A MARRIED man revealed last night he has received death threats following the disappearance of shopworker Jenny Nicholl. David Hodgson spoke out only hours after police said they now believed that the missing 20-year-old had been murdered. Mr Hodgson,
Researchers believe more than 18.000 people under 65 in the UK have dementia. Health Editor Barry Nelson talks to the wife of a 60-year-old patient with Alzheimer's who plans to share her experiences at a conference in Darlington next Friday. IT was one
MARK Viduka has always claimed he gets a special thrill out of European football and, at the moment, it is just as well. If it wasn't for the UEFA Cup, the Middlesbrough striker wouldn't be getting any football at all. While Yakubu and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink
Carlos Logan has been told he will not require surgery on an Achilles injury, allaying fears the Darlington winger could face more time on the sidelines. The 19-year-old returned to training yesterday after being told by a specialist that, despite floating
THE cost of the new Wembley Stadium project could rise by £75m as a result of the main contractor's dispute with engineering firm Cleveland Bridge, it has been claimed. Australian firm Multiplex said recent estimates of a £48.6m discrepancy between construction
A GOVERNMENT minister has singled out a North-East project as the way forward for ensuring the vitality of village halls. Rural Affairs Minister Jim Knight praised Teesdale Village Halls Consortium for the way it has helped the local community. The consortium
Another Sunday, another weekend without a game and once again it's the lack of a referee that is the cause. Last week's game against Turks Head became the third in five weeks to fall victim to the curse, with two games recently postponed because of injuries
Jose Mourinho has offered to end his war of words with Arsene Wenger with an apology for calling him a ''voyeur'' - but only if the Arsenal boss also apologises for months of perceived criticism of Chelsea. Mourinho stressed he had meant no malicious
It is now a year since the North-East said 'No' to a regional assembly. But with regional bodies being proposed for everything from our police service to health authorities, Political Editor Chris Lloyd asks, 'Are we getting regional government whether
TWO North-East police forces have been told a "quantum leap forward" is needed in the way they handle calls from the public. Durham and Cleveland forces were rated only "fair" in an analysis by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary. The Home Office said
A MARRIED man revealed last night he has received death threats following the disappearance of shopworker Jenny Nicholl. David Hodgson spoke out only hours after police said they now believed that the missing 20-year-old had been murdered. Mr Hodgson,
Wanted: New Mum And Dad (C4) Horizon: The Ghost In Your Genes (BBC2) FOR a child to be taken from their parents, for whatever reason, is traumatic enough. Then to be classified as "unadoptable" can only make matters worse. Other facts were hindering seven-year-old
MORE than 80,000 people are expected to attend one of the region's biggest bonfire and fireworks shows tomorrow. Tees Valley will mark the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot with a spectacular Festival of Fireworks. Displays in Stockton, Redcar and
A COUPLE wanting to live in the countryside to provide round-the-clock protection for their four Arab horses have had their idea rejected by planners. James and Gillian Atkin wanted to put a static caravan next to their stables, in a Special Landscape
CONSERVATIVE councillors hit out yesterday after a debate over radical changes to a North-East town centre was postponed. Traffic systems in Darlington have undergone major changes during the past six weeks, with bus stops moved and routes changed. The
MICK McCarthy last night shrugged off Sunderland's lack of financial firepower and maintained he could keep the club in the Premiership, despite being unable to add to his squad in January. This week's publication of Sunderland's annual accounts was accompanied
CONSERVATIVE councillors hit out yesterday after a debate over radical changes to a North-East town centre was postponed. Traffic systems in Darlington have undergone major changes during the past six weeks, with bus stops moved and routes changed. The
Tyne Tees Television presenter Pam Royle will switch on the Christmas lights at Eldon Square Shopping Centre in Newcastle. The switch-on will take place at a shopping event for elderly and disabled people, to be held on Sunday, November 20.
