THE boss of one of the North-East's most powerful industry bodies has delivered a withering attack on Labour's record on transport. Alan Hall, chairman of the Engineering Employers Federation in the North, which represents 400 engineering firms employing
There can't ever have been many properties in Teesdale with better terms for tenants than six small almshouses on a prime patch of land in Romaldkirk. Tom Vlaming, who lives in the village, showed me a copy of the rules set out for the six occupants in
MARK PROCTOR has warned Darlington they can forget about a trip to the Millennium Stadium in May if they lose at Cambridge United this afternoon. The Quakers' number two last night insisted anything less than a point at the Abbey Stadium will seriously
A MAN had sex with a 12-year-old girl he contacted through a satellite television dating channel, a court heard. When the relationship ended, David Roberts turned his attentions to her 14-year-old friend, and that also resulted in the pair having sex.
A BUSINESSMAN who beat up a council official and chased him across town in his car will be electronically tagged, a court has ruled. David Parkinson snapped after planning officer Neil Foreman removed a sign from outside his furniture warehouse in Longfield
GRAEME Souness has hailed Stephen Carr as "one of the best right-backs in the Premiership", ahead of the defender's eagerly-awaited return to White Hart Lane. The Republic of Ireland international is sure to get a rough ride tomorrow as he makes his first
A BIOFUELS company moved closer to full production yesterday after successful trials of its environmentally-friendly diesel. D1 Oils, based on Teesside, announced tests at its D1 20 refinery had proved it could convert crude vegetable oil into biodiesel
JUST like the BBC researcher who recently offered the long dead Bob Marley the chance of an interview, we all make mistakes. Most of the comeback kids who agreed to take part in Hit Me Baby One More Time (ITV1, Saturday) for a start. That's if you've
Comic Strip hero Peter Richardson is planning to revive the series which introduced a new generation of comedians, including Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, to our screens. The sorry state of TV comedy could get a much-needed boost by the return of
EXPERTS are hoping to turn around the lives of North-East drug users -by turning them into football stars. The Government Office North-East (Gone) has invested £3,000 in an addicts' football tournament, to show there are easier ways of achieving a high
COUNCILLORS were told at a meeting to stay "well behaved" if they wanted to keep off the front page of The Northern Echo. Mike Airey, the chairman of Darlington Borough Council's standards committee, gave a presentation on the national Code of Conduct
MARK PROCTOR has warned Darlington they can forget about a trip to the Millennium Stadium in May if they lose at Cambridge United this afternoon. The Quakers' number two last night insisted anything less than a point at the Abbey Stadium will seriously
A GANG of illegal immigrants are behind bars after carrying out a sophisticated credit card scam on cash machines across the region. The group of foreigners, from Romania, Latvia and Italy, are facing deportation after being caught on security camera
A GANG of illegal immigrants are behind bars after carrying out a sophisticated credit card scam on cash machines across the region. The group of foreigners, from Romania, Latvia and Italy, are facing deportation after being caught on security camera
AN organic farming collective that supplied fresh produce to hundreds of families has been immortalised in a photo exhibition at a local restaurant. At its height, the Growing Green co-operative provided about 150 families from across Darlington, South
EIGHT more points will guarantee Sunderland's place in the Premiership but, for Mick McCarthy, three successive wins would also banish the memory of the worst run of his managerial career. Tuesday night's success at Wigan took the Black Cats eight points
A MOTHER forced to plead for money because of a breakdown in a benefit system was given her outstanding payments yesterday. Julie Ornsby, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and another mother who appealed to the town's MP Derek Foster for help, collected
STEVE McCLAREN is four years into a five-year plan at Middlesbrough and, ahead of another anticipated summer of transfer frenzy on Teesside, the ambitious manager is ready to open talks over extending his contract. McClaren has just 15 months remaining
Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard were back among their county colleagues at Headingley yesterday, reinvigorated after their winter Test triumphs in South Africa and looking forward with optimism to the battles which lie ahead for Yorkshire and England
THE time has come to draw a line in the sand concerning a £14m North-East theatre's troubled financial history, says its new boss. Simon Stallworthy, the new man at the helm of Durham's Gala Theatre, says he was well aware of the project's three years
It was the largest event in modern Christian history as millions of mourners paid their last respects to Pope John Paul II. The Pontiff's death prompted a wave of grief across the world that yesterday was focused on St Peter's Square in Rome. There, the
West Auckland manager Alan Shoulder feels one more win will be enough to escape relegation. West have won just once in the league since the start of February and are seven points above the relegation zone with just four games left. Shoulder, who had to
A NORTH rail line is carrying out a national pilot scheme to get more people travelling by rail, to reduce damage to the environment. The North York Moors National Park Authority is being recommended to support the community rail plan for the Esk Valley
WHEN George McCartney and Carl Robinson became embroiled in an on-field slanging match at Wigan on Tuesday, thoughts inevitably turned to a different altercation. As the pair moved towards each other with voices raised, the memory of Lee Bowyer and Kieron
MATTY Robson is sure that the outcome of Hartlepool United's season will go to the wire. And for that, he admits, they will only have themselves to blame. Pool have dropped four points in their last three games. What could easily have been a nine-point
FAMOUSLY one of Australia's most prized exports, it's a surprise to learn that Olivia Newton-John was actually born in England - Cambridge to be precise. She's fresh from stepping off a flight to Los Angeles from her adopted home of Australia, where she
A NORTH-EAST grandmother who cooked treats laced with cannabis for her friends and neighbours walked free from court yesterday. Former chef Patricia Tabram admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply from her home in East Lea, Humshaugh, near Hexham
CANDIDATES for Hartlepool's mayoral elections gathered in the town yesterday for a draw to decide the running order for a special election booklet. Hartlepool Council is producing the free booklet, which will be distributed around the town and which contains
A REPORT in yesterday's Northern Echo on candidates for the upcoming Stockton Borough Council elections listed the number of seats being contested in each ward. Some of this information was incorrect. In wards for Billingham Central, Billingham East,
A VILLAGE effort to help tsunami survivors rebuild their lives has received its biggest single donation. Pupils at Staindrop Comprehensive School raised £421 at a Footloose event, which allows them to wear trainers for a day. Staindrop Aid to Tsunami
TWITCHERS are invited on a free guided walk around a wildlife haven next month. John Olley, the conservation officer for Durham Bird Club and hen harrier field worker for English Nature, will lead the stroll around Bishop Middleham Wetlands on Sunday,
AN application to vary plans for a housing development in Spennymoor have sparked calls for a review of a wider homes proposal. Development partners Yuill Homes and Bellways have been granted permission to alter the layout and type of homes to the west
A MODEL club and one of its members in particular, has been making a splash on Teesside. Ernest Lazenby is the proud builder and owner of the only comprehensive collection of working models of world water record holders in the world. His collection includes
A SCANNING session is being held at a North-East hospital today after equipment failure led to a backlog of cases. Bosses at the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham, have thanked staff who volunteered to work extra hours to help patients get
AN ice skater needed nine stitches after suffering a gash to the face in front of hundreds of fans. The accident happened as Sergei Malishev - one of the stars of Sleeping Beauty On Ice - was performing at Sunderland Empire earlier this week. The 22-year-old
A TEENAGE heroin addict who admitted burgling a man's bungalow on the day his victim celebrated his 52nd birthday has been jailed. In October last year, Kenneth Gilbey's home in The Lawns, Seaham, east Durham, was burgled for the fifth time in weeks.
