Archive

  • Stranger Than Fiction (12A)

    TAX agent Harold Crick (Ferrell) is hearing voices in his head. One in particular nags away -that of a narrator, a woman describing everything that happens and is going to happen to him. No-one would blame him for thinking he's gone mad as, no matter

  • Pan's Labyrinth (15)

    MIXING fairytale fantasy with the realism of fascism in post-war Spain sounds an illconceived, if not impossible, idea. But director Guillermo del Toro does just that to devastating effect in this daring, original movie. His previous work, including

  • Abductor jailed for life

    A convicted child molester who snatched a six-year-old girl as she played in her bath has been jailed for life. Peter Voisey crept into the girl's home and grabbed her from the water where she was playing with her toys. After putting a gloved

  • Strangler jailed after arts centre sex

    A TEENAGER was jailed for 12 months today after strangling a girl as they had sex in an arts centre's toilets. Tony Shotton was charged with rape, but police later accepted his story that he and the 16-year-old girl went for sex to the loo in Darlington

  • Pigeons die in loft blaze

    FIFTEEN pigeons were killed in a blaze on Teesside. The cause of Thursday night's fire in Aberdare Road, Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, is being treated as accidental. A wood stove left unattended is blamed for the fire which started in a storage

  • Flushed Away (U)

    FROM the makers of Shrek and Wallace & Gromit" reads the blurb on the poster - and that's a pretty good recommendation. Instead of fiddling about with Plasticine figures, Aardman have gone computerised. As you'd expect, the result is a cut above the

  • Child snatcher faces life

    A predatory paedophile who snatched a six-year-old from her bath and raped her will hear his sentence today. Peter Voisey sneaked in through the back door, plucked the girl from her bath, and drove away with her, stopping twice to carry out separate

  • Boro fans face 12-month ban

    BORO fans who ignore a smoking ban will be ejected from the ground - and could face a 12-month match ban. Smoking supporters will face the boot from the Riverside, at this weekend's game with Manchester United. The Riverside became a smoke-free zone

  • Making a point about poinsettias

    I HAVE often said that in gardening, sometimes ignorance can be bliss. Those who learn their horticultural craft on their own, through hands-on practical experience, as opposed to professional training or guided apprenticeship, often blunder blissfully

  • BEADS slip up to Thornaby

    Jack Hatfield Sports Teesside League, Division One: BEADS FC 3 Thornaby Ath 4. LEADERS BEADS entertained third-placed Thornaby Athletic, who took a sixth minute lead with a controversial penalty converted by Glen Corkain. The home side were back on level

  • Duggan stars in cup victory

    Darlington Sunday Invitation League; Division One : Smith and Allan and East End replayed their Division One Cup quarter-final last Sunday, and it was Smith and Allan who deservedly came out on top triumphing by 6-3 and earned the right to meet Spraire

  • Angry chairman blasts the FA

    Northern League chairman Mike Amos has angrily rounded on the Football Association, saying they have gone back on their word over the extended UniBond First Division. The Northern League had received verbal and written assurances that the FA would not

  • Sounds and smells of sport in raw

    The admirable Steven Chaytor has written a new book, his third, 16 ruddy-cheeked accounts of watching North-East sport in the raw - for raw, read absolutely perishing - as opposed, snug and smug, to on television. His may be the only house in Sedgefield

  • Game of the week

    SPRAIRE Lads Under-9s took on third-placed Aycliffe SC B at their Hummersknott School base, in Darlington, and both teams came away with a point apiece as it ended 1-1. Aycliffe took the lead thanks to some sloppy defending when Spraire failed to clear

  • Simpson inspires Colts to recovery

    Darlington 21st Allstars: THE Under-14s Colts, sponsored by Ultimate Windows & Conservatories, struggled to cope with a physical Greatham side who would have had more than a one-goal half-time lead had it not been for brave saves from Curtis Simpson.

