Archive

  • Drugs arrests follow storage unit raid

    Three people have been arrested after a search of an industrial storage unit in Grangemouth, Teesside. The operation was carried out by Cleveland Police and Central Scotland Police after a warrant was issued in Cleveland under the misuse of drugs act

  • Schoolboy's funeral

    A VILLAGE came to a standstill today for the funeral service of a popular schoolboy who died in a tragedy which has shocked his community. Football-mad Ryan Marshall died last week when he was hit by a car as he cycled to his home in Bearpark, near

  • Paint recalled

    A supplier has recalled face paint after a nine-year-old England fan suffered a painful reaction, Trading Standards officers said today. James Laing, from Thornaby, Stockton, broke out in spots and swelling the day after England's opening World Cup match

  • Double killer "wasn't mentally ill" - report

    A DOUBLE killer who was mentally ill when he battered his wife to death was of sound mind when he murdered a young woman, an inquiry has found. Disturbed George Leigers was released into the community just seven years after killing his wife Rita in 1986

  • Tiger alert

    POLICE have warned farmers and villagers to be on their guard amid reports that a tiger is on the loose. Two people called police after seeing the animal in North Yorkshire last week. One of the calls came from a woman in her 30s who was driving to

  • Explosives warning

    POLICE have issued a warning after an unknown quantity of pyrotechnics, including thunderflashes and stun grenades were stolen from a garage. The break-in, from a garage next to a house in the Burnside area of east Stanley, in County Durham, is thought

  • Cycling to work...the final day

    WELL, my week of cycling is done and dusted and I'm not lying when I say I actually do feel better for it. That could just be the sun shining and the fact that I have a half day finish today but, following my more restful day yesterday, I was back to

  • Conservatives slam council's pedestrian project

    THE borough council has come under fire for its handling of Darlingtons controversial Pedestrian Heart project. Conservatives in Darlington have launched a community website www.darling tonfuture.co.uk to seek the views of residents. The group claims

  • We say so much with flowers

    The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that I have made it into The Northern Echo twice this week. I surprised myself by popping up in a photo in Mondays edition. It was a short report on the Midsummer Morris event that took place in Sadberge last

  • Ali the inspiration as Jones eyes up British title opportunity

    FRANCIS Jones revealed how he is taking inspiration from arguably the greatest boxer of all time in his bid to become the next British light-middleweight champion. Jones faces unbeaten southpaw Stuart Elwell at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool tonight, live

  • New Spennymoor duo are raring to go

    SPENNYMOOR Town assistant manager Jason Ainsley says "it's all systems go" as he and manager Jamie Pollock take charge at the Brewery Field. After their earlier joint appointment in March at the club fell through, the pair were looking for other jobs

  • Cougars cup delight in historic first win

    Durham County FC: DURHAM County FC Under-11s Cougars won their first ever trophy when they clinched the MEM Engineering Cup recently. County Cougars won 12 out of their 14 matches and lost only once in a fine end of the season run that left them six

  • Durham plan for the future

    Durham Amateur Rowing Club: DURHAM ARC unveiled plans for a new £900,000 club and boathouse to be built on the site of their current facilities. The new building will replace the current City Boathouse, which was built by the members 35 years ago,

  • Cricket Elite prepare to face the Masters

    NORTHERN Universities SC-CC Elite will take on the PCA Masters in a charity event sponsored by Northern Rock in aid of Russell Grant's Wise Federation at Seaton Carew CC today. NUSC-CC Elite is a revolutionary new sporting club, combining all the talents

  • Athletes feel the heat in sunny Swaledale

    Hartlepool Burn Road Harriers: THE Swaledale marathon took place on one of the hottest days this year and proved a very hard task for over 500 participants adding at least ten minutes to finishing times. The start is in Reeth and then goes through

  • Memories of RB - the sport loving MP

    More memories of Roland Boyes - Boyes will be Boyes, it will have been said - the former MP and Durham County Cricket league umpire whose funeral was in Peterlee yesterday.Though the member for Houghton and Washington, Roland had long lived in Peterlee

  • Singers invited to top festival

    SINGERS have scored a musical hat-trick for a school. Umoja, a six-member group from Conyers School, in Yarm, has been chosen to appear at the Music for Youth National Choral Festival, in Birmingham, on July 11. Conyers Symphony Orchestra performed at

  • Brass to shine at concert

    ONE of the world's top brass soloists is to make a guest appearance at a concert tomorrow. Alan Morrison, who is originally from Teesside and now plays with the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band, will be joining Easington Colliery Brass Band to give a

