REPRESENTATION: TORY Jim Tague continues his personal attacks on me and Councillor Olive Brown (HAS, May 16). According to him, LibDem and Labour councillors should be banned from being members of the North East Assembly and the EU Committee of the
JOHN Reid has enough on his plate dealing with the shambles which surrounds him at the Home Office without having to face the distraction of a protracted battle with chief constables over the reorganisation of police forces. The new Home Secretary
INEQUALITY in Britain was highlighted by a Church of England report yesterday as the Government was urged to cut the gap between rich and poor. The contrast between a porter taking home £131 for a 36-and-a-half-hour week, and a man paying £103,000
IT is impossible to imagine what John Hodgson and his family are going through. The heartache must be unbearable. His daughter, Catherine, made a single terrible mistake, which on Thursday cost her young life - het up, she strayed on to a railway line
THERE is a clear dilemma for the authorities over Lee Thompson, the North-East man at the centre of national controversy over his involvement in a bizarre sect which treats women as sex slaves. Is he just a fantasist who is doing nothing wrong legally
DAYS after receiving confirmation that it was among the survivors of a nationwide cull of local health service providers, Darlington's primary care trust (PCT) has announced a severe cost-cutting programme. There was understandable jubilation in Darlington
WE appreciate the fact that no laws appear to have been broken by the strange sex slavery sect operating in the North-East and, therefore, police have no grounds to take any action. We do, however, believe that the activities taking place at a house
CLEVELAND Chief Constable Sean Price has moved swiftly to initiate an independent inquiry to establish the facts behind the beating of an innocent man by police officers. There are clearly very serious questions facing the Cleveland force over the
He's rebuilt the interior of Number 10 for Hugh Grant, recreated 19th century Russia and a Greek Island village. Middlesbroughborn Jim Clay has come a long way from building model theatres as a ten-year-old, Steve Pratt discovers. WHEN he received
Actor Paul Bettany believes Dan Brown's bestselling book, The Da Vinci Code, is a work of pure fiction - and a good one at that. Bettany, who plays albino assassin monk Silas, doesn't buy into the conspiracy theories, he tells Steve Pratt PAUL Bettany
IT'S AN old-fashioned way of doing things, holding up people from the past as heroes for the young to admire. Nowadays, it would be sporting heroes or "celebrities". But this was nearly 60 years ago, so as children we read stories of people who'd changed
IT was like something out of a horror film. It was early in the morning and I was only just surfacing from a deep slumber. I had just negotiated another five minutes of rest with my inner self, and was settling back into the pillow, when I heard my
MY biceps are aching and the palms of my hands have developed calluses. My calves and hamstrings are stretched and my lumber region has a healthy warm glow. I can feel a pleasant throb in the muscles in my shoulder when I move them. I have spent
HIS e-mail headed "A grave error" - it could as easily have been a monumental mistake - Bob Williams from Elwick, near Hartlepool, sends a photograph of a tombstone he discovered near Wrexham, North Wales. The quotation - "God removeth away the speech
ON a day so damp and so drear that you couldn't see a crash barrier in front of you, we almost literally bumped into the North-East Mini Club's treasure hunt on the North Yorkshire moors last Saturday. Goodness only knows if they found the treasure
It's not all been plain sailing, but Hartlepool restaurateur Krimo Bouabda has made a splash at the marina. FROM the pages of any self-respecting dictionary of quotations flows the wit and waspishness of Ms Dorothy Parker, described in one of them
An old farmhouse has taken on a new lease of life - thanks to two men who felt they needed a real challenge. THOUGH perhaps not as famous as the Two Ronnies, West Auckland used to have two Berts, both wonderful characters who could be every bit as
Sussex's Pakistani attack ran riot at the Riverside as Durham slumped to an embarassing innings and 39 run defeat in the first division of the Liverpool Victoria County Championship. Paceman Naved-ul-Hasan and spinner Mushtaq Ahmed took five wickets
The woman stabbed to death on the eve of a Government-led amnesty on knives, was hair dresser Sharon Bell, 38, Elswick, Newcastle. Detective Chief Inspector Roger Ford said she was found last night in the doorway of the New York hair salon, on Nelson
A GRANDMOTHER was killed when she was hit by a train on a crossing close to her home. Margaret Hebdon, who was in her early 70s, died at 6.45pm on Friday at the level crossing on Long Lane, near Brompton, North Yorkshire. The crossing is close to
A CRUEL mum has been jailed for attacking her six-year-old boy with a table leg during a year of beatings. Deborah Chapman, 34, of Morpeth Avenue, Darlington was jailed for seven months at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. She claimed that she was
IT is a fact of life that people are more inclined to moan about something than say well done, so dealing with complaints is a common task for editors. Sometimes, the complaints don't come as any surprise because of the controversial nature of a particular
SEX sells newspapers. That's why juicy affairs or tittle-tattle about the love lives of talentless Big Brother winners dominate the front pages of the biggest selling nationals. The Northern Echo doesn't ignore sex but tries to keep it in perspective
NEWCASTLE has been put on the provisional shortlist in the competition to host the UKs first super-casino, it was announced today. The city joins Blackpool, Brent, Cardiff, Glasgow, Greenwich, Manchester and Sheffield in the race to be home to the
A MILLIONAIRE, jailed for ten years after being found guilty of kidnapping and threatening to kill two North-East businessmen, has had his convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal. Volker Kappler, 41, from Llanfairtalhaiarn, near Conwy, North Wales
POLICE in the North-East are carrying out a finger-tip search of a house as part of anti-terrorist operations which were launched across England today. The raids, which began in five police force areas including Cleveland at 3am, are said to be targeting
This week's wine has a deep rich garnet-red colour with a bouquet bursting with ripe blackcurrant and black olive aromas. On the palate there's soft blackberry fruit and spice with a lingering finish. The wine is 13% alcohol which balances the its
This week's wine is one of three new to me from the Minervois region of Southern France that I found in Oddbins. It is crystal clear with a straw yellow colour and a pronounced nose of apricots and nectarines with a flowery background. There are citrus
