Archive

  • Hartlepool v Rochdale

    HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Konstantopoulos; Barron, Nelson, Clark, Humphreys; Sweeney, Boland, Liddle, Monkhouse; Duffy, E Williams. Subs: Bullock, Provett, Daly, Foley, D Williams. ROCHDALE: Gilks; Ramsden, McCardle, Stanton, Goodall; Dagnall, Jones, Doolan

  • Gunman makes off with £5k haul

    A GUNMAN held up an travel agent before making off with £5,000 in cash. Staff at the Darlington branch of Dawson and Sanderson, on Skinnergate, were confronted by an armed man at 10.40am today. Police say the robber approached the Bureau de Change office

  • Shearer replaces God

    AN ancient abbey's choir has been branded blasphemous for singing the praises of Alan Shearer. The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah has been sung by Christians since it was composed in 1741. But it has been given a surprisingly modern twist

  • It must be Christmas - the tree's up

    CHRISTMAS has begun because I have erected my tree. It is only a small tree but perfectly formed. I normally go for a Nordman Fir as they have small needles that don't drop too much, but I was persuaded to go native and opt for a Scots Pine.

  • Belgian test for Magpies

    NEWCASTLE United will face Belgian side Zulte Waregem in the first knockout round of the UEFA Cup. The first leg will be played in Belgium on February 14 or 15, with the return taking place at St James Park a week later. Zulte Waregem were formed in

  • Champions League Draw

    THE draw for the UEFA Champions League first knockout round: FC Porto v Chelsea Celtic v AC Milan PSV v Arsenal Lille v Manchester Utd Roma v Lyon Barcelona v Liverpool Real Madrid v Bayern Munich Inter Milan v Valencia First Leg matches

  • Round quits Boro

    ENGLAND coach Steve Round has quit his post at Middlesbrough. The 36-year-old parted company with the Teessiders by mutual consent last night as manager Gareth Southgate rejigs his backroom staff. Round, who has been combining his club duties with a

  • Newcastle United denies accepting takeover bid

    NEWCASTLE United has this morning denied accepting any takeover bid for the club. The statement follows reports in the Daily Mail which claimed that American financiers Polygon and the United Bank of Switzerland have had a joint bid of £227 million unanimously

  • GNER loses rail franchise

    RAIL firm GNER has lost its franchise to run trains on the East Coast Main Line. The Government asked the company - which only last month was voted Britain's best rail operator - to surrender the franchise, and is now inviting fresh bids to operate trains

  • England losing grip on Ashes

    Third Test Match Perth Australia 244 (M E K Hussey 74 no, M S Panesar 5-92, S J Harmison 4-48) & 119-1 (R T Ponting 57 no, M L Hayden 57 no) v England 215 (K P Pietersen 70) AUSTRALIA ran up a healthy lead in the third Ashes Test despite England's lower

  • Rural radio station gets cash boost

    VOLUNTEERS preparing to run a community radio station in a rural area have secured a grant that will enable them to sign on a full-time manager. A donation of £16,000 has been given to Radio Teesdale, based in Barnard Castle, to match a similar sum it

  • Online shopping has clicked

    The column checks out the pros and cons of doing the Christmas shopping online instead of wading through the crowds STILL an internet shopping virgin? There aren't so many about any more. We're expected to spend nearly £70m shopping online this Christmas

  • December 15th, 2006

    COUNCILLOR CONDUCT: CAN I correct the comments made by the prospective Labour candidates (Teresa Higgins and Richard Speakman) in my ward, Beechwood, Middlesbrough? Contrary to what they said in their letter (HAS, Dec 9) there were no rules as to what

  • Beat those festive health horrors

    Merry-making and revelry at Christmas can wreak havoc on our bodies. Lisa Haynes and Lucy Corry have tips on how to avoid festive ailments. On the 12th day of Christmas my true love came to me and said: "I feel terrible! Why did I have that last cocktail