  • 375-year-old lace design book arrives at museum

    A MUSEUM has taken temporary charge of a 375-year-old book ahead of an exhibition. Elizabeth Mason travelled to Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, from Shropshire, bringing with her a lace design book from 1632. It will be one of many attractions

  • Enabling town to tackle anti-social problems

    A MASSIVE clean-up operation involving the police, fire brigade and other agencies, has taken place in a North Yorkshire town. Operation Enable arrived in Stokesley this week and targeted graffiti, damaged signs and speeding drivers. Led by the Hambleton

  • Kathryn makes her move in housing

    A YOUNG North Yorkshire estate agent has been recognised as one of the best in the country. Kathryn Fawcett, 20, from JR Hopper and Co, in Leyburn, was one of four finalists in the Young Estate Agent of the Year competition, held in London. Miss Fawcett

  • Children help town to bloom

    GREEN-fingered schoolchildren have helped design and plant a park flowerbed. Pupils from St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, in Richmond, spent a morning working with district council staff in the town's Friary Gardens. The planting scheme, which

  • An event to bug you

    INSECT enthusiasts are being invited to an event to study creepy-crawlies this weekend. Derwentside District Council's leisure services has organised Bugs Alive, at Blackhill and Consett Park, on Sunday. The event is linked to National Insect Week. Visitors

  • Pub roars back into action after £350,000 refurbuishment

    A PUB named after the king of the jungle is set to roar again after a major revamp. Richard and Tracy Stock run the Red Lion, at South Stainley, between Ripon and Harrogate, which is owned by pub company Punch Taverns. The pub has reopened following a

  • New presenters

    HUSBAND and wife team Ollie and Becky Hayes have joined the TFM Radio station. Ollie will present the weekday mid-morning show and Becky brings Floorfillers from 6pm to 10pm each Saturday. Cath Ellington, managing director at the Thornaby-based station

  • Gigs turn £20 into £2,000 for charity

    BUSINESS students have raised more than £2,000 for charity with two concerts. Nine students on the Key Employee Programme at Durham Business School organised the gigs as a project to encourage them to think creatively and develop new entrepreneurial

  • Continental flavour in city centre

    THE centre of Durham City took on a distinctly European flavour yesterday as a four-day Continental market opened. Stalls selling Dutch flowers, Bavarian sausages and French cheeses were set up in the city centre. Durham Mayor Jeff Lodge welcomed 30 traders

  • Town centre flats scheme is rejected

    A SCHEME to erect six self-contained flats in Harrogate town centre with "modest" balconies has been narrowly rejected by planners. It was the third time property consultants Appleton Estates has seen plans for flats, to be built on the site to the rear

  • Youngsters learning how to cycle safely

    CHILDREN from north Durham have been learning safe cycling skills. Pupils from Catchgate Primary School have been taking the National Cycling Proficiency Course. Police community support officer (PCSO) Malcolm Barnes is leading the course on behalf of

  • Attack by drunk teenager captured on security camera

    A DRUNKEN teenager was caught on camera in a street attack in which his victim was kicked unconscious. Only the intervention of others prevented the assault continuing, in Consett, County Durham, early last Christmas Eve. Durham Crown Court was told the

  • Celebration pays tribute to veterans

    NORTH Durham MP Kevan Jones and the Chester-le-Street branch of the Durham Light Infantry Association are paying tribute to veterans with a celebration tomorrow. The event, marking the first annual Veterans' Day, will take place at the Chester-le-Street

  • 280 houses at hospital site gain approval

    PLANNERS yesterday approved proposals to create a major development on a former community hospital site. English Partnerships now has outline planning permission to build on land at Shotley Bridge Hospital, near Consett. It applied for approval to develop

  • Youngsters set an example to England by winning the World Cup

    YOUNG footballers are hoping that England will follow their lead - after they won the World Cup. The Copeland Road Primary School football team from West Auckland took on 32 other teams from across Wear Valley to win a mini-World Cup tournament at Soccarena

  • Cat is a real Gem of a mother

    A COURAGEOUS cat who helped bring up six kittens shortly after she almost died is still seeking a home. Tabby Gem was found in a distressed state in Crook three months ago, and taken in by RSPCA Durham and District. The animal was struggling to breathe

  • Trail puts city back on the map

    A city trail charting a thousand-year-old piece of heritage will be opened tomorrow. The Sanctuary Way in Ripon features seven replica sanctuary crosses and a series of information boards. Maps and leaflets giving details of the trail have also been

  • Residents concerned over cemetery footpath

    RESIDENTS have called for reassurances that a proposed footpath from a town cemetery to a nature reserve will not destroy the sacred site. People from Ferryhill have agreed to back developments at Duncombe Cemetery, but only if graves can be protected