This week's wine has a pale straw greenish colour with intense aromas of grapefruit and citrus blossom. On the palate there is a nettly flavour with a blackcurrant background. It's 13.7 % alcohol with good acidity and a long-lasting aftertaste. Good
This week's wine has a straw yellow colour with a floral bouquet and hints of tropical fruit. It's a dry wine with good acidity and a taste of mangoes with an earthy background. It comes into its own when drunk with food, particularly chicken although
A young red wine for drinking now, this week. It has a beetroot-red colour with a bouquet of black cherries. On the palate the tannins are soft and there's a fruity taste of black plums and blackcurrants. This is a dry fruity wine of medium acidity
A wine from a grape variety that's becoming more popular every year. It has a lovely ruby red colour with a pronounced bouquet of morello cherries, blackberry jam and juniper berries. This follows through to the taste which is a little spicy but it's
A full- bodied wine this week, not for the feint-hearted, it's a whopping 14% alcohol and not very tannic . It has a lovely deep garnet-red colour with a bouquet of red currants with an oaky background. This follows through to the taste which is full
A GOURMET shop owner is to retire from one of North Yorkshire's premier stores. After 23 years in charge, Tony Howard will hand over Lewis & Cooper, in North-allerton, to his 33-year-old twin daughters, Victoria and Bettina, when he leaves on May 31
PUBLICANS and police are to issue drunks who cause trouble with a yellow card warning. Anyone who re-offends after receiving a yellow letter from Richmondshire Licence Watch will be banned from all pubs and off-licences in the area for a year. The
BROMPTON'S carnival will take place over the bank holiday weekend. The events begin on Friday when a family game of rounders will take place from 6pm. The annual gymkhana will take place on Saturday, at 1pm, at the Banks Farm, then at 2pm a children's
FOUR students are celebrating after securing sponsorship from a retail frozen foods distributor to build a model Formula One racing car. The Burn Rubber team, from Boroughbridge High School, has secured the £350 funding from local company Reed Boardall
PLANS to create five junior football pitches and an extra cricket pitch near a village estate is causing concern among residents. The scheme is being submitted by Ripley Cricket Club, between Ripon and Harrogate, which wants to build the sports pitches
ORGAN transplant recipients will help to mark the birthday celebrations of a hospital's transplant programme this weekend. A children's party and dinner dance are being organised to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the transplant programme at Newcastle's
A STUDENT has spoken of her frustration after a exam board blunder left her attempting an "impossible" GCSE paper. Abigail Bromby, 16, a pupil at Cramington Community High School, in Northumberland, was among thousands of students made to sit a humanities
SOFTWARE firm Sage continued its aggressive acquisition programme yesterday with a move into the Far East. The Newcastle company paid £7m for a majority shareholding in a leading Malaysian software firm, as well as acquiring a small Chinese distributor
RESIDENTS are opposing plans to build a housing estate in the grounds of a Victorian villa. Copsewood, off The Avenue, in Eaglescliffe, dates back to 1860 and had been owned by generations of the same family until earlier this year. After purchasing
AN MP will be rolling up his sleeves to encourage people to volunteer in the community. Carers Week launches next month, from June 12 to June 18, to highlight the contribution made by the UK's six million carers. Hartlepool Carers will be holding
THE horrors of trench warfare have been brought to life for bookworms at a Middlesbrough school, thanks to the storytelling skills of a children's author. Theresa Breslin used artefacts from the war, including a gas mask and uniform, as she recounted
THE line-up for this year's Barnard Castle Rhythm and Blues Festival has been announced. Up to 2,000 people are expected at the event, on Sunday. The biggest name to appear will be Otis Grand, who will close the festival in the evening. In his
PLANS to build homes in a former pit village have been welcomed by residents hoping they will spark a revival of their community. Proposals have been made for more than 160 homes on part of a former colliery on the outskirts of West Cornforth. Villagers
CHILDREN are walking to school this week to improve their health. Walking buses, giant storybooks and village trails have been devised in County Durham as part of national Walk to School Week. The county is one of only five areas around the country
A COMPANY at the centre of a campaign of terror from animal rights activists has secured a continuation of an injunction preventing shareholders' details being made public. GlaxoSmithKline yesterday secured the order which prevents campaigners from
REAL ales from different parts of the UK will be on tap at one of the most remote hotels in the North-East this weekend. Building on the success of last year's first beer festival at the Langdon Beck Hotel, in Upper Teesdale, landlord Glen Matthews
Residents are being asked to help keep a town free of bogus callers. Every home in Shildon will receive stickers and information leaflets containing emergency numbers as the town fights the conmen who prey on vulnerable members of society. In a
A MAN who suspected he had been handed a fake cheque for a £9,000 caravan chased the buyers along the A1, before tipping off police who arrested them. Nicholas Pszczola, 28, and Kamilla Collins, 26, both from Lichfield, Staffordshire, had given a cheque
A WOMAN whose house and garden are regularly flooded is planning to sue Northumbrian Water. Karen Smith who lives at Rushpool Cottage, near Hurworth, Darlington, said she was taking the water company to court accusing it of failing to maintain the
A memorial has been dedicated to a community-minded Aycliffe Angel who lived most of her life in a village near Darlington. The family of Kathleen Walls, who died two years ago, have replaced the original railings at Hurworth Village Hall in her memory
A competition offering people the chance to win a £1,250 ceremony at a Darlington marriage venue has seen a flood of entries. The town's registration service and ceremony room will be moving to Bull Wynd, in December. The ceremony room has yet to
TRADERS in Darlington will today learn about proposals to create a partnership to help businesses in the town. Darlington Town Centre Board is holding the event, A Window of Opportunity: Darlington 2006 to 2009, at the King's Head Hotel, in Priestgate
A PICTORIAL insight into the many faces of China has gone on display at a North-East museum. The exhibition, at the Oriental Museum, in Durham City, is titled In China and includes a diverse range of photographs by US photographer Aaron Schuman.