  • Durham and Northumberland League Division Three

    Seaham R.F.C. 5 , Bishop Auckland R.U.F.C. 58 BISHOP Auckland made light of atrocious conditions last Saturday as they ran in nine tries against a spirited but struggling Seaham side. By far the star of the show was 18-year-old Chris West, starting

  • Arms unbeaten run continues

    MASONS ARMS maintained their 100 per-cent record with a thumping win over title rivals Thorns. The struggling champions crashed to their third league defeat of the season as Masons stamped their authority on the championship race. A hat-trick by Marc

  • Sharon runs away with Local Heroes 2006 award

    Record-breaking long-distance runner Sharon Gayter was last night named as our Local Hero of 2006. Earlier this year she ran from Lands End to John O'Groats, slicing 18 hours off the previous record time, and the achievement was recognised at the Local

  • In training for a healthier life

    Having a personal trainer at the gym used to be the exclusive preserve of the rich and famous, but now the NHS is deploying health trainers across the region to help ordinary people turn the health around. Health Editor Barry Nelson investigates how the

  • Ethical store idea has clicked

    Christmas shopping with a clear conscience has been made easier thanks to a new venture which puts a wide range of ethical goods within easy rach. NOW you can do your Christmas shopping at the click of a mouse and with a clear conscience, thanks to a

  • War effort with a difference

    Churchill's Girl (C4); Coast (BBC2): PAMELA Digby did her bit for the war effort working at the foreign office where - and this is what made the job so attractive - she was "surrounded by eye-catching men in uniform". The woman who was US Ambassador

  • Police checks after reports base staff were speeding

    NORTH Yorkshire Police have hit back at claims employees have been speeding through the village where their headquarters is. Last month, villagers in Newby Wiske said staff from the headquarters were putting lives at risk by breaking the village speed

  • New chapter for village school as £240,000 development opens

    A VILLAGE school is celebrating a £240,000 four-year development. Parents and pupils of Thornton Watlass CE Primary School, near Bedale, attended the opening of a new library and resource room, toilet, office, foyer and outdoor play area. A ribbon was

  • Quarry opposition revealed

    RESIDENTS have packed a public meeting to voice their anger at a proposed quarry. Almost 90 people attended the meeting in Kirkby Fleetham to hear plans by Tarmac to extract sand and gravel from farmland to the north and north-west of the village. The

  • Thief steals pensioner's Christmas money

    A THIEF who stole a pensioner's Christmas money is being hunted by police. The 85-year-old was robbed of his wallet on Tuesday after a man called at his house in Stokesley at about 11am. The man said he was looking for a lost cat and was invited inside

  • Park helpers rewarded for their efforts

    SEVEN volunteers who have spent a total of 80 years caring for the Yorkshire Dales National Park have been honoured. A presentation was made by national park authority member Dr Malcolm Petyt. He said: "The range of activities they are involved in and

  • Meetings may go out on the web

    A LOCAL radio station broadcasting over the internet may soon record North Yorkshire County Council meetings. Radio Ryedale, based at Hovingham, near Malton, approached the council about making a pilot webcast of a meeting to raise awareness of the council's

  • Police say clampdown a success

    POLICE have described a clampdown on crime and anti-social behaviour in a town as a success. They joined firefighters, trading standards officers and Ryedale District Council in a 12-hour operation around Wentworth Street car park, Malton. PC Terry Triffitt

  • MP seeks views of Farepak victims

    DURHAM MP Roberta Blackman-Woods wants to hear from constituents who lost money with the collapse of the hamper and savings firm Farepak. The Labour MP has given £150 to the compensation fund set up to help people who suffered when the firm went into

  • December 1st, 2006

    SLAVE TRADE: TONY Blair has said that he feels "deep sorrow" for Britain's role in the African slave trade, but will not give a full apology, as some have demanded. The African slave trade was created in Africa pre-history by Black Africans, firstly

  • We salute our local heroes

    SPORT is an important element of North-East culture. We are a sporting region and our passions run high. But once a year we like to turn the spotlight away from the professionals and shine it on the stars of grass roots sport. Last night's Local Heroes

  • Rescue event

    THE Bunny Burrows animal rescue home, in Richmond, will hold a fundraising event in Northallerton town hall from 9am to 4pm tomorrow. There will be a tombola, cake and bric-a-brac stalls and refreshments.