  • Parking charges will cripple the town centre, say traders

    TRADERS and residents in Crook are fighting council parking charges which they say will put shops out of business and clog up streets near the town centre. Objectors claimed the pay and display plan would "cripple" the town when they faced Wear Valley

  • Watchdogs are among best 25 in country

    A TRADING standards and licensing team has been named among the best in the country. The Stockton Borough Council's staff has been awarded a silver certificate of excellence, putting it in the top 25 enforcement authorities.The service was recognised

  • Garden gates open to public for final time

    A picturesque cottage garden which has raised more than £15,000 for charities is to be open to the public for the last time on Sunday, July 2. Dick and Jean Feaster's immaculate garden at their home, Fernwood, in the North York Moors National Park village

  • Bid to cut accidents among elderly

    A strategy aims to cut the number of elderly people who are hospitalised as the result of a fall. Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust has trained about 20 health staff to be falls prevention co-ordinators. The trust, along with social services

  • Checkmate as team beats rival

    CHESS players at Barnard Castle Preparatory School took the honours in a Teesdale school knockout competition. The team battled through preliminary rounds in the Teesdale Primary Schools contest to meet reigning league champions Gainford in the final.

  • Weekend for taking a walk

    THE Motor Neurone Disease Association is appealing for support for a fundraising walk this weekend. The three-mile walk will start at Shafto's car park, Whitworth Hall, Spennymoor, at 1pm on Sunday. Walkers and sponsors are welcome, and all proceeds

  • Now - ashtrays for street

    SMOKERS are being targeted in a drive to stamp out litter. Ashtrays have been fitted to the tops of about 40 litter bins in Hartlepool town centre to encourage people to put out cigarettes responsibly. The move reflects statistics showing that cigarette

  • Promotion helps village to recovery

    A VILLAGE devastated by flash flooding yesterday took another step on the road to recovery. Hawnby, near Helmsley, launched a marketing campaign to encourage visitors back to the village. A group of businesses has developed an information leaflet called

  • Government decision backs council for all of Stanley

    A COUNCIL'S efforts to reduce the size of a breakaway authority on its patch reduced have been dismissed by the Government. Residents in Stanley, County Durham, want to break away from Derwentside District Council and form their own town council. The

  • Pumping iron - and staying pretty

    This Sunday model Nell Mcandrew will stride out in Sunderland in the inaugural Great Women's Run. She tells Women's Editor Sarah Foster why fitness comes first to her - even though she's seven months preganant. WHEN Nell and I finally get to chat, I'm

  • Manufacturers optimistic despite export orders dip

    MANUFACTURERS were in their most upbeat mood for more than a year this month despite a slight dip in export orders, a survey showed. The CBI found that the highest proportion of firms since February last year expected to increase output in the coming

  • Phileas to spice up its identity

    THE region's most famous snack brand has been relaunched, creating jobs and increasing factory production. The Phileas Fogg range of crisps and snacks has undergone a complete overhaul, with new products, flavours and packaging being introduced. The

  • Asda workers in region to join five-day strike

    HUNDREDS of warehouse workers in the North-East will be among thousands of Asda staff nationwide staging a five-day strike in a dispute over pay and bargaining. Members of the GMB union at 20 distribution depots will walk out next Friday, threatening

  • What a gem of a shop

    Retirement sparked a whole new career for a couple who became fascinated with jewellery with a difference and ended up owning niche shops. Marie Land - once a Northern Echo journalist before she tunnelled out - was meant to be retired. She lasted precisely

  • Injunction bid after campaign of threats

    A multi-national company is seeking a High Court injunction against a former employee who has waged a campaign of threats and intimidation since being sacked. Diesel engines company Cummins, in Yarm Road, Darlington, has applied for an order banning Susan

  • A shot in the arm for alternative medicine

    One of the most respected homeopathic colleges in the country celebrates its silver jubilee tomorrow. Health Editor Barry Nelson pays a visit to homeopathy's northern outpost. NOT far from the shiny new Hilton Hotel on Gateshead's upmarket Quayside is

  • Villagers reflect on flash-floods misery

    A VILLAGE which prides itself on its community spirit has held a party to mark the passing of its most traumatic year. For Thirlby, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, it was a time to look to the future in the hope no one will again experience anything like

  • Friends take to the roads

    TWO motorcycling friends have returned home after a day-long trip to raise money for a children's hospice. Rod Allen and Phil Hooper rode for 15 hours on Monday, from Land's End to John O'Groats. The Darlington pair were raising money for the Butterwick