A YEAR after North-East voters overwhelmingly rejected plans for an elected regional assembly, senior figures in the victorious No campaign marked the anniversary by turning their fire on the unelected North-East Assembly. Despite the decisive result
A NORTH Yorkshire village school is to mark its centenary with the building of a long-awaited classroom. Despite serving a remote area of scattered villages, Leavening County Primary School, near Malton, will have 100 pupils on its register by the time
PLANS for a luxury hotel at a riverside site have been assured after councillors agreed to the building of a block of apartments to help fund the work. Durham city councillors endorsed the proposals for 108 apartments and 70 car parking spaces at Framwelgate
A "VIDEO nasty" with a difference is today being shown to footballers in an attempt to shock them into driving sensibly when in a fast car. Young players from Middlesbrough Football Club will be shown the no-holds barred film, which contains graphic footage
THE Army has asked highways chiefs to close a road to the public. The Ministry of Defence has requested that a stopping-up order is given for Waithwith Road, in Catterick Garrison. The request comes after the MoD announced a major redevelopment of the
A FORMER mill is being transformed into a £700,000 resource centre designed to promote renewable energy. Howsham Mill, near Malton, was derelict until the Renewable Heritage Trust, based at nearby Westow, started work to restore the building last year
UNION officials have pledged to fight the loss of more than 250 North-East jobs. The public sector union Unison said staff at the Durham branch of the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA) had been left "stunned and uncertain of their future". It follows
PLANS for a £2.3m forest visitor centre designed to be a major tourist attraction have been given the go-ahead. The centre, in Dalby Forest, north of Pickering, will be built from local timber and recycled stone. It will feature exhibitions and displays
VOLUNTEERS have boosted the campaign to spruce up a woodland area on the edge of Darlington this week. Schoolchildren joined members of the borough council's countryside team to help plant bulbs in Beech Wood, off Barmpton Lane. The day's activities followed
A FOOTBALL club last night announced plans for a £1.5m study centre to improve education. The facility will be created in the £20m home of Darlington Football Club, as part of the Government's Playing for Success initiative. The national project was established
COUNCIL officers are using modern technology to communicate with residents. Stockton Borough Council is launching two text messaging services, one aimed at youngsters and one to share information and receive views on several issues. Ezeetext is aimed
A NEW club will be established on Teesside for BMX enthusiasts. Dozens of BMX riders in Hartlepool use the course at Summerhill Country Park, off Catcote Road, and have decided to set up a club with help from Hartlepool Borough Council. The first meeting
A CONTROVERSIAL car boot sale has been shut down by councillors who ruled a town centre car park was not an appropriate site. Crowds regularly flocked to the Sunday morning events at Bondgate Car Park, in Bishop Auckland, but its popularity sparked rows
POLICE have issued a warning to homeowners and shoppers not to fall victim to crime in the run-up to Christmas. Operation Darc will be targeting the type of criminal activity usually associated with the dark winter evenings in Darlington and the south
A SHOW is being staged at a Darlington school tonight to raise money for charity. The glittering evening of dance, music and singing is being held at Longfield Comprehensive School and the proceeds will go to St Teresa's Hospice. The event has been organised
A PERSISTENT thief from Darlington has pleaded guilty to breaching a conditional discharge after being caught in the act again. Steven Grebby, of Neasham Road, was made the subject of the six-month discharge in July for theft. The 34-year-old has also
SCHOOL REPAIRS: YOU reported that the Government had issued £60m for school repairs for the North-East. I was wondering how come Darlington got awarded £20.6m when it was reported in January that their backlog of School repair work was £22,193,948? Yet
TWO young squash players are hoping to revitalise Barnard Castle School's reputation for the racquet game. Tom Park and Robert Harrison have been selected for the under-15s County Durham and Cleveland squad, rekindling hopes of days gone by. Barnard Castle
WITH the Weardale Railway's future still in the balance, a group of enthusiasts are bringing trains back to the dale in miniature. Eight working model layouts are on show at a Model Railway Exhibition in Stanhope Town Hall tomorrow and Sunday. The Weardale
A TEESDALE village hall is hosting a day where community groups can get information on how to make their organisations more sustainable. The event on November 17 at Mickleton Village Hall is being held as part of Social Enterprise Day. This is a national
