TRAINER Ann Duffield returns to Lingfield this afternoon in the hope of completing a three-timer with Pauvic (5.05) in the Be Lucky Handicap. Lingfield's stark surroundings are a million miles from the picture postcard Yorkshire Dales village of Constable
FOUL-MOUTHED footballers are to be given the red card - after a village committee banned swearing. Referees overseeing matches on the playing fields in the village of Heighington, near Darlington, will be instructed to crack down on obscene language following
TRAINER Ann Duffield returns to Lingfield this afternoon in the hope of completing a three-timer with Pauvic (5.05) in the Be Lucky Handicap. Lingfield's stark surroundings are a million miles from the picture postcard Yorkshire Dales village of Constable
IT is ironic that, when it comes to the social scene, Kieron Dyer has earned a reputation as a player. The phrase, with its inevitably pejorative undertones, ignores the way in which he has eschewed a hedonistic lifestyle in the last 12 months to devote
Darlington are making life hard for themselves in their quest to reach a play-off spot and Saturday's performance against Shrewsbury Town took the biscuit. Two consecutive defeats in a run of four matches without a win means Quakers have left themselves
RESIDENTS hope an attempt to extend hours for drinking, live music and dancing at a football ground's function rooms will be blocked. Newcastle Football Club has applied to extend its drink and entertainment licence at its St James' Park ground until
DON Burluraux was a flying winger, who turned out for Middlesbrough and York City, was Darlington's player of the year in 197273 but at 24 had to retire from professional football because of injury. He worked for ICI, helped run Redcar tourist information
David Hodgson has backed Darlington's latest strikeforce to fire Quakers back into the play-off zone. Andy Cooke became Darlington's ninth different striker of the season when he made a scoring debut last week at Peterborough United alongside fellow loanee
WHO could ever forget that marvellous day last September when England pulled off one of the nation's greatest sporting victories to win back the Ashes after nearly 20 years. The series against the Australians had everything from nailbiting finishes to
GLENN Roeder last night praised the role Alan Shearer had played in Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round win over Southampton and revealed the Newcastle skipper was already taking his first tentative steps into management. Shearer was denied the opportunity
Crook's Nigel Wright warmed up for his Spring title fight with a win over Valery Kharyanov on Saturday night. Light-welterweight Wright overcame his Belarus opponent at the Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh, with a fourth round knockout, having already
A QUARTER of British servicemen and women in Iraq are from the North-East and North Yorkshire. Among them are 140 part-time soldiers who have ordinary civilian jobs back home, but some of them are engaged in the most dangerous tasks out in the desert.
Detectives are examining a kitchen knife found close to where a pretty young teacher was hacked to death on a new housing estate. And family and friends shocked by the slaying have paid tribute to the much loved young mum who was found bleeding to death
A team of budding entrepreneurs have shot up the table in the race to be named Durham's Future Business Magnates. After a brilliant performance in the competition's third round, Team One from Durham Community Business College have leapt from sixth in
A MAN was being questioned by police last night after a teacher was killed only yards from her home. Young mother Andrea Howarth, 28, died after being repeatedly stabbed near her house in Wingate, County Durham, late on Friday night. She was confirmed
Friends and relatives of the victims of a fatal car crash spoke of their sense of loss and left tributes where three young friends died. Liz Carroll, 22, Richard Hornsby, 25, and James Robson, 28, died when their car plummeted from Wylam Bridge in Northumberland
RIVAL train firms GNER and Grand Central are to face-off against each other in a final bid to persuade rail chiefs of their case for new services. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) had been expected to announce a final decision on both firm's bids.
