Archive

  • Sporting venues in running to host paralympians

    EIGHT North-East sporting venues are in the running to host disabled athletes preparing for the London 2012 Paralympics. The facilities are among those selected to appear in the event's Pre-Games Training Camp Guide, which teams from across the world

  • Van fire spreads to properties

    A GARAGE and a house were damaged and a van destroyed in a fire in Stokesley tonight. The blaze is thought to have started with an electrical fault in the engine compartment of the Mercedes Vito van, and spread to a nearby garage at 48 High Street.

  • Fire crews at flat blaze

    A GROUND floor flat was severely damaged by fire tonight. Fire crews were called to the property on Park Road in South Moor, near Stanley, County Durham, at 8.59pm. The occupants were initially reported as trapped, but everyone were accounted for by

  • Men still held over post office raid

    TWO men were still being questioned by detectives tonight following an armed robbery at an estate post office. It follows the arrest of a second suspect, a 29-year-old man, in the Stanley area of County Durham earlier today. A 20-year-old man was detained

  • Tributes to soldier killed in Afghanistan

    A GRIEVING family has paid tribute to a soldier killed in action in Afghanistan. James Christopher Thompson, 27, was on foot patrol in the Musa Qaleh area when he was caught up in an explosion. His family, from Whitley Bay, Northumberland, have been

  • MP backs phone box campaign

    A former cabinet minister has slammed proposals to remove phone boxes from some of Wear Valley's remotest villages. British Telecom (BT) announced ten payphones in the district will be removed unless authorities can demonstrate a clear social need.

  • Lucky escape for Newton Aycliffe resident

    A burning for sale' sign caught early by the house owner averted tragedy last night. The vandals of the property on Woodham Way in Newton Aycliffe are now being sought by police, who say they need the help of witnesses. PC Andrew Cook said the incident

  • Hyundai i10 1.1 Classic

    IREALLY wanted to hate the i10. I wanted to hate its daft little name, its daft little shape, its daft little engine, which I was sure would take longer to reach 60mph than a coat of paint would take to dry, and its daft little wheels that appeared

  • Euro 2008 Preview

    After an enthralling football season many fans would like the opportunity to rest from all the excitement. However, the season is not over yet as Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland is just a week away. England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales may

  • SEAT Ibiza 1.2

    LIFE'S looking tough. The mortgage is in arrears, the gas bill has just landed with a thump, the price of diesel is going through the roof and there are rich relatives to help out. You need a new car but you can't afford much more than beer money

  • Sex And The City (15)

    DO you like sex in the morning? As the distributors have kept the movie version of the TV hit under wraps since its London premiere a couple of weeks ago, there was no alternative but join a dozen other Sex-seekers at the first public cinema performance

  • Barton cleared of vandalising taxi

    NEWCASTLE United footballer Joey Barton has been cleared of criminal damage. The 25-year-old midfielder was found not guilty at Liverpool Magistrates Court of vandalising a taxi after a night out in March last year. The player, who was recently jailed

  • Murray crashes out in Paris

    BRITISH number one Andy Murray was beaten in four sets by clay-court specialist Nicolas Almagro in round three of the French Open. Almagro broke Murray's opening service game and never looked back. Murray claimed the second set on a tie-break but it

  • George hoping for more happy memories from Croft

    JOHN George has happy memories of Croft and the touring car driver is looking forward to making a return this weekend. The 47-year-old manager of JAG Communications achieved a pole position start at the circuit last year and it was at Croft that he won

  • Woman threw glass at her pregnant friend

    A WOMAN who threw a glass at her pregnant friend's face during a row has been spared jail. Jemma Woodland will be scared for life after the broken shards became embeded in her cheek during the attack on November 17 last year. Newcastle Crown Court heard

  • Sir Peter pops in for some pampering at finalist's salon

    GROOMING salon Trampas The Men's Room has seen a thriving first few weeks of business. Deputy Business Editor Deborah Johnson meets its proprietor Karen Forster, the second of The Northern Echo's finalists in the If We Can You Can challenge. KAREN

  • Nine jailed in cannabis crackdown

    NINE people were jailed today following an operation aimed at closing down cannabis factories run by organised crime groups. They were arrested as part of Northumbria Police's Operation Scorpion which targeted a number of Vietnamese-run cannabis farms

