THE Foreign Office has offered any assistance it can to the widow of a North-East man killed by Iraqi insurgents. The un-named 44-year-old, from Consett, County Dur-ham, was killed by a roadside bomb as he headed towards Baghdad Airport on Thursday morning
BANK staff from around the North-East have been rewarded for the personal investments they have made in their communities. Each year, Barclays Bank recognises the individuals and teams who have made extraordinary contributions to their communities, customers
A BRASS band will hold its 17th spring concert to raise money for the NSPCC and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Bedale Brass Band will perform at Bedale High School on May 7, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £6 each and are available from G Dawkins Motorcycles
Buoyed by Ian Harvey and Tim Bresnan's record-breaking eighth wicket partnership, Yorkshire took an even firmer grip on Somerset by making the visitors follow on, 319 runs in arrears at Headingley yesterday. By the close they had reached 109 for four
A HEALTH service is looking to help dispel the stigma too often attached to mental health. People using mental health and learning disability services across the Teesside and surrounding area are being urged to take part in an art competition launched
The UK economy grew by an estimated 0.6 per cent in the first three months of this year despite industrial output falling for the third quarter in a row, official data showed. The figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) were in line with
A MOTOR company's plans to expand by building a car recycling centre on Aycliffe Industrial Estate have been approved. G H Palin and Sons secured planning permission to build a breakers behind its workshop in Carlbury Road, from Durham County Council's
Consett manager Jon King knows only victory will do when his side go to Whitley Bay today. Consett have dropped into the bottom three following Tow Law's revival and, with just three games left and a two-point gap to close on the Lawyers, relegation back
A FORMER Boys' Brigade leader from the North-East was jailed yesterday after admitting a string of child sex attacks and Internet pornography offences. David Bell and Jonathan Scarcliffe pleaded guilty to 26 charges earlier this year, ranging from making
A WOMAN who drove away from an accident that left a driver with broken bones in his back is being sought by police. The accident happened on the B6532 road, from Durham to Sacriston, on Thursday. At about 5.45pm, a metallic red 4x4 car, possibly a Range
A NATIONALLY important dog show that has been staged in the same town for nearly 150 years will move to another town this year. The Darlington Dog Show Society's Championship Show has been held in Darlington since 1860. But this September, the three-day
A NATIONALLY important dog show that has been staged in the same town for nearly 150 years will move to another town this year. The Darlington Dog Show Society's Championship Show has been held in Darlington since 1860. But this September, the three-day
AN eight-strong drugs gang snared by police after a lengthy undercover operation will have to serve even longer in jail, because of a change in judges' sentencing powers. The eight, all Darlington men, had been handed sentences earlier this month totalling
ONE of Canada's largest financial institutions has splashed out £259m for a 25 per cent stake in Northumbrian Water. Suez Environment announced yesterday it has sold its 130m shares in Northumbrian to Ontario Teachers, a Canadian pension fund. Jim Leech
GRAEME SOUNESS has pledged he will continue to tackle head on the off-field problems which have plagued his first season in charge at St James' Park, with the Newcastle boss expected to draw up an end of season code of conduct in a bid to keep his errant
EXPECTING the unexpected has been something Darlington fans have reluctantly become accustomed to this season but that may be may about to change, according to manager David Hodgson. Despite Quakers' array of former Premiership talent, 'what you see is
OFFICIALS from train operator GNER last night dismissed as "selective and flawed" a study that said its passengers pay inflated fares. Figures from the RMT union suggested people using the East Coast Main Line were paying about three times more per mile
SCORES of offshore workers are to be laid off today, after completing a major contract. Administrators at the troubled McNulty yard, in South Tyneside, last night confirmed it was making 160 staff redundant - more than half the workforce. The South Shields
AN electrician whose life was made a misery by car vandals decided to exact his revenge by wiring his vehicle to the mains. Peter Bayles snapped after months of non-stop attacks on his cars parked outside his home in Eldon, near Bishop Auckland, County
A woman who hid a Kinder egg full of heroin in her underwear told a court she had beaten her addiction. At Newcastle Crown Court yesterday, Michelle Buckley, 27, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin with intent to supply. Andrew Holmes, prosecuting,
CHILDREN in care have been banging the drum to help relieve the pressures of their daily lives. More than 60 youngsters - either in care or carers themselves - attended a day-long workshop in Ripon designed to build their self-esteem through music. Part
AN exhibition of the work of one of America's greatest photographers is coming to the region at the end of the month. The Green Dragon Museum, in Stockton, will be showing a collection of work by Edward Weston. The exhibition, organised by the Hayward
