Archive

  • Olympic challenge for Darlington youngsters

    HUNDREDS of pupils from primary schools across Darlington are going for gold in an Olympic challenge. A new Community Games event is to be held in the town for the first time - aimed at encouraging children to play more sport. The festival features

  • Clampdown on shop thieves announced

    JUVENILE thieves are being warned to stay away from Teesside this summer - or risk being taken to court. Police and retailers are joining forces with Middlesbrough Council and other agencies in a blitz on shop crime, and have promised that everyone would

  • Glorious Garcia looking like a champion

    SUPER Spaniard Sergio Garcia continued to motor towards his first Open Championship triumph at Carnoustie today. Garcia, who has led from the front since day one's outstanding 65 on the difficult Angus course, has extended the two-shot lead he held on

  • Famous rowing club gets new facility

    ONE of the country's oldest rowing clubs has a new £1m home. Durham Amateur Rowing Club, which dates back to 1860 and has more than 200 members, has taken delivery of a new clubhouse, to replace its former home on the city's Green Lane. The new one-storey

  • Pools game is cancelled

    Hartlepool United's pre-season tour of Holland next week will now consist of two games, after Wednesday's planned friendly was cancelled. Danny Wilson's tourists were due to take on Turkish side Ankaraspor, but the game has now been called off. That

  • Woman freed from car by fire-fighters

    A WOMAN has been taken to hospital after her car hit a fence near Stanley, County Durham. The incident happened on Causey New Road, close to the Tanfield Railway, around 1pm today. The woman had to be freed from her car by firefighters before being

  • Morrison salvages draw at Burnley

    Middlesbrough are still without a victory in three pre-season fixtures after sharing a lively draw with Burnley. The Teessiders opened their pre-season with a defeat to Schalke 04 3-0 and a 1-1 draw with Hertha Berlin in Austria last week. And Gareth

  • Drug addict mum jailed

    A DRUG addict mother who started selling heroin to make money for a bond on a house was yesterday jailed for two-and-a-half years. Dawn Mitchinson claimed she had only been dealing for a fortnight when she was seen by police handing over drugs to a

  • The Beckhams

    THANK you Adrian Cunningham for your views on the Beckhams (HAS, July 17). I thought I was the only one fed up to the teeth of seeing his sickly grin and her skeleton frame. Is it too much to hope that they will disappear for good now that they've

  • Newton Aycliffe

    HOW ironic that Newton Aycliffe's "town centre" became the focus of campaigning to elect Sedgefield's new MP. It was the first new town centre to be sold to private landlords, The Grainger Trust, in 1983-84. Strenuous local efforts to prevent

  • A1 roadworks

    IN a number of European countries, simple road repairs are carried out overnight. However, for a few days recently, travelling on the A1 was very slow due to repairs which could have easily been done overnight. Is it not time we woke up and joined

  • Capitalism

    HASN'T it occurred to Steve Colborn, who takes such a simplistic view of society (HAS, July 13), that much of what is wrong in the world has nothing to do with capitalism? Would Mr Colborn blame capitalism for tribal wars, ethnic cleansing, religious

  • Danger pyjamas

    CAN someone tell me why there is all this hue and cry about "fireretardant pyjamas" (Echo, July 16)? Why not all children's clothing? Do children only wear pyjamas in front of open fires? Do people not know there are laws governing open fires and

  • In triplicate...

    I RECENTLY received three separate envelopes (each weighing 100gms) from the Child Support Agency (CSA) on the same day. Inside of each envelope was a booklet informing me of how maintenance is worked out, and a letter with dates and information

  • BT charges

    JOHN Petter, chief operating officer at BT Retail, states "there have been some misunderstandings" over BT charges (HAS, July 18). The "misunderstandings" are down to BT, not us. He has failed to mention the £4.50 so-called processing fee for customers

  • Middle East

    DAVID Bates (HAS, July 18) does not counter any of my assertions. The fact that Israel has purchased weapons from the US does not constitute an alliance. Mr Bates, conveniently, I suspect, overlooks the fact that Iran has received considerable