A BID will be launched today to bring a money-spinning Ashes series Test match to the North-East for the first time. The move by Durham County Cricket Club to stage an England v Australia match in 2009 is being welcomed across the region. It is hoped
The Celts (C4) One Tree Hill (C4) IF you want people to remember the good things about you when you've gone, then be sure to write them down. Look what happened to the Celts. They omitted to put their history on parchment, leaving the Greeks and the Romans
The North-East and North Yorkshire have a great track record for staging top sporting events. Neil Hunter looks at what it would mean to the region to make history with an Ashes Test. From football World Cup qualifiers to some of the biggest meetings
NEWCASTLE chairman Freddy Shepherd has always claimed that leading his club is one of the top ten managerial jobs in the world and, when it comes to Martin O'Neill, his theory is about to be put to the test. If nothing else, the next couple of weeks should
PRISONERS are helping to work on a multi-million pound restoration of Darlington's South Park project. Inmates from HMP Acklington, in Northumberland, are making 200 foldaway chairs for musical events when the bandstand is open. Their work follows the
A 20-YEAR-OLD male has been seriously assaulted in an argument. The man sustained severe injuries, including swelling to his face, in the altercation, in Stocksmoor Close, Firthmoor, Darlington, at about 5pm on Friday. An ambulance was called and the
WITH chairman Steve Gibson claiming Middlesbrough have been on an upward gradient under Steve McClaren's management, despite a recent blip, the climb gained more momentum at Deepdale. Two shots brought two goals for the prolific Aiyegbeni Yakubu to secure
NEARLY 500 youngsters from Darlington have taken part in a festival of dance. The dance festival, held at Longfield School, was organised by the School Sports Partnership for Darlington. Thirty schools from around the town took part in the festival, which
COUNCIL tax rises for Wear Valley residents are expected to be agreed this week. Wear Valley District Council's share of the total charge will go up by 2.95 per cent if councillors agree at a meeting on Thursday. When added to precepts charged by Durham
CONSTRUCTION work on a project to breath new life into a dilapidated building is expected to be completed in the summer. The partnership team behind the mixed-use development, at 206-210 Northgate, Darlington, has submitted fresh plans for the conversion
FOUR officers from the Royal Corps of Signals put a group of students through their paces. About 25 year ten pupils at Hurworth School attended the information session at the school on Friday. Sergeant Dave Worsfold said: "We are giving them an insight
PARENTS are being urged to take notice of their children's activities after a spate of anti-social behaviour. Reports have been received from the public about youngsters misbehaving in Great Ayton on Friday nights. Over the past three weeks, a team of
PLANS to merge services at two councils in North Yorkshire have sparked fears of job cuts. Councillors are discussing merging the benefit payment and tax collection departments at neighbouring Hambleton and Ryedale district councils. Paul Hunt, the branch
THE Age Concern Durham County Information and Advice Bus is at Tow Law surgery tomorrow, from 10am to noon, and at Stainton Grove Community Centre, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. On Wednesday, it visits Middleton-in-Teesdale's central car park from 10am to noon
A STAGE company will make a drama over the need for more childcare helpers today. The Panto Company has been enlisted to give people a feel for what a job in childminding, play work or nursery provision involves. The group will give an hour-long performance
school pupil Nicola Hughes is the envy of her friends and family after winning a chance to be a ball girl at St James' Park. The 11-year-old Newcastle fan won a competition to be a ball girl at United's Premiership match against Liverpool next month in
RESIDENTS who have helped to shape their environment will soon be seeing the first fruits of their labours. People living in an area of Fence Houses, near Houghton-le-Spring, were asked for their views on improving the vicinity. The consultation resulted
A YOUTH theatre group sets out on the road to fame and fortune in its latest panto production. The Witton Gilbert Drama Group, in County Durham, is staging Dick Whittington this week as its annual panto. A cast and crew of 40, aged mainly in the nine
Arngrove Northern League: Consett's magnificent 24-game unbeaten run in the Second Division finally came to an end when Guisborough secured one of the shock results of the season on Saturday. The league's third-bottom side beat them with a single goal
PARENTS are being urged to take notice of where their children are and what they are up to following a spate of anti-social behaviour. Reports have been received from the public about youngsters misbehaving in Great Ayton on Friday nights. Over the past
A DISQUALIFIED driver who pretended to be his brother has been jailed. Michael Hunt, 28, appeared in court twice pretending to be his brother, Johnathan, after police stopped him in April last year driving a Mondeo car. Teesside Crown Court heard he had
PUBLIC CRITICISM: THE Liberal Democrat group on Darlington Borough Council deplores the fact that the chief executive of the council, Ada Burns, has written a letter (HAS, Feb 13), which publicly criticises a senior member of the opposition party. Any
AN elderly man was flown to hospital with severe injuries after a head-on crash near one of Britain's leading public schools. The 79-year-old was at the wheel of a Peugeot when it was in a head-on collision with a Ford Escort at about 11am on Saturday
