Revellers turned the clock back 20 years to celebrate the birthday of a North-East multi-millionaire's girlfriend. Darlington entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne booked 80s icons The Human League - led by Phil Oakey - to play at his partner's Joanne McCue 40th
A CARAVAN hire business has been set up in North Tyneside by husband and wife team Jane and Trevor Payne. The couple have established Compass Touring Caravan Hire, in Whitley Bay, allowing customers to rent a fully-equipped caravan and travel anywhere
NORTH-East workers are significantly better-off than their higher-earning cousins in wealthier parts of the country, according to a firm of management consultants. The Hay Group says its research shows that the North-South divide, long a source of discontent
A TELECOMS distributor is planning to move into new markets and create jobs. NTE employs 31 people in Faraday Road, Peterlee, County Durham, and distributes a range of telecoms, cable and PA systems to more than 2,500 IT professionals, installers and
FORMER firefighter Paul O'Dwyer thinks he has just the thing to cool down TV chef Gordon Ramsay's nether regions. The celebrity chef was horrified when a spot check discovered that hours of slaving over a hot stove had left him with a low sperm count.
Recruitment agency North East Workforce (NewGroup), in Newcastle, has appointed NICOLA HEWITT as industrial consultant. She will be responsible for developing the industrial, catering and security side of the business. The mother-of-two from Gateshead
AFTER nine months of anguish it took Joel Porter around 30 seconds to get back to normal. Hartlepool United's Australian striker hadn't kicked a ball all season after damaging a knee in the play-off final last May. He made his return to action in last
A MUSIC festival for young people visits the region next week. The Music for Youth Regional Festival comes to Newcastle on March 25. More than 400 young instrumentalists, singers and dancers aged six to 21 from Tyneside, Wearside Teesside, Northumberland
MEMBERS of a family have been freezing cold for the past week after their gas meter was stolen from the side of their house. Thieves took the card top-up meter from the property at Ladysmith Court, South Stanley, County Durham, last Tuesday. Mother-of-three
24: The Game. Publisher: Sony. Formats: PS2. Price: £29.99. Family friendly? 12+: IT'S amazing no-one thought of this before. With its reliance on cliff-hanging spectacle and rapid-fire action sequences to cover up massive gaps in logic, 24 is perfect
WARD Hadaway has agreed a deal to become the first sponsor of a video games network in the region. The law firm, which is based in Newcastle, will give the group financial backing and provide legal surgeries for the 20 member organisations. GameHorizon
A MARKET research company is seeking to recruit hundreds of Yorkshire parents to help shape the future of baby products. Swift Research is keen to get the views of mothers-to-be and new mothers and fathers on a range of products being produced by Europe's
THE region's largest law firm has won more PFI work. Dickinson Dees, based in Newcastle and Teesside, won contracts to advise Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust and the Tameside and Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust on PFI redevelopments. Tim Care, head
BUSINESSES are being urged to check their employment policies before age discrimination laws come into force later this year. The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 come into force on October 1 and will prohibit direct and indirect age discrimination
THREE Darlington schoolgirls have won first prize in a construction competition. Charlotte Horner, 14, Sarah Conlon, 14, and Sophie Parkin, 15, from Carmel Technology College, took the honours in this year's enterprise in construction challenge. Sarah
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Hurworth School have said more than half of the 5,000-plus signatures on their petition are from the urban areas of Darlington. Members of Save Hurworth and Rural Education (Share) group have been gathering the names on Saturdays
THREE lorries were seized and 16 vehicles ordered off the road in an operation targeting illegal fly-tippers. Police officers joined the Environment Agency, vehicle inspectors and council enforcement officers to carry out stop checks in Stockton yesterday
HEALTH care staff from across the Durham Dales will be recognised for their achievements at an awards ceremony this week. The ceremony, organised by the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust will be held at Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland, tomorrow, and
RACHEL WILKIN has been appointed as a home sales co-ordinator at North-East housebuilder Haslam Homes. As home sales co-ordinator, she will be the first point of contact for staff from Haslam's 17 sites across the North-East and is responsible for co-ordinating
Britain's top policeman Sir Ian Blair was last night clinging on to his job after he apologised for secretly recording a series of six telephone conversations. One was with Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, three with senior officials from the Independent