ARTWORK will be displayed in a former lead mine this week when an exhibition opens at a North-East museum. In Search of a Hidden Landscape, by artist David Walker Barker, starts at Killhope, in Upper Weardale, County Durham, on Friday. Paintings
A HELICOPTER used in the Vietnam war is making its first official display appearance this weekend. The Bell UH1H, the only machine of its kind in operation in Europe, is known throughout the world as the "Huey". It was developed for use in Vietnam
A GROUP of railway enthusiasts trying to secure the return of their beloved steam engine to the region hope a charity auction will help. The Merlin Restoration Group, based at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum in Shildon, County Durham, is trying
Visitors to Darlington Railway Museum, in North Road, can meet Thomas the Tank Engine and friends on July 8 and 9, from 10am to 5pm both days. There will be train rides, face painting, quizzes and refreshments. For more information and prices, contact
AN award-winning museum will give visitors the chance to play old-fashioned games. The Beck Isle Museum, in Pickering, is holding a games, rural crafts and trades event starting on Sunday, May 28. There will be a variety of traditional games and
That Corrie kiss ensured Bruno Langley's career took off. Now the former soap star is keen to break into stage-acting and talks to Viv Hardwick about his decision to play another gay character in a revival of A Taste Of Honey. BRUNO Langley may not
STEVE PRATT catches up with music guru Lou Adler who helped put the Rocky Horror Show on the showbiz map. THE location of the 2,307th star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame was fittingly sited outside Virgin Records music store on Hollywood Boulevard
TAKE away the controversial central conceit about the bloodline of Jesus Christ and you're left with a pretty runof-the-mill thriller. If it hadn't have been for this much-talked about aspect of Dan Brown's book would anyone have given it a second
LIKE father, like son. Ben Mitchell is proving himself a chip off the old block by following in the footsteps of dad Fill the Fug in EastEnders (BBC1). Fill - who together with brother Grunt used to be Albert Square's answer to the Krays - is trying
See No Evil: The Moors Murders (ITV1); Hannibal (BBC1): The fuss about whether it's right and proper to make a film about Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley is likely to blind people to the fact that See No Evil is a very good piece of TV drama
Private Parts: The Trouble With Breasts (five); Larger Than Life: Miss Big And Beautiful (five): BREASTS, the narrator told us, are in our face all the time. This may have been wishful thinking on his part but there's no denying they can have a devastating
Boom Bang-a-Bang: 50 Years Of Eurovision (BBC1); Who Stole The World Cup? (C4): There can be no surprise why the UK didn't win the 1957 Eurovision Song Contest as the entry's lyrics proceeded thus: "Looking high, high, high, Looking low, low, low. Tell
The Line Of Beauty (BBC2); The Umbrella Assassin: Revealed (five): Those suffering from withdrawal symptoms following the end of The Apprentice will have been heartened to hear the name "Badger" mentioned in Alan Hollinghurst's The Line Of Beauty.
Bring Back... The A-Team (C4): A-Team actor Dirk Benedict wasn't confident that co-star Mr T would want to take part in a reunion with stars of the 80s series. "You'll never get Mr T, you have a better chance of getting George Peppard," he told presenter
Funland (BBC2); The Worst Jobs In History (C4); The Booze Cruise III: The Scattering (ITV1): Any programme will be hard pushed to be as bizarre and freak-showish as Big Brother promises to be, but Funland is heading down the right alley. The second
Larger Than Life (five); Private Parts: The Trouble With My Vagina (five): Five's updated documentary on three people eating themselves to death was a powerful advertisement for dieting. Larger Than Life featured three people whose weight - 36, 48
Property Developing Abroad (five): Novice property developer Georgina earned the sort of praise you don't often hear on a TV programme like this. "You've done a fantastic job," presenter Gary McCausland told her. This isn't the norm when Brits buy
IF you want a special treat this year then there are a couple of great shows to loosen the change in your pocket. Mention songs like Lying Eyes, Take It To The Limit and Hotel California and you know I'm relating to the best country rock band the world
Nicola Beneditti (DG476 3159) The second album from the BBC Young Musician of 2004 reaffirms the talent of a consummate musician. Mendelssohn's Violin Concert has a sparkle and rythmic litheness, enhanced by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields under
Stan Kenton/Sophisticated Approach (Capitol Jazz 56310) A new batch of vintage albums on Pacific and Capitol Jazz includes this sumptuous 1961 session by Kenton's expanded mellophonium orchestra. Lennie Niehaus was commissioned to arrange a series
A FIRE brigade is getting rid of the cooks who dish up food to its crews in a bid to save money. The daytime cooks at seven of County Durham's 15 fire stations will lose their jobs at the end of next month. One has already left the brigade, another will
A GEOLOGIST who retrained to make furniture has opened a workshop in Barnard Castle. Stephen Richards moved from London when his wife, Gabriella, was offered the position of textile conservator at the town's Bowes Museum. As a geologist, Mr Richards worked
North-east car maker Nissan will join the exodus of British car production to Eastern Europe unless flexible labour laws are scrapped, a union warned MPs yesterday. In evidence to a Commons committee, Amicus raised the spectre of the death of the British
A memorial has been dedicated to a community-minded Aycliffe Angel who lived most of her life in a village near Darlington. The family of Kathleen Walls, who died two years ago, have replaced the original railings at Hurworth Village Hall in her memory
A WOMAN whose house and garden are regularly flooded is planning to sue Northumbrian Water. Karen Smith who lives at Rushpool Cottage, near Hurworth, Darlington, said she was taking the water company to court accusing it of failing to maintain the sewers
TRADERS in Darlington will today learn about proposals to create a partnership to help businesses in the town. Darlington Town Centre Board is holding the event, A Window of Opportunity: Darlington 2006 to 2009, at the King's Head Hotel, in Priestgate
Shay Given will win his 76th Republic of Ireland cap when Steve Staunton's side face Chile in a friendly at Lansdowne Road this evening, and the Newcastle goalkeeper has insisted he did not even consider leaving St James' Park at the end of next season