  • Growth of night service put on hold

    A BUS company says it has no plans to extend the night bus service it introduced at the start of October - but has not ruled it out entirely. Go North East launched the N21 to run from 12.15am to 4.15am between Chester-le-Street and Newcastle, to cater

  • Invitation to show support for Palestine

    PEOPLE in Durham are being invited to sign a giant Christmas card expressing sympathy and solidarity with the people of Palestine. The County Durham Palestine Solidarity Campaign will be collecting signatures when members run a Christmas stall in Durham

  • Apprentice scheme wins £10,000 prize

    A project to help preserve rural skills by training apprentices in the North York Moors National Park has earned the authority £10,000. The organisation, based at Helmsley, has been named the regional winner of The Edge Employer Awards 2006. The independent

  • Villagers plan for

    Villagers have produced a blueprint to plan the future of their community. The plan for Osmotherley, Thimbleby and Sheepwash, was drawn up after questionnaires were sent to villagers. It includes provisions for small workshops for craftworkers and businesses

  • News in brief: New member for council

    DENIS SEWELL, of Marske, has been co-opted by Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council to fill the vacancy on the council's Longbeck ward following the death of Councillor Fred Packer. Councillor Sewell previously served on the parish council for

  • Bethlehem's light of peace comes to region

    THE sharing of the Peace Light will take place next week on its journey from Bethlehem. The Peace Light starts its journey at the grotto of Christ's birth in Bethlehem, and will arrive in Stockton on Thursday. Organised by the Scout movement, the light

  • Generosity of firefighters boosts charity funds

    A GROUP of firefighters have donated £6,000 to charities in North Yorkshire. Northallerton Fire Station Sports and Social Club raised the money through a variety of events, including summer barbecues, children's parties and community social functions

  • Warning to foil Christmas criminals

    POLICE have repeated a warning urging householders to stay vigilant over the festive period so they do not become a victim of crime. Crime prevention specialists at Durham Police are urging people to spend a few minutes taking simple security measures

  • Students brave dragon's den

    YOUNG entrepreneurs stepped into their own dragon's lair this week - and emerged unscathed. Bishop Barrington School, in Bishop Auckland, held a competition based on the popular television show Dragon's Den, to encourage enterprising students to learn

  • 'We will take strong action against drug dealers'

    A HOUSING company is warning that it will take strong action against tenants involved in drug dealing. East Durham Homes (EDH), which runs Easington's former council housing, has won a tenancy order against a female tenant convicted of supplying Class

  • New way to put case at council meetings

    PUBLIC speaking time has been rearranged at a council's meetings to allow people to put their case more easily. Instead of having to pose questions and make statements at the start of proceedings, Richmondshire District Council will allow the public to

  • All at sixes and Sevens

    The Cult Of... Blake's Seven (BBC4): Paul Darrow thought it was The Magnificent Seven in space. Co-star Michael Keaton was told it was The Dirty Dozen in space. Yet a third view was this was Robin Hood in space. I suppose that's one way of saying that

  • Shoppers' £6,000 for hospice

    A CHARITY has received a £6,000 boost in time for the festive season, thanks to Christmas shoppers. The annual Durham Shopping Extravaganza, held over two days at the Ramside Hall Hotel, near Durham, raised more than £6,000 each for St Teresa's Hospice

  • Youth Service recognises the borough's achievers

    A CELEBRATION to mark the achievements of dozens of young people in Darlington has been held. Certificates were presented to 80 young people who have gained a qualification thanks to Darlington Borough Council's Youth Service training programme. In the

  • Hear All Sides

    RECYCLING: REGARDING your article, "Councils criticised over waste recycling" (Echo, Dec 4), your readers may find Stockton Borough Council's recycling activities useful. Residents receive a paper, glass, cans and battery kerbside recycling service and

  • Conversion of house criticised

    A PARISH council has criticised plans to convert a house into apartments. The proposal involves converting Mown Meadows, at Middleton Lane, Middleton St George, into four apartments and building an extra four apartments. However, the parish council felt