  • Attack on one-armed man

    A MAN with one arm was injured in an unprovoked attack, a court has heard. The man was with his girlfriend in Northgate, Darlington, on June 8 at 11.30pm, when the incident happened. Two men walked past the pair before shouting abuse first at the woman

  • Factory workers learn language

    FACTORY workers are to be taught Spanish in a partnership between their work and a Darlington school. Hummersknott School and Language College is starting a basic holiday Spanish course for employees at Cummins Engines plant, in Yarm Road. The school

  • Moxon praise for his Aussie matchwinner

    DURHAM coach Martyn Moxon last night paid tribute to Callum Thorp after the Australian's amazing purple patch saw him sweep Durham to a 227-run win against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. In one of the most sensational hours of Durham's first-class life the

  • Struggling schools fail to attract pupils for next term

    THE number of children applying for places at two struggling Darlington schools has dropped dramatically. Just 65 primary school pupils and their parents put Eastbourne Comprehensive down as their first choice of secondary school - despite it having 155

  • Anger at homes and park go-ahead

    FURIOUS residents are calling for a regional Government office to intervene after councillors gave a controversial executive housing and country park development the go ahead. An application by businessman Dave Weatherall for 17 self-build plots on green

  • Declaring a strong hand

    THERE was never going to be a good time to raise the difficult issue of Britain's plans for life after the Trident nuclear weapons system. But, with international sensitivity at a peak over the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea, Gordon Brown has

  • Lasting legacy of brave Roland

    MOURNERS attending the funeral of former MP Roland Boyes heard yesterday how research into the disease which claimed his life is now to be centred in the North-East. Mr Boyes, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's 11 years ago, had used the time he had left

  • Johnston at the double

    MARK JOHNSTON was the man to follow at Ripon yesterday, notching a 16-1 double via Dubai's Touch and Scotland Yard. The stable have been unusually low key for much of 2005, but with a stack of winners over the past 48 hours, normal service has been resumed

  • Richardson stands in for pre-season training

    AFTER so far failing to reach agreement with Niall Quinn's consortium, Sunderland have had to accept no permanent manager will be in place for the players' return for pre-season training on Monday. Quinn held further talks with the current board yesterday

  • Douala hoping for Teesside switch

    RUDOLPH DOUALA insists he could still move to Middlesbrough, even though manager Gareth Southgate has pulled the plug on the proposed £2m deal, writes PAUL FRASER. The Cameroon winger was a long-term target during Steve McClaren's days in charge and

  • A facade saving solution

    A VISIT to a hospital can offer a great reality check. It puts your own problems into perspective and brings home the value of NHS staff to this country. But sometimes we forget that an effective NHS needs more than people - it also needs cutting edge

  • Grieving father may sue over son's bike death

    A father is to take legal action against a farmer over the death of his son. An inquest on Teesside heard that tractor driver Stephen Wood pulled on to the busy A174 Whitby road from a gap in an overgrown field hedge. His green-painted tractor had a 12ft-long

  • Newcastle hold Owen crisis talks

    GLENN ROEDER will hold crisis talks with chairman Freddy Shepherd tomorrow amid fears Newcastle United will be without Michael Owen for even longer than initially expected. Owen was at the club's Darsley Park training base yesterday morning with his father

  • Eureka! Spot-on Shearer has formula for perfect penalty

    NEWCASTLE striker Alan Shearer can hold claim to taking the perfect penalty - according to experts who have come up with a scientific formula for the skill. Scientists at John Moores University, in Liverpool, said the now retired star's effort against

  • 'Northern ports have key role in the UK'

    THE Northern Way last night pledged its support for Teesport's plans for expansion as it revealed figures which showed northern ports were becoming increasingly important to the UK economy. A study by consultants MDS Transmodal was last night published

  • Lawyers hit back after court throws out 'footlish' case

    LAWYERS who were criticised by a judge for wasting public money with a "foolish" prosecution last night hit back at the stinging accusation. They also revealed they were considering an appeal against the judge's decision to order them to pay defence costs

  • Soapy can clean up

    SOAPY DANGER (4.55) has the perfect profile to nab a third Queen's Vase for Mark Johnston on day four of Royal Ascot. Already successful with Shanty Star (2003) and 12 months ago via Melrose Avenue, the Johnston team have high hopes for Soapy Danger,

  • Jailed for biting the tails off puppies

    A MAN who bit the tails off three puppies minutes after they were born started a six-month prison sentence yesterday. As Barry Stuart Knight, 28, was led away from a County Durham court in handcuffs, veterinary experts renewed their call for a total ban

  • Crimewatch appeal into girls' rape 'promising'