  • Designer to pass on advice to school students

    GCSE and A-level art students are to learn from a textile and fashion designer. Framwellgate School Dur-ham's art department will hold a workshop for students on Tuesday, December 12 with with Anna Summerson. Ms Summerson has a studio at Embbellis

  • 'My parents didn't know what CF was'

    The news that Chancellor Gordon Brown's four-month-old son, Fraser, has cystic fibrosis has raised the profile of this little-known disease. Health Editor Barry Nelson investigates. IF you passed Sheryl Stephenson in the street you would never guess that

  • Walk benefits charities

    KIND-HEARTED youngsters walked the length of Hadrian's Wall and helped raise £16,000 for charity. Sixth-form students at The Hermitage School, in Chester-le-Street, covered the length of the Roman-built structure from Wallsend to the Solway Firth -

  • Rock-climb kit installed as part of park redevelopment

    THE first pieces of equipment have been lowered into place as part of a £450,000 park redevelopment. Three huge climbing rocks costing £30,000 were delivered to Oakeys Fields in Stanley yesterday. They were shipped in from France, but were a day late

  • Non-alcohol drivers to get free night out

    A NIGHTSPOT is offering drivers who do not drink a free night out. Chicago Rock Cafe, in Chester-le-Street, is launching its "I'll Be Des'' campaign today, which will give designated drivers free admission, free draught soft drinks and 20

  • Santa on tour as part of Rotary event

    SANTA Claus will be touring Durham in a car-drawn sleigh thanks to the efforts of local Rotarians. The Rotary Club of Durham City is again organising the charity event. Last year, £4,000 was collected for various causes. Club spokesman Derek Sowell said

  • Flying start to battery recycle trials

    Residents in Stockton have got the UK's biggest battery recycling trials off to a flying start, collecting 57,000 old, unwanted or used batteries in only six months. Stockton Borough Council has been working in partnership with the Waste

  • Children get message over to deter smoking in parks

    CHILDREN are at the forefront of a campaign to discourage adults smoking in a town's parks and play areas. The initiative is being taken in Middlesbrough where one person dies every day from a smoking-related illness. Middlesbrough Council has already

  • The benefit of investing in youth

    Not many people are compared to a saint and a Roman Emperor in the same breath, but that was the fate that befell the late Joe Walton recently. For those who don't know, Joe Walton founded the famous club that bears his name in Middlesbrough, and which

  • Kickboxers hoping to make big impact in championships

    A KICKBOXING competition is being held at a north Durham theatre over the weekend. Members of the Martial Arts and Sports Activities Centre are preparing for their fights on Sunday. The Kickboxing Championship is being held at the Lamplight Arts Centre

  • Hammond fans raise enough for new helicopter

    A NEW air ambulance will soon take to the skies thanks to the generosity of fans of Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond. Almost £250,000 has been donated to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance since the presenter's 288mph crash at Elvington airfield, near York

  • Photographer snaps up prize

    THE first Tees Valley Photography Festival came to a close with the announcement of the winner of the portrait competition. First prize of a compact digital camera went to Colin Begg, of Normanby, for his informal image of a young woman in Linthorpe Road

  • Visually-impaired get sporting opportunities

    BLIND and partially-sighted children on Teesside are to be given a sporting chance. Latest figures show that 30 per cent of the UK's visually-impaired children are not receiving the national curriculum standard of two hours' PE a week.

  • Police aiming to get message over in drink-drive campaign

    POLICE will today launch their annual Christmas and new year drink-drive campaign amid fears that their message to motorists is failing to get across. In England and Wales, 9,275 motorists were caught over the limit in December last year, while the number

  • Hospice gets boost with Rotary funds

    ROTARY clubs have given a cash-strapped hospice an early Christmas present. Four local rotary clubs - Stockton, Billingham, Tees-side West and Thornaby and Yarm clubs - came together to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Rotary movement last year and

  • Scheme hailed for work with offenders

    A SCHEME aimed at tackling drug-related crime has won praise from the Home Office for its consistently high level of performance. The Safer Hartlepool Partnership's Drug Interventions Programme (Dip) is the first in the North-East, and only the second