A WOMAN who fell and hit her head died three days later, an inquest heard yesterday. Bernadette Hall, 36, fell at her home in Myton-on-Swale, near Boroughbridge, on August 20 last year. Her husband, William, took her to York District Hospital, where she
SCRAPYARD owners in the region face visits from enforcement officers to make sure they are complying with environmental regulations. Under the End Of Life Vehicle (ELV) Regulations, introduced in 2003, vehicles must be dismantled in a way that avoids
UP to 800 soldiers from the region will be sent to war-torn Iraq within weeks despite an overall reduction in troop numbers, it was announced last night. Defence Secretary John Reid ordered the deployment of the Devon and Dorset Light Infantry unit, stationed
GAVIN PRIOR has been appointed as operations manager at the MetroCentre, in Gateshead. The 28-year-old has moved from Watford to take up the post at Europe's largest shopping and leisure centre. He was previously operations manager at the Harlequin Shopping
WHEN he stepped up from his role as deputy commissioner, Sir Ian Blair was considered to be the pc PC. He was New Labour's favourite policeman. He loved Tennyson and Yeats and read English at Christchurch, Oxford, where, among his contemporaries, was
Metropolitan Police chief Sir Ian Blair may have hung onto his job yesterday, after apologising to the Attorney General for secretly taping their calls. But, asks Lindsay Jennings, how much longer can he keep it? WHEN he stepped up from his role as deputy
THE UK's largest pub group Punch Taverns last night announced it had bought five pubs in the North-East for an undisclosed sum. Punch saw off competition to acquire the sites from Sir John Fitzgerald Limited. It has purchased the Hilltop, in Stanley,
SUPERMARKET Sainbury's is to launch a bakery apprenticeship scheme in the region to tackle a looming skills shortage. The 18-month programme has been developed in partnership with the Sector Skills Council, Skillsmart Retail, and will provide trainees
MR Michael Winner, who writes a highly entertaining restaurant column for The Sunday Times and makes some pretty execrable commercials for the television, is given to using the word "historic" when in search of superlatives. A meal may be "utterly historic
Tristar Homes, based in Stockton, has appointed STEVE BOYD as managing director. The 46-year-old, from Newcastle, has more than 20 years' experience in the housing industry and will lead a team of 280 employees. He previously spent 12 years as chief executive
A PLUMBER who installed an unsafe central heating system was ordered to pay £3,500 compensation to an elderly couple yesterday. Kenny Beer, 28, from Hambleton Road, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to three charges at Northallerton
WEB solutions company SB Squared is planning to treble its turnover after acquiring part of one of its main competitors. SB Squared, of Newcastle, has secured key educational and commercial clients from Tyneside company The Creative Cake. SB, run by Kathryn
A TOOL hire business is about to expand and create up to 12 jobs after securing funding of £250,000. DJ Tool Hire, which has seven branches in the North-East, hopes to open outlets on Teesside and in North Tyneside and Northumberland. The company, which
A man collapsed giving chase to thieves who stole his sister's handbag. The 56-year-old man was yesterday receiving treatment in the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough. He had been walking with his 66-year-old sister along Union Street, Middlesbrough
A FORMER factory worker is proving it is never too late to learn after moving into customer services at a North-East call centre. After 28 years working for television manufacturer LG Philips, in Durham City, until its closure last year, Ken Stanness,
AS Britain's top policeman, we clearly have to place a great deal of faith in Sir Ian Blair's judgement. But that faith is being seriously undermined of late by his worrying habit of putting his foot in it. Sir Ian justifiably received heavy criticism
Q I want to increase the size of my business and one option I am looking at is to take on a couple of apprentices. Not only will they be easier to afford, but I want young people to be able to come up through my business and train to the systems I have
Still up to the oxters in winter's worst, Hetton Lyons Cricket Club hope to reach a national final on Sunday. They play football, too. "Some of them mightn't be able to hold a bat but everyone's a member of the cricket club, it's one of the conditions
CRUTES law firm has promoted two of its senior fee-earners to associates. JOANNE KINGSLAND and MARK DOUGLAS work in Crutes' public services department, dealing with local authorities and their insurers. That includes a specialist area dealing with sensitive
I don't know if you are aware, but we are now in Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs until March 19. The Fairtrade initiative can be traced to Fairtrade Labelling, created in the Netherlands in the late 1980s by Max Havelaar, who launched the first Fairtrade
