In the pressure cooker world of football management, David Hodgson has felt the weight of expectancy more than most recently, but the Darlington manager insists his side can live up their high billing this season. Already, after just 13 games, Hodgson
Progressive Pinson, who was only supplemented early in the week, gets his chance to show what he can do against the big boys in the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes over a mile and a quarter at Newmarket this afternoon. The French-trained runner has gone
Best known for his movie Top Gun - and for being the brother of Ridley - Teesside-born director Tony Scott talks to Steve Pratt about his latest film from the dark side, about being the father of five-year-old twins and why he has fond memories od Darlington
THE boys in blue have turned the air blue this week with a furious exchange between the leaders of the Durham and Cleveland constabularies concerning the future of their forces. So vivid was the exchange that it spilled into the public arena - even though
A PRISON chef was locked up yesterday for smuggling drugs into a top security jail. Durham Crown Court heard two pieces of cannabis resin were found hidden in the sole of Ian Stuart Clarke's shoe during a search at Frankland Prison, on the outskirts of
COMMUNITY groups from the Teesdale and Wear Valley area can get cash through a small grants scheme. Good For The Soul, an arts referral project, has money for arts and mental health projects. The money is available to anyone based in the Teesdale or Wear
PRINCIPAL bass at the English National Opera, Graeme Danby, has agreed to become the patron of the Friends of the Empire Theatre, in Consett. The Friends is an independent organisation that exists to enhance the facilities of the theatre through various
YOUNG people are being encouraged to continue their studies through music in an initiative that promotes learning through popular culture. Darlington College of Technology is offering a one-year diploma in performing arts course, which is an introduction
A TOP-PERFORMING girls' football team has scored another major success - securing new kit. Youngsters from Branksome School were yesterday presented with the navy and light blue strip, donated by Darlington company Webworks. Coach Gemma Gibson said: "
BUSINESS and civic leaders and officers will meet on Wednesday to step up a campaign to improve part of the busy A64 York to Scarborough road. The chairman of Ryedale District Council, Councillor Lindsay Burr, has organised the meeting to lead action
RESIDENTS say plans to move a popular youth centre to a guest house will disturb their peace and lead to intimidation. Thirsk Clock organisers want to move from the Market Place to a larger base at the Fourways Guest House, in Station Road. The centre
MOST bouncers at clubs and pubs in the county are now properly trained and registered, a survey has revealed. Police checks across the county has shown that more than 90 per cent of doorkeepers are now registered with the Security Industry Authority (
St Hilda's Church Ladies' Group will hold a coffee morning with a variety of stalls at the parish hall, Mersey Road, Redcar, from 10am to noon today. Entry costs 50p.
A FOOTBALL fanatic will see her dream come true today after winning a chance to find out how it feels to score a goal in front of a Premiership crowd. Thanks to a mobile phone text competition run by Sport England, 16-year-old Middlesbrough fan Amy Grimston
A FEMALE drug dealer who supplied ecstasy pills to clubbers was jailed for three years yesterday. Teesside Crown Court was told that Nicola Jones, 34, from Redcar, also got her pensioner father involved in storing 600 ecstasy pills. Jones, a mother-of-three
DR BARNARDO: THIS year we celebrate the 160th anniversary of the birth of that great man, Dr Thomas Barnardo, and the 100th anniversary of his death. I remember with affectionate memories and much gratitude the wonderful care we Barnado's children received
GIVEN that the rest of 2005 has been like a dream for English cricket, it is only fitting that the year will end with one of the biggest success stories of them all. Two-and-a-half-years ago, Liam Plunkett was making his Durham debut at Headingley a matter
STREET wardens were sent out on patrol yesterday in a move to improve people's lives in Wear Valley communities. Government Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong launched an extended warden scheme yards from her constituency office in Crook. Wear Valley's initial
THE Queen and Prince Philip visited the Sage Gateshead music centre to carry out the official opening yesterday. Architect Lord Foster said more than 600,000 people have visited since it first opened in December. He said: ''People have really embraced
TWO historic buildings have been sold in advance of a major development. The Manor House and Springfield House in Stokesley -both Grade II-listed and together worth more than £1.4m -have been sold by the county council. It follows the authority's commitment
A MEMORIAL service for the late Mo Mowlam MP has been announced and will take place later this year. The former North-East MP's family has been consulted about the plans, drawn up by a civic "brains trust", led by Redcar and Cleveland Mayor Peter Spencer
If it's Wednesday, it must be Newcastle. And Leeds and Sheffield. Actors Jemima Rooper and Jamie Davis have been covering the country at some speed on a promotional tour for Sky One's supernatural drama, Hex. Three cities in one day, followed by a 6.30am