TWO youths in West Auckland are due to be given Anti-Social Behaviour Orders as authorities battle to curb vandalism in the village. The move was revealed by Wear Valley District Council's anti-social behaviour officer Phil Shaw at a meeting to discuss
Tony Blair confessed today that he was useless at science at school. The Prime Minister admitted the subject was his worst while at exclusive Fettes College in Edinburgh. Mr Blair made the admission when he officially opened a multimillion-pound science
A COMMUNITY is rallying round to help a severely disabled woman get out of the house. Kathryn Hills, 43, of Federation Terrace, Tantobie, near Stanley, has suffered from MS since April last year and been in a wheelchair since February. She is now blind
PEOPLE in east Durham are being invited to get involved in issues affecting their homes and communities. They can voice their views at a tenants' conference to be staged in Peterlee Leisure Centre on Wednesday, from 9.30am to 3pm. The event will give
A VETERINARY charity is appealing for donations of goods to make up the theft of items collected for its Chester-le-Street shop. Bags of goods donated by supporters of the PDSA shop, in Front Street, were stolen from outside homes in Newbottle, near Houghton-le-Spring
CAN it really be a year since the referendum on whether the North-East should have an elected regional assembly? It doesn't seem five minutes since the No camp's white elephant was on Palace Green in Durham City, having a rather surreal and ill-tempered
RENOWNED crime writer Anne Cleeves is to host a murder mystery evening with a difference. Super sleuths are invited to solve the crime and determine who murdered library assistant Joy White on Tuesday, at Stockton Central Library, Church Road. The storytelling
A PHARMACIST told a jury yesterday that a doctor accused of triple murder had asked him for morphine for a dying man. Alisdair McConnell, who works at a pharmacy next door to Dr Howard Martin's surgery, said the doctor requested 60mg vials of morphine
SIXTY years after helping the Allies defeat Hitler, an elderly New Zealand-born war hero may be deported from Britain. Noel Bevan settled in the North-East, married local girl Marjorie Dumble in 1944, raised three children and worked all his life until
FOR the second year in a row, Middlesbrough can start planning for a place in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup after a comfortable victory almost certainly clinched a place in the next round. Two goals from Mark Viduka after the break and Aiyegbeni Yakubu's
A DOORSTEP conman's likeness to a Coronation Street star landed him in jail last night. A judge described the crimes of John Paul Thomas and his accomplice, John Paul Connors, as despicable after the pair targeted the homes of vulnerable pensioners across
RESIDENT EVIL 4, Format: PS2. Publisher: Capcom. Price: £39.99. Family friendly? 16+: THIS game may have been around longer than a re-animated corpse in a Lucio Fulci splatter-fest but until now, the delights of Resident Evil 4 have been restricted to
A DISQUALIFIED driver who killed his 18-year-old friend in a high-speed car crash while being pursued by police was jailed for eight years yesterday. John McNaughton drove at 70mph in icy conditions last February, before he crashed the Vauxhall Vectra
A TEENAGE girl studying at a boarding school in the region has been murdered with her parents in a mafia-style killing in Moscow. Elizaveta Slesareva, 15, was travelling in a Mercedes with her mother Natalia and banker father Alexander when the vehicle
LOCAL authorities across the North-East and North Yorkshire are going cold on the use of anti-social behaviour orders, the latest figures suggest. Only 44 Asbos were handed out to yobs, tearaways and nuisance neighbours in the first three months of this
THE chances of a cut in interest rates next week weakened yesterday when data on the UK services sector came in stronger than expected. Economists said figures showed the industry had grown at its fastest rate in three months during last month, confirming
SPEED CAMERAS: RE Ray Mallon's article on speed cameras and in particular the A177/Thorpe Thewles junction (Echo, Oct 21). Prior to their installation here there had been at least one fatality. Since the speed cameras were used there has not been one
BAR and nightclub company Ultimate Leisure has made an indicative bid for Inventive Leisure, which values the Revolution vodka bar operator at an estimated £50m. The 170p per share preliminary offer was made following Inventive's announcement in September
IT takes courage for someone to criticise a boss to their face and I have never forgotten the time I saw a policewoman do it to an assistant chief constable. It was some years ago when I was still in the force and a young WPC was in hospital after trying
A TRAVELLER had a heart attack while in police custody, an inquest heard yesterday. Consultant physician Dr Richard Harrison told the hearing into the death of Patrick Lowther, 33, that he had suffered severe damage to the brain stem. Doctors were divided
