A drug addict's father and a friend beat up a man who supplied him with drugs, a court was told today. Patrick O'Driscoll, 55, said he was horrified when he saw the condition of his heroin addict son James, 34, who he had not seen for some years. The
Basketball in association with Game Time Basketball Partoes & Decorative Concrete Solutions Principul, the enigmatic, energetic and all round entertaining R&B artist will be performing a live show at the Game Time Presentation Evening this Saturday
A MAN has died tonight after the car he was in with his pregnant girlfriend and her three young children spun off a County Durham road. Ryan Miles Grindy, 21, was being driven by his 36-year-old partner from Crossthwaite, near Kendal when the accident
A MAN who flashed at a woman motorist was ordered to register as a sex offender for five years. The 21-year-old woman told police that Paul Postgate,45, had the front of his tracksuit bottoms pulled down as cars were passing. She was driving from Saltburn
A NORTH-EAST man has been recalled to prison after breaching the terms of his licence. Joseph Mullen, 25, from South Shields, South Tyneside, was released from a three-year prison term on May 9 after being sentenced for an offence of aggravated vehicle
A MAN has been jailed for stabbing his daughter's boyfriend after the couple had a row. Wayne Maxwell,40, who has mental problems, confessed the crime to his psychiatrist and a social worker. The victim Lee Bishop,23, had been at an all-night drinking
UP TO 30 new jobs will be created at a Darlington branch of a caravan dealership following a quarter of a million pound refurbishment. Discover Leisure, one of the country's leading retailers in caravans, has transformed the former Barrons dealership
FOUR hundred North-East jobs are set to go as the credit crunch takes its toll on the United States' largest bank. Citigroup, which announced last month it was to cut 9,000 jobs worldwide, is planning to shut down its mortgage supplier Future Mortgages
NEW ZEALAND'S Jacob Oram hit a hundred to ensure England's winless streak at Lord's in Test cricket continued as the first Test ended in a draw. Left-hander Oram came to the crease at 120 for four - after Brendon McCullum retired hurt - and smacked a
A TEENAGER who killed his two young sisters when he set fire to his family home has been jailed for at least six years. Shane Spence, 18, was given an indeterminate sentence after he was found guilty by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court for the manslaughter
A WORKING men's club which fought back from the brink of closure 12 years ago celebrated its centenary at the weekend. A remarkable turnaround saved Hunwick Working Men's Club, in County Durham, whose tiny band of just 30 members are close to paying
HISTORY was brought to life at the weekend when Sedgefield residents took over the village centre for their annual Medieval Fair. Knights on horseback, falconry displays, stalls, Morris dancers and music all set the scene for the hundreds of people who
PARKSIDE Community Association, in Willington, is offering free activities for under-16s during the half term holidays. From Tuesday May 27 until Thursday May 29 trampoline, tennis and soccer coaching all start at 10am. Golf and Weapons of the Ninja
A COMMUNITY partnership held an open morning on Saturday to raise awareness of its work. Members of Crook Community Partnership now call their headquarters in Hope Street The Hive, a name which reflects the group's wide range of activities and its central
A 24-year-old man walked free from court today after he admitted setting fire to an RAF pilot who was dressed as a sheep for a fancy dress party. Phillip Buckingham lit the costume made from cotton wool and pillows following a boozy graduation party
A HEALTH boss has decided to lead by example by saddling himself with a cross-country challenge. Colin Morris, the chief executive of Darlington Primary Care Trust, has decided to cycle 160 miles from coast-to-coast. He hopes to raise £5,000 for an
SUNDERLAND will play two games in the Republic of Ireland as part of their pre-season programme. Roy Keane's side, who enjoyed a three-match tour of Ireland last summer, will play two games on the Emerald Isle in August. Sunderland will play Athlone
POLICE are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of an elderly woman who has gone missing from hospital. Christine Collins, a 72-year-old who is described as vulnerable, was last seen leaving the Friarage Hospital at Northallerton at about 3.50pm
POLICE are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of an elderly woman who has gone missing from hospital. Christine Collins, a 72-year-old who is described as vulnerable, was last seen leaving the Friarage Hospital at Northallerton at about 3.50pm