A competition offering people the chance to win a £1,250 ceremony at a Darlington marriage venue has seen a flood of entries. The town's registration service and ceremony room will be moving to Bull Wynd, in December. The ceremony room has yet to be given
PLANS to build homes in a former pit village have been welcomed by residents hoping they will spark a revival of their community. Proposals have been made for more than 160 homes on part of a former colliery on the outskirts of West Cornforth. Villagers
CHILDREN are walking to school this week to improve their health. Walking buses, giant storybooks and village trails have been devised in County Durham as part of national Walk to School Week. The county is one of only five areas around the country selected
BROMPTON'S carnival will take place over the bank holiday weekend. The events begin on Friday when a family game of rounders will take place from 6pm. The annual gymkhana will take place on Saturday, at 1pm, at the Banks Farm, then at 2pm a children's
FOUR students are celebrating after securing sponsorship from a retail frozen foods distributor to build a model Formula One racing car. The Burn Rubber team, from Boroughbridge High School, has secured the £350 funding from local company Reed Boardall
A MASHAM glass studio is marking its 25th anniversary with an exhibition. Uredale Glass, which specialises in coloured glass products, was founded in 1981 by Tim and Maureen Simon and since then has trained three glassmakers. One has moved on to set up
A DARLINGTON business has celebrated its silver jubilee by restoring a van made when the company was launched. Northgate commemorated 25 years in business by helping the owner of a 1981 Transit restore the vehicle. The van, which is owned by Transit Van
POLICE have carried out an operation to crack down on the supply of illegal drugs in licensed premises in Derwentside. Officers visited public houses in the Catchgate, Craghead and Tanfield Lea areas. Dog handler PC Alison Dawson and passive drugs dog
A COUNCIL has been praised by the Audit Commission for its environmental services. The report said Chester-le-Street District Council's services were good, with promising prospects for improvement. An independent inspection team gave the service two stars
A SCHOOL is to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a Mass led by the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. Bishop Kevin Dunn will lead the celebrations on Friday at St Bede's School, in Lanchester. The school was built in 1965, but this will be the 40th anniversary
A GOURMET shop owner is to retire from one of North Yorkshire's premier stores. After 23 years in charge, Tony Howard will hand over Lewis & Cooper, in North-allerton, to his 33-year-old twin daughters, Victoria and Bettina, when he leaves on May
A NORTH-EAST almshouses is hosting its first folk concert this summer. The concert - Gentlefolk - on July 1, will be held at Sir William Turner's Almshouses, in Kirkleatham. Three local couples will perform a variety of folk songs. Les Cameron and Barbara
NEWCASTLE has been put on the provisional shortlist in the competition to host the UKs first super-casino, it was announced today. The city joins Blackpool, Brent, Cardiff, Glasgow, Greenwich, Manchester and Sheffield in the race to be home to the money-spinning
DURHAM were perplexed by a pair of Pakistanis yesterday as their chances of closing the five-point gap on leaders Sussex were wrecked by Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Mushtaq Ahmed. Known as Ronnie and Mushy to their teammates, they took their total of championship
THE world's third largest music company EMI lifted annual profits by almost 13 per cent yesterday after seeing revenues from its digital content more than double. The group, which has Coldplay, Gorillaz and Robbie Williams on its roster of artists, said
MARKS & Spencer's turnaround looked almost complete last night as it unveiled a 35 per cent rise in annual profits to £751m. However, chief executive Stuart Rose said the retailer still had much to do for the turnaround to amount to a recovery - unless
SOFTWARE firm Sage continued its aggressive acquisition programme yesterday with a move into the Far East. The Newcastle company paid £7m for a majority shareholding in a leading Malaysian software firm, as well as acquiring a small Chinese distributor
THE elder son of motor magnate Sir Peter Vardy has launched a property investment company that will form part of the Durham-based Vardy Group. Richard Vardy, 31, who oversaw a 120-strong property portfolio worth £250m as head of property at Reg Vardy
CAMPAIGNERS have launched a legal challenge that could halt a council's £5m relocation plans. The Save Our Shire (SOS) group is fighting the sale of Yorke Square car park, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, for housing. Richmondshire District Council has already
A MANUFACTURING company is to build its new headquarters in a small market town as turnover is expected to break the £5m mark. Analox Sensor Technology, in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, has purchased a plot of land on the town's industrial park and expects
The season for dressing up is getting under way - and, oh, how we love being in our finery. CINDERELLA has a lot to answer for... Ever since that Fairy Godmother scattered stardust from her wand and said "Yes, you shall go to the ball"- the rest of us
EVANDER HOLYFIELD, the four times heavyweight boxing champion of the world, last night launched a programme that will lead to the opening of a North-East boxing academy. The legendary boxer, who this week announced his intention to fight for a fifth world
POLICE are appealing for information about the whereabouts of a man who went missing after Middlesbrough's defeat in the Uefa Cup final. Unemployed Gary Cowan, of Acclom Street, Hartlepool, has not been seen since he left a friend's home at about 9.30pm
A MAN from the North-East was yesterday jailed for life for his involvement in a paedophile ring that recruited young girls to provide sex for cash. The judge described the four men involved - who also used graffiti adverts on trains asking girls as young
MIDDLESBROUGH are preparing for the increasing possibility that No 1 target for the vacant manager's post, Terry Venables, will not be taking charge at the Riverside Stadium. Boro hoped to have been in a position by the end of today where they would know
POP star Carl Pemberton thought he was going to die as he was dragged by currents down a swollen stream. The Journey South heart-throb told how he thought it was the end when he was washed down the stream in Nunthorpe for five minutes after his car became
A VITAL exam for final-year university students is being cancelled today as lecturers' industrial action bites deeper. Most universities in the region are coping with the union pay dispute, but fear problems could occur when papers have to be marked.