  • Work under way on much-needed car parking

    WORK is under way on a scheme to ease parking problems and improve the environment. Twenty-three car parking spaces are being created on unused land adjacent to Graham Street, on Hartlepool's Headland. There will also be landscaping, including grassed

  • Treats to promote recycling

    FREE packets of roast chestnuts will be handed out at the start of a festive recycling initiative. A recycling team is taking to the streets to remind people of the many opportunities for recycling over the Christmas period. The roadshow will encourage

  • Hear All Sides

    WIND FARMS: JUST 48 hours after Wear Valley councillors approved, by a margin of one vote, an application for yet another four huge wind turbines, near Tow Law, comes a report saying that none of the existing farms in England are meeting the Government's

  • Celebration of £1.3m children's centre

    A WOODWIND band helped to launch a children's centre yesterday. An afternoon of celebrations marked the opening of the £1.3m Saltburn Children's Centre, which is already proving a hit with local families. Events included music from neighbouring Huntcliff

  • A show not to be sniffed at...

    IT was a Christmas story not to be sniffed at as children donned costumes galore to recount the tale of The Smelly Donkey. Forty-five girls and boys, aged four to seven, took part in the nativity play in the chapel at Barnard Castle School, County Durham

  • Rural radio station gets cash boost

    VOLUNTEERS preparing to run a community radio station in a rural area have secured a grant that will enable them to sign on a full-time manager. A donation of £16,000 has been given to Radio Teesdale, based in Barnard Castle, to match a similar sum it

  • Festive Services

    Among carol services planned in the area are: Today Romaldkirk Reading Rooms, at 7.30pm Carol singing with pupils from Woodham Day Nursery at the Thames Centre, Newton Aycliffe, 10am. St Helen's Church, St Helen Auckland, carol service with children

  • Cash boost brings drop-in youth centre a step nearer

    A NEW club is being launched to keep youngsters entertained and out of trouble in a village with high levels of anti-social behaviour. It is hoped the drop-in youth centre in Cockfield will discourage bored teenagers from hanging around the streets.

  • A sample of Victorian Christmas

    PEOPLE can take a trip back in time to enjoy a Victorian Christmas in aid of the Butterwick Hospice. Tomorrow, there will be a day of activities at Preston Farm Museum, between 11am and 4pm. Santa Claus will be present and there will be face painters

  • Services for the season

    A CHURCH in north Durham is offering a variety of services over the Christmas and New Year period. St Cuthbert's Church, in Benfieldside, Shotley Bridge, is holding a festive carol service with Christingles and church bells on Christmas Eve, at 6pm.

  • Offers of help after vandals destroy enchanted woodland

    A COMMUNITY has rallied round to help restore an enchanted wood which was destroyed by vandals within hours of its official opening. The project, in Kirkleatham Woods, in Redcar, was devised by Cleveland Fire Brigade's Prince's Trust Team, with the help

  • Schoolchildren making history

    SCHOOLCHILDREN made their own piece of history to mark the start of a major transformation of their neighbourhood. Laura Carney and Cameron Bell helped bury a time capsule in the West Lane East area of Middlesbrough to launch a multi-million-pound housing

  • Alan prepares to hang up baton

    AN evening of musical celebration will mark the end of an era for a 50-strong chamber choir. Alan Oyston is putting down the baton after 22 years as director of Durham Singers after tomorrow's Christmas concert, at Elvet Methodist Church, in Old Elvet

  • Safety fear after golf hotel go-ahead

    VILLAGERS living next to a site earmarked for a multi-million pound golf and hotel complex have urged Darlington Borough Council to make sure plans are put in place to stop potential traffic chaos. Middlesbrough FC was this week given the go-ahead to

  • Why I'm another eco hypocrite

    I STOOD up in the town hall this week and branded every elected representative a hypocrite - including myself. I was being light hearted, but the reality is that in every council chamber up and down the land a similar accusation could have been pointed