Darlingtons 21st Allstars were invited to play in a football tournament in Amiens France during April. So rE-view asked some of the team to write about their experiances in France. Friday: We set off on our journey to Amiens at 6 o'clock in the
A NEW guide for young parents has been produced by a north Durham partnership. The handbook, produced by the Chester-le-Street Partnership, focuses on the needs of younger parents in Chester-le-Street and Durham, offering hints and tips on
A BANNED motorcyclist ended a police pursuit sprawled across a patrol vehicle bonnet. Cameron McCulloch rode at high speed through residential areas of Horden and Peterlee, trying to lose pursuing police. But it came to a swift conclusion when
A TEENAGER has taken a big step in her bid for theatre stardom. Billie Aken Tyers is back in the North-East preparing for her next stage appearance, next month, after returning from a two-week residential course with the National Youth Theatre
This is one in a series of columns by North Yorkshire racer Darren Manning, driving for A.J. Foyt Enterprises in the IndyCar Series. Manning qualified 14th on the provisional starting grid Saturday for his fourth Indianapolis 500 at an average speed of
A NEWLY-FORMED town council is to be led by two figures from opposing political backgrounds. Independent Tom Pattinson has been elected as first chairman of Stanley Town Council. The 69-year-old member of Derwentside Independents was secretary
IT was a day of fun when a variety of activity sessions were held to keep adults and children people entertained. Hall Garth Community Arts College, in Acklam, Middlesbrough, was open to give people the chance to try a range of drop-in sessions
A BURGER seller escaped injury today when an articulated lorry overturned and crashed onto his mobile stall, following a collision with a car. The lorry and a Volkswagon Golf were in collision on a roundabout on the A689 between Wynyard and Sedgefield
AN angry shopkeeper is calling on the police to tackle gangs of youths causing trouble and drinking alcohol outside his store. As many as 50 or 60 youths gather outside Manish Sahani's store in Park Avenue, Redcar, every night, especially at weekends
GARDENER Barry Gillatt was left amazed after growing a five-headed tulip. The 61-year-old said he has never seen any like it in his 20 years of gardening. The retired welder planted the flowers in October last year and could not believe his eyes when
HUNDREDS of rowers and boat enthusiasts gathered on Teesside at the weekend to keep a 200-year tradition afloat. About 1,500 people made the Tees Regatta a huge success on Saturday, despite the challenges posed by the construction of a footbridge
A COUNCIL has received £500,000 to improve playtime for youngsters. Stockton Borough Council has been given £488,188 by the Big Lottery Fund to develop play areas in the town. The cash will help to provide a park in Ingleby Barwick, improve Village
AFTER a year, Hadouken! came back to Newcastle, where, after becoming well known over the internet site Myspace, the band have gained a pretty sturdy fan base. This tour was the perfect opportunity for Hadouken! to show off some of their tracks
THANKS to a young friend, who was our excited guest, there was never any real danger that wefd mistake the under-ninesf TV hero of Lazytown, Sportacus, for Kurt Douglasf gladiatorial star, Spartacus. Both do spawn clones. In Sportacusf case,
Reverend Death (C4, 10pm); Class of 62 - From 16-60 (BBC2, 9pm) THE minister turns to the camera, looks directly at the viewer and says: "That's it, that's the way it's done." The it in question is helping someone to die - assisted suicide - and
Steve Pratt talks to Ashley Christmas about her role as Hedgehog in York Theatre Royals latest production for children. ASHLEY Christmas isnt trying to rival David Attenborough as a wildlife expert, but has learnt a lot about hedgehogs as a result
Now is the time to get out into the countryside and listen to the dawn chorus, which reaches a crescendo in May. Birdsong lover Ruth Campbell joined a group of enthusiasts very early one morning last week. JANE, a university lecturer from York, became
CORRESPONDENT A Baines questions the need for statues of public figures (HAS, May 12). There are many people such as Arthur Wharton, the world's first black professional footballer, who helped change attitudes, bringing down barriers, while through
WITH reference to the head and shoulders sculpture for the Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe (Echo, May 10). Will the project manager, Katy Banner, an arts development officer for Sedgefield Borough Council, answer the following questions
ANNE Farrow asks that the "illinformed" attacks on our Prime Minister cease (HAS, May 14). She states that he has been described as "arrogant, boring and lacking common sense" and these descriptions are unevidenced. Let us examine the evidence.