A crackdown on those who cause animal suffering is at the core of Government legislation unveiled yesterday. The Animal Welfare Bill is being hailed by ministers as the most significant piece of legislation in this area for nearly a century. It introduces
SUNDERLAND boss Mick McCarthy will not have an opportunity to end a three-and-a-half-year stand-off with Roy Keane at the Stadium of Light today - but does not expect Manchester United to be weakened by the captain's non-appearance. United arrive on Wearside
IT used to be one of the most hazardous professions going but, this season, being a manager in the top-flight has proved a strangely stable occupation. For the first time ever, we have reached the middle of October without a single Premiership boss having
A BABY born weighing just 1lb 15oz survived thanks to an NHS baby unit which may be forced to shut down. "Tiny miracle" Evie Hodgson was born 11 weeks early and needed round-the-clock care. She pulled through thanks to specialist doctors and nurses at
A £1.1BN bid for supermarket chain Somerfield will be put to its shareholders after details of a formal takeover offer were finally confirmed. It emerged earlier yesterday that the UK's fifth-largest grocer, which runs Kwik Save and Somerfield stores
A FOOTBALLER was brought back to life by his best friend after his heart stopped twice on the pitch. Gareth Handy, 22, had no idea he had the same heart condition which killed international star Marc-Vivien Foe until he collapsed during a local league
A MAN appeared in court yesterday accused of trying to kill a woman by repeatedly stabbing her at her County Durham home. Dean Richard Lovell, 35, is charged with attempted murder following the incident at a house in Bowburn, near Durham, on Thursday.
NEILL Collins may have suffered some misfortune in midweek but there's no doubting the impact he's had on Hartlepool United. The big defender is on loan at Pool from Sunderland and will be part of a defence aiming to make it three consecutive clean sheets
Npower has launched an initiative to help the Government tackle fuel poverty. As part of its campaign the company has reproduced a typical living room, but at a temperature it believes cash-strapped and vulnerable customers endure regularly. Yesterday
A MOVIE star has helped pupils to take the first steps into performance - creating a CD of poetry recitals. Leslie Simpson, star of the successful film Dog Soldiers, worked with youngsters from Bowesfield and St Cuthbert's primary schools, in Stockton
EVERY year, the RSPCA releases its animal cruelty statistics and they have become depressingly predictable. The number of cases keeps rising and the North-East is repeatedly shown to be among some of the worst offending regions in the country. The Northern
TWO Durham University students have reached the final stages of the first National Business Plan competition with their company. Ambulis, formed by Tom Grocutt and Philip Sum, has developed revolutionary technology to dramatically increase the speed of
VICTIMS of asbestos-related cancer who cannot receive a new drug on the NHS have forced their former employers to pay for treatment. The success of two North-East victims of mesothelioma in securing out-of-court settlements paves the way for more patients
A TAXI driver dubbed "an habitual sex pest" has been forbidden from transporting female passengers after admitting indecently assaulting a woman. John Spencer, 57, was yesterday made subject of a five-year Asbo (anti-social behaviour order) by a judge
SATURDAY night's X Factor television talent show is the talk of the country And the North-East really has something to talk about as brothers Andy and Carl Pemberton - performing under the name Journey South - prepare for their first live show tonight
DAVE Garside is expecting an early firework display in Hartlepool this year. The promoter and manager of Michael Hunter can't wait to see his prize asset take on Esham Pickering at the town's Borough Hall on Friday, October 28. Up for grabs are the British
FIT-again Newcastle United midfielder Emre Belezoglu last night revealed how he feared manager Graeme Souness would be sacked before he finally got the chance to repay his enormous debt to him. The United boss was installed as the bookies' odds-on favourite
FIT-again Newcastle United midfielder Emre Belezoglu last night revealed how he feared manager Graeme Souness would be sacked before he finally got the chance to repay his enormous debt to him. The United boss was installed as the bookies' odds-on favourite
SUNDERLAND boss Mick McCarthy will not have an opportunity to end a three-and-a-half-year stand-off with Roy Keane at the Stadium of Light today - but does not expect Manchester United to be weakened by the captain's non-appearance. United arrive on Wearside
A MAN charged with a series of sex offences has been found dead at a North-East hospital. Staff found Robert Errington's body at the County Hospital, in Durham. He is believed to have had an incontinence pad in his mouth. Durham Police also attended the
AFTER being handed a video of the life-story of Celtic legend 'Jinky' Jimmy Johnstone, in his younger days Sunderland winger Andy Welsh laughed before accepting that he would probably have to watch it. "My granddad used to support the Bhoys and when he
Brandon are looking for their first home win of the season to lift them off the bottom and move above opponents Ashington. Alan Shoulder's side had a bad start to the season but have improved in recent weeks. Shoulder, who has doubts over Max Applegarth
