DAVID HODGSON has promised to waste no time in wielding the axe with Third Division safety not yet assured. Quakers travel to Third Division table-toppers Doncaster this afternoon lying just six points clear of the relegation zone. Renowned for his fair
JIMMY Taylor ran the gauntlet of German U-Boats, dive bombers and icebergs in the Second World War. Now, the ex-merchant seaman, who sailed on convoys taking ammunition and stores to Russia, is going into battle again - this time against the British Government
Retailers will set the tone for corporate news next week, with media and entertainment groups also due to report. Woolworths is expected to show that its revival strategy is continuing to pay off when it announces full-year results next Wednesday. The
Much as watchdogs moan about soap overlaod, viewers can't get enough. So is a fifthe evening in Albert Square the answer to BBC1's midweek slump in viewing figures? NEVER mind what the good folk of Albert Square will think of Sharon and Dennis snogging
FORMER chairman George Reynolds said last night that he would rather see Darlington Football Club close than accept a last ditch rescue deal. His defiant comments came shortly after administrators revealed they had exchanged contracts with the Sterling
AN exhibition featuring personal belongings and memorabilia from 20th Century icons including Marilyn Monroe and Winston Churchill opens today. Among the items going on show at Nunnington Hall, near Helmsley, North Yorkshire are a tiny fragment of the
TEENAGERS in North Yorkshire are due to be given skateboard parks and meeting shelters. Ryedale Teenage Recreation Network has become one of only a handful of projects nationwide to be given thousands of pounds from the New Opportunities Lottery Fund.
STEVE McClaren last night hailed Stewart Downing's new long-term contract as further proof that Middlesbrough's future is in safe hands. Downing signed a new four-year deal yesterday to finally put an end to months of speculation suggesting he could be
TWO portraits of people who worked in North-East coal mines are to come under the hammer next week. The sale, at Newcastle auction house Anderson and Garland, comes as the region remembers the 1984 miners' strike. John Anderson, picture specialist at
UNEMPLOYMENT HOW gallant of our PM to raise the age of school leavers to 19 years. He must think we are all in need of further education, education, education, that we cannot see through his strategy of buying more votes. The level of unemployment in
SIR BOBBY ROBSON has predicted that the race for fourth place in the Premiership will go to the wire as Newcastle prepare for a "monumental'' clash with Charlton at St. James' Park this evening. Alan Curbishley's fourth-placed side are a point clear of
A NORTH-EAST college is believed to be among the top five in the country following an exceptional Ofsted report. Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, which last year helped rank the Darlington area second in the country for A-level results, was highly
DETECTIVES are appealing for information after a man had his thumb partially bitten off during a fight in a pub. Trouble broke out at the Fleming Hotel, in Shotton Colliery, east Durham at 11.10pm last Friday during a karaoke competition. A 54-year-old
MPS are to investigate the way the armed services look after raw recruits after the deaths of four young soldiers. Surrey Police released the results of their final report earlier this month into the deaths of 17-year-old County Durham soldier Geoff Gray
SHAY GIVEN has warned that Newcastle must splash out in the transfer market this summer if they are to avoid being left behind by the Premiership's top three. Goalkeeper Given admits it would be a "nightmare'' if the Magpies failed to at least claim fifth
ONCE-upon-a-time, on a frozen, isolated shore, there lived an old Inuit eskimo with his beautiful daughter. She was a haughty young thing who spent her days combing out her long, dark hair and spurning the advances of the hunters who travelled in search
A TEENAGER is due to be sentenced next month after admitting eight counts of indecent assault against a male aged under 16 The 17-year-old from County Durham, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Teesside Crown Court yesterday where he denied
GIFTED youngsters have won through to the next round of the talentSTAR competition after auditions at Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College. The final winners will receive prizes enabling them to further their musical careers. A total of 55 students
TWO young men have been sentenced to 18 and 12 months respectively in a young offenders institution for their part in a fracas in which an off-duty police chief was beaten unconscious. Lee Makin and Simon Kilpatrick joined two other youths in the attack