A computer hacker who helped spread a global virus has been freed from a six-month prison sentence. Andrew Harvey, 24, of Sherburn Village, Co Durham, successfully appealed after London's Court of Appeal received a letter outlining family problems. Two
IF YOU have a sweet tooth, then Masham's the place to be... This small town not only has two breweries, but also, barely a stone's throw from each other on different sides of the splendid market place, are two sweet shops, both of them designed to make
A BURGLAR got more than he bargained for when a brave vicar tried to barricade him inside his church during a raid. Lee Mullholland broke into the deacon's office at Grange Road Baptist Church, in Jarrow, South Tyneside, on the afternoon of June 30. The
A SATISFIED Steve McClaren last night claimed Middlesbrough were the Premiership's new entertainers after their 3-0 win over Dnipro took them to the brink of the UEFA Cup's knockout phase. Mark Viduka's second-half double followed hot on the heels of
Old fashioned sweets can evoke instant memories of childhood. Which means there will be lots of reminiscing going on in the market town of Masham, which boasts two fantastic sweetie shops. IF YOU have a sweet tooth, then Masham's the place to be... This
A MANAGEMENT buyout has saved 150 jobs and secured the future of one of the largest furniture retailers in the North-East. DP Furniture Express plunged into administration last month, closing ten of its 32 stores, due to the pressures of a deteriorating
A man has been charged with raping a girl at knifepoint in a tent 16 years ago while her two friends lay terrified next to her. The 50-year-old was questioned by police on Wednesday about an incident in the Calf Close area of Jarrow, South Tyneside, on
WHEN happy-go-lucky Jenny Nicholl leaves her home on Thursday, June 30, carrying a dark grey rucksack and does not return, it is of no great concern to her family. The pretty party girl would often go out camping with friends after drinking in and around
GRAHAM LEE'S booking for Samson Des Galas (2.20) represents an open invitation to back the gelding in Hexham's Century FM Selling Handicap Hurdle. For sure it's real low-rent stuff, but this type of bottom-of-the-barrel contest can often be very punter-friendly
GLOBAL chemical company ICI yesterday announced an eight per cent hike in quarterly profits but warned that it would keep increasing product prices if cost pressures did not ease. ICI - which employs more than 500 people in the region, including 350 through
THE owner of troubled shipbuilder Swan Hunter said yesterday there was "no need to panic" despite losing out on a £200m contract with Allseas. Jaap Kroese said work on the Swiss-owned Audacia pipe-laying vessel would not be coming to the Tyne, dashing
Carlos Logan has been told he will not require surgery on an Achilles injury, allaying fears the Darlington winger could face more time on the sidelines. The 19-year-old returned to training yesterday after being told by a specialist that, despite floating
A YEAR after North-East voters overwhelmingly rejected plans for an elected regional assembly, senior figures in the victorious No campaign marked the anniversary by turning their fire on the unelected North-East Assembly. Despite the decisive result
POLICE were called after reports of 50 people fighting - some with sticks - in the street after the opening of a mosque. Tension had been growing in South Shields, South Tyneside, during Ramadan and now police chiefs are appealing for calm. The brawl
BUS services are likely to be axed or reduced as Durham County Council tries to stem the rising cost of subsidising operators. The Labour-run authority's cabinet will be advised on Thursday to cancel ten services and cut back more than 60 others - mainly
A MAN stalked a teenage girl for more than two months and made threats towards her and her family, a court was told. Andrew Denny followed the 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, when she was out shopping in Ripon. Prosecutor Mark Haigh
A TEENAGER is preparing for the trip of a lifetime to work with orphaned youngsters in South Africa. Hannah Wood, 17, of Leyburn, North Yorkshire, will be placed in an orphanage in Johannesburg by the Project Trust charity. Hannah, a student at Queen
A POLICE investigation into the deaths of four young recruits at the Deepcut Army barracks has come in for sharp criticism by another force, a report is expected to show today. A review of the £1m Surrey Police reinvestigation is thought to conclude that
EIGHT food businesses were celebrating yesterday after being named as the best in their district. They each won a top slot in the Flavours of Hambleton after beating off competition from hundreds of others who were nominated. The awards were established
A POLISH nanny who went shoplifting within weeks of arriving in the UK was caught out by her dithering, a court heard. Magistrates were told how 45-year-old Elzbieta Kopczynska was spotted by security officers in Marks and Spencer in Harrogate on October