  • Having a say on housing matters

    THE company set up by Wear Valley District Council to manage its housing stock is encouraging young people to get involved with the service. The Dale and Valley Homes Community Involvement Team is working to set up a Young Persons' Housing Initiative

  • Referral school 'failing pupils'

    A SCHOOL for troubled pupils has received a damning report by education inspectors - failing in 25 out of 26 categories. The Ofsted report on the Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), in Darlington, is the worst the town has ever seen, with the school deemed inadequate

  • Young people are targeted by sexual health campaign

    A CAMPAIGN is launched today across Wear Valley and Teesdale to raise awareness about sexual health among young people this Christmas. This is the fourth year that the Be Safe campaign has been run to educate and inform youngsters aged 14 and over. It

  • News in brief: Christmas theme events

    Guisborough library is hosting two Christmas-themed evenings in its meeting room, organised by Guisborough Theatre Club, on Friday and Saturday, December 8 and 9. There will be readings by members, including the works of Allan Bennett, Joyce Grenfell

  • Honour for Black Cats fan Sir Tim

    OSCAR-WINNING songwriter Sir Tim Rice was honoured yesterday by a North-East university - cementing his ties with the region. The long-time Sunderland football fan was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters by the University of Sunderland in recognition

  • Council accolade for adult social care

    A COUNCIL has received a three-star "excellent'' rating for the social care it provides for adults. The top marking from the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) says Middlesbrough's progress bodes well for the future. The report found no "bed-blocking

  • Listener to benefit from long break

    SANDOWN'S card is of sufficient quality to whet the appetite of any jumps fan, although that's still no excuse for the fixture planners failing to schedule a single meeting in the North this afternoon. Top-of-the-bill at the south London venue is the

  • Urgent appeal after five tiny survivors found at horror site

    AN urgent appeal to find the mother of five abandoned kittens found in a farm shed where 260 other animals were left to die has been launched. RSPCA volunteers are appealing to find the mother of the five-day-old kittens found in a shed at Low Goosepool

  • December 1st, 2006

    HOPEFULLY we don't yet know whether Steve Harmison has managed to synchronise all his moving parts under the guidance of Kevin Shine because England will have won the toss and piled up a decent total on the first day of the second Test. That's positive

  • MP welcomes free fruit and veg plans

    A POLITICIAN who spent a week living on benefits has welcomed plans to give pregnant women free fruit and vegetables. Helen Goodman, the MP for Bishop Auckland, last month spent a week trying to get by on income support, to raise awareness of the plight

  • Botanist plants tree to launch gift campaign with a difference

    BOTANIST David Bellamy has launched a Christmas gift card campaign for the County Durham Foundation by planting a tree in a community garden. He got busy with a spade in the grounds of Montalbo Primary School, in Barnard Castle, to plant a small fir tree

  • Nyatanga is ready to step in for suspended Varga

    LEWIN Nyatanga expects to be fit for tomorrow's Championship game with Norwich after returning to full training at the Academy of Light yesterday. With Stanislav Varga ruled out after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in last Friday's 1-1

  • Apprentice scheme praise for school

    A SCHOOL on a troubled estate has won a national employer award for its apprenticeship scheme. Dyke House School, in Hartlepool, was awarded the large organisation winner of the Edge Employer Awards, winning £50,000 for further investment in training

  • Man jailed for abusing shopkeeper

    A MAN who racially abused a shopkeeper was yesterday jailed for seven months. Mark Anthony Myers subjected the manager of CB News, in Chilton, to a drunken torrent of racial abuse while he was in the shop on October 31. Myers, 27, of Tudhoe Moor Estate

  • Volunteers hand over charity cash

    VOLUNTEERS who work all year to raise money for cancer research have handed over their latest cheque for £32,000. They gave it to Professor Roger Griffin, a specialist from Newcastle, during a Christmas fair at Cotherstone, near Barnard Castle. He said

  • D1 Oils plans share placement to finance expansion

    BIOFUELS company D1 Oils is to raise £48.7m with a share placing, part of which will be used to nearly treble the size of its Teesside site, creating about 15 jobs. The Teesside group said the money, which could increase by £9.35m with the placing

  • A penny for your thoughtfulness...

