Darlington 1 Bradford City 3 ONE of the unwritten rules in football is that ex-players always return to haunt their former employers. They may have struggled to hit a barn door when they were on the payroll, but give them the opportunity to put
A MAN celebrated his birthday by winning a top of the range car on a TV lottery show. Joseph Walton was enjoying his 43rd birthday when he discovered that he had won the prize on the BingoLotto programme, hosted by comedian Joe Pasquale on the Virgin
A HUSBAND who falsely claimed his wife had hidden the murder weapon used to kill a devoted young dad has been spared jail. Kevin Johnson, 22, died after he was stabbed through the heart when he asked a gang of youths outside his home to be quiet on May
TROUBLED Paul Gascoigne is hoping to pedal his way back to fitness. The 40-year-old surprised staff at a Newcastle cycle shop when he called in to buy a racer. The former Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and England footballer is recovering from a mental
OH Daryl. What will he be feeling like tonight? After a nightmare miss that should have put Sunderland in front against West Ham nine minutes before the end. The chances are he will be feeling a whole lot better now than he might have been. Andy Reid
Andy Reid chose the perfect moment to open his Sunderland account with an injury-time winner which fired Sunderland to within touching distance of Barclays Premier League safety. The Irishman struck in the sixth minute of injury time as the Black Cats
Hartlepool United 1 Swansea City 3 No referee respect as Pools are infuriated AFTER a week in which the message to respect the referee has been repeated time and time again, Lee Probert proved that officials have some way to go before the mantra
A MAN has been arrested after climbing the Tyne Bridge. The 36-year-old, from the Newcastle area, had to be talked down by police negotiators, after climbing the bridge from its Gateshead side in the early hours of this morning. Northumbria Police were
A BURGLAR remains on the run following a raid on a jewellers shop. The man, believed to be in his mid 20s, is being hunted by police after the smash and grab raid on Barnard Castle Jewellers on Friday morning. A 25-year-old man, from Hartlepool, was
A MAN slipped and injured his head and back whilst leading a party of school children on a walk. Teesdale & Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team where called out at 10.30pm last night to help an ambulance crew recover the injured man. He had been
LABOUR Party chiefs are allowing a constituency to field only half the number of women candidates they wanted in forthcoming council elections. The Easington Constituency Labour Party, County Durham, was suspended by the party's National Executive
A DISPUTE over police pay was reignited during the Government's attempt to promote its record on crime in the region. During a visit to Ludworth, in County Durham, yesterday, Police Minister Tony McNulty said the ongoing pay dispute, during which
A COUNCIL leader has spoken out over a local authority pay row by criticising highly paid chief executives and referring to "people that run around after the highest salaries". Councillor George Dunning, the leader of the ruling Labour party on
A NORTH-EAST widow has spoken of the heartbreak of losing her husband in a Middle East sea tragedy on the eve of the second anniversary of his death. Stephanie Grady, of Canterbury Road, Brotton, near Saltburn, east Cleveland, has flown to Bahrain
A SCHOOLBOY was knocked over and then left by the side of the road by a hit-and-run driver. Jimmy Simpson, 13, was knocked off his bike when the car hit him at a crossing. He was left with a fractured elbow and leg, as well as cuts and bruises
COUPLES needing help dealing with the in-laws or improving their sex lives can now turn to their local church for help. New Life Baptist Church, in Northallerton, is offering advice and support to married couples or those preparing to get married
YOUNG people from the region have called for better standards of sex education. The call follows a survey in North Yorkshire by the UK Youth Parliament earlier this year that showed more than half of young people have not been taught about teenage
SEVEN Samaritans have been given long service awards for contributing the equivalent of 150 years' service in North Yorkshire between them. Steve Evans, the charity's national chairman , presented the awards at the annual meeting of the Northallerton
ARMY wives have raised £10,000 to help soldiers' families by organising a charity ball. The women, who are based at Catterick Garrison, held the Spring Charity Ball in aid of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) on Saturday
A TALENTED trio of golfers is chipping in to help raise the sport's profile at a North Yorkshire school. For the first time, golf will be part of the physical education curriculum at Northallerton College from next term, and three students
TRAIN passengers hit with £25 charges after they were unable to find a parking space outside Northallerton station have condemned what they describe as a "severe lack of facilities". Paul Berriff, who lives in Bedale, said the 130-space car park
A WOMAN from Derwentside has earned her green belt in aikido. Dennise Bowes is the only woman in the three classes she attends and, at 46, is the oldest student. Ms Bowes, of South Leigh, Tanfield Lea, near Stanley, hopes she will go all