  • Best laid plans of ice and men

    THE year is on course to be the warmest on record, and forecasters say the only chance of snow in the coming weeks is on the peaks of Scotland. But that has not stopped residents in the coastal town of Scarborough organising a snowman competition. The

  • Plans for park could create 1,000 jobs

    UP to 1,000 jobs could be created in North Yorkshire if plans are approved for a multi-million pound technology park. Northminster Properties Ltd has exhibited its plans for the park, which would be built close to the A64 Leeds to Scarborough road, near

  • King Revo goes for treble over Uttoxeter fences

    KING REVO travels to Uttoxeter today in a bid to join the exclusive club of horses to have won on the Flat, over hurdles, and now fences. The first two entry qualifications were completed long ago, but passing the final test is often the most difficult

  • Architects are on the move

    ARCHITECTS and interiors firm Red Box Design Group has opened an office for Tees Valley. Newcastle-based Red Box has taken on space at Pioneer Court, in Darlington's Morton Palms development. The group, which includes new media business FuseBoxDesign,

  • We need £10m funding - green fuels company

    BIOFUELS Corporation yesterday said that in the absence of a "significant market recovery", an additional £10m funding could be needed to continue its operations next year. The warning came as the Teesside green fuels manufacturer reported pre-tax losses

  • Beaten man critical

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man suffered head and facial injuries in a fight outside a pub. Police were called to the Golden Lion, in Front Street, Leadgate, shortly after 11pm on Wednesday, where the victim was unconscious on the pavement

  • Help with fuel costs

    EASINGTON District Council has appointed a fuel poverty officer to help poor residents cut their fuel bills and still stay warm. Jason Martin can give people information about grants and funding available to help people heat their homes more efficiently

  • Soldier suffers broken jaw in unprovoked attack

    A SOLDIER has been left with a broken jaw after an unprovoked attack. The 26-year-old was out in Darlington with fellow soldiers in the early hours of Sunday when the incident took place. After they spent time in the Route 66 bar and bars in Gladstone

  • Rise leads to £1.5m investment

    TOUCHSCREEN maker Zytronic is to invest £1.5m in its Tyneside base after profits soared by a third. AIM-listed Zytronic, which employs about 190 people in Blaydon, reported a 33 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £12.3m in its full-year results ,

  • Man accused

    A 19-YEAR-OLD man has appeared in court accused of attacked a man with a car steering lock. Stuart John Harrison is charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after an incident in Crook, on November 5. He appeared before South-Durham

  • Shoppers get recycling tips

    A RECYCLING roadshow visited Bishop Auckland yesterday to urge people not to throw out the extra waste they produce this Christmas. Durham County Council staff in seasonal outfits were at Asda to hand out ice scrapers, memo boards and trolley tokens

  • Festive music

    MIDDLESBROUGH'S Choral Group will perform a traditional Christmas concert at The Avenue Methodist Church, Linthorpe, at 7.30pm, on Monday. Tickets are £4 at the door.

  • December 15th, 2006

    HOW fitting that in these dark December days we should be reminded of Dott, Ding and darts as we abandon outdoor pursuits and raise a glass to the green baize, the oche and Sid Waddell. Graeme Dott seemed as likely as anyone to challenge 19-year-old Ding

  • Winner sees the bigger picture

    ONE lucky reader of The Northern Echo has landed an early Christmas gift. Douglas Nixon won a 40in LCD television by entering a competition run by the newspaper and supermarket company Aldi. Mr Nixon, of Nettlesworth, near Chester-le-Street, correctly

  • Mowden star Smithson anxious to keep playing before operation

    DARLINGTON Mowden Park No 8 Jason Smithson is keen to play at Leicester Lions tomorrow, despite being told he needs an operation. The former Newcastle Falcons man has been booked in for surgery early next month after the adductor muscle he tore two months