BBC Sport and Five Live presenter John Inverdale cut a dashing figure in the North-East yesterday as part of a mission to complete a marathon with a difference for this year's Sport Relief. He will be visiting 24 towns or cities across the UK, from Glasgow
ON a day so damp and so drear that you couldn't see a crash barrier in front of you, we almost literally bumped into the North-East Mini Club's treasure hunt on the North Yorkshire moors last Saturday. Goodness only knows if they found the treasure, we
WELL, well. A week ago I noted here what struck me as the utterly unjustified control by the EU of the TV rights to the English Premier League. Our own Government plays no part whatsoever. But where this once would have provoked an outcry, it now raises
A MANUFACTURING company is to build its new headquarters in a small market town as turnover is expected to break the £5m mark. Analox Sensor Technology, in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, has purchased a plot of land on the town's industrial park and expects
Ten years ago Caroline Ponting was a guinea pig in a pioneering BBC experiment to find permanent happiness. As a documentary revisits the participants, Brian Readhead finds out if she's still smiling. CAROLINE Ponting is a far happier person today than
A BISHOP Auckland dentist is offering free oral screening on Friday. Kensington Dental Practice will carry out brief consultations and cancer screening as part of National Smile Month. Call at the surgery, at 2 Kensington Place, Cockton Hill, Bishop Auckland
A STUDENT has spoken of her frustration after a exam board blunder left her attempting an "impossible" GCSE paper. Abigail Bromby, 16, a pupil at Cramington Community High School, in Northumberland, was among thousands of students made to sit a humanities
A SERIES of events to coincide with National Cancer Prevention Awareness Week has been launched in east Durham. The programme has been jointly by Easington Primary Care Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support. It is organised by staff and volunteers at the
A MAN who suspected he had been handed a fake cheque for a £9,000 caravan chased the buyers along the A1, before tipping off police who arrested them. Nicholas Pszczola, 28, and Kamilla Collins, 26, both from Lichfield, Staffordshire, had given a cheque
A YOUNG motorist was involved in a near head-on collision just half an hour after buying a car, a court heard. Mark Thornton, then 21, attempted to overtake a friend's car on a sweeping right hand bend, on the A177 at Maiden Castle, near Durham, but found
A FATHER and son bridged the generation gap by gaining the same martial arts award. Mick and Liam Machan, of North Close, Spennymoor, achieved black belt status at a grading tournament in Ferryhill. Liam, nine, was the first to take up the sport when
AN MP will be rolling up his sleeves to encourage people to volunteer in the community. Carers Week launches next month, from June 12 to June 18, to highlight the contribution made by the UK's six million carers. Hartlepool Carers will be holding a series
RESIDENTS are opposing plans to build a housing estate in the grounds of a Victorian villa. Copsewood, off The Avenue, in Eaglescliffe, dates back to 1860 and had been owned by generations of the same family until earlier this year. After purchasing the
FIRE chiefs say they have growing concerns about the number of smoke alarms without batteries in homes. Cleveland Fire Brigade has fitted more than 78,000 smoke alarms in homes throughout Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Stockton. Firefighters who
SOFTWARE firm Sage continued its aggressive acquisition programme yesterday with a move into the Far East. The Newcastle company paid £7m for a majority shareholding in a leading Malaysian software firm, as well as acquiring a small Chinese distributor
PUBLICANS and police are to issue drunks who cause trouble with a yellow card warning. Anyone who re-offends after receiving a yellow letter from Richmondshire Licence Watch will be banned from all pubs and off-licences in the area for a year. The tactic
NETBALL COUSE FOR SHOOLGIRLS: REDCAR and Cleveland Borough Council's sports development team is inviting girls in years seven to nine to attend a seven-week netball training course, run by qualified coaches from Grangetown Netball Club, at Grangetown
REAL ales from different parts of the UK will be on tap at one of the most remote hotels in the North-East this weekend. Building on the success of last year's first beer festival at the Langdon Beck Hotel, in Upper Teesdale, landlord Glen Matthews will
THE horrors of trench warfare have been brought to life for bookworms at a Middlesbrough school, thanks to the storytelling skills of a children's author. Theresa Breslin used artefacts from the war, including a gas mask and uniform, as she recounted
ORGAN transplant recipients will help to mark the birthday celebrations of a hospital's transplant programme this weekend. A children's party and dinner dance are being organised to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the transplant programme at Newcastle's
A WOMAN celebrated her 100th birthday on the same day her only daughter marked turning 81. While celebrating her century milestone yesterday, Hilda Fowler shared some of the limelight with daughter, Eileen Bussey, who was born on the same date as her
PLANS to create five junior football pitches and an extra cricket pitch near a village estate is causing concern among residents. The scheme is being submitted by Ripley Cricket Club, between Ripon and Harrogate, which wants to build the sports pitches
A MAN from the North-East was yesterday jailed for life for his involvement in a paedophile ring that recruited young girls to provide sex for cash. The judge described the four men involved - who also used graffiti adverts on trains asking girls as young
CINDERELLA has a lot to answer for... Ever since that Fairy Godmother scattered stardust from her wand and said "Yes, you shall go to the ball"- the rest of us have wanted to go too. There is something about the chance to dress up that takes us out of
A VITAL exam for final-year university students is being cancelled today as lecturers' industrial action bites deeper. Most universities in the region are coping with the union pay dispute, but fear problems could occur when papers have to be marked.