As one of a new wave of magicians, Tom Rose is making magic cool. He tells Women's Editor Sarah Foster about his female fans and a brush with Richard Branson. I MUST admit to being a bit of a sceptic, so when Tom Rose gets out his cards, I'm less than
WORKERS who feel good about where they work have won their town an award and praise from its mayor. Shop, hotel and restaurant workers have signed up for courses that turn them into ambassadors for Middlesbrough. The courses tell them what is happening
MOTORISTS on four North-East and North Yorkshire roads face some of the worst traffic jams in England, the most detailed congestion study has found. The four roads - a combination of motorways and major trunk routes - are included on a list showing where
Families who have lost loved ones in tragic circumstances gathered for their fourth memorial service in the North-East at the weekend. The inter-denominational service, at St Mary's RC Catholic Church in Newcastle, is now an annual opportunity for grieving
STEVE McCLAREN'S delight at guiding Middlesbrough into the last eight of the FA Cup was overshadowed last night by the severity of Fabio Rochemback's injury. The midfielder will have scans today on the ankle ligament injury suffered at Preston when the
Arngrove Northern League: Consett's magnificent 24-game unbeaten run in the Second Division finally came to an end when Guisborough secured one of the shock results of the season on Saturday. The league's third-bottom side beat them with a single goal
NURSING leaders last night warned a pay row could leave North-East hospitals short of cover as staff consider refusing to carry out unpaid overtime. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says goodwill could be withdrawn if the Government awards a pay rise
LUCY Porter tells me she's in bed, enjoying a cup of tea and some biscuits, when I ring to talk to her. "The life support and comfort of my bed" is how she refers to it. Taking to her bed is one way of dealing with a full schedule of press interviews
THE biggest cheer at Blaydon following their 33-11 victory against Macclesfield was reserved for the news of Tynedale's 19-10 home win against Nuneaton. The previously unbeaten Midlanders are now only three points ahead of third-placed Blaydon, who still
HAD someone with a crystal ball foreseen that this match would be decided by the goal-kicking of someone wearing No 10, there would have been no doubt that Mike Scott was the man. Fylde's fly half went into the match with the best strike rate in National
AN opportunity missed was how Darlington defender Ryan Valentine summed up Saturday's defeat at the hands of Shrewsbury Town. Valentine felt, after losing at Peterborough four days earlier, the visit of mid-table Town would provide a good chance for Quakers
KEVIN Kyle has lived through the pain of being thrown into a side condemned as the worst in Premiership history and the Sunderland striker has promised to shield midfielder Grant Leadbitter from enduring the same misery he experienced three years ago.
THE biggest cheer at Blaydon following their 33-11 victory against Macclesfield was reserved for the news of Tynedale's 19-10 home win against Nuneaton. The previously unbeaten Midlanders are now only three points ahead of third-placed Blaydon, who still
OVER my 26 years in newspapers the technical progress has been mind-boggling. I started out in the days of hot metal and typewriters. Now it's computers, the Internet, mobile telephones, and digital cameras. But sometimes, progress isn't all it's cracked
A £120M scheme to boost a tourist spot's holiday industry is likely to win planning approval this week. Benchmark Properties, based in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, wants to develop a 50-acre site on Scarborough's North Bay to create a covered leisure
TWO women and a man have been jailed for a total of ten years following an undercover police sting to target heroin dealers. Bernardette McArthur, Josie Currie and Quentin Denton were secretly filmed selling heroin to, among others, three police officers
TRIBUTES were paid yesterday to three young people who died when a car plunged 40ft from a bridge into a river. A huge rescue operation began at 11.15pm on Saturday after the car crashed through the barriers of Wylam Bridge, Wylam, Northumberland. A team
THREE youths barged into a house late at night armed with sticks and a bat to carry out a punishment beating on a teenager. Durham Crown Court was told that brothers Paul and Stephen Hodgson were seeking retribution after their 14-year-old sister was
Wearside League: There was a further change at the top of the table on Saturday when Cleadon SC regained pole position with a crucial victory at Windscale who would have gone joint second had they won. Following a costly defeat the previous week, Cleadon
POLICE are seeking a lorry driver after a pedestrian was found dead on a city centre road. Alex Kirkpatrick is believed to have been hit by a vehicle outside the Tyne Theatre and Opera House, in Westgate Road, Newcastle, early on Saturday. Mr Kirkpatrick
A BID will be launched today to bring a money-spinning Ashes series Test match to the North-East for the first time. The move by Durham County Cricket Club to stage an England v Australia match in 2009 is being welcomed across the region. It is hoped
SHOPKEEPERS say roadworks are causing serious damage to their businesses and are calling for the work to be speeded up. Protests are being made to Middlesbrough Council over the pace of work in Cargo Fleet Lane - one of the town's main routes. Shop owners
POLICE and trading standards officials have defended a "no cold-calling" initiative to deter unwelcome sales people and bogus officials. The initiative has been running in Shotton Colliery, County Durham, for more than two months with the co-operation
