunt's Opening Meet, on October 29. The weather was perfect with an early morning mist lifting just in time for hounds to move off at 11am. Nicky Vigors, Joint Master

  • Police may revolt over hunt ban

    Home Secretary David Blunkett faces a police revolt over his threats to jail hunt followers from within the force. Officers who hunt have said they may resign rather than arrest fellow supporters who have pledged to flout the ban. One life-long policeman

  • Mother helps police to identify thief son

    A DRUG addict who stole from the village shop where his mother worked was arrested after she identified him to police, a court was told. Carl William Young, 31, took a crate of 24 cans of lager from the Co-op store in Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, County

  • DNA traps rapist 24 years after woman's wasteland torment

    A DOUBLE rapist was jailed again yesterday after DNA evidence linked him to a sex attack more than 20 years ago. Paul Logan, 45, of Drybeck Court, Chester-le-Street, pleaded guilty to raping a 19-year-old croupier in 1980. Judge David Hodson, who sentenced

  • Echo Sport Comment: Newcastle get to see the future

    IT is normally the preserve of clairvoyants but, during the next two weeks, Newcastle fans will be able to look into the future. For a fleeting fortnight, the club's supporters will be treated to a glimpse of a world they have heard talked about, but

  • Salmonella probe team to give report

    THE investigation team that looked into a major outbreak of food poisoning publishes its report today. More than 100 people were believed to have fallen prey to salmonella in the Derwentside area of County Durham during the summer. Dr Anne Low, director

  • Emotional meeting as Jamie thanks donor who saved him

    A BRAVE 11-year-old boy has met the police officer who gave him the gift of life. Jamie Waldie -who suffered from a rare blood disorder that can lead to leukaemia - would not be alive today if he had not received a bone marrow transplant from Gary Fletcher

  • Newcastle get to see the future

    IT is normally the preserve of clairvoyants but, during the next two weeks, Newcastle fans will be able to look into the future. For a fleeting fortnight, the club's supporters will be treated to a glimpse of a world they have heard talked about, but

  • 23/11/04

    PENSIONERS: MOST pensioners will be pleased at the prompt delivery of their Winter Fuel payments. However, it would be much more sensible if all pensions were paid the same high rate as the over-80s. The cost would be infinitesimal compared to the billions

  • Why the hunting ban won't work

    So Tony Blair will lose next year's General Election. And the reason? Not the failing schools and the disastrously expensive and grossly inefficient NHS. Not the inexorable rise in violent crime. Nor the collapse of the pension funds. Nor Gordon Brown's

  • improving demand means more brass for workspace group

    BUSINESS accommodation provider Workspace Group was trumpeting its success yesterday as it announced profits of £6.5m. Workspace, which provides five million sq ft of accommodation for more than 3,900 small and medium-sized businesses, mainly in the South-East

  • Children study birds of prey

    NURSERY school children got a good look at some magnificent birds of prey. Two owls, an eagle and a kestrel from Sion Hill Hall Falconry Centre at Kirby Wiske, were at Borrowby Nursery in Borrowby. The visit was part of the nursery's current topic, in

  • Band are top brass

    THE musical stars of the film Brassed Off have defended their title in a national brass band contest. Barnsley-based Grimethorpe Colliery UK Coal was named TUC champions at the Brass in Concert contest at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, County Durham, on Sunday

  • Broadband stretches to rural communities

    Broadband goes live in rural communities tomorrow after a successful campaign by residents. BT will switch on the high-speed internet connection at exchanges in Leyburn and Aysgarth, in Wensleydale. The move means hundreds of residents and businesses

  • The battle of Jericho

    There are just six people, tucked away in a nondescript office in police headquarters, but this is the heart of the fight against drug crime. Nick Morrison reports. "I HAVEN'T even got time to go to the toilet - they're just pinging all the time," Jenny

  • The Zetland goes from breeches to ball gowns

    THE eve of the annual Zetland Hunt Ball on November 6 started with the meet held at Hilton Moor Farm, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Elliott. Wonderful hospitality was dispensed to a reasonably-sized Saturday field. Leo Anderson, a keen Zetland Hunt

  • Profits rise at perfume retailer

    PERFUME retailer Merchant Retail yesterday posted a 15 per cent rise in half-year profits to £3.6m, despite what it described as a period of great uncertainty in which it decided to close its department stores. The group hailed the continued success of

  • Mayor salutes town's 'lifeblood'

    MIDDLESBROUGH Mayor Ray Mallon has performed the official opening of fire protection specialist HE Woolley's Startforth Road headquarters. The Teesside company said its move to the facilities heralded the next stage of its growth. Mr Mallon said: "Business

  • Teacher Mark scores a hat-trick

    Good things come in threes for Mark Hassack. When he graduates from the University of Teesside today, not only will he receive a First Class BA (Hons) degree in Business Management, but also two academic prizes, the In Biz Prize and the Chartered Management

  • Drink-drivers to be 'named and shamed'

    DRINK-drivers could find themselves named and shamed by the police this Christmas. Sergeant Mick Rookes, of Richmondshire Police, has vowed to put the names of offenders caught by him and his colleagues in Leyburn Life, a newsletter delivered free to

  • Candlelight carols back by request

    A CHARITY evening of carols by candlelight will be repeated after the success of last year's event. The Harp Singers will perform in Victorian dress at the Bolton Arms, Leyburn, next month. Mince pies and mulled wine will be served at the event in aid

  • 'Firms are breaking their jobs promises'

    MAJOR foreign companies deliberately exaggerated the number of jobs they could bring to the North-East, a report claims today. Some foreign companies that have invested in the region have been accused of overstating job claims in order to win Government

  • Hunt protest heads for court

    Pro-hunt campaigners have launched a legal challenge to overthrow Parliament's ban on the sport. Lawyers backed by the Countryside Alliance lodged papers at the High Court, in London, on Friday, seeking a judicial review of the Hunting Act which was finally

  • Rail authority gets tough on loss-making lines

    PASSENGERS on two little-used North-East rail routes were told yesterday to come up with ideas to boost income and cut costs to save them from the axe. The two are among 56 loss-making lines across the country where the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA)

  • Garlands team leader wins top accolade

    A TEAM leader at Garlands Hartlepool call centre won top honours at this year's North-East Contact Centre Awards. Sylvia Bone beat stiff competition from a record number of entrants to walk away with the award for Going Beyond the Call of Duty. She was

  • Organising an event? Get yourself covered

    Everyone who rides a horse or organises an event knows how unpredictable and dangerous equestrianism is. Every year both at home or when competing, riders are seriously injured or even killed. It is an organiser's nightmare. Most equestrian events these