  • Reward offered for capture of charity thieves

    A £1,000 reward is being offered to help catch thieves who stole gardening equipment from a charity. Thieves raided the Walled Garden, in Ripon, North Yorkshire, last Sunday, stealing equipment worth more than 3£,000. The project, in the city's Palace

  • Teenagers' Italian job lands him dream career

    A TEENAGE engineering student has landed his dream job with a multi-national company after gaining experience from as far afield at Italy. Alex Grant, 18, will take up a role as an applications engineer when he completes his Darlington College course

  • Dinwiddie cards second round 65

    BARNARD Castle's Robert Dinwiddie clearly likes Fridays. A week ago he shot a course record 63 at Wentworth, and he finished in style at the Wales Open on Friday with an eagle three for a six-under 65. He was second on his own at nine under, three shot

  • Two offices set for conversion into apartments

    TWO planning applications are expected to be given approval which will add a further eight apartments in Darlington. Council officers have recommended plans are approved to convert offices in Blackwell Lane, into four apartments and five homes. A second

  • The Toasters: One More Bullet (Moon Ska Europe)

    The band who lay claim to being the US's longest-touring Ska outfit, are booked to play The Forum, Darlington, on September 5. Active since 1981-2, the only surviving founder member is singer Robert Bucket' Hingley who once owned the world's largest

  • Futureheads: This Is Not The World

    The Wearsiders' self-financed third album sees them combine the frantic pace of their first LP and the catchy elements of follow-up, News & Tributes into exquisite harmonies and solid punk integrity. It's not all two-minute power-pop songs either

  • Pigeon Detectives: Emergency

    The band's second album shows the Leeds outfit have clearly been busy. Hit single, This Is An Emergency, kickstarts the album and there are nods to Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and Alex Turner, all churned up with a cheeky early 90s tickle. Don't

  • Doctor jailed for child porn hoard

    A TRUSTED family doctor who downloaded hundreds of images of child abuse has been jailed. Dr Kevin Griffiths, 49, was collared when one of his colleagues at the Palmer Community Hospital in Jarrow, South Tyneside, found his collection on a computer

  • Kennedy signs permanent deal with Darlo

    JASON Kennedy has completed a permanent move from Middlesbrough to Darlington after an impressive loan spell with the Quakers last season. The 21-year-old, whose previous Boro contract was due to expire next month, has signed a permanent two-year deal

  • On right path

    Andy Welch talks to Tim Burgess of The Charlatans about the band's tenth album and tour. IF you were to write a novel about a fictional band and put them through the same ups and downs as The Charlatans have faced throughout their turbulent career

  • Aboard the Natty ride

    SIGNING a record deal, being asked to play on Jools Holland's show and getting your first single playlisted on Radio 1 is a good year by any up-and-coming artist's standards. But if, like Natty, you're in your first year of live performances, then

  • May 29, 2008

    THE current financial turbulence that is affecting us all in the UK presents one more worry for promoters and organisers of music events across the region. The folk circuit, resilient though it is, could soon be feeling the pinch. I hope not, given

  • May 29, 2008

    WHAT'S ON Tonight McCoy Tyner with Joe Lovano, Sage, Gateshead, 0191-4434661, and Mark Toomey's Quartet at the Travellers Rest, Cockerton, 01325-469756. CD REVIEWS Introducing Hank Crawford (Warner Classics 8122799393) These 13 tracks make an

  • May 29, 2008

    WHAT'S ON Northern Sinfonia, conductor Thomas Zehetmair, Sage Gateshead, 7.30pm, Saturday. Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky. 0191-443 4661. REVIEWS Haydn/Isang Yun, Farewell (ECM New Series476 6188) The Munchener Kammerorchestra under

  • May 29, 2008

    Phil Vassar: Prayer Of The Common Man (Hump Head/Wrasse Records) IF you're a modern country music fan rather than a traditionalist then the new release by Phil Vassar is an album not to be missed. His fourth album, after a gap of four years since

  • Durham star axed from England one-day squad

    DURHAM wicketkeeper Phil Mustard has been axed from the England one-day squad. Warwickshire's Tim Ambrose, who has played in England's last five Test matches, will take over from Mustard in one Twenty20 international and five one-day internationals against