MUSIC store HMV yesterday rejected the latest multi-million pound takeover offer from private equity firm Permira. The retailer, which owns the Waterstone's book chain, as well as its music shops, said the £842.7m bid undervalued the company. The 210p-a-share
LAND Securities, owner and operator of The Gate, in Newcastle, and The Bridges shopping centre, Sunderland, has made two appointments. JAMES LARMUTH has been appointed portfolio manager, with responsibility for the Gate. The group has appointed LEE COLLINS
THE INQUEST has started into the deaths of six Red Caps killed by an Iraqi mob. The families of the dead soldiers said today they were confident an inquest hearing will discover the truth of what happened. Reg Keys, whose 20-year-old son Thomas was one
A 73-YEAR-OLD pensioner has described how she beat off a potential mugger by hitting him over the head with her umbrella. Norah McGuckin, who was praised by the police for her bravery, stood her ground when a thief tried to grab her purse. After receiving
The Tanfield Group gained the backing of City investors yesterday over plans to raise up to £12m to fund a major acquisition. The group, based in Stanley, County Durham, will raise the money to buy a manufacturing company, believed to be a global company
The seemingly relentless progress of the UK stock market came to a brief halt at the beginning of last week. Just as the FTSE 100 pushed through 5900, galloping towards 6000, it was stopped in its tracks. A fall of 84.9 points in 48 hours wiped over £21bn
TWO English teams did manage to win in France at the weekend, with North-Easterners playing prominent roles. Newcastle's Toby Flood scored 15 points as England Under 21s won 30-17 at Perigeux, while Tynedale's 18-year-old winger Hamish Smales scored the
Earlier this year, we looked at Inheritance Tax (IHT) and the possible application of Business Property relief to cover business assets. But while a person's business affairs may be in order, they must not forget they also have personal assets liable
GLOBAL engineering company Aker Kvaerner has recruited honours student EMILY GARBUTT. An associate member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers, she has joined the company's Stockton office as an electrical/instrument designer. Miss Garbutt is studying
HUNDREDS of people gave a tearful disabled boy a standing ovation after his pet dog won a prize at Crufts. Chocolate labrador Yogi won the Kennel Club's Friends for Life trophy after judges learned of the bond he has formed with 12-year-old Daniel George
DEDICATED volunteers are making an impassioned plea to railway enthusiasts to help them bring their very own steam engine home to the North-East. The Merlin is a small industrial engine that won the hearts of a group of steam enthusiasts in Shildon, County
THE value of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) soared yesterday at the prospect of a bidding war after a takeover approach from Nasdaq. Shares in LSE were up by nearly a quarter at 1090p, adding more than £500m to its value, after details of the 950p-a-share
A FOOD company delivering local produce to customers' doorsteps across the region plans to more than triple in size by 2008. Crofters Foods, in North Yorkshire, was established last June as a mobile food store, selling a range of food and drink produced
A HOT tub hire business has launched in region. Neighbours Darren Plant and Gordon Chapman have set up Party Spas, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, hiring out hot tubs. Mr Plant's wife, Christine, said: "We can deliver the tub to a customer's house
THE NHS is always good for a laugh. When I was a boy the local cinemas - bug hutches - in downtown Leeds were packed for Doctor in the House and the first of the Carry on Nurse films. The biggest giggle was at the pompous consultant surgeon Sir Lancelot
Having lived her life as a heterosexual, in 2000 Jackie O'leary finally bowed to her true nature and left her husband for another woman. Six years on, and now at peace with her sexuality, she's helping other women in turnoil. She talks to Women's Editor
A hotel that was to be flattened to make way for homes has received a temporary stay of execution. Plans to demolish the White Horse Hotel, in North Road, Darlington, and replace it with a flats development provoked a public outcry. Darlington Borough
COMMUNITY policing in the outlying areas of a north Durham community has been given a boost with sponsorship from a North-East motor dealer. A Citroen Picasso bought to transport police community support officers (PCSOs) and police officers to their rural
NORTH-EAST lapdogs are being offered a place in the limelight in an opera at one of the region's leading theatres. Sunderland Empire will stage a production of Puccini's La Boheme and Verdi's Rigoletto from Tuesday, March 28 to Saturday, April 1, and
ACTION is to be taken to limit the activities of a young man who is said to lead a nuisance group of youths who congregate in a town centre. Durham Police are applying to impose an anti-social behaviour order on 21-year-old Brian Shoulder. He is said