    A YOUNGSTER who spent a week collecting discarded loose change at school and in the street pocketed an amazing £55 for charity. Twelve-year-old Cameron Polglaze-James, who goes to Roseberry Sports and Community College, Pelton, near Chester-le-Street

  • Incubator suite greets new arrivals

    FOUR life sciences companies are using a £900,000 business incubator suite in the region. The Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences (Cels) opened the facility yesterday. Cels at Newcastle is the first unit of its kind in the region, and is in Newcastle

  • Tearaways on clean-up duty

    SEVEN local youngsters are making reparation for misdemeanours and anti-social behaviour by cleaning the streets. They are the latest group of tearaways to carry out a probation service-supervised Community Payback scheme, in Middlesbrough

  • Potato farmers hit by worst season in decade

    POTATO farmers in the region are suffering their worst season for decades as a result of climate change - and Jamie Oliver's campaign to discourage children from eating chips and crisps. As a result there are fears several could quit the industry and

  • Storage firm heading for £1m barrier

    A STORAGE company expects its turnover to break through the £1m barrier after being granted a bonded warehouse licence. The Storage Place, in Gateshead, is one of only a few companies in the North-East to have the licence, and has created two jobs.

  • Appeal to business leaders

    BUSINESS leaders are being urged to help secure the future of hospice services in Hartlepool after statistics showed the town's need for care was 30 per cent above the national average. Sixty leading business figures from the region will today attend

  • Stubbed out - smoking ban will start on July 1

    SMOKING will be banned in all pubs and clubs from July 1 next year - after a campaign of TV adverts to win over the public. Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt revealed the long-awaited date for implementing the controversial ban - passed by MPs in February

  • Wilson and Ince face problems for cup clash

    DANNY Wilson and Paul Ince do FA Cup battle tomorrow, with both suffering from a depleted squad, writes NICK LOUGHLIN. Hartlepool boss Wilson is without five players, while Macclesfield chief Ince is missing four. Ince's situation is bizarre - three

  • Inquest: Worker crushed to death in accident at plant

    A WORKER was crushed by machinery when he accidentally knocked the controls to a mechanical crane, an inquest heard. Father-of-two Stewart Hornsby, 51, was working at a council recycling plant in March last year when he died from chest injuries. Yesterday

  • Authorities opposing county-wide merger

    SIX of the seven district councils in County Durham yesterday announced their opposition to proposals to replace them with one authority. The Durham District Forum voiced concerns that a county-wide authority would be unable to offer improved and efficient

  • Wainwright blooms under Penney

    After six wins out of six Dave Penney says Darlington's players are enjoying their football and points out Neil Wainwright as an example of Quakers' turnaround in fortunes. Before Penney's arrival a month ago, Darlington had won just one of their previous

  • Walking club in festive mood

    HOWDEN-LE-Wear Walking Club will host a festive winter walk as part of the Wear Walking for Health programme. There is a choice of walks, one or two miles and suitable for all ages, and walkers are urged to wear a Santa hat or Christmas clothing. The

  • Project recognised for work with children

    A DARLINGTON project has gained national recognition. Darlington Clasp (Children's Looked-After System Project) was highly commended in the children and families category of the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) awards, held at Chelsea Football

  • £500 on offer for charities to take part

    CHARITIES and community groups in Darlington could win £500 by taking part in a survey. Darlington Centre for Voluntary Services (CVS) is undertaking a poll of voluntary and community organisations to build a picture of the sector in Darlington, and

  • Students given chance to take baccalaureate

    Pupils must be offered "real choices" in their own education, Tony Blair said yesterday as a shake-up of the exam system was unveiled by the Government. Young people in every part of England are to get a chance to do the International Baccalaureate (IB

  • Chase ends as car hits police van

    A POLICE chase ended dramatically in Darlington yesterday when a car swerved the wrong way round a roundabout before smashing into a police van and a car. Moments earlier the red Nissan Primera had been driven the wrong way up a dual carriageway before