FOUR pupils from a tiny County Durham school have flown to London to receive a national award. The pupils make up more than a quarter of the roll at Forest-in-Teesdale school, which has only 14 pupils. The school was named as a Heritage Star for its contribution
MEMBERS of a special needs class have planted a maple tree in memory of a former student's grandparents. Henry Duncan, 33, who studied horticulture at Askham Bryan College, Guisborough, wanted to plant the tree at the college in memory of his grandparents
SUNDERLAND boss Mick McCarthy has rounded on the critics trying to rubbish the standard of football in Division One by telling them to 'shut it'. Norwich City's rise to the top of the table has shocked many this season but instead of the Canaries receiving
A multi-use sports hall is expected to prove a big hit with professional and local teams. Work starts soon on the £1.3m development alongside Durham County Cricket Club's ground and the adjoining Riverside sports complex, at Chester-le-Street. The sports
THE occasional milk stout and keeping busy has helped Millie Leng reach her 100th birthday. Mrs Leng celebrated the milestone on Thursday at the Hackworth House nursing home, in Shildon, with grandaughter, Cheryl, and friends. One of six children, Mrs
ANGRY residents have hit out at contractors who they say have left them living in a building site while their homes are refurbished. Tenants on the Lakes Estate, in Redcar, many of them pensioners, were delighted to hear their old kitchens were to be
WORK has started on a £500,000 scheme to create a town park. The park, in Newton Aycliffe, will be constructed using the most modern equipment and materials available. The Mayor and Mayoress of Great Aycliffe, Councillors Malcolm Iveson and his wife Sarah
RITCHIE Humphreys reckons Hartlepool United should be following the Plymouth formula for success. Pool are in the race for the Division Two play-off places, sitting in ninth place. Three points today at Grimsby would keep Neale Cooper's side right in
CULTURES from around the world are being brought into the classroom in a bid to tackle racism. North Yorkshire County Council has set up a fund to promote equality and diversity following a grant by the Yorkshire and Humber Global Schools Association.
A PETERLEE factory worker has become the first person in County Durham to pass an online certificate in numeracy. Walkers Snack Foods employee Danny Wilcox, from Horden, has achieved a level two numeracy qualification, equivalent to a GCSE, through learndirect
College students have gone into business as promoters of a rock band. The Young Enterprise company H3O, from Stockton Sixth Form College, started in September, raising capital and drawing up a viable and sustainable business plan in a bid to get rock
A BAND has been so overwhelmed by the success of a music night in aid of Darlington Supporters' Trust that it is planning another gig. Indie act Lifetime Skiver is also releasing a CD, called Like Me, in aid of the trust's crisis fund, set up after Darlington
THE race for a Champions League spot will come to a head this afternoon. Fourth-placed Charlton travel to sixth-placed Newcastle. Seventh-placed Birmingham are also in the North-East - at Middlesbrough - while fifth-placed Liverpool will hope to continue
A SCHOOLBOY accused of killing a friend who died in a blazing skip told a court yesterday he lit a piece of paper because he was bored. Michael Temperley, 15, died after he was locked in the rubbish container when he went inside to retrieve his bike,
Civic dignitaries were invited to a heritage day to showcase the landmarks of the borough of Stockton. The Mayor of Stockton, Councillor Ann Cains, held a reception at the University of Durham, Queen's Campus, Stockton, for the guests. She said: "This
A MAYOR has taken delivery of a car that is a work of art chronicling a town's past, present and future. A dual powered petrol and battery-driven Honda Civic, presented to Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon, is emblazoned with images of the town's history
Two-day-old James Souter has become one of the youngest babies in the world to be fitted with a pacemaker after he was born with a life-threatening heartdefect. His survival against the odds has been described as a miracle by his relieved parents, who
RESIDENTS are concerned that the new single-site in Brotton for three amalgamated schools will mean community facilities will be lost. A decision was made to create a single site at Brotton for the 1,000-pupil Freebrough College in July, which is split