  • CCTV

    I AM about to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner since the CCTV cameras operated by Darlington Borough Council, with the possible exception of those in the car parks, do not comply with the national Code of Practice in that, for example

  • Engklish basics

    I READ with amazement your story referring to "dumbing down" of GCSE English exams because of emphasising basic English skills in language (Echo, July 14). After years of employers bemoaning the lack in school leavers of these skills, we still

  • Coal mining

    IN his Saturday column, "A terrible story for Gala day" (Echo, July 14), Chris Lloyd's evocative and harrowing description of what miners and their families suffered when "Coal was King" reminded us of the debt we owed, and still owe, to the thousands

  • Flat set on fire in hope of getting new home

    A TEENAGER who faked a blaze so he could be rehoused was locked up for two years yesterday. Soot-blackened John Halliday, 18, was rescued by firefighters after raising the alarm at a block of 12 flats. He was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation

  • Photos to record end of the line for rail depot

    A PHOTOGRAPHIC project is to mark the end of the line for a historic locomotive depot. Stockton Borough Council's museum service has commissioned local documentary photographer Andy Elliott to record the final days of life at the Thornaby Traction Maintenance

  • Tearaways' motorbikes are now seized - and scrapped

    MOTORCYCLES seized from law-breaking tearaways are to be scrapped, as part of a new get tough campaign. Five bikes confiscated by police on Teesside this week are to be destroyed. The riders had received two written warnings each for irresponsible and

  • Chicken dishes prove recipe for success

    INVENTIVE ways of serving chicken proved to be a butcher's recipe for success. Johnson Butchers, of Thirsk, triumphed in the Northallerton and District Butchers' Association Value Added Competition - a contest to encourage traditional butchers to develop

  • Nursery is praised by inspectors

    A NURSERY has received an excellent Ofsted report. Looby Lou's nursery, in Northallerton, was deemed to be good overall by an inspector. The report noted that the children enjoyed healthy meals, such as butternut squash risotto, lentil and vegetable soup

  • Community sports site in plea for financial aid

    A FINANCIAL crisis has cast doubt on the future of a North Yorkshire sports centre. Community leaders will hold emergency talks next week after it emerged that Colburn Health and Recreation Centre has run into difficulties. The centre is run and managed

  • Sex infection cases increase by 15%

    DOCTORS in the region believe a greater willingness to come forward for checks is one of the reasons for a big increase in sexually transmitted infections. New figures saw a 15 per cent surge in the five most common sexually transmitted infections (STI

  • What are the odds for a dry day at racecourse?

    A FUN day at Redcar Racecourse hopes to survive the inclement weather that has finished off so many events. Tomorrow's Family Fun Day, will have a variety of activities, from fairground rides and inflatables to a stilt-walking clown, a parade of hounds

  • Weekly collection is likely to remain after bin review

    A COUNCIL planning a shake-up of its waste collection service looks set to stick with weekly bin collections. But Easington District Council could introduce a collection charge for some households that have two bins. Easington has been discussing waste

  • Cars on footpaths facing a crackdown

    TOUGH measures may to be introduced to tackle the problem of people parking their cars on pavements in County Durham. Durham County councillors agreed to examine the possibility of introducing parking restrictions on narrow streets and will urge police

  • Warning - do not give out your bank details

    PEOPLE are being warned not to reveal their bank details to the ever-growing army of unsolicited charity collectors. Charities have long used face-to-face collections, either in the street or knocking door-to-door, as a method of raising funds. But according

  • Planners lead the way

    CHESTER-LE-STREET District Council planning chiefs are celebrating outperforming other local authorities in the North-East in deciding and processing minor and other planning applications for the second year running. The council received and processed

  • Free alarms and advice

    SHOPPERS will be given advice on fire prevention next week. Fire officers will visit the Bon Marche store in The Gates, Durham City, on Monday and Tuesday, to warn about the risks of smoking at home. Officers will give advice on fire safety and smoke

  • Plans to tackle parking on pavements

    TOUGH new measures may be introduced to tackle the problem of people parking their cars on pavements in County Durham. Durham County councillors agreed to examine the possibility of introducing parking restrictions on narrow streets and will urge police