AS we know, politics can be a cruel business. You only need ask Gordon Brown about that. But then, of course, politicians have to be resilient. Councillor Albert Nugent, the beleaguered former leader of Durham County Council, has had many battles
THOSE embroiled in the upper echelons of politics often complain that they don't get paid enough. But there is a very nice insurance policy to be had by maintaining diaries and releasing autobiographies as soon as the shackles of responsibility
A North-East school has won praise for its unique exchange with Russia. David Roberts joined pupils and teachers from Hummersknott School during their recent visit to St Petersburg and Moscow. AS they sit waiting for the plane that will fly them
RARELY have all three of our main party leaders had so much to win or lose in a byelection. On Thursday, voters in Crewe and Nantwich deliver their judgements on Gordon Brown, David Cameron and - should they remember who the poor fellow is - Nick
WHINHILL HOUSE has the ability to get involved at the business end of the Edinburgh Holiday Claiming Stakes at Musselburgh. David Barker's eight-year-old appears as good as ever this season following a break through the winter months - and is
THE gloomy days of last season are fading into the memory as Stockton aim for a top half finish in the Northern Rock ECB North East Premier League. Having won only three matches last summer as they finished bottom, to have tasted success twice already
THE arrival, a little later than originally expected, of new professional, Salil Agharkar, provided encouraging signs that better days could be just around the corner for Darlington. The Indian spin bowler grabbed five wickets on debut at Feethams
Durham v Lancashire (Friends Provident Trophy) DURHAM'S breathless defence of the Friends Provident Trophy saw them cling on to their quarter- final hopes as they beat depleted Lancashire by six runs at Riverside yesterday. With two group games
Scotland v Yorkshire (Friends Provident Trophy) CRAIG WHITE weighed in with an unbeaten 69 as Yorkshire recovered from a shaky start to stroll to a seven wicket victory in their make or break Friends Provident Trophy clash with Scotland in Edinburgh
DURHAM CITY GP Rob Hand proved he had the right diagnosis when he finished at the head of over 1,000 runners in yesterday's big Pier to Pier race between South Shields and Sunderland. The newly-crowned North- East 10,000m track champion had finished
ENGLAND'S multi-million pound agreement with Sir Allen Stanford should be announced in the next week once the players have agreed their share of the jackpot. The Texan billionaire wants England to play a series of oneoff Twenty20 matches in
MICHAEL Vaughan battled successfully through his crisis of confidence to join the Lord's Hall of Fame and prevent England suffering an unexpected deficit in the weather-hit opening Test. The England captain has endured a tricky time both on and
AFTER all the hype of the playoffs etc., here's an interesting view of non-league football. Last Wednesday evening I attended a Wearside League game between Annfield Plain and Jarrow. An interesting game won by Jarrow to earn them runners-up slot
AS ONE who follows Middlesbrough through newspapers and the radio, I am very pleased that they have retained their Premier League status. They played some stylish football in the season that has just ended and have a good squad of players.