IF you think clearing up after a small pet is bad enough, spare a thought for Jeanette Bayes. She is so determined to raise cash to work towards her dream job that she took on a task that would give most people nightmares. With a giant pooper-scooper
WAS it really that colour?" is the question everyone asks when they see your holiday snaps from Utah's red rock canyons - and with good reason. The colours are unbelievable - even when you're there. This is possibly why so many film makers chose this
RITCHIE Humphreys reckons Hartlepool United should be following the Plymouth formula for success. Pool are in the race for the Division Two play-off places, sitting in ninth place. Three points today at Grimsby would keep Neale Cooper's side right in
DARLINGTON Mowden Park will wait as long as possible before deciding whether to unleash Kelekolio Paino on the wing in today's derby at Blackwell Meadows. The 6ft 7in Tongan, normally a lock, returned after a four-month injury absence on the wing against
A TEESSIDE training company has won a contract working on an oil and gas project in the Caspian Sea. TTE International will act as consultants to Sakhalin Energy Investment Company (SEIC), which is developing onshore and offshore facilities on Sakhalin
A NEW initiative to free up police officers to tackle crime and provide high visibility policing in North-East communities was announced yesterday by Home Secretary David Blunkett. The Northumbria Police force area is one of ten pilots to benefit from
FORMER chairman George Reynolds said last night that he would rather see Darlington Football Club close than accept a last ditch rescue deal. His defiant comments came shortly after administrators revealed they had exchanged contracts with the Sterling
ARRESTS were made yesterday at a demonstration outside a military base to mark the anniversary of the outbreak of the Iraq war. Peace campaigners attempted to blockade the secretive US listening base at Menwith Hill, near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, during
Steve Harmison tightened his psychological hold on England's Test series in the Caribbean with another superb display of fast bowling at the Queen's Park Oval yesterday to abruptly end West Indies' hopes of bouncing back strongly in the second Test. Just
Blue skies, red rocks and golfing greens are the essential colours of Southern Utah - but if you want to catch them at their best you have to get up early, as Anne Kostalas discovers. "WAS it really that colour?" is the question everyone asks when they
PICTURE this: Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League; Michael Owen refuses to sign a new contract; Chelsea launch bid for Owen; Owen joins the Blues for £20m. This may all be speculation yet there is a distinct possibility that it will happen
A TEENAGER whose continual harassment and verbal abuse drove people from their homes has breached an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo). Darlington Youth Court yesterday heard the 16-year-old admit to repeatedly entering the town's Shelly Road, despite
UNION representatives are expected to meet Royal Mail staff on Monday to discuss concerns over a new cost-cutting system. Postmen and women in Darlington say that since the Royal Mail combined its first and second posts, workers have been going off sick
THOUSANDS of motorists were caught up in traffic mayhem yesterday when high winds wreaked havoc. The A1 and A66 were both closed following fatal accidents, causing massive tailbacks and jamming many roads as winds gusted to 75mph. The winds also disrupted
Coca-Cola's decision to recall its entire UK supply of bottled water Dasani was last night branded a disaster for the company. The firm, which launched the drink last month amid huge publicity, announced that all bottles being sold in Britain were to
A MANUFACTURER has bucked industry trends by announcing that it is planning to expand. ALM Products, of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is planning to treble its turnover in the next three years. The company makes cubicle hardware and washroom furniture
FAMILIES and friends gather on Monday to mourn two people killed in accidents on North-East roads. Amy Longworth, 13, was hit by a car as she attempted to cross a slip road off the A182 Washington Highway, in Washington, last Saturday. She was struck
A GROUP of six district councils have criticised what they say are misleading claims by Durham County Council over the services it provides. They were responding to a county council campaign of posters on bus shelters and in buses to tell people what
FOUR pupils from a tiny County Durham school have flown to London to receive a national award. The pupils make up more than a quarter of the roll at Forest-in-Teesdale school, which has only 14 pupils. The school was named as a Heritage Star for its contribution