AN ORGANIC farming collective that supplied fresh produce to hundreds of families has been immortalised in a photo exhibition at a local restaurant. At its height, the Growing Green co-operative provided about 150 families from across Darlington, South
A TEENAGER told a court how she became infatuated with Fire Brigade Union boss Paul Ahmed during their brief affair. The girl, who is not being named to protect her identity, said 44-year-old Mr Ahmed bombarded her with explicit texts during their relationship
STEVE Harmison is looking forward to meeting fire with fire in this summer's Ashes battle. After sliding down the world rankings from top spot to ninth during England's series win in South Africa, the Durham paceman feels the attacking instincts of the
It was the largest event in modern Christian history as millions of mourners paid their last respects to Pope John Paul II. The Pontiff's death prompted a wave of grief across the world that yesterday was focused on St Peter's Square in Rome. There, the
A SCHEME run by the Citizens Advice Bureau to help people living in rural areas solve their debt problems has closed because of a lack of funding. The rural outreach program, which provided advice sessions in Hawes, Leyburn, Reeth, Catterick Garrison
A RADIO presenter has been named best newcomer at this year's national Hospital Radio awards. Mark Bexley, who joined Harrogate Hospital Radio last June, collected the award at a ceremony in Belfast. Host Paul Robinson, a former head of Disney Television
TONY Blair held out new hope for thousands of Rover workers last night when he insisted the beleaguered car company's Chinese rescue deal was not dead. The Prime Minister flew from the Pope's funeral, in Rome, to Birmingham for crisis talks after MG Rover
After receiving a suspended jail sentence or possessing cannabis yesterday, grandmother Patricia Tabram tells Lindsay Jennings about being raided by the police, meeting drug dealers in Byker and why she will never stop eating cannabis. THE door to Patricia
FAMILY and friends gathered yesterday to celebrate the 100th birthday of a lifelong Darlington resident. Doris Wells marked the occasion at her home in Danby Lodge, in Coniscliffe Road. She married Cyril Wells in 1926 and had five children - Joan, Dennis
DARLINGTON'S Conservative councillors were accused of "blatant electioneering" after they criticised a new policy for dealing with travellers at a council meeting. Tory group chairman Councillor Charles Johnson told the meeting on Thursday that the policy
POLICE and residents are urging rogue motorcyclists to stay away from an unofficial bike track on the site of Bishop Auckland's new football ground. People in Tindale Crescent say they have been plagued by noise from dozens of bikers racing and performing
SCHOOL pupils have been finding out about the consequences of crime for both the victim and the offender as part of a study of crime and safety issues. The 11 and 12-year-olds from the Allertonshire School, in Northallerton, worked with officers from
LAND has been identified for much-needed affordable housing in Richmondshire. District council officers have identified part of Noel's Court, in Catterick Village, as having the potential for cheaper housing. Councillors will be asked to agree to consultation
AN athlete is hoping her new shocking pink hair will help her stand out from the crowd when she runs in the London Marathon. Student Jo Robinson, 20, of West Rounton, near Northallerton, will raise money for the children's unit at the town's Friarage
A DISGRUNTLED care home owner is to stand for election to his local council. Barry Parvin, who is quitting Guisborough's Graceland Care Home in protest at a lack of Government funding, is bidding to become a member of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
TWO cooking canons are hoping they prove a success when they show off their skills later this month. Canon Brian Abell and Canon Leslie Morley are practising after they agreed to appear at the Dales Festival of Food and Drink, in Leyburn, North Yorkshire
EIGHT more points will guarantee Sunderland's place in the Premiership but, for Mick McCarthy, three successive wins would also banish the memory of the worst run of his managerial career. Tuesday night's success at Wigan took the Black Cats eight points
MATTY Robson is sure that the outcome of Hartlepool United's season will go to the wire. And for that, he admits, they will only have themselves to blame. Pool have dropped four points in their last three games. What could easily have been a nine-point
A GAMBLING addict was jailed for five years yesterday for robbing a woman who cared for her as a child of £500,000. Theresa Bragg, 43, from Middlesbrough, tracked down widow Anita Fowell, who had been her housemother in a children's home run by nuns.
ALAN SHEARER last night claimed Newcastle United have proven once again that there is a genuine camaraderie within the dressing room striving for success on Tyneside. After a turbulent five days since the Lee Bowyer-Kieron Dyer punch-up at St James' Park
COLLAPSED car giant MG Rover formally appointed administrators yesterday following the breakdown of take-over talks. A team from PriceWaterhouse Coopers will go through the books and try to salvage something from the wreckage of Britain's last volume
THE Durham curse has struck already. Five days before the season begins they heard yesterday that Australian seam bowler Ashley Noffke will not be fit to play until around May 22. Noffke, who will be 28 on April 30, has a history of back trouble but his
POLICE have urged residents to beware of bogus callers after thieves tricked their way into the home of an 80-year-old woman. Three men claiming to be from the water board called at the pensioner's home, in Catterick Village, North Yorkshire, at 3.15pm
A TEENAGE heroin addict who admitted burgling a man's bungalow on the day his victim celebrated his 52nd birthday has been jailed. In October last year, Kenneth Gilbey's home in The Lawns, Seaham, east Durham, was burgled for the fifth time in weeks.