COLOUR chaos was the theme of a North Yorkshire school's annual science day. The sixth event, yesterday, at Risedale Community College, in Hipswell, near Catterick Garrison, was attended by 100 Year seven pupils and children from primary schools. Jane
CURBS preventing a nuisance with a drinking problem from entering a village centre have been amended to enable him to collect his daily dose of methadone. An interim anti-social behaviour order was imposed on 23-year-old Paul Blakelock by North Durham
VOLUNTEERS are needed to help with increased opening hours and growing visitor numbers at a stately home. Kiplin Hall, between Scorton and Northallerton, needs stewards, guides, tea room helpers, gardeners and educational assistants. The 17th Century
FUNDING is being sought to provide 18,000 residents of a private estate with their first park. Despite being known as Europe's largest housing estate, Ingleby Barwick's children have nowhere to play. Ward councillors who form Ingleby Barwick Independent
THREE fishermen on board a sinking ship were ready to jump overboard minutes before a lifeboat arrived to help. The RAF Boulmer helicopter and a lifeboat were scrambled to Hartlepool yesterday after a mayday call from the stricken boat Good Intent. The
RESIDENTS are being invited to look round the new Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority headquarters. An open evening at the £2.2m development in Bainbridge, near Hawes, will be held on Thursday, May 2. The Yoredale building opened last month, with
A MOTORIST who had a heart attack on his way to work is the 100th North-Easterner to receive life-saving "clot-busting" drugs from ambulance paramedics. Thomas Cree, 52, from Forest Hall, Newcastle, was behind the wheel when he suddenly felt severe chest
AN announcement that North Yorkshire's local authorities will not be forced to restructure has been welcomed. Local Government Minister Phil Woolas said that reorganisation without local agreement was "99.999% ruled out". The comments were made during
CYCLE enthusiasts are being asked their views on plans to develop a Teesside beauty spot. Members of the public are being invited to a consultation meeting next week on plans to create a series of mountain bike trials through Guisborough Forest. Guisborough
THOUSANDS of pounds worth of goods were stolen in an afternoon burglary at the weekend. A Seaham couple returned from a short shopping trip, on Saturday, to find their house had been ransacked and property, including computers and jewellery, had been
BLAYDON Harrier Lianne Tucker, who broke two records winning four gold medals in last year's North-East Track and Field Championships, was in record-breaking form at the region's first indoor championships to be held at the £12m facility adjacent to Gateshead
A TOWN'S leaders fear it could be wiped off the motorway map when a multi-million pound project is completed. Fears are increasing that tourism and businesses in Masham, near Ripon, could be badly hit when the direct link from the A1 is removed by the
NORTHERN Foods blamed changing eating habits and a price war in the biscuit market for its second profits warning in two months yesterday. The food producer, which is based in Leeds and is best known for making Fox's biscuits and Goodfella's pizza, described
SCHOOLCHILDREN with learning difficulties have completed a catering course at Darlington College to help them adjust to student life. For the past 20 weeks, year 11 pupils from Beaumont Hill Technology College have been learning how to bake, cook and
SHOPKEEPERS and business owners in Bishop Auckland's high street face repair bills totalling several thousand pounds following a spate of vandalism over the weekend. Several premises in the town's Newgate Street had windows smashed during Friday night
A MUSICAL is touring schools in the Newton Aycliffe area to spread a life-saving message. The Quantum Theatre show has been sponsored by 3M Aycliffe to support the company's winter road safety campaign. Mike Simpson, of 3M Aycliffe, which manufactures
STUDENT fundraisers have jumped at the chance to help charity. A 12-hour bounce-athon at the University of Teesside marked the end of Raise and Give (Rag) week at the weekend. The fundraiser, from March 6 until March 12, which is held twice a year,was
John Dean continues Business Echo's series on emerging economies with a look at India. FOR many years, most North-East exporters have stuck with countries they understood and market places with which they were familiar. That has meant dealing with companies
MULTI-MILLION pound plans to resuscitate a community on Teesside have been revealed. A planning application is now before Middlesbrough Council to build 138 two and three-bedroomed homes in Middlesbrough's West Lane area. The proposal includes a health
THIS week sees the last of a series of meetings designed to help North Yorkshire farmers. The sessions, organised by the North York Moors National Park Authority, include advice on taking part in the Government's Stewardship schemes, which help fund wildlife-friendly