  • Funeral held of deaf club founder

    THE funeral of a man who founded Darlington's only social club for the deaf was held yesterday. Brian Pattison, of North Road, was deaf himself. He died on Saturday, aged 67, after a year-long battle with a brain tumour. Mourners at the crematorium on

  • Students set their sights on Rome

    STUDENTS from Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College held an Italian themed night to raise money for an educational visit to Rome in April. The A-level travel and tourism students arranged the event as part of their course and the evening involved a raffle

  • Artist defends cost of water feature as 'value for money'

    THE artist responsible for the Pedestrian Heart's water feature has defended being paid £27,600 by Darlington Borough Council. Dr Michael Pinsky said his fee was only equivalent to two pelican crossings - without traffic lights - and a speed bump. His

  • Event to raise awareness of carers

    AN event to raise awareness of the importance of carers in Darlington takes place next week. The Carers' Rights Day will be held next Friday, from 1pm to 4pm, in the King's Head Hotel, in Priestgate. Representatives of Darlington Borough Council's adult

  • Credit is due, says Roeder

    GLENN ROEDER last night paid tribute to his team and called on the critics to lay off his much-maligned defence. Newcastle's point at the Commerzbank Arena made sure they finish UEFA Cup Group H in top spot with an unbeaten record having conceded just

  • Honouring heroes of local sport

    ENGLAND manager Steve McClaren took a break from plotting the future of the national football team to be guest of honour at The Northern Echo's seventh Local Heroes Awards last night.McClaren led a star line-up at the event, which has become known as

  • Tait and Flood back for Falcons

    NEWCASTLE Falcons welcome back England duo Mathew Tait and Toby Flood for tomorrow's EDF Energy Cup clash against NEC Harlequins at Kingston Park (2.30pm) as well as giving a debut to Kiwi lock Mark Sorenson.Another New Zealander, prop Joe McDonnell,

  • Defence secures lofty perch for the Magpies

    Eintracht Frankfurt 0, Newcastle United 0.IN a city renowned for its skyscrapers, Newcastle had two defensive giants of their own to thank for ensuring they finish top of their UEFA Cup group, and so avoid a Champions League side when the last 32 draw

  • Euell pleads with Woodgate to stay

    JASON Euell has urged Jonathan Woodgate to commit his long-term future to Middlesbrough, claiming the defender can play a "huge role" in establishing the club among the English elite. Woodgate has been Boro's most impressive performer since returning

  • Firm guilty of ride safety breaches

    A FRENCH company has been found guilty of breaching health and safety law after the death of a student on a rollercoaster. Durham University student Gemma Savage, 20, died five years ago after two cars collided on the Treetop Twister ride, at Lightwater

  • Delays warning as thieves strip copper cable from railway lines

    PASSENGERS are facing delays because thieves have stolen copper cable from the region's railway lines, The Northern Echo has learnt. Network Rail estimates the theft of electrical cable from signal systems has cost the company £4m in the past six months

  • Ethical store has clicked

    NOW you can do your Christmas shopping at the click of a mouse and with a clear conscience, thanks to a new Tyneside-based business. Ethical Superstore does what it says on the tin. It carries a huge range - well over 1,000 - fair traded, ethical or

  • Division purchase secures 160 jobs

    ENGINEERING firm Aker Kvaerner's (AK) troubled engineering services business was last night acquired by an industrial services company, safeguarding 160 jobs. Hertel, which is based in Middlesbrough, announced it had added AK's engineering workshop and

  • In training for a healthier life

    JOSIE is a shy, partly disabled woman who, by her own admission, has spent the last ten years of her life living a severely restricted existence. Overweight and lacking in confidence, she felt like a prisoner in her own home. That was until NHS health

  • Was heart girl killed by ringing telephone?

    A teenager could have died after being startled by the ringing of a telephone, an inquest was told yesterday.Kasia Ber died in bed at her parents' home in Horden, County Durham, on December 28, last year. A post-mortem examination revealed that the 17

  • England go into bat

    AN unchanged England side won the toss and elected to bat in the second Ashes test at the Adelaide Oval. Despite speculation they may introduce Monty Panesar as a second spinner to replace Lancashire seamer James Anderson, the tourists chose to name