  • Bell hoping to toll at Croft

    MARTYN Bell believes Croft this weekend offers him a chance of a breakthrough first point of 2008. The Humberside driver feels right at home at what he considers a second home event for him - indeed, he has almost 200 guests and friends attending this

  • Qualifying key for overweight Giovanardi

    FABRIZIO Giovanardi says qualifying well at Croft tomorrow will be doubly important as its twisty nature makes overtaking more difficult than at other circuits. Giovanardi arrives at the circuit, near Darlington, leading the HiQ MSA British Touring Car

  • Falcons forward signs new one-year deal

    NEWCASTLE Falcons' preparations for the new season have continued apace, with the news that former South Africa A captain Russell Winter has signed a new one-year deal with the club. The experienced back rower has made 24 appearances for the Falcons

  • Residents call for new windows before winter

    PEOPLE living on an estate have petitioned their housing association to replace ageing windows in their homes before the onset of winter. Residents of The Wynd and The Garth, in Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, say they were told that Cestria Community

  • Fairytale characters meet visitors at hall

    THE Big Bad Wolf is appearing twice daily at a medieval manor house. The wolf is confined to Crook Hall's Jacobean Room for all but two daily appearances as part of the Whit week attractions at the Durham hall. Other characters, including Little

  • Councillor starts to fill up city’s pool

    WATER has been pumped into Durham City's £12.3m swimming pool for the first time. The Freeman's Quay leisure centre, in Freeman's Place, is to open in July. Councillor Carol Woods, the deputy leader of Durham City Council, started the process

  • Takeaway approved despite covenant

    A TAKEAWAY boss has overcome objections to reverse a ban on him serving people who call at his premises. Rahim Foroughi, who operates the Mediterranean Kitchen in Sherburn Village, persuaded Durham City Council's licensing committee to lift

  • Show will be model of high-flying precision

    AERIAL skills will be put to the test this weekend at the Teesside Model Air Show. The two-day event attracted more than 3,000 people last year, who were entertained by the acrobatics of the planes and the skill needed to keep the models, some

  • Local produce takes centre stage

    A RANGE of local produce, from bacon to buffalo meat and pickles to poultry, was on sale at the first farmers' market in Stockton, launched yesterday. Producers from Tees Valley, County Durham and North Yorkshire will set up their stalls in Stockton

  • Agreement to ensure equal pay for employees

    HARTLEPOOL Borough Council's cabinet this week agreed a new pay and grading structure for the authority. The decision affects up to 3,500 employees, if all the borough's schools adopt the agreement. It follows a ballot of trade unions who voted

  • Refugees help work on community pride art

    REFUGEES have been helping to instil pride into a housing estate. Young people, members of a women's activities group and families seeking asylum have joined forces to brighten two community venues in Thorntree, Middlesbrough. They have been working

  • Bobby Thompson, Gala Theatre, Durham

    IT was spine-tingling to hear the unmistakable voice of the Little Waster across the auditorium as his original costumes hung on dummies on the stage before us. The late Bobby Thompson is something of a legend in these parts, but not so well known

  • Take a Peep

    Emmerdale (ITV1, 7pm); Peep Show (C4, 10.35pm); Johnny Cash: Country Gold (BBC4, 10pm) WHAT'S this? Emmerdale reaching its 5,000th episode tonight and no celebrations. No plane dropping from the sky, no house exploding, no bus carrying dozens

  • Where pets are kings

    The column meets a North-East company where pets aren't just man's best friend but family members too. EVERY pet has its little ways... One little dog, for instance, had its own bedroom, its own bed and its own routine, which meant that every night

  • Man fights for life after 80ft cliff fall

    A 29-YEAR-old man is fighting for his life after plunging 80ft from cliffs. The man, from South Shields, had to be airlifted to Newcastle General Hospital where his condition is described as 'critical but stable'. Police, firefighters, coastguard and

  • Make your own meadow

    Wild meadows are beautiful and attract a lot of wildlife. Here's how to create your own THE fields by the side of the A1 as I drive to work are ever changing. Just a few weeks ago they were filled with sunny yellow buttons of a thousand dandelions

  • Matters of the heart

    Heart disease is still seen as a male condition, but women forget they get it too. Health Editor Barry Nelson investigates WHEN it comes to matters of the heart, it seems British women don't want to know the truth. A recent report revealed that

  • Camel country?