A JOURNALIST is to present a lecture on faith, politics and the war on terror. Tom Osborne, a visiting professor at St John's College, Durham University, began his journalistic career covering the United Nations for the ABC news channel in the US and
SWIMMING friends Alex Pawlett and Glen Ient shared the honours in a competition that attracted nearly 40 entrants. They won the Tadpole Competition organised by Thirsk White Horse swimming team for children aged nine and under, which is designed to introduce
Entrepreneur Chris Imrie expects his database management firm to double its turnover to more than £8m in the next 12 months. He talks to Deputy Business Editor Kate Bowman about company expansion, job creation and dealings in the US. THREE years ago,
A HUSBAND was beaten unconscious and his wife left with a serious eye injury when a disagreement between neighbours erupted into violence. Teesside Crown Court heard that the relationship between the family of Vincent McGill and John and Elizabeth Crawford
TOURIST chiefs hope a new television series about a Yorkshire veterinary practice will prove as popular as its predecessor, All Creatures Great and Small. Filming has already started on the eight-part BBC drama The Chase. The series is based in Otley,
TWO teenage accident victims have had an emotional reunion with the airborne team that saved their lives. Anneka Rogers, 15, and 18-year-old Anneka Turner almost died in separate accidents on the same day in August last year. Both were saved by the Yorkshire
What is the etiquette of the digital age? And what are regarded as good manners in cyberspace? A survey of office workers across the UK was designed to help businesses formulate guidelines on what is, and what is not, acceptable in the world of modern
FOR many years, most North-East exporters have stuck with countries they understood and market places with which they were familiar. That has meant dealing with companies in the US, Germany and France. But increasingly, it is becoming clear that the big
FOUR members of a travelling family have been warned they will be jailed if they breach an anti-social behaviour order for a second time. David, Thomas, Richard and Rebbie Smith appeared at Scarborough Magistrates' Court, where they pleaded guilty to
PEDRO HENRIQUES will re-open talks with Darlington this week, with manager David Hodgson hopeful of signing a player he feels will bring a wealth of experience to his young squad. Hodgson wants to bring the 31-year-old back to the 96.6 TFM Darlington
A scheme is being launched to help companies across the region reduce rising fuel bills and boost their business prospects by cutting carbon emissions. Companies including TKA Tallent and Hydro Polymers, both of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, have signed
THE family of a North-East woman killed in a Turkish bomb blast have united with other families to call for more support from the authorities. Helyn Bennett's family is lobbying the Government to introduce a tourism tax to create a compensation fund for
SIDING with a couple of talented grey horses, Tribal Venture and Arcalis, could prove the key to making a profit on day one of the Cheltenham Festival. Although Arcalis (3.15) is first on stage, as far as investment purposes are concerned Tribal Venture
MUSIC store HMV yesterday rejected the latest multi-million pound takeover offer from private equity firm Permira. The retailer, which owns the Waterstone's book chain, as well as its music shops, said the £842.7m bid undervalued the company. The 210p-a-share
A FOOD company delivering local produce to customers' doorsteps across the region plans to more than triple in size by 2008. Crofters Foods, in North Yorkshire, was established last June as a mobile food store, selling a range of food and drink produced
A CRACK cocaine dealer has been jailed for a total of three years and nine months. Police raided Robert Baines' home after he was arrested riding a stolen £300 mountain bike last May. Police searched his home in Hundens Lane, Darlington, where they found
GOURMET food producer Tanfield Food has signed a deal with supermarket Sainsbury's. The County Durham company now supplies its Look What We Found range of restaurant-quality convenience meals to Sainsbury's and Waitrose nationwide in contracts worth a
DESPITE Sunderland's goalscoring drought showing no signs of coming to an end, striker Stephen Elliott has claimed his fledgling partnership with Kevin Kyle is a success story waiting to happen. With Liam Lawrence and Dean Whitehead currently topping
TEENAGE GANGS: MPs have recently been debating the shocking state of affairs caused by gangs of teenagers who lure emergency services to places, where they then physically attack crews and ambulances and fire engines are damaged. Newspapers are full of
FORMER firefighter Paul O'Dwyer thinks he has just the thing to cool down TV chef Gordon Ramsay's nether regions. The celebrity chef was horrified when a spot check discovered that hours of slaving over a hot stove had left him with a low sperm count.