Sunderland will be promoted today if they beat Leicester and rivals Ipswitch fail to win at Leeds. Cheif Sports Writer Scott Wilson talks to one Black Cat who already holds a special place in the history of the Premiership. IF you're compiling a list
PARENTS are being asked to pay for damage their children caused to a school bus. A yellow school bus operated by Harrogate and District Travel, in North Yorkshire, had its interior smeared with margarine, which was spread over a closed circuit television
YESTERDAY, The Northern Echo carried the heartbreaking story of Laura Burrows-Schofield, who was knocked down and killed by a speeding driver. Bike rider Laura, ten, of Durham, was hit by a car being driven at least 55mph in a 40mph zone. As a result,
SCORES of offshore workers are to be laid off today, after completing a major contract. Administrators at the troubled McNulty yard, in South Tyneside, last night confirmed it was making 160 staff redundant - more than half the workforce. The South Shields
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren hailed the legacy left behind by predecessor Bryan Robson ahead of today's game with West Bromwich Albion. Robson returns to the Riverside for the first time in four years with his Baggies' side fighting for their Premiership
A DRIVER whose quick snack at the wheel cost him £250 says he has tasted the wrong side of the law for the last time. Andrew Kitch, of Hullock Road, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was caught steering his removals van with his forearms and elbows as he
GEORGE Boateng last night delivered a chilling ultimatum to Middlesbrough's board as they begin to prepare for next season: "Improve the squad or I'm off." The Dutch international, who has only recently returned to action after breaking his toe in December
POLICE chiefs have admitted that hopes of finding a North-East man, who went missing in Greece nearly eight months ago, have all but ended. Sports fanatic Melvyn Gamblin, of Darlington, travelled to Athens for the Olympic Games last year but, despite
A DEPRESSED postman who failed to deliver more than 2,400 letters and leaflets, because he could not cope with his round, has been given a conditional discharge by the courts. Andrew McCardle, 21, of Derwent Crescent, Hamsterley, near Consett, County
TWO men were being held by police last night after being arrested in connection with 100 bogus caller burglaries across the North. They were arrested in Durham City yesterday by police investigating a series of incidents in which tens of thousands of
VILLAGERS are hoping to create a new miners' banner. A group is being formed at Brandon, near Durham City, to raise money and come up with designs for a replacement for a 1963 banner. They want to parade it at the Durham Big Meeting. The old banner, depicting
GAVIN Strachan has played football with and against the best of them. In his early years as a professional, the Hartlepool United midfielder was part of Coventry's Premiership squad. While League One might be two rungs down from the top division, Strachan
After a slump in numbers, Harmby Methodist Church is now a draw for the devoted. SOMEWHERE in the hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, sung with great gusto last Sunday evening, there's a line about "Fix in us thine humble dwelling." It could almost
A PROTESTING parrot breeder plans to perch on a giant grandfather clock until his confiscated birds are returned. Harry Sissen, 66, pitched a tent on the 30ft high wooden clock that he built in a field next to his home. He says he will stay there until
ANIMAL welfare workers have organised a special day out for their four-legged friends. The Pooches Picnic is planned to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (SARA). It is hoped that as many as possible of the dogs
A MODEL mockup that simulates the effects of a crash on the occupants of a car is being used to make young people aware of the importance of belting up. Road safety chiefs in Hartlepool are taking the device to schools in the town to demonstrate the dangers
GAVIN Strachan has played football with and against the best of them. In his early years as a professional, the Hartlepool United midfielder was part of Coventry's Premiership squad. While League One might be two rungs down from the top division, Strachan
DURHAM have signed New Zealander Nathan Astle, scorer of the fastest double century in Test history, to replace skipper Mike Hussey when he teams up with the Australian one-day squad in mid-season. They are hoping the big-hitting Kiwi can light up their
GRAEME SOUNESS has pledged he will continue to tackle head on the off-field problems which have plagued his first season in charge at St James' Park, with the Newcastle boss expected to draw up an end of season code of conduct in a bid to keep his errant
AFTER years of campaigning for a clean-up of a walkway next to his house, Desmond Robson has got his own way - and had it named after him. The 81-year-old lives in Callum Close, off Brinkburn Road, in Darlington, and the walkway runs between his house
A CONTROVERSIAL "pub ambassador", who was appointed to improve the fortunes of dales landlords, called time on his job before it started, The Northern Echo has learnt. Len Alderson, who was appointed as the £15,000-a-year Mine Host co-ordinator for Weardale
POLICE have arrested more than 70 suspected street drug dealers. Heroin, cocaine and cannibas worth thousands of pounds were seized during swoops on houses in Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Northumberland, as well as large quantities of stolen