  • Mission to Romanian orphanage

    A DOMESTIC violence worker is bound for Romania to help orphans. Angela Bell, 39, will spend three weeks in Tirgu Mures, in the Transylvanian Alps, on a mission to help girls aged three to 16. Ms Bell, who works for North-East charity Norcare, runs Terentia

  • Summer full of events at centres

    LEISURE centres in Durham City are to launch their biggest programme of events for the summer holidays. The five city council-run centres are to host a series of events to keep children busy over the summer, starting on Monday and running until August

  • Woman concocted story to explain theft of Rolex watch

    A WOMAN who was arrested for stealing a £10,000 Rolex watch invented a lurid story about being threatened by a drugs gang that she would be forced into prostitution for a cocaine debt. Virginia Hopson, 22, said she owed £2,000 to the Middlesbrough gang

  • Golden shot

    The BBC is going to the pictures this summer to celebrate homegrown cinema. A series about British movies and an Arena special will be backed by the screening of 40 or more films in coming months. Perhaps those who worry about the state of the British

  • Fears of rates rise

    FEARS of another interest rates rise were further fuelled yesterday after figures confirmed that the UK's economy has grown for its 60th quarter in a row. The Office for National Statistics said the economy grew by 0.8 per cent in the second quarter -

  • Council changes don't go far enough, says opposition

    A SHAKE-UP to make a council more accountable has been given the go-ahead by councillors - despite criticism that it does not go far enough. Darlington Borough Council is to become more accessible to the public and accountable after councillors approved

  • 1,000 jobs to go at Co-op

    THE Co-operative Group yesterday confirmed plans to cut about 1,000 jobs from its financial services businesses. The losses at the Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) division - which includes online bank Smile, the Co-operative Bank and Co-operative

  • Air rifle yobs shoot down six seagulls

    THE RSPCA is appealing for information after six seagulls were shot by yobs using an air rifle. The animal charity said its inspectors were called to Northgate, in Hartlepool, on Friday last week, following complaints from residents. They found two

  • Farmer has fashion world sewn up

    A FARMER who found success with his naturally reared venison is breaking into the fashion market. Nigel Sampson has seen a 165 per cent growth in demand for his venison products in the past two years. Now, inspired by his wife and teenage daughters, he

  • Council may have base in Laurel school

    BISHOP Auckland's new town council could have a permanent base in comic Stan Laurel's old school. Durham County councillors from the Wear Valley district heard about the plan on Thursday when they discussed the grade II -listed building's future with

  • Council row brewing over £12m warning

    A POLITICAL row is brewing as the new Labour guard at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council accuse the former coalition leaders of creating financial chaos. The leader of the council, George Dunning, says the authority is heading for a £12m budget deficit

  • Council chief makes changes in cabinet

    AN overhaul of council portfolio holders has been announced in Darlington. Council leader, Councillor John Williams, reshuffled his cabinet's positions at Thursday's full council meeting. Coun Williams said: "These new cabinet portfolios will help the

  • Youngsters have say on plans for playground

    CHILDREN from Darlington schools have been having their say on a £60,000 playground to be built in Eastbourne Park. The final plan for the development has yet to be decided, but after consulting with youngsters from Dodmire Juniors, Heathfield and St

  • BMX factor at park

    A COUNTRY park in Hartlepool is hosting another of its BMX races this weekend. Summerhill, a 100-acre council-run site, will host the event at its purpose-built track tomorrow. Organised by NorthEast BMX, the event is expected to attract a number of top

  • Scouts troop to jamboree

    SCOUTS from a Darlington troop will join thousands of other youngsters from across the world next weekend. The 5th Darlington Scouts will attend the World Jamboree, being held at Walsbury Forest, near Nottingham. It is one of several jamborees attended

  • Honours still not even

    THE result of the cash-for-honours inquiry is clearly a relief for Tony Blair, just as it is for the three individuals who were arrested during the investigation: Lord Levy, Ruth Turner, and Sir Christopher Evans. But the fact that no charges will result

  • Alonso claims Hamilton remains title favourite

    Fernando Alonso insists McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton is the clear favourite to win this year's Formula One world title. With a 12-point lead at the top of the drivers' championship, and with eight races remaining, the odds clearly favour Hamilton.