DESPITE Sunderland's goalscoring drought showing no signs of coming to an end, striker Stephen Elliott has claimed his fledgling partnership with Kevin Kyle is a success story waiting to happen. With Liam Lawrence and Dean Whitehead currently topping
POLICE are investigating what they believe was a vicious sex attack which left the male victim seriously-injured in hospital. The 36-year-old man, from the Pickering area, is currently being cared for in hospital in York. His condition is described as
UP to 800 soldiers from the region will be sent to war-torn Iraq within weeks despite an overall reduction in troop numbers, it was announced last night. Defence Secretary John Reid ordered the deployment of the Devon and Dorset Light Infantry unit, stationed
entrepreneurs of the future were given a glimpse of the world of commerce when they visited the Walkers Crisps factory on a fact-finding tour. The Future Business Magnates competition, devised by the Durham District Partnership, involves ten Durham City
RAY Parlour may be none too keen to be considered a veteran just yet, but the 33-year-old is happy to act as a father figure to Middlesbrough's latest crop of young talent. Despite losing 2-1 at Charlton on Sunday, the performances of 18-year-old Adam
RAY Parlour may be none too keen to be considered a veteran just yet, but the 33-year-old is happy to act as a father figure to Middlesbrough's latest crop of young talent. Despite losing 2-1 at Charlton on Sunday, the performances of 18-year-old Adam
A FORMER Sunderland FC footballer has today been named by police as a double boiler burglary suspect. Lancashire Police said they wanted to trace former Championship midfielder Chris Byrne, 30, in connection with two break-ins at plumbers merchants in
THE family of a North-East woman killed in a Turkish bomb blast have united with other families to call for more support from the authorities. Helyn Bennett's family is lobbying the Government to introduce a tourism tax to create a compensation fund for
Glassfibre manufacturer Lamplas, in Durham, has appointed MICHAEL GALLAGHER as business development manager. The 41-year-old, from Chester-le-Street, spent the first 13 years of his career with Lamplas and, since 1994, has gained sales experience in several
A DOG lover who set up a website selling dog collars and leads made from natural products is launching a range of organic dog biscuits. Sarah Manby set up Mango Mutt nearly two years ago, selling dog collars and leads made from hemp. She also sold GM-free
Since the prospect of age discrimination legislation first loomed, employers and their lawyers have been curious about how the calculation of redundancy payments would be affected. The present regime, under which employees receive a week's pay for each
IT is a haven for wildlife and home to more than 900 species of flora and fauna, some of them extremely rare. But it is not a nature reserve, rather a working farm which has shown what can be achieved through sensitive land management. Stodhoe Farm, between
WHEN it comes to throwing a birthday bash for his girlfriend, multi-millionaire Duncan Bannatyne proved he was in a league of his own. The entrepreneur, whose fitness empire is based in Darlington, paid thousands of pounds for Eighties legends The Human
CLEAN CENTRE: Staff at the Land Securities-owned Bridges shopping centre, in Sunderland, have brushed aside the competition to win the national Best Team award for their work on an environmental cleaning initiative. The Bridges' operations manager, Kevin
NOLBERTO Solano last night admitted Sunday's Old Trafford humbling had been a "reality check", but maintained European qualification remained a possibility, despite the convincing nature of last weekend's loss. A 2-0 defeat to Manchester United is hardly