  • Man had child porn images

    A 37-year-old Darlington man has admitted possession of nearly 200 pornographic images of children. Paul David Taylor, of 53 Edgecombe Drive, pleaded guilty at his committal hearing at Darlington Magistrates' Court yesterday. He faces 15 charges of making

  • Disabled residents have their say

    DISABLED people in Darlington have had their say on the future of the town's services for them. More than 120 members of the public attended a Dreams, Hopes and Wishes workshop run by Darlington Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the borough council. A report

  • Project for 32 disabled adults

    A RESIDENTIAL development to support 32 disabled adults is being created in Derwentside. The scheme in Consett will consist of two houses, each containing en-suite bedroom accommodation for eight residents, and a further 16 self-contained apartments.

  • Transport group reports strong profits

    TRANSPORT group Hargreaves Services yesterday said it expected to report strong half-year results compared with last year. In a trading update, the County Durham company, which provides transport and support services to the energy and waste sectors, said

  • Scheme tackles young drinkers

    A MAJOR campaign aimed at stamping out underage drinking in Darlington has been launched. From today, hundreds of licensed premises across the borough will challenge anyone who looks under 21 to prove their age. Customers will need to produce identification

  • Hairdressers' brush with fame

    THREE hairdressers from a Darlington salon have made it to the finals of a competition. Ruth Roddam, manager of Saks in Darlington, her daughter, Chloe, and trainee hairdresser Terri Surtees will travel to London next month for the awards ceremony. They

  • Alarming library bill

    A NEW fire alarm at Crown Street library has cost Darlington Borough Council £34,000. The library, a listed building, has been extensively revamped in the past year. The main entrance was refurbished, and the foyer floor replaced. But the installation

  • Ecstasy dealer is spared prison

    A MAN from a "stable background" was spared jail yesterday despite admitting the supply of class A drugs. James Baker, 21, of The Green, Romanby, near North-allerton, North Yorkshire, was found with £750 worth of ecstasy and £80 worth of cocaine. He

  • Clearing up after region takes a battering

    ACROSS the North-East a clear-up began yesterday as life returned to normal following Wednesday's battering by high winds. Pupils at Lord Lawson School, in Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, got an unexpected day off yesterday after part of the school's

  • Town to get CCTV cameras after council makes U-turn

    PUBLIC pressure has forced a U-turn on plans for CCTV cameras in a market town. Hambleton District Council is being advised to approve three fixed cameras in Bedale next week, at a cost of £90,000, but other communities are expected to lose out. Although

  • Stark drink-driving message hits home at RAF base

    PEOPLE at an air base have been given a lesson on the dangers of drink-driving. They were taking part in a mock incident at RAF Leeming, set up by the Hambleton Community Safety Partnership. The scenario was that a 22-year-old airman was in a hurry to

  • Cotterill full of praise for Keane

    BURNLEY boss Steve Cotterill last night hailed the promising start Roy Keane has made to his managerial career at Sunderland ahead of their Championship clash at Turf Moor. Cotterill spent five ill-fated months on Wearside as assistant manager to Howard

  • Clinton gives lottery backing

    FORMER US president Bill Clinton has praised a North-East organisation saying it encourages people to get involved with charities.Speaking at a conference in Amsterdam last week, Bill Clinton said the Postcode Lottery was an excellent example of an organisation

  • Tree lets animal lovers pay tribute

    ANIMAL lovers are invited to remember their former pets at Christmas and help raise money for charity.The Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (Sara) has created a memory tree for pets at its shop in Guisborough, east Cleveland.Visitors are invited to pay

  • And it isn't even Christmas, yet...