AFTER watching the match on Saturday last week I can't honestly understand why Dave Penney puts Neil Wainwright out on loan. He should be the first name on the team sheet If there was a ruling in football where you could let the manager out
MANCHESTER is now counting the cost of hosting the UEFA cup final on Wednesday. I'm afraid that if they didn't see the potential danger of having 100,000 Scottish football fans drinking from dawn to dusk in the city with only 30,000 away tickets
HAVING watched ice hockey from the Earl Carlson era, I read your article on Durham Wasps (Echo, May 3) with nostalgic interest and even after all these years a little anger. Rex Brown, the last owner of Durham Ice Rink, was given a one line
Durham 20 Cumbria 2 WHILE Northumberland head for Twickenham on June 1, Durham are left to ponder what they can do to reinvigorate county rugby. The balance of power in the North-East has increasingly shifted north of the Tyne as the County Championship
FA CUP FINAL: Portsmouth 1 Cardiff City 0 IT has excited and enthralled for the majority of the season, but at its denouement, the 2008 FA Cup was all about redemption. Redemption for Nwankwo Kanu, who wrote his name into cup final folklore two
HARTLEPOOL United have signed a five-year deal to help develop Malaysian football. The Football Association of Sarawak have teamed up with Pools and their owners IOR Ltd to form a new club in Sarawak, one of two Malaysian states on the island
Stockport County 1 Wycombe Wanderers 0 Stockport win 2-1 on aggregate STOCKPORT boss Jim Gannon insisted he always knew Liam Dickinson's goalscoring ability would inspire the club to beat Wycombe and reach the Coca- Cola League Two play-off final
DAVID Stockdale will be fulfilling a childhood dream when he becomes a Premier League footballer this summer - but he can only hope that no representatives from Fulham were at Spotland on Saturday. A deal worth £350,000, which could rise to
ROB Purdie has vowed to put his play-off woe behind him by helping Darlington to automatic promotion next season. Saturday's heartbreaking defeat at Rochdale was the fourth time the 26-year-old has been involved in the semi-finals of the competition
STEVE McCLAREN could make a return to management in Holland this summer with Champions League-bound FC Twente. McClaren watched from the AmsterdamArenA stands yesterday, as Twente condemned Dutch giants Ajax to UEFA Cup football with an enthralling
A WORKING men's club which fought back from the brink of closure 12 years ago celebrated its centenary at the weekend. A remarkable turnaround saved Hunwick Working Men's Club, in County Durham, whose band of only 30 members are close to paying
STOCKTON-BASED developer Terrace Hill will begin work on a £12m retail park in Cumbria soon. The development in Penrith has been given planning permission by Eden District Council and work to create the venue, which will also bring 200 jobs
THE troubled opening of Heathrow's Terminal 5 cost BA boss Willie Walsh his annual bonus, despite the airline posting record profits. The chief executive said he felt any award would have been inappropriate'' given the problemhit move to the
A RISING star of kayaking is hoping to make it to the top with the help of a North-East law firm. Student Jamie Oughton was ranked 17th in wild water racing's world cup last year. The 20-year-old Newcastle University student has received support
Trade links between the North-East and Norway could create up to 500 skilled jobs in the region over the next five years. Stuart Arnold joined a trade delegation to Stavanger to investigate BUSINESS chiefs are hoping to cash in on a boom in the oil
THE public had a rare opportunity to descend into Britain's biggest known cave chamber at the weekend. Cavers were winched one-byone down a gigantic pothole in Ingleborough, North Yorkshire, to see the natural wonder. The cave was formed by the
RESIDENTS have sprung to the defence of a Tory politician accused of stigmatising poor parents. Conservative Party work spokesman Chris Grayling was condemned last week by a children's charity after likening parents in deprived pockets of the
HAPPY is publican Paddy Solan that his premises' detractions are now mended (to borrow a line from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing). Mr Solan, landlord of The Shakespeare, in Durham City, is toasting the restoration of an essential part of
FLEDGLING firefighters celebrated the end of 13 weeks of intensive training at their passing-out parade yesterday. Eight trainees, who had already beat off tough competition to get on to the course run by County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue
A COUPLE loved a visitor attraction so much that they decided to marry at the venue. But by bringing the marriage forward a few months, they were surprised to learn they were the first to tie the knot at Crook Hall, a medieval manor house,
A COURAGEOUS survivor of both leukaemia and breast cancer completed a Cancer Research UK Race for Life event in the region yesterday. It was a real family affair for Karen Hall, who was joined by sister, Joanne Allman- Taylor, on the five kilometre
A STALKER who was jailed indefinitely for a string of sex assaults along a countryside walkway could have been responsible for even more attacks, it emerged last night. Alan Ginnever was branded a "significant danger" by a judge for his terrifying