TONY Blair held out new hope for thousands of Rover workers last night when he insisted the beleaguered car company's Chinese rescue deal was not dead. The Prime Minister flew from the Pope's funeral, in Rome, to Birmingham for crisis talks after MG Rover
A REVITALISED Mathew Tait is anxious to help Newcastle Falcons earn another crack at the Heineken Cup next season. After going on for the last 20 minutes of last week's quarter-final defeat in Paris, he has been selected on the left wing for tomorrow's
A BUILDING company was fined £7,000 by magistrates yesterday after a joiner working for them broke his back in a fall. Kevin Dowson, 39, from Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, fell 8ft on to a concrete floor while working on a housing development in Ripon
A BUSINESSMAN who beat up a council official and chased him across town in his car will be electronically tagged, a court has ruled. David Parkinson snapped after planning officer Neil Foreman removed a sign from outside his furniture warehouse in Longfield
FILL your boots by backing Forest Gunner (4.10) for this afternoon's £700,000 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree. They say there's no fool like an old fool, an assertion particularly applicable to veteran trainer Ginger McCain, who reckons Carrie
GINGER McCain has called her a "brood mare" who has no chance of winning the Grand National. McCain, who trained Red Rum to three victories in the big race as well as preparing last year's winner Amberleigh House, was only half-joking when he assessed
BOOKMAKERS are expecting a late surge of support for Grand National hopeful Clan Royal as a legion of housewife punters switch over from the royal wedding this afternoon, writes Scott Wilson. Jonjo O'Neill's mount is currently a 10-1 second favourite
LABOUR'S flagship scheme to raise the incomes of poorer people has been branded a shambles by one of its North-East MPs. Durham North MP Kevan Jones condemned the "unacceptable" treatment of many of his constituents, who had been told they must pay back
When John Paul took over the papacy in 1978, the Internet phenomenon was a sparkle in scientists' imaginations. But yesterday, schoolchildren in the region watched his funeral unfold on a big screen via the worldwide web. The pupils at St Augustine's
PLEA TO PARENTS: THE article about poor rail fencing (Echo, Apr 4), makes very interesting reading. Surely it is not the full responsibility of the rail authorities to fence off land adjoining an operating railway. Responsibility by parents must also
HIGH on the top of the ravine, the new-build houses huddle together protectively as if to keep themselves warm in the face of a bitter gale ripping in from the battleship grey North Sea. This new two-tone settlement of orange and cream bricks has been
WHILE most people from the west coast of Ireland would picture their retirement in a dream home overlooking Galway Bay, for Graham Lee that particular post-work vista has been transformed into the Cleveland Hills. The jockey, who will today attempt to
Q I am 72 with a State Pension of £101 a week and £85-a-month works pension. My savings are £5,000. Can I get Pension Credit and, if so, will it affect my Housing Benefit? A You are due Pension Credit of about £9.50 a week, but you will lose about £7.66
A CENTRE for victims of rape and serious sexual assaults is set to open at a hospital in the region later this year. The Sexual Assault Referral Centre will be based at North Tees Hospital, in Stockton, and will provide specialist advice and counselling
A BURGLAR targeted his friend's flat when he knew he would not be home. Michael Ward had visited his friend Michael McGinley during the day, but later returned to break into the property in Albert Road, Middlesbrough, Teesside Crown Court was told. However
COLLAPSED car giant MG Rover formally appointed administrators yesterday following the breakdown of take-over talks. A team from PriceWaterhouse Coopers will go through the books and try to salvage something from the wreckage of Britain's last volume
It was the largest event in modern Christian history as millions of mourners paid their last respects to Pope John Paul II. The Pontiff's death prompted a wave of grief across the world that yesterday was focused on St Peter's Square in Rome. There, the
POLICE attending the report of a domestic dispute uncovered a high-quality cannabis farm after they forced their way into a house. On arrival, officers were barred from entering the house of Peter Jones, in Sledmere Close, Peterlee, Durham Crown Court
Retirement flats could be built on the site of a Darlington sports centre. Developer McCarthy and Stone has applied to the borough council for permission to build 45 sheltered flats, with accommodation for a resident house manager, where Larchfield Sports