A YOUNG musician has won a place in the final of a national contest. Dan Johnson, of Spennymoor, will compete with five of the country's top young jazz artists for the prize of a West End concert and £1,000 in the Jazz Academy final in June. If he wins
PRIMARY school pupils have enjoyed a week of experiments to celebrate National Science Week. Visitors to St John's Primary School, Shildon, have helped pupils explore the world of science with talks on everything from geology and magnets to caring for
A TEENAGER has been locked up for four years after the car he was driving ploughed into a stationary Army truck killing the passenger. Charles Slack, 17, of Redhouses, High Etherley, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was travelling at speeds of up
CONSERVATIONISTS are looking for volunteers for a project in the new community orchard in Reeth, next week. Fours days have been set aside to build a compost facility to help to make the most of the fruit trees in the walled orchard at Hudson House community
YOUNGSTERS at a Chester-le-Street school have marked National Science Week by finding out that science can be fun. The Hermitage School held an event for 500 pupils that gave the chance for them to experience "science in the real world''. It was designed
STEVE McClaren last night hailed Stewart Downing's new long-term contract as further proof that Middlesbrough's future is in safe hands. Downing signed a new four-year deal yesterday to finally put an end to months of speculation suggesting he could be
AFTER more than three months in the avian equivalent of intensive care, Thor the barn owl is being released into the wild tomorrow. After being pulled back from the brink of death and nursed back to health, the young bird will be tasting freedom once
A UNITED front has been forged between residents, councillors, the police and government to stamp out anti-social behaviour in Darlington. The town's MP, Alan Milburn, has called on residents to work with the authorities and agencies to isolate perpetrators
SUNDERLAND boss Mick McCarthy has rounded on the critics trying to rubbish the standard of football in Division One by telling them to 'shut it'. Norwich City's rise to the top of the table has shocked many this season but instead of the Canaries receiving
More than 700 young people can show off their gymnastic talent at two sporting events. About 270 pupils, from 19 east Durham schools, took to the floor in a key stage one Gymnastic Festival, at Seaham Leisure Centre. Almost 450 older pupils from 26 other
A MAN who hatched a "hairbrained" plot to kidnap his estranged girlfriend in an attempt to win her back was jailed yesterday. Mark Rayner came up with the scheme to snatch Susan Lowbridge after their relationship broke down and she moved into a refuge
A FORMER policeman said he was devastated yesterday after charges against four senior Cleveland Police officers - who he claimed set him up - were dropped. Control room Inspector Steve Bakewell, from Yarm, former Detective Inspector Russ Daglish, 44,
DAVID HODGSON has promised to waste no time in wielding the axe with Third Division safety not yet assured. Quakers travel to Third Division table-toppers Doncaster this afternoon lying just six points clear of the relegation zone. Renowned for his fair
THE man in the red jacket, clutching a microphone and talking about the situation in Iraq, is familiar enough. The setting is not. We're used to seeing Rageh Omaar reporting from the roof of the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad as US shells whizz past. Here
A TEENAGER has been locked up for four years after the car he was driving ploughed into a stationary Army truck killing the passenger. Charles Slack, 17, of Redhouses, High Etherley, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was travelling at speeds of up
NEARLY 900,000 people are facing fines for failing to submit their self-assessment tax returns in time. The Inland Revenue said it had received 8.58 million completed forms by the January 31 deadline, from a total of 9.47 million sent out for the 2002
IT is not the deal Darlington football fans would have wanted. The Sterling Consortium is a money-lender who has no interest other than getting its cash back. That is its business. But with no other deal on the table, Sterling's move does at least buy
A STEELWORKS boss last night reassured workers and neighbours that his plant was safe. Les Graham, director of Weardale Steel foundry, in Wolsingham, County Dur-ham, spoke out ahead of a council meeting to consider whether to pay for an air quality study