GRAEME STORM sits six shots off the lead in the Open de Madrid after another impressive day in the Spanish capital from the Hartlepool golfer. Storm followed up his opening round 66, five under, with a 68 yesterday to secure his place in the top ten as
Jumps trainer Nicky Henderson knows a thing or two about winning the totesport Cesarewitch, as his classy hurdler Landing Light did the business two years ago. But while Afrad is not as formidable a hurdler as his former stable companion, there's no doubt
THIS is one of the first stunning images of how a world-class Wild Bird Discovery Centre will look. The winning design for the innovative project at the new Saltholme International Nature Reserve in the Tees Valley has been announced by the RSPB and Teesside
A sex pervert was banned from watching girls for five years and jailed yesterday. Kevin Thompson,42, was given a sexual offences prevention order until 2010 that he must not loiter near or approach any person under 18 congregating or playing in public
Traders warned last night that they were struggling to survive the impact of the most dramatic alterations to Darlington town centre in more than a century. The concerns emerged ahead of a town centre protest today, called to express opposition to council
THE Co-operative Group last night announced plans to sell or close all its department stores as part of proposals to get out of the loss-making sector. It said it would close ten department stores and sell 26, including those in Bishop Auckland and Chester-le-Street
THE Co-operative Group last night announced plans to sell or close all its department stores as part of proposals to get out of the loss-making sector. It said it would close ten department stores and sell 26, including those in Bishop Auckland and Chester-le-Street
TWO teenagers were arrested after a woman went into a supermarket and told staff she had seen one of them with a gun in the car park. The woman went into Tesco at Delves Lane, near Consett, at 1.30pm yesterday to report her concerns after she saw one
BAILIFFS were poised to take action against a North-East firm if it failed to pay a six-figure compensation sum to the widow of a man who died after exposure to asbestos. But a last-minute payment in full meant that the bailiffs were not called upon to
A BANKRUPT businessman who had been importing children's toys containing dangerous levels of poisonous metal has been fined in court. Trading standards officers caught John Reynolds, 41, supplying xylophones with high levels of lead and chromium, which
A MASKED knifeman broke into a woman's home while she was minding her five-year-old grandchild. The burglar entered the house in Hamilton Crescent, New Mills Estate, Newcastle, through a back door just after 10pm on Wednesday. He threatened her with the
PROTESTORS in Bishop Auckland have failed to stop a phone mast being built near homes and a school. More than 400 people signed a petition and two mothers spoke out against the 17-metre tower at a meeting of Wear Valley District Council's development
ONE of the region's MPs has gone back to school to discover ways of making school meals healthy. Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman yesterday sat down for dinner at Staindrop Comprehensive School. Mrs Goodman is one of the six sponsors of the Children's
A POPULAR caravan site looks likely to be allowed to increase its capacity by 158 caravans. Lambton Adventure Park Ltd has applied to Teesdale District Council to reorganise its site layout at Witton Castle and increase the number of static caravans.
BUILDING work has started on a £4m centre for people with learning disabilities. The residential centre, in Ashdale Road, Consett, will provide 24-hour care for 32 people to help them lead an independent life. There will be four houses run by Accept Care
A HOUSING developer has extended an olive branch to allotment holders who are fighting to save their gardens. George Wimpey Homes has promised members of Howden-le-Wear Allotments Association the company will do what it can to provide gardens should it
RESIDENTS in Stockton are being invited to share their memories of the Second World War as part of an exhibition at Preston Hall Museum. Stockton Borough Council's arts development team has secured funding from Home Front Recall to produce the project
ENVIRONMENT chiefs are investigating potentially contaminated land in the vast rural area of Ryedale. Members of Ryedale District Council were told by environmental health officer Paul Crossley that the council had to meet new regulations under the Environmental
THE prostate cancer research fund at The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, has netted £2,295 thanks to a tennis centre. Members of Tennis World attended a summer ball, in June, to raise funds for patients who are suffering from the disease
POLICE took to the roads yesterday for the county's third No Casualty Day. The two previous events both led to reductions across the county, and officers are still aiming for no deaths or injuries on North Yorkshire's 6,000 miles of roads. Extra patrols
IT is often claimed that Steve Gibson is the most popular man in Middlesbrough but, when Portsmouth visit the Riverside this afternoon, he may well find another chairman running him close. Most Boro fans would struggle to pick Milan Mandaric out from
A DOORMAN who sold weight-loss pills after he became annoyed at rumours he was an ecstasy dealer has had his jail term cut at London's Appeal Court. Anthony Greco, 26, of King Edwards Drive, Bilton, Harrogate, was jailed for three years at Leeds Crown