THOUSANDS of people are to benefit from an initiative designed to improve health and social care in Darlington. The scheme will be launched on Monday targeting people aged 18 and over with a physical or sensory impairment and elderly people. Called the
AN ORGANIC farming collective that supplied fresh produce to hundreds of families has been immortalised in a photo exhibition at a local restaurant. At its height, the Growing Green co-operative provided about 150 families from across Darlington, South
THE friend of a former topless model last night said she was attacked by her because she had a breast enlargement operation. Durham Crown Court heard how Kerry McCormack, 22, launched a vicious attack in a nightclub that left Hayley Marsden, 22, scarred
AN annual flower show is expected to attract 23,000 visitors this weekend. Gateshead Spring Flower Show is taking place today and tomorrow at Gateshead Nursery, near Whickham. Attractions include floral displays based on local landmarks such the Baltic
SPECTATORS at Newcastle's Flat fixture thankfully won't miss any of the action from Aintree, courtesy of a giant screen hired by the executive to keep race-goers in touch with all the thrills-and-spills of the Grand National. The £20,000 Bet365 Handicap
A COUPLE who won £2.1m on the National Lottery are being sued by a florist over an £815 bill. Ashlie and John Chapman, who won the money in 1998, are being taken to the Small Claims Court by Susan Maher. The wrangle over the flowers began last year when
POLICE attending the report of a domestic dispute uncovered a high-quality cannabis farm after they forced their way into a house. On arrival, officers were barred from entering the house of Peter Jones, in Sledmere Close, Peterlee, Durham Crown Court
Yorkshire's toughest ever training schedule has helped captain Craig White shed the pent up frustrations brought about by the serious knee injury which caused him to miss the second half of last season. During the latter part of the summer, White looked
TWO long-awaited bypasses have been put forward for a major North Yorkshire transport blueprint. Despite suggestions that Government funding is unlikely to be given for Killinghall bypass, on the A61 Ripon-Harrogate road, and Spofforth, between Harrogate
Bikers, bladers and skaters enjoyed a day on the ramps when a mobile skate park was put up in Darlington town centre yesterday. The unit, launched last year, has featured at venues across the borough, but this was its first appearance in the Market Square
A DARLINGTON hair stylist has set himself a challenging feat for his feet. Tom Moore, who works for hair and beauty chain Saks, is preparing to take part in a mammoth trek for charity. The 24-year-old is in training to climb 4200m in the Lost City of
A COUNCIL has been accused of stifling debate on the proposed closure of a primary school. Councillor Fred Lawton told a full meeting of Darlington Borough Council on Thursday that there had been "no agreement" over whether Rise Carr Primary School should
Spennymoor's fate in the UniBond League might be sealed today if they don't turn up at Marine. Moors fulfilled their first game out of their last four when they played Blyth on Thursday but it is looking very unlikely they will make the journey to Merseyside
A TEN-year-old girl suffering from a rare chromosome disorder has raised £500 for a charity that has helped her and her family. Olivia Taylor, from Bedale, has severe learning disabilities, epilepsy, auditory processing problems and visual perception
THE call has gone out for sporty youngsters in Hartlepool to represent their town in this year's Tees Valley Youth Games. The annual event, which this year takes place in Hartlepool on Saturday, June 18, and in Stockton on Sunday, June 19, enables young
A BAKERY has come up with some of the dough needed to send a squad of disabled youngsters to the Special Olympic Games in Glasgow. A donation of £2,760 from Bakers Oven North's charity committee will pay the cost of accommodation, tracksuits, travel,
NORTH-EAST half marathon champion Stephen Hepples is set to make a rare visit to Tyneside in search of a fast 10K road race time. The 25-year-old Redcar-based finance officer underlined his fitness by running the fastest 5.5K short-leg time (16 mins 16
A TEENAGER told a court how she became infatuated with Fire Brigade Union boss Paul Ahmed during their brief affair. The girl, who is not being named to protect her identity, said 44-year-old Mr Ahmed bombarded her with explicit texts during their relationship
WHILE the battle for the Premiership is all but over, two of Chelsea's leading lights are embroiled in a tussle that is too close to call. With the Football Writers Association and the PFA both due to announce their player of the year next month, John
THE friend of a former topless model last night said she was attacked by her because she had a breast enlargement operation. Durham Crown Court heard how Kerry McCormack, 22, launched a vicious attack in a nightclub that left Hayley Marsden, 22, scarred