    A NATIONAL television appeal for help in catching a group of youths who allegedly raped three teenage girls has yielded a tremendous response, police say. The appeal, on BBC's Crimewatch, dates from last year, when the girls - understood to be from Darlington

  • Shortlisted for ecology award

    The Tanfield Group plc, of Stanley, County Durham, has been shortlisted for the Ecology Award at the BusinessXL Company of the Year Awards. The nationwide competition to find Britain's best businesses is open to companies with a turnover of more than

  • Debs on the BB House: Lea's got Pete running scared

    PETE: Did you see his face when he was told that Lea fancied him? Although you can't blame him for looking like he'd just been told he's got a terminal illness. The poor lad's been running scared for weeks to escape mental Lea's clutches. LEA Went

  • Manager who was virtually too good for the Boro job

    MIDDLES-BROUGH Football Club settled for second best when they appointed defender Gareth Southgate as their new manager, it has emerged. Details have just been released about another contender - but chairman Steve Gibson felt John Boileau was too good

  • Witness found at last to shed light on 1940 dale dogfight

    A WITNESS has been found for the first time to describe how he saw a German aircraft being shot down in the region 66 years ago. Air historian John Yarker was "absolutely thrilled" to learn he can now record a first-hand account of the Messerschmitt fighter-bomber

  • Craig on top of the world after third win

    A YOUNGSTER is jumping for joy after he won his third trampolining competition seven months after he started the sport. Craig Anderson, 12, from Turnberry, Ouston, near Chester-le-Street, won the grade four under-15s competition at Brierton Sports Centre

  • Bank member dies after short illness

    BANK of England policymaker David Walton has died unexpectedly after a short illness, the Bank said yesterday. Mr Walton was a member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) which sets UK interest rates each month. He travelled to the North-East

  • Bingo helps Luke, six, on road to fame

    BABY-FACED boarder Luke Brennan is set to take the skateboarding world by storm after he beat competitors three times his age in his first contest. The six-year-old has been described as a prodigy, and only became involved in the sport after his grandmother

  • GP honoured for pioneering drugs centre

    A DOCTOR who opened the North-East's first specialist drug treatment surgery has had his pioneering work recognised. In 2001, Dr Ian Guy opened the Fulcrum Centre, in Middlesbrough, to focus on the needs of people with drug addiction. Now Mayor Ray Mallon

  • Fish virus outbreak: Compensation call made

    FISH farmers with disease-threatened stocks should get European money to avoid financial ruin, an MEP says. Tests now show two outbreaks in North Yorkshire of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) in fish. The outbreak was first detected in an unidentified

  • World Cup hero aims to cut bogus callers

    FOOTBALL legend Jack Charlton is heading a campaign to crack down on bogus callers. The World Cup hero is supporting a Northumbrian Water scheme to highlight conmen who pose as employees of the company. Together with Cleveland Police and Hartlepool Water

  • Hell's belles what a scream

    Weddings from Hell (ITV1); Colin and Justin's Wedding Belles (C5): 'Between the church door and the honeymoon, a million things can go wrong." Only a million? Bride-to-be Lara found at least four million faults with Colin and Justin's wedding arrangements

  • No star in the making?

    FROM Joe Cole to Brigadier Douglas Erskine-Crum, what wonderful variety we boast in this English sporting summer, which has reached its zenith with the solstice being swiftly followed by Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot. And with Wimbledon and the Henley Regatta

  • June 23, 2006

    GARETH Southgate will begin his managerial career by taking on the boss who gave him his professional debut after Middlesbrough were handed an opening-day trip to Reading when next season's fixtures were released yesterday.Newcastle kick off their Premiership

  • Setting the stage for vital funds?

    A football club that wants to host concerts to save it from bankruptcy should get the go-ahead next week. But with so many competing venues, will Darlington FC prove a big enough draw? Olivia Richwald reports.Durham Cricket Club has hosted Elton John

  • Durham triumph as Thorp triggers Hampshire collapse

    Hampshire v Durham (County Championship) : Day Three JUST when it looked as though Callum Thorp's bubble had burst, he swept back with a sensational five-wicket spell to hasten Durham to their first win at the Rose Bowl by 227 runs yesterday.Dale Benkenstein

  • More misery for Yorkshire and worries for Vaughan

    Sussex v Yorkshire (County Championship) : Day Two There was more misery for Yorkshire at Arundel yesterday as Murray Goodwin plundered a masterly 235 to put Sussex in complete command of the Championship match, writes David Warner.There was also fresh

  • June 23, 2006

    TIME FOR BAN: RECENT sad events on the road involving horse-drawn devices are not the last, I fear. As traffic continues to increase and roads are less able to cope, such incidents are inevitable.After more than 40 years in the long distance driving