DARLINGTON duo Phil Lancaster and Craig Lee have won the Coach of the Month award for March in National Three North. Four successive wins lifted the team out of the third relegation spot to mid-table safety and the coaches will be presented with tankards
When Charles Hall was told his unit would be travelling behind enemy lines to take charge of a Nazi concentration camp, he could hardly have imagined the horrors he was about to encounter. Paul Willis meets a man who helped liberate Belsen. DURING a lull
PARENTS who want to celebrate the birth of a baby can now do so at a museum in the region. The Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, is being offered as a venue for naming ceremonies. The ceremonies are increasing in popularity as a way for
THE Foreign Office has offered any assistance it can to the widow of a North-East man killed by Iraqi insurgents. The un-named 44-year-old, from Consett, County Dur-ham, was killed by a roadside bomb as he headed towards Baghdad Airport on Thursday morning
THE Foreign Office has offered any assistance it can to the widow of a North-East man killed by Iraqi insurgents. The un-named 44-year-old, from Consett, County Dur-ham, was killed by a roadside bomb as he headed towards Baghdad Airport on Thursday morning
A HULA hoop currently has pride of place in our front room. No, not the edible ones like the pencil-style, weight-lifting sports teacher in the clever ads currently running, but an impressive water-filled plastic one from the days of your childhood. My
THE parents of a three-year-old boy suffering from meningitis say his life was saved by swift action at an out-of-hours GP service threatened with cutbacks. Ethan Naylor was taken to the NHS service at Ripon Community Hospital, in North Yorkshire, by
A FORMER Boys' Brigade leader from the North-East was jailed yesterday after admitting a string of child sex attacks and Internet pornography offences. David Bell and Jonathan Scarcliffe pleaded guilty to 26 charges earlier this year, ranging from making
TWO men were being held by police last night after being arrested in connection with 100 bogus caller burglaries across the North. They were arrested in Durham City yesterday by police investigating a series of incidents in which tens of thousands of
OFFICIALS from train operator GNER last night dismissed as "selective and flawed" a study that said its passengers pay inflated fares. Figures from the RMT union suggested people using the East Coast Main Line were paying about three times more per mile
A DRIVER whose quick snack at the wheel cost him £250 says he has tasted the wrong side of the law for the last time. Andrew Kitch, of Hullock Road, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was caught steering his removals van with his forearms and elbows as he
DURHAM will give a fitness test tomorrow to Neil Killeen before their totesport League match against Surrey at Riverside. Killeen has been their top one-day bowler in the last two seasons and is still seen as having a key role to play, despite being well
A NATIONALLY important dog show that has been staged in the same town for nearly 150 years will move to another town this year. The Darlington Dog Show Society's Championship Show has been held in Darlington since 1860. But this September, the three-day
WHEN football managers talk about "being down to the bare bones", they are usually referring to a string of injuries. Not Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy. When he spoke about "bare bones" in the build-up to this afternoon's Stadium of Light showdown with
IT has been a week of shoo-ins. Chelsea are a shoo-in for the Premiership, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was a shoo-in for the papacy, Stuart Pearce is a shoo-in for the Manchester City manager's job. "Are there any Labour candidates in the North-East who
POLICE chiefs have admitted that hopes of finding a North-East man, who went missing in Greece nearly eight months ago, have all but ended. Sports fanatic Melvyn Gamblin, of Darlington, travelled to Athens for the Olympic Games last year but, despite
PUPPET STATE: AS a former resident of Trimdon, now living in Canada, I doubt very much if Tony Blair will have the moral fortitude to debate with Reginald Keys on the illegal war in Iraq. It has cost hundreds of thousands of innocent lives and for what
West Indian Imran Jan plays in Guisborough's opening game of the season in the Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League Premier Division game against Hartlepool at Fountains Garth this afternoon. "Imran has been suspended for two years by the Trinidad
ANGRY farmers say proposed restrictions on ploughing around an ancient monument could threaten their businesses. Consultants are putting together a conservation study for the future management of Thornborough Henges, near Bedale. One of the proposals
A HULA hoop currently has pride of place in our front room. No, not the edible ones like the pencil-style, weight-lifting sports teacher in the clever ads currently running, but an impressive water-filled plastic one from the days of your childhood. My
AN electrician whose life was made a misery by car vandals decided to exact his revenge by wiring his vehicle to the mains. Peter Bayles snapped after months of non-stop attacks on his cars parked outside his home in Eldon, near Bishop Auckland, County