  • Produce show

    SKELTON and Brotton Produce Show will be held on Saturday, August 25, in Skelton Civic Hall. Entries will be accepted from 9am to 10.30am and the event will open to the public at 12.30pm. There is wide variety of classes to enter including an alternative

  • Youth service chief suspended by bosses

    A LEADING figure in a county's efforts to tackle youth crime has been suspended on full pay, The Northern Echo has learnt. Christina Blythe, the head of County Durham's Youth Engagement Service, is thought to have been off work for several months as a

  • Murder trial hears bite mark evidence

    A MURDER trial jury has heard expert evidence linking a 22-year-old man to two bite marks on the arms of a four-year-old girl. Leticia Wright died of multiple injuries while she was living with Peter Seaton and her 23-year-old mother, Sharon Wright, at

  • Raised to the company of kings

    THERE can be no greater triumph in life than having a potato named after you. King Edward, Maris Piper and Peter Barron have all been placed upon such a potato pedestal. In fact, Peter, our editor, was so overjoyed by the honour that Darlington council

  • Pressure is now off Lewis

    Lewis Hamilton is relieved the hype and pressure that surrounded his British Grand Prix debut is now firmly behind him. Although Hamilton has been hit by flu in the build-up to Sunday's European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, the heat has considerably

  • Pair's bid for bogus passport was foiled

    AN alert civil servant rumbled an asylum seeker's bogus passport application, a court heard. The Durham office of the Identity and Passport Service received the passport renewal application in the name of Ho Sin Li, claiming his original was lost. But

  • Collection rates for tax rises again

    COLLECTION rates for council tax and non-domestic rates in the Hambleton district have risen for the fourth year running. Last year, the council collected 98.6 per cent of all council tax due and 99.4 per cent of all business rates. That was a rise of

  • 900-year-old procession gets cash boost

    AN annual Ripon procession dating back 900 years has been given a £2,000 boost. The St Wilfrid's Procession, which dates from 1108, has been given support by Ripon City Council. The funding has helped cover this year's event, which will feature decorated

  • New Year violence arose from long-running feud

    NEW Year was marred at a village social club when a long-running feud boiled over. Partygoers were attacked with pool cues at the Officials Club, in Thornley, on January 1 this year. Durham Crown Court heard that members of the club staff were also caught

  • Club to celebrate anniversary

    A YOUTH club will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a charity evening next month. South Otterington Youth Club opened in the village, near Northallerton, in September 1957. Organisers are looking for former members and helpers for a get-together that

  • Writer reveals his inspiration

    A CRIME writer has revealed how he sets about writing his mystery novels, with a backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales. Peter Robinson, from Richmond, has recorded a podcast that can be downloaded from the Yorkshire Water website. The creator of the Chief Inspector

  • Council meeting

    AISKEW and Leeming Bar Parish Council will meet at 7.30pm on Wednesday in the Roman Catholic parish centre at Aiskew.

  • Have a say on rights of way

    WALKERS are being asked to help shape the future of the access and rights of way network. Durham County Council is asking for residents' views on its draft Rights of Way Improvement Plan for County Durham 2007-11. Between now and October 8, people can

  • Pub cannot be turned into house - inspector

    LANDLORDS who planned to convert their pub into a house, only to be refused permission, have had their appeal against the decision thrown out. Planning inspector Richard McCoy said that if the plan for the Wishing Well Inn was approved, the village of

  • Region bids to become UK's centre for energy

    THOUSANDS of jobs could be created in the North-East if the region is chosen as the UK's energy hub in a project that would be worth £1bn over ten years. The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) wants to establish an energy centre to research all forms

  • Apartments figure in final phase of new community

    PLANS for the final phase of a major project to create a new community at West Park, in Darlington, have been unveiled. The former industrial site on the outskirts of town is in the process of a ten-year regeneration programme, and developers have already