    A LUCKY Northern Echo reader has landed an early Christmas gift.Douglas Nixon won a high-specification 40in LCD television by entering a competition run by the newspaper and supermarket company Aldi.Mr Nixon, from Chester-le-Street, correctly answered

  • Festive cheer for patients

    YOUNGSTERS on a hospital children's ward had an early taste of the spirit of Christmas thanks to local health workers. Staff at the Primary Care Trust's offices in Thirsk and Northallerton organised a fundraising event, to provide gifts for patients on

  • Food advice for producers

    FOOD chiefs are urging food businesses to safeguard their futures by stocking locally-produced foods. The Regional Food Group claims shoppers are being more vocal in asking where food comes from. Executive director Karen Carlyle is urging producers in

  • Veteran soldier killed in accident

    A VETERAN soldier from the North-East has died in a training accident in the United States. Sergeant Andrew Jowers, better known by his Army nickname of Jiggy, was one of two people who died in a road accident in Arizona last Wednesday.The 36-year-old

  • Man took cars from brother's workshop

    A MAN who went joyriding in two cars taken from his brother's garage was drunk, a court heard. Michael Richard Hill - whose family run a Wensleydale haulage business - took a Vauxhall Astra left for repair at his brother's workshop in Masham, and headed

  • Now we can move on

    EVEN now, nearly a decade after the death of Princess Diana, her name still stirs extreme emotions. And that is why tying up the loose ends and putting an end to all the speculation is long overdue. It is wrong that so many years have passed without an

  • Public asked to spot van

    POLICE have asked the public to look out for a suspicious vehicle seen in a village. The blue Transit van was spotted in the Melsonby area, near Richmond, on Wednesday morning and its registration is similar to F840CUE. One of the occupants was in his

  • Hunter is on right track for success

    TALENTED speedway star Cole Hunter has all the necessary ingredients to become a future world champion says his coach. The precocious 13-year-old raced to the 2006 national championship in the MX92 S/W 85 class in the nine-round series at Doncaster recently

  • Five appear in court after cash machine robberies

    FIVE men, alleged to be members of a gang which raided cash machines across the North of England, have appeared in court. The five, all from South Durham, were arrested in a series of police raids on Wednesday morning and appeared yesterday before North

  • Saints bounce back with win

    St Marys Angels: HAVING lost their previous two matches, St Marys were back to winning ways on Saturday against a well-organised Consett YMCA. After a goalless first half Natasha Napier scored, which proved the turning point. St Marys stepped up the

  • Relegation battlers meet in Echo League

    The Northern Echo Darlington Sunday Invitation League: Division One. AMAZINGLY, considering the appalling week weather, there were three matches completed in the League, including two in Division One. Hurworth Albion met Haughton WMC and it was the

  • Rangers claim derby victory

    MOUNT Pleasant Rangers Under-8s, sponsored by Auto Electrics (Teesside) Ltd, played at home in a local derby against 21 All Stars. Captained by Tom Kelly, Rangers played one of the best games of their season, the defensive duo of Bradley Kilpatrick and

  • Black Bull see off ten man-Rangers

    Collingwood Groundworks Trimdon Sunday League Ferryhill Rangers 1 Ferryhill Black Bull 3 The Black Bull took a early lead through a excellent taken goal by Andrew Elliot. A second was added in a matter of minutes when Kyle Merciecia

  • Scaife to quit at end of season

    Dunston have announced that long-serving manager Bobby Scaife is to quit at the end of the season after a decade in charge. The former Middlesbrough player and Whitby manager took over at Federation Park in 1997 since when he has brought several pieces

  • Never sine die

    Six days shalt thou labour, but this was Sunday night at Coundon Conservative Club. "How," says a feller in the corner, affably enough, "I thowt you'd been sin died." So I had. "Sine die" is a Latin term - though long-familiar in the North-East club movement

  • Post service is vital cog in the wheel of village life

    THERE isn't much room in the post office in Gainford, but that's partly because of the throng of late-afternoon customers queuing at the counter.People are being given their benefits, posting parcels for Christmas and checking the range of Christmas cards.Although

  • Village seniors are the stars of tree-lighting ceremony

    TWO elderly residents of a Darlington village were the guests of honour at the unveiling of its first Christmas tree.Dozens of people braved the cold last night to witness the switching on of Middleton St George's Christmas tree lights.The village's two