PACKAGING: ALL your readers should be told that an historic decision was made in the European Union Parliament on February 2. The assembled MEPs succeeded in reaching an agreement to deregulate some of the rules about food and drink packaging which had
UniBond League: Bishop Auckland are looking for a new keeper following a half-time row between manager Brian Healy and John Mohan during their 1-1 draw with Bamber Bridge on Saturday. Mohan refused to play the second half after the incident, so was replaced
A DEFIANT Matt Clarke has reassured fans that all is not lost, and has insisted that, despite Darlington suffering their second straight defeat at the weekend, a play-off place remains within their sights. Saturday's single goal loss at the hands of Shrewsbury
TEENAGERS will be given the chance to find opportunities at a networking forum. First Stop in Darlington will be hosting the event at the Forum Music Centre next Monday, from 7pm to 9.30pm. Other organisations at the event will include youth services,
A SCHOOL performed a famous Willy Russell play to sell-out audiences last week. Parkside School's performing arts group, from Willington, performed Blood Brothers on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The cast had been rehearsing for five months for the
A SCHOOL with a reputation for turning out male rugby stars is now hoping to find some top tacklers among its female pupils. A girls' team has been formed at Barnard Castle School, where internationals such as Rory and Tony Underwood, Newcastle Falcons
Gay cowboy movie Brokeback Mountain was the big winner at last night's Baftas ceremony, taking four awards. The film, which tells the story of a secret love affair between a ranch hand and rodeo cowboy, scooped Best Film, Adapted Screenplay, Direction
KARATE champions John Robinson and Bryan Crossley have reunited for a one-off martial arts show to boost funds for charity. Mr Robinson, known for his record-breaking feats smashing bricks and concrete slabs with his bare hands, has come out of retirement
RESIDENTS' views on plans for a renewable energy village on a former cement works site will be published next week. The Weardale Task Force has set Wednesday, March 1, as the date for issuing its report on last year's consultation over the village which
A COMMUNITY centre in Ferryhill has landed more than £100,000 to boost use of the facility by all generations in the town. The Ladder Centre, in Ferryhill, has been awarded grants to take on two members of staff to attract youngsters and adults. A £75,000
A group is being set up to help the rising numbers of people affected by asbestos-related illnesses across North Yorkshire. York Asbestos Support Group will offer help, advice and support to sufferers throughout the county. Some asbestos-related illnesses
AS spring approaches, a North Yorkshire town is getting ready for its biggest floral challenge yet. The 2006 Britain in Bloom campaign is about to be launched - and in Harrogate, things will be a little different this year as it bids to become Champion
HOUSE developer Dunelm (Castle Homes) Ltd is expected to be allowed to build 11 more homes on a former garage site in Toronto, near Bishop Auckland. Its application to include more two-bedroomed houses on the land would mean building 67 properties instead
AN Alpha course is being launched later this month. The course, run by the New Life Baptist Church, Northallerton, will be held at The County Arms, in Northallerton, from February 28. Alpha courses are supported by all the main Christian denominations
A TEAM of budding entrepreneurs have shot up the table in the race to be named Durham's Future Business Magnates. After a brilliant performance in the competition's third round, Team One from Durham Community Business College have leapt from sixth in
CATERING services at a North-East hospital have won a national health award for the second successive year. The service run by Haden Building Management at the University Hospital of North Durham has won the Heartbeat Award - a national scheme presented
PUPILS at a Durham school put on a glittering performance when they took part in the TalentSTAR 2006 competition. Of the 18 acts which took to the stage at Durham High School for Girls, nine got through to the semi-final of the North-East talent contest
INCONSIDERATE drivers are blocking the routes of disabled people after thousands of pounds was spent on improving paths. A campaign has been launched targeting motorists who block dropped kerbs at crossing points. Council officials and members of the
Darlington are making life hard for themselves in their quest to reach a play-off spot and Saturday's performance against Shrewsbury Town took the biscuit. Two consecutive defeats in a run of four matches without a win means Quakers have left themselves
AFTER Newcastle sprung a surprise by relegating Jamie Noon to the bench yesterday, the centre went agonisingly close to snatching victory at the death. Noon had little chance to shine in his 30-minute contribution, but with 30 seconds left he burst through
SHOPKEEPERS say roadworks are causing serious damage to their businesses and are calling for the work to be speeded up. Protests are being made to Middlesbrough Council over the pace of work in Cargo Fleet Lane - one of the town's main routes. Shop owners
TV star David Brent will give one of his infamous motivational talks to businesses planning to ban smoking in the workplace. Companies and doctors' surgeries will be recognised for helping to create a smoke-free Stockton with an award presented by a lookalike
pProtestors have been making their feelings known about the controversial stage show Jerry Springer: The Opera. A touring version of the hit show opens at the Grand Opera House, in York, tonight and will also be seen in Newcastle, in May. But the muscial's