  • Queen's award for MD

    ONE of the region's leading businesswomen has been commended for her work in promoting company growth in the North-East. Caroline Theobald, managing director of the Bridge Club, was invited to Buckingham Palace to receive a Queen's Award for Enterprise

  • Details finalised for referendum on elected mayor

    DETAILS of how Darlington's elected mayor referendum will be conducted have been finalised. At Thursday's full council meeting, councillors approved proposals for powers the proposed elected mayor would have, as well as how the referendum, on September

  • Learners can cast net wider on computers

    ADULT learners in North Yorkshire's remote rural villages can access a new teaching tool. North Yorkshire County Council has unveiled two mobile classrooms to give computer training. The Skills Mobile service was launched this week and provides computers

  • Students raise cash with cake bake sale

    STUDENTS have raised more than £500 for charity by selling homemade snacks and by holding a fashion show. The geography students from Thirsk School made £292 through schemes at the school. Barclays Bank matched the students' efforts pound for pound,

  • £200,000 facelift starts for shopping precinct

    A RUNdown town centre shopping precinct will get a £200,000 facelift after plans for a major redevelopment had to be shelved. Work which started this week at Festival Walk, in Spennymoor, aims to smarten up the area's appearance and boost security. But

  • Service to mark 100th year of hut

    A COMMEMORATION service for a religious relic from the region's engineering heyday, that has stood in Darlington for 100 years, will take place this weekend. The "Green Hut", now Springfield Mission on the corner of Thompson Street and Hercules Street

  • Grassroots Herriot

    THE UK's favourite vet, James Herriot, is about to make his stage debut thanks to a one-man play called An Honorary Yorkshireman, which is very much a North Yorkshire project. Created by Kate Bramley, the director of Badapple Theatre, which is based in

  • Blaydon heading South

    Four-time champions South Northumberland have ominously hit the front again. While their lead is only eight points, the professional way in which they dismantled Norton last week lent great credence to their assertion that once they were back up to full

  • Double dose of action

    A double helping is planned this weekend, as the programme originally scheduled for August 18 is brought forward to tomorrow to give players and officials the chance to get right behind Durham in their historic first Lord's final in four weeks' time.

  • Ryhope out to topple Castle

    In a season ravaged by rain, the battle for honours is the most evenly contested for years. Current leaders Castle Eden showed some ruthlessness in disposing of Washington's challenge last week and now have more wins than any other side. They go to Ryhope

  • Spurs carrot will bring out best in Cats. says Wallace

    Sunderland have made five signings this summer and winger Ross Wallace admits the new recruits have cranked up the competition for places in the prestigious first game of the season next month. Tottenham Hotspur's televised visit to the Stadium of Light

  • Allardyce keen to keep Dyer

    Sam Allardyce plans clear-the-air talks with Kieron Dyer amid persistent rumours West Ham are closing in on the midfielder. The Newcastle manager, increasingly frustrated by his failure to land new signings, wants to find out if Dyer would be interested

  • Northallerton's lead is fast disappearing

    With just nine matches to play, the heat is on leaders Northallerton. Less than a fortnight ago they were 32 points clear, but the lead is now just 12 following two successive draws. The leaders have a home game today and Guisborough will provide another

  • Pools certainty a boost for Elliott

    ROBBIE Elliott is looking forward to a more sedate life at Victoria Park after swapping financially-embarrassed Leeds United for Hartlepool United. And the defender, who revealed he is still owed money by the Elland Road club, believes he is in for an

  • Chasing Choi aims to put his experience of '99 to good use

    SERGIO GARCIA remains ahead of the rest at this year's Open Championship, although KJ Choi is drawing on the experience of playing alongside Paul Lawrie in 1999 in his attempts to become the first Asian golfer to win a major. After posting his second

  • Moxon furious with ECB

    Yorkshire's director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, is seething that leg-spinner Adil Rashid will miss three vital Championship matches because he has to play for England Under-19s in their two Tests and five one-day internationals against Pakistan A. Moxon