GEORGE Boateng last night delivered a chilling ultimatum to Middlesbrough's board as they begin to prepare for next season: "Improve the squad or I'm off." The Dutch international, who has only recently returned to action after breaking his toe in December
Director Roger Michell has just finished filming the best seller Enduring Love. But he still regrets not finishing his Captain Corelli project, he tells Steve Pratt. IT WAS no accident that Hugh Grant was reading the novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin in
TICKETS for a star-studded concert in the North-East will be given away this weekend. BBC Radio One hosts a free music event for 30,000 people in Sunderland, on Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and 8. A final line-up of stars appearing at the Big Weekender
A WOMAN who drove away from an accident that left a driver with broken bones in his back is being sought by police. The accident happened on the B6532 road, from Durham to Sacriston, on Thursday. At about 5.45pm, a metallic red 4x4 car, possibly a Range
A BOGUS filmmaker who made hundreds of videos of naked teenage girls was jailed for six years yesterday. Lawrence Petch gave his business card to schoolgirls, who flocked to his house in dinner breaks and at weekends. He bought a wardrobe of outfits for
POLICE have arrested more than 70 suspected street drug dealers. Heroin, cocaine and cannibas worth thousands of pounds were seized during swoops on houses in Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Northumberland, as well as large quantities of stolen
A DEPRESSED postman who failed to deliver more than 2,400 letters and leaflets, because he could not cope with his round, has been given a conditional discharge by the courts. Andrew McCardle, 21, of Derwent Crescent, Hamsterley, near Consett, County
A MURDER investigation has been launched after a 23-year-old man died from a single stab wound to the chest. Police were called to a disturbance in the Grove Hill area of Middlesbrough, at about 10.30pm on Thursday, after calls from the public. A 23-year-old
DISNEY is to publish its own video games for the UK and Europe, it announced yesterday. Buena Vista Games (BVG), the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company, will launch a range of games aimed at extending its appeal to a wider audience
YESTERDAY, The Northern Echo told the story of Toni Zwaak, the North-East grandmother who survived the horrors of the Belsen concentration camp 60 years ago. We know from the response we have had how much her account moved our readers, reducing some to
YESTERDAY, The Northern Echo carried the heartbreaking story of Laura Burrows-Schofield, who was knocked down and killed by a speeding driver. Bike rider Laura, ten, of Durham, was hit by a car being driven at least 55mph in a 40mph zone. As a result,
Director Roger Michell has just finished filming the best seller Enduring Love. But he still regrets not finishing his Captain Corelli project, he tells Steve Pratt. IT WAS no accident that Hugh Grant was reading the novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin in
A RACECOURSE is first past the post when it comes to safety matters. Redcar Racecourse has won an International Safety Award, presented by the British Safety Council. David Ballard, the council's director general, said: "The International Safety Awards
PARENTS who want to celebrate the birth of a baby can now do so at a museum in the region. The Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, is being offered as a venue for naming ceremonies. The ceremonies are increasing in popularity as a way for
AWARD-WINNING student Kay Devlin is hoping to build on her success after being named North-East student of the year. The 42-year-old from Bishop Auckland was nominated by her tutors at Darlington College of Technology for the award in a competition run
A MURDER investigation has been launched after a 23-year-old man died from a single stab wound to the chest. Police were called to a disturbance in the Grove Hill area of Middlesbrough, at about 10.30pm on Thursday, after calls from the public. A 23-year-old
AN eight-strong drugs gang snared by police after a lengthy undercover operation will have to serve even longer in jail, because of a change in judges' sentencing powers. The eight, all Darlington men, had been handed sentences earlier this month totalling
Bryan Robson makes a return to Middlesbrough today, with his West Brom side. Cheif Sports Writer Scott Wilson reviews his Teesside times with former Boro favourite Craig Hignett. WHEN Bryan Robson hurried into The Hawthorns last November, few Middlesbrough
A CONTROVERSIAL "pub ambassador", who was appointed to improve the fortunes of dales landlords, called time on his job before it started, The Northern Echo has learnt. Len Alderson, who was appointed as the £15,000-a-year Mine Host co-ordinator for Weardale
TWO development agencies could merge in a move to improve business support across two dales. Wear Valley District Council has called a meeting on Thursday to discuss plans that would bring Wear Valley Development Agency and Teesdale Enterprise Agency
EXPECTING the unexpected has been something Darlington fans have reluctantly become accustomed to this season but that may be may about to change, according to manager David Hodgson. Despite Quakers' array of former Premiership talent, 'what you see is
POLICE are searching for a missing teenager with a rare illness that makes her face swell up if it is exposed to sunlight. On Monday, April 4, 16-year-old Imam Dusabimana went missing from her home in Newcastle. Iman, who always wears a hat, left a note