STUDENTS have been introduced to the world of work through a gameshow. Bishop Barrington School, in Bishop Auckland, took part in a guessing game reviving the old TV show What's My Line. Employers, including a book publisher, council health officer, staff
Residents are being asked to help keep a town free of bogus callers. Every home in Shildon will receive stickers and information leaflets containing emergency numbers as the town fights the conmen who prey on vulnerable members of society. In a show of
THE line-up for this year's Barnard Castle Rhythm and Blues Festival has been announced. Up to 2,000 people are expected at the event, on Sunday. The biggest name to appear will be Otis Grand, who will close the festival in the evening. In his 25-year
A SCHOOL has received recognised for encouraging healthy living among pupils. Leadgate Community Junior School, near Consett, has been awarded National Healthy School Status. Headteacher Jane Cain was presented with a certificate marking the achievement
Bedale Brass Band raised £550 for a Thirsk charity at its spring concert in the Chantry Hall, Bedale. The Neil Project works to give children receiving treatment for cancer, and their families, life-enriching experiences such as a visit to the Lake District
PEOPLE who carry knives and other offensive weapons are being urged to hand them in to police. Officers in the Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria Police forces are joining the national five-week Government-led amnesty in a bid to cut knife crime. People
PEOPLE who carry knives and other offensive weapons are being urged to hand them in to police. Officers in the Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria Police forces are joining the national five-week Government-led amnesty in a bid to cut knife crime. People
A GEOLOGIST who retrained to make furniture has opened a workshop in Barnard Castle. Stephen Richards moved from London when his wife, Gabriella, was offered the position of textile conservator at the town's Bowes Museum. As a geologist, Mr Richards worked
CHILDREN at a Sunday school have collected 75,000 pennies to buy a cow for an African community. The congregation at Chester-le-Street United Reformed Church have spent the past 15 months saving for the charity Send A Cow. The fundraising drive was launched
A £3.9m care home for the elderly will be named Sunnyfield Lodge when it opens next year - thanks to pupils at a Ripon school. Youngsters from Ripon Cathedral Primary School had been asked to submit names for the new project, being built at the city's
A COMPANY at the centre of a campaign of terror from animal rights activists has secured a continuation of an injunction preventing shareholders' details being made public. GlaxoSmithKline yesterday secured the order which prevents campaigners from listing
AN American exercise routine based around simple body movements is being taught at free sessions this week. Movement Ritual is a daily movement practice, designed to get rid of stress and tension. Chester-le-Street District Council's arts development
MORRISONS has given a glimmer of hope to hundreds of North-East workers whose jobs are under threat. The supermarket chain has warned that its distribution depots in Stockton and Felling, Gateshead, are at risk of closure with the loss of more than 700
BOB Murray has urged Sunderland's fans not to hamper the club's development by refusing to renew their season tickets until Niall Quinn's proposed takeover is complete. Quinn's consortium, which is being backed by leading Irish property developers Sean
A RETAILER of collectable teddy bears has opened a second store in the region. More than £40,000 has been invested in the Hartley Bear's Emporium, in Yarm High Street, following the success of the store in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. The shop has created
MORRISONS has given a glimmer of hope to hundreds of North-East workers whose jobs are under threat. The supermarket chain has warned that its distribution depots in Stockton and Felling, Gateshead, are at risk of closure with the loss of more than 700
DAVID NICHOLLS can make the long haul from Thirsk to Goodwood pay by bagging the two-miler with Double Obsession (2.40) at the picturesque Sussex venue. When in the care of Mark Johnston, Double Obsession recorded a notable Royal meeting triumph in the
TEN days after a teenager was last seen by her family, police have renewed their appeal for her safe return. Cindy Shield, 15, left her home in Shildon, County Durham on Friday, May 10, to go to her school, Sunnydale Comprehensive. She failed to turn
POLICE in the North-East are carrying out a finger-tip search of a house as part of anti-terrorist operations which were launched across England today. The raids, which began in five police force areas including Cleveland at 3am, are said to be targeting
GLENN Roeder will spend the rest of the summer monitoring Shaun Wright-Phillips' attempts to negotiate a move away from Chelsea. But while the Newcastle manager eyes up a possible season-long loan deal that would take the unsettled midfielder from London
A MILLIONAIRE, jailed for ten years after being found guilty of kidnapping and threatening to kill two North-East businessmen, has had his convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal. Volker Kappler, 41, from Llanfairtalhaiarn, near Conwy, North Wales,
CHILDREN in the North-East are joining the fight against obesity by signing up to specially-designed gyms. Fitness fanatics as young as eight are using the new "junior gyms", which have become the latest national phenomenon. The region's first fitness
JOHN Reid has enough on his plate dealing with the shambles which surrounds him at the Home Office without having to face the distraction of a protracted battle with chief constables over the reorganisation of police forces. The new Home Secretary found
CAROLINE Ponting is a far happier person today than she was ten years ago. Happier, some might say, than anyone has any right to be. But how she has achieved that state of mind is an intriguing story. The 65-year-old divorcee puts her condition down to
JOHN REID signalled yesterday that the merger of North-East police forces will be shelved or even scrapped because of the wider crisis engulfing the Home Office. The new Home Secretary - facing rising anger over the foreign prisoners fiasco - told a committee
ON a day so damp and so drear that you couldn't see a crash barrier in front of you, we almost literally bumped into the North-East Mini Club's treasure hunt on the North Yorkshire moors last Saturday. Goodness only knows if they found the treasure, we
After making his choices, Janus (Colin Woods) offers an update on his Racing North ten-to-follow list. THOROUGHBREDS are notoriously delicate, so it's no surprise triumph and tragedy, plus a bit of everything in between, has already touched the fortunes
REPRESENTATION: TORY Jim Tague continues his personal attacks on me and Councillor Olive Brown (HAS, May 16). According to him, LibDem and Labour councillors should be banned from being members of the North East Assembly and the EU Committee of the Regions
FOR those of us planning on refreshing our collection of folk music CDs at this time of year, I notice there are a few tasty treats currently making waves out there. This includes the latest by new Scottish star Karine Polwart, which even the mainstream
Listening to this is like sitting down at a revolving table at a Chinese restaurant. You pick a little bit from here, and a little bit from there and at the end of the meal you don't really have a clue as to what it was you were eating. This is
Cult 80s indie rockers, the Wedding Present, follow up last year's critically-acclaimed Take Fountain album with a double disc offering of singles, acoustic numbers and videos. Those with a hankering for nostalgia will not be disappointed as, after
Formulaic stadium rock from THE US outfit. While it doesn't really set the pulse racing, Let Love In, reminds us summer is on its way 2 crack open a beer, put another shrimp on the barbie and crank up the volume. Imagination is a wonderful thing.