  • The Open Diary

    REGULAR readers of The Northern Echo will know that the newspaper adopted Henrik Stenson as its favourite Swede following 2005's Seve Trophy at The Wynyard Club. Stenson played alongside Northern Echo sports reporter Paul Fraser in the pre-event pro-am

  • Patience the key to Mcilroy's progress

    HAVING witnessed how teenager Rory McIlroy failed to repeat his first-day heroics at Carnoustie, Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez last night urged the British public to be patient while the young amateur continues his rise to prominence. The two golfers

  • Mickelson leaves room for improvement

    World number two Phil Mickelson admitted he has improvements to make in his game after a second-round 77 saw him make an early exit from the Open Championship at Carnoustie. Mickelson's six-over-par total after yesterday's 71 was too many to survive the

  • Charlton agree fee for Young

    ENGLAND defender Luke Young was at Middlesbrough's training ground yesterday after Charlton agreed a £2.5m fee for the full-back, writes ADAM MURRAY. The 28-year-old will undergo a medical over the weekend before completing a deal which will make him

  • Fans dreaming of another battle royal

    With the focus this weekend on Carnoustie and the 136th Open Championship, we look back at some memorable battles for the Claret Jug, starting with the year interest in the event really took off thanks to Arnold Palmer. 1960, ST ANDREWS Arnold Palmer

  • Domino will have his backers dancing in the rain again

    JOHN WADE'S decision to purchase Domino Dancer from neighbouring trainer Howard Johnson produced an instant return when his new inmate won at the Northumberland Plate meeting. The mud was flying on that rain-lashed Tyneside afternoon, and judging by the

  • Reception party helps new arrival feel at home with Boro

    MIDDLESBROUGH striker Tuncay Sanli is flattered by the desire shown by the club to bring him to Teesside. The biggest star in Turkish football set his heart on moving to the Premier League, and once Boro had expressed an interest in the player he was

  • Crathorne to continue winning run

    MARKET RASEN'S forward-thinking and go-ahead executive have come up trumps by once again staging the much sought-after £65,000 Summer Plate Handicap Chase. Very few jumps races are worth anything like that sort of cash at this time of year, and thankfully

  • Anderson proves he is up to the challenge

    Jimmy Anderson staked his claim to be a key part of England's future with two major wickets to begin their recovery following a startling batting collapse in the opening npower Test. The Lancashire seamer has long been considered part of England's squad

  • Bell back relishing vet races

    EVERGREEN Stewy Bell is relishing the prospect of moving up into the veteran ranks after ending a two-year injury nightmare with two victories in the space of two weeks. The 39-year-old Chester-le-Street runner, who is one of the region's most prolific

  • Appeal for help in stolen horses search

    THE owners of two stolen horses have been searching fields and paddocks for the missing animals. Gayle and William Dugdale, from Chilton, are desperate to find their three-year-old trotter, called Rooster, who they have had since he was born. Rooster,

  • No extra pressure on White

    Homecoming Darlington defender Alan White does not expect to be under any excessive pressure to become a local hero as Quakers push for promotion next season. Much was expected of Neil Maddison when he returned to his hometown club six years ago, and

  • Pace ace relishes senior status

    Lancashire fast bowler Jimmy Anderson relished his role as the senior man to help drag England back into the first Test at Lord's yesterday. He dismissed India's star duo Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar as India closed a weather-hit day on 145 for four

  • Firefighter who died of cancer honoured by his colleagues

    A DEDICATED firefighter who died after a long battle against cancer has been given full ceremonial honours at his funeral.The coffin of father-of-three Tony Burton was draped in a Union flag and carried on a fire appliance from his Middlesbrough home

  • Carnival recognition for lollipop pensioners

    A HUSBAND and wife who between them have kept generations of schoolchildren safe on village roads are stepping into the spotlight this afternoon.Pensioners Joan Howard and her husband, Ronnie, have been invited to open West Auckland Carnival in recognition

  • The park is trashed? - James 'll fix it

    YOUNG James Jefferson was so devastated when vandals wrecked his local playpark that he asked a local housing company to repair the damage.The eight-year-old wrote to the company because he was aware it was carrying out housing repairs in the area. He