A GOVERNMENT minister has singled out a North-East project as the way forward for ensuring the vitality of village halls. Rural Affairs Minister Jim Knight praised Teesdale Village Halls Consortium for the way it has helped the local community. The consortium
THE Green Howards have welcomed a new recruit to their ranks - all the way from Canada. Sarah Taylor, 25, is now hard at work in the regimental museum in Richmond, North Yorkshire, as its newly-appointed collections and audience development officer. And
COUNCILLORS have called for routes into Darlington to become rubbish-free zones. The state of the key approaches to the town centre was raised at a meeting of the borough council's environment scrutiny committee yesterday. Councillor Heather Scott highlighted
A SCHEME that gives people more independence and control over the support they need to live at home has proved popular. The direct payments scheme, funded by Darlington Council, gives cash to people who need assistance from social services to live at
THREE schoolgirls with an interest in the building trades have tried life in the construction industry. Tees Valley building company Rok invited the year ten pupils from Conyers School, in Yarm, to spend time with the business. Hinna Salaam, Charlotte
FEWER than half of the councils in the North-East are on course to hit energy-saving targets. In 1996, local councils were told to improve household energy efficiency by two per cent a year until 2010. But several years later, 13 out of 23 local authorities
A LOCAL authority could secure an award for the quality of its recycling. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has been shortlisted to secure Beacon status for its waste and recycling management. The status will mean the council will show others across
POLICE in Spennymoor are appealing for information after a motorist bumped another vehicle in a supermarket car park then drove off. A green Ford Mondeo, parked outside the Co-op, in Oxford Road, Spennymoor, while the owner was shopping, was badly damaged
CRAFTY Ferryhill residents are helping a national charity bring warmth and colour to the lives of needy children thousands of miles away. Members of the Dean Bank Chat and Craft Group have made hundreds of garments for youngsters in impoverished African
YOUNG poets at a North-East school have set up a magazine to showcase their talents. The Barney Bard has been set up to tap into the poetic talents of pupils at Barnard Castle School. The monthly magazine is being edited by 16-year-old students Bridie
YOUNG people in County Durham are being won over to healthy eating by tapping in to an online menu. An interactive web-based education initiative developed by Durham County Council's Trading Standards service, is touring shopping centres to raise awareness
TALKING newspapers produced by a Durham-based charity are to be recorded on CD. The County Durham Society for the Blind and Partially-Sighted produces two bi-weekly newspapers, for the north and south of the county, that are listened to on cassette tapes
A CONTROVERSIAL car boot sale has been shut down by councillors who ruled a town centre car park was not an appropriate site. Crowds regularly flocked to the Sunday morning events at Bondgate Car Park, in Bishop Auckland, but its popularity sparked rows
A CALL has been made for people to dig out items of wartime memorabilia to contribute to a national digital archive. The BBC Radio Newcastle Big Blue Bus will be parked outside Age Concern County Durham's headquarters, in Atherton Street, Durham, next
YOUNG people in County Durham are being won over to healthy eating by tapping in to an on-line menu. An interactive web-based education initiative, developed by Durham County Council's Trading Standards service, is touring shopping centres to raise awareness
SANTA Claus will abandon his traditional sleigh when he makes an early appearance this month. Father Christmas will be arriving at Dalton Park shopping mall, near Seaham, on board a steam traction engine. The idea for the new mode of transport came from
HOW a student came to be at the side of the road where he met his death will remain a mystery, an inquest heard yesterday. Richard Hyde, 21, from Sheerness, Kent, who was studying chemistry at Newcastle University, stepped in front of an empty bus early
A FAST-FIT fitter has swapped tyres for tanks after joining the Army. Since he left St Leonard's School, in Durham City, four years ago, James Sheen has worked at Holiways Ford Rapid-Fit centre, in Carrville. This week, he starts a new career in Surrey
KIERON DYER has suffered yet another injury setback as the bulk of his Newcastle career continues to be spent on the sidelines. Despite making a brief reappearance on Sunday, the club revealed yesterday that Dyer, who signed a new four-year deal in the
GRAHAM LEE'S booking for Samson Des Galas (2.20) represents an open invitation to back the gelding in Hexham's Century FM Selling Handicap Hurdle. For sure it's real low-rent stuff, but this type of bottom-of-the-barrel contest can often be very punter-friendly