  • Sweeney believes Pools have taken off

    ANTONY Sweeney admits Hartlepool United have had a bit of a reality check in League Two this season. But, after four successive victories to propel them into the top seven, the midfielder - who could again be used as a forward in tonight's home game with

  • Officer's future in jeopardy

    A POLICE officer's future in the force is in jeopardy after his conviction for punching a woman while off-duty in a nightclub. Terrence Ottaway was accused of "drunken yobbery" after a court heard he landed the blow to the face of a 22-year-old woman

  • Harmison and Panesar turn up Ashes heat

    DURHAM paceman Steve Harmison finally found his fire and Monty Panesar grabbed a five-wicket haul to give England the edge in the third Test in Perth. Harmison had taken one for 288 in the first two Tests but as soon as he grabbed the prized wicket of

  • Smith tips Quakers' strikers to end drought

    The bulk of Darlington's goals recently have come from midfielder Martin Smith. But Quakers' star player has backed the club's strikers to come good. Smith has provided five of Darlington's 12 goals in the last seven games with Simon Johnson's effort

  • Milner backs Huntington

    TEENAGER Paul Huntington had Chelsea superstar Arjen Robben worried and now the Newcastle United teenager has been backed to follow in James Milner's footsteps on the Premiership stage. Despite having just four minutes of first team action as a substitute

  • Teenager guilty of murder

    A TEENAGER has been found guilty of murdering his friend at an all-day house party. Martyn Michael Ford, of Brunel Way, Darlington, stabbed Michael Gatenby five times in the back and shoulder. His left lung and heart were pierced. Mr Gatenby, 23, was

  • Jobs blow as second firm hits problems

    A FACTORY only yards from Tony Blair's home in County Durham has gone into administration. Volante Public Transportation Interior Systems Limited, which employs 70 people in Trimdon, said a number of loss-making contracts had caused it to go under. It

  • Post office closures branded 'a betrayal'

    UP to 200 of the region's post offices will close under a Government programme condemned last night as a "betrayal".More than one in six outlets will close - about 2,500 nationwide - with struggling sub-postmasters offered a £60,000 package if they agree

  • Call for helpline number on XL clothes

    An obesity helpline number should accompany the sale of larger-sized clothes, health experts advised yesterday.The measure is one of several recommended by academics who fear the growing problem of obesity in the UK could bankrupt the National Health

  • You did us proud

    Twenty-three years ago a successful fund-raising campaign by Northern Echo readers helped make organ transplantation a success. Health Editor Barry Nelson tells the story of the Riase A Laser appeal. North-Easterners are deservedly proud of the Freeman

  • The theories of relativity

    Lord Stevens' report into the death of Princess Diana yesterday appeared to put an end to the numerous conspiracy theories surrounding her fate. Or did it? Lindsay Jennings reports on the theories which still, today, surround the world's most famous

  • Cattermole sets top six target

    MIDDLESBROUGH may be struggling at the wrong end of the Premiership, but Lee Cattermole believes it won't be long before the Teessiders are challenging for a top six spot. Ahead of Monday night's visit to Fulham, Boro are lying 15th, only three places

  • Question time for Prime Minister

    TONY Blair became the first prime minister in history to be questioned as part of a corruption investigation when the cash-for-honours inquiry finally reached No 10 yesterday.Scotland Yard detectives questioned Mr Blair for about 90 minutes about his

  • Soldier awarded posthumous VC for bravery under fire

    A SOLDIER who died saving seven colleagues from enemy gunfire in Afghanistan has been posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.The widow of Corporal Bryan Budd, of Ripon, North Yorkshire, spoke last night of her pride at the award, the highest recognition

  • Respected family man takes final trip in Morris Minor

    A MUCH-LOVED family man was driven to his final resting place yesterday -in a Morris Minor Traveller.Tom Roy, 78, arrived in the classic car at his funeral at St Botolph's Church, Carlton-in-Cleveland, North Yorkshire.Mr Roy, who died on December 5, was