  • Rewarded for full attendance

    FIVE school pupils received a prize from Aldi for having an outstanding attendance record.The new Aldi store in Bishop Auckland opened its doors last November and Woodhouse Close Junior School pupils helped with the official opening ceremony by singing

  • Pupil wins art award in memory of teacher

    AN 11-YEAR-OLD boy has become the first pupil at a Darlington school to pick up a memorial art award.Sons of Joseph Lamb, a former teacher at Dodmire Junior School, gave money to the school after their father died last year.Mr Lamb had taught at the school

  • Hanging around for art's sake

    A SUMMER festival got off to a spectacular start last night, with a world premiere display by about 60 high-flying acrobats.The performance artists of La Fura del Baus, and local aerial artists Hang, launched SummerTyne, a ten-day festival of music, theatre

  • £1.2m tourist site facelift complete

    A £1.2M facelift of a national park tourist attraction is complete.The North York Moors National Park has finished its scheme to develop Danby Visitor Centre.The former shooting lodge, near Goathland, has been a major tourist attraction for more than

  • Heading for island retirement

    A HEADTEACHER who has seen the size of his school double in his 23 years at the top has retired.Tom Lumley left High Coniscliffe Primary School, near Darlington, yesterday to start a new life with his family on a Scottish island.Mr Lumley has overseen

  • Next stop the Olympics for boxer Ben

    A TEENAGER has boxed his way to success and landed a place in the European championships.Ben Jackson, 13, who attends Tudhoe Grange Comprehensive School, has been a member of Spennymoor Boxing Club, in County Durham, since he was eight.He won the European

  • Bus stop crash youth fell asleep at wheel

    A TEENAGER who drove a pick-up truck into a bus shelter and seriously injured a 94-year-old woman was asleep at the wheel, a court was told yesterday.Derek Patrick Matthew Stephenson, who turned 18 yesterday, woke up after hitting the bus shelter in Hundens

  • Mopping up begins - but residents braced for more

    HOUSEHOLDERS and firefighters were yesterday mopping up after flash floods hit several villages.Waist-deep water gushed through five communities near Scotch Corner, North Yorkshire, on Thursday night, flooding homes, demolishing walls and tearing up tarmac.Firefighters

  • Skipper's gamble pays off

    Durham v Hampshire (County Championship) : Day One JUST when it seemed Dale Benkenstein was becoming a reckless gambler the roulette wheel spun back in his favour and he cashed in with a superb century yesterday.Choosing to bat first against Hampshire

  • The mews is a purrfect location for just us cats

    A LUXURY hotel with 12 bespoke apartments really is the cat's whiskers.For the apartments - complete with piped-in music, sun terraces, and mats from Harrods - are available for felines only. After two years under construction, the cattery, called Just

  • Security guard raises alarm as fire takes hold in factory

    FIREFIGHTERS have saved parts of a Shildon factory ravaged by fire.The fire happened on Thursday night at the Millennium Hardware factory on the Hackworth Industrial Estate.The fire was spotted at about 11pm by a security guard, who was in the building

  • Waving goodbye to school

    A SCHOOL said farewell yesterday to its headteacher of 12 years, who is retiring with the end of the academic year.Pauline Bulman taught at schools in London, in various parts of the Midlands and was a deputy headteacher in Leicestershire before moving

  • Mock wedding 'very emotional'

    A BRIDE walked down the aisle to a six-year-old groom during a mock wedding at a primary school.Susie Benson, also aged six, was "married" to Luca Bloomfield during the Browney Primary School ceremony, held as part of the school's religious education

  • Head praises class as 'one of best ever'

    The achievements of a sixth form class, described by their headmaster as one of the best ever, have been recognised at a school's annual prize-giving.Among the leavers at Barnard Castle School were star students singled out by headmaster David Ewart as

  • Campaign targets young drink-drivers

    A £3M summer anti-drink drive campaign targeting young men was launched yesterday.Spearheading the national campaign is a TV advertisement which shows the consequences for a young person caught driving while over the legal limit.Transport Secretary Ruth