    HAS anyone besides me noticed that when the coloured weather chart is shown on the BBC that Northern Ireland is shaped like the head of a camel? The eye, the mouth and the nose are all there. P Smith, Lanchester, Co Durham.

  • Employers' liability

    IT is everyone's right, whether private or commercial, to see evidence of employers' liability insurance prior to any work being started. This kind of insurance is mostly done by specialist companies as most occupations are deemed high-risk. I

  • Albert Nugent

    I WELCOMED the comments about former Durham County Council leader Albert Nugent in last week's Hear All Sides, but blinked in disbelief when I read your article which referred to the possibility of his expulsion (Echo, May 24). Albert Nugent made

  • European union

    ALL too often glib comments are made on issues when, with background research, a different picture is painted. More significantly, actions taken in all kinds of organisations without that research lead to inefficiencies ranging from minor to catastrophic

  • Absurdities

    COLUMNIST Peter Mullen asks why it is acceptable to say that generally black men make better Olympic sprinters than white men, but unacceptable to say that the large number of young black men convicted of theft and muggings is disproportionate

  • Two bailed after girl, two, suspected of taking cannabis

    POLICE investigating an incident which left an 18-month-old girl seriously ill at her home have released two people on bail. The 24-year-old man and 23-year-old woman were arrested last night, Cleveland Police said. The toddler remains in the intensive

  • Liberal hypocrisy

    WHILE Des More is astounded by so-called "liberal hypocrisy" (HAS, May 23), I am equally astounded at his ability to breathe with his head in the sand. His blinkered arguments and misrepresentation of other people's views beggars belief. To boil

  • Violent Britain

    EVEN though some may not realise it, the death penalty is still around in Britain today. Unfortunately, it is not used for legitimate reasons, such as rape, murder and paedophilia, but is enforced for such "offences" as dissing (disrespecting)

  • Checkout encounter

    WE popped into Netto recently and a couple of well-weathered, roughly-dressed people were at the checkout behind us. They were late middle-aged and both were in serious need of dental attention. Amongst their shopping were several really big

  • The ‘guilty men’ of today

    BACK in the 1930s a lot of people got all dewy-eyed about Soviet Russia, idolising Stalin and portraying a regime based on mass murder as a workers' paradise. These people became known as "useful idiots". That phrase has become a label for well-meaning

  • Losing my patience

    Patientline, the patient telephone and entertainment system installed in many NHS hospitals, has come in for some serious criticism in recent weeks. Here, Mark Patterson recounts his often farcical experience of the system during a two-week stay in

  • Men questioned over post office raid

    TWO men are to be questioned by detectives later today following an armed robbery at an estate post office yesterday. The second suspect, a 29-year-old man, was arrested in the Stanley area of County Durham earlier today. He joins a 20-year-old man

  • Pictures are not the answer

    GRUESOME images are to be used in a new Government drive to tackle the problem of knife crime. The Home Office is planning an advertising campaign that will pull no punches. The pictures it has chosen are shocking. They include graphic photos

  • Who’s the Daddy now then?

    TWO amazing post scripts to Simon Davies's record shattering 269 not out - Durham County League, 45 overs - for Tudhoe against Mainsforth last Saturday. The first is that he'd only arrived at Newcastle Airport at 10am that morning after an 18

  • Who’s the Daddy now then?

    TWO amazing post scripts to Simon Davies's record shattering 269 not out - Durham County League, 45 overs - for Tudhoe against Mainsforth last Saturday. The first is that he'd only arrived at Newcastle Airport at 10am that morning after an 18

  • Easterby has York credentials

    ROSBAY (3.20) rates a rock-solid each-way bet in York's SKF Stakes over a mile-and-a-quarter on this Knavesmire this afternoon. Tim Easterby doesn't need a second invitation to run a horse at his favourite track, where the Great Habton handler

  • More woe for Falcons as Burke calls it a day

    NEWCASTLE Falcons have suffered another blow with the retirement of Australian full back Matthew Burke. It was hoped the 35-year-old former club captain would be fit to play next season, but after spending seven months recovering from a torn anterior