A PIT banner which had fallen into disrepair is to go on permanent display in a workingmen's club, following a renovation costing thousands of pounds. The Esh Winning Colliery banner will be unveiled in the village's Newhouse workingmen's club
TWO members of staff from a Gambian infant school have spent a week visiting Brandon Infant School. Yaya Jagne, headteacher of Apple Tree School, and Aunty Ndeye Silla, the school's co-chairwoman, spent school hours working with children, giving
YOUNGSTERS have played a key part in a scheme to make a woodland more attractive for people of all ages. Wingate Woodland, next to Wingate Welfare Park, which was created on the site of a former colliery in the Thirties, has been given a makeover
BA has moved to reassure air passengers contemplating a third day of travel chaos at Heathrow's Terminal Five (T5) by revealing that just 37 flights would be cancelled tomorrow. Some 54 of today's 347 flights are expected to be cancelled. Initially,
TEENAGERS are being encouraged put down roots by planting wildflowers at a nature reserve. Young people are invited to help create summer colour for all to enjoy by planting wildflowers at Maze Park Nature Reserve, on Wednesday. The nature reserve
A TECHNOLOGY centre, which was one of the first of its kind in the region when it opened, is celebrating a decade of all things digital. Stockton's Open Technology Centre, located in the town's central library, is ten years old next week,
A CANNABIS farm was discovered when a gust of wind blew back a curtain at a bedroom window and a passing policeman saw huge lights and heat lamps hanging from the ceiling. James Wildon initially refused to let the beat bobby into his Hartlepool
WATER company staff have gone back to school to build a garden. Yorkshire Water workers spent two days this week creating a vegetable patch at Swainby and Potto Primary School. Volunteers constructed a fence around part of the school grounds and
AN £11m project is under way to give a Middlesbrough housing estate a facelift. Erimus Housing is injecting the money into Hemlington over the next two years, by modernising existing homes, converting or demolishing unpopular flats and making
This year sees the celebration of 100 years of West End theatre. Musical lover Claire Burbage visits London to see some of the special events planned to mark the anniversary HIT shows such as Any Dream Will Do and How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria
Poppy Tierney considers if love really does A change everything at the musicals ASPECTS Of Love arrives in Darlington next week minus the romantic appeal of David Essex. The role of sugar-daddy George is now played by James Graeme in a show best
ACTOR John Sackville took very seriously playing the man who became Pope John Paul II in a forthcoming BBC Television drama-documentary. "I was praying every day to get that sense of his belief in his faith," he says. "And I'm now a non-smoker
A goodly crowd - mostly women - congregated to mark the annual memorial service for a famous suffragette MISS Emily Wilding Davison, suffragette and martyr to the cause, was critically injured on June 4, 1913, after throwing herself beneath the
I HAVE read David Lacey's letters over time and thought him a levelheaded chap, but then I thought he'd overdosed on something when I read his comments on past and present Labour administrations and how we'd all been saved by that "saviour",
I READ with horror your article entitled "Council to spend £177,000 on home computers" (Echo, Mar 26). However, not as you may think at the waste of money, but at Durham county councillor John Shuttleworth's comments about "old-age pensioners".
I THINK Christopher Wardell (HAS, Mar 24) misses the point. So what if St Cuthbert originated from Scotland? What makes him venerated is what he did for the people. In fact, numerous works on St George show that the first written account of him
FEW Labour MPs and even fewer voters now bother with the prefix "New" when referring to the Labour Party - simply because it isn't. New Labour was a brilliant marketing ploy. It was a persuasive statement that it had moved on from its former unelectable
BEFORE Peter Mullen falls from his pulpit in apoplexy from his perception of widespread persecution of Christians by Muslims (Echo, Mar 25) he should consider events in Qatar, widely considered to be as conservatively Muslim as its neighbour Saudi
MANY thousands of anti-war protestors took to the streets of London and Glasgow recently as part of a global "World Without War" programme. These domestic demonstrations were largely ignored by the media, as were similar events in dozens of other
RE Bernie Walsh's fine letter about Sunderland manager Roy Keane's stance on discipline at the Stadium of Light (HAS, Mar 21). The incident last season when three players, Martin Fulop, Anthony Stokes and Toby Hysen, were omitted from the travelling
"UP to the present time, the approaching elections to the county council excite very little interest locally," reported The Northern Echo on January 1, 1889. But, within a week, there was an explosion of intrigue. That new year had - rather like
Sir Alan Sugar waded into controversy this week when he said women should tell employers if they are planning a family. But is he saying what thousands of business people are thinking? Julia Breen reports SIR Alan Sugar drives into Downing Street in