  • 'Evil' of attackers who slashed and tortued pony

    A PONY has been slashed and tortured in an attack that its owner described as "pure evil."Seven-year-old Shannon Rogerson has been left asking why thugs - possibly armed with a craft knife - carried out a frenzied attack on her "gentle" pony, a grey,

  • Price war sees Harry slashed to £4.99

    Harry Potter mania peaked at midnight last night as the final wizard's tale went on sale to fans queueing at bookstores around the country.Big retailers slashed their prices in a wave of discounting which saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows drop

  • Boxing clever at event for Oscar

    A CHAMPION boxer auctioned a pair of gloves to help raise money for a young boy with cerebral palsy at a fundraising event this week.Argie Ward donated the signed boxing gloves for an event organised by builder Ian Wall to raise money for three-year-old

  • I expected honours probe to end this way - Blair

    Former Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday welcomed the decision not to prosecute anyone over the cash-for-honours allegations which dominated his last year in power - saying he always expected the inquiry to end this way.The police investigation into

  • Text driver locked up for death crash

    A TEENAGE driver who sent a text message on her mobile phone moments before she crashed into another car at 70mph and killed a grandmother has been locked up for four years.Rachel Begg, who admitted causing death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing

  • Farmer bids to join SAS hero in race team

    A FARMER from North Yorkshire has taken on a former SAS hero in an attempt to win a place in a gruelling adventure race.Steven Wood hoped to join the Great Britain team to take on Europe's toughest in the Sure For Men Extreme Pamplona adventure race,

  • North river offered as religious ashes site

    HINDUS and Sikhs unable to make it to the sacred river Ganges for their final journey to the after-life can find their final resting place in the North-East, it has emerged.Gateshead Council leaders have set aside a stretch of river where believers can

  • McGrath and Rashid help to repair early damage

    Yorkshire v Surrey (County Championship) : Day One A disappointing batting display by Yorkshire, who need every point they can muster in their bid to stay top of the table, left them on 203 for eight against Surrey when bad light and rain stopped play

  • Carnoustie's demons get the better of Storm

    GRAEME STORM'S third Open Championship ended almost as badly as his first after he suffered further frustrations on the Carnoustie links course where he made his Open debut in 1999. But the Hartlepool golfer has vowed to forget about his nightmare and

  • Southgate sees Tuncay and Yakubu as his dream team

    GARETH Southgate has insisted that new signing Tuncay Sanli was brought in to play alongside Ayegbeni Yakubu, not to replace him. The Middlesbrough boss yesterday revealed the club have yet to receive any offers for their £12m-rated want-away striker

  • The wild side

    MY last experience of camping was 14 years ago, when a bright yellow igloo tent was our home for a week spent touring the windswept Welsh coast. So I thought it was about time I gave it another go, this time in the more camping-friendly climate of Spain

  • Angels' delight

    An exhibition of angels at All Saints church in Staveley, near Knaresborough, has been extended due to popular demand A DILEMMA arises; a temptation, anyway. On the side of the angels, as always, how does the "church" column embrace Bamforth's seaside

  • Hip, hip Dohray

    It's the film the fans have been waiting for, for an awfully long time. Two decades after The Simpsons made their TV debut, the eagerly anticipated movie is out next week. Steve Pratt has a sneak preview. TWENTY years ago, Matt Groening was asked to

  • Garcia accepts that life can be a grind

    CONTRARY to popular opinion, it is not the quality of your best round that determines whether or not you win an Open championship. Instead, it is how you perform when things are not going to plan that dictates where you will finish on Sunday evening.

  • Four hours' sleep and new MP gets down to business

    PHIL Wilson was announced as the winner of the Sedgefield by-election at 1am yesterday, and was at his new desk in Newton Aycliffe just eight hours later.He managed four hours' sleep before doing breakfast radio interviews and taking a congratulatory

  • Awaiting sentence in car tyre slashing

    AN unemployed 23-year-old yesterday admitted being responsible for an 18-month campaign of tyre slashing which plagued drivers in his home town.Darryl Baker pleaded guilty to slashing tyres on 23 vehicles in the Ashlands Road area of Northallerton, North