  • Ewart ready to make USA fight all the way

    IT IS 12 years since an eight-yearold schoolgirl was taken for a golf lesson by her grandfather, Des Warren. The years of practice that followed will all be worthwhile as later today Jodi Ewart fulfils her childhood dream. Ewart is part of the

  • Jones was always going to make it

    When England line up against Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday, they will be taking on a side with a strong connection to Sunderland. Yesterday, Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson investigated Carlos Edwards' background and today he looks at Kenwyne Jones'

  • May 30th, 2008

    SPORT has thrown up some unlikely heroes this week, almost by virtue of being in the right place at the right time. Paul Collingwood, a batsman badly out of form, found his picture splashed all over the newspapers in the act of scoring the winning

  • Ten Cate leaves as Blues close in on Mancini

    CHELSEA have confirmed assistant first-team coach Henk ten Cate has had his contract terminated. The Blues made the announcement on their website yesterday afternoon, revealing the decision was reached following a meeting. The former Ajax manager

  • Downing defends T&T trip

    STEWART Downing has dismissed suggestions that Sunday's international friendly in Trinidad & Tobago is an unwanted extension to the season, and claimed World Cup qualifying places will be up for grabs in Port of Spain. The importance of England's

  • Conman behind bars after UK-wide search

    A NATIONWIDE police search to bring a conman to justice ended on his doorstep. Lawrence William Crossling is starting a seven-year prison sentence, four months after it was imposed in his absence at Durham Crown Court. He was convicted of two

  • Armed siege on house after post office raid

    ARMED police closed off a street in a North-East village and surrounded a house for more than four hours following a raid at a nearby post office. The drama began when two masked men, thought to be in possession of a handgun, burst into Moorside

  • Pair campaign after death of ‘little angel’

    A CAMPAIGN to raise awareness of a genetic condition has been launched by the family of a ten-month-old baby who died of the disorder. Nathan James Morrison, described by his parents as their little angel sent from heaven, died on May 12 after

  • Last chance to nominate people for exporters awards

    COMPANIES have until the end of this month to submit their nominations for the North East Exporters Awards 2008. Sponsored by UK Trade and Investment, One NorthEast and the North East Chamber of Commerce, the awards recognise the efforts of individuals

  • Buoyant remortgaging boosts lending

    A BUOYANT remortgaging market helped boost mortgage lending to £17.8bn last month in a sign that the home-loan sector has not ground to a halt, figures revealed yesterday. The British Bankers' Association said that gross lending last month rose

  • Caspian Learning eyes world market for its 3D simulations

    A 3D SIMULATION company is targeting global expansion after receiving £1.5m in funding to fuel its growth. Caspian Learning produces 3D games and simulations for the education and training markets, and its client list includes Volvo, Bertlesmann

  • Ice-cream firm wins £2.5m of contracts

    AN ice-cream firm has won contracts worth up to £2.5m. R&R Ice Cream, which has a production site in Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, has received the orders for its Nestle, Thorntons and Ribena impulse products. The products are being sold in

  • Sir Peter pops in for some pampering at finalist’s salon

    GROOMING salon Trampas The Men's Room has seen a thriving first few weeks of business. Deputy Business Editor Deborah Johnson meets its proprietor Karen Forster, the second of The Northern Echo's finalists in the If We Can You Can challenge. KAREN

  • Girls are the perfect inspiration

    WHEN car dealership sales manager Trevor Seal went out on his own in business he decided to make it a real family enterprise. Searching for a name for his business that sources commercial vehicles to customers' specifications, he had to look

  • Outdoor firm boss dismissed

    THE managing director of the North-East division of outdoor clothing firm Blacks Leisure was yesterday dismissed from his post after an investigation into "accounting discrepancies". Darren Spurling was suspended from his position with Sand

  • Polls to be held in towns on parking charge plan

    POLLS will be held into controversial plans to introduce parking charges in part of the region. It has been confirmed that residents in two of the affected towns will be able to make their feelings clear in votes next month. Campaigners hope the

  • Everest-ad pub panels may have to be removed

    A PUB featuring in a high-profile television advertisement for a double glazing company does not have planning permission for the alterations,it has emerged. In the advert, Everest tells of the solar panels it has installed at the Tan Hill Inn, in