A NOTORIOUS teenage offender has been locked up after he was caught in a stolen car only weeks after his release from prison on licence. Amar Majid, of Belle Vue Grove, Middlesbrough, was arrested when the stolen pizza delivery vehicle he was a passenger
TWO historic buildings have been sold off in advance of a new development in North Yorkshire. The Manor House and Springfield House in Stokeseley - both Grade II-listed and together valued at more than £1.4m - have been sold by the county council as surplus
ORGANIC vegetables hand-picked by pupils are heading for the cook's pot in a healthy eating drive. Youngsters at Clavering Primary School, Hartlepool, grow their own greens and then tuck into them as part of their lunch. Lettuce, carrots, beetroot, spring
FORMER National Farmers' Union president Sir Ben Gill could be refused planning permission to build a business park on his land. Sir Ben, who stepped down last year after six years in the post, wants to create the park on land at Home Farm, on the Hawkhills
SPECTACULAR hairdos are one thing, but staff at one salon took the idea a step further in the name of charity. The team from Headquarters, in Bedale, (pictured above) hid their locks under bright pink frizzy wigs to help raise awareness of breast cancer
THE community spirit that filled the homes around a street in Middlesbrough refused to diminish despite the fact the houses were demolished 40 years ago. In the 1950s and 1960s great swathes of the North-East were pulled down following a policy of largescale
With an unprecedented demonstration against Darlington Borough Council planned to take place in the town this morning, Stuart Mackintosh looks at the background tosome of the grievances. PARKING CHARGES Small businesses have repeatedly stressed their
A NURSING home is inviting elderly people to a social evening. Pentland Hill Nursing Home, in Middlesbrough, has organised a social evening with bingo and a pie and peas supper on October 28. It is one of more than 120 Bupa care homes across the UK involved
Whitby Town will give a debut to striker Danny Brunskill when they take on Eastwood Town in the first qualifying round of the FA Trophy. It's a case of third time lucky for the Seasiders, who twice tried to sign the former Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor
MIGHTY Morpeth Harriers, fresh from their hat-trick of victories in the Northern Six-Stage Road Relay Championships, will be hot favourites in the annual Blaydon Harriers Nichol Hunter Memorial Cross Country Relays tomorrow. The reigning North-East cross
THE prospect of a home tie against Harlequins in the next round is the incentive for the four North-East survivors in the Powergen National Trophy today. Only Westoe have been drawn at home, against Wharfedale, and it's a similar story in the Intermediate
Inspector Gadget was tracking down new investors yesterday after his licence holder floated on the London market with a value of £105.1m. DIC Entertainment, which has a library of about 2,800 half-hour episodes of animation, said the London listing provided
THE second ship to be built on the River Tyne this decade had its official naming ceremony yesterday. The Swan Hunter shipyard, in Wallsend, North Tyneside, has nearly completed work on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Lyme Bay. Work will now continue
FIREWORK hooligans will be caught on camera thanks to security monitors and hand-held video cameras carried on fire engines in the North-East, it has been revealed. Cameras fitted on the engines of both Tyne and Wear and Northumberland Fire and Rescue
THE fate of a former pit village primary school building is to be decided at a local inquiry. In an announcement yesterday, it was revealed that an application for the demolition of the grade II-listed Easington Colliery school, in County Durham, has
Q My wife wants to work after her 60th birthday. What will happen to her State Pension if she decides not to take it? A When she eventually retires, she can choose either a lump sum with a normal rate pension, or a higher pension. The lump sum will be
MORE brave faces than an American Indian convention, Wearhead Methodist chapel held its last service on Sunday after 179 uplifting years. The minister talked of building on the past but not living in it, the faithful insisted that it wasn't all doom and
VAN hire group Northgate has turned down an approach valuing the company at nearly £775m. The Darlington plc did not name the bidder, but said discussions about a possible takeover bid had ended after a lack of enthusiasm from principal shareholders.
News that Daniel Craig is to be the next James Bond left me neither shaken nor stirred. Not shaken because he was widely tipped to be the latest screen 007 (especially after his mum let the cat out of the bag). Nor stirred because he's a safe, unadventurous
SENIOR North-East Tories are backing a "centre ground" candidate in their party's leadership race - rejecting the MPs' favourite, David Davis. Leading figures canvassed by The Northern Echo said they believed Mr Davis - supported by 67 Tory MPs - lacked
A LONG-ESTABLISHED arts group is facing an uncertain future as it continues its search for a permanent home. Darlington Society of Arts was formed in 1922 and for most of its time used the town's art gallery. But the closure of the facility in 2001 left
MIDDLESBROUGH have forgotten what it is like to have a 3pm kick-off on a Saturday afternoon - and manager Steve McClaren admits it is affecting attendances. Boro host Portsmouth at the Riverside Stadium today and the 5.15pm start, plus the fact that it