THE world's oldest sporting event returned to its North Yorkshire roots with a record number of entries. The Antient Scorton Silver Arrow contest celebrated its 300th competition by attracting 143 entries. The annual archery competition was
A MOTHER wept yesterday after an employment tribunal found she had no grounds of complaint against her parish council employers. Former assistant town clerk Sandra Evans, who had previously turned down a £10,000 out-of- court settlement, said she
LABOUR was braced for another ballot box bashing last night as deputy leader Harriet Harman publicly criticised its campaign in a crucial by-election. With polls indicating that the party faces defeat in Crewe and Nantwich on Thursday, Ms Harman
Darlington FC came within a penalty kick of a trip to Wembley. Neil Macfarlane joined fans at the town's Red Lion pub for an afternoon of ecstasy and agony. TEN minutes into the decisive play off semi-final away to Rochdale, and I'm wondering if
ONE of the most powerful men in Russia's second city has said he wants to learn from the example of a North-East town. A school exchange has inspired Sergey Sitdikov to profess that he wants to visit Darlington to learn how to improve health,
AN alliance of market traders with more than 35,000 members across the country is about to back The Northern Echo's campaign to ban flammable children's pyjamas.A leader of the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF) has also vowed to fight to get sister
VINTAGE vehicles are being put through their final paces prior to an annual test of reliability and safety.But late entries can still be lodged for this year's Beamish Run, a recreation of the trial routes used by motor manufacturers and clubs in the
Where did it all go wrong? That's the question Darlington will be asking themselves after seeing their side throw away a two-goal advantage and with it a glorious chance of a first promotion since 1991. Instead Rochdale took a giant stride towards
IF penalties are the order of the day at Rochdale this afternoon, Darlington should be in safe hands. After all, David Stockdale, the young keeper destined for Premier League football next season, has already denied Wayne Rooney from 12 yards. It is highly
DON'T panic is the message from Ian Miller as Darlington head to Rochdale for today's play-off semi final showdown. Quakers are 90 minutes away from Wembley and are the bookies' favourites going into today's second leg tie after last week's morale-boosting
A GRIEVING family celebrated their late son's birthday by taking 20 of his friends from hospital for a day out at a racing car circuit.Jordan Thompson, a promising young footballer, died last year following a long battle with cancer.The 15-year-old Newcastle
STEVE McCLAREN could make a return to management in Holland this summer with Champions League-bound FC Twente. McClaren watched from the AmsterdamArenA stands yesterday, as Twente condemned Dutch giants Ajax to UEFA Cup football with an enthralling aggregate
HARTLEPOOL United have signed a five-year deal to help develop Malaysian football. The Football Association of Sarawak have teamed up with Pools and their owners IOR Ltd to form a new club in Sarawak, one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo
ROY KEANE remains determined to add Premier League experience to his squad this summer, although he is also weighing up moves for a batch of promising Championship stars. With a reputed £50m being made available for new transfers, Keane has outlined
NEWCASTLE UNITED plan a deal for Turkish sensation Arda Turan before next month's European Championships and Emre could be used as a makeweight in the transfer. Sources in Istanbul claim there have been top level talks between Galatasaray and Newcastle
Today's match against Rochdale will be the last time this season that George Houghton will be cheering his team on from the stands. Even if the Quakers get through to the final at Wembley, an operation in the US means that Mr Houghton will not be able
POLICE will today begin a week-long blitz against drug crime across England's biggest county.Enforcement action will be combined with a full programme of education, advice, awareness and support activities in North Yorkshire.Particular focus will be given
GARETH SOUTHGATE wants Mark Schwarzer's 'calming influence' to be still around Middlesbrough next season, but the Australian remains determined to land a two-year extension. An improved offer was put to Schwarzer last week when Southgate outlined a desire
Jason Kennedy missed the crucial spot-kick that handed Rochdale the opportunity to play for a place in League One next season, but Darlington manager Dave Penney had nothing but praise for the on loan midfielder.Seven days earlier his top notch strike
GRIEVING parents are preparing to take a 50,000-name petition to Downing Street to try to keep convicted murderers behind bars for the rest of their lives.Only days after the High Court overturned the "whole life" sentence of psychopathic murderer Reg
A draw today would earn Darlington the chance to play for a place in League One, but manager Dave Penney insists the only way to reach Wembley is in winning style. Leading 2-1 following the first leg of the play-offs last Saturday, Quakers will be making
SMALL enterprises in the North-East could be at risk by gambling on operating without business insurance. Almost a third of the regions small companies are said to be putting themselves, their employees and customers at unnecessary risk by opting not