  • Home was trashed by fed-up neighbour

    A NOISY neighbour was given a rude awakening himself when he returned home to find it had been broken into and his property damaged. William Park was so fed-up with the late-night racket coming from Anthony Taylor's home in Darlington that he

  • Mystery as football legend’s pub closes

    MYSTERY surrounds the sudden closure of a popular pub run by North-East football legend Bobby Kerr. The Copt Hill, near Houghtonle- Spring, Wearside, shut two weeks ago amid concern that the Sunderland FA Cup winning skipper may have fallen on

  • Brass bands book helping to preserve North’s heritage

    A FORMER music teacher has written a book on the history of brass bands in the North- East. Musician and conductor Dennis Taylor's book, The Heritage of the North East Brass Band Movement, is aimed at keeping memories of the tradition alive.

  • Toddler left ‘seriously ill’ after swallowing cannabis

    AN 18-month old toddler was fighting for her life in hospital last night after swallowing cannabis at a North-East home. Police said two people had been arrested following the incident, in Harwich Grove, Hartlepool, on Wednesday. The child is

  • Ex-president Walesa launches Polish guide

    FORMER Polish president Lech Walesa has launched Durham Cathedral's first guidebook printed in his native language. Mr Walesa, who gained international recognition battling against Communist rule in Poland, saw a copy of the guide during a

  • Top Awards for Aycliffe Squash Club

    Aycliffe squash club had a tremendous night at last weeks Durham and Cleveland Squash presentation night held at Norton cricket club. Junior teams at under 11 and 13 were in the top 3 after a season of competition and the under 15s team were Durham and

  • Aycliffe Squash Club Championship

    This week Aycliffe squash club began their annual club championship with a touch of glamour with the ladies taking centre stage. Twelve of the fourteen female members entered the first round, with 10 of the ladies posing for a photograph before battle

  • Ninth music festival the best yet

    THOUSANDS of visitors are expected to flock to a North-East music festival on Sunday. Middlesbrough Music Live, which is organised and funded by the council's cultural services team, is a free one-day event in the town centre. This year's line-up sees

  • Level of Magpies' big spending is revealed

    NEWCASTLE United's wage bill was identified as one of the most worrying in the country in a leading review of football finance that was published yesterday.Deloitte's Annual Review of Football Finance showed that the Magpies' total annual wage bill rose

  • Alarm plea after house blaze

    FIRE chiefs are urging people to get free smoke alarms fitted after they saved the lives of a family caught in a blaze at their home. Carol Griffiths and six other people, including youngsters, escaped as flames tore through their semi-detached home

  • Brophy says Tykes hold the edge over rivals

    Yorkshire wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy has urged the Tykes to convert their good one-day form into the longer version of the game ahead of today's County Championship clash with Lancashire at Headingley. The White Rose county are on a high after reaching

  • Rivals Mustard and Prior go head-to-head

    DURHAM wicketkeeper Phil Mustard goes head-to-head with Sussex's Matt Prior at Hove over the next four days, but it will be too late to affect the selection of the England one-day squad.Mustard is the man in possession, but is short of runs this season

  • Fake couriers fleeced pensioners

    TWO bogus couriers who fleeced pensioners were labelled mean and despicable by a judge. Tricksters David Maverick and Paul Carter spent weeks planning the scam using fake Cash on Delivery parcels and even buying 600 metres of brown paper wrapping. They

  • Barry dreams of captaincy

    Gareth Barry admitted it will be ''a dream come true'' if he completes a remarkable turnaround in his England fortunes by captaining the side in Sunday's international away to Trinidad and Tobago. Barry is a front-line contender to follow in the footsteps

  • Officials blamed for asbestos scare

    A DAMNING report last night blamed council officials for an asbestos scandal at a North-East sports centre.The report says there had been "endemic" failures at Wear Valley District Council, which led to a report warning about dangerous fibres being buried

  • Boat warning after sea rescue

    THE RNLI is reminding boat owners to check their crafts are seaworthy after two men had to be rescued when their battery ran out. Tynemouth inshore lifeboat was launched at 8.33pm last night when the occupants of a 15ft powerboat called for help. They