Forget Orson this is awesome! Reminiscent of the kind of 80s rock from across the pond I used to listen to in my youth, every track hits the spot. I listened to this after learning my footie team had failed to win promotion and I still smiled. An
VIV HARDWICK talks to Loft Music boss Andrew Archer about Prince's Trust stardom. TWO young Geordie music gurus have been asked to supply a letter for the 30th anniversary memento book being presented to Prince Charles to celebrate the 50th anniversary
THE inaugural Ian Berry Volleyball Tournament has been hailed a resounding success by the competition's organisers. Teams from all over the North-East took part in the event held at the Dolphin Centre in Darlington and plans are already underway to
THE DOOR to the Northern League has reopened for Wearside League club Stokesley. They were told by the FA last week that an appeal against not having an inspection would be pointless if the Northern League were unaware they wanted one. But the Northern
EAST End WMC crowned a brilliant campaign by capturing their third trophy of the season, The Northern Echo Darlington Sunday Invitation League Cup. They went in to Sunday's game against Nestfield Club aiming to make it a clean sweep having already
SOME of the most talented tennis juniors will be competing in the North-East later this year in the Middlesbrough Open Junior Tennis Tournament. Taking place at Tennis World, in Prissick Base, Middlesbrough, last year the competition - cosponsored
ENGLAND kick-off their World Cup campaign against Paraguay this weekend at the 96.6TFM Darlington Arena. Admittedly, Steven Gerrard, Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry may miss the competition on Sunday, but 32 junior boys' clubs will be replicating this
After making his choices, Janus (Colin Woods) offers an update on his Racing North ten-to-follow list. THOROUGHBREDS are notoriously delicate, so it's no surprise triumph and tragedy, plus a bit of everything in between, has already touched the fortunes
DAVID NICHOLLS can make the long haul from Thirsk to Goodwood pay by bagging the two-miler with Double Obsession (2.40) at the picturesque Sussex venue. When in the care of Mark Johnston, Double Obsession recorded a notable Royal meeting triumph in
NEWCASTLE United's other Jackie Milburn - "NOT the famous one", it says with necessary curtness on his paperthin packet in the Northern Echo library - has died, aged 85. Not as famous, anyway, but loving and much loved, a very good footballer and foot
GROUNDED before Boro's UEFA Cup final, the lads in Redcar RAFA Club decided instead to watch the game on the "ancient" club television. Trouble was, the old kite was so off the radar - jet-set no longer - that a member had to bring in his own. Match
THE FA Cup Final Escape Committee (and Scotch Pie Fest) met on Saturday in unusual circumstances, which is to say that the crowd was more than 100 and there appeared not to be a manic Scotsman running up and down the touchline shouting "Hey, wee man"
NO ORDINARY Joe, though that's how he was born in Darlington back in the winter of 1945, Giuseppe Wilson played long for Lazio and was three times capped by Italy. Last Friday's column recalled as much following a piece in an Italian football magazine
DARLINGTON'S Guy Wilks was robbed of victory on the Rally of Italy on Sunday, when he was forced out just three stages from the end with a broken oil pipe. The Suzuki driver had led from the opening day in his Swift 1600 and started the final leg with
IT WAS a sad coincidence that in the week Matthew Hoggard became the tenth Englishman to reach 200 Test wickets, one of the two other Yorkshiremen in that elite group, Fred Trueman, was reported to be suffering from cancer. Even as he undergoes his
LAST SUNDAY, thousands of Bari fans flocked to their home ground to get a close-up glimpse of Juventus. The Italian champions wrapped up their Serie A campaign with a 2-0 win over Reggina but, following crowd trouble in their opponents' previous game
AFTER successfully claiming two top-ten finishes and consecutive placings in the top 20, followed by equalling the course record at The Belfry, Graeme Storm feels that if he keeps knocking, the biggest door of his career will suddenly open. Storm is
WELL, well. A week ago I noted here what struck me as the utterly unjustified control by the EU of the TV rights to the English Premier League. Our own Government plays no part whatsoever.But where this once would have provoked an outcry, it now raises
JOHN Reid has enough on his plate dealing with the shambles which surrounds him at the Home Office without having to face the distraction of a protracted battle with chief constables over the reorganisation of police forces.The new Home Secretary found
Ten years ago Caroline Ponting was a guinea pig in a pioneering BBC experiment to find permanent happiness. As a documentary revisits the participants, Brian Readhead finds out if she's still smiling.CAROLINE Ponting is a far happier person today than
After making his choices, Janus (Colin Woods) offers an update on his Racing North ten-to-follow list. THOROUGHBREDS are notoriously delicate, so it's no surprise triumph and tragedy, plus a bit of everything in between, has already touched the fortunes
DURHAM were perplexed by a pair of Pakistanis yesterday as their chances of closing the five-point gap on leaders Sussex were wrecked by Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Mushtaq Ahmed.Known as Ronnie and Mushy to their teammates, they took their total of championship
MIDDLESBROUGH are preparing for the increasing possibility that No 1 target for the vacant manager's post, Terry Venables, will not be taking charge at the Riverside Stadium.Boro hoped to have been in a position by the end of today where they would know