WHEN Northern Rock collapsed analysts predicted the subsequent loss of confidence would affect us all - not just savers and shareholders. Several months later, the ripple effect started by the Rock fiasco and exacerbated by the worldwide credit
CITY whistle-blowers could be offered immunity from prosecution under plans to strengthen the powers of the UK's financial watchdog, Chancellor Alistair Darling has indicated. The Government was urged to grant the Financial Services Authority
A PRETZEL manufacturer has appointed a North-East creative consortium to help relaunch its premium brand. County Durham-based Intersnack is working with brand ideas company Different, designers The Roundhouse, and media specialist Press Ahead
PLAYERS' chiefs will talk to England's top cricketers and officials next week in a bid to find a way to accommodate them in future seasons of the Indian Premier League. Following Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, reiterating his willingness to shift
YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE head into the new county season in the best possible way after a remarkable run chase against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi saw them clinch the pre-season Pro-ARCH Trophy. After skittling the hosts for 190 at the Sheikh
NOT since a rain-sodden evening at Wembley eight years ago have Darlington been so close to realising their promotion dream. An Andy Clarke strike decided their fate that night, but this time around, the lottery of a playoff appearance would provide
JAMES Brown may have missed almost two months of football, but it didn't take long for the Hartlepool United striker to get back into the groove. After suffering a knee injury in the win over Luton on February 2, Brown had to wait until last
GEORGE Gillett last night revealed his relationship with fellow Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks "has been unworkable for some time''. Gillett also said he and his wife have been subjected to death threats. The Canadian-born Gillett and American
AVRAM GRANT still believes Arsenal remain a title threat despite last Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Gunners at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea hope to cement their position behind leaders Manchester United at the top of the table with a win over Middlesbrough
AFONSO ALVES has struggled to make an impression since his record-breaking move from Holland but Gareth Southgate feels his arrival has been a factor in Middlesbrough's improved form. The Brazilian, who is unlikely to figure in the starting lineup
MICHAEL Owen insists he did not criticise Fabio Capello's tactics and has no problem with the new England manager. The Newcastle striker was left on the bench for Capello's first match in charge against Switzerland in January and was a halftime
EVERGREEN Sunderland Harrier Brian Rushworth challenges for his third British Masters Gold medal in Oxfordshire today. The 45-year-old Wearside college lecturer, who won the North- East senior men's cross country crown a record ten times, has
MOBILX VIPERS head into this weekend's play-off quarter final series against Belfast Giants with hopes riding on a positive outcome. Vipers travel to the Province today before returning home to the Metro Radio Arena tomorrow (face-off 5.30pm
THOUSANDS of women across the North-East will be hoping one of 2008's sporting success stories is guaranteed a gripping finale this weekend. Team Northumbria's Netball Super League squad has emerged as standard bearers for women's semi-professional
CASTLEFORD are being linked with a daring move for controversial sprinter Dwain Chambers. The engage Super League's bottom club have called a press conference for Monday morning to make a major announcement amid speculation that they have persuaded
PLAYERS PLEASE (3.10) possesses the perfect profile to land Kempton's mile-and-threefurlong Rosebery Stakes. Previous course and distance form is paramount in these hard-to-crack handicaps and the fact Players Please has scored over track and
MALTON'S Malcolm Jefferson could be in for a bumper pay-day if both Elvis Returns and Overbranch oblige at Newbury. Conditions at the Berkshire venue were absolutely desperate yesterday, a point borne out by a succession of slow-motion finishes
JUANDE Ramos has embraced the task of breaking Tottenham into the top four of the Barclays Premier League and has called for continued financial backing to build a squad capable of it. Ramos arrived at White Hart Lane last October and won the
NEWCASTLE coach Chris Hughton has moved to end speculation that Kevin Keegan's authority at the St James' Park is being constantly undermined by the club's owner Mike Ashley. Hughton joined United last month as the club's new first-team coach,
A GROUP of students have given up their Easter holiday to give school pupils a taste of university life. Thirty students from Durham University's Van Mildert College are running a four-day residential project, showing teenagers from two North-East
SECRETARY of State for Business John Hutton visited the region yesterday ahead of the County Durham unitary authority elections. Mr Hutton and MP for Sedgefield, Phil Wilson, visited 3M Newton Aycliffe. Mr Hutton said the factory, which manufactures
A £50,000 bridge has been installed at one of the region's most challenging golf courses. The 75-metre steel and wood bridge at the Brancepeth Castle course, in County Durham, was opened on Good Friday. It replaced an 80-year-old wooden structure
THE manager of a care home where old and vulnerable residents were left in conditions of appalling neglect has been struck off the nursing register. Distressed relatives of former residents of the Bamburgh Court Care Centre in South Shields, South
A STUDENT has become the envy of her classmates after being appointed headteacher for the day. Toni Jones took over the reins from Steve Harness, at Woodham Community Technology College, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, yesterday. Soon after
A NEW land deal could pave the way for a multi-million pound scheme for a hotel and leisure park at a North-East marina. The HMS Trincomalee Trust, Hartlepool Borough Council and local development company Jomast have agreed a 990-year lease for
ONE of the North-East's leading sports venues transforms to become the setting for a proms-style event later this year. Sunderland AFC's Stadium of Light is the venue for a charity night featuring an variety of performers from across the region
A MAN has been looked up for six months after being found guilty of taking part in the "barbaric sport" of badger baiting. John William Lee was arrested as he walked through a busy town centre while blood dripped from the face of one of his dogs
A NORTH-EAST widow has spoken of the heartbreak of losing her husband in a Middle East sea tragedy on the eve of the second anniversary of his death. Stephanie Grady, of Canterbury Road, Brotton, near Saltburn, east Cleveland, has flown to Bahrain for
LORRY drivers are ignoring the law and taking heavy vehicles over an ancient bridge - because a camera set up to gather evidence is out of action.The equipment has not worked for years, though it is aimed at the County Bridge, built in 1569 over the River
A NEW land deal could pave the way for a multi-million pound scheme for a hotel and leisure park at a North-East marina. The HMS Trincomalee Trust, Hartlepool Borough Council and local development company Jomast have agreed a 990-year lease for the three-acre
MOBILE phone company Orange has apologised to a businessman after he was accused of running up a £35,000 bill - even though he was not one of their customers.Mike Scott, of Darlington, was given seven days to pay up and threatened with bailiffs.But Orange
HOMEOWNERS who mortgaged themselves to the hilt are facing a bleak future as the housing market slumps and lenders call time on low-interest deals.Experts say borrowers in the North-East and North Yorkshire are paying a heavy price for the global credit
Sir Alex Ferguson has derided international friendly matches as ''a waste of time'' and ''futile''. The Manchester United manager is angry at losing Darren Fletcher for six weeks, starting with the home match against Aston Villa today, after he sustained
DIAMOND rings were left strewn across the high street of a market town after a raid at a jewellers.Two men were involved in a high-speed police chase after they smashed the window of the jewellers in Barnard Castle, County Durham, and attempted to grab
ONLY last season Chelsea were labelled 'bad losers' by Mark Schwarzer. Eighteen months on and Emanuel Pogatetz hopes the Blues remain so meaning Middlesbrough have taken another step towards Premier League safety.Boro head to Stamford Bridge tomorrow
AS Newcastle Falcons prepare to make cutbacks over the summer, among those under threat will be Adam Dehaty and Eni Gesinde, who are unavailable for Blaydon today.They are in the Newcastle Development XV squad for Monday night's match against Northampton
KEVIN Keegan admits he's baffled at the way Michael Owen has been snubbed by Fabio Capello. And while predicting it's only a matter of time before his skipper forces his way back into the uncompromising Italian's plans, Keegan is happy to reap the benefits
A coroner yesterday accused the Government of neglecting its troops after hearing that a few cheap blocks of wood would have saved the life of a North-East soldier crushed beneath a tank he was repairing in Afghanistan.Lance Corporal Sean Tansey, 26,
SUNDERLAND boss Roy Keane has branded some of his fellow Premier League managers "hypocrites" for urging their players to respect the referee while they themselves are being punished for using foul and abusive language.Keane, who was sent off 13 times
During his playing career, Nicky Butt has won medals galore at the top end of the spectrum - but nothing he has experienced so far could prepare him for the traumas of this season, as Will Scott reports NICKY Butt may have experienced just about every
POLITICIANS opposing post office closures have clashed over who should have handed in a protest petition.Bishop Auckland's Labour MP Helen Goodman complained to the Standards Board for England that Liberal Democrat councillor Dorothy Burn removed a petition
HE has planned for every eventuality in his first season as a Premier League chairman, but there is one scenario Niall Quinn is refusing to contemplate as he turns his thoughts to Sunderland's development over the next two or three years - life without
SEVEN people have been given long service awards for contributing the equivalent of 150 years service to the Samaritans between them. Steve Evans, the charity's national chairman, presented the awards at the annual meeting of the Northallerton and the