BOB Murray has urged Sunderland's fans not to hamper the club's development by refusing to renew their season tickets until Niall Quinn's proposed takeover is complete.Quinn's consortium, which is being backed by leading Irish property developers Sean
GLENN Roeder will spend the rest of the summer monitoring Shaun Wright-Phillips' attempts to negotiate a move away from Chelsea.But while the Newcastle manager eyes up a possible season-long loan deal that would take the unsettled midfielder from London
DAVID NICHOLLS can make the long haul from Thirsk to Goodwood pay by bagging the two-miler with Double Obsession (2.40) at the picturesque Sussex venue.When in the care of Mark Johnston, Double Obsession recorded a notable Royal meeting triumph in the
Shay Given will win his 76th Republic of Ireland cap when Steve Staunton's side face Chile in a friendly at Lansdowne Road this evening, and the Newcastle goalkeeper has insisted he did not even consider leaving St James' Park at the end of next season.Given
THE world's third largest music company EMI lifted annual profits by almost 13 per cent yesterday after seeing revenues from its digital content more than double. The group, which has Coldplay, Gorillaz and Robbie Williams on its roster of artists, said
PEOPLE who carry knives and other offensive weapons are being urged to hand them in to police. Officers in the Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria Police forces are joining the national five-week Government-led amnesty in a bid to cut knife crime. People
A GEOLOGIST who retrained to make furniture has opened a workshop in Barnard Castle. Stephen Richards moved from London when his wife, Gabriella, was offered the position of textile conservator at the town's Bowes Museum. As a geologist, Mr Richards worked
CHILDREN in the North-East are joining the fight against obesity by signing up to specially-designed gyms. Fitness fanatics as young as eight are using the new "junior gyms", which have become the latest national phenomenon. The region's first fitness
A FIRE brigade is getting rid of the cooks who dish up food to its crews in a bid to save money. The daytime cooks at seven of County Durham's 15 fire stations will lose their jobs at the end of next month. One has already left the brigade, another will
BBC Sport and Five Live presenter John Inverdale cut a dashing figure in the North-East yesterday as part of a mission to complete a marathon with a difference for this year's Sport Relief. He will be visiting 24 towns or cities across the UK, from Glasgow
EVANDER HOLYFIELD, the four times heavyweight boxing champion of the world, last night launched a programme that will lead to the opening of a North-East boxing academy. The legendary boxer, who this week announced his intention to fight for a fifth world
A VITAL exam for final-year university students is being cancelled today as lecturers' industrial action bites deeper. Most universities in the region are coping with the union pay dispute, but fear problems could occur when papers have to be marked.
MARKS & Spencer's turnaround looked almost complete last night as it unveiled a 35 per cent rise in annual profits to £751m.However, chief executive Stuart Rose said the retailer still had much to do for the turnaround to amount to a recovery - unless
A MAN from the North-East was yesterday jailed for life for his involvement in a paedophile ring that recruited young girls to provide sex for cash.The judge described the four men involved - who also used graffiti adverts on trains asking girls as young
CAMPAIGNERS have launched a legal challenge that could halt a council's £5m relocation plans.The Save Our Shire (SOS) group is fighting the sale of Yorke Square car park, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, for housing.Richmondshire District Council has already
JOHN REID signalled yesterday that the merger of North-East police forces will be shelved or even scrapped because of the wider crisis engulfing the Home Office.The new Home Secretary - facing rising anger over the foreign prisoners fiasco - told a committee
A RETAILER of collectable teddy bears has opened a second store in the region.More than £40,000 has been invested in the Hartley Bear's Emporium, in Yarm High Street, following the success of the store in Leyburn, North Yorkshire.The shop has created
SOFTWARE firm Sage continued its aggressive acquisition programme yesterday with a move into the Far East.The Newcastle company paid £7m for a majority shareholding in a leading Malaysian software firm, as well as acquiring a small Chinese distributor.The
THE elder son of motor magnate Sir Peter Vardy has launched a property investment company that will form part of the Durham-based Vardy Group.Richard Vardy, 31, who oversaw a 120-strong property portfolio worth £250m as head of property at Reg Vardy plc
A MANUFACTURING company is to build its new headquarters in a small market town as turnover is expected to break the £5m mark.Analox Sensor Technology, in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, has purchased a plot of land on the town's industrial park and expects
North-east car maker Nissan will join the exodus of British car production to Eastern Europe unless flexible labour laws are scrapped, a union warned MPs yesterday.In evidence to a Commons committee, Amicus raised the spectre of the death of the British
MORRISONS has given a glimmer of hope to hundreds of North-East workers whose jobs are under threat.The supermarket chain has warned that its distribution depots in Stockton and Felling, Gateshead, are at risk of closure with the loss of more than 700
POP star Carl Pemberton thought he was going to die as he was dragged by currents down a swollen stream.The Journey South heart-throb told how he thought it was the end when he was washed down the stream in Nunthorpe for five minutes after his car became
